Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 105: Your Highness, we have arrived at Xuanwu Gate!

Thinking of this problem, Liu Bian couldn't help feeling a little annoyed.

Although there were conflicts among the aristocratic families, who was nobler between the ancient and modern literary schools? After all, they were all birds of a feather. It was impossible to expect everyone to be as upright as Lu Zhi and Tian Feng. In addition to intimidating them with power and majesty, they also had to be made to fight each other.

You attack me, I attack you, and Liu Bian sits firmly in the referee's seat, unable to keep them in harmony, nor to make the fight too intense, and also to prevent a situation where one company dominates.

While he was thinking, Liu Bian, who was sitting in the carriage, felt a little nervous for no reason. He lifted the curtain and looked out. This road did not seem to be the road he was used to taking. He was about to arrive at a towering palace gate, and he suddenly became suspicious.

However, seeing that Dian Wei was accompanying on the left side of the chariot, Xu Chu should be on the right side, and the other guards of the Prince's Palace were following closely behind, he felt a little relieved.

The commander of the imperial carriages who is in charge of driving the emperor today is Liu Ai. He is one of the few Han royal relatives, except Liu Bei, who has clearly expressed his support for the Prince's Mansion. He should be fine. Perhaps he is just feeling a little stressed after just coming off the battlefield.

Liu Bian sat back on the cushion and casually asked Zhao You, who was accompanying him, "What gate is this?"

Zhao You lifted the curtain of the carriage, took a closer look, and replied, "Your Highness, this is the Xuanwu Gate!"

Hearing the words "Xuanwu Gate", Liu Bian subconsciously tensed his nerves, his body tensed like a tiger or leopard about to pounce on its prey. His left hand subconsciously pressed on the long sword at his waist, and he stared at Liu Hong like a wolf, his eyes full of vigilance and alertness.

He would not underestimate the ability of this "tyrant" just because Liu Hong indulged in sensual pleasures all day long. There were many coups in the palace of the Later Han Dynasty.

Previously, Emperor Xiaoshun was falsely accused of being deposed from the position of crown prince. The ten-year-old Emperor Xiaoshun, assisted by his wet nurse Song E and nineteen eunuchs including Zhong Huangmen Sun Cheng, staged a coup, beheaded Empress Dowager Yan's confidants, and ascended the throne.

Later, with his good father, the emperor, when he was eleven years old, when Dou Wu and Chen Fan petitioned Empress Dowager Dou to depose the emperor, Wang Fu, under the protection of his wet nurse Zhao Rao, appointed him as the Yellow Gate Order. Then he drew his sword himself and led the swordsmen to kidnap Empress Dowager Dou Miao, killed Dou Wu and Chen Fan, and took control of the power.

With these two good role models, especially the latter being his good father, how could he not be careful?
If he had not made sufficient arrangements in Luoyang, even carrying the imperial seal with him, and if the embroidered envoys had not closely monitored the residences of many important officials in the court, and if General Zhu Miao had not kept a close eye on Liu Hong for him, how could he have dared to leave the imperial capital so easily to personally lead the expedition against the Yellow Turbans?

Furthermore, even if Liu Hong wanted to deal with him, why would he let him ride in the chariot with him, let alone allow Dian Wei, Xu Chu and two thousand guards from the Prince's Palace to accompany him?

However, when they saw Liu Bian suddenly behave like this, Liu Hong and Empress He were a little confused.

Why are things suddenly so tense?

However, before the two could speak, Liu Bian sat back down, took a long breath, and pretended to be tired as he looked at Liu Hong and Empress He and said, "Father, Mother, I just came back from the battlefield and I'm a little tired."

There is a Xuanwu Gate in the Luoyang Imperial Palace. The North Palace and the South Palace have the same structure, each with a Xuanwu Gate. The full name should be "Xuanwu Quemen".

There were three northern gods in the beliefs of the Han Dynasty, namely Zhuanxu, Chenxing and Xuanwu. Because they were relatively complex and difficult for people to grasp, they still followed the concepts of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period and regarded Xuanwu as the god of the north.

In common beliefs, Xuanwu is the god of the north, Baihu is the god of the west, Zhuque is the god of the south, and Qinglong is the god of the east. The four gates of the North and South Palaces are all named after gods. Even the Yulin Army is not named after the meaning of "wings for the country, as flourishing as a forest", but is named after the stars in the sky.

"To the north is the Xuanwu Palace, and to the south are many stars, called the Yulin Heavenly Army." The Yulin Heavenly Army refers to the Yulin stars in the sky. Because they guard the Xuanwu constellation, they are named "Yulin Heavenly Army", hence the name "Yulin Army".

The chariot traveled westward from the Middle East Gate to the Xuanwu Gate. For Liu Hong, who was left alone in the North Palace, this route actually posed no problem.

(See the map below for the route)

However, Liu Bian and Empress He lived in the Southern Palace, and Liu Bian's Eastern Palace was quite close to the Canglong Gate of the East Gate. He was used to going through the Canglong Gate when entering and leaving the palace and the Secretariat, so he was naturally quite unfamiliar with the Xuanwu Gate.

There was no other way, he had to pretend to be tired. After all, his behavior just now was too sudden, and he had no reasonable excuse to explain it. He could only make Liu Hong and Queen He believe that he was just too nervous and tired on the battlefield, which was why he acted like that.

Liu Hong and Empress He did not take this too seriously, simply advising him to rest more and not overwork himself. The life spans of the Later Han emperors were alarmingly short, with only a few achieving longevity. If Liu Bian truly had health problems, it would likely cause untold disasters.

Liu Bian nodded silently, rubbed his eyebrows and closed his eyes to rest, but when the carriage entered the Xuanwu Gate, he couldn't help but feel his heart pounding.

It was not until the imperial carriage arrived safely outside the Eastern Palace that Liu Bian saw Gao Wang, who had come to greet him early with a group of eunuchs and palace maids, that he felt relieved.

"Your Highness!"

After seeing the emperor's carriage leave, Gao Wang looked at the prince whom he had not seen for half a year with tears in his eyes, and ran towards Liu Bian at a trot, but unexpectedly seemed to trip over something, and he fell forward and fell heavily to the ground.

Gao Wang didn't even bother to brush off the dust on his body. He climbed up using his hands and feet and ran to the prince. Suddenly, tears fell like rain, sobbing, "Your Highness has become much darker. I don't know how much hardship Your Highness has endured outside. These damn moth thieves have really made Your Highness suffer!"

"Your Highness is living in the open air, while I am staying in the palace all day. Whenever I think of this, I can't sleep or eat. If Your Highness wants to go out in the future, please take me with you."

After saying this, Gao Wang seemed to have just remembered that he had forgotten to perform formalities when he saw the Crown Prince, and he quickly bowed and said, "Your servant greets His Highness."

"If I didn't trust you, how could I have let you stay in the palace?" Liu Bian watched Gao Wang's extravagant performance, his lips curled up slightly, and he shook his head with a smile. He kicked him in the knee in anger, "We have been master and servant for many years, and we are not strangers. Don't be so hypocritical. Go and get me some hot water for a bath and change clothes, and then bring me some food."

How could Liu Bian not see Gao Wang's little thoughts? In the East Palace, there was no uneven ground that could cause him to fall?
salute?

The master and servant have been together for many years, so why would they care about this empty formality?
What's more, has Gao Wang ever been rude over the years?

He was simply worried that Zhao You and other eunuchs, who were dubbed "virtuous eunuchs" by scholars, would take advantage of his absence to snatch away his position in the heart of this prince.

However, he really trusted Gao Wang. The emperors of all dynasties always had complicated feelings towards their personal eunuchs.

Being in the royal family, there is little family affection and few playmates. Even though you know that people like Gao Wang are deliberately trying to please you, over time, even the flattery will develop into a mutual and genuine feeling.

For someone like Gao Wang who has no descendants, isn't the prince a kind of existence that represents the affection between a son and a nephew to Gao Wang?

If Liu Bian had not seen Gao Wang's true feelings, he would not have appointed him as the Imperial Pharmacist, responsible for supervising the heavy task of cooking medicine in the palace.

Many emperors and princes of the Later Han Dynasty died from inexplicable diseases and medicines. Liu Bian did not want to repeat the same mistake, so he had to appoint his confidant as the chief pharmacist.

"Hehe, Your Highness is wise. My little thoughts are exposed." Gao Wang smiled, but he was not embarrassed at all because Liu Bian saw through his little thoughts.

Just as Liu Bian said, they, the master and the servant, were not outsiders, so he did not feel embarrassed. He even knew that the prince would be able to see through these little tricks.

But just because the prince could see it didn't mean he couldn't pretend to be clever and show off his tricks.

This is a statement.

If one day he doesn't even have to express his stance, should the prince think that he is disrespectful to the prince, or that he is so disloyal that he doesn't even bother to express his stance?

Moreover, in a way, this was just a little game between him and the prince.

Perhaps in the eyes of others he is a fool who can't even flatter. Who knows who is the real fool in this palace?
(2470 words)
(End of this chapter)