Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 327 Xu Fu: Your Majesty, do you know that when a commoner is enraged, blood will be spilled five steps away!
June 15th, the second year of the Han Dynasty.

The capital of the State of Chen, Chen County, and the Palace of the King of Chen.

Liu Chong sat high on his throne, his gaze falling on the imperial envoy who had arrived with his credentials. When he saw that the envoy was a young boy with a tender face who had not yet come of age, he was taken aback at first, then a mocking smile appeared on his lips as he sneered and said sarcastically, "Is there no one else in the court?"

The envoy clasped his hands and calmly bowed to Liu Chong. His voice was clear and unhurried as he said, "In Luoyang, with its four thousand neighborhoods, people stand shoulder to shoulder, their sleeves forming shade and their sweat like rain. How can you say there is no one here?" (Note 1)

Liu Chong suddenly stood up, shoved aside the swaying tassels of his crown with his left hand, pointed directly at the envoy from the palace with his right hand, and said sternly, "Then what makes a mere child an envoy?"

Upon seeing this, Chen Guowen and Wu on both sides burst into laughter.

This era has a stereotype about age.

The saying "A young man with no beard is unreliable" has become a widely accepted consensus, regardless of social status.

Many people had to bribe officials and falsify their age in order to get a government position.

The envoy remained unmoved, his gaze sweeping lightly over the Chen officials who were mocking him. He then bowed to Liu Chong again, his face showing no anger, and said neither servile nor arrogantly, "The emperor sends envoys to their respective lords. The virtuous are sent to virtuous kings, and the unworthy are sent to unworthy kings. Fu is the most unworthy, so he has been sent directly to Chen."

Liu Chong gripped the armrest of the table tightly, the veins on the back of his hand slightly bulging, but he still suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "What do you want to do? Do you want to be like Yanzi of Qi?"

The messenger took out the imperial edict from his bosom, held it high with both hands, and said loudly, "The imperial edict is here. Please, Prince Chen, pay your respects and receive the edict!"

Liu Chong narrowed his eyes as he looked at the envoy, his gaze growing increasingly cold.

Even if the envoy does not read the edict aloud, he will know its contents.

It's nothing more than summoning him to court to observe the sacrificial ceremony!

Since the Earth Sacrifice on the ninth day of the fifth lunar month last summer solstice, when Liu Chong refused to go to the capital to participate in the ceremony under the pretext of illness, and the emperor also refused to bestow sacrificial meat upon the State of Chen, the emperor has invited Liu Chong to the capital for every national sacrificial ceremony since then.

During the Later Han Dynasty, the vassal kings were nominally granted fiefdoms but had no governing or military power. They were not required to pay regular audiences with the emperor. However, for every national-level sacrificial ceremony, vassal kings from the vicinity of the capital were often invited to attend.

And every time the emperor invited Liu Chong to court, he had a very good reason.

Last year's ancestral temple seasonal sacrifices and Mingtang sacrifices, this year's New Year's Day sacrifices, and this year's ancestral temple spring and summer sacrifices.

The four seasonal sacrifices at the ancestral temple were for worshipping the emperors of the Han Dynasty, while the sacrifices at the Mingtang were for worshipping Emperor Guangwu, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty. The New Year's Day ceremony was a bestowal of honor and favor from the emperor.

The emperor issued edicts repeatedly, inviting him eight times, but he refused each time.

If we consider the first two times, Liu Chong thought that the emperor only wanted to lure him into Luoyang and kill him, but with the third, fourth, and fifth times, even if Liu Chong was stupid, he realized the problem.

And counting today's time, that's the ninth time, also known as the ninth time!
Although "nine" is just a conceptual reference, as the extreme of numbers, the fact that a feudal lord refused to pay homage to the emperor nine times in a row would inevitably cause a huge uproar.

In particular, the emperor often summoned the princes whose fiefdoms were located in Xuzhou, Jizhou, Yizhou and other places to pay homage. These people would travel more than two thousand miles to answer the summons. In contrast, he was the only one who repeatedly failed to appear when summoned, which made him, the King of Chen, seem even more disrespectful to the emperor.

Of course, the princes and vassal kings who lived two thousand miles away from the capital were not required to personally travel to Luoyang to pay homage and participate in every sacrificial ceremony. But when the emperor issued an edict inviting them to the capital, who would dare to refuse?
Liu Chong originally intended to use this as a pretext to unite the various regional lords in rebellion and jointly launch a major campaign!
Upon receiving the letter, the various feudal lords were all filled with righteous indignation. They angrily handed the letter to their respective prime ministers, requesting that it be forwarded to the emperor, and swore an oath to heaven to express their loyalty to the emperor.

Several radical vassal kings even summoned the messengers who delivered Liu Chong's message directly in front of the prime minister, and personally beheaded the messengers, abandoning their dignity as vassal kings, their blood staining their royal robes!
Damn it, you rebelled over something like this?
How could someone be so desperate!
These pampered princes had neither the ambition nor the ability of Liu Chong.

What's so great about being an emperor? Every day you have to review memorials, and if you take in a few beauties, the scholars will chase after you and accuse you of being licentious and immoral. If you sleep in late, you'll be accused of neglecting your duties. Even if you summon a musician to listen to a little tune, you'll be scolded for not doing your job properly.

Moreover, although they were feudal lords, their actual power was far less than that of the prime minister.

Although they lived in luxury every day, they were not exactly wealthy. Where would they get the money and supplies to start a rebellion?

Not to mention that the emperor has been so powerful and influential since he came to power; only someone who has lost their mind would rebel!

Furthermore, the emperor was benevolent and righteous. Considering the arduous journeys and considerable travel expenses for these feudal lords, he simply provided them with two residences in Luoyang: one in the city, close to the palace, and the other in a scenic spot on the outskirts of the capital.

Although not as spacious as the royal palace in the fiefdom, the luxurious life in Luoyang was incomparable to that of the fiefdoms.
Why not indulge in the hustle and bustle of the capital all day long? Why insist on returning to your fiefdom to suffer?
Moreover, the emperor often bestowed rewards upon them, and as long as they did not break the law, their lives were better than those of the gods!
I'm so happy here, I don't even think about my country!
But the princes were immersed in wealth and honor, leaving Liu Chong in dire straits!

Seeing that Liu Chong was still seated on the throne, a cold glint flashed in the envoy's eyes. He suddenly stepped forward three steps, looked directly at Liu Chong, and said solemnly, "Please, Prince Chen, pay your respects and listen to the imperial edict!"

Liu Chong suddenly flicked his sleeve, smashing the inkstone on the table to the ground, splattering ink everywhere, and said coldly, "I will sit here today and listen to the imperial edict!"

The envoy took three steps forward, looked at the road before him, then swept his gaze over the civil and military officials of Chen, finally fixing his eyes on Liu Chong's face. His voice was even more stern as he said, "King of Chen, pay your respects and listen to the imperial edict!"

Seeing that the envoy went from "respectfully requesting" to "please," and then stopped using even the honorifics in the third instance, it was clear that this envoy, who had not yet been crowned, was of an upright character.

But Liu Chong wouldn't tolerate him. Instead, he drew his long sword from his waist, its cold light flashing, and pointed it directly at the messenger, shouting angrily, "I refuse to pay my respects! What are you going to do about it! Do you want to test the sharpness of my sword?"

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense. The officials fell silent and held their breath, their eyes shifting back and forth between Prince Liu Chong of Chen and the emperor's envoy.

As the de facto prime minister of Chen, Luo Jun stood quietly to the side, offering no advice to his king to calm his anger.

After all, things have come to this point, and at this moment, a little anger is nothing.

The emperor intended to force Prince Chen to raise an army. Since the emperor had made it clear that he was prepared to leave no room for maneuver and was ready to break through the final barrier, there was no room for negotiation. Therefore, there was no need to worry about many things anymore.

The envoy took a deep breath, then suddenly bowed slightly, lowering his head. Just as Liu Chong thought the envoy was about to give in in the face of death and was about to sneer, he saw the envoy suddenly pull out a dagger from his bosom, take three more steps, and be only five steps away from Liu Chong, shouting: "Does Your Majesty know that a commoner's anger can cause blood to splatter five steps away!"

Liu Chong was startled, raising his sword to meet the envoy who was poised to close the final five steps. Even with more than ten guards armed with weapons behind him, the thin young man's eyes now revealed a terrifying killing intent.

Having personally killed Yellow Turban rebels on the battlefield and also personally led troops out of the city to suppress bandits, he could tell that the envoy was already prepared to die.

Despite Liu Chong's extraordinary bravery, he saw a resolute killing intent in the eyes of this fearless young man.

It was a fierce momentum that disregarded life and death and sought only a single strike!

His hand holding the sword paused slightly as he met the gaze of the swordsman, and for some reason, a sense of fear arose in his heart.

If we raise an army to fight the emperor, we might have a chance of winning, but if we are killed here by this envoy, we will become a laughing stock of the world!

Liu Chong let out a long breath, finally sheathed his sword, gritted his teeth, and bowed to the imperial edict in the messenger's hand. His voice was almost squeezed out from between his teeth as he said, "Please, angel, read the edict!"

The envoy made no further attempt to obstruct the proceedings, tucked the dagger into his sleeve, unfolded the imperial edict, and proclaimed: "In the solemn autumn frost, we remember our ancestors with utmost respect. The autumn sacrifice at the ancestral temple is about to take place. I, by the mandate of Heaven, offer sacrifices to our ancestors. Only the royal family, with their virtuous and benevolent rule, should join me in this grand ceremony to strengthen our kinship."

The relevant officials are ordered to prepare the carriage to welcome him; they should quickly pack their belongings and rush to the capital without delay.

"I am ill and unable to walk. Please send a messenger to reply to the Emperor on my behalf."

Liu Chong waved his hand and replied indifferently. As he expected, the edict ordered him to go to the capital immediately to participate in the autumn sacrifice to his ancestors. He replied with the same old excuse.

Initially, he would feign illness and stay in bed, applying powder to make his face appear pale, lying on the bed wrapped in a blanket, and replying to the messenger weakly.

But now, the emperor is clearly using this incident as an excuse to deal with him. Since he's already prepared to break off all pretense, what's there to hide or be afraid of?
"only!"

The envoy said nothing, bowed, and turned to leave.

He did not expose Liu Chong's lies, as this was not his responsibility as an imperial messenger. His task was to convey Liu Chong's true attitude to the emperor, who would then decide how to proceed.

"Halt, messenger!"

Then the envoy turned and headed out of the hall. As he approached the hall door, Liu Chong suddenly called out to the envoy, his gaze slightly narrowed, and he raised his voice, "May I ask your name?"

The envoy paused, but did not turn around. He simply replied in a clear voice, "An unknown man, Xu Fu of Yingchuan." (Note 2)

Liu Chong was taken aback. Judging from the young man's demeanor and bearing, he really didn't seem like a scholar from a poor family.

No matter how hard he tried to recall, he couldn't remember any powerful family like the Xu clan in Yingchuan County, which bordered the State of Chen, nor did he know of any young scholar named Xu Fu who had gained fame in the court and among the people in recent years.

Liu Chong stared blankly as the slender yet upright figure disappeared into the light and shadow outside the hall, and murmured to himself, "Such a person, yet he is just an unmarried child, and can only come here to deliver imperial edicts... The emperor has found a worthy man."

After Xu Fu left, Liu Chong looked at the imperial edict presented by the eunuch and suddenly flew into a rage. With a roar, he drew his sword and cut it in two. The eunuch holding the edict was unable to dodge in time and was also knocked to the ground by the sword. The eunuchs and palace maids screamed in fright.

But Liu Chong did not stop. He seemed to be insane, swinging his sword repeatedly, slashing at the eunuch holding the imperial edict, leaving the eunuch covered in blood and splattering his robes with blood.

The civil and military officials on both sides, seeing the usually refined and easy-going Prince Chen with such an expression, all bowed their heads in silence and couldn't help but sigh in their hearts.

The death of a castrated dog is no big deal, but the fact that Prince Chen has lost his composure to this extent shows that he is under extreme pressure.

Only immense pressure could force this wise king to become like this.

I thought that even if Luoyang's son was exceptionally talented, he could never save the crumbling empire. Instead, I thought that these people would follow Prince Chen and become his loyal subjects, thus establishing a lasting dynasty!
But don't want to...

Seeing the enraged Liu Chong, Luo Jun, as Liu Chong's strategist, naturally couldn't let him continue to wallow in anger. He stepped forward, grabbed Liu Chong's sleeve, and shouted loudly, "Your Majesty, now that things have come to this, no matter what schemes that brat has, we will meet force with force and water with water. At worst, we will fight him. All the ministers here are willing to die for Your Majesty!"

"Youzhou, Bingzhou, and Jizhou are all powerless to advance south, Yizhou is too far away to reach us, and Jingzhou, Yangzhou, and Xuzhou cannot arrive quickly either. As long as we capture Luoyang immediately and then issue a proclamation in the name of Emperor Hong to all directions, the world can be at peace!"

After Luo Jun finished speaking, he looked at the other civil and military officials and gave them a wink.

Immediately, a military officer rose from his seat and shouted, "With two hundred thousand elite soldiers under Your Majesty's command, what is there to fear from those children in Luoyang City!"

Liu Chong looked at Luo Jun, then at the assembled officials, his eyes slightly closed. He took a deep breath, and when he opened his eyes again, his previous rage was gone. He had regained the demeanor of a refined and benevolent king. He straightened his clothes and said in a deep voice, "It was I who lost my composure. Thank you for your guidance, sir, and thank you all for your continued support and loyalty."

"Since the young man from Luoyang is unwilling to give us a way out, then we will immediately raise an army to punish the usurper and kill the traitor!"

Liu Chong drew his sword and raised it high, shouting in a fierce voice: "Two hundred thousand against fifty thousand, the advantage is in my hands!"

(4008 words)
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Note 1: Twenty-five households constitute one lü, so four thousand households would be one million households, which is an exaggeration.

At its peak during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Luoyang had a population of approximately 400,000 to 500,000, with a maximum of 100,000 households.

Note 2: From the "Biography of Zhuge Liang" in the "Records of the Three Kingdoms, Shu Shu": At that time, Liu Bei was stationed in Xinye. Xu Shu met Liu Bei and Liu Bei valued him. Among them, [Pei Songzhi's annotation quotes the "Wei Lue" annotation] Xu Shu's original name was Fu. He was born into a poor family and was fond of chivalry and swordsmanship from a young age.

According to the Wei Lue, "Shan Jia" means "poor family" and does not refer to a family with the surname "Shan". This is why Xu Shu's pseudonym in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms is written as "Shan Fu".

(End of this chapter)