Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 71 Yuan's Loyalty and Goodness: Liu Ziyang

Sir, this is the last book you are missing.

The students wish to take this as their teacher!

The child's voice reached his ears, like a thunderclap in his mind. Liu Ye was shaken to his core and exclaimed, "Oh no!"

He acted so convincingly that the Yuan family now truly regards him as a loyal and capable advisor and intends to groom him as the Crown Prince's tutor. What should they do?
I've come to invite Yuan Gonglu to declare himself emperor and die, not to become his crown prince's tutor and die with him.

Could it be that his recent clamor for imperial ambitions in Shouchun City has greatly won him favor from the Yuan family's imperial faction?
But I was only here to offer advice, hoping to persuade Yuan Shu to declare himself emperor and incite all the warlords in the land to attack him, thus relieving Cao Cao of his predicament in Yan Province.

If he were to take his eldest son, Yuan Yao, as a student, he would surely become the Crown Prince's tutor.

I am Liu Ye, the Crown Prince's tutor.
I'm already the Crown Prince's tutor, how can I extricate myself?

Once this label is attached, isn't it a sure way to drag this pseudo-imperial regime down with it?

But to say no?
In Shouchun City, there are currently only two voices: the faction that wants to declare himself emperor and the faction that wants to postpone declaring himself emperor.

He had just adopted the demeanor of a staunch loyalist of Yuan Shu, even going so far as to openly declare himself emperor, thus thoroughly offending Yan Xiang, who advocated delaying the imperial coup.

When the Yuan family came to support him, did he immediately change his mind?
He was an active member of the imperial faction and a loyal and trusted advisor to the Yuan family.

What? Upon hearing that Yuan Shu's eldest son wanted to become his disciple, and that the Yuan family was personally supporting him, he was not moved to tears, but instead was so frightened that he refused on the spot?
This is completely inconsistent with the image of a radical and loyal official he cultivated after arriving in Shouchun. Such inconsistency between his words and actions and his self-contradictory behavior make people suspicious.

Others can't help but suspect he has ulterior motives!

Especially in front of Yan Xiang, who was holding Yuan Shu's sword, it could be said that being the Crown Prince's tutor did not necessarily mean immediate death, but if he was discovered to be a spy for Cao Cao's camp, he would be beheaded immediately.

Besides, things have come to this point, what can he do?
After Yuan Yao finished saying the words of becoming a disciple, he turned to Yan Xiang and said:
"I'm taking my husband to see my father today, but even Yama (the God of Hell) is stopping me?"

The whole thing went smoothly without a hint of awkwardness; it seemed everyone assumed Liu Ye was Yuan Yao's teacher, or perhaps no one present considered the possibility of Liu Ye refusing.

This is the Yuan family, which has produced four generations of high-ranking officials!
What decent person would refuse to be the teacher of the next head of the Yuan family?

What? You refused? You must have ulterior motives!
Moreover, Liu Ye was originally an active supporter of Yuan Shu's claim to the throne, a loyal subject of the Yuan family!

After all these days of busy work and such radical advocacy, what's the point? Isn't it just to gain the merit of persuading the emperor to join the new regime?
At this moment, our Yuan family will not only grant you this merit of supporting the emperor, but will even make you the crown prince's tutor.

In fact, these elderly members of the Yuan family had been suppressed for too long by Yan Xiang, who relied on Yuan Shu's trust and granted him a sword to be in charge of major affairs.

Especially during the time when Yuan Shu was away from Shouchun, he was really bullied by Yan Xiang's sword.

It's rare that this time, a loyalist named Liu Ziyang suddenly appeared out of nowhere, stirring up a commotion and making their imperial ambitions seem incredibly grand.

The three joint letters, representing the common people, scholars, and aristocratic families respectively, were presented in a very professional manner, giving these imperialists, who had been suppressed by Yan Xiang, a great deal of potential.

Having finally gotten such an opportunity, how could the Yuan family members let it go so easily?

We must firmly grasp Liu Ye, this capable and pragmatic activist who is keen on becoming emperor, and tie him to the chariot of their imperial faction.

We absolutely cannot stand by and watch him be held down by Yan Xiang's sword again. After all, quite a few of Yuan's former students and officials have been persuaded by Yan Xiang's theory of delaying his ascension to the throne recently.

Therefore, the Yuan family has placed a heavy bet this time, clearly intending to reward you, the Crown Prince's tutor!

Liu Ye and Liu Ziyang, as loyal subjects of the Yuan family, are deeply grateful for such favor.

Why don't you kneel down and express your gratitude?

As for why Yuan Yao came today, it was entirely because he was persuaded by his uncles and great-uncles. Although he is only seven years old, ever since his father adopted Sun Ce last January, he has stopped being affectionate with him.

I heard that my father now takes his adopted son Sun Ce with him wherever he goes, as if he's afraid he'll run away, while he doesn't care about me at all.

In particular, the sentence, "Your young son is often ill; you should encourage him," made him feel an urgent sense of crisis.

I'm perfectly healthy, so why am I sick? My father must not love me anymore.

That despicable Sun Ce!
Just as Boyan said, they were greedy, cruel, treacherous, and cunning.

Father must have been deceived by his appearance; I must snatch Father back from that despicable adopted son.

Just then, his uncles and elder brothers came to discuss with him the matter of becoming Liu Ye's apprentice, and Yuan Yao's eyes lit up immediately.

Not to mention that his father became the emperor, he would become the crown prince, and his position would be difficult to shake by Sun Ce's adopted son.

Furthermore, who in the entire Shouchun didn't know that Father wanted to become emperor? It was only because of the obstruction and remonstrances of Lord Yan and others that he had to proceed cautiously.

This time, he and his teacher quietly accomplished something that had been on his father's mind, wouldn't that please him?

At that time, he would be the rightful crown prince, and his teacher Liu Ye would be the crown prince's tutor. His merit in supporting the emperor would be deeply appreciated by the emperor.

What does that "treacherous and vicious" adopted son have to fight for?
Besides, this trip to see my father will also allow me to visit Boyan. I haven't played with Boyan for a long time since he went to the front lines to fight.

Therefore, in the eyes of seven-year-old Yuan Yao, this initiative to become Liu Ye's apprentice in order to help him meet his father was a good thing, whether out of selfishness or public interest.

I imagine that my teacher, Liu Ye, with whom I share a tacit understanding and a win-win cooperation, must think the same way.

Yan Xiang had no idea that Liu Ye, the Yuan family, and even Yuan Yao were all thinking at that moment. He only saw the Yuan family standing behind Liu Ye and Yuan Yao standing in front of him, and he knew that things were going to go wrong.

Although Yuan Shu left him a sword and entrusted him with important matters in the rear, he even said that he could kill even his own son with the sword.

But even if that's what the lord says, Yan Xiang can't really execute him.

"My lord, our lord's army is in dire straits while campaigning against Cao Cao in the north. How can we allow this to demoralize them?"

"If the great undertaking led by my teacher succeeds, it will only greatly boost the morale of the troops. How can it be said to disrupt the morale of the troops? Lord Yan, please do not exaggerate."

"Son."

"Lord Yan, I am young and have not read many books. May I ask a question: From ancient times to the present, is there any reason for a subject to obstruct his ruler?"

I respect you as a trusted minister of my father, but is it the duty of a loyal minister to rely on his trust to suppress dissent and obstruct memorials?

Whether or not you should declare yourself emperor should be decided by your father, not by you, shouldn't it?

"Lord Yan, please make way. I'll forgive and forget this. I promise I won't tell my father about you."

Before Yan Xiang could persuade him again, the little boy had already pulled the dazed Liu Ye past Yan Xiang, and together with a group of Yuan family members, they left the city and headed north.

Yan Xiang wanted to stop him again, but he was a subject and Yuan Yao was the ruler. Thinking of his long-standing adherence to the principles of being a subject, he ultimately did not move.

He could offer advice, but once his lord had made a decision, he could only offer his support.

The reason he suppressed these memorials to become emperor was because he was genuinely worried. Last time, the emperor had been remarkably wise in persuading him to ascend the throne, but what if he made the same mistake again this time?
(End of this chapter)