Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

The news that Yuan Shu had killed General Zhou Xin, General Zhou Ang, and Zhou Yu, the Governor of Jingzhou in Xiangyang, shocked the court and the public.

Although Yuan Shu publicly claimed that "Zhou Xin, Zhou Ang, and Zhou Yu conspired to assassinate the emperor," this reason was far too far-fetched.

Anyone with discerning eyes could see that Zhou Xin and the other two died because their achievements overshadowed the emperor's, and the widespread public opinion that the matter was spreading in the court and among the people intensified Yuan Shu's suspicion of the three.

however.

Yuan Shu's killing of Zhou Xin and the other two did not have a deterrent effect; on the contrary, it made officials and common people in the court and the country admire Liu Bei's theory of popular support even more.

The emperor, out of suspicion, arbitrarily killed meritorious officials. This arbitrary and reckless power of killing became a sharp blade hanging over everyone's neck.

Therefore.

Even if officials and common people in the government and the countryside do not say it on the surface, they have begun to form cliques and factions to protect themselves in private.

The paper mills and printing workshops controlled by powerful families printed large quantities of Liu Bei's "Ping Le Tong Yi" and "Da Yi" concerning public opinion.

He also published a large number of anonymous articles, which accused Yuan Shu of arbitrarily killing three advisors who spoke frankly and three meritorious officials, including Zhou Xin, and the articles spread like wildfire throughout the court and the country.

Technology serves people; improvements in papermaking and the advent of printing have given powerful families greater control over public opinion than ever before.

All of a sudden.

Officials and common people alike harbored many grievances against Yuan Shu.

Even the common people, who were impoverished by the oppression of powerful families, were aroused to resentment, believing that their poverty was due to the incompetence of Emperor Yuan Shu.

Not only did they impose exorbitant taxes, causing people to lose their land and go hungry, but they also neglected water conservancy and ignored disasters, causing people to be displaced. Furthermore, they engaged in endless wars, exhausting the people's strength and making them unhappy.

It's no wonder Yuan Shu suffered such misfortune.

Twenty days after Yuan Shu killed Zhou Xin, the Han River overflowed, flooding the fields; in addition, there had been a locust plague in May, so the Jianghuai region had almost no harvest this year.

The common people of Nanzhong were already living in poverty, and this flood directly cut off their livelihood in the Jianghuai region.

Zheng Bao, Zhang Duo, Xu Qian and their ilk took the opportunity to incite unrest among the common people.

Yuan Shu ordered Liu Xun, the newly appointed General of Chariots and Cavalry who was in charge of troops in Shouchun, to attack Zheng Bao and others.

However, as soon as Liu Xun received Yuan Shu's imperial edict, Cai Mao led his men to surround Liu Xun.

Seeing Cai Mao clad in armor and wielding a sharp blade, Liu Xun was both shocked and furious: "General Who Conquers the East, what is the meaning of this?"

Cai Mao bowed to Liu Xun and said, "Yuan Shu has wrongfully killed meritorious officials, incurring the wrath of Heaven, which has led to drought in the Jianghuai region, locust plagues, and now the Han River overflowing, with refugees everywhere. People like Zheng Bao, Zhang Duo, and Xu Qian are inciting unrest among the people. General, you are a man of insight, how can you sit idly by and watch the people suffer this calamity?"

"We are unworthy, but we are willing to support the General of Chariots and Cavalry as Emperor!"

Upon hearing Cai Mao's words, Liu Xun was even more shocked and shouted, "I am loyal to Your Majesty, how could I betray Your Majesty? You all follow me to punish the rebels, and I will pretend that today's events never happened."

Cai Mao's eyes darkened: "General of Chariots and Cavalry, you really don't want to become emperor?"

Liu Xun was furious: "I am not a man of destiny, how can I become emperor? Are you trying to put me in a position of disloyalty and injustice? Get out of here at once, and let's not talk about this anymore!"

Seeing that Liu Xun was determined to refuse, Cai Mao stepped forward and beheaded Liu Xun with his sword. He then turned to the generals and said, "Yuan Shu is wicked, and Heaven has already sent down calamity. Liu Xun is a foolishly loyal man, and there is no use in keeping him alive! Since Liu Xun is unwilling to bear the mandate of Heaven and bring blessings to the people, I, Cai Mao, am willing to take on this heavy responsibility!"

"From this day forward, I am the emperor, I establish the state of Dali, and I make Shouchun the capital. Those who are willing to follow me will all share in wealth and honor!"

For the generals who followed Cai Mao to persuade Liu Xun to declare himself emperor, it made no difference whether Liu Xun or Cai Mao became emperor; as long as they could enjoy wealth and honor, that was enough!

Immediately.

The generals all knelt down and bowed in reverence: "Your subjects pay their respects to Your Majesty!"

Cai Mao was overjoyed upon hearing this, and proceeded to perform the ceremony of declaring himself emperor. He also formed an alliance with Zheng Bao, Zhang Duo, and Xu Qian.

Meanwhile, in Xiangyang, the brothers Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue, who had received a secret letter from Cai Mao, hid executioners under the banquet table and invited Huang Yi, the newly appointed governor of Jingzhou and son-in-law of Yuan Shu, to the banquet.

Halfway through the banquet, Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue led the crowd to kneel down and respectfully invite Huang Yi to become emperor.

They then tried to persuade Huang Yi with the argument of public opinion, which startled Huang Yi sobered him up considerably: "I am His Majesty's son-in-law, how dare I presume to become emperor? Are you two trying to frame me for disloyalty and injustice?"

Kuai Liang then said, “Your Majesty has lost your virtue and has wantonly killed a great general. Now the Han River is overflowing, and the people are suffering from disaster. Yuan Shu not only refuses to provide relief grain but also increases taxes. How can such a cruel ruler win the hearts of the people?”

Kuai Yue echoed, "How can someone who cannot bring benefits to the people be qualified to be emperor? Your Majesty's usurpation is not an overstepping of authority, but rather in accordance with the will of the people!"

Everyone at the banquet also urged him to continue drinking.

However, no matter how Kuai Liang, Kuai Yue and others tried to persuade him, Huang Yi refused.

Son-in-law betrays father-in-law?

are you crazy?
"Since you're colluding with Yuan Shu, don't blame us for being ruthless." Under Huang Yi's terrified gaze, Kuai Yue smashed his cup as a signal, and the axemen rushed in and hacked Huang Yi to death.

Subsequently, with the support of the crowd,

Kuai Liang declared himself emperor, and Kuai Yue declared himself general. They established the Song Dynasty with its capital at Xiangyang and formed an alliance with Emperor Le Thua Mau to oppose Yuan Shikai.

Having lost Liu Xun and Huang Yi in succession, and hearing that Cai Mao and Kuai Liang had successively declared themselves emperors, Yuan Shu was both shocked and furious. He ordered Qiao Rui to send troops to attack Cai Mao, and at the same time ordered Lü Bu to send troops to attack Kuai Liang.

But it's not over yet.

With Cai Mao and Kuai Liang successively declaring themselves emperors, the anger of those dissatisfied with Yuan Shu spread to Jing and Yang.

November.

Zhang Xian, the prefect of Changsha, established the state of Da Xiang, with its capital in Linxiang, and launched a rebellion against Yuan Shikai.

Wang Lang, the governor of Kuaiji, established the state of Dayue, with its capital at Shanyin, and launched a rebellion against Yuan Shikai.

Chen Gui, the governor of Wu Commandery, established the state of Great Wu, with its capital in Wu County, and launched a rebellion against Yuan Shikai.

Zu Lang, the leader of the Danyang clan, killed Yuan Yin, the governor of Danyang, established the state of Great Chu, made Jing County its capital, and raised an army to rebel against Yuan.

Within two months, in the counties and prefectures of Jing and Yang, six people established their own states and called themselves emperors, sixteen called themselves kings, and more than a hundred called themselves generals or commanders-in-chief.

Liu Bei's new policies led to a large-scale southward migration of powerful clans from Yan, Yu, Xu, and Yong provinces. While this boosted Yuan Shu's prestige, it also created numerous interest groups.

Before Yuan Shu killed indiscriminately, this group of people regarded Yuan Shu as "the Mandate of Heaven." Now that Yuan Shu has killed indiscriminately and the public opinion is spreading, some of the powerful families who were already ambitious have seized land, declared themselves kings, and raised armies to become emperors.

In the two provinces of Jing and Yang, a trend gradually emerged where, on the surface, "whoever respects the will of the people is the emperor," but in reality, "whoever has the strongest army and the most powerful horses can be the emperor."

December.

Chengdu.

Jia Long, the governor of Yizhou, summoned his troops and said, "Now there is famine in the Jianghuai region, and people are eating each other; countless people have claimed to be kings or emperors, and Yuan Shu has sent troops to suppress them, resulting in massacres and the destruction of cities and towns."

"The land of Shu is fertile and the soil is rich. The fruits produced there can fill one's stomach even without cultivation; the women's textile industry can clothe the whole world; the abundance of precious timber and bamboo, as well as the tools and equipment, is inexhaustible. There are also the benefits of fish, salt, copper and silver, and the convenience of water transport."

"Before Gongsun Shu became emperor, he believed that the emperor was ordained by Heaven, and that no one but the ordained should be able to assume the throne. Li Xiong advised him that the ordained throne is not immutable, and that the people should submit to the capable, who should then assume the mission. This aligns perfectly with Liu Bei's theory of popular will in his 'Ping Le Tong Yi'." "I am willing to undertake this mission, to seek happiness for the people, to establish the state of Da Cheng, to guard Ba Commandery in the east and defend the pass; and to guard Zitong in the north and hold Jiange Pass."

The followers then presented Jia Long with a white dragon robe, and Jia Long ascended the throne, declared himself emperor, established his capital in Chengdu, and launched a rebellion against Yuan Shikai.

Emperor Zhong, who originally ruled over Jingyang and Xichuan, has now fallen into the same predicament as Wang Mang: not only are there disasters such as drought, locusts, plague, and the overflow of the Han River, but also various local forces are dividing up the country and declaring themselves kings and emperors.

To Yuan Shu's dismay, Feng Fangnu, who was pregnant, committed suicide!
Yuan Shu was unaware that Feng Fangnu was murdered by the women of the harem who feared she would gain even more favor if she gave birth to a son. They then conspired to strangle her and hang her body from a beam in the toilet, all while maintaining the same story that Feng Fangnu had committed suicide out of resentment.

Yuan Shu believed that fate had not been on his side, which led to this outcome.

Yuan Shu found it hard to accept that such a result had occurred in just three months.

"I am the chosen one of Heaven!"

Why does Heaven not favor me?

"Could it be that I truly killed the wrong person?"

In just three months, Yuan Shu went from being the emperor of Nanzhong, who controlled Jing, Yang and Xichuan, to a tyrannical ruler hated by everyone.

If it weren't for Lü Bu, Zhang Jiong, Qiao Rui, Yang Hong, and others who could still hold Yuan Shu back, Yuan Shu would probably have died from lack of honey water.

However, no matter how much Yuan Shu reflects on himself, he cannot change the current situation of Da Zhong falling apart.

Even Liu Bei in Luoyang was surprised when he heard the news.

Despite having the advantages of favorable timing, location, and popular support, it was still possible for ambitious individuals in various prefectures, counties, and districts to seize territory, establish themselves as kings, and even raise armies to become emperors.

How can someone so useless be an emperor?

Before Liu Bei could even make a formal move, Yuan Shu's regime collapsed and his life was in grave danger because of Liu Bei's crackdown on academic misconduct.

"Your Majesty, Zhang Jiong has sent a messenger saying that Yuan Shu has lost control of the situation and he has advised Yuan Shu to ask Your Majesty for help. The messenger is Yuan Shu's Minister of the Imperial Clan, Yuan Si." Xu You presented Zhang Jiong's secret letter.

After Zhang Jiong joined Yuan Shu's forces, he never delivered secret messages, and Liu Bei did not need Zhang Jiong to deliver secret messages either.

This time, the changes in the south were too great. Zhang Jiong was worried that Yuan Shu would suffer the same fate as Wang Mang, losing his country and being killed, and that he would also have a hard time surviving. So he suggested that Yuan Shu seek help from Liu Bei.

Zhang Jiong was worried that Liu Bei would not send troops, so he sent his trusted confidant to Luoyang ahead of time to deliver a message.

With the chaos in Nanzhong, Liu Bei was bound to send troops.

It was not something Liu Bei wanted to see Yuan Shu destroyed by someone else.

Moreover, it is much easier to wage war against the south under the guise of being an ally of Yuan Shu than to directly conquer the south.

Three years later, the livelihood of the people in the Han Dynasty was restored.

The emergence of the Ping Le Tong Yi also brought about a transformation in the thinking of the Han Dynasty.

However, this change had too great an impact on the concept of destiny, and Liu Bei still needed a great victory to establish his prestige and prove that the change could make the Han Dynasty stronger and more stable.

But this time.

Liu Bei did not intend to fight only Yuan Shu or only Yuan Shao.

Taking advantage of the chaos in Nan Zhong and the impending end of the alliance with Yuan Shao, Liu Bei planned to bring Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu together for a decisive victory.

Scouts in the north reported that Yuan Shao had not only pacified the Wuhuan and Xianbei, but also had his second son Yuan Xi pacify Liaodong. Yuan Shao's nephew Gao Gan had also integrated the Han and Di forces in Yanmen and other counties, and his eldest son Yuan Tan was also preparing for war in the Qingzhou region and was quite powerful.

Although public opinion in the north also had some impact on Yuan Shao, Yuan Shao's prestige far surpassed that of Yuan Shu, and he did not indiscriminately kill generals like Yuan Shu. Therefore, Yuan Shao, the emperor of the north, was able to stabilize the situation.

Liu Bei anticipated that Yuan Shao would launch a probing attack on the Central Plains around the time the alliance ended, and decide whether to launch a southern expedition to challenge Liu Bei.

The chaos in Nanzhong gave Liu Bei an opportunity to fight Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, and also gave Yuan Shao an opportunity to launch a southern campaign.

Before Yuan Si arrived, Liu Bei made his final decision: "Order Sun Jian, the governor of Xu Province, to send troops to Yang Province, first to defeat Chen Gui, and then to defeat Wang Lang."

With Sun Jian leading the campaign against Chen Gui and Wang Lang, who were entrenched in Wu Commandery and Kuaiji, Liu Bei had no worries.

It wasn't up to Liu Bei to deal with small fry like Chen Gui and Wang Lang.

As for the two directions of Xiangyang and Shouchun, Liu Bei entrusted them entirely to Guan Yu, the governor of Yuzhou.

With the Southern Central Plains in such a state of chaos, even if they wanted to join forces, they would only be a rabble composed of the former Yuan Yi, Tao Qian, and others. This gave Guan Yu and Sun Jian the opportunity to destroy the powerful clans and families of the Southern Central Plains and implement new policies.

Great order can only follow great chaos.

If the people of Nanzhong cannot witness the evils of the powerful clans' regime, how can they deeply understand the good of the new policies?
In the direction of Beizhong.

Liu Bei then issued another military order to Cao Cao, instructing him to provoke Yuan Tan of Qingzhou and defeat Yuan Tan first after the alliance expires in February!

Liu Bei now has sufficient military strength and generals to fight on multiple fronts.

In order to encourage Yuan Shao in the north to make a decision sooner, Liu Bei not only did not suppress the news, but also took the initiative to print out the news of the chaos in Nanzhong and had Zhang Liao, the governor of Wei Commandery, spread it widely in Wei Commandery.

The purpose was ostensibly to make the people of Wei Commandery understand that only the Han dynasty could truly ensure their peaceful and prosperous lives.

In reality, it was to make Yuan Shao make a decision in advance: Look, I'm going to attack Yuan Shu, come and ambush me.

at the same time.

Liu Bei then sent an envoy to Nanpi, intending to discuss the renewal of the alliance with Yuan Shao: he stated that peace between the two countries was the expectation of all people, and that a three-year alliance could be renewed.

Yuan Shao was already worried about how to find an opportunity to launch a southern campaign against Liu Bei, but unexpectedly Liu Bei took the initiative to deliver it to his door. So he immediately sent a letter to his state, agreeing to renew the alliance for another three years.

While it appeared to be an alliance, Yuan Shao harbored malicious intentions: he planned to send troops to launch a surprise attack on Luoyang while Liu Bei was fully engaged in fighting Yuan Shu.

"Yuan Shu, that fool, actually killed meritorious officials indiscriminately. He's just asking for trouble!"

"Now that the false Zhong has fallen apart, Liu Bei wants to take the opportunity to devour Jing and Yang. I will lead the Hebei army south to destroy Liu Bei."

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind—this is the principle!"

Yuan Shao was quite pleased with himself.

Guo Tu also flattered Yuan Shao, praising him: "Liu Bei has betrayed the Mandate of Heaven and will surely be abandoned by it. Yuan Shu is currently in dire straits, and Liu Bei has also betrayed the Mandate of Heaven. Your Majesty is the only Mandate of Heaven! Your Majesty, I congratulate you, Your Majesty, that you will surely unify the world and become an emperor for all ages!"

Yuan Shao was overjoyed to hear this, and for several days in a row, he held lavish banquets in Nanpi to express his delight.

however.

Just when Yuan Shao thought he had guessed Liu Bei's intentions, news of Cao Cao's surprise attack on Linzi and defeat of Yuan Tan reached Nanpi like a thunderclap.

Why would Cao Cao launch a surprise attack on Linzi?

Yuan Shao jumped up in shock, staring incredulously at the secret report in his hand. (End of Chapter)