Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

After Gongsun Xu and Zhao Yun led the White Horse Volunteers to escort Lu Zhi and Emperor Liu Bian out of Luoyang, they endured countless hardships and finally reached the territory of Gongsun Zan in Youzhou. Gongsun Zan welcomed them warmly, and Lu Zhi and Liu Bian finally felt safe. Lu Zhi then considered issuing an edict in the name of Emperor Liu Bian, summoning all members of the Liu clan to join him in the campaign against the Dong family and making the matter known to the world. However, Gongsun Zan had other ideas. Having lived in the border region for a long time, living alongside members of the Liu clan, he was well aware of the complexities of human nature and decided to send a messenger to consult with the Liu clan to gauge their response before deciding whether to proceed.

Lu Zhi and the emperor adopted Gongsun Zan's advice. They first sent a messenger to Liu Yu, the governor of Youzhou, informing him of the emperor's northern tour to Youzhou and requesting that Liu Yu come to see the emperor. They also sent messengers to Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou, and Liu Yan, the governor of Yizhou, hoping that Yizhou would join them in raising an army to support Emperor Liu Bian and to punish those officials in the court who were disloyal to the Han Dynasty.

In fact, in the minds of the Han royal family, Emperor Ling's throne could be considered a lucky find. After all, Emperor Huan had no sons, so he had no choice but to enthronize Emperor Ling as his heir. So, in a sense, Emperor Ling had essentially won the throne for nothing. In the minds of these Han royal family members, they generally believed that Emperor Ling was simply lucky to be enthroned as the Son of Heaven, and this belief subtly fostered their own ambitions.

Furthermore, during his reign, Emperor Lingdi was forced to implement measures to strengthen the power of the Han royal family in order to counter the threat posed by the aristocratic families. One key measure was to establish provincial governors throughout the country, handing local administrative power to these so-called Han royal family members. Emperor Lingdi hoped that this would encourage these Han royal family members to be loyal and patriotic, and work together to restore the glory of the Han Dynasty. However, this measure backfired, and to a certain extent, it fueled the ambitions of the Han royal family members.

Over time, with their already ambitious ambitions and immense power at their disposal, they began to view their respective regions as their own spheres of influence, attempting to maintain firm control. Meanwhile, in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, aristocratic families flourished, factional strife in the court was fierce, and the political situation was extremely complex. Under these circumstances, it cannot be said that every member of the Han royal family shared this sentiment, but it is undeniable that most began to stir and develop other plans.

They secretly pondered, "Emperor Ling was only enthroned as the Son of Heaven by good fortune. Now we have soldiers and generals, land, and taxes. As descendants of Emperor Taizu Gao, can we also try to fight for the throne and create our own glory?" Driven by this ambition, many members of the Han royal family began to secretly plot, trying to carve out a place for themselves in the turbulent late Eastern Han Dynasty. However, they did not realize that such actions would undoubtedly deal an even heavier blow to the already crumbling Eastern Han Dynasty, accelerating its demise.

However, after receiving the messenger, Youzhou Governor Liu Yu did not come to see Emperor Liu Bian. This was because the situation in the court was unclear, and Emperor Liu Bian had only been on the throne for a short time. For veteran Han clan members like Liu Yu, his blood relationship with the emperor was already very weak. For these Han clan members who held heavy military power, if Liu Yu came to see the emperor and acknowledged his status, it would be like finding a "father" above their own heads, which would undoubtedly bring them many restrictions and troubles.

Liu Yu even sent a letter of reprimand, severely criticizing Lu Zhi for forcing the emperor out of the capital. His words were extremely sharp, even directly labeling Lu Zhi a traitor, and demanding that Gongsun Zan send Lu Zhi and the emperor to Liu Yao, who would be responsible for escorting the emperor back to the palace. After reading this letter, Lu Zhi, the emperor, Gongsun Zan, and others clearly realized that Liu Yao's intentions were no longer so simple, but had his own selfish motives.

The emperor was somewhat disheartened after reading the letter. Such was the reaction of the royal family, for whom he had placed such high hopes. Lu Zhi and Gongsun Zan urged the emperor not to lose heart. Lu Zhi said, "Your Majesty, do not be discouraged. Although Liu Yu's performance this time was disappointing, it is not a reason to completely dismiss everything. Jingzhou is vast and rich in resources. Liu Jingsheng, the governor of Jingzhou, was able to successfully enter Jingzhou and secure his position as governor of Zhou despite complex circumstances. This is sufficient proof of his extraordinary ability and wisdom, and it also shows that there are still many capable people in the world." Gongsun Zan continued, "Yes, Your Majesty. There is also Liu Yan of Yizhou. Yizhou has experienced little war and boasts vast fertile lands, making it a veritable granary. If these two respond, great things can be accomplished. Furthermore, we cannot lose confidence in the future because of this incident. We must actively seek out and unite more capable and responsible people to work together for our great cause."

The emperor said dejectedly: "I know everything you two said, but Master Lu and General Gongsun should not be too optimistic. As members of the royal family, Liu Yu can treat us in this way, so I guess those two may not be very proactive." Lu Zhi and Gongsun Zan were actually just persuading the emperor to give him a glimmer of hope, but they themselves knew that the royal family members from all over the place probably had some ulterior motives.

Liu Biao's ability to single-handedly enter Jingzhou and quickly pacify it was closely tied to the assistance of the prominent families. Jingzhou was home to numerous aristocratic clans, primarily represented by the Cai family, represented by the current Jingzhou governor, Cai Mao, and the Kuai brothers, known for their strategic thinking. As for the Huang family, represented by the great general Huang Zu, their success was achieved through compromise and concessions. The aristocratic families also needed their own representatives to mediate relations among the clans and avoid conflict with the imperial court. Liu Biao, in turn, achieved rapid stability in Jingzhou through the decentralization of power.

After Liu Biao received the news from the messenger, he immediately summoned Cai Mao, Kuai Liang, Kuai Yue, Huang Zu and others to discuss the matter.

Liu Biao said straight to the point: "The current situation is complicated and changing. What are your views on the current situation?"

Cai Mao responded, "My lord, in my opinion, the current political situation is unpredictable and complex, and the situation is unclear. The various factions are locked in a stalemate, making it difficult to predict the future. For now, it is best to guard the gates of Jingzhou and refrain from any rash actions. We should wait and see until the situation becomes clearer before making any decisions."

Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue said in unison, "Brother Cai's words are quite reasonable. We really shouldn't act rashly at this moment, lest we get into unnecessary trouble."

Huang Zu retorted anxiously, "How can this be possible? Rebellions are breaking out everywhere, wars are raging, and various forces are rising and falling. However, this is a great opportunity to advance. If we can seize the emperor, we can become the world's top family overnight. How can we let such a good opportunity slip away?"

Cai Mao frowned and said, "This is too risky. We must not act rashly. It is better to be safe than sorry."

Huang Zu snorted coldly: "Humph, you are too conservative! You are about to let go of such a great opportunity!"

Liu Biao quickly waved his hands and said, "Alright, alright, stop arguing. This matter is serious and requires long-term consideration. Everyone calm down and think it over carefully."

Due to the disagreement among his subordinates, they were in a stalemate for a while. Liu Biao did not take the next step and did not respond to the messenger's message. He just pretended that he had not heard of it and was ready to watch from the sidelines.

The news eventually reached Liu Yan, the governor of Yizhou. Liu Yan was a man of both civil and military talents. Since assuming the post, he had firmly wielded all military and political power in Yizhou. Under his rule, the aristocratic families behaved well, unlike in other regions, and were not so arrogant as to overthrow the governor. It could be said that Liu Yan held the real power in Yizhou. However, as Liu Yan aged, his health declined. Liu Yan had four sons: eldest son Liu Fan, second son Liu Dan, third son Liu Mao, and youngest son Liu Zhang. Liu Fan, the eldest son, inherited Liu Yan's legacy and possessed both civil and military talents, and Liu Yan held him in high regard from a young age. Meanwhile, Liu Dan, the second son, was a pure warrior, capable in military matters but completely clueless in government affairs. Liu Mao, the third son, was known for his absurd behavior, earning him the dislike of the people of Yizhou. Liu Zhang, the fourth son, Liu Yan's youngest, was spoiled from childhood, timid, and indecisive.