Three Kingdoms: Mistakenly Becoming Liu Bei's Adoptive Father at the Start

Yuan Shu did not go to Chang'an.

When the feudal lords flocked to Chang'an, he turned around and headed east.

When his men asked why he didn't seize the emperor, Yuan Shu sneered, "Seize the emperor? Cao Cao was the first to enter the city; the emperor is already his. Why would I go and fight him? I'd rather go to Liu Bei and ask for the Imperial Seal of the State."

Yuan Shu understood the situation perfectly: Liu Bei possessed the Imperial Seal of the State.

That thing is more real than the emperor.

The emperor is a person who needs to be supported and cared for; the imperial seal is a stamp that allows one to command the world.

Moreover, Liu Bei occupied Luoyang, which should have been his territory.

Yuan Shu led 20,000 troops and marched in force to the gates of Luoyang.

West of Luoyang City, a shantytown.

Sun Qian rushed over and whispered, "My lord, Yuan Shu has arrived. He has brought about 30,000 troops and says he has come to demand an explanation."

Liu Bei's hands were still covered in mud; he had just helped a family build a shack.

He washed his hands in the bucket next to him, then slowly dried them, taking his time.

Where is Yuan Shu now?

"Outside the city, they say they want our lord to come out and answer their questions."

Liu Bei nodded, mounted his horse, and led Guan Yu and Zhang Fei out of the city gate.

Yuan Shu rode on horseback, with banners waving behind him and armored soldiers lined up in formation.

Seeing Liu Bei leave the city with only two riders, he sneered, "Liu Xuande, you have quite the airs. I, the general, have come in person, and you don't even host a welcoming banquet?"

Liu Bei, still on horseback, cupped his hands in greeting: "General Yuan, I am deeply sorry for not welcoming you properly. However, the city's provisions are scarce, and we can barely manage two bowls of porridge a day, let alone a banquet. If you do not mind, please come into the city and have a bowl of porridge. I, along with my two brothers, will personally entertain you."

Yuan Shu's face darkened: "Stop arguing with me about this. I'm asking you, is the Imperial Seal of the State in your possession?"

Liu Bei did not deny it: "Yes."

Yuan Shu's eyes lit up, but he immediately put on a stern face: "Very well! The Imperial Seal is the emperor's symbol. How dare you, a mere county magistrate, keep it hidden? Hand it over immediately, and I, the general, will present it to the emperor on your behalf, lest you be accused of usurpation!"

Hearing this from behind, Zhang Fei became enraged and gripped his spear tightly, ready to charge forward.

Liu Bei raised his hand to stop him.

"General Yuan is right. I should not have kept this item in the first place."

As he spoke, Liu Bei took out the jade seal from his bosom and held it in both hands.

"But I have one request."

Yuan Shu stared at the imperial seal, his eyes wide, and swallowed hard. "Speak," he said.

Liu Bei said, "I have heard that this item should belong to a virtuous person. I am of meager virtue and dare not keep it for myself. Today I present it to you, General, hoping you will make good use of it."

Yuan Shu raised his head, stared at Liu Bei for a long time, and his expression changed several times.

Finally, she managed to force a smile.

"Lord Xuande, what are you doing? I came here to... to comfort the troops... and you suddenly bring this... this... this is not appropriate."

Liu Bei cupped his hands and said, "I was previously appointed by the Emperor as the Prefect of Beihai and the Marquis of Yicheng. I know that I am not talented enough and do not deserve such an honor. I humbly request that you return to Chang'an and submit a memorial on my behalf to resign from this position as Prefect. If you feel that I have done something wrong, or if the court wants to investigate, I will accept the punishment."

Yuan Shu waved his hands repeatedly: "Hey! What are you saying, Lord Xuande! You have your reasons for resigning. I will speak to the court on your behalf. You are a member of the Han imperial family and have made great contributions. What's a little resignation? We can't hold you accountable, we can't hold you accountable!"

Liu Bei urged his horse forward and handed over the imperial seal with both hands.

Yuan Shu reached out to take it, but halfway there, he pulled his hand back, wiped it vigorously on his robe, and then carefully took it.

He turned the jade seal over and over three times, his fingers touching the eight characters, his lips trembling, unable to utter a word.

"Good! Good! Liu Xuande, you know what's good for you. This general will remember this."

Yuan Shu tucked the imperial seal into his pocket, then suddenly remembered something.

"Lord Xuande, do you have enough grain supplies in Luoyang?"

Liu Bei said, "We can barely hold on."

Yuan Shu gave a heavy "hmm" and gave an order to the guard beside him.

The guards ran out, and soon a group of soldiers came carrying over a hundred sacks and put them on the ground.

"Here are five hundred shi of grain, a small token of my appreciation. Please accept this, Lord Xuande."

Liu Bei was taken aback.

The general had sent the imperial seal in an attempt to avoid trouble, but unexpectedly, this General Gao Lu actually knew how to reciprocate.

Yuan Shu laughed smugly, "You gave me the Imperial Seal of the State, and I gave you grain and provisions. It's a fair exchange, and we're even."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a horse galloped towards them from afar.

The scout dismounted and rushed to Yuan Shu, his face ashen.

"My lord! Something terrible has happened! Dong Zhuo has returned to Chang'an!"

Yuan Shu shuddered at first, then revealed a barely perceptible smile.

The scout continued, "The allied lords suffered a crushing defeat at the gates of Chang'an! Wang Kuang, the governor of Hanoi, was beheaded by Lü Bu on the battlefield! Bao Xin, the chancellor of Jibei, also died in the chaos! Other lords either died or fled, and Gongsun Zan escaped back to Youzhou with only a few hundred cavalry!"

Upon hearing the news of the great defeat of the other warlords, Yuan Shu was overjoyed and secretly applauded his plan to go to Luoyang.

"Where is Yuan Yi? Where is my cousin Yuan Yi?" Yuan Shu grabbed the scout by the collar and asked.

The scout trembled, "He's... he's dead. Lü Bu beheaded him on the battlefield, and his head is displayed at the city gate..."

Yuan Shu's Adam's apple bobbed; he didn't know whether to be happy or worried.

The scout continued, "Dong Zhuo has already occupied Chang'an, and Lü Bu is leading his cavalry eastward in pursuit! He's probably... he's probably heading for Luoyang!"

"What? So fast??"

Yuan Shu stood there blankly for a moment, then suddenly turned his horse and rode away.

"Withdraw! Withdraw back to Nanyang!"

General Ji Ling caught up and said, "My lord, what about Luoyang..."

Yuan Shu didn't even turn his head: "Luoyang? Luoyang is indefensible! If that madman Lü Bu comes, do you think he can kill us with our numbers? Retreat! Retreat now!"

The army came quickly and left even faster.

The billowing smoke and dust disappeared in an instant on the road they had come from.

Liu Bei stopped his horse and stood there, watching the dust settle in the distance, remaining silent for a long time.

Zhang Fei spat, "A descendant of four generations of high-ranking officials, and this is all? Bah! What a piece of trash! Just now they were swaggering around, but as soon as they heard Lü Bu was coming, they ran faster than rabbits!"

Guan Yu said, "Wang Kuang is dead, Bao Xin is dead, and Yuan Yi is dead. The warlords of Guandong have suffered heavy losses after this battle."

Zhang Fei yelled, "That traitorous thrice-surname servant has come at just the right time! If Lü Bu comes, I, Old Zhang, will definitely go out of the city and fight him three hundred rounds! Let's settle this once and for all!"

At this moment, Sun Qian came forward and, seeing Liu Bei's solemn expression, knew that something was wrong.

Liu Bei explained the situation, and Sun Qian said, "My lord, the Xiliang troops are in high spirits and could advance eastward at any time. We must make preparations as soon as possible."

Liu Bei frowned in thought: "How should we prepare?"

Sun Qian said, "Strengthen the city's defenses, stockpile grain and fodder, and contact reinforcements."

Liu Bei said, "Reinforcements? Luoyang has over 100,000 people; who can come to our aid?"

Sun Qian said, "Cao Cao has returned to Yanzhou, Yuan Shao is in Hanoi, Tao Qian is in Xuzhou, and Liu Biao is in Jingzhou. It's really hard to say who will come."

Liu Bei said, "We'll make plans after my adoptive father returns. Send down the order for the entire city of Luoyang to be on high alert."

The city walls were adorned with new flags for the city's defense, and the soldiers began moving logs and stones.

The people in the city also helped transport grain, dig ditches, and reinforce their shacks.

At this moment, everyone knows that once the city of Xiliang falls, no one will survive.