The Later Three Kingdoms: Slaying Deng Ai, and Reviving the Han Dynasty

This village.

The largest sum of money Li Chen embezzled was his farmland in Guangdu County. None of the other three household servants had his foresight.

Much of it was consumed, and what remained was gold and silver.

The amount is unknown. Liu Chen has handed it all over to Zhang Fei to handle, once all the floating assets have been tallied.

He will send someone to pick it up next time.

After settling everything, Liu Chen left the estate, taking half of the imperial guards and eunuchs with him to meet Liu Zan, the Prince of Xinping.

Even brothers in ordinary families have varying degrees of closeness. How much more so in the imperial family?

Among emperors, Liu Bei and his son Liu Shan were considered long-lived. They had good genes; many of Liu Shan's sons lived to adulthood.

Among Liu Shan's sons.

He had the best relationship with the fourth brother, Liu Zan.

Soon, the carriage stopped in front of a manor. The manor covered a large area, and its gate was extremely magnificent and imposing.

A plaque hangs above the gate, which reads "Xinping Palace".

Before Liu Chen arrived, he had already sent someone to inform him. Therefore, the palace gates were opened wide, and the guards and eunuchs of the Xinping Palace came out to greet Prince Chen.

It looks grand, but it's actually quite shabby.

Liu Chen looked at the plaque that read "Xinping Palace" in front of him and shook his head slightly.

The feudal lords of the Han Dynasty.

In the early Western Han Dynasty, most of the states spanned multiple prefectures and counties, with some having dozens of cities and others just over ten. The country was large and the army was powerful, wielding immense authority.

After being weakened by the reigns of Emperors Wen, Jing, and Wu, the power of the vassal kings of the Western Han Dynasty was far less than before.

Once the capital was under Emperor Guangwu's control, the vassal kings could no longer cause any trouble. However, they remained vassal kings, holding a prestigious position and possessing large fiefdoms.

When Liu Bei founded the Han dynasty, Liu Shan enfeoffed his brothers as county kings, but their fiefdoms were very small.

By the time of Liu Shan's sons, such as his fourth brother Liu Zan, the Prince of Xinping, he didn't even have a fiefdom. He only built a large manor outside Chengdu, along with the surrounding fertile fields and farmlands, which constituted the Kingdom of Xinping.

Since Liu Bang founded the country, none of the vassal kings of the Liu family had ever been this poor.

"Young Master Chen." Upon seeing Liu Chen's carriage arrive, the guards and eunuchs hurriedly bowed and greeted him.

"Hmm." Liu Chen nodded slightly, quite reservedly. He stepped down from the carriage, gripping the hilt of his sword, and slowly entered the palace.

He walked to a building and saw his fourth brother, Liu Zan, waiting under the eaves.

"Chen, didn't you leave the palace early this morning? Why are you only arriving now? You've kept me waiting for so long," Liu Zan complained as he approached.

He wasn't much older than Liu Chen, and had been enfeoffed as a king three years prior. Perhaps due to hormonal fluctuations, he had already grown a beard.

He was handsome and strong, standing next to Liu Chen.

They look like brothers at first glance.

"It was my fault, I should punish myself with three drinks," Liu Chen said with a smile.

"Great!" Liu Zan laughed. He took Liu Chen's hand and led him into the house to sit down. He then ordered wine and dishes to be served and summoned singing girls to perform Shu dances to entertain the guests.

The two brothers clinked glasses and drank together. By the time the songstresses had left, they had eaten about 70-80% of their fill.

"Chen, you're a little different now." Liu Zan put down his wine glass, looked at Liu Chen with a serious expression, and said.

Liu Chen asked in surprise, "How am I different?"

"Hmm. It's different now." Liu Zan rubbed his chin, a thoughtful look on his face. Then he added, "Besides, there are no secrets in the palace. I know everything you've been doing lately."

There are no secrets in the palace.

Liu Chen suddenly became a miser, even selling the Shu brocade allocated by the Imperial Household Department for making new clothes and exchanging it for gold.

Liu Chen even personally took charge of the cooking.

He knew all of that.

Liu Chen remained calm, which was normal; Consort Li had suspected it before. He had been given the excuse that he had changed after experiencing life and death. Now he was using the same excuse to appease Liu Zan.

Liu Zan believed Liu Chen and remarked with a sigh, "Actually, it's quite good. Although you're young, you have a strong personality and take many things very seriously. But there's really no need for that. For people like us, whether we love money or women, it's actually a good thing."

The former Liu Chen was truly upright and righteous. He was a good person, but being born into the royal family was not necessarily a good thing.

He then remarked with emotion, "Our ancestor, Prince Jing of Zhongshan, was right: A true ruler should listen to music and indulge in sensual pleasures."

Liu Chen looked at his face and saw a look of dejection between his brows.

Liu Zan was not like this before.

The brothers had a good relationship because Liu Zan was also a relatively upright person.

But now Liu Zan has left the palace and declared himself king in this small place.

The emperor is getting old, and undercurrents are brewing among the princes.

The court and the people were in a state of confusion and darkness. The whole world was black, filled with wolves and tigers.

Liu Zan has changed too; he now lives for the moment.

Liu Chen nodded with delight and said, "Brother is right. Prince Jing of Zhongshan enjoyed wealth and honor, died peacefully in his old age, and had more than a hundred sons. He is a role model for us all."

"Hahahaha." Liu Zan laughed loudly and teased, "Chen, let's have a competition to see who has more sons."

"How can you compare? Brother, you have many wives and concubines, and more than ten sons. I have neither wife nor concubines," Liu Chen said, rolling his eyes at him.

"That's true." Liu Zan nodded and chuckled. He was also quite proud of his son's abilities.

The two talked for a long time, and the topic shifted to Liu Chenzhuangzi.

Upon learning of Liu Chen's actions, Liu Zan was once again astonished. He looked Liu Chen up and down and said, "Chen, you never killed a single person in the palace. How come you've become such a ruthless killer outside?"

"Maybe it's my grandfather's blood causing this?" Liu Chen raised his hand, pinched his chin, and offered a vague answer.

"That's true." Liu Zan nodded. Their grandfather Liu Bei was certainly a benevolent and kind man, but when it came to leading troops into battle, suppressing the Yellow Turbans, fighting against the feudal lords, the fire at Red Cliffs, and the crushing defeat at Yiling, he was also a ruthless character who killed without hesitation.

"However, what happened in your estate is not surprising. People's hearts are unpredictable, and servants are human too. Moreover, noble ladies are wealthy and powerful, and they are not accustomed to worldly affairs. It is understandable that they would be deceived by servants." Liu Zan's tone was tactful, and he did not directly say that Consort Li was weak.

After thinking for a moment, Liu Zan said to Liu Chen, "Chen, since you love money, I should show my appreciation. I will give you a thousand acres of land outside Chengdu and twenty households for your use."

Liu Chen's eyes lit up, and then an idea struck him. He asked, "Brother, where did you get so much land?"

"You know perfectly well what I'm asking." Liu Zan laughed and scolded, then said, "Everyone is plundering the country, trying to empty it out. Why can't I? We are our grandfather's grandsons; we have a share in this country."

"Moreover, it's very convenient for us to take action. We are princes in the palace, but once we leave, we are feudal lords. What's wrong with bullying the wealthy? They are wary of us. Even the less wealthy are willing to flee and join our ranks. As for me, I don't even know how much land I own or how many households I have."

"It's better to go for a walk than to work behind closed doors." Liu Chen thought to himself, reflecting that what had happened today, and Liu Zan's few words, had opened a window of opportunity for him.

He knew how to save the country.

Money can influence even the gods and spirits.

This is just the first step.

Now that Liu Shan sits on the throne, demons and monsters abound throughout the court and the country. Even a general like Jiang Wei is living in constant fear.

A man like Qiao Zhou is as steady as Mount Tai.

Teaming up with insects won't save the country.

As the current prince and future vassal king, it would be very dangerous for him to seriously participate in court affairs.

It would be better to start from scratch.

In times of chaos, what matters most? Population and land.

Now, all the powerful clans are hoping for Liu Han's downfall, desperately trying to bleed this giant elephant of Liu Han dry.

Turn the people into their darlings.

Even the servants keep cute pets.

He can also raise it.

To support several thousand, or even tens of thousands of people.

And he wasn't doing it alone. Liu Zan was doing it, and his other brothers were definitely doing it too.

Of course he could do it too. If it gets out, everyone will be punished. He's the emperor's son, so he'll only punish himself with a cup of wine. His life won't be in danger.

However, the fact that he wants to support tens of thousands of people is a bit excessive.

This is what is meant by demons ruling the way, and one must also become a demon.

Going along with the crowd is a form of camouflage.