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

With a headache on her face, Consort Li got into her carriage and left.

Liu Chen sat down in the study, rubbing his chin as he fell into deep thought.

One word: money.

Two words: money.

I wonder how much wealth my future in-laws will have? How much dowry will they be willing to provide? If they are a wealthy merchant like Mi Zhu, they could provide two thousand slaves and countless amounts of gold and silver.

"Hahahaha." Liu Chen found it quite funny again and laughed heartily.

The eunuchs and palace maids around him stared in disbelief; they were increasingly unable to understand their young master, Chen.

Silent all night.

The next morning, Liu Chen woke up early, responsive to his biological clock. He then ate breakfast and went to his study to read.

When I get tired of sitting and my eyes get sore, I go out and do some boxing.

Then he had someone bring a bow and arrows, and shot them at the target.

Today he was as quiet as a stone.

In the afternoon, Liu Chen, dressed in winter clothes made by Consort Li and wearing a bearskin cloak, boarded a carriage and headed to a side hall.

Accompanying him were the sixth son, Liu Xun, and the seventh son, Liu Qian.

The brothers' relationship was so-so; they exchanged a few polite words.

Upon arriving at the small hall, the three brothers alighted from the carriage together. A eunuch stepped forward and removed the shoes from the three young masters.

The three brothers, gripping their sword hilts, entered the small hall with their heads held high and chests out.

The hall was filled with members of the Liu family.

Liu Shan and Empress Zhang sat on the throne. The first seat below was occupied by Liu Yong, the Prince of Ganling, and the second seat by Crown Prince Liu Xuan. Liu Chen's brothers then took their seats according to their seniority.

The last seat was occupied by Liu Chen, the crown prince of Ganling.

Although they were family, and the atmosphere was filled with laughter, there was also an inexplicable and strange sense of unease.

The seats were far apart, so Liu Chen could only talk to Liu Zan, the fourth brother in the front seat, and Liu Xun, the sixth brother in the back seat.

Liu Chen was basically talking to Liu Zan.

Liu Shan was not in good spirits, seemingly still grieving the loss of his trusted and loyal advisor, Chen Zhi.

After he managed to say a few words, Empress Zhang took over the family banquet.

Liu Shan had two empresses, both daughters of Zhang Fei. Neither left any children. Therefore, Empress Zhang was not related by blood to any of the sons present.

She can remain impartial.

The relationship between the Empress and the princes was surprisingly harmonious.

Under Empress Zhang's direction, the family banquet proceeded smoothly.

After enjoying the song and dance performances and the delicacies, Liu Shan, feeling tired, took his leave after a hearty meal.

Empress Zhang invited the Liu family to another room, where they sat down and talked for a while.

That concludes our New Year's Eve dinner.

The princes and dukes returned to their respective homes.

"Though we are blood relatives, it's meaningless." Liu Zan looked back after leaving the room and sneered.

Liu Chen was speechless. He looked up at the crowd in front of him; they hadn't gone far yet.

"Brother, I heard that a benefactor is helping you choose a wife? The conditions are astonishing." Liu Zan put his arm around Liu Chen's shoulder and asked with a smile.

"Brother, you're drunk. Why don't you go flirt with some beauties?" Liu Chen slapped his hand away, annoyed. He seemed thoughtful. He had only told his mother about this yesterday, and now everyone knew? Well, I'm getting married after the New Year.

Then he spent all of his wife's dowry.

"Everyone says to marry a virtuous wife, but you've fallen into a money pit. You're something else," Liu Zan remarked.

"Alright. Get lost." Liu Chen kicked him.

The eunuchs came forward and helped Liu Zan into the carriage and drove away.

Liu Chen wasn't drunk; he climbed onto the carriage on a small stool and left.

new Year.

There was a grand court assembly in the imperial court, where the crown prince, princes, officials, and feudal lords all came to pay homage to the emperor, creating quite a lively scene.

Liu Chen was still a prince in the palace and was not qualified to attend court. He visited Consort Li in the morning, had lunch together, and returned to his own palace in the afternoon.

"From today onwards, it will be the second year of Jingyao. There are still three or four years until the fall of the Liu Han dynasty. What emperor, what prince, what crown prince—they are all just mirages." Liu Chen sat down in his study and thought to himself.

Liu Chen spent the New Year in the palace. The next day, he left the palace to visit his maternal uncle's family before returning to the palace.

By the third day of the Lunar New Year, the festive atmosphere had faded.

By the eighth day, nobody cared anymore.

The ninth day.

The sun was shining brightly, but the weather was freezing cold.

The imperial guards patrolling the palace, despite wearing thick armor, still had red, frozen hands and faces.

The palace maids and eunuchs also worked very hard.

Inside Liu Chen's study in the palace.

Mi Zhao came to visit Liu Chen. Liu Chen invited him into his study to sit down and talk.

Mi Zhao brought news: Liu Shan had already prepared fiefdoms for his fifth, sixth, and seventh sons.

It consists of three large estates.

Liu Shan ordered the chief craftsmen to renovate the building to match his status as a prince, thus embellishing his image.

Mi Zhao sighed, "Your Highness will become a prince in the future, while I will be a palace guard. We will hardly have the chance to meet again."

The fact that the Imperial Guards were associating with the princes drew attention.

It was a major taboo for the Imperial Guards to associate with princes and dukes.

"That's not necessarily true. In a few years, you'll be my rightful subject," Liu Chen thought to himself, but smiled and said, "That's simple. Either you resign, or you come to my kingdom as an official. Wouldn't that allow us to stay together for a long time?"

Mi Zhao rolled his eyes at Liu Chen and didn't respond.

His grandfather invested in Emperor Zhaolie, which transformed the Mi family from a merchant family into a family of meritorious officials.

The Mi family, as a family of meritorious officials, must continue to exist. He was the pillar of the Mi family for three generations; how could he possibly resign from his official post or become a subordinate official of the kingdom?

This time, Mi Zhao stayed in Liu Chen's palace for a particularly long time, talking a lot, and didn't leave until it was time for dinner.

Liu Chen escorted him to the palace gate, then turned back. After the meal, Liu Chen went to his study, sat down, and pondered deeply.

After a long while, he looked up at the eunuch and said, "Prepare the carriage. I am going to the residence of the Grand Master of Works."

"Yes." The eunuch bowed and left.

Liu Chen changed his clothes for the trip, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and boarded the carriage. He then left the palace and arrived at the residence of the Grand Master of Works.

The Grand Master Craftsman's salary was as high as two thousand shi (a unit of grain), making him a high-ranking official in the imperial court. He also oversaw civil engineering, making it a very lucrative position.

The current Director of Works was Xu You, the grandson of the late Grand Tutor Xu Jing. He obtained this lucrative position because of the favored minister Chen Zhi.

The mansion, inside the main hall.

Xu You knelt in the main seat and discussed matters concerning the Three Kings' Palace with his officials.

Xu You is thirty-two years old this year. He is outstanding in appearance, elegant and graceful, and has a very outstanding temperament.

While discussing matters with his subordinates, he was also making plans in his mind.

Although being appointed as a master craftsman is a lucrative position, this time, being granted the title of king by the third prince and having him build the royal palace is the most lucrative position of all.

How to use the wealth allocated by the emperor is a complicated matter.

How much should he get?

How much should his subordinates receive?

How much of that money will be used for the construction of the royal palace? The palace must last at least ten years, after which it will be left unattended. If anything goes wrong, the emperor can just pay for repairs.

It had to be accurate down to each and every single copper coin.

As Xu You was pondering this, a minor official entered through the door. He bowed to Xu You and said, "Lord Xu, the young master Chen has arrived."

I'm afraid it's nothing good. Xu You felt a sudden unease, a bad premonition.