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

"Da da da!!!!"

Three guards galloped along the road. The sound of their hooves clattered, raising clouds of dust.

The farmers working in the fields along the roadside glanced at him. The guards, upon arriving at the manor, reined in their horses and stopped.

Soon after, they entered a room and sat down, led by Zhao Jun.

Zhao Jun turned and left. After a long while, more than ten old men came in.

The old men were all terrified.

The guards were very kind, and one of them told the old people what had happened.

"Young master is so kind!" The old men were first surprised, then burst into tears. Someone shouted, "Kindness!"

The guards offered the old men a few words of comfort and then let them leave. They didn't dare stay long either, and got up to leave.

After the dozen or so old men left the manor, they quickly relayed the news to the hundred households.

In the fields and in the courtyards of houses.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; a huge weight was lifted from their hearts.

If someone's household registration is really split up and sold, it means separation from family, or even death.

it's good now.

"Young master is truly virtuous."

"Rumor has it that the young master is stingy... Pshaw. The young master is truly a benevolent young master."

"We must cultivate the land diligently to repay the young master."

"good."

In the fields, the farmers either shouted praises of the young master's benevolence or worked with great enthusiasm. It was as if they had a grudge against the land, toiling away as if they wanted to repay the young master's kindness with their own strength.

"In the end, I'm the only traitor. I won't last long."

Inside the manor, Zhao Jun stood under the eaves, a bitter expression on his face. He had been trying to figure out Gongzi Chen's intentions, hoping to generate revenue. Little did he expect that his attempt to flatter him would backfire so badly.

Unbelievable! Unbelievable!

He was utterly baffled. He muttered to himself, "Isn't Prince Chen known for his stinginess and greed? Why would he keep these useless people around?"

............

April.

The weather is getting warmer.

Chengdu remained bustling and noisy, with a constant flow of traffic. Although people were dressed in light clothing, the sweltering heat was unbearable, and they were drenched in sweat.

Inside Liu Chen's small palace in the imperial palace.

Liu Chen knelt on the veranda, drinking mung bean soup to cool off in the summer heat. Palace maids on either side of him, their faces glistening with sweat, fanned him with palm-leaf fans to keep him cool.

"Young master, a distinguished guest has arrived." The eunuch hurried over and bowed.

Liu Chen put down the mung bean soup and turned to the palace maid, saying, "Serve another bowl of mung bean soup."

"Yes." The palace maid bowed in response and turned to leave.

Liu Chen stood up to greet Consort Li. The palace maid who was fanning her stood up as well, and the woman on his left nearly fell over as her legs went numb.

Liu Chen quickly grabbed her and said, "If you feel uncomfortable, you can go down and rest."

"Thank you, young master." The palace maid blushed, half shy and half grateful.

Liu Chen nodded and went to the steps. A eunuch came over and helped him put on his shoes. Liu Chen went down the steps and headed towards the palace gate. On the way, he saw Consort Li's carriage.

"Mother." The carriage stopped, and Liu Chen stood up and bowed.

"My son." Consort Li smiled as she stepped down from the carriage, took Liu Chen's hand, looked closely at her son's face, and felt satisfied.

I actually just watched it once this morning.

But I just want to.

It was sweltering inside, so Consort Li and Liu Chen sat down on the veranda. A palace maid brought them mung bean soup.

Consort Li was not in a hurry to drink the soup. She took two long boxes from the eunuch behind her and placed them in front of her. She then opened them and took out two pieces of silk.

Consort Li smiled and said, "Your uncle just came to see your mother and brought these two pieces of silk." After a pause, she said softly, "Your marriage is settled. It's with the Chen family from Fan County. The girl's name is Mingzhen, courtesy name Daosheng. This is the portrait and the dowry."

Consort Li handed the silk handkerchief to Liu Chen and said with a smile, "My child, as you wish. Lady Chen is dignified and beautiful. Lady Chen's dowry includes two thousand acres of land, three hundred bolts of Shu brocade, five hundred bolts of silk, one thousand bolts of gold, six million copper coins, and more than eight hundred households."

Liu Chen was also pleased and nodded happily, saying, "Good."

This dowry would leave ordinary people speechless.

Even when the emperor bestowed upon him the title of king, he was only granted a estate of 5,500 mu and a little over 1,000 households.

He was granted five million coins to repair the manor and turn it into a palace.

Liu Chen picked up the dowry list and looked at it, then picked up Chen's portrait.

Liu Chen didn't understand ink wash painting very well. He only glanced at the woman in the painting before tossing it aside.

Chen's wife was not important; what mattered was wealth.

The mother and son talked for a long time before Consort Li reluctantly left.

.........

After Chen Zhi died of illness, Huang Hao seized power.

In the second year of Jingyao (646 AD), the political situation in Liu Han's court became increasingly turbulent. Many unscrupulous individuals gained entry into the court by bribing Huang Hao.

It can be said that "in the imperial court, rotten wood holds official positions; between the palace steps, beasts feast on the rich."

The people of Liu Han were scattered and disloyal, and countless people fled. The country's strength also plummeted.

General Jiang Wei, who was originally at the front lines but was determined to launch a northern expedition, returned to the capital.

"Chengdu." On the north avenue of the city, Jiang Wei, riding in a veiled carriage and surrounded by more than a hundred people, arrived at the gate of Chengdu.

Jiang Wei lifted the curtain, looked at the city in front of him, and sighed softly.

The city is still the same city.

Prosperity is like brocade.

The population was large and prosperous. The people, with sleeves raised like clouds, toiled and sweated profusely. Merchants from all over the country flocked here.

But everything has changed.

The Prime Minister, Jiang Gong, Fei Gong, Dong Gong. One by one, these vivid names, one by one brilliant and outstanding figures, have all fallen.

Now only he is left.

"The wise men have all passed away, and I have grown old. I aspired to achieve fame and glory, and repeatedly launched military expeditions to the north. Yet I have not gained an inch of territory. Alas." Jiang Wei glanced at the white hair at his temples and sighed again.

He is a very tenacious person.

It possesses the fighting spirit of a tiger.

But reality forced him to bow his head.

He knew the situation was dire. The enemy wasn't the powerful Cao Wei, but rather the treacherous officials within Liu Han's own ranks.

A group of disloyal and unjust scoundrels.

Jiang Wei desperately wanted to untangle this mess, but he was powerless to do so.

Some loyal and righteous people criticized him for destabilizing the government and instead launching a northern expedition, exhausting the country with military force.

but......

To effectively govern the court, one needs advisors. He was a surrendered general with insufficient political connections. Zhuge Liang, Jiang Wan, and Fei Yi were all from Jingzhou.

Meanwhile, Jiang Wan, Fei Yi, and Dong Yun were all promoted by Zhuge Liang.

He doesn't have that foundation.

On the contrary, the military was much simpler. He commanded a large army on the northern expedition with ease.

Although he didn't achieve any great feats, he also didn't commit any major transgressions. With the forces of Yizhou fighting against Cao Wei, the outcome was evenly matched.

Now he has no choice but to come back.

"Sigh." Jiang Wei sighed again and lowered the carriage curtain.

Jiang Wei's entourage went up to negotiate with the city gate guards, and the group was able to enter the city.

After entering the city, Jiang Wei's army was very impressive, and when they encountered traffic jams, everyone immediately made way for them.

Until he encountered Liu Chen's group.

Jiang Wei's attendant went up to negotiate first, but Liu Chen refused. After learning Liu Chen's identity, the attendant returned to inform Jiang Wei.

Jiang Wei ordered the troops to make way.

Inside the carriage, Jiang Wei once again lifted the curtain, watching Prince Chen ride past.

"What a handsome appearance and refined demeanor. But all that glitters is not gold; rottenness lies within," Jiang Wei sighed inwardly.

The court and the public have a poor opinion of Prince Chen.

He had certainly heard about it.

Gongzi Chen is stingy, greedy, and possibly lustful. Another demon in Chengdu.

"When a country is about to perish, disaster is inevitable. I am not reconciled. I cannot let the Han Dynasty perish. I..." Jiang Wei lowered the curtain, his heart aching as if being torn apart, so much so that he was drenched in sweat and his face was deathly pale.

"He finally couldn't stay on the front lines any longer and returned to Chengdu. His stay there marked the end of the nation's demise. He didn't know that, according to historical course, he would never have been able to [be ordered to suppress the rebellion]." Liu Chen also saw Jiang Wei's face and sighed deeply.

In the sixth year of Jingyao, Jiang Wei died in Chengdu, and his descendants were wiped out.

Legend has it that the Wei soldiers, enraged upon learning of Jiang Wei's plot, dissected his body to reveal his liver and gallbladder.

Jiang Boyue was as bold as a bushel.

Liu Chen returned to the palace by carriage.

Nothing was said that night.

The next morning, Liu Chen got up early, and the palace eunuchs and maids busied themselves.

Soon, Consort Li arrived as well.

Today, Liu Chen, along with his brothers Liu Xun and Liu Qian, were enfeoffed as kings.

He became a prince of the Han Dynasty.