Has the Han Dynasty been restored today?

When discussing the governance of a country, the emperor, who is "ordained by Heaven," is an unavoidable key figure.

Liu Shan's youth was a lonely one.

As the son of Liu Bei and the crown prince of Shu Han, he was expected to be a great man from a young age. However, he had few relatives in the imperial clan, and most of his officials were older than him. He also had few peers to befriend. His only peer, Huo Yi, the son of Huo Jun, was also recruited to serve in the prime minister's office after Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions.

The situations of other monarchs and crown princes during the Three Kingdoms period were different from those of Liu Shan.

Cao Pi had four friends: Sima Yi, Chen Qun, Wu Zhi, and Zhu Shuo; Cao Rui had longtime confidants such as Guanqiu Jian; Sun Quan had close friends such as Zhuge Jin and Zhu Ran; and Sun Deng had companions such as Zhuge Ke, Zhang Xiu, Gu Tan, and Chen Biao.

Liu Shan's political loneliness was palpable. Since his ascension to the throne, he had been under the strict control of Zhuge Liang, Dong Yun, and others for many years, and could not fully express his wishes in everything he did, often lamenting that his emotions could not be expressed.

Chen Zhi was Liu Shan's only young subordinate in Chengdu who could be considered a "friend".

Chen Zhi was born in the sixteenth year of Jian'an (208 AD). He was twenty-four years old, four years younger than Liu Shan, who was born in the twelfth year of Jian'an (208 AD). He came from a very high family and was currently serving as a Cao Lang in the Chengdu Shangshu Tai (Ministerial Secretariat), with a salary of four hundred shi (a unit of grain).

The character 祗, pronounced the same as 知, means "respectful".

When Chen Zhi was with Liu Shan, he maintained an excellent balance between respect, loyalty, and friendship, and Liu Shan often regarded Chen Zhi as a trusted minister.

This is also why, after the eunuchs Huang Liu and others failed to persuade Liu Shan, they suggested summoning Chen Zhi.

"The dead are gone and cannot be brought back to life." Chen Zhi lowered his eyes, staring at Liu Shan's hands, which were half-prostrate on the ground, and whispered, "Your Majesty should cherish your precious life. If the Prime Minister could bid farewell to Your Majesty in person, he would probably say, 'Let us not speak of this again, but take care of yourself and eat well.'"

"I know this Yuefu poem," Liu Shan said haltingly. "I walk and walk again, parting from you in life. We are separated by tens of thousands of miles, each at the ends of the earth. The road is long and arduous; when will we meet again?"

"Alas, who knows if we'll meet again, who knows if we'll meet again..."

Liu Shan's expression remained sorrowful as he repeated those five words over and over, seemingly recalling the moments he shared with Zhuge Liang since childhood.

Chen Zhi coughed lightly, interrupting Liu Shan's murmur: "Prosperity and decline each have their time, and it is difficult to establish oneself early. Human life is not made of gold or stone, how can one live forever? Your Majesty, I have something to say, but I am not sure if I should say it."

Liu Shan turned his head, his gaze suddenly becoming much more focused, and met Chen Zhi's eyes: "I roughly know what Fengzong wants to say. But I am currently in a state of confusion and truly do not know what to do..."

Chen Zhi remained silent for a moment.

Chen Zhi discovered that, whether in his memory or in person, Liu Shan was different from the stereotypes he had in his previous life. He was not obese, but rather seven feet five inches tall like Liu Bei, with a gentle and handsome appearance. In addition, he possessed imperial majesty and the wealth of the imperial family, making him extremely outstanding in demeanor.

Come to think of it.

Emperor Zhaolie (Liu Bei) was a hero of his time, renowned for his talent and renown. Empress Zhaolie (Gan Shi) was beautiful and graceful, possessing both virtue and wisdom. How could such parents have given birth to a fat and stupid son?

Furthermore, Liu Shan received the best education from a young age. Zhuge Liang personally taught him, and his daily tutors included renowned scholars such as Lai Min and Yin Mo. Objectively speaking, Liu Shan's abilities were above average. While he couldn't compare to contemporary talents like Jiang Wan and Fei Yi, he was more than capable of being a passable emperor.

Liu Shan certainly understood politics and the hearts of the people, and he had a tacit understanding with Chen Zhi. Chen Zhi was known for his wisdom and resourcefulness, and Liu Shan's decision to allow the eunuchs to summon Chen Zhi from his home was also based on this consideration.

What is happening today is remarkably similar to what happened twelve years ago.

Twelve years ago, after Liu Bei died in Baidi City, Liu Shan quickly ascended the throne in Chengdu.

Upon Liu Shan's ascension to the throne, Zhuge Liang, who held the titles of Acting Chancellor and Grand Secretary, was granted the authority to establish his own government and govern, was promoted to Marquis of Wuxiang, appointed Governor of Yizhou, and concurrently held military power both inside and outside the capital. In effect, Zhuge Liang controlled all power, large and small, within the Shu Han state.

Both Liu Shan and Chen Zhi were well aware of this. At this time of year, in early September of the twelfth year of Jianxing, where could the Shu Han court find another Zhuge Liang? Who possessed sufficient loyalty and ability to stabilize the internal and external situation of Shu Han?

the answer is negative.

While Jiang Wan, Fei Yi, Yang Yi, and others were all commendable, it would be difficult to compare them to Zhuge Liang.

With the prime minister gone, a major upheaval is inevitable in the court.

Who should we use? Who should we not use? How should we change? How can we avoid causing trouble? How can we maintain stability both internally and externally?

Most importantly, who should fill the power vacuum created by the Prime Minister's death?

"Your Majesty," Chen Zhi hesitated for a long time before finally speaking, "compared to who Your Majesty appoints to govern, the Northern Expeditionary Army is currently abroad; we should recall the troops as soon as possible..."

Before Chen Zhi could finish speaking, the high-pitched voice of the eunuch Huang Liu came from outside the palace gate.

"Chief Secretary, Attendant-in-Ordinary, His Majesty is currently paying respects at the memorial tablet of Prime Minister Zhuge Liang. It is not appropriate to disturb him. Please wait for me to inform him..."

Huang Liu inwardly groaned. Dong Yun, the Imperial Attendant, had requested an audience three times from last night to this morning without success, so why had he now invited Jiang Wan over?

In terms of power, Jiang Wan should be the head of all the officials in Chengdu.

In the Shu Han dynasty, all power, large and small, rested with the Prime Minister's office. This office was divided into two parts. While Zhuge Liang led troops in the field for many years, the Prime Minister's office was permanently located in Mianyang, Hanzhong Commandery. The Chengdu section of the Prime Minister's office was responsible for all political affairs and was known as the "Residual Office." Jiang Wan served as the Chief Secretary of the Residual Office, handling all matters related to it, which meant managing court affairs.

Jiang Wan's deep and powerful voice momentarily drowned out the sound of the rain and reached the hall: "Eunuch Huang, the country is in turmoil, and the ministers have urgent matters to discuss with His Majesty, so there is no time to inform him in advance."

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Jiang Wan called out loudly, then pushed Huang Liu away with his left arm, knocked heavily on the palace door with his right hand several times, and then said loudly, "Your subject Jiang Wan has important matters to report to Your Majesty."

He then pushed open the door and strode in.

The eunuchs' favor and honor were tied to the emperor's, and they were adept at putting on airs. With a shove from Jiang Wan, Huang Liu stumbled and fell beside the threshold of Chonghua Hall. Before Huang Liu could even utter a sound, he saw Jiang Wan enter uninvited, and a chill ran down his spine.

Is this still the same composed, dignified, and authoritative Jiang Wan Jiang Gongyan we know?

Liu Shan and Chen Zhi turned to look at Jiang Wan at the palace gate. Before Liu Shan could react, Chen Zhi had already hurriedly stood up, bowed to Jiang Wan, and addressed him as "Lord Jiang".

Liu Shan caught sight of Jiang Wan and Dong Yun in the distance and felt a moment of panic. Especially when facing Dong Yun, who, as a court attendant, had always been quite strict with him and whom Liu Shan had always been wary of. It was improper for a ruler to pay respects to a subject for an entire night, let alone to do so in the palace. To avoid any trouble, Liu Shan hurriedly laid the prime minister's tablet flat on the ground and covered it with his outer robe, which was lying nearby.

But neither Jiang Wan nor Dong Yun asked about this matter.

"His Majesty."

Jiang Wan glanced at Chen Zhi, then quickly stepped forward and bowed to Liu Shan, who was kneeling on the ground: "The news of the Prime Minister's sudden passing arrived yesterday. I hope Your Majesty will take heed of your grief. I have something extremely urgent to discuss with Your Majesty today."

Liu Shan, of course, was unaware of the reasons behind Jiang Wan's actions. He only felt that Jiang Wan's uninvited entry was against protocol, and coupled with his grief and lack of confidence in politics, he bit his lip and couldn't help but speak his mind:

"This is the inner palace. With the Prime Minister absent, does Minister Jiang not need to observe proper etiquette when seeing me?"

Jiang Wan's expression froze for a moment, then he raised his eyebrows and stared directly at Liu Shan. Without any hesitation, he said loudly, "Your Majesty, the Chancellor's Chief Clerk and General of the Pacification Army, Yang Yi, and the General Who Conquers the West, Wei Yan, have committed treason. They have both reported each other to the emperor for rebellion!"

"With the Northern Expeditionary Army facing imminent danger, the nation is in peril. For the sake of the country, this critical military situation cannot wait a moment longer!"

Liu Shan looked horrified, his lips slightly parted, and he looked at Jiang Wan and then at Chen Zhi, unable to utter a word for a moment.