binnovel Chapter 1295 Four-Party Reaction: A Massive Effort to Punish the Thief
Chapter 1295 Four-Party Reaction: A Massive Effort to Punish the Thief
The envoys from Ji had barely arrived in Qiao County when they were stopped outside the city gates by Cao Cao's personal guards. As the rubbing of the jade seal engraved with the character "Ji" was placed before him, Cao Cao, who was holding a scroll of the *Book of Han*, slammed the scroll down on the table upon hearing this, rubbing his forehead and laughing mockingly: "That brat Yuan Shang, dares to claim the Mandate of Heaven? The four-hundred-year-old foundation of the Han Dynasty—does he think he can usurp it so easily?"
"Throw that envoy out!" he shouted sternly. "Tell Yuan Shang that I, Cao Cao, was born a subject of the Han Dynasty and will die a ghost of the Han Dynasty. I will never recognize any 'Ji Dynasty'!"
The envoy was dragged out of Qiao County, but the news spread like wildfire throughout the Central Plains. Cao Cao immediately ordered: "Send proclamations to all provinces, condemning Yuan Shang's crime of usurpation, and calling on righteous men across the land to jointly punish the traitor!" In Xuchang City, provisions began to be gathered, armor and weapons were forged overnight, and the once silent military camps suddenly resounded with shouts of training.
Upon hearing the news, Cao Ang of Xuzhou immediately sent a letter to Xuchang by fast horse. The letter was earnest: "Yuan Shang's usurpation of the Han throne is an outrage of both Heaven and man. I am willing to lead the troops of Xuzhou to attack Qingzhou and join forces with Father to strike directly at Ye City. If Father has other plans, I am also willing to guard the rear and prevent Liu Bei from launching a surprise attack."
Cao Cao pondered the map for a long time before replying with only a few words: "I will attack Yanzhou. You may send troops from Xuzhou to take Qingzhou. Cao Pi will stay behind to guard the rear, so there is no need to worry about him."
When Cao Ang received the reply, he was standing atop the city wall of Xuzhou, gazing at the smoke rising from the southern chimneys. His hand holding the letter trembled slightly, and an indescribable sense of loss welled up within him. For the past few years, he had diligently maintained order and stability in Xuzhou, never daring to slacken his efforts, yet he could never fathom his father's thoughts. Why was his father always reluctant to go to war? Was he suspecting something?
He wrote another letter overnight, filled with grievances: "Father, we are blood relatives, why must things come to this? If you don't trust me, I am willing to immediately lay down my arms, hand over the military power in Xuzhou, and serve by your side. Must the relationship between father and son be so distant?"
When the messenger set off, the troops in Qiao Commandery had already moved. Cao Cao personally led a large army across the Yellow River, heading straight for Yan Province, with the words "Punishing the Rebels" on the banners fluttering in the wind. Cao Pi's reply arrived shortly afterward, his tone as polite as that of a stranger: "Father has gone to war, and I am guarding the rear. If you have a plan, elder brother, you may make your own decision without seeking instructions."
"Make your own decision?" Cao Ang smiled bitterly, crumpling the letter in his palm. He looked at the soldiers outside Xuzhou City who were ready to go, and thought of the emptiness in the rear. Back then, when he seized Runan County and Nanyang County, Liu Bei was eyeing Jingzhou covetously. If he rashly sent troops to Qingzhou, what if Liu Bei took the opportunity to harass the rear? Wouldn't his father's army be attacked from both sides?
"That's it." He sighed and said to his deputy, "Send out the order to postpone the expedition. Strengthen the defenses of Xuzhou, closely monitor the situation in Jingzhou, and keep the Qiao Commandery informed."
The setting sun cast a long shadow of his, which fell on the city wall of Xuzhou, like an unyielding sense of helplessness. The wind below the city wall carried a chill, making the hair at his temples dance wildly, and also stirring up the inexplicable estrangement between father and son in his heart.
Inside Chang'an, Ma Chao was discussing matters with Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, and other generals when he suddenly heard that an envoy from Ji Province was requesting an audience. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "What brings Yuan Shang to send an envoy?"
When the envoy entered the hall with the imperial seal and edict, and loudly proclaimed, "Ma Chao is hereby appointed as General of the Cavalry, in charge of all the troops under heaven," Ma Chao was first taken aback, then suddenly stood up and kicked over the table in front of him, shattering the wine cups on it.
"Yuan Shang, you brat! You've gone too far!" He glared at the envoy and cursed, "When his father Yuan Shao was alive, he would still give me some respect; now he's just a mere child who has usurped the Han throne, and he dares to demand that I kneel and submit to him?"
Before he finished speaking, he swiftly drew his longsword from his waist. A flash of cold light, and the still-stunned envoy was beheaded. Blood splattered on the gold bricks, a gruesome sight. Ma Chao, holding his blood-dripping sword, looked at his trembling follower: "Take his corpse back and tell Yuan Shang that I, Ma Chao, am irreconcilably opposed to that damned Ji Dynasty. Sooner or later, we'll meet by sword!"
The attendants scrambled to drag the corpse away, but the hall erupted in chaos. Li Ru and Jia Xu exchanged a glance, their eyes gleaming with excitement, and took a step forward as if injected with adrenaline.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!" Li Ru spoke first, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement. "Yuan Shang usurped the Han throne, and the Han dynasty is now dead. Your Majesty, as the King of Liang, commands hundreds of thousands of armored soldiers and governs a vast territory, comparable to the Ji dynasty. Since he dares to declare himself emperor, why doesn't Your Majesty seize the opportunity to ascend the throne? At that time, you can send troops to punish the traitor, which will be perfectly justified, and all the loyal and righteous people in the world will surely rise up in response!"
Jia Xu immediately chimed in, "Lord Li is absolutely right. Yuan Shang, a mere child, dares to claim the title of emperor. If Your Majesty does not, you will be inferior in status. Ascend the throne first, then raise the banner of punishing the rebels; only then can we demonstrate the righteousness of our army!"
The civil and military officials under his command were also in an uproar. Zhang Liao stepped forward with his hand on his sword: "This humble general begs Your Majesty to declare yourself emperor! We are willing to give our lives to help Your Majesty sweep away the Ji Dynasty and restore order to the world!" Zhang Xiu, Gao Shun, Xu Huang and other generals knelt down one after another, shouting in unison: "Please declare Your Majesty to declare yourself emperor! Please declare Your Majesty to declare yourself emperor!"
Ma Chao suddenly flicked his sleeve and shouted angrily, "Nonsense!" He looked around at everyone, his eyes like lightning, "The Han dynasty has just been usurped. We should have raised an army to punish the rebels, but you want me to follow suit and declare myself emperor. How is this any different from Yuan Shang?"
He slammed his longsword into the ground, the hilt trembling. "Don't mention that again! Send the order to prepare the troops. We'll march into Hebei and storm Ye City! I want to see what that brat Yuan Shang is really made of!"
Li Ru and Jia Xu wanted to persuade him further, but were deterred by Ma Chao's sharp gaze. The hall gradually quieted down, leaving only the soft rustling of armor. Although the generals were unwilling, they knew Ma Chao's temperament and could only bow and accept the order: "As Your Majesty commands!"
The wind outside the window whipped up dust and swept across the palace walls, carrying an aura of killing intent. Ma Chao stared at the map in the direction of Ji Province, his knuckles turning white from the force of his grip. What he wanted was not the throne, but to tear apart Yuan Shang's hypocritical face with his own hands, to reclaim justice for the Han Dynasty, and to restore face for the Ma family. As for the matter of becoming emperor, he had never thought about it, at least not now.
Outside Xiangyang City, a towering altar stood, white banners fluttering in the wind. Liu Bei, dressed in mourning clothes, gazed at the severed head of the Ji Dynasty envoy laid out on the altar, his eyes blazing with fury. He personally placed the head on the altar, bowing deeply before the memorial tablet, his voice hoarse and sorrowful: "Your Majesty the Great Ancestor Gaozu and Your Majesty the Great Ancestor Guangwu, your unworthy descendant Liu Bei begs—that scoundrel Yuan Shang usurped the Han throne and established a false dynasty, an act intolerable to Heaven and Earth! As a descendant of the Prince of Zhongshan Jing, I, Liu Bei, shall raise an army of righteous men to punish this traitor and appease the world!"
Beneath the altar, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Pang Tong, Zhuge Liang, and other civil and military officials stood solemnly, their soldiers in gleaming armor behind them, shouting in unison, "Slay the traitors! Slay the traitors!" The sound reverberated straight to the sky.
As soon as the sacrificial ceremony was over, Pang Tong stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “My lord, the Han dynasty has now been usurped by Yuan Shang, and the world is without a ruler. My lord is a member of the Han imperial family, and your virtue is known throughout the world. Why not declare yourself emperor in Jingzhou to continue the legitimate lineage of the Han dynasty, and then launch a northern expedition? This would be a perfectly legitimate cause!”
"The strategist is absolutely right!" Guan Yu stood with his hand on his sword, his phoenix eyes wide open. "Brother, there cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two masters on earth. Yuan Shang, that brat, has usurped the throne. It is time for you, brother, to ascend the throne, restore the Han dynasty, and bring peace to the people!"
In an instant, the soldiers of Jingzhou were filled with righteous indignation and knelt down one after another: "Please, our lord, declare yourself emperor! Please, our lord, declare yourself emperor!"
Liu Bei whirled around, ripped off his sacrificial robes, threw them on the ground, and roared, "Insolence!" His face flushed red, his chest heaving violently. "The world is in ruins, the Han dynasty is overthrown, and instead of thinking about how to eliminate the traitors, you are encouraging me to declare myself emperor—how are you any different from that traitor Yuan Shang?"
Everyone fell silent after he shouted at them. Zhuge Liang stepped forward, knelt before Liu Bei, and said in a deep voice, "My lord, please calm your anger. I have something to say to you."
"Yuan Shang usurped the Han throne, making him a traitor to the Han; Your Majesty's ascension to the throne, however, is a continuation of the Han dynasty." Zhuge Liang's gaze was earnest. "Your Majesty is a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan and a great-great-grandson of Emperor Jing of Han, with impeccable lineage. Ascending the throne now is precisely to continue the four-hundred-year-old orthodoxy of the Han dynasty, letting the world know that the Han dynasty has not been extinguished and that loyalty and righteousness have a place to belong. If we do not do this, after Yuan Shang has secured his throne, in a few years, the people may only know of Ji, and not of the Han dynasty."
Liu Bei's expression softened slightly, but he still shook his head: "This matter should not be mentioned again. Issue the order to prepare the troops and launch a northern expedition in the coming days. First, take Nanyang, and then plan to conquer the Central Plains!"
Seeing his resolute attitude, the others had no choice but to give up and go about their business. Secretly, Zhuge Liang summoned Zhao Yun and handed him a secret letter: "Take this letter to Bazhong immediately and summon Liu Zhang. Remember to keep it a secret."
A few days later, the Jingzhou troops were ready to set off. Liu Bei was reviewing his troops at the drill ground when he suddenly heard a report from outside the tent that "Liu Zhang requests an audience." He was startled. He had not summoned Liu Zhang. What was his purpose in coming here?
As soon as Liu Zhang entered the tent, he rushed to Liu Bei's side, tears streaming down his face: "Brother! Now that the traitor has usurped the Han throne, if no one carries the banner of the Han dynasty, the great Han will truly perish!" He grabbed Liu Bei's sleeve and choked out, "Brother, think about it. If we wait three to five years, and Yuan Shang's puppet dynasty gains a foothold, who in the world will still remember the Han dynasty? As a member of the imperial clan, if you do not seize the opportunity to become emperor and continue the Han dynasty, how will you face Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Guangwu a hundred years from now?"
Looking at Liu Zhang's grief-stricken appearance and recalling Zhuge Liang's words, Liu Bei's firmly held defenses finally began to waver. The wind outside the tent carried the shouts of the soldiers training. He clenched his fists, his fingertips digging deeply into his palms. Whether or not he would become emperor was not just a contest of titles, but also the key to whether the name "Han" could continue to remain in the hearts of the people.
As dawn broke through the tent, Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan, Pang Tong stroked his beard, Guan Yu stood with his hand on his sword, Zhang Fei's eyes were wide open, Zhao Yun leaned on his silver spear, and all the civil and military officials stood with their heads bowed, their expressions earnest. Zhuge Liang spoke first, his voice as steady as a rock: "My lord, Cao Cao now holds the emperor hostage to command the other warlords, and the Han dynasty exists in name only. My lord is a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan. If you do not ascend the throne and become emperor, how can you unite the loyal and righteous men of the land? If the Han dynasty ends, wouldn't we all become sinners for all time?"
Pang Tong followed closely behind, cupping his hands and saying, "Kongming is absolutely right. My lord has repeatedly refused the throne, which shows his respectful heart. However, the people of the world have long awaited a wise ruler. If my lord were to decline again, I fear it would chill the hearts of the entire world."
Guan Yu raised an eyebrow and said in a deep voice, "Brother, I have fought alongside you for many years, all for the restoration of the Han Dynasty. Now that warlords are vying for power, if you do not assume the throne, how can you command the world? I am willing to die to remonstrate with you!" Zhang Fei roared even louder, "That's right! If you refuse again, I, Old Zhang, will kneel here and not get up!" With that, he actually knelt down with a thud. Seeing this, the soldiers outside the tent also knelt down one after another, pleading in unison, "Please, my lord, declare yourself emperor to prolong the Han Dynasty!"
Liu Bei stood in his tent, looking at the dark mass of people below. His brows were furrowed, and he waved his hands repeatedly: "My beloved generals, do not mention it again. I... I am a subject of Han. If I presumptuously declare myself emperor, how am I any different from Yuan Shang?" His tone was resolute, but his eyes concealed an undisguised struggle.