Chapter 372: Liu Yu Falls Ill
Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Final Volume: The Rise and Fall of Kingly Ambitions, Unification of the World, Chapter 372: Liu Yu Falls Ill
Belonging to the book:
Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?
Chapter 372: Liu Yu Falls Ill
Ten years of sharpening a sword, and though the past two years have been a bit rushed, it’s still worth a try!
The biggest problem isn’t even how she plans to replace the Han throne, nor how she intends to break the alliance between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, but rather…
How to ensure that her subordinates, who still harbor loyalty to the Han, will stand by her side amidst this drastic change, avoiding chaos during the transition.
Loyalty to the Grand Marshal and loyalty to a new Son of Heaven who replaces the Han are not the same thing.
Since Zhong Changtong promoted the “Changyan,” Qiao Yan has received several letters. While these letters didn’t mention the thoughts of her subordinates, they did bring up whether they should return to Chang’an or Luoyang for debriefing around the New Year.
Especially those stationed in Liangzhou and Yizhou.
Compared to the previous targeting by Liu Yang and Wang Yun, her recent counterattack has undoubtedly sent a particularly special signal to her subordinates.
A signal that could potentially turn the world upside down.
But even if they harbor doubts, none of these perceptive subordinates would be foolish enough to write in their letters about whether she intends to replace the Han, lest their speculation cause trouble for Qiao Yan.
Among them, there are also those who won’t clearly state their stance, like Xun Yu, who took sick leave after attending Zhong Changtong’s debate at Dingzhong Temple.
Getting these people to truly serve her is not a problem that can be solved with a few words.
Even if just one of them turns to Chang’an, it would be a significant loss for her.
So she must be extremely cautious.
However, there seems to be one exception.
After Cai Zhaoji returned to draft the initial publication of Zhong Changtong’s story, Qiao Yan reviewed the letters she had received over the past few days and found one particularly unique. Unlike Xun Yu, who is taking a wait-and-see approach, or Xu Shu, who already knows her ambitions, this letter was from Lü Bu, who simply wanted to express his stance.
Lü Bu listed three reasons for returning to debrief in January.
First, his wife hasn’t seen their daughter in a long time, and if he needs to go to Luoyang, he can take Lü Lingju, whom Qiao Yan plans to recall from Liaodong, back to Bingzhou.
Second, people on the border between Ji Province and Youzhou see him as some kind of monstrous threat after he once raided a camp and captured Gao Lan. Zhang Liao has been suggesting that Lü Bu lay low for a while to give the enemy a chance to act.
Third, during the first month of Jian’an, he wasn’t in Chang’an, but Lü Lingju was, and his Victory Coin ended up in her hands. He hasn’t gotten it back yet and wants to avoid a repeat of this situation.
Qiao Yan wasn’t sure whether to praise Lü Bu for becoming more articulate after years of learning or to swear that while others might use such reasons to mask their true intentions, Lü Bu genuinely only had these three reasons.
But for a warrior like him, ignorance can sometimes be bliss.
Unfortunately, in political games, ignorance can be fatal!
“When he brought up Minister Zhong’s past, Zhong Yingbo immediately stepped down. This…” Liu Yang was almost infuriated by this.
Zhong Fu’s experience, age, and time in office far surpass that of ordinary people.
If one of the Three Dukes steps down, Zhong Fu is one of the candidates to replace them.
Even as a fellow Grandee of the Palace, Liu Yang couldn’t win Zhong Fu over to his side as he did with Chunyu Jia.
It was only because Zhong Changtong’s remarks were seen as overly audacious that Zhong Fu had the chance to confront Qiao Yan’s subordinates.
But clearly, this “diplomatic mission” to Luoyang didn’t achieve the results Liu Yang had hoped for.
“I thought that if Zhong Yingbo could refute the political arguments in the ‘Changyan,’ it would suppress all the novel ideas in the book, including the notion of personnel as the foundation. Who knew the only one who could do it would be taken down by such a reason.”
Liu Yang clenched his teeth, his once handsome face now so clouded with gloom that it no longer bore any trace of royal dignity.
“He has truly disappointed me!”
Hearing this, Chunyu Jia’s face showed a flicker of unease.
Whether Zhong Fu’s performance was disappointing or not, Chunyu Jia couldn’t say for sure.
At the Dingzhong Temple debate, Zhong Changtong was clearly well-prepared.
He could easily connect the identities of the speakers with their background weaknesses, showing he had done thorough preparation.
With such planning, even Lu Zhi might not have fared well.
Moreover, Lu Zhi didn’t support Liu Yang as they had hoped.
But one thing was certain: Liu Yang’s current performance was utterly disappointing.
The celestial omen of red energy piercing the Purple Palace was a powerful tool for them to gain public support. Yet Liu Yang failed to leverage his status as a prince to maximize its effect, allowing Qiao Yan to seize the opportunity for a counterattack. Instead, he shifted the blame to Zhong Fu, who had nothing to do with their conspiracy.
Such behavior made Chunyu Jia worry that if their next move failed, Liu Yang might pin all the blame on him before they even faced total defeat.
If he had a better choice, Chunyu Jia would have cut ties with Liu Yang immediately.
But alas, alas…
He could only reply, “Zhong Yingbo’s decision is understandable. When Minister Zhong was alive, he indeed governed as described in the ‘Changyan.’ If it were Yang Xu’s son, he might have argued for the reputation of the Hanging Fish Prefect, but since it was Zhong Yingbo, he shouldn’t have criticized his father’s generation.”
But why would Yang Xu’s son be there?
Yang Xu’s second son, Yang Dao, is Cai Zhaoji’s brother-in-law and has been in Leping for years with Cai Zhenji.
Though not heavily relied upon, he holds a position suited to his abilities.
After Yang Dao and Cai Zhenji settled in Bingzhou, Yang Dao’s elder brother, younger brother, and mother also moved there.
His elder brother works with Chang Lin in Shangdang Commandery, while his younger brother studies at Leping Academy.
Regardless of whether Zhong Changtong’s book suggests that due to the chaos of the times, someone like the Hanging Fish Prefect had to set a moral example, which is less applicable now—
Even if he did criticize some of Yang Xu’s outdated actions, Yang Xu’s son would at most voice his complaints in Bingzhou, not come to Luoyang to confront him personally.
Chunyu Jia couldn’t help but marvel. At first glance, Zhong Changtong seemed to recklessly challenge the powerful families of the world without protection, but in reality, he wasn’t acting so rashly.
Several families, tied to Qiao Yan’s interests since the alcohol restriction decree of Jian’an, mostly see her new policies implemented on wastelands. Given the vast, sparsely populated areas, they won’t oppose her now.
Those less tightly bound to her interests believe that only after Qiao Yan defeats Yuan Shao and Cao Cao will their status rise, so they won’t speak out now.
And among those who truly oppose Qiao Yan and Zhong Changtong, like Zhong Fu, they were persuaded by what seemed like criticism but was actually praise.
This makes it nearly impossible for them to rally support under these circumstances.
Liu Yang finally sensed some reproach in Chunyu Jia’s tone and realized he couldn’t afford to lose this ally. After all, a proper official like Chunyu Jia is far more reliable than those he recruited.
Despite the Leping Monthly Report arriving in Chang’an with news from Luoyang not mentioning a single word about the Dingzhong Temple meeting, as if it never happened, and only summarizing the events of the fourth year of Jian’an, Liu Yang instinctively felt that Qiao Yan was still holding back a big move, and would not let this response end with the dialogue in early December.
It’s highly likely that this record will appear in the January issue of the fifth year of Jian’an with an even more overwhelming momentum!
If Qiao Yan knew what Liu Yang was thinking at this moment, she might even praise him, saying that his brain has finally become much more useful now.
But he still only knows to communicate with these short-sighted old men at this time, completely cutting off his own hope of winning.
Although his move to approach Lu Zhi was secretive, Leping is, after all, Qiao Yan’s stronghold, and the failed attempt to win him over had already been reported to her.
His attempt to obtain explosives from the mines of Bingzhou, under Qiao Yan’s direction, was half successful, and also provided a platform for the two Taoist priests who had defected to Liu Yang after Zhang Jin’s death to play their part.
His reliance on military support from Xianyu Yin, Shi Sunrui, and Yuan Yao also seemed quite childish and laughable.
However, Liu Yang, trapped in the situation, still felt he had the capital to compete. When he heard Chunyu Jia say that he still had the residual authority of the imperial power, he nodded quite approvingly.
“You’re right, no matter what, my current identity is our greatest weapon.”
What seemed like good news to Liu Yang was that at the end of the fourth year of Jian’an, Liu Yu fell ill.
Normally, as a son, Liu Yang shouldn’t feel too happy about his father’s illness.
After all, he is only a prince and not the legitimately established crown prince, which means all his glory and power come from his father, not from any achievements he himself has made.
But the current situation is somewhat special.
In these past few months, no matter how short-handed Liu Yang was, he couldn’t help but notice a very troublesome matter for him.
Liu Yu was collecting information from various clans, and even had the idea of summoning them to Chang’an for a gathering during the New Year!
If he really managed to do this and selected someone as his future successor, the little treatment he could enjoy now because of his prince status would vanish in an instant.
Rather than face such consequences, it would be better for his father to fall ill and temporarily not have the energy to do this!
With a gloomy expression, he stepped into the imperial city of Chang’an, as he had been doing routinely these past few days to pay his respects to Liu Yu.
Before he even ascended the steps to the bedchamber, he could smell the strong medicinal scent wafting from the room.
Xianyu Fu, a close minister of Liu Yu, hurried out of the hall with a stack of documents, brushing past Liu Yang, only giving a small greeting when he was very close, and quickly disappeared from his sight.
Liu Yang, on one hand, felt that such behavior obviously indicated some urgent matter that needed to be dealt with, and on the other hand, felt that such a perfunctory greeting clearly showed that he was not taken seriously.
He mentally noted Xianyu Fu down, even forgetting for a moment that since he was here to see Liu Yu, he should first be concerned about his father’s health.
It was only when he sat by Liu Yu’s sickbed that he focused his attention on Liu Yu.
Liu Yu’s illness was definitely not just due to the change of seasons. After all, cotton production was increasing day by day, and no matter how much he wanted to adhere to a simple lifestyle, he had all the necessary cold protection measures from cotton clothes to cotton quilts, not to mention the windproof and warm facilities of the house.
The expression on his pale face seemed more like a disease induced by the accumulation of mental distress.
Liu Yang couldn’t help but try to recall what Liu Yu was like when they first arrived in Chang’an.
At that time, Liu Yu was not exactly healthy either.
After all, he had not long experienced the defeat at Binhai Road, lost his eldest son whom he had been grooming as his successor, and was still in a state of mental distress.
But if Liu Yang were to compare his father from four years ago to now, the change was still striking enough for him to not ignore.
Even though few emperors of the Later Han dynasty were in good health, and Liu Yu, at his age, could be considered long-lived among them, Liu Yang still felt that this was largely due to Qiao Yan.
He didn’t believe a single word of the so-called interaction between heaven and man being nonsense!
If it weren’t for the red energy in the Purple Palace not being suppressed, the Purple Forbidden Enclosure, representing the emperor, wouldn’t have been so significantly affected.
Although Liu Yu’s illness currently seemed like good news to him, Liu Yang couldn’t help but indignantly say, “Father has been toiling over government affairs, and the Grand Marshal not only doesn’t share the burden but also stirs up trouble with such things as Changyan at this time. I say she should resign from her position in Luoyang and return to Chang’an to apologize to father!”
“Shut up!” Liu Yu suddenly interrupted Liu Yang.
Due to his long-term poor health and the onset of this illness, his “shut up” lacked some of its usual force.
But Liu Yang, who was already somewhat intimidated by Liu Yu, felt as if these two words were like a thunderclap in his ears.
“The Grand Marshal is diligent in governance for the people, exhausting herself for military defense, how can you criticize her?”
Liu Yang stiffened his neck and retorted in a low voice, “But if she really considered herself father’s subject, she shouldn’t have caused such a stir. I don’t believe she informed father in advance before making such a move! What diligence for the people, it’s clearly…”
Liu Yang’s voice suddenly stopped as if someone had choked him.
Because at this moment, Liu Yu, with some inexplicable strength, grabbed Liu Yang’s wrist.
“Clearly what?” Liu Yu asked word by word.
In the not too dim bedchamber, lit by a cluster of candles, the mixed light of daylight and candlelight was enough for Liu Yang to clearly see Liu Yu’s eyes.
Along with the oppressive and suffocating look in those eyes and the pain and disappointment, Liu Yang saw it all clearly.
“I can guess what you want to say, but you’d better throw that thought out of your mind. The people in Chang’an who can spread rumors can be counted on two hands, and the most likely one is you!”
“But rumors are rumors, actions are actions. If you stop now and let me send you away as soon as possible, I can still pretend these things never happened. What right do you have to take action against the meritorious official who pacified the world and intend to hold her accountable?”
Liu Yang stammered, “I…”
“There’s no excuse, promise me, you must not make an enemy of the Grand Marshal!”
Liu Yang was momentarily stunned, but Liu Yu clearly wasn’t going to let him off so easily, and with increased force in his grip, he repeated three words, “Promise me!”
Under this oppressive force, Liu Yang couldn’t even pull his hand out of Liu Yu’s grip.
As he tried to back away, he even felt as if his wrist was about to be crushed by Liu Yu.
Such forcefulness had almost never appeared in Liu Yu before.
Not when he was the governor of Youzhou, nor when he became the Son of Heaven.
Only now did he use this most severe tone with his own son.
Facing Liu Yu’s still sharp and stubborn eyes despite being ill, Liu Yang realized that any explanation he made would be useless.
He could only reluctantly utter a few words, “I… I promise you.”
As soon as the words fell, Liu Yu finally let go of Liu Yang’s hand with satisfaction.
Perhaps because this sudden burst of strength could only last for such a short time, allowing him to grab the other’s hand in this sudden attack, but now it was time to let go.
He returned to his original lying position, murmuring, “Good that you promised.”
But such a promise made under duress, in Liu Yang’s view, had no binding force on him.
As he walked out of the bedchamber, only one thought remained in his mind—
His father has become senile, and he can only rely on himself now!
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