Chapter 374

Chapter 374

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Final Volume: The Rise and Fall of Royal Power, Unification of the World Chapter 374: In What Capacity

If this letter had been written solely by Liu Yang, Liu Bei would have simply burned it.

After all, everyone knows that Liu Yang only sent this belt under the guise of the Jian’an fifth-year gift. Since it’s just a belt, there’s no need to take any plea for help seriously.

Liu Bei is well aware of his current predicament.

If he can adapt to the situation and fulfill his duties, there might still be a day when he is reinstated.

Although the relationship between Qiao Yan and Liu Yu is not as harmonious as the reports from the Ye court suggest—rather, Qiao Yan’s strong authority completely suppresses Liu Yu—she has no intention of rebellion. At most, it’s akin to Huo Guang’s regency, and there will eventually be a day when power is returned.

But if he rashly involves himself in the power struggles of Chang’an, the outcome is unpredictable.

Even Liu Yu openly doubts Liu Yang’s ability to inherit the throne, so Liu Bei should not plunge himself into this quagmire.

However, this letter is different.

From the limited interactions Liu Bei has had with Liu Yang, judging by Liu Yang’s demeanor and literary skills, he couldn’t have written such a letter.

What would the letter look like if Liu Yang had written it?

It would likely turn the accusations into genuine grievances, with an arrogant tone trying to win Liu Bei over. If necessary, it might even drag Zhang Fei’s death into the mix, aiming to stir hatred in Liu Bei’s heart.

Yet, the blood-stained letter before Liu Bei clearly combines Liu Yu’s perspective and Liu Yang’s plea.

The opening mentions how Qiao Yan rescued them from Youzhou years ago, quelling the chaos in all directions as the Grand Marshal, with words of genuine appreciation and gratitude.

This indeed sounds like something Liu Yu would say.

If Liu Yu harbored no gratitude toward Qiao Yan and were a decisive emperor, he would have used his position to seize power long ago, rather than appearing as haggard and worn as Liu Bei saw him.

Later, Liu Yu mentions his declining health and the inevitable worry about what will happen to his descendants or the Han Dynasty after his death.

Qiao Yan has been fair to the Han people, but her disloyal intentions are likely irreversible, no longer something a mere apology in court could change.

If her actions are not curbed, the Han Dynasty could be destroyed.

Yet, Liu Yu himself was elevated by Qiao Yan, and the Chang’an court was rebuilt with her support. Even though Qiao Yan is now in Luoyang and not constantly pressuring the emperor in Chang’an, Liu Yu cannot be sure how many truly trustworthy people remain by his side.

He can only trust two types of people.

One, his direct subordinates who followed him from Youzhou to Liangzhou, and his own descendants, which is why this letter was penned by Liu Yang on his behalf.

The other, those within the Han royal family who genuinely wish to serve the nation, like Liu Bei. Thus, this blood-stained secret letter was sent to Liu Bei, hidden within a belt.

If even these two groups refuse to assist him in his desperate bid to overthrow Qiao Yan, then he is indeed nearing his end.

How many more days can the Han Dynasty survive?

As Zhong Changtong stated in his proclamation, there are no true heroes destined by heaven, only struggles of might and wit. By this standard, few can rival Qiao Yan.

Yuan Shao is “gold and jade on the outside,” Cao Mengde “sends off for ten miles,” Liu Biao and Shi Weiyan send generals and elephants respectively. As for Liu Bei, who received this letter, he is already a prisoner, so there’s no need to elaborate.

“Once Luoyang amasses sufficient resources, it will rise in force, sweeping through Ye City with unstoppable momentum, using the name of the Chang’an emperor to execute the King of Hongnong as a traitor, then slowly return, swords pointed at the Purple Palace. Even if Bai Qi and Han Xin were alive, they could not withstand such power…”

As Liu Bei read these lines, his hesitation and turmoil were indescribable.

During the Luoyang chaos years ago, Qiao Yan, bearing Emperor Ling’s edict, was the first to storm the capital.

Among the coalition forces at the time, few were truly effective, making her loyalty to the Han all the more apparent.

Now, suddenly receiving a denunciation in the emperor’s tone left Liu Bei utterly bewildered.

Jian Yong, whom Liu Bei had sent for before opening the belt, had already arrived. Hearing Liu Bei recite this line, he asked, “If this is true, what do you plan to do?”

Should he really accept Liu Yu or Liu Yang’s invitation to join the plot to kill Qiao Yan?

Liu Bei is clearly no Bai Qi or Han Xin.

Compared to a military commander, he is more suited to governance.

If it came to a military confrontation with Qiao Yan, the situation in Xuzhou would serve as proof.

He is no match for Qiao Yan.

So, how could he, having lost his army, possibly turn the tide in Chang’an?

Moreover, while the letter doesn’t seem like something Liu Yang could produce, suggesting Liu Yu had his son pen it, it lacks the imperial seal. Thus, it remains a private document, not an official imperial decree.

Therefore, Liu Bei could easily choose to ignore it without issue.

But when Jian Yong looked at Liu Bei, he saw a troubled yet resolute expression.

Having known Liu Bei for twenty years, Jian Yong could easily discern his thoughts.

Liu Bei was clearly not planning to ignore this letter.

Between viewing it as a trap or a desperate cry for help from the Han, Liu Bei had already leaned toward the latter.

Liu Bei sighed and said, “Xianhe, I want to see the writer of this letter in person before deciding how much of it is true.”

Liu Yang is also aware of what little assistance Liu Bei can offer at this point.

Aside from his own mind and a few close associates, he has nothing else.

Even Liu Bei knows how much influence the Han royal family name carries.

In Chang’an, more people recognize Qiao Yan than the Liu surname.

Perhaps if the emperor were not the benevolent Liu Yu but the incompetent Liu Bian, Liu Bei wouldn’t be so hesitant.

After responding to Jian Yong, Liu Bei turned his attention to the end of the letter.

This “plea for help” or “call for aid” did not demand that Liu Bei immediately rally troops or find a way to escape Chang’an upon receiving it, as he had done in Yuan Shu’s territory, carving out a base in Yu Province. Nor did it ask him to infiltrate Qiao Yan’s ranks, biding his time to assassinate her.

Instead, the letter simply asked him, after receiving it and making a decision, to take advantage of the Three Excellencies’ council meetings to accept Wang Yun’s…








He initiated the invitation and subsequently met Liu Yang at the Minister over the Masses’ residence.

This method was still somewhat risky, but it was far safer than going to the palace to see the ailing Liu Yu, which could easily lead to accusations of plotting against His Majesty. It was also less likely to directly drag him into an alliance compared to direct contact with Liu Yang.

Although Wang Yun had some conflicts with Qiao Yan, even to the point of Qiao Yan publicly reprimanding Wang Yun during the post-war discussions of military appointments in Youzhou, his position as one of the Three Dukes would not be hastily revoked. At the very least, he could still smoothly manage the affairs of Chang’an.

Liu Bei’s participation was nothing out of the ordinary.

So, meeting someone because of this blood letter shouldn’t be a problem, right?

The arrival of the fifth year of Jian’an brought numerous complicated matters to the Guanzhong region.

The transfers of Xun Yu, Chen Qun, and Wei Ji to Luoyang inevitably left Guanzhong short of capable hands.

On the seventh day of the first lunar month, Qiao Yan temporarily transferred Qin Yu from Chang’an to Luoyang to provide simple training for the local officials to cope with the rapidly increasing population.

This transfer had another reason.

Xu Shu, who had long resided in Yizhou, needed to return to Luoyang to report to Qiao Yan due to the southern barbarian conflicts and various governance issues in Shu. He could also reunite with his mother in Luoyang for a couple of days.

With these few people absent from Chang’an, the burden on Wang Yun, Huang Wan, and others became even heavier.

Moreover, with the Son of Heaven ill, most affairs had to be discussed and decided by the Three Dukes’ residence, with the meeting location set at Wang Yun’s residence, twice within seven days.

Liu Bei hid the blood letter in his bedding, sewed the unraveled threads of his belt back together, and then waited for the most suitable time to visit.

Years of experience and the battles he had fought allowed him to remain composed when he entered the Minister over the Masses’ residence and coincidentally met Cheng Yu, who was also there for discussions, as if he were merely there to participate in the discussions.

After the New Year, the reception of Han imperial relatives and external relatives was handled by the Office of Imperial Clan Affairs. As the Chief of Internal Affairs, Liu Bei indeed had corresponding documents and reports, making it impossible to tell that he was there because of a special blood letter.

But after taking his seat, he began to pay close attention to every detail in front of him.

Since he was to meet Wang Yun and avoid arousing suspicion, it was impossible for Wang Yun to point out errors in his documents and have a private conversation with him. The only way was to find an opportunity to speak with him discreetly.

Liu Bei twirled the ink brush in front of him and noticed faint engravings on the brush handle.

His expression unchanged, he touched it with his hand and tried to make out the engraved characters: “Meet at the well.”

Though phrased elegantly, it actually meant for him to meet at the restroom in the Minister over the Masses’ residence.

When the discussion reached the topic of agriculture and land reclamation, Liu Bei took advantage of the moment when everyone’s attention was elsewhere to quietly exit the hall. He asked a servant at the door for directions to the restroom and hurried over.

Though his steps were quick, he didn’t show any signs of impatience. Anyone who saw him would at most think he was walking briskly due to the winter cold.

But as he stepped into this sheltered area, he saw Liu Yang, who had arrived earlier.

How this imperial prince came to Wang Yun’s residence, Liu Bei didn’t know, nor did he need to know.

After their eyes met, the Han prince rushed to Liu Bei, his eyes filled with unmistakable tension and hope, even grabbing Liu Bei’s hand. “Xuande, your coming here means the letter from my father and I was not written in vain.”

Liu Bei’s gaze instinctively swept over Liu Yang’s hand, finding no traces of past injuries, only the pampered state of recent years.

But before Liu Bei could judge whether Liu Yang had written the blood letter insincerely, he saw the prince pull out a jade pendant from his sleeve and present it to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei was momentarily stunned.

He had seen this jade pendant before.

On… his teacher Lu Zhi.

And now, this jade pendant was in Liu Yang’s hands, carefully held. “Xuande, those still loyal to the Han imperial family are as rare as phoenix feathers. If not for Lu Gong’s personal assurance that you remain a Han loyalist with a heart to save the people, Wang Yun and I would never dare to entrust such a重任 to you.”

“Among the countless Liu descendants, even the son of Jing Province’s governor Liu Biao, who holds the position of Grand Coachman, dared not oppose Qiao Yanshu when we tested him. Who knows how many still have the Han in their hearts, rather than just seeking wealth and glory.”

“If you regret now, we will act as if we never met you. Today, you were merely attending a meeting. But I hope Xuande can help my father, who is no mediocre ruler!”

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Liu Bei’s mind.

During his time confined to official duties in Chang’an, he couldn’t establish any secret contact with Lu Zhi, only knowing that he was currently teaching at Leping Academy.

In what could be considered Qiao Yan’s stronghold, if Lu Zhi didn’t want to hand over his jade pendant, no one could force him. It was unlikely that Liu Yang, as an imperial prince, would resort to petty theft.

First, the blood letter in Liu Yu’s tone, then Lu Zhi’s signal through the jade pendant, and the Leping Monthly Report’s January issue he saw before the meeting, which lavished praise on Zhong Changtong’s “Changyan” and his debates at Dingzhong Temple…

After much hesitation, Liu Bei finally reached out and took the jade pendant.

He didn’t know if he was making a hasty decision, but he was clear about one thing: in the face of Qiao Yan’s habitual storm-like strikes, any hesitation could bring disaster upon himself.

Rather than that, it was better to—

Be decisive!

Seeing Liu Bei’s action, Liu Yang was overjoyed.

Wang Yun hadn’t lied to him. Following this entire process, even if it wasn’t for him, but for the precarious Han dynasty, Liu Bei would inevitably stand on his side!

Apart from the somewhat unfortunate meeting location, Liu Yang was ecstatic about today’s收获.

Now, all that was left was to wait for the right moment to restrict his father’s movements while setting a trap for Qiao Yan!

While Liu Yang and Liu Bei in Chang’an, with Wang Yun’s assistance, completed this humiliating and迂回曲折 meeting, Qiao Yan in Luoyang also welcomed a visitor.

Though calling this person a visitor wasn’t quite appropriate. Shortly after Qiao Yan permitted his entry, she saw through the window the elegantly dressed and exceptionally graceful Xun Wenruo, led by a subordinate, passing through the winding corridor in front of the hall, heading towards her.

The winter pond in front of the hall offered no scenic beauty, and the drought had left the water level pitifully low, at most adding a bit of frosty mist with the biting east wind. Yet, it also gave Xun Yu an air of detachment as he passed through.

As he sat opposite Qiao Yan, the tea on the table was just boiling.

Heat and cold collided in the air for a moment, obscuring his face in the mist.

The next moment, Qiao Yan heard Xun Yu ask, “Has Your Lordship made up your mind?”

She leisurely removed the teapot and asked in return, “In what capacity are you asking this question? As a Palace Attendant of the Secretariat, the Magistrate of Luoyang assisting me in governing, a member of the Xun family of Yingchuan, a subject of the Han, or…”

“Or as one of the people of the world?”