"That's where his brilliance lies!"

A deep, aged voice rang out, and everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice. It was none other than Liu Yu, the Grand Minister of the Imperial Clan.

According to the genealogy, Liu Yu should be the great-grandfather of the current emperor Liu Hong.

He was highly respected for his virtue, kindness, and benevolence, and enjoyed great prestige among the royal family.

"Whether he did it with ulterior motives or with good intentions, we do not know, but the result is that his prestige has greatly increased. Today, I have heard many senior officials in the court speak highly of him."

Liu Yu continued.

"Then why don't we also go and pay homage to our ancestors, and visit the tombs of the former emperors around Luoyang?" Liu Zhang's eyes lit up.

"That's absurd! Liu Wei can offer sacrifices, but we can't!"

Liu Yao immediately rebuked him, "Don't you know that although he was born out of wedlock, he is still the eldest son of the emperor?"

"What are we? To be favored by His Majesty and appointed to govern a province is already an immense blessing."

“In the past, we could only guard our increasingly smaller fiefdoms, living no different from ordinary people.”

The "Decree of Grace," the first of its kind in history, was introduced during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. After several generations, the fiefdoms of these imperial families became smaller and smaller.

By the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, these members of the imperial family were able to become governors of a province mostly through their own abilities.

Like Liu Biao, who was famous in his youth and was listed among the "Eight Worthies".

"Zongzheng, what do you mean by what you just said? And what should we do?"

Liu Biao was somewhat shrewd, and Liu Yu seemed to admire Liu Wei.

"Right now, Liu Wei is just like us!"

Liu Yu smiled slightly, "What the final outcome of his trip to Luoyang is closely related to us!"

Liu Biao, Liu Yao, Liu Dai, and Liu Zhang seemed to be deep in thought.

They immediately understood what Liu Yu meant.

Among these royal families, Liu Wei had the largest territory and the strongest military force.

If Liu Wei manages to leave Luoyang unscathed, it would mean that, apart from the imperial relatives and eunuchs, the imperial family has become a new force vying for power in the Han court.

If Liu Wei comes to Luoyang and is overthrown by Empress He and Empress Dowager Dong, then these members of the royal family can forget about becoming governors.

Of the thirteen provinces under Heaven, He Jin was extremely distressed to have five of them suddenly divided up and given to the imperial family.

Currently, his direct subordinates are located in Bingzhou and Liangzhou.

Coincidentally, Liu Wei also controlled three counties in these two states.

"What the Grand Master of Ceremonies said is very true. Nowadays, the powerful relatives of the empress and the eunuchs hold great power in the Han Dynasty, and our Liu family is declining."

"Now that we finally have a prince to carry the banner for the royal family, we should give him our full support."

At this moment, Princess Liu Hua, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.

While Liu Wei was paying respects in Guanzhong, Wang Fangyi escorted Fu Rou back to Luoyang first.

Fu Rou will soon recount in detail Liu Wei's reaction at the time.

“The King of Yunzhong has a deep-seated ambition to seize the throne. Although he does not say it outright, I can see it very clearly.”

"Although his current military strength is insufficient to take control of the Central Plains, what he lacks more now is prestige and legitimacy to inherit the throne!"

"Haha, I understand!"

After a moment's thought, Liu Hua understood Liu Wei's intention, and she naturally had her own plans.

"You want prestige, you want fame, you want allies in the court, I will help you, as long as you agree to let my daughter become empress."

Liu Hua had guessed Liu Wei's thoughts, so he decided to wait until Liu Wei arrived in Luoyang before giving him a thorough revelation.

However, before Liu Wei arrived in Luoyang, Princess Liu Hua, like a warlike lioness, asked Liu Yu to gather the royal family members in Luoyang and listen to their opinions.

Hearing the discussion among several members of the royal family who were already governors, Liu Hua agreed with Liu Yu's opinion and immediately joined in the conversation.

In terms of kinship, Princess Liu Hua is the elder sister of the current emperor Liu Hong, making her the closest person to everyone present.

Her coming forward now to support Liu Wei speaks volumes.

"What the eldest princess said is very true. Our royal family should stick together and support the Han dynasty."

"His Majesty's health is currently a cause for concern. If, ten thousand years from now, Empress He's faction comes to power, then the power of our governorship will likely be ruthlessly taken away by them."

It was clear that Liu Yu and the Princess had exchanged ideas before the gathering. The two of them spoke in unison, and Liu Biao, Liu Yao, Liu Dai, and Liu Zhang nodded in agreement.

The governor of a province, holding military, political, and financial power, was practically a local emperor, living a life of unparalleled pleasure.

Especially Liu Zhang, if the imperial family could seize power during the transition between the old and new emperors.

The position of Governor of Yizhou was inherited by his father, and he also became the ruler of the province.

"It seems everyone has reached a consensus: no matter what, we must do everything in our power to ensure Liu Wei's safety in Luoyang!"

"Even more so, helping him seize the throne might not be a bad idea!"

Seeing that the group had reached a consensus, Liu Hua then revealed her true thoughts.

boom!

Upon hearing this, the group erupted in an uproar!

"Your Highness, this is inappropriate! Liu Wei, a prince born out of wedlock, what merit or ability does he have to compete with the Prince of Hongnong and the Prince of Chenliu for the throne?"

Liu Yu immediately became alert.

Liu Hua didn't mention this at all!

She approached him beforehand only to mention withdrawing from Liu Wei's cause and using him as a figurehead to fight against the powerful relatives and eunuchs; she never mentioned helping Liu Wei seize the throne.

“Yes, if that’s the case, I disagree!” Liu Biao immediately objected.

During his time as a staff member in He Jin's household, he learned a great deal about Liu Wei's exploits of winning battles against the Xiongnu and the Xianbei with fewer troops, sweeping through the Hetao region.

Such a strong and warlike person, once he becomes emperor, will certainly not allow the existence of a state within a state for his royal family.

They kindly helped him ascend the throne, but they might discard him as soon as he sits down. They might be the first to be targeted by the family members who helped him get to the throne.

"Yes, he's fine as a prince guarding the border, commanding countless soldiers, and keeping the court in check. If he were to become emperor, who knows what the consequences would be!"

Liu Dai and Liu Yao echoed this sentiment.

Liu Yu fell into deep thought.

Seeing that no one supported her, Liu Hua immediately tried to make light of the situation by saying, "Uncles and brothers, I was just saying it casually, please don't take it seriously."

"We don't even know who the Prince of Hongnong and the Prince of Chenliu will choose as their heirs yet. We're worrying too much, haha!"

Liu Yu immediately added, "Yes, yes, it's none of our business who gets elected. Let's discuss how we, the royal family, can maintain our lineage for centuries to come!"

The discussion shifted from Liu Wei to Liu Hong's illness and the power struggle between the imperial relatives and eunuchs.

"I think His Majesty won't live to see next spring..."

at the same time.

In Luoyang, at the General's Mansion, the place was also packed with people.

Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, He Yong, Zheng Tai, Wang Kuang, Wang Yun, Wu Qiong, Bao Xin, Hua Xin, Xun You, Chen Lin and others knelt on the left and right in two rows, one for civil officials and one for military officials, and the topic of their discussion was Liu Wei's ancestral worship ceremony in Guanzhong.

"This young man is ambitious and should not be underestimated!"