Chapter 385: The Jade Seal for You
"...You, what did you say?" Liu Bei was stunned by this sudden news.
Both Liu Xie's reappearance and the appearance of the imperial seal came unexpectedly.
After disappearing for more than four years, only a handful of people believe that Liu Xie is still alive in this world.
Everyone who had experienced the period when Li Jue replaced Dong Zhuo and took power in Chang'an knew very well what kind of temper Li Jue had.
Unless Liu Xie had the ability to escape from Li Jue, there was no way he could survive Li Jue after Liu Yu had succeeded to the throne.
Now, not only did we hear the news that Liu Xie was alive, but even the imperial seal that had disappeared since the day Emperor Ling of Han passed away appeared along with Liu Xie.
But if you think about it carefully, it actually makes perfect sense.
After all, Liu Xie was the one chosen by Emperor Ling of Han as his successor. It is hard to say whether Liu Xie knew the whereabouts of the imperial seal after Liu Hong entrusted it to Zhang Rang before his death.
Perhaps it was Dong Zhuo's evil act of breaking into Luoyang that made Liu Xie realize that it would not do him any good to reveal the whereabouts of the jade seal at that time. Instead, it would completely hand over the power of the Han Dynasty to the hands of the evil villain. Therefore, he simply pretended to be stupid and made people believe that the jade seal was only entrusted to Zhang Rang. He also disappeared completely with Zhang Rang's death in Mangshan.
But now, he did have the opportunity to quietly take out the jade seal and send it to Chang'an.
However, although it is almost impossible to forge the Imperial Seal, after all, neither the material nor the age of the Imperial Seal can be easily forged, and not everyone has forgotten what the Imperial Seal looks like.
But if someone disguised himself as Liu Xie, it would really be possible to do it.
On the one hand, Liu Bei felt that the appearance of Liu Xie at this time just filled the vacancy of successor after Liu Yang was executed by Liu Yu. Even the jade seal in Liu Xie's hand could play a role in stabilizing people's hearts at this time, further proving that the Chang'an court was the orthodox of the Han Dynasty. On the other hand, he couldn't help but worry about such problems.
He turned to the jailer and asked, "Wouldn't anyone be worried about identifying the wrong person?"
The jailer did not show any mockery to Liu Bei for asking such a question at this time. Instead, he replied: "Of course, this is a question that everyone would have, but I just saw him--"
This really cannot be considered as the jailer abandoning his post. Yang Xiu led Liu Xie into Chang'an from the east gate and walked straight to the avenue that separated the inner palace and the government offices in Chang'an City. He temporarily settled Liu Xie in the Dahongluguan Inn. During this journey, he had a brief encounter with the jailer who came to work at the Ministry of Justice.
At first, the jailer did not know the identity of the young man who was being watched by Yang Xiu, but he got the answer in subsequent news.
That was Emperor Liu Xie before Liu Yu ascended the throne!
Even though he was no longer the emperor at this moment, upon hearing the news that Yang Xiu had sent him to Chang'an, Liu Yu hurriedly ordered people to prepare the emperor's carriage and ceremonial guards to show his importance to Liu Xie.
Among the three ministers, except Wang Yun who had already died, Huangfu Song and Huang Wan also rushed here immediately after receiving the news.
It was precisely because of this that such a sensation was caused.
Liu Xie's identity is so special that if he is not careful, the already complicated situation will become even more weird.
For a moment, everyone forgot that today was the day of the execution of Liu Bei and Liu Yang.
When the jailer said this, there was a hint of pity in his eyes as he looked at Liu Bei.
He heard the news that the people of Xuzhou had pleaded for his life last year, and thought of the prince Liu Yang who had never regretted his actions even when he was in prison, and who always said that his father, who was on the throne, would definitely rescue him. He felt that it was not worth it for Liu Bei to sacrifice his life for such a person.
Liu Xie's arrival today made him pay less attention to his own death, and he couldn't help but feel some sympathy for Liu Bei.
It is a traditional rule that trials are held in spring and autumn, and executions are carried out in autumn and winter. However, Liu Bei was not even imprisoned in the death row until the next "favorable time". Obviously, he could not be forgiven by the death penalty policy and the possible amnesty this year. The word "death" was simply written on his head.
He did not hesitate to explain to Liu Bei: "But I think if you really saw him, you would not have such doubts."
This is not an empty statement.
When the prison car that Liu Bei was riding in was heading out of Chang'an City, it passed by the team that was being escorted to the Chang'an Palace.
He subconsciously stood up from the prison van and looked towards the center of the crowd from the height of the van. He saw the young man in simple clothes walking towards the direction of Gui Palace.
Given his status and the important token he brought with him, he could have worn brocade clothes and ascended the emperor's carriage, but he did not do so. Instead, he still wore the cloth he wore when he met Yang Xiu, holding the jade seal in the box in his arms, and slowly walked towards the palace.
Liu Bei did not see his face, he could only see Liu Xie's back in this fleeting glimpse.
But he had to admit that what the jailer said was not wrong.
The royal demeanor displayed by Liu Xie in this back view alone is not something that can be easily faked.
That posture not only made Liu Yang look like dust, but also made people feel that he wore these humble cloth clothes with the demeanor of an emperor's court robes.
Although he seems to be a recluse from the world, it does not detract from his uniqueness in this wealthy city of Chang'an.
Seeing such a former emperor appear in this way, Liu Bei, who had Han blood, couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope in his heart.
When Qiao Yan had already controlled most of the world's military forces and 70% of the power in the court, it seemed unknown whether the emergence of Liu Xie could change this situation of strong ministers and weak rulers.
But this did not prevent Liu Bei from seeing a possibility in it.
Don't forget, Qiao Yan still has a letter of entrustment from Emperor Ling of Han in her hand!
The fact that she was able to successively control Liangzhou and Guanzhong was closely related to the authority given to her by the imperial edict.
Then she could sideline Liu Yu and capture Liu Yang who attempted to assassinate her, but she must not sideline Liu Xie. Otherwise, all the talented and ambitious people in the world who wanted to restore the Han Dynasty and who had joined her army, as well as the loyal officials of the Han Dynasty in the court, would inevitably complain about her and even get out of her control.
With this idea in mind, Liu Bei felt as if a new hope was moving along this new road in Chang'an, heading straight towards the future of the revival of the Yan and Han dynasties.
Liu Xie, who is younger than Qiao Yan, should have the youthful vigor, which can be more or less revealed in his slightly steady back.
Liu Bei suddenly smiled at Guan Yu and said, "Yun Chang, what do you think it would feel if someone could look down at our two teams from the sky above Chang'an City?"
The two teams were like two unintersecting lines, just like Liu Bei could only see Liu Xie's back at this moment, and there was no sign of any intersection or overlap. One happened to be heading north and the other south, and they could only see each other's appearance in the fleeting moment of passing by.
"One is heading towards death, the other is heading towards life." Liu Bei did not expect Guan Yu to give an answer, but had already given an answer himself.
Yes, one of them went out towards the South Gate of Chang'an and headed for death, while the other went towards the Chang'an Palace and was reborn.
It is indeed a contrast between one heading towards death and the other towards life.
It was not known whether it was some kind of mysterious feeling, but at this moment Liu Xie suddenly looked in the direction of Liu Bei, causing a slight ripple in his gaze that should have been directed towards the Gui Palace, and the eyes of the two Han royal family members made contact for a moment.
But they were already a little distance apart, and it was difficult for either side to clearly see the expressions on the other's faces at this moment. However, Liu Bei saw the scar on Liu Xie's face when Liu Xie turned around, and couldn't help but be surprised again, "His face?"
"You mean the scar on his face?" the jailer continued. "I said that if you really saw him, you wouldn't doubt his identity. One of the reasons is this scar. Think about it, if someone really wanted to impersonate this person, would they make such a scar on their face?"
Of course not!
Such scars would definitely be a minus point for an heir to the throne, and not something that would make people sympathize with his past performance.
Therefore, it is precisely because of this wound that people no longer need to doubt the authenticity of Liu Xie.
Liu Bei suddenly shook his head and laughed, "The old days have honed him, and he has finally become a great man."
He looked at Liu Yang on the other side and felt the difference in the contrast even more.
Liu Yang, who had regarded himself as Liu Yu's successor since arriving in Chang'an, seemed to finally realize at this moment that his previous affluent life did not mean that he was Liu Yu's only choice, nor could it provide him with a life-saving talisman when he really made a big mistake.
So what he waited for was not Liu Yu's exoneration of his charges, but the other party still refused to change his mind and sent him to execution.
When leaving the prison, Liu Yang first scolded Liu Yu for treating Liu He, who died in Youzhou, as his son, but the other party was just an unlucky short-lived ghost, so why didn't he cherish his only surviving son.
He also angrily scolded Liu Yu for being unable to break free from Qiao Yan's control and not even having the autonomy to decide the life and death of his own son.
Finally, he scolded Qiao Yan for being just a woman but having such an ambition to usurp the throne, and said she was simply the most treacherous and treacherous person in the world!
But when the prison van drove to Chang'an Road, no one knew whether he was tired of cursing or he knew the difference in the attitude of the people of Chang'an towards him and Qiao Yan, so he didn't dare to make any insults at all. He fell in a corner of the prison van like a wooden man who had lost his breath, and didn't utter any more insults.
Hearing Liu Bei's words, he just raised his eyelids and glanced at Liu Bei, then muttered softly, "What's the use of praising others? Can that guy save you? If you are executed in Xuzhou, maybe someone will come to give you a bowl of last meal. Here..."
He sneered and said the second half of the sentence in a voice that only he could hear.
Probably more people have listened to what Liu Xie had experienced in the past few years than those who know about the life and death of the two of them.
He no longer had a chance to survive, and now even his death was going to be so hasty. This was undoubtedly a completely unacceptable blow to the man who once wanted to aspire to the throne.
Thinking that no matter whether it was Liu Yu or Liu Xie sitting on the throne, it would be impossible for Qiao Yan to resign from the position of Grand Marshal in a short period of time. At least Qiao Yan would be able to stand at the pinnacle of power for a dozen or even dozens of years after he was convicted and executed. However, he was about to become a handful of yellow earth that no one knew whether he would be remembered. Liu Yang felt as if there was a huge rock pressing firmly on his chest, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
When the prison van drove out of the South Gate of Chang'an, the Chang'an citizens who followed the van left one after another, allowing him to finally get rid of the indignant gazes that followed him like a shadow.
But this did not give him any comfort at all.
Because he and Liu Bei were both members of the Liu clan, they were first taken to the Mingtang and then asked to reflect on their mistakes.
Liu Yang stared at the sacrificial tablet above, thinking that if these ancestors really had spirits and could see what was happening today, they would condemn his father's inaction.
But he was staring at Taishi Peixiang until sparks came out, but he didn't see any lightning or fire from the sky coming down to Chang'an to kill Qiao Yan.
When he was detained from here again and headed to the outskirts of Chang'an City, he saw today's clear blue sky. It seemed like a good time for a reunion, and also a good scene to send "evil guys" like them to death.
He didn't know whether he should say that he should really be grateful to his father for not letting the execution take place directly in the downtown area of Chang'an City, which ultimately preserved a certain degree of dignity for him.
The moment he was forced to kneel on the execution platform in the suburbs, the fear of death instantly replaced his previous numbness, causing him to cry out and even struggle hard to escape from the sword and axe.
The transformation from hunter to prey in a cage is too fast. Liu Yang's beautiful dream was shattered unexpectedly, and it was not until the moment of death that all his pain and regret were forced out.
He is wrong!
How wrong it is!
If he had been a quiet and honest prince and never gone against Qiao Yan, even if Liu Yu fell ill and Liu Xie, who appeared in Chang'an, succeeded him as emperor, he could have lived a peaceful life as a rich and idle man.
In fact, if such a great change had not happened in Chang'an, Liu Xie might still be in seclusion, to prevent his appearance from causing a dispute in Chang'an over who would be the emperor.
But what's the use of him regretting now?
He will inevitably be recorded in the history books of later generations as a traitor and the culprit who persecuted loyal and good people.
Unless Qiao Yan really did something to usurp the throne and plot against the foundation of the Han Dynasty, he might still have a chance to restore his reputation as a smart person who discovered the other party's true face early on. However, he also acted in such an unfilial way that restricted the actions of his sick father, and even made him so angry that he vomited blood. There is no room for him to wash away his bad reputation!
That is the unfilial behavior that is widely criticized in the Han context.
The sound of swords and axes breaking through the air behind him made the death that could have ended in an instant become a slow motion.
Liu Yang bit his lower lip tightly, waiting for the moment when the knife and axe would fall to the ground, but suddenly at this moment he heard a voice of "spare his life" coming from a distance.
The sound of the wind suddenly stopped, and Liu Yang looked in the direction of the voice with surprise, and saw Lu Zhi riding a fast horse rushing towards this place.
But when the other party came closer, his dream of escaping death was completely shattered the moment Lu Zhi opened his mouth.
All I heard was Lu Zhi saying, "Can you give me a cup of tea so I can chat with my disciples?"
He didn't come to save anyone, he just came to see Liu Bei off.
It was not difficult to hear the hidden meaning in Lu Zhi's words. He could not change this verdict that would cost Liu Bei his life. At most, he could offer condolences to him as a teacher.
Since Liu Bei was like this, there was naturally no way for Liu Yang to be forgiven.
The leap from death to life and then from life to death was so fast that Liu Yang wished that the knife would fall directly on him so that he would not have to face two consecutive life and death judgments.
But at this time no one cared about how bad his mood was.
Both the official in charge of supervising the execution and the protagonist who was named only focused their attention on Lu Zhi.
There was no doubt that Lu Zhi had rushed all the way here, and even when he got off his horse, he had not yet calmed down his breathing.
Come to think of it, it would take several days for the news from Chang'an City to reach Leping in Bingzhou, and it would take several more days for Lu Zhi to get there from there. This was only possible if there were no obstacles along the way.
Liu Bei saw clearly that Lu Zhi's hair, which was always meticulously groomed, was now mostly messed up by the wind, with a few striking silver strands floating in the air.
He stood still and saw that the swords and axes that decided life and death had stopped, apparently giving him the opportunity to talk to Liu Bei. He then tidied his hair and sleeves back to his usual appearance and walked towards Liu Bei.
Liu Bei suddenly felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. When Lu Zhi was sitting cross-legged in front of him, he asked, "Teacher, why don't you go and see what's happening in Chang'an?"
Lu Zhi sighed, "Some things can be seen later, but some people can't be seen if you go too late."
The master and disciple tacitly did not discuss why it happened or whether they regretted it. They just talked about Liu Bei's gains and experiences after arriving in Chang'an in a casual tone.
Liu Yang was almost pissed off by Liu Bei.
Who is Lu Zhi? In name, he is also Qiao Yan's teacher.
Not only did he not take advantage of this good opportunity to ask Lu Zhi to plead for him with Qiao Yan, he also said that although he was nominally the head of the Imperial Clan Affairs Bureau, in fact, there were too few royal family members arriving in Chang'an, so he opened up a piece of land in his residence and planted a crop of hu cai in the same way as they did in Liangzhou during the winter. Probably, it would be ready by the spring.
If his mansion was not directly transferred to the next person by then, Lu Zhi could take away all the crops he had planted, which would be considered as the tuition fee paid by his student.
Lu Zhi replied helplessly: "You didn't pay the tuition yourself back then, and asked your fellow villagers to pay it for you. You also have a habit of liking fancy clothes and fine horses. Now you want an old man like me to pick the vegetables myself. What's going on?"
He took out the bottle of wine that was still warmed by his body temperature and handed it to Liu Bei. "Would you like to have a drink?"
Liu Bei did not miss the tolerance towards him in Lu Zhi's seemingly accusatory words, so he raised his hand and signaled to the executioner to let him untie the thing first.
The soldiers guarding the surroundings were equipped with bows and arrows to prevent anyone from robbing the prisoners. Even if the shackles on Liu Bei's hands were removed to allow him to complete the drinking scene with his teacher, there was no need to worry that he would take this opportunity to escape.
"Thank you." Liu Bei thanked the soldiers who came forward.
The customs in Chang'an seemed to have not changed much during the years that Qiao Yan and Liu Yu were in charge, but it seemed to have gradually changed to a state that made people feel comfortable.
He turned back to the wine jug in front of him, and the moment the seal was pulled out, a hint of strong wine aroma was carried into the still not-so-warm wind.
Liu Bei couldn't help but praise: "Good wine! Please go first, teacher."
Lu Zhi said, "Why are you still being polite to me at this point?"
Liu Bei shook his head: "I am not being polite to you, teacher. You invited me first, and I will take care of the rest. This will allow me to experience the feeling of drinking from an empty pot again."
This is something Liu Bei could actually do.
Everyone says that Liu Bei is a benevolent gentleman, but that was probably only after he sought the position of Bingcao Clerk in Qinghe County after the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Lu Zhi once saw him leading a group of heroes through the streets, so he naturally knew what his unruly character was like in his youth.
At this moment of life and death, he actually revealed some of his old temper.
Lu Zhi took a sip and handed the wine jug to Liu Bei, but he did not drink it all himself. Instead, he took three or two sips and stopped. Suddenly he asked, "Teacher, do you mind if I give this to someone else?"
Seeing where Liu Bei was looking, how could Lu Zhi not guess who Liu Bei was going to give it to.
He said, "Since it is given to you, you can decide for yourself."
Liu Bei stood up holding the wine pot, and walked to Guan Yu under the vigilant gaze of the soldiers around him, and said: "You and I are master and servant in name, but brothers in reality. Unfortunately, after the defeat in Xuzhou, I failed to find a chance to turn the tables, and made a wrong choice, dragging you to death with me. It is even more regrettable that I could not die in battle as a general. Today, I can only give you a pot of strong wine to comfort the hero."
Guan Yu smiled and said, "If I really wanted to blame you, I should have said it a few days ago. Today, we can die together to preserve our friendship, and there is strong wine to send you off. Although I can't get drunk long enough to enjoy it, it is enough for me!"
"Then they won't have to break the rules and untie my shackles. Please, Xuande, bring me some wine!"
This pot of wine was a little too little for these northern men, but the taste of the strong liquor made their stomachs feel a little warmer.
Liu Bei knew that he didn't have much time left for a cup of tea, so he returned to Lu Zhi. After returning the empty wine jug to him, he bowed deeply to Lu Zhi.
There is no need to say more.
Lu Zhi's coming to see him off today was the best comfort for him.
He said slowly: "Teacher, it's time for you to go."
Lu Zhi looked at Liu Bei again and saw that this disciple, who was only 36 years old this year, had a look of understanding of the current situation, and perhaps hope because of Liu Xie's arrival in Chang'an. He could not bear to look at him any longer and turned around and walked towards Chang'an city.
When he came, he rode as fast as the wind, but when he left, he didn't want to get on the horse again. He just walked slowly, leading the horse that looked tired from the galloping.
After walking dozens of steps, he suddenly heard the sounds of knives and axes coming from behind.
Amid the sounds of chopping that came at an interval of just a breath, Lu Zhi, with only an empty bottle of liquor left in his hand, suddenly burst into tears.
He looked at the sky that was flushed with sunset glow, and as if responding to Liu Bei's last words, "You should go," he said, "Yes, I should go and see... I should go and see the emperor who was once lost."
The dead are gone, but Chang'an at this moment is still in the midst of a dizzying pace of change.
Even Liu Xie, who had disappeared for a long time, suddenly appeared at this time. No one could predict what would happen next.
Although he was far away from the court in Chang'an, he had been an official of two thousand stones for twenty years since he became the prefect of Jiujiang in the fourth year of Xiping. Even if the Han Dynasty was really going to decline, he had to see its end with his own eyes.
At this time, Liu Xie, holding the jade seal, had arrived in the Zichen Hall of the Gui Palace.
Liu Yu had not intended to get up because his health had deteriorated due to Liu Yang's execution today, but when he heard about Liu Xie's appearance, he still dragged his sick body to the court.
The moment he saw Liu Xie appear here, he suddenly had an indescribable feeling of a time gate.
Before the death of Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, he appointed him as a trusted minister to support Liu Xie. But at this moment, Liu Xie was standing in this hall in plain clothes. The traces of time were particularly clear on this young man's face. He has changed from the childish appearance in his early years to the strong appearance today, while he is already prematurely aged and dying.
The only thing that showed some superiority was the change in the position of the door between the monarch and his subjects.
It was because of Liu Xie's earlier disappearance that Liu Yu sat on the throne of the emperor.
But this mistake can be corrected.
At the moment when he saw so clearly the vigorous vitality in Liu Xie, Liu Yu suddenly forced himself to walk quickly towards Liu Xie until he stood in front of him.
He studied the young man's expression and said, "When Ye Shu supported me to ascend the throne of the emperor, I once told her that I ascended the throne of the emperor because I had no choice but to fight against the court of Yecheng and restore Guanzhong. If you can be found, I will abdicate to you without hesitation."
His gaze slowly fell again and touched the imperial seal in Liu Xie's hand.
The jade seal that was once taken away by Liu Yang to issue a false order was nothing like the one in Liu Xie's hand. It had been passed down from Qin to Han, and witnessed the rise and fall of the Han Dynasty for four hundred years. It was a true symbol of the Son of Heaven.
It accompanied Liu Xie's return, and it was a good omen that comforted people's hearts!
Liu Yu even had some hope in his heart - since the true emperor had returned to where he should be, would Qiao Yan be able to step back and return to the position of a minister, so that all the terrible speculations he had made before would never happen.
A big man will still be a big man.
Although it was not the Han Dynasty restored by Liu Yu, it was the prosperous era created by Qiao Yan and Liu Xie together!
He immediately said, "You have seen my current physical condition. Even if my rebellious son had not done what he did and made me write that confession, I would not be able to support the Han Dynasty for much longer. If another member of the Liu clan inherits the throne, I am always worried that the enemy will find an opportunity to take advantage of it. The only way to break the deadlock now is for you to ascend the throne again and cooperate with Ye Shu as the emperor and minister."
Unfortunately, during the years when Chang'an was being built, they never stopped looking for Liu Xie's whereabouts, but always ended in failure. It was not until this time that they got this unexpected gain.
However, in response to Liu Yu's invitation to ascend the throne, Liu Xie's young face did not show much interest.
If he really wanted to return to the throne, he could have secretly sought support from the people in the past few years instead of being extremely satisfied with his rural life.
At this moment, the throne was within his grasp, and he had no intention of changing the thoughts he had made in his mind before coming to Chang'an.
The galloping on horseback during the two days only made his heart beat faster than usual. Or perhaps, this strange change was because he was doing something crazy that no one had ever done before.
But he is no longer an emperor who grew up in the deep palace. Instead, he was swept into the masses by the unstoppable tide of the times and resurfaced.
The sound he made... was not for himself!
He said, "No, I am not here to hand over the Imperial Seal to Your Majesty, nor am I here to take back the position of the Son of Heaven."
When Liu Xie said this, his gaze turned from Liu Yu to Qiao Yan for a moment.
What is very interesting is that he lived in Luoyang for several months, and clearly witnessed the stabilization and development of the situation in Luoyang, and witnessed Changyan's implementation to deal with the surge of rumors, but he had never met Qiao Yan face to face.
She is like the driving force behind these changes of the times, hidden behind the clouds.
And at this moment, when their eyes met, the shadow that Liu Xie had portrayed in his mind completely overlapped with the person in front of him.
The strong self-confidence and enterprising spirit burning in her eyes made Liu Xie have no doubt whether she could accomplish the great task of pacifying the country when it was entrusted to her hands, and whether she could help these disaster-stricken people overcome difficulties and be reborn.
There was only one answer that had silently appeared before him - yes!
He paused, and then another thunderbolt struck the court, which was already in confusion because of the first half of his sentence.
"I have been watching from the civilian gate for a long time, and I want to entrust this imperial seal to the Grand Marshal."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
