Free Web NovelChapter 294: Change of Emperor
"Zhicai, it was only after this battle that I realized we still have many shortcomings!"
Long Chen said with a worried expression.
"If I had enough power, why would I fear Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan in the north and not occupy the whole of Xuzhou?"
He was indeed concerned that once he took Xuzhou, he would be besieged from both the north and south, facing attacks from the three major warlords in the north and the unstable forces in the south.
Although Jingzhou’s Liu Biao was a warlord who only wanted to rule Jingzhou as his personal empire, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t take advantage of any chaos in Yangzhou to get a piece of the action.
There’s also Yuan Shu in Runan, who has been secretly eyeing him!
Xi Zhicai smiled nonchalantly: "My lord, you underestimate yourself. To grow to this extent in such a short time is unprecedented and unmatched."
"We just need to proceed steadily, consolidate our strength, and bide our time. When the world changes, we can decisively determine the outcome with one battle."
"Moreover, with General Lü and Advisor Guo in Yanzhou, if we work in coordination with them, we might not only deal a heavy blow to Cao Cao but even destroy him!"
Xi Zhicai’s eyes gleamed, and his face flushed with excitement.
In his view, the only warlord capable and ambitious enough to compete with his lord for supremacy was Cao Cao.
However, if he met Liu Bei, he might have different thoughts...
"Yes, indeed. The secret move we made in Yanzhou has had a huge impact!"
"I originally only hoped to make Cao Cao retreat, but I didn’t expect that Lü Bu and Fengxiao would be able to occupy most of Yanzhou!"
"I just don’t know if Zilong and Wen Yuan will be able to stabilize the situation once they arrive."
Long Chen said, somewhat worried.
Xi Zhicai, fanning himself, replied: "My lord, you need not worry. With Fengxiao there, everything will be fine."
Xi Zhicai had great confidence in Guo Jia, once saying, "Guo Jia’s talents surpass mine tenfold."
Though it might not be as exaggerated as he claimed, the difference wasn’t much.
"Once I handle matters in Yangzhou, I will head to Yanzhou to fight alongside them!"
Long Chen’s eyes burned with determination, and his fists clenched.
He too longed for a showdown with a formidable opponent like Cao Cao.
Clip-clop!
Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves rang out. The soldiers, hearing the noise, turned their vigilant eyes toward the source of the sound.
Long Chen’s right hand rested on his Qinggang Sword as he gazed into the distance, fully prepared.
The breeze blew gently, and the sunlight shone down.
In the distance, several scouts in flying fish brocade uniforms, with embroidered spring knives at their waists and cold, lonely eyes, came galloping.
However, upon seeing Long Chen, they all dismounted, knelt on the ground, and clasped their fists, saying:
"My lord, there has been a change at the imperial palace in Danyang County, Yangzhou."
Long Chen’s eyes instantly turned cold. He waved his hand and said, "Enter the tent and speak in detail."
These were the Jinyiwei he had placed in Danyang County’s imperial city, mainly responsible for monitoring the nominal emperor, Liu Xie.
Now that these Jinyiwei had traveled day and night to report, something must have happened with Emperor Xian.
It was likely similar to the historical Emperor Xian, who, during Cao Cao’s military campaign, secretly tried to rally loyal ministers to regain power.
He had thought that this young emperor, seeing his vast power, wouldn’t resist further.
But who would have thought that in such a short time, he had already started plotting again?
"Hmph!"
Long Chen snorted coldly, silently clenching his fists and murmuring to himself, "If you don’t want to be the emperor, I’ll find someone else to take the throne. There are plenty of people eager to sit on the imperial seat."
Inside the tent.
Long Chen got straight to the point and asked, "Tell me, what has happened with His Majesty?"
The Jinyiwei clasped their fists and replied, "My lord, we have secretly discovered that some court officials have been leaving the city without authorization, and their destination is unclear."
Leaving the city without authorization?!
Could it be that this young emperor is secretly sending trusted followers out of Yangzhou to seek reinforcements?
How foolish.
All of Yangzhou is under my watch, with sentry posts and Jinyiwei everywhere. If he thinks he can escape from Yangzhou unnoticed, he’s dreaming.
"Have they been captured?"
"My lord, they have been captured and are currently imprisoned in Danyang County’s dungeon, awaiting your judgment."
The Jinyiwei solemnly replied.
"Very good. You’ve done well. Take 100 taels of silver as your reward and use it to treat your brothers!"
"Thank you for the lord’s generosity."
A hundred taels of silver was a significant amount for them, enough to enjoy themselves with fine wine and entertainment.
"After you return, continue to keep a close watch on His Majesty. If he has any close contact with the ministers, note it down and I will settle accounts with them when I return!"
Long Chen’s tone was calm, but beneath that calmness lay immense power.
"As you command, my lord."
The Jinyiwei responded with clasped fists. He felt a bit uneasy; facing thousands of troops or dangerous enemies didn’t make him nervous, but he couldn’t suppress this emotion when facing his lord.
As a trusted follower of Long Chen, he knew this was the calm before the storm.
After the Jinyiwei left, Long Chen quickly walked over to Xi Zhicai and revealed everything that had happened. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Upon learning about the situation in Yangzhou, Xi Zhicai didn’t show any anxiety or worry. Instead, he smiled mysteriously, leisurely fanning himself and sipping his wine.
"Zhicai, stop beating around the bush. If you have any ideas, just spill them!"
Seeing Xi Zhicai’s demeanor, Long Chen guessed that he had come up with a new plan, likely one that would benefit him.
"My lord, didn’t you previously consider replacing the emperor with Prince Liu Bian?"
"That’s right. Compared to Liu Xie, Liu Bian would be easier for me to control and manipulate, so I wanted to replace Liu Xie with him."
Of course, there was another reason that Long Chen didn’t mention.
It was because he had once spent a night of pleasure in the Changle Palace of the imperial harem with Empress Dowager He, and had promised her to do so.
"My lord, isn’t this the perfect opportunity?" Xi Zhicai laughed heartily.
"Previously, the emperor had not committed any mistakes, so even if you wanted to replace him, there wasn’t a legitimate reason to do so."
"If you forcibly replaced the emperor, the authority of the Han court would be undermined, and you would risk repeating the same mistakes as the traitor Dong Zhuo."
"But now things are different. The emperor has colluded with rebels outside of Yangzhou’s borders. This shows his ignorance and susceptibility to manipulation. He is no longer qualified to continue as the emperor of the Han Dynasty. Furthermore, his accession to the throne was illegitimate in the first place, as he, the younger son, ascended by stepping over the rightful heir, Liu Bian. His position is unjust!"
"If the civil and military officials inquire about who should be made emperor after Liu Xie is deposed, should we just find another puppet with Han blood? My lord, you only need to mention that Prince Liu Bian has not left, and that should suffice."
"I believe that none of the officials would resist or oppose this."
"Back then, Liu Xie only ascended the throne because the ministers feared Dong Zhuo’s tyranny. Now that Dong Zhuo is gone, the officials will eagerly support and endorse Prince Liu Bian as the emperor!"
