A special thank you to all my patrons.
The List of My "Wandering Reader":
-Cain
-Goha21
-Jacob Mooe
-Varun Madhu
-Mp Gaming
-Aziz Makda
-Gonzalo Sumalavia
-Sethos
-Klip
-JWolf
-kevin Williams
-Shadow260802
You can read 50 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - [email protected]/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
—————————————————————
Although Xun Shuang said the matter would be discussed later, in reality, it was tacit approval…
Because who else was there to discuss it with?
Dong Zhuo certainly had no intention of waiting for anyone else's opinion. The next step would undoubtedly be preparing for the capital's relocation. The so-called "further discussion" was nothing more than a flimsy fig leaf, barely covering the truth.
Even if some still clung to hope, after Dong Zhuo executed the protesting Minister Zhou Bi and City Gate Commandant Wu Qiong following the morning court session, everyone knew that the capital's relocation was a foregone conclusion—there was no turning back.
At noon, Dong Zhuo arrived at the palace gates and demanded, "Where is His Majesty?"
A trembling eunuch hastily replied, "Reporting to the Prime Minister… His Majesty… His Majesty has gone to the Imperial Ancestral Temple…"
"The Imperial Ancestral Temple…" Dong Zhuo's face twitched as he turned and strode toward the temple.
At this time in the Han Dynasty, there were two imperial temples: the "High Temple," which enshrined the five emperors of the Western Han, and the "Temple of the Ancestral Founder," which honored Emperor Guangwu. Interestingly, the later emperors of the Eastern Han all placed their ancestral tablets in the "Temple of the Ancestral Founder," carrying a somewhat special significance.
Emperor Xian of Han, Liu Xie, certainly wouldn't be in the "High Temple," as that was reserved for the lineage of emperors descended from Liu Bang. The "Temple of the Ancestral Founder" was where emperors from Liu Xiu onward were worshipped.
Emperor Ling's spirit tablet was also enshrined there…
Now, Liu Xie knelt beneath Emperor Ling's tablet, curled into a ball, weeping softly.
After all, Liu Xie was still a child, not even ten years old. Within a single year, he had lost his father, who had doted on him, then his nominal mother, Empress He—though she had never favored him—and finally, even his elder brother, Liu Bian…
An old palace eunuch had once whispered to him in veiled terms that his brother might already have been murdered…
Liu Xie stifled his sobs, not daring to cry too loudly for fear of being discovered. Tears and snot streaked his face as he huddled in the corner, licking his wounds like a wounded animal.
The hall of the "Temple of the Ancestral Founder" was cold and lifeless, devoid of warmth. In the lingering winter chill, before the arrival of spring, the icy air seeped into one's bones, as if the frigid breath of the underworld were creeping into the soul…
With a thunderous crash, Dong Zhuo flung the temple doors wide open and strode inside. He stood arrogantly beside Liu Xie, glancing disdainfully at the rows of ancestral tablets before fixing his gaze on the boy at his feet. "Why do you weep?"
"..." Liu Xie had never expected Dong Zhuo to barge in. Caught off guard, he was at a loss for words.
"Raise your head! A son of Han does not bow in shame!" Dong Zhuo suddenly roared, his voice shaking the hall.
Liu Xie instinctively lifted his head, only to see that Dong Zhuo wasn't even looking at him—instead, his eyes were fixed on the highest-placed tablet in the hall, that of Emperor Guangwu, Liu Xiu…
Dong Zhuo said solemnly, "...In the past, Emperor Guangwu quelled rebellion and restored order, establishing the great enterprise of the Han. Once the realm was pacified, he governed with wisdom and authority, ushering in the dynasty's revival. Reflecting on this now fills me with admiration…"
"..." Liu Xie wiped his face, but upon hearing Dong Zhuo speak of his ancestor, he could no longer contain himself. "Lies! If you truly revered Emperor Guangwu, how dare you… how dare you…?"
"Dare what? Depose an emperor? Or murder one? Ahahahaha!"
Dong Zhuo threw his head back and laughed, the sound reverberating through the hall, making Liu Xie's ears ring painfully. The boy covered his ears in discomfort.
When Dong Zhuo finally stopped laughing, he wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and said, "If Emperor Guangwu knew of my deeds in the underworld, he would surely celebrate them!"
"!?" Liu Xie was stunned by Dong Zhuo's words.
Dong Zhuo continued unabashed, "Emperor Chong and Emperor Zhi ruled briefly, Emperor Huan died without an heir, and Emperor Ling—a mere collateral relative—ascended the throne, passing from a marquis' estate to the imperial line. He showed no regard for the ancestral succession, no reverence for Heaven's Mandate. Titles and offices were sold like goods, the innocent were executed, loyal officials were crushed—and thus, the state was lost! That he died of natural causes was a mercy!"
"...Nonsense!" Though Liu Xie knew much of Dong Zhuo's criticism of Emperor Ling was true, he still gritted his teeth in defiance—after all, this was his father.
"Hmph!" Dong Zhuo snorted and went on, "Today in court, the Three Excellencies were cowardly and ineffectual, the officials silent and self-serving. They enjoyed the Han's emoluments yet indulged their selfish desires, placing family interests above the state, oppressing the common folk in the countryside! And these were the men your father entrusted with power!"
"..." Liu Xie had no retort. The scene in court was still fresh in his mind—especially Grand Tutor Yuan Wei, who had stood mute as a wooden puppet from start to finish, leaving him bitterly disappointed.
"Pursuing selfish ends at the expense of the state—this is disloyalty! Studying the classics yet losing all ethics—this is foolishness! Acting weakly to preserve oneself—this is cowardice! Ignoring the suffering of the people—this is injustice!" Dong Zhuo sneered. "And these were the Three Excellencies your father selected, men who enjoyed the Han's richest rewards! Hah! If Emperor Guangwu knew, he would rejoice that I have purged these swine!"
"Absurd! Utterly absurd! You… you also enjoyed the Han's emoluments! It was the late emperor who appointed you general and governor! What do you say to that?!" Liu Xie, now incensed, shouted back, momentarily forgetting his fear.
Dong Zhuo tore open his robe, revealing a body crisscrossed with scars. "I have repaid the Han's kindness in full! I began serving under Emperor Huan, fighting the Xianbei, suppressing the Qiang and Hu, crushing the Yellow Turbans. For twenty years, I fought in over a hundred battles, time and again escaping death by a hair's breadth. Yet my merits went unrewarded—only by bribing the eunuchs did I gain promotion. Had your father ruled justly and his ministers been loyal, would I ever have seized power?"
Liu Xie recoiled half a step at the sight of Dong Zhuo's gruesome scars, like crimson centipedes crawling across his flesh. But he steeled himself and stood his ground, rebuking, "You forced the empress dowager to her death, murdered my brother, executed ministers at will, slaughtered villagers… What loyalty, righteousness, benevolence, or courage do you possess?!"
Dong Zhuo laughed uproariously, as if hearing the most ridiculous joke. When his laughter subsided, he slowly drew his sword and raised it toward Liu Xie, its cold edge casting a pallor over the boy's face.
Though terrified, Liu Xie refused to show weakness again. He stood firm, trembling but unmoving, glaring defiantly at Dong Zhuo.
The sword swept past Liu Xie and struck the altar instead. "...I was but a blade in the Han's hand! What loyalty or righteousness does a blade need? What use does it have for virtue? Ahahahaha!" Leaving the sword embedded in the altar, Dong Zhuo turned and strode out of the hall, his laughter echoing behind him.
Liu Xie stood silently for a long time before stepping forward and wrenching the sword free from the altar. Clutching it tightly, he raised it high and let out a cry of anguish, like a wounded beast…
*****
A/N: Historical records note that Emperor Xian once clashed with Cao Cao, leaving the latter drenched in sweat—even though Cao Cao's power at the time surpassed Dong Zhuo's at his peak. Thus, in this era, imperial authority still held deep sway over men's hearts. If even Cao Cao was thus affected… Dong Zhuo must have been no exception.