Chapter Fourteen: Winning Over Wang Yun

“They have such audacity!”

Liu Xie spoke calmly, but a clear hint of anger laced his tone, causing Wang Yun, the Grand Tutor, to fall into fearful silence.

Coming from a prestigious clan himself—the Wang family of Taiyuan—Wang Yun’s mind raced to grasp the implication behind Liu Xie’s words.

“How many noble families truly influence this court today?” Liu Xie seemed to direct the question at Wang Yun, yet it also felt like a pondering to himself. “Has this empire become a realm ruled by aristocratic clans?”

“Minister Wang, if I recall correctly, you hail from the Taiyuan Wang clan…”

Hearing this light query from Liu Xie, Wang Yun felt as if his heart had leapt to his throat. “Your Majesty, yes, that is correct.”

“Then tell me, how do you view these great noble families?” Liu Xie suddenly smiled, but the coldness behind that smile sent a chill down Wang Yun’s spine.

After a moment of thought, Wang Yun replied, “The noble clans hold influence in the provinces rivaling that of the court itself. Every emperor has adopted a policy of conciliation, for stabilizing the empire begins with securing the loyalty of these powerful families.”

Liu Xie raised an eyebrow. Wang Yun’s words were indisputably true. Historically, Chinese emperors tended to appease the aristocratic clans, many of which had existed locally for decades or even centuries.

Some noble families were descendants of founding heroes or deliberately cultivated by previous emperors. Over a hundred years, their roots intertwined deeply within their regions.

During the Han dynasty, these clans were deliberately fostered by the likes of Empress Lü Zhi to consolidate power and suppress remnants of the Six Kingdoms.

The fall of Qin was due not only to peasant uprisings but also the lingering forces of the Six Kingdoms, most notably Xiang Yu during the Chu-Han contention.

Thus, early Western Han rulers cultivated new aristocratic powers to suppress these old factions and stabilize their rule. Yet this brought a grave risk: when imperial authority weakened or the emperor was young, real power often slipped into the hands of these clans, such as the infamous Huo family.

After Emperor Wu’s endorsement of Confucianism as state orthodoxy, power shifted from nobles to the scholar-official class, producing many powerful local clans—like the Taiyuan Wang family and the Ru’nan Yuan lineage noted for generations of high officials.

This was precisely the birth of aristocratic politics.

Aristocratic politics emerged in the Western Han, flourished during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, during which imperial power waned and noble families controlled the court, plunging society into corruption and suffering.

Hence, emperors changed in rapid succession, but the aristocratic clans remained ironclad. These families were both the architects of chaos and the source of commoners’ misery—a conclusion Liu Xie had drawn from his past life studying the late Han and the chaotic eras that followed.

“Minister Wang, how do you view this great Han empire?” Liu Xie rose slowly and descended the dais.

Wang Yun asked cautiously, “May I know Your Majesty’s precise question?”

“What is the empire? And what ought it to be?” Liu Xie paced slowly before him.

Wang Yun lowered his head in contemplation before replying, “The people say: To possess the four seas is to be lord of the empire. I believe that under Heaven, all land belongs to the ruler; all shores are the ruler’s subjects. This is the empire.”

“The empire should be a realm where the people live in peace and receive proper teaching, where the Son of Heaven governs diligently, and ministers serve the empire loyally,” he continued.

Liu Xie stopped in his tracks and suddenly said, “Those who govern must worry before the people worry, and rejoice only after the people find joy.”

Wang Yun shuddered. Could such words truly come from an uncrowned youth?

From that moment, Wang Yun’s earlier disdain for this young sovereign vanished. He sensed that a sage ruler was rising before him.

“Long live the Emperor! Long live! Long long live!” Wang Yun suddenly knelt, overwhelmed.

Startled, Liu Xie quickly helped him up. He had only intended to challenge this proud old minister, never expecting to be taken seriously.

“Minister Wang, please rise. Why such a grand gesture?” Liu Xie smiled.

Hearing the affectionate term “Minister Wang,” Wang Yun was touched, for he had never heard such a warm address before.

“Your Majesty will surely be a sage ruler, a blessing for all under Heaven!” Wang Yun rose solemnly, his resolve to serve this sovereign strengthened.

Liu Xie felt embarrassed, having borrowed phrases from later literary masters to impress the old minister—and it had worked.

Nearby, Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, who had served with Wang Yun for years and knew his pride well, were stunned. Liu Xie’s first court appearance had completely won over this venerable minister, earning their utmost admiration.

“Enough, Minister Wang, no need for further ceremony. There is a matter I require you to undertake,” Liu Xie said, finally moving to business.

“Your Majesty, please speak. I shall do my utmost!” Wang Yun prepared to kneel again.

Liu Xie hurriedly steadied him. Seeing the minister’s heartfelt respect, he felt satisfied but kept his composure. “Minister Wang, I need you to gather every book in the empire.”

“Your Majesty, what is the purpose?” Wang Yun inquired with some puzzlement.

“Did you not say ‘the people must receive education’?” Liu Xie smiled.

Wang Yun grew more puzzled. “Most books are bamboo slips, which are cumbersome for spreading knowledge.”

Liu Xie smiled mysteriously. “You will understand in time. For now, carry out my command.”

“By Your Majesty’s order!”

“In a while, officials from across the provinces will come to court. Have them bring the books with them,” Liu Xie added.

“What types of books are required?” Wang Yun asked.

“All of them! The Four Books and Five Classics, the words of the various philosophers—I want them all!” Liu Xie waved his hand grandly. Wang Yun’s heart trembled. What was the emperor planning?

“Understood, I shall arrange it immediately. I take my leave!” Wang Yun departed swiftly.

Turning to Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, Liu Xie asked, “I heard you came to see me this morning. What is the matter?”

Huangfu Song stepped forward and reported, “Your Majesty, the Yellow Turban rebels west of Luoyang are advancing. Scouts reported last night—they are now less than a hundred miles from the city. We urge Your Majesty to dispatch troops at once to suppress them.”

Liu Xie frowned. “How many are they?”

“Over one hundred thousand rebels. We beg Your Majesty to make a swift decision.”

Liu Xie was startled. Such a large Yellow Turban force was rare. He recalled a band known as the White Wave Army, long entrenched northwest of Luoyang.

“Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, hear my decree!” Liu Xie commanded.

“At your service!” they knelt immediately.

“Huangfu Song, lead forty thousand troops as the main force. Zhu Jun, take thirty thousand as support. You have three months to annihilate these Yellow Turban rebels!”

“Your command shall be obeyed!”

Watching them depart, Liu Xie’s eyes gleamed with excitement. Then he called out, “Fuhu!”

Fuhu entered swiftly and knelt on one knee. “At your service, Your Majesty!”

“Have you prepared those items I requested?” Liu Xie asked.

“Your Majesty, all are ready. They were delivered to the craftsmen early this morning, including the materials you personally wrote,” Fuhu replied.

“Excellent. Show me,” Liu Xie smiled.

“Right this way, Your Majesty,” Fuhu led the way.

They passed through the sprawling, opulent rear garden of the Prime Minister’s mansion. Liu Xie’s heart ached; this garden was built with funds pilfered by the scoundrel Dong Zhuo from the imperial treasury—money that could have sustained the armies outside the city for months.

Following a long corridor, they arrived at a hidden door.

“Your Majesty, we have arrived.”

A young man guarded the entrance. Upon seeing Liu Xie, he immediately knelt. “I, A San, pay respects to Your Majesty!”

A San? The names seemed increasingly makeshift—perhaps there was an A Da as well, Liu Xie mused.

“No need for formalities. Lead me to see the item.”

“Right, Your Majesty. I, A San, have awaited Your Majesty’s arrival. Please follow me,” the young man said with a simple, earnest expression.

A San fiddled with the concealed door, which slid open automatically. They entered a long passage dimly lit by oil lamps.

Finally, a blinding sunlight burst forth as the three emerged. Shielding his eyes, Liu Xie adjusted to the brightness.

“Your Majesty, we have arrived!”