Chapter Two: Scheming for the Realm

Liu Xie lounged lazily against the carriage, his eyes half-closed. He was fully aware of his current predicament and knew he had to quickly formulate a plan for himself. He did not want to recklessly plunge into this chaotic era without a strategy. Without any trump cards in hand, how could he possibly establish a foothold amid the turmoil?

Would his imperial status alone suffice? Clearly, that was far from enough.

Liu Xie understood his position clearly now: he was but a lucky charm. Although he held no real power, a considerable faction within the court remained loyal to the dynasty, such as his current father-in-law—the Grand Attendant Fu Wan.

After all, he was Fu Wan’s son-in-law, and Liu Xie was confident he could turn Fu Wan into an ally. The *Book of the Later Han*, in the section on empresses, describes Fu Wan as “deep and magnanimous,” suggesting he was a seasoned and shrewd veteran.

Another point was that since Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, every emperor had his own imperial guards—the Yulin Army—who answered solely to the emperor’s commands. But by the late Han period, the Yulin Army had been absorbed by Dong Zhuo, and the other elite force, the Tiger Guards, had been taken by Yuan Shao.

Nearly a hundred thousand troops from Jingzhao were under Dong Zhuo’s control. Before the competing warlords, Dong Zhuo was indeed a dominant overlord, but his prominence only attracted the wrath of the coalition from the East.

Yet, for those who already knew the ending, the so-called East Coalition was merely a ragtag group, and in the end, Dong Zhuo met a grisly death at the hands of his adopted son, Lü Bu.

A plan slowly took shape in Liu Xie’s mind—this was to be a plan for seizing the realm!

At that moment, the carriage gradually came to a halt. Outside, a few light knocks sounded: “A report! Marquis Bu, Fu Wan, requests an audience with His Majesty the Emperor!”

Upon hearing the guards’ announcement, a smile tugged at Liu Xie’s lips. Speak of the devil—he had been just thinking about how to find his father-in-law, and here the man had come to him.

“Father has arrived?” Fu Shou, standing nearby, asked with some puzzlement. Liu Xie signaled her to remain seated in the carriage and then stepped down. His gaze immediately fell upon a man in his forties or fifties, clad in a gray diamond-patterned robe, standing before the carriage.

The man knelt immediately upon seeing Liu Xie disembark, performing a formal kowtow. “Your servant Fu Wan pays respects to His Majesty the Emperor!”

“No need for such ceremony! Grand Attendant Fu, what brings you to see me today?” Liu Xie said warmly, stepping forward to help him up, almost slipping in his words.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Fu Wan said, rising with Liu Xie’s assistance. “I have come to inquire after Your Majesty’s health. From what I see, Your Majesty’s condition seems to be no cause for concern. That puts my mind at ease.”

Looking at the smiling young emperor before him, Fu Wan sensed something different from before—something that felt both familiar and yet not quite the same. There was an indefinable quality that separated this young ruler from his predecessors.

“My health is indeed fine; it was but a minor injury,” Liu Xie replied, his sharp eyes instantly catching Fu Wan’s hesitation.

Glancing toward the heavily guarded soldiers not far off, Liu Xie smiled slightly and said, “You must be weary from the journey. Grand Attendant Fu, please come up into my carriage and rest for a while.”

Fu Wan’s eyes brightened at the invitation. “Thank you, Your Majesty!”

Once inside the carriage together, Fu Shou immediately spotted her father. “Father!” Her face lit up with quiet joy, which Fu Wan met with affection. Yet, seated beside the emperor’s carriage, Fu Wan quickly composed himself.

Liu Xie smiled and looked at Fu Wan. “Grand Attendant Fu, surely you have not come merely to visit me. If there is something you wish to say, speak now.”

Fu Wan was taken aback. When had this young emperor become so astute? The former Liu Xie had been but a child, naive and clueless. Today, however, he saw through Fu Wan’s unspoken thoughts at a glance.

After a moment’s thought, Fu Wan spoke slowly, “Your Majesty, I… hope Your Majesty will flee with me.”

“Flee? This journey is merely a relocation of the capital to Chang’an. Grand Attendant Fu, why say such things? Are you not afraid that if Dong Zhuo hears this, you and your entire clan will be annihilated?” Liu Xie toyed with the imperial jade seal he carried.

“Your Majesty should know better than I that once in Chang’an, you will become a puppet under Dong Zhuo’s strings,” Fu Wan said solemnly.

At those words, the smile on Liu Xie’s face faded, replaced by a quiet majesty emanating from the young emperor. It sent cold sweat trickling down Fu Wan’s spine.

Fu Wan dared speak so candidly only because he had a thorough plan, though its details remained unknown.

“Are you afraid I will become a puppet, or that you, the Fu family, will become my—funeral offerings in Chang’an?” Liu Xie said coolly.

“Furthermore, if I follow you, will you become the next Dong Zhuo?” he added.

“Hmm? Chancellor Fu?”

Words devoid of emotion were the most cutting. Fu Wan deeply felt their weight as the young emperor pressed him relentlessly. Especially the last phrase, “Chancellor Fu,” extinguished all of Fu Wan’s secret hopes. With merely a few words, this boy emperor had made the powerful Grand Attendant, once a titan in court, break into a cold sweat. Though their faces remained calm, Fu Wan’s undergarments were soaked through with sweat.

So young, yet possessed of such presence. This child is destined to rise to great power.

That was Fu Wan’s sole thought.

He drew a deep breath, forcing calm upon himself. Liu Xie had seen through his intentions, but he must not reveal them openly.

Seeing his father’s expression, Fu Shou was slightly startled. She had never imagined her father to be so embarrassed in the presence of this young emperor.

“Your servant would never entertain such thoughts! I am loyal to Your Majesty and to the Han dynasty! Everything I do is for the great Han!” Fu Wan said gravely. “The Fu family swears unwavering loyalty to Your Majesty. Should we betray this oath, may Heaven destroy our ancestral temple!”

Hearing this solemn vow, Liu Xie suddenly smiled. “Grand Attendant Fu, why so serious? I was merely teasing. I believe in your loyalty. Now, if we are to flee, how do we escape these tens of thousands of vigilant troops?”

“I have a plan. When the time comes, Your Majesty need only follow the soldiers who come to escort you,” Fu Wan said confidently.

Liu Xie lowered his head, playing with the jade seal. “If you are so confident, I will trust your arrangement.”

“Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty. I take my leave.”

...

Watching Fu Wan’s retreating figure, Liu Xie smiled gently. Looking at Fu Shou, who leaned in close, he couldn’t resist flicking her smooth forehead.

“Ouch! That hurts! Why are you flicking me?” Fu Shou complained, tears welling in her lovely eyes.

“You stuck your head out, didn’t you? I had to flick it!” Liu Xie laughed, then affectionately rubbed her forehead. Seeing her nuzzle him shyly, a look of tenderness filled his eyes.

Historical records note that Fu Shou was later killed by Cao Cao, along with her two imperial sons, and ultimately the entire Fu family was exterminated by Cao Cao. The root cause was that Liu Xie was merely a puppet emperor, powerless to protect his own wife and children.

In these turbulent times, no one was a mere bystander.

“Shou’er, do you know Generals Huangfu Song and Gai Xun?” Liu Xie asked with a smile.

“Yes, I do. When I was little, Father often took me to their mansions to play. Unlike other generals, they were both very approachable!” Fu Shou blinked her eyes brightly.

“Then later, help me deliver a letter of silk to them.”

“All right!”

...

After Fu Shou disembarked, Liu Xie took the imperial jade seal in hand, examining it carefully. Moments later, a low whisper echoed inside the carriage.

Fu Wan’s scheme was but a petty intrigue; Liu Xie’s was a grand design for the realm.

“This empire will ultimately be mine.”

“Then come, let us play a good game of chess...”