Chapter 31: Three Questions at the Villa
“His Majesty has arrived!”
“Greetings to the Son of Heaven!”
…
As soon as he entered the courtyard, all the palace attendants and guards knelt and saluted without exception. Only Jia Xu, standing in the center dressed in a plain blue robe, remained unmoved, staring intently at Liu Xie.
“How dare you! How dare you show such disrespect to His Majesty!”
Er Niu, standing nearby, saw Jia Xu’s indifferent demeanor and glared angrily. He was about to step forward and reprimand him, but Liu Xie raised his hand to stop him.
“His Majesty? He’s nothing but a puppet held hostage by Gai Xun! A mere child—does he deserve my obeisance?”
Jia Xu glanced sideways at Er Niu, clearly looking down on the so-called emperor Er Niu mentioned.
Liu Xie was not angered by this; instead, he found it quite amusing and smiled. “What business do you have with Gai Xun?”
“Perhaps you could tell me; I might help you find him.”
Hearing this, Jia Xu finally turned his gaze toward Liu Xie. There was no fear in his eyes as he appraised Liu Xie from head to toe. When their eyes met, the sharp gleam in Liu Xie’s gaze made Jia Xu pause slightly.
He snorted coldly. “What a pity.”
Liu Xie was momentarily taken aback, unsure what he meant by ‘pity.’
“What do you mean by pity?”
“A pity for a young prodigy. Had he been born in a strong Han dynasty, he would have been a great ruler. But alas, you were born in the wrong era. A youth in this chaotic world surrounded by wolves is nothing more than a pawn!”
Jia Xu spoke with unexpected admiration, which surprised Liu Xie.
“In the end, you are but a toy fought over by the warlords, unable even to control your own fate. A mere emperor in name, but lacking any true power.”
“Pathetic, pitiful!”
“That is why it is a pity.”
In just a few words, Jia Xu summed up the tragic plight of Liu Xie's historical life. Listening to Jia Xu’s tone and attitude, Liu Xie was not surprised in the least. Meanwhile, Er Niu nearly clenched his fist, furious at such disdain toward the emperor.
He wished he could just chop off this old man’s head!
---
However, seeing Liu Xie’s calm and composed demeanor, Er Niu’s admiration for him only deepened.
No wonder His Majesty is so tolerant, even toward such a prisoner.
In truth, Liu Xie had long known Jia Xu’s opinion. Historically, Jia Xu was branded a “Han traitor,” and the fragmented state of the late Han was largely caused by him.
He recognized no so-called imperial authority, only loyalty to his own lord, naturally showing no respect for this “puppet” emperor.
“There’s no point in explaining. Just call Gai Xun here quickly!”
Jia Xu was tired of wasting time with this child. He only wanted to confront Gai Xun face to face and curse him before dying.
Liu Xie, amused by Jia Xu’s temperament, signaled to the palace attendants to fetch Gai Xun.
“I’ve already sent men to find General Gai. Since I have time on my hands, I’ve heard you’re learned and talented. Why not answer a few of my questions?”
Jia Xu initially wanted to refuse, but a deep curiosity for this pitiable emperor led him to nod in agreement.
Liu Xie ordered two soft couches brought out, and they knelt and sat in the courtyard. Liu Xie spoke first: “What is your view on the current state of the realm?”
“With Chancellor Dong dead, the world is thrown into chaos. Before his death, Chancellor Dong held a strong army and loyal generals, commanding a strategic pass, imposing fear upon the lands. But now, although the coalition in the east appears united, each harbors hidden agendas. Their collapse is but a matter of time.”
“The noble families behind them have differing interests and will inevitably divide the realm anew for their own benefit. The coalition leader Yuan Shao, whose family boasts generations of high officials and a long-established reputation, is the strongest. Yet his brother Yuan Shu’s ambition grows daily, and the two will surely split.”
“I observe among the coalition Cao Mengde and Sun Wentai, both scions of noble families and born leaders. Give them time, and they will each carve out their own dominions.”
“The turmoil of our era stems from the noble families’ corruption. The court’s long-standing ills cannot control their influence. As long as these families remain, the realm will never be stable.”
In just a few sentences, he had analyzed the world’s situation with remarkable clarity. Liu Xie could not help but admire him.
No wonder he was known as the most cunning strategist of the Three Kingdoms. It was fortunate Liu Xie had captured this old man early; if he had escaped to Lord Cao, it would have been a great loss.
After all, Liu Xie had traveled through time with knowledge of the historical script, allowing him to foresee future developments. Jia Xu, a native, naturally could not know as much in advance, but his ability to deduce the future from present conditions marked him as a top strategist.
This strengthened Liu Xie’s resolve to win Jia Xu’s loyalty. Since he was already altering history’s course, the future was uncertain even to Liu Xie himself. But with Jia Xu’s counsel, his burdens would surely be lightened.
Liu Xie pressed on.
“How then can the harm caused by these noble families be eradicated?”
---
Jia Xu lowered his head, contemplating briefly before looking up.
“The ice three feet thick does not form in a single day; the corruption of noble families did not arise overnight. It cannot be undone in days or years. These families have, over decades or centuries, established deeply rooted networks locally. Moreover, these networks interconnect through shared interests between families.”
“Killing is futile; they cannot all be exterminated. Only by severing the root cause can the noble families be eradicated. They exist because each generation sends its members into officialdom, who then protect the family’s interests, allowing the families to flourish.”
Listening to Jia Xu’s confident discourse, admiration in Liu Xie’s eyes deepened.
“Only by reforming the civil service—allowing more commoners a chance to serve and reducing the number of noble family officials—will these families naturally fade away. Yet such reforms are not feasible now. At present, the answer is to kill!”
“Kill them all at once, only then can the corruption be truly cleansed!”
Jia Xu grew passionate, as a man from humble origins, naturally harboring little fondness for the noble clans.
“Good! Good! Excellent!”
Liu Xie exclaimed thrice, his gaze filled with fervor.
“If I wish to revive the Han dynasty, what should I do?”
Jia Xu looked at him with surprise. Liu Xie furrowed his brow and pondered deeply before shaking his head.
“You have no chance of success.”
“To revive the Han, Your Majesty must first escape Gai Xun’s control, rally the like-minded to defeat him, reclaim Luoyang, and hold the Guanzhong region. From there, you could advance eastward to pacify the Central Plains, or retreat to the strategic Hangu Pass to resist an army of a million.”
“But you are still trapped, and escape is far off. That is why I say you have no hope.”
Without realizing it, Jia Xu had begun addressing Liu Xie as “Your Majesty.”
“If I gain control of Guanzhong, Wenhe, would you assist me in restoring the Han?”
Liu Xie looked at him earnestly, eyes full of sincerity.
“If I had Wenhe, it would be like King Wen of Zhou having Jiang Ziya by his side!”