NOVPUBCao Song had no idea that with his departure, he had embarked on a western journey from which he would never return, and his son no longer had any hope of taking over Xuzhou in the short term.
At the same time, Liu Bei and his followers also began their formal ancestral worship, leading the procession from the East Gate to Jingling Palace.
This time, the people from Qingzhou of Mount Tai abandoned their usual casual demeanor, all wearing black hemp robes as they followed Liu Bei slowly toward Jingling Palace, naturally including Li Youu among them.
Upon seeing Li Youu among the group closely following Liu Bei and realizing he did not belong with the others, Ju Shou immediately felt much relieved, "It seems Li Youu truly isn’t part of the political system of Mount Tai. With this in mind, I can rest assured, and the next steps of our plan can be initiated." Ju Shou thought to himself.
This time, Chen Xi and the others did not pay attention to Ju Shou, because the worship was very important. Liu Bei’s performance would surely give Ju Shou a shock, as after all, as an overlord who started from scratch, charisma is extremely important. Chen Xi and the others were all wondering what Liu Bei would say and what promises he would make.
"This is the Hegemon of Central Plains. If he does not possess a compelling presence, how could he unite people’s hearts? How could he make many heroes submit?" Ju Shou watched as Liu Bei solemnly walked toward the altar in front of Jingling Palace, his aura growing ever more magnificent, far from the Liu Xuande of two days ago, who covertly desired beauty but was too shy to speak up. At this moment, Liu Bei fit the image of a hegemon that Ju Shou envisioned.
"Burn the incense!" Zuo Ci, looking at Liu Bei who was entering from the main gate, spoke to his disciple. After the ritual offerings were set up, Zuo Ci handed the incense sticks to Liu Bei, "Lord Xuande, please light the incense."
Liu Bei, with a serene expression, placed the incense in the censer, then slowly stood up as he looked at the large Memorial Stele. Civil and military officials followed suit, inserting their lit incense into the censer.
Complete silence fell; soldiers in armor inserted their incense sticks into the censers outside the altar. The only sound that could be heard was the clinking of their armor. The atmosphere was solemn, and even Ju Shou, who had initially been indifferent, was influenced by the surroundings and became serious. Zhuge Liang and others watching from a distance also stared solemnly at the Wordless Stele, and even Sima Yi, who usually scorned such rituals, silently watched the great stele.
"The world is in turmoil, the Han Court is in decline. I, Liu Xuande, as a member of the Han Imperial Household, wish to be a Prefect for the Han Dynasty, safeguarding peace in the region! Weapons are tools of expansion, a power of defense, the bedrock of a nation! The stability of the Han Dynasty, the prosperity of family and country, all are protected by you. The peace of the realm, the strength of the people, all are forged by your struggles!" Having said this, Liu Bei bowed toward the direction of the Wordless Stele then turned and bowed to all the soldiers below the altar.
With a rustling sound, at the moment Liu Bei bowed, all the soldiers knelt in unison.
"The words I, Liu Xuande, speak hold true. The dead shall be honored, the living shall profit, those who dare to withhold the living’s profits shall die, those who dare to strip the dead of their glory shall die! Every year at this time, as long as I am alive, I will hold a memorial. If I am not here, I shall hold a memorial too! The good men who gave their last drop of blood for the Han Dynasty, I absolutely will not allow their living families to suffer humiliation! What I say today is witnessed by heaven, earth, humans, and gods!" Liu Bei said calmly, determined to overcome any difficulty.
"May all under my rule have homes, the sick receive medical care, the diligent have jobs, the laborers get their due, the young be taught, the old have support. I, Liu Xuande, am willing to strive for this unceasingly!" Liu Bei shouted, "From today onwards, all school-aged children in Qingzhou of Mount Tai shall have the opportunity to go to school. I, Liu Xuande, hereby thank the Zhen Family of Jizhou and the Mi Family of Xuzhou for providing the necessary funds and grain for this initiative!"
"Lord is benevolent and righteous!" The chaotic shouts from below finally came together into this coherent phrase, and all the soldiers had already seen the latest benefits bestowed upon them. What they feared the most was that these benefits would end up being in vain, yet today Liu Bei stood upon the sacrificial platform, swearing an oath to heaven, earth, and the human spirit, promising to deliver on his word!
Watching Liu Bei standing atop the altar, Ju Shou felt a sense of shock emerging within him. [Liu Bei indeed has the shortcomings of one with a humble origin, but he truly possesses the qualifications to establish a hegemony. These cries, roars, cheers, the hearts of the people, and the spirit of the army—this is where Liu Bei’s confidence lies!]
"Kongming, are you sure you want to stay in Mount Tai?" Zhuge Jin asked, looking into Zhuge Liang’s determined eyes, though he already knew the answer.
"I will stay here. His dream is very similar to my ideal; we have too much in common. There should be support for the elderly and teaching for the young—an era the sages have long dreamed of, and I am willing to believe that he can create it," Zhuge Liang said firmly. "Tell uncle that I will not go to Jingzhou. Rather than waiting like a hermit for the lord of destiny to appear, I am more willing to put my faith in the Liu Xuande before me!"
"Zhongda, what are your thoughts?" Sima Lang grasped the window frame with his right hand, his whitened knuckles enough to indicate his shock.
"The world cannot be conquered by benevolence and righteousness alone. Beneath the light, there must be darkness. The path of Liu Xuande is unworkable," Sima Yi looked at Liu Bei, and beneath his seemingly calm expression, a hint of temptation had already appeared. That brilliance, warmth, like a flame, beckoning him like a moth to plunge towards Liu Bei’s fire.
"Zhongda, what’s the matter?" Sima Lang asked, puzzled, as he watched Sima Yi slowly walk outside.
"I am leaving Mount Tai. The path of Liu Xuande is unworkable, but such radiance cleanses the dark corners. I do not wish to lose my life for an unreachable ideal; if I continue, I fear I too will become lost in delusion. There should be teaching for the young and support for the elderly; that’s all a sage’s rule of the world amounts to, but you Liu Xuande are no sage!" Sima Yi gave one last look at Liu Bei, standing at the top of the altar, and without looking back, he walked straight downstairs.
[Lord Xuande, you indeed deserve the respect of being called so. Your radiance is enough to dazzle all under the heavens. Unfortunately, for more than two thousand years since the Yin and Shang dynasties, how many wise and capable have struggled for this, ending up unable to achieve it. Can you escape it, Lord Xuande? Wang Mang harbored feelings similar to yours, desiring land for the tillers, support for the elderly, and education for children, but in the end, he remained forever unable to rise again. Lord Xuande, my reason cannot accept an outcome that is already doomed. The purity I wait for is not this kind of pure light.] Sima Yi silently walked down the tavern, forcefully downing a cup of liquor, his eyes flashing with a cold light.
"Only darkness can highlight the light. Since the light is bound to fail, then let it leave behind its honor. Liu Xuande, do not disappoint me; if you cannot uphold your words of today, the only thing left in history will be an infamous name similar to Wang Mang’s." Sima Yi muttered to himself, then walked out the door alone.
"Zhongda, where are you going?" Sima Lang came downstairs and called out to Sima Yi, who had already stepped out the door.
"I am going to find my teacher; I require further study for a time, then find a worthy ruler, a lord who can achieve great things. Liu Xuande’s approach doesn’t work!" Sima Yi walked on without turning back, heading out toward Fenggao. (To be continued. If you like this work, please support it by voting for it on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)
