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Chapter 667: The Loyalists of the Han Dynasty
🕑 Added 2024-10-01 05:23:26 +0000 UTCIn contrast to Cao Cao's caution, Liu Ye was much more carefree. Although he didn’t realize it, a part of Cao’s army had been overlooked—not just by him, but by everyone else as well. This was due to Xun You’s special spiritual talent.
At this moment, in Chang'an, Emperor Liu Xie could barely contain his excitement. He felt that his day of escaping from Li Jue’s clutches and becoming the supreme ruler of the land was drawing near.
Since the completion of the Zhengguo Canal last year, Li Jue had eased his oppressive hold on Liu Xie. However, Li Jue’s restraint did not prevent Liu Xie from courting disaster. Discovering that his life was now less perilous and filled with bloodshed, Liu Xie once again began to entertain the idea of overthrowing the remnants of the Xiliang faction and started secretly allying himself with loyalists like Fu Wan and Dong Feng.
Despite warnings from Yang Biao and even subtle hints from Li Jue himself, who was trying to avoid further conflict with Liu Xie, Liu Xie persisted. Unfortunately, these loyalists were stubborn and foolish, convinced that as long as they acted righteously, the spirits of their ancestors would protect them.
Fearing association with these fanatical loyalists, smarter officials like Yang Biao and Liu Yu avoided contact with them, not wanting to have their reputations dragged down.
What made matters worse was that figures like Dong Feng and Wang Zifu, upon realizing that Yang Biao and Liu Yu did not support their actions, started verbally attacking them, accusing them of betraying the Han Dynasty and dishonoring their ancestors. This behavior even drove Liu Yu, one of the most loyal and capable Han officials, to the brink of rage, eventually leading him to abandon any involvement in these matters.
The situation in Chang'an had thus become a chaotic mess. Dong Feng and his followers, emboldened by their delusions of impending victory, rallied around Liu Xie, encouraging his reckless behavior while alienating those who might have been allies.
Their actions were so blatant that even Zhong Yao, despite his intelligence, refused to get involved. Helping such lowly individuals might mean being dragged down by their incompetence, especially when these fools treated even the most loyal and capable Han officials as enemies.
Given their tendency to alienate and attack their own allies, Zhong Yao wisely decided to distance himself from them. He understood that while his intelligence and quick decision-making might allow him to challenge formidable foes, having such foolish allies was more dangerous than facing any enemy.
However, Zhong Yao couldn’t just let Li Jue crush these people entirely, as they served as useful pawns to keep Li Jue occupied. In one casual comment, Zhong Yao remarked, “A group of talentless, powerless fools who turn their comrades into enemies—how much trouble could they really cause?”
Unsurprisingly, this remark reached Li Jue, who, after thinking it over, realized the truth in Zhong Yao’s words. So, Li Jue abandoned any plans to eliminate these loyalists, allowing them to remain close to Liu Xie. After all, having such obvious and incompetent enemies in plain sight was far better than facing cunning foes hidden in the shadows.
To further cement his control, Li Jue started openly befriending the loyal Han officials whom Dong Feng’s group had alienated. However, many of these loyalists were not so easily won over by Li Jue’s overtures. Nonetheless, seeing Li Jue’s actions, Dong Feng and his followers went into a frenzy, targeting the officials whom Li Jue sought to win over.
As a result, the imperial court devolved into infighting, with one faction constantly undermining the other. Li Jue, finding the situation amusing, decided to let it be, enjoying the chaos that kept everyone else too busy to plot against him.
Meanwhile, Zhong Yao’s strategy, though seemingly crafted to aid Li Jue, actually positioned the alienated Han loyalists for future influence. Once Li Jue and Dong Feng inevitably fell, these loyalists would naturally gravitate back towards Liu Xie, bringing with them their intelligence, capability, and influence—this was the gift Zhong Yao had quietly prepared for Liu Xie.
At this point, men like Xun Yu, Hua Xin, and Zhong Yao found themselves in a state of internal conflict. On the one hand, they were loyal to the Han Dynasty; on the other hand, they were beginning to realize that the dynasty was rotten to its core.
Xun Yu chose to find a like-minded lord, striving to restore the Han Dynasty’s former glory before eventually returning power to the imperial house. Hua Xin, having wandered widely and observed the decay, opted to find a new and worthy leader. Zhong Yao, however, still hoped for the Han Dynasty’s self-salvation.
In Zhong Yao’s eyes, the Han Dynasty could still be saved, but only if the emperor, Liu Xie, demonstrated some capability—enough to maintain control over the empire, even if not particularly outstanding. Without such qualities, there would be no point in fighting for Liu Xie’s cause. Why fight to hand over power to someone who would squander it and possibly kill you in the process?
Zhong Yao was practical and rational. His loyalty to the Han Dynasty was undeniable, but it had its limits. He wouldn’t blindly serve an unworthy ruler. If Liu Xie couldn’t prove himself, Zhong Yao would prioritize his own well-being.
Despite setting up a situation where Liu Xie would have competent officials ready to support him, Zhong Yao remained pessimistic. From what he had observed, Liu Xie lacked discernment, ability, and a strong moral character. Whether it was Cao Cao or Liu Bei who entered Guanzhong, they would likely find Liu Xie impatient and reckless, eager to seize control.
Zhong Yao’s actions were, in essence, a last-ditch effort. If Liu Xie could somehow change, the Han Dynasty might yet rise again. But Zhong Yao wasn’t holding his breath.
As for Yuan Shao, Zhong Yao had considered the possibility of Yuan Shao entering Guanzhong but deemed it unlikely. Liu Bei’s troops were there to both support the emperor and prevent Liu Xie from falling into Yuan Shao’s hands. Compared to allowing Liu Xie to fall under Yuan Shao’s control, Liu Bei was more likely to act to stop him.
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