Chapter 49: He Truly Is That Fatuous Monarch

Reaching this point was not because Liu Xie was desperate for Zhang Hong’s recognition or allegiance. To put it plainly, when the time came to declare the move of the capital and establish himself in Jiangdong, there would be countless talented individuals for him to recruit—men like Lu Su, Lu Meng, Gan Ning, and so many more.

Yet Liu Xie understood that if he truly wished to stir the currents of this age by relying on his imperial identity, simply idling away his days in the palace would never suffice. Whether it was Cao Cao, Liu Bei, or even the noble-born Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, all had to personally lead their troops to the front lines.

Amidst the chaos of warring lords, unless the realm was on the very verge of unification, no one could truly sit safe behind the lines, orchestrating from afar. The soldiers watched their every move, as did their enemies.

Thus, in this era, to become a true emperor, one required the ability to charge into battle.

Now, Liu Xie admitted he did not yet possess this skill. He had never witnessed the true nature of the battlefield in these times. But, haunted by the questions that had plagued him while staying with the Qiao sisters, and in search of an answer for this tumultuous era, he knew he must acquire such ability.

As Liu Xie regained his composure, the Qiao sisters, too, finally began to recover from the shock of the recent upheaval.

“Sister, did I perhaps mishear? When that man left us just now, did he not refer to himself as…” Qiao Shuang pressed a hand to her chest, feeling her heart pound—a sensation hardly perceptible from the outside, buried as it was beneath her soft flesh. She asked the question with a shaky breath.

Qiao Feng, too, was emerging from the earlier tense situation. In her heart she had prepared for many possibilities, but she and her sister were, after all, but two defenseless young women. Her only real plan had been to let herself bear the brunt of their misfortune, hoping to spare her younger sister as much as she could.

Fortunately, her grimmer plan had not come to pass.

“If what he said is true, then he is the current Emperor of Han,” she replied.

“What? How could he be that worthless ruler? Didn’t you say, sister, that the present Emperor is imprisoned in Xuchang by Cao Cao, reduced to little more than a puppet?” Even innocent Qiao Shuang could not bring herself to believe Liu Xie’s claim.

“But the present Emperor of Han is not even twenty, and that man’s age matches. This palace was only just completed, yet Sun Ce refuses to reside in it, leaving this man free to come and go. And besides him, there are no other men here.”

Clearly, Qiao Feng, though she had never met Liu Xie herself, was beginning to believe his story based on the accumulation of circumstantial evidence.

There was another reason she did not share with her sister: they were likely meant to be presented to someone important by Sun Ce. The fact that he had not touched them immediately in their hometown suggested he held them in high regard. If he truly handed them over to this young man, then this young man could very well be the Emperor.

“If he is the Emperor, why would he be in Wu Commandery?”

“When Sun Ce took us to Wu, we heard his soldiers talking about Cao Cao and Yuan Shao locked in stalemate at Guandu. That means Xuchang must be poorly guarded right now. I suspect Sun Ce took this opportunity to snatch the Emperor away. With the Emperor in his hands, Sun Ce becomes the next Cao Cao!”

Here, Qiao Feng’s greater knowledge gleaned from books quickly bore fruit. She had already deduced the likely truth of the matter, further confirming the man’s words might be genuine.

“He’s the Emperor? But isn’t the Han Emperor supposed to be a timid, sickly fool? The man who just came in seemed quite decent…”

“Hmph! How is he not a fool? Have you forgotten the filthy things he said to us when he entered?”

“Filthy things? I didn’t hear anything like that.”

“You… Oh, never mind. I won’t force you to read more anymore. What good does it do, after all?”

“Really? Then thank you, sister!”

Qiao Feng rolled her eyes at her sister, thinking perhaps it was for the best that she remained innocent, rather than living in constant fear as she did. But as soon as this thought eased her mind, her sister blurted out another question that nearly made her spit blood.

“He said Sun Ce gave us to him. Does that mean we’re to become concubines in the Emperor’s harem?”

“If you truly wish for that, you may go speak with him right now. And while you’re at it, ask if he’ll release me home—I would be ever so grateful!”

As Qiao Feng spoke, she stepped up to her exasperating little sister and gave her a light smack on the rear—a familiar, crisp sound.

It was her usual punishment for her sister’s foolishness. Qiao Shuang laughed quietly, recognizing her sister’s frustration.

“Even if he is the Emperor, how long can he keep his throne? And you’re already dreaming of his harem?”

“What else can we do?” her sister replied, leaving Qiao Feng at a loss for words.

She understood that no matter how accurately she might predict their fate, it was useless. They had the right to assess their situation, but no power to choose their destiny.

Whether it was Sun Ce or Liu Xie, however precarious their own positions might be, neither she nor her sister could shake them.

“Sister! I suddenly think this Emperor isn’t so bad. If he decided to force himself on us here and now, could we stop him? When he sat beside me earlier, I saw—though he may not look strong at first glance, he’s not sickly at all. Up close, he’s rather imposing…”

“Ah, my head aches. I need to rest on the bed for a while.”

Indeed, Qiao Feng’s head was pounding, though it was only her sister exasperating her.

She felt that the moment her sister realized the young man might truly be the Emperor, she had suddenly transformed into a wanton woman eager to slip beneath his covers—an idea utterly unacceptable to her.

Little did she know that the so-called puppet, the useless Emperor she dismissed, would leave an indelible mark on her soul and body, changing her forever in ways she could not yet imagine.