Chapter 174 Three Kings in One Day!
Chapter 174: Three Kings in One Day!
In Chengguang Palace,

The bloody smell of yesterday had long dissipated, and all the ministers in the court, wearing tall hats and wide belts, stood between the Stanley Pillars.

Beside the throne, an eunuch was reading an imperial edict: "Since Emperor Gaozu established the Han Dynasty and Emperor Guangwu continued the Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty has been entrusted by heaven and the country has been passed down from generation to generation."

"I am a person of low virtue and poor conduct, and I have no descendants. I am terrified every time I think about it. I am worried and ashamed of my ancestors. For the sake of our ancestors' country, I am inviting the bloodline of the side branch to inherit the main family..."

"Now there is a descendant of His Excellency Emperor Xiaojing, a descendant of King Jing of Zhongshan, Liu Wu, Liu Zilie, who is both civil and military, and has noble character, and can be admitted into the legitimate lineage..."

The eunuch's rhythmic voice echoed in Chengguang Hall.

Liu Xie, sitting on the throne, had regret in his eyes.

If it were up to him, it would naturally be gratifying to directly appoint Liu Wu as the Crown Prince. However, the Han emperor also knew that if he really did so, not only would Cao Mengde not agree, but all the civil and military officials in the court would be in an uproar.

We have discussed this before, and Liu Wu’s power is not enough at the moment…

Liu Xie sighed secretly. For now, he could only adopt Awu into his own family and then make plans slowly in the future.

The eunuch's voice finally came to an end: "From now on, Liu Wu is the direct descendant of the Han Dynasty and the heir of Emperor Ling."

Liu Wu bowed deeply and said, "I receive your order and pay my respects to you, my brother."

The emperor on the throne smiled and said, "My brother, please don't be polite."

In the palace, all the nobles had strange looks on their faces...

Emperor Ling is the late emperor and the biological father of the current emperor.

From today on, Liu Zilie became the heir of Emperor Ling, which meant he was the real brother of the current emperor. Liu Xuande could no longer use the father-son ethics to pressure Liu Zilie.

Many people secretly looked at Cao Mengde, who was standing side by side with Liu Wu. The prime minister of the Han Dynasty had his eyes slightly closed at this moment, and actually seemed to be dozing off.

Liu Wu did not stand up: "I have a memorial to report..."

"Prime Minister Cao Cao is the descendant of Prime Minister Cao Shen, and has been a loyal minister for generations. Prime Minister Cao has worked hard for our Han Dynasty, risking his life, and has made great contributions to supporting the Han Dynasty and rebuilding it. He should..."

"Ceremony as king!"

King?

Enthroning Cao Cao as king? !
boom! ~
The civil and military officials in the hall, no matter they were Han officials or Cao Cao's followers, only felt a burst of thunder in their ears.

In addition to the wave of kings of different surnames who were enthroned when Emperor Gaozu founded the country, another group of kings of the Lü clan were enthroned when Empress Lü came to power. The most recent kings of different surnames are...

Only Wang Mang!

Gudong~
The officials subconsciously looked at Liu Zilie. Liu Zilie was fighting with Prime Minister Cao yesterday, and now he wants to recommend Prime Minister Cao to be crowned king? !
Does he know what he is talking about?
absurd,

This, this is ridiculous.

No matter how weak the emperor is, he would never agree to enfeoff a king of a different surname, let alone enfeoff Cao Mengde as a king of a different surname!

Don't forget,

They all saw the scene yesterday when the emperor stabbed Cao Mengde with a dagger.

On the throne,
The emperor's voice came slowly: "But..."

"Prime Minister Cao has made great contributions to the country, and he can be made the King of Wei!"

quiet,
There was deathly silence in the hall.

Wow! ~
The civil and military officials raised their heads almost at the same time and stared blankly at the emperor on the throne.

accepted,
The emperor just agreed to make Cao Mengde a king of a different surname?!
The nobles just felt that their minds were in a mess.
Not long ago, Liu Wu and the emperor were fighting for their lives with Cao Mengde, but today the two of them joined forces to make Cao Mengde king?
What do these two brothers mean?
“How dare I?!” Prime Minister Cao, who seemed to be asleep, suddenly opened his eyes and bowed to the emperor with difficulty… However, the wound from the knife that the emperor “rewarded” him with yesterday had not yet healed, and he grimaced in pain when he bowed.

Cao Mengde: "Emperor Gaozu once made a White Horse Alliance with his ministers, stating that only the surname Liu could be king. How dare I go against the ancestral system of the Han Dynasty?"

Liu Xie said, "The three generations of holy kings often granted titles to meritorious officials and established kingdoms and temples. Emperor Gaozu destroyed Qin and Chu, and there were many meritorious officials. However, there were also many kings with different surnames. The Prime Minister has made great contributions and should be granted a title by Your Majesty."

Is this an attempt to persuade others to join?
However, the faces of the civil and military officials in the palace became more and more strange. Cao Cao's eyes twitched. How many of the kings of different surnames appointed by Emperor Gaozu had a good ending? Was the emperor trying to persuade him to ascend the throne, or was he making insinuations?

Cao Cao cursed in his heart, but his face was still terrified: "My grandfather, Qiu Teng, was a eunuch in the inner court. I am of low birth and a descendant of an eunuch. How can I be rewarded with a royal title?"

Cao Mengde began to decline for the second time, but the emperor continued to flatter him: "Although Prime Minister Cao is a eunuch..."

Eunuch!
When these three words came out, all the civil and military officials looked at the emperor in shock. Was it really appropriate to scold Cao Mengde like this in front of all the officials?

Cao Cao lowered his head, his face so gloomy that water could drip out of it.

The emperor acted as if nothing had happened: "...but his achievements were great. He defeated the Yellow Turbans, captured Lu Bu, destroyed Yuan Shu, and subjugated Yuan Shao. His contributions were great to the Han Dynasty!"

"How can we ignore the great achievements of the Prime Minister just because he is a eunuch?"

"Please accept the title, Prime Minister."

After the emperor finished speaking, Cao Cao showed helplessness: "Over the years, I have been worried about the Han Dynasty. In order to unify the Han Dynasty, I have acted a little hastily and killed too many people."

"If I serve a king of a different surname, I am afraid that all officials will not obey me."

As he spoke, Cao Cao turned his gaze to the officials in the hall.

Even if all the civil and military officials in the court were slow to react, they now understood that Cao Mengde's enthronement as king must have been secretly arranged with the emperor and Liu Wu. What else was there to say?

Wow! ~
The entire court of civil and military officials saluted Cao Cao respectfully and said, "Prime Minister Cao has made great contributions in suppressing the rebellion and saving the people from disaster. This is a great achievement. Please accept the title of King of Wei!"

The emperor on the throne also spoke again: "My dear minister, you have made great contributions to the Han Dynasty. The whole court agrees that you should be given the title of King of Wei."

It was simple, even a bit crude, and ended with three refusal and three declines. All the necessary procedures were completed.

Cao Mengde sighed, as if he had no other choice: "I obey your order and accept the title."

The whole court was still in a dream, as Prime Minister Cao had become the King of Wei in the blink of an eye? This was the first king of a different surname in this dynasty since Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty.

Before the officials could react, Cao Cao spoke again: "I have a memorial to report..."

"The world is in turmoil today, so we should establish feudal vassal states to protect the Han Dynasty. Jingzhou Governor Liu Wu is a descendant of the Han Dynasty, the emperor's brother, and is extremely brave. He guarded Jingzhou and made great contributions, which is a blessing for the Han Dynasty."

"I think that Jingzhou belongs to Chu, so Liu Wu can be made the King of Chu!"

Was Liu Wu also crowned king?
The ministers in the palace were dumbfounded. Liu Wu was originally a member of the Han royal family, and now he was the emperor's brother, so he had more reasons to be crowned king. But today, Cao Mengde and Liu Zilie recommended each other to be crowned kings...

What kind of agreement did these two reach in private?
The emperor nodded: "Yes..."

"Liu Wu has made great contributions in defending Jingzhou, so he is to be made the King of Chu."

The emperor's words were as good as gold. Liu Wu simply bowed and said in a deep voice: "Brother Emperor asked me to be the King of Chu. How dare I refuse?"

Cao Mengde standing next to him was very unhappy, but this guy was so straightforward that he didn't even bother to pretend to refuse three times.

Liu Xie on the Danbi laughed. Awu was not an outsider. It would be too boring if he learned from Cao Aman and pretended to refuse the position three times.

The eunuch read out the official imperial edict for the official title of king: "Now, Prime Minister Cao Cao is crowned King of Wei, and Governor of Jingzhou Liu Wu is crowned King of Chu, and the two kings are granted the nine gifts..." Looking at the two figures in front of them, all the ministers had complicated expressions.

With the addition of King Liu Wu of Chu, the situation where Cao Mengde dominates the court and can get whatever he wants from the emperor is likely to change from today.

Do not,
It wasn't just the situation in the court that changed.

The whole Xuchang,

The entire Central Plains,

Even the situation in the entire world is about to change, and a new pattern has begun...

"Your Majesty!" An eunuch stepped into the palace from outside and said, "Jingzhou official Jian Yong, Jingbei defender Wei Yan, and Jiangdong Wu Hou Sun Quan have arrived."

Liu Xie nodded: "Send it."

The eunuch stood outside the palace and said, "It is reported that Jian Yong, the official of Jingzhou, Wei Yan, the defender of Jingbei, and Sun Quan, the Marquis of Jiangdong, have come to see the emperor!"

The melodious sound spread throughout the palace.

After a while, Wei Yan and Jian Yong entered the hall respectfully.

Jian Yong had met the emperor before and looked calm.

Wei Yan's breathing was rapid. He never thought that Wei Wenchang would also be promoted to the rank of the Son of Heaven! He looked gratefully at the young figure at the front of all the officials. If it weren't for Zilie, how could Wei Wenchang be where he is today?
Sun Quan followed the other two at the end, feeling anxious...

The three generations of the Sun family were separatist in Jiangdong. In the Battle of Chibi, Jiangdong was burned to death by 800,000 Cao troops, but they were fighting under the banner of the imperial army.

Now I am riding alone into Xuchang, without a single soldier by my side. If Cao Mengde wants to use the emperor to bring up old scores, I am afraid...

"Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"

The three of them had their own thoughts in their minds, but they still knelt down before the throne.

Liu Xie nodded to the eunuch beside him, and the eunuch began to announce the third imperial edict of the day: "Jingzhou official Jian Yong is loyal to his duties, has a great character, and has great talent... He is appointed as the Chief Censor."

"Wei Yan, the governor of Nanjun, is brave and good at fighting, and has made many military achievements... He is hereby appointed the general of Zhennan!"

The Chief Censor had a rank of two thousand stones and had the power of supervision over the Han Dynasty court. He could impeach any official and could be said to be a true high-ranking official in the court.

If Jian Yong still followed Liu Bei at this time, he would probably never be able to become an official of two thousand stones until his death.

Even Jian Yong, who had always been calm, had a trembling voice at this moment: "I accept your command and thank you for your grace."

Wei Yan's face turned even redder. The "Four Generals" were in charge of conquering rebels and garrisoning the four directions. He was an important general in the army. The previous General Zhennan was Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou!
At first, he was just a minor general under Liu Biao, but now he has reached the same position as Liu Biao.

Wei Yan tried his best not to lose his composure and just knelt heavily on the ground: "Wei Yan, I accept your order and thank you!"

"Your Majesty!" Liu Wu once again made a suggestion to the emperor: "Now the three generations of the Sun family in Jiangdong have been loyal to the country..."

Does this have anything to do with me?

Sun Quan on the side was stunned. Why did Liu Zilie mention him for no reason?

Liu Wu's voice continued: "Sun Jian, Marquis of Wuhuan, first wiped out the Yellow Turbans and conquered Dong Zhuo, and Sun Ce, Marquis of Wu, first defeated the traitor Yuan Shu. They are all meritorious officials of the country!"

"The current Wu Hou Sun Quan has been guarding Jiangdong for more than ten years for the imperial court..."

"And now, the Marquis of Wu has traveled thousands of miles to the north to pay homage to the emperor. His loyalty is evident to all! If Prime Minister Cao is the most loyal minister of the Han Dynasty, then the Marquis of Wu must be the second most loyal minister of the Han Dynasty!"

Liu Wu eloquently recounted the achievements of the Jiangdong Sun family and praised Sun Quan to the utmost.

Sun Zhongmou was completely confused after hearing what Liu Wu said. He had no idea what Liu Wu meant.

The emperor on the throne slowly spoke: "Please stand up, Lord Wu. Three generations of the Sun family have been loyal to the country. How can I not notice it..."

After receiving the praise from the Emperor of the Han Dynasty for the three generations of the Sun family, Sun Quan was filled with murmurs in his heart: "I thank the Emperor."

The emperor hadn't finished speaking yet: "...I now appoint you as the King of Wu and command the military affairs of Jiaozhou and Yangzhou!"

King Wu!

Supervise the military affairs of Jiaozhou and Yangzhou! !
Sun Quan, who had just stood up, stood there in a daze.

He looked up with a dull look on his face...

I just went to Xuchang with Liu Wu, so how come I became the King of Wu?

Sun Quan subconsciously looked at Liu Wu, and Liu Wu smiled faintly: "King Wu, thank you."

Sun Zhongmou knelt down again in a daze and kowtowed: "Your Majesty, I accept your command and thank you for your grace."

There was silence in the palace.
Since the founding of the Han Dynasty by Emperor Guangwu, there has been no king of a different surname for nearly two hundred years, but today two have been enthroned.

The King of Wei, the King of Wu, and Liu Wu's King of Chu.

In one day, three kings were enthroned!
At this moment,

There is urgent news to the palace!

It was Xu Chu: "Ma Chao and Han Sui led their troops to rebel!"

"Wherever the Xiliang cavalry went, most of Guanzhong has fallen!"

The Xiliang soldiers are coming again...

Last time, it was still Dong Zhuo.

All the court officials in the hall were subconsciously panicked.

After all, when Dong Zhuo entered the capital, the Liang warlords wreaked havoc in the interior, casting a heavy shadow on them...

Before anyone in Chengguang Hall could react, Cao Mengde stepped out and said, "The Xiliang bandits are rebelling, and the military situation is urgent!"

"The King of Chu is known to the world for his bravery. Now he is the governor of Jingzhou and has 100,000 soldiers under his command!"

"I beg Your Majesty to appoint Liu Wu as the general to lead the Jingzhou troops to the west to fight against the rebellious people. This will surely subdue Ma Chao, Han Sui and others!"

Before Cao Cao could finish his words, Liu Wu spoke up: "The rebellion in Xiliang was caused by Prime Minister Cao's arbitrary killing of Ma Teng."

"This matter was caused by Prime Minister Cao, so it is time for Prime Minister Cao to clean it up himself."

"Prime Minister Cao has fought for half his life and has spurred the whole world. Countless heroes have fallen at his hands. I believe that Prime Minister Cao can also turn the tide of the small Xiliang rebellion."

I already knew that Cao Cao was waiting for me regarding the Xiliang issue...

As he spoke, Liu Wu looked at Sun Quan and said, "Besides, Jiangdong is in chaos because of Liu Xuande, and I still have to escort the King of Wu of the Han Dynasty back to Jiangdong."

　No more today. Also, please read on!!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)