"Bring it here for me to read."
Yuan Shu spoke, intending to read the imperial edict before deciding what to do.
If its contents worked against him, he would simply refuse it on the grounds that he did not know which emperor was the true one.
The imperial edict was soon presented to Yuan Shu.
Yuan Shu took the edict and read it carefully. His expression quickly changed, first to confusion, then to barely concealed fury!
"That bastard son! How dare he insult me!"
Yuan Shu slammed his hand on the table and cursed in uncontainable rage.
The other advisers in the hall all jumped in fright.
Somewhat puzzled, Yan Xiang asked, "My lord, what does the edict say? Why are you so enraged?"
Yuan Shu said bitterly, "That bastard son has borrowed the emperor's name to appoint himself Grand General and Grand Marshal, yet he has only appointed me Grand Commandant! He would put me beneath him!"
"I am the legitimate son of the Yuan Clan. How dare a concubine's bastard son place himself above me?!"
"That bastard son has gone too far!"
The more Yuan Shu spoke, the angrier he became. He snatched up the edict again and hurled it viciously to the floor, as though he were throwing down Yuan Shao's head.
Although insulting an imperial edict was a grave offense of disrespect, the courier who had delivered it dared not say anything. He merely lowered his head and pretended he had seen nothing.
Upon hearing this, Yan Xiang and the other officials fell silent as well.
In all fairness, being appointed Grand Commandant was hardly a bad thing. It was one of the Three Excellencies! It could hardly be considered a lowly post.
After all, the Yuan Clan had produced only three high ministers across four generations, yet that alone had firmly established them at the head of the great aristocratic houses. They were called the Zhong Clan, second only to the imperial Liu surname!
However, they all knew of the rift between their lord and Yuan Shao. Though the two were half brothers with the same father, they had always been at odds, each determined to prove himself superior.
Naturally, hearing that Yuan Shao had bestowed such an appointment would infuriate him.
But this was a private grievance between the brothers, and it was not their place as officials to say much about it.
Even after throwing down the edict, Yuan Shu's anger had not abated.
Ever since childhood, Yuan Shao had enjoyed the favor of their elders and overshadowed him at every turn. He was merely a bastard son, yet he was treated as the future helmsman of the Yuan Clan!
Even during the campaign against Dong Zhuo, the various lords had elected Yuan Shao as alliance leader instead of him!
Why?!
In what way was he inferior to that bastard son?
"Yuan Shao, oh, Yuan Shao. Now that you have the emperor in your hands, you cannot wait to come flaunt your might before me?"
"Grand Commandant... ha! What a fine Grand Commandant!"
Yuan Shu laughed in the extremity of his rage, speaking through gritted teeth.
He cared nothing for a place among the Three Excellencies. To him, the appointment was more of an insult, as though it were a scrap tossed to him in charity!
Had Yuan Shao been standing before him now, he would surely have drawn his sword and cut him down to vent the hatred in his heart!
"My lord, please calm your anger. This is merely an edict Yuan Shao issued under the emperor's name. You need not concern yourself with it. Just disregard it."
Yang Hong spoke up to persuade him.
"Disregard it?"
Yuan Shu's voice suddenly rose as he raged, "That bastard son has all but mocked me to my face! Who does he think he is? Do I need his charity?!"
"I am the legitimate son of the Yuan family! I now hold Yang Province, command the wealth of the realm, and have a million armored soldiers and countless elite troops and mighty generals. What does he have that can compare with me?!"
"I am the heir to the Yuan Clan! I am the future sovereign of all under heaven!"
By now, Yuan Shu was so enraged that he no longer measured his words.
At this declaration, everyone in the hall changed color, cold sweat streaming down their backs.
These were words of outright treason!
Though Great Han was now in decline, it still held the people's hearts. The various lords all acted under the banner of supporting the Han imperial house, not daring to reveal their ambitions.
Even Dong Zhuo had never dared call himself the sovereign of all under heaven. He had merely manipulated the emperor as a puppet!
Yuan Shu's words laid bare intentions that warranted execution.
In the hall, two of Yuan Shu's great generals, Zhang Xun and Qiao Rui, exchanged a glance. Then Zhang Xun abruptly stepped out of the ranks and rushed toward the courier.
Slash-!
Cold steel flashed. Before the courier could react, Zhang Xun's blade severed his head. Blood spurted several yards high, and his body collapsed helplessly to the floor.
The courier's head rolled across the floor, his blood-smeared face still frozen in shock. Even in death, he had not understood why he had been killed.
"You-what are you doing?"
Startled by Zhang Xun's sudden killing, Yuan Shu regained some of his reason and could not help asking.
Covered in blood, Zhang Xun planted his blade against the floor and dropped to one knee. "This courier delivered a false imperial edict. I acted rashly in a moment of anger. My lord, please punish me!"
Yan Xiang then stepped forward as well. "My lord, please calm yourself. You lost your composure just now."
Hearing this and seeing the solemn faces of the officials in the hall, Yuan Shu finally understood why they were reacting this way.
Yet rather than feeling remorse, he said resentfully, "So what if he heard me? What is wrong with saying I am the sovereign of all under heaven? Do you not think so yourselves?"
"My lord..."
Yan Xiang felt a terrible headache coming on. Such things truly could not be said.
Yuan Shu snorted coldly. "There is nothing to fear. The decline of the Han imperial house is an indisputable fact. The Mandate of Heaven no longer rests with Han!"
"Which of the lords today does not dream of replacing the Han imperial house and becoming sovereign of all under heaven? They want it. They want it so badly they are going mad! They simply dare not say it!"
"But though they dare not, I do!"
A hint of madness surfaced in Yuan Shu's eyes. With a low chuckle, he swept his gaze over everyone in the hall and said unhurriedly, "A few days ago, I had someone perform a divination for me. Can you guess the result?"
Everyone kept their heads bowed. No one dared answer.
They could only feel their backs already soaked with cold sweat.
Yuan Shu burst into laughter. "He said I bear a portion of the Mandate of Heaven! He said I am destined to become emperor! He said I am the true sovereign of all under heaven!"
"In the days to come, the Mandate of Heaven shall be mine!"
Chapter 21: By Heaven's Mandate, May He Enjoy Long Life and Eternal Prosperity!
Yuan Shu's astonishing declaration left his ambition completely unconcealed.
Ever since Sun Jian's death, when he had obtained the Imperial Seal from Lady Wu, the idea of proclaiming himself emperor had begun to take root in his heart.
The Yuan Clan was the foremost aristocratic family in the realm, and he was its legitimate son. Now he ruled Yang Province, the richest region under heaven, with vast armies and numerous generals. He even held a treasure of state as weighty as the Imperial Seal.
If he did not become emperor, who could?
He had chosen to reveal his ambition now because he could no longer endure Yuan Shao riding over his head.
So you would borrow the emperor's name?
Then I shall simply proclaim myself emperor! I shall become the Son of Heaven!
Suppressing the heat in his heart, Yuan Shu told them, "The Liu Clan's rule is now in decline, and the realm seethes like a boiling cauldron. Our Yuan family has supplied high ministers to the court for four generations. Our renown is illustrious, and we are the realm's Zhong Clan. The common people all wish to submit to me."
"I wish to uphold Heaven's will and follow the people's hearts by ascending the throne and proclaiming myself emperor now. What do you gentlemen think?"
The civil officials and military officers looked at one another, all remaining silent.
How were they to answer? How could they possibly answer that?
Whether they agreed or disagreed, neither answer was suitable.
Most importantly, since Yuan Shu had chosen to voice his intention to proclaim himself emperor, he must already have made up his mind. Would their objections accomplish anything?
Just as Yuan Shu was taking their silence for assent, Yan Xiang suddenly spoke.
"My lord! You absolutely must not!"
His face full of worry, Yan Xiang earnestly remonstrated, "In the past, from their founding ancestor Hou Ji to King Wen, the Zhou People accumulated virtue and merit until they held two-thirds of the realm. Yet they still served the Yin Shang Dynasty with utmost caution, not daring to harbor thoughts of establishing their own rule."
"My lord, though your family has enjoyed high office and generous stipends for generations, the Yuan Clan is probably not yet as prosperous as the Ji Clan was. Moreover, although the Han imperial house is now in decline, the emperor is neither an immoral ruler nor a foolish one. He certainly cannot be compared to the cruel and tyrannical King Zhou of Yin. The hearts of the people still turn toward Han."
"Under these circumstances, if you ascend the throne and proclaim yourself emperor, would you not defy the judgment of the entire realm and become the target of every arrow?"
With Yan Xiang taking the lead, the others found someone to rally behind.
Yang Hong followed him. "Indeed, my lord. Cao Cao and Yuan Shao have emperors in their hands, yet even they dare not seize the imperial throne. If you declare yourself emperor, you will surely incur the envy and hatred of every lord."
Their lord's desire to proclaim himself emperor was no secret.
Or rather, virtually every mighty lord in the realm harbored such thoughts.
But ambition was one thing. Who dared actually proclaim himself emperor now? The Han Dynasty was merely in decline, not already destroyed.
Just as Yan Xiang had said, Great Han's four hundred years of rule had bound the people's hearts to Han. And the current emperor had committed no great wrong. What grounds were there for proclaiming oneself emperor? Without a rightful title, no declaration could stand.
Somewhat angered, Yuan Shu replied, "That is because they are unworthy!"
"I am the legitimate son of the Yuan Clan, while Yuan Shao is merely a bastard son. Cao Cao is descended from a eunuch! How could they possibly be compared to me?"
"Besides, I hold the Imperial Seal. Clearly, the Mandate of Heaven rests with me!"
"Our Yuan Clan descends from the line of Chen Hugong, a descendant of Emperor Shun. We possess precisely the earth virtue that succeeds the Han Dynasty's fire virtue. Earth follows fire, placing us in the proper succession of destiny."
"Have you not heard the prophecy: 'He who replaces Han shall be high upon the road'? My given name is Shu, and my courtesy name is Gonglu-'public road.' I am the very fulfillment of this prophecy!"
Yuan Shao firmly believed that he was destined to become emperor.
For someone had performed a divination at his birth and foretold that the Mandate of Heaven would one day descend upon him. His later acquisition of the Imperial Seal had only confirmed it.
He, Yuan Shu, was the one favored by the Mandate of Heaven!
"But, my lord..."
Yan Xiang wanted to continue remonstrating, but Yuan Shu had already grown tired of it.
"How can you accomplish great things if you shrink back in fear like this?!"
Before you continue