As he looked at Emperor Xian of Han with satisfaction, Dong Cheng suddenly remembered something. Suppressing his excitement, he said, "Your performance is passable, but there is still an enormous gap between you and the real Son of Heaven. There are many flaws that others could easily spot, and they must be corrected one by one."
"?"
A question mark appeared on Emperor Xian of Han's face.
He didn't resemble himself?
Although he felt insulted, Emperor Xian of Han held back his anger, drew a deep breath, and forced out a faint smile as he asked:
"What gap?"
Dong Cheng said solemnly, "Presence and majesty!"
Emperor Xian of Han grew even more confused.
Before he could ask, a look of reminiscence came over Dong Cheng's face. He sighed with emotion. "I remember following that treacherous minister Dong Zhuo into Luoyang all those years ago. On the way, we encountered the Young Emperor and the Son of Heaven, whom the Ten Attendants had abducted from the city. The Son of Heaven was still King of Chenliu then, standing beside the Young Emperor."
"When the Young Emperor and everyone accompanying him saw Dong Zhuo approaching at the head of the great Western Liang army, they all trembled, their legs shaking."
"Only the eight-year-old Son of Heaven stepped forward, publicly demanding why Dong Zhuo did not bow before the imperial carriage. Such courage and bearing were truly astonishing."
"That was also one of the reasons that traitor Dong Zhuo installed His Majesty as the Son of Heaven. His Majesty had the bearing of an emperor from childhood... I must say, Dong Zhuo did have a discerning eye. His Majesty had been enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens all along. Once he went over to Yuan Shao, he stopped concealing his abilities and revealed