Can I Reach the Other Shore?

What a poser...

Liu Xie cursed inwardly, but smiled as he said, "No matter. I only arrived a short while ago myself. Minister Yuan, please take your seat. I have prepared a place for you."

There was a seat just below Liu Xie on his right.

It had been prepared specifically for Yuan Shao.

In the Han dynasty, the right was the position of honor. Yuan Shao's seat ranked above those of all the other civil and military officials, second only to Liu Xie's.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Yuan Shao nodded slightly, then strode toward his seat.

Liu Xie then said to Liu Bei, "Imperial Uncle, please be seated as well."

Although Liu Bei's official rank could not compare with Yuan Shao's, his status as the imperial uncle still entitled him to a seat of honor, just below Liu Xie on his left, opposite Yuan Shao.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Liu Bei bowed respectfully, then took Guan Yu and Zhang Fei over to sit down.

The three of them were sworn brothers, so sharing a seat did not violate protocol.

"Then I hereby declare the New Year's Eve Banquet officially begun!"

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Liu Xie raised his wine cup and stood, making his announcement in a ringing voice.

Yet as his words fell, the hall remained utterly silent.

Everyone turned to look at Yuan Shao.

Yuan Shao raised his brows and said with some irritation, "Why are you looking at me? Did you not hear His Majesty? Let the banquet begin!"

"Yes!"

Only then did everyone respond in unison, and the music swelled.

Liu Xie gave an awkward smile and quietly sat down.

He knew he was a puppet. Even his identity as the Son of Heaven was false, and even if it had been real, few of those present would have cared.

He was merely a fallen Son of Heaven, after all. Without that identity, he would not even have been allowed through the palace gates.

Being allowed to sit here was already an immense favor and a stroke of luck.

But why... did he feel angry?

Holding his cup, Liu Xie gazed at the slightly cloudy wine within and began to seriously ponder that question, then looked out across the hall.

The atmosphere in the hall had gradually grown lively.

Cups and goblets crisscrossed among the officials, and a constant stream of people approached Yuan Shao to offer toasts. Even Liu Bei had plenty of people coming over to court his favor.

He alone had none.

Liu Xie sat alone in the emperor's seat, watching everything in the hall with cold eyes. He was surrounded by the bustle, yet seemed to stand apart from the world, ignored by all.

Like some lackey who had no business being there at all.

"Some Son of Heaven I am."

Suddenly, Liu Xie laughed and drained his cup.

Wine in ancient times was not actually pleasant to drink. Primitive brewing techniques left it cloudy and poor in quality, as difficult to swallow as this humiliation.

But Liu Xie forced it all down anyway.

Guo Jia had been quietly observing Liu Xie throughout the banquet. Seeing him like this, he gave a faint smile.

Your Majesty, humiliation is not an easy taste to stomach.

Guo Jia thought this to himself as he drank.

After spending time with this young emperor, his strongest impression was that, despite His Majesty's extraordinary intelligence and remarkable ambitions, he was far too indolent and lacked drive.

Guo Jia could understand that. After all, His Majesty was only a youth who had not yet reached twenty and needed a little outside pressure to guide him.

Humiliation and anger were the best ingredients to make the medicine work.

It seems I will have to find ways to put His Majesty through more situations like this. Only then will his hunger and ambition for power truly grow.

Guo Jia made up his mind, his gaze deep and inscrutable.

The realm was now an arena of great contention. Those who did not fight could only perish-and as the Son of Heaven, Liu Xie had all the more reason to fight!

Chapter 33: Who the Hell Was Afraid of Yuan Shao!

After the embarrassment of being ignored, Liu Xie simply stopped speaking and quietly ate and drank in his seat.

Although the food of this era was decidedly disappointing compared with that of later ages, he had been here long enough since transmigrating to adjust, and now ate with relish.

Besides, the dancing girls in the hall put on a performance that went nicely with his meal.

Their clothing was quite revealing, too, giving him a feast for the eyes.

In ancient times, modesty only applied to women from respectable families. Female entertainers, dancing girls, prostitutes, and songstresses had nothing to do with the word.

In a society ruled by men, women were objects for amusement. What dignity was there to speak of?

Halfway through the banquet, when everyone had eaten their fill, Yuan Shao suddenly rose and asked Liu Xie, "Your Majesty, I heard you caught a chill the day before yesterday. Are you feeling unwell?"

"Hm?"

Liu Xie was still tucking into his food and froze at the question.

What? A chill?

When did I catch one?

Before he could answer, however, Yuan Shao clapped his hands and said, "Attendants! His Majesty is unwell. Escort him back to his bedchamber to rest!"

As his words fell, two guards entered the hall.

"Your Majesty, this way, please."

The two guards stood on either side of Liu Xie.

Seeing Yuan Shao and all the officials in the hall looking at him, Liu Xie finally understood. Apparently, the conversation to follow was not one he was meant to hear.

"Very well... I shall return to my bedchamber first, then."

Liu Xie set down his chopsticks, offered that polite remark, and rose to leave the hall with the two guards.

Yuan Shao had told him to leave. Could he possibly refuse?

He could only resign himself to being "unwell."

Watching Liu Xie leave the hall, Guan Yu, who sat behind Liu Bei, knitted his swordlike brows and said quietly, "How dare Yuan Shao show such disrespect?"

How could he fail to see that Liu Xie had been forced to leave?

Yuan Shao simply did not want him to stay!

Even Guan Yu could not bear to watch the Son of Heaven being ordered about like this.

Liu Bei withdrew his gaze and, after a moment's thought, set down his wine cup. He rose and said to Yuan Shao, "Brother Yuan, the three of us are feeling rather weary as well. I fear we cannot keep you company any longer."

Yuan Shao replied with some displeasure, "The banquet is only halfway through, yet you already wish to leave, Xuande? Surely you do not feel I have neglected you?"

With an apologetic expression, Liu Bei said, "Nothing of the sort, Brother Yuan. I have never held my liquor well, and I have drunk a little too much today. I truly cannot manage any more."

"Very well, then."

Although Yuan Shao expressed regret, he could hardly insist that they stay.

Thus Liu Bei left the hall with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

"Big Brother, why are we leaving already? I haven't had enough to drink yet."

After they left the hall, Zhang Fei complained with his teeth bared.

He could hold his liquor extremely well. The wine at today's banquet was not particularly strong and was like water to him. Even now, he was not the slightest bit drunk.

Liu Bei said helplessly, "Third Brother, did you not see Yuan Shao drive His Majesty away? Why should we shamelessly stay?"

"Besides, after he showed His Majesty such disrespect, how could I justify remaining?"

Yuan Shao clearly wanted to discuss matters with his subordinates.

And he had no intention of having them stay.

Otherwise, he would surely have tried hard to keep them, rather than offering a couple of perfunctory courtesies and letting them leave.

"Tch. What a roundabout way to do things."

Zhang Fei held such behavior from Yuan Shao in utter contempt. If he did not want Zhang Fei to stay, he should have said so outright instead of twisting and turning around it.

Then he asked, "Big Brother, we've been in Ye City for almost a month now. Is Yuan Shao going to lend us troops or not?"

"If he won't, we might as well go to Gongsun Zan. Wasn't he your fellow student? He's on great terms with you, too. He'll surely be willing to lend us troops."

Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei had been fellow students, both studying under Lu Zhi in their younger days.

Naturally, it would have been easier to borrow troops from Gongsun Zan.

The only problem was that Gongsun Zan was in West Liaoning and held the You Province region in the north. Traveling there to borrow troops and then returning would have been a real hassle.

That was precisely why they had come to Yuan Shao. He was closer, after all.

"Let us wait a little longer. If Yuan Shao still refuses to lend us troops after the new year, we will go to You Province and seek out Gongsun Zan."

Liu Bei had his own considerations.

Yuan Shao's main excuse now was that winter was unsuitable for deploying troops, and they should discuss it after the new year. In that case, Liu Bei would wait until then.

"Big Brother, where are we going now? Back to our lodgings? Or shall we find somewhere to drink?"

Guan Yu asked. In truth, it was still quite early.

Liu Bei smiled faintly and said, "Neither, of course. We are going to see His Majesty."

"What?"