Hearing what Liu Xie had endured, many of those present could not help their eyes reddening.
The Son of Heaven himself, the sovereign of ten thousand chariots, had lived like a beggar. One could only imagine how much he had suffered along the way!
Standing behind Liu Xie, Ju Shou watched his performance out of the corner of his eye, the corners of his mouth twitching despite himself.
This fellow really is quite an actor...
Had he not known the truth, even he might have believed it.
Little did he know that Liu Xie's performance was entirely heartfelt, drawing on all the suffering and indignities he had endured since transmigrating.
His identity might have been false, but his suffering was real!
Wiping away his tears, Liu Xie took Yuan Shao's hand and sobbed, "Benchu, you are a pillar of the Great Han. You are the only one I can rely on now!"
Feeling Liu Xie's gaze, so full of hope and pleading, Yuan Shao suddenly felt an immense sense of duty and responsibility settle upon his shoulders.
Who but me could save the Great Han from collapse!
Yuan Shao drew a deep breath and clasped Liu Xie's hand tightly. His eyes resolute, he declared in a low voice, "Rest assured, Your Majesty! I will punish that rebel on your behalf and restore the Great Han!"
"One day, I will present Cao Cao's severed head to Your Majesty and wash away the humiliation you have suffered!"
Yuan Shao's words rang out with steely force, each one striking the ground like metal!
They were also filled with unparalleled killing intent!
He had dared draw his sword against the rebel Dong Zhuo back then. What had he to fear from drawing it against the traitor Cao Cao now?
"Punish the rebel! Kill Cao Cao!"
"Punish the rebel! Kill Cao Cao!"
"Punish the rebel! Kill Cao Cao!"
Someone among the officials behind Yuan Shao began the chant, and everyone else immediately joined in, their voices shaking the heavens.
"Benchu, you truly are the jade pillar holding up the heavens of the Great Han!"
Liu Xie grew even more emotional, his tears flowing without end.
At that point, Ju Shou, who stood behind him, could no longer bear to watch. He gave a light cough and stepped forward to address Yuan Shao. "My lord, His Majesty is weary from his journey. Let us escort him inside first."
Yuan Shao nodded slightly at his words and said to Liu Xie, "Please come inside and rest awhile, Your Majesty. I will have a banquet prepared at once to welcome you this evening and wash away the dust of your travels."
"Mm... sorry for the trouble, my loyal minister."
Liu Xie wiped his tears, then entered the Yuan Residence surrounded by the others.
Yuan Shao had intended to follow, but Ju Shou stopped him.
"Please wait, my lord. I have something to tell you."
Yuan Shao frowned slightly and looked at Ju Shou in puzzlement. "What is it, Gongyu?"
Ju Shou glanced around, then lowered his voice. "It concerns His Majesty. Have you not wondered why he suddenly came to Ye City?"
"Did His Majesty not explain? He escaped... hmm?"
Yuan Shao answered instinctively, but quickly realized something was amiss, and his heart gave a sudden lurch.
He narrowed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then glanced at Ju Shou, swept his broad sleeve aside, and turned toward the residence.
"This is no place to talk. Let us go to the study."
Ju Shou said nothing more. He merely lowered his eyes and bowed his head, following at a brisk pace.
Chapter 6: The True and False Emperors
The study, Yuan Residence.
Bang!
Yuan Shao slammed his palm onto the desk and glared darkly at Ju Shou, rebuking him in fury. "Ju Shou! How dare you! You actually found someone to impersonate the Son of Heaven?!"
He had just heard a piece of shocking news.
This emperor was actually a fake!
He was merely a refugee Ju Shou had picked up at random by the roadside to play the part, and Yuan Shao had actually believed him!
In fact, he had sensed something was wrong from the start, but that "emperor" had acted so convincingly that he had believed him.
Yet on closer consideration, that "emperor's" account could not withstand scrutiny at all.
First, there was the matter of his escape. Leaving aside how Cao Cao could possibly have allowed the emperor to flee, even if he had escaped, an emperor raised in luxury from childhood could never have traveled so far.
More importantly, once the emperor reached Ji Province and revealed his identity, Yuan Shao would have gone to welcome him in person long ago. Why would he have needed to make his way all the way to Ye City?
Facing Yuan Shao's rebuke, Ju Shou remained calm. "My lord, what does it matter whether he is real or false? As long as you say he is real, he is real."
"But he is not real!"
Yuan Shao's face was furious as he spoke through gritted teeth. "Do you know how grave the consequences would be if this impersonation were exposed?"
"I would lose the trust of everyone under heaven and be cursed by countless people!"
At that moment, Yuan Shao was utterly enraged. Without consulting him, Ju Shou had brought back this false emperor and even let him appear before so many people.
Now everyone believed the "emperor" was in Ye City. Yuan Shao was riding a tiger with no way to dismount.
Ju Shou replied, "My lord, aside from the false emperor himself, only you and I know his identity."
"He looks exactly like the emperor. Even you failed to recognize him as a fake, did you not?"
"With his identical appearance and your prestige, we can certainly proclaim that this emperor is real, while the one in Cao Cao's hands is false."
"Tell me, will the people under heaven believe you, or Cao Cao?"
Having just seen Liu Xie's superb acting deceive everyone, including Yuan Shao, Ju Shou was brimming with confidence.
This plan really could work!
"Do you think everyone under heaven is a fool?"
Yuan Shao said impatiently, "News of Luoyang's fall and Cao Cao escorting the emperor to Xu County has already spread throughout the realm. If I now claim that the emperor is in my hands, who will believe me?"
"Besides, there are differences between a true emperor and a false one. His close attendants and consorts would certainly recognize him. There is no hiding it!"
Ju Shou smiled faintly. "You are overthinking it, my lord. We do not actually need to prove that this emperor is real. We only need everyone under heaven to know that the emperor in Cao Cao's hands might be false."
"What do you mean?"
Yuan Shao knitted his brows and looked at Ju Shou.
Ju Shou smiled. "With the emperor in his hands, Cao Cao can reorganize the court, use the emperor's name to command the lords of the realm, and recruit talented men."
"But now that two emperors have appeared, even if Cao Cao holds the true emperor, people will still harbor doubts."
"In that case, the emperor will be far less useful to Cao Cao. Fewer people will accept his authority, and we will have a legitimate cause when we send troops against him in the future."
Although Ju Shou had devised this plan on the spur of the moment, he had already weighed its advantages and disadvantages from every angle.
As he had said, convincing everyone under heaven that their emperor was real would be difficult. But why did they need to convince everyone?
They only needed a legitimate pretext, while casting doubt on the authenticity of the emperor in Cao Cao's hands.
Mix truth with falsehood, and fish in muddied waters.
After hearing Ju Shou's explanation, Yuan Shao paced back and forth in the study with his brows tightly furrowed, carefully considering it.
"Have you thoroughly investigated this man's identity?"
At last, Yuan Shao raised his head to look at Ju Shou and asked in a low voice.
Naturally, he was asking about Liu Xie's identity.
Ju Shou knew what worried Yuan Shao, so he answered, "My lord, I have already questioned him thoroughly. He is merely an ordinary refugee. Had he not encountered me today, he would have starved to death within a few days."
"He is quick-witted and intelligent. Besides, we know he is a false emperor. Killing him would be as easy as turning over a hand."
Seeing that Yuan Shao still hesitated after he finished speaking, Ju Shou added earnestly, "My lord, we missed an excellent opportunity to welcome the emperor last time. We cannot miss this one as well."
"The reason I acted without consulting you was that I feared you would refuse."
"Cao Cao has already seized the initiative. We cannot keep sitting idly and waiting for death."
Resting one hand on the desk, Yuan Shao pondered for a long time with his brows knitted, then finally sighed.
"Very well. We shall do as you say."
There was no better option now than to adopt Ju Shou's plan, because news of the emperor's arrival in Ye City had already spread.
Surely he could not now announce that this emperor was a fake?
That really would make him a laughingstock.
Besides, Ju Shou's proposed plan did offer enormous advantages and could be used to counter Cao Cao.
"A wise decision, my lord!"
Overjoyed, Ju Shou bowed deeply.
Yuan Shao snorted coldly. "I will overlook your acting without permission this time. There must not be a next time!"
As a ruler, what he loathed most was his subordinates taking matters into their own hands. Even if they did it for his sake, it was still displeasing.
Ju Shou repeatedly voiced his assent, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief.
He had already braced himself for punishment.
Once the plan was settled, Yuan Shao said, "As for this false emperor, you must work on his story. Make absolutely certain no one else can tell he is a fake."
Ju Shou smiled. "Rest assured, my lord. As soon as I return, I will 'find' some evidence and witnesses to prove that the emperor escaped here."
"I will also arrange for someone to train his manners and bearing, ensuring that he is just like the true emperor."
These were all minor matters, easily arranged.
"I will leave it all to you."
Yuan Shao had little interest in such minutiae. He turned and walked toward the study door. "For now, come with me to meet this Majesty of ours."
Before you continue