He still had some reservations about this false emperor.
He needed to meet him in person and see for himself.
Deep within the Yuan Residence, in a secluded courtyard.
This had originally been Yuan Shao's quarters, the finest accommodations in the residence, and Liu Xie had been brought here to rest.
Attended by a group of maids, Liu Xie bathed amid burning incense, washed away the grime on his body, and changed into clean clothes before retiring to his room.
"This is heaven..."
Lying on three soft layers of Shu brocade quilts, Liu Xie gazed at the room's elegant, antique furnishings and breathed in the faint ambergris fragrance curling around his nose, overwhelmed with emotion.
Yesterday, he had been sleeping in a ruined temple. Today, he was staying in a deluxe VIP presidential suite with a king-size bed. Fate really did twist and turn in unpredictable ways.
Just as Liu Xie grew comfortable enough to drift off, he suddenly heard someone push open the door.
Chapter 7: Ju Shou's Concerns
At the sound of the door opening, Liu Xie sat up and looked toward the entrance.
Yuan Shao and Ju Shou had arrived without his noticing and walked straight in.
"My dear subject Yuan..."
Liu Xie instinctively tried to slip into his role as emperor, but before he could finish, he realized something was wrong.
Yuan Shao had come with Ju Shou, and they had entered without knocking. That was not how subjects were supposed to behave toward their emperor.
Which meant... Yuan Shao already knew he was a fake!
The moment he realized this, Liu Xie hesitated no longer. He scrambled out of bed and bowed respectfully to Yuan Shao. "This humble commoner pays his respects to the Governor of Ji Province."
Yuan Shao raised an eyebrow at Liu Xie's respectful demeanor.
Even Ju Shou froze for a moment.
This lad... how had he reacted so quickly?
Outside the Yuan Residence, he had carried himself like an emperor, constantly referring to himself with the imperial "We." Now he was calling himself a humble commoner.
Yuan Shao said nothing, merely studying Liu Xie closely.
Liu Xie had now washed himself clean and put on an ink-black brocade robe. His beggarly appearance was gone, as though he had become an entirely different person. He looked handsome and distinguished, with an air of indescribable nobility.
He really is identical.
After examining him, Yuan Shao had to admit that this impostor truly looked exactly like the real emperor. Apart from his face being somewhat pale and gaunt, everything else, from his features to his build, was completely identical.
He was the very image of the emperor in Yuan Shao's memory.
All he lacked was a dragon robe and an imperial crown.
After looking him over for a while, Yuan Shao withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "It is good that you understand your place."
"But only the three of us may know that you are impersonating the emperor. From now on, before anyone else, you are the emperor. You must never let the truth slip. Do you understand?"
Though Yuan Shao's tone was calm, it carried unquestionable authority.
"I understand!"
Liu Xie straightened and declared fervently, "From now on, this humble commoner will obey your every command, my lord! If you tell me to go east, I will never go west! Whatever you ask of me, I will do!"
"It is this humble commoner's good fortune to serve you, my lord!"
Liu Xie launched straight into a barrage of flattery.
As the saying went, anything could wear through, but flattery never did. Faced with Boss Yuan, the most powerful man in the realm, Liu Xie dared not put on the slightest airs.
He was merely a wretched transmigrator who could barely count on surviving from one day to the next. He had no cheat powers, no overpowered system, and nothing to live on but his face. If he displeased Boss Yuan, he might lose his life at any moment.
Before he could care about dignity or pride, he had to stay alive.
A true man knew when to bend and when to stand tall!
Yuan Shao had intended to put Liu Xie in his place a little more, but his obedience saved him the trouble.
Yuan Shao nodded in satisfaction. "Good, as long as you understand. Do your job well, and I will not treat you poorly."
At those words, Liu Xie's eyes instantly lit up. Looking a little embarrassed, he asked, "Then... may I ask, my lord, how much silver will I receive once the job is done?"
"Silver? What is silver worth?"
Yuan Shao could not help laughing. "As long as you obey me, I will guarantee you a lifetime of wealth and glory. Houses, farmland, beautiful women, gold, silver, jewels-you shall have them all!"
Overjoyed, Liu Xie exclaimed, "Thank you, my lord! This humble commoner will serve you even if it means spilling his liver and brains upon the ground!"
At the sight of Liu Xie's excitement, a flicker of contempt passed through Yuan Shao's eyes. His face remained smiling, however, as he patted Liu Xie on the shoulder.
"Rest for now. For the next few days, claim illness and do not show yourself. I will arrange for someone to teach you imperial etiquette. You must learn all of it."
"Gongyu, let us go."
With that, Yuan Shao rose and left with Ju Shou.
Liu Xie escorted them all the way out of the courtyard and returned to his room only after their figures disappeared around a corner.
Once he had closed the door, Liu Xie collapsed wearily onto the bed and let out a long breath, feeling a little relieved.
"Finally got through that..."
Facing Yuan Shao just now had put him under tremendous pressure. He had feared not only for his life, but also that he might arouse Boss Yuan's suspicions.
That was why he had acted like such a bootlicker. Even his deliberate request for silver at the end had been meant to dispel Yuan Shao's suspicion and wariness.
After all, his identity was that of a displaced commoner. If a displaced commoner did not even want payment, what did he want?
If Boss Yuan decided he was calculating and full of hidden schemes, his life would become difficult indeed.
So, in truth, he would have to play two roles from now on.
Before others, he had to play the emperor of the Han. Before Boss Yuan, he had to continue playing a greedy, shortsighted refugee.
"Staying alive in this chaotic age really isn't easy."
Muttering to himself, Liu Xie buried his head in the soft quilts.
With the threat to his life gone, his taut nerves finally relaxed. The exhaustion of the past several days surged over him like a tide, and he soon fell into a deep sleep.
Elsewhere.
After leaving the courtyard, Yuan Shao and Ju Shou headed straight for the council hall.
"Gongyu, why do you look so troubled? What is wrong?"
Yuan Shao suddenly spoke, turning to Ju Shou.
Ever since they had left the courtyard, Ju Shou's brow had remained tightly furrowed. It was obvious something was weighing on his mind.
Ju Shou hesitated before saying, "My lord, I was thinking about this false emperor. I believe... we should strengthen our control over him."
"Oh? Why do you say that?"
Yuan Shao was puzzled, unsure why Ju Shou had suddenly raised the matter.
Ju Shou replied, "Earlier, this man imitated the emperor's conduct with uncanny precision. Yet upon seeing you, my lord, he immediately assumed the manner of a fawning petty man. Such a drastic transformation is astonishing."
"To my eyes, he does not seem like an ordinary refugee from the countryside. I therefore believe we should take him seriously and be more vigilant."
If Liu Xie's initial, nearly perfect imitation of the emperor had merely surprised Ju Shou, then his transformation in front of Yuan Shao had left him distinctly unsettled.
But after hearing Ju Shou's words, Yuan Shao laughed.
"You worry too much, Gongyu. He is merely a lowly commoner. What is there to fear? Keeping him under control will be effortless."
Yuan Shao did not take Ju Shou's warning to heart.
A fellow who dared ask for nothing but silver as his reward had neither ambition nor foresight. What was there to fear from someone like that?
Most importantly, Liu Xie was right in the palm of his hand. Whenever he wished, he could have him killed. It would scarcely be harder than crushing an ant.
"But, my lord..."
Ju Shou wanted to press his advice, but Yuan Shao no longer cared to listen. He waved a hand. "Let us discuss business in the hall first. We can speak of this later."
They had already reached the entrance to the council hall.
Ju Shou could only close his mouth and say no more.
Chapter 8: Send a Proclamation Throughout the Realm!
Inside the council hall, Shen Pei, Tian Feng, and the others had been waiting for some time.
Feng Ji, Xu You, and Guo Tu were also present.
As Yuan Shao and Ju Shou entered the hall, everyone turned to look at them.
"My lord, where is His Majesty?"
Tian Feng asked the question. They had all received Yuan Shao's order to wait in the council hall. Expecting a formal audience with the emperor, each had made a point of changing into ceremonial attire.
Yet now only Ju Shou and Yuan Shao had arrived, with no sign of the emperor. They could not help feeling puzzled.
Were they not here for an audience with the emperor?
Yuan Shao went straight to the seat of honor and sat down, then addressed the gathering. "The emperor is exhausted from his journey and is resting in a separate courtyard. He should not receive visitors."
He had originally intended to have Liu Xie meet everyone, but who could have known this emperor was a fake? He had no choice but to abandon that idea.
Every adviser present was an intelligent man. If they had too much contact with Liu Xie now, one of them might notice something amiss and expose his identity.
It was not that he distrusted his advisers, but the fewer people who knew about finding someone to impersonate the emperor, the better.
"I truly never imagined that the emperor could escape the clutches of that treacherous villain Cao Cao and make his way to you, my lord."
Shen Pei sighed with emotion, then turned to Ju Shou with a smile. "Gongyu, bringing His Majesty back to Ye City was a great achievement indeed!"
Before you continue