Chapter 84: Luo River Rite, The Great War Rises Again

This was destined to be a great event that would affect the entire realm.

—Regarding this alliance.

Liu Bei attached immense importance to it, and even directly proposed that he was willing to take an oath by the Luo River.

To the present-day Great Han, the Luo River had thoroughly and completely become the sacred river of the entire Great Han.

Ever since Gu Xi performed the river rite on the Luo River years ago and settled the realm—

The Luo River had thoroughly cemented its extraordinary status and identity.

In this era when omen-lore and superstition ran rampant—

There would always be far, far too many people who placed all their hopes upon sacrifices and rites.

Ever since the chaos of the realm began—

Looking over the entirety of the Luo River's rites, they had never once ceased.

Yet for a member of the Gu clan to perform the Luo River rite had never once occurred.

For the Gu clan—

Taking an oath upon the Luo River carried a different meaning of its own.

Faced with Liu Bei's proposal, Gu Chen only hesitated briefly before agreeing to it.

Afterwards—

He had people construct a sacrificial altar by the Luo River.

The news spread in an instant.

For the people of Luoyang, and indeed the entire capital region, Liang, Bing, and other lands, this was absolutely an immensely heartening matter.

After a gap of several decades—

A member of the Gu clan had finally, once again, performed the Luo River rite just as Gu Xi had back then.

After Gu Xi's rite back then, he truly tore through the Great Han's darkness and rescued the entire Great Han from the calamity.

This time, a member of the Gu clan had come again.

Whether Gu Chen could sweep the realm clean of chaos, they did not know.

But with life gradually improving over the past two years, such a rite would greatly boost morale.

This was the innate advantage of being a member of the Gu clan.

The fourth year of Jian'an, the sixth month.

Gu Chen led his civil and military officials together with Liu Bei up onto the altar, and before the assembled crowd swore an oath to sweep clean the thieves of the realm.

What surprised Gu Chen was—

Liu Bei once again spoke of the Gu clan atop the altar.

He solemnly declared before all present—

"In this life I shall never betray the Gu clan; should I harbor divided intent, may heaven and man together destroy me;"

"Should I violate this oath, may the ancestral temples withhold their blessing."

This was absolutely an exceedingly weighty oath.

A man of Liu Bei's status—setting aside how things would unfold later—the mere fact that he had reached this point was already destined to leave a heavy mark within the Liu clan.

Such an oath was, for him, an extremely heavy shackle.

The news spread toward the four corners of the realm like a tide.

For the people of every region—

What they cared about most was, naturally, a member of the Gu clan performing the rite once again.

In truth, over these years, it had happened time and again that people from the various provinces fled one after another to the lands under Gu Chen's rule.

Especially in Jizhou—

The people of Jizhou held the deepest attachment to the Gu clan.

Today's Julu had been completely set apart; Cao Cao's attitude toward Julu was in fact the same as Yuan Shao's—keeping all members of the Gu clan within Julu.

Letting Julu's people come and go freely, yet not allowing people from the four directions to go to Julu.

Population was the most important productive force of this era.

He could not possibly make a move against the Gu clan now.

But he absolutely could not tolerate the Gu clan retaining too many, too many of the people.

To prevent the people of Jizhou from fleeing to Bing Province and the capital region, Cao Cao guarded the entire border area with strict vigilance, carrying out military colonies on a large scale.

This did indeed have a certain effect.

And as the role of the military-agricultural colonies gradually unfolded, and life recovered somewhat compared to before, this trend gradually subsided.

After all, if one could survive—

Who would risk life and death to flee their homeland?

But once this matter spread, this situation arose once again.

Cao Cao could only continue to impose restrictions in response.

Xu Chang.

Looking at memorial after memorial, Cao Cao's gaze could not help but grow increasingly sharp.

He gave a cold laugh and looked toward those present: "Heh~"

"Just as I expected."

"Among all the lords of the realm today, only Gu Ziyan and this Liu Xuande can catch my eye."

Compared to before—

Cao Cao's entire bearing now carried an added air of authority.

The current Grand Tutor oversees the Minister affairs.

One could say that, compared to the original Gu Xi, he lacks only the so-called imperial deathbed mandate.

But Cao Cao now has no need for any of these.

Imperial deathbed mandate?

The Emperor himself is now in his palm.

Liu Xie and Liu Bian are firmly imprisoned within the palace, every official above and below him loyal to him.

What difference is there between him and an Emperor?

"My Lord, news has long arrived from Jingzhou—Liu Biao's illness is worsening, and he may not live much longer."

Cheng Yu stepped forward slowly and bowed to Cao Cao: "The current course of action."

"Liu Bei has joined forces with Gu Chen."

"War with My Lord is inevitable; we must force Liu Bei out of Jingzhou."

"At all costs, we must not let Jingzhou fall into Liu Bei's hands."

Hearing this, Cao Cao nodded slightly, then turned to Guo Jia: "Feng Xiao, how goes your work with the Jingzhou clans?"

Perhaps because they had previously received benefits.

During this time, Cao Cao, while stabilizing the four quarters, has also been contacting the Jingzhou clans.

The power of the Jingzhou clans is now immense.

The Cai and Kuai clans control the entire military and administrative authority of Jingzhou.

In truth, in today's Jingzhou—

Liu Biao, the so-called Governor of Jingzhou, is merely a "spokesman."

In his youth, when the times had not yet descended into such chaos, Liu Biao could still control all of Jingzhou.

But now it is entirely different.

These Jingzhou clans care only for their own family interests.

Liu Biao's decisions are constantly constrained by them.

One could say that, with the current situation, gaining the support of the Jingzhou clans is already equivalent to possessing Jingzhou.

"My Lord, rest assured."

Guo Jia smiled and bowed to Cao Cao: "This matter is only one final step away."

"After Liu Biao's death—"

"Jingzhou will surely fall into My Lord's hands."

Hearing this, Cao Cao's face finally broke into a smile again.

His current retinue is nothing short of magnificent.

This is also tied to Gu Chen's governance style—Gu Chen, though he did not eliminate all great clans, has imposed far stricter demands upon them.

Cao Cao, by contrast, does the exact opposite.

This indeed wins him greater support from the clans.

The others then resumed discussing major affairs.

Guo Jia again pointed Cao Cao toward a path: use the advantage of holding the imperial court to brand Gu Chen and Liu Bei as rebels, securing the moral high ground.

A great war between both sides is absolutely unavoidable.

If so, there is no longer need for such caution.

Holding Emperor Liu Xie in hand will still cause some disruption to Gu Chen and Liu Bei.

In this world, the wise are always a minority.

And this move will also indirectly damage the Gu family's prestige.

Given Cao Cao's suspicious nature, the existence of the Julu Gu family has always been a thorn.

He must slowly dismantle the Gu family's prestige.

At the very least, he must bring the Gu family down to the level of other clans, no longer threatening his foundation.

And this did not surprise Zhuge Liang.

Cao Cao indeed intended to ally with Sun Ce.

To him, this was a divine ally sent by heaven, capable of relieving pressure on Liu Bei.

Sun Ce would not refuse such an alliance.

With the blood feud over his father's death, he and Gu Chen are destined enemies.

At such a time, if he does not ally with Cao Cao, when will he ever seek revenge?

The world's storms stirred anew.

Cao Cao's move was like a signal, causing the world, which had just fallen silent for several years, to boil once more.

——Declare Gu Chen a rebel!

This is the first time since Emperor Guangwu restored the Han that a Gu family member has been branded a "rebel" by a Han Emperor.

The impact of this news is unimaginable.

But Gu Chen had already prepared for this.

He immediately leveraged Liu Bei's status as a Han imperial clansman to denounce Cao Cao as "a minister in name, a traitor to Han in truth."

The news spread, and the four seas erupted.

Jingzhou.

To Liu Bei's delight, Zhuge Liang and Xu Shu had indeed come to join him.

The situation had not changed at all.

But he did not know why Liu Bei's overall condition had improved significantly.

Yet before he could act, news arrived from Liu Biao.

———Liu Biao is Critically Ill!

This news struck Liu Bei like a thunderclap on a clear day!

Given the current situation in Jing Province, although Liu Biao could not fully control the local clans, he could still maneuver with them.

If Liu now falters, Jing Province will surely descend into chaos.

"Lord, if Liu Biao intends to entrust Jing Province to you, I beg you not to refuse."

Zhuge Liang and Xu Shu both regarded this journey of Liu Bei's with utmost seriousness.

At this critical moment, Liu Biao summoned Liu Bei to see him.

It must carry profound intent.

Hearing this, Liu Bei's face immediately darkened with hesitation, and he shook his head: "Liu Jingsheng is my clan elder."

"He still has living sons—how could I—"

He did not finish, but his meaning was perfectly clear.

"Lord."

Zhuge Liang's expression remained calm as he regarded Liu Bei steadily: "Which is heavier: the restoration of the Han, or these personal ties?"

A simple question, and instantly Liu Bei froze.

Which is heavier?

Does this need further words?

"Jing Province is the belly of the world. If Liu Jingsheng truly passes, and you do not take Jing Province, Cao Cao will."

Xu Shu also spoke.

Hearing this, Liu Bei's expression instantly grew complex.

In but an instant, he had made his decision!

This was Liu Bei's transformation.

The journey to Luoyang had changed Liu Bei far too much.

He was no longer the Liu Bei who cared only for "benevolence and virtue."

Liu Bei fell silent for a long while, then finally gave a slight nod.

He then led Zhao Yun and five hundred elite cavalry away from Xinye.

Liu Biao's health was indeed failing.

He was already very old.

Especially these past years, he had sensed the changes across the realm, even within Jing Province.

This weighed heavily on him; he lived in constant dread each day, until his body was utterly broken.

Liu Biao was no fool.

He may not have been a great lord capable of restoring the realm, but governing a region was well within his ability.

With the current state of the world, Jing Province's changes filled him with deep anxiety.

Could his two sons truly withstand Jing Province's internal strife and external threats?

At this moment, outside the hall.

Cai Mao and the other clan leaders were deliberating on matters of great importance.

"The state of the realm has reached this point—Grand Tutor Cao has extended an olive branch to us."

"If you still do not decide now, you will surely regret it too late."

"Do you truly intend to follow Gu Yi?"

Hearing this, all present grew even more solemn.

Following Gu Yi was out of the question.

Even though Gu Yi had not yet fully moved against the great clans, any loss of interest was unacceptable to them.

"What is your plan, Degui?" someone asked.

Cai Mao slightly raised his lips and smiled: "The Lord has summoned Liu Bei."

"If we can keep the Lord stable, once he passes, we can surrender Jing Province to Grand Tutor Cao."

"To be frank, Grand Tutor Cao has already promised me—"

"If we defect, we may continue to hold our positions in Jing Province."

Hearing this, their eyes brightened instantly.

Remaining in Jing Province was an immense temptation for these clans.

As one man nodded first, the matter was settled.

Dark currents surged throughout Jing Province.

Liu Bei rode hard, leading his troops straight toward Xiangyang.

He had expected to see Liu Biao.

But the outcome ultimately surpassed his expectations.

Along the way, he encountered layer upon layer of obstruction, even bandits who sought his life.

He did not bother to wonder who had sent these men.

But clearly, Jing Province had completely turned upside down.

He had no chance whatsoever to see Liu Biao—even before reaching Xiangyang, news of Liu Biao's death arrived, delivered by his son Liu Qi.

Now, under the support of Cai Mao and the other Jing Province clans, Liu Cong had declared himself Governor of Jing Province.

Cai Mao went even further, branding Liu Bei a rebel outright.

He would raise troops to attack him!

In one stroke, this plunged Liu Bei into a perilous situation.

Fortunately, he had brought five hundred elite soldiers on this trip, and he also had the fierce general Zhao Yun at his side.

Wave after wave of attackers were all held off by Zhao Yun.

Zhuge Liang seemed to have foreseen this long ago and had long since ordered Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and the others to ready the troops for battle.

Only when the reinforcements arrived was Liu Bei finally pulled out of danger.

But the situation in Jingzhou was also far from stable.

And the most critical point was—

It was at this very moment that Cao Cao also moved his troops, using the identity of "Grand Tutor" to resolve to sweep away Gu Chen and Liu Bei.

The news spread, and the whole realm erupted!

Under all these circumstances, Liu Bei finally made up his mind completely.

He would follow Zhuge Liang's proposal.

Using the name of "Liu Qi," the eldest son of Liu Biao, he formally raised troops at Xinye to advance on Jingzhou.

Across the land, great chaos rose once more.

Gu Chen naturally would not let Cao Cao easily interfere with the situation in Jingzhou, so he too mustered his troops at Luoyang.

With Cao Cao's current strength, if anyone else had acted this way, he might not have cared at all.

But Gu Chen was different after all.

He could only send someone to Jiangdong, to have Sun Ce raise troops there to aid the Jingzhou noble clans.

Jingzhou descended into great chaos.

This time Liu Bei was truly furious; every move he made was utterly merciless.

Although his own abilities admittedly could not be called outstanding—

—but now, he was already accomplished in both civil and military affairs!

In civil matters he had Zhuge Liang, Xu Shu, and others; in military matters he had generals Guan, Zhang, Zhao, and the rest.

Such a lineup was no weak one across the entire realm.

Let alone within the lands of Jingzhou.

Before Sun Ce could even move his troops, he had already successively taken all of Nanyang.

The offensive was ferociously fierce!

This assault only began to ease when Sun Ce finally moved his troops to come.

And just as the situation in Jingzhou steadied slightly, Gu Chen and Cao Cao likewise moved their troops in turn.

Cao Cao personally led two hundred thousand troops at Yingchuan, declaring that this campaign would sweep the realm clean in one stroke.

The spearhead of his army pointed straight at Henei and Nanyang.

Gu Chen likewise led one hundred thirty thousand troops at Henei to face off against Cao's army.

Liu Bei contended with Sun Ce for supremacy in the lands of Nanyang.

The lords and warlocks of the four directions gathered;

The realm, which had only known peace for a few years—

In an instant, the beacon fires were lit once more!

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(End of this chapter)