Chapter 13: The Examination

Jinyang was divided into the large western and eastern cities, with the middle city sandwiched between them. Over the Fen River, a wide Middle City Bridge connected the two banks, facilitating contact and exchange between the eastern and western cities.

As night fell, Liu Chengyou, carrying a hint of doubt in his heart, rode in a carriage through the city's wards and towers until he reached the foot of the bridge. Liu Zhiyuan had summoned him, and the meeting place was unexpectedly on this very bridge.

His face still bore an unusual flush, though under the cover of darkness it was not very discernible. He had been in the midst of deep communion with Lady Geng when he was interrupted and summoned. Although Liu Chengyou was the type of male lead given to abstinence, he was after all not sexually frigid—when he truly wished to vent his desires, he would never be coy about it.

At the foot of the bridge, he happened to run into Liu Chengxun. The brothers alighted from their carriages and met face to face. Liu Chengxun was somewhat surprised: "Second Brother, Father actually summoned you as well?"

Meeting Liu Chengxun's gaze, Liu Chengyou merely gave an indifferent nod: "Mm!"

Probably feeling that his question had been somewhat inappropriate, a trace of embarrassment surfaced on Liu Chengxun's handsome face, and he hurriedly urged: "Let us ascend the bridge together—we must not keep Father waiting long."

"Mm!" Liu Chengyou responded in the same manner. After his brother walked ahead with a helpless air, Liu Chengyou then sauntered along behind him, casting a cold, clear gaze upon Liu Chengxun, though he wondered whether his elder brother felt the prickling sensation of thorns on his back.

Lately, the curfew hour in Jinyang had been moved much earlier. The city's roads were utterly silent, with only Patrol Inspector soldiers making their rounds. The Middle City Bridge was also eerily quiet, completely devoid of the bustling crowds and clamor of daytime.

Above and below the bridge, over a hundred soldiers of the prince's personal guards stood watch on both sides, alert to potential threats from the surroundings. Liu Zhiyuan stood silently at the center of the bridge, leaning against the railing facing south, staring absently at the ceaselessly flowing waters of the Fen River. He wore fine brocade robes with a long cloak draped over his shoulders. Viewed from behind, Liu Zhiyuan's silhouette was imposing and aloof, his entire being seemingly radiating an overbearing majesty.

"Father!" The brothers stepped forward to pay their respects, then respectfully took their positions on either side of him.

Liu Zhiyuan responded softly. Observing him at close range, Liu Chengyou discovered that his father's face did not bear the grave, stern expression he had imagined. On the contrary, under the mottled light of the bridge lanterns, Liu Zhiyuan's face was entirely serene.

"May we ask what instructions Father has for summoning us here?" The two brothers stood with their old father for a long while, and it was Liu Chengxun who could not hold back and voiced the question.

Upon hearing the question, Liu Zhiyuan pressed both hands upon the stone railing and said unhurriedly: "These past days, the civil and military officials of Hedong have repeatedly urged me to assume the imperial title and establish a new dynasty. They are all enthusiastic, vying to offer their counsel. By tonight, the memorials urging me to take the throne have already filled the desk in the prince's mansion! Yet in my heart, I feel somewhat uncertain. What thoughts do you brothers have?"

With his two sons, Liu Zhiyuan did not put on airs or feign modesty, but discussed the matter plainly. Summoning his two sons might well also carry the intent of testing them.

Facing Liu Zhiyuan's question, Liu Chengxun appeared somewhat conflicted. After pondering for a while, he answered hesitantly while observing his father's expression: "What the assembled officials request are all words of loyalty, words from the heart. Their sincere wishes are not to be rebuffed lightly. However, the Khitan are after all powerful. It is perfectly reasonable for Father to be cautious—perhaps we might observe a while longer and await a change in circumstances!"

Liu Zhiyuan did not seem particularly satisfied with Liu Chengxun's answer, and merely sighed: "Those urging me to take the throne may indeed possess loyalty, but more likely, they seek the merit of supporting a new sovereign, seeking fame and fortune. With my current position, taking a step forward may not be difficult, but there would be no turning back. Since the decline of the Tang, across the nine provinces of the realm, who knows how many families and surnames have sat upon that throne, only to end in death and the destruction of their states..."

There was genuine melancholy in Liu Zhiyuan's tone, but in Liu Chengyou's view, it was somewhat affected. Before the throne of the emperor, all misgivings were but floating clouds! Throughout history, how many rises and falls had there been—would Liu Zhiyuan truly care about so much? Hesitating and looking back and forth was not his nature.

Liu Chengxun clearly could not grasp Liu Zhiyuan's state of mind. Hearing his sigh, he spoke up to console him: "Father's concerns are not without reason. But since ancient times, he who wins the people's hearts wins the realm. You are now the focus of the people's hopes, the object of universal expectation. You are a hero of this age, bearing Heaven's mandate—how could you follow in the footsteps of the previous dynasties?"

Hearing this, Liu Zhiyuan could not help but turn his head to look at his beloved son. That handsome face, however one looked at it, carried a hint of naive pedantry. He sighed silently in his heart: Winning a realm is not easy, but holding it is even harder...

Liu Chengyou listened silently to his father and elder brother's conversation. Only when Liu Zhiyuan turned his gaze upon him did he speak with great firmness: "Heaven's gift unclaimed will surely bring calamity. The barbarian bandits have usurped the Two Capitals, and the people of the Central Plains suffer hardship. For Father to assume the imperial title, issue a call to the realm, punish the wicked and save the people, rescue the drowning masses—this is a matter of following Heaven and answering the people's will. Why hesitate?"

Liu Chengyou's words were in truth nothing novel. Liu Zhiyuan smiled without offering any comment.

However, Liu Chengyou did not deliberately try to guess or echo Liu Zhiyuan's sentiments. He simply continued to speak the truest thoughts in his heart: "The Son of Heaven—he who has strong soldiers and sturdy horses shall be it; is it a matter of birthright! An Chongrong's words were truly eye-opening and ear-splitting—indeed, the truth of this chaotic age. Now Hedong has strong soldiers and sturdy horses, foremost among all the vassal domains. If Father ascends the imperial throne, who would dare not submit, who would not rally to your side!"

As Liu Chengyou's words fell, a gleam of light flashed in Liu Zhiyuan's aged eyes. On the other side, his elder brother Liu Chengxun could not help but turn his head to stare at his second brother, dumbfounded.

"Now, our Liu family already possesses the favor of Heaven's timing, and Hedong occupies the advantage of terrain. Once the banner of righteousness is raised, we will surely command the harmony of the people. With these three, with Father's brilliance, with Hedong's strength—how could we fail to accomplish the task?" Unconsciously, Liu Chengyou's words had grown many.

"Heaven's timing, terrain advantage, and harmony of the people?" Liu Zhiyuan's interest was piqued.

Under Liu Zhiyuan's gaze, Liu Chengyou narrated slowly: "Setting aside those grand and righteous speeches—the Khitan's destruction of the Jin is a disaster for the state, a calamity for the common people. But for Father, it is a tremendous opportunity. Had there been no Khitan threat, given the past years of suspicion and conflict between Father and the court, it would sooner or later have escalated into armed confrontation. At that time, Father would likely have found himself in the same difficult position as the Founding Ancestor of the Jin—resisting the might of the entire realm with but a single corner."

"But now it is different. The Khitan wreak havoc upon the Central Plains. Though Father nominally holds only a few prefectures of Hedong, raise your voice and you can gather the hopes of the realm, concentrate the strength of a nation to resist the Khitan. Advance, and you may seize the realm; retreat, and you may defend the family enterprise. The gap between these two paths—do you not understand it, Father?"

After hearing Liu Chengyou's words, Liu Zhiyuan wore a serious expression. Perhaps tired of standing, he looked around, then directly beckoned his two sons to sit on the ground with him. Once seated, Liu Zhiyuan looked at Liu Chengyou: "Second Son, if you had spoken such disloyal words before others, I would surely have sternly rebuked you. But tonight, with just the three of us—father and sons—I must admit that what you say is the truth!"

Liu Zhiyuan's candid reaction made the corner of Liu Chengyou's mouth twitch upward. Drawing in a breath of the cool spring night air, he continued to speak with ease: "The mountains and rivers of Hedong are perilous and secure—the importance of its terrain need not be elaborated by your son. As for the harmony of the people—under the cruel depredations of the Khitan cavalry, how could the scholars and common folk of our Central Kingdom not unite as one to resist our common enemy?"