Chapter 14

The next day, Court Hall.

"Officials enter the hall…"

Eunuch Chief Steward Li Liangcheng stood outside the hall and shouted loudly.

The officials lined up according to rank, civil and military in two columns, entering the hall in orderly fashion.

And upon the gilded dragon throne on the hall's high platform, Liu Bian sat wearing the Purple-Gold Nine-Clawed Dragon Robe, crowned with the Imperial Crown, dignified and seated, exuding Imperial Aura, silently awaiting the officials' audience.

"Officials, bow!" Li Liangcheng's sharp voice echoed throughout the hall.

"We subjects greet Your Majesty!"

The officials were all extremely reverent, bowing in unison and shouting in unison.

"Please rise, Your Ministers, and take your seats!"

Liu Bian sat upright on the dragon throne, his eyes full of dignity looking down on the officials, he waved his hand, gesturing upward to the officials below.

"Is this the throne that towers above the mundane? This feeling of looking down on all beings and controlling them is truly captivating; no wonder throughout history, whenever the throne changes hands, brothers turn against each other and fight within the same house!"

Liu Bian for the first time fully displayed imperial majesty; that feeling of looking down on all creation and controlling everything fascinated him; in this life he is destined to never leave this position, until he awes the universe, controls All Heavens and Myriad Realms, and becomes that supreme emperor.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" After the officials bowed, they rose in order and knelt at their respective places.

"Those with memorials, speak; those without, withdraw from court!" After the officials had knelt, Eunuch Chief Steward Li Liangcheng faced them and shouted loudly.

"Old Minister Yang Biao has a memorial to present!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Biao, the foremost civil official, rose and bowed, saying:

"Please speak, Old Loving Minister Yang." Liu Bian gazed at Yang Biao with dignified eyes.

"Your Majesty, since Five Days ago you executed the traitorous minister Dong Zhuo and his rebel faction, those officials who had sided with Dong Zhuo remain at large; they have betrayed Your Majesty and betrayed the Han Empire. I beseech Your Majesty to exterminate these disloyal and unrighteous lot, Nine Clans, to restore court order." Yang Biao reported with a cold face.

"We beseech Your Majesty to exterminate these disloyal lot, Nine Clans!" After Yang Biao finished, the officials below all rose and bowed in agreement.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian fell into thought for a moment, then said: "I know traitors deserve death, but we cannot implicate everyone for one person's fault; moreover, considering the special circumstances then, those officials acted only to preserve themselves. Therefore I decide to confiscate their property and execute three clans."

"Your Majesty is Sage and Mighty; we submit!"

"Your Majesty, we have a memorial to present!" After Yang Biao's memorial, the military officials Lü Bu, Cao Cao, and Yuan Shao stepped forward resolutely, bowed, and presented.

"Three honored ministers, please speak!"

Liu Bian looked at the three with a smile. He valued them greatly, for he currently had too few usable subordinates, especially a severe lack of military talent, and needed these three to contribute; each of their commands held considerable talent—Lü Bu's command presently had the two Grand Generals Zhang Liao and Gao Shun, while Cao Cao and Yuan Shao also had many talents under them.

In history, the two were the strongest Marquises during the era of warring Marquises; before Dong Zhuo entered the capital, both were loyal to the Han house, later gradually corrupted by power, and Cao Cao even died without claiming the throne. Now that Dong Zhuo is dead and the Han house still stands, they naturally harbor no disloyal intent.

"I present to Your Majesty, Five Days ago you ordered me to take over the Xiliang Army; I now have full control of it, and the former Xiliang Army commanders Li Jue and Guo Si, who intended to rebel, have been slain on the spot by this subordinate." Lü Bu said solemnly, bowing with clasped fists to Liu Bian.

"Well done, honored minister; Lü Bu, receive your appointment!" Upon hearing Lü Bu's words, Liu Bian understood, matching his expectation, and immediately with a solemn face said to Lü Bu:

"This subordinate is present!" Lü Bu replied loudly.

"I appoint you as Grand General of the Xiliang Army; with you, the Xiliang Army can be subdued, so you shall continue to command the fifty thousand Xiliang Army, holding the rank of Third Rank, and I also grant you an estate in Luoyang Prefecture and a reward of a thousand gold." Liu Bian ordered.

"I will obey the edict, thank you, Your Majesty!" Even though Lü Bu possessed transcendent martial prowess, he was overjoyed at Liu Bian's reward, for knowing this was a grant bestowed by the orthodox Han emperor, incomparable to anything previously given by Dong Zhuo.

"I present to Your Majesty, I, Cao Cao, have a memorial to present!" Seeing Lü Bu's presentation finished, Cao Cao at the side hurriedly spoke up to present.

"Cao Cao, honored minister, please speak!" Liu Bian said to Cao Cao.

"I report to Your Majesty, you ordered me to integrate the Xiyuan Eight Captains; now, except for one unit under General Yuan Shao's command, the other seven units have been fully integrated by me, and the original Xiliang Army spies planted by Dong Zhuo have been brought under my control; I specially request Your Majesty to dispose of them." Cao Cao said solemnly.

"Well done, Cao Cao, honored minister, for successfully integrating the Xiyuan Eight Captains; your merit is indispensable. For now, you shall act as commander of the Xiyuan Eight Captains, continue to lead them, holding the rank of Official Rank Third Grade, and I grant you an estate in Luoyang Prefecture." Liu Bian said to Cao Cao.

"I will obey the edict, thank you, Your Majesty!" Upon hearing this, Cao Cao's face showed excitement as he bowed with clasped fists.

"Your Majesty, I, Yuan Shao, have a memorial to present!" Yuan Shao at the side, unable to wait any longer, upon seeing Cao Cao's memorial finished, immediately stepped forward to report.

"Honored minister, please speak." Liu Bian smiled slightly at Yuan Shao.

"I present to Your Majesty, Three Days ago I had already thoroughly cleared the Xiliang Army from the Imperial Palace; now the troops guarding the vital areas of the palace have all been replaced by my own soldiers, and the remaining Xiliang Army is under the control of this subordinate; I request Your Majesty to dispose of them." Yuan Shao declared, chest out, speaking loudly.

"Well done, Yuan Shao, honored minister, for cleansing the Imperial Palace; your merit is indispensable. I decide to take one unit of your soldiers as the foundation, recruit twelve thousand from the populace, making a total of twenty thousand, to reorganize the Han Huben Army to guard the Imperial Palace; then replenish the Yulin Army guarding Luoyang to fifty thousand to guard the capital, at which point you shall act as acting commander of the Yulin Army, holding the rank of Official Rank Third Grade." After a moment's thought, Liu Bian said to Yuan Shao.

"This subordinate will obey the order; I will certainly organize the Yulin Army for Your Majesty." Yuan Shao looked at Liu Bian excitedly, his whole body full of vigor.

This was unavoidable; previously, the Yulin Army and the Imperial Guards that protected the Imperial Palace had been controlled since Dong Zhuo entered the capital, and the Imperial Guards were even transferred by Dong Zhuo into the Yulin Army guarding Luoyang; the palace's defenders were all garrisoned by Dong Zhuo's Xiliang Army, which gave him the confidence to wreak havoc in Gongting.

"Lü Bu, honored minister, I hear that under your command in the Bing Province Army there is Zhang Liao, a rare talent for leading troops and also a Bing Province Army commander; I therefore specially appoint Zhang Liao as Commander of the Bing Province Army, with the rank of Official Rank Third Grade." After Liu Bian finished speaking, his dignified gaze fixed on Lü Bu.

"This subordinate thanks Your Majesty on behalf of Zhang Liao!" Lü Bu hastily bowed to Liu Bian.

"Now the Huben Army guarding the Imperial Palace still lacks a commander to lead troops; Your Ministers, do you have anyone to recommend?" As for the commander of the Imperial Guards, Liu Bian's ideal choice would be Xu Chu and Dian Wei, but for now both are still in their hometowns, so they can only be recruited later.

Upon hearing Liu Bian's words, everyone below the hall fell into contemplation, thinking about whom they could recommend.