Chapter 99

Liu Bei took two water bags and handed them to the severely traumatized Emperor Liu Bian and the Prince of Chen Liu, Liu Xie.

"Your Majesty, your subject Liu Bei is late in coming to rescue you. Please forgive my crime!"

Liu Bian drank the water hurriedly; he had been thirsty all night!

Liu Xie, however, stared at Liu Bei.

"Are you the Liu Xuande who killed Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao, traveled a thousand miles to deliver your teacher, and also killed the Xiongnu Chanyu Yufuluo?"

Liu Bei lowered his head and cupped his hands.

"It is indeed I."

Liu Xie continued,

"Is your surname Liu?"

Liu Bei cupped his hands and said loudly,

"Your Majesty, Prince of Chen Liu, your humble subject is a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan and the great-great-grandson of Emperor Xiaojing!"

Liu Bian was so startled that his water bag almost fell to the ground.

Little Liu Xie nodded.

"I did not expect you to be a kinsman of our Han imperial clan. You have rendered meritorious service in protecting the Emperor this time; the Emperor will surely reward you heavily."

Liu Bei looked up, his face already streaming with tears.

"As a subject of the Han, I should naturally do my utmost to protect the Emperor. Because I allowed the Emperor to be taken hostage by Zhang Rang, I am guilty!"

Zhang Fei said from the side,

"My big brother hasn't stopped his feet for a whole night to save the Emperor, and he hasn't even had a drop of water!"

Liu Xie and Liu Bian were so moved by Liu Bei's sincerity that they were overwhelmed.

"Minister Liu is truly loyal and righteous!"

"With such a loyal subject in our Great Han, why worry that it will not flourish?"

The two of them had an extremely good impression of Liu Bei!

Liu Bei wiped his face.

"Your Majesty, Prince of Chen Liu, my teacher is over fifty, yet he still donned armor to rescue the Emperor. I am not as good as he is."

Lu Zhi cupped his hands from the side.

"If not for Xuande just now, Duan Gui would still be holding the Empress Dowager hostage."

Lu Zhi returned the favor, providing an assist for Liu Bei.

Liu Bian was startled.

"How is my mother?"

Liu Bei took over the conversation.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, the Empress Dowager is unharmed; she was only slightly frightened. Commandant Cao Mengde is currently accompanying her."

Liu Bian:??

Liu Xie muttered,

"Why is this Cao Cao accompanying the Empress Dowager?"

Their impression of Cao Cao instantly worsened!

The barrage in the live broadcast room exploded.

"The Big-Eared Thief is too cunning!"

"One look down, one look up, and he's already streaming with tears. This acting is invincible."

"And 'subject of the Han'—how long have you even been there!"

"Is this him climbing up to be a relative of the Emperor?"

"The Big-Eared Thief's luck is heaven-defying; he saved the Empress Dowager and then saved the Emperor!"

"And he even slipped Cao Cao some eye drops 【slandered him】 while he was at it. The Big-Eared Thief is a fortress!"

"Is he implying the late Emperor was cuckolded?"

"The Big-Eared Thief has actually latched onto the little Emperor. I truly admire his vision and luck!"

Liu Bei ordered his soldiers to slaughter chickens and sheep to let the little Emperor and the Prince of Chen Liu fill their stomachs first.

After the two children ate, their favor for Liu Bei increased even more.

Just at this moment,

Dust rose to the west, and several thousand cavalry arrived, vast and mighty!

Liu Bei let out a great shout,

"Zilong, Yide, pay attention! If it is an enemy army, we must protect the Emperor and the Prince of Chen Liu and ensure they leave safely, even if it costs us our lives!"

"Understood!"

The Emperor and the Prince of Chen Liu looked at each other; this Liu Bei was indeed a loyal subject!

The cavalry over there slowly approached.

Zhang Fei let out a thunderous roar,

"Who goes there? State your names quickly!"

A fat man, even fatter than Zhang Fei, stepped down from a war chariot.

"Your subject, Marquis of Ao Township, Inspector of Western Liang, Dong Zhuo, pays respects to the Emperor."

Liu Xie asked curiously,

"Are you Dong Zhuo?"

Emperor Liu Bian, however, snorted,

"Dong Zhuo, during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, your expedition failed, and you lost troops and generals. Do you know your crime?"

Dong Zhuo's expression was poor, but he could only cup his hands.

"Your subject knows his crime!"

His mood instantly soured. He had come over eagerly, but the Emperor hadn't praised him once and had actually started digging up old accounts. It was truly speechless!

Liu Bei shook his head inwardly. This little Emperor had indeed inherited the genes of the He family; his intelligence was a bit lacking. He was delivering his own head!

"With several thousand cavalry opposite, is Liu Bian really not afraid that Dong Zhuo will chop him down?"

The younger Liu Xie said in a crisp voice,

"The imperial court is newly established. Your arrival is timely; it is a great merit. From now on, you shall make up for your past faults with new deeds. Conduct yourself well!"

"As you command!"

Dong Zhuo found that this Prince of Chen Liu seemed quite good and was quite in tune with him!

"Protect the Emperor and return to the palace!"

The group headed toward Luoyang in a grand procession.

Dong Zhuo saw another person he disliked very much: Minister Lu Zhi!

He himself had suffered repeated defeats, while Lu Zhi had won repeated victories, slapping his face every single day!

Along the way, Liu Xie and Liu Bian kept chatting with Liu Bei.

"Minister Liu, I hear you married the great talented woman Cai Yan. Your learning must be very high as well."

Liu Bei cupped his hands.

"Your Majesty, your humble subject studied under Minister Lu; my learning is passable."

Liu Xie smiled.

"You are already very good. You defeated the Xiongnu and recently defeated the Xianbei army."

Liu Bei did not expect that this Prince of Chen Liu was actually paying such close attention to him! ===== CHAPTER 100 =====