Three Kingdoms: Taking Over Liu Bei’s Legacy at the Start, Rebuilding the Han Dynasty Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The next day, Liu Qi bid farewell to Liu Biao, assigned Liu Pan to guard Xiangyang, and hurried to Xinye to attend the funeral.

He was accompanied by Xu Shu, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, and Huo Jun. With Liu Pan and Wen Pin in Xiangyang, the rear would be secure.

Finally about to meet Guan and Zhang, Liu Qi felt a bit anxious. He deliberately delayed his arrival by two days to give them some time to adjust.

Although he had been entrusted with Liu Bei’s legacy, he felt like an outsider, and they would surely have some psychological resistance that needed to be worked through.

Given Guan and Zhang’s personalities, their reactions would likely be intense. If the situation got out of hand, all efforts would be in vain. It would be better to let Yi Ji and Zhao Yun persuade them first.

As he crossed the river northward, Liu Qi’s heart was turbulent, akin to the waves of the river, as he envisioned various meeting scenarios.

Nanyang was the largest prefecture in the late Han dynasty, with a population of a million, but most had already been occupied by Cao Cao. The boundary was marked by the Qing River, with Cao’s forces in the west, leaving only the barren lands east of Xinye and Mount Tongbai.

Huang Zu of Jiangxia had long established his own power and refused to be commanded. In truth, Liu Biao had already lost control over the north of the river. Xinye was like a chicken rib—something that Liu Bei could use to keep Cao’s army in check, which was indeed a wise move.

The water route to Fancheng was blocked, so everyone disembarked at Huyang Port and arrived in Xinye, where they saw white flags hung throughout the city, and even the common people spontaneously wore mourning for Liu Bei.

Xu Shu sighed, “When I passed through this area from Yingchuan, I once heard the people sing: ‘In Xinye, it is Lord Liu, since his arrival, the people thrive.’ Now, seeing this scene, it is evident that Commander Liu is deeply loved by the people.”

Liu Qi nodded and said, “Uncle is famous for his benevolence and virtue, devoted to restoring the Han dynasty. Now that I inherit his ambition, I must also lead by example. Those who win the hearts of the people can conquer the world!”

Xu Shu nodded deeply. When they arrived at the government office, they saw white cloth draped everywhere, soldiers in mourning, and a coffin guarded by one person on each side—one in black, one in red—it was Guan and Zhang.

Although the two looked desolate and lifeless, they were very much alive, and Liu Qi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Sun Qian hurried out to greet them, leading Liu Qi to the coffin. After they burned incense and paid their respects, everyone stood in silence, watching him.

Liu Qi noticed that Guan and Zhang’s eyes were red, and there was even blood on Guan Yu’s long beard, knowing they were deeply grieving.

He bowed and apologized, saying, “I was unable to protect Uncle well. Please forgive me, Generals.”

Guan and Zhang sat there like wooden sculptures, unresponsive.

Sun Qian quickly added, “The two generals are grieving excessively; please do not blame them, General.”

Liu Qi let out a long sigh, “I only regret that the Cai family betrayed our lord. I was too weak, resulting in this great mistake!”

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu’s expression slightly shifted. He finally raised his head, his phoenix eyes swollen, and glanced over but did not speak.

At this moment, the two ladies also emerged from the back hall.

Liu Qi stepped forward to greet them with the respect due to his elders, taking the baby in his own hands. The little one was sucking on his fingers and looked at him with a giggle, showing no fear at all.

After comforting the two ladies, Zhao Yun and Yi Ji arrived as well. They had been handling the affairs in the city these past few days to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation.

Liu Qi ordered Huo Jun to bring a plaque and placed it in front of the mourning hall. It bore the four big characters he had personally written: “Do Not Forget Your Original Intention.”

Once set up, Liu Qi addressed everyone, saying, “I have received my uncle’s last wishes to protect the wives and children and to restore the Han dynasty. Knowing my virtue is lacking while my position is high, and my strength small while my responsibilities are great, I still need your strong support. Let us always remember my uncle’s words, achieve great deeds, and honor the spirits below.”

Sun Qian, Mi Zhu, Jian Yong, and others bowed in acceptance, while Guan and Zhang remained motionless, staring intently at the four characters on the plaque.

Liu Qi was not in a hurry and continued, “In the past, Emperor Gao established the Oath at Baima. Though I am unworthy, I wish to follow in the footsteps of my ancestors. Today, I propose to the three generals to renew the Oath at Baima, pledging to fulfill my uncle’s wishes, protect his descendants, stabilize the country, and achieve great accomplishments. What do you think?”

Guan Yu finally turned his head and asked in a hoarse voice, “Young Master, do you wish to take the oath?”

“If not for my uncle’s guidance, I would be nothing but a walking corpse!”

Liu Qi nodded seriously, drew the treasured sword granted by Liu Bei, and proclaimed loudly, “As a member of the Han family, I shall wield this three-foot sword to eliminate all treacherous and ungrateful people in the world, and restore the Han dynasty with unprecedented achievements.”

Zhang Fei glared and said, “Young Master, do you have my brother’s ambition?”

Liu Qi nodded seriously again and replied, “A true man in this world should aspire to serve his country; otherwise, he is no better than rotting wood. Since my uncle sacrificed himself for the nation, why should I cherish my meager life? I must be like my uncle and the other generals, willing to risk our lives and shed blood for the Han dynasty, no matter the cost!”

Guan Yu gently arranged his disheveled beard and instructed his son Guan Ping, “Go find a white horse!”

The grand rhetoric that Liu Qi had come up with finally bore fruit, and he let out a sigh of relief; he was running out of words if he continued.

Calming his emotions, he quickly said, “Dilu is a readily available white horse; there’s no need to look elsewhere.”

Sun Qian exclaimed, “General, this is a fine steed; how can you bear to kill it?”

Liu Qi sighed, “Even if it were a divine dragon, how could it compare to my uncle’s life? This horse is an omen for our master; keeping it would bring bad luck.My uncle’s death is related to it, so using it for the oath is the most fitting choice.”

Guan Yu gently stroked his beard, his swollen phoenix eyes narrowing slightly. Zhang Fei gazed deeply at Liu Qi with his red eyes, and such determination moved the two of them.

Huo Jun quickly led people to bring Dilu over, and they slaughtered it at the government office, setting it on the incense table. They burned incense and offered wine, preparing five bowls of blood wine.

Everyone gathered to take the oath before the spirit, vowing to eliminate Cao and punish treachery, working together to restore the Han dynasty.

After the oath was completed, Liu Qi poured the first bowl of blood wine before Liu Bei’s spirit and shared the remaining wine with Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun.

This oath was comparable to the Brotherhood of the Peach Garden, yet it was devoid of any celebratory atmosphere; instead, it was filled with a sense of tragic heroism. After drinking, Guan and Zhang knelt before the spirit and wept bitterly.

Liu Qi also lay on the ground, crying, tears mingling, appearing extremely sorrowful.

In truth, he was overjoyed to the point of tears, so excited that he had snot bubbles forming.

If he hadn’t lay down to let out a few cries, he feared he might laugh out loud.

With Guan, Zhang, and Zhao on his side, along with Huang Zhong and Wei Yan, their lineup was comparable to the Five Tiger Generals; anyone else would have fainted from joy.

Yi Ji and Sun Qian wiped their tears and helped Liu Qi up, deeply touched by his sincerity.

Liu Qi ordered Xu Shu to temporarily manage matters in Xinye, while Huang Zhong and Wei Yan were responsible for training troops. In two days, they would bury Liu Bei by the Han River, facing Xiangyang across the river.

After the burial, the families of Guan, Zhang, and Sun Qian, would be sent to Xiangyang for safety, alleviating any future worries.

As everyone bid farewell by the riverside, Liu Qi calmly said to Xu Shu, “Now that Yingchuan is under Cao Cao’s control, does the military advisor have any family left? It would be better to bring them to Jingzhou to avoid any entanglements.”

Xu Shu replied earnestly, “Thank you for your concern, Young Master. My elderly mother is still alive, but she is quite old and cannot endure the hardships of travel. I have already arranged for her safety, so there is no need to worry.”

However, since Xu Shu had not revealed his identity.

Liu Qi did not want to confront him directly. He planned to find an appropriate time to persuade him to bring his mother over to avoid any regrets should Xu Shu end up in Cao’s camp.

With the funeral completed, everything finally fell into place. Liu Qi appointed Xu Shu as his military advisor and ordered Yi Ji to establish a talent recruitment hall to attract capable individuals. The responsibilities of the others remained unchanged, continuing to implement Liu Bei’s policies to stabilize the people and train the troops.