The Wolves Raise Their Heads (2)
189, May 15. Liu Bian, the eldest legitimate son of the emperor who had passed away in Chongde Hall and nephew of Grand General He Jin, ascended to the throne as the Emperor of Ten Thousand Chariots.
"Long live! Long live! Long, long live!"
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"
The civil and military officials gathered and shouted three cheers of long live. Moreover, Grand General He Jin and the generals under his command, dressed in their court robes, spread their arms wide and shouted long live, sincerely celebrating the new emperor's ascension.
Many foresaw that the Grand General's mansion would grow even more powerful and influential from here on. The ascension ceremony had been held under the Grand General's leadership just two days after the late emperor's death, and rumors swirled in the palace that Empress Dowager He might delegate full authority to her brother He Jin.
The 28th emperor of Han has ascended. His reign was so short they couldn't even bestow a temple name...
Lee Seong-hwi, who had attended the new emperor's ascension ceremony alongside Cao Cao, gazed at Liu Bian standing at the center while joining the officials in the three cheers. The young man stammered, kept his head bowed low, averted his eyes—clear signs of nerves—but he pressed on with the ceremony, having prepared in a frantic rush the day before.
The emperor's ascension was much like a religious rite: sacrifices to the late emperors followed by prayers to heaven for peace and prosperity. Thus, it involved a dizzying array of complex rituals.
"......"
Lee Seong-hwi turned to look at Cao Cao. The black-haired beauty looked stunning even in the somber black court robes. They said a beauty could make anything look good—and her petite shoulders that begged to be embraced, her slender waist, the small white hand peeking from wide sleeves, all seemed especially endearing. And those crimson eyes. The ever-vibrant red gaze shone even more vividly today.
She's really tiny, though.
Her trouser hems completely hid her feet, making them vanish entirely. Like a little daughter wearing her father's clothes, Cao Cao's diminutive stature had her swallowed up by the crowd; from afar, you couldn't even spot her position.
On the way to the ceremony site, she'd dragged her hems through the dust on the ground. Aware of it, she'd flushed her pale face red with shame and huffed in frustration.
She nearly tripped over her own hems several times on the way. She barely kept her balance, but if she'd fallen, it'd have been the laugh of the ascension day—etched in history.
Lee Seong-hwi suppressed a rising smile at thoughts he could never voice to her, maintaining a stoic expression.
On the other hand...
He glanced at the golden-haired woman opposite. Her court robes only accentuated her beauty and lithe figure, as if proclaiming her allure. Each step highlighted her narrow waist and swaying hips that tempted men. Like a graceful cat on the prowl, her buttocks visible through the robes exuded dignity while captivating the male gaze.
"......"
Cao Cao beside him glared at Yuan Shao across the way—not with mere displeasure, but like she'd encountered a blood-sworn enemy. Yuan Shao, for her part, brushed off the killing intent in Cao Cao's eyes with perfect composure.
Hm...?
Feeling Yuan Shao's gaze upon him, Lee Seong-hwi feigned surprise. In response, the blonde beauty flashed a mischievous smile.
* * *
After the new emperor's ascension ceremony ended, Cao Cao grabbed Lee Seong-hwi's arm to leave immediately, but things didn't go as she wished. No sooner had they passed through the palace gates than a group of eunuchs approached as if they'd been waiting.
He wondered if they were from the Ten Attendants faction, but no—they were the eunuchs assigned to serve the newly ascended Emperor Liu Bian.
"His Majesty summons the Imperial Guard Captain."
"...His Majesty does?"
Cao Cao's face filled with doubt at the eunuch's words. Why on earth? The new emperor, busy with today's ascension, would hardly have time to summon high officials and feudal lords to the grand hall for oaths of loyalty—let alone carve out a moment to call her aide to the bedchamber.
"Lady Mengde, it seems it's about what happened at the Waseong Hall last time."
"You?"
Cao Cao was unaware that Liu Bian deeply cherished his half-sister Liu Xie. Publicly, Liu Bian and Liu Xie were rivals vying for legitimacy over the throne. Though the legitimate eldest son, Liu Bian's lowborn mother cast doubts on his claim. Liu Xie, by contrast—a concubine's daughter but backed by palace recommendation and noble lineage—enjoyed support from many clans and scholars.
"What could it be?"
Lee Seong-hwi said. Cao Cao reluctantly nodded, her face shadowed with worry.
"Be careful. No rash actions. We don't know why the new emperor summons you, but remember it's before the throne."
"Yes."
Leaving Cao Cao's concerned gaze behind, Lee Seong-hwi followed the eunuchs to the new emperor's bedchamber.
Upon arrival, he was quite startled to find the new emperor—not waiting inside, but standing barefoot at the entrance like he'd dashed out.
"Your Majesty."
"Have you been well?"
"Thanks to Your Majesty's concern, I have been at peace."
The young man of honest countenance, who looked awkward in his imperial robes, greeted Lee Seong-hwi with a beaming smile. He seemed unchanged. Even seated on the jade throne of the Ten Thousand Chariots, his heart remained untainted by lust for power.
"I... ah, no—We have an urgent request of the Imperial Guard Captain, so We called you."
"Speak it."
Leading Lee Seong-hwi inside with the deference due a high official, Liu Bian sat and got straight to the point. He paused, gathered his thoughts, then spoke again.
"Imperial Guard Captain, We clasp our hands and beg one favor. Protect Xie-er."
Liu Bian clasped his hands before a mere captain, his plea so earnest it rang true as he begged protection for his half-sister Liu Xie.
Not an order, but a request—the young man newly enthroned as Son of Heaven made a plea so sincere it left the listener stunned.
"We never know when the Empress Dowager and my uncle might target Xie-er again. Even if We clasp our hands and beg... they'll surely try. They've never hesitated at horrors if it served me since childhood."
His mother and uncle would stop at nothing to kill his half-sister, Liu Bian judged. Thus, he'd summoned Lee Seong-hwi to beg him to prevent it. The man who slew thirty assassins and defended Waseong Hall could surely protect her, he believed. So, right after the ascension, Liu Bian had called him with utmost courtesy.
"Yet why not issue an imperial decree?"
"Ah, imperial decree... An imperial decree..."
At Lee Seong-hwi's words, Liu Bian muttered "imperial decree" repeatedly, still unused to his new role. But he soon shook his head.
"But right now, We are the ones in need, so it fits for Us to beg. O-Of course, you have a point too..."
Kind-hearted but lacking resolve and decisiveness. Surely the scars of his father's bullying since childhood. His timid demeanor and susceptibility to influence were almost inevitable.
"And We intend to appoint you to a higher post. What of the Five Wardens Colonel or Feathered Forest Colonel...?"
Five Wardens Colonel and Feathered Forest Colonel—lofty positions that made even the Imperial Guard Captain seem modest. Through Liu Bian's earnest offer, Lee Seong-hwi realized the guileless young emperor truly wished to protect his half-sister—and that he sorely lacked political acumen.
The Five Wardens and Feathered Forest Colonels command the palace forces—the pinnacle of military offices. Even by imperial decree, Grand General He Jin wouldn't accept it. And even if he did, he wouldn't grant real power to me, whom he sees as a thorn. He'd turn me into a powerless puppet.
Lee Seong-hwi inwardly sighed deeply, eyeing the emperor driven by zeal alone. He understood the desire to protect his sister, but zeal alone couldn't conquer this brutal reality. Power still lay with the He clan. The palace authority would soon fall to Empress Dowager He's regency, and all military command to her brother He Jin. Liu Bian's options were few. Enthroned as Son of Heaven, he was but a He clan puppet.
"Your Majesty, my current post is ideal for guarding Princess Bohai. My Gold Army thoroughly secures Waseong Hall and its environs—rest easy."
"Then We shan't press..."
Liu Bian seemed disappointed at Lee Seong-hwi's polite refusal to leave the Guard Captaincy. It appeared he wished to repay the man who'd saved his sister with a high office.
"We too... wish to become skilled in martial arts like you... So that... We can protect those dear to Us..."
As Lee Seong-hwi rose to leave after their talk, Liu Bian muttered in self-loathing, lamenting his plight and impotence. He despised himself for failing to protect even his half-sister with his own hands, reduced to relying on others despite ascending the supreme throne all revered.
"Surely a day will come when Your Majesty must resolve to protect the dear ones. What matters most is how you respond then—that much I dare tell Your Majesty."
No one can always be brave. Just ten minutes—no, five—acting boldly in the crucial moment: isn't that the greatest courage? To the emperor mired in self-recrimination over his weakness, Lee Seong-hwi offered words to help the young man escape the mire on his own.
What changes those words might bring in the future, he could not yet foresee.