The Position of Emperor

It is the way of the world that if there are those who are disappointed and angry at the result, there are also those who rejoice and cheer on the opposite side.

A very different atmosphere from the Wei court that had sunk due to Cao Pi’s rising anger. Liu Bei’s camp, which had come out to Wancheng, was full of excitement.

The expression of the messenger was different from the start. The gap in emotions revealed on faces drenched in sweat governed the mood of the entire space.

While the messenger Xue Xiao sent to Ye was pale with anxiety and urgency, the face of the messenger Zhang Ran sent to Liu Bei was bright and cheerful despite the fatigue.

The ministers on both sides were keeping silent all the same. However, the inner circumstances were completely opposite.

If Wei’s ministers kept their mouths shut for fear of being marked by Cao Pi, Liu Bei’s generals and ministers were inevitably refraining from speaking because Liu Bei was reading the report brought by the messenger.

They were barely holding back their desire to speak out, waiting for Liu Bei to open his mouth.

Huang Quan followed Liu Bei’s eyes moving up and down, estimating the length of the report.

Feng Xi, who had become Liu Bei’s secretary in place of Chen Zhen this time, seemed nervous as he fidgeted restlessly with his fingers or toes.

It wasn’t just civil officials like Huang Quan or generals like Feng Xi.

Even Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who held the highest positions among them and had been with Liu Bei longer than anyone, couldn’t stay calm.

Guan Yu’s hand movements, which usually slowly and leisurely stroked his long beard, were unusually hurried.

But Zhang Fei’s case was incomparable even to those mentioned earlier.

Though he was normally so cool-headed it felt cold, today he was especially restless. He not only twitched his limbs slightly, but kept licking his lips with his tongue as if his mouth was drying up.

Guan Yu scolded Zhang Fei for his undignified behavior, though he himself wasn’t entirely composed either.

“Brother, maintain your dignity. This is the imperial court.”

“Ahem, I apologize.”

Hearing his two brothers speak, Liu Bei put down the report he was holding. A smile full of contentment hung on his lips.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen my brothers like this.”

Liu Bei handed Zhang Ran’s report, which he had finished reading, to Huang Quan, the Minister of Works.

Huang Quan’s eyes moved quickly. And soon after, his eyes widened and his face flushed with delight.

“How could this elder brother not understand Third Brother’s heart? The great undertaking of the Northern Expedition. With that heavy responsibility placed on the shoulders of his beloved daughter, it’s only natural for a father to anxiously await the result.”

Liu Bei apologized to Zhang Fei for not considering his feelings. Though he was the one receiving the apology, Zhang Fei was even more at a loss for how to react.

“Minister of Works. Everyone is curious. When you’ve finished reading, announce it.”

“I-I apologize. Then I shall read.”

Ahem, ahem. Huang Quan’s throat-clearing echoed in the camp that had fallen into complete silence, and then the recitation began immediately.

As Huang Quan’s report continued, the atmosphere enveloping the crowd gradually heated up.

It wasn’t just that Liu Bei had held onto it for a long time; the content was long.

It wasn’t for nothing that Zhang Ran, who usually favored bamboo slips aiming for frugality, used silk this time.

From pretending to go to Tianshui to lure Cao Zhang into Yongyang, to tricking Xiahou Mao to occupy Chang’an.

Zhang Ran’s report detailing the progress of the Northern Expedition continued. And finally, that last sentence echoed through Huang Quan’s voice.

“…Thus, this humble official has fulfilled her duty and recovered Guanzhong, so I shall be eagerly awaiting Your Lordship’s arrival in Chang’an as per the oath I made to you.”

Even as Huang Quan finished reading and put away the report, the camp remained quiet.

Everyone gathered there knew. That the Northern Expedition had succeeded. The messenger’s expression had already revealed the outcome from the start.

But hearing the definitive answer in person was completely different in its impact.

Guanzhong. And Chang’an.

The land where Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang had risen. At the same time, an unexplored land that none of those present had ever visited.

Simultaneously, the land of their earnest wish that they had longed for with one heart.

Realizing that it had finally embraced them, they forgot what words they should say.

They just couldn’t think of what to say.

Therefore, the voice that broke the silence and burst out was heard very clearly by them.

“The imperial throne…”

That word that flowed out softly awakened the spirits of the crowd immersed in haziness.

“Ascend the imperial throne…!”

One person’s lead. Soon after, everyone chanted in unison.

“Ascend the imperial throne, Your Majesty!”

“Ascend the imperial throne, Your Majesty!”

Those words urging him to ascend the imperial throne.

In the midst of his ministers’ suggestions to declare himself emperor, Liu Bei saw the past.

The childish pledge to ride a carriage with a feather-decorated cover was becoming reality.

The position he had longed for so much was now not just within reach, but in the palm of his hand.

“Elder Brother.”

At the call breaking his reverie, Liu Bei refocused his blurry gaze.

His eyes captured the faces of his two brothers, changed by the weathering that time brings.

Much time had passed; smooth skin had become wrinkled, and the crow-black beards and hair were now beginning to resemble white herons.

The two brothers spoke.

“It is the position meant for you, Elder Brother. You should rightfully ascend.”

“Yunchang…”

“The world is looking to you, Elder Brother. You should rightfully ascend.”

“Yide…”

Liu Bei’s voice was choked with emotion.

Had his heart softened with age? Feeling like tears might burst out at any moment, Liu Bei raised his head.

Sixty years since being born, thrown into this world full of dust and wind.

It was the tail end of his sixtieth year.

The cycle of sixty had come full circle, returning once again to its origin.

To that dream he had cherished in his youth.

§

After confirming that Cao Zhang had completely retreated, I returned to Chang’an again.

We didn’t have enough soldiers to recklessly pursue him. If we had about 20,000-30,000 more, we could have tried to fight once after subtracting the personnel needed to guard Guanzhong.

It was regrettable, but it would have been too greedy. Even now, we had used up all the soldiers who should be guarding Hanzhong and Yizhou.

Around when I returned to Chang’an and took back command from Wei Yan, an envoy sent by Liu Bei arrived.

He conveyed the intention to first retreat safely to Yangfan, then head to Chang’an via Xicheng, as there might be attacks on the rear.

“Then it will take quite some time.”

“We should tidy up the palace in Chang’an in the meantime.”

Chang’an, being the former capital, has a palace for the emperor. But because it had been abandoned without an owner for so long, the condition of Chang’an’s palace wasn’t very good.

We can’t fix everything, but we should at least repair the place where Liu Bei will stay.

“A message has also come from General Pang.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, he says he will come to Chang’an with Shu Zhi, who defected this time, wishing to see His Majesty. It also said that the Left General will remain in Xiliang, focusing on securing the Qiang people and the public sentiment of Xiliang.”

“The Left General’s enthusiasm is impressive.”

Though we had won a great victory, there were still Wei territories remaining in Yongyang. Along with high officials like Guan Qiuxing, Governor of Wuwei, and Zhang Ji, Governor of Liangzhou.

We needn’t worry about remote frontier areas like Zhangye or Dunhuang, but it would be good to secure those two. It seems Ma Chao shared that thought.

‘In the end, now that Guanzhong has fallen to us, it’s only a matter of time before we occupy Wei’s isolated territories in Xiliang.’

Still, there’s no harm in doing it quickly. Though we’ll hear some complaints from soldiers with accumulated fatigue.

‘I should tell them to provide rewards properly.’

We’ll need the soldiers to be active in many places in the future, so we should manage them in advance.

Since Ma Chao and Pang Tong would have handled the Yongyang issue well enough, I focused more on Guanzhong’s affairs.

“We should tell Governor Wu to return to Chang’an now. It would be strange for the Governor of Guanzhong to be absent when His Majesty arrives.”

Now that Cao Zhang had escaped, there was almost no need to guard Wugong County. Guarding the northern passes was more important than Wugong County.

The more extroverted Jiang Wei left the office to send messengers and issue set instructions.

Fei Yi, who had stayed in Chang’an with Wei Yan to manage administration, seemed to have almost finished his work as he quietly brought over a Go board, placed it between us, and held out the stones.

“Work?”

“I’ve pretty much finished everything that needed to be done.”

Fei Yi was remarkably efficient at handling his own work. Somehow he had managed to win over Wei’s officials, who now diligently followed Fei Yi’s orders.

I had attached a few of my personal guards to Fei Yi’s side in case he might be ambushed by Wei assassins as in the original history, but fortunately that worry proved unfounded.

Anyway, I picked up the white stones to match Fei Yi, who was brazenly picking up stones saying “As the lesser player, I’ll go first” with a smiling face.

About halfway through, when it was starting to become apparent who was ahead, Fei Yi asked.

“Rear General, I heard that many generals submitted a request for His Majesty to ascend the imperial throne…”

So he brought out the Go board to ask about this. Since the position of emperor is not something easily spoken of, he created a setting to talk about it naturally.

‘What a slyly cunning fellow.’

“They did.”

“I heard he declined, but in the end he will ascend the imperial throne, won’t he?”

“I suppose so.”

“If it’s to be held in Chang’an, shouldn’t we start preparing from now?”

“Well. If that happens, Military Advisor Zhuge will come too, so is there any need to act rashly? Ah, I’ve caught you.”

“What? That can’t be.”

Only after a few more moves did Fei Yi realize that his large group really had died, and he was dejected.

While alternating between work and rest like that, news came that Liu Bei had entered Guanzhong. Since he was coming from the south, Chang’an was close at hand.

To welcome Liu Bei, I opened all the gates of Chang’an wide. And following the etiquette for a king, I led the army out 10 li to meet him.

I felt déjà vu. Though our positions were reversed.

Was this how Liu Bei felt when he came out to welcome me on the day I returned to Chengdu after finishing the Battle for Jingzhou?

And is Liu Bei’s heart heading to Chang’an the same as mine back then?

As soon as Liu Bei spotted me, he got down from the carriage he was riding and walked over to me himself.

“Rise.”

Liu Bei said with his hand on my shoulder. I stood up while maintaining my cupped hands, and bowed my head to him.

“You’ve done very well.”

“I merely followed my oath.”

“…What a cruel child.”

What does he mean all of a sudden? Seeing my confusion, Liu Bei continued with a bitter smile.

“You make it impossible for me to give you up.”

Only after hearing the rest did I understand why Liu Bei was calling me cruel.

“But now I’ve steeled my heart.”

In a small voice that only the two of us could hear, Liu Bei declared.

“On the day I ascend the throne, I will establish a Crown Princess.”

He decided to make Yide’s second daughter the Crown Princess.

Liu Bei, having gained Chang’an, said he would thus let me go.