Chapter 148: The Imperial Seal Controversy, Liu Xie's Joy When Jiang Gan's letter was sent back to Shouchun, Liu Bei had actually also received a letter from Liu Ye. However, after returning to Shouchun that day, Qin Zhen suggested to Liu Bei to send an envoy to Xuchang. Although this was to cover up his personal affairs, it was also something that Liu Bei's army urgently needed to do, so Liu Bei sent Liu Ye to the court as an envoy. After helping Old Liu persuade Liu Fu, Liu Ye led hundreds of guards northward and entered the territory of Pei State. Along the way, he deliberately passed through Xiang County and met with Xu Shu. Both of them were born as chivalrous men and were proficient in swordsmanship, so they hit it off right away. Hearing that Liu Ye was going to Xuchang to meet the emperor, Xu Shu suggested: "Yuan Shu is now entrenched in Song State, at the junction of Runan, Pei State, and Chen State. If you go straight to Xuchang, you may be in danger of being robbed!" "It just so happens that our army is now communicating with Chen Wang Liu Chong, and Cheng Yu has deployed troops in Liang State and other places." "Zi Yang might as well send a letter to Cheng Yu first, asking him to lead the troops to protect us, and then go into the State of Chen to inform the King of Chen."

"With the protection of these two families' soldiers, the Imperial Seal can be kept safe!" After all, Xu Shu had been stationed here for a long time and had a clear understanding of the surrounding situation. He knew that although Cheng Yu was ruthless, he would not act rashly. Currently, both armies were just keeping their troops in place and had no intention of engaging in battle. Therefore, compared with the danger posed by Yuan Shu, it is better to contact Cheng Yu first and let him escort them. As for Liu Chong, he had bought food and grass from him several times and had some connections. I believe that when faced with such a great honor as returning the imperial seal, Liu Chong would definitely not refuse. Faced with Xu Shu's proposal, Liu Ye naturally had no objection. He immediately asked Xu Shu to be responsible for the contact while he continued to move forward. In this way, they arrived at the headquarters of Qiao County, and saw Cheng Yu leading his troops to support them. However, after the two parties contacted each other, Cheng Yu said, since you are here, don't leave. I will personally send you to Xuchang. This is also Cheng Yu's style of doing things. Even if Lao Cao didn't explain it, he knew the importance of the jade seal. It is of course impossible to rob it now, but he can help deliver it and discuss it with Cao Cao in advance. After arriving in Xuchang, they would use threats and force Liu Ye to hand over the jade seal to Cao Cao, and then Liu Bei's contribution could be ignored. But Cheng Yu overlooked one thing. Although Liu Ye was young, he was not a fool. As soon as he saw Cheng Yu's intention, he knew that Cheng Yu was trying to intercept! Liu Ye was a slick man. After knowing this, he did not make it public. He chatted and laughed with Cheng Yu every day, and secretly sent someone to contact Liu Chong. After a few days, Cheng Yu finally realized that the taste was a little off. Because he could see that Liu Ziyang was a talented person. Although he looks young, he is actually very experienced and far from being comparable to Sun Qian and Jian Yong under Liu Bei's command. Since Liu Ye has such talent, how could he not see what he meant? So he changed direction and prepared to return to Xuchang from Chenliu. But before his troops could move north, Liu Chong and his troops caught up with them. Liu Chong's thoughts were very simple. Xu Shu had sent him a letter before, saying that the jade seal would pass through the State of Chen and asked him to send troops to escort it.

Liu Chong thought about it and decided that this was a good thing! Although he was the King of Chen, he did not dare to step out of the State of Chen because of his special status. Therefore, even if he occupied a place like the State of Chen, he could only be trapped within the territory of the State of Chen like a transparent man. Now that he finally has a chance to show his face in front of the emperor, he should naturally show off. As a result, before the troops left, they received a letter from Liu Ye. It is said that Cao Cao is taking me from Chenliu to Xuchang and doesn’t want to take you to play anymore. You should bring the troops and take a look. When Liu Chong saw the letter, he was so angry that he blew his beard and glared, thinking to himself, you Cao Man, I finally got a chance to show my face, and you want to steal it from me? After discussing it with Prime Minister Luo Jun, he came to the conclusion that Cao Cao was not a good person. This action is an attempt to monopolize the credit for presenting the imperial seal! After reaching this conclusion, Liu Chong led his troops northward, caught up with Cheng Yu, pointed at Cheng Yu's nose and started cursing. He simply called Cheng Yu a despicable villain and even mocked Cao Cao. If someone else behaved like this, Cheng Yu would certainly not be able to stand it. But Liu Chong was different. He had been stationed in the State of Chen for more than ten years, had a strong army and was also a royal relative. Not to mention scolding him, even if you kill him, the court will not blame you. I had no choice but to give in and tell Liu Chong that I never thought that Liu Bei would contact you. It's all a misunderstanding. Since you're here, let's send you off together! But Liu Chong had been active in the Central Plains for more than ten years, so he knew what this person was thinking. Although he said they would be sent together, he actually couldn't get out when he reached the border of the State of Chen. Even without his help, Cao Cao would have taken all the credit when they reached Xuchang. After he figured it out, he sneered at Cheng Yu: "I also know your name. You used to cause trouble to the people in the village and made them into jerky. You are not a good person!" "You are also the descendant of Cao Mengde, who used you as his own. If I were to see you under my command, I would definitely not let you die peacefully!" "Now that Liu Xuande has returned the imperial seal to the emperor, it is our Liu family's business. What does it have to do with you, the outsiders?" "Go away now, and don't say anything more, or you won't blame me for being ruthless!" Such insults made Cheng Yu's face flush red. He wanted to be angry but was afraid of Liu Chong's status and military power, so he had to suppress his anger and led his troops out of the territory of Chen. But he then thought that Liu Chong, Liu Ye and Liu Bei all had the surname Liu, and if they continued to be involved, they might really form an alliance between the two Lius. So while withdrawing his troops, he wrote a letter expressing his concerns and sent it to Xuchang. As soon as he retreated, Liu Ye came under the protection of Liu Chong. Liu Chong first praised Liu Ye for his ability, and then asked whether Liu Ye was a member of the royal family. Upon seeing this, Liu Ye told the story that his ancestor was King Fuling Liu Yan.

Liu Chong's direct ancestor was Emperor Ming of Han. In terms of seniority, he was even older than the previous emperor Liu Hong. When he heard that Liu Ye was a descendant of Liu Yan, he was overjoyed and extended his genealogy with Liu Ye. In the end, he concluded that Liu Ye was a generation younger than him and could be considered the emperor's uncle. Since he was a family member, his attitude became much more cordial, and he personally invited Liu Ye to Yangxia to host a banquet. At the banquet, Liu Chong naturally asked about Liu Bei again, and only then did he know that Liu Bei was also a descendant of the clan. However, his ancestor Liu Zhen lost the title of Marquis of Lucheng because the gold he offered was not of sufficient quality, making it difficult to verify Liu Bei's lineage. In response to this, Liu Chong sighed and thought that Liu Bei was a good person. Since entering Pei State, he had purchased food and fodder from him many times. He was still confused before, but after knowing that Liu Bei wanted to use the old grain for disaster relief, he had a very good impression of him. At least in his Liu clan, there is someone like Liu Bei who is dedicated to working for the court. At the moment, Liu Ye was sent to the court to ask Liu Xie to look through the family tree more and help Liu Bei restore his identity. Liu Ye naturally had the same idea, so he nodded repeatedly. After two days of feasting, Liu Ye set out again. On the way, he and Liu Chong jointly submitted a memorial to the court, saying that the jade seal would be delivered soon. The purpose of this memorial was to completely eliminate Cao Cao's interference and firmly attribute the credit to Liu Bei. Of course, Liu Chong also got the credit for escorting the imperial seal. At this point, Liu Ye and his party finally arrived in Xuchang and began the formal process of presenting the imperial seal. The news was sent to the Secretariat, and the Secretary-General Xun Yu did not dare to keep it privately. He first reported it to Cao Cao and then reported the news to the emperor. In fact, long before Cao Cao returned, he had submitted a memorial to Liu Xie, saying that the jade seal had been found, but had been taken by Liu Bei, so he sent another envoy to send it back. The reason he submitted this memorial was naturally because he could not hide the matter, so he simply informed Liu Xie first to keep a record of the case. If Liu Bei delays in returning the seal, he can take advantage of the situation. Unexpectedly, this memorial made Liu Bei officially enter Liu Xie's vision. However, after Liu Xie escaped from Chang'an, he had been seeking an opportunity to rule the country himself. Because when he was in Chang'an, he was a complete puppet. He never got any good things and had to bear all the bad things. Therefore, after being welcomed into Xuchang by Cao Cao, he always intended to transform himself from a puppet into the real master of the world. However, Cao Cao's political skills were far superior to those of Li Jue and Guo Si. After welcoming him to Xu, he placed him in the palace and allowed him to appoint all the officials, such as the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers. But when it comes to real power and responsibilities at the lower level, Cao Cao is in control. People like Yang Biao, Dong Cheng, Fu Wan, Zhao Wen seem to be in high positions, but in fact they have no real power. Even the original Shangshu Liang Shao was replaced by Xun Yu and was given an idle position as Grand Chamberlain. Therefore, when Liu Xie heard that Liu Bei had successfully defeated Yuan Shu and had also recovered the imperial seal for the court, he was overjoyed and summoned Dong Cheng to the palace and asked: "Since I took power, I have been in the deep palace and have never heard of Liu Bei. I wonder if you can recognize this person?" Faced with this question, Dong Cheng, who was a woman of noble birth and a military general, naturally did not know.

Fu Wan had done his homework in advance, and immediately told the story of Liu Bei's life: "Your Majesty, if we talk about Liu Bei, he is also a descendant of the royal family. He was originally from Zhuo County. In his early years, he made a living by weaving mats and selling shoes. He was taught by Lu Zigan." "Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion began, I have been following the lead of Captain Zou Jing to fight against the Yellow Turban bandits." Speaking of Liu Bei's experience, it is actually far more tortuous than described in the novel. In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei made the leap to fighting Dong Zhuo only after the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and then he experienced ups and downs all the way. But in fact, after the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Liu Bei was granted the title of Anxi Wei. Since Emperor Ling of Han abolished the titles awarded for military merit, Liu Bei was demoted to the lowest position. Later, he encountered a rebellion by Zhang Chun and Zhang Ju in Youzhou, and was again appointed as a county magistrate for his military achievements. Later, he was unwilling to be exploited by the Inspector, so he whipped the Inspector in anger, resigned from his post, and went to Luoyang to live in seclusion. After knowing that He Jin wanted to get rid of the eunuchs, he followed Guanqiu Yi south to Danyang to recruit soldiers. When passing through Xia Pi, they encountered a rebellion by bandits. He was rewarded with the title of Xia Mi Cheng for his contribution in suppressing the rebellion. As a result, he was dismissed from office not long after taking office and was appointed as the magistrate of Gaotang. He then followed Jiao He to participate in the battle against Dong Zhuo, and returned to continue the campaign against the Yellow Turban Army. Then Gaotang was captured by bandits and Liu Bei was displaced again. It was not until Gongsun Zan went south that Liu Bei was able to obtain troops. He was promoted all the way to the position of Prime Minister of Pingyuan. Later, he rescued Kong Rong and went south to Xuzhou, where he rose to prominence. Fu Wan was so thirsty just talking about these experiences, but Liu Xie listened with great interest. Seeing Liu Bei's ups and downs until now, when he was assisted by Qin Zhen and took control of Huainan, Liu Xie sighed: "In this case, Liu Bei is also a hero!" "He has never lost his determination despite ups and downs for more than ten years, which shows how strong his will is!" "Besides, now that we have defeated the traitors and recovered the imperial seal, we can use him more than Liu Jingsheng, Liu Jiyu and others!" He thought that among the relatives of the Han Dynasty in the world, people like Liu Chong, although they had troops and horses, had a special status and could not be used for important tasks. Like Liu Biao, although he also respected the emperor, his rescue was not effective. As for Liu Zhang, there has been no news since Liu Yan's death. Although they all seem to be relatives of the Han Dynasty and have powerful troops under their command, they are not as good as Liu Bei, an unknown person. At that moment, he had the idea of ​​using Liu Bei to promote him to power. After thinking about this, he looked at Fu Wan and Dong Cheng and asked: "From your two beloved ministers' point of view, can Liu Bei be of great use?" When the two heard this, they looked at each other and bowed, saying: "Liu Bei is a man of strong character and loyal to Your Majesty. He can certainly be of great use!" Seeing that both of them said that Liu Bei could be used, Liu Xie was delighted and asked Fu Wan: "The father-in-law said that Liu Bei was a descendant of the royal family, but I don't know who his ancestors were." Seeing this, Fu Wan hurriedly replied: "It is said that he is a descendant of King Jing of Zhongshan. His grandfather Liu Xiong was selected as a filial and honest official and served as the magistrate of Fan County in Dongjun. His father Liu Hong died early and did not serve in office!"

When Liu Xie heard the name of King Jing of Zhongshan, he was stunned. He was only seventeen years old this year, so he naturally couldn't calculate these generations. He said worriedly: "Although he is a descendant of the royal family, I don't know how to discuss it!" Dong Cheng smiled and said: "Your Majesty, why don't you call the old Zongzheng here to ask him?" Upon hearing this, Liu Xie gave another order and asked the chief of the clan, Liu Ai, to bring the family tree to check. It would have been better if the results had not been investigated, but this investigation put Liu Xie in a dilemma. (End of this chapter)