Chapter 25: Discussing the Fate of the Southern Lands
The fact that Guo Jia posed this question indicated he had overheard Liu Xie’s entire conversation with Zhang He.
Thus, Liu Xie decided against feigning ignorance any further.
If Guo Jia truly was sent by Yuan Shao, his efforts to resist would be futile; it would lead only to certain death.
“Your Majesty, you misunderstand.”
Guo Jia took a gentle sip of tea before continuing, “I am not here on Yuan Shao’s orders, and I have never disclosed this matter to anyone else.”
“My visit today is solely to inquire about Your Majesty’s intentions behind those words.”
Liu Xie was taken aback. “You haven’t told Yuan Shao?”
“Why should I inform Yuan Shao?” countered Guo Jia.
Liu Xie opened his mouth but found himself momentarily speechless.
Indeed, Yuan Shao did not highly regard Guo Jia, and conversely, Guo Jia held little esteem for Yuan Shao. Given this mutual disdain, there was no compelling reason for Guo Jia to betray Liu Xie to Yuan Shao.
So, could it be that this fellow has genuinely come just to seek clarification?
Seeming to understand Liu Xie’s thoughts, Guo Jia set down his teacup and bowed respectfully. “Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, currently held captive by others, yet patiently awaiting the opportunity to restore the Han Dynasty. This is truly fortunate for our Great Han. Although I have not received any official position within the court, as a Han subject, how could I ever stoop to betraying such trust?”
“My visit today was solely driven by curiosity.”
Guo Jia’s intentions were indeed straightforward—mere curiosity.
To outsiders, Emperor Liu Xie appeared weak-willed and incapable, but beneath this facade lay hidden ambitions and a grand aspiration to revive the Han Dynasty. Was this the true face of the Son of Heaven? Guo Jia found it utterly fascinating.
Upon hearing these words, Liu Xie finally let go of his concerns. A heavy burden lifted from his shoulders, easing his tense nerves.
“Did you deliberately try to scare us?” Initially dumbfounded, Liu Xie felt an urge to punch Guo Jia once he regained his composure. How infuriatingly provoking!
Guo Jia smiled. “It seems Your Majesty misunderstood; I…what’s that?”
Before he could finish, Liu Xie tossed something dark onto the floor. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a dagger.
“A dagger? Never seen one before?”
Liu Xie snorted coldly and said expressionlessly, “We were just about to kill you with our own hands!”
Just barely - he had come so close to taking action.
Guo Jia was taken aback, staring at the glinting dagger on the floor. A chill ran through his heart, followed by a shiver down his spine.
He never imagined that his attempt to test Liu Xie could have cost him his life.
This Emperor…
Guo Jia cast a deep gaze at Liu Xie, realizing he had underestimated the Son of Heaven significantly. The young ruler was far more formidable than his appearance suggested.
Carrying a dagger constantly indicated how insecure he must feel.
“Why did Your Majesty refrain from acting then? In such circumstances, killing me would have been the wisest choice,” Guo Jia posed his question thoughtfully.
Putting himself in Liu Xie’s shoes, Guo Jia concluded that if he were Liu Xie, he would have either chosen to murder or take hostage the intruder.
Yet Liu Xie did neither; instead, he chose to confront Guo Jia directly.
Liu Xie grimaced slightly and replied, “If you truly were sent by Yuan Shao, what use would it be to kill you? We still wouldn’t escape Yecheng.”
“Rather than involve innocent lives, it’s better to die with dignity, maintaining the integrity of our imperial status.”
Apart from these reasons, there was one Liu Xie didn’t mention - he simply couldn’t bring himself to kill.
In this era, without firearms, taking someone’s life wasn’t as simple as pulling a trigger; it involved physically thrusting a blade into another person’s heart.
Even for survival, Liu Xie found it impossible to commit such an act. Perhaps this could be seen as misplaced compassion, but what choice did he have? He was just a transmigrated college student who had never even killed a chicken, let alone a human.
“Your Majesty, you truly astonish me,” Guo Jia sighed, deeply moved. Now, he was certain that the Emperor before him was no ordinary individual, having been deliberately concealing his true nature all along.
He managed to deceive everyone convincingly.
“All right, we’re not interested in answering any more questions now. Go on, leave quickly and don’t disturb us while fishing.” Liu Xie urged impatiently.
Since Guo Jia showed no intention of reporting him, everything seemed fine. However, after their encounter, Liu Xie decided against attempting to recruit Guo Jia anymore.
Guo Jia realized that not only was this Emperor somewhat manipulative, but his thought processes were also quite unconventional. Instead of fear, hearing about Liu Xie’s intent to kill someone actually piqued Guo Jia’s interest, leading him to engage further.
“Very well.” Guo Jia responded promptly, rising and bowing respectfully. “I shall take my leave now, Your Majesty, and return another day for an audience.”
“You…” Liu Xie felt his fists clench tightly in frustration.
One visit wasn’t enough; he anticipated more in the future? Quickly, he called out to stop Guo Jia.
“Hold on! We will tell you!” With no other choice, Liu Xie decided to yield to Guo Jia’s persistence. He certainly didn’t want to be constantly hounded by this man in the days ahead.
“I am all ears, Your Majesty,” Guo Jia straightened up, his expression serious, ready to listen attentively.
Liu Xie, holding his fishing rod and facing away from Guo Jia, calmly stated, “Mencius once said: ‘The people come first, the state second, and the ruler last.’”
“Now, let us ask you, what does the term ‘southern lands and state’ signify?”
Liu Xie turned the question back to Guo Jia.
This query seemed too straightforward, and without hesitation, Guo Jia replied, “The southern lands refer to the nation itself, while the state represents the welfare of its people. Together, they constitute the ‘southern lands and state.’”
Liu Xie continued, “Then, between the southern lands and the state, which is more important to a ruler?”
Guo Jia frowned, as this question proved significantly more challenging than the previous one.
Throughout history, “the southern lands” and “the state’s welfare” were always considered synonymous, making it difficult to determine which held greater importance.
“Please enlighten me, Your Majesty.”
Liu Xie responded, “Since ancient times, those who win the hearts of the people gain the nation; conversely, those who lose the people’s support inevitably face ruin. The tyrannies of King Zhou of Shang and Qin serve as prime examples.”
“The mountains and rivers endure forever, untouched by the passage of time. However, if the state’s welfare is neglected, the nation crumbles and dynasties fall—a timeless truth.”
“The terms ‘southern lands’ and ‘state’s welfare’ have never been separate entities. Yet throughout history, countless individuals have misunderstood them, believing that ‘lands’ refer solely to territory and dynasty, while ‘welfare’ pertains only to common citizens. This perception is fundamentally flawed.”
“Borrowing from Xunzi’s words: Water can carry a boat, yet also capsize it.”
“In Our view, this phrase should be interpreted thusly: A boat represents the ruler, and water symbolizes the common people. Just as a boat relies on water’s strength to navigate through waves, water can exist without the boat, but the boat cannot survive without water.”
“People remain people even without a ruler, but a ruler without people ceases to be a ruler. Even with vast territories under control, they become lifeless without subjects.”
“Therefore, the true realm for any ruler lies not in the land itself, but in its people!”
Drawing upon historical references, Liu Xie eloquently expounded his views. This treatise on the interrelation of the southern lands and state’s welfare was once a topic assigned by his mentor, over which he had spent considerable time writing, memorizing every detail thoroughly.
Behind him, Guo Jia stood utterly astounded.
This chapter is translated using Omni Translator, Omni's state-of-the-art novel machine translation LLM, and corrected by human editors. If you'd like to read ahead, you can try using our translator webapp to translate the raw text or link for free.