Chapter 3: Unfathomable Wealth! Pretending to be Emperor Xian of Han!
Liu Xie thought this fellow before him was truly insane—or perhaps just delusional.
Wanting him to become emperor? Might as well ask him to ascend to heaven!
Come on, although his name was Liu Xie, he wasn’t actually Emperor Xian of Han. There’s no way pretending could make it real.
“Sorry, I’m not interested.” With a peculiar look, Liu Xie glanced at Ju Shou and tried to slip away with his grilled fish.
He had no desire to get involved in such treacherous affairs that would surely cost him his head.
However, Ju Shou’s grip was surprisingly strong, far too much for Liu Xie, who hadn’t eaten properly for over five days. Unable to break free, Ju Shou firmly held him by the shoulder, preventing his escape.
“Young man, I am not jesting; please let me finish,” Ju Shou said earnestly, composing himself. “I assure you, I am not mad. My name is Ju Shou, and I serve as Yuan Shao’s military overseer under the Governor of Ji Province.”
To demonstrate his sincerity, Ju Shou revealed his identity first.
“Ju Shou?” Liu Xie felt slightly taken aback and took another careful look at the middle-aged scholar before him.
As someone well-versed in Three Kingdoms history, he recognized the name immediately. Although Ju Shou may not have been as famous, he was indeed a highly accomplished strategist.
To his surprise, the first historical figure he encountered after crossing over was none other than Ju Shou.
“Please sit down, young man.” Ju Shou firmly pressed Liu Xie back onto the ground before continuing, “You may not be aware, but Dong Zhuo has been executed, and Emperor Liu Bian’s capital, Luo Yang, fell to Cao Cao’s forces. The Emperor was forced to relocate the imperial court to Xu County.”
“Cao Cao, with his wolfish ambitions, will undoubtedly follow in Dong Zhuo’s footsteps by manipulating the Emperor to control the feudal lords. This will inevitably plunge the nation into chaos and imperil its very existence!” Ju Shou spoke gravely, his expression filled with anguish.
However, his tone suddenly shifted as he looked at Liu Xie with excitement, “Fortunately, heaven has not forsaken our Great Han; I have found you, young man!”
“You bear an uncanny resemblance to the Emperor, almost indistinguishable from the real emperor.”
“If you’re willing to collaborate with me and impersonate the Emperor, we can thwart that traitor Cao Cao’s ambitions, preventing him from issuing decrees under the emperor’s name.”
“And in return, you shall attain the same honor and wealth equivalent to that of the Emperor!”
Ju Shou’s words left Liu Xie utterly astonished.
Not only did he share the same name as Emperor Xian of Han, but their appearances were also identical?
Why does this sound so implausible?
“But… there’s no reason for him to deceive me. I’m just a newly transmigrated vagrant with nothing to my name. Apart from my appearance, there isn’t much else he could possibly gain by misleading me.”
Liu Xie fell deep into thought, organizing his thoughts.
Based on Ju Shou’s words, Liu Xie deduced several pieces of information, starting with the current timeline. Cao Cao had conquered Luo Yang and was about to relocate Emperor Xian of Han to a new capital city. This must be Jian’an Year 1.
Secondly, according to historical records, Ju Shou had indeed advised Yuan Shao to welcome the Emperor to Ji Province, but Yuan Shao did not heed his counsel, allowing Cao Cao to seize the opportunity instead.
Encountering someone who looks identical to Emperor Xian at this pivotal moment, it made sense why Ju Shou would propose such a daring plan.
“Although it explains some things, this is still utterly outrageous.”
Despite understanding Ju Shou’s motives and the truth behind his proposal, Liu Xie remained hesitant.
Pretending to be an emperor? Could he really pull it off?
If discovered, death would be inevitable!
With these thoughts, Liu Xie sighed deeply.
“Considering our dire situation, what reason do we have to hesitate?”
“From the moment you saw my face, I had no choice but to comply. Asking me to impersonate the Emperor was more of a notification than a request.”
Ju Shou continued earnestly, “Young man, don’t worry; there’s no risk of being discovered.”
“With your identical appearance to the Emperor, and with my esteemed lord proclaiming you as him to the world, who would dare question it?”
“Moreover, although you’re pretending to be the Emperor, you’ll receive all the honors and treatment equal to that of a true emperor. You’ll enjoy opulence, never again facing hunger or hardship. Isn’t this enticing enough for you?”
“If you miss this opportunity, it may never arise again.” Ju Shou’s tone was filled with allure.
He knew well that convincing the young man before him required gentle persuasion, not force. Undeniably, Ju Shou had a knack for manipulating people’s emotions. His words struck right at Liu Xie’s vulnerabilities.
Since his arrival in this era, reality had battered Liu Xie mercilessly, leaving him bruised and scarred. This was the first chance he’d encountered to change his fate.
Should he take the risk or continue living in fear and uncertainty?
After a brief moment of hesitation, Liu Xie made his decision.
“I am willing to impersonate the Emperor!” He took a deep breath, looked up at Ju Shou with determined eyes.
Having already been reborn, he wanted to live a different life this time around!
At worst, it could only end in death, but that was preferable to starving to death!
“Excellent! You truly are a wise young man!” Ju Shou sighed in relief, laughing heartily as he patted Liu Xie’s shoulder. “By the way, I haven’t asked for your name yet.”
Liu Xie replied, “My surname is Liu, and my given name is Xie.”
Ju Shou nodded approvingly. “Very well, you’re quickly adapting to the role. Your response is correct; from now on, this shall be your name!”
Liu Xie remained silent, feeling slightly exasperated. No, seriously, my name is Liu Xie!
Suppressing his frustration, Liu Xie pointed at the somewhat charred grilled fish, swallowing hard. “Can I eat now?”
He was famished, and if he didn’t get some food soon, he felt like he might faint.
“Certainly! Help yourself!”
Ju Shou, feeling exceptionally cheerful, picked up one skewered fish and handed it to Liu Xie before taking another for himself.
Liu Xie eagerly devoured the grilled fish without any concern for appearances. He had been starving for five whole days, and this was his first proper meal since being transported to this era.
Despite the lack of seasoning, he found the roasted fish infinitely more delicious than any gourmet dish he’d ever tasted before, so much so that it nearly brought tears to his eyes.
“Eat slower, take your time. There’s more if you need; I’ll even give you my skewer.”
Watching Liu Xie devour the fish rapidly, Ju Shou felt uneasy, fearing that Liu Xie might choke on a fish bone at any moment.
In no time, Liu Xie finished all four skewers like a whirlwind.
Satisfied and full, he reclined on the grass, using a fishbone to pick his teeth while letting out a contented burp.
Seeing that Liu Xie had eaten his fill, Ju Shou rose and said, “Let’s go. Come with me back to Yecheng; I’ll introduce you to our lord.”
“Wait,” Liu Xie lazily responded.
Ju Shou couldn’t help but furrow his brow, asking, “Is there something else?”
“Ahaha.” Liu Xie chuckled softly and looked up at Ju Shou, his tone indifferent. “You still refuse to address me as ‘Your Majesty.’”
“What?” Ju Shou blinked, momentarily taken aback.
“I said…”
Liu Xie pushed himself up using his knees, slowly standing tall. With hands clasped behind his back, he squinted at Ju Shou, his gaze cold yet commanding.
“My dear minister, you should call me ‘Your Majesty’.”
These words carried an inexplicable authority, causing Ju Shou to shudder.
This kid, quite the actor.
He’s perfect for the role!
“So, how was it? Did we convincingly pull off the act?” Liu Xie grinned widely, reverting to his earlier carefree demeanor, as if the display of regal authority moments ago had nothing to do with him.
Still dazed, Ju Shou murmured, “Very convincing…”
Liu Xie smiled, “That’s good. Let’s go, time to enter the city.”
With that, he stepped past Ju Shou and strode confidently towards Yecheng’s gates.
Ju Shou remained rooted in place, gazing after Liu Xie’s retreating figure. After a moment, he snapped out of his stupor and quickly followed.
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