Chapter 98

Chapter 732: The Lion Tomb's Wicked Scheme (1)

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Seeing that the young emperor called him "Shangbu," it was clear that this man was indeed the Lion Tomb. As his name suggested, he was blind in one eye, and the eye patch he wore was truly grand.

The character ‘Dao’ embroidered in gold thread on the eye patch gave a hint of how outrageous he was.

‘Ah! So this old fangshi is the Lion Tomb, I see.’

Zha Jian decided to observe the Lion Tomb and the young emperor further.

“I, this old man, pays homage to Your Majesty.”

As the Lion Tomb was about to bow, the young emperor hastily grabbed his wrist.

“Why such formalities between us? Shangbu, why are you late today?”

“I was seeking Dao. The Grand Supreme Elder bestowed a revelation for Your Majesty to me.”

The Grand Supreme Elder is a deity in Daoism, essentially a deified version of Laozi.

“Oh! What is it? The revelation you speak of, what is it?”

The Lion Tomb took out a book and three talismans from his robe.

“The Grand Supreme Elder said that after soaking in cold water to dispel the fiery qi, and after purifying oneself, one should read the Dao De Jing and then have Your Majesty drink the ashes of these three talismans mixed with water.”

The Lion Tomb’s words were incredibly sweet.

The young emperor didn’t need to read the Dao De Jing himself, nor did he need to bathe in cold water. He just needed to drink the water mixed with the ashes of the talismans.

The young emperor grew up in the Lion Tomb’s home and knew well the nature of his secret techniques. He believed that drinking the water mixed with the ashes of the talismans he wrote would drive away all evil spirits and purify both body and mind.

The young emperor stared intently at the three talismans the Lion Tomb placed on the desk.

He then reached out to grab the talismans, but the Lion Tomb moved them away, pulling his fingers back so the young emperor’s hand couldn’t reach them.

“Your Majesty, to receive the talismans’ power and avoid impurity, you must make an offering to the Grand Supreme Elder.”

He was purely a fraudster, a heretic. But the young emperor firmly believed the Lion Tomb’s words.

“Yes. How much should I offer this time?”

“For each talisman, you must offer one hundred million wuzhu coins.”

“One hundred million coins each? That’s three hundred million in total?”

Even for the emperor, three hundred million coins was a huge sum.

The inner treasury had at most a few million coins, and even if all the valuable artifacts were sold, it would take quite some time to gather three hundred million coins.

The problem was that it couldn’t be done secretly.

So the young emperor sighed, intending to follow the Lion Tomb’s wishes but finding his demands too excessive and trying to negotiate a lower price.

In any case, the idea of giving such a large sum for talismans was already a sign of his corruption.

“Three hundred million coins can indeed seem like a large sum. But if you think of it as the offering needed to become a wise ruler, it’s not so much. Consider this: if your posthumous name is recorded in the Grand Historian’s Records and you are praised as a wise ruler for generations, can three hundred million coins be considered a large sum?”

His words flowed smoothly.

Still, three hundred million coins was too much. The young emperor hesitated to promise such a payment. So he remained silent, and the Lion Tomb tried to persuade him.

“If you offer three hundred million coins and drink the water mixed with the ashes of these three talismans, Your Majesty will become an unparalleled wise ruler.”

“A wise ruler... So, am I a foolish ruler now?”

“Of course not. But currently...”

“Not a wise ruler, nor a foolish one? Then what am I? What do the people of the realm see me as?”

The Lion Tomb bowed and replied.

“Currently, the Empress Dowager is handling the regency. The true ruler of the realm is Empress Dowager Mama.”

“The regency is only because I am still young. At any time, Empress Dowager Mama will allow me to take personal charge.”

“Do you really believe that?”

With just one word from the Lion Tomb, a rift seemed to form between mother and son. The young emperor looked at the Lion Tomb with a face full of distrust.

“So, Empress Dowager Mama doesn’t intend to give me the chance to take personal charge?”

“Dare I say, Empress Dowager Mama is still in her prime. As a woman, can she have no desire for power? It was the same with Empress Lu and Empress Wei.”

Thus, Empress Dowager Xia was now seen as an ambitious woman, comparable to Empress Lu and Empress Wei.

Of course, Empress Dowager Xia was not without ambition. However, with her son already on the throne, she had neither the desire nor the ability to seize power from him.

But the problem was the current emperor.

The emperor, though not yet an adult, had a fully grown mind and desperately wanted to take personal charge. However, Empress Dowager Xia believed he was still too weak and was delaying the time for him to do so.

“I can’t drive Empress Dowager Mama away. She is the one who gave birth to me. No matter how much of an emperor I am, I cannot stand tall in the highest position without practicing filial piety.”

“You cannot raise a sword against your kin. No, you cannot. Your Majesty, you just need to show Empress Dowager Mama that you are ready. If she still refuses to end the regency when you are ready, the civil and military officials will take action.”

The emperor then slapped his knee.

“Oh! Today, you mean.”

He had just opened his mouth, but the Lion Tomb had already anticipated him.

“Empress Dowager Mama did not attend the morning court today, didn’t she?”

The Lion Tomb had just arrived, so how could he know that Empress Dowager Xia did not attend the morning court? The young emperor didn’t doubt it at all. But Zha Jian, hiding in the rafters, was different.

‘There must be a palace attendant helping the Lion Tomb.’

His deduction was accurate. If the people helping the Lion Tomb were among the civil and military officials, they would have just left the court, so there would have been a time gap in relaying the news.

How could the news be delivered so quickly from the Onduk Hall to the Lion Tomb, considering the vastness of the imperial palace?

Thus, the suspicion could only fall on the palace attendants.

‘Those who know about the secret passage are indeed eunuchs. Who could it be...?’

* * *

“Today is precisely the opportunity bestowed by heaven.”

“An opportunity? What opportunity?”

“The opportunity to show the realm that Your Majesty is ready to take personal charge.”

The Lion Tomb’s words made the young emperor look regretful.

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t do that today. Dong Zhuo...”

The emperor, as expected by Empress Dowager Xia and Zha Dao, recounted the events of the morning court to the Lion Tomb and sought his assistance. The Lion Tomb stroked his beard and put on an air of importance.

“What would Your Majesty like to do?”

“Isn’t it easy to give Lu Zhengwei a nominal position? The only concern is that it would be unfair to reward Lu Zhengwei but not Yu Zishi.”

“Don’t worry about fairness. Everything in the realm of the thirteen provinces belongs to Your Majesty. Whether to reward a minister or not is entirely up to the highest authority.”

In the end, it meant he could do as he pleased. The emperor’s lips curved into a smile.

“Indeed, I did well to speak with Shangbu. It feels like a weight has been lifted.”

“The highest position is a lonely one. Sometimes you must show boldness, and other times, deep consideration, to earn the respect of the civil and military officials.”

“I understand that I must make decisive decisions when the time comes. But I can’t do that with Dong Zhuo.”

The emperor was afraid of Dong Zhuo, the only person among the court officials.

Dong Zhuo had been granted the privilege of carrying a sword into the court, and all the imperial guards in the palace were Western Liang soldiers loyal to him.

The emperor’s influence couldn’t even reach the Eight Attendants, let alone Dong Zhuo.

If Dong Zhuo had other intentions and caused a rebellion, how could the emperor possibly avoid his sword? The young emperor knew this all too well, which is why he couldn’t speak up against Dong Zhuo.

“First, you must remember that Dong Zhuo is a loyal minister who supported your enthronement. He will not recklessly threaten Your Majesty. Who would want to destroy the golden tower they built with their own hands?”

“As long as certain boundaries are maintained, Dong Zhuo will follow my commands. However, the problem is that his resolve this time is too firm. Who will protect me in the capital if he leaves for the Western Liang campaign?”

The Lion Tomb sensed that the young emperor wanted to prevent Dong Zhuo from going on the campaign.

“You don’t want to send Dong Zhuo, but you also can’t change his mind about suppressing the barbarians, correct?”

“You’ve seen it clearly. Shangbu, what should I do? You are the only one I can consult. Please give me your advice, Shangbu.”

The young emperor, repeatedly calling him “Shangbu,” clung to him, but the Lion Tomb did not give an immediate answer.

However, he spoke before the young emperor’s patience ran out.

“There is a way, but not without a price.”

* * *

The young emperor’s face lit up again at the Lion Tomb’s words.

“Oh! Shangbu, please share your wisdom quickly.”

The young emperor held his palm up and waved his hand, urging the Lion Tomb to speak. The Lion Tomb then put on a mysterious expression.

“I cannot speak of it now, as it would defy the will of heaven. If I reveal it now, I will have to bathe in cold water and recite the Dao De Jing again. And I will have to burn and rewrite these talismans. Then, when can I see Your Majesty again...”

In the end, he would only reveal the method after the transaction for the talismans was completed.

The young emperor, whose body was burning with eagerness, accepted his request.

“Fine. Shangbu, it will take some time, but I will make the offering. Please speak now.”

“Dare I, a mere man without rank, discuss state affairs...”

The Lion Tomb was clearly trying to milk the situation. But the young emperor fell for it again.

“When I take personal charge, I will enfeoff you as the Duke of Peiguo, bestow you with the Iron Token of Authority, and record your name in the list of meritorious officials. I will honor you with a portrait in the Yun Hall and grant you the position of Grand General. Is that acceptable?”

The young emperor, manipulated by the Lion Tomb, made an impulsive decision. Given his background and age, it was indeed difficult for him to wield the emperor’s authority properly.

“Very well. I will speak. Appoint Lü Bu as the General of the Righteous Army.”