novelSusiti Chapter 1: Yong'an Entrusts His Son to His Mother! The Cowardly Young Master's Shocking Di
Chapter 1: Yong'an Entrusts His Son to His Mother! The Cowardly Young Master's Shocking Di
In the autumn of the second year of Zhangwu, the wind in Yong'an Palace was colder than the blades on the battlefield of Yiling.
On the imperial bed, Liu Bei's face was ashen, his white hair at his temples trembling slightly in the wind. The once invincible warlord now struggled to even open his eyes. The defeat at Yiling had wiped out the elite of the Shu army, the tragic deaths of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, and nearly depleted the Shu Han's resources. This founding emperor of Shu Han could no longer hold on.
"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!" The eunuch's voice was choked with sobs, and he spoke in a very low voice.
Before the words were finished, a slender figure stumbled into the hall. His plain robe was still covered with dust from his journey through the starry night, his hair was askew, and his eyes were red as if they were about to bleed. It was none other than the seventeen-year-old Crown Prince Liu Shan.
"Father!"
A hoarse cry rang out, and Liu Shan collapsed to his knees on the blue bricks with a thud. He gripped Liu Bei's withered wrists tightly with both hands, tears streaming down his face like broken beads, scattering into countless tiny droplets on the back of Liu Bei's hands. "Your subject is too late! I beg you, Father, do not abandon your subject! Your subject desires nothing but Your Majesty's well-being!"
He cried his heart out, his shoulders trembling like withered leaves in the wind, and he could barely stand, as if he was about to faint at any moment. He looked exactly like a frail man who could not move an inch without his father.
Beside the couch, Zhuge Liang's feather fan hung lightly, his eyes filled with sorrow, yet also concealing a hint of understanding—the Crown Prince, raised deep within the palace, was gentle and timid by nature. Now that His Majesty was on his deathbed, his loss of composure was understandable. Li Yan, standing nearby, lowered his gaze slightly, a barely perceptible hint of contempt flashing across his lips: such a cowardly young master, in the future, the power of Shu Han would ultimately belong to someone else.
No one noticed that Liu Shan's hands, hanging by his sides, were already clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and the fleeting clarity in his eyes was completely obscured by a torrent of tears. He cried because he was truly grieving, but it was also an act—an act for Zhuge Liang, an act for Li Yan, and an act for the entire court.
"A Dou... don't cry." Liu Bei gently stroked the top of his head with his withered hand, his voice weak but carrying the imperial authority.
Liu Shan cried even harder, choking and unable to utter a complete sentence. He could only nod repeatedly, letting Zhuge Liang help him to his feet. He stood to the side with his head bowed, his eyes darting away, not even daring to look at Liu Bei.
Liu Bei glanced at Zhuge Liang and Li Yan, and said in a deep voice, "Kongming, Zhengfang, you may leave. I have something to say to A Dou alone."
Although the two men had doubts, they dared not disobey and bowed as they withdrew. The moment the palace doors closed, Liu Shan's weeping abruptly ceased.
The next second, Liu Bei suddenly gripped his wrist tightly, his cloudy eyes suddenly sharpening, and all traces of death disappeared: "A Dou, stop pretending, I know you're perfectly clear-headed."
Liu Shan stiffened, slowly raising his head. The timidity and panic in his eyes receded like a tide, replaced by a calmness and sharpness beyond his years. "Father..."
"After the defeat at Yiling, Shu is beset by internal and external troubles. My time is drawing near, and this empire can only be entrusted to you." Liu Bei gasped for breath, pointing to a hidden compartment under the bed. "Inside is the 'Strategies for Restraining Powerful Ministers'—written with half a lifetime of effort. It not only contains strategies for restraining powerful ministers, but also methods for discerning people's hearts and minds, and the principles for stabilizing the country; there is also a map of Shu, marking the strategic passes, fortresses, and granary locations; in addition, there is half a fragment of the Tiger Tally—a backup plan to control the Imperial Guards, which must never be shown to anyone except in a life-or-death situation."
He stared at Liu Shan, his words carrying immense weight: "Kongming is loyal, yet his power overshadows yours; Li Yan is the leader of the Yizhou gentry, and can be used to counterbalance the Jingzhou faction, but remember, never allow either side to become too powerful. For the next few years, you must conceal your true nature, continue to play the role of a timid young master, and never let anyone see your true face!"
Liu Shan knelt on both knees, his forehead slamming heavily against the blue bricks, his voice steady and without a trace of fear: "Your subject obeys the decree! In this life, I will guard the territory of the Han Dynasty and live up to the heavy responsibility entrusted to me by my father!"
A hint of relief appeared in Liu Bei's eyes as he slowly closed them, his hand falling limply to his side.
The next second, heart-wrenching cries echoed through Yong'an Palace once more. But this time, the restraint and determination hidden within those cries remained unseen by anyone.
The autumn wind blew outside the palace as always, and the bronze bells rang softly. Zhuge Liang stood under the eaves, his brows slightly furrowed. He felt for some reason that something was amiss with the crying that had just been heard inside the palace—but upon further reflection, he dismissed it as mere speculation.
He could never have imagined that this man, whom the world called "the incapable Liu Shan," had already planted the seeds in his heart to save the nation from collapse and revive the Han Dynasty. And this entrustment of the young master to Yong'an was merely the beginning of the young master's strategy of concealing his true strength.
[End of Chapter]