Chapter 24 Liu Shan Is Stunned

"How can this be? How did Liu Chen manage to leave the city? How did he seize military command? And how could he possibly have defeated Deng Ai and Zhuge Xu?"

Inside the carriage, Qiao Zhou was deep in thought. He had assumed the situation was settled, but he never expected such a turn of events. It seemed as though the world had suddenly reverted to its former state.

"This won't do. Shu-Han must fall; a mere Liu Chen cannot change the grand scheme of things."

Qiao Zhou clenched his fists, the veins bulging on his thin, withered hands. He had calculated everything; how could he allow his plans to fail now?

In the Chengdu palace, the Later Lord, Liu Shan, was reclining on his couch, rubbing a newly acquired jade ruyi in his hand while listening to the soft, decadent music played by entertainers. The sound of hurried footsteps outside the hall suddenly interrupted his leisure.

"Your Majesty! Great news! Tremendous, joyous news!" An attendant scrambled into the hall, his voice trembling with excitement.

Liu Shan lazily raised his eyelids and let out a yawn. "What is all this clamor? You disturb my mood."

"Your Majesty, the Prince of Beidi... the Prince of Beidi has won a great victory!" the attendant panted. "The sixty-thousand-strong armies of Deng Ai and Zhuge Xu have been completely routed. Wudu has been recovered, and the army is now marching toward Yangping Pass!"

"A great victory?" Liu Shan blinked, his eyes, usually clouded with confusion, now filled with bewilderment. "Deng Ai? Zhuge Xu? Weren't they still in a stalemate at Fucheng? Who won this battle?"

"It was the Prince of Beidi, Your Majesty!" the attendant urged. "The Prince led the army and defeated both Deng Ai and Zhuge Xu. It’s been nearly a month!"

Only then did Liu Shan slowly sit up straight, his face still etched with disbelief. He counted on his fingers for a long time before murmuring, "Liu Chen? He... how did he come to lead the army? Why didn't I know about this?"

The attendant hurriedly explained, piecing together the news of how Liu Chen had taken command, fought across thousands of miles, and crushed the Wei forces. Liu Shan listened, dumbfounded, his mouth agape, unable to utter a word for a long time. He felt both incredulous and stirred by a strange, inexplicable emotion rising within him, but before that feeling could take shape, the sound of someone requesting an audience echoed from outside the hall.

"Your Majesty, Grand Attendant Huang and Master Qiao request an audience, saying there is an urgent matter to report."

Just as Liu Shan was about to say "admit them," Huang Hao and Qiao Zhou burst in one after another. There was not a trace of joy on their faces; instead, they wore expressions as if the sky were falling.

"Your Majesty!" Huang Hao threw himself to the ground, wailing with tears streaming down his face. "Your Majesty must seek justice for this old servant! The Prince of Beidi, Liu Chen, has forged an imperial decree, executed the military supervisor, and seized command of the army. This is clearly treason!"

Startled by this outburst, the vague feeling of pride that had just stirred in Liu Shan vanished, replaced by a sense of helplessness. He spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Huang Hao, you cannot speak so recklessly. Didn't Liu Chen win a great victory?"

"A victory?" Huang Hao’s face turned livid. "Your Majesty, please discern the truth! The Prince of Beidi executed the military supervisor and took command without your decree—this is an act of usurpation! This so-called victory might just be a lie he fabricated to deceive Your Majesty and win the hearts of the troops! He holds massive military power and repeatedly sends news of success from the front; his intentions are truly treacherous!"

Qiao Zhou chimed in immediately, "Your Majesty! This old minister has long felt that the Prince of Beidi was acting suspiciously! He has always been disrespectful to Your Majesty, and now, under the guise of war, he has firmly seized control of the Imperial Guard. If this is not treason, what is? Besides, how formidable are Deng Ai and Zhuge Xu? How could a prince from the deep palace like Liu Chen possibly defeat them? There must be a ruse involved. This old minister believes we must guard against him!"

Huang Hao pulled a memorial from his sleeve, offered it with both hands, and sobbed, "Your Majesty, look here. This is a joint impeachment memorial from several high officials, pleading with Your Majesty to issue a decree to strip Liu Chen of his command and summon him back to Chengdu to answer for his crimes, so as to eliminate this future threat!"

Qiao Zhou also produced his own memorial and said, "Your Majesty, the Prince of Beidi’s actions have already violated the laws of the state. If he is not severely punished, it will surely lead to chaos. To ensure the stability of our Great Han dynasty, please, Your Majesty, think carefully!"

Liu Shan looked at the two heavy memorials, then at the tear-stained Huang Hao, and finally at Qiao Zhou, who wore an expression of deep concern for the nation. He was bewildered once more. One moment, he imagined Liu Chen leading the army to defeat a powerful enemy, and the next, he felt that what Huang Hao and Qiao Zhou said carried some weight.

"This... this..." Liu Shan rubbed his hands together, sweating profusely, and looked at the two men with a bitter smile. "Liu Chen... he is my son, after all. And he did win a great victory!"

"Your Majesty!" Huang Hao shrieked. "He may be your son, but if he commits treason, your throne will no longer be secure! Why worry about victories or defeats? They are all just a cover for his rebellion! And that Zhuge Zhan must also be involved in the treason—he is likely the mastermind, otherwise, how could the Prince of Beidi have seized military power?"

Huang Hao and Zhuge Zhan were bitter enemies. Zhuge Zhan had tried several times to get rid of Huang Hao but had failed, while Huang Hao spent his days plotting to eliminate both Zhuge Zhan and Jiang Wei. Now, he finally had an opportunity to accuse Zhuge Zhan of treason.

Qiao Zhou added in a low voice, "Your Majesty, setting aside the veracity of the victory reports, throughout history, when a prince holds military power, trouble rarely fails to follow. If the Prince of Beidi, who commands such a massive force, is not dealt with in time, the consequences will be unimaginable once his power is fully entrenched. In particular, we must investigate how the command of those seventy thousand troops fell into his hands in the first place!"

Liu Shan, already indecisive by nature, was left in a state of turmoil by their back-and-forth arguments. He looked outside the hall, as if he could still hear the faint echoes of cheering, yet his ears were filled with the constant cries of "treason" and "punishment" from Huang Hao and Qiao Zhou.

"Let me... let me think..." Liu Shan slumped onto the couch, holding his head in his hands, at a complete loss. The victory report that had just arrived now felt like a scorching hot potato, leaving him caught in a dilemma.

The candlelight in the hall flickered, casting shifting shadows over Liu Shan’s blank face. Huang Hao continued to wail on the floor, his cries about "the safety of Your Majesty" and "the shaking of the nation's foundation" piercing Liu Shan’s heart like needles, while Qiao Zhou stood to the side, his grave expression speaking volumes.

Just then, more footsteps sounded outside the hall. This time, it was the commander of the Imperial Guard who rushed in, panting, his armor stained with dust. He announced loudly, "Your Majesty! The General of the Guard has sent a fast courier with a victory report, along with the head of the traitor Ma Miao!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two soldiers entered carrying a wooden box and a scroll of bamboo slips. The moment the wooden box was opened, Qiao Zhou’s eyelids twitched violently. It was indeed the head of the traitor Ma Miao, the man who had defected to Deng Ai at Jiangyou.

Since he had been executed by Zhuge Zhan, it meant that Jiangyou had returned to the hands of the Shu-Han; at the very least, it confirmed that Deng Ai had been defeated.