Lightscreen]
[Even though this Liu Yuan carried the surname Liu, it was actually a name granted to his ancestors long ago. Back when Boss Cao held power, he kept firm control over all the frontier lands. Take the Battle of Bailangshan for example. Zhang Liao led his troops straight into battle, killed the Wuhuan chieftain Tadun, and crushed his entire army. That single victory remains one of the most glorious achievements on Boss Cao's whole record.
Zhang Liao later became known far and wide as the God of War at Xiaoyao Ford. A great scholar of the Tang dynasty once praised him in these words: "Wei Qing began the great campaigns, Zhang Liao widened the empire's borders, Huo Qubing served as the Piaoyao Colonel, and Li Guang was famed as the General Who Captures Foes." Those four were ranked together as the greatest generals of the Han era.
Zhang Liao was so highly respected that he was later enshrined in the Tang Dynasty's Martial Temple alongside sixty-three other legendary commanders. His fame even spread all the way to Japan, where parents would use the saying "Liao Lai Lai" just to frighten misbehaving children into behaving!]
Liu Bei let out a long slow breath of relief. "Thank Heaven... I was so worried," he said honestly. "Phrases like attacking Luoyang sound exactly like something a rebel would do, no matter how you look at it. And the fact that this man also carries the surname Liu made it so much worse. I was terrified that if this turned out to be one of my own descendants... how would I ever face my ancestors?"
Jian Yong patted him on the shoulder with a grin. "My lord, you worry too much. Even if it were true, you would just have one more grandson to discipline. Nothing a good spanking could not fix. Just apply family law, hehehe."
Zhang Fei immediately chimed in. "Big brother, if that guy really is your descendant, just say the word. I will march over there myself and give him the same treatment you give A-Dou!"
Liu Bei's face twitched. "Yide, this happened more than a thousand years after us. Where exactly are you going to march?"
Zhang Fei scratched his head. "Then... I will just help you spank A-Dou tonight instead?"
Liu Bei let out a long sigh. "You know what? Do not. You can discipline Zhang Bao instead. Leave A-Dou be."
The other generals, however, had their eyes gleaming with envy.
Four great generals of the entire Han era.
Huang Zhong showed a hint of disagreement. "If we are speaking of the greatest generals, how could Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin, not be on that list?"
Zhao Yun, who had risen through the Youzhou cavalry ranks and spent years fighting nomadic tribes, caught the underlying logic right away. "It seems the Tang court judged these men based on their campaigns against foreign tribes. All four earned their greatest fame through victories beyond the frontier. That is likely why Han Xin was not included."
"Expanding the territory..." Guan Yu murmured. "To expand the Han realm means this Tang scholar looked up to Zhang Liao above all others. I never imagined my old friend would walk such a glorious path. It finally makes sense now. Wenyuan is the very God of War at Xiaoyao Ford the descendant mentioned earlier."
Zhang Fei burst out laughing. "Liao Lai Lai? Hahaha, see, Second Brother, your old friend is so famous even little kids are scared of him! Parents use Wenyuan's name to scare their children into behaving? Even children across the sea know to fear him!"
Jian Yong grinned wide. "Not bad, not bad at all. Zhang Wenyuan truly has made quite the name for himself. First the Martial Temple, now even foreign mothers use his name to discipline their brats. I wonder if they also say Liu Bei is coming to steal your candy to make kids stop throwing tantrums?"
Liu Bei's face went dark at once. "Why am I the one stealing candy in this scenario?"
Zhuge Liang chuckled. "My lord, you once said you would never do anything unjust, even in times of desperation. I doubt the parents of Japan would find that very frightening."
Zhang Fei nodded like he had just solved everything. "Kongming is right. They should use my name instead. Old Zhang is here to drink all your father's wine! That works, right, Second Brother? Right?"
Guan Yu turned his head away. "Yide, talk to my hand. I am trying to be serious here, and you are ruining the whole topic."
Zhang Fei: "..."
"Kongming and I already discussed this privately," Guan Yu went on slowly. "We figured it out together. Xiaoyao Ford sits right between Sun Quan and Cao Cao territory. We always knew it was a major battle. Sun Quan, with his massive army, must have grown overconfident and let his guard down. Zhang Liao likely followed the Marquis of Huaiyin's example and picked his best troops to strike while the enemy was still crossing the river. That takes brilliant planning and immense courage. We knew whoever led that charge had to be a legendary general. We just never expected it to be someone we actually know."
"Second Brother..." Zhang Fei curled his lip and said plainly. "Do not forget Xiaoyao Ford is not all that far from Maicheng. When you and my nephew got surrounded... that God of War might have had a hand in it too."
Guan Yu turned and gave Zhang Fei a long heavy stare.
[Lightscreen]
[In dealing with the Xiongnu, Cao Cao continued the Han policy of division and control. Under Emperor Xian, the southern Xiongnu were split into five divisions, and their leaders, including Liu Bao's generation, were all granted the surname Liu. Each division was assigned a Han official to supervise them, ensuring tight control down to the roots.
Liu Yuan, the son of Liu Bao, was both ambitious and capable. Taking advantage of the chaos of the War of the Eight Princes, he carved out a domain in Bingzhou and, under the pretext of the younger brother succeeding the elder, established a Han regime, even posthumously honoring Liu Shan as Emperor Xiaohuai. Truly outrageous.
Now, why did this Xiongnu chieftain choose the surname Liu? Simple. It was a power move.
First, there was a historical hook. Emperor Gaozu of Han had once married a princess to the Xiongnu leader and they became sworn brothers. So the Xiongnu nobles claimed they had the right to use the imperial surname, Liu. By the late Han, they had become Sinicized and knew full well that a prestigious surname carried weight in Chinese politics. Claiming Liu was not just about blood. It was about legitimacy.
Second, Liu Yuan needed to win hearts. When he broke away from Jin in 304 AD, he could not rely on Xiongnu cavalry alone. He had to convince the Han Chinese in the north that he was restoring the Han dynasty, not destroying it. By taking the imperial surname and naming his state Han, he was invoking Liu Bang's legacy. He even honored Liu Shan, the last emperor of Shu Han, to win over Han loyalists.
The logic was simple: if he could not be born a Liu, he would make himself one. And for a time, it worked.]
Liu Bei had actually started to nod in approval. He had been ready to praise how Cao Cao handled the Xiongnu. Giving them the imperial surname Liu sat bitter in his mouth, sure, but at the end of the day it served the greater good of the Han. He could respect that.
Then the screen said he posthumously honored Liu Shan as Emperor Xiaohuai. And then it said the younger brother succeeds the elder.
Liu Bei shot straight up to his feet. His hand slammed hard against the table.
"Honor A-Dou?! YOU THINK THAT GOOD-FOR-NOTHING IS WORTHY OF BEING CALLED EMPEROR?!"
The whole hall burst into laughter they could barely hold back.
Jian Yong wiped tears from his eyes, grinning ear to ear. "Who would have guessed my lord would end up with such an... interesting grandson."
Zhuge Liang stepped in smoothly to steer the conversation. "The light screen mentioned the War of the Eight Princes earlier. Judging by the name, it must have been yet another bloody fight among imperial princes."
"Heh! The Sima clan stole the realm in the first place!" Zhang Fei crossed his arms and scoffed loud and clear. "It is no surprise at all their own descendants turned on each other like wild dogs fighting over a bone!"
Liu Bei slowly sank back down. His face was still dark with mixed feelings. Everything described lay centuries beyond his reach. There was nothing he could do to change it. But deep down, one thought gnawed at him.
'Was this not all because A-Dou failed to live up to what he should have been? If only Shu Han had stood strong for even twenty more years... if only they had held on through the chaos of the Sima clan's internal wars... the true Han might have risen again.'
The more he thought, the more restless and frustrated he grew.
That settled it. Tonight. A-Dou was getting another good thrashing.
Just thinking about it actually made him feel a little better.
[Lightscreen]
[And honestly this is just ridiculous. That so-called Han state barely controlled two provinces total. It only lasted twenty-five years and went through four rulers one after another. Yet somehow the first two got posthumous titles like Emperor Guangwen and Emperor Zhaowu? Seriously?
The whole Sixteen Kingdoms era during Eastern Jin was a total free for all. Basically anyone bold enough could plop themselves down and claim the throne. Grand titles like Wen and Wu got handed out so freely they meant basically nothing. It felt like every other warlord got one.
And on top of everything, this entire regime got absolutely crushed by the Liangzhou cavalry. That was more than a hundred years after the Three Kingdoms, a time when their strength had already faded quite a bit. If even a past its prime Liangzhou force could wipe them out that easily, just how weak were they really?]
Liu Bei's moment of satisfaction lasted no longer than the time it takes to gulp down a cup of tea. Then his fist slammed hard onto the table and he shot up, teeth clenched, face burning with rage.
"Guangwen? Zhaowu?! Are you shitting me?! Even I, the true Emperor of the Han, was only granted the posthumous title Zhaolie! A petty little barbarian regime barely holding two provinces? They dare use titles like those? They dare place themselves beside the great emperors of old? What a load of horse dung!"
Zhang Fei stood there holding his breath. Inside he was screaming. Oh, boy... Big Brother, are you seriously accepting this so-called grandson as part of your line now?! But he kept his head bowed and said nothing, behaving with perfect obedience.
Zhuge Liang shook his head slowly, filled with nothing but disdain. "Empty arrogance and nothing more. When the Jin fell, they say there were sixteen kingdoms popping up everywhere. The Eastern Han itself only held thirteen provinces total. Could every one of these so-called kingdoms even equal a single commandery, let alone a whole province? It is laughable."
The sheer absurdity of it all was starting to give him a headache.
[Lightscreen]
[If we look at the same era, Ma Chao and Sun Ce make for a really interesting comparison. Both stepped into power after their fathers. Both led armies. And both had to deal with stubborn unpredictable local elites everywhere they went.
Sun Ce went straight to work. He struck down the powerful clans of Jiangdong without a single moment of hesitation. He lost his life in the end, but he still built the solid foundation that held Jiangdong together.
Ma Chao also struck people down without holding back. The only difference is he turned that blade against his own father instead. And when it came to the Liangzhou clans? He hesitated. He showed them leniency. And in the end they turned right around and betrayed him. That is honestly just ridiculous.
He treated his enemies better than his own father. Ma Mengqi... man, I am actually moved to tears. Truly.]
Zhuge Liang's brow furrowed slightly. He could not quite tell if that last line was meant as praise or mockery. Taken by itself, it sounded like praise. But stacked against everything said before, it felt nothing but sarcasm. He could not shake the feeling.
Liu Bei fell into deep thought. Guan Yu ran a hand slowly down his long beard before speaking his mind.
"The great clans of Liangzhou are a cunning and fickle lot. They bow to strength alone and never to virtue. Ma Mengqi lost all respect the moment he turned against his own father. Killing the imperial inspector on top of that made him impossible to accept at court. And yet he still held back and showed leniency toward those very same local clans. His downfall was written in stone from the start."
Jian Yong and Mi Zhu exchanged a knowing look. They had seen this exact pattern play out before under Tao Qian and again under Liu Biao. The same bitter lesson repeating over and over again. And somehow Ma Chao's whole path to ruin felt uncomfortably familiar.
Zhang Fei suddenly slapped his thigh loud enough to startle everyone. "Wait a minute! Ma Chao in Liangzhou is exactly like Lu Bu in Xuzhou! Both trusted the powerful local families and both paid the price! Ma Chao got his entire family wiped out because of it. Lu Bu got played around by Chen Deng and his kin survived, but in the end it still went bad for him too!"
The more they thought about it, the more they realized that comparison was frighteningly accurate.
[Lightscreen]
[If you cannot keep the local powers in check, then the very least you can do is hold your own people together. Take Lu Bu for example. He was treacherous and self-serving through and through. Yet Gao Shun was still willing to die for him. And even those who eventually betrayed him only did so because they had no other choice.
Now look at Ma Chao. When he finally fled over to Liu Bei, only his cousin Ma Dai came with him. His top general Pang De would rather stay behind and serve Zhang Lu than follow him.
Later when Zhang Lu surrendered to Boss Cao, Pang De went on to fight at Fancheng. He marched out with his own coffin prepared and battled Guan Yu to the very end without ever surrendering. Chen Shou praised him in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, saying he possessed the unwavering integrity of Zhou Ke. His name lived on forever.
And as for what happened years later. Pang De's son followed Deng Ai to conquer Shu. After Liu Shan surrendered, he marched into Chengdu and wiped out the entire Guan clan..... But that is a story for another time.]