"Please take care, Prime Minister," Zhao Ping said in return.
"No need to see me off." Xiao He said, then turned and left. Although his injuries weren't serious, they were still quite painful, so he should hurry back and rest.
As Xiao He walked, he pondered: If there really was someone who resembled Xiang Yu in every way and also possessed the ability to influence the course of history, what would he do and what would he want to do?
Just then, the door to an empty room in front of them suddenly opened, and a familiar voice came out.
"Prime Minister Xiao, where is my mask?"
Xiao He gasped. He never expected the masked man to be waiting for him here. Didn't this mean that the other party knew that he had just come from Zhao Ping's place?
"Reporting to my benefactor, the mask is on my body." Xiao He composed himself, strode in, and then saw a tall figure from behind.
This time, the other party was not dressed as a jailer, but in the traditional attire of a nobleman from the State of Chu, clearly indicating a person of high status.
"Has Prime Minister Xiao seen my portrait?" Xiang Yu asked calmly.
"I've seen it." Xiao He presented the mask with both hands, his surprise growing.
"In that case, I shall see my old friend," Xiang Yu said, turning around and removing his mask.
Xiao He looked up and his mouth immediately formed an "O" shape.
Even with that portrait as a reference, he was still utterly shocked. It wasn't just a resemblance; it was an exact replica of Xiang Yu in his youth!
"Who exactly is this benefactor? Why does he look so much like Xiang Yu?" Xiao He wanted to ask if the man had a scar on his neck, but then thought it impossible. He knew how tragic Xiang Yu's death had been; how could he possibly have survived? Even if the one who died was a double, the real Xiang Yu couldn't possibly be completely ageless, could he?
Therefore, this Xiang Yu is very likely a fraudster who looks very much like Xiang Yu and wants to use this appearance to manipulate the world and overthrow the world. He is 100% fake!
"I am Xiang Yu, the Overlord from another world. Hahaha, don't misunderstand, I am not a ghost, nor do I intend to harm you. This medicine can fully heal the Prime Minister's injuries. Keep it safe."
After saying this, Xiang Yu took out a healing pill from his pocket, picked off a small piece with his fingernail, placed it in Xiao He's palm, and then strode out of the room. He turned back outside the door and instructed, "All matters concerning my king are secrets of heaven and must not be revealed."
"I will never reveal my benefactor's matter to anyone." Xiao He nodded with a smile, but in reality, he didn't believe it at all. If someone came from another world and wasn't a ghost or monster, then wouldn't they be a god?
But who has ever seen such a stingy deity? Giving away a small fragment of an elixir instead of the whole thing? Doesn't he feel ashamed? Hmm, this person's face does seem redder than before.
"Very good." Xiang Yu snapped his fingers, and a warhorse clad in scale armor appeared in front of the gate.
Xiao He's eyes widened instantly. This horse looked so familiar, especially its four hooves! This swindler is incredibly skilled; he actually managed to get his hands on a magnificent black horse!
Wait a minute, where did this horse come from? How could such a large horse sneak into the Prime Minister's residence? Have the guards all been bribed?
Xiang Yu mounted his black horse, Wuzhui. "Prime Minister Xiao, you'd better strengthen your defenses. Take more guards with you wherever you go. Liu Ji may not have given up on killing you. If you encounter danger, you can use the smoke signal, and I might be able to come to your aid. Farewell!"
As soon as Xiang Yu finished speaking, his black horse, Wuzhui, slowly rose into the air, its hooves creating clouds.
Xiao He's mouth gaped open even wider. It was true that Xiang Yu's warhorse was called the Cloud-Treading Black Steed, but that didn't mean it could actually fly on clouds. But this horse…
"This, this..." Xiao He hurriedly rushed out of the room and looked up. He saw a horse circling in the sky for a moment and then disappearing in the blink of an eye.
"Is he really a god?" Xiao He rubbed his eyes hard, looked around, and finally focused his gaze on the small piece of dregs in his palm.
Just as he was about to put it in his mouth, he stopped and carefully used his fingernail to divide the already small dregs in half again. Then he took one half and gently placed it on his tongue, slowly licking it into his mouth with an excited expression.
Afterwards, Xiao He chewed it symbolically, but he didn't feel anything at all, and couldn't even taste anything.
Of course, it would be strange if you could taste anything from such a tiny crumb.
However, since it was Liu Ji who did it himself, he didn't dare to use too much force for fear of tearing the wound, and Empress Lü also arrived at the prison where Xiao He was imprisoned very quickly.
Therefore, Xiao He's injuries were all superficial and not serious. Hao Jiu naturally couldn't let Xiang Yu generously send him a whole healing pill; just a small piece would be enough.
"Is this really an elixir of immortality?" Xiao He had heard that the Qin Emperor had gone through countless hardships to try and obtain an elixir of immortality but had never succeeded.
Just as Xiao He was hesitating about whether to eat the remaining crumb, he suddenly discovered something amazing: the pain in his wounds had stopped!
"This is truly a miraculous elixir!" Xiao He exclaimed in delight as he took off his clothes to check. His wounds were indeed completely healed, without a trace. "Hahaha..."
Just then, Madam Tong walked in from outside and asked, somewhat embarrassed:
"Prime Minister... what are you doing?"
"Ah? It's nothing, it's nothing." Xiao He blushed and quickly put his clothes back on.
"Prime Minister, it's time to eat..." Madam Tong said with a smile. Even though they've been married for so long, she still blushed.
"Oh no! My precious treasure is gone!" Xiao He was shocked to find that the half-piece of medicine residue in his hand had vanished! He panicked immediately.
"The treasure is gone?" Madam Tong's face changed drastically, and she said, almost crying, "How could His Majesty be so cruel?"
"Don't come any closer!" Xiao He stopped Lady Tong, who wanted to investigate, and then carefully crawled on the ground to search thoroughly...
Chapter 194 Shocking the Court and the Public
Persistence pays off; after much effort, Xiao He finally found the dregs of the medicine.
After Lady Tong examined Xiao He's body, she was relieved, realizing it was just a false alarm.
After much deliberation, Xiao He decided to keep Xiang Yu's secret to himself. He then summoned Zhao Ping and gave him another instruction, and the portrait was destroyed.
The following day, Liu Ji did not attend court. Xiao He returned the land he had forcibly purchased. The emperor only announced that he had imprisoned Xiao He for a day as punishment and ordered him to return the land and apologize to the people.
Thus, the turmoil surrounding Xiao He's imprisonment has temporarily subsided. However, the fact that Liu Ji intends to kill Xiao He cannot be concealed. For a time, the court and the public were filled with unease. Liu Ji, having just returned from suppressing a rebellion, seemed to have no hurry to attend court.
On the surface, Chang'an gradually returned to calm, but underneath, turbulent waves were surging. Liu Ji secretly met with several ministers and sent out many envoys every day.
Hao Jiu and Xiang Yu also paid some attention, and it was mostly related to the deposition and installation of the crown prince.
It can be said that Liu Ji went all out for this change of heir, and it was somewhat of a do-or-die situation.
However.
A few days later, news shocked the court and the public: Marquis Lü Ze of Zhou Lü was dead! He had been assassinated at home!
The perpetrator was a servant who had served Lü Ze for many years. He stabbed Lü Ze with a poisoned dagger and then committed suicide on the spot. His entire family was also brutally murdered, leaving no one to testify.
When Empress Lü learned of this, she was devastated and fainted several times from crying. When Liu Ji came to visit her, she refused to see him.
Changle Palace, Empress Lü's bedroom.
"Your Majesty, the eldest son of Marquis Zhou Lü, Lü Tai, requests an audience," Lang Wei announced loudly at the door.
Lü Zhi wiped away her tears. "Let him in. You all go out."
"Yes, sir." The maids and others in the room responded and then withdrew.
A moment later, Lü Ze's son, Lü Tai, walked in with bloodshot eyes and immediately knelt down.
"Your nephew greets Your Majesty the Empress!"
"Rise," Lü Zhi said, raising her hand slightly.
"Nephew begs Aunt to avenge my father!" Lü Tai kowtowed on the ground.
Upon hearing this, Lü Zhi sighed, "Whom do you seek revenge against? Isn't the murderer already dead? Do you have any evidence to prove who the mastermind is?"
Lu Tai wiped away his tears and said through gritted teeth, "I heard that my aunt recently wronged His Majesty in order to save the Prime Minister?"
Snap!
"Shut up!" Empress Lü's eyebrows shot up, and she abruptly stood up, slapping Lü Tai across the left cheek. "Foolish! Do you want to kill me and the Crown Prince?!"
Lu Tai lowered his head and remained silent. He had a lot to say to Lu Zhi. Who else in the world would dare to kill Lu Ze? Only His Majesty. Whether it was to weaken the Lu family's power or for revenge, Liu Ji had sufficient motive.
The problem is, even though they know who the mastermind is, there's nothing they can do except raise an army in rebellion to overthrow Liu Ji. But if they raise an army now, the success rate would be lucky to get 50%, and if they fail, the Lü family will be completely finished.
Lü Zhi sighed, "Tai'er, how can you presume to know the truth about this? Even if you had evidence, your aunt would have to pretend it didn't exist."
His Majesty already has a long-standing ailment, and this time he was seriously injured on the expedition. Furthermore, he has ordered the construction of the imperial mausoleum to be accelerated. It is likely that His Majesty will pass the throne to the Crown Prince within one or two years, or... Therefore, His Majesty has no scruples and has used every means at his disposal.
Even if I hadn't saved Xiao He, what was destined to happen would still have happened. It's just that my brother was too careless. Alas, I was also negligent. After dealing with Ying Bu, weren't my brother and the Lü clan the ones who truly threatened the Han dynasty?
The most important thing now is to secure the position of Crown Prince. If the Lü family makes any move at this time, His Majesty will seize the opportunity to depose the Crown Prince, and then the Lü family will be completely defeated.
Originally, my elder brother was the strongest support for me and the Crown Prince. Now that support is gone, I am not willing to admit defeat. The more some people don't want Ying'er to succeed to the throne, the more I will do it.
Only if Ying'er can successfully ascend the throne can my brother rest in peace, and only then can the Lü clan be preserved. I believe this incident was the work of the remnants of those treacherous officials, and I implore Your Majesty to recognize that my brother died in the line of duty.
After you return, immediately go to your second brother's place to report the death. Remember not to let him act impulsively. Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor. If it weren't for that vixen bewitching His Majesty, His Majesty would never have repeatedly attempted to change the heir apparent.
Once Ying'er ascends the throne, I will avenge this! Go now, I am weary.
“Yes.” Lü Tai clenched his fist. In the end, this matter was still Qi Ji’s fault. As long as Liu Ying could successfully ascend the throne, everything else would be fine!
After Lü Tai left, Lü Zhi thought of Lü Ze and wept again. She had indeed been somewhat careless this time, thinking that after saving Xiao He, her position as crown prince was secure. She never expected Liu Ji to be so ruthless...
It wasn't just Lü Zhi and Lü Ze who were careless; Hao Jiu and Xiang Yu, who had been secretly monitoring the situation for the past few days, also failed to discover when Liu Ji had arranged this matter. After all, Liu Ji had contacted too many people in the past few days in order to change the heir apparent.
There is only one possibility: Liu Ji had long harbored murderous intentions towards Lü Ze, and in fact, Lü Ze was the one whose merits overshadowed his lord.
Historical records about Lü Ze are scarce, with only a few brief mentions in the Annals of Empress Lü and the Hereditary House of Marquis Liu, all related to the matter of changing the heir apparent.
The first time was when Lü Ze approached Zhang Liang, using all sorts of methods, even resorting to blackmail, until he finally got this prudent man to open his mouth and immediately come up with an idea.
It is said that there are four talented people whom Liu Ji values. However, they are all very old and dislike Liu Ji's arrogance. No matter how Liu Ji tries to recruit them, he cannot. If the Crown Prince can find a way to invite these four people, it will make Liu Ji think more highly of the Crown Prince.
These four men, known as the Four Recluses of Mount Shang, were four scholars who believed in Huang-Lao philosophy at the end of the Qin Dynasty: Tang Bing, Duke of Dongyuan; Cui Guang, Duke of Xiahuang; Wu Shi, Ji of Qili; and Zhou Shu, Master of Luli.
They preferred a simple and peaceful life to becoming officials, and were all renowned hermits at the end of the Qin Dynasty.
Zhang Liang advised the crown prince to speak earnestly and humbly, to use a comfortable carriage and a skilled debater to persuade him, and to spare no expense in terms of gold, silver, treasures, and silk.
On the first try, they were able to persuade four people to help them through this crisis of succession.
Later, when Ying Bu rebelled, Liu Ji was ill and did not want to lead the troops himself, so he wanted the crown prince to go to war in his place. After all, compared with the ministers, he could feel at ease knowing that his own son had military power.
After learning of this, the Four Sages of Mount Shang went to see Lü Ze and said something to him. The gist of their message was that His Majesty's attitude toward changing the crown prince was already very clear. It would only do harm and no good for the crown prince to lead troops into battle. If they were to lose, the crown prince's position would be in jeopardy.
Empress Lü could speak to His Majesty, saying, "Ying Bu is a renowned general, skilled in warfare. The Crown Prince, leading those ruthless generals of the Han Dynasty, is like a sheep leading wolves; the soldiers won't give their all. Ying Bu, upon learning of this, will surely be greatly encouraged and march into Guanzhong. It would be better for Your Majesty to personally lead the campaign."
Lü Ze relayed these words to Empress Lü, who then acted according to the plan. Liu Ji, unable to withstand Empress Lü's tearful complaints, could only curse the Crown Prince for being incompetent, and then went to fight Ying Bu himself.
The above are the main records about Lü Ze. It is hard to imagine that such a meritorious official as Lü Ze does not even have a biography, and there is no accurate account of how or when Lü Ze died.
Of course, it's not necessarily that Sima Qian didn't write a biography for Lü Ze; it's also possible that the Han emperor deleted it for some reason that he felt guilty.
Otherwise, Hao Jiu would definitely have asked Xiang Yu to try to save Lü Ze. Simply ruining Liu Ji's good deed would be something everyone would be happy to see, wouldn't it?
Now, however, the power of the Lü clan has greatly diminished, and whether they can retain Liu Ying's position as crown prince has once again become uncertain.
Just as the entire court was privately discussing Lü Ze and the matter of changing the crown prince, they suddenly received an imperial edict from Liu Ji.
Morning tomorrow!