Chapter 44: The Imperial Seal, Oh, the Imperial Seal

Chapter 44: The Imperial Seal, Oh, the Imperial Seal...

...

Liu Bei returned with Chen Xi and the others, looking thoroughly satisfied, just in time to see a furious Cao Cao walking out.

"Greetings, Lord Cao." Liu Bei dismounted and bowed to Cao Cao. He held a high regard for Cao Cao, who had risked life and limb to pursue Dong Zhuo; after all, Liu Bei still maintained his loyalty to the Han Dynasty.

"Lord Xuande, sigh, to think that I, Cao Mengde, work wholeheartedly for the public interest only to end up in such a state," Cao Cao said with a sigh. "The banquet in the camp is lively with singing and dancing, yet who remembers the alliance we made!"

"Lord Cao, why not call me by my courtesy name? It would allow us to exchange more ideas. As for the camp, to be honest, if Zichuan hadn't insisted I come watch a good show, I would have already returned to Taishan Commandery by now." Liu Bei appeared very poised.

"Very well, but this is no place for talk. Let us discuss this further in the rear camp," Cao Cao said with a bitter smile. Having suffered losses in men and horses while pursuing Dong Zhuo alone, he had returned only to face ridicule. In a fit of anger, he had turned to leave, but meeting Liu Bei and hearing his words allowed him to calm down. Naturally, he was happy to see whatever "show" Liu Bei spoke of.

Chen Xi sat helplessly on the ground to the rear left of Liu Bei, listening intermittently to the conversation between Cao Cao and Liu Bei. As the two spoke, it seemed as though they had met far too late in life, looking as if they might stand up and swear brotherhood at any moment. It had to be said that these two, before becoming great warlords, shared many commonalities; of course, even after becoming warlords, their interests continued to align...

"I did not expect Xuande to have such a capable subordinate, actually managing to gather the Xiliang Iron Cavalry brought by Lu Bu," Cao Cao said, feeling a hint of envy upon hearing that Liu Bei had quickly reorganized the Xiliang cavalry that had left him in such a disarray after his departure.

"Hahaha, Mengde overestimates me. This was not due to my strength, but Zichuan's ability," Liu Bei laughed heartily. He hadn't expected there to be a time when his military strength was viewed with such respect. He then smiled and explained Chen Xi's strategy to Cao Cao.

The more Cao Cao listened, the more surprised and delighted he became, eventually unable to help but clap his hands in approval. The strategy was extremely simple, yet it tightly exploited the suspicions between Lu Bu, Dong Zhuo, and Li Ru, systematically cornering Lu Bu and finally detonating his paranoia.

"It seems I underestimated Zichuan," Cao Cao laughed loudly, though his expression remained somewhat bitter. He recalled Chen Xi's behavior during the initial alliance and his wandering through the various warlord camps; clearly, in his eyes, Chen Xi had been looking for his next employer back then.

"You flatter me, Lord Cao," Chen Xi said calmly. He was somewhat curious about this strange scene; it was possible that the next time they met, they would be facing each other on the battlefield. He wondered if they could still maintain some level of courtesy. Chen Xi actually held Cao Cao in high regard; if he weren't so uncertain about whether he could prevent Cao Cao from becoming suspicious of him, joining Cao Cao would have been the best choice.

"Big Brother!" Just then, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei rushed in, shouting loudly, "Big Brother, hurry to the main tent! Something terrible has happened!"

"Why are you two in such a panic?" Liu Bei asked, feeling somewhat frustrated.

Liu Bei had just been feeling a bit smug, only for Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to burst in like this. Wasn't this a clear sign of poor discipline? However, Liu Bei viewed Guan Yu and Zhang Fei as brothers who would share even a single bite of food, so he felt no true resentment, only a bit of annoyance.

"Big Brother, it's bad! Rumors are spreading in the camp that Sun Jian has obtained the Imperial Seal and is hiding it privately! The Alliance Leader is sending people to summon Sun Jian to the main tent. Big Brother, you must hurry there as well!" Zhang Fei said in a frantic manner.

"What?" Liu Bei was shocked and stood up abruptly. He then remembered Cao Cao was beside him and turned to look. He found that Cao Cao had also stood up in shock and anger. Well, it seemed they were in the same boat; let them forgive each other, as neither had lost their manners.

"Mengde, I presume you also wish to know the truth. Let us go to the main camp to see what is happening!" Liu Bei took a deep breath to calm his anger and spoke.

"Very well, but please wait a moment, Xuande. I shall return shortly!" After saying this, Cao Cao bowed and left in a hurry.

"Do not be angry, Lord Xuande," Chen Xi said with a smile. "The matter of the Imperial Seal is almost certainly true. The reason they did not notify you is because you are the only descendant of the Han imperial line among everyone present. If they intend to embezzle the seal, they cannot do so in front of you."

"Zichuan, how can you still smile! What are they trying to do? Embezzle the seal! Do they have no respect for the Great Han or the Emperor?" Liu Bei said furiously. "The Imperial Seal is a vital treasure of the state; how can it fall into the hands of outsiders! It must be handed over to the state and returned to the Emperor's hands!"

"Return to the Emperor's hands? The Emperor is still in Dong Zhuo's hands. Even if it were returned, it wouldn't reach the Emperor. Lord Xuande, please calm down. The Imperial Seal is merely Li Ru's second bait. If the purpose of Luoyang was to make the coalition fulfill their original oath and keep them stationary, then the purpose of the Imperial Seal is to divide and conquer—to cause the coalition to splinter and turn their blades against one another! And, while they're at it, to strip away the last shred of dignity from the Han Dynasty!" Chen Xi said without hesitation.

Liu Bei froze, sitting back on his couch as if paralyzed. After a long silence, he turned his head toward Chen Xi and asked, "Zichuan, is it possible for me to obtain the seal?" Then, as if realizing how it sounded, he quickly added, "I mean, could I be the one to safeguard it? Until the day the Emperor is rescued?"

"Impossible. At least, not now," Chen Xi said, shaking his head. "Sun Jian will absolutely not hand it over, and he will likely lose his life because of it. The Imperial Seal is a bait—a seemingly sweet bait."

"Li Ru sees much further than anyone in the main camp. He knows that the seal is merely an insignia. If one day he can sweep through the warlords of the east like Qin Shi Huang unified the six states, then the seal will be nothing more than a precious jade offered to a ruler; it will return sooner or later. If someone else sweeps through the land, they will seize it anyway. It is better to cast it out now and squeeze every bit of value from it. Similarly, if the seal is destroyed, when he eventually conquers the world, someone will surely present him with a new piece of jade. A new seal will be made!" Seeing that Liu Bei was still struggling, Chen Xi explained helplessly. He simply couldn't understand—was a broken piece of stone really worth fighting so hard for?

Was the Imperial Seal truly that important? Chen Xi didn't think so at all. At most, he felt it was a waste to carve the legendary He Shi Bi from the Phoenix's Landing into a seal; fine jade should be collected and preserved, not turned into a stamp.

Besides, did Qin Shi Huang really lack a seal? What a joke. To sweep the six states and the eight directions and declare himself the First Emperor, Ying Zheng didn't need a seal to prove his achievements or identity. He could have carved it into a brick and everyone would have acknowledged it.

If the one who held the seal truly held the world, why did Dong Zhuo need to cause such chaos? Likewise, how could the Second Emperor of Qin, the possessor of the seal, be overthrown by Zhao Gao? The seal does not represent the world; at most, it is a token of authority. Once your status no longer requires any prefix, whether you have that thing or not becomes irrelevant. If it is lost, just make another. Why strive so desperately for a hollow illusion? Chen Xi found it incomprehensible.

(End of Chapter)