Chapter 6: Liu Che—If Kou Can Go, So Can Huo Qubing!

During the Wude era of the Great Tang Dynasty, the atmosphere within the Prince of Qin’s mansion was stifling.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, you cannot hesitate any longer!"
"We followed you, Your Highness, for the sake of prosperity!"
"Indeed, Your Highness... strike! Strike now!"

It was the eve of the Xuanwu Gate Incident, and Li Er was deeply conflicted.
"Fratricide... I cannot help but feel... and my mansion has only eight hundred men. The disparity in strength is far too great!"
"Your Highness... if the Crown Prince ascends the throne, what will become of us brothers who have shared life and death with you? We would be wiped out overnight. How could anyone accept that?"
"Eight hundred men—eight hundred it is! Eight hundred is enough to strike first!"

Yuchi Jingde stepped forward: "Your Highness... you wield the bow, I wield the spear; who in this world could stand against us? Please, act now!"
"Yes, Your Highness, act now... You are the only true Emperor of peace!"
"You are the Son of Heaven!"

"History has no heroes, only winners!"

Li Er, still wavering, looked at the retainers kneeling before him and listened to the voice echoing from the celestial screen.
*History has no heroes, only winners... winners!*
"Very well! We strike! For the sake of my brothers, today I shall take up the bow and carve out a future for us all!"
The grand stage of the Xuanwu Gate was thus set...

...

During the Hongwu era of the Great Ming Dynasty, Old Zhu, having finished watching the information on the screen, strode toward the residence of Empress Ma.
"My dear... my dear, let me tell you, something monumental happened today! You would never imagine it!"

Before he even arrived, Empress Ma, lying on her bed, heard his booming voice. She signaled for her attendants to help her sit up. As Old Zhu entered and saw her, his brow furrowed.
"My dear... why are you up? Quickly, lie back down and rest!" He hurried over, allowing her to lean against him.
"Chongba... *cough cough*... you haven't told me what this monumental event is yet!"
"My dear, the sky has split open, and a massive screen has appeared... it shows many things I have never seen before! You just focus on recovering; I am certain this screen holds the secret to curing you and our grandson!"

Old Zhu chattered like a child, doing his best to soothe her, a rare and genuine smile of happiness gracing his face. In this moment, the cold, ruthless Emperor Hongwu vanished, replaced entirely by Zhu Chongba, a man whose world revolved around his wife—the Zhu Chongba who belonged only to Ma Xiuying, the man who served his wife as a devoted husband.

...

The Great Han!
Watching the scene on the screen, Liu Bang stood up from his dragon throne in excitement, laughing toward the heavens like a rogue.
"Hahaha!"
"Xiao He, look! This is my 'Song of the Great Wind'... Haha, my 'Song of the Great Wind'!"
"Even the heavens praise my literary talent."
Without waiting for a reply, he stood with one hand behind his back, turning away to strike a pose:
"The great wind rises, the clouds fly,
My power spreads across the seas, I return to my hometown,
Where shall I find brave warriors to guard the four corners of the land!"
"Bring wine! Let us all drink together!"

...

"What is this? This is a national disgrace! A national disgrace!"
"From this day forward, for the next several decades, whether the Great Han fights or makes peace, it must be decided by me."
"I have decided to wage war against the Xiongnu. This war will not last one or two years, but ten, twenty, or even longer!"
"With this campaign, I intend to tell the world and the Xiongnu that from now on, the roles of attacker and defender have changed. If they can raid us, I can surely raid them!"

...

"Report to Your Majesty! Huo Qubing’s legion has traveled over two thousand li from Dai Commandery into the northern desert, encountering the Xiongnu and crushing them. Our forces are still in pursuit..."
"Report! Huo Qubing is following the Xiongnu’s trail, driving straight toward their lair, and is about to trample Mount Langjuxu!"
"Those who offend the might of the Great Han shall be hunted down for generations!!!"

...

During the Zhenguan era of the Great Tang, Li Er listened to the imposing voice of Emperor Wu of Han and felt a pang of bitterness.
*Ah! That Emperor Wu was simply lucky to have the foundation left by his ancestors! Otherwise, with his 'all-out' style of fighting, no treasury could sustain it... not to mention the 'pig plague' in his later years.*
*If not for Huo Guang and Emperor Xuan of Han...*
The more he thought, the more unfair it seemed. Looking at him and then at himself, there was no comparison! Others inherited a foundation upon taking the throne, while he... he had to build his own stage just to ascend...
At this moment, Li Er felt nothing but envy, jealousy, and resentment toward Emperor Wu of Han.
"Guanyin-bi, tell me... will there be a mention of me among these?"
"The First Emperor of Qin, Xiang Yu, Liu Bang, Liu Che... will I be next?"
"Can I wash away the blood debt of the Xuanwu Gate..."

Empress Zhangsun looked at the contemplative Li Er, wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, and leaned her head gently against his shoulder. As the Empress of Tang and Li Er’s 'white moonlight,' she knew better than anyone how hard her husband had worked.
"Your Majesty... I believe that your words will surely be among them..."
"The Great Tang will definitely reach glory under your leadership!"
Li Er listened to his wife’s words and held her hand, his gaze fixed deeply upon the celestial screen for a long time.
Everything was understood without a word.

...

The Great Qin.
Ying Zheng’s brow was furrowed tight.
*The Great Han? What dynasty is this?*
He was certain that no such 'Great Han' existed before his time!
*Could it be that my Great Qin has truly fallen... Has my vast empire been lost just like that?*
He took several deep breaths to suppress his inner rage. Due to his long-term consumption of elixirs, Ying Zheng had become extremely volatile. The officials in the hall watched the First Emperor’s dark expression, none daring to speak, fearing they might incur his wrath.

...

In the era of Emperor Wu of Han!
Liu Che sat on his throne, watching his own imposing quotes on the screen, feeling quite satisfied. After all, if his words were acknowledged by the heavens, it was an indirect confirmation that he was right. The officials were also visibly excited.
Liu Che waved his hand and said, "Everyone, did you see? Did you hear?"
"Everything I have done, the heavens have witnessed... and Qubing, he is worthy of being the young general I admire most!"
"If they can raid us, I can raid them... Starting today, I shall complete an unprecedented great cause!"
"I will eradicate the Xiongnu entirely... completely eradicate them."
The ministers below glanced at one another—their Emperor was going to spend money again!
The Crown Prince, Liu Ju, watching the excited Liu Che, hesitated before saying, "Father... we have only just finished our military campaigns. The Great Han needs to recuperate; we cannot afford to stir up more conflict and exhaust the people and the treasury..."
Liu Che flew into a rage upon hearing this, snorting coldly as he glared at Liu Ju. "Exhaust the people and the treasury? Hmph... you truly are a fine Crown Prince!"
"If we do not conquer the north and south, this world will never know a day of peace. To achieve such things, what does it matter if we exhaust the people and the treasury?"
"As the Crown Prince of the Great Han and my eldest son, you should understand these principles—you must understand them!"