Chapter 126: Liu Xie Governs the State

After the death of Dong Zhuo, the Han Empire experienced an eerily profound peace.

Emperor Liu Xie took the reins of government. Although the Han sovereign had been on the throne for many years, this was the first time that the imperial decrees issued from his own hand. Everyone was curious about Liu Xie’s governing style. After observing for a period of time, Fan Li reached a five-word conclusion: "Nourishing all things silently."

Because of Dong Zhuo’s long-standing tyranny, the Han Dynasty was like a fragile patient suffering from a severe illness. No radical medicine or aggressive treatment could save it; it could not withstand further upheaval and required gentle, steady care to soothe its deep-seated wounds. And that was exactly what Liu Xie did. He took the lead in living a frugal life, wearing simple clothes and eating plain food to minimize government expenditure. Seeing this, the officials followed suit. Consequently, the empty imperial treasury no longer seemed so dire.

Dong Zhuo had plundered much of the people's wealth. Liu Xie ordered the Grand Tutor’s manor to be raided and divided the spoils into two parts: all resources necessary for cultivation were used to reward the soldiers who had fought in the war and to provide pensions for the casualties, while ordinary assets like gold and silver were returned to the people. Liu Xie then issued a series of imperial edicts to encourage agriculture, reduce taxes, lighten compulsory labor, and restore water conservancy. After Dong Zhuo’s death, most of the provinces and commanderies in the Han Empire finally had the chance to recover.

The only place that remained restless was Liangzhou, or West Liang. In the Battle of Chang'an, Dong Zhuo had perished, and the main force of the West Liang army had been wiped out. However, there were still several factions within Liangzhou, led primarily by the Han and Ma clans, who had originally obeyed Dong Zhuo’s commands. If Dong Zhuo was the leader of the rebels, Liangzhou was the rebel stronghold. Thus, when news of Dong Zhuo’s death reached Liangzhou, the Ma and Han factions became agitated. Rebellion could break out at any moment.

Fan Li was very curious: how did Liu Xie intend to handle this thorny issue of Liangzhou? Would he incorporate them into his own forces, or would he send troops to suppress the rebellion? In truth, given Liu Xie’s current strength, it was almost impossible for him to fail regardless of his choice. The only question was: how many more people in the Han Empire would have to die?

The answer was revealed soon enough. Liu Xie had a coffin prepared, filled with the clothes Dong Zhuo had worn during his lifetime. He wrote a personal letter and dispatched the Imperial Guard to deliver it to Liangzhou. In the letter, Liu Xie did not boast or threaten; he simply recounted the story of Dong Zhuo’s failed rebellion in a flat, dispassionate tone and praised the various tribes of Liangzhou for their orderly conduct in refusing to follow Dong Zhuo into uprising. Finally, Liu Xie granted hereditary titles to the leaders of each tribe and permitted their troops to remain permanently stationed in Liangzhou.

With a stick in one hand and a carrot in the other, the Imperial Guard returned to Chang'an, bringing back a joint letter of allegiance from the leaders of the Liangzhou tribes. The rebellion was quelled without a single drop of blood being shed.

"A brilliant maneuver."

In the Changle Palace, Fan Li could not help but sigh in admiration after hearing the Princess’s account.

"It seems that those who are seen as mediocre are not necessarily incompetent; they may simply lack a stage upon which to display their talents. I had always thought the Han Emperor was merely a man of average ability, but I never expected him to be a restorer of the dynasty."

As Fan Li finished speaking, the Princess let out a series of giggles.

"Do you dare to disparage my Imperial Father to my face?"

"Is that even considered disparagement?" Fan Li rolled his eyes at her. His gaze drifted downward, landing on the Princess’s slightly protruding abdomen.

The secret arts of the Pure Land were truly incredible! Princess Changle was feigning pregnancy, yet she went through the trouble of performing the entire act, even making her stomach swell.

"How could the Imperial Medical Institute fail to detect that it’s fake?" Fan Li could not help but ask. "Apart from the 'Gluttonous Demon Art' and fake pregnancies, how many other crooked tricks does your Brahma Sound Pure Land possess? Have you learned them all?"

The Princess laughed again at his words.

"Laugh all you want!" Fan Li said, feeling frustrated. "Ten months of pregnancy—what will you do when the time comes and you cannot give birth? Are you going to tell him the story of Nezha?"

"Hehehehehe!" The Princess continued to laugh.

"Fan Li, are you afraid?" she asked. "My father’s tolerance toward you up until now is entirely because of the child in my womb. Just a few days ago, he said that if he weren't worried about his own grandchild losing a father the moment he was born, he would have eliminated you—a scourge—for his son-in-law Xiang Ning."

A chill ran down Fan Li’s spine. Damn it! What heinous things had he done to make Liu Xie equate him with Dong Zhuo?

"There are many kinds of powerful ministers," Fan Li retorted.

"But powerful ministers all love to bully the Emperor," the Princess replied, her smile widening. She seemed to enjoy watching Fan Li get flustered.

Bully the Emperor? This was likely a hurdle Liu Xie could never overcome in his heart. That he could endure and refrain from striking at Fan Li showed how much he truly cherished Princess Changle and the ‘child’ in her belly. Fan Li could never win a verbal sparring match with the Princess, so he simply shut his mouth. *Silence is the Cambridge of tonight.*

The Princess’s smile faded. A rare look of gravity appeared on her beautiful face.

"My father... his time is running out."

"What!?"

The silence was broken. Fan Li only needed a few seconds to process this before he cried out in shock.

"During the battle against Dong Zhuo, didn't he successfully step into the Great Vehicle Realm?"

"When one advances to such a high realm, their lifespan should increase as well. How can his time be running out?"

The Princess lowered her eyes, her voice tinged with sorrow.

"Perhaps you were right. My father truly is only a man of average ability."

"The price for advancing to the Great Vehicle Realm was my father’s entire remaining lifespan. This wasn't a secret technique; it was a natural exchange that occurred when his state of mind reached a certain level."

"The Heavenly Dao is vast and unknowable. In the affairs of cultivators, who can truly know everything?"

A single tear slid down Princess Changle’s cheek—a rare sight. She was crying? This was the first time Fan Li had seen genuine emotion on her face, rather than the mask of seductive charm she usually wore.

"The lifespan gained from advancing to the Great Vehicle Realm is only enough to sustain my father for another hundred days."

One hundred days?! Fan Li was stunned. He had been kept in Chang'an by the Han Emperor for two months already. In other words, in just over a month, the Han Emperor would pass away!

"He..." Fan Li felt his throat go dry. He cleared it before continuing. "With only a hundred days of life left, what is the point of him being so diligent in government?"

Liu Xie had no sons. Could his most capable daughter, Princess Changle, secure the throne of the Han Empire as an Empress? Images of the three people in his mind appeared, and he shook his head. It was impossible. Moreover, Changle herself had said she had no interest in the Han Empire. Even if she were to ascend the throne, creating a new dynasty or usurping the Great Chu would be a better choice. In other words, was the Han Dynasty truly coming to an end?

"Lightening labor, reducing taxes, returning wealth to the people..."

"My father’s diligence over these hundred days is merely to compensate the suffering people of the Han slightly."

"My father even admitted that his compensation is insignificant compared to the years of misery the people have endured."

Fan Li was dumbfounded. Could these words really come from the mouth of an Emperor? Throughout his past and present lives, Fan Li could not recall a single Emperor who, on his deathbed, was so concerned with ensuring the people lived a good life. Tyrants oppressed the people, and even wise rulers used the imperial examinations to cage the talented and kept farmers bound to their fields through light taxes and labor, provided they did not rebel. A ruler who loved his people like Liu Xie was unprecedented in history.