Chapter 0004: The Stolen Queen

When the imperial army, consisting of several hundred miscellaneous soldiers, attacked, Li Erbi's 'Dynasty' could not withstand even a single day before it perished

This left Li Xuan quite speechless, but after several days of interaction, Li Xuan had come to realize that this person was simply insane, so he did not bother to hold anything against him

Upon hearing this, Li Xuan was already inclined to directly tell him to get lost. This person was looking for trouble for no reason. Yesterday, he dragged Li Xuan to the enthronement ceremony, leaving him fuming with anger. Now he was talking about marriage matters. Who do you think you are, Liu Bagou? Do you really think you are Zhuge Liang?

However, looking at the group below, a mix of Taoists, butchers, farmers, and bandits dressed in tattered clothes, Li Xuan could only let out a sigh in the end

Although he was inside the room, Li Xuan could still occasionally hear the discussions of Liu Bagou and others outside. The topics they were discussing would likely terrify an ordinary person, as each one pertained to significant national affairs

In this small "Great Tang Dynasty," apart from Li Xuan, who had once been sent to a private school and was somewhat familiar with the Four Books and Five Classics, only Liu Bagou could write such classical articles. Among the others, only a few could recognize a few characters, at most able to write their own names, while the majority were illiterate.

Li Xuan is now very clear that the top priority is to restore his health. His physical condition is not particularly good. A few days ago, after a bout of fleeing, combined with the hot weather, he ended up suffering from heatstroke. Although he has regained consciousness now, he still needs to rest for a few days.

The defeat was not merely like a mountain collapsing; it can only be described as having no power to resist at all

Therefore, he said: "Let this matter be handled according to Mr. Liu's wishes"

Li Xuan showed a look of confusion and said: "A young lady from a prominent family?"

However, it is impossible for the daughter of the Dong family to marry Li Xuan, even if one were to think about it with their toes. Not to mention that now Li Xuan has been elevated to the throne of the Tang Dynasty by Liu Bagou and others, becoming a puppet emperor in a farcical manner. Even if he were still the same as before, merely a small landlord with a respectable background and a slight literary reputation, one should not expect him to marry the legitimate daughter of the Dong family.

The coronation ceremony, which resembled a farce, lasted less than a quarter of an hour, after which Li Xuan was sent back to his room to recuperate, as he is still unwell.

However, as someone who considers himself the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang, Liu Bagou clearly cannot be judged by common sense, as if he had not noticed the darkness on Li Xuan's face, he continued to say

We have discussed the posthumous title and temple name of the late emperor in the past two days, and we respectfully request Your Majesty to review them

However, Liu Bagou clearly did not notice Li Xuan's hint for him to leave, and continued, "Moreover, since Your Majesty has ascended the throne, the matter of the grand wedding must also be put on the agenda, so that a prince may be born as soon as possible to secure the hearts of the subjects!"

Upon seeing this posthumous title and temple name, even a history novice like Li Xuan cannot help but be speechless, for the temple name assigned to Li Er by Liu Bagou is 'Taizu', and the posthumous title is a long string, with the last three characters being 'Wuhuangdi'

The Dong family? Li Xuan, who inherited the memories of his original self, knew that there indeed was a Dong family in their county, and it was truly a family of scholarly lineage, with someone in the family even holding an official position

At this moment, Liu Bagou said solemnly: "Indeed, this woman is the legitimate daughter of the Dong family in our county. The Dong family has a long-standing tradition of farming and studying, and is quite renowned in the prefecture. The daughter of the Dong family is the mother of our great Tang dynasty, which is most appropriate."

For example, discussing with Li Xuan's father, who is known as the late emperor Li Er, about the posthumous title and temple name, then starting to deliberate on the era name after Li Xuan ascends the throne, followed by discussions on how to engage in a decisive battle against the imperial army, to avenge the late emperor and overthrow the Zhu Ming dynasty, establishing a prosperous Tang dynasty.

More importantly, among these hundreds of people, there are hardly a few normal individuals. Among them, the most esteemed Prime Minister Liu Bagou is clearly deeply immersed in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, considering himself to be Zhuge Liang, the one entrusted with Liu Bei's legacy. The bandit leader Fang Dongquan, who originally led a group of refugees in plundering and robbing, opposing the government, is now also dreaming of being a founding hero.

As for those ordinary vagrants and bandits, each one is illiterate, having never even been to the county town, and their actions are merely a result of blind conformity

In his mind, Li Xuan suddenly thought of a possibility, and then, with a tone of hesitation, said: "You haven't kidnapped the women of the Dong family, have you?"

So he merely hummed in response, remaining silent as before

You are nothing but a shabby Taoist priest

Is it possible to find a refined young lady in this bandit den? What a joke

These individuals, whether they are sitting idly dreaming of being founding heroes or wishing to emulate Zhuge Liang in supporting Liu A-dou, will not let go of their own reputation

Having said that, Li Xuan fell silent, hoping that Liu Bagou would take the hint and leave on his own accord. At this moment, Li Xuan found it unpleasant to even glance at this madman, Liu Bagou.

Li Xuan could only nod in agreement regarding this matter. As a mother, Madam Bai would certainly not harm him, and judging by her confident demeanor, it is likely that she has made certain arrangements.

Because Li Xuan saw ambition in their eyes, as well as an ignorance that could not be concealed.

I have seen those who wish to die, but I have never encountered anyone as foolish as this. You all want to rebel and seek death, but please do not involve me. I was planning to secretly leave this cursed place and live incognito while enjoying myself. Now, with your actions, how could the imperial court and the officials let me off? Unless I offer my own head, how would the court ever relent?

Your Majesty is of the highest rank, and naturally, the selection of the Empress cannot be an ordinary farmer's daughter. At present, there happens to be a refined young lady from a scholarly family, who could serve as the mother of the world

This paper is clearly torn from somewhere, and the tearing was done carelessly, resulting in uneven edges. However, the handwriting on it is quite good, written in a very formal small script. One does not need to guess to know that this is the work of Liu Bagou.

With a cursory glance, aside from those obscure and difficult phrases, it was merely the posthumous title and temple name of Lierbi.

However, Liu Bagou did not leave; instead, he continued, "I and General Chen and others have already been preparing our troops for battle, and we will certainly keep the imperial army at bay outside the mountains"

As he spoke, he pulled out a yellowed piece of paper from the tattered sleeve of his robe

However, in reality, the current Tang Dynasty has fewer than 400 subjects, among whom more than half are elderly, weak, women, and children. The remaining able-bodied men are mostly bandits who resemble refugees even more than the refugees themselves.

What merit and ability does Li Erbi possess to dare to use the temple name "Taizu," just like the founding emperors of past dynasties such as Zhu Yuanzhang? Moreover, the posthumous title "Wu" is typically reserved for emperors with outstanding military achievements; what military accomplishments does Li Erbi have?

In the evening, Lady Bai once again approached Li Xuan's bedside, her expression filled with maternal affection as she said: "My child, do not worry. Let them make a fuss for a few days. Once you have recovered, we will leave this place. At that time, we will find a place to live in seclusion and lead a peaceful life"

The next day, Liu Bagou once again arrived at Li Xuan's bedside. As soon as he entered, he performed a grand act of kneeling and said, "I pay my respects to Your Majesty!"

Otherwise, there will not be enough stamina to escape

As for Liu Bagou and the others, if they want to go crazy, let them go crazy; there is no need to pay them any mind

At this moment, Liu Bagou has finally stood up again

However, Li Xuan allowed him to shout like this, but after a long time, he still did not see him get up. Finally, he remembered a television drama he had watched before and tentatively said, "Please rise"

Upon hearing Li Xuan's question, Liu Bagou rarely showed a hint of embarrassment; however, he forcefully argued, "How can it be said that it was a robbery? General Fang and the others invited us here a few days ago; it was just that there were some conflicts during the invitation process"

However, despite his silence, Li Xuan was too lazy to argue with Liu Bagou about anything, as this matter was inherently meaningless and merely a form of self-entertainment for Liu Bagou and his companions

Those who are unaware might think that their Tang Dynasty is some sort of superpower, capable of standing on equal footing with the Ming Dynasty.

Li Xuan thought to himself: You can say whatever you want, anyway, I am too lazy to get involved

Among so many people, it is estimated that apart from Li Xuan himself, only the 'Empress' Lady Bai still retains the rationality of a normal person

The remaining key members, including Chen the butcher, were also left in a daze by Liu Bagou's deception

In a few days, he will escape this place with Lady Bai and his sister, so it does not matter if he shouts long live a few times now

I still think about how to take good care of my health, and then it would be better to leave this wretched place. For now, I am still playing a harmonious game of rulers and subjects with this Liu Bagou, pretending to be in agreement.