Chapter 0009: The Ram's Revenge

The chubby boy's face was flushed red, his hand holding the sword trembled, and his eyes reflected both surprise and fear. He raised his head to look at He Xiu, who laughed heartily and said: "Truly my disciple!"

The Prince of Pingyuan, Wang Yi, is the father of the Emperor, yet the Emperor has no heirs

He Xiu remained silent, and the chubby boy suddenly realized, shouting: "If the father is not punished, the son can take revenge!" He directly snatched the long sword from He Xiu's waist and fiercely stabbed it towards Yuan Wei. Yuan Wei was greatly shocked and cried out in alarm, only to be pierced in the right thigh by the long sword. The chubby boy pulled the sword out, blood gushed from Yuan Wei's right thigh, and he fell to the ground, causing everyone to be filled with fear

Yuan Kui returned to his residence and, throughout the night, drafted a memorial, accusing Duke Jie of disrespecting the governor, disregarding Han laws, and openly attempting to assassinate the Prime Minister. He listed several charges against him and sent a courier on horseback to Luoyang to appeal to the Emperor

Yuan Kui messed up. Liu Hong was originally just a part of a chess game; he only needed to provoke Liu Hong to achieve his goals. In this era where filial piety is paramount, local officials are regarded as the fathers of the local populace. For hundreds of years, the Han Dynasty has not seen a local official insulted without facing consequences. Little did he expect that Liu Hong had a great Confucian scholar by his side, and even more unexpectedly, this scholar was a prominent figure of the Gongyang school.

In the following days, He Xiu resided directly in the guest house, tirelessly teaching Liu Hong day and night. Liu Hong, for a time, became infatuated with Gongyang. When he looked at the old man, he felt not a trace of disgust, but only the image of a figure standing before him, sword drawn, slaying all in his path. He wholeheartedly accepted this master and became particularly diligent in studying Gongyang. Although the old man remained proud and aloof, a smile often appeared at the corners of his mouth.

At that time, the great scholar Ma Rong learned that his son-in-law had been assassinated, and he laughed, saying: "How could Mr. He, with such weak academic achievements, have such a follower?"

Yuan Kui was carried away in a rush by his close followers

The only close relative of the emperor remaining is the Duke of Jiedu Pavilion, while all others are distant relatives.

He hurriedly asked, "May I know who the old man is and how he came to be here? How did he come to be here?"

This statement is essentially an insult directed at Liu Hong, accusing him of being as disrespectful as his mother, both being base individuals lacking integrity

The grudge of a single sword must be avenged in due time! Yuan Kui shouted. Upon hearing this, Liu Hong and He Xiu not only did not get angry, but instead nodded and smiled. This aligns perfectly with the grand revenge ideology of the Gongyang school. Welcome to seek revenge; if you dare to say you hold no grudges, you might just end up facing our master and disciple's sword!

Prince Anping of the Xiaowang lineage, known for his virtue, passed away at an early age

Upon hearing this, Yuan Kui felt a darkness before his eyes. He He Xiu, a prominent scholar of the time, was known alongside Ma Rong from Guanshi as the "Two Sons." Even the Grand Tutor Chen Fan had repeatedly sent people to invite He Gong's assistance, but he had always declined. How could he be here today? Yuan Kui immediately bowed and said, "I am a son-in-law from the southern county of Ma in Guanshi, and I have come to pay my respects to He Gong!" Upon hearing this, those accompanying him exchanged glances, unsure of how to respond.

The subsequent matters will be handled by the officials in the court. The emperor has arrested two officials, and it is necessary to use the leverage of the royal family to rescue them. Furthermore, it is essential to make the emperor understand the principle of distancing oneself from the petty and approaching the virtuous, as well as the way of governing through non-interference

Liu Hong is merely a minor official, and in the presence of the Prime Minister of Hejian, who governs the affairs of a nation, he truly pales in comparison. However, Liu Hong possesses one distinguishing feature: in the past, when Emperor Xiaozhi passed away, the Grand General welcomed Li Wu Hou to ascend as emperor, who is the current emperor. The emperor is the great-grandson of Emperor Suzong Xiaozhang and the grandson of Hejian Xiaowang. Hejian Xiaowang had four sons, the eldest being Bohai Xiaowang Zheng, who was stripped of his title due to criminal offenses.

Yuan Kui was extremely angry, how could he forget that He Xiu was a great Confucian of the Gongyang school? The Gongyang school advocates for a doctrine of great revenge, and since the Han dynasty, it has been a group of madmen who, at the slightest disagreement, would draw their swords against each other. Since He Xiu taught Liu Hong, then Liu Hong must also be a little madman of the Gongyang school!

Yuan Wei was both shocked and angry, pointing at the old man and shouting, "Do you intend to rebel against the officials? Quickly take him down!" Several of his close followers immediately drew their swords, but the old man showed no fear and charged forward, aiming to strike at Yuan Wei. Yuan Wei also had a sharp sword at his waist, but he did not have time to draw it, as the old man's sword was aimed directly at his trusted subordinate. Yuan Wei jumped back, narrowly avoiding the thrust of the sword.

Only He Xiu clapped his hands and laughed, saying: "A mother suffers humiliation, and a son seeks revenge; this is the way of the blade!"

Then, can the emperor agree to this only close relative

Cheng Di Feng, Feng Di Wei, both are public figures

Upon hearing the words of the chubby boy, Yuan Kui felt not anger but joy. Having reached such a high position as an official, every word and action in daily life would spread far and wide, and might even become a historical anecdote in later generations. Today's discussion with this noble lord would surely be known throughout the world. This confidence naturally stemmed from the strength of the Yuan clan, especially since he had come here under the covert orders of his father.

Ah, Rencheng, what rest is there! What shall you do!

But now, what should be done?

Zhuo Wenshao obtained the support of the Guandong, and thus thoroughly exterminated the clan of Shao Zong, including the Grand Tutor Wei and others

This news gradually spread along with the household servants of the Hou residence and those who witnessed the events of that day. However, the dissemination of this information diverged from Yuan Kui's expectations. Liu Hong not only avoided the label of tyranny but instead gained the reputation of a filial son and righteous heir. Due to his mother, he was appointed to the position of two thousand stones, which, in turn, earned him the admiration of the scholars and knights of Jizhou, who all remarked, "The young lord is only eight or nine years old, yet he possesses the ancient virtues!"

In the attic, Liu Hong stared blankly at the celestial book in his hands. The mention of Yuan Kui written here couldn't possibly refer to the one he had stabbed a few days ago, could it? He is not one of the Three Dukes, after all... What on earth is this book?

As those followers were about to besiege the old man, Dong Chong shouted, "How dare anyone act so recklessly here!" Many of the household servants drew their swords, surrounding Yuan Kui. At that moment, Yuan Kui finally felt a sense of fear. He intended to provoke Liu Hong, but he did not wish to risk his life here. Liu Hong was young and inexperienced; if he were to grow a little older and understand the consequences of attacking someone of the rank of two thousand stones, he would surely hold back.

At that time, Uncle Wei Shao was appointed as the Grand Tutor

If Liu Hong merely sent someone to expel himself, people would say he disrespected the governor and acted arrogantly. However, when Liu Hong donned the robes of Confucianism and then struck him with a sword, the situation changed. The nature of the act transformed from the governor seeking justice to the governor insulting a mother, leading to a son’s retaliation. In an era where the ideals of great vengeance and filial piety were highly exalted, Liu Hong became the greatest beneficiary.

He did not return the gift, but merely turned his head coldly to look at the chubby boy and questioned: "Can the grudge of nine generations still be avenged?"

The situation is not right, we must leave first

The matter concerning Liu Hong's household servant is not considered a significant issue, nor does it require a mere state minister to personally visit. However, if the target is the one in Weiyang Palace, then it becomes quite worthwhile. Upon seeing Liu Hong's great anger, Yuan Kui smiled faintly; after all, he is just a child of eight or nine years. The matter of a household servant is not of great importance, but offending the lord, deceiving superiors, and humiliating the state minister is indeed a grave crime. Although it is impossible to apprehend Liu Hong and punish him, one can still petition the emperor, compelling Liu Hong to apologize and admit his guilt, and to lower his rank for self-reflection. After all, he is just a child of eight or nine years. The matter of a household servant is not of great importance, but offending the lord, deceiving superiors, and humiliating the state minister is indeed a grave crime. Although it is impossible to apprehend Liu Hong and punish him, one can still petition the emperor, compelling Liu Hong to apologize and admit his guilt, and to lower his rank for self-reflection.

The little chubby boy immediately jumped up in anger, ready to call the surrounding servants to kill this fellow. The old man's gaze gradually became sharp; he had originally resigned from his official position to avoid the chaos in the court, yet he did not expect that these rascals would even scheme against a child of eight or nine years old. He suddenly drew his sword and shouted, "You insolent brat, how dare you insult my disciple!"

Not to mention the turmoil this incident caused within the Marquis's residence, when Dong heard about it, she was so frightened that she nearly fainted. However, upon learning the identity of the elder, she felt somewhat reassured, for he was a great Confucian scholar of the world, capable of ensuring my son's safety. On one hand, Dong Chong was concerned about his eldest son, while on the other hand, he had firmly convinced himself that his nephew was indeed the chosen one! Only the little chubby boy remained unaffected, behaving as if nothing had happened, just like any other day.

The chubby boy was taken aback, looked up, and replied: "The way of kings is to restore the old, to respect the king and expel the barbarians; the enmity of ten generations can still be avenged"

The son of Jie Du, the Marquis Shu, has passed away, leaving behind a grandson, Liu Hong

With a step forward, the long sword thrust, and Yuan Kui hurriedly dodged, the long sword directly severed Yuan Kui's headpiece

The little fat man was quite enraged, and Yuan Kui felt that this was still not enough. He shook his head and said with a hint of sadness: "In the past, I was fortunate to meet the late Duke of Jiedu Pavilion. The Duke was a man of high moral character and virtue, yet I did not expect his offspring to be so disrespectful, resembling their mother!"