This was the most bizarre enthronement ceremony in the history of the Han dynasty.
Before Weiyang Palace, banners fluttered and Liu Bingyi donned imperial robes, which symbolised supreme power. However, the moment he stepped out of the imperial carriage, he shivered involuntarily. According to the *Book of Han*, specifically the *Biography of Huo Guang*, Liu Bingyi's role today was not to demonstrate imperial authority, but rather to embody the idiom "a thorn in one's side".
As Grand Marshal and General-in-Chief, Huo Guang had specially donned ceremonial attire second only to the emperor's. Standing beside Liu Bingyi, ostensibly to 'accompany' him, he was, in reality, using his decades of accumulated power to put immense pressure on the newly enthroned emperor.
'Your Majesty, don't let your hand tremble,' said Huo Guang, his voice deep and resonant, his gaze unwavering. 'This imperial seal is quite heavy.'
Startled, Liu Bingyi nearly dropped the imperial seal; his face turned deathly pale and his eyes darted around. He dared not look directly at Huo Guang's profile. He simply lowered his head, letting cold sweat drip from his forehead, down his crown and onto the red carpet.
[God-Level Mimicry: Extremely Fearful, Treading-on-Ice Puppet Emperor — Loading]
[System notification: Due to overly realistic acting, Huo Guang's complacency has increased by 200%, and his vigilance has decreased by 150%.]
The officials below the stage watched this scene, each with their own thoughts.
'This emperor's grandson is ultimately a worthless piece of trash,' the Huo family henchmen thought, exchanging contemptuous glances. 'Look at his demeanour. Terrified out of his wits by just one look from the General.'
Hiding in the crowd, Lei Zhen, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, secretly admired him: 'The boss's heart is beating steadily like a drum; he's actually forcing out cold sweat with his true qi — amazing!'
Liu Bingyi trembled as he quickly reviewed the System Map in his mind.
He was waiting for an opportunity to transform this 'fear' into 'sympathy', and ultimately into 'killing intent'. As he reached the centre of the sacrificial altar and prepared to read the eulogy, he abruptly turned and stared in terror at his back as if an unseen thorn were pressing against his spine.
'General, General! I have a feeling someone is trying to kill me from behind.'
His voice, choked with sobs, echoed through the hall. He clutched at Huo Guang's sleeve tightly, like a drowning man grasping at his last piece of driftwood.
Huo Guang frowned slightly, a flicker of disgust crossing his face. He pushed Liu Bingyi's hand away and arrogantly turned to wave at the black-armoured guards behind him. 'Your Majesty is overthinking it. Who in this world dares to harm you in front of me?'
The instant Huo Guang turned away, the terror in Liu Bingyi's eyes vanished, replaced by an intense, chilling killing intent that seemed to freeze the air.
[Ding!] [Detected: 80% of subjects believe the host is 'weak and easily bullied'].
[Hidden Quest Completed: Show Weakness to the Enemy, Gather Strength in Your Heart'.
[Reward Settlement: Reputation Points (Negative Conversion) +40,000.]
[Unlock reward: Hidden Dragon Blade (while the host is showing weakness, can ignore defence and set up three deadly traps).]
'Since Your Majesty is afraid, please allow the Empress Dowager to come forward and take charge,' said Huo Guang, waving his hand and smiling coldly.
At that moment, the Empress Dowager, Shangguan, emerged from behind the curtain. Looking at the 'terrified' Liu Bingyi, she did not feel contempt, but rather strong maternal love and a protective instinct. She felt sorry for this heir of the Han dynasty, who was being bullied so severely by his maternal grandfather.
The coronation ceremony ended hastily amidst Liu Bingyi's 'trembling'.
Huo Guang left Weiyang Palace with the air of a victor, surrounded by admirers. Meanwhile, Liu Bingyi stood alone in the empty hall. Slowly straightening his back, he cast a dragon-like silhouette in the setting sun, his once hunched figure now straight and tall.
Casually wiping the cold sweat from his face, he looked at Huo Guang with sharp, piercing eyes.
'General, do you think I'm afraid?'
Opening his palm, he revealed a note that Huo Chengjun had slipped to him amidst the chaos: 'Map of the Huo family's private army. Meet me tonight at midnight in the west of the city.'
'You think I'm a thorn in your side, but I think you're just meat for my chopping board.'
It was midnight in an abandoned dyehouse to the west of Chang'an.
The moonlight was obscured by thick clouds and the air was heavy with the strong smell of cheap dye. Dressed in black with an inconspicuous iron sword at his waist, Liu Bingyi was like a ghost in the darkness.
'Your Majesty, are you really sure you dare to come alone?'
Huo Chengjun slowly emerged from the shadows; she was no longer the lowly palace maid she had been that day. She held a lantern that flickered in her hand and illuminated her pretty, excited face.
'I am not alone. I carry the fate of the Han dynasty,' said Liu Bingyi calmly, his gaze sweeping over the beams and pillars of the dyehouse. 'Come out, Shadow Dragon Guards.' Twelve dark figures slid down from the beams and knelt on one knee in perfect unison without making a sound.
Huo Chengjun handed Liu Bingyi a thick roll of parchment, her fingertips tracing the back of his hand with a chilling coolness.
'These are the locations of the three elite infantry camps that Father established outside Chang'an, totalling three thousand men. They are all veterans of countless battles. They only obey the Huo family's token, not the Tiger Tally."
Liu Bingyi spread out the map and [System Analysis Mode] instantly activated.
[System Detection] Target location locked.
[Terrain Simulation]: The first camp is located upstream of the Ba River, which is advantageous for poisoning the water source. The second camp is located in the dense forest north of the Wei River, which is advantageous for a fire attack.
'Chengjun, you've given me all of the Huo family's trump cards. What do you want?' Liu Bingyi raised his head, his gaze piercing.
Huo Chengjun suddenly burst into laughter. Leaning close to Liu Bingyi's ear, she breathed, "I want to see those self-righteous brothers kneeling in the mud. 'I want to see those self-righteous brothers kneeling in the mud. I want to see Chang'an City fall to a true master, and I want to be the woman closest to him."
'Order the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Lei Zhen. No prisoners are needed. Tonight, I will turn the Ba River red.' Liu Bingyi closed the map, his tone chilling.
[Ding!] Side Quest Triggered: [Tooth Extraction]!
Quest Requirements: Completely paralyse the Huo family's military presence outside Chang'an before dawn.
Quest reward: War God Aura Fragment (increases the organisation and lethality of your troops by 30%).
Liu Bingyi nimbly mounted his horse — a far cry from the trembling coward he had been in the imperial carriage earlier that day. He and his Shadow Dragon Guards tore through the silence of the Chang'an suburbs like a bolt of black lightning.
The Huo family's assassins were still fast asleep, believing that they could rest easy with the general's mansion behind them.
Liu Bingyi was the first to charge into the camp, iron sword in hand. His swordsmanship was devoid of any frills; every strike was aimed directly at the throat. Under the passive buff of 1000% pressure, the assassins felt their souls freeze the moment they opened their eyes; they were unable to cry for help.
Blood splattered onto Liu Bingyi's face, but he remained expressionless, his heartbeat not quickening at all.
'This is what you call a "thorn"?' Stepping on the camp commander's chest, Liu Bingyi looked into the man's incredulous eyes. 'To me, it's just a pile of rotten flesh.' The sky was beginning to lighten.
Liu Bingyi returned to Weiyang Palace. Xu Pingjun was waiting anxiously in a side hall. Seeing him covered in blood, she was stunned at first, then rushed forward and hugged him tightly around the waist.
'Bingyi, are you injured?'
'No, it's someone else's blood.' Liu Bingyi gently patted her back, his gaze fixed on the distant General's Mansion.
Suddenly, spies from Huo Guang's mansion burst into the hall, shouting, 'General! The three battalions outside the city have been completely wiped out — not a single survivor!'
With a crash, the teacup in Huo Guang's hand shattered.
[Ding!]
Reputation Value: +25,000.
'Iron-Blooded Imperial Heart' God-level passive skill unlocked (no longer affected by any negative psychological impact when making cruel decisions).
Huo Guang entered the palace today with heavy steps, as if he were weighed down by lead. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked ten years older overnight. The annihilation of his three thousand elite soldiers was not only a loss for him, but also a silent terror — someone had wiped out three thousand elite troops right under his nose. 'General!'
Liu Bingyi, seated on the dragon throne, abruptly stood up. His voice was clear yet tinged with concern: 'General, you look so pale. Are you, like me, still shaken by the towering flames outside the city last night?"
The air in the palace froze instantly upon hearing this.
[System Feedback: Emperor's Skill — "Heart-Piercing Strike" triggered.]
Effect: The target's psychological trauma is precisely detonated, causing them to doubt themselves.
'This old minister... this old minister merely caught a cold,' said Huo Guang through gritted teeth, each word seemingly squeezed out from between clenched teeth.
'Oh dear, this cold needs serious treatment!' Liu Bingyi descended the steps anxiously, disregarding etiquette, and grabbed Huo Guang's hand. With utmost 'sincerity', he said, 'I heard this morning that several houses caught fire in the Ba River area west of the city. The fires were incredibly large. It's said that many 'refugees' died in the flames. General, how come there are so many unidentified refugees outside Chang'an?' Huo Guang's pupils constricted sharply.
'Refugees'? In the official account, those three thousand elite soldiers were described as 'refugees'.
Liu Bingyi was telling him that his men would die in vain without even a proper title and that the officials weren't fools.
Seeing Huo Guang being humiliated yet remaining silent, and witnessing the 'cowardly' emperor daringly step down and grasp the general's hand, the astute among them sensed an impending change. 'Your Majesty.' The previously neutral Minister of Justice suddenly stepped forward, holding a thick stack of documents. 'Last night, this humble subject found some peculiar tokens engraved with the character "Huo" near the fire site in the west of the city. I wonder if the general can identify them?"
[System Notification: [Popular Support] Progress +15%.
[Jinyiwei Spy Activated: Guiding Neutral Officials to Defect].
Huo Guang stared at the bloodstained token, his hands trembling so much that he could barely hold his ivory tablet. He looked pleadingly at his followers, only to find that his once timid subordinates were now staring at their toes.
'General, since you are unwell, you must take your medicine.'
Liu Bingyi clapped his hands and a member of the Imperial Guard entered the hall carrying a lacquered wooden tray. Instead of gold and silver jewels, on the tray lay a bowl of inky black medicine, emitting a pungent, bitter smell.
'This is a "soothing soup" that I specially ordered the imperial physicians to prepare. Only by drinking it in front of all my ministers can I be at ease.'
The scene was strikingly similar to that of the powerful ministers poisoning the young emperor years ago, only now the roles were reversed.
Huo Guang looked at the bowl of medicine, then at the innocent-looking smile on Liu Bingyi's face, but his eyes were like those of a venomous snake. He knew the medicine might not be poisoned, but drinking it would destroy the prestige he had built up throughout his life.
Under the gaze of thousands of eyes, Huo Guang trembled as he picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp.
The bitter medicine slid down his throat and he seemed to hear the collapse of his power empire.
This old minister thanks Your Majesty for the medicine.' Huo Guang bowed deeply, his back lower than ever before.
[Ding!]
Reputation Value: +50,000 (completely shattering Huo Guang's psychological defences)!
Unlocked title: Governing with Ease (the Host's verbal dominance in court increases by an additional 200%).
System announcement: A power vacuum has appeared. The next step is to exonerate Crown Prince Wei and exhume the Huo family's ancestral graves.
Liu Bingyi sat back on the dragon throne and looked at the frail figure below, feeling no pity whatsoever.
'General, now you have taken the medicine, go back and rest. I will personally oversee the affairs of the Han Dynasty.'