No matter how much of a headache Lu Bu had, Xiang Yu's enthronement ceremony was proceeding quickly and in an orderly manner under the auspices of Doctor Shusun Tong.
King Xiang ordered him to keep everything simple. A man as tactful as Shusun Tong would not have bothered by elaborate and ornate rituals.
After spending ten days to finally sort out the complete process, as soon as it was presented, Xiang Wang, who personally reviewed it, waved his hand and began to make drastic cuts.
Not only did he try to omit the kneeling ceremony for his subjects, he even refused to order people to make the emperor's crown and robes.
As soon as this resolution came out, it caused an uproar in the court.
Although the empire had just been settled, the emperor took the lead in keeping things simple, which was beneficial to winning the hearts of the people... but he didn't even have the emperor's crown and robes, which was too unethical!
Facing the ministers who came to persuade him, Xiang Yu was resolute and asked indifferently: "Has the world been settled?"
Without waiting for the ministers to speak again, he said in a deep voice: "There is still Zhao Tuo in the south and Liu Bang in the west. As long as the two thieves Zhao and Liu are not eliminated, how can the world be called 'settled'!"
This sentence is powerful and full of domineering power.
The ministers were so intimidated that they remained speechless for a long time.
At last he bowed again and said no more to persuade King Xiang.
Only Lu Bu looked serious and was not surprised at all.
If it hadn't been inappropriate, he would have nodded in satisfaction and burst into laughter on the spot.
After this foolish king became emperor, his brain really became much brighter!
Whether it was simplifying the coronation ceremony, investing the saved manpower and resources into recovering the remaining territory, or specifically mentioning the need to deal with Liu Haozi... all of them touched his heart.
So Shusun Tong had to make major cuts again and reduce the ceremony again and again before he finally got King Xiang's approval.
Even with all the preparations done in a hurry, it still took nearly three months.
—In February of the third year of the Chu Dynasty, a new Temple of Heaven was built in the southern suburbs of Xianyang City.
Xiang Yu had a stern look on his face, his double pupils showed majesty without anger, his new military uniform made him look tall and strong. He was wearing a golden-clawed flying dragon ornament, which symbolized the emperor's supremacy, and a gorgeous sword on his waist. He strode up to the altar with great momentum.
At first glance, it looks more like a general going to war than an emperor ascending the throne.
Not far behind him were Lu Bu and Fan Zeng, leading the way on his left and right.
Led by Lu Bu were Han Xin, Long Ju, Zhongli Mo, Ji Bu and other brave generals of the Chu camp who had made great contributions; and following closely behind Fan Zeng were Chen Ping, who had stood out by going deep into the enemy camp alone and successfully persuading the two kingdoms of Dai and Yan to surrender, and civil servants such as Wu She; outside these two rows of Chu officials stood Zhao Xie, Shen Yang, Sima Ang and Han Cheng, who had once been princes.
Gathered densely at the outermost part of the Temple of Heaven were the 400,000 soldiers of the Chu Army.
The atmosphere was solemn and dignified. Although there were so many people gathered, it was completely silent from beginning to end, and you could hear a pin drop.
Even though they were far away, one could still vaguely hear the words of King Xiang, with his majestic appearance, as he offered sacrifices to the heavens, the earth, and the ancestors.
The last time when Xiang Yu was enfeoffing the princes, Lu Bu, who was almost losing interest due to the boredom and almost dozing off with his eyes open, was completely focused this time.
He stared closely at Hanzi's back as he offered sacrifices to heaven and earth not far away. For a moment, he felt a mixture of emotions in his heart, not knowing what to feel.
No matter how good Emperor Xiang Yu was, there would never be another hero drawing his sword and committing suicide on the banks of the Wujiang River.
When Lu Bu was distracted, the ceremony at the Temple of Heaven had already been completed.
—Xiang Yu, the King of Western Chu, truly became the founding emperor of the Chu Dynasty.
Seeing with their own eyes the most courageous, fearless and invincible monarch of the Great Chu finally ascend to the throne, the civil and military officials could still barely suppress their inner excitement, but the hundreds of thousands of Chu troops gathered outside had completely turned into a pool of boiling oil into which cold water was dropped!
When the majestic and awe-inspiring Emperor of Chu, dressed in military uniform, turned around and faced the crowd below the altar...
Lu Bu was still staring in a daze at the rare and majestic look of this fool, and the next moment, he was almost knocked over by the unprecedented powerful sound!
—"Chu Long appears in the world, His Majesty is mighty!!!"
The faces of the Chu soldiers were flushed, tears glistened in their eyes, but their gazes were extremely fanatical, and they all cheered at the top of their lungs.
The shouts were like rolling thunder, deafening; they were also like clouds of joy and purple air descending from the sky.
Lu Bu was in the middle of it, his pupils were almost shaking, and his ears were buzzing, making him dizzy.
Damn it, when these stupid soldiers under the stupid emperor start yelling, it’s like an overwhelming tidal wave that can’t be stopped!
He managed to keep a straight face and not be like the other Chu officials who had stars in their eyes and were unable to stand steadily due to the loud shouting.
But the corners of his mouth, which he thought were tightly stretched, were unconsciously raised high, showing his pride and arrogance for the sense of honor that echoed in his heart.
—Xiang Yu, who had just turned around and looked straight at his beloved general, was immediately noticed.
A fleeting soft light flashed across Xiang Yu's eyes, and then he looked at his old uncle Fan Zeng, whose eyes were filled with tears. They exchanged glances silently and nodded slowly.
Ever since the ceremony of Emperor Han's accession to the throne ended that day, Lu Bu seemed to have left his body and stayed in his cheap brother's house for several days before he finally came to his senses.
The feeling lingering in his heart was so complex and strange that it took him a lot of patience to ponder it before it gradually began to take shape.
He had the regret of having no children, and had always been impatient about this silly boy, which was quite similar to himself when he was a young man.
—I have a son who is beginning to become a talented person. I’m afraid this is his mood at the moment.
Lu Bu didn't care about anything and came to a conclusion without any hesitation. He finally felt relieved.
Seeing that the fool has now become the emperor, he has power and has the support of the people.
Isn't this a perfect opportunity for him to ask for troops, launch an expedition to Bashu, and recover the two counties
Liu Haozi's head, which he had been thinking about day and night for nearly two years, was finally within his reach. Lu Bu was suddenly excited and had no time to think about what had just happened. He jumped up from the couch with a somersault.
Han Xin, who was immersed in compiling a military book and oblivious to what was happening outside, was suddenly awakened by his younger brother lying on the couch like a dead fish.
He subconsciously turned his head to check, and saw that his brother, who had been absent-minded for the past few days, had somehow regained his usual spirit and rushed out with big strides.
… Why did you go out, my dear brother
Han Xin was puzzled.
He only glanced at the scroll in his hand again, then put it aside without hesitation and chased after him.
Lu Bu rode the jade lion in high spirits all the way to the main hall.
At this moment, many things are waiting to be done, and official positions and rewards have not yet been determined, so there is no rule of going to court to discuss matters.
Lu Bu jumped off his horse and was about to step into the hall impatiently, but stopped abruptly the next moment.
Just now, I seemed to hear my own name
Lü Bu had practiced martial arts for many years, and his hearing and eyesight were far better than those of ordinary people. Even though there were several gates between them, he was still able to catch the two words "Fengxian" that happened to enter his ears.
After recognizing Old Man Fan's voice without hesitation, he frowned and became instinctively alert.
What evil plans does this old man have for himself, who always seeks him for advice whenever there is something going on and has lost all conscience to the point of using him as his advisor
He also talked about him privately with Han... Han Emperor. Who knows, he might be trying to harm him with malicious intentions and force him to come up with some advice.
The more Lu Bu thought about it, the more serious the matter became.
He wanted to find out what kind of evil plan old man Fan was up to, so he simply didn't rush in.
Instead, he rolled his eyes and stood in front of the closed palace door, pricked up his ears seriously and started eavesdropping.
The old man Fan, who was full of dissatisfaction, kept on talking a lot, quoting from classics, and was very particular.
Fan Zeng was completely unaware that there was a Fengxian tiger outside the door, eavesdropping on him and still making endless suggestions: "... Fengxian has a talent that can rule the world, and his loyalty to Your Majesty is even more obvious. He has repeatedly advised Your Majesty, and has also personally stepped into dangerous situations, taking charge of the overall situation, and made great contributions. Although he was awarded the title of Grand Marshal, it is still too unfair... But Fengxian is indifferent to fame and fortune, and does not covet wine, sex, and beauties..."
After this conversation, Lu Bu was dizzy and confused.
This is fucking bullshit!
This old man made me sound so exaggerated that I thought he was a saint who had been reborn into a sage and was willing to go through fire and water to save the world. How could he be the wise, brave, and decisive Marquis? !
Lu Bu's tiger eyes narrowed slightly, almost spewing out raging anger!
Not only do he kill people with words, he also destroys their hearts. When and where did he offend that stinky old man named Fan, to deserve being slandered like this behind his back!
What made him most angry was the foolish emperor who was obviously also in the palace. He never stopped Fan Zeng from beginning to end, but just silently allowed him to talk nonsense and discredit his famous murderous reputation behind his back!
Lu Bu was getting more and more angry. Just when he could no longer bear it and was about to push the door open and question Fan Zeng,
Xiang Yu said in a deep voice: "What my father said is exactly what I am worried about."
Fan Zeng smiled with relief, and then struck while the iron was hot, continuing to make suggestions: "I am old and physically weak, and Fengxian has made great contributions, while I have made little contributions, so I dare not compete... If Fengxian is appointed as prime minister, it will not only make everyone sincerely convinced, but also not let down this unparalleled national hero."
Xiang Yu nodded without hesitation and said, "Father, this is a very good idea."
This thunderbolt came without any warning, and Lu Bu's eyes became dazed and his whole body froze. He was almost scared to death!
An unknown amount of time had passed until the sound of clothes rustling and someone standing up was heard from inside, which suddenly startled Lu Bu, who was frozen in place.
His face turned as black as ink and he turned around and left.
The human heart is really unpredictable. Xiang Junzi looks like a good-looking person and is usually generous. But who would have thought that he has a heart even more cruel than that of Dong Pangzei!
Thinking back to the beginning, although the thief Zhuo was completely unscrupulous and full of evil, he was not bad in one respect: he was only used as a warrior. Why would they catch him every day and force him to rack his brains and come up with plans
Lu Bu shuddered involuntarily, not knowing what he was thinking about.
Unlike this foolish emperor, who has been using him for nearly two years and still doesn't think it is enough. He secretly wants to tie him up in the most strenuous and fatal position of Prime Minister, so that he can work hard for the rest of his life!
Lu Bu paced disorderly in the hall, feeling extremely worried and as if his internal organs were burning with sorrow.
How could he not know the pros and cons of this
The position of prime minister is extremely important, but it is not like the Longyuan Sword bestowed by Xiang Yu before, which represents the authority second only to one person and above ten thousand people.
He had already made plans for the Longyuan Sword: to avoid future troubles, he would leave the Longyuan Sword behind when the day came for him to die.
He only took away the jade lion and some gold and silver as a reward for his hard work.
But once you become the prime minister, how can you just leave
Normally, she has to worry about everything and has to be under the watchful eye of the Foolish Emperor all day long.
Even if he could escape easily with his powerful martial arts, there would be endless troubles.
For the Prime Minister of the Great Chu to abandon his post and run away, isn't it the same as throwing the dignity of the foolish emperor to the ground and trampling on him
By then, not only will that fool be completely annoyed and hunted all over the world, but it may also give the scoundrels an opportunity to take advantage of it, causing chaos in the world again...
With a huge crisis imminent, how could he dare to seek the temporary pleasure of killing Liu Haozi himself
Lu Bu thought about it for a long time, looked towards Bashu in despair, his face changing unpredictably, and finally he made up his mind to take drastic measures!
—Don’t worry about Liu Haozi for now, just get away as soon as possible!