The people, mules, horses, and chariots, marched in procession and column after column on the main road, and there was no end in sight. According to the agreement, Nan Ye ceded Yanzhou to Liu Bei, and Liu Bei handed over the money and grain accumulated over the years and 70% of the people of Yanzhou to Nan Ye. Of course, most of these people are poor families, and those families with big businesses are not willing to give up their industries and go with Nan Ye, and Nan Ye can't afford to pay their demolition fees.

In fact, the strength of Nanye is not that Yanzhou cannot be held, but Yanzhou is surrounded by the Sun, Cao, and Liu families, and the three families cannot get around. Nan Ye's main purpose for withdrawing from Yanzhou was twofold, one was to enhance Liu Bei's strength against Sun Quan and Cao Pi, and the other was to get out of the matter and wait for the three families to turn against him.

As soon as Nanye's army left, Liu Bei stationed troops in Xuchang. Xuchang originally belonged to the boundary of Yuzhou, but due to Cao Pi's heavy guards, Liu Bei took the entire Yuzhou but did not take Xuchang, and now he finally got his wish. The only thing that made Liu Bei feel a little regretful was that Nan Ye had moved away many people in the city, and Xuchang City seemed much deserted and less prosperous than before. However, Liu Bei believes that it will take less than two years to restore Xuchang to its old appearance.

As soon as Zhuge Liang arrived in Xuchang, he consulted with Jian Yong, Sun Gan, Xun Chen and others, wanting to respect Liu Bei, the king of Guanzhong, as the emperor. Sun Gan said: "The world cannot be without a king for a day. There is auspicious wind and clouds nearby, and there is yellow gas in the northwest corner of Xuchang rising in the sky. The emperor star is seen in the nine heavens, brilliant as the moon. This is in response to the immediate throne of the king of Guanzhong, in order to succeed the Han dynasty. ”

As soon as Sun Qian's seal was put on the table, the bureaucrats of all sizes came to the table, saying that Cao Pi abdicated and Liu Bei should succeed to the throne. Liu Bei was naturally happy in his heart, but he always had to be humble, so he pretended to be unhappy and said: "Cao Pi usurped the Han Dynasty and established himself, and his name is not good." If they want me to be subjected to their teachings, will they not trap me in disloyalty and injustice? ”

Zhuge Liang played: "Definitely! Now that the first emperor is dead, there is no king in the world. The lord is a descendant of the Han family, and he should inherit the Han dynasty. ”

Liu Bei still shirked and said: "This matter should be discussed again." ”

Three days later, Zhuge Liang led the officials into the court and invited Liu Bei out. The crowd bowed down before them. Xun Chen said: "The Son of Heaven of the Han Dynasty has been killed by thieves, and the lord is not the emperor, and there is no one in the world who can be the emperor." All the people have no master, and they will not be able to live in fear, which is not the blessing of the world. Today, all the people want the king to be the king, and if they do not follow the opinions of the ministers, they will lose the people's hope. ”

Liu Bei said: "Although I am the grandson of Emperor Jing, I have no great contribution to the people, how can He De succeed the Han Dynasty?" ”

Zhang Fei said loudly in His Royal Highness: "If my brother is not the emperor, who else can be?" ”

Zhuge Liang said: "The minister is from a fledgling house, and he has to meet the lord and follow him so far, and he obeys his words." Now the lord has the land of Yu, Yan, and three states, and the foundation has been completed, and it is just when the Han Dynasty will be beheaded. The civil and military bureaucrats all want to serve the lord as the emperor, pacify the world, and strive for fame. If the lord insists on refusing, all the officials will have resentment, and they will soon be dispersed. If the civil and military forces are scattered, Wu and Wei will attack, and the three states will be difficult to protect. Not only was the great foundation buried in vain, but the 400 years of my Han dynasty were also lost to the hands of the lord. ”

As soon as Liu Bei heard that he would be a sinner for thousands of years if he didn't succeed to the throne, he said: "I have to push back, I'm afraid that people in the world will talk about it." ”

Zhuge Liang knew that the "people of the world" that Liu Bei was afraid of did not refer to the people, nor Cao Pi and Sun Quan, but to Guide Ye. Zhuge Liang had the intention of uniting with Nan Ye, so he naturally considered Nan Ye's reaction to Liu Bei's claim to be emperor, but after thinking about it, he felt that if Liu Bei was not called emperor, there was really no more suitable candidate for emperor than Liu Bei at this time. With Nanye's righteousness first, it seems unlikely that he will be the emperor himself, so there is no reason to oppose Liu Bei being the emperor. So Zhuge Liang came out of the class and said: "Sage Yun: If the name is not right, it is not good, and now the lord is the emperor's name, what is there to discuss?" Don't you listen to the sky and don't take it, but suffer the blame? ”

When Liu Bei heard this, he nodded in agreement. Seeing this, the officials were overjoyed and bowed to the earth: "Since the lord agrees to the invitation, he can build an altar and choose auspiciousness and pay a great salute." Liu Bei then ordered Jian Yong and Sun Qian to build an altar in the south of Xuchang and choose an auspicious day to ascend the throne.

A few days later, everything was ready, and the hundred officials set up Luan Drive, and asked Liu Bei to go to the altar to pay tribute. Xun Chen read the sacrificial text aloud and said: "The emperor prepares and announces to the emperor and the queen of heaven: the Han has the world, and the history is boundless. In the past, Wang Mang usurped and stolen, Emperor Guangwu was angry and punished, and Sheji was restored. Today there is a rebellion, and the queen is killed. The soldiers of the group thought that the Han ritual was abandoned, and it was appropriate to extend it. Fearing that there would be no virtue to ascend to the throne, he consulted the common people and hundreds of officials, and everyone said: The mandate of heaven cannot not be answered, the ancestral industry cannot be replaced for a long time, and the four seas cannot be left without an owner. Lead the hope of the land, and prepare a person. Fearing the destiny of heaven, and fearing that the cause of high and light will fall to the ground, he carefully chooses an auspicious day, ascends the altar to make sacrifices, receives the emperor's seal, and touches the Quartet. May God bless the Han family, forever boundless! ”

After reading the sacrificial text, Zhuge Liang led the officials to present the jade seal that had been prepared. Liu was stunned, held it on the altar, and repeatedly excused himself: "If you have no talent, please choose someone who has talent and virtue to accept it." ”

Zhuge Liang said: "The king of Guanzhong pacified the four seas, his merits are known in the world, and he is a Han sect, so it is appropriate to be on the throne." Now that I have sacrificed to the gods, why bother to be humble! ”

Liu Bei received the seal at this time, and all the civil and military officials shouted long live. After the dance ceremony, the first year of the Yuan Zhangwu was changed, and the country name was still Han to show orthodoxy. Mrs. Ligan is the queen, Feng Zhuge Liang is the prime minister, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are the chariot generals, and the hussar generals are the others. Bureaucrats, big and small, were rewarded one by one, and then amnesty was given to the world.

Sun Quan got the jade seal and returned to the fiefdom, and he also had the intention of being the emperor. The officials already knew what they meant, so Zhang Zhao played: "I heard about the Dongshan of Wu County, and the phoenix came to the ceremony." In the great river, the yellow dragon appears repeatedly. If there is no owner today, the lord is worthy of Tang and Yu, Ming is better than literature and martial arts, and the destiny of heaven returns, which can be the emperor's position. ”

Baiguan should be kind and said: "Mr. Zibu's words are yes! ”

Sun Quan was much happier than Liu Bei, and discussed the matter of becoming emperor with hundreds of officials at that time. According to the analysis of Zhang Zhao, Zhou Yu and others, Liu Xie will inevitably be the emperor after Liu Bei returns to the army, and Nan Ye may also be the emperor.

Zhang Zhao also drafted a memorial to the heavens for Sun Quan, of course, the sacrificial text no longer emphasizes the orthodoxy of the Han family, but emphasizes that the virtuous people in the world live there, Sun Quan runs the Jiangdong country to be rich and strong, and has a jade seal from heaven, and should be called the emperor.

Sun Quan, like Liu Bei, built an altar in the southern suburbs to worship heaven and earth, and set his capital in Jianye. The ministers invited Sun Quan to ascend the throne of the emperor, and the country name was Dawu, and the first year of Huanglong was changed. His father Sun Jian was Emperor Wulie, his mother Wu was Empress Wulie, and his brother Sun Ce was King Huan of Guangling. The eldest son, Sun Deng, was appointed crown prince. Zhou Yu was also named the governor of the capital, Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, and Lu Su were the three dukes, and the rest of the hundred officials were rewarded.

The hundred officials have finished congratulating, and Zhou Yu went out and said: "Your Majesty should announce to the world when he ascends the throne, and Cao Pi has the merit of offering seals, Your Majesty should issue an edict and canonize him as the King of Wei to show the intention of repair." ”