Year 190 CE, Luoyang

Nine-year-old Liu Xie stood on tiptoe, pressed against the wooden door sealed with wooden bars, watching the chaotic scene outside through a fist-sized gap with an expressionless face.

The once magnificent and beautiful palace chambers had become a living hell, all because Chancellor Dong Zhuo insisted on moving the capital to Chang’an.

Liu Xie didn’t understand why Chancellor Dong wanted him to abandon this place where he had grown up since childhood, but he remembered the bloodthirsty madness in that man’s eyes. And the several scholar-officials lying at his feet who had tried to dissuade him, along with the blood dripping from the long sword in his hand.

Though he was only nine years old, he knew that Dong Zhuo didn’t necessarily need him, just like his imperial brother who had been poisoned to death before him half a year ago. If he disobeyed, Chancellor Dong could kill him without blinking, then simply select another obedient member from the imperial clan to be emperor.

Those who follow me prosper, those who oppose me perish.

Though no one had ever said these words to Liu Xie, he had mysteriously understood them, then became even more silent and submissive.

He just wanted to survive.

Liu Xie silently watched the thick smoke rising in the distance. Just from the direction, he knew it must be Deyang Hall, the main hall of the Southern Palace. That hall was so vast it could accommodate ten thousand people, with pools of water surrounding it, jade steps and vermillion beams. He remembered how as a child he loved to secretly run there to look at the hollow fairy figures on the golden pillars. Deyang Hall was tall and magnificent. According to those eunuchs’ boasts, from Yanshi City over forty li from Luoyang, one could see Deyang Hall and Zhuque Gate towering majestically to touch the sky. At the time he had thought those eunuchs were surely flattering him, but now he couldn’t help fantasizing. Whether this was true or false, when those Yuan Shao, Sun Jian and others stationed near Luoyang with ulterior motives to denounce Dong Zhuo saw this thick smoke from burning palace buildings, what kind of feelings would they have?

Liu Xie was confined in the Southern Garden outside Luoyang city. This was Emperor Ling’s most beloved pleasure ground, also the largest and most luxurious – even the surrounding Xianyang Garden, Xianming Garden, and Lingkun Garden couldn’t compare. Liu Xie looked at those steps covered with green moss that he had once loved – they were now covered with blood. The red liquid spread over the green moss, gradually covering its original color, finally being trampled into a nauseating grayish-black.

Water channels wound between the courtyards and pavilions. In the waterways that once saw pleasure boats on blue waves, what floated up and down were not the laughing, chatting beauties from those long nights of feasting, but corpses with eyes that wouldn’t close in death. The horrific scene made it very difficult for Liu Xie to look away.

He couldn’t help thinking that if one day he too became part of that scene, he couldn’t help feeling bone-chilling cold.

No, he just wanted to survive.

He knew the current situation was bad. Even though he was the Son of Heaven, he was no different from a dog in that man’s eyes – casually locked in this hall while even the guarding soldiers had gone to plunder the palace’s jewels and treasures, with no one remembering him. Watching the blood-red sunset on the horizon, Liu Xie hazily remembered it had been almost a full day since anyone had brought him food.

“Your Majesty…” The little eunuch serving beside him heard the shouts and killing sounds outside and tremblingly wanted to persuade his little emperor not to keep watching, but swallowed his words under Liu Xie’s glance.

Yes, they had been locked here for several days. Those soldiers didn’t treat Liu Xie as an emperor at all – they didn’t give them food and made them trade gold, silver, and jewels for food. Now everything on them had been searched clean. Seeing no more profit to be gained, those soldiers had sealed the hall door with wooden bars. They were confident these people couldn’t escape anyway, so they went off to burn, kill, and plunder. The little eunuch admitted he didn’t have the courage to look outside, but someone still needed to watch – maybe someone would remember them…

Liu Xie turned his gaze back. He didn’t want to see those scenes, but he had to force himself to look and remember everything. Otherwise he couldn’t help wanting to resist something, to struggle against something.

Being hungry felt terrible. Liu Xie touched his shrunken belly with his small hands – he could no longer hear any rumbling sounds. He didn’t know whether Dong Zhuo had thrown him here because he was truly afraid he’d be kidnapped, or if he wanted a legitimate excuse to eliminate him.

As he took a deep breath and stood on tiptoe to look outside again, he suddenly saw someone standing outside the hall door. That person wore wide-sleeved, tight-bodied wrapped robes, with black straight hems elegantly hanging by his feet. From Liu Xie’s angle, he couldn’t see the man’s face at all. It was just strange that in such chaotic times, one could still see a figure whose clothes were spotless – truly rare.

Liu Xie had no time to think much about this. The place where he was confined was remote with few passersby. Now finally seeing a living person, he immediately called out: “Sir! Sir!”

That person indeed didn’t walk away, but also didn’t speak.

Liu Xie licked his dry, peeling lips. He was terribly hungry. Seeing the other party remained silent, he urgently called: “Sir, do you have any food? I have things to trade…”

He was too embarrassed to call himself “I” in the imperial manner, because his position as Son of Heaven was a joke to begin with.

There was still no movement outside. Liu Xie dejectedly slumped his shoulders. In these chaotic times, food was more precious than gold, silver, and jewels – how could the other party agree so casually? Liu Xie reached into his bosom, wanting to touch the small bundle he always carried, but finally touched emptiness, feeling somewhat lost. There should have been the Imperial Seal of the Realm, the He Shi Bi, which his imperial brother had solemnly entrusted to him before dying. He had always carefully hidden it close to his body. Even when Chancellor Dong wanted it, he had played dumb to get by. But yesterday those soldiers had snatched it away, and it was completely gone.

Such powerful and savage force, those blood-stained swords… Liu Xie was somewhat puzzled – weren’t soldiers supposed to protect him?

What is the Son of Heaven? Liu Xie vaguely remembered the Grand Tutor showing him a chapter in “Lüshi Chunqiu – Valuing the Public” that said: “The realm is not one person’s realm, but the realm of all under heaven.”

Liu Xie pressed his lips together and said nothing more. The question of whose the realm truly was naturally wasn’t as important as his hunger now, but he no longer had anything to trade.

Just then, he suddenly smelled an enticing aroma. Turning his head, Liu Xie was amazed to see a beautiful hand reach through the gap in the hall door, and what made him freeze was the steamed bun in that hand.

As if afraid the other party would change their mind, Liu Xie couldn’t care about imperial dignity. Not caring whether the bun was poisoned, he snatched it and stuffed it in his mouth, eating ravenously. The little eunuch serving him also came over and handed him a cup of clear water. Though they were trapped in the hall without food, they had plenty of clear water left.

That black-robed man not only gave them one steamed bun, but continued passing many more foods through the wooden door’s gap – besides steamed buns, there was also some preserved meat. Liu Xie and several little eunuchs ate several pieces, no longer hungry or thirsty. Liu Xie stared at the remaining steamed buns and preserved meat, saying somewhat reluctantly: “I’m full. Does sir still want these?”

A sigh came from outside the door, and a pleasant voice said gently: “No need, keep them for yourself.”

Liu Xie was overjoyed. This food was enough for them to last several more days. Then realizing this, he said respectfully with some embarrassment: “Sir’s kindness of a meal, Bohe will remember in his heart. May I ask sir’s name?”

Though Liu Xie was only nine years old, he had seen much of human nature. When the Marquis of Huaiyin, Han Xin, received the kindness of a meal, he later repaid that washerwoman with a thousand taels of gold. Liu Xie felt that even if he couldn’t repay the other party today, he must repay him in the future. Judging by the voice, the other party was a young man, not very old. Liu Xie searched his memory and determined he had never heard this person’s voice before.

“No matter, you have suffered.” Not knowing which of his words pleased the other party, that beautiful hand reached in again and lovingly patted his head.

Liu Xie had been living in fear these past days. This was the first time he felt an elder’s care. After all, he was still just a child under ten years old. Feeling the warmth from above his head, tears immediately flowed down his face in silent streams.

That hand comfortingly stroked his head twice, then passed in a very familiar brocade pouch. Liu Xie took it in amazement, opening the pouch through his tears to discover it actually contained his lost Imperial Seal and He Shi Bi. He frantically wiped away his tears, looking at it in his hands with surprise, turning it over repeatedly. This was his He Shi Bi? Why did it seem strange? The jade quality seemed less lustrous than before.

Liu Xie suppressed his doubts. What did it matter if it was real or fake? This He Shi Bi was useless in his hands – before long it would be snatched away by others.

Seeing him remain silent, the man outside sighed long again and said: “Forget it, let me give you one more thing.” He then passed another object through the door crack, this time without any wrapping.

Liu Xie received it from that person’s hand and discovered it was actually a jade belt hook.

A belt hook was the clasp used by ancient nobles, scholars, and warriors for their waist belts, also called xibi in ancient times. The material, shape, size, and decorative patterns of a belt hook could represent a person’s status. Liu Xie’s original jade belt hook had long been looted. Now he simply tied a knot with his clothing sash around his waist, looking quite disheveled. Liu Xie held the jade belt hook in his hands, discovering it was shaped like a dragon with both the dragon’s head and tail curved into hook shapes, carved simply and elegantly. The white jade had several strands of purple-red blood staining that was shocking to see yet somehow captivating. Liu Xie looked at these jade stains, thinking this belt hook must be quite old.

“The first owner of this jade belt hook was legendarily Xibo Hou Ji Chang, later known as King Wen of Zhou.”

The man’s words drifted from outside the door. The distant shouts and killing had become unclear. Liu Xie’s entire attention was attracted by the jade belt hook in his hands.

“Child, what do you most want?” the man asked lightly.

Without even thinking, Liu Xie answered straightforwardly: “To survive.”

“Legend says this jade belt hook will stimulate a person’s greatest ambition.” The man sighed lightly, slowly saying: “Live well…”

Liu Xie stared blankly for a while. When he came to his senses, he found the black-robed man had long disappeared from outside the door. Instead, a large group of soldiers had come and were prying open this sealed hall door.

“Your Majesty, this minister came late to rescue you, allowing Your Majesty to suffer humiliation.” Among the soldiers kneeling outside the hall door, Liu Xie actually recognized several familiar faces – all scions of Han imperial families who were forced to submit to Dong Zhuo’s authority but were still loyal to him in their hearts, as long as it didn’t cross their bottom line. For example, they could only guarantee his safety but couldn’t openly oppose Dong Zhuo, since they had vast clan families behind them.

Liu Xie gripped the jade belt hook in his right hand tightly. Perhaps because he had finally eaten and drunk his fill these past days, his mind was rarely clear. He chose one who looked most familiar, walked to his side, and handed over the He Shi Bi in his left hand. That person received it with both hands, opened it to look, and was shocked. He looked up at Liu Xie, not knowing what to do.

Liu Xie wasn’t tall, but with the other party kneeling beside him, he could just reach the man’s ear. He lowered his voice and said word by word: “Throw this thing to those so-called loyal ministers outside – Yuan Shao, Sun Jian, Han Fu, choose whichever you like.”

That person looked at him bewildered, still not understanding why.

Liu Xie pressed his shoulder and curled his lips: “Two peaches kill three warriors…”

In the past, Yanzi could kill three warriors with just two peaches. Now using one He Shi Bi that no one but him knew was real or fake, couldn’t he kill with a borrowed knife?

Live well… Liu Xie tightly gripped the jade belt hook in his hand.