Chapter 18: The New Year Approaches

They had fled the imperial palace, and now more than half a month had passed. All this time, they had been wandering from place to place, never sleeping in the same spot two nights in a row. She felt that this kind of life was even more miserable than what she had endured in the palace.

Life in the palace had been hard, true, but at least she hadn’t needed to worry about so many things. Now, each day was consumed by thoughts of survival, by anxiety over their safety. She had thought Liu Xie wanted to take control of this place and settle here, but to her surprise, he was planning to leave again. This left her utterly perplexed.

Hearing her doubts, Liu Xie could not help but sigh. “Do you think I want to live like this?” he said. “If we had stayed in the palace, yes, we could have enjoyed a decent life. But is our ambition only for a fleeting moment of comfort?”

At his words, Lady Fu fell silent. Indeed, when it came to restoring the Han dynasty, she was no less determined than Liu Xie himself—she was, after all, the empress. If this realm ever returned to their hands, she would also regain her rightful place and honor.

“You may not yet see the situation clearly,” Liu Xie continued. “Right now, Cao Cao keeps us alive because he needs us. He maintains us, supports us, but what about when he becomes powerful enough to rule the land on his own? Do you think he’ll still need us? When that day comes, do you imagine he’ll show us any mercy?”

Once again, Liu Xie’s words left Lady Fu silent, and after a moment, she nodded quietly. Of course she understood—she was the empress; she could not be ignorant of such dangers. She knew, as well as Liu Xie did, that if there ever came a day when Cao Cao had no further use for them, there would be only one outcome: a dead end.

“And consider this—we’ve only just arrived here and already claimed another man’s stronghold. Put yourself in their place: if you were the master of this mountain fortress and someone came to seize it from you, would you accept it willingly?”

Lady Fu said nothing, but she nodded again, acknowledging the truth. She did wish to stay here and end their restless wandering, but she understood the risks. If they stayed, Zhou Cang and Pei Yuanshao, the leaders here, would surely resent it.

“Don’t worry,” Liu Xie said with a faint smile, calm and confident. “We’re here to win them over, not to seize their land. In time, they’ll offer it up willingly.”

Lady Fu said nothing more, accepting Liu Xie’s decisions. When morning came, they set out early. Zhou Cang tried repeatedly to persuade them to remain, but Liu Xie stood firm and would not be swayed. In the end, they had no choice but to depart under the gaze of many onlookers. Before they left, Zhou Cang gave his solemn assurances once more, and Liu Xie spoke to them at length. In the hearts of Zhou Cang and his men, their impression of the emperor grew ever more favorable.

So the two departed—or rather, more than twenty people did. The twenty men Liu Xie had trained followed them in secret. Liu Xie had not allowed them to travel openly, but rather instructed them to keep hidden and move covertly. This, too, was part of their training—to learn to survive and act in all kinds of environments. After all, with only twenty men, they were unlikely to face massive battles, but rather perilous, specialized missions. Therefore, Liu Xie’s expectation was that they would be in constant training, never letting their guard down.

“Husband, where are we going now?” Lady Fu asked softly in the carriage.

Liu Xie took a deep breath, thinking for a moment. “For now, let’s just keep moving and see where the road takes us. By the way, what time of year is it now?”

“It’s almost the New Year,” she replied, her voice tinged with sadness. “And we’re still wandering, far from home.”

Yes, the New Year was nearly upon them—a time for families to reunite. But they themselves were still drifting, homeless wanderers.

“In times like these, when war ravages the land, the common people can barely survive,” Liu Xie said with a sigh. “What does the New Year matter, when no one has the heart to celebrate?”

He was right. The whole land was embroiled in war; who could think of festivities?

“Wait... the New Year is upon us. That means, after the celebrations, it will be the first year of Jian’an, 197,” Liu Xie murmured to himself.

“Husband, what did you say?” Lady Fu asked, puzzled by his muttering.

Liu Xie shook his head. “Nothing. It seems that once the New Year passes, great events will begin to unfold.”

Indeed, in those years, every year brought a series of momentous events—and 197 would be no exception.

First, Cao Cao would march against Zhang Xiu. In the course of that campaign, his fierce general Dian Wei and his own son Cao Ang would meet their end. Cao Cao had affronted Zhang Xiu’s aunt-in-law; it would be a wonder if Zhang Xiu let him escape unscathed. Early in the year, Yuan Shu would declare himself emperor. Then it would be Lü Bu’s turn—he would join forces with Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sun Ce, and others to campaign against Yuan Shu. At the same time, Yuan Shao’s power would reach its peak, stretching across the four provinces of Ji, Qing, You, and Bing—making him the strongest warlord in the land.

Liu Xie knew well the events that were to come, and he wished to take part, to influence the course of history if he could. Yet, for now, he had but twenty men at his command, and a few hundred bandits under Zhou Cang and Pei Yuanshao on Ox-Head Mountain. With such meager strength, what could he hope to accomplish?

Still, Liu Xie was not one to abandon hope. “Now, we go to Wan City,” he declared after much thought.

“To Wan City? That’s Zhang Xiu’s territory. Why are we going there?” Lady Fu was puzzled.

Liu Xie gave a small, enigmatic smile. “It’s nothing—just to spend the New Year there. After the holiday, all will become clear.”

He offered no further explanation, but simply rode on toward Wan City in his carriage. Others might be in the dark, but Liu Xie knew very well—once the New Year was over, Cao Cao would surely make his move against this place. The first time, Zhang Xiu was bound to fail, or rather, surrender. And after that, Liu Xie’s plans would begin to unfold. Everything would have to proceed, step by step, from Wan City.

Besides, they had already been wandering for nearly twenty days. They could not continue like this indefinitely.

“I’m worried about my father,” Lady Fu confessed as they traveled.

“You’re afraid that, since we’ve escaped, Cao Cao will take action against him, aren’t you?” Liu Xie guessed her thoughts easily.

“If you don’t want him to come to harm, write to him at once. Tell him to bring all his family and dependents—and seek out Zhou Cang and the others on Ox-Head Mountain.”