Chapter 238: First 130: Lies Spoken Personally By Liu Changsheng Are The Truth
Yun Ce truly did not expect Wu Tong’s actions to be so swift. Within a few days of his return, he himself had become part of the Liu imperial family, and had even been registered in the Golden Register.
There are two ways to confirm one’s status as a member of the imperial family: the Jade Slip and the Golden Register.
The former specifies Liu Chang’an’s father and mother, his birth date, whether the Inner Prefecture witnessed and registered his birth, how closely related his father was to the Emperor within the imperial family, and then, based on Liu Chang’an’s proximity to the Emperor’s bloodline, his rank would be determined and nobility titles would be conferred.
This was how nobility titles were granted to the imperial family in the early days of the Great Han. It was a pity that Huo Qubing was born rather late. By the time he was born, Emperor Wen of Han had already implemented the Policy of Recommendation, which prevented Liu Chang’an from being granted the title of King. He would only be able to inherit the King of Changsha’s title after Liu Changsheng’s death.
That’s right. According to the records in the Golden Register, Liu Chang’an is Liu Changsheng’s grandson. Liu Changsheng’s original title was King of Changsha, a very ancient title that originated from the ancestral land. There is no place called Changsha in the Great Han, and naturally, there is no kingdom called the Kingdom of Changsha.
Furthermore, counting from Liu Changsheng, the current Emperor should call him granduncle!
Although the Royal Jade Slip and Golden Register are not worth much anymore, it is definitely not an easy task to obtain such a close identity. Moreover, the person Yun Ce shamelessly targeted was the High Priest Liu Changsheng.
The people of the Great Han may scorn the Emperor, but no one dares to say a word against Liu Changsheng. He has served the ancestral fire since he was eight years old, and has been doing so for nearly a hundred years. His prestige is unparalleled in the world.
Everyone in the world knows that Liu Changsheng never married and had no heir. Forty years ago, to prevent the line of the King of Changsha from being extinguished, he adopted a son from the imperial family named Liu Miao. Seventeen years ago, Liu Miao probably felt that Liu Changsheng was too long-lived and that he might not be able to inherit the title of King of Changsha. He secretly plotted against Liu Changsheng several times but failed, and in the end, he died of anger.
No one knows if Liu Miao died of anger or was personally killed by the High Priest. In any case, Liu Changsheng was once again without an heir.
In the past fifteen years, many of the Liu imperial family members were willing to offer their own sons to Liu Changsheng, but he refused them all. Everyone thought Liu Changsheng was going to let the line of the King of Changsha die out. It turns out he had a grandson.
This grandson is Liu Chang’an.
For someone like Liu Changsheng, bloodline and kinship are nothing compared to someone who can play with fire, especially someone who can cultivate ordinary Shehuo into something that moves towards the ancestral fire.
No one understood better than Liu Changsheng how the Shehuo of the Yun Clan Villa had developed, especially when Yun Ce used Shehuo to ignite the Ghost King Mountain coal mine. The ancestral fire in the Dragon God Hall, from thousands of miles away, excitedly lent a hand to that pitiful Shehuo, which then led to a disaster of immense proportions, as if the mountains had collapsed and the earth had split.
Yun Ce’s Jade Slip and Golden Register were personally written by the current Liu Clan Leader, Liu Changsheng. As for how he wrote them, it was entirely according to his wishes.
When Wu Tong told him about Yun Ce’s request, the old man immediately took out the Jade Slip and carved his words onto it. After finishing the Jade Slip, he also wrote in the Golden Register and affixed his seal.
In less than half an hour, Liu Changsheng had created a truly authentic imperial identity. Although the story was a bit rough, considering that Liu Chang’an’s imperial identity went from nothing to something in just half an hour, and the story was told by Liu Changsheng himself – it was quite remarkable.
Then, this secret, which had been hidden by Liu Changsheng all along, was accidentally discovered by the secret agents of Panxing Tower, and eventually, even Cao Kun became aware of it.
Late at night, Cao Kun had not yet left Yun Ce’s guest room. He imitated Yun Ce, crunching on fried beans, and said to Yun Ce with his glowing eyes, “So, your father gave your ancestor poisoned wine, your ancestor drank it, and was perfectly fine, while your father was terrified and fled with you and your mother to Chuyun Prefecture to live as wildmen overnight?”
Yun Ce angrily retorted, “I never said there was poisoned wine.”
Cao Kun shook his head wisely and said, “If that pot of wine wasn’t poisoned, then I’ll give you my head.”
Yun Ce angrily exclaimed, “Impossible, Mother said he was a very good person.”
Cao Kun sighed, “No matter how good a person is, they can’t endure their elders living forever. The High Priest is almost 120 years old this year and is still as lively as ever. Who can stand being the Crown Prince for sixty years?
Your father couldn’t wait, but you can. You’re only twenty, you still have time to wait.”
“What if he sees me and kills me with one slap?”
“The old man is 120 years old, he has long since seen past such things. He knew it was poisoned wine and still drank it without slapping your father to death, which shows he doesn’t care.
Otherwise, do you think he, who controls the Shehuo of the world, wouldn’t be able to find you? He could find you, but he doesn’t want to. He even thinks it’s not a bad thing for you to suffer a little.
Otherwise, do you think your name would appear on the Jade Slip and Golden Register?
Find some time to go back and see the old man. There should be great benefits waiting for you.”
Yun Ce waved his hand irritably, “Alright, let’s not talk about my affairs. Why are you getting engaged tomorrow and not married? There’s no reason for an engagement ceremony in the Great Han to have such a grand display.”
Cao Kun smiled and said, “I like He Yu, that woman. I can’t lack respect for her.”
Yun Ce was stunned for a moment and said, “I remember you didn’t mention that name last time.”
“Oh, you mean He Rou? She’s dead.”
“Ah?”
“What ah? This is the time when deaths are most likely in wealthy families. He Rou couldn’t hold her position, so she died. It doesn’t matter. I need a daughter of the He Clan, as for who it is, I don’t really care.”
“You just said you like He Yu, that woman.”
“I like anyone who can bring me benefits, be it women or men.”
“Holy crap, if there was a man who could bring you immense benefits, wouldn’t you…”
Cao Kun smacked his lips and said, “As long as the benefits are obtained, enduring it will pass.”
Yun Ce sighed, feeling that being alive was meaningless.
Cao Kun said, “A true man cannot be without power for a day. To have one’s life and honor in the hands of others is the greatest terror.”
After saying this, Cao Kun also felt that living was meaningless. He grabbed a handful of beans and then took his leave.
After achieving equal status, speaking with Cao Kun was quite enlightening. This guy was all about sincerity and honesty, and his words always made one feel a sense of camaraderie as struggling men.
It’s just that if this guy feels you’re a threat to him, he won’t hesitate at all to kill you with a knife, and he’ll be the type to stab you while shedding tears.
Therefore, Cao Kun is not a bad person. He is simply working hard for his ideals with clear understanding.
The next day after waking up, Cao Clan’s two maids served Yun Ce for his morning ablutions. He had many people to meet today, so a bathtub was specially brought in. Yun Ce needed to bathe before changing clothes.
Cao Kun’s father was a lecher, and Cao Kun was no better. He thought Cao Kun’s home was a den of debauchery, and that he would definitely be served by seven or eight unclothed maids while he bathed. Just as Yun Ce was thinking about how to refuse, four beautiful maids carrying the bathtub entered, bowed, and withdrew. Finally, the two maids assigned to him also closed the door and left.
This left Yun Ce speechless, his refusal stuck in his throat.
After a good bath, a group of maids swarmed in and began to attend to Yun Ce’s hair, clothes, shoes, and socks, as well as the intricate accessories.
Yun Ce was indifferent to his hairstyle and clothes. As for accessories, he disdained the anciently styled jade and gold wares, and chose a dark, pear-scented wooden accessory.
After finishing, Yun Ce looked at the bronze mirror. The reflection was hazy and not very clear, he could only vaguely see a Jia Gongzi looking at him in the mirror, immediately giving it a supernatural feel.
Led by Cao Ling, he arrived at the door of Cao Kun’s room and found it already crowded. None of the dissolute young men he knew before were there; all the guests were unfamiliar to Yun Ce. It seemed that after the Cao Clan took control of Pingzhou, his former dissolute friends were no longer worthy of his status.
Cao Kun was busy, surrounded by a group of maids, but he was wearing armor.
Yun Ce casually pulled over a dissolute young man and asked, “Brother Cao, why are you wearing armor on such a joyous occasion?”
The dissolute young man looked at Yun Ce’s face and found it unfamiliar. He was only stunned for a moment before enthusiastically explaining, “My brother, you may not know this, but armor is the formal attire for men of the Great Han. Don’t be fooled by our light silks and soft garments that look good. In reality, wearing armor for grand ceremonies best displays a man’s heroic spirit.”
Yun Ce cupped his hands and thanked him, “This humble one comes from the wilderness and does not understand these matters. Thank you, elder brother, for your guidance.”
The dissolute young man laughed, “Who has the patience for these complicated etiquettes? I only remembered a little bit after my elders drilled it into me before coming out. You look unfamiliar, may I ask your name…”
Yun Ce grabbed the man’s arm and said, “I am Yun Ce, a wildman from Chuyun Prefecture. May I ask your name, elder brother?”
The dissolute young man’s eyes clearly lit up. He also affectionately held Yun Ce’s sleeve and said, “So it is the master of Xiangcheng who has arrived. This elder brother was blind; my apologies. I am Peng Zhou from Pengcheng.
My father personally witnessed your battle records in Xiangcheng and lectured me upon his return for not striving for progress. Hahaha, this undeserved misfortune can only be attributed to you, Brother Yun. I shall certainly drink more with you later.”
Yun Ce laughed heartily and repeatedly agreed. In a short while, he had become close friends with over a dozen dissolute young men.
Actually, Yun Ce quite enjoyed making friends with dissolute young men. Overall, they were capable in their actions and pleasant to talk to. As long as you were useful to them, they would always make you feel like you were living in a warm and affectionate society.
It’s baffling. Why are the dissolute young men in so many books either stupid or wicked? How could someone who gets up eighty times during a banquet to pour you wine and tea be a fool?
Cao Kun finally finished putting on his armor, and even Yun Ce couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, for it was a golden armor with a silver base.
Let alone Yun Ce, who was wearing silk brocade and couldn’t steal his thunder, even if he wore the most expensive silk and gauze of the Great Han, he wouldn’t be able to gain any advantage in front of this armor.
Of course, if Yun Ce were to run naked, he might have an edge over Cao Kun.
Chapter One
