Chapter Sixty-Three: The Beginning of Chaos

The Imperial Jade Seal remained missing, its whereabouts unknown, weighing heavily on the minds of all the lords. The seal was the symbol of kingship and supremacy—whoever possessed it could claim the Mandate of Heaven and supplant the throne…

Within the allied camps of the lords…

“Cao Cao dispatched men to pursue Dong Zhuo, but suffered a crushing defeat, losing many soldiers. If not for the intervention of Zifan, the Governor of You Province, he would have perished on the battlefield…” A strategist whispered a report to Yuan Shao.

“I misjudged him after all. Cao Cao is not a man destined for greatness. For the sake of a few commoners, he recklessly sent troops after Dong Zhuo. Now he knows the consequences,” Yuan Shao said, draining his wine in one gulp.

“It seems our plan to sit back and reap the rewards of the quarrel is working splendidly. Watching tigers fight from the mountain is indeed delightful!” Yuan Shao’s face lit up with satisfaction.

The next day, Yuan Shao convened another banquet for the assembled lords—ostensibly to dispel the gloom following Cao Cao’s defeat, though the sly smile he tried to hide revealed his true thoughts.

Amidst music and dancing, Yuan Shao raised his cup and drank deeply. “Now that the old traitor Dong Zhuo has fled, our allied forces can claim a great victory! Drink to your hearts’ content!” As the alliance leader, Yuan Shao took all the credit for victories that were not his.

Cao Cao, already brooding over his defeat, could contain his anger no longer. Rising to his feet, he pointed at Yuan Shao and cried, “Now that Dong Zhuo is in retreat, it is the time to press our advantage and utterly defeat him. We might even recover His Majesty. Yet here we are, indulging in feasting and revelry, neglecting our duties! Our eighteen allied armies number over three hundred thousand, yet we are toyed with by Dong Zhuo’s mere tens of thousands, suffering defeat after defeat. Each of us is a minister of the Han—should we not, for the sake of righteousness, destroy the traitor and uphold virtue? Yet you all, instead of fighting Dong Zhuo, watch from the sidelines as if you were no different from him. Now that Dong Zhuo has taken the Emperor and slaughtered the loyal ministers, will you simply stand by and do nothing?”

Though each lord had raised the banner of restoring the Han in their campaign against Dong Zhuo, in truth, every man was scheming for his own gain. The alliance, seemingly solid and formidable, was already riddled with corruption. Even Yuan Shao, as leader, sought only to further his own interests, let alone the others.

Such was the heart of each lord—filled with hidden motives.

Chastened by Cao Cao’s words, the lords hung their heads in shame.

Taking advantage of the wine’s effect, Sun Jian burst out in furious reproach at Yuan Shu, who had long denied him provisions, holding a grudge that if not for Yuan Shu coveting his merits and withholding grain, he would have already triumphed.

Yuan Shu, stung, responded with an outburst of his own. Now the assembly of lords resembled nothing more than a quarrel among market vendors, each blaming the other, none showing the slightest remorse.

Witnessing this, Cao Cao’s disappointment only deepened. After the banquet, he withdrew his forces and began recruiting anew.

The city of Luoyang was no longer what it had been. Where once it bustled with life and prosperity, now only ruins remained. The grand mansions were reduced to crumbling walls, the beautiful landscapes transformed into a living hell, the lively streets now desolate and strewn with the corpses of commoners.

Through the empty avenues rang the cries of the helpless. Countless bodies lay buried beneath the ruins, rivers of blood ran through the city.

Meanwhile, the lords continued their infighting—often clashing over supplies and pay, with different factions slaughtering one another, all living in fear and suspicion.

Only Sun Jian, unable to bear the suffering, led his troops to enter Luoyang, extinguishing fires and distributing thin gruel to the surviving people. He ordered his soldiers to scour the palace ruins for any remaining treasures.

Gazing at the ruined city, Sun Jian sighed, “The old splendor is gone without a trace. The other lords are still busy fighting each other—utter folly, utter folly!”

Beside him, Cheng Yu spoke sternly, “Cao Cao has withdrawn his forces. What are your plans, my lord? Should we return to Jiangdong?”

“Once we finish clearing Luoyang, we too shall depart. There’s no reason for us to remain. Zifan has gone after Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao has retreated after his defeat, and none of the other lords will pursue Dong Zhuo further,” Sun Jian replied, shaking his head.

While extinguishing the fires within Luoyang, Sun Jian’s men retrieved a woman’s corpse from a well before the Jianzhang Palace. The darkness in the well had preserved the body. From a brocade pouch in her arms, they discovered the Imperial Jade Seal, and immediately reported to Sun Jian.

Sun Jian took the pouch, dismissed all but his most trusted men, and with a mix of excitement and anxiety opened it. The seal was four inches square, its knob carved with five interlaced dragons, and on its face was inscribed, in the hand of Li Si, “By the Mandate of Heaven, may the Emperor live and prosper forever.” On closer inspection, a small corner was missing, patched with gold.

This was the token of “Heaven’s Mandate and rightful sovereignty.”

Since the Qin, emperors of each dynasty had regarded this seal as a sacred treasure, symbolizing their divine right to rule. To possess it was to have Heaven’s favor; to lose it meant the end of one’s destined reign.

Sun Jian exclaimed, “This is indeed the true Imperial Jade Seal!”

Chen Pu, seeing it, cried out in astonishment, then beamed with joy. “To hold the Imperial Jade Seal is to be Heaven’s chosen! The land of Wu is truly blessed!”

The trusted generals below cheered as one, hailing Sun Jian as the destined emperor.

Only his young son, Sun Quan, stepped forward. “Father, I fear this seal is more a curse than a blessing. We are deep in enemy territory. To carry it home now… I fear…” He trailed off, hoping his father would consider carefully.

What lord did not dream of becoming emperor? Sun Jian was no exception. Though Sun Quan was clever for his age, he was still just a child—how could his words be heeded?

Yet Sun Jian, being a cautious leader, quickly put the seal away. “Though the lords speak of righteousness, their hearts are divided. If they discover I have the seal, they will surely send troops to seize it. We must return to Jiangdong at once.”

Chen Pu nodded in agreement. “This is the fortune of Jiangdong. My lord, we must depart immediately.”

Sun Jian gave orders to his troops to prepare for battle, in case any lord attempted to seize the seal. He commanded his men to keep the discovery strictly secret, and instructed them to clear the battlefield and gather supplies and pay through the night, making all ready for the journey south to Jiangdong.