Chapter 68: The Child of Destiny! Xiuer!

"Next, let us talk about the founding emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Guangwu, Liu Xiu, and how he utterly dumbfounded Wang Mang with his unbelievable luck."

Eastern Han Dynasty.

Emperor Guangwu held Yin Lihua by her slender waist, gazing up at the firmament with a triumphant smile.

"Wang Mang? I had almost forgotten about him!"

"Your Majesty... was there really a meteor falling from the heavens back then?" Yin Lihua blinked her large, curious eyes as she looked at Liu Xiu.

Liu Xiu's lips curved into a faint, reminiscent smile as he nodded gently. "Indeed it was. On that day, facing Wang Mang's massive army, we were heavily outnumbered. Though my heart burned with the will to fight, I was deeply worried."

"Who would have expected that at the critical moment, two gigantic meteors would suddenly streak across the night sky, crashing directly into Wang Mang's camp? The sight was like the heavens collapsing and the earth splitting apart. Wherever the meteors fell, flames soared into the heavens, accompanied by endless screams of agony."

"Wang Mang's army was instantly thrown into absolute chaos, and their morale collapsed completely."

Yin Lihua listened, completely enthralled, her hands unconsciously gripping Liu Xiu's sleeves. "And what happened next?"

Liu Xiu continued, "Later, taking advantage of the enemy's confusion, I led my soldiers to charge forward with valor."

"Just then, a torrential downpour suddenly struck the battlefield, accompanied by howling gales. Wang Mang's army was so terrified by this series of unexpected events that they lost their wits and fled in every direction. I seized the opportunity to utterly crush the enemy forces and turn the tide of the battle."

Yin Lihua looked at Liu Xiu with eyes full of adoration. "Your Majesty is truly favored by destiny. Even the heavens aided Your Majesty in accomplishing this great undertaking."

Liu Xiu pulled Yin Lihua closer and laughed. "With a beauty by my side, my grand undertaking is truly complete."

"Earlier, we mentioned that after Wang Mang seized power, he engaged in all sorts of bizarre antics, especially his nationwide manhunt for Liu Xiu. He even executed several people who shared the name, but he overlooked one crucial problem: Liu Xiu wasn't even named Liu Xiu in the beginning!"

Wang Mang stared at the person who had been dragged and forced to stand before him, feeling utterly numb all over!

Not named Liu Xiu? Then what on earth was this creature he had captured?

Taking a closer look... "That's odd? The face looks quite similar... hmm?"

"And are these chest muscles really this massive?" Wang Mang asked, poking somewhat suspiciously with his finger... "Hmm? No... rather soft... what the hell, is this a woman?"

"Your Majesty... please exercise self-respect... This humble concubine already has a husband!" the woman named Liu Xiu lowered her head, speaking in a shy, whispering voice.

Had Wang Mang not been standing close by, he wouldn't have heard her at all, as her voice was as faint as a mosquito's!

Wang Mang froze on the spot. Judging by her voice alone, Wang Mang would have given her a solid ninety-nine out of a hundred.

It wasn't one of those deliberately affected cute voices from later generations, but the kind that sounded genuinely pleasant and soothing to the ear!

Looking at her face again, Wang Mang walked over to the reporting official with a dark expression and delivered a fierce double slap across the face.

"Didn't you tell me this person looked extremely similar to the Liu Xiu on the heavenly screen?"

The official grievance-strickenly replied, "Your Majesty! Please look for yourself. This appearance, this figure—while I dare not say they are identical, they are strikingly similar! Even if I had the courage of a leopard, I would never dare to deceive Your Majesty!"

Wang Mang's face remained gloomy. "Appearance? Sure, they look somewhat alike, but dammit, take a look for yourself whether this is a man or a woman! Did you somehow miss those massive lanterns on her chest?"

Hearing this, the woman named Liu Xiu burst into tears. "Wuu wuu... wuu wuu, Your Majesty, please grant justice to this concubine. Ever since I was a child, I possessed the appearance of a man... but I am truly a woman! If Your Excellency does not believe me, you may verify it... wuu wuu..."

Everyone was dumbfounded... Even the official was stunned, staring at the person before them in absolute shock!

A woman's voice?
And quite pleasant-sounding at that? What the hell! A female in disguise?

Then they felt their worldview completely shatter. Which woman in the world grew a beard?
And dammit, hers grew even thicker and more flourishing than theirs!

...

"Liu Xiu's luck can only be described as heaven-defying... If he were placed in modern times, it wouldn't even be surprising if he walked out and won a hundred million in the lottery on his first try."

"His entire life was filled with the most bizarre and unimaginable occurrences... Take his background for instance; he was a legitimate member of the imperial bloodline, the ninth-generation grandson of Liu Bang!"

Upon seeing this, Liu Bang could not stop the corners of his mouth from curling upward. "Ha ha... As expected, my bloodline is truly formidable, with four descendants making the list in a single era!"

"Let me see how this ninth-generation grandson of mine revitalized the Han Dynasty." With that, he raised his cup, drained the wine in one gulp, and stared intently at the heavenly screen.

...

嬴政 (Emperor Qin Shi Huang) slammed his fist onto the low table, once again wishing he could give that little bastard Huhai a thorough beating.

Out of ten spots, the Old Liu family was about to claim half of them!

This made嬴政 extremely irritated. If his Great Qin hadn't perished in the second generation... how would it ever have been this old fellow's turn?

...

"Due to Emperor Wu of Han's Decree of Grace, Liu Xiu's branch of the family gradually declined from marquesses down the ranks. By the time of his father, Liu Qin, they had been reduced to minor officials, merely serving as the Magistrate of Jiyang County."

"When Liu Xiu was nine years old, his father passed away, and he had to be sent to live with his uncle. Despite his imperial lineage, he was no different from a commoner!"

"While living with his uncle, Liu Xiu's cousin Liu Yan was determined to launch an enterprise and began frantically recruiting retainers and guests."

"The heavy burden of supporting the family fell squarely on Liu Xiu's shoulders. He took up farming, and his reputation spread far and wide until everyone began calling him the 'Little Farming Prodigy'!"

"He farmed with utmost dedication, adept at tending to the fields. His family's crops yielded a fine harvest even during severe drought years, while everyone else's fields suffered complete crop failure!"

"Moreover, he possessed exceptional business acumen. He would drive oxen loaded with grain to sell in surrounding towns and markets. Because of his honest, kind-hearted nature, trustworthy business practices, and fair prices, his grain sold exceptionally well, quickly accumulating a handsome fortune for his family."

"Everything—everything changed the moment he met Yin Lihua. That day, Liu Xiu went to visit his sister's husband and happened to cross paths with Yin Lihua along the way!"

"In an instant, his soul was completely snatched away..."

"According to historical records, Yin Lihua at that time was merely a little loli around nine to fourteen years old. In modern terms, she was a minor, and if she was under ten, she would simply be a young child!"

"As for Liu Xiu, he was around twenty-four years old at the time... a quintessential creep who easily risked getting hauled into the police station."

A minor? What on earth? Fourteen is not that young; she should be getting married!

"When I was with Guanyinbi back then, wasn't Guanyinbi around thirteen?" Li Er could not quite grasp what the later generations meant by a "minor."

Cao Cao had zero interest in young girls of this age; what he favored were married women—specifically those between the ages of twenty and twenty-five.

"Just a little brat, completely devoid of the joy of a mature woman!" Cao Cao's face was filled with utter disdain.

Until he figured out the other person's exact age and whether she was already someone's wife, Boss Cao wouldn't even bat an eye!

"From that moment on, Liu Xiu fell hopelessly in love... realizing that his current status made him completely unworthy of her, he set off for Chang'an to pursue his studies..."

"How well he actually studied remains unknown, but he certainly mastered the art of doing business and amassed quite a substantial fortune!"

"One day in the capital, Liu Xiu saw the Commandant of the Guards (Zhijinwu) leading a military procession out. The entourage was grand, imposing, and magnificent, creating a breathtaking spectacle that filled him with envy."

"Thus, that eternal famous quote slipped naturally from his lips: 'To be an official, one should be the Commandant of the Guards; to take a wife, one should marry Yin Lihua!'"