My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 344 The Last Chance
Erzhu Rong arrived in Luoyang.

He was granted the privilege of "wearing a sword and shoes in the palace, being allowed to pay homage without being named, and not having to bow when entering the court," and he carried his own sword at his waist.

Yuan Tianmu, standing to the side, was quite uneasy.

Given the tense atmosphere between the emperor and Erzhu Rong, every time he entered the palace, he never knew what might happen.

Erzhu Rong, however, strolled around leisurely, treating the palace as if it were his own home, showing no fear whatsoever.

"Tianmu, why be so anxious? Since you're here, make the best of it."

After taking a deep breath, Yuan Tianmu quickly calmed himself down.

They learned that Erzhu Rong had already entered the palace and was on his way.

Yuan Ziyou was in the Mingguang Hall, with Li Yu, Yang Kan, and others in front of him. "I will be discussing matters with the Prime Minister later. Without my orders, you will slowly bring your men here. Be careful not to alert the Imperial Guards outside. Once inside the hall, kill the Prime Minister and the Prince of Shangdang!"

When that moment finally arrived.

Yuan Ziyou noticed that his body was trembling!

It felt like going back two years to standing on the city wall and watching Gao Yu lead three thousand men out to meet the three hundred thousand-strong allied army of Southern Liang.

He kept calming himself down, afraid that Erzhu Rong would notice anything amiss from his expression.

Li Yu, Yang Kan, and others have already left.

Only Wen Zisheng and a few others remained. After all, they were scholars, and Erzhu Rong would not suspect them.

Soon, someone came to report.

"Your Majesty! The Prime Minister and the Prince of Shangdang request an audience!"

"Let them in."

A series of footsteps sounded, and Erzhu Rong and Yuan Tianmu quickly entered the Mingguang Hall. Yuan Ziyou immediately forced a smile.

"Greetings to Your Majesty!"

"Prime Minister, Prince of Shangdang, there is no need for such formalities."

Yuan Ziyou stood up with a smile. When he saw the sword at Erzhu Rong's waist, his expression froze, but he pretended to be nonchalant.

Erzhu Rong looked up and stared straight at Yuan Ziyou, then glanced at Wen Zisheng and the others.

He couldn't discern much, but he felt something was amiss. It was a warrior's intuition, the experience he'd accumulated through long hunts, and a voice within him that was telling him something.

He seemed to have become prey in the eyes of others.

"What business does His Majesty have summoned us here for?"

"This concerns the bestowal of the Nine Bestowments upon the Prime Minister, a matter of great importance that cannot be taken lightly..."

Erzhu Rong looked around, feeling that someone was spying on him from the shadows. The intense unease in his heart made him speak immediately, "Your Majesty, there are proper rites for bestowing the Nine Bestowments. Your Majesty should consult with the Grand Master of Ceremonies. The Prince of Shangdang and I have been leading troops in battle for many years and are not familiar with the rites."

"Your Majesty wishes to bestow upon me the Nine Bestowments, yet you still need to consult with me. What will the people of the world think of me? To outsiders, wouldn't it seem as if I were asking Your Majesty for the Nine Bestowments?"

"I should avoid suspicion at this time."

Yuan Ziyou's expression froze slightly, and he didn't respond for a moment.

This, in turn, gave Erzhu Rong an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

He immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, to avoid suspicion, I cannot interfere in any matters related to the Nine Bestowments. I hope Your Majesty will understand."

"Your Majesty, I shall take my leave now!"

Erzhu Rong immediately turned around and gave Yuan Tianmu a frantic wink. Yuan Tianmu understood immediately and quickly cupped his hands in greeting.

"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister is absolutely right. I am sworn brothers with the Prime Minister, and I must take my leave now!"

The two quickly turned around and hurried towards the outside of the hall, almost running.

Erzhu Rong even placed his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.

Yuan Ziyou didn't try to stop him; he knew... it was too late.

When Yang Kan and Li Yu led dozens of armed knights into the hall, they did not find Erzhu Rong.

Li Yu looked puzzled. "Your Majesty?"

"The Prime Minister has left." "This...could it be that word has leaked out?"

Yuan Ziyou's expression was complicated. His first thought was that Xi Yi had leaked the information.
But he shook his head and rejected it.

If the news had leaked, why would Erzhu Rong have risked his life?
He couldn't help but put his hands behind his back and look towards the palace gate. Could it be... that Heaven hasn't forsaken the Erzhu clan?

I missed this opportunity.

Erzhu Rong was already on guard and would certainly not enter the palace again.

"Could it be... that Heaven is going to destroy me?"

Gao Qian, standing behind him, urged, "Your Majesty! There's still a chance!"

"Qian Yong, you don't need to comfort me anymore, there's no chance left."

Gao Qian gritted his teeth and said, "The Empress is nearing her due date and delivery is imminent. Your Majesty could go to General Wuwei and spread false news to trick the Prime Minister into entering the palace again!"

Yuan Ziyou suddenly looked up at him.

Gao Qian also said, "This is the last chance..."

"Alright! Let's plan this further!"

Yuan Ziyou gritted his teeth and rekindled his hope.

Or perhaps he could only make this last desperate struggle; he couldn't just stand by and watch the ceremony of bestowing the Nine Bestowments go through, Erzhu Ying'e give birth to a child, and then everything proceed as planned.

If he were willing to obediently be a puppet, why would he have bothered with all this all these years?
Inside the palace.

Only when he arrived outside the palace and saw a large number of imperial guards patrolling back and forth did Erzhu Rong breathe a sigh of relief; he had been drenched in a cold sweat.

"Tianbao, have you discovered something?"

"No."

Erzhu Rong shook his head, "But I just feel something is wrong. It seems His Majesty has become desperate and will not be allowed to come to the palace in the future."

"At the court assembly in a few days, I need to have someone urge His Majesty to complete the Nine Bestowments ceremony as soon as possible. I must take His Majesty to Jinyang. Luoyang... cannot be stayed here for long."

........................

Ta-da-da.

"Kill!!"

The rapid sound of horses' hooves rang out, and in the distance, sandstorms rose, accompanied by shouts of battle!
The soldiers transporting the grain were immediately thrown into a panic!
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!! Quickly form ranks to meet the enemy! Lay the vehicles horizontally..."

The leader quickly drew his weapon and began to give orders in an orderly manner. The soldiers quickly realized what was happening and began to direct the auxiliary soldiers around them to get to work.

The scene gradually changed from initial chaos to order.

The grain wagons were positioned sideways, like barricades, to prevent the cavalry from charging directly at them. Furthermore, the wagons were not simply lined up in a straight line; the soldiers hid behind them, with shield bearers standing at the front, followed by spearmen and crossbowmen, each with their own specific role.

On a high slope not far away.

Looking at the scene in the distance, Gao Yu nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad, practicing martial arts repeatedly has its effects."

Although the soldiers knew in their hearts that this was not a real enemy attack, through repeated training, it had become an instinct, so that even if they encountered a real enemy attack, they could immediately form a battle formation and meet the enemy.

This is the effect he wanted!

Just now.

Liu Yi rushed over, "General, someone claiming to be an envoy of the Emperor has come to deliver a message."

"really?"

Gao Yu sighed inwardly.

It seems...

Something really is going to happen in Luoyang.

"Go! Pass on my order: have everyone else come to the Tian Ce Mansion to see me! I have important matters to discuss!"

(End of this chapter)