Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 24 Your subject requests that the capital be moved to Luoyang!
How dare you do this?
In broad daylight, under the clear sky, members of the royal family were abducted in the street. Where is the law?
I am Liu Yao, the Governor of Yangzhou! I demand to see the Emperor! I demand to see the Emperor!

However, he was met with a burst of laughter from his soldiers.

"Brothers, we've caught a big fish! Bring it back to General Guo, and it'll be a great achievement."

"Traitor to the nation! Traitor to the nation!!!"

Liu Yao cried out urgently while being escorted, while Chang'an wailed in the chaos of battle.

Li Jue kidnapped the emperor and empress, while Guo Si detained civil and military officials. The two seized control of the government, denouncing each other as rebels. They deployed their troops in Chang'an and attacked each other.

Upon arriving in Chang'an, Liu Yao was forced to watch helplessly as the once bustling city was reduced to ruins under the threat of armored soldiers and swords.

The two armies rampaged through the city, their clashes and the cries of the people echoing through the air. The only response they received was the slashing of long blades and the gushing of blood.

As they escorted the prisoners along the way, dried bloodstains stained the bluestone road, and the path was stumbling and broken by the fallen limbs. The stench of blood and decay permeated the filth of the city, washing away the grime of this ancient capital.

"How could this be? Even when the traitor Dong Zhuo was in power, things didn't come to this!"

What he saw was shocking. If he hadn't personally come to Chang'an, Liu Yao would never have imagined that the capital of the Han Dynasty, the residence of the emperor, had become so corrupt!

He now regrets coming back; if he had known this would happen, he would have preferred to surrender to Yuan Shu from the beginning.

Out of respect for Taishi Ci, and considering that he was a member of the Han imperial family, as long as he behaved himself and handed over power, Yuan Shu wouldn't really be so ruthless as to kill him. He might even be able to enjoy a lifetime of wealth and honor.

Now, not only have we escaped the tiger's den, we've gone straight into the devil's lair!
It was difficult to find a single civilian in the city. The sounds of battle were everywhere, and thick smoke and flames billowed from the direction of the palace. The once magnificent palace, with its carved beams and painted rafters, was now nothing but ruins.

Liu Yao sighed helplessly, a bitter smile appearing on his lips. Let alone ordinary people, even he, a member of the Han imperial family and the governor of Yangzhou, was kidnapped and arrested in the street.

The firelight illuminated half the sky, and shouts of battle, cries, and the neighing of horses mingled together, as if a scene from hell was unfolding everywhere.

In the past, the eighteen warlords fought against Dong Zhuo, and the eastern capital Luoyang was reduced to ashes in the raging fire. Now, the only remaining western capital, Chang'an, will also be crushed into ruins in the chaos of war.

Finally, Liu Yao was escorted into a large tent. The main seat in the tent was empty, probably because Guo Si was out fighting with Li Jue and had not yet returned. The people in the tent were all covered in dust and dirt, and they were all high-ranking officials and nobles.

"Liu Liu Gong?"

You're here too!

"Master Yang?"

Upon hearing the voice, Liu Yao looked over and saw that it was Grand Commandant Yang Biao. He rushed forward as if grasping at a straw to pour out his grievances.

"Lord Yang! How could you go to such lengths? Chang'an is the heart of the imperial court. How can you allow such a traitor to harm it? I've heard that even the Emperor was abducted by Li Jue. The late Emperor entrusted his son to us until now. Is this how you gentlemen uphold the nation?"

Unexpectedly, when everyone saw him arrive, not only Yang Biao, but also the Minister of Works Zhang Xi, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat Wang Long, Minister of Justice Xuan Fan, Grand Herald Rong Shao and other high-ranking officials greeted him as if he were their savior.

"Lord Liu? It's Lord Liu!"

"Why is Lord Liu so late?"

"Did Lord Liu hear of the chaos in Chang'an and lead the elite troops of Yangzhou to protect the emperor?"

"Truly worthy of being a member of the Han imperial family! Heaven blesses our great Han Dynasty, for there is still someone as loyal and righteous as Lord Liu!"

Liu Yao: "."

Hearing these hopeful voices, Liu Yao remained silent for a long time, his heart filled with countless words, which turned into a long sigh. "The fighting is fierce in the south as well. That traitor Yuan Shu forged an imperial edict to punish the rebels, first seizing my capital Shouchun in Yangzhou, and then taking over my Jiangdong base. I... well, I've come to the court to ask for help."

Speaking of soldiers and horses

Liu Yao glanced at his side. The two Yuan Shu soldiers who had been escorting him to Chang'an were now standing there, bewildered.

He paused, nodded slightly, and pointed to the two men, "Only these two guards!"

The courtiers: "."

The courtiers all looked at Liu Yao with strange expressions. Asking for help? We don't need to care if you ask for help!
Do we look like we have any soldiers or horses in this situation?

Besides, what governor of a prefecture would abandon his local government and personally come to the central government to ask for help? And if you're going to come, at least bring your troops, just like Dong Zhuo did when he came to the capital!

Regardless of the size of the army, even two or three thousand men can solve the immediate crisis and give everyone a sense of security.

What good are you, coming here alone with only two guards? Are you just here to deliver your head to Guo Si?
It was Grand Commandant Yang Biao who noticed the embarrassment on Liu Yao's face and shook his head with a sigh.

"It's not just the south that's in turmoil. I've heard that recently Lü Bu and Cao Cao have been fighting over Yan Province, Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan are locked in a standoff in You Province, and Tao Qian, the governor of Xu Province, has died. He submitted a memorial to allow Liu Bei, an unknown nobody, to take over as governor of Xu Province, but that memorial is still sitting in the Ministry of Personnel and no one is paying attention to it."

It has only been six years since the late emperor passed away, how could our great Han dynasty have come to this?

He was the first to cry out in grief, and then all the officials wept. The entire court of nobles wept from night until dawn, and from dawn until night.

Liu Yao was brought to Guo Si's place. He was all alone and had no other choice but to join the officials in weeping and sighing. He thought that things had already gone far enough.

But little did he expect that Guo Si was no match for Li Jue. With defeat looming, Guo Si was able to escape with his troops. If these civil and military officials who had joined the rebels were to fall into Li Jue's hands, how could they possibly fare well?

Just as the courtiers were discussing what to say when the rebel troops arrived, in order to appease the emperor and Li Jue.

Just as war was raging and Guo Si's defeat seemed inevitable, even the emperor appointed Li Jue as Grand Marshal to appease him.

Unexpectedly, Li Jue was overjoyed and rewarded a sorcerer handsomely, telling his generals that his victory that day was all thanks to the sorcerer's blessings.

As a result, the generals under his command who did not receive any rewards became dissatisfied. One of them, named Yang Feng, became increasingly angry and led his troops in rebellion. Li Jue was busy dealing with the internal strife, while Guo Si managed to stabilize the situation.

The assembled officials, who had discussed and agreed on their statements and were preparing to welcome Li Jue, were quite embarrassed upon hearing this.

Liu Yao, caught up in the chaos, was at a loss for words. "This is too much of a mess in Chang'an! I want to go back to Jiangdong!"
However, Liu Yao clearly underestimated the chaos in the central court and the capital, Chang'an.

Just as Yang Feng's rebellion was being driven away by Li Jue, Zhang Ji led a large army from Shaanxi County, west of Sili, and sent troops to deliver a message:
"The current conflict between the two gentlemen is a breach of the court's principles. I wish to negotiate a truce between you. General Li, you may lay down your arms and reconcile with General Guo, together supporting the Han dynasty and protecting the nation."

Those who dare to disobey, we will lead our troops to attack them!

Well, here comes another one!
By the time Liu Yao heard the news, he was already used to it.

Keep fighting, you'll definitely have to keep fighting!
As Liu Yao had predicted, the superficial reconciliation under Zhang Ji's coercion did not last long. Seeing that the emperor and his officials had been freed from being held hostage by both sides, Zhang Ji then advised the emperor, saying:

"Chang'an is now in ruins. I request that the capital be moved to Luoyang."

The Emperor granted his request.

(End of this chapter)