Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 157 The Prince of Hongnong is killed, Liu Bei subdues Dong Zhuo (Seeking subscriptions and monthly votes)

Zhou Bi feigned a sigh: "The Imperial Uncle has occupied Hangu Pass and sent people to insult the Minister of Works. The Minister of Works is furious and has led his troops to Hangu Pass as well. I am troubled and would like to invite the Imperial Physician to have a few drinks with me."

Li Ru was slightly startled and couldn't help but secretly admire: The Imperial Uncle's style of doing things is indeed as fearless as ever.

After Lu Zhi stopped Li Ru from advising Dong Zhuo to kill the Prince of Hongnong, Li Ru realized he had misunderstood and stopped taking action against the Prince of Hongnong. Instead, he strengthened the protection of the Prince of Hongnong.

Li Ru also intentionally catered to Zhou Bi's deliberate attempt to befriend him.

Although Zhou Bi had gained Dong Zhuo's trust by capturing Yuan Wei's followers, Li Ru had not let go of his suspicions about Zhou Bi.

Zhou Bi's frequent visits afterward deepened Li Ru's suspicions about him.

Showing courtesy for nothing is either cheating or stealing.

In particular, Li Ru was also the Chief Physician of the Prince of Hongnong, a position with low rank but heavy responsibilities.

However today
Upon hearing that Liu Bei had occupied Hangu Pass and insulted Dong Zhuo, Li Ru made another guess: The Imperial Uncle's forceful arrival this time must be to compete with the Minister of Works; if the Prince of Hongnong dies, the Imperial Uncle will have a reason to punish him, and may be able to take control of Luoyang without bloodshed.

Although Li Ru initially sided with Dong Zhuo, after entering Luoyang, Dong Zhuo only appointed him as the Prince of Hongnong's Chamberlain, rather than granting him the power of the Minister of State like Zhou Bi.

Li Ru was happy to accept this.

Especially after witnessing Liu Bei's plans last time, Li Ru had the idea of ​​relying on a powerful ruler.

Now that the powerful minister is about to enter Luoyang, Li Ru is unwilling to miss this opportunity.

With his mind racing, Li Ru readily accepted Zhou Bi's invitation, saying, "Minister Zhou has worries on his mind, how could I not keep him company?"

Zhou Bi was secretly pleased with himself.

How could a mere physician possibly understand my abilities?

Shortly after Zhou Bi and Li Ru left together, Guo Tu led his assassins to storm in.

"Who are you, and what do you want?"

Seeing the ill intentions of Guo Tu and his men, Liu Bian was both shocked and frightened.

Since being deposed from the throne, Liu Bian had been hiding in the Prince of Hongnong's residence, not stepping out for several months.

Aside from composing melancholy poems with the Princess of Hongnong, Liu Bian spent his days reading Taoist texts alone. Although he longed to escape his confinement, he could only dream of it.

Looking at Liu Bian, whose brows showed no sign of imperial authority, Guo Tu couldn't help but sneer: "So cowardly, yet he can ascend the throne and become emperor. The Han dynasty is indeed doomed."

"Do it!"

Some assassins stepped forward and wrapped a silk scarf around Liu Bian's neck, strangling him and creating the illusion that he had committed suicide.

"Walk."

After assassinating Liu Bian, Guo Tu and his men did not linger in Luoyang and headed towards Hanoi.

As for Zhou Bi, since he was going to stay in Luoyang to wait for his death, Guo Tu wouldn't try to persuade him any further. Once Zhou Bi died, all the credit would go to Guo Tu.

the other side.

Lü Bu and Niu Fu arrived at Hangu Pass first.

To avoid misunderstanding, Lü Bu asked Niu Fu to wait at the pass, and then went alone into Hangu Pass to find Liu Bei.

"Xuande, there may be a misunderstanding between you and your adoptive father." Lü Bu did not want Liu Bei to clash with Dong Zhuo and preferred to maintain the status quo.

Upon seeing that it was Lü Bu who had arrived, Liu Bei's tone turned cold: "Misunderstanding? I don't think this is a misunderstanding. Brother Fengxian, you shouldn't have returned to Luoyang. If you had stayed at Hulao Pass, none of this would have been your concern."

"Xuande, even if this isn't a misunderstanding, you still have to tell me what happened, right?" Lü Bu asked, somewhat intimidated by Liu Bei's gaze.

Although Lü Bu was not afraid of Liu Bei in terms of personal martial prowess, Liu Bei was now the Imperial Uncle, Grand Commandant, concurrently the Governor of Yu Province and the former Governor of Yong Province, and had repeatedly made military achievements. His prestige was not comparable to that of Lü Bu, a mere Marquis of Duting.

Liu Bei's tone remained icy: "Brother Fengxian, I respect your martial prowess, but this is not something you should be involved in. When Dong Zhuo arrives, I will settle things with him myself. Please return!"

Seeing that Liu Bei refused to speak, Lü Bu could only retreat in frustration. He then found Niu Fu and said, "My uncle is furious and refuses to tell me the reason."

Niu Fu was taken aback: "Who on earth has offended the Imperial Uncle? Why is the Imperial Uncle unwilling to even inform the Marquis of Duting?"

Lu Bu sighed and said, "General Niu Zhonglang, please wait here. Do not clash with the Imperial Uncle. I will go back immediately to report to my adoptive father."

Watching Lü Bu leave in a hurry, Niu Fu felt a chill run down his spine: How did things suddenly turn sour?

Like Lü Bu, Niu Fu also did not want Liu Bei to clash with Dong Zhuo.

It wasn't that Niu Fu was disloyal to Dong Zhuo, but rather that Niu Fu was well aware of Liu Bei's prowess.

Whether it was defeating Han Sui and surrendering Ma Teng under the walls of Chencang, or defeating Ding Yuan and his more than 10,000 infantry and cavalry under the walls of Luoyang with only 800 cavalry, or killing Yuan Shu to the point that he cut off his beard and abandoned his robe.

These achievements made Niu Fu quite wary.

If a conflict were to actually break out, Niu Fu would have no confidence whatsoever in fighting Liu Bei!

Midway there, Lü Bu encountered Dong Zhuo leading his troops, and learned that Liu Bei was furious but did not know why.

"Fengxian, you should return to Luoyang and wait. Since the Imperial Uncle wants to see me, I will personally go and apologize to him." Dong Zhuo found a reason to send Lü Bu away, fearing that Lü Bu would cause trouble in the later conflict.

Lu Bu, unsuspecting, bowed and took his leave, saying, "Father, please be careful."

Dong Zhuo then led his troops to Hangu Pass and shouted loudly, "Imperial Uncle, I have now arrived at Hangu Pass. What has angered you so much?"

Looking at Dong Zhuo below the pass, Liu Bei put on a smile: "I have prepared some wine; Minister of Works, please come up to the pass for a gathering."

Dong Zhuo hesitated.

Their original plan was to feign an apology and then lure Liu Bei into an ambush to capture him alive. If they were to climb the pass now, the consequences would be unpredictable.

Before Dong Zhuo could speak, Liu Bei sighed, "Just as I expected, it is because the Minister of Works suspects me."

Dong Zhuo was greatly alarmed: "What does Imperial Uncle mean by this?"

Liu Bei turned around and invited Cai Yong out.

Dong Zhuo was even more astonished: "Why is Lord Cai here as well?"

Liu Bei sneered, "Does the Grand Commandant truly not know?"

Dong Zhuo's eyes darkened, and he suddenly realized something was wrong. He bowed to Cai Yong and asked, "Lord Cai, may I ask who ordered you to come to Hangu Pass?"

Cai Yong sighed, "It was the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat who insisted I come here to inquire whether Xuande intended to contend with the Minister of Works, which enraged Xuande." Dong Zhuo felt his anger surge to his head and couldn't help but curse, "You old bastard Wang Yun, how dare you do this?"

Liu Bei then invited, "Minister of Works, shall we go up the pass for a gathering?"

Dong Zhuo immediately dismounted.

Niu Fu hurriedly stopped him, saying, "Minister Sikong, entering the pass at this time might lead to unforeseen circumstances."

"It's alright. With Lord Cai here, even if Liu Bei has such intentions, he won't touch me; if I don't respond, it will only make Liu Bei look down on me." Dong Zhuo whispered, "You should wait at the pass and not make any rash moves."

Not long after.

Dong Zhuo strode up the gate tower and saw that Liu Bei had prepared a feast, so he sat down without ceremony.

"Sikong, you have quite the nerve. Aren't you afraid I'll capture you alive right now?" Liu Bei asked with a smile as he poured wine.

Dong Zhuo laughed heartily: "Uncle, you jest. I know your character well."

"Since you know me, why does the Minister of Works want to seize my Yongzhou?" Liu Bei asked slowly, holding his wine cup.

Dong Zhuo was startled, but pretended not to understand: "Uncle, what do you mean?"

Liu Bei took a sip of wine and said, "When Qian Zhao, the Imperial Secretary, came to deliver the imperial edict, he told me that Zhou Bi had specially sought him out, saying that this was a scheme by the Minister of Works to promote someone in name only but demote them in reality, and that he wanted to take advantage of my time in Yuzhou to suppress the rebels in order to seize Yongzhou. Therefore, he recommended Qian Zhao to be the Imperial Secretary, and asked Qian Zhao to remind me not to enter Luoyang lightly after the imperial edict was delivered."

Dong Zhuo jumped up in shock: "Zhou Bi? How is that possible?"

Ignoring Dong Zhuo's horror, Liu Bei chuckled: "It seems that you, Minister of Works, are completely unaware of the thoughts of the people in Luoyang. Aren't you afraid that one day you will be plotted against and killed by the ministers in the court?"

Dong Zhuo suppressed his anger, his eyes filled with gloom.

Recalling Zhou Bi's various misdeeds, as well as the fact that Minister Wang Yun insisted on sending Cai Yong into Hangu Pass to test Liu Bei, Dong Zhuo's hatred for Zhou Bi intensified.

"Today's events were instigated by Zhou Bi. Once I return to Luoyang, I will execute Zhou Bi and give the Imperial Uncle an explanation." Dong Zhuo made a move to leave.

"No rush," Liu Bei said softly to stop Dong Zhuo, then smiled and said, "Why don't you stay at Hangu Pass for a few more days, Sikong? Perhaps there will be some unexpected surprises."

Dong Zhuo's eyes darkened further: "What do you mean by that, Imperial Uncle?"

Liu Bei's smile remained unchanged: "Doesn't the Minister of Works want to know how the officials in Luoyang will react if they were to contend with me?"

At this moment, Dong Zhuo only wanted to go back to Zhou Bi and get an explanation. He had no intention of waiting here and said, "I don't want to know. After I return to Luoyang and find out the truth, I will definitely give my uncle an explanation."

"That won't do. If Sikong returns to Luoyang, then Sikong and I will have no choice but to fight each other." Liu Bei waved his hand, and Huang Zhong, Ma Chao, and Chen Dao, armed with weapons, blocked his way.

Dong Zhuo asked in a displeased tone, "Uncle, are you really going to stop me?"

"Calm down." Liu Bei gently shook the wine cup. "Normally, Brother Fengxian should be escorting Sikong to the pass, but Brother Fengxian is not here. He must have been sent elsewhere by Sikong."

"Under what circumstances would Sikong send Brother Fengxian away? This shouldn't be a difficult question to answer. Sikong has known me for a long time, so don't bother with such petty tricks."

"My purpose in coming to Luoyang is merely to test my skills against Sikong and determine who will control Luoyang in the future, not to fight to the death with Sikong. Even if it were a fight to the death, Sikong would not be able to win."

Seeing that Liu Bei had made his point clear, Dong Zhuo also stopped hiding his intentions: "Although I don't know why Zhou Bi betrayed me, I do indeed intend to seize Yongzhou; today I have also laid an ambush on the road, just waiting for you to go to Luoyang so that I can capture you alive."

"I didn't expect you to be so cautious, Imperial Uncle. Now that I'm in your hands, you may kill me or do whatever you want with me, but I must remind you that I still have more than 20,000 troops in Luoyang. If I die, they will surely rebel, and then Luoyang will be littered with corpses and rivers of blood, which will be beyond my control."

Liu Bei didn't take it seriously and laughed, "I'm afraid the Minister has forgotten. Of the more than 20,000 men in Luoyang, apart from the 5,000 troops you brought, the rest are the Eight Camps of the Western Garden, the Five Schools of the Northern Army, the Tiger Guard Camp, the Feathered Forest Army, the City Guard Army, and the Army under the Commander of the Imperial Guard. Which of these troops dares to fight me?"

"If I'm not mistaken, at least half of Sikong's five thousand elite troops are under the command of Minister Lu at Hulao Pass, and Sikong has at most three thousand elite troops in Luoyang; these three thousand troops are from Yongliang, and greed is their nature. I can bribe them with gold and silver."

"I am also His Majesty's uncle, and if I raise my voice, those in Luoyang who are dissatisfied with the Minister of Works will impeach him before His Majesty."

"What makes you think you can fight me?"

Dong Zhuo sat down in astonishment.

Although I hate to admit it, Liu Bei's military might was simply too overwhelming.

When Yuan Shao took command of the troops in Luoyang, even his own Western Garden Army was unwilling to clash with Liu Bei.

Although Dong Zhuo now controls the troops in Luoyang, he is essentially no different from Yuan Shao.

With a large army, they might not listen to Dong Zhuo.

"Uncle, why don't you make your point clearer?" Dong Zhuo suppressed his anger, unwilling to simply cede Luoyang.

"Two paths," Liu Bei said, putting down his wine cup. "First, take your five thousand soldiers to Bingzhou and continue to be your governor. Second, hand over your troops to me, live a life of luxury, and enjoy your retirement."

Dong Zhuo slammed his fist on the table in anger: "Impossible! Imperial Uncle is far too arrogant! Even if I lose, Imperial Uncle will not win easily."

"Don't be so quick to refuse." Liu Bei's gaze sharpened slightly. "Minister of Works is fifty-eight this year. How many more years can he keep going? Can he possibly defeat the Yuan brothers, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu? Doesn't Minister of Works intend to consider the future of his descendants?"

"If you hand over your troops to me, the Minister of Works will be a meritorious official, and his descendants will be descendants of meritorious officials. As long as they do not violate my laws, I will protect them for life."

"Those who understand the times are wise. In the past, I gave the secret edict to the Minister of Works, so that he could achieve great success and rise to the position of one of the Three Dukes from a military man in the border region. Why doesn't the Minister of Works retire gracefully and save face for himself?"

Age is the most powerful weapon against a person's heart, and the future of their descendants is their greatest weakness. When Liu Bei revealed Dong Zhuo's age and the future of his descendants, Dong Zhuo's anger dissipated in an instant.

As Liu Bei said: How many more years can we keep this up?
Now that he holds the highest position among the Three Dukes, the culmination of his life's struggle has arrived. The next step is to ascend to the throne, a position that Dong Zhuo cannot possibly attain.

In contrast, Liu Bei was already an Imperial Uncle and Grand Commandant before he was thirty, younger than both Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu. He was in the prime of his life and ready to make his mark.

"Why should I trust you?" Dong Zhuo's aura had clearly lost its previous domineering presence. Realizing he couldn't win the argument, he began to negotiate with Liu Bei.

Liu Bei put down his wine cup and promised, "Lord Cai is grateful for the kindness shown to me by the Minister of Works and does not want me to fight the Minister of Works to the death. He also told me that the Minister of Works' son died early, leaving only a granddaughter who is well loved by the Minister of Works."

“I can petition His Majesty to bestow upon her the title of Lady of Weiyang, to raise her beside Wenji, and to allow her to become my concubine once she comes of age. I believe this condition will be enough to put the Minister of Works and the Dong family at ease.”

Seeing Dong Zhuo deep in thought, Cai Yong stepped forward and advised him, "Minister Dong, we are both old and frail. Why should we still yearn for power and position? You once asked me why I preferred to work as a proofreader at the Eastern Pavilion. I said I did not want to compete with others, so I went to work as a proofreader to seek peace and quiet."

"Now, there are many treacherous people around you, Sikong. If it weren't for the fact that the Imperial Uncle did not want to fight against you, there would probably be many more innocent casualties at Hangu Pass today. I urge you, Sikong, to think carefully."

Dong Zhuo did not answer, silently weighing the pros and cons.

Liu Bei did not urge him, but waited patiently for Dong Zhuo's decision.

As darkness fell, Lü Bu suddenly rushed back, shouting urgently, "Father, something has happened! The Prince of Hongnong has been assassinated!"

Dong Zhuo jumped up in shock again, gripping the wine cup tightly: "How is this possible!"

(End of this chapter)