My brothers are all warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men; I'll roam freely in the Thr

On the eleventh day of the fourth month of the sixth year of Zhongping, at the end of the Hai hour.

In Luoyang, the death knell tolled endlessly.

The heavy, lingering sound of the bell emanated from the Southern Palace, piercing through the rainy night and resounding throughout the entire city of Luoyang.

Nine shots, eighteen shots, twenty-seven shots...

According to ritual, the bells must be rung 81 times when the emperor dies.

But by the time the bell had rung for the thirty-sixth time, the undercurrents in Luoyang had already surged to the surface!

The General's Residence.

He Jin sat in the main seat, his face feigning grief, but deep in his eyes gleamed an almost fanatical excitement.

Dozens of people had already gathered in front of him.

Inside the brightly lit hall were high-ranking officials, representatives of prominent families, and military generals.

The person seated on the left is Grand Tutor Yuan Wei.

Yuan Kui was over fifty years old, with a gaunt face and three long strands of beard hanging down to his chest. At this moment, he was resting with his eyes closed, as if everything in front of him was irrelevant.

But those who know him well know that this head of the Yuan family and Grand Tutor of the court is one of the real masterminds tonight.

Below him were Situ Dinggong and Sikong Liu Hong.

Ding Gong's expression was solemn, while Liu Hong seemed somewhat uneasy, his gaze shifting.

Next came Liu Yan, the Grand Master of Ceremonies; Zhang Wen, the Commandant of the Guards; Yang Biao, the Grand Master of the Palace; Cui Lie, the Minister of Justice; Cao Song, the Minister of Agriculture; Fan Ling, the Minister of the Imperial Treasury... Almost all nine ministers were present.

On the right were the young and promising officers and scions of powerful families, led by Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.

Other notable figures included Cao Cao, a court advisor; Wu Fu, a cavalry commander; Zhao Rong, a military advisor; Chunyu Qiong, a military advisor; and other officers from the Western Garden, as well as Wu Kuang and Zhang Zhang, trusted confidants of He Jin.

This lineup encompassed almost all the forces in Luoyang that opposed the eunuchs, opposed Jian Shuo, and even... those who intended to seize greater power before and after the new emperor's ascension to the throne.

"Gentlemen!" He Jin stood up, his voice trembling with excitement.

"His Majesty... has passed away!"

The hall was silent, and everyone's face was solemn.

"When Your Majesty was alive, eunuchs like Jian Shuo had already seized power and disrupted the government, selling official positions and titles, bringing disaster to the country and its people!" He Jin's voice suddenly rose.

"Now that His Majesty has passed away and the Crown Prince has not yet ascended the throne, Jian Shuo, who holds the Western Garden Army, is bound to commit treason! As Han officials, how can we sit idly by?"

"The General is absolutely right!" Yuan Shao immediately stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting.

"Jian Shuo has repeatedly tried to transfer the Grand General away from the capital under the guise of His Majesty's name; his intentions are treacherous! Now that His Majesty has passed away, he will surely try to hold the young emperor hostage and continue to wreak havoc on the court! The most urgent task is to quickly request the Empress and the Crown Prince to move to a safe place, and at the same time, deploy troops to control the palace and execute Jian Shuo and his eunuch faction!"

"What Benchu ​​said is exactly what I was thinking!" He Jin clapped his hands.

He looked around at everyone and said, "I have ordered the palace gates to be sealed off, but the Western Garden Army is still under Jian Shuo's control. If we are to succeed, we need your full support!"

Grand Tutor Yuan Wei slowly opened his eyes, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable weight: "The Grand General wishes to follow the example of Yi Yin and Huo Qubing, and I will certainly support him. However, this matter concerns the foundation of the nation and should be decided swiftly without delay."

This statement, seemingly supportive, is actually an urging.

Hurry up and do it, we'll vouch for you.

He Jin felt much more at ease.

With Yuan Wei's words, the attitude of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers became basically clear.

Just then, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the mansion.

A trusted general of He Jin rushed in and knelt on one knee: "General! I just received news that General Ji Xuanyuan, the Cavalry General, has led his eight hundred personal guards out of the mansion towards the north gate! It seems... he is leaving the capital!"

"What?!" He Jin suddenly stood up, his expression changing drastically.

The people in the hall were also in an uproar.

"Is Ji Xuanyuan going to run away?"

"The late emperor has just passed away, and he is in such a hurry to leave the capital. What is the meaning of this?"

"Could it be... that he's colluding with Jian Shuo?"

Amidst the murmurs, Yuan Shao's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he strode forward: "General! Everyone knows that Ji Xuanyuan is a wolf in sheep's clothing! He has amassed power and influence in the northern frontier, and in Zhuojun he has been implementing his so-called 'new policies' to win over the people and raise a private army. He has long harbored rebellious intentions! Now that His Majesty has passed away, he fears being controlled by others in the capital, so he is eager to flee back to his stronghold in Youzhou!"

He turned to the crowd, his voice rousing and impassioned: "Gentlemen, imagine this: if Ji Xuanyuan were to escape back to Youzhou, with his prestige in the northern frontier, his powerful army, and his newly established merits and the prestige of the General of the Cavalry, with the emperor far away, wouldn't he become a second Tan Shihuai? No, a border warlord even more terrifying than Tan Shihuai!"

These words resonated with many people.

Ji Xuanyuan's rise has affected the interests of too many people.

His "recruitment order" challenged the system of selecting officials that was monopolized by aristocratic families.

His novel ideas, such as the "Academy of Natural Sciences" and the "Hospital," benefited the people but made many conservative bureaucrats uneasy.

More importantly, he was too young, too dazzling, too accomplished, and too powerful.

Such people should not exist.

Yuan Shu also stepped forward. He had always looked down on Ji Xuanyuan's status as "the son of a border county official," and now he was even more eager to show off.

"Ji Xuanyuan must have seen that His Majesty had passed away and the capital was about to fall into chaos, fearing for his own safety, so he wanted to flee! Does such a cowardly rat deserve to be called a General of the Cavalry?"

He Jin's face darkened, and he quickly made a mental calculation.

Ji Xuanyuan... this young man whom he both feared and envied.

Under normal circumstances, he might have hesitated.

But tonight is different.

Tonight is a crucial moment for He Jin to take control of the court, eliminate the eunuchs, and even... take it a step further.

There absolutely cannot be any changes!

"General!"

Seeing that He Jin was tempted, Yuan Shao added fuel to the fire: "We should use the pretext that 'upon hearing of His Majesty's death, he left the capital without waiting for imperial orders, intending to commit treason,' and request the Three Dukes and the Grand General to jointly petition the Empress, convicting him of treason! At the same time, we should send troops to pursue and arrest him, ensuring he does not escape back to Youzhou!"

A fierce glint flashed in He Jin's eyes.

He recalled that a few months ago, Jian Shuo had repeatedly tried to transfer him to Xiliang to "suppress bandits".

At that time, he was afraid that once he left the capital, he would lose favor and power and be plotted against by Jian Shuo and those eunuchs, so he kept delaying.

What made him even more uneasy was that Empress Dowager Dong had always wanted Emperor Ling to depose the eldest son and establish the younger son, Liu Xie, as the crown prince.

During that period, he, the seemingly glorious general, was actually in a sorry state, filled with anxiety and fear day and night.

Now it's proven that he made the right decision to delay!

He delayed until Emperor Ling died!

Now, it's his turn and his nephew, the soon-to-be crown prince Liu Bian, to control the world!

And Ji Xuanyuan...

This border general, whom Emperor Ling greatly favored during his lifetime and who may even have left behind some backup plans, must be eliminated!

"good!"

He Jin slammed his fist on the table: "As Benchu ​​said! We'll split into two groups. I, along with the Grand Tutor, the Minister of Works, and the Minister of Agriculture, will immediately enter the palace to meet the Empress and request her decree to execute the eunuch and determine Ji Xuanyuan's guilt! Benchu ​​and Gonglu, you two, take my orders and quickly mobilize troops to capture Ji Xuanyuan! We must see him alive or dead!"

"Your subordinates obey!" Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu responded in unison, their eyes gleaming with excitement.

Yuan Shu was particularly eager; he absolutely could not allow his half-brother Yuan Shao to monopolize the great credit for capturing Ji Xuanyuan!

He Jin added, "Pass on my order: immediately seal off all gates of Luoyang, especially the north gate; not a single person shall escape!"

"yes!"

Everyone responded enthusiastically and acted swiftly.

After leaving the General's Mansion, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu immediately took He Jin's order and went to mobilize troops.

Yuan Shao went straight to the Xiyuan military camp.

However, when he arrived at the camp, he was turned away at the gate. The general guarding the camp was none other than Xia Yun, a confidant of Jian Shuo.

"Xia Changshi!" Yuan Shao reined in his horse and shouted.

"By order of the Grand General, the Western Garden Army is to be dispatched from camp to pursue the traitor Ji Xuanyuan!"

Xia Yun stood on the arrow tower at the camp gate, expressionless: "Colonel Yuan, General Jian has already given strict orders that no Western Garden Army member may leave the camp tonight under any circumstances. Anyone who disobeys will be executed. If the General has any orders, please see General Jian first."

"You—!" Yuan Shao roared in fury.

"Ji Xuanyuan has left the capital without authorization, intending to rebel. This is an urgent military matter! If we delay, can you bear the consequences?!"

Xia Yun remained unmoved: "This humble general will only obey Lord Jian's orders."

Yuan Shao was so angry that his face turned pale, but there was nothing he could do.

In the end, Yuan Shao only mobilized his own five hundred-plus Xiyuan Army troops.

Meanwhile, Yuan Shu, in his capacity as General of the Tiger Guard, transferred two thousand men from the Tiger Guard and Feathered Forest Guard.

When Yuan Shu saw that Yuan Shao had only brought three hundred men, a barely perceptible hint of mockery flashed in his eyes.

The two men, carrying He Jin's order, forcibly mobilized 2,500 men from the five schools of the Northern Army.

A total of 5,000 soldiers hastily assembled in the north of the city.

In the darkness of night, torches blazed like dragons.

Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu stood side by side on horseback in front of the army.

"Ji Xuanyuan only has eight hundred men." Yuan Shu glanced at Yuan Shao, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.

"Brother, why go to such great lengths? I have two thousand elite Tiger Warriors; that should be enough to capture him."

Yuan Shao said coldly, "Gonglu, do not underestimate the enemy. Although Ji Xuanyuan came from humble origins, his subordinates such as Xiang Yu are all capable of defeating ten thousand men. The eight hundred Jingnan soldiers are also elite troops who have fought countless battles and have once trampled the grasslands and forced the Xianbei to surrender. Five thousand soldiers are already the minimum number."

Although he looked down on Ji Xuanyuan's background, he never underestimated his strength.

Yuan Shu snorted and said no more.

"Let's go! Destination: North Gate!" Yuan Shao waved his hand and gave the order.

Five thousand soldiers marched in a mighty procession toward the north gate of Luoyang.

However, upon reaching the North Gate, the scene before them caused Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu's expressions to change drastically.

The north gate is wide open!

The guards were closing the city gates when they saw the army approaching and hurriedly stopped.

"What's going on?!" Yuan Shao demanded sternly.

"The General has ordered all gates sealed off, and not a single person is to escape! Who gave you permission to open the city gates?!"

The gatekeeper scrambled over, knelt on one knee, and stammered, "Commander Yuan... just now, General Ji Xuanyuan... just now, he carried the late emperor's edict to leave the city, and this humble general... this humble general dared not stop him!"

"A warrant to leave the city?!" Yuan Shao's pupils contracted.

Yuan Shu was also stunned: "A document... given by the late emperor?"

"Yes, yes..." The city gate captain took out a roll of bright yellow silk from his bosom and presented it with both hands.

"The document bears His Majesty's jade seal, the seal of the Ministry of Personnel, and... and the seal of the General of the Cavalry..."

Yuan Shao snatched it away and unfolded it to take a look.

The silk scroll clearly reads: "General Ji Xuanyuan, the Cavalry General, is leaving the capital on official business in the northern frontier. All passes are to refrain from obstructing him..."

The date on the document was April 10th.

The day before Emperor Ling passed away!

The seals are complete and there are no flaws.

Yuan Shao's hand holding the silk trembled slightly.

The late emperor... gave Ji Xuanyuan a document to leave the city the day before his death?

What does this mean?

This means that Ji Xuanyuan's departure from the capital was Emperor Ling's decree!

Yuan Shao's mind raced, and his expression grew increasingly grim.

Why did Ji Xuanyuan possess the late emperor's order to leave the city?

unless......

Unless the late emperor specifically ordered him to leave the capital before his death!

Yuan Shao gritted his teeth: "That Liu Hong! Even on his deathbed, he never forgot to scheme!"

He instantly grasped the key point.

Liu Hong intends to send Ji Xuanyuan back to Youzhou to oversee the northern frontier, making him a sword of Damocles hanging over Luoyang!

As long as Ji Xuanyuan remains in Youzhou, He Jin, Jian Shuo, and anyone else who wants to seize power and disrupt the government will be hesitant to act rashly.

Because if there is a major upheaval in the court, Ji Xuanyuan can enter the capital and purge the court of corrupt officials!

This was the emperor's last resort for checks and balances!

"A brilliant scheme...a truly brilliant scheme..." Yuan Shao's eyes flashed with a fierce light.

This was Emperor Ling's gift to his youngest son, Liu Xie.

Or perhaps it was the last line of defense left for the entire Han dynasty!

"Brother, what should we do now?" Yuan Shu also realized the seriousness of the problem and asked anxiously.

Yuan Shao stared at the document authorizing him to leave the city, then suddenly slammed it to the ground!

"This document is fake!" he shouted.

"It must be a forgery by Ji Xuanyuan! The late emperor was already seriously ill and unconscious before his death; how could he have given him a document to leave the city? This is a false edict! His crime is compounded!"

He mounted his horse, drew his longsword, and pointed it north:

"Chase!"

"Ji Xuanyuan forged an imperial edict and left the capital, intending to rebel!"

Five thousand soldiers responded with a roar, surged out of the north gate, and pursued the enemy along the official road.

The night was dark.

Yuan Shao took the lead, his eyes burning with anger and determination.

Liu Hong, since you're so biased, leaving your backup plan to Ji Xuanyuan, don't blame me, Yuan Benchu...

They've completely fallen out!

I'm determined to walk this path!

Ji Xuanyuan, you can't escape!

Meanwhile, on the official road in the north...

Eight hundred iron cavalrymen are galloping at full speed.

Ji Xuanyuan reined in his horse and looked back towards Luoyang, his eyes filled with coldness.

What's meant to come will come.