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

Ding Yuan's angry departure caused the atmosphere in the Dong family's main hall to plummet to freezing point.

The music and instruments had long since ceased, and the dancers and musicians had all withdrawn.

In the vast hall, only a few dozen court officials remained, confronting Dong Zhuo and his men.

The flickering candlelight cast shifting shadows on faces that held fear, anger, or scheming.

"snort!"

A cold snort broke the deathly silence.

"What I just said..."

Dong Zhuo spoke slowly, his voice low and deep, yet each word as firm as a hammer: "Is this fair?"

He asked for "fairness," but his eyes were full of threat.

Inside the hall, no one dared to respond.

Yuan Shao took a deep breath, stood up, and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Lord Dong, the Ten Attendants have just been eliminated, the court is newly settled, and many things need to be done. The matter of deposing and installing emperors concerns the foundation of the state and is of great importance. If any further trouble arises at this time, it may cause unrest among the people and turmoil throughout the land!"

His tone was earnest, seemingly offering advice, but in reality, he was opposing it.

A cold glint flashed in Dong Zhuo's eyes.

Yuan Shao...

This "ally" who once supported his trip to Beijing now stands against him.

Yes, Emperor Shao Liu Bian was enthroned by He Jin, Yuan Wei, and others.

Dong Zhuo's attempt to depose the young emperor threatened the fundamental interests of the Yuan family.

What disciples and former officials, what past friendships?

In the face of power, everything is bullshit!

"oops!"

Dong Zhuo suddenly laughed, a laugh tinged with helplessness and grievance: "My actions are precisely for the sake of the nation and its people! Why should Yuan Shao worry so much?"

He spread his hands, adopting a "I'm doing this for your own good, but you don't understand" posture: "The young emperor is weak and incapable of shouldering great responsibilities. The Prince of Chenliu is intelligent and capable of governing the country. My loyalty is unwavering, and heaven and earth can bear witness!"

These words sounded grand and dignified, but they made many of the veteran officials present secretly sneer.

loyalty?

If he were truly loyal, why would he be threatening his ministers here?

But no one dared to say it.

Except for one person.

"You are mistaken, sir."

A clear voice rang out from the corner.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

The speaker was about forty years old, with a thin face and three long strands of beard hanging down to his chest. He was dressed in the official robes of a minister and was the newly appointed minister, a member of the Zheng family of Xingyang, named Zheng Tai, courtesy name Gongye.

Zheng Tai stood up, straightened his clothes and hat, and slowly walked into the hall.

He showed no fear when facing Dong Zhuo.

"In the past, Tai Jia was ignorant, and Yi Yin banished him to Tong Palace. The King of Changyi had only been on the throne for twenty-seven days when he committed more than three thousand evil deeds. Therefore, Huo Guang reported to the ancestral temple and deposed him."

"Both of these were due to the monarch's lack of virtue, and the powerful ministers, for the sake of the state, had no choice but to do so."

He paused, then looked directly at Dong Zhuo: "Although the current emperor is young, he is intelligent and wise, and has not made any mistakes since ascending the throne. You are merely a governor of an outer prefecture, and have never participated in state affairs. You have neither the great talent of Yi Yin or Huo Guang, nor the weighty responsibility of assisting the emperor in his care..."

Zheng Tai spoke each word with the sharpness of a knife: "How dare you presume to discuss such a momentous matter as deposing and installing emperors?!"

The last sentence resonated throughout the house.

Dong Zhuo's expression changed drastically.

Zheng Tai persisted, saying, "The sage said, 'If one has the ambition of Yi Yin, then it is acceptable; if one does not have the ambition of Yi Yin…'"

He took a deep breath and uttered six earth-shattering words: "Then this is treason!"

Usurpation!

These two words were like a thunderclap!

An uproar erupted in the hall!

Dong Zhuo trembled all over, not from fear, but from rage!

He suddenly stood up and drew his sword from his waist with a clang!

The gleaming blade was aimed directly at Zheng Tai!

"Traitor! I'll kill you first!"

A murderous intent surged skyward!

Almost simultaneously.

"Clang!"

Yuan Shao drew his sword and held it in front of Zheng Tai.

His gaze was icy as he stared directly at Dong Zhuo: "Lord Dong, Minister Zheng is a highly respected official of the court, admired by all. If his blood is spilled here today, the world will be shaken!"

Before he finished speaking, several of Yuan's former students and officials in the hall also stood up and placed their hands on the hilts of their swords.

The atmosphere instantly became tense!

Yuwen Chengdu's pupils contracted slightly.

His hand, resting on the hilt of the sword, tightened slightly.

His gaze, like that of a hawk, was fixed on Yuan Shao.

In a mere instant, he could draw his sword and take Yuan Shao's life!

But just as tensions were about to rise, a hurried voice came from behind.

"Master Dong, please calm down! Please calm down!"

Everyone looked over and saw Cai Yong, the Imperial Secretary.

This renowned scholar, whose face was filled with anxiety, staggered forward and stood between Dong Zhuo and Zheng Tai.

"Lord Dong!" Cai Yong bowed repeatedly.

"Minister Zheng enjoys widespread respect throughout the land, and his students and old friends are all over the country. If he were killed now, not only would the world be shocked, but the scholarly community would also be alienated, and public opinion would be in uproar!"

Since the founding of the Eastern Han Dynasty, public opinion on politics has become a tradition, and people like Zheng Tai can transform their popularity into actual political power!

These words awakened Dong Zhuo.

Kill Zheng Tai?

easy.

It's a matter of one cut.

But what happens after the killing?

Zheng Tai is not an ordinary official.

He was a member of the Zheng family of Xingyang, a great Confucian scholar of his time, with students and friends all over the country. Killing him would be tantamount to making an enemy of the entire aristocratic class!

Even more terrifying was "public opinion".

For a century during the Eastern Han Dynasty, public opinion had become an important force in restraining powerful officials. Those unarmed scholars could nail people to the pillar of historical shame with just their words and pens.

Dong Zhuo may not fear swords and spears, but he cannot fear the infamy that follows him!

His hand holding the knife trembled slightly.

His eyes flashed with a fierce light, but eventually, it subsided.

"Hahahahahaha..."

Dong Zhuo suddenly burst into laughter.

The laughter came suddenly, but it relieved everyone.

He sheathed his sword, sat down again, and waved his hand, saying, "Gentlemen, you have been frightened. Please sit down."

It was as if the earlier confrontation was just a joke.

The group looked at each other in bewilderment before slowly taking their seats.

But the tension in my heart remained high.

Wang Yun then stood up, looking calm, and stroked his beard, saying, "Gentlemen, what Lord Dong mentioned about the deposition and installation of an emperor is a major matter concerning the nation and its people, and is related to the very foundation of the country."

He paused, then looked around at everyone: "In my opinion, such an important matter should not be discussed under the influence of alcohol. A hasty decision might be inappropriate. Perhaps we should discuss it another day?"

That was a perfectly watertight statement.

They gave Dong Zhuo a way out, meaning they weren't refusing to discuss it, but rather that they would "discuss it another day."

This bought the opposition time; if they couldn't succeed today, they could try tomorrow.

He downplayed this life-or-death duel as simply stating that "it's not appropriate to discuss matters after drinking."

This seemingly neutral Situ was actually well-versed in the ways of survival in chaotic times.

Dong Zhuo stared at Wang Yun, his eyes flashing.

After a long silence, he slowly nodded: "What Situ said... makes sense."

Wang Yun bowed and said, "In that case, I will take my leave."

After saying that, he turned around and left calmly.

With Wang Yun taking the lead, the rest of the group also stood up and said, "Lord Dong, we will take our leave."

"Let's discuss it another day, another day..."

Goodbye.

In a short while, all the guests in the hall had left.

Only Dong Zhuo, Li Ru, Yuwen Chengdu, and a few trusted men from Xiliang remained.

Silence reigned for a long time.

"Bang!"

Dong Zhuo suddenly overturned the table in front of him!

The cups and plates shattered, and the wine spilled everywhere.

"A bunch of pedantic scholars! Scoundrels!" Dong Zhuo roared, his face contorted with rage.

"Dare to oppose me?! Ding Yuan! Zheng Tai! Yuan Shao! And that old bastard Wang Yun... they all deserve to die!"

He was panting heavily, his eyes flashing with ferocity: "Chengdu! Send the order! Gather the troops, tonight we will..."

"Father-in-law, wait!"

Li Ru hurriedly stepped forward and pressed down on Dong Zhuo's arm.

"Wenyou! You're stopping me too?!" Dong Zhuo glared angrily.

Li Ru shook his head and said in a low voice, "Father-in-law, please calm down. Although today's matter did not succeed, it has made us see the situation in the court clearly."

He helped Dong Zhuo sit down and slowly analyzed: "Ding Yuan holds the Bingzhou army and is an open enemy; Zheng Tai represents the gentry and is an enemy in terms of public opinion; Yuan Shao has the support of Yuan Wei and the aristocratic families behind him and is a political enemy; Wang Yun appears to be neutral, but in reality, he is unfathomable..."

Li Ru paused, a sly glint in his eyes: "But does my father-in-law know that the Eastern Han Dynasty is already a ship riddled with holes? Today, with just a gentle push, it's already teetering on the brink of collapse; if we push harder..."

He lowered his voice: "It will sink!"

Dong Zhuo calmed down and narrowed his eyes: "Wen You's meaning is..."

"First seize power, then kill people." Li Ru said each word clearly.

"Although He Jin is dead, his former subordinates are still alive. He Miao's troops are now leaderless. Father-in-law should step forward to appease and incorporate them. Only after you have control of the Northern Army and the Tiger Guards should you take action against Ding Yuan. That would be the most foolproof plan."

Dong Zhuo pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"besides."

Li Ru added: "Zheng Tai, Yuan Shao, and others cannot be killed, but they can be won over and divided. Cai Yong pleaded for Zheng Tai today, which shows that he is afraid. Father-in-law, you can treat Cai Yong well, show goodwill to the literati, and ease the relationship with public opinion. As for Yuan Shao... his father Yuan Wei is still alive, so it is not advisable to break off relations. You can appease the Yuan family for now and wait for the future..."

He made a "cut" gesture.

A fierce glint flashed in Dong Zhuo's eyes again: "Very well! We'll follow Wen You's plan!"

He looked at Yuwen Chengdu: "Chengdu, these past few days you have led your personal guards to closely monitor Ding Yuan's movements. Once an opportunity arises..."

"I understand." Yuwen Chengdu bowed, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

In the days that followed, the situation in Luoyang became increasingly unpredictable.

Under the pretext of "stabilizing the court and protecting the capital," Dong Zhuo extensively recruited the former subordinates of He Jin and He Miao.

Among the five schools of the Northern Army and the Tiger Guards and Feathered Forest Guards, a large number of generals were bribed by Dong Zhuo with gold, silver, treasures, high-ranking positions and generous salaries. The Western Liang Army and the Luoyang Imperial Guards began to gradually merge.

Meanwhile, Dong Zhuo treated Cai Yong with great respect, hosting a small banquet every three days and a large banquet every five days, showing him the utmost courtesy.

He then submitted a memorial requesting that Zheng Tai be appointed as a Chamberlain, which Zheng Tai refused, but he still made a show of it.

Among scholars, there gradually came a discussion that "although Master Dong was rough and uncouth, he respected the virtuous and valued scholars."

Meanwhile, Ding Yuan intensified the training of the Bingzhou army, conducting day and night drills at the Mengjin camp, preparing for a decisive battle against Dong Zhuo.

Friction between the two sides is increasing daily.

Small-scale conflicts occur from time to time.

The Yuan residence.

"Uncle, Dong Zhuo's wolfish ambitions are now crystal clear!" Yuan Shao's face turned ashen.

"He has incorporated He Jin's former troops and taken control of the Imperial Guards. His next move will inevitably be against Ding Yuan. If Ding Yuan is defeated, Luoyang will be Dong Zhuo's territory!"

Yuan Wei closed his eyes to rest for a long time before slowly saying, "Benchu, do you know that the fate of the Eastern Han Dynasty has run its course?"

Yuan Shao was taken aback.

"Dong Zhuo is nothing but a knife." Yuan Wei opened his eyes, his gaze gleaming.

"A knife that will cut through this corrupt regime for us."

He paused, then said, "When he and Ding Yuan are both severely weakened, and when the world is in complete chaos... that will be the real opportunity for the Yuan family."

Yuan Shao's pupils contracted slightly.

He got it.

What my uncle wants is not to preserve the Han dynasty.

It's a complete transformation!

Military Commandant's Office.

After hearing the scout's report, Cao Cao remained silent for a long time.

"Mengde, we..." Xiahou Dun hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

Cao Cao suddenly laughed.

"Let it be a mess, let it be a mess."

He gazed out the window at the deep night, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "The more chaotic Luoyang becomes, the more someone is watching from Youzhou..."

He thought of Ji Xuanyuan.

I remember those eyes, as bright as stars.

I am reminded of the saying, "Hold a sharp sword with a benevolent heart, and follow the trend of the times to know when to advance and retreat."

"Wenlie..."

Cao Cao murmured to himself, "This chaotic world awaits your arrival."