Liu Bian at the start, so you're called Dong Zhuo, right?

Chapter 153 Taishi Ci and Zhao Yun

Two days later, outside a dilapidated post station beside the official road.

A dozen or so constables blocked the road, shouting at a group of small merchants and migrants carrying loads on their shoulders.

"Stop right there!"

"Check your travel permit!"

"Who knows if there are any rebels or people acting on orders among you!"

A woman holding a child was pushed and stumbled, almost falling into the mud on the roadside.

A young man standing nearby couldn't help but speak up: "Didn't they just check the travel permit the other day?" Before he could finish speaking, the leading constable had already raised his hand and slapped him hard across the face.

"You dare to reason with me?"

"The imperial court is cracking down hard these days, so you'd better behave yourself!"

Upon hearing this, several constables followed and began searching the package.

It was ostensibly a road inspection, but in reality, it was a money grab.

Just then, a rider stopped on the north side of the official road.

The young man glanced over there but didn't move immediately; he simply tightened the reins in his hand.

At almost the same moment, another rider from the south also stopped.

The man glanced around the scene, his gaze landing on the bulging money pouch at the head constable's waist. He smirked slightly, and without uttering a single word, he dismounted.

Before the lead constable could react, his vision blurred and his wrist was gripped tightly.

"Who is using the court's name to commit thievery?"

"You've got some nerve."

The constable turned pale with pain and kicked him.

The young man stepped aside, twisted his hand, and forcefully forced the man to his knees on the ground.

Seeing that something was wrong, the other constables drew their sticks and rushed forward.

At this moment, the young man riding on the north side also moved.

Instead of charging into the crowd, he reined in his horse and passed in front of the woman and child. He used his cloth-wrapped spear to block the first stick that came crashing down, and then thrust the butt of the spear forward, sending the constable flying two steps.

On the other hand, the young man who made the first move took a completely different approach.

He paid no heed to the petty thieves. After releasing the lead constable, he drew his sword and pointed it at the middle-aged clerk behind him who was trying to sneak out.

"Don't move."

"Take one more step and I'll break your legs!"

The middle-aged clerk's face changed drastically, and he truly dared not move again.

In a short while, they were all brutally knocked to the ground.

The young man on horseback dismounted, shook the cloth off his spear to reveal the dark shaft.

He glanced at the fallen constables, then at the women and children protected behind him, and only stopped after confirming they were alright.

The young man with the sword sheathed it, kicked the middle-aged clerk to the ground, and then turned to look at the other person.

Their eyes met, and they both paused for a moment.

The young man with the sword laughed first.

"The gun is steady."

The other person remained calm and simply cupped his hands in greeting.

"You acted quickly too."

The middle-aged official was pinned to the ground, still trying to shout, "Do you know whose orders we are on?" The young man with the sword looked down at him, his smile fading.

"I really want to know."

"Tell me, on whose orders, in whose name, and on whose money are you taking?"

The clerk, upon being looked at, immediately choked on his words.

On the other side, the woman holding the child had come to her senses and quickly thanked the young man with the gun while holding the child, and then bowed repeatedly to the young man with the sword.

Neither of them felt much pain; they simply gave a brief reply and that was the end of it.

By the time several guards who were actually stationed at the road heard the commotion and rushed over, the matter had already been resolved.

The sword-wielding youth tossed the men aside and clapped his hands: "Take these people to the authorities."

"If even those who take money by deception dare to stay on the road, then no matter how beautifully the recruitment notice is written, it's nothing more than wallpaper."

After he finished speaking, he looked at the other person as if he had suddenly remembered something.

"Are you also going to Luoyang?"

The young man with the gun nodded.

"Exactly."

"What a coincidence," the man chuckled. "Me too."

He paused for a moment, then introduced himself.

"Taishi Ci, courtesy name Ziyi, from Huang County, Donglai."

After hearing this, the young man opposite him gave a slight bow.

"Changshan Zhending, Zhao Yun, courtesy name Zilong."

Taishi Ci glanced at him and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Zhao Zilong of Changshan —"

"Nice name!"

Zhao Yun didn't respond to that, but simply wrapped the cloth around his spear again, mounted his horse, and rode off.

Taishi Ci found him even more interesting, seeing that he didn't say much, and with a smile, he leaped onto his horse.

"Since we're both going to Luoyang, why don't we travel together?"

Zhao Yun paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Can."

The two riders rode side by side southward.

They didn't talk much on the way, but it wasn't boring at all.

Taishi Ci first asked, "Are you going to Luoyang to seek an official position?"

"No," Zhao Yun answered directly. "Go and see."

"What are you looking at?"

"Let's see if this imperial court is worth supporting."

Upon hearing this, Taishi Ci chuckled.

"Just like me."

"However, what I see is probably quite different from what you see."

Zhao Yun glanced at him sideways: "What do you mean?"

Taishi Ci raised his whip and pointed south.

"The battle of Luoyang was a major one, and it was also widely publicized."

"The new emperor personally led the expedition, Dong Zhuo retreated, Yuan Shao went north, and the whole world was saying that Luoyang had held its ground."

"But reputation can sometimes be fabricated."

"I want to see for myself whether this new emperor is truly capable or just using a victory to create a stir."

After listening, Zhao Yun did not immediately refute, but simply said, "A battle can be faked."

"But what happens on the road, the lie won't last that long."

"What's posted at the post stations, what the people are saying, how the prefectures and counties treat people, and what the people sent out by the imperial court are doing—only by putting all these things together can we tell the truth from the falsehood."

After listening, Taishi Ci turned and glanced at him.

"You have a keen eye."

"You watch the situation, I'll watch the road," Zhao Yun said. "We both have to watch."

Taishi Ci laughed heartily.

"it is good."

"Then let's watch it together."

As they traveled further south, the two realized that Luoyang's current atmosphere was not entirely the same as what they had heard before.

New notices have been posted at several rest stops along the way.

The notice not only contained an order seeking talented individuals, but also a new imperial edict:

Anyone who uses the name of the King of Chenliu to gather a crowd and issue a proclamation will be considered to be causing chaos in the country.

Near a ferry crossing, they also witnessed a troop of light cavalry escorting several bound constables past.

The leader, with a cold face, was listening to the accompanying clerk report the accounts.

"The customs officials, under the pretext of investigating disorder, detained people and extorted money, obtaining a certain amount of money and silk in total."

Taishi Ci glanced at it from afar and said in a low voice, "Not bad, you caught it pretty quickly."

Zhao Yun didn't say anything, but he kept it in mind.

It seems that this imperial court is indeed more than just issuing edicts.

After walking for another half day, they saw a grain transport convoy by the roadside.

The flag bears the words "Yicang" (meaning "charitable granary").

Under the shed, some people were distributing porridge, some were distributing medicine, and others were whispering to the refugees: Have you seen the westward-bound carriage? Have you heard any gossip about "welcoming the King of Chenliu"?

Taishi Ci leaned against the tree and watched for a long time, then suddenly said, "This new emperor of Luoyang doesn't seem to only know how to use a knife."

Zhao Yun nodded.

"The imperial court has taken action."

The two of them took everything they saw and heard along the way into their hearts, and gradually formed a preliminary judgment about the imperial court.

Three days later, the two finally arrived at the city of Luoyang.

The city gates were imposing, and traces of the recent battle were still visible outside the moat. Some sections of the city walls were still under repair.

The rotation of guards was extremely strict, and although the inspections at the city gates were quick, they were not chaotic.

Luoyang City was bustling with activity.

It's not just superficial heat.

Outside the Ministry of Personnel, in front of the newly posted notice seeking talented individuals, not only scholars but also warriors with swords, wandering knights with bows, and impoverished scholars dragging their book boxes had gathered.

Over at the training ground, people were already testing their bows, riding horses, and infantry combat skills.

Although the streets were open, people weren't talking about "how ruthless Dong Zhuo is" or "how dangerous the new emperor is," but rather "who did Cao Cao capture?" "where did Liu Bei open his granary again?" and "who are the people who came to the capital to try their skills this time?"

Instead of submitting the invitation first, the two went to Nanshi first.

With the notice seeking talented individuals posted, the imperial court naturally made room specifically for these scholars, military men, and impoverished individuals who had come from all directions. Near the South Market, there was a temporary recruitment center, next to which were granaries and soup kitchens, attracting a diverse mix of people.

That's why it's also the easiest place for trouble to arise.

The two had just reached the street corner when a sudden commotion arose ahead.

It turned out that several men who claimed to be "former subordinates of the Prince's Mansion" were shouting loudly around a group of poor scholars outside the recruitment office.

"The imperial court is the imperial court, and the Prince of Chenliu is the Prince of Chenliu!"

"This man in Luoyang may hold the position, but he may not have won over the hearts of the people!"

"We are serving the rightful master. You who have come to seize the official position will sooner or later be defeated." Before he could finish speaking, several hooligans who had been incited by the crowd took advantage of the chaos to overturn the soup kitchen and try to seize the food.

Taishi Ci's eyes turned cold, and without even listening to the rest, he rushed over first.

Ignoring everyone else, he focused on the loudest person, kicked away the wooden stool blocking his way, and rushed forward, grabbing the man by the throat and slamming him against a pillar.

"Whose orders are you taking?"

The man's face turned pale from being choked, and he could barely speak.

On the other side, Zhao Yun had also made his move.

He didn't go to the loudest ones first, but to the women and children who had already been pushed over by the crowd near the soup kitchen.

With a horizontal thrust of his spear, he first swept away the two hooligans who charged at him, then flicked the butt of the spear to knock the short knife out of the other man's hand.

The guards stationed at the recruitment office then realized what was happening and rushed out to arrest the man.

The leader was a captain, whose face was originally extremely ugly, but his expression changed the moment he saw the two men make their move.

In a short while, the imposters who claimed to be "former subordinates of the Prince's Mansion" were tied up tightly, and the ruffians and stragglers were also captured.

The captain stepped forward and bowed to the two men, saying, "Thank you both for your help."

Taishi Ci released his grip and smiled, "No need to thank me."

"I just can't stand people using children and soup kitchens to cause trouble."

Zhao Yun also put away his spear, clasped his hands in return, and said, "It's my duty."

The captain's gaze swept over the two men, and he asked, "May I ask your esteemed names and where you are from?"

Taishi Ci replied simply, "It's nothing to worry about."

"I came to Luoyang to see the imperial court, not to seize an official position."

Zhao Yun also cupped his hands in a gesture of respect: "Allow us to take another look."

The captain was taken aback, then laughed.

"it is good."

"Then let's take a look."

As soon as these two sentences were uttered, several guards nearby couldn't help but glance at them again.

Upon arriving in Luoyang, he was in no hurry to submit his official appointment, nor was he in a rush to curry favor with anyone.

This is no ordinary person.

The captain didn't insist, but simply had someone take them to the guesthouse for temporary accommodation.

Meanwhile, at the Zhou residence in the west of the city.

In the study, Zhou Yi was sitting and talking with an old friend.

On the table were various messages that had been delivered in the past few days:

Dong Zhuo died in the west.

Yuan Shao went north.

Cao Cao prepared his route out of the capital.

Liu Bei opened warehouses along the way.

Although Luoyang was won, the situation is now much worse than before.

Zhou Yi, fiddling with the document, slowly said, "The new emperor has made a name for himself in this battle and has also restored the prestige of Luoyang. But if he only focuses on maintaining this reputation, he will eventually be bogged down by Yuan Shao and Dong Zhuo."

The old friend across from him nodded: "Yes. Now that Dong Zhuo has troops and Yuan Shao has power, if Luoyang can no longer expand outwards..." Before he finished speaking, a childish but unusually clear voice suddenly came from the side.

"If Luoyang only holds on to winning this battle, it's not enough."

The study fell silent.

Zhou Yi and his old friend turned around at the same time.

Beside the bookshelf, a child was standing there, seemingly out of nowhere.

He was young, but his features were already very handsome. He was holding a book that he hadn't finished reading. The words he had just spoken were from his mouth.

Zhou Yi was taken aback for a moment, then frowned.

"Ayu".

"Who taught you to say these things?"

Zhou Yu's expression remained calm, but his voice still carried a childish quality: "I just feel that although we won the battle of Luoyang..."

"But the most important thing next is to win people's hearts."

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