The Three Great Han Dynasties: Awaken Liu Bei with a scolding; you weave mats and sell sandals.

"Bian'er, don't worry."

Empress Dowager He gently patted Liu Bian's back, her voice carrying a deliberate attempt to comfort him, "You are the Crown Prince of the Han Dynasty, and you also have your uncle."

Now that he holds the position of Commandant of the Western Garden and commands a portion of the Imperial Guards, no one can harm you; absolutely no one would.

Liu Bian looked at his mother with a puzzled expression, his eyes clear and honest, and said, "Mother, there's no need for this. My brother wouldn't harm me."

Liu Xie was slightly older than Liu Bian, so before being enfeoffed as the Prince of Chenliu, Liu Xie was indeed Liu Bian's elder brother.

This name isn't exactly wrong.

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager He's face suddenly showed a cold smile, and her tone became sharp: "Good arguer, you are now the Crown Prince, and that so-called Prince of Chenliu is nothing more than your subject."

"If he can be of use to you in the future, it wouldn't be so bad to call him Imperial Brother."

But if that's not possible, then it's best to strike first.

"Today, you are the Crown Prince of the Great Han Dynasty."

"One day, you will be the emperor of this great Han Dynasty."

Empress Dowager He's voice suddenly rose, tinged with a hysterical fanaticism, "Let alone a mere Prince of Chenliu, even the Duke of Weining, who currently holds absolute power and influence in the court, is still your subject. Sooner or later, he will have to obey your orders. Do you understand?"

Empress Dowager He, holding the child, uttered these words at this very moment.

Her heart was filled with even greater excitement.

She bit her lower lip, a blush appearing on her cheeks that was unusual for her, and continued, "So what if he is the dignified Duke Weining?"

Even if they are from the same clan, they are still subjects of the emperor. They are subjects of the Liu family and subordinates of His Majesty. Today, they are only slightly proud, but sooner or later, they will ultimately be used by the emperor of the Han Dynasty and by my son.

Ha ha ha ha."

Empress Dowager He couldn't help but burst into triumphant laughter, which echoed throughout the Kunning Palace. She was no longer the dignified empress who ruled the world.

Deep within the Northern Palace, on the dragon bed, Liu Hong leaned back. He had now lay back down, his cheeks ashen and his face frighteningly haggard. From a distance, the sight was enough to make anyone gasp in horror.

Although his condition had shown signs of improvement, it relapsed again in just a few days.

The previous improvement was merely a temporary fix, so the current situation is actually quite reasonable.

"How is the situation?"

Liu Hong's voice was as weak as a candle flickering in the wind, but at this moment...

His words carried a chilling undertone, and his face radiated a fierce killing intent. "What does the Duke of Weining intend to do now that he's entered the palace?"

It seems that at this critical moment, if Liu Hong truly harbors any rebellious intentions...

Even at the cost of his own life, he was determined to eliminate another threat to the Han Dynasty and his lineage.

Zhang Rang quickly stepped forward, bowed, and replied, "Your Majesty, the Duke of Weining was invited by the Empress Dowager and first went to the Funing Palace. He then left the palace and did not stay in this palace for even a moment."

He paused, then cautiously added, "As for recently, in Luoyang, aside from occasionally interacting with Lord Zongzheng, Duke Weining has not done anything else of note."

"I beg Your Majesty to make the right judgment."

Zhang Rang spoke these words with extreme caution.

Because his relationship with the Liu family of Youzhou can be traced back to a very, very long time ago, he is no longer regarded as highly by Liu Hong.

It was only through his control over the inner court, coupled with his meticulous service to Liu Hong in recent days, that he was able to barely maintain his current favor.

Otherwise, they would probably have been kicked out long ago.

If the situation were more serious, then the consequences...

He didn't even dare to think about it anymore.

"Okay, got it."

A flicker of struggle crossed Liu Hong's face, his eyes a mixture of suspicion and exhaustion. Then, as if he hadn't said anything, he simply waved his hand.

Zhang Rang dared not say more and bowed as he withdrew.

As soon as he stepped out of the North Palace gate, he noticed his old partners standing under the corridor not far away, their gazes seemingly fixed on him, with a hint of surveillance.

A glint of light flashed in Zhang Rang's eyes, and his heart skipped a beat as he understood.

This is a sign that His Majesty has begun to completely distrust him.

If this continues...

He'll be finished sooner or later.

Zhang Rang looked up into the depths of the Northern Palace. At that moment, he seemed to see the emperor on the dragon bed through the heavy palace doors.

He wished the other person would die right now. Only in this way could he preserve his position and at least maintain his glory for the foreseeable future.

"Zhao Zhong, we're both in danger."

Zhang Rang walked up to Zhao Zhong and lowered his voice to a whisper.

Zhao Zhong chuckled, a hint of schadenfreude in his eyes: "You and Duke Weining are quite a match, far superior to me."

"Is he not bad, like Duke Weining?"

Zhang Rang sneered, his tone full of sarcasm, "Although we've worked together in this palace for a long time, we still need to be clear about what's right and wrong right now."

"hehe."

Zhang Rang continued to speak with a cold smile, not particularly surprised by Zhao Zhong's sudden behavior.

That's just how people in the palace are.

When they are useful, they are allies who rely on each other; when they are useless, they will quickly become estranged, and may even kick someone when they are down.

Let alone Zhao Zhong today, I'm afraid that if it were any other eunuch, the attitude would most likely be exactly the same, and there wouldn't be any major changes.

"Zhao Zhong, in your opinion, who holds the most power right now, inside and outside the palace?"

Zhang Rang stared at Zhao Zhong, his voice laced with seduction, "It's that person?! Do you really think that without me, you can remain unscathed in this palace?"

"Have you thought this through?"

Zhang Rang said coldly.

His current danger stems from His Majesty's suspicion, and the root of this suspicion lies with General Liu Hong, the Duke of Weining.

But I have to say it.

His greatest sense of security also comes from the other person.

Therefore, even though Zhang Rang seemed to have lost some power in the palace, in reality, those who used to fawn over him were still very respectful to him.

If he were to go all out and decide to deal with anyone he wanted, not to mention any of the Ten Attendants, he could even secretly eliminate any of the concubines in the palace.

You should know that even now, there are still quite a few people in the palace who owe others favors.

"What exactly do you want to do?"

Zhao Zhong's eyes instantly turned cold, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, as if he had also realized that something was wrong.

He clenched his fists, already having the thought of going all out.

After all, if even Zhang Rang is gone, things will probably be very difficult in the near future.

Zhao Zhong wasn't much better.

The other Ten Attendants might still have a glimmer of hope, but these two were people whom the emperor himself addressed as "father" and "mother" in public.

Under these circumstances, everyone else had a slight chance of escaping and avoiding the impending turmoil in the court, but the two of them had absolutely no such opportunity.

This is why, when Zhang Rang realized his precarious situation, the first person he thought of was Zhao Zhong.

Who can match the bond between them that no one else can?

Only by supporting each other and acting as each other's wings can we have a glimmer of hope.