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

"Reporting to Lord Zongzheng, although His Majesty's imperial lineage is still unstable, it has stabilized somewhat. At least His Majesty can weather this current hurdle."

"very good."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yan breathed a long sigh of relief, finally putting her mind at ease.

He raised his eyes, his gaze slowly falling on Empress He, but after only a brief glance, he looked away.

This seemingly indifferent glance carried the pressure and dissatisfaction of the clan leader, like a silent rebuke.

Empress He was startled by that glance, as if she had committed some terrible crime. She was terrified and stood there helplessly, not daring to lift her head.

She hurriedly looked around, her gaze falling on Liu Bian in her arms. Only when she saw the child's tender face did she calm down a little, silently repeating in her heart: her Bian'er is the Crown Prince, the rightful heir apparent.

She won't get into trouble, she definitely won't. If all else fails, there's still He Miao.

With the Imperial Guard at his command, he could always protect the mother and child. "Keep a close watch on His Majesty. If anything happens to him, I will hold you responsible."

When Liu Yan, the clan head, walked to Zhang Rang's side, he did not stop. He coldly uttered a sentence, his gaze as cold as ice, carrying the pressure of a clan leader.

Zhang Rang felt a chill run down his spine and shivered. He quickly bowed and replied repeatedly, "Your Excellency, please rest assured. This old servant will serve His Majesty wholeheartedly and will not dare to be negligent in the slightest."

Liu Yan nodded slightly, said no more, and quickly stepped out of the bedchamber.

Liu Hong's condition suddenly deteriorated, which was definitely not a good thing for him.

The Han Dynasty had only been recovering for less than half a year, so why must it suffer such a calamity again?

Whether he could survive this ordeal was a source of great anxiety and confusion for Liu Yan.

"Alright, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Your Majesty the Empress, please return. His Majesty needs to rest and recuperate at this time and should not be disturbed."

Zhang Rang turned around and bowed to the two people inside the hall.

"I don't need you, a mere servant, to remind me."

Empress He was still furious, and her tone was sharp. The oppressive look Liu Yan had given her earlier still made her feel uneasy.

Empress Dowager Dong simply nodded slightly. Although her attitude towards Zhang Rang was not exactly friendly, she was more composed than the panicked Empress He. Supported by the palace maid, she led Liu Xie away slowly.

Before long, Liu Yan appeared in front of the General's Mansion.

Looking up, the General's Mansion was different from usual. There were several times more guards at the gate than usual, and their expressions were solemn. The servants coming and going all hurried along, without any of the leisurely pace of the past.

Liu Yan's eyes flickered, and he understood.

Liu Hongding already knew about what was happening in the palace.

The palace is like a sieve; not a single piece of information can be hidden.

Now that things have come to this, not only Liu Hong, who holds considerable military power, but also the various aristocratic families in Luoyang have probably heard about it long ago.

It would be truly unusual if someone were unaware of such a momentous event.

Upon entering the mansion and meeting Liu Hong, Liu Yan offered no pleasantries and went straight to the point, his tone heavy: "Ziguang, from now on, the Han Dynasty will need to rely on you."

"His Majesty's condition suddenly deteriorated in the palace. We originally thought we could slowly recuperate and make progress gradually, but now... man proposes, God disposes."

Liu Yan smiled bitterly, his eyes full of expectation, and looked straight at Liu Hong, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid you only have a few days left."

In this situation, only you can stabilize the situation in Luoyang.

If even you cannot be relied upon, then my Han Dynasty is in grave danger.

His words placed all his hopes on the young man before him, hoping that he could once again save the Han Dynasty from collapse, just as he had done in quelling the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

As far as the Liu clan was concerned, as long as they could preserve the Han dynasty and the Liu family's empire, it didn't matter who became emperor.

Even the current emperor, Liu Hong, was not the legitimate son of the late emperor. He inherited the throne from a collateral branch of the clan, which is how the Liu family's imperial power gradually grew stronger.

This applies to both royalty and aristocratic families.

As long as it can make the family grow stronger, it is a divinely ordained rule, and it is not impossible to set a precedent.

From the very beginning of the rules, besides obeying them, there are always those who secretly plot to break them; this is an unchanging truth throughout history.

However, since Liu Hong is still alive, neither Liu Hong nor Liu Yan would be foolish enough to utter such treasonous words. They would only reveal them quietly at the right time.

"Rest assured, Your Excellency."

Liu Hong spoke slowly, his tone steady and his words resounding, "Without Your Majesty, there would be no Liu family of Youzhou, and no Han dynasty."

"Your Majesty's kindness to the Liu family of Youzhou, and to me, Liu Hong, is as heavy as a mountain. Now that Your Majesty is in peril, how could the Liu family of Youzhou, and I, Liu Hong, dare to betray you in the slightest?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yan breathed a long sigh of relief, his heart finally at ease.

As for whether Liu Hong will go further after taking power and do something earth-shattering, that is not something he, as the head of the imperial clan, should delve into.

As long as the Liu family's empire remains, everything else...

He might turn a blind eye, or even give Liu Hong a push at a crucial moment.

Having risen to the position of Minister of the Imperial Clan, Liu Yan's bottom line was extremely flexible.

For a family to thrive and prosper in the long term, it is certainly important to be upright and honest. However, there are always many dirty and ugly things that cannot be tolerated by the world that must be done.

If one insists on adhering to the bottom line and becomes hesitant and timid when faced with problems, the family will either stagnate or fall into a predicament, allowing competitors to take advantage of the situation, ultimately leading to the destruction of the family and the death of its members.

In this world, not everyone adheres to bottom lines, nor does everyone seek long-term development.

If others are eager for quick success and instant benefits, and turn around and harm you once they rise to power, but you stubbornly stick to your bottom line and refuse to compromise, the only outcome will be destruction.

A moment of light is easy to obtain, but a lifetime of pure light is the most luxurious thing in the world, and it is simply impossible to exist.

Liu Yan gave Liu Hong a deep look, her gaze complex, containing expectation, entrustment, and a hint of barely perceptible acquiescence.

Immediately.

He said no more and turned to leave.

No sooner had he left than Jia Xu and Cui Yan slowly emerged from behind the curtain in the front hall.

With Liu Hong watching over him and Cui Yan keeping an eye on him, it was impossible for Jia Xu to bide his time and conceal his abilities.

The Liu family of Youzhou never supported useless people. Even if they knew he had great talent, if he kept hiding his abilities and refused to offer good advice, how could Liu Hong ignore him?

People say, "It is better to harm the Milky Way than to harm Wenhe," but Liu Hong did not share this view.

He insisted on bringing Jia Xu to the forefront, asking him to demonstrate his strategies, which were no different from Cui Yan's, and to use all his knowledge to devise plans.

After all, if the general is unhappy, the consequences can be quite severe.

"Lord Zongzheng guessed it."

Cui Yan gazed in the direction Liu Yan had left, spoke softly, his expression grave.

Jia Xu smiled slightly and said calmly, "So what if you guessed it?"

The hardest thing to overcome in this world is having no other choice.

Even if he knew it perfectly well, there was nothing he could do.

Ultimately, in this great Han dynasty, under the Liu family's rule, only the Great General could stabilize the world and bring peace to all directions.