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

Staring at the trembling, kowtowing imperial physician before him for a long time, and seeing that his expression was sincere and not feigned, Liu Hong gradually relaxed a little and slowly said, "I hope what you say is true, otherwise, I will definitely not let you off the hook."

These words startled the imperial physician once again, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, and he repeatedly agreed.

Liu Hong thought that this test would protect his health.

I don't know.

The more suspicious he was, the more alienated he became from those around him.

After calmly finishing the medicinal soup, the imperial physician bowed and took his leave, departing the bedchamber without expression.

Seeing the imperial physician leave, Zhao Zhong, who was standing beside him, hurriedly stepped forward to serve him, but Liu Hong waved his hand and said, "Go away."

Zhao Zhong's heart sank, a dark glint flashed in his eyes, and he understood what was going on.

Now, not only Zhang Rang, but also Zhang Rang himself, has long lost the emperor's trust.

He bowed and retreated, his steps heavy, his heart filled with resentment and fear.

Not long after Zhao Zhong left, a young eunuch who had been serving Liu Hong closely recently entered the palace quietly and stood with his head bowed beside the dragon bed.

Liu Hong opened his eyes, his voice weak but urgent, and whispered to the eunuch, "Go quickly and find Lü Fengxian, one of the Western Garden Commandants. In this palace, he is probably the only one who is truly loyal to me."

This matter must never be known to outsiders, understand?

Upon hearing this, the young eunuch immediately kowtowed heavily, nodding like a chicken pecking at rice, his eyes reddening, his voice trembling with tears, full of loyalty: "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Even if it costs me my life, I will definitely get this done. Everything will be for His Majesty's sake, and I will not let anyone else know a thing."

Seeing his expression, Liu Hong finally felt relieved, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He realized that giving those instructions had taken a lot of his energy.

A deep sense of exhaustion slowly washed over me, and I could no longer hold on. I slowly closed my eyes and fell asleep again.

Little did he know that this trusted eunuch, after leaving the inner palace, immediately turned around and strode towards the palace gates, heading straight for the side hall where Zhang Rang and Liu Hong were, to relay the emperor's instructions to them word for word.

Zhao Zhongli stood to the side, watching the eunuch's departing figure, and let out a few sinister sneers: "His Majesty is truly becoming less and less trusting of us old acquaintances."

His words fell in the hall without causing the slightest ripple.

Upon hearing this, Liu Hong simply waved his hand dismissively, his tone calm yet carrying an unquestionable air: "Whatever His Majesty commands, you shall do. He shall do his utmost to fulfill His Majesty's orders."

However, before that, informing this general of His Majesty's decree, so that this general can make a few more preparations for His Majesty, is not wrong.

"Yes, General."

Xiao Huangmen's face lit up with joy. He quickly bowed and agreed, and before leaving, he nodded slightly in Zhang Rang's direction, his eyes revealing a hint of flattery.

He still remembered that he was able to stay alive in the palace entirely thanks to his godfather, Zhang Rang.

"Zhang Gong's godson is quite clever."

Liu Hong was dressed in a black casual robe with cloud patterns embroidered on the fabric. Although it was not court attire, it still exuded nobility. Coupled with his status as a direct descendant of the Liu clan, he had the air of an imperial nobleman. He spoke only a few words, revealing neither his joy nor anger.

Zhang Rang quickly bowed, his face full of humility, and his words were perfectly measured, not just flattering, so as not to offend anyone: "General, you are joking."

"The Great General is truly a man of dragon and phoenix bearing, a peerless being, with heroic spirit that surpasses all ordinary people. I am but a crippled being; how dare I accept such praise from the Great General?"

Seeing this, Zhao Zhong hurriedly echoed, his eyes revealing a hint of eager flattery: "I hope the General can rest assured. Even if the Empress Dowager or the Empress do something unusual within the palace, as long as the General goes there personally, everything will be fine."

Ultimately, it's time for a change of dynasty for this great Han empire.

His Majesty has not lived long enough. Now, all the civil and military officials know perfectly well that only the Grand General is capable of upholding the Liu family's empire.

These words hit the nail on the head. Liu Hong simply nodded slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, a faint smile playing on his lips. He then took a step forward and said, "In that case, let's go to the inner palace."

He would never do something as foolish as Dong Zhuo, who defiled the harem.

There are so many beautiful women in the world, why ruin your reputation for a moment of pleasure and end up being condemned by the whole world?

Liu Hong would never do something so foolish.

Therefore, he did not go alone, but instead brought several high-ranking female officials and accompanying eunuchs, and even specially invited Liu Yan, the Minister of the Imperial Clan, to go with him.

While palace maids and eunuchs might be bewitched, Liu Yan, as the elder of the Liu clan, was by his side. Even if Liu Hong entered the inner palace, he could explain things to the world, fulfilling the proper etiquette between ruler and subject, and between the clan, without finding the slightest fault.

According to seniority, the first person to be paid respects to was Empress Dowager Dong.

Inside the Funing Palace, Empress Dowager Dong dismissed her attendants, leaving only herself, Liu Hong, and Liu Yan in the hall.

She looked at Liu Hong, without a hint of pretense, and went straight to the point: "Now that the palace is entirely under the General's control, I wonder what the General plans to do next?"

Liu Hong pursed his lips, still maintaining his usual cautious demeanor, his eyes revealing no hint of his true thoughts.

He was not one to easily trust others, nor would he allow others to easily see through him.

"Your Majesty is joking."

"I entered the palace today with Your Majesty's health as my top priority. I am utterly ignorant of any other matters at this moment, and I humbly request Your Majesty's understanding."

Empress Dowager Dong seemed unsure whether to believe this explanation, but she nodded slowly, her gaze falling meaningfully on Liu Hong. She said, "This old woman is not asking for anything else, I only ask that the General not forget what he promised me before."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will not go back on my word since I have promised."

Liu Hong responded in a deep voice, his tone resolute.

Empress Dowager Dong finally nodded in agreement and said no more.

In fact, Empress Dowager Dong's position in the inner court was already as secure as Mount Tai.

If she hadn't been framed by Empress He in the historical timeline, leading to her tragic death, given her status, even if a new emperor ascended the throne, the Han Dynasty would have ruled the world with filial piety, and even the emperor himself would have had to treat this three-dynasty empress dowager with utmost respect.

She could have lived a peaceful and happy old age, and even without real power, her "filial piety" alone would have been enough to make the emperor wary, and others would not dare to provoke her easily.

It's a pity he was born in a chaotic era, which led to his tragic end, a truly lamentable situation.

After leaving Funing Palace, Liu Hong, accompanied by Liu Yan, quickly arrived at Kunning Palace.

He Miao, the Commandant of the Western Garden, had already led his troops to deploy defenses around the palace.

He still hasn't revealed his true relationship with Liu Hong.

With the emperor still alive and Empress He's mind unsettled, Liu Hong had to be wary of her resorting to desperate measures. He didn't want anything to go wrong at this crucial moment.