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

Just as everyone was celebrating and in high spirits, Cao Cao, the loyal minister of the Han Dynasty, suddenly asked a question in a loud voice. His probing gaze seemed to be directed at He Jin of the past, as if a bad answer was not possible.

Their relationship as ruler and subject was about to come to an end.

Cao Cao's question startled Xiahou Yuan and Cao Ren, who were standing nearby. They knew they couldn't continue to act recklessly. Both the Cao and Xiahou families had submitted to the Liu family of Youzhou. Under these circumstances, their family fortunes would be greatly affected, and the entire clan could be impacted if they were not careful.

"Mengde is careful with his words."

Xiahou Yuan said in a low voice, and Cao Ren almost reached out to stop him. You could see how nervous they were.

Liu Hong waved his hand: "Let Mengde speak freely. Anyone who dares to say anything detrimental to the Liu family or the Han Dynasty can speak freely at this banquet."

Liu Hong spoke loudly, and seeing this, Xiahou Yuan and Cao Rencai could only slowly retreat.

They, however, would never dare to disobey.

"Today, Mengde only wants to ask one question: General, are you a loyal minister or a treacherous one?"

Cao Cao was indeed bold; his audacity at this moment even startled Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, who were standing nearby.

After being startled, Yuan Shao gave a cold laugh, while Yuan Shu, standing beside him, secretly watched the spectacle, laughing at Cao Cao for overestimating his own abilities.

What a joke! In their eyes, Cao Cao was nothing more than their former follower. It was already a rare privilege for him to be on equal footing with them, yet he dared to provoke Liu Hong.

The most powerful person in Luoyang, and indeed in the entire Han Dynasty, is practically courting death.

"When did Cao Mengde become so brave?"

Before she died, wasn't her relationship with him always very good?

"That was before, not now. How could I have imagined that?"

His fearlessness towards the powerful and influential was one thing—his previous act of beating a lowly eunuch with that five-colored stick was bad enough, but now he's really gone too far, completely courting death.

The two spoke in hushed tones, then listened attentively, observing the unfolding drama before them.

Liu Hong sat to one side with his hands folded, quietly waiting to see how far Cao Mengde would go. He wondered how loyal this capable minister and cunning hero of the chaotic world truly was to the Han Dynasty.

"What good is being a loyal minister?"

What should one do if one becomes a treacherous minister?

Liu Hong did not answer, but instead asked a question in return. Cao Cao's answer was just as unexpected as before.

Without changing his expression, he said directly: "If I were a loyal subject, I would be willing to serve the General, to be at his beck and call. In the end, I would only face death. A good man should die on the battlefield. But if I were a treacherous subject, I hope the General will forgive me today. I am afraid I will not be able to continue to serve the General in the future."

is it?

Liu Hong smiled faintly and said, "Mengde, perhaps you have forgotten that your entire Cao family now belongs to me. What's wrong?"

Or perhaps they intend to go back on their word.

Liu Hong spoke again, and Cao Cao's expression twitched slightly. He gritted his teeth, but ultimately persisted in upholding his unwavering loyalty: "What Mengde did alone has absolutely nothing to do with the entire Cao family. I beg the General to see the truth."

The atmosphere on the field was extremely tense at this moment.

When many people looked at Cao Cao, almost all of them wore cold smiles. It seemed that in everyone's eyes, Cao Cao's question was no different from courting death, and it would even implicate Cao Ren and Xiahou Yuan, who had come with him to the banquet, and even bring the Cao and Xiahou families behind them to an irredeemable state.

But at that moment, Cui Yan spoke up: "Mengde is right."

Cui Yan was the second most important person behind Liu Hong. Everyone who entered the general's camp knew this fact, but at this moment he stood on Cao Cao's side.

The situation on the field changed immediately.

Next is Jia Xu. Although he has only recently joined the party and came through the Recruitment Pavilion, rumors suggest that he was behind both the previous incident of entering the capital and the incident involving the Cui family of Qinghe. This is enough to show that he is no ordinary person.

And these were all exceptionally intelligent individuals.

Now, however, they have openly sided with Cao Cao, and the wise ones have realized what's happening.

"Ha ha ha ha."

Yang Xiu's mind was thirty miles ahead of ordinary people, and if it were at this moment...

If he still couldn't figure out the connection between these things, then he really had no face to claim any supernatural powers or to be a member of the Yang family.

He proclaimed loudly, "What Mengde said today truly reflects our unwavering loyalty to the Han Dynasty. Mengde, your wise words to the General today will surely become a celebrated tale throughout the entire imperial city of Luoyang in the future."

Next was Xu Shu.

Then it was Guan Yu, and finally even Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and the others realized it.

"Damn it, Cao Cao really put on a good show this time."

Yuan Shao said with an extremely ugly expression, while Yuan Shu, standing to the side, seemed not to understand his meaning, merely observing what others thought.

He's just blindly following the crowd, and he still hasn't figured out the trick to it. It has to be said that he truly deserves the title of stupid.

"Who is the big man?"

Yuan Shao glared at his cousin with annoyance. If the other man were not the legitimate son, but a son of a concubine like himself, he probably wouldn't even be qualified to be here. He was utterly stupid.

Yuan Shu was startled by Yuan Shao's words. He clapped his hands slightly, making a crisp sound, and murmured, "The Great General is the Great Han, and the Great Han is the Great General. Emperor Gaozu said that anyone who is not of the Liu family and claims the title of king can be pursued by all. But isn't the Great General of the Liu family?"

Moreover, he is a person registered in the imperial genealogy. Even the current emperor would probably have to call him an imperial uncle. What's more, his status as a Grand General is something that even the Minister of the Imperial Clan acknowledges.

With such a reputation and such a figure, serving as the backbone of those who yearn for the Han Dynasty, who would dare not say that the Grand General is indeed the rightful heir to the Han Dynasty?

Yuan Shu muttered to himself, and the words he spoke at this moment were enough to chill most people to the bone. They understood just how much support Liu Hong carried, and that he was definitely not someone that ordinary people could compare to.

"He really got incredibly lucky."