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

Yuan Shu spoke coldly.

Although Yuan Shao didn't say anything about it, it was clear that he wasn't in a good mood either.

In terms of family background and reputation, the two of them were far superior to Cao Mengde in every way, yet he stole the limelight while the two of them were merely supporting characters. Naturally, they were not willing to accept this.

The banquet soon came to an end, and all the young talents returned home.

The reason Liu Hong did this today was not for them to see, but to send a signal to their families. This was the real priority for Liu Hong.

"Now that this matter is settled, I'm sure everyone in Luoyang knows that the General is loyal to the Han. Even His Majesty in the palace, his clan, and the governors of various regions will be at ease knowing this."

After all, the Liu family only exists because the General is alive.

Only then will their position remain as secure as a rock.

Jia Xu bowed slightly and said respectfully.

Liu Hong nodded slightly after hearing this.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu returned to the Yuan family residence and recounted everything that had happened at the banquet.

Then Yuan Wei scolded, "What a Cao Mengde! I always underestimated him. I never thought he would have such an honor. It's really a pity."

"There's nothing to regret. After all, the Yuan family doesn't necessarily have to cling to this general's coattails. Can't the Yuan family rely on itself?"

Grand Tutor Yuan Wei spoke coldly.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Wei quickly lowered his head and remained silent about the topic.

He dared not accept it casually, as it involved a great deal of matters, far beyond what a junior member of the Yuan family like himself could possibly discuss, and the intricacies involved were also quite profound.

"alright."

Seeing that the two of them remained silent, Grand Tutor Yuan Wei was not interested and waved his hand to dismiss them.

After the two men left, a deep, profound light appeared in Yuan Wei's eyes. He said in a low voice, "What a great general! I really underestimated you before. Your methods of leading troops are outstanding, and you are also excellent in politics. I'm afraid that after the banquet, nine out of ten people who have any connection with your Liu family will be convinced by your words. You are truly admirable."

"A brilliant tactic, truly a brilliant tactic."

Yuan Wei couldn't help but clap his hands; anyone could see the deep resentment he felt at that moment.

……

Inside the residence of Yang Biao, Grand Commandant of Hongnong.

Yang Xiu returned home and, in a short time, recounted the whole story. After finishing, he didn't feel that his words had stopped abruptly, but continued to speak: "Father, I must say that Cao Mengde is indeed quite capable. He seems to be doing this for the Han Dynasty, but in reality, he has unintentionally flattered the General. After today..."

He will definitely give him an important position.

Only by giving him important responsibilities can we demonstrate that the Great General is completely at peace with our Han Dynasty.

In this way, even though the General holds great power, for the sake of the Liu family and the Han dynasty, not even the high-ranking officials in the court, not even the Grand Tutor of the Yuan family, could utter a single word, not even Father…”

Brother Yang is truly a wild and unrestrained person. As he talked, he even dared to make jokes about his own father, which is not a topic that ordinary children would dare to touch.

"Alright, look at the state you've become!"

Hurry back to your room and have a bowl of hangover soup.

After His Majesty's affair is resolved and the Crown Prince ascends the throne, the court will be governed by a new emperor and a new court, or at least by members of the Liu family of Youzhou. We old folks will likely have no choice but to retire.

Yang Biao spoke slowly, and he could sense the turmoil that was about to unfold in Luoyang.

Moreover, he had long planned to have his son Yang Xiu succeed him as Grand Commandant, so that the glory of the Hongnong Yang clan could continue.

What an elderly man like him desires and seeks is nothing more than the continuation of his family lineage.

The next day there will be a court meeting in the Jinluan Hall.

Emperor Liu Hong was seriously ill, and all the civil and military officials in the court knew about it.

General Zhu Jun arrived at court, dressed in his court robes. His face was rugged, and his voice boomed like a bell. He immediately questioned, "Your Majesty is not attending court. How can we discuss matters today?"

"Or perhaps you want us courtiers to spout nonsense?"

Although he had no intention of targeting anyone in particular, at this moment, his gaze was intentionally or unintentionally directed at Liu Hong.

Although General Liu Hong's position only involves military affairs, the current situation is chaotic, and even Grand Tutor Wang Yun and Grand Commandant Yang Biao all respect him.

Looking across the entire court, only Grand Tutor Yuan Wei, who came from the Yuan family, could be considered an equal to Liu Hong, which could be regarded as a balance between civil and military power.

At this moment, Zhu Jun suddenly stood up, which really startled many officials in the Golden Palace.

"This General Zhu has quite the nerve. Has he already forgotten how Lu Zhi fell from power so quickly?"

"Alright, let's not get involved. We are all disciples of the Yuan family. If the Grand Tutor doesn't speak, it's best not to cause trouble for ourselves."

As the whispers subsided, it became clear that most officials were still willing to play it safe.

"His Majesty is seriously ill, and the Minister of the Imperial Clan will handle important matters. State affairs can naturally proceed according to established procedures. Otherwise, does the General of the Household have any objections?"

Liu Hong spoke in a deep voice. He did not step forward to speak, but remained standing in the middle of the long line. Dressed in court robes, his duty as a subject was evident.

"The Grand Master of the Imperial Clan has already delegated this temporary authority to the Three Dukes and the Nine Ministers. Does this mean that important matters of state cannot be handled without the Emperor? If so, what use are we court officials?"

For Zhu Jun, a representative of the powerful family, the situation was far more serious than that of Lu Zhi.

If Lu Zhi's actions were a compromise with the aristocratic families, then Zhu Jun, who was standing before them, was himself a member of those families and, to a greater extent, Liu Hong's enemy.

"What the general said is truly an exaggeration."

Zhu Jun snorted coldly.

Liu Hong remained expressionless. In the blink of an eye, Grand Commandant Yang Biao stepped forward, seemingly to defend Liu Hong: "Your Majesty is seriously ill. The imperial physicians have examined you repeatedly. You should rest and recuperate in order to preserve your health."

Before that, the affairs of this dynasty should be settled by us.

Could this matter really be considered wrong?

"Perhaps, General, you could offer us, your officials, a good solution? What do you think?"

Yang Biao sneered, and Zhu Jun's face immediately turned ugly. He had not expected that Grand Commandant Yang Biao would switch sides to Liu Hong so quickly.

Offending the Yang family was not the intention of the person behind it who asked Zhu Jun to step forward; this was far beyond his expectations.