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

He Miao really hadn't expected this.

Even though the emperor is gone, he still has to continue to pretend, not to deceive the emperor, but to deceive the civil and military officials and all the gentry of the previous dynasty.

In return, once the power of those aristocratic families is relinquished, Liu Hong will support the He family in the future, helping them to grow stronger step by step.

Given this promise, He Miao naturally agreed.

However, listening to her younger sister, Empress He's, words, He Miao felt a sharp pain in her trigeminal nerve. She wondered how there could be such a foolish woman in the world. If she hadn't become Empress, she probably would have suffered a lot more.

"alright."

He Miao's threatening words startled Empress He.

Empress He looked at him with surprise and doubt, and He Miao's tone softened slightly: "Bian'er is only the Crown Prince, not the Emperor. You, the Empress, are not the Empress Dowager and do not have the right to rule from behind the curtain."

If the words I just said were overheard by someone in the palace, and then reached the ears of General Weining, and he were to pass the throne to Liu Xie, wouldn't our family be doomed?

Have you ever considered the consequences?

He Miao used a tiger's skin as a banner, but the effect was still very obvious.

If Liu Bian fails to ascend the throne, Empress He's fate in the palace is predictable; just thinking about it fills her with dread.

"Second Brother, what should we do?"

Empress He was so frightened that she dared not say anything harsh and could only place all her hopes on He Miao.

He Miao spoke slowly, gently reassuring the crowd: "Don't worry, your second brother is the General of the Western Garden. Even if there are the general's men in the camp, they are at most half of them."

In Luoyang, would the Yuan family, the Yang family, and other aristocratic families like Grand Tutor Wang Yun just stand by and watch Liu Hong's family become the only powerful clan?

This is also our opportunity.

Therefore, once Bian'er ascends to the throne, you can then rule from behind the curtain, and naturally, in the name of righteousness, you can share some of the power of this great general, Duke Weining.

Then, over time, you and I will be able to truly bring glory to our ancestors in Luoyang, in this great Han dynasty.

He Miao spoke slowly, and it was not easy for him to come up with these ideas.

Although his ideas were unremarkable, he eventually took up the position of General of the Western Garden and took charge of the affairs of the entire He family. So He Miao had actually become more sensible at this moment. Even if he was just maintaining the status quo, he showed a completely different side from the usual playful person he always was.

This side of her was completely unfamiliar to Empress He.

"Second brother, you're so different from before."

"nonsense."

He Miao rolled his eyes, grabbed his head with both hands, and showed a pain on his face. He seemed to be under great pressure. "There are nearly 30,000 troops under the command of the General of the Western Garden. There are daily provisions, as well as all the affairs of my He family, the dealings with the gentry, including the He family's business, the cooperation with Youzhou Liushui, the affairs of my hometown, and the efforts to win over the military officers after my brother's death."

There are factions within the military. If it weren't for our He family currently holding onto this great general's coattails, how could your second brother possibly have cleaned up this mess?

"After doing all this, if your second brother hasn't made any progress, then our entire He family is doomed."

Although He Miao was complaining, Empress He breathed a sigh of relief, because at this moment she saw the shadow of her eldest brother He Jin in her second brother, and then a sense of security filled her heart.

"Understood, Second Brother."

Empress He said softly, no longer appearing as frantic as before. It seemed that He Miao's outburst had completely suppressed her anger.

"That's fine then."

He Miao breathed a sigh of relief, but the fatigue on her face was still clearly visible.

After He Miao left, Empress He held her son Liu Bian and said softly, "See? Your second uncle is very capable. He will definitely be able to support us, mother and son."

But we can't upset him like that anymore, understand?

"Yes, Mother."

Liu Bian said in a low voice.

Seeing such a child, Empress He felt a pang of disappointment, but then she thought that with such a son, there would probably be little resistance when she ruled from behind the curtain in the future, so she was satisfied.

You look very tired.

Liu Hong asked with concern from inside the study.

He Miao immediately mustered his strength and replied in a deep voice, "Please rest assured, General, I am fine."

Liu Hong gave the other person a deep look, and then remained silent.

Everyone has to go through this stage of growth; a sharp sword is forged through tempering, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from bitter cold.

He Miao's growth during this period.

He saw it all too, and was no longer as cowardly as he had been when they first met.

Liu Hong waved his hand, and He Miao stepped down.

He understood in his heart that such opportunities were rare and that he should seize them firmly.

His position within Liu Hong's entire interest group will be even higher in the future.

Taking a step back now means that if we want to regain it later, we might have to put in a thousand times or even a hundred times more effort and still not succeed. This shows the importance of the current situation; it's not as easy or simple as we imagine.

"Who exactly is behind Zhu Jun?"

Inside the study, everything was at rest except for Liu Bian's enthronement ceremony, which had been arranged long ago, so Liu Hong didn't need to worry about it.

On the contrary, the matter of General Zhu Jun at the court assembly in the past kept churning in Liu Hong's mind.

Now that he is in the open while his enemy is in the shadows, Liu Hongke certainly doesn't like this feeling.

We need to get this straight.

This great general, with his unclear thoughts, often had trouble sleeping at night, a feeling that Liu Hong also disliked.

"Yuanzhi, I'll leave this matter to you. Keep a close eye on this Lieutenant General and see what he's really up to."

Liu Hong gave the instructions.

"Yes, Father."

Xu Shu immediately accepted the order and took on the task.

A few days later, news came.

Xu Shu walked over with a solemn expression, his face also conveying a sense of gravity: "It's Lu Zhi."

"It's him?"

Liu Hong raised an eyebrow, his face showing a hint of confusion.

Liu Hong knew that Lu Zhi hadn't left Luoyang, but he wasn't quite sure why Lu Zhi had gotten involved with Zhu Jun while still in Luoyang.

As Xu Shu recounted the story, Liu Hong's expression grew increasingly solemn. He hadn't expected that the late emperor was so wary of him.

However, given the late emperor's past practices, taking precautions is not a bad idea; ultimately, it all depends on individual methods.

"The Imperial Guards of the Great Han Dynasty are now in the hands of Zhu Jun, with Lu Zhi merely assisting him."

Although our late emperor is no longer with us, the methods he used to make these arrangements are, to be honest, quite perplexing.