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

At this moment, Yuan Shao, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but chime in.

He had personally witnessed Liu Hong's terrifying power and the strength of the troops under the Liu family of Youzhou. Naturally, he did not want his family to oppose Liu Hong, otherwise it would be a terrible disaster for the Yuan family.

"I implore the General to see the truth: the rumors circulating in Luoyang are certainly not the work of our gentry."

Yuan Shao bowed and said, "A member of the gentry would never do such a thing."

Otherwise, if you claim credit today and others follow suit, and this continues tomorrow, then the rules will be broken, which is definitely not a good thing for the entire aristocratic family.

My uncle came today to explain this point properly.

Liu Hong was somewhat inclined to believe Yuan Shao's words.

Then look at Yuan Wei, this dignified one of the Three Dukes.

Even if one were to lie, there would be no need to personally visit the other party, let alone tell such an obvious lie.

It should be noted that whether this lie is true or not has little impact on Liu Hong.

Especially now that he has emerged safely from the palace and his military power and position remain unchanged, it would be even more foolish and stupid to utter such divisive words.

If the Yuan family really did that, then the so-called "four generations of high-ranking officials" would be a huge joke.

"If it's not you, then who is it?"

A hint of amusement flashed in Liu Hong's eyes as he asked, the probing intent quite evident.

There must be a source to this rumor.

"The original Grand General was from the He family, who were relatives of the current emperor."

Yuan Wei bluntly stated, "The position of Grand General has fallen into the hands of others."

They have every right to retaliate, don't they?

"Moreover, the disaster of the Party Prohibitions has not been resolved. For our gentry, it is both harmful and beneficial. In the end, it is not much different from before the Yellow Turban Rebellion."

However, the sudden emergence of the Great General was almost a devastating blow to the He family.

Especially now, rumors are circulating in the palace that His Majesty's health is deteriorating day by day.

At this crucial juncture in the struggle for the throne, the He family lost the extremely important position of Grand General. This had implications for the lofty throne and the matter of the heir apparent. How could the He family remain indifferent?

Therefore, we urge the General to make a wise decision.

At this moment, Yuan Wei, a high-ranking official, has shown considerable sincerity by speaking so frankly.

Liu Hong nodded, also indicating that if the Yuan family was truly not responsible for this matter, they would certainly not hold them accountable.

After hearing Liu Hong's words, the Yuan family and their entourage got up to take their leave.

As for the gifts they brought, such as the land deeds, gold and silver jewelry, etc., they did not take them away, considering them as a small gift for their first meeting with Liu Hong.

If you can't even part with these gifts, that's truly petty.

Liu Hong readily accepted it, which seemed quite reasonable.

It should be noted that Liu Hong's arrangements for the Yuan family during the Yellow Turban Rebellion were fairly fair.

Yuan Shu was in charge of supplies and provisions, ensuring their safety; Yuan Shao was responsible for leading troops to fight the enemy and accumulating military merits.

Now, both of them have secured their positions among the Eight Colonels of the Western Garden, and they are showing signs of being promoted to the Nine Ministers.

Therefore, although the Yuan family temporarily lost out in the court struggles, they were able to recover after the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Their gains were certainly not small, but they didn't make a fortune like those families who joined Liu Hong early on.

From this perspective, these aristocratic families are indeed quite clever.

Win or lose.

They are all bookmakers who always make a profit.

No wonder there have been no dynasties that lasted for thousands of years, but there have been many aristocratic families that lasted for thousands of years.

……

"Brother, what should we do now?"

He Miao looked panicked and her voice trembled slightly. "Even the Yuan family has now sided with Liu Hong. Now it's just the two of us. Even with my sister being the Empress in the palace, how can we possibly be their enemy?"

"Now, His Majesty is no longer as close to us, his maternal relatives, as he is to the imperial clan."

Nowadays, the entire He family is barely holding on by his mere position as the Eighth Colonel of the Western Garden.

Without this position, the He family, relatives of the emperor, would probably be a huge joke by now.

And their once-powerful He family would truly be powerless and without military authority in Luoyang. At that time, the entire He family would be nothing more than fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others. Just thinking about that miserable situation made even the usually dull-witted He Miao feel a tightness in his heart and panic.

"snort."

He Jin's face was grim, his cheeks carrying a chilling aura. "You should know that my military power has long been taken away. Liu Hong, relying on his status as a member of the imperial clan, dares not openly support us anymore. Otherwise, who do you intend to rely on in Luoyang?"

Even if it's my younger sister.

Didn't she send someone to invite her at noon as well?

But even if you enter the palace, what then?

His Majesty is now in poor health and no longer trusts us as before. We are powerless, and besides, from the perspective of the imperial clan—Liu Biao of Jingzhou, Liu Yu of Yizhou, and the other members of the Han imperial family—it's clear they all have their hearts set on Liu Hong alone.

"Liu Hong holds the position of Grand General, and has countless elite troops under his command. Even the Yellow Turban rebels, which were just quelled, number nearly 100,000. Although they are now scattered in various counties, they are all closely related to Liu Hong and obey his orders."

"His Majesty cannot take back his military power, and we are no match for him."

He Jin was not a stupid or dull person; his words at this moment were the result of his weighing of the pros and cons.

Although he was just a butcher in his early years, he has served as a general for many years, so he still has the necessary shrewdness and cunning.

Despite the current unfavorable situation, they have done their utmost to find a way out for themselves.

"Then...does that mean we can only sit here and wait to die?"

He Miao was at her wit's end, her voice filled with despair.

At this moment, a glint of shrewdness flashed in He Jin's eyes, followed by a cold glint: "Don't rush, don't panic. After we enter the palace later, we'll discuss this properly with my sister, and then we'll naturally know how to proceed. My He family still has hope."

He Jin snorted coldly, his tone carrying a hint of certainty: "If this method succeeds, then not only will the power of the Grand General be returned to us, but even the positions of the Three Dukes can all be controlled by my He family alone."

He Jin made another statement, which made He Miao, who was standing in front of him, start to dream about it.

If that day ever comes.

How impressive must He Miao be?

I'm afraid all the noble families will have to obey. "Then I'll do as my elder brother says."

He Miao immediately cupped his hands in a fist and said loudly.

After all, in the current He family, only He Jin is trustworthy; everyone else is completely unreliable.