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

Yuan Wei's eyes gleamed with a sharp light. The fact that he could say these words at this moment was enough to show that he had been in the court for many years, had a keen insight into the ups and downs of officialdom, and had a good judgment of the current emperor. This was something that no ordinary person could match.

Having said all that, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu could no longer refute it, and both slowly nodded, acknowledging the matter.

Meanwhile, inside the He residence, He Miao brought news.

It's not good news, but it's not bad news either.

Sun Jian was not found.

His house is now completely empty.

He Miao narrowed his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them. "Brother, won't this affect us?"

Obviously.

He had already intended to eliminate the Sun family directly.

This was exactly what yesterday's prophecy had predicted. At this point, He Jin and his group had already decided to kill him.

If Sun Jian loses his life, then there will be no way to verify the truth.

The He family will naturally be able to protect themselves.

Even Liu Hong might not believe that the He family is the mastermind behind it all.

Without evidence, anything can be fabricated.

"That solves it. Find them as soon as possible, and don't hold back."

A cold glint flashed in He Jin's eyes.

As the saying goes, "When the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked."

For generations, this has been the unchanging rule in the imperial court, and it has never changed.

Even in this great Han dynasty, the same principle applies.

Everywhere there is a sharp edge that can draw blood, everywhere there is a good opportunity to kill. There is no need to wait for the darkest night to take a life; it can be done in the blink of an eye.

"Yes, elder brother."

He Miao accepted the order, a hint of ruthlessness appearing on his face. He then immediately left the He family mansion, ready to eliminate any potential threats.

dong dong dong.

The bells and drums rang out loudly, their sound traveling from Xuanwu Gate straight into the palace.

Now, Emperor Liu Hong, who was in the palace, finally knew the details of what had happened the night before.

He immediately flew into a rage, and the anger on his face made anyone who saw him feel the true fury of the emperor at that moment.

"Impressive, I admire you."

Liu Hong laughed in fury, his voice filled with cold mockery, "I'm afraid the entire gentry of Luoyang knew about it yesterday. What's wrong?"

It is only now that I have learned of this?

It seems that I am unmatched in this imperial city of Luoyang. Unmatched by the Yuan family, unmatched by the Yang family. Is it possible that this great Han dynasty is now ruled by them all?

If that's the case, what am I still doing on this dragon throne?

"Wouldn't it be better to give it all to them?"

Liu Hong roared, and Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, and the others in front of him all knelt down on the ground, not daring to even breathe.

Things had come to this point, which was something none of them in the palace wanted to see.

But the deed was already done.

"Your Majesty, it's time for court."

As Liu Yan, the Imperial Clan Secretary, slowly approached, he witnessed Liu Hong's furious outburst and rage.

"Uncle, are you aware of this?"

Just last night, the Grand General was assassinated. He was one of my most meritorious officials.

Liu Hong pointed outside the hall, veins bulging on his forehead.

He roared in fury, shouting each word clearly, "I am still alive."

They dare to commit such rebellious acts. If I were to truly perish one day, these aristocratic families would likely step over my corpse to pave the way for their own advancement.

Liu Yan's expression remained unchanged; he simply repeated his earlier statement: "Your Majesty, it's time for court."

Whether the general is dead or alive will be known shortly.

As for the gentry in this royal city, with the Grand General present, His Majesty has the initiative.

Moreover, the General is utterly loyal to His Majesty, to our Han Dynasty, and to our Liu family.

"Now that this has come, I hope Your Majesty will not betray the bonds of kinship with your clan."

Liu Yan suddenly gained a great understanding of Liu Hong's character, so he gave him a heads-up in advance, warning him not to let down a loyal minister and general.

"Understood, Imperial Uncle."

Liu Hong paused, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes. He then said nothing more, turned around, and had someone serve him. He put on his yellow robe and hurried toward the Golden Palace.

Upon entering the court assembly, all the civil and military officials held their breath and were filled with panic, except for a few who remained calm and composed.

Before Liu Hong arrived, the court assembly was already filled with discussions and whispers. There was not a trace of the proper etiquette and deference that aristocratic families should have. It was just like a chaotic vegetable market, a ridiculous and pathetic scene.

"The General really didn't come today. Could it be that what happened yesterday was true?"

"I heard that last night, late at night, the General's mansion summoned the renowned physician Hua Tuo. Legend has it that when the General was suppressing the Yellow Turban Rebellion, several of his generals were seriously injured, and it was this physician who miraculously saved them. That's how Hua Tuo became famous."

"It is said that before this, Hua Tuo was a doctor who saved the world. Countless noble families wanted to recruit him as a retainer but failed. In the end, he was taken in by the general. It can be seen that his medical skills must be superb and extraordinary."

"I wonder how badly the general is injured now?"

Good fortune favors the virtuous; the General will surely overcome this calamity.

Many court officials spoke up in unison, all seemingly eager for Liu Hong to attend court as soon as possible in order to stabilize the hearts of the people.

But that's not necessarily true.

After all, officials have two mouths and two faces, and many things are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

Moreover, these beings, neither human nor ghost, are even more enigmatic and their thoughts are impossible to fathom.

"My great general is seriously injured. Do you all still intend to continue your clamor?"

Liu Hong slowly walked onto the dragon throne, his cold gaze sweeping over the crowd below. Hearing their discussions, his heart sank, and then he spoke sternly.

Immediately, everyone in the court assembly was taken aback.

The words that came out of Liu Hong's mouth now had no choice but to be believed by the many officials.

They dared not offend the emperor at this moment, otherwise they would likely face dire consequences.

"Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation."

"Your Majesty, please understand. I had no such intention just now; everything I did was for the sake of the General."

"Your Majesty, please issue an edict to apprehend the person who secretly assassinated the General throughout the city. Otherwise, how can we quell the public's anger over the General's actions?"

Please, Your Majesty, grant me your words.

One voice after another rang out, and all the civil and military officials knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly. For a moment, only the sounds of pleading for orders could be heard in the hall.

As the voices fell, Liu Hong sat on the throne, his sharp eyes scanning down the crowd of officials, yet he could not discern who was a villain and who was a loyal subject.

On the surface, they all appeared to be loyal to the Han Dynasty.