Three Kingdoms: My Cute Girl Team

That's it!

Liu Xun had originally thought Yang Biao was just a rigid, old-fashioned person who stuck to old ways, but after hearing her words, he realized he was so wrong.

This Grand Commandant was by no means inflexible; she had a far-sighted vision and profound thoughts. What she opposed was not Liu Xun as a person, nor even the matter of commanding the army itself, but rather the impact this matter had on the legal system of the Han Dynasty.

We really shouldn't underestimate the ancients.

But while he understood, Liu Xun would never give up because of it.

"Grand Commandant, your thoughts are profound and your words are reasonable." Liu Xun sat up straight. "However, while the principles of rites and righteousness are important, they are becoming increasingly difficult to contend with swords and armor."

"After Dong Zhuo, Li Jue and Guo Si wreaked havoc in Chang'an, while Yang Feng and Han Xian vied for power in Luoyang... They despised the court like dirt and regarded high officials as pigs and dogs. Could the established order and moral principles ever prevail against their swords?"

Yang Biao remained silent for a long time.

Liu Xun's words stirred up many painful memories for her.

When she spoke again, her tone was not as firm as before: "Those people are all border barbarians and rebel soldiers, truly not worth discussing. But now the court is gradually stabilizing, and etiquette is being restored. The other day, His Majesty personally presided over the sacrificial ceremony, which is a crucial time for gradually rebuilding social order..."

"The stability the Grand Commandant speaks of began when Cao Cao entered Luoyang," Liu Xun cruelly interrupted her.

"What Cao Cao sought was nothing more than to use the righteous pretext of the imperial court to gain a moral advantage when competing with other warlords. She needs this system of etiquette today, and therefore she upholds it."

"But what if one day, she becomes fully independent and feels that this ritual has become a stumbling block?"

The room fell silent instantly upon hearing this.

"This, this..." Yang Biao could no longer maintain his composure: "Mengde is ultimately different from those Liangzhou army leaders and Yellow Turban surrender generals. The Cao family has received the emperor's favor for generations, and Cao Song once served as Grand Commandant, so he is quite knowledgeable in etiquette..."

"Grand Commandant!" Liu Xun looked directly into her eyes and asked, "Are you willing to gamble the fate of the Han Dynasty on one person's character?"

Yang Biao suddenly stopped talking.

A hush fell over the hall. The light from the window seemed to have dimmed, making Yang Biao's graying temples stand out even more.

Her expression grew increasingly serious.

The time is right!

Liu Xun pressed his advantage, saying, "I am a man, the emperor's younger brother. As the commander of the army, I pose absolutely no threat to the throne; no one in the world would doubt this."

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Shouldn't the Grand Commandant find a way to circumvent this?"

Yang Biao's eyes flickered slightly, and he slowly nodded.

She couldn't refute this point. No matter how the world changes, the throne could never fall into the hands of a man; this was a deeply ingrained belief.

Liu Xun suddenly stood up and left his seat, straightening his robes:

"The Yang family of Hongnong produced three high-ranking officials across four generations. Their family tradition of integrity and uprightness was renowned throughout the land. Hence, Yang Zhen was known as the 'Confucius of Guanzhong,' and his saying, 'Heaven knows, Earth knows, you know, and I know,' was a testament to the power of heaven and earth."

"When Dong Zhuo held power and the entire court was silenced, you still dared to fight against him, and you did not bow down even when you were nearly killed. Later, when the court moved west to Chang'an and then east to Luoyang, you did your best to uphold the Han dynasty's legitimacy amidst the chaos of the times."

He bowed deeply and gave a solemn salute:

"You are the pillar supporting the Han Dynasty."

"Although I am a man, I am also a descendant of the Liu family. I only wish to use my body to share the burdens of my elder sister and to do my part in the restoration of the Han Dynasty. Today, I would like to humbly request your help as a junior."

Yang Biao looked at the respectfully bowing young man before him, a flicker of emotion crossing his eyes. He reached out to help Liu Xun up.

"Your Highness, please rise. This old minister... will grant your request."

Liu Xun finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you, Grand Commandant!"

"It's just that Your Highness has suffered." Yang Biao shook his head, looking at his handsome face with even more pity in his eyes: "It is our incompetence that we have to entrust such a heavy burden to a weak man like you."

Weak male? Do you want to listen to what you're saying?

Liu Xun's lips twitched:

My combat strength is 73, I can take on ten of you with one hand, okay?

Yang Biao then summoned a servant and ordered, "Go and summon Dezhu."

The servant responded and left. A short while later, he returned alone to report: "Miss has gone out; she says she has an appointment with some close friends."

Upon hearing this, Yang Biao showed a hint of helplessness on his face and said to Liu Xun, "My eldest daughter has been quite clever since childhood, but she is also unruly and loves to play and frolic. She is very close to the daughters of many court officials in Luoyang."

"I will instruct her to assist His Highness in recruiting the Imperial Guards. She should be able to persuade many young women from the families of court officials to join. This could be of great help to His Highness."

Liu Xun's eyes lit up instantly.

Yang Dezhu, Yang Xiu!

That's the kind that's neither good nor bad!

That was a talented man who went down in history!

Of course, in this dimension, she is a talented woman.

However, talented men and women are fine as long as they are talented; the key is that Yang Biao's suggestion would greatly benefit the Imperial Guards' combat strength.

Soldiers are easy to recruit, as long as they have food and pay. But it is difficult to quickly build up combat strength under such circumstances.

The daughters of officials were different. They grew up in privileged circumstances, with ample nutrition and good physical strength; many of them practiced archery, horsemanship, swordsmanship, and other martial arts from a young age, possessing a certain level of martial arts skills.

More importantly, they can read!

If they can be recruited and trained as the backbone of the Imperial Guard, then the combat power of this Tiger-like Feathered Forest Army can definitely be rapidly formed in a short period of time.

And its potential ceiling is limitless.

"Thank you very much, Grand Commandant!!"

This time, Liu Xun's smile was genuinely radiant.

Seeing the sparkle in the boy's eyes, Yang Biao's unease about breaking the established rules was greatly lessened by this youthful energy.

-----------------

The following morning, a court assembly was held in Yang'an Hall.

Liu Xun stood to the left of the emperor, observing everyone discreetly.

Cao Cao was still wearing his red court robes today, his black hair tied up high, and his phoenix eyes lowered.

Dong Cheng stood at the head of the military officers, a smile playing on his lips, his smugness undisguised.

The spot that originally belonged to Han Siam was now empty.

With this rival gone, no one in the imperial court can rival her anymore.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

Liu Xie sat down on the throne, the jade beads hanging from the twelve-tassel crown obscuring her eyebrows and eyes, making it impossible to see her expression.

"At today's court assembly, the first matter to be discussed is the reward and conferment of honors upon the generals for their meritorious service."

Dong Cheng gave Cao Cao a wink.

This was a reward he had personally requested from the emperor, a return for Cao Cao's actions.

As expected, the emperor's gaze swept over everyone in the hall and finally landed on Cao Cao.

"General Cao Cao, Marquis of Feiting, has come from afar to provide assistance; his loyalty is commendable."

"He is now hereby appointed as Commandant of the Capital Region and concurrently in charge of the affairs of the Imperial Secretariat, with the authority to command troops."

Upon hearing this, a murmur rippled through the hall.

The Commandant of the Capital Region was in charge of supervising the capital region and had the responsibility of supervising all civil and military officials. The Director of the Secretariat was in charge of the Secretariat, managing memorials, documents, and the issuance and disbursement of government orders, effectively holding the reins of the administrative center.

The most important item was the fake axe.

The scepter represented the emperor's status, and the axe was a scepter exclusively used by the monarch. This meant that the person holding the scepter and axe represented the emperor himself, making it a powerful symbol of authority that allowed for execution without prior approval.

Dong Cheng's smile froze.

Cao Cao, however, had already stepped forward, lifted his robe, and knelt down, his forehead touching the ground:

"Your Majesty, I kowtow in gratitude for your great kindness! I will serve you with utmost loyalty and devotion, even unto death, to repay your favor!"

Liu Xie smiled and nodded: "Minister Cao, please rise."

Cao Cao thanked the emperor and returned to the ranks.

As he passed by Dong Cheng, Dong Cheng's lips twitched slightly.

Cao Cao, however, kept his eyes straight ahead, as if the person standing next to him was just an insignificant person.

Liu Xun sighed softly to himself.

The Empress's move clearly aimed to sow discord.

The combined strength of Dong Cheng and Cao Cao in defeating Han Xian was overwhelming.

This reward was deliberately given to Cao Cao, who was overshadowed by Dong Cheng, in order to create a rift in the cooperation between Dong and Cao.

My younger sister, the young princess, is actually very intelligent.

But the problem remains the same:

Cao Cao's skill level is too high.

The same position and power cannot be compared to hers in the hands of others.

……

The emperor then announced other rewards, all of which were routine commendations for those who had rendered meritorious service in protecting him.

Dong Cheng, Fu Wan, Ding Chong, Zhong Ji, and thirteen others were promoted to the rank of marquis.

Except for Dong Cheng, whose face was ashen, all the other officials looked delighted.

Now that the court is stable, their efforts have been rewarded.

Just as the atmosphere in the hall was harmonious,

Liu Xie, seated on his throne, spoke again:

"Princess Liu Xun of Wannian has repeatedly protected me during times of crisis. I am deeply grateful for her sincerity."

"We now intend to grant him entry into the court to participate in government affairs, appoint him as Grand Master of Ceremonies, and put him in charge of the Imperial Guard. What do you all think?"

The imperial court erupted in chaos.