My Three Kingdoms is not right

The imperial guards responded to Liu Xun's order with a deafening roar:

"promise!"

Man Chong's pupils constricted, his face drained of color, and he tried to speak calmly, "Your Highness! You've misunderstood..."

But she couldn't finish speaking.

Xu Huang has already made his move.

The anger that had been building up for so long finally found an outlet.

Her movements were so fast they were almost invisible. She took two steps at a time, then reached out with her left hand, her five fingers gripping Man Chong's wrist like iron clamps, twisting and pressing it down.

Caught off guard, Man Chong lost his grip on the talisman and fell to the ground. Xu Huang then nudged his right knee, causing him to kneel down.

"Tie them up!"

Xu Huang uttered two words, his tone filled with indescribable satisfaction.

The guards behind Man Chong instinctively drew their swords, but none of them dared to step forward to save him.

Just then, the sound of thunderous hooves rang out, and a large number of Imperial Guards cavalry, led by Zhao Yun, arrived and appeared not far from their side.

With menacing lances pointed at them from afar, no one dared to make any rash moves.

Soon, the rooftops of the covered walkways on both sides of the stone platform were filled with crossbowmen, their arrowheads gleaming coldly blue in the sunlight.

A strong sense of killing intent permeated the air.

The Northern Army soldiers behind Man Chong finally panicked.

They were just following orders, thinking it was nothing more than "entering the palace to arrest rebellious eunuchs," like a brawl to show off, and no one expected to actually confront the Imperial Guards head-on.

Liu Xun gently helped the emperor to his feet and then handed him over to Sun Shangxiang for support.

Turning to face the pale-faced Northern Army generals, he said coldly:

"You have been misled by the traitor Man Chong today and are unaware of the truth, so I can let it go."

"I'll give you a way out: lay down your weapons and leave the palace immediately."

"Anyone still within the palace grounds within half a quarter of an hour will be considered a rebel and executed on the spot!"

The silence did not last long.

The sound of the first halberd hitting the ground rang out, and immediately the Northern soldiers dropped their weapons, not daring to raise their heads.

The Imperial Guards looked at Liu Xun with a gleam in their eyes.

……

"Your Majesty, please sit down and rest." Liu Xun helped her sit down on the couch in the side hall.

Looking at Mu Shun kneeling before him, his forehead bleeding profusely from kowtowing, he waved his hand and said, "It's not your fault. Go down now."

Mu Shun glanced gratefully at Liu Xun, kowtowed three more times, and then backed out of the side hall.

Only the brother and sister remained in the hall, and it fell silent.

"I'm alright now."

Liu Xie finally spoke, his voice muffled, "If it weren't for A-Xun coming just now, I really wouldn't know what to do."

"Your Majesty has done very well." Liu Xun sat down beside her, his tone gentle. "It is precisely because the Emperor stands behind them without backing down that Xu Huang and the others have the confidence."

Liu Xie slowly shook his head, raising his eyes to look at the boy who was a year younger than him: "A-Xun, what do we do now?"

What just happened completely shattered the confidence that this young emperor had painstakingly built up.

The look of disdain in Man Chong's eyes still seemed to linger before my eyes, impossible to shake off.

It turns out, I am still so weak.

Just like when he was eight years old in front of Dong Zhuo, just like when he fell into the hands of Li Jue at the age of ten, just like when he returned to Luoyang at the age of fourteen and faced those ravenous military leaders...

An imperial edict is only considered an imperial edict if it aligns with the wishes of a powerful minister.

Otherwise, it's just a joke.

However, she didn't have time to think about it at the moment, and instead held Liu Xun's hand tightly.

This was her most important relative, her last support.

"Ah Xun, you've captured Man Chong, Cao Cao won't let this go easily. Should we escape from the palace quickly?"

"Or you should leave quickly, and I'll hold off Cao Cao for you! No matter how arrogant she is, she wouldn't dare to murder the emperor in front of the world!"

Liu Xun patted the girl's shoulder, and looking at her red eyes and stubbornly pursed lips, a wave of bitterness welled up in his heart.

"Don't worry, Cao Cao is smart enough; she'll know what to do."

"Elder sister, there's something I want to tell you."

Liu Xie looked up at him.

"For the past two days, I've been thinking about a question."

Liu Xun carefully considered his words, speaking more slowly than usual. "In the past, I have always tried to mediate between the various parties in Xudu, hoping to gradually accumulate strength, restore the authority of the royal family, and win the loyalty of the ministers, so that I can protect my elder sister and the court."

"But what has happened these past few days has made me realize that my thinking might be wrong."

Liu Xie was somewhat confused: "What A Xun said is not wrong."

Liu Xun shook his head: "Changing the time or the opponent might not be wrong. But it won't work now."

"I want to protect my elder sister, but that means I can't stay by her side."

"The restoration of the Han dynasty cannot rely solely on sentiment, institutions, or a fragile political balance."

"These things can restrict ordinary people, but they can't restrict Cao Cao."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

A knowing glint flashed in Liu Xie's eyes: "You mean, you want to leave Xudu?"

The young man nodded, a resolute look appearing on his handsome face: "I need stronger power. I need territory and an army."

"Cao Cao once said to me, 'In this chaotic world, the only things you can rely on are the sword in your hand, the soldiers under your command, and the strategies in your mind.'"

"At the time, I felt that this statement was somewhat extreme, believing that trust, loyalty, and affection between people are equally reliable."

"But right now I feel that what she said is the truth in this world."

He could feel the girl gripping his hand even tighter.

After a long while, Liu Xie finally spoke in a hoarse voice, "Ah Xun, I'll do whatever you say. When are you leaving?"

Liu Xun smiled and said, "I just want to reassure my elder sister that the road ahead may be difficult, but there will always be a way to reach the other side."

He stood up: "We can talk about that another time. Right now, I need to settle things."

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Inside the main hall of the Sikong Mansion, Cao Cao paused for a moment.

The smoke from the bronze incense burner mingled with the early autumn breeze, carrying a hint of dryness.

"Say it again," she said.

Sima Lang, who was on duty, kept his head down, not daring to look at Cao Cao's expression.

They didn't even dare to wipe the sweat from their foreheads.

"Her Highness claimed that Man Chong was a traitor to Dong Cheng, and ordered the Imperial Guards to arrest her in public, disarm the Northern Army, and drive them out of the palace."

The people in the hall looked at each other in dismay, and only after hearing the urgent report a second time did they finally accept the reality.

After a long while, Cao Cao waved his hand and said, "Go down."

Sima Lang felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He bowed and hurriedly left the main hall.

Stepping out into the porch, a cool breeze hit her, and she realized her back was drenched in cold sweat. She couldn't help but glance back at the hall, letting out a sigh.

"I knew I shouldn't have let Zhongda and Her Highness the Princess get so close."

"But Zhongda is just a patient temporarily staying for medical treatment; he shouldn't be implicated by Your Highness, right?"

At this moment, no one in the council chamber cared about the thoughts of a clerk.

The sudden situation coming from inside the palace has shocked everyone present.

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(I've caught a cold and have a terrible headache. Chapter 2 will be a little late.)