The Three Kingdoms: The Oath of the Peach Garden, the Rise of the Han Dynasty

Liu Hong leaned against the soft pillows, his breath barely audible.

Even though Liu Xie was still young, as long as he entrusted his trusted ministers to assist him in governing and check the power of the powerful maternal relatives, the Han Dynasty might still be able to survive.

"Zhang Rang..."

"This servant is here!" Zhang Rang immediately bowed and knelt down.

"I have been secretly speaking to you... that I intend to make Xie'er the crown prince, both in and out of the court."

These words were spoken.

Zhang Rang trembled, terrified, and immediately kowtowed to accept the order:

"Your servant obeys!"

That afternoon, undercurrents were stirring in the palace, and rumors of establishing an heir quietly spread throughout the Luoyang court.

In an instant, the civil and military officials were in an uproar!

The three highest officials, the nine ministers, and the powerful families were all furious. They gathered in the court and, before even attending court, jointly submitted a petition with strong words, vowing to oppose the abolition of the eldest son's position in favor of the younger one.

Since ancient times, the eldest son of the legitimate wife has been the heir apparent. Liu Bian was the legitimate son of the Empress, and his claim to the throne was legitimate. Liu Xie was merely a son of a concubine, so how could he overstep his bounds and ascend the throne?

The most disheartening scene for Liu Hong finally arrived.

General He Jin, with a resolute attitude, has completely aligned himself with the aristocratic families!

In the past, he would waver between emperors, eunuchs, and aristocratic families.

But at this moment, with his nephew's throne at stake and the entire He family's wealth and glory at stake, he no longer hesitated.

He wrote a letter:

Your Majesty is unwell and it is not advisable to lightly change the foundation of the nation! Only with the legitimate heir on the throne can the dynasty be stable! We humbly request Your Majesty to rescind your decree, establish Prince Bian as the heir apparent, and reassure the people!

Their stance was firm and uncompromising!

Dozens of aristocratic officials and civil and military ministers behind him bowed in unison, their voices booming:

"Your Majesty, we humbly request that you rescind your decree!"

"Establishing a legitimate heir ensures national stability; rash actions are unacceptable!"

The layers of admonitions penetrated the palace walls and reached the nude bathing hall.

Liu Hong lay on his couch, not attending court, yet it was as if he had personally witnessed the scene of the officials forcing him to abdicate!

He ruled the Han Dynasty for more than 20 years, and spent his life checking and balancing eunuchs, relatives of the empress, and powerful families. He thought he had power in the palm of his hand!

But it wasn't until the oil was used up and the lamp went out that they realized it was all over!

Even while he was alive, he was still hampered by his ministers. If he were to die, how would his young son, Liu Xie, possibly contend with the wolves and jackals in the court?

"Cough cough... cough cough cough..."

Overwhelmed by grief and despair, Liu Hong coughed violently again, spurting out mouthfuls of bright red blood that stained the entire handkerchief in front of him.

Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong were terrified and rushed forward to wipe and comfort him, feeling extremely sad.

With the matter of establishing an heir completely thwarted, a frantic sense of resentment flashed in Liu Hong's eyes.

Since he couldn't control the powerful maternal relatives, he decided to hold onto the last remaining military power!

The Eight Colonels of the Western Garden were his personal guard, an elite force he had personally assembled. They were his trump card to protect the emperor's power and keep the four directions in check.

"Issue my decree..." Liu Hongqiang, supporting his frail body, "Reclaim all military power of the Eight Colonels of the Western Garden and place it entirely under the control of the eunuchs!"

He wanted to firmly grasp the last military power in the hands of the eunuchs to pave the way for his young son, Liu Xie!

However, as soon as the imperial decree was sent out of the palace, it was met with the fiercest resistance from the court and the public.

Officials from powerful families spoke out against the eunuchs' abuse of power and disruption of the court, and their remonstrances, even unto death, were rejected.

Some of the officers among the Eight Colonels of Xiyuan even collectively defied orders and refused to relinquish power!

With the emperor's relatives, powerful families, and the imperial guards launching attacks simultaneously, the vast city of Luoyang had become a prison for the emperor.

Liu Hong lay on the couch, listening to the endless stream of reports, his heart filled with despair.

The court has no capable ministers, the capital has no capable soldiers, imperial power is slipping away, and the overall situation is collapsing!

In his desperate situation, a thought suddenly flashed into his mind... Liu Bei of Bingzhou!

That Governor of Bingzhou, who was born to a distant relative, was unparalleled in loyalty and bravery, decisively defeated the Xianbei, and protected the people of the region!

Holding a large army, loyal to the Han Dynasty, not affiliated with the empress's relatives or powerful families, it is the only clean and usable powerful vassal state in the Han Dynasty today!

"A decree is drafted... ordering Liu Bei, the governor of Bing Province, to hasten the return of Bing Province's elite troops to the capital to protect it and assist in governing the country!"

This is Liu Hong's last trump card!

As long as Liu Bei leads his army into the capital, he can instantly crush the powerful families of the imperial relatives, quell the chaos in Luoyang, and protect the young emperor's empire!

However, before the secret edict could be sent out of the palace, it was intercepted by spies from powerful families throughout the court, and the news was leaked instantly.

Upon hearing the news, powerful figures from prominent families such as Yuan Wei and Cui Lie were shocked and felt their scalps tingle!

Who was Liu Bei?

A powerful adult relative of the Han imperial family, though he might not be able to inherit the throne even after everyone else has died, he is still surnamed Liu!

Without a moment's delay, a group of high-ranking officials quickly gathered in the main hall and jointly submitted a memorial.

"Your Majesty! The war in Bingzhou is critical; a 100,000-strong Xianbei army has invaded the border, eyeing us covetously!"

"Liu Bingzhou is stationed on the northern frontier, the key to the northern gate of the Han Dynasty; he must not be left unattended!"

"Your Majesty, we humbly request that you allocate one million shi of grain and ten thousand bolts of silk to richly reward Liu Bei and his generals and soldiers, so that they may secure Bingzhou, annihilate the remaining Xianbei forces, and forever secure the northern frontier!"

They could have reasons for the first two, but for the latter, they could only use the safety of the northern frontier as a pretext to forcibly bind Liu Bei.

By offering empty promises of grain and rewards, Liu Bei was trapped on the battlefield in Bingzhou, cutting off all his chances of going to the capital to defend the emperor!

When Liu Hong learned of the ministers' countermeasures, he was so angry that he trembled all over, but he was powerless to refute them.

The fact that war has spread across northern Xinjiang is indeed undeniable.

Even if he were the emperor, he could not forcibly recall the generals guarding the border, lest he be branded as someone who prioritizes personal matters over public duty and disregards the people on the frontier.

A mouthful of metallic sweetness surged into his throat again, and Liu Hong closed his eyes in despair, completely giving up the struggle.

……

Hedong Commandery.

Lü Bu had already learned of the great war between Bingzhou and the Xianbei.

But he wasn't there!

Instead, they were stuck in the east bank of the river, doing nothing!

I also have to socialize with those people from time to time.

He possessed immense strength, yet could only use it on weapons and his wife!

I wanted to go back to Bingzhou, but then I remembered what my adoptive father had said:

A true man dwells between heaven and earth; how can he remain subservient to others for long!

Lu Bu had already left Bingzhou, how could he have returned to Bingzhou without accomplishing anything?

Just then, a messenger arrived on horseback, reporting, "Registrant, the Black Mountain bandits have marched south to Hedong and are plundering villages!"

The Black Mountain bandits were terrified. Even though they knew Liu Bei's main force was not there, they dared not even think about attacking Bingzhou for fear of retaliation!

When Lü Bu learned of this, he was furious and found an outlet for his anger!

He personally led several dozen cavalrymen to attack the Black Mountain bandits.

With only a few dozen riders, they charged through thousands of Black Mountain soldiers as if they were nothing! They fought their way back and forth countless times!

Lu Bu made a name for himself in Hedong.

……

Meanwhile, on the western front of Bingzhou, thousands of miles away, the flames of war were spreading like wildfire, with an overwhelming momentum!

Outside Shaling City, heavy snow was falling, and the wilderness was vast and desolate.

Zhi Zhang led 20,000 Xianbei soldiers on a long march, capturing many strongholds and suffering thousands of casualties before finally securing enough footholds.

We finally arrived at the city walls.

The Xianbei cavalry, exhausted from days of travel, were filled with restlessness and greed, their eyes gleaming with the desire to plunder.

In their view, the garrison in Shaling City was small and far less fortified than the old Dingxiang City. They believed that as long as they launched a full-scale attack, they could break through the city and occupy it in no time, stockpile grain and fodder, and open up a retreat route through the Hetao region.

After recovery.

"Full army, form ranks! Launch a full assault on Shaling! After breaching the city, plunder indiscriminately!"

Wisdom Staff held the curved sword high, and shouted orders sternly.

Nearly 20,000 Xianbei cavalrymen galloped forward, their black hooves thundering and shaking the snow-covered ground.

Before they could even get close to the city wall, a sudden burst of cold light illuminated the top of Shaling City!

On the city wall, Huang Zhong stood in full armor, his longbow pointed at the approaching enemy, his whole body exuding a chilling murderous aura.

His thousands of archers were already drawing their bows and nocking their arrows, the arrowheads cold and sharp, all aimed at the charging Xianbei cavalry.

"Release the arrows!"

At a single command!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The dense barrage of arrows, like a torrential downpour, broke through the wind and snow and poured down!

The Xianbei cavalry charged ahead, having no time to dodge.

One after another, warhorses fell to the ground, struck by arrows. The Xianbei soldiers on horseback were instantly pierced by a hail of arrows, screaming in agony.

The wind and snow mixed with bloodstains, staining the white snow outside the city red.

A volley of arrows rained down, and hundreds of Xianbei cavalrymen perished beneath the city walls!

The Xianbei were no pushovers either; they were skilled riders and archers from a young age. In their frenzy, nearly 20,000 men rode and shot around the small city of Shaling.