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

Suddenly, Liu Hong opened his eyes, which were surprisingly clear.

The hall was empty except for Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, Jian Shuo, and a group of eunuchs kneeling before the bed, all with tears streaming down their faces.

Surprisingly, he didn't have any relatives or children.

His mother, Empress Dowager Dong, was protecting Liu Xie outside, and he could not trust Empress He.

Liu Hong raised his eyes and looked at the group of eunuchs, who had been with him all his life and were reviled by the world as treacherous officials.

Unexpectedly, they were the ones who saw him off on his final journey.

"The world... all curses me as a foolish and incompetent ruler."

He accused me of favoring eunuchs, corrupting the court, selling official positions, and indulging in debauchery that led to the downfall of the country.

He chuckled softly, a self-deprecating laugh.

"I do not deny it."

In my life, I have indulged in too much pleasure and neglected my duties, and I am full of sins.

"The decline of the Han Dynasty is my fault."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Rang burst into tears and kowtowed, crying out, "Your Majesty!!"

Liu Hong raised his hand to stop his crying:

"But do you know... why I have trusted only you, and not my court officials, my entire life?"

"Because every court official harbors ties to their aristocratic families!"

They all harbor selfish motives!

They study for the prosperity of their family!

They became officials for the sake of their family's status and wealth!

You alone have no roots, no home, no clan to rely on, and no social standing to covet.

Your wealth and honor are all mine!

I live, you all respect me.

"If I die, you will all perish."

"I know that you are greedy, domineering, and power-hungry."

I know all of this.

But I would rather use you, these treacherous people who are visible to all.

We would never dare to employ those corrupt officials in the court who hide beneath the guise of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame—they are the ones who have stolen the country!

The hall was deathly silent.

All nine attendants trembled.

Liu Hong took a breath, his eyes brightening, yet utterly exhausted.

"The powerful families have been entrenched for centuries, gradually encroaching on prefectures and counties, annexing land, monopolizing talent, and privately amassing followers."

The Yellow Turban Rebellion was caused by the people being driven to desperation!

The world is in chaos because powerful families are emptying the state's coffers!

The Emperor is selling official positions; this is a sign that the court is trying to cover up its wrongdoing!

I value you all because there is no one else in the court!

I am indulging in debauchery and defiling myself, deliberately inviting the world to condemn me as a foolish and incompetent ruler!

I will bear the infamy of ten thousand generations, just to buy a few years of peace for the Han Dynasty!

He stared blankly out of the hall.

"I did my best... I really did my best."

Then, he looked down at Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, Jian Shuo and the others who were trembling.

"I am going to die."

After I leave, you will likely... surely die.

In short, it chilled me to the bone.

Zhang Rang instantly broke down in tears, crying, "Your Majesty!! This servant is willing to die in Your Majesty's place!!"

Liu Hong shook his head slightly, his calm demeanor resigned to his fate.

"No need."

I knew the ending all along.

He Jin is a relative of the imperial family, and I hate you to the bone.

The gentry and scholars see you as a thorn in their side.

As long as I am alive, you may live.

"If I go, you will all perish."

"I don't blame you."

You are evil, truly evil.

But your loyalty to me... is true loyalty.

He then uttered the most lucid and crucial dying words of his life:

"My two sons are young, weak and incompetent."

After my death, He Jin will surely seize power, and powerful families will surely take control of the court.

Perhaps the Han Dynasty is about to enter a new cycle.

However, neither of my two sons possesses my abilities!

With his last ounce of strength, Liu Hong stared intently at them:

"Defend Luoyang well, protect the prince, and if necessary, take my children to find Liu Yu and Liu Bei to help me preserve some of my bloodline!"

Zhang Changshi is my father, and Zhao Changshi is my mother.

This is my...final entrustment!

At that moment, all the eunuchs in the hall burst into tears!

Zhang Rang trembled violently, his forehead slamming hard against the cold ground, causing his head to bleed profusely.

His cries were hoarse and piercing, completely devoid of his usual arrogance and domineering manner.

"This old servant! This old servant obeys the decree!! I will protect the prince even at the cost of my life! If I fail His Majesty's trust in me, may this old servant die a gruesome death!!"

Zhao Zhong was already weeping uncontrollably, and collapsed to the ground.

All his selfish desires—to wield power, to amass wealth, and to scheme and plot—were shattered at this moment.

Throughout His Majesty's life, the world has insulted, cursed, and laughed at him, but only this group of crippled eunuchs have earned His Majesty's lifelong trust and been treated like his closest relatives!

Jian Shuo and the group of eunuchs all prostrated themselves on the ground and wept bitterly, their hearts breaking.

They are treacherous officials, wicked villains, and parasites despised by the world.

But in the eyes of the dying emperor, they were his only family!

After giving his instructions, he left his message.

Liu Hong's eyes gradually became unfocused.

He stared at the ceiling, muttering to himself, like a sigh:

"I have been a foolish and incompetent ruler all my life, and I have ruined half my life for the country..."

He has never made a mistake in maintaining balance over the world.

Unfortunately... the Han Dynasty was riddled with deep-seated problems that were difficult to reverse.

"I... am powerless to reverse the situation."

The words fell.

The emperor's eyes were tightly closed.

Liu Hong has passed away!

He died at the age of thirty.

……

"Hahaha!"

"He's dead!"

"Very good!"

"The day has finally come!"

Liu Bei and Li Chang received news that Zhang Fei had killed Zhi Zhang, the western leader of the Xianbei.

A resounding victory on the western front!

The Han army was overjoyed with the frequent reports of victory!

"Great! That's wonderful!"

"A great victory on the western front! Yide, Hansheng, and Gongming joined forces to annihilate the Xianbei's 20,000-strong western army and behead their leader, Zhizhang!"

"And Zilong! The ten thousand Xianbei troops you ambushed along the way also achieved a great victory!"

A cheer erupted instantly inside the tent.

Zhao Yun clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "We've killed too many Xianbei people in the last two years!"

These Xianbei people are only fast runners; otherwise, they wouldn't be as good as the Yellow Turban warriors of yesteryear!

"This humble general is merely following orders."

Li Chang leaned back in his chair, feeling more and more that even oxen and horses weren't enough!

I get exhausted during big battles!

He stood up, walked to the map, and drew an X on both the western and eastern lines with a charcoal pencil.

"Now, the Xianbei forces on both the eastern and western fronts have been dealt with."

"Second Brother Donglu and Wenyuan have also arrived ahead of time."

"All that's left is the 50,000 main force led by He Lian himself."

……

North of Wujin, it is covered in ice and snow.

They broke through walls along the way, leaving nothing but ruins and burning everything that could be burned!

As far as the eye can see, everything is a vast expanse of white.

He Lian grew increasingly angry and burst into a tirade: "Useless! A bunch of useless trash!"

The Xianbei nobles all lowered their heads, not daring to speak.

They were frustrated too.

In the past few days, they have witnessed firsthand the ruthlessness of the Han army.

Gao Shun did not engage them in direct combat at all.

It's still the same old trick as the old Dingxiang City!

What's worse is that the weather is getting colder and colder, and they're almost out of fuel!

It took them several days to finally reach the outskirts of Wujin!

"Chanyu! We can't wait any longer!" a nobleman couldn't help but exclaim. "If we wait any longer, we'll freeze to death without the Han army even needing to attack!"

"Gao Shun only has a few thousand men. If we concentrate our forces and launch a fierce attack in one direction, we're sure to break through!"

"Yes, Chanyu! Let's fight them!"

He Lian took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart.

He knew the nobles were right.

Can't delay any longer.

"Good!" He Lian drew his scimitar sharply, his eyes fierce. "Pass on my order! Concentrate all forces and launch a fierce attack on the ice wall directly in front!"

"Today, we must break through Wujin's defenses! Kill Gao Shun! Massacre Wucheng!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The Xianbei cavalrymen let out a hysterical shout.

They have been suppressed for too long and desperately need a victory to vent their frustration.

Behind the ice wall in Wujin City.

Gao Shun has already burned most of the coal that was transported from Bingzhou.

This prisoner has been mining for a year, and after selling what he earned, he's almost out of money in the next few days.

Without enough coal, they also lacked the means to melt enough water in the icy wilderness.

A thousand miles away, in Jinyang City, at the Hundred Crafts Workshop.

The furnace was burning brightly, and the sound of hammers striking the iron was incessant.

Bi Lan was lying on a table, holding a calligraphy brush in her hand, intently drawing blueprints.