Chapter 006: Puppet's Rampage (Seeking Recommendations and Bookmarks!)

  Lu Zhi rattled off a dozen or so names, some of which Liu Bian knew and others he didn't. After listening to them all, Liu Bian couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. He thought about it for a long time before realizing what was wrong.

  Lu Zhi did not mention Dong Zhuo.

  This is just a joke, you are all in Dong Zhuo's mouth, if you go back to Luoyang like this, without giving him an explanation, can he agree?

  "What about Dong Zhuo... what should we do?"

  "Your Majesty, Dong Zhuo is not trustworthy." Lu Zhi said without hesitation: "The people of Xiliang are barbaric and unruly, unaware of the distinction between superior and inferior. During the previous emperor's reign, Dong Zhuo already had a disloyal heart and repeatedly disobeyed orders. Yesterday, he led his troops into the capital and galloped in front of Your Majesty, what kind of subject would do that? If it weren't for Your Majesty's composure, using the imperial authority to restrain them, the consequences would be unthinkable. How can such a person be trusted? After Your Majesty returns to the palace, bestowing some rewards and ordering them to retreat back to Liangzhou is the wisest decision. Absolutely do not keep him in the capital."

  Liu Bian smiled softly and said: "Lu Qing, can he agree?"

  Lu Zhi raised an eyebrow and said with great confidence, "How dare he not agree? When I entered and exited the military camp, I roughly looked around and saw that he had at most 3,000 people. The capital has the Southern and Northern Forbidden Armies, as well as the Western Garden's Eight Schools, totaling nearly 20,000 people. Does he dare to make a reckless move?"

  Liu Bian thought for a moment, and this seemed to be a problem indeed. Dong Zhuo had arrived in haste, with insufficient troops, and brute force alone would not be enough to overpower Yuan Shao. Once he returned to Luoyang City, with the Imperial Guards protecting him, Dong Zhuo's threat would diminish. In history, it seemed that he had used deceitful tactics to intimidate Yuan Shao and others, only then was he able to establish a foothold in Luoyang. Now that he knew his true nature, and Lu Zhi had also seen through his facade, it was unlikely that he would be given another chance to use such tactics.

  It has to be said that Lu Zhi is indeed a commander who has led troops before, and he still has an eye for things.

  Liu breathed a sigh of relief, this way it's simpler, first think of a way to return to the city and keep distance from Dong Zhuo. Being with someone like that always makes one feel a little afraid.

  Lu Zhi didn't feel relieved at all, but instead felt a sense of heavy responsibility that was hard to bear.

  ……

  When the sun rose, Yuan Shao arrived at Ping Le Temple.

  However, his arrival did not make Liu Bian feel relieved, but instead made him doubt his previous optimism.

  The hall was very spacious, and even though Dong Zhuo brought three thousand soldiers, they couldn't fill it up. They all stayed on the periphery, and there weren't many people in front of Liu Bian. Except for a few guards led by Min Gong, there were only Liu Xie, Tang Ying, and Lu Zhi. The courtyard was empty and even felt a bit chilly.

  But as soon as Yuan Shao arrived, the atmosphere changed. Before Yuan Shao even arrived, a group of people rushed in, each reporting their official positions and names, paying respects to Liu Bian with polite language and courteous words, but Liu Bian couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off.

  The civil and military officials of the court suddenly parted like a tidal wave, and Yuan Shao walked in under the escort of several people, surrounded by stars. The people standing on both sides saluted him, and at this time, Liu Bian finally realized that something was wrong.

  Similarly, when these officials paid their respects to him, it was merely a formality with little sincerity. In contrast, when facing Yuan Shao, they showed genuine respect and admiration from the bottom of their hearts, even with a hint of reverence, as if Yuan Shao were the true leader they truly supported, while he, the Son of Heaven, was just a puppet sitting on the dragon throne, and paying respects to him was merely a formality that few people took seriously.

  Liu Bian glanced at Lu Zhi, who was cupping his hands and lowering his head, with a faint furrow between his eyebrows. Liu Bian seemed to have heard his silent sigh.

  Things are not as simple as imagined, Liu Bian became vigilant, and it's not time to be optimistic yet.

  Liu Bei's mind was racing. He knew that Dong Zhuo was indeed very dangerous, but Yuan Shao was not a pushover either. Later, he led the coalition forces of Shandong to attack Dong, and appointed himself as the leader of the alliance. Even the mighty Cao Cao was just one of his generals. At one point, he dominated the north of the Yellow River, and had the momentum to contend for the throne. If it weren't for the defeat at the Battle of Guandu against Cao Cao, the Liu Han Empire might have been renamed Yuan.

  Perhaps he is like Dong Zhuo, with a heart of disloyalty.

  So going back to Luoyang is safe? Dong Zhuo is dangerous, but Yuan Shao isn't?

  Looking at Yuan Shao, who was tall and majestic in appearance, with a smile on his face and an elegant demeanor, Liu Bei's heart sank, feeling that Yuan Shao's smile lacked respect, only showing complacency and a hint of sarcasm. Meanwhile, Yuan Shu behind him didn't even have a hypocritical smile, but rather a completely indifferent expression, not even bothering to salute him.

  Yuan Shao stepped forward, his arms spread wide, and his sleeves were like a pair of broad wings that made his body suddenly enormous. As he clasped his hands together and bowed his head to pay respects to Liu Bei, Liu felt an inexplicable sense of oppression, as if he saw a hawk folding its wings and extending its sharp claws, swooping down on him with a gust of wind blowing in his face. He involuntarily held his breath, his eyes narrowing tightly.

  It seemed that Yuan Shao felt Liu Bian's vigilance and smiled even more proudly.

  "Congratulations to Your Majesty, the treacherous eunuchs have been eliminated by us ministers. Your Majesty is safe and sound, this is due to the protection of Your Majesty's spirit in heaven. Please return to the palace, summon the officials, stabilize the people's hearts, and restore order to the court."

  Liu Bian took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. Although he was not a political expert, he was not a roughneck with four limbs and a simple mind either. During the intervals of executing tasks, when he had nothing to do, he had watched some historical and political movies, and could hear that there were profound implications in Yuan Shao's words. If he responded vaguely, it would not only lead to endless troubles but also make him more despised by others.

  "Yuan Shao..." Liu Bei hesitated repeatedly, mustered up his courage and called out Yuan Shao's name.

  According to the etiquette of the Han Dynasty, addressing someone by their name directly was considered very impolite. Therefore, he referred to Lu Zhi as "Lu Qing" and Dong Zhuo as "Dong General". Only when referring to people of lower social status like Wang Yue and Min Gong would he address them by their names. Logically speaking, Yuan Shao is currently the Colonel-Director of Retainers and also the actual leader of the alliance, so he should show some respect towards him, at least addressing him by his official title or even his courtesy name.

  However, he still decided to call him by his name, overwhelming Yuan Shao with his momentum. As the Son of Heaven, he had such power that no one could say he was being discourteous. Indeed, as soon as these two words came out, Yuan Shao's face stiffened and his smile immediately faded a few shades.

  "Yuan Shao, where is the General?"

  Yuan Shao's expression was somewhat unnatural. General-in-Chief He Jin had already died, but he hadn't mentioned it at all earlier; instead, he opened his mouth to congratulate Liu Bian and boast about his own merits. Now that Liu Bian asked him back, he found himself in an awkward position.

  "Your Majesty, the General... was killed by eunuchs. I have already killed those eunuchs to avenge the General."

  Seeing his own skillful move, he successfully suppressed Yuan Shao's momentum. Liu Bei smiled slightly and asked more calmly: "Where is the Empress Dowager?"

  "Empress Dowager..." Yuan Shao's words stuck in his throat, and for a moment he didn't know what to say. Lu Zhi, who was standing beside him, looked at Liu Bian with surprise, remained silent for a moment, then stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, I rescued the Empress Dowager on the Fuyi Road yesterday, she should be in the palace now."

  Liu Bian glanced at Lu Zhi and then asked another question: "Where is the General of Chariots and Cavalry?"

  Yuan Shao's smile vanished without a trace, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.