Chapter 0398 Palace

Wancheng Palace.

The night is deep, the black clouds are dim, there are no stars or moon, and the air has the scent of before the rain.

In the bright lights of the main hall of the palace, Yuan Shu sat on his bed, urging people to inquire about the war situation several times. This time, he seemed to be late for reporting, which made him feel a sudden palpitation

Ji Ling is a great general, so he should have nothing to do.

There was no one in the vast palace, only a veil fluttering.

The western capital Chang'an and the eastern capital Luoyang are opposite each other. Due to Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu's rise to power here, Wancheng was chosen as the secondary capital, also known as the Southern Capital, with its own imperial palace. Every few years, the emperor would come and stay for a few days. It is rumored that when the late emperor came to Nanyang twenty years ago, he met the current empress dowager and was amazed by her talent, so he was appointed for promotion.

The content of this gossip is somewhat unreliable. At that time, the Empress Dowager was only ten years old and had not yet grown, how could she be amazed?

Unless Emperor Hanling likes this kind of loli

However, the Empress Dowager is indeed from Wancheng. No wonder the Empress and her husband gossip together. It seems that the local people are not as afraid of discussing the Emperor as outsiders. The elders of Wancheng still tell the story of their grandparents and Liu Xiu working as cowherd boys together. It has to be said that Liu Xiu is a charming guy who cares about his old feelings and never forgets his hometown. Even young people have the opportunity to see the Holy Face almost every few years, and they have a natural sense of closeness to the Emperor - aren't they all from the same hometown!

Since the emperor often comes, this palace is not in disrepair compared to other places, but rather magnificent and solemn, truly possessing the atmosphere of a palace.

Normally, there is a team of palace guards on duty. Unless the royal family is on patrol, no one dares to come in casually, let alone sleep in the main hall of this palace. Do you think you have a long life?

But at this time, the world was in chaos, with officials killing thieves, thieves killing officials, thieves killing thieves, and officials killing officials, all accusing each other. With the breakdown of order, it was not surprising that anything happened.

After the death of Nanyang Prefect Zhang Zi, Yuan Shu sent soldiers to surround the Han Palace, killed the captain of the palace guards who refused to surrender, and sent the palace guards away. He peacefully moved into the Han Palace, occupied the palace maids, and lived like the Han Emperor.

The people of the entire city looked sideways, but dared not speak up. They secretly mocked Yuan Shu for being crowned by a monkey, and discussed when Liu Shijun from the north could attack... When these undercurrents were just undercurrents without enough power, everything was isolated outside the palace gate.

Yuan Shu, the fourth generation and three dukes, came from the most noble aristocratic family, and even among the current aristocratic families, he was the most detached from the bottom. He never paid attention to the voices of these weeds below in his daily life.

Brother, please meet me

Come in! "The door pushed open, and the younger brother Yuan Yin walked in. He bowed silently and handed over a secret letter, whispering," Brother, I just received a letter from Brother Shao in Jizhou, proposing to appoint Liu Yu, the governor of Youzhou, as emperor in order to resist the righteous reputation of the puppet emperor of Luoyang and Empress Dowager Xuchang

Liu Yu is the emperor? "Yuan Shu woke up and chuckled hoarsely

Yuan Yin broke into a cold sweat and said, "Brother, be careful with your words. Liu Yu is the emperor, or the Han family is the world

Hmph! The Han family's world... "Yuan Shu remained noncommittal and looked up at him," What do you think of Yuan Shao's strategy

Brother, I dare not speak rashly. "Yuan Yin didn't dare to call Yuan Shao by his name and whispered," It's really possible. I'm afraid that not only are the four states established, but we also have five states in Jingzhou. This is a great opportunity for my Yuan family, and the hard work of five generations has brought us such great weather luck... Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Jian all have to die. The world is our Yuan... Ahem, I mean our Yuan family is the heroes of Zhongxing, enjoying generations of glory

Is my Yuan family the world

Yuan Shu understood the meaning behind his words and thought that this was indeed a great opportunity. His face turned green and red as he listened, but he couldn't help but touch the Imperial Seal in his arms and his eyes turned cold. "Is this something you can consider

Yes, yes, my younger brother is leaving. "Yuan Yin knew the opportunity and stepped down, but couldn't help but whisper softly," If you don't receive it from heaven, you will be held responsible. Brother, please think twice

Alright! Let me think again

Yuan Shu repelled Yuan Yin and wandered alone in the palace, caressing the Imperial Seal in his arms. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became: "How can this servant's son be proud... He has bestowed upon me the precious Imperial Seal, and I, Yuan Shu, am the one who has obtained the title of emperor

The bright yellow lights illuminated his twisted face and roared softly, "I am the true God

Report - Liu Bei's army has come in

A deputy general rushed into the hall in panic, followed closely by several trusted and old officials, disheveled and shouting, "Lord, let's go

What... what? "Yuan Shu was still in a daze and didn't react. He turned his head stiffly and looked at the closed mouth of a trusted old minister." Are you saying that Liu Bei was killed

Unbelievable, even incomprehensible.

At some point in the night sky, screams of killing rang out, causing Yuan Shu to shiver. When he woke up, his face turned red and he said, "Where's Ji Ling

General Ji has died in battle! General Lei Bo and General Chen Lan have also died in battle

Where are my soldiers

The army has been defeated and all have fled... The city gate has been tricked open, Liu Bei has already attacked, and the soldiers left behind by the main camp are also about to run away. Master, don't ask anymore, hurry up and run

Several old ministers shouted for their own troops and desperately pulled Yuan Shu out of the palace, ignoring his struggles: "How is that possible? This is the imperial hometown of Nanyang, a place of good fortune and the source of the dragon's veins. I have a heavenly jade seal to pass down the country. I am the true emperor, how could I be defeated

Don't shout blindly, my lord. Take advantage of it and run quickly to Yangzhou

In the darkness and chaos, something fell off with a 'pu', but no one noticed.

Just as the sound of horse hooves faded away, Yuan Yin ran over and said, "Brother, wait for me... Brother? Brother

He shouted anxiously, but stumbled over something and fell to the ground. When he raised his head again, he found himself facing only an empty hall and said, "Damn it, they've all run away

Yuan Yin sat up with his legs in his arms. Suddenly, his eyes fixed on the White Marble steps at his feet. A jade seal with gold horns was shining mysterious light in the dark, reflecting eight ancient seal characters: "You will live forever if you are ordered by heaven!"

Ah! It turned out to be... "Yuan Yin, a pure Han Chinese, couldn't be unaware of this thing. His face turned red and white for a while, and he was stunned for a long time before realizing it. He suddenly turned his head north and the letter appeared in front of him:" No wonder my elder brother has changed a lot recently. It turns out that there is such a thing - but chasing after him to Yangzhou now will definitely have no future... Fortunately, I have more than one elder brother

Yuan Yin is very realistic. He doesn't believe that Sun Jian is sincerely seeking refuge with Yuan Shu. Without the strength to run away empty handed, why should he command others?

At this moment, he gritted his teeth, took the jade seal, went outside the palace to find a horse, and then rode out of the city, avoiding the enemy's front and throwing Yuan Shao towards Jizhou.

And in Jingshui outside the eastern city, a group of people were packing their bags to cross the river when they quickly heard a cry of surprise: "My jade seal, who has tampered with my jade seal

The twisted sound pierced the night sky, and crows woke up from the woods and flew out, chirping in the air with a creaking sound, adding an ominous atmosphere.

But compared to these disheveled deserters, the imbalance between victory and defeat was too rapid, and the situation was quickly controlled, so the local area was not affected too much by the war.

Liu Bei's army quickly occupied Wancheng, reorganized the order inside and outside the city, searched for chaotic soldiers, protected residents, and everything was done in an orderly manner, just like in Yudong. It can even be said that Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun found that this aftermath was easier than in Yudong. Perhaps it was because Yuan Shu's recent rule was too unpopular?

That night, all the common people couldn't sleep. Whether they were from wealthy or small families, many adult men were armed and hiding behind their doors to observe. They saw that this group of officials and soldiers were in good order, and when they saw that it was Liu Shijun's banner, they all relaxed and said, "Go back to sleep, go back to sleep

We can continue to open tomorrow

Has Liu Shijun come over yet

I'll see tomorrow

There was no ceremony to enter the city late at night, only to ensure the safety of the palace. As the Empress Dowager was about to enter the city by car, Zhao Yun was stationed on the side of the street, dealing with several complaints from village elders about Yuan Shujun's occupation of civilian land. He had no experience of later becoming a prefect and was somewhat anxious about such civil matters.

A few village elders were not entangled, looking at the late sky and discussing it tomorrow. Suddenly, they saw the figure of a woman in Jin Chiluan's car and were shocked, saying, "But what kind of woman

The voice was both familiar and unfamiliar, with a local accent. The Empress Dowager was taken aback for a moment, and when she looked back, she woke up a few rural elders and bowed, "Greetings to the Empress Dowager

The empress dowager had no impression of these elderly people, so she asked about the situation and dealt with them briefly.

A few rural elders left gratefully, praising the "kindness of the Empress Dowager and Liu Shijun", "the teacher of benevolence and righteousness", and "the hope of the revival of the Han dynasty" all the way

The Empress Dowager pressed her heart and looked around, seeing the mountains, rivers, and streams outside the city at night, familiar and unfamiliar streets and alleys upon entering the city, and the ancient palace

Many memories that were thought to have been forgotten gradually resurface, and after a little confusion, there is no way to express what kind of sourness and melancholy.

Cao Baijing noticed and asked, "What's wrong with the Empress Dowager

No, I'm sorry... I just feel that this war is going too smoothly, it's like a dream

It went smoothly, but my husband has prepared a lot of work. If the scam just now doesn't work out, there will be insiders

The Empress Dowager listened and said, "It seems that Liu Shijun's infiltration into Jingbei has been good in the past two years

Cao Baijing noticed that she had no resistance when talking about this infiltration attitude, and thought to herself, "Well, my husband said that the situation in Nanyang County might be the best, which is definitely an anomaly

The remaining energy of the Han Dynasty in Di Xiang... The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes and sighed slightly, "No wonder Liu Shijun is not afraid of Yuan Shu's resistance at all. This thief has no popular base in Nanyang and has already won more people's hearts than Liu Shijun before setting foot in Jingzhou

Cao Baijing smiled so hard that her eyes narrowed, confirming her speculation. She thought to herself, "No wonder my husband said that the people of Nanyang generally believe that the Han dynasty can prosper again. Isn't this the best example? My husband said that later Zhuge Liang avoided chaos and worked hard in Nanyang, and in the end, he also chose Liu Bei, or perhaps it was because of this influence

The Empress Dowager was not sure if she had been studied by this young girl, so she casually joked, "Actually, this way of accompanying the capital is a channel for the emperor to directly contact the local area. County officials dare not neglect their duties, nor do they dare to mistreat the people. The powerful also dare not force the people too much. Otherwise, one day when the emperor arrives, he will encounter angry complaints from his fellow villagers. Whether the lawsuit is successful or not, a large number of people will be unlucky

Hehe, isn't it just that someone was unlucky? Unfortunately, Yuan Shu slipped away... My husband said he wants to kill him

Yuan Shu? "The Empress Dowager smiled and said," Where can this thief go? He's still under the command of Yangzhou Governor. I heard that Sun Jian has been obedient to him for the past two years. I'm afraid there will be a good show in Jiangdong

... just spreading the word to the country... "As she spoke, the Empress Dowager shrank back again, as she was most concerned about this.

Jin Chi's Luan Jia stopped in front of the palace, cleared the interior, and arranged for the accompanying maid to be brought in. The Empress Dowager then went inside to rest with Lady Gan's company.

Until almost dawn, she suddenly woke up from her dream, sat up with Bo Jing in her arms, and stared in the darkness for a long time.

The Empress Dowager

A voice of inquiry came from behind, and looking back, Lady Gan heard the sound. In the darkness, only the lamp in her hand illuminated it, like a snow-white jade figure.

The Empress Dowager secretly praised in her heart and shook her head, saying, "It's nothing. The mourning family just had a dream

Cao Baijing sat down next to the Empress Dowager, her dark eyes curious under the light. "Can you tell me? As a Taoist, I am familiar with the changes in divine consciousness and may be able to interpret dreams for the Empress Dowager

The mourning family dreamed that Liu Yaojun rode a cow to the battlefield... "The Empress Dowager said, seeing that Lady Gan was puzzled:" When I was young, I heard stories from the old people that Emperor Guangwu went to the battlefield for the first time because he didn't have a horse, and the soldiers rode their own water buffalo into battle

Cao Baijing covered her mouth and laughed, then listened to the Empress Dowager continue talking about her dreams.

After hearing that it was all about Emperor Guangwu, Cao Baijing ended up putting it all on her own husband, which made her gaze gradually strange: "When the Empress Dowager was young, did she really love listening to the legendary stories of Emperor Guangwu's revival

The Empress Dowager felt a bit uncomfortable being exposed to her privacy, but she still responded, "Yes

There are more things that haven't been said yet. Like many of her peers in Nanyang, the little girl grew up immersed in the legendary story of Guangwu Zhongxing - this may be the reason why she quickly accepted Ye Qing subconsciously.

The Han dynasty can be revived, "she always thought, feeling a sudden sense of nostalgia when returning to her long lost hometown.

Cao Baijing could guess some things. Although she knew it had nothing to do with Feng Yue, her husband was still the true love in another woman's dream, which inevitably made her feel a little sour. Without further ado, she just chatted and blinked her eyes, asking, "Does the Empress Dowager think he can do it

Of course... "The Empress Dowager responded, suddenly noticing something and giving her a glance:" It can revive the Han dynasty three times

Cao Baijing also smiled, but heard the sound of hurried footsteps outside as it started raining. This was distributing raincoats and hats to the guards on duty and patrol

My husband has always attached great importance to the supply of military supplies.

Amidst the pitter patter of rain, a peaceful atmosphere rippled through the room, gradually calming down.

My husband's main force is going to Xuzhou, is it also raining on that side? "Cao Baijing looked out the window for a while, seeing the night sky spreading, and spoke softly.

Nanyang County has been solved, but Xuzhou is full of danger. Cao Cao had a large number of ground soldiers join, and the army is actually very strong.

And how many people will respond to the announcement of Dong's memorial?

After Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Sun Jian successively destroyed it, the prestige of the Han dynasty had to be raised again. At least not many feudal lords really believed it, and the rest were nothing more than seeking the benefits of Dong Bo and usurping righteousness

At this level, the husband is standing in opposition to all the feudal lords. What would he do to guide the situation of overthrowing Dong?

For a moment, Cao Baijing became a bit infatuated.

Seeing the expression on Lady Xiaogan's face, the Empress Dowager's heart moved. As a woman, she understood the meaning represented by Lady Xiaogan's expression... Her heart couldn't help but heat up, and in the blink of an eye, her gaze dimmed again.

At this moment, the west wind swept over the rain and tinkled on the tiles, as if someone was singing softly.