Three Kingdoms Mythology World.

Chapter 2651 Dong Zhuo Obtains the Yongzhou Cauldron
Li Ru realized that the disappearance of the palace maid named Diao Chan was no accident, and that a mysterious force must be plotting something behind the scenes.

Yang Biao and Lu Zhi...possibly...

Lin Mu... is also possible...

Empress Dowager He... is very likely...

There is an even more terrifying possibility: that they will unite!

If we're preparing for the worst-case scenario, then we need to make some preparations...

However, Liu Bian needs to make plans for the dragon's fortune early, lest things get complicated if he waits too long.

As for Diao Chan, he did not search for her openly, but secretly investigated her, without telling Dong Zhuo about these matters.

Meanwhile, Dong Zhuo was already immersed in the flattery of his ministers, and he regarded Liu Xie's bestowal of titles upon Lü Bu as a childish attempt to curry favor, without giving it any deeper meaning.

Li Ru knew that a high-profile search for Diao Chan would inevitably alert the forces behind her. While a secret investigation would be slower, its advantage lay in its secrecy and reduced the chance of detection. He assigned several trusted subordinates to meticulously search for Diao Chan's whereabouts in every corner of Luoyang, leaving no possible clue unchecked.

At the same time, he also accelerated the surveillance and infiltration of the court officials. This was a task assigned to him by Dong Zhuo. He was to thoroughly investigate the whereabouts and connections of all officials of the fourth rank and above, and even record their daily conversations, so that there would be no chance of failure!

This mission had been carried out in secret all along; otherwise, how could Lin Mu have known so much about his every move?

Thus, the grand ceremony, which began in the early hours of the morning, continued until late at night before finally dispersing. Most of the civil and military officials were immersed in joy, for they had now aligned themselves with Dong Zhuo. However, many other officials were also restless and unable to eat or sleep.

They were terrified that Dong Zhuo might take further drastic measures... which would inevitably shake the very foundation of the Han Dynasty.

That night, Lin Mu, Yang Biao, and others left the palace, while Dong Zhuo and his entourage, after seeing off all the officials, did not leave the palace.

Immediately after the ceremony of deposing and installing emperors, they took action against Liu Bian.

If Empress Dowager He hadn't been rescued from the palace, Liu Bian would likely be dead tonight...

But now... Dong Zhuo and his men have to change their plans. They'll spare Liu Bian's life to threaten Empress Dowager He!

Empress Dowager He was a smart woman. She understood that if they did not escape, Liu Bian would have no way to survive once Dong Zhuo completely controlled him.

Liu Bian was the rightful and legitimate emperor, and letting him leave the capital would be great news for some. They would undoubtedly use Liu Bian's name to establish another Han dynasty elsewhere. That would be very difficult for Dong Zhuo, as it would inevitably affect his subsequent plans… Therefore, Liu Bian had no choice but to be executed!

Inside the Jiade Hall, Liu Xie, who had been carried away by eunuchs, was carried back again, along with Liu Bian, who had already fainted from crying.

In fact, Liu Bian and Liu Xie were quite resilient; at least they didn't reveal that Lin Mu had appeared and taken away Empress Dowager He.

The banquet hall was in a mess, filled with the smell of alcohol, but no palace maids or eunuchs came to clean it up. At this moment, only Dong Zhuo and his entourage were in the huge hall.

"My lord, we may begin!" Li Ru nodded to Dong Zhuo.

"Hmm!" Upon hearing this, Dong Zhuo exhaled a deep breath of alcohol and snorted heavily, "Here you go..."

As he spoke, Dong Zhuo took out a strange dragon-shaped jade seal from his pocket and handed it to Li Ru.

Li Ru took the dragon-shaped jade seal and went directly to the unconscious Liu Bian, then silently recited some strange incantations.

The next moment, a strange array suddenly appeared beneath their feet.

A strange power erupted from the formation, quickly enveloping Liu Bian. In an instant, strange dragon shadows emerged from Liu Bian's body... a careful count revealed eighty-nine of them...

Just then, a strange cracking sound suddenly rang out from Liu Bian's body.

The next moment, all those dragon shadows shattered like bubbles... and then vanished into the air.

"What?!?!?!" Dong Zhuo, Li Ru, and the others were dumbfounded upon seeing this.

The next moment, as if they had realized the key, they erupted in fury. Who had stolen all the dragon's luck from Liu Bian?!
Just then, as Liu Xie calmly observed everything unfolding, dragon shadows suddenly appeared around him...

The number is also one hundred and thirty-seven!
"Liu Xie, you stole the Dragon Luck from Liu Bian?!?!" Dong Zhuo realized what was happening and flew into a rage. He flashed to Liu Xie's side, grabbed him, and yanked him up, leaving him hanging in mid-air like a little chick.

Liu Xie was deeply humiliated and filled with grief and indignation, but he did not resist. Instead, his face turned red as he said, "This was given to me by my imperial brother. After we worshipped the heavens and our ancestors to change the emperor's position, the imperial fortune was transferred to me!"

"Impossible!! Impossible!!" Li Ru immediately retorted.

He said solemnly, "The Dragon's Fortune is ordained by Heaven. Liu Bian's fate is not yet over. How could it be transferred so easily? Without special items or skills, even Heaven would not transfer things so casually. There must be something fishy about this!"

Liu Bian and Liu Xie didn't possess any special items or skills, meaning the two of them alone couldn't have completed the transfer of the dragon's fortune. The only possibility... is that... Empress Dowager He arranged it before she left!

Dong Zhuo and Li Ru seemed to have both considered this possibility. They exchanged a glance, their anger intensifying.

"Was it the people who took Empress Dowager He away who did this?" Dong Zhuo asked, staring fiercely at Liu Xie.

Liu Xie trembled under Dong Zhuo's cold and cruel gaze, but he still gritted his teeth and replied, "The Empress Dowager has been taken away by General Huangfu."

Good grief, this has directly dragged Huangfu Song into the mess.

"Good...good...good!!" Upon hearing this, Dong Zhuo said "good" three times in a row, laughing in extreme anger.

Dong Zhuo gripped Liu Xie's hand even tighter. Liu Xie kicked wildly in the air and desperately tried to pry Dong Zhuo's hands off, but Dong Zhuo's strength was astonishing, and he couldn't break free at all.

"What a clever scheme..." Li Ru sighed softly.

The imperial fortune resides with Liu Xie, who is now the emperor, possessing the status and authority of an emperor. Dong Zhuo simply cannot touch him. To do so would be treason. Unprepared, they cannot act rashly for the time being. Therefore, the imperial fortune is unattainable!

As for Liu Bian, he lost his imperial status and his imperial fortune, and the Yongzhou Cauldron... yes, the Yongzhou Cauldron!

Dong Zhuo and Li Ru exchanged a glance. Immediately, Li Ru understood and transformed into a streak of light, rushing out of Jiade Hall to investigate personally.

Dong Zhuo took a few deep breaths to suppress the murderous intent in his heart. He was afraid that he would lose control of his killing intent and kill the two brats on the spot.

After waiting for a while, Li Ru returned with a happy expression and nodded to Dong Zhuo.

Upon receiving Li Ru's response, Dong Zhuo finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The dragon's fortune is gone, but the Yongzhou Cauldron cannot be lost as well.

"My lord, the manipulators behind the scenes are well-versed in human nature and choices. They transferred the dragon's passage to Liu Xie ahead of time and took Empress Dowager He away, all to save Liu Bian's life. They want to take Liu Bian away from the capital and then establish a separate Han court to oppose us!" Li Ru stated the worst possible outcome.

Upon hearing Li Ru's words, Dong Zhuo's face grew serious. Those fellows still refused to submit!
"Hmph! Let's see if Empress Dowager He cares about her own flesh and blood!" Dong Zhuo snorted coldly, glanced fiercely at the unconscious Liu Bian, and said in a low voice.

"My lord, I will arrange everything later!" Li Ru replied, understanding immediately.

"Increase the reward!" Dong Zhuo nodded and gave the order.

Afterwards, Dong Zhuo left with Lü Bu and others, not even glancing at Liu Bian and Liu Xie.

The rest was left to Li Ru to handle.

Dong Zhuo was in such a hurry because of the Yongzhou Cauldron.

Empress Dowager He and Long Yun both missed their chance because of the uncertainty of the situation.

We can't afford to lose the Yongzhou Ding any longer!
Li Ru began to make arrangements methodically. He first arranged for a team of highly skilled assassins to take turns guarding Liu Xie and Liu Bian day and night, and also had people secretly lurking near the routes where Liu Bian might be transferred. If there was any disturbance, they would immediately intercept them and send a signal.

At the same time, strengthen the teleportation confinement and early warning arrays within the Imperial Palace.

Another point is to continue searching for the national treasury.

That's right, Dong Zhuo's camp also failed to find the national treasury! Even after searching every visible palace several times, they still couldn't find the national treasury.

The national treasury is the foundation accumulated by the Han Dynasty over many years; it definitely contains valuable items!

In addition, Li Ru began to plan how to bring Empress Dowager He to the capital. At the same time, he issued new arrest warrants to various counties and prefectures, offering a reward of one million gold coins, a fourth-rank official position, and the title of Marquis for capturing Empress Dowager He!
In addition, Li Ru also thought of Huangfu Song. He knew that Huangfu Song was one of Empress Dowager He's pillars of support and a figure not to be underestimated. Although they had previously defeated the armies of Lu Zhi, Zhu Jun, and Huangfu Song, it was only under circumstances where they had an advantage. They used Liu Bianzhi's safety as a pretext to lure the three men into hastily raising an army to the capital to protect the emperor, and then ambushed them halfway.

To prevent Huangfu Song from secretly aiding Empress Dowager He, Li Ru decided to send someone to test Huangfu Song's attitude. He dispatched an eloquent strategist with generous gifts to visit Huangfu Song, ostensibly to thank him for his cooperation in the deposition and enthronement ceremony, but in reality to find out his true intentions.

If one plan fails, there is another. If we cannot persuade Huangfu Song to come to the capital, then we will lure Huangfu Song into the capital, and the bait will be Liu Bian!
Afterwards, Li Ru had Liu Bian and Liu Xie carried to the back hall. Watching the two leave, a strange smile appeared on Li Ru's face.

In the rear hall of Jiade Palace, Liu Bian remained unconscious. Liu Xie, trembling with fear, huddled in a corner.

Just now, Li Ru drew his longsword, intending to stab his elder brother Liu Bian to death right in front of him. The sword was already only an inch away from Liu Bian's throat…

Having lost his imperial destiny and his status as emperor, Liu Bian was truly at his most vulnerable at this moment.

Then, Li Ru pointed his longsword at him, which terrified him. At that moment, Li Ru seemed to harbor ill intentions towards the brothers, but after much consideration, he did not make a move.

At that moment, he truly felt very, very close to death... He was the emperor of the Han Dynasty, yet he was placed in such a predicament; it was too tragic!
(End of this chapter)