Three Kingdoms Mythology World.

Chapter 2653 Cao Cao's Fateful Tribulation: Assassinating Dong Zhuo! (Part 1)
Next, the one to deal with is not Lin Mu, but Huangfu Song, who has taken Empress Dowager He hostage!
According to reliable sources, Huangfu Song and Gai Xun have amassed three million troops near the capital, intending to purge the court of corrupt officials.

Huangfu Song and Gai Xun are not the scary ones; what's scary is that they've allied with Lin Mu. However, judging from Lin Mu's situation, it seems he's not involved with them.

The whereabouts of the National Protection Army and the Defenders Army are now clear and can be ascertained. Even with the use of teleportation arrays, it wouldn't be possible to teleport all millions of elite troops into Sili so quickly; it would require both time and resources.

Of course, it is also possible that Lin Mu was remotely manipulating the National Protection Army from behind the scenes, while he himself was attracting attention in the palace and secretly trying to rescue Liu Bian.

If Lin Mu were to actually attempt to abduct Liu Bian, he would be courting death. As for the National Protection Army and the Guardian Army, since they haven't joined forces with Huangfu Song, the problem isn't too significant.

"For now, we can only make arrangements and wait for Empress Dowager He to appear!" Li Ru sighed softly as he looked at the heavily guarded palace buildings.

In order to guard against this, the upper echelons of the Imperial Guard were basically replaced by a group of Xiliang generals who were loyal to Dong Zhuo.

The palace walls were filled with spies, making it difficult even for birds to enter.

The same was true within Luoyang, the capital city. Intelligence soldiers from Dong Zhuo's camp were scattered throughout the city, ready to report any unusual activity immediately. The moment Empress Dowager He appeared would be the time to close the net. The blades lurking in the shadows had long been sharpened, awaiting only the command to shatter the centuries-old silence of the capital.

Besides dealing with Huangfu Song and Empress Dowager He, we also need to be wary of the schemes of Yang Biao and others... These old foxes are very good at conspiracies and tricks, and we might be overturned if we're not careful.

"Unfortunately, our lord's views on powerful clans are still too traditional. He deliberately tries to please them... to let them govern the world... This approach is putting the cart before the horse," Li Ru sighed softly.

In fact, he secretly suggested that Dong Zhuo directly kill Yang Biao, Lu Zhi, Zhu Jun, and others.

When Lu Zhi and Zhu Jun were captured, he secretly ordered his men to cut off their heads after they were captured, in order to prevent future troubles.

Unfortunately, Lü Bu stopped him...

That's right... Lü Bu, for some reason, spared the two men. After capturing them, he took them directly to the capital to participate in the court meeting, giving the ministers a chance to plead for their lives and persuade their lord to spare them. They escaped death!
The only thing he stopped was Dong Zhuo's forced killing of Ding Yuan and Yuan Shao.

Both instances of obstruction were correct.

With that thought, Li Ru sighed softly and disappeared into the depths of the palace…

……

In Cao Cao's mansion, Cao Cao was reading a book when, at that moment, strange sounds from heaven and earth rang in his ears.

"Me, assassinate Dong Zhuo? Whether this plan succeeds or fails, I'll gain the Five Dragons' Fortune..."

"Such a dangerous thing...this...this...is my fate?!" Cao Cao exclaimed as if he sensed something.

Immediately, a series of divine voices announced all the rewards, which greatly tempted Cao Cao.

Cao Cao put down the book in his hand and paced back and forth in his study, his mind filled with many thoughts.

At this moment, Cao Cao was torn between his conscience and his own desires. On one hand, the allure of the Five Dragons' Fortune was too great; it meant having a stronger foothold in this chaotic world and being able to gain an advantage in the future struggle for power among the warlords.

On the other hand, assassinating Dong Zhuo was an extremely risky undertaking with a slim chance of survival. Dong Zhuo was surrounded by many skilled warriors, Li Ru was cunning and treacherous, and Lü Bu was incredibly powerful. If one was not careful, not only would one's own life be in danger, but the entire Cao family could also be implicated.

“Lü Bu…Li Ru…”

"If I succeed in assassinating Dong Zhuo, the capital will surely be thrown into chaos. Who will ultimately control the imperial court? Regardless, the world will be in turmoil, and various forces will seize the opportunity to rise up. At that time, I, Cao Cao, may be able to distinguish myself in this chaotic world and achieve great things. But if I fail, not only will my own life be in danger, but my family and my soldiers will also be implicated." Cao Cao muttered to himself, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

At this moment, he faced a difficult choice!

However, reason prevailed and he calmed down. He knew Dong Zhuo's personal defenses were extremely tight; if he acted rashly, he would likely be discovered before even getting close to Dong Zhuo. Lü Bu could definitely kill him with a single blow!

"Perhaps my previous compromises were effective!" Cao Cao murmured.

He used to frequently visit Dong Zhuo's residence, flatter him, and personally serve him, all in order to secure an official position: Governor of Yan Province!
That's right, his ambition has swelled up to the point that he's no longer aiming for the third or fourth rank, but for the second rank!
He knew that overthrowing Dong Zhuo was not something that could be done overnight. He planned to curry favor with Dong Zhuo and then, at the right time, lead the governor of Yanzhou to develop Yanzhou. Once his army was strong and well-equipped, he would directly march north and eliminate Dong Zhuo.

"Assassinating Dong Zhuo... a life-or-death ordeal... but also an opportunity to become famous throughout the world... If I can overcome this, the road ahead will be much easier."

"But were all those previous humiliations and humiliations for nothing?"

"Dong Zhuo is incredibly powerful; I can't assassinate him alone... Can I kill him? No... He's far stronger than me..."

"Lin Mu... this guy gave up his advantages, possessed such a powerful army, yet he couldn't even get past the Gods..."

"Should I ask Zhao Yun to come and help me? No, it's too dangerous. Yuan ordered them not to come... It seems I really have to rely on myself."

Cao Cao kept muttering to himself... sometimes without any logic... saying whatever came to mind... He wanted to unite with others, such as Lin Mu, Yang Biao, Lu Zhi, or the Yuan family... but these people were all under strict surveillance by Dong Zhuo and could easily be discovered.

Suddenly, he thought of Wang Yun, and of Wang Yun who had given him a birthday banquet!

Wang Yun was a veteran official in the court. On the surface, he obeyed Dong Zhuo's every word and was valued by Dong Zhuo, who bestowed upon him an important official position. However, Wang Yun harbored resentment towards Dong Zhuo, or rather, he was jealous... This old fellow actually wanted to become a powerful minister and replace Dong Zhuo.

Recently, Wang Yun had invited Dong Zhuo to dine at his residence. Unfortunately, Dong Zhuo was too busy and kept declining, but he insisted that he would definitely come. This might be an opportunity.

Moreover, Wang Yun had quickly established good relations with Yang Biao and Lu Zhi, and had secretly obtained a considerable amount of intelligence and resources. Gaining Wang Yun's support and assistance would be equivalent to receiving help from Yang Biao and Lu Zhi, potentially greatly increasing the success rate of assassinating Dong Zhuo.

"If the assassination fails... I'll have to flee... Sili is basically under Dong Zhuo's control, only Huangfu Song's side... maybe I can get in touch with him..."

"And... if we fail, the teleportation array and all teleportation items will be restricted... the escape route has also been determined, and the final destination is Qiao County in Pei State!" At this moment, Cao Cao heard the voice of heaven and earth again.

"A purple aura fills the sky..." Cao Cao murmured.

"Huh... today is actually the birthday banquet..." Cao Cao casually flipped through the invitation, glanced at it unintentionally, and exclaimed in surprise.

After pondering for a while, he made up his mind. He immediately summoned his servants and hurried out to the banquet.

When Cao Cao arrived at Wang Yun's residence, it was already night. However, the banquet did not seem to have officially started yet, as the stewards and servants were still greeting the guests.

Cao Cao presented the invitation and quickly entered the mansion. As he entered, many officials who also wanted to attend Wang Yun's birthday banquet, but who did not have invitations and had only come after hearing about it, were all turned away.

“Prince Wang, it seems you started plotting that day… You became so active after the late emperor’s death; your schemes are quite profound!” Cao Cao had seen everything and felt as if he had already figured out Wang Yun.

Led by his attendants, Cao Cao quickly arrived at a banquet hall. After arriving at his assigned seat, he looked around and noticed that many seats were empty, even those at the back. Cao Cao recalled that Wang Yun had apparently given invitations to Yuan Wei, Yuan Shu, and other members of the Yuan clan, but he didn't see them at the event.

However, there were also many high-ranking ministers, such as the great Confucian scholars Huang Wan and Han Rong.

After waiting for a while, once most of the guests had arrived, Wang Yun appeared.

Wang Yun was dressed as the God of Longevity, with a beaming smile on his face.

"Please sit down, everyone. Today is my birthday, and all of you here are former officials of the court. Thank you for gracing us with your presence."

“However…” At this point, Wang Yun’s tone changed, and a look of sorrow appeared on his face.

The next moment, he exuded a sense of sorrow, which affected many people in the room.

Upon seeing this, Cao Cao's expression changed slightly. This old fellow, whether using a skill or a special ability... he actually tried to control everyone's emotions!
"Why are you so sad on Situ Hua's birthday?" Huang Wan asked in a deep voice, her face filled with sorrow.

“Indeed, Lord Situ, today is a joyous day, why are you so sad?” the others echoed.

"To be honest, today is not my birthday. I just wanted to have a chat with you all, but I was afraid Dong Zhuo would suspect me, so I made this excuse to celebrate your birthday," Wang Yun said quietly, adjusting his tone.

"Oh, I see!!" Everyone exclaimed in realization.

At this critical moment when the capital was in dire straits due to Dong Zhuo's actions, Wang Yun actually held a birthday banquet, which was bound to cause misunderstandings... Now the misunderstanding has been cleared up.

"Dong Zhuo deceived the emperor and seized power, and the country was in imminent danger. Emperor Gaozu wanted to overthrow Qin and Chu and rule the world, but who would have thought that the dynasty would be destroyed by Dong Zhuo? I, Wang, was forced to serve under the Three Kingdoms, which was a last resort."

“Wang is still barely clinging to life under Dong Zhuo's rule… Alas…” Wang Yun sighed heavily.

Immediately, he burst into tears, and the others, as if infected by his grief, also began to weep… In an instant, what was supposed to be a joyous birthday banquet seemed to have turned into Wang Yun's deathbed…

"Haha!~~~~" At this moment, a loud, piercing laugh echoed throughout the banquet hall.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Cao Cao laughing heartily.

"The entire court officials weep from night till dawn, and from dawn till night, but how can they possibly weep to death Dong Zhuo?" Cao Cao retorted sarcastically.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yun immediately rebuked, "Cao Mengde, your ancestors also enjoyed the Han dynasty's bounty. Now, instead of thinking of serving the country, you ridicule us. What kind of logic is this?"

"I'm not laughing at anyone else, but at you all, for you have not a single plan to kill Dong Zhuo," Cao Cao said with a cold laugh.

"Oh... what's the plan behind this?" A glint of light flashed in Wang Yun's eyes as he asked meaningfully.

(End of this chapter)