Three Kingdoms Mythology World.

"Hold on, your brother is not dead."

As young Liu Xie watched the three departing figures, this phrase echoed in his mind.

He didn't know why General Lin Mu could enter the heavily guarded imperial palace so easily, coming and going as he pleased, nor did he know why Lin Mu came here, glanced at him, said a sentence, and then left.

But he knew that the appearance of General Wei Lin Mu meant that the situation might be turning around!

Although Wang Yun, Dong Zhuo, and others kept saying in court that Lin Mu was a traitor who had seized control of the prefectures and wanted to establish himself as king, he knew that none of their words were credible.

The words Lin Mu spoke were clearly not Lin Mu's own words, but rather words conveyed to him by his elder brother Liu Bian.

"Brother, you've been rescued, but what about me..." Liu Xie sighed with an air of maturity beyond his years.

In the entire spacious hall, only his solitary figure remained...

"My lord, how is it?" Wang Yue asked with a complicated expression.

“Liu Xie still has his destiny, but the source of his dragon luck is gone... It’s similar to when Liu Bei borrowed my luck before.” Lin Mu sighed softly.

"Who has such a heavenly status to borrow the emperor's fortune?! Aren't they afraid of divine retribution?!" Wang Yue exclaimed in shock.

"What do you think?" Lin Mu glanced at Wang Yue indifferently, his words carrying a hidden meaning.

"The national guardian beast, the Heaven-Reaching Black Emperor Dragon!!!" Wang Yue didn't hesitate; this being immediately popped into his mind.

How ridiculous! Even the national guardian beast doesn't protect the emperor! In which dynasty would such a laughable thing happen?!

These two were supposed to be inseparable, sharing life and death, honor and disgrace, yet now things have turned out this way... It's both laughable and lamentable.

Afterwards, Lin Mu asked Wang Yue to stay in the palace to handle affairs.

After finishing everything at the palace, Lin Mu led Dian Wei towards the Temple of Heaven.

The teleportation array outside the palace leading to the Temple of Heaven was not sealed off, and many people and ceremonial officials were constantly traveling back and forth between the two places.

Soon, Lin Mu arrived at the Temple of Heaven.

The altar for receiving the abdication at the Temple of Heaven has been completed and stands at the very top of the Temple of Heaven. Previously, there was a sacrificial altar at the highest point, used to worship heaven and earth, and extremely important ceremonies were held here.

However, in order to build the abdication platform, Wang Yun ordered it to be completely dismantled and a new altar to be built. For Dong Zhuo, wasn't this a new beginning?

The high platform is nine zhang, nine chi, and nine cun in circumference, with a base paved with white marble. Three tiers of steps lead upwards, and at the top stands a three-legged, two-eared cauldron.

The roadside was lined with flags bearing the character "Dong," and the sacrificial offerings had already been arranged.

The seats below the stage were filled with officials, and even the seats of the feudal lords were arranged according to their rank. However, most of the seats were empty, with only a few sycophantic ministers arriving early to wait.

Wang Situ stood on the side of the platform with a group of trusted senior officials. He was dressed in a purple official robe, which was impeccably tailored. Only his hand, which was holding the jade tablet, was slightly white in the wide sleeves.

Above the sky, purple clouds filled the air, auspicious omens soared to the heavens.

Strange light curtains descended from the sky, resembling a rainbow curtain in the heavens, extremely beautiful.

Lin Mu quietly approached the altar and gazed at the sacrificial offerings that had been prepared on the altar. Whether it was spirit fruit or spirit beast meat, they all exuded a faint misty aura, clearly indicating that they were not ordinary items.

Nine hundred and ninety-nine medium-sized wine vessels were arranged in the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) pattern, each filled with a strange spiritual liquid, from which wisps of white mist rose.

The giant cauldron in the center was filled with unlit incense and candles that still exuded a rich fragrance.

Descending the white marble steps, one is greeted by symmetrically arranged officials on both sides. Some carry huge horns, some carry strange cowhide drums, and some carry bronze musical instruments. They are all dressed in neat black robes, their faces solemn and their breathing extremely soft.

Lin Mu squinted and scanned the empty seats of the feudal lords below the stage. He tapped his fingertips lightly twice in his sleeve. Dong Zhuo certainly had a grand display and was quite bold to invite top feudal lords to witness the ceremony. He was not afraid of the dangers of human nature, which led to the disruption of the ceremony.

However, no matter how grand the spectacle or how elaborate the facade, it cannot conceal the emptiness within.

If the real vulnerabilities aren't plugged, everything else is meaningless!
As he was pondering this, he suddenly heard the heavy sound of horses' hooves in the distance, accompanied by the orderly rumble of the Xuanjia Army advancing, pressing straight towards the Temple of Heaven along the official road.

Before long, purple mist surged from the end of the distant official road, and the tremors on the ground became increasingly clear. Dong Zhuo's abdication procession slowly appeared in everyone's sight.

All the officials rose in unison, suppressing their various thoughts, and stood still, gazing at the ever-approaching torrent of armored soldiers. A vast expanse of purple aura swept over the walls of Chang'an, enveloping the entire Abdication Platform in auspicious light. No one saw that deep within the purple aura, a crimson hue was slowly spreading towards Chang'an along the official road.

Dong Zhuo has not yet arrived, but the officials know they need to rehearse, eliminate all minor errors, and do their best.

The series of ceremonies were completed quickly and without major issues.

The officials who had pledged allegiance to Dong Zhuo beamed with unwavering smiles upon seeing this. The other officials, however, displayed a variety of expressions.

Currently, none of the other warlords, including Sun Jian and Yuan Shu, have arrived at their seats.

Lin Mu merely observed the etiquette of the rehearsal from the sidelines and did not take a seat.

At the same time, the real news began to spread in Chang'an, a news that shook the entire land and the entire Han Dynasty: Emperor Liu Xie abdicated in favor of Dong Zhuo!
In the second year of the Chuping era, Chang'an, the western capital, had experienced the turmoil of a meteorite striking Luoyang and the relocation of the capital to the west, and the prestige of the Han dynasty had almost completely withered away.

Terrified by Dong Zhuo's ruthless power, the court officials jointly submitted a memorial requesting Emperor Liu Xie to abdicate in accordance with the will of Heaven and the people, and to bring peace to the world.

Emperor Liu Xie was young and vulnerable. Forced by the military might of powerful ministers, he had no choice but to issue an edict to carry out the abdication ceremony. He ordered the relevant officials to prepare for the grand ceremony of abdication, in accordance with the ancient rites of abdication by Yao and Shun. The court and the country were busy setting up the abdication ceremony.

The abdication ceremony was held at the altar of the Temple of Heaven in Chang'an, the original place where the Han emperors worshipped Heaven and Earth and upheld the will of Heaven and Earth. It was the place with the highest rites in the world.

From the day the edict was issued, a million imperial guards were mobilized to clear out any unauthorized persons within a ten-mile radius of the palace, block off roads in the city, and strictly prohibit ordinary people from spying on court rituals.

The Shaofu (Minister of the Imperial Household) oversaw the entire operation, the Taichangsi (Court of Imperial Sacrifices) was in charge of ceremonies, the Guanglusi (Court of Imperial Banquets) was responsible for the display of ceremonial guards, the Weiweisi (Court of Imperial Guards) was responsible for gate security, and the Zongzhengsi (Court of Imperial Clan Affairs) was responsible for the organization of Han dynasty records. The four offices worked together day and night to repair and prepare the ceremony, ensuring that the grand ceremony conformed to the rites of Zhou and the system of Han, and fully displaying the majesty of the "change of the Mandate of Heaven".

After the rehearsal was completed, the formal setup began.

From the base of the Temple of Heaven to the sacrificial altar, the white jade steps are paved with a red carpet of tribute brocade from the Western Regions. The edges of the carpet are embroidered with black dragon patterns, and the corners are edged with pure gold, making it perfectly smooth without a single wrinkle or speck of dust. Descending from the sacrificial altar, on the left and right sides of the tribute red carpet, stand eighty-one dragon-patterned banners, black with gold seals, the left bearing the inscription "Received from Heaven" and the right "Obey the Mandate," fluttering in the wind.

Amidst the banners stood the complete set of elegant musical instruments from the Imperial Music Bureau, including chime bells, stone chimes, drums, and zithers. The bronze bells and chimes were polished to a gleaming shine, and the jade chimes were warm and translucent. Three thousand seven hundred and twenty-eight musicians, all dressed in black embroidered robes, practiced the ancient tunes "The Music of Abdication" and "The Music of Receiving Heaven" day and night, eliminating all decadent music and keeping only the proper music for the ancestral temple.

Since the imperial edict of abdication was issued, all the officials seemed to be immersed in the busy preparations for the abdication ceremony, and no bloody conflict occurred.

Everyone seemed to fall silent, silently awaiting the coming storm.

Beneath the altar's red steps, civil and military officials stood in separate positions. On the east side were former officials of the Han dynasty, and on the west side were civil and military officials from Xiliang under Dong Zhuo, as well as generals and officers from various routes. The two rows of positions were separated by white jade pillars, each with thirty-six blue gauze palace lanterns, illuminating the area day and night.

Then, on both sides, the highest ceremonial guard of the Han Dynasty was displayed: on the left were black-armored officials holding swords and Jinwu Guards, each with gleaming armor and jade-adorned swords, their postures upright like pine trees.

The eunuchs on the right are in charge of banners, fans, and flags, holding fans with the sun, moon, dragon, and phoenix, canopies with the four spirits, and banners reaching the heavens. All the ceremonial weapons have been recast and gilded, with intricate and solemn decorations.

Looking down from the sky, on the east and west sides of the Temple of Heaven Square, hundreds of thousands of Xiliang cavalry stood in formation, their armor gleaming and their spears like a forest. The cavalry stood silently, their armor blades gleaming coldly in the sun. It was both a grand ceremonial procession and a display of military might that intimidated the court and the people. The solemn atmosphere throughout the hall overshadowed the remaining Han dynasty dignity.

In short, the troops near the Temple of Heaven were all loyal to Dong Zhuo; there were no Bingzhou soldiers or elite warriors from powerful clans!
According to etiquette, even the personal guards of warlords like Yuan Shu were not allowed to come up.

Most importantly, beneath the altar, there is a circular teleportation array with a radius of three zhang (approximately 10 meters).

This teleportation array leads directly to the Weiyang Palace in Chang'an!
After the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven was completed, they were directly teleported to the Weiyang Palace to receive the abdication ceremony from Liu Xie, who had been arranged to sit on the dragon throne.

Lin Mu had been wandering around the area observing the ceremony and learning from the experience.

Of course, he also took a trip through the teleportation array to visit the Weiyang Palace.

Inside the main hall, the ceremonial arrangements were even more rigorous. In the center of the Weiyang Palace, the thrones of past Han emperors had been removed, and two temporary imperial desks, one to the north and one to the south, had been erected. The northern desk was the dragon throne of Emperor Liu Xie, the one he had abdicated on. It was still the Han imperial throne, made of gilded sandalwood with nine dragons coiled around its pillars. Before it was a jade table, on which were neatly arranged a complete set of abdication tokens: one of which was the Imperial Seal of the State, housed in a brocade box with coiled dragons. The box was secured with three red-gold locks, and the brocade backing concealed the square, lustrous white jade seal, a symbol of the legitimacy of the empire. This Imperial Seal of the State was made by Dong Zhuo and his associates themselves; it was unknown whether it had received the approval of Heaven and Earth, or possessed any real power or authority.

The second item consists of three imperial documents: the abdication edict, the cinnabar book, and the jade tablet. The edict was written on imperial black Xuan paper with dragon patterns and stamped with the Eight Treasures of the Han Dynasty emperor by the vermilion seal. The cinnabar book was written on green bamboo slips with red gold ink. The jade tablet was engraved with the full text of the abdication and was bound with gold thread and sealed in a jade box.

The third is the "Map of Mountains and Rivers of the World", the "Crimson Dragon Register of the Great Han Dynasty", and the "Establishment of the Dragon Ministers and Officials of Heaven and Earth", representing the complete abdication of all the people, the nation, and the land.

To be honest, Lin Mu was tempted when he saw these things from afar, but he didn't actually try to steal them.

Inside the main hall, countless eunuchs and palace maids were meticulously wiping every place to ensure it was spotless.

Lin Mu strolled around casually, and no one tried to stop him. The imperial guards stationed outside the palace also remained silent.

"General Wei has a refined taste; you've observed very carefully." Just as Lin Mu was looking at the layout of the Weiyang Palace, a familiar voice came from behind him.

Lin Mu turned around and saw Wang Yun walking slowly towards him, slightly bent over.

"Lord Situ, the abdication ceremony is so complicated, you must have had a lot of trouble," Lin Mu said meaningfully.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yun smiled calmly: "I have no regrets for dedicating myself to the country!"

After speaking, Wang Yun glanced at Dian Wei with a strange look in his eyes.

As if sensing something, Lin Mu said meaningfully, "Gong Tu's strength has improved a bit. Perhaps he can catch Situ's eye and become one of Situ's pawns."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yun shuddered, his weary body straightening slightly as he stared at Lin Mu in astonishment.

Lin Mu... seemed to know a great deal...

In fact, Lin Mu was right. Dian Wei was exactly the pawn he had anticipated, a pawn to block the national guardian beast, the Tongtian Black Dragon!

Of course, this piece wasn't certain, so he used other safer methods, bringing in Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to block the national guardian beast, the Heavenly Black Dragon. And of course, there was also Zhao Yun as a hidden piece!
Wang Yun had prepared quite a few methods.

"If General Wei is willing to part with his manpower, could you lend me General Dian Wei for a day? There are just too many places where we need manpower lately..." Wang Yun asked, following up on the conversation.

"Sure!" Lin Mu shrugged generously, as if to say, "Take it and use it without worry."

Lin Mu's decisive demeanor startled Wang Yun. It seemed that Lin Mu had anticipated what he had foreseen and had taken the first step!

However, Wang Yun was not the kind of person who would back down when faced with difficulties, and immediately said, "In that case, thank you very much, General."

Afterwards, Wang Yunzhen assigned Dian Wei a job...

"I'll go make the arrangements now..." Wang Yun said as soon as he had achieved his goal.

Seeing Dian Wei slowly follow Wang Yun away, any other player who saw it would be stunned... That's how bizarre high-level games are.

Just as Lin Mu was about to go and observe other places, he felt a strange movement in his arms.

Lin Mu found a quiet spot and took out the pages of the Qiankun Mother-Child Book to examine them.

When he saw the information displayed on the pages of the Qiankun Mother-Child Book, his pupils suddenly contracted, his aura surged, and a terrifying air pressure formed around him, rising up and kicking up some dust.

"Wenze, you're so foolish!!!" Lin Mu gripped the pages of the Qiankun Mother-Child Book tightly, his fingers turning white, and cried out in despair.

As long as Lü Bu doesn't cross the border to Mei County, what does it matter if Diao Chan is permanently imprisoned in that so-called Lotus Pavilion? We can break through the formation slowly...

That grand formation is actually the best protection to prevent Diao Chan from being obtained by others. When Dian Wei, Huang Zhong, and Taishi Ci, three super generals, arrive, who would dare to trespass? Diao Chan will still be in their grasp.

"Oh no... My destiny, fate, and historical soul talisman are all gone. Does that mean I'm doomed?!" A look of panic appeared on Lin Mu's face as he racked his brains, trying to recall all his trump cards.

"How about we just use the Investiture of the Gods to absorb Yu Jin... We don't know if it will be effective, or if there will be any unexpected problems... But it's one of the solutions!" The first thing Lin Mu thought of was the Liangzhou Cauldron and the Investiture of the Gods, the two most important treasures.

He tried it again and found that the Kunshi could be used.

However, they'll have to wait until they quickly transport Yu Jin back to Shenlong Valley...

"Dragon Valley... no... we can send him to Mount Tai!!" (End of Chapter)