Three Kingdoms Mythology World.

The huge black banner with the character "Lin" planted on the red and black city wall was flapping fiercely in the wind of the palace, each flutter like a heavy hammer hitting Zhu Jun's heart.

He gripped the knife handle tightly, his knuckles turning bluish-white from the force, and his lips trembled as he couldn't utter a word for a long time.

They, a group of veteran officials, had been plotting for so long, exhausting their resources and connections to contact all sides, forming alliances and devising a series of schemes, but in the end, they never expected that Lin Mu would reap the rewards!

It should be understood that, according to their plan, even if the outside army, the Flying Bear Divine Army, and the Xiliang Iron Cavalry were all wiped out, as long as they controlled the Imperial Guard, they could defend the palace and Chang'an. In other words, the Imperial Guard was one of their hopes.

But if this link goes wrong, and the various Xiliang generals return, Chang'an will still be in danger!

But it's all for the best. The emperor has fallen into Lin Mu's hands, so at least there's still hope for his survival.

Based on his understanding of Lin Mu, he was unlikely to commit regicide.

“No…no…” At this moment, Zhu Jun seemed to realize something, shaking his head frantically, looking incredulous.

Just now, a guess had flashed through his mind: those Imperial Guards who were willing to join them were actually Lin Mu's men a long, long time ago!

"General Zhu, how have you been?" Just then, a slightly familiar voice came from the palace wall.

At some point, a slender and upright figure appeared standing under the Lin banner.

"Xun You, Xun Gongda!!"

"How did you get here?!" Zhu Jun exclaimed, pointing at Xun You in shock.

"The imperial palace is a crucial point, and its loss is not to be tolerated. Therefore, I am here to oversee and command the operation," Xun You stated frankly without concealing anything.

"Where are the imperial guards in the palace? Did they not rebel? Did they not storm the emperor's palace?" Zhu Jun asked quickly and solemnly, looking at Xun You's leisurely demeanor.

After the campaign against Dong Zhuo began, in order to prevent Dong Zhuo's forces from turning on them and directly attacking Weiyang Palace, taking Emperor Liu Xie, who was waiting to abdicate, hostage or kill him, they tried every means to turn the Imperial Guards against each other and take control of the palace.

Now, there are no shouts or sounds of fighting in the palace, only an eerie silence!
Did Lin Mu kill Emperor Liu Xie after taking control of the palace? And then frame Dong Zhuo or Wang Yun for it?!

That possibility isn't entirely out of the question...

Furthermore, how could Lin Mu have taken control of the palace in such a short time, leaving it completely silent at this moment... All of this seems very illogical.

"When did you begin your operation to gradually erode the Imperial Guards?" Zhu Jun sighed softly and couldn't help but ask.

"It all began the moment Dong Zhuo stopped coming to the palace..." Xun You didn't hide anything and confessed.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jun was shocked. No wonder... They've been at it for over ten or twenty days. With such an advantage, how could they not succeed?

"It's not that we've solved it, but we've temporarily convinced them not to act rashly and to wait for the outcome of the Temple of Heaven incident before making any further plans!" Xun You said casually.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jun's pupils suddenly contracted.

It should be noted that some of the Imperial Guards were personally selected and trained by Dong Zhuo, and some were even directly affiliated with the Liangzhou clique. Why are they not arresting the Emperor to threaten loyal Han officials like Wang Yun, but instead remaining silent and waiting for the outcome?
There must be some terrible plot involved...

Lin Mu's camp really has some tricks up its sleeve!
"Is General Zhu worried about the Emperor? I can let you in, and even allow you to bring 50,000 troops into the palace to guard Weiyang Palace and protect the Emperor, how about that?" Xun You said calmly.

"What?" Zhu Jun was a little confused when he heard this. What kind of script was this?
However, after a moment's thought, he immediately understood that Lin Mu and his group did not want the emperor at all and would not resort to the trick of holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords.

What they want are the treasures and resources of the palace, and the entire Imperial Guard!
The emperor, therefore, ignored it like a chicken rib!
Zhu Jun, who had originally wanted to say something, now had a complicated expression on his face. He sincerely applauded Lin Mu, saying that the student had surpassed the teacher!

Just as Zhu Jun was filled with emotion, a side gate of the palace suddenly opened slowly. Hundreds of fierce generals, as tall as iron towers, walked out from behind the gate with heavy steps, holding two black iron halberds. Their bodies were still covered with bloodstains that had not yet dried. As soon as their big, copper bell-like eyes swept over him, all the soldiers who had just gathered behind Zhu Jun involuntarily took a half step back, and even their breathing became a little lighter.

They had already arranged for many soldiers to be hidden around the palace, for the purpose of providing support and mobility.

As soon as Zhu Jun approached the palace, tens of thousands of soldiers gathered around him. It was ridiculous that tens of thousands of soldiers were intimidated by a mere few hundred.

"These...these...could they be Dian Wei's exclusive troops?!" Zhu Jun exclaimed suddenly, as if he had just realized something.

“That’s right, they are hidden among the million Imperial Guards… cough cough… They also owe a great deal to the General and Lord Situ for their support, which has helped stabilize the situation in the palace.” Xun You coughed lightly and smiled.

As expected, those million-strong Imperial Guards were already Lin Mu's men!

Did Lin Mu make arrangements before Dong Zhuo even entered Chang'an? But back then, Luoyang was still prosperous and thriving; who would have thought of moving the capital to Chang'an?!
Did Lin Mu start planning this a long time in advance? His foresight is terrifying!

A feeling of powerlessness slowly rose in his chest...

“General Zhu, I have been waiting here for a long time on the orders of my lord. The palace gates are open. Please lead your troops into the palace to protect the Emperor.” A captain stepped forward, came to Zhu Jun, clasped his hands and said, his voice as loud as a bell, which made the flags on the city wall seem to sway.

"Just now, several of Dong Zhuo's loyalists tried to take the emperor away from the palace, but we killed them all. General, you can rest assured that the emperor is safe and sound," the captain said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Zhu Jun looked up at the group of incredibly tall and imposing figures, then glanced at the open palace gates behind them. His previously anxious heart finally settled. Regardless of Lin Mu's plans, protecting the emperor's life was paramount.

If Chang'an cannot be defended, we can simply leave Chang'an with the emperor.

"Wait a moment, we still have tens of thousands of failures coming over." Zhu Jun looked around and nodded in agreement.

"Alright." The crowd remained in this standoff, waiting.

When Zhu Jun looked at Xun You on the palace wall again, he found that he had disappeared.

After waiting for the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, an army of 120,000 had gathered around Zhu Jun.

Clearly, those who wanted to eliminate Dong Zhuo had long ago used various methods to hide troops nearby.

When it was almost time, Zhu Jun mounted a warhorse that had been prepared in advance, raised his hand and waved to the army behind him: "Enter the palace and protect Weiyang Palace!"

Upon seeing this, the warriors with black halberds stepped aside to make way, but their fierce eyes remained firmly fixed on the movements in front of the palace gates until Zhu Jun's vanguard had all entered the city. Only then did they put away their double halberds and close the palace gates again.

Thus, Zhu Jun arrived at Weiyang Palace with great ease and met Emperor Liu Xie, who looked terrified.

After performing the rites of a subject to his ruler and calming the young emperor down, Zhu Jun finally had the opportunity to observe the situation inside Weiyang Palace.

The once majestic and solemn hall, where all the ritual implements should have been neatly arranged, was now a mess. There were even bloodstains splattered on the dragon pillars, indicating that a fierce battle had taken place there.

The tables on which the ceremonial objects were placed were all askew, some were broken in half, and some were split in two.

Furthermore, everything of value in the main hall was gone... The officials who were supposed to preside over the abdication ceremony in Weiyang Palace had also disappeared... In the entire enormous palace, there was only Liu Xie. Of course, the environment around the dragon throne was slightly better, but everything else, including the ground, the table, and the dragon pillars, was in a terrible state.

You should know that those ceremonial items were prepared to the highest standard and were quite valuable. They were originally intended to deceive Dong Zhuo, but unexpectedly they ended up benefiting Lin Mu!
At this moment, Zhu Jun could only silently pray, "It's good that His Majesty is alright. With His Majesty safe and sound, everything can be salvaged..."

“Xun You, a member of the Xun family, is very capable!” Liu Xie suddenly said after settling down.

Zhu Jun turned to look at Liu Xie and asked in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, did he make a move inside the palace?"

"He moved! He was the only one who moved. One divine general, thirty heavenly-ranked generals, two hundred earthly-ranked generals, and thousands of other generals were all slaughtered in an instant!" Liu Xie paused, tugged at his obviously ill-fitting dragon robe, and said solemnly.

At this moment, Liu Xie was wearing a very large dragon robe, which seemed to envelop him completely and still have room to spare.

There's no other reason than that this dragon robe was made according to Dong Zhuo's physique. During the abdication ceremony, following procedure, Liu Xie personally handed this dragon robe to Dong Zhuo to signify the change of dynasty!

Originally, the legitimate successor should have handed over the Imperial Seal of the State, but unfortunately it has been lost!

“One person…heh…as expected of a member of the Xun family.” Zhu Jun chuckled upon hearing this.

Xun You must have used divine strategies... but Weiyang Palace is a key part of the dynasty, and even at the beginning of the dynasty, its majesty cannot be ignored by a divine strategist.

Now, any official can act arbitrarily within its walls, disregarding its solemnity. This shows that the Han Dynasty has truly declined to its lowest point; all its majesty and grandeur have vanished...

"Minister Zhu, is Weiyang Palace currently under your protection? What about the Imperial Guards?" Liu Xie couldn't help but ask.

"Your Majesty, I have led a million-strong army to take control of the area from Weiyang Palace to the main gate of the palace, ensuring Your Majesty's safety." Zhu Jun couldn't help but lie here.

"Good! Good!!" Liu Xie was overjoyed.

He still believed in Zhu Jun's loyalty, which was much better than the ruthless Wang Yun.

Seeing Liu Xie relax, Zhu Jun smiled bitterly to himself. Liu Xie must have thought that he really had a million-strong army under his command, including the Imperial Guards... but he only had a mere 120,000 men at his disposal.

But in order to stabilize the overall situation, he had to calm the emperor's mind.

"Dong Zhuo is doomed this time!!" At this moment, Liu Xie looked at the light screen under the beams of the main hall and said fiercely through gritted teeth.

It turns out that the footage of the Battle of the Temple of Heaven was projected directly into the Weiyang Palace!

Zhu Jun glanced at it and found nothing unusual.

Because the upper half of the scene was shrouded in a raging sea of ​​blood, the battle within was not visible; only the roar of the towering blood waves and the howls of Dian Wei and the Heavenly Black Dragon could be seen…

As for the lower part, it was also shrouded in the raging, turbid river water.

Wang Yun, who possesses a special destiny, has also joined the battle!

Liu Jie composed himself and then frankly asked Zhu Jun, "Minister Zhu, can I trust you?"

"Your Majesty, this old minister swears to serve Your Majesty to the death and dares not be disloyal in the slightest!" Upon hearing this, Zhu Jun immediately knelt on one knee and replied in a deep voice.

Liu Xie quickly got up, grabbed the dragon robe with both hands, and came to Zhu Jun's side to help him up.

Afterwards, Liu Xie returned to the dragon throne with Zhu Jun's help.

At this moment, Liu Xie held Zhu Jun's hand, hesitated for a moment, and then lowered his voice to say, "There is something I have kept from everyone, but I have to tell you today—back then, I secretly hid the Imperial Seal of the State in an ancient well!"

"But then, it disappeared... I searched for it several times, but I couldn't even find the remains of the palace maid who voluntarily jumped into the well..."

At this moment, Liu Xie referred to himself not as "朕" (zhen, meaning "I" or "the emperor"), but as "我" (wo, meaning "I"), proving that he was speaking frankly.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jun's pupils constricted, his whole body trembled, and he could hardly believe his ears. He subconsciously looked at the dragon throne carved with dragons and phoenixes behind him, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty...you...you...how could this be?! How could this be?!"

Zhu Jun collapsed to the ground, utterly dejected. This candid revelation shattered all the defenses of this eight-foot-tall, battle-hardened general!

At this moment, Zhu Jun truly had no idea that the loss of the Imperial Seal was related to Liu Xie!

Or rather, the culprit was Liu Xie!

It's important to understand that the loss of the Imperial Seal of the State reduced the fortunes of the Han Dynasty by 70%. This is not an exaggeration, but the truth!

The Han Dynasty's many powers were actually realized through the Imperial Seal of the State. Its disappearance meant that the power did not disappear!

The Han Dynasty's decline to such a state was absolutely inseparable from the loss of the Imperial Seal!
“But if it falls into the hands of the Ten Attendants or Dong Zhuo, the outcome will be even worse…” Liu Xie said with a hint of sorrow and uncertainty on his face.

"Your Majesty, as long as the Imperial Seal is in the palace, under the watchful eyes of so many ministers, what does it matter if Dong Zhuo takes control... We can devise a plan, we can use every means to regain control..."

"If we can plot against Dong Zhuo's life and death, are we afraid we can't even plot against an item?!"

At this moment, Zhu Jun was truly taken aback by Liu Xie's absurd behavior. He was only afraid of affecting Liu Xie's recently calmed emotions; otherwise, he would have already started cursing...

Another point is that His Majesty's willingness to confess such a significant matter to him proves that he truly trusts him completely. At the same time, it also proves that there is really no one around Liu Xie who can be trusted... making him a truly isolated person.

"Rumor has it that Sun Jian pulled the body of a palace maid from an ancient well and obtained the Imperial Seal of the State from the box hanging around her neck. It seems to be true..." Zhu Jun composed himself, supported his body, and stood up slowly, saying.

“Yes…that’s right…that’s right, it was hanging around the neck of the wet nurse, Xiao Guihua,” Liu Xie immediately added.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jun sighed softly and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, we have previously sent people to search everywhere for the Imperial Seal of the State, turning over every palace and even draining all the ancient wells, but we have indeed not found any trace of the seal. I even thought that Dong Zhuo had taken the seal away first..."

"Afterwards, Dong Zhuo, Lin Mu, and others also searched the area, but they did not find any remains..." Zhu Jun said slowly.

"We've all searched for that well, so why can't we find it? Why is this happening?" Liu Xie was also completely bewildered.

Looking at Liu Xie's innocent and bewildered expression, Zhu Jun sighed inwardly: "If the Dragon Lord easily abandons such a heaven-reaching object as the Imperial Seal, even temporarily, he will lose his virtue and fortune in the hands of the Imperial Seal... Divine objects should remain hidden and await the destined person."

He had a premonition that if Sun Jian went to search earlier, he would definitely find him, proving that Sun Jian was the destined person.

Indeed, Sun Jian, who had possessed the Imperial Seal of the State for so long, was still alive and well. He was incredibly lucky!
However, this time Wang Yun used the Imperial Seal of the State to stamp that imperial edict, which was done with the luck of Sun Jian. If the Imperial Seal of the State is not returned afterwards, there will definitely be a great calamity!
That old fox Wang Yun had already foreseen this. He would have frankly persuaded Sun Jian, not only gaining the support of a warlord but also ensuring the Imperial Seal of the State was returned to its rightful place! (End of Chapter)