I am not Yuan Shu

Chapter 194 Officials Enter the Palace
In the depth and solemnity of the imperial palace, the lives of officials always seemed to be bound by an invisible shackle. In past political changes, except for a few high-ranking officials, the situation of most middle and low-level officials was actually not much better than that of ordinary civilians.

After all, you can't expect a soldier who can't read a single word and is bloodthirsty to accurately identify who should be killed and who should not be killed in a chaotic situation.

The innocent people who died under the swords of the soldiers could only blame themselves for their bad luck.

But this time, because of the discipline that Yuan Shu emphasized in advance and the requirement for self-discipline put forward to Yi Xin members, there were not many cries of fear in this magnificent cage.

Most officials were simply placed under house arrest in a corner, staring at the sky gradually turning white outside the window, their hearts filled with confusion and anxiety.

The first ray of sunlight from the horizon penetrated the clouds, shone into this ancient and heavy palace, and also shone on the faces of those people who were teased by fate. They were told to gather at Deyang Palace and wait for an inexplicable abdication ceremony.

Everyone who was unaware of the incident was terrified by the sudden change.

But they knew that whether they wanted to or not, they had to embark on that road into the unknown.

Because behind them, there were armored soldiers holding knives and staring at them.

They had no doubt that if they did anything unusual, these soldiers would take measures against them, including but not limited to using steel knives to tell them the true meaning of life...

So at this time, giving in is the best outcome.

Outside Luoyang City, ordinary people who were far away from the imperial power struggle might still be immersed in yesterday's tranquility, unaware of everything that happened in the city. However, outside the imperial palace, people in Luoyang City had a different situation.

Luoyang City, the core building of this vast empire, is mostly occupied by the imperial palace. The towering palace walls isolate the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Officials outside the palace, even those with high positions and power, can only live in simple official residences. Only officials at the level of the Three Dukes can own their own mansions next to the Nan Palace, which is a symbol of status and honor.

Situ Yuanwei was "out on business" and was "lucky" enough to avoid the storm.

But Taiwei Li Xian and Sikong Zongju were not so lucky.

In the middle of the night, they were awakened by the huge noise coming from the Nan Palace. They were full of doubts. Soon, servants brought news that there was fire and thick smoke in the direction of the Nan Palace.

They realized instantly that something had happened in the palace!

Is there a fire?

They immediately sent people to check, but the people who came back brought shocking news.

The palace was closed and the people guarding the gate even shot arrows to drive them away!
Li Xian and Zong Ju were both very shocked by this, and an ominous premonition suddenly arose in their hearts.

They sent people to contact each other, discuss countermeasures, and continued to send people to inquire about the news.

Soon, they learned that armed troops appeared near some buildings in Luoyang City. These troops were fully armed, with red scarves tied around their chests, and they moved through the streets like ghosts.

They do not kill people, but no one is allowed to approach the buildings they occupy and the main traffic intersections. Anyone who tries to approach will be shot with arrows as a warning.

The entire Luoyang city was shrouded in a depressing atmosphere.

In the early hours of the morning, when it was just dawn, officials and civilians in Luoyang City gradually woke up. They opened their doors and looked at the fully armed soldiers who suddenly appeared on the streets, their hearts filled with fear and confusion.

In the end what happened?
Why are there so many soldiers?
Until the daybreak, many knights and groups of soldiers suddenly appeared in the city, riding horses and galloping back and forth. They went to the homes of every court official and conveyed the same message -

Gather at Deyang Hall to participate in the "abdication ceremony" and welcome the new emperor to the throne.

This news came like a bolt from the blue, instantly causing uproar in Luoyang City.

Abdication ceremony?

New emperor ascends the throne?

Was there a coup last night?
Is the current emperor going to be deposed?

The officials in the city knew nothing about this and were completely bewildered, confused and terrified. With a mixture of complicated emotions, they were forcibly taken to the Deyang Palace in the Beigong Palace.

They were told by the armed soldiers who came to inform them that they must go to Deyang Palace immediately. If they did not go immediately, they would be forced to go without delay.

The same was true for Li Xian and Zong Ju. They did not receive any special treatment just because they held high positions as the Three Dukes. At most, there were more armed men coming to "invite" them.

Deyang Palace, the place where the emperor held court and summoned his ministers to handle state affairs, was filled with an unusual atmosphere at this moment.

The officials are very familiar with this place, but today they feel something is wrong.

Although the soldiers guarding the palace gate and maintaining order were wearing the same military uniform, the red scarf on their chest was like a striking symbol, reminding them that something very terrible must have happened in the palace last night.

Along the way, they saw bloodstains on the ground and walls, and a strong smell of blood, but they could not see a single corpse.

This strange scene made them even more uneasy.

What’s even more strange is that along the way, I didn’t see any eunuchs!
Any one of them!
All of this told them that something terrible must have happened in the palace last night, so terrible that the political landscape had changed drastically, and the entire Han Dynasty might have to undergo a drastic change because of it! The last time something like this happened was four years ago.

At that time, Dou Wu and the eunuchs went to war with each other. The eunuchs eliminated Dou Wu's forces, wiped out all the relatives and party members, monopolized power, and established an eunuch dictatorship. The atmosphere in the whole Luoyang was also terrifying and murderous.

And now, what happened?
When Li Xian and Zong Ju, officials outside the palace, arrived outside Deyang Palace, it was still early in the morning. The morning mist lingered between the palace walls, adding a bit of mystery and solemnity to this magnificent palace.

They found that a group of officials had gathered here, all of them with anxious looks on their faces, whispering and talking among themselves.

The soldiers guarding them did not strictly separate them, but allowed them to go freely to the large square in front of the temple to wait.

The square was bustling with people, yet orderly, and a depressing and tense atmosphere filled the air.

Li Xian and Zong Ju were both high officials of high rank. As soon as they appeared, a large number of officials immediately surrounded them and asked each other about what had happened last night.

Some people looked panicked, obviously frightened by the sudden change, while others looked confused, obviously not knowing what had happened.

In this chaos, Li Xian and Zong Ju also told each other the news they knew, but their brows were getting more and more furrowed, because the information they knew was fragmented and they could not piece together the complete cause and effect.

However, when there are more people, there are more sources of information, and the speed at which the truth is communicated to each other becomes faster.

Soon, a complete piece of news exploded among the crowd like thunder.

There was indeed a coup d'état in the imperial palace last night. Someone led an army into the palace and launched a bloody purge of the eunuchs in the palace. They also kidnapped Emperor Liu Hong and controlled him, intending to depose Liu Hong and establish a new emperor.

The news quickly spread throughout the square, shocking everyone.

Li Xian and Zong Ju widened their eyes, unable to believe their ears. They just couldn't believe that someone dared to launch a coup in the palace, and even kidnapped the emperor and wanted to depose him.

And who did this?

They are Yuan Feng and his son Yuan Shu.

Li Xian and Zong Ju found it hard to believe that Yuan Feng and Yuan Shu, father and son, could be so courageous!
The two looked at each other, their eyes full of shock and confusion.

The two learned these things from Yang Ci.

When talking about this incident, Yang Ci's face turned pale, and he was obviously frightened.

He was one of the first officials to arrive outside Deyang Palace. Before Li Xian and others arrived, he saw Yuan Shu, who was wearing helmet and armor and leading his troops to set up the venue.

When he met Yuan Shu, Yuan Shu had a stern face, his eyes revealed firmness and determination, and his whole temperament was completely different from the young man in Yang Ci's memory who drank and debated with him on the meaning of the classics.

It's like he's a different person.

Yuan Shu's armor was stained with blood, and there were traces of blood on his face that had not yet been wiped clean. It looked as if he was going to rush over and kill him with a knife if they had a disagreement. Yang Ci was trembling in his heart and did not even dare to greet him directly.

It was Yuan Shu who saw Yang Ci again. A smile appeared on his blood-stained face. He walked up to him and talked to him, and told Yang Ci the whole story.

The bloody smell that hit him in the face scared Yang Ci to death.

Then, Li Xian and Zong Ju both knew what had happened.

Li Xian and Zong Ju were completely unprepared for this.

"Yuan Zhouyang...did he really do this with his son?"

Li Xian asked stutteringly.

Yang Ci frowned and whispered, "Yes, I heard from Yuan Shu that they have been planning for a long time. They officially started the uprising last night. They killed all the eunuchs in the palace and said they would depose the current emperor and make the King of Bohai the new emperor."

"King of Bohai?"

Zong Ju's eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Wasn't there news before that the King of Bohai was plotting to take the throne? And the emperor even sent people to investigate. How come now... could this be true?"

Yang Ci shook his head and sighed, "Yuan Shu didn't explain it to me clearly. I guess there must be something hidden in this matter. As for what happened, maybe we can only hear it from Yuan Zhouyang and his son themselves later."

Li Xian and Zong Ju looked at each other and fell into silence.

The two of them were filled with doubts and anxiety.

They could never have imagined that Yuan Feng and Yuan Shu, a model father and son in the eyes of the world, would do such a bold thing.

(End of this chapter)