Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 121 Liu Bei's Colleagues Die in the Massacre, Eunuchs Explode with Gold Coins (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)
Liu Bei's troops were dispatched very quickly.

Before Yuan Shao, who was almost at Ping Le Guan, received the news, Liu Bei had already stormed outside the palace.

Just as Zhang Rang had driven Yuan Shu and his elite troops out of Changle Palace, Liu Bei had already stormed into the palace.

Although the eunuchs in the palace also had weapons, they were nothing more than a bunch of chickens and dogs in the Yongzhou army, and would collapse at the first touch.

When a eunuch tried to step forward to inquire, he was shot dead.

Although Cao Cao arrived a little late, he was able to quickly enter the palace because there were no palace gates to stop him.

Seeing the eunuchs of the palace scatter and flee, Cao Cao showed no mercy and ordered the Western Garden troops to pursue and kill them, leaving no survivors.

First, they were attacked by the Yongzhou army, and then by the Xiyuan soldiers. Seven or eight out of ten eunuchs in the palace were killed, and the entire palace was filled with the smell of blood.

While Cao Cao was chasing after the fleeing eunuchs, Liu Bei had already found the eunuchs' treasury.

Looking at the dazzling array of gold and silver treasures in the treasury, Liu Bei couldn't help but curse inwardly: What's the use of hiding so much money? Money that can't circulate is just dead money.

"Pass on my military order: if you find a vehicle, load it onto the vehicle; if you don't find a vehicle, pack it into bags. Pack as much as you can. When we return to Yongzhou, all of you will be credited with this great achievement."

"Don't carry five-zhu coins, they're heavy and worthless; don't carry fragile ones either, they're worthless once broken; choose gold, silver and jewelry, they're more valuable."

"Don't even think about hiding gold and silver treasures. When you return to Yongzhou, you will be rewarded handsomely."

"You have to be quick, or you'll get something; if you're quick, you'll get nothing."

Liu Bei did not hesitate at all. Wuzhu coins were not only inconvenient to transport but also extremely easy to depreciate. If he was going to move, he would move hard currency.

The soldiers of Yongzhou cheered wildly.

What war could be simpler and more lucrative than eliminating eunuchs?

The Yongzhou army has strict military discipline and cannot take advantage of its military power to rob the common people of their money and grain.

However, there was no such restriction on robbing the eunuchs' money and grain.

The soldiers of Yongzhou were very efficient. When Liu Bei said to kill the eunuchs, they killed the eunuchs; when he said to move gold and silver, they moved gold and silver.

Outside the palace, Xu You arrived with over a hundred carriages.

Although they varied in size and were all rickshaws, Xu You couldn't borrow too many in a short time.

Liu Bei didn't mind and had Xu You push all the hundred-odd carriages into the palace, throwing bags of gold and silver jewelry onto them.

In addition to the more than one hundred carriages found in the eunuch's palace, Liu Bei gathered three hundred carriages full of gold, silver and jewels, and drove them out of the eunuch's palace in a grand procession.

This scene left Cao Cao dumbfounded.

"Xuande, what's going on?"

You said you were here to kill the eunuchs, so what's with you loading cartloads of money?

"If you haven't finished moving everything, the rest is yours."

Liu Bei was too lazy to explain to Cao Cao, so he simply shut down Cao Cao's doubts with a single sentence.

The eunuchs' palace had so much wealth that even if Liu Bei wanted to move it all, he couldn't.

Liu Bei couldn't be too greedy; he couldn't take too much with him.

Although the value of the three hundred carts of gold, silver, and jewels varied and was difficult to estimate precisely, Liu Bei conservatively estimated that the value of these three hundred carts of gold, silver, and jewels would not be less than one hundred million coins.

Because it is a hard currency, it will not depreciate as quickly as the Wuzhu coin.

Cao Cao reacted swiftly, ordering his Western Garden troops to move the money from the eunuchs' palace.

Liu Bei then ordered Ma Chao to lead 500 soldiers to transport the 300 carts back to the camp for safekeeping, and then led the remaining troops to Changle Palace.

Zhang Rang and the others in Changle Palace were stunned when they saw the Yongzhou soldiers suddenly appear.

Zhang Rang originally thought that as long as he forged an imperial edict to let Fan Ling take control of the Xiyuan Army and let Xu Xiang be appointed as the governor of Henan, he could quickly take control of the situation, just like Wang Fu had done when he killed Dou Wu.

Unexpectedly, Liu Bei, who had promised to deal with He Jin, broke through the eunuch's palace even faster and then marched his troops to Changle Palace!

"Liu Bei, you scoundrel, how dare you deceive me!" Zhang Rang climbed the palace tower and cursed angrily.

Below the city, Liu Bei responded loudly: "Zhang Changshi, you are being unreasonable. I did promise to help you deal with He Jin, but now that He Jin is dead, my promise to you is over."

Zhang Rang roared, "Since it's over, why did you slaughter my eunuchs and attack Chang Le Palace?"

Liu Bei laughed loudly: "Zhang Changshi, you are being unreasonable. It was clearly you who kidnapped the Prince of Chenliu first, so I slaughtered your eunuchs. Considering that you are also a former official of the late emperor, I will not make things difficult for you. As long as you release the Prince of Chenliu out of the palace gate, I will leave Changle Palace immediately."

Zhang Rang's expression changed drastically.

Liu Bei did not mention Empress Dowager He or Liu Bian, but only mentioned Liu Xie, the Prince of Chenliu. The intention behind this is self-evident.

If Liu Xie, the Prince of Chenliu, were handed over, Zhang Rang had no doubt that Liu Bei would immediately support Liu Xie as the new emperor, and then Empress Dowager He and Liu Bian in Changle Palace would be of no use.

At that time, He Jin's henchmen will surely kill Zhang Rang and the others!

Thinking of this, Zhang Rang's face also turned fierce: "Liu Bei, we will never hand over the King of Chenliu to you! If you want the King of Chenliu, you must protect our lives."

"Are you threatening me?" Liu Bei sneered and shouted, "Zhang Rang, don't push your luck. When I'm trying to reason with you, you'd better listen to me; if you refuse to listen, then try this Chang Le Palace and see if it can hold off my six thousand Yongzhou soldiers!"

Zhang Rang was horrified.

After killing He Jin, Zhang Rang mobilized 500 eunuchs to drive away Yuan Shu and his 200 elite guards, but he also lost more than 100 men.

There are only three hundred or so eunuchs in Changle Palace now, which is no match for Liu Bei's six thousand Yongzhou soldiers!
Zhang Rang, all bluster and no substance, roared, “Liu Bei, if you have the guts, come and attack the gate. I have over a thousand men in Chang Le Palace, why would I fear you? I have also notified Fan Ling, Xu Xiang, He Miao, and others. When the time comes, the Eight Camps of the Western Garden, the Five Schools of the Northern Army, the Tiger Battalion, the Feathered Forest Army, the City Guards, and the Imperial Guards will all come to Chang Le Palace. Do you think I would be afraid of you?”

Liu Bei scoffed and immediately ordered an attack on Chang Le Palace.

Seeing that he couldn't frighten Liu Bei, Zhang Rang panicked even more and hurriedly retreated into the palace to discuss the matter with Zhao Zhong and others.

"Liu Bei wants to make the Prince of Chenliu emperor. If we hand over the Prince of Chenliu, our lives are over!"

"Why not kill the King of Chenliu? Then Liu Bei will have no choice but to leave!"

"Foolish! We have already made ourselves unacceptable to Empress Dowager He and His Majesty by killing He Jin; if we kill the Prince of Chenliu as well, we will have no way out."

"We can't kill them, we can't release them, so what should we do?"

"First, open the gates of Daxia with the imperial edict, then go to Hanoi via Xiaopingjin. Many of our relatives, friends, and nephews are officials in the prefectures and counties. As long as we have troops, whether we continue to support His Majesty or replace the Prince of Chenliu, we will have something to rely on."

"Send two hundred eunuchs to guard the palace gates to buy us time."

Zhang Rang and his accomplices dared not hesitate. On one hand, they actively forged imperial edicts, and on the other hand, they kidnapped Empress Dowager He and the brothers Liu Bian and Liu Xie.

At this moment, Empress Dowager He was completely stunned.

She never expected that after summoning Zhang Rang and others back to Chang Le Palace, He Jin would die.

Although Empress Dowager He wanted to rule from behind the throne, she never intended for He Jin to die.

The power struggle with He Jin was merely a power struggle among family members. With He Jin dead, no one could stand up for Empress Dowager He and deter those who dared to defy her. Just like now, she's being held hostage by the very eunuchs who used to fawn over her and kneel like dogs!
"Attendant Zhang, please find the General of Chariots and Cavalry. He will certainly not treat you badly in the future," Empress Dowager He pleaded.

Since Consort Wang's death, Empress Dowager He had never been so humbled, having to beg a eunuch for help.

Zhang Rang sneered repeatedly: "Empress Dowager, don't even think about it. Let alone whether Xun He Miao will spare our lives, even if He Miao is willing, he is probably in trouble himself now. If He Jin dies, He Jin's followers will definitely think that He Miao conspired with us to murder He Jin."

Empress Dowager He exclaimed in surprise, "How could this be?"

Zhang Rang didn't hesitate to explain: "It's very simple. I arranged for several eunuchs to go outside He Miao's residence and shout, 'General of Chariots and Cavalry, we have killed the Grand General! The Empress Dowager summons you to the palace immediately to take charge of the situation!'"

"Empress Dowager, please don't blame me for being ruthless. If I hadn't made these arrangements, He Miao wouldn't have helped me. If He Miao wanted to save his life, he would have had to kill He Jin's cronies for us. If He Miao were to die as well, that would be even better."

"In this way, the Empress Dowager will have no choice but to rely on us from now on."

"Empress Dowager, I advise you to cooperate with us obediently, so that we won't think about changing the emperor; if you refuse to cooperate, then we can only follow Liu Bei's example and claim that the late emperor had a secret edict to make the Prince of Chenliu the emperor."

Empress Dowager He was so shocked that her face turned pale and she dared not speak again.

the other side.

Chunyu Qiong did not lead his troops to follow Cao Cao to the palace. Instead, he seized the West Gate and went to Pingguan to find Yuan Shao.

Upon hearing that He Jin had been killed by eunuchs, Yuan Shao was taken aback: "How could eunuchs kill the Grand General?"

Chunyu Qiong shook his head: "I am not clear about the specifics. The news was sent by Liu Bei."

"Liu Bei?" Yuan Shao was even more surprised: "He's really that kind?"

Chunyu Qiong frowned: "I don't know either. Mengde said it must be true, so he took the military camp to Liu Bei's palace. I guess it must be because Mengde went to Liu Bei's camp for a banquet last night and reached some agreement with Liu Bei."

Yuan Shao frowned instantly: "Mengde has always been ambitious, and he is often instigated by Liu Bei. I'm afraid he's developed some inappropriate thoughts. Hmph! Without my help, how could Mengde have accomplished anything?"

Soon, Yuan Shao's brows relaxed again: "But this is not a big deal. Now that He Jin is dead, the eunuchs will also be executed, and it will be my turn to clean up the mess."

"I am now the Commandant of the Capital Region, holding the imperial tally and having the power to make decisions on my own. I also command the Eight Armies of the Western Garden. I can make decisions on all matters without consulting anyone."

"With He Jin dead, I am the only one who can exercise the power of the Grand General. Don't rush to kill the eunuchs. First, take control of the Five Schools of the Northern Army, the Tiger Battalion, the Feathered Forest Army, the City Guard Army, and the Army under the Commander of the Imperial Guard."

"Then send a message to Dong Zhuo and the others, ordering them to stay put and not to take another step toward Luoyang."

"This Luoyang will eventually belong to me, Yuan Shao!"

Yuan Shao was extremely pleased with himself.

He Jin died well, died brilliantly, died at the perfect time!

If He Jin hadn't given Yuan Shao the tally, Yuan Shao would have been kicking himself. Now that he had the tally, a dead He Jin was clearly more useful than a living one!
Just as Yuan Shao was feeling triumphant, Fan Ling, carrying the appointment document from the Ministry of Personnel, rode his horse at full speed to Ping Le Guan and shouted to the soldiers of the Western Garden: "The Grand General has rebelled and has been executed. I am Fan Ling, the newly appointed Commandant of the Capital Region. Quickly follow me to kill the traitor Yuan Shao."

Distracted by Fan Ling, Yuan Shao's expression immediately changed, and he directly ordered his men: "Yan Liang and Wen Chou, quickly take Fan Ling's head for me!"

With two shouts of "Understood!", two burly men strode out, and soon Fan Ling's head was delivered to the main tent.

"Hmph! What is this thing worthy of killing me!" Yuan Shao glanced disdainfully at Fan Ling's head, then kicked it away.

Then, Yuan Shao instructed Chunyu Qiong: "You should lead your troops to follow Mengde. If Mengde has any disloyal intentions, kill him without mercy!"

In Yuan Shao's eyes, the terms "brother" and "friend" were nothing but polite formalities.

Anyone who blocks Yuan Shao's path will be killed by him.

Now, Yuan Shao needs to take control of the entire army in Luoyang as quickly as possible and then establish his authority over all his ministers.

Even Yuan Ji and Yuan Shu had to bow down!

With He Jin's death, all the forces in Luoyang were drawn into the conflict.

He Miao was the most unlucky one.

Under Zhang Rang's scheme, Wu Kuang and Zhang Zhang, who were monitoring He Miao, became instantly envious upon learning of He Jin's death.

All their wealth and status rested on He Jin, yet He Jin died.

"He Miao, you treacherous dog, colluded with the eunuchs to murder the Grand General. Your crime deserves to be punished!"

"Brothers, kill He Miao and avenge the General!"

He Miao was also stunned by the scene.

The general is dead?
Or did I collude with the eunuchs to kill him?
Am I crazy?!
However, no matter how He Miao tried to explain, Wu Kuang and Zhang Zhang, blinded by rage, ignored his explanations and focused solely on leading their troops in a fierce attack.

To ruin someone's future is like killing their parents.

For Wu Kuang and Zhang Zhang, He Miao was the greatest villain who would ruin their future, and they would fight to the death.

Although He Miao fought desperately, he was no match for the enraged former subordinates of He Jin and was beheaded at the foot of the Vermilion Bird Gate.

With He Miao dead, his troops fled in disarray, and Wu Kuang, Zhang Zhang, and others were also lost and confused after killing He Miao, not knowing where to go next.

the other side.

Dong Zhuo received two summonses in succession.

The first message was sent by Yuan Shao, instructing Dong Zhuo to remain where he was and not to take another step towards Luoyang.

The second document was sent by Dong Zhuo's third brother, Dong Min, in Luoyang. It stated that He Jin was dead and urged Dong Zhuo to advance his troops immediately.

Upon seeing the first document, Dong Zhuo thought something had happened in Luoyang, so he simply stayed put and waited for orders.

Upon seeing the second document, Dong Zhuo was so enraged that he directly cursed Yuan Shao, calling him "your mother's daughter."

If Dong Min, who was serving as the Commandant of the Imperial Carriage in Luoyang, hadn't received the news in time and relayed it to Dong Zhuo, Dong Zhuo would still be foolishly waiting in place.

"Yuan Shao, you treacherous dog! I had some trust in you, but I never expected you to be such a heartless scoundrel."

"Pass on my order: advance immediately! We must reach Luoyang tonight!"

Dong Zhuo panicked.

If it weren't for Yuan Shao's message delaying Dong Zhuo by half a day, Dong Zhuo would have already arrived outside Luoyang by now.

By nightfall, apart from Yuan Shu's Tiger Warriors, Yuan Shao had almost completely taken control of the Five Northern Army Schools, the Imperial Guards, the City Guards, and the Imperial Guards under his command.

Liu Bei led his troops to attack and break through Changle Palace, but did not find Liu Xie there.

Upon inquiry, it was discovered that Zhang Rang and his accomplices had used the emperor's edict to open the gates of the Great Xia under cover of darkness and escaped out of the city.

Liu Bei snorted coldly: "At our wits' end, where do you think you can escape to? Infantry, return to camp; cavalry, follow me out of the city."

Zhao Yun, spear in hand, asked, "It's getting dark. Which direction should we pursue them in?"

Without hesitation, Liu Bei said, "The eunuchs who have taken hostages cannot move quickly. If they want to evade capture, they can only flee to Beiman Mountain for temporary refuge!"

(End of this chapter)