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

Chapter 134 Liu Xie's Panic, Quickly Go and Ask Liu Huangshu (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)
Li Ru's speculation reassured Dong Zhuo somewhat. If Liu Bei had also been involved, then Dong Zhuo would truly be besieged on all sides.

"Since Wen You can make a judgment on the overall situation, do you have any good strategies to teach me?" Dong Zhuo was at a loss at this moment and could only hope that Li Ru could have a good strategy.

“I have a good plan, but I don’t know if you dare to use it.” A fierce glint flashed in Li Ru’s eyes. Throughout the whole process, Li Ru did not panic. On the contrary, he was secretly excited.

Dong Zhuo laughed wildly: "Wen You, why do you underestimate me? As long as I can hold Luoyang, what strategy could I not use?"

Looking into Dong Zhuo's eyes, Li Ru's expression remained unchanged as he said, word by word, "To defeat Yuan Shao, you must first kill the Prince of Hongnong!"

Dong Zhuo was taken aback: "Kill the Prince of Hongnong? Zhou Bi only suggested sending the Prince of Hongnong to Chang'an. If I kill the Prince of Hongnong, my reputation will be ruined!"

Li Ru disagreed, saying, "Minister Dong carried out the late emperor's secret edict to depose and install the emperor. His loyalty and righteousness are evident to all. Your Majesty is benevolent and has also granted the Prince of Hongnong royal treatment. His filial piety and brotherly love are exemplary for the world."

"However, the Prince of Hongnong was unwilling to be deposed and secretly colluded with Grand Tutor Yuan Kui, Grand Master of the Palace Yuan Ji, Governor of Bohai Yuan Shao, and Governor of Nanyang Yuan Shu, intending to seize power and usurp the throne. Fortunately, Minister Dong saw through the Prince of Hongnong's conspiracy in time, thus averting disaster."

“Since the Prince of Hongnong is unrighteous, why should Your Majesty be righteous? Minister Dong should quickly petition Your Majesty to execute the Prince of Hongnong and Yuan Wei and others to prevent any unrest.”

Dong Zhuo finally understood.

As long as Liu Xie kills Liu Bian, Yuan Wei, and others in his name, it will have little to do with Dong Zhuo; he will be merely an executor at best.

Moreover, Dong Zhuo didn't even need to threaten Liu Xie, because if Liu Xie didn't kill Liu Bian and Yuan Wei, it would be Liu Xie who died.

At most, Liu Xiehui will hesitate or waver.

If Liu Xie hesitated, Dong Zhuo only needed to say, "Since Your Majesty no longer wants to be the emperor, then I request to return to Yongzhou and guard Yongzhou with Liu Huangshu, and never return to Luoyang again."

If Dong Zhuo was so angry that he fled to Yongzhou, Liu Bei certainly wouldn't have returned to Luoyang.

If Liu Xie wanted to continue being emperor, he had no choice but to issue an edict to execute the Prince of Hongnong and Yuan Wei, among others!

After all, Liu Xie was not deposed and installed arbitrarily by Dong Zhuo, but was deposed and installed with a secret edict. He was the emperor in the right, while Liu Biancai was the emperor who was installed arbitrarily.

Liu Bian's seizure of power was a usurpation, while Liu Xie's execution of Liu Bian was a suppression of a rebellion.

Liu Xie would have to be insane to give up the throne and let Yuan Shao slaughter him.

With his mind somewhat at ease, Dong Zhuo said in a deep voice, "I will go to see His Majesty right now. Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu want Yuan Kui dead, and so do I. As long as I defeat Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, who in Luoyang will dare to disobey me?"

Seeing that Dong Zhuo was about to leave, Li Ru called out again, "My lord, please wait. In addition, we must ask His Majesty to issue another edict ordering Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou, Liu Dai, the governor of Yangzhou, Huang Wan, the governor of Yuzhou, Gai Xun, the governor of Xuzhou, and Cao Cao, the governor of Yanzhou, to raise troops to punish the rebels. At the same time, appoint Minister Lu as General Who Conquers the East and lead troops to Hulao Pass to suppress the enemy."

Upon hearing the names mentioned by Li Ru, Dong Zhuo suddenly recalled the scene when he first met Liu Bei in Hedong.

At that time, Liu Bei suggested that Lu Zhi, being his mentor, should not be moved lightly, and that Huang Wan, the governor of Yuzhou, should not be summoned to Luoyang.

Then, considering that Cao Cao, Liu Biao, Liu Dai, and Gai Xun were all appointed as governors of provinces through Liu Bei's recommendations, Dong Zhuo couldn't help but gasp: "So, it seems that Yuan Shao's rebellion was all within Liu Bei's calculations? These people Wen You mentioned are all related to Liu Bei!"

Although the plan was proposed by Li Ru, Li Ru was still deeply shocked.

When Li Ru was devising a strategy for Dong Zhuo, he felt that everything was happening naturally.

It wasn't that he was particularly clever, but rather that someone had planned all of this in advance, which allowed him to scheme for Dong Zhuo with ease.

The killing of the Prince of Hongnong and Yuan Wei, among others, was based on a secret edict from the late emperor confirming the legality of Liu Xie's actions.

Huang Wan, the governor of Yu Province, was appointed by the late emperor and had a close relationship with Liu Bei.

Lu Zhi was Liu Bei's mentor and also the once renowned General of the Northern Army.

Cao Cao, Liu Biao, Liu Dai, and Gai Xun were all heroes whom Liu Bei gathered together in Luoyang to help establish a new emperor.

As long as Dong Zhuo isn't stupid, he can use these plans immediately!
Then, thinking that Yuan Shao and others only dared to make a move after Liu Bei left Luoyang, Li Ru couldn't help but wonder: Could it be that Liu Bei deliberately left Luoyang at this time to lure the snake out of its hole?
If that's the case, I can't let Liu Bei's plans be ruined.

Not only is he capable of such far-reaching plans, but he is also an imperial uncle, who may well bring about a complete upheaval in the future.

Li Ru became more and more excited as he thought about it: If that's the case, then I can't be too low-key.

I believe my talent is no less than Yuan Wei's, yet Yuan Wei was able to become Grand Tutor, while I can only be looked down upon in Luoyang. How unfair!

In this day and age, if a nobody like me wants to advance, I can only rely on a powerful ruler to change the world.

The Prince of Hongnong must die!
We absolutely must not let the Prince of Hongnong go to Chang'an!

Thinking of this, Li Ru continued, "Uncle Liu and Minister Dong both supported the new emperor, sharing both glory and disgrace. Moreover, Uncle Liu understands Yuan Wei and Yuan Shao better than Minister Dong, so it's not surprising that he would make arrangements in advance. I'm worried that the Prince of Hongnong's accomplices might take the opportunity to kidnap him. I must return to the Prince of Hongnong's residence immediately to prevent any unforeseen events!"

Dong Zhuo's eyes flashed fiercely: "Wen You, return immediately! I will send Niu Fu with troops to accompany you. The imperial edict will arrive soon, and we will absolutely not allow the Prince of Hongnong's accomplices to take advantage of the situation!"

Poor Yuan Kui, still in prison thinking he was safe, didn't know that Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and Dong Zhuo all wanted him dead.

Deep in the palace.

Liu Xie and Lu Zhi sat together.

Because Lu Zhi had produced an imperial uncle, and scholars were praising Lu Zhi as "Master Lu," and Liu Xie was at the age to study, it was perfect for Lu Zhi to teach him.

Privately, Liu Xie also had his own selfish motives.

Lu Zhi's character is well-known, and he is also Liu Bei's most respected mentor. As long as Liu Bei maintains a good relationship with Lu Zhi, he will definitely have to consider Lu Zhi's reputation in his future actions.

"What kind of person does Minister Lu think Liu Huangshu is?" Liu Xie suddenly asked during a break from his studies.

Lu Zhi didn't think much of it, after all, he didn't believe that a nine-year-old boy could be very cunning, so he said frankly: "Xuande is a man of great loyalty and righteousness, with the ambition to help the world, and he will surely be able to help Your Majesty subdue all sides."

Liu Xie hesitated, swallowing back the rest of his words, afraid that asking too many questions would confuse Lu Zhi.

After all, from the current perspective, Liu Bei is impeccable in every way, and Liu Xie does not want Lu Zhi to think of him as a suspicious ruler.

As they were talking, Dong Zhuo rushed in: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The Prince of Hongnong has colluded with Yuan Kui, Yuan Ji, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and others to plot a rebellion!"

Liu Xie was shocked: "How is this possible?"

Lu Zhi also exclaimed in surprise, "Minister Dong, please be careful with your words. Although there are some rumors in various prefectures and counties, they are all maliciously spread by petty people. Rumors stop with the wise, but there is also the possibility that three people can make a tiger. We must not wrong loyal and good people because of rumors."

Dong Zhuo said angrily, "Minister Lu, do I look like someone who would cause trouble for no reason? Right now, Han Fu, the governor of Ji Province, Zhang Miao, the prefect of Chenliu, Yuan Yi, the prefect of Shanyang, Zhang Chao, the prefect of Guangling, Kong Zhou, the prefect of Taishan, Yuan Shu, the prefect of Nanyang, Yuan Shao, the prefect of Bohai, as well as Ding Yuan, Wang Kuang, Qiao Mao, and others from Hanoi, have all raised their banners on the same day and are now gathering troops in the direction of Suanzao."

"These people are either Yuan Wei's sons and nephews or his former protégés and subordinates. They are all calling for the attack on me and Liu Bei, and they also claim that I and Liu Bei forged the imperial edict and want to kill us. There are also rumors that Yanzhou is offering a reward of a thousand gold pieces for the head of the governor of Yanzhou."

"What is this if not treason?"

"Your Majesty, please issue an edict immediately to execute the Prince of Hongnong and Yuan Kui and others. Furthermore, please issue another edict ordering Liu Biao, the Governor of Jingzhou, Liu Dai, the Governor of Yangzhou, Huang Wan, the Governor of Yuzhou, Gai Xun, the Governor of Xuzhou, and Cao Cao, the Governor of Yanzhou, to raise troops to punish the rebels."

"Minister Lu is appointed General Who Conquers the East, and will lead troops to Hulao Pass to suppress the enemy!"

Dong Zhuo finished speaking in one breath, which shocked Liu Xie and Lu Zhi even more into disbelief.

"Has the Grand Tutor gone mad? Has His Majesty ever mistreated him?" Although Lu Zhi was unwilling to believe it, the facts were right in front of him: Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and their former protégés and officials had indeed raised an army!

Liu Xie hesitated for a moment: "Perhaps my brother was coerced. Why don't we summon him and ask him?"

Dong Zhuo sneered: "Does Your Majesty think the Prince of Hongnong will admit to treason? There are countless former officials and followers of the Yuan family in the city. If they kidnap the Prince of Hongnong and then enthrone him as emperor, what will Your Majesty do when the two courts are in opposition?"

“Even if we send troops to punish them, how can we possibly punish the wealthy provinces of Guandong? Therefore, I believe that we must not let the Prince of Hongnong live. Otherwise, if Yuan Shao and others establish another emperor, Your Majesty will be a traitor! Yuan Shao’s former followers and officials are all over the country. If I cannot defend Luoyang, even if Your Majesty has the late emperor’s edict, how can the people of the world support an emperor who has been defeated and fled?”

Liu Xie was horrified.

Seeing that Liu Xie was still hesitating, Dong Zhuo said again, "If Your Majesty is unwilling to kill the Prince of Hongnong, then please defend Luoyang yourself. If I still want to live, I can only withdraw my troops to Yongzhou and seek refuge with Liu Huangshu."

Liu Xie immediately became anxious: "Minister of Works, wait! Without you, how can I defend Luoyang? But this matter is of utmost importance, I, I..."

In his anxiety, Liu Xie suddenly exclaimed, "Quickly, go and invite my uncle to Luoyang! My uncle has 40,000 troops in Yongzhou, which will surely help me quell the rebellion! The rebels are no match for my uncle, so they will retreat on their own."

Lu Zhi sighed: "Your Majesty, Xuande does not have 40,000 soldiers from Yongzhou, and Yongzhou cannot support 40,000 soldiers. Apart from the troops stationed to defend against the Qiang and Hu tribes, Xuande has no more than 10,000 troops at his disposal to reinforce Luoyang."

Liu Xie was stunned and at a loss for what to do.

Lu Zhi looked at Dong Zhuo, his tone serious: "Minister Dong, killing the Prince of Hongnong will damage His Majesty's reputation. There's no need for a major campaign to deal with the rebels. We can send a large force to place the Prince of Hongnong under house arrest and prevent anyone from approaching him. As for Yuan Wei and the others, we can just execute their ringleaders and not implicate the innocent."

"If Yuan Kui dies, his associates within the city will certainly not dare to act rashly again to kidnap the Prince of Hongnong. Once the rebel army retreats, Your Majesty can appease them one by one. Even those who were once Yuan's protégés and former officials will now be loyal to Your Majesty. Is that acceptable?"

Whether in the military, politics, or among the common people, Lu Zhi enjoyed immense prestige.

Even Dong Zhuo dared not confront Lu Zhi's sharp edge at this moment, and subconsciously yielded, saying, "Minister Lu is right."

Liu Xie breathed a sigh of relief, but his tone became fierce: "That treacherous Yuan Kui! I have treated him well, yet he dares to rebel against me! This is intolerable! Immediately behead Yuan Kui and Yuan Ji and display their heads to the public. The rest shall be thrown into prison to await their fate!"

Although he only received the imperial edict to kill Yuan Wei and Yuan Ji, Dong Zhuo did not dare to ask for too much, after all, Lu Zhi was still standing there, and Liu Bei was behind Lu Zhi.

If Lu Zhi is angered, Liu Bei will surely protect him.

"I'll trouble Minister Lu to take care of things at Hulao Pass," Dong Zhuo added.

At present, Luoyang still needs Dong Zhuo to be in charge, and Hulao Pass must be guarded by a great general. The most suitable person to command troops and guard Hulao Pass is Lu Zhi, who once quelled the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Liu Xie looked at Lu Zhi expectantly: "Minister Lu, I'm entrusting Hulao Pass to you!"

Lu Zhi bowed respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, with me at Hulao Pass, the rebels will absolutely not be allowed to succeed!"

Liu Xie breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly ordered his men to draft an imperial edict and send it to the Ministry of Personnel.

After leaving the palace, Lu Zhi's face turned extremely pale, and he couldn't help but recall his conversation with Liu Bei the night before he left Luoyang.

“If Master Lu insists on staying in Luoyang, I will not try to persuade him further. However, after I leave, Dong Zhuo and Yuan Wei will inevitably fight each other, and their struggle will be used by Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao is not a man who will accept defeat.”

"Although I appointed Cao Cao, Liu Biao, Liu Dai, and Gai Xun as governors of the provinces, it will be difficult for them to control power in a short period of time. Once Yuan Shao insists that our support for the new emperor was a forged edict and then falsely claims that all the officials have been held hostage, the Yuan family's former protégés and officials in various provinces and counties who are unaware of the truth will surely raise troops in response."

“Once the arrow is released, there is no turning back. Even if those who raised troops were initially deceived by Yuan Shao, they could only support the banner of the Prince of Hongnong, while Yuan Wei and others in Luoyang could only respond to Yuan Shao.”

"If things get urgent, Yuan Wei and Yuan Ji must be executed, but the rest must not be killed; especially the Prince of Hongnong, he must not be killed! If the Prince of Hongnong dies, it doesn't matter whether the secret edict is true or false, because only the person who forged the edict would be afraid of the Prince of Hongnong living."

"Although Dong Zhuo is brave, he is ignorant of the overall situation, and many of his men are eager to cause chaos. After I leave, my teacher, you can enter the palace to give lectures to His Majesty in case of any unforeseen circumstances. If what I predict is true, my teacher must stop Dong Zhuo from killing the Prince of Hongnong."

"The White Wave bandits have been ravaging Hedong for a long time. If they hear of the changes in Luoyang, they may harass Hedong again. The Qiang people have always been fickle. Although Han Sui escaped, he is not dead. If he hears that Luoyang has changed emperors, he may also raise troops and come back. I cannot take care of the east in a short time."

“I have a long-standing relationship with Marquis Lü Bu of Duting, and he is a brave and skilled warrior. My mentor can request Dong Zhuo to transfer Lü Bu to Hulao Pass. As long as Hulao Pass is held, the rebel army will collapse without a fight.”

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Recalling Liu Bei's words before he left, Lu Zhi couldn't help but take a deep breath.

Xuande was right after all!
The world is in chaos, and it is not something that Your Majesty, a mere young emperor, can turn the tide.

Only Xuande could quell the Yuan family's calamity.

Although Liu Bei had long ago revealed his ambition to rule the world to Lu Zhi, and Lu Zhi was also willing to help Liu Bei, Lu Zhi sometimes harbored a glimmer of hope, wanting to try and see if he could assist the new ruler in stabilizing the people.

However, this time the disaster caused by the Yuan family was exactly what Liu Bei had anticipated, but the new emperor Liu Xie was completely unable to deal with it, causing Lu Zhi to give up his hopes once again.

Thinking of this, Lu Zhi hurriedly returned to his residence and quickly wrote a letter, handing it to his attendants: "Go to Chang'an immediately and be sure to personally deliver this letter to Liu Huangshu!"

(End of this chapter)