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

Chapter 158 The Number One Person Under Heaven, Liu Bei Promoted to Minister of the Imperial Secretariat (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)
The assassination of the Prince of Hongnong became the final straw that broke Dong Zhuo's back.

As the Minister of Works, Dong Zhuo's decision to have an assassin kill the Prince of Hongnong in Luoyang was a mockery of his abilities.

If the Prince of Hongnong could be assassinated, then could the emperor and his ministers also be assassinated?

As soon as Lü Bu reached the pass, Dong Zhuo roared at him like an enraged brown bear: "Where is Li Ru, the Imperial Physician? Why have you abandoned your post?"

Lu Bu was also startled by Dong Zhuo's imposing manner and hurriedly said, "The Imperial Physician Li Ru has been invited to drink by the Minister Zhou Bi."

"Zhou Bi! It's Zhou Bi again! I must kill this traitor!" Dong Zhuo's rage intensified, fueled by both the anger over the assassination of the Prince of Hongnong and the fury of being manipulated by Zhou Bi.

"Minister Sikong," Liu Bei stood up, his tone slightly stern, "my conditions remain unchanged."

Dong Zhuo took a deep breath, suppressing his anger: "I agree to your conditions, Imperial Uncle. Since you are already the Grand Commandant, I can recommend you for the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat."

"Then I will trouble you, Minister." Liu Bei bowed and said, "I will give you three days to handle your personal matters. After three days, I will lead the army into the city."

Lu Bu was somewhat bewildered.

what's the situation?
What did I miss?
Why did the adoptive father suddenly appoint the imperial uncle as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat?

Dong Zhuo did not explain to Lü Bu, but strode down the pass and called Niu Fu and the others to rush towards Luoyang.

"Uncle, are we just going to let Dong Zhuo go like this? What if Dong Zhuo changes his mind?" Huang Zhong had been carrying the iron bow on his back. If Liu Bei had given the order just now, Huang Zhong was certain that he could have shot Dong Zhuo dead.

"It's alright," Liu Bei said calmly. "The reason I gave Dong Zhuo three days to handle his personal matters was to wait for the troops from the rear to arrive. If he changes his mind, I will directly march into Luoyang, and let's see which of the camps in Luoyang dares to stop me."

Cai Yong, who was standing to the side, sighed, "Although the Minister of Works has some bad habits, he has fought for the Han Dynasty for many years. If he can stop now, I can live up to the Minister of Works' courtesy."

Then Cai Yong turned around and bowed again, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Xuande."

Cai Yong knew very well that if Liu Bei hadn't valued loyalty and taken the initiative to repay Dong Zhuo's kindness on his behalf, at most Dong Zhuo would have had a peaceful end, and he would never have agreed to take Dong Zhuo's granddaughter into his inner chambers.

Liu Bei quickly helped Cai Yong up, his tone becoming more sincere: "Father-in-law, there's no need for that. After I take control of Luoyang, I will need you to proofread books at the Eastern Pavilion. That would be a real burden for you."

The Dongguan Pavilion in Luoyang houses classics such as the Five Classics, works of various philosophers, biographies, and art from a hundred schools of thought, and is hailed as "Laozi's repositories and the Taoist Penglai Mountain."

After gaining power, Liu Bei not only wanted Cai Yong to proofread books, but also wanted to bring Lu Zhi back to proofread books as well.

Professionals should do what they are good at.

At their age, Cai Yong and Lu Zhi were no longer suited to handle military and political affairs. They could have lived a peaceful retirement in Dongguan, perhaps even living another decade or so to witness the prosperous era that Liu Bei had personally created.

Meanwhile, upon returning to Luoyang, Dong Zhuo immediately ordered Lü Bu to capture Zhou Bi.

Seeing the enraged Dong Zhuo, Zhou Bi panicked and cried out, "Minister, what crime have I committed?"

Dong Zhuo sneered: "What crime? You instigated me and my imperial uncle to plot the assassination of the Prince of Hongnong, and you still ask me what crime I have committed?"

Zhou Bi's head buzzed, and he subconsciously thought of Guo Tu's words, "Your plan has too many loopholes."

No, not possible!
How could Dong Zhuo suspect me?

I have already captured all of Yuan Wei's henchmen, so why should Dong Zhuo suspect me?

"Minister, I refuse to accept this. When I suggested that the Imperial Uncle be promoted to Grand Commandant and Governor of Yuzhang, you agreed. Why am I the one instigating this today?" Zhou Bi refused to admit defeat.

Dong Zhuo sneered: "Zhou Bi, do you think you can fool me by sending the Imperial Secretary Qian Zhao to Chang'an to report on us? Do you think that by stirring up trouble on both sides, the Imperial Uncle will be afraid and refuse to obey the imperial edict in Chang'an?"

"You underestimate your Imperial Uncle and don't understand his character. The last time he provoked you, the Vice Minister Zhang Kai was killed in the palace by your men. If you dare to plot against your Imperial Uncle, he will dare to bring his troops to Luoyang."

"I have treated you well, why did you betray me?"

Zhou Bi thought of Guo Tu's words again: "Liu Bei is a man who does things in ways that are not conventional," and felt a pang of regret.

If Zhou Bi had followed Guo Tu and left Luoyang for Hanoi to seek credit with Yuan Shao, he wouldn't have ended up in this situation. In the end, Zhou Bi was too greedy and too confident.

Zhou Bi didn't understand that the schemes and tricks he was so proud of were nothing but paper tigers, utterly vulnerable in the face of absolute power.

They also underestimated Liu Bei's unconventional ways of doing things, never expecting that Liu Bei would actually use force to overcome skill.

"Hahaha—" Zhou Bi laughed loudly: "Although my plan has been exposed, now that the Prince of Hongnong is dead, the Minister of Works' prestige has been greatly damaged, and the Minister of Works is determined to fight Liu Bei to the death. This is exactly what I want. I die for Lord Yuan. When Lord Yuan takes power in the future, he will surely remember my contributions. What do I have to fear in my death?"

"Heh heh—" Seeing Zhou Bi still mocking him even as he was about to die, Dong Zhuo didn't tolerate it and coldly retorted, "The death of the Prince of Hongnong has indeed greatly damaged my prestige, but who told you that I would fight to the death with the Imperial Uncle?"

“You pride yourself on your intelligence, but you, Zhou Bi, are not the only intelligent person in this world. Tomorrow morning at court, I will request to resign as Minister of Works and recommend my uncle, the Imperial Uncle, as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.”

"From now on, all military and political affairs, big and small, will be under the overall control of the Imperial Uncle. Do you think you have secured a great advantage for Yuan Shao? You have created a great enemy for Yuan Shao."

Seeing Zhou Bi's increasingly astonished expression, Dong Zhuo felt even more pleased: "I, Dong Zhuo, am but a military man from the border region. I was able to become one of the Three Dukes because of a secret edict given to me by the Imperial Uncle. I am nearly sixty years old. What else is there for me to pursue?"

“My mother, Lady Chiyang, is nearly ninety years old. I have not been able to fulfill my filial duties to her in recent years. It is a good time for me to retire and serve my mother. In the future, I can at least gain a reputation for filial piety. As for you, Zhou Bi, you are nothing but a loser. What face do you have to talk about the big picture in front of me?”

Zhou Bi's tone suddenly turned violent: "Dong Zhuo, I despise you! Why do you willingly obey Liu Bei? You have more than 20,000 troops in Luoyang, and a brave general like Lü Bu, yet you dare not fight against Liu Bei? You are a coward!"

"What are you shouting for!" Lü Bu kicked Zhou Bi to the ground and said angrily, "Xuande is my brother! Xuande's mentor, Minister Lu, is someone I respect. How dare you incite me to fight Xuande?"

“Father, there’s no need to waste words on such a wicked person. I will drag him out and behead him right now. If we let this scoundrel instigate us, I’m afraid Xuande will misunderstand.”

Seeing Lü Bu address him as "Xuande" and refer to Lu Zhi as a person of respect, Dong Zhuo couldn't help but sigh inwardly: If I were to truly become an enemy of the Imperial Uncle, I'm afraid Fengxian would be the first to object!
"Imprison him first, and hand him over to him for disposal after you officially take office, Uncle." Dong Zhuo shook his head, losing interest in talking to Zhou Bi.

Subsequently.

Dong Zhuo then summoned his relatives, including Niu Fu, Dong Yue, Dong Min, and Dong Huang, and told them the terms he had negotiated with Liu Bei.

Dong Huang was unwilling: "Even if my uncle is old, I am still young. Why must I submit to Liu Bei?"

Seeing his elder brother's son so arrogant and conceited, Dong Zhuo was furious and instructed Dong Min: "From today onwards, keep a close eye on Dong Huang. Without my order, he is not allowed to step out of the house. If he dares to go out, break his legs. As long as the lineage is still there, my brother's line will not die out."

Dong Huang's expression changed drastically.

He knew his uncle's temperament all too well; if Dong Zhuo said he would break his legs, he would definitely break them.

The thought of having to lie in bed to carry on the family line sent chills down Dong Huang's spine.

"We will abide by the Grand Commandant's decision, but what if the Imperial Uncle breaks the agreement?" Dong Yue asked in a low voice.

Dong Zhuo sighed and said, "Uncle is a man who values ​​integrity and the law above all else. As long as you restrain your words and actions and do not violate the law, Uncle will not break his promise. Those who achieve great things must prioritize integrity."

"Uncle Liu is surnamed Liu, which is an advantage that neither I, He Jin, Yuan Shao, nor others possess. Uncle Liu is not yet thirty years old, and no one can predict what will happen in the future. Do not ruin your future."

Dong Yue, Niu Fu, and the others all felt a chill run down their spines.

Throughout history, those who wield excessive power rarely meet a good end; this was true of General Liang Ji, General Dou Wu, and General He Jin.

Even those who usurped the Han throne like Wang Mang ultimately met a tragic end.

Liu Bei was different. He was surnamed Liu and was also an imperial uncle, an advantage that Liang Ji, Dou Wu, He Jin, and others could not possess. No one but Liu could be a king, and no one but meritorious officials could be a marquis!
Liu Bei, whose surname is Liu and who has rendered meritorious service, is worthy of being a king or marquis.

"We will obey the orders of the Minister of Works!"

Dong Yue no longer hesitated and accepted the order.

Few people knew about the private discussions between Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo. From Emperor Xie to the common people, everyone in Luoyang was uneasy because of the conflict between Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo.

One is the arrogant and cruel Minister of Works, and the other is the brave and skilled Imperial Uncle. If they were to fight, wouldn't Luoyang be awash in blood?

Meanwhile, the officers and soldiers of the Western Garden Army and the Five Schools of the Northern Army were also deeply worried.

Especially the Western Garden Army, who had personally witnessed Liu Bei rise from a Right Colonel to Imperial Uncle.

Fight Liu Bei?

Only a madman would hit someone like that!

The officials and common people of Luoyang spent a restless night.

The next morning, Liu Xie convened a court assembly.

To the astonishment of Liu Xie and his officials, the usually arrogant Dong Zhuo took the initiative to resign, citing his failure to prevent assassins from killing the Prince of Hongnong.

Unable to discern Dong Zhuo's intentions, Liu Xie hurriedly tried to persuade him to stay, saying, "Minister, you flatter me. The assassin intended to kill the Prince of Hongnong and succeeded by chance. What does that have to do with you, Minister? You must not neglect matters of state."

Ma Ridi, Yang Biao, and others also stepped forward to persuade him.

Everyone was filled with resentment. You've already turned against the Imperial Uncle with swords, and now you're saying you want to step down? How will the Imperial Uncle deal with this?
This was the first time Dong Zhuo had ever seen the emperor and his officials so earnestly try to persuade him to stay. If Liu Bei hadn't been so powerful and unreasonable, Dong Zhuo would have really wanted to agree.

Taking a deep breath, Dong Zhuo said frankly, "There are many treacherous people in Luoyang now, and many traitors and spies such as Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu are hiding in the city. I am old and no longer have the energy to fight against the traitors."

"Uncle Liu Bei was entrusted with the care of the late emperor, and he also helped the emperor ascend the throne. Now he has also defeated the rebel Yuan Shu. In terms of status and achievements, Uncle Liu should be the number one person in our Han Dynasty."

Everyone was even more surprised.

what's the situation?
Why are you praising the Imperial Uncle, Dong Zhuo?
Who doesn't know that you and the Imperial Uncle have a conflict?

How can you be so shameless as to praise the Imperial Uncle like this?

Ignoring what others thought, Dong Zhuo continued, "Therefore, I recommend my uncle as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, to oversee all affairs of the court. With my uncle's abilities, he will surely be able to wipe out the traitors and restore the Han Dynasty."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent; even the sound of breathing seemed to stop.

Wang Yun looked at Dong Zhuo in astonishment: What's going on? I've been forced to resign?
soon.

Apart from Wang Yun, everyone was overjoyed: Dong Zhuo's voluntary resignation and the appointment of the Imperial Uncle as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat meant that there would be no war in Luoyang!

Most of those who could serve as officials in Luoyang were people who valued their lives.

War should be avoided if possible; who would risk their lifespan for no reason?

Liu Xie's expression, however, was quite complicated.

After all that, it was still the Imperial Uncle who entered Luoyang in the end? Then why did we doubt him in the first place?

Although Emperor Xian reigned as regent, he did not have the power to make decisions.

As long as the ministers agree, Liu Xie has no choice but to agree, even if he doesn't.

Seeing that all the ministers echoed Dong Zhuo's decision to appoint Liu Bei as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Liu Xie sighed inwardly and could only agree to the decision.

Wang Yun, the former Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, was reassigned as Grand Master of the Palace.

Liu Xie then sent Ma Ridi to Hangu Pass to read out the imperial edict appointing him.

Even after the meeting adjourned, many officials still couldn't believe what had happened that day, as if they were dreaming.

In particular, the former Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Wang Yun, completely failed to understand why things had turned out this way.

Wang Yun went to find Zhou Bi again, but was told that Zhou Bi had been imprisoned by Dong Zhuo and would be dealt with after Liu Bei took office.

"Damn it, Zhou Bi has outsmarted us."

Only then did Wang Yun realize his mistake and become indignant.

Before the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat could even enjoy his position, he was implicated by Zhou Bi's actions. How could Wang Yun not be furious?
But now there's nothing he can do about his anger; Wang Yun still has to figure out how to sever ties with Zhou Bi.

March 25th.

Ma Ridi was ordered to enter Hangu Pass by imperial decree and appointed Liu Bei, the Grand Commandant, Governor of Yu Province, and Imperial Uncle, as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

Subsequently, Liu Bei led five battalions of troops from Yongzhou and forcefully entered Luoyang.

Regardless of whether Dong Zhuo's intentions were genuine or not, now that his troops had entered Luoyang and he had the official appointment documents in hand, Liu Bei was undoubtedly the most powerful person under the emperor in Luoyang.

After handing over the relevant seals and documents, Liu Bei appointed Jian Yong as the governor of Yongzhou and reorganized the five camps of Yongzhou, the eight camps of Xiyuan, the five schools of the Northern Army, the Tiger Guard Camp, the Feathered Forest Army, the City Guard Army, and the army under the command of the Imperial Guard.

The eight battalions of the Western Garden, the five schools of the Northern Army, the City Guard, and the troops under the command of the Imperial Guard were abolished, leaving only the Tiger Guard and the Imperial Feather Guard to protect the palace.

At the same time, the Lingyan Army was established, with the five battalions of Yongzhou as the backbone, and elites from the eight battalions of Xiyuan, the five schools of the Northern Army, the city guards, and the army under the command of the Imperial Guard were selected.

Ten battalions will be temporarily set up, each with two thousand men.

The eight camps were commanded by Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Dian Wei, Huang Zhong, Ma Chao, and Lü Bu, while Liu Bei himself commanded the two camps.

The remaining soldiers who were dismissed were put into military camps outside Luoyang as reserves.

Originally, Luoyang had more than 20,000 soldiers, but after Liu Bei reorganized them, more than half of them were lost.

Although the number of people has decreased, their quality has improved.

Liu Bei always prioritized elite troops, preferring quality over quantity, and also because having too many troops would lead to a serious food burden.

Food is the most important thing for people, and agriculture should be the top priority.

Due to Xun You's recommendation, Liu Bei appointed Zhong Yao, a Gentleman Attendant at the Palace Gate, as Minister of State, to assist in handling government affairs.

From then on, power in Luoyang changed hands.

After two years of hard work, Liu Bei rose from the former county magistrate of Anxi to the current Grand Commandant, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Governor of Yu Province, and Imperial Uncle Liu Bei.

When the news came out, the whole world was shocked.

(End of this chapter)