A thousand-year-old family begins with one fighting against ten thousand.

"Halt!"

After He Jin went inside, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu behind him were stopped by the gatekeepers.

"No soldiers or troops are allowed to enter the palace."

Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu both looked at He Jin, who took two steps back and said, "They are here to protect me, the Great General. Please make way immediately."

The guards here are the Imperial Guards, who only obey the emperor's edicts, the Duke of Yan's decrees, and the orders of the court. Cao Cao, who is in charge of guarding the palace, is responsible for these duties.

What great general? He doesn't work on them.

"According to the laws of the Han Dynasty, foreign troops are not allowed to enter the imperial palace; those who violate this rule will be punished as treason!"

This Imperial Guard still showed no respect, looking at He Jin coldly.

"Do you know who I am? I am the Grand General of the current dynasty, and His Majesty's maternal uncle!"

"Do you believe I can make you wish you were dead with just one sentence?"

He Jin was already insecure, and after this incident, he felt that Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu looked at him with disdain.

In reality, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu were just looking at him normally.

However, He Jin's feeling wasn't entirely wrong; Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu harbored even deeper contempt for He Jin.

"We are on duty, please do not blame us, General."

Despite saying he wouldn't blame him, the Imperial Guard still came to the army camp and wouldn't allow anyone to enter.

"What's your name? Where are you from?"

He Jin asked with a dark face, assuring everyone that no one else in the entire county would be able to join the Imperial Guard.

We also want to make him wish he were dead.

The Imperial Guard grinned and said, "This humble servant is from Pingcheng in Yanzhou. My surname is Zhou, my given name is Wei, and my courtesy name is Bozhuang."

"..."

Throughout the entire Han Dynasty, Yanzhou was a special place.

Nominally, this place still belongs to the Han Dynasty, but in reality, it is a country within a country.

Whether in military or political matters, the imperial court had no say.

They only obeyed the orders of the Wei family, and all taxes were handed over to the Prince Zhongwu's mansion.

The largest number of civil and military officials come from here, and the Imperial Guards are no exception, drawing a large number of elite talents from Yanzhou every year.

Pingcheng is even more special. When the Han Dynasty was founded, the first title that King Zhongwu had was Marquis of Pingcheng.

That place is the birthplace of the Wei family and the place most deeply influenced by them.

Every single family is a staunch supporter of the Wei family, and they all receive the Wei family's protection.

Even the most arrogant Emperor Huang of Han dared not send anyone to Pingcheng.

Even Emperor Ping of Han, with his deep cunning and shrewdness, dared not incite rebellion in Yanzhou when he stirred up rebellions throughout the country.

Even though the Ten Attendants held immense power during Emperor Ling's reign, and could kill anyone, regardless of whether they came from a family with four generations of high-ranking officials or were imperial relatives, even the most powerful Ten Attendants dared not send anyone here.

This demonstrates the formidable power of the Wei family, the Loyal and Martial Kings, in the Han Dynasty.

He Jin had just made a boast, hoping to save face in front of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.

I was speechless, almost choked to death by this guy's words.

He Jin pointed at Zhou Wei with his finger, the word "you" stuck in his throat.

"snort!"

He Jin snorted coldly and turned to look at Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.

"You all wait here! I doubt those Ten Attendants would dare lay a hand on me!"

Just as Yuan Shao was about to persuade him again, He Jin waved his hand dismissively. Having just lost face in front of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, he was unwilling to accept any further opposition.

What difference does it make if they have four generations and three families? In the end, they are still under his command.

I can't make decisions for him!

Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu were somewhat anxious. They didn't care about He Jin's life or death; they just wanted to enter the palace and create chaos as quickly as possible.

This undermines the Liu family's reputation among the people and powerful clans of the Han Dynasty.

Zhou Wei realized Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu's intentions and gripped the hilt of his sword.

The Imperial Guards behind him also placed their hands on their sword hilts, glaring menacingly at the thousand troops before them.

Even though they only had 200 men, while the opposing 1000 were fully armored, they were still confident that they could annihilate the enemy here.

They are the Imperial Guards, the wings of the nation, as prosperous as the forest!

Seeing this, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu had no choice but to give up and wait anxiously there.

At the same time, they secretly sent people to request reinforcements. These major families had accumulated considerable power within the Imperial Guard over the years.

Their 1000 men alone cannot cause any chaos; we need more troops.

Once He Jin entered Chang Le Palace, dozens of eunuchs from the Ten Attendants, who had been lying in ambush nearby, stepped forward and surrounded him.

Before Empress Dowager He could discover this, Zhang ordered his men to act swiftly and kill He Jin!

Before he died, He Jin cried out, "Sister, help!"

Empress Dowager He, who was in Changle Palace, heard He Jin's voice and immediately led her people out to investigate.

When she came out, she found that He Jin had been killed.

"Brother!"

Empress Dowager He looked at the Ten Attendants with disbelief and murderous intent.

In the shadows of Chang Le Palace, a young eunuch observed everything, slowly leaving the battlefield. Once he was out of sight, he ran quickly out of the palace to deliver the message to Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu outside.

"Two captains, something terrible has happened! The Grand General has been murdered by the Ten Attendants, and they are now trying to take the Empress Dowager hostage! Rescue the Empress Dowager at once!"

Yuan Shao's face lit up with joy, and he roared angrily.

"How could the Ten Attendants be treated like this!"

"The eunuch murdered the Grand General! Those who punish the wicked have come to his aid!"

Upon hearing Yuan Shao's shout, the private armies of the surrounding aristocratic families, as well as some of the imperial guards under their control, all surrounded him.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Zhou Wei quickly fired a signal flare, drew his sword, and stood in front of the palace gate.

"Are you plotting a rebellion?"

"The Ten Attendants murdered the Grand General; are you part of the eunuch faction?"

Yuan Shao and Zhou Wei spoke at the same time. Yuan Shao didn't have time to say more, as time was of the essence and he had to lead his troops into the palace as soon as possible.

"Who dares to trespass into the palace?!"

A dignified young man led a large number of Imperial Guards to the palace gate, totaling 3000 men.

"Captain Zhang, these are the two who intended to lead troops to storm the palace!"

Zhou Wei said to Zhang Liao.

They were both from Yanmen County and were already acquaintances.

Yuan Shao was deeply disappointed to see that the enemy's reinforcements had also arrived.

To break in, we must defeat the three thousand Imperial Guards in front of us. Even if we can defeat them, slaughtering three thousand Imperial Guards guarding the palace will leave no one able to protect them.

"Captain Zhang, the Ten Attendants have ambushed the General in Chang Le Palace. If you are not a member of the eunuch faction, please make way immediately!"

As he spoke, a hint of doubt flashed in Yuan Shao's eyes. Why had he never seen this Captain Zhang before?

He knew all the captains of the Imperial Guard.

"Foreign soldiers are not allowed to enter the palace. Matters concerning Changle Palace will be handled by the Imperial Guards."

Zhang Liao coldly refused.

Before he arrived, Cao Cao had given him instructions, telling him about the wolfish ambitions of the Yuan brothers.

Zhang Liao despised such ungrateful people who intended to overthrow the Han Dynasty.

If it weren't for my duty, I would have liked to cut him down with a knife.

"The General was murdered at Chang Le Palace. What role did the Imperial Guards play in this? Were they guilty of failing to provide adequate protection?"

Yuan Shao squinted as he spoke, his entire demeanor exuding an aggressive aura.

"The Imperial Guards' crimes will be judged by the court; there's no need for Colonel Yuan to worry about it."

Zhang Liao's eyes also became serious. Just by looking at his aura, he knew that Yuan Shao was no ordinary person.

Unfortunately, even such a person betrayed his own people, eating the big man's food while smashing his bowl.

It's a pity that such skills were entrusted to the wrong person.

The situation remained at a standstill, with everyone waiting for further news from the palace.