Liu Bian at the start, so you're called Dong Zhuo, right?

Chapter 131 Establishing the Rightful Throne

With the secret pouch opened, Yuan Shao's expression softened.

Yuan Shu, who was unaware of the meaning behind the words, looked at the eight characters with some confusion.

"Second brother, what does this mean..."

Yuan Shao ignored what he said, gently pressed the short note back into the box, and slowly raised a very faint smile at the corner of his lips.

"This new emperor, barely seated on the throne, is already pulling his sword to his own feet."

Yuan Shu still didn't understand.

Yuan Shao didn't explain further, but instead looked towards the direction of the palace and said in a low voice, "Wenhe has already written down the route for us."

17

"Now, let's see what he does next."

Inside the Zhangde Hall, the late emperor had just passed away, and the white banners had only been hung for a short time. The hall was still filled with an overwhelming atmosphere of weeping.

When the officials dispersed, Liu Bian returned to Zhangde Hall and summoned some officials to accompany him.

The courtiers had just finished bowing to the new emperor, their eyes still red and their robes still bearing traces of tears. Even He Jin had not fully recovered from the shock.

But the young emperor on the throne had already raised his eyes.

Liu Bian, his eyes still red, glanced at everyone in the hall, then fixed his gaze on the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and said softly, "Record the imperial edict."

The Minister of Works felt a chill and quickly stepped forward with his pen in hand.

The room fell silent instantly.

This new emperor seems to have no intention of following the wishes of the people and first becoming a grief-stricken emperor who is supported by others.

"From this day forward, all gates of the North and South Palaces shall be locked again."

"Without an imperial edict, without the Minister's seal, and without the guards' identification token, no one may open the palace gates or enter the forbidden area without authorization."

Upon hearing this, the faces of the eunuchs immediately changed.

"The medicine and food supply routes of Zhangde Hall shall be reformed together starting today. Where the medicines come from, who determined the prescriptions, where the food comes from, whose hands it passed through along the way, and to whom it was delivered and unsealed, shall all be recorded for me in a book."

"In the future, if something happens, you won't have to cry and plead for justice anymore."

"Just arrest them by name."

The people in the hall looked up, exchanging glances with varying expressions.

At this moment, He Jin's brows furrowed involuntarily.

He originally thought that on the first day of the new emperor's ascension to the throne, the person he should rely on first would be himself, the great general.

With the late emperor recently deceased, the court is in turmoil. The outer court troops and the northern army guards—none of them can do without him.

Moreover, given the unpleasant situation a few days ago, why didn't the Emperor, as his own uncle, come to appease him first?

But Liu Bian didn't even look in his direction.

"From this day forward, no one in the various camps of the Western Garden may be transferred without authorization."

Liu Bian finally shifted his gaze to the other side of the hall.

Jian Shuo's heart skipped a beat, and he almost instinctively looked up.

What he saw was the faint killing intent revealed in Liu Bian's reddened eyes.

"The military tally remains in the West Garden, but the power to mobilize troops has been changed to three verifications."

"The imperial edict is verified once, the minister's seal is verified once, and the palace guard's token is verified once."

"If even one person is missing, no one may leave the camp."

As soon as these words were spoken, an uncontrollable commotion finally arose in the hall.

What kind of place is Xiyuan?

That was the late emperor's personal guard, the sword that Emperor Ling of Han had been most reluctant to let go of in recent years.

Everyone knows that Jian Shuo was able to maintain such a stable position in the palace not only because he was a Grand Attendant, but also because the Western Garden was under his control.

But now, the new emperor has just ascended the throne, and his first move has been to strike at this very spot.

The color drained from Jian Shuo's face, and after a moment of hesitation, he managed to say in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the West Garden is, after all..."

"What exactly is it?"

Before Jian Shuo could finish speaking, Liu Bian interrupted him.

"When the late emperor was alive, you closed your camp and refused orders."

"Now that the late emperor has just passed away, do you still intend to keep the West Garden under your control?"

"Jian Shuo, are you protecting the Emperor, or are you protecting yourself?"

Jian Shuo's knees buckled, and he was momentarily speechless.

He Jin, who had just been feeling somewhat depressed, suddenly felt a strange relief in his chest.

"He Jin."

He Jin's heart sank, and he quickly bowed.

"Your subject is here."

"The Northern Army remains under your command."

The moment these words were uttered, He Jin's eyes lit up slightly.

But the light was extinguished in the next instant.

"Anyone involved in matters concerning the palace, the Western Garden, or the Zhangde Hall guards shall not overstep the authority of the Minister, shall not act ahead of others, and shall not make decisions arbitrarily."

"The late emperor entrusted you with the task of assisting him, but not acting on your own initiative."

Liu Bian looked at him, his expression calm.

"The General responded to these words once."

"Today, I will say it again."

He Jin's face immediately turned a mixture of pale and ashen.

He's a member of the royal family, yet His Majesty... didn't give him the slightest bit of face.

But with so many eyes watching in the hall, he dared not show even the slightest displeasure, and could only swallow it down, bowing his head and saying, "Your subject—accepts the decree."

Seeing that He Jin agreed, Liu Bian nodded.

He then turned his gaze to a person standing in the corner of the hall.

There's a knife that, if it's not drawn soon, will become dull.

"Gongsun Zan".

"Your subject is here."

"From today onwards, you will be in charge of patrolling the West Garden Cavalry Camp."

"At the camp gate, during night patrols, during troop rotations, and during roll call, any unusual activity must be reported to the Minister first, and then to the Emperor."

"Your subject obeys the decree!"

Gongsun Zan responded very quickly to this call.

He Jin's eye twitched slightly.

"Cao Cao".

Cao Cao immediately stepped forward.

"Your subject is here."

"I entrust you with the tasks of night patrols, arrests, and checkpoints along the post roads in the capital."

"Especially the routes for medicine and food, as well as the relay of memorials and the passing of tokens inside and outside the Zhangde Hall, are being kept under close surveillance by me."

"Whoever dares to extend their reach into these areas again—"

'

Liu Bian paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the officials in the hall.

"We can act first and report later."

Cao Cao's eyes lit up, and he clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

When a new emperor ascends the throne, he does not first hold a funeral, a mausoleum, or a national mourning ceremony.

His first action was to inform the entire court—

From now on, who will be in charge in Luoyang City?

The hall remained quiet for a long time.

Finally, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, holding the newly transcribed edict with sweaty palms, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the late Emperor has passed away, and the new Emperor has assumed the throne. All the decrees have been issued."

"7

"However—there is one more matter that I dare not fail to report."

A hint of approval appeared in Liu Bian's eyes. At this moment, he was able to stand up and speak out for the country, which was truly a sign of loyalty and virtue.

"Please feel free to speak."

The Minister of the Imperial Secretariat bowed even lower, but his voice clearly reached the ears of everyone in the hall: "The new emperor has ascended the throne, and the era name should be discussed."

The people in the hall had not yet recovered from the shock of the new emperor's swift and decisive actions when they were abruptly pulled back to reality.

Era name.

It sounds like just a name in the ritual system.

But if it were to be finalized, it would be tantamount to announcing to the world that the reign of the former emperor was truly over.

The era of a new emperor is about to begin.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian realized what was going on, and his gaze toward the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat held even more admiration.

"Good, draft the edict."

He paused, a multitude of thoughts swirling in his mind, but still shook his head.

"Announce to the world: The matter of changing the reign title is a major event requiring careful consideration. The Court of Imperial Sacrifices and the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs shall draft a list of candidates, which shall be presented to the Emperor in three days for his personal decision."

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