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

Chapter 136 Letting the Tiger Come Waiting

"He went to borrow troops."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall fell silent, but their reactions varied.

Cao Cao's eyes didn't show much surprise, but rather a hint of excitement. He already knew about this news, and that excitement was the battle spirit that was beginning to ignite in his bones.

Xun Huo then strode to the desk, picked up his pen, and began to write.

After a long pause, Liu Bian spoke first.

"Things have probably reached a point of no return."

Just then, Xun put down his pen, picked up the paper on the table, and spread it out in front of everyone.

"rebel."

"rebel!?"

Wang Ming cried out in surprise first.

Xun Yu glanced at him indifferently, then nodded to Liu Bian.

"Since Yuan Shao has already gone west to borrow troops, it means that he himself knows that in Luoyang City, relying on the wind from the palace, the water from Changle Palace, and the few hidden spies in the West Garden is no longer enough to turn the tide."

He needs to rely on external forces.

Xun paused, then placed his finger on the four characters following "rebellion":

Show the enemy weakness.

"Since he wants to borrow troops, then Your Majesty will provide him with a situation where he can borrow them."

Liu Bian's eyes lit up: "What do you mean, sir?"

Cao Cao spoke first.

"To make Yuan Shao feel that he still has time."

"How do I show it?"

Xun raised his head, a glint of light appearing in his eyes.

"West Garden is about to descend into chaos."

"It's not a major chaos, but the kind of chaos that's barely suppressed, yet never truly contained."

1

"Spread the word—although the West Garden is temporarily under Gongsun Zan's control, the old generals are not convinced. Jian Shuo's remaining troops took advantage of the night to escape with their troops, and the camp has not been completely cleared yet."

Liu Bian raised an eyebrow.

"But Jian Shuo is already dead."

"The dead cannot escape, but the remnants can always escape," Xun Huo said calmly. "There are so many old lines in Xiyuan, it's not surprising that a few escaped."

Cao Cao nodded, then added, "And it doesn't have to be entirely fake."

"Among those former military officers and minor officials arrested last night, several were already connected to the outer residences of former eunuchs. Letting them go along with this line will actually make it more convincing."

Xun continued, "Tell the outside world that General Gongsun is seriously injured."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian was taken aback at first, but then he understood.

"When Gongsun Zan was establishing his authority at the drill ground, the former military commander was not convinced. Although he managed to control the situation, he was grazed by a stray arrow in the shoulder and back and has been unable to appear in public for the past few days."

"That's right," Xun Huo said. "Don't spread the news too widely. Just let people know that he can hold on, but he can't leave the formation for the time being."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian's lips curled into a smile.

"Make it half true and half false, that way they'll believe it."

"To make them feel that Luoyang City is only standing on the surface, and is actually hollow inside."

Upon hearing this, Xun Huo finally slowly replied, "It's still not enough."

Cao Cao turned to look at him.

Xun Huo slowly spoke: "We need to actually do two or three decent things so that these rumors have a place to settle."

Liu Bian nodded.

"What you say makes sense, sir."

Xun Huo's gaze fell on the several unfinished memorials on the table, and he calmly said, "First of all, let's stop the grand gestures at the West Garden."

"Now that Gongsun Zan is injured, the Western Garden should refrain from any major actions in the next few days. Don't arrest anyone else, and don't reorganize too quickly. It seems the situation has just been brought under control; we dare not push further for now."

"And the Tian Chamber of Commerce."

"Medicinal herbs are still being supplied as usual, and grain, salt, and carts are being transported, but for the time being, it can be made to appear as if the dispatching is not functioning properly. It's not that things are in chaos, but rather that things are slow."

This made the merchants in the city feel that although the new dynasty had been established, its influence had not yet fully extended beyond the palace gates.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian couldn't help but clap his hands and exclaim, "Brilliant!"

"It won't really hurt us, and it will make outsiders think that my court is only suppressing the palace, not the outside world."

Cao Cao, however, did not show much excitement; instead, he frowned.

"It feels like something's missing."

Xun Yu laughed upon hearing this.

"Mengde is intelligent."

"But there's still one last step to go."

Liu Bian and Cao Cao both looked at Xun Yu.

"Let one person out."

Then, Xun Yu looked at Cao Cao.

"Mengde, are any of those people who were dug out from the old railway line in Xiyuan a few days ago still alive?"

Cao Cao nodded.

"There's one more person who was recruited quickly, so we haven't killed him yet."

"Okay, that's exactly the kind of person I want."

Xun Huo continued, "He's spineless, but he's one of their people."

"Give him a way that he thinks he has been given a second chance at life, and let him take the path we want him to take, and head west."

A glimmer of light flashed in Liu Bian's eyes; at that moment, the situation became much more interesting.

The others in the hall took their leave, leaving only Liu Bian and Cao Cao in the hall.

Even Wang Ming was dismissed.

Cao Cao asked, somewhat puzzled, "Your Majesty, is there anything else to instruct?"

Liu Bian nodded, then leaned down and whispered something in Cao Cao's ear.

A moment later, Cao Cao clasped his hands in a fist salute, his eyes already gleaming with excited glint.

"Your subject understands."

"I will take care of it tonight."

After that night, the wind in Luoyang City indeed began to change.

First, news came from Xiyuan that Jian Shuo's old troops had not been completely wiped out, and that some of them had even taken armor and old flags and scaled the wall to leave the camp at night, their whereabouts unknown.

Then, someone else said that although Gongsun Zan was ruthless when he was stationed at the training ground a few days ago, he was also injured. Now that he is staying in the camp, the rotation of troops in several places in the West Garden has been slowed down as a result.

Later, in the streets and taverns, a saying slowly spread: "His Majesty is young and has only just suppressed the palace; the military, merchants, roads, and people's hearts outside the palace are far from being completely pacified."

As for the Tian Chamber of Commerce, they indeed slowed down as ordered.

It's not out of stock.

However, the salt carts were delayed by half a day, the grain warehouses were held up overnight, and the medicinal herbs from the north, which had clearly arrived outside the city, were only put into storage the next day.

Little things.

But when there are too many small things, the shrewd people in the city will start to figure things out for themselves—

The new dynasty seems stable, but things aren't going smoothly for them yet.

This is enough.

The General's Mansion.

He Jin was drinking wine, one sip after another.

He has been quite depressed these past few days. His Majesty is clearly his own nephew, but he is not as happy as he was in the previous dynasty.

What exactly went wrong?

Suddenly, the image of the group from the West Garden flashed through his mind, along with the image of the man in the white helmet.

Immediately, He Jin slammed the wine cup in his hand to the ground.

"Why should those good-for-nothings from Xiyuan get to steal the spotlight?"

"And that young Gongsun."

He Jin shook his head, trying to shake off some of the alcohol, but the shaking only made him more dizzy.

"Anyone could easily become the Commandant of the Western Garden Army."

"What White Horse Cavalry! Could they even last a single round against me?"

He Jin grew angrier as he spoke, and suddenly slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and walked out.

"I'm going to tell my sister that His Majesty can't treat me like this!"

As He Jin reached the main gate, he caught a glimpse of a figure in the shadows out of the corner of his eye.

"who!"

He suddenly drew his sword from his waist and pointed it straight ahead.

A person slowly emerged from the shadows.

Despite being pointed at with a sword, the man remained completely calm and instead gently deflected the sword aside.

He glanced at He Jin's drunken state and raised an eyebrow.

"Is the General troubled by something lately?"

Upon hearing this, He Jin was filled with rage and swung his sword down fiercely.

"You ignorant brat! How dare you mock me, this general?"

"court death!"

The man seemed to possess some martial arts skills, as he slightly shifted his body to the side and dodged the slash.

"General, you misunderstand. Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, the Grand General should be treated with even greater respect."

"I have come here to help the General secure a better position by the side of the new emperor."

He Jin was taken aback, but finally steadied himself and looked over.

"Do you have a solution?"