The imperial cause at the end of the Han Dynasty was not one of partial peace.

On the day the prison cart arrived, Lu Zhi had his official seal removed from his waist and his black-edged military uniform taken off. Dressed only in a plain white robe, he was escorted into the prison cart in full view of everyone.

The prison cart was made of rough wood, with sparse railings and drafty walls. There wasn't even a felt mat inside.

Lu Zhi was already tall, and the prison cart was low, so he had to sit crouched down, his white hair scattered over his shoulders, only his calm eyes still revealing a resolute look.

Many soldiers in the camp shed tears, but none dared to step forward to say goodbye due to Duan Gui's imposing presence.

As a result, Lu Zhi was all alone, feeling quite desolate, having experienced the vicissitudes of life in a single day.

The smug man, Duan Gui, strolled to the front of the prison cart just as it was about to depart. Leaning down, he sneered at Lu Zhi inside, "Lu Zhonglang, why did you come here? If you had listened to my advice earlier, you wouldn't be in this prison cart now!"

Lu Zhi snorted coldly, closed his eyes to recuperate, and didn't bother with such a powerful but petty person.

Duan Gui was furious that Lu Zhi, now a prisoner, dared to show him such contempt. He shouted at the eunuch in charge of escorting the prison cart, "Take good care of Lu Zhonglang on the road! Make sure he doesn't die on the way back to the capital, even if he has to endure wind and rain!"

How could the eunuch not understand the nobleman's current intentions?

He immediately smiled sinisterly and said, "Rest assured, sir, I will take excellent care of Lu Zhonglang along the way. I will provide him with a drink every three days and a meal every five days! I will absolutely not let him die on the road!"

Duan Gui smiled, looking at the young eunuch with satisfaction. This was just enough to keep Lu Zhi from dying. He would suffer a lot on the road ahead.

It was the height of summer, the scorching heat of June. He was exposed to the elements, given water only once every three days and a midday meal only once every five days. He was scorched by the sun during the day without shade, and exposed to the wind at night without a blanket. He would have been half-dead if not killed.

Lu Zhi, a great Confucian scholar, had never suffered such humiliation.

The soldiers in the army were all indignant upon hearing this!

But wherever Duan Gui's cold gaze swept, no one dared to directly confront the hostility of this nobleman.

In the end, the prison cart could only be moved away with a clang, and the eunuch and dozens of guards escorted it away from the camp gate in a desolate manner.

Ultimately, no one in the army dared to go out to deliver it.

Just as the prison cart was leaving the gate, Liu Bei led more than ten riders from the south to meet them. He had already removed his tattered black armor and was only wearing a plain white robe with a long sword at his waist. Behind him was Zhang Fei, who had also removed his armor. The more than ten riders were all dressed in white, silent and solemn.

Liu Bei dismounted and strode to the prison cart. He knelt on one knee, kowtowed deeply, and cried out with tears in his eyes, "My esteemed teacher! I have come!"

Lu Zhi looked down and saw that Liu Bei's wound was still bleeding. He was also moved and said, "Xuande is very thoughtful. I am a subject awaiting punishment, and no one dares to approach me to say goodbye. Only Xuande is willing to come. I am already very pleased."

"Go back to Quzhou quickly, lest you be implicated by your master."

Liu Bei kowtowed again and said, "My esteemed teacher, I did not come here to bid you farewell."

Lu Zhi looked at Liu Bei with a puzzled expression.

Liu Bei then kowtowed and continued, "I have been greatly encouraged by my mentor's guidance, which has enabled me to achieve what I have today. Now my mentor has been wronged and is being escorted to the capital in a prison cart, his fate unknown. He has endured hardship and suffering on the journey."

"If you turn a blind eye and continue to stay here to lead troops into battle, you will be disloyal to the cause of your master, unjust to protect him, and unfilial to the duty of a disciple."

"How can such a disloyal, unjust, and unfilial person have the face to stand between heaven and earth again? Therefore, I request that my esteemed teacher allow me to accompany and escort him, take care of his daily life along the way, and protect him thoroughly, so that no villains may insult him."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhi was deeply moved, and his eyes filled with tears.

Having witnessed the coldness and warmth of human nature, his fate on this journey is uncertain, with the risk of being cut in half and executed in the marketplace, something everyone avoids like the plague.

He assumed that this disciple was loyal and righteous, unafraid of powerful figures, and had come to see him off.

Unexpectedly, they even more surprisingly offered to escort him to Luoyang!

The eunuch flew into a rage and shouted, "Liu Sima! This Lu Zhi is a criminal awaiting punishment. You have rendered meritorious service and are being rewarded by the Emperor. Don't ruin your own life!"

Lu Zhi, also jolted to his senses, immediately shouted, "Foolish! The traitors have not yet been eliminated, and the ringleader is still alive. How can you abandon the greater good for my personal gain? Quickly return to Quzhou, strengthen your troops, and prepare to eliminate the traitors."

Liu Bei decisively cupped his hands and said, "In my opinion, Dong Zhuo, the General of the Eastern Army, is an opportunist who flatters eunuchs and is not a capable general. If he rashly advances to please Duan Gui, he will only suffer defeat. Even if I stay here, it will not help."

Then he stepped forward, grasped his mentor's hands, and earnestly said, "Mentor, please do not worry. I have already devised a plan to grant you a reprieve from your punishment."

"I am but a commoner, with no relatives or friends to rely on in Luoyang, nor any powerful or influential family to depend on. The mansions of high officials are beyond my reach; the discussions in the court are beyond my influence. Even if I were to accompany my mentor to Luoyang, I would find it impossible to do anything for him or say a single word on his behalf."

"Therefore, I plan to return to Xiaquyang immediately after escorting my master safely to Luoyang, and personally brave arrows and stones to attack the city and defeat the enemy. When the city falls, I will reward those who have made contributions, and submit a memorial to the emperor to atone for my master's sins with all the military merits I have accumulated on the battlefield."

Then he raised his head and looked at the rough wooden bars inside the prison cart, his tone becoming increasingly generous: "In the past, Ti Ying was just a weak woman, yet she was able to redeem her father's crime by becoming a maid, which moved Emperor Wen to abolish corporal punishment."

"As a dignified man of seven feet tall, I have received great kindness from my master. How can I be inferior to a woman? To atone for my sins is the only thing I can do. I hope my master will grant my request."

"The Emperor is wise and discerning; he will surely recognize my humble sincerity and uphold the true principles of teacher and student!"

Lu Zhi was immediately moved to tears. He grasped Liu Bei's hand and said, "Xuande is benevolent, righteous, and elegant—a true gentleman! I have wronged you. You defeated Zhang Jiao and captured Zhang Liang; your achievements surpassed those of the entire army. How can I bear to see them all lost in a single day?"

Liu Bei cupped his hands and said, "My esteemed teacher, my mind is made up and I have no regrets. I only wish you well."

Hearing his words, even the guards escorting the prison cart were moved. They may have been forced to serve the eunuchs, but they also respected those who were loyal and righteous.

They all respected Liu Bei for his generosity, righteousness, magnanimity, and loyalty.

They have finally witnessed the noble character and lofty ambitions of a hero!

Liu Bei, however, was absolutely sincere and had no regrets.

After all, in this era that valued public opinion, reputation was far more important than military achievements.

As Confucius said in the Analects, "I am not worried about not having a position; I am worried about how to establish myself."

Military merits can be regained. During the Zhongping era, rebellions were countless, and he could be reinstated at any time and achieve military merits again.

But once a reputation is lost, it can never be regained. Liu Bei must put benevolence and righteousness into practice and not go against his conscience.

Moreover, as a way to atone for one's mistakes, these military achievements were not truly erased overnight, but merely temporarily suppressed without being rewarded. The imperial court still recorded their merits.

Liu Bei knew very well that even if he made a tremendous contribution this year, he could not possibly rise to the position of two thousand shi in one step. It would be better to accumulate merit first.

Next year will be the time for him to rise to prominence.

When the Yellow Turban Rebellion breaks out again next year, whether it is the Black Mountain bandits, or the Yellow Turbans of Qingxu and Runan, the Han Dynasty will need famous generals to quell the rebellion.

By then, Liu Bei's reputation will be established, and he will naturally be rewarded for his past achievements. That will be the time for him to ascend to the position of prefect.

He could easily wait a few months.

Moreover, this trip to Luoyang would allow him to avoid Dong Zhuo's defeat and preserve his reputation for being invincible.

Therefore, along the way, Liu Bei had no complaints or regrets, personally serving medicine and fanning his mentor during the day to cool him off, and covering the prison cart with his own clothes at night.

Whenever we stopped at a post station, I would first serve my teacher food and drink before eating myself.

Those who saw the Tiger Warriors were all moved by his loyalty and righteousness. The eunuch once wanted to order the Tiger Warriors to stop him from serving soup, but dozens of Tiger Warriors all lowered their heads and looked down, and none of them moved.

As a result, officials and common people along the way, upon hearing of his journey, were filled with awe and respect, and the name of Hebei became even more renowned.

When they reached the river crossing and were about to enter Henan, the boatman saw that it was a prison cart and was unwilling to take them.

Liu Bei stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and introduced himself. The boatman was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "Are you Liu Xuande, the one who shook Youzhou and captured Zhang Liang on the Zhang River?"

Liu Bei nodded. The boatman immediately bowed deeply, not only personally steering the boat, but also cooking the only two fresh fish left on board into fish soup, which he presented to the prison cart with both hands, saying respectfully, "Lu Zhonglang rid the country of traitors, and Liu Sima is known for his loyalty and righteousness. I, a humble man, wish to express my respect, but I have nothing else to offer but these two fish, which are a token of my heart."

Lu Zhi, still in the cage, received the fish soup. Far from feeling dejected, he laughed heartily, drank it all in one gulp, and said to the boatman, "Old man, don't make things difficult for me. I have a prized disciple; one day history will record this event!"

When the news spread, officials and commoners along the way, upon hearing it, all wanted to express their gratitude and brought food and drink to comfort the prisoner.

At that very moment, news of Dong Zhuo's defeat also arrived.

He was appointed to command the royal army temporarily, but before he could integrate the forces, Duan Gui urged him to seize all the credit.

Dong Zhuo's generals were unfamiliar with their soldiers, and the soldiers were unfamiliar with their generals. They rashly advanced their troops and were taken advantage of by Zhang Bao.

At that time, the government troops attacked the city very urgently, from dawn to dusk. However, in June, the weather was scorching hot and the government troops were exhausted and their morale plummeted.

Taking advantage of the enemy's fatigue, Zhang Bao launched a counterattack outside the city, causing a major rout of the government troops, with thousands of casualties.

The siege of Quyang was lifted in a single battle.

Lu Zhi led tens of thousands of royal troops, and all the merits he had gained from months of bloody battles were lost in a single day.

The situation in Hebei was in complete disarray. What could have been quelled in June turned into a crushing defeat for the imperial army this month.

The government troops almost completely lost their fighting spirit. Of the five schools in the Three Rivers region, less than one-tenth of the infantry captains remained, and thousands of cavalrymen in the Three Rivers region perished. In the three prefectures of Henan, Hebei, and Henan, every household was dressed in mourning.

When the news reached the prison cart, Liu Bei was serving porridge to Lu Zhi.

Lu Zhi wept uncontrollably, closed his eyes and sighed deeply, almost weeping blood: "The hard-fought battles of tens of thousands of soldiers over several months have been completely lost in one day."

When news of the defeat reached Luoyang, it caused an uproar throughout the court and the public.

Rumor has it that the emperor was furious and, remarkably, unleashed his fury on the Ten Attendants.

These eunuchs, seeing Lu Zhi's repeated victories and unstoppable momentum, all believed that the rebels were easy to defeat. They thought that no matter who commanded the troops, they could quickly crush the rebels.

But now, just after replacing Lu Zhi, the front lines have suffered a crushing defeat.

The heavy losses suffered by the government troops aroused resentment among the court and the public.

At this moment, the previously noisy Ten Attendants and their cronies all fell silent.

Some in the court have suggested reinstating Lu Zhi to salvage the situation.

However, Emperor Liu Hong was stubborn and arrogant. Although he regretted his actions, he was unwilling to lose face. In particular, Duan Gui was not only personally dispatched by him, but also a trusted and favored confidant.

If Lu Zhi is to be reinstated, Duan Gui's crime of false accusation must be investigated.

According to the Han Dynasty law: "Those who make false accusations shall be punished in return."

That is, if someone falsely accuses another of a crime, the person who makes the false accusation shall suffer the consequences.

Duan Gui impeached Lu Zhi for "nurturing bandits to enhance his own power," a heinous crime punishable by dismemberment and public execution. If the accusation was found to be false, Duan Gui would be punished as an accomplice.

How could the emperor bear to have his beloved minister executed by being cut in half at the waist and his body displayed in the marketplace? Therefore, he suppressed the matter, citing Lu Zhi's status as a minister awaiting punishment and unsuitability for the position of general.

Just then, good news arrived from another route.

After General Huangfu Song pacified Yingchuan in May, he advanced his troops into Dongjun. At Cangting, he decisively defeated the Yellow Turbans, beheading 7,000, and Dongjun was about to be pacified!

The court was thus somewhat at peace, and the emperor ordered Huangfu Song to advance and attack Jizhou.

However, it was already July, and Liu Bei had successfully escorted his mentor to the capital Luoyang, while Lu Zhi had been imprisoned by the Court of Justice.

Contrary to Liu Bei's belief that he had no influence in Luoyang, he was actually a formidable figure in Youzhou and renowned throughout Hebei. His acts of loyalty and righteousness had already spread throughout Luoyang, and even high-ranking officials praised his righteous deeds.

After bidding farewell to his mentor, he had not yet left Luoyang.

A middle-aged man dressed as a servant stopped Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and their entourage in front of the Imperial Prison and said, "Gentlemen, Lord Ling invites you. Please come with me."

Zhang Fei's eyes widened as he asked, "Brother, who is this Lord Ling? What is his position?"

Liu Bei turned his head and said in a low voice, "It should be Liu Yu, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat."

Zhang Fei was still completely bewildered. As a local hero, he knew very little about the central government's institutions and asked, "Is this a high-ranking official?"

Liu Bei patiently explained, "The rank of the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat is not high, only a thousand shi (a unit of grain measure). But his actual power is enormous. He is in charge of assisting in the reporting of matters, overseeing discipline, and issuing royal orders."

"All memorials and reports from the prefectures and kingdoms of the empire first entered the Secretariat, and after review, they were presented to the Emperor."

"Imperial edicts were also drafted and issued through the Secretariat. Therefore, the Chief Minister of the Secretariat was at the core of the document circulation and actually controlled the operation of the court's administration, and was known as the 'key minister.'"

Even with Zhang Fei's recklessness, he sensed something amiss and exclaimed, "This is no longer just a matter of low rank but great power. If the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat were ambitious, wouldn't he be able to control the court and usurp the emperor's power?"

Liu Bei nodded; indeed, that was the case.

When Emperor Guangwu ascended the throne, he was angered by the loss of power over several generations and resentful of the usurpation of authority by powerful ministers. He overcorrected and overstepped his bounds, neglecting the duties of his subordinates. Although he established the position of the Three Dukes, the actual administration was handled by the central government. From then on, the positions of the Three Dukes became merely nominal.

Therefore, the imperial court had long been in a situation where "the three highest officials were appointed, and affairs were handled by the central government."

Any powerful minister who harbors ambitions to control the court will first and foremost take on the task of recording the affairs of the Secretariat.

It can be said that the one who truly holds the reins of power and can influence the emperor is Liu Yu, the current Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

Going a step further, considering only actual power, even a 600-stone minister in the Imperial Secretariat, due to his proximity to the emperor and his control over document processing and responding to memorials, actually wielded power above the Three Dukes.

Now that Liu Yu has extended an invitation, Liu Bei will naturally not refuse.

The servant led Liu Bei and Zhang Fei through the streets and alleys of Luoyang, heading east towards the city.

Luoyang is located in the center of the world, with wide streets, bustling with carriages and horses, and lined with mansions on both sides, where merchants and travelers come and go in an endless stream.

Zhang Fei was overwhelmed by the sights when he first entered the capital, but he dared not say much and simply followed closely behind Liu Bei.

Upon arriving at a mansion, the servant stopped and stepped aside to invite them in.

The mansion was not luxurious, the gate was not high, and the furnishings in the hall were extremely simple, with only a few bamboo scrolls piled on the lacquered table.

A man sat upright behind the table. He was about forty years old, with a thin face and a few strands of silver hair mixed in with his beard and hair.

He was dressed in a dark black robe, wearing a scholar's cap and a blue ribbon with a bronze seal at his waist, and had a gentle and calm demeanor.

This is Liu Yu, also known as Liu Bo'an, the current Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

Liu Bei stepped forward two steps, clasped his hands in front of his forehead, and bowed deeply to the ground: "Liu Bei of Zhuojun pays his respects to Lord Liu."

Liu Yu stood up and personally helped Liu Bei up, his eyes full of admiration.

After a moment, he stroked his beard and smiled, his voice gentle: "Xuande, although this is our first meeting, I have long heard of your name."

He released his grip, strolled back to the desk, picked up a scroll of bamboo slips, and said with a touch of emotion, "You were a force to be reckoned with in Youzhou. Within a month, you raised an army of righteous soldiers from humble beginnings, beheading over ten thousand, and the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Youzhou was thus completely quelled. Liu He praised you as the bravest and most outstanding person in the world, but I didn't believe it at first."

"However, in the great victory at Zhangshui, two thousand righteous soldiers defeated Zhang Jiao's more than 100,000 troops, killed tens of thousands of fleeing soldiers, and captured General Zhang Liang."

"When Yu read this report in the Ministry of Personnel, he realized that there were indeed extraordinary people in the world who could accomplish extraordinary things."

"Having met you today, I realize that you truly possess the bearing of a dragon and phoenix, and the countenance of the sun and moon."

Liu Bei quickly cupped his hands in apology: "I only managed to achieve some minor merit by relying on the prestige of my esteemed teacher. I dare not accept such high praise from you, my lord."

Liu Yu waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to be so modest.

"Xuande, there is no need for excessive modesty. The merits you have made are witnessed by tens of thousands of royal troops in Hebei. It is impossible for both You and Ji provinces to falsely report their military achievements. Your merits have already been recognized by the Emperor. His Majesty once said that such loyal and righteous people are truly worthy of their noble blood."

"Moreover, Lu Zigan has now been unjustly imprisoned, and you have sacrificed your merits to escort him. This act of loyalty and righteousness has been praised by the officials and nobles of Luoyang."

"I invited you here today because I want to hear your plans for the future."

Liu Bei immediately bowed and reported, "I wish to atone for my teacher's sins by performing meritorious service."

After he fully expressed his aspirations, Liu Yu was overjoyed and stood up, saying, "Xuande is truly a loyal, righteous, and refined gentleman! Rest assured, I, your teacher, will take care of you without worry. Once the Yellow Turban Rebellion is quelled, I will petition the Emperor to appoint him as the Minister of Personnel."

"Do you know what the Minister of Personnel is in charge of?"

Liu Bei was also invigorated. Now the Ministry of Personnel has seven departments. Among them, the Department of Two Thousand Stones is in charge of impeachments by the governors and prime ministers of the prefectures and kingdoms; the Department of the People is in charge of petitions from officials and commoners; the Department of the Three Dukes is in charge of adjudicating cases; in addition, the Department of Southern Guests is in charge of affairs in the southern prefectures and foreign countries; and the Department of Northern Guests is in charge of affairs in the northern prefectures and foreign countries.

The official in charge of personnel selection is responsible for elections!

The election is not the same as the election of later generations, but rather means selecting the virtuous and capable.

If his mentor were to truly become the Minister of Personnel, Liu Bei would undoubtedly be able to make great strides in the future.

Liu Bei immediately bowed and thanked him, saying, "I will never forget your help, sir."

Liu Yu nodded slightly and said, "Lu Zigan is a great Confucian scholar of the realm and the hope of the world. He should not be humiliated by a mere eunuch. It is my duty to appoint him as Minister, so Xuande need not worry about it."

"However, I have invited you here today because I have a question to ask you."

Liu Bei immediately cupped his hands, sat up straight, and said, "Your Excellency has inquired of me, and I will answer all your questions without reservation."

Liu Yu nodded slightly, unfolded a scroll of memorials on the table, pointed to the text on it and said, "I have carefully read Liu He's memorials."

"It is said that Xuande predicted the Taiping Dao would rebel even before the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and was able to make a decisive move in the streets of Zhuojun to kill the ringleader of the rebels."

"After that, he showed great foresight and repeatedly anticipated the enemy's moves. In the Battle of Quliang, all the soldiers in the camp said that Zhang Jiao's main force had not been lost, but you alone dared to say that he would definitely be defeated. You led your troops deep into the Zhang River, ambushed the enemy, and defeated them in one fell swoop, capturing Zhang Liang."

"It can be said that if you had not fought so bravely, the situation in Hebei would not have driven the Yellow Turbans to the brink of despair so quickly, besieging them in an isolated city."

"It is a pity that... the Ten Attendants caused chaos within the country, and Duan Gui was greedy for merit outside, which led to Lu Zigan being wronged and Dong Zhuo suffering a defeat. The hard-fought battle of several months was all lost in one day."

He put down the report, looked up at Liu Bei, and said, "Xuande, you were able to foresee the Yellow Turban Rebellion before it even began, and you were also able to anticipate the enemy's moves on the battlefield. What do you think of the current situation? Is it possible to pacify this chaotic world?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei took a deep breath. This was the time for him to become famous throughout the world!

Although he had previously made pronouncements about the Yellow Turban situation, he was only known in the remote border region of Youzhou.

His every word he utters here today could spread throughout the court and reach the emperor's ears within a few weeks.

If only he could see the big picture from small details, have a clear vision of the world, and foresee the impending chaos and turmoil.

This would win the emperor's favor, make him famous throughout the world, and save countless lives.

Therefore, Liu Bei decided not only to discuss the trivial matter of the Yellow Turbans, but also to take this opportunity to make himself famous throughout the world!