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

Liu Bian stood outside Deyang Palace for a long time before slowly exhaling.

He recalled the string of numbers in the palace: soaring horse prices and endless taxes; he recalled the saying, "If we do not provide relief after a disaster, thieves will surely emerge"; he recalled those memorials that never came to fruition—many people knew the answers, but the power was not in their hands.

The heavy taxes and burdens caused great suffering to the people.

He knew where his roots lay, but he knew even more clearly—

He was not the emperor.

He now even has to calculate the cost of "saying one more word".

Speaking out in the Deyang Hall today already carries a huge risk.

A name suddenly flashed through his mind—Lü Qiang.

The man who dared to advocate "lifting the ban on political parties" when eunuchs were in power.

If the ban on political factions could be lifted, public discourse at the Imperial Academy would not be suppressed, and the minds of scholars might be able to stabilize.

But he immediately dismissed the idea.

No.

He has just become the crown prince and just taken the knife of "rules of conduct" into his hands. If he touches the words "partisan purge" again, what will the emperor think?

—The crown prince is forming a faction.

How will the Ten Attendants report this?

—The Crown Prince is gathering a crowd.

That wouldn't be a simple suspicion; it would be interpreted as someone wanting to overturn the table on the spot.

As Liu Bian walked and pondered, he unknowingly arrived at the entrance of Chengde Hall.

Xun Shuang could tell that Liu Bian had something on his mind, so he didn't pry and simply bowed and withdrew.

Liu Bian locked himself in the Chengde Hall, with a blank sheet of paper spread out on the table.

Three words were written on the paper, then crossed out:

"Capture Zhang Jiao."

Too straightforward, too stupid.

Zhang Jiao hasn't even raised his flag yet, so what right do you have to arrest him?

If we capture them, the Yellow Turbans will explode ahead of time.

If we don't arrest them, they'll still be bombed in three years.

He stared at the candlelight and suddenly remembered the words spoken in the Deyang Palace: "Someone is holding up talismanic water and saying, 'I've come to save you.'"

Talismanic water.

Zhang Jiao was able to gain power not only because of slogans or his religion—most importantly, he gave the people a "visible salvation."

When you're sick, drinking talisman water seems to cure you.

When people are poor, they turn to religion, and it seems that this is a way to survive.

This is what is meant by "soldiers that grow from the hearts of the people themselves."

So what he needs to do isn't to cut down the flag first, but to first—

They took away Zhang Jiao's title of "savior".

You say you can save people?

I'll save them first.

You're saying the world is going to change?

I first made the people feel that it wasn't time for a change of government yet.

Liu Bian tapped the table with his fingertip and wrote four characters:

"The righteous medicine triumphs."

He needs medicine.

We need a method that is more "immediate" and more "convincing" than talisman water.

The first person that came to his mind was—

Zhang Zhongjing.

The author of that book, *Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases*, was also the one who inspired clinical thinking in later generations.

But where was Zhang Zhongjing at that time? He had not yet gained fame, and finding him was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

He then remembered another name—

Hua Tuo.

A legendary healer of our time.

Hua Tuo, however, detested officialdom and refused both the recommendation for filial piety and incorruptibility and the summons for service. Trying to pressure him with an imperial edict would only scare him away.

The only way to find him is through the grassroots network.

In my memory, he should have been in his hometown of Peiguo or Xuzhou at that time.

Liu Bian stood up and called out, "Wang Ming."

"exist."

"The story goes that Cao Mengde..."

-

Cao Cao arrived quickly, still covered in dust, his clothes still damp with night dew.

Liu Bian didn't beat around the bush and laid his words out directly:

"Mengde, I need you to find someone for me."

Cao Cao looked up: "Who?"

Hua Tuo.

Cao Cao's expression changed:

"Is Your Highness ill?"

Liu Bian smiled and shook his head without answering, simply handing over a folded piece of paper.

The document on the paper was not an official document.

It was not an imperial edict.

It's something that resembles both a medical case study and a prescription.

Several ingredients were listed on the paper—

Honeysuckle, forsythia, scutellaria, isatis root, platycodon, licorice...

There was also a note next to it:

"The disease originates externally, first affecting the lungs and defensive qi; the toxins are stagnant in the upper jiao, so it is advisable to clear the upper jiao first, and then release them to the exterior."

"If warming tonics are used indiscriminately, they will only exacerbate the pathogenic heat."

Cao Cao looked at Liu Bian with a puzzled expression, but did not ask any further questions.

He knew in his heart that this might be something that would make even the most renowned doctors in the world unable to sit still.

Only this thing can persuade that person to come.

"What does Your Highness require of me?"

Liu Bian looked at him and said, word by word:

"Don't use the name of the Crown Prince."

"Don't use my mark."

"Use your connections, Cao Mengde, and the streets to go to Pei County and Xuzhou—to find someone to consult a doctor, to ask 'Hua Yuanhua'."

"Once you find it, hand over this half of the square."

"Tell him—"

Liu Bian lowered his voice even further:

"This method can provide a livelihood for the people."

Cao Cao bowed his head and accepted the order, but a hint of shock flashed in his eyes.

The method of establishing one's destiny.

He turned to leave, but Liu Bian suddenly called him back:

"Mengde".

Cao Cao turned around.

Liu Bian looked at him, his eyes as cold as ice on water:

"If this succeeds, Hua Tuo will not need to take up an official post."

"I just need him to make a move."

Cao Cao bowed and withdrew.

"promise."

As Liu Bian watched Cao Cao's departing figure, he began to plan what would happen next.

"How to distribute free medicine, how to coordinate free warehouses, and how to obtain evidence for prepared storage facilities."

Just then, the voice of a eunuch came from outside the hall:

"His Majesty summons you—"

Liu Bian got up and walked towards Zhangde Hall.

-

Inside the Zhangde Hall, Emperor Ling of Han was in high spirits today; even the dog in his arms was behaving obediently.

He saw Liu Bian and waved:

"Sit closer."

Liu Bian stepped forward according to etiquette.

Emperor Ling of Han looked at him and suddenly said:

"Now that the Grand Tutor has been appointed, you will have someone to teach you literature."

"But you are the crown prince, and in the future you will be able to pacify the army on horseback and bring peace to the people on foot."

"Martial arts also need to be taught."

Liu Bian's heart skipped a beat.

coming.

Emperor Ling of Han continued:

"The Ten Attendants will recommend five to ten people."

"You can also recommend five to ten people."

"I show no favoritism to anyone—"

He smiled, but the smile held a scrutinizing quality.

"The best will be your martial arts instructors, the next best will be your bodyguards."

That sounds nice, but it's really just handing the knife to both sides, seeing who dares to cut whose flesh first.

Liu Bian did not hesitate and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Your subject has a recommendation."

"explain."

Liu Bian uttered five names, each one clearly pronounced:

"Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Cao Chun."

Emperor Ling of Han's eyelids twitched slightly.

These five people are not from prestigious families or among the elite.

But it was a tough bone that grew from the "old roots" of the Cao family.

The Ten Attendants listened from the side, each with a different expression.

Zhao Zhong and Song Dian's expressions instantly darkened.

Zhang Rang and Guo Sheng, however, did not change their expressions; they already knew about Cao Cao's inner circle.

Zhao Zhong immediately smiled and replied, as if it were a casual remark:

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince recommended many members of the Cao family."

"The position of martial arts master is crucial to the safety of the Crown Prince; how can it be filled by members of the same family?"

Emperor Ling of Han did not respond to his words, but simply said:

"Then who would you recommend?"

Zhao Zhong immediately rattled off a list of names—commanders of the Northern Army, generals of the Tiger Guard and Feathered Forest Guard, a total of eight people.

They all wore official titles, and they all looked "legitimate".

Liu Bian listened without showing any outward expression, but he understood in his heart:

Among these people, there are some who can fight.

But whether it can "protect the Crown Prince" is uncertain.

Emperor Ling of Han slammed his hand on the table:

"Tomorrow at the West Garden Training Ground, the competition will take place."

"Compete in mounted archery, spear fighting, and infantry combat."

"I will see it myself."

-

The next day, at the West Garden.

The wind was strong, dust rose, and the flags fluttered in the wind.

Eight men, "recommended by the palace attendants," took the stage first. Their armor gleamed and their swords were cold. Their steps were orderly—clearly, they were elites trained in the palace.

Liu Bian's five men also took to the field.

Xiahou Dun's eyes burned like fire, and standing there he looked like a fierce tiger.

Xiahou Yuan never let go of his bow; the veins on his knuckles bulged as if he wanted to snap the string.

Cao Ren stood the most steadfast, like a wall that could block arrows.

Cao Hong was very strong; he could wield a spear as easily as a stick.

Cao Chun was the youngest, but his horsemanship was the most agile, like a spear that could pierce through enemy lines at any moment.

Emperor Ling of Han watched without saying a word.

Zhao Zhong and Song Dian, however, kept "stirring up trouble" from the sidelines:

"Your Majesty, that Northern Army captain is skilled in archery and horsemanship."

"Your Majesty, that Tiger-General is steady and reliable."

"His Majesty……"

As the competition progressed round by round, the outcome gradually became clear.

To Liu Bian's surprise—

Among the Ten Attendants, there was indeed one person who dominated the entire room.

That person didn't snatch, yell, or show off.

Mounting his horse, he draws his bow like a full moon; dismounting, his spear thrusts like thunder.

Emperor Ling of Han finally became interested:

"Who is this person? He looks somewhat familiar."

Guo Sheng immediately spoke up:

"Your Majesty, this man is named Huangfu Song, and he is the Prefect of Beidi Commandery."

"I have heard that the Crown Prince is looking for a martial arts master, and this person is his first choice."

Emperor Ling of Han immediately burst into laughter:

"So it was Minister Huangfu. I am at ease having him as the Crown Prince's tutor."

Liu Bian's heart suddenly exploded.

Huangfu Song.

The Huangfu clan of Anding.

He is the kind of person who will one day quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion, speak up for scholars in memorials, and stand firm against the glares of eunuchs.

The "number one" recommended by the Ten Attendants may not necessarily listen to the Ten Attendants.

Liu Bian looked at Guo Sheng, and Guo Sheng nodded slightly in return.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief:

Giving him first place is better than giving it to any eunuch's cronies.

The final result is in—

Huangfu Song is number one.

The second to sixth spots were all taken by Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, and Cao Chun.

The sidelines were completely silent.

Emperor Ling of Han smiled, but couldn't hide the coldness in his eyes:

"it is good."

"The Crown Prince truly has a wealth of talented individuals under his command."

Xun Shuang, standing behind Liu Bian, maintained his composure, yet he had already discerned the unspoken meaning in Emperor Ling's words:

Where did you quietly gather this set of people from?

From now on, will I still be able to control this crown prince?

Xun Shuang stepped forward and bowed.

The old scholar spoke slowly and gently, yet each word was firmly planted on the ground:

"Your Majesty is wise."

"Selecting martial arts instructors for the Crown Prince is a common practice in the imperial family. The fact that the most capable are chosen demonstrates His Majesty's impartiality in selecting people."

He paused, then changed the subject, subtly suppressing the idea of ​​"forming cliques":

"Moreover, most of those recommended by the Crown Prince are not from prestigious families or have the influence of the Imperial Academy or the support of their families and clans."

"This further highlights the Crown Prince's benevolence and righteousness, and his popularity among the people."

"But His Majesty himself came to the training ground today and personally determined the rankings—"

Xun Shuang raised his eyes, his gaze clear:

"This tells the world that the military preparedness of the Eastern Palace is ordered by the Emperor and is not privately maintained by the Crown Prince."

In short, change "the Crown Prince's faction" to "the Emperor's bestowal of titles".

The emperor was most susceptible to this.

The gloom between Emperor Ling's brows did indeed dissipate somewhat.

He glanced at Huangfu Song, then at the five men, and suddenly burst out laughing:

"Well said."

"I feel at ease knowing that the Crown Prince's Palace has guards."

"The crown prince is young; if he is surrounded by scholars, how can he stand firm in times of trouble?"

In high spirits, he immediately gave the order:

"Huangfu Song served as the Crown Prince's martial arts instructor and entered the Eastern Palace to teach."

"The remaining five are all captains of the Crown Prince's Guard, each leading fifty soldiers, organized into a squad."

"Then Cao Cao, the commander of the guards, was put in command."

Zhao Zhong's face was grim, but he dared not voice his opposition.

The imperial edict has been issued, leaving no room for maneuver.

As the event ended, Liu Bian felt a long-lost sense of peace.

He stood on a high point in the West Garden, watching fifty men march out in rows, their armor gleaming in the thin winter sun.

This was the first time he had anything like this in the Han court.

The foundation of life.

But he was not satisfied with the present, because the thorn in his heart was still there.

The Yellow Turbans are still around.

Dong Zhuo is still alive.

But at least from today onwards—

He no longer only had paper and regulations.

He finally had a knife that could protect the paper.