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

As soon as Liu Bian finished speaking, he turned to leave.

The blood on his shoulder had glued half of his armor to his shoulder, but he still held the knife in his hand, the back of the blade still warm.

Cao Ren saw that he was taking too fast a step and was about to reach out to help him—

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from outside.

It wasn't one or two riders.

It was a continuous line of iron hooves, crushing the damp stone slabs in the night, as if sweeping in the wind from the entire street.

Immediately afterwards, the voice of the imperial guard at the door changed tone, becoming trembling:

"The Jizhou Army—enter the palace!"

"General Huangfu has arrived!"

"Cao Wei has arrived!"

Those sounds were like a stone being suddenly lifted from Liu Bian's chest, and Liu Bian suddenly felt that he could breathe again.

He looked up.

In the firelight, a cloak first came into view, its edges still stained with mud and ash; then came the cold gleam of short armor and the crisp sound of a scabbard striking the armor.

Huangfu Song walked at the front, his expression calm and his eyes sharp.

Cao Cao followed closely behind, his face dusty, yet still carrying the lingering killing intent he had brought back from the bloodbath at Jieting.

Liu Bian opened his mouth, wanting to say "You're back," wanting to say "We've got a hold of you," wanting to say "Luoyang is on fire too"—

But he didn't utter a single word.

The tension that had been building all night seemed to have been suddenly pulled away.

In addition, the old wound on his shoulder reopened after running around all night, and blood was still flowing down.

He felt a sudden white light before his eyes and his feet seemed to slip into thin air.

Cao Cao was the first to notice something was wrong; his eyes narrowed, and he strode towards Liu Bian.

"Your Highness!"

At the same time, Huangfu Song reached out and firmly supported Liu Bian's back with his palm.

But Liu Bian's consciousness suddenly sank.

The last things heard were the screams of the eunuchs in Empress He's palace, Cao Ren's roar of "Quickly summon the imperial physician!", and Hua Tuo's name being called out again and again.

Then, darkness engulfed him.

-

I don't know how much time passed.

When Liu Bian woke up, the first thing he smelled was a strong, bitter medicinal odor.

The lights were bright, but not glaring, as if they had been deliberately veiled.

His eyelashes fluttered, his eyelids felt as heavy as lead, and he barely managed to open them a crack.

Several people were standing in front of the bed.

The first to rush over was Empress He.

Her eyes were red-rimmed, but her fingers remained steady as she touched his forehead first, then his shoulder, clearly showing how anxious she was.

"Bian'er...is there anything else that's bothering you? Does it hurt? Are you dizzy?"

Liu Bian opened his mouth, his throat was terribly dry, and he could only utter two words:

"Mother..."

Empress He seemed to only dare to breathe a sigh of relief upon hearing those two words. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away with her sleeve, forcing herself to keep her voice steady:

"It's good that you're awake, it's good that you're awake."

Hua Tuo stood to the side, his sleeves rolled up, a silver needle still clutched in his hand. Seeing that the man had woken up, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"I've stitched up the wound to stop the bleeding. The pulse is weak, but not weak. For the next three days, you must avoid getting angry, avoid surgery, and avoid prolonged periods of rest."

Liu Bian then turned his head, his gaze passing over Empress He and looking at the other three.

Cao Cao stood beside the couch, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and spoke in a lower voice than usual:

"It's good that Your Highness is alright."

"Cao Ren told me everything about the Luoyang County prison."

"Your Highness's actions are far too absurd."

Huangfu Song stood further back, as if afraid that the chill of the battlefield emanating from him would dampen the warmth of the hall. He slightly bowed:

"What Mengde said makes sense."

Xun Yu stood in the dim light, and when he saw Liu Bian looking over, he took half a step forward:

"Is Your Highness still feeling unwell?"

Liu Bian shook his head.

Xun Yu then sighed softly:

"Your Highness, you must not be so reckless next time."

He paused, then continued:

"Fortunately, the result this time was acceptable. After Mengde and General Huangfu learned of this, they managed to get them to talk overnight."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian immediately forced himself to sit up slightly. The pain in his shoulder made his vision blur, but he suppressed his anger and his first words went straight to the heart of the matter:

"...The investigation is over?"

Cao Cao and Huangfu Song exchanged a glance.

Cao Cao spoke first, his words crisp and clear:

"The trial is over."

"Two men in black, one of them is too stubborn—"

He paused, his voice turning cold:

"I'd rather bite my tongue and cut my throat than utter a single word."

Fortunately, the other one couldn't hold on.

Cao Cao glanced at Liu Bian, as if afraid he would get angry again, and shortened his words:

"They were under the command of Ma Yuanyi."

"Ma Yuanyi sent them to the capital, first to use the connections within the county prison to release people, and then to use Zhou Yi's letter to lure you out of the palace."

"There is only one objective—to assassinate the Crown Prince."

"As for the gatekeeper surnamed Du, he was indeed an inside man. He has been captured, and his testimony corroborates that of the man in black."

When Liu Bian heard the name "Ma Yuanyi," his heart skipped a beat.

Ma Yuanyi.

The Yellow Turban's hand in the capital.

He went to Beijing.

The phrase "The Blue Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise" is no longer just the ravings of a few people in the county jail.

The fire had already reached the foot of Luoyang.

Empress He saw the coldness in his eyes, her heart tightened, and she pressed down on his wrist:

"Bian'er, hold on a minute—"

Liu Bian raised his eyes to look at his mother, his voice hoarse but steady:

"Mother, I'm alright."

He turned to look at Cao Cao and Huangfu Song, asking softly, but each word was deliberate:

Where is Ma Yuanyi now?

Cao Cao shook his head:

"That man in black is only under the command of a certain incense master. He only knows that Ma Yuanyi has entered the capital, but he does not know where he has settled down."

Liu Bian pondered for a moment:

"Since the capital has taken this action, it shows that the Way of Peace has already begun."

"If they move, they won't just target me."

"What they want next is chaos."

Just as Liu Bian was about to continue speaking, Wang Ming strode in through the side door, knelt down to pay his respects, and spoke with a hurried voice still carrying the lingering effects of the night:

"Your Highness."

"Your Majesty... came earlier."

Liu Bian's eyes narrowed:

"Father?"

Wang Ming lowered his head:

"His Majesty only stood by the bedside for a short while, asking Hua Tuo a few questions, and then asking General Cao and General Huangfu a few questions as well."

"A message before leaving—"

He looked up, his tone not daring to change in the slightest:

"They said they would go to Zhangde Hall to see His Highness once he had recovered."

Liu Bian nodded, but he already had a plan in mind.

He first feigned illness to delay the inevitable, and then went to see Emperor Ling of Han after everything was cleared up.

Only by gathering all the evidence can we ensure a fatal blow.

He looked at Cao Cao and Huangfu Song, and said:

"Did you encounter any danger on your return?"

There was half a sentence he didn't say aloud—

If danger is encountered, it means that someone in the court has leaked secrets.

Huangfu Song spoke first, recounting the crisis he encountered at the post station.

After Cao Cao and Huangfu Song finished speaking, Cao Cao also began to recount his experiences.

"...Of the dozen or so brothers, only Yuan and I returned."

Liu Bian's hand, hidden in his sleeve, slowly tightened. He gently patted Cao Cao's shoulder:

"I will avenge them."

Cao Cao lowered his head, his Adam's apple bobbing as if he were swallowing back a mouthful of blood.

Liu Bian looked up at Empress He:

"Mother, you've worked hard. Go back and rest now."

"Wang Ming, escort the Empress back to the palace."

Empress He wanted to say something more, but seeing Liu Bian's determined eyes, she ultimately just squeezed his hand and whispered, "Don't be stubborn."

After saying that, he turned and left, and Wang Ming followed him.

Liu Bian then turned to look at Hua Tuo:

"Yuanhua, you've had a long day, you should go home soon."

"The Tian Chamber of Commerce still needs you."

Now, all shops related to medical clinics and pharmacies under the Tian Shang Guild are under Hua Tuo's management.

Hua Tuo bowed and withdrew, adding a final instruction before leaving: "Do not get angry," though he knew this instruction would likely be of little use to the Crown Prince.

The eunuchs serving in the palace also retreated outside the door and gently closed it.

The hall suddenly became empty.

Only four people remain.

Liu Bian, Cao Cao, Huangfu Song, Xun Yu.

The light flickered, casting swaying shadows on the wall like four drawn swords.

Liu Bian opened his mouth and immediately revealed the situation in his first sentence:

"Ma Yuanyi is a member of the Taiping Dao (Way of Peace)."