Three Kingdoms: I will return it ten thousand times, my lord, I will never keep it for myself

Trample! Trample! Trample!

The sound of horse hooves rolled like thunder, shaking every inch of brick and stone in the imperial city.

Liu Yao stood tall and straight, his eyes were like torches. The heavy cavalry under his command, like a group of steel beasts from the netherworld, rushed in like a tide at the moment the palace gate burst open under his precise command, and instantly woven into an airtight net, tightly wrapping the entire palace.

Dian Wei, the brave general who led the elite guards, was like a black lightning, cutting through the sky, pointing directly to the hall deep in the palace, and every step he took was like a turbulent momentum of mountains and rivers.

From a distance, this army made of iron and blood was like the most turbulent undercurrent in the deep night sky, silently devouring the tranquility of the palace, and its momentum was unstoppable and invincible.

He Jin, Xun You and other powerful officials followed closely behind, standing shoulder to shoulder with heroes such as Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Yuan Shu. They looked solemn and resolute, and walked in with firm steps. Following this irresistible force, they filed in, vowing to write their own legendary chapters in this storm of imperial power change.

The imperial guards along the way were all terrified by this sudden battle, and the little resistance in their hearts collapsed in an instant, and they abandoned their armor and fled.

Yangde Hall, the once brilliant and magnificent hall, has now quietly transformed into a solemn spiritual realm. The yellow silk curtains are lightly hanging, and the umbrellas are towering, but they are all gently covered by white paper flowers and grief.

The dragon body of Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, has been lying safely in a finely carved golden nanmu coffin, quiet and solemn.

The coffin was placed in the center of the hall, as if time had frozen at this moment. As the warm wind of late spring and early summer gradually rose, in order to prevent the body from being corrupted by the fire, the Ten Eunuchs carefully planned and transported crystal clear ice from the depths of the ice cellar to surround the coffin. Wisps of white mist rose up, like a dream. Those who were not aware of it might mistakenly think that the emperor had ascended to heaven and entered the unknown netherworld.

General He Jin, in his grief, handled the emperor's affairs in an orderly manner, and every step seemed solemn and respectful.

After everything was initially arranged, he knew that the more urgent thing next was a matter of living people related to the safety of the country and the stability of the court - a matter of power change.

After He Jin made a simple arrangement for Liu Hong's funeral, the next thing to discuss was the affairs of living people.

After all, there was only one dragon throne for the emperor, and the empire could only have one emperor.

Because Liu Hong did not leave any clear edict of succession before his death, who will inherit the throne has become a topic of discussion.

So in front of the coffin of Emperor Ling of Han, everyone started a fight for the throne.

In the depths of the palace where power struggles are intertwined, the situation quietly split into a three-legged tripod. On one side is the camp that firmly supports Liu Xie, and its leader is none other than Empress Dowager Dong. She, as the biological mother of the late Emperor Liu Hong and the Empress Dowager of the Han Dynasty, has a prominent status.

Since Liu Xie's mother unfortunately passed away, Empress Dowager Dong has been silently guarding this lonely young son in the name of love, both as comfort and shelter. When Emperor Ling of Han was dying, the affectionate entrustment was like a heavy hammer hitting the heart, making Empress Dowager Dong swear to fight for a stable place for this royal bloodline and the future of this country. In her heart, she not only carries the love for her grandson, but also a deep sense of responsibility for the Han Dynasty.

Now, Liu Xie is young and has great plasticity. If he can ascend to the throne and become the master of this vast country, then the one who will be in charge of the world in the future may be the Queen Mother Dong who silently arranges and strategizes behind the scenes.

The other side supports the eldest son Liu Bian. Queen He and her brother He Jin, as well as a group of nobles, all support them. After all, they have common interests.

The rest are officials who remain neutral. These people are the largest in number, and they are politically loyal to the Han Dynasty only, and they do not favor the Rehe B party at all. As long as the person sitting on the throne is surnamed Liu, they will be loyal.

Three forces, two heirs, the three parties temporarily form another balance of power, and no one is sure that they can sit on the throne.

"Prince Liu Xie is your Majesty's beloved son, born with intelligence! It is most appropriate for him to ascend the throne!"

"Nonsense! Prince Bian is your Majesty's eldest son! According to the ancestral system! Let the eldest son inherit the throne! That is the best way!"

"What? Are you going to compete with me!?"

Empress Dowager Dong was not willing to be outdone, and wanted to use her status as the Empress Dowager to suppress Empress He.

"Oh, how dare the Empress Dowager? It's just that you are old and don't handle things well. I'm afraid it's difficult for you to take on the responsibility of educating Prince Xie."

Empress He also pushed back without giving in.

...

The hundreds of civil and military officials presentOfficials, all dared not speak, it must be said that women are indeed talented in quarreling.

But if they continue to quarrel like this, it may be a loss of face for the royal family, but they dare not stop it at all.

There is no other reason, the two most noble women standing in front of them are the Han Dynasty.

There was a heated quarrel in the hall, and the Ten Eunuchs and others were all hiding in a secret room, anxiously waiting for news.

If the second son Liu Xie came to power this time, with the protection of Queen Mother Dong and the little emperor, they would still be able to dominate the court, but if it was Liu Bian, they would probably die immediately without a burial place.

"Why are you panicking? A bunch of useless people!"

"There is still room for recovery! No matter which side becomes the emperor, I have my own way to protect you."

Then Zhang Rang wrote a line of small characters on a thin silk cloth, and then ordered a young eunuch to hide the silk cloth in a teacup and give it to Queen Mother Dong.

…

At this time, Queen Mother Dong was already dry-mouthed from scolding.

Coincidentally, at this moment, an eunuch brought a cup of tea on a tray.

Queen Mother Dong took the tea and drank it all.

At this inadvertent moment, she keenly noticed that there seemed to be something foreign inside the teacup. She gently wiped it and found a delicate silk cloth with beautiful handwriting on it. It instantly lit up the light in her eyes, and a subtle joy quietly climbed up her eyebrows.

"Okay, everyone! Today, I'm afraid that the future emperor will not be selected for the time being. Now that the emperor's body is still warm, why don't we hold a funeral for the late emperor first, and then discuss together, how about establishing a monarch?"

When everyone saw that Queen Mother Dong suddenly softened her tone, the neutral officials nodded in agreement.

"Since no one has any objection, let's leave the palace first. How about we hold the funeral tomorrow?" Empress Dowager Dong smiled because she just saw a line of small words in the teacup, luring the enemy out of the palace.

"I think this is not a good idea!"

Just as everyone was about to leave the hall, a very majestic voice came.

...