Bring word

In the year 189, Yuan Shao did not return home for the following two days.

He had also taken Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and others with him in preparation for unforeseen events. Yuan Xi guessed that his father was likely beginning to initiate the move to purge the court of corrupt officials, given what he had heard.

Over these past two days, Yuan Xi sent people to safely relocate the families of Xu Chu and the others.

He also dispatched trusted retainers and servants from his household to gather gossip and intelligence from the outside.

At a time like this, intelligence was his lifeline.

The rain continued to fall, showing no sign of clearing up anytime soon.

The Northern Palace of Luoyang was now shrouded in an aura of white mourning and gloom.

The late Emperor Ling's bier currently rested in a side hall.

Jian Shuo, dressed in plain white mourning clothes, said to Zhang Rang, whose expression was rather gloomy, "You two go and issue the imperial decree, summoning He Jin, Yuan Shao, and their faction into the palace to discuss the arrangements for the late emperor's funeral."

"Then, I will deploy my trusted guards to ambush the nearby area and wait for the opportunity to execute him. Following that, I will take command of the Central Army and take over the capital's garrison troops. What do you think of this plan?"

"Hmm, but how certain are you of success?"

"As long as you can lure He Jin in by deception, it will surely succeed. Leave the rest to me; you don't need to worry about it."

"Very well, let it be so!"

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Rang nodded in agreement.

Due to the sensitive nature of their plot, the two dismissed all surrounding eunuchs and palace maids, making them stay far away from the side hall.

Little did they know that their words were overheard by a young maiden in the corner of the side hall.

She was none other than Princess Wannian, Liu Yan. Upon hearing this earth-shattering conspiracy, her heart surged with turmoil. However, she did not alert Zhang Rang and Jian Shuo.

Covering her mouth to stifle her trembling, she quietly slipped back to her own chambers.

After calming herself down slightly, taking advantage of the chaos and commotion currently gripping the palace,

where no one had the leisure to pay attention to a princess, she took her most trusted maid to the palace gates. Bribing a gate guard, she managed to have her personal maid sent out of the palace.

"Xianyi, please be safe," Liu Yan prayed silently.

This time, Yuan Xi owed Princess Wannian an immense, life-altering favor. Indeed, daughters often grew up to look beyond their own families. In the end, it was Yuan Xi who had let down Princess Wannian Liu Yan.

Yet, if she were given the choice to do it all over again,

she would likely make the exact same decision, simply because he was Yuan Xi.

******

In Luoyang, at the Yuan residence, a gathering was underway.

Present were Wu Kuang, Zheng Tai, He Jin's younger brother He Miao, and Xun You.

He Miao spoke first, his voice laced with anxiety. "Gentlemen, the Empress Dowager has already issued a decree summoning my elder brother to the palace for an audience over the next few days. I have a lingering sense of foreboding; I fear this is a trap orchestrated by the Ten Attendants. Do any of you have any suggestions?"

"We cannot go. This must be because the Ten Attendants have found out that the General intends to summon external military forces into the capital to slaughter them, and so they want to strike first to gain the advantage and assassinate the General." This time, Yuan Shao's thoughts coincided completely with Cao Cao's.

"Since they intend to move against the General, why don't we strike first to gain the advantage ourselves? Let us immediately mobilize our troops and execute this pack of villainous dogs. How about that?"

A cold glare flashed in Wu Kuang's eyes as he spoke sternly.

Xun You waved his hand and said, "No, we cannot. Without a clear imperial decree, such an action is tantamount to staging a coup against the throne. It would be better to advise the General not to leave the estate."

"I'm afraid that is impossible. My tongue has been worn raw from persuasion, yet I still cannot convince my elder brother. Do you gentlemen have any other sound strategies to teach me?"

He Miao sighed, looking utterly helpless.

"If all else fails, we will lead our troops to escort the General into the palace. That way, we can also guard against any unforeseen dangers." Yuan Shao's gaze sharpened as he spoke.

Zheng Tai chimed in, "That is also a viable method."

"Hmph!" Xun You suddenly let out a cold laugh, though he said nothing further.

The cold laugh was grating to the ears, and everyone turned to look at him.

Without uttering another word, Xun You turned and walked out the door. Among those present, Wu Kuang held a deep, loyal admiration and respect for Yuan Shao, and seeing Xun You's rude behavior,

he said with displeasure, "This Xun You relies on his talent to act arrogantly and deems himself peerless. The General need not lower himself to take offense over his actions; we should focus on discussing serious matters."

He Miao suddenly stood up and said coldly, "There is nothing more to discuss. We might as well return to our respective estates and ready our troops to ensure absolute security."

"Very well. Return and make your preparations. No matter what, we cannot allow the Ten Attendants and those eunuch scoundrels to lead us around by the nose. Victory or defeat hinges entirely upon this single endeavor."

Yuan Shao expressed his agreement, thus setting the course of action.

After paying their respects, He Miao, Wu Kuang, and Zheng Tai turned and left.

As Yuan Shao watched their retreating figures, he merely offered a cold smile.

Yet, a cunning gleam flashed in his eyes. He Jin's fate was already sealed. However, Yuan Shao's smile carried a chilling quality that sent a faint tremor through Yuan Xi's heart, making him realize that his father was by no means as simple as the world made him out to be.

Indecisive despite having grand plans, ambitious yet lacking in talent—perhaps those traits existed, but they were merely a facade. Otherwise, how could he have left such a monumental mark upon history?

Among those whose names endured through history, how many were truly simple figures?

The following day, at the Yuan residence.

Princess Wannian's maid had finally managed to see Yuan Xi.

She hurriedly retrieved a piece of silk fabric from where it was hidden close to her person

and handed it to Yuan Xi. Then, in a clear and anxious voice, she said, "This was entrusted to me by Her Highness the Princess to be delivered directly to the Young Master. Please read it, Young Master."

Suspecting nothing amiss, Yuan Xi took the silk and examined it closely.

Written in somewhat hurried clerical script, the text clearly read:

Jian Shuo. Plotting in secret. To assassinate. The General.

Yuan of the Central Army. Within the palace. Hoping. Xianyi. Is aware.

Upon reading this, a wave of shock rippled through Yuan Xi's heart. It was true that he knew the general trajectory of history, but how could he possibly have known such intricate details?

Princess Wannian, Liu Yan, had done the Yuan family a massive favor this time; ultimately, Yuan Xi was deeply indebted to her. He had originally thought that in two or three months, when the powerful external warlords entered the capital, Yuan Shao and the others would lead their troops into the palace and settle the matter.

Who could have foreseen such a sudden twist in the middle? Had Yuan Shao been tricked into entering the palace and tragically lost his life, the consequences would have been catastrophic. A cold breath caught in his throat. He rewarded the maid with some treasures and asked her to convey his gratitude to Princess Wannian on his behalf.

Immediately afterward, accompanied by Xu Chu, Yuan Xi mounted a horse and galloped straight toward the Grand General's residence. His father had gone to attend the strategic meeting, and certain matters had to be brought forward immediately; they could not be delayed.

Inside the Grand General's residence, He Jin and a gathering of his advisors were deep in discussion.

They had previously received the summons to enter the palace to discuss the arrangements for Emperor Ling's funeral.

They were worried that the imperial palace, tightly controlled by the Ten Attendants, was unsafe.

However, as regents, if they refused to handle the late emperor's funeral, it would be unjustifiable in reason and impossible to explain to the public.

Just as everyone was engaged in heated debate, an unexpected event occurred.

A minor official entered and reported, "Reporting to the Grand General. Outside the gates, Young Master Yuan Xi, son of Central Army Commander Yuan, requests an audience regarding an urgent matter, stating that it is a dire emergency."

Not only could He Jin not fathom the reason, but even Yuan Shao had no idea why his second son would seek an audience at such a time, fearing that some mishap had occurred at home.

His heart skipped a beat as well, for his family harbored far too many secrets.

"Let Young Master Yuan enter!" After casting a sidelong glance at Yuan Shao,

He Jin immediately gave the order to summon Yuan Xi into the council hall.

A short while later, after Yuan Xi had paid his respects to He Jin and the others, he cut straight to the point. "I have a confidential intelligence report to present to the Grand General."

"Bring it here!" He Jin said, frowning slightly.

With that, Yuan Xi stepped forward and handed over the silk document.

He Jin had seen this second son of Yuan Shao, who was held in high regard by his father.

At that moment, he was also quite curious as to what kind of intelligence Yuan Xi could have brought.

The instant he set eyes on the contents of the silk text, his expression altered dramatically.

Striking the table with one hand, he raged, "Those eunuch scoundrels! They deceive me too much!"

"Everyone, take a look!"

With that, he signaled the minor official to pass the silk document around for all to see.

"Ah!" Amidst a chorus of gasps from the assembly,

He Jin experienced a flicker of doubt. Composing his emotions, he turned back to Yuan Xi and asked, "We are deeply indebted to Young Master Yuan for this confidential report, but I wonder how you came by it?"

He Jin was no fool; otherwise, he could never have attained such a high position. He still harbored some anxiety, wondering if Yuan Shao had secretly instigated Yuan Xi to do this.

Could it be that Yuan Shao had switched sides? He thought to himself.