Overpowering strength

189 AD, Luoyang, Mount Beimang.

At this moment, the Young Emperor trembled uncontrollably, shrinking back into himself.

Seeing this, Yuan Xi turned his head and exchanged a subtle glance with the Prince of Chenliu.

Liu Xie was indeed sharp-witted and caught the meaning instantly. "By imperial decree, Dong Zhuo, the Inspector of Xiliang, is ordered to halt his troops immediately and return to Mianchi. I am the Prince of Chenliu."

Instead of retreating, Dong Zhuo's army advanced, pushing forward by several丈.

A massive, fiery-red Dawan horse stepped out from the ranks, slowly coming to a halt not far in front of Yuan Xi and the others. Atop the horse sat none other than Dong Zhuo of Xiliang.

Yuan Xi thought to himself, so this is Dong Zhuo, the demonic warlord reviled through the ages.

What an overwhelming presence! Yuan Xi felt his body shudder involuntarily.

"Does Your Highness speak under duress, your actions not your own?"

Dong Zhuo asked in a harsh, grating voice, his tone piercing.

Liu Xie's face drained of color as he stammered, "No one is forcing me. Everyone here is a loyal subject."

"Your Highness is mistaken. If they were truly loyal subjects, they should have rectified the royal court, secured the nation, and protected the people. These men, holding high ministerial offices, failed to assist the throne, resulting in Your Majesty wandering in exile. With the realm now in chaos and the country in turmoil, it is clear that Your Majesty is surrounded by treacherous sycophants. Therefore, this general has sworn to uphold the state and will not withdraw his troops."

Dong Zhuo spurred his horse forward, casting a sweeping glance around to intimidate them.

The petty cleverness of Yuan Xi and Liu Xie was like a child's game before Dong Zhuo—naive and utterly laughable. Dong Zhuo cast a look of disdain at Yuan Xi.

Pierced by Dong Zhuo's gaze, Yuan Xi's heart tightened; he was truly terrified.

"Never withdraw the troops!!" "Never withdraw the troops!!"

At a gesture from Dong Zhuo, the soldiers behind him roared in unison.

"If that is so, have you come to protect the emperor, or to hijack the carriage?"

Left with no other choice, Prince Liu Xie tried shifting the subject.

Dong Zhuo bowed slightly from the saddle and replied, "I have come specifically to protect the carriage."

"Then, since the Son of Heaven is present, why do you not dismount?"

Liu Xie clutched the hem of his robe, forcing himself to appear as calm as possible.

Dong Zhuo stepped forward to pay his respects to the Young Emperor. Acting as if no one else was there, he urged his horse slowly forward, stopped right in front of the emperor's mount, dismounted with a fluid motion, and dropped to one knee. "Dong Zhuo, Inspector of Xiliang, Governor of Bingzhou, and Marquis of Aoxiang, pays homage to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"

Liu Bian swallowed hard. "Beloved minister, rise..."

Before Liu Bian could finish, Dong Zhuo stood up on his own.

He glared fiercely at Yuan Xi and his entourage, letting out a cold "Hmph."

Watching all this, Yuan Xi grew secretly anxious. If his father didn't arrive soon, he was going to be slaughtered by Dong Zhuo. The enemy soldiers were continuing to arrive in a steady stream, their numbers swelling.

Dong Zhuo spoke once more, "Your Majesty, this minister is willing to escort Your Majesty back to the palace."

Yuan Xi felt a cold shudder run through him. Judging by Dong Zhuo's demeanor, this was not the look of a loyal subject.

"This, this, this." Having endured two days of upheaval, the Young Emperor spoke incoherently, having no idea how to respond, forcing the Prince of Chenliu, Liu Xie, to step in.

Consequently, Dong Zhuo turned to the Prince of Chenliu, questioning him about the details of the coup.

Faced with the interrogation, Liu Xie answered every question clearly and seamlessly from beginning to end, omitting nothing. Dong Zhuo was immensely pleased, and Yuan Xi inwardly gave him a silent thumbs-up.

Dong Zhuo deemed Liu Xie exceptionally talented, and knowing that he had been raised by Empress Dowager Dong, he believed they belonged to the same clan.

Thus, the notion of deposing the Young Emperor and replacing him with Liu Xie took root in his mind—a course of action he would indeed carry out in the days to come.

Suddenly, a cloud of dust billowed in the distance, accompanied by the chaotic, irregular thud of hooves. A force of about several thousand men was galloping toward them, led by an officer in the vanguard approaching the Young Emperor.

"Where is His Majesty?" The rider was none other than Yuan Shao, the Colonel of the Retainers.

Seeing that his father Yuan Shao had arrived, Yuan Xi felt a slight surge of relief.

Chunyu Qiong shouted, "His Majesty is here! Banchu, hurry and save the Emperor!"

With that, Yuan Shao brought forward Lu Zhi and Zheng Tai, preparing to receive the imperial carriage.

"Lord Dong, why have you suddenly arrived here?"

Drawing closer, Yuan Shao realized Dong Zhuo had beaten him to the punch.

The two of them were old acquaintances, having already crossed paths and fostered bad blood during the Yellow Turban Rebellion. In their hearts, each harbored deep suspicion of the other, bracing themselves for the worst-case scenario.

"With such a massive display of force, Lord Dong, are you not afraid of alarming the sacred carriage? Why have you not yet ordered your elite cavalry to withdraw to Mianchi?" Sensing the gravity of the situation, Yuan Shao waved a hand dismissively, as if to say: Enough of the nonsense, let's talk terms.

Dong Zhuo ignored the subtle warning. "You hold the imperial guards, commanding thousands of men, with the sacred duty of protecting the carriage and defending the capital. Yet you were cowardly and incompetent, achieving nothing and allowing the Ten Eunuchs to exploit the void, abducting His Majesty and the Prince. How do you still have the face to tell me to withdraw?"

Yuan Shao's face flushed crimson, the conviction in his voice entirely sapped.

During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Yuan Shao and Dong Zhuo had already forged a deep enmity while competing for military merit. Later, political friction arising from the Liangzhou Rebellion escalated their conflict even further.

"Father, have the elite troops arrived?" Yuan Xi asked in a hushed voice.

"The main army has been dispersed to protect the various ministers. I only have this many soldiers with me," Yuan Shao replied in an equally subdued tone.

"Ah, then we are in trouble," Yuan Xi sighed softly.

Aside from Lu Zhi and Zheng Tai, Yuan Shao was flanked by two other mounted officers: Zhao Meng, Colonel of the Right Army, and Bao Xin, Colonel of the Rear Army.

Zhao Meng stepped forward and advised Yuan Shao, "Given the current situation, it would be better to let Dong Zhuo escort the emperor back to the capital. As long as we do not permit him to enter the city walls, no harm should come of it."

"Dong Zhuo commands a formidable army and clearly harbors rebellious ambitions. If we do not deal with him early, he will surely become our undoing. Right now, the Xiliang soldiers are exhausted; if we launch a surprise attack while the momentum is ours, we can capture them all in one fell swoop!"

Bao Xin strongly disagreed with Zhao Meng's proposal, advocating for a far more aggressive approach.

"His Majesty and the Prince of Chenliu are right here. If we resort to all-out violence, accidents are bound to happen, and I, Yuan Shao, cannot shoulder that responsibility." Clearly, Yuan Shao rejected the suggestion.

Dong Zhuo said coldly, "I invite General Yuan to proceed first; I shall bring up the rear."

This was a blatant threat. After all, Dong Zhuo's military strength and combat power completely overshadowed these aristocratic dilettantes. With circumstances forcing his hand, Yuan Shao had no other recourse.

"We leave it in your hands, Lord Dong." Yuan Shao spun his horse around and galloped back.

Faced with Dong Zhuo's overwhelming dominance, Yuan Shao chose to yield temporarily.

Just as Yuan Xi wanted to approach the Prince of Chenliu and the others, he was yanked back.

Yuan Shao said sternly, "From this moment on, you are not permitted to stray even half a step from me."

"Father, this..." In the end, Yuan Xi could not take that step forward.

Yuan Shao glared at him, signaling him not to cause trouble.

"Xianyi, do not forget me," Liu Xie's voice echoed from behind.

"Alas! Your Highness, take good care of yourself." Yuan Xi could not bear to look at Liu Xie again.

Yuan Shao pulled at him. "Xianyi, hurry up and leave."

The last emperors of a dynasty were little more than birds in a cage. The grand局 had been settled; what could he hope to change? Liu Bian was destined to be deposed. The Prince of Chenliu was destined to become a puppet.

Luoyang would undoubtedly be plunged into a sea of fire, reduced to rubble and charred earth for a hundred li around, and yet he was powerless to stop it—he was simply too weak.

He was still helpless to halt the crushing wheel of history, forced to watch in silence and listen to the sorrowful cries. I swear here and now, there will come a day when I stand at the very pinnacle of this era, and I shall be the one to pass judgment upon it.

When General-in-Chief He Jin had decided to summon Dong Zhuo and his troops into the capital, the Registrar Chen Lin had once warned him that once a powerful army arrived, the strongest would seize control. Doing so would be like handing a weapon to the enemy by the blade, offering them leverage. Not only would it fail to achieve his intended goal, but it would surely plunge the realm into chaos. Yet, General-in-Chief He had refused to listen.

Similarly, Yuan Shao had grossly miscalculated, ultimately creating a situation where the guest dominated the host. How cleverness often overreached itself—they had miscalculated terribly this time.

They had underestimated Dong Zhuo's ambition and strength because Dong Zhuo represented the collective interests and aspirations of the Guanzhong gentry and the Xiliang army.

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Xiahou Dun: "Who are you?"

Tuoba Yue: "This junior is Tuoba Yue."

Xiahou Dun: "You came to my manor—what is your purpose?"

Tuoba Yue: "I wish to serve as a groom for the General."

Xiahou Dun: "You want to lead my horse?"

Tuoba Yue: "Precisely."

Xiahou Dun: "Hahahaha!!!"

Tuoba Yue, styled Yuanying, of the Xianbei tribe.