Chapter 65, The Court and the Country Were Shocked

  On this day, at dawn, the entire court was filled with civil and military officials, all wearing worried expressions. One by one, they anxiously rubbed their hands and sighed deeply. Wang Yun, Zhang Wen, Chen Lin, and other officials were pale-faced and had strange expressions, as if they hadn't slept well for several nights. Even the generals led by He Jin looked iron-faced and frightening, with some clutching their wrists in distress, others pounding their chests and stamping their feet, and others gritting their teeth in anger.

  "Your Majesty has arrived." Just then, a sharp voice suddenly shouted, and Emperor Ling, surrounded by Zhang Rang and others, slowly came to the early court.

  Although dressed in dragon robes, wearing gold and silver, with an air of nobility, however, the twenty-year-old Emperor Ling Liu Hong had a floating gait, his breathing was light, his face was waxen yellow, his body was emaciated, as if he had contracted a serious illness, even his eyes did not open until he knelt down on the dragon throne.

  The officials hastily lifted their robes and knelt down, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" Zhang Rang stood in front of Emperor Ling, with an extremely pleased and complacent expression, accepting the bows from everyone. Looking at Zhang Rang's beaming face, he seemed to be as proud as if he were the emperor himself. The officials' faces all showed a look of disgust, some gritting their teeth and secretly cursing Zhang Rang's ancestors for eighteen generations, saying that he was too detestable, tyrannical, and arrogant, with no respect for superiors, simply too presumptuous.

  "There is a memorial to present, no memorial to withdraw from court." Zhang Rang cleared his throat and shouted loudly.

  "My lord, I have a memorial to present." Wang Yun hastily stepped forward, bowed his head and made a salute, then spoke in a humble tone: "I am guilty, my lord. As the governor of Yu Province, I allowed bandits to repeatedly wreak havoc within the province, the Yellow Turbans ran amok, causing disaster and disturbing Your Majesty's carriage, resulting in the people being displaced and the imperial court losing face. My crime deserves a million deaths." Wang Yun first showed self-reproach, but seeing Emperor Ling's expression was calm and indifferent, he let out a sigh and hastily continued: "Your Majesty, I just received an urgent report from Yingchuan, Left Central Lang General Huangfu...

  "How is General Huangfu?" Seeing Wang Yun's hesitation, Emperor Ling became impatient and urged him hastily. Thinking of the beautiful women in the palace, Emperor Ling was very displeased with being dragged to attend the early court session. However, he couldn't help it; as the emperor, he knew he couldn't be too 'unbridled'. He thought to himself that he should quickly dismiss everyone so he could return and continue his romantic escapades with the soft, jade-like beauties. Just yesterday, he had obtained a few Longhuandan pills, which were incredibly potent and effective. Emperor Ling hadn't felt this carefree in a long time. The mere thought of the beautiful women lying beneath him, gently yielding to his pleasure, and their tender gasps for breath made Emperor Ling's heart itch with desire.

  "On the left, Zhonglang General Huangfu Song and Military Advisor Sun Jian were deceived by Xu Gong's treacherous plan and were killed by Zhang Fei under Xu Gong's command. Two high-ranking generals under Sun Jian's command, Cheng Pu was struck down by Dian Wei, and Zu Mao was beaten to death by Pei Yuan Shao. Thirty thousand elite soldiers of the imperial court, not one survived, the entire army was annihilated." Wang Yun gritted his teeth and told the whole story in one breath.

  "What?!" The Spirit Emperor was greatly shocked, and with a thud, he fell to the ground. His already pale face turned deathly white, completely drained of blood. He muttered repeatedly, "Huangfu Old General is dead, 30,000 men, not one left, the entire army annihilated."

  "Yes, Your Majesty. In addition to the more than 20,000 elite soldiers we originally had, the 30,000 elite soldiers under Huangfu Song's command, and the 20,000 troops brought by Sun Jian, all of them were killed." Wang Yun said through gritted teeth.

  "Who is this Xu Feng, a reckless and treacherous villain? How dare he be so insolent?" Emperor Ling was enraged, and with the support of Zhang Rang, he stood up and kicked the dragon-shaped desk, but unfortunately, his strength was too weak and his body too frail, and he ended up spraining his own foot.

  "Your Majesty, I've heard that Xu Feng is just a commoner. When he first joined the Yellow Turbans, relying on his own strength, he helped turn the tide and assisted in capturing Zhuo County. After marching south to Yingchuan, they successively occupied Yingchuan, broke through Yangzhai, seized Changshe, and at the same time, Zhou Cang under his command captured Yingyang. I implore Your Majesty to make a swift decision and dispatch troops for relief immediately, otherwise, Yingchuan will be in danger." Zhang Wen added.

  "Zhang Wen, are you speaking on behalf of Xu Feng? But just a commoner, how can he have extraordinary abilities? Why is he so arrogant? He Jin, do you have any good strategy to share with me?" The Emperor Ling, who had sat down with difficulty, had an ashen face and a ferocious expression, it was unclear whether he was frightened or in pain.

  "Your Majesty, Yingchuan County is the central plains, fertile land, simple folk, economic and cultural prosperity, there are many wealthy families, can not be ignored. Moreover, Yingchuan borders Hu Lao's strong pass, if the bandits march north and occupy Hu Lao, then the capital will be in danger." He Jin knew the importance of Luoyang and was worried about Xu Feng marching north.

  "In your opinion, who can be used to lead the expedition to the south of the Huai River and eliminate the bandits?" Emperor Ling looked at He Jin with eager eyes, a glimmer of hope and expectation in his eyes. He Jin was not only his elder brother-in-law but also a great general of the imperial court. In this moment of panic, Emperor Ling instinctively placed all his hopes on He Jin.

  "Lu Zhi, the Northern General, can be dispatched to lead the troops south to Yingchuan." Seeing the surrounding generals, they all hung their heads in despair, one by one lacking energy and spirit. Although He Jin was dissatisfied with Lu Zhi in his heart, for the sake of the overall situation, he had no choice but to consider letting Lu Zhi take command of the expedition.

  "But now Lu Zhi is imprisoned in the heavenly prison, can he really win if he is sent to battle?" Emperor Ling asked doubtfully.

  "Except for this man, there is no other way. Please Your Majesty quickly issue an edict and order General Lu Zhi to lead the troops out of the pass." After He Jin rose to power, he relied heavily on the support of the Yuanchuan aristocratic families, so he was more concerned about Yuanchuan than anyone else.

  "Very well." Seeing He Jin's resolute tone, Emperor Ling could only nod in agreement.

  After withdrawing from court, Zhang Rang approached Emperor Ling and said, "Your Majesty, Empress Zhang is waiting for you in the Palace of Prolonged Beauty. What are your intentions?"

  "Then set up the sedan chair to welcome the beauty." The Ling Emperor, who was originally in a bad mood, as soon as he heard Zhang's name, suddenly became spirited and energetic, his fighting spirit soaring. Even his lower body began to stir, like a tent being pitched, and reacted.

  "Heh heh, take a few more of these pills, Your Majesty. You won't be able to escape my grasp then. At that time, you'll have no choice but to follow my orders." As Emperor Ling departed, Zhang Rang, who was following behind him, flashed a sly and cunning glint in the corner of his eye, secretly feeling triumphant.

  Lu Zhi hung his flag and went on an expedition, but the imperial court had already received news of Xu Feng's assassination of Huangfu Song several days ago. At this time, no one knew that Xu Feng had already deployed troops at Tiger Trap Pass, eyeing it covetously, facing the Great Han's first stronghold. With a heroic spirit and bold ambition, Xu Feng launched a surprise attack on Tiger Trap Pass, letting the world see if the Yellow Turbans' military prowess was invincible, sweeping away all obstacles, taking Tiger Trap Pass in one fell swoop, and shaking the capital.

  Tiger Trap Pass, majestically situated on the passage to Luoyang along the Ying River, stands tall and proud, reaching into the clouds, its awe-inspiring momentum evoking reverence and admiration. Standing atop a distant mountain, gazing at the world's number one majestic pass bathed in the fading sunset glow, Xu Feng felt a shiver run down his spine, took a deep breath of cool air, and couldn't help but recall the grand scene of eighteen vassals gathering at Tiger Trap Pass to overthrow Dong Zhuo. In the past, Lu Bu, the great general under Dong Zhuo's command, single-handedly defended the pass against ten thousand enemies, looking down on all heroes in the world with disdain. Tiger Trap Pass has sent many heroes to their graves, yet it also gave rise to the boundless reputation of three heroes.

  Thanks for all the companions and supporters of Xiao Yao, I'm truly touched. No matter how much I say, it's useless, I can only repay everyone with even more wonderful things.