Chapter 12: Rebuke

  This shout was extremely powerful, and if someone suddenly heard it, even if they weren't a eunuch, they would still be startled. However, Liu Xuan merely raised his eyes, turned his head to glance over, and even had the leisure to carefully examine the rushing officer, not caring about the several soldiers who came with him.

  As for being taken as a eunuch again, Liu Xuan could only secretly sigh in his heart.

  In the Han Dynasty, even if it was an official uniform or a luxurious garment, there wasn't much difference in style. What's more, eunuchs were also officials during the Han Dynasty. In fact, in the early years of the Han Dynasty, positions that were later held by eunuchs were originally held by ordinary people, and only gradually replaced by eunuchs. These eunuchs wore official uniforms in the imperial city, and now it's chaotic again. This group of soldiers didn't have the mind to carefully distinguish one by one, as long as they looked like eunuchs, they would be killed indiscriminately.

  As several soldiers rushed forward, thrusting their spears straight at him, Liu Xuan's long knife first made a slanting motion, deflecting the spear that was about to reach his chest. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he burst forth with force, knocking the spear off course by a considerable margin. Seizing the opportunity, he took advantage of the soldier's numb hands being unable to grip the spear and suddenly stepped forward, striking down with his knife and ending the soldier's life in one swift motion.

  And that was just the beginning, with a long knife in hand, he made a swift turn and followed up with a horizontal swing, splitting open another soldier's belly. He then turned his body to dodge the incoming spear, and immediately countered with a fierce slash, cutting off the tips of several spears.

  This series of events happened in the blink of an eye. The opposing military school only saw their soldiers rush forward, and with a flicker of their eyes, several of them immediately fell to the ground, shocking them greatly.

  "Is there another eunuch in the palace with martial arts skills as strong as this?"

  His heart was filled with astonishment, and the long sword in his hand also made a move, ready to go forward and fight with that young man who looked not very old. Just as he had not yet taken a step, a loud shout came from behind him: "Ben Chuhai, this is Liang Wang!"

  Yuan Shao's body slumped to one side, and the long sword that was originally about to be thrust out softened and drooped down. He turned his head to take a look, only to find that it was his good friend Cao Cao, leading a group of soldiers who were busy putting out the fire while anxiously waving at him with a worried face.

  When Cao Cao ran up to them, Yuan Shao hastily asked: "Who is this that Mengde speaks of?"

  Cao Cao had already rushed forward, seeing Liu Xuan holding a knife and standing upright, his body was covered in bloodstains, but it was clear that he himself was not injured. Looking at his calm and composed demeanor, it was estimated that this King of Liang did not take those miscellaneous soldiers seriously.

  "This is the Emperor's brother, Prince of Liang Liu Xuan!"

  He spoke in a low voice to Yuan Shao, informing him of Liu Xuan's identity, fearing that his friend would act rashly and offend Liu Xuan - he knew that if Liu Xuan really wanted to take Yuan Shao's life, it was just a matter of lifting his hand, and even if he killed Yuan Shao, the Yuan family would have no place to reason.

  To put it bluntly, today's matter is simply unjustifiable. Even if you, Yuan Shao, were trying to eliminate the eunuchs, leading troops to attack the imperial palace is a fact, and what's more serious is that you mobilized troops without receiving any secret edict, which would be considered treasonous even if it were just a minor offense.

  Moreover, looking at the current situation, it is clear that Yuan Shao did not care about right or wrong and led his troops to attack Liu Xuan. If Liu Xuan were to pursue this matter further, Yuan Shao would still be in the wrong.

  Thinking of this, Cao Cao was even grateful that he had brought people directly to Liu Xuan's side after discovering the increasingly chaotic situation in the palace. If he had delayed for a moment, Liu Xuan would have really killed Yuan Shao, which would have been a huge obstacle to Liu Xuan's great plan.

  Yuan Shao was born into the Yuan family, which was known as one of the four noble families with three generations of high-ranking officials, and its descendants and former subordinates filled the entire country. It was a top-notch aristocratic family at that time, and it also had great power and influence in the imperial court.

  Not to mention others, just that Taifu Yuan Wei and He Jin were listed as the main ministers of the new emperor's government, it can be seen how great the power of the Yuan family was. If Liu Xuan really wanted to kill Yuan Shao, I'm afraid the throne would be even harder to get in hand.

  Now Cao Cao has reached an alliance with Liu Xun and can be said to be in the same boat, he certainly does not want to have any conflict with the Yuan family at this critical moment.

  Cao Cao did this for two reasons: one was to remove an obstacle for Liu Xuan's ascension to the throne, and the other was for his own benefit. After all, only if Liu Xuan ascended to the throne could he, as the first person to stand with Liu Xuan, gain the greatest benefits.

  As for Liu Xuan himself? He had already guessed the identity of the person in front of him, and as soon as he heard the word "Ben Chu", he immediately confirmed that the person in front of him was indeed the future master of Hebei, the current Colonel of the Western Garden Army, Yuan Shao, also known as Yuan Benchu.

  As for this person, he didn't have a good impression of him and never thought of recruiting him. On the contrary, he had already put him on the list of people to be eliminated early on.

  However, there is a problem, that is Yuan Shao cannot die at this time. He still hopes that Yuan Shao will go and stir up trouble in Hebei again. If Yuan Shao is gone, where can he find an excuse to reconquer and sweep Hebei clean again?

  But does that mean I have to swallow my pride in front of Yuan Shao? Besides, now my status is much higher than his.

  "Commander Yuan led his troops into the palace, burning, killing and looting. Is this not a plot to commit treason?"

  As soon as he opened his mouth, a big hat was put on him. At this time, Yuan Shao was still whispering to Cao Cao: "If it weren't for Meng De, I would have gotten into big trouble!"

  Yuan Shao is not a fool, he understands that leading his troops into the palace was already a taboo, killing some eunuchs can be said to be eliminating evil, but it's colliding with the Han imperial bloodline, and it's the former emperor's own child, now there are royal relatives with the throne in their hands, that is a great sin, if the imperial family really wants to punish him, he can't even defend himself.

  At this point, cold sweat had already flowed from his forehead, and he also felt grateful to Cao Cao at the same time: "Fortunately, Meng De recognized the face of Liang Wang!"

  This matter also made Yuan Shao feel quite depressed. The former emperor had three sons and one daughter, which everyone knew about. However, the eldest son Liu Xuan rarely appeared in front of outsiders, and was extremely low-key in the palace, to the point where even some of the palace maids and eunuchs did not recognize him. Not to mention these external officials?

  Some low-ranking officials in the capital knew that the emperor had another son, which was already quite good; some people even thought that there were only two princes and were completely unaware of Liu Xuan's existence.

  Until the death of Emperor Xian, Liu Bian succeeded to the throne and simultaneously enfeoffed Liu Xuan as Prince of Liang and Liu Ai as Prince of Chenliu. It was only then that these people were shocked to learn of Liu Xuan's existence - but what he looked like, they still did not know.

  Cao Cao heard this and could only secretly sigh, thinking to himself that Liu Xuan was indeed able to endure humiliation. During the previous emperor's reign, he had kept a low profile to such an extent that it wasn't until the previous emperor passed away and the palace fell into chaos that he began to reveal his abilities. He had already guessed that Liu Xuan was not quietly waiting in his own chambers for the chaos to pass, but rather was taking the initiative to come out and show off his skills, while also seeking fame.

  "If so, although nothing disastrous will happen to Ben Chuo today, he is likely to get a good scolding!"

  Just as he had this thought in his mind, Liu Xuan's inquiry came out from that side.

  Yuan Shao hastily turned around and paid his respects, opening his mouth to explain: "The Ten Eunuchs brought chaos to the imperial court, and also used a poisonous plot to harm the life of the great general. It was only then that I led my troops into the palace and killed the Ten Eunuchs!"

  This excuse is one-sided, and still cannot cover up the fact that Yuan Shao led his troops to attack the palace on his own accord. At this time, Yuan Shao was sweating profusely and didn't even dare to look Liu Xuan straight in the eye - now that Liu Xuan had the status of Prince of Liang weighing down on him, even if Yuan Shao thought he was in the right, he didn't dare to argue back, only hoping that this Prince of Liang wouldn't dwell on this matter.

  Unfortunately, Liu Xuan was not a good talker. He directly raised his hand and pointed to the many black smoke in the distance: "Since it's the execution of the ten eunuchs, what about these fires? Who killed those ordinary yellow gates? And who gave you the right to lead the army into the palace on your own? You have a big nerve!"

  This shout shook everyone, and some timid soldiers only realized the enormity of their crime at this moment. They couldn't hold their weapons in their hands, and they clattered to the ground, almost kneeling down to beg for mercy.

  Yuan Shao did not know how to defend himself at this time, and could only feel depressed in his heart. Fortunately, after Liu Xun's angry rebuke, he did not continue to pursue his guilt, but instead said: "Even if the ten attendants have committed great crimes, it is not up to you to make arbitrary judgments. Quickly gather your troops and put out the fire in the palace. What kind of chaos is this? Do you know where this place is?"

  This sentence is a way to give Yuan Shao an excuse, and Yuan Shao naturally took advantage of it to bow his head in agreement. At the same time, he turned around and led his soldiers to gather the scattered horses and men who were rushing about - this task was not easy either. The eight colonels of the Western Garden had all been killed today, and some high-ranking officials who saw that something was amiss in the palace had rushed over with their personal guards, and now everything was in chaos like a big mess of porridge.

  However, as long as we don't provoke Liang Wang, it's all good, and the most important thing is to put out the fire that has started in the palace, otherwise, if the imperial city really catches fire, the entire Yuan family will not be able to pay for their lives.

  A few words enraged Yuan Shao, and Liu Xuan snorted, thinking to himself: "If I didn't have other plans, today would be the day I take your life and that of your brother!"

  Today, this matter involves the participation of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, the most outstanding young generation of the Yuan family. If they are all killed, it is unknown what changes will be triggered.

  However, Liu Xuan knew that the Han Dynasty had already rotted to its roots, and the trend of warlords carving up the territory had already begun to take shape. Killing Yuan Shao here would not stop the trend of Hebei not being under the control of the imperial court. It's better to leave Yuan Shao alone, let him stir up trouble first, and then it will be easier to clean up afterwards.

  Besides, it's not the right time for Yuan Wei to rebel now. He still hopes to win over Taifu Yuan Wei and let him stand on his side in some later events.

  When Yuan Shao was gone, Cao Cao walked up to the front: "Your Highness does not argue with Benchu, which is the best policy! The Yuan family has a huge influence in the aristocratic families of the imperial court, and it is currently impossible to confront them. The imperial court can be ignored for the time being, but the influence in the aristocratic families cannot be ignored.

  Liu Xuan smiled, knowing that Cao Cao could also see the situation, but it was not the right time to discuss this matter, so he didn't say much, only asking: "Have you seen His Majesty and Prince Chenliu?"

  Cao Cao shook his head, just about to say he hadn't seen him, when suddenly a shrill and hoarse voice cried out from afar: "Your Highness, save me!" Immediately following was an angry shout: "Where is the old thief escaping to?"