Urging Ascension

Yuan Shao drew a sharp breath. He looked at Yuan Xi and asked, "Xianyin, in your opinion, what is the foolproof plan for the two of us, father and son?"

"Father, am I truly your biological son?" Yuan Xi asked solemnly, looking at the astonished Yuan Shao with a serious gaze.

Yuan Shao maintained extremely strict family discipline, and he had never expected Yuan Xi to utter such rebellious words. A look of anger inevitably appeared on his face.

His expression sinking slightly, Yuan Shao said, "Xianyin, there is no one in this world closer than parents and brothers. Can you not even trust your own father?"

Yuan Xi straightened his back, his expression resolute. He looked at Yuan Shao and said, "To speak without reservation to Father, in my view, the empire is now in utter chaos. Warlords have risen everywhere, each guarding their own troops and seeking greater power. The Han Dynasty is like a decaying tree, and the Mandate of Heaven is about to pass to another.

"Although our Yuan family has enjoyed generations of grace from the Han, judging by the current situation, we are like a single pillar unable to prop up a collapsing mansion, and we cannot turn the tide. Under such circumstances, we can only plan for ourselves. Right now, I fear there is only one viable strategy."

Yuan Shao was clearly terrified by these rebellious remarks.

Yet, Yuan Shao seemed far wiser and much more composed and calm than rumors suggested; he quickly regained his composure. Feigning anger at hearing this, Yuan Shao said, "Xianyin, hold your tongue at once! Such words are worthy of execution. Do you believe I should hand you over to the Commandant of Justice? Never speak such rebellious nonsense again."

In the past, the Yuan family aimed to become powerful ministers wielding imperial authority, but Yuan Xi's words pointed toward something far more drastic.

"Father, please allow your son to finish. Whether it is execution or dismemberment, your son accepts it. First, Father should execute the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards, the Colonel Who Establishes the Army, Cao Cao. Because he and Father simultaneously command the imperial guards, he is very likely to obstruct our plans from within."

Yuan Xi took a deep breath, braced himself, and spoke with fierce determination.

"Hoo—Xianyin, and what is the second matter?"

Yuan Shao's astonished expression gradually subsided. After taking a deep breath and glancing around the surroundings, he looked at Yuan Xi and slowly spoke.

"Regardless of whether He Jin lives or dies, Father must not allow Dong Zhuo to enter Luoyang City." Yuan Xi looked at Yuan Shao and said sternly.

"It is already too late. Dong Zhuo's Xiliang troops have already garrisoned at Mianchi. He will pay no heed to the imperial edicts; they are already marching straight toward Luoyang."

Saying this, Yuan Shao looked up at the sky and let out an involuntary, light sigh.

Of this matter, Yuan Xi was entirely unaware. He was stunned for a moment, then immediately asked, "Then I wonder how many troops Father currently has in his hands."

"Alas, about ten thousand soldiers, I suppose. Xianyin, what thoughts do you have?" Yuan Shao cast a curious glance at him and said in a muffled voice.

"Father, your son has a plan. Perhaps it can help us weather this crisis." Yuan Xi paused slightly, pondered for a moment, and spoke.

However, Yuan Shao suddenly asked, "Xianyin, tell me, if Dong Zhuo truly enters Luoyang City, what will be the consequences?"

Yuan Xi frowned, sighed inwardly, and thought: A thousand miles of scorched earth and rivers of blood. The people plunged into misery and the realm thrown into utter chaos—what else could happen?

"Given the fierce combat effectiveness of the Xiliang troops, Dong Zhuo will certainly seize control of the capital and the Emperor, and then coerce the ministers while levying exorbitant taxes. The consequences are too dreadful to contemplate; it will undoubtedly result in a weak sovereign and powerful ministers." Yuan Xi organized his phrasing and spoke slowly.

"The soldiers in my hands are simply not enough to repel the Xiliang army, are they?" Yuan Shao paced back and forth in the hall, saying with deep concern.

"Father, aren't there still tens of thousands of Imperial Forest troops under He Jin's command? We can seize this opportunity to use them to resist the Xiliang army." Yuan Xi was suddenly struck by an inspiration as a thought occurred to him.

"Enough. How could your father bear to hand you over to the Commandant of Justice? Xianyin, you are tired as well. Go and rest first." Yuan Shao said with his back turned to Yuan Xi.

"Understood, this son takes his leave." Yuan Xi cupped his hands in salute and retreated. Before he knew it, Yuan Xi discovered that he was drenched in sweat. It seemed his father's true depths were hidden far too deep.

Perhaps, if his father Yuan Shao had not suffered defeat at Guandu, he might have become another Li Yuan, who knows? After all, victory is justice, is it not?

Only the victors possess the qualification to write history.

On this day, Zhang Rang forged an imperial edict in the name of the Empress Dowager, summoning He Jin into the palace.

Yuan Shao and the others all urged He Jin not to enter the palace.

Yet for reasons unknown, ignoring the advice of his subordinate generals, He Jin stubbornly insisted on entering the palace.

Left with no alternative, Yuan Shao decided to have Cao Cao, Yuan Shu, and Chunyu Qiong accompany the General-in-Chief into the palace along with their personal troops to provide mutual support.

"Enough, wait here. I want to see what tricks they can possibly pull off." He Jin instructed Cao Cao and the others, displaying evident self-confidence.

"General-in-Chief, you must exercise absolute caution," Cao Cao urged once more.

Yuan Shu and Chunyu Qiong stood to the side without speaking, merely arranging the deployment of their personal troops near the palace gates just in case.

Soon, gripping his sword, He Jin entered the palace gates entirely alone.

"Hmph! As the General-in-Chief holding the authority of the realm, who dares to make a move against me?"

He Jin strode with an arrogant gait toward the Empress Dowager's寝宫 (imperial bedchamber).

With the external reinforcement of the warlords bolstering his confidence, he had grown somewhat full of himself, viewing the eunuchs as nothing at all.

"He Jin, we have been waiting for you for a long time." At this moment, a sudden change occurred.

Near the palace hall doors, the forces deployed by Zhang Rang appeared.

"This... this... you... you people?" He Jin was utterly thrown into panic.

Zhang Rang and the others began to interrogate He Jin, saying, "The chaos in the empire is not solely the fault of us eunuchs! The late Emperor was once furious with the Empress Dowager and nearly deposed her; we wept as we intervened to save her, each of us contributing our personal wealth—amounting to tens of millions—as gifts to appease the late Emperor, merely to entrust ourselves to your patronage. Now you actually intend to slaughter us and exterminate our clans—is this not going too far?!"

"No, no, no!" He Jin attempted to resist.

Thereupon, Qu Mu, the Inspector of the Directorate for Imperial Tableware, drew his sword and killed He Jin in front of the Xide Hall. Thus curtain fell on the last maternal relative of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Zhang Rang and the others drafted an imperial edict appointing the former Grand Commandant Fan Ling as the Colonel Director of Retainers and the Minister of the Imperial Household Xu Xiang as the Governor of Henan, and tossed the documents outside the palace gates.

"Requesting the General-in-Chief to come out and deliberate together." Seeing the edict, Cao Cao felt suspicious and shouted out.

"Requesting the General-in-Chief to come out and discuss matters!" "Requesting the General-in-Chief to come out!" Yuan Shu and Chunyu Qiong also sensed that something had gone wrong inside and immediately shouted.

"The General-in-Chief plotted rebellion and has been executed!"

A palace eunuch tossed He Jin's severed head down before Cao Cao and the others.

"Kill!" "Avenge the General-in-Chief!"

Hearing that He Jin had been slain, the Colonel of the Tiger Warriors, Yuan Shu, led his troops charging into the palace.

The Colonel of the Right Army, Chunyu Qiong, attacked the palace city and set fire to the Qingsuo Gate.

Realizing that matters had reached this point and nothing more could be done, Cao Cao led his men and also charged in fiercely.

Seeing that the situation was turning perilous, Zhang Rang and the others took the Young Emperor Liu Bian, the Prince of Chenliu Liu Xie, and Princess Wannian Liu Nian hostage, fleeing in panic through the covered walkways.

They had never expected that even with He Jin dead, Yuan Shao and the faction of ministers would refuse to yield to them—this far exceeded their calculations.

At this moment, Yuan Shao in the rear finished giving his instructions. Upon hearing the report from his subordinates that the General-in-Chief had been murdered, he immediately reorganized his troops, preparing to slaughter his way into the imperial palace.

Assisted by his personal guards, Yuan Shao donned his armor.

Just then, Yuan Xi suddenly burst in and fell to his knees before Yuan Shao.

"Xianyin, what is the meaning of this?" Yuan Shao immediately stepped forward to support Yuan Xi.

Emperor Xuanwu of Yuan, Yuan Xi, campaigned throughout his life, committing an excessive amount of bloodshed.

In his later years, filled with regret, he performed the Fengshan sacrifices at Mount Tai. On his journey back, passing through Jibei Commandery, he happened to meet a monk of the surname Wei, named Tu. Enlightened by him, he cut off his hair on the spot to receive teachings in his stead.