Luoyang.

Yongle Palace.

"I never expected that before Bian'er could even ascend the throne, my elder brother would be promoted to Grand General by His Majesty. Congratulations!"

"With our elder brother in power in the court, if we siblings join forces, the Han dynasty will be firmly in our hands."

Liu Hong's health is deteriorating daily, and even when he tries to have sex with Empress He, he is unable to keep up and becomes breathless after only a few moments.

Empress He lost interest in him and became obsessed with power instead.

It seems that only power can give her pleasure.

Now she's just waiting for Liu Hong to die so that Liu Bian can succeed to the throne, and then she can rule from behind the curtain like Empress Lü.

Empress He's dignified and noble face showed a hint of self-satisfaction, making her even more charming and alluring.

He Jin seemed somewhat distracted upon hearing Empress He's words.

Yuan Shao and Cao Cao returned from Yanmen.

Instead of heeding He Jin's advice, the two killed Li Mao, the deputy general of Yanmen Pass whom He Chang had bribed, rescued Liu Wei, and escorted him out of the pass.

This greatly angered He Jin.

However, the Yuan family had held high office for four generations, and He Jin had only recently come to power, so they were unable to do anything about Yuan Shao.

In addition, He Jin also needed to win over people, so he did not make things difficult for Yuan Shao and Cao Cao.

Now I'm just worried that if Empress He asks, I won't know how to refuse.

After suffering repeated setbacks, He Chang bribed the envoys sent to the Xiongnu, instructing them to go beyond the Great Wall and sow discord among the Chanyu of the Southern Xiongnu.

Whether the Xiongnu would actually kill Liu Wei remains unknown.

In short, He Jin failed to handle the matter that Empress He asked him to do properly.

"My becoming a Grand General is entirely thanks to Your Majesty," He Jin said cautiously.

"Hehe, Empress Dowager Dong is probably getting desperate right now!"

Empress He was very happy.

He Jin's appointment as Grand General indicates that Liu Hong is increasingly valuing the He family, which also suggests that the Dong family, another powerful maternal relative, is beginning to be suppressed.

"Since ancient times, the eldest son has been chosen over the youngest, and Your Majesty understands this principle!"

"The Prince of Chenliu, whom Empress Dowager Dong raised, actually covets Bian'er's position as crown prince; that's wishful thinking."

Empress He spoke with great interest, then changed the subject, "Brother, how's the matter with Prince Liu Wei of Taiyuan going?"

"I will not be able to eat or sleep in peace until this person is eliminated!"

"It has been nearly twenty days since he was driven out of Luoyang. He must have died on the way before he even left Yanmen Pass!"

"this..."

He Jin hesitated for a moment, then immediately said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, a net has been laid. Even if he manages to escape the pass, he will die at the hands of the Xiongnu."

"With the three Lieutenant Generals Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and Lu Zhi leading the troops, the Yellow Turban rebels will be quelled quickly!"

"Now that the Xiongnu are not obeying orders, we can take advantage of Liu Wei's death to have a grand excuse to send troops to punish them."

"If we defeat the Xiongnu and recover the four commanderies of Yunzhong, it will be my achievement as the great general!"

"From now on, the He family's position in the imperial court will become increasingly secure."

He Jin downplayed the main points and gave a long speech.

"I am not knowledgeable about military affairs, so I leave it entirely to my elder brother to decide."

"As for Liu Wei, brother, you must not let your guard down. We must find him alive or dead!"

"That fortune teller is very accurate. He once predicted that my elder brother would become a great general, and it came true."

Empress He lowered her voice, a strange look appearing on her face, "Now I need to focus all my efforts on dealing with that old hag, Empress Dowager Dong. I'll leave the matters outside the palace to my elder brother."

He Jin looked at his sister, who was obsessed with power, and sighed inwardly.

He himself was a butcher who became a powerful general through his sister's ascension to the empress's throne, but he knew his own limitations.

Now we must urge Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and Lu Zhi to quell the Yellow Turban rebels.

In addition, it is necessary to vigorously cultivate cronies and confidants.

Although Yuan Shao did not fall for He Jin's trick and went to kill Liu Wei.

However, this person is quite ambitious, and it's worth trying to win him over.

As for Liu Wei, he's utterly insignificant. He's already in the borderlands; whether he's alive or dead is no longer important.

It would be better if they were killed by the Xiongnu.

If they don't kill him, he'll never be able to return to Luoyang.

There's absolutely no need to pay attention to it.

I don't know why my sister, Empress He, believed the fortune teller's words. How could Liu Wei possibly have a chance to become emperor?

That's just needless worry!

He Jin and Empress He discussed recent major events in the palace and court for a while before taking their leave.

"Guards! Summon Eunuch Du! I wish to see him..."

After He Jin left, Empress He instructed her maid to summon the old eunuch who had gone to Beiman Mountain to deliver the imperial edict to Liu Wei.

The specifics of their conspiracy remain unknown.

He Jin returned to the General's Mansion, preparing to convene a meeting with all the generals, officers, and officials in the capital to discuss the progress of the suppression of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Just then, someone reported that He Chang had also returned from Yanmen and was looking for the General.

He Jin then received He Chang in a side room.

"Is the General aware that Li Mao was killed by both Yuan Shao and Cao Cao?"

Upon returning, He Chang immediately complained, "I never expected that they would dare to disobey the General's orders and instead aid the Marquis of Yinshan."

“I already know about this. Liu Wei has already left Yanmen, so let him fend for himself. The imperial edict also says that he may not return without a decree.”

"If he dares to come back, it will be a crime of treason!"

He Jin waved his hand dismissively.

Yuan Shao and Cao Cao were both officers of the Western Garden Guard, the emperor's personal guards; there was no need for him to make things too tense.

"However, Her Majesty the Empress still attaches great importance to this matter, so you will continue to keep an eye on it for me."

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