"Your Majesty, what have you done to anger the Eldest Princess?"

He Jin was invited to Yong'an Palace by Eunuch Du. Along the way, he learned from Eunuch Du that Empress He and the Eldest Princess had fallen out.

As soon as he entered Yong'an Palace, he began to complain to Empress He.

He Jin has now firmly secured his position as Grand General.

He was in charge of the Imperial Guards in the capital, the five major camps of the Northern Army, and the garrison troops at the city gates.

In addition, the three battalions of county soldiers—the Inner Camp, the Yong Camp, the Chang'an Camp, and the Liyang Camp—were all commanded by his trusted confidants.

Emperor Ling of Han had the eunuchs form the Eight Colonels of the Western Garden, but due to the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Yuan Shu, Bao Xin and others were transferred by He Jin to quell the rebellion.

After returning, Yuan Shao was promoted to Commandant of the Capital Region; Cao Cao was appointed Chancellor of Jinan.

He Jin secretly recruited and incorporated them one by one, leaving only Jian Shuo and others.

The conflict between He Jin and the Ten Attendants intensified as Emperor Ling of Han fell seriously ill.

He had already discussed with his staff a plan to eliminate these eunuchs.

At the same time, He Jin also planned to take this opportunity to settle scores with Emperor Ling of Han for allowing members of his clan to govern local areas.

Liu Yu and other members of the imperial clan arrived in the capital one after another. It seemed that the plan was about to succeed, and they were just waiting for Liu Wei to arrive so that they could capture them all at once.

However, at this crucial moment, Empress He and the eldest princess had a falling out. Wasn't this just stirring up trouble?

Princess Liu Hua and Liu Yu are in-laws through their children's marriage!

He Jin had secretly complained countless times about this big-breasted, brainless girl, who often caused trouble and ruined the overall situation.

Last time, without consulting He Jin, He Miao secretly hired assassins from the Cui family to assassinate Liu Wei in the Hetao region.

As a result, the assassination attempt failed, and instead, rumors of the assassination were spread in Luoyang. He Jin's hard-earned good reputation was ruined all at once.

“Brother, at that time, the Princess repeatedly insulted our butcher background. I was so angry that I argued with her.”

"She is delusional to think that her daughter can marry Bian'er so that she can take away our power in the future. She is really delusional."

Empress He, hearing He Jin's complaints, explained with a wronged expression.

Previously, she treated He Jin with arrogance, because He Jin's rise to the rank of Grand General was naturally due to her influence.

However, now that He Jin's position is secure, Empress He has come to rely on him instead.

Knowing that she had repeatedly acted without thinking, Empress He naturally felt guilty.

"Your Majesty, this matter has already occurred, so let's not mention it again!"

"Eunuch Du must have already told you that Liu Wei has already set off for Luoyang."

He Jin did not pursue the matter further. As long as Liu Yu and his men were still in Luoyang, there was no need to worry that the Princess would affect the overall situation due to her falling out with Empress He.

"However, the latest news is that Liu Wei is not going through Bingzhou, but is instead crossing the Yellow River directly from the Hetao region and heading south towards Guanzhong!"

"Brother, why is Liu Wei going to Guanzhong? What does he want to do?" Empress He asked with a surprised look.

He Jin didn't take it seriously: "No matter which way he goes, he will eventually come to Luoyang."

"As for his trip to Guanzhong, the staff in the mansion speculate that he might be going to the imperial mausoleum!"

"Why go to the imperial mausoleum?" Empress He asked.

"To gain more fame for myself!"

He Jin said, "Now that this kid has some troops under his command, he's indeed becoming a bit restless."

"He attacked Ding Yuan's rear in Liangzhou and also seized the three counties in Hexi for himself."

"He dares to come to the capital again this time, thinking we won't dare to touch him."

"But Your Majesty, rest assured, I have already arranged many obstacles on his way here."

"His Majesty issued the imperial edict, but he has not yet received it. Now that we know he has set off, let him arrive in the capital a little later."

"The longer it drags on, the better. Even if His Majesty tries to protect him, he won't be able to."

Liu Wei's actions in the Hetao and Hexi regions have long exceeded the authority of a prince.

He Jin had long wanted to send troops to punish and punish the guilty, but Emperor Ling of Han simply refused, just as stubbornly as he had been unwilling to make Liu Bian the crown prince.

Perhaps it was Liu Hong's hearing about Liu Wei's recapture of lost territory and expulsion of foreign tribes that filled him with a sense of fulfillment for his past regrets.

Furthermore, given Liu Hong's intention to share power among the imperial clan and weaken He Jin's authority, it's easier to explain why Liu Wei commanded tens of thousands of troops on the border, seized territory, appointed officials, and fought against Ding Yuan.

Despite these numerous transgressions, Liu Hong turned a blind eye.

He knew his days were numbered, and Liu Wei's existence showed him a force capable of standing up to He Jin.

He wanted to wait for Liu Wei to return to him, and then leave a will for Liu Wei, ordering him to assist Liu Xie.

However, it is estimated that only Liu Hong knows these things.

"Brother, why don't you urge him to come to the capital sooner?" He Jin's words confused Empress He.

After all, every decision He Jin made was based on analysis and the best advice provided by his elite team of advisors.

Empress He's limited intelligence certainly wouldn't be able to keep up with the pace.

“He waited a month to receive the imperial decree, and then took a detour to the capital, which wasted time. His Majesty must be furious. When that happens, I will have someone impeach Liu Wei, which will be even more legitimate.”

"Furthermore, we can arrange for someone to take action against him on the way."

"With this two-pronged approach, even if Liu Wei manages to evade ambushes on the way, once he arrives in the capital, a whole host of censors will be waiting for him."

Empress He felt a headache coming on when she heard about these brain-taxing matters, and waved her hand, saying:

"Brother, please make the arrangements. This time, no matter how much Liu Wei acts up, we must not let him go back standing up."

"We also need to find a way to confirm Bian'er's position as crown prince as soon as possible."

He Jin said, "Now that things have come to this, His Majesty's decision is no longer up to him."

“We must quickly win over all the families in the court. As soon as His Majesty passes away, I will join forces with the ministers to put the Prince of Hongnong on the throne.”

After He Jin became a general, he greatly admired Huo Guang.

Therefore, he had long planned to gain the merit of supporting the emperor so that he could wield immense power in the future.

"I find it strange that His Majesty is still hanging on by a thread and just won't die!"

He Jin explained casually:

"Perhaps he's waiting for Liu Wei to arrive!"

"If we can't wait for Liu Wei, and with all that anxiety, it will probably affect our health, and we might even die suddenly!"

"How this matter is handled depends entirely on your efforts, elder brother."

Empress He was relieved. "This time, we will definitely not let him come and then think about going back!"

"Then, I'll take my leave!"

......

At this very moment, in the vast Dongsheng Valley of the Ordos Plateau.

Under Zhang Liao's guidance, Liu Wei inspected the progress of the construction of Dongsheng City.

The construction site was bustling with activity, with people coming and going.

Tens of thousands of people worked together in an orderly manner, with each person having their own tasks.

Liu Wei valued Zhang Liao's organizational and coordination abilities even more.

As for what his old friends He Jin and his sister were plotting against him in Luoyang, that remains unknown.

As for the eldest princess who planned to assess him and then use him to decide whether to help him seize the throne, Liu Wei had no way of knowing.

"My lord, the troops are ready and can be deployed at any time!"

Zhang Liaobing reports.

"Alright, Wen Yuan, this time let's thoroughly understand the Southern Xiongnu people!"