Chapter 655 Kill!
Gradually, the night fell. The sun lost its radiance, the bright moon disappeared, and it was dim and starless. The entire earth was shrouded in darkness. White patches and dots of white flowers were scattered among the palace.
Liu He's small body was collected and placed in a side hall. Xun You opened the palace door and a pair of dark eyes stared at his leaving figure.
A slightly trembling voice mixed with a hint of laughter came out: "Mouse, I caught you, what is your purpose?"
The moment Xun You walked out of the palace, his face changed instantly, big beads of sweat flowed from his forehead, and even cold sweat broke out all over his body.
He knew he was exposed!
This was completely beyond his expectations. He didn't know which step had gone wrong. He forced himself to control his messy thoughts and took a deep breath to calm himself down.
“I was exposed, but the ultimate goal of contacting Wushuang Hou must not be known, and Yuan Shao certainly was not exposed either.
Otherwise, I will be arrested directly."
Xun You walked away quickly while thinking frantically, "Maybe he wants to use his own tricks against me, but how can he use his own tricks against me?
Wushuang Hou was prepared to die!"
Xun You's eyes were filled with coldness, and the darkness in his character burst out wildly at this moment, "Dong Zhuo must be killed, even if rivers of blood flow!"
…
"What?"
Xun Chen and Yuan Shao were both horrified. Xun You's face looked very ugly. If it weren't for Xun Chen, he would never have told Yuan Shao about this matter. Yuan Shao just had to execute it.
If we say this now, there will probably be twists and turns out of nowhere. If Yuan Shao gets scared, then everything will be over!
The moment Xun Chen heard this, he immediately said to Yuan Shao anxiously: "My lord, the plan to assassinate Dong Zhuo must be stopped. This is simply gambling with life. Even returning to Hebei to raise an army is better than this option.
Gongda, please put all your thoughts aside. If you die here, have you ever thought about your parents and your family?"
Xun You's heart sank when he heard this. This was what he was worried about.
Xun Chen was his cousin and also Yuan Shao's adviser. No matter who he was worried about, Xun Chen would definitely dissuade him.
After hearing Xun Chen's words, Yuan Shao fell silent. Countless thoughts ran through his mind, and countless things and people flashed through his mind, finally falling on Luo Kong.
Yuan Shao sighed softly, "Youruo, Gongda is unwilling to stop, and Wushuang Hou cannot stop either. How long can the emperor wait?
If I do nothing now and escape back to Hebei, what good will it be for me to hold a sword in front of Dong Zhuo?
If the assassination attempt on Dong Zhuo failed, then there would naturally be nothing to say.
But if you are afraid of fighting, retreat an inch today, an inch tomorrow, and retreat whenever you encounter difficulties and obstacles in the future?
How can we then take up the three-foot sword and bring peace to the world?
My sword is not bad either!"
Yuan Shao's voice was very soft, but it was louder than the sound of thunder!
Xun Chen fell silent upon hearing this. As a counselor, his job was to give advice. Once the lord made up his mind, his goal was to increase the chance of winning. He secretly calculated the power in his hands and bowed, "My lord, Chen understands."
Xun You looked at Yuan Shao with a gleam in his eyes. If it weren't for the fact that Yuan Shao had so many counselors under his command, including those from Yingchuan and Hebei, he would have been ready to defect to Yuan Shao.
However, his cousin is in Yuan Shao's camp. Even if Yuan Shao can really achieve great things in the future, it will not be difficult for him, as Xun Chen's nephew, to change his allegiance. This is the way for aristocratic families to survive.
Yuan Shao turned to Xun You and bowed without saying anything. Xun You bowed and then left.
Looking at Xun You's leaving figure, Yuan Shao touched the sword at his waist, as if talking to himself, or as if asking someone, "Can you save Wushuang Hou?"
…
In the palace, ever since Xun You left, Luo Kong has been looking at the gradually darkening sky in the same posture. Ever since Xun You came to him and told him the plan, he has been thinking about all the possibilities.
If Li Ru hadn't found out, everything would have gone smoothly.
The probability of his own survival is very small, but the probability of the emperor's survival is relatively high, provided that he can withstand the counterattack of the Xiliang army.
Tang Ji slipped out of the hall and came to Luo Kong. She circled around Luo Kong. Liu He’s death did not cause that much harm to Tang Ji.
Luo Kong looked at Tang Ji, who had no dignity of a queen, and couldn't help but think of his daughter. He gently touched her head and said, "Queen, are you afraid of death?"
Tang Ji's expression of enjoyment froze, and she instantly grabbed the corner of Luo Kong's clothes, and said tremblingly: "My Lord, what are you talking about? Of course I'm afraid, just like Liu He."
Luo Kong smiled, touched Tang Ji again and said, "It's okay, I was just talking casually."
An empress of Tang Ji's status had absolutely no political rights and had no influence on current affairs.
Even Dong Zhuo and Li Ru would not do anything to her, but Luo Kong was unwilling to let Tang Ji take any risks.
He wanted Tang Ji to live well in this world. A little girl should not be involved in these conspiracies and killings. Thinking of this, Luo Kong took off the jade pendant from his waist and handed it to Tang Ji, saying softly: "Queen, keep this jade pendant. If you encounter danger in the future, take it off and say that it is a gift from Wushuang Hou Luo Kong. If you can send you to Zhaocheng, I will reward you handsomely."
Tang Ji was very surprised. She took the jade pendant, turned it over and looked at it. She liked it very much and said with a coquettish smile, "My Lord, my father once said that I dare not refuse a gift from an elder. You taught me to read, so you are my teacher. I will not refuse what you give me."
She was young, with a delicate and fresh face. She smiled sweetly in joy, with thin white teeth and blinking eyes. She was very cute, and Luo Kong felt as if a clear mountain spring was gurgling in his heart, bringing a cool feeling.
Luo Kong stood up and walked into the hall, with Tang Ji following her.
Empress Dowager He looked extremely haggard. Although this could not conceal her beauty, she had now completely lost the aura that allowed her to control the world.
Looking at Luo Kong who was walking in, she forced a smile and said sadly, "How great would it be if Zhang Jiao didn't die?
Although he was the one who overthrew the Mandate of the Han Dynasty, he was a gentleman.
If Zhang Jue had died earlier, how much better it would have been for you to stay in Luoyang City instead of fleeing west with Bian'er?
How did it end up like this?
He'er is dead now. Will Bian'er get into trouble? My lord, do you think Bian'er will get into trouble?
Dong Zhuo is a wicked villain!
He is a beastly monster!"
When people are extremely frightened, they will start to have wild thoughts. Empress Dowager He is in such a state now. Seeing that Luo Kong didn't speak, Empress Dowager He took two steps forward.
Her charming face suddenly lit up and she said, "Bian'er will definitely die. Dong Zhuo will definitely kill him. How am I going to live without a child?
My Lord, you are Luo's son, Dong Zhuo will definitely not want to kill you, please give me a child."
Tang Ji and Luo Kong were completely shocked. They didn't expect that Empress Dowager He would actually say such a thing. It can be seen how confused she was.
Luo Kong had a complicated expression. He really wanted to tell Empress Dowager He that if Dong Zhuo really wanted to kill the emperor, you, the empress dowager, would not be able to escape and would not have to worry about how to live the rest of her life without a son.
But looking at the haggard and long-lost Empress Dowager He, he still did not say such sharp words, but just said: "You are tired, Empress Dowager, go down and rest."
In this palace, he was the one who dominated, not the nominal supreme rulers, the Queen Mother and the Emperor.
…
There was nothing happening in Luoyang City, and the daylight was shining down.
Inside the imperial palace, under the high palace walls, court officials walked in the corridors in groups of three or four, passing through palace gates and heading towards the palace.
As the ministers were walking, a large sedan chair was coming towards the palace, on which sat a sturdy figure. It was the powerful minister Dong Zhuo.
There was no one in front of him. All the court officials were walking on the sides or behind him. They looked at the chariot with hatred and fear, and some even had deep disdain in their eyes.
When the group walked to the square in front of the palace, their view suddenly broadened. The white decorations on the roof of the palace brought a touch of solemnity to this towering palace.
The Xiliang troops surrounding the sedan chair instantly dispersed and headed towards the corners of the palace walls, leaving only the soldiers carrying the sedan chair forward.
This is the opportunity that Xun You mentioned. When Dong Zhuo came to the palace, he usually did not bring a lot of soldiers and horses, because most of the palace guards were soldiers of the Western Liang Army in disguise.
Moreover, according to the rules, ministers had to take off their armor when entering the square in front of the palace, but Dong Zhuo had the privilege of entering the palace with his sword and shoes on. However, despite strong opposition from court officials, Dong Zhuo still took the political impact into consideration and made some compromises.
Suddenly, hundreds of fully armored soldiers holding weapons rushed out from the corridors on both sides. The court officials were instantly scared to death. Someone shouted angrily: "Dong Zhuo, how dare you!"
Then, the soldiers shouted loudly, "The one on the chariot is Dong Zhuo. Shoot! Shoot!"
He actually came to assassinate Dong Zhuo!
The court officials who reacted quickly fled in the direction away from Dong Zhuo's chariot. Xun You, who was at the back of the crowd, stared in amazement at these soldiers who suddenly rushed out.
He immediately thought that this must be another force in Luoyang City, the former Taiping Army among the imperial guards!
Why would these people come to kill Dong Zhuo?
Since Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang City, especially after the Luo family left, he was very harsh to the Taiping Army. Almost everyone thought that these Taiping Army had defected to Dong Zhuo.
It is precisely for this reason that Dong Zhuo's power was able to overshadow Yuan Shao and even make everyone unable to muster the desire to resist. The gap in strength was simply too great, almost ten times the gap in strength.
But now it seems that these Taiping Army and Dong Zhuo are not only not of the same mind, but they even have rebellious intentions!
Xun You was very upset. If he had known this situation earlier, he would not have had to put so much effort into doing those things. With the Taiping Army and Yuan Shao working together from both inside and outside, Dong Zhuo would surely be killed without a burial place.
The reason why Bu Cai and others did this was very simple, because before Luo Xiao died, he told them how to choose a lord. These three people used the standards given by Luo Xiao to deal with Dong Zhuo, but the more they tried, the more wrong it seemed.
There is basically nothing that fits Dong Zhuo's profile, and he is definitely a prince who is destined to fail.
The most important thing is that after Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang City, his reputation was worse than that of the Taiping Army.
When they entered Luoyang City, they directly killed the emperor. Even so, his reputation among the gentry was not as bad as Dong Zhuo's.
The three brothers decided that they could not continue on Dong Zhuo's big ship and that they had to draw a clear line between themselves and Dong Zhuo.
The Taoist master once said that those who win the hearts of the gentry may not necessarily win the world, but those who lose the hearts of the gentry will surely fail. There is nothing that can win the hearts of the gentry better than killing Dong Zhuo.
Especially after the incident with Yuan Shao, Bu Cai and the other two knew that Yuan Shao had many former Taiping Army brothers under his command, and that they were in important positions. This made the three of them unable to help but feel a liking for Yuan Shao.
Killing Dong Zhuo is the token of loyalty that Bu Cai and the other two men gave to the people of the world!
The Taiping troops suddenly rushed out and shot arrows at the chariot. Dong Zhuo, who was on the chariot, rolled down and shouted angrily, "Guard! Guard!"
The few remaining guards around him quickly deflected the arrows and raised their shields. The Xiliang Army that had scattered before rushed over with swords in hand, ready to engage in a firefight with the Taiping Army.
The three men led the most elite Taiping troops, and their plan was to launch a surprise attack. If the surprise attack failed, the three men would not mind leading the main army to fight a real battle with Dong Zhuo.
Although Dong Zhuo has a large number of soldiers, they may not be able to use their strength in this palace.
As long as they can kill Dong Zhuo here and throw his body out, the Xiliang Army will naturally collapse, just like after the Taoist master died, the Taiping Army suddenly became a pile of loose sand and no longer exists in the world.
As Dong Zhuo shouted, more and more Xiliang troops poured out of the corridor. Bu Cai and the other two knew that they could still fight if they really wanted to, but it would be difficult to kill Dong Zhuo as there were so many people.
Zhou Cang killed a Xiliang soldier with a single blow and asked loudly, "Fourth brother, what should we do now?"
Bu Cai shouted loudly while fighting: "Brothers, gather together. The Xiliang Army has reinforcements, but don't we have any? Transfer all the brothers in the palace over to fight these Xiliang Army."
"laugh!"
Suddenly, there was a sound of an extremely sharp arrow breaking through the air, followed by an obvious "puff" sound of piercing flesh and blood.
The sound was so loud that even in such a noisy battle, it still attracted the attention of most people. Everyone wanted to know where it came from and where it was going!
Looking from afar, at the end of the sight, under the hidden palace wall, a figure with a knife on his waist, a long bow in his hand, was slowly lowering his arm.
The bowstring of the big bow was still trembling, and the figure was not wearing any armor, so everyone could see clearly that it was the unparalleled Hou Luo Kong!
Why is there a bow in his hand?
Why is there a knife on his waist?
Where did his arrow go?
This was not a problem. Whether it was the soldiers who were fighting or the court officials who were hiding in all directions, all their eyes turned to where Dong Zhuo was.
Dong Zhuo was pinned to the corner of the wall by a trembling arrow. The arrow was so powerful that it even penetrated three-quarters of the wall!
Is Dong Zhuo dead?
Did Dong Zhuo die so easily?
Everyone couldn't believe it. That powerful and treacherous minister actually died like that?
"He doesn't seem to be Dong Zhuo!"
A gust of wind blew away the gauze curtain covering the sedan chair in front of everyone, completely revealing the true face of Dong Zhuo who was nailed to the wall.
"It's really not Dong Zhuo."
The figure looked extremely similar to Dong Zhuo, but the face was very different. The figure riding the chariot was actually not Dong Zhuo, but a substitute!
Xun You's eyes turned cold, and he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. He looked at Wang Yun with some difficulty. Wang Yun also looked at Xun You in shock. He didn't understand why Dong Zhuo was not here.
He had joined Dong Zhuo since he started to gain power. Because of his previous experience of joining Zhang Jue and even licking Zhang Jue's boots, Wang Yun had a very bad reputation in Luoyang City. In the eyes of most people, he was a person who fawned on the powerful, was keen on power, and was obsessed with money.
Dong Zhuo never suspected that Wang Yun had other purposes. Although Wang Yun had a bad reputation, he was still a great Confucian scholar, one of the leaders of the scholars, and one of the ministers of the court. Dong Zhuo gladly accepted Wang Yun's surrender.
Wang Yun and Xun You quickly teamed up, and this time when they assassinated Dong Zhuo, the Seven-Star Sword worn on Luo Kong's waist was his treasure!
"Li Ru!"
Xun You knew exactly what was happening. It must be that Wang Yun had revealed a flaw in front of Li Ru, which was why this happened.
So where is Dong Zhuo?
Xun You had no time to think about this before he heard shouts and cries of fighting outside the palace. Bu Cai was so shocked by the sudden changes that he was speechless. He never expected that besides himself, there were other people who also wanted to kill Dong Zhuo.
When Luo Kong saw that Dong Zhuo was fake, his face changed drastically and he felt dizzy. "Your Majesty!"
He had no time to think and ran madly towards the emperor's bedroom. As soon as he arrived outside the palace, he saw rows of Xiliang soldiers and his eyes went dark in an instant.
When the soldiers saw Luo Kong running towards them, they immediately rushed forward. Luo Kong drew out the Seven-Star Sword. This sword was truly Wang Yun's treasure and it could cut through iron like mud. The thin armor of the soldiers looked like paper in front of the sword. As the blade was swung, the soldiers fell one by one. Luo Kong was originally the strongest among the ten thousand enemies, and now he was madly burning his life, and he was no less powerful than the real ten thousand enemies!
However, for the sake of flexibility, he had only worn a leather armor, and soon the blood soaked through his clothes. But he became more and more crazy, and kept rushing forward.
The soldiers of the Xiliang Army were even a little frightened when they saw this. On the battlefield, these ordinary soldiers were not willing to exchange their lives for the enemy general's physical strength.
The palace gate was wide open, and Luo Kong rushed in directly. The soldiers of Xiliang Army followed behind him, but they remembered the previous order that no one was allowed to enter, and they hesitated for a moment.
The hall was quite empty. Luo Kong was breathing heavily, and the blood on his body was gradually clotting. He took a quick look in the hall and heard someone crying softly behind the hall pillar. He rushed over and saw Tang Ji curled up. When she heard the footsteps, she immediately cried, "Don't catch me, don't catch me!"
Luo Kong said softly: "Queen, it is you, my humble servant."
Tang Ji stopped sobbing and raised her head. Seeing that it was Luo Kong, she was stunned for a moment, then rushed over directly, not caring about the blood on Luo Kong's body, and burst into tears.
Luo Kong held Tang Ji in one hand and walked towards the back hall that Tang Ji pointed to. When he walked quickly to the back hall, he heard the sound of a struggle. He rushed in and saw Empress Dowager He and Liu Bian curled up on the ground in pain. In front of them were two empty cups. Li Ru and several Xiliang soldiers were guarding nearby.
Luo Kong's body swayed and he instantly became furious. He knew he was too late.
"Dong Zhuo! Li Ru! You deserve to die! You deserve to die!"
Luo Kong's voice was as cold as the coldest thousand-year-old black ice, but the anger contained in it was like the hottest magma, wanting to destroy everything.
Hearing Luo Kong's voice, Li Ru seemed to have not expected that Luo Kong would come here so soon. He didn't understand why Luo Kong appeared when there were so many Xiliang soldiers outside the hall. He was stunned.
Several soldiers of the Xiliang Army rushed over and were killed one by one by Luo Kong. Luo Kong stared at Li Ru coldly and walked over with the knife in hand. Li Ru kept retreating.
"Restrain the military advisor!"
The general who had been standing beside Li Ru saw this and roared, "I am General Hua Xiong of Xiliang!"
At first glance, Luo Kong knew that this was a fierce general. If he were on the battlefield, even he would not be able to defeat him in a short time, but so what?
There are different ways of fighting on the battlefield and different combat skills in a duel, not to mention the Seven-Star Sword that can cut through iron like mud!
Luo Kong recalled the Qi Gathering Technique in the family classics, and rushed forward. The afterimage of the Seven-Star Sword was almost invisible to the human eye. The two men crossed each other, and Luo Kong was left with a severe wound on his chest, but the weapon in Hua Xiong's hand broke directly into two pieces, a crack appeared between his eyebrows, and then suddenly split into two halves, and the white brain matter mixed with blood and then spilled down.
Luo Kong picked up Li Ru and shouted angrily, "Where is Dong Zhuo?"
Li Ru's neck was pinched by Luo Kong, and he said with difficulty: "Wushuang Hou, are you going to seek revenge? I'm afraid it's meaningless. Just kill me, and it will be your revenge for the little emperor.
The Lord's great cause is about to be accomplished, but it's too late."
Luo Kong gritted his teeth, "Li Ru, Li Ru!
The Luo family will never allow a man like Dong Zhuo to gain control of the world, and the Emperor Su Wang will punish him. Do you think Dong Zhuo can really accomplish your so-called great cause?
Luo's desire to destroy him is like killing a bug!"
Li Ru's eyes, which had been begging for death, suddenly lit up. He wanted to struggle, "This is not possible..."
Luo Kong stabbed Li Ru's chest directly with a knife. Large mouthfuls of blood gushed out from Li Ru's throat, swallowing his last words. Li Ru wanted to ask why, but he couldn't ask. He died with unwillingness in his eyes.
Luo Kong threw Li Ru's body aside and quickly ran to Liu Bian and Queen Mother He. He saw Liu Bian crying uncontrollably. When Luo Kong felt his pulse, his heart sank to the bottom. Liu Bian said painfully, "My Lord, Teacher, I am going to die."
Luo Kong hugged Liu Bian and couldn't help but let out a sad roar. Liu Bian turned his head to look at Tang Ji who couldn't stop crying, and then looked at Luo Kong who was still sad, "Teacher, please don't die.
Please send someone to take the queen away, bring her to Zhaocheng, and find someone else for her to marry. She doesn’t know anything yet.”
Luo Kong nodded with tears in his eyes. He would send Queen Tang away. Liu Bian wanted to say something while trembling, but his mouth trembled and he couldn't say anything. For a child like him, the poison was too strong. It was already his limit that he could hold on for such a period of time.
Luo Kong could feel Liu Bian's body gradually getting colder. He carried Liu Bian's body to Empress Dowager He. Empress Dowager He, who was also seriously poisoned, trembled and stroked Liu Bian's face. It was unclear whether the tears on her face were the effect of the poison or from her heart, or perhaps both.
In just a few days, she lost her two biological sons. She was a bad woman, but her sons were everything to her, and now everything was gone.
Queen Mother He looked at Luo Kong's cheek. The poison made her hallucinate. At a certain moment, she suddenly said, "My Lord, you look like Zhang Jiao!"
Just like a towering mountain!
Empress Dowager He did not finish this sentence, because she died.
This woman once enjoyed all the glory and wealth. She had reached the pinnacle of her life, but she wantonly suppressed the concubines in Emperor Ling's palace and even almost prevented Liu Xie from being born.
She once experienced the lowest point in her life. When Emperor Ling died, she became a prisoner and had to compromise just to keep her son alive.
But in the end everything was over. What she wanted to protect was not protected, and everything she wanted to keep was lost, as if it was a response to everything she had done.
Her face was still beautiful, no one would doubt it, but it had lost its former glow and was quickly becoming gray.
Looking at the bodies of Empress Dowager He and Liu Bian lying in front of him, Luo Kong felt a little dizzy and a little cold. He knew that this was caused by too many injuries and too much blood flowing.
His life was also slipping away with the flow of blood.
Luo Kong controlled himself and stood up. The Queen Mother and the Emperor tidied up their appearances and said to Tang Ji, "Queen, we are the only ones left now. I will send you out."
Then come back for revenge!
Luo Kong held Tang Ji tightly beside him, holding the Seven-Star Sword in his hand. When he came out of the back hall, he saw groups of Xiliang soldiers!
The air is filled with murderous intent!
————
Dong Zhuo was a wolf. The emperor had always been close to Kong and hated Dong Zhuo, so he wanted to kill him. So he ordered the attendant Li Ru to poison the emperor. The emperor refused, so Li Ru forced him to do it. Then the emperor drank with Empress Dowager He.
Wushuang conspired with Xun You, Yuan Shao, and Wang Yun to kill Dong Zhuo, but failed. They returned quickly, only getting the Empress Tang. The emperor and the empress dowager were both dead. The emperor noticed Wushuang's grief and wanted to tie him up with worldly affairs, so he said, "Respected teacher, Princess Tang is the descendant of the late emperor. She is a descendant of the royal family and has the dignity of the royal family. If she becomes the wife of an official or a commoner, it is not acceptable. Please choose a noble son in Zhaocheng and leave forever."
Wushuang wept endlessly, determined to die, but thinking of the emperor's trust, he gathered the emperor and the empress dowager, and took the empress out with him. ——"Book of the Later Han Dynasty: Chronicle of Xiaomin"
There are so many things to do, I feel like I can’t handle it anymore.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
