at the same time.
Luoyang, the General's Mansion!
He Jin sat in the center, full of confidence.
A group of civil and military officials stood on both sides, their faces filled with joy.
The scene at this moment resembles the MVP settlement screen.
The young emperor ascended the throne smoothly half a month ago, and the officials who supported him jumped out to divide the benefits.
Meanwhile, the veteran officials of Liu Hong's reign also faded into obscurity.
Liu Yu, who had just been appointed Grand Tutor, resigned and returned home, no longer concerned with politics!
In order to forge a solid alliance with the Yuan family, He Jin had the young emperor issue an edict appointing Yuan Wei as Grand Tutor and Yuan Feng as Grand Commandant.
Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and others were also promoted.
General He Jin and Grand Tutor Yuan Kui jointly managed the government.
The great power of the Han Dynasty has been divided between the two families!
"Gentlemen, the new emperor has ascended the throne, and everything is renewed! It seems peaceful and harmonious, but in reality, there are internal and external troubles!"
He Jin looked at his advisors and ministers and spoke earnestly.
"General, now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, the world is bright and clear. What need is there for internal or external troubles? Please enlighten us, General. As his subjects, we should do our duty to help His Majesty and you resolve your worries!"
Yuan Shao was the first to step forward and spoke loudly.
Yuan Shao was well aware of the internal and external troubles; he was merely putting on an act with He Jin.
"The internal threat comes from the Ten Attendants!"
Before He Jin could speak, He Yong interrupted, "They previously relied on His Majesty's favor and Empress Dowager Dong's indulgence to sell official positions and disrupt the court, causing widespread resentment among the people. They should be executed!"
"Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, they must be eliminated to appease the people!"
Everyone agreed upon hearing this.
They had suffered countless extortions and bribes from the Ten Attendants, and now that the Ten Attendants had lost power, they would surely take advantage of their misfortune.
"These ten people have occupied the inner palace for many years, embezzling countless sums of money. Not only should they be killed, but their families should also be eradicated!"
He Yong emphasized.
Since He Yong was kidnapped by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and deliberately released, he unexpectedly overheard Liu Wei talking about how Yuan Shao secretly opened the city gates and let him leave the city.
He Yong then told He Jin about this matter.
He Jin was wary of Yuan Shao, but he still needed to rely on the Yuan family. He Jin didn't show it, and instead trusted the Yuan brothers, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, even more.
When the young emperor ascended the throne, He Jin summoned Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu to return from outside and participate in the entire enthronement ceremony, which made the two Yuan brothers loyal ministers who supported the emperor.
"The Ten Attendants must definitely be executed!"
Chief Clerk Chen Lin advised, "We must be wary of Jian Shuo, the Colonel of the Western Garden Army!"
"On that day, he and Wang Chengen were by His Majesty's side, and it seemed that they were hiding something."
"What is there to worry about with just a mere eunuch and three thousand soldiers from the Western Garden Army?"
Yuan Shao scoffed, "What can he possibly amount to? The Ten Attendants and Jian Shuo are nothing but minor ailments!"
"I think the King of Clouds in the Hetao region is the real threat!"
The moment Yuan Shao mentioned Liu Wei, everyone's expression turned serious.
It is said that Liu Wei possesses the late emperor's edict.
No one knows what the edict said.
But they were afraid that Liu Wei would use the will to cause trouble.
He Jin immediately said, "Liu Wei, the King of Yunzhong, is the Governor of Youzhou and General of Chariots and Cavalry, with no fewer than 100,000 troops under his command!"
"Since we've brought him up, what good ideas do you all have?"
He Yong said, "General, since the late emperor has passed away and he is the General of Chariots and Cavalry, His Majesty can issue an edict summoning him to the capital. If he does not come, we will raise an army to attack him!"
“He came once when the late emperor was critically ill! We schemed and plotted, but he still managed to escape to Youzhou.”
Yuan Shao said helplessly, "Not only did he emerge unscathed, but his prestige also soared, and members of the imperial clan all became his allies. How could he possibly fall for this trick?"
"General Yuan, you have several thousand men who couldn't kill even a hundred enemy cavalrymen. Whose fault is that?"
He Yong mocked, "I heard that General Yuan also suffered a great loss in Jizhou. Is he suffering from a phobia of Wei?"
"He Boqiu, don't forget, the General also participated in the encirclement and killing!" Yuan Shao said angrily.
During this period, He Yong often spoke ill of Yuan Shao to He Jin, exaggerating his faults. Yuan Shao was very angry when he heard this and planned to have He Yong killed.
Only after much persuasion did Yuan Shao calm down somewhat.
Unexpectedly, at this time, He Yong used the events of Mengjin and Jizhou to slander him, so Yuan Shao brought up He Jin to refute him.
"Alright, alright! Mr. He, victory and defeat are common occurrences in war, why bring that up? Let's all look ahead!"
When He Jin was reminded of the Mengjin incident by He Yong, he lost face and quickly changed the subject, saying, "Your plan won't work!"
"However, I will ask His Majesty to issue an edict to first strip Liu Wei of his throne, official position, and military rank. You help me think of a reason and excuse!"
"After abolishing it, fabricate some more charges!"
He Yong readily agreed.
"General, if Liu Wei's throne and official position are abolished, he will definitely be dissatisfied. This will force him to rebel!" Chen Lin warned.
"Isn't this perfect? It saves us from fabricating charges!" He Jin sneered.
"He openly commands over 100,000 troops, which is far more troublesome than the Yellow Turban Rebellion last year!" Grand Commandant Yuan Feng said with deep concern.
"He wants to come to Luoyang, but doesn't he even know what kind of important place this capital region is?"
He Jin smiled coldly, "Chen, the registrar, draft a memorial to promote Dong Zhuo, the General Who Pacifies the North and Governor of Bingzhou, to General Who Pacifies the North, and Ding Yuan, the Governor of Liangzhou, to General Who Pacifies the West. Secure all the passes in Liangzhou and Bingzhou to prevent Liu Wei's troops from entering!"
"As for Ji Province, I'll trouble you, Yuan Shao, to defend it. Don't let a single soldier from You Province cross the Yellow River!"
"With the three protective barriers of Liang, Ji, and Bing, what can Liu Wei do with 200,000 troops?"
"Furthermore, Boqiu, go to the Court of State Ceremonial and arrange for someone to be sent as an envoy to the northern desert. If Liu Wei rebels, have Tuoba Gao in the northern desert do something behind the scenes to make Liu Wei unable to cope with both sides."
"He might not even have taken Yanmen Pass before the Xianbei raid his hometown!"
"Hahaha!"
After He Jin finished making the arrangements, Chen Lin also finished writing his memorial.
The group discussed the execution of the Ten Attendants and were preparing to come up with a strategy when suddenly someone rushed in. It was one of He Jin's trusted retainers.
"General, someone is plotting to kill you on your way to the palace today!"
The visitor whispered something to He Jin.
What!
Upon hearing this, He Jin slammed his hand on the table, scattering documents all over the floor. "Is it Jian Shuo, or one of the Ten Attendants?"
"I didn't expect them to be so impatient and make the first move!"
Just moments ago, Empress Dowager He sent a eunuch to invite He Jin to the palace for a meeting.
He Jin planned to go to the palace to see Empress Dowager He after the meeting.
Unexpectedly, someone planned to ambush him on his way to the palace.
"General, it's Jian Shuo! He's deployed a hundred elite soldiers from the Western Garden Army to hide on your way to the palace!"
"That's what the retainer said."
Is the news reliable?
Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao, Chen Lin, and others all inquired about it.
"It was Sima Panyin, Jian Shuo's chieftain, who found the letter I delivered!" the retainer affirmed.
"So that means it's absolutely true, General. You must not go to the palace!" Yuan Shao and the others advised.
"The Empress Dowager has summoned us; we must go!" He Jin said with a stern face.
"Then I will accompany Cao Mengde, Bao Xin, Zhao Yan, and other armored soldiers!"
Yuan Shao said, "Let's take this opportunity to kill Jian Shuo!"
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