Mythical Three Kingdoms

”Has Master Uncle left?” Zhao Yun sighed and asked, ”What about the Emperor?”

Zhao Yun knew this question was pointless, but he had no choice but to ask. Unsurprisingly, Guan Yu shook his head and said nothing.

”Once the main army enters the city, those with families in Chang’an should return home and check on them. The bloody scent in Chang’an City isn’t something that can be caused by just a few hundred deaths,” Huang Zhong suggested, and the others nodded in agreement. Zhang Xiu, Xiahou Dun, and others all flew back to their respective courtyards in Chang’an.

Zhang Xiu looked at the somewhat charred walls and the gate, his face darkened. Fortunately, nothing happened at home; otherwise, if his aunt had an accident, Zhang Xiu really wouldn’t know how to explain it to his late uncle, Zhang Ji.

”The general has returned!” As Zhang Xiu landed, a group of protectors surrounded him.

”Boyuan, you’re back.” Lady Zou and Zhang Xiu’s wife saw Zhang Xiu, and their originally pale faces improved significantly.

”Aunt, you’ve been frightened.” Seeing that Lady Zou and his wife were unharmed, Zhang Xiu felt much better. ”Where is Quan’er? Later, I’ll take him to meet my juniors and uncles.”

Zhang Xiu was worried and confused. The protectors at his home were all retired veterans from the Zhang Family’s Iron Cavalry Headquarters. Although they couldn’t match the current Xiliang Iron Cavalry due to age, they were definitely not something miscellaneous soldiers could deal with. It was as if their lifetime of combat experience was fed to the dogs.

”Quan’er was frightened by the sounds of killing and couldn’t sleep last night. I just got him to lie down,” Liuu Clan’s response made Zhang Xiu’s face darken. How could his son be such a coward, frightened by mere shouts of killing and unable to sleep? He indeed needs training, and harsh training at that.

The Cao Family, Xiahou Family, and Xu Family experienced the same as Zhang Xiu. Although attacked, they indeed faced no major issues. This wasn’t because the rebel army purposefully held back, but rather these rebels couldn’t take down courtyards guarded by such soldiers.

As for Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, and Chen Qun’s family homes, Xun Yun almost died from catching a cold at night. However, something as apparent as Yang Biao saw, could someone nearly possessing a Spiritual Talent not notice? Moreover, because Xun Yun’s house was farther from Weiyang Palace, he even remembered to notify a few neighboring families to close their doors and avoid disaster.

If it were an ordinary person notifying them, they might not take it seriously. But with the Xun Family’s notification of trouble, they didn’t dare not believe, naturally allowing the civil officials to mostly avoid disaster, though a few inevitably didn’t withstand it.

When Liu Bei and Cao Cao, leading their troops, arrived at Weiyang Palace, most of the ruins and debris had been cleared away by Guan Yu and others. Among them, they found many corpses—palace maids, eunuchs, and even the Emperor Liu Xie…

Cao Cao looked at the carbonized, unrecognizable corpses and cried in anguish. The carbonized corpse bore traces of golden threads and silver lines, and scattered around were small jade beads—it was the Emperor’s Imperial Crown beads, only scattered due to the threads burned by high heat.

Moreover, they found the Emperor’s private seal, the Emperor’s seal ribbon, and a small remaining piece of the Emperor’s robe, confirming to Cao Cao that this charred body was indeed the remains of Emperor Liu Xie.

”Something’s not right. Why are the seal ribbon and the Emperor’s robe so far from this corpse?” Chen Xi transmitted via voice to Jia Xu.

”Because of a struggle,” Jia Xu calmly responded to Chen Xi.

”So many palace maids and eunuchs, could it be that the Emperor only ran when the fire was unstoppable?” Chen Xi asked another question.

”You mean the Emperor was sabotaged and then the fire set? But what’s the point of doing this?” Jia Xu asked with a frown.

”The strength of Imperial Tutor Wang Yue is not inferior to Zilong and others. How big was the fire that he couldn’t rescue him?” Chen Xi responded in frustration.

”Could it be that someone was preventing Wang Yue…” Jia Xu tried to transmit to Chen Xi but suddenly realized it was impossible.

Earlier, Zhao Yun and Guan Yu already stated that a prime Wang Yue was of genuine Breakthrough Level. Such strength, when engaging in battle, regardless of the intensity of the movements, the full-blown aura would be enough for experts of the same level tens of miles away to feel easily. Yet Zhao Yun and Guan Yu both clearly stated they only felt a brief surge of aura last night before it ceased; otherwise, Zhao Yun, Guan Yu, and others wouldn’t have ignored it.

That is to say, Wang Yue was genuinely killed in a single move, just as Guan Yu observed when he erased the residual marks with his divine ability.

”What I learned from Zhong Yuanchang is that the sword light of the Royal Teacher appeared only after the flames reached the rooftop. What was the Royal Teacher doing before that?” Chen Xi transmitted to Jia Xu.

”Impossible to be stalled, meaning he wasn’t with the Emperor last night?” Jia Xu was utterly shocked. Such an unyielding protection like a spirit, as Chen Xi knew, genuinely being present nonstop for twenty-four hours, and yet Wang Yue wasn’t there.

”Yes, Yuanchang said, the Emperor and the Royal Teacher didn’t have a good relationship. Perhaps last night someone used some means to distract the Royal Teacher. As for the so-called Shia of Yuanchang, I don’t quite buy it,” Chen Xi transmitted somewhat grimly to Jia Xu.

”Seems you’ve uncovered quite a bit.” Jia Xu, while transmitting to Chen Xi, followed along with Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and others to pay respects to Liu Xie’s corpse and then placed it into a coffin long prepared for the Son of Heaven of Han.

”What I can’t figure out now is the significance of regicide?” Chen Xi, while following behind Liu Bei and pretending to be mourning, transmitted to Jia Xu.

”I don’t understand either, but the fact has happened. What we need to do now is quickly figure out a way to stabilize the world’s situation,” Jia Xu transmitted to Chen Xi. ”You know the importance better than I do. After the Emperor is buried, our every move will impact too many people.”

”According to the rites, we’d have a seven-month buffer, but given the current situation, I estimate at most three months before the Emperor’s burial, and the funeral won’t be grand,” Jia Xu continued to transmit to Chen Xi, making Chen Xi’s heart tighten at his words.

”Is it only three months? I’ll find a way to delay, for now, how many members of the Liu Clan are left?” Chen Xi transmitted to Jia Xu.

”Those with names and standings are left with the Lord, Liu Bo’an, and Liu Jiyu,” Jia Xu transmitted to Chen Xi.

”Things are grim; none of these are suitable candidates. Lord Xuande absolutely can’t ascend the throne now,” Chen Xi transmitted to Jia Xu with a bitter smile.

”Ideals are conflicting with reality,” Jia Xu also bitterly smiled. In Dong Zhuo’s era, it was the conflict between ideals and reality, which ultimately kneeled to reality.

”Wen He, notify those who need to come to Chang’an. Leave the rest to me. However, I must admit that Lord Xuande is more suitable to be the Emperor than those two,” Chen Xi reluctantly transmitted to Jia Xu.

”Then I entrust this to you. If there’s no way this time, and I choose the last resort, please don’t blame me,” Jia Xu said, carrying an indescribable melancholy, knowing that two decades look long, but for someone planning to put ideals into practice, it’s too brief.

Given the current situation, if we can’t solve this problem and Liu Bei ascends the throne, inevitably, a great war will ensue. Such a scale of war would immensely drain the Han Empire’s vital energy; after one colossal battle, it will take five or six years of adjustment to fully recover.

Moreover, if this much vital energy is consumed, even if five or six years of governance restore it, how many capable officials and talented administrators would still be around? Or even if they are, how many would still have their hearts and minds in this? These would all be losses for the Han Empire.

Having seen the vastness of the world, Jia Xu no longer wished to be confined within it, but the world is so large that if it’s just us, we’re afraid it would take us all our lives just to step out, and even with Cao and Sun added, Jia Xu had no confidence in encompassing the world.

Nevertheless, having these many people is inherently easier than not having them, so Jia Xu absolutely wouldn’t act unless necessary. However, it seems the necessity is fast approaching.