Chapter 4: The emperor was deposed two days later, and another lottery was held!
All the officials in the court and Dong Zhuo had arrived first.

Beside Dong Zhuo, Lu Bu was holding a Fang Tian Hua Ji, with the eyes of an eagle and a wolf, staring at the whole scene with murderous intent.

He wore a three-pronged purple gold crown on his head, a red brocade robe with flowers from Xichuan, chain mail with beast masks and head-swallowing armor, and a delicate lion belt around his waist. He looked even more majestic than when he was under Ding Yuan's command!
All the officials in the court recalled the rumors about Ding Yuan's murder and Dong Zhuo's annexation of the Bingzhou army. Now they saw it with their own eyes, and their expressions were filled with horror, and they felt deeply powerless and fearful!

Wang Yun, Lu Zhi, Yuan Shao and other ministers looked at each other. Their eye contact was filled with deep fear, and many civil and military officials sighed in their hearts.

I feel sad about the decline of the Han Dynasty. The situation is hopeless and it’s too late to reverse the situation!
Dong Zhuo, who was at the very top, looked around and saw all the officials in the court were filled with fear, resentment and helplessness. He felt refreshed and high-spirited. He suddenly felt that things change over time, so don't bully the poor middle-aged man!
These officials and dignitaries in the capital looked down upon the Xiliang generals the most, believing that they were rough and uncouth people guarding the border and were not qualified to be on an equal footing with their Beijing officials.

But now Dong Zhuo wants to tell everyone that he has the power to dominate the government and the country, and even has the right to depose and enthrone people!

This is the absolute power brought by his powerful military force!
Power grows out of the barrel of a gun!

While all the officials in Chongde Hall were thinking differently, Liu Bian arrived under the escort of Niu Fu, Wang Fang and other generals. At this time, there should be eunuchs to sing the praises, but they had all been killed by Yuan Shao's army, so the soldiers of the Xiliang Army had to do it instead.

"The Emperor has arrived."

All the officials in the court were immediately furious. Nodding was an important ritual, and the sickly tone of the Xiliang soldiers showed contempt for His Majesty, the court, and the Han Dynasty.

But looking at the ferocious Xiliang army around them, as well as the Bingzhou army and Lu Bu who were annexed by Dong Zhuo, all the officials in the court were helpless and could only bow their heads and shout: "Welcome Your Majesty!!! Long live the emperor!!!"

In the shouts of "Long live the emperor", it is not difficult to hear the surging emotions and indignation in the tone of the ministers. During the more than 400 years of the Han Dynasty, there were still many loyal ministers and generals who were trying to be loyal to the emperor and serve the country.

"No need to pay tribute."

Liu Bian did not act rashly. After he sat down, he just looked at the officials and the Xiliang army quietly. The white tiger disguised as "Wang Fang" below was on guard, which made Liu Bian feel much more at ease. Instead, he could watch this political performance as a bystander.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!!!"

After the emperor and his ministers made their comments, Dong Zhuo immediately stood up and said to all the officials in the court:

"The emperor is the ruler of all people. Without prestige, he cannot win the support of the people and is not qualified to be the common ruler of the world. Without dignity, he cannot serve the ancestral temple and the country.

"Your Majesty is weak and incompetent, not as smart and studious as the Prince of Chenliu. I have decided to follow the example of Yi Yin and Huo Guang, depose the emperor and make him the Prince of Hongnong, and establish the Prince of Chenliu as the emperor. Anyone who disobeys will be executed!!!"

"Qiang Qiang Qiang——"

As if to cheer for Dong Zhuo, Wang Fang, Niu Fu and other generals of the Western Liang Army immediately drew their swords. Suddenly, the Chongde Hall was filled with the flash of swords and the sharp aura of a sword-drawing, sweeping the entire place!

The whole court was in uproar, but they dared not speak out!!!

They guessed that Dong Zhuo would depose and reinstate another person after dealing with Ding Yuan, but they didn't expect him to be so impatient!
And he displayed his military power so arrogantly!

Dong Zhuo was secretly pleased. No one dared to question or refute him now, right? Otherwise, Ding Yuan would be a lesson for him!
However, at this moment, Shangshu Ling Lu Zhi stepped forward and said in a deep voice:
"Mr. Dong is wrong. In the past, Taijia (Tang's eldest grandson) was incompetent, and Yi Yin (the prime minister of the Shang Dynasty) imprisoned him in the Tong Palace.
"Prince Changyi (Liu He) had been on the throne for only 27 days when he committed more than 3,000 evil deeds, so Huo Guang (Huo Qubing's half brother) reported to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and deposed him.

"Although the current emperor is young, he is intelligent and wise, and has done nothing wrong. Mr. Dong is the governor of Xiliang, has never participated in state affairs, knows nothing about court affairs, and does not have the talent of Yi Yin and Huo Guang. How dare he depose and enthrone?

"The sage once said: If you have the ambition of Yi Yin, you can assist any king. If you don't have the ambition of Yi Yin, then it is the wicked who are trying to usurp the throne."

...

Lu Zhi's reaction made Liu Bian look at him with new eyes!
It seems that there are still loyal and patriotic people in the court who are not afraid of life and death or the threat of force.

This is the real thing: wealth and honor cannot corrupt, poverty and humbleness cannot move, and power and force cannot bend. This is what a real man is.

Liu Bian nodded slightly and continued to watch the show quietly.

...

Dong Zhuo was furious!
Even in such a situation, there are still people who are stubborn and unwilling to change?! Lu Zhi was pointing at his nose and scolding him as a traitor!
Tolerable or unbearable!
"Chong-"

The first bird to stick its head out gets shot, Dong Zhuo had to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, so he immediately drew his sword and went straight to kill Lu Zhi. Yesterday Ding Yuan had Lu Bu to protect him, but today Lu Zhi had no tiger general to protect him.

However, Cai Yong and other great scholars immediately stepped forward to stop Dong Zhuo and advised him, "Mr. Dong, Minister Lu enjoys a very high reputation in the world. If you kill him today, I am afraid that the people of the world will be horrified and the whole world will be in an uproar!"

Dong Zhuo raised his sword and looked at Lu Zhi with anger as he put his hands behind his back, ready to be killed. He didn't know whether to kill him or not, and cursed these scholars in his heart, but Cai Yong's words did make him afraid!

If the whole world is in turmoil and scholars criticize and denounce, even if his Xiliang army is strong in men and horses, it will be difficult to stop the people from criticizing and it will be difficult to compete with the world!
At this moment, Dong Zhuo suddenly realized that Ding Yuan had Lu Bu, a powerful general, to protect him. Although Lu Zhi did not have a powerful general to protect him, he had the blessing of fame at home and abroad. A person's reputation is like the shadow of a tree. The reputation of the world is the greatest protection for Lu Zhi!

When Dong Zhuo was in a dilemma, Li Ru reacted quickly and gave him a way out:

"Lord Dong did not dethrone and enthrone on his own, but in accordance with the decree of the late emperor. When the late emperor was alive, he wanted the Prince of Chenliu to be the emperor. If the general had not led his troops and forcibly supported the crown prince Bian to ascend the throne, the throne should have been taken by the Prince of Chenliu!"

"Yeah!"

Dong Zhuo woke up in shock, put down his sword without leaving a trace, and found an excuse for his dethronement:
"When the previous emperor was in power, he believed that Prince Bian was weak and incompetent, frivolous, and had no imperial prestige. He always wanted to support the intelligent and resourceful Prince Xie as the emperor, so he made a will and entrusted the care of the orphan to Jian Shuo.

"However, the general was in a high position and had great power. He forced the prince to be emperor. This violated the will of the late emperor and was a crime of great disrespect. Now I am only complying with the will of the late emperor and obeying his wishes!"

In fact, when Dong Zhuo was deposing and enthroning, he had already discussed an excuse with Li Ru. Since ancient times, everything has been about "having a legitimate reason", and they also needed a "righteous reason" to depose and enthronize.

One of their excuses was that Liu Bian was cowardly and incompetent, lacked the majesty of an emperor, and could not become a ruler. However, the real trump card was actually the original will of Emperor Ling of Han, which wanted to favor the prince Xie and depose the eldest and enthrone the youngest.

This was also the "reason" that allowed Dong Zhuo to depose and enthrone officials.

Of course everyone knows that this is just an excuse, but people all over the world and the literati buy into it.

After hearing this, the captain of the Central Army, Yuan Shao, stood up and retorted: "Mr. Dong, the current emperor is young and strong, and has done nothing wrong. If you disregard religious etiquette and depose the eldest and enthrones the youngest, I'm afraid no one in the world will approve of it, right?!"

The system of primogeniture is the patriarchal system that has existed since ancient times, and is also the etiquette and law recognized by the literati and people all over the world.

Deposing the eldest and enthroning the youngest is the way to chaos!
...

Lu Zhi was not afraid of power and stood up, which impressed Liu Bian. But Yuan Shao followed suit, which made Liu Bian feel a little ironic!
It’s not that Liu Bian treated people differently, but the current situation was caused by Yuan Shao’s obstruction!

Why did He Jin mobilize foreign troops to enter the capital? Because Yuan Shao strongly suggested it! You must know that Dong Zhuo is an old official of the Yuan family!

Why did the Ten Eunuchs suddenly rise up and lure General He Jin to his death? Because Yuan Shao took it upon himself to issue an order through the General's Mansion, ordering the local authorities to arrest the eunuchs' family members, which made the eunuchs desperate!
It should be noted that at this time, Empress Dowager He had already decided to order the Ten Attendants to retire and return home. Yuan Shao's approach of killing them all was simply forcing people into a desperate situation and making them desperate. He Jin had to take the blame!

After He Jin was lured to death by the Ten Eunuchs, it was the Grand Tutor Yuan Wei and Yuan Shao who falsely issued an imperial edict. Yes, a false imperial edict, ordering Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu to lead troops to attack the palace and kill all the eunuchs in the palace, regardless of age!
It is said that some people without beards were implicated and killed, and many of them were spared only after taking off their pants to reveal their masculine credentials. This shows to what extent Yuan Shao was determined to eradicate the eunuchs.

At this point, the power of the imperial family and eunuchs, who were vassals of the imperial power, has completely disappeared!

Yuan Shao was the Lieutenant of the Central Army of Xiyuan Army, Yuan Shu was the Lieutenant General of the Central Army of Huben Army, and the sons of Yuan family held the military power. Yuan Wei, the Grand Tutor, recorded the affairs of the Shangshu and controlled the internal affairs. Even Dong Zhuo, the leader of the foreign army Xiliang, was a student of Yuan family!

If Dong Zhuo had not overturned the situation, the Yuan family would have "held the emperor hostage to command the princes", just like Huo Guang monopolizing power!
Now that Yuan Shao had jumped out to oppose Dong Zhuo, and opposed this former official of the Yuan family whom he had personally proposed to call to the capital, Liu Bian only felt it was ironic!

This is shooting oneself in the foot, right?!

Yuan Shao must have felt very aggrieved and unwilling to give in. He schemed and planned everything, but in the end, his former subordinates took advantage of him? !
This is intolerable! No wonder he jumped out and retorted!
…Dong Zhuo’s anger, which had been suppressed, rose again.

Lu Zhi was a great Confucian scholar of his time. He collated Confucian classics, participated in writing the sequel to "Dongguan Hanji", quelled the rebellions of the barbarians, and defeated Zhang Jue.

His works are famous throughout the country, his learning is the leader of Confucianism, he is a role model for scholars, and a pillar of the country!

Lu Zhi was superior to Dong Zhuo in terms of seniority and status, so Dong Zhuo had no way to refute him. But you, Yuan Shao, a young boy, still wet behind the ears, dare to jump out and refute him?

Tolerable or unbearable!
Dong Zhuo angrily rebuked Yuan Shao: "You brat, you have no right to speak here. I decide all the affairs of the world. I am following the will of the late emperor today. Who dares not to obey? Do you think my sword is not sharp?!"

"Chong-"

Dong Zhuo drew his sword again, with a terrifying momentum!

"Is it possible that Lord Dong is the only strong man in the world?!" Yuan Shao retorted, also drawing his sword and confronting him, "The affairs of state are the responsibility of Your Majesty and the gentlemen, but not Lord Dong!"

At this time, another official came forward to intervene.

An official said: "The Yuan family has three officials in four generations, and their students and former officials are all over the world. If we kill the children of the Yuan family today, I am afraid that heroes all over the world will be saddened and the public will be in turmoil!"

Dong Zhuo suddenly remembered that he was also an old official of the Yuan family. Yuan Shao was a young man, but he was a member of the Yuan family after all. Killing him might cause resistance from the world, which would be detrimental to his governance.

damn it! ! !
Ding Yuan has Lu Bu, Lu Zhi has fame, and Yuan Shao has background!

Dong Zhuo held the sword in his hand, unable to advance or retreat, and was in a stalemate, feeling extremely embarrassed and humiliated.

Li Ru said helplessly: "Mr. Dong, the matter has not been decided yet, so you can't kill people recklessly, so as not to make people think that you are stubborn and self-willed. But since all the officials are against it, why not ask the Grand Tutor for a decision?"

"Then I will ask the Grand Tutor for his decision!" Dong Zhuo took the opportunity to sheath his sword and sent someone to report to the Grand Tutor.

All officials in the court have no objection!

Taifu Yuan Wei and the general jointly recorded the affairs of the Secretariat. After the death of General He Jin, Taifu Yuan Wei was the only one in charge of the affairs of the Secretariat, and he was the best civil official of the dynasty.

The Yuan family of Runan has three officials in four generations, and their students and former officials are spread all over the world. The Yuan family is the number one family today.

Yuan Wei has enough reputation to convince all officials!

The messenger left quickly and came back even faster, announcing the decision of Grand Tutor Yuan Wei with a strange look on his face: "Grand Tutor agrees with the dethronement and enthronement of Sikong Xing!"

"Wow—"

All the officials in the court were in an uproar!

Dong Zhuo and Li Ru looked at each other, feeling very proud. They had not been able to subdue the officials with force just now, but now with the approval of Grand Tutor Yuan Wei, it was equivalent to subduing the officials spiritually.

These people did not think about the fact that Dong Zhuo could become Sikong only with the approval of Taifu Yuan Wei, who was in charge of the Secretariat. This shows that after Dong Zhuo took over the capital, Taifu Yuan Wei had already compromised.

What's the point of resisting now? !
Lu Zhi and Yuan Shao's expressions changed, but they ultimately did not resist.

Dong Zhuo took advantage of the uproar among the officials and announced directly:
"I obey the late emperor's will and depose the Prince of Hongnong and enthrone the Prince of Chenliu as emperor. Grand Tutor Yuan Wei is in charge of the Secretariat. Since I have agreed, this matter is settled. Two days from now, on the first day of September, the dethronement and enthronement ceremony will be performed in Chongde Hall. All officials are not allowed to ask for leave! Dismissed!"

After saying this, Dong Zhuo left in high spirits.

Liu Bian was escorted back to Deyang Palace in the Beigong Palace by the generals of the Xiliang Army.

All the officials in the court had different thoughts and left in shock and fear!

Taifu Yuan Wei is from the Yuan family of Runan. Three of their generations have been officials in four generations, and their students and former officials are spread all over the country. The fact that he agreed to depose and enthrone the emperor had a very terrifying implication!

Whether it was Grand Tutor Yuan Wei who took the initiative to agree to the abolition or because the Xiliang army was strong and intimidated by Dong Zhuo's tyranny, the result was -

The situation has been decided and it cannot be reversed!
After the meeting, Lu Zhi, the Minister of State, abandoned his post and fled. Yuan Shao, the lieutenant of the Central Army, hung the imperial seal on the East Gate and fled to Jizhou and Bohai. The children of the aristocratic families in the capital had their own ways out.

In order to express his gratitude to Yuan Shao, Dong Zhuo recommended Yuan Shu, the legitimate son of Yuan family, as the rear general. However, Yuan Shu did not know what to think and fled to Nanyang overnight. This made Dong Zhuo lose face, so he decided to kill the chicken to scare the monkey and ordered the arrest of Yuan Shao.

However, the famous scholars around Dong Zhuo, such as the captain of the city gate Wu Qiong and others, all spoke for the Yuan family. Those who knew him understood that Dong Zhuo had great power, while those who didn't thought that Dong Zhuo was just a pawn of the Yuan family.

After these people's eloquent arguments, Dong Zhuo not only pardoned Yuan Shao, but also appointed Yuan Shao as the prefect of Bohai and Marquis of Qixiang.

At this point, the outcome of Dong Zhuo's dethronement was set and unstoppable!
Two days later, the emperor was deposed and the Western Liang army was preparing for the dethronement and enthronement ceremony. All officials felt sad for Emperor Liu Bian of Han but could do nothing about it. There was a heated discussion on the streets of the capital city that Emperor Liu Bian of Han was being deposed just four months after he ascended the throne. How sad and lamentable!

Liu Bian, who was the focus of heated discussions, showed no emotion after returning to Deyang Palace. He even seemed calm and composed. Even when the Grand Tutor Yuan Wei agreed to dethrone the emperor, he was not surprised at all and remained calm and composed!
Dong Zhuo's entry into the capital was the Yuan family's "plan to usurp the Han Dynasty", which was doubted by many scholars in the future. Regardless of whether it was a conspiracy theory or not, the time traveler Liu Bian was often influenced by it and had become accustomed to it and was not surprised.

However, after being there and experiencing it personally, the abnormal behavior of Yuan Shao and Yuan Wei, as well as the decision of today's Grand Tutor Yuan Wei to agree to the abolition and enthronement, all prove that the Yuan family no longer has the idea of ​​loyalty to the emperor and patriotism in their hearts.

For these aristocratic families, the interests of the family are more important than the interests of the country. As the saying goes, "If it is beneficial to the country, I will live and die, and the family inheritance is my responsibility", Liu Bian was not surprised, but just felt ironic!
"In the end, everything still depends on yourself!"

Today, Dong Zhuo discussed the matter of deposing and enthroning the emperor. The responses of Lu Zhi, Yuan Shao and Yuan Wei strengthened Liu Bian's thoughts and made him express his sincere emotions.

Time passed minute by minute, and Liu Bian still sat upright on the dragon throne, quietly waiting for the arrival of midnight.

After Xuanwu disguised himself as 'Wang Fang', with his mediation and care, Liu Bian did not have to worry about the inspection and interrogation of the Xiliang Army.

Even at Xuanwu's suggestion, Niu Fu had already reported to Dong Zhuo that he was recruiting eunuchs to serve him, so that the Jinyiwei could take the opportunity to bribe people and plant spies.

Of course, all this would not be effective in a short period of time, and Dong Zhuo would be deposed and enthroned in two days. Therefore, Liu Bian had been waiting for the right time, and finally the familiar voice appeared again.

"Ding dong."

"The host has obtained a chance to draw a lottery."

“Will there be a lottery?”

...

Liu Bian said directly: "Draw the lottery immediately!"

The turntable appeared again, and the pointer began to turn slowly. Liu Bian stared at the pointer spinning around in circles. Even though there had been two draws, his heart gradually began to tense up as the pointer turned, and Liu Bian seemed a little expectant.

at last.

The pointer went from fast to slow and finally stopped.

……

(End of this chapter)