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Fei Qian once again paid a visit to Cai Yong, his expression heavy as he spoke, "Master, have you heard that Dong Zhuo has annihilated the Yingchuan forces at the Ying River? The Governor of Yingchuan was boiled alive, and the river is now so clogged with corpses that its waters have turned to blood..."
"How did you come to know of this?" Cai Yong was visibly shaken by the news.
"The entire city is already abuzz with it," Fei Qian replied. The speed at which the news had spread suggested that Li Ru himself had likely ordered its dissemination, as no one else would have dared to do so.
"What of Yangdi now?" Cai Yong asked. The complete slaughter of Yingchuan's forces meant that Yangdi, the administrative seat of Yingchuan, was left defenseless—and most of Yingchuan's prominent clans resided near Yangdi...
Fei Qian shook his head. "There is no news yet of Yangdi, but I presume it remains unharmed for now."
He glanced at Cai Yong and continued, "Tomorrow is the grand court assembly. I fear the matter of relocating the capital will be raised."
"Relocating the capital? Why? To where?"
Fei Qian carefully recounted the reasoning he had previously discussed with Cao Cao, "...Now, with the momentum of this great victory, Dong Zhuo will use it to force his will. The decision to move the capital is already set in stone... At tomorrow's assembly, no one should dare oppose it openly—those who do will surely die..."
Fei Qian's greatest concern was that his master, Cai Yong, might impulsively step forward to protest during the assembly, which would undoubtedly lead to his arrest—or worse, immediate execution. He had come specifically to warn him.
Cai Yong abruptly stood up, his brows furrowed. Clasping his hands behind his back, he paced the hall twice before saying, "It cannot come to that. If the Three Dukes were to oppose it, would Dong Zhuo dare harm them?"
Fei Qian replied, "If the matter of relocating the capital is raised tomorrow, the Three Dukes, being prudent men, will not lightly voice their stance. How could the Prime Minister's authority be overturned by mere words? Thus, there must first be those who foolishly throw themselves against the stone..."
The Three Dukes—seasoned political foxes—would never openly confront Dong Zhuo. They might offer some resistance, but only to a limited extent. At most, they would send minor officials to test the waters, and these underlings would inevitably become sacrificial pawns. Once Dong Zhuo made an example of them, the Three Dukes would understand his resolve and refrain from further opposition.
Perhaps the Hongnong Yang clan might put up a slightly stronger front, but their resistance would not be entirely for the sake of the state—and even then, it would be severely limited.
After much deliberation, Cai Yong shook his head. "This is a matter of grave national importance. How can I shrink from duty for fear of death? If the Three Dukes remain silent, I shall speak out!"
Ah!
Master, I rushed here precisely to stop you from throwing your life away! Yet despite my warnings, you still insist on charging headlong into danger!
Moreover, Cai Yong was only a Court Gentleman—far below the Three Dukes in rank. If even they dared not speak up, what hope did he have?
But Fei Qian couldn't say this outright—it would sound disrespectful, and Cai Yong might not listen anyway. Frowning, he racked his brain for a more tactful way to dissuade him.
××××××××××
After news of Yingchuan Governor Li Min's defeat spread, the previously restless city of Luoyang fell into a deathly silence...
Though some refused to believe it, subsequent reports forced many to tread carefully.
A two-thousand-bushel governor, boiled alive...
They say the Ying River ran red for three full days before clearing, its surface choked with headless corpses...
Hush...
A group of low-ranking officials, chattering among themselves, immediately fell silent as Li Ru approached. They hastily stepped aside, bowing respectfully to let him pass.
Li Ru strode forward without so much as glancing at them.
What use was killing a minor local warlord? Slaughtering a hundred such men would not instill half the terror of annihilating an entire wing of the Guandong Coalition!
When news of Dong Zhuo's earlier defeat by the White Wave Bandits had spread, officials in Luoyang had grown restless, their loyalties wavering. Many had even lined up outside the Yuan family's estate, seeking an audience...
Now, the Yuan residence stood deserted.
Dong Zhuo was no paper tiger after all!
What did it matter if the Guandong Coalition was formidable?
Under the very noses of the coalition forces at Suanzao, Dong Zhuo's army had effortlessly slaughtered Yingchuan's troops. Now, the balance of power between the coalition and Dong Zhuo's forces had to be reassessed...
This was precisely the effect Li Ru had sought. With this victory fresh in everyone's minds, the time was ripe to advance the plan to move the capital.
××××××××××
The following day marked the Han Dynasty's grand court assembly.
These assemblies were of two kinds.
The first, held at the beginning of the year, was a grand ceremonial event. At dawn, court officials would lead the civil and military ranks into the palace gates in strict order of precedence. The halls would be arrayed with chariots, cavalry guards, banners, and ceremonial objects. At the command of the protocol officer, the officials would swiftly advance in formation, arranging themselves in rows facing east and west. The emperor, accompanied by attendants and amid the music of bells and drums, would then ascend the throne in his imperial carriage.
This New Year's assembly was the most heavily attended, even drawing foreign envoys to offer tribute...
The second kind was the monthly assembly held on the first day of each month. At this gathering, "...Dukes, ministers, generals, high officials, and all ranks of the bureaucracy would assemble..." to report on the previous month's affairs and deliberate on matters of state. It was a major political event, mandatory for all officials of the sixth rank and above.
Today's assembly was the monthly grand court, attended by all officials of the sixth rank and above.
As Imperial Chancellor, Dong Zhuo was permitted to enter court wearing his sword and shoes and was exempt from bowing to the emperor. Only after all officials had arrived did Dong Zhuo swagger into the hall, taking his seat beside the emperor's throne—a special privilege granted to the Imperial Chancellor. His lips pressed thin, his face a slab of hardened flesh, his bloodshot eyes swept from left to right across the assembled officials. Many instinctively shrank under his gaze.
Dong Zhuo's gaze lingered on Grand Tutor Yuan Wei, but Yuan Wei remained silent, head bowed, his expression unreadable.
Not that Yuan Wei's thoughts mattered anymore...
Amid ceremonial music, Emperor Liu Xie emerged and ascended the throne. Once seated, the officials bowed in unison. But with Dong Zhuo seated beside the throne—his massive frame dwarfing the young emperor—it almost seemed as though the officials were bowing to Dong Zhuo instead.
Liu Xie stole a glance at Dong Zhuo before weakly motioning for the proceedings to begin. A eunuch at his side shrilly announced, "Those with matters to present, speak now. If none, the court is dismissed!"
Li Ru stepped forward, his face stern, and declared, "The Han's eastern capital, Luoyang, has stood for two hundred years, but its vitality has waned. Now, auspicious signs abound in Chang'an. I propose His Majesty's relocation westward!"
His words sent shockwaves through the court!