Three Kingdoms: Domination of the World

Suo Chao returned to the clinic, and before leaving, he had many things to discuss. Wu County now had several branches of the Suo family clinic, which had grown considerably. After four years of hard work, Uncle Qiang had completely taken over the clinic's operations. His medical talent rivaled Zhang Cheng's, and Suo Chao generously shared his knowledge with him.

"Uncle Qiang, I'm leaving now! I'll leave this clinic to you!"

"Okay, Xiaochao. I will take good care of the clinic."

"Take care of yourself along the way! Remember to write back often."

"Okay, goodbye Uncle Qiang!!"

Suo Chao solemnly instructed Zu Mao and Huang Gai to take good care of Uncle Qiang's safety. The two agreed. Then, Suo Chao used his supernatural power of speed to travel north.

During his hurried journey, Suo Chao gradually gained insight into the complex situation in the imperial city. He realized that beneath this calm surface, countless conspiracies and dangers were hidden, like undercurrents surging beneath the calm sea. In recent years, the situation in Luoyang has been very turbulent.

Three years earlier, in 179 AD, Jingzhao Yin Yang Biao and Sili Xiaowei Yang Qiu exposed Huangmen Ling Wang Fu for sending his disciples to plunder property. Wang Fu and his son were beaten to death. Duan Xing of Sanming in Liangzhou was implicated and died in prison after drinking poisoned wine.

Yang Qiu was a ruthless official, decisive and resourceful. After executing Wang Fu, he sought to wipe out the Han dynasty with a swift and decisive blow. He also sought to eliminate Cao Jie and his allies, but Cao Jie escaped. The capital was shocked.

Soon after, Cao Jie slandered Yang Qiu, who was subsequently transferred to the position of Weiwei. That same winter, Yang Qiu and Minister of Justice Liu He attempted to execute the eunuchs, but were falsely accused. Empress Song, grateful for their loyalty, secretly sent Yan Yu's guards to rescue them.

The two men were held in Luoyang Prison as stand-ins for the death row prisoners, but the stand-ins were eventually executed. Yang and Liu escaped, changed their identities, and joined the secret guards.

Last year, in April 181 AD, Empress Linghuai gave birth to Prince Xie, but was poisoned to death by Concubine He.

Empress Song's life in the palace was also on thin ice, with crises coming one after another. After He Guiren's brother He Jin became the Minister of the Court, He Guiren's jealousy swelled like a flood.

In the letter, Suo Chao instructed his two sisters to secretly develop their own protective force and to do everything they can to protect Queen Song.

After Empress Song gave birth to Prince Liu Shi, she sent him out of the palace to be raised that night. Only Emperor Liu Hong and Empress Song knew his whereabouts.

Prince Liu Xie was given to Empress Dowager Dong for upbringing, but was also quietly sent away by Empress Dowager Dong to be raised. In the past four years, many princes had tragically died young. The turmoil in the imperial city had the concubines treading on thin ice.

Over the years, Yan Yu and Yan Xiang appeared to be fragile princesses, yet secretly they were feared leaders of the secret guards. Their primary goals were to protect loyal and righteous individuals, assassinate treacherous officials, and safeguard Empress Song. They displayed their prowess within the imperial city, contributing to its peace.

Suo Chao only learned this after meeting the two sisters. He had never expected them to achieve such a feat. Over the past four years, Suo Chao had frequently visited Luoyang, meeting Empress Song and the two sisters. The two sisters' martial arts skills had reached 90 points, and their swordsmanship was exceptional, allowing them to protect themselves without a problem.

Suo Chao journeyed north, practicing medicine while gathering intelligence from various counties. From 172 to 178 AD, the Taiping Dao flourished. Zhang Jue recruited and trained numerous disciples, attracting hundreds of thousands of followers within a decade. Taiping Dao influence spread across the eight prefectures of Qing, Xu, You, Ji, Jing, Yang, Yan, and Yu. The majority of these followers were impoverished civilians.

Suo Chao's face was solemn. He hadn't expected that in Yangzhou, where he lived, the Taiping forces were so deeply entrenched. Sure enough, uprisings throughout the dynasties had been like this.

"If I could strike down the powerful and distribute their wealth, the poor people would flock to respond like a flood."

"Haha, I'd better forget it. Let's see if the big man can still save me!"

Throughout dynasties, the vanguard of rebellion often met a tragic end. Examples include Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, and the current Zhang Jue brothers. Suo Chao didn't want to be a rebel. If Empress Song's son, Liu Shi, was worthy of training, he wouldn't mind expanding northward and conquering the world.

......

Julu, Jizhou (now Ningjin, Hebei).

Zhang Jue widely disseminated the teachings of the Taiping Jing, which opposed exploitation and the accumulation of wealth, and advocated equality and mutual love. He was known as the "Great and Good Teacher." He sent eight disciples to spread his teachings far and wide.

Zhang Jue, holding a nine-section staff, stood on the altar. In the center sat a portrait of Zhonghuang Taiyi, along with an incense burner and altar. He chattered, sang, and danced, leading his followers in worship of the great deity. His voice, magnetic and captivating like the melodies of nature, lingered, as melodiously as the song of a nightingale, and as clear and melodious as the call of a yellow oriole.

"I came here by the will of heaven to found the Taiping Sect."

"Drawing talismans to cure illnesses, exorcise evil spirits, and save countless lives."

The devout followers in the audience looked fanatical.

"The leader's power is invincible!"

"The leader is a living god!"

Zhang Jue raised his hand and signaled his followers to be quiet.

“Fellow believers, you too should practice the ‘good way’.”

"We must punish evil and promote good, and do more good deeds."

"promise!"

The disciples in the audience knelt in worship. As per custom, Zhang Jue distributed talisman water to the sick people.

......

Suo Chao returned to Beidi Commandery and contacted the prefect Huangfu Song. After explaining his purpose, General Huangfu gave him a warm reception. General Huangfu came from a military family; his uncle, Huangfu Gui, was a renowned general of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and his father, Huangfu Jie, had previously governed Yanmen Commandery.

General Huangfu Song was already sixty-one years old, but his voice was still resounding and powerful, seemingly able to intimidate the enemy. His every word was filled with wisdom and decisiveness, which made people full of respect for him.

"My dear Suo Chao, it's been many years since we last met. You are even more charming than before!"

"Old General, you are still strong and healthy!"

"Old General, I'm coming to the North this time. I intend to restore peace to the people of the North and completely eliminate the Xianbei threat."

"My friend, you have such a heart, it is very kind. I will report this to the court. With your previous achievements, you are more than qualified to temporarily take over as Sima of the Northern Territory."

"Thank you, General Huangfu."

"My dear friend! After reporting to the court, you will be able to recruit 5,000 soldiers on your own. In addition to the 15,000 troops from Beidi County, I wonder what your plans are next?"

"Replying to the old general! I think we can do this!"

"First, we must inform the northern counties and wipe out the Xianbei spies and scattered Xianbei soldiers within their borders."

"The second step is to wait until all the new soldiers are recruited and then start to collect food and fodder and train the troops for war."

"The third step is, when the time is right, unite the eight tribes of Wuwei, Shang, Yanmen, Dingxiang, Yunzhong, Shuofang, Wuyuan, and Zhangye, agree on a date, and attack the Xianbei together."

"I trust you to do the job. Leave the matter of the alliance to me."

"Thank you for your hard work, old general!"

Suo Chao temporarily stayed at the prefectural governor's mansion. In his free time, he would investigate intelligence from the northern counties and the Xianbei's movements. For unknown reasons, the Xianbei leader, Tan Shihuai, was still alive, having passed away the previous year.

"Is this the impact of my little butterfly?"

"Master System, do you know what opportunities Tan Shihuai has?"

[Through treasure hunting, people in this world can awaken their talents and skills ahead of time, achieving their goals ahead of time. Some heroes' talents have already awakened, but these will not be announced on the world channel. Certain talents, when upgraded, can prolong life.]

"Oh my god, there is such an operation!"

[During the battle, please investigate more. I'm not omnipotent. I'm just providing some information and benefits to this world. But please rest assured, apart from the Heavenly Dao Martial Power Ranking and the Intelligence Ranking, I won't reveal too much information about you.]

"Master System, can others explore my property page?"

[This is possible. Ghostly Strategists who have mastered intelligence skills such as "Perceptive," "Bole," "Insight," and "Strategic Planning" can view your attributes and skill details at any time.]

"Oh my god, isn't this what I mean by knowing my enemy and knowing my friend?"

Suo Chao wanted to ask something else, but the system had gone silent and no longer responded.