Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The palace was heavily guarded by Dong Zhong's troops. Thanks to Empress Dowager Dong's orders, everything went relatively smoothly. After all, the emperor was seriously ill during this period, and Empress Dowager Dong had gradually arranged for personnel to take over the palace defenses, so there was no significant resistance. However, even if a few people showed some resistance, they were quickly and forcefully dealt with by Dong Zhong.

Dong Zhong stood high in the palace, watching all this unfold, feeling both a sense of pride and a touch of worry. He was proud that he had temporarily gained control of the situation thanks to his imperial decree, but he was also worried that the future was still full of uncertainties. He had to carefully respond to every possible challenge to ensure the interests of himself and the Dong family.

After the Ten Eunuchs revealed the news to Empress Dowager Dong, she was shocked and quickly arranged for someone to quickly call Dong Chong to discuss countermeasures.

She paced back and forth in her bedroom with an anxious look on her face, her mind racing. She was worried that this sudden news would bring a huge threat to the Dong family, and she was also worried about her own status and future.

A short while later, Dong Zhong and his generals arrived hurriedly. Upon hearing the news, Dong Zhong's heart tightened, and he keenly sensed something was amiss. Empress Dowager Dong quickly pulled him to her side and said anxiously, "Zhong'er, what should we do? I'm afraid something terrible is going to happen!" Dong Zhong frowned, listening to Empress Dowager Dong's words with a serious expression, his mind rapidly calculating a response plan...

Dong Zhong made arrangements with a stern expression. He ordered sternly, "Send a message to Li Le, Han Xian, Hu Cai, and Yang Ding. Immediately seal the palace gates and forbid anyone from entering or leaving!"

The personal guards received the order and went to each gate to deliver the message.

A hint of determination flashed in his eyes. He knew that the situation was urgent and he had to take decisive measures to ensure that the situation was under his control.

Dong Zhong turned and solemnly ordered Zhong Ji and Wang Zifu, who had followed him, "Hurry to Emperor Ling's bedroom and ensure his safety. Take over the palace defense! Pay close attention to all movements around you. Report any disturbance immediately!"

After receiving the order, Zhong Ji and Wang Zifu immediately set off for Emperor Ling's palace. Dong Zhong was well aware of the severity of the current situation and could not let his guard down even for a moment...

After making all the arrangements, Dong Zhong came to Empress Dowager Dong and comforted her softly, "Don't worry, Empress Dowager. We have made all the necessary arrangements. If anything happens to Your Majesty, we will definitely support the prince to ascend the throne."

Dong Zhong frowned and continued worriedly, "Only in this way can we preserve the honor of our Dong family and stabilize the situation in the world." Queen Mother Dong nodded slightly, her face full of worry and helplessness.

--split line--

During Emperor Ling's illness, Empress He was extremely anxious. She knew that if he died, the situation would become unpredictable. So, she secretly sent a message to her brother, He Jin, asking him to prepare troops as soon as possible and be ready to lead them to control the situation at any time.

After He Jin received the news, he immediately called Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao, Chunyu Qiong and Cao Cao to discuss countermeasures.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu's lips curled up, revealing a barely perceptible smile. He was calculating how to use this opportunity to expand his influence within the court, suppress other factions, and make his family even more prominent.

Yuan Shao's eyes flickered. As a prominent figure in an aristocratic family, he naturally wanted to maximize his benefits from this upheaval. He pondered how to unite various forces and secure more resources and power for himself.

Chunyu Qiong stood aside, also planning his own interests in his mind. He knew that this was a rare opportunity and he must seize it.

Cao Cao, the son of a eunuch, also had his own thoughts at this moment. He understood that this great change would bring about huge variables, and he was thinking about how to stand out in the chaos and realize his ambitions.

He Jin looked at these people with their own thoughts, but he didn't feel worried at all. He was still imagining the glorious scene of the new king taking the throne and holding all the power...

In the following days, He Jin continued to frequently entertain the children of aristocratic families, immersed in feasting and reveling all day long, seemingly unaware of the urgency and seriousness of the situation.

His behavior puzzled Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao, and others, who secretly speculated on his true intentions. Watching all this, Cao Cao couldn't help but feel a sense of worry. He knew that He Jin's actions might delay the battle and bring greater uncertainty to the situation.

Meanwhile, tensions within the palace intensified, as Emperor Ling's condition grew increasingly critical, while He Jin continued to indulge in his drunken debauchery. Seizing the opportunity, Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and their allies plotted to gradually divide He Jin's military power, each quietly retaining a portion of the force for their own use.

Under the guise of stabilizing the situation, they are actually seeking greater benefits for themselves, secretly cultivating their power and waiting for the right opportunity to gain a more advantageous position in this power game...

--split line--

Meanwhile, Sun Ce and Ma Chao, disguised as eunuchs, cautiously approached the palace gate. When they reached the gate, they discovered that Han Xian, one of Dong Zhong's generals, was the one guarding it.

Sun Ce and Ma Chao were secretly nervous, but they pretended to be calm and continued to move forward, trying to avoid Han Xian's attention...

Han Xian had already received Dong Zhong's order. When he saw the two men disguised as eunuchs, he immediately blocked their way and questioned them harshly.

The two pretended to be calm and lied that Empress Dowager Dong was ill due to excessive worry. Dong Zhong asked them to go to his house to bring his family members to accompany Empress Dowager Dong.

Han Xian listened to their words with a look of doubt on his face. He frowned, his eyes darting back and forth between Ma Chao and Sun Ce, thinking to himself: This may sound reasonable, but Dong Zhong's sudden dispatch of these two eunuchs to fetch his family is still a little strange.

After thinking for a moment, Han Xian did not let them go immediately. Instead, he said cautiously: "I need to report this matter to my superiors. You are not allowed to act without authorization before getting a definite reply." After that, he turned and walked aside, ready to verify the situation, while also secretly strengthening the vigilance of the palace gate.

At this moment, there was a sudden commotion in the distance. Pang De lit a torch in the distant palace, and then deliberately exposed his identity, attracting the palace guards to chase him.

Pang De deliberately created chaos while running, leading the pursuers to the palace gate. Han Xian frowned even more tightly when he saw this. He realized that the situation had changed and immediately led his men to capture Pang De.

Han Xian thought to himself that this sudden change would affect his mission, and was also angry at Pang De's behavior. He quickened his pace, wanting to capture Pang De as soon as possible. At the same time, Ma Chao and Sun Ce saw this scene and realized that Pang De had come to help them escape.

Just as Han Xian and his men were about to approach Pang De, a group of eunuchs rushed out from the side, brandishing their weapons and engaging in a fierce fight with Han Xian's men. For a moment, shouts of killing rang out at the palace gate, and the situation became increasingly chaotic.

The soldiers stationed at the palace gate saw that the situation was not good and urgently needed reinforcements. With only two young eunuchs nearby, they were not very vigilant, so seven or eight of them were left to guard the two young eunuchs while the rest of the troops went to reinforce the troops. Ma Chao knew that he could not delay any longer and had to find a way to escape quickly. He secretly winked at Sun Ce, and then the two of them took advantage of the chaos and slowly moved towards the palace gate.

Sun Ce and Ma Chao quietly and slowly approached the soldiers guarding them. The soldiers were so engrossed in the situation and battle in the distance that they did not notice the two approaching at all.

At that moment, Sun Ce and Ma Chao suddenly charged forward, their swords flashing and blades dancing. Caught off guard, the soldiers fell before they could react. In a matter of moments, all eight soldiers were gone, before they could even scream for help.

After dealing with those soldiers, Sun Ce and Ma Chao quickly ran towards the city gate.

However, Dong Zhong had already ordered the city gates closed, and the heavy gates seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. Sun Ce and Ma Chao exerted all their strength and struggled to lift the bolt.

As the bolt slowly rose, Sun Ce gritted his teeth and held it alone. Ma Chao pushed with all his might, and the heavy gate gradually opened a crack. Sun Ce's strength was exhausted, and the bolt was about to fall. Ma Chao leaped and rushed through the crack, leaving Sun Ce sitting on the ground inside, gasping for breath.

Ma Chao left the city gate, but was blocked by the moat. The drawbridge had already been raised. Looking at the iron chains on the drawbridge that were as thick as his arms, Ma Chao was at a loss for a moment.

At this moment, Pang De suddenly appeared on the top of the city gate. It turned out that when the young eunuch was fighting with the guards, Pang De had taken the opportunity to withdraw.

At this time, Sun Ce and Ma Chao were struggling to open the city gate. Ma Chao had already left the city. Pang De hurriedly climbed up to the city wall and saw that Ma Chao was blocked by the suspension bridge. He hurriedly threw Ma Chao's Qiang King's golden sword.

Ma Chao steadily caught the golden sword thrown by Pang De, and a fierce aura emanated from his body. He brandished the golden sword, the blade flashing, and each swing was accompanied by a sound of breaking through the air.

Ma Chao chopped hard at the iron chain as thick as his arm. The golden knife seemed to cut through iron like mud. With a few crisp sounds, the iron chain was cut in a few strokes.

Then, Ma Chao jumped onto the suspension bridge. After roughly identifying the direction, he galloped towards He Jin's mansion.

After watching Ma Chao leave safely, Pang De immediately turned around and went down the city wall, quickly carried the exhausted Sun Ce on his back, and sneaked towards the palace in the dark.

They paused for a moment in a secluded area of ​​the palace, leaning on each other to regain their strength. Pang De looked at Sun Ce with concern from time to time, his eyes full of worry.

Sun Ce was breathing heavily, trying to adjust his condition. They knew that they had to recover as quickly as possible so that they could meet He Jinjun at the city gate and enter smoothly.