Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Flowers bloom at both ends, each showing its own beauty

On this side, Zhong Ji and Wang Zifu received Dong Zhong's instructions and quickly went to Emperor Ling's bedroom to carefully check whether there were any abnormal conditions in the bedroom. At the same time, under the pretext of protecting Emperor Ling's safety, they approached and tightly sealed off the area around Emperor Ling.

The two of them hurried to the bedroom with a group of soldiers and horses, but they still saw a busy and noisy scene, and there was no sign of any unusual situation. When they tried to enter the bedroom to find out what was going on, they were abruptly blocked by the young eunuch. At this time, Zhong Ji and Wang Zifu were full of doubts, and the doubts in their hearts not only did not subside, but became even stronger. He was eager to go in and confirm whether Emperor Ling was safe, but he had no choice. The emperor's bedroom was a sacred place, and how could he easily enter without an imperial decree! For a moment, the two of them were caught in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat, and their hearts were extremely anxious, like ants on a hot pot.

The two men were now in a state of indecision, unable to make a clear decision. Ultimately, they were purely military commanders, not fully familiar with the complexities involved. Now that the Emperor was gravely ill, leaving them in charge of the palace's security was no problem. However, forcing their way in, against the Emperor's wishes, was something they would never dare to do.

After some discussion, there was still no result, so they had to go to the Queen Mother and let Dong Chonglai make the final decision.

Dong Zhong's brows furrowed, a look of deep worry on his face. He rubbed his forehead from time to time, as if he was thinking hard. His heart was full of contradictions and struggles, and he was well aware of the significance and potential dangers of this trip.

Dong Zhong solemnly reported the matter in detail to the empress dowager. Upon hearing this, a flicker of anger crossed her face. She and Emperor Lingdi had long disagreed on their ideologies, and she had long harbored dissatisfaction with his political style. Now, her eyes revealed a firm and resolute determination; she was absolutely determined to pass the throne to Liu Xie.

Emperor Ling was now terminally ill and on his last legs, and the Empress Dowager saw no point in considering his opinion. Empress Dowager Dong stared at Dong Zhong and demanded firmly, "Dong Zhong, you must keep the emperor under my watch. The throne must not be passed to Liu Bian; it must be passed to Liu Xie!" Dong Zhong sensed the Empress Dowager's resolve.

Empress Dowager Dong frowned and said sternly, "Dong Zhong, don't worry about what others think. You must keep the emperor firmly under your control. There can't be any mistakes!"

Dong Zhong nodded slightly, looking troubled and said, "Aunt, this is extremely risky. What if..."

Queen Mother Dong interrupted him, sternly saying, "There's no such thing as a haphazard outcome! Since you've chosen this step, success is a testament to your loyalty to the emperor, and failure is a complete defeat. Furthermore, with me here, even if Liu Bian ascends the throne, it won't be fatal for you. At most, your power will be taken away."

Dong Zhong gritted his teeth and said, "Aunt, what you said is absolutely right. I understand. But..."

Queen Mother Dong stared at Dong Zhong and asked, "Just what?"

Dong Zhong took a deep breath and said resolutely: "Dong Zhong will do his best to live up to my aunt's expectations!"

Empress Dowager Dong nodded slightly and said in a slower tone, "Okay, go ahead. But be sure to be careful."

He slowly raised his head and looked in the direction of the Queen Mother, his eyes filled with both determination and a hint of helplessness. While he knew this was the Queen Mother's will, he also understood that this matter involved the succession of the throne, and the slightest misstep could lead to irreparable consequences. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner turmoil.

Dong Zhong, accompanied by a group of soldiers and generals, hurried to Emperor Ling's bedroom. He found the door to the bedroom tightly shut. The soldiers shouted at the person inside, but there was no response. Silence reigned all around.

Dong Zhong sensed something unusual and turned to ask Zhong Ji and Wang Zifu, "Has no one been in or out since you arrived here?" Zhong Ji bowed and said, "I have sealed off the entire area since arriving here, and no one has been in or out."

The eunuchs and maids in the bedroom knelt on the ground, their bodies trembling, each one as silent as a mouse, not daring to move. In the corner of the bedroom, the bodies of two young eunuchs lay prominently. Dian Wei, holding two iron halberds, stared intently at the gate like a guardian deity, his weapons dripping with what seemed like fresh blood.

There were continuous knocks and hisses outside, and with each knock, the concubines inside grew more nervous. Liu Bian's face showed worry. He turned to Lu Zhi and said, "Master Lu, what should we do in this situation?"

Lu Zhi said, "In that case, we'll just have to buy time. I'll go deal with it first." Then he turned to Empress He and said, "Please ask the Empress and the concubines to gather around the dragon bed and try to prevent him from seeing what's going on inside."

Empress He said in a panic, "Master Lu, can we keep this a secret?"

Lu Zhi took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice steady, and said, "Don't panic, Queen. Things have come to this point, and we can only try our best. Just do as I say, and I will deal with the people outside."

Empress He clutched the edge of her clothes tightly, her voice trembling: "Okay... okay."

At this moment, Liu Bian stood up, his young face full of determination. He said, "Mother, Master Lu, there's no need to panic. The situation is critical now. We must work together to overcome this difficulty! I believe Master Lu will be able to come up with a solution!"

Lu Zhi looked at Liu Bian and felt a little relieved. He secretly made up his mind to protect them.

Lu Zhi straightened his clothes and winked at Dian Wei, asking him to put away his weapon and stand behind him. Then, Lu Zhi slowly opened the door to the bedroom.

Just then, as the soldiers outside were about to rush forward, Lu Zhi suddenly raised his hand and shouted angrily, "How dare you! What do you want to do?"

His eyes were sharp and his voice was full of authority, forming a sharp contrast with his previous calmness. Empress He was hiding deep in her bedroom, watching this scene nervously, her heart filled with worry.

Liu Bian stood beside Empress He, clenching his fists tightly, staring at Lu Zhi with a determined look on his face, ready to deal with any possible situation at any time.

Lu Zhi stood at the door of the bedroom, his figure straight and tall, his eyes fixed on Dong Cheng, his face stern.

A man's shadow is like a tree's name. Lu Zhi's reputation in the Han Dynasty was indeed very high. His angry shout frightened the surrounding soldiers so much that they dared not act rashly for a while.

Dong Zhong was escorted forward by a group of people. He bowed and said, "I am here on the orders of the Empress Dowager to protect the Emperor. Please, Master Lu, move aside and let us in."

Although he said this, he was still quite wary of Lu Zhi in his heart.

Lu Zhi frowned and said unhappily, "Does the Queen Mother want you to disturb His Majesty's rest? It's enough to protect His Majesty's safety outside the palace. The Queen and the Prince are inside. If you force your way in and offend them, what will happen?"

Dong Zhongqiang suppressed his anger and tried to make his voice sound calmer. He said, "Master Lu, you misunderstood. We are loyal to your majesty, but we are worried about your majesty's safety. If you don't let us in, how will we explain to the Queen Mother if something happens?"

Lu Zhi remained firm and said, "I will report this to the Empress Dowager. You don't need to worry about it. This is a key area of ​​the harem. No one is allowed to enter without Your Majesty's permission!"

Seeing that Lu Zhi was so persistent, Dong Chong did not dare to lead his troops to attack. He could only stay there and secretly think about how to respond.

Han Xian, the general guarding the city gate, hurriedly sent his men to report to Dong Zhong: "Your Excellency, several people are causing chaos in the city, aided by eunuchs. They took advantage of the chaos to escape from the palace, apparently intending to report the situation!"

Dong Zhong's expression darkened upon hearing this. His eyes widened, veins bulged on his forehead, and he clenched his fists so tightly that his nails practically dug into his palms. He stomped his feet so hard that the ground seemed to tremble slightly. He angrily shouted, "How despicable! How dare these people be so presumptuous!"

He became extremely anxious and no longer held a stalemate with Lu Zhi. He directly said to his men, "Quickly go and invite Queen Mother Dong to come!"

Meanwhile, the atmosphere outside the palace grew increasingly tense and oppressive. Soldiers, weapons in hand, wore tense, vigilant expressions, their gazes flickering between Lu Zhi and Dong Zhong, as if a clash could erupt at any moment. A chilling, murderous aura hung in the air, making it almost impossible to breathe. The faint sound of a distant clamor heightened the sense of unease and fear. The sky was thick with dark clouds, as if a storm could approach at any moment. This contrasted with the tense situation outside the palace, creating a sense of impending urgency.