Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

By the time everything was settled and midnight had arrived, Emperor Ling's chambers were ablaze with torches. General He Jin, accompanied by Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Cao Cao, and Chunyu Qiong, entered the palace with a triumphant look on his face.

Seeing the general, the surrounding soldiers excitedly shouted, "General! General!" as if to show off their own achievements. He Jin laughed triumphantly and shouted arrogantly, "Anyone who has made contributions will be rewarded, anyone who has made contributions will be rewarded!" His voice was full of arrogance and arrogance.

His arrogant attitude seemed to put the entire palace under his feet, completely forgetting the hardships and efforts behind it all. Yuan Shao and others around him also catered to him with flattering smiles on their faces.

When Empress He and Liu Bian saw He Jin coming, they smiled with relief. The Ten Attendants hid behind Empress He, looking at He Jin with a mixture of fear and relief in their eyes.

They were thankful that they had chosen to protect the Empress and the Prince, denying He Jin the opportunity to attack. Now, with the Empress and the Prince as their protection, they had become their amulet, preventing He Jin from easily attacking them. After all, the Empress and the Prince held significant positions within the palace, and He Jin had to be cautious.

He Jin was too lazy to pay attention to the Ten Attendants. Under the constant instigation of Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao, he began to discuss with Empress Dowager Dong and Dong Chong who had retreated to the palace.

The two sides argued endlessly during the negotiations, each with its own opinions. He Jin insisted on his proposal: no further action would be taken against their current acts of rebellion and unrest. Instead, Liu Bian would be supported to ascend the throne and Empress Dowager Dong would be honored as Grand Empress Dowager. Dong Chong would be required to relinquish his military power, but he would retain his position as General of the Cavalry.

Empress Dowager Dong and Dong Zhong were naturally unwilling to compromise easily, believing He Jin's demands to be too harsh. Empress Dowager Dong proposed retaining a certain amount of power, and Dong Zhong also expressed his unwillingness to surrender his troops easily. However, under He Jin's assertiveness and the persuasion of Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao, the two sides finally reached this conclusion after a heated debate.

At this time, Empress He, under the instigation of the Ten Eunuchs, also put forward her own opinions. She asked Empress Dowager Dong to stop interfering in the affairs of the harem after being honored as the Grand Empress Dowager, and asked her to retreat to her palace so that the two sides would not interfere with each other.

He Jin frowned slightly after hearing what Empress He said, and fell into deep thought. Empress Dowager Dong and Dong Zhongze looked annoyed, but under the current circumstances, it seemed that they had no better way to refute.

Eventually, the three parties reached an agreement on the matter, and the situation seemed to ease. However, tension still hung in the air, and the power struggle between the various forces continued in secret.

He Jin narrowed his eyes slightly, a subtle flicker of calculation in them. He appeared to be calmly conferring with Empress Dowager Dong and Dong Zhong, but in reality, he was secretly calculating his own plans. Empress Dowager Dong, while outwardly agreeing, her sharp eyes betrayed resentment and resentment. Her fingers tightly gripped the armrest, as if secretly gathering strength, awaiting the right moment. Dong Zhong stood aside, his eyes flickering, weighing the interests of all parties and mentally formulating a response.

Empress He sat aside, seemingly obediently following He Jin's instructions, but in fact, she had her own thoughts. She glanced at Empress Dowager Dong from time to time, with a hint of vigilance and precaution in her eyes.

Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao seemed silent, but they were actually paying close attention to the development of the situation. A hint of cunning flashed in their eyes from time to time, and they were secretly thinking about how to gain greater benefits in this game.

Liu Bian watched the absurd scene unfold before him, his gaze passing over the ignored Lu Zhi and his companions, resting on the figures engaged in a heated discussion and bargaining. He then looked at Emperor Ling, lying on the dragon bed, cold and lifeless, and found the whole thing ridiculous.

A feeling of powerlessness washed over him. He was the future heir, yet he was completely ignored by these three factions. No one came to ask for his opinion. He didn't know how long this puppet-like life would last, or where the future would lead...

Just like that, the three parties were able to sit together calmly to discuss the funeral arrangements for Emperor Ling. However, beneath this calm surface, the struggle between the various forces was still going on in secret, and no one knew what would happen next...

At dawn, the dull toll of a bell slowly rang out in Luoyang. Its sound seemed to penetrate every corner of the city, announcing the tragic news of the Han emperor's passing. The bell's peal echoed through the streets and alleys, disturbing the peaceful lives of the city's inhabitants.

Inside the imperial palace, a blanket of mourning blankets swayed in the wind, a veil of white curtains that seemed to evoke an endless sorrow. Court officials, dressed in mourning attire and solemn expressions, lined the hall in respectful rows. Within the mourning hall, the Han emperor's coffin rested in the center, draped in rich brocade and surrounded by countless offerings.

The concubines cried mournfully, their cries bloodshot, their tears expressing their longing for the emperor and their reluctance to leave. The eunuchs and palace maids also bowed their heads in silence, and the entire palace was immersed in grief.

In the streets of Luoyang, people stopped and shed silent tears, their hearts filled with respect and nostalgia for the Han emperor. Some shops also took down their signs to show their mourning for the emperor.

In this solemn and dignified atmosphere, the funeral ceremony for the Han emperor officially began, as if the entire city of Luoyang was silently mourning for the deceased emperor...

--split line--

With the death of Emperor Ling, Liu Bian ascended the throne. In this power struggle, He Jin and the aristocratic families were undoubtedly the biggest winners. He Jin, already extremely powerful, now fell into a state of madness, and his power expanded wildly.

Under the arrogance of He Jin, the aristocratic families became even more unscrupulous and blatant in their exploitation of all the resources of the Han Dynasty. Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Yuan Shu and others who participated in this were also rewarded for their "merits".

The Ten Eunuchs, having presented their "letters of surrender" during the palace coup, had earned Empress He's trust. Empress He was eager to rely on them to control everything within the palace and consolidate her position. In this vortex of power, they colluded with one another, working in cahoots. Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, and others, leveraging their tacit understanding with Empress He, grew increasingly unscrupulous within the palace, their power rising to prominence. Empress He's trust in them ensured their positions remained intact, indeed even strengthened.

Although Empress Dowager Dong and Dong Zhong failed in the coup, their status and the powerful influence of the aristocratic families behind them still ensured their high status in the palace. Empress Dowager Dong was honored as the Grand Empress Dowager and still enjoyed the supreme symbol of power.

However, despite the setbacks of the palace coup, Dong Zhong was not substantially affected. Not only was he promoted, he still served as the General of Cavalry. His power and military authority were not completely weakened under the operation of the aristocratic families.

Lu Zhi was indeed one of the people who contributed the most to the coup. However, he was ruthlessly excluded. Empress He, supported by the eunuch party, was dissatisfied with Lu Zhi, and Empress Dowager Dong also hated him to the core.

Although He Jin outwardly respected Lu Zhi, he was actually quite wary of his reputation and prestige. These three factions were all powerful people, and when they united to collectively exclude Lu Zhi, no matter how capable Lu Zhi was, he was unable to compete with them and could only be helplessly excluded from the core of power.

Behind this seemingly prosperous facade lies the Han Dynasty's decline, shrouded in crises. Liu Bian, a young man newly crowned emperor, faces this complex situation like a puppet, powerless to change it all. He can only watch helplessly as the fate of the Han Dynasty, manipulated by others, gradually drifts towards an unknown...

Lu Zhi watched helplessly as this chaotic situation unfolded, powerless to do anything about it. He was filled with grief, indignation, and helplessness. Despite his passion and ambition, he was sidelined in the political strife, unable to exert his influence.

He watched all this unfold, knowing full well that the wheel of history was rolling forward, while he could only become a speck of dust beneath it, being ruthlessly crushed. This feeling of powerlessness pierced his heart deeply, yet filled him with immense sorrow and desolation.

Lu Zhi's heart was filled with resentment and resentment. These emotions were pent up in his heart and he could not let go for a long time, which eventually led to his illness.

He was exhausted, both physically and mentally, devastated by this cruel reality. Every time he thought about it, his grief and anger grew, and his condition worsened. He was powerless to change anything, and could only watch helplessly as the situation unfolded, tormented by his illness. All this filled him with immense pain and despair.