50. The One Who Punishes the Traitor (5)
50. The One Who Punishes the Traitor (5)
Dong Zhuo looked incredibly excited, as if he had already grasped the imperial throne.
He had been waiting for a day like today.
He boasted loudly that the day had finally come to bring out the imperial flags, carriages, and robes that he had intended to use once he ascended to the position of the Supreme Ruler.
And as if to drive a wedge into the matter, the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers, including the Minister of Education Wang Yun, came to Dong Zhuo and requested his abdication.
"The Chancellor of State has already grasped all the virtue and grace of the world. Furthermore, the Chancellor of State is like the Imperial Father to His Majesty the Emperor, so it is only natural that you are the most suitable person to ascend to the position of the Supreme Ruler."
"Minister of Education, you have come at a good time! I have been asked by His Majesty to accept the abdication, but as a subject, I was so overwhelmed that I was at a loss as to how to respond. Now that you have come to me, it feels as if my worries have vanished."
Dong Zhuo hid his obvious intentions, feigning that he could not possibly covet the throne as a mere subject.
Wang Yun clicked his tongue at the sight.
However, since he could not let his true intentions be discovered after coming this far, he put on the gentlest expression possible and brought up words that Dong Zhuo would love to hear.
"If the Xiliang Army had not come to save Luoyang, would we have been able to survive until now? We would surely have been killed by the Ten Eunuchs and the bandits. Since we have been able to preserve our lives thanks to the grace of the Chancellor of State, we naturally wish to repay that grace with our loyalty."
"What grace! Hahaha, but it doesn't sound bad."
Dong Zhuo patted his belly.
He felt satisfied at the sight of the officials prostrating before him while bursting into loud laughter.
Finally, even the arrogant court officials had knelt.
Once he became the emperor of a new dynasty, they would all become his subjects. He had to show a dignified and great appearance as their monarch, even now.
'I thought I would rot in the frontier for the rest of my life. But Heaven has repeatedly given opportunities to this Dong Zhongying, and I have finally come this far. The imperial throne is not far off. Now, just one more step, and I will become the emperor of this country!'
The Emperor will die now.
And the throne will be vacant. The question of who will sit in that vacancy is already clear.
Who else but me?
The Inspector of Youzhou, Liu Yu, whom the Prefect of Bohai Yuan Shao intends to enthrone? I have heard that he has virtue, but he is nothing more than a warlord with a weak force.
'In times of chaos, strength is everything! I realized while fighting barbarians on the frontier that strength is the most important thing in this world! Finally, I, who possess the greatest strength in the Han Dynasty, am becoming the Supreme Ruler!'
The Minister of the Imperial Guard, Li Ru, continued to raise objections.
It was strange that the Emperor, who had left for Luoyang to treat his illness, was suddenly abdicating, and it was also strange that the court officials, who had shown displeased gazes, were suddenly delighted and requesting the abdication.
Everything, from one to ten, was so suspicious and fishy that it reeked.
So Li Ru advised Dong Zhuo not to go to Luoyang. However, Dong Zhuo dismissed Li Ru's advice, asking what kind of nonsense he was spouting.
"Congratulations, Chancellor of State!"
The Colonel of Cavalry Li Su said, paying his respects.
Following him, the rest of the generals also paid their respects to Dong Zhuo.
"Please accept the abdication!"
"That is correct, sir! Now is the era of the Chancellor of State!"
Dong Zhuo cast Li Ru, who kept saying things that grated on his ears today, far away.
It was not that he hated him.
But he didn't like that he was twisting his mood, so he decided not to see that face, at least for today.
"You cannot, Grandfather!"
The Lady of Weiyang, Dong Bai, approached.
While restraining Dong Zhuo, who was readily trying to accept the abdication, she glared at the subordinates and court officials who were egging him on and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.
"These people are trying to deceive you, Grandfather! Make the Emperor who left for Luoyang return. That would be safer. You must never leave Chang'an, Grandfather!"
Chang'an was like an impregnable fortress controlled by the Xiliang Army.
He was investing a huge amount of manpower to build the Imperial Palace.
On top of that, the enormous supplies of Luoyang were being transported to Chang'an day after day, so in a few years, Chang'an would enjoy brilliant prosperity as the new capital of the Han Dynasty.
Why would he leave Chang'an of his own volition? Chang'an was the capital of the new dynasty that would serve as the foundation for a thousand-year plan. If he intended to accept the abdication from Liu Xie and ascend to the throne as the new emperor, it was only right to ascend here in Chang'an.
'These people are deceiving Grandfather and leading him into a trap themselves! Clever as foxes, I've fed and housed them, and they're trying to stab us in the back like this?'
Dong Bai was a genius who was young but bright and exceptionally wise. In particular, she possessed the ferocity and cruelty that resembled Dong Zhuo.
Better to just kill the court officials.
The Han Dynasty had lost its function as a country, and even if he killed the court officials, no warlord would come to save them. It seemed better to kill the guys who were aiming for a backstab at this opportunity.
"If you say so..."
Dong Zhuo stiffened his face.
His granddaughter raised her voice and shouted in desperate opposition.
He felt a moment of doubt at that sight.
Wasn't it a problem that he could just ascend to the throne in Chang'an without necessarily going to Luoyang, as his granddaughter said?
Receiving the edict of abdication directly from the Emperor would be the best way to acquire legitimacy, but there was no need to cling to legitimacy while taking risks.
'This won't do. I must drag Dong Zhuo to Luoyang. It is impossible to carry out the grand undertaking in this Chang'an, which is swarming with Xiliang soldiers.'
Wang Yun bit his lip.
Everything was about to go down the drain because of a wicked girl trying to ruin the finished meal.
So Wang Yun decided to make a decisive move.
He decided to cast a bait that Dong Zhuo would absolutely have to bite.
"The Imperial Seal is on its way right now! His Majesty has already handed over the Imperial Seal to entrust the throne to the Chancellor of State. Yet, do you still doubt His Majesty's true intentions?"
"Oh, the Imperial Seal? Is that real!"
Dong Zhuo shouted at Wang Yun's words.
The Imperial Seal, the symbol of the Emperor, was rolling in.
The Imperial Seal was the greatest treasure made by carving the He's Jade Disk of Chu from the Spring and Autumn period.
It was the seal of Qin Shi Huang, who unified the era and opened the unified dynasty, and it was that Imperial Seal, which had rolled into the hands of Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, and had been recorded as a symbol of legitimacy through successive emperors, that was now about to enter Dong Zhuo's hands.
"Heaven desires a new Supreme Ruler. Now the Imperial Seal will be in your hands. Yet, what more are you hesitating for?"
"That's right! That is so."
Before long, the Imperial Seal arrived from Luoyang.
It was clear that the Emperor, who was said to be suffering from a serious illness, had handed over the Imperial Seal to request the abdication.
Dong Zhuo received the Imperial Seal with both hands.
The Taishiling, who had been staying by the Emperor's side and managing the seal, personally offered the Imperial Seal and shouted "Long live," and Dong Zhuo, hearing the "Long live" that was only permitted to the Emperor, puffed up his chest.
What more was there to hesitate about?
It was only right to hold the coronation ceremony in Luoyang! What on earth was this Dong Zhongying of the world afraid of to hesitate?
Once he became the emperor, everything in the world would be in his grasp. Since his younger brother Dong Min and his subordinate generals would be firmly guarding Luoyang, he decided to think only about going to Luoyang without any problems.
Chancellor of State Dong Zhuo departed from Chang'an.
He mobilized only his Imperial Guard, left the Xiliang Army in Chang'an, and set out on the road to Luoyang.
He is coming.
He is finally coming.
I held the hilt of my sword and waited for the prey to walk into the trap on its own.
Do not be impatient.
Act as if you are calm and wait for the moment.
The golden opportunity is only once; if the prey notices and runs away, everything will be in vain.
"Are you all gathered?"
"Yes, Xingyang Commandant!"
Lee Seong-hwi called all the military officers.
This time, the scale of the summons was a bit different.
Many personnel, including high-ranking military officers, infantry commanders, and cavalry commanders who were in charge of troops, were summoned at the same time.
"Dong Zhuo is a traitor of all ages and a rebellious subject who has endangered the state of the Han Dynasty. He assassinated the former Emperor and the Empress Dowager, and is now committing tyranny while using the young Emperor as a puppet. He is now coming to Luoyang to depose the Emperor and become the emperor himself. Therefore, as a military officer of the Han Dynasty, I intend to cut off the head of the traitor and pacify the imperial court and the state."
In the place where everyone was gathered, Lee Seong-hwi raised his voice to the crowd and revealed the ambition he had been hiding all this time.
"What are you talking about right now?"
"Xingyang Commandant, are you trying to plot treason! Do you know who you owe that position to...!"
Some of the military officers showed fierce opposition.
They were moles planted by the Dong Zhuo army, and they shouted at the military officers who were listening to Lee Seong-hwi's words, citing the grace they had received from Dong Zhuo.
However, the military officers from Luoyang had already turned to Lee Seong-hwi. This was because they had already declared that they would join the grand undertaking with Lee Seong-hwi.
"Kill them!"
"You traitorous bastards!"
The military officers drew their swords.
Before long, a fight broke out, and the spies of the Dong Zhuo army, who were only a small number, were slaughtered.
Blood dripped from the blades.
Finally, we were free from Dong Zhuo's surveillance.
But if the spies who had been sending reports regularly stopped contacting, they would be suspicious in Luoyang. We must proceed with the grand undertaking quickly.
"Xingyang Commandant, are we advancing now?"
"As soon as Dong Zhuo enters Luoyang, we will lead the troops and advance. Everyone, get ready. We are advancing on Luoyang soon!"
Lee Seong-hwi summoned the troops.
His troops numbered only 2,000.
However, by summoning the guards responsible for the security of the counties and districts, 1,000 men were reinforced. A total of 3,000 troops were gathered.
I finished talking with the Colonels of Luoyang.
Soon, the grand undertaking will take place in Luoyang. For that moment, Lee Seong-hwi and his subordinate military officers waited while encouraging the troops.
"Explain it in detail to the soldiers; the soldiers must be very confused right now. There is no one among the soldiers who has not been exploited by Dong Zhuo. If they are the people of Luoyang, they must all have the experience of being robbed and trampled by Dong Zhuo, so I am sure they will all join the uprising."
Lee Seong-hwi's prediction was spot on.
The soldiers were feeling quite a bit of dissatisfaction and anger at Dong Zhuo's atrocities, which had imposed heavy taxes and exploited their property for four months.
Dong Zhuo is a mortal enemy who must be killed. When Lee Seong-hwi, the General of the Right and Xingyang Commandant, revealed his intention to rise up, many soldiers who admired Lee Seong-hwi, who had built a name for himself in war, promised to join.
"They say Dong Zhuo has entered Luoyang. The Chancellor of State's flag has entered Luoyang Castle now!"
A military officer planted in Luoyang Castle arrived.
It was a speed unlike Dong Zhuo, who usually showed sluggishness.
Perhaps he was so greedy for the throne that Dong Zhuo arrived at Luoyang Castle with only his Imperial Guard. The dirty scheme to inherit the throne even one day sooner made me feel like vomiting.
'The time it took for the intelligence to come from Luoyang Castle. And the time it takes to strike from here to Luoyang. I must advance the troops right now.'
Lee Seong-hwi drew his sword.
The military officers standing behind him also drew their swords in unison, revealing their will to kill the traitor.
"Advance to Luoyang! Let us execute the rebellious subject who has thrown the country into chaos!!"
Uooooooo---!!!
The military officers and soldiers let out a shout, boosting their morale.
The hatred and anger suppressed by Dong Zhuo.
The voices that had been ruthlessly trampled by the traitor's tyranny until now gathered at the focal point of Lee Seong-hwi and began to soar into a huge flame.
Even a raging forest fire starts with a small spark.
The small, thin spark grew larger and larger, spreading into a flame that no one could extinguish.
"We kill Dong Zhuo within today!"
Lee Seong-hwi pulled the reins.