The emperor’s procession returned to the palace in Xuchang under an atmosphere thick with tension and oppression.
In the jade carriage, Emperor Liu Xie of Han sat pale as paper, his body still trembling—not from fear at the hunt, but from overwhelming humiliation and anger. Cao Cao’s casual handling of the bow, the act of shooting the deer in the emperor’s stead, and the deafening cries of “Long live!”—who they were directed to, no one could tell—struck like the sharpest daggers, repeatedly wounding him. His last shreds of imperial dignity had been trampled in the sunlight of Xutian by Cao Cao!
Back in the palace, Liu Xie could no longer maintain a composed facade. He swept a precious jade object from the table with a violent gesture. Its crisp shattering echoed through the hall, echoing the fracture of his royal pride.
“Cao traitor! You dare trample on me! Dare, dare!!” he roared hoarsely, like a trapped cub, eyes bloodshot with madness and hatred. “I am the Son of Heaven! The sovereign of all under heaven! How dare he… how dare he!!”
Empress Fu watched silently, saying nothing, then stepped forward: “Your Majesty,” her voice low and weary yet clear, “the power of Minister Cao is beyond what we can oppose. Though today’s events humiliate, they reveal his true nature to loyal ministers. You must… endure. A gentleman waits for the right time for revenge; it is never too late.”
Her words, like cold water, slightly doused Liu Xie’s raging anger but deepened his despair. “Endure? How can I endure? Shall I watch him seize everything step by step?!”
At that moment, a figure emerged from behind the screen—Consort Dong (Dong Gui Fei). Younger than Empress Fu, her features carried a hint of playful innocence, yet her face was flushed with anger, eyes red-rimmed. “Your Majesty! Sister Empress! Cao Cao has gone too far! Today he dares shoot the deer in Your Majesty’s place; tomorrow he will usurp the throne! How can we sit idly by?!”
Consort Dong was Emperor Xie’s favored concubine, daughter of General Dong Cheng. Bold and impulsive, she spoke directly.
“Consort Dong…” Liu Xie began.
She knelt, tears streaming: “Your Majesty! My father, Dong Cheng, has remained loyal to Han, often worrying over state affairs with other faithful ministers. If you hesitate, chaos will follow! Only by eliminating Cao Cao can the Han court be restored!” She had clearly learned of a secret plan from her father, perhaps even participated. The emperor’s humiliation now brought it to the surface.
Empress Fu’s expression shifted. “Consort Dong, be cautious! This matter is grave; it cannot be taken lightly!”
But Liu Xie, fueled by humiliation and Dong’s words, seized her hand like a lifeline. “Consort Dong! Dong Guojiu… truly intends this?”
“Absolutely!” she affirmed. “Send one secret edict from Your Majesty, my father and the loyal ministers will risk their lives!”
Shaking with emotion, Liu Xie’s last shred of rationality was consumed by the fire of revenge. He tore open his inner robe, bit his finger, and began to write.
“Your Majesty!” Empress Fu tried to intervene, knowing the odds of success were slim and consequences dire. But Liu Xie would not hear. Dong Gui Fei stood resolutely, eyes full of encouragement and near-fanatical loyalty.
The blood-stained edict was rolled into a jade belt. Liu Xie handed it to her: “Consort… ensure this reaches Guojiu! Tell him, I… entrust Han’s realm to them!”
“I shall die willingly in service!” she accepted it solemnly, as if receiving a sacred mission.
Empress Fu watched with foreboding, powerless to stop the events, silently praying for survival if all went awry.
At Dong Cheng’s mansion, in a hidden underground chamber, candlelight flickered over anxious yet exhilarated faces.
A bright yellow silk scroll lay on the table—the blood edict. Faint red characters read:
“…Cao the traitor seizes power, oppresses the sovereign… unite the loyal, eliminate the treacherous… do not fail my will!”
Dong Cheng’s fingers trembled as he touched the scroll. “Gentlemen! Look! Consort Dong has brought out the emperor’s blood-edict! He suffers in the inner palace, crying blood at night! As ministers of Han, having benefited from the state, can we allow traitors to run rampant while the dynasty falls?!”
Zhong Ji, hot-headed, slammed the table, knocking over a wine cup: “Guojiu need not speak further! Cao Cao brazenly oppresses the court. Now that the emperor has decreed it, we shall risk our lives to strike him! I command hundreds of loyal men ready to die for this cause!”
Liu Bei, cautious, furrowed his brow: “Eliminating Cao Cao is no easy task. Xuchang is filled with his spies and soldiers. The Tiger Guards are elite, and Xu Chu is unstoppable… we need a foolproof plan.”
Wu Zilan: “Brother Xuande is right. Yet we are not without hope. I have scouted that in three days, Cao Cao will review troops at the training grounds. His guards are numerous but not invulnerable. We can lie in ambush beneath the viewing platform…”
Dong Cheng’s eyes lit up. “Excellent! General Zhong will lead the death squads to assault the platform, General Zilan will seize the armory and free prisoners to create chaos! Once fire breaks out, the city will descend into turmoil!”
A previously silent Xiliang envoy scoffed, accent thick: “Guojiu, your plan sounds lively, but with just a few hundred men, can you even scratch the Tiger Guards? And your master (Ma Teng) is far in Xiliang, out of reach. If you act, Xuchang must fall into chaos first.”
Dong Cheng quickly replied: “General, rest assured! Xuchang will be in chaos. Ma Teng will send reinforcements! The emperor will declare Cao Cao a traitor, loyalists across the land will rally!”
Liu Bei recalled how Cao Zhi had shone during the Xiapi campaign and that the Jun-tian land equalization proposal was his brainchild. He warned: “Cao Cao’s son, Cao Zhi, is sharp-eyed and cunning. He is no ordinary child… we must not underestimate him.”
Dong Cheng waved dismissively: “Cao Zhi? A mere youth, indulging in wine and poetry, absorbed in words… what can he achieve? Do not fear him! Gentlemen, the fate of Han rests on this one strike! Success or failure hinges here!”
The gathered men, caught in the fever of the moment, raised their cups of blood wine, whispering with fervor: “Strike down the traitor! Restore Han!” “We pledge our lives to Your Majesty!” “For the emperor!”