Chương 331: Reactions of Various Warlords

"By imperial decree, we now gather righteous troops from across the land, vowing to sweep away the traitors and restore the Han dynasty. All loyal and righteous men, rise up immediately upon hearing this decree and join us in this national crisis!"

With the final stroke, he threw the pen onto the table, looked up at the crowd, and saw an inextinguishable fire burning in his eyes:

"The Emperor is trapped in the deep palace by Dong Zhuo, powerless. How could he have gotten a secret edict to pass through? But without the Emperor's name, our uprising would be without justification, making us no different from a mutinous army."

He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:

"This forged imperial edict was written by me, Cao Cao, and I alone will bear the consequences. If it can summon righteous men from all over the land to kill the traitor Dong Zhuo, even if I die ten thousand times, it will be worth it!"

Weiz then cupped his hands and said, "Mengde has such great ambitions, I am willing to devote all my wealth to helping you spread your edict throughout the world!"

Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, Cao Hong... all knelt on one knee and said:

"We are willing to follow the general and face the national crisis together!"

Cao Cao looked at his brothers, his eyes welling up with tears, but he forced himself not to let them fall.

...

The following morning, dozens of fast horses carrying the sealed forged imperial edict galloped out of the city gates and set off for various prefectures and counties throughout the land.

The horses' hooves shattered the morning frost, and the splashed mud landed on the withered grass by the roadside, also sounding the first war drumbeat of the chaotic late Han Dynasty.

Heading north, heading south, heading west, heading north.

...

Chenliu County, Chenliu Commandery, Yuan Shao's Prefecture.

Yuan Shao was discussing matters with Feng Ji and Xu You...

Just then, a gatekeeper came to report that there was a secret document from Cao Cao, as well as an imperial edict.

"An imperial edict?"

Yuan Shao was taken aback, then ordered someone to bring it over.

He unwrapped the silk scroll, read it word by word, and then slammed his hand on the table. The bronze wine vessel on the table rattled loudly, and wine spilled all over the table.

"Good! Good indeed! Well done, Cao Mengde!"

Yuan Shao's eyes reddened, and his voice was filled with suppressed resentment and excitement.

He confronted Dong Zhuo in court, fled Luoyang in a fit of anger, and lived in the small town of Chenliu. He thought day and night about eliminating the traitor, but he had no legitimate reason to do so.

This imperial edict now gives him a legitimate opportunity!

Feng Ji leaned closer and glanced at it, his expression changing slightly, and whispered:

"My lord, this edict... though it is very well forged, the emperor is trapped in the deep palace, and Dong Zhuo has spies everywhere. How could a secret edict have reached Chenliu? It is probably a forged edict by Mengde."

Yuan Shao raised his hand to stop him, and sneered:

"Does it matter whether it's true or false?"

He placed the silk on the table, his gaze sweeping over the two men, and said:

"Dong Zhuo wreaked havoc on the court, deposed and installed emperors, and the people of the land wanted him dead. This edict is the banner of righteous men throughout the land! Even if it is a forged edict, it is still a righteous act to restore the Han Dynasty!"

He immediately gave the order:

"Issue my order to summon all civil and military officials immediately to discuss the matter of raising an army! Tell them that Yuan Shao has responded to the Emperor's secret edict and vowed to punish Dong Zhuo!"

Xu You bowed and smiled from the side:

"Our lord comes from a family that has held high office for four generations, and his disciples and former officials are all over the land. If you were to lead an army, all the lords of the land would surely flock to your cause! Who else but you deserves the position of leader of this alliance?"

Upon hearing this, a slight smile finally appeared on Yuan Shao's face.

......

Nanyang Commandery, Yuan Shu's residence.

Compared to the excitement and exhilaration on Yuan Shao's side, Yuan Shu's side was much calmer.

He held the silk handkerchief, his fingertips twirling the bright yellow edge. He first chuckled, then narrowed his eyes.

He was the eldest son of the Yuan family and held the official rank of General of the Rear, which was more prestigious than that of Yuan Shao, who was born out of wedlock. He had always looked down on Cao Cao, the son of a eunuch.

But today, I have to admire this kid's audacity.

"A forged imperial edict? Cao Cao certainly dares to think and act."

Yuan Shu tossed the imperial edict to his chief clerk, Yang Hong, and said casually:

"That old scoundrel Dong Zhuo has seized control of the court and cut off the Yuan family's path. I've wanted to deal with him for a long time. I just didn't expect that this brat would beat me to it."

After reading the imperial edict, Yang Hong cupped his hands and said:

"My lord, although Cao Cao struck first, he has few soldiers and generals and will ultimately amount to nothing. You are a direct descendant of the Yuan family, with four generations of high-ranking officials. Which prominent family in the world does not look up to you? The position of leader of the anti-Dong Zhuo alliance should rightfully be yours. Even if it isn't, we must never let Yuan Shao take it away."

He paused, then lowered his voice and said, "Now that you have this imperial edict, it is a perfect opportunity for you to make a name for yourself and win over the hearts of the people."

A glint of light flashed in Yuan Shu's eyes, and he immediately slammed his hand on the table and stood up, saying:

"That's right! My Yuan family has enjoyed the Han dynasty's bounty for generations; how can we sit idly by and watch our emperor and father suffer?"

He strode to the door and shouted into the courtyard:

"Pass down the order! Gather all troops, prepare sufficient provisions and weapons, and immediately respond to the imperial edict and march north!"

He paused, then added:

"Keep a close eye on Yuan Shao's movements. Wherever he goes, we will go; we must not fall behind."

Yang Hong understood immediately and bowed, saying:

"Understood."

......

Changsha Prefecture, drill ground.

Sun Jian was shirtless, sparring with Huang Gai.

The two weapons collided in mid-air with a loud clang, sparks flying everywhere!

The soldiers watching cheered loudly, their shouts echoing across the training ground.

Sun Jian sheathed his sword, wiped the sweat from his face, and was about to speak when a fast horse galloped into the training ground.

The messenger quickly dismounted, held up the secret document, and shouted:

"My lord! There is a secret edict from the Emperor!"

Sun Jian was taken aback. He took the silk scroll, scanned only a few lines, and his face instantly darkened.

He slammed the knife in his hand to the ground, the blade hitting the ground and dust flying everywhere!

"That old scoundrel Dong Zhuo! Does he think our Han Dynasty has no one to rely on?!"

Sun Jian's eyes were bloodshot, his tiger-like eyes were filled with rage, and the veins on his forehead were bulging. He looked like he wanted to devour someone.

He was by nature strong-willed and hated treacherous officials who brought chaos to the country.

Having heard that Dong Zhuo had deposed the emperor, murdered the empress, and harmed the people, he had long been unable to contain himself, and now that the imperial edict had been issued, he was even more furious.

Zhu Zhi strode forward, read the imperial edict, and immediately cupped his hands in greeting, saying:

"My lord! Dong Zhuo has wreaked havoc on the land, and the people are displaced. This is the perfect opportunity for you, General, to restore the Han Dynasty and make your name in history! We are willing to follow you, General, even unto death!"

Huang Gai and Zu Mao stepped forward together and echoed in unison:

"I am willing to follow the general and join forces to punish the traitor Dong Zhuo!"

Sun Jian grabbed a cloak from the side, haphazardly draped it over himself, and sternly ordered:

"Order! All troops in Changsha must assemble within three days! Gather the elite forces, prepare several months' worth of provisions, and depart immediately to march north to defend the Emperor! Anyone who dares to delay will be punished according to military law!"

He mounted his horse, his whip pointing directly north towards Luoyang, the sound echoing across the training ground: