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As Fei Qian followed Cai Yong back, Cai Yong still wore a look of sorrow and reluctance.
Once inside the city, Cai Yong had no mood to chat much with Fei Qian, so the two parted ways and headed to their respective homes.
As Fei Qian walked halfway, he suddenly noticed a figure at the street corner ahead that looked very much like Cao Cao. Just as he was about to call out, the figure turned the corner and disappeared.
Forget it, he wasn't sure if it was really him. But what is Cao Cao up to these days? He hasn't been seen recently, and there's been little news of him.
Fei Qian pondered. According to his memory, in the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," it seems that Cao Cao teamed up with Wang Yun, took a precious dagger, and attempted to assassinate Dong Zhuo?
That might make some sense, but based on Fei Qian's recent encounters with Cao Cao, would someone as suspicious as Cao Cao really act so impulsively, like a hot-blooded youth, and just go for it with a dagger?
Fei Qian muttered to himself, speculating that if Cao Cao really got his hands on the Seven-Star Treasure Dagger, he would probably turn around and offer it to Dong Zhuo, then flee Luoyang, spreading the story that he had attempted to assassinate Dong Zhuo but failed, all to gain fame...
That would be more in line with Cao Cao's character, wouldn't it?
Ah, I still need to practice the Middle Peace Spear technique that Zhang Liao taught me when I get home. At least I should master it before the medicinal ointment loses its effect...
How frustrating, I feel more and more that time is running out.
The current situation is becoming increasingly tense. After Yuan Shao left, Cao Cao fled, and soon the Battle of Hulao Pass will begin. Once the Hulao Pass is blocked by the allied forces from the east, there will be no way to escape...
But there's so much to do now—
Old Liu Hong left, leaving behind a pile of textbooks and homework...
I don't know what I did to offend Cai Yan, but she also gave me a heap of books and inscriptions to copy...
The Middle Peace Spear technique for self-defense that Zhang Liao taught me...
Fei Qian shook his head, his face filled with sorrow—why can't I just instantly master everything after time-traveling? In those time-travel dramas I've seen, people would bow and call someone "lord" at the drop of a hat, learn anything effortlessly, and their combat skills could rival Lu Bu and Guan Yu, while their intelligence could outwit Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi. But here I am, treading carefully with everyone, and even learning a single move leaves me sore...
I wish I had traveled to a time where a few heartfelt words about the suffering of the people would make others bow to me...
Otherwise, with the eloquence I honed in the office, I could easily outwit those fools who readily bow to a lord.
But now, I can only envy and think about it...
How disheartening...
***************
Cao Cao was personally measuring the route step by step.
The royal palaces of the Eastern Han Dynasty's Luoyang city were mainly the Southern Palace and the Northern Palace, connected by a covered walkway. This walkway consisted of three parallel paths: the central one was reserved for the emperor, while the two side paths were for officials and attendants.
The north gate of the Southern Palace and the south gate of the Northern Palace faced each other, creating a layout that resembled a slightly larger "吕" character.
Originally, Emperor Guangwu (Liu Xiu) focused on the Southern Palace for administrative purposes, so it had many palaces and complex structures. However, by the late Eastern Han Dynasty, especially during the reign of Emperor Ling, the emperor became increasingly lazy and even refused to walk the covered walkway, choosing instead to hold court in the Northern Palace. Over time, the administrative center gradually shifted from the Southern Palace to the Northern Palace.
Earlier, when Yuan Shu and Cao Cao were planning, they expected the deposed Emperor Liu Bian to be placed in a palace in the Southern Palace, most likely the Jiade Hall, located north of the Mingguang Hall in the Southern Palace.
The Jiade Hall had a good name, but by the time of Emperor Ling, it had lost its "virtue." After Emperor Ling ascended the throne, he posthumously honored his deceased father as Emperor Xiaoren and his mother, Lady Dong, as Empress Xiaoren, who resided in the Jiade Hall.
However, after Empress Dowager Dou died, Empress Xiaoren finally achieved her goal, rising from a daughter-in-law to a mother-in-law, and began meddling in court politics. With her strong support, Emperor Ling's practice of selling official titles reached its peak, even selling positions as high as the Three Excellencies...
Cui Lie's position as Minister over the Masses was bought during that period...
In the sixth year of the Zhongping era, Emperor Ling died in the Jiade Hall.
Not long ago, General-in-Chief He Jin was also inexplicably killed in the square in front of the Jiade Hall...
Thus, the Jiade Hall was sealed off and considered an inauspicious place.
Therefore, it would make sense to place the deposed emperor in such a location.
However, according to Cao Cao's informants in the palace, the deposed Emperor Liu Bian was not in the Jiade Hall of the Southern Palace but was instead hidden in a small palace in the northeast corner of Luoyang—the Yong'an Palace.
Cao Cao speculated that Li Ru might have considered the Southern Palace too close to the residences of the Three Excellencies, making it unsafe. After all, the Eastern side of the Southern Palace was not far from the residences of the Three Excellencies, especially the Minister of War, whose residence was just a few walls away...
But this arrangement caused significant trouble for Cao Cao and Yuan Shu's plan.
Originally, if they escaped from the Southern Palace, they would only need to pass through two intersections to reach the southern gate, beyond which was the Luo River. They could escape by land or water, making it very convenient. With just a little delay of the pursuers, they could easily get away...
But now, with the deposed emperor in Yong'an Palace, there were only two escape routes—one was to directly break out through the Shangdong Gate near Yong'an Palace. This route was the shortest and fastest, but just north of the Shangdong Gate was Mount Mang, which was difficult to traverse and would make it easy for pursuers to follow and block them. The other route was to pass through the residential areas of the high-ranking officials, the Buguangli and Yongheli neighborhoods, and exit through the Zhongdong Gate. Although this route was longer and more prone to interception, once they exited the Zhongdong Gate, they would reach Luoyang's horse market, where the bustling crowd would make it easy to hide...
Both routes had their pros and cons, and Cao Cao couldn't immediately decide which one to take. He had to personally visit the site to measure and calculate.
Cao Cao stood by the street, wearing an ordinary robe and a dark green linen cloak, blending into the crowd unnoticed.
Cao Cao carefully observed his surroundings, constantly calculating in his mind. He was very familiar with the Buguangli and Yongheli area, as he was a frequent visitor there. Many officials lived in this area, so if he could ensure that these high-ranking officials stayed indoors at the critical moment, their few guards and private soldiers would be unlikely to act on their own. This would actually make it easier to escape. Once they exited the Zhongdong Gate and mixed into the horse market, they would be like fish in a vast river, making it much harder to find them...
So now the question was how to ensure that these high-ranking officials stayed inside their residences at the critical moment...
As for whether to inform Yuan Shu that the deposed emperor was not in the Southern Palace, Cao Cao didn't even think about it and decided not to tell Yuan Shu. After all, Yuan Shu had previously tricked him during the incident with General-in-Chief He Jin, and that score was still unsettled. This time, letting Yuan Shu attack the Southern Palace would serve two purposes: first, it would draw the attention of the guards and reduce the pressure on Cao Cao's side; second, it would be a payback for the He Jin incident.
It's only polite to return the favor...