Chapter 91

"Your words are reasonable, my minister." After listening to Grand Tutor Yuan Wei, Emperor Ling of Han felt that if Qin Feng were not punished, it would be unjust. After all, Qin Feng had confiscated the property of a high-ranking official without reporting it. If he were not punished, others would follow suit, which would be disastrous!

However, Zhang Rang spoke up, saying, "Your Majesty, what Qin Feng did was not ordinary. He acted out of necessity for the court. If he is punished for this, it will discourage others from taking action in similar situations in the future. Would we just stand by and watch chaos unfold?"

Zhang Rang, who had always been at odds with the officials, added, "At this critical time, Cui Lie did not think of serving the country but instead took the opportunity to plunder the people. Instead of learning from this and treating the people well, you are turning it around. Would you have the soldiers watch as the wicked force the people to rebel?"

Yuan Wei and the others were furious, thinking that if anyone was guilty of oppressing the people and forcing them to rebel, it was the Ten Attendants.

However, some things could not be said openly.

Emperor Ling of Han, upon hearing this, reconsidered and found Zhang Rang's words reasonable.

At this moment, He Jin, who had been silent, stepped forward. He was a large man with a thick neck, a full beard, and a big mouth. He declared in a booming voice, "Attendant Zhang's words are reasonable. Cui Lie's actions have caused great public outrage, and a rebellion is imminent. If our soldiers ignore such events, it would be tantamount to rebellion." He then looked at Yuan Wei coldly and said, "Do you, Grand Tutor, want the soldiers to rebel?"

"Your Majesty, I have no such intention. I am also thinking of the court," Yuan Wei said, kneeling before Emperor Ling of Han.

Thus, the matter was suppressed by Zhang Rang and He Jin. Zhang Rang had always been at odds with the officials, while He Jin, at this time, was not yet the He Jin whose sister had become Empress Dowager. His sister in the palace needed to maintain her favor and thus had to maintain good relations with the Ten Attendants. He spoke up for Qin Feng because Qin Feng was a general under his command, and it was also a way to show goodwill to the Ten Attendants. Although He Jin was fundamentally opposed to the Ten Attendants, in politics, there are no eternal enemies, and sometimes compromises must be made.

The officials were indignant, but seeing Emperor Ling of Han's bias towards the Ten Attendants, they feared that excessive resistance would lead to disaster similar to the Partisan Prohibitions, so they remained silent.

Yuan Wei, who had not been punished, breathed a sigh of relief. As the leader of the gentry, he had already stood up for the Cui family, and the officials would not blame him for inaction.

Emperor Ling of Han also had his methods. To appease the officials, he did not reward Qin Feng but instead issued an edict reprimanding him. In the end, his merits and faults were balanced, and he was ordered to lead the army well. The officials thus felt somewhat relieved.

Additionally, due to this matter, Qin Feng, who had presented countless riches, left a particularly deep and favorable impression on Emperor Ling of Han.

A day later, the sound of galloping horses and an urgent imperial edict arrived in Ye City.

In the main hall of the Zhen family residence, incense was burning on the altar. Behind the altar stood the imperial envoy, and Qin Feng knelt to receive the edict.

"On the 28th day of the sixth month of the first year of Zhongping, the emperor decrees: 'Qin Feng, as the Commander of the Cavalry, confiscated the property of the Cui family. Although his actions were for the sake of the country, they were too extreme and not befitting a minister. Considering his contributions to the state and that this is his first offense, his merits and faults are balanced, and he will not be punished... Furthermore, Qin Feng, Cao Cao, and Yuan Shao must reach the front lines in Guangzong within three days. Any disobedience will be punished according to military law...'

Zhen Yi, who had been kneeling at the end, breathed a sigh of relief, feeling weak and almost collapsing. However, he was overjoyed and deeply impressed, "My son-in-law truly has the means. This is a great escape from disaster, and it will bring good fortune. My Zhen family will also be blessed, blessed..."

To become the foremost family in the land, one must produce a top-ranking official. Therefore, after escaping this disaster, Zhen Yi made a decision to fully support his son-in-law, so that the Zhen family could rise to prominence.

Cao Cao was extremely shocked, "He confiscated the property of a high-ranking official and got away with it? This is unbelievable!"

Yuan Shao was also taken aback, "In four hundred years of the Han dynasty, this is unprecedented..."

Liu Bei secretly resented the court's incompetence, "If he can confiscate the property of a high-ranking official today, he could do the same to the Three Excellencies tomorrow, and even the imperial family the day after. I must not offend Qin Zijin."

Therefore, when everyone stood up, Liu Bei was the first to congratulate him, saying, "Brother Zijin, your loyalty to the country has moved the emperor, and you have been spared punishment. This is truly a cause for celebration, a cause for celebration!"

Cao Cao and Yuan Shao also offered their congratulations.

Qin Feng accepted their congratulations with a smile. History had brought these four men together, and they were now part of the political system of the late Eastern Han dynasty. It was not yet time for them to turn against each other, and for now, they were colleagues.

At this moment, the envoy handed Qin Feng and the others a notice to be circulated among the military units, which read: "Today, we have received good news from various regions, but there has been no movement in Guangzong. The rebel leaders Zhang Jiao, Zhang Bao, and Zhang Liang have gathered over 200,000 rebels from Youzhou and Jiuzhou in Guangzong. General Lu Zhi has been消极 defending, delaying the opportunity, and has been replaced by General Dong Zhuo..."

Everyone was shocked.

Cao Cao and Yuan Shao were particularly dissatisfied, "Who is Dong Zhuo? How can he be compared to General Lu Zhi!"

Liu Bei's face turned grim. He had come to Guangzong to serve under Lu Zhi, as he was a nominal disciple. Serving under his mentor, he would surely receive some favor. He thought to himself, "Heaven is about to bestow a great mission on this man, and it will first test his resolve and strength..."

Qin Feng thought it was a bad omen. In his view, Dong Zhuo taking over from Lu Zhi was a clear sign of the impending defeat of the government forces in Guangzong. Due to Qin Feng's presence, the Yellow Turban rebels in Guangzong were already twice as strong as in history. If they broke through the government's defenses, they would sweep across the Central Plains, and the situation would be uncontrollable.

Qin Feng ordered his men to present money and gifts to the envoy and sent him away. He could not wait any longer and said, "Since the court has issued an order, we must set out immediately for the Guangzong camp."

The emperor had given them only three days, and if they did not leave today, it would be too late tomorrow. Therefore, Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and Liu Bei agreed and began their preparations.

Qin Feng then said to Zhen Yi, "Father-in-law, I have five million coins here. Please keep them. Use part of it to help the disaster victims, and send the rest to General He Jin and the Ten Attendants in Luoyang."

Zhen Yi, a shrewd man, understood his intentions. This would increase his reputation and win the favor of the powerful. He felt that his son-in-law was not a rash man or a mere clean and upright official, but someone extraordinary, capable of reaching high office.

Zhen Yi patted his chest and said, "My son-in-law, rest assured. Focus on fighting the enemy, and I will take care of everything else." He added urgently, "Remember to be cautious and protect yourself. If anything changes, run first. Remember, my two daughters are waiting for you to return."

It is worth noting that Qin Feng had already made a genuine marriage contract with the Zhen family, and he would marry both daughters once Zhen Mi came of age.

An hour later, outside Ye City.

After getting off the carriage of the Zhen sisters, Qin Feng, with his two wives tearfully seeing him off, steeled his heart and joined Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and Liu Bei, leading their men towards Guangzong.

The next day, as Qin Feng and the others entered the eastern part of Guangping and the territory of Chizhang County, they saw a group of soldiers escorting a prison cart coming towards them.

They saw Lu Zhi, wearing a prisoner's uniform with the word "prisoner" written on it, standing in the cart, with only his disheveled head and hands visible through the holes in the top of the cart.

Qin Feng's heart sank, "This is bad. Dong Zhuo must have already taken command of the government forces in Guangzong. He will launch a hasty attack on the rebels. If he fails, the three northern provinces will have no troops to defend them..."

Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and Liu Bei were already shocked by the sight of Lu Zhi, and upon hearing this, they were even more terrified.

"This can't be possible," Yuan Shao said doubtfully.

At this moment, Liu Bei, along with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, had already rushed over to see his "mentor" Lu Zhi. However, it was Lu Zhi in the prison cart who shouted first, "Is that Zijin? Quickly stop Dong Zhuo! Before I was taken away, he had already begun to mobilize the troops. If he launches a hasty attack, he will not be a match for the Zhang brothers, and our army will be in grave danger!"

Cao Cao and Yuan Shao looked at each other, amazed by Qin Feng's foresight. On the other hand, if Dong Zhuo were to be defeated, the Yellow Turban rebels would turn the tide, and the situation would be extremely dire.