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Within Deyang Hall, an eerie silence prevailed.
Liu Xie, the young emperor, was little more than a figurehead. His role in court was limited to two phrases: "All ministers, rise," and "The Chancellor's proposal is most fitting…" Even the call to end the session was left to a eunuch, leaving him with no real involvement. Just moments ago, he had dared to utter an extra sentence—a rare occurrence that had caught Dong Zhuo's attention.
Fortunately, it was a trivial matter. To Dong Zhuo, it was merely the naive utterance of a child unaware of the talents outside the hall, so he paid it little mind.
But if Liu Xie were to speak further, it would be inappropriate. Thus, he tightly pursed his lips, quietly observing from behind the imperial crown[^1].
Dong Zhuo, too, remained silent.
The matter at hand was clearly a scheme by the Shandong noble families to cause trouble. Though it had been thwarted by the two men standing below the steps through a stroke of fortune, for Dong Zhuo, restraining his fury was already a significant effort. He had no desire to say a word.
Grand Tutor Yuan Wei also held his tongue.
The fact that these two men had disrupted the entire plan was infuriating enough. Now, to add insult to injury, they were to be commended? How could he possibly feel at ease? Moreover, from another perspective, the priority now was to distance himself from the affair. How could he risk speaking carelessly?
Li Ru, likewise, said nothing.
Though he and Dong Zhuo had devised a contingency plan, that didn't mean he would easily let Yuan Wei of the Yuan clan or Yang Biao of the Yang clan off the hook. The timing wasn't right to deal with them yet, so he could only bide his time. But letting them off didn't mean they would escape so easily—keeping them in check was only natural.
As for the others in the hall, in this tense standoff between titans, they wished they could vanish or find a crack in the floor to slip into. Who would dare step forward and draw attention to themselves?
Thus, an unnatural silence descended upon the great hall, an awkward atmosphere spreading like a creeping fog…
Fei Qian knelt upright on his mat, muttering to himself inwardly. Good grief, I thought by the time I arrived, everything would have been discussed, compromises made, and losses accepted. But looking at this situation, it's clear no one's talked anything out. It's like a massive battle is about to erupt…
Unfortunately, with his low status and lack of influence, he had no right to speak. He could only continue kneeling, playing the part of an obedient child.
Beside him, Zhang Liao was faring worse. On the battlefield, he could outshine Fei Qian by leagues, but here, he was visibly struggling. Sweat dripped down his temples, itching and uncomfortable, yet he didn't dare wipe it away.
In Han dynasty court etiquette, the rule for kneeling was simple: "Sit as still as a corpse…"
A corpse doesn't move.
Wipe sweat?
Don't even think about it!
So, Zhang Liao could only endure.
Thankfully, Wang Yun finally broke the silence, calling out the names of the two men below the steps: "Cavalry Commandant Zhang Wenyuan, Left Assistant Secretary Fei Ziyuan…"
There was no helping it. Though Wang Yun held the rank of Minister of the Imperial Stable, he also concurrently served as Prefect of the Masters of Writing[^2]. Whether it was rewards or punishments for these two, they would pass through the Masters of Writing office. Moreover, his rise to Minister of the Imperial Stable had come from his ability to mediate between Dong Zhuo and Yuan Wei. In this situation, it was only fitting—both publicly and privately—that he be the one to speak.
Zhang Liao visibly relaxed.
Both men stood, clasping their hands and responding in acknowledgment.
"Both of you, recount the events at Hangu Pass in detail. Conceal nothing, understood?" Wang Yun declared loudly.
The matter of Hangu Pass had already been submitted in a written report. Ironically, aside from Emperor Liu Xie, nearly everyone in the hall had read it. Most already had a clear understanding of the truth behind the events.
Ordinarily, suppressing Yellow Turban rebels wouldn't warrant a special audience in court to recount the matter. This wasn't some grand achievement like slaying the three Yellow Turban leaders, Zhang Jue and his brothers. According to the report, only a little over three thousand rebels had been killed. Was that worth bringing to Deyang Hall for discussion?
When Huangfu Song had crushed the Yellow Turbans years ago, not every general was summoned to the capital for an audience. Huangfu Song, as the commanding general, naturally met with the emperor, but most mid- and lower-ranking officers remained in Guangzong, awaiting their appointments. A skirmish involving three thousand Yellow Turbans, had it not occurred at Hangu Pass and clearly implicated both factions in the Luoyang power struggle, wouldn't have merited a court appearance. It would have been settled with some reward money and a minor title.
It certainly wouldn't have been blown out of proportion like this…
The matter now hinged on Dong Zhuo's intentions—whether to let it slide or dig deeper. If he chose not to pursue it, it would be treated as a routine Yellow Turban incident. But if he dug deeper, things could get messy.
By asking Zhang Liao and Fei Qian to recount the events publicly, Wang Yun aimed to settle the matter definitively in front of everyone…
Moreover, Wang Yun hadn't been briefed by Li Ru, so he was unaware of Dong Zhuo's true stance. Thus, he opted for the safest approach: letting Zhang Liao and Fei Qian speak for themselves, emphasizing "conceal nothing" to absolve himself of responsibility, regardless of whether they revealed the full truth.
As Zhang Liao held a higher rank than Fei Qian and was the primary commander, he took the lead in recounting the "Yellow Turban" incident at Hangu Pass.
Though he had seemed nervous moments earlier, once he began speaking, Zhang Liao's voice was steady, his account clear and measured.
He spoke plainly, avoiding speculation or judgment, simply detailing the events: he had encountered trouble in Gu City, traced its origins to Hangu Pass, met Fei Qian who had escaped, learned that the Pass Commandant was colluding with the Yellow Turbans, swiftly seized the pass before the enemy could prepare, defended against Commandant Zheng Jian's siege, and ultimately killed Zheng Jian and his leaders through a stratagem, lifting the siege…
Fei Qian added that he had been accompanying the Cai family's book transport to Hangu Pass when Zheng Jian ambushed them, setting fire to the post station. In his escape, he burned the eastern wall of Hangu Pass and later met Zhang Liao…
After their accounts, many in the hall quietly sighed in relief. Neither had mentioned anything about the Shandong noble families. At most, it was suggested that the Zheng clan of Xingyang had somehow gotten entangled with the "Yellow Turbans." Given that Dong Zhuo's forces from Xingyang had once clashed with the Guandong Coalition, it wasn't implausible that this led to the Hangu Pass incident.
In any case, the two men hadn't said anything incriminating…
The matter could have ended there.
Unexpectedly, Li Ru spoke up: "Left Assistant Secretary Fei Ziyuan, you arrived at Hangu Pass before Cavalry Commandant Zhang Wenyuan. Did you notice anything unusual?"
Fei Qian's heart nearly leapt out of his chest. Damn it, Li Ru, what's with going off-script? We had an agreement—don't tell me you're changing your mind now!
Can't you play fair? This isn't how it's supposed to go…
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T/N: Dude is sweating, lol