Chapter 281

The ministers originally intended to protect themselves, but seeing Lu Zhi, Yang Biao, Wang Yun, and Yuan Kui all speak out, plus Liu Bian's performance today, they decided to take a gamble.

Even if they lost, they would have no regrets in their hearts. Even under the nine springs, seeing the ancestors of the Great Han, they could face them calmly.

Most people were holding a wait-and-see attitude at first. Originally, regarding Dong Zhuo's act of deposing and establishing, they were also turning a blind eye.

Because Liu Bian's performance at the beginning was indeed not suitable for being the emperor of the Great Han Empire. It would be better to support Liu Xie. With Liu Xie's intelligence, plus their help, as long as they planned slowly, overthrowing Dong Zhuo would not be difficult.

But now, when the officials saw Liu Bian's imperial aura that was so domineering that it suppressed the heavens and the universe and suppressed the nine heavens and ten earths, they found that they might have all misjudged.

Liu Bian's performance in the past was all hiding his own edge. He had been biding his time until now to show it.

Therefore, they changed their original intention. Even if they had to sacrifice their lives, they had to protect Liu Bian's majesty.

"We do not agree!!!" The officials shouted in response again.

"Ah... rebel! Rebel... you, you, you... you are really good..."

Dong Zhuo pointed at the officials below angrily, his tone trembling, his face already gloomy to the extreme, his fat face showing ferocity, filled with killing intent.

"Come, take these chaotic ministers and thieves to our family..."

Before he finished speaking, he was pulled by Li Ru. Li Ru hurriedly stepped forward to pull him and whispered: "Father-in-law, you must not be angry about this! Otherwise, our big event will be over."

"Father-in-law, although this group of people is hateful, they are all the pillars of the court. If they are all killed, the world will immediately fall into chaos, the entire Great Han Empire will immediately fall apart, and fall into a situation of warlord chaos and heroes rising together. Especially among this group of people, aristocratic families occupy the majority. If we move them, we will be besieged by heroes!"

"Son-in-law, what should we do now?"

Dong Zhuo heard Li Ru's words and was also startled. The anger in his heart was completely extinguished, and he hurriedly asked Li Ru.

"Father-in-law, this matter is simple. Don't these people not believe what you said? Let's follow the original plan and have the young emperor abdicate himself, won't that solve it? At that time, the emperor they recognize abdicates himself, heh, heh, heh... let's see what they have to say then!" Li Ru said with a sinister smile.

After Dong Zhuo heard Li Ru's words, his thoughts instantly cleared up, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Your Majesty, didn't you say last time that you felt you lacked courage and were not virtuous enough for the position, and wanted to abdicate to Chen Liu Wang? Since Your Majesty has this idea, I think, why not complete the abdication today?"

Dong Zhuo changed his usual face, turned around, bowed and clasped his fists, and said respectfully to Liu Bian.

Hearing this, the corners of Liu Bian's mouth lifted slightly, revealing a cold smile that was hard to detect. Liu Bian slowly stood up from the Dragon Throne, glanced at Dong Zhuo faintly, ignored him, and walked past Dong Zhuo, looking down at the officials below.

"Your Majesty, you must not let us down, you must not let the Great Han down!"

Looking at Liu Bian's majestic body, Lu Zhi, Yang Biao, Yuan Kui, and others were full of expectation, their hearts extremely nervous.

"Rest assured, Lu Zhi, Yang Biao, Yuan Kui, you did not let me down. In this life, I will not let you down either."

Liu Bian's sharp gaze swept over the officials, taking everyone's expressions into his eyes, and said solemnly in his heart.

In fact, Liu Bian had always ignored Dong Zhuo's words just now, just waiting for the officials' reaction, and the officials' reaction did not disappoint him.

He knew that the officials had not lost hope in him, and had not lost hope in the Great Han.

"Liu Xie, oh Liu Xie, you are really my good younger brother. It seems you are impatient for the imperial throne!"

Liu Bian's sharp gaze swept across the hall and finally stopped on Liu Xie, who was standing below the hall. The latter was looking at the Dragon Throne on the high platform with fiery heat, and the meaning in his eyes was self-evident.

"Hmph, the imperial throne was originally mine. If it weren't for your mother and He Jin, Liu Bian, how could it be your turn to sit on it? This position originally belonged to me, and it will belong to me in the future. And Dong Zhuo, this chaotic minister and thief, still wants to control me. I will pretend to submit to you first, and after I get the imperial throne, I will slowly find a way to get rid of you."

"As for my good emperor brother, then I'm sorry. For the future of the Great Han, only you can be sacrificed, which can be considered as contributing to the restoration of the Great Han."

Liu Xie, only nine years old, fantasized about the glory ahead. At a young age, he revealed great ambition and thought fiercely.

He didn't notice at all that Liu Bian's look at him was like looking at a dead person.

"Alright, Your Majesty, the time is not early, start the abdication."

Dong Zhuo said with a threatening look.

"Dong Zhuo, are you sure you want me to abdicate to this useless person?"

At this time, Liu Bian was no longer immersed, staring at Dong Zhuo with cold eyes, and shouted angrily.

"What, it's already this moment, and you still want to resist? Now, you have to agree whether you agree or not!"

Dong Zhuo stared dead at Liu Bian, his big hand already on the sword at his waist, his killing intent undisguised, threatening.

"Resist?"

"Prime Minister Dong is really wearing a big hat! Today, I have really learned something. As a minister, you actually dare to say 'resist' to your master?"

Liu Bian ignored Dong Zhuo's killing intent and threat, held his head high, flashes of light in his eyes, and his gaze swept over the officials below.

"Today, I only ask one question: among you, is there anyone who is still loyal to me, loyal to this Great Han Empire?"

Liu Bian's majestic voice sounded in the Grand Hall, directly reaching everyone's heart.

Hearing this,

The officials below were all shocked, falling into a roll of thoughts.

And Dong Zhuo did not make trouble, but looked at Liu Bian with mockery like a fool: "Death is imminent and you still think someone will help you. Our family would like to see who among this group of people will help you. Those who are not afraid of death, just stand out, our family will definitely execute his nine clans."

Following Dong Zhuo's voice, the originally noisy Grand Hall instantly became silent. The officials below fell into deep thought one after another.

This seemingly simple question from Liu Bian was a question of life and death for the officials below. If they chose the wrong side, they would be executed to the nine clans.

Being loyal to the emperor and loyal to the Han family was to go against Dong Zhuo. According to Dong Zhuo's personality, he would definitely not let them go. Therefore, the choice between loyalty and life was just a step away.

After a quarter of an hour, the empty Grand Hall finally returned to peace.

"I, Lu Zhi, swear to be loyal to His Majesty to the death." Lu Zhi was still the first to stand out. He was fearless of the threat of death, walked into the hall, stared at Liu Bian on the platform, and said loudly.

Sure enough, this vast Great Han still had ministers loyal to him.

"I, Yang Biao, swear to be loyal to His Majesty to the death."

"I, Wang Yun, swear to be loyal to His Majesty to the death."

"I, Yuan Kui, swear to be loyal to His Majesty to the death."

Following Lu Zhi's first stand out, these ministers loyal to the Great Han all stood out with firm faces and announced their loyalty.

"I, Cao Cao, am willing to be loyal to His Majesty to the death!"

"I, Yuan Shao, am willing to be loyal to His Majesty to the death!"

"Good, Shao'er, well done. You are worthy of being a man of my Yuan family. You did not let your uncle down. As a minister, loyalty should be the first."

Yuan Kui looked at the young Yuan Shao, laughed heroically, and said with satisfaction.

"Thank you, Uncle, for your praise. I, Yuan Shao, will definitely advance and retreat with Uncle and His Majesty today."

Yuan Shao laughed heroically, completely ignoring the impending crisis.

Following the exit of these people, before long, another group of people walked out from the civil and martial officials below, kneeling on the ground and saying:

"I, Cai Yong...

I, Wu Fu...

I, Dong Cheng...

I,...

We swear to be loyal to His Majesty to the death!"

Looking at the hundreds of officials, only twenty or thirty were left in their original positions. Clearly, these people's fear of death overcame their loyalty, and they were no longer loyal to Liu Bian.