After Emperor Ling of Han's funeral, the officials added a posthumous title for him.
Emperor Ling of Han's posthumous title was "Emperor Xiaoling," evaluating him as "chaotic but not harmful, thus 'Ling'," characterizing him as an ignorant, fearless, willful, and chaotic ruler.
From this, it can be seen that the aristocratic families deeply detested Emperor Ling of Han, who sought to touch their interests.
At the same time, this also reflected the powerful influence of the aristocratic families in the Imperial Court.
During Emperor Ling of Han's reign, the aristocratic families had firmly controlled the power of local recommendations, and their disciples were spread throughout the land, posing a great threat to imperial power.
To weaken the power of the aristocratic families, Emperor Ling of Han adopted a series of measures, such as selling official positions and titles, and establishing the Hongdu Gate School.
However, these measures did not fundamentally change the situation where the aristocratic families controlled the Imperial Court.
In general, Emperor Ling of Han was a controversial emperor.
Although some of his actions had profound implications, there were also problems in their implementation, ultimately leading to political corruption and social turmoil in the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Time flew by, and more than half a month had passed since that thrilling palace coup, and Liu Bian had already ascended to the throne.
However, despite his imperial status, he found it difficult to make substantial progress amidst the various factions.
The young Emperor Liu Bian, filled with gratitude, wished to bestow official positions and noble titles upon the meritorious officials who had bravely fought during the night of the palace coup, such as Lu Zhi, Ma Chao, and Sun Ce, to repay their contributions and efforts.
But regrettably, his decrees could not be smoothly transmitted.
In the Imperial Court, the major aristocratic families continued to vie for power, engaging in mutual suppression, completely disregarding the interests and future of the nation, caring only about their own families' power and status, displaying their arrogant demeanor without reservation.
Within the palace, it was further controlled by the eunuchs.
They resorted to extreme flattery, often coaxing Empress He into confusion.
Empress He, however, was merely a short-sighted woman, lacking any foresight, who only enjoyed brief moments of pleasure under the eunuchs' sweet talk, completely unconcerned with matters of the Imperial Court.
The eunuchs acted arbitrarily and arrogantly in the palace; they formed factions, eliminated dissenters, and turned the court into a chaotic and messy place.
Liu Bian watched all of this, his heart filled with helplessness and resentment, yet powerless to change this heartbreaking situation.
He deeply knew that although he was the Son of Heaven, in this complex Imperial Court, he was like a lonely traveler, struggling to move forward, unable to realize his ambitions and ideals.
At the same time, He Jin was complacent, yet displayed utter incompetence.
He was misled by the aristocratic families' flattery, believing he controlled everything, but in reality, he was deceived by their superficial compliments, like a puppet being led by the nose.
The aristocratic families exploited his weakness, flattering him to his face while secretly laughing behind his back, manipulating him at their whim.
He Jin, however, remained oblivious, still immersed in his illusory glory, turning a blind eye to the national crisis, becoming an absolute good-for-nothing.
Lu Zhi, having exerted all his strength during the night of the palace coup, was utterly exhausted.
Witnessing the ugly actions of various forces and the reality of his own exclusion, his heart was filled with deep indignation and helplessness.
---Divider---
That night, the dust settled.
Lu Zhi, Sun Ce, Ma Chao, Dian Wei, Pang De, and a group of heroes returned to their residences covered in blood.
Their appearance greatly frightened Madam Lu and Lu Wan.
After Lu Zhi was properly settled, Lu Wan walked towards Ma Chao with concern, intending to remove his armor for him.
Ma Chao quickly said that the bloodstains were not his and that he was not actually injured.
However, Lu Wan stubbornly insisted on removing his armor.
When the armor was removed, everyone was surprised to see the bruises and bloodstains on Ma Chao's back, and only then did they understand how much humiliation and torment Ma Chao had endured that day to summon troops.
Lu Wan saw the bruises and bloodstains on Ma Chao's body, and her heart was filled with pain and anger.
Her tears flowed uncontrollably, and her eyes were full of concern and anguish.
She tenderly stroked Ma Chao's wounds and softly asked, "Junior Brother, what happened to you? Why are you so severely injured?"
Ma Chao forced a smile and comforted her, "Wan'er, don't cry.
I'm fine, these are just superficial wounds."
Lu Wan listened, becoming even more saddened.
She knew that Ma Chao had fought at all costs for her father.
"Junior Brother, you have suffered," Lu Wan said, and tears flowed uncontrollably again.
She turned her head and looked at Lu Zhi, a flash of anger in her eyes.
She knew that these scars were caused by He Jin's indiscriminate beating.
She bit her lip, secretly vowing in her heart that she would definitely seek justice for Ma Chao.
"Father, Junior Brother was injured for the sake of our family; you must uphold justice for him!" Lu Wan said to Lu Zhi.
Lu Zhi recalled everything that had happened recently, his heart filled with bitterness and helplessness.
He looked at Lu Wan, forced a smile, and vaguely said, "Wan'er, don't worry, I will definitely uphold justice for Ma Chao."
However, deep in his heart, he was deeply pondering how to do it.
He understood that Ma Chao had risked his life for the country, yet suffered such humiliation, which pained him immensely.
He worried that Ma Chao might become disappointed in the country due to these experiences, or even be blinded by hatred.
Lu Zhi knew that he needed to soothe Ma Chao's heart and help him regain his faith and enthusiasm for the country.
He had to come up with a proper solution that would both give Ma Chao the respect and compensation he deserved, and also make him understand the greater righteousness and responsibility of the nation, so that he would not lose hope for the future due to temporary grievances.
Madam Lu noticed the fatigue and helplessness in Lu Zhi's eyes.
She sighed softly, then gently interjected, "Alright, Wan'er, everyone is tired.
Your father also needs rest; let them go rest first."
Her voice was full of concern and thoughtfulness, as if she wanted to ease the tense atmosphere with her tenderness.
Madam Lu walked to Lu Zhi's side, gently held his hand, offering him silent support and comfort.
Upon hearing Madam Lu's words, everyone also realized Lu Zhi's exhaustion, so they silently nodded and left with complex feelings.
Although Lu Wan still had worries and unwillingness in her heart, she obeyed her mother's words and helped Ma Chao leave together.
Lu Zhi, having exerted all his strength during the night of the palace coup, was utterly exhausted.
Witnessing the ugly actions of various forces and the reality of his own exclusion, his heart was filled with deep indignation and helplessness.
Lu Zhi slept for a day and a night, accompanied by a fever, a strong and decisive hero his entire life, now battered and bruised by reality, falling ill.
Even so, after waking up, Lu Zhi was still worried, fearing that Ma Chao, being young and not strong-willed, would be blinded by hatred and unfair treatment.
Lu Zhi, enduring his illness, called Ma Chao to his side with a pale face.
He looked at Ma Chao, his eyes full of worry and expectation.
Lu Zhi slowly said, "Ma Chao, the Han Dynasty has endured for over four hundred years, and its deep-seated problems and the entrenched power of the aristocratic families cannot be changed overnight.
Look at Emperor Ling of Han; he dedicated his life to changing all of this, doing his utmost for the country and his family, yet in the end, he bore such a terrible reputation.
As your master, I have also strived for this country my entire life, wanting to make it better."
He paused, then continued, "We all know that without continuous change from generation to generation, this country will eventually fall apart, and the common people will suffer immensely.
Mengqi, your master hopes that you can pull yourself together and not be blinded by temporary hatred.
Do not forget your original aspirations; continue to serve the country."
Ma Chao quietly listened to Lu Zhi's words, and the grief and confusion in his heart gradually dissipated.
He understood Lu Zhi's painstaking efforts and deeply knew the responsibility he bore.
He nodded solemnly and said, "Master, rest assured, I will not disappoint you, and I will not forget the greater righteousness of the nation due to temporary hatred.
I will continue to fight for the country and live up to your expectations."
When the posthumous title of Emperor Ling of Han and the various fabricated evil deeds were spread, Lu Zhi was overwhelmed with grief and indignation, spitting blood on the spot, and his already severe illness worsened.
He lay on his sickbed, his heart filled with worry for the Han Dynasty's empire, heartache over the aristocratic families' distortion of right and wrong, and resentment towards the endless internal struggles of various factions.
He deeply knew that the current situation was becoming increasingly difficult, and he was powerless to turn the tide.
