Chapter 1: The Poisonous Wine of Death

The verses she sang were imbued with deep sorrow, yet Liu Bian maintained a serene smile, undisturbed as he listened

The soft candlelight illuminates the wine glass, which refracts a lustrous sheen, creating a truly beautiful sight

However, Tang Ji seemed to have completely ignored Li Ru's expression, and with a sorrowful look, she bowed to Liu Bian and softly said, "Your Majesty wishes to see Tang Ji perform songs and dances; how could I possibly refuse such a request"

Two days ago, from the eunuch who served and monitored his every move, he inadvertently received a piece of news: the lords of the East have risen in arms to attack Dong Zhuo, and they have now reached outside the Tiger Pass.

He has participated countless times in counter-terrorism and drug enforcement operations, and has also been assigned multiple times to infiltrate unfriendly countries to carry out assassination and rescue missions. As a soldier in a peaceful era, his hands, however, are not free from bloodshed

Liu Bian also trembled slightly, looking at Li Ru standing before him with a sense of sorrow and indignation

Lady Tang tightly embraced Liu Bian, the reluctance in her heart needing no words to express, as it was already abundantly clear. Once Liu Bian departed from this world, her life as a woman would be exceedingly sorrowful in the years to come

For several consecutive days, he stood here each day observing the terrain outside the window. The palaces and paths visible from the window had almost been completely memorized by him, and he was fully aware of the exact timing and routes of the nearby patrolling guards during their shifts.

With both hands holding the tray, the eunuch halted his steps, turning his head to look at Li Ru with a somewhat troubled expression

The rosy lips moved a few times, as if Tang Ji had something to say to Liu Bian, but after hesitating for a long time, she ultimately said nothing.

As she danced gracefully, her bright red silk gown fluttered up and down like a flame, adding a touch of warmth to the chilly early spring

Leading two eunuchs into the room was a middle-aged scholar dressed in a moon-white robe, slender in build and not particularly tall. Upon entering the room, as he looked at Liu Bian, a cunning and sinister glint flickered in his narrow eyes

The wind flowed in through the window, and the flames of the white candles on the candelabrum flickered, casting a layer of dim yellow light throughout the room

As the dance concluded, the Tang maiden withdrew her graceful form, rushed to Liu Bian's side, and threw herself into his embrace. She tightly wrapped her arms around his waist, buried her head in his chest, and could no longer suppress the sorrow within her heart, beginning to weep softly.

"The Empress Dowager..." When Li Ru uttered the words "The Empress Dowager has passed away," Tang Ji's almond-shaped eyes widened in shock, her small hand covering her mouth as she took two steps back in fear, tears streaming down her cheeks.

If it were not for the tuft of goatee on his chin that attests to his masculinity, the middle-aged scholar would give the impression of a woman with a venomous nature

She is two years younger than Liu Bian, and at this age, her figure has not yet fully developed. Her small bosom is not particularly full, and even her two cheeks still carry a hint of youthful innocence.

The bright moon hangs over the eaves, casting a faint silver glow upon the corner towers and palaces within the high walls, adding a touch of desolation to the palace walls of Luoyang

Although it lacks some mature charm, Tang Ji is after all a woman married to an emperor, and her appearance is undoubtedly exceptional, certainly a rare gem among thousands.

There has been something that has been puzzling him for the past few days; no matter how he thinks about it, he cannot understand why he inexplicably found himself in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, two thousand years ago. What frustrates him even more is that after the time travel, he actually became Liu Bian, the Han Shao Emperor, who had already been deposed by Dong Zhuo.

Li Ru, holding a jade cup in his hand, frowned slightly upon seeing Liu Bian still delaying the time. He cast a fierce glance at Tang Ji, intending to stop her from singing and dancing for Liu Bian

Although some genuine memories of Liu Bian still linger in my mind, most of those memories revolve around the internal struggles of the court, providing no assistance whatsoever in his escape from the palace

The sound of hurried footsteps came from the wooden corridor outside the door. Liu Bian adjusted his sleeves, using the wide fabric to conceal what he was holding in his hand. He then turned around, looked at the door, and said to Tang Ji, who was standing beside him: "If I am not mistaken, the one who seeks my life is currently outside the door!"

Standing at the window gazing outside, Liu Bian heard a series of light footsteps behind him. The footsteps came to a halt just behind him, and a petite figure stood only a couple of steps away.

In Li Ru's eyes, these two people are now hardly different from the dead. When escorting Liu Bian on his final journey, Li Ru should have brought a team of guards along. However, considering that Liu Bian was merely a powerless and ineffectual emperor, he did not expend much effort and only hurried over with two eunuchs.

The door was gently pushed open by a middle-aged scholar, accompanied by two eunuchs. The eunuch on the left was holding a tray, on which rested a white jade wine cup.

Arguing with the dead, in Li Ru's view, is merely adding unnecessary troubles to oneself out of thin air

The Empress Dowager has passed away. I fear that King Hongnong may be overly distressed, so I have specially prepared a cup of wine to present to Your Highness!" The person who entered the room was Li Ru, a strategist under Dong Zhuo. Upon hearing Liu Bian's inquiry, he wore a harmless smile on his face, clasped his hands in a deep bow, and said to Liu Bian: "This cup of wine has been infused with some medicinal herbs; drinking it can dispel evil and cure ailments"

The crisis has already arrived, and he no longer has much time to strengthen his training. The only thing he can do is to carefully observe his surroundings, considering every detail that may occur during his escape to ensure that nothing is overlooked

Liu Bian had long been deposed by Dong Zhuo, yet Tang Ji still referred to him as Your Majesty, clearly treating him as if he were still the emperor. Upon hearing this, Li Ru slightly furrowed his brows and let out a cold snort, but he did not say much more.

Standing behind him, Tang Ji was dressed in a bright red palace gown, the wide skirt trailing elegantly behind her. Her jet-black hair was simply styled into a flying fairy bun, and a pair of eyes, tinged with a hint of sadness, was gazing intently at Liu Bian, who stood by the window

"Lady Tang, as husband and wife, today I shall drink from this cup, and we shall be separated in life and death, never to meet again!" Liu Bian sighed softly, a hint of reluctance in his tone as he spoke to Lady Tang: "Before I depart from this world, may I have the honor of enjoying your song and dance?"

As Tang Ji felt the frivolous gaze of Li Ru upon her, she realized that as a woman, she would become a plaything for men. Even though she had once been the imperial consort of a sovereign, it could not alter the inherent fate of women.

The real Liu Bian is already dead, and at this moment, the Liu Bian occupying this body does not wish to be harmed right after seizing this life.

Strictly speaking, he is not the true Han Shao Emperor Liu Bian, although he occupies this guise. The soul that lurks deep within this guise is that of a special forces soldier who has undergone trials of life and death two thousand years later

Glancing at the white jade wine cup placed on the tray, Liu Bian's lips curled into a faint, serene smile as he asked the middle-aged scholar who had entered the room: "General Li, who usually assists Grand Master Dong in managing state affairs, how is it that you have the leisure to visit this prince's residence?"

Tang Ji lowered her head, tightly pursing her lips. It seemed she had also sensed the approaching aura of death, and her eyes were glistening with tears.

To survive, the only thing he could do was to prepare for escape in advance. However, he was genuinely dissatisfied with his current frail physique. With such thin arms and legs, so delicate that it seemed a gust of wind could blow him away, how could he possibly endure the ordeal of crossing multiple palace walls to escape the imperial palace

His skin is very fair, so fair that it even reveals a hint of an unhealthy pallor. Even the pair of slender hands folded in front of him appear so white that they seem almost not to belong to a living person.

Having had his thoughts exposed by Liu Bian, Li Ru retracted his smile and no longer concealed his intentions. He gestured towards the eunuch holding the poisoned wine, and the eunuch approached Liu Bian, carrying the tray with both hands.

Liu Bian stood at the window of the tall pavilion, his hands resting on the windowsill, slightly leaning outward, his gaze wandering over the densely arranged palaces and the crisscrossing paths outside the window

"The heavens collapse and the earth crumbles, as I, an emperor, face a fate of early demise. Life and death diverge on different paths, leaving me in solitude, filled with sorrow in my heart." With flowing sleeves and a graceful silhouette, accompanied by her enchanting dance, the Tang maiden gently parted her crimson lips and began to sing.

Liu Bian offered a blessing, and Tang Ji slowly spread her wide sleeves and began to dance gracefully

Liu Bian slightly tilted his head and glanced at the petite figure standing behind him. In the few days since he had crossed over, he had been unable to associate this twelve or thirteen-year-old Tang Ji with the identity of his queen. At such an age, someone like Tang Ji would have just been an inexperienced middle school student in the era of his previous life

"Do not do this!" Liu Bian wrapped one arm around Tang Ji's shoulder, while gently stroking her hair with the other hand. He took a deep breath, inhaling the unique fragrance of a woman from her hair, and softly said: "I must go now, take care of yourself!"

Wait! Liu Bian extended a hand to stop the eunuch and said to Li Ru: "Although I have been deposed, I am still of royal blood. How can I accept poison from the hands of a eunuch? Is it that before I die, General Li is unwilling to personally serve the wine?"

Liu Bian wore a faint smile on his face and did not take the wine cup from Li Ru's hand, but instead turned his gaze towards Tang Ji, who was standing beside him

Liu Bian, who had some understanding of the history during the late Eastern Han Dynasty, knew that Dong Zhuo was usurping power and had deposed him in favor of Liu Xie as emperor. It was only a matter of time before he would be killed. Now that the warlords from the east had already reached Hulao Pass, if he did not find a way to escape, he would likely be killed by Dong Zhuo right here.

"I am in very good health and do not need to consume any medicinal herbs." After a moment, Liu Bian suppressed his anger and sadness, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth as he said to Li Ru: "The medicinal herbs in the wine are probably meant to send me to my death, aren't they?"

Good! After staring at Liu Bian's somewhat inscrutable expression for a while, Li Ru nodded, walked to the eunuch holding the tray, took a wine cup from the tray, and approached Liu Bian. He raised the wine cup high above his head, slightly bowed, and said to him: "Please, Prince of Hongnong, drink this cup! The wine is strong, and only on the road to the Yellow Springs can one not feel desolate!"