Chapter 30: The Vanished Emperor

“Your Majesty? The hour for court has long since passed—are you unwell?”

Xun Yu had already reached the doors of Liu Xie’s bedchamber, yet the entire palace remained eerily silent and deserted, not a soul to be seen, not a sound to be heard. He was on the verge of reaching out to push open the door, but just as his hand hovered near the threshold, the invisible barrier of a loyal Han minister kept him rooted. He called quietly at the entrance, hoping desperately for some reply from Liu Xie.

But the palace was drowned in silence; no one answered.

After waiting a short while, Xun Yu finally realized something was amiss—far more so than he had initially thought. With no better option, he gently pushed open the door. It yielded without resistance.

Inside, the chamber was empty. Step by step, Xun Yu approached the curtained bed. Through the dim light, he could make out the forms of two figures lying there, both with their backs to him, swathed beneath thick bedding. Given the chill of early spring—when warmth is still a stranger—this was not unusual. As a later poet would say, “It is hardest to rest in such times.”

But matters had come to this: even if it truly was Liu Xie and Lady Fushou lying on the bed, Xun Yu would still have to uncover them, for the day’s events were far from ordinary.

After a brief internal struggle, Xun Yu finally lifted the blanket in one motion. The sight that met his eyes drove all thoughts of propriety from his mind.

There were indeed two people beneath the covers, but they were an unconscious palace maid and a eunuch. Xun Yu couldn’t tell whether this was some strange coincidence or a deliberate arrangement, but the two clung tightly to one another in their swoon.

Immediately, Xun Yu checked their breathing and found they were still alive. He promptly ordered his attendants to find a way to revive them.

The gravity of the situation struck him at once: the emperor was missing from his own bedchamber, and all the palace servants sent by Cao Cao lay insensate. Clearly, something extraordinary had transpired within these walls.

“Search the palace—find His Majesty at all costs!”

Xun Yu issued the command without hesitation, cold sweat beading on his brow.

Before his departure, Cao Cao had entrusted the entire imperial court to him—most importantly, the person of Liu Xie. Xun Yu could not imagine what a catastrophe it would be for Cao Cao if Liu Xie were abducted, especially at such a tumultuous time.

His first suspicion was that Yuan Shao’s agents had somehow infiltrated the palace and accomplished this deed. Yet, recalling the stratagems Yuan Shao had employed in his battles with Cao Cao, Xun Yu doubted that Yuan Shao would squander such a trump card in so reckless a fashion.

If not Yuan Shao, then who?

Xun Yu wasted no time in speculation. He immediately dispatched a trusted aide to seal the gates of Xuchang and to investigate any officials whose recent behavior seemed out of the ordinary.

In truth, Xun Yu already had a sense of how likely it was that Liu Xie would be found within the palace.

Indeed, after more than half an hour, no corpses were found, but nearly every eunuch and maid had been rendered unconscious with a powerful drug. Their lives were spared, but those of frailer health might well wake as fools.

This was, in fact, the greatest mercy Liu Xie could offer them. He could easily have chosen poison and left none alive in the palace. But he refrained—not out of compassion, but because death would only make things clearer for Cao Cao. By leaving witnesses, those in the city would inevitably wait for them to recover and then interrogate them for answers. This, of course, bought Liu Xie and his companions precious time.

Throughout the city, Xun Yu conducted a sweeping search, but he made no public announcement—not even the Cao army commanders stationed with him in Xuchang were informed.

This night would be sleepless for Xun Yu. Midnight passed before news finally began to trickle in.

“Minister, His Majesty has not been found anywhere in the city, though the search continues. A few court officials have indeed been absent these past days. Here is a list of their names.”

Xun Yu snatched the list and scanned the names rapidly. When he saw Zhang Hong among them, his face turned ashen.

“Go—see if anyone remains at Zhang Hong's residence. If not, search the place thoroughly!”

After issuing that order, Xun Yu immediately dispatched others to organize cavalry.

His co-commander in defending the city was Cao Ren. At this point, Xun Yu knew the crisis was beyond his sole capacity to contain. Moreover, if Zhang Hong truly had abducted Liu Xie and meant to leave the city, their direction would surely be toward the southeast—to Jiangdong. Pursuit was best left to Cao Ren.

In his agitation, Xun Yu failed to consider certain peculiarities. Why would Zhang Hong bother to take all the women of Liu Xie’s harem, including the pregnant Lady Dong? Even more baffling, Liu Bei’s two wives had also been taken. For Zhang Hong, such a large group would only be a burden.

“What? His Majesty may have been taken by men from Jiangdong?”

Cao Ren’s eyes nearly bulged from his head at the news.

Though Cao Cao had said nothing when he departed, they all understood: as long as Xuchang held Liu Xie, it held the Han court. Without Liu Xie, Xuchang was no longer the imperial capital—just another of Cao Cao’s bases.

“General, you must ride swiftly toward Jiangdong. Send light cavalry down every road that leads east. If we must empty the ranks of Xuchang’s defenders for this, so be it—find them at all costs! With so many women in tow, they won’t get far!”

Cao Ren understood; this was no time for blame. Gritting his teeth, he nodded and hurried out.

After Cao Ren departed, Xun Yu paced anxiously before finally ordering, “Summon the gate guards from today—I have questions for them!”

The interrogation lasted until the latter half of the night, but Xun Yu’s confusion only deepened. According to the guards, those leaving the city had been no different from any other day, and almost no unfamiliar faces had passed through.