Liu Xie had Gao Lan present it, then opened the memorial and read it carefully. The more he read, the tighter his brows knitted and the more obvious the shock in his eyes became.
Growing anxious, Ma Teng could not help asking, "Your Majesty, may I ask what my son said in his memorial? Might you permit me to read it?"
He, too, wondered how Han Sui had been killed. If Han Sui were that easy to kill, he would have killed him long ago rather than letting things drag on for so many years.
How exactly had Ma Chao done it?
Liu Xie set down the memorial and said slowly, "Return for now, Marquis of Huaili. I need to give this matter some thought."
At these words, hesitation crossed Ma Teng's face, but he dared not defy Liu Xie's command. He could only bow and say, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Although he had not learned the whole truth, hearing that Ma Chao had killed Tian Feng put him at ease. Doing so meant drawing a clear line between himself and Yuan Shao's remaining followers. That was proof he had not rebelled!
After Ma Teng withdrew, Liu Xie instructed Zhang He, "Announce the Director of the Secretariat and the Deputy Imperial Censor to the palace at once!"
This was a matter of grave importance. He needed to discuss it with Jia Xu and Guo Jia.
Zhang He immediately accepted the order and withdrew.
Before long, Jia Xu and Guo Jia hurried into the Xuan Room. Before they could even offer their greetings, they saw the two severed heads.
"Han Sui?"
Jia Xu recognized one of the heads at a glance. Even his usually composed gaze shifted.
When he saw the other head, the shock in his eyes deepened. "Tian Feng?!" he