The two men clung to each other like long-lost brothers, tears and snot flowing freely.
One had once been the feared commander of the Black Mountain Army, commanding hundreds of thousands.
The other had been a Xianbei king, ruling over the grasslands.
And now—
both reduced to idle officials in some forgotten corner of Luoyang, living out their days under watch.
"What crime did you commit?" Kui Tou asked, wiping his nose.
Chu Yan sighed deeply.
"I… tried to scheme against Zhang Xin."
Kui Tou froze for a moment—then slapped his thigh.
"You too?!"
Chu Yan stared at him.
"What do you mean 'too'?"
Kui Tou's face twisted with bitterness.
"I led my cavalry south, thinking I could plunder a bit… and maybe test the strength of the Han. Then I ran into that monster!"
"The moment we fought, everything collapsed—my troops scattered, my authority gone… and I ended up dragged here like a dog!"
The more he spoke, the angrier he became.
"That Zhang Xin—he's not human!"
Chu Yan nodded vigorously.
"Exactly!"
"He looks young, but every move he makes is ruthless. One moment he's smiling, the next moment he's cutting off your path of retreat!"
The two looked at each other—
and felt a strange sense of mutual understanding.
Kindred victims.
After a moment of silence, Kui Tou suddenly leaned in and whispered:
"Brother… since we're both in this situation… why don't we just endure quietly?"
Chu Yan hesitated, then sighed.
"What else can we do?"
"This is Luoyang. Even if we had ten lives, we couldn't escape."
Kui Tou nodded solemnly.
"Exactly. Better to drink wine, eat meat, and live out our days. At least we're alive."
Chu Yan gave a bitter laugh.
"From commanding armies… to waiting for wine deliveries…"
Kui Tou shrugged.
"Could be worse. At least Zhang Xin didn't kill us."
That sentence hung in the air.
Both men fell silent.
Yes.
At least… they were still alive.
—
Meanwhile, in the court hall—
Zhang Xin stood among the officials, his expression calm, as if none of this concerned him.
After the formal proceedings, Liu Hong suddenly spoke:
"Yesterday, I discussed with Marquis Xuanwei the matter of the Xiyuan Army."
The court grew quiet.
Many officials subtly glanced toward Zhang Xin.
They all knew—
this was coming.
"The Xiyuan Army has eight divisions," Liu Hong continued. "The positions of the seven commanders have already been decided."
A brief pause.
"Now, I appoint Zhang Xin as Commandant of the Upper Army, to oversee the other seven divisions!"
The hall erupted.
"Your Majesty, this is inappropriate!"
"He is too young!"
"The position is too important!"
Several ministers immediately stepped forward in opposition.
Among them were members of the scholar-official faction, their faces filled with urgency.
They had already lost control over most of the Xiyuan Army—
if Zhang Xin took the top position as well, their influence in the military would be nearly wiped out.
But Liu Hong's expression darkened.
"Silence!"
The hall fell quiet instantly.
He looked down at the officials coldly.
"When the frontier was in chaos, where were you?"
"When the Yellow Turbans ravaged the land, who stepped forward?"
"When Bingzhou was in flames—who pacified it?"
His voice grew sharper with each question.
Finally, he pointed directly at Zhang Xin.
"He did!"
No one dared to respond.
Liu Hong leaned back slightly, his tone turning decisive.
"This matter is settled. No further discussion."
The court officials lowered their heads, their expressions varying.
Some were resentful.
Some were thoughtful.
Some… were wary.
—
Zhang Xin stood silently in his place.
Outwardly calm.
But inwardly—
he knew exactly what this meant.
The moment he accepted this position—
he had stepped into the very center of the storm.
Power…
and danger—
had arrived together.