Great Han Empire

Chapter 466
In March of the sixth year of Zhongping in the Han Dynasty (AD 189).

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At the beginning of this month, good news came from Xiliang.After Xiliang rebels besieged Chencang for more than 80 days, they had to retreat to Hanyang County because they ran out of food and grass. The left general Huangfusong and the former general Dong Zhuo mobilized [-] troops to pursue and fight all the way, beheading tens of thousands of rebels.Wang Guo and Han Sui, the leaders of the rebel army, were severely injured, and led the remnants back to Jincheng and Longxi in a panic.

The emperor was overjoyed and rewarded the frontline soldiers. At the same time, he decreed that the former general Dong Zhuo would be recruited back to the imperial court to serve as the Shaofu, and the army under his jurisdiction would be handed over to the left general Huangfusong.

The emperor didn't think of transferring Dong Zhuozheng back to Beijing at first.Dong Zhuo has lived in Xiliang for a long time, has led the army for many years, and has made outstanding achievements in battle. He is the best candidate to guard the western frontier, but Hussar General Dong Zhong told him that Dong Zhuo had contacts with General He Jin many years ago, and they have a close relationship with each other. He is the confidant of the general.In the current situation, let this kind of person lead the troops to garrison Xiliang. Once the general rebels, he may leave the pass, take Chang'an to Tongguan, and directly threaten Luoyang.Dong Zhong suggested that His Majesty should take advantage of the opportunity of Huangfusong and Dong Zhuo defeating the Xiliang rebels to reward Dong Zhuo with the post of Nine Ministers and call him back to Beijing from the Xiliang battlefield. , to remove a major worry.

The Son of Heaven is very strange. In his impression, this Dong Zhuo is a member of the Zhongguan lineage. Over the years, Dong Zhuo's previous promotions have been recommended and taken care of by Zhongguan, especially when Dong Zhuo was promoted to a former general the year before last. The 2000 million yuan was paid by Zhao Zhongxian for him. Why is it that Dong Zhuo suddenly became a member of He Jin's family now?The sudden appearance of this matter disrupted the emperor's plan, and he immediately summoned the chief minister, Zhao Zhong, and asked him angrily what was going on?

"You are so old-fashioned, you don't even know this kind of thing? Is Dong Zhuo in collusion with He Jin or with the nobles?" The emperor poked Zhao Zhong's belly with his thin fingers, and asked repeatedly, "It seems , he has been using you, you know?"

Zhao Zhong was so angry that he gritted his teeth and asked bitterly, "Your Majesty, is this news true?"

"Just ask Zhang Rang to ask He Miao. You old fools, you don't know how you died." The emperor sneered, "I ordered him to return to Beijing. If he refuses to come, It means that this matter is true, if he comes, kill him, this kind of person cannot be kept."

Zhao Zhong stood there angrily, bowed his head and thought about his own thoughts, without saying a word for a long time.

I originally planned to send Dong Zhuo's army to Hedong in order to prevent General He Jin from entering the capital after the rebellion, but now it seems that I have miscalculated.If Dong Zhuo was He Jin's man, wouldn't he be committing suicide by transferring Dong Zhuo's army to Hedong?The Son of Heaven wanted to force He Jin against him first, and then ordered Li Hong to go south to put down the rebellion. No matter who of these two entered the capital, he and his colleagues would be considered dead.Now it seems that Zhang Rang is still right, His Majesty simply wants to use other people's hands to kill his group of old middle-ranking officials.

Zhao Zhong quietly glanced at the emperor with wrinkled nose and eyes, and shivered in his heart.In order for the little Marquis Dong to inherit the Great Reign, His Majesty not only has to kill the General He Jin, but also the scholars and the senior officials, so as to eliminate all dangers that may threaten the life of the Marquis Dong in the future.

Now Zhao Zhong regrets that he and his colleagues killed Wang Meiren.How can the little money given by Empress He compare to her own life?There is also Dong Chong, the queen mother's elder brother. If the middle officials hadn't designed to kill Dong Chong, why did he end up in this situation?And He Jin, if the middle officials didn't covet He Jin's money and broke their promises to persuade His Majesty to re-establish the General, how could he lose his life in the hands of this General?The general just can't have it. In just six years, another general has become a scourge.You hurt yourself.He sighed secretly.Because of what I and a group of middle-ranking officials have done in the past, even if I support His Majesty now, His Majesty no longer trusts me.In the eyes of the emperor, yesterday the middle officials could kill the queen mother's elder brother, the emperor's uncle, and of course they could kill the young master and the queen mother tomorrow.

In the past, when the Son of Heaven was young, the middle officials could do whatever they wanted, as long as they made the Son of Heaven happy, but this is no longer the case. Now the Son of Heaven has grown up and is sensible. After a 34-year-old Son of Heaven has mastered enough strength, He can do whatever he wants, and he can do whatever he wants.

Feeling the threat of death, Zhao Zhong felt extremely depressed, with an ugly expression on his face.

The emperor walked across to Zhao Zhong and stared at him, as if he wanted to see through his heart, "What is Aiqing thinking? Why didn't you speak?"

Zhao Zhong was terrified, and the back of his head felt chilly.He swallowed with difficulty, and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, if Dong Zhuo is transferred back to the capital, the [-] troops in Xiliang will all be controlled by Huangfusong. Isn't this dangerous? I think that no matter whether Dong Zhuo is He Jin or not, At this time, it is better to let him command an army of [-], so that he and Huangfusong will restrain each other, and no one can do anything to the other, then your majesty, the emperor..."

"What do you know? You are an idiot except for this fat body." The emperor slapped him hard and cursed loudly, "Who is Huangfusong? Could he lead troops to attack the palace? He is my great Han country Did you know that after Li Hong led the army out of the Great Wall, I originally planned to let Huangfusong sit in Bingzhou, guard the Great Wall, first control Li Hong's rear, and then gradually eliminate Li Hong's threat, but now Dong Zhuo has completely destroyed this plan You have been shrewd all your life, but when you are old, you were deceived by a barbarian from Xiliang. What are you doing while you are still alive? Just die.”

Zhao Zhong was so angry that his face turned blue, and the fat on his face kept trembling.The emperor scolded a few words, but he still couldn't understand his hatred, so he slapped him backhand.

===

After Dong Zhuo received the emperor's imperial edict, he immediately saw the murderous intent from the imperial edict.

Is it the emperor who wants to kill him or the scholars who want to kill him?Judging from the current situation, the emperor has no reason to kill him, only those scholars.In order to gain an advantage in the battle for imperial order, the scholars must eliminate all dangers that may cause harm to the scholars, and they themselves are precisely this danger. The threat to the scholars is minimized.

Although Dong Zhuo was very angry at the viciousness of the scholars, there was nothing he could do.I first took refuge in the traitor, and then got very close to the general. Recently, I saw that the general was dying and then turned to the scholars. My behavior will definitely not win the trust of the scholars.Since they cannot trust themselves, they have to deal with their own danger.I have no military power, and when I return to Luoyang, I will be a fish on the chopping board. Sooner or later, I will die, especially in today's chaotic situation in Luoyang, it is difficult for a person like myself not to die.Now the various powers in the DPRK and China are deeply involved in the struggle for imperial power, and there is no good end for him to stand with anyone. The best way is to hide far away in the border county and wait for the opportunity.

Dong Zhuo was heartbroken.I have fought for the Great Han Kingdom for more than 30 years, and finally got such an ending. For more than 30 years, I have fought many battles and made many achievements, but I have never received any rewards. I was very angry when I saw that others could get promoted and get rich without fighting, so I went to spend money to curry favor with middle officials and buy officials. Finally achieved the position of former general, but how much money he spent and how many kowtows he paid was worthwhile. However, today's result turned all his hard work into naught.

I fought bloody battles in Xiliang, and I worked hard without credit. It’s okay if the emperor and ministers can’t understand, but today they want to kill me for no reason in order to benefit themselves. This is too deceitful.Who did I offend?What heinous crime have I committed?The emperor and the ministers can trick me back to the capital with such a lame trick?Can kill me?
Dong Zhuo decided not to go to the capital.Now that the powers of all parties in Luoyang have fought for the emperor's line, there is no doubt that they will die if they go back at this time.If you want to save your life, you must firmly control the army.

He discussed carefully with Li Ru and a group of his subordinates for a long time, and then wrote a letter to His Majesty, saying that the rebellion in Xiliang has not yet been resolved, the people are suffering, and the situation is critical. It is time for me to serve Your Majesty and the court. How about going back to Beijing to enjoy the peace amidst the war in the frontier?Moreover, when the Xiliang soldiers heard that the minister was going back to the capital, they all stopped the cars and did not let the minister go on the road.What's more important is that many of Chen's subordinates are Huangzhong Qiang and other Qiang soldiers, and no one can command except Chen.If after I leave Xiliang, these Qiang soldiers raised their flags and rioted to join the rebel army, then the consequences would be serious, and Xiliang might be plunged into continuous war again, so as to endanger the safety of our great Han country.Considering the above-mentioned problems, I implore Your Majesty to take back the order, and allow me to continue to guard Xiliang.

When the emperor saw Dong Zhuo's memorial, he sneered and said nothing.

Taiwei Ma Rixun was very angry, saying that it was okay, and the reason for refusing to enter the court was that the driving was blocked?Your Majesty, please issue an order to General Huangfu to immediately invite Dong Zhuo to enter the court.If he doesn't obey the order again, then he will be arrested by General Huangfu.The eunuch Yang Biao said that Dong Zhuo had blatantly resisted the order by doing so, and His Majesty should order him to be taken back to Beijing and handed over to Tingwei Mansion for trial.

Situ Dinggong hurriedly stopped.He said that Dong Zhuo had guarded the frontier for many years and had made outstanding military exploits, so this trivial incident should not erase all Dong Zhuo's past achievements.Moreover, what Dong Zhuo said was true. Now that the Xiliang rebels were defeated but not suppressed, Xiliang needed Dong Zhuo to lead the army to put down the rebellion.He said to the emperor, why did His Majesty transfer Dong Zhuozheng back to Beijing at this time?Is there a lack of ministers who are Jiuqing in the court?In fact, what the Great Han Kingdom lacks most today is a general who is loyal to His Majesty like General Dong.Compared with defending the frontiers, the latter is of course more important. General Dong is dedicated to serving the country, and would rather give up the opportunity to return to the court as a minister, and take the initiative to ask to guard the frontiers and kill enemies for the country. How can such a loyal minister be guilty?If it is said that it is a crime to defend the frontier and kill enemies for the country, then in the future, who will be willing to guard the frontier in our Han Dynasty?If Your Majesty punishes Dong Zhuo for this incident, it will chill the hearts of all frontier soldiers. Is there still justice in this world?
Ding Gong is a member of the general family, and Ding Gong publicly interceded for Dong Zhuo, which further proves that the relationship between Dong Zhuo and the general is extraordinary.

Just as Ding Gong finished speaking, he was immediately refuted by Sikong Liu Hong.While the ministers were arguing endlessly, the emperor said something that stunned everyone.

"Forget it, why fight? Since Dong Zhuo doesn't want to come back, forget it."

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After retiring from the court, Zhao Zhong followed closely behind the emperor, and said angrily: "Master Situ should have been dismissed long ago, why does your majesty let him stay in the court hall? Although the queen mother values ​​him very much, he is a member of the general. Your majesty only Explain to the queen mother that this matter is related to the emperor's order, and the queen mother will definitely agree."

The Son of Heaven smiled and said, "Master Situ is not in court, how do I know what the General is doing? Look at the fact that he sang with Lord Taiwei today. What does that mean?"

Zhao Zhong was stunned for a moment, then suddenly came to his senses, and cursed viciously: "Your Majesty, these scholars have ulterior motives, and there is nothing good about them..."

The emperor interrupted him with a wave of his hand, and said in a low voice: "You write a letter, tell Dong Zhuo what happened today, tell him to wake up, don't be fooled into tricks, and become a traitor to the Han Kingdom."

"Your Majesty won't kill him?" Zhao Zhong asked suspiciously, "Why do you keep such a villain?"

"It's still useful for me to keep him." The emperor said calmly, "It's a matter of the future to kill him. At this time, all the ministers in the court, including He Jin, will kill him and seize his military power , What mood do you think he is in? If you give him a hand at this time, he will be grateful and vow to die."

Zhao Zhong didn't understand why the emperor suddenly changed his mind.Is Dong Zhuo still useful?What is the use?Does His Majesty also want to transfer his army to Hedong?
"Your Majesty, Dong Zhuo is double-faced, greedy and cunning, and very unreliable. Your Majesty must never transfer his army to Hedong."

The emperor snorted and didn't bother to pay attention to him, and went straight back to the Jiade Hall.

===

Jizhou Yecheng.

After listening to He Jin's report, General He Jin pondered for a long time and asked, "What do you think?"

"During the time in the capital, He Yong, Xu You, Zhang Miao and others came to the Yuan Mansion several times to discuss matters, but they only invited me once..." He Jin is in his 40s, with a medium build, high cheekbones, a round face and short beard , looking very honest, he hesitated for a moment and continued, "This plan is perfect in He Yong's mouth, but in my opinion, there are many loopholes. I suspect they have another purpose."

He Jin smiled, and asked again: "Does Pan Yin have any news?"

"Pan Yin said that Jian Shuo has been accompanying His Majesty recently, and he seldom returns home and sees him very rarely." He Jin said, "However, once Jian Shuo told him that Zhao Zhong suspected that His Majesty was not only planning to kill the general, They also want to kill scholars, and the eunuchs suspect that His Majesty will also take the opportunity to kill them."

He Jin frowned in thought.After a while, he ordered the messengers to call Shi Xuliang and Wu Tang of the general's mansion, as well as Wu Kuang and Zhang Zhang, the military commanders, into the tent.

"Your Majesty first let me go out of Beijing, then forced the ministers to give their allegiance, then publicly threatened to abolish the Empress, and now he is urging General Zheng Bei to come to Beijing. It seems that His Majesty is forcing me to rebel, but when you think about it carefully , It seems that His Majesty is not only going to kill me, but many people, otherwise, there is no need for him to make things so complicated." He Jin pointed to Xu Liang and Wu Dang and said: "You two returned to Beijing in secret. Go on a trip and tell Pan Yin that he must find out His Majesty's true intentions. He is a long history of Jian Shuo's mansion and has won Jian Shuo's trust. There is still a way to do this. Jian Shuo can't use his brain, Pan Yin You can teach him to use his brain. In addition, you ask He Miao to immediately find Zhang Rang and Guo Sheng, the permanent servants, and see what they say. If His Majesty even wants to kill them, this matter will be easier to handle."

"General, if Yuan Kui and He Yong find out about this..." He Jin asked worriedly.

"You don't have to worry about this matter, I will handle it myself. In the past few years, because I have to rely on scholars for the affairs of the emperor, I have obeyed them and helped them a lot, but I still have a plan in my heart. I only recognize the emperor Tong, as long as anyone can help me establish the imperial line, I will help him. I have told you a long time ago that the matter of the imperial line must rely on the power of traitors. This is a matter inside the palace, not outside the palace." He Jin smiled and said, "How did Wang Meiren die? How did the queen mother's elder brother Dong Chong die? If the young Marquis Dong inherits the Datong, these traitors will die miserably sooner or later. Fortunately, although they are old Now, but I’m not too confused, I finally remembered it. Only Shihou inherits the Datong, and the world is under my control.”

"What does the general mean..." Xu Liang hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Don't kill the eunuch?"

"Whether the traitors are killed or not depends on what the scholars do?" He Jin said with a smile: "If the scholars take advantage of the chaos to kill me, I will still kill the traitors? I will immediately join forces with the traitors and kill them. Without them , I won’t be able to govern the country anymore? A joke.”

"Your Majesty deliberately created an opportunity to establish the imperial line, but this opportunity is not an opportunity for His Majesty alone, but an opportunity for all of us. The key depends on who can grasp this opportunity." He Jin looked at Wu Kuang and Zhang Zhang and said, "You Immediately return to Nanyang and transport those people secretly to Luoyang."

"General, General Zhengbei is about to enter the capital. If His Majesty sends the queen immediately after General Zhengbei enters Beijing..."

Before Xu Liang finished speaking, He Jin had already laughed. He shook his hand and said, "As long as Shi Hou inherits the Datong, all problems will be solved, including Li Hong. The most urgent task now is to let Li Hong go out to fight, otherwise, We would have no chance, everyone would die, but because everyone would die, we would have a chance."

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(End of this chapter)