Great Han Empire

Chapter 570: Troubled Times Heroic Chapter Dangerous
In early April, Dong Zhuo arrived in Chang'an.

All the officials and ministers greeted each other thirty miles away from Chang'an City.Dong Zhuo got off his horse and greeted everyone one by one, expressing their hard work to each other.

Seeing Yushi Zhongcheng Huangfusong, Dong Zhuo said very apologetically: "Brother Yizhen, please forgive me for the matter of Luoyang, I also have unavoidable difficulties, I hope you can understand."

Huangfu Song laughed it off.On the way back to the city, Dong Zhuo specially invited Huangfusong to ride with him in a car, and asked for solutions to the crisis in Gyeonggi.When it comes to fighting, Dong Zhuo thinks he is no worse than Huangfusong, but when it comes to governing the country, Dong Zhuo still admires Huangfusong very much.When the Yellow Turbans rioted, the capital was in a hurry, and the country was in turmoil, the first emperor urgently summoned Huangfu Song to ask for advice.Huangfusong took his time and offered four strategies to suppress the rebellion.Later facts proved that if the first emperor had followed Huangfusong's advice at that time, the society might have been stable long ago.

Huangfusong sighed, "To resolve today's crisis, it depends on whether your lord can faithfully assist the emperor and rule the world with virtue. If your lord still can't give up harsh punishments, bloody killings, or even wantonly trample on the laws of the big man, and act recklessly, his Consequences..." Huangfusong looked at Dong Zhuo with a smile on his face, and continued, "In the history of the former dynasty, there are many examples of such failures, and adults should be very clear about it."

Dong Zhuo waved his hands and said helplessly: "Rule the world with virtue? I want to rule the country with virtue, but I must save my own life first, right? If I can't even protect my own life, what kind of country should I rule? Yizhen Brother, I am sincerely asking for advice, so don't use such words to perfuse me. You know the current situation, and you can probably guess why I returned to Chang'an so early. I have reached a desperate situation. There is no way out. Do you think I am really willing to return to Chang'an? I am really willing to accept the leopard's strategy of checks and balances? My majestic Xiangguo of the Han Kingdom, who holds the power of the world and controls a hundred thousand soldiers, is actually controlled by a warrior and by a gang Rebellious and wanton humiliation, seeing the country overturned but unable to save it, am I considered to be a prime minister? Am I really powerless?"

Huangfusong looked at him intently, shaking his head again and again, "I'm not perfunctory, this is really the only way now."

Huangfusong went on to explain in detail the consequences of the tripartite check and balance.Northern Xinjiang has its own resources, and one family dominates, and its strength is getting stronger and stronger.Trapped in Guanzhong, controlled by others, getting poorer and poorer.The states and counties lose their constraints, their power expands, and the alliance is bound to be disbanded.The final result is the decline of imperial power, the collapse of Guanzhong, and the conquest of states and counties. As a result, Northern Xinjiang will lose control of checks and balances and fall into a desperate situation.Although the external checks and balances suggested by the leopards can solve temporary wars, it is indeed a plan to subjugate the country, and it will bring endless disasters.

Huang Fusong proposed his own internal checks and balances.He had mentioned this suggestion carefully in his letter to Li Hong, but Li Hong didn't listen to him, instead he did the opposite and took a completely opposite path.The internal check and balance is the three-party power check and balance between Dong Zhuo, Li Hong and the scholars in the court, that is to say, Dong Zhuo has to make huge concessions.Huangfusong said that the fundamental reason why Zhou Gong, Yi Yin, and Huo Guang were able to successfully assist the young emperor in governing the world was not because of their prestige and power, but because they were the most powerful power masters in the world, and they knew when to act. Check and balance power, when to monopolize power, and when to decentralize power appropriately.Governing a country is sometimes very similar to fighting a war. We must quickly formulate a decisive strategy to obtain the greatest victory at the lowest cost according to different situations. Today's decisive strategy is internal checks and balances.

=

Dong Zhuo pondered for a long time.Huangfusong's method is reasonable. If the Lord Xiangguo in the court today is Huangfusong, then this method can indeed save the current crisis. Unfortunately, today's Lord Xiangguo is Dong Zhuo, and no one believes him, including Huangfusong himself.Why did Huangfusong make this suggestion?Dong Zhuo asked with a smile: "Brother Yizhen, can you be more specific?"

"Combined with Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, and attacked the dear elbow Li Hong."

Huangfusong explained that when Mr. Xiangguo withdrew from Luoyang, he seemed to have temporarily escaped the crisis and took control of the initiative, but in fact he sent himself into a desperate situation and gave the initiative to Beijiang.Once Beijiang solves the problems of disaster victims, garrisoning land, and guarding the border, its strength will increase greatly, and he can do whatever he wants. Whether it is attacking Chang'an or occupying Luoyang, it will be easy. Therefore, the most urgent problem at present is to restrict Beijiang.

Why did your lord leave Zhu Jun in Luoyang?Is it because Zhu Jun's children are all in northern Xinjiang, so they can gain Li Hong's trust?The adults obviously have another purpose.Your Excellency must know that Zhu Jun does not approve of Beijiang's actions at all, and he will do everything possible to break the check and balance, and your lord just wants to use Zhu Jun to break the check and balance, so as to effectively contain Beijiang.In addition, my lord wants to use Zhu Jun's actions to anger Li Hong, stir up internal strife in Northern Xinjiang, force Li Hong, Li Wei, Zhu Mu and others to turn against each other, and greatly weaken the strength of Northern Xinjiang.Without Li Wei, Li Hong lost an arm and became a lame leopard with three legs.However, this strategy of the adults can only be used as an emergency, and cannot completely solve the crisis.

To completely resolve the crisis, my lord must join forces with Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu to encourage them to capture Luoyang.The key to external checks and balances is Luoyang. No one can enter Luoyang. Whoever enters Luoyang will break the checks and balances. Therefore, Li Hong will defend Luoyang at all costs.As long as the two sides fight in Luoyang, the pressure on Li Hong will increase, and the loss of troops and food and wages in northern Xinjiang will also increase. Northern Xinjiang will become difficult and precarious, and Li Hong will be trapped in Luoyang. The quagmire cannot extricate itself.What's more important is that with the battle in Luoyang, my lord has quietly passed on the current crisis to Li Hong, and my lord can quickly take control of the initiative.

My lord and Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu will definitely make a lot of concessions when they join forces, but such concessions are worth it.As a result, adults can get food and supplies from various states and counties, and can quickly restore the huge damage suffered by the imperial court due to the expedition to the desert.The imperial court has strength, and the emperor has power. At that time, no matter whether it is the northern border or the states and counties in various places, they can only bow their heads and confess their sins due to the might of the great man Tianwei.In this way, internal checks and balances can be quickly realized, and the country can be quickly stabilized because of the master's genius.

Dong Zhuo was not interested in the bright future described by Huangfusong, what he was interested in was shaking hands with Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.

As Huangfusong said, in order to contain and attack the leopards, Dong Zhuo ordered the killing of Yuan Kai's family before leaving Luoyang, hoping to provoke Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu to launch a fierce attack on Luoyang.At the same time, in order to create opportunities for both sides to attack, he deliberately kept Zhu Jun.It's just that he didn't expect that his method turned out to be a prerequisite for passing on the crisis, controlling the initiative, and turning external checks and balances into internal checks and balances.He was a little smug.He also admires Huangfusong even more, but he has no confidence in uniting with Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, and he is even more unwilling to cede power.The disaster in Luoyang is vivid in my mind. If I hadn't seized the power in time, I'm afraid that I would have been buried in a random grave at the foot of Beimang Mountain like He Jin by now.It is true that power checks and balances are needed above the court, but they are checks and balances between ministers, not checks and balances where ministers unite to fight against themselves.

Huangfusong first persuaded himself to govern the country with virtue, and then threw out this suggestion. He wanted to weaken his own power, attack the power of leopards, and support scholars such as Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu. Then, when the emperor grows up and takes charge, the time is ripe. Then, he killed himself and the leopard as traitors and thieves.

Dong Zhuo secretly cursed a few words, with a look of admiration on his face, he praised repeatedly, and then asked: "Brother Yizhen, at this time, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shuhui are willing to ask the emperor for their sins? I think it is very difficult."

Huangfu Song cupped his hands and said, "As long as your lord is loyal to the country, this matter will not be difficult."

=

Dong Zhuo paid homage to the emperor, and then discussed the government affairs with the ministers of the Sangong and Shangshutai, and returned to Xiangguo's mansion in the middle of the night.

He summoned Liu Ai and Tian Yi overnight, and repeated Huangfusong's suggestion, "Let's put aside the matter of internal checks and balances. The food we need now, to solve the food problem, we have to use the leopards and rebels When Luoyang was entangled endlessly, he waited for an opportunity to appease the rebels. What do you think should be done about this?"

Liu Ai and Tian Yi greatly admired Huangfusong's suggestion.Liu Ai praised: "Master Huangfu is indeed the pillar of the country. If Leopard had obtained Lord Huangfu's strategy as early as the first lunar month, and then he had made up his mind to give up northern Xinjiang, then today's Luoyang would be Lord, General Hushi and Yuan Kai. Now that we are in power together, our Great Han Society will not be in the crisis it is today..."

Dong Zhuo scolded dissatisfiedly: "What do you mean? Huangfu Song wants me dead, can't you see it?"

Tian Yi smiled wryly and said: "With the Hushi General at the court, Your Excellency is as stable as Mount Tai, no matter what, it will never be like today..." He shook his head regretfully, and continued, "Although Lord Huangfu did not say how to appease Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, But in fact, he already understood what he meant."

Dong Zhuo looked at him suspiciously, "Shuping, tell me quickly, what are you doing in circles?"

"Master Huangfu said this plan now because he is very sure that we can recruit Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu." Tian Yi said, "The reason is the ant thief rebellion that broke out in Qing, Yan, Xu, and Ji prefectures. According to our information , The scale of this rebellion is very large, with millions of people participating, and the black mountain ant thief has also gone down the mountain. Killing them in time will have dire consequences. By this winter, if the ants are not defeated, Yuan Shao and the others will have to find a place to hide, not to mention attacking Luoyang. What's more serious is that if Northern Xinjiang is killed because of this The Hussars collapsed, and the general Hussars will inevitably mobilize his army, including tens of thousands of Hu cavalry on the desert, to go south to suppress the rebellion. Everyone has no food, so what if they don’t fight? At that time, the question of whether the Dahan Society can survive or not will not be a problem It’s just that the Dahan Sheji doesn’t exist at all, and the Dahan is gone.”

"Whether it's Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Han Fu, or Kong Ni, they rebelled not for the country, but for the benefit of the powerful families. Their ultimate goal is power, but once the country is gone, how can there be power? "Tian Yi twirled his short beard with his hand, and said confidently, "Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu can't take Luoyang now. After a long time, they will definitely hate Li Hong. Therefore, the army will be caught in a dilemma, and internal division will become inevitable. At this time, as long as the emperor uses the excuse of suppressing the ant thief rebellion and defending the country as an excuse to send people out of the customs to appease, it will surely succeed."

Dong Zhuo suddenly realized.

Tian Yi continued: "As long as people like Han Fu, Qiao Mao, and Kong Ni agree to join us in suppressing Li Hong, they will be appeased. We can not only pardon their crimes, but also give them promotions. The problem is solved. Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu don't have these people, what are they playing? Even if Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu don't want to be appeased or return to Beijing, we will pardon them and give them promotions, that's all. Once this happens, the rebellious faces of the two will be exposed, and they will be condemned by the people of the world."

"We can also take this opportunity of appeasement to divide Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu and make them suspicious of each other, so that in the future, the adults can easily control the power checks and balances in the court." Liu Ai laughed, "A few months later , when we return to Luoyang, maybe they are all gone.”

Dong Zhuo laughed, "There is no such cheap thing, you have such a good idea." Then he said worriedly, "Even if we succeed in recruiting, how can we force Li Hong to abandon the three-party check and balance, accept our proposal, and return to serve in the court? This leopard is not easy to tame."

"Why did your lord forget the great Sima Liu Yu Liu?" Liu Ai reminded.

"If you don't tell me, I really forgot." Dong Zhuo laughed, "He ran too far."

=

A few days later, the emperor decreed that Liu Yu, the great Sima, should be appointed as the Taifu, and immediately went to Chang'an to take up the post after receiving the decree.

The emperor decreed that Li Hong, the general of hussars, would lead the military and be stationed in Jinyang temporarily to take charge of the military administration in northern Xinjiang.

The Son of Heaven decreed that five people, Dahonglu Han Rong, Shaofu Yinxun, Zhijinwu Huwuban, Jiangzuo Dajiang Wuxun, Yueqi School Wei Wanghuan, etc., would go to Jizhou, Yanzhou, Hanoi and other places to recruit. Yuan Shao, Wang Kuang, Han Fu, Qiao Mao, Zhang Miao and others hoped that they would put the country as the most important thing, stop their troops immediately, and lead their troops to quell the ant thief rebellion in their territory.

The Son of Heaven decreed that Zongzheng Ma Rixun, Yushi Zhongcheng Huangfusong, and Shangshuling Ding Gong were the envoys to go out of Wuguan to Nanyang, Yingchuan and other places to appease Yuan Shu, Kong Ni, Li Min, Sun Jian and others.At the same time, the Son of Heaven decreed that Yuan Shu, the general in charge of Nanyang, would worship Sun Jian as the general who broke the captives.

The emperor decreed that because Yizhou Mu Liu Yan sent food to the court in time, which greatly alleviated the food shortage in Guanzhong, and made great contributions to his hard work. Shu Yushi, Liu Zhang is the captain of Fengche.Liu Yan's three sons are all in Chang'an now.

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(End of this chapter)