Great Han Empire

Chapter 739: A Storm of Troubled Heroes

The first month of the Jianxing first year of the Han Dynasty (AD 197).

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On the fourth day of the first lunar month, General Fenwei Gongsun Zan, General Huwei Pang De, General Liwu Yan Wuwei, and Prefect Tian Yu of Hanbei County rushed to Jinyang braved the howling wind and snow.These four were the last batch of ministers who were ordered to return to the court. Before that, 34 civil and military ministers from the three prefectures of Hebei returned to Jinyang.

On the fifth day of the first lunar month, the eldest princess announced the death of the emperor in the Jiade Hall of Jinyang Palace.

On the sixth day of the first lunar month, Prince Liu Shuo, who was only ten days old, succeeded Datong with the reign name Jianxing.

On the seventh day of the first lunar month, ministers and ministers jointly signed a petition to support Princess Changping in power.On the same day, the eldest princess issued an edict on behalf of the emperor, amnesty for the world.

Turned to worship Zhao Qi as the Taifu, and participated in the affairs of Li Shangshu.

Worship Da Sima General Li Hong to participate in Li Shangshu.

Worship Cui Lie as Da Situ, and participate in Li Shangshu.

Thanks to Da Sikong Liu and Shenli Shangshu.

Bai Xianyufu was a former general and led Guang Luxun.Worship Xu Rong as the rear general and leading guard.

The rest of the ministers such as Shangqing, Zhuqing, and generals were not adjusted much. Cai Yong and other veteran ministers, Chunyujia, Zhong Yao, Jia Xu and other Chang'an old ministers were conscripted into the court again, and each had an appointment.

On the eighth day of the first lunar month, Yang Yi, Huang Yue, Ma Feng, Liu Wan, Sun Jin and other ministers carried imperial decrees across the Yellow River to the south and rushed to various states and counties.

On the eighteenth day of the first lunar month, the emperor had a great funeral and was buried in Longshan Pingling.

After the nineteenth day of the first lunar month, the civil and military ministers who were ordered to return to the court bid farewell to the eldest princess, Zhao Qi, Li Hong and other Shanggongs, and rushed to various places.

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On the twentieth day of the first lunar month, ten senior generals including Xian Yufu and eighteen generals who commanded the battalions gathered at the General's Mansion.

Li Hong told the generals that the main task of the army in the past few years is to suppress the rebellion, and strive to calm the world within three to five years.

In addition to guarding the frontier and ensuring the stability of the frontier, the infantry and cavalry troops of the six army camps north of the Great Wall and the cavalry of the Mobei Protectorate were also ready to go south at any time to participate in the counter-insurgency war.The soldiers of the twelve military camps in Jizhou and Hedong, as well as the northern and southern armies in Jinyang, will be the main force for the imperial court to send troops to suppress the rebellion in the next few years. For this reason, Li Hong urged the generals in command of the two military camps to return home. Get ready for battle now.

Shi Yupeng, the head of the two governments, carefully analyzed the situation in the world for the generals, and predicted the possible wars on both sides of the Yellow River in the next few months.

Sima Fugan of the two governments conveyed the opinions of the court.The rebels must not be allowed to cross the Yellow River, and the flames of war must not be allowed to burn in Jizhou and Hedong.Therefore, once we learned that the rebels might gather to attack, the army immediately launched an active attack, pushing the battlefield to the Central Plains and Guanzhong.Then he explained and arranged the preliminary deployment of the court.

The northern army will be led by generals Zhang Yan and Lu Bu to rush to Jizhou around March.The seven battalions in Jizhou were commanded by General Zuo Qu Yi, with General Yan Liang as his deputy.The battle in Jizhou was under the unified command of the general.

The Southern Army will be led by General Xu Rong and rush to Hedong.The Five Battalions in Hedong were commanded by General Yang Feng, with General Yushi as his deputy.The Battle of Hedong was under the unified command of the later general Xu Rong.

Of the six military camps north of the Great Wall, General Longxiang Zhao Yun commanded four military camps in northern Xinjiang, and General Fenwei Gongsun Zan commanded two military camps in Youzhou.After the two generals returned to the frontier, they immediately assembled Han and Hu cavalry and went south to join the war at any time.

Bo Sima Yi explained the distribution and transportation of money, food and military equipment, and the recruitment of soldiers and civilians, and then analyzed and explained some problems reported by the battalion commanders and generals recently about the implementation of the recruiting system, and proposed a series of amendments and improvements. Program.

On the 21st day of the first lunar month, the generals rushed to Jinyang Palace to bid farewell to the emperor and princess.The eldest princess implored all the generals to work together to fight for the early rejuvenation of the great man.

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On the 24th of the first lunar month, Zhang Wen, the former Da Situ, was critically ill, and the eldest princess went to visit him.

The eldest princess blamed herself very much, took Zhang Wen's hand, and burst into tears.Zhang Wen comforted a few words in a low voice, "Your Highness, I'm already old, and I've reached a damned age. You don't need to be sad. The late emperor passed away, and I have to bear the unshirkable responsibility. If it wasn't for Your Highness's tolerance, the old minister's family would have been buried in a graveyard." .Speaking of which, all of this is actually the old minister’s fault, and it’s all the old minister’s fault. The old minister is sorry for His Highness, and even more sorry for your father.”

The eldest princess was extremely guilty, and she fell on Zhang Wen and wept bitterly.

"Your Highness, I wrote to ask you to reappoint Cui Lie and other veterans. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand." The eldest princess choked up and said, "Lord Liu He represents the royal family and the ministers of the noble clan in Youzhou, Lord Cui Lie represents the ministers of the noble clan in Jizhou, and Lord Zhao Qi represents the ministers of the noble clan in Northern Xinjiang and other places. The general represents the warriors in northern Xinjiang. The four ministers represent the four different forces in the court. Through mutual restraint between them, they can ease and suppress the conflicts in the court and help the advancement of the great cause of ZTE. "

Zhang Wen nodded approvingly.

"However, Mr. Zhao Qi is getting old. He is already 89. If he is gone, who can take his place?" Eldest Princess asked with a frown.

"Cai Yong." Zhang Wen said slowly, "Cai Yong is from Chenliu, Yanzhou, and he is very close to the officials in Yanzhou. In addition, he has been in northern Xinjiang for many years, and he has a high prestige among the officials in northern Xinjiang. , His son-in-law is General Longxiang Zhao Yun, so he is the most suitable candidate to replace Zhao Qi as the Prime Minister, so that the check and balance of power in the foreign court can continue to be maintained."

"What about after Master Cai Yong?"

"Li Wei." Zhang Wen clenched the eldest princess's hand tightly and gasped twice, "Your Highness must remember that after the world was settled down, the Great General Sima's meritorious service was outstanding and his reputation was at the height of the sky. Power checks and balances cannot control the expansion of their power, so in order to prevent the general from going down the road of powerful ministers and ruining the country, His Highness must use Li Wei as soon as possible and promote him to the rank of Shanggong."

"Li Wei became Shanggong and became one of the four corners of the imperial court to check and balance, which is tantamount to splitting the power of civil servants in the power of the general. , Your Highness can continue to maintain this check and balance situation."

"Li Wei." The eldest princess asked suspiciously, "He is one of the most trusted subordinates of the general, how could he..."

"Your Highness, the check and balance of power is just the mutual restraint and supervision between the various forces in the court. It is not confrontation, let alone bloody killings. Therefore, when Li Wei becomes Shanggong, he will neither become one with the general, They will not turn against each other, and they will be more conducive to the check and balance of power because of their mutual trust and help in the process of calming the world."

The eldest princess was skeptical.

"Putting Li Wei into the list of the three princes will not only prove your trust in the general, but also deepen the relationship between you and the general. Your Highness, you do not have an army, and your power comes from the trust and support of the general. So as long as you ensure the power of the general, the general will not give up the great cause of ZTE, and you will be able to stay in power until the country is restored."

"But what if the general doesn't want to?" the eldest princess was very worried.Once the world is stabilized, the imperial court will start a new policy strategy centered on state governance. At this time, Li Wei will undoubtedly become the backbone of scholars.The continuous increase of Li Wei's power is bound to cause conflict with the general.

Zhang Wen's method obviously has ulterior motives.Either let the forces in northern Xinjiang fight among themselves and eventually die together, or let yourself use Li Wei to attack the military forces headed by the general.Zhang Wen suggested using Li Wei, not for the present, but for the emperor to be able to rule smoothly when he grows up.Until his death, this old official was still unwilling to let the general and more Han warriors enter the court.

Zhang Wen didn't answer, he closed his eyes and sighed softly: "It's not that the general doesn't want to, but His Highness doesn't want to. This is just a suggestion from an old minister, and His Highness can do it with his mind. As time goes by, His Highness may be able to I understand the old minister's intention." Zhang Wen slowly opened his eyes, looked at the eldest princess and said solemnly, "Among the four ministers, the clan minister must occupy one, which can help His Highness establish his status and prestige. There is also one The minister must be a high official in Jizhou, which can ensure a solid foundation for the great cause of Zhongxing. Please keep it in mind, Your Highness."

The eldest princess agreed with tears.

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Zhang Wen then talked about restructuring.The rise and fall of dynasties and the turmoil of the Han Dynasty tell us a truth. Although the reform can rejuvenate the country and rejuvenate the country that is about to be overthrown, it is difficult to guarantee that the country can last forever.The same is true for the reformation of the imperial court today. If Your Highness thinks that our reformation today can allow Han Zuo to continue for another 400 years, it is a big mistake.

The eldest princess felt sore, and asked with tears in her eyes, "Does my lord have a good plan?"

"The foundation of Hanzuo lies in the law of the Han Dynasty, the foundation of the law of the Han Dynasty lies in the official system, and the foundation of the official system lies in the checks and balances between the imperial power and the prime minister's power." Zhang Wen took a breath and sighed, "The biggest wish of the minister in this life is to formulate a An official system that can satisfy both the emperor and ministers, but the minister's wish has not been fulfilled."

The reason why Emperor Xiaowu wanted to have the authority to hold books, and why Emperor Guangwu wanted to snatch the power of the three princes was because the power of the prime minister seriously restricted the imperial power. The combination of Mingjun and a high degree of centralization can completely rejuvenate the country, but the question is, how can there be so many Mingjun in this world?The chaos of Wang Mang and the chaos of this world are bloody lessons. This kind of official system can destroy the country, so it must be changed.

There are very few holy emperors, but all emperors like a high degree of centralization. How to reasonably distribute imperial power and ministerial power under the condition of high degree of centralization of emperors, so as to make the country prosper for a long time?

"My lord, I don't understand, can you explain a little bit more clearly?"

Zhang Wen shook his head helplessly, "I didn't think about it, I only had a vague idea, but since Your Highness asked, I will tell you, I hope His Highness can fulfill your wish in the future."

The emperor needs a high degree of centralization, and at the same time needs the foreign courts to deal with specific state affairs. Therefore, under the current official system of the three lords and nine ministers, they can only find another way. Hence, there are the eunuchs in the middle and inner dynasties. .Under the circumstance that the inner dynasty, the Chinese dynasty, and the dynasties are mutually restrictive, once something happens to the emperor, the inner dynasty and the Chinese dynasty will control all the power. The society was in chaos immediately, and the country inevitably went to ruin.

Can we think of a new official system that can still operate normally even if the emperor has an accident and the power is out of control?That is to say, the imperial power is out of control, but the power of the prime minister can still be exercised normally.

"I have thought about it for a long time, and I think that if we combine the Zhongchao Shangshutai and the foreign courts into one, and turn the Zhongchao and the Outer Dynasty into one institution, will it be possible to meet the emperor's requirements for centralization and at the same time achieve the same goal?" requirements for the independent exercise of rights?"

The eldest princess opened her eyes wide in surprise, and asked in disbelief: "Then the system of the three lords and nine ministers has not been abolished?"

"When the emperor centralized power, the three princes no longer had powers. The emperor directly commanded the Jiuqing to exercise the power through the Shangshutai. At this time, the Jiuqing Mansion was the subordinate agency of the Shangshutai. The Chinese and foreign dynasties have actually replaced the imperial court. " Zhang Wen smiled wryly, "In order to show that he has not changed the ancestral system, the emperor still retains the official system of the three lords and nine ministers, and still retains a magnificent appearance. The imperial government has come to a standstill, and no one is handling state affairs. If the Jiuqing Mansion is directly subordinate to Shangshutai, then the Jiuqing Mansion can continue to operate normally, the power of the prime minister can continue to be exercised, and state affairs can continue to be properly handled .”

"In this kind of bureaucratic system, even if there is a disaster in the court where foreign relatives and eunuchs monopolize power, it is difficult to seriously attack the prime minister in a short period of time. In this way, the court and the government can not only continue to operate, so that the state affairs will not be paralyzed, but also the power of the state will not be paralyzed. An opportunity and time to save the country."

The eldest princess thought for a long time, "My lord, I will write down your words. If the official system is to be revised according to this idea, it must violate the ancestral system. It is very difficult to completely overthrow the system of the three lords and nine ministers that has been used by this dynasty for 400 years. , unimaginable."

Zhang Wen patted the eldest princess's hand, smiled gratifiedly and said, "As long as His Highness puts his heart into it, how can he find a way."

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The eldest princess talked with Zhang Wen for a long time, and she didn't get up to leave until it was dark.

Zhang Wen took her hand and said very sadly: "The most regrettable thing for me is that I didn't see His Highness get married."

The eldest princess was very sad, "My lord's most regrettable thing is that he didn't see the big man's revival."

Zhang Wen shook his head, "There are His Royal Highness, there are great generals, there are loyal ministers in the court, and there is a strong army in northern Xinjiang. It is only a matter of time before the Han Dynasty rejuvenates. I have seen that day, and I don't feel regretful." Zhang Wen sighed and whispered Said, "I only hope that your highness can marry the general and live happily for the rest of his life."

The eldest princess' face darkened, she shook her head in pain, tears welled up, "It's impossible."

She took Zhang Wen's hand, put it to her mouth and kissed it lightly, then carefully stuffed it into the quilt.

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In the early morning of the 25th day of the first lunar month, Zhang Wen died of illness.

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On the 27th day of the first month, Wang Yi, the prefect of Hedong, urgently reported to the court that he had rebelled against Yuan Shao and intended to usurp the throne on behalf of the Han Dynasty.

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(End of this chapter)