Great Han Empire

Chapter 957 Chapter [-]
After the Ming Tang dispute broke out, the construction of the Sanyong Palace was put on hold immediately. However, in order not to affect the progress of rebuilding Chang'an City, the eldest princess issued an order in the name of the emperor to worship Xu Rong, the general of the left chariot, as the chief supervisor of the camp, and to be the master craftsman. Zhao was the deputy supervisor of Yingdu. After the autumn harvest, he began to recruit civilians to build Weiyang Palace and repair Chang'an City Wall.

The reconstruction of Sanyong is related to the issue of etiquette, and the issue of etiquette is closely related to the fate of Han Zuo. The ministers who hold the two concepts of "present ritual" and "ancient ritual" disagree with each other, and the debate in the court is day after day.

Judging from the officials on both sides of the debate, most of the ministers who insisted on the "present ceremony" and the nine-room Mingtang system were in foreign courts, such as Prime Minister Cai Yong, Taiwei Xunyou, Yushi doctor Liu He, Zongzheng Yang Qi, Tingwei Zhang Miao, The imperial servant Kong Rong, the master craftsman Dong Zhao, the Guanglu doctor Zhong Yao, the Sili school lieutenant Chen Gong and other ministers and ministers have a clear attitude and there is no room for compromise.

Most of the ministers who adhered to the "ancient ritual" and the five-chamber Mingtang system were in the Central and Inner Dynasties. Shang Shu Ling Cui Yan, Zhong Shu Supervisor Chen Qun, and Minister Sun Zi also argued with reason and refused to give up until their death.

The outer and inner courts faced each other again, and the government was seriously disturbed.

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The eldest princess is very cautious in this matter.After all, Sanyong is not a building. It represents the ritual system and is a symbol of the great Han community. The Ming Tang system to be adopted is related to the long-term stability of the community. Decisions cannot be made casually. Debates in the court are necessary and necessary.

The construction of Sanyong began from Emperor Xiaowu to Emperor Xiaoping in the first four years. It lasted more than 100 years and experienced countless disputes. Many ministers and Confucian scholars even paid their lives for it.After Emperor Guangwu rejuvenated, the construction of Sanyong was repeated several times, and it was not officially completed until the first year of Zhongyuan (AD 56), which shows how difficult it is to determine the etiquette system.

If the "ancient rites" are adopted, and the five-room Mingtang system is adopted in the construction of Sanyong, then the court's rules and regulations must be based on the "Zhou rites".

("Zhou Li" was originally called "Zhou Guan", and it is said that it was written by Zhou Gongdan. Liu Xin, a master of ancient literature and classics in this dynasty, called it "Zhou Li". "Zhou Li" is divided into Tian Guan, Di Guan, Chun Guan, Xia Guan, There are six chapters on Qiuguan and Dongguan, and the six officials symbolize the four directions of heaven and earth, which embodies the idea of ​​"using people to judge heaven". The chapter on Dongguan in the Han Dynasty was dead, and Han Confucianism took "Kaogongji" to supplement it.)
If "today's rites" are adopted, and the system of nine rooms and bright halls is adopted in the construction of Sanyong, then the imperial court's rules and regulations must be based on the "Book of Rites".

(It is said that the "Book of Rites" was made by Zhou Gong or formulated by Confucius. Nearly people believe that it is a compilation of part of the ritual system during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods. The book should be written in the early to middle period of the Warring States Period. The "Book of Rites" is divided into [-] chapters, including "Shi Guan Li" and "Shi Hun Li", which describe in detail the main etiquette and ceremonies of the ancient noble life.)
"Zhou Li" is respected by scholars of ancient texts and classics, and "Book of Rites" is valued by scholars of modern texts. The dispute between "ancient rituals" and "modern rituals", and the dispute between the five-room Mingtang system and the nine-room Mingtang system, in a certain To a certain extent, it can also be said to be a continuation of the dispute between modern and ancient Chinese classics.

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The official school of today's imperial court is the "New Classics", which is a new study of Confucian classics that combines the strengths of modern and ancient classics after decades and generations of research by a group of Confucian scholars such as Ma Rong and Zheng Xuan. "In ", Master Zheng Xuan put forward the name of "Three Rituals" for the first time, and believed that the "Three Rituals" should be equally important and should learn from each other's strengths.

(The so-called "Three Rituals" are "Zhou Li", "Book of Rites" and "Little Dai Book of Rites" edited by Dai Sheng, a master of Confucian classics in this dynasty. There are 49 chapters recorded by Confucius' seventy disciples, including "Qu Li", "Tan Gong", "Royal System", "Li Yun", "The Doctrine of the Mean", and "University". In the pre-Qin ancient system, there are also some Confucian speeches or the development of Confucian thought by his disciples, but there are also individual chapters written by Confucian scholars in the Qin and Han Dynasties.)
Although the "New Classics" advocates equal emphasis on the "three rites", in terms of the Ming Tang system, Master Zheng Xuan once made a wonderful refutation in "Refuting the Different Meanings of Xu Shen's Five Classics". It is the Mingtang system of the Qin people. The five-room Mingtang system is much earlier than the Nine-room Mingtang system. That is to say, Master Zheng Xuan has a clear tendency to the Five-room Mingtang system.

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In fact, the "New Classics" has an obvious inclination towards ancient Chinese classics. This is because Jinwen classics has been closely linked with the study of prophecy after more than 200 years of development since Emperor Guangwu.

Emperor Guangwu raised troops with Furuitu prophecy, proclaimed himself emperor and worshiped prophecy, and announced the prophecy to the world, and the study of prophecy became an important part of academic thought in this dynasty, with high authority.The "Seven Latitudes" such as "Yiwei", "Shuwei", "Shiwei", "Liwei", "Lewei", "Xiaojingwei" and "Chunqiuwei" handed down in the world have also become compulsory classics for Confucian scholars.The popularity of Chenwei led the imperial court to rely on Chenwei to make decisions on the administration of personnel and various major issues, and the interpretation of Confucian classics had to be in line with Chenwei, which greatly promoted the theology of the Confucian classics in this dynasty. At the same time, prophecy also led to the serious proliferation of thoughts such as the relationship between heaven and man, and yin and yang disasters in this dynasty.

To put it bluntly, Chenwei is man-made and conceived out of thin air. It can be used by some people with ulterior motives to spread prophecies about the change of dynasty. This has been particularly evident in the past ten years. The prophecy once spread all over the prefectures and counties, so Zhang Wen, Ma Rizun (di) and other ministers once asked the court to ban the prophecy and confiscate the prophecy books after they arrived in northern Xinjiang. little.

If today's imperial court adopts the five-room hall system in the construction of Sanyong, takes "Zhou Li" as the basis of the court's rules and regulations, and is more inclined to adopt the ancient Chinese classics in the "New Classics", then the modern classics will suffer. Sustained and long-term blows, and the science of prophecy and weft will naturally be the first to be hit. This is tantamount to publicly smashing the "job bowls" of the aristocrats, aristocratic families, and scholars who study Jinwen Confucianism, and cutting off their official careers. It is a matter of life and death. Of course, they will defend it to the death.

The theory of prophecy has been passed down for more than 200 years, and it has eroded the scholars of ancient scriptures very severely. This can be seen from the writings of Liu Xiang, the father and son of Liu Xin, the originator of ancient scriptures, and Liu Xin even made it public in order to help Wang Mang usurp the country. Propagating Furui and prophecy, so a large number of ancient texts and classics also study prophecy. Ma Rong, Zheng Xuan, Cai Yong, Lu Zhi and other ancient texts and classics are all masters of prophecy. However, in terms of attitude towards prophecy, Ma Rong , Zheng Xuan and the classical scholars represented by Cai Yong and Lu Zhi are completely different.Ma Rong and Zheng Xuan were proficient in Chenwei, and thought that Chenwei was harmful to Confucian classics and society and should be banned, but Cai Yong and Lu Zhi agreed.

Regarding the Ming Tang system, Cai Yong also wrote "Ming Tang Lun", which he explained in great detail. He believed that the Ming Tang was a symbol of the rule of virtue, and that the unification of the Ming Tang's sacrifice and administrative functions was based on the theory of the interaction between heaven and man. He highly appraised and affirmed the Nine-Room Mingtang System.
This is an important reason why Prime Minister Cai Yong and many ministers in the court clearly opposed the five-room Mingtang system.

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Sanyong is to be built, and the Mingtang system must be determined, and it cannot be delayed for a long time. For this reason, the eldest princess told Zheng Xuan, Hu Zhao, Wang Jian and other famous Confucian scholars from all over the world, asking them to come to Chang'an before the end of the year to discuss the Mingtang system. , so that the imperial court could decide what system to adopt to rebuild Sanyong.

Now the eldest princess is hesitant and has no choice.Prime Minister Cai Yong and other ministers insisted on the system of nine chambers.Li Wei, Cui Yan, Xi Xi and other ministers insisted on the system of five chambers.There are also some ministers who are not firm in their positions and are vacillating due to various reasons, among which Tai Fu Yang Biao is the most typical.

With Yang Biao's qualifications and reputation, which side he supports will obviously play an important role in the court's decision-making.The Yang family in Kansai is a family of modern Confucian classics. In Yang Biao's generation, due to the gradual revival of ancient Chinese Confucian classics, Yang Biao also began to study ancient Chinese classics. He can be regarded as a master of both modern and ancient Chinese classics.If Yang Biao supports the five-room Mingtang system, he will be against his own family, and Yang Qi, Yang Yi, and many old disciples of the Yang family will definitely turn against him.The Cui family in Jizhou has already had internal strife because of this matter.Cui Lie’s son, Cui Jun, and Cui Yan’s younger brother, Cui Lin, both studied Jinwen Confucianism, while Cui Yan studied under Zheng Xuan and studied the “New Classics.” There was a fierce debate within the family, and no one could convince the other. In the end, the brothers Turned his head, turned his face.Yang Biao was old and sophisticated, and he didn't want this matter to affect the unity of the Yang Clan, so he repeated the old tricks, suffered another leg disease, and suffered another small stroke. out.

The northern Xinjiang warriors headed by the Great Sima General Li Hong are the largest force in the court. The position of this force on the Mingtang system can completely affect the court's decision-making. But the northern Xinjiang warriors are the same as in the past. This kind of major issues involving academics, rituals, and national policies have adopted a consistent attitude of silence.There is also a very interesting phenomenon. When the debate in the court occurred, almost all the northern Xinjiang warriors went home to read books, and some even went to the official residence of the northern Xinjiang officials who were close to them to ask for advice.To be honest, they are really not clear about the origin of the debate on "Today's Rites" and "Ancient Rituals" and the profound impact on the fate of Guozuo behind them, although everyone knows the relationship between "Sanyong" and "Mingtang" However, they did not have a clear and correct understanding of how important this ritual system was to national policy and the rise and fall of the country.

Over the years, Li Hong, Xian Yufu, Xu Rong, Zhang Yan and others have been urging the northern Xinjiang warriors to study scriptures and increase their knowledge all the time. At the same time, they themselves are also taking advantage of every opportunity to study, but being able to read scriptures and understanding scriptures are two different things It is another matter to understand the scriptures, grasp the essence of the scriptures, and then transfer these essences to the practice of government affairs. There is a world of difference.Ministers like Zhang Wen, Huangfusong, Lu Zhi, and Zhu Jun who went out as generals and came in as ministers were rare in the first place.Before they were reused by the imperial court, they all had governed states and counties, participated in the decision-making of the government, had been in politics for a long time, and had rich experience in governing the country.They struggled and worked hard all their lives, and finally they became famous.

Northern Xinjiang warriors have been fighting on various battlefields. Except for a few people such as Xian Yufu, Xu Rong, and Zhang Yan, few of them have ever had the opportunity to govern states and counties. Iron and other specific matters are even more ignorant, so even though they have read the scriptures and learned a lot of statecraft in the Jinyang University Hall, they have no chance to practice and no experience. It will take a long time.On the contrary, scholars in northern Xinjiang, especially Li Wei, Xie Ming, Tian Chou, and Tian Yu, participated in the governance of states and counties very early, and they applied what they learned. For more than ten years, they have been stabilizing northern Xinjiang and implementing new policies In the process, under the guidance of Zhang Wen, Cui Lie and a group of old ministers, he has gained extremely rich experience in governing the country, and has firmly established a firm foothold in the court.

This time the warriors from Northern Xinjiang remained silent, partly because they were the balance force in the court during the fierce confrontation between the internal and external courts, and it was inconvenient to intensify conflicts, and partly because of their limited knowledge, it was impossible to intervene plugged in.This incident greatly stimulated the warriors in northern Xinjiang. It is not enough to know how to fight, to read scriptures, or to know the principles and methods of governing the country. Being able to stand aside awkwardly, being pushed around like an idiot.

The warriors in northern Xinjiang were the first to learn from great Confucians such as Wang Jian, Xiang Kai, Cai Yong, Xu Shao, and Zhao Qi. , which has a great influence on them.Later, after Zheng Xuan arrived in northern Xinjiang, they began to study the "New Classics". They had personally listened to the lectures of Zheng Xuan, Hu Zhao and other great Confucian scholars in Handan and Jinyang University Halls, and benefited a lot.This time, they were eye-opening. The fierce and wonderful debates in the court seemed to open a door to the palace of Confucianism for them. They suddenly discovered that the ritual system, Confucianism, state affairs, state policies, and the fate of the state are inseparable. The integration of the game, the splendor and mystery of it is far better than the game on the battlefield.

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On the second day after the dispute broke out in the court, Li Hong hosted a banquet in the mansion for three disciples of Master Zheng Xuan, Cui Yan, Xi Xi and Zhao Song.

The general inquired carefully about the five-room Mingtang system.If the imperial court adopts the five-chamber Mingtang system in the construction of Sanyong, and uses the "Zhou Li" as the basis of the system, will it conflict with Master Zheng Xuan's theory of equal emphasis on the "three rituals" in the "New Classics"?Will it affect the status of "New Classics" in official schools?Will it affect the general direction of ZTE's strategy?Specific to the new policy strategy, what kind of strategic adjustments will the imperial court make in the coming period?
Cui Yan said that the adoption of the five-chamber Mingtang system in the "Three Yongs" does not conflict with Master Zheng Xuan's "Three Rituals" theory, on the contrary, it is very helpful to the consolidation of the "New Classics".

The imperial court took the "New Classics" as its official study for a very short time, less than ten years. The status of the "New Classics" could not be compared with modern and ancient Chinese classics, and there was no way to quickly eliminate the more than 200-year-long gap between modern and ancient Chinese classics. Therefore, the top priority of the imperial court is to use various methods to continuously consolidate the position of the "New Classics", maintain and improve the absolute authority of the "New Classics", and cut off the attacks and challenges of the "New Classics" by modern and ancient classics.Only when the status of "New Classics" is improved and becomes the absolute authority of the official studies of the Han Dynasty, the debate between modern and ancient Chinese classics will gradually decrease until they disappear. Only when it stabilizes can it continue to promote and develop in the correct direction of "putting the people first, respecting the law with ceremonies".

In the past two years, the disputes over the ZTE strategy, the counter-insurgency strategy, the New Deal policy, and even the dispute over the establishment of the capital and the construction of Sanyong have shown that it appears to be a strategic dispute, but behind it is a power struggle. But what is at the root of the power struggle?It is a dispute between officials and scholars, and it is a dispute between academics.

Whether it is a minister who studies modern classics, a minister who studies ancient Chinese classics, or a minister who studies "New Classics", because of different concepts and concepts, the strategies adopted for the great cause of rejuvenation are of course different, but as long as you let what you have studied If the school becomes official school and becomes the authoritative official school of the big Han, then they can control the decision-making power.If you control the decision-making power, you will also control the government, and you will be able to obtain the authority you need.

Official learning, decision-making, and authority are complementary and integrated.

Now the "New Classic" is an official school, and the northern Xinjiang scholars and northern Xinjiang warriors who study the "New Classic", including those of us who are disciples and disciples of Master Zheng Xuan, are all in high positions. We control the decision-making power of the imperial court and the great Han authority.

The ministers who study modern and ancient Chinese classics, including their disciples, including their relatives and old officials, have their ZTE strategy. They think that our ZTE strategy has obvious mistakes, which will lead to the failure of ZTE’s great cause and push the big man again. To the abyss of ruin, so they want to snatch our authority and deprive us of decision-making power.

Without affecting the stability of the court, without affecting the balance of power in the court, can it be relaxed and natural, and achieve this goal at the minimum cost?It's very simple, change the official school.

When the imperial court was formulating the ZTE strategy, it was the official school that was most worried about.If official learning cannot be revised, the ZTE strategy cannot be correctly formulated and implemented. However, at that time, the officials in the imperial court who studied ancient texts and classics had an absolute advantage, while modern texts and classics, as the official school of the Han Dynasty for more than 200 years, have an extremely stable position and cannot be regretted.At this time, Master Zheng Xuan suddenly arrived in Hebei, and the "New Classics", which combines the strengths of both modern and ancient Chinese classics, sprang up suddenly. .

Although the "New Classics" draws on the strengths of both modern and ancient Chinese classics, relatively speaking, it focuses more on ancient Chinese classics. This is an important reason why it was supported by the imperial court and became an official school.

As the imperial court regained more and more land, the imperial court became larger and larger, scholars from all over the country also entered the court hall, and the number of ministers studying modern classics in the court hall increased suddenly.At the same time, the power struggle in the court became more and more fierce, and the great cause of ZTE was advancing faster and faster, and the ministers who studied ancient Chinese classics and the ministers who studied "New Classics" in the imperial court had more and more differences in ZTE's strategy. Therefore, in order to formulate and implement a ZTE strategy in line with their own interests, the ministers who studied modern and ancient Chinese classics immediately united to deal with the ministers who mainly studied the "New Classics" who controlled the decision-making power of the court.

The two factions of modern and ancient classics joined hands to deal with the "New Classics", and the power struggle in the court intensified immediately.In the past two years, there have been constant disputes in the court, and it is precisely because of this, and this "dispute over the Mingtang system" has finally pushed this battle to a climax.

The result of the debate is either winning or losing, there is no such thing as a tie.

If the "five-room bright hall system" wins the final victory, the stability of the "New Classic" is beyond doubt.The stability of official studies will affect the direction of the court, which is the northern Xinjiang faction's control of the government and the direction of ZTE's strategy, and a large number of officials from the northern Xinjiang faction will be appointed.

If the "Nine Chambers Ming Tang System" wins the final victory, the status of "New Classics" will be severely hit. Although because of the irreconcilable contradictions between modern and ancient Chinese classics, "New Classics" can temporarily maintain the status of official schools, but it Its influence will decline rapidly, the newly established authority will disappear, and public and private schools in various places will probably abandon the "New Classics" and continue to teach modern and ancient Chinese classics instead.Over time, it was inevitable for the imperial court to abandon the "New Classics" as official learning.

The official school lost its authority, and the etiquette system that was the foundation of Confucianism changed, and ZTE's strategy changed accordingly. Although this change had little impact on the court for the time being, as time went on, ZTE's great cause continued to advance. This change will gradually appear, and eventually control the general direction of ZTE's strategy, while the northern Xinjiang faction will gradually lose its decision-making power, and eventually lose control of the government.

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Li Hong finally understood completely this time.

In the past, when Zhang Wen, Lu Zhi, Ma Ricun and others were formulating the ZTE strategy, they were most worried about the official school. At that time, Li Hong did not know its importance.Later, the matter of the government school was unexpectedly and smoothly resolved, and of course Li Hong couldn't further understand it.Now, he understands, but the matter has become very complicated, and it is not easy to solve the matter with which side he supports.

In this matter, Dong Zhuo once made a big mistake, which eventually led to his complete defeat.Dong Zhuo listened to Yuan Kui's words, relied on the force in his hands to revise the official school, set up a doctor of ancient texts and classics, and incorporated the ancient texts into the official school. No more control.

Although the official school is related to the fate of the country, it is a matter for Confucian scholars and academics. It has no direct relationship with warriors. The intervention of warriors will only make this academic dispute more complicated and bloody, and even lead to a fierce situation. Shock.

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Cui Yan hopes to get Li Hong's support, but his words are very tactful, obviously he is also worried that the intervention of the warrior will cause the matter to get out of hand.

Li Hong understood what he meant and appreciated Cui Yan's prudence, but the question now is not whether warriors can intervene, but how to ensure the stability of the court and how to ensure that ZTE's great cause will not be harmed by this matter.

After thinking over and over again, Li Hong asked solemnly: "Then, how can I help you?"

Cui Yan said without hesitation: "General, until this matter is resolved, you must not use troops, and you must not use troops under any circumstances. When the general goes out to conquer, it is not only a matter of losing the deterrence of the court, but also the safety of the army, the country and the country." The safety of food and supplies is all in the hands of the imperial court. Once the imperial court threatens the general with the safety of the army, what will the general do? Once there is turmoil in individual states and counties, the court is too busy to take care of itself, and the general sends troops outside, what will happen to the safety of the country?"

Li Hong's heart trembled, and his face changed slightly.

"I know that the matter in Xijiang is very urgent, but the matter in the court is even more urgent. There are priorities, and the general must think twice."

Li Hong nodded slightly, and asked again, "Is there any more?"

"If the general is willing, please make an appointment to meet Mr. Li Wei, the chief minister, and Mr. Zhu Xiaolan, the head of the eldest princess' mansion." After Cui Yan finished speaking, she stared at Li Hong with great anticipation.

Li Wei's position in the court is very important and powerful, which directly affects the decision-making of the Zhongshujian. Although he has stated his position, it is related to the stability of the court. It is very likely that he will not be able to withstand the pressure of all parties and give up on Cui Yan. Support, of course, if you have Li Hong's absolute support, that's another matter.Xiao Lan's role is even more important. She is the only one who can influence the decision-making of the Eldest Princess. If the Eldest Princess is forced to make a decision early, it will be a big trouble.

In the anticipation of Cui Yan, Xi Xi and Zhao Song, Li Hong finally nodded, "I will find a chance to go to Mr. Li's residence."

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That night, Li Hongshu told Xian Yufu, Xu Rong, Qu Yi, Zhang Yan, Lu Bu, Yu Shi, Yan Liang, Yang Feng, Zhao Yun, Wen Chou, Fan Li, Zhang Baiqi, Zhang Liao, He Feng and more than a dozen generals in Beijing, and described in detail He warned them not to participate in the debate over the "Ming Tang System" because of their own concerns.In the court hall, you only listen with your ears, and you are not allowed to speak, let alone make any remarks. (According to the law, there are no special circumstances where ministers are not allowed to gather, and they can only communicate by letter.)
The general's meeting with Cui Yan's three ministers obviously stimulated the ministers in the court.The debate in the court became increasingly fierce.

The eldest princess was restless, and repeatedly sent people to urge Taifu Yang Biao to enter the court to discuss matters, but Yang Biao refused in every possible way and refused to go.The eldest princess was angry, and ordered General Li Hong to go and see for herself.If he can't walk, lift him up.

Yang Biao cried out in agony, "General, why do you make things difficult for me? I have to say a few words when I go, right? What should I say?" Li Hong laughed, "If it's not possible, just pretend to be deaf and dumb."

Yang Biao stood on his crutches and went up. He could really pretend to be deaf and dumb. When people talked about things, he talked about things and made nonsense. Finally, the eldest princess waved her hand angrily, "Go home and recuperate. Don't come."

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At the end of October, the development of the situation got out of control. The ministers put the cart before the horse in the court meeting. They did not discuss the matters that should be discussed. They argued endlessly on the Mingtang system all day long. Then some ministers began to criticize the "New Classic".

The eunuch Kong Rong was the first to attack the "New Classic".Kong Rong is a master who studied both modern and ancient Chinese classics. He cited classics and pointed out many shortcomings of the "New Classics".Then Zongzheng Yang Qi also started. Yang Qi is a master of Jinwen Confucian classics, and his words were ugly. He almost scolded the "New Classics" to the point where he almost didn't mention Zheng Xuangu's reputation.

Cui Yan, Xi Xi, and Zhao Song were furious and immediately refuted.

After all, the three of Cui Yan were younger, and when they were excited, their words were somewhat disrespectful to the older generation, and some refutations of modern and ancient Chinese classics were obviously inappropriate.This angered Prime Minister Cai Yong, Taiwei Xunyou, Tingwei Zhang Miao, Guanglu doctor Zhong Yao (after Luoyang was conquered, he returned to the court from Yanzhou), Sili Xiaowei Chen Gong and other ministers. Everyone rushed forward and shouted in unison. crusade.

The three of Cui Yan couldn't resist, they were a little flustered.The chief minister, Li Wei, stood up at the right time, and then Da Hongyu Yuan Yao, Jing Zhaoyin, Zhao Jian, and ministers such as Zhu Mu, Tian Chou, Tian Yu, Yu Peng, Xie Ming all spoke out to refute.

Chaos in the hall.

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The eldest princess was a little overwhelmed. She saw that the situation was gradually getting out of control, so she immediately asked Zheng Xuan, Wang Jian and other masters to speed up their entry to Beijing, and asked Grand Sima General Li Hong to come forward to mediate and stabilize the situation in the court as much as possible.

Recently, because of the affairs of Xijiang and Yizhou, Li Hong and a group of generals had military meetings in the Da Sima Mansion every day to discuss countermeasures, and did not participate in the court meeting.After receiving the edict from the eldest princess, he was very surprised. He didn't expect the situation to develop so quickly, and the conflict between the three schools of classics broke out in an instant.

The end of the year is coming soon, and the court has too many things to do. If all the time is spent on this, the government will be seriously delayed.

Li Hong immediately visited Prime Minister Cai Yong.Cai Yongchu was very angry at Li Hong's meeting with Cui Yan and other three ministers, but later he saw that the warriors from northern Xinjiang first asked for leave and left, and then those who stayed in the court were silent and silent, which was even more funny It was Wuwei General He Feng who fell asleep in the court hall. From this, it can be seen that Li Hong was very keenly aware of the key point, and promptly withdrew from this contest of Confucian classics that had nothing to do with the warriors of northern Xinjiang. Hiro's attitude changed greatly.

Li Hong persuaded Cai Yong, saying that the prefects of various prefectures, the prefects of the prefectures, and the prime ministers of the country will soon go to Beijing to make plans (all regions will submit proposals to the imperial court, which will cover rents, punishments, prisons, elections, etc. etc.), there are many affairs, it is better to put aside the "San Yong" in advance, and put aside the dispute for the time being, there is no need to expand the situation.

Cai Yong sighed, "I heard that you plan to go out again?"

Li Hong smiled, "Did Zilong tell you? He and Wenji should move out and not live with you anymore."

"I only have a daughter, Wen Ji, and a son-in-law, Zilong. If they all move out, who will serve me?" Cai Yong stroked the white beard under his chin with a smile, "I'm old, I don't have many years to live , I can see them every day and hear the laughter of my grandchildren, I am very content."

Li Hong comforted with a smile: "I think Mr. can live to be at least a hundred years old."

"Forget it, don't comfort me." Cai Yong waved his hands and smiled, "If you hadn't saved me back then, I would have died in Beisi Prison. Over the past ten years, I have seen Wenji marry Zilong and live happily. Seeing my grandchildren curled up on their knees, innocent and cute, I can't ask for more."

"Really?" Li Hong asked with a pun, "Sir, there is still one biggest expectation that has not been fulfilled, isn't it?"

"I can't see it anymore, maybe you can still see it." Cai Yong's expression gradually became serious, "The matter of the Ming Tang system involves a lot, and you probably heard about the cause and effect from Cui Yan, so I won't say more. I said it. I want to thank you for this matter. It is indeed not easy for the general to stay out of the court battle and clearly see what is after the battle."

"I'm a member of the court, even if I want to be alone, I'm afraid I won't be able to escape." Li Hong said meaningfully with a smile on his face.

"Of course." Cai Yong said, "But as long as you can see the root of the matter and know what to do, then I can rest assured."

"So I plan to go to the western border."

"No." Cai Yong shook his hand very resolutely, "Going to war is the next best thing to do. There will be bloody storms in the court soon, you can't leave Chang'an, let alone go to war."

"Only by going out to fight can I temporarily suppress the conflicts in the court and avoid this bloody storm." Li Hong looked at Cai Yong's old and tired face, and said word by word, "When the end of the year comes, the officials from all states and counties will gather. Things could get out of hand in Kyoto."

"The imperial court has no wealth." Cai Yong frowned slightly, and said in a cold voice, "You want to conquer Xijiang, but how much does it cost to conquer Xijiang? Money? Occupying the western border, we have to defend the western border, station troops, and move the population westward to Hehuang and Hexi areas to garrison fields and guard the border. Do you want to forcefully attack Guanzhong at the risk of annihilating the entire army?"

"Calm down, my people. We conquered and occupied Xijiang, which does not mean that we have stabilized Xijiang. On the contrary, we are carrying a heavy burden. It will take a long time for the court to take down this burden, and even It may be ten years, 20 years, or longer, so there is no rush to fight Xijiang, we must first be prepared to bear the heavy burden of Xijiang, and then go to fight Xijiang."

Li Hong secretly sighed.He has always wanted to test Cai Yong's attitude, but now it seems that Cai Yong has realized that this bloody storm in the court is inevitable.

"Can I help you?" Li Hong asked respectfully after a long silence.

"Steady the capital, the prefectures, and the army." Cai Yong said calmly, "As long as the army is not chaotic, the prefectures are not chaotic, and the capital is not chaotic, even if the court is in chaos, it will not affect the overall situation."

=

In the next few days, Li Hong visited Taiwei Xun You, Yushi Doctor Liu He, Taichang Xu Shao, Zongzheng Yang Qi, Tingwei Zhang Miao, and Taifu Kong Rong. on the house.

Li Wei and Xiao Lan led Li Hong into the study.The three chatted for a while about homework.Xiao Lan said, when the General returns home, he must take good care of your family's Xiu'er. She is eight years old and will be married in four or five years. She is still "crazy" and lawless like a boy.Li Hong knew that Xiu'er must have gotten into trouble again, so he was very embarrassed, "What happened? Xin'er was beaten again?"

"Yesterday, Liu Tan, the son of Youxian King Liu Ming, came. The children of them made an appointment to go hunting in the northern suburbs. Your Xiu'er said that shooting is boring, and if you want to shoot, you can shoot people." Before Xiao Lan finished speaking, Li Hong knew what to do. something happened.Li Wei hurriedly stopped Xiao Lan, but Xiao Lan felt sorry for her son and rebuked her angrily.Several children took down the arrows and divided into two teams to "fight".Li Xin accidentally shot Xiu'er, Xiu'er was furious, rushed up and beat Li Xin violently, and went home with a bruised nose and a swollen face.Li Xin didn't dare to say anything when he got home.It happened that Pang De's son, Pang Hui, was there, and Xiao Lan "deceived" the whole story in a few sentences. Xiao Lan doted on her son and was so angry that tears came out.

Li Hong apologized again and again, "How about this, I will take Xin'er as a disciple and teach him martial arts in person. Next time when this happens, Xin'er at least won't suffer."

"What?" Xiao Lan was in a hurry, "Is there a next time? You go back and warn Xiu'er, don't let her write letters to our family."

"Okay, okay." Li Hong and Li Wei looked at each other and smiled wryly.When this kind of thing happened, the two men had no choice but to let Xiao Lan scold them twice.

At this time, Xiao Lan suddenly realized, "General, you must keep what you said just now, don't go back on your word."

"I know. In a few days, you will let Xin'er live in my house. Since I accept him as an apprentice, I will hand over the child to me."

"That won't work." Xiao Lan immediately shook her hand and said, "No, no, your Xiu'er will bully him, absolutely not."

Li Hong laughed, "You dote on Xin'er too much. Xin'er looks weak, but in fact he has a strong personality. If he works harder, he will definitely be like his grandfather in the future. When he goes out, he will be a general, and when he comes in, he will be a Qing. Okay, Alright, as you like. But if I go to war, he will follow me and can't stay at home anymore. Last time, you should listen to me and let him go to the Luoyang battlefield to have a look."

"The children Yan Ba, Zhao Tong, and Pang Hui are wilder than each other. Xin'er is always at a disadvantage when they are with them." Xiao Lan said with a heartbroken face, "If Xin'er goes, she will not be punished by them." How many are horses? From my point of view, if the little emperor trains you like this, sooner or later you will be like you, not a leopard, but a tiger."

Li Hong smiled and said, "Of course it's a tiger."

=

The three chatted and laughed for a while, and the topic gradually turned to government affairs.

"Zhong Yuan, things in the court are getting more and more wrong." Li Hong told the story of visiting Cai Yong, Xun You and other ministers, "I have a premonition that something is going to happen."

"Of course something will happen." Li Wei smiled, "If I hadn't been supporting Cui Yan and the adults, something might have happened to them."

Li Hong pondered for a while, then turned to look at Xiao Lan.Xiao Lan smiled calmly, "His Highness is still very firm, otherwise she would not have urged Master Zheng Xuan to rush to Chang'an as soon as possible, but His Highness obviously overestimated the influence of Master Zheng Xuan. In court, and in Confucian classics, no one can compare to Lord Cai Yong for his prestige and authority. In this debate, Master Zheng Xuan is very likely to lose."

"Is there a countermeasure?"

"If Master Yang Biao and Master Xu Shao can help, Master Zheng Xuan may have a chance to win."

Thinking of Yang Biao's sophistication, Li Hong smiled wryly and shook his head.

"General, there is nothing to worry about when soldiers come to block you, and when the water comes and the soil is flooded." Li Wei said confidently, "The ultimate purpose of this debate is to attack the "New Classics" and prepare for them to revise official studies step by step. The contradictions in classics are deeply rooted, and opportunities to counterattack abound. For us now, the key is how to control the situation and how to achieve the greatest goal with the least cost.”

"They want to modify the official school, want to control the decision-making power, and want to gradually drive us from northern Xinjiang out of the court. We have to fight back. There is no way out. This battle will break out sooner or later." Xiao Lan said, "But The timing is not right now, and if this matter is not handled properly, it will lead to catastrophe, so the general must stabilize the army, stabilize the states and counties, and ensure the safety of Kyoto."

"You mean..."

"The expedition to the western frontier must be postponed indefinitely until the court is completely stabilized." Li Wei said decisively, "The general will leave Chang'an at an appropriate time. He can go to Luoyang, Handan, Jizhou, or even patrol the desert."

"You are in Chang'an, the deterrence is too great." Seeing Li Hong's worried face, Xiao Lan hurriedly explained, "Too much deterrence means that the lives of all parties are not guaranteed. Some people, in order to achieve their goals, They may take a risk and assassinate the general. If the general is assassinated in Chang'an, the matter will immediately involve the warriors and the army in northern Xinjiang, and the situation will be out of control immediately, and no one can control it, including the general himself."

Li Hong thought of the Luoyang mutiny after He Jin's death, the Chang'an mutiny after Dong Zhuo's death, and the Jinyang conspiracy after Emperor Xiaoxian's serious illness, and immediately shuddered.

"As long as the general is away and maintains his deterrent power over the capital, there will be no major incidents in Chang'an. Even if there is a major incident in Chang'an, there is still room for rescue." Li Wei continued Xiao Lan's words, "This time the Confucian classics dispute is due to Mingtang The rise of the system should be due to literary struggles, and if it is handled well, the court will calm down after some turbulent waves."

"Wen Dou?" Li Hong asked suspiciously, "What is Wen Dou? And Wu Dou?"

"Wendou is debate and clear discussion. Whoever wins will end the crisis. The struggle between various schools of Confucian classics will continue, just like when Master Xu Shao ran to Luoyang and yelled a few times, Hongdumen disappeared overnight. It is the same, but the various factions of Confucian classics fight as they like. As for the fighting..." Li Wei hesitated, "The fighting is just like the disaster of the party in those days. If people die, both sides of the fight will die. "

"Is there no better way?" The more Li Hong thought about it, the more chilled he became, and he asked unwillingly.

"There is only a worse way." Li Wei smiled bitterly, "If force is used, Dong Zhuo is a living example. If external force is used, the two disasters of party imprisonment in this dynasty are living examples."

"This is a matter between Confucian scholars, a duel between scholars." Xiao Lan waved her hand vigorously, and said firmly, "Whether it is the emperor, the eldest princess, or the general, there is no need to intervene." .The outcome of this duel is directly related to the success or failure of ZTE, which can only be won, not lost."

=

Under the persuasion of the general, the ministers temporarily put aside the controversy and turned to concentrate on handling government affairs.

In October, Yan Rou, the general of Zhenbei, sent back the victory report from Hexi.

After the spring of this year, Lei Zi, Hu Ding, Qi Shen and others were attacked by the Qiang people on the front line of Guzang, Xiutu and Luanniao in Wuwei County, and the situation was once critical.

In April, Kebi Xiong and Bu Du returned to the Hexi battlefield from the pastures in the west of the desert with an army and a large number of livestock, and helped Leizi defend Guzang. The attack forced Lei Zi, Kirby Xiong and others to fight on two fronts, and the battle immediately became stalemate.

In July, after the rainy season in the desert was over, Yan Rou, the Great General of Zhenbei, and Liu Ming, King Youxian, joined the Hexi battlefield with [-] cavalry, and went west along the Great Wall, even conquering the two cities of Fanhe and Rile in Zhangye County, and fought in the Killed two thousand Qiang cavalry in the area of ​​Ruoshui, and successfully captured the two cities of Zendan and Wulan, which are very close to the city of Hu (hu), the prefecture of Zhangye County.

At this time, because the battle line was too long and the supply of livestock and ordnance was insufficient, Yan Rou had no choice but to order the army to retreat to the small town of Wulan to stand firm.

In August, Jiang Wu, Mustafa, and Kuangfengsha led 1 cavalry into Wuwei, along the Great Wall in the south of the Tianqiong Desert, quietly rushed to the line of Cangsong and Luanniao, and launched an attack on Hongri's Qiang cavalry A quick blow.The Qiang cavalry were caught off guard, losing more than [-] cavalry, and retreated to the front line of Lingju in Jincheng County in a panic.

Soon, Hongri, Tietou, and Fengfeng regrouped their troops and attacked Wuwei again.

In September, Yan Rou rushed to Guzang, assembled about [-] cavalry, and ordered Lei Zi to lead them to ambush in secret near the Great Wall, [-] miles east of Guzang City. However, Hongri was extremely cautious, retreating every time he chased to the foot of the Great Wall.

At the end of September, Yan Rou decided to abandon Guzang, pretending that there was not enough food and grass to withdraw her troops.Lei Zi led the army to withdraw first, and crossed Mount Yibula. After Xiu Tuze replenished food and water, he quickly entered the Tianqiong Desert and lurked again at the foot of the Great Wall near Guzang City.

The Qiang people recaptured Guzang, very excited, and then pursued, and rushed to Yibula Mountain before the Han army, cutting off the Han army's retreat.Yan Rou panicked and led the army to retreat to Tianqiong Desert.The Qiang fell for the trick and were surrounded by the Han army, desperately trying to break out.The two sides fought to the death until sunset.Hongri led his army to break through and fled back to Jincheng County.The Han army beheaded [-] ranks and occupied Wuwei County.

Yan Rou said in the letter that although the army recovered the four cities of Wuwei County and Zhangye County and severely injured the Qiang people in Hexi, they had to temporarily stop fighting due to lack of food, grass and military equipment.In order to let the army staying in Hexi survive the winter, Kebi Xiong, Bu Dugeng, Liu Ming and others left their livestock and ordnance and returned to the desert with their troops.Next spring, Budu will lead his tribe to move to Hexi, and continue westward with us to recover Zhangye, Jiuquan and Dunhuang.

In the letter, Yan Rou highly praised Kirby Bear, thinking that Kirby Bear and his men fought continuously on the Hexi battlefield for two years and made great contributions to the imperial court's recovery of Hexi.It's just that he was really sorry for letting him go back empty-handed in the end, and I hope the court can give him a generous reward.

=

After the imperial court received the victory report, it decreed to reward the soldiers on the Hexi battlefield, and rewarded all the Hu tribes who participated in the battle.

Da Sima and General Li Hong played to the court.

Next year, after Budugeng, Huding, Qishen, Mutao, Muli and other Xianbei leaders successively lead their tribes to move into Hexi, Tuoba Tao and Tuoba raccoon of Xianbei in the north may take the opportunity to annex the pastures of Xianbei in the west, so it is necessary An order was issued to Yan Wuwei, the governor of the Mobei Metropolitan Government, and Zhao Heng, the prefect of Hanbei County, asking them to properly protect the territories of the western Xianbei tribes. Before Budugeng and other tribes stabilized in Hexi, no tribe on the desert can occupy For these grasslands, the two Xianbei leaders Tuoba Tao and Tuoba Raccoon were supervised to send troops to the Hexi battlefield as much as possible to help, and to send a certain amount of livestock to the Hexi battlefield.

In addition, after Kirby Bear returned to the central Xianbei, due to the weakened strength, the Eastern Xianbei may take the opportunity to break away from Kirby Bear's control and build another royal court, and the balance of power in the desert may be broken, so it is necessary to supervise General Zhengbei Xian Yuyin, Governor Li Su of Liaodong, Governor of Youzhou Qianzhao, Governor of Liaodong Gongsun Du paid close attention to the situation in the desert and Liaodong, and took corresponding measures to continue to deter the various tribes of the Hu people and ensure the stability of the desert and northern Xinjiang. .

The eldest princess is ready to play, and in the name of the emperor, please Yan Wuwei, Zhao Heng, Xian Yuyin, Li Su, Qianzhao, Ying Qin, Gongsun Xu, Gongsun Du and other civil and military ministers to try their best to appease the various tribes of the Hu tribe and vigorously train the army , repair the pass, and always maintain a deterrent to the various tribes of the Hu tribe.

=

In October, Huangfu Li, the governor of Liangzhou, went to the court to report the latest situation in western Xinjiang.

After Huangfu Li withdrew his army and retreated to Chencang, Shanggui (gui) did not return to the court, but stayed in the camp of the Western Expedition Army with his subordinates in Liangzhou Prefecture, ready to enter the Western Xinjiang again at any time.He kept in touch with the Xiliang rebel general. Han Yi and Ling Ru often wrote to him to update him on the latest situation, and sometimes asked for some food and weapons.

In the imperial court's Western Xinjiang strategy, there is still the meaning of protecting the Xiliang rebels.Since the first thing is to drive away the tiger and devour the wolf, then we must fatten the tiger, and we cannot let the tiger devour the wolf and be eaten by the wolf instead.Once the "swallowing wolf" is successful, the two tigers will fight, and it is even more necessary to fatten up the Xiliang rebel tiger, otherwise Xiliang will be occupied by Liu Bei, and the trouble will be big.

However, the situation in Xijiang did not go as smoothly as expected.Driving the tiger to devour the wolf, the tiger was released, but the wolf did not eat it. On the contrary, the two tigers were still in danger of being divided and eaten by the wolves.

When Liu Bei led his army to join Guan Yu in Longxi, Guan Yu and Pang Yi's troops had already conquered Zhang County and were attacking Lintao.Lintao is the only way to Minshan, and the main way for Shenlang Qiang and Baima Qiang to go home, so Lei Biao and Yu Feng stationed heavy troops here.The meaning of Guan Yu's attack on this city was to cut off the retreat of the Qiang people and force the Qiang people to retreat along the Taoshui in a panic, so as to create opportunities for themselves to ambush the enemy.

The Qiang people are all cavalry, good at riding and shooting. After fighting against the northern army for so many years, Guan Yu knew that he would not be able to fight recklessly, so he could only win by strategy.The Qiang people had no experience in defending cities, but Guan Yu also had no siege equipment, so he had to use local materials to make them, but the manufacturing took time, and the Qiang people obviously wouldn't give him time, so his attack on Lintao was false, and he lured the enemy to retreat. , the midway ambush is true.

Lei Biao and Yu Feng really fell for the trick, and after hearing the news, they led their troops back.Guan Yu and Pang Ji led the main force to set up an ambush at Longsang City in the middle of the Lintao River.The 1000 Qiang vanguard army was wiped out, and the remaining Qiang turned their horses around and ran away.

Liu Bei and Guan Yu joined forces to attack Lintao.The Qiang people in Lintao guarded for more than ten days, but they panicked when they didn't see any reinforcements.At this time, Guan Yu ordered his men to pick up a thousand Qiang heads with spears, and rode horses around the city to cheer.The Qiang people were terrified and abandoned the city and fled.

Lintao was taken, and the army continued to advance westward, conquering Angu City, and then approached the city of Didao, the governor of Longxi County.

Zhuge Liang made a suggestion, pretending to build embankments on the Lintao River, as if flooding the city, and then sent people to plant banners all over the mountains outside the city, and lit more bonfires as cooking smoke, making the illusion of an army of [-].

The Qiang people were terrified, and they abandoned the city and fled.

Lei Biao, Yu Feng, Li Cai, and Cha all converged in Daxia City.The Qiang people were surprised that the Han invaded Longxi so quickly, but the Qiang people were not afraid.As long as they retreated to the Hehuang area, with the advantages of terrain and the speed of cavalry, it would be difficult for the Han to defeat them.

Liu Bei took advantage of the victory to march, but he soon discovered that there were a large number of Qiang cavalry in Daxia and Fuhan, and then Guan Yu's forward army fought with the Qiang people.Guan Yu was defeated, losing more than 1000 men, and retreated in embarrassment.Liu Bei was not prepared enough, food and grass were not enough, and armaments were not enough. The soldiers were exhausted because of the continuous marching and fighting, and the acclimatization of the soil and water, and they would definitely fail if they fought again.Liu Bei immediately retreated to Didao and urged Wei Kang and Jian Yong of Wudu County to ask for food and grass.

Xiabian, the county government of Wudu County, is more than 500 miles away from Didao, the county government of Longxi County, and there are mostly plank roads and mountain roads along the way, which is inconvenient for vehicles and horses, and the transportation of food, grass and military equipment is extremely difficult.Food, grass, and military equipment could not be delivered in time, and even if they were delivered, it would be difficult to satisfy the continuous combat of the [-] army, so Liu Bei's army stopped at Didao, and it was difficult to do anything.

When the Han army stopped, the Qiang people came back to life. The iron cavalry appeared in the mountains and ravines, frequently attacking the Han army's food roads, and Liu Bei had a headache.Liu Beishu told Zhang Fei, who had already rushed to Wudu County, to stay in Wudu, and don't go to Longxi to meet up. This place is too poor and there are too many people, everyone will starve to death.

In August, Wei Duan, the prefect of Wudu County, brought food, grass and supplies to Han Yi.Han Yi deployed a small amount of troops on the front line of Yicheng and Shangyu, and then, together with Zhang Ren and Yang Ren, marched westward to attack Jincheng.In September, Han Yi conquered Yuzhong and Jincheng successively, and got in touch with Liu Bei of Didao in Longxi.Hearing that Liu Bei had occupied Longxi, Han Yi became a little anxious, and hurriedly ordered Yang Qiu to lead the vanguard to approach Yunwu, the governor of Jincheng County.

It was already the end of September and the weather was getting cooler. Han Yi considered that it was more than 1000 miles away from Yicheng, and it was difficult to transport grain and grass. The grain road might be cut off by the Qiang people at any time, so the warlord attacked Yunwu.

At first, everyone thought that Hongri's Hexi Qiang was restrained by the Northern Xinjiang Army in the Tianqiong Desert and could not return for a while, but Hongri was defeated in the Tianqiong Desert and brought his army back to kill him.When Hexi was lost, he always wanted to find a place to hide, and the Hehuang area was of course the first choice.

Han Yi was attacked back and forth by the Qiang people and was defeated. He hastily withdrew to Pingxiang City in Hanyang County.Because of insufficient food and grass, Zhang Ren and Yang Ren led their troops back to Wudu County, and planned to return to Hanzhong and Bashu.

=

After Li Hong received Huangfu Li's memorial, his heart was heavy.

Driving tigers and devouring wolves failed, because tigers were too weak and wolves were too many.In addition, Hanzhong and Bashu, which provided food for the tiger, also seemed to have the intention of retreating. If Liu Bei and Han Yi lost their food and grass support, it is estimated that the situation in Western Xinjiang would immediately fall to one side.

From the current situation in Western Xinjiang, it can be seen that the army does not have the conditions to make an expedition to Western Xinjiang. It is not a question of whether there are too many troops, but a question of whether there is enough food, grass and supplies.Prime Minister Cai Yong is right, even if I conquer Xijiang now, so what?The problem of the Qiang invasion cannot be completely solved, and the living problems of the people in Xijiang cannot be solved. What is more serious is, what method will Xijiang use to garrison the fields and guard the border?How many people are still willing to go to the remote, desolate and dangerous Hexi and Hehuang areas to garrison fields and guard the border?
Li Hong discussed with Xian Yufu, Xu Rong, Qu Yi, Zhang Yan and others for a long time, and felt that the only way to completely conquer the Qiang people was to use the defense method of the northern border, move the Qiang people to the western border, and change all the Qiang people around the western border Cheng belonged to the Qiang people, and then slowly passed various policies to turn them into Han people.Letting the people of Xijiang defend Xijiang seems to be the only way at present. Although this process is very long and full of dangers and dangers, the war in Xijiang for more than 100 years cannot continue. We must find a way to completely solve it. Otherwise, the heavy burden of Xijiang cannot be shaken off at all.The nightmare in Xijiang cannot be cured, and Dahan's ZTE will always be an unrealistic dream.

At Li Hong's request, the officers and subordinates of the Grand General Sima's Mansion began to plan for an expedition to Western Xinjiang.

=

In October, special envoys from Xuzhou Cao Cao and Jiangdong Sun Quan arrived in Liyang.

After Mao Jie and Cheng Pu were driven out of Luoyang by the little emperor, they hurriedly returned to Xuzhou and Jiangdong to report.Although Cao Cao and Sun Quan were very angry, they had to bow their heads in the face of the hundreds of thousands of northern troops stationed in the Central Plains.

The two wrote to the court and presented a confession of guilt.The imperial court was still the same way, with kind words to appease, and did not make any further demands.Cao Cao and Sun Quan were overjoyed. Knowing that Hebei was severely injured in the Luoyang battle and would not be able to go south in a short period of time, they became more courageous.

This time Cao Cao's special envoy is Xun Yu, and Jiangdong's special envoy is Zhang Zhao, both of whom are quite important officials in the two places.After the two met with the emperor and the eldest princess, they were immediately arranged to go to the post house to discuss in detail the matter of being caressed with General Li Hong.

The court's arrangement showed enough sincerity, and Cao Cao and Sun Quan also made careful preparations.During the first meeting between the two sides, Xun Yu and Zhang Zhao both mentioned the restoration of the five-class title system, and mentioned "Huan and Wen Zhigong". , the fact of separatism.

Li Hong laughed loudly.Yuan Shao has already done this trick of yours a few years ago.You are asking to restore the fifth-class title system, but you are actually forcing the emperor and the court ministers to kill me, but have you ever thought about it? It will not be messy.My Han Dynasty has Yang Biao, Cai Yong, Xun You, Xu Shao, Jia Xu, Li Wei, Tian Chou, Tian Yu, Fu Gan and other dozens of famous civil servants all over the world. There are Xian Yufu, Xu Rong, Qu Yi, Zhang Yan, Lv Bu, Yushi, Yan Liang, Yang Feng, Zhao Yun, Yan Rou and other dozens of powerful military generals have a force of 40 elite cavalry.With their assistance, can the emperor still not be able to pacify the world and rejuvenate the country?
=

(End of this chapter)