63. You have to know that the empire is never sacred
Li Ru's departure made Wang Yun extremely happy. After all, he had been thinking about how to break up the "golden partners" Dong Zhuo and Li Ru. Unexpectedly, Dong Zhuo cut off his arm and freed Li Ru.
What's even more incredible is that almost all the senior generals in Dong Zhuo's army were sent to all directions away from Chang'an. The only ones who stayed in Chang'an were just a group of young boys from Xiliang. Even if these young people with their nostrils turned to the sky are brave,
They were far superior to their predecessors, but in the eyes of Wang Yun and other ministers of the court, they could not be called opponents at all.
Even among the three assistants, only a few generals from Bingzhou were left in charge. Since they came to Chang'an, they have been faintly squeezed and suppressed by the Xiliang people. Especially in the previous wave of refugees, the areas they deployed were
The area happened to be infiltrated by the agents sent by Li Shushi, and a large number of refugees entered Shuozhou from there, making these people the best scapegoats for this incident. It is difficult to say whether they were filled with complaints after being reprimanded by Dong Zhuo.
It seemed that God was favoring those Han courtiers, and good news appeared one after another: the somewhat broken relationship between Liu Yan and Zhang Lu in Yizhou was quickly healed due to Dong Zhuo's troops pressing down on the border. Relying on Xiongguan and the mountains, even if
The Xiliang cavalry, which can shuttle freely among the mountains, is quite helpless in such complex terrain.
Liu Biao of Jingzhou captured Wancheng, an important town in Nanyang, before Dong Zhuo. Zhang Ji, who came a step later, had to confront Liu Biao's army along the Han River. Facing the tough-minded Liu Biao army, Zhang Ji seemed to be in a dilemma.
He even believed that if he had not won the support of the barbarian tribes in the mountains bordering Jingyi, Liu Biaojun would not mind unifying the entire Jingzhou in one go.
It can be said that after the war with Sun Jian and Yuan Shu, Liu Biao now has enough confidence to resist Dong Zhuo's wrath. Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the refugees who have been fleeing from the north to Jingzhou have brought Jingzhou their own.
Things that continue - population, wealth and developed technologies.
Even the Xiliang army would not feel relaxed if they went to war with two powerful figures from the clan named Liu at the same time.
Not to mention that the news from Longxi made everyone in Dong Zhuo's group feel a little bit chilly - those Qiang people who had been peaceful for a long time because of Dong Zhuo's appearance seemed to be a little uneasy and united with the south to be expelled by Liu Yan.
Although some of the "rebels" from the Di tribe who came out of Yizhou have not been released yet, none of the news constantly revealed can make people feel at ease.
With so many things happening one after another, even Dong Zhuo looked a little overwhelmed. After all, without a helpful and reliable helper like Li Ru, it was obviously impossible to suppress it with the help of young people who were not experienced enough.
The civil servant group living in Chang'an obeyed Dong Zhuo's orders in both positive and negative ways.
But the people of Xiliang, who have become accustomed to the work efficiency of the civil service group, cannot handle such a huge bureaucracy without those people.
In the midst of the chaos, Dong Zhuo's supervision of the ministers of the DPRK and China was helplessly reduced by an unknown number of levels.
Therefore, it is no wonder that in the secret meeting of officials, Wang Yun would shout such a cry as "Kill Dong's traitor today."
Perhaps he was stunned by this series of unexpected surprises.
Or maybe he already has the pearl of wisdom and cannot tolerate himself wasting what he considers to be an excellent opportunity.
Although Lu Zhi felt a little uneasy, the courtiers who could no longer restrain themselves still chose the adventurous path.
Even though it was a road of no return where they could only succeed but not fail, they embarked on it without hesitation.
Whether it was for the sake of their own family or for the continuation of Han Zuo. Maybe even they themselves couldn't understand it.
After all, a dynasty that has lasted for nearly four hundred years will always leave some indelible marks on a generation's body.
It's just like time is the most terrifying weapon in the world. Space is the most invincible armor in the world. Those marks will eventually be washed away, so thoroughly washed away that even if humans want to pick up those marks again thousands of years later, they will find that they are not.
If it has been completely weathered into powder, it means that the smell has changed so much that you can no longer distinguish the smell before it turned into powder.
Therefore, smart people will add fresh materials to those residues and rework them, and then put on ancient brands, allowing arty people to pay homage to the traces of their past existence in the ancient scenery.
And Dong Zhuo, who was supposed to be the center of the storm, was standing by the Weishui River with such a mood at this time, not knowing what he was thinking. His still tall but somewhat bloated figure made it difficult to believe that this man was
The craziest devil on the battlefield, even the aura coming from him was still full of the smell of blood.
Is this the state of mind that every villain boss must face?
Dong Zhuo doesn't know, and he doesn't bother to know, even though his current state seems to his men to be thinking about the philosophy of life.
"Is Your Majesty feeling better now?"
"Back to your lord, according to the information obtained by your subordinates, your Majesty's body is fine. However, your Majesty's personal attendant stated to you that your Majesty still feels unwell and is unwilling to go to court and handle government affairs."
"Then does your Majesty have any other actions?"
"Everyone of your majesty is staying in his own palace, and his schedule is no different from the past. It's just that in recent days, he has repeatedly asked Chunyu Sikong, Yang Taichang, Shisun Shangshu and others to submit ancient books. Every time he gets a new ancient book, he can't put it down.
, even clasping hands and laughing from time to time, and then he corrected and scrawled on the ancient books and ordered them to be given back to the ministers. My subordinates once browsed the corrected ancient books one by one, but did not find anything special. "
Maybe Dong Zhuo has indeed relaxed his supervision of his ministers. Maybe in the eyes of most people, the little emperor in the palace of Chang'an City is just a fledgling puppet. But Dong Zhuo knows very well that if there is really any change in those ministers, then
Even if they are the emperor in name only, they cannot get around it.
This is the huge role of legal principles and legitimacy.
Especially being able to follow him all the way from Luoyang to the present proves that these ministers in the court still have considerable recognition of Liu Xie. After all, today, when Liu Bian has been poisoned, only Liu Xie is left of the late emperor Liu Hong.
A single seedling.
It is this blood inheritance that makes those clans with evil thoughts choose a more dangerous path.
At the same time, Dong Zhuo, who had grasped the whole issue, no longer had to spend as much manpower and material resources as before.
only……
"Watch your attitude, soldier. What you are talking about is the emperor of the Han Dynasty. He is still the supreme being in this country. He is not someone you, a mere hundred people, can criticize at will. Remember!"
"Subordinates must remember your Lord's teachings."
Facing the stern Dong Zhuo in front of him, the subordinate who was beaten for no reason showed no trace of dissatisfaction or resentment. The person in front of him was not only his personal idol. He was also the "god" of the entire Xiliang Army. Such a being opened his mouth to rebuke.
He, regardless of whether he is at fault or not, should first put himself in the position of being at fault.
He has not yet refuted Dong Zhuo's status and ability.
"Let's go back to Chang'an. It's time for me to pay your respects to Your Majesty."
Hearing these words, the subordinate who just bowed his head to admit his mistake couldn't help but smile a little on his face. It was obvious to him that although Dong Zhuo had reprimanded him just now, he still believed in his own judgment after all. Perhaps he had already
Did it leave a deep or shallow impression in Dong Zhuo's mind?
At least he was so convinced after feeling all kinds of envious looks from around him.
As for whether this is actually the case, that remains to be tested by time.
Anyway, Dong Zhuo, who had just been teaching his subordinates to respect the imperial power, now rushed all the way to the emperor's palace like an ancient ferocious beast, exuding a bloody murderous aura. Not only did he frighten the attendants recruited by the emperor, they were shivering on both sides of the corridor.
Trembling, even if there were occasionally one or two loyal fools, they would be knocked away directly - completely failing to see how much our Dong Feifei respected the imperial power.
Or as he said, a mere hundred people would naturally have no right to despise the sublimity of imperial power. However, as a powerful prince with a different surname, Dong Zhuo did not have to accept those constraints and make all these seemingly rebellious actions.
"You all should go out, King Qin will harm me."
But facing Dong Zhuo, who was enough to scare most people, Liu Xie seemed to ignore the murderous aura coming from Dong Zhuo. He gently placed the ancient scrolls in his hands on the tables and ordered his men calmly.
He personally picked up a tea set from beside him.
Boil water, make tea, wash the cup, and select the condiments that suit your taste.
Because of Li Shushi, there are many kinds of tea ceremony today, and there is no unified style. It seems that each one can get a lot of support.
Although Liu Xie's art of making tea is simple, it also requires concentration and meditation, with a sense of beauty that blends movement and stillness.
"please."
There was no difference in official position, no difference in status, and no difference in momentum. Liu Xie used his steady hand to push the teacup filled with milky white tea to Dong Zhuo.
"Thank you, the tea is delicious."
There was no doubt whether there was any deadly toxin melted into the tea, and the blood-like aura on his body also dissipated in the rising water vapor. He took a sip of the tea that was still churning, and Dong Zhuo's face showed a little...
Smile.
If the scene in front of me were fixed as a painting, could it be called "The Tinyness of the Devil"?
It seemed that Liu Xie's actions set a certain tone of tacit understanding between the two. Neither of them said a word until the pot of tea was finished.
Until the sun sets in the west and the stars dot the blue sky.
The room was shrouded in darkness - because of Dong Zhuo's existence and Liu Xie's orders, naturally there would be no attendants looking for death. The palace people came to light candles, but Dong Zhuo's soldiers also guarded the door tightly.
Don't dare to take a step forward.
Although today's moonlight is not obscure, it is not as bright as the full moon. It can only vaguely illuminate the outline of the object. And indoors, where the light is greatly blocked, there is only a faint side.
In such an environment, Dong Zhuo and Liu Xie sat opposite each other on the floor, with a tea set that had already cooled down between them.
"Your Majesty, you have grown up."
After a long time, the originally silent and dull atmosphere was broken by a sigh, and Dong Zhuo seemed to sigh like an old man.
That might be true if you didn't look into his eyes.
However, those scarlet eyes emitted a red light that was difficult to look directly at in the dark night, and the sharp edge that had been restrained while drinking tea came out again. At this time, Dong Zhuo had transformed into a peerless weapon, and his sharpness
The blade of the knife hovered just above Liu Xie's head.
"Yes, I have grown up. Because of Mr. Xiangguo's teachings, Xie became what he is now from a child."
"Do you regret it?"
"No, this was originally my responsibility, and it was originally the responsibility that my father wanted to entrust to me. Although I feel sorry for my brother to say this, but compared to my brother, Xie feels that he is more suitable for this cruel era. It's just that Xie is the only one who wants to give it to me.
Unfortunately, Xie's ability is still not strong enough, so he cannot protect his elder brother. That's all."
"Although these words are very beautiful, in my opinion, His Majesty is still a child."
"Maybe that's the case. It's hard for me to satisfy whatever the Prime Minister or the ministers want to pursue, and what I can give has very strict conditions, so it is naturally not attractive to many people.
.”
"Then has Your Majesty figured out how to revive the great Han Dynasty?"
"Find a fool to help me realize my ideal. Then kill that fool or be killed by that fool's men or son - this may be my fate in this life. The world is so big but there is no place where the emperor can stand."
"What? Your Majesty, are you going to give up?"
"No. Even if the road ahead is doomed to despair, I will not give up until the end. Because I am still the emperor of the Han Dynasty, and I promised my father to be a better emperor than him. And even if the Prime Minister does not have the church to cooperate with others
But at least I have truly realized the spirit of not giving up and moving forward courageously in the face of difficulties. The rest will be left to fate."
"Does Your Majesty believe in such a thing as destiny?"
"Master Xiangguo, who heard that the revolving door was closed and resisted the nine-day divine thunder, naturally did not believe in such things as destiny. But starting from Emperor Gaozu, a man who was killed by the overlord and lost his armor has lived unharmed until victory. Later, he was killed by the Huns.
people's circumference
Capture An Ran and escape. This certainly requires the loyalty of his subordinates, the wisdom of his advisers, and the bravery of his generals, but even the Prime Minister cannot deny that at the most critical moment, something called destiny dominates the efforts of mortals.
result."
"Your Majesty's words make you very disappointed."
"So you decided to try it yourself? After all, I have been taught by you for so long, and I can feel how you are being restrained."
"You know, Your Majesty, I envy that traitor Zhang Jue for having the opportunity to put his ideas into practice. Although he failed in the end, he worked hard and was brilliant, but in the end he fell far away from the throne of success.
No regrets. And everything he brought to me is still hard to ignore, such as Li Xue, who often gives everyone a headache."
"But he failed in the end, so he is destined to be a traitor and a villain."
"Even if I hadn't failed, I would have been a villain as notorious as Shang Zhou."
"If you fail, you can be sure it will."
"But do you know? King Di Xin of Shang was a great emperor."
"Like you?"
"No, at least I am far from being able to compare with him now. The Dongyi people surrendered at the feet of that king. This surrender nearly doubled the territory of the Shang Dynasty. More importantly, did you know
?The great emperor planned to liberate his slaves, and he selected the talented ones among them
Cultivated and eventually enriched his subordinates, he expelled those nobles who had obtained comfortable positions and fine food and clothes by virtue of their birth, and gave these to the talented ministers who obeyed his orders, even if those ministers had once
They are just a group of the most humble slaves."
"So Shang Zhou was indeed a very bold man."
"Yes, Lord Shang, who laid the foundation for Qin to unify the six kingdoms, only changed the ancient customs of the Qin State, so that everyone must work hard to obtain a status worthy of meritorious service, and then he was attacked and even destroyed by those dirty, stupid and despicable moths.
.That Di Xin did something even more radical than Lord Shang, don’t you already know his fate?”
"But Daji was indeed a very bad woman, and Shang Zhou who indulged her was indeed a tyrannical king."
"Pedantry! There is no change that is not accompanied by bloodshed. There is no change that can be solved with just a few words of encouragement, a few announcements, and a few banquets for the nobles who have lost their power. Only blood,
Only iron, only the cruelest iron and blood can deter them. Only when you are surrounded by people who have benefited from the reform can you say that this reform has achieved initial success, and as long as you give up the tyranny of iron and blood
, then you will become a fool who is subjected to tyranny!”
"Is this what you want to do next? I don't think you're going to be successful."
"That may be true, but your Majesty will probably not forget what he just said."
"Yes, although I don't think Mr. Xiangguo will succeed, if Mr. Xiangguo gives up his persistence, he will not be the Mr. Xiangguo I am familiar with."
"Then, please prove to me that your Majesty's idea is correct, that I do not have the fate to bear all this, and that there is someone else who can end this troubled world."
"So the previous series of arrangements were all intentional by Mr. Xiangguo?"
"That's not what your Majesty should be concerned about. Your Majesty should think about what you can do... If your Majesty loses, then please see how I can end this troubled world and give the people of the world a more powerful empire!"
I, Dong Zhuo and Dong Zhongying, a barbarian from Lintao, Longxi, a borderland, will become the most supreme being in that empire!"
"..."
"..."
"...I will not lose. Just because I am grateful for your teachings to me during this period, I will not lose even more. I also swear here!"
Looking at the blurry figure of Dong Zhuo leaving, Liu Xie's eyes began to fill with tears from unknown time.
Are you grieving the end of a mentor-disciple relationship?
Is it pity for the demise of an ideal hero?
Or do you feel helpless and powerless because of the elusive fate that always plays tricks on the world?
Pan Sen: This is an additional update of 27,000. The next additional update will be at 28,000. Well, it’s just Jiang Zi. (To be continued...)
