After Mi Heng's farce ended, the situation in the DPRK and China quickly returned to calm.
In the blink of an eye, it was the tenth year of Yanxing (AD 202). This year was relatively peaceful for the Western Dynasty. Except for a little friction between Liu Bei and Ke Bi in Bingzhou, there was generally no war. Regardless of
Whether Liu Fan, who once attacked Chang'an in the south, or Cao Cao, who had several tug-of-wars in the east, focused on internal affairs and civil governance this year, the Central Plains of Kyushu was immersed in an extremely rare peace.
Of course, it was a different story for the two states of Jing and Yang. After suspending his troops last year, Sun Ce began to station troops in Chaisang. Starting in March this year, he sent troops to Jiangxia to start a battle with Liu Biao and Huang Zu's troops.
Because Sun Ce had so many cavalry, Huang Zu was at a disadvantage in several field battles, so he had to abandon the counties in the south of the Yangtze River and retreat to Xiling in Jiangxia. Only then could he barely stop Sun Ce's offensive. Sun Ce then went on to besiege the city, but the Xiling city was strong and the Wu army was not good at attacking the city. As a result,
Surprisingly, the siege lasted from April to June and was still unable to be conquered. But in general, the Chu army was at an obvious disadvantage.
Therefore, Liu Biao sent a letter to the court, asking the emperor to send an envoy to mediate. The situation of Sun Ce dominating the south of the Yangtze River was not what the court wanted to see. Therefore, after Chen Chong considered it, he sent his students Deng Zhi and Yu Fan to Jiangxia to carry out the emperor's edict and
Chen Chong sent a private message, ordering Sun Ce to retreat. It was already mid-July, the autumn tide was rising, and the soldiers were tired. Sun Ce himself also had the idea of retreating. When Kuai Liang brought Deng Zhi and his party to make peace, he was able to relieve the siege very simply.
Withdrawal.
Although wars did not occur frequently, the political situation in the Eastern Dynasty seemed to be turbulent. During the battle of Xiangshan, although Cao Cao escaped, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry system did not exist, and many of Yanzhou's direct lineages were killed.
, there were many prominent positions in the court. Chen Chong had previously discussed with Liu Bei, thinking that Cao Cao would continue to employ people in the Yingchuan party. However, when the spies in Xindu came back after asking about it, they found that there were many famous people in Youzhou. Such as Wu Ending
Tian Chou was appointed as the prefect of Guangyang, Zuzhi of Qiuxian was appointed as the prefect of Donghai, and Wang Song of Anyang was appointed as the prefect of Shanyang, all of whom were Liu Yu's old subordinates.
Of course, the most unexpected choice was the choice of Yanzhou governor. As the foundation of Cao Cao's army, Yanzhou has been personally guarded by the eldest son Cao Ang in recent years. Since Cao Ang died in the battle, the Westerners thought that Xiahou Dun was the best choice. As a result, the Eastern Dynasty appointed him
The candidate is Liu Ruo, a relative of the Liu Yu clan. This undoubtedly sends an exciting signal. It seems that Liu He, the nominal leader of the Eastern Dynasty, is not willing to be a puppet king. If he is in the government
China's struggle for power with Cao Cao is undoubtedly good news for Westerners.
Also in July of this year, Xindu was suddenly closed under martial law, and there was no news for more than ten days. Chen Chong sent several spies to investigate, but it seemed like nothing happened, and there was no reply. Until late August, Xindu
Martial law was lifted and communications resumed in the capital, but at this time, the political situation in the Eastern Dynasty had undergone earth-shaking changes.
According to an announcement posted by the Eastern Dynasty, at the beginning of July, the marshal entered the palace for an audience and was assassinated by an assassin. After nearly a month of investigation, it was found that the officials involved were Jinwu Weidun, Shaofu Qizhou, Zongzheng Liu
Xiu, Cavalry Commander Wang Zheng and others, including the king's younger brother Liu Ping. They arrested all of them for the Marshal's Mansion and would kill him soon. Soon, the Marshal's Mansion promulgated the "Imperial Regulations Memorial".
On the grounds that the emperor was frightened and fell ill due to the assassination, all the imperial guards in the palace were taken over by the Marshal's Mansion, and it was stipulated that anyone who met the emperor must first notify the military guard captain set up by the Marshal's Mansion. Without permission, no one would be allowed to enter the palace.
This important position will be held by Cao Cao's adopted son Cao Zhen. After the promulgation of various orders, Cao Cao led ten thousand cavalry on a tour between the three states of You, Hebei and Qing, meeting the civil and military forces of counties and counties.
Suspicious for a while, Liu Bei went south to meet with Chen Chong to discuss the matter. He suspected that Cao Cao had not been assassinated, or at least not injured. Such a quick and rigorous method seemed like a strategy he had prepared in advance. It is difficult to say whether Cao Cao had staged a plan.
A great play about Zheng Beke's uncle Duan Yuyan.
Until October, signs from all sides showed that the Youzhou Party in the Eastern Dynasty, which had suddenly risen in the first half of the year, had basically declined and collapsed. Cao Cao strengthened the real power of the Marshal's Office through a series of appointment and dismissal measures, and took advantage of the situation to control Zang Hegemon in Qingzhou.
The others were coerced into entering the DPRK as a new source of support for the government. However, as a result, the Eastern DPRK was busy with power transition and re-stabilization, and it seemed that there would be no chance to mobilize troops next year.
Faced with the rapidly changing situation in the Eastern Dynasty, the Western Dynasty, which was training a new army and was relatively stable, could not help but be ready to take action, eager to take advantage of this opportunity to seek practical benefits. However, it was difficult to choose the direction of the use of troops. After all, the Eastern Dynasty was just a change in the political situation.
There is no military damage, and attacking Cao Cao may also help him relieve political pressure. However, if he attacks Hanzhong south, the road is dangerous and the mountains are endless. Liu Fan also has people's support, and it may be difficult to conquer in a short time.
In October, Du Ji, the prefect of Pingyang, wrote to the court, suggesting that troops should be actively used northward, saying, "During the time of Tanshihuai, Xianbei was the country's formidable enemy. Although the current situation is weak, Kebi can rise again, cut off the bullets, and invade the country."
The Hetao is adjacent to Bafu's confidants, so we should really fear it. Now there is chaos in the east, and Xianbei has few reinforcements. We can take advantage of this to restore the counties of Yunzhong, Jiuyuan, and Shuofang. We can not only restore the horse farm, but also clear the border troubles. This is really two things.
What a move!"
Du Ji was a pure and filial man with excellent strategies. He came to prominence during the battle of Sishui, which destroyed Gengcang, and he was appointed as the Lishi Order. In the assessment of the counties in Bingzhou, he ranked first in merit year after year. Therefore, last year, General Chen Chong
Hedong County was divided into two along the Huishui River, and after Pingyang County was newly established in the north, he was immediately promoted to the post of Pingyang Prefect.
After Liu Bei got the letter, he greatly appreciated it and asked Chen Chong for his opinion. Chen Chong disagreed. He said: "Using troops in Monan is said to be driving away Xianbei, but it is only a stone's throw away from Youzhou, and it is really the same as attacking Cao Cao.
At this point, Cao Cao will send troops to rescue you." After that, he took out another copy of the above form from his chest, handed it to Liu Bei, and said with a smile: "What do you think of this article written by my student?"
Liu Bei took it and read it. It turned out to be written by Pang Tong. He said: "Since ancient times, after the army settled in Longyou, there has been a tradition of using troops in Dunhuang to explore the Western Regions. The Western Regions are known to be full of rare treasures and produce horse-drawn armor. If the imperial court can
Obtaining it will surely enrich the government's reserves and train new armies. Moreover, the country has initially settled on Liangzhou and established a new county in Yinchuan, but it cannot be said that the Western Xinjiang has been pacified and the rebellious Qiang have been subdued. However, if the army can be restored to the Western Regions,
Promote the prestige of our country, and all barbarians will also submit to it."
After Liu Bei read it, he knew that this was what Chen Chong meant, but he still hesitated and said: "Although it is an idea, it does not seem to be helpful to the overall situation."
But Chen Chong shook his head and said: "It has always been difficult for the grassland to become a hegemon if it cannot reach the western region. The same is true for the Xiongnu, and the same is true for Tanshihuai. If we can re-establish the guardianship, Kebi will not be able to advance westward, and he will not be able to achieve success.
How can you say it doesn’t help the overall situation?”
After Liu Bei heard this, he agreed to the strategy of conquering the west. However, since Huan Ling, Liangzhou has been in chaos for decades, and the country has been blocked from the Western Region for decades. Although it is easy to capture, how to plan and arrange it afterwards also needs to be done before the war.
You have to think about things well. After all, since Emperor Xiaoming, the Western Regions had three connections and three unique features [1], which once became a quagmire for the Han Dynasty to waste money and resources.
Therefore, how to select candidates for general management has become a top priority. If you want to gain a firm foothold in the Western Regions, you must do three main things. First, you must be familiar with the affairs of various places in the Western Regions. Secondly, you must ensure the stability of Liangzhou. Thirdly, you must return to Liangzhou.
You must be absolutely loyal to the court and do not act on your own.
This posed a big problem for Chen Chong. He could gradually understand the affairs of the Western Regions, but the situation in Liangzhou was very complicated, and it was hard to be loyal to the court. After much thought, Chen Chong finally decided to appoint Hu Zhen as the pioneer.
.
After the battle in Chang'an, Hu Zhen bit off three fingers for Lu Bu, and his bravery was no longer as good as before. Chen Chong appointed him as the Central Guard, leading the imperial army to guard the emperor. He had always done a good job, and his loyalty should be no problem. And he was Liang.
He is from a good background and is familiar with the Qiang language, so he is quite suitable for stabilizing the situation. If he is given a few more Confucian scholars to assist him, he will be able to take on the courage of a long history of the Western Regions.
Chen Chong made up his mind and immediately sent someone to call Hu Zhen, intending to discuss the matter with him face to face.
The theme of this meeting was obviously beyond Hu Zhen's expectation. When he first arrived at Sili's mansion, he thought Chen Chong was going to ask about the emperor's movements, but Chen Chong disrupted his words as soon as he opened his mouth.
Chen Chong looked at him for a few times, then smiled and said: "How is the army guard doing this year? I see you have gained a lot of weight, can you still ride a horse?"
This made Hu Zhen make the boss blush. After all, he was a warrior, so he immediately replied: "Why do you say this? To serve the country, Hu Zhen will go through mountains and fires, and he will be happy with it."
Chen Chong smiled, but did not continue to be at odds with Hu Zhen, and said directly: "The country will send troops to the Western Regions next year to reset the Western Regions Protectorate. Liangzhou is very short of people! I plan to transfer you to be the governor of Dunhuang and the governor of the Western Regions.
, what do you think?"
He thought this was a great good thing, but unexpectedly, after Hu Zhen heard about the state secrets, he was shocked at first, and then started to speak in a garbled voice, hesitating about speaking, as if he wanted to refuse but did not dare to say it clearly. This made Chen Chong quite puzzled.
Feeling strange, he handed him a cup of tea and asked: "Why, what's the problem with the guard?"
Hu Zhen shook his head in embarrassment and said hesitantly: "This is not good. I am old and can barely lead troops in Beijing. Your Majesty sent me to Dunhuang to manage politics, but I am not good at it. I am really afraid of damaging the country."
Big deal."
Chen Chong laughed when he heard this, stepped forward and patted Hu Zhen on the shoulder and said: "Don't be so meager as the guards. Since I choose the guards, you are the only one suitable for the court and no one else can replace you. As long as you have what I just said
Be careful, I will send you a few more scribes, and you won’t make any big mistakes.”
At this point, Hu Zhen had no room to refuse, so he had no choice but to agree. Next, he was in a wonderful state of floating, and Chen Chong talked with him a lot about what he should pay attention to after taking office.
matters, as well as the personnel changes of the army during the expedition to the west, but Hu Zhenhun did not pay attention. It was not until after leaving the house that he woke up from a dream, patted his cheeks and kept cursing secretly, and then swayed as if he was drunk.
Went back home.
[1] Three connections and three unique features of the Western Regions: During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the imperial court’s attitude towards the Western Regions changed repeatedly, so much so that it abandoned the Western Regions many times and visited the Western Regions three times. The first unique feature was from AD 25 to 27, when Emperor Guangwu spent so much money to manage the Western Regions.
The first pass was from AD 73 to 75. As the Xiongnu gained great strength after acquiring the Western Regions, Ban Chao was ordered to go to the Western Regions to re-conquer the Western Regions. The second pass was from AD 76 to 89. Emperor Zhang of the Han Dynasty dismissed the Protector of the Western Regions, but Ban Chao still made many achievements in the Western Regions.
, finally persuaded the imperial court to re-establish the Western Regions Protector, and re-administered the Western Regions from 90 to 106 AD; it was the Second Link. However, after Ban Chao left office, his successor Ren Shang forced the countries in the Western Regions to rebel, and the situation was bad, so the Eastern Han Dynasty canceled the Western Regions Capital again.
Protecting the Mansion was called Sanjue (107-122 AD). However, Ban Chao's son Ban Yong was determined to restore the Western Regions, persuade the court, and pacify the countries in the Western Regions, and was called Santong. This time, the connection between the Western Regions and the Eastern Han Dynasty continued until Liangzhou