"Is this all what happened that day?" The emperor closed the memorial, leaned back slightly, and gently pressed his temples with one hand to relieve the pain in his forehead. He was getting more and more sleepy these days, but the sea of consciousness was like a bottomless pit. No amount of sleep can fill the emptiness of exhaustion.
Liu Bei knelt on the ground before His Highness. After getting permission, he stood up and replied: "Liu Bei was trapped in Longshan that day. He was exhausted, hungry and exhausted. He only knew that King Zuo Xian's reinforcements were chasing him, and the rebel army was in great confusion, so they surrendered without a fight.
But when Liu Bei was trapped in the battle, the barbarians were laughing in the mountains, but the soldiers could not rebuke the enemy, and they could not leave the mountain. They did not know how to get the protection ceremony. Now the whole army came back. It was all thanks to the careful planning of the imperial court, and Governor Chen responded to the situation. Such a great victory just now.”
Liu Bei was dressed in Wu Fei imperial robes, with a tiger-eagle tail crown on his head, and a high-collared wide robe. His long career as a warrior made him very uncomfortable with this. From time to time, he would lightly lift his sleeves and robe, revealing his wrists with armor scars, which looked a bit funny. .But among the princes and ministers in the Chongde Hall, no one dared to look down upon him.
At this time, he was entering the palace for the second time to meet the emperor and offer gifts to the emperor to report his victory. In March, he defeated nearly 200,000 thieves, which can be said to be the greatest victory since the eradication of the Yellow Turbans. The emperor was greatly pleased and the first thing he did was to go to court. , which is to inform the ministers of the great victory and discuss rewards for this battle.
Regardless of Liu Bei's origins and his previous stains during the siege of the Yellow Turbans, the Dongping Army guarded Qingxu and made great achievements in the past three years, which everyone knows. In this battle, Liu Bei led the army and fought with several times the enemy for more than a month. The Xiongnu rebellion was able to be put down in three months. Liu Bei can be said to have made great contributions and deserves to be called a rising star by hundreds of officials.
When the emperor heard what Liu Bei said, he couldn't help laughing. He finally sat upright and took out the lacquer box. In the wooden box, Xu Bu Che You's head was beyond recognition. He couldn't imagine the demeanor of the false king when he was alive, so he closed the lacquer box again. Box, turned around and asked He Jin: "Suigao, you have always been responsible for the affairs of Northern Xinjiang. Liu Qing said that the imperial court planned everything carefully. How strange! I know nothing about it. But you have a special plan?"
The general who was sitting alone in the chief position was questioned in public. He Jin could not hide the embarrassment and fear in his expression. He could only go to the palace, knelt down before the emperor and apologized: "This time the Xiongnu rebellion was caused by the poor planning of the humble ministers, which led to the disaster. In this county, the people are waiting for food and they are dying of hunger and wailing in one state. How dare you boast of your wonderful strategies?
The quelling of the chaos in Bingzhou was all due to the dedication of the three commanders of Dongping, Xihe, and Shangdang. King Zuo Xian, Yu Fuluo, was thinking of the emperor's favor and strategizing, and it was just a matter of your majesty transferring the Dongping army to join the annexation. Your majesty's words are instructive to all ministers. I can’t help but feel ashamed.”
He Jin went to the front to plead guilty, but it was Yuan Shao who planned all the affairs of merging the state. Everyone knew about this. Some people looked back and looked at Yuan Shao's expression, but saw that his face was as usual and he was sitting as calm as a mountain.
The emperor didn't care about this and waved to He Jin to get up and go back to his seat. He mocked Liu Bei and said: "I have no plans. Marquis Shen said that I would mobilize the Dongping army to join the annexation. It was just when Jian Shuo arrived at Dongping. , Liu Qing had given up his official position to go to seal, and when he asked where he was going, his younger brother Liu Deran said: "We are suppressing bandits in Mount Tai. Unexpectedly, one day later, Liu Qing crossed the Central Plains and raised his troops to join the annexation. How fast he used his troops!"
As soon as this statement came out, all the ministers in the Manchu Dynasty were in an uproar. It was a taboo of the court to mobilize troops without permission. In the former Han Dynasty, this matter could be considered a capital offense and treason. However, no one in the court mentioned it before, because the court happened to add additional troops during the war.
After receiving the transfer order, Liu Deran sent it to Liu Bei overnight, but he also managed to fool him.
But what Jian Shuo saw in Dongping was real. Liu Deran had no money to pay bribes, so Jian Yong could only pretend that he didn't know about it. It was only a matter of time before the matter was exposed. Who expected that the emperor would openly mention it at this time?
Liu Bei didn't change his expression, and after three bows he replied: "Your Majesty is so complimentary. When the Governor of Xihe was appointed as Xihe last year, he made an agreement with Your Majesty to transfer ministers to join the annexation in February this year. However, Liu Bei was unable to make the trip because of the constant banditry from Qingxu.
, In March, I heard that the military situation in Bingzhou was urgent, and I knew that your Majesty would mobilize his ministers to send troops soon, and the situation on the battlefield could change in an instant. Liu Bei did not dare to delay for a moment. He put national affairs first, so he privately led the troops first."
Liu Bei replied so confidently that the emperor was dumbfounded. He knocked on his knees and glanced at His Highness the Minister. Suddenly he remembered the ultimatums that had piled up on his desk in the past two years: the stalemate in Liangzhou, the rebellion in Yuzhou, the rise of Qingxu and Huangjin,
Changsha rebelled, the Xiongnu rebelled, Zhang Ju proclaimed himself emperor, and even Xingyang in the capital had riots last year. When he lowered his eyebrows and saw the good news in front of him, the emperor couldn't help sighing, bowed his head and raised his forehead and sighed: "This will not happen again." p>
The issue of troop deployment was lightly revealed.
Afterwards, the emperor said no more, and Situ Xuxiang and the general He Jin discussed with the ministers the post-war rewards. The discussion was as follows:
Chen Chong, the prefect of Xihe, was the first in merit, and was granted the title of Marquis of Tangxiting, with a town of 600 households, and a reward of 500,000 coins. The captain of Dongping, Liu Bei, was the second in merit, and was granted the title of Marquis of Wuyangting, with a town of 400 households, and a reward of 500,000 coins. The prefect of Shangdang
Zhu Qi's third meritorious service was awarded the title of Marquis of Guiting, with a hundred households in the city, and a reward of 300,000 coins. Guo Da, the captain of Dongping Academy, Lu Bu, a member of Shangdang Dianjun, and Zhang Yang, a member of Wu Meng of Bingzhou, were granted the title of Marquis of Guan Nei, and were rewarded with 100,000 coins.
, there are various rewards for the officers and soldiers under his command.
When the list of awards was handed over to the emperor for review, the emperor first erased Guo Da's name, then moved Liu Bei's merit to the first place, moved Chen Chong to the third place, added the name of Jian Shuo in the middle, and granted him five hundred households, leaving the rest unchanged.
.The only person who can change the directory in such a grand manner without talking about the reasons and not asking about public opinion can only be today.
The emperor put down the list and asked Liu Bei with a smile: "Liu Qing, what do you think of the war in Xiliang?"
Liu Bei immediately replied: "The Hu and Han people in Xiliang are mixed together, and the martial arts is strong. It is difficult to quell it. It cannot be defeated without several years of hard work. If your Majesty wants to reject it, the Marquis of Zhuxiang is of great use. If your Majesty wants to pacify it, you must move forward and to the left."
You can't ride." The Marquis of Zhuxiang refers to Dong Zhuo, and the Rider Zuo refers to Huangfu Song.
However, the emperor opened Chen Chong's memorial again and shook his head and smiled at Liu Bei: "Chen Qing's intention is to recommend you to be the governor of Taiyuan and to lead the guard of the Xiongnu generals. But it is enough for him to sit in Xihe. After this battle, it is difficult for the Xiongnu to survive.
Chaos. What I mean is that I want to transfer Liu Qing to take charge of Liangzhou affairs."
Liu Bei pondered for a moment and replied sincerely: "The Marquis of Zhuxiang has been in charge of the Third Assistant for many years, and his prestige has been deep. Now your Majesty has transferred my ministers to take charge. Although I have been blessed by heaven, I am only thirty years old, and I am no longer a school captain. Suddenly I have been given the title of commander-in-chief."
Being remiss will not only disappoint the superiors and subordinates, but also cause suspicion both internally and externally. Once failed, it will also damage His Majesty’s sanctity and make you too fearful to accept orders.”
After rejecting the emperor one after another, the atmosphere in the palace became a little cold. Cao Cao knelt down behind the palace and saw the emperor's sharp eyes in the distance, and he couldn't help but worry about Liu Bei. Now the emperor is by no means a tolerant king. He is anxious and suspicious. It is common for him to put people in jail in a fit of anger.
It was expected that the emperor and Liu Bei looked at each other for a long time, and he calmed down again, sighing and asked: "Liu Qing, the rebels in the world are killing them like insects and ants. Am I really some kind of unruly king?"
Liu Bei did not expect the emperor to suddenly ask this question, and then advised: "The ministers are your majesty's ministers, but they are also the emperor's majesty. When all the people in the world see local ministers, they will see your majesty. When I am in the local area, I dare not do anything that harms your majesty's benevolence."
He behaves virtuously, so he has a bad reputation.
Nowadays, all the officials appointed outside the imperial court have no regard for Your Majesty's benevolence and do not care about the sufferings of the people. They impose excessive taxes and levies, using the heads of Guizhou as fish and meat, and Your Majesty as swordsmen. Although Your Majesty is not the king of Jie and Zhou, but he is not, what does he have to do with the people?
?Therefore, when your Majesty chooses officials, you must be considerate and careful. If the people in the world can know your Majesty's benevolence, how can the thieves be killed endlessly?"
The emperor looked around, smiled at Zhang Rang beside him and said, "What Liu Qing said is true and honest." Then he said to Liu Bei, "Shan, Liu Qing and I are so late to meet each other." He immediately rewarded Liu Bei with one hundred thousand yuan.
With money, give Liu Bei a Zhongxing Sword.
He Jin originally wanted to appoint Liu Bei as the Cavalry Commander and the commander of the Huns' Zhonglang. However, the emperor also said that there was no one to take the post as the Taiyuan Grand Administrator. Since Chen Tingjian recommended it, he would let him serve. He still promoted Liu Bei to be the Taiyuan Grand Administrator and the commander of the Xiongnu Zhonglang.
Will.
When the work was done, Liu Bei took a long breath, returned to the group of ministers, and then started the next topic.
Who will serve as the new governor of Bingzhou? Situ Xuxiang went to the prelude and said: "Now that the Huns have suppressed the rebellion, the cultivation of Xihe has been delayed, and the savings in Taiyuan have been wiped out. The only one who can be saved is Shangdang County. In such a situation
, which is beyond what an ordinary governor can do, it is better to set up a Bingzhou Prefecture based on the stories of Youzhou, Yuzhou, and Yizhou."
All the officials were convinced, and He Miao, the general on the right chariot and cavalry, asked again: "Who can be this person?"
Grand Tutor Yuan Wei suggested: "The state herdsman is in a troubled place, and he is in charge of the planning of a state. He needs a man of great loyalty, courage, wisdom and virtue. The imperial court previously selected Huang Wan and Liu Yu, so it is better to do so. From what I see,
It is better to reuse Huangfu Yizhen. Huangfu Yizhen first defeated the Yellow Turbans and was famous all over the world. Chen Chong and Liu Bei both joined his shogunate. He was also familiar with people's livelihood. Who else could he give up?"
But the emperor directly rejected it and replied: "No, Huangfu Song should be chosen to be in the west. I heard that he has been ill recently. When he recovers, I will order him to go out to Xiliang. Are there any other candidates?" p>
The officials discussed for a while, but could not come up with a suitable candidate. In the end, the emperor decided that it would be better to lack than to waste. Now that Bingzhou is in ruins, it cannot be ignored. Once a suitable candidate is found, it is not a bad idea to appoint and remove him.
Then we talked about the war in Youzhou. After the Xiongnu rebellion, the imperial court immediately sent Meng Yi and Gongsun Zan to Youzhou and Hebei to recruit troops. Now it has been three months and they have recruited 40,000 soldiers, including 9,000 tiger warriors, who have been equipped with Yecheng iron armor.
Next month, he will lead his army to attack Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun.
It's just that it was easy for Zhang Ju to attack Zhang Chun, but it was difficult for Wuhuan Xianbei to overcome it. If the communication between Wuhuan Xianbei and the two Zhangs could not be cut off, the two Zhangs could come back even if they were defeated overnight. The emperor named Liu Bei again and said: "Liu Qing is going to Taiyuan.
At that time, I also had the responsibility of appeasing Xianbei." Liu Bei just promised.
Today's regular court meeting was extremely long. After the court meeting was over, it was already two o'clock in the morning. Liu Bei walked out of the Nangong Palace and saw the busy streets with hundreds of officials and traffic. Only then did he remember that he had not eaten all day and was feeling empty and uncomfortable. As usual, he could apply to stay outside.
The palace was resting, but Liu couldn't bear the gloomy atmosphere in the palace, so he still planned to eat and drink in the south of the city, and then went to Luoyang Lu Zhi's mansion to spend a few nights to prepare for the victory ceremony ten days later.
Unexpectedly, when he went out, he heard someone calling his name from behind. He turned around and saw that it was Cao Cao. The two had known each other ten years ago in Luoyang. However, Cao Cao was well-known in the capital at that time, and Liu Bei was just a Youyan ranger. Now time has passed.
, the two met again in Luoyang, but their identities were completely different from those on that day.
Cao Cao stood with his hands behind his hands and smiled casually at Liu Bei: "Where did you come from and where are you going?" [1]
Liu Bei took off his tiger hat, put on a red turban, and replied to Cao Cao: "You have to ask Ting Jian this question. How can I know this as an old soldier?"
But Cao Cao shook his head and laughed loudly, pointed at him and said: "Where are you thinking? I'm asking you, Xuande, you have been in the palace for a long time, are you hungry? A new mutton restaurant opened in Sushi last month.
It’s delicious and the meat is tender, do you want to go or not?”
Hearing that there was something to eat, Liu Bei clapped his belly and sighed: "I never dare to eat too much in the restaurants in Gyeonggi Province. I didn't bring any extravagance when I returned to Beijing this time. How can I afford it?"
Unexpectedly, Cao Cao hit him with a punch and put his arms around him: "Your Majesty rewarded you with 500,000 yuan, but you still don't have the money? I will pay for it, and then you can tell me about the war in Bingzhou!"
Liu Bei admitted everything. The two laughed and talked about the recent heroes, famous horses and swords, and beautiful women in gorgeous clothes. They got on the carriage and squeezed into the crowd.
In June of the fifth year of Zhongping, Gyeonggi was still immersed in the last peace of the Han Dynasty.
(End of Amano Cangmang.)
[1] Friendship between Cao and Liu: According to Wang Can's "Heroes": "In the last years of Emperor Ling, Bei was in the capital. He returned to Pei with Cao Gong and recruited all the people. Emperor Hui Ling died and the world was in chaos. Bei also
Raise the army to attack Dong Zhuo." It can be seen that Cao Cao and Liu Bei have been in contact with each other for a long time, and the word "Fu" shows that Liu Bei and Cao Cao knew each other before He Jin was killed. It is very likely that Liu Bei studied in Luoyang, and Cao Cao served as the Northern Wei of Luoyang.