In late June, in Beigong, Luoyang, the afternoon heat was at its peak.
Surrounded by dozens of people from the Zhonghuangmen and Xiaohuangmen, Dachangqiu, Huangmen supervisor, and Zhongchanshi Zhao Zhong returned here from Nangong via the royal road, and bumped into their political ally, Zhongchanshi Zhang Rang.
Since the deaths of Cao Jie and Wang Fu, Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong have focused on the North Palace, flattering the emperor, the Queen Mother, and the Queen; the other has focused on the South Palace, interfering with the Chancery, and suppressing the outer court... They actually cooperated with each other tacitly.
It's quite surprising.
Of course, these two people knew it well. In fact, the situation they faced was different from that of their predecessors in the past. The outside party members and nobles were discussing semi-publicly every day to kill them, and they did not work together to flatter the emperor or unite as one.
How can you preserve your own and your family's glory and wealth by suppressing foreign dynasties?!
If these two people had Cao Teng and Cao Jie's ability to suppress Chao Gang, they would have chewed each other's brains out.
So having said that, for now, this mutual support situation is likely to continue for a long time.
"It's extremely hot. Please leave the memorials with me and leave the rest." Zhao Zhong seemed to have anticipated Zhang Rang's waiting. He waved his hand to dismiss a bunch of yellow gates around him and took a stack of memorials himself.
When they arrived in front of Zhang Rang, they walked side by side calmly.
Nowadays, with the promotion of Gongsun paper and the pressure of war, the imperial court has officially allowed memorials to be changed to paper in order to facilitate the transmission of information. From this point of view, the Nangong Beigong Shangshu Desk and the Huangmen Supervisor all have to thank Gongsun.
The aunt is right. Zhao Zhong, who walked away so calmly with a pile of memorials in his arms, had to thank this oblique relative even more.
"What's so important today?" Zhang Rang took off his miter's crown as he walked, and flicked it in his arms, revealing a head of gray hair in the sun.
Although Zhao Zhong has a majestic crown, his crown and sash are also gray.
"Here comes your trouble." Zhao Zhong said slightly to the memorial in his arms. "The prince's division went to Yingchuan this time with bad intentions. He said in the memorial that when he followed Huangfu Song to receive the surrender of the Yellow Turban bandits in Yan County, he checked it
They published the correspondence between your family and the Yellow Turban thieves, and then impeached you for colluding with the Yellow Turban and intending to commit rebellion."
"This is not a trouble, it's just expected." Zhang Rang was actually not in a hurry. "That day, they took advantage of the Yellow Turban bandits to elect Wang Zishi to be the governor of Yuzhou. I knew that this day would come, so I came to see Your Majesty early in the morning.
There was a foreshadowing... I just didn't want the other generation to be so hasty and ridiculous."
"As long as Changshi Zhang is prepared." Zhao Zhong sneered for a moment. "But since Master Wang is so angry, what do you want to do?"
"Since you are here to look for me, I will handle it myself." Zhang Rang sighed. "It's just a pity. The prince's master is the pillar of the Wang family in Taiyuan, and he is also the official of the state. He is still in Yushitai for dozens of years.
Years ago, he is said to have a deep foundation and is well-known in the country. If we really want to kill him, I am afraid there will be a big mess...it is not appropriate to still be fighting!"
"Over there, I'm trying to find a way to go to jail. Maybe he has a strong character like Lu Changshi and doesn't want to be humiliated by the jailer." Zhao Zhong still sneered.
"That's all we can do." Zhang Rang said with a smile. "I will try to humiliate him in prison then to see if he can bear it." However, when he said this, Chang Shi's expression suddenly turned serious.
His tone became serious. "Actually, in my opinion, the most important thing about this matter is not the prince's teacher or the letter, but Huangfu Song!"
"Isn't this already expected?" Seeing that he had arrived under the shade of a tall palace, Zhao Zhong stopped and his tone became as serious as the other person. "The general of that generation, now
Each dances harder than the other..."
"Still jealous of your niece-in-law?" Zhang Rang couldn't help but stop, and took advantage of the situation to put on the crown of a regular servant. "Look at you, you keep saying that it is expected, but you are still resentful."
"I just never thought that boy was so arrogant!" Zhao Zhong couldn't help but gnashed his teeth after hearing this. "He whipped my close family members to death in public in order to gain prestige. Although it is hateful, it is also a common gesture. Although I hate it, I don't complain! Only this boy actually did it.
Dare you give me a penny to buy my life?! Who does he think he is? Does he think that I, the majestic Changqiu, will need to buy my life from him, a son of Youzhou, in the future?"
Zhang Rang laughed immediately.
"What's so funny?" Zhao Zhong became more and more angry.
"Chief Changshi Zhao." Zhang Rang faced him calmly and calmly. "Since Zhang Huan's incident came out, people from border counties, especially young people, must be extra vigilant. You don't know what's going on.
It’s all in vain and you’re humiliating yourself, so why are you still acting like this now?”
"Come on!" Zhao Zhong put away his anger and laughed instead. "Didn't you think about asking Huangfu Song for a bribe before to test him? But now Huangfu Song has jumped out on his own, so that you don't have to act pretentious.
."
"Are Huangfu Song and your niece-in-law the same thing?" Zhang Rang said disapprovingly. "Huangfu Song is already in his fifties and has a lot of room for action. Therefore, although there is a precedent for asking for the party's imprisonment, it is more like opportunistic and opportunistic.
It’s hard to say what I think until this matter comes out!”
"Did you also know that it was before this incident?" Zhao Zhong pushed back again, but finally gave up on this ridiculous confrontation and turned serious. "Changshi Zhang, what you just said makes some sense...
…In this matter, the trouble is not with Prince Wang Yun’s division, but with Huangfu Song. In fact, the current situation is that almost all of these army leaders have trouble with us... We can’t just sit back and ignore it, right?”
"We really need to fight back." Zhang Rang couldn't help but become serious. "But we need to know the importance... Huangfu Song, Gongsun Xun, and Zhu Jun, these three people cannot act rashly now!"
Zhao Zhong was stunned for a moment, and then couldn't help but ask: "Why do you say this? Do they still dare to lead troops into Luo?"
"That's not the case." Zhang Rang sneered. "The emperor is still alive and the Han Dynasty has been strong for hundreds of years. Who dares to lead troops into Luo without authorization? Even if one day the general comes to power and asks these people to lead troops into Luo, who will
Dare you touch the North and South Palaces?"
"That……"
"The key point is that the emperor will not allow you and me to touch these three people." Zhang Rang put away his smile for the second time and looked at the other party seriously.
Zhao Zhong was silent for a moment, but he was still a little unwilling: "In your Majesty's eyes, are the generals more important than those scholar-bureaucrats?"
"It's not your Majesty, it's the emperor." Zhang Rang clasped his hands and looked at his narrow-minded ally and said. "Any emperor who knows clearly knows that the generals are more important than the scholar-bureaucrats... And if the war is going to be like this,
, even you and I are not worth a few cents in front of the victorious general."
"Why?" Zhao Zhong was furious again at the suggestion of a few pennies.
"Changshi Zhao, Da Changqiu!" Zhang Rang couldn't help but sigh. "What do you think is the relationship between us and the emperor? Why does the emperor trust us?"
"We are domestic slaves." Zhao Zhong said casually, but then added, "It's also a retainer...you told me."
"That's right!" Zhang Rang nodded seriously. "The emperor is actually the head of a large family whose property is the world... You and I are both guests and domestic slaves. The emperor is surrounded and flattered by us all day long. Naturally,
Trust us. But those scholars always don't understand this truth! What are they? They are actually the stewards of the manor and the stewards of the mansion. They are not stable and earn their own wages, but they always have to point fingers at the owners of the property.
They also interfere in the industry! They also punish officials every day. How can any master listen to outsiders and kill all his close disciples and slaves?!"
Zhao Zhong lowered his head and glanced at the pile of memorials in his arms, and couldn't help but laugh: "What Zhang Changshi said is very reasonable, so what do you mean to say, those generals are the master's patrolling guards?"
"Otherwise?" Zhang Rang asked rhetorically.
"That's true." Zhao Zhong nodded slowly. "I finally understand Changshi Zhang's reasoning... There is a thief outside. Even if we are the master's trusted servants or servants, we cannot persuade the master to deal with what is going on.
A guard who defends against enemies, especially a guard who performs well."
"Taking a step back, if the family is destroyed, let alone the master, can we, the slaves, escape?" Zhang Rang shook his head more and more. "Therefore, if the war becomes uneven, Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and Gongsun Xun will be together.
The sun cannot move... The emperor won't allow it, and neither should you or I, lest we embarrass ourselves!"
"Then just be patient for a while!" As he said that, Zhao Zhong couldn't help but glance at the memorial in his arms. "Since these three who have won the battle can't move, what about the others?"
"Others can't be killed either." Zhang Rang shook his head and said. "The emperor is not confused. He will not kill anyone who has no intention to lead the army at this time. That will make the world's warriors bitter, and maybe it will arouse new ideas.
chaos."
"Can't we kill him too?" Zhao Zhong sighed.
"You can't kill them, but you may not be able to move them." Zhang Rang comforted calmly. "After all, the emperor may not dislike them for their incompetence in fighting... The other three are all winning the battle. Forty thousand and one hundred thousand are wiped out at the drop of a hat. Why are you so few?
A bad fight?"
"Then it's up to us to step forward and seize their military power as a warning!" Zhao Zhong, who understood the other party's intention, immediately spoke in a high-pitched voice. "The rest of the world thinks we can't touch these generals and we are being smart!"
"You can ask for bribes from Lu Zhi and Guo Xun." Zhang Rang seemed to have a plan. "But there is no need to push too hard. You and I don't have to come forward. We can find a yellow gate or a small yellow gate to test... If
If the other generation refuses to obey, he will then complain to the emperor, saying that he is deliberately procrastinating the war and has evil plans!"
"It's still not appropriate." Zhao Zhong suddenly calmed down. "The three generals in the south have just pacified Yingchuan, and they are all waiting for the central government's edict. If they can't make arrangements first, even if they remove Lu Zhi or Guo Xun, I'm afraid it will be in vain to increase this number.
The credit of three people..."
"What's wrong? Zhu Jun went to Nanyang, Huangfu Song went to Yingchuan, Gongsun Xun..." Zhang Rang took the initiative to look at Zhao Zhong mid-sentence. "Gongsun Xun went to Hebei to help Lu Zhi. These were all discussed by the government before.
In the general direction, Your Majesty may agree. In two days, the rewards and transfer orders will all be sent out."
"Gongsun Xun cannot go to Lu Zhi's place." Zhao Zhong gritted his teeth and said. "Have you ever thought about it, if Gongsun Xun is by Lu Zhi's side, once Lu Zhi is driven out by us, wouldn't he take advantage of the situation and command the main force of 60,000 elite officers and soldiers?
?This guy has 10,000 elite troops and 10,000 new recruits stationed in Yangzhai. You and I will have trouble sleeping and eating. If we fight with his 60,000 troops, and then defeat Zhang Jiao and Zhang Liang, we will be powerful in the world...
At that time, do you really want me to buy my own life with a penny?!"
Zhang Rang also hesitated slightly and nodded seriously: "Gongsun Xun is young and acts violently and excessively... we really have to be careful."
"Let him go back to Hebei and replace Guo Xun on the northern front!" Zhao Zhonglue thought about it and came up with an idea. "His subordinates are Youzhou soldiers, Bingzhou soldiers, and Hanoi soldiers. It is unreasonable not to go to Hebei... First, he will take it in the name of disadvantage in combat.
Submit Guo Xun and let him take his place; it won't be too late to test Lu Zhi after he reaches the northern front and officially takes over the war!"
Zhang Rang also thought about it for a moment, and then nodded immediately: "That's just right! Wang Zishi will wait until Huangfu Song leaves Yuzhou before talking."
After saying that, under the shadow of the palace in the afternoon, the two of them felt relaxed for a while, but soon fell into silence.
After a long while, Zhao Zhong couldn't help but shook his head and sighed: "I really didn't expect that you and I would go to such lengths to organize a few people?"
"Let's wait." Zhang Rang said with a helpless smile. "In emergency situations, we must respond with extreme measures. When the country is in chaos and the war subsides, we will slowly settle accounts with these people... Let's go to Xiyuan to submit the memorial.
, You and I still need to have a tacit understanding in front of the Emperor today."
Zhao Zhong nodded slowly and took the lead to go to the West Garden with the memorial in his arms. However, as soon as he started, he suddenly realized that he seemed to have remembered something. He actually stopped again and walked towards a Zhonghuang Gate not far away.
He made a move.
Zhang Rang didn't know why, but he didn't bother to ask more questions, so he just waited quietly.
"Two adults, please give me your instructions." Zhonghuangmen rushed here regardless of the hot weather, and immediately bent down to salute as soon as he arrived.
"Okay." Zhao Zhong said impatiently. "If you have nothing else to do, you quickly go to our Huangmen Prison and cut out Xiang Xu's tongue first, then beat him to death with a stick... Hurry!
"
Zhonghuangmen nodded slightly, turned around and quickly went to do it without saying a word, while Zhao Zhong also continued to turn around and head towards the West Garden.
"Why is this?" Zhang Rang followed but didn't know why. "I still want to take care of this foul-mouthed madman!"
"Gongsun Xun has a memorial today, saying that Xiang Xu was the Prime Minister of Zhao when he was the governor of Handan, and his kindness and kindness will be unforgettable... so he is willing to use his own merits to offset the other's sins." Zhao Zhong said casually. "Just in case."
"That's it." Zhang Rang suddenly realized, but he didn't take it seriously at all.
The summer heat was unbearable. On the way from the North Palace to the West Garden, two gray-haired waiters cast a long shadow in the sunlight.
"You actually asked me to go back to deal with Zhang Bao?" A few days later in Yangzhai, in the empty hall of the county temple, Gongsun Xun was confused for a moment after receiving the order. "Shouldn't I be asked to go to Guangzong to help in the battle?"
"Return to the Marquis of Liangxiang." Xiaohuangmen who came to convey the decree immediately smiled and said. "It is said that the governor Guo Xun and Guo repeatedly captured Quyang and failed to defeat him, and he was unable to command Julu Guo. Grandmaster Zhang of Zhongshan was suitable. The two two thousand stone
There are complaints... Therefore, the imperial court intends to ask you to take his place. As for Guangzong, the central government intends to let Cao Cao, the Cavalry Commander, lead the troops to assist Beizhonglang General Lu Gong."
Gongsun Xun, who had transformed into a Liangxiang Marquis, glanced at Xiao Huangmen, who was smiling with a hint of fear in his eyes, and suddenly felt something in his heart... The appointment of the Central Committee was well-founded, and I was afraid that he really had nothing to say.
It was natural for a group of knights from Youzhou, Bingzhou, and Hanoi to return to northern Hebei to fight with him, and it seemed a reasonable arrangement for Cao Cao to lead the newly acquired infantry from Dongjun to support Lu Zhi, who was not far from Dongjun.
And besides, given the current situation, if the central government dispatches you to fight somewhere, can you still refuse? And to be fair, although Guangzong is the main battlefield, it doesn't seem to be a good place to go.
"Where are Duke Huangfu and Duke Zhu?" After a long pause, Gongsun Xun put down these random thoughts for the time being and asked seriously again.
"Huangfu Gong granted him the title of Marquis of Duxiang and went to Chen State and Runan to conquer Peng Tuo's bandit tribe." Xiaohuangmen quickly replied seriously. "Gong Zhu made him the Marquis of Xixiang and went to Wancheng in Nanyang... Yingchuan is now at peace.
, you all have somewhere to go.”
"The rewards from my subordinates..." Gongsun Xun paused and continued to ask.
"The emperor has praised all three generals very much, and all three have agreed to their requests." Xiao Huangmen said impatiently again. "This time, the appointments of the two Bi Qianshi you invited have also been approved. I don't know.
…”
"You go and talk to Liu Xuande yourself." Gongsun Xun stretched out his hand and said, "The other one is about to branch off. I will deal with him personally."
"It makes sense." Xiao Huangmen did not dare to neglect, and the attendant behind him immediately held up a box containing a seal, ribbon, and documents. "The Marquis of Liangxiang will do it for himself. If there is nothing else..."
"Go!" Gongsun Xun had no intention of showing off to Xiao Huangmen with such an attitude, and directly waved his hand.
Xiaohuangmen, as if he had received an amnesty, immediately took the people away in a hurry, preparing to go elsewhere to announce the decree.
However, at this moment, Gongsun Xun, who had just put the box on the table, suddenly remembered something, and then turned around suddenly: "Just stay here, how did Xiang Xu deal with it? I once wrote a letter asking for my own merits to repay the other's sins.
, but now I have been promoted to the title of Marquis of Liangxiang... If I remember correctly, this Liangxiang should be the first township under the jurisdiction of Ji County, Guangyang County, which is governed by Youzhou Prefecture. With such a prominent reward, what will happen to Mr. Xiang?"
Xiao Huangmen's forehead was covered with sweat, and he could only try his best to babble: "Actually, Huangfu Gong's capital is also the capital of Huaili County, the capital of Youfufeng; Zhu Gong's Xixiang is also the capital of Liyang, where the Yangzhou Governor's Department is located...
…They are all equally distinguished.”
"Dead?" Gongsun Xun asked coldly after the other party finished speaking.
"He died in prison before the general sent the memorial to Luozhong." Xiao Huangmen said helplessly.
Gongsun Xun continued to sneer.
When Xiaohuangmen saw this, they didn't dare to wait any longer and fled in a hurry.
Now that Xiaohuangmen has gone out, Lu Fan, Lou Gui, Xi Zhong, Han Dang and other private ministers swarmed in. They heard clearly from outside just now that Gongsun Xun was promoted to Liangxiang Marquis. In any case, this is a good thing. Naturally
Come to congratulate me.
Gongsun Xun didn't take this seriously... The rewards for a high-ranking official like him will definitely come after the war subsides. The so-called increase in title is a great thing in the eyes of others, but in his eyes
But it is just a political signal that things are still under control and has no other meaning.
As for Xiang Xu's death...how should I put it? Gongsun Xun was neither happy nor sad, nor was he at all melancholy. After all, great chaos had already occurred, and such a person would not live long. The only thing was that he was ruthless towards eunuchs.
I gained a clearer understanding... It seems like no one knows about the trick of receiving orders through the front door and killing people through the back door?
Therefore, Gongsun Xun just ignored the matter in a hurry, and then told a few private ministers where he was going. He asked Han Dang to fetch something, but he also asked Lou Gui to call someone.
"Zhicai." Seeing the two of them going out, Gongsun Xun looked at Xi Zhicai with interest. "Do you know who I want Uncle Zi to call?"
The actor thought for a moment, then simply said: "Reporting to the emperor, I think this person's surname may be Li or Le."
Gongsun Xun and Lu Fan looked at each other and couldn't help laughing.
"Zhicai is indeed smart." Lu Fan sighed sincerely. "I guessed it right."
Lou Gui's absence made it rare for Xi Zhong to feel proud for a while. Therefore, he rolled his eyes and couldn't help but say something more: "Your Majesty, the so-called equal emphasis on kindness and power, I have an idea..."
Gongsun Xun became more and more interested.
After a while, Han Dang brought a box from the backyard, and after a while, a report came from the front of the hall, saying that the village chief Li Jin was accompanying Lou Gui to see him.
Yes, since Li Jin was drafted in the battle of Weixiang, he has led three thousand soldiers in two big battles and several small battles, without losing any of them. He has suffered hundreds of casualties, which is really hard work... But this guy has been there until
Now he is just a village leader! Three thousand disciples can only receive the military pay of a hundred people!
Not only that, the Jiyin Li family was also treated like a bloodbath. Three thousand soldiers moved to two places, and they provided weapons, food and grass themselves. Even when they were in Dongjun, the entire army had to support them hard when they fought in Henan.
, and act as eyes and ears.
And all of this was done by Gongsun Xun, a general named Zhijie Zhonglang who was born in a border county!
Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, Li Jin and Li Chuzhi would never want to come to see Gongsun Xun.
"Li Tuizhi." Gongsun Xun saw the other party prostrating himself on the ground, but remained indifferent. "I want to tell you good news... The emperor has just issued an order, asking me to lead the cavalry in the army to Quyang under the northern line of Jizhou to deal with Zhang Bao.
You infantrymen recruited by Dongjun are all under the control of Brother Mengde, the Cavalry Commander. It is said that you are going to Guangzong to fight Zhang Jiao."
Li Jin felt a sudden joy in his heart, and his hands on the ground almost trembled... Will he and the three thousand Li soldiers finally break free from the clutches of this man in the hall? As long as he doesn't follow this man, life will be much easier in the future.
Bar?
"But there is also some bad news." Gongsun Xun spoke condescendingly and slowly. "Since you have left me, with your powerful background, I am afraid that your career will be interrupted. I originally wanted to take you to fight in all directions, and finally give me
A person in your family has a future of two thousand dan, but unexpectedly we are separated halfway...Don't worry about me in the future, after all, there are very few people like me who employ people regardless of their background."
Even though Li Jin didn't want to look at Gongsun Xun's face, he couldn't help but raise his head inexplicably at this time.
"Give it to him!" Gongsun Xun gestured with his lips slightly pursed.
Immediately, Han Dang and Lou Gui each came forward holding a box.
Among them, Han Yigong was the first to put down the box in his hand and opened it to see a set of seals, ribbons and documents.
"This is the six-hundred-stone military marquis status that my prince applied to the court for you, Li Tuizhi, after the Battle of Dongjun." Lu Fan said with his hands beside him. "Don't be surprised, my prince is definitely not a hard worker.
Those who don’t reward me are just because you, the Li family, are too arrogant. If you are repeatedly promoted in the army, some people may be dissatisfied... Therefore, you will always be by your side."
At this point, before Li Jin could react, Lou Gui put down the box in his hand and opened it, then stood up and sneered: "This is after the First World War in Changshe, the king hired Sima Yinshou of the Thousand Stones Department for you.
...Originally, I was planning to stay by my side temporarily, but now that we are going to be separated, it doesn’t matter anymore.”
Li Jin stared at the two seals on the ground in front of him. He had mixed feelings for a moment. Even he himself couldn't figure out what he was feeling at this time. But after a long while of silence, he finally slowly leaned down again and bowed to the ground: "
The kindness of the king will never be forgotten."
As soon as he finished speaking and before he could react, Li Jin felt a sudden weight behind him on the ground. Looking back, he saw that there were four or five Yi Cong standing nearby holding him down from behind! Without waiting for Li Jin to retreat,
I wanted to understand what was going on, or whether I should resist... Han Dangfu came over again, and actually grabbed the man's hair, pulled his head up, and exposed his neck.
At this time, Gongsun Xun, who was sitting in the hall without saying a word, walked straight down, and then actually pulled out his famous broken blade.
Li Jin on the ground was panicked and trembling all over... He couldn't help reacting like this to such a sudden situation.
However, Gongsun Xun came with a knife, smiled and made a gesture on the opponent's neck, then suddenly swung the knife, only cutting off the man's hair, and then put the knife away and returned to his seat.
Yi Cong let go of his hand, and everyone in the hall sneered. At this time, only Lou Gui and Li Jin were a little confused in the whole hall.
"Of course you will be rewarded for meritorious service, but you have been slandering the prince among your family's soldiers all day long. Do you think the prince doesn't know about it?!" Xi Zhong shouted proudly from the side. "But the war is not over yet, and the country still wants to use you.
For now, cut off your hair and take over! Get out of here!"
Li Jin's mind went blank. He could only hug the box with the Thousand Stone Seal and Ribbon, and run away with his hair disheveled.
Lou Zibo became more and more confused.
————I am the dividing line of new hairstyle————
"With the rise of the Yellow Turbans in the Later Han Dynasty, the world was in panic, party chains were loosened, and many scholars and eunuchs were incompatible with each other. Wang Yun, the governor of Yuzhou, heard that Zhang Rang's family was in Yingchuan, and there were many thieves in Yingchuan. He thought that the two were connected, so he searched
The Yellow Turbans sent people to surrender in order to obtain letters, but they repeatedly failed. Kong Rong was working for the state, so he conspired with Yan Zhong, a counselor in the Zuo Zhonglang Huangfu Song Dynasty, to forge a letter and offer it to the surrendered soldiers. Xun Shuang, who was not riding in the state, secretly inspected it.
Because he is an eunuch and has no moral principles, he refuses to promote him, and because he thinks he is an official and does not promote him, he feels ashamed, so he hangs his seal and returns to his hometown in order to seek peace of mind." - "Shishuo Xinyu", "Explanation of Techniques" Chapter
One more thing, the idea that the emperor is a dandy and eunuchs are disciples is not my point of view. It is a statement made by Lu Simian when discussing the eunuchs' chaos in the Eastern Han Dynasty... I don't know how many years ago.
