Wu Han and Geng were overjoyed when they heard that Liu Xiu had allowed him to go to Youzhou to recruit troops. They both stepped in and saluted, saying in unison: "The final general will definitely live up to his mission!"
Liu Xiu glanced at the two of them and reminded meaningfully: "Be more careful and don't act rashly. If you encounter resistance, you need to think twice."
Wu Han and Geng said: "Thank you, Lord, for reminding me!"
After leaving the palace, the two of them were on their way to the military camp. Wu Han smiled meaningfully and asked: "Bo Zhao, when you return to Shanggu and see Wei Shun and Cai Chong, if they insist on not lending troops, you will
how?"
Geng did not directly answer Wu Han's question, but instead asked: "What if Ziyan comes to Jixian and meets Miao Zeng, but Miao Zeng refuses to lend troops, what will Ziyan do?"
Wu Han and Geng looked at each other for a moment, raised the corners of his mouth, chuckled, nodded Geng with his finger, and then, his eyes clear, he said word by word: "I have no intention of visiting Jixian this time."
Keep Miao Zeng alive, whether he is willing to borrow troops or not."
Hearing this, the corner of Geng's mouth twitched, and then he looked up and smiled. After laughing for a while, he said: "That's exactly what I meant!"
"Haha!" Wu Han laughed and said: "It coincides with each other, you and I should go have a drink!"
Geng sighed softly and said: "It's just that if you act like this, I'm afraid it will cause the king's dissatisfaction!"
Wu Han raised his eyebrows and said, "Your Majesty will not be dissatisfied."
"Oh? Why?" Geng asked puzzledly.
Wu Han said meaningfully: "You and I proposed to go to Youzhou to borrow troops. Why do you think the king took so long to consider it?"
After he said this, Geng also remembered that the king had indeed been thinking for a long time at that time. Geng thought that the king was absent-minded and did not hear clearly what the two of them said. He asked curiously: "Why?"
Wu Han smiled and said: "The king is considering whether to kill Miao Zeng, Wei Shun and Cai Chong, and what will be the consequences after killing them."
"oh?"
"The moment the king agrees to let you and I go to Youzhou, it means that the king has made up his mind to kill the three of them!"
Geng looked at Wu Han in surprise and didn't come back to his senses for a long time.
In his mind, although Wu Han was not a foolhardy man, he was also an impulsive and irritable man. He did not expect that he understood his lord so thoroughly, or that his mind was so astute.
"If it is true as Ziyan said, then Ziyan is really impressive!" Geng couldn't help but sigh.
"Haha!" Wu Han laughed twice, patted Geng on the shoulder and said, "Let's go have a drink!"
What Liu Xiu was thinking in his heart was whether it was really what Wu Han said. Even Wu Han himself didn't know. He said this just to give Geng a reassurance.
Regarding the matter of Miao Zeng, Wei Shun and Cai Chong, Wu Han once specifically asked Deng Yu for advice and asked Deng Yu to help him analyze what would be the consequences if he really killed Miao Zeng, Wei Shun and Cai Chong? Will Liu Xuan do it?
He really broke up with his lord and sent troops to attack Hebei.
Deng Yu's answer was that it was possible to break up with his lord, but it was unlikely that Liu Xuan would directly send troops to Hebei. It was not that Chang'an was too far away from Hebei and it was not suitable to use troops, but that Chang'an was now in chaos.
In the current reform court, Liu Xuan hardly handles government affairs. In the court, the powerful minister Zhao Meng is completely in charge. Zhao Meng is a vicious, petty, selfish person who dominates the court with one hand.
Zhao Meng himself is already a big nuisance, but what's even more terrible is that he is not the biggest nuisance in the Gengshi court. There is another faction, a large group of people, that can do more harm to people than Zhao Meng, and that is the Green Forest Faction.
At present, the Green Forest Faction is still the largest faction in the Gengshi Court, with a large number of troops. The people of the Green Forest Faction are all from a rough background. How can they govern the country and bring peace to the country?
The Green Forest Group, headed by Wang Kuang, Zhang and others, brought trouble to the three auxiliaries, committed violence and torture, and made the people miserable.
In order to make money, people from the Green Forest Department openly sell their official positions. No matter you are a landlord, a squire, a trafficker, or even a businessman with the lowest status, as long as you have money, you can buy an official position from them.
If you have more money, you can buy a title.
During the period when the Gengshi imperial court was in Chang'an, there was even a ballad circulated in Chang'an: If a sheep is raised under the stove, he will become a general; if a sheep's stomach is rotten, it will lead to a riding captain; if a sheep's head is rotten, it will lead to the marquis of Guannei.
Generals like Zhonglang and Captains of Cavalry are the pillars of the army and constitute the core backbone of an army. Although the Marquis of Guannei is lower than the Lieutenants, he also has the title of chief of the city.
However, such important official positions and titles were already on the streets in Chang'an, which shows how rampant the selling of officials and titles was at that time.
Under the rule of the Gengshi court, as long as you had money, nothing was impossible. You could use money to atone for murder or arson, and you could buy official positions and titles with money.
The imperial court has rotted to this extent, even worse than the Xinmang imperial court. How can the people of Chang'an, Feng Yi, and Fufeng Sanfu not complain!
As for what Liu Xuan is doing? He is also very busy. He is busy having fun with the women in the harem every day.
This is the basis for Deng Yu's judgment that Chang'an did not dare to send troops to Hebei.
Now, it is precisely because the Gengshi court has so many troops that the people of Sanfu do not dare to revolt. Once the Gengshi court sends its army to Hebei, chaos will surely break out in Sanfu.
After listening to Deng Yu's analysis, Wu Han felt confident, and he made up his mind to eradicate Miao Zeng, Wei Shun, and Cai Chong.
Wu Han and Geng went north together. After entering Youzhou, they went their separate ways. Wu Han went to Jixian, while Geng went to Juyang, the county town of Shanggu.
After the two of them left Handan, Liu Xiu took the initiative to find Xie Gong, hoping that Xie Gong could write a letter to Miao Zeng, asking Miao Zeng to send Youzhou soldiers to assist him in pacifying the rebel army in Hebei.
After listening to Liu Xiu's words, Xie Gong couldn't help shaking his head and smiling bitterly, and said helplessly: "Prince Xiao, to be honest, I have written several letters to Miao Zhou Mu, asking Miao Zhou Mu to send troops to quell the rebellion. However, Miao Zhou Mu
The state pastor refused because he had just arrived in Youzhou and couldn't understand everything."
The relationship between Xie Gong and Miao Zeng is very ordinary. To be more precise, there is a lot of conflict and competition between the two. Xie Gong and Miao Zeng are both from the Green Forest Department, and they were both promoted by Liu Xuan
, rising from the bottom.
However, Xie Gong's official career was always smoother than Miao Zeng's, and he was more favored by Liu Xuan. Later, he was promoted to Shangshu Ling by Liu Xuan, which really made Miao Zeng jealous.
This time, Miao Zeng was appointed by Liu Xuan and went to Youzhou to serve as the prefectural pastor. It was a turn of events. His official position was no longer under the auspice of bowing. For the last time, he was on an equal footing. This made Miao Zeng feel very proud.
Xie Gong and Liu Xiu sent troops to quell the rebel army in Hebei, but Miao Zeng knew it was a bad start. When he received a letter from Xie Gong, asking him to dispatch Youzhou soldiers to help him pacify the rebel army, Miao Zeng scoffed.
You, Jizhou, are surrounded by rebels, what does it have to do with my Youzhou? Now you ask me for help, I will provide the people, and you will take the credit. How can there be such a good thing in the world? Miao Zeng always refused Xie Gong's request for help.
Regarding this matter, Xie Gong didn't say anything, and he was extremely angry in his heart, but there was really nothing he could do against Miao Zeng.
After all, Miao Zeng is no longer what it used to be. He is now Youzhou Mu, a position comparable to the princes. In modern terms, Zhou Mu is the highest-level local chief who combines the military and political power of several provinces.
After hearing Xie Gong's reply, Liu Xiu sighed softly and said, "If Youzhou can send troops to reinforce Hebei, why worry about the traitor army not being destroyed?!"
The speaker was unintentional, but the listener was intentional. Xie Gong's mind moved, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he said: "If King Xiao gives the order and orders Miaozhou Mu to send troops, maybe it can be done!"
Liu Xiu rubbed his chin, thought for a long time, and then said reluctantly: "Try it! I'm afraid that I, Prince Xiao, can't move him, Miaozhou Mu!"
Xie Gong thought about it and immediately became discouraged. Your Majesty sent Miao Zeng to Youzhou for the purpose of dealing with Liu Xiu. Liu Xiu went to borrow troops from Miao Zeng. It's strange that Miao Zeng could borrow them!
The hope that had just filled his heart was instantly shattered. Now Xie Gong was really anxious. The main reason was that the rebel army here in Hebei was indeed too rampant. Take the Qingdu Army for example. A few days ago, he and Liu Xiu teamed up to send troops and finally defeated them.
It was only a few days after he was expelled from Wei County that the Qingdu Army fled back to Wei County from Hanoi County. They were still burning, killing and looting everywhere, making Wei County homeless and destitute.
Now in Xie Gong's heart, Liu Xiu has been relegated to the secondary enemy. The primary enemy is the millions of rebel armies in Hebei.
He took a deep breath and said: "Prince Xiao, I have formulated several strategies against the Qingdu Army. I wonder if Prince Xiao would be willing to give me some advice?"
Liu Xiu smiled and said, "Please thank Shangshu for letting me see it."
Xie Gong picked up several scrolls of bamboo slips on the desk and handed them to Liu Xiu. The latter picked up a bamboo slip, unfolded it, and looked at it carefully.
What is mainly written on this bamboo slip is the joint defense strategy. Between villages and villages and towns, strong men are gathered and militia groups are formed. The government sends people to train and distribute armors and weapons. In this way, when faced with small groups,
When a bandit army attacks, the villages and towns can at least have a certain ability to protect themselves, which also prevents the officers and soldiers in the city from being led by the bandit army and running around. They are exhausted, but not even the bandit army.
No shadow can be seen.
After reading the bamboo slip plan, Liu Xiu nodded repeatedly and couldn't help but praise: "Okay!" He put down the bamboo slip, looked at Xie Gong, and asked with a smile: "The joint defense strategy was thought of by Xie Shangshu.
?”
Xie Gonggan smiled and said: "There are many loopholes in the policy of lowering officials. Please give me some advice from Prince Xiao!"
Liu Xiu took a deep look at Xie Gong and said nothing. He put down the bamboo slips and picked up the second volume. The strategy here focused on attack.
Xie Gong focused on several key points of the attack based on the route taken by the Qingdu Army in repeatedly invading Wei County.
The Qingdu Army has several important strongholds in Wei County, which can also be said to be the springboard for entering Wei County from Hanoi County. Instead of chasing the Qingdu Army and being led by the opponent, it is better to attack their strongholds directly.
First cut off their retreat and trap the enemy in Wei County.
Seeing Liu Xiu watching and frowning gradually, Xie Gong asked nervously: "Prince Xiao, do you think this plan is inappropriate?"
"Although this strategy of trapping the enemy in Wei is a good one, I am worried that the rebel army will engage in a trapped beast fight and harm the people of Wei. In this case, the people of Wei will suffer!" Liu Xiu said quietly.
Hearing this, Xie Gong also took a deep breath, nodded repeatedly, and responded: "Prince Xiao's instructions are very good, but this... I am negligent." As he spoke, he stepped forward, pretending to take advantage of it.
Burn the bamboo slips.
Liu Xiu waved his hand to him, smiled slightly, and said: "I plan to take these strategies from Xie Shangshu back and consider them carefully. I wonder if it is not convenient for Xie Shangshu to leave them here for the time being."
These strategies were originally Xie Gong's ideas. Whether they were feasible or not, and whether there were any omissions, he himself did not know.
Just like what Liu Xiu mentioned just now, if the Qing Calf Army was trapped in Wei County and engaged in a trapped beast fight, how many people in Wei County would suffer? He had not thought of this.
He smiled at Liu Xiu and said, "Prince Xiao is too polite. If Prince Xiao wants to see it, just take them all away."
These bamboo slips were filled with Xie Gong's ideas. Not only was he willing to show them to himself, but he was also willing to take them away. After careful study, Xie Gong's mind was indeed broad.
Thinking of this, Liu Xiu felt a love for talents again and suddenly asked: "Xie Shangshu, what do you think the situation in Chang'an is now?" wavv
