Dong Zhuo was sitting high in the hall, while Xu Rong, Duan Xuan and Hu Zhen were kneeling below, not daring to move and trembling.
"Xu Rong, are you out of your mind? You ignored Changan in vain!"
Dong Zhuo was so furious that he kicked a table in the palace to pieces, pulled out a knife, pointed it at Xu Rong and shouted angrily: "I think you want me to die. Believe it or not, I will kill you now!"
After returning to Chang'an, Dong Zhuo became extremely irritable because he resented Xu Rong for choosing to pursue Liu Bei, which caused Chang'an to almost fall.
Now that the troops of Xu Rong, Duan Xuan, Hu Zhen and others have returned, he serves as an impromptu master and interrogates them.
Xu Rong was helpless. He had indeed made a mistake in his judgment in this matter. He did not expect that the Kwantung Army would actually choose to divide its troops. Who knows what they would do if there was no food and grass.
But through this period of judgment, Xu Rong had a clear understanding that the other party could not persist for so long, and there must be another reason.
What's the reason?
Where can they get the food and grass to attack and evacuate with the people at the same time?
Reports from Tanma in Huayin indicate that the first batch of grain and grass arrived just a few days ago. It is impossible to fly to the camp of Zuo Fengyi's Kwantung Army out of thin air. This means that someone in Chang'an is delivering grain to them.
Thinking back to the inexplicable actions of the Kwantung Army on the Wei River that day, Xu Rong had already made a guess. Faced with Dong Zhuo's questioning, Xu Rong was prepared and said slowly: "Grand Master, Rong is also following the Grand Master."
How could an old man who has been through life and death for many years make such a mistake? There is something more fishy about this matter. Please listen to Rong explain in detail."
The translation of this sentence is: I have contributed to the Xiliang army, and I have made meritorious service for the Grand Master. Grand Master, please listen to my sophistry.
"Okay, then I want to hear what you really want to say!"
Dong Zhuo sat down, still angry, staring at him with a pair of big copper bell eyes. If there was any problem with Xu Rong's self-defense, he would immediately punish him.
However, Dong Zhuo was still reluctant to kill Xu Rong in order to punish him.
Dong Zhuo was indeed extremely cruel to the outside world, but looking at historical records, when he was alive, he treated his subordinates quite well.
Including the discord between Lu Bu and the Xiliang army, internal strife broke out between the two sides. Once Lu Bu and Hu Zhen clashed head-on, which led to internal fighting among the soldiers of both sides. Sun Jian took advantage of the situation and defeated the two. In the end, Dong Zhuo was just
and mud.
From this point of view, Dong Zhuo did not do a very good job in governing.
After all, as the boss, if your subordinates are fighting among themselves, you will know that reconciliation will not only fail to eliminate the resentment between the two parties, but will also make both parties feel that you are favoring the other party, which will make both parties more likely to be dissatisfied.
This is why after Dong Zhuo's death, the Xiliang army remained indifferent until Wang Yun prepared to kill the Xiliang army, which led to the rebellion of Li Jue and Guo Si.
Therefore, Dong Zhuo thought about it and finally decided to demote Xu Rong's official position and let him be a school captain.
Unexpectedly, Xu Rong said: "Grand Master, the reason why Rong felt that we could pursue him was because he expected that the Kwantung Army would have very little food and grass left, so it would be impossible to attack Chang'an again. But it was not until I pursued that I discovered that not only did they have food and grass, but they also had
What does it mean to be able to help people?"
"What does it mean?"
Dong Zhuo asked.
Xu Rong replied: "This means they got a new batch of food and grass."
"Yes, according to the report from Tanma, the Kwantung Army's grain and fodder arrived in Huayin only a few days ago. They don't have much leftover grain in their hands, so they can't hold on for that long."
Li Ru also fits the sentence.
Xu Rong continued: "Then where did they get the food and grass? Rong suspected that there was someone in Chang'an who was secretly colluding with the Kwantung Army."
As soon as these words came out, Liu Yu, Yang Biao and others in the court suddenly became nervous. In the middle of December, sweat appeared on their foreheads.
Dong Zhuo savored these words carefully, and slowly looked at the princes in the court with suspicious eyes.
If there is an internal response, it seems that these are the only ones.
However, just when Dong Zhuo was about to question, Lu Bu on the side said arrogantly: "Humph, there are so many excuses. Chang'an is obviously empty, but you are recklessly pursuing the enemy. I think you clearly want to trap the grand master to death!"
Since Lu Bu joined Dong Zhuo's army, he has made almost no achievements except helping Dong Zhuo kill Ding Yuan. On the contrary, because he is Dong Zhuo's adopted son, he has always been looked down upon by the people of Xiliang.
Now because he rushed back to Chang'an in time and made great achievements, he suddenly became arrogant. When he saw the representative of the Xiliang Army made a big mistake, he immediately wanted to beat up the drowned dog.
Xu Rong said with hatred: "Lu Bu! You are making a vicious and false accusation. What evidence do you have that we want to trap the Grand Master to death? Don't think that you can take credit for being arrogant because you rushed back to Chang'an in time to save the situation. We will
I have followed the Grand Master for at least ten years, from birth to death, who has not made more contributions than you?"
"Am I so arrogant because of my merits? If I hadn't arrived in time, Chang'an would have been captured by the Kwantung Army. But you went hundreds of miles away to chase a meaningless Liu Bei, leaving Chang'an empty and allowing the Kwantung Army to almost succeed. You didn't deliberately frame Tai
What is a teacher?”
Lu Bu was not afraid and immediately retorted.
The two of them started to argue with each other, making the entire court restless, and in the end they even almost started fighting.
"enough!"
Seeing Lu Bu, Li Su and others drawing out their swords, Xu Rong, Duan Xuan and others were not to be outdone. The two sides were about to engage in a full-scale martial arts attack. Dong Zhuo said angrily: "Do you still take me seriously?"
Seeing his rage, everyone snorted coldly and stopped fighting.
The field fell silent for a while.
After a while, Li Ru coughed and said: "Grand Master, now is not the time for internal fighting. Ru also felt that this matter was very strange. It is impossible for the Kwantung Army's food and grass to come out of thin air. He was afraid that someone was secretly working to provide them with military supplies.
"
Dong Zhuo looked at the court princes with a serious look and said coldly: "Everyone, I have heard it. Xu Rong suspected that the court had an internal conspiracy and secretly sent people to deliver food and grass to the Kwantung Army. I think you are all loyal ministers loyal to the court. No.
Do you mind if I send someone to search your mansion?"
Yang Biao gritted his teeth and said: "Grand Master, we are all three princes and high officials of the imperial court. Without any evidence, just based on a few words of the generals under the Grand Master, it is unreasonable to search our residence for no reason.
.”
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! In fact, this sentence can be regarded as their last bit of stubbornness. After all, Dong Zhuo almost killed Liu Bian in front of them, so what else could they do? Not coming out?
But no matter what, whether it’s for your own face or to hide something, you still have to fight.
If they don't say anything, they will make the world look down upon their integrity.
Wang Yun also stood up and said: "Grand Master, our loyalty is well known, how can we chill the hearts of all the princes in the court because of the slander of rumors and evil words? If this is the case, if it goes on for a long time, I am afraid that everyone will be in danger, and who will? Dare to serve the Grand Master loyally?"
"this......"
Dong Zhuo hesitated for a moment. He didn't have to listen to Yang Biao's words, but Wang Yun had always been his loyal brother since Luoyang, and had even made suggestions for him before. What he said did make some sense.
At this time, soldiers suddenly rushed outside the central hall, ran to the hall, knocked on the ground with one knee and said: "Report to the Grand Master, Lord Niu Zhonglang, Zhu Jun has withdrawn."
"oh?"
Dong Zhuo was overjoyed and asked hurriedly: "What's going on?"
The soldier replied: "The imperial edict was sent to Zhu Jun's camp. Zhu Jun hesitated for a long time, and finally decided to obey the edict, disband the army and return to Chang'an."
"Ha ha ha ha."
Dong Zhuo looked up to the sky and laughed, looked at Wang Yun and said: "Yes, this solves my urgent need in Chang'an. The strategy of the prince's teacher is indeed effective. In this case, I will follow the advice of the prince and not search the mansions of the ministers, so as not to embarrass the ministers. Heart."
"Thank you, Grand Master."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and quickly bowed their hands in greeting.
Zhu Jun's side has indeed withdrawn its troops.
In fact, he was really hesitant after receiving this edict.
Historically, both he and Huangfu Song actually considered whether to send troops to challenge Dong.
Huangfu Song finally succumbed to the edict, and Dong Zhuo asked the emperor to issue an order to recruit Huangfu Song back from Chang'an.
Zhu Jun, on the other hand, was recruiting troops from all over Xuzhou to challenge Dong, but before he even set out, he was summoned away by an edict.
Therefore, these two people were indeed very loyal to the Han Dynasty and were not disobedient like the princes from various places.
But Zhu Jun was not stupid. If he really disbanded his army and went to Chang'an alone, he would probably end up like Huangfu Song and be executed in Luoyang.
So after thinking for a long time, he decided that he still had to put on a show with the Kwantung Army, that is, to withdraw the troops on the surface, but in fact pretend to be detained by the Kwantung Army.
In this way, both sides would give each other a step down. Zhu Jun would not force Dong Zhuo to harm the emperor by advancing into Chang'an, but he could also preserve his own reputation and avoid being notorious for disrespecting the emperor's orders.
Anyway, the Kwantung Army didn't care about this reputation, because the Kwantung Army was well-known and went out in the name of Liu Xie, so naturally it didn't need to care about Liu Bian's orders.
However, for Dong Zhuo, Zhu Jun's withdrawal did relieve a lot of pressure on him.
This strategy was proposed by Wang Yun, which made Dong Zhuo trust Wang Yun even more. Since Wang Yun stood up to mediate and objected to his search of the mansions of the ministers, Dong Zhuo naturally gave him this face and did not break his face or do too much. Ugly.
After the court meeting ended, many ministers went home, but they did not stop contacting them. Yang Biao, Liu Yu, Huang Wan, Ma Rixi, Zhongfu, these people were the three ministers and nine ministers, so Dong Zhuo must have sent someone to keep an eye on them secretly.
But privately, there were scholars such as Sun Rui, Yang Zan, Chun Yujia, Zhao Wen, Zhang Xi and other officials who were loyal to the Han Dynasty and secretly connected together to plot major events.
Several people secretly met at Shisun Rui's home, but what surprised them was that this time Shisun Rui actually brought several other people. Everyone knew these people, including the fifth handsome man Yang Ru, Wei Jie, Du Kai and others. But the last person is surprising. It is Dong Zhuo's loyal dog, Zhao Lin, who has been promoted to Taizhong doctor.
"Don't be alarmed. Boyu is a disciple of the great Confucian Ding Zugong. He has always been talented. Later he served as an official of Wenrao Gong and was a disciple of Wenrao Gong. Before, he took refuge with Dong Zhuo, but he was just like Wang Situ, who was vain and submissive. It is also an expedient measure. Boyu had a friendship with Liu Xuande in his early years and secretly exchanged letters. He came here on behalf of the Kwantung Army."
Shi Sunrui explained something to everyone.
In fact, the princes in the imperial court were not sitting on their knees. In private, including Wang Yun, these ministers understood that he was interested in the Han Dynasty and had not really taken refuge in Dong Zhuo.
Shi Sunrui also belonged to this group. He surrendered on the surface, but in fact he was saving the country in a roundabout way. He first paralyzed Dong Zhuo and then waited for an opportunity to act.
Now that the Kwantung Army was defeated and Dong Zhuo was once again at the top of his game, everyone gathered together to discuss countermeasures.
After hearing Shi Sunrui's explanation, everyone realized that Zhao Lin was actually an undercover agent. They breathed a sigh of relief and apologized to him one after another.
Because Zhao Lin came from a famous family, the Tianshui Zhao family. After taking refuge with Dong Zhuo, she had always been shameless and often secretly ridiculed him. Now that she knows the truth, she is naturally embarrassed.
"I didn't expect Boyu to be a member of the same group."
"It turns out that Boyu also endures humiliation and bear the burden. He has offended many people in the past, so please forgive him."
"Boyu has a lot of money, so he shouldn't care about our nonsense."
Several people apologized one after another.
Zhao Lin quickly said: "You all serve the imperial court wholeheartedly and are loyal to the emperor. You didn't know about it in the past. How can you blame everyone?"
"Okay, okay, everyone, please sit down quickly."
Shi Sunrui asked everyone to sit down.
Among the anti-Dong forces in Chang'an, Yang Biao, Wang Yun and others were the leaders.
But because their positions were too high and they were monitored by Dong Zhuo, it was inconvenient for them to come out to meet in private.
Therefore, everyone is regarded as the representative of each family, secretly making plans and discussing important matters.
After everyone was seated, Shi Sunrui said again: "I believe everyone has heard about the matters discussed in court today. I wonder what you think?"
Yang Zan was from the Yang family in Hongnong and was the representative of Yang Biao. He immediately said: "My brother said that Lu Bu and the Xiliang army are not on good terms. They almost had a fight at the court today, so we can take advantage of this opportunity."
Shi Sunrui had a very good relationship with Wang Yun. Hearing what he said, he was overjoyed and said: "Sure enough, the heroes have similar views. Wang Situ also thinks so and thinks that we can use the strategy of alienation."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "Then how to separate?"
Chunyu Jia, Zhao Wen, Zhang Xi and others asked.
Shi Sunrui pondered: "Wang Situ has not come up with a solution yet, but he thinks that we should make friends with Lu Bu first, and then look for opportunities to take action."
"Isn't it possible for now?"
Everyone couldn't help but be disappointed.
In fact, Wang Yun really has no choice now.
How did Wang Yun get rid of Dong Zhuo in history?
It was because the relationship between Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu was very bad during that time.
First of all, Lu Bu had an affair with Dong Zhuo's maid and concubine, and he was very afraid that Dong Zhuo would know about it.
Secondly, Dong Zhuo had a bad temper. He once casually attacked Lu Bu with a short halberd because of a trivial matter, which made Lu Bu feel resentful.
Therefore, the most important reason for Wang Yun's plan was that Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu were on the verge of falling out at that time, so he could take advantage of the situation and instigate Lu Bu to assassinate Dong Zhuo.
But now?
The two of them were in their honeymoon period, and Lu Bu had just made great achievements. Dong Zhuo was extremely satisfied with him. Not only did he reward him with a large sum of gold and silver, but he also made Lu Bu a marquis. The relationship was quite harmonious.
Therefore, including Yang Biao, Wang Yun and others, they only thought of instigating a relationship between Lu Bu and the Xiliang army, but could not alienate their relationship with Dong Zhuo.
Seeing that everyone was helpless, Zhao Lin smiled and said: "Everyone, don't be discouraged. Lin is not talented, but there is a method that can be used."
"oh?"
Everyone looked at him and asked curiously: "What's the method?"
Zhao Lin smiled and said: "Do you know that the former Minister of Finance Chen Mu?"
"Of course I know."
Everyone nodded: "Chen Zigui is one of the rare wise men in the world. Zeng Changshe burned the Yellow Turbans and managed Qingzhou in an orderly manner for the late emperor. Later, he angrily denounced Dong's thieves at Yangcheng Mountain and was ordered to gather all the princes in the world to fight against Dong Zhuo.
It can be said that he is a man of great loyalty, benevolence, courage, justice and filial piety."
If Chen Mu were here and knew that his reputation was already so high and that he was saying nice things, he would probably die of joy.
But it is true that what has been done over the years has been spread.
Apart from the previous murder for his father, the most important thing was of course angrily denounced Dong Zhuo in front of countless people on the mountain. After a year of publicity and fermentation, it quickly spread throughout the world, letting the world know about his legendary experience, which naturally made people
Very admired.
Zhao Lin continued: "Shang Shuling has long known that Lu Bu and the Xiliang army have always been at odds, but he has also made it clear that even if they alienate them, it will not help, because the most critical problem still lies with Dong Zhuo."
"Indeed, if we just drive a wedge between Lu Bu and the Xiliang army, with Dong Zhuo suppressing them, they won't be able to cause internal strife. So what should we do according to what the minister ordered?"
Shi Sunrui asked.
Zhao Lin replied: "Separating Lu Bu and the Xiliang Army is only the first step. The second step is to find a way to separate Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu. The generals of the Xiliang Army have followed Dong Zhuo for many years. Although their loyalty cannot be guaranteed, they will never dare to do so.
He has a rebellious heart, so there is no point in driving a wedge between them. Only Lu Bu, who is ambitious and brave, can make this plan succeed."
"We first bribe Lu Bu with gold and silver. Lu Bu will definitely treat us as close friends and be grateful confidants. If we keep dating for many days, we will give more gold and silver. When the relationship becomes deeper, when we exchange cups for cups, we will treat him with the heart of a true friend.
If you complain and scold his enemy Xiliang Army in front of him, Lu Bu will definitely be very happy."
"In this way, we first instigate many internal conflicts between Lu Bu and the Xiliang army. For Dong Zhuo, the palms and backs of both hands are flesh, so they will not be severely punished. By that time, neither side will be satisfied. In the long run, Lu Bu will definitely feel
Resentment arose, and Dong Zhuo was a cruel man. If something went wrong, he would be beaten and scolded. If one day Lu Bu is also punished by Dong Zhuo, great things will happen."
Bribing Lu Bu with gold and silver?
Everyone thought for a moment and asked: "It is true that Lu Bu is greedy for money, but he and Dong Zhuo swear to be father and son, and Dong Zhuo treats him well. Will he really help us kill Dong Zhuo because of this?"
Zhao Lin smiled slightly: "Lü Bu's surname is Lu, and Dong Zhuo's surname is Dong. How can we be father and son? Moreover, Lü Bu and Ding Yuan once swore to be father and son. Have you forgotten that Lü Bu gave Ding Yuan to Ding Yuan for a red rabbit horse?
Was he killed? For people like Lu Bu, wealth and sex are always more important than the so-called family relationship between father and son."
If Wang Yun and Yang Biao only proposed the direction of the separation plan, then Chen Mu had already given them the actual method of operation.
The first step is to make friends with Lu Bu, stand in Lu Bu's camp, and oppose the Xiliang army.
Anyway, Xu Rong had already clearly doubted the princes in the court. It was not strange for them to do this, but it was reasonable.
Then he instigated Lu Bu to cause trouble with the Xiliang army every day, forcing Dong Zhuo to stand up and fight with him many times.
If there is too much thin mud, Lu Bu will be unhappy, and the Xiliang army will also be unhappy.
When Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu fall out one day, it will basically be Dong Zhuo's death.
Thinking of this, Shisun Rui could not help but admire Chen Mu's foresight. He nodded and said: "What Shangshu Ling said is reasonable. I have considerable family resources. I will be responsible for making friends with Lu Bu."
"Then please leave it to Brother Junrong!"
Everyone bowed to the scholar Sun Rui, and the heavy responsibility of the divorce plan was entrusted to him.