Han family achievements

Chapter 527: Giving birth to a son should be like Sun Zhongmou

The city of Luoyang was in turmoil and various conflicts were aroused.

The Six Ministries and Nine Temples, Luoyang Prefecture, the Supreme Court, the Imperial Guards, etc., almost all departments and institutions were operating at overload to deal with the emergencies that occurred one after another.

The absence of the chief officials in Luoyang City undoubtedly led to a significant drop in the efficiency of various government affairs and made various contradictions more intense. Luoyang City seemed to be in chaos.

The quietest place in Luoyang City is the imperial palace.

With the increase of rebellions in counties and prefectures, and half of the imperial guards being sent out, the palace has been adjusting its defenses, imposing "curfews" from time to time during the day and night, and the palace is also reducing the number of eunuchs and palace maids.

This caused the palace to become unusually quiet, far less lively than before.

At this moment, in the back hall of Chongde Hall, Liu Bian was holding his second son Liu Yu and teaching him calligraphy.

Compared to the eldest son's stupidity, the second son was much smarter. He understood things quickly and wrote much better than Liu Bian expected.

"Yes, that's it."

"Not bad."

"Well, it's better than what Father wrote."

Liu Bian was generous in praising the little guy and was all smiles.

Empress Dowager He arrived at the door at some point. When she saw this scene, she looked uneasy and solemn. She wanted to go in several times but stayed where she was.

Xu Yan quietly came to the other side of the door, bowed to Empress Dowager He, and whispered: "This humble servant greets the Empress Dowager."

When Empress Dowager He saw him, she quickly walked over quietly, pulled him aside, and said in a low voice: "Tell me honestly, is it really dangerous?"

Xu Yan was stunned for a moment, then he understood. It would be strange if Empress Dowager He didn't know about such a big thing. It was already her limit that she waited until today to ask.

He smiled slightly, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, you are worrying too much. It is nothing more than some corrupt officials who are desperate and are scattered all over the place. It is a mob. The court will pacify them one by one. It is only a matter of time. There is no big problem."

Empress Dowager He looked at Xu Yan's expression carefully and confirmed that he was not fooling around. She breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good. That's good. By the way, you don't need to tell Your Majesty that I was here. Also, don't come to my place these few days."

Xu Yan said: "I understand."

Empress Dowager He nodded, turned around quietly, stuck her head out of the door, observed Liu Bian for a while, and then left quietly.

Xu Yan watched Empress Dowager He's back and entered the back hall silently.

When he came behind Liu Bian and was about to speak, Liu Bian waved his hand.

Xu Yan immediately understood and quietly stepped aside.

He understood clearly that Empress Dowager He was worried about His Majesty, and His Majesty also knew that Empress Dowager He had arrived. The two of them just kept it in tacit agreement.

"Father, can I also build a palace?" Suddenly, Liu Yu turned his head, and asked Liu Bian with pure curiosity on his thin and fair face.

Liu Bian smiled slightly, touched his head, and said, "Father can't bear to see you leave the palace, so stay in the palace and accompany him."

Liu Yu blinked, looking puzzled and happy, and then smiled and said, "Then I will accompany my father and never leave the palace for the rest of my life."

Liu Bian touched his head vigorously and nodded with more smile.

Xu Yan didn't dare to raise his head and pretended that he heard nothing.

At his age, the Second Prince should understand a lot of things.

"His Majesty."

Pan Yin came in hurriedly from outside, holding a memorial and a letter in his hands.

Liu Bian looked at Liu Yu's handwriting. His writing was messy and casual. Although he tried his best to write well, he could not hide his sloppiness.

"good."

Liu Bian praised him and reached out to take the memorial and letter handed over by Pan Yin.

He first opened the letter, read it carefully, and couldn't help but ponder slightly.

This is a letter written by Huangfu Jianchang. The content is roughly that the reinforcements sent by Liu Biao to Yuan Shao stopped before they were halfway through their journey and did not advance any further for many days.

After Yuan Shao conquered Nanhai County, he marched straight in and reached the city of Jiaozhi County, but was once again stuck in a stalemate. Yuan Shao attacked fiercely for nearly ten days, but failed to capture the small city of Jiaozhi and instead suffered heavy casualties.

Yuan Shao now changed his strategy and divided his troops to attack other counties in Jiaozhi. He surrounded Jiaozhi and turned it into a dead city!
Liu Bian shook his head and said helplessly: "This is really not what we want."

Yuan Shao had to put so much effort into conquering Jiaozhi. Originally, he had a place in this game, but unexpectedly, Yuan Shao had no ability to get on the table.

It’s not that his plan was bad, but that Yuan Shao’s ability was too incompetent.

Liu Bian put the letter aside and said, "Write a reply to the Second Young Master and ask him to help Yuan Shao and take Jiaozhi as soon as possible. Let's see if he can catch up with the endgame."

"Yes." Pan Yin replied softly.

Liu Bian picked up the memorial again, opened it and looked at it. He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. He did it seriously and read it carefully.

This is a memorial from Wujun, written by Sun Jing, the governor of Wujun and Sun Ce's uncle.

The memorial stated that Sun Ce had been ambushed and seriously injured and might not live long, so he requested the court to send Sun Quan back to prepare for his brother's funeral. At the same time, he vaguely mentioned that he hoped Sun Quan would inherit the title of Marquis of Wucheng and serve as the prefect of Wujun.

Liu Bian frowned, looking thoughtful.

This was beyond his plan.

Sun Ce was an extremely important chess piece on his chessboard. If he died suddenly, some plans would have to be changed.

"Father, what's wrong?" Liu Yu turned around and asked when he saw Liu Bian hadn't moved for a long time.

Liu Bian glanced at him and said, "Go and play."

The little guy immediately stood up and said very obediently: "Son, I'll take my leave."

Liu Bian sat there motionless, his eyes still on Sun Jing's memorial.

After Sun Ce's death, Wujun had to have a leader. Sun Jing was not an ambitious person. All he wanted was to retreat from the world and study, and he didn't want to get involved in worldly struggles.

Wujun is a special place and it must be guarded by someone capable enough. Sun Jing is not a suitable candidate.

"Sun Quan?"

Liu Bian whispered to himself.

Sun Quan is almost eighteen years old this year. He has been very low-key during his time in Luoyang. His grades in the palace are also "average to below average". He has always been cautious and low-key, and his true talent cannot be seen.

But Liu Bian knew very well that this was a very capable and ambitious young man.

Would you like to use it?
In this game of chess, can he play the role expected?
It is undeniable that Sun Quan could not lead troops without the bravery of Sun Ce. Sun Ce was a fierce general and a commander, but Sun Quan was more like a ruler. In troubled times, Sun Quan was undoubtedly more dangerous.

But Liu Bian needs to be a powerful general who can make Yuan Shao afraid.

Pan Yin stood aside, silent.

Liu Bian pondered for a while, turned around and asked Xu Yan: "Is Sun Quan still in the palace?"

Xu Yan immediately said, "Yes, in the attendant's house."

Liu Bian hummed, picked up the memorial, stood up and said, "Let's go."

As soon as Liu Bian left the house, Dian Wei, who was not far away, came over in heavy armor, knelt on one knee and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, everything is ready."

Liu Bian smiled slightly, feeling much more relieved, and said, "Okay. That's about it, let's go."

Dian Wei didn't know what "let's go" meant, and followed Liu Bian silently as usual.

Liu Bian and his entourage came to the attendant's residence and stood at the bridge. Liu Bian stood with his hands behind his back, looking quietly to the south.

Yuan Shao and Sun Ce's successive exits from the chessboard made Liu Bian realize that plans could not keep up with changes. Even though he was the emperor, too many things would not go according to his plans and expectations.

Soon, Sun Quan, dressed in brocade and with a jade-like face, like a handsome young man in a troubled world, came to the bridge and saluted, saying, "Your Majesty, I am your humble servant."

Liu Bian turned around and looked at Sun Quan carefully. He couldn't help but sigh, what a good-looking guy he has.

Sun Quan lowered his head with a calm expression, waiting for Liu Bian to speak. In his heart, he was naturally curious as to why the Majesty suddenly summoned him at this time.

Are you going to use your brother to quell the rebellion?
While Sun Quan was guessing, Liu Bian smiled and said, "Speaking of which, I am worried about the marriages of my sons. It seems that none of the noble families in the court are willing to marry me."

Sun Quan was stunned. What was he talking about?
He knew about this matter. The three ministers of the Secretariat all refused to marry into the royal family, each with their own reasons, which once caused dissatisfaction among the Empress Dowager.

But why did His Majesty say this to him?

"Is Zhongmou married?" Liu Bian's voice sounded amid Sun Quan's suspicion.

Sun Quan's heart skipped a beat, and then he said calmly, "I am not married."

Liu Bian hummed and said, "What do you think of the princess?"

Sun Quan was shocked, his eyes twitched uncontrollably, and he bowed his head unconsciously, saying, "I am a humble person, and the princess is like the bright moon, so noble that I cannot look directly at her. I have no false thoughts, please understand, Your Majesty."

Liu Bian shook his head and said with a smile: "Zhongmou, don't be modest. You are the descendant of Wucheng Marquis and a noble relative. How can you not be worthy of the princess? I think she likes you very much. I will arrange a marriage today and recognize you as my son-in-law."

Sun Quan's face suddenly changed, and he knelt on the ground with a plop, saying, "Your humble servant, your humble servant..."

Liu Bian narrowed his eyes slightly, and after he had been talking incoherently for a while, he said, "Okay, get up. Sun Jing has written a letter, take a look."

Sun Quan was struck by lightning by Liu Bian's sudden "engagement" and was at a loss what to do. Even though he was very intelligent, he couldn't figure out whether to accept or refuse.

He didn't have time to think about it. As Liu Bian spoke, he slowly and stiffly stood up and took Sun Jing's memorial with both hands.

He opened it carefully, but his face turned horrified after reading only half of it. He quickly finished reading it, breathing rapidly, and fell into a state of doubt, panic, and extreme anxiety.

This was Sun Jing’s handwritten letter. He could recognize it. But, but, his brother had really been assassinated. Was he about to die?
Why, why did it happen so suddenly?

In a panic, Sun Quan thought a lot, but it seemed that he didn't understand anything. He stood there with his head down, his hands trembling, and his whole body cold.

Liu Bian took in his expression and said calmly, "Okay, go back."

Sun Quan was stunned and looked up at Liu Bian, as if he didn't quite understand what this meant.

Liu Bian said, "Go back to Wujun. Your brother has also made great contributions to the court. I cannot refute his dying request. Marquis Wucheng and the governor of Wujun will also fulfill his wish."

Sun Quan was still in a panic and unable to make a rational judgment. Under the temptation of his brother's imminent death and the opportunity to return to Wujun, Sun Quan knelt down in gratitude and said, "Your Majesty, I bow to you and thank you!"

Liu Bian watched Sun Quan's back, with his hands behind his back, and said with a strange look on his face: "Pan Yin, tell me, will Sun Quan be obedient?"

Pan Yin said, "I heard from the Second Young Master that Sun Quan was frightened and will definitely be obedient and will not be like his father and brother."

Liu Bian nodded slightly and said, "Yuan Shao, Sun Ce has left the chessboard. Now, there is only one left."

Pan Yin was stunned. One person left?
who is it?

At the same time, in the Grand Marshal's Mansion, officials kept coming and going, and all kinds of noisy sounds were like an iron vegetable market, one after another, complicated and noisy.

At this moment, Sima Lang came to Cao Cao's duty room with several proclamations in his hand, his face gloomy and angry, and said, "Grand Sima, Zuo Rong has issued another proclamation."

Cao Cao's expression remained unchanged as he took it and looked at it.

This manifesto was very brief. It first listed Liu Bian's twelve major crimes. The first was "usurpation and unfilial piety", the second was "killing loyal and good people", and the third was "massacre of noble families". There were other charges.

Cao Cao threw it away and looked at the other letters, all of which were from people with some reputation, some were county magistrates, some were prefects. They did not list Liu Bian's crimes, but labeled Xun Yu, Cao Cao, and Tian Feng as "unprecedented treacherous villains" and threatened to "clear the court."

Cao Cao threw them all aside and said, "Don't worry about it."

Seeing Cao Cao's patience, Sima Lang could not help but say, "Great Sima, once these proclamations are issued, they will surely disturb the thirteen states of the country. I wonder how many people will be aroused. We still need to respond."

Cao Cao looked calm and said, "According to the plan."

Sima Lang's mouth twitched, but he still held back his words and said, "Yes."

"Da Sima!"

Sima Lang hadn't retreated yet when Le Jin came in with a loud voice and said urgently, "An urgent report from Xiaopingjin says that there are rebels attacking Xiaopingjin, and the number of people may be several thousand."

Sima Lang's face suddenly changed and he stopped retreating.

Cao Cao looked calm and said, "There are only a few thousand people, why are you so panicked?"

Le Jin looked at Cao Cao's expression and said, "Grand Marshal, this is only temporary. No one knows how many rebels are rushing over. There are only 3,000 people in Xiaopingjin. If we can't hold it, the rebels will rush into Luoyang."

Xiaopingjin is one of the "Eight Pass Capitals" guarding Luoyang, located in the northeast of Luoyang.

This "Eight-Pass Capital" was built by the imperial court in order to deal with the Yellow Turban Army that entered Luoyang. It is the last line of defense to protect Luoyang!
Cao Cao remained calm and said calmly, "I have already ordered troops and city defense soldiers to be drawn from nearby states and counties to reinforce the eight passes. There is no need to worry."

Sima Lang was relieved, but before he could leave, Le Jin said, "News has come from the Imperial Guards camp, saying that Lu Bu's men have contacted Ma Cha and others, intending to seize control of the Imperial Guards camp."

Cao Cao's expression finally changed, and he said in a deep voice: "Is the news accurate? Do you have the official document from Minister Huangfu?"

Le Jin shook his head and said, "This is news from the Imperial Army camp, and it has not been confirmed yet."

Cao Cao subconsciously reached for his waist, picked up the wine pot, took a sip, thought for a moment, and said, "Without an imperial decree and an official document from Minister Huangfu, don't move for now."

Le Jin glanced at Sima Lang who was refusing to leave the door, and seemed to be hesitant to speak.

(End of this chapter)