I am not a deposed emperor of Han Dynasty

Chapter 343: The three generals of the Huo Party killed good people and took credit for their merits, and raised an army to rebel. Chang'an is in danger! (Please subscribe)

Soon, after checking the talismans on these knights, the soldiers guarding the camp gate immediately opened the camp gate and put these knights into the camp.

After the knights entered the camp, they saw Han Zeng standing not far behind the camp gate. They quickly dismounted their saddles and ran towards Han Zeng.

"Greetings to the general!" A young general under the age of 20 stood up and took the lead in saluting Han Zeng.

"Greetings to the general!" A group of knights from behind immediately followed and asked.

The young man who led the salute was named Han De, and he was an adopted son of Han Zeng.

Han De has been with Han Zeng since he was a child. Although he is only a young man this year, he is proficient in arching, horse riding, and archery.

Han Zeng only had one legitimate son named Han Bao, who had always been weak and sickly and bedridden all year round. Although he was recruited by Emperor Xiaozhao to serve as a lieutenant in Yulin Langli, he was destined to miss a real military career.

Therefore, whether Han Zeng was guarding Chang'an City with Jinwu or leading troops on this expedition, he would take his adopted son Han De with him to lead his private army.

After the Rebellion of the Seven Kings, the emperors of the Han Dynasty not only tightened the military power of princes and kings, but also tightened the military power of lieutenants, generals and lieutenants.

Although there is no explicit regulation on the number of private soldiers maintained by the generals and captains of the middle and upper classes, there is an agreed-upon number.

Even General Wei Qing and General Huo Qubing, who were the most popular at the time, could only command 500 private troops.

The current general Huo Guang's truly famous private army only has more than [-] people, so the other generals have even fewer private armies.

And the number of private soldiers under the command of captains and military princes has to be reduced step by step.

During this expedition, Han Zeng only brought fifty private soldiers, who were able to form a group, and the leader of the group was his adopted son Han De.

Don't underestimate this small group of people. They are all recruited soldiers and have been with Han Zeng for as long as ten years and as short as three to five years.

Regardless of whether it is cold or hot, they have to practice day and night. Their combat prowess is not comparable to that of ordinary soldiers who only serve in the army for two years.

It is no exaggeration to say that this private troop of 50 people is really ruthless on the battlefield, and can at least disperse [-] knights from the front.

Because of their strong combat power, these private soldiers in Han Zeng's army are often called "trap villages" by other soldiers.

"General, I'm too late to come back!" Hande said.

"It's not too late, it's not easy to come back today!"

Han Zeng patted Hande's shoulder happily. After making sure that the other party was not injured, he nodded with satisfaction.

He counted the number of knights following Hande. There were eight when he left, and there were still eight when he came back.

There was no damage, which made Han Zeng even more satisfied.

"The rest of you, please go down and rest first. Let the gangster add half a pound of dog meat and a liter of light wine to each of you, and say that I agree." Han Zeng said loudly to the knights.

This half a kilogram of dog meat and a liter of light wine would only be worth more than a hundred dollars in a wine shop in the northern city of Chang'an City, but in this vast desert grassland, it is already an excellent meal.

When the young knights heard this, they immediately burst into cheers. After they paid a military salute to Han Zeng, they led their horses to the camp. Naturally, familiar soldiers came to congratulate him along the way.

Everyone else left, but Hande did not leave.

There was no one around at this time, and the expression on Han Zeng's face became even more loving.

"Did you encounter any dangers along the way?"

"I'm sorry for my father's concern. I didn't encounter any big dangers along the way, and everything went very smoothly. However, we encountered a group of Huns' cavalry the day before yesterday, and we killed them all cleanly, beheading ten of them. Level five!”

"Is there anyone left alive?" Han Zeng asked.

"There were one or two, and I had already interrogated them at that time, but those Huns were very tough. No matter how hard I tortured them, they did not reveal the direction of most of the Huns."

Han Zeng nodded with some disappointment.

Along the way, they actually encountered many small groups of Huns, but they were either unwilling to reveal the truth, or they really didn't know the truth.

Han Zeng looked at the saddle of Han De's horse again, but did not see any Hun heads.

Han De saw Han Zeng's doubts, and a shy smile immediately appeared on his tough and handsome face.

"I have distributed the heads of the Huns that I chopped off to my brothers. They need this military exploit more than me."

"Okay, okay!" Han Zeng said several good words in succession, feeling even more pleased.

He didn't expect that the words he usually said would be listened to by this guy.

"Then the letter I asked you to send was delivered to General Tian?"

"I'll have the letter delivered in at least five days. General Tian Shun and others were stationed on the east bank of Yuwu River at that time."

"The east bank of Yuwu River?"

Han Zeng had some doubts and felt even more strange.

Yuwushui is a seasonal river southwest of Shanyuting. It is almost dry by this season. The most important thing is that it is only more than [-] miles away from the Han Dynasty's frontier.

Han Zeng's troops traveled [-] miles from the fortress, which was not enough. How could Tian Shun's troops go closer than himself?

"Come, follow me to the Chinese army's tent!" Han Zeng said with a frown.

"only!"

A moment later, Han Zeng and Han De arrived at the Chinese army's tent, and he immediately confirmed the location of Yu Wushui on the map.

That's right, Yuwushui is only [-] miles away from the Han border, and it's also about [-] miles away from the Wuyuan where Han Zeng's troops are at the moment.

No matter what unexpected situation Tian Shun's troops encountered, it was impossible for them to go out for only eight hundred miles - unless they had a confrontation with most of the Huns.

Apart from this, Han Zeng could only think of the words "deliberate delay".

"Can General Tian Shun give me a reply?" Han Zeng asked.

"Yes!" Han De took off the messenger box from behind and handed it to Han Zeng.

After Han Zeng checked to make sure that the ink pads were intact, he opened the letter tube and poured the letter out.

He opened the letter and read every line, feeling even more puzzled.

Ten days ago, because Han Zeng had never found any trace of the Huns, he sent Han De to contact Tian Shun, who was closest to him, to see if the other party had anything.

He never expected that Tian Shun would only go [-] miles from the fortress?

In this reply, Tian Shun was even more vague, only vaguely mentioning that he would stay upstream and downstream of the Yuwu River for a few days to continue searching for traces of the Huns.

Danyuwu River is not far from the Han border. If the Huns are not there now, how can they fall into the trap again in the future?
Although Tian Shun was not a general like Han Zeng, his life experience was also very prominent. He was the son of the former prime minister Tian Qianqiu, and Tian Qianqiu was a close friend of the general Huo Guang.

This Tian Shun once served as the captain of Yunzhong County, and he was also a military commander who had worked in the border counties for many years. How could he not realize that there were absolutely no Huns by the Yuwu River?
Looking at it this way, Han Zeng felt that the other party's behavior was even more strange.

"How many days did you stay in General Tian's camp?" Han Zeng continued to ask.

"We only rested for one night, and in the early morning of the next day, General Tian asked us to return immediately."

"Then did you see anything strange in their camp?"

Han De didn't understand why Han Zeng asked such a question, but he still thought about it carefully in his mind.

"There seem to be a few abnormal places, but I don't know if they are strange or not..." Hande seemed to be hesitant.

"Just tell me and I will tell the difference."

"only!"

Han Zeng asked Hande to sit down and poured him a cup of tea with a teacup made of rough pottery.

"As soon as I entered the camp gate, my weapons were immediately confiscated. After handing the letter to General Tian, ​​I was taken to a remote camp to rest. The soldiers guarding outside the tent did not allow us to move around freely. .”

"When I got up the next day, someone immediately sent a reply from General Tian Shun, asking me to come back as soon as possible."

Han Zeng understood that Tian Shun should be hiding something intentionally.

"If you see anything while passing through the camp, you can tell me!"

"They seemed to have won a victory. I saw many horses with Hun heads hanging on their saddles...but..."

"Well, go on!" Han Zeng asked.

"But I took a quick look at those heads. Their hair had been completely shaved off. They were very different from the Huns we killed."

Han Zeng's heart sank, and he felt a sense of fear and coldness.

The Han Dynasty had not used troops on a large scale for many years. Although the young Han De had participated in anti-robbery and had been to the border counties many times for training, he had never been on a bloody battlefield.

So he was just a new soldier and didn't know much about many things on the battlefield.

But Han Zeng was different. He was born in Jiangmen and had heard many chilling things since he was a child.

The purpose of shaving all the braids on those people's heads was certainly not to mess with the dead, but to deliberately hide the marks on their heads so that no one could recognize their true identities from their hair.

Kill the good and risk the merit - these four words burst out of Han Zeng's head.

Han Zeng and Tian Shun were not familiar with each other, but they knew that when the other was serving as the captain of Yunzhong County, his troops were often able to make military exploits, so they were promoted to General Huya.

Han Zeng had already heard about the bad habit of Yunzhong County border soldiers killing good people and taking credit for their merits, but he had never been convinced.

Now after listening to Hande's words, he was finally sure.

Moreover, Tian Shun probably did not only kill good people and take credit for his crimes, he was mysterious and secretive, and there should be a bigger conspiracy.

"What else is there?" Han Zeng asked again.

"General Tian seems to be preparing to pull out the camp." The letter said that he would stay for a few more days, but he was preparing to pull out the camp, which was another attempt to hide it.

What kind of medicine is in General Huya's gourd?

Han Zeng was puzzled.

Could it be that there is something strange happening in the Han Dynasty?
"Immediately find me the grain officer who recently came to the camp to deliver grain and fodder. I want to see him!"

"only!"

Han De didn't hesitate, stood up and walked out. He didn't even have time to drink the bowl of water on the table. Han Zeng couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

"and many more!"

"General?"

"After you find the person, you should have a good rest and get some sleep."

"Wei!" Han De said with a military salute, and then ran out.

Han Zeng's attention returned to the map, and he once again reconfirmed the positions of several armies leaving the fortress.

Looking at the five far apart points, Han Zeng had some erratic thoughts in his mind, but he couldn't catch them.

He slowed down his thoughts and reviewed the entire strategy of dispatching troops bit by bit, and finally discovered a problem.

Among the five armies, Tian Guangming and Fan Mingyou came from the border counties along the Hexi Corridor, which were closest to Chang'an City.

Based on this calculation, although these two armies left the fortress on the same day as the other armies, the distance they traveled was the shortest - and at least much shorter.

Han Zeng realized something belatedly. The leading generals of the two armies had a very close relationship with the Huo Party - the same was true for Tian Shun.

If the distance from the fortress is the same, then Fan Mingyou's troops and Tian Guangming's troops will be the fastest to return to Chang'an City, followed by Tian Shun's troops.

Han Zeng's innate keen sense of smell reminded Han Zeng of a possibility.

He felt a burst of joy at first, but then he felt as cold as if he had fallen into the Yellow River in winter!

Is it...

Han Zeng was sweating profusely for a while, feeling dizzy all over, and the pores on his body hurt as if they were being pricked with needles.

He sat down in a daze, and began to calculate quickly in his mind.

Han Zeng was reluctant to think in that direction, but after confirming it again, he had to admit that this was the only reason that could fully explain the current situation.

He was so confused that he didn't know what to do for a while.

At this time, Han De brought in a dusty official. This man was a stingy man with two hundred stones from the prefecture of Yunzhong County. It was he who sent the food and grass this time.

Han Zeng calmed down and asked the other party to sit on a small couch, assuming the air of leading an army, which made the latter a little scared.

"Han De, don't leave, stay here and wait."

"only!"

Han Zeng turned to the subordinate officer and asked, "May I ask what your surname is?"

"The general has been punished by his subordinate. His surname is Dongguo, and his last name is auspicious."

It is a thankless task to escort grain and grass to the army.

The army was moving around in the desert. Although scouts were constantly sent to the rear to report their positions, contact would inevitably be lost, so the team escorting the grain and fodder could easily miss the deadline.

Failure to meet deadlines is subject to military law, so the subordinate officer responsible for the matter was naturally very frightened.

This time, Dong Guoji was a day late and had been feeling uneasy. Now seeing Han Zeng's face softening, he relaxed a little.

"Don't worry, Sir Dongguo. I didn't call you here for any other reason. I've just been away from home for too long. I want to know if anything big has happened to the man recently. I would like to relieve my homesickness."

Dong Guoji breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this.

"The general just wants to ask, but the official is of low rank and lives in a border county. I'm afraid he won't know much."

"Well, you can tell me whether the government office has received any important orders recently."

"This..." Dong Guoji hesitated and agreed.

"Xiaguan left Yunzhong on October [-]th. In the half month before that, the governor's office in Yunzhong County received many edicts, but there was only one edict that prevailed throughout the world."

"What does that edict say?"

"The county magistrate said in the edict that he would restore the ancestral system of all subjects submitting letters directly to the county magistrate, and the imperial censor's office would be specifically responsible for this matter."

Han Zeng felt a thump in his heart, and his bad premonition became stronger.

"What else?"

"I heard from the postmen who delivered the message that the general was so angry with the emperor that he fell ill because of this matter. However, they were as humble as the subordinates. Maybe it was hearsay and there was no real evidence."

Chasing the wind and chasing shadows can also come from nowhere.

Based on these intermittent clues, Han Zeng has come to a rough conclusion.

Something must have happened in Chang'an City.

It's just that because of the long distance, it hasn't spread to the army yet.

Maybe Chang'an City is already bleeding like a river at this moment.

And Tian Shun's abnormality may be related to this matter.

Han Zeng asked Dongguo Ji many more things, and only gave up temporarily after confirming that there was no more useful information.

"Shijun Dongguo has been on a journey, please go down and rest."

"promise!"

Dong Guoji left, and the tent became quiet again.

Han Zeng paced back and forth anxiously, thinking over and over in his mind what to do next.

"General, is there any urgent military situation?" Han De, who didn't know the situation, asked.

"Ah."

"Does the general know where the enemy is?" Hande asked excitedly.

Han Zeng nodded and shook his head.

He did know where the enemy was, but the enemy was not the Huns.

He didn't know how to tell Hande about this, or even mention it to anyone, because it was all just his speculation.

Han Zeng cannot tell Han De directly: There are changes in Chang'an, and Fan Mingyou, Tian Guangming, Tian Shun and others will lead their troops to do evil things.

This would probably scare the young man Hande out of his mind on the spot.

Now is the time for him, the Lord, to make a decision.

He could choose to pretend that he knew nothing, continue to lead the army to search two hundred miles north, and return to the court ten days later. No matter what happened then, he would not be held accountable.

However, if something happens to the emperor, then Han Zeng may not be able to remove the shackles from his heart for the rest of his life.

He could also immediately return to the court and return to Dahan in advance for his own speculation to prepare for possible disasters.

If Fan Mingyou and others really rebelled, then Han Zeng could make an immortal contribution to the great country; but if Fan Mingyou and others did not rebel, he would most likely be charged with being cowardly.

No matter which choice he made, this seemingly peaceful gangster couldn't stay any longer.

Han Zeng walked up to his adopted son and felt heartbroken when he saw his split lips and dark skin.

The latter has been back for a long time and hasn't even had a sip of water yet.

Han Zeng picked up the bowl of water with a layer of fine dust floating on it and brought it to the latter.

"Jiande, in your opinion, which one is more important, establishing meritorious service or saving one's life?" Han Zeng asked.

"Although this is the first time for the child to follow his father out of the country, as a member of the Han army, it is natural that his ambition is to wrap his body in horse leather. If he can achieve great feats for the Han Dynasty, why should he fear death?"

Han Zeng was shocked, then felt a little guilty.

He kept saying that he would be loyal to the Han Dynasty and make meritorious deeds for the Han Dynasty.

Now that merit and loyalty are right in front of him, he actually hesitates to survive.

It's not even as clear as Han De.

Han Zeng patted Hande's shoulder heavily again, expressing his affirmation.

"Pass my order, at midnight tomorrow, the whole army will pull out of camp!"

"To the north?" Hande asked in surprise.

"No, go south, go back to Chang'an!" Han Zeng replied decisively.

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(End of this chapter)