I am not a deposed emperor of Han Dynasty

Chapter 346 With this good news and elite soldiers, does Father Zhong want me to be a puppet emperor again? (Please subscribe)
Nine days ago, that is, in the early morning of the first day of November, Han De, who had just experienced a long journey, only rested in the camp for one night before following Han Zeng's order and embarking on the return journey south to Chang'an with nine knights.

It is about [-] miles from Wuyuan to the Han frontier fortress, and almost [-] miles from the frontier fortress to Chang'an City.

There are relatively complete post roads in the Han Dynasty, and there is often a post station only thirty to fifty miles away.

By exchanging men and horses, military information can be transmitted four hundred miles in a day.

However, in order to avoid being noticed, Han De and others could not use the post station and could only deliver the letter in person.

A single person and a horse can only run for up to four hours a day. They can run thirty miles in one hour and 120 miles in one day.

A single person with two horses can run 160 miles in a day; a single person with three horses can run [-] miles in a day.

Because Tian Shun's ministries were most likely to have set off a few days ago, time was very tight.

In order to make Han De and others run faster, Han Zeng prepared three best war horses for each of Hande and others, and used them alternately.

Even so, there is still not enough time.

The journey of [-] miles from Wuyuan to the Dahan Frontier Fortress took six days; the journey of [-] miles from the Dahan Frontier Fortress to Chang'an took seven days.

Rough calculation shows that it will take thirteen days to complete this journey.

It still took too long.

Han Zeng issued a military order to Han Deli, requiring him to arrive in Chang'an within ten days.

During the three days in between, you have to rely on perseverance to hold on.

The three armies can seize the commander, but an ordinary man cannot seize the will.

What's more, the dignified Han army?

After Han De and others set off, they kept heading south.

Run more and rest less, this is the only way.

The first horse fell in Fushi, Shangjun, and the second horse fell in Gaonu. Unexpectedly, the third horse also fell...

Hande has been working hard on the school field since he was a child. The moment the war horse fell down, he protected his vital points in advance, but he was not seriously injured.

It was just that his hands were burning. He raised his hands and looked at them. The skin and flesh had been bruised by the gravel and sand.

The wind and snow falling from the sky are getting stronger and stronger, and it hurts even more when it blows on the bloody palm.

Han De ignored the minor injury, wiped it on his body, and quickly came to the horse that was still struggling on the ground.

This war horse is 15 years old and in its prime. It has been Han De's mount since he was a child. The relationship between "master and servant" has long been cultivated beyond that of humans and horses.

At this time, the poor creature was lying on the ground struggling, its strong chest and neck heaving violently, white foam and white air spurting out of its mouth and nose, making a "huffing" sound.

Hande stretched out his hand to caress the war horse's neck, his hands covered with cold sweat.

None of this is scary, just let it rest and it will recover naturally.

However, when Hande's eyes came to the right front foot of the war horse, his eyes dimmed.

The slender, muscular calf with straight bones was bent at an incredible angle, and the white shinbone poked out from the muscle, revealing a bit of bone stubble.

A little bit of horse blood dropped on the snow, like winter plum blossoms blooming.

Once the war horse hurts its legs and feet, it will definitely not be saved. If the injury is like this, Bole can't cure it even while he is alive.

Han De is not here now. Although he has been on the battlefield, he has not experienced many deaths.

Seeing this horrific injury now, I still feel terrible.

Hande gently stroked the war horse that had begun to twitch, as if to calm it down. Gradually, the war horse seemed to calm down like a human being.

Then, Hande waved his hand behind him, and two knights of similar age to him also came to the horse's side, and the three of them worked together to secure the horse firmly.

"Have a rest." Hande muttered, and his whole body and hands were pushed to the side.

There was a crisp "click" sound, the war horse's neck was broken, and it lost its breath in an instant.

Hande stood up, took one last look at the mount that he had been with day and night, and ordered his companions to carry it to the side of the road.

In the wilderness, there is no way to bury it, so coming and going naked like this is a good ending.

"When is today the first day we leave the camp?" Han De asked everyone.

"If the day we left the camp is considered the first day, today is the ninth day." Knight A replied.

During this autumn and winter, running [-] miles in nine days is already a feat worth bragging about.

Hande looked around and saw that there was no village or shop in front of him; he looked at the top of his head again and saw that it would be completely dark in an hour.

They set out from Gaonu County, Shangjun County in the morning and ran a full two hundred miles, and now they are about to arrive at Zuo Fengyi's Luochuan.

After passing Luochuan, there are still more than 200 meters away from Chang'an City.

Han De grew up in Chang'an City and was already very familiar with the area. If he hurried forward, he would be able to reach Chang'an City in more than two hours.

Home is at hand.

However, their small team has reached the end of its strength.

Along the way, in order to deceive others and gain time, they would not enter the town to rest unless absolutely necessary.

Not only the physical strength of the war horses has reached its limit, but the bodies of the knights have also reached their limit.

Their eyes were red and swollen, their exposed skin was dry and chapped, and their buttocks were bruised and bruised...

They can still stand strong now, which has proved that they are the elite of the Han army.

Hande really wanted his companions to rest for the night in Luochuan, have a good sleep, have a few sips of wine... and set off again tomorrow.

But when the words came to his lips, he couldn't speak them.

Finally, Hande touched the messenger hanging on his chest, walked up to everyone, and patted their shoulders silently.

In his mind, the scene of Han Zeng handing the messenger to him when setting off once again appeared.

"Jiande, this letter is of great importance. You must deliver it to His Majesty as soon as possible." Han Zeng said.

"Don't worry, father, I will deliver the letter to Chang'an within twelve days." Han De said firmly.

Han Zeng shook his head.

"I understand, kid. The letter will be delivered within ten days."

Han Zeng finally nodded.

"After entering Chang'an, go directly to Changyi Residence and find an envoy named Dai Zong. He will take you to Weiyang Palace to submit the letter to the emperor."

"Remember, it cannot be handed over to anyone else except Dai Shijun." Han Zeng added this sentence.

"only!"

After Han De agreed, he hesitated and then asked, "Father, do you really want to return south? It's not the agreed time yet. I'm afraid I'm going back south now..."

If you retreat without permission, even if you have a justifiable reason, you may be held responsible for retreating without a fight. The Han family, which has just made some progress, may face trouble again.

While Han Zeng was adjusting Han De's robes, he started talking like an ordinary old father.

"Jiande, this matter is not only about the glory of one clan, but also about the safety of thousands of families in the entire Han Dynasty."

"If I am wrong, then the big man will be safe and I, Han Zeng, am willing to be punished."

"If my guess is correct, then these 3 people will be the life-saving straw of the big man, and I am willing to take this risk."

"In other words, the safety of this big man now rests on your shoulders."

"If Tian Shun, Fan Mingyou and others want to do something evil, they may have already broken camp and set off. We are one step behind and have no choice but to catch up."

"No matter what happens, you and I are the ministers of the Han Dynasty. We must be loyal to the county magistrate. How can we hesitate for temporary gains and losses?"

Han De nodded as if he understood. Han De did not fully understand what Han Zeng said, but he did understand the last sentence.

Delivering the letter to the emperor within ten days is loyalty.

Thinking of this, Hande gritted his teeth and wiped his bleeding palm on the linen cloak. The excruciating pain made him sober.

In this case, we can't rest tonight, the letter must be delivered!

"Li Bao!" Hande shouted.

"No!" a knight responded.

"Pick out three horses that can still run. I will continue on my way. You guys can rest here tonight!"

"It, it's going to be dark soon. It's cold and slippery, so it's hard to travel. Isn't it..."

Li Bao and others felt a little puzzled. It was only one night, so why be so anxious.

"No, I have already issued a military order in front of the general. We must arrive in Chang'an within ten days. If you fail to do so, you will be killed!"

When everyone heard it, their expressions were awe-inspiring.

The military order is like a mountain, and there is no room for argument anymore.

Soon, three relatively strong horses were picked out, and their reins were handed over to Hande's hands.

Han De didn't say any more, he immediately got on his horse and gave a military salute to his companions. In the wind and snow, he had a vague demeanor of a veteran.

"I'm going!"

After saying these words, Han Zeng rushed away, and the three black spots merged together in an instant, shooting in the direction of Chang'an City like arrows.The snow in the sky is getting heavier and heavier, and the wind is getting stronger and stronger, but none of these can stop Han De from moving forward.

……

At Haishi, in the greenhouse hall, Liu He was sitting in the front hall.

There is a lamp on the desk, a pot of tea under the lamp, and a piece of paper beside the tea.

In the evening, when Liu He and Huo Chengjun were enjoying the snow, they received this memorial letter from Huo Guang.

The content was very simple, just a few dozen words, not too much, but the content made Liu He fall into deep thinking.

"The veteran general Sima and the general secretary Huo Guang reported to the emperor. General Fan Mingyou, who conquered the Liao Dynasty, reported urgent military information to his troops. They defeated the Xiongnu bandits in Dongjunji Mountain. Tian Shun's troops and Tian Guangming's troops also achieved great victories. , the good news will arrive soon!"

Today was the day of the imperial meeting. When Liu He saw Huo Guang in the front hall in the morning, he still looked as usual and still said that there was no success in conquering the northern army.

From this point of view, Huo Guang should have received this good news only in the afternoon.

I received the good news in the afternoon and delivered it without any delay.

From this point of view, Huo Guang did not hide anything and was considered "loyal".

However, when Liu He took a closer look at the content of this chapter, he found that Huo Guang seemed to be hiding something from him.

It only said a great victory, but it was vague.

How many enemies to kill, how many to capture, whether to capture the enemy general... these are the core.

What makes Liu He even more suspicious are the last two sentences: Tian Shun's department and Tian Guangming's department can also achieve great victory, and the news of victory will arrive soon!
The words "dang" and "want to come" are obviously speculations, which means that Huo Guang has no news about these two armies.

But Huo Guang dared to claim victory before that, so he was already confident.

As for Zhao Chongguo's troops and Han Zeng's troops, Huo Guang didn't mention a word and seemed not to care about these two armies.

Through these few dozen words, Huo Guang's longing for the victory in conquering the north was vividly expressed on the page, almost to the point of impatientness.

This is normal. During the period after Liu He took office, he went to the Shangshu office almost every day. He used his status as emperor to suppress Huo Guang and made him unable to move, making him almost a decoration.

It's not that Liu He suddenly had time to deal with Huo Guang, it's just that everything is difficult at the beginning. He has just taken charge, so naturally he has to familiarize the courtiers with the emperor's existence in the past few days.

With the emperor here, Huo Guang couldn't make any decisions even if he stayed in the Shangshu Office. He would naturally feel anxious. If he was too anxious, he would want to make a comeback.

Huo Guang's chance to make a comeback lies with Fan Mingyou, Tian Shun and Tian Guangming, the three-pronged army marching north.

Once good news comes, Huo Guang's prestige will quickly increase, and his right to speak in the court will increase.

He can use the name of conquering the north to ask for more power and appoint more cronies... This will also gain the support of those wavering courtiers.

Later, once these armies return to Chang'an City, Huo Guang's forces will expand rapidly, forming an overwhelming force on Liu He.

At that time, the situation in the court may have changed again.

Liu He has always believed that this war will not achieve any results, which can be traced in history.

However, he did not dare to be careless and was still worried about what might happen.

If Fan Mingyou and others really achieve an unprecedented victory, then the situation will be dangerous.

Therefore, after Liu He and Huo Chengjun finished admiring the snow scene, they returned to the Greenhouse Hall with this memorial.

He dug out the military information he had received over the past month and compared it in detail, hoping to find some useful clues.

But unfortunately, Liu He searched under the oil lamp for a long time and still couldn't figure out a clue.

Liu He was not sure whether Fan Mingyou and others could achieve a big victory.

Liu He suddenly felt a little disappointed and looked at the swaying lights in ecstasy.

The surrounding doors and windows were tightly closed, and I didn't know where the wind came from to blow the lights.

Maybe it wasn't the lights that were moving, maybe it wasn't the wind that was moving, but Liu He's heart was moving.

If Fan Mingyou and others did not win a big victory, several armies would be temporarily stationed in the border counties according to their original unfamiliarity and would not be allowed to return. Liu He would naturally get a chance to breathe.

If Fan Mingyou and others achieved a great victory, Huo Guang would definitely take the opportunity to request that the army be transferred back to Chang'an to receive the reward. Liu He had no reason to refuse - shutting out the victorious army would chill the entire Han army.

Therefore, Liu He's top priority is to distinguish the authenticity and quality of this good news, so that he can have the confidence to withstand Huo Guang's pressure and demands.

But where does this confidence come from?
Tomorrow is not a day for court meetings, but important courtiers will go to the Shangshu Office to discuss matters, and Huo Guang will definitely make this request.

The wind outside the greenhouse was getting stronger and stronger, making the doors and windows crackle, and some naughty snowflakes shyly got in through the cracks in the door.

At this time, Fan Ke opened the door and walked in.

"Your Majesty, the Queen just sent someone to ask when she will go to Jiaofang Hall for dinner?"

"What time is it?"

"It's half past Hai Shi." Fan Ke said carefully.

Liu He didn't expect that after staying in this greenhouse palace for so long, he would completely forget the time. Could it be that Huo Chengjun has been waiting for him?

"Send someone to give the queen a reply. Just tell her that I am very busy tonight and ask the queen to rest after dinner. You don't have to wait for me." Liu He said apologetically.

"No." Fan Ke saluted and left the greenhouse hall.

Now, facing the ambiguous situation, Liu He could only make preparations.

The good news had just come, and Liu He still didn't know what requests Huo Guang would take the opportunity to make.

Give Fan Mingyou and others promotions?

Grant Huo Yu, Huo Shan and others the title of marquis?
Let the emperor issue an edict to reward the three armies?
What's the advantage of deploying troops to the General's Mansion?

Let the army marching north immediately return to Chang'an City?

Put the Tiger Talisman Bronze Festival in the General's Mansion?

……

Which request will Huo Guang make? Or will he make all these requests: to allow himself to be the puppet emperor again?
Liu He closed his eyes, listened to the whistling wind outside the hall, and thought hard, trying to find a countermeasure.

But Liu He, who usually calmed down easily, felt extremely irritable this time and couldn't figure out a clue anyway.

If Huo Dang's three-pronged army really won a great victory, no matter what kind of request Huo Guang made, I'm afraid Liu He would have to agree.

What's even more serious is that after these Han troops returned to Chang'an, Liu He would start to be cautious again.

Then the progress he had made in Chang'an City during this period would be lost.

Zhang Anshi and Wang Ji only had a few thousand troops at their disposal, and were no match for the [-] elite men.

Just when Liu He was a little irritable, the door of the Greenhouse Hall was suddenly pushed open, and a gust of cold wind hit Liu He's face without warning.

Liu He, who was looking for clues with his eyes closed, was a little annoyed and said coldly: "Fan Ke, didn't I tell you to give a reply to the queen? I just said I won't go to Jiaofang Palace tonight."

However, what responded to Liu He was not Fan Ke's slightly trembling voice, but Dai Zong's somewhat rough voice.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I am a humble minister!"

"Huh? Why are you here?"

At noon every day, it was the time for Dai Zonglei to face the Holy Spirit. Liu He had already seen him today, and there was nothing important.

"Your Majesty, I have something important to report!" Dai Zong said tremblingly.

There was a thick layer of snow on Dai Zong's shoulders, and it looked like he had come here in the snow.

"What is going on and why are you so panicked?" Liu He asked.

"We have some clues about the military situation of the Northern Army!" Dai Zong said excitedly.

It turned out that this was the case. Liu He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. He waved his hands and said, "Well, this evening, I have received the military information from Father Zhong."

"This, this is impossible?" Dai Zong said in astonishment.

"How can it be impossible? The memorial is on the case. If you don't believe me, come and see it." Liu He clicked on the memorial on the case impatiently.

Dai Zong ignored the etiquette of monarchs and ministers, and quickly stood up and walked over. He took a closer look and immediately knelt down again.

"Your Majesty, it's not the military intelligence of Fan Mingyou's command, it's the military intelligence of Han Zeng's command!"

Han Zeng?

The great-great-grandson of King Xin of Han, one of the eleven heroes of Qilin Pavilion, and the one for whom Zhang Anshi guarantored his wealth and life—Han Zeng?
In the flash of lightning, many thoughts flashed through Liu He's mind.

A bright light shone in the dark mind.

"Quick, bring it to me!"

"The knight who delivered the message is right outside the door. He said that it must be delivered to His Majesty in person."

Then Dai Zong told Liu He about Han De in the simplest language.

Liu He sighed in his heart: Han Zeng is thoughtful and Han De is dedicated to his duties!

"Let Han De come in immediately!"

"only!"

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(End of this chapter)