I am not a deposed emperor of Han Dynasty

Chapter 350 Chapter 347 The emperor issued an edict to seize Huo Guang’s military power. The Han Dynasty really changed! (Please subscribe)

Huo Guang's question was simply ridiculous, and it contained a laughable lunacy.

Because the answer to this question is too obvious, it's just that Huo Guang didn't think clearly for a while.

If Liu He wanted to answer, it would be very simple, just one sentence: I am worried that after these three people are reunited in Chang'an, Father Zhong will be disadvantageous to me.

However, if Liu He really said these words, it would be tantamount to a slap in Huo Guang's face.

No matter how good Huo Guang is in doing things, he probably won't be able to get off the stage.

It's a small thing to lose control on the spot, but he might really start a rebellion in anger.

Liu He is not afraid of a head-on confrontation with Huo Guang, but he doesn't want to do it now.

"Father Zhong may not have heard clearly what I said just now. I understand the hard work of the soldiers, but I said that I will not pursue this matter of failure."

"Rewards and punishments are clear. This is the iron law of military management in all dynasties. As a great general, Father Zhong must know this simple truth."

"The sudden drop in temperature in northern Saibei may be true, but it is still unclear how much impact it will have on the war situation. We cannot listen to the one-sided words of Fan Mingyou and others."

"Ordinary soldiers, corps commanders, commanders, camp commanders and even captains and lieutenants have their own rewards and punishments from the generals who lead the troops. I don't have to worry about them."

"However, there are still some people who should be investigated clearly before seeing whether they should bear the responsibility for retreating without a fight."

After hearing the emperor's words, Huo Guang's face was once again filled with dark clouds, and the killing intent that had just been suppressed rose again.

What a "some people", it seems that today's emperor has made up his mind to have trouble with him.

Huo Guang wanted to stand up and angrily rebuke the emperor for his insanity, and wanted to use his toughness to convince the emperor like before.

However, he found that his buttocks and feet seemed to be stuck to the couch, unable to move.

Because what the emperor said hit the point every sentence.

When he first came to Weiyang Palace, didn't the emperor keep saying that he "didn't know how to fight"?

Why is it so clear when I say it now?

Could it be that the emperor no longer reads books like "The Analects of Confucius" and "Zuo Zhuan" but instead reads the Art of War?
Huo Guang could only ask in a calm voice: "I dare to ask Your Majesty, who are you going to hold accountable?"

"Of course they are the leading generals of these three armies - Tian Shun, Tian Guangming and Fan Mingyou."

Among these three people, except Tian Guangming, the other two are from extraordinary backgrounds.

Needless to say, Fan Mingyou is Huo Guang's son-in-law and the emperor's brother-in-law.

Tian Shun is the son of the former prime minister Tian Qianqiu, and Tian Qianqiu is Huo Guang's good friend.

These are all die-hard Huo Party members, and the emperor is not shy about holding them accountable for their crimes. Isn't this an open-fire plan to attack the Huo Party?
"Then how will Your Majesty hold them accountable for their crimes?"

"Find out the truth first. If you have merit, you will be rewarded. If you make mistakes, you will be punished."

Clear rewards and punishments are an iron rule of running the army in this era, and even Huo Guang can't say no.

"So, there is no conflict between His Majesty's ideas and this old man's..."

"Then let Fan Mingyou and others lead the army back to Chang'an City first, and then conduct a thorough investigation. The rewards and punishments will be clear, which will naturally convince the soldiers."

The cunning Huo Guang once again turned the problem back to Liu He.

At this moment, Liu He suddenly felt bored, as if he had swallowed a fly.

He didn't want to beat around the bush with Huo Guang anymore.

There is no benefit in talking back and forth like this, and I'm afraid there will be no results in arguing until tomorrow.

If you are shameless, then Father Zhong, don’t blame me for slapping you in the face.

"Father Zhong, do you really not know what I am worried about?" Liu He asked with a sneer.

"I..." Huo Guang couldn't tell that the emperor was angry, so he still wanted to argue with airs.

"General! Do you really want me to speak so clearly!?"

Liu He suddenly stood up with a slap on the table, and his suddenly raised voice shocked Huo Guang to swallow the second half of his sentence.

What should you say clearly?
Huo Guang couldn't turn around for a while.

He also discovered that the emperor actually called him "general"?This is not a good sign.

"Father Zhong! Fan Mingyou and others have a hundred thousand troops under their command. The temperature in the northern part of the country has plummeted. This may be excusable, but as far as I know..."

Liu He paused deliberately for a moment, his eyes swept across the faces of Bingji and Cai Yi, and finally stopped on Huo Guang's face.

"As far as I know, Tian Shun and others were already plotting to return south to Seoul on October 29th!"

"At that time, not to mention the Wuyu River, even further north, there was no heavy snowfall, and the temperature was far from the point where it was impossible to conduct military operations!"

If Huo Guang, Bingji and others were just a little surprised that the emperor "knows military matters".

So now, when the unfamiliar and awkward place names like Wu Yushui and Wu Yuan came out of the emperor's mouth, they were not only surprised, but simply stunned.

Not only the princes and kings who grew up on the coast of the East China Sea have never heard of these place names in the Hu language, but even Huo Guang and Bingji are not familiar with them.

Liu He felt very happy looking at the astonished expressions of the three people.

How could the maps of this era be as accurate as those of later generations?
Liu He could not completely grasp all the terrain in northern Saibei, but he still knew the relative positions of these important locations.

Dare you question me for not knowing how to fight?
So today I will stab my butt with a knife and let you have a look.

"Fan Mingyou's troops set out from Zhangye, which is [-] miles away, but the distance from Xijunji Mountain is only [-] miles..."

"Tian Guangming's troops set out from the Xihe fortress, which is [-] miles away, but the distance from Xijunji Mountain is only [-] miles..."

"The two of them knew that this expedition was a battle that my great man had planned for a long time, but they refused to advance and even returned south without authorization."

"I naturally suspect that they have evil intentions. If this is the case, how can I let them lead their troops back to Chang'an? Wouldn't that be inviting a wolf into the house?"

When Liu He said this, he finally stopped.

This small Shangshu Office once again lit up with the light of swords.

Only this time, the light and shadow of the sword were revealed by the emperor.

Bingji and Cai Yi had never seen such a tit-for-tat scene, and they didn't dare to interrupt at all.

Huo Guang also sat motionless on the couch, not knowing how to respond.

An emperor, an emperor who is pro-government, an emperor who has the support of the courtiers and the people...

Name the three generals who led the troops outside for causing trouble.

Regardless of whether it is true or not, the three of them are probably in danger.

If they are loyal ministers, then after learning the news, they should end it themselves immediately.

In this way, he could prove his loyalty to the emperor and in exchange for the safety of his family.

Any excuse will be regarded as harboring evil intentions.

The snow outside the hall was still falling non-stop, and the soft voice covered up Liu He's anger, otherwise it would alarm the people in the wing outside.

After a long time, Huo Guang finally came back to his senses.

He chewed on the emperor's words over and over again, and finally came up with many different tastes.

The emperor not only knew the soldiers, but also had informants in the Han army, otherwise it would be impossible for him to know more details than he did.

"I dare to ask your Majesty, how did your Majesty know that Fan Mingyou and others returned south without permission on October 29?" Huo Guang asked.

"Father Zhong, there is no need to ask. It is the Han army that is going on the expedition. I am the emperor of the Han Dynasty, so I will naturally know."

Without the commander's order, no soldier can leave the camp without authorization, otherwise he will be punished as a deserter.

But someone still sent a message to the emperor, which meant that the person who informed the emperor was either in a high position or was dead-set.

No matter what the situation is, it is not good news for Huo Guang.

Suddenly, Huo Guang felt like he was trapped in a fog.

Fan Mingyou didn't tell Huo Guang the truth, and the emperor knew more about the frontline than he did.

For a short moment, Huo Guang even thought that Fan Mingyou and the emperor were colluding to play a trick on him.

This thought only passed by for a moment, but it shocked Huo Guang.Because at this moment, the two sides seemed to be the Emperor and Fan Mingyou, and he was just a tool being used by both parties.

This feeling made the aloof Huo Guang unable to accept it for a while.

"Doesn't Father Zhong have any doubts?" Liu He asked.

"There is indeed something unusual, but I didn't think much about it. Maybe they have a reason?" Huo Guang said from the bottom of his heart.

"Okay, now that I have spoken out, does Father Zhong still think that my suspicion is nonsense, or does Father Zhong already know about this?" Liu He asked sternly.

A big man is still a big man of the Liu family - this is a sentence engraved in Huo Guang's bones.

Even though he was an auxiliary minister who had controlled the government for more than ten years, he still could not bear the charge of rebellion.

Therefore, under the emperor's questioning, Huo Guang was terrified, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

He suddenly remembered the thing that Huo Yu had hidden from him for a long time, and he felt as if his clothes had been stripped clean, and then he stood in the snow-covered courtyard for people to watch.

Shame, panic, fear... Huo Guang was swallowed up in an instant - he froze on the couch.

The bravado that Huo Guang had built up overnight was gone.

Are Fan Mingyou and Huo Yu really going to rebel?

Then wouldn’t he become a disloyal and unfilial member of the Han Dynasty?Couldn't it be that the emperor could kill the entire Huo family at any time?
In the past, the emperor had no excuse, so he could not touch himself, a great Sima general who had made great contributions to the Han Dynasty.

But now, fools like Fan Mingyou and Huo Yu actually handed the knife to the emperor with their own hands.

Even if Fan Mingyou and the others could succeed, the entire Huo family and all the Huo Party members would probably be dead long ago.

At this time, Huo Guang also remembered something.

Not long ago, just a few days after he reported illness, the emperor issued an edict asking the northern counties to renovate their cities to prepare for the Huns.

It seems that this move to protect against the Huns is false, but it is true to protect Fan Mingyou and others.

If Fan Mingyou and Huo Yu, who are confused, do not make great achievements in Saibei, why do they do such evil things! ?

If this is the case, all Huo Guang's original plans will be disrupted.

"Why don't Father Zhong answer my words?" The emperor's cold voice came over again.

Huo Guang quickly stood up from the couch and prostrated himself in front of the emperor, expressing his loyalty with a trembling voice.

"Your Majesty... This is the first time I know about this. I thought it was a bit unusual before... It's just..." As he said that, sweat started to drip from Huo Guang's temples.
"Well, I believe that Father Zhong is unaware of this matter. I also hope that I have wrongly blamed them, but I will not be able to rest for a moment unless the truth is found out."

"Father Zhong, I ask again, can Fan Mingyou and others be allowed to lead an army of [-] people back to Chang'an City now?"

Huo Guang did not answer and did not dare to answer, because the answer was already obvious.

Now, as long as he says the word "can", it will leave an excuse, and the emperor can immediately send him to prison.

Huo Guang was probably not thinking about how to get Fan Mingyou and the others to come back to help him, but he should be thinking about how to save their lives.

To save their lives, you must first save yourself.

"If Father Zhong doesn't say anything, then I will be the one to decide this matter. Does Father Zhong have any objections?"

Is the emperor trying to seize his military power?

Huo Guang's eyes dimmed and he finally nodded.

He had no reason to refuse, and refusing would be rebellion.

"Your Majesty, please issue an edict."

"Okay, that's very good. Father Zhong, please get up. There's no need to kneel down."

"promise."

Now, Liu He had three choices before him.

The best strategy is to send three generals to seize the military power of Fan Mingyou and others.

But now there are no more prestigious generals in the court than Fan Mingyou and others. Sending a few random people there will only lead to death.

The middle strategy is to let Fan Mingyou and others return to Chang'an alone first, separate the soldiers and generals, and seize their military power in disguise.

But Fan Mingyou and others will not sit still and wait for death. They will immediately rebel the moment they see the edict.

The next best option is to secure Fan Mingyou and others in the border county first, and then deal with them after Han Zeng's and Zhao Chongguo's troops return.

But it also gives Fan Mingyou and others more contact time, which makes it easy for things to change over time.

After comparing the upper, middle and lower strategies, the upper strategy cannot be chosen, and the lower strategy is too conservative, leaving only the middle strategy to choose.

Since no matter what he does, he cannot take away the military power of Fan Mingyou and others, then all Liu He can do is to prevent them from returning to Chang'an City in good faith.

To put it simply and straightforwardly, we need to use the middle strategy to force them: It is good to come back obediently, but it is not necessarily a bad thing to rebel.

"Bing Qing, let me tell you, you write it, and Father Zhong and Cai Qing can see if there is anything inappropriate." Liu He said.

"No." came from the mouths of three people, but the meanings they conveyed were completely different.

"The officers and soldiers of Fan Mingyou, Tian Shun, and Tian Guangming lived in the open air and went deep into the barren...Although they did not achieve a great victory, they still contributed to the great Han Dynasty."

"But this winter, the wind and snow are falling suddenly, and the Xiongnu bandits may be cunning and changeable, and they may still invade our Han border."

"Therefore, Fan Mingyou's troops and Tian Guangming's troops are ordered to be stationed in Lingwu County, and Tian Shun's troops are stationed in Wuyuan to prepare for the Xiongnu bandits."

"In order to reward the three armies and comfort their homesickness, when they are stationed in border counties, they should be given three days of money and food a day."

"Fan Mingyou, Tian Guangming and Tian Shun will immediately return to Chang'an to face the Holy Spirit and state the military situation of the Northern Campaign."

"Military orders are like mountains. You must not disobey them. Anyone who resists will be killed!"

In fact, Liu He did not have high hopes for this edict, and it was unknown whether it would make Fan Mingyou and others repent.

And Huo Guang listened carefully, and his fear and admiration for the emperor grew a little more.

This edict was issued very cleverly, not only taking into account the face of Fan Mingyou and others, but also taking into account the benefits of ordinary soldiers.

The move of "paying money and food three days a day" can appease the hearts of most soldiers and allow them to stay in the border counties obediently without any dissatisfaction.

These low-level soldiers are like this. They will be satisfied with a little profit and cannot see the general trend at all.

"My dear friends, do you think there is anything else that needs to be changed in this edict?"

Cai Yi and Bingji did not know much about military affairs and had no "evil intentions". Naturally, they had no doubts about the emperor's edict.

And Huo Guang could not raise any other objections.

"Father Zhong is the Great Sima General. I also hope that you can write a letter to each of these three generals to ask them to act according to the imperial edict. Is Zhongfu willing?"

"This is the responsibility of the old minister." Huo Guang said reluctantly.

"It's not too late, let's write now!"

"promise."

Huo Guang's reluctance was noticed by Liu He, and he did not say a word of encouragement.

It doesn't matter whether you like it or not, as long as you are willing to do it.

Soon, Huo Guang's three letters were written, and Liu He's edict was finalized.

When the edict was delivered to Prime Minister Wei and stamped with a jade seal, he immediately sent people to send it in three directions together with Huo Guang's three letters.

Huo Guang, who suffered a "new defeat", did not stay at Shangshu's office for long, and said goodbye to the emperor in a dejected manner.

When he left the main hall, the noon clock rang.

The ministers and censors of various ministries also walked out of the small pavilions in the side room.

They stood under the eaves and saw the scene where the emperor bid farewell to Huo Guang.

The Emperor Qi Yuxuanhang stood with his hands behind his back. Although he still kept telling the general to walk slower, he did not reach out to help him as usual.

The general's steps also staggered a bit. He hurriedly walked through the courtyard of the Shangshu Office without responding to anyone's greetings. He exuded an aura of aging all over his body.

The big man's world seems to be really changing.

(End of this chapter)