Three Kingdoms: I will act as a substitute for the Hunjun

Gai Xun looked at Liu Ming's calm and slightly worried expression and felt a little dazed for a moment.

Is this still the tyrant who was once notorious throughout the world?

All the derogatory terms for an emperor, such as favoring eunuchs, selling official positions and titles, being greedy for money and lustful, and ignoring the affairs of state, could be used to describe him, which not only caused chaos in the court, but also led to chaos in the world.

Many ambitious people in the court resigned and retired because they had given up hope on the court. Some people even began to secretly investigate new forces to join.

It can be said that the Han Dynasty at that time was in a precarious situation and could collapse at any time.

Even Gai Xun himself was extremely disappointed with the court, and even mocked the emperor in front of him many times. He was even prepared to be killed by the Ten Attendants. However, the development of the situation was so regrettable and unpredictable.

I don't know when it started, but if you think about it carefully, it was in the last two years that Your Majesty's temperament changed unconsciously. Not only has he been diligent in government affairs, but he has also implemented a series of thundering measures, including destroying the He family, the Yuan family, the Ten Eunuchs, suppressing the Qiang Rebellion, destroying the Huns, fighting against Dong Zhuo, and destroying Sun Jian. Each of these is a major achievement that can be recorded in history.

At that time, there was great shock in the court and the country, and wars broke out everywhere. No matter which dynasty it was, with so many upheavals happening continuously in a short period of time, the court would inevitably decline, not to mention the Han Dynasty which was already shaky!

However, what is incredible is that Your Majesty not only handled the matter in an orderly manner, but also achieved smooth progress in all aspects, and the entire social order actually showed a tendency to slowly stabilize.

After Gai Xun returned to Luoyang, he heard about Your Majesty's handling of Liu Yan and Zhang Lu. It can be said that this was a wise move, driving the tiger to devour the wolf, killing two birds with one stone.

However, at present, neither Liu Yan nor Zhang Lu took the bait. Although they did not act as the court expected, they also exposed their disloyalty and provided a clear reference for the court's next layout.

At this time, His Majesty did not get angry and use military force against the two of them, but also considered that the current overall situation was not suitable for further war. This made Gai Xun think more highly of Liu Ming.

"Your Majesty is wise. It is indeed not appropriate to resort to war at this time. The court's finances are already in deficit and it is difficult to support a new war." Gai Xun praised, "I have two plans. One is that as long as the two do not openly rebel, you can ignore them for the time being. After Your Majesty has quelled the other rebellions and stabilized the situation, you can slowly plot against them. Maybe by then, they will see that rebellion is hopeless and give up their rebellious intentions.

"Secondly, it is my duty as the Chief Justice. I can use this as an excuse to transfer the two men to the capital to report on their duties and take the opportunity to arrest and interrogate them. Your Majesty, please make the decision."

Liu Ming thought for a moment, shook his head, and said, "What you said makes sense, but it is not the best strategy. Both of them have rebellious hearts. Liu Yan will not go to Youzhou to take up his post, and Zhang Lu is unwilling to follow the imperial order to attack Liu Yan. The two of them will certainly not follow the imperial order to report to the capital. If we ignore them for the time being, it is safe, but it will encourage the rebellious arrogance of these two people and other people who also have rebellious hearts!"

Liu Ming was self-aware of this. Although the Han Dynasty could be maintained temporarily thanks to his efforts, there were still many forces in the world who were watching and even ready to make a move.

Once the right opportunity comes, I wonder how many people will follow the example of Sun Jian, Yuan Shu and Dong Zhuo to rebel and even claim to be king.

So even though the current situation is extremely difficult, he still has to try his best to eliminate all forces that dare to confront the court, or to put it more directly, dare to challenge him as the emperor.

Even the powerful Yuan family, which had three generations of officials, could be destroyed at will, let alone the likes of Liu Yan and Zhang Lu? We must not leave them alone.

Liu Ming paused and looked at Guo Jia, saying, "I wonder if Feng Xiao has any good ideas?"

The previous plan to use Zhang Lu to attack Liu Yan and cause both sides to suffer losses was planned by Guo Jia.

Although Liu Ming also had some ideas, he felt that they were not comprehensive enough, so he wanted to hear Guo Jia's ideas. After all, this energetic young man had made a great contribution to history.

Guo Jia smiled and said, "Since Zhang Lu is unwilling to attack Liu Yan, why not let Liu Yan follow your order to attack Zhang Lu? Hanzhong was originally part of Yizhou. Zhang Lu is unwilling to attack Liu Yan because he feels that he is not strong enough. Liu Yan must be willing to take back Hanzhong and eliminate the disobedient Zhang Lu. Moreover, since your Majesty has given his order, he has a legitimate reason to do so."

"Great!" Gai Xun clapped his hands and praised, "Zhang Lu will definitely not be able to resist and will certainly ask the court for help. Then the court will take the initiative."

At the same time, he cast an admiring look at Guo Jia.

Liu Ming nodded. He had to admit that Guo Jia's reverse thinking was extremely brilliant.

"Even if Zhang Lu asks for help, the court cannot send troops for the time being, but we cannot watch Liu Yan occupy Yizhou alone." Liu Ming pondered for a moment and said, "I have thought of a suitable force, and I hope you can discuss it with me."

"Your Majesty, please make it clear!" several people said.

"A few days ago, I received a secret report from Longxi that Han Sui and Ma Teng have become active again. Liu Ming said, "The court has no power to eliminate the two thieves now, so it is better to send people to recruit them and let them lead the remaining troops to rescue Hanzhong. This way, we can kill several birds with one stone, put down the rebellion, and introduce new forces to Yizhou, while consuming Liu Yan and Zhang Lu at the same time."

"Your Majesty is wise, this is a brilliant plan," Wang Yun praised. "But what if Han and Ma refuse to accept the offer?"

"Don't accept the amnesty? Then they can only wait for death." Liu Ming said with a smile, "The Qiang rebellion has just been quelled, and it will be difficult for them to recover for a while. I'm afraid even having enough food will be a problem. If the court now proposes not to investigate their past rebellion and give them a stable place, why would they not accept it?"

In fact, the reason why Liu Ming was so confident was also related to his God's perspective. In history, Han Sui and Ma Teng both surrendered to the court later, and now they are in a difficult period. What they fear most is that the court will take their lives while they are sick. If the court gives them the opportunity to redeem themselves for meritorious service, they have no reason to refuse.

What's more, Hanzhong is different from Xiliang. It is a relatively prosperous city. How could they refuse?

Of course, this is also a common problem for time travelers. Han Sui and Ma Teng have powerful generals under their command. Ma Chao, Pang De, Ma Dai, Yan Xing and other generals are all powerful and enviable. It would be a pity to abandon them, and when they grow up in the future, they will become a troublesome rebellious force. It is better to let them return to the court now.

Even if it is just a temporary surrender, it is better than doing nothing in Yizhou.

"Your Majesty is wise." Guo Jia also praised, "It is indeed a good idea. Maybe another group of Qiang people will follow and settle in Hanzhong. In this way, the chances of another Qiang rebellion in the future will be much lower."

"Yes, the Qiang people are in turmoil mostly because of the pressure of life, or because of the ambition of their leaders." Gai Xun continued, "If Han Sui and Ma Teng can divert some Qiang people to live in Han areas, it will definitely weaken the Qiang people in Longxi."

"Pass on my secret order." Liu Ming acted decisively and did what he said. "Order Liu Yan to lead an army to attack Zhang Lu in Hanzhong."

As the palace guard, Guo Jia quickly wrote it down.

"As for the reason..." Liu Ming pondered for a moment and said, "Let's use the reason Liu Yan refused to pay taxes and go to Youzhou to take up his post before: Zhang Lu rebelled and established himself, blocking traffic, and hurting Liu Yan and the people of Yizhou's desire to serve the court. Haha, let Liu Yan take a good boomerang."

"Boomerang?" Several people exchanged glances. It was obvious that even though they were very knowledgeable, they had never heard of this thing.

Seeing that the emperor had no intention of explaining, and everyone was inconvenient to ask questions, Guo Jia polished the secret decree again and read it aloud on the spot. Liu Ming confirmed that it was correct and stamped the emperor's seal on it.

"Master Wang!" Liu Ming called out to the outside of the door, and Wang Yue appeared at the door like a ghost. No one knew where he usually hid.

Gai Xun and Wang Yun were stunned, and at the same time, they admired the methods of the emperor in front of them even more, and even had a little more fear. They knew that Wang Yue was the chief of the Ming Han Imperial Guards, and the reputation of the Ming Han Imperial Guards had become more and more famous in the past few months. Moreover, those who had stayed in Luoyang for a long time also knew that Wang Yue was a famous swordsman in the capital, and was highly valued by the emperor. They did not expect that his skills were so unpredictable.

If His Majesty dislikes someone, there will probably be no need to go to any great lengths. Wang Yue can just take a few guards with him to solve the problem without anyone noticing. No wonder all the ministers in the court are so obedient. There is a reason for that.

Liu Ming was unaware of the rich inner drama between the two, so he handed the secret decree to Wang Yue and said, "Arrange a trusted person to go to Chengdu and announce my secret decree to Liu Yan, the governor of Yizhou."

"Yes, sir!" Wang Yue agreed, turned around and walked out, disappearing.

The emperor did not need to go through the Secretariat of the Grand Secretary when issuing secret decrees, and the secret decrees did not need to be stamped with the imperial seal. For orders like summoning ministers and mobilizing troops, the emperor's credential seal was sufficient.

Recently, whether it is conveying imperial eunuchs or handling other important matters, Liu Ming has rarely used eunuchs. The work is mainly done by the Ming Han Guards. The eunuchs mainly do some miscellaneous chores in the palace, such as cutting grass, raising fish, planting trees, etc., and some help in the paper mill.

He planned to let these mentally retarded guys slowly withdraw from the stage of history and gradually allow normal people to participate in palace affairs.

Of course, if normal people, especially men, enter the palace, there will be various consequences, but the possibility of forming a deformed and distorted political group like eunuchs will be much lower.

You have to eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time. Some things cannot be rushed and can only be solved slowly. Of course, we are no longer recruiting new eunuchs.

Some of his current actions are already radical enough. If the people around him become chaotic again, he will really be left alone.

Today's eunuchs seem to be very close to power, but in fact they are already outside of power.

"Fengxiao, draft another edict to recruit Han Sui and Ma Teng." Liu Ming continued, "If they are willing to surrender, you can appoint Han Sui as the governor of Guanghan and Ma Teng as the governor of Hanzhong. This edict will be issued publicly by the Grand Secretary of the Imperial Household."

"Draft another secret decree in my name, ordering Han Sui and Ma Teng to help Zhang Lu when Liu Yan attacks Hanzhong. Whether they can take up their posts smoothly will depend on their abilities."

Guo Jia hurriedly wrote it down, paused and said, "I wonder who your majesty intends to send to convey the order? If you send a guard without fame and power to recruit the envoy, Han and Ma may misunderstand it as the court's contempt for them."

"Feng Xiao's words make sense." Wang Yun took over the conversation and said, "The person who conveys the imperial edict must be eloquent and have a high status. Of course, the status cannot be too high. If it seems that we attach too much importance to it, it will be bad and will encourage the other party's arrogance."

"The person who meets this condition to deliver the imperial edict..." Liu Ming thought about it, and suddenly his eyes lit up, "Hey, let Feng Fang go."

"Your Majesty is wise!" Gai Xun, Wang Yun and Guo Jia praised in unison.

Feng Fang is basically a free person at the moment.

Because of his mistakes in guarding the palace, Liu Ming stripped him of his title of marquis, his post as General Fenwu, and demoted him to the rank of colonel.

Moreover, he had no troops at his command, as his original troops were led by Gao Shun. In addition, since he was the emperor's father-in-law, no one dared to assign him any tasks, so he became an idler.

It is quite appropriate to let Feng Fang go to Xiliang to convey the imperial edict this time. His status is not low, but his position is not high either, and his eloquence is not bad either.

At that moment, Guo Jia left to find Grand Secretary Lu Zhi to draft an imperial edict. Gai Xun and Wang Yun also took their leave. Liu Ming sent someone to summon Feng Fang to meet him.

Feng Fang was drinking alone. Although his daughter, Concubine Shu, had been pregnant with his son for several months, he was not happy at all. Instead, he felt under great pressure.

The Concubine Shu is pregnant, so His Majesty has been getting closer and closer to Diao Chan recently. This makes Feng Fang very worried. Will His Majesty fall in love with someone else and neglect her and his daughter?

However, he was stripped of his title and demoted because of his improper handling of the Yuan family rebellion. Since then, the emperor has never summoned him again, which made him very uneasy.

He is also an ambitious man, hoping to revitalize the Feng family by using his status as the father-in-law of the emperor. If his daughter can become the queen in the future, then the Feng family will surely prosper. However, looking at the current situation, it seems a bit uncertain.

But he couldn't think of any way out of the predicament and could only drown his sorrows in alcohol.

At this moment, the butler rushed into the room and whispered, "Sir, the Ming Han guards want to see you and say they want to convey the emperor's oral instructions."

"Ming Han Guards? Where are they?" Feng Fang was shocked and looked outside the door. Under the setting sun, he saw a soldier in clothes with dragon and fish patterns walking towards the hall where he was, holding a sword in one hand.

He no longer had time to hesitate, think or prepare anything.

The other party didn't even wait for the butler to report and arrived almost at the same time as the butler.

Feng Fang did not dare to delay, and hurriedly put down his wine cup and stood up to greet him.

"Pass on His Majesty's oral order!" The guard stopped and shouted before Feng Fang got close.

Feng Fang took two quick steps forward and bowed hastily.

The court etiquette at that time was not as strict as that of the Ming and Qing dynasties. When conveying the emperor's oral instructions, the ministers did not need to kneel to greet him.

"Feng Fang is loyal to the emperor and serves the country. I am very pleased and have specially summoned him to the Changle Palace for tea." The guard said with a serious face.

"I obey your order." Feng Fang bowed again, then raised his head and asked, "Shall we go and see Your Majesty now?"

"Leave immediately."

"But I reek of alcohol..."

"Don't keep your majesty waiting."

Feng Fang had no choice but to rub his face and follow the guards to Changle Palace. (End of this chapter)