I practiced magic in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 57: Know when to stop taking advantage of others
Five thousand elite soldiers under Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang, including two thousand Xiliang cavalry and three thousand spearmen. All of them were elite soldiers who had experienced hundreds of battles and had extremely strong combat effectiveness.

You should know that Liangzhou is located on the border between Han and Qiang. Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, various armed conflicts have continued to break out here. The century-long Qiang rebellion almost dragged down the financial situation of the Yanhan Dynasty, but it also created an extremely tough folk custom in the local area. Almost every household wields guns and sticks, and those who have the conditions will even provide their own horses.

In the warlike Xiliang region, the elite cavalry from Longyou have been famous since ancient times, and were known within the imperial dynasty as "the big horses from Liangzhou, running rampant throughout the world."

If Qin Shihuang obtained it, he could conquer the six kingdoms!
If Emperor Taizong of Tang obtained it, he could dominate the world!
Now such a powerful and battle-hardened army is in the hands of an ambitious man like Dong Zhuo, which has caused many dignitaries in Luoyang City to lose sleep at night and lose their appetite.

In Pingyang, Taishan, an army of more than several thousand people was marching westward, causing dust to fly on the official road.

The commander-in-chief of the army was none other than the Cavalry Commander Bao Xin.

This time, he was ordered by General He Jin to return to his hometown to recruit soldiers. He successfully recruited more than a thousand soldiers from the counties and states, and was on his way back to Luoyang.

As a result, just as he arrived in Chenggao, he heard the news that He Jin had died in a coup in front of Hulao Pass, so Bao Xin immediately rode back at full speed.

Unfortunately, by the time Bao Xin arrived in Luoyang, Dong Zhuo had already led his troops into the capital, guarding the city gates and important roads.

Bao Xin was worried about this. He believed that Dong Zhuo would bring disaster to the world, so he went to Yuan Shao and said, "Benchu, Dong Zhuo has a large army now. He is a tiger and a wolf. We must not let him stay in the capital for long, otherwise disaster will come! Why don't we kill him while he is still unstable?"

However, Dong Zhuo was actually Yuan Wei's man, so why would Yuan Shao kill him?
Therefore, Yuan Shao rejected Bao Xin without a second thought: "No, the soldiers of Xiliang are the best in the world. If we start a war rashly, the capital will be deeply involved in the war. We should take a long-term view on this matter."

Bao Xin was unaware of the Ru'nan Yuan family's plan, but he still advised: "Now that Dong Zhuo has just arrived in Luojing, his soldiers are tired and have no information, this is the best time to act. We only need to gather our forces and launch a surprise attack on him, and we will surely capture Dong Zhuo in one fell swoop."

However, Yuan Shao still refused: "Don't be impulsive. The general has just passed away and the two palaces have been ravaged. It is really not appropriate to start a war again at this time."

By this time, Bao Xin also realized that something was wrong with Yuan Shao, or the entire Yuan family of Runan.

He was a straightforward person, so he didn't care whether the Runan Yuan family had three dukes for four generations or not. He immediately started to curse: "Meng De told me about you before, but I didn't believe it. I didn't expect you to change! Have you forgotten the oath we made in the past?"

Yuan Shao remained silent. Now, everything he did was for the benefit of his family.

As for the original intention of serving the country, it has long been forgotten in my heart.

Bao Xin left Luoyang with loss and anger. He planned to return to his hometown to recruit soldiers and fight against Dong Zhuo.

If Yuan Shao refuses to save the Han Dynasty, then he will do it!
While the aristocratic families were gradually splitting up due to their different attitudes towards Dong Zhuo, Dong Zhuo himself was actively taking action in Luoyang City.

In Henan Prefecture, Xun You summarized the intelligence in Luoyang City for several days and presented it to Wang Jing: "My lord, Dong Zhuo took advantage of the fact that General He Jin and General He Miao had just died and their troops had nowhere to go, and is wantonly devouring their troops."

"Where's Ding Yuan?"

"He was just appointed as the Praetorian Guard by the imperial court the day before yesterday, and he has not taken any action at the moment."

Wang Jing also sighed when he heard this: "This is the gap between people. I'm afraid Ding Yuan is not far from death."

Xun You shared the same sentiment: "Yuan Wei used his official position to temporarily stabilize Ding Yuan, but he forgot that military power is the capital of a military commander's livelihood. Ding Yuan is indeed seeking his own death."

According to Wang Jing and Xun You's analysis, Ding Yuan was He Jin's direct confidant. Now that He Jin is dead, Ding Yuan has lost his only support in the court and has become a floating duckweed.

In this situation, if Ding Yuan had been smart, he would have either learned from Dong Zhuo to recruit soldiers and horses everywhere to strengthen himself and increase his weight in the court.

Or he could lead his troops back to Bingzhou, occupy a corner of the country, and wait and see the changes in the world situation.

But Ding Yuan chose the most foolish approach. He was lured in Luoyang by Yuan Wei using the honorary title of Praetorian Guards as "bait". He had no idea that he was about to become a fish on the chopping board. His stupidity was suffocating.

Xun You suggested to Wang Jing, "My lord, the Bingzhou Wolf Riders are the best soldiers in the world, and Ding Yuan is an old subordinate of He Jin, so he is naturally on your side. If Yuan Wei and Dong Zhuo want to establish the Prince of Chenliu as emperor, they will definitely attack Ding Yuan. Rather than letting the Bingzhou soldiers fall into Dong Zhuo's hands, it is better for you to take them."

Wang Jing had been planning this matter since he traveled through time, so he immediately adopted Xun You's plan: "Gongda's words deeply touched my heart. If I don't take what God has given me, I will be blamed."

After determining the direction, the two began to discuss the details of the action.

Xun You suggested starting with Yuan Wei: "Dong Zhuo is a frontier general with wicked ambitions. The Grand Tutor has been in the center for a long time and is well versed in political struggles. He will definitely not fully trust him. The Lord can use this to sow discord between them and split the two."

Wang Jing laughed and said, "Haha, it seems that Gongda's thoughts coincide with mine. But apart from that, if we want to win over the ordinary soldiers in Bingzhou Army, we still need the help of the two of you."

"who is it?"

"Zhang Liao is Zhang Wenyuan, Gao Shun is Gao Xiaoming."

"I have never heard of these two people's names, but since they are the ones chosen by the lord, they must have extraordinary qualities."

At this time, Zhang Liao and Gao Shun were not yet famous, so naturally no one knew their abilities.

But Wang Jing knew how brave and good at fighting these two were. Zhang Liao's cavalry and Gao Shun's infantry were among the best in the entire Three Kingdoms.

Wang Jing thought for a moment, then instructed Xun You: "I will personally go to the Taifu Mansion to persuade Yuan Wei and obtain his approval and support. As for Zhang Liao and Gao Shun, I'll have to trouble you to contact them on my behalf."

"My lord, rest assured that You will do his best to make this happen."

Afterwards, Wang Jing informed Xun You of some of the information he knew about Zhang Liao: "Zhang Liao is from Yanmen County, Bingzhou. He is very brave and Ding Yuan once recruited him as an assistant. When the previous emperor was in power, Jian Shuo wanted to strengthen the imperial army, so he recruited warriors from all over the country. At that time, Ding Yuan sent Zhang Liao, an assistant from Bingzhou, and Zhang Yang, an assistant from Wumeng, to serve in the capital. At this time, He Jin had died, and Dong Zhuo should have been in contact with these two people."

"In this case, it may be difficult to convince these two to surrender."

Xun You said it was difficult, but he looked calm. It was obvious that he had already made up his mind and knew where to start.

Wang Jing knew Xun You's ability very well, so he naturally had full confidence in him: "In that case, I'll have to trouble Gongda."

After that, the two of them started their own battles, and Wang Jing went to the Taifu's mansion alone.

Unlike previous visits, this time, Wang Jing waited for half an hour before a servant from the mansion came to report: "General Beizhong, the master invites you to the main hall for a chat."

"Please lead the way."

"this way please."

In the main hall, Yuan Wei was sitting in the east seat, resting with his eyes closed. His aura was profound and majestic. Compared with his previous low-key demeanor, he now seemed quite high-spirited and in high spirits.

And these few days were indeed the most glorious days in Yuan Wei's life.

As the "only remaining" regent minister in the court, without He Jin's restraint, Yuan Wei had already monopolized power. Even Empress Dowager He, who was nominally able to rule the country from behind the scenes, had completely lost her former prestige and could no longer pose a threat to him.

Wang Jing walked into the main hall, took his seat at the guest table, facing east, and secretly practiced "Purple Star Emperor Qi". He saw that Yuan Wei's Qi power had reached its peak, with a green tinge of purple, almost showing signs of turning into a dragon. It was truly invaluable.

Wang Jing, who had guessed what Yuan Wei was secretly planning, also complimented him at this moment: "Congratulations, Master, on getting what you wished for."

Yuan Wei deliberately left Wang Jing alone for half an hour, but now he saw that the young man in front of him was still calm and composed, and he secretly sighed in his heart: "He is not surprised by praise or criticism, and his behavior is calm. This boy is really extraordinary. It's a pity that he is not a member of my Yuan family, otherwise, there would be no worries about not being able to achieve great things."

The plan to rule the world with Confucianism is only one step away. Once the emperor is deposed and enthroned, the Yuan family will be able to control the world and even realize a glorious vision that even Dong Zhongshu had never imagined.

Therefore, Yuan Wei still did not want to cause trouble at this time, and he also guessed a little about Wang Jing's purpose: "The last time the Northern Army General came, he asked for an official position. Now that he has already obtained the official position, what is he asking for now?"

"Taifu, what you said is wrong. The original deal was not completed. Jing's official position was given by the Queen Mother. Taifu did not contribute anything. Now Jing comes to ask for compensation. Isn't it reasonable?"

Wang Jing smiled widely, but the words he said were not going to give in at all.

Old fox!
Little naughty guy!
Both sides secretly cursed the other for being cunning and treacherous.

Yuan Kui knew that Wang Jing must have come here to ask for military power. After all, He Jin and He Miao were dead, but they left behind a lot of "political legacies". There were tens of thousands of troops, all of which were strong soldiers recruited by He Jin from all over the country. It was definitely a big piece of fat meat. Now that Dong Zhuo had Yuan Kui's approval and instructions, he was "eating" happily and his strength expanded rapidly.

Although Yuan Wei also knew that the Yuan family needed Wang Jing to check and balance Dong Zhuo, he still wanted to use this matter to pressure Wang Jing to see if he could get more benefits and obtain conditions that were more favorable to the Yuan family.

That’s right, this is the logic of those in power - it’s your honor to be my dog, so you should show some appreciation.

Although this is PUA, there are many people in the world who want to be lackeys but cannot do so.

But Wang Jing was not among these people.

For Wang Jing, "paid work" is something he absolutely cannot accept.

When he was a worker in his previous life, Wang Jing had enough of his boss's various PUA tactics. Now that I have traveled through time, you, Yuan Wei, still want to PUA me, then didn't I travel through time in vain?

"Grandmaster, the late emperor once left a secret decree, ordering Jian Shuo to support the Prince of Chenliu to ascend the throne. However, Jian Shuo was not careful in his plan, and his plan to ambush and kill the general failed, and he lost his own life instead. Now that the general is dead, if someone brings up this old matter again, who in the court can stand up and oppose it?"

In front of Yuan Wei, Wang Jing unscrupulously talked about the treasonous topic of deposing and enthroning the emperor.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Wei narrowed his eyes and asked with a narrow gaze, "What is the purpose of the Northern Army General saying this?"

Wang Jing did not answer, but smiled and said, "Grandmaster, don't be nervous. I am on your side. The Imperial Master was selected by the late emperor, and he also knows that it was the late emperor's last wish for the Prince of Chenliu to inherit the throne. Therefore, he and Jing are both happy to see this happen."

Although Wang Jing spoke sincerely, with a tone of "I am one of us", Yuan Wei was so smart that he could easily hear the threat hidden in Wang Jing's words.

Since Wang Jing can stand on the side of deposing and enthroning the emperor, if this cannot satisfy his appetite, he will naturally stand on the side of maintaining orthodoxy.

There are loyal people in the court. If the plan is not kept secret and the news of the dethronement and enthronement is leaked in advance, then all the ministers will be gathered together by people with ulterior motives and attack them, which will be a troublesome matter.

Never mind. This kid is still useful anyway, so let him be proud for a while.

After weighing the pros and cons in his mind, Yuan Wei decided to agree to Wang Jing's conditions: "You are really young and promising. I can hand over the Bingzhou troops to you for command, but this is only once and not a third time. General Beizhong, this is all I have to say. I hope you will consider this carefully."

Even an old fox has a temper.

Having been threatened by Wang Jing twice, Yuan Wei would have lost his temper long ago if he had not had some concerns about the Wang family of Taiyuan. Now he is obviously warning Wang Jing not to do it a third time, otherwise don't blame the Yuan family for being rude.

It’s okay to take advantage of others, but you have to know when to stop.

Wang Jing looked at Yuan Wei and agreed with a smile: "Taifu is really a magnanimous man. Jing promises you that I won't do it again next time."

Wang Jing had no intention of taking advantage of Yuan's wool anymore. After all, dead people don't grow wool.

After returning to the mansion, Wang Jing also received a piece of news and a piece of bad news from Xun You.

"My lord, Bingzhou official Zhang Liao has agreed to meet with you, but Wumeng official Zhang Yang seems to have secretly defected to Yuan Shao and has declined our invitation."

"Zhang Yang?"

Wang Jing also had some impression of this person. It seemed that he had once dominated Hanoi and was on good terms with Lu Bu. He had some strength, but unfortunately not much, and he was not a key figure. It didn't matter if he couldn't be won over. As long as Zhang Liao was willing to come, it would be fine.

"Masayoshi."

"What's the master's order?"

Soon, Wang Jing called Lu Fang over and ordered him, "Zuiyue Tower will be closed for one day tomorrow. I want to personally host a banquet to entertain someone. By the way, prepare more dishes from Bingzhou Yanmen and find a special chef to cook them."

"Yes."

Lu Fang quickly agreed, but he couldn't help feeling shocked.

At present, Zuiyuelou has become the largest wine house in Luoyang City because of its high-proof liquor. It is well-known and makes a lot of money every day.

Now we have to suspend business for a day just to entertain one person?
"Since you are the master's distinguished guest, how dare I neglect you? I must entertain you well. But I don't know the name of the distinguished guest the master is talking about?"

"His name is Zhang Liao."

"Zhang Liao?"

Lu Fang felt that the name was unfamiliar, and was puzzled: "Among the important officials of the imperial court, there is no such person as Zhang Liao? Could he be a relative of the Grand Commandant Zhang Wen?"

Although he did not understand, Wang Jing's order was like an imperial decree to Lu Fang. He would do his best to complete whatever his master said without compromise, so he went to the city overnight to find the chef from Bingzhou.

The next day, many guests came early to drink, but saw a notice posted outside the door of Zuiyue Tower, saying that the restaurant would be closed for one day. They were immediately curious. What had happened? Was the boss unwilling to make any money?
As the agreed time was approaching, Wang Jing arrived early. After sitting down, he asked someone to serve some side dishes to go with the wine and ate while waiting.

As a result, just when he was halfway through his meal, he heard a noise coming from outside the door: "You are blind, how dare you stand in my way!"

Then Lu Fang hurriedly ran in to find Wang Jing and said, "Master, something bad has happened. The distinguished guest you invited is quarreling with the Bingzhou Mu's family!"

When he walked out of the house, he saw a fat man in bright clothes and riding a horse, cursing at Zhang Liao.

This man was riding on a horse, and his behavior was extremely arrogant and domineering.

Zhang Liao, however, did not budge an inch, protecting a five or six-year-old child behind him: "If I hadn't stopped you, you would have nearly killed the child."

"What a joke! He is the one who is blind. Can you blame me?"

It is insane to disregard other people's lives in this way.

Wang Jing saw that the other person looked unfamiliar, so he asked Lu Fang: "Who is this idiot? Why is he so arrogant?"

Lu Fang had no choice but to explain to Wang Jing: "Master, you don't know, this man is called Dong Huang, and his father is the elder brother of Dong Zhuo, the governor of Bingzhou. With such a backer, who in Luoyang City dares to offend him?"

Wang Jing laughed loudly: "I thought he was very capable, but it turns out he is a member of Fatty Dong's family. No wonder he is so arrogant and domineering, it seems he is used to living in the wilds of Xiliang."

"Who is talking nonsense?"

When Dong Huang heard the words "used to being wild", he immediately became a standing cock and angrily looked for the "culprit".

Wang Jing walked up the stairs, walked out of the restaurant, and stood in front of Dong Huang. He was half a head taller than him, looked down at Dong Huang's fat face and said, "I said it, what do you think?"

Dong Huang did not recognize Wang Jing's identity and looked down on him because he thought he was young: "You are the one talking nonsense here? Do you know who I am?"

Wang Jing smiled contemptuously and asked back: "Stupid pig, then do you know who I am?"

"Who the hell do I care who you are? Come on, capture him!"

Dong Huang, with a group of strong servants and guards, had been relying on Dong Zhuo's power and power to act tyrannically in Luoyang in recent days. He didn't care who Wang Jing was and wanted to capture him.

Wang Jing laughed when he saw this. "I was still thinking about what excuse to use to start the fight, but now there's no need. Come on, kill all of them except the one on the horse."

"As ordered!"

Yan Hu, who was accompanying Wang Jing, was obedient to his orders. He didn't care whether Wang Jing was Dong Zhuo's nephew or not. He just took the famous sword Duan Shui, led six sword guards, drew their swords, rushed forward and started a violent hacking attack.

(End of this chapter)