I practiced magic in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 84 Meng De, do you want to come and hang out with me?
Wang Jing was not optimistic about the idea of ​​assassinating Dong Zhuo: "Father seems to be really old. Even if Dong Zhuo can be killed, what's the point? If we don't solve the threat of the Xiliang Army and the monopoly of resources and power by the aristocratic families, there will be no change in Luoyang or even the whole world."

It is obvious that Wang Jing also wanted to kill Dong Zhuo.

But assassination is indeed the worst of the worst options. Not to mention whether it can succeed, even if it is successful, the leaderless Xiliang army will only bring severe disaster to the entire capital area.

Historically, Wang Yun persuaded Lu Bu to kill Dong Zhuo, but the result was that Guanzhong was uninhabited for thousands of miles for several years. Li Jue and others allowed their children to harm the people of Sanfu, causing a more serious famine. People ate each other, bones piled up, and filth filled the roads.

Wang Jing didn't want to go down this old path. The real struggle was to be upright.

Shi A then mentioned another incident: "At the court meeting a few days ago, Dong Zhuo openly sent people to search the palace and ordered Hongnong King Liu Bian to hand over the imperial seal. Otherwise, he would be sentenced to death for deceiving the emperor. In the end, he was dissuaded by the Grand Tutor Yuan Wei, but the imperial seal was probably really stolen."

A national jade seal?

This rare treasure is full of legends in China. It was originally owned by the State of Chu. After it married the State of Zhao, this treasure fell into the hands of the State of Zhao as a gift, and even caused the State of Qin to ask for it back many times.

After the demise of the State of Zhao, the Heshi Bi was finally obtained by the Immortal Qin Dynasty, which combined the power of Taoism, Confucianism, and Yin-Yang to refine it into a powerful national magic weapon to carry the aura of the true dragon emperor, which is said to be able to suppress the country's destiny.

However, the power of the magic weapon was not as strong as the will of the people. The Immortal Qin Dynasty eventually perished in the second generation, and the imperial seal eventually fell into the hands of Emperor Gaozu.

Wang Jing frowned: "The Imperial Seal seems to be related to the Mountain and River State Map?"

Shi A immediately explained to Wang Jing: "I have heard Master mention that since Emperor Wu, the succession of the throne of the Han emperor must have three elements. The first is the bloodline of the Han royal family. The second is to hold the imperial seal. The third is to hold a national sacrifice and pray to the heavens. Finally, hold the imperial seal and use your own spiritual thoughts as ink to write on the map of mountains, rivers, and the country. Only in this way can you open the path to the emperor and practice the Five Emperors Dragon Fist."

"I see."

Wang Jing finally understood that the so-called Five Emperors Dragon Fist was not only a martial art, but also a powerful magical power that combined the refining of qi and spirit. The status of the emperor was just the carrier of the fire dragon energy of the Yanhan Dynasty, and stamping it with the imperial seal was a way to obtain the right to use the power.

Wang Jing was thoughtful about this: "It seems that the imperial seal is very important. It is the key thing that connects the emperor to the fate of the dynasty."

Wang Jing was naturally very interested in such a rare treasure, but he didn't know which well Zhang Rang had thrown the imperial seal into, and it was even more impossible for him to go to the palace to look for it. So he didn't continue to discuss the seal with Shi A, but turned around and asked him: "So, Dong Zhuo is going to take action against the King of Hongnong? Can you confirm the time?"

“It’s not certain yet.”

"Then keep a close watch on him. Prince Hongnong is the blood of Emperor Ling. As long as he is alive, we will have an extra political bargaining chip in our hands, so we must not let him die at the hands of Dong Zhuo."

"Yes, I understand!"

Shi Agong obeyed the order respectfully, his blood boiling.

He did not come from a good family. Although his family had some power, it was at most a wealthy family. If he had not surrendered to Wang Jing, he would have had a hard time making a name for himself in his life.

It’s not like now, I’m involved in confidential matters, and the future is bright!
Wang Jing then asked another question: "By the way, why haven't we heard any news about the Imperial Master recently? Dong Zhuo caused chaos in the palace and poisoned the Queen Mother, but the Imperial Master didn't take any action?"

Shi A was also indignant and helpless about this. He sighed and said, "My lord, you don't know that when the Queen Mother was poisoned, Master wanted to stop it, but the Mountain and River State Map was in the hands of Grand Tutor Yuan Wei. Master only had the Snake Slashing Sword, but couldn't borrow the Fire Virtue Dragon Qi of the Imperial Dynasty. Without the blessing of the dragon qi, he could no longer use the Emperor's Sword and could not kill Dong Zhuo who was blessed by the Soldier Evil."

"Yuan Wei is quite calculating. As a regent, he holds the map of mountains, rivers, and states on behalf of others. If he finds the imperial seal, I'm afraid he will follow the example of Wang Mang."

Wang Jing smiled coldly. In the history of this world, Wang Mang relied on this method to force the young Liu Ying to abdicate to him. Finally, through the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven, he ascended the throne and established a new dynasty.

Obviously, Wang Jing had already realized that the person who was looking for the imperial seal was not Dong Zhuo, but Yuan Wei.

As for whether Yuan Wei holding the map of mountains and rivers and wanting to find the imperial seal was for the purpose of becoming emperor, Wang Jing did not care much. After all, the authority of the seal had to be recognized by all the princes in the world.

If others do not recognize it, whoever holds the seal will become the target of public criticism.

Shi A was also very upset with Yuan Wei: "Master used to respect the Grand Tutor, but now he knows that he is harboring evil intentions. If it weren't for the safety of His Majesty and King Hongnong, Master would have fought Dong Zhuo to the death. Now, in order to seek a glimmer of hope, Master has been in seclusion."

"Seclusion? Could it be that... the Imperial Master wants to enter the Heavenly Sword realm?"

Wang Jing was shocked. He knew the "White Ape Sword Technique" very well and was naturally very curious about the records about the "Heavenly Sword" realm in the sword manual.

After all, that is a realm above the six realms of martial arts, a realm of heaven and man that only those who have reached the level of a saint can step into.

This was Wang Yue's biggest secret, and now only his eldest disciple Shi A knew about it. Even Deng Zhan did not know this secret.

However, for Shi A, Wang Jing was his lord and had worked with Wang Yue before, so he was not an outsider. Therefore, Shi A revealed some information: "Master has found the way to the three realms of heaven and man, so there is still hope. As long as Master can step into the realm of 'Heavenly Sword', traitors like Dong Zhuo and Yuan Wei can be killed with a single sword."

Wang Jing's eyes lit up when he heard this: "Then I will wait for the good news from the Imperial Master!"

At the moment, Wang Jing had no intention of rebelling. He had always been very polite to both Liu Xie and Liu Bian, without any domineering behavior. Therefore, he and the Sword Saint Wang Yue were political allies, and naturally hoped that his allies would be as strong as possible.

In this way, with the assistance of Shi A, Wang Jing returned to Luoyang quietly.

The current secret guards were not powerful, but they had more than a hundred core members and thousands of peripheral members. They were the assets accumulated by successive Sili Xiaowei with great difficulty, but now they were all absorbed by Wang Jing.

However, Wang Jing did not completely trust these people. Instead, he secretly ordered Shi A to select strong and capable people from the refugees, and to train a truly trustworthy secret guard to help the Northern Army gain an advantage in intelligence.

But Wang Jing also knew that Shi A was, after all, just a warrior, lacking in wisdom. He was good at training assassins and death squads and doing assassinations, but he was much worse at collecting and analyzing intelligence.

Wang Jing thought that he had to find a reliable adviser to manage the intelligence department for him.

"It would be great if Fengxiao and Yuanzhi were here. I wonder how they are doing now."

After returning to Luoyang, Wang Jing lived in seclusion and soon heard the news that He Yong had died of grief in prison. His previous plots to assassinate Dong Zhuo were finally exposed.

In order to keep the secret and protect other people involved in the assassination, he eventually chose to commit suicide.

The Cao family mansion is located in the west suburbs outside the city, next to the Luoyang market.

Cao Cao was drinking alone at home because another old friend he had known for many years had died.

The assassination attempt on Dong Zhuo failed. He Yong was unwilling to give out Xun Shuang and Wang Yun, and he committed suicide in prison late last night.

Upon hearing the news, Cao Cao raised his wine glass and looked at his reflection in the glass. He felt lost and his mind was filled with every detail of his acquaintance and friendship with He Yong.

At this moment, a servant in the mansion came running to tell him, "Master, congratulations!"

Cao Cao, who was mourning his friend, was interrupted and looked very unhappy. He slammed the wine cup in his hand on the table and asked with a dark face: "Why are you happy?"

The servant was frightened by Cao Cao's bloodshot eyes and quickly said, "Master, calm down. The court has just appointed you as a cavalry captain. This is clearly a promotion!"

"Captain of the Cavalry?"

Cao Cao did not show any joy. Instead, he gritted his teeth and sneered, "What a bullshit imperial appointment! This is clearly Dong the thief's random order. Do you think you can buy me off with just a little bit of profit?"

When the servant heard Cao Cao scolding Dong Zhuo, he was immediately frightened and tremblingly advised: "Master, be careful with your words!"

Cao Cao also knew that walls have ears. He was disheartened by He Yong's death and immediately decided to leave: "I'm afraid I can't stay in Luoyang City any longer. The sooner I leave, the better. I'll be free from the frustration."

Cao Cao then ordered his servants to pack up and prepare to flee.

As a result, as soon as the group left the city gate, the news immediately reached Dong Zhuo's ears.

Dong Zhuo, who was already upset by the series of assassination attempts, immediately thought that Cao Cao was also involved in the assassination attempts on him. Otherwise, why would he run away if not out of fear of punishment?
In his rage, Dong Zhuo naturally did not let the wrong person go, and immediately sent a small team of Flying Bear Army to hunt down Cao Cao.

Outside Dongyang Gate, Cao Cao passed by the horse market and was about to buy some dry food for the journey and then buy a few horses before setting off. As a result, he found a team of fully armed Xiliang soldiers on the roadside searching for him door to door with portraits. He immediately realized that something was wrong.

Without even taking care of his servants, Cao Cao grabbed a horse and ran away on the spot.

However, there were people guarding the outskirts of the city, so Cao Cao was discovered immediately: "Cao Cao is here!"

"Damn it!"

Cao Cao brandished the Sword of the Heavenly Sword and performed the Sword Song of the Thousand Years. He cut a bloody path amid the sound of sword chanting. Then he grabbed a warhorse, turned over and rode on it, galloping towards the east.

"Hurry up and chase him. Don't let him get away!" Soon, a young general from Xiliang came with dozens of cavalrymen after hearing the news, and they rode at full speed to catch up with Cao Cao.

Soon, a fierce chase began on the straight and spacious post road.

The sound of horses' hooves clattered and dust flew. Although the cold wind blew in his face, Cao Cao on horseback was still frightened and broke out in a cold sweat. After continuous fighting, he was seriously injured and exhausted, like a lamb to be slaughtered.

"Release the arrows and shoot him to death!"

咻咻 咻 ~
Hearing the sound of the bowstring behind him, Cao Cao shrank back in fear. A long arrow flew past his scalp and knocked off the hairpin on his head. Cao Cao fell off his horse in a panic and climbed up from the ground with his hair in disarray. His embarrassed appearance made the pursuers laugh.

The Xiliang young general rode up to Cao Cao with a broadsword in hand and shouted at him, "Cao Cao, you and He Yong assassinated the Grand Tutor, you deserve to be killed! I came here today on orders to take your head! Prepare to die!"

"Am I, Cao Mengde, going to die here today?"

When Cao Cao was in despair, he suddenly heard a fierce howl that seemed to come from the sky, as fast as a startled wild goose.

Before he could react, the Xiliang young general's head exploded like a burst watermelon, and his brain mixed with blood splattered all over the face of Cao Cao, who was closest to him.

The rest of the Xiliang cavalry were immediately like frightened birds.

"Enemy attack!"

"Where is the man?"

Boo~hoo~hoo~
Three arrows were fired in succession, and in a blink of an eye, three more riders were shot off their horses.

The arrows pierced through their chests, and the three knights died instantly. The armor on their bodies was as thin as paper.

The remaining Xiliang cavalry were immediately shocked and angry, shouting, "Damn it, it's an armor-piercing heavy arrow!"

They had been through many battles and knew how terrifying the lethality of these arrows was. Ordinary armor could not withstand them at all.

"Where are the people? Why can't we see anyone?"

"The arrow was shot from the east. Rush over and avenge the captain!"

The remnants of the party struggled in their death throes like frantic trapped beasts.

However, the sound of piercing through the air and the sharp arrows chasing after their souls soon shattered all their fantasies. More than a dozen cavalrymen were shot to death on the way to the charge, and they didn't even have time to turn around and flee.

It was not until this time that Cao Cao looked east blankly and saw a man riding a black horse walking slowly towards him three hundred feet away.

"Nice to meet you again, Brother Mengde."

Wang Jing, holding the Overlord Bow, appeared in front of Cao Cao with a smile on his face.

Cao Cao was awed in his heart, but a smile appeared on his face: "Killing the enemy with an arrow from three hundred feet away, Qi Hou is truly a man of unparalleled courage. I, Cao, will remember your life-saving grace today and will repay you one day."

Wang Jing was not polite at all: "It is better to do it now than to wait for a day. If you want to repay me, now is a good opportunity."

Cao Cao was stunned, then smiled bitterly: "Marquis Qi, just ask for what you want."

"What if I want Meng De to work for me?"

"This... Marquis Qi is joking."

Cao Cao obviously could not accept such conditions as he was not the kind of person who was willing to be inferior to others.

Wang Jing had expected this, so he was not disappointed: "It really doesn't work."

Afterwards, Wang Jing was not in a hurry to achieve success, but retreated to the next best thing and made a small request: "Brother Meng De, before leaving Luoyang, why don't you go to a place with me first?"

"This……"

"Don't worry, I'm here, no one can hurt you."

"In that case, it's all up to Marquis Qi to order."

The two men rode their horses and headed south towards the Luo River.

The Luoyang City on the map looks very large, but in fact it is divided into three major areas by towering walls.

The innermost layer is the imperial palace, which is the residence of the emperor, so it is also called the imperial city or the Forbidden Palace.

Outside the imperial palace is the inner city of Luoyang, which is also the main part of Luoyang City. The residents who can live in the inner city are either high-ranking officials or wealthy families in the city. The poor are not qualified and cannot afford to live in the inner city.

Since there is an inner city, there must be an outer city, which is generally called Guo.

The place where Wang Jing took Cao Cao was a slum located at the southern end of the outer city, close to the Luo River.

The two men were riding on horses, and before they got close, they saw a large building complex that looked like a market.

The gray-black wood, exuding a damp and decayed smell, is so conspicuous and eye-catching against the backdrop of the white snow.

It was as if a dirty and smelly tumor had grown on the pure white earth, which made people feel disgusted just by looking at it and unwilling to get close to it.

And this is the slum in the south of the city, which is gathered with a large number of refugees who have come to Luoyang from all over the country to make a living.

However, there is neither order nor morality here, let alone survival and hope. If there is any place in the world that is closest to hell, it must be here.

This can be seen from the numb and desperate eyes of passers-by.

Cao Cao had been in Luoyang for a long time, so he naturally knew the situation here. He turned around and looked at Wang Jing: "What did Marquis Qi want to do by bringing me here?"

Wang Jing did not speak, but continued to ride forward, and saw several mothers with their children begging for food. In order to have a few bites of food, they either sold their children or sold their bodies. No matter what choice they made, they would only get pain and despair.

But in order to survive, morality often cannot be an obstacle.

After a long while, Wang Jing finally asked, "Meng De, do you know that even Dong Zhuo would not send people to plunder this place?"

Cao Cao remained silent after hearing this.

Wang Jing continued, "Dong Zhuo mobilized troops to station in Luoyang, and the Qiang Rebellion broke out again in Xiliang. Therefore, this winter, a large number of refugees from Guanzhong poured into Luoyang. In fact, even if there was no Qiang Rebellion, there have been many refugees in various states of the Han Dynasty in recent years. Meng De, do you know the reason?"

Cao Cao sighed and responded: "I have thought about this question as early as the Yellow Turban Rebellion, but I couldn't find the answer."

"The country is peaceful and the population is growing, but the amount of land available for cultivation is not increasing. In addition, the aristocratic families are annexing land and collecting food, which will lead to the contradiction between population and land. This will eventually lead to the collapse of the country's finances, the destruction of order, and the dynasty's eventual destruction by natural and man-made disasters."

Every word of Wang Jing's words was like a heavy hammer, striking Cao Cao's heart.

He had thought about and summarized these issues before, but he had never explained them as deeply, thoroughly, or frankly as Wang Jing did.

For a moment, Cao Cao, who also came from a family of officials, found it a little difficult to accept this cruel reality.

However, Wang Jing did not care about his mood at the moment, but continued to increase the weight on his heart: "Look at these refugees in front of you, their ancestors once owned their own land, had surplus food at home, and had no worries about their livelihood. But now, all of these are gone. People will die if they have no food to eat. Do you think they deserve to die?"

Cao Cao’s answer was still silence.

Wang Jing stared at Cao Cao and extended a sincere invitation: "I want to create a prosperous era where all Han people have clothes to wear, food to eat, and all Han people are born equal. You have the talent to rule the world, are you willing to join me in creating peace for all generations?"

(End of this chapter)