The Jagged Cavalry of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 194 Chapter 193 Emperor's Edict
In April of the second year of Xingping of the Han Dynasty, Liu Xie, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, came to Xuzhou and arrived in Pengcheng under the escort of Hushi General Zhang Yan.

Outside the city of Pengcheng, Chen Qun and Zhang Zhao led the army and the whole city, civil and military, were waiting at the city gate. The roadsides were full of people who came to watch, and they all wanted to witness the emperor's demeanor with their own eyes.

Zhang Yan rode a dark cloud riding snow horse, wearing a suit of armor, and walked beside the carriage that Liu Xie was riding in. Seeing the lively scene in front of the carriage with lights and festoons, festoons and drums, and crowds of people, Zhang Yan said to Liu Xie who was sitting in the car. : "Your Majesty, Pengcheng has arrived!"

Liu Xie opened the roller blind from inside the carriage, poked his head out, looked straight ahead, and suddenly saw a majestic and majestic city appearing in front of him.

However, the city in front of him was quite different from what he had seen before. Most of the cities he saw were square or rectangular, but what caught his eyes was a circular city.

The city wall is about three feet high. Outside the city wall is a wide moat. Now a suspension bridge has been erected on the moat. A wide and flat road leads directly from the suspension bridge to the tall city gate.

Liu Xie noticed that the road the carriage was walking on was not paved with large bluestones, but looked very smooth, as if it had been painted by something, and formed an integral blue-gray color with the city wall.

"This is Pengcheng?" Liu Xie never dreamed that Pengcheng would be so magnificent.

"Your Majesty, this is Pengcheng. When Tao Shijun was in charge of Xuzhou, I once resisted Cao Cao's invasion here. After the First World War, Pengcheng was devastated. In order to prevent Cao Cao from invading again, I used tens of thousands of civilians here day and night. The constant construction is what made Pengcheng what it is today." Zhang Yan replied.

"This Pengcheng was built by Ai Qing?" Liu Xie asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Aiqing is really different. Most of the cities I have seen are square, but the ones Aiqing built are round. Are round cities better than square ones?" Liu Xie asked.

"Each has its own strengths. Your Majesty, now all the ministers and subordinates are gathered at the city gate, together with the people in Pengcheng, waiting for His Majesty's arrival. It can be seen how much the people in Pengcheng want His Majesty to come here."

Liu Xie just smiled, didn't say anything, glanced at the majestic city again, and thought to himself: "When I enter Pengcheng today, it's like being in the palm of Zhang Yan, and I don't know when I will Only then can I walk out freely from here..."

Putting down the roller blind, Liu Xie's smiling face gradually disappeared, replaced by an expressionless face, as cold as ice.

"I welcome Your Majesty, welcome General Hussars!" Seeing Zhang Yan and Liu Xie approaching gradually, Chen Qun, Zhang Zhao and others hurried forward to greet them and said in unison.

"Your Majesty, wait for peace!" Liu Xie was sitting in the carriage, but he did not show his face, but shouted loudly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Chen Qun, Zhang Zhao and others stood up one after another and lined up in front of them.

Zhang Yan glanced at Chen Qun and asked, "Is everything ready?"

Chen Qun said: "Everything is ready!"

Zhang Yan then said to Liu Xie who was sitting in the carriage: "Your Majesty, I have ordered my subordinates to prepare a palace for His Majesty in the city, so I will take Your Majesty into the city now!"

"Ok!"

Therefore, Zhang Yan asked Chen Qun, Zhang Zhao and others to lead the way, while he rode a black cloud riding snow horse at the front of the team, and let Liu Xie's carriage follow behind him, and slowly drove into the city.

The civil and military officials and the people all over the city lined up to welcome them, shouting: "Long live my emperor! Long live my emperor!"

The palace that Zhang Yan prepared for Liu Xie was next to the official residence where he lived, separated only by a wall.It is located in the center of Pengcheng, the heart of Pengcheng.

The maids and guards in the palace were specially arranged by Zhang Yan. They were all his people, and every pair of eyes could monitor Liu Xie's every move for him. The whole palace was like a huge prison.

For this reason, Zhang Yan also specially prepared mansions for the officials who escaped with Liu Xie. They work in the front and live in the back. They are all distributed in the inner city, not far from Zhang Yan's official residence and palace.

In the entire inner city, there is no idler waiting, and the guards are heavily guarded, and there is only one door to enter and exit.

Zhang Yan's arrangement is to facilitate his control of Liu Xie.

Liu Xie was brought into the palace by Zhang Yan. He took Liu Xie around the palace with great interest and introduced the terrain here to Liu Xie.

Because the Xinggong was originally a part of Zhang Yan's mansion, the design is not as grand as the Royal Palace, but the Xinggong is still divided into seven courtyards. In the middle courtyard, Zhang Yan built a palace on the original basis. , named Chonghua Hall, as the main hall where the emperor of the Han Dynasty received his courtiers.

After wandering around for a while, Zhang Yan and Liu Xie finally came to the Chonghua Palace, and all civil and military officials followed them to the Chonghua Palace.

Liu Xie officially ascended the emperor's throne in the Chonghua Palace, and then said loudly: "Zhang Aiqing has always thought of me, and I am touched. Now I and all the officials have been well settled, and I also want to thank Zhang Aiqing. Zhang Aiqing first worked hard for the king, and now she has put so much effort into arranging the palace for me, if I don't reward Zhang Aiqing well, I'm afraid people in the world will..."

"Your Majesty arrived in Pengcheng for the first time, and the pommel horse was exhausted, and all the adults were exhausted. I think that the matter of awarding rewards should be discussed later. Your Majesty should first get familiar with the familiar environment here, and then rest!" Zhang Yan interrupted hastily. After Liu Xie's words.

Liu Xiedao: "Aiqing has meritorious service in protecting the driver. If I don't reward you, it will be too much for heaven. However, what Aiqing said is very reasonable. Let's take a day off today. Tomorrow, please come to Chonghua Hall, and I will discuss it later. Reward for meritorious deeds!"

"Your Majesty, I'm taking my leave first. If Your Majesty needs anything, just send someone to the minister's mansion to summon my minister, and I will definitely do my best to meet all your majesty's needs!" Zhang Yan said.

"I see, I will send Aiqing away..."

Zhang Yandao: "No need, Your Majesty is exhausted, it is better to rest more first. In addition, the official residences of the lords have also been arranged, and someone will come here to take the lords to their respective official residences in a while. The space in Pengcheng is limited. The palaces and official residences that I can provide for His Majesty and your lords are also very limited, with office in the front yard and accommodation in the back yard, I hope your majesty and your lords will forgive me."

"It's enough for Zhang Aiqing to find a place to live for me and all my lords. What else can I expect?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for understanding me, I have to leave first!"

After Zhang Yan left, Liu Xie and the accompanying officials all stayed in the Chonghua Hall. After a while, more than 30 people came in from outside the hall. After meeting Liu Xie, they took the officials to various mansions.

Liu Xie stayed in the palace with Empress Fu Shi, Concubine Dong and others. A group of court ladies came forward to serve him, bathe and change clothes, and wash away the dust along the way.

When Zhang Yan returned to the mansion, Chen Qun and Zhang Zhao had been waiting there for a long time. When they saw Zhang Yan came back, they said in unison: "See my lord!"

"Exemption!" Zhang Yan walked into the hall while talking, sat down on his buttocks, and asked, "Is there something you are looking for me at this time?"

Zhang Zhaodao: "My lord, now that your majesty has arrived in Pengcheng, and my lord has already made arrangements for your majesty. Next, should my lord firmly control the power of the imperial court in my own hands?"

"This subordinate also has the same opinion." Chen Qun said.

Zhang Yan laughed and said: "You are all right, but you can't act too hastily now. Your Majesty is a smart person. I think he should know what to do. His Majesty first arrived in Pengcheng, and the news will continue to spread. From now on, the world's government orders will be issued from here. Therefore, we must strengthen the defense of Pengcheng!"

"Here!"

On the second day, Liu Xie had someone read out the imperial decree in the Chonghua Hall, canonized Zhang Yan as a general, opened the third division of Yitong, and ordered him to take over the country's military aircraft.

The next day, Liu Xie also sealed Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, Chen Deng, Chen Qun, Chen Gui, Mi Zhu, Sun Qian, Dong Zhao, Kong Rong, Chen Jiao, Zhuge Jin, Bu Zhi, and Yan Yan under Zhang Yan's tent. , Wang Xiu, Mao Jie and others served as servants.

The next day, Liu Xie issued another imperial edict to seal Tai Shici, Xu Chu, Xu Huang, Zang Ba, Yu Jin, Niu Jin, Xu Sheng, Mi Fang, Lu Dai, Li Dian, Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin, and Bao under Zhang Yan's tent. Xun, Bao Shao, Chen Ying, Sun Guan, Wu Dun, Yin Li, Sun Kang and others were generals.

For two days in a row, all the officials under Zhang Yan's account were rewarded, and none of them failed.

On the third day, Liu Xie issued another imperial edict, dismissing Situ Chunyujia and Sikong Zhang Xi from the three public positions, and were demoted to admonishing doctors respectively.

On the fourth day, Tai Wei Yang Biao, Wei Wei Zhang Wen, and Shang Shu Feng Shuo went to Shushu to ask for resignation, which was approved by Liu Xie.

On the fifth day, Liu Xie sent someone to summon Zhang Yan to the Chonghua Hall, saying that he had something important to discuss.

Zhang Yan soon arrived at the Chonghua Hall, and as soon as he entered the main hall, he knelt down in front of Liu Xie, cupped his fists and said, "Mr. Zhang Yan, I pay my respects to Your Majesty."

"Aiqing, get back on your feet quickly."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Zhang Yan stood up from the ground and asked hastily, "I don't know why your majesty summoned his ministers here?"

Liu Xiedao: "I heard that there are several counselors in Aiqing's account, all of whom are talented in the world, and they are the pillars of the country and the country. I have already asked someone to write an imperial edict, and I am going to seal Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, Chen Qun, Chen Gui and Dong Zhao are holding important positions in the court, I don't know what Zhang Aiqing wants?"

Before Zhang Yan could speak, Liu Xie said to the maid next to him, "Pass the edict to the general for viewing."

"Here!"

Zhang Yan took the imperial edict from the hand of the court lady, opened it, and read it slowly, but saw that it said that Zhang Zhao was named Situ, Chen Qun was named Sikong, Zhang Hong was named Taiwei, Chen Gui was named Weiwei, and Dong Zhao is Shangshu.

He couldn't help being stunned, the Taiwei, Situ, and Sikong are all three lords, their status is equal to that of a general, and Wei Wei is one of the nine ministers. Although the salary of the Shangshu is not very high, all the edicts come from this Shangshu Taiwan, although this official is not as good as the Sangong and Jiuqing, it is far more important than the Sangong and Jiuqing. He is in charge of sending and receiving documents, that is to say, the memorials to the emperor and the imperial edicts issued by the emperor are all passed through the hands of the minister.

For several days in a row, Liu Xie appointed Zhang Yan's subordinates successively, and none of them failed. After that, he first dismissed Situ and Sikong, then Taiwei, Weiwei, and Shangshu all resigned, and now Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, and Chen Qun, Chen Gui, and Dong Zhao were important ministers in the court. The intention of this move immediately made Zhang Yan's back break out in cold sweat.

Liu Xie is trying to poach him. These people are Zhang Yan's think tanks. If they all hold important official positions such as Taiwei, Situ, Sikong, Weiwei, and Shangshu, how can they work hard for themselves over time?

"It's a good plan to draw a salary from the bottom of the pot. I didn't expect Liu Xie to be so clever at such a young age. He has only been in Pengcheng for a few days, and he actually has my idea." Zhang Yan thought to himself.

After thinking about it, Zhang Yan murmured in his heart again: "Since Liu Xie wants to confer such an important official position on them, all he needs to do is promulgate this edict. At that time, no matter how reluctant I am, the emperor's edict is here, and it is done. It's already too late for me to say anything else. But why did Liu Xie invite me to come over and let me look at this edict? Could it be that he has another purpose?"

Thinking of this, Zhang Yan fell into deep thought, not knowing how to deal with it.

(End of this chapter)