Great Han Empire

Chapter 229
Wu Du asked in surprise, "Is that the ex-Jiuquan prefect Huang Yanhuang?"

"Yes. He just brought food and grass here." Wang Guo said, "You also know him. He is a student of the former Taiwei Liu Kuan, and he has a classmate with Fu Xie."

"I heard that he has been serving as the governor of the General's Mansion for the past few years." Wu Du asked suspiciously, "Why did he suddenly come to Longxi?"

Wang Guo and Ma Teng looked at each other, Wang Guo smiled and said nothing.

Ma Teng said, "Sir, brother Yi An is not an outsider, we'd better explain the matter to him clearly, so as not to make mistakes when he makes suggestions."

"Then tell Yi An, I'll go pick up Master Huang." Wang Guo smiled and left the tent.

Ma Teng frowned slightly, thought about it carefully, and said: "Brother Yi An has been staying in the Governor's Mansion, and many things are not clear. The few of us just got together, and we don't have time to talk to you in detail these days. Some time ago , the leopard Li Hong instigated today's emperor to arrest and seize corrupt officials in Xiliang in Luoyang and Kanto. The power of bureaucrats and foreign relatives has been weakened to varying degrees. At this time, relying on the leopard's powerful army and the excuse of cracking down on corruption, the emperor quickly cultivated the power of the clan, recruited middle officials, and gradually formed a new force."

Wu Du's expression was serious, Nian Xu said: "Where did the saying of Shou Cheng come from? What basis do you have?"

Ma Teng said in a low voice: "Master Huang said it. I heard that the emperor suddenly launched an anti-corruption campaign in Luoyang. It was carefully planned in advance, and the matter was concealed from the beginning to the end. It was also executed very quickly and decisively. None of the hundreds of corrupt officials slipped through the net. The Son of Heaven relied on three people to accomplish this. One is Leopard, who provided evidence of corrupt officials and his strong strength. They helped the emperor to control the northern and southern armies, and there was another middle official, Xiao Huangmen Jianshuo, who presided over the entire arrest and search operation. For such a big event, all forces in the DPRK and China, especially those in the palace The Zhongchang attendants don't even know anything about it, so it can be seen that the power in the hands of the emperor is already very strong."

Wu Du pondered, and asked slowly: "What does this have to do with us?"

"It seems that this has nothing to do with us in Xiliang." Ma Teng paused and continued, "Master Huang said that the emperor has always loved the little prince Liu Xie. The little prince is talented, well-behaved and obedient, and has a very docile personality. Prince Liu Bian is naughty, rude, arrogant and domineering. The emperor doesn't like him, and even expressed his dislike for him in public."

Wudu was taken aback.This kind of matter involving the struggle for imperial power is usually very bloody, and it is better not to provoke it.He had already heard the meaning of Ma Teng's words.

"The Son of Heaven intends to abolish his heir and establish his concubine?" Wu Du asked in a low voice.

"I don't know." Ma Teng shook his head and said, "But the queen, the general, and the eunuchs in the palace are all worried about this."

"How can the traitor and the general be brought together?" Wu Du asked in surprise.

"I heard from Master Huang that Empress He's younger sister married the adopted son of Zhongchang Attendant Zhang Rang. The two are relatives and have a very close relationship. Therefore, in the palace, the empress and the eunuchs belong to the same party. Although the general and the eunuchs The eunuchs are at odds, but in terms of personal relationship, he and Zhang Rang are very different. Closed doors are a family, one prospers and one loses. When encountering such a relationship that is worth their lives, of course they We are going to join forces. For the sake of their own lives and the lives of their clan, for the sake of prosperity and wealth, they must take precautions. If the little prince succeeds in the future, just imagine, the queen and the big prince, the big general, and Zhang Rang and other eunuchs, How can there be any chance of survival?"

"In the past, the Son of Heaven was blinded by traitors internally, constrained by family bureaucrats externally, and the general held military power, so even if he had this idea, he dared not say it. But it is different now. From this time on corruption It can be seen that although the strength in the hands of the Son of Heaven is not enough to abolish his heirs and establish his concubines, he can completely nibble and swallow all kinds of opposing forces step by step, so as to achieve the point where he can completely control the power and do whatever he wants."

Wu Du was horrified in his heart, and asked in a low voice: "So, the emperor has already started to do this now?"

"That's what the general said." Ma Teng nodded slightly, "The most threatening force in the hands of the emperor is the leopard Li Hong. As long as Li Hong is removed, the power in the hands of the emperor will be vulnerable. If you can't do whatever you want, then the matter of abolishing the son and establishing the concubine is just a suspicion. Therefore, everyone can keep everyone safe and live in peace."

"If you want to kill Li Hong, you still have to rely on us Xiliang people, right?" Wu Du suddenly asked.

Ma Teng smiled and said: "We Xiliang rebels are getting more and more powerful, what will the leopard do to destroy us? He was defeated by us in Xiliang, or he worked in vain. There is a dead end. If Xiliang cannot be pacified, how can the emperor protect him? Without the army, without strength, why would the emperor protect him? Once he dies, the general will personally conquer Xiliang, and we will surrender. Then everyone who should be promoted should get rich Get rich. Good thing."

Ma Teng then said with emotion: "It's a pity that there is a leopard. Without him, our corrupt officials in Xiliang will not know how long they will run rampant? If our people in Xiliang can live a good life, we still have to thank him."

Wu Du laughed and said, "Without him, how could we get promoted and get rich? We really want to thank him." Then he pointed to Ma Teng and said, "I've been wondering why the master promised me that he would at least guarantee me to do A prefect of a county, so he has a relationship with a general. You have concealed me for a long time..."

"What's hidden, it's just that I don't have time to tell you." Ma Teng said with a smile, "We need to put Mr. in the position of commander-in-chief as soon as possible to ensure that the development of the situation is completely controlled by us, and there will be no accidents."

Ma Teng then said very seriously: "Whether it's Boyu or Mr. Wenyue, if either of them is a commander in chief, it may bring us unexpected troubles. Especially that stone, he belongs to the Qiang people , I don’t want to appease and accept the surrender at all, so we must get the position of the general as soon as possible no matter what.”

Wu Du nodded again and again, and said: "Indeed, indeed, Shoucheng, you are right, this matter should be done as soon as possible."

"Also, everyone is a brother. Although there are some things that cannot be said, everyone rebelled to live a good life, so that the people of Xiliang can have enough food and clothing. No one is a bad person, so don't do too much. It’s too much, if you hurt your feelings or die, then it’s meaningless. Brother Boyu and Mr. Wenyue can’t have any accidents. They are two Qiang people in Xiliang, and the Han people have a high prestige. If an accident happens, it may cause military turmoil If the army is in chaos, it will be troublesome." Ma Teng said worriedly, "If there is internal strife and our own people kill our own people, not only will we not be able to kill the leopards, but we will take advantage of the leopards for no reason. So we must not kill people."

Wu Du smiled and said: "Shoucheng, you think too much, how can things be so complicated. By the way, Mr. Huang was sent by the general?"

Ma Teng shook his head with a smile, and said: "Mr. Huang was dismissed by the general with excuses, and when he was at a loss what to do, Mr. He Yong (read yong), the left Sima of the general's mansion, came to him and explained the whole story in detail. Only then did Mr. Huang suddenly understand. He hurried west with a huge sum of money after Mr. He gave the opportunity. Mr. He said at the time that if this matter is done, starting from Mr. Huang, to Mr., to you and me, you can get two thousand shi. Wealth is countless. If it goes wrong..." Ma Teng said with a wry smile, "We are rebels. What I said today, I have the right to tell you a joke."

Wu Du asked: "This Mr. He Yonghe is the famous party member in the world?"

"Master Huang said, it's him." Ma Teng praised, "This man is very remarkable. He was well-known in the Imperial Academy. Famous scholars in the Imperial Academy, Guo Tai, Jia Biao, and Chen Fan and Grand Tutor Chen were friends with him in the same generation. His righteousness is thin, and his chivalrous reputation spread far and wide. He had a friend named Yu Weigao, who died of illness before his father's revenge. After he buried his friend, he drew his sword and killed his friend and enemy, and then took his head to do it. Sacrifice. When the imperial court arrested the party members, because of his many friends in the Jianghu, he hardly encountered any danger. He boldly entered and left the capital, drank and fencing in the mansions of powerful families, and plotted several times to rescue the party members. actions. He was invited by the general to serve in the mansion after hearing that the party members had lifted the ban."

"If he told Huang Yan these words, then he would not be wrong." Wu Du said solemnly, "I am the most convinced party member, especially this He Yong."

He looked at Ma Teng, and suddenly asked, "Why did you figure it out again, and follow Mr. to raise the flag, so you're not afraid of humiliating your ancestors?"

Ma Teng waved his hand, and said with great emotion: "When I become a general and guard the western frontier for the Han Dynasty, who dares to say that I have humiliated my ancestors today?"

Wudu laughed.

=

Huang Yan is not tall and has a small body. He has a small white and fat face, two thick eyebrows, and two big protruding eyes.He spoke very fast, and with the ups and downs of his voice, his eyes opened wider and wider, as if the eyeballs were about to pop out of their sockets, and he looked serious and nervous.

He was surprised and said: "Beigong Boyu? Shoucheng, why didn't you support Han Sui at that time? Han Sui is a man who can bend and stretch, and has a deep scheming, which is beyond the comparison of ordinary people. When he persuaded Bian Zhang to follow Beigong Boyu to rebel, he just He intends to stay in Xiliang and do something big. If Han Sui is temporarily appointed as the commander-in-chief, we will put a little pressure on him and reveal his willingness to appease him, and he will join hands with us, so that our chances of success will be greatly increased."

Wu Du asked respectfully: "My lord, you said that Han Sui wants to do something big in Xiliang. What big thing does he want to do?"

"When Han Sui was serving his teacher Zhang Huan and Mr. Zhang in Luoyang, he often discussed government affairs with a group of Taixue. Mr. He Yonghe personally heard him talk about the idea of ​​governing Xiliang. After Bian Zhang and Han Sui rebelled, He Yong My lord once told me that Han Sui's rebellion must be to occupy Xiliang and dominate Xijiang."

"Dominate Western Border?"

"Yes." Huang Yan said, "dominating Xiliang cannot be accomplished overnight. To realize his long-cherished wish, Han Sui has to make many sacrifices, including supporting the rebels, surrendering to the court, and so on. The specific steps he took to achieve his goal step by step. Now that Beigong Boyu is the commander-in-chief, Han Sui will definitely step back and actively provide assistance and support, because from the perspective of stabilizing the occupation of Xiliang, what Beigong Boyu said is still It is very reasonable and in line with Han Sui's personal goals."

"But this method is not suitable for us. Our purpose is to hurt the imperial court, force the leopard to death, and force the imperial court to appease again. Therefore, we must quickly enter Sansuke at all costs and threaten Chang'an. In this way, His Majesty is furious. , can only compromise with the various forces in North Korea and China by killing the leopards, in order to get their full support and quickly wipe out us. It is already a severe winter at this time, and the general will have to wait until next spring if he wants to personally conquer. In order to put down the rebellion as soon as possible , The general and the court ministers will once again propose a strategy to His Majesty. For the stability of Xiliang and Guanzhong, for next year's spring farming, and to save military resources, His Majesty will definitely agree. In this way, our goal will be achieved."

"In order to achieve this goal, the safest way for us is to let Mr. sit in the position of commander-in-chief so that we can smoothly control the development of the situation in Xiliang." Huang Yan looked at everyone and said, "Although we are in trouble now, the solution is still some."

Wu Du asked cautiously: "Master Huang already has a solution?"

Huang Yan said with a smile: "Whoever blocks our way, we will kill him?"

"Does your lord want to kill Beigong Boyu?" Ma Teng said in surprise, "Once Beigong Boyu dies, he will have an army of [-] Qiang people in his hands. If..."

Huang Yan said indifferently: "Beigong Boyu is dead, what do tens of thousands of Qiang people want to do? Want to rebel? They have already rebelled, who else can rebel? Their camp is between us and Han Sui's camp." In the middle, when the time comes, we will surround them, and then take some money to bribe Qushuai, big and small, and the matter will be settled. Don’t worry, there will be no trouble.”

Ma Teng also said that he was stopped by the kingdom.

Huang Yan said with a smile: "I know that Shoucheng and him are brothers who have been close to each other. If you want to kill him, you will inevitably not accept it in your heart. But don't worry, you don't want to do it. Now you are going to tell Beigong Boyu that we are going to kill him , it doesn’t matter, because we won’t do it either.”

Ma Teng looked at him suspiciously.

"As long as we support Han Sui resolutely, this handsome man will soon be yours." Huang Yan smiled slightly and said nothing.

=

Fu Xie was in the north, on the banks of the Yellow River in the Anding area, leading the Qiang people to reclaim wasteland and help them improve their lives.The Qiang people were moved by his righteousness, and they came to surrender one after another, and the number of dependents reached tens of thousands.Fu Xie set up more than [-] camps by the Yellow River to accommodate the Qiang people who came to vote from all over the country.Now, these Qiang people still live there, and they often talk about the favor bestowed on them by Fu Xie.

Today, standing on the high city wall, looking at the more than 3000 Qiang people in Beidi County below the city, he does not have any sense of accomplishment. Instead, he feels a kind of sadness, a kind of heartbreaking grief.

What did he do?He just did his own duty, so that the people in his jurisdiction can have enough food and clothing, can have tents to live in, and can live in laughter every day.For the rest, he did nothing for them, nor was he capable of doing more for them.But he did such an insignificant thing, but the Qiang people on the banks of the Yellow River remembered him, were grateful to him, and were willing to die for him.He is sad, and sad for the great Han country.Some people in the Han Kingdom were unwilling to do even such a small thing, so that the sky was angry and the people complained, and the war was in trouble again and again.sin.

Kuang Fengsha looked up at Fu Xie who was standing with his hands behind his back on the tower, feeling very complicated.This person used to be his friend, an adult he admired.This man has done a lot of good deeds in order to save the children of the tribe. He once sold his property and went to Chang'an to ask a doctor to buy medicine in order to save the children of the tribe.He himself had sworn that he would give his life for this man.But today, what did he do with his clansmen?
Kuangfengsha shouted loudly: "Get off...horse..."

More than 3000 soldiers flew off their horses in unison, in uniform.

Kuang Fengsha reached out and took the battle flag of the Xianling clan, turned around suddenly, raised the flag and shouted: "Kneel..."

More than 3000 soldiers knelt down facing the city gate.

Kuangfengsha turned around slowly, and slowly knelt down on the ground.

He looked up at Fu Xie, exhausted all his strength, and roared hoarsely: "May I send you respect...to return to...hometown..."

Almost at the same time, more than 3000 soldiers shouted wildly: "Respectfully send you off...return...to your hometown..."

Its voice is so loud that it pierces clouds and cracks rocks, shaking heaven and earth.

He called three times.

Fu Xie stood silently, his heart surging.

"Kneel...knock..."

With roars one after another, more than 3000 soldiers of Xianling Qiang suddenly bowed and saluted.After the ceremony, he roared three more times, and the sound shook the sky.

Fu Xie couldn't bear it anymore, tears streaming down his face instantly.

He suddenly pulled out his saber, and with all his strength, he slashed at the green bricks on the city wall.

"When..." With a loud noise, the knife snapped, leaving half of it stuck on the wall.

Fu Xie turned and left.

Kuang Fengsha stood up abruptly, clenched his fists, and roared in pain, "Going back...hometown... la..."

=

The roar has been echoing over Yicheng, from morning till night.

The people of Yicheng gathered in front of the government office, unwilling to disperse for a long time.They were worried that their prefect would abandon them and escape alone.

Fu Xie's son, Fu Qian, is 13 years old this year and guards Yicheng with his father.When a group of officials in the government office saw that the Xianling Qiang cavalry were willing to let Fu Xie escape, they all asked Fu Gan to persuade him.The 10,000+ army outside the city attacked a small Yicheng, and it was a matter of little effort from time to time.If you can escape with your life, why do you have to seek death here?

Fu Gan was unwilling.He knew his father's temper.I went by myself, but also looking for scolding.At this time, even he was unwilling to escape alone, it would be a lifetime of shame, and death would be better than life.As a father who is famous all over the world, he would not do such a thing of being reviled and ruining his reputation for the rest of his life.

The master Bo Yanghui has followed Fu Xie for many years, knowing that Fu Xie's heart is as firm as steel, and he will never change the decision he made.The clean break on the city wall already represented Fu Xie's intention of never looking back.

Yang Hui is in his thirties and not outstanding in appearance. Although he is not tall, his back is a bit hunched.He walked gently into the study.Fu Xie was writing at his desk.

"My lord, Kuangfengsha brought his subordinates and kept shouting outside the city."

"Let him go." Fu Xie said, "Kangfengsha is a determined person. He shouted for a day, and he felt more comfortable, and he won't come tomorrow. Let him shout."

"My lord, the people in the city are still gathering outside the government office..."

"I know." Fu Xie raised his head, looked at Yang Hui, and said with a smile, "My name is Ziwei (Hua Xiong) leading people to fill up the city gate. All four gates are blocked, and there is no escape route. People, see After arriving, I will know my determination, and I will disperse soon. The officials in the government office are still gathered in the lobby?"

Yang Hui shook his head and said with a smile: "They are still lobbying the young master to persuade you to leave the city. The young master only cares about playing chess with them and ignores them at all."

"This group of people..." Fu Xie shook his head and said, "If I leave, they will sacrifice the city and surrender, and they will not care about the life and death of the people in the city. Sigh..."

"My lord, will they attack the city tomorrow?"

=

(End of this chapter)