Great Han Empire

Chapter 341 The Swordsman
Under the coercion of the emperor, the reopening of the discussion on salt and iron successfully passed the collegiate meeting of the three governments and issued an edict to the whole country.

Just as the emperor expected, Luoyang immediately set off a general wave of opposition. Moreover, this time, the scholars in Luoyang directly aimed their spearheads at the middle officials. The reason why there are internal and external troubles, continuous wars, and the lack of money in the treasury is, in the final analysis, the result of treachery and misuse of power to harm the country and the extreme corruption of officials.The Son of Heaven abolished the official sales of salt and iron, and the beneficiary is not the country, but corrupt officials all over the world.The reopening of salt and iron will not only fail to enrich the country and strengthen the people, but will make corrupt officials everywhere more confident. The result is not to save the dying Han Dynasty, but to push the country to the road of extinction.

The emperor was very surprised by the attitude of the ministers of the foreign court. They kept silent on this matter, neither expressing opposition nor support, and there were very few memorials to persuade the emperor.The facts are cruel. Bingzhou and Youzhou are at war, but the treasury has no money. The wars in the past few years have completely exhausted the financial and material resources of the Han Kingdom. It is the only way to amass wealth at present.If the benefits of salt and iron are in the pockets of the emperor and a few people, it is better to let go of the business, so that the Dasinong Mansion can also get a share of the pie.The salt and iron in Bingzhou and Hedong have been opened for more than half a year, and its huge profits have successfully supported the farming of Bingzhou.Facts speak louder than words. At a time when the court is corrupt and the country is in crisis, the role of reopening salt and iron is still very obvious.

The princes, dignitaries, and corrupt officials who had an affair with Yantie first worried that the reopening of Yantie would harm their vested interests, but the liberalization of Yantie in Bingzhou and Hedong gave these greedy robbers a surprise. Not only will the liberalization of operations not reduce their profits, but their profits will double due to the intervention of merchants and the sharp increase in production.They became the backbone of supporting the emperor's reopening of salt and iron this time.

The salt and iron turmoil has not yet subsided, and there is another shocking news from Shangshutai that the emperor will build another 3 army in Luoyang.

===

After General He Jin got the news, he hurriedly summoned He Yong, Yuan Shao, Xu You and others to discuss.

After He Yong was injured, the heart of getting rid of eunuchs became more urgent.Seeing that He Jin was weak, he immediately came forward with Yuan Shao and invited his friends and famous party members Zhang Miao from Dongping, Wu Fu from Runan, and Wu Ziqing to Luoyang.Years later, because the emperor pardoned the world, Xu You from Nanyang also returned to Luoyang.These few people were good friends in the past, and they were all regular visitors to Yuan Shao's mansion back then, and they planned the rescue of party members from Beisi Prison several times.

Yuan Shao recommended Wang Kuang and Bao Xin to the general, Xu You recommended Hua Xin from Pingyuan, and Kong Rong recommended Chen Lin.

Yuan Shao felt that it was not enough. Currently, none of these people is an important figure.The Great General lacks famous people who are famous all over the world to sit in the Great General's Mansion, and it is difficult to get the full support of the world's scholars after all.So they suggested that the general invite Xun Shuang, a scholar in Yingchuan, and Wang Qian, a scholar in Gaoping, Shanyang, to enter the mansion.

When the general heard this, he was surprised and delighted, and accompanied by Liu Biao and Zhang Miao, he rushed to Yingchuan to invite Xun Shuang.Xun Shuang didn't want to, he looked down on He Jin and didn't want to become an official, but he couldn't resist Liu Biao and Zhang Miao's persuasion, and coupled with the temptation to use He Jin's power to eradicate the traitors, he still came to the capital sick.He Jin wanted to worship him as a long history, but Xun Shuang refused and recommended Wang Qian.

Wang Qian has a prominent family background.His grandfather, Wang Gong, was the Taiwei of the Emperor Shun Dynasty, and his father, Wang Chang, was a famous party member, who was Sikong of the Emperor Shun Dynasty. (His son was Wang Jie, one of the seven sons of Jian'an who later became famous all over the world.) He had a close relationship with the aristocratic family in Luoyang.When Wang Qian received the recruitment from the General's Mansion, he ignored it at all.Xun Shuang then wrote a letter to him, explaining in detail the purpose of coming to Beijing.In the current situation of the Han Dynasty, only with the help of the generals can we eradicate the traitors and revive the court.As a subject of the Great Han Kingdom, you have to do your best for the rise and fall of the country. How can you cherish your status and enjoy the happiness at home and abandon righteousness?

Wang Qian was recruited into the general's mansion as a long history because of his affection.General He Jin, in order to get close to him, even imagined that he would marry him as his in-laws.Wang Qian snorted, mocked He Jin, and packed up his things to walk.Fortunately, Yuan Wei stepped forward to smooth things over at this time and tried his best to keep Wang Qian.General He Jin was very chilled.No matter how humble he is and how noble his status is, in the eyes of these high-ranking celebrities and scholars, he is just the son of a butcher, a negligent relative.

He Jin figured it out, these people, including He Yong and Yuan Shao, were just using him, but why wasn't he using them?In the future, the eldest prince will inherit the imperial line, who will rule the country?It's not about relying on these people.Look at today's day, near the villain, far away from the virtuous minister, and finally the country is governed in a mess, and the country is about to perish.For the sake of the First Prince and his own future, just take some anger. In the future, as long as he is in control, he can do whatever he wants and do whatever he wants.

The entry of Xun Shuang and Wang Qian shocked the government and the public. Famous Confucianist Shen Tufan, Zhang Hong was invited by Xun Shuang and Wang Qian to Luoyang, and even Zheng Xuan, a master of Confucian classics, was invited to Luoyang.Although the great general He Jin greeted him with gifts from his disciples, Zheng Xuan still stayed in the general's mansion for one night before leaving.It was enough for him to come all the way from Beihai.He Jin's prestige reached its peak in an instant, and the number of diners in his family exceeded a thousand.

The middle officials were a little panicked. If this continues, the little advantage they finally gained will be lost in a blink of an eye.They hurriedly encouraged He Miao, the chariot general, to also invite celebrities into the mansion. Although it seemed that the He brothers' power had expanded, the middle officials had a plan in mind.Le Yin of Anping, a great Confucian in Jizhou, was recruited by He Miao as a long history. Le Yin immediately came forward and invited friends and disciples to enter the mansion one after another.

Just when He Jin was in high spirits and ready to do a big job, the emperor suddenly wanted to build an army, which gave He Jin a head start and made him nervous immediately.

At this time, He Yong's body has basically recovered, and his current status is the guest minister of the General's Mansion.After He Yong and Yuan Shao heard the news, they couldn't help applauding and celebrating, "General, this is great news, a big event has come true."

He Jin was overjoyed, and his worries disappeared, "I would like to hear the details."

"Your Majesty builds an army of [-]. He must hope that the [-] army will soon have the strength to compete with the Northern Army. Then, he needs a considerable number of middle and lower-level officers. There are no officers who are proficient in military affairs. Whether it is forming an army Still, the training can’t meet His Majesty’s requirements, but, are there any of these officers who are eunuchs?” He Yong smiled, “No Zhao Zhong, nor Zhang Rang, their disciples and children are not only corrupt, flattering, licentious and pleasure-seeking, What else would they do?"

"These people can only be selected from the scholars who are both civil and military." Yuan Shao said, "Whether it is the clan or the middle officials, they don't have so many children who are good at military affairs, only we have."

"As for the captains of the new army, the same is true." He Yong went on to say, "The various forces in the DPRK and China will definitely compete for these captains. The emperor himself does not have so many cronies. Except for that little Huang Men Jianshuo has no one who can be trusted, so who else can occupy these positions? There is no one other than the former students of the gentry bureaucrats."

"Your Majesty is trying his best to win over the gentry. As long as we are willing to go, Your Majesty will be very happy." Yuan Shao looked at He Jin and said, "In order to paralyze the emperor and the middle officials, the general's posture should be low-key, and he can even go out of the city to the northern camp. Wait for a while and show a look of panic, so that they will feel more at ease and can't wait to use our people."

He Jin suddenly came to his senses, and smiled happily: "Then why don't you choose some people from the officials and retainers in the mansion..."

"If the general is willing, that would be even better." He Yong said, "If your Majesty wants to build a new army, he must rely on the ministers of Shangshutai. It is not enough to count on Jian Shuo, an eunuch who does not understand the art of war? Shangshutai Lord Huangfu and Lord Lu will definitely arrange for a large number of noblemen’s children to join the new army, the general can rest assured. However, in order to avoid suspicion, it is better to let the original uncle, Lord Yuan, come forward for these matters, and let him recommend it.”

"In addition, in the new army, you must always arrange some people for the middle officials and the clan, otherwise, your majesty will not be at ease." He Yong said with a smile, "the general must remember to pretend to be sincere and fearful, and bow his head to his orders. You The more nervous and frightened they appear, the more His Majesty and the lieutenant feel that the general is being restrained by them. As long as they relax their vigilance against the general, our chance will come."

Yuan Shao said: "The backbone of Your Majesty's new army is almost all members of the general and the gentry. This new army is actually the new army of the general. In the future, when the time comes, we will have the northern army guarding the eight gates of Gyeonggi outside, and the inside The new army controls the vital points in Luoyang, so why worry about failure?"

He Jin laughed happily, "It would be great if Ding Yuan's troops were still in Hanoi, so that we could mobilize more people to join His Majesty's new army. It's a pity that he has gone to Yanmen Pass now, and those thousands of troops are probably not enough." I can't keep it."

"Ding Yuan must go to Bingzhou to support." He Yong said, "Zhang Yan's Yellow Turban Army is really unreliable and cannot be used. Beijiang cannot be lost. If you lose Beijiang, Gyeonggi will be in danger. Although Li Hong lost Beijiang Life may be lost, but it will be even more dangerous if the Great Han Kingdom loses the barrier of Northern Xinjiang and Li Hong, a hero. When Northern Xinjiang is stabilized and the emperor's rule is resolved, we will solve Li Hong's trouble. "

He Jin hesitated for a moment and asked, "If Li Hong wins both Bingzhou and Youzhou, we..."

He Yong and Yuan Shao glanced at each other, and they smiled knowingly.

Yuan Shao said: "The general is overthinking, we still have time. Now it seems that the battle of Bingzhou is the most important thing. Whether Bingzhou can be kept is directly related to the safety of the capital and the future of the Han Dynasty, so Li Hong is sure. If he wants to return aid, once he returns aid, the suppression of the rebellion in Youzhou will be delayed. Therefore, it is very difficult for Li Hong to go to Youzhou to suppress the rebellion this year. The Huns rebellion and the Xianbei invasion taught Li Hong a lesson. He must think of Youzhou to suppress the rebellion. , we must first recover the lost land, stabilize the Xiongnu, and ensure that Bingzhou has no worries, otherwise, we will not be able to go north to Youzhou at all."

"If Li Hong wins in both Bingzhou and Youzhou, we will find a way to let him go out and recover the four counties in northern Xinjiang." He Yong said with a smile, "Once we go, it will be very difficult to turn back."

===

At the end of this month, the emperor summoned all his officials to enjoy flowers and drink in the West Garden.During the banquet, Jian Shuo of the Xiaohuang family announced the emperor's decree, saying that the world is in constant war and the country is in danger, and a new army will be formed in Luoyang.

There was no sound in the West Garden.

The ministers had heard about this a long time ago, and everyone had their own plans in mind.It is definitely impossible to prevent the emperor from building an army. Whoever stops it will make it clear that he does not support the emperor's abolition of his son and establishment of his concubine.

In fact, if you think about it carefully, the establishment of the emperor's army is beneficial to all forces in Luoyang, and there is no need to stop it.The Northern Army belongs to the General, and no one can grab it. Once the General launches a mutiny, no one will be able to defend against it. Now His Majesty builds another army, which is just right to counter the Northern Army. It is good for everyone, except the General of course.

Zhongguan is the happiest.Your Majesty's army is their army.Who will His Majesty rely on to control the army?Of course it is the middle officer.Whenever it comes to the most critical time, His Majesty trusts the middle officer the most.In the past, there was no army, and everyone was afraid of the threat of the general, but now there is no need for it, and the middle officer can breathe a sigh of relief.With the army, who is afraid of whom?

The rich and powerful were also happy.An army, from preparation to training to formation of combat effectiveness, requires a large number of gentry officers with both civil and military skills as the backbone. In this way, this army is actually a powerful force in the hands of the gentry.With this army, plus the Northern Army, when the time comes, killing a few traitors will be easy.

The emperor and the middle officials were very happy to see the general sitting on the table with an uneasy expression, with a hint of fear on his face.

Since no one objected, the matter was passed, and the emperor waved his hand to signal Jian Shuo to come up with the second edict.This is the imperial decree ordering Shangshutai to organize manpower immediately and start preparing for the new army.Shangshu ordered Huangfusong to kneel down to receive the imperial edict.

At this time, Situ Xuxiang knelt down and played, first flattering the emperor, saying that the emperor formed a new army, which would make a lasting contribution, and then said that His Majesty should give the new army a mighty and majestic name.

The emperor smiled and said: "This matter was decided in Xiyuan, so let's call it the Xiyuan Army. Although the name is not very powerful, I like Xiyuan, and I also like this Xiyuan army."

Xu Xiang went on to play: "The minister recommends Yilang Cao Cao as the commander of the West Garden Army..."

Before he finished speaking, Zhao Zhong jumped out. He recommended his younger brother Zhao Yan as the commander of the West Garden Army. Sikong Dinggong followed behind and recommended Yuan Shao. The West Garden suddenly became lively, and everyone recommended each other. Each of them didn't want to give in, their faces were flushed arguing.

He Jin didn't seem to notice the quarrel among the ministers, he just sat on the table blankly, not knowing what he was thinking.The emperor gave him a hard look, jumped up excitedly and shouted: "Anyone who is recommended must first pay 100 million yuan."

===

Before the emperor was happy for a long time, he received an urgent document from Yizhou.

In the middle of this month, Yizhou people Ma Xiang and Zhao Zhi led 5 troops to rebel in Mianzhu. The rebels called themselves the Yellow Turban Army, and their leader Ma Xiang called himself the Son of Heaven.Ma Xiang led the army to attack the city and pull out the village all the way, conquering the three counties of Guanghan, Bajun, and Qianwei one after another, and killed Zhao Jian, the governor of Yizhou.The Governor of Yizhou is in a hurry.

Xiyuan fell silent for a moment.

The emperor looked at the ministers and scolded angrily: "What kind of world is this? Why are people rebelling even in a closed place like Yizhou? Tell me, what is going on?"

The ministers were silent.The emperor looked around, pointed at Taichang Liu Yan and said, "Tell me, Aiqing, what's going on? Why are there thieves rebelling everywhere in my Han Kingdom?"

Liu Yan had a bitter face and thought about it for a long time.How to say the truth?There is no way to say.He had no choice but to say lightly: "Your Majesty, there are many rebellions now, and they have been suppressed repeatedly. The main reason is that the governors of various states and counties have little authority. Withdrawal, you can only go to impeachment, and the result is often nothing, and because the people can't bear it, they have to take risks and raise troops to rebel. When the rebellion happened, the governors often missed the counter-rebellion because they had no right to directly recruit soldiers from the county. The perfect time, so..."

"Is there anything you can do, love?"

Liu Yan smiled wryly, and said casually: "It's best to do what Jizhou did. In some counties with serious rebellions, the governors are changed to governors, and the governors of the prefectures are in charge of the military administration of a state. This may temporarily relieve the tension in individual counties."

The emperor nodded and said: "Aiqing's idea is good. I will follow Aiqing's play and choose Lieqing and Shangshu as state shepherds, each with the original official rank."

The next day, the emperor decreed that Liu Yan, Taichang, be the shepherd of Yizhou, and Huang Wan, the eunuch servant, be the shepherd of Yuzhou. Biao is a servant.

This month, there were many rebellions in the Han Kingdom, and the bad luck followed one after another. The emperor was very annoyed. Two days later, he dismissed the Taiwei Cao Song and moved the Shaofu Fanling as the Taiwei.

Instead of being sad, Cao Song happily left Luoyang with his family.He persuaded Cao Cao to go back to his hometown with him, saying that the emperor built the Xiyuan Army and had already put a knife on the general's neck. Luoyang was about to go into chaos, so it was better to go home early to avoid disaster.Cao Cao refused.

===

(End of this chapter)