Great Han Empire

Chapter 479
In May, Luoyang.

After the news of the emperor's illness spread, the dignitaries and many ministers in Luoyang did not feel too panicked. First, they were told that the emperor was just a little bit of typhoid, and he would be fine after a period of recuperation. Concentrating on the dispute over the imperial lineage, more people believed that this was the emperor's bitter trick to lure He Jin into the capital and kill him as soon as possible.Luoyang is about to have a bloody storm.

The internal and external courts of the Great Han Kingdom were back on track under the auspices of the later general Yuan Kui, and the various government offices began to function normally in an orderly manner.In order to deal with the backlog of many state affairs in the early stage, Yuan Kui has been staying at Shangshutai for the past few days, busy day and night all night long.What makes him most anxious now are two things, one is when the emperor will pass away, and the other is the progress of the Northern Xinjiang War.Once the emperor dies, all forces will fight for the emperor's authority. Whether the situation in Luoyang can be kept stable as he wishes will directly affect the ongoing Northern Xinjiang War and the safety of the 10,000+ troops fighting outside the Great Wall.

As the battle reports of the army to conquer the north continued to be sent to the capital, Yuan Kai's worries about the war in northern Xinjiang gradually eased a lot.Now that Li Hong has regained Dingxiang County, the army of the East Road has approached Baiqushui under his command, and the forward is pointing directly at Yunzhong City.Zhao Yun's thousand-mile raid has been successful. With the cooperation of Xu Rong and Qu Yi, he successfully captured Jiuyuan City. Currently, Xu Rong is commanding the West Road Army to cross the river day and night.

The ministers were very excited when they heard that the Han army went out to fight and won consecutive battles. They rushed to tell each other and congratulated each other, as if the four northern counties were about to be taken back by the Han army in a blink of an eye.Shang Shuling Lu Zhi warned Yuan Wei and the ministers that although the Northern Xinjiang War started smoothly, as the army continued to move northward, the distance from Jinyang would become farther and farther, and the supply of food, grass and supplies would become a constraint on whether the army could fight in a timely manner. An important factor in the encirclement of the Hu coalition forces.Lu Zhi said that there were nearly a million civilians transporting food, grass and luggage for the east and west armies, and their food consumption was astonishing. In order to ensure that the frontline soldiers were not restricted by food, grass and luggage, it was necessary to increase the supply of materials to the northern battlefield.

Yuan Kai asked: "According to this attack speed, can the army recover the four northern counties in advance? In other words, can we end the war in northern Xinjiang before the rainy season in June?"

Han Fu smiled and said, "General Li thinks exactly that, so he oversees the onslaught at all costs. If we can end the war before the rainy season comes, we can save a huge amount of military expenditure, which is a blessing for the Han Kingdom It’s a great thing. In my opinion, as long as we can continue to provide the Northern Expeditionary Army with the food and supplies they need, General Li should be sure to end the war early.”

Lu Zhi said: "I think it's very difficult. At present, the army of the East Road has not yet taken Yunzhong. Finally, we completely completed the encirclement of the Hu coalition forces. After the encirclement, the distance between the two armies was about 10,000 miles, and there were still [-]+ fierce counterattacks by the Hu coalition forces. If General Li wanted to completely It is almost impossible to recover the four counties."

Yuan Kai frowned and said, "Almost impossible? Does that mean there is still a glimmer of hope?"

"Unless the Hu allied forces are eager to break through and storm Yinshan." Lu Zhi pointed to the map and said, "In this way, our armies from the east and the west can fight the Hu allied forces at the foot of Yinshan, but Xubuguduhou and Baimatong won't do that. If everyone is wiped out, what's the point of them fleeing to the north of Yinshan Mountain? As long as there is an army, as long as they can hold out until the rainy season, the battle situation in northern Xinjiang may be reversed."

Yuan Kai looked at the ministers, smiled wryly, and said, "Hou Bu Gudu thought well. If the battle continues to drag on, there is indeed a possibility of reversal. As long as the ant thieves from all over the country gather together to rebel like last year, or some state or county will come again Natural disasters make it difficult for us to persevere. In the Northern Xinjiang War, we not only have to provide food, salaries and weapons to the 10,000+ army, but also provide food to more than 100 million civilians. It is difficult for us to continue. Especially the situation in Luoyang... "

The ministers were worried, and the atmosphere in the Shang's study was dignified.

Zhang Zi approached Yuan Kai and asked in a low voice, "My lord, has His Majesty's condition improved?"

Now in Yongle Palace, only the Empress General Yuan Kui, Situ Dinggong, Sikong Liu Hong and Shang Shu ordered Lu Zhineng to go in to meet the holy driver, and the rest of the ministers had no right to visit inside.

Yuan Kai and Lu Zhi looked at each other, bowed their heads sadly and remained silent.After a while, Lu Zhi sighed: "If Your Majesty can last until June, even if General Li can't end the war, he can still consolidate the existing results. Our army can withdraw from the Yinshan Pass if we can't support it. Marquis Xubugudu and his army rushed to the north of Yinshan Mountain, so that we can still recover the four northern counties smoothly."

===

In the evening, Yuan Wei, Situ Dinggong, Sikong Liu Hong, and Shangshu ordered Lu Zhi to meet the emperor at Yongle Palace.

In the past few days, Tianzi has a high fever and is often unconscious. It is rare to wake up several times a day.The queen mother waited on the emperor's side day and night, very haggard.When she saw Yuan Kai and others coming in, she immediately had Xiao Donghou and the princess who were sitting by the bed brought to the side room, and she leaned down on the emperor's ear and whispered a few words.

The emperor suddenly opened his eyes.He looked at the four mournful ministers, and asked feebly, "How is the war in northern Xinjiang..."

Lu Zhi hurriedly replied: "Your Majesty, good news is coming frequently." He then explained the latest battle situation in northern Xinjiang in detail, "According to this attack speed, before the rainy season comes, General Li can encircle the Hu coalition forces. Or completely recover the four northern counties in August."

A smile appeared on the pale face of the Son of Heaven. He trembled his lips and wanted to say something, but he couldn't say it after all, and his sanity fell into a coma again.

The four ministers comforted the queen mother a few words and left one after another.Yuan Kai was the last one to leave the Jiade Hall, but he was stopped by Jian Shuo immediately, "The Empress Dowager wants to see you."

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In the past few days, the Queen Mother and her nephew Hussar General Dong Zhong and Xiao Huangmen Jian Shuo have been discussing with each other every day how to make the young Marquis Dong inherit the Great Reign.The emperor's condition is getting worse and worse, and he may die at any time, so the emperor's affairs must be decided early.The emperor was unwilling to issue an edict to appoint a prince, which was completely beyond the expectations of the queen mother.For this reason, the Empress Dowager took Xiao Donghou to cry and plead in front of the emperor's sick bed again and again, but the emperor turned a deaf ear to him and kept silent, refusing to agree.The queen mother didn't understand why the emperor suddenly changed his mind. She cried and said to the emperor that the emperor can ignore my life, but he can't ignore the life of Xiao Donghou.The emperor took his mother's hand and looked at the little Donghou who was crying softly, with tears streaming down his face.He said helplessly and desolately: "Go back to Hejian Kingdom."

The queen mother was both sad and angry. She didn't understand why this son who depended on her for life was so cowardly and incompetent until his death.Back to Hejian country?Could it be possible to escape the poison of that butcher by returning to Hejian Kingdom?She doesn't need to think about her own life, but she can't just watch the sweet baby she brought up be killed by a butcher like this.Little Donghou's mother had already been killed by that butcher, so that's fine if the emperor couldn't protect her and didn't want to avenge her, but why didn't the emperor even want to protect his most beloved son, why did he want to kill her before he died? Sent to that butcher's knife?The queen mother hated the queen's viciousness very much, and kept calling her a butcher in private.The queen mother decided to kill He Jin without telling the seriously ill emperor, to eradicate the support of Queen He, and to support Xiao Donghou as the new king of the Han Dynasty.

Jian Shuo of the little yellow family and Dong Zhong, the general of hussars, were terrified when they learned that the emperor refused to appoint the crown prince.The two knew that once He Jin was allowed to take over the power alone, they would be decapitated. At this time, there was no way out except to fight to the death.With the support of the Queen Mother, the two immediately started preparations.Now the Northern Army is not in Luoyang, and He Jin is going to Beijing alone, so Jian Shuo plans to kill He Jin in the Jiade Hall when he enters the palace to meet the emperor.Dong Zhong said, why kill He Jin in the palace?Zhao Zhong, Zhang Rang and other senior officials had a close relationship with the empress, once the news leaked out, He Jin would not be killed, but would be killed by him.You are in control of the Xiyuan Army, and you have [-] soldiers and horses in your hands. Now there are [-] troops available in Luoyang City. You can completely correct the emperor's edict and use [-] troops to besiege the General's Mansion and the General's Mansion. , Never future trouble.

Jian Shuo smiled wryly and said, "The Xiyuan army is full of sons of scholars and the general's cronies. It is easier for news to leak out, especially now that Yuan Shao is in Luoyang City. If he gets the news and informs the general in advance, we will never again I can't find a chance to kill He Jin, so I think it's safest to use my brothers from the Yellow Sect."

The Empress Dowager also agreed with Jian Shuo, and she said to Dong Zhong: "It is a bit of a fuss to use the army in order to kill a He, and once the army is deployed, the consequences are unpredictable, and it will be troublesome if Luoyang is out of control. "She thought that as long as He Jin died, the people who followed He Jin would lose their support, and these people would naturally fall apart.

Before killing He Jin, the queen mother wanted to inquire about the movements of the ministers in the DPRK and China, and wanted to know which prince the ministers were more inclined to support as the new king.If there is the support of the ministers of the DPRK and China, the matter of killing He Jin will be more secure.At this time, Jian Shuo told her that during the few days when Yuan Kui chatted with him in private, he mentioned the matter of the emperor several times, and he was vaguely inclined to support Dong Hou, but Yuan Kui was worried that He Jin would take the opportunity to rebel and lead his army to advance. Luoyang, so the tone is ambiguous, as if unwilling to get too involved in this matter.The queen mother was overjoyed when she heard this.If the matter of Xiao Donghou's succession to the Datong can get Yuan Kai's strong support, it will be twice the result with half the effort.

The queen mother chatted with Yuan Kai about the emperor's condition, and then said in a sad tone: "I am afraid that the emperor will not be here soon, what will little Donghou do in the future? The world is so big, where is there a place for him to live?"

Yuan Kai bowed his head and was speechless, before saying after a long time: "Tomorrow the general will return to Beijing."

The Empress Dowager was terrified, and tears came out of her eyes involuntarily. She choked up and said, "Is there nothing you can do, my lord?"

Yuan Kui sighed and said: "If the Empress Dowager is useful to the old minister, the old minister will die."

===

Yuan Kui urged General He Jin to return to Beijing with a fast ride of eight hundred miles.

When He Jin learned that the emperor was seriously ill and was about to go, he was overjoyed and immediately ordered the army to go to Mengjin day and night.Not long after the army left Shanyang, he quietly dismissed the 1 Yellow Turbans.At this time, the policy of military remonstrance has been cancelled, and it is meaningless to bring these [-] horses to Luoyang. On the contrary, if people see the flaws, it will become evidence of their own conspiracy with the Yellow Turban Army and conspiracy.

When they arrived in Mengjin, the Northern Army set up a large camp and made a gesture of going westward to Liangzhou.He Yong was in Mengjin at this time, and he hurried out of the city to meet General He Jin.He Jin asked carefully about the situation in Luoyang, and then asked: "Do you think you should enter Beijing immediately or wait until His Majesty dies?"

He Yong said: "Your Majesty is seriously ill and may die at any time. It is better for the general to go to Beijing to preside over the overall situation immediately to avoid accidents."

"Accident?" He Jin frowned and thought for a long time, and said slowly, "Your Majesty has not issued an edict to appoint a crown prince so far. Hou is the crown prince, how will I deal with it?"

He Yong smiled and said: "The Northern Army of the Great General is in Mengjin, fifty miles away from Luoyang, and it will arrive in an instant. How could His Majesty issue an edict to kill you? Your Majesty dare not appoint a prince because he is afraid of rebelling against the General and causing Luoyang to fall into chaos. , the chaos in Luoyang will definitely affect the war in northern Xinjiang. The general probably doesn't know that the war in northern Xinjiang has entered the most critical stage, right?"

"Oh?" He Jin asked in surprise, "Did Xu Rong cross Hebei?"

"Yes, Zhao Yun has captured Jiuyuan City, Xu Rong has crossed the Hebei, and the army is currently attacking the Yinshan pass. It is estimated that the Hu Nationality coalition army will soon be encircled by the North Army." He Yong said happily, "The general here There is absolutely no danger of life, and he can return to Luoyang swaggeringly. It is not as good as God's calculation. His Majesty originally planned to use a very safe and secure method to kill the general and establish the imperial line without any surprises. Due to the situation, we have to make compromises, and we still have to take a step back and let Shi Hou inherit the general rule."

He Jin pondered for a long time and still hesitated.The northern army cannot enter the capital. After entering the city, I have no other strength to rely on except for thousands of private soldiers and retainers hiding in the mansion. If your majesty orders me to kill myself, let Jian Shuo command the Xiyuan army to besiege the general's mansion. If you let a highly respected minister in the court come to Mengjin to take over the northern army, wouldn't you be dead?In this way, Luoyang will only be in a small chaos, and it will not endanger the stability of the imperial court and the war situation in northern Xinjiang.Although Yuan Shao was in Luoyang City, he only had one battalion of soldiers and horses. Who could be sure that the other three battalions of soldiers and horses would turn against each other at the beginning of the chaos?Without the northern army to follow, it is too dangerous to go to Beijing alone.Once I die, everything is over, and all my efforts are in vain.

In the current capital city, although the old middle-ranking officials and the nobles and bureaucrats in the palace have different purposes and stand on the same line with themselves for the time being, the dying emperor, the queen mother and the hussar general Dong Zhong, who feel that they are in danger, There are also those clan ministers who support the little Dong Hou to succeed to the throne, they all want to put themselves to death, especially when the emperor may die at any time, even if they are not very sure, they may kill themselves decisively.

"Your Majesty has not issued an edict to establish a crown prince so far. It may be to lure you into Beijing to kill you, but it may also be to arrange funeral affairs after you enter Beijing." He Yong persuaded in a low voice, "We must consider that His Majesty is currently ill. The heavy news is known to everyone, everyone knows that His Majesty will die soon, everyone has to think about what to do, even His Majesty himself, he also has to think about Xiao Donghou and the crown prince if he fails to kill you or dies suddenly If he doesn’t establish a crown prince, doesn’t it just mean that he is afraid of you and is helpless? Now that everyone in Luoyang is afraid of the great general’s thunder, doesn’t this also mean that the great general is very safe?”

"Your Majesty is seriously ill. The general who stationed troops in Mengjin blatantly disobeyed the imperial decree and refused to enter the capital. He was suspected of being disloyal and unrighteous. This not only damaged the reputation of the general, but also gave him an excuse to kill you. If the general does not enter Beijing, Is there no danger? Now that the [-] Xiyuan Army is stationed in the pass north of Luoyang, and Dong Zhuo's [-] Northern Army is stationed at Fengling Ferry. The general is at Mengjin pass, how can the general save himself?"

He Jin's face became ugly.

"Once your Majesty dies, Empress Dowager Dong and the traitors may have to support Xiao Shihou as the new king under the pressure of the general Meng Jin, but what about after the new king? The general is not in Luoyang, and the traitors are bound to take the opportunity to curry favor with him." The empress dowager and the little emperor took control of the government again, and when the general thinks that Luoyang is safe before going back, the chance of monopolizing the imperial power has long been lost?" He Yong glanced at He Jin, and said with a wry smile, "After the traitors take power again, the first time Who is the one to kill? It is the general who poses the greatest threat to them. If the traitors disregard the safety of the country, the former general Liang Yi persuaded the Empress Dowager He and the chariot general He Miao to persuade the emperor to order the governor Let the Xiyuan Army and Dong Zhuo's Northern Army besiege and kill you, and then use He Miao, who is closely related to them, as the general, how can the general save himself?"

He Jin's complexion became even uglier.

"Shi Hou has succeeded to the throne, and the [-] Xiyuan Army is in the hands of the traitors. At this time, what role does the general have for the Queen Mother and He Miao? The general with only [-] Northern Army is bound to become the one who will bring disaster to the country." The traitors, together with the scholars, were crazily retaliated by the eunuchs."

He Jin remained silent.Seeing that he couldn't make a decision, He Yong bowed his hands and withdrew from the tent.

Soon, Xu Liang arrived from Luoyang on a flying horse.The queen asked He Jin to come to Beijing immediately to preside over the overall situation. The queen said in the letter that the emperor had already told her that he wanted to make Xiao Shihou the prince, and he would wait for the general to return to Beijing to take charge.

He Jin asked, "What happened to Jian Shuo?"

"No, he has been staying in Yongle Palace without any news." Xu Liang said with a smile, "General, don't worry about returning to Beijing, we have arranged everything."

He Jin still hesitated.

In the evening, Yuan Shao secretly rushed to Mengjin from Luoyang.

"General, don't worry, go back to Beijing. Dianjun Captain Cao Cao and Right Captain Chunyu Qiong have been persuaded by me, they are willing to follow the General, and follow the General to kill traitors and revive the great man Tianwei."

A boulder hanging in He Jin's heart finally fell to the ground, "Go back to Beijing tomorrow."

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(End of this chapter)