Great Han Empire

Chapter 483
When General Li Hong entered Beijing in March, he made a detailed statement on the specific strategy of the Northern Xinjiang War to the Sangong Jiuqing and the ministers of Shangshutai. Therefore, the imperial court needs to increase the supply of food, salaries and military equipment so that the army can transport enough military supplies to the north bank of the Yellow River before the rainy season comes and the river surges.On this point, the first emperor and his ministers once made a very firm promise to Li Hong.

After receiving Xu Rong's urgent letter, Xian Yufu immediately rode [-] miles to the emperor and the court, imploring the emperor and the court to overcome all difficulties and send the food and military equipment for June and July across the Yellow River in advance.

Grand Tutor Yuan Kui, Situ Dinggong, Sikong Liu Hong and Shang Shuling Lu Zhi immediately went to play Empress Dowager He jointly, requesting Empress Dowager He to obey the former emperor's old order and immediately allocate money from Wanjintang to meet the military needs of the Northern Expedition Army.

Empress Dowager He hesitated.She also needs money urgently, and she is planning to transfer money from Wanjintang to fill the Shaofu.The enthronement ceremony of the new emperor had just ended, and the various grand ceremonies held for the young emperor's coronation almost exhausted all the money of the Shaofu, but now there are too many places to spend money, and the Shaofu is no longer able to support it.At present, Wenling is in the final stage of completion, and the daily cost is very huge. When Wenling is completed, it will take an astonishingly large amount of money to bury Emperor Xiaoling. The Shaofu does not have this money, so it can only be paid by Wan Jintang. up.A lot of Wanjintang's money was taken away by the Empress Dowager Dong when the first emperor was seriously ill. Although the amount kept is still huge, it is bound to be difficult to continue to supply the Northern Xinjiang War.

Empress Dowager He consulted Zhao Zhong, chief minister, Zhang Rang, Guo Sheng and others, how to deal with this matter.Zhao Zhong, Zhang Rang and other middle officials discussed for a long time, but there was no good solution.

Zhao Zhong said that the war in northern Xinjiang was related to the safety of the country of the Han Dynasty, and at this time, the former emperor passed away and the new emperor had just succeeded to the throne.

Zhang Rang said that before his death, the first emperor issued a secret decree to General Zhengbei, but we don't know the specific content.It is said that this secret decree was written by Emperor Tianxian himself, and even Jian Shuo didn't know what was written in it.According to the situation at that time, the first emperor should have intended to allow Li Hong to end the war in northern Xinjiang as soon as possible so that he could go south to visit Gyeonggi. General Zhengbei and the 10,000+ Northern Xinjiang army are dragged in the frontier county outside the Great Wall. Secondly, General Zhengbei can be given ample time to let him fully feel the support and favor of the new emperor for him, so that he can temporarily stay in northern Xinjiang with peace of mind fight.Luoyang is not chaotic, food and wages are sufficient, and the emperor is very kind, what else can General Zhengbei do besides fighting bravely?
"What about the future?" Queen Mother He asked, "What about after the Northern Xinjiang War is won?"

"Follow the late emperor's method, give him an official title, let him be stationed in the border county north of the Great Wall." Zhang Rang replied, "As long as his army can't enter the Great Wall, he won't pose much threat to Gyeonggi. In fact, from the perspective of maintaining stability in the northern border, the Han Kingdom really needs him to lead the army to guard the frontier."

"Where does that money come from?" Queen Mother He asked in a low voice.

Zhao Zhong, Zhang Rang and others looked at each other in blank dismay.There is money, but the Empress Dowager He is unwilling to give it, so what can I do?

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Empress Dowager He is now in charge of the court, with great power in her hands, and her dependence on middle officials is increasing, and she cannot leave for a moment.She is the empress dowager, if she sits with the ministers in the court every day to discuss the state affairs, what's the sense?So she can only rely on middle officials to convey it on her behalf.Zhao Zhong and others turned into the spokespersons of the real imperial power once again, the so-called "holding the king in hand, holding the constitution of heaven in his mouth" is just like this.The momentum of rape and eunuch dictatorship started again.

Empress Dowager He originally wanted to call General He Jin into the palace to discuss, but since He Jin returned to Luoyang, he has been staying in the barracks of the Baijun Mansion to stay out of illness and not to participate in anything in the court. She couldn't see him even if she wanted to, so she had to give up.Although the general does not enter the palace and does not go to court, he has an army and strength, and he is still controlling the court behind his back. This is enough to make Empress Dowager He courageous and unscrupulous.

The general was frightened by what happened last time, and he sent people to tell Queen Mother He several times to release the military power in the hands of Xiao Huangmen Jianshuo as soon as possible, otherwise there may be unexpected disasters.Jian Shuo of the little yellow family was the late emperor's confidant, and now he is also the confidant of the Empress Dowager Dong. Depriving Jian Shuo of his military power is actually blatantly tearing apart with the Empress Dowager Dong.When the first emperor had just passed away, Empress Dowager He immediately became impatient and did something unfavorable to Empress Dowager Dong for no reason.Empress Dowager He was unwilling, she said to wait until Empress Dowager Dong left Beijing.If the Empress Dowager Dong took Jian Shuo away, the military power of the Xiyuan Army in his hands would naturally be gone. If the Empress Dowager Dong did not take Jian Shuo away, the matter would be better resolved, and an imperial edict could solve the problem.He Jin was very angry, saying that Empress Dowager He is a benevolent woman, and she will definitely kill herself and the He clan in the future.Empress Dowager He was very angry when she heard the words, and was very angry at He Jin's rudeness.

Although Zhao Zhong, Zhang Rang and others were unwilling to let Jian Shuo take sole control of the military power of the Xiyuan Army, they were even more unwilling to let this military power fall into the hands of He Jin.Now the Xiyuan Army controlled by Jian Shuo is very important to the Zhongguan, it is the backing of the entire Zhongguan force, so the Zhongguan are unwilling to lose this power until their death.Zhao Zhong, Zhang Rang and others surrounded the Empress Dowager He tirelessly advising her to keep vigilant against He Jin, and to prevent He Jin from taking the opportunity to monopolize power and cause harm to the country.Zhang Rang said that once Jian Shuo's military power was lifted, the [-] Xiyuan Army would fall into He Jin's hands.After He Jin's strength has greatly increased, what does he want to do?Of course, they tried their best to seize the power of the country.Once He Jin takes control of the government, it is bound to create an unmanageable situation for the Han Dynasty, and even directly endanger the Shaodi's country and society.The fact that Liang Yi, the great general of the former dynasty, took power alone and caused harm to the country is a lesson from the past.The more Empress Dowager He thought about it, the more fearful she became, and she became more and more wary of He Jin.

She still knows her brother.Over the past few years, He Jin has been allies with the scholars for the sake of the emperor's lineage, and has repeatedly planned to kill the middle officials. Although his purpose is for the emperor's lineage and the He clan, his ultimate goal is for himself to be independent in the future. Hold the power of the country.Once his elder brother is in charge of the power, he will definitely kill the middle officials, and all the middle officials will be killed by him. Don't you and the little emperor have to live by his face?Empress Dowager He secretly made up her mind that as long as the little emperor didn't grow up, she would never delegate power to He Jin.For this reason, she followed the advice of Zhao Zhong and others. After the little emperor succeeded to the throne, she first worshiped the general Yuan Kui as the Taifu to participate in the official affairs, and prevented He Jin from monopolizing state affairs, and then recruited a group of He Jin's capable men. Entering the DPRK, divide the strength of the generals.Da Changqiu Zhao Zhong said very truthfully. He said that as long as the balance of power in the court can be maintained, the queen mother can control the power and do whatever she wants. Otherwise, Luoyang will not only be chaotic but also the sacred authority of the queen mother and the little emperor will be fatal hit.

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He Jin remained silent.

Before his death, the first emperor conscripted [-] northern troops from Hedong to Liangzhou, thus completely cutting off the possibility of reorganizing the northern army and regaining strength.Now that his strength is weak, more and more people want to kill him. If he doesn't seize the military power of the West Garden Army as soon as possible, the situation will become more and more dangerous.Because of Huangtong's affairs, he failed to rush back to the capital in the first time to help Empress Dowager He, which resulted in the resurgence of the eunuch forces, and the scholars completely controlled the outer court.Although his power now looks stronger than before, it is actually vulnerable to a single blow.But these are not real crises. The real crisis is not now, nor in Luoyang, but in the future, when Queen Mother Dong leaves Beijing and Northern Xinjiang after the war in Northern Xinjiang ends.

On the surface, the four imperial decrees before the death of the first emperor used the power of Taiwei Liu Yu and General Li Hong to intimidate the court and protect the Empress Dowager Dong and the young Donghou from Beijing, but what is the deep meaning behind it?

This superficial purpose of the first emperor has been achieved.Now the young emperor has named Liu Xie the king of Bohai.The fiefdom of the King of Bohai is Bohai County in Jizhou, which is adjacent to Hejian State and borders Youzhou.Empress Dowager Dong and King Bohai can live together after returning to the country, and they will be protected by Taiwei Liu Yu.After the war in northern Xinjiang, they will be protected by Li Hong, the general who oversees the military affairs of the three states and two counties.But is protection really that simple?

Since it was only to protect the safety of Empress Dowager Dong and King Bohai, why did the late emperor urgently transfer the [-] Northern Army from Hedong?Why weaken your own strength?Why did you give a secret decree to General Li Hong?What did the first emperor want Li Hong to do in the secret decree?
He Jin was thinking hard.He not only has to work hard for his own survival, but also for the survival of the entire He clan. He cannot ruin the future of the entire clan in vain because of Queen Mother He's short-sightedness and ignorance.

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Grand Tutor Yuan Kai urged Empress Dowager He again.The battle situation in northern Xinjiang was changing rapidly, and there was no room for delay. He begged the Queen Mother to issue an order to allocate food and salaries immediately.

Taifu, Situ, Sikong and Shang Shutai discussed together overnight.Zhao Zhong, Zhang Rang, and Duan Yu rushed to Shangshutai, and tactfully expressed the Empress Dowager He's meaning to the ministers. Wan Jintang has limited money, and it is very difficult to allocate two months' food and salaries in advance. need.

Grand Tutor Yuan Kai asked in surprise, "Wanjintang has limited money? How is this possible? Is this what the Empress Dowager meant?"

Zhao Zhong smiled strangely and said, "Don't believe me? If you don't believe me, go to the Changqiu Palace and ask the Empress Dowager."

Shangshu Zhou Yan was furious, pointing at Zhao Zhong's nose and cursing: "The Great War in Northern Xinjiang is about the safety of the country. You and the dying people actually deceived the Queen Mother to make such a policy that harmed the country. How could the spirit of the late emperor forgive me? Once the Northern Xinjiang is defeated , you are waiting for your death to come."

Duan Gui scolded disdainfully: "What are you yelling about? Even if I die, I will die behind you. Once Beijiang is defeated, you idiots like Shangshutai will be the first to be questioned."

Shangshu Han Fu stood up, pointed at Zhao Zhong and said, "We want to see the Queen Mother."

Zhang Rang sneered, pointed in the direction of Yongle Palace and said, "Half of Wanjintang's money was taken away by Empress Dowager Dong. If you have the ability, go to Empress Dowager Dong for it." go.

There was a sudden scolding in Shangshu's room.

Yuan Kai, Ding Gong, Liu Hong and Lu Zhi looked serious, and the four looked at each other with a hint of sadness and helplessness in their eyes.

"The traitors can't wait." Yuan Kai looked at Liu Hong and said, "You are a minister of the clan, and you are related to the first emperor. Please go to Yongle Palace to persuade the Queen Mother Dong. At this time, you can't make mistakes because of your own selfishness. Even more important for the country, let alone let down the painstaking efforts of the late emperor because of selfishness."

Liu Hong shook his head, and said very worriedly: "Empress Dowager Dong dotes on little Donghou very much, she is willing to risk everything, even her own life, for little Donghou. Think about it later, so it's hard for us to..."

"Before he died, the first emperor repeatedly told us to win the war in northern Xinjiang and recover the border counties." Yuan Kai said resolutely, "We can give up everything for the Han Dynasty and the war in northern Xinjiang."

Ding Gong bowed his head and remained silent.Lu Zhi sighed: "If Jian Shuo is gone, can my lord ensure that the Empress Dowager Dong and the King of Bohai leave Beijing safely? The great trust of the late emperor..."

Yuan Kai waved his hand and said: "The general will never do such a thing that both people and gods outrage, unless he is crazy."

Liu Hong sighed deeply, and asked in a low voice, "What should I say?"

"You said you were entrusted by the Empress Dowager He..." Yuan Wei thought for a moment, then pointed to Lu Zhi and said, "You ask Han Fu to go to the Baijun Mansion and tell the general about it, and He Jin is the rest. thing."

"Then the Xiyuan Army..." Liu Hong asked, "If the Xiyuan Army is controlled by a traitor..."

"Now that the emperor's rule has been established, the new monarch has been established, and the most dangerous time in Luoyang has passed, the traitors think they have the power in their hands, and they can't wait to move." Lu Zhi shook his head and sneered, "The traitors want to pass this matter." This incident angered the Queen Mother Dong and forced Jian Shuo to kill He Jin. Once He Jin died, Jian Shuo would naturally be betrayed by the traitors and sold to the Queen Mother He as a scapegoat. The traitors thought that in this way they could kill He Jin and control him. Xiyuan Army, and it can also make the Empress Dowager Dong have to hand over Wan Jintang's money when she is isolated and helpless. They want to control the Xiyuan Army, but He Jin doesn't want to. He has been looking for opportunities for a long time. He Jin wants If he wants to control the Xiyuan Army, he must first break the current balance between the various forces in Luoyang, and if he wants to break this balance, the only goal is Jian Shuo. The traitor is really seeking his own death if he uses this dangerous plan. If it weren't for the undecided war in Northern Xinjiang, this time would be the best chance to eradicate the traitors."

"The traitors dared to take this risky plan precisely because they knew that we had to stabilize Luoyang for the war in northern Xinjiang." Yuan Kai said calmly, "But in fact, most of the West Garden Army has been controlled by us, as long as Jian Shuo dies , Jian Xie and He Jin know how stupid they are."

Ding Gong showed a look of unbearable expression, shook his head and lamented: "Wanjintang, it's all caused by Wanjintang."

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General He Jin played Empress Dowager He, saying that Empress Dowager Dong once sent her servants Xia Yun, Bi Lan and others to collude with the governments of various states and counties to plunder property and accumulate a lot of wealth. Now these things are stored in her Yongle Palace. According to the law of the Han Dynasty, it should be confiscated.Considering that Xia Yun, Bilan and others were all dead and there was insufficient evidence, Queen Mother Dong was also exonerated. However, according to the usual practice, the queen of a vassal state cannot stay in the capital and should be moved back to her home country.

Empress Dowager He then ordered Zhao Zhong to read the general's memorial aloud at the court meeting, and asked the ministers what objections they had.

The uninformed ministers were very surprised, and no one dared to speak nonsense.The new emperor had just been established, and the late emperor's coffin had not yet been buried in Wenling, so Empress Dowager He directly pointed the finger at Empress Dowager Dong. Isn't this too much?

Many ministers in the court considered that the situation in Luoyang was tense now, and it might not be a good thing for Empress Dowager Dong to leave Beijing and return to Hejian Kingdom to take shelter from the wind and rain for a while, so a few ministers spoke in agreement.

Grand Tutor Yuan Kui, Situ Dinggong and Sikong Liu Hong immediately played at the same time, agreeing to the general's request.

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When the imperial decree was sent to Yongle Palace, Empress Dowager Dong was furious. She rushed to Changqiu Palace angrily, pointed at Empress Dowager He and said, "If the first emperor does not enter Wenling, I will never leave Beijing."

Empress Dowager He said hastily: "Just follow your mother."

"Little Donghou, I want to take him away."

Empress Dowager He was stunned for a moment, and said in a low voice: "Empress Mother, this will not work. The Emperor and Xiao Donghou are together every day. They are brothers, how can they be separated?"

Empress Dowager Dong was enraged and cursed loudly: "You have already killed his mother, why are you going to kill a nine-year-old child too?"

Empress Dowager He sneered and said, "This palace regards Dong Hou as his own son, so how can there be such a theory of harming each other? Little Dong Hou can't leave Beijing."

Empress Dowager Dong was so angry that she couldn't speak a word.Zhao Zhong, Zhang Rang and others stepped forward to comfort her and sent Empress Dowager Dong back to Yongle Palace.

Empress Dowager Dong urgently summoned Jian Shuo, the little yellow family, and Dong Zhong, the hussar general.She has already recklessly disregarded all the consequences for Xiao Donghou, and she vowed to kill He Jin.Empress Dowager He's reliance is nothing more than the He Jin brothers. As long as they are killed, the world will belong to Xiao Donghou.

Jian Shuo secretly called on Zhao Zhong, the eldest son, that night.The two conspired for a long time, and finally met three days later in the Ming Hall to convene some cronies and middle officials to discuss the matter together, and then formed an alliance with blood to punish He Jin.

Three days later, in the middle of the night, the military Sima stationed at the Pingcheng Gate in the south city of Luoyang received a talisman presented by a Zhonghuang Gate, ordering him to open the gate immediately, and then a group of cavalry, holding torches, surrounded several carriages and left the city.After walking for more than two miles, the team arrived at Mingtang, the place where sacrifices and ceremonies were held in this dynasty.Fourteen middle officials, including Zhao Zhong, Zhang Rang, Duan Gui, Song Dian, Gao Wang, and Jian Shuo, got off the carriage one after another. They gathered together in the Ming Hall to discuss the specific strategy of killing He Jin.

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(End of this chapter)