Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 228 The Queen doesn’t want the entire Fu family to be executed, right?

Fu Wan's words made Empress Fu's expression change drastically.

Although she had not yet identified Liu Xie's identity, Liu Xie gave her the feeling of being the most familiar stranger.

Her intuition told her that the emperor in Yecheng was clearly a fake.

As the queen, she should not have exposed the fake emperor's identity, but how could she give birth to a dragon heir for him!
Empress Fu's pretty face turned cold, and she said in a stiff and resolute tone: "Father, this is absolutely impossible!"

"you--!"

Fu Wan looked at Empress Fu with disappointment and could hardly help wanting to curse out loud.

How could this rebellious girl not see the situation clearly!
At this juncture, let alone the fact that the emperor of Yecheng is real, even if he is fake, what does it matter?
You really have no sense of the overall situation!

"That's it, that's all!"

"You're in the deep palace, so take care of yourself!"

"Also, your sister will be entering the palace to serve His Majesty soon. I hope you won't meet her, let alone say such treasonous words to her."

"If you continue like this, you will harm our Fu family sooner or later!"

Fu Wan didn't know why Empress Fu was so obsessed, but he was powerless to change her and could only give up his daughter completely.

After saying this, he turned and left the Pepper Room.

Empress Fu looked at Fu Wan's back and knew in her heart that he had planned to let his sister replace him and leave a way out for the Fu family.

But...what can she do?

……

Atrium.

The entire conversation between Fu Wan and Empress Fu was heard by Liu Xie who had hidden here in advance.

"I wonder if Fu Wan really believes that I am the legitimate heir of the Han Dynasty, or if he has no choice?"

"Forget it. All this is meaningless now. Ever since he rebuked Cao Cao for pretending to be the emperor and brought the queen to Yecheng, he has completely boarded my chariot."

"The Fu family and I prosper together and suffer together."

"But this Empress Fu is really as loyal as described in history books."

After standing there and thinking for a while, Liu Xie walked out of the ear chamber and went straight to Empress Fu's bedroom.

Seeing Liu Xie coming over, Empress Fu did not seem to be surprised at all, and did not bow, but said:
"I can't confirm your identity right now, but there are some secrets that only the Emperor and I know, and I hope you can answer them."

Liu Xie was stunned.

It is easy to deceive the whole world, but difficult to deceive the person beside you.

He could make everyone in the world believe in his legitimate identity as the Han Dynasty, but he could never get past Empress Fu.

However, in his plan, he did not intend to deceive Empress Fu.

From the moment Empress Fu arrived in Yecheng, she was merely a pawn used to verify her identity and to balance Lu Bu and Zhen.

It doesn't matter whether she believes it or not, or whether she can be deceived.

Liu Xie looked at Empress Fu coldly, and did not respond to her words. He said indifferently: "I have said that I was appointed by heaven and am the legitimate emperor of the Han Dynasty."

When Empress Fu saw that Liu Xie was unwilling to give a direct answer, she immediately understood.

The person in front of me is indeed not the emperor.

Otherwise, why wouldn't he dare to answer her question?
After getting this definite answer, Empress Fu suddenly felt disheartened and the light on her face dimmed visibly.

She pursed her lips tightly and said in a trembling voice: "You...you can actually deceive the whole world..."

Liu Xie frowned and suddenly shouted, "It seems that the queen is seriously ill. She is talking nonsense here!"

"I escaped from the control of treacherous officials and fell into trouble in Yecheng. This is known to everyone in the world. How can I say that I deceived the world?"

When reading history in his previous life, Liu Xie had great respect and sympathy for Empress Fu.

But when she stood on the opposite side of him, the respect and sympathy in his heart had to be ruthlessly abandoned, leaving only indifference.

Empress Fu's face turned pale, as if she had suffered a huge shock. Her body staggered and she fell directly to the ground.

She lay on the ground, murmuring, "The emperor is weak and incompetent, and is being held hostage by treacherous officials."

"And you broke free from Yuan Shao and not only gained freedom, but also great power."

"What the world needs is an emperor with great talent and the ability to restore the Han Dynasty, not a cowardly and powerless emperor."

"I should have thought of it earlier..."

All the doubts in Empress Fu's heart disappeared at this moment.

Although Yang Biao, Fu Wan and all the civil and military officials in Yecheng would be deceived by the appearance of the fake emperor, weren't they willing to do so?

Compared to the cowardly Emperor Xian of Han, they are willing to believe that this wise and powerful "Son of Heaven" is real.

Because the fake is more real than the real.

She raised her head, looked at Liu Xie with tearful eyes, and asked softly: "Why don't you kill me? If I die, you can bury this secret forever."

She was the biggest flaw in his identity as the emperor, because Liu Xie could deceive everyone in the world but not her.

Logically speaking, Liu Xie would have chosen to kill her.

But Liu Xie still let her be the queen.

why?
"What stupid things are the Queen saying."

Liu Xie walked forward and gently pulled Empress Fu up from the ground, with a gentle smile on his face, "You are my queen, and you have remained loyal to me. How can I kill you?"

Empress Fu quietly withdrew and distanced herself from Liu Xie.

Liu Xie didn't take Empress Fu's cold attitude seriously, because this was the most normal reaction.

If the other party suddenly becomes enthusiastic, then he really has to be alert.

Liu Xie turned and walked out, but when he was about to reach the door of the bedroom, he suddenly turned his back.

In order to prevent Empress Fu from committing suicide and to preserve her loyalty, Lu Bu and Zhen came into conflict over the position of empress.

He had to add an insurance policy on Empress Fu.

The smile on Liu Xie's face faded, and his gaze towards Empress Fu gradually became stern. He spoke coldly:
"From now on, Queen, you must rest in the Pepper Room and rest well. You are not allowed to go out without my permission. If you stay calm, I can guarantee that the Fu family will be rich and prosperous for a hundred years."

"The queen must not entertain any inappropriate thoughts, let alone commit suicide."

"Otherwise, the entire Fu family will be killed!"

"Don't say I didn't warn you!"

Empress Fu looked at Liu Xie in a daze.

He was smiling warmly the moment before, but the next moment she immediately felt the wrath of thunder.

The emperor's moodiness, thunder and rain were fully displayed at this moment.

The cowardly emperor of Xu County who could only cry and complain to her could not be compared with the fake emperor in front of her.

This person looks like the real emperor.

It was not until Liu Xie's figure disappeared in the Pepper Palace that Empress Fu slowly came to her senses.

She leaned on the couch, staring out the window with lifeless eyes, feeling lost and her eyes full of struggle.

"what should I do?"

The justice of the country and the family, the revival of the Han Dynasty, and the honor and disgrace of the family.

These twelve big characters were like a mountain pressing down on her, making it difficult for her to breathe.

……

Early morning the next day.

Tai'an Palace.

Yang Biao and Fu Wan have been completely integrated into the court.

Not to mention Fu Wan, the arrival of Yang Biao alone solved many troubles for Liu Xie.

Just like Yuan Shao, who had three generations of ministers, the disciples of the Hongnong Yang family were also spread all over the world.

Following Yang Biao's call, within just five days, many of Yang's students and former officials who were serving as officials in various places came to Yecheng to serve Liu Xie. The problem of the shortage of middle and lower-level officials was solved in an instant.

What is giving Liu Xie a headache now is that his territory is too small and there are too many talented people coming to him for help, resulting in a waste of talent.

After discussing one issue after another, Liu Xie looked at Cui Yan and asked, "How is the formation of the Tiger Guards going?"

Cui Yan stepped out and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, the three thousand Tiger Guards have been established."

Cui Yan spent a lot of time and effort to train these three thousand Tiger Guards.

The three thousand Tiger Guards were all strong men selected from the people, and almost all of them had some martial arts skills.

But what cost the most money, and even made the Cui family of Qinghe feel painful, was the weapons and armor they wore.

This batch of weapons and armor were all made by the Zhen family at the expense of the Cui family of Qinghe.

In order for Cui Yan to be appointed as General of the Tiger Guards and to be valued by Liu Xie, the Cui family could be said to have sacrificed their own flesh and blood.

Liu Xie was overjoyed when he heard this.

According to the selection criteria for the Tiger Guards, they only need to go to the battlefield twice to transform into an elite army of tigers and wolves.

"I will keep your contribution in mind."

"Now that the Tiger Guards have been established, let's do as we said before. You will be the Lieutenant General of the Tiger Guards and command this imperial army."

Cui Yan quickly bowed to express his gratitude.

The reason why Cui family spared no expense to form the Tiger Guard Army for the emperor was not just for the Tiger Guard General promised by the emperor?
The commander of the emperor's imperial guards means he is the emperor's confidant!
Yuan Shu was once just a General of the Tiger Guards!

After Cui Yan left, Liu Xie looked at Zhao Yun sitting in the corner and raised his eyebrows.

"Where is Zhao Yun?"

Zhao Yun stepped out upon hearing the voice and clasped his fists, "I am here!"

Liu Xie said: "From now on, you will be Ji Gui's deputy general. You must assist him in commanding the Tiger Guards."

Like the Huben Army and the Yulin Guard, one is the Northern Army and the other is the Southern Army, both are the emperor's imperial guards.

Liu Xie could rest assured that the Yulin Guard would be handed over to Zhang He and Gao Lan, because these two people had been loyal to him since he was still a puppet, so their loyalty was needless to say.

But how could he feel at ease if he handed over the Huben Army to Cui Yan?
You have to know that among the aristocratic families, there is no such thing as loyalty. They only care about family interests.

But Zhao Yun was different. Historical records show that he was loyal to the Han Dynasty, wise and brave, and a perfect military general.

With him joining the Huben Army, not only will the combat effectiveness of the Huben Army be greatly improved, but it will also be able to restrain Cui Yan.

The most crucial thing is that Zhao Yun had just come from Gongsun Zan to surrender. In the eyes of anyone, he could not be the emperor's confidant, and no one believed that the emperor dared to trust Zhao Yun so much.

Therefore, having Zhao Yun serve as the deputy commander of the Huben Army can minimize the resentment in Cui Yan's heart.

In the court, Zhao Yun was stunned and almost thought he had heard it wrong.

He had just arrived in Yecheng and had not accomplished anything, but he was only in charge of the city defense troops.

Who would have thought that His Majesty would appreciate him so much that within a few days, he appointed him as Cui Yan's deputy general and the deputy commander of the Huben Army!

What respect and appreciation this is!

What Your Majesty said before about regarding him as Wei Qing and Huo Qubing was not just talk!

Sitting on the dragon throne, Liu Xie saw Zhao Yun's face full of surprise and emotion, and thought to himself that it was a success.

So he continued with a smile: "Zilong's bravery, I have witnessed it with my own eyes on the battlefield. I hope you and Ji Gui can train the Tiger Guards into a tiger and wolf army like the Yulin Guards as soon as possible."

"I will definitely live up to your Majesty's trust!"

Zhao Yun knelt down on one knee and bowed his head deeply. Since the emperor trusted him so much, how could he not work hard for him?
Cui Yan, who was kneeling in front of the table, did not take it seriously and did not think that the emperor was on guard against him.

After all, he is just a young general who just came from Gongsun Zan. What does he count for?
I think His Majesty values ​​his martial arts and specially asked him to assist him in training the Tiger Guards, that's all.

After Zhao Yun left, Jia Xu stood up and said:
"Your Majesty, ten days ago, the Yuan bandits arrived at Ji County, but their food and fodder were burned by Zhang Yan of the Black Mountain Army, which delayed the Yuan bandits' attack on Ji County."

"But the Yuan thief quickly collected a batch of food and grass, and defended the Black Mountain Army strictly. It was difficult for Zhang Yan to burn the food and grass as easily as before."

"If the Yuan thieves attack Ji County day and night at all costs, Ji County may be strong, but with only one city, it will definitely not last until winter."

"After the Yuan thief conquers Ji County, he will definitely gather all his troops and attack Yecheng directly."

"I think we should order Ma Teng and Han Sui to attack Bingzhou, and order Duke Wen to attack Qingzhou."

"At the same time, the Yulin Guards, Huben Army, and General Wenyuan's Xuzhou Army should also go out in full force to capture the city of Jizhou."

"In this way, with the enemy attacking from three sides and four directions, if the attack succeeds, Yuan Shao will be trapped in Youzhou. Even if the attack fails, Yuan Shao will not be able to replenish his troops and it will be difficult for him to capture Ji County."

Yuan Shao’s threat was like a dark cloud, always hanging over Yecheng and in Liu Xie’s heart.

If he was not eliminated, Liu Xie would face the threat of losing Yecheng and fleeing to Xuzhou.

But losing Yecheng would mean no possibility of capturing Jizhou and no possibility of unifying the north.

As Jia Xu said, attacking from three directions with the help of Gongsun Xu's remnants would make Yuan Shao be attacked from all sides, which was indeed the best way at the moment.

But doing so would mean giving up the several counties that Lu Bu had conquered in Yangzhou, which would most likely allow Sun Quan to become more powerful and develop into the future Eastern Wu.

And one must be on guard against Ma Chao. Although he is brave, he is a disloyal, unfilial, unkind and unjust person.

In the Han Dynasty, everyone dared to "abandon their father."

Liu Xie had to consider the terrible consequences once he conquered Bingzhou and occupied Liangzhou, Guanzhong, and Bingzhou.

Just as Liu Xie was thinking about the pros and cons, the guards outside Tai'an Palace came in with a memorial in both hands to report.

"Your Majesty, this is Duke Wen's urgent memorial."

Lu Bu’s memorial?
Liu Xie's heart moved, and he vaguely guessed that something big was going to happen.

He immediately said, "Present it."

The eunuch took the memorial from the guard and presented it to Liu Xie.

When Liu Xie opened it, he was immediately surprised by the contents of the memorial, and an expression of irrepressible joy appeared on his face!
"Okay! Okay! Okay! Great!"

Liu Xie said three good words in a row and laughed heartily.

Yang Xiu, who was sitting on Guo Jia's right, was surprised to see this, because he rarely saw Liu Xie so pleased.

Yang Xiu couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, did Duke Wen defeat Sun Quan's army?"

The other ministers also looked curious.

Liu Xie said with a smile: "No! This news makes me happier than defeating Sun Quan's army."

Hearing this, the ministers in Tai'an Palace became even more curious.

Defeating Sun Quan means occupying Yangzhou.

What other news is better than that of a state?
Liu Xie did not play tricks and ordered the eunuch to hand the memorial to all the ministers for circulation.

After everyone read it one by one, they were all overjoyed.

"The false emperor and Dong Cheng failed in their uprising and fled all the way to Shou County, hoping to deceive Lord Wen!"

"Your Majesty, this is great news! Once the false emperor is eliminated, there will no longer be a true or false emperor."

"Now that Lord Wen has ordered his men to escort the false emperor and Dong Cheng to Yecheng, it is clear that the Mandate of Heaven is with Han and with Your Majesty!"

Everyone congratulated Liu Xie ecstatically.

Amidst the laughter and joy, Jia Xu's eyes moved slightly, and he instantly improved his previous strategy in his mind.

"Your Majesty, I have a plan that can make Qingzhou return to Han territory!"

"Once Qingzhou is recovered, Your Majesty will not have to consider giving up Yecheng. Once Qingzhou and Xuzhou are connected, Your Majesty will be able to take Jizhou as easily as taking something out of a sack."

"By then, Your Majesty will control Jizhou, Qingzhou, and Xuzhou, and Yuan Shao will have no choice but to sit back and wait for death!"

If we can take Qingzhou when Yuan Shao is pinned down in Ji County, everything will be in place.

Xuzhou is no longer an enclave.

Yuan Shao was no longer a major threat to Liu Xie.

"Wenhe, what good ideas do you have? Tell us quickly."

-

(PS: And there is more, write two more chapters! The big plot unfolds.)
(End of this chapter)