Super Cultivation System of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 725 Liangzhou Changes Again
On the second day, the palace held a routine court meeting. Civil and military officials, following Gong Saner's shout, stepped into the hall.

Liu He got straight to the point: "Gong Saner, pass on the order."

Gong Saner understood and took a scroll of imperial edict.

"The Emperor, in compliance with the Will of Heaven, proclaims: Cao Cao, the Governor of Yanzhou and the Captain of Cavalry, is the descendant of Song, the adopted son of Cao Teng, the Grand Commandant. He has received the grace of the country for generations and has enjoyed the Han Dynasty salary for a long time. He once occupied the imperial palace and intended to assassinate the emperor. Fortunately, the grace of Heaven was great and he was not punished. He should have rewarded him with loyalty and served as a minister. Unexpectedly, he did not repent and attempted to establish himself. He forged an image of his father being assassinated and plotted to annex Xuzhou in the name of revenge and murdered important officials of the country. After the court broke his plot, he recently issued a proclamation to the world, echoing Yizhou and honoring the traitor Liu Yan. He is indeed guilty of the ten unforgivable crimes. Now I specially order General Gao Shun, the General of the Southern Expedition, to lead 100,000 troops to live in Chenliu and wait for the opportunity to fight the rebellion for the country."

"General Ye Xiang, who entered Xuzhou alone, defeated Cao Cao with wisdom, and saved the loyal officials of the court. His contribution is invaluable. He is granted the title of Marquis of Huangyongxiang and is to lead his 20,000-man Shenji Battalion to follow Gao Shun into battle. I decree this."

"I thank the Lord for His great grace. Long live the Emperor!"

Gao Shun and Ye Xiang bowed and thanked him.

Among the ministers, there were several who had old acquaintances with the Cao family, and some had even been related to them by marriage. One of them wanted to stand up and make a few remarks, but was glared back by Yang Biao.

Seeing that none of the ministers had submitted a memorial, Liu He took the initiative to speak: "When I was drawing up the list of officials at all levels in Liangzhou, I said that everyone should leave Luoyang within 15 days and take up their posts. Now it has been nearly two months. I wonder what the situation is like in Xiliang?"

Xun Yu stood up and said, "Your Majesty, among all the officials at all levels, the governor of Liangzhou, Zhang Yong, was the most prompt. After receiving the appointment, he packed up and went to Didao City, Longxi County, where he was in charge, in just two hours. He traveled lightly and on fast horses, leaving the main army behind. Within four days, he had arrived at his post. Five days later, he led 60,000 troops and horses and also stationed in Longxi."

"In the following days, officials at all levels set out one by one. So far, except for some officials from Dunhuang and Jiuquan counties who have not yet arrived, the rest have arrived. More than 70% of the officials have reported all the customs and agricultural conditions of their posts, and the rest must be on their way."

"Well, my fourth brother has always been the most diligent. With him guarding Liangzhou, I can rest assured. As for Dunhuang, Jiuquan and other places, the journey is long, and the official roads have been in disrepair for a long time, making it inconvenient to travel. It is reasonable that he cannot be in office for the time being. After the various places are stabilized, the local officials will sort out the government affairs and report to the court. The court will then allocate funds to repair the roads to facilitate the flow of merchants and travelers."

Among the brothers, if they were to be left alone, Liu He would trust Zhang Yong the most.

His four attributes are all outstanding, with 90 for command, 94 for force, 89 for intelligence, and 77 for politics. These are typical attributes for a general or a prime minister. He can be stationed at the frontier, charge into the battlefield, and govern a region. He is good at everything and has a calm personality and an open mind. Compared with Gao Shun, he is more generous and not old-fashioned. He is not like Gao Shun, who has a stern face all day long and has almost no friends around him.

"Your Majesty is blessed by heaven, and you can easily destroy the rebels and bandits. The revival of the Han Dynasty, which will last for thousands of years, is truly the work of your Majesty."

Many ministers shouted in unison.

Liu He also found these words very useful.

Just as the congratulations had just ended, a voice suddenly came from outside the palace: "Urgent news from Liangzhou... The governor of Liangzhou is rushing six hundred miles away..."

Liu He felt as if he was slapped hard on the face. He had just said that there was no need to worry about Liangzhou, and here came an urgent message from six hundred miles away.

"Fourth brother's personality is such that he would use the 600-mile express. What kind of urgent matter could it be?"

Liu He looked anxious and waved to Gong Saner, who shouted to the outside of the palace: "Announce the envoy from Liangzhou to enter the palace!"

A man in full military uniform ran in quickly. According to court rules, if there was urgent news from the front, or urgent military affairs on the war front, all envoys returning to the court to report were allowed to enter the court without having to go through the formalities.

The messenger knelt on the ground, holding a report above his head with both hands: "Your Majesty, a troop of soldiers under the pseudo-emperor of Yizhou broke into Wudu County. The newly appointed county magistrates, county lieutenants, and county lieutenants of Shanglu, Xiabian, Hechi, and Gudao counties were driven away before they even arrived in the city. Fortunately, they were protected by the soldiers who accompanied them and escaped. The officials of the other counties got the news halfway and did not dare to go to take up their posts. They fled to Didao City to avoid it." "The enemy army has harvested wheat from all over Wudu County, and has confiscated the homes of the families that resisted in the counties, confiscated their money and grain, and sent the men into the army. For a time, their momentum grew. Then the enemy army split into two groups, one group stationed in Sanguan, and the other group stationed in Wudu Road."

When this man said these words, his voice was trembling. It was unclear whether he was afraid of the emperor's punishment or shocked by the enemy general's thundering methods.

"In a remote area of ​​Sichuan and Shu, there is such a capable person. He must have led the army into Wudu for many days, but he was able to hide his whereabouts and not be discovered. Then, when the wheat was ripe and the court officials arrived, he suddenly started an uprising. In just a few days, he completely controlled Wudu County. His actions were so swift and ruthless that it is simply incredible."

Huangfu Song sighed repeatedly, his expression full of surprise.

Lu Zhi echoed, "Although Wudu County nominally belongs to Liangzhou, in fact, the terrain is similar to that of Shu, with ravines and mountains. There are only two ways to enter Wudu County from the north. One is to go through Sanguan from Youfufeng, Sili, and the other is to go south from Longxi County or Hanyang County, seize Wudu Road, and then send troops to the entire county. This person must have been in Wudu County for a long time and has explored the terrain very clearly, so he can make such a deployment and divide the troops to guard these two important roads. With the advantages of the terrain and natural dangers, it will be extremely difficult for the court to attack again."

"Moreover, this man is rushing to harvest wheat from various places, which means he is ready to fight against the imperial army for a long time. With so much food and grass as a foundation, even if the Sichuan-Shu grain road is blocked, he doesn't have to worry about food and grass for half a year at the shortest and a year at the longest. As long as Wudu County is not conquered, the northern gate of Yizhou can rest assured. Even if Wudu County is conquered, there are many mountains and dangerous passes behind it. He can advance step by step, fight and retreat, and consume the strength of the imperial army. This method is both offensive and defensive. It's a pity that such a good general actually serves the enemy."

Cui Jun looked angry and regretful.

Liu He looked unhappy. He had just received good news about Xuzhou, and Liangzhou had such a thorny problem. This Sichuan general was so brave and resourceful that he was really difficult to deal with. No wonder even Zhang Yong had to rush 600 miles.

"Who could the Yizhou general be?"

Liu He thought hard, and suddenly an idea flashed in his mind: "Could it be him?"

He hurriedly asked your messenger, "Have you found out who the enemy general is?"

"Your Majesty, this time Sichuan and Shu will be led by a general named Zhang Ren, with two vanguards, Lei Tong and Ling Bao. Zhang Ren will personally lead 20,000 troops to guard Wudu Road, while Generals Lei and Ling will lead 15,000 troops to guard Sanguan."

"The incident happened suddenly, and it was so urgent. General Zhang was able to quickly find out the enemy's strengths and weaknesses. This is already commendable. I hope Your Majesty will not hold General Zhang accountable."

When Wang Yun said this "earnest request", many ministers looked at him with contempt.

"Flatterer..."

After Liu He finished reading Zhang Yong's urgent report, he stretched out his hand and pressed down towards the hall, and all the ministers fell silent.

"Mingwei mentioned in his report that he had personally led 50,000 troops from Longxi to the south as a real army, intending to seize Wudu Road. He asked the court to send troops to attack Sanguan as a virtual army, combining the real and the fake to make it impossible for the front and rear to take care of each other. What do you think?"

Xun You said: "General Zhang's move is reasonable and the best strategy. I think it is feasible."

Seeing that Xun You agreed, Liu He no longer hesitated.

"Draft an order immediately. Order General Zhu Ye, the Western Guardian, to lead 500 Thunder God Cavalry and 10,000 infantry as commander, and Lieutenant General Zhang He to lead 3,000 Halberd Soldiers as vanguard to attack Sanguan Pass."

(End of this chapter)