Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 613 The Tang Dynasty's Decline and the Han Dynasty's Decline (23)
Jinling, Shangshutai.

"Something bad is going to happen!"

The young vice minister hurried to the central hall and urgently reported to Xun Yu: "My lord, the Tang army has sailed across the sea to Wu County and has now captured Wu County and Piling. Their troops are about to reach Wujin and Yunyang."

"what?"

The officials in the hall were initially displeased with the Vice Minister's hasty manner, but upon hearing the news of the Tang army's landing in Wu County, they were all shocked. Some were even so terrified that they dropped their pens to the ground.

Xun Yu's expression was grim. He hadn't expected the Tang army to be so audacious, sailing hundreds of miles by sea to sneak into Wu County. As a major tax-paying county in Jiangdong, Wu County's surrender to the Tang would undoubtedly have a significant impact on the imperial court.

Of course, the most impactful event is that the Tang army will march on Jinling. The front line is already at a disadvantage, and the Jinling troops only number a few thousand. They need to urgently summon more troops, which may cause unrest in the capital region.

"Summon General Zixiu immediately!" Xun Yu said urgently, regaining his composure.

"promise!"

Before Cao Ang arrived, Zhang Hong, a high-ranking official, said, "My lord, Jinling is fortified by mountains and rivers. If we wait until the troops are assembled before sending the young general, I fear the Tang army will have already seized the strategic points. It would be better to gather the troops and send the troops from Guangling and Jiangdu south to occupy Dantu, thus blocking the enemy's water and land routes."

"Can!"

Xun Yu instructed, "Send orders to Generals Xiahou Shang and Wen Ji to dispatch elite troops south to Dantu to block the Tang army's westward advance to Jinling."

"As ordered!"

Seeing the panicked expressions on everyone's faces, Xun Yu took a deep breath and said, "The smoke of war is rising everywhere, and the country is in crisis. You ministers are the backbone of the country and should each perform your duties. Anyone who violates these duties will be punished for dereliction of duty."

"Yes, sir!" all the officials responded in unison.

Not long after, Cao Ang strode to the main hall, and Xun Yu led Cao Ang to a side hall.

"Your Majesty has issued an urgent edict; what is the matter?" Cao Ang asked.

Xun Yu truthfully replied, "The Tang people have crossed the sea to Jiangdong, and their army is now approaching Dantu. I have already ordered men to garrison the strategic location of Dantu. However, the troops in Guangling alone are insufficient to defeat the rebels. Only the young general can lead the troops there."

Cao Ang's expression changed drastically, but he quickly calmed down and asked, "How many troops does the Tang army have?"

"I do not yet know the details, but the number may be several thousand or tens of thousands," Xun Yu said. "Before the Prime Minister set out on the expedition, he left the young general in charge of the troops. The enemy intends to destroy us and urgently needs to recruit 20,000 troops. I trouble the young general to lead the expedition to quell the enemy."

Cao Ang said, “The country is in peril. As the commander of the army, it is my duty to lead the troops to suppress the rebels. Please stay in Jinling, and I will immediately gather the troops.”

Xun Yu said, "I have ordered the counties around the capital to recruit soldiers. Young General, lead the troops ahead first, and other troops will follow to provide reinforcements!"

"good!"

When Cao Cao left Jinling, he was worried about the issue of military power, so he put Cao Ang in charge of the army. Xun Yu, on the other hand, had the authority to urgently mobilize troops from the prefectures. Therefore, besides Cao Ang, Xun Yu actually had no other generals he could appoint.
Of course, Cao Cao assigned almost all the generals to Huainan and Jingchu to lead troops in battle.

As for Xiahou Shang and Wen Ji of Guangling, they had the right to refuse, but given the critical situation, how could they, as Cao Cao's confidants, refuse Xun Yu's orders!

While the Southern Han court was preparing for war, news of the Tang army's arrival in Jiangdong by sea was leaked by an unknown person and spread throughout Nanjing.

Zhang Zhao was serving in the Ministry of Personnel when he learned that Xun Yu had ordered Cao Ang to lead troops to attack the Tang people. He sighed to his attendants.

"Our dynasty relies on nothing more than the Yangtze River, but the Tang people defeated Cao Ren on the Yangtze River and then crossed the sea to the southeast. The enemy and we share the same river water. How can our army hold out for long?"

"If we do not surrender to Tang in time, Cao Cao's empire will be destroyed, and our families and lives will be in danger!"

"Zhang Gong, be careful with your words!"

Fearing that Cao Cao might be aware of this, Liu Ji interrupted, saying, "I am doing my best for the country now, how can I be associated with Cao Cao's legacy?"

"Humph!"

Zhang Zhao snorted coldly and said, "If a ruler is cruel and treats his subordinates harshly, how can any civil or military official be willing to die for him? Now that the Tang army is approaching, people's hearts are divided, and everyone is filled with fear. How can they possibly care about you and me?"

Cao Cao was not only stingy in bestowing titles upon those who achieved military merit, but he also treated his civil officials poorly. For example, Cao Cao was stern, and he would punish his clerks and subordinates with caning for the slightest displeasure. He Kui, to avoid being humiliated, always carried poison and vowed never to be caned.

Not only was Cao Cao fond of using caning, but in his later years, he was also reluctant to listen to good advice. If anyone's opinion was slightly contrary to his wishes, he would resort to punishment. For example, when Cao Cao was campaigning against Sun Quan in the south, he encountered the rainy season, and the various tribes were unwilling to advance.

Cao Cao was furious and ordered the execution of anyone who offered advice. Jia Kui, upright and outspoken, submitted a memorial to the emperor and was imprisoned by Cao Cao. Had he not been clever enough to protect himself, Jia Kui would likely have been killed by Cao Cao.

There's no need to elaborate on Cui Yan's story. He was initially highly valued by Cao Cao, but when things didn't go his way, Cao Cao forced him to commit suicide.

A careful examination of the historical records of Cao Wei's officials reveals numerous instances of Cao Cao's ruthless nature; he would punish or kill anyone who displeased him, a stark contrast to Sun Quan and Liu Bei of the same period.

Of course, Sun Quan and Liu Bei's temperaments could also change. For example, Sun Quan became senile in his old age, which led to the chaos between the two palaces and forced Lu Xun to commit suicide.

Cao Cao was stern in character, while Zhang Zhao was upright and outspoken. With Zhang Yu in the Central Plains as a comparison, how could he possibly respect Cao Cao?
Looking at Liu Ji, who was in his early twenties, Zhang Zhao stroked his beard and sighed, reminding him, "Our late father respected Your Majesty and helped the Prime Minister establish Your Majesty, which made great contributions to the court. However, since our late father has passed away, there are several younger brothers under Jingyu. Do not associate with them. You should assess the situation carefully."

"The Tang emperor was benevolent and discerning in his talent. He appointed many virtuous and capable people to the prefectures and counties he governed. Jingyu should follow his example."

Liu Ji understood what Zhang Zhao meant and respectfully replied, "I will never forget Zhang Gong's wise words!"

“We should both take care of ourselves!” Zhang Zhao said.

Liu Yao lacked the ability to govern and stabilize the country. His appointment as a Confucian scholar to govern an outlying region symbolized the decline of the Eastern Han Dynasty and its attempt to revive its prestige. Before Cao Cao marched south to Huainan, Liu Yao was being suppressed by Yuan Shu.

After Cao Cao marched south, Liu Yao, relying on his old connections, reached an agreement with Cao Cao and jointly selected a new emperor. Because of his early death, Liu Yao's reputation in Jiangdong was far better than Cao Cao's. Therefore, his son Liu Ji enjoyed a high reputation in Jiangdong and was appointed to the Ministry of Personnel at just over 20 years old.

The Tang army was poised for a sweeping victory, and Zhang Zhao, who had no intention of serving Cao Cao, hoped that the Tang people would quickly destroy the Cao family. Liu Ji, on the other hand, possessed corresponding independent political resources and prestige due to his father Liu Yao. He was disloyal to Cao Cao and only served the small Southern Han court. If he surrendered, the Tang people would be more willing to accept him.

The news of the Tang army not only shocked the court officials, but also filled Liu Bei, who was imprisoned in Cao Cao's mansion, with mixed feelings of sorrow and joy.

"Ha ha!"

Liu Bei slammed his hand on the table and laughed, saying, "Cao Mengde, even if you seize my territory, you cannot escape defeat. Without me guarding the upper reaches, how could you possibly make it in time to fight across two provinces on your own!"

Liu Bei was ecstatic. Back then, he had been tricked by Cao Cao using underhanded tactics. Now, Cao Cao had painstakingly built his empire, but it was about to crumble. Cao Cao's future treatment would likely be different from Liu Bei's; he would probably just live as a wealthy man waiting to die.

When Cao Cao launched his campaign, he requested to accompany him, just as Cao Cao had predicted, as he wanted to take the opportunity to retaliate against Cao Cao.

But as he laughed, Liu Bei suddenly became sad again.

"Is the Han Dynasty, after four hundred years, about to perish?"

Liu Bei covered his face and wept. His life had been full of hardships. In his youth, he was a wandering knight-errant, determined to establish great achievements. He fought against the Yellow Turbans and Zhang Chun, only to obtain a minor official position. He went to Luoyang, met Cao Cao, and thought he could serve the Han Dynasty. Unexpectedly, with Dong Zhuo entering the capital, the world fell into the chaos of warlordism and fragmentation.

He first served under Chen Ji in Pingyuan, and then served under Gongsun Zan due to a popular uprising. When he saw Zhang Yu sending envoys to make contact, out of a desire to save the Han Dynasty, he foolishly followed Zhang Yu to break through Guanzhong.

As Zhang Yu annexed Guanzhong, he realized that all the feudal lords in the world were simply vying for power. So he assisted Liu Xie, hoping to restore the prestige of the Han emperor.

However, during the struggle between the two Yuan brothers for the throne, he followed the emperor and ended up under Yuan Shu's command. Having witnessed the emperor's humiliation, he gradually realized that the restoration of the Han dynasty was unlikely to be achieved by Liu Xie, and ultimately he placed his hopes on himself.

Reality dealt him a heavy blow. He had always regarded Cao Cao as an ally who would fight against Zhang Yu under the banner of the Han Dynasty. However, Cao Cao had gone to great lengths to deceive him, and when he arrived in Jiangdong, he found himself imprisoned. Therefore, he hated Cao Cao and was also angry at his own foolishness.

Now that Cao Cao has been defeated, Liu Bei is both relieved of the humiliation of his previous imprisonment and saddened by the reality of the change of power.

"Why is Your Excellency weeping?" Cheng Bing asked.

Liu Bei wiped his tears with his sleeve and said, "My grief today is truly due to the change of rulers. The Han dynasty bestowed grace upon us for hundreds of years, but Emperors Huan and Ling ruined our foundation and brought Dong Zhuo into our court, leading to our deaths. I cannot help but lament this!"

Seeing this, Cheng Bing comforted him, saying, "My lord, the world has its own lifespan. In the past, the Zhou dynasty rose before the Han dynasty, and the Han dynasty succeeded the Zhou dynasty after the fall of the Zhou. The Han dynasty lasted for four hundred years and was still in its twilight years. The Tang dynasty was just beginning and was in its prime. Perhaps the Tang dynasty will last for several hundred years before a new dynasty takes its place."

"I have lived in Jinling for many years and have talked with the officials. I am deeply impressed by the valor of the Tang Emperor. When the emperor surrendered, the Tang Emperor granted him a dukedom, fiefdoms, and kingdoms, and gave him everything he needed. This shows the benevolence of the Tang Emperor."

May all people under heaven live in peace!

(End of this chapter)