The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 124 The yellow robe is added to the body
"When he saw the fisherman, he was greatly surprised and asked where he came from. He answered in detail and then wanted to go home, where he prepared wine and killed chickens for a meal. When the people in the village heard about this man, they all came to inquire about him... When they asked what era it was, he didn't even know about the Han Dynasty, let alone the Wei and Jin Dynasties. The man told him everything he had heard, and everyone sighed and lamented." - Thoughts of Mr. Wu Liu during the Yuanxi period.

April 15th, the second year of Jingfu.

The delegation headed by Minister of Rites Su Rong arrived in Liangzhou, and the explosive news that the "Sage of Pure Yang" was here to comfort the people of Hehuang soon spread like wildfire. The first to know about it were the nearby cities of Xiutu, Herong, Saolu, Qilian, and Pipa. Regardless of whether they were the chieftains of the barbarians or the powerful Han people, the warriors of the Umu tribes entrenched in various places all came to Guzang City to pay homage to the envoy of the "Sage of Pure Yang".

Although they usually fought each other over various disputes, with the Hu people attacking the Hu people, the Han people beating the Han people, or even just fighting, they still recognized the authority of the Tang Dynasty. When they met the envoys, they were extremely humble and said that they were the most obedient servants of the emperor. They bowed deeply again and again, and sang and danced in a friendly manner.

The Geshu tribe described its loyalty to the court over and over again.

The Ashina tribe of the Turkic people said that the Ponte tribe, which had migrated from Xizhou, was accumulating weapons and armor, which must be a sign of rebellion.

The Ganzhou Uighur Bayegu tribe said that the Guiyi Army was plotting something bad, and exposed the Zhang family's crimes - they had not come to the court or paid tribute for so many years. They were willing to lead the way for the emperor and fight against them.

The Tiele Pugu tribe presented 500 Qinghai horses and a certain amount of gold and silver to express their gratitude to the wise and pure sage; they hoped that the court would let go of the grudges of the past.

Lots and lots of them.

Su Rong formulated a complicated ritual and asked them to bow down before the tablets of the saints. He wanted to use this gathering to remind the big and small forces in Hehuang that the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty was the undisputed common ruler of all nations, the Mandate of Heaven, and could not be violated.

Su Rong had several tasks on this mission: first, to interview the people of Dunhuang and the Zhang family, and to secretly observe suitable candidates. When he returned, the court would issue an imperial decree to appoint him based on his report, grant him legal objects, and make him the official governor of the Guiyi Army, so as to exert the emperor's influence on the Western Regions.

The second is to mediate the Han and Tibetan tyrants and the Umo warriors who gathered in Liangzhou and obeyed the court, so that they would stop fighting and obey the leadership of the Yunren Military Office, strengthen the authority of the Yuncheng garrison, and at the same time, crack down on the rebellious Tibetans and the six state Dangxiang who moved from Long, Shan, and Lan.

The third is to declare the long-standing policy of the court: to win over all those who can be won over, and to eliminate all those who must be eliminated. Reward the defense envoy Weng Gao, the judge Yin Lin and other meritorious officials and soldiers, and the Bayegu, Ashina, Geshu, and Pugu tribes who are loyal to the court. Yes, Su Rong was granted the power of "accepting the appointment of officials and acting on behalf of the king" by the sage, carrying more than 80 blank certificates, official uniforms, and seals signed by officials of the Ministry of Personnel. Fill in the name, and once the legal objects are handed over, they will take effect on the spot.

Everyone was immediately afraid. Since the envoy could select the wise and employ them, he could also criticize and even dismiss the evil. Hiss, the leaders of the foreign tribes looked at each other, and they felt that they were the same as the thirty-six countries that were dominated by Ban Chao.

In the afternoon, Su Rong read several imperial edicts in Xiaoyaoyuan. For example, he refuted the widely spread public opinion that "the king's army will no longer look west!" and said: "Not an inch of land can be lost." As for the old soldiers and civilians who have been looking forward to it for years - "The descendants have not forgotten the Tang Dynasty costumes, does the court still remember it? When will the troops come?" They replied: "Wait until I have enough food, and then I will wipe out the ugly people."

As well as the series of achievements of the "Wise and True Pure Yang Saint" after he ascended the throne, as well as the changes and reforms at home and abroad, it was too much to keep up with. The ceremony held in the Liang Palace was very grand, and countless officials, civilians, and soldiers from both the Han and Tibetan ethnic groups watched; it had great political significance. It soothed the confused people, suppressed the ambitious people who were ready to make a move, and demonstrated the majesty of the court.

After doing all this, Su Rong declined everyone's invitation to stay for a few days. He still had to carry his chariot and continue westward along Jiaocheng, Shandan, Zhangye, Jiuquan, Yumenguan, through the desert, to the depths of Dunhuang. Everyone respected this old man with a tucked back and escorted him out of the city. Several leaders of the Geshu Jin Dynasty, who were named the Generals of Sweeping the Enemy, said that the road was long and difficult, and insisted on leading the troops to escort him personally. Pei Yan and Fu Cunshen had a thousand cavalry under their command, which was enough, but Su Rong could not refuse.

Wild horses are galloping at the foot of Yanzhi Mountain.

Walking on the lush green grasslands of the river valley, Geshu Jin looked at the floating clouds and peaks under the blue sky, and sighed to Su Rong who was riding side by side with him: "The warriors of the Central Plains are unruly and unruly, and the bandits in all directions are hard to punish. The emperor has to face the rebellious army that leads beasts to eat people. This is a shame for us ministers. However, there is no way to serve the country, and we can only worry and live out our lives in the border. It is just like the fertile land given by God, Hehuang, which is not spread by the king's influence and is not used by the court. It is a pity."

"General, don't give up." Su Rong comforted him, "God bless our country. Although you are young, you are strong and resolute, and you are virtuous and righteous. All the people love you. You are always wise in governing the country and you are good at judging people. When you are free..."

"As long as my wish comes true." Geshu Jin did not dwell on this anymore, and said slowly: "Dunhuang is in turmoil, the children of the Zhang family are indulging in internal strife, and disasters are frequent. If we go to comfort the Guiyi Army, I am afraid we will encounter many obstacles."

It's not a geographical barrier, but a human barrier.

"All the sons of the Zhang family are ambitious, cruel and ruthless, and even massacred their own brothers and families. Pugu Jun had made great military achievements, but when Huai Shen was in power, he was suspected and framed and killed, and his tribe was scattered." Geshu Jin guessed that the envoy had a special mission, and was worried that Su Rong was unaware of the situation, so he reminded him: "Mr. Su, be very careful when you go to Dunhuang..."

Shazhou was shrouded in dark clouds, and a coup was imminent. He tried several times to persuade Su Rong not to go, and asked the Ganzhou Uighurs to pass on the imperial edict, but he was afraid of being considered as slander, so he didn't want to say anything too harsh; he simply let Su Gong go to the Guiyi Army to take a look. Even brothers from the same mother could be killed, and they disregarded human relations for power. How could they still be expected to be loyal to the court...

Su Rong nodded and said, "Fu Cunshen is a brave general from Taiyuan, and his escort is also elite Shatuo cavalry. The Zhang family will not risk killing me."

Koshukin thought about it seriously and said, "I have many warriors in my army. I will select a thousand elite warriors from them and transfer a few trusted men to Su--"

"General, I can't do that." Su Rong declined hastily. "Liangzhou is a mixed place of Han and Tibetan peoples. The Tibetans are spying on us. I hope you can stay here and help the military to defend these three states for the saint. Besides, I am going here to interview on behalf of the emperor, not to lead an army to attack. Bringing too many soldiers will arouse suspicion and make me feel insecure. I appreciate your kindness."

"I was reckless." Then Geshu Jin took the copper cup from the guard, handed Su Rong a bottle of wine, and raised his own cup: "Over Yanzhi Mountain is the Wusun Road, and along the old Han Dynasty road that Zhang Qian walked to the end is Dunhuang. Beyond Yanzhi Mountain is the territory of Ganzhou Uighurs, I'm sorry I can't see you off. I urge you to drink another cup of wine, there will be no friends west of Yangguan."

Su Rong drank it all in one gulp, wiped his beard, and shouted with a hoarse voice: "The Big Dipper is high, and Geshu carries a knife at night. Until now, he has been spying on the herdsmen and dared not pass Lintao."

After saying this, he bowed and left with the staff in hand.

……

While Su Rong was bidding farewell to Geshu Jin and other leaders to continue his diplomatic mission to the Western Regions, the fourth round of persuasion to ascend the throne, which was destined to go down in history, was taking place outside Luocheng, Bianliang on April 21, the second year of Jingfu.

The main staff behind this grand spectacle can be confirmed as follows: the chief director - the military commander Jing Xiang, the deputy envoy of Jianchang Palace. The producers - the staff officer Li Zhen, the judge of the Ministry of Finance Duan Ning, the pseudo Bozhou militia commander Xie Tong, the pseudo Huazhou governor Hu Zhen, the general Kou Yanqing, He Delun and more than ten others.

The actors: Zhu Wen, the main actor, is assisted by hundreds of civil and military officials, thousands of Daliang officials, monks, Taoists, beggars and other people from all walks of life, as well as tens of thousands of yamen soldiers.
If the dynasty could be passed on smoothly, after being processed by the historians of the new dynasty, it would have started out like this: "The emperor was born in Wu Gouli, Dangshan County. That night, red smoke rose from the hut where he lived. The villagers saw it and ran over in shock." It would probably have evolved into a legendary story similar to the one about Wang Mang wearing the yellow robe and his reforms, which would have been popular and lasted for generations.

But this scene is too difficult to act.

During these days, they used various methods to persuade him to come in three times, but were all rejected by Zhu Wen. After three refusal, Li Zhen even doubted whether he really wanted to be a loyal minister... Fortunately, through his reaction of not punishing anyone, his confidants still figured out his thoughts.

Maintain the last bit of reserve!
In order to avoid being humiliated and cursed by the world. Being forced to sit on the dragon throne and impatiently becoming emperor are two different things. So, three nights ago, an urgent report was sent back from Chenliu County, saying that the Chenliu magistrate offered auspicious signs and caught a phoenix born from Nirvana. Yesterday morning, another express letter was received from the governor of Songzhou - a fairy was seen bathing in the ancient lake of Mingdu, with nine black-scaled dragons swimming under her.

Today, these four rounds of persuasion were naturally initiated.

"We want to see King Bian!"

"come out!"

"Why is the commander hiding his head and face?"

"What? The Marshal is ill?"

"Poor, poor! The universe has been in turmoil for decades, and the people are displaced. We sincerely support the Marshal, hoping to put an end to the chaos and bring peace to every family. Unexpectedly, the Marshal is so ill that it is difficult for him to see us. Is this God's will? Doesn't God give us a chance? Stop, stop... My men, make a fuss! Follow me into the palace to kill the Marshal's family, then burn Bianzhou and go west to the saint. With such great merits, how can you get rich? Isn't it written very clearly in the edict? Whoever kills Zhu Wen will be made a marquis of ten thousand households."

"If you don't want to be emperor, we will rebel!"

"Rebellion, rebellion!!"

Outside the north gate of Luocheng, the roaring warriors attacked Zhu Wen, who was overwhelmed. The Crane Control Army and the servants were "on full alert", ready to suppress the rebellion at any time. Every time the clamor was higher than the other, Zhu Wen, who was hiding in Jiafu Hall, felt anxious. He grasped his thighs tightly with both hands, sometimes clenching and sometimes releasing his palms, with an expression of pain.

"Your Majesty, the Li family has been making excessive demands on the world and bringing disaster to the common people. Today, the sky is full of splendor, golden lotuses are emerging from the ground, the fairy phoenix is stationed in the county government office, and the goddess is riding a dragon to travel in the lake. This is because Emperor Hao is disgusted with the Li family and wants to entrust his power to the Zhu family. Since ancient times, the five elements are more virtuous and the way is natural. How can we go against the will of heaven? Moreover, the three armies are in turmoil and mutiny is imminent. The sage will not accept the mandate of heaven. How can we quell the rebellion..." Pei Di hugged the king's legs, crying.

Zhang Guiba, the military commander of Luoyan City, suddenly knelt on his knees and said, "Your Majesty, please make a decision quickly!"

"This is a crime of usurping the throne." Zhu Wen looked at his confidants lying on the ground and said in tears, "In the past, Qin Zongquan usurped the throne. I led a small army in the name of the emperor to fight against him. I defeated the strong with the weak and finally accomplished my goal. You are doing this to put me to death." After saying this, he waved his sleeves, stood up and was about to leave.

"Your Majesty!" Jing Xiang grabbed him, knelt on the ground and kowtowed, his forehead bloody and bloody, weeping, "Now the people are furious, and safety is at stake. Your Majesty is a loyal and good man, and does not want to disappoint the Li family, but the destiny has been given to you, and the people's hearts are at this point. If Your Majesty does not establish a great dynasty, it will be a great disappointment. It is difficult to defy the destiny of heaven and the desires of the people. I hope Your Majesty will weigh the pros and cons carefully."

"You...!" Zhu Wen's burly body staggered a few steps uncontrollably, and he did not fall down until the maid helped him. After a long silence, he raised his head and sighed with difficulty.

"Hurry, carry him away, carry him away!" Zhang Guiba saw the opportunity and immediately rushed over with his guards. Zhu Wen was furious, but the warriors lifted him up from behind, lifted him over their heads and carried him directly to the north gate of Luocheng. He could only spit and curse.

……

When Zhu Wen was carried over, Li Zhen was standing on the stone steps, persuading the warriors earnestly: "Only by following the right path can one achieve great achievements. Usurping the throne is an ominous act, who dares to foresee it? Moreover, the sage has fallen into the hands of Shatuo, and the king is anxious day and night about how to rescue him, but it is too late..."

"The saint is here!" The soldiers and civilians were delighted and called out "the saint". He Delun was greatly inspired and was the first to bow down. With him taking the lead, everyone followed suit.

Zhu Wen was let down, weakly holding onto the door frame, staring at the more than ten generals including He Delun, who were in the lead, and scolded them: "What do you want to do by inciting these people to stir up trouble in Luocheng? Are you trying to persuade them? Disperse immediately, or you will be punished by military law."

He Delun was not afraid this time. He stood up, stared at Zhu Wen and spit out his saliva: "I dare not rebel! I came here to plead for the hundreds of thousands of soldiers inside and outside Xuanwu, and to ask for the saint for the hundreds of millions of people in the Central Plains! As long as Your Majesty accepts the throne, I will have no regrets even if I die."

"I do too!" Kou Yanqing stepped out.

“Your Majesty…” Li Sian, the commander of the cavalry of the Yanei Army, bowed down.

"Your Majesty..." The coach made Han Qing bow down.

There were hundreds of officers and soldiers all over the place.

Zhu Wen walked slowly to the eaves, covered his face and sighed: "As a Jiedushi, I am content. But the emperor has been despised and has become a puppet of Shatuo, and the country is without a master..."

Before he finished speaking, He Delun grabbed something from the soldier beside him, rushed up the stairs, grabbed Zhu Wen's waist, and threw the yellow robe over his shoulders without saying anything. Zhu Wen struggled desperately, screaming in pain that almost broke his throat.

Immediately, the civil and military officials who had been waiting for a long time quickly danced the Huxuan dance and congratulated: "Long live the saint!"

The atmosphere instantly reached its climax, and the warriors in front raised their arms and shouted "Long live the saint". Then, the soldiers and horses around Luocheng and the scholars, farmers, merchants and workers mobilized by the shogunate responded. The shouts of "Long live the saint" echoed throughout Daliang City. This was still very contagious. Li Zhen and others standing next to the saint "tears filled their eyes" and their lips trembled. They knelt at the saint's feet, held his feet, and kissed him intimately.

Zhu Sheng closed his eyes slightly, his mind was blank.

The impact is still continuing.

By evening, the poorest beggars and the most decadent prostitutes in Daliang City all knew that an emperor had been born in the Central Plains.

East Bianzhou, West Chang'an, two saints.

How to distinguish them?

(End of this chapter)