The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 27 Like a light on my back
On the eighth day of the first lunar month in the first year of Jingfu, Li Sizhou, the Recruiting Envoy, led more than 7,000 infantry and cavalry, and more than 5,000 troops from Wang Congxun and Li Yanzhen to Xinfeng. There were also many garrison troops in the Shen Ce Army camp in this area, and they were all taken under Li Sizhou's command. The total force was nearly 20,000, but the soldiers were arrogant and the generals were arrogant. It was a temporary patchwork, which could be called a "rabble".

Li Sizhou was not afraid.

He had his own Yaowu Army base, the main officers were either Ximen Chongsui's trusted military officials, or the royal family members and guards of his Qin Wang family. As long as he won one or two battles, seized some wealth and distributed it, and established his favor and prestige, even those who wanted to seize power would have to put aside their thoughts for the time being.

To this end, Li Sizhou made a plan to recruit troops to advance eastward along the Wei River, sweep the military cities on both sides, and force Han Jian to fight a frontal battle. Or he would drive small groups of troops from all over Huazhou back to Zhengcheng, Tongguan, Huayin and other major city gates to make a long-term siege.

Yang Shouxin, the deputy envoy of the Recruiting Army, led more than 20,000 people from the Yushan, Xuanhua, Feilong and other outer Zhailang troops to the north of Liyang to contain the Tongzhou Li Maozhuang troops and prevent them from taking the opportunity to bypass Fuping and attack the capital. After all, the army was away and Chang'an was quite empty. On the other hand, it was to deter the three towns of Fu, Bin and Jing from interfering.

In this case, Han Jian had to either risk a battle in the field, or defend the city, or abandon his position and flee. Ximen Chong adopted Li Sizhou's strategy of closing the door and forcing Han Jian to flee eastward. He was knowledgeable about military affairs and was willing to give up power.

Nothing more!
It’s family heritage.

The Ximen family prospered during the An-Shi Rebellion. When Li Heng arrived in Lingwu, his ancestor Ximen Zhen was the military supervisor of Shuofang Town. He supported Li Heng as emperor together with the shogunate and Guo Ziyi. After that, the Ximen family served as military supervisors in Fengxiang for generations, guarding the backyard for the Li family. Ximen Chongsui's elder brother Ximen Sigong served as the deputy of the prime minister Zheng Ting during the Chaos Rebellion. He was quite capable in dispatching troops and planning military affairs.

The ninth day of the lunar month.

After reorganizing the logistics, Ximen Chong then led more than 10,000 elite soldiers to garrison at Hongmen as a reserve.

In addition to the howling wind, there were also infantry and cavalry coming from the west on the white plain. The vanguard was led by half-rolled ivory flags, and a large number of warriors were marching in columns carrying iron spears.

The sound of carriages and horses rustled, and the brocade clothes rustled.

Amid the flying snow, there was a solemn banner, a rectangular flag with black characters on a red background.

The memorial was submitted to the emperor: Inspector of the Military Appearance of the Six Armies and Twelve Guards, Privy Councilor, and Commander-in-Chief of the Field Camp of the Recruiting and Suppressing National Army.

That’s right, Yang Fugong’s position as military commander was taken over by Ximen Chongsui.

From Wannian County to Xihe, from Baqiao to Mount Li, there were tens of thousands of civilians working the roads all day long. There were also a large number of camels, ox carts, rice, wheat, horse feed, salt and other supplies, which almost filled the official roads.

The noisy sound of horses neighing and people howling even drowned out the snowstorm and hurt people's eardrums.

"Privy Councillor, if you fail to meet the deadline, you shall be put to death!"

"Quick, quick."

"Let's go to Hongmen to cut down trees and set up camp!"

On the dusty official road, densely packed cavalrymen waved their lances, urging the troops to move forward quickly.

Ximen Chongsui rode on a large yellow-headed horse.

Wearing an embroidered robe to ward off evil spirits, a crimson scarf and a bow, holding a sword in his left hand and a variety of belts in his right hand, he looked really majestic in his military uniform. Officers, messengers, and subordinates came and went, reporting information to him, and orders were issued from time to time. Looking at his fat and strong body, surrounded by his adopted sons, he actually had a bit of the flavor of "Dong Zhuo"...

Admiring the snowy scenery and watching the magnificent scene of the army marching, Ximen Chongsui was so excited that he could not help but sigh: "Since the Zhide era, thieves have frequently appeared, and even stole the country. If it were not for me, the Cao family, I don't know how many people in Guanzhong would call themselves orphans, and how many would call themselves lonely."

This……

Comparing yourself to Wei Wu?

The subordinates looked at each other in silence.

Zhu Cong, the official who reported to the emperor, flattered him: "The death of the Ten Eunuchs caused the decline of the royal family and the fall of the Han Dynasty. It can be seen that the emperor can only rely on his retainers. With the merits of the Privy Councilor, it is not an exaggeration to confer the title of Duke of Wei. Yang Fugong was conferred the title of Duke of Wei, which is a precedent. Now that he has returned victoriously, we can meet the emperor together and ask him to raise the title of the Privy Councilor."

Unexpectedly, Ximen Chongsui waved his hand and said, "My achievements are not as good as those of the old thief! If we can pacify the interior of the pass and collect taxes for our own use, it will be enough. Don't mention this matter again, it will only arouse jealousy. It's cold, so march quickly to Hongmen and set up camp. Li Sizhou and Yang Shouxin sent people to report that they have not detected any traces of the main force of the Han family. They said that the rebels may be looking west and roaming around. We must not let the rebels pass Hongmen."

"only."

That night, heavy snow fell again in the states of Qi, Liang, Tong, Jing, Fang and others within the Guannei area, and it lasted for several days.

In the dead of winter, the wind is so strong that people cannot go out.

In such severe and extremely cold weather, the Han rebels suddenly launched a large-scale invasion to the south, plundering along the vast plain east of Lintong, intending to seize Lantian. Li Maozhuang of Tongzhou also launched a fierce attack on Fuping, threatening the northern gate of the capital.

Ximen Chongsui certainly knew the importance of defending his home, and had already stockpiled heavy troops in Xinfeng and Liyang. Moreover, this battle was not as good as the last one, as the total strength of the two towns of Tong and Hua was only about 20,000 to 30,000, making it difficult for them to directly march to Chang'an like they did last year.

Han Jian, who "loved the people like his own sons", had allowed his men to rape and plunder around the capital in order to win the hearts of the army and conspire with him on military and national affairs. Now, Han Jian had to swallow the bitter fruit. The people of Jingzhao knew very well what kind of people the Zhenguo Army was. The Shen Ce Army could be dealt with by giving them some money and goods, but the rebels wanted everything!

Therefore, the powerful local residents put up fierce resistance and provided food for the royal army stationed there.

This made the Tonghua rebels very angry.

Han Jian had to consider completely abandoning the idea of fighting guerrilla warfare with Wang's army and instead withdrawing his forces to hold on and wait for reinforcements.

Before that, he sent envoys to Fu and Xia to try to gain the support of the Tuoba family. But the Tanguts in Guanzhong were afraid of the imperial court and did not dare to do so for the time being. When the troops from various routes besieged Huang Chao, the Tanguts had seen the power of the army. The Tuoba family was not a gambler who liked to take risks. They could get to where they are today because of their "loyalty and courage", so they were rewarded with a piece of land to herd sheep.

In any case, before the winner is clearly determined, the Tuoba family will never interfere in the struggle between the imperial court and the vassal states as long as it does not involve them.

Han Jian had also contacted Guandong.

He successively sent envoys to Jinshang, Shan Guo, Heyang, Bian, Hezhong and Hedong towns, requesting the powerful vassal states to mediate.

However, Chengde and Youzhou combined their forces to attack Li Keyong, who was too busy to care about him. Zhu Quanzhong was also fighting with the people of Yun, and the battle was so intense that Han Jian's envoys did not see Zhu Quanzhong.

The princes from all over the country were so bloodthirsty and busy fighting for territory that they had no mood to act as peacemakers.

This made Han Jian very depressed.

He hurriedly sent someone to Qizhou to inquire about Li Maozhen's situation, but the bad news came:
Li Maozhen was deprived of his position as commander by his adopted son Li Jikan, and was trapped in a mud city by Wang Xingyu. As soon as he escaped, he gathered the troops of the commanders of Taihe Pass and other towns, and then led his troops to Yong County to find his adopted son Jikan to question him. In order to fight for Fengxiang, Wang Xingyu of the Bining Army and the Wai Zhailang led by Yang Shouliang of the Shannan Army did not even bother to kill Li's father and son first, so as not to be picked peaches.

The whole Fengxiang was in chaos. "Well, let's try to defend Tonghua." On the top floor of Tongguan, Han Jian looked down at the heavy snow and sighed softly.

If I had known this would happen, I would have fought my way into Chang'an and killed Li Ye's son even if it meant sacrificing all my family wealth.

What a pity, what a pity.

After the news of the massacre at the Jinzouyuan and Ximen Chongsui's army coming to repress the rebellion spread in Huazhou, the Zhenguo Army became increasingly turbulent, with people fleeing every day.

Han Jian was born in Caizhou Military Academy, and he knew the habits of warriors very well. He himself had done many dirty things. Now facing the situation of a large army approaching, he did not dare to stay in the army, fearing that his head would be borrowed, so he moved to Tongguan early.

If things didn't go well, he would lead his trusted followers to flee eastward and seek refuge in a big town.

The staff stared blankly at the snowy mountains and rivers, feeling dead silent. They didn't know what to do and couldn't help complaining in their hearts.

It's all Mr. Han's fault! He didn't know his own limitations and offended the eunuchs.

The shogunate was also very clear that the imperial army had to slow down its offensive due to the blizzard. Once the snow stopped and the sky cleared, the troops of Ximen Chongsui, Li Sizhou, and Yang Shouxin would sound the horn again, and Han Gong's position as the defense envoy of Tonghua Pass would enter the countdown.

As soon as Li Sizhou's cavalry arrived at the foot of Tongguan Tower, it was obvious what would happen to Han Gong.

Huazhou is a small family after all. Even if the imperial court is in decline and it is just a vassal town of Jingzhao, it still has hundreds of thousands of households. I don't know where Han Gong got the confidence to challenge. Because he is from Caizhou, a natural rebel?
Everyone in the shogunate no longer had any hope for Han Jian's future.

If the soldiers hadn't been keeping a close watch, I'm afraid some of my subordinates would have already run away...

……

"The position of Sanqi Changshi was established by Emperor Wei. It was probably to trace the chaos of the Han Dynasty's eunuchs' training of government. The gentry was appointed as Huangmen Lang, responsible for attending, advising, consulting, and making reports. The Jin and Northern Dynasties continued to have this position. In our dynasty, two officials were appointed in Zhongshu and Menxia respectively. Those who belonged to Menxia were called Zuo Sanqi Changshi, and those who belonged to Zhongshu were called You Sanqi Changshi."

In the Linde Hall, the sage and Han Yu, a Hanlin scholar, sat opposite each other. On the table between them were a pile of old bamboo slips, a stack of paper, and a tripod-shaped incense burner, with curling green smoke rising straight up, complementing the faint fragrance of books.

Li Ye had no intention of making any comments or making any micromanagement in the campaign against Han Jian. When it came to commanding troops and fighting a war, any official in the court could talk better than him.

He knew his greatest advantage: the broad knowledge endowed by later generations of society and the overall trend of the rise and fall of history.

on the contrary.

The biggest disadvantage is the lack of thorough understanding of the state apparatus, system, customs and etiquette of this era, and it is too difficult to form a team under the supervision of the eunuchs.

Killing Ximen Chongsui was very simple. Just take the opportunity to kill him in the palace and have Wang Congxun and his ilk kill him. Then what? Did Wei Suzong take back power by killing Erzhu Rong?

Even a legitimate heir to the throne like Prince Tan Li Sizhou became Ximen Chongsui's confidant, which shows how deep his foundation is.

At least for a long time to come, Li Ye will have to experience what it means to feel like a thorn in the back.

Whenever he thought of this, Li Ye got a headache.

He can talk freely on the Internet because there are enough channels to verify it immediately, but where can he check it now? He called the scholars from Hongwen Academy, Jixian Academy, and National History Museum to come to him and ask them what is going on with this thing?
How to take back some power from the domineering eunuchs with relatively gentle and low-cost means within the scope of the rules of light and dark, not only requires him to keep a low profile and observe and wait, but also requires the talents of this era to plan for him. It is too few to just have the Grand Commandant Du Rangneng and the Minister of the Imperial Court Liu Chongwang. And from his experience during this period, old foxes like Du and Liu are not easy to control.

It's very simple. They are not the cynical ministers of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and they have seen all kinds of storms and waves. If they think the emperor's ideas are absurd, they don't have to give him face.

Therefore, if there is a group of loyal and talented new ministers around him, Li Ye will no longer be a completely caged man. As the saying goes, partial trust leads to darkness. In this world, he can't just listen to Zi Fei's words. He needs to get information and help from more officials of different levels and backgrounds.

Han Wei, who had little connection with the vassal states and had just entered the officialdom after becoming a Jinshi, was a good subject for detailed questioning.

Taking advantage of this rare opportunity when Ximen Chongsui went out of the palace to lead troops to fight, Li Ye summoned Han Wei to explain the rules and regulations to him.

The so-called rules and regulations are actually the manifestation of the light and dark rules in the political arena of this era. Only when he has played these thoroughly, unlike his predecessor who was always in the dark about the people around him, can he form his own team. And Han Wei seemed to be very sensible, and he started talking about the officials who were closest to the emperor in all dynasties.

"This is the Imperial Attendant." Han Wei glanced at the sage and said calmly, "To serve the emperor, only those who are honest, virtuous, loyal and filial can be appointed, because they are influenced by the emperor. Living with good people is like entering a room full of orchids. After a long time, you will no longer smell their fragrance. Living with bad people is like entering a store selling abalone. After a long time, you will no longer smell their stench. If all of them are villains and lucky people, then the king is no longer a king, and the villains are even more villains."

"Officials similar to the Imperial Guards include the Imperial Assistant, Imperial Secretary, Imperial Guards, Imperial Guards, and Imperial Attendants. However, since the eunuchs took over the government, most of them have been incorporated into the Three Departments."

After hearing this, Li Ye realized that these positions that should have belonged to the emperor were taken away by the eunuchs. Over the years, the eunuchs have institutionally eliminated the possibility that the emperor would attempt to cultivate a team and the emperor would be taken away by the court officials.

As Qiu Shiliang said, there should not be too many foreign ministers around the emperor, and the emperor should not communicate with foreign ministers too frequently, so as to prevent the emperor from getting tired of playing and running to govern the country. Otherwise, if the emperor has his own small group and his own career, will the eunuchs still be popular?
If you think about it carefully, the people around him now, apart from Ximen Chongsui and a few prime ministers, are the female officials like Zhao.

It's really miserable.

Thinking of this, Li Ye lowered his voice and asked, "I know a little about the current officials such as the Palace Attendant, the Secretary, and the Attendant, but if you don't know their talents, virtues, and resumes, it's hard to get close to them. Why don't you tell me in detail, Bachelor?"

This is a hint for Han Wei to evaluate those who are close to him.

With Li Ye's current trust in Han Wei, Han Wei's evaluation will give Li Ye a preconceived impression of a person. As for how public-spirited and selfish Han Wei is, Li Ye has to judge slowly by himself.

"Now the Imperial Secretary cannot enter the inner court, but the regular ministers can see it."

Well, I don’t have permission to come in, but I can chat with him from time to time during the meeting.

"The attendants are Pei Zichang, Wei Rulin, Shangguan Yang, the left attendants Li Dao and Zheng Li, the right attendants Zhao Deluo and Han She..." At this point, Han Wei's voice became inaudible: "All of them are recommended by the eunuchs, and they are in charge of admonition and attendance."

It's just that Han Wei repeated it this time, and Li Ye would not really take this "advice" and "attendant" as advice to the attendant.

Since it was recommended by the eunuchs, it was probably used to oppose the prime minister and the emperor at court meetings, and to follow and monitor the emperor when he traveled...

Combining internal and external factors, with layers of nesting, the emperor is strictly controlled.

(End of this chapter)