Han officials

Chapter 238 Good intentions lead to bad things

With Wei Zhe's order issued, the atmosphere in Bingzhou changed instantly.

Everyone in the shogunate now understood that Cui Yan, the governor of Yanmen, had truly distinguished himself this time.

Although he was only transferred to Taiyuan as governor this time, he will certainly not stop there in the future.

Under such circumstances, naturally no one would be foolish enough to court death in front of Cui Yan.

It might be an exaggeration to say that Jane was favored by the Emperor, but that's the truth.

From the remote county of Daifang to the three prefectures, Wei Zhe built his foundation entirely by his own hands.

In this system, his will is, to some extent, an imperial edict, something Yuan Shao could not match.

However, Cui Yan herself was not complacent; on the contrary, she felt as if she were walking on thin ice.

Cui Yan, who came from a poor family, knew better than anyone how difficult it had been for him to get to where he was today.

While the sons of the Cui clan of Boling were studying and paying homage to high-ranking officials in Luoyang, he was serving his military service.

If it weren't for his teacher Zheng Xuan's inclusive approach to education, where he didn't look down on Cui Yan based on his social status, Cui Yan's life would probably have remained the same.

It is precisely for this reason that Cui Yan cherishes the opportunity given to him by Wei Zhe.

While promoting large-scale land reclamation in Taiyuan, he did not forget Gao Gan, who was preparing for war in Shangdang County.

Therefore, Cui Yan ordered the captured Yuan army officers and generals to be brought in and interrogated personally.

But instead of being interrogated, this questioning actually brought Cui Yan an unexpected gain.

……

Jinyang City, inside the Prefect's Mansion.

A simply dressed young man knelt before Cui Yan, neither humble nor arrogant.

This man's surname is Gao, given name is Rou, courtesy name Wenhui. He is from Yu County, Chenliu Commandery, and has just come of age this year.

Since he was from Chenliu County, Cui Yan casually asked him why he had come here, since Yanzhou was also under Yuan Shao's jurisdiction.

Unexpectedly, Gao Rou spoke frankly after hearing this:
"Now heroes are rising up everywhere, and Chenliu is a battleground. Although General Cao occupies Yanzhou, judging from his actions, he is not one to remain subservient to others for long. In time, he will surely plot to conquer all directions. If he stays in Yanzhou, he will not be able to sit and defend it peacefully."

"When General Cao raised his army, he was under the command of Zhang Miao, the Prefect of Chenliu, but now Prefect Zhang is subordinate to him. I fear that this will cause discord over time, so it is better to leave soon."

"Therefore, when my elder brother summoned me, I came here to serve him and fulfill my duty as a member of the clan."

However, even after Gao Rou arrived in Bingzhou, she still did not receive important appointments from the high-ranking officials.

When he was captured by the Wei army, he was merely in charge of miscellaneous tasks in the supply camp.

However, after hearing Gao Rou's words, Cui Yan couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration for her.

The reason is simple: Cui Yan also sees it that way.

Regarding the prediction that Cao Cao would eventually betray Yuan Shao, Cui Yan even wrote a secret letter to the shogunate.

However, there was no reaction from above; they simply told him to keep it to himself.

Seeing that Gao Rou shared the same viewpoint, Cui Yan naturally agreed with her to some extent.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but flip through the person's file and glance at it.

Upon seeing the inscription that Gao Rou was the son of Gao Jing, the Commandant of Shu Commandery, Cui Yan's mind stirred slightly.

After a moment's hesitation, Cui Yan simply said:
"It would be a pity to waste your talent like this. Currently, the military farms in Taiyuan are short of manpower. Would you be willing to become a military farm official and serve our army?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Rou did not hesitate and immediately bowed respectfully:
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Excellency!"

In fact, after the nomadic tribes of the grasslands moved south, Gao Rou already had the intention to leave Yuan's army.

There's nothing else to it, I just feel disgusted.

If Cui Yan's plan hadn't been launched so suddenly, Gao Rou might have already said goodbye to Gao Gan.

Gao Rou had already made up her mind. Rather than getting stigmatized in Bingzhou, she would rather go to Shu to seek refuge with her father.

At present, Cui Yan appreciates his talent and is willing to use him, so Gao Rou naturally will not stand up for Yuan Shao.

After Gao Rou left, Cui Yan stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "Mature beyond his years, he is truly capable of great things!"

While Cui Yan was busy undermining Yuan Shao's power, a storm was brewing in Chang'an!
……

The third year of the Chuping era, the fourth month of summer, the day of Xin Si.

In the afternoon, Dong Zhuo, the Grand Preceptor of the Han Dynasty and the ruler of the Chang'an court, once again arrived at Weiyang Palace in his magnificent blue-canopied golden carriage.

To celebrate the emperor's recovery from illness, Wang Yun specially visited Dong Zhuo to request his attendance at the court ceremony.

Dong Zhuo didn't think much of it; on the contrary, he felt that Wang Yun was right and that they should give the young emperor some face.

After all, if the Chang'an court were to lose face, it would be a loss for him as well.

As usual, Dong Zhuo summoned Lü Bu to accompany him as a guard, showing no sign of worry.

Before leaving, he was still savoring the taste of the concubines from the previous night, secretly marveling at the late emperor's discerning eye.

As he watched the palace scenery flash by outside the car window, Dong Zhuo suddenly thought of Empress Dowager He for some reason.

He had heard that Empress Dowager He was utterly useless, and that she only held the position of Empress because of her stunning beauty. This filled Dong Zhuo, who had missed out on Empress Dowager He, with a sense of regret, lamenting that he hadn't arrived sooner.

Dong Zhuo even secretly wondered if Yuan Shao had done something shady on the day of the Luoyang palace coup.

Otherwise, how come the two princes were fine, but Empress Dowager He died unexpectedly?

Just as Dong Zhuo was secretly criticizing Yuan Shao, Dong Zhuo's entourage had already arrived outside the North Gate.

Seeing this, Dong Zhuo composed himself and, with the help of his attendants, dragged his bloated body out of the carriage.

Tsk tsk, the land of gentle pleasures is indeed the graveyard of heroes; this saying is truly true!

It should be known that Dong Zhuo was incredibly bold and valiant in his early years, and when he entered Luoyang, he was even more powerful, brave, and arrogant.

However, in less than three years, the once fierce general of the border region became a pot-bellied old man.

Looking at his bulky body, he probably can't even run anymore, let alone ride a horse.

It was precisely because of this that, while other officials disembarked outside Weiyang Palace and walked into the palace, Dong Zhuo was able to drive straight into Weiyang Palace and only disembark and walk when he reached the North Gate.

This treatment, along with being granted the privilege of not being called by name, not having to bow when entering the court, and being allowed to wear a sword and shoes in the palace, was unique to Dong Zhuo!
However, just as Dong Zhuo was about to get off the carriage, Li Su, Qin Yilu, Chen Wei, Li Hei, and others, disguised as palace guards, immediately rushed out with long halberds and attacked Dong Zhuo without hesitation.

However, Dong Zhuo was wearing armor under his court robes, so Li Su's attack did not hit any vital organs, only piercing Dong Zhuo's arm, causing him to fall off the carriage.

In his panic, Dong Zhuo didn't even bother to get up before shouting in alarm, "Where is my son, Lü Bu?"

Before he could finish speaking, a flash of cold light appeared, and Dong Zhuo felt a sharp pain in his neck before falling to the ground.

When he saw the headless corpse not far away, he realized that he was already dead.

Only then did Lü Bu, wielding his long sword, pull out the prepared imperial edict and roar:
"We are ordered to suppress the rebels; who dares to disobey?"

Upon witnessing this scene, Dong Zhuo was furious.

His lips moved, but he ultimately fell into complete silence without saying anything.

Whether it's regret or hatred, the once invincible Dong Zhuo is now nothing more than a pile of rotten flesh!
At the same time, Tian Jing, the chief clerk of the Grand Tutor's mansion, and his servants reacted and immediately drew their swords to kill Lü Bu.

Unfortunately, blinded by rage, they fell to their deaths along with Dong Zhuo in less than two breaths.

After killing these men, the other soldiers present finally dared not move.

Perhaps they were intimidated by Lü Bu's fierce power, or perhaps they were simply bewildered and at a loss.

In any case, the seemingly hasty assassination plot against Dong Zhuo has actually come to fruition!
In Weiyang Palace, all the civil and military officials and the emperor wept with joy upon learning of Dong Zhuo's death.

At this critical moment, Wang Yun resolutely took on the responsibility, immediately ordering messengers to deliver the edict of amnesty to various departments, thus gaining control of Chang'an City in the first instance.

When the news spread, Chang'an was filled with joy and laughter, and the people of Chang'an raised their glasses in celebration.

There was no other way; under Dong Zhuo's rule, both commoners and powerful clans lived in constant fear of losing their livelihoods.

Apart from his Liangzhou soldiers, Dong Zhuo had no political foundation in Sili.

This was actually Dong Zhuo's biggest failure!

If he had chosen between the gentry and the commoners back then, he wouldn't be in this predicament now.

Now look what's happened. Not only did Dong Zhuo die, but he also dragged his entire family down with him.

In fact, less than half an hour after Dong Zhuo's death, Huangfu Song led his troops to break through Mei Wu, killing his mother, wife, children, and exterminate his entire clan. He did not even spare Dong Zhuo's mother, who was over ninety years old.

As for the treasures that Dong Zhuo had painstakingly plundered in Mei Wu, they were all seized by Wang Yun, Huangfu Song and others, including 20,000 to 30,000 catties of gold, 80,000 to 90,000 catties of silver, and piles of brocade, silk, and rare treasures.

After Dong Zhuo's body was left exposed for three days, his bones were crushed and scattered by Yuan Shikai's followers to vent their hatred.

But these are all things for later.

The most pressing matter for the Chang'an court was how to deal with the Liangzhou soldiers stationed outside the capital.

Before the young emperor could finish speaking, Wang Yun stroked his beard confidently and smiled, saying:
"Your Majesty, do not worry, your humble servant has already made preparations!"

"Your Majesty, I request that you appoint Liu Bo'an as Grand Commandant, to lead troops to defend the throne and punish the disloyal ministers!"

Huang Wan, the Commandant of the Capital Region, Zheng Tai, the Minister of Works, and Sun Rui, the Imperial Guard, all nodded slightly upon hearing this.

They had already made contact with Liu Yu in Luoyang, just waiting for Dong Zhuo's death to restore order to the court!
Hearing them say that, the young Emperor Liu Xie finally breathed a sigh of relief.

As a senior member of the imperial family, the young emperor naturally felt closer to Liu Yu.

"In that case, I will do as you say and summon the Imperial Uncle to the capital immediately!"

Of course, Liu Xie did not forget Wang Yun, the great contributor. He immediately rewarded him for his merits and appointed him as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, giving him overall control of the government.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yun bowed with a smile to express his gratitude.

Even if it weren't for those Liangzhou soldiers, Wang Yun would have found a way to summon Liu Yu to Chang'an.

After all, if Liu Yu were allowed to pacify the people in Luoyang, the emperor might want to return to Luoyang one day.

Now, the area around Luoyang is basically under Liu Yu's control. Once the emperor and the court officials return to the capital, Liu Yu will inevitably dominate the government, which is something Wang Yun will never allow!
It wasn't that Wang Yun harbored any disloyal intentions, but rather that he arrogantly believed he was the only one capable of reviving the Han Dynasty.

With Dong Zhuo dead, Chang'an fell into the control of another powerful figure...

(End of this chapter)