Han officials

Chapter 240 The Loyal General Lü Bu [4K]

At midday, the sun was blazing.

When the Central Plains underwent a dramatic change, the Ji County government received the news not long afterward.

Due to health reasons, Xi Zhicai did not accompany the army this time, but stayed behind with Guo Yuan to guard Ji County.

"Tsk tsk, Liu Bei really has a lucky streak!"

In the council chamber of the shogunate, looking at the report in his hand, Shishitsu couldn't help but sigh.

Guoyuan couldn't help but sigh softly upon hearing this:

"Indeed, we were blind in the past."

As Wei Zhe's chief steward, Guo Yuan had naturally dealt with Liu Bei before, and more than once.

Guo Yuan didn't even think much of Gongsun Zan, let alone Gongsun Zan's underling Liu Bei.

But Liu Bei's achievements have now surpassed those of Gongsun Zan in the past, which makes Guo Yuan take notice.

Of course, it's just a matter of giving it a second glance.

"The overturned cart ahead serves as a warning to the cart behind." Guo Yuan quickly analyzed, "Since the gentry of Yanzhou were able to expel Cao Mengde, they can naturally also depose Liu Xuande, the governor of Yanzhou. With this hidden danger, even if Liu Xuande has some courage, he is not a threat!"

Upon hearing this, Xi Zhicai immediately nodded slightly and said:
"Indeed! You will rise to power by this very means, and you will also perish by the same reason!"

However, on the other hand, Liu Bei becoming the governor of Yan Province was undoubtedly good news for the Wei army.

It should be noted that Cao Cao had not yet betrayed Yuan Shao and was a major force within Yuan Shao's camp. Now that Liu Bei had occupied Yan Province, it was tantamount to cutting off one of Yuan Shao's arms. If this news spread, it would greatly damage the morale of Yuan Shao's army.

With this shift in power, the Wei army naturally faces less pressure.

After a brief discussion, Xi Zhicai and Guo Yuan decided to issue a proclamation in the name of the shogunate, appointing Liu Bei, the governor of Yanzhou, as the General Who Guards the South, and sending ten fine horses from Fuyu as a congratulatory gift.

It wasn't that they hoped to win over Liu Bei with just this notice, but rather to express their support for Liu Bei.

In any case, the longer Liu Bei held out in Yanzhou, the more benefits they would gain, and this assist from Yanzhou was an unexpected bonus.

Xi Zhicai could now even picture Yuan Shao's furious rage.

Compared to the dramatic changes in Yanzhou, the unpredictable situation in Guanzhong was even more difficult for Xi Zhicai and Guo Yuan to understand.

In fact, the two were quite surprised when they learned that the nobles of Luoyang had successfully killed Dong Zhuo.

It's not that I'm trying to belittle them, but the performance of Wang Yun and the others was truly unexpected.

After all, once Dong Zhuo had shed the shackles of reputation, he had gained almost every advantage. He even managed to relocate the capital, a move that was condemned by everyone. Suppressing the Chang'an court seemed to be no problem for him.

According to Xi Zhicai's analysis, Dong Zhuo's fate actually had only two possibilities.

One option was to let him die of old age and illness, thus causing chaos in Liangzhou without a fight.

Secondly, external attacks could break through Chang'an's defenses, and with superior military force, Dong Zhuo could be brought to justice.

Guoyuan also deeply agreed with this analysis.

Despite their meticulous planning, the two wise men were no match for Lü Bu's eccentric and quick-witted idea.

twice!

Backstabbing his boss twice in a row!

Does this guy really not care about his reputation?
According to information gathered by the shogunate, Dong Zhuo treated Lü Bu quite well, not only adopting him as his son but also having him guard him, showing that he regarded Lü Bu as a confidant.

In today's social climate, the value of adopted sons is far less than it was in later generations, and there are no ubiquitous adopted son armies.

To some extent, the inheritance rights of an adopted son even take precedence over those of a son-in-law.

Especially given that Dong Zhuo's only son died young and only his granddaughter Dong Bai was still alive, the value of Dong Zhuo's adopted son became even more extraordinary.

Therefore, no matter how Xi Zhicai and Guo Yuan calculated, they never expected that Lü Bu would betray Dong Zhuo.

Betrayal aside, he even personally killed his own adoptive father... Tsk, this is simply appalling!
Putting aside the relationship between the student, former official, and the recommender, a godfather is still a father!
Lü Bu's actions were tantamount to patricide!
It was precisely because they miscalculated Lü Bu's reaction that Xi Zhicai and his companion were completely unprepared for Dong Zhuo's assassination.

After all, given Lü Bu's bravery, it was simply impossible for him to kill Dong Zhuo in Chang'an in a short time. And if he couldn't achieve a quick victory, there would be even less chance once Dong Zhuo's personal guards reacted.

Therefore, Xi Zhicai and Guo Yuan were quite impressed after hearing that Wang Yun had rectified the chaos.

Although it is unknown how Wang Yun managed to persuade Lü Bu to defect, the fact that he did so demonstrates that Wang Yun was indeed exceptionally capable.

However, another problem arose. Logically speaking, the situation should have gradually improved after a capable minister like Wang Yun came to power.

At least... at least it shouldn't continue to get worse.

Only in this way can we conform to common sense and the logic of the development of things!

But reality once again slapped Xi Zhicai and Guo Yuan in the face.

After Wang Yun took control of the government, the situation in Chang'an not only did not improve, but deteriorated rapidly.

Of the three options—superior, middle, and inferior—Wang Yun, a capable minister, chose the worst option!

Frankly speaking, given the situation in Guanzhong at the time, if the court had remained silent and not uttered a word, the final outcome would probably have been better than what Wang Yun is doing now.

During the two successive upheavals in Chang'an, Wang Yun's behavior on the two occasions was drastically different.

It would be a miracle if Xi Zhicai and Guo Yuan could have foreseen such a bizarre situation.

"Alas, what can be done about this situation?"

Therefore, Xi Zhicai was extremely troubled when he saw the scout report from Chang'an.

Guo Yuan reacted in the same way as Xi Zhicai.

Looking at the latest news from the front lines, Guo Yuan thought for a moment and then said in a deep voice:

"The situation in Guanzhong is beyond reason and cannot be fathomed."

"In that case, it's better to remain unchanged and wait for the situation to stabilize before making any further plans!"

Upon hearing Guo Yuan's words, Xi Zhicai thought for a moment and couldn't help but sigh softly:
"Sigh, that's all we can do!"

Fortunately, Xi Zhicai and Guo Yuan did not interfere without authorization, otherwise they would probably have been embarrassed again.

……

After being besieged for several days, Chang'an was eventually breached by the Liangzhou rebels due to the surrender of some of the city's garrison.

When Chang'an fell, high-ranking officials such as Zhong Fu, Zhou Huan, Cui Lie, and Wang Qi refused to flee, took up their swords and fought against the Liangzhou army, and ultimately died in battle together.

What's most regrettable is that Cui Lie once spent a lot of money to buy the position of one of the three dukes, and was ridiculed for being greedy.

Unexpectedly, he, who was known for his lack of moral integrity, ultimately fought to the last moment of his life to protect the emperor.

Similarly, Liu Dan, son of Liu Yan and Imperial Censor, was also killed while serving as a hostage. Although they could have escaped Chang'an and sought refuge in Bashu during the chaos, Liu Fan and Liu Dan were killed while protecting the emperor.

As for Wang Yun, the biggest target of the Liangzhou rebels, it goes without saying.

No matter how stubborn and self-willed Wang Yun was, he had no choice but to surrender in order to protect the emperor's safety.

After Li Jue and Guo Si captured Chang'an, they began a frenzied purge.

Their political acumen was inferior even to Dong Zhuo's... No, they had absolutely no political acumen.

So once they entered Chang'an, all they wanted was to kill to their hearts' content.

Firstly, as the mastermind behind the assassination of Dong Zhuo, Wang Yun was naturally executed without hesitation by Li Jue, Guo Si, and others, and his body was left to rot in the street. Furthermore, his sons Wang Gai and Wang Jing, as well as more than ten members of his clan, were all killed, with only his nephews Wang Chen and Wang Ling escaping.

Song Yi, the Left Fengyi Commander, and Wang Hong, the Right Fufeng Commander, both close confidants of Wang Yun, were also lured to the capital by Li Jue with a forged imperial edict and executed. Huang Wan, the Commandant of the Capital Region, Lu Xu, the Grand Master of the Palace, and Chang Qia, the Attendant-in-Ordinary, were also imprisoned and executed for their involvement in the plot to assassinate Dong Zhuo.

It can be said that under the frenzied retaliation of Li Jue and Guo Si, the central government of the Han Dynasty almost collapsed.

Interestingly, Huangfu Song, who personally led troops to conquer Mei Wu and massacred Dong Zhuo's clan, escaped unscathed.

In order to maintain stability, Li Jue even forced Huangfu Song to serve as Grand Commandant.

This shows that Huangfu Song indeed held a very special position in the hearts of the Liangzhou rebels.

Dong Zhuo may not care about Huangfu Song anymore, but he still has some sympathy for Liangzhou generals like Li Jue and Guo Si.

If Wang Yun had followed Liu Yu's plan and appointed Huangfu Song to lead the Liangzhou rebels, this situation would probably not have occurred today.

Apart from Huangfu Song, only the former Commandant of the Guards, Shi Sunrui, survived among the high-ranking officials of the Han Dynasty.

It wasn't that Shi Sunrui was cowardly and begged for mercy; rather, he had already left Chang'an for Luoyang to serve as the Governor of Henan long before Li Jue, Guo Si, and others led the rebel army to counterattack Chang'an.

Because Wang Yun initially decided to pardon the remnants of Dong Zhuo's forces but later refused to do so, Shi Sunrui knew that Wang Yun was bound to fail and that Chang'an was not a place to stay for long.

So, right after Dong Zhuo died, Shi Sunrui ordered his son Shi Sunmeng to take his family to Luoyang to avoid disaster.

When the court was awarding prizes for the "punishment of Dong Zhuo," Shi Sunrui, who had been deeply involved in the conspiracy, attributed all the credit to Wang Yun and firmly refused to be granted a title of nobility. This pleased the already arrogant Wang Yun greatly.

Therefore, when Shi Sunrui requested to go to Luoyang to govern the counties and supply grain to Chang'an, Wang Yun, who was in charge of the government, readily agreed.

In Wang Yun's view, Shi Sunrui was his confidant. Letting him guard Luoyang would not only solve the food shortage in Chang'an, but also strip Liu Yu of his influence over the counties of Luoyang, which was a win-win situation.

Therefore, Wang Yun not only appointed Shi Sunrui as the Governor of Henan, but also granted him the power of acting as an imperial envoy, making him equivalent to the Three Excellencies.

As a result, when Chang'an fell, only Shi Sunrui, one of the many officials, escaped unscathed.

No, Lu Bu should also be considered a lucky one.

There's nothing we can do about it; he's just that strong and fast.

Even though more than 100,000 Liangzhou rebels were besieging the city, when Chang'an fell, Lü Bu still led his personal guards to protect his wife and daughters and successfully broke through the encirclement. Taking advantage of the chaos in Chang'an, he made his way through the passes to Hangu Pass.

Lu Bu was originally worried about how to enter Hangu Pass, but unexpectedly, Shi Sunrui took the initiative to open the gate and take him in, and treated him with great courtesy and respect.

Unlike Wang Yun, Shi Sunrui, who was more resilient, was able to restrain his personal preferences and maintain respect for Lü Bu, who was now a defeated and homeless man, even though he also held Lü Bu in contempt.

He knew that the governor of Henan was short of soldiers and generals, and that a man as brave as Lü Bu was of great value to win over. He could not abandon him for his own selfish reasons.

It was precisely because of this that Shi Sunrui was so polite to Lü Bu.

What's both funny and frustrating is that Lü Bu happens to be a stubborn mule.

Having no specific destination in mind, he decided to stay in Luoyang after seeing how polite Shi Sunrui was.

When Wang Yun slighted him, Lü Bu did not put in any effort.

Shi Sunrui coaxed him into doing everything, and Lü Bu, confused, did as Shi Sunrui said.

Especially after Shi Sunrui recommended him as General of the Cavalry and entrusted him with the affairs of the Henan Governor's campaign, Lü Bu became even more ambitious, shouting every day that he wanted to restore the Han Dynasty and welcome back the emperor.

Even Lü Bu began to dream of becoming a great general.

For this reason, he even specially sought out a beautiful woman from a respectable family in the surrounding counties of Luoyang and adopted her as his sworn sister.

He planned to marry his younger sister to the emperor after the city of Chang'an was recovered and the emperor was welcomed back.

Then—to restore the Han dynasty and punish the disloyal!

……

……

Outside Luoyang, inside Jinyong City.

“Fengxian, I know you are loyal to the country, but there are priorities.”

In the empty training ground, Shi Sunrui spoke softly and gently, offering words of comfort:
"Now that the emperor has fallen into the hands of traitors again, I am also very anxious. But being anxious will not solve the problem. It is precisely at times like this that we should remain calm and preserve our lives."

"After all... only we are left of the emperor!"

After a short while, seeing that Lü Bu's expression had finally returned to calm, Shi Sunrui breathed a sigh of relief.

Perhaps it's because Shi Sunrui has been praising him too much lately, but it has actually made Lü Bu consider attacking Guanzhong.

Perhaps it was out of loyalty, or perhaps it was for glory, but in any case, Lü Bu's fighting spirit was aroused.

However, he wasn't stupid; Lü Bu had no intention of attacking Chang'an.

He simply felt that the Liangzhou army's foothold was not yet secure, so it would be better to test the enemy's strength and weaknesses.

Simply put, he wanted to embark on a military adventure to test the waters.

Of course, this would be a risk for others, but for Lü Bu it was just basic stuff.

For example, in the original history, when Lü Bu served under Yuan Shao, he made great contributions to Yuan Shao's victory over the Black Mountain Army through his personal bravery and flexible cavalry tactics. At that time, Lü Bu was being pursued by Li Jue and Guo Si and eventually sought refuge with Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao also urgently needed brave generals to fight against the Black Mountain Army, so the two sides hit it off immediately.

The Records of the Three Kingdoms records this period of history as follows:

[The Yan army numbered over ten thousand elite troops, with several thousand cavalry. They possessed a fine horse named Red Hare. Yi Chang, along with his close associates Cheng Lian and Wei Yue, charged into the enemy lines and decisively defeated the Yan army.]

What does this sentence mean?

In short, Lu Bu led only a few dozen personal cavalrymen each day to charge head-on into the Black Mountain Army's formation of tens of thousands of soldiers. After more than ten days, Lu Bu nearly brought the Black Mountain Army to a complete collapse.

It's important to know that the Black Mountain Army at that time not only had infantry, but also thousands of cavalry.

But every time they raided, the Black Mountain Army couldn't do anything about Lu Bu and his few dozen men.

Historical records state that the famous saying "Among men, there is Lü Bu; among horses, there is Red Hare" originated from this battle.

In this battle, Lü Bu demonstrated the crucial role of a small elite cavalry force to the fullest extent!
However, such an exaggerated ratio of enemy to friend is only found once in the Records of the Three Kingdoms.

The only battle in the world that could rival this was Zhang Liao's "eight hundred defeating one hundred thousand".

This time, Lü Bu wanted to lead a small group of elite cavalry to infiltrate Guanzhong and test the waters.

However, Shi Sunrui did not approve of his military adventure.

It wasn't that Shi Sunrui didn't believe in Lü Bu's fighting prowess, but rather that he thought such an action would be futile.

After all, no matter how much trouble Lü Bu caused in Guanzhong, the Han army in Luoyang, which extended east of Hangu Pass, could not digest even a fraction of the gains.

Rather than that, Shi Sunrui felt it was better to be more down-to-earth.

For example, we could first swallow up Hanoi, which is right in front of them, and then we could gain even greater benefits.

Although Liu Yu couldn't do anything about Qu Yi's rebel army in Hanoi Commandery, that doesn't mean they couldn't.

To dissuade Lü Bu from taking the risk, Shi Sunrui even deliberately provoked him, saying:

"I heard that Qu Yi is also from Liangzhou. He is a fierce general on the battlefield. Yuan Shao relied on Qu Yi's strength to kill Gongsun Zan, the White Horse General. He is truly fierce and ruthless! Now he has seized Hanoi and his troops are also very strong."

"Fengxian abandoned Hanoi and took Guanzhong. Could it be that he was afraid of Qu Yi?"

Upon hearing this, even though Lü Bu saw through Shi Sunrui's deliberate provocation, he couldn't help but smile arrogantly and say:

"What is there to fear from a mere old soldier? In my eyes, he is nothing more than a clay chicken or a clay dog!"

Having said that, Lü Bu no longer insisted on his original opinion and immediately began to plan against Hanoi Commandery, following Shi Sunrui's suggestion...

(End of this chapter)