Han officials

Chapter 241 Prejudice in People's Hearts [12]

In early summer, outside Xiaopingjin Pass, boats come and go in an endless stream.

One by one, warhorses and soldiers were transported across the Yellow River by boats.

The first to cross the river were Lü Bu and his elite cavalry.

Because the attack was so sudden, the Han army in Hanoi had no idea that the Han army in Luoyang would take the initiative to cross the river and attack.

Therefore, the river defenses collapsed almost instantly under Lü Bu's swift cavalry charge, allowing the Han army from Luoyang to easily land.

This is why Shi Sunrui attacked Hanoi Commandery first.

He wanted to take action while the Hanoi Commandery was still unaware of the changes in Guanzhong and the true situation in Luoyang.

Otherwise, once the Hanoi Commandery learns that Lü Bu is in Luoyang, they will no longer have such a good opportunity.

In truth, Shi Sunrui had to thank Liu Yu. If it weren't for Liu Yu's previous reckless fighting that left the Han army in Luoyang with the impression that they were weak and incompetent, Shi Sunrui's plan wouldn't have been so easily realized.

In order to make a final decision this time, Shi Sunrui even emptied the Henan governor's coffers.

A full five thousand soldiers!
There was nothing they could do; after all, the 10,000 soldiers Liu Yu had brought to Chang'an had been completely wiped out by Wang Yun.

Even so, Shi Sunrui went to great lengths to gather these five thousand soldiers.

If it weren't for this upheaval in Chang'an, which caused many people from Guanzhong to flee to Luoyang, Shi Sunrui probably wouldn't have been able to muster even five thousand soldiers.

After all, Lü Bu of today was not the warlord who would later dominate the Central Plains; he only had a hundred or so cavalrymen under his command.

The once-famous Trapped Camp, which would later become renowned, is nowhere to be seen now, and Gao Shun is merely a personal guard.

Therefore, Shi Sunrui really has no confidence now, and is just hoping that Lü Bu can prove him wrong.

……

After a long while, all five thousand soldiers had crossed the river.

Looking at the billowing dust on the opposite bank, Shi Sunrui, who had just been smiling, was now filled with worry.

Because the hopes of the emperor and his ministers in Chang'an rested on this battle.

If Lü Bu were to suffer another defeat in Hanoi, he would probably never be able to rescue the emperor from the rebels in his lifetime.

However, compared to Shi Sunrui, his son looked somewhat depressed.

After hesitating for a moment, Shi Sunmeng finally couldn't suppress his curiosity and asked with a puzzled look:

"Why is Father so polite to that scoundrel Lü Bu?"

"Can such a traitor who murdered his master and father really repent and reform?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Sunrui glanced at his only son and shook his head in disappointment.

Alas, prejudice in people's hearts is indeed like a mountain, difficult to overcome!

However, a son is still one's own flesh and blood, and Shi Sunrui sighed softly as he explained:

"Lu Bu was indeed vain, arrogant, and opportunistic, but who says such a person couldn't be a loyal and virtuous official of the Han Dynasty?"

"Chen Tang was also greedy and vain in the past, yet he still brought glory to the Han Dynasty in the Western Regions, didn't he?"

"Although General Dou Xian was arrogant and tyrannical and did not have a good end, his name is still inscribed on Yanran Mountain!"

"If those in power guide it properly, even a stubborn rock can become the cornerstone of the Han Dynasty!"

This is the biggest difference between Shi Sunrui and Wang Yun; not only were his methods gentler, but his personality was also more tolerant.

In fact, there were signs that Wang Yun would end up in this predicament. Thirty years ago, when Wang Yun was only nineteen years old, he was recommended to be a county official. At that time, there was a corrupt and domineering eunuch named Zhao Jin in Jinyang, who was a major scourge to the people. So Wang Yun, as the county official, ordered Zhao Jin to be arrested and executed.

However, Zhao Jin's brother later flattered the eunuchs and used this to make false accusations, which angered Emperor Huan. As a result, Wang Yun's prefect of the main prefecture was summoned to the capital, imprisoned and died. Wang Yun, on the other hand, was spared thanks to the protection of the Wang family of Qi County.

To some extent, Wang Yun could be said to have personally caused the death of his own patron.

Whether he was seeking fame or genuinely advocating for the people, Wang Yun ultimately implicated the prefect who had been kind to him.

The price Wang Yun paid was that he personally went to the capital to send the prefect's body back to his hometown of Pingyuan County, observed three years of mourning for him, and then returned home to serve in office again.

Even with the promotion of his clan, Wang Yun's reputation for integrity and uprightness spread throughout Bingzhou and its counties, and his fame grew even greater.

This shows that Wang Yun was at best a censor, and had no ability to oversee the government at all.

When Wang Yun took control of the imperial court, the outcome was already predetermined.

Liu Yu understood this point, which is why he lamented before his death, "The one who destroyed the Han Dynasty was Wang Yun."

It wasn't that Wang Yun wasn't loyal enough, but rather that he lacked ability and was also stubborn and self-willed.

In this way, even though Wang Yun was loyal and Dong Zhuo was treacherous, the harm they did to the Han Dynasty was the same.

Good intentions can sometimes lead to bad outcomes, leaving people feeling helpless and even more resentful.

While public opinion can freely criticize figures like Dong Zhuo, people with common sense, like Wang Yun, can only offer a few words of praise even if they see the crux of the matter.

There's no way around it; martyrdom is the best tool for whitewashing one's image.

If Wang Mang had died of illness during his regency, he would have been a great and loyal minister remembered in history, just like Zhuge Liang.

……

On the other hand, while the Heluo region was in chaos, the grasslands were also filled with a desolate atmosphere.

Who has written history for the past ten thousand years?

Seeking a title and honor three thousand miles away.

Unlike the exaggerated Li Hongzhang, Wei Zhe traveled more than three thousand miles for today's battle!

Looking at the majestic mountains in the distance, all made of granite, and the Gonglu River winding like a belt below them, Wei Zhe was filled with emotion.

Gonglu River, also known as Luqu River or Yinma River, is the Kerulen River of later Mongolia.

This river is a typical grassland river with a small flow rate and occasional periods of dryness throughout the year.

However, among the nomadic peoples of the grasslands, the presence of the Gonglu River is extremely strong.

In pre-Qin historical records, the Gonglu River belonged to the Donghu people, but during the Qin and Han dynasties, it was under the jurisdiction of the Xiongnu Left Wise King.

After Emperor Guangwu established the nation, the Xianbei people emerged from the deep forests of the Greater Khingan Mountains, and this area became the cradle of the Xianbei people. In later generations, it was also the hometown of Temujin, the place where he was proclaimed Khan, and his burial place.

The early Mongol Empire was formed with the Gunglu River as its core area.

The area is rich in marshes and wetlands along the banks of the Gonglu River, which provide excellent pasture and make it a rare and lush place in northern Mongolia.

The Langjuxu Mountain upstream of the Gonglu River is an excellent place to spend the winter; otherwise, Budugen would not have fled here to recuperate.

However, even though he had maps passed down from the Former Han Dynasty, knowledgeable about the grasslands like Yan Rou, and even surrendered Xianbei soldiers as guides, the Wei army still suffered a lot along the way.

Four or five out of ten of the cattle and sheep accompanying the army died, and only then did they manage to cross the northern desert and arrive at the outskirts of Langjuxu Mountain with great difficulty...

(End of this chapter)