Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 16: Removed from the county and became a martyr
Changan.

Weiyang Palace.

Outside the front hall door.

The emperor of the Great Wei was sitting cross-legged on the steps, holding in his arms a fighting cock with a tall comb, shining feathers, and sharp claws like hooks.

After the general and military advisor who had rushed in from the distant palace gate and walked for a long time before reaching the steps to salute him, he handed the fighting cock in his hand to the eunuch behind him, slowly stood up, and shook his sleeves.

"Your Majesty, the pseudo-Han Prime Minister Zhuge Liang was defeated and fled, and General Zhang defeated the Shu invaders!"

Du Xi's voice was excited, as if he wanted to convey the excitement and joy of victory to His Majesty.

However, His Majesty pursed his lips, as if he had anticipated the result and seemed a little bored.

Du Xi then led the Shu general Ma Su to abandon the water and go up the mountain, defeating and dispersing Zhuge Liang's troops. He also reported to him that Guo Huai had already gone down the Wei River into Guanzhong and entered the Qinling Mountains, preparing to cut off Zhuge Liang's retreat.

"Your Majesty, the General's Office has recently hired a few spies to report back.

“Two people said that when the false emperor Liu Chan entered Guanzhong from Xiegu that day, he did not bring 7,000 or 8,000 men and horses with him, but only about 3,000 or 4,000.

"Moreover, it seems that these three or four thousand people did not come from Hanzhong in Shuzhong, but marched out from the Xieshui camp at night to Xiegu to welcome the false emperor!"

Cao Rui was a little confused: "How did you know?"

"A spy recognized that among the people welcoming him there was a fellow villager who was already in the Xieshui camp."

Cao Rui was thoughtful:
"So, this is Liu Adou imitating the story of Dong Zhuo entering Luoyang?"

At the beginning, when Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang, he had no more than 3,000 infantry and cavalry. He was afraid that he could not subdue the officials, so for four or five consecutive days he sent Luoyang troops out of the city at night and returned to Luoyang with great fanfare during the day.

The nobles in Luo believed that the Western Liang army had arrived again, but no one knew the truth.

Du Xi: "Yes, the general believes that the reason why the false emperor came to the front line of Xiegu is that his actions are all imitating Dong Zhuo's incident in Luoyang.

"The goal is to make us think he's sure to win, with a strong army and horses, so that our Meiwu army won't dare to go to the Xiegu camp to engage him, thus buying time for Zhuge Liang in Longyou. We should attack him quickly.

"but……"

"what?"

"But I think there is something fishy going on."

"Sir, please tell me."

"The general's troops are all in Meiwu. Who is the fake emperor trying to impress by imitating Dong Zhuo's example and making such a big fuss? This is what I'm confused about."

Cao Rui immediately understood: "You mean, Liu Adou knew that there would be spies in the army, so he did this to show them?"

Du Xi: "Yes."

Cao Rui couldn't help but sneer:
"So, what the great scholars of Bashu said, that Liu Adou was cowardly and incompetent and was manipulated by Zhuge Liang, are all false?
"He actually has a plan that encompasses the universe?"

Du Xi said, "I do believe that the false emperor may be deliberately trying to show us that he is not real, in order to lure the general into battle with him. He must have a plan later."

In fact, Du Xi's guess was just without any certainty or basis.

But it's always better to be careful. When everyone is crazy and enthusiastic, there always needs to be a cautious person to pour cold water on them.

The Emperor of Great Wei took a black and purple pheasant feather from his lapel, played with it for a while, and then slowly said, "If Zhuge Liang leads his army from Longyou back to Hanzhong and out of Xiegu, how many days will it take?"

Du Xi thought without hesitation:

"Leaving behind baggage and provisions, and travelling light, it would take ten days to travel a hundred miles a day.

"Carrying baggage and food, we must hurry and travel sixty miles a day, which will take sixteen days.
"General Zhang pursued us closely, and at a rate of twenty miles a day, it would take thirty to fifty days."

After a moment, Cao Rui nodded slightly:

"I order the general to move his troops to Xiegu immediately.

“If Liu Adou engages in battle, proceed with caution, in case of a plot;

"If they flee without a fight, then let the general do as he sees fit. If we can suppress them, then pursue them. If we can't, then let them flee. There's no need to report to me."

"Yes!" Du Xi understood that the emperor must have listened to his words, and he respected and feared him even more in his heart.

You know, that's a fake emperor.

According to current information, the location of the pseudo-emperor is most likely an empty camp.

How many people in the world can resist the huge temptation of such a great achievement as capturing the false emperor alive?
After Du Xi retreated, the Emperor of Wei slowly sat back on the steps and resumed his cross-legged posture.

He took the fighting cock with bright feathers from the eunuch behind him, put it on the ground, and took out a handful of corn from his arms, put it in the palm of his hand and started feeding it.

When the fighting cocks stopped pecking, he said, "Bile Xie, I sleep very peacefully in this Xuanshi Hall. Find someone to dismantle it, transport it back to Luoyang by river, and rebuild it."

...

...

Xieshui Camp.

After all the generals who commanded 3,000 elite troops dispersed, Liu Chan, wearing helmet and armor, walked out of the tent and led Mi Wei and a hundred tiger cavalry guards to the training ground.

Beat the drum to gather the generals.

Soon, all the people in the Xieshui camp, from the rank of Du Bo to generals and captains of the rank of 2,000-stone official, including those who had just attended the banquet, a total of more than 400 people, arrived.

The generals on the training ground were talking a lot and making some noise.

Liu Chan arrived at the camp yesterday. All the soldiers, regardless of rank, were speculating and discussing what the emperor was doing here.

Are you here to show off your power?
Are you here to cause trouble?

Or is he really here to take credit and gain prestige?
In short, some people are worried, while others are excited.

Liu Chan stopped the generals from making noise.

He first selectively repeated the oath of victory he had spoken in the tent, raising the morale of the middle-level officers in charge of the elderly, the weak, and the garrison troops, and finally said:
"I know that many people in the army cannot fight, have never fought, and are afraid of fighting.

“But this next battle must be fought.

“If we fight, people will die.

“The dead must be given relief.

“The amount of compensation is already governed by law.

"But since I'm here, and since I want to win the next battle with you, I can no longer rely on empty words to order soldiers to die for me, so I can no longer follow the original pension.

"Tell everyone when you get back.

"Anyone who dies in this battle above the first level will be given a hundred acres of land and two houses to his family, and will be granted the title of Martyr."

Some people in the training ground frowned slightly when they heard this and exchanged glances.

Granting a hundred acres of land and two houses in exchange for a life, although it is indeed much more than the original pension, it is still not enough to make everyone willing to die for you, the young and inexperienced emperor, right?
Besides, what is a Lieguan?
Just as I was wondering, I saw the armored emperor on the platform continue to speak sternly:
"For a martyr official, all his family members will be removed from the county register and registered as martyrs. A plaque with the name of martyr will be hung on the door of his house to honor him!
"The family of a martyred official shall be exempted from all corvée and taxes for up to three generations!
"Sons of powerful officials within three generations can all be given priority to be selected as palace guards!

"Those who enter the palace as guards are all given a signboard with the title of attendant to be hung on the door of their residence. They are attendants!"

Liu Chan wrote a blank check that looked very impressive.

Everyone was in an uproar.

"Your Majesty, are you serious about this?!"

"Removed from the county register? No more corvée labor or taxes for three generations?!"

"So, the descendants of this ruthless official...will no longer be civilians or soldiers, but officials?"

In the training ground, some officers had some reservations about the emperor personally leading the army, and they were also worried about the upcoming battle.

After all, not everyone wants to fight.

After all, if you, the emperor, are not here, I can retreat if I can't defeat you.

But when the emperor on the stage announced this astonishing relief loudly, everyone in the training ground, regardless of their official rank, was in an uproar.

Even Fu Qian and Feng Hu, the two captains who led the elite troops at the front of the parade ground, were frightened for a moment.

No matter whether they were veterans who had fought for decades, or generals stationed in garrisons who had never fought in a war, were unwilling to fight, or were even afraid of fighting, no one had ever heard of such an outrageous pension.

What was the previous pension?
For those who died in battle without merit, the maximum they could be given was a coffin and sent home for burial, and their families were exempted from taxes and labor service for three or two years.

Granting land and houses was originally a form of compensation for those who had achieved something but died in battle.

However, it is impossible to have such outrageous treatment as removing the county registration and exempting three generations of direct descendants from corvee labor and taxes.

In addition, future generations will have the title of "official" and have the special treatment of priority to become palace guards. This is enough to make many old soldiers who are already half buried in the ground make up their minds to behead themselves and die for the emperor.

At this moment, all the generals on the parade ground felt the emperor's determination for the upcoming battle.

They had only one concern.

Can the emperor really fulfill these pensions?

(End of this chapter)