Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 249 Assassination of the King [5300]

"Your Majesty!"
"Open the door, Your Majesty!!!"

Cries echoed across the city walls, but all that answered them was the cold city gate and the thunderous sound of horses' hooves behind them.

Yuan's troops have arrived; those who block their way will die.

As the horn of attack sounded, Yuan's massive army surged forward like a tidal wave.

Seeing Yuan's army approaching, General Chen Zhang of Lu shouted in panic.

"General Yuan, please wait. We are willing to surrender."

Unlike Cao Cao's soldiers, most of the wives and children of the Lu army lived in the city, so they were not afraid of the punishment of having their entire family implicated.

As for the Prince of Lu? He might surrender himself after the city falls. Why would he go to such extremes and cut himself off from Yuan's camp at that time?
Moreover, he might not actually surrender. Perhaps he could use a feigned surrender to obtain ladders from Yuan's camp to return to the city, restore order, and defend the city and the country. It's still possible that he could do so.

However, the cold reality shattered Chen Zhang's illusions, and what truly drove him to despair was that he was ignored.

Or rather, these five thousand elite troops of Lu were simply treated like dirt by Yuan's camp.

The Yuan army, numbering in the tens of thousands, charged forward, killing anyone who stood in their way. They slaughtered them like pigs and dogs, trampling their corpses as they built ladders and ascended to the heavens.

Seeing Yuan's army attacking the city, Prime Minister Zhang Hua on the city wall dared not hesitate and immediately gave a loud order!
"Fire arrows! Fire arrows! Fire arrows!!!"

Arrows rained down like locusts, logs rolled like thunder, and stones fell like rain, ignoring Chen Zhang's allied army that was still below the city walls.

Caught between two sides and besieged on all sides, Chen Zhang, the top general of Lu, never imagined that he would end up like this just because he was ordered to go out of the city to provide support.

However, facing the advance of Yuan's army of 15,000 men, those who went up against them would almost certainly die. How could these few thousand defeated soldiers, who had been terrified, dare to fight?

Since we cannot defeat them from the future, we can only "forge ahead bravely".

There were only five thousand defenders in the city. If they could withstand the pressure of arrows and falling rocks and climb back into the city, they might still be able to escape with their lives.

As a result, these soldiers from Lu almost scrambled to climb the ladders before Yuan's army could.

There was no way around it; those who climbed slowly were met with Yuan Jun's daggers behind them, and his blades showed no mercy.

He drove the enemy troops as if shepherding a flock of sheep.

Countless soldiers from Lu rushed forward, vying to be ahead of Yuan's army, braving arrows and stones, and risking their lives to climb the cloud ladder.

Their willingness to die was so strong that it seemed as if falling behind even a step would truly mean death.

By protecting these Lu soldiers who risked their lives to scale the city walls, Yuan's army not only launched an unprecedented attack on the city, but also greatly reduced its own losses.

On the contrary, the soldiers guarding the city were seeing their former comrades about to fall on their blades. Just half a day ago, before Chen Zhang led them out of the city to provide support, they were still chatting and joking in the same military camp.

Therefore, they couldn't help but feel a little hesitant to lift the knife.

"Er Gouzi, you've gotten bolder. You dare to kill me with a knife?"
"Have you forgotten that I taught you your knife skills back then? Believe me or not, I'll tell everyone about how you wet your pants after your first murder!"

Upon hearing that familiar voice and seeing the man climbing the city wall, it was none other than his old squad leader, Er Gouzi, who hesitated slightly as he held the knife.

Seeing this, the man below the city quickly seized the opportunity to strike while the iron was hot.

"Er Gouzi, you saw it just now too. Yuan Jun didn't accept General Chen's surrender with us at all. We're on the other side."

"Let me up here, and I'll fight alongside you to kill more of that Yuan traitor."

Facing the old corporal's desperately pleading face, Er Gouzi slowly lowered his knife.

But just as the old corporal climbed up, his pupils dilated in an instant as a gun barrel pierced through his back, its reflection in Er Gouzi's pupils a horrifying sight.

Before he could react, as the old corporal's body fell to the ground, several Yuan soldiers had already climbed up the city wall from behind him.

Er Gouzi glared angrily, cursed "Yuan dog," drew his sword and stepped forward to take revenge, but was quickly hacked to death by Yuan's soldiers.

Although a few scattered Yuan soldiers managed to advance, they were quickly killed by the surrounding defenders.

However, they were all soldiers from Shandong and under Chen Zhang's command. They had lived together in the same military camp for many years and were quite familiar with each other.

This incident, similar to that of Er Gouzi, will not be the first, nor will it be the last.

Zhang Hua, the prime minister in charge of the city's defense, quickly noticed this and was well aware of the Yuan army's sinister intentions.

But war is dangerous and perilous. The fate of the State of Lu rests on his shoulders. He must make a decision immediately and cannot hesitate.

His face was ashen, and he almost gave the order through gritted teeth!
Those who climb the city walls will die!

All soldiers, heed my command: those who scale the city walls shall die!

This is to save the State of Lu, and also to save your lives. All of you, give me your lives without hesitation or error.

Otherwise, don't blame me; military law is merciless.

Having said that, he had no choice but to send out his personal guard, which was originally intended to be a fresh force, to become an enforcement team, specifically to execute those who showed mercy to the enemy, in order to uphold military law.

But shortly after the military order was issued, he heard a familiar plea.

"Old Prime Minister, Chen Zhang is here. Is there really no room for mercy today?"

He looked up at the sound and saw General Chen Zhang, who was also climbing the ladder, with several arrows in his body, fighting desperately with several soldiers defending the city to scale the walls.

Judging from their demeanor, it seemed that these soldiers guarding the city didn't dare to fight against him, a general of the State of Lu. If it weren't for the military law he had just issued and the law enforcement team watching him from behind, they would have already released Chen Zhang.

At this moment, even Zhang Hua hesitated.

If we were to make an exception and put Chen Zhang in charge, Lu City would have a great general to guard it. Whether it's commanding the defense of the city or controlling the soldiers under his command, he would be much better than me, a half-baked general.

However, he violated the military order he had just issued. Not to mention the military law, it would be difficult for him to convince the troops to obey.

So Chen Zhang was released? What about Chen Zhang's deputy general? His lieutenant general? His captain and military officer?

If others want to let go, how can you stop them?

But this is a battlefield of bloodshed!

On the battlefield, even a moment's hesitation can cost a life. Yuan's army and these Lu soldiers almost mingled together as they climbed up, and the entire city was fighting to the death.

In such a dangerous and perilous time of war, who gives you the time to calmly identify those climbing the city walls and then decide whether or not to let them up?

If there is even the slightest hesitation or gap in the arrows and stones, Yuan's army will surge forward like a tide.

Furthermore, Chen Zhang had just expressed his intention to surrender to Yuan. Although Yuan's army did not accept it, who knows if the two sides had already conspired on their way here to stage a scheme?

Previously, Xue County and Fan County were defeated and perished due to deception. How can we not be wary today?

Even though the two sides had not discussed it beforehand, Lu City was now in grave danger, and Yuan's army was powerful.

Who knows if Chen Zhang might think that Lu is doomed to defeat, and thus have the idea of ​​using his own head as a pledge of allegiance after going up the city walls to gain merit?

Human hearts are unpredictable.

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Hua had made his decision.

Bringing Chen Zhang up would do more harm than good.

The fate of the entire State of Lu rested on his shoulders; Zhang Hua could not afford to gamble, nor dared to.

With a sigh, the old scholar, who had spent his entire life studying, drew his sword and gave the order:
"General, have you not heard of Li Pingxi's deeds in Biancheng?"

Your ancestors enjoyed the Han dynasty's bounty and served as Han generals for generations. Now, instead of thinking of repaying the country with your lives and standing in formation under the city walls to block the enemy's invasion, you want to help the tyrannical and the enemy break through the city.

The King is watching! The twenty-four emperors of my Great Han Dynasty are watching!
This old minister, by the king's command, shall defend the city to the death; all of you, by the order, shall not dare to disobey!
Anyone who climbs the city walls shall be executed!
Anyone who retreats in the face of battle shall be executed!
Those who act as vanguard for Yuan's army shall be executed!

After speaking, he also knew that Chen Zhang was the most brave and skilled warrior in Lu, and had long served in the army and was well-regarded.

Immediately, the Prince of Lu assigned him his trump card for defending the city, and the palace guards were summoned to block Chen Zhang's path.

He immediately ordered his men to fire arrows!
Upon seeing this, Chen Zhang looked up to the sky and laughed loudly.

"You are the one who told us to leave the city, and you are also the one who prevented us from returning."

To flee in the face of battle and become the enemy's vanguard?

With a full 15,000 Yuan troops, plus elite cavalry in front, how can you expect me not to retreat in the face of battle?

If the enemy wants to kill me, fine, but now my allies also want to kill me.

Are we soldiers, who guard your royal court and capital, destined to die?

After speaking, Chen Zhang mustered all his martial prowess, bravely endured being shot by an arrow, and forcefully climbed to the top of the city wall, shouting loudly.

"My lads, follow me into battle, break through this city, and offer it to Yuan's army. Perhaps we can find a way to survive."

As the top general of the State of Lu, no one knew better than him how to defend Lu City, and naturally no one knew better than him where Lu City was weak and from which point to attack.

Originally, the Lu army was just driven by Yuan Jun to desperately climb the city walls. After receiving his orders, they felt as if they had found a backbone. They had been just fleeing for their lives, and their offensive intensified.

Even the garrison on the city walls, most of whom were former subordinates of Chen Zhang, often defected and joined Chen Zhang's forces.

With them leading the charge, Yuan's offensive was much more relaxed, and under the guidance of Yue Jin and Lu Xun, Lu City faced increasing difficulties.

Finally, after two days and nights of this bloody battle.

A young man, dressed in white and riding a white horse, stepped through the blood-stained city gates of the State of Lu.

The horse's hooves trampled over the corpses scattered on the ground until they stopped in front of a man.

A figure, his armor tattered and covered in wounds, knelt amidst the corpses strewn across the field. He grabbed a bloody human head by the hair and slammed it to the ground.

"Chen Zhang of Lu has beheaded Chancellor Zhang Hua, and his head is here!"
I humbly request that this document be accepted; I humbly hope for your kind approval.

The young man looked up at him, shrugged, and nodded.

"Come with me to see King Lu."

"only!"

The Royal Palace of Lu.

The main hall of the royal palace was violently pushed open, and many of the armored soldiers guarding the palace were killed or wounded.

The young man, dressed in a wide-sleeved robe, stood against the wind, squinting as he surveyed the panicked and terrified officials in the hall, as well as the pale-faced Prince Lu, who slumped to the ground.

He couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Your Highness, what are you afraid of?"
Are you afraid of me? Afraid of Yuan Jun? Or afraid of my teacher, Master Yuan?

If that's really the case, then I must tell you, you're completely wrong!

King Lu: "???"

"I am not a bandit, but an official!"

As he spoke, the young man took out an imperial edict bearing the Imperial Seal from his wide sleeve and showed it to everyone.

"My name is Lu Xun, courtesy name Boyan. I am the Grand Commander of Liang and Lu, appointed by my master, the Regent General Shu, on behalf of the Emperor. The Chancellor Zhang Hua was disloyal and dared to lead troops to resist the imperial court. He has now been beheaded by the loyal and righteous Chen Zhang!"

As he spoke, the perceptive Chen Zhang seized the opportunity to throw the head of Zhang Huaren, whom he had been carrying all along, onto the palace floor.

The officials were terrified, and the King of Lu glared at them angrily, but none dared to speak.

Lu Xun, however, seemed oblivious to the expressions on everyone's faces and laughed as he coaxed them.

"Your Highness, don't be afraid, it's a good thing."

"I have another piece of incredibly good news to tell you. This is a momentous occasion—a promotion to the highest level, to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Emperor!"

King Lu was terrified!

What a load of rubbish! This whole mess of yours is definitely not going to be good.

But Lu Xun looked at him coldly, his smile suddenly turning icy, and ordered:

"Kneel down and receive the edict from the King of Han!"

As he spoke, Chen Zhang stepped forward and, amidst the Prince of Lu's gasps, forced him to kneel with his head down. Lu Xun then loudly proclaimed:
"By the mandate of Heaven, the King of Han decrees:"

It is said that the mandate of Heaven is unpredictable, and only virtue can assist it.

Since the decline of the Han dynasty, the traitor Dong Zhuo has seized power. The current emperor is of poor character and young and inexperienced, weak by nature, and favors treacherous officials, causing chaos in the court.

Dong Zhuo rose to power first, followed by Li and Guo's chaos, causing ancestral temples to fall into disrepair and the people to suffer greatly.

This is all because the emperor lacked virtue, and Heaven punished him accordingly.

The people are now crying out for a wise ruler. I, as regent general, have followed the will of Heaven and the people, and have already assumed the great responsibility, thus ascending to the position of King of Han.

This demonstrates his heart to uphold the nation and his ambition to revive the Han dynasty. He should shoulder the heavy responsibility for the common people and save them from dire straits.

From this day forward, I, the King, will shoulder the responsibility for the two capitals and thirteen prefectures of the Great Han Dynasty!
A true king is never alone; he always has wise and capable advisors.

King Liu Xuan of Lu was known for his wisdom and understanding of governance, which I greatly admire.

I hereby hereby order the Prince of Lu to immediately prepare his carriage and proceed to Shouchun to jointly establish a council of princes with me to decide all matters of state.

He gathered the best members of the imperial family, devised strategies to secure the country, and served as regent, overseeing all affairs of state.

From this day forward, all matters concerning the levies, punishments, rewards, demotions, and promotions shall be decided by the Parliament in order to uphold the established order.

Furthermore, the false court in Luoyang, nominally the emperor, was actually controlled by the traitor Cao Cao.

The orders they issued were not given by the emperor; they were all forged edicts and false documents by the traitor Cao.

Anyone who dares to follow his false orders, confuse the public, and support rebellious arguments shall be punished by all the kings!

I and the kings shall uphold loyalty, purify the evil forces, revive the Han dynasty, and govern all the lands.

I urge all the prefectures and counties across the four seas, and the governors and magistrates of the nine provinces, to clearly distinguish between the loyal and the treacherous, and to return to the rightful order as soon as possible.

Those who serve the king faithfully will be seated on a golden platform; those who remain obstinate will be executed along with their entire family.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you! "

After the edict was read, the entire hall fell silent.

Is this an act of deceiving Heaven?
Yuan Shu declared himself king?
That's right. If we control Yangzhou, Jingzhou, and Yuzhou, we'll have one-third of the country. With the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, we could divide the country along the river and rule as one of the three kingdoms.

With a prosperous populace, well-trained soldiers, and ample provisions, he should declare himself king.

Only King Lu, who was forcibly pinned to the ground, continued to curse loudly.

"You scoundrel! You traitor!"

The Yuan family has produced four generations of high-ranking officials, all loyal and virtuous. How could they have produced such an unworthy descendant?
How dare he call himself king? He doesn't even deserve to be called king!
Emperor Gaozu once established the White Horse Alliance, declaring that anyone not of the Liu surname who claimed the title of king would be attacked by all under heaven.

Despite being pinned to the ground, he laughed bitterly and loudly mocked.

"Yuan Shikai's defeat and demise are imminent!"

Once the imperial edict is widely disseminated and the feudal lords of the nine provinces convene with their armies, you, a mere child, can expect to be collecting your teacher's corpse.

"Ah"

Lu Xun scoffed.

"All the feudal lords under heaven will attack him together?"

This time, my master led an expedition to Jingzhou on behalf of Heaven. Cao Cao, Liu Biao, Liu Bei, and Lü Bu all came together, making it a joint attack by the southern warlords.

However, he was no match for my master. Now, Liu Biao has been destroyed, Cao Cao has been defeated and killed, Lü Bu has turned against him, and Liu Bei has fled for his life.

Let me ask you, where did all the feudal lords of the world come from to attack it together?

Are you hoping Liu Zhang will emerge from Shu, or Yuan Shao will conquer the Central Plains?

"This"

King Lu was momentarily speechless, unable to utter a word.

After a moment of stunned silence, he looked up to the sky and cried out in grief.

"Is the Han Dynasty, which has lasted for four hundred years and built up the foundation of twenty-four emperors, going to perish in the hands of this traitor?"
General Chen Zhang, I have treated you well. Now, will you kill the traitors for me?

"My ministers, you are all loyal and righteous men of the Han Dynasty. How can you bear to watch this rebellious traitor run rampant and deceive our great Han?"

Chen Zhang sighed, unable to bear watching him, and pressed him down even harder with his hands.

The surrounding officials avoided his gaze, bowing their heads to the ground and remaining silent.

Upon seeing this, Lu Xun frowned and addressed his ministers:
"Can the Prince of Lu establish an heir?"

Although the others did not understand his meaning, due to the power of Yuan's army, the leader of the ministers answered.

"Prince Liu Yu is only six years old. He is knowledgeable in etiquette and righteousness and is wise beyond his years."

“Good! What a coincidence! Yuan Yao, the eldest son of the King of Han, is my good friend. He is also six or seven years old and often says to me: ‘Shouchun is lonely.’”

Now that the Prince of Lu is about the same age as him, it would be fitting for him to go to Shouchun and keep him company.

"Reporting to the Grand Commander, the Prince of Lu's heir is only six years old."

However, before the man could finish speaking, Lu Xun glanced at Chen Zhang and coldly uttered only two words.

"killed."

Chen Zhang: "???"

The courtiers: "!!!"

However, Lu Xun seemed oblivious to his hesitation and watched him silently.

The courtiers remained silent, as if chilled to the bone.

Only the King of Lu's terrified wails echoed throughout the hall.

"Kill me?"
"I am a member of the Han imperial family, the great-great-grandson of Emperor Guangwu, the founding emperor of the Han dynasty. Who dares to kill me? Who can kill me?"

Time ticked by, but Lu Xun's gaze remained unwavering, cold and fixed.

The silent atmosphere was like a heavy mountain, weighing heavily on Chen Zhang's heart.

At this moment, he finally understood why the young man had stopped for him amidst the sea of ​​corpses and pools of blood in front of the city gate, and why he had urged him to follow.

Defection is not enough! Losing the city is not enough! Even the prime minister is not enough!
Only the King of Lu is sufficient.

In that brief moment of silence, Chen Zhang lost count of how many thoughts raced through his mind.

All he knew was that in the end his mind went blank, and with a heavy heart he drew the long sword from his waist, closed his eyes, and grabbed the Prince of Lu by the hair, making him tilt his head back.

"Traitors! I and our ancestors are waiting for you in the netherworld."

"With the whole world joining forces against them, the downfall of the Yuan family is imminent."

Chen Zhang slashed the knife across his neck, just like killing a chicken, and the world was at peace.

He cut off the head and presented it to Lu Xun with both hands.

“The King of Lu plotted a rebellion. Your subject, Chen Zhang, the general of Lu, beheaded the King of Lu here.”

A country cannot be without a ruler for a single day. We should now invite Prince Liu Yu to ascend the throne of Lu.

Does the Grand Commander agree?

Lu Xun nodded and smiled, "You are very good. Now I can recommend you to the King of Han."

He then addressed the Lu minister who had just spoken, saying:

"Now, he is the Prince of Lu,"

The man banged his head on the ground and could no longer speak.

As they were talking, a servant brought up Liu Yu, the heir apparent of the Prince of Lu.

The six-year-old child entered the palace and saw his father's headless corpse, blood flowing freely. The head of the man, who died with his eyes wide open, was being held by his father's most beloved general.

He was already terrified and his face turned deathly pale.

Among the ministers, there were loyal and righteous men who, fearing that Lu Xun might kill the crown prince in a fit of anger, hurriedly spoke up for him, their voices trembling.

"The Crown Prince is about to ascend the throne. This is extremely exciting. Please forgive me, Grand Commander."

However, to their surprise, Lu Xun was delighted upon seeing it.

He smiled and stepped forward, kindly helping Liu Yu's swaying body to straighten, then took his hand and said to the crowd:

"The Crown Prince Liu Yu is gentle and respectful by nature. He serves his superiors with reverence, treats his subordinates with benevolence, and is honest and kind to others. His filial piety is well-known in the imperial clan, and his benevolence is spread throughout the villages."

A man of his caliber, with talent and virtue worthy of the King of Lu, and a member of the royal family of his caliber, is worthy to enter Shouchun, attend the council, and join my teacher in this grand undertaking, governing the world and shepherding all nations.”

The courtiers: "."

In his hands, Liu Yu was like a puppet on strings, speechless and not daring to utter a word, nor daring to show any resentment.

As news of Chen Zhang's assassination attempt on the king spread throughout the palace, the entire city of Lu became as submissive and obedient as lambs.

Rumors circulated that Yuan Ying and his men had gone mad.

Yuan Gong dared to break the White Horse Alliance and take the throne as the King of Han, so his students dared to assassinate the king in court.

What is there in the Great Han Dynasty that these people wouldn't dare to do?
Who in the vast lands of Kyushu is someone these people dare not kill?
In an instant, from powerful families to ordinary people, all were brought under the rule of the king and revered the King of Han.

(End of this chapter)