Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 92 Liu Bei Deceives Dong Zhuo, Are Generals and Ministers Born with a Special Kindness? (Seeking First Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)
Xu You initially came to Liu Bei to try his luck, but as Liu Bei's prestige grew, he admitted that he had misjudged him.

In terms of ambition, willpower, magnanimity, and courage, Liu Bei was undoubtedly a heroic figure.

A hero is one who possesses the capacity to encompass the universe and the ambition to conquer the world.

Such a person will never lack followers.

Although Xu You was talented but lacked virtue, he had the advantage of having followed Liu Bei for a long time.

Liu Bei values ​​loyalty and righteousness. As long as Xu You doesn't make any fundamental mistakes, he can live a comfortable life under Liu Bei's command in the future.

It was precisely because of this that Xu You dared to set his mind at ease and follow Liu Bei.

Xu You was also self-aware; he was fond of wine, women, money, and boastful, and a narrow-minded person would certainly not have tolerated him.

Originally, Xu You did not participate in Liu Bei's army's unique "learning literature and practicing martial arts," nor did he want to teach soldiers to read and write like Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and others.

After figuring out his future, Xu You chose to actively integrate himself into society. Since he relied on his knowledge to make a living, Xu You also had experience in teaching people to read and write.

Of Liu Bei's six Sima, Xu You had the closest relationship with Zhang Fei.

The more Guan Yu read, the more arrogant he became, looking down on ordinary scholars and Confucianists. His respect for Xu You was only out of consideration for Liu Bei, and he was not willing to have a deep friendship with Xu You.

Zhang Fei was different; the more he read, the more he respected scholars.

In Zhang Fei's eyes, those who could read were all extremely capable people.

Zhang Fei, who came from a butcher background, also longed to become a scholar so that wherever he went, he would be respectfully addressed as "Lord Zhang" or "Lord Yide" instead of "warrior," "commoner," or "butcher."

Back in Runan, Zhang Fei was able to refute Yang Kun by quoting classical texts, and even exclaimed, "I was lowly when I was young." "The commander of an army can be taken away, but the will of a common man cannot be taken away." "When a common man does good, the people will follow suit." These lines directly hit Zhang Fei's sore spot.

Zhang Fei admired Xu You's scholarly background, while Xu You was amazed by Zhang Fei's talent and knowledge. In addition, the two were both fond of drinking, which led to a deep friendship.

Upon hearing that Liu Bei had asked Zhang Fei to teach Dian Wei to read and write, Xu You volunteered to help Zhang Fei.

Xu You keenly sensed Liu Bei's high regard for Dian Wei, while Zhang Fei's usual method of "getting whipped for slacking off" was suitable for ordinary soldiers, but not for Dian Wei, whose martial prowess was no less than Zhang Fei's.

Judging from Dian Wei's performance today, if a real fight were to break out, regardless of who wins or loses, one of them would inevitably be injured.

If Zhang Fei is injured, Liu Bei will find it difficult to appease his sworn brother; if Dian Wei is injured, Liu Bei will find it difficult to bestow favors upon his brave warriors.

Upon hearing Xu You's purpose, Zhang Fei immediately beamed with joy: "I was just worried about how to teach the scribes to read and write. With Ziyuan's help, I have no worries!"

With Xu You's help, Zhang Fei, when teaching Dian Wei to read and write, abandoned the harsh and direct practice of "being whipped for laziness" and gained a better understanding of "teaching according to aptitude."

One of the benefits was that the soldiers in Zhang Fei's camp noticed that Zhang Fei was cracking his whip less and less often.

Liu Bei noticed these subtle changes and was delighted.

Those who followed Liu Bei, both civil and military officials, all had some flaws in their personalities. Those who were both virtuous and talented without any personality flaws were rare, and even if they were, they might not have followed Liu Bei.

Liu Bei consistently sought to guide his people through literary and martial arts training, aiming to minimize the impact of his personality flaws on military and political affairs.

When they arrived at Mianchi.

Liu Pi and He Man, who had gone to Hedong to deliver a message, were just returning.

"Reporting to my lord, we have successfully completed our mission!" Liu Pi took out Dong Zhuo's reply from his bosom and added, "Dong Bingzhou has sent a reply here."

Liu Bei took a look at the letter, which essentially said that Dong Zhuo was waiting for Liu Bei in Shanxian County.

They took the bait!
Dong Zhuo fought for many years and made great contributions. Although he was appointed as a general and granted a title, he never gained the trust of the people.

Last year, the court wanted to appoint Dong Zhuo as the Minister of the Imperial Household, hoping to remove him from his military power. However, Dong Zhuo refused to obey the order, citing that "his followers from Huangzhong and the Xiongnu soldiers blocked his carriage and begged him not to abandon him."

Now that he is the governor of Bingzhou, he should, in principle, hand over his troops to Huangfu Song. However, Dong Zhuo took the troops away on the grounds that "I have been in charge of the troops for ten years, and the soldiers have a very good relationship with me. They are all eager to fight for me."

Although Liu Bei did not approve of Dong Zhuo's character and personal morality, he shared the same view on the issue of military power.

For the imperial court, Dong Zhuo was a cause for concern.

For Dong Zhuo, having soldiers was the only way to save his life.

Especially in these chaotic times, with a corrupt court and established rules that have long been broken, it is shameless for a group of incompetent officials to accuse generals in border regions of abusing their power.

With Dong Zhuo taking the bait, Liu Bei wasted no more time and urged his army to march quickly.

On April 25th, Liu Bei arrived in Shanxian County.

Having discovered Liu Bei's banner, Dong Zhuo led his generals Niu Fu and Dong Yue, along with a thousand elite cavalry, to meet him ten miles outside the city.

"I have long admired Liu Yongzhou's name, and seeing you today, I can see you are indeed extraordinary. I pay my respects." Dong Zhuo's booming voice echoed from afar.

Liu Bei looked closely and saw that Dong Zhuo was extremely strong and robust, and in terms of physique alone, he was no weaker than Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Dian Zixia.

"Historical records state that Dong Zhuo possessed unparalleled strength and always carried two quivers. When riding at full speed, he could draw his bow with both hands. Seeing him today, he is indeed a fierce and powerful warrior," Liu Bei exclaimed inwardly.

Not only was Liu Bei amazed, but Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who were accompanying him, also looked solemn.

Laymen watch the spectacle, experts see the details. In a regular sparring match, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei would have the upper hand with their martial prowess, but in a real battle, the outcome is unpredictable.

Compared to Dong Zhuo, who fought on the frontier for many years, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei had far too little battlefield experience and knowledge.

Xu You's eyes quickly scanned Dong Zhuo's left and right sides, looking for any scholars accompanying him.

The difficulty of deceiving Dong Zhuo differed depending on whether he had scholars accompanying him or not.

Xu You glanced at Generals Niu Fu and Dong Yue, a smile appearing on his lips. They were just warriors.

Liu Bei rode forward, his smile gentle: "Governor Dong has decisively defeated the rebel army of Liangzhou, and his fame has long resounded throughout Luoyang. It is truly an honor to meet Governor Dong today!"

After a round of mutual flattery, the two sat down in a nearby pavilion. Niu Fu and Dong Yue, swords in hand, guarded Dong Zhuo's back, while Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, swords in hand, guarded Liu Bei's back.

"Liu Yongzhou, I am an honest man and I don't like beating around the bush. Do you really have the late emperor's secret edict?" Dong Zhuo asked bluntly.

Liu Hong's secret edict was the reason why Dong Zhuo was willing to personally travel from Hedong to Shanxian to wait for Liu Bei. Without Liu Hong's secret edict, the conversation between the two sides could not have continued.

Liu Bei also understood this principle, and like Dong Zhuo, he did not beat around the bush. He took out the secret edict and said, "Dong Bingzhou acts decisively, and I also dislike beating around the bush. The late emperor's secret edict is here. Please read it, Dong Bingzhou."

Dong Zhuo's pupils contracted sharply.

Did Liu Bei really have a secret edict from the late emperor?
Before meeting Liu Bei, Dong Zhuo had some doubts. After all, if Liu Bei, as the Colonel of the Western Garden Army, had a secret edict from Liu Hong, why didn't he directly support Liu Xie to ascend the throne, but instead went to Yongzhou to become the governor?
Is it really better to be the governor of Yongzhou than to serve as an official in Luoyang?
For Dong Zhuo, his greatest wish in life was to become a powerful minister in Luoyang, rather than being demoted in name only to the position of Junior Steward.

Dong Zhuo was also very clear about the fact that the governors of provinces could wield great military and political power.

Both Liu Yan and Liu Yu were members of the imperial clan and ministers. Even if they harbored ambitions of separatism, the emperor would be at ease if they were appointed as governors.

It was merely a transformation of the former county-level and prefecture-level clan kingdoms into state-level clan kingdoms; in essence, it remained an internal matter for the Liu clan.

However, Dong Zhuo was not of the same surname, so even if he had the ambition to establish a separatist regime, he could not gain support.

Furthermore, the fact that Gai Xun, the governor of Yongzhou, was about to be transferred back to Luoyang after only a short time in office made Dong Zhuo even more wary. This was one of the important reasons why Dong Zhuo was determined to take his 5,000 troops to Bingzhou.

As long as he had troops, even if the court changed its mind, Dong Zhuo would have a way out, instead of being unable to control his own destiny after going to Luoyang.

In Dong Zhuo's view, although Liu Bei also shared the surname Liu, he was far inferior to imperial clansmen like Liu Yan and Liu Yu. Giving up the task of supporting the new emperor in Luoyang and instead becoming the governor of Yongzhou was a path to certain death.

Dong Zhuo accepted the secret edict with trembling hands, as if receiving a priceless treasure from which no mishap was permissible.
Upon reading the contents of the secret edict, Dong Zhuo trembled even more, subconsciously reciting the last few lines: "When the time is right, we will eliminate the chief villains, support the successor, restore my original intention, and secure the Han dynasty! The survival of the state rests on our shoulders; you should understand my intentions and act accordingly, as the law dictates! The seventh day of the third month of the sixth year of Zhongping."

"Great! Great! Great! This is fantastic!"

Dong Zhuo exclaimed "Good!" three times in a row, his face filled with barely suppressed excitement.

A secret edict without a clear name—whoever received it was qualified to enter Luoyang to depose Liu Bian and install Liu Xie. How could Dong Zhuo not be excited?
Behind Dong Zhuo, generals Niu Fu and Dong Yue also saw the contents of the secret edict and were equally excited.

How much merit can one gain from fighting so hard in the border regions?
How can anything compare to the merit of following the emperor?

The two generals were filled with longing at the thought that their lord could use this secret edict to go to Luoyang to support Liu Xie in ascending the throne and becoming emperor, and that he would be ranked above all the ministers in Luoyang in the future.

The border generals suffered far too much humiliation at the hands of the court officials.

During the Liangzhou rebellion, Zhang Wen, who knew nothing about military affairs, was appointed as General of Chariots and Cavalry and put in charge of the affairs of the Three Auxiliary Military Region.

Dong Zhuo was reprimanded by Zhang Wen for arriving late and nearly killed.

Later, Dong Zhuo and Bao Hong took advantage of the meteor shower to defeat the rebel army. Zhang Wen was eager to claim credit and immediately dispatched Zhou Shen with 30,000 men to pursue them.

Dong Zhuo offered to lead troops to support Zhou Shen, but Zhang Wen refused. Instead, he ordered Dong Zhuo to lead 30,000 men to attack the Xianling Qiang. However, Dong Zhuo fell into an ambush by the Qiang and Xiongnu. If Dong Zhuo had not ordered his soldiers to openly repair the dikes on the Wei River while secretly withdrawing his troops, his entire army would have been wiped out.

After the battle, Zhang Wen's six armies were completely defeated by Dong Zhuo, and five of them, including Zhou Shen's army, ended in defeat.

This deepened the conflict between the border generals and the court officials.

Now that they had the opportunity to ride on the backs of the court officials, neither Dong Zhuo nor the two generals Niu Fu and Dong Yue were willing to give up this golden opportunity!
"Liu Yongzhou, state your terms."

Dong Zhuo put down the secret edict, suppressing his excitement. Since the edict was genuine and Liu Bei was willing to give it to him, he would surely ask for something in return.

Instead of beating around the bush, let's be direct.

"My conditions are very simple." Liu Bei's lips curled slightly as he said, "First, Huangfu Song cannot remain in Yongzhou to command troops; second, Minister Lu is my mentor and cannot be moved lightly; third, Huang Wan, the governor of Yuzhou, cannot be summoned to Luoyang. As long as Dong Bingzhou agrees to these three conditions, not only can I take the secret edict, but I will also support Dong Bingzhou in Yongzhou."

"Is it really that simple?" Dong Zhuo asked, puzzled.

How can these three conditions possibly match the value of a secret edict?
Seeing that Dong Zhuo was suspicious, Liu Bei pretended to sigh and said, "Dong Bingzhou, we are both warriors, and we should understand each other's feelings."

“During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, I fought dozens of battles, large and small, without fear of death, but in the end, I only became a minor county magistrate in Anxi because I didn’t have money to bribe the eunuchs. Even though I worked diligently during my tenure, I still ended up being dismissed by the court.”

"Later, I publicly whipped Zhang Rang's adopted son, and then entered Luoyang and beat up He Jin's subordinate generals. I even risked offending scholars to gain the late emperor's favor and control over the Western Garden Army. However, although the late emperor used me, he did not completely trust me. Otherwise, with this secret edict and the eight thousand Western Garden Army soldiers, I could have supported the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne while I was in Luoyang."

"The reason I sought cooperation with Dong Bingzhou is that I believe he has fought for the court for half his life but has not been trusted, and he should feel the same way I do. In the imperial court, rotten wood serves as officials; in the palace, beasts feast on the rich. Such a court deserves a hero to set things right."

Speaking of trust.

Dong Zhuo's resentment was also stirred up, and he said, "Liu Yongzhou is such a hero, yet he is not trusted. There are too many treacherous villains in the court!"

Putting away the secret edict, Dong Zhuo continued, "I agree to Liu Yongzhou's conditions. With this secret edict, I no longer need to go to Bingzhou. Liu Yongzhou came from Luoyang; do you know the current situation in Luoyang?"

Liu Bei said, "The situation in Luoyang is currently stable. If Dong Bingzhou were to return to Luoyang now, he would surely be disliked by the three forces of He Jin, Zhang Rang, and Yuan Wei. If we want to support the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne, we need to wait for a more opportune moment."

"In my opinion, there will definitely be a conflict between the three forces this year. Dong Bingzhou can first enter Hanoi, sit on the mountain and watch the tiger, and wait for the right time. When the time comes, he can enter Luoyang and clean up the mess, and rise above all the ministers."

Dong Zhuo agreed wholeheartedly, saying, "I admire Liu Yongzhou's profound wisdom and foresight. If I can accomplish this, I am willing to work with Liu Yongzhou to assist the Emperor in bringing peace and stability to the people."

"I appreciate Dong Bingzhou's good intentions," Liu Bei said, shaking his head. "However, my ambitions lie elsewhere, and I am disgusted by the infighting in the court. As a descendant of Emperor Gaozu, I only wish to emulate Ban Dingyuan's might in the Western Regions, to glorify the name of the Han Dynasty. My only wish is that after Dong Bingzhou enters the court, he will not allow treacherous officials to slander the border generals. That would be enough for me!"

Dong Zhuo was secretly astonished: "I admire Liu Yongzhou's ambition. If you don't mind, you can come with me to Shan County, where we can drink to our hearts' content."

Liu Bei laughed and said, "I had the same idea. Dong Bingzhou, please go ahead first. I will give some instructions to my men before entering the city for the banquet."

"Very good." Dong Zhuo also laughed, got up and asked Liu Bei for leave. Having received the secret edict, Dong Zhuo couldn't wait to return to the city to celebrate his victory.

After Dong Zhuo left, Guan Yu's eyes sharpened: "Brother, I observe that Dong Zhuo has a fierce and suspicious appearance and cannot be fully trusted. If this man gains power, he may not keep his promises and fulfill his agreements."

"It's alright." Liu Bei smiled confidently: "Although I made three conditions, the most important one is to transfer Huangfu Song away from Yongzhou. Dong Zhuo has an old grudge against Huangfu Song. No matter how much he suspects me, he will definitely transfer Huangfu Song away from Yongzhou."

"Without Huangfu Song, who in Yongzhou can stop me?"

To eliminate someone, you don't necessarily need to take action yourself; you can achieve your goal by using your enemy's enemy.

(End of this chapter)