Great Han Empire

Chapter 471
Dong Zhuo was unwilling to leave Xiliang, and General He Jin was even less willing to go west to Liangzhou.

General He Jin went up to play the Son of Heaven, saying that there was a famine in the three prefectures of Qing, Xu and Yan recently. The ant thieves had no food to support and could not continue to attack the city, so they retreated into Mount Tai and the banks of the Yellow River. The number of victims increased sharply, and millions of victims from the three prefectures of Qing, Xu and Yan flocked across the Yellow River and entered Jizhou.Now Jizhou is overwhelmed, the situation is precarious, and riots are on the verge of breaking out.General He Jin begged the emperor to temporarily postpone the westward march to Liangzhou, so that the army could be stationed in Jizhou to control the situation.

Jizhou Mu Yangqi played three times a day, begging the emperor to quickly allocate relief money and food to appease the refugees in the territory.Yang Qi said that His Majesty's transfer of the Northern Army at the most critical moment in Jizhou would simply add frost to the roof and make the situation in Jizhou worse.In the past few years, Jizhou has been plagued by ants and thieves, the population has dropped dramatically, and the fields have been barren. If it is hit hard again this year, Jizhou will be as desolate as Bian County.

The ministers of the DPRK and China also wrote letters to advise.Taiwei Ma Rixun said that the Xiliang rebels had already been defeated by Huangfusong and fled back to the desolate frontier fortress. The threat of the rebels to Xiliang and Sanfu had been lifted. Rebellion has no meaning. On the contrary, the situation in Jizhou is very critical at this time, which has seriously affected the safety of Gyeonggi, so he believes that the general and the Northern Army should stay in Jizhou temporarily.

The emperor turned a deaf ear and ignored it.He ordered the ministers of the Sangong and the ministers of Shangshutai to start preparations for the canonization of the prince, and urged them to immediately draft an edict to abolish the queen.

The emperor issued a decree to the left general Huangfusong, ordering him to take over the Xiliang army forcibly, and ordering Huangfuhong, the middle base school lieutenant, to command [-] northern troops to set off for Bingzhou immediately.

The emperor sent Dong Zhuo another imperial decree with extremely harsh words, ordering him to go to Bingzhou to preside over the military administration immediately after receiving the decree, to suppress the increasingly serious disaster riots in Bingzhou, and to ensure that the army is safe from going out to fight. Severely punished for the crime of resisting the decree.

The emperor issued a decree to Mu Yangqi of Jizhou, ordering him to recruit another [-] county soldiers. If the victims of the disaster rioted, they would be killed without mercy.As for the disaster relief money and food, the court will transfer to Jizhou in the shortest possible time, please wait patiently in Jizhou government.

The emperor once again issued an order to urge General He Jin to lead his troops westward to Liangzhou.The emperor said, what happened in Jizhou has nothing to do with you, so don't make excuses and go to Xiliang immediately.

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Xian Yu Fu urgently played the Son of Heaven, saying that the riots in Xihe County were intensifying, but Li Hong, the general who conquered Peking, turned a blind eye and forcibly took away [-] troops.At present, Xian Yuyin has led [-] soldiers to Xihe to quell the rebellion, Sun Qin has led [-] soldiers to Shangdang to quell the rebellion, Zhang Yan has led [-] soldiers to return to Taiyuan to quell the rebellion, and he has [-] soldiers to station in Jinyang. Busy with requisitioning food, grass and supplies for the army, he couldn't escape.In order to prevent the rioting army from fleeing to the east of the river and threatening the safety of the capital, he has urgently recruited [-] soldiers to block the main roads going south to the east of the river.Xian Yufu begged the emperor to urge the former general Dong Zhuo to immediately lead the [-] Northern Army to Bingzhou, so that he and Zhang Yan could quickly get out of Bingzhou and lead troops to join the war.

Zhao Qi and Zhang Yan jointly played the emperor.Zhao Qi became angry. In his memorial, he scolded Mu Yangqi of Jizhou as a traitorous official who harmed the great Han society.Zhao Qi said that Mu Yangqi of Jizhou used a large number of soldiers from the county to drive the victims into Bingzhou for his own selfishness, regardless of the safety of the country.In the barren land of Bingzhou, and at the time of the war, how can there be financial and material resources to accommodate so many victims?The riots in Bingzhou were a man-made disaster, all caused by Yang Qi.Zhao Qi begged the emperor to punish Jizhou Mu Yangqi severely, and asked the Jizhou government to resolutely prevent the flood victims from flooding into Bingzhou.Zhao Qi threatened the Son of Heaven that if this situation was not contained, he would close Huguan and blockade all the passes into Bingzhou.

Li Hong, the general who conquered the North, hurriedly played the emperor, saying that he had led an army of [-] from Mayi City in Yanmen County and was attacking Dingxiang County.Currently Yushi's army is attacking Luo County, Yan Rou's army has already approached Zhishanwu City in Dingxiang County, and he is about to lead his army to attack Zhongling County.Li Hong said confidently that Chen expected to win the entire Dingxiang County by the end of April, going straight to Yunzhong.In order to maintain the strength of the frontal attack, I beg Your Majesty to immediately urge the former general Dong Zhuo to lead his troops into Bingzhou, so that Xian Yufu and Zhang Yan can quickly lead their troops out of the fortress and join the army.

At the same time, Wang Han, the prefect of Hedong County, rushed to play the Son of Heaven, saying that the remnants of Baibo, an ant thief stationed on Wangwu Mountain, had heard that the troops from northern Xinjiang had gone out to fight, and they were so courageous that they went down the mountain to plunder Hedong County.Wang Han was very anxious. He said in his memorial that it is the season of spring plowing. If the ant thieves cannot be repelled in time, spring plowing may be delayed and the consequences will be very serious.He begged the emperor to send troops to support him immediately.

The emperor was so angry that he cursed.As soon as General Zhengbei was out of the fortress, there were seven fires and eight smokes in northern Xinjiang. How can this battle be fought?When Bingzhou was in chaos, the supply of food and grass for the North Conquering Army became a big problem, and the situation of the frontline army was very critical.The ministers did not expect that the situation in Bingzhou would become so bad in a blink of an eye. Everyone was caught off guard and worried.

"Decree to Xian Yufu, order him to sit in Bingzhou, lead the military affairs of the General of Peking University and supervise the military affairs of Northern Xinjiang. In addition, I have to remind him that he is now under my command, not the command of the General of Peking University. Let him Before Dong Zhuo enters Bingzhou, you must not go out of the fortress, and do your best to supervise the supply of food and supplies for the North Army, and if you make a mistake, you will definitely be executed."

"Decree to Zhang Yan to temporarily lead Bingzhou shepherd to take charge of Bingzhou's military administration and take full charge of countering the rebellion. Tell him emphatically that you must not blockade the various passes of Jizhou entering Bingzhou, otherwise you will be convicted of resisting the decree and will be killed without pardon. "

"Decree to Zhang Ze (that is, Zhang Baiqi), let him raise another [-] troops to garrison the fields, and immediately go south to kill the Baibo ant thieves."

Taiwei Ma Rixun hastily stopped him and said: "Your Majesty, the troops stationed in the field are the Yellow Turban Army, and the Baibo Ant Thieves are also the Yellow Turban Army. Your Majesty asked the Yellow Turban Army to fight the Yellow Turban Army. Isn't this a self-inflicted calamity? The more you fight in the east of the river, the more chaotic you will be?"

"Aiqing only thought that they were all thieves, but she didn't expect that one of them was a thief who had no worries about food and clothing, and the other was a thief with red eyes from hunger. How do you know that they will definitely work together?" The emperor shook his hand disdainfully and said, "Do this first Yes. This urgent need must be solved no matter what, otherwise there will be a shortage of food in Hedong in the second half of the year, and life in Gyeonggi will be very difficult. After the Northern Army arrives in Hedong, let them go back to the fields."

"Decree to Jizhou Mu Yangqi, tell him not to do too much. If we drive the victims into Jin, I will transfer all the relief money and food allocated to Jizhou to Bingzhou. Also, please comfort Zhao Qi. Boss You must be so angry that you even dare to threaten me." The emperor pointed to Jian Shuo and said, "Send someone to send some good ginseng and deer antler to the old man to nourish his body."

"Urge Dong Zhuo again."

===

Dong Zhuo had no choice but to pack up and prepare to leave.Going to Bingzhou at this time, all my decades of hard work will be in vain, and my decades of prestige will be ruined. Dong Zhuo is so angry that he almost rebels.What mistakes did I make, what trouble did I cause, and I became the person who the emperor and the court were bound to kill quickly.

Whoever goes to Bingzhou today will end up decapitated in a tragic end.Why don't you let Huangfusong go? If you insist on letting me go, it's clear that you want to kill me.Li Ru originally wanted to persuade Dong Zhuo a few words, but was kicked out by the furious Dong Zhuo.Dong Zhuo pointed at him and scolded him continuously.If I had known that spending money to buy off the gentry was the end, I would never have listened to you at the beginning. If I had been following the traitor, I would never be in the desperate situation I am today.The emperor and the traitor now know that I am stepping on three boats. Although they say they still trust me, they wish they could swallow me alive.This is all your good idea, you hurt me, you know?

Just after Li Hong left the customs, Bingzhou was in chaos. Who can clean up the chaotic situation in Bingzhou now?In Bingzhou, there are Yellow Turban Army, disaster victims, military settlements and civilian settlements, as well as transporting food, grass and military equipment to the Northern Expeditionary Army. So many things are intertwined, even if I, Dong Zhuo, have ten heads and one hundred hands, I can’t handle it. When His Majesty ordered to kill me, I was so tired that I vomited blood and died.

I have no foundation in Bingzhou, no army, and I am not familiar with the military and political affairs of Bingzhou. After I go, what else can I do but wait to die?I'm almost sixty, do I still go to Bingzhou to start a new business at my age?By the time the foundation is laid, I'll be turned into ashes long ago.

Dong Zhuo roared hysterically for a while, and the anger in his heart gradually dissipated a lot.He helped Li Ru up, patted him on the shoulder very apologetically, and said firmly, "I will never enter Bingzhou."

Li Ru said: "The current situation in Luoyang is very unfavorable to the generals and the scholars. It is estimated that the emperor's affairs will come to light soon, so it is better for the general to follow the current situation and wait for the opportunity. My judgment in the early stage is true. There is a mistake, I didn't expect the emperor to be so powerful, but this did not affect the general's career and life. Judging from the current use of the emperor to you, you are still very important to the emperor, otherwise the traitor would not send someone Accusing us, let alone asking us to be loyal to His Majesty. Although the general is unwilling to enter Bingzhou, he has to leave Xiliang. If the general annoys His Majesty, His Majesty can send you to the capital with an imperial edict. Therefore, The general should follow the imperial decree and leave Xiliang as soon as possible."

"Leave Xiliang?" Dong Zhuo sighed helplessly, "Where will we go after we leave Xiliang?"

"Let's go to Hedong." Li Ru said, "Hedong is only a few hundred miles away from Luoyang, and we will arrive soon after crossing the river. Therefore, it is safest for us to stay in Hedong, and it is even far better than staying in Xiliang, a remote and closed place."

"To Hedong?" Dong Zhuo thought for a while and asked, "There must be a reason for staying in Hedong. What reason do we have?"

"Suppress the Baibo Ant Thief." Li Ru said, "Didn't the leader of the Baibo Ant Thief, Yang Feng, join the general? You asked Yang Feng to rush to Wangwu Mountain secretly, and get in touch with the Baibo Ant Thief. The war will last for a few months. After a few months, whether it is Luoyang, Bingzhou, or the Great War outside the Great Wall, everything will change, and then it will be clear where the general is going."

"Going to Beijing?" Dong Zhuo suddenly came to his senses, with a look of surprise on his face, "His Majesty has now cornered He Jin. He will either tie his hands and wait to die, or return to Beijing secretly to launch a mutiny. A bloody storm. If He Jin launches a mutiny, then our chance has come."

"Yes." Li Ru sneered, "If He Jin wants to launch a mutiny, he must obtain the support of scholars in the court, but their army is small in number and insufficient in strength, and the emperor holds the imperial power. There are Southern Army inside and West Garden Army outside. Therefore, we cannot predict whether He Jin's mutiny will succeed or how the situation in Luoyang will develop, but we are close to Luoyang, and the general has an army in his hands. Whether the emperor wins or He Jin wins, or the scholars win, we can all benefit from it."

Dong Zhuo laughed, "From this point of view, the emperor treated me well and gave me such an excellent opportunity, an opportunity to eradicate traitors and craftsmen to serve the country. Once this is successful, the emperor will succeed, Luoyang will be stable, and the country will be peaceful , I, Dong Zhuoke, are the number one hero of the Han Kingdom."

"Exactly." Li Ru said with a smile, "This Xiliang, the general will leave no matter what, not to mention if you don't leave, Huangfusong will drive you away. But in Bingzhou, the general will leave no matter what." None of them can enter. But then again, Bingzhou, the general may not be able to enter. I don’t believe that Li Hong will hand over Bingzhou, which he has worked so hard for several years. If you are the general who goes out to fight, you are willing to give yourself and Will the lives of 20 soldiers be handed over to Li Hong? Or Huangfusong?"

Dong Zhuo shook his head, "I would rather give up going out to fight than to hand over the lives of myself and 20 soldiers to others. This time going out to the fortress is different from the past. The 20 troops led by Li Hong are either barbarians or Yellow Turbans. In the future They are all hidden worries that endanger the country of the Han Dynasty, so His Majesty will never let them return to the Great Wall alive. Li Hong does not let me enter Bingzhou, which means that he is very smart. If he lets me enter Bingzhou, it means that he is the biggest idiot in the Han Dynasty. He is dead. It deserves it." Immediately, a flash of light flashed in his mind, and he pointed at Li Ru and said coldly, "The riot in Bingzhou may be..."

"Yes, after all, Li Hong is still the biggest threat to our Great Han Kingdom." Li Ru said worriedly, "If this person is not eliminated, our Great Han Kingdom will never have peace."

Dong Zhuo's expression froze, and he stared at Li Ru for a long while speechless. Suddenly, his face showed helplessness, and he sighed: "His future is my today. Although he himself has no intention of disrupting the country, how can your majesty and the ministers of the court be so helpless?" I am willing to keep a leopard by my side." He smiled wryly and waved his hands, "Forget it, let's not talk about him, there is no place for warriors in today's Han Kingdom. I wrote to Your Majesty, saying that the situation in Bingzhou is critical now, and I want to bring my relatives to the barracks. Go to Bingzhou."

Li Ru nodded and said: "Going to Hedong, although the general can command the northern army, he cannot command the northern army as he likes, so the general should bring some more cavalry for safety."

"Three thousand iron cavalry is enough." Dong Zhuo said disdainfully, "Whether it is the southern army, the northern army or the Xiyuan army, who can stop my Xiliang iron cavalry?"

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When Dong Zhuo walked to Chang'an with three thousand cavalry, the emperor's order arrived.The emperor agreed with him to lead his personal guard cavalry to Bingzhou, and urged him to speed up the march again.At this time, Huangfu Hong had already led the Northern Army across the river from Pubanjin to Hedong.Wang Han, the prefect of Hedong, was overjoyed when he saw the Northern Army coming. He immediately ordered them to garrison Anyi to prevent the troops from the field from making trouble again. Then hand it over to Huangfu Hong.

After the news of the northern army staying in Hedong reached Luoyang, the emperor was very angry, and hurriedly issued an order to urge Dong Zhuo to lead his troops northward to Bingzhou immediately. But at this time, bad news came from Chang'an. rise.The emperor had no choice but to turn around and urge General He Jin again.

He Jin went up to the Son of Heaven, saying that after the northern army crossed Hebei to suppress the rebellion, due to repeated battles, many soldiers died in battle, and it was necessary to temporarily recruit soldiers to supplement the army. He begged His Majesty to give him some time. Enter Liangzhou.Now that He Jin had explained the whole story, he gave an affirmative answer, and the emperor could not urge him any further, so he immediately summoned the ministers to discuss the establishment of the emperor's canonization of the crown prince.

The court meeting was very long and dragged on until late at night.As soon as the ministers left the Jiade Hall, the emperor passed out.Jian Shuo of the little yellow gate turned pale with fright, and ordered the Yongle Palace to be sealed off, and no one was allowed to enter or leave.The queen mother burst into tears, and even fed the emperor ten golden pills, but failed to wake the emperor up.

Jian Shuo of the Little Yellow Gate was in great chaos, and was in a hurry to turn around.The Queen Mother said, why don't you urgently call the medical craftsman to show the emperor?Jian Shuo hesitated for a long time but dared not make up his mind.If news of the emperor's serious illness spreads at this time, Luoyang is bound to undergo earth-shattering changes.He discussed with the Queen Mother, and sent someone to invite Hussar General Dong Zhong into Yongle Palace overnight.The three of them thought together for a long time and decided to conceal the news that the emperor was seriously ill.

Several of the best medical craftsmen in the palace were invited into the Yongle Palace, and they unanimously concluded that the emperor had liver disease, and the condition was very serious.Jian Shuo asked, why is it serious?Several medical craftsmen dare not speak out tremblingly.The Queen Mother said, to tell the truth, I will forgive you all for your innocence.An older medical craftsman said sadly that his illness was dying and his time was numbered.The queen mother cried bitterly and passed out on the spot.Jian Shuo told several medical craftsmen, you stay in Yongle Palace to treat His Majesty for the time being, and absolutely don't leak the news of His Majesty's illness, otherwise you will kill the nine clans.

The next day the emperor was still unconscious.This morning, Jian Shuo told all the ministers that the Empress Dowager was ill, and the emperor wanted to accompany her around, and she was not going to court recently, so if there was something urgent, I would play it for her.

This afternoon, a vision appeared in the sky, the dog swallowed the sun, and the world fell into darkness.

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(End of this chapter)