The Later Three Kingdoms: Slaying Deng Ai, and Reviving the Han Dynasty

Chapter 140 The Army Marches Towards Chengdu (Fifth Update, Requesting Monthly Tickets and Full Subscription)

Mi Zhao and Li Qiu immediately stood up, bowed to the crowd, and said, "We are of one mind with the King of the North and are determined to eliminate Huang Hao."

Qiao Zhou.

Of course, it wasn't that simple. Liu Chen had over a hundred elite soldiers, and their personal guards were positioned around the main tent.

If Zhuge Zhan disagrees, then tie him up.

After listening to Liu Chen's speech, everyone, including Zhuge Zhan, was stunned.

The fact that the King of the North had been given the seal of a general and appointed as a military supervisor was already considered absurd by everyone.

But there was no time to worry about that, because the country was on the verge of collapse.

Now they understood. This was Liu Chen's scheme.

At the same time, they all understood Liu Chen's true nature. Stripped of his infamy, he was a man who cared about politics, was brave and ambitious, and possessed the ability to execute plans—a skill that required considerable shrewdness.

Similarly, they understood why He Sui had died. It wasn't that they coveted He Sui's beautiful wife; they had clearly plotted to kill him.

As for whether or not Qiao Zhou wanted to kill Huang Hao?

Of course I do.

Huang Hao, needless to say, was a petty and tyrannical ruler who monopolized the government. If it weren't for him, the Han Dynasty wouldn't be where it is today.

As for Qiao Zhou.

Of course, many people supported Qiao Zhou, but not those present at the time. They were the last loyal subjects of the Han Dynasty, willing to risk their lives to fight Deng Ai in times of crisis.

Notable figures include Zhang Zun, Zhao Guang, Huang Chong, Zhuge Zhan and his son, and Li Qiu.

They were willing to embark on a path of no return for the sake of their country. But tragically, it was precisely because they were loyal ministers, including Jiang Wei, that they were condemned.

None of them could stand up and speak out like Liu Chen.

The army marched towards Chengdu and beheaded Huang Hao.

How could a loyal minister attack the palace? Drag Huang Hao away from the emperor and kill him like a chicken?

Loyal ministers can only offer advice, they can only... Therefore, Jiang Wei and Zhuge Zhan were unable to attack the palace and kill Huang Hao.

But Liu Chen is different.

Liu Chen was the Prince of Beidi, and the blood of Emperor Zhaolie flowed in his veins. It was permissible for him to stand up and commit treasonous acts.

Moreover, judging from Liu Chen's performance, putting him on the throne would make him ten times better than the old emperor.

Just as Liu Chen said, even if they led their troops to kill Deng Ai, as long as Huang Hao was around, the country would not be any better.

There are many kinds of loyal ministers.

For example, loyalty to the emperor, or loyalty to the ancestral temple and the state.

Everyone present was a loyal subject of the emperor; after all, even with the emperor's reckless behavior, they were still willing to risk their lives for him.

But those present were more loyal to the ancestral temple and the state, as reflected in Zhuge Liang's "Memorial on the Expedition".

This is to express our gratitude to Your Majesty for the special treatment you received from the late Emperor.

Zhang Zun, grandson of Zhang Fei.

Li Qiu, nephew of Li Hui.

Zhuge Liang's son, Zhuge Zhan, and his grandson, Zhuge Shang.

Zhao Guang, son of Zhao Yun.

Mi Zhao, grandson of Mi Zhu.

Huang Quan's son, Huang Chong.

They are all descendants of meritorious officials.

Besides them, there is Jiang Wei, and the generals who are now fighting alongside Jiang Wei in Hanzhong.

Lai Min's son, Lai Zhong.

Jiang Wan's son, Jiang Bin.

Fu Tong's son, Fu.

The blood of the meritorious officials and generals of the Third Han Dynasty flowed in their veins.

The romance of our ancestors resides in their hearts.

Zhaolie's ideals were ingrained in their very bones.

Liu Chen stepped forward... Let's do it then.

Huang Hao was killed, and Qiao Zhou was beheaded.

"I don't understand politics, I only know how to fight. But if the King of the North asks me to kill Huang Hao, even if my entire family is slaughtered, I'm willing." Zhao Guangxian spoke first, his white hair striking, his voice resolute.

"I've wanted to kill Huang Hao for a long time, but I lacked the ability. Today, the King of the North has stepped forward. I will serve as his attendant." Zhang Zun took a deep breath and bowed to Liu Chen.

The descendants of the great heroes and famous generals all stepped forward. The other generals looked at each other, and finally bowed to Liu Chen together, saying, "We are willing to follow Your Majesty."

At this moment, there is no conspiracy.

There was no trickery involved.

It has nothing to do with fame or fortune.

The generals only wanted to kill Huang Hao and Qiao Zhou and restore the Han Dynasty.

Seeing this, Mi Zhao and Li Qiu breathed a sigh of relief, loosened their grip on their swords slightly, and were finally able to let out the sweat they had been holding back.

This is a power grab, and they're nervous.

Huang Chong's face lit up with joy, and he nodded repeatedly while stroking his beard.

It became.

The big man is saved.

Liu Chen remained remarkably calm, merely nodding slightly to the assembled generals. He then turned to look at Zhuge Zhan, his brow furrowing slightly.

Zhuge Zhan did not express his opinion immediately.

He was the only one who remained silent.

All eyes turned to Zhuge Zhan.

If he doesn't agree, then we'll have to tie him up. But that's not good; he's Zhuge Liang's son, and my nephew's father. Liu Chen's heart sank.

Zhuge Zhan gave a wry smile and said, "I am willing to comply."

Although Liu Chen had taken the lead, he didn't want to do it. After all, it would be putting the emperor and his father in a difficult position, which would embarrass Liu Shan. He originally wanted to say, "I didn't hear you, you go and do it." But after thinking about it carefully, he felt it was inappropriate.

Everyone present was a loyal subject; they were all willing to do it.

If he says, "I didn't hear you, you guys go and do it," wouldn't that make him seem hypocritical and irresponsible?

"Alright." Liu Chen smiled and nodded emphatically. He said to the crowd, "Rest assured, everyone, I will not let you down."

After saying that, he nodded to Huang Chong.

He has the situation under control, but there's always a chance something might happen.

Zhuge Zhan's 30,000 troops were insufficient. His only capable men were his own. His plan was to have Chang Heng lead several thousand Northern King soldiers to Chengdu overnight to take over the city. Chang Heng was a military general, and his adaptability might be lacking; to be on the safe side, Huang Chong was to accompany him.

He would stay there and lead Zhuge Zhan and the others back to Chengdu at dawn.

In this way, the secret will not be leaked.

Moreover, judging from the performance of Zhuge Zhan's army, traveling under the cover of night was very risky, and perhaps half of them would scatter along the way.

Huang Chong nodded to Liu Chen, then turned and walked out of the tent. Zhuge Shang, who was outside the tent, heard everything and was in a daze.

Huang Chong nodded to Zhuge Shang, then mounted his horse and left with his men.

"General Zhuge," Liu Chen greeted Zhuge Zhan with a bow.

Zhuge Zhan reacted a beat too slowly before standing up and walking to the left to kneel down.

Liu Chen nodded and sat down on the small stool in the main seat.

After the priorities were decided, Liu Chen looked at his generals and said, "Originally, we should have rushed to fight Deng Ai, but now it's too late."

The generals felt a chill; Deng Ai was about to march straight into Luocheng.

Even Chengdu.

Liu Chen took in the expressions of the generals and said with a smile, "But Deng Ai is actually easy to deal with."

He bent down and pounded the ground with his right hand, saying, "This is our land, our country. The people here revere Emperor Zhaolie and the Prime Minister."

"As long as the people trust me and the country, even if Deng Ai is alone deep in enemy territory, he will not have any opportunity to take advantage of the situation, but rather everyone will be his enemy."

Liu Chen then said, "The heads of Huang Hao and Qiao Zhou are tokens to gain the people's trust. In short, I am responsible for restoring order."

.

"All you need to do is fight Deng Ai."

"Tomorrow morning, General Zhao will lead half the troops to Luocheng to prepare for battle. They must not engage in combat. Luocheng is a formidable city; Emperor Zhaolie besieged it for a year without success. General Zhao is a veteran general, well-versed in military affairs. We can be assured of our safety."

"Furthermore, I am aware that most of the granaries and equipment in Chengdu have been eaten by termites. I have transported a great deal of supplies and grain from various Wangzhuang villages. This can feed the army for more than two or three years."

"As long as we hold Luocheng and Chengdu, Shu County and the southern counties can focus on production. With Bazhong and Nanzhong also in operation, our military supplies and soldiers will be plentiful. Even if Deng Ai captures Fucheng and Mianzhu, his food supplies will run out."

"As for Hanzhong, leave it to the General. As for the General's supply of provisions, Yang'an Pass has a large grain reserve, and I have also sent a large amount of grain and supplies to Yang'an Pass in advance. It can last for a long time. Even if it can't, we can transfer grain from Bazhong through the Micang Road, crossing the Daba Mountains to the Jinniu Road, and send the grain there little by little."

At this point, Liu Chen's eyes gleamed with sharpness and determination as he said, "This country is not dead; it will bury Deng Ai."

The Micang Road is the route from Bazhong across the Daba Mountains to Hanzhong. Zhang He once used this route to raid Bazhong, but was defeated by Zhang Fei and fled, abandoning his horse.

There are small paths connecting some sections of the Micang Road and the Jinniu Road. As long as there are roads, troops, supplies and provisions can be transported. Even though Deng Ai is in the north now, Jiang Wei is not alone.

And Liu Chen is right.

This is our country. This is our people.

As long as the emperor holds on.

With this, the supply of troops, money, and provisions would be continuous. Moreover, according to the emperor's orders, the troops of Huo Yi in the south and Yan Yu in Yong'an were already on their way.

As long as we don't break down, as long as we don't break down.

The generals took a deep breath, their blood boiling. Liu Chen's words carried more weight than Zhuge Zhan's, like thunderclaps, deafeningly powerful.

They gained more confidence than ever before.

"Yes!" The generals bowed in unison and answered loudly.

done.

Liu Chen smiled and nodded slightly. The matter was settled, and he then let Zhuge Shang in.

They then had wine and food brought out, and everyone enjoyed a hearty meal together.

He believed in the sincerity of his generals, but just in case, he decided to detain them here for another hour or two.

They let Chang Heng and his men take over Chengdu first.

There were more than twenty people present. If even one of them left and sent someone to inform Liu Shan, it would be troublesome.

Chang Hengjun.

Chang Heng had eight hundred soldiers under his command, all of whom were former river pirates and were elite soldiers who had seen bloodshed.

In addition, Liu Chen had gathered seven or eight thousand soldiers from all directions.

The total number is approximately eight thousand.

Chang Heng, clad in heavy armor and seated astride a fine horse, constantly urged his soldiers to hurry along the main road.

If you run fast, you can reach the destination in two hours.

Huang Chong rode his fine horse alongside Chang Heng. His old bones were almost falling apart, but a fire in his heart sustained him.

He wasn't tired at all; in fact, he was quite happy.

The eight thousand soldiers ran relatively fast, and it took them two and a half hours to see the city of Chengdu in the darkness.

Huang Chong reined in his horse and looked up at Chang Heng, saying, "General, divide into four groups, circle around to the four sides of the city wall, agree on a time to climb the wall together. Once on the wall, quickly take control of it to prevent Huang Hao and Qiao Zhou from escaping."

"There are almost no soldiers in the city now; it will crumble with a single blow. Try not to kill anyone. Once we have control of the city gates, you and I will head straight for the palace. Then I will handle the rest."

Chengdu cannot afford to engage in fierce fighting.

The imperial palace was even worse; the emperor had to maintain his dignity.

This way, the negative impact of a coup can be minimized.

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