Establishing a thousand-year family from the nobles of the Western Han Dynasty

Chapter 156 Return to the capital, coronation ceremony

Therefore, in the future, when the situation on the other side becomes stable, gaps and factions will inevitably appear internally. After all, there is only so much power, and no one will be satisfied with just a small piece of land.

And since expanding territory will cause damage and friction.

The power of Emperor Liu Xiang was not on the same level as that of Wang Mang. At most, he was equivalent to the emperor of Zhou, who could command the princes to fight against foreign enemies and suppress rebels who openly rebelled.

But that's all. For example, it is basically impossible to take away military power and take back territory.

If Liu Xiang didn't realize his own weight and took action against the three powerful figures in the Xu family, he would be deposed soon.

Xu Hua was able to raise him to power with his own strength, but he could also easily push him off the throne!

No one would have any objection. They would still be more willing to obey the orders of the Xu family. The authority of the Liu family had been greatly reduced. Do they expect to convince so many high-ranking officials with heavy troops just by relying on a surname?

how can that be possible.

Therefore, if Xu Hua wanted to support the Liu family to regain power, the first thing he needed to solve was this.

Find a monarch with enough prestige and ability! Otherwise, it would be better to usurp the throne yourself, it doesn't make any difference anyway.

Strictly speaking, it is feasible to wait until a suitable person is found before abdicating the throne. After all, this can ensure that the country is always under control.

"The virtue of the Prime Minister is unprecedented! He is comparable to the two sages, King Xuan and King Sheng. The little thief Liu Xiang can be destroyed in a snap! It's just that he hasn't been able to allocate resources yet, so he has fallen into a slump for a while."

Wang Shun encouraged his brother, and in fact he thought the same thing in his heart.

Wang Mang was very capable. When he was young, he won the favor of two core family figures, Wang Feng and Wang Zhengjun, and received great cultivation. Later, he found another way and infiltrated his power into the Imperial Academy, defeating his rival Chunyu Chang with a huge disadvantage!

As the power of the Xu family was pressing forward step by step, he wisely gave up the post of Grand Marshal, cleverly avoided the bloody storm in the court, and transferred it all to the three families of Ding, Fu and Xu.

He sat on the mountain and watched the fight behind the scenes, manipulating power. After Emperor Ai died, he made a strong comeback! He secured the position of Grand Marshal in one fell swoop, and was appointed Duke of Anhan, Prime Minister, and Grand Prime Minister.

He climbed all the way to the top of the world, opened up a third way besides aristocratic revolution and local rebellion, and peacefully completed the transfer of power.

What does this little setback matter now?

That's good too. It can help solve the problem of the expansion of Xu's local power and shorten the time to unify the country and implement government orders.

Maybe it's a blessing rather than a curse.

"I hope so." Wang Mang borrowed his brother's good words, but he actually had no idea.

But we can’t boost others’ ambitions and destroy our own prestige, right?

"By the way, go down and make some preparations. Five days later, I will officially take over as acting emperor and become the fake emperor!"

Wang Mang did not intend to wait any longer. Once the troops from Liang Province retreated, Liu Xiang would ascend the throne in Wancheng, Nanyang or Yecheng, Jizhou, and establish a new Han Dynasty, with a new era name that would be in direct contrast to Chang'an.

I also want to gain more power! So Xu Hua, the last obstacle, was gone.

The fake emperor is the acting emperor! In fact, there is no difference between him and the real emperor. He is only one step away from becoming the emperor.

"Yes, my subordinate will do it immediately!"

Wang Shun's voice trembled slightly. He had been waiting for this day for a long time! There was already a fake emperor, so how far would the real emperor be?

My eldest brother became the emperor, and I would be the top official of the new dynasty! The Wang family would also replace the Liu family and become the new royal family, prospering for 200 years.

The premise is that it will not perish in the second generation like the Qin Dynasty.

.........

In the winter of the first year of Shengding, the Northwest Army and the Chang'an Central Army were in a stalemate for more than several months, and the two sides launched a fierce and long tug-of-war.

It was very similar to the battle between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu in the past. Wang Mang's army adopted a kite-flying strategy, moving around in a roundabout way, which is guerrilla warfare. Although the Northwest Army was powerful, it was unable to play a role.

The loss of manpower was not that large, but the consumption of food and fodder could be described as huge!

The food stored by Xu Yuan was soon running out. If it weren't for the supplies shipped over from Youzhou, the economy would have collapsed long ago.

"There's news from the Grand Commander's rear that our food and fodder are running low. We'll have to withdraw to the main camp in half a month at most."

Zhang Duan stood cautiously beside his boss. The commander-in-chief had been in a very bad temper these days.

The main reason is that the way Wang Mang’s army was dealt with was too disgusting. They just refused to confront us head-on, but ran around like a loach, and could not be found at all!
After finally finding their whereabouts, Xu Yuan excitedly led the Xiliang cavalry to charge over, but as soon as they arrived, the place was deserted again. After all, they paid for food and fodder, and their morale was worn down, but they didn't even see anyone.

This made the soldiers who were full of enthusiasm and eager to achieve success quite disappointed. Their morale became lower and lower, and they even began to feel war-weary.

This is how war is. At the beginning you are strong and energetic, then you become weaker and weaker, and then you are exhausted. Anyone would get impatient if they keep hitting a wall.

What's more, everyone had just been promoted and received their salaries, and was waiting to go back to buy land, take care of their parents, and get married. They originally wanted to continue to make military achievements to get more rewards.

But now it seems unnecessary.

"So, let them bring all the food from the warehouse, leaving only what is needed for daily use, and let the brothers eat as much as they want when the time comes."

This time, Xu Yuan was rarely angry. He thought for a moment and spoke in a very gentle tone.

It seems that he has let it go.

"Ah?" Zhang Duan was not quite sure of the Grand Commander's intention, so he clasped his fists and said, "Grand Commander, you...are you really angry? If you eat all the food, how are we going to fight the rest of the battle? This can't be your last meal before execution, can it?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? Be careful or I'll beat you with a stick!" Xu Yuan frowned and scolded.

Then he explained leisurely: "Now that several counties in Yuzhou and Yanzhou have been captured, the two areas are connected in a line, and other counties in the Central Plains are also within easy reach. Our mission to delay the enemy has been accomplished."

"If there is hope that we can take advantage of the situation and attack Chang'an in one fell swoop, I don't mind taking a gamble, but the current situation is clear, and the enemy has already had some time to breathe."

Some time ago, Wang Mang became the fake emperor of Jin. He called himself Yu and ordered others to be called She. He was no different from the emperor, except that he did not usurp the throne.

Later, he began to recruit soldiers on a large scale in Guanzhong, and food and fodder from Bashu were gradually transported to the granaries in Chang'an.

Today, the imperial court has an army of 540,000, half of whom are veteran soldiers of the imperial guards. With their leadership, the new recruits will be able to quickly form combat effectiveness. In addition, the Northwestern Army is not yet familiar with the Central Plains' combat methods, so it was soon held back.

Is there any need to fight?

Although Xu Yuan rebelled rashly, he was not a reckless man. On the contrary, he was very calm and never fought a battle without absolute confidence.

He dared to rebel because he had the confidence that he would not lose.

This is indeed the case. The new court has been established. When he returns home, Crown Prince Liu Xiang will proclaim himself emperor in Wancheng, with Yecheng as the northern capital and the core hub of Hebei.

In this way, they can compete with Wang Mang in Chang'an in terms of both hard power and legal system. There is no reason to continue causing unnecessary casualties here.

There is still a long time to come. Wang Mang can mobilize 500,000 people, but we can’t do the same on our side?

Jingzhou has 50,000 elite armored soldiers and 20,000 naval forces, Yangzhou also has 30,000 armored soldiers and 10,000 naval forces. The military force of Grand Marshal Xu Min has expanded to 120,000, including his own Youzhou soldiers, Jizhou County soldiers and temporarily recruited soldiers.

It quickly became the second largest corps within Shengdinghan.

Speaking of which, the most powerful person nowadays is not Xu Hua, nor Xu Zhong or Xu Min, but him, Xu Yuan!
One hundred thousand Northwest Army, the best in the world, and nearly fifty thousand county soldiers that can be deployed at any time, a total of one hundred and fifty thousand people! And they are all elite, with seventy thousand on the front line, they can chase away the thirty-two thousand people that Wang Mang has deployed before and after!
Being stopped here doesn't mean that you can't beat them, it's just that you can't catch them.

Moreover, Xu Yuan’s army was different from others. He had absolute leadership, and ordinary generals did not have any so-called subordinates.

If they were to fight head-on, the Northwest Army would be able to cripple them in one encounter! The cavalry's dominance on the battlefield was too strong.

The 20,000 Xiliang Iron Cavalry are the largest and most elite cavalry of the Han Dynasty. Most of them are natives of Liangzhou. They ride cows when they are young and ride horses when they are strong. They are skilled in archery and horse riding and are natural warriors!

"You mean... to withdraw our troops?" Zhang Duan asked in a low voice, feeling quite frightened.

Because before that, the Grand Commander did not allow the word retreat to be mentioned at all. He looked like he was determined to fight the other side to the end and would not leave no matter what. He planned to capture Chang'an as a gift to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

"That's right. If we don't retreat now, when will we retreat? I've also figured it out. The lives of our brothers are also lives. I can't use you as cannon fodder."

Speaking of this, Xu Yuan felt like his heart was bleeding. He was the one who formed the Xiliang Army himself. Originally, the army had only 30,000 men, but it was gradually increased to 100,000 in order to deal with the rebellion.

All of the 30,000 backbone members were carefully selected, and one less would be better.

The total number of casualties reached over 3,000, of which 1,361 were key personnel! These were all our dearest ones, and they were gone just like that.

He doesn't know how to make up for it in the future.

"Yes, I'll arrange it right away." Zhang Duan was delighted and responded quickly.

Originally, he was determined not to return until Chang'an was conquered, but as time went by, he had fought enough of this war and it was too boring to be played around by others.

Anyway, I was promoted, so it’s not like I gained nothing.

.........

Nanyang, Wancheng.

Crown Prince Liu Xiang's carriage slowly drove into the newly completed imperial palace under the escort of countless "new" imperial guards.

Although it is far less magnificent than Chang'an and Luoyang, it is still usable.

Liu Xiang had arrived in Wancheng a month ago. During this period, he had been touring various places to publicize the authority of the Han Dynasty to the people of the world. This was also the reason why he had been staying in Hebei for so long.

The new crown prince has been appointed, it is impossible for the common people not to know about it, right? So it is still necessary.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince is here to see you." Prime Minister Xu Hua had been waiting in the palace for a long time. He was the actual controller of the Shengding regime and could depose and enthrone the emperor without any problem.

"Xu Zai, please stop being so polite. You are the future of our Han Dynasty. I haven't even ascended the throne yet, so I can't take on this responsibility." Liu Xiang trotted over to help him up, regardless of his image.

He had great respect for Xu Hua, Xu Zhong and others. As long as he could win over these powerful ministers, his throne would be as stable as a rock.

Otherwise, it will be shaky.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Xu Hua didn't continue to be polite and stood up straight.

Next to him was General Xu Zhong.

As for Grand Marshal Xu Min, he was far away in Yecheng, commanding the military affairs of Hebei. The war against Yanzhou and Xuzhou had not yet ended, and there were still many resistance fighters who were loyal to the Chang'an court.

Now they are struggling to hold on, waiting for Wang Mang to free up his hands and send troops to help.

The war in the Central Plains was even more intense than that in Guanzhong. After all, the war there was gradually coming to an end, and both sides were deliberately conserving their strength.

Run if you can.

"Do you two have anything important to discuss with me?" Liu Xiang asked with a smile. He could actually sense it vaguely.

What could alarm the prime minister and the general? Ascending the throne! I am only the regent as the crown prince, and the country cannot be without a monarch.

"I naturally have something important to discuss with Your Highness." Xu Hua said in a deep voice.

Prime Minister Xu was also aware of the long-standing problems on his side. The powerful figures within the army were too independent, and most of the generals had their own troops, which were quite large in number.

His cronies were also spread throughout the army, gradually turning it into a private army.

This is nothing. The army's food and weapons require a lot of money. A mere military general cannot make a difference.

The problem was that the local governors had too much power! In order to win over these frontier officials, Xu Zhong, Xu Min and others abolished the rules of transfer.

Many prefects often serve in one place. With strong autonomy, they now have terrifying power. They have troops, food, and more troops!

During his previous inspection tours, Xu Hua discovered that the problem of underreporting soldiers and taxes was quite serious, and there was a tendency towards local separatism, and it was even said that it was only a matter of time.

Of course, among this group of warlords, the Xu family is still the largest warlord. After the expansion, Xu Zhong's direct troops have at least 80,000 troops, and Xu Min is the leader of the 100,000 Hebei Corps with 20,000 Youzhou soldiers as the core.

In fact, Xu Yuan's intelligence was not very accurate. He did not know about the court's large-scale conscription. In fact, the two sides together had at least 300,000 people. Adding the 150,000 people in Liangzhou, there were definitely 500,000 troops.

Roughly equivalent to Wang Mang.

"I am all ears. Please tell me what you have to say, Prime Minister Xu." Liu Xiang's tone was still gentle.

"Sima Xu has ordered the entire army to return to the court. I believe that it is time for Your Highness to ascend the throne and formally take over the country of the Han Dynasty!"

"The country cannot be without a ruler for a day. Having the crown prince as regent is not a solution after all. I beg Your Highness not to shirk this responsibility. Only in this way can we better restore the Han Dynasty."

Xu Hua said in a respectful tone that his solution to local separatism was to strengthen central authority and control.

And the crown prince ascending the throne is obviously a good choice.

Of course, the best way in Xu Hua's mind is to let a Liu clan vassal annex all the opposing forces again, just like Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang. Only in this way will people in the world recognize the Liu surname again!

Otherwise this is totally not a solution.

Although there is already an open court, wars of annexation are still possible, and the two can even foresee future situations.

It was just like the chaos during the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period, and the end of the Qin Dynasty! It was also an opportunity for a new life.

(End of this chapter)