Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 218 Everyone in the court, young and old, relies on me!
May, Chang'an.

In the Si Tu Mansion, Wang Jing stood in the hall with his hands behind his back, Wang Yun sat high on the couch, and the ministers sat on his left and right.

"Reporting to the Prime Minister, Jing has fulfilled his mission and has now returned from his diplomatic mission to Bingzhou!" Wang Jing said with a serious expression and bowed.

Wang Yun stroked his beard and smiled, and asked, "What do you have to say in reply?"

Wang Jing presented the letter and said, "Upon hearing that Dong Zhuo had been executed, the Right General was overjoyed and said that the Jin Dynasty had 50,000 soldiers ready to receive the Prime Minister's order. Now the Right General is preparing his troops and horses, and will soon be able to march south to attack Niu Fu."

While Wang Yun was reading the letter, Wang Jing said, "Prince Minister, the Right General said that although Dong Zhuo is dead, his remnants are still there, with tens of thousands of troops stationed in the capital. If we do not recruit them properly, there may be unexpected changes. Therefore, the Right General thinks that Prince Minister may send General Huangfu out of the capital to recruit the remaining Dong Zhuo's troops."

"Or we can send people to block the ancient road of Yaohan, wait for the right general to defeat Niu Fu, and persuade the emperor and the prime minister to surrender the remnants of Dong Zhuo."

Wang Yun glanced at Wang Jing, then lowered his head to read the letter.

Seeing that Wang Yun had no reaction, Shisun Rui said worriedly, "My lord, the strongest army in the world is the soldiers of Bing, You, and Liang, as well as the eight tribes of Xiongnu, Wuhuan, Tuge, Huangzhong Yicong, and Xiqiang. If Dong Zhuo has five of them, no one in the world can stop him!"

"Now that the remnants of the Five Armies have rebelled, the capital is in danger. Therefore, in my opinion, it would be better for you to follow the advice of the Right General, pardon the soldiers under Dong Zhuo, and then send General Huangfu out of the capital to pacify him, and then slowly make plans with Guandong to see what happens."

Hearing this, Wang Yun showed a slight displeasure, but he quickly concealed it, holding up Zhang Yu's letter, and smilingly said to the ministers in the hall, "Ji'an has 50,000 soldiers, and the remnants of Guanxi are nothing to worry about. If we send Huangfu Yizhen to pacify them now, it may make the Guandong heroes suspicious, so we can't do it for now."

"The plan you proposed is very much to my liking. We will first take Hongnong, occupy the Shaanxi Road to protect Guanzhong, and then slowly wipe out the remnants of Dong Zhuo."

Shisun Rui sighed and decided not to continue persuading. Wang Yun had changed too much before and after the execution of Dong. He was now arbitrary and would hardly listen to other people's advice. When he returned home today, he had to let his son Shisun Meng pack his bags and flee south to Jingzhou to Yuan Shu, or north to Bingzhou to avoid the upcoming war.

In fact, it is not difficult to understand why Wang Yun had such a big change. When the nobles attached themselves to Dong Zhuo and the Han Dynasty was declining, he was the only one who turned the tide, killed Dong Zhuo and saved the Han Dynasty. Therefore, in Wang Yun's view, most of the nobles of the Han Dynasty were incompetent, and he was the only one who could not keep the world at peace.

With this in mind, Wang Yun became more and more arbitrary in his decisions. The reason why he was reluctant to pardon the Liang Province rebels was not only because he did not think that the remnants of Dong Zhuo would rebel, but also because he was worried that Huangfu Song would go east to pacify the remnants of the rebels and become the second Dong Zhuo, thus endangering the country again.

Of course, in today's world, because Zhang Yu controls Bingzhou, Wang Yun has more confidence in not pardoning the rebels in Liangzhou.

Seeing Wang Yun's stiff tone, Wang Jing hesitated for a moment and said, "Report to the Minister of Justice, in addition to the remnants of Dong Zhuo, the Right General heard that Lord Cai was imprisoned for his crimes. The Right General thought that Lord Cai had done him a favor, so he begged you to pardon Lord Cai's corporal punishment and sentence him to exile to Bingzhou instead."

"Cai Bojie?"

Wang Yun frowned slightly, looking thoughtful.

Although many people had advised him not to kill Cai Yong before, it was difficult for the court officials to change Wang Yun's mind because of their weak voice. But Zhang Yu's situation was different. As a vassal entrenched in a state, he was Wang Yun's reliance on military force in the future, and what he said was worth Wang Yun's consideration.

Seeing Wang Yun's hesitation, the Grand Commandant Ma Riti took the opportunity to persuade him, "Prime Minister, Cai Bojie is a rare talent who knows a lot about Han affairs. He intends to compile a history book for the future. If you execute him now, it may damage your reputation. It is better to pardon Cai Bojie's crime."

Wang Yun looked unhappy and said, "In the past, Emperor Shizong did not kill Sima Qian, so he wrote a slanderous book and it was passed down to future generations. Now the country is in decline and the sacred artifacts are not solid. If we allow a flatterer to write history, it will not only be of no benefit to the court, but will also bring criticism to you and me."

The "Records of the Grand Historian" was highly praised by later generations, but during the Han Dynasty, many people were dissatisfied with Sima Qian's inclusion of too many personal feelings in it, such as devaluing Liu and praising Xiang. Therefore, during the Han Dynasty, Sima Qian and his "Records of the Grand Historian" received mixed reviews.

Shi Sun Rui thought for a moment and said, "Cai Bojie is well-known in Guandong, and his sons and daughters are scattered throughout the counties and states. If you kill him, I'm afraid it will make the people of Guandong suspicious. So it's better to follow the right general's advice and spare him corporal punishment, but sentence him to exile a thousand miles away instead."

Wang Yun thought for a long time and said, "Although Cai Bojie is a treacherous man, judging from his actions, he still has the heart of being loyal to the Han Dynasty. Now, we can do as you have said and spare him corporal punishment, but exile him to the north instead."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Seeing that Wang Yun finally gave in, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to Wang Yun in praise.

After chatting for a few more words, Wang Jing was able to talk to Wang Yun after all the ministers left Situ's Mansion.

"The remnants of Dong Zhuo are stranded in Guandong. I wonder why father does not accept the advice of you gentlemen?" Wang Jing asked.

Wang Yun looked serious and said in a deep voice: "If you have the ability to support the Han Dynasty, how can you allow Dong Zhuo to cause chaos in the court? The court is young and relies on me to govern. If your opinions are reasonable, we will accept them, and if they are unreasonable, we will ignore them."

"You boy don't know the difference between right and wrong, how dare you discuss state affairs!" Wang Yun scolded.

"Thank you for your advice, father!" Wang Jing retreated angrily.

After being released from prison, Cai Yong went to Wang Yun's mansion to express his gratitude, and then took his wife and daughter to Bingzhou. Shi Sunrui saw that Wang Yun was not managing the government properly, so he doubted that the capital was not suitable for living, so he asked his son Shi Sunmeng to leave the capital with his family and go to Bingzhou to serve Zhang Yu.

At a time when Wang Yun thought that Dong Zhuo was dead and the generals would no longer rebel, the generals from Liang Province who were stranded in Guandong had failed to submit their petitions for amnesty and were now like frightened birds.

Gucheng, Guanxi Army Camp. Inside the tent, Li Jue stood with his hands behind his back, his expression full of anxiety, but his eyes revealed a ruthless look.

"Wang Yun said that the amnesty period for this year has passed and no more amnesty can be granted. What should our army do?" Li Jue looked at the officers in the tent and said worriedly.

"It would be better to wait for a few months, and then ask Wang Yun for pardon after the New Year!" Zhang Ji said in panic.

"madness!"

Guo Si was irritated and cursed: "Wang Yun was able to pardon Hu Zhen and Xu Rong. If he wanted to pardon you and me now, why would he use words to evade the question? From what I have seen from Wang Yun's actions, he must be intending to punish you and me."

Guo Si looked at Li Jue and said, "Zhang Yu of Bingzhou is Wang Yun's son-in-law. He now has tens of thousands of strong soldiers. I think Wang Yun wants Zhang Yu to lead the troops to defeat Niu Fu, and then lead the troops to kill you and me. Now there is Zhu Jun in the east, Sun Jian in the south, and Zhang Yu in the north. You and I have no way to survive, so it is better to abandon the army and return home to live a peaceful life in the countryside."

Li Jue's face was uncertain, so he looked at Li Ru and Jia Xu and asked, "You two are both talented and resourceful. Do you have any strategies to teach me?"

Li Ru was Dong Zhuo's confidant. Because he followed the military protector generals Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Ji and others, he escaped the disaster in Chang'an.

Li Ru thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Dong has treated you well. Why don't you lead your troops westward to avenge him? If you stay in Guandong, you may be attacked by the Guandong coalition forces of Zhu Jun, Sun Jian and others."

"It may be difficult to succeed!" Zhang Ji said worriedly.

"Does Wenhe have any good ideas?" Li Jue asked.

Jia Xu, who was sitting in the corner of the tent, raised his head slightly, his thin face showing a cunning look, looking at the frightened generals, and said: "You have killed all the Bingzhou soldiers in the army, and have made enemies with Lu Bu, Li Su and others. Now the court will not pardon you, and it really intends to kill all the people in Liangzhou."

"So if you abandon your troops and flee, a mere village headman will be able to kill you. Now why not gather Mr. Dong's scattered troops under the pretext of avenging him, and lead them westward to attack Chang'an. If you succeed, you can serve the emperor and rectify the world; if you fail, you can lead your troops westward to Liangzhou, occupy the counties, and still prolong your life."

"color!"

Li Jue took the lead and said loudly: "Our troops in Guanxi are strong and brave, while the cities in Guanzhong are empty. If we send troops to the west for a surprise attack, we will surely be able to quickly capture Chang'an. At this time, we can occupy Zhang Yu by crossing the Dahe River and drive back Zhu Jun by relying on the Hangu Pass. Then our great cause will be accomplished!"

Li Jue had communicated with Jia Xu long ago. He intended to lead his troops to counterattack Chang'an, but was afraid that others would not agree. Now he had no choice but to summon all the generals and let Jia Xu speak for him.

With Jia Xu's words, Li Ru pondered for a moment and said, "I heard from Chang'an that after Wang Yun killed Dong Gong, he did not accept Lu Bu's words of rewarding officers, and the officers in Guanzhong would not work for Wang Yun. And seeing that Dong Gong's reward was generous, he could win the hearts of the soldiers. If you can lead your troops to the west, secretly contact the officers in Chang'an, and do things both inside and outside, you will definitely be able to kill the king and hold the emperor hostage!"

Although Lü Bu was fickle, he knew how to use military force to govern his subordinates. Why did he suggest to Wang Yun that Dong Zhuo's property be rewarded to his subordinates? It was simply to win their hearts. Wang Yun's refusal to reward them undoubtedly gave Li Jue, Guo Si and others an opportunity.

Li Jue looked at the generals with burning eyes and asked, "What do you think?"

Guo Si gritted his teeth and said, "In this case, I am willing to lead my troops to raise an army."

Zhang Ji asked doubtfully, "Zhang Yu controls Bingzhou. If I take Chang'an in the west, I'm afraid he will lead his troops south."

"Dong Gong's son-in-law Niu Fu is stationed in Anyi, with more than 10,000 soldiers under his command. Now you can write to him, saying that we support him as the leader, and ask him to lead the troops to capture Zhang Yu." Li Ru said: "Once Chang'an is captured, Guanzhong will be captured by us, and Zhang Yu will be helpless!"

"it is good!"

Zhang Ji clapped his legs and stood up, saying, "I am willing to lead my troops and join forces with you to capture Chang'an."

"Wang Yun pardoned the soldiers but not the generals. I'm afraid that the soldiers and officials cannot be united?" Fan Chou asked.

"This is not difficult!"

Jia Xu stroked his beard and hummed softly. He said, "I have told the military officers that Wang Yun wants to wipe out the troops in Liang Province and kill all the remaining followers of Lord Dong. Now, in order to survive, we have no choice but to take Chang'an back, kill Wang Yun, and support the emperor."

Fan Chou's doubts were gone, and he responded readily: "Let's follow Wen He's advice!"

With Jia Xu's explanation, Li Jue was temporarily supported by the generals as the commander-in-chief, and he led his army westward that day. However, the soldiers and officers were misled by the rumors spread by the generals, and they were excited and vowed to kill Wang Yun.

At the same time, in order to seize the ancient Xiaohan Road, Lu Bu sent Li Su to attack Dong Yue. Unfortunately, Li Su was defeated by Dong Yue, lost the important town of Tongguan and fled back to Chang'an. Lu Bu killed him in anger.

Upon hearing that the Guanxi troops were about to rebel, Wang Yun sent Xu Rong to lead his troops to station in Xinfeng, and asked the Liangzhou generals Hu Zhen and Yang Zheng to persuade the Guanxi troops to surrender. He also sent a letter to Zhang Yu, requesting Bingzhou troops to come south to aid Chang'an.

(End of this chapter)