Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 349: Killing Yuan in secret and adding fuel to the flames

Late at night, Liu Bei's mansion.

The candlelight flickered, figures walked back and forth, and sighs were heard from time to time.

"Now in the hunting ground, the thief Yuan is deceiving the emperor and is suspected of usurping the throne. If he is not killed soon, he will surely cause chaos and bring disaster to the Han Dynasty." Guan Yu paced back and forth with his sword in hand, saying angrily.

Liu Bei stopped Guan Yu from making a loud noise and said, "Since Yuan Shu came to the palace alone to be punished by Your Majesty, he has been escorted by soldiers in black armor when he goes in and out. I have been thinking about getting rid of Yuan Shu day and night, but it is difficult to find a good opportunity. If there is a good opportunity to get rid of the thief, I will kill him early and get rid of the harm to the country."

"Now in the hunting ground, I am only ten steps away from Yuan Shu, and one arrow can surely kill Yuan Shu. However, the emperor is only a few steps away from Yuan Shu, and those around him are Yuan Shu's confidants. At that time, due to the emperor's safety, I could only hold my anger and not take action."

Guan Yu angrily pounded the wall and said, "Yuan is a wicked villain who has been eyeing the throne for a long time. I have been patient for nearly a year, and I don't know when I can kill him!"

Liu Bei shook his head slightly and warned, "Don't keep this in your mouth. You should do it in secret. Wandu is like a cage to you and me. If we are not careful, we will not accomplish our great mission but will suffer great disaster."

"Hey!"

Zhang Fei shook his head and sighed. The days of enduring life in Wancheng were really suffocating.

"Knock knock!"

When the three brothers were complaining, a sound suddenly came from outside the house, making them nervous.

"who?"

"Mr. Dong has entered the palace in disguise and now requests to see the envoy," Jian Yong said.

"Please quickly!"

Liu Bei hurriedly opened the door and welcomed Jian Yong and Dong Cheng into the house.

"Xuande!"

When Liu Bei saw Dong Cheng coming, he asked, "Uncle, why are you here so late at night?"

Dong Cheng glanced at the people in the room and saw that no one was an outsider, so he said bluntly: "There is hunting in the hunting grounds today. The thief Yuan is deceiving the emperor and deceiving the superiors. He boasts of his great contributions to the Han Dynasty and has the idea of changing the country. Since Xuande has seen what the thief Yuan has done, why don't you help Your Majesty to get out of this predicament?"

Dong Cheng sighed and said, "When your majesty returned to the palace, he cried in the attic. Fortunately, the queen sent someone to tell me the details. Now I know how bold the thief Yuan was!"

Liu Bei waved to Guan and Zhang to leave, and said, "Yide, Yunchang, guard the door, don't let outsiders get close!"

"promise!"

After Guan Yu and Zhang Fei left the room, Liu Bei sighed and said, "Yuan Shu shot a deer with his imperial bow and was called the Son of Heaven. He already had the intention of rebelling. I saw Yuan Shu bullying the Emperor today, how could I not be angry!"

"But anger cannot change the situation. Yuan Shu is holding the emperor hostage, how dare I conflict with him? It is a small matter to anger Yuan Shu, but it will be my fault if I put Your Majesty in danger!"

As he spoke, Liu Bei offered Dong Cheng tea and said, "The emperor is being bullied. If you and I want to help the Han Dynasty, we must be patient. When Yuan Shu becomes lazy, you and I may have a chance to revive the Han Dynasty."

Dong Cheng looked at Liu Bei for a long time and said, "Xuan De's forbearance is the key to success, but now Yuan Shu has the intention to replace the Han Dynasty. A few days ago, Yuan Shu held a banquet for civil and military officials. When he was drunk, he asked everyone, "The Han Dynasty is declining, and the Yuan family has assisted in the government for generations... and his territory is vast, can he replace Shuntian people? "Except Zhang Fan's rebuttal, the others did not dare to answer."

"If you and I keep silent, won't it make the thief Yuan proud and encourage him to usurp the throne!"

Hearing this, Liu Bei was slightly surprised and asked, "What do you mean by that? Do you want to start a rebellion to kill Yuan?"

"Of course!"

Dong Cheng nodded and said, "Although Yuan Shu's territory is vast, his foundation is weak. If Xuande and I can kill Yuan Shu, support the emperor, and pardon the generals, we will be able to restore the Han Dynasty. If we tolerate everything now and wait for Yuan Shu to decide to usurp the throne, how can we talk about restoring the Han Dynasty!"

Liu Bei looked worried and said, "Mr. Dong, Yuan Shu is on guard against my troops. I can only use a few hundred soldiers now, and if you count your followers and servants, I am afraid there are only a few thousand. Yuan Shu left in Wancheng with no less than 10,000 soldiers. How can we start a rebellion with such a huge disparity in numbers?"

Dong Cheng said: "If the uprising is successful, and we have Yuan Shu's troops, then Xuande won't have to worry about a shortage of troops."

Liu Bei shook his head and said, "If we want to get Yuan Shu's troops, we have to kill Yuan Shu. So the key now is how to kill Yuan Shu!"

Dong Cheng hesitated for a moment and said, "Lieutenant General Wang Zifu has 300 soldiers and horses. If we add the soldiers under Xuande's command, it should not be difficult to kill Yuan thief!"

After a pause, Dong Cheng said, "The reason why Wang Yun and Lu Bu were able to kill Dong Zhuo in the past was because Dong Zhuo entered the palace to visit the emperor and was ambushed and killed in the palace. You and I can observe Yuan Shu's behavior and then ambush him with soldiers."

Seeing that Dong Cheng was unwilling to endure it any longer, Liu Bei felt worried and didn't know how to persuade him.

After thinking for a while, Liu Bei asked, "We need the help of an inner court official. I wonder if Mr. Dong has contacted anyone other than Wu Shuo and Wang Zifu?"

"Changshui Lieutenant Zhong Ji!" Dong Cheng said, "Changshui Lieutenant Zhong Ji and I have a close relationship. Xuande and Wang Zifu sent troops to ambush us, and I ran away with Wu Shuo and Wang Zifu. If there is another emperor who is plotting, we may be able to kill Yuan Shu."

Liu Bei said worriedly: "Yuan Shu is still on guard against you and me. Why not endure it for a few more months and then find an opportunity to kill Yuan Shu."

Seeing that Liu Bei was trying to shirk his responsibility, Dong Cheng became dissatisfied and asked, "Xuan De is the emperor's uncle. The emperor first entrusted you with the task of killing the bandits, and you, worried about Yuan Shu's vigilance, entrusted the task to me. But Xuan De is still reluctant to start the rebellion. Is it because he is afraid of Yuan Shu's power?"

Hearing this, Liu Bei raised his eyebrows and said angrily: "Killing Yuan is the task entrusted to me by your majesty, and it is also what I have been thinking about day and night. I don't want to start the rebellion now, not because I am afraid of the enemy, but because I am worried that if you and I act hastily, not only will we fail to kill the enemy, but we will also be put in danger. Therefore, losing your life is a small matter, but it is a big matter to fail to restore the Han Dynasty."

Dong Cheng showed a delighted look on his face and said, "Don't worry, Xuande. I know that success comes from secrecy. I will act in secret and when the opportunity arises, I will invite Xuande to discuss matters."

Seeing Dong Cheng's sincere promise, Liu Bei's worries gradually disappeared, and he said, "Yuan Shu has been spying on me for a long time, and it is difficult to contact him now. So I would like to trouble Mr. Dong to run around, and then we can discuss the secret together."

"good!"

After Dong Cheng chatted for a few words, he saw that it was already late at night, so he went back in the dark.

After Dong Cheng left, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Jian Yong entered the house, but saw Liu Bei with a serious expression.

"Brother, is Dong Cheng here to kill Yuan?" Guan Yu asked.

"Of course!"

Seeing that Liu Bei was worried, Guan Yu asked, "I wonder why you are worried, brother?"

Liu Bei walked with his hands behind his back, sighed and said: "The execution of Yuan Shikai must be done with caution, and the inside story must not be easily disclosed to outsiders. Now Dong Cheng is acting hastily and eager to achieve results. I am afraid that he does not know the importance of being cautious."

Seeing this, Jian Yong comforted him, "Killing Yuan is a matter of life and death. If you keep it secret, it will succeed. If you neglect it, it will harm you. How could Dong Cheng not know the importance of the lives of his entire family? Therefore, according to Yong's opinion, he should act cautiously."

Liu Bei nodded and said, "Recently, I will continue to stay at home. If there is an order from the court or Yuan Shu, I will refuse to go out, let alone meet people."

"Yes!" the three responded.

Not to mention that the loyal Han officials in the court were angry about Yuan Shu's intention to usurp the throne and wanted to find a way to kill Yuan to protect themselves. Now Yuan Shu, in order to test the attitude of the local people towards his usurpation of the throne, wrote a letter to Sun Jian, asking whether he supported his usurpation of the throne.

Inside the big tent, Sun Jian read the contents of the letter and sneered, "Yuan Shu really has the ambition to usurp the throne. He has written to me, saying that the Han Dynasty is declining and the Yuan family is thriving, and asking if I can support him as emperor."

Sun Jian shook his head and sighed, saying: "The Yuan family has been a minister for four generations, and their reputation is prominent in the Central Plains. If Yuan Shu usurps the throne, he will be the enemy of the world."

Zhu Zhi asked: "General, you are leading troops outside, so you should not create a rift with Yuan Shu. Now that Yuan Shu is determined to usurp the throne, why don't you submit a petition to support him and gain Yuan Shu's trust?"

"What do you think, Bo Xu?" Sun Jian looked at Huan Jie and asked.

Huan Jie hesitated for a moment and said, "If one does not base his actions on righteousness, it is difficult for him not to fail. That is why Qi Huan led the other princes to honor Zhou, and Jin Wen expelled Shu Dai and accepted the king. Now the Yuan family is fickle, betraying the emperor and wants to establish a new country, but Yuan Shu is immoral. If he usurps the throne, he will bring disaster upon himself. Therefore, if you want to establish great things, you must leave Yuan Shu and not conspire with him."

"Now that Yuan Shu's letter has arrived, how should Bo Xu treat it?" Sun Jian asked.

Huan Jie stroked his beard and thought, then said: "General, you might as well agree implicitly, and let Yuan Shu's confidants in the army offer auspicious signs to Yuan Shu, so that Yuan Shu will be proud. When Yuan Shu usurps the throne, although you are weak at that time, you will stand up for justice, save the court from danger, and punish the guilty for justice. Who dares not to follow you!"

Huan Jie was from Changsha County. When Sun Jian was the governor of Changsha County, he recommended Huan Jie as a filial and honest official and once served as the county's Gongcao. Historically, when Sun Jian was killed by Liu Biao, it was Huan Jie who came forward to exchange Sun Jian's body for the Sun family.

In the present dimension, Sun Jian went west to conquer Bashu and won many victories along the way, so Huan Jie was invited by Sun Jian to serve in the army. Because Huan Jie was very wise, Sun Jian treated him as his confidant.

Sun Jian nodded and said, "Bo Xu's words are brilliant. Yuan Shu has treated me well, and many of the officers and soldiers in the army have received Yuan Shu's kindness. If I turn against Yuan Shu, the world will despise me, Sun Jian. However, if Yuan Shu betrays the Han Dynasty and changes the country, then the Yuan family will lose the righteousness, and if I support the court, then I will have the righteousness."

Since entering Shu, Sun Jian has always wanted to be independent, but as he said, he was indebted to Yuan Shu. So if he turned against Yuan Shu for no reason, he would lose his moral integrity and be hard to convince others.

If Yuan Shu betrayed the Han Dynasty, Sun Jian's situation would be completely different. He would naturally have the moral right to betray Yuan Shu. After all, under the dual monarchy, although Yuan Shu was Sun Jian's sponsor, the emperor was the highest-level monarch.

"General, Zhang Yu has sent many people to make friends with you. Now Yuan Shu intends to spy on the sacred artifact. Should we report it to Zhang Yu?" Zhu Zhi asked.

Sun Jian thought for a moment and said, "If our army is hostile to Yuan Shu, then we should not make enemies with Zhang Yu. Besides, we need Zhang Yu to recommend me as governor of Yizhou. So we can send an envoy to inform Zhang Yu and let him know that Yuan Shu intends to usurp the throne."

"As ordered!"

"Father, our army has been besieging Jiangzhou for too long. It is not advisable for us to rest in Ba County for too long. We need to lead our troops westward to Shu County as soon as possible, and then quickly capture Chengdu." Sun Ce suggested.

Before that, Zhao Wei led his troops to retreat to Jiangzhou, and Sun Jian led a large force to besiege it, which lasted for more than half a year. Finally, due to the rebellion of the generals under Zhao Wei, Sun Jian broke Jiangzhou in February.

"Now we can divide the troops into two routes. One route will take Jianwei County, and the other route will take Guanghan County, and then they will meet in Shu County." Sun Jian said.

(End of this chapter)