Tiger Guards

Chapter 106: Guarding the Emperor
"To be unable to resolve the national crisis while in a high position is truly incompetent, immoral, cruel and vicious."

In the front hall of the prefectural governor's mansion in the city, Liu Xie repeated the sentence and asked Tai Chong, the attendant beside him: "If what Zhao Qing said is true, how do you interpret this sentence?"

Tai Chong bowed and said, "Your Majesty, when the country is in danger, the ministers who hold high positions cannot resolve the crisis. This is incompetence. Their refusal to abdicate and yield to the virtuous is immoral. Tolerating and indulging the evildoers, and only caring about family disputes, is cruelty. To repeatedly yield to the evildoers while they are causing harm to the world, and thus nurturing a tiger to cause harm, is viciousness."

He was from Shangluo, Jingzhao, which was located at the northern end of Wuguan Road.

Officials and civilians from the three prefectures fled to Nanyang, and their corpses littered the Wuguan Road.

Many people almost relied on cannibalism to survive and arrived in Nanyang, and Shangluo and Shangxian were completely destroyed.

All in all, Tai Chong is also a person who ruins his family.

He also read the memorials from the three provinces and six ministries, and naturally supported Zhao Ji, which was equivalent to him obtaining the power of recording the Shangshu affairs twenty years in advance.

Whether he can live for another twenty years, and whether he can be appointed as one of the Three Dukes or record the affairs of the Secretariat by then, are all unknown.

But now, he can immediately obtain the right to participate in politics and govern. How could he give it up?

Another minister, Ding Chong of Pei State, stood outside the hall with his attendants. This was a chance to soar to fame!

There was no need for Zhao Ji to raise the banner of "getting rid of the old order". Everyone present basically understood the meaning and knew the necessity of getting rid of the old order.

If you don't get rid of the old order, how can you reform the court and revitalize it?
How can we revitalize the country if we don’t allow young people to step forward?

After Tai Chong finished his explanation, he stepped back two steps and stood by the side, waiting for the emperor's decision.

Liu Xie took a deep breath and said, "Prepare the carriage. The Minister of the Imperial Court, hold the imperial seal and board the carriage to welcome Zhao Qing!"

He really wanted to go, but he couldn't. He had to stay here to avoid other accidents.

"only!"

Tai Chong stepped out of the line and bowed deeply. Liu Xie then looked at Pei Mao and said, "Minister Pei, hold my sword. If this traitor stands in your way, behead him immediately!"

"only!"

Pei Mao stepped out of the line, took two steps forward and bowed deeply, and his whole demeanor changed.

No matter how humble and gentle a person is, he will show his fangs at this moment.

Near the southern city wall of Anyi, several Hedong military officers saw the imperial carriage and flags slowly approaching along the wide street.

They exchanged glances, then drew their swords. The leader strode towards Zhou Zhong, shouting, "This is a dispute and misunderstanding between the imperial officials and the Tiger Guards. Our Hedong County troops are outsiders and should not get involved."

If their designation is the Five Schools of the Northern Army, or if there is a Si Li Xiao Wei on the scene, they can all participate as Si Li Xiao Wei's subordinates, or if there is a Praetorian Guards, they can all participate.

Even if Xu Huang came forward to oppose Zhao Ji, there would be a certain degree of legitimacy. Even if Xu Huang failed, it would not implicate the officials below.

Using county soldiers to participate in court disputes is a procedural violation even if you win!
Since you are not from the Beijing Imperial Guards system, what rights do you have to participate in the court coup?
Upon hearing this, dozens of county soldiers around immediately retreated to both sides, calling on their companions, pushing and evacuating to a farther distance.

Several military officers stared at Zhou Zhong and his dozen men with swords in hand, then slowly retreated, moving farther and farther away.

Looking at the empty city walls and the scattered weapons, Zhou Zhong sighed, "Escaping from the tiger's den, he fell into a wolf's lair. The emperor is still young, and it seems he has been deceived by the old thief Zhao Yan..."

A palace official bowed and said, "Mingsir?"

"Everyone, please withdraw. This is a dispute between the old villain Zhao Yan and me and others. You are not to blame."

After Zhou Zhong ordered the officials to withdraw, he stood alone on the top of the city wall, looking outside the city through the battlements.

He is the Weiwei, he cannot leave.

Since the three ministers refused to come, he had to stay here.

The three ministers Yang Biao, Zhang Xi and Zhao Wen were at the north gate of Anyi, confronting Zhao Yan.

The twenty-five centurions under Zhao Yan's command formed two large horizontal formations and sat quietly a hundred steps outside the city.

Further north, Hu Ban and Pei Zheng joined forces with General Guanqiu Yi, who had gathered all the young and strong men they could from Wenxi and were heading south.

This was a big gamble, and for many people, coming to Anyi to see the emperor was also a grand event.

Anyway, if we lose, it won’t be their fault.

Most young and strong men from the lower classes would participate in a coup if there was even a glimmer of hope of winning and they could get involved.

It’s simple, three generations haven’t been able to wait for such an opportunity!
The people have a very simple logic of judgment. The fellow villager Zhao Ji killed the four generals of Bai Bo as easily as slaughtering dogs and chickens. When the four generals of Bai Bo were alive, they manipulated the ministers as easily as teasing a young lady.

Now that we are joining our fellow townsmen in raising an army, what can the nobles do to stop us?

The powerful and the poor are afraid of the influence of the nobles, but the common people are really not afraid.

On the highway, the young and strong men of Wenxi were like a mob, walking south as if they were going to a market.

Zhao Jian and Zhao Yuan found it difficult to hide, so they each rode a horse, and were also very excited. They formed a team of more than 200 people with familiar villagers and partners and advanced southward.

They have no choice but to come. If they really lose, none of them can escape!
All the young and strong people in the county came. If they didn’t come, they would be despised by the villagers regardless of whether they won or lost.

The imperial carriage of Minister Tai Chongde slowly drove from the north city wall of Anyi toward the south gate, while the people of Wenxi County gradually crossed the wooden bridge over the Sushui River, following General Guanqiu Yi to join Zhao Yan. On the city wall, Yang Biao had become numb; he had even become accustomed to this kind of thing.

He couldn't help but start to miss the Hongnong Tiger Guards who were hastily recruited for the battle of Dongjian. If the Hongnong Tiger Guards were still there, why would they be in such a passive position?

Even so, Yang Biao did not feel fear.

Things like punishment, weapons, and bloody death are too far away for their family.

Sikong Zhang Xi was similar. He was a descendant of Zhang Ao, the King of Zhao in the early Han Dynasty. He moved to Runan and his family was a nobleman for generations.

After experiencing various types of mutinies and the like, I got used to them.

This time it was different. It was initiated by Zhao Yan and Zhao Ji, which was fundamentally different from the previous rebellions of Dong Zhuo and Li Guo.

Therefore, he was even less worried about his own safety.

Your life is safe, so what is there to worry about? All you have to do is resign from office.

As for the mess in the court, whoever wants to clean it up can do so. He is fed up with it anyway.

He now thinks that he could still live a few more years of prosperity and enjoy family happiness.

Staying in the court is really not a good thing.

His clan is in Runan, so he knows the situation in Guandong better.

The Yang brothers were still immersed in the old dream of being the "Confucius of Guanxi" and refused to acknowledge the great changes that had taken place in Guandong.

While the three officials were watching and confronting each other at the north gate, Pei Mao led a dozen people to climb up the south gate tower to control the commanding heights.

The city gate slowly opened inward, and the Minister Tai Chong stood on the carriage, holding the railing of the carriage with one hand and the emperor's flag with the other.

He drove out to the front of the Huben formation and announced the imperial edict to Zhao Ji.

"Imperial decree, the Minister of the Interior and the Tiger Guards Lieutenant General Zhao Ji leads the Tiger Guards to guard Your Majesty!"

"Your servant Zhao Ji obeys the imperial edict."

Zhao Ji bowed deeply, turned around, climbed onto the chariot, clenched his right fist, and raised his arm towards the Tiger Guards formation: "Long live!"

Jia Tong stood in front of the team, looked sideways at his subordinates, raised his arms and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Long live!"

The Tiger Guards spit out the wooden pieces and shouted excitedly: "Long live!"

"Long live!"

Zhao Ji waved his arms again and again, pointing at Jia Tong: "Go into the city first and protect His Majesty!"

"Here!"

The cheers of "Long live the emperor" hadn't died down yet when Jia Tong leaped onto his horse, grabbed his lance, and waved it at the three squadrons of Tiger Guards he was in charge of: "Mount your horses, and follow me into the city to protect Your Majesty!"

Zhao Ji drove his chariot to the front of the third team led by Chang Mao, raised his hand and pointed at the city gate, "Second team, patrol the streets. Anyone who causes trouble will be executed immediately!"

"Here!"

Chang Mao jumped onto his horse. The young man's face flushed red as he held his halberd and shouted to those behind him, "Follow me!"

Zhao Ji drove his chariot and arrived in front of the Xiongnu formation again. "The virtuous king and his troops have entered the city camp to rest and await their rewards. The virtuous king may accompany me to pay homage to the emperor."

"Yes!"

Qubei also answered loudly with a smile on his face. He didn't expect the coup to go so smoothly.

Zhao Ji drove to the front of the auxiliary troops, the Five-Colored Team, and said, "Enter the city's military camp, recruit our former companions, release the prisoners, and recruit them all!"

The fifteen Tiger Guards leading the team shouted, "Yes!"

At this time, Zhao Ji drove to the front of Xu Huang's camp and said: "Gong Ming, lead the troops into the city camp and maintain order in the camp. Anyone who violates the rules will be executed immediately!"

"The last general takes command!"

Zhao Ji did not rush to leave. He looked at the Xihe Yulin under Xu Huang's command and said, "Yulin, follow me to protect the emperor!"

More than a hundred Xihe Yulin cavalrymen mounted their horses, drove forward, and broke away from Xu Huang's formation.

When Zhao Ji turned the car around, he bowed to Xu Huang, and Xu Huang returned the greeting with a smile.

Shizhong Tai Chong, leaning on the emperor's banner, followed Zhao Ji's carriage in an ox cart. He felt complicated when he saw Zhao Ji dispatching the hastily assembled and reorganized troops in an orderly manner, and then comparing it with the officials who were busy making crowns and clothes and attending banquets to enjoy the hospitality of the powerful in the past two days.

It is really not difficult to dispatch troops. For Zhao Ji, as long as the other party is willing to cooperate, he can give them a task suitable for them to execute, and that's it.

He has respect and understanding in his nature, and he kills enemies as easily as he cuts wheat. Many seemingly messy things are sorted out by themselves before they even touch Zhao Ji.

(End of this chapter)