Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 5: Unprecedented, and I am no exception! (4.9k)
Stunned, astonished, confused, and panicked were the feelings of Wan Yun and the others at the moment.

At the beginning, when Liu Chan said that the late emperor had predicted in his dream that the Northern Expedition would fail and the Han Dynasty would perish, they considered it to be just a "dream" rather than a "prophecy" in light of the reality of frequent good news and successive victories.

However, when Liu Chan was able to accurately say that Jieting was the former Lueyang, and that the prime minister sent Ma Su and Wang Ping to cut off the enemy, and also said that Ma Su was relying on the Nanshan Mountains and refused to leave the city.

In their eyes, this dream has become a "prophecy", or a prophecy that has been partially fulfilled.

Because the Prime Minister really mentioned in his letter that Lueyang was Jieting, and really mentioned that Ma Su and Wang Ping were responsible for isolating the Long Road. Even on the topographic map marked by the Prime Minister himself, there was a particularly prominent earthen plateau just one mile south of Jieting.

People like Jiang Wan and Dong Yun, who shared the same ideals as the Prime Minister, always valued achievements and kept a respectful distance from prophecies and divinations.

I can't prove whether you are real or fake, but that doesn't stop me from doing things down to earth.

However, no matter how much they adhere to the idea of ​​building a country through hard work, and no matter how much they stay away from "prophecies and divinations", the study of prophecies and divinations will always be an immovable mountain in their minds.

Because what they learned throughout their lives was Confucianism that was transformed by the theory of prophecies and divination.

Because there is no evidence to prove that the theory of prophecies and divinations is false.

On the contrary, there are more facts that show that the prophecy will really come true one day in the future.

All we can say is that the Han Dynasty has its own national conditions.

Liu Xiu, the founding emperor, reaped the benefits of the two prophecies: "Liu Xiu sent troops to arrest the unrighteous" and "Liu Xiu became the emperor."

In his later years, he "announced the prophecies to the world", officially regarded prophecies and divinations as the official ideology, promulgated official textbooks on prophecies and divinations, and regarded the study of prophecies and divinations as internal learning and traditional classics as external learning.

If you don’t study prophecies and divination, you cannot enter the officialdom.

In order to further strengthen the mystical theory of prophecies and divination, his son, Emperor Ming of Han, corresponded the twenty-eight founding heroes of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the twenty-eight constellations in the sky, emphasizing that the order of their titles and the size of their official positions were already arranged by heaven.

During the reign of his grandson, Emperor Zhang of Han, he summoned officials, doctors, counselors, palace officials and students to hold an academic conference at Baihu Temple to discuss Confucian classics.

The results of the meeting were compiled by Ban Gu into "Baihutong De Lun" and published as an officially approved classic.

This classic integrated the then popular superstition of prophecies and divinations with Confucian classics, further theologizing Confucian thought.

If you want to enter the government, you must believe in the interaction between heaven and man and that the power of kings is granted by God.

By the end of the Han Dynasty, completely theological Confucianism had become the mainstream.

Each of these Confucian scholars was like a charlatan, who could easily link all natural wonders and disasters with the gains and losses of government.

However, do all the scholars in the world really believe in prophecies and miracles?

Letter, capital letter.

Even if you don't believe it in your heart, you must pretend to believe it on the surface.

You do not believe?
Do you dare to go against the will of heaven?
Do you dare to increase the strength of the Tianjia herdsmen?

When everyone believes that geocentrism is the orthodox theory, you will be burned to death if you say that the sun is the center of the universe.

As a result, statements that later generations found outrageous began to be frequently recorded in the official history books of the Han, Wei and Jin dynasties.

Such as "There is the aura of an emperor in Shu", "A yellow dragon is seen in Qiao", "A green dragon is seen in the well of Mobei, and the emperor goes to Mobei to watch the dragon".

There's also the story "In the seventh year of Jian'an, a man in Yuexi transformed into a woman. Zhou Qun (the most powerful sorcerer in Shu) said this also happened during the reign of Emperor Ai, and it was a sign of an impending change of dynasty. In the twenty-fifth year, Emperor Xian was indeed enfeoffed in Shanyang."

I am embarrassed to mention the even more outrageous history of the Jin Dynasty. Those who don’t know about it might think you are reading a fantasy novel.

What Jiang Wan and Dong Yun received was this kind of Confucian education that was deconstructed by the study of prophecies and divination.

They could not escape the influence of prophecies and divinations at all.

Now, the "dream prophecy" mentioned by Liu Chan is not only a prediction, but also supported by some facts that have already come true. It is directly the complete form of the prophecy.

Thinking of yesterday's solar eclipse and earthquake, and the smashed statue of the previous emperor, Wan and Yun could no longer categorically deny Liu Chan's dream prophecy.

Even if we put aside the prophecies and analyze it rationally, what if Ma Su was really defeated by Cao's army because of his ambition and ambition as the late emperor said in his dream?

No matter whether the Han Dynasty will perish or not, the Northern Expedition will definitely fail.

The location of Jieting is very critical.

Once Ma Su is defeated, Cao Wei's reinforcements will continue to flow into Long.

The Han Dynasty simply did not have the capital to fight a protracted war with Cao Wei in Longyou and had to retreat to Hanzhong, otherwise its retreat route might be cut off.

However, Ma Su, who was at the first link in the analysis chain, was indeed eager to prove his worth after being described by the late emperor as "exaggerating and unfit for important tasks."

If you think about it carefully, it is really possible that he will disobey the Prime Minister's orders.

With the interaction between prophecies and rationality, it was hard for the two important officials in the palace not to feel anxious and confused about the future and fate of the Northern Expedition and the Han Dynasty.

However, an old minister is still an old minister after all. Jiang Wan, who was ten years older than the prime minister, quickly suppressed all his emotions, bent down, picked up the silk book that slipped from his hands and continued to read.

Dong Yun quickly scanned the silk book, then stared at it for a few seconds, then looked at Jiang Wan, wondering if Jiang Wan felt the same way as him.

As soon as he saw the silk book, he saw many large patches of ink stains on it.

As for the greetings at the beginning of the article, the handwriting is quite neat.

In the middle part, when writing about the late emperor's dream, the failure of the Northern Expedition, and the demise of the country, the strokes became increasingly sloppy and rough, sometimes slow, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes starting to move but stopping, and the strokes were heavy and broken.

By the time he confessed his true feelings to the Prime Minister, saying that he didn't know how to face the late emperor, that he would mend his past mistakes and carry on the late emperor's will, his emotions were already surging like a tide, and his brush was so dry that he didn't have time to add ink, so he wrote continuously, and the words were connected from top to bottom, seemingly disconnected yet connected.

The last sentence, "The king can die for the country and the people," which is enough to make people all over the world dumbfounded, seems to have poured all the emperor's grief and indignation into the tip of the pen. Its momentum is heavy and fierce, and it comes to an abrupt end, with the majestic momentum of a river bursting its dam and rushing down thousands of miles.

He seemed to be able to feel the emperor's deep and surging sincere emotions gushing out and hitting him fiercely in front of the silk book, making his eyes blind and ears hot, and making him dizzy and soul-shaking.

He no longer cared about what was written in the silk book about the emperor personally leading the army. The only thing left in his mind was the image of the emperor writing quickly and sobbing silently.

He had a feeling: the emperor whom he had watched grow up seemed to be really growing up.

"Your Majesty, are you going to lead the army in person?" On the other side, the veteran minister Jiang Wan finally finished reading the letter.

The happier he was in his heart, the colder his face became.

"I will lead the army in person." Liu Chan answered firmly.

Dong Yun knew what Jiang Wan was thinking.

Last night, while they were playing chess, they discussed how to resolve the current situation of the Confucian scholars causing chaos. They came to only one conclusion:
The emperor personally led the army to fight and returned victorious.

In this way, the rumors will be self-defeating and those who spread evil words will naturally shut up.

However, the emperor had been living in the deep palace for a long time and had always been cowardly. He was unwilling to leave the palace on weekdays, had no interest in military affairs, and even kept his distance from them.

How can we get the emperor to lead the army in person?

Are you holding the emperor?

How dare they?
Moreover, the Prime Minister has always been cautious. Even if he knows that the current situation is serious, he would not allow the emperor to lead the army in person and put himself in danger.

If the emperor were to fall to the enemy because of their suggestion to lead the army in person, even if the two of them died a thousand or ten thousand times, it would not be enough to apologize to the world, and they would not have the face to meet the late emperor in the underworld.

In this way, this only solution came to nothing and there was no possibility of it even being put on the agenda.

But now... things seem to be turning around.

Dong Yun assumed his usual attitude of admonishing others, and with a stern face and a solemn voice, he began to dissent:
“War is a matter of great importance to a state; it is the place of life and death, the key to survival or destruction.

"Your Majesty is very old and has spent a long time in the palace. You have never experienced military affairs or faced a battle. How can you put yourself in such a dangerous situation?!"

Dong Yun meant that Your Majesty is too young and war is too complicated to handle.

Both the wording and the tone were a bit impolite.

But to Liu Chan, this was nothing wrong and should even be praised.

When the ruler is young, the country is in doubt. If the emperor makes even the slightest mistake, it will be exploited by people with ulterior motives to stir up public opinion, mislead people, and shake the foundation of the country.

Not to mention that what he wants to get involved in now is a military matter that concerns life and death.

If he were to be defeated, his almost non-existent "divine authority" as the emperor would be trampled into the mud.

"Given the current situation, what else can I do if I don't lead the army in person?

"Let's not talk about whether Ma Su will be defeated or whether the Prime Minister will retreat. Even if we win, will those so-called respected people in Shu dare not speak?
"If we allow them to continue their nonsense and confuse the people, the people of the world will sooner or later turn to the pseudo-Wei!" Dong Yun: "When the Prime Minister returns with victory, I will definitely punish them!"

"Wait for the Prime Minister to deal with them?" Liu Chan looked puzzled.

"Minister, I am the Son of Heaven. Why can't I personally bring them to justice like the last emperor beheaded Zhang Yu?"

How could Dong Yun answer this?
He was about to change the subject when the emperor's voice had already echoed throughout the room.

"Because I am not like a monarch!

"Because I don't have divine power!

"I don't want to be the emperor in the deep palace anymore!
"I want to be like the late emperor!
"I want to be the emperor on horseback!"

Liu Chan's words sounded willful and naive, and he was indeed the emperor that Jiang Wan and Dong Yun were familiar with.

He started with big talk, started talking nonsense in the middle, and ended up being silent.

This is not the first time that the emperor has made a harsh statement to reform his past and work hard to govern the country.

Wan Yun and the others didn't dare to say whether the emperor would be passionate again today.

After thinking for a while, Jiang Wan stepped forward with a bow:
"Your Majesty appoints talented and capable people, readily accepts advice, and is deeply loved by the people. I do not know of any emperors in ancient times who were better than Your Majesty. Why should you care about the narrow-minded views of those lunatics and corrupt scholars?

"Moreover, the affairs of the world depend on Your Majesty, the Prime Minister, and all the humble ministers who have received the late Emperor's special favors and are unable to repay him, not on those barking sparrows and frogs in the well.

"We, your servants, will exhaust all our strength, serve you with all our loyalty, and even die as a reward to Your Majesty!
"Your Majesty has received a dream from the late Emperor, informing you that the fate of the Han Dynasty hangs in the balance. Therefore, you are determined to lead the army in person, hoping to turn the tide.

“I am overjoyed and grateful to hear this.

"However, the military situation is now as tense as a fire, and the situation is as precarious as eggs piled on a pile of eggs. Your Majesty is in a position of great responsibility, and it is not appropriate to put your body in a dangerous situation in order to gain power over the world.

“Furthermore, if Your Majesty wishes to spread his power throughout the world, why would he need military achievements?
"The reason why the Prime Minister has such authority and credibility, and is respected and loved by all the civil and military officials, is not because of his outstanding military achievements.

"Instead, the Prime Minister comforts the people, sets out rites and regulations, regulates official duties, follows the system of power, opens his heart with sincerity, and spreads justice.

“Those who are loyal and beneficial to current affairs will be rewarded even if they are enemies;

“Those who violate the law and neglect it must be punished, even if they are relatives;

"Those who confess their crimes and show their sympathy will be pardoned, no matter how serious the crime is;

"Those who use eloquent and cunning words will be put to death, no matter how trivial their actions are;

“There is nothing good that is not appreciated, even in its smallest detail;
“There is no evil that is not derogatory;
"So the people feared and loved him. Although his punishments were harsh, the people had no complaints. This was because the Prime Minister was fair-minded and his advice and warnings were clear.

"Your Majesty is gifted with extraordinary talent, and you have the Prime Minister's mindset of governing the people and managing the government to be taught. You also have the will to sacrifice your life for the country. I believe that given time, you will surely catch up with the two emperors, Wen and Xuan.

"When the time comes, Your Majesty will be in charge of the interior, and the Prime Minister will be in charge of the exterior. When the Han Dynasty is restored and we return to the old capital, we can look forward to it.

"If you sacrifice your life for the sake of your chariots and risk your own life, I believe this is the duty of a general, not that of an emperor, and it is unacceptable."

"Putting yourself in danger? General, this is not acceptable?!" As soon as Jiang Wan finished speaking, Liu Chan stood up and responded sharply.

"During the Former Han Dynasty, Emperor Gao had profound counselors and brave generals. They were so brave, armed with armor and spears, that they braved dangers, suffered wounds, and narrowly escaped death, thus establishing the Han Dynasty.

During the Later Han Dynasty, Emperor Taizu led only 3,000 men against the Xin Mang army's 400,000-man army in the Battle of Kunyang. When his elder brother Bo Sheng was killed by Liu Xuan, he was so sad that he dared not show it, but rode a horse to Liu Xuan to apologize.

"Later, as Hebei was still unsettled, I crossed the Ji River alone. Wang Lang offered 100,000 households to buy him out. Emperor Taizu fled north to Youji and south across the Hutuo River. He was in a state of panic and confusion, but only after facing danger did he finally gain control of the world and establish his dominance.

"During the Jian'an era, the late emperor defeated his army in Jingchu. Cao Cao clapped his hands in joy, saying that the world had been settled.

"Then the late Emperor went to the danger of Sun Quan, allied with Wu and Yue in the east, and marched westward, finally conquering Bashu. Then, with a brilliant plan, he braved the danger at Dingjun and personally braved the arrows and stones at Yangping, leaving Cao Cao helpless. Thus, his foundation was solidified.

"Even the traitor Cao Cao was trapped in Nanyang, in danger at Wuchao, nearly defeated the White Wolf, and nearly died at Tongguan, and then he pretended to be the emperor for a while.

"On the other hand, Liu Biao and Liu Yao, descendants of the Han Dynasty, shouldered the brunt of the people's expectations, but stood by and watched, each controlling a prefecture and county, fearing death and clinging to life, while they sat back and waited for success or failure while tigers and wolves stood by.

"Then the officials were filled with suspicion, and surrenders poured in from all directions, allowing Cao Cao to occupy Hebei and Sun Yat-sen to rule Jiangdong.

"Looking back at the Battle of Guandu, if Yuan Shao could have followed Cao Cao's example and personally gone to Wuchao, taking risks and risking his life.

"He should have led an army to rescue Wuchao, or led a large force to attack Cao's camp, instead of sitting idle in the main camp and leaving the outcome entirely to Zhang He, Gao Lan, and Chunyu Qiong. If Zhang He and Gao Lan surrendered on the battlefield, the outcome would have been uncertain.

"From this perspective, in times of war and chaos, when the world is unsettled, one cannot bear the weight of the world and enter a tiger's den to fight for the world on horseback.

"Yet he abandoned his responsibilities and entrusted his orders to his counselors and brave generals, sat back in his camp, and waited for success or failure on the battlefield, yet he was able to enjoy the success leisurely. There has never been anyone who ruled the world from a horse!

"It's unprecedented, and I am no exception!"

This young emperor, who was already possessed by the spirit of acting and had the aura of a movie star, quoted extensively from the stories of the founding of the country and the establishment of the empire by his predecessors over the past four hundred years. His voice was not very loud, but it somehow added a bit of majesty to his words.

In addition, the words are sonorous and powerful, and resounding.

Then the lingering sound lingered in the air and the whole room was silent.

Looking at the expressions of Jiang Wan and Dong Yun again, they were already shocked and speechless.

What they thought was that as long as the emperor persisted, they would be willing to risk being punished by the prime minister and agree to the emperor's march north to resolve the current crisis.

Who would have thought that the emperor could make such an impassioned speech, citing extensive evidence and making well-reasoned arguments?

After searching through history books, it seems that there has never been a founding monarch who won the world solely by relying on the power of his ministers without fighting on horseback.

The two of them thought so, their minds wavering.

Is this really their emperor?

As the saying goes, if you don't make a sound, you'll be a surprise.

Today's emperor brought too much shock to Jiang Wan and Dong Yun.

Seeing that the two men seemed to be wavering and did not refute his words, Liu Chan felt more confident and said in a serious tone:

"What's more, I am only going to Jigu to reward the troops and supervise the battle.

"Not only is Bailong Yu surrendered, but he is also the first to charge into the battle line. Moreover, with General Zilong by my side, my life is safe and sound.

"Even if we're defeated, we can still escape by burning the plank roads to block the enemy. What's the danger?"

Dong Yun was almost persuaded by the emperor.

This time, the emperor seemed to have really made up his mind.

"I understand your majesty's determination." Jiang Wan spoke before Dong Yun.

"But Wei Yan had previously planned to lead 5,000 elite soldiers to launch a surprise attack on Chang'an from Ziwu Valley, believing that he could conquer the area west of Xianyang in one fell swoop.

"However, the Prime Minister disapproved of this plan, believing it to be risky. It would be better to take the easy route and capture Longyou. There would be no doubt that the victory would be won without any danger.

"What if Your Majesty leads the army in person, and the outcome is not as the late emperor predicted in his dream, and Ma Su is not defeated, but instead Your Majesty has ruined the Prime Minister's sure-fire plan?"

"Is there anything perfect in the world?!" Liu Chan had already realized that Jiang Wan was about to give in.

"Yuan Shao thought he had it all figured out, but he was defeated at Guandu and lost Henan.

"Cao Cao thought he had it all figured out, but he was defeated at Red Cliff and lost Hanzhong.

"The former emperor thought everything was in place, yet he was defeated in Yiling and lost Jingzhou.

"Now that the Prime Minister thinks everything is perfect, can we really conquer Longyou with absolute certainty?"

"Right now, the scholars are in chaos and spreading false rumors to confuse the people. If Your Majesty cannot stay in Shu, the people may be in danger of being scattered and the chiefs may rebel!" Jiang Wan asked the last question.

"People's hearts? Rebellion?" Liu Chan paused.

"Okay, then I will talk about people's hearts and rebellion.

"Cao Rui of the False Wei had only been on the throne for two years. The ruler was young and the country was in disarray. The ruler and his subjects were alienated. So the Prime Minister took advantage of the situation and launched a northern expedition. The Wei rebels were in a panic and had no chance to fight.

"At this time, Cao Rui still ignored the suspicion of subversion in the country and personally led the army out of Luoyang and headed for Chang'an to encourage the soldiers and resist the Prime Minister!

"Could it be that the ambitions of the people of the Han Dynasty are even greater than those of the traitors who usurped the Han Dynasty?

"Could it be that I, the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, am not as courageous and brave as the usurper emperor?
"Could it be that Cao Rui can go to Chang'an in the Han Dynasty, but I, Liu Chan, cannot?!"

(End of this chapter)