Double penetration: This Three Kingdoms has dragon energy

Chapter 125 Shocking Event: Dong Zhuo and Emperor Ji Qiu!

"Gentlemen, although Ji Qiu's strength is indeed somewhat beyond our expectations, even if he is strong, there is a limit to his strength."

He only had the territory of Taishan County.

Taking Qi County and Le'an County is already the limit.

Even though he hasn't reached his limit yet, these two prefectures are located in the heart of Qingzhou, with Pingyuan Prefecture and Jibei Prefecture of Qingzhou to the north, and Beihai Kingdom and Donglai Prefecture of Qingzhou to the south.

These four counties could easily swallow up his entire army!
Ji Qiu has taken all his troops to attack Qingzhou, so where would he find extra troops to attack us?

Therefore, we no longer need to worry about Ji Qiu's sneak attack. We can focus all our efforts on heading west, conquering Hulao Pass, breaking through Luoyang City, eliminating Dong Zhuo, and rescuing His Majesty!

"Isn't this a wonderful thing?!" Cao Cao calmly analyzed.

Upon hearing his analysis, the other lords in the allied forces were immediately enlightened, seeing the key points they had not noticed before.

Yuan Shao laughed loudly, "Hahaha, Mengde is truly a man of great wisdom! His words have awakened me from my dream!"
Indeed, Ji Qiu's dispatch of troops to Qingzhou, seemingly to demonstrate his power to us, actually allowed us to see through his true intentions.

We no longer need to worry about his sneak attacks, which is truly a great thing!
"Send word to the entire army to prepare to break camp! We will breach Hulao Pass, capture Luoyang, eliminate the traitor Dong Zhuo, and rescue His Majesty!"

"Yes!" the many feudal lords responded in unison.

Then the 300,000-strong coalition army against Dong Zhuo began its grand preparations to break camp.

Luoyang City, the Prime Minister's Mansion.

The gilded and silver-inlaid Boshan incense burner emitted wisps of blue smoke, which twisted into a hideous ghost face in the dim candlelight of the Jiaofang Palace.

Dong Zhuo's knuckles, gripping the rhinoceros horn wine cup, bulged with veins. The luminous glass cup, a tribute from the Western Regions, trembled slightly on the table, making his bushy beard appear as if it were burning flames.

"Damn it, that bastard Ji Qiu, how dare he play such a trick on me!"

"I will surely tear him to pieces and grind his bones to dust!"

He suddenly swung his arm, and the priceless wine cup flew through the air before crashing into the jade dragon-patterned floor tiles and shattering with a deafening roar.

The flying porcelain shards, like fragments of jade, grazed the face of the kneeling captain reporting his mission, leaving white marks on the white marble pillar.

The entire hall fell into a deathly silence; even the dripping of the water clock could be clearly heard.

"Prime Minister, please calm down. Actually, this matter is no one else's fault. It was our intelligence that was wrong. We never expected that Ji Qiu would have such great strength!"

On the bright side, Ji Qiu has such strength, yet he didn't join the anti-Dong Zhuo alliance and become an enemy of the Prime Minister, which is a stroke of luck amidst misfortune! Li Ru smiled bitterly and tried to comfort him.

They had just received news that Ji Qiu had led troops to Qingzhou and captured Qi County and Le'an County.

When Dong Zhuo issued the edict appointing Ji Qiu as the governor of Yan Province, he was using Ji Qiu to restrain the anti-Dong Zhuo alliance.

If we can provoke the anti-Dong alliance to turn their attention to Ji Qiu first, that would be the best outcome.

Even if this outcome cannot be achieved, allowing the anti-Dong Zhuo alliance to retain some troops to guard against Ji Qiu's sneak attack would greatly alleviate the pressure on Dong Zhuo.

But to everyone's surprise, Ji Qiu had just accepted the appointment as governor of Yanzhou and immediately sent troops to Qingzhou.

This move not only shocked the anti-Dong alliance, making them realize that turning around and dealing with Ji Qiu first was a complete pipe dream.

This gave the anti-Dong Zhuo alliance a sense of reassurance, so they no longer had to worry about Ji Qiu's sneak attack and could go all out to fight Dong Zhuo!

Dong Zhuo's desired goals not only seemed to have been achieved, but he also lost the position of Governor of Yan Province for nothing.

It can be said that he lost his wife and lost his troops.

How could he not be angry?
Getting angry won't help.

He was in Luoyang, facing the overwhelming force of the 300,000-strong coalition army against Dong Zhuo. What could he do about Ji Qiu, who was thousands of miles away?

It is no longer possible to use the autumn season to restrain the anti-Dong Zhuo coalition.

So what should we do next?

Dong Zhuo turned his gaze to his son-in-law and trusted advisor, Li Ru, and asked, "Wenyou, what do you think we should do next?"

"Prime Minister, I believe that we should now consider how to confront the rebels in the Guandong region head-on."

"The rebels in Guandong are powerful, so we cannot take the initiative to attack. We must adopt a defensive strategy, using time to create space in order to achieve final victory!" Li Ru said in a deep voice.

Dong Zhuo's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this, and he quickly said, "Come, tell me in detail!"

"The Prime Minister can appoint Lü Bu and Guo Si as the main and deputy commanders of Hulao Pass, leading 30,000 Xiliang cavalry to garrison Hulao Pass and resist the bandit army from Guandong!"
Lu Bu possesses the bravery of ten thousand men; with him stationed at Hulao Pass, he could easily hold off the bandit army from Guandong for more than half a year.

As for appointing Guo Si as the deputy general of Hulao Pass and stationing 30,000 Xiliang cavalry at Hulao Pass, it was to guard against Lü Bu.

Lü Bu has a history of betraying Ding Yuan, so it's hard to guarantee that he won't betray the prime minister again.

Hulao Pass is far too important; it is the gateway to Luoyang and concerns the safety of the Prime Minister. It cannot afford to be compromised in the slightest.

"Therefore, we must send out truly trusted generals and elite troops to keep an eye on Lü Bu. Only in this way can we utilize Lü Bu's talents and eliminate the threat he poses!" Li Ru said.

"Hmm, that makes sense." Dong Zhuo nodded in agreement, but then added,
"Even so, we can only hold Hulao Pass for half a year."

What will happen after six months?
Six months after the coalition forces against Dong Zhuo breached Hulao Pass, wasn't Ben Xiang still facing a desperate situation?

"Prime Minister, do not worry. This is only the first step in quelling the rebellion in Guandong."

The main purpose was to buy time for the Prime Minister.

Using the time gained from defending Hulao Pass, the Prime Minister can then execute the second step of the plan.

This second step consists of two aspects.

On one side is the Prime Minister's side.

Naturally, we should make good use of this precious time to improve our strength.

Luoyang and the surrounding Sanfu region were the most prosperous places in the world.

They lacked neither wealth nor poverty.

The Prime Minister can use the population and wealth here to train a large army.

If extreme methods are used to train the troops, then half a year is enough to train 200,000 Xiliang Iron Cavalry!

Although these 200,000 Xiliang cavalry were only the lowest-ranking Xiliang cavalry, they were still enough to deal with the Guandong bandit army.

On the other hand, the Prime Minister wanted to make full use of the imperial court's righteous cause to sow discord and divide the Guandong rebels.

Those who are willing to submit should be rewarded with high-ranking official positions and generous salaries by the Prime Minister.

For those who resolutely rebel, the prime minister can weaken their power by appointing their enemies to their official positions.

If this continues for a period of time, the Kwantung Army will inevitably be thrown into chaos!

Then it will be time to execute the third step of the plan.

"The Prime Minister can personally lead 200,000 Xiliang cavalry eastward out of Hulao Pass, defeat the Guandong rebels in one battle, and restore order to the world!" Li Ru said with great enthusiasm.

Dong Zhuo laughed heartily upon hearing this, patting Li Ru on the shoulder and saying, "Well done, Wen You is indeed Wen You, truly exceptional in talent and wisdom."

This seemingly powerful Guandong bandit army is nothing but a clay chicken and a tile dog in front of you!

If I can eliminate the bandit army in Guandong and pacify the Han Dynasty, then you will surely be the one to make the greatest contribution!
"It's settled then. Let's execute your strategy!"

“Yes!” Li Ru said in a deep voice.

Dong Zhuo then said, "But how should we deal with Ji Qiu? He has played such a trick on me. If we don't teach him a lesson, it will be hard to quell my hatred!"

"This matter is easy. He chose Qingzhou, which has the most tightly sealed passage among the four surrounding continents, to send troops. He obviously took a liking to Qingzhou because it was leaderless and disorganized."

If the Prime Minister appoints a governor of Qingzhou to unite the forces of Qingzhou and fight against Ji Qiu together.

That will definitely put immense pressure on Ji Qiu, making him regret his actions! Li Ru said.

Dong Zhuo's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh, saying, "This is a good idea! Why didn't I think of that before? Wen You's mind is really sharp! In that case, Wen You, who do you think should be appointed as the governor of Qingzhou?"

"This person must have a huge influence and reputation in Qingzhou."

Otherwise, even if he became the governor of Qingzhou, it would be difficult to gather the strength of the entire Qingzhou.

"In my opinion, this person is none other than Kong Rong!" Li Ru said after thinking for a moment.

Dong Zhuo hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "Kong Rong..."

He didn't have a good impression of Kong Rong.

When he first arrived in Luoyang, Kong Rong constantly clashed with him in the court, frequently opposing his decisions and actions.
Given Dong Zhuo's personality, he had long wanted to kill Kong Rong.

However, considering Kong Rong's status and influence, and at Li Ru's urging, they adopted a demotion in disguise, transferring Kong Rong to the position of Chancellor of Beihai.

This was already a result that Dong Zhuo reluctantly accepted.

Now, why would he appoint Kong Rong as the governor of Qingzhou again?

After much deliberation, he still felt that dealing with Ji Qiu was more important, as Kong Rong was just a pedantic scholar and not worth fearing.

So he said in a deep voice, "Very well, then so be it, appoint Kong Rong as the governor of Qingzhou!"

Zhaoyang Palace was the residence of Emperor Liu Xie.

This place was originally the residence of Liu Bian, the previous emperor of the Han Dynasty.

However, after Dong Zhuo deposed Liu Bian from the throne and demoted him to the Prince of Hongnong, he sent Liu Bian to Hongnong County to be imprisoned.

This place then became the residence of the new emperor, Liu Xie.

At this time, Emperor Liu Xie also received intelligence that Ji Qiu had sent troops to Qingzhou.

In fact, according to historical records, Liu Xie at the same time received almost no external information.

Because Dong Zhuo kept him under very tight control, not giving him any opportunity to access outside information.

However, Liu Xie in the world of Dragon Qi Three Kingdoms is somewhat different from the historical Liu Xie.

Wang Yue was now by his side.

Because of Wang Yue's existence, he had much more freedom than the historical Liu Xie.

At the same time, he also has access to a lot of outside intelligence.

It could even be said that the quantity and quality of intelligence he had access to were greater than those of Dong Zhuo and some of the warlords in Guandong.

After all, the Embroidered Uniform Guards under Wang Yue's command were professionals in this field.

"Hahaha, I never expected this, I really never expected this!"
This Ji Qiu, whom the Emperor values ​​so highly, actually possesses such abilities!

He was confined in Taishan County for a whole year, and everyone thought that even if he didn't die, he must be extremely weak.

Unexpectedly, his strength had increased several times over compared to a year ago!
"In the first battle, we annihilated the 30,000 private troops of the Tian family who were blocking the Qingzhou passage. In the second battle, we annihilated the 30,000-strong Tianqu army of the Sun family in Le'an! Minister Wang, your subordinate is truly remarkable!" Liu Xie looked at the intelligence in his hand and laughed heartily.

For Liu Xie at present, he is happy to see Ji Qiu expand his power.

Because Ji Qiu was nominally a direct descendant of the late Emperor Liu Hong, but at the same time had deep conflicts with powerful clans.

Therefore, Ji Qiu could neither gain the trust of Dong Zhuo nor the trust of the powerful clans.

He had no choice but to obediently become a member of Liu Xie's camp!

The current political landscape is openly divided into two major camps: Dong Zhuo and the powerful families of Guandong.

However, if we break it down further, Dong Zhuo's camp can be divided into two camps: Emperor Liu Xie and Dong Zhuo himself.

In fact, normally speaking, Dong Zhuo and Liu Xie should be one and the same.

Because Liu Xie was installed as emperor by Dong Zhuo, half of the legitimacy of his throne rested on Dong Zhuo's shoulders.

They are interdependent.

But there was nothing they could do; Dong Zhuo had gone too far in bullying Liu Xie.

However, Dong Zhuo posed an extremely great threat to the imperial power.

Therefore, the conflict between the two of them is too great, making it impossible for them to work together.

At the same time, because Wang Yue was by Liu Xie's side, Liu Xie's life was at least guaranteed.

Therefore, he can be considered an independent small force.

However, his power is currently too weak to play a role in balancing the other two forces.

Therefore, he urgently needs to enhance the strength of his faction.

According to Wang Yue's advice, as long as his power increases to a level that can counterbalance Dong Zhuo and the powerful families of Guandong, the world can be stabilized again.

As long as the world can be stabilized again, he can use his status as the emperor to clean up the mess and revive the Han dynasty!
Wang Yue's expression stiffened slightly. To be honest, even he hadn't expected Ji Qiu to have such strength!
Of course, this isn't his fault; it's mainly that good-for-nothing Shia's fault.

They even personally went to Taishan County, yet they still couldn't discern Ji Qiu's true intentions.

They are utterly useless!

If we had known earlier that Ji Qiu possessed such strength, we could have made arrangements for many things in advance!
Fortunately, it's not too late to make arrangements now.

So Wang Yue advised Liu Xie: "Your Majesty, Ji Qiu was not trapped in Taishan County, but instead has the power to expand outwards. This is definitely a great thing for us!"

As things stand, the greater Ji Qiu's power, the more advantageous it is for us!

Therefore, I believe we should give him greater support so that he can further enhance his strength!

"Hmm, what you say makes sense, Wang Qing! But what support can I offer him?"

"As for money, provisions, and troops, let alone the fact that I don't have them, even if I did, they wouldn't reach Ji Qiu," Liu Xie said helplessly.

Wang Yue shook his head and said, "In my opinion, Ji Qiu does not lack money, grain, or troops at present."

Since he was able to occupy Qi Commandery and Le'an Commandery in just a few days, he must have had a well-trained army and ample supplies.

"What does Wang Qing think he lacks?" Liu Xie asked.

Wang Yue said, "One can conquer the world on horseback, but one cannot govern it on horseback."

Ji Qiu has now conquered two prefectures, and now he needs to consider how to govern these two prefectures and make them truly his.

However, to govern these two prefectures and win over the hearts of the people, a sufficiently righteous and justifiable cause is required!

"Wang Qing means to give him the official position of Governor of Qingzhou or Prefect of Qingzhou, so that he can rightfully govern Qi County and Le'an County."

"But with Dong Zhuo blocking my way, I'm afraid I can't appoint Ji Qiu as the governor or prefect of Qingzhou!" Liu Xie said with difficulty.

Wang Yue shook his head again and said, "Actually, Your Majesty does not necessarily have to appoint Ji Qiu as the governor or prefect of Qingzhou. You can send him a secret edict to summon righteous men from all over the world to defend the emperor!"
With this secret edict in hand, Ji Qiu can, in your name, unite those heroes who remain loyal to the Han Dynasty and restore it!

"Your plan is excellent, Wang Qing!"
With such a secret decree, Ji Qiu's expansion of power could no longer be limited to Qingzhou; he could expand to the four continents surrounding Taishan County!

As long as he has enough food and troops, he can take over any place he conquers!
"That's settled then! I'll write a secret edict right away, and then Minister Wang will send it out using the fastest channels of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!" Liu Xie said excitedly, his eyes shining brightly.

Wang Yue bowed and said, "Yes!"

……

Taishan County, the prefectural government office.

A month has passed since Ji Qiu captured Qi County and Le'an County.

Ji Qiu obtained a secret imperial edict from Luoyang, delivered by express courier, through the Embroidered Uniform Guard's internal channels: "Since I ascended the throne, I have encountered a chaotic world, powerful ministers are in power, and the nation's fortunes are declining."

The corrupt officials seized power, bullied the royal family, and wreaked havoc on the country, causing immense suffering and hardship for the people.

The Han dynasty was on the verge of collapse, and the foundation laid by our ancestors was about to crumble.

Although I hold the highest position, I am like a puppet, possessing only a strong desire to restore the country, but no power to reverse the situation.

Whenever I think of this, I am heartbroken and cannot sleep at night.

This secret edict is hereby issued, hoping that you will consider the well-being of the people and take the restoration of the Han Dynasty as your own responsibility, gather heroes from all directions, raise the banner of righteousness together, eliminate the traitors, and restore the Han Dynasty.

You are an important minister of the court, known for your loyalty and righteousness. I am well aware of your loyalty.

I hope you will live up to my expectations, quickly devise a sound plan, and not fail the heavy responsibility entrusted to you. When the matter is accomplished, I will reward you handsomely and share peace with you.

This edict is top secret. I urge you to keep it safe and not to leak it.

February 16th, the first year of the Chuping era.

Emperor Liu Xie of Han (Seal)

Looking at this secret imperial edict, Ji Qiu was completely bewildered.

What do you mean?
The imperial edict originally intended for Liu Bei was now given to him?

Although the contents of these two secret edicts are slightly different, their functions are essentially the same.

Especially since this was earlier than when Liu Bei received the imperial edict in the belt.

This means that the emperor's secret edict was more powerful than the edict hidden in the belt!

Because both this secret imperial edict and the historical edict in the belt were used to unite those talented people who remained loyal to the Han Dynasty.

And these talents will certainly become fewer and fewer over time.

Therefore, the earlier you take it out, the better the effect!

But what merit or ability did he possess to receive such a secret imperial edict?
"Let's discuss this matter. What do you all think of this imperial edict?" Ji Qiu put away the imperial edict and asked his civil and military officials.

Then, Minister of State Affairs Zhuge Gui excitedly said, "Congratulations, Your Excellency! Congratulations on receiving this secret imperial edict. It will play a vital role in your governance of the region and in uniting the people."

The relocation work we are currently undertaking in Qi County and Le'an County alone can reduce the difficulty by at least 30%!

The direct effects of receiving the emperor's secret edict in late autumn were twofold.

Firstly, it reduced the resistance he faced from various forces within his controlled territory, especially powerful clans and aristocratic families.

In the world today, the powerful local families and clans generally still recognize the Han Dynasty.

Doesn't that sound a bit magical?
On the one hand, they undermined the foundation of the Han Dynasty and opposed the emperor of the Han Dynasty.

On the other hand, they were actually loyal to the Han Dynasty?
This is not surprising at all.

This has always been the case throughout history.

Those corrupt officials who embezzle public funds and harm the people are the ones who least want the dynasty to perish.

Because as long as this dynasty exists, they can continue to embezzle public funds, pervert the law, and harm the people.

If the current dynasty is gone and a new one comes into power, where will they find their good days?
The same was true for the powerful families and clans of the land. In any case, the four hundred years of rule of the Han Dynasty maintained a generally stable environment for them.

Without the Han Dynasty, the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods would have destroyed countless kings, generals, noble families, and powerful clans over the course of eight hundred years!
Therefore, they all hoped for the existence of the Han Dynasty and were willing to continue to accept its rule.

However, Ji Qiu was not very optimistic about this imperial edict, wondering how much it would win him the hearts of powerful families within his territory.

The basis for the powerful clans' willingness to accept the continued rule of the Han Dynasty was that the existing ruling methods could not be changed, and their interests could not be harmed.

If things change, then their lingering affection for the Han Dynasty will naturally disappear.

But Ji Qiu certainly couldn't do that, so while the emperor's secret edicts played a role in this regard, they weren't insignificant.

It's better than nothing, I suppose.

Secondly, it strengthened the loyalty of those within the faction who still held goodwill and loyalty to the Han Dynasty, such as the Zhuge clan.

The Zhuge clan has always been loyal to the Han Dynasty. They only pledged their loyalty to Ji Qiu because of his kindness to them and because Ji Qiu was appointed by the emperor as the governor of Mount Tai.

But this loyalty is not absolute.

Therefore, in late autumn, he dared not give Zhuge a major position.

But from now on, he can use it with peace of mind.

With the blessing of the emperor's secret edict, coupled with Ji Qiu's official position and his kindness to the Zhuge family, the absolute loyalty of the Zhuge family can be guaranteed!

So Ji Qiu smiled and said to Zhuge Gui, "What Mr. Jun Gong said makes sense."

However, at present, it is not appropriate for us to publicize the matter of the emperor's secret edict.

Therefore, the emperor's secret edict could not be used to reduce the resentment of the powerful families in the two relocated prefectures.

In this regard, I would appreciate Mr. Jun Gong's understanding.

However, within our ranks, we can leak information about the emperor's secret edict on a small scale to win people's hearts!

The emperor's secret edicts were not without their drawbacks.

The biggest drawback is that once the emperor's secret edict is revealed, it will attract the attention and hostility of both Dong Zhuo and the Guandong aristocratic alliance.

As for Ji Qiu at present, he cannot afford to be at odds with two major forces at the same time.

Therefore, it is absolutely not feasible to widely expose the emperor's secret edict in order to win over those powerful families that are not many to be won over.

However, it can be used to display the emperor's secret edict on a small scale within the upper echelons of the power structure, thereby winning people's hearts and gathering strength.

After all, this isn't solid evidence, and if it attracts the attention of Dong Zhuo or the Guandong Coalition, Ji Qiu can deny it in time.

(End of this chapter)