Three Kingdoms: Fusion of Entries, Change of Destiny

Chapter 154 Emperor Xian's Difficult Journey Home
Guo Tu's words successfully silenced everyone, and he then pressed his advantage, continuing:
"My lord, as long as you defeat Gongsun Zan, you can dominate Hebei and sweep across the world. Why do you need to follow the example of Dong Zhuo, Li Jue, and Guo Si and keep the emperor by your side?"
If the lord does not obey the emperor's decree, he will be guilty of disobeying the imperial order.

If we obey the emperor's orders, it would be tantamount to handing over power to the emperor and willingly submitting to his authority. Wouldn't that be asking for trouble?
If, like Dong Zhuo, the emperor is simply placed under house arrest and given no power whatsoever, then the lord will have to worry about the emperor's secret plot to retaliate, and will be regarded as a traitor by the people of the world!
Tian Feng's suggestion of such a foolish move is surely misleading his lord.

Yuan Shao suddenly stood up and said, "Hearing your words, Gongze, is like seeing the sun after the clouds have parted; it has enlightened me!"

Guo Tu glanced at Tian Feng provocatively, his eyes filled with undisguised smugness.

Tian Feng was furious, but he was not good at arguing, so he could only say, "My lord, if you do not immediately send troops to Luoyang to welcome the emperor, Cao Cao of Yanzhou and Liu Biao of Jingzhou will definitely take the lead."

Although the Han Dynasty was in decline, it had lasted for four hundred years and was the legitimate dynasty of the world.

Even with the emperor's name, they could still attract many talented people and still restrain other feudal lords.

Even if the emperor's influence on you isn't as great as you imagine, you can't just sit idly by and watch others grow stronger.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao hesitated again.

Guo Tu added, "Liu Biao is narrow-minded; he would never flatter the emperor."

After Cao Cao was castrated, how could the court officials tolerate him?

Yuan Gonglu led a group of bandits, and he himself was ambitious; he would never flatter the emperor to restrain him.

Tian Feng's face flushed red, and he retorted loudly, "Gongze, stop with your clever words and flattery! Although the emperor is a puppet, he is still the ruler of the world. It is the right thing to do to welcome the emperor. Now that our lord has Ji Province and a strong army, he should take up the banner of restoring the Han Dynasty and win the hearts of the people. If you miss this opportunity because you are afraid of being controlled by the emperor, you will surely regret it in the future."

Guo Tu curled his lip. “Tian Yuanhao, you’re full of benevolence and morality, but you’re impractical. Instead of wasting your energy to appease an emperor who has no real power, you should concentrate your efforts on pacifying the counties of Hebei, consolidating your foundation, and then plan to conquer the world.”

Feng Ji stood up to support Guo Tu, saying, "Tian Feng's words seem reasonable, but they are actually pedantic. Our lord's ambition is paramount; how can he be burdened by a mere figurehead emperor?"

Ju Shou stepped forward to support Tian Feng, saying, "You only see the immediate troubles, but you don't see the long-term benefits of pandering to the emperor. If our lord does not seize this opportunity, he will surely be surpassed by Cao Cao and others in the future."

Everyone started talking at once, refusing to give in, and gradually, what was originally a serious meeting turned into a fierce verbal battle.

Yuan Shao watched calmly as these people offered their opinions one after another, without interrupting.

Clearly, he had become accustomed to the atmosphere of his advisory group.

If these advisors were to reach a consensus and speak out in unison, he would begin to fear.

The argument grew more heated and the voices became louder.

Yuan Shao finally lost his patience. He waved his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and then said, "Let's put this matter aside for now and make a decision after I've thought it over carefully."

After saying this, he got up and left the council hall, leaving everyone looking at each other in bewilderment.

……

After the emperor left, Chang'an was left in ruins, and the conflict between Li Jue and Guo Si naturally eased.

Li Jue led his army back to his garrison in Chiyang, and Guo Si also planned to lead his army back to his fiefdom.

However, after only two days on his journey, Guo Si suddenly realized something and wondered to himself, "The emperor and all the officials have left. Can this place still be called the imperial court? Will Zhang Ji send the emperor and all the officials back?"

"Damn it, we've fallen for their trap!!!" He slapped his forehead, as if waking from a dream. "No, we can't let the emperor go to Hongnong!"

Thinking of this, Guo Si hurriedly led a group of men to chase after the emperor's carriage.

Because the emperor and his officials were numerous, and everyone except the emperor walked, their movement was extremely slow.

Guo Si led his cavalry in pursuit for a day and caught up with the emperor's carriage at Baqiao Post Station.

The emperor's entourage was forced to stop. Zhang Ji spurred his horse forward, pointed at Guo Si, and shouted angrily, "Guo Duo (Guo Si's nickname), what do you mean by this? Why are you obstructing His Majesty's carriage?"

Jia Xu hid among the officials, coldly watching Zhang Ji and Guo Si confront each other.

Guo Si snorted coldly and said loudly, "The emperor cannot go to Hongnong, he must go to Gaoling!"

These words immediately caused an uproar among the officials and nobles.

Emperor Xian of Han heard it clearly from inside the carriage, and his fingers, gripping the carriage shaft, turned white.

Empress Fu huddled in a corner, trembling all over. Outside the carriage came the sounds of arguing among the officials. Grand Commandant Yang Biao, leaning on his cane, walked in unsteadily, his white beard whipping wildly in the wind: "General Guo, the Emperor's eastward relocation was a matter you agreed upon with Generals Li and Zhang. How can you go back on your word?"

“Gaoling is where you station your troops. What are you really up to?” another minister angrily accused.

Zhang Ji was so angry that his face turned red, and he shouted, "Guo Duo, this is blatantly defying the Emperor's will!"

Guo Si, however, paid no heed to the accusations of the crowd and sneered, "Hmph, enough of this idle talk. All I know is that the Emperor's visit to Gaoling is beneficial to everyone!"

The stalemate continued until dusk, when Guo Si insisted on moving the emperor to Gaoling.

The officials gathered around the campfire to discuss the matter, and Guanglu Xun Deng Yuan suggested, "Why don't we agree for now and make further plans after we pass Xinfeng?"

“Absolutely not!” Jia Xu said. “Gaoling is Guo Si’s fiefdom. If it falls into his control, there will be no chance of escape.”

Zhang Ji nodded slightly and asked, "Does the gentleman have a plan to escape?"

After a moment's thought, Jia Xu said to Zhang Ji, "I will go and persuade His Majesty."

After speaking, Jia Xu went to the emperor's carriage.

……

In the following days, Guo Si received news that the emperor had gone on a hunger strike!
The emperor's refusal to eat or drink greatly worried his attendants and ministers.

They all tried to persuade the emperor to eat, but his mind was made up and he remained unmoved.

After learning that the emperor was on a hunger strike, Guo Si began to feel uneasy.

Although he held considerable military power, the emperor was, after all, the ruler of the world. If something were to happen to him, he would be unable to explain himself to the people.

However, Guo Si was still uneasy and planned to go see the emperor in person.

Guo Si and Zhang Ji arrived together in front of the emperor's carriage.

The emperor was leaning against the carriage wall, his face pale and his breath weak. Guo Si finally panicked.

At this moment, Liu Xie, barely holding on, said to Guo Si, "I went to Hongnong only because it is close to the imperial ancestral temple. I have no other intention. General Guo, please do not take it to heart."

After hesitating for a long time, Guo Si finally compromised and said, "Then let's set off for now and make a decision when we reach Xinfeng City."

The convoy slowly headed east again.

As Guo Si rode on his horse, gazing at the emperor's carriage ahead, he was plotting another plan in his mind.

He thought to himself that since the emperor insisted on going to Hongnong, the only option was to use force to snatch the emperor back and forcibly take him to Gaoling.

However, Guo Si's little scheme was seen through by the old foxes in the court long ago.

"That scoundrel Guo Si dares to attempt to kidnap His Majesty! We must find a way to stop him!" Han Rong said through gritted teeth.

“Zhang Ji’s forces are insufficient to withstand Guo Si. The only option now is to seek reinforcements!” Zhao Wen said after a moment of contemplation.

"Strong reinforcements? Who else can help us?" someone asked doubtfully.

“Yang Ding commands the old troops of Xiliang, Yang Feng has the elite White Wave Army, and Dong Cheng is a close relative of His Majesty’s maternal family. If the three of them join forces, they will surely be able to force Guo Si to retreat!” Zhong Ji said.

"This plan works!"

After discussing the matter, they immediately sent someone secretly to Yang Ding, Yang Feng, and Dong Cheng to inform them to come to the emperor's rescue.

Guo Si was completely unaware that his conspiracy had been exposed, and was secretly thinking about how to carry out his plan to kidnap the emperor.

However, not long after, he received a shocking message—Yang Ding, Yang Feng, and Dong Cheng were leading a large army on their way!
Guo Si was greatly alarmed; he knew that his plot had been exposed.

If they continue to stay here, they will surely be killed by Yang Ding and his men.

So he dared not linger any longer, and with his trusted confidants, he secretly fled under the cover of night.

(End of this chapter)