Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 460 Divide and Conquer

Yang Dinghui will turn against Xia Yu; this is obviously Yang Biao's intention...

A few days ago, after Yang Biao received the imperial insignia and left Chang'an as an envoy, he immediately went to Yang Ding's army and ordered Yang Ding to attack and kill Xia Yu.

This essentially means abandoning the original plan and also abandoning Xia Yu as a pawn.

Sacrificing a pawn is a common move in chess.

Yang Biao was certainly jumping around, but jumping around is a normal part of political struggle.

Moreover, after defeating Xia Yu, Yang Ding led his army north, ostensibly to pursue the remnants of the rebels, but in reality, he stationed his troops at Ziwu Ridge and did not participate in the distribution of spoils of war.

So Li Jue and Guo Si divided Xia Yu's remaining troops and equipment, while Fan Chou received Xia Yu's head as military merit, thus each got what they wanted.

Li Jue, Guo Si, and others, having obtained the spoils of war, felt that Yang Ding was quite sensible, and none of them clashed with him.

Fan Chou then rode back overnight and presented Xia Yu's head to Chang'an.

The following morning, Xia Yu's head was hung at the south gate of Chang'an.

At the same time, Zhang Baiqi found Liu Bei.

The underworld soldier that Jia Xu sent to Longxi returned on horseback with news.

"My lord, Han Sui and Ma Teng's army is heading east, with various Qiang and Di tribes among them. Their numbers are numerous, perhaps more than 50,000. Their vanguard, led by Pang De, has already besieged Chencang."

"An army has also marched north from Hanzhong along the Baoxie Road. Its number is unknown, but it is probably tens of thousands. They are all under the banner of 'clearing out the emperor's inner circle'!"

……

……

The first day of the eleventh month, at Chen hour (7-9 AM).

The ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven was held as scheduled.

Although he received the military report, Liu Bei remained completely unmoved, as if Han Sui and Ma Teng's army did not exist.

The soldiers from the underworld rode back from Longyou at breakneck speed, killing three horses in the process. This meant that Liu Bei received the news earlier than Chang'an, probably two to three days earlier.

This time difference must be used effectively.

Liu Bei's troops were fully equipped and escorted the emperor's entourage out of the south gate of Chang'an.

The officials following behind were all somewhat apprehensive.

After all the officials had left Chang'an, Liu Bei ordered the entire army to stop and turned back to look at the city of Chang'an.

To be precise, it was looking back at the human head hanging above the main south gate of Chang'an.

All the officials stopped and turned to look in the direction Liu Bei was looking.

After seeing that, I became even more apprehensive.

Liu Bei suddenly addressed his officials, asking, "Grand Master of Ceremonies Yang Wenxian has left the capital on official business, and all of you have recently assumed your new posts. I'm at a loss as to who should serve as the Master of Ceremonies... Where are the Minister of the Treasury and the Commandant of the Guards?"

Having just allowed his officials to re-recommend their own official positions, Liu Bei is now genuinely confused about everyone's new roles...

With the prime minister in charge, the sacrificial ceremony was naturally presided over jointly by the prime minister and the emperor, but someone still had to be responsible for the specific details.

The Grand Master of Ceremonies (太常) is usually in charge of arranging sacrificial ceremonies, making him the highest-ranking of the Nine Ministers. Yang Biao became the Grand Master of Ceremonies after stepping down as Minister of Works (司徒), but he was sent to Shouchun a few days ago, and it is estimated that he has already passed Hongnong.

The Minister of the Imperial Household was responsible for all kinds of supplies and personnel, while the Commandant of the Guards was responsible for the safety of the ceremony. Liu Bei then asked about the two of them.

In fact, Jia Xu had already led Liu Bei's troops to handle the preparations for the sacrificial ceremony a few days ago, so there was no need to ask... Liu Bei himself wouldn't feel comfortable entrusting it to someone else.

This was obviously intentional.

Former Attendant-in-Ordinary Zhong Ji and former Grand Master of Ceremonies Ma Ridi stepped forward together.

Zhong Ji is currently the Junior Minister of the Imperial Household, and Ma Ridi is the Commandant of the Imperial Guards; both have only been in their new positions for less than three days.

"Young Master Zhong, are the Taiyi Altar and Ganquan Palace ready? Are there any unauthorized individuals involved?"

Liu Bei looked at Zhong Ji, his words carrying a strong warning.

“This… I have only been in office for two days, and I am truly unaware of the ceremony.”

The editorial team looks a bit panicked.

Liu Bei then turned to Ma Ridi and asked, "Ma Changshui, is Chang'an safe and sound? Let's hope no bandits disturb the auspicious ceremony..."

Ma Ridi was called Changshui because Liu Bei and Ma Ridi were old colleagues. Many years ago, when Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo pacified Liangzhou together, Ma Ridi served as the Commandant of Changshui and was a former ally.

Ma Ridi seemed even more flustered than Zhong Ji: "I only received the seal of the Commandant of the Guards the day before yesterday, and I haven't even checked inside and outside Chang'an yet, so I don't know either..."

Liu Bei looked at the two men with a forced smile: "Since you don't know, then ask your former colleagues... All the civil and military officials are here, so ask them now."

"...The former Commandant of the Guards was Huangfu Yizhen, and the former Minister of the Imperial Household was Dong Huang, both of whom are no longer alive."

Ma Ridi spoke hesitantly, "Before, the Han capital was not in Chang'an, so there was no way to prepare. We were also unable to make proper arrangements in such a hurry..."

"Yes, it was a bit rushed... but you who are paid by the emperor can't just not do your job."

Looking at the head on the city gate, Liu Bei said, "Xia Yu rebelled and has been executed, but there may be his followers in Chang'an... As the Commandant of the Guards, you should actively investigate and deal with him."

After saying that, he turned to Zhong Ji and said, "Zhong Shaofu, His Majesty is about to visit Ganquan Palace... I won't make things difficult for you in matters such as finances, taxation, construction, imperial ceremonies, etc., but you should at least ensure that Ganquan Palace is quiet, right?"

This was indeed their duty, and Ma Ridi and Zhong Ji could only nod in agreement.

"I suppose you are new to your posts and may be short-handed... Zhang Xiu, you will lead the troops to assist Zhong Shaofu in investigating Ganquan Palace."

Liu Bei turned around and instructed, "Fan Chou, go and assist General Ma in investigating Chang'an."

The officials looked at each other, their expressions complex.

Since Liu Bei has dispatched troops, it means he is about to take action.

Liu Bei knew very well that days like the first day of the lunar month and the winter solstice would be seen by many as a good omen for "restoring order and reorganizing the court," and it would be abnormal if nothing happened on such a day.

These days, it's not easy to get everyone together. People who live far apart can be delayed for a month or two just by traveling. We have to rely on special days as a time marker so that everyone can work separately and then gather together on that day.

The winter solstice ceremony to worship Heaven, and the emperor's departure from Chang'an, were their best opportunities.

Han Sui and Ma Teng sent troops to Chang'an, and troops from Hanzhong also marched north. This was all part of a coordinated effort from within and without.

Xia Yu and Zhao Rong originally intended to act as inside agents, but they failed.

After the group comes together, there needs to be a common leader.

In Chang'an, only Yang Biao and Huang Wan were capable of leading multiple parties in this way.

One is a leader of a prominent family that has produced three high-ranking officials for four generations, and the other is the current leader of the Qingliu Party, a distinguished scholar.

Therefore, Liu Bei sent Duan Wei back to Huayin to garrison, thereby threatening Yang Biao and Huang Wan to leave Chang'an as envoys, and incidentally causing Cao Cao and Yuan Shu to fight each other.

Cao Cao was appointed Governor of Yangzhou, Xun Yu was appointed Prefect of Jiujiang, Cao Ang was appointed Magistrate of Shouchun, while Yuan Shu was appointed Prefect of Yingchuan.

Liu Bei understood Yuan Shu—even if Cao Cao did nothing, Yuan Shu would definitely fight Cao Cao.

With both faction leaders, Yang Biao and Huang Wan, absent from Chang'an and Xia Yu quickly subdued, it became difficult for all parties to reunite. Since neither of them was in power, and although their people remained, no one dared to take the lead.

After all, Xia Yu, the ringleader, had already had his head displayed at the south gate of Chang'an, and everyone had seen it.

Therefore, Liu Bei did not launch a large-scale search within Chang'an City, lest he provoke them into a desperate act.

Liu Bei didn't have enough manpower. If he really caused chaos in Chang'an, then the outcome would be uncertain.

The best strategy is to subdue the enemy without fighting; the next best is to disrupt their alliances. Victory without battle is the true path to victory. Only on the day of the sacrificial ceremony, which is now, did Liu Bei send Ma Ridi and Zhong Ji to "investigate"—that is, to let them investigate their own allies.

In other words, it's not too late to switch sides now. Liu Bei hasn't mentioned any crimes, so those who want to change sides should hurry up and do so.

Once this opportunity is gone, it will be gone forever. When Liu Bei has enough men, he will really launch a major purge.

By having Zhang Xiu and Fan Chou lead their troops along the same route, they were letting those who wanted to make a move know how to do it. If they needed to silence witnesses, they could have Zhang Xiu and Fan Chou do it.

Of course, if you still want to cause trouble, now is your last chance.

Therefore, Liu Bei wanted to do this at the city gate, just in case.

All of Liu Bei's troops, along with Liu Xie and others, were outside the south gate of Chang'an, a flat area below the city where the elite armored soldiers could best demonstrate their combat prowess.

Since it is neither in Chang'an City nor in Ganquan Palace, even if the enemy has personnel deployed, it will be ineffective.

Send Zhang Xiu to Ganquan Palace to investigate. Liu Bei can stay here and control the south gate of Chang'an at any time. Moreover, if the situation is really bad, he can escape at any time without being blocked.

Every decision, and every choice of position, has a reason.

……

In fact, the officials all understood Liu Bei's meaning—Liu Bei had already seen the problem, and at this point, it was pointless to cause trouble; it would only result in many deaths.

If someone in a family causes trouble, that entire family will die.

Fan Chou and Zhang Xiu were no saints; if they had the chance to exterminate an entire family, they would have left no one alive, digging up every inch of the land.

Liu Bei minimized the chaos in Chang'an to a minimum; in fact, it could be said that no chaos occurred at all.

Ma Ridi and Zhong Ji conducted separate "investigations" and soon returned, arresting only a few dozen suspicious individuals, claiming that these people were hiding armor and should be executed.

Fan Chou reported that only a few dozen suits of armor were found at the Eastern Residence, and they had all been confiscated. The people arrested were those who had hidden the equipment.

Zhang Xiu also reported that Ganquan Palace was empty and there was nothing unusual.

This is not a lie; if Ma Ridi and Zhong Ji were to investigate their own accomplices, this would naturally be the result.

The so-called thief who hid the equipment was clearly an unlucky guy who failed to escape in time.

This means they no longer intend to take action.

Not taking action is certainly not a crime; at most, it can only be considered a potential hazard—or even not a potential hazard at all.

If we don't act now, we won't have the chance in the future.

"These thieves are hoarding armor... likely intending to harm you all. There's no guarantee that other thieves won't appear."

Liu Bei did not mention any treason, but instead showed concern for the safety of the officials: "You are all pillars of the state. As the prime minister, it is my duty to protect your safety... Zilong, assign two armored guards to each of you as escorts for your carriages, to protect you closely at all times, so that nothing may happen to you."

Since dozens of suspicious individuals hiding armor have been arrested, Liu Bei's decision to send men to protect the safety of his officials is clearly well-intentioned...

Having elite armored soldiers serve as drivers and bodyguards for officials is quite a perk.

Ma Ridi's face twitched for a moment, then he gritted his teeth and bowed in gratitude: "Thank you for your kindness, Prime Minister..."

The officials all bowed and expressed their gratitude.

Yes, there's no reason to object to such benefits; in fact, we should thank the Prime Minister.

At noon, all the officials lined up outside the Taiyi Altar, and no one was absent from the ceremony.

Even Pei Mao, Lai Min, and others who were ill participated, shivering in the cold wind of the winter solstice but not leaving.

Not being absent was, of course, to avoid being purged, since Liu Bei had even arranged for "bodyguards."

Without external support and not daring to fight to the death, they have no choice but to obey.

After the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, Liu Bei reported the military achievements of his generals. Liu Xie then rewarded them on the altar, appointing Fan Chou as General Who Guards the South for his merit in taking Xia Yu's head.

At the same time, Liu Xie issued his first edict, which he personally delivered.

"I was born and raised in the Eastern Capital. I have heard that the Eastern Capital is now in ruins and there is no one living in Henan for hundreds of miles. My heart is filled with sorrow... You gentlemen are all ministers who care about the country. I ask you, are you willing to help me rebuild the Eastern Capital?"

This wasn't something Liu Bei taught him; it was Liu Xie's true thought. Liu Xie asked Liu Bei how to rebuild Luoyang—so Liu Bei instructed him to order officials to donate their property and to "voluntarily" go to Luoyang to carry out the reconstruction work...

Rebuilding Luoyang definitely requires money and manpower.

At this time, asking officials for money and manpower to rebuild Luoyang was indeed effective.

Because nobody wants to have two "bodyguards" constantly by their side.

Only locals like Ma Ridi from the Three Auxiliary Regions were willing to stay in Chang'an; most of the original officials in Luoyang were not from the Three Auxiliary Regions.

Officials of Yang Biao and Huang Wan's caliber could navigate the vortex of Chang'an, but most others didn't have that kind of power...

If one has little power and cannot control the government, then one should seek an opportunity to leave Chang'an.

The outcome of the factional struggle was already obvious. Although Liu Bei hadn't killed many people, all the military leaders were now willing to act according to his instructions, and with "bodyguards" sent by Liu Bei following them closely, the consequences of staying in Chang'an were unpredictable.

Just like during the period of the Party Prohibitions, if you obtained an official position but had no real power, you were mostly destined to be cannon fodder. It was better to return to your hometown and become a famous scholar, at least the local people would still give you some face.

Besides, Dong Zhuo had only given them small sums of money before, which they couldn't even spend, so donating some wouldn't hurt them.

And as long as someone donates money, everyone else will have to donate something in return.

Otherwise, wouldn't it seem disloyal to the emperor?
……

Two days later, on the third day of the eleventh lunar month.

A military messenger arrived on horseback, with a rooster's tail feather stuck in his hair and holding an urgent military intelligence banner in his hand.

These messengers could disregard all etiquette, carrying banners to deliver messages and even being allowed to ride directly into the forbidden area.

The messenger rode straight into Chang'an, rushed into the Northern Residence, and shouted all the way: "Urgent military situation, make way!"

News of Han Sui, Ma Teng, and others advancing their troops officially reached Chang'an.

Its vanguard, Pang De, had already breached Chencang and rapidly advanced to Wuzhangyuan, heading straight for Meiyang. This messenger was from the Meiyang garrison, stationed at the camp by Duan Wei.

Upon hearing the news, Imperial Censor Pei Mao, Vice Minister Lai Min, and others submitted a memorial stating their willingness to go to Luoyang.

They then led a large group of mid- to low-level officials and quickly left Chang'an, seemingly without even packing their belongings...

They weren't really going to rebuild anything; they just wanted to get away from Chang'an.

The number of officials in Chang'an suddenly halved, and they took their servants and retainers with them, resulting in a sudden reduction of one-third of the population in the city.

Once these people leave, the internal hidden dangers will actually be reduced by more than half, or even eliminated altogether.

Because Liu Bei only needed a few people to keep an eye on the remaining 'big shots'.

At this time, Liu Bei still showed no sign of tension. Instead, he submitted a memorial requesting an imperial edict to repair Weiyang Palace...

Of course, everyone in Chang'an had their own thoughts and intentions.

Many people know why Han Sui and Ma Teng came here; it was originally a large-scale networking event, in which many officials were involved.

However, by the time news of Han Sui, Ma Teng, and others' advance arrived, Liu Bei had already completely taken control of the officials in Chang'an, making it impossible for Chang'an to coordinate an attack from within and without.

But with a large army pressing in, Liu Bei still had the mind to repair his house.

It seems that Liu Bei is confident of victory?

　Wishing everyone a prosperous 2026!
　　happy New Year!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)