Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 291 The day Yuan Shu marches north will be the day the Han Dynasty ends!
Shortly afterward, Zhang Liao and his men returned and reported back to Lü Bu about the events.

"What's going on? We brought so many troops, and you just stood by and watched?"

A hundred horsemen broke through the camp? Are you all dead? These bandits have gotten away with their loot again.

Meeting Lü Bu's suppressed rage, Wei Xu spoke first before Zhang Liao could answer.

"General, this is all Zhang Liao's fault!"
On that day, Zhang Liao mentioned the night raid, and both General Cao and I advised against it, but Zhang Liao refused to listen and insisted on sending troops, which led to this disaster.

In order to receive Zhang Liao's defeated troops back to camp, we opened the camp and went out to fight. General Cao fought a bloody battle with the enemy general, but was defeated and died.

This was witnessed by everyone; it was seen by all!

"you"

Seeing that Wei Xu had shifted all the blame onto him without saying a word, Zhang Liao opened his mouth to defend himself.

Unexpectedly, Wei Xu raised his voice and interrupted him!

"What do you mean, 'you'? Do you think you're right?"

Wei Xu glared angrily at Zhang Liao, his words righteous and stern.

"Tell me, was it you who suggested the night raid?"

Didn't General Cao and I try to persuade you?
Are you ignoring advice and insisting on sending troops?
Did your night raid result in a crushing defeat and rout?
Did we open the gate and come out to meet them?

Did General Cao fight a bloody battle with the enemy and die as a result?

"As for what you've said, General Lü is free to verify it in the army; but if there's even the slightest hint of falsehood, please behead me!"

"You scoundrel, how dare you bully me?"

Zhang Liao was so angry that his face turned red, but Wei Xu was also a master at twisting the truth, and he couldn't find a word to refute him.

Seeing that the two were about to argue, Lü Bu slammed his hand on the table and said something.

"enough!
Is this place before me a place for you to quarrel and curse?

Overwhelmed by Lü Bu's imposing presence, the two dared not utter another word.

He first glared coldly at Wei Xu before looking at Zhang Liao.

"Wen Yuan, come and tell me."

What Wei Xu said is true.

Zhang Liao remained silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth and agreed.

"It is true that I underestimated the enemy and advanced recklessly, which led to a great defeat."

only"

"enough!
Zhang Liao, you have disappointed me greatly!

Lu Bu seemed impatient to listen any longer and waved his hand to give the order.

"Get down!"
He himself was to receive twenty strokes of the military rod as a mark of this defeat.

Zhang Liao opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing more, and instead bowed and said:

"The last general takes orders."

Then he turned and left.

When Wei Xu saw Zhang Liao go down to receive his punishment, he immediately grinned and tried to talk to Lü Bu.

"That's right, Zhang Wenyuan is too arrogant. If he had listened to me earlier, my brother Cao wouldn't have died."

However, before he could finish speaking, he saw Lü Bu staring coldly at him.

"Get down!"
You go and get ten strokes too, and beat them alongside Wen Yuan!

Wei Xu was shocked!

"why?
General!

This is Zhang Wenyuan's fault!

However, his response was only a cold remark from Lü Bu: "Twenty strokes!"

Wei Xu was terrified and fled to receive his punishment.

Seeing that the two of them had left, Chen Gongcai, who was standing to the side, advised them:

"General, if you punish Wei Xu like this, I fear he will harbor resentment. We should get rid of him as soon as possible."

Lu Bu waved his hand and laughed, "Sir, you are overthinking it."

This person, who is close to both the family and the household, is usually spoiled. This small punishment serves as a great warning to Wen Yuan.

"And the provisions have been so generous, how can you blame me for just twenty strokes of the military rod?"

"How can a general judge a petty person by the standards of a gentleman?"
If we do not eliminate this problem quickly, it will surely cause disaster!

Lu Bu suddenly turned around and sneered.

“If we kill him now for future reasons, how can we convince the people to accept his actions if he has not committed any major offenses now?”

Sir, do not worry. If things change, how can you withstand a single blow from a halberd?
"I will certainly take his head then, to put your mind at ease."

Seeing that Lü Bu was stubborn and refused to listen to advice, Chen Gong remained silent.

Lu Bu, however, grew angrier and angrier at the defeat, complaining as he thought about it.

"Yuan Gonglu! You've gone too far in bullying me!"
Previously, the titles of General Hai Gong, Zhang Jiao's fourth brother, General Long Gong, and Zhang Jiao's posthumous son were all just names.

Now even General Zhang Jiao has appeared?
"The dead cannot be brought back to life; they've become so arrogant that they don't even bother to act anymore."

"General, please calm down."

Upon seeing this, Chen Gong had no choice but to offer some words of advice.

"The Huainan forces are powerful now, and the general should still exercise restraint. If you anger them now, when their army approaches Xuzhou, I fear you will be unable to withstand the attack alone."

I have recently heard that Lord Yuan intends to declare himself king, which would be a betrayal of the White Horse Alliance and would be condemned by all the lords of the land.

It is expected that the imperial court will take action and will not sit idly by while Yuan Gong declares himself king.

When the two powers clash, one will inevitably be injured. The general's forces are the weakest; if he doesn't want the entire province to surrender, he has no choice but to be more tolerant, playing both sides to secure his future.

"Court?"

Lü Bu scoffed, "I've heard that the court is fighting amongst itself; it's probably too busy to even take care of itself."

As he spoke, he suddenly stopped and looked at Chen Gong with an unprecedentedly strange gaze.

"Gongtai?
Mr!

"If Yuan Shao were to declare himself king this time, and the court were powerless to stop him, do you think it's possible that Bu would also declare himself king?"

"what???"

Chen Gong was shocked!

General, what did you just say? I didn't understand. Could you please say it again?
Seeing that Chen Gong was also amazed by his brilliant idea, Lü Bu smiled and explained it to him.

"Bu has also read some history books."

In the past, when Qin lost its throne, the whole world chased after it.

After Chen Sheng declared himself king, the former nobles or leaders of the rebel armies of the six states each supported another king, and thus everyone stood on a united front, becoming allies in the fight against Qin.

Now that Lord Yuan has declared himself king, if I follow suit, Lord Yuan will surely consider me an ally in the war against Han, and I will stand with him on the opposite side of the court.

They will certainly not attack us, and Xuzhou will be preserved.

Chen Gong: “.” (Scratching his head)
How should I put it? Why is it that the general's extremely outrageous idea actually sounds like it makes a tiny bit of sense?

Now that Lord Yuan is powerful, if we follow him in declaring himself king and stand on the united front as allies, we will indeed not have to worry about being attacked in the short term.

but.
Chen Gong thought about it briefly and then shook his head in dissuasion.

"General, this plan may save you for a while, but it is hard to guarantee its long-term success."

As the saying goes, "If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold." If we help Lord Yuan now, and he destroys the court, then you and I will be the next to perish.

If your reputation is somewhat better, General, you might be able to become Yuan Gong's godfather and enjoy wealth and honor.

But given the precedent of Dong Zhuo and the past events of Liu Bei, how could Lord Yuan spare the general's life?

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu's face darkened with displeasure, and he coldly replied.

"Bu Yan claimed to be king and was in the same party as Yuan Gonglu, but he did not say that he would help him."

This thief is insatiably greedy. He has repeatedly sent troops disguised as Yellow Turbans to plunder coastal camps. We haven't even settled accounts with him yet.

This was merely a temporary pretense, a feigned alliance, so that his next primary objective would be to attack the imperial court.

While they are locked in a fierce battle, we can sit back and watch the two sides fight, and then we can reap the benefits.

Chen Gong: "." How should I put it?

So, this could be considered my previously planned strategy of playing both sides, right? Probably?

In recent years, after taking charge of Xuzhou and indulging in wealth and pleasure, General Lü has become increasingly unwilling to listen to advice, which has left him somewhat exhausted.

"Since the general has made his decision, and there are still government affairs to attend to in the palace, I will take my leave now."

Meanwhile, in Luoyang.

The fire that engulfed the city burned through the night, and the people, like weeds, once again struggled to survive in this capital city filled with ashes and ruins.

After the army swept through the entire city and stormed into the palace with unstoppable momentum.

The following day, Dong Cheng and his entire family of over a hundred were executed on the execution ground for allegedly colluding with Yuan Shikai. The blood that sprayed as the heads fell, their eyes wide open in disbelief, almost staining the long street red.

Even Consort Dong, who was trembling in the emperor's arms, could not escape death. She was forcibly dragged out of the emperor's arms by armored soldiers and carried to the execution ground.

On the third day, most of the Western Garden Commandants appointed by the emperor, including Wu Zilan and Wang Zifu, were executed.

In front of Liu Bei, Cao Cao appointed Che Zhou as his deputy general and ordered a group of Cao and Xiahou clan members to serve as colonels, thus seizing all of Liu Bei's power.

Cao Cao warmly took Liu Bei's hand and asked him the question.

"Does Xuande have any objections to this arrangement?"

"As the commander of the Western Garden, if you have any suitable candidates, feel free to recommend them; Cao Cao will always comply."

Liu Bei, his clothes soaked with sweat, hurriedly replied:
“These are all traitors who colluded with Yuan Shikai. I wish I could kill them with my own hands. How could I possibly object?”

"I will obey your orders, but I have only one request, and I hope Mengde will grant it."

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao's eyes narrowed, a hidden murderous intent flashing within them, yet he still smiled.

"Oh? What is it you wish to ask? Xuande, please tell me."

"I only beg Prime Minister Cao not to take my house."

Many of the vegetables in this house have been planted for several days and will soon be ready for harvest.

Liu Bei said this with an embarrassed look on his face, and Cao Cao couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Why worry about this?"
Cao Cao will not only not take your house, but will also give you a large garden for you to grow vegetables.

"The last time we feasted over wine, the dishes were exceptionally fresh. When will Cao Cao be able to drink with Xuande again?"

"really?"

Liu Bei feigned excitement and hurriedly replied.

"If that is so, it will be enough to satisfy my life. If it is fruit or vegetables, I will definitely present the first fresh batch to Lord Cao."

"Xuande worked hard to plant these, how could Cao Cao eat them for nothing?"
Let us set out wine and water, and discuss with Xuande the heroes of the world.

As the two chatted and laughed, Cao Cao took Liu Bei's hand and together they went to watch Wang Zifu and others being punished. The Han officials angrily rebuked Liu Bei:

"His Majesty calls you Imperial Uncle and entrusts you with important matters. Now you have followed the rebels. How can you claim to be benevolent and virtuous?"

Liu Bei remained silent for a moment, then personally tried to snatch the swords.

“You treacherous ministers, colluding with Yuan Shikai to betray the country, plotting to assassinate the Chancellor of Han, what do you have to say now?”

"I should execute him on behalf of the Prime Minister."

Cao Cao smiled and stopped him, offering words of comfort.

"How dare a few treacherous officials defile Xuande's hands?"

After saying this, he ordered the executioners to kill all the wives, children, and elderly people in the entire clan.

On the long street, the bloodstains from yesterday, still wet, are red again today.

A short while later, after Liu Bei had left, Xun You advised him, saying:

"Liu Bei has always harbored great ambitions. Although he has now submitted, I fear he may still harbor ulterior motives. Why doesn't the Prime Minister take this opportunity to eliminate him?"

Cao Cao glanced at him and said indifferently.

"The imperial edict in the belt is gone."

"what?"

Seeing that Xun You still didn't understand the situation, Cao Cao sighed and explained it to him.

"We searched the palace and the city, and the residences of Liu Yao and Dong Cheng, and found out everything, but we couldn't find the imperial edict in the belt!"
Do you know what Liu Yao's expression was when he was tortured and forced to reveal the imperial edict hidden in his belt?

He looked at me like I was a dead man, a prisoner with a bloodied face, laughing maniacally as if he had won and I was the loser.

"how is this possible?"

Xun You also found it strange, "The entire city of Luoyang is now in our hands. We have searched the entire palace. How could we not find it?"

Do you know what I'm most afraid of right now?

I'm afraid that the fabricated charge of colluding with Yuan Shikai that we made up against them will actually be true!
If the imperial edict falls into Yuan Gonglu's hands, coupled with our forceful attack on the capital, which implicates Han officials in the court, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Isn't that a bit much?"

Perhaps there are still hidden Han officials who haven't been caught yet; a further investigation might uncover them.

After all, Yuan Gonglu was a rebel who had declared himself king; how could these loyal Han officials, who were wholeheartedly devoted to restoring the Han dynasty, possibly conspire with him?

"Maybe."

Cao Cao shook his head. "We're worrying about defeat before we're worrying about victory. Once Liu Yao and Liu Biao have their mouths cleaned, it will be their turn."

If Liu Bei is killed, all three members of the Han imperial family will be dead and unable to testify. If someone were to produce the imperial edict in the future, wouldn't that confirm the name of the Han traitor and cause the court to lose its righteousness?

Keeping Liu Bei around has its uses; his reputation will ensure that even if Yuan Gonglu actually produces the imperial edict in the future.

"When people see someone as benevolent and virtuous as Liu Bei, they are all willing to support us. This will allow them to distinguish between the loyal and the treacherous."

Xun You, upon hearing this, exclaimed in admiration, "Excellent!"

Cao Cao laughed and said:

"This is Dezu's plan, which is exactly the same as Cao Cao's strategy."

In the following days, Cao Cao's army continued to conduct a thorough search of all officials in Luoyang. If anyone was found to have frequently participated in Liu Yao's gatherings, their entire family would be dragged to the execution ground and beheaded on charges of colluding with Yuan Shao.

The blood on the execution street was washed again and again, but it could never be washed away completely.

On this day, in Cao Cao's study.

Xun Yu bowed deeply and remained kneeling.

"Ming Gong.

Isn't that enough?

Cao Cao looked at him and smiled, "Wenruo, you've finally decided to come see me?"

"So many people have already lost their heads because of your ambition, and the blood on Ximen Street will not dry for days!"

Is it not enough?

They have been terrified, and there is no one left to help the Emperor or defy your will, yet you are still not satisfied?

Cao Cao merely glanced at him coldly and uttered a single sentence.

"not enough.

My mind is made up. There can only be one voice in Luoyang. Only absolute control can gather all the strength to resist the two Yuan brothers.

This is a necessary sacrifice to restore the Han Dynasty!
If these people continue to harbor their own ulterior motives and sinister intentions, then it won't just be these so-called Han officials who die, but also you and me, and even the emperor!
In the eyes of that man in Huainan, he wouldn't tolerate the emperor living even a single day!

"Incomprehensible!"

Xun Yu met Cao Cao's gaze with anger and said, "Does everyone think that as long as they shout 'Support the Han Dynasty,' they can excuse their atrocities?"
If only Liu Yao, Dong Cheng, and others were killed, the remaining Han officials could be gradually won over and made to work together for the country.

"Your Excellency, are you so eager to execute Han officials today? Is it to restore the Han dynasty, or to eliminate dissidents?"

"If you don't break, you won't stand!"

Cao Cao met his gaze with a stern look!
"The atrocities you speak of are precisely the means by which I restore the Han Dynasty!"
Only by eradicating all these hindrances can I expand my army without restraint and make all my troops obey my commands.

Only by ransacking their homes and slaughtering countless people can I afford the military expenses and provisions to wage war against Yuan Shu!

As Cao Cao spoke, he stood up and walked one step at a time to Xun Yu.

"You're asking me if that's not enough?"
But I have a question for you!
Don't you understand?
Since Zhang Jiao raised the Yellow Heaven Banner, all eight provinces of the world have rebelled, and all the towns have raised their own private armies.

The Han Dynasty was already a mere shell of its former self!

All the feudal lords in the world were vying for the throne, and the one with the strongest army and the most powerful horses would win!
"If it weren't for my atrocities today, the day Yuan Shu marches north tomorrow would be the day the Han Dynasty ends!"

(End of this chapter)