Chapter 145 Playing with birds is a popular thing

Wang Jing turned his gaze towards Liu Bei and said calmly, "Do you know why the Party Imprisonment Disaster started? The so-called eunuchs' monopoly of power is just a superficial phenomenon. The core is that the aristocratic families are becoming more and more powerful and want to compete with the Han Dynasty for power. After the previous emperor ascended the throne, he felt that the powerful families in the world were difficult to control, so he had to rely on the eunuchs in the palace to balance the court."

After hearing Wang Jing's analysis of the current political situation, Liu Bei suddenly became enlightened, and his blocked brain seemed to open up in an instant.

Such knowledge of the mind of an emperor was often a secret of the royal family in ancient times. Although Liu Bei was a member of the royal family, he came from a poor family and was not trained to be a crown prince, so he had no access to these knowledge.

Although Guan Yu and Zhang Fei wanted to refute, they felt that Wang Jing's words made sense.

It is common sense that eunuchs are bad people.

But then Wang Jing showed them how the aristocratic families instilled this so-called "common sense" into everyone through their control of the right to speak.

Every word Wang Jing said was a wake-up call to the three of them.

Especially when Wang Jing mentioned the aristocratic families' annexation of land in local prefectures and counties, they were deeply touched because they themselves had encountered similar things!
They couldn’t figure out the reason before, but now that Wang Jingyi explained it, they immediately knew the whole cause and effect, and were deeply shocked.

Especially Liu Bei, he was extremely ambitious and unwilling to live a mediocre life.

Wang Jing's remarks simply opened a door to a new world for him: "Emperor Shizu relied on the power of local tyrants and was helped by the will of heaven to finally defeat Wang Mang and restore the Han Dynasty. But this also laid the roots of the current situation. Over the past two hundred years, the aristocratic families have become increasingly powerful, and their power has already shaken the Han Dynasty and threatened the imperial power."

"The Yellow Turban Rebellion was both a natural disaster and a man-made one. The wealthy families in various places annexed lands one after another, and the poor had no place to live, so they could only rebel. And suppressing the rebellion consumed the power of the royal family. The late emperor was afraid that the country would fall into the hands of people with other surnames, so he did not hesitate to select the best among the royal family and enfeoff them in all directions. Even if they were rebellious and wanted to divide the land and make them kings, he would not hesitate. At least if there is chaos in the future, at least there are people with the surname Liu who can shoulder the burden and revive the Han Dynasty for the third time."

Wang Jing looked at Liu Bei and stared at him deeply: "Now do you understand who the enemy of the Han Dynasty is?"

"This……"

Liu Bei was speechless after being rebuked by Wang Jing, and finally lowered his head in shame.

He has always believed in Confucianism and thought that the country was in trouble because of the villains around the emperor. Therefore, he joined the alliance of princes this time in order to purge the emperor's side.

In the end, it was Wang Jing who cracked the key.

The power of aristocratic families and wealthy clans expanded, the interests of the royal family continued to shrink, and the tax base of the court was destroyed, which led to chaos in the world.

What Liu Bei was doing now could not save the Han Dynasty, but was helping the tyrant. After all, Liu Bei was born in the royal family, no different from other princes, so he was broken by Wang Jing's words.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were helpless. It would have been fine if they couldn't beat the other party, but now they couldn't even reason with them. They felt so aggrieved. But they were helpless.

"How about you three brothers, do you plan to surrender to the imperial court?"

Liu Bei stood up from the ground upon hearing the voice, looked Wang Jing in the eye seriously, and asked him, "Marquis Qi, are you really a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty?"

Facing Liu Bei's questioning, Wang Jing smiled casually: "To test jade, you need to burn it for three days, and to identify the material, you need to wait for seven years. Zhou Gong was afraid of rumors, and Wang Mang was humble before he usurped the throne. If I had died at the beginning, who would know the truth about my life? Who can guarantee the future? Do you want me to swear on the Luo River? At least now, everything I do is for the Han people and their country."

Wang Jing said this with a clear conscience.

However, in his eyes, the Yanhan Dynasty was the empire of the Han people, not the empire of the Liu family.

If the existence of the Han Dynasty can bring peace to the world and prosperity again, then Wang Jing is willing to maintain the rule of the Han Dynasty.

But if not, Wang Jing would not be merciful because of his personal moral obsession.

Although he was not convinced in his heart, Liu Bei himself had to admit that compared with the ambitious Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, and the tyrannical Dong Zhuo, Wang Jing's actions in Luoyang in the past two years were indeed impeccable.

Although Wang Jing had his own army and was powerful, he did not control the government and exclude dissidents like Dong Zhuo did.

On the contrary, Wang Jing has been cracking down on bandits, stabilizing social order, promoting agricultural production, and opening schools to educate the people so that civilians can read and write.

Compared with the old party which was in a state of decadence, the new party was almost entirely composed of officials who were willing to do practical work, such as encouraging people to engage in agriculture and sericulture, developing water conservancy projects, enforcing laws and regulations, and cracking down on the powerful.

Some people speak in high-sounding terms, but when asked what practical things they have done for the people, they remain silent.

But Wang Jing is different. Everything he does is real and he is not afraid of being seen.

It was precisely because of this that Wang Jing could have a clear conscience. Although Liu Bei did not get the answer he wanted, after weighing the pros and cons in his mind, he still bowed to Wang Jing and expressed his submission: "Bei, I am willing to surrender."

Wang Jing knew that Liu Bei was surrendering to the imperial court, not to the Northern Army, so he did not call Wang Jing "Lord". However, Wang Jing did not care about this. As long as Liu Bei was obedient and could do his job, he would be a good tool. It did not matter whether he was called the boss or not. Outsourced employees were also employees after all, and they did not have to pay for social security or five insurances and one fund. It was simply wonderful.

Therefore, Wang Jing did not feel any resentment at all. Instead, he smiled and patted the dust off Liu Bei's shoulders, saying warmly: "Xuan De, please don't be polite. From now on, we are all family members."

Capturing Liu Bei is equivalent to capturing Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, two top-notch generals at the same time. This is also an unexpected surprise and deserves great celebration.

On the way back, Wang Jing ordered his men to properly settle the three brothers Liu, Guan and Zhang.

Li Ru came secretly and suggested that Wang Jing kill Liu Bei, the hidden dragon: "My lord, Liu Bei has great ambitions and extraordinary spirit. He has such peerless generals as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei serving him. I am afraid he will not surrender sincerely. He will become a great threat to my lord in the future."

Others may not know how great Liu Bei's potential is, but how could Wang Jing, who is familiar with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, not know it?
But Wang Jing just smiled at Li Ru's suggestion, waved his hand and said: "It doesn't matter, there is no absolute loyalty in this world. The sword has two edges, it can hurt oneself, and it can also kill the enemy. The result depends on how the person holding the sword uses it. And I have absolute confidence that I can completely control Liu Bei's peerless sword in my hands."

Wang Jing planned to try first to see if he could dig up Liu Bei's foundation.

After all, brave generals like Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are hard to find in the world, especially Guan Yu, a man even Cao Cao couldn't eat or sleep for. How could Wang Jing be willing not to bring them under his command?

After returning to Hulao Pass, Wang Jing held a celebration banquet and rewarded the three armies.

The good news soon reached Luoyang. The 220,000-strong coalition army of the princes, with a large number of soldiers and generals and an overwhelming crowd, was defeated by Wang Jing with only 20,000 people.

When the result of this battle came out, Luoyang was shocked, and the whole world was shocked!
In the Taifu Mansion, when Yuan Wei heard the news, his head was buzzing and he almost fainted: "How could we lose? How could we lose!"

This result was a huge blow to him.

"The plans of several generations of the Runan Yuan family have all gone to waste."

Yuan Wei, who was already old and frail, was now completely dispirited, and looked as if he was about to die.

If it weren't for his unfathomable spiritual cultivation and the fact that he was one of the three great Confucian masters, perhaps his heart would have been shattered by this blow.

Although in Yuan Wei's eyes, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu were both "rebellious sons" of the Yuan family, their actions actually caused internal divisions within the Runan Yuan family.

However, Yuan Wei still had some expectations for the coalition forces of the eighteen princes, believing that they could serve as military support for the old party, thereby restraining Wang Jing and ensuring the old party's voice in the court.

But the idea is beautiful, but the reality is very bleak.

More than 200,000 people were defeated by 20,000 people and fled in disgrace. It was simply shameful!
The key point is that this defeat dealt a heavy blow to the prestige of the Yuan family of Runan among the literati and Confucianists. Perhaps many people within the New Party will be shaken by the result of this battle.

Yuan Yin happened to be standing next to him. He did not understand the political significance of this battle, so he was puzzled: "Father, although Benchu ​​and Gonglu were defeated, they did not lose all their capital. The main force of the coalition army was only scattered, not completely wiped out. They can still regroup and fight again later. Why did father say that our Yuan family has been defeated?"

Yuan Wei sighed and explained the intricacies of the situation to Yuan Yin: "The coalition forces were defeated, and the opportunity to enter Luoyang and command the world has been lost. In addition, there is the chaotic situation of the princes fighting for hegemony. Even if our Yuan family has made plans in advance, once this great struggle begins, how can we be sure of victory? If we fail, there will be no place for the Yuan family in the world."

The dangers of war and killing are completely unpredictable. So what if you are from the number one family?
The Yuan family of Runan has already lost control of the overall situation in the world.

If you are a leader who can't control the situation, who would be willing to listen to your orders?

This battle outside Hulao Pass exposed the biggest weakness of the Yuan family in Runan - insufficient military strength.

What you can’t get on the battlefield, you can’t get at the negotiating table either. Now that the Old Party has lost the support of the coalition of princes, how can it suppress the Old Party in the court in the future?

Yuan Kui was so worried about this that he could not sleep at night and had no appetite until Wang Jing returned to the capital and led the main force of the Northern Army to the Dongguo Camp in Luoyang. On this day, the people of Luoyang gathered in Dongguo, the outer city.

There are tens of thousands of soldiers from Luoyang in the Northern Army. They have strict military discipline and therefore have a very good reputation. The people regard them as the king's army. Now that they have returned victorious, the people naturally line the streets to welcome them.

Flowers paved the road, cheers were deafening, and people came rushing to congratulate him, expressing their wholehearted support for Wang Jing's "rule".

After all, there is no harm without comparison. The residents of Luoyang, who have experienced Dong Zhuo's chaotic rule, are obviously very satisfied with Wang Jing's governance of the Luoyang area.

As for the aristocratic families whose interests were damaged, the common people didn't care, and many people even applauded in secret.

Li Ru rode his horse and walked behind Wang Jing. It was a rare treat for him. Seeing the enthusiastic citizens of Luoyang around him, he could not help but sigh and said, "He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world, and the hearts of the people of Luoyang have all gone to the lord."

Somehow, Li Ru thought of Dong Zhuo, and he felt even more sad: "If the Grand Master had such popular support, why would he be afraid of the siege by the princes of Guandong?"

In Li Ru's opinion, Wang Jing's foundation in Luoyang is as solid as Mount Tai, and the situation is very good. The situation is much better than that of the Western Liang Army at that time.

What Dong Zhuo had tried his best to do but failed to do, Wang Jing accomplished so easily.

Li Ru secretly felt lucky that he had changed jobs early. Now that he had met a wise leader, as long as he worked hard, why would he worry about not being granted a title or becoming a prime minister in the future?

Li Ru, who was extremely eager for fame and fortune, looked at Wang Jingwei's tall and straight back with his eyes becoming completely fanatical.

Soon, Emperor Liu Xie also personally led people to the Dongyang Gate to congratulate the Northern Army on their great victory. When he faced Wang Jing, he greeted him with a smile: "Marquis Qi, you have worked hard."

"It is my duty as a minister to share your majesty's worries and serve the court. How can I say it is hard work?"

Wang Jing dismounted from his horse and accompanied Liu Xie in performing a drama of harmony between the monarch and his subjects in front of the people. Regardless of whether the two were sincere or not, Liu Xie needed Wang Jing's protection at the moment, and Wang Jing also needed the righteousness that Liu Xie provided for the Northern Army, so cooperation was inevitable.

Compared to the aristocratic forces represented by the Old Party, which only thought about how to divide up all the interests of the imperial family, at least Wang Jing's eating habits were much more attractive.

Wang Jing and Liu Xiezuo rode in the imperial carriage and drove through Dongyang Gate and into the inner city.

Suddenly, a melodious sound of piano rang in my ears, and the music sounded like the sound of flowing water in the mountains.

Listening carefully, the sound of the piano turned into the soft singing of a phoenix, noble and sacred, cleansing the soul. For a moment, Wang Jing seemed to feel that all the worries in his heart disappeared, leaving only peace and joy, and his whole body was relaxed.

Although he didn't see the person, just by hearing the sound of the piano, Wang Jing knew who was playing this magical song.

Sure enough, when he looked up, he saw a familiar figure on a colorfully painted vermilion pavilion beside Tianjie Road. It was Cai Yan.

Slender fingers gently pluck the strings.

The beautiful melody touches people's heartstrings.

Wang Jing felt warm in his heart, and then he silently practiced his profound skills, using the Gengjin Qi as his roots and bones, the Xinjin Qi as his flesh and blood, and the power of thought to give it a shape. He raised his hand to the sky and blasted out a ball of Danyu Holy Flame with a surging aura.

The divine fire shot straight into the sky and transformed into a lifelike phoenix!

There is a swan in front, a unicorn behind, a snake head, a fish tail, dragon patterns, a turtle body, a swallow chin, a chicken beak, and parallel wings.

The head carries virtue, the top of the head is lifted up, the back carries benevolence, the heart holds loyalty, the wings hold trust, and the feet walk on righteousness.

Its sound is like the sound of bells and harps, sometimes clear and vast, sometimes majestic and magnificent. The feathers on its body are colorful, and its light is bright, illuminating the universe!

The phoenix transformed from Yuan Qi and Si Neng spread its wings and flew high along with Cai Yan's "Phoenix Feather Fairy Music". The soft power of the holy flame exuded infinite vitality, attracting hundreds of birds to follow.

Such a strange sight of hundreds of birds paying homage to the phoenix naturally caused the people to exclaim in admiration.

"Small bells, big drums. They don't peck at the grass, and the five colors are ready to rise. When they fly, the birds follow them. When they come out, the king's rule is peaceful and the country is ruled by the Way!"

"The Phoenix has descended upon the world. This is a good omen!"

"Long live His Majesty! Long live the Marquis Qi!"

The common people were all cheering for joy. The ducks know first when the river water warms in spring. They were at the bottom of the imperial family, and therefore they were the people in the world who most longed for the return of prosperity.

After all, the world has been in a bad state in recent years, and the ones who suffer the most are the lower-class people like them.

The wealthy families exploited us, the powerful families bullied us, the imperial court squeezed us, the soldiers passed by like combs, the bandits passed by like rakes, with one bad thing after another, our lives were basically never going smoothly.

Now that they have finally seen hope, they naturally wholeheartedly support Wang Jing and the Northern Army.

The people's hearts were won over, and the power of thought surged in. The Destiny Emperor Star in Wang Jing's sea of ​​consciousness became brighter and brighter. It was worth his efforts to create such a strange phenomenon.

Wang Jing used his thoughts as a string, and like flying a kite, he controlled the divine bird Phoenix in the sky and began to circle around Luoyang.

Liu Xie, who was sitting on the side of the imperial carriage, was shocked: "In just ten days, Marquis Qi's cultivation has improved again!"

Even Wang Yue, the imperial teacher who was accompanying Liu Xie to guard him, was secretly amazed at this moment: "This method of manipulating Yuan Qi is really mysterious and incomparable. Compared with the Taoist method of controlling Yuan Ling, it is probably not much inferior."

Wang Jing maintained this for a full hour, until the mental energy in his body was exhausted, then he suddenly clenched his fist and detonated the Danyu Holy Flame in the body of the divine bird Phoenix.

Boom~
Above the sky, the wings of the divine bird Phoenix turned into infinite brilliance and then fell like raindrops.

Those who were fortunate enough to bathe in the holy light all felt rejuvenated within their bodies.

Ordinary people no longer suffer from back pain or leg pain, and they have more energy to swing their hoes.

Even some men with unspeakable secrets suddenly felt a surge of Yang energy in their bodies, and they could now lift things that they couldn't lift before, and their backs straightened instantly.

"Phoenix Blessing! This is the Phoenix Blessing!"

The Danyu Holy Flame is full of vitality. Wang Jing’s current level of cultivation has not reached the level of reviving the dead, but he can easily cure some minor injuries and illnesses.

However, ordinary people in the imperial dynasty lacked medical care and medicine, and could only bear the illness on their own even if they were sick. Therefore, Zhang Jue was able to rely on the Taoist method of curing illnesses with talismans and water to launch the Yellow Turban Rebellion that shook the foundation of the imperial dynasty's rule.

Now, Wang Jing is also following suit and using this method to rally the people’s hearts.

Although it was a lot of effort, the rewards were huge, as evidenced by the constant influx of mental energy.

Wang Jing returned victoriously, and successfully won a large number of people's hearts and reputation by showing strange visions and auspicious signs at Dongyang Gate. At this time, his power in Luoyang was no less than that of Dong Zhuo in the past.

After the coalition forces formed by the eighteen princes suffered a great defeat, the voices opposing Wang Jing in the court almost completely disappeared.

Wang Jing also took the opportunity to form and expand his own political faction, cultivate his followers, and do what only "powerful officials" would do - forming a clique for personal gain.

The term "forming a clique for personal gain" sounds unpleasant to the ear, but if you want to get things done, you cannot be politically obsessed. No matter how honest and upright a person is, there is a limit to what he can do.

Therefore, throughout history, both in China and abroad, those who want to carry out reforms have all formed cliques for personal gain and excluded dissidents.

Wang Jing had no intention of being an "honest official", so he directly sought out Wang Yun and Xun Shuang to discuss important matters, intending to bring these enlightened aristocratic families together to share the cake.

(End of this chapter)