Chapter 22 To suppress the Xiliang Army, Liu Bian summoned the generals!

Liu Bian would choose to agree, but he had no choice but to agree!
The Xiliang Army acted recklessly to depose and enthrone the emperor. Even with an army of more than 100,000, it was impossible for him to kill them all. However, this was a case of treason and deceiving the emperor. The Xiliang Army generals and other main culprits cannot escape blame and must be severely punished!

Liu Bian can pardon them, but this pardon cannot be proposed by them on their own initiative, and it cannot be proposed in this way of negotiation!
This made Liu Bian feel threatened and dissatisfied!
But Liu Bian also knew that even if he currently possessed a strong force, and even if he could make changes in secret and completely destroy the Xiliang army's plan to abolish and establish the throne, it would be tantamount to a reversal!
But! ! !

After all, the Xiliang Army has more than 100,000 soldiers!
The 40,000 to 50,000 soldiers and horses that had gathered were the troops of the Xiliang Army stationed in the imperial city and the palace. In addition, the soldiers and horses guarding the capital and the eight passes of Luoyang had not all returned to support them.

If an army of 100,000 were to gather together, Liu Bian’s current strength would obviously be too weak!

Even though Cao Zhengchun, Qinglong and other four commanders are highly skilled in martial arts. Even though the factory guards are loyal and can fight to the death until the last moment. Even though the black armor army led by Qin Qiong can fight ten enemies at once.

If Liu Bian wants to fight to the death with the Xiliang Army, he can do it with this force!

but! !! !!

Two dogs fight, play off!
Liu Bian was happy to settle scores and fight to the death with the Xiliang army. But this would only benefit the aristocratic families and the forces hidden in the dark such as Yuan Wei!
This is not the result Liu Bian wants to see!
As a qualified king who had received sixteen years of higher education, Liu Bian deeply understood what politics is!

The so-called politics is to make more friends and fewer enemies!
After all, he has too few "friends" now, or his power is still too weak!
His strength is still too weak!
Precisely because they were too weak, they needed to plot and plan carefully, starting from assassinating Dong Zhuo and leaving the Xiliang army leaderless, and they had to move forward cautiously and carefully at every step.

Precisely because they were too weak, they needed to borrow the power of the Five Schools of the Northern Army. Qin Qiong persuaded Zhang Liao to surrender, making the Five Schools of the Northern Army a surprise force that turned the tide of the battle!
Precisely because they are too weak, they are unable to sweep away the enemy with overwhelming force, and they have to worry about gains and losses all the time, as if they are walking on the edge of a knife, which is full of dangers.

Just like now, an unexpected internal conflict in the five schools of the Northern Army disrupted their plans.

Who was behind the scenes opposing Liu Bian? Did they want to stop the five schools of the Northern Army from coming to the rescue of the emperor? Did they want to prevent the five schools of the Northern Army from interfering with the dethronement and enthronement of the Western Liang Army?

Is it Yuan Wei?
Is it a noble family?
Actually it doesn’t matter!

The most important thing is that Liu Bian is too weak!

So that others can take advantage of it!
Even if you are unwilling, what does it matter? A mature politician needs to judge the situation and choose to attack or give up!
Even a strong man like Li Shimin had to endure humiliation and sign the "Weishui Alliance" with Jie Li when faced with the Turkic forces who took the opportunity to invade after the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

However, the Weishui Alliance prevented the Tang Dynasty from fighting under unfavorable conditions, stabilized the situation, and bought time for developing the economy and accumulating strength. It was an important turning point in the change of strength between the Tang Dynasty and the Turks.

If Li Shimin had acted rashly and taken revenge, would there still be the Zhenguan Reign? !
Retreating is to prepare for a more powerful attack!

Thinking of this, Liu Bian suddenly felt that he had a deeper understanding of political thought, and he decided to stay out of the spotlight for the time being!

"Rumble--"

When Liu Bian was about to issue an imperial decree to pardon the Xiliang army's crimes, a strong vibration suddenly broke out, like a dragon rolling on the ground, making everyone present look horrified. They guessed that this was the sound of a large army entering the palace!

what happened? !
Is there another accident?!
Are the reinforcements from Xiliang Army coming? !

Or did the five schools of the Northern Army finally come up with a result after racking their brains? !
Everyone was shocked!!!

This army determines the direction of the war!
Liu Bian's eyebrows slightly raised, but soon calmed down, because Zhuque first got the specific information from a Jinyiwei.

“Your Majesty, after Xuanwu noticed the internal strife among the five schools of the Northern Army at Yongmen, he decisively went to the north side of Xiamen and Gumen to open the city gates for Zhu Jun, the cavalry captain who was attacking the city. It was Zhu Jun who led the cavalry and marched straight into the palace!
"According to the preliminary estimates of the Jinyiwei spies, Zhu Jun has about 6,000 to 7,000 soldiers and horses, and they are decisively attacking Chongde Palace!"

Xuanwu disguised himself as "Wu Qiong, the captain of the city gate". It was with his help from inside and outside that Zhang Liao and Qin Qiong were able to break through the Yong Gate on the west side without bloodshed and march straight into the palace. Yong Gate also opened the way for the five schools of the Northern Army behind.

Seeing the five schools of the Northern Army fighting for power and killing each other outside Yongmen, Xuanwu decisively gave up Yongmen and headed straight to Xiamen and Gumen on the north. Zhang Liao's intelligence of breaking through Yongmen only ordered the five schools of the Northern Army to divide their troops to Yongmen, instead of sending out the entire army.

After all, if the military intelligence was false, moving back and forth would only lead to missed opportunities!

The generals of the five schools of the Northern Army were all experienced generals, especially Zhu Jun, the Cavalry Captain, who was one of the three great generals of the late Han Dynasty. During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he made great contributions in pacifying various places and stabilizing the overall situation. He was a truly loyal and patriotic general.

Xuanwu's plan was obviously to "make a feint to the east and attack the west" and then "turn the tables" - when the five schools of the Northern Army attacked the northern city gate, they made a feint to the east and attacked the west and then turned to attack the western city gate. Now that the situation at the western city gate was unclear, they turned the tables and attacked the northern city gate.

With the help of Xuanwu, who was disguised as "City Gate Captain Wu Qiong", Zhu Jun easily broke through the north city gate and led his troops straight in. At this critical moment, he reached the Chongde Hall of the Imperial Palace.

Liu Bian nodded slightly, which made him feel relieved!

The forces under his command are not rigid NPCs who only know how to follow procedures, but living people who can judge the situation, seek benefits and avoid harm, have their own joys and sorrows, and naturally have quick wits.

Xuanwu's prompt response this time created Zhu Jun's surprise force!
This also made Liu Bian have different ideas!

Zhu Jun's army was not large, perhaps only 6,000 or 7,000, but with such an army, the already cautious Xiliang army would be even more cautious. Not to mention that Lu Bu and other Bingzhou troops were standing by and watching, which was also a big surprise.

At this time, Liu Bian could use the same trick to force out the mastermind behind the second forced dethronement by the Xiliang Army -

Point the blade at Taifu Yuan Wei, the mastermind behind this!
While Liu Bian was considering the pros and cons, Zhu Jun led his army to the gate of Chongde Hall. He glanced at the formation of the Western Liang Army, as well as the small number of infantrymen including Qin Qiong, the Xuanjia Army, Zhang Liao, etc. who were surrounded in it, and guessed the situation of both sides!

Zhu Jun immediately ordered a change in formation, with sword and shield soldiers and spearmen in the front, forming a copper wall and iron fortress, with spears like a forest, exuding a breathtaking momentum. In the middle, the crossbowmen were ready to go, and the cavalry on both sides were ready to attack at any time.

In the blink of an eye, when the Xiliang army was facing a formidable enemy, the cavalry camp changed its formation without moving, from the original forced march formation to a defensive and offensive formation.

This scene made the Xiliang army somewhat fearful!

As experienced soldiers, they could tell at a glance that Zhu Jun's troops were elite. Perhaps their equipment was not as good as that of the Black Armor Army, Flying Bear Army and other armored cavalry, but their strict and commanding response highlighted their well-trained character!

An army, united by battle formations, can exert a terrifying team force. It is like the difference between "a rope" and "a pile of loose sand", the results are completely different!
Zhu Jun's army may only have 6,000 or 7,000 soldiers, but they are well-trained and disciplined, showing that they work well together and are elite troops. And their commander, Zhu Jun, is a talented general who is good at fighting!

How could the Xiliang Army not be afraid? !
Facing Zhu Jun's army was none other than the phalanx of Yang Feng, the former general of the Baibo Army. He secretly thought it was bad luck!

Damn Zhu Jun, he didn't choose to confront other generals, but instead chose their Baibo Army formation, fuck you!

But Yang Feng had to change his formation immediately.

After all, they initially formed an encirclement against Qin Qiong and other Xuanjia troops in the center. Now Zhu Jun led his troops to attack from the north, which meant they were facing the enemy from behind. This was a very dangerous situation, so they naturally needed to change their formation!
However, at this moment, Qin Qiong also gave the order!

"Crash-"

The fully armed cavalry "Black Armor Army" divided their troops to confront Yang Feng's phalanx. Furthermore, they seemed to be coordinating with Zhu Jun's troops tacitly, forming a pincer attack on Yang Feng's phalanx from the front and back.

This put Yang Feng's phalanx under great pressure, and they had to confront each other. But if the commander is good, he can take everything into consideration. But if the commander is not good, he will lose sight of the big picture and be in a difficult situation!
Yang Feng suddenly felt a great pressure, and he looked around and saw that the Xiliang army generals were still hesitating. Only Xu Rong led his troops to confront them, but Zhang Liao also ordered his new soldiers to change their formation and prepare for battle.

Because Zhu Jun led his army to attack, their encirclement of Qin Qiong and other Xuanjia troops disappeared in an instant, and instead they felt a sense of crisis of being attacked from both sides!
Fortunately, the deputy general stepped forward at this time: "General, I will command the troops to confront Zhu Jun, and you will guard the rear to confront the Xuanjia Army!" "Gongming, please!"

Yang Feng looked solemnly at the deputy general, who was none other than Xu Huang, Xu Gongming.

In his early years, Xu Huang followed Yang Feng in battle, and Yang Feng was initially a general under the Baibo Army, and later followed the Liangzhou warlord Li Jue.

Yes!

Li Jue, who was defeated and captured and is now tied up as a hostage, is Yang Feng's leader.

Yang Feng's troops naturally did not want Li Jue to be killed, so they were one of the main forces that strongly opposed the Western Liang Army's attack on the Xuanjia Army, making the Western Liang Army hesitant. They were the faction that needed to negotiate with the Western Liang Army in exchange for Li Jue.

In the original history, Yang Feng helped Li Jue attack and kill Guo Si and other generals. This shows how much he invested in Li Jue, or how deeply he was tied to him, and he was one of his true die-hard supporters.

"Don't worry, General. Zhu Jun will not attack us by force!" Xu Huang said calmly.

This puzzled Yang Feng: "Why? The situation is tense and any accidental firing is possible!"

"General, you are a subordinate of General Li Jue. Now General Li is under the coercion of Qin Qiong. We, General Li's subordinates, will not act rashly. However, Zhu Jun still chooses to target us. Why is that?"

Xu Huang did not keep the secret and said bluntly: "I guess Zhu Jun also knows that we are afraid of the consequences. In this confrontation, there will be no conflict unless it is absolutely necessary!
"He just showed a tit-for-tat attitude to suppress the arrogance of the Xiliang army, which was outnumbered, and to increase momentum and bargaining chips for the subsequent negotiations!

"Of course, my guess is just a possibility. Zhu Jun is good at fighting and has many wise strategies. It is also possible that he has other tricks!"

...

"Is that right?"

Yang Feng was suspicious and half-believing and half-doubting.

But no matter what, they needed to prepare for the worst. Therefore, Yang Feng guarded the rear and Xu Huang guarded the front. Their troops also changed their formation and confronted the enemy, and did not take it lightly.

Zhu Jun rode forward alone, which made the Xiliang army dare not act rashly. Zhu Jun's prestige was too high, and even the Xiliang army had some psychological trauma against him!

When the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, Zhu Jun, Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi were the three generals who made great contributions. Who were under their command?

Cao Cao, the Captain of Cavalry, and Sun Jian, the Military Secretary, were both commoners, but they had Liu Bei, who was Lu Zhi's student, and Dong Zhuo, the General of the Household.

Yes! Zhu Jun was Dong Zhuo's former leader.

Dong Zhuo was defeated in battle after battle when suppressing the Yellow Turban Rebellion. But Zhu Jun and his men won battle after battle. This is the difference between their commanders!
Now that Dong Zhuo is dead, the Xiliang army soldiers are far inferior to Zhu Jun in terms of military achievements, prestige and qualifications!

While the generals of the Xiliang Army were hesitating, Zhu Jun did not move forward too much, but maintained a safe distance - in case of an accident, his subordinates in the rear could come to the rescue immediately, but not so far away that the sound could not be heard.

Zhu Jun was a good fighter and had great courage, but he was not stupid. Going deep into the tiger's den was what a tiger general would do, and he was the commander-in-chief!
Zhu Jun rode his horse to a safe distance and looked into the Chongde Hall, ignoring Guo Si and other generals in front of the hall gate. His eyes seemed to be able to penetrate many obstacles to see the emperor. Then he took a deep breath and roared with all his might:
"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, I, the cavalry captain Zhu Jun, led 7,000 cavalry soldiers to rescue you late. I hope you will forgive me! More than 30,000 troops from the five schools of the Northern Army have already arrived at the Imperial City and are about to march straight in!

"General Huangfu Song, who stationed his troops in Youfufeng to suppress the rebellion in Liangzhou, requests to lead 30,000 elite troops to the capital to rescue the emperor! Shangshu Lu Zhi and Henei Governor Wang Kuang jointly submitted a petition, requesting to go to the capital to rescue the emperor!"

Although Zhu Jun was the chief commander, he had been a soldier all his life and his martial arts were naturally excellent.

Moreover, the Six Arts of a Gentleman were required courses for all scholars in the Han Dynasty. There were no corrupt Confucian scholars in the Han Dynasty. Only Confucian scholars who were all-rounders in both civil and military affairs, and only Confucian generals who "could bring peace to the world with their pens, and determine the fate of the world on horseback"!

The voice was full of energy and spread far away, as if with an echo, rolling out!
The whole place was in an uproar! ! !

Especially the soldiers of Xiliang Army were shocked! ! !

In 188, the Left General Huangfu Song and the Former General Dong Zhuo suppressed the rebellion in Liang Province. However, in 189, Emperor Lingdi was seriously ill and transferred Dong Zhuo to be the governor of Bing Province, intending to hand over Dong Zhuo's military power to Huangfu Song.

However, Dong Zhuo submitted a memorial to refuse and kept delaying the request until Emperor Lingdi's death. Later, the capital was in chaos and Dong Zhuo took the opportunity to enter the capital at the behest of He Jin. Afterwards, He Jin and the Ten Attendants were both defeated and killed, and Dong Zhuo took control of the capital.

At this time, Huangfu Song was stationed in Youfufeng with more than 30,000 elite soldiers under his command. He had been discussing with Jingzhao Yin to prepare to attack Dong Zhuo and rescue the king.

According to the original history, Dong Zhuo designed a plan and used the emperor's edict to recruit Huangfu Song to the capital to take up a post, and finally succeeded in luring the tiger away from the mountain.

But in this life, Dong Zhuo was assassinated, and the Xiliang army was leaderless and in chaos. How could they take care of Huangfu Song and other troops?

As for Lu Zhi...

After stopping Dong Zhuo from deposing and enthroning a few days ago, he abandoned his post and fled because his tutor Yuan Wei agreed to depose and enthronize. He knew that Dong Zhuo would send people to harm him, so he took a small road to enter Bingzhou from Henei and return to Youzhou through the Eight Passes of Taihang.

But just as Lu Zhi fled to Henei, news of Dong Zhuo's death and the chaos in the capital came again. He immediately contacted Zhu Jun, the fifth commander of the Northern Army, and later persuaded Wang Kuang, the governor of Henei, to decide to send troops to rescue the king.

These two forces can surround the capital!
If the Xiliang army was united, they would be fearless.

But now, outside, there are Huangfu Song, Lu Zhi and other troops surrounding them. Inside, there are five schools of the Northern Army causing chaos, and there are also ambushes from the Factory Guards, Qin Qiong and the Black Armor Army. Lü Bu and other Bingzhou troops are fickle and stand aside.

There are too many uncertainties that the Xiliang Army has lost control!
How to do?
Should he take advantage of the fact that Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi had not yet entered the capital and launch an attack without caring about the life and death of the defeated and captured Li Jue? Should he capture the leader first? Should he rather die than his friend? Or should he choose to surrender? Should he ask for His Majesty's pardon?

But their Xiliang Army has lost the qualifications for negotiations. Not only do they not have the initiative, they don’t even have the morale to confront the rebels!
After a series of attacks, the morale of the Xiliang army was shaken and plummeted. How could they still have any fighting power? !
The generals of the Xiliang Army were in a dilemma!

At this moment, Cao Zhengchun approached step by step from the hall, which immediately made the generals of the Xiliang Army feel like they were facing a formidable enemy. Even Lu Bu and other generals of the Bingzhou Army on the side were wary and ready to take action at any time.

But Cao Zhengchun did not make any move. He was smiling and calm. He shouted to the whole audience in a loud voice. Driven by his true energy, it sounded like thunder, and the sound was resounding for ten miles:

"Your Majesty has ordered that Colonel Zhu Jun, Colonel Qin Qiong, Colonel of the Imperial Guard, Colonel Zhang Liao, General of the Yue Cavalry, General of the Lieutenant General Li Jue, General of the Lieutenant General Guo Si, General of the Lieutenant General Lu Bu... should enter the palace to see the Emperor!!!"

After saying this, Cao Zhengchun shook off the dust and turned to leave.

This made everyone present look at each other in surprise!

The people summoned by His Majesty included all the military leaders present in the confrontation, but the generals of the Xiliang Army looked at each other in shock and hesitation!

What does your majesty mean?!
An imperial decree to release military power? !
Deliberately summon them, separate the generals from the troops, and then capture the leader first? !

Or give them a chance to step down and negotiate?
(End of this chapter)