Chapter 28 Accidents happen frequently and undercurrents surge!
“Your Majesty, when the Imperial Guards searched Yuan Wei’s residence, they discovered that, except for the servants, Yuan Ji and other direct descendants were missing.

"In addition to the rare treasures, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, there are no private soldiers or retainers in the mansion, and no secret letters were found in the study. The Jinyiwei is still searching for secret passages and secret rooms..."

Zhuque reported everything that happened in Yuan Mansion and apologized, "This is because the Jinyiwei is incompetent. Your Majesty, please punish me!"

"The Yuan family has three officials in four generations, and they have great access to information! This is not the Jinyiwei's dereliction of duty, and I am not an unreasonable person. You don't need to care!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!!!"

After Liu Bian gave the order, he delayed in Chongde Hall for a while. He had to wait for the Xiliang Army to withdraw from the imperial city before the Jinyiwei dared to send troops to leave the defense and search Yuan's mansion.

This time difference was enough for Yuan's party to pass on the message, allowing Yuan Ji and others in Yuan Wei's mansion to escape.

In fact, when it comes down to it, the Jinyiwei and Dongchang had too few people, only a thousand people in total!

They need to protect Liu Bian, guard the imperial palace and the imperial city, carry out post-war cleanup, monitor officials and civilians, and now they have to search and confiscate Yuan's mansion... One person is like two people!

"Your Majesty, the Jinyiwei is understaffed and is no longer able to protect Your Majesty with all their heart and soul. I dare to ask Your Majesty to allow the Jinyiwei to expand its manpower to better protect Your Majesty and execute Your Majesty's orders!"

After Zhuque stood up, he took the opportunity to mention one of the purposes of this trip.

“It’s the right thing to do.”

Liu Bian nodded, "After this matter is over, you can recruit people on your own! You can recruit from the army, or recruit heroes and warriors from the public to join the Jinyiwei. My request is very simple, that is, loyalty to the emperor and patriotism!"

"I obey your orders!!!"

Zhuque bowed and accepted the order, looking a little excited.

Cao Zhengchun, who was standing beside Liu Bian, gradually had a bitter smile!

Their East Factory lacks this kind of smart talent!
Look at how good at speaking Zhuque is. It was clearly the Jinyiwei who were derelict in their duties, but he was able to use his eloquence to make it appear that there was a shortage of manpower and request for more staff.

What they said was that they were doing it to better protect His Majesty and execute His Majesty's orders, but did they think that all the Dongchang people were dead?!

"Your Majesty, I dare to ask again, what is the limit?"

"5000 people!"

Liu Bian pondered for a moment and said:

"The rank and salary of the commander of the Jinyiwei is the same as that of the five lieutenants of the Northern Army, and under him are the Sima, Junhou, and Tunzhang. From now on, you will not only be required to supervise the officials in the capital, but also the local officials."

Jinyiwei originated from the Ming Dynasty. Each guard had 5600 people. Each guard usually included five thousand households, namely left, right, center, front and back. Each thousand households had 1120 people. Each hundred households had 112 people.

The Han army had about 5000 soldiers, so they could be nested! Qianhu became Sima, Baihu became Junhou, and there were also Tunzhang and other military positions. In fact, the military positions were basically the same.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!!!"

Zhuque waited for a moment, and after making sure that Liu Bian did not raise any issues such as food and fodder, he did not ask any more questions and knelt down to kowtow in gratitude.

After this appointment, the Jinyiwei was truly in power. As for the imperial power's special permission and the right to execute first and report later, these were only rights.

After standing up immediately, Suzaku said again:

"Your Majesty, Yuan Ji and other members of the Yuan family are on the run, and we need to draw their shadows and hunt them down. Because this is related to the Grand Tutor, and the Yuan family's disciples and old officials are very powerful, they are all officials appointed by the court with official titles and salaries, so I need your Majesty's imperial edict!"

"I have given you the right to execute first and report later. In an emergency, you must act with urgency. Speed ​​is of the essence. When it comes to treason, you can just hunt them down directly from now on!"

If Liu Bian had to take care of every trivial matter, the Han emperor would really be exhausted to death.

It is not advisable to do everything yourself. It is enough to grasp the direction, goals, and overall situation. In this regard, Liu Bian knew how to delegate power.

But Suzaku said solemnly:

"Your Majesty is kind and trusts the Royal Guards. I am deeply grateful! However, the Royal Guards cannot become arrogant and disrespectful to the emperor just because of the grace. If there is one, there will be another. Ambitions will gradually grow as the constraints are relaxed!"

Liu Bian looked at Zhuque with some surprise, the hidden meaning was "restraint".

It is okay to delegate power, but checks and balances are still needed.

If you just give up power blindly, you will end up being sidelined. If you have too strong a desire to control, it will affect the performance of your subordinates. As a ruler, you need to grasp the scale, be just right, and not be lax. Too much is as bad as too little.

This is actually a kind of political thought of "governing a big country like cooking a small fish".

Today, not only did Empress Dowager He teach him by example, but now Suzaku also reminded him solemnly. Should we say that Suzaku is loyal? Or should we say that Suzaku underestimates himself?
The East Factory was established to check and balance the Embroidered Uniform Guard!

"Since you are so discerning, why did you take the initiative to deceive the emperor just now? Not only did you deceive me, you also deceived the Empress Dowager."

This is also because Liu Bian was broad-minded. If it were any other petty-minded king, he would have dragged Zhuque out and executed him long ago.

After hearing this, Zhuque said, "Your Majesty, didn't you give the Jinyiwei the right to execute first and report later?

"In front of His Majesty, I can certainly act first and report later, because His Majesty sees everything. But when not in front of His Majesty, I need to know everything. This right was given to us by His Majesty, and even if we have it, we cannot interfere!

"Your Majesty just had an argument with the Empress Dowager, which would hurt the relationship between mother and son and would also give those censors an opportunity to impeach Your Majesty for being unfilial. In an emergency, we must act with urgency, and speed is of the essence. Therefore, I have the audacity to use my right to execute first and report later!"

"..."

Are you going to give me a boomerang?

Liu Bian was speechless and said, "Being loyal is a good thing, but remember not to be clever in the future. If you do that again, I will send you to the East Factory!"

"Your Majesty, we in the East Factory do not accept women! The sage said: Only women and villains are difficult to raise!"

Cao Zhengchun got the chance at this time, and immediately smiled and said: "However, since your Majesty has ordered, I dare not disobey. It also saves me from being castrated. Commander Zhu, the East Factory is waiting for your arrival!"

Liu Bian was a little surprised. Zhuque was a woman disguised as a man?
Zhuque also bowed and replied: "Your Majesty, if that day comes, I think we can establish the West Factory to check and balance the East Factory! If this man is castrated, his temperament will be fickle and he needs supervision!"

Eunuch Cao was speechless. How could he curse someone?
Seeing that the two were about to start a verbal battle, Liu Bian stopped them and said, "Okay."

The two of them immediately fell silent. Liu Bian asked in confusion, "Suzaku, since you are a woman, why are you dressing as a man?"

"I dare not hide it from your Majesty. It is always inconvenient for a woman to act as a girl, and I cannot serve your Majesty with all my heart and soul. But it is much more convenient for a man. I did not intend to hide it, and I hope your Majesty will forgive me!"

Suzaku pleads guilty.

Liu Bian did not blame him. In the past few days, under the crisis of dethronement, he had no time to care about these things. If Cao Zhengchun had not pointed it out at this time, he would not have known about it.

Liu Bian used to think that Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, and Hua Mulan joined the army, were able to conceal their daughters for so long, which really put their IQs underfoot. Are they all blind?!

But now, after seeing Zhuque disguised as a man without any clue, Liu Bian could only sigh that "makeup is indeed one of the four great evil arts in China", it is truly amazing!

"It's okay, you don't have to worry about it."

Liu Bian said with emotion: "But you Jinyiwei really like role-playing!"

Baihu has now disguised himself as "Wang Fang". Xuanwu, who is proficient in disguise, has changed his face like Sichuan Opera, first appearing as 'Wang Fang', then as 'Cao Cao', and now as the captain of the city gate 'Wu Qiong'.

Even Suzaku is a woman dressed as a man!
"It's all for your majesty!"

Zhuque carefully comprehended the emperor's intention. It was the first time she heard the term "role-playing", but based on the context, she roughly guessed its meaning and immediately expressed her loyalty.

Cao Zhengchun feels that his "Self-cultivation of a Loyal Dog" is not as well-developed as Suzaku's. This kind of flattery is simply like moistening things silently!
It is true that only women and villains are difficult to raise!

Eunuch Cao thought with a sour feeling.

Liu Bian nodded in approval, then immediately took up his pen and issued an edict on behalf of Zhuque to arrest Yuan Ji and other members of the Yuan family.

These people came from prominent families and were all appointed officials by the imperial court. If they wanted to order an arrest, the Secretariat would usually draft an order to execute it.

Now that Shangshu Ling Lu Zhi had abandoned his post and fled to Henei, and that the Grand Tutor Yuan Wei, who was in charge of Shangshu affairs, had been arrested and imprisoned, it was natural that the Han Emperor Liu Bian would personally handle the matter. Liu Bian wrote the edict in a flourish.

Fortunately, he has a foundation in calligraphy, otherwise the handwriting of a king would be as bad as a dog's crawling, which would also destroy his prestige.

So if you want to travel through time, you need to practice calligraphy more!
After writing, Liu Bian was about to stamp his seal when he found that the six seals of the emperor and the imperial seal were not in his hands. He suddenly woke up:

"The Six Seals of the Son of Heaven and the Imperial Seal are still in the hands of the Xiliang Army. Order them to hand them back!"

"I obey your orders!!!"

Zhuque immediately felt the murderous intent in Liu Bian's tone, and was obviously recalling the bad experience of "deposing and enthroning".

In the end, Liu Bian could only use his personal seal, which was the seal from his period as "Prince Bian", to stamp it!
After the imperial edict was passed to Zhuque, Liu Bian asked again: "Are other things not going well?"

“Your Majesty, Qin Qiong and Zhang Liao have been successfully controlling the Changshui and Infantry Battalions of the five schools of the Northern Army.

"But Qin Qiong thought that the situation was too calm and there must be danger lurking. He decided to lure the snake out of its hole and eliminate this hidden danger! Therefore, he requested to transfer 200 black armor soldiers to help!

“Because the five schools of the Northern Army had not yet been completely controlled, Qin Qiong did not rashly use Li Jue to exchange Cao Cao and other hostages.

"As for the imperial edict to summon Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi, the Jinyiwei will deliver the message as fast as possible. It is expected to reach Hanoi and deliver it to Lu Zhi in the early morning. It will reach Youfufeng Huangfu Song before noon tomorrow."

Suzaku reported everything in detail.

Liu Bian finally understood why Zhuque wanted to "deceive the emperor".

If Empress Dowager He heard these words, they would surely boost her arrogance and make her feel that the aristocratic families were invincible and that she could only take her time.

It should be noted that Empress Dowager He had the right to rule the country, and she was Liu Bian's biological mother. Filial piety is the most important virtue. How could he go against his mother?

Of course you can do it secretly!
But on the surface he needs to take care of loyalty, filial piety, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness!
Empress Dowager He was surprised and shocked by Zhuque's "deception", so she suppressed the idea of ​​taking it slow and steady and believing that the aristocratic families could not defeat them. What was done was done, and Empress Dowager He had no way to refute it.

Perhaps in the future Empress Dowager He will receive intelligence and come to her senses, but at least for now, Empress Dowager He has surrendered.

Liu Bian, the Han emperor, has the upper hand! He has taken the initiative!

It has to be said that Zhuque's "act of deceiving the emperor" was actually a great achievement, as it resolved the mother-son dispute between Empress Dowager He and Emperor Liu Bian of Han, as well as the conflict between the empress dowagers with opposing political views under the "two-palace system"!

But Liu Bian knew that this could not be concealed for long!
Even if there is information gap, even if the message is inconvenient to pass on, even if he can hinder the message passing in the palace, it will not be delayed for long. He must make up for this lie as soon as possible and turn "bragging" into "truth"!
This will leave Empress Dowager He speechless!
After Liu Bian thought deeply, he said in a deep voice:
"Transfer 500 Black Armored Soldiers to Qin Qiong, and order him and Zhang Liao to take control of the five schools of the Northern Army as soon as possible. Anyone who interferes will be killed without mercy!!!"

"His Majesty!!!"

Zhuque looked hesitant, but gritted his teeth and advised: "The Black Armor Army is now guarding the Imperial City, your safety is the most important! Five hundred troops are too many, and I also think that two hundred is the most appropriate!"

Although the Black Armor Army was commanded by Qin Qiong, due to lack of manpower and the responsibility of guarding the palace, they had been protecting Liu Bian and guarding the imperial palace and the imperial city.

But in such a huge imperial city, after the great battle between the Black Armor Army and the Flying Bear Army, the army suffered hundreds of casualties, and now there are only more than 2,500 soldiers. There are also 500 wounded soldiers who need to recuperate and cannot participate in the battle for the time being.

With the transfer of 500 Black Armored Soldiers, the Jinyiwei will be busy now, and there will definitely be loopholes in the palace. If this gives the thieves an opportunity to take advantage of it, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse and taking over the main task? !
"No need! I have Cao Zhengchun to protect me, so there is no need to worry about my safety! The most urgent task now is to control the five schools of the Northern Army! Complete control!!! Whether it is the Black Armor Army or the Jinyiwei, they must cooperate with Qin Qiong and others at the first time!!!"

Liu Bian was a man of arbitrary decisions. Sometimes he would gather ideas from all sides, but sometimes he had to be decisive with lightning speed.

Cao Zhengchun, who was standing beside him, straightened his back immediately, and his smile became murderous.

"I obey your orders!!!"

Zhuque recalled Cao Zhengchun's martial arts, then bowed and accepted the order and withdrew.

Liu Bian watched Zhuque leave, feeling helpless about the lack of soldiers and generals under his command.

Even if the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard were given the right to recruit soldiers, it would not be possible to do so overnight.

He still needs people in the short term!
"What time is it now?"

Cao Zhengchun hurriedly glanced at the hourglass and replied, "Your Majesty, it is one quarter past ten."

Is it only around eight o'clock?

For the first time, Liu Bian felt that time was passing so slowly. He could only continue to stay up late, waiting for the arrival of twelve o'clock in the morning.

...

After leaving Deyang Palace, Zhuque returned to the residence of Grand Tutor Yuan Wei with the imperial edict. The Grand Tutor's residence was brightly lit in the night, as bright as day.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards were still searching, and had collected quite a few rare treasures, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, which they had listed in the account books. No one dared to be greedy or embezzle any of the money, but the "secret letter" they wanted was not found.

Just like the captain of the city gate Wu Qiong, after Xuanwu disguised himself, he accidentally found a "hidden letter" and used it to overthrow the Grand Tutor Yuan Wei.

The "secret letter" of Yuan Wei, the mastermind behind the incident, must be heavyweight "intelligence" that may have a ripple effect and bring down all of Yuan's factions.

"What did your Majesty say?"

Qinglong was wiping his ring-handled sword in the yard. This sword had seen blood today and had confronted Zhang Xiu's Bainiaochaofeng Spear, so the blade was a little worn and needed maintenance and repair.

Qinglong's expression was cold, as if he had been in ice for ten thousand years, but when he looked at his ring-handled sword, he took good care of it as if he was looking at his own wife. It was said that this was Qinglong's realization of the "unity of man and sword".

But... isn't this also a kind of role-playing? !

"Your Majesty said..."

Zhuque informed Liu Bian of the imperial edict, ordering him to take control of the five schools of the Northern Army as soon as possible, as well as the support of the Xuanjia Army and the Jinyiwei to Qin Qiong.

Qinglong sheathed his sword, stood up and said, "Speed ​​is of the essence in war, so I'll go to the Fifth School of the Northern Army!"

Zhuque looked at the sky and it was probably the hour of Hai (ten o'clock). In fact, they should take a break and recharge their batteries, but their emperor was a workaholic who often stayed up late to work overtime, so it was not convenient for them to leave their shift early.

So he nodded and said:
"If the enemy wants to launch an attack, they only have three days. After three days, all of Yuan Wei's family will be killed, and everything will be over. You hide in the dark, and attack with Qin Qiong, one in the open and one in the dark, just in case!"

Qinglong nodded.

The work of confiscating Yuan's mansion has come to an end. As for arresting Yuan Ji and other Yuan family members, although they "requested an imperial edict", they did not hold out much hope for it, as the power of the Yuan family in the capital was obviously not weak.

Their Jinyiwei had already acted at full speed, but Yuan Ji and other Yuan family members were able to receive the news first and escape, and they were also able to deal with the secret letter. The search has not found any clues so far.

This exposed the tip of the iceberg of how deeply rooted the Yuan family's power was, and also revealed the shortage of manpower in their Jinyiwei.

When Qinglong and Zhuque were about to split up their forces, they received unexpected news.

A Jinyiwei came hurriedly to report:

"Commander-in-chief, we used the underwear of Yuan Ji and others and the keen sense of smell of dogs to track them down, but we ended up in the Heavenly Prison..."

Qinglong and Zhuque looked at each other, unable to conceal their surprise and suspicion.

The Heavenly Prison mentioned by the Imperial Guards was where criminals from the capital or local areas were detained, waiting to be interrogated by the Imperial Court. However, today, a heavyweight criminal was detained in the Heavenly Prison, and he was related to Yuan Ji.

Grand Tutor Yuan Wei!

Because of Yuan Wei's importance, their Jinyiwei also has people monitoring the Tianlao.

But can Yuan Ji still get close to the Heavenly Prison?
Did he meet Yuan Wei?
Was it the dog's fault?
Or is it that the Yuan family is so powerful that they can operate right under the noses of the Jinyiwei?
Qinglong and Zhuque did not dare to delay and headed to the Heavenly Prison immediately.

The Han Dynasty also has a curfew late at night, but now the Black Armor Army is guarding the imperial city, and the Jinyiwei has the imperial power to investigate cases, so naturally they can do whatever they want!

……

(End of this chapter)