Chapter 32 Kill without mercy! Liu Bian is no longer the young emperor of the past!
Outside Chongde Hall.

Cao Zhengchun arrived with the imperial edict and read it out directly: "Your Majesty has ordered the Jinyiwei to imprison all the leaders!"

"Wow—"

All the officials present were suddenly in an uproar!
Is your majesty crazy?!
Put all the "ringleaders" in jail? !

Doesn't this refer to Yang Biao and other high officials? !

Would the officials behind him just sit there and do nothing? Would Yang's disciples and former officials, those officials who had fought side by side with him and advanced and retreated with him, just give in? !

If they go on strike en masse, will the country still be governed?! Will it still function?!

Precisely because they were fearless, all the officials in the court followed Yang Biao and other ministers and stood up. The law cannot hold them all responsible!
Even more pretentious.

Today, the capital is in turmoil and precarious. The Xiliang Army and Bingzhou Army are still hesitant, and local warlords are waiting and watching.

Your Majesty is still going against the court officials? !

Aren't you afraid that the fisherman will benefit from the conflict between the snipe and the clam? !
Amid the confusion and confusion of the court officials present, the answer came from the thunderous action of the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

"Qiang Qiang Qiang——"

These Jinyiwei don’t care whether you are a high-ranking official or a low-ranking official. In their hearts, Your Majesty is their only God!

His Majesty has ordered that, not to mention arresting those who are clamoring to force the palace, they will not even blink an eye even if they have to go through mountains of swords and seas of fire!
Yang Biao was the first to be hit and was arrested by the Jinyiwei with a knife at his neck!
Among the three officials, Sikong Dong Zhuo had died, and later Xun Shuang was promoted to Sikong for his merits. Si Tu Wang Yun was biased towards the emperor, and Taiwei Yang Biao led all officials to stand out. It was undoubtedly the tree that stood out in the forest that would be destroyed by the wind.

"Let go of the commander!!!"

"How dare you!!! Lord Yang is the Grand Commandant of the dynasty, how dare you?!!!"

"You are so disrespectful to your superiors?!!!"

Yang Biao had a knife at his neck, and these ministers became even more angry!
It was as if their father was arrested by the Imperial Guards!

These people were all students and former officials of the Yuan family of Runan and the Yang family of Hongnong, as well as a group of scholar-officials who had close and complex ties with the Yuan and Yang families.

When lips and teeth are gone, sorrow belongs to one's own kind!
They stepped forward immediately and chaos suddenly broke out outside Chongde Hall.

After all, the Jinyiwei was short of manpower, and some court officials seemed to have escaped the net and rushed towards the Chongde Hall, but were stopped by the Dongchang.

They cried loudly towards the Chongde Hall, and their voices shook the imperial palace!
"Your Majesty, please do not make decisions arbitrarily!!!"

"Emperor Gaozu! Emperor Guangwu! If you are still alive, please open your eyes and look at His Majesty!!! He has brought the Han Dynasty into an abyss of no return!!!"

"Your Majesty not only defied the ancestral system and Han laws, but also ignored the etiquette of 'beheading in the autumn'. He even prevented the ministers and officials from making suggestions and impeaching him. Isn't this the behavior of a tyrant?!"

"If you are convicted for your words, then treacherous officials will run rampant and loyal officials will retreat!!! The country will no longer be a country!!! Your Majesty, you are a criminal of the Han Dynasty!!!"

"Your Majesty, you must not trust treacherous villains. These Jinyiwei and Dongchang eunuchs are all treacherous villains who can only flatter and fawn on their superiors!"

"..."

The Jinyiwei and Dongchang guards were furious!
Fuck you!!!
The Xiliang army was recklessly deposing and enthroning the emperor. When I was fighting bloody battles, why didn't I see you "loyal ministers" standing up? !

Now you say they are treacherous villains?! You say they are only good at slandering and flattering their superiors?!
Compared to you "hypocrites", these "villains" are much more noble!
At least when Your Majesty is in danger, they can die for their country and repay the emperor's kindness, unlike hypocrites who can only talk big!

but.

Your Majesty's decree is "to put all the ringleaders in jail." Yang Biao and other ministers are the ringleaders, and other court officials can only be regarded as accomplices.

D!

The Embroidered Uniform Guards and the Eastern Depot wanted to catch them all in one fell swoop, but they could not disobey the emperor's orders and go against the emperor's will!
However, they were unhappy and the Jinyiwei and Dongchang men could not bear it any longer, so they increased their force when they attacked, which was a way of venting their anger.

"what--"

Sure enough, there were cries of pain from the court officials, but these people were indeed courageous. They braved the cold knives of the Jinyiwei and the Eastern Depot and rushed to the gate of Chongde Hall.

"Boom boom boom——"

"Your Majesty, with treacherous people running rampant, the country will no longer be a country!!!"

"Your Majesty, the Jinyiwei and the Dongchang are all wicked people with wicked hearts and servile behavior. If the court is filled with these treacherous villains, the country will be in ruins and the people will suffer!!!"

"His Majesty--"

These court officials banged on the door and cried loudly.

It seems like crying for advice, but in fact it is forcing the emperor to abdicate! It seems like scolding Jinyiwei and Dongchang, but in fact it is directly pointing at the Han emperor behind them!
This is to force Liu Bian to take back his decision!!!
Inside Chongde Hall.

Veins bulged on Liu Bian's forehead, his eyes seemed to be spitting fire, and his palms were clenched so tightly that his nails dug into the flesh.

He really couldn't stand it anymore!!!
Where were you when Dong Zhuo took over Beijing? ! ! !

Where were you when Dong Zhuo was arbitrarily deposing and enthroning the emperor? ! ! !

Where were you when Grand Tutor Yuan Wei was determined to depose and enthrone the emperor? ! ! !

When the imperial guards rose up in rebellion and the loyal officials of the Han Dynasty died for their country, where were you? ! ! !
Now that the Xiliang Army and Bingzhou Army have retreated, the situation has temporarily stabilized, and you are jumping out to point fingers and criticize me? !

how? !
Dong Zhuo looks like someone who is not easy to mess with, am I really that weak and can be bullied? !
Is it because we, orphans and widows, are easy to be bullied? ! ! !

Or do you think my kindness is cowardice? ! ! !

I am... a tyrant?!

Then it’s as you wish!!!

"Someone is coming!!!"

Chongde Hall has flying eaves, brackets, carved beams and painted buildings. As the main hall of Nangong Palace, it is extremely luxurious and grand.

Now that Empress Dowager He has left, only Liu Bian is left sitting on the dragon throne in the huge hall. The empty hall is silent and deserted, as if he is a lonely man.

Amid the clamor of people banging on the door and crying outside the palace, Liu Bian's voice was not loud. But Cao Zhengchun was the first to hear it, and immediately rushed into the palace regardless of everything, bowing and standing by:
"The slave is here!!!"

No matter when and where, as long as His Majesty summons him, even if he is at the ends of the earth, he will be the first to bow his head and wait for orders!

"Arrest and jail all those who are making noise outside the palace and forcing the emperor to abdicate! Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!!!"

Liu Bian was furious and gave the order coldly.

"Your servant... obeys your command!!!"

Cao Zhengchun felt the rage in Liu Bian's tone. He didn't worry about whether it would cause an uproar or whether it would affect the entire situation. He only knew that -

Wherever your majesty's flag points, that's where their troops will go!
Cao Zhengchun stood up and left the hall. The gentle smile on his face had turned into a cold and murderous look. His energy sank into his dantian, and his voice spread ten miles away:

"Your Majesty has issued an order to arrest and imprison all those who are making noise outside the palace and forcing the emperor to abdicate! Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!!!"

There was a brief moment of silence outside the Chongde Hall.

All the officials in the court couldn't believe it!

Your Majesty, you are actually going to start a massacre? !

How dare you, Your Majesty?!

If we don't explain the law and don't blame the masses, then are they wrong to give advice? !
Honest advice may be unpleasant to the ears but is beneficial to one’s conduct!!!
Yang Biao's body began to tremble!

Finally he couldn't sit still any longer.

He thought he had gotten the situation right and maintained a certain degree of control so that there wouldn't be any accidental discharge of the weapon when the situation became tense.

but!

But Yang Biao suddenly woke up and realized that His Majesty was no longer the cowardly and timid puppet emperor he once was.

But -

When faced with the wolf-like and ferocious Xiliang army that acted recklessly, the overlord kept a low profile, launched an attack suddenly, and found a way out of the desperate situation!

"Don't contradict His Majesty!!!"

Yang Biao immediately wanted to speak out to stop it, but his words were too weak and it was too late.

Amid the uproar among the ministers and officials, the Imperial Guards and the Eastern Depot acted coldly and ruthlessly and arrested them all.

His Majesty has said, "Arrest them all!" and "Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!!!"

They could all hear the anger in His Majesty's tone, so how could he continue to play along with these ignorant hypocrites? !
However, these ministers and officials would not sit idly by and wait for death, and they began to rebel against the Jinyiwei and the Eastern Depot.

From chaos to fighting, bloodshed finally broke out.

"Honest advice may be unpleasant to the ears, but it is beneficial to one's conduct!!!"

"The law does not punish everyone, the man was not convicted for his words!!!"

"A loyal minister was treated brutally for his advice. Today's incident will surely shock the world! Who will dare to work for the Han Dynasty in the future? This chills the hearts of people all over the world!!!" "With treacherous officials running rampant, the country will no longer be a country!!!"

"This is the third Party Imprisonment Persecution, a bloody massacre of our scholars by the eunuch party!!!"

"..."

The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot joined forces, surrounded the place from all directions, and arrested all the officials present.

Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!!!

The outside of Chongde Hall was covered in blood. Many court officials died outside the hall. The smell of blood filled the entire place and did not dissipate for a long time!
This incident let all the officials in the court and the people of the world know that the Han emperor's edict could not be reversed!
No joke!!!

……

Inside the prison.

Yuan Ji looked at Yuan Wei across the street with some trepidation and asked:
"Uncle, I feel flustered and as if I can't breathe, just like the depression before a storm. Is something serious going to happen?"

Yuan Wei did not answer, but his expression was also very solemn!
In fact, everyone has a sense of crisis.

For ordinary people, they can only realize and remedy the situation when the crisis comes or after it has occurred, but it is too late and many regrets occur.

But for those who are far-sighted and have a long-term vision, they can plan ahead, take precautions in advance, and nip the crisis in the bud, or take preventive measures before the crisis comes.

This is what the Book of Changes says: "When you step on frost, ice will soon appear."

This is also what is said in the Book of Documents: "Be careful at the end as well as the beginning."

Yuan Wei also sensed the signs of danger in advance, and he wanted to remedy the situation and temporarily stop his factions from forcing him to abdicate.

But he can't do it!
Because he was trapped in a cage, the Imperial Guards were keeping a close eye on him 24 hours a day!
Yuan Wei saw the signs of danger but was unable to remedy the situation. Now he is just like an ordinary person, who realizes the situation belatedly!

His Majesty is no longer the same Majesty as before. Their forceful approach will only backfire and cause His Majesty to take drastic action!

"Your Majesty, the law should not punish everyone, right?" Yuan Wei thought to himself as if to comfort himself.

At this time, there was a noise from the gate of the Tianlao, followed by the wailing of the ministers. The Jinyiwei and the Dongchang filed in and arrested all the traitors who had forced the emperor to abdicate and put them in jail.

There are hundreds of people!!!
Yuan Ji rushed to the gate of the fence in disbelief, watching one familiar minister after another being arrested and imprisoned.

Yuan Ji even saw officials covered in blood.

Some have already turned into corpses, some are still wailing, and some are talking in a voice as soft as a mosquito, and it is obvious that they will not live long.

"How could it become like this?!"

Yuan Ji couldn't believe it. "Your Majesty, you are actually killing people? Without these ministers and officials to govern, the country will come to a standstill and the world will be in turmoil! Your Majesty, don't you consider the consequences?!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Wei sighed in his heart!
Yuan Ji’s political awareness is not as good as Yuan Shao’s!

The struggle between their noble family and the imperial power has come to this point, why would His Majesty care so much? !
If it was His Majesty who was timid and cowardly by nature, he would definitely choose to back down. Even if Empress Dowager He took power, it would not be His Majesty's turn to make a decision!
But now, His Majesty is suppressing the Xiliang Army and is full of murderous intent. He has no place to vent his anger. Their forcing the emperor to abdicate is tantamount to hitting a gun on the head!

How could Your Majesty let go of such a "legitimate" opportunity? !

Yuan Wei realized his mistake later and regretted it.

He shouldn't have allowed his followers to force the emperor to abdicate. Now they have been caught in one fell swoop, which is actually what His Majesty wants!

"General!!!"

When Yang Biao was finally brought in, Yuan Ji's face was full of disbelief.

Didn't the Hongnong Yang family, three dukes from four generations, receive your Majesty's forgiveness and kindness? !
Yang Biao ignored the younger Yuan Ji and looked at Yuan Wei.

I don't know if it was intentional, but Yang Biao was imprisoned next to Yuan Wei. The two families were related by marriage, and they were well matched. Now they were classmates.

The two old friends looked at each other and sighed bitterly!
……

Inside Chongde Hall.

Liu Bian sat upright on the dragon throne, closing his eyes to rest, feeling a little tired.

Zhuque and Cao Zhengchun reported on behalf of Jinyiwei and Dongchang respectively.

“Your Majesty, yesterday Yuan Ji went to Tianlao to meet Yuan Wei, but was later pursued by the Imperial Guards. He fled to the Northern Army’s Fifth Infantry Battalion and instigated the former Infantry Captain Wu Kuang to mutiny.

"But before they could make a move, Li Siye sensed the danger and took the initiative, beheading Wu Kuang and other generals and capturing Yuan Ji alive..."

Zhuque and other Jinyiwei first escorted Yuan Ji and other traitors back to Beijing from the Northern Army's Five Schools Camp. Later, they encountered the incident of the ministers crying at the gate, so they had no time to report until now.

"After assisting Qin Qiong and Zhang Liao in controlling the infantry battalion, the Jinyiwei escorted Yuan Ji and other fugitives and divided their forces back to the capital to report.

"Qin Qiong led his troops to escort Li Jue and the remnants of the Feixiong Army to the Xiliang Army camp to exchange hostages.

"Qin Qiong's move was, firstly, to exchange Cao Cao and other loyal officials who were arrested for assassinating Dong Zhuo. Secondly, he hoped to drive the tiger to devour the wolf and provoke disputes between Li Jue and the generals of the Xiliang Army.

"After the Jinyiwei put Yuan Ji in the Heavenly Prison, they received an imperial edict from His Majesty to rush to Chongde Hall to deal with the matter of the ministers crying at the gate!"

...

"It's a palace coup!!!"

Liu Bian opened his eyes instantly, his sharp edge revealed, and spoke in a deep voice.

This statement immediately made the Jinyiwei and Dongchang understand how to characterize today's events!

Cao Zhengchun continued:

"Your Majesty, the East Factory has cleared up the matter of forcing the emperor to abdicate in Chongde Hall. Led by Taiwei Yang Biao, there are 131 officials involved, including 30 officials with a rank of 1,000 or more..."

Cao Zhengchun carefully reported the participants, ranks, casualties, etc., and waited for Liu Bian's decision.

Liu Bian said in a deep voice:
"With judicial personnel involved, it seems that the court's judicial system is no longer fair! The Jinyiwei will be responsible for hearing this case, and the Dongchang will assist in the investigation!
"I want to know who is behind these traitors? What are their intentions? Do they have any accomplices? Also, make this known to the world!"

...

"Your servant obeys your command!!!"

Cao Zhengchun and Zhuque obeyed the order in unison.

This gave the Jinyiwei the right to manage the imperial prison. The imperial prison was a prison managed by the emperor himself, and its meaning was self-evident!

"Da da da--"

At this time, spies from the Imperial Guard came on horseback at full speed. The palace was not allowed to ride horses at full speed, but the messengers were allowed to do so, which was a special permission granted by Emperor Liu Bian.

"Your Majesty, a civil war has broken out in the Xiliang army. Guo Si and other generals have joined forces to attack Wang Fang. The two groups are fighting each other, and the situation is unclear!"

Liu Bian's eyes narrowed!
Zhuque and others also looked solemn!

'Wang Fang' is the traitor who disguised himself as Baihu and infiltrated the Xiliang army.

Is this White Tiger exposed? !

Or was it because Baihu had been a tainted witness and reported Yuan Wei yesterday, that he was besieged by the Xiliang Army and wanted to clean up the mess? !
Guo Si and others did this, which was equivalent to speaking up for Yuan Wei? !

Today, first the students of the Imperial College were paraded through the streets... then Yang Biao led a group of ministers to force the emperor to abdicate... and then there was a civil war in the Xiliang Army. Are they trying to clean up the mess?
No matter how you look at it, it's all the aftermath of yesterday's "dethronement controversy", and it all ultimately points to Liu Bian, the Han Emperor!
Is this the counterattack of Yuan family, his students and former officials, and his faction of followers from aristocratic families? !
However, why did Guo Si and other generals in the Xiliang Army have to choose Yuan Wei? !
It was understandable that Yuan Wei was chosen after Dong Zhuo's death, as he was still the Taifu at the time and was the mastermind behind the incident.

But now Yuan Wei is in trouble and Liu Bian is about to take control of the capital, why are these generals still so stubborn? !

Yesterday, except for Wang Fang, Xu Rong, Jia Xu and other generals who knelt down to surrender, the rest of the Xiliang Army were somewhat hesitant.

Liu Bian has already given them "pardon", what are they still worried about? !

They have evidence to confiscate their property and exterminate their clan, and Yuan Wei has it? !

Or is it that Yuan's disciples and former officials are spread all over the country, and there are many Yuan forces in Liangzhou, so that the generals of the Western Liang army dare not rebel? !

It's impossible that he is loyal to Yuan Wei? !

Liu Bian didn't believe that Yuan Wei was so charming!

But no matter what, they must be prepared for the possibility that the Xiliang Army surrenders and then rebels again!

Fortunately, Liu Bian has now completely controlled the five schools of the Northern Army and eliminated Yuan's factions such as Wu Kuang.

With more than 30,000 soldiers from the five schools of the Northern Army and more than 2,000 Black Armored Army garrisoning and the infiltration activities of the factory guards, the Western Liang Army cannot cause any waves.

even!

Since Guo Si and others were about to engage in a civil war with 'Wang Fang' (White Tiger), they could just intervene.

Two dogs fight, play off!
If we can take this opportunity to suppress the Xiliang Army, Liu Bian will no longer be a threat in the capital!

……

(End of this chapter)