Chapter 35: Since you are of no use to me, kill you to prevent future troubles!
Deyang Hall.

Qin Qiong and Bai Hu went to the palace to meet the Han Emperor and reported everything that happened in the Xiliang army’s position in the afternoon.

After hearing this, Liu Bian felt a little suspicious!

What evidence did Yuan Wei have on the Xiliang Army? Would they rather follow Yuan Wei to the end than abandon the dark and join the light? !
And Li Jue...

In the Battle of Yongmen, Qin Qiong led the Black Armor Army to defeat the Feixiong Army led by Li Jue, resulting in the loss of all the elite troops under Li Jue.

He even used Li Jue as a hostage, forcing Li Jue to lose face and prestige in the Xiliang army!
In this situation, Qin Qiong extended an olive branch. If Li Jue grasped it, he could have a chance to rise rapidly in Liu Bian's side and be granted a title of nobility or become a general.

Even so, Li Jue still chose to "pretend to be defeated"? !

After reading the court's marching records, Zhuque reported:

“Your Majesty, I have read the military records kept by the court. At that time, Dong Zhuo led his troops to the northern Jizhou front to replace the Northern Lieutenant General Lu Zhi, who led the Jizhou front to fight against Zhang Jiao’s main force of the Yellow Turban Army.

“But there are some problems here. Clearly, Northern Army General Lu Zhi has won battle after battle and has already suppressed Zhang Jiao’s main force to Guangzong, leaving them with nowhere to retreat.

"But suddenly, Lu Zhi was falsely accused of harboring the enemy and being passive in the war. Finally, Lu Zhi was escorted back to the capital for interrogation.

"After Dong Zhuo took over the command from Lu Zhi, his army clearly had the upper hand, but suddenly, they suffered a series of defeats. Zhang Jiao's main force, which was already desperate, once again turned defeat into victory, and the Yellow Turban bandits took advantage of this to grow stronger."

...

There must be a demon in the abnormal situation!
"Who are Dong Zhuo's subordinates who participated in the war?" Liu Bian asked with a frown.

...

Suzaku continued to read, but shook his head and said:
"The court's marching records did not record this, but only said that 'the court appointed Dong Zhuo as the Eastern Lieutenant General, replacing Lu Zhi as the Northern Lieutenant General, and led nearly 10,000 Xiliang soldiers to Jizhou.' However——"

Suzaku thought for a moment and said:

"I can roughly guess that Guo Si, Fan Chou, Niu Fu and other stubborn and recalcitrant generals must have participated in this battle. There was also Li Jue.

"These people are also Dong Zhuo's trusted generals. Niu Fu is Dong Zhuo's son-in-law, and Li Jue, Guo Si and other generals are Dong Zhuo's four great generals.

“Then something must have happened when these generals followed Dong Zhuo to the northern Jizhou front to suppress the Yellow Turban bandits including Zhang Jue.

"And this matter may be of great importance, forcing them to rely on Yuan Wei and follow the Yuan family to the end!"

...

Everyone was shocked and confused, but because there was too little information, they could only guess based on these fragmentary words.

Liu Bian thought hard, but in the end he still had no memory.

In the first year of Zhongping, that is, 184 AD, Emperor Ling of Han was in power. Liu Bian was just a prince, and he was still living in the shadow of Emperor Ling's desire to "depose the eldest and establish the youngest". How could he possibly participate in court affairs?
But after analyzing Zhuque's intelligence, Liu Bian also felt that the war against the Yellow Turbans was too unbelievable!

Lu Zhi was in command all right, why was he suddenly falsely accused and escorted back to the capital for interrogation? !

Isn't this delaying the fighter plane? !
Dong Zhuo's Xiliang army was full of capable warriors, and they were also guided by the top strategist Li Ru. Yet, they still lost battle after battle against Zhang Jue who was trapped in Guangzong?!
Liu Bian smelled a conspiracy!

And the conspiracy could be huge!
The outbreak of the Yellow Turban Rebellion marked a turning point for the Eastern Han Dynasty. The imperial court was unable to suppress the rebellion and delegated military power, allowing local warlords to establish their own regimes.

The Eastern Han Dynasty existed in name only and eventually went to destruction!
Thinking of Yuan's wolfish ambitions...

Could it be that they were the ones who falsely accused Lu Zhi? The general who succeeded him, Dong Zhuo, was a disciple of Yuan Shikai, and even the repeated defeats were deliberately indulged by Yuan Shikai? !
The purpose is to use the Yellow Turban bandits to force the imperial court to delegate military power? !
This can also explain why Dong Zhuo and the generals who participated in the war were so stubborn and unyielding that they would rather die than surrender and were determined to follow Yuan Wei to the end!
This forced the imperial court to delegate military power, which was tantamount to treason and a serious crime that would implicate nine generations of the clan!

It’s not Liu Bian’s conspiracy theory, it’s actually Yuan’s wolfish ambitions, which have been revealed!
But Liu Bian had no solid evidence after all, so there was no point in making blind guesses!

But at this moment, Xuanwu, disguised as the city gate captain 'Wu Qiong', suddenly came to the audience and brought important information.

"Your Majesty, I have conducted a thorough search of Wu Qiong's residence in the capital and unexpectedly discovered a secret room in the study, from which I found several important pieces of information."

Cao Zhengchun hurried forward and handed it over.

After Liu Bian quickly glanced at it, he was also shocked!
Unexpectedly, his guess was right. The culprit of all this was indeed Yuan Wei's instigation!
Moreover, Liu Bian’s guess was too simple, and his thinking about aristocratic families like the Yuan family was too naive!

Lu Zhi won many battles but was questioned and taken back to the capital for interrogation...

The successor was Yuan's old subordinate Dong Zhuo, who led the capable and battle-hardened Xiliang Army but suffered defeat after defeat...

All this was instructed by Yuan Wei!

In fact, the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out because the aristocratic families headed by the Yuan family fanned the flames and secretly funded it from behind!
With the intricate connections and cooperation of these noble families, it is like a dragnet covering the entire world.

Their purpose is simple - to force the imperial court to give up military power and lift the ban on political parties!
These noble families want to regularize the private soldiers they raise at home, form them into independent units, and control the military power!
The political power of the aristocratic families united could have been a rival to the imperial power. They also wanted military power, obviously wanting to be above the imperial power.

According to the correspondence between Wu Qiong and Yuan Wei, what Liu Bian did not expect was that the fragments of words mentioned above gave the aristocratic families a terrible pressure and a sense of crisis of destruction.

Emperor Ling of Han, who was considered to be incompetent and a seller of official positions and titles, actually used his political skills to pry open the foundations of the aristocratic families and gradually strengthen the authority of the imperial power!
If Emperor Ling of Han was allowed to continue his course, the aristocratic families might have to submit to the imperial power, which is a situation that these scholars and officials who claim to be well-versed in the books of sages will never allow!

The Yellow Turban Rebellion then swept across the world!

It was because of this peasant uprising that the fortunes of the Han Dynasty were abruptly interrupted, causing the Eastern Han Dynasty to gradually go to destruction!

After understanding the whole cause and effect, Liu Bian's expression gradually became serious!
Liu Bian passed these secret letters on. After Zhuque, Baihu, Qin Qiong and others read through them one by one, they were all shocked!
They finally understood why Guo Si, Li Jue and others refused to surrender even at death!
If this information is true, they, under the instructions of the Yuan family, deliberately allowed the Yellow Turban rebels to grow stronger and sweep across the country, forcing the court to delegate military power. This is a serious crime that will implicate nine generations of the clan!

In addition, they acted recklessly to depose and enthrone, and although Liu Bian seemed to have pardoned them, who knows if he would take revenge on them later? !

If they were in a different position, they probably wouldn't surrender either!

If you follow Yuan's path till the end, maybe there is still a future for you.

But if they surrendered to the Han Emperor, as long as Yuan Wei brought up this matter, the soldiers of the Western Liang Army would be caught in a dilemma!
This is what it means to be on a pirate ship...it's hard to get off!
"In that case, there's no point in keeping him!"

Liu Bian's expression turned cold and stern, and he said decisively:

"You must take my secret decree and immediately mobilize the five schools of the Northern Army. The Jinyiwei will fully cooperate and surround the Xiliang Army camp overnight. All officers above the rank of colonel must be killed without mercy!!!"

"Your servant/subordinate/general obeys your command!!!"

Everyone felt the murderous intent in His Majesty's tone, and their backs suddenly felt cold and their hair stood on end.

Because of this incident, Liu Bian no longer cared about the "pardon". Even if he would be branded as "untrustworthy", he would kill all the generals of the Xiliang Army!
This is no longer as simple as arbitrarily deposing and enthroning. At least the Liu dynasty is still the kingdom and the Liu dynasty is still the king.

They are subverting the imperial power and the Han Dynasty's regime!
Liu Bian originally thought that he could win over the generals of the Xiliang Army, but now he realizes that it is useless, and he will not continue to waste his efforts.

Since he is of no use to me, then kill me to prevent future troubles!
But for Qin Qiong, Baihu, Zhuque and others, Liu Bian took direct and lightning action against the Xiliang Army for the stability of the Han regime!
However, they, his subordinates, need to care about Liu Bian's reputation!
Liu Bian had just pardoned the Xiliang Army yesterday, but today he directly took action against the Xiliang Army. This reputation of breaking his promise will become a political stain on him!
This is absolutely not allowed to happen!

Lord humiliate to death!

Therefore, they needed to think of a way to encircle and kill Niu Fu and other generals of the Xiliang Army while preserving Liu Bian's reputation!

You want the horse to run, but you don't let it eat grass!

It’s very difficult, very difficult!
But for Liu Bian's reputation, they had to do it!

But just as they were about to leave to discuss, an eunuch reported: "Your Majesty, Xun Shuang, Wang Yun and others want to see you!"

Liu Bian raised his eyebrows slightly, and then said in a deep voice: "Pass it on!"

Xun Shuang, Wang Yun and others were brought in soon. They glanced at Qin Qiong and others and were not surprised. They bowed their heads and greeted them:
"Meet Your Majesty!!!"

"Please stand up, please take a seat!"

Liu Bian asked bluntly: "What is the important matter for you to visit us so late at night? If you want to plead for mercy for Yang Biao and other traitors, then there is no need for that!"

Yang Biao led all the officials to knock on the door and cry loudly this morning. He was in the prison with Yuan Wei. Liu Bian thought that these people came together in the hope that he would show mercy.

But no!

Everyone looked at each other, and finally Wang Yun stepped out and said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, the governor of Dongjun, Qiao Mao, has used the excuse that treacherous officials are rampant, slanderous words flatter the emperor, and wantonly killed loyal officials, confusing the government. He has issued a letter from the Grand Tutor to purge the emperor's side and punish treacherous officials, calling on the princes to come to the capital to solve the country's problems!"

"what?!"

After hearing this, everyone was shocked!
Clear out the emperor's entourage? ! Punish the treacherous ministers? !
Especially the Jinyiwei and the Eastern Depot, they glanced at Wang Yun's memorial and were even more shocked and angry when they saw the evidence listed by Qiao Mao!
The Xiliang army recklessly deposed and enthroned the emperor. They launched a sudden attack, resulting in countless casualties. For Your Majesty and the Han Dynasty, they were fearless and repaid the king's kindness with their own death!
How did I become the traitor they call me? !

Even this morning, when Yang Biao led hundreds of officials to bang on the door and cry loudly, denouncing Your Majesty, and was finally suppressed by Your Majesty's thundering action, these people spread it as persecution!
Their intelligence communication speed is too fast, isn't it? !
Jinyiwei and Dongchang don't even know? !
And the matter of Qiao Mao's forged edict to purge the emperor's entourage was actually reported by Xun Shuang, Wang Yun and others, and the Jinyiwei were still kept in the dark? !

Isn't this blind?!

...

Liu Bian looked at the memorial and his expression gradually became gloomy!
Not long ago, Qin Qiong just reported that he used Li Jue to exchange for Cao Cao. In this life, Cao Cao did not issue a forged edict to attack Dong Zhuo. Instead, someone issued a forged edict to purge the emperor's side!
As expected, for these noble families, the name or excuse is actually not important; they just need a reason to "have a legitimate reason".

Moreover, these reasons are completely fictitious and fabricated!

This is a deterrent to the imperial power by the aristocratic family alliance and a display of force!
Liu Bian has a clear view of these literati!
But what Liu Bian could not tolerate the most was that the intelligence system under his command was so backward!
Everything changes rapidly on the battlefield!
Qiao Mao had already issued a forged imperial edict to purge the emperor's entourage, but the Imperial Guard hadn't received the news yet?! Instead, Xun Shuang, Wang Yun and others received it first.

It is true that behind Xun Shuang is the Xun family of Yingchuan, and behind Wang Yun is the Wang family of Taiyuan, both of which are powerful aristocratic families.

But the imperial power represented by Liu Bian shouldn't be so backward, right? !
...

Liu Bian swept his cold gaze over everyone, making their backs chill and their hair stand on end.

The Jinyiwei represented by the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise, the Dongchang represented by Cao Zhengchun, and the Black Armor Army represented by Qin Qiong, actually have their own grievances that they cannot express!
They have been working hard to prevent the "dethronement" and have been infiltrating the capital for a long time. How can they have the spare energy and manpower to spread to the rest of the country and the local areas? !

It's out of reach!
Even if Liu Bian gave them the right to recruit soldiers and develop the Jinyiwei and Dongchang, the problem was that it would be too late for them to conscript men for castration in just a few days, right? !
Both Jinyiwei and Dongchang pursue...it's better to have nothing than to have something of poor quality!
and.

Today, Yang Biao and other officials banged on the door and cried loudly. Your Majesty was furious and threw them into prison. As a result, the government affairs in the capital were almost suspended.

This causes a delay in intelligence information, but there is actually some connection between them!

But facing Liu Bian's cold gaze, they dared not confront him, resist or argue, and lowered their heads in grievance. "Immediately issue an imperial edict to reprimand Qiao Mao, and announce to the world that this matter is completely false!" Liu Bian said in a deep voice, but after thinking for a while, he also ordered: "Move the five schools of the Northern Army to guard the eight passes of Luoyang!"

"promise!!!"

These people have held an alliance to "clear the emperor's side and punish treacherous ministers" in an open and open manner. Would they still care about Liu Bian's edict?
Even if an imperial edict was issued to announce it to the world, they would confuse right and wrong and say that Liu Bian was held hostage and that treacherous officials were controlling the government.

At this point, Liu Bian only trusts his own army!

At this time, Zhu Jun, Wu Fu and other generals from the five schools of the Northern Army came to the emperor for an audience, and the commander of the eight passes in Luoyang arrived with an urgent intelligence message in Babaili. Finally, he reported in detail the information that "Qiao Mao issued a forged edict to purge the emperor's side" and so on.

Although I'm a step late, at least I'm not blind!

And the military’s intelligence system is even more detailed!

After Qiao Mao, the governor of Dongjun, issued a forged edict to purge the imperial court, Yuan Shao, the governor of Bohai, immediately responded, followed by governors and provincial governors from areas around the Yellow River.

Under these people's distortion of right and wrong, it seems that Liu Bian was really incompetent and doted on treacherous officials, which led to the treacherous officials running rampant and controlling the government. The loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty were urgently needed to purge the emperor's side, punish the treacherous officials, and restore peace to the Han Dynasty!

"These traitors want to use force to coerce me!"

With a final "click", Liu Bian threw the memorial heavily on the table, as if it was still in the hearts of everyone present, causing them to jump inexplicably.

"His Majesty……"

Wang Yun swallowed back what he was about to say.

He actually wanted to plead with His Majesty to temporarily pardon the officials who had been banging the door and crying this morning, or at least release the officials who were less implicated. Otherwise, with so many officials imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, government affairs would come to a standstill.

But after hearing this, Wang Yun wisely shut up.

But at this time, Liu Bian had already looked at him inquiringly, so Wang Yun had to quickly change the subject:

“Your Majesty, the capital is now facing internal and external troubles. We have dispatched five schools of the Northern Army to suppress the eight passes of Luoyang, but the Xiliang Army and Bingzhou Army are still eyeing the capital.

"I believe that we must first stabilize the country before we can resist foreign aggression. If we don't deal with these arrogant and fierce generals, we will always have worries. Only by stabilizing the situation in the capital can we fully fight back against these rebellious officials and traitors."

...

Liu Bian glanced at Qin Qiong, Bai Hu and others.

In fact, before Wang Yun and others arrived, he had already realized this problem, and ordered an attack overnight to kill Niu Fu and other generals!
But plans cannot keep up with changes!

"Um?!"

Liu Bian suddenly woke up, his eyebrows jumped, and he sneered:
"To be honest with you, my dear ministers, I decided to take action against the rebellious Xiliang army not long ago. But before I could send out the troops, news came that Qiao Mao had issued a manifesto to purge the court.

“Considering the time delay in information transmission, it seems that all this was premeditated!

"The students of the Imperial College were paraded through the streets, all the officials in the court banged on the doors and cried, the five schools of the Northern Army mutinied this morning... Now it is the local governors who are issuing a manifesto to purge the emperor's side!
"You say, isn't this a coincidence?"

Everyone was filled with awe!

This is clearly evidence that certain noble families are in collusion with the Xiliang Army, or even colluding with them from within!
If we go a step further, it will directly point to Taifu Yuan Wei and the Runan Yuan family behind him!

This was the Yuan family's counterattack to stop the Han Emperor from executing the entire family of Grand Tutor Yuan Wei three days later!

Liu Bian said in a deep voice: "Zhu Jun!"

"I will be here!!!"

"The five schools of the Northern Army will divide their forces into 20,000 to guard the eight passes of Luoyang. You are fully responsible for this matter."

"I will obey your orders!"

The distance from Luoyang to the eight passes is about fifty or sixty miles. It is impossible for Liu Bian to let them deal with the Xiliang Army first and then divide the troops to guard the eight passes in Luoyang.

It is true that one must first stabilize the country before fighting against foreign aggressors, but the problem is that at least the gates must be guarded well, otherwise by the time the country is stabilized, the enemy troops will have already broken in, and it will be meaningless!
We even have to avoid any accomplices from the Yuan family in the eight passes of Luoyang, and directly open the gates with the help of both inside and outside forces without bloodshed!

After Zhu Jun left first, Liu Bian looked at everyone present, and after scanning them one by one, his eyes fell on Qin Qiong and other generals:
"Qin Qiong, the Northern Army has more than 10,000 soldiers from the five schools, more than 2,000 Black Armored Army, and nearly 10,000 soldiers from the Southern Western Liang Army who have surrendered to Wang Fang and Xu Rong. The Imperial Guards can fully cooperate. How confident are you that you can suppress the rebellion of the Western Liang Army led by Niu Fu?!"

"Fifty...eighty percent!"

Qin Qiong originally wanted to say 50-50, but when he saw Liu Bian's stern and cold eyes, he swallowed his words and changed it to 80%.

Liu Bian nodded.

That's it!
At this moment, Wang Yun bowed and said:

"Your Majesty, you just pardoned the Xiliang Army yesterday. If you are not completely sure, if the news leaks out, it will be bad for your reputation. Then those people will say that Your Majesty is untrustworthy, and the cunning rabbit will die and the running dog will be cooked.

"In addition to the Xiliang Army, there is also the Bingzhou Army, so I think we should use our wits to defeat them at this time!

“I am from the Wang family of Taiyuan in Bingzhou, and I have some connections with the soldiers of the Bingzhou Army. Your Majesty, why don’t you let me promise them some benefits first to stabilize the Bingzhou Army.

"He even instigated the Bingzhou Army to counterattack the Xiliang Army. The two armies fought each other. No one would say that Your Majesty was untrustworthy!"

...

"What good idea does Lord Wang have?" Liu Bian asked.

...

Wang Yun nodded and said:

"Lü Bu is a brave but not wise general, greedy for money and lustful. Dong Zhuo promised him benefits, but he killed Ding Yuan and defected to Dong Zhuo. I decided to imitate him, lure him with benefits, and alienate the Bingzhou army and the Xiliang army."

...

Liu Bian thought for a moment and nodded, "Your Majesty, you can give it a try."

After a pause, he continued, "But military preparations are also essential! Qin Qiong, you must be ready to launch an attack at any time!"

...

"I obey your command!!!"

"I obey the decree!!!"

After the two received the order, Liu Bian checked and filled in the gaps in the "internal and external troubles" and worked together to find a solution.

Finally, they dispersed!

……

When Qin Qiong returned to the Northern Army, Zhu Jun had already mobilized 20,000 soldiers and was about to go out. The remaining 10,000 soldiers were to be deployed by Qin Qiong.

After the exchanges, Zhu Jun divided his troops into eight passes in Luoyang.

These are Xiaopingjin Pass and Mengjin Pass in the north, Yique Pass, Dagu Pass and Xuanyuan Pass in the south, and Hulao Pass and Sishui Pass in the east.

As for Hangu Pass on the west side, it is actually not as important as Tongguan further west.

According to the original history, Tongguan was established by Cao Cao in the first year of Jian'an (196 AD) to prevent military rebellion in Guanxi, and Hanguguan was abandoned at the same time.

Because Tongguan is located at the crossing of the Yellow River, it is a strategic point between the three provinces of Shanxi, Shaanxi and Henan, and it is the key to the post road from Chang'an to Luoyang.
Therefore, it has become a must-pass place and strategic pass for entering the Central Plains in the east and entering Guanzhong and the Western Regions in the west since the end of the Han Dynasty. It has always been a place of contention for military strategists, and is known as "the most dangerous place in the capital", "the throat of the four towns", and "the place with one hundred and two passes".

Many battles took place in Tongguan, such as the one where Cao Cao was defeated by Ma Chao and had to "cut off his beard and abandon his robe."

Liu Bian was deeply aware of the importance of Tongguan, so he ordered the left general Huangfu Song, who was guarding Youfufeng, to transfer troops to Tongguan and build a checkpoint there, establishing "Tongguan".

There is no "Tongguan" yet, but Liu Bian has ordered Huangfu Song to dispatch troops to guard and build it.

Because of the presence of Huangfu Song and his 30,000 elite troops, there is no need to worry about the Guanxi warlords in the Sanfu and Liangzhou areas.

However, Zhu Jun still needed to guard the north, south and east sides of the eight passes of Luoyang in full authority, because they separated the north and the south and the roads were long and difficult. Therefore, Zhu Jun immediately sent troops after the handover.

Qin Qiong controlled more than 10,000 soldiers and discussed strategies to defeat the enemy with Infantry Captain Zhang Liao, Infantry Sima Li Siye, Bai Hu disguised as "Wang Fang", Xu Rong and other Xiliang army generals who surrendered.

The most difficult problem is -

Your Majesty pardoned the Xiliang Army yesterday. How can they deal with Niu Fu and other generals at this time without bringing shame to Your Majesty's reputation? !

This is a battle with a dilemma!
At this time, Jia Xu said quietly:
"In fact, we can burn the Xiliang army's food and fodder, forcing them to plunder the capital, and then arouse public anger, forcing Your Majesty to kill them!"

The generals' eyes lit up, this plan is feasible!
It will be troublesome to get rid of Niu Fu and others in one fell swoop. After Dong Zhuo was assassinated, they will definitely be alert.

But as for the generals who had identified the Western Liang Army, such as Wang Fang and Xu Rong, they must have known where the food and grass were, and they could easily infiltrate them and burn them.

As long as the Xiliang army's food and fodder were burned, with their tens of thousands of troops, the consumption of food and fodder for men and horses, and no food and fodder to support them, the morale of the army would definitely be shaken.

Of course, the most important thing is to make the Xiliang Army arouse public outrage, and through public outrage, "force" His Majesty to kill these Xiliang Army!

Then it is not that Your Majesty is breaking his promise after pardoning, but it is the will of the people!

Of course, more details need to be added.

After Wang Fang and Xu Rong defected, Niu Fu and other generals would definitely guard the food and fodder strictly. They would wonder how they would make a feint to the east and attack in the west.

After burning the Xiliang army's food and grass, will Niu Fu take advantage of the situation and ask His Majesty for it directly?

After Jia Xu's suggestions and improvements, a plan soon emerged.

……

(End of this chapter)