Chapter 8: Sorting out the Western Liang Army, it’s really Cao Cao who takes the blame!
"Your Majesty, Xuanwu successfully assassinated Dong Zhuo and escaped unscathed after confirming that Dong Zhuo was dead. Now the Xiliang army is in chaos, and Li Ru is notifying the generals to send troops to suppress the eight passes of Luoyang and blockade the capital. The Xiliang army is searching the city for the suspected culprit Cao Cao.

"Qinglong is directing the Jinyiwei to spread the news of Dong Zhuo's death. Baihu is aware that his identity has not been exposed, and is still hiding in the Xiliang Army, waiting for an opportunity to act. Qin Qiong is heading to the Northern Army's Five Schools to meet Zhang Liao, hoping to instigate him to take the opportunity to rebel."

Zhuque informed Liu Bian of the result of the assassination attempt on Dong Zhuo, and also revealed the reactions of all relevant personnel, which made Liu Bian feel relieved!

Dong Zhuo is finally dead!

This time, the Jinyiwei made great contributions!

Once Dong Zhuo died, the Western Liang army no longer had the energy to depose or enthrone anyone, and Liu Bian's throne and life safety were temporarily guaranteed!
No! Liu Bian thought about it carefully and felt that it was not safe enough!

The Xiliang Army still has absolute authority. After all, they have 200,000 Xiliang cavalry, and the Xiliang generals are brave and good at fighting. There is also the ruthless scholar Li Ru, and secretly hidden is the talented Jia Xu who has no omissions!
If the Xiliang generals work together, unite and face the outside world in unison, they will still be able to control the overall situation of the capital with their absolute military power!

At this time, how will they stabilize the situation caused by "Dong Zhuo's death"? !

——Should we temporarily put aside the abolition and enthronement and support Liu Bian to stabilize the situation? To avoid the abolition and enthronement event causing too much backlash, and the double blow would have too much impact?
——Or did the generals reach a temporary cooperation, or even elect a new leader, to suppress the backlash caused by Dong Zhuo's death by deposing and enthroning a new leader?

——Or is it that he is using Dong Zhuo's death as an excuse to make a big splash and implicate a wide range of people, suppressing all the unrest? Even killing them all? Going berserk! Doing everything he can to cause unrest in the capital?
Liu Bian thought of all the possibilities and still felt it was very dangerous!
The reason is that Liu Bian is not irreplaceable!
His younger brother, Liu Xie, King of Chenliu, could easily replace him!
Deposing and enthroning can establish authority and suppress disobedience, but it is a double-edged sword. There is no guarantee that the generals of the Western Liang Army will not take risks and continue to depose and enthronize in this precarious situation!
In the original history, Liu Xie was able to live for thirty years after he ascended the throne and became emperor. He was a puppet emperor for thirty years. He even staged several coups and launched the famous Yidaizhao. Cao Cao almost fell into the gutter, but he still did not depose the emperor!

that is because--

After his brother Liu Bian was deposed, he was poisoned to death!
Liu Xie became the only legitimate heir!
Cao Cao is no longer worthwhile!
Thinking of this, Liu Bian felt that it was not safe yet. He could not let the Xiliang army unite, but had to let them fight among themselves.

After the death of leader Dong Zhuo, the generals of Xiliang will definitely have ambitions and want to take the throne. This fight for the throne will be an opportunity for internal strife!
Only when the snipe and the clam fight each other can the fisherman gain!
After Liu Bian thought deeply, he said to Zhuque:

"Suzaku, send a message to Baihu. Try to make the Xiliang generals fight among themselves. Don't let them unite and work together to face the enemy. Try to weaken their power and make them become a pile of loose sand."

"I obey my orders!"

"There is no time to lose, get started right away!"

"promise!"

After Zhuque respectfully accepted the order, he was about to step down to deal with the affairs. But now that Dong Zhuo was dead, the Xiliang army was in chaos, the capital was shaken, and the situation was chaotic. They, the Jinyiwei, had to intervene and were very busy.

But he suddenly remembered Qin Qiong's entrustment, so he asked again:
"Your Majesty, Qin Qiong is asking what to do with Cao Cao. Xuanwu disguised himself as the fake Cao Cao to assassinate, and the real Cao Cao has become a suspect. The Xiliang army is searching the entire city for him, and he can't escape even if he has wings. Qin Qiong feels bad about it, and asks for your advice, can you help?"

Qin Qiong's character is generous and righteous. This time, Cao Cao was blamed for the assassination of Dong Zhuo. Qin Qiong would definitely feel bad about it. Even if Cao Cao was caught, it would be a big blow to his conscience.

Liu Bian thought for a moment and said:

"Under the premise of not affecting the overall situation, rescue Cao Cao. He originally wanted to assassinate Dong Zhuo, and he is a loyal and patriotic person. Don't let a loyal minister feel disappointed!"

"My subordinate understands."

Zhuque carefully understood the meaning of the emperor's words, and then finally took the order and left.

...

The death of Dong Zhuo shook the capital!
The common people were secretly celebrating that the traitor who had brought chaos to the capital and allowed his subordinates to plunder the people had finally been stabbed to death. They were looking forward to the capital returning to its former peace!
The officials cheered loudly, saying that this traitor who had brought chaos to the government and abused his power to harm the country had finally been assassinated by Cao Cao. They admired Cao Cao's righteousness and looked forward to the officialdom returning to its former peace!
The ministers relaxed a little and admired Cao Cao's feat, but they did not take it lightly because the generals of the Western Liang Army were eyeing them covetously, with 200,000 Western Liang soldiers lying in wait to suppress the capital!
The whole capital was in turmoil because of Dong Zhuo's death! The real murderer Cao Cao became famous because of this, and the capital paid close attention to him, like the focus of the stars!

But no one knows that in the forgotten palace, the Han Emperor Liu Bian, who is under house arrest like a puppet, is the real man behind the scenes who controls the overall situation and manipulates the situation of the empire!

……

Cao Cao, the central figure who was the focus of heated discussion in the capital, finally sobered up from his drunkenness.

"Well……"

Cao Cao felt like his head was exploding after he sobered up.

Yesterday, I had a candlelit discussion with Wang Yun and other ministers to discuss the assassination of Dong Zhuo. In the morning, I met Qin Qiong, a close friend who hit it off immediately. I couldn't help drinking too much, and my head was exploding with pain.

He slept until the afternoon. After he woke up, he shook his head and felt confused and dizzy. He found that the table in the box was surrounded by wine jars, but Qin Qiong was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is Brother Qin going? Oh, he said he was going to visit the brothers serving in the five schools of the Northern Army. I think it was Zhang Liao, the Sima of Yueqi. I wonder when Brother Qin will come back? Should we wait for him to come back and get drunk together?"

Cao Cao recalled his communication with Qin Qiong in the morning. He felt like they hit it off at first sight and they felt they had met too late. He wanted to become sworn brothers with Qin Qiong. He had a good eye for people and knew that Qin Qiong was a good friend worth making friends with.

Cao Cao took a sip of tea to moisten his throat. Just as he was considering whether to wait for Qin Qiong to return, he heard dense footsteps outside the restaurant. The uniformity of the troops clearly indicated that they were well-trained. Then there was the chaotic sound of soldiers shouting and pedestrians retreating:
"The Xiliang Army is investigating the case. All irrelevant personnel, get out immediately!!! Surround the restaurant and don't let even a fly out!!!"

"promise!!!"

There was a commotion, and pedestrians around dispersed, and vendors hurried away in fear. Those who walked slowly were even violently driven away by the Xiliang Army, and their cries of pain echoed inside and outside the restaurant.

Cao Cao looked out the window and found that the Xiliang army had surrounded the restaurant. Outside, there was chaos and disorder, with Xiliang soldiers galloping on their horses and people running wild on the streets.

"What happened?!"

Cao Cao was shocked. There was no such chaos yesterday, so why today... No, there was no such chaos this morning, so what happened at noon? !
Could it be for tomorrow's dethronement ceremony? !
Not really! Why do I feel like the Xiliang army is running wild, feeling a little restless, and everyone seems to be in a panic? !

When Cao Cao was in doubt, a Xiliang military officer walked into the restaurant with his personal guards. The shopkeeper stepped forward timidly and looked at a portrait he held out:
"Shopkeeper, are you sure it's the person in the portrait?"

"Yes, yes, yes, that's the person in the portrait. He was drinking with his friends from morning till noon in the west wing on the second floor." The shopkeeper compared them carefully and replied in a careful and flattering voice.

Since the Xiliang army ordered the arrest of Cao Cao, they have been searching the whole city, drawing pictures of him, and the capital is in chaos. It can be said that everyone knows about it. Because the informant is rewarded, the harborer is also guilty. Therefore, the shopkeeper did not dare to conceal it and asked the servant to report it.

"Search for me!!!"

After hearing this, the school officer gave a cold order. The soldiers of the Xiliang Army immediately rushed forward with murderous intent. Before Cao Cao woke up, the door of the box was kicked open.

The soldiers of the Xiliang Army rushed in like wolves and tigers, guarding the place with strict vigilance. Cao Cao looked at the Xiliang Army waiting in full battle array with a look of doubt and uncertainty, and his heart was filled with turmoil. He didn't understand why he had become their target? !
When he saw Cao Cao, the Xiliang military officer gestured at the portrait in his hand, and then ordered coldly with murderous intent: "It's the real Cao thief, take him away!!!"

"Wait! Are there any misunderstandings between these brothers?!!!"

Cao Cao woke up suddenly, and the dizziness in his head also came back with the threat of the sword. He felt like a thorn in his back, and his spine was cold. He asked hurriedly:

"Mr. Dong has always valued us, treated us with respect and honor, why are you suddenly so rude to us? I'm afraid that this will discourage people with lofty ideals and talents from the opposition! You are being rude and arrogant, and you are harming Mr. Dong's reputation!"

"Cao the thief is still playing dumb?!"

Upon hearing this, the leading officer of the Xiliang Army laughed out of anger:
"Cao, when you were plotting to murder Lord Dong, why didn't you ever think about the kindness of Lord Dong in treating you as honored guests? You are such a ruthless person, repaying kindness with hatred!"

Boom! ! !

Cao Cao felt like a bolt of lightning had struck him!

Could it be that the secret of his discussion with Wang Yun and other ministers on assassinating Dong Zhuo was leaked? !
Who informed on me? ! No! They just had a verbal discussion, why are these Xiliang soldiers so confident? !

Could it be that there was a traitor among the officials? Cao Cao was quick-witted and resolutely cried out:

"Misunderstanding! It's definitely a misunderstanding! Lord Dong has treated me well, how could I repay kindness with hatred?! Someone must have said something malicious about me. Soldier, I want to see Lord Dong!!!"

However, these Xiliang soldiers no longer wanted to play dumb with Cao Cao. Seeing his righteous words and awe-inspiring appearance, they were even more furious and tied him up.

Cao Cao was quite skilled in martial arts, but how could he be a match for these Xiliang troops? During the struggle, Wang Yun's Seven-Star Sword fell to the ground, which immediately frightened him!
Oops! ! !

But Cao Cao changed his mind and realized that he had not yet carried out the assassination, so this could be regarded as his treasured dagger!
Just when I felt relieved, who knows!!!

When the Xiliang soldiers saw the dagger, they shouted angrily, "We caught him red-handed!!! The weapon that killed Lord Dong is almost the same as this sword. It must be a backup weapon!!! Take it away!!!"

"and many more!!!"

Cao Cao felt that they were talking at cross purposes and asked in surprise, "What did you just say?! The weapon that killed Mr. Dong?! Mr. Dong... is dead?!"

"You bastard! Are you still playing dumb in front of me?!"

The soldiers of the Xiliang Army could not bear to watch this anymore. They were so angry that if they did not have solid evidence, they would have been fooled by Cao Cao's acting. They immediately became furious and punched and kicked Cao Cao to vent their anger!

"Take him away! Keep him under strict guard! The thief Cao must have accomplices! Report to General Wang immediately. We have captured the thief Cao!!!"

“It’s unfair!!! I’m really wronged!!!”

This time, Cao Cao cried out for justice with a heart-wrenching and heart-breaking cry, because he was truly wronged!

Cao Cao did conspire with Wang Yun and other high officials to assassinate Dong Zhuo, but they haven't taken any action yet!

At the critical moment of Dong Zhuo's dethronement and enthronement, security was tight and the situation was crisis-ridden. How could he possibly assassinate him at this time?

Therefore, Cao Cao decided to wait until Dong Zhuo was deposed and Dong Zhuo was relaxed. Only then did he have the leisure to drink and make friends with Qin Qiong!

How come Dong Zhuo died before he took any action?! This has nothing to do with him?! He was really wronged!!! Even more wronged than Dou E!!!

However, the soldiers of the Western Liang Army had no doubts about him. They presented the evidence as irrefutable and irrefutable, and took Cao Cao away angrily.

As they walked down the restaurant, the merchants below moved aside to make way for Cao Cao, who had a bruised and bloody face, and pointed and whispered.

Cao Cao heard it clearly. Dong Zhuo was assassinated and killed in his mansion at noon. Now the capital was shaken and the whole city was in turmoil. The Xiliang army was shocked and ran away. The army was in chaos, and he... became the suspect of assassinating Dong Zhuo? !

Cao Cao never thought that while he was cooking at home, the pot would fall from the sky!
His only thought now was...

Fuck you!!! Who framed him? Assassinating Dong Zhuo was a good thing, but you should at least give him a heads up, why was he caught off guard and so confused when he was caught?

When Cao Cao was cursing in his heart, Baihu, disguised as "Wang Fang", rode over. He looked at Cao Cao carefully and confirmed that this was not the fake Cao Cao disguised as Xuanwu, but the real Cao Cao. He looked strange and apologetic!

"Brother, I'm sorry!"

Cao Cao observed Wang Fang's expression and did not understand his expression, but he had seen Wang Fang before and immediately cried out:
"General Wang, I am innocent! I have been drinking in the restaurant from morning till noon, and the owner and others can testify for me! There is another hidden story behind Mr. Dong's death, and the real murderer cannot be allowed to go unpunished!"

"Go to Mr. Dong's corpse and apologize! Take him away!!"

White Tiger, disguised as "Wang Fang", naturally knew that Cao Cao was telling the truth. He even knew clearly that Xuanwu was secretly observing Cao Cao and then disguising himself. But what could he do?

Cao Cao will definitely take the blame for this!

Of course, in order to express his apology, he stopped his soldiers from punching and kicking Cao Cao to vent their anger. He used the reasons that Cao Cao was still a suspect and his accomplices needed to be questioned, and finally allowed him to arrive at Dong Zhuo's mansion smoothly.

……

Cao Cao, the real murderer who assassinated Dong Zhuo, was arrested. As Wang Fang escorted Cao Cao to Dong Zhuo's residence, the common people and vendors on the streets saw it, and the spies who were observing secretly also saw it.

All parties received the news at the first time, including Wang Yun.

"Meng De is a loyal and patriotic man. He just discussed the assassination of Dong Zhuo yesterday, and today he acted decisively to eliminate the harm to the country and killed the thief Dong Zhuo! Compared with him, we are ashamed!!!"

Wang Yun was moved and admired Cao Cao's heroic act. He was relieved for Dong Zhuo's death.

The court officials gathered in Wang Yun's mansion. After hearing this, they were a little surprised and said:
"We agreed yesterday that at the critical moment of Dong Zhuo's dethronement, security must be tight and it will be difficult to take action.

After Dong Zhuo was deposed, he must have been too proud to take action. He was waiting for an opportunity and was sure to succeed. Why did Meng De suddenly attack? We were caught off guard and were unable to respond! "

...

"Opportunities are rare and never come back. Meng De must have accidentally encountered a godsend opportunity, and he seized it decisively!" Wang Yun sighed, "Meng De risked his life without even thinking about living. He sacrificed his life for the country, died bravely, and died with his eyes closed!"

...

"Now that Meng De has been captured, the Xiliang Army will certainly not give up and will certainly interrogate his accomplices. What should we do? Should we try to rescue Meng De? We can't just watch Meng De being killed after serving his country and his loyalty to the emperor, right?!"

...

"Meng De is loyal to the emperor and loves his country. He is a man of great righteousness. Naturally, he will not betray you or me. Don't worry! As for rescuing Meng De, we must do our best. Meng De has created such a good opportunity for us. We cannot let it go. We must seize the opportunity and pursue him!"

Wang Yun said:

"Now that Dong Zhuo is dead, the Xiliang army is leaderless. Generals like Niu Fu, Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Ji, Fan Chou, and Wang Fang are all brave and good at fighting. We can try to make the Xiliang army fight for the throne, causing internal strife and chaos, and fish in troubled waters.

"Even! Don't forget that Dong Zhuo had originally planned to bribe Lü Bu, kill Ding Yuan, and annex the Bingzhou Army. The Bingzhou Army and the Xiliang Army had never shared hardships together. After losing Dong Zhuo's checks and balances, there would definitely be friction between the two!
"Lü Bu is a general who forgets his principles when he sees profit, is greedy for money and lustful, and is brave but not wise. We can plot to alienate the Bingzhou Army and the Xiliang Army. If we can cause two tigers to compete for food, the fisherman will benefit from the quarrel between the snipe and the clam, and we will surely achieve something!"

...

"Meng De died bravely first, so we naturally cannot be left behind. If you need us, Your Majesty, we will speak frankly and go through fire and water without hesitation, and die without regrets!"

"I have received the emperor's grace for my whole life, so I should be loyal to the emperor and love my country, and repay it with my death!"

"I should share your worries with you! Meng De has created such a great opportunity for us, we should not let it go. We should seize the opportunity to defeat the Xiliang bandit army and restore order to the Han Dynasty!"

Upon hearing this, all the officials made solemn promises.

Wang Yun's blood was boiling and his heart was pounding.

They were originally unable to defeat the traitor Dong Zhuo, who was causing chaos in the government and had great power, because the Western Liang army had many soldiers and generals. However, after Cao Cao successfully assassinated Dong Zhuo, they saw hope!

Due to Dong Zhuo's death, the capital is in turmoil and undercurrents are surging!
……

(End of this chapter)