binnovel Chapter 179: The Ruthless Huang Zhong
Chapter 179: The Ruthless Huang Zhong
Chapter 179: The Ruthless Huang Zhong
It was not until it was completely dark that Liu Bian's convoy arrived at the imperial guards camp.
Naturally, the way was smooth, with Dian Wei and Zhao Yun leading the way, Liu Bian strode into the camp.
After walking a few steps, Zhao Yun came back from the front and said, "Your Majesty, Captain Huangfu and the others are basically in the cafeteria. It is said that they almost fought."
Liu Bian was startled, quickened his pace, and asked, "Why?"
Zhao Yun said, "It seems that the Second Young Master paid extra money to provide the Yanzhou soldiers who came with him with good food, which caused dissatisfaction among the imperial guards."
Liu Bian frowned, said nothing, and just quickened his pace.
Before entering the gate, I heard many clear shouts.
"Why can they eat so well? We just stare at them?"
"You didn't fight in the war, and you don't have any military achievements!"
"We just took a few pieces of meat. We worked so hard and haven't eaten meat for a month. What's wrong with taking a bite to taste it?"
"Do you dare to use a knife?"
When Liu Bian arrived at the door, he saw two gangs ready to fight.
Huangfu Jian stood in the middle, sweating profusely, and kept trying to persuade people, but no one paid any attention to him.
"Standing!"
Suddenly, a loud shout came from a side door not far away, and then Huang Zhong, dressed in armor and sweating profusely, appeared.
After hearing the sound, almost all the soldiers retreated reflexively, lined up in two rows, and stood with their heads held high.
Including the so-called "Yanzhou soldiers", like the soldiers of the Imperial Guards Camp, they stood in an orderly manner opposite each other.
In fact, these 500 "Yanzhou soldiers" were borrowed by Huangfu Jianchang from Xu Rong, and Xu Rong's soldiers originally came from the Imperial Guards Camp. The only difference was the length of training time.
"Your Majesty is here!"
Pan Yin let out a long, sharp cry, and Liu Bian walked in.
Huang Zhong, Huangfu Jianchang and others came over and saluted at the same time, saying, "Your Majesty, we are here to see you!"
The other soldiers knelt on one knee and said, "We are here to see Your Majesty!"
Liu Bian smiled warmly and said, "No need to be polite. I heard you guys arguing before I even came in. What are you arguing about?"
Huangfu Jian looked hesitant and didn't dare to speak.
Huang Zhong had a gloomy face and tried hard to suppress his anger. For a moment he didn't know where to start.
At this time, a soldier looked up and shouted to Liu Bian: "Your Majesty, these Yanzhou soldiers are eating meat and drinking wine, and we just want to have a taste, but they won't let us."
There was a tearful tone in his voice, and he was obviously feeling aggrieved.
The Yanzhou soldiers were not happy with this. One of them said back, "You guys only want to eat one bite? One bite each. Do you have any left for us? If we don't give you any, you will rob us and even beat us up!"
The anger of both sides suddenly rose again, and it seemed that they were about to fight again. Liu Bian immediately smiled and said, "Isn't it just a mouthful of wine and meat? I'm in charge. For three days, I will add meat to every meal and make sure you are full!"
Although Liu Bian tried his best to supply the Imperial Army Camp, the food there was not good due to the empty treasury, and people often went hungry. Liu Bian felt somewhat guilty, and now that he had money, he wanted to make up for it.
The soldiers of the Imperial Army Camp were overjoyed when they heard this. Just as they were about to express their gratitude, Huang Zhong suddenly said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, no!"
Liu Bian was stunned for a moment, then frowned. It had been a long time since anyone had been so disrespectful to him and refuted his words in public.
Huang Zhong raised his hand to Liu Bian and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards have their own military rules. These soldiers did not follow the rules, seized food, and even gathered to fight. This is unforgivable! Not only can they not be rewarded with food, but they should also be severely punished."
Liu Bian paused after hearing this, and a smile reappeared on his somewhat stiff face. He said, "Whether it is the Yanzhou soldiers or the Imperial Guards, they have all been working hard recently. It is only right that they can eat something good and relax occasionally. Please don't be too harsh on me, my Lord."
"No!"
Huang Zhong raised his hand and refused to give in. He said, "Your Majesty, if there is one, there will be two. If you get it today, what will you do if you want something else tomorrow? Military rules are ruthless and cannot be lenient!"
Liu Bian frowned and anger surged in his heart.
When Pan Yin saw this, he stepped forward and scolded him, "Huang Zhong, how dare you! His Majesty sympathizes with the hard work of the soldiers and rewards them with two meals. What's wrong? You are disobeying the emperor's order, which is a serious crime. Do you know that?!"
Huang Zhong remained calm, knelt on one knee, and said, "I have followed military rules and did not know I offended Your Majesty. Please punish me. But military rules are military rules, and even Your Majesty should not violate them."
Pan Yin was anxious, pointing at him and said, "You, you, you are so outrageous!"
Huangfu Jian was stunned by what he heard. He stared at Huang Zhong blankly, thinking: Is this man a fool? Isn't it just a few meals? Is it necessary to be so disrespectful to the emperor in public? Is he tired of living? Don't you want a future?
The soldiers didn't dare to speak and lowered their heads. In their eyes, angering the emperor was a big deal!
Liu Bian's face looked a little ugly. He glanced at the group of people, snorted coldly, and walked towards the side door.
"You wait for me!"
Pan Yin snorted at Huang Zhong and quickly chased after him.
Zhao Yun, Dian Wei and others glanced at Huang Zhong and passed in front of him.
Huangfu Jian finally reacted and chased after Liu Bian.
Huang Zhong was still kneeling on the ground, his expression unchanged, and he showed no sign of being frightened or worried about having angered Liu Bian.
The other soldiers looked at each other, totally unsure of what to do.
When the footsteps could no longer be heard, Huang Zhong stood up, his expression solemn, and said: "Except for the Yanzhou soldiers, everyone else continues to train. Those who violate the rules will be severely punished!"
Huang Zhong was famous for his strict training in the Imperial Army camp. He was ruthless and impartial, and many soldiers were afraid of him. No one dared to object, and they swarmed out of the cafeteria.
Liu Bian came out of the cafeteria, saw the newly built horse farm, and walked straight over.
Huangfu Jianchang followed from behind, glanced at Liu Bian's profile, and saw that he was still angry. He immediately smiled and said, "Your Majesty, Huang Zhong is famous for his integrity. If your Majesty is angry, let the captain fight with him and teach him a lesson."
Pan Yin and others glanced at him. What kind of words were these?
The emperor retaliated against a small goalkeeper in public. If this gets out, will he still have any face left?
Zhao Yun followed beside him, paying attention to Liu Bian's expression, and said, "Your Majesty, General Huang Ya's words are not entirely unreasonable."
Liu Bian said nothing and continued walking forward with an expressionless face.
He was not angry because Huang Zhong's words were unreasonable. In fact, he was used to being an emperor and could not tolerate others losing face in public.
"It's not necessary, it's not necessary. The sea can accommodate all rivers, and it is great because it can accommodate..."
Liu Bian was secretly alert and brought a group of people to the horse farm. He saw horse troughs crisscrossing inside the railings, fine horses in the stables, some scattered horses on the field, and soldiers riding horses not far away, with the sound of horses neighing one after another.
Liu Bian saw dozens of familiar strong horses and said, "These horses must be taken good care of. Zhong Qing's family got them back with great difficulty. I am counting on them to train an elite cavalry for me."
"I obey your command." Huang Zhong, who appeared out of nowhere, raised his hand and responded.
Liu Bian turned around and looked at him. He was about to get angry subconsciously. He frowned, then regained his warm smile and said thoughtfully, "Your words just now make sense. I really shouldn't interfere with the rules of the Imperial Army camp without authorization. You have made great contributions to the management of the army, so you will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant of the Central Army."
Huang Zhong was obviously stunned for a moment, then he raised his hand calmly and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Huangfu Jianchang, who was standing by and seeing this, was shocked and secretly admired: Your Majesty is indeed a man of broad mind!
After saying this, Liu Bian's anger just now also dissipated. He looked at Huangfu Jianchang and smiled more: "Your trip has indeed brought me a big surprise. Tell me, what reward do you want?"
Huangfu Jianchang's expression straightened up, and he raised his hand and said, "I am willing to serve your majesty loyally, and I do not ask for any extravagant reward."
Liu Bian knew him well. Thinking about the money and grain compared to the taxes of several years, he couldn't help smiling and said, "When I was in the capital, I talked to the Grand Marshal about it, and he was also quite shocked."
Huangfu Jianchang, who had a serious face, looked extremely awkward when he heard these words. He seemed to be happy but trying hard to hold it back, and he looked very hard.
Liu Bian thought for a moment, took out a token from his bosom, handed it to him, and said, "This token was specially made by the Grand Marshal's Office. It can directly mobilize 5,000 soldiers from various states without the imperial decree or the order of the Grand Marshal's Office. For officials below the county magistrate, execute them first and report later. For officials below the prefect, detain them first and report later. For those who are found guilty of treason, they can be executed on the spot."
Pan Yin, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong and others all changed color when they heard this.
What a power this is!
All of them fall within the scope of 'act first and report later'!
Huangfu Jian stretched out his hand and took the token tremblingly. He looked dazed, as if in a dream, with his eyes wide open and his breathing rapid.
He had thought of many possibilities before, such as promotion, money, and even the title. He had fantasized about it for a while, but he never expected that it would be this token!
This token is much more important than getting promoted or getting rich!
It's not just about power, but also about the trust that His Majesty has in him!
This can't be replaced by anything!
"I bow to thank Your Majesty! I will be loyal to you, share your worries, relieve your sorrows, and perform my duties for the Han Dynasty!"
Huangfu Jianchang suddenly woke up, fell to the ground and spoke urgently.
Liu Bian bent down, pulled him up, and said, "Okay, take me to see it."
"Yes, yes, yes." Huangfu Jian's mouth was dry as he led Liu Bian towards the warehouse of the imperial army camp.
Liu Bian walked slowly, glanced at Huang Zhong, and said: "Mr. Huang, you should be strict in managing the soldiers, but you must know that there is a limit to strictness and leniency. The morale of the army is like the will of the people, and it cannot be deceived."
"I understand." Huang Zhong bowed.
Seeing that Huang Zhong did not resist, Pan Yin snorted in his heart.
Liu Bian didn't care and came to the warehouse with a large group of people.
This place was originally used to store military pay, money and food, but now it is mostly empty. Instead, everyone's attention is attracted by the mountains of huge boxes.
Liu Bian walked over and looked at the copper coins scattered on the ground and the many large boxes that could not be covered. He excitedly walked forward to take a look at them one by one.
Huangfu Jianchang controlled his emotions, holding the token in his arms, and said to Liu Bian: "Your Majesty, after careful calculations along the way, I have probably got 300 million in cash. The exact amount needs to be carefully counted, and I haven't had time to do it yet. The rest of the property was also obtained by Dong Zhuo from looting in various places in Yuzhou. A rough estimate is that there should be more than 200 million coins."
Liu Bian's pupils shrank suddenly. Five hundred million was almost equivalent to ten years' tax revenue of the Han Dynasty!
"The Yuzhou families are indeed rich..." Liu Bian's eyes turned red as he looked at the large boxes, which seemed like priceless treasures. He couldn't help but touch them with his excited hands.
Of course, the people whom Dong Zhuo used to coerce, bribe, plunder, and even rob were not the poor and destitute common people, but the wealthy aristocratic families!
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