binnovel Chapter 276 Unexpected
Chapter 276 Unexpected
Chapter 276 Unexpected
There was an undercurrent of turmoil in Luoyang City. Liu Bian sat in the carriage and leisurely headed to the imperial guards camp.
Next to the carriage, Zhao Yun and Dian Wei were riding horses, guarding on both sides.
Compared with a few years ago, Zhao Yun has lost his timidity and immaturity and has become more mature and steady, with a sharp gaze and a heroic demeanor.
Liu Bian looked at the memorial in his hand and said with a smile: "Zilong, the Grand Marshal's Office suggested that Liu Bei, the governor of Hanzhong, replace Cao Cao in Qiao County. What do you think?"
Among the generals of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bian favored many of them, but the only one whom Liu Bian could directly address by his courtesy name was Zhao Yun.
"I don't know." Zhao Yun said sideways.
Liu Bian glanced at him and asked, "What about Sun Ce and Zhou Yu?"
Zhao Yun seemed to be suddenly excited, and his tone was much louder. He said: "Your Majesty, Sun Ce is very brave and even better than Zhang Xiu. Zhou Yu is not a general, but he has the appearance of a commander. When he discusses military affairs in the army, he always has unique insights that are unexpected."
Liu Bian smiled slightly and said, "Well, not bad. Then you can train Sun Ce. As for Zhou Yu, observe him for a while and then send him to the Grand Marshal's Mansion."
"Yes." Zhao Yun said.
Liu Bian reached out and picked up a pile of memorials beside him, flipped through them casually, shook his head and said to himself: "It seems that the voices advocating war are getting louder and louder. Zilong, do you think now is the time to suppress the rebellion in the south?"
Zhao Yun looked thoughtful, and then said: "Your Majesty, please forgive me for being disrespectful. If the court launches a war in the south now, I am afraid it will not be able to hold on."
When Liu Bian saw that Zhao Yun had rarely spoken, he couldn't help but smile more and said: "Some people say that when the Qiang invaded, the court did not have much food, but they still won the battle. Now the situation is better, why not fight?"
Zhao Yun hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I think that when the Qiang people were approaching Sanfu, the court had no choice but to fight. But now, the court's situation seems stable, but it is actually more dangerous. If we rashly send troops, the consequences may be disastrous."
"You are sober."
Liu Bian nodded slightly, turned his head and looked towards the east. After a long pause, he said, "Liu Bei, Hanzhong, Yizhou... Three Qiang, Liangzhou..."
Liu Yan's health was failing. In the previous few years, he had been trying to capture Hanzhong, but was blocked by Sun Jian and Liu Bei.
While Liu Bian kept detaining Liu Zhang, Liu Yan made many moves both overtly and covertly, and there were vague signs that he was deploying troops near Hanzhong.
Han Sui and Ma Teng of Liang Province seemed to want to surrender, but in fact they were demanding more benefits and were unwilling to give up their military power.
The imperial court naturally could not agree to this. After negotiating with the Three Qiang for three or four years, Han Sui and Ma Teng seemed to have lost their patience and were ready to take action.
As for Qingzhou and Jizhou, rebellions occurred one after another and never completely subsided.
Although Liu Yu temporarily appeased the Wuhuan, Xianbei, Xiongnu and other barbarian tribes, it was only temporary. There was no telling when they would invade again.
The Han Dynasty was still full of crises and was treading on thin ice.
At this time, Pan Yin came running up from behind, panting and handing over a memorial, saying, "Your Majesty, there is a letter from the capital."
Liu Bian took it, opened it and read what happened in the Supreme Court.
Liu Bian thought for a moment and said, "Haven't you found out yet?"
Pan Yin has been pampered in recent years, and his face is a little rounded, not as sallow and thin as when Liu Bian ascended the throne. He followed the carriage breathlessly and said, "Not yet, it seems that no one has tampered with it."
"like……"
Liu Bian's eyes were full of smiles, and he said, "It's beyond my expectation that it can be done so cleanly. I'm curious about who it is."
Pan Yin could vaguely guess that it was just a few people, but he did not dare to say it out loud and said quickly: "I will definitely check it out for Your Majesty."
Seeing that he was sweating profusely, Liu Bian waved his hand and said, "Alright, let them do it."
Pan Yin responded by stepping back, standing where he was, breathing heavily and wiping the sweat off his face.
Liu Bian sat in the carriage, thinking about the political situation.
Liu Bian originally hoped that Liu Yu's return to the capital, with his mature and steady character, could play a lubricating role and stabilize the political situation.
Now it seems that may have backfired.
Before Liu Bian could think clearly, Pan Yin came up again and said in a hurry: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Hedong Governor Sima Fang wrote a letter asking for leave on the grounds of his father's illness."
"Is Sima Jun ill?"
Liu Bian was stunned for a moment, thinking about Sima Jun's advanced age of over 80, and nodded thoughtfully, saying, "Approved. By the way, Zhu Jun's leave is also approved."
"Yes." Pan Yin responded.
Liu Bian waved his hands, fearing that he would die of exhaustion.
Pan Yin stopped and really felt like he was about to die.
Liu Bian was swaying in the carriage, and suddenly looked at Zhao Yun and said, "Zilong, how is Hanzhong?"
Zhao Yun was confused and said with a normal expression: "What is your Majesty referring to?"
Liu Bian suddenly turned to Dian Wei and said, "Dian Wei, from now on, you will lead the palace guards."
Dian Wei has always been Liu Bian's personal bodyguard and was in charge of the Chongde Hall guards. Now, he is suddenly going to lead the palace guards.
"I obey your order." Dian Wei blinked and said in a muffled voice. He didn't have much desire for promotion, but he thought promotion would be a good thing, as he could get more money and food.
Liu Bian made all these arrangements, and he was in a good mood. He smiled and said, "Hurry up."
Dian Wei responded and urged the team to speed up.
Even with further urging, it still took Liu Bian two days to arrive.
The Imperial Guards camp was very different from before. It covered a larger area, had larger granaries, and was filled with the sounds of weapons clashing and horses' hooves.
Huangfu Jianshou accompanied Liu Bian and said, "Your Majesty, there are currently 70,000 soldiers in the Imperial Army camp, with sufficient weapons, war horses, and military rations. The soldiers strictly follow the training regulations and have never slacked off..."
Liu Bian was followed by a large group of people, including Zhang Xiu, Sun Ce, Zhou Yu and others in addition to those he brought with him.
Liu Bian put his hands behind his back, looked around and said, "Zhu Shijun is seriously ill. What do you think of the situation in Qingzhou?"
Huangfu Jianshou stayed in Donglai County for a while, and his main task was to deal with the aftermath of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Later, he was transferred back by Huangfu Song to take over Lu Zhi's affairs in the Imperial Guards Camp.
Huangfu Jianshou didn't expect Liu Bian to ask this suddenly. He thought for a while and said, "Your Majesty, Qingzhou must be guarded by a strong minister, otherwise there will be chaos!"
"Who do you think is suitable?" Liu Bian said casually.
Huangfu Jianshou had a candidate in mind, but he still hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, I think Zhang Gong is suitable, and Liu Gong is the most suitable."
Zhang Gong refers to Zhang Wen.Liu Gong is Liu Yu.
Liu Bian nodded in agreement and said, "There are still 70,000 soldiers in the Imperial Army Camp?"
Huangfu Jianshou didn't know what Liu Bian was thinking, so he could only follow the conversation and say, "Yes. According to the rules, the soldiers in the country are now rotated among the northern states. The soldiers in the Imperial Guards Camp have basically been trained in Bing, You, Ji, Qing, Yan and other states. The troops in each state are basically mainly 'Imperial Guards'..."
In order to control the military power, Liu Bian adopted many methods, such as setting up the Grand Marshal's Office, separating the military and politics, and "taking all the troops in the world under the control of the Imperial Guards."
While listening, Liu Bian inspected the imperial guards camp.
Compared to the last time I came, the current military appearance seems to have been reborn. It is no longer as chaotic and "immature" as before. Now the military discipline is strict and every move is fierce.
Obviously, these were not the young and strong men recruited in the past, but veterans who had experienced war.
Liu Bian nodded secretly, interrupted Huangfu Jianshou, and said, "Your second son, have you been in touch recently?"
"Second brother?"
Huangfu Jianshou was stunned. He never expected that Liu Bian would mention Huangfu Jianchang.
He was very troubled by Huangfu Jianchang, who had been naughty since childhood, and disciplined him more strictly than his father. Huangfu Jianchang was very angry but helpless, and often called him "Second Dad".
Seeing that he still didn't know about Huangfu Jianchang, Liu Bian smiled and said, "Don't think too much. Huangfu Jianchang has been working for me and has accomplished a lot. He is the lieutenant of the Imperial City Palace, and your father knows it. I am thinking of transferring him back and placing him in the Grand Marshal's Palace. What do you think?"
Huangfu Jianshou seemed to have suffered a blow and stood there in a daze.
Liu Bian waved his hand and smiled, saying, "Okay, I will discuss this matter with you and your father again. After the beginning of spring, you will rotate the troops in Jizhou, Qingzhou, Xuzhou, and Yanzhou again and bring Zhang Liao back."
Huangfu Jianshou came to his senses immediately and responded quickly: "Yes."
Liu Bian hummed, turned around to look at Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, and said with a smile: "How are you doing in the Imperial Army Camp?"
Sun Ce was very nervous. Upon hearing this, he immediately raised his hand and said, "Your humble servant, I feel a great sense of responsibility!"
Liu Bian raised his eyebrows. What is this talking about?
He smiled and looked at Zhou Yu, who was relatively calm, and said, "What about you, Gongjin?"
Zhou Yu couldn't help but get excited and nervous when he heard Liu Bian calling him by his courtesy name. He raised his hand and said, "I will definitely live up to your Majesty's wishes!"
Liu Bian nodded slightly, looked at the two men again, and said with a smile: "Don't believe those rumors. I still trust Sun Jianqing's family. You came to the capital because the court was short of people, not as hostages..."
Sun Ce's scalp suddenly went numb, and he said fearfully, "Yes, yes, I understand."
Zhou Yu couldn't help but straighten his face, his eyes fixed, and he didn't dare to breathe.
The Zhou family and the Sun family have too close a relationship. If the imperial court really becomes suspicious of Sun Jian, the Zhou family will inevitably be implicated and will definitely face genocide!
Liu Bian looked at the two of them for a moment, then continued walking forward and said, "Huangfu family, from now on, Liu family will take over Lu family. You need to cooperate more with the affairs of the Imperial Army camp."
"I obey your order." Huangfu Jianshou said.
As soon as Huangfu Jianshou finished speaking, Pan Yin stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, there is news from Luoyang that someone has impeached Xun Yu in a letter, listing a lot of evidence."
Liu Bian's expression slightly changed, and he whispered to himself: "Is this a normal action, or is it Yang Biao's counterattack?"
The people behind him heard Pan Yin's words but not Liu Bian's. They were secretly worried and listened attentively.
'Changing prime minister' is a big deal in itself, but it happened to be Xun Yu, who had very little qualifications. Compared with the current prime minister Yang Biao, the gap is too big!
There will definitely be waves in the government and the opposition!
Liu Bian immediately shook his head, without thinking too much, and said: "Call Zhang Yan and others over so that I can see them."
"Yes." Pan Yin said.
Zhang Yan was once known as "Flying Swallow" and was the leader of the Black Mountain Army. After being forced to surrender by Cao Cao, the court arranged Zhang Yan and other generals to be stationed in various counties in Jizhou.
Liu Bian continued walking, inspecting the Imperial Guards camp and chatting with the people behind him.
At this moment, Luoyang City is bustling with activity. The conflicts that have been hidden underwater are constantly surfacing during this "change of phase".
Due to Prime Minister Yang Biao's "inaction", the "Yingchuan Party" dominated the court and retained almost all power.
Now that there was about to be a "change of prime minister", the new prime minister was Xun Yu, one of the leaders of the "Yingchuan Party", which naturally aroused countless oppositions.
Under such circumstances, Prime Minister Yang Biao, who had always been "isolated and helpless", instead gained a lot of support.
While Xun Yu and the Yingchuan Party were being frantically impeached, praises for Yang Biao were heard one after another. More than 20 memorials were submitted to the Chongde Hall every day, and all of them were attempts to retain Yang Biao.
Unconsciously, it seemed as if two forces appeared, one constantly leaking the dirty laundry of Xun Yu and the "Yingchuan Party", and the other relentlessly pursuing Yang Biao, bringing up old matters again, and trying to defeat Yang Biao completely.
In the intentional and invisible struggle, almost all institutions, big and small, in Luoyang were affected, even the imperial palace was no exception.
The Secretariat and the Grand Marshal's Mansion were both involved, as if someone was forcing them to express their opinions.
The Censorate, which had moved out of the palace, was also affected. The number of memorials and letters of impeachment and accusation could reach hundreds a day!
The duty room of Liu Xie, King of Chenliu.
Looking at the letters of impeachment and accusation on the desk, he kept frowning and his expression was as hard as steel.
The clerk not far away lowered his head and dared not utter a word.
After a long while, Liu Xie took a deep breath, raised his head, and asked, "What's going on outside?"
The clerk glanced outside the door, stepped forward and whispered, "Your Highness, I just saw that my Shi Cheng went out. It seems that he went to the Household Department."
Liu Xie's brows suddenly furrowed even more tightly, and his eyes showed a little annoyance.
Xi Zhicai was also a member of the "Yingchuan Party" and had close relations with Xun Yu, Xun You, and Zhong Yao.
The clerk looked at Liu Xie's expression and whispered, "Your Highness, you have to take care of Wang Shicheng. Our Censorate must not be involved."
No matter how "inactive" Yang Biao was, he was still a descendant of three high officials in his family. His disciples and former officials were spread all over the country, and he was also the current prime minister.
Although the 'Yingchuan Party' occupied the imperial court, it was still very weak in comparison.
Liu Xie sighed, stood up and said, "I understand."
Seeing Liu Xie about to leave, the clerk couldn't help but get nervous and asked, "Your Highness, what are you doing?"
"Go back home." Liu Xie said without turning his head.
The clerk nodded in agreement and followed him, saying, "Your Highness, it's better to hide. Everything will be settled when His Majesty returns to the capital."
Liu Xie said nothing, walked straight out of the Censorate and returned to the Chenliu Palace.
Looking at the plaque that had just been changed, Liu Xie seemed a little dazed and paused for a while before going in.
The doorman and the servants were puzzled when they saw this. Their master usually went out early and came back late, so why did he come back so early today?
Fu Shou heard the news and hurried out from the inner courtyard. Seeing Liu Xie's expression was not right, she couldn't help but whispered, "Husband, has something happened?"
Liu Xie smiled slightly when he saw her and said, "It's okay. Just get ready. I'm going to entertain distinguished guests tonight."
"Dignified guest?"
Fu Shou was stunned for a moment. Who could make Liu Xie feel "expensive"?
As if she had thought of something, Fu Shou was startled and asked, "Yes, is it from the palace?"
Liu Xie smiled and said, "No, don't worry, just get ready, I'll go see my grandmother."
After Empress Dowager Dong moved here from the palace, she has been worshipping gods and rarely shows up in public.