binnovel Chapter 316: Blazing Murderous Intent
Chapter 316: Blazing Murderous Intent
Chapter 316: Blazing Murderous Intent
The situation in Luoyang city is changing rapidly, people's minds are in turmoil, and there are countless shadowy figures in the dark.
But surprisingly, the day after Liu Zhang fainted from excitement, Liu Yan's memorial arrived on Liu Bian's desk.
Liu Bian stroked his chin and said with a strange smile: "Our Lord Liu is really anxious."
This is Liu Bian's tea room in the back hall of Chongde Hall. Xun Yu sat opposite him and said sternly, "Your Majesty, it seems that Liu Yan may not have many days left to live."
Liu Bian threw down the memorial and said, "First, appoint the governors of Chengdu and Mianzhu, and let Zhang Liao withdraw. Liu Yan is so tactful, I have to give this dying uncle a little face."
Xun Yu said: "The Shangshutai has been selected. Your Majesty, will you make some arrangements for the military power?"
Liu Bian shook his head and said, "It's not that easy, but we can give it a try. What do you think of Liu Zhang?"
Xun Yu paused for a moment and said, "According to my observation, Liu Zhang is a little clever, but not wise, and lacks the courage to rule Shu. It should not be too difficult for the court to take back Yizhou in the future."
Liu Bian smiled even more and said, "Your judgment should be correct. Now the issues in Liangzhou and Yizhou have been resolved. The next issue is Dong Zhuo."
Xun Yu's somewhat mature face showed a trace of solemnity, and he said, "Your Majesty, have you really decided to wipe out Dong Zhuo?"
Liu Bian looked at Xun Yu and asked curiously, "We didn't fight in the past few years because we really couldn't fight. I suppressed the warmongers in the court and the country. A few years later, the court has some strength and can fight. Why are you hesitating?"
Xun Yu and Liu Bian looked at each other and said, "Your Majesty, are you really determined to destroy Dong Zhuo?"
Liu Bian raised his eyebrows, reached out to pick up the teacup, and said, "Go on, sir."
Xun Yu sat up straight, pondered for a moment, and said, "If Your Majesty is determined to destroy Dong Zhuo, given Dong Zhuo's situation, it will take three months, or at the latest half a year, to accomplish the task. But after destroying Dong Zhuo, Liu Biao, Yuan Shao, Shi Xie and others will have to continue the expedition, and the court will not be able to support a continuous and long war. I believe that Your Majesty has long seen through this."
Liu Bian drank his tea with an expressionless face, and secretly sighed in his heart.
Smart people are smart people, and some things really cannot be covered up.
Liu Bian put down his teacup and said frankly, "What you said is exactly what I am worried about. I am the emperor, not a rebel like Dong Zhuo or Yuan Shu who can wantonly drain the pond to fish out all the fish without caring about the lives of the people."
Xun Yu said: "They are for themselves, while Your Majesty has to consider the Han Dynasty; they only care about the present, while Your Majesty has to consider decades or even hundreds of years, so they are different."
"But I think we can still fight."
Liu Bian looked at Xun Yu and said, "The Wuhuan, Xianbei, and Xiongnu are ready to make a move. I don't want to start a war on two fronts."
Xun Yu was silent for a while, and then said, "Your Majesty, I feel that this battle may not end as quickly as expected. If it is delayed, the consequences will be disastrous."
In fact, the Han Dynasty had already fallen apart. Provincial governors, prefects, and even county magistrates had become so powerful that the imperial court's orders were like waste paper.
After Liu Bian succeeded to the throne, he painstakingly implemented the "New Deal" with the aim of gradually taking back the lost power to the court, accumulating strength, and restoring the prestige of the Han Dynasty.
But once a war that lasts for years and months begins, the imperial court will exhaust the vitality accumulated in the past few years and may have to return to the Zhongping years, or even become more dangerous!
"so,"
Liu Bian stared at Xun Yu with burning eyes and said, "My Lord, the 'New Deal' must be implemented quickly and with all our strength - time is the antidote to all problems!"
Xun Yu's heart tightened, and he held his breath and said, "I understand. However, we must be cautious in conquering Dong Zhuo."
Liu Bian leaned back and smiled, "I will set up a 'New Deal Supervision Department', which is mainly responsible for supervising the progress of the 'New Deal'. I will not hesitate to remove any obstacles to the 'New Deal'. By the way, I heard that Xun You and your family have more and more differences and have more concerns about the 'New Deal'. Yi, Yu, or Jiaozhi are all vacant. Which one do you think is suitable?"
Xun Yu's face suddenly changed, and he immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Gongda and I only have policy differences, there is no fault between us, and we can still make up for it."
Liu Bian picked up the teacup and said calmly, "That's good. Sima Jun is seriously ill and asked to resign. I have considered it and approved it. I will personally select the Minister of Criminal Affairs. The Minister of Justice will enter the Secretariat, and Liu Xie will attend the daily meetings of the Secretariat to supervise government affairs."
Xun Yu could tell that the emperor in front of him was very dissatisfied with their attitude and speed in handling the "New Deal", which was further exerting pressure.
"I obey your order." Xun Yu said with a solemn expression and bowed.
Liu Bian put down his teacup and said, "There is still more than a month before this year's exam. There are some vacant courtyards outside Hongdu Gate. People have them cleaned up and given free accommodation to those who come to Luoyang to take the exam. There is an open space next to the Imperial College. We have built some simple walls and arranged tables and chairs according to the number of examinees. The exam questions are set by the Shangshutai and must be kept strictly confidential. The examination is supervised by the Licao, and the Taichang Temple is not allowed to participate. Isn't the Dongguan compiling books? The top 30 will enter the Dongguan first, and then fill the vacancies after careful examination. There are 2,000 and 400 applicants this year, and 350 will be admitted. Now the six ministries and nine temples of the court are familiar with government affairs, and they will be released to local places in half a year..."
Xun Yu listened carefully and said, "I understand."
Liu Bian hummed and said, "We must curb the annexation of land by local noble families. We must continue the 'land survey and household registration'. For those noble families that stubbornly resist, regardless of size, they will be forced to relocate. Jiangdong is vast and sparsely populated, and what we lack is people!"
Xun Yu hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Your Majesty, are you being too aggressive and anxious?"
Liu Bian picked up the teacup again and said calmly: "My dear, 'caution' is a good advantage, but sometimes it can also be a fatal disadvantage. Be steady when you should be steady, and be radical when you should be radical. This is the right style of doing things."
Xun Yu had already fully sensed Liu Bian's urgency, and after a long silence, he said, "I accept your order."
Liu Bian smiled and nodded, saying, "I will summon the Grand Marshal's Office and the Minister of Punishment later, and order them to mobilize troops to once again eliminate the banditry in the northern states. The Secretariat's rotation of the chief officials of the states, counties and prefectures must continue, and cooperating with the Imperial Censorate and the Ministry of Personnel in the capital inspection to clarify the administration of officials is the current priority of the Secretariat..."
Xun Yu pretended to listen to the holy teachings and felt a lot of pressure in his heart.
After finishing the discussion with Xun Yu, Liu Bian summoned Liu Yu and Huangfu Jianshou. The next day, there were various court meetings and conferences of all sizes. He was so busy that he had no time to rest.
On the other hand, the situation in Jiangdong was also evolving, beyond everyone's expectations.
First, Sun Jian died of illness, and Wujun temporarily became an ownerless land.
However, Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan were engaged in a fierce battle and had no time to pay attention to Wujun.
Liu Biao wrote a letter to express his loyalty to Liu Bian and the Han Dynasty. Therefore, he did not move his troops and took Jingzhou into his possession, obviously waiting for the right opportunity to change.
Shi Xie was more low-key, saying that he was busy suppressing bandits and had no time to care about other things.
Dong Zhuo, a thorn in the court's side, has occupied all prefectures and counties except Yingchuan, and has made many attempts to attack Yanzhou.
Lu Bu, who was able to get along with everyone, made rapid progress. He drove Liu Bei out of Xuzhou and after reaching Qingzhou, he continued to pursue him and captured seven or eight counties in Qingzhou. It was not until Sima Fang personally led his troops to arrive and joined forces with Liu Bei that he was able to barely hold on.
On the other side, Cao Cao returned to Yingchuan, prepared his troops, and looked towards Xiang County.
Xu County, government office.
In the back hall, Cao Cao, Guo Jia, Cao Ren, Xiahou Dun, Le Jin, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Hong, Yang Xiu, Sima Yi and a large group of people gathered in front of the map, discussing the strategy of the imperial army.
Yang Xiu stared at the map with frowned eyebrows and said, "General, to advance to Xiang County from here, we have to pass through many important places. These places are basically built as fortresses, which are easy to defend but difficult to attack."
Cao Cao had a blank expression on his face, maintaining his dignity, and did not utter a word.
Last time, he was blocked by Dong Zhuo on his way back to Xiaguan, and then he fell into a series of traps, leading to a great defeat!
Guo Jia drank his wine and said, "It's not just us who are sending troops. Gongsun Zan, Yuan Shao, and Liu Biao in the south will also send troops."
Yang Xiu glanced at him and said, "We only have 30,000 soldiers and horses. We cannot confront Dong Zhuo head-on. The best way is to unite our forces."
Cao Cao's expression changed slightly. He looked up at Sima Yi and asked, "What do you think?"
Sima Yi raised his hand in a hurry, messing up the map. He tried to straighten it, but it became even more chaotic. After a while, he raised his hand to Cao Cao and said, "General, I agree with the chief clerk. We should gather our troops together, concentrate our forces, fight a decisive battle with Dong Zhuo, and wipe him out as soon as possible!"
Cao Cao narrowed his narrow eyes and looked at Sima Yi.
He didn't like this young man. This man was too polite and his words were flawless, but he always made mistakes in his actions. He was like a timid and cowardly child who had just started out.
But Sima Yi came from the Sima family, a prominent family in Yingchuan, and was a famous talent. Would such a person have such a reaction?
"Join forces?"
Cao Cao glanced at everyone and said calmly, "Yuan Shao is the rear general, and these are their business. What we need to do now is to advance our troops, find Dong Zhuo's weakness, and decide the outcome with a single battle!"
Guo Jia was drinking, as if he didn't hear anything, and didn't say anything.
Yang Xiu thought carefully and said, "General, I'm afraid it won't be easy. The imperial court is making such a big move, Dong Zhuo will certainly not send troops rashly. If we want to find Dong Zhuo's weakness, we must first break through the passes on the road, which is very disadvantageous to us."
If Cao Cao still had 50,000 troops, he could have defeated them, but Cao Cao only had 30,000 soldiers now, and their morale was greatly reduced. Dong Zhuo was not the Yellow Turban Army, and ordinary methods would not work against him at all.
Cao Ren, Xiahou Dun and others did not speak, they were all waiting for Cao Cao's orders.
Cao Cao had thought about this matter for a long time, but he had no good solution. He turned to Guo Jia and said, "Feng Xiao, what do you think?"
Guo Jia was startled, put down the wine pot, and said, "General, how is the collection of food and grass going?"
Cao Cao subconsciously thought about the implication of Guo Jia's words and said, "At present, the food and grass can only last for half a month."
In the past, Cao Cao raised food and fodder basically from places like Pei State, Liang State, and his hometown of Qiao County. Now all these places are in the hands of Dong Zhuo.
Cao Cao did not dare to extend his control to the northern prefectures and counties, so his money and grain were visibly stretched.
Guo Jia pondered for a while and said, "General, let's borrow some grain from Liu Biao, Gongsun Zan, Yuan Shao... whatever you can borrow!"
Cao Cao looked at Guo Jia's expression, pondered for a long time, but could not get the point, so he asked, "What does Fengxiao mean?"
Yang Xiu, Sima Yi, Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren and others all looked at Guo Jia.
When Guo Jia was in Cao's camp, his words were sometimes more effective than Cao Cao's.
Guo Jia took a sip of wine and smiled, "It shouldn't be possible to fight in the short term. The war between Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan will have an outcome in ten days or half a month at most. By then, how to fight or not to fight will not be decided by the general, but by the rear general."
Cao Cao opened his eyes slightly and understood what Guo Jia meant.
Cao Cao cannot carry the whole army alone, and Yuan Shao must be involved in the "battle against Dong Zhuo". At the very least, all parties must maintain a tacit understanding!
"General,"
At this time, Sima Yi said cautiously: "I think that attacking from the west is not good for our army. If we can unite our forces, it is best to attack from the south, forcing Dong Zhuo to be attacked from both sides and split our forces into two fronts."
Guo Jia's eyes lit up slightly, and he observed Sima Yi seriously for the first time.
Sima Yi bowed his body, lowered his head, and was humble and polite. He did not look like a proud child of a noble family at all, but rather like someone from a humble family.
Cao Cao seemed to be thinking about something. Sima Yi's words made sense, but by doing so, he would be handing over the command to Yuan Shao, and he would have to live under someone else's roof.
How could Cao Cao live under someone else's roof?
After a long silence, Cao Cao stood up and said, "Then we will wait until the battle between Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan is over and decide based on the situation."
Before Cao Cao finished speaking, Yang Xiu asked, "General, are you really not going to do anything?"
Cao Cao also didn't like Yang Xiu, so he said calmly, "The military advisor will make the arrangements, so you guys go ahead."
Yang Xiu and others then responded and came out like a stream.
Guo Jia did not stay either. He drank his wine and walked out slowly.
After the others left, Cao Cao was silent for a while, a sharp light flashed in his narrow eyes, he changed into plain clothes, quietly left the government office through the back door, without taking anyone with him, and came to an ordinary house not far away.
After entering the house and reaching the backyard, two servants in plain clothes saw him and hurriedly stepped forward to salute him, saying, "Master!"
Cao Cao had no expression on his face. He asked, "Did you say anything?"
One of the servants shook his head and said, "No, do you need me to torture you?"
Cao Cao didn't say anything and walked in.
After entering the demolition room, which was a secret room, it was dark. Two servants held lanterns and carefully escorted him one after the other.
When they reached the depths of the secret room, two more servants came to greet them. Cao Cao just nodded lightly and came to the front of the cell.
Inside the cell, a man with disheveled hair and covered in mud slowly raised his head and stared at Cao Cao with cold eyes.
"So it's you..." The man in the cell didn't move, his voice was sharp and contained a sneer of disdain.
Cao Cao held the sword in his left hand, looked down at him, and said indifferently: "You should know that if I hide you, it will be a capital crime. If you can't tell me something useful, you will not survive."
"I'll die if I tell you."
The man in the cell looked at Cao Cao, and said in an arrogant and cold tone: "Others don't understand you, Cao Cao, but I know you very well! On the night when Yuan Shu slaughtered people wantonly in Luoyang City, you also killed a lot of people in secret, right?"
Cao Cao's narrow eyes suddenly flashed with murderous intent.