Left and Right Court

Author: Gongsun Wujiu

Left and Right Court

Cai Ting nodded understandingly, "It should be so..."

When Cai Ting said this, he was quite hesitant. After a while, he continued:

"Your Majesty, my subordinates have heard that the General and General Zuo are at odds with each other. Your Majesty should pay more attention when you go there!"

Zhang Yue sighed and said, "What Cai Gong said is true. Now the dispute between Huo Guang and Shangguan Jie has been put on the table..."

"The eldest princess of Eyi and the imperial censor are also involved, and something unspeakable may happen!"

"I invite Mr. Cai to come over today because I want to hear his judgment!"

Now that Zhang Yue has put the problem out, Cai Ting no longer hides it.

He opened his mouth and said, "Your Majesty, the Han Dynasty must not be in civil strife now, otherwise the Xiongnu will surely rise again..."

"If the Xiongnu becomes stronger again, the Wuhuan, Fuyu, and Qiang people will all take the opportunity to cause chaos... The Han Dynasty is now in danger..."

Zhang Yue heard this and agreed, "What Cai Gong said is true. The generals and the emperor are the indispensable pillars of the Han Dynasty. One is indispensable... It is best for Chang'an to maintain the status quo..."

"I think that the Protector of the Western Regions should be impartial. Do you agree with that?"

Cai Ting shook his head and sighed, "Your Majesty has seen thousands of miles, but the subordinates think that you should support Huo Guang!"

Zhang Yue was stunned when he heard this. He bowed his hands and said, "Please give me some advice from Cai Gong!"

Cai Ting stood up and bowed in return, "I'm afraid you are a fan of the authorities. Can the current situation in Chang'an still maintain balance?"

Zhang Yue thought carefully and then said, "If the chariot and cavalry generals are here, we can barely survive!"

Cai Ting asked again, "How long do you think the chariot generals have left?"

Zhang Yue sighed, "Judging from the news from Chang'an, General Chariot and Cavalry may not be able to survive this summer!"

Cai Ting said, "In this case, how can the Chang'an court maintain balance?"

Zhang Yue frowned, "Cai Gong thinks it is possible to maintain the balance of Chang'an with the power of the Western Regions?"

Cai Ting sighed, "If you are willing to live in Chang'an forever, there should be a glimmer of hope... But are you willing to give up the great mountains and rivers of the Western Regions?"

Hearing this, Zhang Yue shook his head without thinking.

Seeing this, Cai Ting continued, "In this case, why should the monarch think about maintaining the balance of the Chang'an court..."

Zhang Yue was stunned when he heard this, and Cai Ting's words suddenly woke him up.

During this period of time, he had only been thinking about how to avoid being involved in the Chang'an dispute.

But he didn't realize that with the current position of the Western Region Protector in the Han Dynasty, he could no longer sit quietly outside.

In this case, why not take the initiative to stir up the storm.

Thinking of this, he stood up with a solemn expression and bowed solemnly to Cai Ting, "Thank you, Mr. Cai, for clearing up the confusion!"

Seeing this, Cai Ting hurriedly stood up to avoid it, "The prince is just a blind eye!"

Zhang Yue waved his hand, "Without Cai Gong's enlightenment, I might have missed important events!"

Zhang Yue said these words sincerely.

In the original history, Huo Guang won the final victory in this conflict with the support of the emperor.

But today's situation is very different from the original history.

In the original history, Jin Rixi died as early as the first year of Shiyuan Dynasty.

After Jin Rixi's death, his power was completely transferred to Huo Guang, so Huo Guang's power was far greater than it is now.

In contrast, King Yan's strength was not weakened as it had been in history.

In the imperial edict to confer Liu Dan as King of Yan, the former emperor placed high hopes on him to defend the Huns from the north and suppress the Han Dynasty.

Liu Dan himself was also erudite and talented, having "resigned to the court for more than thirty years."

Among the former emperors and disciples, Liu Dan actually had the best reputation.

After Zhang Yue carefully investigated him, he also found that Liu Dan's ability was actually no worse than that of another King of Yan more than a thousand years later.

Liu Dan is a good heir to the throne in all aspects except for his birth difference.

It's just that Liu Dan had bad luck and faced too strong opponents. First, Liu Ju was supported by Wei Huo.

Later, there was Mrs. Gou Yi who was supported by the Wang family and the Guandong Group.

But things are different now. Because of the Wang Family Rebellion, there are people in both Guanzhong and Guandong who question the emperor's legitimacy.

In fact, many people in the Western Region Protectorate also doubted whether the emperor was the late emperor's biological son.

After all, giving birth to a child at fourteen months of pregnancy is totally against common sense.

Under the circumstances of this ebb and flow, it is still unclear whether Huo Guang can win the battle with Shangguan Jie Group without external interference.

Another more worrying thing is how King Yan will act. Will he directly raise an army like the King of Yan more than a thousand years later?

If King Yan rebels and his legitimacy is questioned, it is also doubtful whether the emperor can win the support of the people in the world.

Once a civil war breaks out in the Han Dynasty, how can the Western Regions survive alone?

It is impossible to say that it will be a big change like the Anshi Rebellion.

Thinking about it, Zhang Yue was already sweating profusely.

Seeing this, Cai Ting asked with concern, "Is the Lord feeling unwell?"

Cai Ting's words suddenly woke up Zhang Yue.

He wiped the sweat from his head and sighed, "Don't worry, Mr. Cai, I'm fine. I'm just thinking about what to do after returning to Chang'an!"

Cai Ting nodded and suggested, "When you return to the capital this time, you should bring more escort troops!"

After thinking for a moment, Cai Ting continued, "The Lord can return to the capital by separate routes with the Lord Han, the Lord Liu, and the Lord Zhao..."

Zhang Yue understood what Cai Ting meant. He was a Marquis of Ten Thousand Households. According to etiquette, he could have up to six hundred soldiers.

Han Jiang, Liu Yi, and Zhao Guanghan can also return to Beijing with two hundred soldiers.

If the three of them go back to Chang'an by separate routes, according to etiquette, they can all bring their personal guards into Guanzhong.

The other princes' mansions in Chang'an each have dozens or hundreds of guards.

In this way, Zhang Yue can have up to 1,500 elite soldiers at his disposal.

Once things change, these fifteen hundred elite soldiers are enough to become the key to success or failure.

Hearing Cai Ting's suggestion, Zhang Yue was initially moved. However, he quickly rejected the proposal.

At this moment, he couldn't help but think of Dong Zhuo in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. If he really did this, I'm afraid the final outcome might not be better than Dong Zhuo's.

Today's great man is at the height of his power.

If he leads a large army into Chang'an as a prince, he is likely to be opposed by the whole world.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yue waved his hand and said: "This matter cannot be violated, I may become the enemy of the world..."

After hearing this, Cai Ting thought about it carefully and said, "What the Lord and Marquis said is true. I'm going to punish Meng Lang!"

Zhang Yue did not blame Cai Ting, but continued to ask, "How does Mr. Cai think he should deal with King Yan?"

Cai Ting asked back: "Are you worried that King Yan will raise an army?"

Zhang Yue said without hesitation, "Yes, the battle in Chang'an is limited to the court. If King Yan raises his troops, the war may continue!"

Cai Ting sighed and said, "The king can see thousands of miles away, but the officials below can see it. The affairs of King Yan have to rely on the general!"

Zhang Yue nodded when he heard this and his expression became serious.

The Western Regions and Yan State are thousands of miles apart from each other to the east and west, so they are indeed beyond reach.

Only Huo Guang and the emperor have the strength to solve this matter.

Zhang Yue sighed helplessly, feeling once again the feeling of having more than enough ambition but not enough power.

Cai Ting smiled when he saw this, "Why should you put your thoughts on King Yan... You must know that Chang'an is the key!"

"You don't have to worry about King Yan. After the first emperor, the strength of the princes and kings has been greatly reduced..."

"The King of Yan only has 40,000 troops. Even if he causes rebellion, will the princes be afraid of him?"

Zhang Yue thought for a while and said, "Master Cai, I think... 20,000 soldiers are enough to defeat it..."

Cai Ting smiled and said, "Since you are so confident, why should you worry about King Yan making trouble!"

"Besides, looking at King Yan's past behavior, he certainly doesn't have the courage to rebel..."

Zhang Yue recalled some records of later generations. As Cai Ting said, King Liu Dan of Yan did not raise an army after learning that Shangguan Jie and Princess E were defeated.

After receiving the emperor's edict of rebuke, he chose to commit suicide instead.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yue felt a little relieved, and he continued to ask, "What Cai Gong said is true. Based on what Cai Gong saw, how should I act when I return to Beijing this time?"
To be continued...