Zhang Rang's words awakened Jian Shuo and Dong Chong, and also made Liu Bei slightly change his view of Zhang Rang's political sensitivity.
It seems that this guy is not completely unimproved.
This is very accurate. Their actions were carried out under Liu Hong's instructions. Liu Hong also used his last moment to endorse them, so the biggest credit also belongs to Liu Hong. Now that Liu Hong is dead, this credit can be passed on to them.
Will the four successfully inherit the power to overwhelm the court?
I'm afraid the courtiers won't approve it so easily.
After noticing this, Jian Shuo and Dong Zhong turned their attention to Liu Bei.
There is no way, among the few people, only Liu Bei has the prestige that can really overwhelm some people, while Zhang Rang, Jian Shuo and Dong Zhong do not have this kind of prestige. Even if they are in high positions, in a short period of time, they will probably not be as good as the most powerful people of the year.
It was the same as He Jin who started to become a general.
He is a lame general.
Even Liu Bei probably won't reach the level of Liang Ji and Dou Wu for a while.
"What do you think about this matter?"
Dong Zhong asked.
Liu Bei looked at Dong Chong, then at Jian Shuo and Zhang Rang, and laughed.
"Judging from the current situation, we are not the kind of people who are highly respected and can intimidate the young. There will always be some people in the court who are dissatisfied with us. After the death of the late emperor, there are people in the court who want to gain great power.
Not less.
I can even conclude that at this moment, many people must be gathering in twos and threes to discuss the situation in the court. They don't know the news that the late emperor has passed away yet. Once they know, there must be all kinds of things.
Such thoughts.
They will not easily obey the four of us, and will not easily accept the situation where the power is controlled by the four of us. They will definitely do something to prevent the four of us from taking power. So if we are not prepared, we will
The profit sharing is a joke."
"So what are your plans?"
Jian Shuo looked at Liu Bei very longingly and said, "You have always been extremely resourceful. Please design something for us!"
Liu Bei was silent for a while and said slowly: "There are ways, but we need to use more troops and horses. We need to establish a strong prestige in the court and shut up those scholars who like to gossip. This is the best way.
The way is to show off the force, arm the soldiers with the best equipment, and then spread them inside and outside Luoyang City.
They need bright armor, sharp weapons, and flying flags to show the courage of a heroic army. Especially in the palace, from the moment the officials enter the main entrance of the palace, elite soldiers must be lined up so that the officials can go to the palace to discuss matters.
Along the way, you can feel our powerful force."
Zhang Rang expressed support for Liu Bei's suggestion.
"I think it makes sense. The officials are so arrogant. They may not necessarily be afraid of us, but they must be afraid of the fully armed soldiers. As long as they know that the military power is in our hands, it will be enough to deter them and prevent them from speaking nonsense.
"
Jian Shuo had no opinion on this, but Dong Chong raised some concerns.
"There are many virtuous and respectable people in the court. Will it offend them if we act like this?"
Liu Bei shook his head, very disdainful of Dong Chong's naivety.
"Few of the so-called highly respected people are true. Most of them are male thieves and female prostitutes who do all kinds of evil behind the scenes. Like the barbarians, they are afraid of power but not moral. To deal with them, it is best to use soldiers and horses directly."
"this……"
"General Dong, in terms of family background, origin, and qualifications, we are all inferior to them. Using these things to interact with them will only make them despise you. Therefore, you must use things they do not have to interact with them, so that they will
Value you."
"this……"
Dong Chong hesitated and said: "So, we have to use troops?"
"Just use troops."
Liu Bei nodded and said: "Force is the fastest way for them to understand what we are saying. It goes straight to the soul and is very efficient. They do not have strong force. Although they are dissatisfied with their mouths, their bodies must be honest. As long as the soldiers
If there are enough horses, the power will be great enough."
Seeing the smile on Liu Bei's face, Dong Chong blinked his eyes and wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't say it.
Zhang Rang was more willing to support Liu Bei in these matters.
Jian Shuo was also a eunuch and had a poor relationship with the scholars, so he was willing to support Liu Bei's views.
So the four of them unanimously agreed to draw elite soldiers from their respective armies, fully armed, and use the strongest posture to give absolute deterrence to the officials in the court, laying the foundation for the subsequent acquisition of power.
Finally, Empress Dowager Dong needs to appear.
As Liu Hong's mother, Empress Dowager Dong could hold up the scene. They needed Empress Dowager Dong to announce Liu Hong's death, announce Liu Hong's legacy, and give the final word, announcing Liu Xie's accession to the throne.
Regarding this series of actions, Empress Dowager Dong was not only sad but also a little nervous.
Her son is gone and she is sad.
However, the future of her and her family has not yet been determined, and there are still some variables, so she is more concerned about this aspect.
"There won't be any changes in the court, right?"
Liu Bei smiled.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty, you won't need to face the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty alone tomorrow. We will follow the Queen Mother and help her solve problems. Everything we do is reasonable and legal, and we have Luoyang's troops under control. All ministers
Don’t dare to object.”
When Liu Bei said this, Empress Dowager Dong nodded slightly.
"So, please, and all of you, I must do my best in court tomorrow to make my son's wish come true."
Liu Bei and the other four bowed down together.
"only!"
After the meeting ended, the four people discussed for a while and then each ordered their elite troops to come and make preparations.
Then Zhang Rang further proposed that the army should be in a tense posture, so as to intimidate the ministers and officials, make them feel fear, and make them dare not go against the wishes of the four people.
However, this suggestion was still rejected. There is no need for everyone to break up to that point. Conventional deterrence is enough to frighten people's hearts, and a tense situation is a threat.
Some people will be strongly dissatisfied.
Zhang Rang did not persist.
But there must be a way for everyone to get what they want without making wedding clothes for others, so at the right time, Liu Bei stepped forward.
"I have a method that requires your cooperation. If it succeeds, I am sure to win enough support. The next situation in the court can be dominated by the four of us, and what we have discussed can also be realized.
But if we really achieve this goal, I need your promise that when we have irreconcilable differences in future court affairs, my opinion will be the final decision."
Zhang Rang, Jian Shuo and Dong Chong looked at each other in confusion, unable to come to a definite conclusion for a while.
The meaning of Liu Bei's words is very simple, that is, if he succeeds in the future, if he succeeds in making their private profit sharing become a reality, and everyone will get definite benefits, then in the future, he will be a court official.
The actual words matter to the people.
He wants to be the actual ruler.
This is a very important political statement. If you agree, you cannot return easily, otherwise you will break your promise and be abandoned by others.
In particular, Liu Bei has always had a reputation for trustworthiness and commitment, not only for himself, but also for others. If Liu Bei breaks his promise and hits someone, it will be very painful!
Therefore, the other three are very cautious about this.
After a long while, Zhang Rang spoke first.
"How confident are you about this matter?"
"As you can see, if I fail, of course, we will do whatever we have to do if I fail. You will have no actual losses. It's just that we need to be prepared to kill people in the road ahead. But if I succeed,
Now that you have won support, can you swear an oath?"
Liu Bei looked at the three of them.
The three of them also looked at Liu Bei.
Shao Qing, Zhang Rang was the first to nod.
"If you can really accomplish this and let us truly grasp these powers without having to kill people, I swear that in the future, you will be the leader."
Zhang Rang didn't feel much psychological pressure when he made this promise. Anyway, he had long been accustomed to listening to what Liu Bei said and being prepared to do whatever he said.
Even if the four-person system in the future does not have a clear leader, he will still be led by Liu Bei. He cannot trust these two people, Jian Shuo and Dong Zhong, under any circumstances.
Having had many experiences working with Liu Bei, he believed in Liu Bei's commitment to credibility.
The other two people didn't know the mystery behind this. Seeing Zhang Rang making such a statement, Jian Shuo didn't hold on for long, nodded and made an oath.
Anyway, he can't do this. Among the four, his foundation is the shallowest. Without Liu Bei's help, his power cannot be established.
Finally, seeing Zhang Rang and Jian Shuo both nodding, Dong Chong had some other thoughts in his heart, but considering that he had no foundation in the court, he reluctantly nodded and swore an oath.
They all realized that if they wanted to accomplish this without resorting to crude military and physical means, they could only look to Liu Bei, and a court headed by him would inevitably be established in the future.
They can't see things that are too far away now and can only take one step at a time. Whether the system of four ministers can be established after Liu Hong's death is their only concern at the moment.