Chapter 246 Dong Zhuo exclaimed: Establish a new dynasty? King Hongnong is quite courageous!
The rising sun is rising in the east and the morning glow appears, and the flowing water and green peaks are beautiful.
Shenyuan Pass.
Liu Bian came in person to see Li Min and Cao Cao off.
There are ships here that previously transported grain and grass. Returning to Yingchuan by water will be very fast. They will definitely be able to get ahead of Yuan Shu and complete the defense of various key points.
Although Liu Bian was only sixteen years old, he had now grown to seven feet eight inches. Standing in front of Cao Cao, he was more than half a head taller than him, giving him a rather scornful attitude.
but......
Liu Bian, on the other hand, had a kind face, a smile on his face, and was approachable. He did not show the slightest hint of coercion and domineering: "Meng De, I have entrusted Yingchuan to you and Commander Li. Don't let me down."
"Your Highness, don't worry."
Cao Cao patted his chest and assured: "Not to mention Yuan Shu lost troops along the way and returned. Now there are only a few thousand soldiers and horses. Even if there are tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, Yuan Shu will not dare to covet Yingchuan as long as he has the last general."
"kindness."
Liu Bian nodded affirmatively: "This is why I sent you to Yingchuan. Remember, guarding Yingchuan is just the beginning. The burden on your shoulders is still relatively heavy."
As the current hub between Heluo and Nanyang, Yingchuan's geographical location is of vital importance. In addition, Yingchuan serves as a wedge for Liu Bian to wedge into Yuzhou, and Yuan Shu will definitely find a way to pull it out.
At least......
In the eyes of experts, Yingchuan may not be peaceful for some time in the future. Even if Yuan Shu is temporarily unable to attack, Dong Zhuo, who has regained his composure, will definitely make small moves behind his back.
Cao Cao's headquarters does not have many troops. Even if Li Min's troops are included, there are only 8,000 men. The land adjacent to Yingchuan and Runan is a plain. Such troops are simply not enough to defend.
Cao Cao naturally understood what Liu Bian meant and nodded affirmatively: "Don't worry, Your Highness, the general will understand."
Liu Bian turned his eyes to Li Min and smiled calmly: "Chief Li, are you satisfied with the captain assigned to you by Gu?"
Li Mincheng was frightened and hurriedly bowed his head: "Your Highness, you are really undermining your talent by allowing a man with two thousand stone to be the captain, but I can tell you the truth."
"Here I am."
Having said this, Li Mindan smiled and covered his heart: "I feel much more at ease."
Liu Bian warned again: "I finally said a few words, Yingchuan is of vital importance and must not be lost. The two of you should unite sincerely and cooperate with each other to protect Yingchuan."
Li Min and Cao Cao raised their hands: "Here."
Liu Bian said in a long voice: "I have sent you thousands of miles away, but I will say goodbye eventually! It's getting late, you two, please board the ship."
The two responded: "Here."
Immediately.
Turn around and go straight to the merchant ship.
Liu Bian stood by the Yingshui River and watched him leave.
When the merchant ship slowly left.
on deck.
Li Min took a long breath and said softly: "Meng De, His Highness has high hopes for you, and your future will be limitless."
Cao Cao sighed: "Where, the more Your Highness behaves like this, the heavier the pressure will feel on General Mo. Where Yingchuan and Runan meet, they are all plains. How can we defend this!"
"Don't worry about it so much."
Li Min took a deep breath and turned to look at Cao Cao: "Yuan Shu leads his troops into Heluo and must return to Yingchuan from the direction of Dagu Pass. The false plan to destroy Guo must not happen. You have to pay more attention to this matter."
"Don't worry, Sheriff."
Cao Cao bowed his head respectfully and said, "This matter will have been settled for a long time. Yuan Shu will not dare to act rashly. If he persists in his treachery and launches a war, His Highness has made it clear that this person will be eliminated."
Li Min looked at Cao Cao with great interest: "Seeing that you are so confident, Li will feel relieved. I will leave the entire team to you, and I will be responsible for the logistics. We will cooperate well and do not let His Highness down."
Cao Cao raised his hand and said, "I have my wish, but I dare not invite you."
Actually.
Li Min didn't know that his position as governor was also his position in the new dynasty. If he did well, King Hongnong would naturally see that it would be almost inevitable to become the center of the dynasty in the future.
After all, once a new dynasty is established, there will inevitably be a shortage of officials. How can the newcomers be as loyal as the old ones, not to mention that I have always supported King Hongnong from the beginning.
Among the princes today, apart from King Chen and Liu Chong, the person King Hongnong trusted the most was himself. As for people like Xu Xuan, Bao Xin, and Cao Cao, King Hongnong's closeness was actually to win over them.
Li Min understands, so he is not jealous.
Cao Cao was even more fortunate to have met someone with discerning eyes, and he could let go of his hands and feet.
Send the two of them away.
Liu Bian was on his way back to Luoyang.
"Report—!"
Ahead, a horse riding Juechen came, looking at them as their own soldiers.
When he came forward, Liu Bian waved his hand to indicate that he didn't need to be polite, and interrupted in advance: "But Wen Ruo has news?"
The messenger cupped his hands and clasped his fists: "Exactly! The military counselor ordered the villain to tell His Highness that Yan Xiang left the barracks and Xu Zhuan did not follow him, nor did he take Li Quan, Chen Dao and others away. Your Highness can rest assured."
As expected.
Liu Bian was not surprised and looked as usual: "Well, let's go back to Luoyang."
While riding his horse slowly, he communicated with the military advisor alliance through his inner voice: "Teacher, have you sorted out the relationship tree of the Kong family?"
The voice of the Military Advisor Alliance followed: "The context map has been completed, and experts are having intense discussions. However, due to the scarcity of historical data, the current controversy is relatively large."
"But don't worry, Mr. Bian, the experts' thinking must be comprehensive, and the plan they come up with must be a comprehensive plan with strategies and countermeasures."
"kindness."
Liu Bian nodded: "I definitely believe the experts on this point."
The Alliance of Military Advisors followed: "Let me tell you secretly, this time to suppress the Nanyang nobles, the action should not be small, and the scope of involvement should be relatively wide. It can be regarded as a relatively thorough rectification."
"oh?"
Liu Bian couldn't help but be curious: "What about the Deng family? Will they also be implicated? They support it sincerely, so experts won't want to attack the Deng family too, right?"
The Military Advisor Alliance continued: "Master Bian must not be benevolent as a woman, let alone simply define the Deng family as absolute loyal ministers. The reason why they invest all their strength in Master Bian is to gain profits."
"Especially now, once Master Bian returns to Nanyang, he will inevitably return to the palace and ascend the throne again. At this time, the organizational structure of the entire imperial court is empty and it is urgently needed to fill it with talents."
"If the Deng family is trying every possible means to recruit people into the new dynasty, but these people are not very capable, are you going to force them into the new dynasty out of favour, Mr. Bian?"
"It is right to be merciful to the Deng family, but we must consider the appropriateness and not allow him to have any inappropriate thoughts. This requires us to use the strategy of suppression and co-optation to the extreme."
"The greedy family will take advantage of every opportunity if there is even the slightest chance. The more tolerant and generous you are to him, the more he will push his limits. The Deng family fully supports Bian Ye's merits, but this cannot be a reason to condone him."
"Especially now..."
The Military Advisor Alliance emphasized: "The entire Nanyang family must be guided by the Deng family. Master Bian, your attitude towards the Deng family will directly determine the family's attitude towards you in the future."
"The expert's current main strategy is to attack the Deng family without damaging its foundation. It can establish prestige without causing the Nanyang family to have undue thoughts."
Well......
Liu Bian's brain almost exploded after hearing this.
Sure enough, this emperor is not easy to be.
There are so many issues to consider and relationships to deal with.
You must not only overcome your own human shortcomings, but also be good at facing various difficulties.
If it weren't for the help of the military strategist alliance, Liu Bian felt that he would have to be played to death by the wealthy family. As expected, not everyone can wear this time travel. Without some powerful golden fingers, he really wouldn't be able to survive.
"Dizzy."
Liu Bian's mind is now a lake of slurry.
He took a long breath and thought: "Teacher, you should wait until the experts have the results before you tell me. When I get back, I will read the Kong family genealogy carefully so that I can understand the experts' strategies."
"kindness."
The Military Advisor Alliance said softly: "If Mr. Bian thinks so, that's the best thing."
Liu Bian nodded: "Although I feel that I have made great progress, it seems to be limited to the ancient military field at present. As for the political tactics of the superiors, I am still far from it."
The Military Advisor Alliance smiled lightly: "Don't be in a hurry, take your time."
Liu Bian was helpless: "Well, that's the only way it can be."
...
*****
Shaanxi County, county government.
call-
Dong Zhuo, who was sitting upright, took a deep breath and immediately turned to look at Li Ru: "Wen You, you guessed it right. Not only did we win this battle, but we also broke the military morale of the Kwantung princes."
"Look."
Dong Zhuo handed the battle report to Li Ru: "I just sent it from the direction of Mianchi. The princes of Guandong have retreated. It's not as simple as retreating five miles or ten miles. They have completely left Mianchi and retreated to Luoyang."
"Ha ha!"
Dong Zhuo looked up to the sky and laughed wildly: "These guys actually want to kill me, Dong Zhuo? What a wishful thinking!"
Li Ru forced a smile and said, "Congratulations, Prime Minister."
"kindness?"
Dong Zhuo noticed something was wrong and frowned at Li Ru: "Wen You, what's your expression?"
Li Ru quickly bowed his head and said: "Prime Minister, Ru has no other intentions. It's just that although the crisis in Mianchi has been solved, the price is too high."
Dong Zhuo exhaled: "With less than a thousand cavalry, I defeated Yuan Shao and other thousands of soldiers and horses. They should be the ones who paid the high price, right?"
"this......"
Li Ru knew that Dong Zhuo would be wrong, so he slowly shook his head: "It's not them."
Dong Zhuo frowned and asked, "If it's not them, then who is it?"
Li Ru bowed his head and said: "Prime Minister, before we left Luoyang, we only gave Lu Bu and Li Jue ten days of food and grass. But now that the ten days have passed, there is no news about them. In addition, King Hongnong is personally in charge of Luoyang."
"Confucianism is afraid of..."
Although he hadn't finished speaking, Dong Zhuo's expression changed drastically: "What do you mean by Wen You, that Lu Bu, Li Jue, and Guo Si will be killed by King Hongnong?"
Li Ru's throat rolled: "Lu Bu is brave and invincible, and with Li Jue and Guo Si assisting him from the side, he may not die in the battle, but I'm afraid if he can come back, it will be just a lucky escape."
"Someone is coming..."
"Prime Minister."
Before Dong Zhuo could greet him, Li Ru had already interrupted: "Ru has sent people to Luoyang for reconnaissance. I believe there will be a response soon. King Hongnong has been silent for so long. Maybe Lu Bu and Li Jue haven't died in the battle yet, but that's not necessarily the case."
How could Dong Zhuo not know that Li Ru's words were partly relief and partly speculation. What was revealed between the lines was a bad outcome. Perhaps in Li Ru's heart, Lu Bu and Li Jue had already been sentenced to death.
but......
Dong Zhuo still had luck.
After all, those are Li Jue and Lu Bu!
They are all brave generals and have eight thousand soldiers and horses.
Even if you run out of food and grass and rely on killing horses to satisfy your hunger, you can last for ten days and a half, right?
At this moment, Dong Zhuo even wanted to lead troops to Luoyang to rescue the trapped Lu Bu, but Li Jue did it.
certainly!
He knows very well.
Having been defeated many times, he no longer has enough strength to deal with King Hongnong. Now he can only hope that Lu Bu and Li Jue can break out of King Hongnong's siege.
"Wenyou."
Dong Zhuo said worriedly: "How many people have you sent? Do you need to send more?"
Li Ru bowed his head and said: "Don't worry, Prime Minister, there should be enough people. We are just trying to find out the news. We should get a reply soon."
"Report—!"
At this moment, a long announcement sounded outside the hall.
Dong Zhuo looked around hurriedly.
However, General Niu Fu hurriedly came to the palace, looking extremely panicked: "My father-in-law, something bad has happened. Something happened in Luoyang."
Dong Zhuo stood up and subconsciously asked: "But Li Jue and Lu Bu were defeated?"
Niu Fu nodded: "According to reliable information, Lu Bu was captured alive at the foot of Mang Mountain and took refuge with King Hongnong, while Li Jue and Guo Si died tragically on the Gumen Bridge, and the entire army was wiped out."
"ah?"
Dong Zhuo's heart was shocked, and he was stunned like thunder and lightning: "This...how is this possible? Lu Bu is so brave, how could he be captured alive? Since he was defeated at the foot of Mang Mountain, why did Li Jue
, Guo Si died tragically at Gumen Bridge?"
Dong Zhuo, who had experienced many battles, was keenly aware of the anomalies.
Although he has not stayed in Luoyang for a long time, he still knows the terrain conditions of Luoyang quite well.
The places where Lu Bu, Li Jue, and Guo Si got into trouble were so different, there must be some unknown process involved.
"Father-in-law!"
Niu Fu took a deep breath and tried to stay calm as much as possible.
However, his expression still betrayed him, and a dull panic appeared on his face: "You may not believe it when I tell you. According to the intelligence, Lu Bu led his troops to break out. When the whole army was crossing the bridge, the Xiamen Bridge mysteriously collapsed, turning the tide of the war in one fell swoop.
.”
"What?"
Dong Zhuo really couldn't believe it and stared at Niu Fu in shock: "The Xiamen Bridge collapsed mysteriously? I, the Xiliang Xiaoqi, have walked across the Luoyang bridge no less than a hundred times and it has never collapsed. How could it collapse mysteriously at this time?"
"
"this......"
Niu Fu looked worried, sighed, and finally told the truth: "According to the news from the scouts, King Hongnong was blessed by God, and it was God who helped King Hongnong break the bridge, thereby turning the tide of the war."
"Bullshit!"
How could Dong Zhuo believe such nonsense? He immediately waved his hand and shouted: "If King Hongnong can really be blessed by heaven, how can he become a deposed emperor?"
"Now he..."
At this point, Dong Zhuo's voice suddenly stopped.
Have to admit it.
Judging from the current situation alone, King Hongnong has the absolute upper hand, and since he was able to escape from Luoyang, he has already become the one in dire straits. It can be seen from this whether he has received help from heaven.
"Father-in-law."
But this blind Niu Fu gave Dong Zhuo a fatal blow at this critical moment: "It is said that when King Hongnong was cleaning the battlefield after the war, he discovered the imperial seal at the south gate of Luoyang."
"The imperial seal?"
At this moment, Dong Zhuo was shocked!
Li Ru was even more shocked!
Both of them were stunned, standing there like half a piece of wood, speechless for a long time.
Niu Fu was startled, and after a long time he nodded: "Well, it should be true. According to the intelligence, King Hongnong also led all the civil and military officials to worship his ancestors in Mang Mountain and thank them for giving them the jade seal that passed down the country."
hiss-!
Both of them were so shocked that they took a breath of cold air.
No one knows better than them what the combination of "Jade Seal of the Kingdom + King Hongnong" means.
Once King Hongnong ascends the throne in Nanyang and proclaims himself emperor based on this, the value of Chenliu Wangxie in their hands will inevitably be greatly reduced.
King Hongnong could take this opportunity to recruit capable ministers and generals, forming a huge force in a short period of time to crush the Chang'an court.
What's even worse is...
Even if Dong Zhuo is aware of the danger, it is impossible to counterattack based on his current ability, not to mention that Lu Bu, Li Jue, and Guo Si have already been defeated. In the entire Heluo region, only King Hongnong is the dominant one.
"Damn it!"
Dong Zhuo chewed it secretly, his face was full of flesh, and he kept twitching.
He tried hard to think of countermeasures, but he didn't have any clue. He could only turn to Li Ru: "Wen You, what should we do?"
Although Li Ru was also horrified, he seemed relatively calm: "Prime Minister, don't be anxious. Things may not be as bad as we think. Let Ru think about it."
Dong Zhuo nodded quickly: "Think! Think carefully! You must come up with a countermeasure."
Li Ru calmed down, frowned and thought for a long time, then turned to look at Niu Fu: "General, do you know when Lu Bu and Li Jue will be defeated?"
Without thinking, Niu Fu blurted out: "It should be before the attack by the Prime Minister."
"oh?"
Li Ru's eyes brightened, as if he had reached the key point: "Is this really true?"
Niu Fu nodded affirmatively: "Well, that must be the case."
call-
Li Ru secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "Prime Minister, don't worry, King Hongnong will not come in a short time. We still have room for maneuver."
Dong Zhuo was puzzled and asked tentatively: "What do you mean?"
"It's very simple."
Li Ru said with great confidence: "King Hongnong has already defeated Lu Bu, but Li Jue has been standing still. Combined with his unusual move of not chasing down the prime minister before."
"Confucianism thinks..."
Speaking of this, Li Ru bowed his head calmly: "King Hongnong will not attack the Prime Minister again in the short term. Instead, he will let the Prime Minister sit in Guanzhong and establish a new dynasty."
"oh?"
Dong Zhuo was puzzled: "Is this...possible?"
Li Ru affirmed: "It's very possible."
"Is King Hongnong stupid? Why didn't he take advantage of the victory to pursue him? If I were King Hongnong, I would take the victorious army and march westward to Hangu."
"Prime Minister."
Li Ru was slightly embarrassed and didn't know how to answer for a while.
If he said that King Hongnong acted wisely, wouldn't he be calling Dong Zhuo a fool?
But if he followed Dong Zhuo's train of thought, wouldn't he be calling himself a fool?
"this......"
Li Ru paused for a moment, feeling that it would be better to explain clearly: "On the surface, King Hongnong's move is indeed a stupid move to let the tiger return to the mountain, but for Ru, it has its own reason."
Dong Zhuo was even more confused: "What does Wen You mean? Please tell me in detail."
Li Ru said softly: "Prime Minister, just imagine, with the power of thunder, you will settle in Luoyang, but you will be hindered by the Luoyang nobles, especially the Yuan family of the fourth generation and three princes, who are always openly and secretly enemies of the Prime Minister."
"If you are like this, Prime Minister, how much more can you be King Hongnong?"
"Confucianism thinks..."
Li Ru bowed his hands and said with absolute certainty: "The reason why King Hongnong did not march westward is because he was unwilling to take over the gentry courtiers in Chang'an. He wanted to establish a new dynasty to replace it and rebuild the world!"
"That makes sense."
Dong Zhuo stared at his eyes as big as eggs and nodded slowly: "Even I, Dong Zhuo, can't do anything to these aristocratic families, let alone that boy King Hongnong. What's the point of killing me? He's just taking over a group of nobles.
Just a courtier."
"snort!"
Dong Zhuo snorted, and his anxious heart finally relaxed: "I didn't expect that King Hongnong is quite courageous. He actually wants to establish a new dynasty and build a new Han Dynasty!"
hiss-!
Dong Zhuo took a deep breath and said from the bottom of his heart: "Wen You, don't tell me, I, Dong Zhuo, admire him a little. I was blind at first and thought Liu Xie had the power of an emperor."
Li Ru was even more astonished. No one knew better than him how careless Liu Bian was back then, but now, he has grown into a true king.
Is it possible...
Is King Hongnong really blessed by God?
At this moment, even Li Ru couldn't help but praise: "Not only the prime minister, Ru also deeply admires this move."
Dong Zhuo was completely reassured: "Wen You, although King Hongnong does not intend to attack Chang'an, how can we sit still and wait for death? Do you have any way to restrict its development and wait until the true strength is restored before we fight decisively with him?"
"this......"
Li Ru took a deep breath and thought for a long time: "There is a way, but I don't know how effective it will be."
How could Dong Zhuo care so much? He immediately waved his hand and said: "It will be as useful as it can be. In short, I, Dong Zhuo, must avenge the defeat of Luoyang."
"Prime Minister."
Li Ru bowed his head and said loudly: "Although the nobles in Chang'an City are a burden, they can also play a huge role as long as they are used properly."
"Today, the Northern and Southern Han Dynasties are confronting each other, and the struggle between the old and new dynasties is an opportunity for the major noble families to choose their sides again."
"Although King Hongnong's new dynasty is backed by a jade seal and claims to be orthodox, it is just a broken stone. It is far less than real benefits and is even more crazy."
Dong Zhuo frowned: "Oh? What does Wen You mean?"
"Simple!"
Li Ru bowed his head and said: "The Prime Minister, by your Majesty's order, promoted Yuan Shu to be the shepherd of Yuzhou, dismissed Li Min as the governor of Yingchuan, deposed Liu Chong as the king of Chen, and changed Chen to Chen County. At the same time, he appointed Ji Ling and Zhang Xun as the governor of Yingchuan and Chen County.
"
"As a result, Yuzhou will inevitably be in chaos. Yuan Shu will definitely send people to conquer Yingchuan and Chenjun. If he wins, King Hongnong will lose his help. If he fails, the prime minister can just send others."
"but......"
Li Ru was full of confidence and said sonorously: "Yuzhou is the foundation of Yuan Shu, and the Yuan family of Runan supports it with inexhaustible troops, horses, money and food. Li Min and Liu Chong will never be able to resist it."
"As for King Hongnong's Nanyang?"
Li Ru paused for a moment, took a deep breath and said: "He suppressed the gentry, so we will win over him, promise him huge profits, and try our best to stir up civil unrest. Even if we cannot destroy King Hongnong, we should make him rebel."
Dong Zhuo's eyes sparkled, and he grinned sinisterly: "Haha! Wen You's plan is very suitable to my liking. We can make King Hongnong cut off his roots without using any weapons."