"Brother, since I was forced to ascend the throne and proclaim myself emperor, I have always lived under the control of others. I dare not speak loudly, and I am even careful when eating. I really miss the days when we were in Luoyang."
"Actually, since Dong Zhuo's death, I want to lead the civil and military officials of Chang'an to submit to the emperor. After all, the emperor is the emperor of the Han Dynasty, and I am just a puppet who was forcibly supported."
"But......"
As soon as the topic changed, Liu Xiuchang sighed, with tears in his eyes, and said pitifully: "Grand Tutor Yuan Wei said that the emperor's brother established a new court in Nanyang, which means he has abandoned the civil and military officials of Chang'an. It is impossible for the emperor to accept him."
Ours.”
Liu Bian, who was sitting across from him, looked a little stiff. He had to admit that at that time, he would not have been able to accept all the officials in Chang'an. After all, their internal quality was too complicated.
Trying to digest such a force would be ten thousand times more difficult than letting Liu Bian defeat it. After all, the major aristocratic families are all intricately connected and even have inextricable connections with Nanyang.
but......
This is not the reason why the other party makes no movement at all.
After all, if you didn't even try to ask, how can you be sure that Nanyang won't take over?
It's obvious.
Liu Xie is lying.
He wanted to throw all the responsibility to Yuan Wei, clean himself up, and package himself as a victim, hoping to gain the pity of his brother Liu Bian and save his own life and even status.
At the same time, even the netizens in the live broadcast room couldn't help but sigh and complain:
"Damn it! An eleven-year-old baby can actually say such things. I really don't know what to say."
"Liu Xie is definitely a person who is good at disguise, not a waste. The process of abandoning the car to save the handsome man is so familiar."
"I admire you! I admire you so much in capital letters! If you don't learn well at a young age, you have already learned to become a little fox."
"Master Bian, I didn't agree with you to get rid of Liu Xie before, but now I think it's better to get rid of him."
"Yes, I agree to get rid of him. This guy is definitely a time bomb."
"You look older at the age of three, and you look older at the age of seven. That's what happened to Liu Xie at the age of 11. He will definitely be an old fox when he grows up."
"You absolutely cannot keep this kind of person. Anyway, you and he don't have much emotional connection."
"Just assassinate him and leave no trace."
"..."
Even the experts from the Military Advisor Alliance seem to be looking down upon him: "Master Bian, judging from the appearance, Liu Xie's performance is impeccable. Even micro-expression experts have found no obvious traces of guilt for lying."
"This proves that Liu Xie must have been in that state for a long time. Whether it is Dong Zhuo or Yuan Wei, his psychological endurance is no longer comparable to that of ordinary people."
"But his rhetoric is obviously flawed. He should have made some preparations in advance, but the preparations were not very comprehensive. It seems that he has made two preparations. Regardless of success or failure, there are ways to deal with them."
"kindness."
Liu Bian was deeply convinced and thought to himself: "It doesn't matter, I will just watch him act quietly."
The Military Advisor Alliance smiled: "Master Bian, you are so naughty."
At this moment, Liu Xie paused for a moment. Seeing that Liu Bian's face did not waver at all, he couldn't help but feel panicked. In order to cover up his guilty conscience, he could only continue to speak:
"Brother Imperial, I am thinking about my brother all the time in Chang'an. I hope that my brother can do something as soon as possible to help the Han Dynasty collapse and rebuild the prosperous world."
"Now, my dear brother, you are leading a three-pronged army to attack Chang'an, and you have also issued a proclamation to denounce Yuan Wei. On the surface, I dare not disobey Yuan Wei, but in fact, I admire my dear brother very much."
"That's right!"
Liu Xie said with great certainty: "Our Han Dynasty was ruined by Yuan Kui. If he hadn't summoned all the powerful generals to come to Beijing, how could our Han Dynasty be torn apart? How could you, Emperor Brother, have suffered this disaster?"
.”
"But fortunately, brother, you have the blessings of the ancestors of the Han Dynasty. In such a chaotic situation, you can still create such a great achievement. Even compared to Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu, you are not willing to give in."
Liu Bian's face was still calm and expressionless, which made Liu Xie even more unsure. He felt that his horse was all slapped on the horse's hooves.
Although Liu Bian didn't say a word, like an old monk in meditation, the pressure on Liu Xie's heart was absolutely unprecedented and huge. He could clearly feel that the person sitting in front of him was no longer the one he remembered.
That royal brother who behaves frivolously.
Liu Xie's mouth was dry and his throat was rolling. He couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. A thin layer of sweat broke out on his forehead subconsciously. His heart was beating wildly, as if it wanted to burst out of his chest.
"Brother Huang...why...why...why don't you speak?"
Liu Xie couldn't bear it anymore and asked timidly.
If he continues like this, he will probably drive himself crazy.
Liu Xie really couldn't imagine what the emperor's brother had experienced during this period of time, which could actually cause such a huge change in him. Could it be more thrilling than his own experience?
Impossible?
No matter what, you always jumped out of the cage and became a free person. You also raised a team and dared to challenge Dong Zhuo, and even defeated him.
But what about yourself?
Ever since he ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, he has been a puppet. He is surrounded by enemy spies, and his every move is under the surveillance of others.
Especially after you fled from Luoyang, my dear brother, you have monitored your younger brother even more closely. Even when you go out to pay your respects, someone has to follow you, and you have no autonomy at all.
"I just want to hear how you have been over the past few years."
Liu Bian's face was always calm, without any change in expression, as if he was staring at a stranger: "I remember what an innocent and lovely child you were when I was the emperor, but I never imagined that you would become what you are today.
appearance."
The corners of Liu Xie's lips twitched subconsciously. He could clearly feel the awe-inspiring aura of the emperor's brother. It was a terrifying aura that no stranger could enter, making people feel extremely depressed.
"Brother Chen..."
Liu Xie originally wanted to cry again, but when the words came to his lips, he couldn't say them out.
He could clearly feel that Liu Bian's stern eyes had already exposed everything, and it was useless to say more.
Therefore, Liu Xie just sighed indifferently, and then shrugged: "That's it. In short, being able to meet you now, my brother, is something I can't even imagine."
"All right."
Liu Bian casually said something perfunctory, stood up slowly, walked around Chang Yu, and was about to leave: "Brother, please rest well. When the situation in Nanyang stabilizes, I will put Yuan Wei on trial. If you have any evidence, you can prepare it in advance."
Liu Xie nodded affirmatively: "Okay, my brother must think about it carefully."
Liu Bian nodded: "In that case, I will leave."
"Wait a minute!"
Just as Liu Bian was about to leave, Liu Xie hurriedly interrupted: "Brother Emperor..."
Liu Bian stopped and said, "What, is there something wrong?"
Liu Xie paused: "Brother Emperor, what are you going to do with Yuan Wei?"
Liu Bian could clearly see Liu Xie's Adam's apple rolling, and the other party was obviously panicked: "Handle according to Han law."
Liu Xie nodded, bowed and raised his hands: "My dear brother, I understand."
Left the room.
Liu Bian was walking on the way back to Wende Hall.
Netizens in the live broadcast room once again set off a wave:
"Liu Xie is so cunning. He's already like this and yet he's still thinking of a conspiracy."
"Well, actually, I can't blame him. After all, growing up in that environment, it's hard not to change."
"The person above is wrong. In the current time and space, it has only been three years since Liu Xie ascended the throne. But it is not the same as history. It is absolutely wrong for you to use history to apply it to the present."
"Well, I agree with the point above. In just three years, Liu Xie has become what he is now, which proves that he already had such a bud when he was a child."
"Wang Meiren was raised by Empress Dowager Dong throughout the whole process of her murder. She also experienced the days when she was favored by Liu Hong and supported by eunuchs. In the end, it was Bian Ye who became the emperor. It would be strange if Liu Xie did not turn evil."
"The emperor's family is really not something ordinary people can stay in. I didn't feel anything about it before, but from Liu Xie, I really felt the cruelty of the ancient emperor's family."
"That's right, in the homes of ancient emperors, family ties were like a layer of window paper, which would be broken when poked. Only interests are eternal. There is really no human touch at all."
"..."
yes!
There is no family affection in the emperor's family.
A prince has been experiencing overt and covert struggles since he was an embryo. One careless move could cause him to game over before he was even born. Even when he grows up, he will still be living in battles and competitions for favor.
How could a child who grew up under such circumstances have anything else in his eyes? He is just a tool of struggle. He can either succeed in becoming an emperor or die. There is no second way.
In a sense, Liu Xie is pitiful, but in contrast, Liu Bian was forced to have no choice but to reach the current situation, which is by no means a brother-in-law relationship in the traditional sense.
Emperors and commoners are not originally a survival model, so how can we apply the same standard?
If Liu Xie is really a kind person, it is not impossible to give him the title of King Chenliu to continue his wealth. But if he has evil intentions, Liu Bian will not be too much if he kills him ten thousand times.
Sage monarchs have never been the masters of benevolence and righteousness. They are decisive in killing, not only heart-wrenching, but also good at killing people. Morality in the traditional sense is not applicable to them.
When returning to Wende Hall.
Guo Jia was already waiting aside. When he saw His Majesty the Emperor arriving, he hurriedly went up to greet him: "Your Majesty, news has been sent back from Chang'an."
Liu Bian's expression was extremely calm, and he went straight back to his head and said softly: "How?"
Guo Jia bowed his head and said: "Fan Chou has been surrounded and surrendered. Scholars Sun Rui and Duan Xuan are dead. Xun You sent people to escort Gao Ji into Nanyang. I think there will be a reply in three to five days."
"kindness."
Liu Bian nodded, waved his hand and ordered: "In the recent period, you have focused on interrogating the former officials of the Taifu Mansion, and strive to obtain more evidence."
"Now that Yuan Wei's situation has been decided, they should not have hesitated for a long time. There are some benefits to your trial, but remember to put an end to malicious attempts to prevent others from being caught."
Guo Jia naturally knew what His Majesty the Emperor meant, so he leaned forward and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will never let a bad person go, let alone wrongly accuse a good person."
Liu Bian nodded with satisfaction: "Very good, go and do it quickly."
Guo Jia bowed his head and said: "Here."
Immediately.
Bowed and left the hall.
Not long after Guo Jia left, Zhu Tong entered the palace, bowed and said, "Your Majesty."
Liu Bian raised his eyes and looked at Zhu Tong: "What, is there something wrong?"
Zhu Tong nodded: "There is indeed something."
Liu Bian saw that he seemed to have something to hide, and immediately said: "If you have something to say, just tell me, why are you still so hesitant with me?"
"How dare you!"
Zhu Tong leaned forward and held his hands, and spoke boldly: "It's like this. Shi'a's master Wang Yue was the commander of King Chenliu's personal guard. When he was in Wuguan, he had a battle with General Dian.
, General Dian spoke highly of him."
"oh?"
Liu Bian couldn't help but be surprised: "Sword Saint Wang Yue?"
Zhu Tong nodded: "Yes, it is this person."
"But Shi A asked you to come to plead for mercy?"
"kindness."
"As expected."
Liu Bian took a long breath and said softly: "Shi A is the one who has accompanied me all the way. As long as it is not a matter of principle, I will naturally look aside."
"Just go back and tell Shi A to reassure him. As long as Wang Yue cooperates with the court's investigation and tells everything he knows, I will never embarrass him."
"and......"
Liu Bian naturally knew Wang Yue's abilities, and he also knew that Wang Yue was a fan of officials: "For Shi'a's sake, I can give Wang Yue an official position."
Zhu Tong was overjoyed. He leaned over and held his hands in his hands and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Liu Bian waved his hand: "You're welcome."
Zhu Tong nodded: "In that case, I will temporarily retire and will not disturb His Majesty's work."
Liu Bien said: "Go."
Looking at Zhu Tong's leaving figure, Liu Bian couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
He recalled the scene in Luoyang.
If it weren't for Shi A, who was always there, it would have been impossible for him to quickly open up the situation and get in touch with the outside world. Although Zhu Tong contributed a lot, compared with Shi A, he was still slightly behind.
And after they escaped from Luoyang, the same group of rangers such as Shi A helped Liu Bian defeat the enemy, surrendered Zhang Liao, and finally opened up the situation in Nanyang.
Said without politeness.
Without this group of rangers, Liu Bian would not be where he is today.
Now, since Shi A has something to ask for, how can Liu Bian not tolerate him?
At this moment, the voice of the Military Advisor Alliance sounded: "Master Bian, according to the information we have obtained before, Shi A's master Wang Yue is already forty-three years old, only a little younger than Huang Zhong."
"But Wang Yue doesn't have much military experience. I'm afraid it would be inappropriate for him to be a high-ranking official. The most important thing is that it might be too late for him to start learning now."
Liu Bian frowned: "Teacher, what does this mean? Could it be that Wang Yue is not given an official position?"
The Military Advisor Alliance said softly: "You must give it, but don't give it to military positions. The military positions at the grassroots level are overqualified and will make Wang Yue feel cold. It is better not to give them. Wang Yue is not suitable for high-level military positions. It is easy to get out of the job.
question."
"What the expert means is..."
"It's very simple."
The Military Advisor Alliance continued: "It is better to imitate Lin Chong and let Wang Yue be the chief instructor of the new recruits of the imperial court. Anyway, when firearms come up, spears, war spears, etc. will basically be eliminated."
"The only thing we still equip is probably the Huanshou sword, or a sword for close combat. It will definitely be no problem to let Wang Yue train the new recruits."
"He is someone who has run a martial arts school. He is very good at teaching disciples. People should do what they can, rather than being forced into a position, which will cause trouble sooner or later."
Liu Bian nodded: "It makes sense."
*****
Yanzhou, Shanyang.
Changyi County.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of gold exploded, and the flames of war raged.
Fireballs fell from the sky one after another, hitting the majestic city one after another, splashing thousands of sparks. On the ladders, the soldiers who were not afraid of death were carrying the Huanshou sword, beating stones and rolling logs against the rain. , keep climbing upwards.
The attack has been going on for twelve days. The city has changed hands repeatedly, but Changyi County has never been captured. Both sides have suffered extremely heavy losses. What they are competing now is the will to attack.
Outside the city, under the flag fluttering in the wind, a man with a tall figure and an angry frown was holding a wisp of beard under his chin and looking at the smoke-filled city head.
This person is none other than Liu Dai, the governor of Yanzhou.
"Report—!"
At this moment, a long announcement sounded from behind.
Liu Dai turned around and looked.
But when he saw his own scout Juechen coming, he leaned forward and said, "My lord, news came back from Dongping Kingdom that Xiang Ma Sheng's troops in Jibei have been defeated by Wan Qian."
"good!"
Liu Dai secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and his hanging heart was completely relieved: "I didn't expect that Ma Sheng, a thief, would be able to sacrifice for the Yuan family at this time. If he hadn't restrained our army, Changyi would have been killed long ago. Conquered by me."
"How can Wan Qian's troops come back?" Liu Dai tried to ask.
"About five days," the scout replied.
"Five days?"
Liu Dai pondered for a moment, frowning slightly.
On the side, Zheng Chen, who was in charge of Yanzhou Zhongzhong, already understood Liu Dai's thoughts and bowed his head: "My lord, the war in Yanzhou has been dragging on for nearly half a month. I think the battle in Guanzhong will be resolved soon."
"My subordinates think that we should wait for the news from Guanzhong. If Nanyang is defeated, how to develop next is still open to discussion."
"kindness?"
Liu Dai frowned and turned to glance at Zheng Chen: "What do you mean? Do you think Nanyang will lose?"
Zheng Chen hurriedly shook his head and waved his hands: "No, my subordinates are just taking precautions. After all, Yuan Wei is definitely not someone who just sits there and waits for death. It is really hard to say how he will respond in such a critical situation."
"Anyway..."
Zheng Chen's voice was long and full of interest: "It has been delayed for twelve days now, and we are not afraid of delaying it for another three or five days. As soon as the news from Guanzhong comes, we will attack Changyi immediately. It is not too late. "
Liu Dai stared at the battlefield ahead. Yuan Yi was still resisting desperately and would never surrender. One can imagine what kind of person Yuan Wei was. If he really caught him by surprise and attacked him unprepared, it was still unclear who would be killed.
Have to admit it.
What Zheng Chen said makes sense. Anyway, the current situation must have reached the ears of His Majesty the Emperor, so delaying it for another three to five days is also reasonable for him.
"If that's the case..."
"Report—!"
Just when Liu Dai was hesitant.
Suddenly, a long message came from behind again.
Turn around and look.
However, he saw his own scout coming on Pegasus. He hurried forward with a hint of joy on his face, bowed and held his hands in his arms: "My lord, the news came back from Nanyang that Emperor Chang'an surrendered and Nanyang won a great victory."
"Now, Yuan Wei and all the civil and military officials in Chang'an have been arrested. They are currently being jointly examined by the school affairs office and the court officials. It may be that in a few days, His Majesty the Emperor of Nanyang will put Yuan Wei on trial."
hiss-!
Liu Dai was surprised and gasped: "What? Emperor Chang'an surrendered?"
The scout said with absolute certainty: "That's right! They have surrendered."
Liu Dai breathed a sigh of relief and was completely relieved: "I know that with the current ability of His Majesty the Nanyang Emperor, he will be able to defeat Yuan Wei. We must seize the time and strive to present a generous gift to His Majesty the Emperor when he publicly interrogates Yuan Wei."
"Send the order!"
This time, Liu Dai did not hesitate at all and gave a sonorous order: "Send all the troops and horses to capture Changyi County at all costs and in the shortest possible time."
All the soldiers raised their hands in unison: "Here."
immediately.
A loud shouting of death rang out from the team: "Kill—!"
In an instant, a huge wave surged toward Changyi County.
These are Liu Dai's most elite soldiers and horses!
now.
Changyi City Head.
Yuan Yiyuan, the governor of Shanyang County, looked at the soldiers and horses coming from the front. There was no surprise or fear in his eyes. Instead, he showed a hint of joy.
He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly: "Well, Liu Dai, you finally have all the soldiers and horses. This time, I want to see what will happen if you don't die!"
"Yuan Lin, hurry up!"
Immediately, Yuan Yi issued an order: "Quickly beat the drum and give the order to Qin Feng, the Cavalry Commander outside the city, to have him raid Liu Dai's rear and kill him at all costs!"
The chief secretary Yuan Lin could not hide his excitement: "Here! Drummer, beat the drum quickly and change the flag."
Winter! Winter! Winter!
Dongdong—!
In an instant, the ten-sided golden drums on the top of the city sounded a sound with a specific rhythm. The sound was like muffled thunder, spreading in all directions and shaking the fields. The sound was so sonorous that it seemed as if the heaven and earth would tremble.
Then, the red flags originally flying at the top of the city all turned green. This was the attack signal they had agreed upon in advance. Whether they heard the sound or saw the flag, it was the signal to launch a general attack.
Liu Dai was immediately shocked by the scene in front of him and asked anxiously: "What's going on? Does Yuan Yi have another conspiracy?"
The counselor Zheng Chen beside him frowned and pondered for a long time: "My lord, don't be anxious. I think this is Yuan Yi's natural reaction when he saw my lord pressing all the troops and horses. He wanted to use this to inspire the three armies for the final decisive battle."
"kindness."
Liu Dai nodded slowly and sighed in relief: "It does make sense! The sound of drums does have an inspiring effect, but what is the purpose of Yuan Yi changing the flag to green?"
"this......"
Zheng Chen was thinking.
suddenly.
There was a rumble of horse hooves from the rear left.
Liu Dai suddenly felt something bad. He turned around and saw that at the end of his field of vision, a torrent of smoke and dust was rolling towards him. In Liu Dai's surprised eyes, he clearly saw a large scroll with black characters on a yellow background.