Chapter 564 Liu Xiu!
"Brother, why do you want to follow the princes?"
"The evil queen is causing chaos in the Han Dynasty, and the powerful ministers are controlling the Liu family's imperial power. Why do you think I should follow the princes?"
"But the four kings allowed the rebel army to march towards Chang'an, doing such a thing that would bring sorrow to their loved ones and joy to their enemies. Is it worth following them?"
“Those who achieve great things don’t get hung up on small details!”
"Brother, have you ever thought about what the world will become?
Have you ever thought about what role you want to play in this world?
Have you ever thought about how to stabilize the country?"
"Why think about that? As long as we have weapons in hand, there will be no place for you and me, brothers."
"Brother, you are wrong.
Those who do not plan for eternity are not worthy of planning for the moment.
During these days since we left Nanyang County, we have traveled across the entire Central Plains and seen countless scenes of displacement. Didn’t you notice?
Nowadays, the world is in chaos and war, and the people are suffering. The root cause of the chaos does not lie only with the people, but with the powerful people all over the world. It is they who are causing the chaos in the world.
The person who tied the bell must untie it. If we want to stabilize the world as quickly as possible, we must let the powerful stay safely in the counties and let them enter the court order safely. "
"But cracking down on the powerful is the national policy of the Han Dynasty. Although Wang Mang's reform failed, cracking down on the powerful is the right thing to do. Reclaiming the annexed land is a must."
“Yes, it is right to strike back at the powerful.
But the displacement of the world is the price to pay. The ubiquitous wars, the plagues that may occur at any time, the bones lying on the roadside, the empty cities in the counties, these are the prices to pay for striking down the powerful!
When I first left Nanyang County, I dreamed of becoming the Prefect of the Guards, carrying out the emperor's orders to crack down on the powerful and safeguard the Han country.
But now, I wonder how much more blood will be shed?
How many more people will die?
Once we have completely defeated the powerful, won't new powerful people emerge?
The Han Dynasty's vitality was exhausted in this process. Wouldn't the enemies around it take this opportunity to invade?
Can the Han Dynasty survive in such chaos?
Now I just want the world to be peaceful, even if it means compromising with the powerful.
I want war to disappear from the Central Plains. I don't want to see those human tragedies again.
I want the Han Dynasty to continue to exist and not be in the precarious situation it is now.
The reforms of Wang Mang and Prince Qi may have been correct in the future, but I don’t agree with them now.
I will use my own way to bring peace to the world and ensure that the Mandate of the Han Dynasty remains in the sky.
Brother, those four princes are short-sighted and cannot accomplish anything great.
Come back to Nanyang County with your brother. We will join the imperial army and defeat those bandit troops.
This is the best way to grow stronger, as it can prevent the Han Dynasty's destiny from falling and absorb the strength of those bandit armies.
When we become strong enough, we will be able to do what we want.”
…
Liu Xiu rode his horse and galloped on the straight road, surrounded by hundreds of warriors. His brother's voice seemed to still linger in his ears, "A Xiu, you take these hundreds of brothers back. We brothers say goodbye now. I hope we won't meet on the battlefield."
Thinking of this, Liu Xiu felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife.
Although he is a scholar of Confucian classics, he is not the skinny kind of scholar, but a fierce man who can charge into the battle.
After the rebel army crossed Liang State, they fought a protracted battle with the imperial officers and soldiers around Luoyang. Faced with the rebel army's strong momentum and increasingly skilled military affairs, the imperial court was defeated one after another.
It was not until the Three River Knights returned to their hometown that they were completely stabilized.
The court did not dare to send all the troops to the Sanhe area, because the current court was suspicious of all the Han royal family members, and there was only a Wugu Pass between Nanyang County and Guanzhong.
What if the imperial guards leave the pass and are then blocked outside the pass, leaving Guanzhong empty, and the army of the Han royal family breaks directly into Guanzhong? What should we do then?
The orphans of the Yulin Army and the young men of the six counties are responsible for dealing with those who may pose a threat to Guanzhong, as well as the subsequent dealings with the princes.
Liu Xiu joined the war against bandits in the name of a relative of the Han royal family and was appointed as a colonel. He was brave in combat and had good strategies, and soon became famous.
Not all the powerful people in the Han Dynasty were against the imperial court. They only opposed the imperial policy of equal distribution of land. However, out of the traditional loyalty of the literati, they were still loyal to the Han Dynasty. Their goal was to replace the current rulers. There were many such powerful people under the command of the four princes.
The rebel forces such as the Chimei and Donghai were naturally suppressed madly. At the same time, the rebel forces of the Jingzhou governor's department also began to rise up. Nanyang County was the first to bear the brunt and suddenly became the frontline position for defending Guanzhong.
The clansmen and powerful people in Nanyang County began to join him. These powerful clansmen were all members of the same clan. They were familiar with weapons and had extremely high combat skills. They did not need any training at all. Moreover, they came in hundreds or even thousands of people and brought their own weapons. Liu Xiu's strength expanded rapidly.
During the thousand-year period of the Zhou Dynasty, Haojing City served as the capital for only two hundred years, while Luoyang served as the capital for eight hundred years. There were several passes around Luoyang.
After the rebels broke through Hulao Pass at lightning speed, the defenders and the rebels stationed at other passes launched a fierce battle for these passes. Instead, the main city of Luoyang was ignored by both sides.
As Liu Xiu's reputation grew, he, who had thousands of men under his command, soon became a thorn in the side of the rebel army. With the betrayal of a traitor, nearly 50,000 troops from the East Sea surrounded Liu Xiu's army.
When there is no way to heaven and no door to earth.
Unexpectedly, the sky was overcast and it started to rain. In the darkness, the vision was unclear.
Liu Xiu took advantage of this opportunity and decisively led the cavalry to attack the rebel army's barracks in the midst of the strong wind.
Amid the deafening shouts, the rebel army was unable to take care of each other and fled in all directions, suffering heavy casualties.
Liu Xiu killed the King of Donghai on the spot without anyone seeing it. When he killed the King of Donghai, a purple star rushed into his body.
In one battle, he defeated an insurgent army and killed a rebel king. This battle made Liu Xiu famous and he was appointed General Suppressing Bandits by the court and promoted to Marquis of Guannei. For Liu Xiu's forces, it also recruited a large number of insurgents. For Liu Xiu personally, this battle helped him to start a family and build a career.
Although he did not become the Prefect of the Guards, he married Yin Lihua, and his life's wish was half fulfilled.
Liu Xiu, who had become one of the most powerful warlords in Luoyang, still adhered to his previous path. He continued to fight bravely, and his power grew stronger and stronger, and his personal ability also became stronger and stronger.
The same was true for the righteous army and the coalition of princes. When the number of troops under his command exceeded 30,000, Liu Xiu wrote to the four princes, saying earnestly: "The emperor will lead from the center, and the princes will guard the four sides. In this way, the Mandate of Heaven of the Han Dynasty will not be lost.
Now that you are pressing forward like this, it is an internal conflict within the Liu family. Regardless of victory or defeat, the Liu family will lose in the end. Wouldn’t your ancestors shed tears when seeing this scene?"
The letter was discarded as soon as it arrived. How could things stop when they had developed to this point? Liu Xiu naturally knew this. However, after this round of negotiations, his reputation as a person who was both loyal and filial, who took the overall situation into consideration and was determined to revive the Han Dynasty spread throughout the world.
Liu Xiu's sudden rise suddenly dashed the rebel army's desire to march into Guanzhong, and the shortcomings of these refugee armed forces without a base were exposed.
Liu Xiu organized battles with the rebel army continuously and skillfully used the tactic of luring the enemy deep into his territory. There was bloody fighting between the two sides. Liu Xiu's power was damaged, but the rebel army also suffered heavy losses. The three largest rebel armies were all badly injured by him.
During this process, Liu Xiu was promoted to the rank of marquis.
However, a turning point that no one expected came at this time. Seeing that the rebel army was constantly hit hard by Liu Xiu, the coalition forces of the princes could no longer sit still and directly crossed Hulao Pass to attack Liu Xiu.
The Liu clan princes actually joined forces with the rebels to attack a member of the Liu clan!
Who could have imagined this?
Moreover, the imperial court believed that the peasant army, which had been severely damaged, could no longer pose a threat, and also asked Liu Xiu to attack the armies of the princes. The imperial court denounced the coalition forces of the princes as "rebellion."
However, to the imperial court, there was indeed no difference between the coalition forces of princes and the peasant army. When these two groups entered Chang'an, starting with the Empress Dowager and her companions, few of Wang Mang's group would have survived.
Liu Xiu would not obey the imperial edict. He wrote a letter directly to Chang'an, "Although the bandits are now showing signs of fatigue, they are like sparks, and this chaotic world is like dry firewood. If we let them go, the raging fire will soon reignite.
The imperial court and the princes should work together.
The court should cancel the land-related part of the new policy, so that the heroes of the world can serve the court in peace. "
These words could almost be regarded as a political statement. Liu Xiu anxiously waited for news from Chang'an. This was the best solution he had chosen for the situation in the world and his last effort to change the situation of the Han Dynasty.
He had keenly noticed that as the peasant army gradually declined, his army also began to have strange thoughts. Those powerful people who had previously supported him turned to the princes' army ideologically.
This is an extremely bad signal. The imperial court has strong military force, but the combined strength of the powerful people in Guandong is stronger than that in Guanzhong. The battle between the two sides must be extremely fierce, and it is unknown how the fight will end.
If the imperial court was willing to compromise, he could mediate the relationship between the imperial court and the powerful, and then quell the rebellion of the princes.
Liu Xiu hurried back to the city and asked anxiously, "Where is the imperial edict?"
When Yin Lihua brought the imperial edict, Liu Xiu hurriedly opened it and felt dizzy. Wang Mang scolded him harshly, saying that he was a general and only needed to obey the orders of the court to fight. How could he discuss the major affairs of the court!
However, Liu Xiu saw from this that the court had great distrust of the Liu clan members, and that the court was suspicious of his intentions.
The news of the imperial edict spread quickly. When the powerful people who had joined Liu Xiu saw such a strongly worded edict, they completely began to think of defecting to the army of the princes.
Liu Xiu was naturally well aware of this situation. He looked around and felt despair. Luoyang was now his predicament. How could the Han Dynasty be saved?
The court, the princes, and the powerful were all digging at the foundation of the Han Dynasty. Yin Lihua stayed beside Liu Xiu, looking at her husband, a great hero, and said softly, "My dear, if the world doesn't care, you can do it yourself!
There are still loyal ministers in the world and there are still marquises in Guandong. You are now a great hero. Perhaps the Five Clans and Seven Families are waiting for you to appear?
Who says we can't restore the Han Dynasty?"
Yin Lihua's words were like thunder exploding, like clear spring water flowing straight into Liu Xiu's heart, giving him a shock. Although gaining the approval of the five clans and seven families was as difficult as ascending to heaven, it was still much better than being trapped like a dragon here.
"It is a blessing to have a good wife at home."
Liu Xiu made up his mind.
…
"Where is Lord Liu? The Empress Dowager has an imperial decree."
"Uncle Wen went to the land of the Five Families!"
The messenger looked pale. He had been delayed for several days by the mountain torrents and could not find the real owner.
————
He gathered heroes and fought in Heluo. The bandits were slightly suppressed. However, the kings were treacherous and Wang Mang abused his power, which eventually led to their separation. He sighed and said, "These bastards are not worth consulting with!"
Then he traveled alone to five states. ——"Book of the Later Han Dynasty: Chronicle of Emperor Guangwu"
(End of this chapter)
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