Chapter 642 Going Home
In the Changle Palace in Chang'an.
Although this city, which was once the center of the world, has been repaired over the years, it still looks dilapidated and has absolutely no trace of the atmosphere of an imperial city.
This is especially true for the royal children who have lived in Luoyang City since childhood.
In the palace, Liu Bian had already sat on the main seat. With the support of Dong Zhuo, he had become the emperor of the Han Dynasty. Liu Xie was named King of Chenliu, which was just an empty title.
The court in Chang'an was entirely filled with Dong Zhuo's people from top to bottom. This is not an exaggeration but a fact.
This is completely the Chang'an court established by the Xiliang Army in a new name.
As a minister who supported Liu Bian's ascension to the throne, Dong Zhuo was granted the title of county marquis.
County marquisates were not precious in the early Han Dynasty. Liu Bang was very generous to his old brothers, and later Han emperors also conferred titles of county marquisates, the only difference being the size of the county.
The only exception is the Marquis Wushuang, who is an exception in a remote frontier.
As Taifu and Shangshu Ling, Dong Zhuo reached the peak of his life.
However, this was far from meeting the requirements of Dong Zhuo and Li Ru. What he wanted was a regent above everyone else, while what Li Ru wanted was the ability to change the world.
Dong Zhuo walked up to the hall with his sword and shoes on without hesitation, and sat first on the left. Luo Kong knelt on the right in a robe. Dong Zhuo looked at Luo Kong and smiled, "Wushuang Hou, are you going to follow Your Majesty to Luoyang?"
When Dong Zhuo's face was not ferocious, he looked like a very kind fat man. His current behavior did not show that he had ever fought a life-and-death battle with Luo Kong, and he even almost killed Luo Kong with a single blow.
Luo Kong's eyes were filled with deep vigilance, and he said indifferently: "I have to accompany Your Majesty for a while."
Dong Zhuo looked at Luo Kong deeply again, stood up and said: "Then Wushuang Hou must protect His Majesty well. I will arrive with the Prince of Chenliu later."
After saying that, he saluted to Liu Bian again and left the hall directly. The guards in the hall were all wearing iron armor. They were all Dong Zhuo's men. They were extremely cautious.
Li Ru walked at the end, walking very slowly, and then turned around in front of the palace gate. He completely ignored Liu Bian and asked Luo Kong directly: "Wushuang Hou, you are from the Luo family, you must hate those wealthy nobles who bring disaster to the country, why don't you join us to create a new world?
In this new world, Luo's will not change and will remain glorious as always."
Luo Kong looked at Li Ru with a complicated expression. Every time he saw Li Ru, he understood more and more why the family had always emphasized that virtue was more important than talent. The danger of these geniuses doing evil was too great.
In addition, it is imperative to open up a clear upward channel. These heroes who can change the world are unwilling to be inferior to others.
If the imperial court doesn't want them, they will flow to the local areas; if the local areas don't want them anymore, they will go outside to other countries; they will rebel and overthrow the imperial court; or even the more extreme ones will directly join foreign tribes to counterattack the Central Plains.
The Huns' rise to power was largely due to the Han people's surrender.
It is always said that a scholar’s rebellion will fail in three years, but it would be terrible if a scholar assisted in a rebellion. Look at Li Ru, who cultivated Dong Zhuo, a warlord who could compete for supremacy in the world, in just a dozen years.
How many people like Li Ru are there in the world?
How much was in the hands of the imperial court? The decline of the Han Dynasty was not unjust.
Hearing Li Ru's words, Luo Kong replied directly: "People with different ideals cannot work together. Li Wenyou, you are too extreme, and Dong Zhuo is not worthy of fulfilling your ideals. Your lord has made the wrong choice, and your great cause will become a bubble and vanish into nothing.
It is better to be loyal to the Han emperor in front of you than to choose Dong Zhuo. At least you are good to His Majesty, and His Majesty must trust you. "
Li Ru saw that Luo Kong did not refute the point about hating wealthy aristocrats, but directly denied both himself and Dong Zhuo. He looked up at the emperor, bowed, said nothing more, and turned away.
Liu Bian was frightened by Li Ru's look and trembled a little. Li Ru looked similar to Jia Xu, both were kind, but the coldness in his eyes and the gloomy temperament made him look like a ghost.
In terms of character alone, Li Ru and Jia Xu are similar. Both are good at conspiracies and will do whatever it takes to get what they want.
But the difference between the two is that Li Ru is too obsessed, and although Jia Xu also has the idea of reviving his family in his heart, it is not strong and he takes a casual attitude.
Jia Xu was thinking about how I wanted to live, while Li Ru was thinking about how everyone wanted to die.
"My Lord, does the Master want to kill me?"
Liu Bian spoke tremblingly. He was so scared that he didn't even call himself "I". Luo Kong sighed in his heart. Liu Bian was really not suitable to be the emperor.
He was different from Emperor Xiaohui. Emperor Xiaohui was actually quite opinionated, but with Empress Gao in front and King Luo Wen in the back, he seemed incompetent.
Liu Bian is really no good!
It is never a good thing for the monarch to be weak and the ministers to be strong. It is very difficult to maintain the majesty of the monarch when the ministers are strong, and evil will definitely breed in it.
Luo Kong looked at Liu Bian with pity in his eyes. He could foresee that Liu Bian's end would not be good. He said softly, "Your Majesty, I will accompany you, and the Queen will also accompany you."
Compared to Liu Bian, Luo Kong felt that Tang Ji was more worthy of sympathy. Liu Bian was the eldest son, and this was his fate. Tang Ji was just a little girl who knew nothing, but she became the queen. She was completely implicated.
Luo Kong's consolation had some effect. Liu Bian grabbed Luo Kong's sleeve and said, "Lord, are we going back to Luoyang?"
"Yes, we are going back to Luoyang."
Liu Bian's eyes suddenly lit up. Luoyang was the only place that could bring him warmth. "It would be great to go back to Luoyang. I can see my mother when I return to Luoyang."
Luo Kong was filled with worry. The Luo family had accumulated power in the Han Dynasty for so many years, and he dared to rely on the military formation to directly kill the son of the Luo family. What else would he not dare to do?
After all, this was an internal political struggle. Luo Kong had not expected that Dong Zhuo would want to kill people directly. It can only be said that the reputation of the border county warriors is well-deserved.
The troubled times have just begun, and someone like Dong Zhuo who dares to trample on the established unspoken rules has appeared. Fortunately, he still has some awareness as a politician in his heart and does not take direct action.
But if such a person becomes unscrupulous in the future, he might become a devil.
…
Although it was a thousand miles from Chang'an to Luoyang, it wouldn't take long for the Western Liang cavalry to travel at full speed.
On the straight road, smoke and dust rose and fell, and teams of cavalry filled with murderous aura galloped past. The Xiliang Army was almost mobilized in full force. Although there were basically no top-notch counselors except Li Ru, the frontier legions from the surrounding counties were full of brave generals, who were as numerous as clouds and seas.
Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Ji, Hua Xiong and other second-rate captains in the Western Liang Army were rare cavalry generals and fierce charging generals. Even Dong Zhuo himself was a fierce man who could draw a strong bow and go into battle.
The Xiliang army was rushing towards Luoyang.
The front army has already set out, but the central army and the rear army are still in Chang'an, ready to go.
Luo Kong, Liu Bian and Tang Ji were sitting in a carriage. Luo Kong was almost inseparable from Liu Bian, for fear that Dong Zhuo would attack Liu Bian. Liu Bian and Tang Ji were sitting on either side of Luo Kong, one on the left and one on the right.
Tang Ji is younger than Liu Bian and seems to be underdeveloped. She is a very insecure little girl, and Luo Kong is the only person she can rely on.
"It's hard to tell whether you live or die when you go to Luoyang."
Luo Kong had a bad premonition in his heart, but he didn't know where this premonition came from. Liu Bian is now the emperor. Could it be that Dong Zhuo dared to kill the emperor directly?
In the old palace of Chang'an, Dong Zhuo looked at Liu Bian who was leaving, then turned to look at Li Ru, with a fierce look in his eyes, and said: "Wenyou, the emperor is only on good terms with Wushuang Marquis, which is not good for us.
Moreover, Liu Bian was cowardly and lacked the qualities of an emperor. How could he rule the world?
well.
Marquis Wushuang made Liu Bian the emperor out of his own selfish desires, which was a disregard for the world.
As a son of the Luo family, he pursued his own selfish desires. I am a loyal and good man of the Han Dynasty and a close friend of the late emperor. I absolutely cannot sit idly by!
Prince Chenliu is intelligent. Although Emperor Lingdi is a dictator, he is my benefactor after all. He wants Liu Xie to be the emperor. I should fulfill Emperor Lingdi's last wish and make Prince Chenliu the emperor.
What do you think, Wenyou?
Liu Bian would never have imagined that Dong Zhuo, who had respectfully welcomed him to the throne some time ago, would want to replace him so soon.
Li Ru shook his head upon hearing this and said, "My lord, not for now.
There is another prince in Luoyang City, he is the second son of Emperor Ling, and he must have been enthroned as emperor by that group of rebels.
Liu Xie was a bastard's son, and his status was not as high as Liu He's, so he could only use Liu Bian's undisputed status as the eldest son to suppress Liu He.
We have both the authorization of Emperor Lingdi and the legal system, which is why we can be invincible.
As for your concerns, I understand.
Wait until Liu He is deposed from the throne, wait for an opportunity to get rid of him, and then get rid of Liu Bian. Then only Liu Xie will be left, and he will naturally become the emperor. The death of two brothers will surely teach him how to do it. "
In Li Ru's words, killing royal relatives or even the emperor was as easy as eating and drinking. In his eyes, there was no difference between the emperor and ministers and the pigs, dogs, cows and sheep in the pen.
Dong Zhuo was persuaded by Li Ru again, and the fierce look on his face, which was gradually beginning to grow thick, disappeared as he said, "Then let him live for a while longer.
We must keep an eye on Marquis Wushuang and not let him do anything that is detrimental to the court.
He entered Luoyang, took control of the world, the Han court collapsed, and Zhang Jue ascended to heaven. This was God helping me, Dong Zhuo.
If you don't accept what God has given you, it will definitely bring disaster. Wenyou, your dream and mine will soon come true."
Li Ru, who had always had a blank expression on his face and a cold and dark look in his eyes, actually forced a slight smile when he heard this. However, the smile was a little sinister, which made Dong Zhuo shudder.
Then he patted Li Ru on the shoulder and said, "Wenyou, let's go to Luoyang."
Dong Zhuo walked out of the palace with a strong body, followed closely by Li Ru. He looked at the scorching sun in the sky and wrapped himself in his brocade robe.
…
When the vanguard of the Western Liang cavalry broke through Hedong, the entire Luoyang court was on guard against a formidable enemy.
In Luoyang Palace.
Empress Dowager He and a group of old ministers of the Han Dynasty all had frosty expressions, and the low mood could even freeze people's hearts.
Originally, the ministers thought that the one returning to Luoyang would be Wushuang Marquis, but they did not expect it would be Dong Zhuo's Xiliang Army.
Empress Dowager He looked at the ministers in the palace, and then asked a slightly strange question, "Who is this Dong Zhuo?"
Who is Dong Zhuo?
He was the former Governor of Liangzhou and the General Protector of the Qiang. However, Empress Dowager He didn't know who he was, but the people in the palace didn't find it strange.
Because it wasn't just Empress Dowager He, there were also many people in the palace who didn't know Dong Zhuo.
A military man from a border county would never be able to enter Luoyang in his entire life unless something drastic happened.
He may be a big shot on the border, but in Luoyang City, he is nothing. Who would care about him?
The officials in Luoyang city were eager to get the three dukes, nine ministers and generals of the imperial guards, which was the pinnacle of power.
But now, a warrior from a border county actually dared to ride his horse to Hedong, and came to Luoyang without any concealment!
"Queen Mother, Dong Zhuo is a typical frontier county warrior. He has been hanging around in Liang Province since he was weak, and has gradually risen to a high position."
In the Han Dynasty, the term "typical frontier county warrior" was a derogatory term.
Because as an adjective, "border county warriors" contains the meaning of capriciousness. This is the impression the whole world has of these border county warriors, whether it is Liangzhou, Bingzhou, Youzhou or the Western Regions. Of course, Wushuang Hou is an exception.
The fickleness of these border county warriors is not a matter of moral duplicity, but a way of survival from the bottom of their hearts, a keen intuition after living on the edge of a knife for many years on the frontier.
Lu Bu is a typical military man from the border counties. In fact, Liu Bei can also be considered a military man from the border counties. He changes allies very frequently, but Liu Bei has a high personal moral standard and always changes allies after doing his best, so no one blames him for this.
When the border county warrior said this, it basically defined Dong Zhuo's plan for Luoyang, which was that Dong Zhuo could not be trusted.
"Queen Mother, Dong Zhuo was appointed by Emperor Ling as the fake governor of Liang Province and the lieutenant of Sili. He also assisted the crown prince. Now that Dong Zhuo has dared to come to Luoyang, the crown prince must have fallen into Dong Zhuo's hands. If he uses this edict, what should we do?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard hurried footsteps outside the palace. The messenger walked into the palace hurriedly, holding a letter in his hand. Then he knelt down and said loudly, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, this is the letter sent by Lord Dong."
"What?"
"Dong Zhuo has arrived?"
"Is it Dong Zhuo's army that has arrived, or is it Dong Zhuo himself?"
This letter immediately caused an uproar in the court. How could it happen so quickly?
——-——
In the first year of Zhongping, Emperor Ling died. Dong Zhuo, who was crown prince, argued that he was the eldest son and was the emperor. After the emperor was enthroned, Dong Zhuo made himself the Grand Tutor and forced the emperor to grant him the title of a prince. The emperor was weak and did not dare to stop him. So Kong said, "No one but Liu can be a prince. If you wish to be a prince, please die. The emperor will grant you the title of a loyal and righteous prince."
Dong Zhuo's face turned pale with anger and he asked, "Are you deceiving me, my Lord?"
Kong Tong said angrily: "Grand Master, the sixteen previous emperors of the Han Dynasty, King Zhaosheng and King Luowen, can you compare them?
These two saints both became kings after their deaths. Do you dare to be king while you are still alive?
Isn't that usurpation?"
Dong Zhuo stopped. ——"Book of the Later Han Dynasty: Biography of Wushuanghou"
(End of this chapter)
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