Chapter 827: Sweet Fruits in a Troubled Heart 4
Amid Cao Chengsi's shrill voice, Murong Chui personally killed Cao Chengsi.
His soldiers were about to do it for him, but Murong Chui laughed loudly and said, "I have heard my brother tell me the story of King Wu's attack on King Zhou. In the herdsman's oath there is a line saying 'I will now go forth to respectfully carry out the punishment of Heaven'.
How wonderful it is - 'Today, I, Jifa, can only respectfully carry out the punishment from Heaven'.
This king walked into the Wei Palace holding the banner of the Goddess of Luo River. Now the only way to achieve the supreme honor is to kill the Emperor of Wei with my own hands. Is the historian here?
It should be recorded in the annals of history that 'I now pass on my throne, respectfully carrying out the punishment of the goddess of Luo River', so that it will be known to future generations."
Killing a notorious emperor with his own hands would be a glorious event that would go down in history for Murong Chui, and he certainly could not miss it.
Grand Historian?
"Your Majesty, the historian has been killed by Cao Chengsi."
Murong Chui was stunned and hesitated to speak. Kill the historian?
He looked down at Cao Chengsi lying in the hall, took a deep breath, and said after a long while: "Then please record this matter and hand it over to the new historian in the future."
So everyone stopped trying to persuade him, and Murong Chui killed Cao Chengsi with his own hands, ending Cao Chengsi's ridiculous life.
…
After Cao Chengsi's death, no matter who came to power, he would inevitably be given a bad posthumous title. This is no longer worth discussing. He would not be allowed to enter the ancestral temple. According to convention, monarchs like him would have their bodies exposed in the wilderness.
Of course, the Cao clan temple had been destroyed, and no one would bury him in the imperial mausoleum.
The most critical issue now is Murong Chui's identity and how to deal with Guanzhong.
Guanzhong is now an absolute mess. The problems caused by Cao Chengsi are still damaging the political environment of Guanzhong. His sudden death will also cause the Wei army, which is on the front line of the four Hexi counties, to be at a loss as to what to do, and cause rebellions of all sizes in various parts of Guanzhong.
Who will rule Guanzhong is a serious issue.
Murong Chui killed Cao Chengsi with his own hands, proving that he was determined to use the knife. He not only dared to kill a so-called emperor, but also dared to kill more people.
In Guanzhong today, there are several major forces.
First, there were several thousand cavalrymen led by Murong Chui. This number was naturally not enough in a full-scale national war, but in fact, in a chaotic situation, these several thousand people were enough to dominate the world.
The second is the big families in Guanzhong. These people are deeply rooted in the grassroots. In the past years, they have not been able to realize their political ambitions, but they are deeply entrenched in the local area and are the lowest level of Wei’s politics. Those below them are beyond the reach of the imperial court.
The third is the royal family, not just the Cao clan, but also eunuchs, relatives by marriage, nobles and other people who have relatives or old friends with the royal family. The emperor was suddenly killed by Murong Chui, but these forces dependent on the emperor have not been resolved. The most powerful among them are the troops on the front line.
Among these forces, the major families in Guanzhong were generally dissatisfied with the rule of Wei and could be won over by Murong Chui, but the Cao royal family was the most critical. How to deal with these people would be a great test of Murong Chui's skills.
After a moment of contemplation, Murong Chui immediately said, "Wei still has 30,000 troops on the front line, which should not be underestimated. Pass on my military order to first control the Cao clan members in Chang'an, and then go to persuade them to surrender. If they are willing to surrender, I will report to His Majesty and give them promotions and titles.
If you are unwilling to surrender, I will personally lead the army to defeat them and then kill their three clans.
In addition, it is right to find the families of soldiers who are away from home as soon as possible, and let them write letters to the front line so that their families can be reunited as soon as possible. "
hiss.
Murong Chui's method was really murderous. With the army's morale shaken, how could it have any fighting power? However, someone who didn't understand military affairs asked, "My lord, I'm afraid those Cao clan members won't agree to surrender."
Of course they would not surrender. With a large army in their hands, how could they surrender and give up their country so easily? Wouldn't that be a shame to their ancestors? Cao Cao's descendants are not so spineless.
"Soldiers, you must have backbone!"
This was the response from Cao Jiancheng, the commander of Cao's army.
…
Hedong.
Murong Chui did not think of hiding anything. He was the king of Yan State, and of course he was one with Yan State. The great things he did in Guanzhong soon spread to Hedong. When the princes of Hedong learned about it, they were dumbfounded.
He looked over the letter in his hand again and again, rubbing his eyes to make sure he had read it correctly.
"This, Murong Chui..."
"How dare you address the king by his name?"
"Yes, isn't His Royal Highness the Prince of Liaodong in charge of the Hedong County?"
The second half of the sentence was not spoken, so how did we suddenly arrive in Guanzhong?
They didn't even know when Murong Chui left Hedong, but suddenly they heard that Murong Chui had taken control of Guanzhong and even killed the emperor of Wei.
What kind of achievement is this?
The first reaction of the Hedong princes was to suppress the news. What would happen if it got back to Jicheng?
If the Empress Dowager and the Emperor heard that Murong Chui had made such a great contribution, the Emperor might be delighted, but the Empress Dowager would probably be furious. All of them, the people sent by the Empress Dowager, would suffer the consequences.
But then I thought, this news is impossible to suppress!
Murong Chui was not an ordinary general. He was one of the royal kings of the Yan State. His elder brother was Murong Ke. No one could hide it.
"Report this to the Queen Mother and His Majesty."
Several people said helplessly that they could only hand the message to the messenger to deliver it to Jicheng. Several people were a little uneasy and had their own thoughts. Some looked at Jicheng, while others looked at Guanzhong.
…
When Murong Chui conquered Chang'an, he had already sent a letter to Murong Ke at full speed, so when the messenger from Hedong set out, Murong Ke had already received the letter from Murong Chui.
After reading Murong Chui's letter, even Murong Ke was somewhat shocked by Murong Chui's keen vision and military talent.
It sounds simple for Murong Chui to capture Chang'an, but after entering Guanzhong, a strange place where he was unfamiliar with the surroundings, he was able to seize the fleeting window of opportunity in Chang'an's defense and decisively launch a surprise attack. This took courage that not ordinary generals could have.
Moreover, after the Yan cavalry galloped wildly, he was able to attack Chang'an without stopping and defeated the Chang'an defenders. This swift and swift fighting style was extremely excellent. You have to know that Murong Chui was not even twenty years old!
After reading the letter, Murong Ke knew that this was a good opportunity for both of them, or rather, a good opportunity for Murong Chui. When he was in Hedong, he asked for a title for Murong Chui just for Guanzhong. Now Murong Chui had the prerequisites to take over.
Then the next step is to see what he can get for Murong Chui in Jicheng.
After pondering for a long time, he wrote a letter and gave it to Murong Chui.
…
After conquering Chang'an, the first thing Murong Chui needed to do was to deal with the problem in Guanzhong. He brought with him generals and soldiers. At this time, two people came to him and gave him advice. One was named Yang Cheng and the other was named Wang Meng.
Yang Cheng was born into a prominent family in Guanzhong, the Hongnong Yang family. They began to rise in the late Later Han Dynasty, but had always been lukewarm in the Wei Kingdom. However, precisely because they were not very prosperous, they were not suppressed much by the Cao family.
He was one of the masterminds in the process of Murong Chui entering Guanzhong. Unlike most of the nobles who just wanted to find a bodyguard, his goal was to assist Murong Chui and ultimately achieve great things.
Wang Meng's case was even simpler. He was originally from Qingzhou, but there were frequent wars between Yan and Han. Although the Yan cavalry could not capture the city, they could gallop across the country. There was also war in the south to Xuzhou, so Wang Meng followed his family and wandered towards the relatively stable Bingzhou.
Wang Meng came from a poor family, so he often took paid jobs. Unexpectedly, when Murong Ke assigned people to Murong Chui, he arranged Wang Meng to work under Murong Chui.
After Murong Chui rushed into Chang'an and fell into political confusion, Wang Meng knew that his opportunity had come.
Wang Meng and Yang Cheng had different backgrounds, but they had the same goal. After Murong Chui took control of Chang'an, Wang Meng said to Murong Chui: "Guanzhong is the foundation of the prosperity of the Zhou, Qin and Han dynasties. It is the land of kings. Your Majesty is so heroic and handsome. Why don't you use this as a foundation to win over heroes from all over the world and achieve unprecedented achievements?"
Although Murong Chui was a minister of the State of Yan, he knew that he was excluded by the emperor and the queen mother and had no place in the State of Yan, so he also wanted to occupy Guanzhong and form a de facto separatist position.
But he couldn't just rebel against Yan, and now he hadn't even taken Guanzhong, and he had no idea about politics, so he asked Yang Cheng and Wang Meng: "Our army is brave, but we are few in number. Guanzhong is in chaos and needs supervision, but if the army is dispersed, the strength will be reduced. If the army is not dispersed, it will not be able to take care of the vast Guanzhong. What should I do?"
Seeing that Murong Chui was still sober after achieving such a great achievement, the two of them first breathed a sigh of relief at the same time, and then looked at each other with a hint of competition. Yang Cheng said, "Your Majesty, since ancient times, those who win the hearts of the people will win the world. What do you think the hearts of the people mean?"
Murong Zhizhu skipped his guess and asked, "Sir, please speak frankly."
Yang Cheng said firmly: "The so-called people's hearts are money, food, and population. Those who can get these can get the world, and those who lose these will lose the world.
The people like a benevolent king, and a benevolent king can get these; the people like a heroic king, and a heroic king can get these.
If the king wants to own Guanzhong, he must win the hearts of the people of Guanzhong and make them willing to provide money, food and soldiers. "
Who are the people?
Of course it was people like Yang Cheng. Wang Meng had a blank expression on his face. Although he adhered to the strategy of suppressing the powerful, he knew that the conditions for this did not exist in Guanzhong now, so he agreed with Yang Cheng's point of view.
Murong Chui was a little hesitant when he heard this, because what Yang Cheng said was a little different from what his brother Murong Ke said. After hesitating for a while, he said, "Sir, let me think about it."
…
When Murong Chui was hesitant, he received a reply from Murong Ke, a thick stack of papers. He immediately knew that his brother had a lot to say to him, so he quickly opened it and began to read.
In the letter, Murong Ke taught Murong Chui earnestly, "Seventh brother, I am very pleased that you can accomplish great things in Guanzhong. You are indeed the best child of my Murong clan. I cannot find a talent like you in my clan.
I have been thinking, how many people in this world have great achievements that are as fleeting as shooting stars, and how many people can seize this hard-won opportunity to achieve immortal achievements?
After much thought, I have something to say to you.
When you entered Guanzhong, you had few soldiers and little strength, so now it must be difficult.
But do not slack off. In those days, Emperor Guangwu of Han traveled alone to the Five States, Yuan Benchu entered Hebei, Emperor Xuanlie of Han Liu Bei went to Qingzhou, and even Liu Bei conquered Jingzhou alone, and the Duke of Yuzhang, Luo Zichu, ruled the southeast. Most of them were not as good as you.
So don't have any hesitation.
If there is extremely strong military force, there will naturally be room for maneuver.
But the lack of extremely strong military force does not necessarily mean that you cannot maneuver. I once told you that the nobles are sharp swords and they are the ones who harm the country.
But that only applies to our Great Yan, because our Great Yan was founded on military merit and nobility, and the common people already have a layer of unproductive people above their heads, so we cannot afford to burden the gentry anymore.
But in places where there are not so many military merits and nobles, those who get the support of the gentry can seize the world. This is a universal truth.
After you entered Guanzhong this time, you should have experienced the power of the gentry, and they helped you to quickly take control of the situation.
Accepting them is the key to your mastery of Guanzhong.
But you have to remember that no one in this world will naturally be loyal to you, and this is especially true for the nobles.
The gentry were both strong and weak. The imperial court did not have extra money to directly hire clerks to manage the people, so it had to entrust these big families with the task, and then these big families got everything at the grassroots level.
But it’s just the grassroots.
They were extremely powerful when united, but individually they were extremely weak, except in the State of Liang.
Emperor Wu of Wei was able to easily force Xun Yu to death, and a waste like Cao Shuang was able to almost kill Sima Yi. This is the weakness of the powerful aristocracy.
This is why you don't need to be afraid.
What you have to do next is very simple. Unite the nobles in Guanzhong, defeat the remaining troops of Wei, and annex those troops.
All that remains to be done is to disband all armies except your own, and make yourself the undisputed protector of the entire Guanzhong.
Just like a shepherd guarding his sheepfold, if any sheep is disobedient, you can just kill it.
I believe you can achieve a decisive victory in the war.
As a lord, you must have enough patience.
You cannot interfere with money and grain for the time being, but you must control the army and cooperate with the gentry. Once your orthodox status is established, you can gradually consolidate power.
Although you are ostracized now, after all, Dayan is behind you, and the Guanzhong gentry will be more tolerant of you.
As your brother, I will fight for a position of power with enough authority for you to protect all your interests in Guan.
Ah Chui, I hope that one day when we brothers meet again, we can make our mother proud of us, that's all."
After Murong Chui closed the letter, he breathed a sigh of relief, rubbed his eyes, and said to himself, "Don't worry, brother."
Murong Chui first followed Murong Ke's idea and completely eliminated Cao Chengsi's accomplices.
Then he began to adopt a conciliatory approach towards the Cao clan. As for who to let do this conciliatory thing, it was naturally the Duke of Longxi, a descendant of the Han Dynasty.
This is a hint, telling the Cao family that as long as they are obedient, they will not be killed. The treatment given to the Duke of Longxi is the same as the treatment given to you, the Cao family.
Murong Chui's appeasement of the Cao family was certainly not because he wanted to feed so many people for nothing. He did this to appease and intimidate the Guanzhong gentry indirectly.
We are civilized people. We will not even kill the Cao family. Everything will be done according to the rules. Any of you who have a grudge against the Cao family can take revenge on yourselves.
The Cao family is the most useful flag in all aspects.
Then he called Yang Cheng and said in a deep voice: "I have thought about it and decided to recruit heroes from all over Guanzhong. You have a good reputation in Guanzhong, so you should recommend us. I know that Cao's rebels are unwilling to surrender. In this case, we have no choice but to defeat them.
If any brave person is willing to follow me and make contributions, I will reward him generously.
I have heard that in the Liang and Han Kingdoms of the Southern Dynasties, there are some noble families, and the scholars in the countries often boast about them. I also want to promote some families, so you should seize this opportunity, sir."
Yang Cheng's eyes lit up. The meaning of Murong Chui's words was clear. He wanted to promote the gentry in Guanzhong. The so-called Gao surname was ultimately promoted by the royal family. The five surnames and seven families had all benefited from the favor of Emperor Gaozu of Han. Even the Luo family was noble because they were descendants of the Zhou Dynasty.
Yang Cheng bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I will devote all my energy to your service. I believe the men of Guanzhong are willing to serve you."
Murong Chui had only 6,000 men, and after the great battle, only 5,000 were left. With such a small army, if he did not do a good job of united front work among the gentry, as Murong Ke said, it would be impossible for him to control the entire Guanzhong even in his dreams.
To be more specific, Murong Chui is now just the King of Chang'an. He can only control Chang'an and the surrounding towns and villages. As for other counties, they are completely discredited. Without the support of the gentry, he can't move forward.
After reaching an agreement with Yang Cheng, Murong Chui quickly began to bestow rewards on himself. The Guanzhong gentry cheered loudly. After so many years since they were implicated by Sima Yi, they finally returned to the center of Guanzhong again.
…
In the vast land of Jincheng County, Murong Chui led 6,000 infantry and cavalry to stop at a small hill near the water. There were continuous lush green forests on the hill. He looked at the rolling mountains and rivers from afar, as if he could see the Wei army.
Wang Meng stayed in Chang'an to appease the people, while Yang Cheng followed Murong Chui to the battle. He asked with some concern: "Your Majesty, is our army too small? The Wei army has more than 30,000 people, five times more than ours."
Murong Chui looked at his not-so-large army and smiled softly, "Chengde, when I fight, I always win with a smaller force.
When it comes to soldiers, it’s not their quantity that matters, but their quality.
What are elite soldiers?
Are those who are strong and skilled in combat elite soldiers?
That is just the most basic. A true elite soldier must have his own fighting spirit and an indestructible will.
Although the Wei army was large in number, they had no will to fight.
They were not an army, but a group of farmers eager to get home.
What is there to be afraid of?
I came here to stop them from going home, or to say that if they want to go home, they have to leave a letter of surrender.
For example, the head of a Wei general. "
Yang Cheng was shocked when he heard this. He never expected that Murong Chui had this idea. In his opinion, this was simply the nonsense of someone who had no knowledge of military affairs. He hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, haven't you heard that the army that mourns will win?
If our army stops here, wouldn't it arouse their hatred of the enemy? In their eyes, we are the criminals who prevent them from returning home. When the Taiping Army rose up, the soldiers under the command of the Five Surnames faced the chaotic army that blocked their way and killed them. The scene is still vivid in our minds. Your Majesty, please think twice. "
Murong Chui laughed loudly upon hearing this and said, "Chengde, Chengde, you really only know the how of fighting, but not the why.
How can the effects achieved by having no support and having a weak point in hand be the same?
Why am I waiting here? Because the families of those soldiers are right behind me. Whether these people live or die depends on my words.
When the countries were in turmoil decades ago, Chengde should have known the methods adopted by each country.
If our army can get those Chang'an women to sing a song "Chang'an Thoughts" on this mountain, it will be more powerful than thousands of weapons. "
Decades ago, Yang Cheng immediately recalled that in Cao Cao's time, the families of soldiers would be gathered together, and if anyone surrendered, his family would be killed. All countries used this method to ensure the loyalty of soldiers.
Only those who don't care about their parents and relatives will not care, but they are a minority after all.
Later this method was abolished because although it could ensure the short-term loyalty of the soldiers on the front line, it was very harmful in the long run and could easily be controlled by people other than the emperor. After all, once these people were controlled, it was equivalent to controlling the army.
Too dangerous.
This method was then abolished.
Murong Chui did not do so because he wanted to win the hearts of these soldiers, but if he wanted to achieve the same effect, nothing could be more suitable than a song of Chang'an Thoughts that expresses the deepest longing for one's relatives.
Yang Cheng was convinced.
…
The mountains are surrounded by green, with huge trees forming shades and springs flowing between rocks. There are faint sounds of tigers roaring and monkeys crying, as well as flocks of birds flying high and falling. The once peaceful mountains are completely different today.
The wide mountain pass was littered with fallen corpses. Some had half of their bodies fallen into the mountain springs, dyeing the water red. Some had arrows stuck in their bodies and lay beside carriages. The ground was littered with broken swords and arrows, and black, dried blood. The soldiers never stopped charging, and a murderous aura spread throughout the mountain pass.
The sad song had not yet ended when it started again, mourning the soldiers who died in the battle. The soldiers from Yan State were not greatly affected, but how could those soldiers born in Guanzhong still maintain their fighting spirit?
In the vast mountains and forests, the enemy troops were fleeing and surrendering in all directions. Murong Chui's only target was the big banner and those personal guards who would never surrender. There were only a few hundred of these personal guards, so Murong Chui personally led the Yan cavalry to surround and kill them.
The situation on the field was going exactly as Murong Chui had expected. For Murong Chui, this battle was different from the Battle of Fenshui. In that battle, he defeated the Wei army head-on, but in this battle, the effect of his strategy was more powerful.
He always kept in mind what Murong Ke said, that he should be the commander of a large army, not a general who could only lead one army.
…
After winning the Battle of Longxi, Murong Chui led his army back to Chang'an. He gathered more than 10,000 troops and his strength increased greatly. He took decisive action to quell those small rebellious forces. The most important thing was that after a small victory with the Liangzhou rebels, he held peace talks and promised to let them govern themselves.
Military victory is always the foundation of political stability, especially when the situation is more chaotic, military victory will become more effective and can increase prestige.
Murong Chui's series of military victories brought temporary stability to Guanzhong, and tax revenues began to gradually recover.
In the Weiyang Palace.
Murong Chui and his group of aides and generals were anxiously awaiting the arrival of a group of people, who were the envoys from the Great Yan court.
After all, Murong Chui was the prince of Dayan. It was impossible for him to bypass the Dayan court and become independent. He had to accept the emperor's enthronement.
If he were to become independent here, Murong Ke, who was in Jicheng, would most likely die. He could not do that, so Murong Chui was very anxious now. He did not know whether he should object harshly if the imperial court wanted to suppress him.
Without letting Murong Chui wait any longer, the envoy of the Emperor of Yan soon arrived at the Weiyang Palace. The eunuch naturally did not dare to put on airs in front of Murong Chui and said with a flattering smile, "Your Majesty, His Majesty sent an eunuch to bring two imperial decrees."
Murong Chui knelt on the ground and said loudly: "Your Highness Murong Chui accepts your order."
Upon seeing this, the eunuch unfolded the first decree and read it: "The King of Su has shown favor to me, and the heaven has given me the opportunity to obtain the precious land of Guanzhong. I am very pleased.
The four Hexi counties were changed to the Liangzhou Inspectorate, the former Liangzhou and Guanzhong counties were changed to the Qinzhou Inspectorate, and the former three prefectures were changed to the Yongzhou Inspectorate.
Murong Chui, the King of Liaodong, was a man of high character and merit, wise and courageous, brave in military affairs, and had made great contributions to the country. He was both a civil and a military man, and was the most virtuous person in the country. He was therefore renamed the King of Yong.
He was appointed as the Governor of Liangzhou, the Governor of Qinzhou, the Governor of Yongzhou, the Grand Commandant, and the General of the Cavalry, and was in charge of the military affairs of all provinces inside and outside the country, and was informed of the various prefectures, counties, and districts.
When Murong Chui heard this first imperial edict, he knew it was a sure thing. He didn't know what his brother had done in Jicheng to make the emperor issue such an imperial edict, but he had to accept it.
With this imperial edict, he is half the King of Northwest China.
The other officials kneeling on the ground were still waiting for the second imperial edict. This was not the one they wanted. How could Murong Chui be promoted alone?
The envoy did not dare to let Murong Chui wait, and immediately read out the second imperial edict, "To govern the country and build the nation, only meritorious service can be entrusted; to divide Shaanxi into counties, only the ancestors can be entrusted.
The Grand Commandant, the General of the Cavalry, the Governor of Liangzhou, the Governor of Qinzhou, the Governor of Yongzhou, and the Prince of Yong, Chui, are all sent to hold the imperial seal to the Guanxi Grand Secretariat. All the kings, dukes, governors, governors, and generals are under the command of the imperial seal. You should respect them. "
It was a very brief imperial edict, but it was like a heavy thunder. The hall was silent for a second, and then there was cheers like a tsunami.
The regulations of the Daxingtai were exactly the same as those of the Shangshutai. The Shangshutai of Yan State was a second-rank institution. He could appoint third-rank officials in Guanzhong and re-create another political power.
Murong Chui took the imperial edict and stood in the hall. They were just two imperial edicts and not very heavy, but he seemed to be holding something extremely heavy in his hands. What was this?
He looked down, then looked up into the distance.
It’s Jiangshan.
It is the vast and beautiful landscape of Guanzhong.
From the time these two imperial edicts were issued, this place was his territory.
He divided Shaanxi and Guanxi and was a very loyal minister.
(End of this chapter)
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