Chapter 383 Emperor...
Retreat to Huayin?
Huayin was already before Tongguan, and if they retreated one step further they would be withdrawing from Tongguan and leaving Guanzhong.
This is really not a normal behavior.
Liu Yu also hurriedly asked: "Why is this?"
But as soon as he asked this question, he suddenly realized that Qiao Yan's action was not random.
Retreating to Huayin and handing the cleanup in Chang'an back to Liu Yu was undoubtedly a sign of respect for him. It could also be regarded as a concession by her, the person involved, or even the victim, to the imperial power of the Han Dynasty!
Huangfu Song's answer also proved Liu Yu's judgment: "She said that both your Majesty's son and the chief of the Imperial Clan Affairs Bureau were involved in the incident in Chang'an Palace. If she stayed in Chang'an, she might punish them according to the law first, which would be difficult for your Majesty to explain. If she was in Chang'an and your Majesty gave the order, people would think that there was coercion involved, so..."
Therefore, she withdrew from Chang'an first, and let His Majesty make the final decision.
Liu Yu had not known before that Liu Bei was also involved in this matter. Now when he suddenly heard the three words "Chief Internal Official", he felt that his breath, which had just been smoothed out a lot, was blocked at this moment.
How come even he got involved in this matter!
The plea of the people of Xuzhou gave him a chance to live after being escorted to Chang'an, but the act of mobilizing troops in the inner palace at this moment obviously pushed him back into a death situation.
He is confused!
No wonder Qiao Yan wanted to leave the handling of these two people to him.
Liu Yang is a prince. If he is punished too severely, or even executed for treason, it may be considered as exceeding the rules and overstepping one's authority. If he is punished too lightly, it may damage the dignity of the Han Dynasty. It would be better for Liu Yu to make the decision himself to either sacrifice his own son for the sake of justice or to protect his son.
Liu Bei is a member of the royal family of the Han Dynasty, and he was once spared by Qiao Yan out of pity. Therefore, it is neither too severe nor too light a punishment for her to punish him. It would be better to let someone else make the judgment.
Even if she really wanted to kill him as a warning to others, it would be an imperial decree issued by the emperor, not an act of killing committed by her in anger.
With the emperor's written document that stated the truth, even if the people in northern Xuzhou still missed Liu Bei and hoped that he could live a stable life in Chang'an, in the face of such ironclad facts, they had no room to argue or plead.
But even if he handed it over to Liu Yu to deal with, it would be hard for him not to feel some hesitation in his heart.
Liu Yang was his son after all. He had previously tried to prevent the child from becoming an enemy of Qiao Yan, all he did was to save his life.
Liu Bei was indeed a capable minister. In the current situation where the country has not yet been unified, if such a capable official could serve as an important official, it would surely benefit the people.
Liu Yu subconsciously reached out and pressed his forehead, trying to wake up his still groggy mind. He heard Huangfu Song say, "There is one more thing I need to tell Your Majesty. Wang Yun, Xian Yuyin and Chun Yujia have all been killed by the Grand Marshal and his followers because they either assisted Prince Yu Yang in controlling the inner palace or led troops to invade Chang'an. The rest of their followers have been imprisoned."
"Although Prince Master is one of the Three Dukes, he knew that Prince Yang's behavior was inappropriate but never tried to restrain him. Instead, he helped him to cause this turmoil. After he was already at a disadvantage, he ignited the gunpowder buried on the palace gate, causing the inner palace gate to collapse. The people looked at him with dismay. It is not a pity even if he dies a hundred times!"
Liu Yu was silent for a long time, and the changing expression on his face was finally fixed in a state of almost absent-mindedness. He said softly: "I understand."
Earlier, when Zhang Zhongjing appeared before him, he had already learned from him how he was recruited here.
When Liu Yu heard him say that he met Wang Yun before entering the palace, he guessed that Wang Yun would help Liu Yang.
It is one thing to guess what Wang Yun did, but it is another to hear it from Huangfu Song in such a straightforward way!
Liu Yang could not seize power in the Chang'an inner palace with his own ability, but he could with Wang Yun's help. This was undoubtedly a direct response to Liu Yu's previous doubts about why Liu Yang had such courage.
But Liu Yu never expected that Wang Yun would dare to do such a thing as using gunpowder to bomb the palace gate!
His dull expression at this moment was definitely not because he didn't care about such unexpected news, but because he knew that his body at the moment could not bear such intense emotional fluctuations.
But the shock he felt in his heart at that moment was no less than that felt by the onlookers who witnessed the scene with their own eyes.
It turned out that the earth-shaking sound he heard when he was imprisoned in the palace was not an illusion caused by his poor mental state, but a real situation.
Even though he was unable to see the scene with his own eyes, based on the earlier demonstration of the power of gunpowder that Qiao Yan had given him, Liu Yu could fully imagine what the scene was like!
Wang Yun!
Is this how a person in a high position should behave?
If Huangfu Song had not said it, Wang Yun was no longer alive at this time, and Liu Yu would not be able to find anyone even if he wanted to hold him accountable, he would have to call Wang Yun to his presence and ask him what had caused him to make such a decision.
Liu Yu was sick, but he was not dead!
"Your Majesty, please don't be so angry anymore." Zhang Zhongjing's voice came from the side, interrupting Liu Yu's scattered thoughts.
Liu Yu then realized that he had gripped the edge of the bed with his hands without realizing it, even squeezing so hard that his knuckles turned white.
On the one hand, he said that he couldn't allow himself to have too many emotional waves, but on the other hand, it was really difficult for him to calm down after hearing such news.
He now understood better why Qiao Yan chose to retreat to Huayin.
It was definitely not that she wanted to make concessions and force Liu Yu to impose heavy punishment on Liu Yang, Liu Bei and others out of guilt and pressure from public opinion. It was obvious that in the face of this sudden change, even though Qiao Yan, who was in her early twenties and had experienced far more than most people, it was difficult for her not to feel a sense of grief and indignation for being betrayed by the court in the face of such a ridiculous assassination.
If Qiao Yan had not led the troops from Liangzhou to Chang'an, relying solely on Wang Yun to negotiate with Dong Zhuo, Li Jue and others, he would not have gained any benefit at all, and might even have lost his life. It would have been impossible for him to successfully preserve his position as one of the Three Dukes after Liu Yu entered Chang'an.
If Qiao Yan had not sent Zhang Liao to Youzhou to intercept Gongsun Zan's actions, Liu Yang would have long been a prisoner of Gongsun Zan along with Liu Yu, and even ended up with his head and body separated.
If it weren't for Qiao Yan's efforts to mine coal and iron ores more efficiently, such a wonderful thing as gunpowder would never have come into being, nor would it have become an effective weapon against the Yecheng court.
However, Liu Yang and Wang Yun formed an alliance and launched a life-threatening assassination attempt on Qiao Yan. The gunpowder that should have been used on Yuan Shao appeared in Wang Yun's hands in an inexplicable way and was used to attack Qiao Yan. This was simply repaying kindness with enmity!
She revealed the existence of gunpowder in front of everyone when she pleaded guilty in Chang'an last year. Her original intention was to give the government and the people more confidence in fighting the enemy, but not to allow people to use this thing as a weapon!
Liu Yu's eyes darkened slightly.
At this moment, as long as he still had some conscience and gratitude, he should not care about Qiao Yan's actions of gradually seizing power and undermining the emperor, nor should he think about whether Liu Yang was his son after all and whether he could seek lenient treatment for him because he might have been instigated to do such a thing. The only thing he could do was to deal with it impartially.
Otherwise, the last bit of dignity of the Han Dynasty would be gone.
He slowly closed his stiff knuckles in his palms and asked Huangfu Song, "What's going on in Chang'an now?"
Seeing Huangfu Song glanced in Zhang Zhongjing's direction intentionally or unintentionally, as if hesitating whether to tell him the truth to prevent his illness from getting worse, Liu Yu added, "Don't worry, just tell me."
Huangfu Song replied: "The people of Chang'an do not know what is happening inside the palace walls. Previously, they thought that Wang Yun and Prince Yang's actions were all at your instruction, and they have some complaints against you."
How could the people of Chang'an not have complaints?
Liu Yu, who was the emperor, only issued a decree to reduce taxes for them, but Qiao Yan taught them step by step how to survive in such disaster years, and allowed their family property to gradually accumulate as the fields increased, commerce developed, and industry started, providing them with a path to enlightenment and education.
The difference between the near and the far could not be clearer.
An emperor like Liu Yu, perhaps because of his reputation in his early years, was rare among the royal family of the Han Dynasty, but when he was placed in the supreme position, what he could do could also be done by someone else in his position.
But there can never be another Sima like Qiao Yan in this world!
Now the emperor wants to get rid of the Grand Marshal and send one of the Three Dukes and his own son out. How can the people not be outraged!
Huangfu Song tried to speak about the matter in a gentler way possible.
If he had told the truth, it would have been—
The people in Chang'an City were enraged and smashed Liu Yang's palace and the official residences of Wang Yun and others. If Qiao Yan had not personally stepped in to dissuade them in time, I'm afraid they would have directly surrounded the palace wall.
However, although Qiao Yan clearly stated that Liu Yu was seriously ill in bed, it was the Prince Liu Yang and Prime Minister Wang Yun who had jointly done this action without the emperor's knowledge, and that they would give a reasonable explanation after Liu Yu had recuperated, the voices of the people still did not disappear in the streets of Chang'an.
If Liu Yu cannot give a convincing answer, this temporarily suppressed storm will sooner or later strike back in a more terrible way.
By the time Liu Yu hadn't regained consciousness, the news had already spread beyond Chang'an City.
With all nine provinces in his hands, even if there is still opposition between the two emperors, Chang'an is still the imperial capital in the hearts of more people in the world. The number of merchants traveling back and forth is several times that of Yecheng, and among these people there are naturally people on Yuan Shao's side.
Before this, they were unable to send any useful information back to Yecheng. After all, they could not boast about the prosperity of Chang'an all day long and make the court in Yecheng unhappy. But now they can send this matter back as quickly as possible.
In fact, at this moment, those who intended to convey the message were not only Yuan Shao's men, but also those who truly supported Qiao Yan.
They were eager to return to their hometown with this news and call more people to come to Chang'an together.
In this way, if Liu Yu intends to protect Liu Yang, or even goes all out to break up with the Grand Marshal in order to protect his son, they can still protect Qiao Yan!
Yesterday on the streets of Chang'an, there were quite a few people who had such thoughts.
If Qiao Yan had not blocked the eight passes as quickly as possible after retreating from the Chang'an Palace, I'm afraid that the news would have been spread by a much larger group.
Even so, this method of blocking the pass can only hinder the movement of the army at most, but it cannot stop those who really want to leave Guanzhong by crossing mountains and ridges.
Some of them temporarily restrained their actions because of Qiao Yan's attitude, but quite a few of them had already spread the news of the assassination attempt on the Grand Marshal to all directions.
Perhaps within five days, the news of the changes in Chang'an will reach Yuan Shao's ears.
For the Chang'an court, which had just started a new journey in the fifth year of Jian'an, this was a disaster even more troublesome than the drought!
Liu Yu looked intently at Huangfu Song's face, and saw that he had something unfinished to say from his worried expression.
"It's more than just complaints."
The crisis they are facing at this moment is not only the internal political instability and infighting among officials and princes, but also the external covetousness and surveillance caused by this conflict.
Even if Qiao Yan did not retreat to Huayin to give both sides some time to calm down, he must make a sufficiently objective and fair judgment at this time.
A trace of pain flashed across Liu Yu's eyes, but he knew very well that any hesitation or favoritism on his part at this moment might lead to more fatal trouble. It would be better to cut off the rotten flesh with a sharp knife, so that he could have a chance to be reborn.
He waved to the attendant beside him and said, "Go get some paper and pen, and get the imperial seal from that rebellious son!"
He is going to issue an edict!
No matter what the subsequent crisis is and what arrangements they have to make, he cannot hesitate in dealing with Liu Yang. Only in this way can the people's hearts in Guanzhong be temporarily stabilized.
If he, as the emperor, shielded his son who had committed a serious crime, what qualifications did he have to make the people of the Han Dynasty believe that the injustices they suffered could be redressed under his rule?
The attendant seldom saw such a resolute look in Liu Yu's eyes.
No one knew when it started, but in the minds of those who served him, His Majesty only had a vague image of a good guy, rather than a majestic emperor.
But at this moment, although he was still sick, he still showed a majestic and sharp attitude, which finally made people remember that when he was surrounded by powerful enemies in Youzhou in the past, he had more than just kindness.
Liu Yu coughed heavily twice, and seeing that the attendants had prepared paper and pen, he thought that this improved paper was also created by Qiao Yan, and together with the printing technology, it was bringing an exciting change to the world. He originally had two or three points of hesitation, but at this moment, he completely threw it out of his mind.
"Write! Prince Liu Yang has been arrogant since he was young. He indulges himself in pleasure and has never read classics or received good education. Although he has the title of a prince, he has no power in reality. He holds power but does not think about serving the country. Instead, he has committed evil acts like a beast. He intends to seize the sacred artifact and harm loyal people. His evil deeds cannot be forgiven even if he dies. He will be sentenced to death in seven days."
"Your Majesty!" When the attendant wrote the first few sentences, he was shocked by the harsh words and the judgmental meaning between the lines. However, he thought that Liu Yang was Liu Yu's biological son after all, and he had not really caused any harm to Qiao Yan. If he was only sentenced to "exile" among the five punishments, it would actually be reasonable. However, he never expected that Liu Yu would not give Liu Yang any room for reform and directly sentenced him to death.
"Write as I say!" Liu Yu's throat choked for a moment, but his moral standards were beyond doubt as he had repeatedly struggled with the future of the Han Dynasty and the gratitude of others in the past few years.
If Liu Yang was not his son, he would have been sentenced to death for his crimes. If that was the case, the order issued by him personally should have resulted in such a result.
There must be no inappropriate reduction of guilt because of the father-son relationship.
"Although Liu Bei, the head of the Imperial Clan, had the intention to protect the country and the people, he actually joined the bandits and caused trouble. The law will be strictly enforced, and the same applies to members of the Imperial Clan. They will all be sentenced to death in seven days!"
"Sun Rui, the Youfufeng official, has rashly mobilized troops and disrupted government orders... He shall be sentenced to death!"
“…”
Liu Yu spoke these decisive measures one by one, and apart from a slight consideration in the choice of words, he did not hesitate at all on the results. Only when he said the last word "death penalty" did his tone soften for a moment.
But these words, which were slightly less stern, did not mean to change the punishment measures previously made, but simply continued: "Change the page."
"Write a letter of apology."
The natural disasters and earthquakes in the past few years were all because of what Qiao Yan said about the celestial phenomena having nothing to do with human affairs, so Liu Yu did not write any edicts blaming himself. So when he suddenly said in such a gentle but heavy tone that he wanted to write an edict of apology, even Huangfu Song beside him asked in surprise: "Your Majesty, why is this?"
Liu Yu was willing to ignore the father-son relationship between him and Liu Yang and kill him to give Qiao Yan an explanation. In Huangfu Song's view, this was the best answer that he, the emperor, could give. There was really no need to issue a self-criticism edict, which would give the Yecheng court across the street nothing to talk about.
But just as Huangfu Song finished speaking, he heard Liu Yu ask: "Yizhen, if you judge with a fair attitude, do you think that I am still suitable to be the emperor under my current conditions?"
The powerful words just spoken seemed to have consumed most of his remaining energy, so that his face now looked increasingly bleak and dead.
If Liu Yu had not raised his hand to signal Zhang Zhongjing not to come forward, this miracle doctor would probably have wanted to hold him down and give him acupuncture and medicine.
The lesions on his body alone made Liu Yu's question seem not to be spoken casually.
Is he fit to continue being the emperor?
Ignoring the stupid things Liu Yang did, Liu Yu's own reputation is not a problem. He has been cooperating with Qiao Yan since the first year of Jian'an until now. Even if the people in Yecheng were to judge, they would have to say that this is truly a case of good relationship between a monarch and his subjects.
But when the country is at peace and the weather is good, the person sitting on the throne of the emperor can be a sickly person, but not in this year of chaos and disorder!
Even a young but healthy emperor would be much more suitable than Liu Yu at this moment.
What's more, he had just sentenced his only remaining son, Liu Yang, to death, which meant that he would be an emperor without an heir while still being sick and weak!
If he died unexpectedly, the city of Chang'an would instantly fall into greater chaos.
It would be better for him to hand over the throne to someone else first.
In Huangfu Song's opinion, this move is not impossible.
There were tens of thousands of Han royal family members, and there were many capable people among them, but he still couldn't help but persuade: "Your Majesty, just choose a new prince as the heir. Why do you have to tarnish your reputation in this way?"
Since it was a confession of guilt, it was impossible for him to boast about his achievements in any roundabout way. In the future, what would be recorded in history books would only be this evidence of guilt written down by himself.
Although Liu Yu could not be considered a qualified emperor, he really didn't have to end up like this!
But Huangfu Song only saw Liu Yu shaking his head: "When I ascended the throne in the past, there were two words of hope at the coronation ceremony: if there is chaos in Chang'an, there needs to be a virtuous person in power; if there is change in the world, there needs to be a person with lofty virtue to shine throughout the world."
"Yizhen, do you think I am the one who is virtuous and educated, or the one who is virtuous and lofty?"
In Liu Yu's painful eyes, Huangfu Song had already seen his answer.
If he can't even teach his own son well, there is no way he can teach others.
He could not even control his own close ministers, so it was equally impossible for him to infect the people of the world with his virtue.
So he is not worthy of being the emperor!
Rather than waiting for the situation to become a real public outcry one day, or for unrest to break out again due to his sudden death, it would be better for him to issue an edict of repentance now and pave the way for a new emperor later.
"A confession of guilt?" Yuan Shao was shocked to hear this and hurriedly took the paper with the news from the messenger. Seeing that the messenger had clearly recorded the confession of guilt posted in Chang'an City, he confirmed that he did not misunderstand the words of his subordinates, but that this incident really happened.
In this edict of repentance, Liu Yu talked about the fact that he had kept silent about the discipline of his ministers and son, which led to such a farce in the city of Chang'an.
Liu Yu also felt guilty about doing nothing for several years and just enjoying the wealth and honor of being an emperor.
In just a few words, the situation has been clearly stated.
When the first message came from Chang'an, Yuan Shao was even secretly delighted.
In his opinion, Qiao Yan's position and power as the Grand Marshal should have been subject to certain restrictions long ago. However, although there were people who were jealous of her position and allowed him to fan the flames of the rumor that red energy penetrated the Purple Palace, they were unable to cause any effective damage to Qiao Yan.
But this time it’s different!
Wang Yun and others really took action.
While Yuan Shao secretly cursed these people for not being adequately prepared, allowing Qiao Yan to escape from the palace walls and kill several of her opponents in succession, he also had to praise these people for their courage.
There are also advantages to not being able to succeed.
This assassination attempt, which was almost carried out in defiance of the law, directly broke the bridge of trust between Qiao Yan and Liu Yu overnight, and forced the ignorant people to make a choice between the Grand Marshal and the Emperor.
This is bound to intensify the conflicts within Chang'an City, and give Yuan Shao, who was worried that Qiao Yan would launch an attack on Ye City in the fifth year of Jian'an, a chance to catch his breath or even counterattack!
It would be even better if Liu Yu wanted to save Liu Yang, and Qiao Yan was unwilling to swallow his anger due to his youthful vigor.
But what Yuan Shao never expected was that even Liu Bian, the puppet emperor, had many ideas of his own as he grew older. Even regardless of the fact that his queen was a daughter of the Yuan family, he still wanted to take some restrictive actions on Yuan Shao. However, after Qiao Yan retreated to Huayin, Liu Yu decisively issued an edict to execute Liu Yang, Liu Bei and others, and at the same time put all the blame for the incident on himself.
"If he does this, how can he still be the emperor?"
When Yuan Shao saw the last line of words, he was so angry that he threw the paper with the confession of guilt aside.
Liu Yu's cowardly concession was equivalent to admitting his guilt and apologizing to Qiao Yan, which directly resolved most of the conflict that should have been intensified. Even if there were any aftermath, it would most likely not have any impact on their cooperation.
Liu Yu was truly unique in being such a humble emperor!
But Yuan Shao had to admit that if Qiao Yan had not been the powerful official under Liu Yu, such a result might not have occurred.
However, there is no point in saying this now. It is better to think about whether they can take advantage of this opportunity of changes in Chang'an to do something.
That's what he thought and he asked it.
"Why not?" Xu You picked up the piece of paper that Yuan Shao had thrown aside, looked at the words on it carefully, and replied.
"Mingsir, do you really think that Liu Bo'an is just blaming himself?"
Yuan Shao was stunned when he heard this.
According to Xu You, Liu Yu obviously had more than just this one line.
He took the confession of guilt from Xu You and read it again. He was suddenly shocked to find that between the lines there was more than just a self-awareness statement that put the blame on himself. There was another kind of emotion entangled in it, which was like the air of old age.
But considering Liu Yu's age and the scope of the territory under his command, he should not have behaved like this!
Yuan Shao frowned and made an unsure guess based on his intuition, "Does he intend to abdicate and let someone more capable take over?"
Of course, Yuan Shao could not associate this abdication with Qiao Yan. He just thought that there were indeed several members of the Liu clan in Chang'an. If Liu Yu really had such an idea because of his illness and the extinction of his family, it would not be an exaggeration at all.
Xu You nodded and replied, "Yes, in my opinion, that's the meaning."
"Then..." Yuan Shao immediately realized that Liu Yu's excessive negativity at the moment was not entirely bad news for them.
You know, the time when problems are most likely to occur is when power is transferred!
He was not so optimistic. He felt that since Liu Yu wanted to resign as emperor, it would be better for them to directly recruit Qiao Yan and unite the two worlds.
The confrontation that lasted for several years, coupled with the inevitable power struggle between him and Qiao Yan, made it impossible for such a merger to happen.
Yuan Shao was not so stupid as to give Qiao Yan a legitimate opportunity to invade Jizhou and let her settle accounts with him.
He just continued to ask Xu You: "If Liu Bo'an has such thoughts, it is a definite fact. I wonder if Ziyuan has any countermeasures for me?"
Xu You stroked his beard and replied, "Mingsir, do you think Qiao Yeshu will not understand the meaning of this confession? If the assassination inside the palace walls had made her the highest moral point, Liu Yu's intention at this time would definitely make her feel guilty. However, it is an indisputable fact that Liu Bo'an cannot take on the important responsibility of being the emperor, which means--"
"At least in the short term, Qiao Yeshu must stay in Chang'an to deal with the aftermath of Wang Zishi and others' rebellion, and also to deal with the handover of the throne of the emperor."
"The messenger reported that when Qiao Yeshu returned to Chang'an to meet the emperor, she brought Zhao Zilong with her to ensure her own safety. In such a short period of time, she will not only have no time to focus on Luoyang, but also have very few generals left to defend the area."
"Ming Gong, look, is our chance coming?"
yes!
How is this not an opportunity?
Even though Qiao Yan had shared weal and woe with the local people during her two years in Luoyang, and the people who settled in Luoyang had long been loyal to her, what Yuan Shao wanted to do at this moment was not to take the opportunity to seize Luoyang, but to complete an attack on Qiao Yan's position in order to create confidence for his alliance to continue to confront the west.
The previous defeats made this confidence, like the face of the Han Dynasty, become precarious, which really gave Yuan Shao a headache.
However, Bingzhou was Qiao Yan's base camp and was not easy to attack; Xuzhou was well-planned and had many advisers, making it too difficult to plan; in Youzhou, even the Wuhuan people had obeyed the orders of Qiao Yan's subordinates, and there were natural geographical barriers as interception. No matter which side it was, it would be difficult for him to complete a successful attack.
But now he saw a breakthrough.
This breakthrough point is called Luoyang!
Yuan Shao's eyes were completely aroused, and he shouted loudly: "Order Zhang Junyi to send troops from Henei County, cross the river and climb the mountain, attack Luoyang, send a message to Cao Mengde, and send troops to Hulao Pass, break it as quickly as possible, and go to Luoyang together!"
"This battle is not to capture the city, but only to plunder the granary in Luoyang!"
As the population around Luoyang had been accumulating over the years, Yuan Shao's quick move to dispatch troops was destined not to be a surprise attack.
But it is an indisputable fact that Luoyang has no main general, no Qiao Yan himself is in charge, and there are only soldiers guarding the eight passes.
Mengjin Xiaopingjin in the north of Luoyang was immediately attacked by the troops led by Zhang He. Even though the soldiers stationed there and the Hedong prefect Zhuge Xuan who sent support from Hedong County tried to intercept them, Zhang He almost had the opportunity to advance straight in during the initial confrontation.
However, it was Xu Huang who was in charge of Hulao Pass. Relying on the steep mountains of Chenggao and the well-equipped generals under his command, it was not too difficult to intercept Cao Cao outside Luoyang.
However, the soldiers who continued to advance from the direction of Yanzhou made this fierce attack seem not so easy to deal with.
Xun Yu, who was in charge of the overall situation in Luoyang, immediately issued an order to the people in Luoyang city, asking all the people in Luoyang to temporarily stop their actions towards Hedong Henei County, Yanzhou, and Yuzhou, and set up a recruitment office in the city to fill the reserve forces of soldiers in the two directions.
As soon as the imperial edict to recruit soldiers came out, all kinds of discussions and disputes arose in the city of Luoyang.
The news that arrived in Luoyang two days earlier than Yuan Shao's dispatch of troops was the various changes that the Grand Marshal encountered after returning to Chang'an and Liu Yu's response.
The former is far more outrageous than the rumors from October last year.
According to the young man from the family next door to Liu Xie, "If the Grand Marshal really had any rebellious intentions, he could have established himself in Luoyang while the emperor was seriously ill, or he could have just attacked the palace during the audience with the emperor. Why would he give them such a near-miss opportunity to assassinate him?"
If the emperor had not punished even his own son, Liu Xie thought that because of the contributions made by the Grand Marshal in Luoyang, they would have even thought of rushing to Chang'an directly through the Qiaohan Road.
But now there is no need to march to Chang'an. There is another way to express their support for the Grand Marshal.
It was in response to the call for conscription in Luoyang that a heavy blow was dealt to Yuan Shao and Cao Cao who were intending to invade Luoyang at this time!
It was not just the family next door to Liu Xie who had such thoughts. Because of Qiao Yan's arrangements during the great epidemic in Luoyang last year, more than a hundred people survived. These people who survived and spent the winter safely because of the cotton-padded clothes had long wanted to give back in some way. So when Liu Xie walked out onto the street, he saw countless young people in a hurry with fighting spirit on their faces, walking towards the recruitment point at a very fast speed.
Of course, people will die in battle, but everyone knows that Qiao Yan has always been fair in rewarding her soldiers. If they can kill the enemy in battle, they can either get sufficient supplies or be promoted step by step under her, which is also a way to rise to the top.
What's more, most of these people had originally flocked to Luoyang to escape the disaster. Now they have long regarded Luoyang as their home and do not want to see Luoyang return to a state of collapsed order.
Therefore, these foreign enemies must be driven out!
Liu Xie looked at this scene that could not be faked, and his heart was moved.
But when he returned home, he heard his adoptive father say to him: "Let's leave Luoyang as soon as possible. We haven't taken root in Luoyang yet. Since there will be a war here, if any of us dies here, your mother who is still in Hanzhong will have to say goodbye to her forever. It's better to go back to Hanzhong directly while the gate to the south of Luoyang is still open. What do you think?"
Leaving Luoyang?
Liu Xie was stunned for a moment when he suddenly heard such a choice that was completely different from the atmosphere outside.
But when he thought about it carefully, he couldn't make any criticisms of his adoptive father's choice.
Yes, they were not originally settled in Luoyang, they just came here temporarily. So in the face of the impending war, his adoptive father's choice to leave this place was the most correct choice for people like him.
People always have the instinct to seek benefits and avoid harm. How can this be said to be an unjust act?
But for Liu Xie, the current situation made it impossible for him to leave with peace of mind.
Xu You could see the negative and pessimistic emotions revealed in Liu Yu's letter of repentance, and so could Liu Xie, who was always sensitive and intelligent!
Liu Yu...may not want to be the emperor anymore.
He no longer has the ability to be the emperor.
This is completely different from the situation after Chang'an lost Liu Xie after Dong Zhuo's Rebellion.
When he is not around, Qiao Yan can go to Youzhou to welcome Liu Yu back. Having a more mature and stable emperor in Chang'an can be exchanged for a stable development environment, which is beneficial to everyone.
But what about now?
If Liu Yu was really unable to bear the burden of the Han Dynasty due to his serious illness and the murder of his son, who could replace him?
This is not just a simple personnel change!
After Liu Yang's attempted murder of Qiao Yan, Liu Xie even couldn't help but doubt whether this powerful official who had worked hard for the Han Dynasty since his youth could still have the mood to support another emperor to sit on the throne!
If it were him, I'm afraid there wouldn't be any.
And in the face of the rumors first and the assassination attempt in the inner palace later, even if she really made such a choice, Liu Xie felt that he could not blame her at all.
Everyone gets tired. Qiao Yan has fought many battles and never lost a battle, but he is just a human being, not a god.
But this was too terrifying for the big man who was already split in two!
If the situation really evolved into this worst-case scenario, it would not be a problem that could be solved by merging all the forces of the Chang'an court into the Yecheng court, nor would the situation be improved by letting Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou, take over the responsibility left by Liu Yu.
During the years that Liu Xie lived among the people, he was not completely isolated from the world.
In the months since he went to Luoyang, he had already seen an answer from what he had seen and heard:
Neither Liu Bian nor Liu Biao are capable of shouldering this heavy responsibility!
What should we do?
Liu Xie believed that he was not the monarch who could save the world. Even if he could prove his identity, people would ignore the scars on his face. But when he learned about the people's various difficult-to-achieve demands, he realized a fact more clearly than when he was sitting on the throne in the past.
This position is too heavy.
It was so heavy that he could not afford it, and perhaps even no member of the Liu clan who was still alive could afford it!
Even Liu Bei, who had saved the lives of the people in northern Xuzhou and was supported by the people, played such a foolish role in the assassination of Sima. What could the others do?
"What are you standing there for? Go pack your luggage." While Liu Xie was thinking, his adoptive father suddenly patted him on the shoulder, interrupting his thoughts. "Fortunately, we are still watching the situation in Luoyang and saving money. We didn't bring your mother here, so we can save ourselves some trouble now."
"If it's fast, we can set off tomorrow. Although Hanzhong is not as prosperous as Luoyang, it is blocked by the Qinling Mountains, so it is at least not easy for others to attack."
That's really well said.
If a war really breaks out in places like Hanzhong and Shuzhong, it will be like the situation when Qiao Yan attacked those two places. Most of the time, they will only occupy the county towns. For example, in Zhuxi, where Liu Xie and his men lived before, they will probably not be notified until there is a change of ownership.
In a place like this, if you want to save your life, it would be much easier than in Luoyang.
But when Liu Xie gave a vague answer and walked towards the room, he did not feel the slightest joy of returning to Hanzhong.
Even though... when he first came to Luoyang, he really wanted to leave.
At that time, he was afraid that someone would recognize him and drag him back into the quagmire.
At that time, he was also afraid that his identity would bring great trouble to his adoptive parents.
But when he was listening to the rebuttal to Chang Yan, when he was reading the interpretation of the book in the January issue of Leping Monthly, when he was in Luoyang where the voices of the people gathered, the signs of change in the world's situation were clearly displayed before him, making him feel an indescribable sense of guilt if he did anything to avoid it at this moment.
His surname is Liu. He once held the throne of the emperor and was the heir appointed by his father.
Even if the Han Dynasty could not continue, he had the responsibility to ensure that it ended in a decent manner in his hands.
Liu Xie gritted his teeth, pulled open his quilt, and took the imperial seal hidden inside into his hand.
No! He can't leave yet.
He wants to go to Chang'an!
With this dynasty token dug out from the dry well! ：,n,
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