Chapter 409: Proclamation against Qiao
Of course, it was impossible for Chen Lin to simply send the manifesto to Qiao Yan's jurisdiction by writing a letter.
No party's manifesto has ever been presented in such a tepid manner.
That was just an advance notice.
Two days after the letter of the manifesto arrived in Luoyang, when the manifesto was delivered to Qiao Yan, Liu Bian, on the high platform outside Yecheng, looked at the soldiers and generals who were summoned below, and at the officials who made up the Yecheng court. He took a deep breath and went over the manifesto that he had memorized in the past two days in his mind again.
He had no way out, he had to -
It is at this moment that this morale-boosting manifesto must be read out loud with all your emotion!
If what Yuan Shao said was true, he could use this method to win over all those who were loyal to the Han Dynasty to his side, and they might still have a chance to fight back.
And when this manifesto to fight against the rebels was recited by him, the personnel sent out from their Yecheng court to various states in the world would post the manifesto, which had been copied within a few days, in front of the government offices of various states.
This action might prevent them from returning to Yecheng, but as Yuan Shao said, as long as more people can see this manifesto and hear the voice of this great man who is still fighting for survival, it will not be in vain.
I don’t know what Xun Yu, who should have received this manifesto, is thinking at this moment.
As a role model of the children of Yingchuan aristocratic families, has he really stopped struggling and chosen to completely succumb to Qiao Yan's intimidation?
But what Liu Bian didn't know was that this letter of proclamation had already fallen into Qiao Yan's hands.
"Although I had expected that Yecheng would most likely come up with something like this, when I actually saw the manifesto, I still felt it was a bit... subtle." Qiao Yan said to the system jokingly, "Speaking of which, can this be considered an achievement for a strategist?"
The system could no longer tolerate it: [Your subordinates have taken over Yanzhou and Yuzhou, and also forced Cao Cao to surrender. It would be fine if I let you off the hook, but why are you trying to get an advantage from me even after receiving a letter of attack? Where is the counselor who was attacked by people with a manifesto? 】
Even though it had already accepted the fact that it was not a serious system of advisers, it still couldn't help but feel that being attacked in a manifesto was ridiculous.
However, its host did not feel that this was a thrill for it at all, and replied: "If it doesn't count, then don't count it. Just consider it as a special life experience."
"I say it's subtle because it's a difficult article to write."
"Look, in the manifesto written by Wei Xiao against Wang Mang, he could write, [Political orders change every day, official titles change every month, currency changes every year, officials and people are confused], accusing Wang Mang of various ills in his new policies. In the manifesto written by Chen Lin for Yuan Shao against Cao Cao in history, he could write about Cao Cao's behavior of working as a tomb robber, denouncing him as [Greedy, cruel and fierce, what is Cao Cao for]? In the manifesto written by Zu Junyan for Li Mi, he could accuse Emperor Yang of Sui of opening the Grand Canal, the Grand Tour, and attacking Korea, which were devastating to the country and the people. What have I done?"1
"Even the paper he used to write the manifesto was improved by us."
The system muttered: [But he still wrote it. 】
Qiao Yan smiled and said, "That's why I want to know whether the morale of the court in Yecheng can be supported by the sentiments of the Han Dynasty alone instead of the viciousness of the opponent."
When Liu Bian uttered this manifesto, he also had the same doubts in his heart.
But Chen Lin's words were the best he could do to accuse Qiao Yan. If someone else had written them, they might not have had such a powerful force. He had no right to dislike such a manifesto.
"Early on, Emperor Gaozu killed the snake and started an uprising, and destroyed the tyrannical Qin. Until now, four hundred years have passed. During this period, Chan Lu monopolized power, Marquis Jiang raised an army, Wang Mang usurped the throne, and Emperor Guangwu restored the country. All of them sought change in times of crisis, and the kingly way prospered."
"However, after the death of the previous emperor, the empire fell into chaos. First, the traitor Dong invaded the government and tyrannized the country. Later, Qiao Yan stole the Dingsi, which led to the decline of the Han Dynasty. The pillars of the holy dynasty were all bowed and their wings were stretched. People at the time were forced to speak out."
"In the past, the Qin Dynasty was strong but the ruler was weak. Zhao Gao held power and monopolized the imperial power. He controlled the power and wealth by himself. That was why the Qin Dynasty was destroyed and died in the second generation. This was the case when Qiao Yan was a minister. Now that he has usurped the throne and overturned the important tools, the disaster of the Han Dynasty is imminent!"2
"Every time I think of my loyal and righteous assistants, who are threatened by those who have usurped the throne, I toss and turn and have trouble sleeping."
"From Fuxi and Shennong to Yao, Shun, Yu and Tang, all of them revered the Supreme Mystic and worked hard all day long. None of them was tyrannical and cruel to others, and none of them succeeded in their position of Heaven."
"Although Qiao Yan may be a powerful figure for a while, the outcome is still uncertain, so his crimes are announced to the world to recruit people of insight to join us in the fight to defeat the thief!"
In the manifesto that Qiao Yan received, the word "朕" that Liu Bian used when he made these remarks were all replaced with "Han Emperor", which seemed to make the words less powerful than when Liu Bian himself said them.
However, the big man does have the confidence to say anything, and he also wants to fight back even in dangerous situations.
After all, as Chen Lin wrote, there were people who were able to turn Lü Chan and Lü Lu's tyranny and Wang Mang's usurpation of power back on track, as if the Han Dynasty really had blessings behind it, and could restore its prosperity amidst the ups and downs.
Even Qiao Yan said so in the manifesto he wrote when he was fighting against Dong Zhuo.
Then there is still a glimmer of hope at this time.
But Qiao Yan had usurped the Han Dynasty and established himself as the emperor, even occupying eleven states in the world, leaving only two states for the remaining forces of the Han Dynasty. Since Liu Bian did not have the ability of Emperor Guangwu of Han, he could only toss and turn in bed and shed tears. Finally, he had a reason to cheer himself up.
Qiao Yan does not fear God, but instead rules the world with such brutal and conquest-oriented methods, which will never last long.
Doesn’t this bring us back to the question of human affairs and destiny?
Perhaps even Chen Lin didn't know what excuse to find for them, so after going around in circles, they returned to the same old routine from their early years.
Liu Bian tried hard to make his voice vibrate the lungs so that more people could hear it, but when he thought of the following words, he couldn't help but grit his teeth.
Most of these manifestos list the background of the person being denounced.
If they wanted to attack Cao Cao, they could talk about how powerful and tyrannical his grandfather was when he was a eunuch, how his father had been involved in buying and selling the three highest official positions, and that Cao Cao was a "ugly eunuch's son."
But what about Qiao Yan?
Her grandfather Qiao Xuan never had any problems during his tenure. Instead, he made great contributions both in the border areas and in the interior of the Han Dynasty. He selected talented people and was honest and dedicated to his work. Her father Qiao Yu died in the Yellow Turban Rebellion, so he could be said to have died in service to the Han Dynasty. Before she became emperor, Qiao Yan lived up to the trust bestowed upon her by Emperor Ling of Han, whether she was suppressing the Qiang and Hu rebellion in Bingzhou or suppressing Dong Zhuo, Li Jue and other bandits in Xiliang.
What can they say?
It was she who ignored Qiao Xuan's expectations for clan harmony, ignored the care that Liang State Qiao had given her during her childhood, and actually -
[Being in a high position and holding great power, they used brutal means to divide the clans and set up households.
The Qiao family remained loyal to the Han Dynasty, but Qiao Yan wanted to rebel against it. This was truly a difference in their paths, which led to them slaughtering their own clan and committing perverse acts. 】
Qiao Yan couldn't help but laugh when he saw this.
"Chen Kongzhang's conscience is not bad at all. He didn't make up some stupid story about how I had the help of the Qiao family in Yanzhou on my road to success. He just said that I was still a child living in Liang State."
"But this massacre of our sect... is really unfair to me."
The Liang State Qiao family who participated in the plan to seize Yanzhou all died in the battle, probably because they were not good at riding and shooting.
The rest were those who stayed in the territory of Liang State waiting for news.
What’s quite interesting is that most of the children of the aristocratic families in Yanzhou have occupied fertile farmland and brought disaster to the countryside, and many of them even have murder cases on their hands. Qiao Yan has instructed Qiao Ting to handle them impartially, but as for the Qiao family of Liang... what can I say?
When their strength fails to match their ambition, the harm they can cause is greatly reduced.
The final verdict was to exile them to Rinnan County in Jiaozhou, which is now Laos and Vietnam, so that they could enjoy the treatment of traveling abroad in advance.
This has nothing to do with "massacre of our own clan".
Everyone is still alive and well.
If they cannot adapt to the southern climate, they may be advised to reflect on their physical constitution.
After all, in history, Yu Fan was exiled there by Sun Quan and lived safely to the age of seventy.
Thinking of this, she decided not to pay too much attention to the affairs of the Qiao family in Yanzhou. After all, since she had successfully completed the division of the clan and severed ties with them, it was impossible for them to be a hindrance to her anymore.
Her eyes continued to look downward.
When Liu Bian from Yecheng read out these words, his aura was particularly powerful.
Because in his opinion, there was nothing wrong with this accusation.
"Then, Jiujiang prefect Bian Rang was a man of outstanding talent, well-known throughout the country, and he was straightforward and honest, and never flattered. However, Qiao Yan plotted to seize Yanzhou, and the war was at hand, so he was beheaded and died a miserable death."
"The former bandit-suppressing general Liu Bei was diligent in his work and loved his people, a model of loyalty and righteousness. The former prime minister Wang Yun was in charge of two departments and enjoyed the highest position in the country. However, Qiao Yan, because of a grudge, was accused of no crime and was made to suffer the blame of being destroyed."
"The former Chenliu prefect Zhang Miao, the former Jiaozhou governor Zhang Jin, and the former Xuzhou governor Tao Qian all had the heart to support the Han Dynasty, but they all died in untimely deaths. And Yan is a wolf with ambitions and plots evil. He wants to destroy the pillars of the country, weaken the Han Dynasty, and eliminate the loyal and upright. He is really a threat!"
"The holy dynasty sheds tears, the scholars and the people are sad, but it is a pity that it is difficult to bring back the loyal and good people!"
Never mind whether Zhang Jin's death was caused by his misjudging his own ability and launching an attack on Liu Biao in Jingzhou, or whether Xuzhou Mu Tao Qian's death was caused by the fact that only one of him and the increasingly ambitious Zuo Rong could survive. There is also no need to consider whether Bian Rang and Zhang Miao took the lead in launching an action against Cao Cao, or whether Liu Bei and Wang Yun intended to assassinate Yu Qiaoyan while detaining Liu Yu.
When Chen Lin accused her of intending to "weaken the Han Dynasty and eliminate loyal officials" because of the fact that she replaced the Han Dynasty, the deaths of these "loyal officials of the Han Dynasty" could all be caused by her!
In his opinion, Chen Lin's words of accusation were an exaggeration of the crime, but in Qiao Yan's opinion, they were also a summary of what she had done.
She was even capable of telling Sun Ce what she had done, so why would she care about Chen Lin's accusations?
As for what he wrote later, [Appoint officials and divide duties, promote relatives], accusing her of promoting Qiao Lan, Qiao Ting, and Cai Zhaoji, who was both a minister and a friend, to the positions of Nine Ministers, and [The positions of the superior and the inferior were reversed, and the yin and yang were disordered], accusing her of ascending to the high position of the emperor as a woman and repeatedly promoting female officials out of turn, disrupting the order of the court, it could not arouse the slightest ripple in her heart.
This kind of accusation may have been silently raised by someone in her Dayong court. What harm would it do for her if the Yecheng court, as her political enemy, raised it so that those who agree with this point of view would stick more closely with them?
Obviously not!
If this could encourage more talented and discerning women who had previously been confined to their homes to come to her, she would hope that Chen Lin's manifesto could be spread more widely.
Among the games among these politicians and the accusations that she must promote the status of women as an empress, not a single one was a criticism of the monetary policy, laws, taxation, and people's livelihood under her rule. Instead, it became a propaganda against her.
How dare Chen Lin fabricate something so ridiculous as to write something like “exhausting the strength of human beings and draining the wealth of the world”?
The widely circulated Leping Monthly News has already clearly presented to everyone what kind of life the people of Dayong live.
The only thing that Chen Lin could end his political campaign with was that Qiao Yan had elevated the status of businessmen too high.
But this is exactly the relationship between her and the people like Mi Clan of Donghai who had been optimistic about her in her early years.
Not to mention that Qiao Yan felt that this manifesto had limited killing power, Liu Bian, who tried his best to exaggerate the momentum of this passage through his tone, felt that this line should portray Qiao Yan as closer to a ghost.
But thinking that her chance to hold real power depended largely on Emperor Ling of Han's "insight into talent", Liu Bian had no choice but to quit while he was ahead.
Should he accuse his father of being a poor judge of people at this moment?
No, obviously not.
He was not the legitimate heir to the throne, but a substitute who was supported by the Yuan family of Runan to ascend the throne because Liu Xie was held hostage by Dong Zhuo. Even the imperial seal had been handed over from Liu Xie to Qiao Yan.
Therefore, he could only stick to the achievements of Emperor Ling of Han more than anyone else, and continue to represent the Han Dynasty by virtue of his status as Liu Hong's eldest son.
He has moved on to the next paragraph.
Qiao Yan slaughtered clansmen, harmed loyal officials, and controlled most of the country, making the Han Dynasty like a candle that was about to go out. But what does it matter?
"How can I be a fugitive captive, whose legs tremble at the sound of arrows, and who kneel before the tent."4
He can't be afraid!
You can't surrender either!
Just like Yuan Shao had to calm himself down after suffering repeated blows, and not let himself fall down, and continue to fight against Qiao Yan's Dayong court.
"Although we are in a desperate situation, we still have the talents of Qi and Zi by our side, and the support of the rich and powerful. We are determined to restore the Han Dynasty and are very excited. Please follow the example of Geng Yan, who served Emperor Guangwu, and Xiao He, who served Emperor Gao. Not only will you be awarded with golden medals and purple ribbons, and with a magnificent canopy and red wheels, you will also be rich and noble, and loyal and faithful. Isn't that great!"3
He also had to express his praise for these ministers who remained loyal to him at this moment, saying that they were talented people.
He also had to make a promise to these people who had shared his hardships. If they, as well as those who were willing to help him after hearing this manifesto, could help him restore the Han Dynasty and return to the old capital, then the treatment of these people would be no different from that of the founding heroes.
When you achieve success, any high position and generous salary will be no problem.
Liu Bian had no idea whether such empty words could achieve the effect he wanted when they had just lost Yanzhou, Yuzhou and Sili Henei County, and Lu Bu had just launched a harassment attack from the northern part of Jizhou. He had no idea.
He could only convince himself that this "gold seal, purple ribbon, and red canopy" was indeed a future that could be realized, and he recited it without lowering his voice even a bit until this moment, saying:
"I only hope that the Yellow River will carry my land, so that my words of blood and tears will be understood; the bright sun will shine in the sky, so that my intention to revive the Han Dynasty will be understood."
"This proclamation should be announced throughout the country, so that everyone can hear it! Respect it!"
When he uttered the last word, Liu Bian felt as if he had just gone through a long and arduous journey and had finally reached the end.
He glanced around, trying to see the imprint and resonance of the Yanhan tradition passed down to this day from the soldiers who were listening to his words. However, what he heard first was Yuan Shao's words "I will be loyal to Your Majesty until death", followed by the shouts from the people around him that were getting louder and louder.
At this moment, Liu Bian felt as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water on his heart.
He was clearly following the manifesto written by Chen Lin to denounce Qiao Yan who was far away in Chang'an, making her feel that the remaining two state forces of the Han Dynasty still had the determination to fight against her with all their strength, but why was he already beating the drum in his heart?
But he still had some hope that this manifesto would play its due role when it was delivered to various states and counties.
He will also remember the sacrifices made by those who posted the manifesto.
However, what Liu Bian probably would not have expected was that after reading the last two sentences, Qiao Yan in Chang'an City did not look for any evidence to exploit the system, but instead called Cai Zhaoji over.
"I'll give you two days to publish the supplement for late March in advance."
Cai Zhaoji was stunned: "In advance?"
Although she has prepared most of the content for the April issue in advance so that it will not be too late for sale in April, there are still many manuscripts that need to be proofread and selected.
Especially when it also includes Xu You's documentary literature on Yuan Shao and Qiao Yan's imperial edict to recruit military generals, the content that goes with it is bound to be somewhat special.
But just as she asked the question, Qiao Yan handed a letter to her.
"Take a look at this. It's the proclamation sent by the Yecheng court to attack me."
Cai Zhaoji read on quickly and felt that the shamelessness of the person on the other side was beyond her imagination.
However, when she saw Qiao Yan's still calm face, she felt that such anger was really unnecessary.
"Your Majesty, do you want to put this thing in the Leping Monthly Report as well?"
"Don't you think it's interesting?" Qiao Yan clapped his hands and smiled. "We introduced Yuan Shao's resume in a sufficiently objective and fair manner, but what Yecheng gave us back was a manifesto like this. And since they want this manifesto to be famous all over the world, why can't we help them with it!"
Cao Cao could regard Chen Lin's anti-rebel manifesto as a good medicine to cure his headache, and Wu Zetian could point out in response to Luo Binwang's manifesto that it was the prime minister's fault that talented people were not given important positions. Didn't she have such magnanimity?
Besides, this doesn't mean showing weakness to the enemy.
Not to mention which one is more embarrassing when the two are put together, Qiao Yan did not intend to just post it for everyone to comment on as a counterattack against Yuan Shao.
"When the new road to Chang'an was first built, we solicited essays from all over the country. Today, Yuan Shao ordered Chen Lin to write this article to humiliate our Great Yong. We are also soliciting essays from all over the country to respond to Yuan Shao!"
"I want the April issue of this Leping Monthly to be filled with famous people from all walks of life condemning the Yecheng court!"
They do not have to exist in the form of manifestos, but they must let Yuan Shao feel the "enthusiasm" of the people of Dayong.
In terms of literary talent, is there no one under her command who is better than Chen Lin?
In terms of momentum, with the advantages she has accumulated over the years, she will never be inferior to her opponent.
In terms of merits and demerits, she certainly is not inferior to Yuan Shao!
This supplementary publication is just a buildup for the April issue that follows!
"An edict to refute the false imperial order on behalf of the Han Emperor... I'm afraid Chen Kongzhang's reputation will be greatly damaged because of this edict." Ni Heng sighed as he looked at the freshly printed newspaper in his hand.
Seeing that his good friend Yang Xiu, who was also here, had a look of indignation on his face, he felt that there was no need for him to ask him whether he planned to participate in this essay contest.
Sure enough, the next moment, he heard Yang Xiu say, "I plan to stay in seclusion for two days and write down my denunciation of Yuan Benchu thoroughly."
Ni Heng resisted the urge to ask whether Yang Xiu had completely forgotten the fact that Yuan Shao was still his uncle. It would surely be very exciting if it really appeared in the monthly report.
He just shook his head and said, "To deal with this villain Yuan Shao, it is enough to just follow what Yuan Gonglu said in the past that Shao is not a descendant of the Yuan family. Why bother with those elegant and refined poems? It is like killing a chicken with a butcher knife!"
Yang Xiu: “…”
To be honest, that’s not what you said when you wrote the ode to the parrot!
When Yang Xiu thought of the essay written by Ni Heng at the wine discussion meeting in Chang'an that year, which was full of uncommon words, he felt a headache.
But it seemed that what Ni Heng said was not just talk.
"You don't believe it? If you don't believe it, I'll write it down for you to see."
As soon as he finished speaking, he pulled out a piece of paper from the side and wrote on it quickly.
Not long after, Yang Xiu saw Ni Heng finished writing a few lines on the paper and threw it in front of Yang Xiu.
Yang Xiu unfolded the letter and saw that it clearly stated:
[The people under Yuan Shao's command are no more than this. It is like a leaf blocking one's view of Mount Tai, or a blind man cannot see the whole picture of an elephant. Therefore, His Majesty Yu Dayong made such absurd remarks as the words of his oath.
It is better for everyone to do their job so that we can make the best use of everything.
Yuan Shao has good looks, so he can be used to welcome guests; Ju Su has dignity, so he can be used to close doors and windows; Guo Tu is good at speaking, so he can be used to recite poems; Gao Lan is strong, so he can beat drums and ring gongs; Xin Ping can deliver letters and edicts; Chen Lin can copy chapters and sentences; Gao Shun can sharpen knives and forge swords; Yuan Tan, Yuan Xi, and Yuan Shang are all entrusted with the duties of herding horses and mules...5
The rest are nothing but good-for-nothings.
As for the emperor of the former Han Dynasty, I heard that he learned Taoism from the people when he was young. Unfortunately, he was not as good as Zhang Tianshi of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, so he can be said to be useless! 】
Yang Xiu's hands trembled and he almost threw the paper away.
"Am I wrong?" Ni Heng replied nonchalantly, "Then Zhang Lu of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect was able to use his doctrine to constrain the people of Yizhou and order them to build roads and bridges so that rice from Shu could be transported to Guanzhong and then support the four directions. What else does this emperor, who has the word "Great Han" in his title, have?"
Ni Heng suddenly sneered: "Forgot that he would read out Chen Kongzhang's anti-rebel manifesto in Yecheng when he knew that the situation was irreversible, adding to his joke!"
"Look, what do you think of my response?"
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