Chapter 425 The End of the Han Dynasty...
Saying this was much more painful for Yuan Shao than letting him die right now.
Over the years, even though he knew what kind of achievements Qiao Yan had, he never really put himself below Qiao Yan.
It was not until she established the Great Yong and ascended to the highest position in the world that Yuan Shao reluctantly admitted that he was far inferior to Qiao Yan in both ability and courage.
But even so, facing the invading attack of the Dayong troops, Yuan Shao still had a fluke mentality that he could turn the tables in the end.
He didn't want to believe that someone could really win to the end with such a steady mentality, and he was even more unwilling to believe that Qiao Yan could reach this last step as a woman.
But now, not only did he have to accept such a result, he also had to shatter all the nobility he had woven with his family background and resume in this court that had already changed its owner.
What he carries on his shoulders is not only his own life, but also the hope that the Yuan family of Runan will one day stand up again.
Is he going to place such hopes on Yuan Yao, who has long been Qiao Yan's subordinate?
No, of course not!
But after he changed his mind and thought about Qiao Yan's various behaviors, this hope seemed so slim that it made him despair.
What was even more desperate was that after Ju Hu proposed this strategy to resolve the deadlock of the Hebei aristocratic families, although Yuan Shao did not look around, he vaguely felt that countless pairs of eyes were staring at his back.
Whether he is willing to agree to such conditions is probably not the most important thing. In short, those who want to survive will definitely force him to agree and will never give him the opportunity to seek death.
There was no moment more clearly than this one that made Yuan Shao realize that what he had previously thought of as being high and mighty, respected and served by others, turned out to be just a castle in the air.
Now the foundation of this tall building was shattered by Qiao Yan's powerful soldiers and cavalry, and it collapsed immediately, revealing its original appearance.
He seemed to have just been awakened from a dream, and murmured again: "I would like to follow this method."
"Okay!" Qiao Yan clapped his hands and replied, "If the Hebei family and you, Yuan Benchu, have no objection, then we will do it this way."
"You have just said that Jizhou was originally a rebellion, and I led the army to suppress it. All the wealth of the noble families has become the property of Dayong, and it should no longer belong to you. I will send someone to search and confiscate it."
"The rest of the income from the labor will be handed over to the Yuan family of Runan until the grain debt is fully repaid."
She suddenly raised her eyes and looked behind everyone present, and said, "Ju Gong and Shen Zhengnan are the most famous scholars in Hebei. They should set a good example for the rest of the people, right?"
Everyone quickly turned around and saw that several more people had appeared outside the hall. Perhaps they had been watching the situation inside for some time. Among them were Ju Shou, Shen Pei and others who had been captured earlier, as well as... Yuan Shao's three sons.
The handful of wheat in Yuan Shao's hand suddenly fell down.
There is no situation more embarrassing than the one before us.
Even though he knew that his choice to agree to this deal was to preserve the vitality of the Runan Yuan family, he almost broke his back teeth on the spot when his son, whom he always looked down upon, looked at him like this.
However, under the threat of Qiao Yan's victory, even he had no room to resist, let alone his sons.
Instead, Ju Su pushed away the hands that were restraining him, walked up to Yuan Shao, helped him up and said to Qiao Yan, "A scholar can be killed but not humiliated. If His Majesty the Great Yong wants to humiliate the scholars of Hebei, you have misjudged our willingness to live and die with the Han Dynasty."
"You once said that it is hard for a woodworm to escape when it is born in a peach or plum tree. How can you take Ju Hu and Shen Rong's words seriously? Since you are the winner today, we are the prey. We are ready to die. Why should we try to survive?"
This sudden rebuttal made the faces of the Hebei scholars present change.
It's fine for Ju Su to sacrifice his life for the country, but why does he have to drag them into it!
Fortunately, Qiao Yan did not seem to be unhappy with Ju Shou's sudden questioning. Instead, he watched with interest the different expressions of the people present after he said this, and then asked, "Does Shen Zhengnan think the same thing?"
Shen Pei stood there in silence for a while.
If this question had been asked to him half a month earlier, he would probably have given the same answer as Ju Shou.
If he was even more extreme, he might even slap Shen Rong for agreeing with this life-saving move.
But when it was thrown in front of him at this moment, he suddenly began to hesitate.
He saw with his own eyes the mental outlook displayed by the soldiers of Dayong, and also saw how these people treated the people in various places after they entered Jizhou. Only a few teams under Yuan Shao's command could maintain such strict military discipline, and their common feature was that they could receive sufficient salaries.
After being captured in Xiaquyang, Shen Pei followed the enemy's march all the way. He heard many soldiers talking about Bingzhou and Guanzhong, and also saw the situation in Yuan Shao's army on the opposite side.
When he was escorted into Ye City and saw the corpses of the soldiers who were caught up in the battle, and when he heard that Guo Tu and Feng Ji had been killed by Yuan Shao in order to boost morale more than half a month ago, the scale in his heart had already shifted invisibly.
So, will he choose to preserve Yuan Shao's reputation and go to destruction with him, dragging the Yin An Shen clan down with him, or will he choose to turn against his allies and try to survive by starting over?
As Ju Shou looked at him, Shen Pei finally gave this answer, "Gong Yu, we have done enough."
From the death of Emperor Ling of Han in the sixth year of Zhongping to the present day, they have spent more than seven years helping Yuan Shao and helping the Yecheng court gain a foothold in Jizhou and Qingzhou. In the end, they were captured, bringing this period of their career to an end.
Even the most picky person would never say that they were negligent in the slightest when they were Yuan Shao's subordinates!
But obviously, Yuan Shao did not give them the trust to give it a try, nor did they have the ability and bearing to compete for the world. With the arrival of this man of destiny, they were forced step by step to reveal their true colors.
"Mr. Yuan would rather believe that killing Mr. Guo and Feng Yuantu can be used to win over the Hebei noble families than believe that we have been loyal to you since we were willing to serve you. No matter how high our positions and power are, we have no intention of overstepping your authority."
Shen Pei's tone became more and more firm. "Gong Yu, I'm sorry, I can't stand with you at this time. Besides, you are willing to die to save the reputation of the Yuan family and be buried with the Han Dynasty. Is your lord really willing to do so?"
I'm afraid Yuan Shao would not be willing to do so.
When Ju Shou jumped out to defend his reputation, Yuan Shao had a thought for a moment: would Qiao Yan take back his previous humiliating act in order to fulfill this good story of friendship between the monarch and his subject?
But he suddenly met Qiao Yan's gaze again.
There wasn't even a hint of being held hostage in this way in her eyes, just like she didn't need to meet Chen Lin before the war just because of her reputation for being kind to famous people!
It is very likely that Ju Su's questioning will not only fail to improve the current situation, but will instead bring even more severe blows to the Hebei gentry and the Yuan family of Runan.
Rather than trying to survive by counting wheat all day long, Yuan Shao could not accept that his reputation as the Yuan family would be spread in a more shameful way in the Leping Monthly Report, or that he would end up being torn to pieces like He Miao did under Dong Zhuo's order!
He slowly let go of Ju Su's hand, grasped the grain of wheat that had not yet fallen between his fingers, and replied: "Thank you for your support, but I am willing to accept this decision."
"Ming..." Ju Su was about to shout Ming Gong again, but he realized that Yuan Shao was already discouraged at this moment and could no longer bear such a heavy burden. This absurd and cowardly ending was his own choice and there was no need for others to comment on it.
Ju Su felt mixed emotions, but he finally shut up.
But after Yuan Shao made this choice, where did he place the Han Dynasty and his subordinates?
As the person who is in control of the situation at the moment, Qiao Yan obviously would not take his feelings into consideration.
She said, "Okay, if that's the case, you don't have to force it. The matter of returning the grain for this private vengeance has been settled. Now let's settle state affairs."
Seeing that everyone below was frozen in place like stone pillars, Qiao Yan added, "Why, do you think that I am attacking Jizhou just to collect this debt?"
She looked like she really meant it!
After all, the huge debt owed by Yuan Shao and the repayment method proposed by Qiao Yan did not seem to be a private matter at all!
Not to mention, the final solution to this debt was to confiscate the property of the Hebei noble families who participated in defending the city and use them as laborers, while Yuan Shao personally counted the wheat until his death.
Who could still think this was a private matter?
That was clearly Qiao Yan's suppression of the Hebei family because of their previous wrong decision.
However, when she said the word "state affairs", there was a seriousness in her words that could not be mistaken by anyone!
Only then did everyone realize that they had put aside the issue of Yuan Shao's debt and looked back on the attack on Jizhou and Qingzhou. They also immediately thought of the letter sent by Qiao Yan in June.
From the beginning to the end, the phrase "orders should not come from two dynasties" was the reason why she, as the emperor of Dayong, personally led the army to fight not long after she ascended the throne.
The focus is on the existence of Liu Bian, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, not on Yuan Shao!
Oh no! Ju Hu cried out inwardly.
The fault of these Hebei families was not only that they supported Yuan Shao, but also that they regarded Liu Bian as the orthodox Han Dynasty and fought for him.
If he had not been so smart as to save their lives by making such concessions to Qiao Yan, and even got the approval of people with similar identities present, they could have been punished for both crimes, or their sentences could have been reduced step by step, instead of what was happening now...
In order to resolve that private matter, they had voluntarily handed over their property and even became laborers in the military settlements under Qiao Yan, leaving them penniless. But now they had to negotiate punishment for "state affairs", and all they could offer was their own lives!
It just so happens that all the actions they had taken before to save their lives were all initiated by themselves, and Qiao Yan did not mislead them in any way. Who can be blamed for this?
Qiao Yan had already spoken at the top: "What is state affairs? The false dynasty was established in Yecheng, but it could not protect the territory and the people, causing refugees to rise up everywhere; it could not enrich the country and strengthen the army, causing people to eat each other during famine; it could not educate the people, but only used various means to fool the people! I have inherited the trust of the Han Dynasty and the high hopes of the people, and I have come to this day. How can I see the people of the two states living in dire straits!"
Her gaze had already turned to Liu Bian.
The emperor's majesty was clearly demonstrated in this eye contact.
Liu Bian was already terrified by the fall of Yecheng, and now seeing that Qiao Yan had no intention of reminiscing about their old friendship, he backed away in fear. If it weren't for the support of the guards around him, he would have almost fallen to the ground.
He stood still and angrily said, "What are you going to do? I am the Emperor of Han!"
"No..." He suddenly raised his voice and said, "Even if you regard this Yecheng court as a fake court, you should remember that it was my father who showed you a favor and gave you the opportunity to rise to the top. Even if I am not the emperor, I am still the King of Hongnong of the Han Dynasty. You can't kill me!"
"King of Hongnong?" Qiao Yan shook his head and replied calmly, "You are wrong. Among the descendants of the Later Han royal family, the only two who I recognize and treat with courtesy are the Duke of Shanyang and the Duke of Anyi. There is no such thing as the King of Hongnong. You can't think that we have a relationship just because I gave you a New Year's gift that year, right?"
"But you don't even see that I used the soil from Emperor Han Ling's tomb to ask you to show your filial piety, but you didn't respond. I think you want to distance yourself from him, so there's no need to talk to me about human relations!"
"I also gave you my early school notes, hoping that you would be knowledgeable and self-disciplined, but I have never received your reply. I only see that you are not good at judging people, not good at employing people, and are greedy for the throne and power, causing trouble for Ji and Qing states. How dare you tell me what I can't do and how to treat you!"
Qiao Yan's words left Liu Bian with no room to refute.
He had indeed received these two gifts from Qiao Yan.
When the yellow soil in front of Liu Hong's grave was brought to him, he even felt that this was probably some kind of insinuation and mockery made by Qiao Yan towards him.
No matter how important the notes she sent were considered, in Liu Bian's view, there were people in Yecheng who could teach him knowledge, so they were of no use to him.
How could he have imagined that these two New Year gifts would be brought up by Qiao Yan at this time as a way of digging up old issues, and would become proof that he was unteachable and unworthy of being a descendant of the Han Dynasty!
The tone of her voice still revealed the calmness of someone who was sure of victory, but it was clear that she had truly shown her murderous intent towards him, which made his legs and feet completely weak.
All I heard was Qiao Yan continue to say: "The leader of the false dynasty, Liu Bian, is the unfilial descendant of the former Emperor Ling of Han. He built a new capital in Ye and embezzled the people's taxes for seven years. The corvée, conscription and taxes were all heavy. Now that Dayong has conquered him, he should be beheaded as a warning to others!"
To serve as a warning to others!
She warned the descendants of the Han Dynasty who were still scattered throughout the world that if they behaved like Liu Xie and Liu Yu, even though they could not enjoy the treatment of receiving fiefdoms and estates, she would never raise troops to destroy them.
But if someone among them is so desperate that he follows Liu Bei's example and participates in the assassination of her, or follows Liu Bian's example, thinking that the name of the Han Dynasty can still make him come back, and takes the position of the emperor, and makes some kind of attack on her Dayong...
I'm really sorry, I can only kill him and behead him as a warning to others!
This is the result of the choice she made for Liu Bian.
She did not give Liu Bian any chance to argue and defend himself. As soon as she raised her hand, someone came forward and dragged him away together with the servant who had helped him stand.
In order to find a place to hide and avoid being discovered by the Dayong troops who were attacking Ye City, Liu Bian had to take off the twelve-tassel crown and dragon robe that represented his status as an emperor, and then hid in a dry well. As a result, when he was escorted away, he no longer had anything on his body that represented his status as an emperor, and looked more like a captured rebel leader.
No, if compared with several rebel leaders who claimed to be the emperor's generals at the end of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bian might have lacked some momentum.
But no matter what his performance was, he had temporarily disappeared in front of Qiao Yan and everyone present.
Before Ju Hu had time to lament Liu Bian's sudden misfortune, he saw Qiao Yan's eyes falling on him.
This sudden change made his face turn pale.
For the people of Ji and Qing states, Liu Bian, who was once the emperor of the Han Dynasty, was directly pushed to the death penalty by her in the face of this verdict on "state affairs". What kind of verdict should they face?
To put it bluntly, Liu Bian was just a puppet pushed to the stage by Yuan Shao. He sat on the throne of the emperor because it was most in line with the goal of the aristocratic family and the imperial power ruling the world together.
Perhaps there was indeed an element of mutual understanding between them, but the accusations that Liu Bian faced, such as "incompetence in governing Qing and Ji provinces", "imposing heavy taxes on the people", and "frequent conscription of soldiers", were instigated by the political group headed by Yuan Shao!
"You are all originally ministers of the Han Dynasty." Qiao Yan spoke again and only said these six words.
But in this hall where one could hear a pin drop, these six words were like a huge rock smashing into a quiet lake, carrying the power to stir up a raging wave.
She suddenly slammed the table and stood up, saying in a more stern tone: "I also have Han officials under my command. Taiwei Huangfu Yizhen worked hard for the Han Dynasty. He first suppressed the Yellow Turban Rebellion and then went to the border of Liangzhou. He worked diligently for decades and lived up to the name of the Huangfu family. People like Lu Gong and Xun Gong were even more selfless and selfless in their orders to the Han Dynasty."
"However, the Han Dynasty is in decline, and the people's hearts are with me. Han officials can also be officials of the Yong Dynasty. All they have to do is to keep the seas peaceful and the rivers calm. Whether the world belongs to the Liu family or the Qiao family has never been so important to them."
"But for you, this change of royal power seems to be just an opportunity for you to accumulate power!"
"May I ask, honestly, why should we defend Yecheng?"
Could it be that this tiny city of Ye, where the spirit of the Han Dynasty is based, has a wise and holy ruler living in the inner court, making people involuntarily impressed?
Or, what they are clinging to at this moment is just their so-called dignity and power, and they don't care at all how much later the people under the rule of the Yecheng court have been than those in other states.
"I would also like to ask one more question. Between me and Liu Bian, who is more worthy of the throne? You, Yuan Benchu, actually teamed up with this young man from a noble family in Hebei and even came up with an assassination plot when the cornered man jumped off the wall!"
Ju Su took a deep breath when he heard this.
This is really unexpected news, and it is indeed a dirty and unpresentable thing.
He didn't think there was any need for Qiao Yan to make slanderous moves at this time. When he looked at Yuan Shao's expression and actions, he was more certain that this was indeed a true move.
Although Qiao Yan seemed to not care about the matter at all and continued talking directly, this unexpected news really shattered Ju Su's filter of Yuan Shao as a wise man.
"Hebei family——"
Qiao Yan sneered, "My army marched south from Youzhou, east from Bingzhou, north from Yanzhou, west from Xuzhou, and even more from Guanzhong to Henei. On the way to finally gathering in Yecheng, I saw more forts and towers than anywhere else. How come your Jizhou territory is going to replace Youzhou and become a place to defend the border?"
Of course this is not possible.
The existence of these forts was not so much to serve as a place to hide from danger when necessary, but rather to serve as the core command base used by the Hebei noble families to control the surrounding areas under Yuan Shao's indulgence.
"For you, wealth can be easily given up, because you know very well that as long as you are given the opportunity to rise again, these wealth can be quickly grabbed in other ways."
"You owe me more than just the 50,000 dan of military rations that could feed the people. You also owe me the casualties caused by your improper governance and excessive recruitment of soldiers!"
"Also, how many people defending the city today did not die in our attack, but died because of your order not to retreat?"
A few people... This is not an issue that can be easily concluded in a hurry.
Even Yuan Shao, who was supposed to be just a talking leader, drew his sword and killed people in today's battle, let alone those who obeyed his orders.
Qiao Yan continued slowly: "Since we are going to discuss state affairs, the people are the foundation of the country. I will discuss this with you."
"General Ju, you were the one who proposed the solution to the private debt. I was very satisfied with it. I wonder what tricks you have for this situation?"
Ju Hu only wished that he had never given such an answer before.
This question now... is really difficult to answer even if he did not participate in the battle to defend the city.
If they wanted severe punishment, he could vaguely hear the meaning of "life for a life" in Qiao Yan's words, but so many people had died in disasters and wars in the past few years, how could they be completely paid for with the lives of the children of the aristocratic families!
I'm afraid we'll have to chop off a few more pieces of their heads.
He could never say such offensive words that would bring death to all the Hebei gentry.
And if this "clever trick" is underestimated, Qiao Yan might be dissatisfied, and he would be in a desperate situation where he would lose his life again after having saved himself with great difficulty.
A layer of cold sweat appeared on his forehead in a very short time.
But just as he was hesitating about how to answer, someone stood in front of him.
Ju Su bowed to Qiao Yan and said, "Your Majesty, please follow the example of Liangzhou and Xuzhou in the past."
The Liangzhou incident was a case of people filing lawsuits based on which those who deserved to die from the four surnames of Hanyang were executed.
As for the matter of Xuzhou, Liu Bei saved his life at the request of the people.
This is indeed the fairest way and the one that can best give an explanation to the people of Jizhou.
When these words came out of Ju Su's mouth, it became more legitimate to execute them.
There was no need to ask at this point whether Ju Shou was still concerned about protecting his son or whether he had finally seen through the current situation and was willing to make some compromise with Qiao Yan. In short, this was good news for her.
The Cui and Tian families who served under her, represented by Cui Lie, Cui Jun and Tian Feng, actually also belonged to the ranks of Hebei aristocratic families. If she really pursued the policy of annihilating them all, it would also cause internal troubles and chaos.
It would be better to kill some and keep some.
And those who stayed behind had to work for her because of that "private matter" until Yuan Shao finished counting the rice to pay off the debt!
The people in Yecheng had already felt tremendous pressure when the capital was blockaded, fearing that the impending war would also drag them into it.
When they heard how many soldiers and horses Dayong had, they were already prepared to be transferred to the city defense team.
The ruthlessness of war is the norm, and it is probably difficult for them to survive.
However, they never expected that the Dayong army would break through the city gates so quickly, leaving no chance for the defenders of Yecheng to increase their troops and expand. As they huddled in their houses fearing for the disaster, they received a piece of news that made them feel extremely relieved from the soldiers who had entered the place.
When soldiers and horses enter the city, they must not offend the people in the city. Violators will be punished according to military orders.
After Yuan Shao's "rebels" hiding in the streets were captured, they gained a temporary peace.
But what was even more unexpected to them was that they would hear such news three days later.
When the gongs sounded in the streets, they heard that the emperor of the Yecheng court was not established according to rites and laws and had no ability to govern the people. Therefore, His Majesty the Great Yong decided to execute him in public to show that the world would no longer be divided into two dynasties and only the Great Yong was the orthodox name of the country.
The execution of the previous emperor was a strange story that the people of Yecheng had never heard of before!
But there is clearly more to it than that.
The general who originally gave orders in Yecheng was trapped in a prison. Apart from two meals and sleep every day, he had to count the rice as a reward to show that every grain of rice was hard-earned and not easy to store.
The sons of the noble families in Ji and Qing states, together with the members of the Yuan family of Runan, will stay at the place where Liu Bian was executed for a month, and accept the testimony and accusations of the people of the two states or their requests for mercy.
If he acts without reason, he will be sent to the execution platform and executed, following in the footsteps of Liu Bian and becoming the companion of the false emperor.
And if he really has talent, he should first serve as a laborer in the Yong army for three years to atone his sins.
"If we act this way, there will always be people who are somewhere between those who should be killed and those who should not be killed, and they will get away with it, right?" Guo Jia looked at the crowd gathering in the distance and couldn't help but touch his chin and sighed.
Qiao Yan stood with his hands behind his back, also looking in that direction, and replied: "When the water is too clear, there will be no fish. It doesn't matter. Even if it is true that he got away with it as you said, after three years of military training, he should have a different look. What's more -"
"Three years is enough time for them to understand one thing when they return to the outside world. In this ever-changing world, if they fall behind even a little, they will be completely left behind. And the smart people in this world are not only discovered from the children of these aristocratic families."
Guo Jia nodded: "That is true. I would like to congratulate Your Majesty in advance."
Whether Ju Shou and Shen Pei and their ilk can become Qiao Yan's subordinates three years later is not so important at this moment as Dayong is full of talented people. What is foreseeable is that the forces in Hebei will encounter a stormy reshuffle.
In order to reduce the pressure of returning grain, the Hebei families, who are at a disadvantage in this storm, must follow Qiao Yan's footsteps and become useful talents under her command.
However, whether it was helping Yuan Shao to pay off his debts or following Qiao Yan's old example, it all came from their own people.
How ridiculous!
But perhaps, what is even more ridiculous in the scene before us is that when Liu Bian was pushed onto the execution platform, he was already in a half-crazy and half-insane state.
He seemed to be still immersed in his dream of being the emperor. When he saw the curious people coming to watch from the audience, he thought they were his subordinates who obeyed his orders, and he actually stood up towards them in prison clothes.
But soon, he was taken back to the execution platform where he belonged by the soldiers escorting him, and was tied there tightly.
Qiao Yan might have had some sympathy for his helplessness, but unfortunately, he was different from Liu Xie and Liu Yu.
If he were allowed to live, he would get into trouble sooner or later.
Needless to say, those common people who have no idea of the world until this moment are more worthy of sympathy than Liu Bian.
At this moment, the midday sunlight was shining on the land of Yecheng in an unusually scorching manner.
When the axe fell, Guo Jia heard Qiao Yan sum up Liu Bian's death in one sentence:
"This is the final end of the Han Dynasty."
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