Chapter 205: In troubled times, heroes emerge
Erzhu Rong?
Who is this person?
When Zhao Huan saw that this page talked about a man named Erzhu Rong, he couldn't help scratching his head. He had only read the Four Books and Five Classics and few history books, so he had no idea who the famous historical figure Erzhu Rong was.
"Your Majesty, this Erzhu Rong is the Cao Cao of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. No, he is even more brutal and ruthless than Cao Cao. He can be said to be a treacherous hero who has never appeared in the world." Zhao Ding sighed, taking the opportunity to teach your Majesty a lesson.
More powerful than Cao Cao?
A treacherous hero who never appeared in the world?
Then why haven't I heard of him? What qualifications does he have to be compared with Cao Cao? Cao Cao would rather let me betray the world than let the world betray me. He was a capable minister in a peaceful era and a treacherous hero in a chaotic era. He was the Prime Minister who used the emperor to control the princes and established the tripod to divide the Three Kingdoms. His son was the emperor.
Zhao Huan knew Cao Cao well, so he quickly showed off his erudition.
The emperor doesn't know that Erzhu Rong is even worse than Cao Cao.
He was the most powerful hero of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. When an emperor of the Northern Wei Dynasty was poisoned to death by the Empress Dowager, Erzhu Rong, under the pretext of avenging the emperor, led an army into the capital, drowned the Empress Dowager in a river, and established a puppet emperor for himself.
Because he had no roots in the capital, he was worried that the civil and military officials, princes and nobles in the capital would oppose him, so he took the initiative and found an excuse to sacrifice to the deceased emperor. He killed more than 2,000 princes and nobles, civil and military officials in the capital, and lived a life of controlling the world by controlling the emperor.
Although his fate was not good, as he was lured into the palace by the kidnapped child emperor and ambushed and killed by his close associates, his influence was unprecedented and unparalleled. Cao Cao's son becoming emperor was impressive, but Erzhu Rong had four generals under his command, all of whom were founding emperors. How impressive is that? All four founding emperors were under his command...
Zhao Ding explained to Zhao Huan who Erzhu Rong was, compared him with Cao Cao, and told him the life story of Erzhu Rong.
There was actually such a person in history, and I didn’t even know about it... After hearing this, Zhao Huan couldn’t help but sigh.
There are many great figures in history that you don’t know. Since you are so ignorant, how many people can you possibly know?
Zhao Ding complained in his heart.
So, this guy named Erzhu Rong is very good at fighting?
Zhao Huan thought about it for a moment and then reacted.
He was not just a good fighter, he was an extremely good fighter. It can be said that he was invincible throughout the Northern and Southern Dynasties.
He made his fortune through one war after another, suppressed one rebellion after another, defeated one enemy invasion after another, wiped out Ge Rong, pacified Hebei, defeated Southern Liang, and pacified Guanlong, re-unifying the precarious Northern Wei regime by force.
He fought dozens of battles, both large and small, without a single defeat. Even more skilled than Cao Cao, he commanded the loyalty of four founding emperors, who served under him as his generals.
Erzhu Rong, whose surname was Erzhu and given name was Rong, was a member of the Qihu tribe, also known as the Jie tribe during the Five Barbarians Invasion of China. Since Erzhu Rong's fifth ancestor, Erzhu Rong's family had always been the leader of the Qihu tribe.
When Erzhu Rong inherited the leadership of his tribe, the Six Garrisons Rebellion was underway. Erzhu Rong's family lived in Erzhuchuan, outside the territory of the Six Garrisons, but close to the Rouran. The Six Garrisons rebels colluded with the Rouran, leaving the Northern Wei court in disarray. The rebellion within the country was so intense that the Northern Wei dynasty was in turmoil.
Erzhuchuan, located near the Rouran and the Six Garrisons, faced immense pressure from both the Rouran and the rebels. Seeing the uprisings rising from all directions, Erzhu Rong seized the opportunity to disperse his herdsmen, recruit volunteers from all directions, and distribute weapons, horses, and clothing. He raised a sizeable army and began to gradually expand his power.
On the sixth day of the first month of the spring of the third year of the Yuanfu reign, the Ministry of Rites stated, "Recently, candidates who have been exempted from the imperial examinations and have not yet arrived in Beijing have applied to submit their papers and provide guarantors, each with a ten-day extension. Now that the deadline is almost up, there are still over a thousand candidates who have not arrived. I have heard that candidates from distant regions are experiencing snowy and cold weather, making travel difficult. We request that the closure of the academy be extended by five days. Before the closure, candidates may submit their papers and provide guarantors." The request was granted, and the extension was extended for another seven days.
In the eighth year of the Yuanfeng reign (1085), Kaibao Temple was used as the Ministry of Rites' Imperial Examination Hall. On February 18th, a fire broke out, reducing all the Ministry's tribute books and examination papers to ashes in an instant, leaving nothing behind. The hall had been locked from January 9th, with the date set for the 28th, when the fire occurred. The imperial edict designated the Imperial College as the Imperial Examination Hall and ordered the examinations to be held again, an unprecedented event.
On April 14, 1117, the seventh year of the Zhenghe era, the Minister of War, Jiang You, said, "In the case of the examination, I have noticed that the inspectors sent by the examination hall are usually young and not very experienced. I request that from now on, all those who are over 30 years old and sent to inspect the examination halls of the Imperial Academy will be familiar with the rules and regulations."
I spent the night in a daze, drinking with the two old men, telling jokes, and listening to them talk about some interesting stories in the court. I felt quite relaxed and at ease.
These three people were all knowledgeable and their boasts to each other were vivid and lifelike, and it was impossible to tell which was true and which was false. Zhao Huan found it very interesting and it was pleasant to talk with knowledgeable people.
The next morning, he woke up with a splitting headache. He opened his eyes and found himself lying on Zhao Fujin's pleasure boat. Waiting for him was the little girl, Zhu Lian. She was curled up on the couch beside him, sound asleep, her bright red face adorned with a sweet smile.
Zhao Huan reached out his hand and gently touched her face, then smiled and said, "Wake up, baby, it's dawn."
Zhu Lian groaned in confusion, and when he opened his eyes he saw his elder brother smiling at him. He said in surprise, "Brother, are you awake? Sister Zhao Fujin, come quickly, brother is awake—"
Zhao Fujin stepped in, looking at Zhao Huan with a delighted smile. "My dear, you're finally awake. Last night, you were so drunk and confused that we had a hard time getting you here. Here, have a bowl of sobering soup first."
Zhao Huan took the medicine bowl, gulped it down, and the bitter, acrid taste made him cough repeatedly. Zhu Lian hurriedly patted him on the back and said distressedly, "Brother, drink slowly. This is a hangover soup, not a girl's wine. How could you not get drunk if you drank like that last night?"
The sobering soup Zhao Fujin prepared for him was different from other sobering potions. It smelled very strange, but the effect was surprisingly good.
After coughing for a while, the alcohol smell on his body seemed to disappear in the blink of an eye. Zhao Huan took the bowl and sniffed it carefully, wondering, "Fu Jin, what kind of soup is this? Why is it so effective?"
Fujin smiled mysteriously and said, "This is Master's unique secret recipe. She said she couldn't tell you, otherwise you would definitely spit out the medicine."
What could possibly be so powerful? Zhao Huan wondered. Qiaoqiao whispered, "Brother, I heard last night that Sister Fujin's master had someone dig up earthworms, saying they were going to make medicine. I wonder if that's what they were doing?"
Zhao Huan's face turned pale. Digging for earthworms in the dead of winter? Could they possibly find them? This demon was deliberately trying to trick me, wasn't he?
He forced himself to suppress the urge to vomit out the ascites, gritted his teeth and said, "Fujin, where is Sister An? Is she being mean again? I have something to consult her about. Please don't stop me, I will go to her even if you stop me. Are earthworms meant for human consumption--"
Qin Fujin's face darkened for a moment, and he shook his head slightly. "My dear, I'm afraid it won't be possible for you to find the master today. She left Jinling this morning and rode fast to the capital."
Gone? She ran so fast! The New Year is almost here. Why did Sister An rush to the capital in such a hurry? Zhao Huan was stunned and said, "Fujin, does your master have an old lover in the capital? Did he invite her to reunite with him?"
Zhao Fujin was both angry and amused and asked, "My husband, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
