After eliminating the eunuchs, Liu Hong had essentially taken control of the court's affairs. Although he had not yet come of age, no one dared to underestimate this young emperor.
Those officials who had witnessed the emperor's methods have now changed their previous lazy and negligent ways. They have all begun to work diligently and act decisively, no longer daring to procrastinate in the slightest.
Local officials at all levels in the Sili region also frequently traveled to the fields and villages, leading the people to repair water conservancy projects, dig ditches and canals, and prepare for the upcoming dry season.
As for the students who had already arrived in the Sanfu region, upon hearing the news of the emperor's execution of the eunuchs, they were all excited and full of enthusiasm.
A few days later, Duan Jiong, who was stationed at the border city, was quite uneasy after learning that the emperor had wiped out the eunuchs overnight.
Dong Zhuo noticed Duan Jiong's unusual behavior. He was deeply trusted by Duan Jiong and naturally understood why his general was troubled.
Although the emperor trusted them, it was an undeniable fact that they had once served under those eunuchs.
There are probably countless scholars in the imperial court who want to bring them down.
With a worried expression, Dong Zhuo wandered around the camp. When he reached the camp gate, he suddenly noticed a fast horse galloping towards the gate from a distance.
Upon seeing that the newcomer was dressed in the uniform of the Imperial Guard, Dong Zhuo hurriedly went to greet him.
The Imperial Guard arrived at the camp gate, reined in his horse, dismounted, and approached Dong Zhuo.
"I am a Yulin Lang under General Huang Hansheng, Left Cavalryman. May I ask who this gentleman is?"
"I am Dong Zhuo from Xiliang, serving as Military Advisor under the Protector of the Qiang."
After the two men introduced themselves, Dong Zhuo couldn't help but ask, "May I ask what brings this gentleman here?"
Dong Zhuo treated these Imperial Guards with great courtesy.
"I am here on the Emperor's orders to deliver a personal letter from the Emperor and some gifts to General Duan. I wonder if General Duan is here?"
"His Majesty's personal letter?"
Upon hearing that the Imperial Guard had brought a personal letter from the Emperor, rather than an imperial edict, Dong Zhuo was overjoyed. He quickly realized that his general and his men were safe.
"Yes, yes, yes. Come quickly, the general is in his tent."
As Dong Zhuo led the Imperial Guard to the main tent, he summoned a soldier and said, "Go and fetch some top-quality fodder. Make sure to take good care of this officer's mount."
Soon, Dong Zhuo and his companion arrived at the central command tent where Duan Jiong was located.
"The general is inside. Please allow me to go in and inform him."
"good."
Having said that, Dong Zhuo rushed in, shouting as he went, "General, good news! Great news! Haha!"
Duan Jiong, his thoughts interrupted, frowned slightly. "Zhongying, what's the matter that you're so hasty?"
Dong Zhuo said with a happy expression, "General, a member of the Imperial Guard has come from outside. He said he brought a personal letter from His Majesty, as well as a gift from His Majesty for you."
"Oh? Please come in quickly."
Duan Jiong's worried brows immediately relaxed, suggesting that his guess was the same as Dong Zhuo's.
Soon, a soldier from the Imperial Guard followed Dong Zhuo into the main tent.
"I am here on the Emperor's orders to deliver a personal letter to the General, along with a package."
After saying this, the Imperial Guard took out a letter from his bosom, then untied the bundle from his waist and handed it to Duan Jiong.
Duan Jiong took the letter and package, checked that the sealing wax on the envelope was intact, and then opened it to take out the letter.
After a long while, Duan Jiong's eyes were slightly moist after reading the secret letter.
In the letter, Liu Hong not only praised Duan Jiong's abilities, but also emphasized his trust and reliance on him and his soldiers. Finally, he asked Duan Jiong some questions about the Western Qiang. The letter ended with Liu Hong's personal seal.
Soon, Duan Jiong wrote a reply to Liu Hong, expressing his gratitude and loyalty to the emperor, and also detailing a series of measures against the Western Qiang.
The Western Qiang have been under the control of the Han Dynasty for many years, growing from an initial population of over 100,000 to nearly 2 million. Besides having ample room for development, the main reason for this growth is their continuous raids on the Han borders, plundering countless resources and Han women to support their population.
Although the battle at Fengyi Mountain resulted in the killing of the enemy chieftain and the annihilation of nearly 30,000 of their fresh troops, they will surely rebel again within five years if another figure like Dianmu emerges among the Western Qiang.
In the letter, Duan Jiong emphasized his purpose in releasing Dianxian and Shehetai, hoping that the emperor would adopt his strategy and encourage and support the Qiang people to fight each other.
This would not only significantly deplete their population but also prevent them from uniting into a disorganized mess. Once the Han Dynasty had recovered some strength, it could take advantage of the Qiang people's weakness to send out a large army to completely annihilate them.
After handing the reply to the Imperial Guard, Duan Jiong opened the package and discovered that it contained a stack of memorials.
Duan Jiong then picked up a memorial and began to read it. After finishing it, he picked up another one, and so on, one after another.
After reading all the memorials, Duan Jiong was deeply moved and then bowed respectfully in the direction of Luoyang.
It turned out that these memorials were impeachment memorials from those upright officials, and the target of the impeachment was Duan Jiong. In addition to clarifying his relationship with the eunuch group, many people also said that he was hoarding troops and had rebellious intentions.
Liu Hong did not respond to these memorials; instead, he sent them all to Duan Jiong.
According to the usual procedure, once a border general has received more than ten impeachments, he must return to the capital to defend himself and undergo investigation.
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