January 11th.
As the casualties of the Xiangxian garrison were tallied, Huangfu Song dispatched several messengers with reports of victory to rush towards Luoyang.
Thus, the rebels, who had been at large for more than three months, were finally completely wiped out.
Meanwhile, Dong Zhuo led a troop of Imperial Guards to Pingyu, the capital of Runan Commandery.
Seeing the Han flags fluttering in the wind on the city wall, and the local militia and soldiers standing ready for battle, Dong Zhuo nodded to himself and then led his men forward to knock on the door.
"I am Dong Zhuo from Xiliang. I have been ordered to lead the Imperial Guards to investigate the traitors. Open the city gates immediately!"
When the guards at the city gate of Runan saw Dong Zhuo and the Imperial Guards' distinctive attire, they did not suspect anything, but they still carefully lowered the basket and verified Dong Zhuo's identity before letting them into the city.
Upon hearing that the Imperial Guards were coming, the Prefect of Runan and officials of all ranks from the government came to greet them.
The prefect of Runan was named Yuan Xing, and he was from a branch of the Yuan family.
After exchanging pleasantries, the group proceeded to the prefectural governor's residence, where Dong Zhuo cut to the chase:
"The 200,000-strong rebel army led by Lu Qing and Chen Man has been defeated by the royal army. I have come here to investigate and eliminate the scholars who colluded with the rebels. I hope you will cooperate with me!"
Yuan Xing smiled and said, "General Dong, rest assured, I, along with the officials of Runan, will fully cooperate!"
Dong Zhuo nodded: "Alright, then I'll have to trouble you all. Let's not delay and finish clearing Runan as soon as possible, because I still have other places to go!"
Soon, the Imperial Guards, who had just entered the city, began to investigate the scholars of Runan from house to house, led by the officials of Runan government.
In fact, long before, Yuan Xing had received a message from Yuan Feng and secretly began to investigate the scholars who were associated with Han Ping and others.
The government dared not make a move against those scholars, but Dong Zhuo did not care at all. As soon as he showed the slightest dislike, he would lead his troops to break down the gates.
Within a day, nearly half of the scholars in Pingyu City were arrested, and their property was confiscated.
Dong Zhuo did not massacre the scholars who were arrested, but instead imprisoned them all.
As for how long he will be imprisoned, whether he is guilty or not, and what crime he will be convicted of, all of that will have to wait until the imperial court sends someone to interrogate him.
After leaving behind several dozen Imperial Guards to guard the area, Dong Zhuo left Pingyu without stopping and headed towards the other counties of Runan.
Two days later, Huangfu Gui led 40,000 troops from Jizhou to Xiang County.
After taking control of the prisoners, Huangfu Gui ordered Gao Shun and Huangfu Song to lead troops to support Dong Zhuo, while at the same time, together with the Chancellor of Pei State and the local government, he organized the prisoners to begin repairing local infrastructure such as water conservancy, bridges, and roads.
As for the imposter Lu Qing, Huangfu Gui ordered him to be escorted to Zhao County.
January 15th.
Several messengers arrived in Luoyang with news of the victory in Xiang County. Upon learning that all the rebels had been completely wiped out, the city of Luoyang erupted in jubilation.
Countless ordinary people and young students took to the streets to celebrate.
While the people were celebrating the victory of the royal army, the Chongzheng Hall, where the officials were holding court, fell into silence.
Liu Hong and his officials had already made arrangements for the aftermath in Ji, Yan, Qing, Liang and the Three Auxiliary Regions, and all the officials to be appointed had been appointed. Everything just needed to proceed step by step.
The reason why Chongzheng Hall was so quiet was because it involved an issue that had to be addressed: how to deal with Liu Kui.
The entire family must not be executed, and as for beheading, Liu Kui was the late emperor's own brother, so neither Liu Hong nor Dou Miao could easily order his execution.
This dirty work could only be done by the officials, but they didn't want to take the blame, which is why the Chongzheng Hall was so quiet.
Liu Hong, sitting on the throne, looked calmly at the silent officials, but he was also somewhat displeased.
Meeting the emperor's gaze, all the officials lowered their heads and stood there in silence.
Now, under Liu Hong's guidance, these officials have begun to focus on practical work and prioritize their own interests. However, this has also taught them to seek advantage and avoid harm.
In other words, people are unwilling to do anything that doesn't bring them any benefit, to the point that today there isn't even anyone willing to take the blame for the emperor.
After a moment of silence, Chen Fan, as the head of all officials, had no choice but to step forward.
"Your Majesty, I have heard that Liu Kui has fallen seriously ill. I should immediately order the Commandant of the Capital Region to escort him back to Luoyang as soon as possible for further action!"
"We second that proposal!"
Upon hearing Chen Fan's words, the officials immediately understood and echoed his sentiments.
Liu Hong nodded: "If that's the case, then let's do as you all say!"
At this time, Zhang Huan and Lu Zhi had already led their troops into the territories of Chen and Liang, and directly took over the local defenses.
Dong Zhuo, Gao Shun, and Huangfu Song led their soldiers to search county by county in Yuzhou for scholars who were associated with the rebels.
Meanwhile, the imposter Lu Qing was imprisoned in Zhao County's jail.
That night, Jia Xu led several men to the prison.
The imposter Lu Qing hurriedly stepped forward to greet him: "Sir!"
Jia Xu nodded slightly: "Chen Qing, you did well this time. His Majesty is very satisfied with you!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Qing's face lit up with joy: "To share Your Majesty's burdens, I would gladly die a thousand deaths!"
Jia Xu waved his hand: "Alright, this matter is settled. His Majesty intends to entrust Chengde to your care. Are you willing?"
"This humble servant thanks Your Majesty for your divine grace!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Qing immediately knelt down and bowed three times in the direction of Luoyang.
How could Chen Qing not want to transform from a secret agent into a local official?
Jia Xu nodded in satisfaction: "Alright, let's not delay any longer, let's drop the pretense and set off immediately!"
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