Chapter 32 Chapter 1: The Old Emperor Is Not Dead

The time has entered the third year of Gengshi (AD 25).In the first month of this year, a long-forgotten young man reappeared in the world. This young man was named Liu Ying, and the most glorious time in his life was when he was a baby. Twenty years ago, Wang Mang poisoned Emperor Ping of the Han Dynasty, and the two-year-old Liu Ying was established as the crown prince and the successor of the Western Han Empire.However, the peak of glory is often the beginning of tragedy.At that time, Wang Mang already had the intention of usurping the throne. In order to prevent the ministers from contacting the crown prince Liu Ying, he locked Liu Ying in a small dark room all day long.

After Wang Mang usurped the throne, Liu Ying was deposed as crown prince and changed to Duke Anding, with tens of thousands of fiefs and hundreds of miles of land, and the treatment was quite generous.However, for a fool, what is the difference between such treatment and no treatment? When Wang Mang was destroyed, no one would pay attention to Liu Ying anymore. He could only wander in Chang'an City, picking up garbage and eating leftovers to survive.However, for a fool, what is the difference between such a life and a rich life? Liu Ying could have been happy like this forever, but unfortunately, he met Fang Wang from Pingling.As soon as Fang Wang heard about Liu Ying's identity, he immediately felt that it was a rare commodity to live in, so he quietly hid Liu Ying, waiting for appreciation.

In the first month of the third year of Gengshi, Fang saw that the Red Eyebrow Army had entered the pass, and suddenly felt that the time was ripe, so he gathered thousands of people, and made Liu Ying the emperor in Linjing, and himself the prime minister. Fang Wang had a pretty good idea. Although Liu Ying was mentally retarded, he was the natural heir of the Western Han Dynasty from a legal point of view. As long as Liu Ying's signboard was erected, the people of the world would be grateful. As long as Xuan has a little conscience, he will automatically abdicate and worship Liu Ying as the Lord.

However, in the current era, Liu Xiu's words are exactly in line. Even if Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty is resurrected, he can no longer be the emperor, let alone Liu Ying, who has only been the crown prince for a few years?After Liu Xuan heard that Liu Ying had proclaimed himself emperor, he was honest and blunt, and immediately sent Prime Minister Li Song to suppress it, smash it, and kill Fang Wang and Liu Ying. Poor Liu Ying was still smiling foolishly when he died.For him, death was a kind of relief.His real life ended early when he was two years old. Fang Wang's entire army was wiped out, only Fang Wang's younger brother Fang Yang escaped by chance and joined the Red Eyebrow Army.And it was Fang Yang, who slipped through the net, who eventually became Liu Xuan's gravedigger.

For Liu Xuan, Liu Ying was easy to deal with, but the Red Eyebrow Army was so powerful that it was almost incomprehensible.At this time, the red eyebrow army had gathered Hongnong, and its momentum was approaching Chang'an.After Liu Xuan wiped out Liu Ying, he ordered Su Mao, the begging general, to meet the Red Eyebrow Army. Su Mao was defeated and more than a thousand people died.Liu Xuan refused to accept it, and in March, he sent Prime Minister Li Song to challenge the Red Eyebrow Army. The defeat was even more disastrous, and more than 30,000 people died. Li Song abandoned the army and fled, only saving himself.

The red eyebrow army won consecutive battles, and the troops advanced to Huayin. They were divided into 10,000 battalions, a total of 30 battalions. After two battles in a row, Liu Xuan no longer dared to take the initiative to attack, so he had to turn to passive defense. He ordered Wang Kuang, Chen Mu, Cheng Dan, and Zhao Meng to lead the army to garrison Xinfeng, and Li Song to lead the army to garrison Pucheng to resist the red eyebrow army. In the city of Chang'an, a pessimistic mood began to pervade, thinking that relying on defense alone could no longer solve any problems, and that if they wanted to keep Chang'an, they had to use strong medicine.The four kings who remained in Chang'an—Huaiyang King Zhang Ang, Rang King Liao Zhan, Sui Wang Hu Yin, Ping Shi Wang Shen Tujian, and the imperial historian Kai Xiao, the five of them discussed in secret and decided to force Liu Xuan to abdicate. Liu Xiu's uncle Liu Liang was made emperor.

Speaking of which, this is also killing two birds with one stone.The reason why the red-browed army attacked Chang'an was nothing more than a resentment for being neglected by the court. Liu Xuan's abdication was tantamount to apologizing to the red-browed army and letting the red-browed army calm down, thus paving the way for the two parties to negotiate and reconcile.And if Liu Liang is made emperor, Liu Xiu can be ordered to send troops to serve the king and reinforce Chang'an.Liu Liang is kind to Liu Xiu in nurturing him, and his uncle and nephew are deeply affectionate. Unless Liu Xiu loses her humanity, it is impossible to see death without saving her.

Zhang Ang and others never regarded Liu Xuan as an emperor, or even as a human being, but regarded Liu Xuan as a dough, kneading it as they wanted, kneading it as they wanted.When Zhang Ang and the others met Liu Xuan, they came to inform Liu Xuan more out of politeness: "Liu Xuan, it's time for you to abdicate." After Liu Xuan listened, he remained silent for a long time, but the redness on his face continued to thicken like a cloud, until it turned into reddish purple. The always cowardly Liu Xuan broke out! Liu Xuan got up from the table, glared at Zhang Ang and the others, and yelled: "The princes are incompetent, unable to protect the court, share my worries, and should abdicate to let the virtuous, and it should be the princes!"

Liu Xuan's anger made Zhang Ang and others very uncomfortable. They never expected that Liu Xuan would dare to contradict them. As everyone knows, human beings are animals of psychological suggestion.It has been more than two years since Liu Xuan proclaimed himself emperor. Palaces, chariots, crowns, royal robes, and even concubines and beauties in the harem, these props that always declare the emperor's rank in the etiquette system, are constantly strengthening Liu Xuan's psychological hints. Let him experience a kind of illusory power, as if he is indeed the emperor.Coupled with Liu Xuan's habit of drinking, he was always drunk, and he was like Zhuang Zhou's dream butterfly. I don't know if the emperor is Liu Xuan, or whether Liu Xuan is the emperor?

Zhang Ang also had a violent temper, and smiled at Liu Xuanyin: "Your Majesty, please think twice about abdicating the throne." Liu Xuan became more and more annoyed, and said, "So what if I don't abdicate! Could it be that you want to kill the king? Do you think the army will obey your orders? I am the Son of Heaven, and in my opinion, the army will still follow me." Zhang Ang and the others were angry and happy, it seemed that Liu Xuan was really drunk, and completely forgot how much he weighed.Liu Xuan resolutely refused to abdicate, and Zhang Ang and others had no choice but to re-plan Plan B.

Zhang Ang's suggestion is the true color of a green forest: "When the Red Eyebrow Army comes, Chang'an will surely fall. Instead of leaving Chang'an to the Red Eyebrow Army, we should first rob Chang'an, carry money and jewels, and return to our hometown in Nanyang. In case Nanyang Our hometown can't tolerate us, at worst, we will go to the Green Forest Mountain to become robbers." Shen Tujian asked: "Then what about Liu Xuan?" Zhang Ang said in a deep voice: "Take a hijack and go together!" Zhang Ang and others have made a plan, and they will launch it only in the beginning of autumn.Attendant Liu Nengqing learned of Zhang Ang's plot and secretly informed Liu Xuan.When the catastrophe was approaching, Liu Xuan showed courage and courage that were rare in his life. He first planted an ambush in the palace, and then summoned Zhang Ang and others, saying that he agreed to abdicate and could enter the palace to discuss the details of abdication. Zhang Ang and others believed it was true and entered the palace one after another. Only Kai Xiao felt that something was wrong and said that he could not enter the palace.Seeing that Kai Xiao didn't come, Liu Xuan was worried that the plot had been exposed, so he was suspicious and hesitated to do anything. Zhang Ang, Liao Zhan, and Hu Yin waited in the palace for a long time and did not see Liu Xuan. They had a bad premonition and immediately turned around and rushed out of the palace.Shen Tujian walked slowly and became a ghost under the sword. Zhang Ang, Liao Zhan, and Hu Yin escaped from the palace gate, turned around and led their troops to attack Changle Palace.Anyway, I have completely turned against Liu Xuan. The so-called status of monarch and minister has now become a naked conflict between the enemy and us. Since you Liu Xuan want our lives, then we will take your life first! The gate of Changle Palace was closed tightly, and Zhang Ang set fire to the gate and rushed into the palace.Liu Xuan led the crowd to resist and was defeated. He fled to Xinfeng in embarrassment with his wife and more than a hundred people in chariots and riders. Zhang Ang, Liao Zhan, and Hu Yin who rebelled were all generals of the Green Forest Army, and Wang Kuang, Chen Mu, and Cheng Dan who guarded Xinfeng with Zhao Meng were also generals of the Green Forest Army.Zhao Meng remonstrated with Liu Xuan, "Wang Kuang and others must have colluded with Zhang Ang, it is better to strike first and kill them." Liu Xuan then summoned Wang Kuang, Chen Mu, and Cheng Dan. Chen Mu and Cheng Dan came and were beheaded immediately; Zhang Ang and others meet up. At this point, the Green Forest Army and Liu Xuan officially broke up.All Liu Xuan could rely on was Nanyang heroes, so he led Zhao Meng's army to join Li Song and joined forces in Taicang.