Chapter 11 second quarter

The emperor did not attend today's court meeting, and Xun Yu, the Minister of the Minister, presided over it on his behalf.He first informed the officials about the fire in the dormitory the night before, and then announced a decision to rectify the guards in the forbidden palace under the joint interrogation of Taichang Xu Qi, Yushi Zhongcheng Dong Fen, Guang Lu Xunheng and Fan Sanqing. Everyone can see that this must be the result of the promotion of the elders of the Luoyang system.But the resolutions of the three ministers were far beyond everyone's expectations: Changshui School Lieutenant Zhong Ji Shun Yu's staff, the guards were slow, the ranks were cut to two ranks, self-examination behind closed doors, and no more internal soldiers; Zhonghuangmen Zhang Yuwei It can eliminate fire hazards, and the door is completely guarded, so that there is no communication between China and foreign countries, the rescue is sluggish, and the post is lost. Your Majesty thinks of his years of hard work and allows him to return to his hometown to defend himself.

As soon as the resolution came out, the entire court was in an uproar.Zhong Ji and Zhang Yu are both people who are deeply branded by the Han Dynasty, guarding the last dignity of the emperor with one outside and one in the middle.This time the two were dismissed so simply, doesn't it mean that the emperor's side is open and there are no more servants available? What's even more strange is that Dong Cheng, the mainstay of the Luoyang faction and the chariot general, didn't say a word in the face of this blow like cutting flesh and bones; His face was as heavy as water, and there was no expression of relief at all.The two sides who usually confronted each other kept silent at this time.

If something is abnormal, it must be a demon, but where is the demon, how to react, and what will be the consequences, which makes the ministers very troubled. In the Xu Du Dynasty, there were not only Luoyang faction and Cao faction with clear distinctions, but also many officials in between.Some of them did their duty to the Han Dynasty; some hoped to win Cao Sikong's favor;They are not in the position of power, but they live by chance, hoping to get promoted in the battle. At this time, the two factions were silent at the same time, which made the ministers quite at a loss. They could only whisper and try to figure out the minds of those big shots.Many people thought that the emperor only summoned Dong Cheng and Xun Yu yesterday, and they couldn't help secretly guessing whether the two giants had reached some kind of tacit agreement.

For a while, the main hall was quiet, and everyone had their own thoughts. At this time, Kong Rong stood up. Kong Rong does not belong to the Luoyang family, and has always looked down on those people.He was conscripted from Beihai all the way to Xudu, not for the sake of being a high-ranking official, but for restoring the dignity of the Han Dynasty. Kong Rong really didn't understand how Sanqing would make such a stupid decision to delegate power to others.What made him even more angry was that, as a Shaofu, he had no knowledge of such a big matter.After realizing the "betrayal" of Luo Yang's family, Kong Rong felt a sense of loneliness.

"Dong Changfu and Heng Zhizhi, these two fools, are simply destroying the Great Wall!" Standing in front of the main hall, Kong Rong scolded Dong Fen and Heng Fan without hesitation.The ministers beside him silently moved away from each other, fearing that they would be hurt by this celebrity's sharp edge.Even Yang Fu, the censor Zhongcheng who was in charge of rectifying the court instrument, hid far away and pretended not to hear.He knew that if he dared to impeach him, he would be drowned alive by Kong Rong's saliva. At this time, Yilang Zhao Yan passed through the crowd, quietly tugged on Kong Rong's sleeve, and said in a low voice, "Master Shaofu, don't be impatient, it's not that simple here."

"Isn't the matter clear enough? This is a cocoon!" Kong Rong shook his beard angrily.Zhao Yan quietly pointed to the other side: "General Dong has not spoken, there must be someone behind." Kong Rong glanced at Dong Cheng, sneered, and said, "Since Duke Yang resigned and his daughter was pregnant with the dragon seed, he has become more and more arbitrary. The disaster of foreign relatives is not far away." Zhao Yan heard the resentment in Kong Rong's words.Kong Rong didn't question whether Dong Cheng had left behind, but complained that he didn't anticipate such a major decision.Thinking of this, Zhao Yan sighed and remained silent.He was able to be a councilor in the court because of Kong Rong's strong recommendation. He didn't want to disobey this benefactor, but some things he said were not pleasant, so it was better to keep silent.

Regarding the rectification of the guards, Zhao Yan had a keen sense of smell from the very beginning. As far as the DPRK and China are concerned, Cao Cao's power does not have much advantage.His main team is basically concentrated in the Sikong shogunate. They either go out with the army or pacify various places. They are busy with various general affairs. Even those who hold court positions rarely have time to participate. But the imperial court is nothing at all now.The affairs of Xudu, big and small, are all firmly in the hands of Cao Cao. Now, a servant servant who ranks more than a thousand stones in the imperial court is not worth as much as a military sacrificial wine in the shogunate.

So this court meeting was just a ceremonial scene for the world to see. Except for Xun Yu, Ding Chong, and Wang Bi, not many people took it seriously—for example, Cao Ren didn't come this time.To get rid of the guards around the emperor, the Cao family has ten thousand methods, there is no need to hold a joint trial of the three ministers in a court meeting where the form is greater than the substance. If it was the Luoyang faction who wanted to take advantage of the remaining prestige of the court to make something happen, this move of "advancing through retreat" seemed a bit too big.Zhao Yan's mind was spinning rapidly, hoping to deduce something from the few words of these ministers.He realized that this might be an opportunity, an opportunity for himself and Master Kong to expand their influence in the court.But he must be careful not to be swept up in a political storm before seizing the opportunity, Xudu is never a safe place.

As expected by Zhao Yan, the Sanqing soon issued another resolution: In order to complete the policy, this time, in addition to Su Wei, Xu Duwei was also included in the rectification list.The responsibility for rectifying the guards was entrusted to the chariot general Dong Cheng to personally oversee the reform; and the envoy who went to rectify Xu Duwei was Zhao Yan's colleague - Yilang Wu Shuo. The ministers made another noise, but this time it was much quieter.Everyone was afraid of Xu Duwei's name, and when they thought of Man Chong's dead snake-like expression, they were full of sympathy for Wu Shuo.Wu Shuo himself was not timid, he took the edict from Xun Yu, and immediately turned and left the main hall.Following him were twenty golden battle guards. Their identities indicated that this was an order executed in the name of the emperor.

Kong Rong felt that it was absurd, and he said dissatisfiedly: "Did you see it? This is Dong Cheng's backhand! The crossbow of great importance is actually fired for the mouse, he really doesn't know the severity!" He has always looked down on Xu Duwei's despicable villains who are dripping with venom, and even talking about it will tarnish his innocence. Kong Rong still remembers that his old friend Yang Biao was dragged into Xu Duwei's prison, and then tortured by Man Chong until he was bruised all over his body.If he and Xun Yu hadn't personally gone to the prison to find Man Chong to protest, maybe Yang Biao would have died in it.

Zhao Yan, who was standing beside him, moved his feet in confusion, and he was also a little confused: sacrificed two servants, just to stretch one foot into Xu Duwei?This is not worth the candle.Zhao Yan is a legalist believer. He firmly believes that any political action has hidden interests in it. Dong Cheng did this. Could it be that there is something more important hidden in Xu Duwei than Suwei Banzhi... Zhao Yan seemed to think of something, but felt a little ethereal.Before he could think it through, Kong Rong had already taken out a roll of memorial from his sleeve, and said loudly to Xun Yu and the empty dragon chair: "Mr. Xun Ling, I still have the memorial here." Xun Yu smiled and nodded at him, motioning for Xiao Huangmen to present it. At each court meeting, Kong Rong would always prepare one or two playbooks, the contents of which ranged from classics to agriculture and mulberry, and even laws about drinking.These melodies will have little chance of being executed, but they can make the entire court seem less empty.Kong Rong's articles were very well written, and Xun Yu admired him from a personal point of view, and sometimes he would copy some highlights and send them to Cao Sikong. While Xiao Huangmen took away the memorial and read it out in public, Kong Rong folded his hands behind his back, looked ahead, and said to Zhao Yan beside him in a low voice: "After I leave the court for a while, I will talk to Yang Xiu. Go and see Look at Zhang Yu. It’s really unreasonable for such a loyal and loyal minister to be kicked out like a dog.” Zhao Yan hastily agreed, Kong Rong was implying that he would inquire about the inside story of the palace, but it was not easy to speak out because of the embarrassment of celebrities.This Beihai Kong Sheng was not as pedantic as he appeared on the surface.Sometimes Zhao Yan even suspects that his quarrels in the courtroom may not be carefully planned. Sometimes you put on a good posture, and others will not be wary of you. Looking at Kong Rongqi's majestic back, Zhao Yan began to think about how to get something out of Zhang Yu's mouth later.He habitually glanced around the court hall, and saw that Dong Cheng and the few people around him were not paying attention to Kong Rong's memorabilia, they gathered together and whispered, and looked outside from time to time. "It seems that Wu Shuo's mission this time is not easy." He rubbed his chin, feeling more and more weird. Just when the topic in the courtroom turned to a non-salty topic, Wu Shuo led the golden Yue guards to Xu Duwei's residence. Wu Shuo is a conceited person, and has always regarded himself as the think tank of the Dong family.He was not reconciled to Dong Cheng's appointment of Yang Xiu, thinking that Yang Xiu was just a family member who protected Yang Biao's remaining shadow.Wu Shuo took the initiative to take on the most arduous task, just to prove to everyone that although Wu Shuo came from a poor family, he was not inferior to those rich children. Xu Duwei's residence was originally the prison in Xu County.Since the emperor moved away, the housing in the city has suddenly become tense. Xu Duling, an official of this level, can only build a brick and wooden house in front of the prison.Those who work here can often hear the cries and howls of the prisoners next door. I don't know if it was an illusion, but as soon as Wu Shuo stepped into the room, he felt chills all over his body, as if there were countless pairs of eyes peeping at him in the darkness around him.He settled down, took a deep breath, and suddenly a voice sounded next to his ear: "Wu Yilang, are you all right?" Immediately Wu Shuo saw Man Chong's ominous face, and the row of Xu Duwei's officials behind him.These people have already been informed that they are here to welcome the envoys of the emperor.Whether it was intentional or not, these officials were all old and frail and lifeless, but none of the operatives who were feared in the dark night showed up. I don't know if this is a show of weakness or a demonstration.Wu Shuo had dealt with Man Chong several times, and he was well aware of this guy's skills, so he held up the imperial edict in his hand and said: "I am ordered by the emperor to come to rectify Xudu's guards. Cooperate." Man Chong bowed his head and said respectfully: "The imperial court order, you should obey it." He slowly raised his eyes, and the two looked at each other, tacitly understanding each other. Xudu's court was in a delicately awkward position: no one would pay attention to the emperor's orders, but no one would publicly refuse to carry them out.How to respond to the imperial edict depends entirely on the political choices and struggles of various forces. For example, when the emperor appointed Yuan Shao as Taiwei, Yuan Shao would flatly refuse and denounce Cao Cao as ungrateful; it wasn't until the court changed his name to make him a general that he turned his anger into joy and happily "kowtowed for the grace of heaven". Now that the Luoyang department has taken the initiative to remove two key officials, and then proposed to rectify Xu Duwei, it is actually a condition to the Cao family.Since Shang Shutai acquiesced in this kind of exchange, Man Chong didn't have to disobey orders—but it didn't mean obediently obeying orders.The measure of this is quite particular. Before Wu Shuo could speak, Man Chong took out a roster from his arms and handed it to him. "Xu Duwei now has 26 assassins, 200 city guards, and 12 lawsuits. I don't know how Wu Yilang intends to do it?" It seems that the other party came prepared, Wu Shuo sighed secretly, but he didn't take the booklet, and pushed it with a smile: "Since Master Mandarin made Xu Ling, he has achieved outstanding results. How can you be so presumptuous?" The two played against each other quietly for a round, testing each other's bottom line and courage. The reason why Xu Duwei is scary is because he is full of favors, not the three words "Xu Duwei".If Wu Shuo wanted to use the imperial power to suppress others, all he had to do was get away, and Xu Duwei would immediately become a worthless empty shell.Wu Shuo knew this very well, so he refused to accept the roster, vaguely stating that he had no intention of getting involved. Man Chong took back the roster, handed it to the old official beside him, and looked at Wu Shuo and said nothing.He has no need to flatter this Yilang, nor is he obliged to keep the scene from cooling down.Indifference is a kind of self-confidence, and it is also a kind of statement: I gave you the roster, but you dare not accept it, no wonder me. The temperature in the room was getting colder and colder. Wu Shuo couldn't help thinking, don't they usually stay in such a big ice cellar without lighting a fire in their office? Wu Shuo ordered the twenty gold-axed guards to leave the room and wait at the door, and then said with a smile: "Actually, Xu Duwei has Mr. Manchu here, so there is no need to rectify it. On the contrary, it is Suwei's group of worthless waste. The performance of the fire is really poor." He grabbed Man Chong's sleeve and deliberately lowered his voice: "Xun Lingjun means that Xu Duwei is just for show, but in fact, he wants to use Bo Ning's method to temper the old guard." Although this rectification was proposed by Dong Cheng and promoted by Sanqing, it would not have been possible without Xun Shangshu's acquiescence.Wu Shuo specifically proposed Xun Yu, just hoping to be more convincing.He seemed to have forgotten that Man Chong was also there at the time and witnessed the entire decision-making process. Man Chong remembered Xun Yu's confession, saying that he should try his best to keep the disputes in the court, so he said slowly: "You mean, you want to transfer all the squadrons of the guards directly to Xu Duwei, and let me control them?" He broke Wu Shuo's intention with one word.Since Wu Shuo was blatantly planning to install people in Xuduwei, Man Chong didn't mind making things clearer. To his surprise, Wu Shuo laughed loudly and denied it: "No, Bo Ning, you misunderstood. It wasn't that the old guards were directly transferred to Xu Duwei, but Xu Duwei was directly transferred to the old guards. You don’t need to adjust all of them, just a part of them. The guards need to be led by a master to be effective in training.” "Why don't you borrow people from General Cao Ren? Xu Duwei's manpower has been a little tight recently. Several of my men lost their lives yesterday." To outsiders, Man Chong's answer seemed to be an excuse to shirk, but to Wu Shuo's ears, it was more like a temptation.He suddenly thought of Yang Xiu, those five bloody fingers, and that terrifying master in the dark.Fortunately, he was good at covering up, and his expression didn't even tremble for a moment, so he took up the topic directly: "General Cao's troops are good at arranging troops, and patrolling is probably not his forte." He said in a calm tone: "What do you think of this? How many people will Xu Duwei transfer to the guards? I will go and ask His Majesty to ask General Cao to make up twice as many people to Xu Duwei." Man Chong lowered his head and thought for a while, as if he was considering the intention of Wu Shuo's proposal.Seeing that he didn't respond for a long time, Wu Shuo couldn't sit still, and added: "General Dong has always valued Xu Duwei very much. He said that although there was a misunderstanding before, His Majesty will eventually understand the painstaking efforts of the Mandarin." This sentence is quite explicit, but its meaning is somewhat obscure.Man Chong let out a breath of white air, with a smile that was not a smile, and slapped his palm slightly: "That's fine. But you can discuss with General Cao on your own about the transfer of troops." "Naturally." Wu Shuo nodded hastily. At this time, a small official outside the house suddenly came to report: "My lord, General Deng has returned and is waiting on the porch." "Then I won't disturb Your Excellency's official business." Wu Shuo's purpose of this trip has been achieved, and he didn't stay long after hearing the notification, and got up to bid farewell to Man Chong.When he left, he happened to pass by Deng Zhan.Wu Shuo knew that this man was selected from the tiger and leopard cavalry. When the main force of the Cao army was stationed outside, he and the cavalry under his command were the third force to deter the capital after Cao Ren and Man Chong, so he couldn't help but take a second look. Deng Zhan was wearing light armor, and there was still snow falling on his shoulders and cloak. He walked with a trace of cold air, and he could tell at a glance that he had just returned from outside the city. "What is so important near Xudu that Deng Zhan needs to go out in person?" Wu Shuo had a flash of doubt, but it disappeared quickly.He still has too many things to do next, no time to bother with a veteran. Deng Zhan turned his head and glanced coldly at Wu Shuo's back, and walked straight to Man Chong.Although he is not a complete favorite, the two cooperate very well both inside and outside.For this incident, he needs Man Chong's opinion. "Master Yang Jun's life was saved, but his arm was cut off. His son Yang Ping and the coachman were killed." Deng Zhan said coldly, straight to the point. He received the news that Yang Jun was attacked by bandits two days ago, the officials who had been specially ordered by the Sikong Mansion to be recruited were attacked, which can be regarded as a major case.Deng Zhan did not dare to neglect, and personally led the team to meet him.As a result, when they arrived, the bandits had fled without a trace, and the only survivor on the scene was Yang Jun. Yang Jun was seriously injured, and it was the severe winter season, his body could not stand the bumps.Deng Zhan had no choice but to transfer an ox cart from the nearby military station and slowly transport Yang Jun to Xudu. After the two corpses were inspected, they were buried on the spot.In the past two days, he searched the dozens of miles around the incident, but found nothing, and returned to Xudu angrily. "Yang Jun came from Quliang, why did he detour that way?" Man Chong asked. Deng Zhan said: "His son Yang Ping has been fostered by the Sima family in Wen County. This time he was conscripted into Xu, and he took his son here by the way. This has been certified by the Sima family." "How's the injury?" "The coachman was killed with a knife, and the dagger went straight into his heart; Yang Ping had signs of struggle, and his face was cut beyond recognition. Yang Jun's arm was cut off, and the fracture was very smooth. The opponent held a sharp knife, and he was very skillful." Deng said. Zhan surveyed the scene very carefully and remembered everything in his mind. "It seems that those bandits should not have planned an ambush, but a temporary motive." "There are a lot of unrecognizable corpses recently." Man Chong suddenly thought of the strange corpse in the ruins of the palace, and he couldn't help but tilt his head, thinking like a snake.But there is no need to tell Deng Zhan about these things. Man Chong walked slowly in the cold house with his hands behind his back: "Although the bandits are like ants these days, but the weather is so cold, why would the bandits attack such a car battle that has no oil and water and will attract a large army to encircle and suppress it? Moreover, Since the robbers were willing to spend their energy to chop Yang Ping's face, why did they leave Yang Jun alive? He has already lost an arm, and the other party still has a master, so there is no chance to resist." "According to Yang Jun, he falsely claimed that there was an army nearby and called out loudly. The bandits were afraid of being surrounded, so they didn't dare to stay for long and left in a hurry." "This kind of thing is really impossible to verify." Man Chong suddenly remembered something, raised his head and asked, "Are there any other ruts or horseshoe marks nearby?" Deng Zhan said: "The weather is too cold, even if there are other carriages passing by, I can't stay." He suddenly thought of something, and immediately said, "Oh, by the way, Mr. Yang mentioned a detail. He said that the robbers seemed to mention that they were going to run to Runan." "Runan..." Man Chong chewed on the place name carefully. Runan is not far from Xudu, and it is the key to Liu Biao's defense in the south. At this time, Jiangong Hou Li Tong is guarding it. Relying on his intuition, Man Chong vaguely felt a trace of uneasiness. He doesn't like this unsteady feeling very much, but he enjoys this process of unraveling.Although Deng Zhan was determined, seeing the wrinkles on this man's face stretched and undulated several times, like a poisonous snake squirming, he couldn't help feeling a little numb in his back. "Where is Yang Jun now?" "Master Yang is temporarily recuperating in the guest house, and Mr. Xun Ling has already rushed to express his condolences." Man Chong ordered his subordinates to bring a cup of hot tea to Deng Zhan, and Deng Zhan drank it all in one gulp.Man Chong patted him on the shoulder: "General Deng, I have to trouble you to go out of the city again, I want to see Yang Ping's body."