The revival of the Han Dynasty must start with Dong Zhuo

Chapter 115 Guarding the Ancestral Temple

"Brother! I was really wrong!"

Dong Min no longer had any of the joy he had before. He only hoped that Dong Zhuo would take their brotherhood into consideration and not be too harsh on him.

"Idiot! How could I have such a stupid brother like you!"

After Dong Min told his true mental journey in full, Dong Zhuo couldn't help but curse a few times.

However, anyone could see that Dong Zhuo did not seem as angry as before.

"Dong Min will be handed over to your majesty for disposal! It is up to your majesty to decide whether to kill him or chop him up!"

Dong Zhuo handed over the handling of Dong Min to Liu Xie.

When Jia Xu saw this scene, his nose wrinkled slightly.

Handing Dong Min over to the emperor for disposal seemed selfless on the surface, but the Grand Tutor might have already had intentions of forgiving Dong Min in his heart.

In this case, the emperor could not punish Dong Min too harshly, so as not to damage the harmony.

After all, Dong Min was the younger brother of the Grand Tutor, so Jia Xu could understand why the Grand Tutor praised Dong Min highly and then put him down gently.

I understand, but that doesn't mean I agree.

Jia Xu looked at Dong Min expressionlessly, as if he was looking at a dead person.

"General Zuo, why don't you get up? We are all family, there is no point in talking about whether to punish him or not."

Just as Jia Xu had expected, Liu Xie helped Dong Min up.

"Although General Zuo's actions were a little confusing, he was doing it for the sake of the clan after all. I understand."

"The reason why you are suspicious of me is probably because General Zuo is not often in the palace and does not often travel with me, so there is a gap between us."

"How about this. The Grand Tutor said that if you want to punish him, then remove him from the position of General Zuo and make him the Imperial Guard, the commander of the five battalions of the Northern Army, with the authority to enter and leave the palace at any time. In this way, General Zuo will naturally feel relieved."

?

What kind of punishment is this?
Remove the nominal title of Left General and change it to the Praetorian Prefect, one of the Nine Ministers?

And from what Your Majesty said, you want to hand over the five battalions of the Northern Army that guard the Imperial Palace to Dong Min?

If this is really done, is it a promotion or a punishment?

Even Dong Min stood there in a daze, looking at Liu Xie in disbelief, looking at the Liu emperor whom he had once slandered as "mean and ungrateful."

"His Majesty!"

Dong Min wailed again and fell in front of Liu Xie.

"Your Majesty! I was wrong! I was really wrong!"

If you have an upright heart, you will make others feel ashamed of themselves.

Dong Min just felt that he really deserved to die!

The emperor is like the sun hanging in the sky, and I am like a rat crawling in the gutter!

Trying to guess the sun's thoughts with the heart of a mouse, doubting whether the sun has other intentions for shining on all things in the world every day... What a dirty and ridiculous idea!

Dong Min burst into tears: "I know I have committed many crimes! Even if Your Majesty kills me, I will not complain!"

At this moment, Dong Min was truly convinced!
"General Zuo, what is this doing? We are all family, why is there so much fighting?"

Liu Xie helped Dong Min up again, and held his hand and placed him on a mat beside him.

"Even in ordinary families, there are children who don't know their parents' hard work and thus blame their parents. But as parents, would you kill your children just because they don't understand?"

"As the Son of Heaven, I am the father of all people. How could I kill someone just because of a little complaint?"

"Given Huo Guang's story, it's no wonder General Zuo has this idea."

Liu Xie suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the north.

There, the Wei River flows.

"It just so happens that the Grand Master is here today, so I will swear an oath."

"I will follow the example of our ancestor and swear by the Wei River - as long as the Dong family does not harbor rebellious thoughts in the future, I will guarantee that the Dong family will be rich and prosperous, and that the Dong family will live and die with the country!"

"I wonder if General Zuo is satisfied with this oath?"

……

There was silence inside the palace.

After a moment, Dong Zhuo and Dong Min realized what had just happened!
Liu Xie, swore an oath by the Wei River!
With the example of Emperor Taizu, who doesn’t know the sacredness of this oath?
What's more, Liu Xie himself is the emperor of the Liu family! He is the descendant of Emperor Shizu!
When others break a contract, it is at most a problem of integrity.

But if Emperor Liu Xie broke the agreement, that would be a major event that could shake the foundation of the country!

It can be said that Liu Xie's oath basically tied the Dong family completely to the Liu family's reputation and the prestige of the Han Dynasty!
Dong Zhuo could no longer stand.

Although he had long had the power not to kneel before the emperor, he still prostrated himself on the ground at this moment.

"My lord, thank you, Your Majesty!"

Dong Min came to his senses when he saw Dong Zhuo kneeling down.

He quickly stood up from the mat he had just sat on, crawled behind Dong Zhuo using his hands and feet, and prostrated himself on the ground.

"I, the guilty minister Dong Min, thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Liu Xie looked at the scene with satisfaction.

Are Dong Min's worries really groundless?
Does Dong Zhuo really always trust himself firmly?

In fact, when Liu Xie realized that Dong Zhuo had just eavesdropped on his conversation, he already had the answer in his mind.

But he did not mention it and pierced the layer of paper.

Again--

A gentleman does not care about his deeds.

If we talk about the heart... then wouldn't everyone in the world be alone?
Besides, the Han Dynasty really couldn't afford any more turmoil.

It was a broken house with air leaking from all sides, how could it accommodate the people fighting inside? Aren't they afraid that the broken house would collapse directly?
Not to mention, there are a group of neighbors outside who are eyeing the situation covetously.

It wasn't just the neighbors in Chinese clothing who were spying... the Wuhuan, Xianbei, and Xiongnu in the north and the Qiang and Di in the west were all sharpening their knives, just waiting for this house to be opened so they could have a good meal.

Therefore, Liu Xie did not want the court to cause any more trouble.

He, Liu Xie, will always be the emperor of the Han Dynasty and the people first, and other things secondarily.

Tolerance for the sake of the country is no longer an empty statement.

"Grand Master, General Zuo, please stand up and talk."

Liu Xie wanted Dong Zhuo to stand up, but Dong Zhuo's knees seemed to be nailed to the ground and he couldn't move at all.

"I thank your majesty for your kindness! But your majesty is so lenient to me, I really can't bear it!"

The Dong family has received such a solemn oath from the emperor today. If Dong Zhuo still protects Dong Min, even Dong Zhuo himself will feel guilty!

"I request that Your Majesty strip Dong Min of his official position and title, punish him with 300 strokes of the cane, and demote him to a commoner to show his guilt!"

Dong Zhuo's treatment of Dong Min could truly be described as cruel.

Obviously, Dong Zhuo regarded Dong Min as a sacrifice and wanted to sacrifice Dong Min to protect the wealth of the Dong family.

Liu Xie took a breath.

Three hundred strokes of the cane?

Then is there still a chance of being "demoted to a commoner" later?
"Grand Master, you absolutely cannot do that." Liu Xie saw that Dong Zhuo was obviously a little upset because of his oath just now, so he said such a harsh punishment.

But how can you take seriously what the boss said?

After all, Dong Min is Dong Zhuo's brother.

If he was really beaten to death, Dong Zhuo would inevitably be sad in the future, and there would be a rift between him and Liu Xie.

Therefore, the punishment for Dong Min should not be so severe.

And Jia Xu obviously thought of this as well.

The emperor's treatment was too kind.

The Grand Tutor's treatment was too cruel.

At this time, a solution that is the best of both worlds is needed...

"Your Majesty, I have something to say, but I don't know whether to say it or not."

Jia Xu's sudden interruption made Liu Xie's eyes light up.

He knew Jia Xu's character very well. He would either remain silent or give a good advice once he spoke.

"It's just about being polite and straightforward."

Jia Xu also bowed to Dong Zhuo.

"General Zuo is the Grand Tutor's blood relative, just as the emperor said, how can he be killed at will?"

"But General Zuo has indeed committed a serious crime. If we do not hold him accountable...what should we do if another villain alienates your majesty and the Grand Tutor in the future?"

"Your Majesty just said that he would confer the title of Duke on the Grand Master and plan to establish a fiefdom. He would certainly build five temples for the Dong family members to worship."

"General Zuo is the brother of the Grand Tutor, so he is the best candidate to preside over the sacrifices at the Grand Tutor's ancestral temple. It would be better to strip General Zuo of his military rank, but only retain his title, and let General Zuo perform sacrifices on behalf of the Grand Tutor. This way, General Zuo would be punished, but the Grand Tutor's family relationship would not be hurt. Isn't that better?"

There is a king in the world, who divides the land to establish countries and set up ancestors according to the number of relatives, nobles and humbles.

Therefore, the emperor established seven temples, three for the ancestors and three for their parents, together with the temple of the great ancestor, which is seven. The princes established five temples, two for the ancestors and two for their parents, together with the temple of the great ancestor, which is five, called the temple of the ancestors. The officials established three temples, one for the ancestors and one for their parents, together with the temple of the great ancestor, which is three, called the temple of the emperor's father. The scholars established one temple, called the temple of the father, and the king's father had no temple, and they offered sacrifices to the ancestors after they had been combined. The common people had no temples, and they offered sacrifices in their bedrooms at the four seasons.

If Dong Zhuo was canonized as a Duke, he would have the same rites as a prince and could build a temple for his ancestors to worship the Five Ancestors.

Once the ancestral temple is built, there must be someone to preside over the ceremony.

Dong Zhuo's elder brother died early, and his uncles and aunts were basically buried. Therefore, Dong Min, the younger brother, became the person with the second highest generation in the Dong family after Dong Zhuo.

In this case, it is indeed most appropriate to let Dong Min guard the ancestral temple and become the main priest.

Of course, Jia Xu also had his own little plans.

Killing Dong Min is obviously impossible.

Jia Xu obviously did not want to see Dong Min become the Prefect of the Guards.

If the emperor and the prime minister were allowed to bargain, Dong Min would most likely be spared the death penalty and demoted to a commoner, living in Chang'an City.

But Dong Zhuo was moody, and the emperor was frivolous in some matters. He might be in a good mood one day and give Dong Min a higher rank and a higher title, allowing Dong Min to return to the court.

Instead of doing this, it would be better to retain his title and drive him to Dong Zhuo's fiefdom, allowing him to worship in the ancestral temple in peace!

This is the strategy that will satisfy Liu Xie, Dong Zhuo and Jia Xu!
Dong Min was able to keep his title. Although he could not stay in Chang'an, he did not have to suffer physical pain, so he was naturally very satisfied.

Only Cai Yong!

When was it decided that the Grand Tutor would be enthroned as a Duke? How come I didn't know about it?
Not only did he agree to confer the title of Duke on the Grand Tutor, but he also decided on the people who would offer sacrifices to the ancestral temple?

Then why am I entering the palace today?
……

Not only that, Liu Xie even discussed with Dong Zhuo in front of Cai Yong: "Such a treatment is indeed reasonable and legal. It seems that we should prepare for the enfeoffment of the state for the Grand Master as soon as possible."

"I am terrified."

"I'm sure the Grand Tutor has heard what Cai Zhonglang said just now. I wonder whether the Grand Tutor wants to establish a fiefdom with Pingyang in Hedong as the fiefdom, or with Lintao in Longxi, his hometown, as the fiefdom."

"I don't dare."

"The land in Hedong is actually more fertile and closer to Chang'an. It will also be close for the Grand Tutor to pay homage in the future. How about going to Hedong?"

"That won't work!"

Dong Zhuo chuckled and after declining twice, he quickly joined the discussion.

"Your Majesty, I think it's better to stay in my hometown!"

"Even a man like Xiang Yu once said, 'If you don't return to your hometown when you are rich and powerful, it is like wearing brocade clothes and walking at night.' I am not familiar with the land of Hedong, so how can I establish a country there?"

He said no, but his words showed that he was very concerned about where his sealed country was.

Dong Zhuo certainly heard what Cai Yong said just now.

The Dong family may have really originated in Hedong.

but!

How many years ago was that?

Zhuanxu? The dragon-raising clan Huanlong? Those are all mythical figures!

Dong Zhuo didn’t know any Dong father. He only knew that his father, his grandfather, and his ancestors all lived on the land of Longxi!

If you don't build an ancestral temple in your hometown and don't let your ancestors be envied by the villagers, can you still be considered a descendant of the Dong family?
Even Dong Zhuo felt that his life was without regrets when he thought about establishing a fiefdom in Laijia and enjoying the treatment of a duke or a prince!

The emperor's reward this time really touched Dong Zhuo's heart!

"Okay, then let's follow the Grand Master's advice and establish a fiefdom for him in Lintao, Longxi."

but……

Liu Xie suddenly realized a problem!
Although Lintao, Longxi is Dong Zhuo's hometown.

But now, let alone Lintao, even most of Longxi is still in Ma Teng's hands!

This kind of planning to establish a feudal state on the enemy's territory...what's the difference between this and the Zhou royal family who have no moral integrity and make irresponsible promises!
"What's so difficult about this?"

Dong Zhuo seemed to be impatient to establish a fiefdom.

"It's just Ma Teng! We just didn't have time to worry about him before, so we allowed him and Han Sui to do evil in Longyou for so long!"

"I will just ignore him. He actually dared to invade Guanzhong while I was on a campaign against Hedong. He really doesn't know how to live or die!"

Dong Zhuo kicked Dong Min and said, "This is a good opportunity for you to lead your troops to Longyou and redeem yourself from your crimes. You should also settle all old scores with Ma Teng and offer his head to our ancestral temple!"

"Grandmaster, you can't do that!"

Why are we going to war again? Guanzhong's wealth is really not enough to withstand your torment!

Liu Xie advised: "Although Ma Teng invaded Guanzhong, he later repented and defeated Han Sui together with Zhang Xiu and others."

"In this case, Ma Teng has made contributions. It would be fine if the court did not reward him, but how could they send troops to attack him at will?"

"In this case, it would be better to appoint Ma Teng as the governor of Liangzhou and let him pacify the border as a sign of goodwill. Then he will naturally give up Lintao for the Grand Tutor to build a fiefdom."

If a problem can be solved with an imperial edict, don't use food and soldiers to solve it.

According to Ma Teng's character, he would never disobey the court because of this matter. It would be better for him to handle the matter peacefully.

Dong Zhuo thought about it and agreed: "Let's do as Your Majesty wishes."

Seeing that the location of the feudal state had been resolved, Liu Xie looked at Cai Yong with a smile and said, "Is there anything wrong with Mr. Cai?"

have opinions?
Who can have an opinion?
You've even decided what to offer in the ancestral temple of the Grand Tutor, and now you're asking me for my opinion?
Ah!
(End of this chapter)