About Cao Cao's reincarnation as the emperor's uncle

Chapter 11 The troubles caused by the Hu people are endless

Liu Fang looked at the ink condensed in the inkstone, and suddenly felt bitter in his throat.

At that time, Huangfu Song, after getting drunk, was holding just such a wolf hair brush and drawing blood-red marks on the map.

That sigh seems to still linger in my ears.

Huangfu Song sat slumped on a Hu bed, his weathered face split in two by the swaying light and shadow:

"Is it more than just a defeat?"

He tapped his fingers on the blood-stained Xianbei territory on the map:
"This is like breaking the big man's spine."

Huangfu Song's pain went far beyond the defeat in that battle.

I want to save the country, but I am powerless to turn the tide...

He almost exhausted all the strength of the Huangfu family, but achieved almost nothing as the governor of the northern land.

"The sound of gongs and drums on the day the victory news came is still in my dreams."

"As expected, this so-called good news of the Xianbei's defeat was actually a trap carefully woven by Tan Shihuai..."

……

This disastrous defeat opened a huge wound in the Han Dynasty, and the main force of the border defense army suffered a devastating blow.

From an intuitive point of view, there were heavy casualties among soldiers and heavy losses of money and food.

What is more serious is that the Han Dynasty had to switch to passive defense against the Xianbei and lost the ability to take the initiative.

From then on, there was no more smoke from Han cooking fires north of the Great Wall. The Xianbei's scimitars were like a black evil tide, leaving only one tenth of the population in those border counties.

The people of Yanmen and Daijun were forced to migrate south, and only the cawing of crows among the broken walls remained of the former villages. Hetao fell again.

"The border is desolate, with no survivors left."

"The Xianbei are like tigers, and the Han generals are like rats."

Thinking of this, Liu Fang couldn't help but smile bitterly.

In his previous life, these words spread throughout the Nine Provinces like a plague. To Liu Hong, it was like countless hands pulling him off the dragon bed.

The Chanyu of the Southern Xiongnu was seriously injured and died on the grassland the following year. The Southern Xiongnu tribe became disloyal and the Han Dynasty's control over the many surrendered tribes gradually weakened.

The annual military expenditure deficit of over 2 billion yuan has gnawed away the national treasury.

Until the Wuhuan and Southern Xiongnu also rebelled completely, the Hu and Lu invaded each other, the border was in turmoil, and the military farming system collapsed.

The war spread to western Liaoning, and the prefect Zhao Bao died in the chaos.

Zhao Bao was the cousin of the eunuch Zhao Zhong, and one of the few people he regarded as his closest relative.

As a result, Zhao Zhong, in grief and anger, completely threw himself into the struggle against the factions.

Later, there came a treacherous minister who was as famous as Zhang Rang.

"The Qiang Rebellion is even more heartbreaking..."

Huangfu Song's words from that year were still ringing in his ears. He was saddened that he could not continue the good situation of controlling the Qiang people during Huangfu Gui's period.

For the Han Dynasty, the Qiang Rebellion was so devastating that Duan Xing's strategy of "fighting to support the war" alone resulted in the deaths of 45 out of 10 soldiers, and 4.4 billion coins flowed into the battlefield like water.

After much difficulty, they were able to gain a moment of peace through the appeasement of Huangfu Gui and Zhang Huan, but it all came to nothing with the death of one person and the resignation of another.

……

Suddenly, a howling north wind blew outside the window.

The memories of following Huangfu Song in the campaign against the Yellow Turbans in his previous life became increasingly clear.

While they were fighting fiercely with the Yellow Turban Army in the Central Plains, the Qiang people in the north joined forces with the Lesser Yuezhi, and brought with them the rebels Bian Zhang and Han Sui, sweeping across the banks of the Yellow River.

Those fierce cavalrymen, their hands stained with the blood of the Han people, planted the battle flags representing the "Qiang Rebellion" all over Liangzhou.

Three years after the Yellow Turban Rebellion was suppressed, at the foot of Chencang City, I still remember Huangfu Song wearing black armor, standing on the watchtower and gazing at the rebel camp.

The cold moon reflected on his frosty temples, and his iron armor trembled slightly in the wind.

"Besiege but not attack..."

The old general's voice was as deep as a dusk drum:

"It's not that we don't want to attack, it's just that the big man's confidence has long been drained."

The food and grass were running out, but the rebels were gathering in larger and larger numbers. That silent confrontation was nothing more than the dying groan of the great man.

Five years! The flames of war in Liangzhou have never ceased.

Grain transport convoys went westward in an endless stream, but it was as if they had fallen into a bottomless pit and no news was heard from them.

In the court, Cui Lie's advice was sharp and harsh:
"It's better to abandon this cumbersome place!"

Fu Xie's eyes widened in anger, and he slammed his tablet heavily on the jade steps:

"If Liangzhou is lost, Guanzhong will be in danger!"

Although Liu Hong adopted the latter, the northwestern territory was already in name only for the Han Dynasty.

The iron hooves of the Xianbei, the scimitars of the Qiang people, and the rebellions of the Southern Xiongnu and Wuhuan were like countless sharp blades cutting into the body of the Han people at the same time.

As the treasury ran out of money, the imperial court began to sell official positions and titles at fixed prices.

If the land tax cannot be collected, an additional ten coins per mu will be levied.

Although it was all in the name of military expenses, the Han army really needed this life-saving money.

However, regardless of whether the people can bear the heavy taxes, it is a blessing from God that they can survive.

The loss of borders has left the Silk Road, once filled with the sound of camel bells, with only broken walls, desolate graves and ghosts.

The caravans from the Central Plains and the Western Regions disappeared, and many wealthy families in the north moved south with their families. The once prosperous counties and prefectures gradually became deserted.

The Han Dynasty is at a critical moment of life and death.

Perhaps because of this, Liu Hong couldn't wait any longer...

So they let Liu Kang do the so-called informing, and after the aristocratic families eliminated the powerful threat of Liu Fang, they directly launched the Taiping Dao to overturn the table.

……

"Is this the root cause of Ma Yuanyi's death..."

Liu Fang rubbed the tip of his nose and put his fingertips between his eyebrows in thought.

Regardless of whether this speculation is on point, the most urgent task is not to find the truth.

The threat from the Xianbei is like a sharp sword hanging over our heads. No matter what we do in this life, we cannot let the war start so soon.

This is not a question of victory or defeat, nor is it a dilemma that can be resolved solely by good generals and elite soldiers.

Even if he could gather all the heroes and generals he knew in his previous life, the Han Dynasty today would find it difficult to sustain a "national war".

The Han Dynasty's accumulated problems were already at a critical stage. Its food and fodder dispatch and logistical supplies were all riddled with holes.
The Xianbei people had already woven a tight net outside the Great Wall, and perhaps that huge net had already been tightened.

A single move will affect the entire body. If a war breaks out with the Xianbei, the Wuhuan, Xiongnu and other Hu peoples will definitely not sit idly by.

What's more, the Xianbei are now at their peak. Tan Shihuai has unified the grassland and led his troops to win a series of great victories, and their morale is at its peak.

There is also a group of elite soldiers and generals who have been through many battles over the years, and the area outside the Great Wall is the home ground of the Hu cavalry.

The worst thing was that the Han court knew very little about the real situation of the Xianbei and didn't even know where to make its move.

This situation is completely different from the Battle of Guandu in the previous life.

It's not just a difference in the number of troops, there's no room for maneuvering in the "ten wins and ten losses" scenario.

If the Han Dynasty fights this battle now, it will surely lose.

But this battle, sooner or later, is inevitable.

Liu Fang closed his eyes and sighed, his thousands of thoughts tangled like a tangled thread, finally turning into a deep sigh.

He straightened his robe, looked at everyone in the hall, and said in a deep voice:
"How's everything going?"

Xu Shao usually stroked his long beard, but at this moment, he rarely showed any leisurely attitude and said solemnly:
"In a peaceful era, uphold the principles of justice; in a chaotic era, eliminate the disloyal. My criticism of Cao Cao has spread, and within a few days, it will surely cause a stir among the scholars."

"Everything has been arranged in the streets and alleys, in teahouses and taverns. People will naturally build momentum for Cao Cao among the people."

Jian Shuo narrowed his eyes, his voice lower than usual, and said respectfully:
"As ordered by the Lord, I have already instructed Cao Cao on how to respond after he enters the palace."

Feng Yan took a half step forward and spoke in a very slow tone:
"All the false evidence prepared by Mr. Zhang has been collected..." Feng Yan's voice became even lower as he hunched over.

"Within three days, the secret letter announcing the appearance of Emperor Heng's younger brother will be delivered to the desks of all the major families in Luoyang."

After saying this, Feng Xian took a step back and stood on both sides with the others, waiting for orders.

Liu Fang glanced at everyone, pondered for a moment, and slowly spoke:
"Yuan Huo, send all your secret agents to present the true situation of the Xianbei to me as soon as possible..."

He paused and added:

"At least we need to find out the distribution of their internal forces and their movements at the border."

"General, once everything in Luoyang is settled, spread the news of Emperor Heng's youngest son carrying the imperial edict throughout the nine states."

Liu Fang looked at Xu Shao and Feng Chan:
"Let Yuan Huo arrange for the Taiping Dao to work together on this matter."

Upon hearing this, Feng Yan and Xu Shao both bowed their heads and replied:

"Here."

Liu Fang turned to look at Jian Shuo:
"Zi Lie, tell Meng De that after he enters the palace to see the emperor, he must not accept any rewards. He only needs to ask for one thing: to guard the border to show his ambition to be the Wolf's Lair."

His eyes darkened and he continued:
"Secondly, from today onwards, we will publicly distance ourselves from Wang Fu and focus on investigating his connection with the matter concerning King Liu Que of Bohai..."

"In fact, we want to use this to find out which royal family members have entered the palace over the years, as well as the interactions between the royal family princes and the palace."

After saying this, Liu Fang took the silk pen from the table and wrote as he said:

"Although Zhang Huan now lives in seclusion, he has been confronting the Hu people for half his life and is well aware of the situation on the border."

He paused slightly:
"Huangfu Gui was his close friend, both from Sanming, Liangzhou. If he had known that he was seriously ill and dying, he would have come to see him."

"I had some friendship with him in my early years. He knew Ma Yuanyi's identity as the emperor's attendant..."

"Zi Liao, you, as a Yulin Lang, take my letter and go to Hongnong to look for him."

"First, to explain to him the threat posed by the Xianbei and Qiang peoples, and second, to inform him of Huangfu Gui's impending death. He then secretly invited Zhang Huan to Luoyang to discuss important border affairs."

Liu Fang paused and continued:

"Also, ask Feng Qian to mobilize two secret agents to assist you. Keep them in Hongnong and keep a close eye on the movements of the Hongnong Yang family in the near future."

Xu Rong nodded as he took notes, and the shallow scar running across his right cheek trembled, looking a little hideous.

Liu Fang's gaze shifted away from Xu Rong, and he suddenly remembered that Yuan Shao should have just returned to Luoyang after completing his mourning period.

In his previous life, he did not get the leverage over the Yuan family given by Yuan Shao. Apparently, something unexpected happened between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao yesterday that had never happened in his previous life.

He remembered clearly that Yuan Shao claimed to be in seclusion in Luoyang during this period. On the surface, he did not easily make friends with guests, but in fact he secretly had close contacts with party members and chivalrous men.

Zhang Miao, He Yong, Xu You and others should all be in his house at this moment.

In his previous life, these people were all his close friends.

In his previous life, he beat his uncle Jian Shuo to death with a stick and was demoted to the magistrate of Dunqiu. Fortunately, he received secret help from Zhang Miao when he was in trouble, which saved him from danger.

Later, he raised the banner of rebellion in Chenliu, and Zhang Miao was the first to respond. At that time, his power was weak, and it was thanks to Zhang Miao's protection that he was able to establish his foundation.

However, things are unpredictable, and it was Zhang Miao who conspired with Chen Gong and Lu Bu to stab him in the back.

Xu You was the great hero who defected from Yuan Shao during the Battle of Guandu and helped him burn down Wuchao.

He was also the arrogant young man called Ah Man, who was proud of his achievements and was eventually killed by Xu Chu.

He Yong was a true member of the Qingliu Party, a leading figure in the literati community, and the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on Dong Zhuo.

These people all visited the Northern Weifu Yamen at night, drank and chatted with Cao Cao, denounced the eunuch party for harming the country, and were in high spirits.

It seems that Yuan Shao had planned this a long time ago, but because of his background as a eunuch in his previous life, he did not dare to entrust everything to him.

This time, Cao Cao took the initiative to find him, and his willingness to help was probably related to the internal strife within the Yuan family.

When talking about Yuan Shao, Liu Fang suddenly recalled an interesting story.

In the past, Yuan Shao lost his mother and went into mourning. He resigned from his official position and returned to his hometown to observe the mourning period, bringing with him a group of chariots and cavalry followers.

When they were about to enter Runan, Yuan Shao heard that Xu Shao was there. Fearing that he would be criticized badly, he dismissed his guests and quietly returned home in a carriage alone.

Thinking of this, Liu Fang suddenly clapped his hands and laughed, looking at Xu Shao.

Xu Shao was startled when he saw this, and couldn't help but bow and ask:

"Why are you laughing, sir?"

Liu Fang smiled even more:

"I just remembered an interesting story. How was your relationship with Yuan Benchu?"

Xu Shao understood and smiled:
"More than just acquaintances, the Runan Yuan family and the Runan Xu family have been intermarried for generations, and Yuan Shao and I have known each other since childhood..."

"Besides, we are both trapped in the disputes between the noble families and cannot help ourselves. We can be said to be in the same boat."

He paused and continued:
"The Yuan family of Runan and the Yuan family of Chenjun are from the same lineage, and the Xu family of Runan and the Xu family of Nanyang are also from the same origin."

"The aristocratic families are intricately connected. It may seem like an iron network, but in reality, there is constant fighting, both open and covert."

After saying this, Xu Shao's eyes flickered:

"I have understood your intention..."

"Xu You, who is by Yuan Shao's side, was recommended by me. I will find an opportunity to investigate him in the afternoon."

Liu Fang nodded, his eyes full of approval.

At this point in time, most of his trusted aides in his previous life were no more than ten years old.

It is a blessing to have the assistance of someone as smart and capable as Xu Shao.

"I'll leave everything to you."

After a pause, Liu Fang looked at Feng Yan again and suddenly asked:
"Yuan Huo, do you know Tian Yan and Zang Min?"

Feng Chen was startled when he heard this, his originally hunched back almost falling to the ground:

"Your Excellency is truly a god! After the great Xianbei victory, I saw these two men's memorial arrive in Luoyang this morning."

"When Huangfu Gui fell seriously ill, Tian Yan took over as Protector of the Qiang. Back when Duan Xing was stationed at the border, Tian Yan and Xia Yu were both his military officers."

He paused, his tone becoming more respectful:
"Tian Yan conquered the Qiang region and achieved remarkable feats repeatedly. In the Battle of Hanyang in the second year of Jianning, he inspired his soldiers, fought bravely, and turned the tide..."

"Zang Min, currently serving as the Governor of Yangzhou, submitted a memorial detailing the recent developments of Xu Zhao's rebellion and specifically commending Chen You, the Prefect of Danyang, and Sun Jian, the Commander-in-Chief of Wu."

Feng Xian's flattering words were secondary. What was important was the undisguised admiration and worship in his eyes that made Liu Fang feel truly comfortable.

This person, no matter how old he is, this innate vanity is really...uncontrollable.

Although Feng Yan only said a few words, they contained a huge amount of information.

Sun Jian is the future tiger of Jiangdong and the father of Sun Ce and Sun Quan. There is no need to say more about this.

Tian Yan, Zang Min, and Xia Yu, the governor of Beidi who had just submitted a report on his victory.

It was these three who formed the three armies that were defeated by the Xianbei three years later.

However, at that time Xia Yu had already been promoted to the commander of the Wuhuan Guard, Tian Yan was transferred to the position of Lieutenant General of the Xianbei Guard, and Zang Min was also promoted to Lieutenant General of the Xiongnu Guard.

As mentioned before, no matter who comes to this battle, they are bound to lose.

Therefore, this does not mean that these three people are incompetent.

On the contrary, Zang Min came from a poor family, and Tian Yan and Xia Yu rose from humble beginnings, all of whom rose to prominence through their military exploits.

"Tell me about the relevant matters in detail."

Seeing Liu Fang's interested expression, Feng Chen raised his voice a little higher:

"Xia Yu and Tian Yan are both fierce and brave men. They followed Duan Xing in the battles in Qiang territory for many years..."

Note:

① Tan Shihuai unified the Xianbei tribes
Book of the Later Han:
"Tan Shihuai established his court on the banks of the Chuchou River on the Danhan Mountains, over 300 miles north of Gaoliu. His army was very large, and all the leaders from the east and west flocked to him. He raided the borderlands in the south, repelled the Dingling in the north, repelled the Fuyu in the east, and attacked the Wusun in the west. He occupied all the former Xiongnu territory, stretching over 14,000 miles from east to west and 7,000 miles from north to south, encompassing mountains, rivers, marshes, and salt ponds."

Book of the Later Han:
"Tan Shihuai died at the age of forty-five, and his son Helian succeeded him. Helian was not as talented as his father, and he was often involved in banditry. He was greedy and lustful, and his justice was unfair. Half of his people rebelled..."

②After the failure of the Northern Expedition
Book of the Later Han:
"After the three generals were defeated, the imperial court realized that the Xianbei were too powerful to be subdued. So they sent an envoy with a seal and ribbon to crown Tan Shihuai as king, hoping to establish a peace alliance with him. Tan Shihuai refused, and the raids became more severe."

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(End of this chapter)