My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 74 The Gao Clan of Bohai?

After making his inquiries, Liu Gui brought back the latest news for Gao Yu and the others.

Gao Yu and the others were all shocked upon hearing this!
"I never imagined... that the soldiers in the central army would be so audacious?"

Gao Huan found it hard to believe.

Liu Gui laughed and said, "In the end, it didn't cause any major trouble, and was quelled by the Prince of Jiangyang with the Imperial Guards. On the contrary, it was Erlang..."

"I?"

"You didn't go out today, but the people of Luoyang are all talking about how you single-handedly drove back hundreds of soldiers yesterday. Now, the name Huai Shuo Mo He Du is known to everyone in Luoyang!"

“Even… the abbot of Yongning Temple said that you are the reincarnation of the Buddha’s Dharma protector Vajra.”

Gao Yu was shocked!

It was one thing for people in Huai Shuo to fabricate myths and legends to praise him back then.

This is in Luoyang!

Such rumors would probably cost him nine lives, and the imperial court wouldn't be able to stop him from being executed.

It seemed she could sense his worry.

Liu Gui quickly reassured him, "Second Brother, don't panic. The current Empress Dowager is a Buddhist, so such rumors may not be a bad thing. She might even personally meet with you and reward you."

Although Luoyang has been restored to its former state, the political situation in the imperial court is turbulent.

The disturbance caused by the gathering of the central army did not appear to be a major disturbance on the surface. It was quelled by Yuan Yi and the Imperial Guards within half a day, and the next day, peace and prosperity resumed as usual.

However, the political consequences are extremely negative!
It can be said that if the imperial court fails to handle the situation properly, it will lose all its prestige and thus affect the foundation of its rule. This is something that all the wise people in the court know.

Once everything was settled, Empress Dowager Hu immediately summoned all the civil and military officials and meritorious officials in Luoyang for a court meeting.

Even if she was slow to realize, she eventually understood that the matter concerning the Central Army could not be delayed any longer!

If we delay any longer, things might get even worse.

Holding the young emperor in her arms, Empress Dowager Hu looked at the ministers sitting upright and spoke for the first time ever.

"I have summoned you all here today to discuss how to deal with the Central Army. Do any of you have any good strategies to offer me?"

Cui Guang, Li Chong, Li Shao, and others naturally chose to protect themselves and remained silent.

This concerns the central army.

Severe punishment?
That was offending the central army. The fate of General Zhang Yi, who was in charge of the Western Expedition, was known to everyone in Luoyang. He was beaten half to death by the soldiers of the central army, his mansion was burned down, and his eldest son was beaten to death and thrown into the fire, leaving no trace of his body.

Yuan Ti is the ancestral king.

He is still unconscious.

They didn't want to put themselves in danger; they had said so frankly when they advised Yuan Yi.

"Don't say you weren't warned."

It's been pre-arranged.

You ask me.

Well, I have nothing to say.

Should.

It was Yuan Yi's own procrastination that led to this disaster. Who can he blame?

To appease them?
how?

Despite their high positions, they were still Han officials, not citizens of the country, yet they still spoke up for the central army, attempting to form a coalition between civil and military officials.
Is he trying to use this opportunity to win over the hearts and minds of the Chinese military?

Is the next step to rebel or instigate a rebellion to advance one's own career?
Ever since Sima Yi swore an oath by pointing to the Luo River, these elderly and highly respected ministers have found it difficult to get along in the court.

The best way to die peacefully is to play dumb.

After all, he's getting old.

If Cui Guang and the others didn't speak up, the other ministers below them didn't dare to either.

Empress Dowager Hu was furious when no one responded for a long time. She angrily rebuked them, "You all hold high positions and consider yourselves pillars of the country. Yet now the Central Army has committed such shocking acts, burning down the Ministry of Personnel, showing contempt for the court, attacking princes, harming officials, and disregarding the law!"

"Is this how the pillars of a nation serve their country?"

In the past, she always felt quite happy when she saw Yuan Yi!
But this time it involved the very foundation of her rule, so she had no time to be happy. She pointed at Yuan Yi and said...

"Prince Qinghe, tell me how to deal with the central army! I've given you so much time to think about it, surely you should have come up with a proper solution by now?"

Yuan Yi looked troubled.

Did he have time to think things through these days? How could Empress Dowager Hu not know?

Looking at Yuan Yi's faint smile beside him, and at Cui Guang and the others who were resting with their eyes closed, Yuan Yi was also very angry!
damn it!
He gritted his teeth, hardened his heart, and spoke!

"The soldiers of the central army have no regard for the law and show no respect for the imperial authority!"

"Must be severely punished!"

"Only severe punishment can demonstrate the majesty of the imperial court and the inviolability of the law!"

"If they are not severely punished, the people will surely look down on the emperor, doubt the empress dowager, and deceive the country!"

The ministers had various expressions, but still no one spoke.

At this time.

An untimely burst of laughter rang out in the Taiji Hall. Everyone looked and saw that it was Yuan Yi who had made the noise.

Yuan Yi suppressed his anger and retorted, "Does the Prince of Jiangyang have a different opinion? Just say it, why are you laughing?" Yuan Yi laughed and said, "I'm laughing because the Prince of Qinghe has been praised for his quick wit since childhood, but now he's so foolish! He's saying such stupid things, which only makes him a laughingstock."

"you!"

"Does Prince Qinghe know how many people are in the Central Army around Luoyang? Over the years, they have intermarried and formed deep-rooted connections, with each other intertwined with the other! Which of the many nobles present does not have relatives or friends in the Central Army? How can we punish them severely? Prince Qinghe, can you tell me how many people you intend to kill?"

Yuan Yi dismissed Yuan Yi's questioning with disdain.

"How can one cherish life when there is chaos or order!"

"The central army is still afraid of the court. Even when there is unrest, they do not dare to put on their armor and take up arms. Their numbers are also small, which is why it was so easily quelled. If they are not severely punished, the court will lose all its authority. If there is a next time, will it be able to be quelled as well?"

Yuan Yi sneered, "It seems that Prince Qinghe is determined to unleash a massacre, and the soldiers of the central army can only wait and see? Anyway, I dare not. The imperial guards under my command number only a little over ten thousand. Although they are elite, they cannot control the entire central army!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yi was immediately speechless.

He glared at Yuan Yi, gritting his teeth. After a long while, as if he had thought of something, he uttered a startling statement.

"What's so difficult about that! Just mobilize the strongest troops from the six garrisons to Luoyang..."

But before he could finish speaking...

As the head of the Han officials, Cui Guang, who had been feigning death, suddenly stood up and interrupted the Prince of Qinghe without any politeness. He glanced at the Prince of Qinghe and said, "Does the Prince of Qinghe not know how to read books? Have you not heard of the old story of Dong Zhuo in the Later Han Dynasty!"

Upon hearing this, the court fell silent.

Everyone looked at Prince Qinghe, Yuan Yi, as if he were an idiot.

Yuan Yi's words were not wrong. If he was afraid of losing control of the central army and dared not take drastic measures against it, then why not just bring in those barbarians from the Six Garrisons?

However, this creates a new problem.

Who will control these barbarians?
Yuan Yi, of course, was a scholar. Upon hearing Cui Guang's words, his face turned deathly pale, and for a moment, he was speechless.

Upon seeing this, Jiangyang King Yuan Yi's smile widened even further.

He said, "The reason why the Central Army is in such a big mess this time is because the court has been dragging its feet on the selection process, leaving it unresolved. This has caused panic among the soldiers of the Central Army, which has led to this disaster!"

Yuan Yi knew he had lost the debate, but he was still unconvinced, so he argued irrationally, "So, according to the Prince of Jiangyang, since the Central Army did such a thing, showing no respect for the laws of the court and causing the imperial family's dignity to be disgraced, should not only be punished, but should they also be rewarded and honored?"

Yuan Yi smiled and shook his head, "This is the intention of the Prince of Qinghe, not my own idea."

"enough!"

Empress Dowager Hu angrily rebuked, "The Prince of Jiangyang made great contributions in quelling the disturbance in the Central Army. If you have anything to say, then speak your mind."

Yuan Yi then clasped his hands in a salute, saying, "The matter concerning the Central Army must indeed be severely punished, but only the ringleaders who incited the people should be severely punished! All the others who were incited are innocent!"

"The matter concerning the Princess of Guangping was solely the work of Mu Yong; we cannot generalize from this single instance. The Central Army has no connection to this matter!"

"As for the matter of selection mentioned by the General Who Conquers the West, it is utter nonsense. Civil and military officials are all loyal subjects of our Great Wei. How can they be treated differently? The whole reason is because of the memorial submitted by the General Who Conquers the West."

“I am also saddened by the fate of General Zhang Zheng. He was a man of great integrity, but... his current predicament is his own doing. The court, remembering his loyalty, should show him compassion and reward him handsomely.”

"In this way, we can both set an example for others and calm the restless hearts of the central army. The soldiers of the central army will surely be grateful to His Majesty and the Empress Dowager, and will loyally guard Luoyang in the future, daring not to cause any trouble."

"I wonder... if the Prince of Qinghe would agree to my proposal?"

Yuan Yi's face turned pale and then red, and in the end he could only snort coldly, "Everything must be decided by the Empress Dowager and His Majesty."

Empress Dowager Hu glanced at Yuan Yi, her eyes filled with disappointment.

Cui Guang and the others glanced at Yuan Yi, exchanged a look, but did not offer any opinions.

After a moment's thought, Empress Dowager Hu...

He felt that Yuan Yi's words made a lot of sense. After all, he was his brother-in-law. How could his own family harm him?

He immediately agreed, "Let's proceed according to the proposal of the Prince of Jiangyang. The Prince of Jiangyang handled the disturbance in the central army appropriately and should be commended. We also need to send someone to the Prince of Guangping's residence to investigate and order the best physicians to treat him!"

Yuan Yi spoke again at this moment.

"Your Majesty, another person has made a great contribution this time! He deserves to be rewarded!"

"Besides storming the residence of the General Who Conquers the West, another group of soldiers surrounded the Prince of Guangping's villa, where the Princess Consort was at the time! It was this hero who protected the Princess Consort and preserved the dignity of the imperial family, so he naturally deserves a reward!"

"Oh?"

Empress Dowager Hu pressed further, "Who is it?"

"This person is a messenger from Huai Shuo, named Mo Heduo!"

"Are they Xianbei? Do they have a Han name?"

At this moment, Li Chong stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this man is the meritorious official who welcomed the Rouran king back south during the previous northern expedition against the Rouran. His Xianbei name is Moheduo, and his Han name is Gao Yu. He is the second son of the Gao family!"

"This young man is extremely brave; his reputation for valor has spread throughout the six towns!"

Cui Guang also spoke up, "For such a brave and valiant person, I propose that his household registration be changed. He will surely feel grateful for the court's great favor, and then he can be transferred to Luoyang to serve His Majesty and the Empress Dowager!"

Yuan Yi was quite taken aback.

Do these two old foxes also want to win Gao Yu over?
but……

Empress Dowager Hu narrowed her eyes, as if she had remembered something, and asked calmly, "Surname Gao? Is it the Gao clan of Bohai?"

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Cui Guang's heart skipped a beat. He had forgotten something very important, but since the Empress Dowager had already asked, he had no choice but to answer. He had to bite the bullet and say, "His ancestors were the Marquis of Dong'e, who was later exiled to Huai Shuo for committing a crime."

Empress Dowager Hu seemed to react to the stimulus.

With a ferocious expression, he flatly refused!
"This is absolutely impossible!"

(End of this chapter)