Han Dynasty Achievements

Chapter 103: The Fall of Yanmen

Noon the next day.

Inside Gyeongbokgung Palace, there was the sound of horse hooves.

Liu Bian stepped on the stirrups and galloped on his horse in the courtyard of Jingfu Palace.

Zhao Yun, dressed in silver armor, stood by, his eyes shining, both on Liu Bian's feet.

Liu Bian's horsemanship was not very good, almost zero, but the horse was very docile, and the two worked together so that Liu Bian did not make a fool of himself.

After riding for a while, Liu Bian looked up at the scorching sun, reined in his horse, took the towel handed over by Pan Yin, and wiped his wound while smiling and saying to Zhao Yun: "Qingjia, do you want to try it too?"

Zhao Yun could no longer wait, so he immediately raised his hand to respond, turned around, and jumped onto his horse, riding smoothly like flowing water.

Liu Bian looked at his graceful movements and felt very envious.

Zhao Yun was a little slow at first, as if he was getting used to the stirrups, but soon he was performing various movements on the horse, turning and moving, wielding his spear with great force, even more flexibly than on flat ground.

Liu Bian watched with envy and thought to himself: With some training, Zhao Yun could replace Zhang Liao in command of the imperial guards.

He lacked generals he could trust. Zhang Liao came from a humble background and had been by his side. As long as he showed him the right favor, he would be loyal to him!

The same goes for Zhao Yun!

Zhao Yun turned several times, leaped down, and landed in front of Liu Bian. He knelt on one knee and said, "Your Majesty is wise! This thing is really like a god's help!"

Liu Bian smiled with satisfaction and said, "No need to be polite. I have already had one thousand pairs of cavalry made for me. In a few days, you will lead one thousand cavalrymen to follow me to the battle!"

Zhao Yun said excitedly, "I obey your orders!"

Liu Bian turned to look at Zhang Liao and said, "I asked you to arrange it. Have you arranged it?"

Zhang Liao said, "Yes, everything is fine."

Liu Bian wiped his sweat, looked at the sky outside the palace, and said, "Then we'll wait for Dong Zhuo to return to the capital."

Pan Yin understood, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, they should be here tonight."

Liu Bian nodded, his eyes flickering with cold light.

Niu Fu is in Wuyuan County, with more than 10,000 elite soldiers under his command. We must not let him surrender to the Huns!

The Shangshu Terrace is located next to the Jiade Hall, not far from the Gyeongbokgung Hall.

Yang Biao, Wang Yun, Xun You and Zhong Yao were discussing matters, but Liu Bian insisted on leading the army himself. They could not persuade him and could only make preparations.

What was different from the past was that they quarreled less, spoke slowly, and tried their best to avoid certain topics.

Because not far from them, next to the main seat, King Liu Xie of Bohai was sitting there quietly.

Liu Xie had a childish look on his face, and he watched the group of people discussing the matter silently.

He still didn't understand why his brother, the emperor who was extremely wary of him, would suddenly release him and let him come to the Shangshutai to "hear government affairs."

Liu Xie once had a very absurd idea in his mind, but it was killed in an instant because it was too impossible.

Yang Biao, Wang Yun, Xun You, Zhong Yao and others glanced at Liu Xie from time to time, their minds full of thoughts.

This person's identity is now very sensitive and complicated.

The reason for the sensitivity is that when the previous emperor was alive, he repeatedly wanted to depose the legitimate heir and enthrone the younger one, and wanted to depose Liu Bian from the position of crown prince and enthrone Liu Xie instead.

Although it failed, it led to a bloody fight between the eunuch party and the foreign relatives party. In the end, the foreign relatives party won and Liu Bian succeeded to the throne smoothly. Empress Dowager Dong was driven out of the palace and Liu Xie was placed under house arrest.

All was peaceful for several months.

But now, since Liu Bian has no children, Liu Xie is the first-line heir and everyone is paying attention to him.

"What on earth do you mean, Your Majesty..."

Yang Biao and others were equally puzzled. Let Liu Xie out and let him "take charge of government" at the Secretariat?

evening.

After much hardship, Zuo Li brought Dong Zhuo back to Luoyang.

Dong Zhuo had been through a lot of trouble along the way and had lost several pounds. His originally rough face was now full of weakness.

Zuo Li sent him back to the Taiwei Mansion, then turned around and said to Gong Cheng with a smile, "Mr. Gong, I will arrange for you to stay and I will consult you in private in the evening."

Along the way, Zuo Li was deeply impressed by Mr. Gong, who had unique insights into everything. Unfortunately, Dong Zhuo was beside him, so he could not ask many questions.

As if he was afraid that Mr. Gong would run away, Zuo Li said, "I will definitely keep my promise to Mr. Gong about his future!"

'Gongcheng' sighed inwardly when he saw the familiar yet strange city of Luoyang.

Watching Mr. Gong's back, Zuo Li and the two guards beside him whispered, "Keep an eye on him, don't let him run away."

"Don't worry, my lord!" said the two guards.

Zuo Li didn't say anything more. He returned to his private residence, washed up, and then hurried into the palace.

He was one step faster than Dong Zhuo, bowed behind Liu Bian, looked extremely respectful, and described in detail what had happened along the way without hiding anything.

In Fanglin Garden, Liu Bian was holding a spear in his hand and making stabbing, chopping and thrusting movements.

He was sweating profusely, his whole body was soaked, and he said casually: "You suspect that the Black Mountain Army rescued Dong Zhuo, and that Dong Zhuo was colluding with the Black Mountain Army?"

Liu Bian didn't care about that Mr. Gong.

Zuo Li's face was tense, he didn't dare to look up, and said carefully: "Yes."

Liu Bian turned around and pointed a spear at him, his gun shaking and extremely sharp.

Zuo Li was so frightened that his legs trembled and he almost fell to his knees.

Liu Bian stared at him, slowly retracted his gun, and said, "Later, I'll apologize to Dong Qing's family."

“I understand,” Zuo Li said immediately, his heart pounding and his back feeling cold.

Ever since the incident of purchasing the private residence, he has been feeling fearful, not knowing how His Majesty in front of him would deal with him.

Liu Bian took the towel and wiped the sweat off his face. His eyes were cold and he was thinking about the relationship between Dong Zhuo and the Black Mountain Army.

The Black Mountain Army occupied the Bingzhou and Youzhou areas. If Dong Zhuo was colluding with the Black Mountain Army, then his strategy towards Dong Zhuo would have to change.

Soon, Pan Yin came to Liu Bian and said, "Your Majesty, General Dong is here."

Liu Bian threw away the towel in his hand and said, "Let him in."

Pan Yin turned around and nodded to the Zhonghuangmen not far away, and the Zhonghuangmen passed on the message one by one to the outside of Fanglin Garden.

Dong Zhuo, who was standing outside Fanglin Garden, was a tall and strong man. He originally had thick eyebrows, a high nose and a rough face, but now he bowed his head, lowered his eyebrows and looked submissive, and followed Zhonghuangmen into Fanglin Garden in small steps.

After returning to the Taiwei Mansion, which he had no use for yet, Dong Zhuo received some news that shocked and frightened him.

Guo Si, Hua Xiong and others took refuge with Lu Zhi, and half of his troops were taken away by Lu Zhi. His son-in-law and godson Niu Fu now hid in Wuyuan County.

Dong Zhuo only received the news, but he didn't know the specific details.

His contact with Bingzhou was cut off!

Dong Zhuo had lost his previous confidence and was filled with fear. He kept thinking of various strategies to survive along the way.

As he went deeper into Fanglin Garden, Dong Zhuoyue became frightened and his face became more respectful as he glanced at the guards standing around him.

After walking for a while, he saw Liu Bian leisurely drinking tea in the pavilion. He felt a chill in his neck for some reason. He quietly straightened his back, put on the appearance of a loyal minister and a capable general, raised his hand, and said to Liu Bian in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, I, Dong Zhuo, pay my respects to you!"

Liu Bian put down his teacup with a smile and said, "Dong Qing is here, please sit down."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Dong Zhuo stepped forward and sat opposite Liu Bian.

Liu Bian reached out to pour him some tea and said, "Dong Qing's family is invaded by the Xiongnu. Do you know about this?"

Dong Zhuo remained calm and said, "I just learned about it."

"What do you think?" Liu Bian picked up the teacup and handed it to him.

Dong Zhuo was flattered. He took it with both hands and said, "The Xiongnu have been harassing our borders for years. I think we should send a large army to conquer them!"

Liu Bian stared at him and said, "I intend to lead the army in person and order Lu Zhi to command all the troops in Bingzhou. What do you think?"

Dong Zhuo lowered his head, trying his best to remain calm, and said in a normal tone: "Your Majesty is wise."

Liu Bian stared at him intently and said, "Then, should you write a letter to Niu Fu and order him to lead the troops to Taiyuan?"

Dong Zhuo's heart suddenly tightened, and the corner of his face twitched uncontrollably. He suddenly regained his consciousness and said, "I obey your order."

Liu Bian had a blank expression on his face and slowly sat back.

Pan Yin came over with the writing brush and ink and placed them on the tea table.

Dong Zhuo didn't hesitate for a moment, he picked up the pen and started writing without thinking at all.

Liu Bian kept staring at him, and the guards around him held the hilts of their knives. If Dong Zhuo made the slightest move, he would be chopped into meat paste!

Dong Zhuo wrote very quickly. After he finished writing, he held the paper up with both hands and handed it to Liu Bian.

Liu Bian took it and read it carefully. He found nothing unusual. He immediately handed it to Pan Yin with a smile on his face and said to Dong Zhuo, "Dong Qing's family is indeed loyal to the emperor and the country. They did not disappoint me."

Dong Zhuo's heart was bleeding, and he was terrified and nervous at the same time. He remained loyal on the surface, bowed his body, and said in a deep voice: "It is my duty to share your majesty's worries."

Liu Bian's eyes flickered, and he said, "Your family is so righteous, I can't let you suffer. How about this, the post of Jizhou Mu is vacant, and your family will take over as Jizhou Mu."

Dong Zhuo was stunned. Governor of Jizhou?

He was not the first one to serve as a governor of a province while holding the title of Grand Marshal. There was a precedent like Zhang Wen, Dong Zhuo's old boss.

Dong Zhuo did not look up, nor did he ask any questions. Instead, he was thinking: Could it be that the young emperor wants to transfer me to Jizhou?

Liu Bian's smile became more sincere as his worries came to an end. He picked up the teacup and took a sip. Seeing that Dong Zhuo didn't say anything, he asked, "My dear, what's the problem?"

Dong Zhuo said quickly: "I accept your order and thank you."

Liu Bian nodded and said, "If your family has any other requests, please feel free to ask. I will do whatever you want."

Dong Zhuo was uneasy and didn't dare to ask for anything. He said solemnly, "I only wish to share your majesty's worries and help the country."

Liu Bian narrowed his eyes slightly and thought to himself: Is the pressure too harsh?

Dong Zhuo, a man who was despised and targeted by the aristocratic families, the court and the public, was the most useful person to him, especially when his military power had been taken away and his foundation was completely gone.

It would be a pity to discard it like this.

Liu Bian thought about this and said to Dong Zhuo: "Sir, there are still many vacancies in the court. Please feel free to recommend someone. I will approve it."

Dong Zhuo was confused about Liu Bian's purpose. He thought about it anxiously and said, "Your Majesty, please allow me to visit wise men for you after I return."

Liu Bian smiled and said loudly, "Thank you for your hard work. You have worked hard on this journey. Go back and rest early. By the way, I have specially arranged a house for you. Zuo Li, you lead Dong Qingjia there in person and apologize to Dong Qingjia."

"Yes." Zuo Li responded quickly, with a look of fear on his face.

Dong Zhuo stood up, raised his hand and said in a deep voice: "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will take my leave."

Liu Bian looked at his face, and even if he tried to hide it, his anger and fear were still revealed.

Zuo Li and Liu Bian bowed and led Dong Zhuo out of Fanglin Garden in small steps.

Pan Yin took a memorial from not far away and turned to hand it to Liu Bian.

When Liu Bian saw that it was from Lu Zhi, he quickly opened it and took a look at it. His face suddenly became as gloomy as water.

Yanmen County——lost!

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