Liu Bian at the start, so you're called Dong Zhuo, right?

Chapter 117 The West Wind Blows Strong

Three days later, an urgent report came from Liangzhou to the imperial court.

It's not bad news.

On the contrary, it's wonderful news.

In the Deyang Palace, an attendant held up a military report and read aloud: "Dong Zhuo has led his army to defeat several enemy forces in succession. The military strength in Wuwei and Anding has greatly increased, and the unrest in various prefectures has been quelled in half."

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.

But then hushed whispers began to circulate among the trains.

The chaos in Liangzhou didn't begin overnight.

The Qiang and Hu tribes were fickle, the prefectures and counties were wavering, and the border troops, prefectures and counties, and the imperial court were all arguing amongst themselves. Often, one thing would become three, and a military order would be broken into seven or eight pieces halfway through.

The previous leaders weren't unwilling to fight, but they either couldn't fight effectively or couldn't fight quickly enough.

However, Dong Zhuo only stayed for a few months before he managed to suppress the matter.

It was faster than expected.

On the dragon throne, Emperor Ling of Han had read the military report from beginning to end, and the weariness on his face had lessened somewhat.

"it is good."

He slammed the military report on the table, revealing a rare hint of genuine joy in front of the entire court.

"I only knew Dong Zhongying was brave before, but now it seems that he is more than just brave."

"They can fight."

Immediately, someone from inside the hall responded and came out.

"Your Majesty is wise! The troubles in Liangzhou have been brewing for a long time, and Dong Zhuo was able to suppress them in just a few months. This shows that he is skilled in military affairs, and it also shows that the court has made the right choice in appointing generals."

"I second that opinion."

"Although Dong Zhongying came from Xiliang, he was truly a capable general."

The meaning changes completely when the word "能将" is uttered.

He was neither a border general nor a brave general, nor was he "still usable".

Yes, it can.

The expressions on the faces of the courtiers in the hall varied.

Most of He Jin's faction members still wore smiles, clearly pleased with the outcome. Stabilizing Liangzhou was good for the court, and perhaps not without benefit for the Grand General's Mansion as well. At least with the border regions temporarily at peace, the capital would have one less obstacle to overcome.

In Shilin, the division is even more detailed.

Some people genuinely praised him, feeling that the court had finally placed the right person; others, however, already had a faint shadow between their brows. Being able to fight is one thing, but fighting too quickly and having too much military prestige is another.

As for those who still had some lingering connections with the old eunuchs, their expressions were even more subtle. Once Dong Zhuo gained power, there would naturally be many opportunities to manipulate the relationships between these border generals and their old connections in the capital.

No one in this hall would directly say, "It is not advisable to reinstate Dong Zhuo."

Liu Bian stood on the throne of the crown prince, his expression remaining calm throughout.

He also finished reading the military report.

His face showed no change, but his heart sank little by little.

His understanding of Dong Zhuo from his previous life was no longer applicable to assessing the person before him.

In his original memory, Dong Zhuo was not a truly supreme ruler.

This man was skilled in fighting, ruthless, and willing to gamble, but in terms of foundation, vision, and ability to control the situation, he was far less terrifying than later generations imagined.

The reason he was able to gradually advance into Luoyang and grow to such a powerful position was ultimately not entirely due to his own strength, but also because the circumstances of the time pushed him to that position.

When the emperor died, the capital was in chaos. The outer court, eunuchs, and relatives of the empress were killing each other. Everyone wanted to borrow troops from outside the capital, but no one could control them.

Dong Zhuo merely happened to stand in front of that cracked door and caught up in that chaos, which is why he later became a "hero"—or rather, a scourge.

Therefore, Liu Bian had always harbored a thought—

Once the situation in the court stabilizes and the Crown Prince is free to act, he will use his official position and any pretext to summon Dong Zhuo to the capital.

At that time, whether it's promoting him, transferring him to a higher position, or giving him a nominal title, the priority will be to first separate him from the troops in Liangzhou, and then gradually strip him of his military power.

Once the people enter the capital and the soldiers leave his hands, Dong Zhuo will be like a tiger in a cage or a wolf with its claws severed; no matter how fierce he is, he will be reduced to half his strength.

But now, that idea is no longer feasible.

Because the Dong Zhuo of this life is not the same Dong Zhuo who entered the scene through chaos in his previous life.

In this life, he earned it through his own efforts.

First, defeat the Yellow Turbans, then suppress the Western Liang.

He built up his military achievements one by one, gradually gaining the hearts of his soldiers, prestige, and the trust of the court. The Dong Zhuo of today was no longer the man who could be easily promoted to the capital with a mere imperial edict or a hollow title.

Behind him stood not only Xiliang soldiers.

There are also newly established military achievements, the title of "capable general" recently acknowledged by the court, and His Majesty's growing appreciation for him.

How can such a person be recruited and dismissed from the army simply by "finding any pretext"?

"Crown Prince."

On the throne, Emperor Ling of Han suddenly called out his name.

Liu Bian came to his senses, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully.

"Your subject is here."

"What do you think?"

What kind of person was Dong Zhuo?

Many eyes in the hall immediately turned to look.

"Your Majesty, if Liangzhou is stable, the court will have one less major threat."

"Dong Zhuo's ability to stabilize the situation over the past few months demonstrates that he is not only brave in battle, but also knows how to control troops, counties, and rebellions. Such a talented general is indeed worthy of being given important responsibilities."

Emperor Ling of Han was clearly quite satisfied upon hearing this, and even his brows relaxed.

"You think so too."

"Your subject only looks at military reports, not at personal backgrounds," Liu Bian said. "Being able to suppress Liangzhou for the court is a merit."

"

That's a beautifully said statement.

Emperor Ling of Han nodded.

That's good.

After a short while, the ministers reported some minor matters, and then no one else stepped forward.

"Dismiss the court."

Inside the Chengde Hall, Liu Bian sat at a table.

Apart from him, only Xun Yu and Cao Cao remained in the hall.

Once the earlier commotion dissipated, only the soft rustling of turning pages remained in the room. Cao Cao finished reading the military report and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Well done, Dong Zhongying."

"That was a brilliantly fought battle."

"To be able to turn this mess of Liangzhou into this state in just a few months, putting everything else aside, I truly admire the soldiers under his command."

As he spoke, a hint of excitement even flickered in his eyes.

"Those with real talent will eventually be brought to the capital."

"This may not necessarily be a bad thing."

Xun Huo did not respond to this, but simply put down the military report slowly.

"The more the court attaches importance to it, the more difficult it will be to control in the future."

Cao Cao raised an eyebrow: "Is Wenruo afraid that his achievements will become too great?"

"It's not that I'm afraid of his great achievements," Xun Yu said calmly. "It's that I'm afraid that with great achievements he will naturally gain power."

"The difficulty in suppressing Liangzhou lies not in the difficulty of fighting, but in the fact that the soldiers, land, and people in the border region are too tightly intertwined."

"If Dong Zhuo had only won a few battles, it wouldn't have been anything special. But now he's been fighting, suppressing, and conquering one after another—this shows that he's not just relieving the Liangzhou problem for the court, but is using these few months to put his own roots in the region."

""

The hall fell silent for a moment.

The smile on Cao Cao's lips slowly faded.

He looked at Liu Bian.

"What does Your Highness think?"

Liu Bian did not answer immediately, but instead flipped through the military report again.

The lights in the hall were dimly lit, yet the characters on the victory report were clearly visible. The clearer they were, the heavier the unease in one's heart became.

After a moment, he slowly spoke.

"I misjudged Dong Zhuo before."

Cao Cao and Xun Yu both looked up at him.

General Liu Bian closed the newspaper, pressing his fingertips against the seal.

"I originally planned that once things were more stable in the court, I would take advantage of my position to find a pretext to transfer him back to the capital."

"Whether it's promoting someone, transferring them to a higher position, or bestowing upon them a prestigious but empty title, as long as you first separate them from the soldiers in Liangzhou, there will be plenty of ways to gradually strip them of their power."

"But now—"

""

Liu Bian raised his eyes, his tone even colder than before.

"It's no longer possible."

"First he quelled the Yellow Turban Rebellion, then he suppressed the Western Liang. Military merits, morale, prestige, and the court's appreciation were all firmly established in his hands. Today, he is no longer someone who can be summoned to the capital under any pretext to slowly disarm his troops."

Cao Cao, who had initially been somewhat interested, also composed himself upon hearing this.

Xun Huo seemed to have already thought of this, and nodded slightly.

"Your Highness has a good eye."

"Dong Zhuo's biggest problem right now is not just his strong army."

"It is because his troops are famous for their strength, have made meritorious contributions, and have been personally recognized and appreciated by His Majesty."

At this point, Xun paused, then suddenly added, "Moreover, this man is not a brute without any connections in the court."

Liu Bian looked up: "Oh?"

Xun might push the military report aside slightly.

"Dong Zhuo's most troublesome aspect wasn't just his army."

"It's not just about merit."

"This man looks like a border general who came straight from the sands of Xiliang, but if you think that, you're underestimating him."

Cao Cao raised an eyebrow.

"How so?"

Xun Yu looked at Cao Cao.

"He had been to the capital and worked in the court in his early years."

"He went through all these paths: entering officialdom, being promoted, being appointed, and being transferred. Although he eventually settled in Liangzhou, he was not the kind of rough general who only cared about the military and not the imperial court."

"He knows the rules of the court, and he also knows the connections within the court."

Liu Bian paused slightly with his fingertips.

Once those words were spoken, the meaning changed.

A pure border general is nothing to fear.

What's most frightening is someone who holds troops in their hands but whose heart isn't solely focused on them.

Cao Cao also understood the implication and frowned, saying, "So, he's not entirely without connections?"

"That's right." Xun Huo nodded. "It's not that he's unsophisticated in the capital, nor is it that he's without support. The reason he was able to rise step by step in his early years wasn't just because he fought fiercely in Liangzhou, but also because his old connections in the court paved the way for him."

Liu Bian's gaze darkened slightly.

"The old pulse?"

Xun Huo glanced at him, not immediately ruling out the possibility, but said only, "At least he wasn't a poor, isolated general who fought his way up through sheer hardship."

"His ability to enter the court, to be transferred to other posts, and to move back and forth between the border regions and the court demonstrates that someone in the higher-ups recognized him and was willing to use him."

He paused slightly at this point, as if he had finally lifted a corner of the veil.

"Going back further, he served as a former official under one of the Three Dukes."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Cao Cao's eyes flickered slightly: "The Three Dukes?"

Xun responded with an "Mmm".

"Therefore, this person is not simply Dong Zhongying from Liangzhou."

"He possessed both the spirit of a frontier soldier and the connections and influence of the capital. In other words, he didn't just start making connections with the court after he gained power; he already knew how to do it."

"The Three Dukes..."

After listening to Xun Huo's words, Liu Bian seemed to have grasped some key words and murmured something.

"Sir, which of the Three Dukes are you referring to?"

Xun lowered his head slightly and pondered for a moment.

"If I remember correctly, Dong Zhuo was a former official under Grand Tutor Yuan Wei in his early years."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian's eyes lit up.

"The Yuan family?!"

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