Chapter 644 Guard of Honor
The pavilion is deep, the plum blossoms are fragrant, and Xun You's voice is clear and clear.
"Yuan Benchu is a person you know well. He is a son of a noble family, a handsome man, and has first-rate talents and talents. He came to the court with a weak crown and became famous all over the country. Because the Yuan family has been in charge of Taisi for many years, he has guests and disciples all over the world. Therefore, riding alone can still hide in the countryside and shake up a county, and it can shock the Central Plains."
"But it is said that the country is easy to change, but the nature is difficult to change. Yuan Benchu was a proud son, and he could work hard in times of adversity. Once the momentum was high, he was generous on the outside and taboo on the inside. He could gather people but could not use them, he had great ambitions but could not be virtuous. Moreover, there were other The people and the army are lenient and the laws are not established. Although the soldiers and horses are strong, they are actually difficult to use. Why should the king worry about leaving Yuan Benchu with such great ambitions? "
As a handsome man from Yingchuan Shilin, Xun You certainly knew what kind of person Yuan Shao was. In fact, the above evaluation is not only the opinion of Xun You, but also the opinion of his uncle Xun Yu. These people are all outstanding figures in the world. How can they not clearly understand the so-called "model of the world Yuan Benzhu" of his generation?
In fact, Zhang Chong had not really come into contact with Yuan Shao. His limited understanding of this person came from later generations, but now he understands after listening to Xun You's views.
It turns out that Yuan Shao is one of those players who is "steady against the wind and smooth with the wind and waves".
However, Zhang Chong maintained his own opinion regarding Xun You's comments. He did not believe that a person was stagnant. Since Yuan Shao could reach this level, it would be impossible without any growth. If you continue to look at Yuan Shao from the old perspective, you will definitely suffer big losses in the future.
Therefore, Zhang Chong just laughed, said no more, and continued to read the last military report.
And if the first one makes Zhang Chong happy, the second one makes him sad, and the third one is just astonishment and absurdity.
It turned out that Liu Yan, the shepherd of Yizhou, a prince who dominated Yizhou and controlled millions of people, died.
The absurd thing is not that an old man in his fifties died, but that he died in the mouth of a famous ghost witch in Shu, who was also the mother of Zhang Lu, the third-generation heavenly master.
Putting aside the absurd and sinister plot, Zhang Chong keenly felt that with the death of Liu Yan, the already clear world situation was about to change again.
I just don’t know who will be the hero this time?
Thinking of this, Zhang Chong looked to the northwest and sighed that the mountains and rivers were great, and heroes emerged one after another. Although the era was legendary, the people of the world would suffer again.
……
Zhang Chong's eyes traveled through the Qinling Mountains and ancient roads, until they landed on the basin that is most beloved by the world. And in the center of this basin, where thousands of mountains and rivers meet, is the land of abundance, Chengdu.
But today's Chengdu is not so colorful. Instead, there are weapons everywhere and people are panicked.
Countless Dongzhou soldiers and old soldiers were pouring into each house like wolves and tigers, searching for anyone who might be related to the "Five Pecks of Rice" sect.
Since the absurd death of Yizhou Shepherd Liu Yan four days ago, such arrest operations have continued until now.
With the support of Zhao Wei, the prefect of Shu County, and Jia Long, the governor of the state, Liu Yan's fourth son, Liu Zhang, was temporarily appointed as the shepherd of Yizhou. He only waited for the imperial court to send him off before he could officially take office.
The first thing Liu Zhang did after taking office was to attack the Five Dou Rice Sect under his rule. He suspected that his father's death was a conspiracy.
This view was not only thought by Liu Zhang alone, but also by the elders of the Dongzhou sect and the local sect. It was rare for the two to be consistent in their actions against the Five Pecks of Rice Sect.
Immediately after Liu Yan's death, Liu Zhang took Zhang Lu's mother and her family into custody, and then took away five measures of rice from all over Chengdu.
At that time, Zhang Lu was preaching in Hanzhong. After hearing the news, he hurriedly took his followers into hiding in the mountains, not daring to fight against the Yizhou officials.
As a result, the Wu Dou Rice Cult without a leader was severely damaged by the joint strangulation of elites inside and outside Yizhou, and gradually disappeared underground.
……
At this time, while the outside world was clamoring, in the shogunate festival hall of Yizhou Mu, the former majestic center of power was now decorated as a mourning hall.
Young Liu Zhang just looked at his father lying in the coffin, filled with sorrow for the future.
The old man lying in the coffin was eight feet tall and had a golden face. Although he was heavily powdered for burial, the outline of his face was also that of dragon-like eyebrows and phoenix-like eyes, a high nose and a long, thick beard. Carefully lay it on your chest.
This person is Liu Yan, the Fangbo of one of the Thirteen Prefectures, who is the descendant of King Lu Gong of the Han Dynasty, a member of the Jiangxia Jingling royal line, Zhonglang, Situ Fupun, Luoyang Ling, Jizhou governor, Nanyang prefect, Zongzheng, Taichang, and one of the Thirteen Prefectures.
This aristocratic man of noble birth and elegant manners died in a peach game before he could realize his dream of becoming emperor, which is saddening.
Liu Yan was undoubtedly successful. During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he was the only clan member who was given the post of Zhou Mu by Liu Hong. As for the others, even if they were given Jiedu, they were still the governor in terms of title.
When Liu Yan led the emperor Jiedu into Yizhou, with the help of local powerful men, he quickly defeated the Yellow Turban Army in the state and stabilized public security. At the same time, Liu Yan also formed his own interest group with the help of Lu Xu's friends who entered Shu, and began to gradually seize power from the Yizhou native faction.
After the Henan scholar-republican revolution, Liu Hong moved hastily, and Liu Yan became Liu Hong's most powerful supporter. It was precisely by relying on the food supply in Shu that Liu Hong withstood several attacks from Guandong. At the same time, it was Liu Hong's unconditional endorsement of Liu Yan that enabled Liu Yan to truly take control of Yizhou and become a veritable lord of Yizhou.
So how did Liu Yan gain a foothold in Yizhou? It depends on the troika.
The first one was a group of foreign scholars who had followed Liu Yan into Shu. These people were almost all guests and friends who were willing to follow Liu Yan, and they were also the foundation of Liu Yan's rule.
The most outstanding of this group is Zhao Wei. This person had previously participated in the Renting Battle, the largest decisive battle in the North. In the end, he was lucky enough to return to Guanzhong alive. After learning that his former friend was already the uncle of Fangzhou, he quickly went to Shu to seek refuge.
And Liu Yan also needed an excellent military attache like Zhao Wei to assist him. He was promoted several times and finally became the prefect of Shu County.
In addition to Dongzhoushi's carriage, Liu Yan also relied on the local faction.
There are two types here. One is the emerging local faction such as Pang Xi and Dong Fu. These people were originally the ministers in Liu Yan's shogunate. After following Liu Yan into Shu, they quickly developed into important forces.
The other kind is not to drive Jia Long, the governor of Jianwei, Ren Qi, and the wealthy Shu clan Chen Chao. They all made great contributions in the process of Liu Yan taking control of Yizhou. It can be said that Liu Yan is another foundation.
But Liu Yan was also very guarded against this foundation, because these people were too strong. If Liu Hong's support for Liu Yan hadn't made these people afraid, these people might have listened to Liu Yan long ago and not listened to the propaganda. .
It was precisely to guard against these people that Liu Yan attracted a third sect, which was the folk Five Pecks of Rice Sect.
The Five Dou Rice Sect was founded by Zhang Ling, Zhang Lu’s grandfather. It has had three generations of leaders and has great influence throughout Yizhou.
Liu Yan also hoped to dilute the local influence of the local party by wooing the Five Dou Rice Cult. As for Zhang Lu's mother, it can only be said to be a beautiful incident.
But no one expected that this incident would also take away Liu Yan's life.
If his youngest son Liu Zhang hadn't been by his side at that time, Yizhou would have been in chaos.
As for why Liu Zhang happened to be in Chengdu? Then we can only say that everything is an arrangement of fate.
Based on Liu Yan's seniority, he was Liu Hong's uncle, so when the young emperor Liu Xie ascended the throne, in order to maintain a relationship and respect the elders of the clan, the Han court would send boxing gifts to Liu Xie every November. Yan, and this time it was Liu Zhang who escorted him, and he also celebrated the New Year with him.
Speaking of Liu Yan, he was also miserable. He had four sons. Only his third son, Liu Mao, followed him to Shu. The other three sons were all left in the capital as hostages.
Originally, the three sons also held high positions, but later the eldest Liu Fan was involved in the struggle between the Guanxi wealthy family and the eunuchs and died. The second Liu Dan and the fourth Liu Zhang were not involved in the war, and Dong Zhuo came to Beijing later. Zhongya was not implicated. And Liu Yan has always wanted to get the second and fourth children back, because the third child beside him has a mad disease and cannot take over.
But Liu Yan probably never imagined that the scene when he met his youngest son would be like this.
So why was Liu Zhang so miserable? Hasn't he already been elected as the shepherd of Yizhou?
It turned out that Liu Zhang was not stupid. He knew that being a herdsman in Yizhou at this time would mean being roasted on the fire.
He also has himself to blame.
He had just arrived in Chengdu not long ago and was not clear about the balance of power in Yizhou. He simply implicated Zhang Lu's mother in his father's death.
But who would have thought that Liu Zhang was just going to jail the person, but his execution was deviated by Dongzhoushi and Yizhoushi together, and the entire operation began to expand.
Later, when Fazheng, who was on an envoy to Chengdu with Liu Zhang, had a thorough understanding of the situation in Yizhou, he told Liu Zhang when he came back that it turned out that the Five Dou Rice Cult was so important.
At the same time, Fazheng also reminded Liu Zhang that Zhao Wei, the governor of Shu County, and Jia Long, the governor of Zhoubiejia, had unpredictable intentions, and asked him to be on guard against them.
Liu Zhang, who was originally excited, was on pins and needles when Fa Zheng said this.
He knew no one in Yizhou and had no political resources to use. Even now, as Mu Bo, he is still supported by Zhao Wei and Jia Long, which can be said to have no foundation.
In fact, Liu Zhang had a certain understanding of his father's thoughts. When he was in Chang'an, he heard that his father's behavior was comparable to that of an emperor, and his ambitions were not small.
But Liu Zhang did not agree with his father's idea. In his opinion, Liu Han had reached the point of life and death. Whether it is the two Yuans in the Central Plains, the Taishan Army in Hebei, or Cao Cao, who is loyal to the outside and traitor to the inside, they are all enemies of the Han Dynasty.
But at this time, if the Liu family is in chaos again, there will really be no way to save it.
Therefore, when he was initially supported by Zhao Wei and Jia Long as the governor of the state, Liu Zhang was quite happy, because he felt that with his efforts, Yizhou and Chang'an's Guanxi would be closer.
But today's news made him understand that all this was false.
It turns out that today, the former Hanzhong prefect Su Gu was captured by Dongzhou soldiers. At the same time, the Xiegu and other crossings from Bashu to Sanfu were also cut off.
Nasu Gu was the prefect of Hanzhong appointed and dismissed by the Kansai court, but he was captured by Dongzhou warriors.
What do these people think? Do we still need to say it?
So at this moment in his father's mourning hall, Liu Zhang was both scared and sad, full of despair for the future.
But his scene was seen by someone who walked in from outside, but he thought it was his affection for Liu Yan. He nodded unconsciously and praised:
"My lord is really pure and filial. It seems that the people of Yizhou are blessed."
Liu Zhang was startled by the voice, and quickly turned around to look, only to see that the person speaking had a long beard, broad shoulders, and a tall stature. However, there was a scar on his cheek that added countless evil meanings.
This person is none other than Zhao Wei, the governor of Shu County, who is now the leading figure among Dongzhou scholars.
Zhao Wei crawled out from the pile of dead people. Even the words of praise felt a bit chilly in his mouth at this moment.
Liu Zhang was not a courageous leader, otherwise he would not have been selected by the Kansai court to come to Chengdu. What Liu Xie and Dong Zhuo valued was Liu Zhang's weakness.
So, when Liu Zhang saw the evil Zhao Wei, his whole body trembled, and then he became silent.
When Zhao Wei saw Liu Zhang's appearance, he felt even more satisfied.
He walked up to Liu Zhang on his own, and first helped Liu Zhang straighten his messy clothes, and his tone was as if he were treating his nephew:
"You will be the Lord of Yizhou from now on. You need to be cautious in everything you say and do. It is not easy for you to sit in this position, but my uncle believes you can do it."
Liu Zhang was a little at a loss and just listened.
Afterwards, when he saw Zhao Wei sitting at the table, he took the initiative to walk over and stood aside as a nephew.
Zhao Haoze looked at Liu Zhang unexpectedly and asked:
"My lord, do you have anything to tell me?"
Liu Zhang bit his head and muttered:
"Uncle, can't we make peace with the court? Do we really have to go to war with each other?"
Zhao Wei was stunned for a moment, tilted his head and looked at Liu Zhang:
"My lord, where did you start with these words? Who said we were going to fight with the imperial court? Did Fazheng tell you this?"
Seeing Zhao Wei talking about his good friend, Liu Zhang suddenly became brave and said loudly:
"Uncle, I know everything you did in Hanzhong. You drove away two thousand stones from the imperial court without orders, and cut off the sloping valley road. All of the above fell into the eyes of the imperial court. Isn't that a rebellion?"
Seeing Liu Zhang's voice amplified, Zhao Wei suddenly became cold and said calmly:
"My lord, please don't speak so loudly to me. Although our ears are not very good, we can still hear the words at such a close distance."
Zhao Wei's indifference suddenly shattered Liu Zhang's courage. Not only did his voice become smaller, but his waist also became more bent. However, at this time, Liu Zhang still kept Fazheng's warning in mind and worked hard:
"Uncle, the troops in Kansai are strong and the horses are strong. With the decline of Kanto, it is not far away from regaining Kyoto. And if we betray the court at this time, we will not only be the sinners of the Han Dynasty, but also drag down the family. Uncle, listen to me and stop. ”
But Zhao Wei sneered and said softly:
"Strong soldiers and strong horses? My little lord, you are afraid that you don't know the news about the defeat of the Guanxi soldiers in Bingzhou. Now it is not certain whether Chang'an can be defended, but can you still control Yizhou? In short, there is no need to say more, just do your job well Zhou Mu, for the rest, your uncles will share your worries.”
After saying that, Zhao Wei pushed the case out and Shi Ranran left.
Before leaving, he left one last sentence:
"My lord, the honor guard outside has been waiting for a long time. If you have nothing else to do, just get ready to meet me, Yizhou Civil and Military Officers."
After saying that, Zhao Wei left.
As soon as Zhao Wei left, Liu Zhang's whole strength was drained away. He leaned against his father's coffin, feeling miserable in his heart:
"What uncle? What kind of close friends with my father? You, Zhao Wei, didn't even see my father from the time you came in to the time you left. How dare you be my uncle?"
Thinking of this, Liu Zhang felt even more powerless, and he held back his breath:
"What should I do?"
But looking around, no one could answer him. At this time, he understood that he could only go down according to Zhao Wei's arrangement.
So Liu Zhang tidied himself up, straightened his back, and stepped out.
But when he saw the set of ceremonial guards outside, he was stunned on the spot, because the set of ceremonial guards in front of him was clearly the emperor's ceremonial guard.
At this time, Liu Zhang still didn't understand what would greet him.