The imperial court originally wanted to make the ceremony grander.
Situ Xuxiang decided to hold the event in Hongdeyuan. In addition to the Dongping Army participating in the war, he planned to recruit soldiers from Sanhe County to join the eight schools of Xiyuan that were being formed. He planned to go around the city from the South Gate of Taixue and pass by the Scholars' Statue Gathering, Shiqiao and Fan Zhuo gathered together. When they passed the White Horse Temple, eight hundred nuns from the temple sang sutras and prayed for the soldiers. Finally, they went to Hongde Garden to be inspected by the emperor.
The route circled Luoyang for a full week, which was a good way to show off the imperial court's illustrious martial arts to the people of the capital. Unfortunately, the idea was good, but after the plan was submitted, the Emperor and the Chancellor calculated the financial expenditure and immediately cut off all the remaining participating troops, leaving only 3,000 Xiyuan Eight Schools and 200 Dongping Xiaoyong to march as originally planned.
The people of Luoyang, who were preparing to have a lively time, could not help but be disappointed. They couldn't help but sarcastically said: The emperor's reward is already a waste of money, how can there be military expenditure? It cannot be said that the official price of Xiyuan has been sold low recently. Of course, the Emperor is more than that. Cao Cao and Liu Bei revealed the inside story: The Emperor wants to hold another military parade in the second half of the year and does not want to be robbed of his prestige this time.
Even so, Liu Bei was very happy when he attended the ceremony. Riding a horse around Luoyang was already an unattainable dream when he was studying in Luoyang when he was young. When he was infected by the smiles of the people on both sides of the street and saw the children and teenagers jumping for joy in the crowd, he couldn't help but think of: I was among them once. But he couldn't help but feel regretful: the horse he was riding was not the horse that accompanied him on the battlefield.
After arriving at Hongde Garden, the emperor first set up an altar to worship the emperors of the Han Dynasty, and then held a ceremony to offer prisoners. Then Liu Bei ascended the altar, and the emperor gave him a seal and ribbon, announcing his promotion and appointment in public.
On this day, Liu Bei was wearing a black-edged red collar and sleeves armor, a red lacquered iron crown on his head, and shallow round-mouthed leaf-pattern boots. He was thin and had a heroic face. He was holding a sword given by the emperor. He was serious and did not dare to look at him. . He took the seal and ribbon, and the three armies cheered for him again and again. Their voices went up to the sky. Liu Bei was thinking about the sky and didn't know what to say. He could only bow to the emperor three times.
But the good times are always short-lived, and the celebration only lasts for one day. After one day, Liu Bei will return to the bleak reality. He was promoted to Taiyuan Taiyuan to lead the Huns Zhonglang General. He sounded very majestic and looked like the Northern Xinjiang Pillar of the Han Dynasty. But everyone in the imperial court knew this very well, and what Liu Bei was left with was by no means a good job.
After Taiyuan County was plundered twice by nearly 200,000 rebels, except for a few aristocratic families who fled early after hearing the news, it can be said that not a single rat was found in the hoards of Taiyuan people. Spring plowing has passed, and the summer harvest has yielded nothing. Even if they try to replant, there are no seeds. When Liu Bei comes to court, the streets are filled with hunger and beggars. It is really a scene of the end of the world.
The imperial court was still concerned about this and exempted Taiyuan County from taxes for two years. As for food distribution and disaster relief, there is nothing we can do. His mentor Lu Zhi said to him: "The nine states are turbulent, the eight wastelands are using force, the people's livelihood is like steaming, and the people are dying like hemp. A gentleman should be the first in the world, and he should not cherish money. It was my fault that I didn't know your talents before. Now I think You are proud of me, and you must not disappoint me." So he used the minister's connections to raise thirty gold coins and gave them to his disciples, and Liu Bei agreed.
Liu Bei stayed in Luoyang for another two days, waiting for the reward promised by the court to be paid. He took both his and Chen Chong's share, then took the gifts from his mentor and led his subordinates to go to the millet market to buy grain.
Nowadays, even if you have money, you can't buy food in Taiyuan. As Luoyang is the imperial capital, the import and export of rice and food are huge, and the price is cheaper than that of the whole country. One million five baht can be exchanged for ten thousand stone of food and grass overnight. The Dongping Army escorted the annexation, and even the freight was saved. But as for how useful it was, Liu Bei knew very well that it was just a drop in the bucket.
Chen Chong was also very anxious about this, but as the governor of Xihe, he also had things that he had to complete first.
In Xihe Meiji, Chen Chong once again entered the Shanyu King's tent. This was his first time here to discuss matters. But for the new Shanyu Yufuluo, this was part of his past life habits, but now he feels deeply about things. Right and wrong, nearly half of the kings discussing matters in the tent have been replaced, and he ordered the execution of two-thirds of them, but his dead father will never come back.
He felt that he had lost a part forever and gained a part forever. He was completely different from the former Zuoxian Wang Yufuluo.
The kings currently participating in the discussion are: Xinzuo Xian Wang Liu Bao, Youxian Wang Huchuquan, Xinzuo Ri Zhu Wang Liu Xuan, You Ri Zhu Wang An He, Xin Zuo Guli Wang Mo Yue, Yi Bu Wang Ye Eryi, Zhelan Wang Polishi, Qiulin Wang Gutusheng, Youguli Wang Outuoquan, Yourizhu Wang Anhe and Daqiequ Zhiyasi.
In addition, there are Huyan Gudu Hou Bu'an, Dugu Gudu Hou Liwei, Dangyu Gudu Hou Yue, Yuwen Gudu Hou Qiwei, Liji Gudu Hou Punu, Helian Gudu Hou Luohou, Hudu Gudu Hou There are thirteen major bone capitals, including Hou Xiuli, Hou Chelin of Xianxian Bones, and Shizi of Xubu Gudu.
Except for Liu Xuan and Liu Bao, all the kings and princes present were silent in front of Xin Shanyu and Chen Chong, saying nothing. The rebellion was disastrous for the livelihood of the Han people in Bingzhou, but for the Xiongnu royal power, it was an unprecedented expansion.
The thrones of King Xiutu, King Julong, and King Youjiangjiang were directly abolished, and their subordinates were directly divided into the direct subordinates of Fuluo. When Qiangqu Chanyu was alive, he could only directly control about 100,000 people in Xihe and the western part of Shangjun. Now, Yufuluo Chanyu not only took back all of them, but also expanded to the west of Sheyan and the north of Dingxiang, with all 300,000 people under his command. , accounting for half of the Huns.
Yesterday, the imperial court sent envoys to enshrine Chanyu, which was different from the slightly shabby celebration in Luoyang. Yu Fuluo was so high-spirited that he set up an altar in the south of Meijima City, summoned 50,000 Xiongnu tribesmen to come to watch the ceremony, and invited Chen Chong and Bai Bo's five commanders to join him on the stage.
The ceremony was extremely extravagant. The altar was covered with a long carpet made of white deerskin. There was a long table in the center with incense candles made from whale oil from the East China Sea. The table seats on both sides were equipped with gold lamps. And Yuvluo, wearing a crimson cloak with a tiger and a wolf in his arms, a red eagle gold crown on his head, and holding a golden knife with a sun-patterned eagle beak, slaughtered a gray wolf in public, cut the wolf meat into strips and fed it to the snow kites captured by the royal court.
The snow kites fluttered away, and the formal ceremony came next. Tens of thousands of knights rode horses and roared past in front of the altar. Tens of thousands of horses galloped. Such a scene is like wearing a strong wind. He wondered whether it was the army galloping past, or whether he was being trampled by the horses.
But the real highlight is yet to come. The knight passed by and another horse galloped far in front of the altar. It was six feet tall at the shoulders. It was completely black except for the brows that were white as noon clouds. Chen Chong recognized the horse's name, "Yuledu". "Thinking", Yuvrou once explained to him, which in Hun language means "the unstoppable incarnation of the stars".
Now this "star incarnation" gallops excitedly on the grassland, without a bridle or saddle, only a long rope made of beef tendon tied around the horse's waist. There was a man's hands tied at the end of the long rope. Chen Chong looked at him from a distance. Although he couldn't see his face clearly, he could vaguely recognize it from his clothing and body shape. It was Huliba, the former Xiutu King.
Huliba's life was kept until this day by Yuvluo. It was at this time that he was going to be punished. He came up with such an ingenious method to gag him, cover his face with a black cloth, and tie him tightly to Yuldus. Behind him, Yu Ledu thought that as the king of horses, no one among the Huns could control him. Now that he was suddenly free, he was so happy that he galloped on the horse farm.
Although Huliba was a famous warrior of the Southern Huns, how could he compare with the strength of King Ma? He was immediately dragged to the ground. Once he fell, he never had the chance to stand up.
In terms of the horses Chen Chong had seen, the only one that could compare with Yuledusi was Red Rabbit. Now Yu Le wants to have fun, really running like lightning, not caring about the level of the terrain, sometimes crossing ravines, sometimes running up stone hills, sometimes walking through green forests, horses galloping, this is a refreshing scene, but now it makes Everyone present was frightened.
Yule Dusi galloped for a full hour, and when it returned to the stage, it neighed in a low voice with pride. Huliba behind him was no longer human. After an inspection, a resident came to the stage to report: His whole body was covered with bloodstains, his knees were protruding and his bones were even exposed, one eye was missing from his face, and his jaw was dislocated due to severe pain.
The pain was so severe that Huliba couldn't even scream.
Humphrey was very satisfied with this and ordered the witch doctor to come forward to treat him. He threw him into the stable at night and waited for the next day to do the same thing again.
The last step of the ceremony was for all the kings to walk a mile to the stage to repent to the new chanyu and pray for forgiveness. The prince Yufuluo who could be killed before had already been killed, and the remaining ones were all those who promised to pardon him. However, the current situation of Huliba shocked him greatly. After walking for a mile, many princes' knees were bruised with blood, but the prince He just kept silent. As for Fulo, no one dared to look up.
That night, Huliba died of pain in the stable.
Chen Chong once heard the Xianbei people say: "Only the Wolf King can decide the fate of the wolves. What can bring glory and dreams to the knights must be the blood of heroes."
There was silence in the big tent. He looked at the Hun princes and couldn't help but think of these words, which made him look sideways at the new Chanyu beside him.
The new Chanyu's face resembled the edges and corners of a terracotta warrior, but his eyes were full of chilling and brutality, which made Chen Chong worry about Bingzhou's future again.
