After the defeat in the Battle of Bohai, Dong Cheng led his troops to cross the river south and head west to Chang'an, traveling day and night.
Logically speaking, it was illegal for him to mobilize his troops to return west without Liu Bei's orders, and officials along the way should have led the crowd to stop him. But during this Eastern Expedition, Bafu basically transferred all the elites from the Kanto states. In the entire south of the Yellow River and north of the Yangtze River, there were only 20,000 people including Chen Gong and Zhang Miao, and they are still surrounding Puyang. Therefore, the other county chiefs did not have the troops to stop him.
What's more, Dong Cheng was a relative, and traveling with him were members of the virtuous king's clan such as Liu Chong. Dong Cheng was able to lead his troops unimpeded, and on the seventh day of October, he took the lead in arriving at Luoyang, the eastern capital.
There are still 10,000 auxiliary troops stationed in the eastern capital to carry out the task of transporting grain and crops. Knowing that the front line was defeated, the army couldn't help but panic. Dong Cheng then mobilized 2,000 people directly into Buqu on the pretext of stabilizing his rear. While changing horses and baggage, he secretly sent an envoy to Chang'an to ask Dong Zhao for advice.
Dong Zhao was overjoyed to hear the news of Liu Bei's defeat and immediately wrote back to Dong Cheng.
Dong Zhao thought that Luoyang, the eastern capital, was not a place where he could live for a long time. Although the eastern capital was the foundation of the emperor, it had been run by Guan Yu for many years. If he showed disgrace, the emperor's people might not be interested in it. Even though Bafu was defeated, he still had a lot of power. He must return to Luoyang to guard, and Dong Cheng must be held responsible for escaping. If he waits to be captured, it will be a big deal. If he raises his troops to fight, he may have no chance of winning.
After careful consideration, Dong Zhao proposed to Dong Cheng that he should leave Luoyang immediately, settle in Hongnong, and divide his troops to control Hangu Pass, Maojin, and Fenglingdu. Such a division of Guandong and Guanxi will prevent Liu Bei and Chen Chong from taking care of each other, and the situation will be promising.
After replying to Dong Cheng, Dong Zhao secretly met with Shi Muqian, the governor of Situ Palace, and ordered him to pass the letter to Situ Fuwan. Fu Wan got two letters from Dong Zhao, one of which warned him that this was the critical moment when the overlordship was weakening and the royal family was recovering, and he should make more friends with courtiers in private to recruit loyal and upright people for His Majesty. One letter was delivered to the emperor, with only one line in it: "Kuns and whales are trapped in shallow water, and nets are spread in turbid waters. Fishermen should keep their feelings." This is the secret code he had agreed with the emperor, which means that the time has come. , he will act according to the plan, and asks the emperor to wait with peace of mind. Before the matter is completed, the two will no longer have contact.
When his reply to Dong Cheng was delivered to Luoyang, it was already October 13th. At this time, it had been half a month since the Battle of Beipi, and the changes in the situation in Kanto were gradually becoming clearer.
After crossing the river, Liu Bei contracted a cold and was unable to see what was going on. He had to rely on Zhang Fei, Fazheng, Xun You, and Huangfuli to discuss the matter. The four of them agreed that Cao Ang was stationed by the river and had led his troops to attack Yanzhou. Cao Cao was following behind with his troops, but he was too exhausted to fight. It is better to shrink the troops first, stabilize the Eastern Capital, and rectify the people's hearts, and then wait for the later effects.
However, if this happens, both Qingxu and Qingzhou will have to abandon their defense, and Yanzhou and Yuzhou may not be completely preserved. The four of them mutually agreed on the division of labor. Zhang Fei and Fazheng led the Bafu southward, first to the State of Lu, to supervise the troops from Qingxu County heading west to Yanyu. Huangfuli returned to Yuzhou alone, transported heavy supplies of grain and fodder, and ordered the remaining troops to detour from Yuzhou. Xun You temporarily served as Yin of Henan, escorted Liu Bei all the way back to Luo, and commanded all military forces in Henan and Henei to ensure that Cao's army did not cross the river bridge.
After giving the order, the remaining soldiers arrived in Luoyang one after another. Dong Cheng inquired and learned that Xun You and Liu Bei had arrived in Jiyin and Dingtao, and they would reach the eastern capital within ten days. At this time, he received Dong Zhao's secret letter, and he did not dare to hesitate. Taking advantage of the fact that there were not many sergeants in Luoyang, he left the eastern capital in the name of the emperor's edict and led troops into the pass.
At this time, there were only about a hundred soldiers in Hangu Pass, who could only stop and check passers-by. How could they stop Dong Zhao? As soon as Dong Zhao showed his weapons, Hangu Pass fell immediately. He then stationed in Xin'an, Mianchi, Hongnong, Shaanxian and other places. Every time he passed a county, Dong Cheng sent people to occupy the county government, capture the commander, and recruit the county people on the grounds that there was a secret edict from the emperor. However, on the 5th and 6th day, except for Huayin, Huxian and other places in the county, all areas of Hongnong fell into the hands of Dong Cheng and Liu Chong.
When the news reached Xijing, Chen Chong was shocked, and then he realized something. He immediately summoned Zhi Jinwu to take charge, saying that he had something important to discuss with him.
Qianzhao was a good friend of Liu Bei's as a ranger when he was young. Hearing that Liu Bei was defeated and seriously ill, Qianzhao was extremely worried. As soon as he sat down at the table, he asked Chen Chong: "Has the situation in Guandong changed? Do you want me to lead an army to the east to aid?"
After the news of Liu Bei's defeat reached Chang'an, Chen Chong has been making arrangements for the aftermath. In the past few days, Chen Chong has successively ordered, first, the North Road Duan and Zhong Yao to withdraw to Bingzhou; then he ordered Dong Yue and Hu Zhen from Jinyang to lead their troops to Puban; and he also ordered the Northern Army stationed in Chang'an to start Organize, train and expand the army, and then go to Kanto after mastering the battle formations. Lianzhao was originally a ranger and was also a warrior's favorite. Naturally, he did not like to guard the palace, but preferred to fight on the battlefield. In addition, he was worried about his friends and was anxious, so he asked this question when they met.
When Chen Chong heard this, he remained silent and waved his hands to order everyone to retreat. When he was the only two people left in the Chancellor's desk, he handed Qianzhao the silk book containing Dong Cheng's Seguan and said slowly to him: "Zi Jing" , although I have this intention, I’m afraid you won’t be able to go.”
After reading Qianzhao, he was shocked. He stood up and said in a voiceless voice: "Is Jianping planning to rebel?"
Chen Chong again waved him to sit down and said softly: "Dong Cheng is just a mediocre person, how dare he do such a big thing? But judging from his military behavior, at this time of national crisis, cutting off Han Valley and strangling Maojin is clearly a rebellion. I I doubt that there must be someone behind him."
Hearing this, Qianzhao thought carefully for a moment, and then asked: "Could it be that Cao Cao and his thieves are trying to lure me, and they want to cut off my way of communication, just in time to seize Henan?"
Chen Chong smiled bitterly. He walked up to Qianzhao, dipped his fingers in the tea, and whispered: "It's okay if it's Cao Cao, but I'm afraid there's someone else." After that, he wrote a word on the table The word "palace". After Qianzhao finished looking at it, he wiped it off immediately, sat back on the original seat, and asked Qianzhao again: "Zijing, what do you think?"
Qianzhao immediately understood what Chen Chong meant: Dong Cheng was a relative of the state, and his behavior was most likely the emperor's intention. If Cao Cao bribed Dong Cheng, Dong Cheng would be isolated and helpless in the pass, and he could fight quickly. But if the emperor instructs Dong Cheng to do this, then the methods may not stop there. Once troops are sent out, something big may happen in Guanzhong.
"Ahem!" Without waiting for Qianzhao's answer, Chen Chong sighed, gently touched the scar on his eyebrow bone, and continued: "Zijing, as Jinwu, you are in charge of the imperial army in the palace, which is the most critical thing right now. Location. If you understand what I just meant, you should know that if His Majesty is really the mastermind, there must be some biting mice around you! Don't underestimate these mice, they have poison in their mouths, and once they bite, they can kill people. Human life!"
Holding hands and knocking on the table, he recalled and said, "Let me think about it." But he soon ran into trouble. After all, Concubine Dong Guifei had just given birth to a prince a few days ago, and there were many people in the palace to celebrate, not to mention If I want to check all the notes of the above congratulations, I really don’t know where to start.
After pondering for a moment, Qianzhao shook his head and said: "This is not something that can be done in a few days. It can only be considered in the long run. If what can be done now is to replace Lang Wei, don't let the official family get along with strangers, and then in the palace, all the people will be clothed." Some eyeliner."
When he said this, he suddenly wanted to understand a joint, and a chill came from the soles of his feet, rushing straight into his heart. This made him pause for a moment, and hesitantly expressed the sorrow in his heart: "But if the plan of the Heavenly Family has been decided, it is just waiting for it to happen. .Then if you and I make arrangements now, I’m afraid it’s too late and it won’t help.”
Chen Chong closed his eyes slightly, obviously agreeing with Lianzhao's words. He looked at the still dark sky outside the stage and still made up his mind. He had no time to worry about his usual carelessness. Instead, he thought: No matter what the emperor's arrangements are, I have been operating in Guanzhong for six years. I work hard every day and don't dare to slack off. If I am ruined by others, I can't blame others. . So he finally said to Qianzhao: "Then do as the Zi Jing says, and leave the rest to me."
After Qianzhao left, Chen Chong sent someone to call Xu Huang.
As soon as the two met, they both recalled the years of fighting in Bingzhou and couldn't help but smile at each other. Chen Chong asked, "Is Gong Ming okay?" Xu Huang laughed and said, "Dragon Head is just kidding me. I haven't raced and fought for several years. How can I be okay?"
Speaking of which, Xu Huang has been following Chen Chong for many years. However, after Liu Bei established the Bafu, in order to control the capital, the previous Northern Army was transferred to Lu Bu's house. The Taiping Army, which was rebuilt on the basis of the Baibo Army, was incorporated into the Northern Army. In the past few years, he has been guarding Chang'an and has never participated in the war in Guandong. He only did small things such as supervising the repair of canals and building forts.
When Chen Chong saw Xu Huang, even though his beard hung down to cover his chin, some dark scars could still be seen on his face. He lifted up the sleeves of Xu Huang's arms, revealing the dense coarse hair inside, which was as dark and hard as a pig's hyena. Chen Chong pressed his shoulder, nodded secretly and said, "It seems that Gongming has not slacked off in the past few years."
Chen Chong then said to Xu Huang: "Gongming, there is a big thing you need to do now. If you do it well, you will be promoted to general. But if you don't do it well, I'm afraid it will be difficult for you and me to survive. Are you willing to do it?"
Xu Huang was solemn when he heard the words, and immediately replied: "Since it is entrusted by the dragon head, I dare not say goodbye even if I die!"
Chen Chong told him the current situation of Dong Cheng's seclusion, and said bluntly: "Dong Cheng dares to be so majestic, there must be a trap, but Hongnong is so critical, and it is related to the safety of the general. We must not sit idly by and watch. Reason. Therefore, even if it is a plot by thieves, I must send troops."
Xu Huang heard that the meaning of the words was not complete, so he asked: "What worries does the dragon head have?"
Chen Chong said slowly: "If my guess is right, if Dong Cheng dares to be so confident, I am afraid that my old envoy is planning behind it. So, at the beginning of this year, his family deceived me." Once you suspect the emperor, you will be accomplices. It was about to come out. After all, apart from Yuan Shao of Hebei, Liu Yan was the only one who had not yet been sent hostages to the imperial court by the governors of various states.
But now that Dong Cheng is revolting, if Shuzhong sends troops to Guanzhong again, the situation in Guanxi will be out of control. Therefore, Chen Chong told Xu Huang: "The road in the middle of Shu is dangerous and difficult. Even if we get the news about Dong Cheng, it will probably take a month to raise the army. Therefore, Gongming, you must defeat Dong Cheng and return within a month, otherwise the military affairs will be difficult." ah!"
Xu Huang readily agreed. After he left, Chen Chong was still a little uneasy. He continued to look at the map, his eyes staying on the line of Liangzhou, and he couldn't help thinking: "Is Lu Bu involved in this matter? Should we mobilize troops from Liangzhou?" But he also thought: " But he is constrained by Han Sui and others, so even if he has the intention, he may not be able to do so. But in any case, it is better to comfort him first."
82 Chinese website
