After Mi Heng's farce ended, the situation in the DPRK soon returned to calm.
In the blink of an eye, the tenth year of Yanxing (AD 202) came again. This year was relatively peaceful for the Western Dynasty. Except for a little friction between Liu Bei and Ke Bi in Bingzhou, there was generally no war. Whether it is Liu Fan in the south, who once invaded Chang'an, or Cao Cao, who fought several tug-of-wars in the east, they have focused on internal affairs and civil governance this year, making the Central Plains of Kyushu immersed in extremely rare peace.
Of course, for Jing and Yang states, it is another story. After suspending his troops last year, Sun Ce began to station troops in Chaisang. Starting in March this year, he sent troops to Jiangxia to start a battle with Liu Biao and Huang Zu's troops. Due to the overwhelming number of Sun Ce's cavalry, Huang Zu was disadvantaged in several field battles, so he had to abandon the counties in the south of the Yangtze River and retreat to Xiling in Jiangxia. Only then could he barely stop Sun Ce's offensive. Sun Ce then proceeded to besiege the city. However, Xiling City was strong and the Wu army was not good at attacking the city. As a result, the siege lasted from April to June, but they were still unable to conquer it. But in general, the Chu army has obvious disadvantages.
Therefore, Liu Biao sent a letter to the court, asking the emperor to send envoys to mediate. The situation of Sun Ce dominating the south of the Yangtze River was not what the court wanted to see, so Chen Chong, after careful consideration, sent his students Deng Zhi and Yu Fan to Jiangxia to send a private message to Chen Chong with the emperor's edict, asking Sun Ce to withdraw his troops. It was already mid-July, the autumn tide was rising, the soldiers were tired, and Sun Ce himself also had the idea of retreating. When Kuai Liang brought Deng Zhi and his party to make peace, he simply relieved the siege and withdrew his troops.
Although wars did not occur frequently, the political situation in the Eastern Dynasty seemed treacherous. During the battle of Xiangshan, although Cao Cao escaped alive, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry system did not exist, and many of Yanzhou's direct lineages were killed. For a time, many prominent positions in the court were vacant. Chen Chong had discussed with Liu Bei before, thinking that Cao Cao would continue to employ people in the Yingchuan party. However, when the spies in Xindu came back after inquiring, they found that there were many celebrities from Youzhou. For example, Wu Zhongtianchou was appointed as the prefect of Guangyang, Zuzhi of Qiuxian was appointed as the prefect of Donghai, and Wang Song of Anyang was appointed as the prefect of Shanyang. They were all Liu Yu's old subordinates.
Of course, the most unexpected thing is the choice of Yanzhou governor. As the foundation of Cao Cao's army, Yanzhou has been personally guarded by his eldest son Cao Ang in recent years. Since Cao Ang died in the battle, Westerners thought that Xiahou Dun was the best choice. As a result, the candidate appointed by the Eastern Dynasty this time was Liu Ruo, a relative of the Liu Yu clan. This undoubtedly sends an exciting signal. It seems that Liu He, the nominal leader of the Eastern Dynasty, is not willing to be a puppet king. If he competes with Cao Cao for power in the court, it will undoubtedly be good news for the Westerners.
Also in July of this year, Xindu was suddenly closed under martial law, and there was no news for more than ten days. Chen Chong sent several spies to investigate, but it seemed like nothing happened, and there was no response. It was not until late August that martial law was lifted in Xindu and communications resumed. By this time, the political situation in the Eastern Dynasty had undergone earth-shaking changes.
According to an announcement posted by the Eastern Dynasty, at the beginning of July, the marshal entered the palace to pay an audience, but was assassinated by an assassin and almost died. After nearly a month of investigation, it was found that the officials involved included Zhi Jin Wu Wei Dun, Shaofu Qi Zhou, Zong Zheng Liu Xiu, Qi Du Wei Wang Zheng and others, including even the king's younger brother Liu Ping. They arrested them all for the Marshal's Mansion, and soon they would kill him. Soon, the Marshal's Office promulgated the "Imperial Regulations". On the grounds that the emperor was frightened and sick due to the assassination, all the guards in the palace were taken over by the Marshal's Office. It also stipulated that anyone who met the emperor must first notify the Marshal's Office. Without permission, the military guard captains who have been set up will not be allowed to enter. This important position will be held by Cao Cao's adopted son Cao Zhen. After the various orders were promulgated, Cao Cao led thousands of cavalry on a tour among the three prefectures of You, Ji, and Qing to meet with the civil and military officials of the counties.
Suspicious for a while, Liu Bei went south to discuss the matter with Chen Chong, suspecting that Cao Cao had not been assassinated, or at least not injured. Such swift and rigorous means seemed to be a strategy he had prepared in advance. It is difficult to say whether Cao Cao staged a good show like Zheng Burke's uncle Duan Yuyan.
Until October, signs from all sides showed that the Youzhou Party in the Eastern Dynasty, which had suddenly risen in the first half of the year, had basically declined and collapsed. Cao Cao strengthened the real power of the Marshal's Mansion through a series of appointments and removals, and took advantage of the situation to bring Zang Ba and others from Qingzhou into the court as a new source of support for the mansion. However, as a result, the Eastern Dynasty was busy with power transition and re-stabilization, and it seemed that there would be no chance to mobilize troops next year.
Faced with the rapidly changing situation in the Eastern Dynasty, the Western Dynasty, which was training a new army and was relatively stable, could not help but be ready to take action, eager to take advantage of this opportunity to seek substantial gains. But it was difficult to decide the direction of using troops. After all, the Eastern Dynasty was just a change in the political situation and there was no military damage. Attacking Cao Cao might also help him relieve political pressure. However, if we attack Hanzhong from the south, the road is dangerous and the mountains are endless. Liu Fan also has the support of the people, so it may be difficult to conquer in a short time.
In October, Du Ji, the prefect of Pingyang, wrote to the court, suggesting that troops should be actively used northward, saying, "During Tanshihuai's time, Xianbei was the country's formidable enemy. Although the current situation is weak, Kebi can rise again, cut off the bullets and invade the enemy." The Hetao is adjacent to Bafu's inner circle, so it should be feared. Today, there is chaos in the East, and Xianbei has few reinforcements. We can take advantage of this opportunity to restore Yunzhong, Jiuyuan, and Shuofang counties. We can not only restore the horse farm, but also clear the border troubles. This is really two things. Such a move!"
Du Ji was a man of pure filial piety and excellent strategy. He came to prominence during the battle of Surabaya, which wiped out Gengcang, and he was appointed as the Lishi Order. In the assessment of Bingzhou counties, he ranked first in merit year after year. Therefore, last year, Chen Chong divided Hedong County into two along the Huishui River, and after establishing Pingyang County in the north, he immediately promoted him to be the prefect of Pingyang.
After Liu Bei got the book, he greatly appreciated it and asked Chen Chong for his opinion. Chen Chong disagreed. He said: "The purpose of sending troops to Monan is to expel Xianbei, but it is only a few feet away from Youzhou. It is really the same as attacking Cao Cao. Cao Cao will definitely send troops to save him." After that, he took another step from his heart. He took out another copy of the form, handed it to Liu Bei, and said with a smile: "What do you think of this article written by my student?"
Liu Bei took it and looked at it. It turned out to be written by Pang Tong. He said: "Since ancient times, after the army settled in Longyou, there has been a tradition of using troops in Dunhuang and managing the Western Regions. The Western Regions are known to have rare treasures and also produce horse-drawn armor. If the imperial court can Obtaining it will surely enrich the government's treasures and train new armies. Moreover, the country has initially settled on Liangzhou and established a new county in Yinchuan, but it cannot be said that the western border is pacified and the rebellious Qiang are subdued. But if the army can be restored to the western region, Promote the prestige of our country, and all barbarians will also submit to it."
After reading it, Liu Bei knew that this was what Chen Chong meant, but he still hesitated and said: "Although it is an idea, it does not seem to be helpful to the overall situation."
But Chen Chong shook his head and said: "It has always been difficult for the grassland to become a hegemon if it cannot reach the western region. The same is true for the Xiongnu, and the same is true for Tanshihuai. If we can re-establish the guardianship, Kebi will not be able to advance westward, and he will not be able to achieve success. How can you say it doesn’t help the overall situation?”
After hearing this, Liu Bei agreed to the strategy of conquering the west. It's just that since Huan Ling, Liangzhou has been in chaos for decades, and the country has been blocked from the Western Region for decades. Although it is easy to capture, how to plan and arrange it afterwards is something that must be considered before the war. After all, since Emperor Xiaoming, the three connections and three unique features of the Western Regions[1] were once reduced to a quagmire where the Han Dynasty wasted money and resources.
Therefore, how to select managers has become a top priority. If you want to gain a foothold in the Western Regions, you must do three main things. First, you must be familiar with the affairs of various places in the Western Regions. Second, you must ensure stability in Liangzhou. Third, you must be absolutely loyal to the court and not act on your own.
This posed a big problem for Chen Chong. He could gradually understand the affairs of the Western Regions, but the situation in Liangzhou was very complicated, and it was difficult to be loyal to the imperial court. After much deliberation, Chen Chong finally decided to appoint Hu Zhen as the pioneer.
After the battle in Chang'an, Hu Zhen bit off three of Lu Bu's fingers, and his bravery was no longer as good as before. Chen Chong appointed him as the Central Guard, leading the imperial army to guard the emperor. He had always done a good job, and his loyalty should be no problem. And he was born in Liang and was familiar with the Qiang language, so he was quite suitable for stabilizing the situation. If he is paired with a few more Confucian scholars to assist him, he will be able to bear the courage of the long history of the Western Regions.
Chen Chong made up his mind and immediately sent someone to call Hu Zhen, planning to discuss the matter with him face to face.
The theme of this meeting was obviously beyond Hu Zhen's expectation. When he first arrived at Sili's mansion, he thought Chen Chong was going to ask about the emperor's movements, but Chen Chong disrupted his words as soon as he opened his mouth.
Chen Chong looked at him for a few times, then smiled and said: "How is the army guard doing this year? I see you have gained a lot of weight, can you still ride a horse?"
This made Hu Zhen make the boss blush. After all, he was born as a warrior, and he immediately replied: "Why do you say this? To serve the country, Hu Zhen is willing to go through mountains and fires, and he will be happy with it."
Chen Chong smiled, but he did not continue to be at odds with Hu Zhen, and said directly: "The country will send troops to the Western Regions next year to reset the Western Regions Protectorate. Liangzhou is very short of people! I plan to transfer you to be the governor of Dunhuang and the governor of the Western Regions. ,what do you think?"
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He thought this was a great good thing, but unexpectedly, after Hu Zhen heard about the state secrets, he was shocked at first, and then started to speak in a garbled way, hesitating to speak, as if he wanted to refuse but did not dare to say it clearly. This made Chen Chong feel strange. He handed him a cup of tea and asked, "Why, what's the problem with the guard?"
Hu Zhen shook his head in embarrassment and said hesitantly: "This is not good. I am old and can barely lead troops in Beijing. Your Majesty sent me to Dunhuang to manage politics, but I am not good at it. I am really afraid of damaging the country." event."
Chen Chong laughed when he heard this, stepped forward and patted Hu Zhen on the shoulder and said: "Don't be so meager as the guards. Since I choose the guards, you are the only one suitable for the court and no one else can replace you. As long as you have what I just said Be careful, I will send you a few more scribes, and you won’t make any big mistakes.”
Speaking of which, Hu Zhen had no room to refuse, so he had no choice but to agree. Next, he was in a wonderful state of floating. Chen Chong talked to him about many things to pay attention to after taking office, as well as the personnel deployment of the army during the expedition to the west, but Hu Zhenhun didn't pay attention. It wasn't until he left the house that he woke up as if from a dream, patted his cheeks and cursed secretly, and then staggered back to the house as if he was drunk.
[1] Three connections and three unique features of the Western Regions: During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the imperial court's attitude towards the Western Regions changed repeatedly, so much so that it abandoned the Western Regions many times and visited the Western Regions three times. The first time is from 25 to 27 AD, Emperor Guangwu spent no time to manage the Western Regions. The first pass was from 73 to 75 AD. As the Xiongnu gained great strength after acquiring the Western Regions, Ban Chao was ordered to go to the Western Regions to re-conquer the Western Regions. The second pass was from 76 to 89 AD. Emperor Zhang of the Han Dynasty dismissed the Western Regions Protector, but Ban Chao still made many achievements in the Western Regions. , finally persuaded the imperial court to re-establish the Western Region Protector, and re-administered the Western Region from 90 to 106 AD; it was the second link. However, after Ban Chao left office, his successor Ren Shang forced all the countries in the Western Regions to rebel. The situation was bad, so the Eastern Han Dynasty once again abolished the Western Regions Protectorate, which was the Three Jue (107-122 AD). However, Ban Chao's son Ban Yong lost his ambition and restored the Western Regions, convinced the court, and pacified the countries in the Western Regions. This was to establish three connections. This time, the connection between the Western Regions and the Eastern Han Dynasty continued until the Liangzhou Rebellion.
