gnovel Chapter 104 The Spy Infiltrating the Emperor's Side
Chapter 104 The Spy Infiltrating the Emperor's Side
Chapter 104 The Spy Infiltrating the Emperor's Side
Seeing Tian Feng's anxiety, Guo Tu became less anxious.
He said unhurriedly, "Welcoming the Emperor to Ye City is easy for you to say."
But the emperor has arrived. Should our lord obey the emperor's orders?
If we listen to him, what will happen to our lord's legacy?
To disobey him is to defy imperial orders.
Then the world will say that our lord, in name only, welcomed us, but in reality, he kidnapped us!
Ju Shou angrily retorted, "Guo Tu, this is sophistry! Whoever holds the emperor's power has the right to command the world. Don't you understand this principle?!"
Guo Tu shook his head and said, "A title? Only those who lack the strength will fight for a title."
"Our lord's family has held high office for four generations, and his disciples and former officials are all over the land. Why should we need to borrow the emperor's name?"
Yuan Shao's expression immediately underwent a subtle change.
Guo Tu continued, "Moreover, if we welcome the emperor to Ye City, those royalists will inevitably follow."
They kept nagging the emperor all day long.
If they dismiss this person today, they might take away the right to send troops tomorrow.
"When the time comes, will you obey the imperial decree?"
Tian Feng was so angry his mustache stood on end: "Guo Tu, you're ruining our lord's important affairs!"
Guo Tu refused to back down: "I am doing this for the sake of my lord."
Yuan Shao raised his hand to stop the two from arguing.
He looked at Feng Ji and asked, "Yuan Tu, Zheng Nan, what do you two think?"
Feng Ji pondered for a moment and said, "Both welcoming and not welcoming have their own advantages."
Welcoming the emperor grants one a title; not welcoming him grants one autonomy.
If the lord values status, then welcome him/her.
If you value autonomy more, then don't welcome it.
That's as good as saying nothing at all.
Shen Pei thought for a moment and replied, "Guo Tu is indeed right. Why should we hand over the foundation that our lord has worked so hard to build to those royalists?"
Seeing that Shen Pei had also sided with Guo Tu, Tian Feng couldn't help but say with great distress, "Zheng Nan, you're so foolish!"
How many royalists are there?
Just give them a few nominal positions and send them away. The real power is still in the hands of the lord.
But if Cao Cao were to welcome the emperor away, that would be a disaster!
Upon hearing the name "Cao Cao," Yuan Shao couldn't help but rub his forehead.
He was still somewhat hesitant.
Seeing this, Tian Feng advised again, "My lord, this opportunity is fleeting and will not come again. Please send troops immediately!"
Guo Tu stopped him: "Our lord's primary task now is to pacify Hebei, not to concern himself with that useless emperor!"
The two argued incessantly, giving Yuan Shao a headache.
Seeing that the two of them were escalating their argument, he couldn't help but slam his hand on the table and angrily said, "Enough! Let me think about this some more. You may all leave."
Tian Feng wanted to say something more, but Ju Shou grabbed his sleeve.
After everyone left, only Yuan Shao remained in the hall.
He straightened up and picked up the secret edict from the table.
"The Emperor—the Emperor—" he murmured, weighing the options in his mind.
After a long while, Yuan Shao lit the secret edict with a candle flame and threw it into the brazier in the corner.
In the second year of Xingping, in the seventh month.
When the emperor crossed the Yellow River, he was accompanied by only a dozen or so people, including Grand Commandant Yang Biao and Grand Master Han Rong.
Most of the other officials and nobles were killed or wounded, and the palace women were all captured and plundered by Li Jue and Guo Si's pursuing troops.
The emperor's carriage and other important items were also completely lost.
Yang Feng stood at the Yellow River ferry, watching the dust and smoke of the pursuing troops gradually disappear on the opposite bank, and let out a long breath.
He turned to the Xiongnu chieftain beside him, whose hair was disheveled and whose robe was fastened on the left, and cupped his hands, saying, "Right Wise King, we owe you a great debt of gratitude for your assistance in this battle."
Qu Bei, still on horseback, replied in broken Chinese, "General Yang, you are too kind. The Emperor has granted permission for my troops to be stationed in Hedong, and I will certainly serve you."
Yang Feng's smile remained unchanged, but he cursed inwardly.
-
He originally only wanted to borrow the help of the Xiongnu cavalry, but unexpectedly, the emperor, in order to win over Qu Bei, allowed him to be stationed in Hedong.
This is simply inviting a wolf into the house.
But the problem is that he brought these wolves in himself, and there was more than just Qu Bei; there were also the White Wave Army led by Han Xian, Li Le, and Hu Cai!
But this is the only option available.
Faced with the pursuers Li Cui and Guo Si, Yang Feng could only rely on external forces to resist their advance.
Emperor Liu Xie sat in a dilapidated carriage. The carriage was drafty, and dust poured in through the gaps, making him cough.
Dong Cheng rode alongside the carriage, peered inside, and whispered, "Your Majesty, just a little further on, we'll reach Anyi. Once we get there, there will be a place to rest."
Liu Xie lifted the carriage curtain, revealing a pale and thin face.
He is only fifteen years old this year, but he has already experienced many hardships with Dong Zhuo, Li Cui, and Guo Si. The brilliance that a young man should have has long been gone from his eyes.
"Anyi—" Liu Xie murmured, then asked, "Will we be safe once we arrive in Anyi?"
Dong Cheng did not answer.
He didn't know how to answer.
But even if they arrive in Anyi, they probably won't find peace.
The "guards" that Yang Feng brought were no pushovers.
The group traveled for another day and finally arrived at Anyi City.
Anyi is now just a dilapidated small county town with low city walls and weeds growing on the city walls.
Most of the city's residents had already fled, leaving only a few dozen elderly and infirm households.
Yang Feng housed the emperor in the largest mansion in the city.
It's said to be the largest, but it's only a three-courtyard complex.
Dong Cheng directed his soldiers to clean for half a day before they could barely manage to tidy up a house that was habitable.
Liu Xie sat on the couch, gazing at the empty room, and suddenly asked, "What are Han Xian and the others doing?"
Dong Cheng respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, their men are plundering grain and fodder everywhere."
These people are clearly incorrigible thieves.
Ironically, their safety was entirely in the hands of a group of bandits!
"Your Majesty, please rest. This journey has been very arduous for you," Dong Cheng said.
"Alright, Minister Dong, you should rest early too," Liu Xie replied, lying on the bed with his eyes closed.
Dong Cheng blew out the candle and quietly withdrew.
Meanwhile, in a dilapidated house at the eastern end of Anyi City, six young men dressed in white military uniforms sat together.
The leader was a man in his early twenties, with a dark complexion, a lean build, and exceptionally bright eyes.
His name is Zhao Ping, and he was a member of the clan that Zhao Yun brought from Zhao Family Village in Changshan.
Six months ago, when Guo Jia was selecting spies in Wanling, Zhao Ping volunteered.
Guo Jia discovered that he was bold, meticulous, and highly skilled in martial arts, so he kept him on.
Not long after, he was sent to Chang'an.
Along the way, it was Zhao Ping's spy squad that kept sending messages back to Wanling.
Not only that, they even infiltrated the emperor's eastward relocation procession.
Then, taking advantage of the chaos, he infiltrated the White Wave Army's ranks.
While resisting the pursuing troops of Li Cui and Guo Si, they also killed more than a dozen enemy soldiers, earning them some merit.
The White Wave Army was essentially a band of bandits with lax discipline, and new faces could easily infiltrate their ranks.
Therefore, Zhao Ping and his group felt no pressure whatsoever while mingling among them.
Just then, another spy leaned over and whispered, "Brother Ping, what's our next step?"
A glint of shrewdness flashed in Zhao Ping's eyes, and he replied with only one word: "Wait!"
"Wait? Wait for what?" another person asked.
"Wait for the people who will come from Kanto to welcome the Emperor!"