Xiaoqi

Just when wars were raging in the Central Plains, an imperial edict came out from Chang'an, and thousands of copies were copied by caravans and craftsmen along the way when passing through Hangu Pass. inside.

The first person to receive the edict was Cao Cao, because he was the closest to Hangu Pass.

But when he read the content of the imperial edict, he was horrified and shouted: "The Han Dynasty is in danger, and the perisher of the Han Dynasty is Li Thief!"

However, Cao Cao's next behavior was extremely strange. He left the edict on the desk without saying a word, turned and left the big tent.At this time, Cheng Yu, Mao Jie, Man Chong and other advisers and staff who stayed in the commander's tent looked stunned, and then Cheng Yu walked lightly to the steps to fetch the edict and read it. Mao Jie beside him.

After Mao Jie, Man Chong and others read the edict in turn, everyone looked at each other in blank dismay, but they all kept silent, and slowly left the tent with solemn expressions.

And the emperor's edict is still on the desk, quietly stacked on top of a pair of bamboo slips

The prince who received the edict immediately after Cao Cao was Yuan Shao. The edict that fell into his hands was still a manuscript, and the content was exactly the same as the edict on Cao Cao's desk thousands of miles away.

However, when Yuan Shao saw the edict, he yelled: "The emperor is stupid, Li thief is hateful, he bullied me too much! A certain Yuan Shao and Li thief are incompatible, if I don't kill you in this life, I will die with my eyes closed! Hoo,,, hoo hoo!"

Amid the yelling, Yuan Shao was out of breath, with a ferocious face, as if he wanted to choose someone and devour him with a ferocious look, which frightened Xu You, Guo Tu, Xin Ping Simpi and other counselors into silence and did not dare to move.

Immediately after Yuan Shao.Princes from all walks of life in the world received this emperor's edict one after another, even Liu Zhang in Yizhou, where the road was cut off, was no exception.However, he was the last prince to receive the imperial edict, which was brought into Yizhou via Guanghan County by a caravan traveling between the Qiang tribes in Yongliang and Liangzhou.Then it was passed to Liu Zhang.

When Gongsun Zan of Youzhou received the edict, his reaction was the same as that of Cao Cao. He exclaimed: "The Han Dynasty is in danger, and the world is in chaos!" The same enemy, the same goal, and related interests.advance and retreat together.What's more, the content of this edict did not involve him, but was very beneficial to him.

therefore.In a sense, Gongsun Zan is happy to see the results.This was something he had always wanted to do but was unable to do and dared not to do. This edict undoubtedly helped him a lot.

However, this imperial edict involves too much.Almost covering most of the princes in the world.The stakes are high.Seeing Gongsun Zan's heart beating with fear, he couldn't help breathing quickly.Once this edict is promulgated, it will mean that the Xiliang army has made enemies of the princes from all walks of life and openly declared war on all forces.

Therefore, Gongsun Zan read the edict many times and memorized almost every word on the bamboo slips in his mind.In fact, what he was considering at the moment was not the imperial edict, but whether it was right for him to form an alliance with Li Li.Is it worth it.There is no doubt that at this time this edict has been spread all over the world.How will the princes from all walks of life react when they received the edict? Will they join forces to attack Xiliang Lili again?If the fight really started again, how would Gongsun Zan deal with himself, stand by and watch or join hands with Li Li to fight against the heroes of the world?

If the alliance of princes jointly crusade against Li Li broke out again, it would be a bit whimsical and unrealistic for him, Gongsun Zan, to continue to stay out of it.In the previous Central Plains War, he was able to watch from the sidelines. It was because he used the excuse that the rebellion in the territory was not over and he had no time to take care of others. He really couldn't spare any extra troops to support Li Li. For this reason, Li Li expressed his understanding and only asked him to provide some money and food support. No need to go to war.If there was another fight this time, he might not be able to stand by and watch.Otherwise, no matter what the outcome of the war is, he will face crusade from various forces.If the allied forces of the princes win, they will regard Gongsun Zan as Li Li's accomplice, and they will definitely not let him go; but if Li Li wins in Xiliang, he will definitely regard him as a perfidy, and send his troops eastward to conquer Youzhou.

Therefore, when Gongsun Zan held the edict, it was like holding a hot potato, which forced him to express his attitude clearly.He either openly admits to forming an alliance with Li Li, or declares himself an enemy of Li Li, other than that, he has no third choice.In the final analysis, his current strength is not enough to make him unique and a family of his own.After all, his strength among the princes from all walks of life can only be regarded as an upper-middle power, and the west is connected to Bingzhou occupied by Li Li, the south is in conflict with Yuan Shao, the north is staring at many barbarians, and the northeast and Liaodong Gongsun Du also have suspicions. beware.Geographical location determines that Gongsun Zan cannot stand alone and stay out of the battle of princes. No matter which side he is on, he must publicly express his attitude.

However, does Gongsun Zan still have a choice now?Right now, he has dispatched troops to occupy more than half of Qingzhou. Over the years, he has repeatedly fought with Yuan Shao, and it seems that it has become an endless situation, and there is absolutely no room for relaxation and compromise.From now on, there is only one way in front of him, and that is to make long distance and short attack, form an alliance with Xiliang Li Li, and jointly deal with Yuan Shao.

However, what made Gongsun Zan extremely hesitant was that Xiliang Li Li was too powerful.An alliance with such a powerful force is undoubtedly a good thing in the short term.At least after Gongsun Zan made an open alliance with Li Li, he would no longer be afraid of Yuan Shao, or even join forces with Yanzhou Cao Cao, Lu Bu and others.Because as long as Li Li and Chen Bing are in charge of the border, Cao Cao, Lu Bu and other forces will not dare to act rashly, but he can attack Jizhou with all his heart, and fight Yuan Shao openly.However, too strong an ally is not necessarily a good thing, hidden hidden dangers are extremely dangerous.If he is not handled well and if he is a little slack, he, Gongsun Zan, will become Li Li's vassal. If the alliance fails, he will be annexed by Li Li silently.

Therefore, the moment Gongsun Zan held the edict, his heart was full of ups and downs.

Liu Bei in Xuzhou received the edict before Gongsun Zan, and when he saw the moment mentioned in the edict, his expression was extremely strange, completely different from Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Gongsun Zan and others.

"What exactly does Li thief want to do? Could it be that he wants to force the emperor to take the throne, or kill the king and usurp the throne?"

This is what Liu Bei said in front of all the officials in Xuzhou.But what everyone doesn't know is.After reading the edict, Liu Bei had other plans in mind.Although he was included in the imperial edict, instead of being angry at all, he was secretly delighted.Because he had a premonition that something big would happen soon.Moreover, it was a big event that shocked the world, and this was the perfect opportunity he had been waiting for for a long time.Once the situation in the world changes drastically, he will be able to lead Xuzhou Mu on his own smoothly, without being criticized or criticized by anyone.

Therefore, Liu Bei was in a good mood when he took the edict.As if a boulder had finally landed, I felt a lot more relaxed, and I was full of anticipation for the upcoming drastic changes.

Compared with the different behaviors of the above-mentioned princes when they received the edict.When the edict was passed into Shouchun City, it was another scene.

"Hahaha!" In the main hall, after Yan Xiang hastily ran into the hall and handed in the edict, Yuan Shu looked surprised the moment he read the edict for the first time.Then the more you looked down, the more exciting the look on his face became.unpredictable.After reading the whole story, he burst out laughing happily, as if he had encountered a great good thing, laughing wildly and unscrupulously.

"Okay, good, good, good! Li Lizhuzi really has the guts, good literary talent, and a thousand words of eloquence. He did it in one go, and dared to openly challenge the princes of all walks of life in the world. Really amazing courage, Yuan is willing to bow down!"

Yan Xiang, who was standing at the bottom of the steps, changed his expression when he heard that, and said anxiously: "My lord, why are you laughing? This edict is full of rebellious words, and the intention of plotting wrongdoing is clearly revealed. Thief Li promulgated this edict to the world. What a mess! In addition, the imperial edict reveals Li Thief's huge ambition to usurp the throne and stand on his own feet, as if disregarding the centuries-old foundation of the Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty is already in danger!"

Yuan Shu restrained his laughter a little after hearing the sound, and said disapprovingly: "The Liu family has been passed down for more than four hundred years, and its vitality has been exhausted. There are capable people living in thousands of miles. Now that the Han Dynasty has declined, it will naturally be replaced by others. We will separate the regime Jianghuai, who have painstakingly managed the prefectures and counties, and worked hard to mobilize their troops, isn’t this the day they planned? The world is in chaos. If there is no chaos, wouldn’t we just sit and wait for the time to pass, and there will never be a day of success?”

"This..." Yan Xiangwen was at a loss for words, looked up at Yuan Shu who squinted his eyes and had a sly smile on his face, shook his head slightly, and sighed inwardly.After a little silence, he persuaded in a low voice: "This subordinate knows very well that the lord has great ambitions, but the time is not yet ripe, so it is not appropriate to act too hastily, or you will fall into the target of public criticism if you are not careful. I hope the lord will think twice before acting."

After Yuan Shu heard the words, the smile on his face disappeared instantly, and he looked down at Yan Xiang with an extremely displeased expression, but saw his resolute expression and firm eyes, as if he had made up his mind and would not change his original intention.Immediately, Yuan Shu turned his eyes, nodded slightly and said, "Well, what you said is not unreasonable. This matter is not urgent, and we will wait and see how things change, and discuss it later."

Seeing Yuan Shu finally let go, Yan Xiang couldn't help but let out a long breath, with a relaxed smile on his face.

At the same time, in the main hall of Xiangyang State Shepherd's Mansion thousands of miles away from Shouchun, the hale and hearty Liu Biao was also holding an imperial edict.

This edict is very different from the bamboo slips received by other princes. It is a brocade edict, the emperor Liu Xie's own handwriting, which is the only authentic copy of all the edicts.

I saw that at the beginning of the brocade silk was "The Edict of Restraining Oneself for Rebellion", which said: "As a young man, I flattered the great industry, and could not spread the wind, but felt against Yin and Yang, so that the people famined and ate each other even more. The world is in chaos, and traitors rise together.Yonghuai sighs, if attached to the deep water.The fault lies in my failure to help, and the descendants of the lords have brought disaster to the world and the common people.Yuan Shao of Jizhou, the descendant of the fourth Lord, has received the favor of the emperor, but does not think about loyalty. Before that, there was a rebellion among foreign vassals and kings, and later, there was a rebellion of gathering crowds to attack the western capital.Cao Cao in Qiaoxian County, his ancestor Cao Teng, the first emperor's servant, was favored and prosperous, but his descendants had no virtue, led the people to join the rebellion, worked for the tiger, helped the tyrant and abused him, and was also the country's rebel.Liu Bei in Zhuo County, a mat-weaver and shoe seller, lying about the nobles, wandering from east to west, causing trouble in the north and south Lu Bu rebelled against Yuan Shu and troubled Jianghuai, Sun Ce and jackals."

An edict of sin against oneself, with more than a thousand words eloquently, from the emperor down, counts the rebellion and rebellion of all the princes in the world, causing disaster to the world.Therefore, this edict is called the Edict of Guilt, but it is actually a denunciation of the princes from all walks of life. It is like a confession that enumerates the traitors.

Looking at this imperial edict, only four people were not condemned. Instead, they were commended, and they were added to the rank of the three princes or above the three princes.First, Gongsun Zan of Youzhou, who has resisted the barbarians in Beidi over the years, is commendable for his loyalty. He was promoted from former general to general of Wei and bestowed the title of Marquis of Jixiang.Second, Liu Biao of Jingzhou, who protects the environment and the people, encourages farming and mulberry, and enriches the people, is promoted from General Zhengnan to General Zuo.Thirdly, Liu Zhang of Yizhou appeases the Nanman, comforts the people, governs Shengping, promotes the general who conquers the South, and takes a holiday to become the Marquis of Le'an.

As for the last person who praises wildly, it is ready to come out. This person is Li Li Li Wenchang, the newly promoted general, who recorded the affairs of the prime minister. For military and political affairs, he is bestowed with a luan car, patrols hunting on behalf of the sky, and guards all states in the world.

"Boom!" Before reading the full text of the imperial edict, Liu Biao took the case full of righteous indignation and yelled angrily, "Thieves Li are only afraid that the world will not be chaotic. Once this edict is issued, I, a 400-year-old man, will perish!"

Chapter 833 The winner is a prince and the loser is a thief

An emperor's imperial edict, with more than a thousand words eloquently, was sharp and pointed at the disadvantages of the times.

However, in the imperial edict, from the emperor down, the princes from all walks of life in the world have gone against the law, committed rebellion, and brought disaster to the world.

Therefore, this edict is called the Edict of Guilt, but it is actually a denunciation of the princes from all walks of life. In fact, it is a confession of rebellion.

At the same time, at the end of the denunciation edict, the four princes, Li Li, Liu Biao, Liu Zhang, and Gongsun Zan, were lavishly praised.

In this way, this edict is full of the taste of punishing evil and promoting good. Only when there is praise and derogation can the authenticity and persuasiveness of the edict be demonstrated.

After reading the entire edict, it is not difficult to see that this edict has sinister intentions.

Pulled out all the princes from all walks of life to denounce and denounce them, counted the crimes, and spoke extremely viciously, leaving no room for it, regardless of the face of the princes from all walks of life, even several generations of their ancestors. .There are more than ten copies of Liu Biao's handsome case alone, and there are probably not a few in Xiangyang City, and Jingzhou is like this, so Yanzhou, Jizhou, Youzhou, Yangzhou, Xuzhou and Yizhou are probably no exception. There are at least hundreds of criminal edicts circulating in several states and counties.

In this way, it won't take long for almost all counties and counties in the world to see such edicts.If Li Li is said to have no intention of spreading such a large-scale dissemination of guilt, anyone who believes it will be a fool.

However, the consequences of the edict being circulated are extremely serious, but all the princes who appear in the edict must be discredited and faceless.The good reputation that the princes had gained with great difficulty over the years was ruined.From then on, the common people all over the world know that they are plotting wrongdoing and committing crimes, and the serious consequences will be unimaginable.Even if the existing foundation of the princes from all walks of life cannot be shaken.However, they mercilessly tore off the fig leaf of the ZTE Han Dynasty that they had always advertised, forcing them to have nothing to hide.

Since then, the guise of Zhongxing Han Dynasty can no longer be used, and all attempts and retreats of the princes from all walks of life to use tiger skin as a banner have been completely eliminated.This forced the princes from all walks of life to make a clear-cut gesture, or make friends with Xiliang Li Li.He even directly attached to the Xiliang Army and bowed his head to Li Li as a vassal;From then on.There are probably not a few people who are kings and hegemons. Right now, we will see who is the first to jump out, and then we will see how Li Li reacts.

So far, the world is really in chaos.And it was an aboveboard rebellion.It's no longer as secretive as it used to be.Because this edict has made the ambitions of the princes from all walks of life clear to the world, and if they want to find an excuse to provoke a war, it is tantamount to humiliating themselves, appearing to be timid and self-defeating.

In addition, the influence of this edict is immeasurable.After the people who had always been devoted to the Han Dynasty learned the content of the imperial edict, the most intuitive impression was that the emperor lost his virtue.As a result, the state shepherds, governors, and county guards of all states and counties in the world all rose up and committed chaos.unanimously against him.Can such a king rule the world? What else can the people expect from him?

On the contrary, the common people also disliked the princes who conspired against each other, and even felt extremely disgusted and hated them.After all, the power of kings has been granted by God for a long time, and it has been the same since ancient times. However, those who commit chaos have never been recognized by the majority of people. Only when the overall situation is settled can they slowly change their minds and passively accept the facts.However, the separatism of the princes will inevitably lead to large-scale wars. Once a war breaks out, it is the common people who will suffer. Therefore, the common people hate the rebels and would rather suffer from poverty than live in the flames of war.

Therefore, it is really hard to estimate how powerful this edict is, at least the current situation is unclear and impossible to predict.

Furthermore, this edict has a high degree of trust.In the imperial edict, the emperor enumerates the conspiracies and rebellions of the princes from all walks of life, but he does not mention the big officials who belonged to the Liu family, but rewards them greatly.Except for Xuzhou Liu Bei, after this edict, Liu Bei was completely excluded from the Liu clan, and there will be no more "Uncle Liu Emperor" from then on.This is the end of the royal descendants' chewing, and Liu Bei will never be able to use it again.Unless the Han Dynasty really perished, he could claim to be a descendant of the Liu family and restore it, otherwise he would be cut off from the Han clan in this life.

The biggest victim in the entire imperial edict was not the various princes who were condemned, but the young emperor Liu Xie.

The emperor blew himself up, which is the taboo of the kings of all dynasties.Before this, it is not that no emperor has issued an edict of sin against himself. As early as Emperor Wen of the Western Han Dynasty, the first edict of sin against oneself was officially promulgated, and it has been more than 300 years since Liu Xie's edict of sin against oneself.However, the original intention of the Edict of Guilt is not for the king to blow himself up, but to explain his mistakes, express his willingness to correct the past for the country and the people, and work together to govern the country, so as to win people's hearts and consolidate the emperor's position. strengthen the rule.This is the true purpose of the Edict of Guilt.If it was just for self-exploitation, I am afraid that there will be no such edicts in this world. The emperors of all dynasties would rather wait for the country to perish than issue such self-defeating edicts.

In addition, there have always been three prerequisites for promulgating the Edict of Guilt.First, when the country suffers major disasters, such as drought, floods, earthquakes and large-scale plagues, etc.; second, when the monarch and ministers are misplaced, when foreign relatives dominate the court or the inner palace interferes with politics, and when the court is chaotic; third, the regime is in crisis. At that time, the imperial capital fell, the emperor fled, and the building was about to collapse. In order to win the hearts of the people, the emperor had to issue an edict of guilt in order to restore the situation and revive the dynasty.

Therefore, it is not an exaggeration for Liu Xie to issue an edict of guilt at this time, which belongs to the third situation, when the regime is in danger.It's just that he promulgated this edict of guilt a little late. As early as when Dong Zhuo led his troops into Luoyang, he should have promulgated this edict to win people's hearts and restore the situation.It's a pity that he was too young at that time, and there was no one available around him. Drafting an imperial edict was an impossible task for him.Today, he finally has the ability to draft an edict, but he is trapped in the palace, his words, deeds, food and daily life are all under the supervision of Li Ru, the regular servant of the Central Committee, and he has no freedom at all, let alone issue an edict.

Therefore, when Li Ru brought a draft denunciation edict, Liu Xie tried his best to evade it and refused to copy it.result.This action angered Li Li, and then Li Ru followed Li Li's intention to draft a new edict, which is now spread to all the princes and states and counties in the world to seek rebellion.

It can be said.This edict was completely self-inflicted by Liu Xie. If it was copied according to the first edict, it would only be an edict condemning the princes, it would not damage the majesty of his emperor, and it could still preserve the face of the royal family.It's a pity that he deliberately tested Li Li's bottom line, pretending to be ill and refusing to copy, which made Li Li very angry.Then he kept on doing nothing, directly instructing Li Ru to draft an edict of guilt, which completely overturned the majesty of the royal family.And make it public.