Heroes of Northern History

It is said that two traitors, Xu He and Zheng Yan, offered advice to the Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager Hu hurriedly asked what advice she had.

Zheng Yan said: "Your Majesty wants to avoid a catastrophe, unless she secretly poisons the emperor and makes the princess the crown prince and supports her as the emperor. At that time, the power belongs to your majesty. You can stop the mouths of the ministers internally and stop Erzhu externally." Let the army of Rong Rong. Wait for the people to be stable, and then choose another clan to uphold the position. Not only will disasters be avoided, but more happiness will be brought. What does the Empress Dowager think?"

After hearing this, Empress Dowager Hu said, "The emperor doesn't even care about my mother. Well, I don't have to take care of him anymore."

Seeing that the Empress Dowager has agreed, the two left closely.

Let's say that in February of the first year of Wutai, the emperor went to the apse of Xianyang, and concubine Lu slept in bed.Emperor Xiaoming drank beautifully.

Sleeping in the middle of the night, I was thirsty and asked someone to bring soup. After drinking the soup, my chest suddenly hurt, and I noticed something different. I asked the maid, "What kind of wine did I drink not long ago? Tell me quickly."

The palace maid said: "This is the empress dowager, who dedicated it to the emperor, and ordered not to reveal it, so I dare not say it, and I ask the emperor to spare me."

Emperor Xiaoming knew about the poisoning and regretted it very much. Because he could not speak, he died at the fifth watch. He reigned for 13 years and died at the age of 19. "

Mrs. Lu cried and said: "The Empress Dowager personally killed her own Qin Sheng son, and the next day she will definitely blame me. It seems that she has no choice but to hang herself."

So he committed suicide.

The palace people reported to the Empress Dowager Hu, who pretended to be sad, and ascended to the palace the next day, and said to the courtiers: "Your Majesty the Emperor drank too much last night, and died in the Xianyang Houdian at the fifth watch."

All the ministers turned pale.

King Gaoyang walked out of the ranks and cried, "The emperor was young, and he didn't have any diseases at the beginning. How could he pass away? There must be treacherous people in the palace. Please investigate and get rid of the treacherous people and return to justice."

Empress Dowager Hu said: "Concubine Lu went to bed last night and committed suicide in fear of crime. Don't ask questions."

King Gaoyang was silent.All the ministers suspected that the sudden death of the emperor must be a conspiracy by Xu He and Zheng Yan, but they dared not speak out.

Empress Dowager Hu made the fake prince who was brought out from Concubine Pan's palace the new king.The civil and military officials congratulated first, and then mourned. None of the civil and military officials dared to defy. "

That night, the Empress Dowager decided to make Yuan Zhao the emperor in order to control power. "

After three days, the Queen Mother saw that the hearts of the people had settled down, and issued an edict: "The concubine Pan Guifei gave birth to a princess. Just because the emperor just passed away, I pretended to be the prince to reassure the people. Now there is a son of the late Lintao Wang Baohui. Yuanzhao, the grandson of Emperor Gaozu, should inherit the throne." They put him on the dragon chair and took him to the Taiji Hall. This is the young emperor, only two years old.

Empress Dowager Hu tried to monopolize the government for a long time, so she made him emperor.Amnesty for the world, all civil and military officials will be added to the second level, and the guards will be promoted to the third level.

When the imperial edict arrived in Bingzhou, Er Zhurong was taken aback and said to Yuan Tianmu: "The emperor is young and died suddenly without illness. There must be rebellion and cheating among them. Besides, the emperor is 19 years old, and the world is still called the little master. Now let the child who can't speak come. How can anyone in the world obey? How can I lead the cavalry to avenge the emperor, punish the traitors, and change the monarch?"

Tian Mu said: "It's very good." "Then brother, please prepare more. If you need help, just ask."

Er Zhurong said: Good. "

False first, then give the order, and choose a day to leave.Let the vanguard Liuhun lead the troops to advance. "

He Liuhun's troops passed through the impoverished Longgang, and suddenly someone came to report the arrival of Zhu Shilong, the capital master. Gao Huan received Shilong, and Shilong said: "I was ordered by the Queen Mother to come and see Tianbao. Discuss actions." Gao Huan agreed.

Er Zhu Shilong came to see Er Zhurong, and Er Zhurong asked, "Why is this happening?"

Er Zhu Shilong said: "The queen mother was very scared when she saw your elder brother's watch, so she called you into the palace to express her condolences. The queen mother asked my younger brother to persuade my elder brother not to use force. If you keep yourself safe, you can reappoint the title and enjoy wealth forever. My younger brother had no choice but to come here under orders."

"Er Zhurong said: "This is all the empress dowager's intention, how can I accept her beckoning, you don't have to go to the capital anymore. "

Er Zhu Shilong said: "If my younger brother doesn't come back, the Empress Dowager will definitely be suspicious. Why don't my younger brother return to his life first, comfort the Empress Dowager with good words, and make her feel at ease. My elder brother can go straight to the capital while she is relaxing."

Er Zhurong said: "Since you want to go back, I have one more thing to entrust to you. A few days ago, Yuan Tianmu advised me to depose Nazhu and establish a new clan. There is Changle Wang Yuanziyou, and his father Wuxuan Wang has made meritorious service to the country. Can be registered as the emperor. What do you think of others?"

Erzhu Shilong said: "Everyone has an extraordinary appearance, and someone has the measure of a king. It is most suitable to establish an emperor."

"Er Zhurong said: "If this person can, you go to the capital and secretly inform Changle of my support.When our army arrived in Hanoi, we came to meet them.You have long thought of a way out, so don't delay my career. "

Erzhu Shilong led the order, and before leaving, he said to Er Zhurong: "Wait for my brother to arrive in Beijing, and then send troops." Er Zhurong agreed.

So Erzhu Shilong rushed to the capital overnight and said to the empress dowager: "I have ordered Er Zhurong to stop the army. I hope the empress dowager don't worry. Empress Dowager Hu is very happy," and gave him gold and silk to comfort him.Shilong saluted and left, and secretly came outside Ziyou's mansion to ask for an audience.

When Ziyou learned that he was brought in, after the etiquette was over, he asked, "Can you stop Jinyang's army if you go to the north?"

Erzhu Shilong asked the left and right to retreat, and said privately to the king: "My brother avenged the late emperor, and the brigade is coming. But he wants to regard the king as the emperor and take charge of the country, so he asked me to report."

The king of Changle said: I have no virtue, so I cannot be an emperor. "

Shilong repeatedly persuaded him to enter, and the king of Changle agreed. "

First, the attendant Yuanshun dreamed one night of a black cloud, rushing from the northwest corner to the southeast, the sun and the moon were broken, and the stars were dark.Soon the clouds dispersed, and one day it appeared in the southwest, bright and brilliant.

Some people said: "This is Changle Day." Suddenly, I saw the yellow cover of the Luan flag.The emperor entered through Luhe Gate and boarded the Taiji Hall, and all the officials shouted long live.In Zhongshu Province, walking along the corridor, I saw a big locust tree.Take off your clothes, sit under a tree and enjoy the scenery.

The next day, I met Yuan Huiye, king of Jiyin, and told him the dream and asked him if it was auspicious.

Yuan Huiye replied: "Changle is the son of Pengcheng. Could it be that this man will be the emperor? The king of Pengcheng has meritorious deeds in the world. If his son becomes emperor, it will be regarded as the reward for accumulating good deeds. Why do you think it is unlucky?" "Yuan Huiye Shun said: "Heiyun, the evil spirit, the color of the north, there must be enemies from the north who will come back to disturb the capital. "

Besides, the Empress Dowager received Shilong's reward, she had no doubts in her heart, and she favored Xu He and Zheng Yan as usual.Suddenly there was a report from the palace: "When Concubine Lu was alive, there was a court lady Hui Niang who was very young and could know the future. A few days ago, she gave birth to a fake prince and reported to the emperor. This girl is the girl. It is said that the queen mother is in great trouble, if she is released, she will be saved.

Empress Dowager Hu then called her. "

Hui Niang showed no signs of fear in front of Empress Dowager Hu.

Empress Dowager Hu asked: "Concubine Pan Gui gave birth to a girl, how did you know that she is a woman?"

Hui Niang said: "I have been granted by the immortals, and I know everything about the palace. The Queen Mother killed the emperor was instigated by Xu He and Zheng Yan, and it was hidden from everyone, but not from me. But I am afraid that the Queen Mother will become someone else because of the two thieves. The ghost under the sword."

After hearing this, Empress Dowager Hu said angrily: "The scumbag from there dares to scare people with rumors!" Make them beheaded.

Hui Niang smiled and said, "I'm afraid you can't kill me, but it's easy for others to kill you."

After speaking, he turned into a white bird and flew away into the sky.All clothes and jewellery.We must know that demons are created by people, and the disaster of the queen mother is approaching, so there are such weird things.The Empress Dowager stayed for a while, and the maids on both sides were so frightened that their souls disappeared. "

Suddenly, the servant of the Huangmen handed in a seal, saying that Zhuo Erzhu's army had passed the Taihang Mountains, and that Erzhu Shilong's family had fled last night.

Knowing the urgency of the matter, Queen Mother Hu hurriedly summoned the princes and ministers to enter the North Palace to discuss together.

All the kings hated the Queen Mother for being treacherous, promiscuous and rebellious, and no one was willing to offer advice.Only Xu He said: Er Zhurong raised troops to attack the palace, and the civil and military imperial guards were enough to resist.Just hold on to the dangerous place and wait for work with ease.He is alone for thousands of miles, and his men and horses are exhausted. It will be a matter of time before he can be defeated.I hope Your Majesty will not worry.

The queen mother believed it, so she made Li Shengui, the servant of the Huangmen, the chief governor, and led [-] troops to Hebei to fight against the enemy; deputy generals Zheng Jiming and Zheng Xianhu led troops to guard the river bridge, and Wuwei general Fei Mu was stationed in Xiaopingjin.

But it was said that Er Zhurong left Bingzhou by himself, the mighty army marched all the way, all the states and counties along the way were fighting with each other, no one dared to resist.After passing the Shangdang, Liuhun greeted him, joined forces, and came in the starry night.It's really unimpeded, and the momentum is like a broken bamboo.

As soon as they arrived in Hanoi, a spies came to report: In Heyang city, the imperial court sent general Li Shengui to lead the guard.Er Zhurong ordered the camp to be set up, facing the generals, he said: "Who will catch this thief for me?" "He Basheng came out in response and said: The lord gave me five hundred cavalry, and I will definitely capture them. Er Zhurong was very happy and immediately ordered He Basheng to go.

At that time, Shengui camped in Hanoi, and he was worried every day that Erzhu Rong's soldiers would arrive, and his soldiers would have no fighting spirit.As soon as he heard that the Pohu soldiers had arrived, he learned that he was brave and invincible, so he hurriedly led his troops across the Yellow River and retreated to the inner city.

When Er Zhurong heard about it, he laughed and said, "What do these people have to defile my sword?"

"Suddenly it was reported that Shilong was coming, and Er Zhurong informed Shilong of the situation in Beijing one by one, saying that the Queen Mother would definitely fail.

Er Zhurong then dispatched his own army, Wang Xin, to change clothes and sneak into Luoyang to welcome Changle Wang Yuanziyou, Pengcheng Wang Yuanji, and Bacheng Gongzizheng to Hanoi.

Changle said to King Pengcheng: "Er Zhurong's army has arrived. Don't burn everything together. It's better to endure it for a while." So he changed his clothes at the fifth watch, and quietly escaped from the capital with Wang Xin, and crossed the Yellow River from Gaozhu.When Er Zhurong heard that the king was coming, he led his soldiers to greet him by the river. All the generals and soldiers shouted long live.Er Zhurong asked the emperor to enter the account, and asked the king to ascend the throne, calling him Emperor Jingzong.Er Zhurong and all the generals congratulated in front of the tent. "

The emperor then issued an edict, making his elder brother Yuan Shao the supreme king and his younger brother the king of Shiping.He appointed Er Zhurong as the servant, the governor of all military generals at home and abroad, and the minister of the order, and he was named the king of Taiyuan.The rest of the officers and men were promoted to rank.

The emperor has always had a reputation of being virtuous and virtuous, and people near and far know the emperor and are sincerely convinced.Zheng Xianhu said to Ji Ming: "The new king has been established, and the queen mother is about to die. Who should we guard? Why don't we surrender and avoid disasters."

The two wrote letters, asking the emperor to enter the city.When Li Shengui heard that Beizhong was not defending, he led his troops and fled back.Fei Mu and Er Zhurong were old, and they also abandoned their troops and came to surrender.Er Zhurong was very happy to see him, but he was not allowed to see the emperor, keeping him as his confidant in the account. "

Knowing that the general situation was over, Xu He falsely passed the imperial decree and opened the gate of the palace at night, stole gold and rode horses, and fled eastward to Yanzhou.Zheng Yan did not discuss with the queen mother, but also fled back to his hometown.The queen mother first heard that the three Changle brothers had escaped, and she already suspected that the clan kings had changed. Later, when she heard that Changle had ascended the throne and Zheng Xianhu and others surrendered, she was shocked.

Suddenly someone came to report Li Shengui's return, and the queen mother summoned him to ask him, and then she knew that Fei Mu had also surrendered, so she was even more frightened.Busy calling Zheng Yan and Xu He to discuss.

The palace people told the queen mother that the two had fled.The queen mother said to Li Shengui: "Everything was done by two people, but now they abandon me. Why is this happening?" Shengui had nothing to say, so she left.

The Queen Mother summoned the ministers, but none of them arrived.It was also heard that the new king had an order, and all civil and military officials went to the river bridge to meet him, and everyone obeyed the order.Shang Baoqing came to ask for the jade seal, and Luan Yiwei prepared the emperor's car. "

Empress Dowager Hu saw that the situation had changed drastically, so she entered the back hall and summoned Emperor Xiaoming's concubines, more than [-] people from Empress Hu to the Yaoguang Temple, and left the palace weeping bitterly.Sending the little princess back to the old mansion, the queen mother herself also entered the temple as a nun.

Before long, Er Zhurong sent General Zhu Duan with a thousand cavalry to capture the Empress Dowager and Young Lord.Zhu Duan entered the capital and asked the remaining officials, "Where is the queen mother and young master?"

Staying behind said: "The Queen Mother is in Yaoguang Temple, and the young master sent it back to the old mansion. Zhu Duan went to Yaoguang Temple to see the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother was shocked and asked: "Who are you? "Zhu Duan said: "The king of Taiyuan and his soldiers came to meet the queen mother by order.The queen mother said: You step back for the time being, and I will go there in person. "

Zhu Duan disagreed, and the soldiers drew their swords.The queen mother lost her face and had no choice but to mount her horse.Zhu Duan grabbed the young master again, and they all went to Heqiao to meet Er Zhurong.

Er Zhurong ordered him to take Empress Dowager Hu into the army tent.

Empress Dowager Hu knelt down and begged Erzhu Rong for mercy. "

Er Zhurong said: "Cowardly Empress Dowager, it is useless to plead. You must die today." "Empress Dowager Hu said: No, no, please forgive me."

"Er Zhurong said: forgive you, it's impossible, even if I forgive you, my brothers will not forgive you." Er Zhurong ordered to pull to the river, and sank into the river with the young master.Poor mother of a generation, if you don't listen to the slander, you can live a few more years. "

Er Zhurong killed the Empress Dowager, and Fei Mu secretly persuaded Er Zhurong, "Your Majesty has no more than one hundred thousand troops. If everyone knows, you may be dissatisfied. With the capital's army, the officials are prosperous. Knowing that the Majesty has few people, they will definitely despise him. If you don’t carry out killing and cultivate cronies, unexpected accidents will definitely happen.”

Er Zhurong was confused.Suddenly someone told Murong that Shaozong was coming, and Er Zhurong said happily: "Shaozong is here, and I have another helper." He asked him to enter the account and said to him: "Luoyang has a large population, proud and extravagant, and it is difficult to control. I Do you want to take advantage of the hundreds of officials to meet them and kill them all?"

"Shaozong said: No. Empress Dowager Hu is licentious and immoral, her favored ministers exercise power, and chaos the world." Massacre, loyalty and traitors are not distinguished."

Er Zhurong said, "Shut up."

Zhaozong was afraid and dared not speak again. "But Er Zhurong was cruel by nature, and if he didn't listen to him, he suddenly became murderous. Although Shaozong tried to stop him, Er Zhurong still refused to listen. He invited the emperor to live in the palace, and let the two kings, Supreme and Shiping, accompany him. "

Er Zhurong ordered his confidants and brave generals Guo Luocha and Chilie Shagui to stand beside the emperor with a knife, pretending to defend himself, and when everyone came, he killed Wushang and Shiping.At this time, all the officials arrived and asked to see the new king.Er Zhurong took them to the south bank of the Yellow River and said: The emperor will sacrifice to heaven here, and all officials will dismount and wait for the Holy One. "

Everyone dismounts.Er Zhurong then led the Hu cavalry to surround him and scolded the officials, saying: "The emperor's father was killed. None of you died to avenge the Holy Father. Today, you should die to apologize. The officials said: You want to kill us." Er Zhurong said: "That's right. After finishing speaking, the soldiers acted, and the heads of all the officials were cut off." I don't know if the emperor can save his life in the palace, and we will discuss it in the next chapter. "