Even though Zhang Xiu had figured this out, with his talent, he couldn't come up with any feasible plan.
Knowing in his heart that strategy was never his forte, he tried to ask the door seer.
Because he has recently been valued by the emperor, also recruited a lot of talent, can be more of a wine bag, after a few days of careful questioning, cautious probing, even a usable person have not found.
Just when Zhang Xiu was at his wits' end, suddenly a middle-aged scribe with an extraordinary temperament knocked on the door to see him, and in a few words, he dispelled Zhang Xiu's contemptuous intentions and humbly asked for advice.
Got this person to point out, Zhang Xiu's thinking has become much clearer, half a moment can not wait, that night into the palace to face the saint to go.
When he sought an audience outside the palace, Liu Xie was hanging out with Noble Fu.
Thanks to the blessing of Zhang Xiu repeated successes, he is the emperor of the discerning eye also followed the raised eyebrows, was disturbed is not annoyed, asked the chamberlain to help straighten out the messy clothes, and asked the nobleman to retire, will be Zhang Xiu called in.
Zhang Xiu patiently dealt with the little emperor's rather imposing questioning, and only after a long time did he introduce the main topic: "Forgive me for daring to say this, but now that Han and Ma are holding their own force, and there are 150,000 elite soldiers stationed in Xiliang, Your Majesty's only use of officials and titles to appease them is by no means a long-term solution. If you really let them go, and let them develop their own climate, in time, they may cross the Scattered Pass to the east and enter the capital at any time, and then we will all be in danger!"
Liu Xie heard, can not help but collect a few points of laughter, is not to miss Zhang Xiu's loyal advice, but complained that he has nothing to reveal the shortcomings, adding some pain.
He knows that he can't let the Ma and Han who have no regard for the Han Dynasty and are seeking for more and more money, but now that the Han Dynasty is declining, he only has 3,000 imperial guards in the capital. But now the Han Dynasty is declining, the capital really listen to his orders, can use the troops, full counting only the three thousand imperial guards, how can with a party of lords against?
Lu Qingjia although loyal and courageous, but far away in Yuzhou, far water can not stop near thirst, but the reason why he did not want to go to the capital to report his duties, but also have to be blamed on Wang Yun that rely on the old, hostage to repay the old man?
It's just that he's the emperor, and he can't do anything about Wang Yun at all.
The only thing to do is to hold back and to appease.
But in front of Zhang Xiu this courtier, these are detrimental to the imperial prestige of the show of weakness of the words are not exported, Liu Xie eyes sank, but pleasantly explained: "Secretary of love is too much to worry about. However, the two generals are the pillars of the country, for the Han to defend Western Liang, how can not reward?"
Zhang Xiu will Liu Xie's face changes in the eyes, was roughly just put into their own banner of the strategist one by one, the heart is both surprised and happy, and immediately will be prepared beforehand to say the words once again: "Your Majesty magnanimous, generous and virtuous, so do not want to be jealous of the subject, but the horse Han two power for the greedy and hungry tigers, a day is not constrained, the capital will be difficult to rest in peace and sleep and eat. I have realized, how can I be indifferent? I'm not talented, I would like to share your majesty's worries and difficulties, do this lobbyist."
"Oh?" Liu Xie was Zhang Xiu wore a few high hats, the heart of the displeasure faded away a lot, listening to the second half of his words, but also could not help but sit up straight, followed up with: "Qing really have a good plan?"
Zhang Xiu made a resounding bow and let loose, "I would like to go there in person and state the pros and cons, the woes and the blessings for him, so that he would be pleased to worship under the vast imperial grace and send the hostage to the court."
Proton!
Liu Xie all of a sudden brightened up.
As soon as he heard that Zhang Xiu was serious and came up with the exact program, Liu Xie, while being energized, in turn, was a bit reluctant to give up.
Ma Han two people like a jackal like a tiger, if they failed to negotiate, they will turn their backs on each other, do not care about the face of the court, even if the beheading of the angel of Zhang Xiu, as the son of God, he can only be condemned by the part of the decree, but can not do anything about it.
But the results depicted by Zhang Xiu, really made his heart flutter: to have a hostage in the capital, not only to show that the two submissive intentions, can be a warning to the lawlessness of the local lords, but also to tell them not to dare to act rashly.
A time around the difficult, in the end, do not want to take this risk, so as not to lose the hand of this fierce general, then politely advised: "This trip is dangerous, the fate of the uncertainty, the love of the Secretary or think twice about it."
Zhang Xiu is firm, righteous and persuade the still wavering Liu Xie, called him moved to wet eyes, pulling Zhang Xiu's hand for a long time refused to let go.
But I don't know that this red-blooded and loyal love secretary completely changed his words as soon as he came to Ma Teng Han Sui.
After all, they are all Xiliang people, each other can be said to know each other, Zhang Xiu is the recent hot messenger of the Son of Heaven, without difficulty to meet Han Sui just in Ma Teng's place as a guest, the reception of his attitude and even called polite, specially set up banquets and hospitality.
After three rounds of drinking and the moon was over the branches, Zhang Xiu got a look from the strategists accompanying him, so he asked them to dismiss the left and right, and sincerely said, "Xiu has something to say to you two adults. If you are offended, please do not take it personally."
Ma Teng and Han Sui had already drank their faces red, but were still sober, and looked at each other when they heard the words, saying, "Just say it."
Zhang Xiu clasped his fists, nonchalantly opened his mouth: "This is a young man, not long before the government, the power has been held by Wang Yun's faction, very bitter at the hands of no one available, so he retreated to look for the next best thing, so valued the embroidery. Just embroidery in the end in the dynasty in the end, the two generals have hundreds of thousands of troops, is not willing to be on the side of the immobilization, do not want to come to share a piece of the cake?"
Ma Teng was unimpressed and said, "What a blabbering fanatic! You speak so lightly, but you don't know that His Majesty doesn't believe in our loyalty after listening to the slanderous words of those literati who only know how to wield their pencils and spit on the ground?"
Zhang Xiu, however, said, "This trap is easy to break, it depends on whether the adults are willing to give up."
Han Sui lost his arrogance and asked, "Tell me more."
Zhang Xiu said, "If the two generals are willing to send Shizi to the capital,"
Upon hearing that they were going to send their own bloodline to Chang'an as hostages, Han Sui and Ma Teng couldn't help but hold their whiskers and sulked without speaking.
Zhang Xiu knew that this matter could not be rushed, so he said that he was not strong enough to drink, so he could not miss the important thing entrusted by His Majesty, so he left first. In the next three days, he visited them frequently and finally persuaded them to send their first and second sons as hostages.
Ma Teng is not only this, in Zhang Xiu's persuasion, in order to fully win the trust of His Majesty, but also to pressure the face and heart of the old rival Han Sui head, not only bite the teeth to send a son, but also two-pronged approach, will be favored first daughter of the Yunlu also bear the pain to send into the court.
This matter was accomplished, and Zhang Xiu returned to the capital in his clothes, causing a furor.
The arrogant and domineering Ma and Han, who have always been a great danger to the Emperor and the people in the court next to them, can be persuaded by the notorious Dong Zhuo, who has served under him and has always been an unknown boy, to be willing to soften and send their son to the capital as a hostage, and to bow down to His Majesty?
For the two parties involved, this agreement is a great joy for all: Ma Teng and Han Sui only sent a son out, and gained the peace of mind and trust of His Majesty, and could open up the troops in the capital area; Liu Xie did not have to pay anything, and gained the hostage of the two powers for nothing, and a new blue-eyed brunette with exotic color in the harem, and also got the verbal promise of driving the hundreds of thousands of troops in times of crisis at his will. He was also given the verbal promise of being able to use hundreds of thousands of troops at will in times of crisis.
As for that played a key role in the lobbyist Zhang Xiu, since not been forgotten, by the dragon's face, Liu Xie was greatly pleased with the title, personally awarded the jade coat, but also the fame, a time of the wind without two.
Before this news had spread, the backyard of a family in the capital took advantage of the night to release a dozen cooing, low-coiling white pigeons one after another.
A few days later, Yan Qing, who was far away in Yangzhou, actually became one of the fastest people to learn of this news.
He was fed up with the slowness of information delivery that could only be done by messengers running back and forth at a fast pace, and besides, a large living man on a horse was a far greater target for a sniper interception than a pigeon that soared at will and ate, drank, and slept all on its own.
If one or two pigeons are not safe, then put a few more. The information written in the small strip of cloth tied at the top was all a secret system modeled on Morse code that Yan Qing had devised, which required specialists to decipher in order to see what was going on, so there was no need to worry about the pigeons being killed by a bow and arrow and then the information being stolen.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, although some people were interested in raising pigeons, but the pigeons with homing talent were really used for communication, or it was only popular in Sui and Tang dynasties.
The breeder is easy to find, but to be able to train the pigeons in accordance with Yan Qing's wishes, to know how to use the code to send a message, and to be loyal and vigilant enough, Yan Qing needs to spend a lot of effort in selecting and then arranging for someone to train them out.
It was only recently that it was put to use for the first time, and the results did not disappoint him, they were excellent.
Even Xu Shu and Guo Jia, who had seen him work for a few moments to read out the strange symbols as if they were heavenly writings, were not busy paying attention to the content itself that Yan Qing had read out, but rather, they first marveled over it.
Yan Qing helplessly pushed away for the convenience of reading the letter from behind, just nonchalantly pillowed on his shoulder, Guo Jia's dead head, directly will be deciphered after the content of another copy, distributed to the two: "Feng Xiao, Yuan Zhi, how do you think about this matter?"
Guo Jia was pushed away does not matter, took the paper glanced at, said: "Lord in Zhang Xiu have killed uncle to destroy the power of revenge, will not feel at ease to rely on the young master? Must be waiting for the opportunity to take advantage of the situation did not work, the party and the Western Liang Ma Han, close alliance, the blade is actually pointing at us. How could Chongguang have been so careless as to let the tiger return to the mountain?"
The same is a military general, but also got Zhang Xiu's guidance to line to this step, in the sense of reason, Ma Teng Han Sui two potential will be able to make friends with Zhang Xiu, even into a faction.
Xu Shu also said, "Zhang Xiu is extremely ambitious, and has the intention of outlawing His Lordship's position in His Majesty's heart."
Yan Qing laughed bitterly, "Do you guys think that I am so big-hearted that I don't want to get rid of the root of the grass? It's just that the one who crossed the sword and demanded someone is the old general Huangfu who was under the orders of his majesty, fearing that we would refuse to let him go, and brought more than a thousand riders with him."
Guo Jia raised his eyebrows and sneered, "Your Majesty has done some exquisite math."
When the evil was called Lu Bu's work, he slowly reaped the fruits of war and became a wise lord who recognized the heroic.
Such a bad eating style called Xu Shu, who had always been quite loyal to the Han Dynasty, to furrow his brows in dissatisfaction.
Yan Qing does not want to mention that diaphragm should be his old story for a long time, and turned to say: "Zhang Xiu this person in the line of battle still have some doorway, personal martial arts courage is also noteworthy, but there is no strategy, but also notorious, but all some of the fame of the scholars are cover their noses, do not care to cast his account, how to neglect to come up with this subtle strategy?"
Guo Jia nodded, "This is someone's plan to kill someone with a borrowed knife, and in the end, it's directed at the Lord."
Being used as a knife, Zhang Xiu is still unaware, but he did also get the benefit of a little further towards the goal of revenge that he has been longing for.
Xu Shu also said: "Both to the Western Liang tiger set on the cage, but also to help the Lord's mortal enemy in the dynasty since then a step to heaven, with the policy precise and venomous, the plan is also very great."
Yan Qing couldn't help but say, "Cage head? With those two protégés? That may not be possible."
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the hostage thing didn't seem to work, and everyone interpreted the point of 'a man is not bound by trifles' to the fullest.
Even multiple firsts at the front of the line didn't add an extra ounce of weight.
Sensei is just still able to regenerate the children, the history of Ma Chao in the old man Ma Teng was held by Cao Cao, but still said to rebel, resulting in the father was killed, the three clans were razed.
The little emperor wouldn't be so naive as to think that just because Ma Teng and Han Sui sent their hostages to him meant that they willingly submitted, and that he could rest easy in the future by just pinning them down, would he?
But Ma Teng is also enough to fight, not only will the son gave a out, the only love daughter also bit the bullet and called into the harem. According to Yan Qing's opinion, betting so many chips he is destined to have no return: Liu Xie has never been a pit wife without blinking, self-interested Lord, pillow wind is easy to blow, but simply can not be relied upon.
Liu Xie hated Cao Cao's manipulation of him as a puppet and caused the incident of the Clothes Tape Edict, which was exposed, and Dong Cheng and his men were naturally killed. Cao Cao was furious and did not want to move Liu Xie as the culprit, but was able to take his anger out on the head of Dong Cheng's daughter, and decapitated Dong Guiren, who was pregnant with a baby at the time.
Even his wife, who was pregnant with his own child, was to be killed, Liu Xie only begged for a few words of mercy, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Empress Fu was so saddened by her death that she wanted to unite with her father to fight back. However, she was defeated and her two sons were killed by poisoned wine, and she herself was also secluded and died.
Does Liu Xie's favor work?
Even if Cao Cao didn't use the "hold the emperor hostage to order his vassals" method, Liu Xie wouldn't have to be controlled by others and always fear for his own safety, Yan Qing doesn't think that this cool natured emperor can have much love and affection.
...... is far less reliable than his family s Lord, who looks petty and barbaric, but is actually extremely protective of his shortcomings.