"Dong Gong, after you, in this world, who can make the new policy of the imperial court continue without being abolished by those prominent clans in the Central Plains?"

"There is only one Prime Minister Liu Cheng today, you can't deny this, Dong Gong, right?"

Anyway, these words can be regarded as talking about Dong Zhuo's vital point.

He was silent.

Yes, he Dong Zhuo has lived for more than sixty years, and he has done everything in his life, whether it is a frontier official or a court minister, he has been a minister.

He has also suffered hardships, he has also experienced scenery, he has also promoted the New Deal reform, and others have killed others in frontier wars, so it can be said that he Dong Zhuo has lived a worthwhile life in his life.

But he Dong Zhuo is worth living in this life, but what about their Dong family?

Dong Zhuo has offended a lot of people in his life, he is a minister, and the implementation of the new policy has formed an endless trend with the Wang clan in the Central Plains.

As Fa Zheng said, after his death, once the new policy is abolished, those Central Plains Wang clans who control the overall situation of the court will inevitably liquidate his Dong family.

By that time, if he was already dead, then who would protect his Dong family?

Pointing at these Xiliang generals under his command? I'm afraid it's impossible.

If he died, these generals would all go their own way, Dong Zhuo knew this very well.

As for his younger brother Dong Min, and his nephew Dong Huang...... Hey, or his son-in-law, Niu Fu...... It's not a powerful character, it's okay to deal with ordinary people, but to deal with those old fritters in the court, I'm afraid that the bones and scum have to be eaten and wiped clean.

Dong Zhuo saw Fa Zheng and said, "Then what is Liu Deran going to do?" ”

No, Fa Zheng asked rhetorically: "What does Dong Gong think should be done with this matter?" ”

Dong Zhuo's brows furrowed: "What do you mean by this?" The old man didn't know. ”

"Dong Gong, the Dong family is your family, and as an important minister of the dynasty, you naturally have the responsibility to think of a good future for the family, in your opinion, where is the future of the Dong family?"

That's a heart-wrenching question.

In this situation, Dong Zhuo certainly knows where his family's future lies.

Fa Zheng has already analyzed himself just now, and now Dong Zhuo has been completely tied to death on Liu Jian's boat because of the implementation of the new policy.

If the Dong family wants to ensure that it will not be exterminated, then it can only support Liu Jian and ensure that Liu Jian will continue to implement the new policy, so that it is possible to be saved.

Dong Zhuo understands it in his heart, but he is a little aggrieved.

It stands to reason that he was originally the person in power in this world, but now he has been reduced to letting Liu Jian protect his family.

This kind of huge ups and downs, Rao is Dong Zhuo couldn't accept it for a while.

But now for Dong Zhuo, it doesn't matter to him himself, after all, he is at this age, how many years can he live?

But if his family suffers a catastrophe because of his arbitrariness, then he will become the sinner of the Dong family through the ages.

What could be more important in this patriarchal society than the family?

The interests of the individual are not interests at all, only the interests of the family are the real interests.

Even if you are from Liangzhou, you can't avoid vulgarity in this regard.

The family is always a pain in the hearts of the people of this era, and it is also the incomparable hard support of the people of this era.

When he thought of this, Dong Zhuo's heart couldn't help but twitch a little.

He turned his head to see Dong Min standing beside him, and looking at Dong Min's helpless and nervous look, Dong Gong sighed.

Alas, if there is another person in his own clan who is like himself, why is this?

But alas, there are no ifs in this world.

The Central Plains Wang clan is not in the same sky as himself, and although Liu Deran is very cunning and good at scheming, Dong Zhuo knows that he is a person who believes in his word.

Over the years, Liu Jian's reputation in Dahan is really good, especially his treatment of his subordinates and friends, it can be said that he is affectionate and righteous, and Rao is Dong Zhuo also believes in him.

Dong Zhuo and Liu Jian didn't have any hatred before, on the contrary, their relationship was still very good, so Dong Zhuo felt that Liu Deran would not lie to him about this kind of thing.

After thinking about it, I saw Dong Zhuo let out a long sigh and said: "Yes, Fa Xiaozhi, you are right, the old man's life does not matter, but the old man's family still needs to continue to survive in this world." ”

"Well, that's what you say."

"When you return to Chang'an, say that the old man is willing to cooperate with Liu Deran, as long as he is willing to protect the old man's family, the old man is willing to let my younger brother and nephew submit to him."

"But the old man must not condescend to him! The old man decided to return to his hometown and return to his former residence in Liangzhou to retire for the rest of his life, this is not too much to ask, right? ”

"The old man has been in a long and horizontal life, and he has had several ups and downs, and finally he has today's status! Now, the old man is at this age, and he must no longer assist others! ”

"Please tell Liu Deran about this!"

Fa Zheng respectfully said to Dong Zhuo: "This matter Fa does not have to return to Chang'an, he can reply to Dong Gong now, the prime minister has already ordered before he comes, and the prime minister knows that Dong Gong will definitely not succumb to the prime minister." ”

When Dong Zhuo heard this, he couldn't help but show a look of surprise.

"He's even got that in mind?"

Fa Zheng shook his head and said: "This is not the prime minister's clever calculation, but the prime minister's understanding of what kind of person Dong Gong is." ”

"The prime minister said that Dong Gong is a man of great talent, Dong Gong has had ups and downs in his life, and he only entered the court in his later years and started a new government, which can be said to be a late bloomer."

"Gong was arrogant all his life, and when he was young, he endured humiliation and served Yuan Kui, because he was born in Liangzhou, he was repeatedly despised and bullied by Yuan Kui, and was used by the Yuan family several times."

"To this day, even if you die with a public heart, you will never be willing to be subservient to others again."

"The prime minister understands Dong Gong very well, the prime minister thinks that he is a friend of Dong Gong, and he is unwilling to force his friends to do what he is not willing to do, and the prime minister is now just thinking about the overall situation, as long as the overall situation is stable, even if Dong Gong is above the prime minister, it doesn't matter."

Dong Zhuo was very moved when he heard this.

He sighed and said, "Liu Deran is really the old man's confidant." ”

"Even now, he still respects the old man so much!! Not to mention anything else, from this point alone, he can really be regarded as a friend of the old man, and the friendship back then is still there. ”

Fa Zhengdao: "It's just that the prime minister doesn't want Dong Gong to return to Liangzhou like this, after all, Liangzhou is now dominated by the rebels, Dong Gong has fought several fierce battles with the rebels in the past, if he returns to his former residence in Liangzhou this time and removes his military power, won't he be plotted by others?" ”

When Dong Zhuo heard this, he laughed: "The old man has lived to this age, is he still afraid of death?" ”

"If Ma Teng and Han Sui and the others want to take the old man's life, then just come and take it! Let them kill the old man, and it can be regarded as becoming the old man's fame, and the old man will be able to go down in history. ”

Fa Zheng shook his head: "Dong Gong, your idea is too naïve. ”

"Not only will Ma Teng and Han Sui not kill you, but they will treat Dong Gong as a guest and treat him with courtesy."

When Dong Zhuo heard this, he was stunned.

"Why? The old man is their enemy!"

Fa Zheng sighed: "Dong Gong, think about it, who is the leader of the rebels before?" It is Yan Zhong, a famous man in Liangzhou. ”

"Now Yan Zhong has passed away, and Ma Teng and Han Sui are not as prestigious as others in Liangzhou."

"But if they want to be for a long time, they must also want to be able to use a prestigious Liangzhou hero as the leader of the rebels."

"Now, they are struggling to find this person so they put this matter on hold, if Dong Gong returns to Liangzhou, Fa Zheng dares to vouch for his life, Ma Teng and Han Sui will inevitably force Gong to be the leader of the rebels, even if Dong Gong does not obey, they will also spread the news that Dong Gong is the leader of Liangzhou, ruining Dong Gong's reputation, so that Dong Gong will have to obey if he does not comply."

"If this is the case, the reputation and achievements that Dong Gong has accumulated over the years will be completely ruined."

When Dong Zhuo heard this, he couldn't help but feel a thrill all over his body.

Fa Zheng's words talked about the pain point in his heart, Dong Zhuo, as a native of Liangzhou, didn't care about his reputation at all, everything was just for profit, and he never thought that he would become a person who would go down in history and make contributions to the Han Dynasty.

But when he really achieved this goal, Dong Zhuo found that he was reluctant to leave this work.

How could he, Dong Xiangguo of the Han Dynasty, become the leader of the rebels, even if he was coerced!

Thinking of this, infinite fear suddenly rose in Dong Zhuo's heart, at his age, he was really not afraid of death.

But after death, he still cares very much about the name.

At that moment, I saw Dong Zhuo arching his hand at Fa Zheng: "The words of filial piety are very good, and it is thanks to filial piety that I can think of this!" Alas, if the old man returns to Liangzhou now, I am afraid that it will be really too late. ”

Hearing Dong Zhuo say the words 'the evening festival is not guaranteed', Fa Zheng's heart couldn't help but be happy.

Then he saw that Fa Zheng gave Dong Zhuo a long salute again.

"The prime minister also has some scruples about this, after all, Dong Gong is also the top priority for the imperial court, if he is kidnapped by Ma Teng, Han Sui and others as the head of the rebellion, then Dong Gong, as the initiator of the New Deal, will inevitably be attacked by local tycoons for this reason! At that time, the new deal may be hindered, which is something that the prime minister never wants to see. ”

Dong Zhuo said: "Then how do you Prime Minister Liu Cheng plan to settle the old man?" ”

As soon as Fa Zheng heard Dong Zhuo call Liu Jian Prime Minister Liu Cheng, his heart suddenly brightened a lot.

It seems that Dong Zhuo has slowly begun to accept the fact that Liu Jian replaced him as presiding over the imperial court, otherwise, he would never have called Liu Jian Prime Minister Liu Cheng.

Fa Zheng was very happy in his heart, but he didn't show anything abnormal on the surface.

He naturally followed Dong Zhuo's words: "The prime minister hopes that Dong Gong can return to Beijing and take up the post of Taifu in Beijing." ”

Dong Zhuo was stunned when he heard this.

Then I saw him laughing: "Hahaha! Liu Deran is really much smarter than the old man! In order to keep the old man in Jingshi, he actually came up with such a trick? Yes, yes, he is the prime minister, and he can indeed be in charge of all the military and political affairs of the court, ranking above the ministers, but let the old man become a prince, with a noble status but no real power, just hanging the name of a teacher of the Son of Heaven, it is a completely false position, and he will not be able to interfere in the government at all in the future. ”

Fa Zheng said very naturally: "Dong Gong, isn't this the best destination in life for a courtier?" As a person from a border county, Dong Gong has carried out vigorous reforms to the imperial court, how many people in the world hate the public, and how many people in the world say that Dong Gong is a powerful minister? ”

"Dong Gong thinks about it, if this Taifu position is not the best destination for Gong, then what is your best destination?"

"Does Dong Gong really think that he can replace the Emperor of the Han Dynasty?"

As soon as Dong Zhuo heard Fa Zheng say this, his face suddenly became gloomy: "Don't talk nonsense!" ”

Fa Zheng smiled and said: "Yes, yes, it's Fa's nonsense, please don't blame Dong Gong." ”

Dong Zhuo sighed for a long time, and seemed to be a little enlightened: "What you said is right, the old man understands...... Then how should the old man go back to Chang'an to be this master, I think you Liu Cheng have already made it clear, right? ”

Dong Zhuo has also been in charge of the court all these years and has extremely rich experience, so he naturally understands that Liu Jian must have a following.

……

……

A few days later, Fa Zheng left Ji County and returned to Chang'an.

After Fa Zheng left, Dong Zhuo did not meet anyone, he still handed over the affairs of the Xiliang Army to Dong Huang and Dong Min, and he lived in a simple place and did not see others.

And the matter of Fa Zheng's arrival and return soon began to circulate in the Xiliang army.

This immediately caused an uproar among the generals of the Xiliang Army.

Many of the generals of the Western Liang Army did not have a very good impression of the imperial court and Liu Jian.

Among them are Hu Zhen, Yang Ding, Li Meng, Wang Fang and many other Western Liang warlords.

These people all voted for Dong Zhuo as a tycoon in Liangzhou, and although they obeyed Dong Zhuo's orders, they also had their own power and autonomy.

Many of the armies in the Xiliang Army were their own personal soldiers and horses.

In fact, among the princes of Xiliang, these people were only afraid of Dong Zhuo, and if there was no Dong Zhuo, they would not be convinced by anyone else.

This even includes the imperial court.

After learning that the imperial court sent Fa Zheng to see Dong Zhuo, and then the others left unharmed, these people immediately began to mumble in their hearts.

Liu Jian took away the foundation of Xiangguo, but Xiangguo didn't kill his messenger?

Just recently, in order to compete for the supreme command of the Xiliang Army, these people were not very harmonious with each other, but the current situation was beyond their imagination, and they didn't dare to continue to fight so inwardly.

Hu Zhen hurriedly invited several generals of the Xiliang Army to his own tent, and then discussed with them about the imperial court sending people to see Dong Zhuo.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the court has changed to a new emperor, Liu Jian entered Chang'an, became the prime minister, and now he has sent Fa Zheng to see Xiangguo, according to your opinion, Liu Jian sent someone to see Xiangguo this time, what is his intention?"

Li Meng said: "It must be here to recruit us and others!" ”

"Liu Jian has already decided on the imperial court, and for the imperial court, the biggest instability now is that we and other Xiliang generals."

"He sent someone to see Xiangguo, just to let me understand how to be obedient."

"Then shall we be obedient or not?"

As soon as this sentence came out, the generals of Xiliang present were silent.

None of them were in a hurry to speak, but each pondered and studied the matter.

When he was young, Fang listened to Wang Fangdao: "Return to Liu Jian, we will be constrained by him in the future, and we can't indulge in it." I'm afraid that I will follow in the footsteps of Li Dao and Guo Yan. ”

As soon as Wang Fang mentioned Li Dao and Guo Yan, everyone immediately became nervous.

"That Liu Jian takes benevolence and righteousness as the foundation of his life, and what he hates most is to indulge the soldiers and bring harm to the local people."

"Although we have waited for all these years under the restraint of Dong Xiangguo, there has been less nuisance to the people, but who does not have thousands of lives in their hands?"

"If we don't completely disturb the people, how should we live in the Xiliang Army?"

"I'm afraid that Liu Jian won't forgive me, and when I turn around, I will be disposed of like Li Dao, then we will be dead."

(End of chapter)