In April of the second year of Xingping of the Han Dynasty, Liu Xie, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, under the escort of the hussar general Zhang Yan, came to Xuzhou and arrived in Pengcheng.

Outside Pengcheng, Chen Qun and Zhang Zhao led the army to wait at the gate of the city, and both sides of the road were full of people who came to watch, and they all wanted to see the demeanor of the Son of Heaven with their own eyes.

Zhang Yan rode a dark cloud on a snow horse, wearing a suit of armor, walking on the side of the carriage that Liu Xie was riding, and saw the lively scene of lights in front of him, gongs and drums, and crowds of people, Zhang Yan said to Liu Xie sitting in the car: "Qiqi bixia, Pengcheng has arrived!" ”

Liu Xie lifted the curtain from the carriage, poked his head out, looked straight ahead, and saw a majestic and majestic city appear in front of him.

However, the city in front of him was very different from what he had seen before, most of the cities he usually saw were square or rectangular, but what caught his eyes was a round city.

The walls were about three zhang high, and outside the walls, there was a wide moat, over which a drawbridge was erected, and a wide and flat avenue led directly from the drawbridge to the tall gate.

Liu Xie noticed that the road on which the carriage was walking was not paved with large bluestone, but as if it had been painted by something, it looked very smooth, and formed a blue-gray color with the wall of the city wall.

"This is Peng Cheng?" Liu Xie never dreamed that Pengcheng would be so magnificent.

"Qiyu Bixia, this is Pengcheng. When Tao Yuanjun was in charge of Xuzhou, the minister had resisted Cao Cao's invasion here, and after the first battle, Pengcheng was devastated. In order to defend against Cao Cao's invasion again. Tens of thousands of people are used here. Day and night construction. This is why there is now Pengcheng. Zhang Yan replied.

"This Pengcheng was built by Aiqing?" Liu Xie asked.

"Yes, Bixia."

"Aiqing is really different, most of the cities I have seen are square, but the ones built by Aiqing are round, is it a round city, better than a square?" Liu Xie asked.

"Each has its own strengths. Bixia, now the minister's subordinates are gathered at the city gate. Together with the people in Pengcheng, waiting for Bixia's arrival, it can be seen how much Pengcheng hopes that Bixia will come here. ”

Liu Xie just smiled, didn't say anything, glanced at the majestic city again, and thought to himself: "When I entered Pengcheng today, I was like Zhang Yan's palm, and I don't know when I will be able to walk out freely from here......

Putting down the roller blinds, Liu Xie's smiling face gradually disappeared, and it was replaced. It was an expressionless face, cold as ice.

"Greetings to Bixia. Greetings to the Hussar General! Chen Qun, Zhang Zhao and others saw Zhang Yan and Liu Xie gradually approaching, so they hurriedly stepped forward to greet them and said in unison.

"Let's wait for a flat stay!" Liu Xie sat in the carriage and did not show up, but shouted loudly.

"Xie Bixia!" Chen Qun, Zhang Zhao and others stood up one after another and lined up in front of them.

Zhang Yan glanced at Chen Qun and asked, "Is everything ready?" ”

Chen Qun said: "Everything is ready!" ”

Zhang Yan then said to Liu Xie, who was sitting in the carriage: "Bixia, the minister has ordered his subordinates to prepare a palace for Bixia in the city, so take Bixia into the city!" ”

"Hmm!"

So, Zhang Yan asked Chen Qun, Zhang Zhao and others to lead the way in front, and he rode a dark cloud snow horse at the front of the team, letting Liu Xie's carriage follow behind him and slowly drove into the city.

Civil and military officials and the people of the city all greeted and shouted: "Long live my emperor!" Long live our emperor! ”

The palace that Zhang Yan prepared for Liu Xie was next to the official residence where he lived, only separated by a wall. It is located in the very center of Pengcheng and is the heart of the whole Pengcheng.

The palace maids and guards in the palace were all specially arranged by Zhang Yan, and they were all his people up and down, and every pair of eyes could monitor Liu Xie's every move for him, and the entire palace was like a huge prison.

For this reason, Zhang Yan also specially prepared a mansion for the officials who escaped with Liu Xie, working in the front and living in the back, all of which were distributed in the inner city, not far from Zhang Yan's official residence and palace.

In the whole inner city, there was not a single idle person waiting for it, and it was heavily guarded, and there was only one door to enter and exit.

Zhang Yan arranged it this way to facilitate his control of Liu Xie.

Liu Xie was brought into the palace by Zhang Yan, and he took Liu Xie around the palace with great interest, and introduced the terrain to Liu Xie.

Because the palace was originally a part of Zhang Yan's mansion, so in terms of design, it is not as magnificent as the royal palace, but the palace is still divided into seven courtyards, and in the middle courtyard, Zhang Yan built a palace on the original basis, named Chonghua Palace, as the main hall for the emperor of the Han Dynasty to receive courtiers.

After a long walk, Zhang Yan Zuihou and Liu Xie came to Chonghua Hall together, so all the civil and military officials came to Chonghua Hall together.

Liu Xie officially ascended the throne of the emperor in Chonghua Palace, and then said loudly: "Zhang Aiqing thinks about me wholeheartedly, and I am moved. Now that I and the hundred officials have been resettled, I also want to thank Zhang Aiqing. Zhang Aiqing was first a meritorious king, and now he has arranged a palace for me so hard, if I don't reward Zhang Aiqing well, I'm afraid that the world will ......"

"When Bixia first arrived in Pengcheng, the saddle horse was tired, and all the adults were tired, and the ministers thought that the matter of the reward should be talked about later, Bixia should first familiarize herself with the familiar environment here, and then rest and rest!" Zhang Yan hurriedly interrupted Liu Xie's words.

Liu Xiedao: "Aiqing has a meritorious escort, if I don't reward it, heaven will not tolerate it." However, what Aiqing said is also very reasonable, today is a day off, tomorrow, please come to Chonghua Palace, I will talk about meritorious deeds again! ”

"Bixia, the minister retired first, if Bixia has any needs, even if he sends someone to the minister's house to summon Weichen, Weichen will definitely do his best to meet all the needs of Bixia!" Zhang Yan said.

"I know, I sent Aiqing away......"

Zhang Yan said: "No need, Bixia Dragon is tired, it's better to rest more first." In addition, the official residences of your lordships have been arranged. In a few moments, someone will come here and take you to your official residence. Pengcheng has limited places. The palaces and residences that the ministers can provide for Bixia and the lords are also very limited. Front yard office, backyard accommodation, I hope Bixia and all adults forgive me. ”

"It's enough for Zhang Aiqing to find a place for me and all of you to live, what else can I hope for?"

"Thank you Bixia for being able to understand Weichen, Weichen retired first!"

After Zhang Yan left, Liu Xie and the officials who came with him stayed in the Chonghua Palace, and after a while, more than 30 people walked in from outside the hall. After meeting Liu Xie, he took the officials to various mansions.

Liu Xie stayed in the palace with Empress Fu, Concubine Dong and others, and a group of palace maids stepped forward to serve, bathing and changing clothes for them, and washing away the dust along the way.

Zhang Yan returned to the mansion, Chen Qun and Zhang Zhao had been waiting there for a long time, and when the two saw Zhang Yan coming back, they said in unison: "See the lord!" ”

"Excuse me!" Zhang Yan said as he walked into the hall and sat down. Then he asked, "Is there something you are looking for me at this time?" ”

Zhang Zhao said: "My lord." Now that Bixia has arrived in Pengcheng, and the lord has arranged Bixia properly, the next step, should the lord firmly control the power of the court in his own hands? ”

"That's the opinion of my subordinates." Chen Qundao.

Zhang Yan laughed and said: "What you said is very right, but you can't be in a hurry now." Bixia is a smart person, I think, he should know what to do. When Bixia first arrived in Pengcheng, the news would continue to spread, and from then on, the world's decrees would be issued from here. So, be sure to strengthen the defenses of Pengcheng! ”

"Whoa!"

On the second day, Liu Xie read out the holy decree in the Chonghua Palace, canonized Zhang Yan as a general, opened the palace with the three divisions, and ordered him to take charge of the national military aircraft.

The next day, Liu Xie also added Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, Chen Deng, Chen Qun, Chen Qi, Mi Zhu, Sun Qian, Dong Zhao, Kong Rong, Chen Jiao, Zhuge Jin, Bu Qi, Yan Ji, Wang Xiu, Mao Jue and others under Zhang Yan's account as servants.

The next day, Liu Xie issued another edict, appointing Tai Shici, Xu Chu, Xu Huang, Zang Ba, Yu Ban, Niu Jin, Xu Sheng, Mi Fang, Lu Dai, Li Dian, Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin, Bao Xun, Bao Shao, Chen Ying, Sun Guan, Wu Dun, Yin Li, Sun Kang and others under Zhang Yan's account as generals.

For two days in a row, all the officials under Zhang Yan's account were rewarded, and none of them failed.

On the third day, Liu Xie issued an edict again, dismissing Situ Chun Yujia and Sikong Zhang Xi from the three public positions, and they were demoted to counselors.

On the fourth day, Taiwei Yang Biao, Weiwei Zhang Wen, and Shangshu Feng Shuo asked for resignation together, which was approved by Liu Xie.

On the fifth day, Liu Xie's envoy summoned Zhang Yan to Chonghua Palace, saying that he had important matters to discuss.

Zhang Yan soon came to the Chonghua Palace, and as soon as he entered the main hall, he knelt down in front of Liu Xie, hugged his fists and said: "Minister Zhang Yan, meet Bixia." ”

"Aiqing, hurry up."

"Xie Bixia!"

Zhang Yan stood up from the ground and hurriedly asked, "I don't know what happened when Bixia summoned his ministers?" ”

Liu Xiedao: "I heard that there are several strategists under Aiqing's account, all of whom are talented and are the pillars of governing the country and the country, and I have asked people to write an edict to prepare Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, Chen Qun, Chen Qi, and Dong Zhao to serve as important positions in the DPRK and China, I don't know what Zhang Aiqing wants?" ”

Without waiting for Zhang Yan to speak, Liu Xie said to the palace maid beside him: "Hand the edict to the general to read." ”

"Whoa!"

Zhang Yan took the edict from the palace maid's hand, and after opening it, he looked at it slowly, but saw that the edict said that Zhang Zhao was named Situ, Chen Qun was Sikong, Zhang Hong was Taiwei, Chen Qi was Weiwei, and Dong Zhao was Shangshu.

He couldn't help but be stunned in his heart, this Taiwei, Situ, and Sikong are all the positions of the three princes, and their status is the same as that of the general, and Wei Wei is one of the nine kings, although the Shangshu is not very high, but the edicts are all from this Shangshutai, although this official is not as good as the three princes and nine secretaries, but it is far more important than the three princes and nine secretaries, and the person in charge of sending and receiving documents, that is to say, the recital to the emperor, and the edict issued by the emperor, are all through the hands of Shangshu.

For several days, Liu Xie successively gave Zhang Yan's subordinates the title of official, none of them failed, and then, first dismissed Situ and Sikong, and then resigned together with Taiwei, Weiwei, and Shangshu, and now Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, Chen Qun, Chen Qi, and Dong Zhao are five important ministers in the court.

Liu Xie is trying to dig him up, these people are Zhang Yan's think tank, if all of them hold important official positions such as Taiwei, Situ, Sikong, Weiwei, Shangshu, etc., over time, how can they work hard for themselves?

"It's a good plan to draw salaries from the bottom of the kettle, but I didn't expect Liu Xie to be so clever at such a young age. He had only been in Pengcheng for a few days, and he had come up with my idea. Zhang Yan thought to himself.

After thinking about it, Zhang Yan muttered in his heart again: "Since Liu Xie wants to seal such an important official position as them, as long as this edict is promulgated, when the time comes, no matter how reluctant I am, the edict of the Son of Heaven is here, and the wood is already in the boat, and it will be too late for me to say anything." However, Weishenme Liu Xie invited me very much, and specially asked me to see this edict? Could it be that he had another purpose? ”

Thinking of this, Zhang Yan fell into deep thought, not knowing how to respond. (To be continued......)