novelAbuy Chapter 37: The Death of Huo Qubing – The Instigator was Emperor Wu of Han!
Chapter 37: The Death of Huo Qubing – The Instigator was Emperor Wu of Han!
"Do you think your cousin's death was just a revenge plot?"
Liu Ju said meaningfully.
"this...."
Zhang He was Zhang Tang's eldest son, and he undoubtedly had a very high level of understanding of political struggles. He immediately thought of the relationship between Huo Qubing, the Huo family, the Wei family, the Crown Prince, and the Empress, and his expression kept changing.
"Judging from the fact that my cousin shot and killed Li Gan, it was indeed a conflict between the Li family and the Wei family."
"Li Gan resented General Qing for hating his father, which is why he attacked and injured his uncle."
"My cousin was unhappy with Li Gan's actions and, on behalf of my uncle, shot and killed Li Gan."
"As a result, the Li family developed a deep-seated hatred for their cousin."
Standing with his hands behind his back, Liu Ju began to speak eloquently.
"Um."
Zhang He nodded in agreement.
"But why would Li Gan injure his uncle? His resentment towards his uncle stemmed from Li Guang. What happened between Li Guang and his uncle?"
"All of this stems from that Battle of Mobei."
"This battle made my cousin the supreme commander of the Han army, and many of his generals were ennobled, forming the Huo faction that dominated the Han army."
"In contrast, my uncle was neither rewarded nor punished by the emperor, and the power of the Wei faction in the Han army declined as a result."
"In the Battle of Mobei, my uncle and cousin each led 50,000 cavalry, intending to achieve a decisive victory in one battle and completely eliminate the threat of the Xiongnu."
"Li Guang repeatedly requested to accompany the emperor, but his father refused because of his old age and bad luck. Later, after much pleading, the emperor agreed to appoint him as the General of the Vanguard."
"Nevertheless, my father still secretly ordered my uncle: 'Do not allow him to confront the Chanyu.'"
"Therefore, when arranging the battle plan, my uncle divided the troops into two parts. He personally led one part to confront the Xiongnu Chanyu head-on, while the other part, led by General Li Guang and General Zhao Shiqi, would encircle the enemy from the east."
"The east is mostly desert and Gobi, with rugged terrain. It is undoubtedly very difficult for the Eastern Route Army, which has concentrated two-fifths of the Han army, to carry out a large-scale flanking maneuver. They are related to the success or failure of the entire battle."
"Li Guang disagreed with this, because he believed that as the vanguard general, he should not appear in the east. After protesting many times to no avail, he left in anger."
"This kind of thinking led to Li Guang's major mistakes in leading troops into battle. The leader's escape caused the Eastern Route Army to lose its direction."
"The uncle, who was on the front line, faced the main force of the Xiongnu Chanyu, which outnumbered him several times over, and was in danger of being annihilated."
"Although my uncle defeated the Xiongnu Chanyu with inferior troops, he missed the best opportunity to encircle and annihilate them because the eastern army did not arrive in time."
"It can be said that the great victory in the Battle of Mobei did not achieve the true goal in Father Emperor's mind."
"After the battle, his uncle sent his chief secretary to inquire about the circumstances of getting lost and demanded that Li Guang be interrogated. Li Guang told his subordinates: 'I am over sixty years old and cannot suffer any more humiliation.' He then drew his sword and committed suicide. The soldiers and civilians in the army all wept when they heard the news."
"This move undoubtedly put my uncle in the spotlight. He will not only be reprimanded by the emperor, but also face questioning from the army and the people."
"In order to appease the Li family, the Emperor granted Li Gan the title of Marquis of Guannei and appointed him as the Grand Master of the Palace, placing him among the Nine Ministers."
"Li Gan was convinced that it was all his uncle's fault and went to his uncle's house to cause trouble."
"It's not just this perception; more importantly, the Li family wants to erase the stain on Li Guang's reputation and shift all the blame onto his uncle."
"My cousin saw the truth, which is why he had to deal with Li Gan, even though Li Gan was his subordinate."
With a deep gaze, Liu Ju completely revealed this long-standing old story.
Li Gan was not only Huo Qubing's subordinate, but also a member of the Crown Prince's faction. He had only one son and one daughter. His eldest son, Li Yu, became the Crown Prince's study companion, and his only daughter was sent to the Crown Prince's palace as a maid.
Li Gan wounded Wei Qing, and Huo Qubing shot and killed Li Gan, which directly led to a major loss of power for the Crown Prince.
"Your Highness."
"How dare he do such a thing?"
Zhang He couldn't understand Li Gan's behavior at all.
How dare a mere Marquis of Guannei lay a hand on General Wei Qing! And the Li family even tried to pin the blame on Wei Qing.
"He might not dare to do it alone, but the Li family would."
Meeting Zhang He's gaze, Liu Ju said in a deep voice, "With Li Guang dead, Li Gan has become the head of the Li family."
"The Li family of Longxi rose to prominence during the Former Qin Dynasty. Li Chong was the governor of Longxi Commandery in the Qin Dynasty, Li Yao was the governor of Nan Commandery in the Qin Dynasty, and Li Xin was the Marquis of Longxi in the Qin Dynasty."
"Li Xin's son, Li Chao, rose to the rank of Grand General and once served as the Prefect of Yuyang in the Han Dynasty."
"Li Chao's son, Li Zhongxiang, rose to the rank of Grand Commandant and served successively as Governor of Hedong and General Who Conquers the West."
"Li Zhongxiang's son, Li Bokao, served as the prefect of Longxi and Hedong prefectures."
"Li Bokao had two sons: Li Shang and Li Xiang; Li Shang was the magistrate of Chengji County and the father of Li Guang; Li Xiang was the father of Li Cai, the Marquis of Le'an."
"The Li family has a long history of military achievements and has established a strong presence on the frontier. They are the oldest military family in the Han army."
"Li Gan cannot allow Li Guang to bear the burden of guilt, and he needs to restore the prestige of the Li family."
So, he chose the general?!
Zhang He's worldview has been completely turned upside down. Li Gan's attempt to rise to power by stepping on Wei Qing is incredibly audacious.
If Huo Qubing hadn't intervened, all of this might have come true, with the Li family stepping over the Wei family to become the second-largest military family.
"There is another reason for this, or rather, it is Li Gan's real reliance."
What?
Slightly startled, Zhang He stared blankly at Liu Ju.
"Strictly speaking, the Li family, the Wei family, and the Huo family are all on the same side."
"His Majesty's favoritism towards his cousin and coldness towards his uncle gave Li Gan an opportunity."
"This incident directly led to the collapse of a powerful group of relatives of the emperor."
"Even the fact that my cousin's death did not cause a major uproar within the empire is related to His Majesty."
When this was mentioned, Liu Ju's eyes became colder and more murderous than ever before.
Li Gan's attack on Wei Qing was a result that Emperor Wu of Han could tolerate or even actively guide, with the aim of weakening the Wei clan, a powerful maternal relative group.
Li Gan acted so recklessly because he saw this, while Wei Qing, understanding the greater good, chose to endure it.
The only unexpected event was Huo Qubing, who used the same tactics against Li Gan, killing him and protecting the interests of the Wei clan, thus stabilizing the maternal relatives' group.
Emperor Wu of Han chose to acquiesce to everything, which led to immeasurable consequences, namely the death of Huo Qubing.
The Crown Prince, the Wei family, the Li family, and even the Han Empire all suffered losses, but Emperor Wu of Han did not; he got what he wanted.
"His Majesty!"
Zhang He quickly covered his mouth, afraid that his voice would attract attention.
There is a passage in Mencius' Book of Li Lou II where Mencius advises King Xuan of Qi: "If a ruler regards his ministers as his hands and feet, then the ministers will regard the ruler as their heart and soul; if a ruler regards his ministers as dogs and horses, then the ministers will regard the ruler as a stranger; if a ruler regards his ministers as dirt and weeds, then the ministers will regard the ruler as an enemy."
It is a taboo throughout history for a monarch to scheme against his ministers, let alone cause such terrible consequences.
Once this matter gets out, the whole world will be in turmoil, and who in or out of the court can remain calm?