HLnovel Chapter 96 Dong Zhuo Replicates the Epang Palace! Li Ru Shifts the Blame Eastward!
Chapter 96 Dong Zhuo Replicates the Epang Palace! Li Ru Shifts the Blame Eastward!
"Master, the Grand Tutor requests your presence at his residence."
As night approached, Li Ru's steward suddenly informed him of this news.
The person sent to deliver the message was a doorman from the Grand Tutor's mansion.
"Okay, I'll get ready to leave now."
A trace of sadness appeared in Li Ru's eyes.
He did not attend today's Grand Tutor ceremony.
Although this move was very disrespectful to Dong Zhuo.
However, getting Li Ru to willingly support Dong Zhuo's appointment as Grand Tutor was harder than climbing to heaven.
Li Ru is a pragmatist.
Conferring the title of Grand Tutor was clearly unnecessary.
Aside from his ambition and love of grand achievements, he really couldn't find any reason to exonerate Dong Zhuo!
Li Ru was unwilling to agree to such a thing.
His previous support for Dong Zhuo's deposition of the emperor and relocation of the capital to Chang'an was, from the perspective of the time, indeed more beneficial than harmful.
But Li Ru didn't expect that.
These past transgressions ultimately became hidden mines he personally planted for the Xiliang army.
With a heavy heart and a sense of trepidation, Li Ru followed the doorman to the Grand Tutor's mansion.
At the Grand Tutor's Mansion, which was formerly the Prime Minister's Mansion, Dong Zhuo personally stood at the entrance to wait for Li Ru.
Upon seeing Li Ru arrive, Dong Zhuo quickly stepped forward, pulled Li Ru inside, and led him inside.
"Wenyou, do you know the latest news about Cao Mengde and others in Guandong?"
Li Ru looked surprised, then a look of joy appeared on his face!
It's definitely a good thing that Dong Zhuo is willing to get involved in matters in Guandong!
after all.
For so many days, Dong Zhuo has been busy bestowing the title of Grand Tutor, and hasn't even glanced at the intelligence files from the Guandong region.
The fact that he is now taking the initiative to ask questions shows that Dong Zhuo's ambitions have not died!
This gave Li Ru motivation.
It was as if that hero of Xiliang had once again come alive and stood before Li Ru!
Li Ru then recounted all the intelligence he knew.
however.
Before he could finish speaking, Dong Zhuo suddenly interrupted him:
"Forget it, the petty thugs from Northeast China can't make waves."
"But right now, I want to build a brand new palace in Mei City."
"But this year Guanzhong has suffered a severe drought, and the funds may not be enough to support the completion of the palace."
Li Ru's brain instantly went blank!
Where is Mei City?
It is a place seventy li west of Chang'an.
It is quite close to Xianyang, the ancient capital of the pre-Qin period.
Why did Dong Zhuo choose to build a new palace there?
Two months ago, a feng shui master said that Mei City had the aura of an emperor!
Chang'an, the western capital today, was the capital of the Western Han Dynasty.
For Dong Zhuo, the many palaces of the Western Han Dynasty were merely makeshift facilities.
but……
If Li Ru remembered correctly, Dong Zhuo should still have a lot of funds in his treasury.
The vast wealth left behind by Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, the Ten Attendants, He Jin, and Yuan Kui all became Dong Zhuo's private property.
Moreover.
Although the Guanzhong region suffered from disasters this year, the taxes from previous years are still sitting in the treasury!
How big of a palace are they planning to build?
How could so much wealth still not be enough to create more?
Could it be of the scale of the Epang Palace?
Thinking of this, Li Ru broke out in a cold sweat.
The First Emperor had already unified the six kingdoms and the four seas before he began to build the Epang Palace.
Even so, the Epang Palace was still criticized by the world, who said that it cost a huge amount of money and was a waste of resources and manpower.
Is Dong Zhuo now comparable to the First Emperor of Qin?
Their territory did not extend beyond Guanzhong and Liangzhou.
Heroes rose up across the land, and war raged everywhere.
To undertake such a massive construction project and build such a huge palace, what else could it be but a path to certain death?
"Plop!"
Li Ru knelt on the ground and pleaded with Dong Zhuo:
"My lord, Ru begs you to rescind your plan to build the palace!"
"If the money for building the palace could be used by our lord for military expenses."
"Our troops can absolutely march south into Hanzhong, and even into the lands of Bashu!"
Li Ru had indeed planned out the path for Dong Zhuo after moving the capital to Chang'an.
The six wise rulers of the Qin state in those days had already developed a complete strategy.
They used Hangu Pass to block the heroes from the east.
They annexed Hanzhong and Bashu to the south, using them as granaries.
When the world changes, we will send our troops out of Qin Pass and sweep away the six powerful states!
Unfortunately, Dong Zhuo had no time to deal with the affairs of Hanzhong and Bashu at that moment.
Seeing that Li Ru did not support his construction of the palace, Dong Zhuo's expression quickly turned cold.
"Wenyou, I pride myself on how well I have treated you, and I have even married Yuan'er to you, making you my son-in-law."
"All my sons are gone. You and Niu Fu are my own sons!"
"Even if others in the court oppose me, you should still support me!"
"I'm being promoted to Grand Tutor; if you don't support it, fine."
"Why are you so unhappy that I want to build a palace now?"
"Could it be that after fighting for so many years, I can't even enjoy myself a little?"
"I……"
Li Ru looked distressed.
He simply couldn't understand how his father-in-law, Dong Zhuo, could have changed so much in just one year!
Where did that brave warrior from Xiliang, that Dong Zhongying who regarded all the heroes of the world as mere chickens and dogs, go?
"Father-in-law, you really can't build this palace!"
"The example of Epang is still fresh in our minds!"
"Enough! Wenyou, shut up!"
Dong Zhuo rudely interrupted Li Ru and sent guards to take Li Ru away.
Perhaps, Dong Zhuo was getting old.
Or perhaps Dong Zhuo was tired and wanted to stop and enjoy himself.
Dong Zhuo did not understand why Li Ru was unwilling to support him.
Just as Li Ru couldn't understand, Dong Zhuo's ambitions had gone nowhere.
This once perfectly compatible father-in-law and son-in-law have ultimately gone down different paths.
And the next day
Dong Zhuo summoned Wang Yun to his residence to discuss the construction of a new palace in Mei City.
Wang Yun immediately cupped his hands and said:
"Grand Tutor's move is a great thing that benefits the country and the people!"
"Although I am poor, I am still willing to support the Grand Tutor!"
"And please wait for me for a day or two, Grand Tutor."
"I will go back and sell the three houses outside the city, and use the money to support the Grand Tutor!"
What is enlightenment?
This is called enlightenment!
Wang Yun displayed the arrogance of someone who was willing to pay to work, supporting Dong Zhuo at all costs!
Dong Zhuo was deeply moved and immediately held a banquet to entertain Wang Yun, and also increased Wang Yun's fief by an additional thousand households.
The news reached Li Ru's residence.
Li Ru was so angry that he coughed up a mouthful of black blood.
He finally understood where the problem lay.
The treacherous minister was none other than Wang Yun!
Dong Zhuo, who was already intent on enjoying himself, became even more reckless under Wang Yun's instigation.
"no!"
"If our lord insists on this, our Xiliang army is in grave danger!"
Li Ru was filled with grief and indignation.
Suddenly, a guard came to report:
"Sir! We've apprehended a spy outside the mansion!"
"This person is suspected to be one of Zhang Miao's men in Yanzhou."
"Zhang Miao?"
"Isn't he in dire straits himself?"
"Even at this point, you still have the leisure to send spies to infiltrate Chang'an and gather intelligence?"
"wrong!"
"Bring that spy in quickly!"
An idea quickly took shape in Li Ru's mind.
When internal conflicts escalate further, what is the best course of action?
Divert trouble to the east!
Shifting the conflict and crisis to external sources!
……