Liu Xie sheathed his halberd and asked with a smile, "General Wang, how is my martial arts skill?"
"Your Majesty is incredibly brave; this humble general cannot match you," Wang Xu said, his face flushed. Although there was a hint of contempt in his fight against Liu Xie, being defeated in one move was still a great humiliation for him.
The other generals, including He Yong, looked at Liu Xie with some strangeness. The divine power that Liu Xie had shown before was already shocking enough, but now he was showing such a fierce side. He Yong knew that Wang Xu's martial arts were not weak.
Liu Xie's defeat of Wang Xu made it clear to everyone that the young emperor was not as simple as he appeared. Although they did not know what had happened to the emperor, his martial arts skills excited the generals in the army.
The accompanying eunuchs, their faces flushed, kept trying to curry favor with him.
Liu Xie brandished his halberd and said arrogantly, "Who dares to step forward? If you defeat me, I will reward you with an extra sword."
Many generals were tempted by the challenge and stepped forward to take it on. However, their challenges were not very successful. Liu Xie, who was slightly thin, displayed such strength and exquisite moves that these generals suffered defeat.
"You are all guards and generals, responsible for the safety of the palace. You must not slack off in your regular training," Liu Xie said solemnly.
The generals in the army responded in unison, their previous contempt gone, replaced by a strong fighting spirit. Even the young emperor possessed such martial arts skills; what reason did they, as generals, have to slack off?
"From now on, the Imperial Guard will be selected through a selection process. There are currently a thousand Imperial Guards. I only need to select five hundred elites from them. Those who are not qualified will be removed from the Imperial Guard. The selection criteria will be overseen by the Grand Master of Ceremonies. Those who are outstanding will be promoted in rank," Liu Xie said.
He Yong bowed and agreed, but he was secretly pleased. As a subject, he saw hope for the revival of the Han Dynasty in the emperor's ability to use such methods.
After the generals left, He Yong said, "Your Majesty's bravery puts us to shame. I will do my utmost to train the soldiers in the army."
"I am very pleased that the Grand Master of Ceremonies has such a heart." Liu Xie left with a smile.
Demonstrating his skills in the Imperial Guard was not only for improving his own martial arts, but also to prevent the soldiers from becoming arrogant and conceited during training. Although Dong Zhuo had been eliminated, the subsequent dangers had to be dealt with carefully.
The following day, dozens of cavalrymen left Chang'an and headed to various parts of the Han Dynasty.
For several days in a row, Liu Xie appeared in the army in Chang'an, which greatly inspired the soldiers.
The standards for rewards and punishments made the soldiers more motivated during training. At the same time, Chang'an was also conducting intensive conscription.
The defection of Dong Zhuo's generals left the vast city of Chang'an with only about ten thousand soldiers, which was detrimental to the stability of the city.
In chaotic times, only those with a sufficiently strong and numerous army can achieve greater things.
The young emperor's performance was observed by both civil and military officials, who all abandoned their contempt for him.
Just as a series of changes were taking place in Chang'an, the various feudal lords received imperial decrees.
The Prefectural Governor's Office of Dongjun.
After reading the imperial edict, Cao Cao exclaimed, "The reign title has been changed to the first year of Jianwu. Officials from all sides are going to Chang'an to pay homage to the emperor. His Majesty is not to be underestimated."
"My lord, although Dong Zhuo has been eliminated, there are still traitors under his command in Liangzhou. I'm afraid they won't abandon Chang'an," Cheng Yu said in a low voice.
Cao Cao nodded and said, "I have heard that His Majesty has been making many moves in Chang'an. If these moves are successful, the restoration of the Han Dynasty will be just around the corner."
"My lord, His Majesty desires to revive the Han Dynasty, but this will not be an easy task," Cheng Yu said.
Cao Cao nodded slightly, agreeing with Cheng Yu's words: "Since the imperial court has issued an edict, you shall take the congratulatory gifts to Chang'an, with Cao Hong accompanying you."
"Yes, sir," Cheng Yu said, cupping his hands in greeting.
Like Cao Cao, the various warlords who received the imperial decree sent envoys to Chang'an. The fact that the old villain Dong Zhuo died at the hands of the young emperor was truly shameful for all the warlords. Back then, the warlords had formed a grand alliance to defeat Dong Zhuo.
However, Dong Zhuo abducted the emperor unharmed and took him to Chang'an, where he used the emperor as a hostage to command the feudal lords.
Emperor Liu Xie of Han killed Dong Zhuo, changed the era name to Jianwu, and issued an edict to the whole country, which changed the political landscape in an instant.
Chang'an was one of the former capitals of the Han Dynasty, and it was a magnificent city.
However, both Chang'an and Luoyang are now somewhat dilapidated and are clearly unsuitable as capitals. Yet, at this time, the various feudal lords dare not propose that the Han emperor move the capital.
From the series of measures taken by the Han emperor, it can be seen that he was not as simple as he appeared on the surface. Various intelligence about Chang'an was also continuously transmitted to the feudal lords.
After Dong Zhuo seized control of Chang'an, the various warlords were already quite concerned about the situation there, but now their focus has shifted to Liu Xie.
The troops inside and outside the city were training with deafening shouts of battle, a stark contrast to their previous dejection. The announcement of the reward standards further excited the soldiers.
In any case, the current army in Chang'an is under the Emperor's command. In the heyday of the Han Dynasty, they would have been proud soldiers of the capital.
After fleeing Chang'an, Li Jue and his group did not go far from Liangzhou, but instead gathered in Anding County.
Dong Zhuo's death was so sudden that Li Jue, Guo Si, and others had no time to react. However, they also knew that under the circumstances, choosing to surrender to the Han Emperor was definitely not a wise move.
After all, Dong Zhuo committed heinous crimes when he seized power. As important generals under Dong Zhuo, how could they escape punishment? Leading their troops away from Chang'an for the time being was the wisest course of action.
"The imperial court has already sent envoys, saying that they want to recruit us. As long as we surrender, we will be rewarded," Li Jue said.
Guo Si sneered, "If we surrender, do you think those officials in the court will let us go?"
"General's words are reasonable. At this critical moment, the generals of Liangzhou should unite, otherwise they will surely be eliminated by the court," Li Ru said slowly.
Li Ru was once a famous strategist under Dong Zhuo and enjoyed Dong Zhuo's deep trust.
"What do you generals think?" Li Jue turned his gaze to the other generals in the room.
Under Li Jue's piercing gaze, many generals dared not meet his eyes. The emperor was currently in charge of Chang'an, and Dong Zhuo's death and labeling him a traitor were already irreversible. If they were to oppose the court, they would inevitably feel uneasy.
"In my opinion, it would be better to send troops directly to attack and capture Chang'an. Once Chang'an is captured, we can send troops to guard Hangu Pass. What can the other lords do then?" Guo Si said loudly.
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions varied. Although Guo Si's suggestion was somewhat treasonous, their current situation was indeed not good. Once the court recovered from Dong Zhuo's death, how could it let go of the remnants of Dong Zhuo's forces?