Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

"On the day of Xinwei in the fourth month of the eighth year of Taihe, the emperor issued an edict to Lu Yu, the Grand Secretary and Attendant-in-Ordinary."

"Since the Governor of Liangzhou, Sima Fu, and the General of Pingyuan, Xiahou Ba, were negligent and caused the disturbance, they shall be immediately escorted to Luoyang in prison carts without delay and handed over to the Court of Justice for punishment. The entire city's inhabitants have been captured by bandits, which is unprecedented in the fifteen years since the founding of the dynasty and is very contrary to my wishes. The affairs of the prefecture and the border shall be entrusted to the newly appointed Governor of Liangzhou, Wang Xiong, and the General of Henghai, Hu Zun."

"Respectfully yours."

Lu Yu read the edict slowly with a blank expression, then folded it up and held it in his left hand. With a slight wave of his right hand, four of the central army cavalrymen following behind him dismounted and went to Sima Fu and Xiahou Ba's left and right sides, restraining their hands.

Even though Hu Zun had served in the army for many years and had personally killed no fewer than dozens of Hu and Shu soldiers, he couldn't help but swallow hard and feel a slight tremor when he saw Lu Yu proclaiming the imperial edict.

This is the emperor's messenger! This is the emperor's majesty and virtue!
In front of everyone, Lu Yu had his men restrain Sima Fu and Xiahou Ba from both sides. Not to mention Hu Zun, the more than 300 local officials of Liangzhou were now caught in a mix of unease, fear, and doubt. Some craned their necks to look in Lu Yu's direction, while others looked at their superiors to see if Sima Fu and Xiahou Ba would make any moves. Some even reached for the hilts of their swords and knives at their waists.

In this era's mainstream tradition, a long-time superior will likely have a few subordinates willing to die for their lord.

But how could Sima Fu and Xiahou Ba have done anything untoward?

The two men had only made a mistake; they were not utterly depraved. Moreover, both of their families were still alive, and although the emperor's decree was severe, there might still be room for maneuver in the future.

Sima Fu and Xiahou Ba had previously discussed the court's reaction in private and had guessed that the court would punish them, but they did not expect that when the decree actually came, it would be so swift and cruel!

The emperor's decree was laid out before them, and Grand Secretary Lu Yu stood a mere ten feet away. Nearly a hundred fully armed cavalrymen formed a battle formation behind Lu Yu, the sharp tips of their spears gleaming coldly, their murderous intent almost palpable in their faces.

Xiahou Ba remained calm. As the highest military commander in Liangzhou, he was responsible for the city's fall and accepted his fate. He sighed, knelt on the ground, and allowed the central army cavalry to grab his shoulders on either side. He merely looked up at Lu Yu's reaction without making any other move.

Sima Fu, on the other hand, reacted strongly.

It's unclear whether he genuinely repented, feared for his future, or was intimidated by the decree Lu Yu had just conveyed. Of course, it's also possible that his performative personality had taken over; at this moment, Sima Fu knelt on the ground and began to sob. In just a few moments, this perfectly normal person was lying on the ground, choking back loud sobs.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I have failed in my duty to the Emperor. I am guilty! I am guilty!"

He repeatedly said the words "I have failed the Emperor's grace" and "I am guilty," repeating them seven or eight times, leaving Hu Zun, who was standing to the side, speechless.

Lu Yu finally couldn't hold back any longer. He walked to Sima Fu's side and helped him up with both hands. Before he could even lift him up, the cavalrymen on both sides used their strength to pull Sima Fu off the ground.

Sima Fu continued to shake his head, close his eyes, and sigh.

Helpless, Lu Yu went to Xiahou Ba's side and helped him up. At this moment, Xiahou Ba seemed perfectly normal.
“Zhongquan, don’t overthink it. Come back to Luoyang with me. The imperial decree has been issued. The truth will be dealt with by the Court of Justice.”

Xiahou Ba tried to break free from the grip of the cavalry on his left and right, pulling hard on his wrists, but to no avail. Lu Yu gave the two men a look, and the cavalrymen on either side released their grip.

Xiahou Ba snorted coldly, glared at those around him, and then turned to Lu Yu and said seriously, "Thank you for your trouble, Lord Lu. Since His Majesty has given the decree, I, Xiahou Ba, will obey without question. However, I have been in Liangzhou for seven years and have many military affairs to attend to. I would like to ask Lord Lu to give me three days so that I can hand over my military duties to General Hu."

Lu Yu shook his head slightly.

Xiahou Ba then asked, "Could Lord Lu grant me one more day? Just one day!"

Lu Yu sighed: "His Majesty's decree clearly states that we must leave immediately. I am here on imperial orders, so how dare I stay even a day longer? Not even half a day."

“However, matters concerning the state and the army are indeed important.” At this point, Lu Yu glanced at Sima Fu and saw that he was still standing there looking regretful. Lu Yu then said directly to Xiahou Ba, “The Prefect of the State and your Minister Shi Ke are in the rear welcoming party? Please ask Zhongquan to introduce the two of them to General Hu before you leave.”

"Very well." Xiahou Ba stamped his foot and beckoned to the two men waiting not far behind him: "Prefect Chen, Chief Secretary He, you two come here."

After the two approached, Xiahou Ba said to Lu Yu and Hu Zun, "These two are Chen Li, the Prefect of the State, and He Quan, my Chief Clerk. They will assist General Hu."

"Why don't you two come and pay your respects to Lord Lu and General Hu?" Xiahou Ba called out to the two men.

"Your subordinates pay their respects to Lord Lu and General Hu!" The two bowed their heads in greeting.

Xiahou Ba nodded slightly, then beckoned to another man dressed in armor who appeared to be a general. He said to Hu Zun, “General Hu, it is truly a pity that we must part after such a short meeting. This is Kang Cheng, the captain of my personal guard. He has been with me for fifteen years. With my departure, I will temporarily entrust Kang Cheng to General Hu.”

"Kang Cheng," Xiahou Ba turned to the man and said, "Quickly come and pay your respects to General Hu. From now on, you must protect General Hu as you would protect me, and use your life to ensure that General Hu is not harmed in the slightest!" "Yes, Your Excellency obeys." Kang Cheng was already crying at this moment. He knelt on the ground, first bowing to Xiahou Ba, and then bowing to Hu Zun.

It must be said that, although both are crying, Kang Cheng's crying is much more pleasing to the eye than Sima Fu's.

After Sima Fu and Xiahou Ba left with Lu Yu, all one hundred cavalrymen would be withdrawn, leaving Hu Zun without anyone to command. Xiahou Ba entrusted his personal guards to Hu Zun, and without a doubt, Hu Zun was deeply grateful for Xiahou Ba's kindness.

"Brother Zhongquan, you can rest assured that this place is in my hands. There's plenty of time in the future!" Hu Zun bowed respectfully.

"There's plenty of time ahead." Xiahou Ba instinctively repeated this phrase, clasped his hands in a salute, and then turned to the crowd lined up behind him, shouting loudly, "You must obey General Hu's orders, do not violate the national system, and do not bring trouble upon yourselves!"

Seeing that Hu Zun had stabilized the situation, Lu Yu immediately ordered the cavalry to take the two men onto their horses. Even Hu Zun's suggestion to take a carriage from Guzang City to make a prisoner transport wagon was rejected. Lu Yu decided to discuss the matter after arriving at Cangsong.

Lu Yu, along with Sima Fu and Xiahou Ba, had already left. The crowd then escorted Hu Zun slowly into the city. After all, it was the capital of a prefecture, and most of the local officials were sensible enough not to create any obstacles for Hu Zun to take power.

Wang Xiong, on the other hand, was much further away. Also sent by messenger, Wang Xiong only received the news in late April, and by the time he rushed to Wuwei, it was already June 27th.

More than a month later, the officials of Liangzhou once again came out of the city to welcome them. There were still so many people, and no one had changed. The only difference was that the person leading them to welcome them had changed from Sima Fu and Xiahou Ba to Hu Zun.

After the formalities, Hu Zun and Chen Li, the Prefectural Governor, led Wang Xiong into the prefectural government office. Hu Zun was skilled in military affairs but knew little about politics, so for the time being, he could only entrust these matters to Chen Li. The basic approach was simple: handle daily affairs according to established practices, and follow the established procedures for other matters, as long as nothing went wrong.

Fortunately, it was the season when the northern grasslands were lush and the nomadic cavalry did not invade, giving Hu Zun a chance to catch his breath.

Wang Xiong's arrival relieved Hu Zun of his worries that had been weighing on his mind for many days.

After the group was seated and exchanged a few pleasantries, Hu Zun asked in a low voice, "Lord Wang, you have traveled a long way to get here. Are you aware of the incursions by the Hu people in Liangzhou?"

Wang Xiong sat in the main seat, his posture dignified and his face solemn. He stroked his beard and replied, "When I passed through Luoyang, I learned about the details of Liangzhou from His Majesty's envoy. When I arrived in Mei County, I met with the entourage of Lu Shizhong escorting Sima Shuda and Xiahou Zhongquan. We talked from dinner until midnight. I know everything I need to know."

"That's good." Hu Zun breathed a sigh of relief: "Does Lord Wang have any plans?"

Chen Li, the prefectural governor standing nearby, quickly added, “Your Excellency may not know, but since last month, Tuoba Agu of the Hexi Xianbei has repeatedly sent people here to extort cloth and grain, otherwise he will not return the people who were captured in Wuwei County.”

Although Wang Xiong was not large in stature, his eyes were sharp. He glanced at Hu Zun and Chen Li for a few moments, stroked his beard, and smiled, "This matter is easy. On the way here, I submitted a memorial to the court, requesting that the court send General Tian Guorang, the Protector of the Wuhuan, to lead his own 3,000 troops and supervise a total of 25,000 cavalry from the Xianbei, Wuhuan, and Xiongnu to cross the border from Yanmen to the west. General Tian should have already led his troops to the Shuofang area by now."

"Prefect Chen".

"Your subordinate is here." Chen Li quickly stood up from his seat and bowed in response.

Wang Xiong stroked his beard: "Since Tuoba Agu has sent someone to Guzang City, he intends to communicate with the Great Wei, and this prefecture cannot refuse. Prefect Chen, please select a capable person from a prefecture to invite Tuoba Agu to Wuwei for a meeting. This prefecture will also go in person."

"Tell Bald Agu that General Tian is coming. This manor is willing to negotiate with him because he holds the title of Marquis of Great Wei. If he does not come, this manor also has swift and decisive measures!"

Chen Li thought seriously for a few moments: "If Your Majesty has ordered me to select a few capable people, please take a look and then choose one from them."

"Okay. Go ahead." Wang Xiong waved casually, and Chen Li then took his leave.

Now it's Hu Zun's turn to be confused.

Lu Yu had made it clear to him over a month ago that the imperial court was about to launch a campaign against Wu, and did not want to mobilize troops in Liangzhou, nor did he agree to General Cao Zhen's attack plan. Why had he suddenly changed his mind and agreed to Tian Yu sending troops from Bingzhou?

Hu Zun coughed lightly: "Your Highness must be tired from your journey. Now that you have arrived in Guzang, you should rest well. I should not disturb you. But there is something I don't understand and would like to ask Your Highness for advice."

Xiahou Ba and Sima Fu could be treated as equals, but Hu Zun felt he didn't have Xiahou Ba's family background, and Wang Xiong had an unapproachable demeanor, so Hu Zun was much more cautious and adopted a very humble attitude.

Wang Xiong remained composed, smiling as he replied, "General Hu, what questions do you wish to ask this old man?"

"Your Highness may call me by my courtesy name, Chiyi." Hu Zun composed himself. "I previously heard from Grand Secretary Lu that the court did not wish to mobilize troops in Liangzhou, so why did it grant Your Highness's request and send General Tian to lead the troops?" (End of Chapter)