Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 132 I Request the Execution of the Grand Herald! (4K)

The postman rode to the gate of the imperial palace at lightning speed and handed over the token with slightly trembling hands.

The guard in charge of verification carefully examined the patterns and markings on the token. After confirming the identity, he nodded slightly to the Nangong guard beside him, and then placed the postman in the middle, and the group galloped towards the palace.

In the palace, the sound of hurried horse hooves instantly broke the quiet of the night. Liu Bian, who had fallen asleep, was startled awake from his sleep. He suddenly opened his eyes, a trace of alertness flashed in his eyes. He drew the "Yuanzhi" sword from the weapon rack beside his bed and shouted loudly to the outside of the palace gate: "Where is Zhongkang!"

Almost at the moment Liu Bian shouted, Xu Chu outside the palace gate responded.

Then, with a "creak", the palace door was pushed open with great force. Xu Chu slipped into the palace and in a few steps he stood beside the prince, guarding him with a sword.

It must be said that the tower-like figure and resolute face immediately calmed Liu Bian's heart. He asked, "Who are guarding the Prince's Mansion tonight?"

Xu Chu thought for a moment and replied, "They are the Crown Prince's servant Xun Wenruo, the concubine's son Feng Yuantu, the groom Liu Gongshan, the gatekeeper Wang Jingxing, and the servants Chen Gongtai and Zhang Junyi."

Xun Yu, Feng Ji, Liu Dai, Wang Lang, Chen Gong and Zhang He?
Liu Bian nodded slightly. Feng Ji was from Nanyang. As the prince's maternal fellow villager, when faced with the simultaneous recruitment of the Prince's Palace and the Minister of Works' Palace, he decisively chose the Prince's Palace. Wang Lang was Yang Ci's direct disciple. Yang Ci believed that he could inherit or even surpass him in the study of classics. He had just entered the Prince's Palace as the Prince's Gate Doctor some time ago.

Except for Chen Gong, whom he still couldn't fully trust, the rest of the people were trustworthy.

"The Crown Prince's Palace guards remain under the command of Zhongkang, while the Tiger Guards are jointly commanded by Xun Wenruo and Liu Gongshan. Summon the remaining guards tonight to the side hall, and then send someone to investigate who is riding a horse in the palace."

Xu Chu nodded. Although he felt that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was a little too vigilant, as the Crown Prince's personal guard, it was best to do more and talk less.

In less than a moment, the postmen entered the Yong'an Palace under the supervision of several guards from the Prince's Palace. Xu Chu searched thoroughly and confiscated the weapons. The few people who entered the palace did not have any suspicious items except for the reports they carried with them. He picked up the talisman again and carefully checked it in the candlelight before personally leading them into the side hall.

Hearing that it was an urgent report from the postman, Liu Bian, wearing a thin inner garment, hurriedly plunged his hands into a basin of cold water brought by the palace maid and rubbed his face vigorously several times. The water droplets slid down his cheeks and wet the front of his inner garment. He casually wiped the water droplets off his face with a silk scarf and then met with the postman.

Several postmen looked exhausted, especially one of them who claimed to have rushed for six days and nights without stopping before arriving in Luoyang. Their faces were as pale as paper, their lips were chapped, and they looked so weak that they would collapse to the ground at any time.

After briefly reading the reports delivered by the two groups of couriers, Liu Bian raised his eyebrows slightly, a serious look in his eyes, and said, "Awang, each of them will be rewarded with twenty pieces of silk, and given food and drink. The Imperial Physician will take good care of them. For the time being, they will live in the wing rooms of Yong'an Palace."

After Gao Wang led the men out, Liu Bian remained silent, but everyone could sense the prince's thoughts swirling like the flickering candlelight in the hall. After a long pause, he finally spoke, "Liangzhou Governor Zhu Jun reports that the Xianrong Qiang in the north and the bandits at Fuhan River Pass have rebelled. They have appointed Huangzhong Yicong Hu Beigong Boyu and Li Wenhou as generals and killed the Protector of the Qiang, Captain Ling Zheng."

This incident was not too unexpected by Liu Bian, or perhaps the officials in the Prince's Mansion had already been prepared for it, but the postmen who came were two groups, and it was obvious that there was another report that was no less serious than the Qiang Rebellion in Liang Province.

"Zhang Yi, the governor of Bingzhou, reported that the Xiutuge Hu of Bingzhou had rebelled, allied with the Southern Xiongnu's left wing, killed the Southern Xiongnu's Qiangqu Chanyu, and then invaded Xihe, attacking and killing the Xihe County Governor Xing Ji."

He had not expected the changes in the Southern Xiongnu. He did not recruit the Xiutuguhu and the Southern Xiongnu to participate in suppressing the Yellow Turban Rebellion. The rebellion was controlled within a certain range. Although it was huge, it did not force him to recruit these surrendered foreign tribes, even though the Youzhou governor Guo Xun died in the battle.

However, the Xiutuguhu and the Southern Xiongnu still rose up in rebellion under the pretext that "the Han court's exploitation is getting worse and the conscription is excessive." Moreover, according to Zhang Yi's report, the situation seemed extremely serious. Zhang Yi was even prepared to die for his country.

Liu Bian felt annoyed for a moment, took a deep breath to calm himself down, and then shouted, "Ring the bells and beat the drums!"

"Civil and military officials in the capital with a rank of 1,000 dan or above, as well as all officials in the Crown Prince's Palace, must enter the palace to discuss matters within half an hour!"

As the bells and drums in the palace rang, the bells and drums outside the palace also responded one after another. The sounds of the bells and drums were like rumbling thunder, echoing over the entire Luoyang City.

Liu Bian did not like delaying. Since such a big matter was reported that night, he should discuss it that night.

I, the Crown Prince, don't mind it. Are you, the ministers, even more lazy than me?

However, no matter how anxious he was, Liu Bian still asked the palace maid to bring hot water for him to bathe and change clothes.

He can be anxious, but not chaotic.

Half an hour later, a group of civil and military officials filed in and gathered in the Jiade Hall.

The entire hall was illuminated by candlelight as bright as day, but everyone's heart was as quiet and solemn as the night outside the palace.

The Prince's Secretary Feng Ji stood in the hall and relayed the reports from Zhang Yi, the Governor of Bingzhou, and Zhu Jun, the Governor of Liangzhou, to everyone. The original copies of the two reports were copied many times in half an hour and then circulated among the ministers.

All the court officials in the hall had solemn expressions on their faces. The four words "Liangzhou Qiang Rebellion" really gave them a headache, but they were not surprised at all.

The Later Han court invested no less than 30 billion yuan in quelling the Qiang rebellion in Liangzhou, not counting the specific investment in people's livelihood. But throwing so much money into the Luo River might have attracted the appearance of the Luo River gods. However, throwing it into the bottomless pit of Liangzhou still failed to change the situation, and the rebellion even intensified.

The Qiang rebellion in Liangzhou was within expectations, but the rebellion of the Xiutuguhu and Southern Xiongnu in Bingzhou was completely unexpected.

Since Emperor Xiaowu defeated the Xiongnu many times, the Xiongnu tribes split and merged several times. The Southern Xiongnu, who were closer to the Han court, also rebelled and submitted from time to time. After the Southern Xiongnu submitted again more than 40 years ago, except for some small tribes that rebelled, they were generally respectful, paid tribute on time and accepted the court's summons. The court was accustomed to the Southern Xiongnu's obedience, but did not expect that they would rebel now.

The rebellions in Bingzhou and Liangzhou occurred at such a coincidence that people even suspected that they had colluded with each other in advance.

But regardless of whether they were colluding or not, the most urgent task was to quell the rebellion. Both of these rebel forces posed a threat that could directly approach the imperial capital Luoyang.

Liu Bian sat upright, his expression solemn. Just as he was about to speak, he saw the Chief Censor Zhang Zhao solemnly stand up, bow and say, "Forgive me for speaking frankly, Your Highness, please do not leave lightly!"

Zhang Zhao's words were like sparks thrown into a powder keg. Before he had even finished speaking, all the officials of the Prince's Party and the Prince's Mansion joined in the discussion, saying, "Your Highness, please do not leave lightly!"

Seeing that all his cronies and confidants were so opposed and didn't even give him a chance to speak, Liu Bian understood that it would be difficult for him to have another chance to go to the battlefield in person.

Of course, he could have led his troops in person despite opposition, but there was no need for that.

During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, if the situation hadn't been handled properly, the entire Han Dynasty might have collapsed. But now the government was stable, and the Han Dynasty was not vulnerable to any turmoil, so there was no need for him to personally go to the battlefield.

Furthermore, as a leader, you also need to take the feelings of your subordinates into consideration.

Although everyone is loyal and righteous, they also hope to get promoted and make money while being loyal and righteous. But if you keep joking about everyone's future, even the most loyal ministers will be dissatisfied.

"I am not going to lead the troops myself, I just want you to discuss the matter of suppressing the rebellion."

Seeing that the prince seemed to have agreed not to go to the battlefield in person, all the court officials couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and returned to their positions.

The last time the crown prince fell ill after returning from a campaign, it was truly terrifying, especially since all the officials in the crown prince's mansion had made preparations for certain extreme situations. Other officials of the crown prince's party who learned about the situation afterwards were also still in fear, and they naturally would not let the crown prince lead an army in person again.

When the topic shifted to how to deal with the rebellions of the various Hu peoples in Liang Province and Bing Province, Zhang Yi, the Grand Herald, one of the Nine Ministers, slowly stood up and walked to the center of the hall. He bowed and saluted, saying, "I, the Grand Herald Zhang Yi, have a report!"

Liu Bian glanced among the court officials and, upon seeing Zhang Yi's request, nodded slightly and replied, "Approved!"

The Grand Herald was in charge of the foreign tribes that surrendered to the country. Both the Qiang people in Liangzhou and the Xiongnu in Bingzhou were under his jurisdiction, so Liu Bian also hoped to hear the Grand Herald's opinion.

Zhang Yi took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling slightly, and then said loudly: "Your Highness, I ask you to abandon Liangzhou!"

Zhang Yi's words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake. Liu Bian frowned, but did not refute it immediately.

"Liang Province was originally a vassal state to the Han Dynasty, intended to isolate the Qiang and Hu tribes. However, Liang Province accepted too many Qiang and Hu tribes, leading to frequent rebellions within the prefecture. It had long since lost its function as a vassal state and instead became a parasite that devoured the Han Dynasty."

Zhang Yi turned to the Crown Prince and slowly explained, "The Qiang share the same customs as the Northern Di. They are dull-witted, have many wives and concubines, and have many sons. One man can have ten, sometimes even a hundred, sons. Over time, they have become the masters of Liang Province."

"However, the Qiang are inept at farming and overgraze their livestock. Frequent wars have destroyed their fields, and excessive grazing has destroyed the water and grass. Without the court's constant aid, they would have starved to death long ago. They are immoral and ungrateful. It would be better to abandon them, relocate the Han people to Sanfu, and focus on suppressing the rebellion in Bingzhou!"

The Grand Herald was in charge of the surrendered foreign tribes, and Zhang Yi had obviously put some effort into dealing with many of them. He was quite familiar with the temperament of the Qiang people. He did not explain the reasons for abandoning Liangzhou based on the old political and cultural theories since Emperor Guangwu, but instead analyzed the root causes of the Qiang rebellion for everyone based on people's livelihood issues.

The issue of abandoning Liangzhou has arisen since the Western Han Dynasty. During the Later Han Dynasty, there were no less than three major court discussions on whether to abandon Liangzhou.

As Zhang Yi noted, after the demise of the Silk Road, Liangzhou had indeed become a vicious province, sucking the blood of the Han Dynasty. Scholars had always looked down on Liangzhou, and the Han people in Liangzhou were also despised, leading many to agree to abandon Liangzhou.

The policy proposed by Zhang Yi was also the "demand from the west to supplement the north" strategy that had been mentioned countless times by the Later Han Dynasty.

Deng Zhi, the brother of Empress Hexi Deng Sui, compared Liangzhou and Bingzhou to two tattered clothes of the Han Dynasty. He took the silk threads of one of the clothes and used them to mend the other one which was less torn. In this way, at least one piece of clothing would be complete. Otherwise, both pieces would be tattered clothes that could not be worn out.

What was abandoned was Liangzhou, and what needed to be saved was Bingzhou.

However, this proposal was not adopted, but this policy was still raised countless times by the scholars of the Later Han Dynasty.

Most of those who supported Zhang Yi's opinions were old-fashioned and pedantic. To put it bluntly, they discriminated against Liangzhou and Liangzhou people with tinted glasses, rather than Zhang Yi's practical arguments based on the actual situation of the country.

For a time, many officials from Liangzhou in the court were uneasy, but Huangfu Song and Dong Zhuo, two people from Liangzhou, sat quietly at their seats, as if they were completely out of the matter and had no interest in even joining the debate.

Just as the court officials were talking about this, a loud shout suddenly came from the ranks of officials in the Prince's Mansion.

"Your Highness!"

Liu Bian looked in the direction of the voice and saw Fu Xie's face filled with anger, his beard and eyebrows standing up, pointing his finger directly at the Grand Herald Zhang Yi and shouting, "I beg you to execute me!"

"Kill the Grand Herald, and the world will be at peace."

As soon as the words fell, the whole court was shocked, and everyone looked at Fu Xie, who always spoke and behaved like an ancient gentleman.

Yang Zan, the Minister of the Three Dukes, immediately shouted, "How dare you insult a minister?"

Yang Zan was Zhang Yi's disciple, so he naturally had the obligation to speak for his teacher, especially when Fu Xie wanted to kill his teacher right away.

After all, you are a disciple of Guanglu Dafu Liu Kuan. Liu Wenrao is knowledgeable and lenient in his administration. How could he teach a disciple like you who has a violent temper and always calls for fighting and killing?
Don’t you even have the respect of a scholar?

However, Yang Zan did not refute Fu Xie further. After all, although Fu Xie's teacher Liu Kuan was seriously ill and bedridden, he was still a relative of the Han Dynasty and an important official at the court. Fu Xie himself was the Prince's groom, a member of the Prince's household, and was not someone he could humiliate. At most, he could refute him on the basis of etiquette and law.

"Back when Maodun wrote to humiliate Empress Gao, Fan Kuai, then the Supreme General, declared, 'I wish I had a hundred thousand men to wreak havoc among the Xiongnu.' His eloquent and loyal speeches were so righteous, yet Ji Bu still said, 'Kuai should be beheaded. Does the Grand Herald really think he can rival Fan Kuai in loyalty and bravery?'"

"Liang Province is a strategic point in the world and a defensive barrier for the nation. Occupying Liang Province cuts off an arm of the Qiang, Hu, and Xiongnu. Although Liang Province has repeatedly rebelled and incurred heavy losses, we will never abandon this territory."

As Fu Xie spoke, his face filled with rage as he walked towards Zhang Yi. When he reached him, he shouted, "The Grand Herald is an important official of the state, yet you advise us to give up a vast territory. This is not loyalty!"

"Abandoning Liang Province will cause unrest in the Three Prefectures, and unrest in the Three Prefectures will inevitably lead to unrest in the capital. This is not wise!"

"The Grand Herald's words are disloyal and unwise. What is his real intention?"

"That's why!" Fu Xie turned towards the Crown Prince and pointed at Zhang Yi beside him, "I beg you to execute the Grand Herald!"
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PS: I will continue to add more chapters later, and try to complete the additional chapters promised last month before the end of the month.

Fortunately, there are not many monthly votes this month, only about 2000 votes. According to the rule of adding one more chapter ( words) for every votes, I can only add two more chapters!
(End of this chapter)