Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 332 The wealthy, since ancient times; the poor, have inscribed their deeds on stone tablets.

June 18th, the second year of the Han Dynasty.

Yang Yi, the official of Liaodong Commandery, and Liu Yi, the military officer, led 150 guards to escort Goguryeo's chief envoy, Gao Zhongman, and his delegation. They first traveled by sea to the port of Hejian Commandery via the Bohai Sea, and then traveled by both land and water. After a long and arduous journey, they finally arrived outside Luoyang City and saw its majestic outline.

Looking at this magnificent city standing tall in the Central Plains, Gao Zhongman could hardly believe that it was a city built by human hands, and even his breath caught in his throat.

Despite the many sights he had witnessed along the way—the prosperity of Xindu, the wealth of Puyang, the extensive official roads, and the boundless fertile fields—he was repeatedly amazed.

But when he actually stood in front of the city gates of the Han capital, Gao Zhongman still found it hard to believe that the magnificent city before him was a real, tangible thing standing in front of him.

"Is this what the Han Dynasty is like?"

Gao Zhongman subconsciously raised his hand to rub his eyes, looked up at the majestic city gate again, took a deep breath, and tried to calm the turmoil in his heart. He then carefully tidied his clothes, brushed off the dust, and with Yang Yi leading the way, the group got out of the car and slowly walked towards the Zhongdong Gate.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Yang Yi handed the travel permit and documents to Sima Jiamu of the Middle East Gate. Just as he was about to introduce the group of Goguryeo envoys behind him, he saw Jiamu with his hand on his sword walking slowly towards Gao Zhongman.

Jia Mu was Jia Xu's eldest son, but Jia Xu did not secure any lucrative position for his eldest son. Instead, he made him start as a squad leader guarding the city gate and gradually climbed to the position of Commander of the East Gate.

However, Jia Mu had no complaints about any of this. In his early years, Jia Xu had been traveling around, and at home he only had his mother and younger brother.

He helped his mother raise his younger brother from a young age, experiencing hardships and naturally becoming precocious. He was calm and steady, even possessing a righteous spirit completely different from Jia Xu's... In short, he had none of his father's qualities.

However, Jia Xu not only didn't take it to heart, but loved his eldest son even more, often saying to others, "This son will surely bring prosperity to my family."

When Jamu saw Gao Zhongman and his delegation from the city wall, he noticed their unusual behavior. Otherwise, he would not have gone down to the city wall to verify their travel permits and documents.

The clothing of Goguryeo nobles was all in the Han style, no different from that of the Han people. Go Jung-man and the deputy envoys behind him were all Goguryeo nobles, so they naturally wore Han-style clothing as well.

However, the Goguryeo people had wider, flatter faces with high and broad cheekbones, which was completely unlike the appearance of Han people, naturally arousing Jia Mu's vigilance.

Upon seeing this, Yang Yi hurriedly stepped forward, bowed, and explained, "Sir, this is an envoy from Goguryeo, carrying a letter of state and tribute to pay homage to the Emperor in Luoyang."

Jia Mu frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the crowd for a moment before he finally nodded slightly and waved for the soldiers to let them pass.

According to regulations, foreign envoys must first be accompanied by interpreters or officials from the border prefectures to Luoyang, where they will be reported to the Grand Herald.

Only after the Emperor grants permission to enter the country can the Grand Herald arrange accommodations and guards, and coordinate the itinerary.

This was not an era where one could travel freely as in later times, but an era where even rural dwellings would not provide lodging without a travel permit, and one would even be reported to the authorities by the people, let alone enter the city.

If one does not have a travel permit and happens to encounter patrolling county or state soldiers or outpost soldiers, one will be arrested and punished. If one is of a different ethnicity, one will be targeted even more severely.

Along the way, if Lu Fu hadn't written a document explaining the mission's identity as the Chief Administrator of Liaodong Commandery and affixed the seal of the Liaodong Commandery Governor, the mission would have been much more successful.

Furthermore, thanks to the influence of the Grand Tutor's son, they obtained documents signed by Qin Jie, the Governor of Ji Province, and Dong Zhuo, the Left General, as proof. Otherwise, the Goguryeo delegation would have been imprisoned as soon as they set foot in Ji Province, and would never have been able to travel to the outskirts of Luoyang City with the travel permit issued by Liaodong Commandery.

In other words, although the outcome was the same, Lu Fu made a mistake in arranging for the Goguryeo envoy to enter the capital to pay homage to the emperor.

However, Jamu did not pursue the matter, as it was not within his jurisdiction. He simply watched the delegation enter the city with a calm expression.

The city of Luoyang is filled with people dressed in embroidered robes; these are matters for his father and the Grand Herald to worry about.

Before long, the Grand Herald's Office also received a letter of state from the Goguryeo delegation and arranged for people to entertain Yang Yi, Liu Yi, and other members of the Goguryeo delegation.

Yes, receiving officials from prefectures and kingdoms was also a responsibility of the Grand Herald Office.

Each prefecture and kingdom had a "prefecture residence" in the capital, which served as the prefecture and kingdom's representative office in the capital. In the early years, the Shaofu (Minister of the Imperial Household Department) was responsible for maintaining and receiving officials from various prefectures and kingdoms who came to the capital. Later, it was transferred to the Zhongwei (Commander of the Imperial Household Department).

After Emperor Guangwu restored the dynasty, he dismissed the officials in charge of maintaining the "prefectural residences" and relied on the officials in charge of maintenance. As a result, by the tenth year of Emperor Xiaohe's Yongyuan reign (98 AD), due to years of disrepair and poor maintenance, the "prefectural residences" had become dilapidated and uninhabitable. Therefore, the chief craftsman Ying Shunsui submitted a memorial requesting the reconstruction of the prefectural residences. After that, this matter was assigned to the Grand Herald, who was usually the least busy official.

As for receiving envoys from foreign countries, that was originally the duty of the Grand Herald.

However, Zhang Yi was somewhat unsure about the appropriate level of hospitality.

The protocol for receiving foreign envoys was also divided into different levels, depending on whether the other party was an enemy country, a neutral country, or a vassal state, and also according to the strength of their country.

Inside the Yuntai Pavilion, Zhang Yi stepped forward, bowed, and hesitated slightly before saying, "My country, Goguryeo has surrendered and then rebelled many times. Although the retired emperor sent envoys to pay tribute again during the Jianning era, he has not sent any envoys to pay tribute in the last three years. I am foolish and do not know how to treat them."

Liu Bian glanced at Zhang Yi and saw that he was meek and respectful, but he couldn't help but think badly of him.

Since the proposal to abandon Liangzhou, Zhang Yi has become even more shrewd. Apart from eating, sleeping, and cursing Huangfu Song, he spends all his time trying to figure out the emperor's intentions.

Since the Hundred Schools of Thought contended and Legalism emerged, although everyone says "neither follow the ancients nor adhere to the present," past precedents have indeed been the best reference answer in most cases.

This was probably the third or fourth time that Goguryeo had repeatedly wavered and changed its mind. The documents from the Grand Herald's Office must have recorded the protocol used to receive Goguryeo envoys who had surrendered and then rebelled in the past.

Since ancient times, the Chinese have had an extreme obsession with land. After driving the barbarians from the fertile land to the mountains, deserts and wastelands, they set their sights on these barren lands.

The rich have always done so, while the poor have carved inscriptions on stone tablets.

However, as Confucianism advocated the implementation of virtuous governance, foreign countries paying tribute became the third way of treating foreign lands, in addition to "since ancient times" and "carving inscriptions on stone tablets." It also became a concrete manifestation of the emperor's implementation of virtuous governance, and made emperors and court officials of all dynasties intoxicated with the sense of superiority of the "Celestial Empire."

But who can blame the current emperor for neither valuing auspicious omens nor being hostile to the barbarians on all sides?
Systems and precedents are ultimately dead, but the emperor lives in the present, and the emperor can also make you die along with these systems and precedents.

However, Zhang Yi was trying to figure out the emperor's intentions and mistreat the Goguryeo delegation, but he was afraid of being criticized and condemned by the officials, so he came to ask the emperor for instructions.

"That old codger!" Liu Bian glared at him irritably. Since he wanted to curry favor with him by sharing his burdens, but now he didn't dare to take responsibility, he impatiently waved his sleeve and said, "Arrange for them to stay in ordinary lodgings. As for the rest of the arrangements... downgrade the reception of the Goguryeo delegation by the same standard you used to treat the Liaodong officials. As for the audience, put it aside for now."

He dared to act in this way because he was not afraid of people saying that his actions were unbecoming of a superior nation.

Liaodong Commandery is short of manpower. Anyone who dares to speak out will be sent to Liaodong Commandery to guard the border!

Subsequently, Liu Bian summoned Yang Yi, the official in charge of the five offices of Liaodong Commandery, and Liu Yi, the official in charge of military affairs, which made the two men feel somewhat flattered.

Even ordinary prefects and prime ministers of the two thousand shi rank might not be qualified to have a private audience with the emperor. These county officials, who came from powerful families in Liaodong, actually benefited from the fact that Lu Fu was the son of the Grand Tutor and received this honor!
Before their departure, Lu Fu carefully instructed the two on the proper etiquette for paying homage to the emperor, so as to prevent them from behaving improperly in front of the palace.

At the time, Yang Yi and Liu Yi laughed at Lu Fu for worrying too much, thinking that the emperor would never summon such insignificant people as them.

Despite their jokes, the two were extremely serious when learning etiquette, secretly hoping that Lu Fu's "worries" would come true.

I never imagined it would actually come in handy now!
Before entering the palace, the eunuchs pointed out the minor flaws in their movements, and after a brief rehearsal, they led the two to an audience with the emperor.

"Yi, the official of Liaodong Commandery, pays his respects to the Emperor!"

"Chen Yi, Military Clerk of Liaodong Commandery, pays his respects to the Emperor!"

The two bowed in greeting, their voices trembling slightly, unable to hide their nervousness.

"Without courtesy, I will give you a seat."

Liu Bian did not offer them any honors, as their qualifications were insufficient to warrant the emperor's honors. However, a plate of flatbread, a bowl of spicy soup, and a dish of melons and fruits were placed on the table in front of them.

Seeing that the two dared not reach out, Liu Bian smiled gently and said warmly, "I heard from the eunuch that you two have traveled a long way to Luoyang and have rushed into the palace without having eaten. Have some bread and soup first. If you are not full or want something else, you can tell the eunuch. I will read Zisheng's memorial first."

Liu Bian was always kind to talented people. In addition to Lu Fu's memorial, he also had a personnel resume sent by the Ministry of Personnel, which contained Yang Yi and Liu Yi's year-end evaluation results for the past four years.

Both of them received two B-level average ratings, one B-level above average rating, and one A-level below average rating in their year-end performance evaluations.

This resume is already considered top-tier in year-end evaluations. A grade of B is usually considered good, B+ indicates some achievements for the year, and A-below is even more remarkable, meaning that a certain outstanding contribution has been made this year.

The position of Military Clerk goes without saying, and there were plenty of opportunities to demonstrate his talents in Liaodong Commandery.

The position of the five officials in the prefecture is second only to the chief clerk and the merit officer. If the chief clerk is vacant or other officials in other departments are vacant, the official can act as the chief clerk or perform the duties on behalf of the chief clerk. Apart from being in charge of the spring and autumn sacrifices, the official has no fixed duties.

If Yang Yi and Liu Yi's year-end performance evaluation is not lower than Grade B, according to the promotion path set by Liu Bian after ascending the throne, they can officially enter officialdom next year, rising from private subordinates to court officials and being appointed as county magistrates of a county.

Although they were not as capable ministers as Xun Yu and Tian Feng, Yang Yi and Liu Yi were still good officials, which made them worthy of his preferential treatment.

Then Liu Bian opened and read Lu Fu's memorial, and a smile appeared on his face as he read its contents.

"Chen Fu, the Prefect of Liaodong Commandery, bows his head and pays respects to the nation."

Last winter, Liaodong Prefecture was hit by a heavy snowfall that lasted for a month, cutting off all land and sea routes and making communication impossible. As a result, I was unable to reach Your Majesty and inquire about Your Majesty's well-being; this is truly my grave fault.

Prefect Liu has fallen ill with a stroke and is bedridden. All affairs of the prefecture have been entrusted to me. Since receiving this appointment, I have been trembling with fear, lest I fail His Majesty's trust and fall short of Prefect Liu's expectations. I have worked tirelessly day and night, diligently handling official documents. Fortunately, thanks to the protection of Heaven, the prefecture is relatively peaceful, and there has been little major misconduct.

In the 387th year of the Han Dynasty, the first year of the Hanxing era, on the 28th day of the 12th month, Gongsun Ping, a clerk in charge of bandits in the county, was on a tour of Xiangping when he happened to encounter an envoy from the Goguryeo Kingdom.

According to the envoy, a sudden internal upheaval has occurred in that country. Their king, Gonammu, is already old and frail. Queen Yu, relying on her youth, holds half the reins of power and is having an affair with the king's younger brother, Go Yeonwoo. Queen Yu is secretly gathering supporters, plotting to depose the old king and install the treacherous brother, Yeonwoo, on the throne. The King of Goguryeo is terrified and has secretly sent envoys, hoping to gain the support of the Celestial Empire to help him seize power and quell the rebellion.

Your Majesty, I am young and inexperienced, and my wisdom and thinking are limited. I am only fortunate to have been granted this position by Your Majesty's special grace. I would not normally dare to make any rash comments on matters of national importance.

However, I have long known that the people of Goguryeo are fierce and treacherous, and that their country is fickle. Whenever they harbor rebellious intentions, they raise the banner of rebellion, but when the mighty army of the king arrives, they bow down and submit, groveling and begging for surrender, offering humble tributes and petitions.

Judging from their actions, they are truly a nation that is faithless, shameless, and ungrateful!

Although their envoy is eloquent and persuasive, the truth of their claims is impossible to discern. We humbly beseech Your Majesty to discern the truth and instruct all officials of the court to carefully examine their words, cautiously accept their requests, and never readily believe them, so as to prevent future troubles.

Your humble servant, filled with utter fear and trepidation, humbly submits this report at the risk of death.

Liu Bian leaned casually against the jade armrest, handed it to Lu Zhi, and chuckled, "Master Lu, Zisheng now seems to have undergone a complete transformation."

"Ha, having picked up these bad habits, even a memorial to the throne is just a memorial to the throne, yet it always begins with flattery."

"Hmph, Liaodong Commandery is incompetent, and some scoundrel has been allowed to run the commandery."

"That's all it takes to avoid making mistakes. How dare he bring it up? Does this brat think he's showing off his achievements?"

"Thinking himself clever, he claims he dares not speak presumptuously about state affairs, yet he still offers his own opinions, as if he thinks there is no one else in the court?"

Lu Zhi read through Lu Fu's memorial, giving a negative comment after each paragraph, his words harsh, as if his eldest son, who had been trained in Liaodong County for a year and a half, was still a good-for-nothing.

But the subtle curve at the corner of his mouth betrayed Lu Zhi's true feelings at that moment.

A father is naturally delighted to see his children make progress.

Moreover, Lu Fu's growth rate can be described as leapfrog. Although the remote border region is harsh and cold, it can indeed train people.

While eating in the palace, Yang Yi and Liu Yi listened to the conversation between the emperor and the Grand Tutor, and they couldn't help but become more and more curious about Lu Fu, the Chief Secretary.

What could possibly have been the reason that led him, the eldest son who was highly regarded by the emperor and loved by the Grand Tutor, to go to that remote and desolate place to serve as the chief secretary?
(4003 words)
(End of this chapter)