Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 351 If you wish to become a hegemon, you must have Xu Ziyuan!

A suffocating silence permeated the palace of Prince Chen.

Just moments ago, Liu Chong was full of vigor, declaring that he would "emulate Taihao and inherit the sage's virtues." Now, he sat upright on his somewhat aloof throne, trying his best to maintain an elegant posture. However, the knuckles of his fingers, which were gripping the gilded armrests, had turned slightly white from excessive force. His gaze, like a poisoned dagger, scraped across the empty seats in the hall inch by inch, and his face was so gloomy that it could drip water.

He had just ordered an emergency military meeting, but those who were absent found excuses to evade and refuse to attend.

Either he himself is ill, or his elderly parents are bedridden.

On ordinary days, the absence of these opportunists might be insignificant, but at this moment, it was like a series of resounding slaps to the face of this "holy king."

If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad; these opportunistic individuals wouldn't be his core team.

The only decision-makers that Liu Chong truly relied on were the current Left Chancellor Xu Yang and Right Chancellor Luo Jun, both of whom had previously served as Chancellors of Chen State.

Not every prime minister of Chen was as hostile to him as Cui Jun and Shi Qian. As wise and virtuous men, these men often lamented the state of the court and were heartbroken by the incompetent ruler. Thus, they gradually transformed from Chen Wang's supervisor into his most capable assistant.

Luo Jun came from a minor but powerful clan in Wushang. He rose from a lowly county official to the high-ranking position of Chancellor of Chen State, with a salary of two thousand shi, entirely through his own talent and learning.

In order to continue to assist Prince Chen, Luo Jun ultimately gave up his official career and stayed by his side as a staff member to provide him with full support.

Xu Yang was a collateral branch of the Xu clan of Runan. He was a cousin of the famous Xu Jing and Xu Shao. He himself was a renowned scholar, yet he stood firmly by Liu Chong's side.

However, relying solely on Luo Jun and Xu Yang is far from enough.

His ability to amass an army of 150,000 in Chen was ultimately due to the strong support of the local powerful families in Chen.

Hedging is a common practice among wealthy and powerful families.

However, many families that were highly valued by the emperor, such as the Yuan family of Chen State, which included Grand Commandant Yuan Pang, and the He family of Chen State, which included Left General of the Palace Guard He Kui, remained indifferent and had no intention of investing in Liu Chong. They simply remained neutral and did not take the initiative to resist.

No matter how Liu Chong threatened or bribed them, these powerful and influential families were unwilling to submit. Only a very few minor branches sided with him, but this was of no use and did not benefit the overall situation.

What Liu Chong wanted was the huge financial support from these well-established and powerful families, not the paltry sums from those shady collateral branches.

He deeply resented these powerful and wealthy families who were unwilling to help him, but even with his overwhelming hatred, he dared not completely break ties with them at this moment.

The powerful families and clans within the same prefecture were deeply intertwined, connected by marriage and kinship. They were all relatives, bound by blood ties. It was inevitable that a ruthless killing would evoke a sense of shared sorrow. Whenever he couldn't resist the urge to kill a certain clan, many powerful families would step forward to plead with Liu Chong on their behalf, considering their kinship or long-standing friendship.

Among these families who pleaded for him on behalf of the Yuan and He families of Chen, there were several that had been his most supportive, making it impossible for him to refuse.

Of course, the real reason why Liu Chong dared not act rashly was the disadvantage on the main battlefield.

If the pressure is too great and these powerful families are pushed too far, they can gather thousands or even tens of thousands of private soldiers to resist the Yellow Turban rebels within a few days, and they can also summon those private soldiers to rebel against Liu Chong.

Although these private soldiers were no match for the regular army, if these powerful families rallied from the rear at this moment, Liu Chong would not need to continue fighting. It would be more swift for him to simply take his wife and children and set himself on fire in the Chen Palace.

But as reports of defeats from the front lines came in like snowflakes, many powerful families who had originally invested in Liu Chong began to withdraw their investments, including several "original shareholders" from before Chen Guo's rebellion. They also did not appear at today's military council.

"Guan Hai is a good-for-nothing!"

A suppressed growl finally broke the silence of the palace. Liu Chong suddenly waved his hand, sweeping a fine Yishui inkstone from the table to the ground. The inkstone shattered instantly, and ink splattered onto the luxurious carpet.

Whenever he thinks about the current situation, he can't stay calm and needs to find an outlet for his emotions.

Guan Hai, who had lost 30,000 troops, naturally became the best outlet for his frustration.

Given the current dire situation, he naturally cannot insult powerful families, lest he escalate the conflict or further withdraw his investment.

So who's to blame?

It's Liu Chong's fault for not anticipating that there would be Embroidered Uniform Guards in various important towns on the front lines, working in cahoots with the imperial army outside the city.
Or is it because the high-ranking officials of Chen State made a mistake in their strategy?

Or is it an admission of the strength of the imperial army?

That's impossible!
All the reasons for the failure must be attributed to the dead man, Guan Hai!
Blaming the dead won't damage unity!
The dead can't offer any explanation!
Therefore, Guan Hai is the perfect scapegoat!
"I gave him 30,000 elite troops, yet they were so utterly useless, held off for days by a mere Xu County, and ultimately annihilated by Lü Bu's 6,000 cavalry!" Liu Chong's forehead veins bulged, his voice trembling slightly with rage as he roared, "30,000 men! Even if they were 30,000 pigs, Lü Bu couldn't catch them all in three days!"

Left Chancellor Xu Yang also showed anger. Thirty thousand men attacked a city guarded by three thousand miscellaneous soldiers, and after several days of fierce attacks, they still failed to break through the city.

With Han Hao, a young county magistrate, Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin, two reformed bandits, and only Lou Gui having some reputation, the entire Chen state didn't believe that Xu County, defended by these four men, was particularly difficult to attack. Therefore, the problem naturally lay with Guan Hai, the commander-in-chief. Unlike Xu Yang, the Right Chancellor Luo Jun didn't outwardly express his indignation. He simply lowered his head slightly, his gaze fixed intently on the map spread out on the table, his expression extremely grave.

Chen's original strategic intention was to push the war out of its borders, relying on its strong cities in the north to delay and wear down the morale of the Han army, while on the western front, it hoped that Guan Hai would attack Yingchuan. As long as he captured Xu County and garrisoned there, he could at least tie down the tens of thousands of troops under the command of Gao Shun and Lü Bu of the imperial court.

As for Wang Yun on the eastern front and Jia Xu on the southern front, the Chen state did not take those weak and ineffective troops of the commanderies and kingdoms seriously.

But now that Guan Hai's entire army has been wiped out, this strategy has become a discarded bamboo slip, not even worth using as a toilet paper.

After venting his anger, Xu Yang calmed down and his resentment turned into a long sigh. He said, "Your Majesty, right now... I'm afraid all we can do is hold our ground and wait for the right time."

Upon hearing this, Liu Chong knew that Xu Yang was not skilled in military strategy, and his gaze involuntarily turned to Luo Jun, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes, hoping that his most trusted advisor could come up with a brilliant plan to turn the tide.

However, faced with Liu Chong's earnest gaze, Luo Jun simply shook his head heavily, remained silent for a moment, then suddenly stood up, left his seat, walked to the center of the hall, and bowed deeply to Liu Chong.

"Your Majesty, I am utterly incompetent and ignorant of military strategy, and have no good plan to offer you." Luo Jun's voice was low but resonant, echoing clearly in the empty hall. "Why doesn't Your Majesty... seek advice from Xu Ziyuan?"

“Xu Ziyuan?” Liu Chong was about to step down the steps to help Luo Jun up when he suddenly heard Xu You’s name. He stopped in his tracks, his brows furrowing instinctively, and his face showed undisguised disgust and resistance. He said, “Xu Ziyuan is a vicious and lewd man with impure character. I do not wish to associate with him!” (Note 1)

Xu You was a close friend of Yuan Shao and had done many shady things for the Yuan family of Runan.

After the Yuan family of Runan fell from power, Xu You fled in panic and was hunted down by the court. He then fled to the Chen state, which was at odds with the court, and was taken in by Liu Chong.

Initially, Liu Chong believed that the enemy of his enemy was his friend. In particular, Xu You had befriended virtuous men such as He Yong, Wu Qiong, and Zhang Miao, had a reputation for chivalry, had helped countless famous people implicated in the Party Prohibitions, and was also known for his wisdom and resourcefulness. He was a great help to Chen Guoxin.

Therefore, when Xu You first arrived in the State of Chen, Liu Chong personally visited him at the guesthouse, hoping that Xu You would serve him wholeheartedly.

However, Xu You was insatiably greedy. In addition to demanding a high position, he also hoped that Liu Chong would listen to his every word.

Whenever the two disagreed, Xu You would always complain, even wantonly belittling Luo Jun and Xu Yang, Liu Chong's two assistants, devaluing them to nothing, which was extremely arrogant and rude.

Given his arrogant words and deeds, his inherent greed, and his lack of basic respect for his lord, how could Liu Chong not despise Xu You?

Luo Jun seemed completely unconcerned about Xu You's arrogance and greed. In his eyes, Xu You might be haughty, but his methods were definitely not to be underestimated.

"There's no need to say more about this; I have my own plans."

Liu Chong quickly stepped forward and tried to help Luo Jun up with both hands, but still refused Luo Jun's advice.

However, although he did not immediately agree, compared to his previous outright rejection, the resistance in his words had subtly softened, and a complex weighing of options flashed in his eyes.

Seeing this, Luo Jun naturally continued to persuade him.

Liu Chong's mindset had not completely shifted from that of a "wise king" who sought out and nurtured talented individuals to that of a monarch vying for supremacy. He still used the same standards of character he had used when befriending scholars to judge and appoint his ministers.

"Your Majesty!"

"If it is for making friends, then naturally one should choose those of noble character. However, if one wishes to achieve great things, one should only appoint those with talent. How can one discard a worthy person because of a minor flaw in their character?" Luo Jun prostrated himself on the ground, touching his forehead to the earth, and said loudly, "In the past, the tyrannical Qin Dynasty was able to sweep across the six states because it relied on Shang Yang, Zhang Yi, Fan Ju, Lü Buwei, and Li Si. These people all had flaws in their character, but they all possessed the ability to pacify the world!"

Luo Jun raised his head and looked directly at Liu Chong, saying, "Your Majesty, who is without fault? Even if Duke Huan of Qi became a hegemon, he still needed Guan Zhong, who was greedy for money, afraid of death, and served two masters, as his prime minister to be able to become a hegemon!"

"At this critical juncture of life and death, how can we cling to the views of a gentleman? Your Majesty, I beg you to set aside your likes and dislikes!"

"In the past, when Bao Shuya recommended Guan Zhong, he advised Duke Huan, saying, 'I am fortunate to have followed you, and you have ultimately succeeded. Your honor is beyond my ability to add to it. If you intend to govern Qi, Gao Xi and Shuya are sufficient. If you aspire to hegemony, Guan Zhong is indispensable. The state where Guan Zhong resides is of great importance and cannot be lost.'"

"Now I would also like to say that if Your Majesty's ambition is merely to be a wise king, to govern a corner of the State of Chen well, and to bring peace and prosperity to the people, then the talents of myself and Xu Bogui (Xu Yang) are sufficient to serve Your Majesty."

Luo Jun broke free from Liu Chong's hands that were supporting him, and knelt deeply on the ground again, saying passionately, "However, Your Majesty's ambition lies in conquering the world and you wish to establish an unparalleled achievement of ruling the world. I beg Your Majesty to give Xu Ziyuan an important position!"

Looking at Luo Jun, who was lying on the ground, willing to recommend someone he hated for the sake of his great cause, Liu Chong was filled with mixed feelings. He took a deep breath, bent down and gently helped Luo Jun up, and sighed, "Xu Ziyuan may be talented, but the Prime Minister... the Prime Minister is the true loyal minister!"

(3276 words)
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Note 1: Records of Famous Figures at the End of the Han Dynasty: Yuan Shu said: "Xu Ziyuan is a vicious and licentious man, whose nature is impure."

(End of this chapter)