Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 377 Sleeping Together and Personnel Transfers

On the 26th day of the tenth month of the second year of the Han Dynasty, it was Minor Snow.

Hanxing Palace, Lingtai Hall.

It was early winter, and although the sun was already high in the sky, the city of Luoyang was shrouded in cold air as the Minor Snow solar term began. Fine snowflakes drifted in the wind, covering the palace eaves and roof tiles with a thin layer of white, enveloping the entire city in the chill of winter.

However, the Lingtai Hall, which served as the emperor's sleeping quarters, remained warm and cozy. In addition to the constantly working fire wall, several gilded bronze animal-shaped charcoal braziers silently emitted heat, keeping the cold air outside the hall doors at bay.

The air was filled with the lingering scent of calming incense, intertwined with the warm fragrance of a woman's skin. Liu Bian's eyelids were heavy as he opened them to see the familiar painted ceiling above him.

The bed beneath him was soft and warm. After rubbing his sleepy eyes and adjusting to the indoor light, Liu Bian tried to sit up.

Only after this movement did I realize that my arms were sore, numb, and heavy.

Both arms were sunk into the soft, warm jade-like mound, unable to move.

Beneath the brocade quilt, a soft, fragrant body lay sprawled.

On his left was Cai Yan lying on her side, facing him. Her exquisitely beautiful profile still held a touch of tranquility from her deep sleep, and her long eyelashes cast faint shadows under her eyes.

The brocade quilt slipped down to her shoulders, revealing a section of smooth, jade-like slender shoulders and delicate collarbones.

Further down, the plump, fleshy mountains are faintly visible, outlining a breathtakingly beautiful curve.

On the right was Cai Yuan, her breathing even and deep. She seemed to be sleeping more soundly, having enjoyed the most pleasure last night. Her long, black hair was spread out on the pillow in a slightly messy manner, making her bright face appear even whiter.

In her sleep, Cai Yuan's lips curled up slightly, carrying a hint of satisfaction, which made her already bright and beautiful face even more languid.

Her figure, even more exquisite than Cai Yan's, exuded a unique allure as it was partially concealed by the brocade quilt.

On the outermost side of the bed was Xun Cai, her curled-up figure outlining a smooth and voluptuous waist and hip curve, more graceful than the other two women. A section of her fair, jade-like calf restlessly extended out from under the brocade quilt, revealing round, translucent toes like grapes beneath her slender ankles, gleaming with a white luster in the winter light streaming through the window.

Liu Bian was stunned for a moment, and the absurdity of last night gradually surfaced in his mind. He couldn't help but shake his head with a bitter smile.

When busy with official duties, one can at least avoid thinking about carnal desires. But when a man who has been abstaining from sex for four months encounters a woman who is eagerly and tenderly clinging to him, who can resist the boundless desire?

Thunder and fire, igniting at the slightest touch.

However, since the position of the empress was still undecided, he could not show favoritism to any one of them. So he reluctantly pulled Cai Yan, Cai Yuan, and Xun Cai, who were all qualified to become empress, onto the imperial bed and had a night of sleeping together.

Gazing at the alluring figures half-hidden beneath the brocade quilt, Liu Bian's heart stirred with desire once more.

But he still understood the importance of moderation. And smelling the fragrance emanating from beside him, Liu Bian lay quietly, closed his eyes again, and felt the peace he had regained and the vibrant beauty before him. His tired and tense nerves were soothed, and a satisfied smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

Taking it as a break, Liu Bian didn't try to get up again, silently enjoying this rare moment of tenderness.

By the afternoon, the head of the female attendants could no longer bear to watch the emperor so engrossed in his pleasures. Without being summoned, she pushed open the door and quietly woke Liu Bian and the three women.

However, the three women, once awakened, were filled with an indelible blush of embarrassment.

Sleeping with the emperor under the same quilt is already absurd, but to sleep until the sun is high in the sky... If this gets out, everyone will call them "wicked concubines"!
Almost simultaneously, three pairs of beautiful eyes, filled with shyness and resentment, looked at Liu Bian in unison, their eyes filled with resentment and reproach towards this absurd emperor.

Liu Bian pretended not to see him, and after a quick meal, he ordered Gao Wang to prepare a carriage and headed straight for Yuntai Pavilion.

Upon returning to Luoyang, most of the officials who accompanied the emperor were granted leave and are now likely resting at home. Only the emperor himself could steal half a day of leisure before having to throw himself back into the backlog of official duties.

As the carriage arrived at Yuntai Pavilion, the eunuchs had already lifted the fur-lined curtains hanging outside the pavilion door to block the wind. A warm current from the smokeless charcoal fire rushed towards them, dispelling the chill around them.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!" The cabinet ministers on duty bowed in greeting.

Liu Bian waved his hand casually, showing no sign of alienation from the cabinet ministers. He went straight up to the second floor with a normal expression and began to read the memorials submitted during the four months he had been away from the capital.

Du Xi had already categorized and arranged all kinds of memorials in chronological order. Liu Bian read through them one by one, carefully examining everything from the content of the memorials to the replies from various levels.

Although Lu Zhi was assisting in governance, and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and the Secretariat were working together, Liu Bian still dared not be careless.

This was not only to ensure that the power in his hands was not lost, but also because the emperor had to understand the trends in the court and the countryside during these four months and be clear about what had happened in the court and the local areas. Fortunately, apart from Empress He being a little indecisive in her governing style, there were no major flaws in the replies to the various memorials.

Subsequently, Du Xi presented several personnel transfers and important government affairs that urgently needed to be handled to the emperor.

The first thing to be done was the appointment of the Governor of Henan.

After the former governor Yang Biao resigned due to the death of his father, Liu Bian did not appoint a new governor of Henan. Instead, he ordered Hua Xin, the magistrate of Luoyang, to act as governor of Henan in order to show his favor to the Yang family of Hongnong.

On the other hand, it was also because Hua Xinnian was not yet thirty years old at that time and was still relatively inexperienced.

Although the Han Dynasty's officialdom was gradually becoming younger with the influx of fresh blood, Hua Xin, who was not yet thirty, was far too young to serve as the Governor of Henan.

Therefore, Liu Bian ordered Hua Xin to act as the governor of Henan in his capacity as the magistrate of Luoyang, just as Guo Tu acted as the chief supervisor of the Court of Justice in his capacity as the chief judge of the court.

Now that Hua Xin has turned thirty, his performance as acting governor of Henan over the past year has been quite good, so his promotion to governor of Henan is a logical step.

The vacant position of Magistrate of Luoyang was filled by Du Ji, the former Chief Clerk of the Prefect of Jingzhao.

The reason he was the former Chief Clerk of the Prefect of the Capital was because Du Ji had voluntarily resigned and returned to his hometown.

Du Ji and Zhang Shi, the Prefect of Jingzhao, were good friends. They were on good terms when they were of equal status, but now that they are superior and subordinate, they find it difficult to get along.

Du Ji was arrogant and uncultured, meaning he was haughty, disregarded etiquette, and lacked refinement in his speech and behavior, which led to frequent conflicts even when working with close friends. (Note 1)

Although Du Ji was occasionally arrogant and even disregarded etiquette, he was a man of both leniency and severity in his governance.

However, for Liu Bian, being arrogant and conceited was nothing.

Luoyang City is a gathering place for talented people, so Du Ji's arrogance is no obstacle.

Next, the positions in the Ministry of Personnel became vacant due to the long-term illness of Minister Liu Tao, the imprisonment of Huang Wan, and the transfers of Liang Hu and Feng Fang to other posts.

Pei Mao, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was transferred to succeed Liu Tao, who had resigned due to long illness, as Minister of Personnel.

Attendant-in-Ordinary Jia Xu was promoted to Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Attendant-in-Ordinary Dong Zhao succeeded Huang Wan, who had been dismissed and imprisoned, as Minister of the Three Dukes.

Ju Shou, the chancellor of Lu, succeeded Liang Hu as Minister of Personnel, and Tian Feng, the chancellor of Pei, succeeded Feng Fang as Minister of Civil Affairs.

As soon as the imperial edict was issued to the Secretariat, it was clear to everyone that the emperor had completely taken control of this core department.

The previous reform of the Secretariat had already shown initial signs of this, and now, taking advantage of the suppression of the Chen rebellion and the affairs of Huang Wan and Yang Biao, almost all the core positions in the Secretariat are now held by former officials from the emperor's former residence.

The Left and Right Vice Ministers, the Left and Right Assistant Ministers, and the Left and Right Directors were all former officials from the emperor's former residence.

The Three Dukes' Office was responsible for the year-end assessment of the affairs of various prefectures and counties; the People's Office was responsible for repairs, construction, and gardens; and the Personnel Office was responsible for elections and sacrifices. The three most powerful officials among the six offices were all former officials of the emperor's former residence.

Among the remaining three ministers, Zhang Xun, the minister in charge of foreign affairs with the Northern Di and Southern Man tribes, was the brother-in-law of Grand Tutor Lu Zhi; Zhao Qian, the minister in charge of matters related to water, fire, and bandits, was promoted to minister by the emperor from the position of governor of Runan County for his military achievements during the Yellow Turban Rebellion; and Huan Sheng, the minister in charge of matters related to litigation, was also promoted by the emperor and succeeded as minister by the position of right vice minister of the two-thousand-stone ministerial office.

The core positions in the entire Secretariat were all filled by people promoted by the Emperor.

As for the vacant prefectures and kingdoms after Tian Feng, Ju Shou, and others entered the court, Feng Ji and Zhu Zhi, both serving as chancellors of Pei and Lu respectively, were appointed as chancellors of Pei and Lu respectively.

The Ministry of Personnel has been fully staffed, but the Court of Imperial Sacrifices is experiencing staff shortages due to a series of transfers.

Liu Bian then recalled Xun Yu, who had previously been sent to Jibei as chancellor for training, and appointed him as a court attendant. He also transferred Chen Gong, chancellor of Liang, to the position of Gentleman Attendant at the Palace Gate. Dong Fang and Guo Yuan, the Attendants-in-Ordinary, were appointed chancellors of Jibei and Liang respectively.

Subsequently, minor personnel adjustments were also made within the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Mao Jie and He Qia, who were clerks in the Secretariat, were promoted to Attendant-in-Ordinary; Sun Shao, the Secretary, was transferred to the position of Clerk in the Secretariat.

(2711 words)
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Note 1: "The Biography of Yu" states: "Xi Zhicai, Guo Jia and others were criticized for being unconventional, while Du Ji was simple, arrogant and lacked literary talent. They were all recommended by the strategist Yu, and in the end, they all became famous."

(End of this chapter)