Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 103 Huangfu Song Acquiesces, Liu Bei Takes Full Control of Military and Political Affairs (Seeking Follow-up and Monthly Tickets)
Huangfu Li's eyes were piercing: "Since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety have been difficult to reconcile. If we are loyal, we should assist Liu Yongzhou and rely on the power of the state to suppress the rebels; if we are filial, we should assist the Left General and rely on the military might to stand on equal footing with him."

Huangfu Jianshou's expression changed drastically: "Does it really have to be this way?"

Huangfu Li sighed softly, "I also wish to be both loyal and filial. But when two tigers fight, one will surely be injured. Only one of Liu Yongzhou and General Zuo can be in charge of military affairs in Yongzhou. We have no choice!"

Huangfu Jianshou's expression was complicated.

After a long silence, Huangfu Jianshou slowly asked, "If it were you, would you choose loyalty or filial piety?"

"Loyalty!" Huangfu Li replied without hesitation: "The greater good of the nation cannot tolerate personal feelings. The officials and bandits of Yongzhou are colluding with each other, and rebels are running rampant, causing great suffering to the common people. Zhang Wen is complicit and unwilling to intervene, and Gai Xun is willing but powerless and dares not intervene. Only Liu Yongzhou is willing and dares to intervene. If I do not help Liu Yongzhou, I will be neglecting public affairs for personal reasons. How can I have the face to claim loyalty and integrity?"

Huangfu Jianshou's expression became even more complicated.

After all, Huangfu Li was only Huangfu Song's cousin, while Huangfu Jianshou was Huangfu Song's biological son. Although both had to choose between loyalty and filial piety, the difficulty was vastly different.

Huangfu Li also knew Huangfu Jianshou's predicament and said, "General Zuo is, after all, your father. If you are unwilling, I will not force you. I only hope that you can remain neutral."

While talking.

None of the soldiers sent to quell the rebellion dared to step forward and wrestle with Dian Wei.

Some warriors were unconvinced and wanted to test their weapons against Dian Wei. Upon hearing this, Dian Wei laughed and took off his double iron halberds from his Hanxue Battle Horse. The two iron halberds clashed, producing a clanging sound that caused the surrounding warriors to gasp in astonishment.

These iron halberds look heavy, judging from their appearance alone!
Dian Wei grinned: "Who dares to fight me! Don't worry, I'll only use seventy percent of my strength!"

However, no one dared to step forward, and even the fierce warrior who had wanted to test his weapons against Dian Wei chose to back down.

Be brave, but don't be foolish!
Huangfu Li continued, “Dian Wei is merely a civil official in the central army, yet he commands the fierce warriors of the anti-bandit army to a standstill. I have also heard that Liu Yongzhou has Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Zhang Liao, Zhang Yang, and Chen Dao serving as commanders of six battalions; and there are rumors that Xu Huang, the bandit-slaying captain under Shi Sunrui, the Prefect of Jingzhao, was also a commander recruited by Liu Yongzhou when he was in Luoyang. With so many fierce warriors by his side, Liu Yongzhou may indeed be the one who can quell the chaos and restore order.”

Seeing that no one else was going to fight, Dian Wei stopped shouting for battle, joined Fa Zheng, and then went to Huangfu Li to ask for his leave.

"We have troubled you greatly today, so we will not linger here any longer. Please be sure to arrive in Chang'an City on time for the banquet three days from now."

"Please take care, gentlemen. We will certainly not break our promise."

Just as Dian Wei and Fa Zheng left Huangfu Song's camp, Huangfu Li rode up in pursuit.

"Clerk, wait a moment."

Huangfu Li caught up with the two and took out another letter.

"Please have the clerk deliver this letter to Liu Yongzhou."

Fa Zheng carefully examined Huangfu Li and suddenly asked, "Was the letter written by General Zuo, or by you?"

Huangfu Li secretly thought Fa Zheng was quick-witted, and did not hide anything: "Lord Fa has angered General Zuo quite a bit, so how could General Zuo write a letter? This letter was written by me."

"I see." Fa Zheng had his own guess and nodded to Dian Wei.

Dian Wei hid the letter in his bosom and bid farewell to Huangfu Li with a fist and palm salute once more.

Watching the two depart on horseback, Huangfu Li sighed softly, "I only hope that my letter will prompt Liu Yongzhou to reconsider. When two tigers fight, only those who sit on the sidelines and watch the fight will benefit."

When Dian Wei and Fa Zheng returned to Chang'an, Liu Bei had also just returned from Mei County.

After listening to Dian Wei and Fa Zheng's account from Huangfu Song's camp in Huaili, especially Fa Zheng's rebuttals to Huangfu Song, Liu Bei couldn't help but laugh and say, "Although Huangfu Song is stubborn, there's nothing wrong with his application of military strategy. Aren't you afraid of being arrested on the spot for criticizing him like that?"

Fa Zheng, however, was not afraid: "Huangfu Song is the Left General, while I am just a thirteen-year-old boy. If he cannot win the argument, he can detain me. Although I will suffer some injustice, Huangfu Song will lose face. Moreover, I always believe that someone who has 40,000 soldiers at his command and still allows the Chencang soldiers to hold out for more than 80 days must be either stupid or wicked."

Liu Bei did not refute Fa Zheng's point of view.

Liu Bei never liked Huangfu Song very much, especially Huangfu Song's actions of building a Jingguan (a mound of skulls) with the Yellow Turbans to intimidate the unruly people of the world, which went against Liu Bei's values.

Fa Zheng used the Battle of Chencang last year to criticize Huangfu Song, which actually made Liu Bei quite happy.

Moreover, Fa Zheng's reasons for criticizing him are also reasonable.

If Liu Bei had 40,000 troops at his disposal, and could have allowed the soldiers of Chencang to hold out for more than 80 days, he might as well have hanged himself from a tree in the southeast.

The opponent isn't Zhuge Liang, so what's there to be afraid of?

Dian Wei then produced Huangfu Li's letter.

After glancing at the contents of the letter, Liu Bei couldn't help but be surprised: "This Huangfu Li is quite a character; he was able to see through my intention to attack the rebels?"

Upon hearing this, Fa Zheng said, "Huangfu Li's speech and manners are completely different from those of Huangfu Song and his son. If you want to control those 30,000 soldiers who are sent to quell the rebellion, you may be able to rely on Huangfu Li's help."

Liu Bei also had this intention.

Huangfu Song must relinquish his military power; this is the prerequisite.

However, Liu Bei did not intend to exterminate all of Huangfu Song's former subordinates in the anti-bandit army.

If Huangfu Song's son and nephews were willing to obey orders and serve him, Liu Bei would not mind letting Huangfu Jianshou and Huangfu Li follow him to fight the enemy and make meritorious contributions.

Huangfu Li, in particular, is a talented individual with exceptional skills and is loyal and upright; he is a person who can be given important responsibilities.

Liu Bei had expelled most of the officials from the Three Auxiliary Regions and urgently needed to entrust important responsibilities to trustworthy talents.

Fufeng County is currently lacking a Right Fufeng.

Originally, Liu Bei hoped that Lu Zhi could become the Right Governor, but Lu Zhi was unwilling to leave Luoyang, so the Right Governor position remained vacant.

Although Jian Yong, the official in charge of merit, was diligently selecting talented individuals, he was unable to find suitable candidates to serve as the Right Governor of Fufeng and the Left Governor of Fengyi.

Huangfu Li, who was born in Anding County and had followed Huangfu Song in suppressing the rebellion in Liangzhou, was a very suitable candidate.

However, whether Huangfu Li will ultimately be appointed as the Right Fufeng depends on whether an agreement can be reached with Huangfu Song regarding the transfer of military power.

If negotiations fail, Liu Bei will have no choice but to resort to unconventional methods. At that point, even if Huangfu Li is willing to serve, Liu Bei will be unable to appoint him.

You can't beat Huangfu Song and then expect his nephew to serve you without worry, can you?
The premise of "trusting people without doubt" is "not using people I doubt." If I use you, I will not doubt you; but if I doubt you, I will not use you at all.

On the seventh day of the sixth lunar month, Liu Bei hosted a banquet at the governor's mansion. Huangfu Song, along with Huangfu Jianshou and Huangfu Li, arrived as promised.

Perhaps it was the three days that allowed Huangfu Song to understand his situation, or perhaps it was the kind advice from Huangfu Jianshou and Huangfu Li, but Huangfu Song's attitude when entering the banquet was quite calm. He didn't have the same impulsiveness he had when he cursed "Liu Bei has insulted me too much" in the Huaili tent. Even when he saw Fa Zheng standing behind Liu Bei, Huangfu Song did not show any resentment.

In addition to Fa Zheng, Liu Bei also summoned Jian Yong, the Chief Clerk, and Yang Kuo, the Chief Clerk, to the palace.

If an agreement is reached, Jian Yong can directly discuss the appointment of the Right Governor with Huangfu Li, and Yang Kuo can directly discuss the allocation of funds and grain with Huangfu Jianshou.

Time waits for no one; do things together as they can.

Liu Bei had many things to plan and didn't have the time or energy to waste on Huangfu Song.

After the song and dance ended, Liu Bei dismissed all the irrelevant people and went straight to the point: "Since General Zuo is here, I won't beat around the bush. I need the command of the 30,000 troops under your command who are sent to quell the bandits."

Huangfu Song's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

On the way there, Huangfu Li had told Huangfu Song more than once about the purpose of Liu Bei's banquet, so he was mentally prepared for it.

"If I don't give it to him, what will Liu Yongzhou do?" Huangfu Song asked solemnly, his face expressionless.

"It's very simple. If you don't give me military power, I won't give you money and provisions." Huangfu Song asked directly, and Liu Bei's answer was equally direct.

Huangfu Song's expression changed: "If you don't provide money and provisions, aren't you afraid that the 30,000 soldiers sent to quell the rebellion will mutini?"

Liu Bei chuckled: "With money and provisions in hand, what do I have to fear from mutiny? I only need to post a recruitment notice in Huaili, and soldiers will respond to the call to arms. I know that General Zuo has great prestige among the soldiers, but no matter how great the prestige, the soldiers still need to be fed."

Huangfu Song clenched his fist.

This feeling of being held hostage by money and supplies left Huangfu Song feeling frustrated, distressed, and helpless.

As Liu Bei said: No matter how great one's prestige, one must ensure that the soldiers do not go hungry.

"The troops sent to quell the rebellion are the imperial army. Without an imperial edict, how can military power be handed over to Liu Yongzhou?" Huangfu Song took a deep breath, barely suppressing his impatience.

Liu Bei simply shrugged and said, "Then let the imperial court allocate funds and provisions. The funds and provisions of Yongzhou must be used for the military and civilians of Yongzhou and will not be lent out!"

Huangfu Song stood up angrily: "Liu Yongzhou, that's enough! Aren't you afraid of being blamed by the court for acting like this?"

Liu Bei laughed heartily: "The imperial court? General Zuo, you may have some misunderstanding. The late emperor's dying wish was for Prince Xie to be emperor. But now the court in Luoyang has made Prince Bian emperor. Why should I be afraid of a court that has obtained its throne illegitimately?"

Huangfu Song was startled and asked in astonishment, "Liu Yongzhou, what do you mean by this? Did the late emperor really leave a will to make the prince the emperor?"

Huangfu Jianshou and Huangfu Li also looked at Liu Bei in astonishment, as this was the first time they had heard such a secret.

Liu Bei stated frankly, "There was not only a dying wish, but also a secret edict."

Huangfu Song and his two companions were even more alarmed.

Before Huangfu Song could even ask about the secret edict, Liu Bei changed the subject: "But the secret edict is not in my possession right now. I handed it over to Dong Zhuo on my way here. I imagine Dong Zhuo, who is eager to advance his career, would be happy to lead his troops into Luoyang to support the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne."

“I know you are wondering why I gave the secret edict to Dong Zhuo. The reason is simple: I have an agreement with Dong Zhuo that if he can support the Crown Prince to ascend the throne, he will transfer the General of the Left away from Yongzhou. Dong Zhuo and the General of the Left have always had a grudge. Even if he knows that I intend to send these 30,000 troops to suppress the rebels, he will still transfer the General of the Left away.”

"Based on my understanding of Dong Zhuo, while transferring the Left General, he would definitely send another trusted confidant to Yongzhou to take command of the army."

"Now the question is, is General Zuo willing to give military power to me or to Dong Zhuo?"

Huangfu Song was utterly shocked: "Liu Yongzhou, your actions are tantamount to causing chaos."

"General Zuo, you are mistaken. It is He Jin who has brought chaos to the world." Liu Bei corrected Huangfu Song's point of view: "If He Jin had not disobeyed the late emperor's last will and forcibly supported Prince Bian to ascend the throne, how could I have delivered the secret edict to Dong Zhuo? You cannot assume that I am the one causing trouble just because I want to take away your military power."

Seeing that Huangfu Song was at a loss for words, Liu Bei began to offer his terms: "Of course, if General Zuo relinquishes his military power, I will not treat him unfairly. Yongzhou is still lacking a Right Protector, which Huangfu Li can fill. General Zuo's son, Huangfu Jianshou, can continue to serve in the army. As for General Zuo, I will submit a memorial recommending him to be the Imperial Censor. With General Zuo in the court, even if Dong Zhuo supports the Crown Prince to ascend the throne, he will not dare to be too arrogant and willful."

Both Huangfu Song and Gai Xun were renowned ministers during Liu Hong's reign. Before Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang, they all went to Luoyang. With so many bigwigs gathered there, it was quite a spectacle.

As for Yongzhou, it does not need ministers with greater prestige than Liu Bei.

a long time.

Huangfu Song looked dejected and asked again, "If the Liangzhou rebels return, does Liu Yongzhou have a plan to repel them?"

Liu Bei scoffed, “I regard the Liangzhou rebels as mere chickens and dogs, and Han Sui, Ma Teng, and the like are nothing but a bunch of traitors. If we had 30,000 troops to quell the rebellion, we wouldn’t just be repelling the enemy, but recovering lost territory! Longyou is part of Yongzhou; how can we allow rebels to occupy it?”

"General Zuo, times have changed. Your era is over, and my era is about to begin. In this land of Yongzhou, whether it is corrupt and lawless officials, arrogant and unruly bandits, or unbridled rebels, those who submit to me will prosper, and those who oppose me will perish."

Looking at the domineering Liu Bei, Huangfu Song's face showed an even deeper look of dejection.

Huangfu Song knew very well that although he commanded 30,000 troops to quell the rebellion, he only dared to deal with the rebels, not with the officials, soldiers, and local tyrants.

In contrast, Liu Bei not only had to deal with the rebel army, but also had to deal with the officials, soldiers, and local thieves.

Such courage was something Huangfu Song wouldn't even dare to dream of, let alone do.

“I am willing to relinquish my military power.” Huangfu Song said bitterly, “It is not easy for the soldiers to be stationed in the border counties. I hope that Governor Liu Yongzhou will treat the soldiers well.”

"It's alright. Soldiers who can't endure hardship and fear death, I will allow them to retire and return to their fields." Liu Bei did not make a promise to Huangfu Song, but instead expressed his military philosophy: "Soldiers protect the country above and the common people below. They endure what ordinary people cannot endure, obtain what ordinary people cannot obtain, and achieve what ordinary people cannot achieve. Yongzhou will not support idle soldiers."

Huangfu Song's lips moved slightly, but he swallowed the words that were about to come out of his throat.

Everyone has their own style of commanding troops, and Huangfu Song could not force Liu Bei to maintain the status quo after gaining military power.

Liu Bei then looked at Huangfu Jianshou and Huangfu Li. The two exchanged a glance, stood up, and bowed, saying, "We are honored to have Lord Liu as our lord."

"Very well!" Liu Bei raised his cup in respect and said, "Since you two are willing to regard me as your superior, I will not treat you unfairly."

Since entering Chang'an on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, to today, the seventh day of the sixth lunar month, in just over a month, Liu Bei has taken full control of the military and political power in the Three Auxiliary Regions.

This speed is neither too fast nor too slow.

As Liu Bei toyed with the military tally in his palm, a hint of excitement appeared in his eyes: "He Jin is not far from death. I hope the rebels in Liangzhou can act quickly and not keep me waiting too long!"

(End of this chapter)