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

Chapter 97: A Great Turmoil in Yongzhou, Liu Bei's Prestige Shakes the Three Qin Regions (Seeking First Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)
Based on Zhang Wen's many years of experience as an official, no one could rival the officials, soldiers, and bandits of Yongzhou.

The most common approach is to divide some groups, win over others, suppress others, and kill anyone who disobeys.

Liu Bei's response was: It's not that I'm targeting anyone in particular, but everyone here is trash, and I'm going to flip the table.

One approach is prudent and cunning, the other is radical and reckless.

Liu Bei, in Zhang Wen's view, was a reckless man.

Which county magistrate, county head, or other senior official is not corrupt? Which one doesn't form cliques? Which one isn't connected to the interests of local powerful clansmen? You, the newly appointed governor of Yongzhou, are you about to make enemies of the entire county's officials, soldiers, powerful clansmen, and thugs?

Isn't this a path to certain death?
Zhang Wen suddenly felt a pang of regret.

If I had known earlier that Liu Bei was so reckless, I should have gone to Hongnong with Gai Xun when he left.

If they had waited and observed the situation in Hongnong, they wouldn't have been humiliated and threatened by Liu Bei today, leaving them feeling resentful.

However, it's not too late to realize this now.

Zhang Wen had made up his mind that he absolutely could not invite trouble upon himself.

Let it rage! Let it make a ruckus!
Let Liu Bei go and cause trouble with the officials, soldiers, and bandits of Yongzhou. When he stirs up a rebellion in Liangzhou and shakes the Three Auxiliary Regions, that will be the time for my return!

Although Cai You and Huang Guang were reluctant to part with their two high-ranking officials, You Fufeng and Zuo Fengyi, they dared not remain in Yongzhou alone.

Following Zhang Wen means you can continue to reap benefits, and there will be opportunities to come back in the future.

If we don't follow Zhang Wen, we might get arrested by Liu Bei one day and made an example of him.

"We will follow Master Zhang's teachings."

To avoid any unforeseen complications, Zhang Wen bid farewell to Liu Bei early the next morning. Cai You of Right Fufeng and Huang Guang of Left Fengyi also submitted their resignations at the same time.

"Since you two are unwilling to continue serving as Right Fufeng and Left Fengyi, I will not force you. However, you may leave with your families, but you cannot leave your property. If you agree, I will issue you the necessary documents now." Liu Bei did not stop you, nor was he polite.

Cai You's expression changed, and he was about to lash out when Zhang Wen interrupted him, saying, "I told you two yesterday that the wealth of the Right Fufeng Prefecture and the Left Fengyi Prefecture belongs to the Yongzhou Prefecture. After you two resigned, how can you take it anymore?"

Cai You felt wronged, and after being warned by Zhang Wen's eyes, he could only cup his hands and reply, "Rest assured, my lord, neither of us will take away any of the valuables in the mansion."

Huang Guang responded in kind.

Liu Bei clapped his hands, and Chen Dao brought over a small box and handed it to Zhang Wen.

Seeing Zhang Wen's surprised expression, Liu Bei explained, "I have always heard that the Commandant of the Capital Region is honest and upright. On this trip to Hongnong, he will need money for his journey. I have prepared three hundred gold pieces for you to accept."

Zhang Wen's expression changed: "You can't even take the valuables from the Sili Commandant's Office?"

Liu Bei smiled gently: "The Commandant of the Capital Region is joking. There is no Commandant of the Capital Region's office in Chang'an."

Zhang Wen's face turned pale and then red, his fists clenched so tightly that his fingers dug into his palms: "Liu Yongzhou, you've gone too far."

Liu Bei's smile remained unchanged: "Improving the administration, stabilizing the people, and suppressing the rebels all require a lot of money. However, Yongzhou is newly established and the treasury is empty. I must find a way to raise funds."

"I have also heard that when Gai Xun first became the Prefect of Jingzhao, there was a magistrate named Yang Dang in Chang'an who, relying on his status as the son of a Palace Attendant, was corrupt and committed all sorts of evil deeds. Gai Xun verified that Yang Dang had embezzled millions, so he submitted a memorial to impeach him. Powerful officials pleaded for Yang Dang, but Gai Xun ignored them. The late emperor then issued an edict to dismiss Yang Dang and his father from their posts and investigate them. As a result, Gai Xun became very powerful in the region."

"If the Commandant of the Capital Region is willing to donate money and goods, I won't need to bother checking the accounts anymore. We are both reasonable people, so why bother?"

Seeing Liu Bei's smile and hearing his threat, Zhang Wen suppressed his anger and smiled, saying, "We are all serving the country. How could I be stingy with such meager gifts? Thank you, Governor Liu, for the three hundred gold pieces. I will repay you a hundredfold in the future."

Hearing Zhang Wen's gritted teeth as he said "a hundredfold repayment," Liu Bei's smile widened even more: "The Commandant of the Capital Region is very kind. Have a safe journey, please!"

Watching Zhang Wen and the other two hurriedly leave, Liu Bei summoned Xu You and said, "Ziyuan, I'm entrusting the investigation of the three ministries' finances to you. You may take ten percent of the proceeds."

Xu You's expression changed: "Does Your Excellency think I am a greedy person?"

Liu Bei chuckled: "Ziyuan, why be so formal? Even a gentleman loves wealth, as long as he acquires it in a proper way. Who doesn't love wine, women, wealth, and power, except for those who are pure of heart and have few desires? In Yongzhou, I strictly enforce the law and rectify the administration, so there will inevitably be people who frame those around me. By making a deal with you, I can prevent you from being framed in the future, and I will have no choice but to take you down to uphold the law."

Historical records state that Xu You's greed gave Shen Pei a handle to use against him, forcing Yuan Shao to punish Xu You to uphold the law, which ultimately led to a dramatic reversal in the Battle of Guandu.

While it may seem that Xu You's actions stemmed from greed, the real reason was that the powerful clans of Hebei, seeing that they were about to win at Guandu, wanted to take this opportunity to eliminate Yuan Shao's right-hand men.

However, Shen Pei overreacted. He didn't expect that Yuan Shao would not only fail to arrest and imprison Xu You, but also that Xu You, an enemy strategist, could gain Cao Cao's trust, and even more so that Cao Cao would dare to launch a desperate attack on Wuchao.

Since Liu Bei had employed Xu You, he naturally had to take precautions in advance.

Sincerity is always a must-win.

Xu You never expected that Liu Bei would think so far ahead, even anticipating that his greed would attract the attention and framing of those with ulterior motives.

"I will never forget your kindness in protecting me, my lord." Xu You's eyes welled up with tears.

With the departure of Zhang Wen, Cai You, and Huang Guang, the officials and soldiers of various departments in Chang'an City became restless.

Some chose to resign and follow Zhang Wen, just like Cai You and Huang Guang, while others resigned directly and returned to their hometown.

Liu Bei did not try to retain the officials and soldiers who resigned. The only condition was that they could not take away the government's property. Liu Bei then paid them severance pay according to the different salaries of the officials and soldiers.

The remaining officials and soldiers, seeing that they could not take the valuables with them and remembering Liu Bei's promise of "let bygones be bygones" at the banquet, were terrified and dared not resign.

It is unclear who started it, but after voluntarily surrendering their ill-gotten gains from previous years, Liu Bei returned half of the wealth as a reward from the state government. One after another, officials and soldiers surrendered their ill-gotten gains.

Liu Bei didn't care whether the officials and soldiers handed over the goods truthfully; as long as they were willing to hand them over, he would return half of the goods.

In less than ten days, the newly established Yongzhou Treasury was overflowing with valuables.

"The common people are already being squeezed to the point of exhaustion by corrupt officials, thieves, and local bullies. Where do they have any money left? How can taxing the common people be as quick as confiscating the wealth of corrupt officials?"

Liu Bei silently calculated the increase in wealth in the treasury over the past few days, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Next, it's time to hunt down the thieves."

The so-called thieves were actually corrupt officials from various counties who attempted to abscond with the money.

Although Liu Bei gave the counties a month to consider, it did not mean that Liu Bei would sit and wait in Chang'an.

They're all corrupt officials, so who would really be willing to honestly hand over the ill-gotten gains?
What Liu Bei was waiting for was these corrupt officials who absconded with the money.

If he doesn't flee, there's no way to pursue him on charges of stealing property from various counties in Yongzhou.

"Order Sima Guanyu to pursue and capture the bandits in the counties of Fufeng Commandery."

"Order Sima Zhao Yun to pursue and capture the bandits in the counties of Jingzhao Commandery."

"Order Sima Zhang Liao to pursue and capture the bandits in the counties of Fengyi Commandery."

"Anyone who obstructs the process shall be considered an accomplice of the thieves and killed without exception." "Order Yang Kuo, the clerk, to recruit volunteer soldiers to assist in transporting back the stolen goods."

"Order that the Chief Clerk Jian Yong select virtuous men to fill vacancies in various counties."

"."

With each military order issued, Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, and Zhang Liao led their respective elite troops and quickly advanced towards the three commanderies.

Like a whirlwind sweeping away fallen leaves, all the corrupt officials who were caught were executed without exception, and the spoils were transported back to the county and sealed by the righteous soldiers recruited by Yang Kuo.

As the killings intensified, the officials of all the counties were terrified.

Only then did they realize that Liu Bei had no intention of giving the county officials a chance to conceal the truth; they either had to leave or hand over their wealth.

Reasonable?
The principles Liu Bei spoke of were completely different from those understood by the officials in the various counties.

Liu Bei's message was simply: you must diligently follow what I say, nothing more.

By the end of May.

Of the thirty-eight counties in Fufeng Commandery, Jingzhao Commandery, and Fengyi Commandery, seventy percent of the officials were dismissed, and the remaining thirty percent were dismissed because some counties were too far away for Liu Bei to manage at the moment.

Even so, Liu Bei's prestige still shook the three counties.

Even Huangfu Song, who was stationed with troops in Fufeng County, was shocked.

In less than a month, he had overthrown most of the officials in thirty-eight counties of Fufeng, Jingzhao, and Fengyi!
Huangfu Song had seen fierce people before, but he had never seen anyone as fierce as Liu Bei.

Are you really not afraid of chaos in the Three Auxiliary Regions, with officials and bandits colluding with the Liangzhou rebels?

In fact, Liu Bei was not afraid at all.

If officials and powerful bandits did not collude with the rebels in Liangzhou, Liu Bei would have no reason to punish them.

To deal with officials, Liu Bei could use his official authority to intimidate them, rectify officialdom, and punish and prosecute crimes.

This approach won't work against powerful bandits. We can't just honestly go and survey the land and households, can we? That would take forever.

Even Emperor Guangwu couldn't manage the land survey and household registration, so Liu Bei didn't want to waste his energy on it either.

With chaos about to erupt, Liu Bei must seize control of the Three Auxiliary Regions as quickly as possible before Dong Zhuo comes to power.

Otherwise, if Liu Bei were to launch military campaigns elsewhere in the future, the Three Auxiliary Regions could very well become like the rebellion of Yanzhou against Cao Cao, leaving Liu Bei in a predicament of being caught between a rock and a hard place.

As public opinion grew, Liu Bei's reputation for both power and intimidation spread like wildfire throughout the counties.

Fufeng Prefecture, Mei County.

Looking at the dozen or so heroes who had come from various counties, Fa Yan felt a chill run down his spine.

Liu Bei's campaign to clean up corrupt officials in various counties also aroused the jealousy of local powerful clans.

Most corrupt officials are from other places, so even if they are purged, it won't affect the local powerful families. However, most of the officials and clerks in the county are from local powerful families.

Just like the situation in Yuzhou, Liu Hong's sale of official positions triggered a scramble among local powerful families to buy their services, forming an inseparable interest group among officials, scholars, and powerful families.

When Liu Bei mobilized the officials and soldiers of various counties, he was actually also threatening the interests of the powerful clans in those counties.

Originally, everyone wanted to support Zhang Wen, the Commandant of Sili, but when Zhang Wen saw that things were not going well, he ran away and took Cai You, the Right Commandant, with him.

Liu Bei didn't appoint a new Right Governor, but instead focused on chasing down the "thieves".

Unwilling to submit, the local gentry sought out the renowned scholar Fa Yan, who was observing mourning for his parents, hoping to persuade him to lead an opposition against Liu Bei.

Fayan's father was the renowned scholar Fazhen, who was well-versed in the classics of various schools of thought and the study of apocryphal texts, and was also known for his lofty and refined character.

Fa Yan's grandfather was the former governor of Nanjun and the governor of Qingzhou, so he came from a distinguished family with a rich family learning background.

However, although Fazhen was a renowned scholar and Confucian master, Fayan did not possess such prestige or talent, and faced with the pressure from the crowd, he dared not be too forceful.

"My father passed away last year, and I still need to observe mourning. It is not appropriate for me to leave without permission," Fa Yan said, forcing himself to come up with a reason.

However, the powerful figures of the various counties did not give Fa Yan any reason to back down.

Lu Fang, a local magnate, said loudly, "Brother Fa, there's no need for you to leave on your own. As long as you nod your head, we are willing to go to great lengths for you."

The other heroes echoed his sentiments.

No matter what excuses Fa Yan may have, he must be the one to stick his neck out!

The local strongmen were merely trying to use Fa Yan's title as "son of Fa Zhen" to win over more strongmen to oppose Liu Bei.

Unable to refuse, Fa Yan could only temporarily reply, "This matter is of great importance, please allow me three days to consider it."

Seeing this, the crowd decided not to push too hard and left with their fists clasped in respect.

"Disaster has struck from the sky!" Fa Yan was even more worried.

Although Fa Yan was not as talented as his deceased father Fa Zhen, he was not stupid.

In less than a month, Liu Bei dismissed most of the officials in the counties and had two thousand soldiers from the Western Garden Army from Luoyang to rely on.

Moreover, Huangfu Song stationed 30,000 troops in Fufeng County!
Leading?
I'm mad?
However, if he did not agree, those powerful figures would return in three days, and Fa Yan would find it difficult to have peace and quiet.

They were all based in Fufeng County, but Fa Yan lacked the prestige and talent of his deceased father, Fa Zhen, and could not command the respect of the local gentry.

Most importantly, although Fazhen was renowned, he was a man of high moral character and did not like to accumulate wealth; he spent his money on books, unlike other powerful figures who seized land and houses and forcibly took slaves and farmers.

Otherwise, Fa Yan wouldn't have been blocked at his door by powerful figures from various counties while he was observing mourning.

In the Yongliang region, it was common for renowned and upright individuals to be coerced by powerful figures; this was not unique to Fa Yan.

However, the actions of the heroes blocking the gate angered Fa Yan's son, Fa Zheng. Although he was only thirteen years old, Fa Zheng was far more intelligent than ordinary people because of his extensive family learning.

The young man was intelligent and a descendant of a famous scholar. Fa Zheng was naturally proud, but unlike Fa Yan, he did not consider things too much. Instead, he acted more like a chivalrous knight-errant in the county, clearly distinguishing between gratitude and resentment and being vengeful.

Upon returning home today, I found Fa Yan being blocked at the gate while he was observing mourning. This ignited my anger: "A bunch of parasites, they dare not openly provoke Magistrate Liu, they only dare to hide in the shadows and let Father take the lead. Instead of worrying about how to respond in three days, Father, it would be better to use Magistrate Liu's power to wipe out this group of scoundrels, so that they will not be arrogant and lawless again and cause chaos in the counties."

Fa Yan was startled and quickly scolded, "You brat, don't forget what I said, or you'll bring trouble upon yourself! Liu's actions will surely cause turmoil in the Three Auxiliary Regions. Right now, Liu himself is in dire straits, yet you still want to join in the fun? You should stay home and study these next few days and not get involved. I will have my own way of dealing with this in three days."

Fa Zheng, who had studied Legalist classics with Fa Zhen since childhood, was not as weak-willed as Fa Yan. He retorted, "Father, are you going to pretend to catch a cold or fall and break your leg three days later? Do you think those bandits will reason with you? They want our grandfather's name, not our father's wishes. How many times have those bandits done things that are ruthless enough to achieve their goals?"

(End of this chapter)