Han Dynasty Achievements

Chapter 100: Restoration of the Prime Minister

Liu Bian looked at these big boxes, thinking constantly in his mind.

The military pay was in place, but what was still lacking was the officials' salaries and the money for disaster relief after Yanzhou was pacified.

'Another big number.'

Liu Bian let out a sigh of relief, as if he wanted to release the urgent pressure in his heart.

Wang Yun was still thinking about the appointment list of Sili. He observed Liu Bian's expression and waited for the opportunity to continue his advice.

Pan Yin came back with a few more memorials in his hand. He stepped forward and said to Liu Bian, "Your Majesty, these are sent by the Shangshutai and the Grand Marshal's Mansion."

Liu Bian glanced at him and opened the first one.

After just a quick glance, he said with great joy: "The Huangfu Qing family really lived up to my expectations!"

Liu Bian looked up at Wang Yun and said with a smile: "Yesterday, Huangfu Qing defeated the Yellow Turban rebels in Shanyang County and recovered Yanzhou!"

Wang Yun's face was not full of joy. Instead, he said, "Your Majesty, I think we cannot let our guard down for now. The Yellow Turban rebels in Qingzhou and Jizhou have exceeded one million. The court is short of money and food. We must be cautious."

Liu Bian, who was originally happy, felt a breath stuck in his chest for no reason. He retracted his gaze and turned to the second page. He frowned slightly and said to himself: "Black Mountain Army?"

The Black Mountain Army actually appeared near Yanzhou!

Liu Bian thought for a moment and opened the third one. This was a memorial from Qiao Mao, the governor of Dongjun. The whole memorial impeached Huangfu Song for "killing scholars, slaughtering good people, holding troops for himself, and having ulterior motives."

Liu Bian didn't take it seriously and looked at the last one. After just one look, he raised his head suddenly, his eyes burning and flashing violently.

Wang Yun saw this and asked quickly, "Your Majesty, what happened?"

Liu Bian calculated quickly in his mind and said casually: "The Xiongnu invaded Wuyuan."

Wang Yun was horrified and asked, "Your Majesty, is Niu Fu in Wuyuan County?"

Liu Bian glanced at him and nodded silently.

Wang Yun lowered his head and frowned in thought.

Wuyuan County, located in the northernmost part of Bingzhou, has been invaded by the Huns for many years.

The key now is that Niu Fu is in Wuyuan County. If he colludes with the Huns and becomes a guide, the entire Bingzhou will be in danger!

Liu Bian thought about the situation in Bingzhou, then analyzed Luoyang, and then Yanzhou, and he couldn't help feeling heavy-hearted.

The series of problems piled up and he couldn't wait to take it slow.

"Where is Cao Cao?" Liu Bian looked at Pan Yin.

Pan Yin immediately said, "We should be...almost reaching Hanoi."

Liu Bian now only had Cao Cao's army at his disposal. After thinking for a while, he asked, "Where is Sun Jian?"

Pan Yin said: "I reported yesterday that I had just arrived in Nanyang."

Liu Bian considered it again and again, took a deep breath, and said, "Let him go to Hanzhong and take over as the governor of Hanzhong. Order Cao Cao to go north to Hedong County immediately and let Lu Zhi take charge. When will Dong Zhuo arrive in Beijing?"

Pan Yin responded, estimated the time, and said, "It should be two more days."

Liu Bian slapped the memorial into his arms and said, "Order Yang Biao, Xun You, and Zhong Yao to come to the palace to discuss the matter."

Wang Yun's heart skipped a beat, and he had a feeling something big was going to happen. He raised his hand and asked, "Your Majesty, what is this?"

Liu Bian said expressionlessly, "Regarding Sili's affairs, we will follow Xun Qing's report and there is no need to discuss it further. Wang Qing's family should not say anything more."

Facing Liu Bian's cold gaze, Wang Yun felt panic in his heart and hesitated to open his mouth, but he saw a stronger warning in Liu Bian's eyes and hesitated to speak.

Liu Bian snorted in his heart, turned to Shi A, and said, "Do you have something to say, or does Huangfu Jianchang have something to say?"

Shi A was meeting Liu Bian for the first time, but he was not panicked. He glanced at Wang Yun and said, "Your Majesty, it was me. On my way back to the capital, I heard many rumors that many heroes had gathered in Jizhou and were planning something big."

Liu Bian's expression remained unchanged, and the sense of urgency in his heart became even stronger. He said, "Use your connections to find out more."

Shi A raised his hand and said, "I understand."

Liu Bian said nothing more and turned and walked into the study.

He put the map on the table and examined it carefully.

"Qingzhou, Youzhou, Bingzhou, Sili, Yanzhou, Jizhou..."

Liu Bian looked indifferent as he looked at them one by one.

The Yellow Turban Army in Qingzhou was the strongest, with a claimed million men, wreaking havoc in various places. Jizhou and Yanzhou were not much different. Youzhou and Bingzhou were in trouble both internally and externally, with both internal strife and external threats.

The situation in Sili is not easy either. The Three Qiang withdrew from Sanfu just two years ago. Yanzhou is right next to Sili, so we cannot be careless at all!

"The sky is full of flames..."

Liu Bian frowned and whispered to himself.

The entire north seemed to be out of control. Although it seemed to be still in the hands of the court, the control was minimal. Only where there were troops could there be absolute control.

Pan Yin stood not far from Liu Bian, looking at his worried face, feeling a little uncomfortable.

Liu Bian calculated carefully and found that he seemed to have a lot of troops under his control, but they were scattered all over the country and only a few could be deployed freely.

"Stretched to the limit..."

Liu Bian felt as if a huge stone had fallen from his heart. If any of these northern states collapsed, the consequences would be disastrous.

He considered the various generals under his command and found that apart from the 'Three Heroes', there seemed to be few who he could fully trust.

"Hold on, hold on, give me some more time..." Liu Bian whispered to himself with burning eyes.

After an unknown amount of time, Pan Yin stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, everyone is outside."

Liu Bian fixed his eyes, still looking at the map, and said, "Let them all come in."

Pan Yin responded and gestured to the eunuch not far away.

Soon, four people, led by Yang Biao, followed by Wang Yun, Xun You and Zhong Yao, came in one after another.

Liu Bian strode over, waved his hand, and said, "No need to be polite, please sit down. You all know the situation, so tell me everything."

Liu Bian walked to his seat, knelt down and looked at the four people.

The four of them greeted each other, sat down, and then fell silent.

The Black Mountain Army appeared near Yanzhou, indicating that Jizhou and Youzhou were no match for the Black Sands. The Xiongnu invaded the border of Bingzhou and sandwiched Dong Zhuo's son-in-law Niu Fu in the middle.

Yanzhou has not yet been completely pacified, and the situation in Qingzhou is at a stalemate.

The entire north was in constant war, burning everywhere and stretching endlessly.

The situation is critical!

Yang Biao's left leg was wrapped tightly, and he was leaning on a small crutch. He sat down very slowly, then knelt down, leaning on the small crutch, with his body tilted, and beads of sweat on his head. He looked very tired.

Wang Yun was usually taciturn and silent.

Xun You thought about it again and again, and argued with Liu: "Your Majesty, Bingzhou... Niu Fu may be able to be won over, but it depends on the attitude of General Dong."

Liu Bian hummed and said, "It will take two days to get to Beijing."

"About the Montenegrin Army,"

Xun You said with a sullen face, "We should focus on appeasing them. We cannot use military force against them for the time being."

Even if they could, the imperial court did not have extra troops and could only rely on Liu Yu, the governor of Youzhou. The Black Mountain Army was said to have a million men, and most of them were in the mountains. If they wanted to encircle and suppress them, it would take a long time, and the money and food would be gone.

The court has no money and no food!

Liu Bian hesitated for a moment.

Xun You paused and continued, "Since the Grand Marshal has pacified Yanzhou, there shouldn't be much of a problem. All we need is relief from the court. Qingzhou also needs relief."

Liu Bian's eyes moved slightly, and then he nodded slightly.

Xun You's words were actually very simple. It was not difficult to defeat the Yellow Turban Rebellion or other rebellions. The key was to not allow them to flare up again after they were pacified, otherwise the imperial court would have to continue to suppress them, back and forth, endlessly.

The problem is that the court has no money and no food!

Zhong Yao raised his head and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, the salt administration should be started as soon as possible."

There is no other way to make money quickly and make enough money except through the salt administration.

Liu Bian did not answer him, but asked Wang Yun, "What do you think of Lord Wang's family?"

Wang Yun raised his hand and said, "Your Majesty, the Sili has not yet been settled. If you take action against the salt administration again, I will be in vain. It is better to increase the land tax for the time being."

Liu Bian frowned, looked directly at Yang Biao, and asked, "Yang Qing's family?"

Yang Biao seemed to have gained a lot of weight, his face was rounder and fatter, his belly was protruding, and he was holding a crutch under his left arm. He raised his hand with some difficulty and said, "Your Majesty, on behalf of the Yang family, I am willing to donate 100 million yuan to the court, and I will donate 1,000 hectares of land to the court to help the court overcome this difficulty..."

Liu Bian's eyes suddenly narrowed and a smile flashed across his face.

He didn't care much about the money and the land, but Yang Biao's attitude!

If you feel sleepy, use the pillow!

Wang Yun saw this and said, "Your Majesty, I have no extra money, so I am willing to donate 10 million yuan to the court."

He also wanted to donate land, but he didn't have much land. A few hundred acres was not enough for him, but too much would hurt his heart.

Xun You and Zhong Yao looked at each other and said nothing.

Although they came from prominent families, they were not as well-off as Yang Biao and did not have much wealth.

Liu Bian reached out and picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, then slowly put it down with a smile, and said with a satisfied look: "The Yang family is still loyal to the emperor and the country, and they are worthy of being the third highest official in four generations."

Yang Biao raised his hand, expression unchanged, and said: "Everything the Yang family has is due to the grace of the emperor. Now that the country is in a difficult situation, the Yang family should work with the country to overcome the difficulties."

Liu Bian nodded in agreement, looked at Wang Yun and others, and said: "I am very pleased with what Yang Qing's family said. If all the Han noble families could have the heart of the Yang family, why would it come to this?"

Xun You and Zhong Yao bowed slightly, and although they didn't say anything, they knew what was going on. Yang Biao did this because he was afraid of following the same fate as the Yuan family.

Seeing that Liu Bian ignored him, Wang Yun put down his hands and knelt down without moving.

"I don't deserve it." Yang Biao's fat face showed no joy or sadness, and sweat was dripping from his forehead.

Liu Bian gently rubbed the index finger and thumb of his right hand, and when he saw that the time was almost right, he said, "The Yang family is sincere, and heaven and earth can bear witness to that."

Under everyone's gaze, Liu Bian sat up straight and said in a deep voice: "I have decided to reinstate the position of prime minister, and the position will be held by Yang Qing's family."

Yang Biao, who had kept an expressionless face, suddenly changed his expression. His armpits collapsed and he fell forward.

Liu Bian rushed out and held Yang Biao, saying, "There is no need for Yang Qing's family to perform such a grand ceremony. What Yang Qing's family has done is completely worthy of it. Get up quickly."

Yang Biao had no strength in his left leg and was trying to get up with his hands on the ground, but the force was too strong and his legs were twisted, so he could neither get up nor sit back down.

It was unknown whether it was because of the pain or what, but sweat was pouring down his forehead. His eyes blinked rapidly and he said breathlessly, "Your Majesty, I, I don't deserve it..."

Liu Bian was also trying to pull him up, but he couldn't find a place to hold his hands. Yang Biao was too heavy to lift. He said while trying hard, "You don't have to be so humble. Get up quickly. Everyone, come and help."

Xun You and Zhong Yao were still shocked that Liu Bian wanted to reinstate the position of prime minister. When they saw this scene, they were stunned for a moment before they came to their senses. They stood up and carried Yang Biao back.

Wang Yun watched from the side, his eyes fierce.

If the position of prime minister is re-established, there will be suspicion of autocracy. Yang Biao is a man of neither ability nor talent. If he sits on the position of prime minister, it will only do harm rather than good to the court and the Han Dynasty!

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