Han Dynasty Achievements

Chapter 315 Common trick - pretending to be faint

Seeing Xun You and Liu Yu singing the same tune, Zhong Yao had a bad feeling in his heart. He raised his hand, solemnly, and argued with Liu Yu in a serious and sincere manner, "Your Majesty, the expedition against Dong Zhuo has already begun, and there must be no chaos in other places. Whether it is before or after Liu Yan's death, if Yizhou is in chaos, the court will be in a dilemma and there will be endless troubles. It will threaten the fate of our Han Dynasty. Please think twice!"

As he spoke, Zhong Yao fell to the ground.

Xun You was furious. He also raised his hand and said in a resounding voice, "Your Majesty, at this moment, we must not show weakness! The court must take drastic measures to warn all those who are disloyal and stabilize the hearts of the people! Once the court reveals even a hint of weakness, there will be wolves around us and the crisis will be even greater. Please think twice!"

As he spoke, Xun You fell to the ground.

Liu Bian listened to what the two said with an expressionless face, his eyes fell on Xun Yu.

Xun Yu was silent for a moment, then raised his hand and said, "Your Majesty, what the left and right ministers said is reasonable. We must carefully consider the specific actions we take. We must not be weak, nor should we overdo it."

Liu Bian hesitated for a moment, looked at Liu Yu, and said, "Grand Marshal?"

Liu Yu could not see anything on Liu Bian's face, his expression was firm, he bowed and said: "I second the motion."

Liu Bian narrowed his eyes slightly and began to worry in his mind.

Although Zhong Yao and Xun You were arguing, every word they said made sense.

The imperial court cannot show any weakness towards Liu Yan. This is not only for Liu Yan to see, but also for the people of the world, especially those conspirators in Jiangnan to see!

"Both kindness and severity..."

Liu Bian pondered four words in his mind, 'the stick must be hard, the sweet dates must be big'. Only in this way can the situation be stabilized and the Han court's transcendent status be maintained!

Xun Yu, Liu Yu, Zhong Yao, and Xun You felt the silence and looked up at the same time.

The Majesty in front of them is younger than them, but his prestige is too great.

From the execution of the Twelve Eunuchs, General He Jin, the prestigious Yuan family, to the suppression of many rebellions, His Majesty in front of him has experienced too much. Not to mention the "younger generations" like Xun Yu, Xun You, and Zhong Yao, even Yang Biao, who was also a third-generation official, had to pretend to be deaf and dumb and act cautiously in front of Liu Bian for many years.

Almost all the power of the Han Dynasty is in the hands of one person today!

Under the gazes of the four people, Liu Bian was still pondering over specific countermeasures.

Zhong Yao couldn't help but feel worried when he saw this.

"Your Majesty, you must have an idea!"

A hint of nervousness appeared on Zhong Yao's serious face.

If His Majesty does not make a decision, he will be caught in endless struggles among the court officials.

The struggles among court officials will lead to delayed decision-making and repeated policies!

This situation is even more terrifying than Yuan Shu’s rebellion and Cao Cao’s defeat, and it can truly destroy the Han Dynasty!

"What you say makes sense,"

Liu Bian pondered for a long time, looked up at the four important officials, and said: "Order Hanzhong Governor Zhang Liao to send troops to threaten Yizhou. Do not appoint Yizhou Governor, Liu Zhang as Luocheng Governor, and do not mention the other things. In addition, Yizhou must pay the taxes owed to the court, a total of 500 million."

Zhong Yao was relieved at first, but when he heard the end, he was shocked and asked, "Your Majesty, do you really want 500 million?"

The annual tax revenue of the Han Dynasty imperial court was only about 100 million. If Yizhou wanted to collect 500 million, it might have to empty out most of Yizhou to make up the total!

This is almost impossible to accept for people in Yizhou!

Liu Bian snorted coldly and said, "Without 500,000,000, what I just said will not come true. This matter is settled like this."

"Your Majesty is wise, I obey your command!" Xun You raised his hand and said loudly. He understood that Liu Bian wanted to hollow out Yizhou and weaken its strength.

With these five hundred million people, it will take Yizhou ten years to recover!

Xun Yu, Zhong Yao and Liu Yu were all smart people and understood the situation clearly, but they felt some sympathy for the people of Yizhou.

They could clearly predict that Liu Yan would definitely spend the 500 million, otherwise his huge foundation, the result of his years of hard work, would have no one to inherit and would fall into the hands of others in vain.

"Your Majesty, Doctor Liu Yan has arrived." Xu Yan walked in quietly from outside the door and raised his hand.

Since Liu Zhang was sent to Luoyang as a hostage by Liu Yan, he has held many official positions, and his current position is Gongcao Langzhong.

Liu Bian glanced at the four people and saw that they had no objection. He picked up the teacup and said, "Let him in."

Although Xun Yu, Zhong Yao and others felt that Liu Bian's arrangement was a bit radical, they finally decided to do it, as it was better than continuing to argue, so they bowed their heads and acquiesced.

"His Majesty!"

Before Xu Yan left, Pan Yin came in hurriedly and handed over a memorial and a secret letter.

Under everyone's gaze, Liu Bian took the memorial and the secret letter.

When he opened it and looked, his expression changed slightly, and then a strange smile flashed across the corner of his mouth.

The contents of the memorial and the secret letter were basically the same. The memorial was submitted by Ma Teng, one of the three leaders of the Western Liang Qiang. It expressed his "loyalty" in great detail and requested the imperial court to send troops to assist the court in conquering Dong Zhuo.

The secret letter came to the spies in the Imperial City, and the content was roughly that the three Qiang people had more and more disagreements and conflicts from time to time. In addition, as winter turned to spring, food and grass were scarce, and life was very difficult.

Liu Bian thought about it and handed the memorial to Xun Yu and kept the secret letter.

Xun Yu took it, and after reading it, he looked relieved and said, "Your Majesty, since Ma Teng has this intention, we can use him to assist the governor of Hanzhong and isolate Yizhou."

As he spoke, Xun Yu handed the memorial in his hand to Zhong Yao.

After reading it, Zhong Yao was not surprised and handed it to Xun You.

Xun You sat up straight after reading it and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, Xiliang has the will to submit, and can be used! Yizhou and Dong Zhuo have been completely isolated, and the court can let go of everything!"

Liu Yu took the memorial and said silently, "Your Majesty, the words of the Xiliang people cannot be trusted. We still need to test them. I agree with the Prime Minister's words."

Xun You glanced at Liu Yu and felt dissatisfied. Liu Yu actually stood on Xun Yu's side again!

Liu Bian nodded slightly and said, "Well, then let's follow the Prime Minister's words. Zhong Qing's family will be in charge of Yizhou. This is basically my request. As for the rest, your family will handle it properly."

Zhong Yao raised his hand and said, "I accept your order."

Liu Bian looked outside and said, "The imperial edict to attack Dong Zhuo should be issued in the next two days. The Grand Marshal's Office should coordinate the various armies to move in unison and avoid internal strife. We should destroy Dong Zhuo as soon as possible!"

Having seen Liu Zhang arrive, Liu Bian stood up and left after he finished speaking.

"We obey your orders!" Xun Yu, Liu Yu and others raised their hands and said.

While waiting for Liu Bian to leave, the four of them looked at each other, each of them seemed to have concerns and did not speak.

After Liu Bian left the Secretariat, he came before Liu Zhang.

Liu Zhang had been in Luoyang for several years and had grown into a plump and honest man.

"Your Majesty, I am Liu Zhang, your humble servant!" Liu Zhang saluted hastily, his hands and feet were in a mess, his clothes almost fell off, his head was covered in sweat, and he looked very frightened and clumsy.

Liu Bian looked at him and said with a smile: "Mr. Liu, please accompany me for a walk."

"Yes, yes, yes." Liu Zhang's clothes were disheveled and his belt was loose. He responded while tying it and following closely behind Liu Bian.

Pan Yin, Xu Yan looked at his pretentious attitude and shook his head secretly.

Can such a petty trick be hidden from His Majesty?

Liu Bian was pacing and just as he walked around the Jiade Hall, he saw Liu Yu and a large group of people running towards the Yong'an Palace in a noisy manner.

"Liu Qing's family,"

Liu Bian ignored him and smiled as he said to Liu Zhang: "Your father has guarded Yizhou for me for many years and has made great contributions. Now that he is seriously ill, I think he is eager for you to serve him at his bedside. I am thinking of sending someone to escort your family back to Shu to show your filial piety in the next few days."

Liu Zhang opened his eyes and said quickly: "Your Majesty, the affairs of state are complicated. It is difficult to be both loyal and filial. I still want to stay by your side and be loyal to you. I believe that father will understand me..."

Liu Bian's brows moved slightly, and he understood secretly that Liu Zhang also knew this.

"It seems that Liu Yan has been preparing for a long time..."

Liu Bian sneered in his heart. Liu Yan really spent too much effort to get his young son back.

"Mr. Liu, who do you think is more suitable to succeed as the governor of Yizhou?" Liu Bian walked towards Fanglin Garden and said with a smile.

Liu Zhang looked terrified, and bowed his head and said, "Your humble servant, I will obey your order and will not make any rash assumptions."

Liu Bian hummed and said, "The court wants to appoint three governors for Chengdu, Mianzhu, etc. Do you think it is appropriate?"

Liu Zhang said hastily, "All right, all right. The imperial court's order and your majesty's will are all right."

Liu Bian hummed casually and said, "Pan Yin, pass the order to the Shangshutai and ask them to appoint him as soon as possible and escort him to Shu."

"Yes." Pan Yin said.

Liu Bian walked a few steps, turned back to look at Liu Zhang, and said, "My dear, the court has recommended you as the governor of Luocheng and the military commander, but some people say that Yizhou has owed the court taxes for many years, up to 500 million, and they do not agree with your appointment."

Liu Zhang's face was full of nervousness and trepidation. Hearing this, his face trembled. He cursed in his heart and said, "Your Majesty, Yizhou is exhausted, the people are in trouble, and there are repeated rebellions. It is simply not enough to make ends meet. In addition, the court has defaulted on the salaries of officials and soldiers, etc. It is really not intentional. Please understand, Your Majesty."

Liu Bian walked into the Fanglin Garden and came under the shade of the trees. He felt the slight coolness and said sympathetically, "You are right. I will talk to those ministers so that you can go as soon as possible. By the way, you can take a look at the memorial of Ma Teng from the Three Qiang."

Xu Yan listened and handed a memorial to Liu Zhang.

Liu Zhang took it carefully, read it and handed it back. He raised his hand and said to Liu Bian with joy: "Your Majesty, if the three Qiang surrender, Liangzhou will be pacified without a fight. Your Majesty is wise and wise, and God bless the Han Dynasty!"

Liu Bian came to a pavilion and sat down, wiping the sweat off his head, and said, "No need to flatter me. Ma Teng said he would send 3,000 people, but I want at least 10,000 of them, and they will be under the command of the Hanzhong governor for the time being. Hanzhong has always been in turmoil, with many bandits. A few years ago, there were even bandits who attacked the top of Hanzhong city walls. It's ridiculous!"

Liu Zhang became more cautious, and said with horror on his face: "Your Majesty is right."

Liu Bian took the cold tea handed over by Xu Yan, took a sip, and then said: "Someone has also proposed to me to set up a Yongzhou, including Yi, Liang and other prefectures. What do you think?"

Liu Zhang cursed in his heart, and said hesitantly: "Your humble servant, I know nothing about this, please let your majesty make the decision."

Liu Bian hummed and said, "Well, I will order Zhao Yun to lead the troops to escort you to Hanzhong, and then observe the situation of the banditry, and then send you to Shu. What do you think?"

Liu Zhang knelt slowly, tears streaming down his face, and said, "Your Majesty, I bow to you and thank you! I cannot be both loyal and filial. I am sorry to Your Majesty and my father..."

"Qingjia, get up quickly."

Liu Bian stepped forward, took his shoulder, and said soothingly: "Don't think like that, Qingjia. When you see the emperor's uncle, tell him that I miss him very much. I can't go there in person, and I feel really guilty and uneasy..."

When it comes to acting, we are the emperor!

Liu Zhang cried even louder, saying, "Your Majesty, I am grateful for your words. I vow to go through fire and water for you, without hesitation..."

Liu Bian comforted Liu Zhang and said, "Don't cry, my dear. I have many rewards. Take them to my uncle and tell him to take good care of himself and hold on. I hope to see him in person..."

Liu Zhang cried even louder, choked a few times, and suddenly fell to the ground and fainted.

Liu Bian blinked and stood there in a daze.

He really didn't expect this.

But according to his memory, this kind of thing happens frequently at this time and is not considered to be a big deal.

Liu Bian reacted a little slower, but he still quickly shouted: "Come here, come here, quickly, help Liu Qingjia up, call a doctor, and make sure to treat him well..."

The eunuchs and imperial guards not far away hurriedly lifted Liu Zhang and hurriedly escorted him out of Fanglin Garden.

Liu Bian watched all this, shook his head secretly, and said to himself: "In terms of acting skills, I didn't lose, but in terms of face, I lost..."

After sighing, Liu Bian sat down, drank his herbal tea, and pondered the affairs of Liang and Yi states.

Generally speaking, the situation is still controllable. Although all parties have complicated thoughts, as long as the imperial court is still the only dominant force and the people's support is still there, Liu Yan and the Three Qiang will not openly rebel. They will only engage in petty intrigues, continue to conserve their strength, and wait for the situation to change.

Therefore, the attention of the Han Dynasty government and the public is still on Dong Zhuo!

"Old Dong, this is the last time you help me..." Liu Bian said to himself leisurely while drinking tea.

"Did Sima Yi go with Cao Cao?" Suddenly, Liu Bian's lips left the teacup and looked at Xu Yan.

Xu Yan hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I am leaving. However, Minister Sima is seriously ill and has submitted three petitions to resign."

Liu Bian waved his hand and said, "Okay, let's take a look at this young Sima."

Xu Yan didn't quite understand and looked puzzled.

As Liu Bian drank his tea, his smile grew wider.

Cao Cao and Sima Yi, although these two people are different, they have many similarities. They are both talented and capable heroes who are good at forbearance and seizing opportunities!

What Liu Bian didn't know was that when they were in the armory, Cao Cao and Sima Yi both secretly made a huge gamble in front of Liu Bian.

Cao Cao suppressed his three clans, Sima Yi suppressed his future - both of them lost.

After Cao Cao lost the bet, he survived somehow thanks to Liu Bian's inexplicable favor.

Sima Yi was so frightened that he fell ill for several days. He only recovered after being personally comforted by Sima Jun.

But after receiving the order to enter Cao Cao's court, he was almost frightened to death and fell ill again.

Liu Bian didn't know these things. If he knew, he might even suspect that Sima Yi was faking illness? !

Just like Liu Zhang pretending to be unconscious in front of him.