Han family achievements

Chapter 557 Protection
Liu Bei obeyed the order and walked towards the post house not far away.

Huangfu Jianchang nibbled on an apple, staring at his back, and thought to himself: Your Majesty, how do you plan to deal with this matter?
Behind Liu Yao is the "Yingchuan Party", and there is also the recently famous Right Sima Liu Bei. Liu Bei not only controls the troops of Yuzhou, but his second brother Guan Yu is also the General of the Central Army of Jingzhou.

Tian Feng was a lone minister. Although there were clues showing that Tian Feng had a mysterious relationship with Cao Cao, Cao Cao would definitely not openly stand on Tian Feng's side and help him.

But Tian Feng is the Chief Censor, and is carrying out the important task of "rectifying the administration of officials"!

Your Majesty will obviously not give up Tian Feng easily.

What should I do?
Huangfu Jian nibbled on an apple and shifted his gaze from Liu Bei's back to Liu Bian's profile.

Not long after, Liu Yao and Tian Feng came out one after another.

Liu Yao was obviously a little flustered. He ran quickly, ahead of Tian Feng, and came out of the posthouse. When he saw Liu Bian, he looked tense and ran over to him, saluted and said, "Your Majesty, I am Liu Yao, here to see you."

Tian Feng followed calmly and said, "Your Majesty, I am here to see you, Tian Feng."

There was no sign of panic on his face, and his tone was calm as usual.

Liu Bei was the last one. After paying his respects, he stepped aside, his broad face full of indecision.

Liu Bian seemed not to see them. He closed the folding fan in his hand, put it at his waist, put his hands behind his back, and looked at them quietly.

The corners of Liu Yao's face twitched, and he lowered his head, feeling extremely panicked.

Putting the Chief Censor under house arrest, he was probably the only one in the entire Han Dynasty who did such a thing.

The key point is that this is not Luoyang City. No one will speak for him except Liu Bei, but Liu Bei is also involved in the case!

Not far away, some people had gathered around, pointing at Liu Bian and the others and whispering.

Liu Bian had a blank expression on his face. He glanced at the people who were stopped by the imperial guards and the city defense soldiers. He said in a dull voice, "You don't want the rules of the court, you don't want the decency of the Han Dynasty, and I guess you don't want my face either. Let's get rid of it here today."

Liu Yao shuddered all over and knelt on the ground. He suppressed his trembling voice and said, "Your Majesty, I, I, it's not that I disrespect Your Majesty. It's really that Tian Zhongcheng arrested people wantonly and messed up the government affairs of Yuzhou. People are panic-stricken and can't handle the affairs. I, I am forced to do it..."

"Who is there?"

Liu Bian interrupted him and said, "People are in a panic and can't do anything... Tell me who it is and I'll have the three judicial officials investigate. If he has done nothing wrong, I'll give him a few acres of land and he can go back and farm peacefully without being so anxious."

The corners of Liu Yao's mouth twitched, and he fell to the ground, not daring to speak.

Liu Bian narrowed his eyes, his gaze dancing with coldness, and said: "What about you? Are you also panic-stricken and unable to do your job? There are still many wastelands in my imperial farm. You can go and plant them. I will provide you with seeds and farming tools, and all the harvest will belong to you!"

"I am aware of my guilt!" Liu Yao dared not to defend himself. He knocked his head to the ground, shaking uncontrollably.

Liu Bian snorted coldly and said, "You know your crime? How dare you, a governor of a state, put the Chief Censor under house arrest? Who gave you the courage?!"

Liu Yao stared at the dust in front of him, motionless and without saying a word.

It was obvious that His Majesty was very angry when he suddenly arrived. If he tried to defend himself, he might not even have the chance to farm in the imperial farm!
Tian Feng and Liu Bei lowered their heads and dared not say a word.

Huangfu Jianchang ate the apple silently, his eyes always on Liu Bei's face.

This person is the core of this matter. He holds a high position of power and has a large number of troops under his command. He is the focus of attention of the government and the public, and he is the key to balancing Cao Cao!

Liu Bian looked at Liu Yao who was kneeling on the ground, and his eyes glanced at Liu Bei and Tian Feng, with many things in his mind.

"Somebody come!"

After a short while, Liu Bian said in a deep voice: "Remove Liu Yao from all his official posts and take him to Luoyang immediately to be tried by the three judicial officials!"

Immediately, plainclothes guards rushed over, held Liu Yao down and dragged him away.

Liu Yao clenched his teeth and said nothing, but he was extremely panicked.

He knew that now was not the time to defend himself, but once he was thrown into the Heavenly Prison and tried by the three judicial officials, would the Yingchuan Party be able to rescue him?

Everything that had been planned was ruined because of the sudden arrival of His Majesty the Emperor.

When Liu Bei and Tian Feng saw Liu Yao being taken away, they were filled with shock and fear.

He is the governor of the state and a high-ranking official. Just take him down if you say so!

Without waiting for them to think about it, Liu Bian looked at Liu Bei and said calmly, "Did you let Mi Zhu and Mi Fang go?"

Liu Bei's heart trembled, his face tense and hesitant, he said: "Your Majesty, I did not let them go. But most of the money they collected was used by me to pacify the people and fight against the bandits. I am also guilty."

As he said this, Liu Bei knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please punish me!"

Liu Bian's eyelids twitched, and he said coldly: "You are quite knowledgeable! Since you were not involved in this, you will be dismissed from all your official positions and return to Luoyang to reflect on yourself."

Liu Bei's expression changed again and again, and then he regained his composure and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Liu Bian clenched his hands quietly behind his back and sighed in his heart: Another trouble.

Liu Bei's tactics are almost exactly the same as Cao Cao's back then.

For Cao Cao, Liu Bian offended everyone in the court and the country, and now there are still countless people cursing him behind his back.

Will Liu Bei follow Cao Cao's path again?
The imperial guards stepped forward and took Liu Bei away.

Liu Bian slowly relaxed his clenched hands, took out his folding fan and fanned himself gently. Then he looked at Tian Feng in front of him and couldn't help but sigh: It's really not easy to be an emperor. It takes too much trouble.

Snapped

Liu Bian closed his fan, walked eastward and said, "Let's go."

Huangfu Jian glanced at the motionless Tian Feng and replied, "Yes."

Tian Feng turned sideways, raised his hand, and silently bid farewell to Liu Bian.

No one could have imagined that because of the "Mi family", a provincial governor and a prestigious right Sima would fall.

Tian Feng knew it. He knew that the Emperor's firm will to "rectify the administration of officials" could not be stopped by Liu Yao, Liu Bei, or even the "Yingchuan Party"!

After Liu Bian left, some people from Yuzhou came and took Liu Yao and Liu Bei to deal with the aftermath.

When these people left, Liu Yao got on a prison cart and was escorted back to Luoyang; Liu Bei, on the other hand, traveled light, accompanied by the imperial guards and his own bodyguards, to Luoyang to "reflect on himself behind closed doors."

When passing Yingchuan, Xu Shu got on Liu Bei's carriage.

Xu Shu was dressed in green, had a thin face and a little beard. He listened calmly and attentively to Liu Bei's account of what happened in Xiang County.

Xu Shu waited for Liu Bei to finish speaking, then relaxed and said, "Don't worry, my lord. His Majesty was furious, but he only removed your official position without punishing you. This is obviously leaving you a chance."

Liu Bei sighed and said, "I only knew that the Mi brothers were good businessmen, but I never thought that they would do such a bad thing. Mr. Liu is my good friend, and I wanted to give them a way out, but I never thought that Minister Tian Zhong had already found out... One wrong step, then another, all because of my poor judgment of people and my inability to handle matters. I am really ashamed to have caused you to worry."

Xu Shu smiled slightly and said, "The actions of the Mi brothers in the flood control are despised by the world. Your Excellency is kind and virtuous, and everyone in the world knows it. No one will misunderstand you. Your Majesty's dismissal of your official position is not a bad thing in my opinion."

Liu Bei was startled and asked, "What does this mean?"

Xu Shu sat a little better and said, "My lord, please listen to me. General Guanzhong led a huge army and killed Zuo Rong. The whole world was shocked. He was already the best general in the world, and now he is the General of the Central Army of Jingzhou. Jingzhou is the most important place now. It can attack Liu Zhang of Yizhou in the west, Yuan Shao of Yangzhou in the east, and Jiaozhi in the south. At the same time, it is also the most important barrier of Sili. The responsibility of the General of the Central Army is greater than heaven. My lord recovered Jingzhou without bloodshed, and his reputation is like thunder, resounding throughout the Han Dynasty. The nobles, the court and the public all praised him, even more than the Grand Marshal. With such a great reputation, disasters are on the way. If you are not careful, you will fall into the quagmire."

Liu Bei listened carefully, but still had a hint of doubt, and asked, "Sir, do you mean that I should lie dormant?"

Xu Shu smiled even more and said, "That's right. The court in Luoyang seems to be harmonious, but in fact, it is full of turmoil and internal strife. In my opinion, the confrontation between the Grand Marshal's Mansion and the Shangshu Office will be difficult to determine the winner for a while. Your Excellency will be the focus of their struggle in Luoyang, surrounded by dangers and isolated without help."

Liu Bei nodded in understanding and said, "Sir, you are right. I have been in Luoyang for a few days and have been entertained by banquets. Although I have no ill intentions, I often feel a sense of tension, not knowing which way to go."

Xu Shu smiled and said, "If what I guessed is correct, His Majesty has stripped you of all your official positions and shut yourself in for self-reflection. This may be to protect you. Go back to Luoyang, close the door and refuse visitors, and concentrate on your studies."

Liu Bei opened his eyes slightly and said, "Sir, are you saying that Your Majesty is actually protecting me?"

Xu Shu said, "That's right. Your Majesty loves talents the most. He rarely kills people unless they offend him. For example, the Grand Marshal has done something so bad. Your Majesty has repeatedly protected him, which means that everything the Grand Marshal does is beneficial to the country and he has no selfish motives."

Liu Bei looked ashamed and smiled bitterly: "To be honest, sir, before this gentleman explained my doubts, I was still blaming Your Majesty."

Xu Shu smiled and said, "It's human nature. There is one more thing you need to do immediately."

Liu Bei said quickly, "Sir, please speak frankly."

Xu Shu looked serious and said, "Your Excellency has been dismissed from office this time, which has a great impact. You still need to send letters to some people, so don't act recklessly."

Liu Bei understood instantly, but said with a relaxed smile: "Don't worry, sir. My second brother is a very cautious person. Without my advice, he will not do anything reckless."

"That's good."

Xu Shu regained his composure and said, "As for Mr. Liu, after we arrive in the capital, you must find a way to say something and try to save him."

Liu Bei said, "Even if you don't tell me, I won't let it go. Lord Liu is like this because of me. Even if I anger Your Majesty again, I won't hesitate!"

Xu Shu smiled and nodded in agreement.

He was very satisfied with Liu Bei. This man was kind, generous, resolute, respectful to the wise and humble, neither arrogant when he won nor discouraged when he lost... All these qualities are what it takes to accomplish great things!
When Liu Bei was about to reach Luoyang, Liu Bian went down the river and had already reached Wujun.

“Compared to other places, Wujun has done very well.”

Walking in the fields, Liu Bian looked at the neatly arranged ridges and smiled at Gu Yong standing behind him.

Gu Yong followed behind Liu Bian and said modestly, "Your Majesty, many years ago, Wu County implemented the court's 'New Deal' and put a lot of effort into pacifying the people and reclaiming land. In recent years, more than 100,000 refugees have come from Xuzhou, Yuzhou, and Yangzhou. I have tried my best to properly resettle them in order to pacify the people and live up to your majesty and the court."

Liu Bian looked back at him and said with an approving smile: "Your family has such a heart and vision, which is much better than others. I am very pleased."

"I am just doing my duty. I dare not praise you so much, Your Majesty." Gu Yong said hurriedly.

Huangfu Jian chewed the apple and sneered in his heart.

It may be true that a 'New Deal' was implemented a few years ago to pacify the people and reclaim land, but was it an order from the imperial court?

Isn't it for the purpose of gathering young and strong men to farm and increase food supply while serving as soldiers?
In these troubled times, fields are important, but people are more important!

As the war continued, the population dropped sharply, and anyone with ambition tried every means to increase the population, especially the young and strong!

Liu Bian and Gu Yong strolled between the ridges of the fields, talking about all sorts of things.

At this moment, a group of people came to a river bank. Liu Bian stopped and looked into the distance. He said, "Gu Qingjia, only 100,000 is not enough. I am considering moving refugees from other places. It will cost at least one million. Your family has a heavy responsibility..."

million!

Even Huangfu Jian, who had been biting an apple for a long time, paused. One million, put it in Wujun?
The first thing Gu Yong thought of was Yuan Shao of Yangzhou. He straightened his face and raised his hand, saying, "I obey your order! I will not fail your Majesty's will!"

Liu Bian looked at the distant sea and smiled, "Many years ago, when I was chatting with the Prime Minister, he told me that throughout history, the country's destiny has always been moving eastward, and I deeply agree with that. Not only Wujun, but also Xuzhou and Yangzhou will move in the future. There should be at least five million households in these two states..."

Gu Yong was stunned. Five million households means at least 20 million people. I’m afraid that’s about the number of people in the entire Han Dynasty now?
Liu Bian was still looking out at the sea and said, "As long as we settle down, the population will slowly grow, and the speed of growth will exceed everyone's imagination. These are just idle chats between me and your family. They are things for the future. Let's wait and see."

Gu Yong bowed and said, "I understand." Although he said this, he was still suspicious in his heart.

Twenty million people, how many years will it take to increase the population by that much! ?
Liu Bian put his hands behind his back, as if he could feel the sea breeze. He looked for a long time and said, "What do you think I should do with Marquis Wucheng?"

Gu Yong knew that the Emperor's trip to the south must be for some important event, and the Marquis of Wucheng was one of them.

After pretending to be silent for a long time, Gu Yong said cautiously: "Your Majesty, the three generations of Wucheng Marquis have made great contributions to the country. They cannot be left far away, and they should be given important tasks."

Liu Bian looked back at him and said, "Do you think that Marquis Wucheng should come to the capital?"

Gu Yong nodded, raised his hand and said, "Yes."

Liu Bian seemed to be thinking about something, and asked, "Then what about the civil officials and military officers of Marquis Wucheng?"

From Sun Jian, Sun Ce to Sun Quan, three generations accumulated a considerable fortune, especially in Wujun, where they were truly local emperors.

Gu Yong lowered his head and said calmly: "They are all ministers of your majesty, not ministers of Wucheng Marquis. Your majesty and the court should appoint and transfer them."

(End of this chapter)