Dahan: A 100-year-old veteran, I will build the strongest family

Chapter 117 Liu Yan excavates the tomb of the Han Dynasty royal family

After reading the letter sent by Li Hong and Jian Shuo, all the ministers and Emperor Liu Hong sitting in the main seat were silent for a moment.

Although they were not well versed in military affairs, they knew the huge difference between capturing more than 100,000 Yellow Turban soldiers and killing hundreds of thousands of them, and the difference between life and death.

If the imperial army was very powerful, they would have no hesitation in inviting Liu Hong to slaughter these hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban soldiers in order to release their inner hatred and anger towards the Yellow Turbans.

But, apparently not.

The imperial court sent out three armies, but all of them were defeated.

The Yellow Turbans were unstoppable and conquered states and counties.

Although the Beiwei Army was powerful and an elite force, the number of Yellow Turbans was ten times that of the Beiwei Army.

Moreover, the Yellow Turbans had already occupied the strong cities of Wancheng, Julu, Pengcheng and other states.

Although they had some confidence that Li Hong would lead the Beiwei Army to quell the rebellion.

But to be honest, none of them dared to say that Li Hong would win and the Yellow Turbans would lose.

Therefore, Li Hong submitted a letter to capture more than 100,000 Yellow Turban soldiers and let them go for life, and to kill them. They really need to consider and treat the huge difference between life and death. Otherwise, it will arouse the fearlessness of death of the Yellow Turbans all over the world, leading to Li Hong's defeat. In the end, the Yellow Turbans succeeded and overthrew the Han Dynasty. None of these ministers can escape.

Inside the hall, Sikong Yuanfeng frowned, gritted his teeth and stood up, attracting everyone's attention.

Yuan Feng bowed to Liu Hong and gritted his teeth and said:

"Your Majesty, the Yellow Turbans massacred hundreds of people from the Yuan family of Runan, and even destroyed states and counties, gathering people to rebel and attack the foundation of the Han Dynasty. They deserve all crimes and should be exterminated. I, your Majesty, ask General Li to kill the Yellow Turbans and deter the Yellow Turbans all over the world!"

Yuan Feng gritted his teeth and spoke resolutely. It was obvious that hatred made Yuan Feng want to kill the Yellow Turbans.

Yuan Feng was the first to express his opinion, and Liu Hong, who was sitting on the dragon throne, looked even uglier.

Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong and other ten eunuchs standing beside Liu Hong saw Liu Hong's expression. As Liu Hong's servants, they were deeply loved by him. Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong understood very well that Yuan Feng's statement made Liu Hong somewhat unhappy.

Zhang Rang's eyes flickered slightly, and he immediately stood up and said coldly to Yuan Feng below:
"Sikong, have you read the urgent letter from General Li and Jian Shuo? Killing the Yellow Turbans is easy, but it may make the Yellow Turbans in various places ready to die, making it much more difficult to suppress the rebellion. On the other hand, surrendering the Yellow Turbans can greatly reduce the morale of the Yellow Turbans and reduce the difficulty of conquering the Yellow Turbans across the world. Don't disregard the safety of the Han Dynasty for the sake of a family feud."

Zhang Rang stood up and confronted Yuan Feng sharply. His words were so loud and clear that Yuan Feng looked extremely ugly.

On the other hand, Liu Hong, who was sitting on the dragon throne, was very pleased to hear Zhang Rang's warning to Yuan Feng.

It has to be said that Zhang Rang spoke to his heart.

The Yellow Turban Rebellion had been going on for several months. Every day there were news of counties being captured by the Yellow Turbans, and there were news of requests for help. The imperial hometown of Nanyang had fallen, and so had Runan, Shouchun, and Xuzhou. This made Liu Hong live in fear every day.

I can't sleep at night and I can't eat.

As the emperor of the Han Dynasty, he was afraid of the situation at the end of the Qin Dynasty. He was afraid of becoming the emperor of a fallen country, and he was afraid that one day the Yellow Turbans would capture Luoyang and chop off his head.

Therefore, when Li Hong and Jian Shuo reported that there were only more than 100,000 Yellow Turbans in Yingchuan, they would be meat on the chopping board if nothing unexpected happened, but leaving them a way out could lower the morale of the Yellow Turbans. Although the massacre would be satisfying, it would increase the difficulty of conquering and pacifying the Yellow Turbans. Liu Hong's first reaction was that it was a good suggestion for Li Hong to let the Yellow Turbans surrender and then send them to the border of Bingzhou, where they would work hard every day and increase money and tax revenue for the Han Dynasty.

The most important thing is that it can hit the morale of the Yellow Turbans and reduce the difficulty of pacifying the Yellow Turbans throughout the world.

In the hall, Yuan Feng's face flushed with anger at Zhang Rang's words, and he shouted:

"Zhang Rang, when did I disregard the safety of the Han Dynasty? The Yellow Turbans gathered together to rebel and attack the foundation of the Han Dynasty. According to the laws of the Han Dynasty, they should be guilty of all crimes and their entire clans should be exterminated. If the rebels are not killed but spared, then doesn't that mean anyone can rebel?"

Yuan Feng's angry roar resounded, causing the civil and military officials to nod their heads one after another.

Zhang Rang was speechless for a moment after hearing Yuan Feng's words.

"Enough! How can you keep making so much noise in the hall?" Liu Hong slammed the table suddenly, and asked Yuan Feng and Zhang Rang to bow to him.

Liu Hong took a deep breath and said:
"General Li submitted a letter to ask for instructions on how to deal with the captured Yellow Turbans. This matter is of great importance and is related to whether the Yellow Turbans can be successfully wiped out. You all go back and think carefully about it. We will make a decision at the court tomorrow!"

Liu Hong paused and added:
"The Yellow Turbans are guilty of rebellion and deserve death. However, the premise for the Yellow Turbans to deserve death is that my Han army can defeat the millions of Yellow Turbans in the world! Think carefully and give me an answer tomorrow!"

Liu Hong's voice echoed throughout the hall. All the civil and military officials were startled, and then they all bowed to Liu Hong.

Liu Hong took the letter from Li Hong and Jian Shuo and left the court surrounded by Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong and others.

Wow!
As Liu Hong left, all the civil and military officials suddenly became noisy.

"What should we do? According to General Li, we may be able to capture hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban prisoners and kill hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban surrendered soldiers. This will surely shock the Yellow Turbans all over the world and make them ready to die for our Han Dynasty."

"Yes, but if we don't kill the Yellow Turbans, won't anyone be able to rebel? Alas, General Li has given us a difficult problem."

"In fact, according to General Li's idea, sending the Yellow Turban surrendered soldiers to the border of Bingzhou to cultivate the land and repair the border walls every day is also a form of punishment."

……

Inside the main hall, a number of civil and military officials gathered in groups of three or five, discussing matters.

"Humph, if you don't kill the Yellow Turbans, I will never agree!"

Suddenly, Yuan Feng shouted with a sullen face, causing the officials around him to immediately fall silent.

After expressing his attitude, Yuan Feng flicked his sleeves and left surrounded by a dozen officials.

"This..." Yang Ci, Huang Wan, Wang Yun, Cai Yong, Zhou Yi, Liu Yan, Liu Biao and others looked at the backs of Yuan Feng and Yuan Kui, and their brows couldn't help but frowned.

……

On that day, as the court meeting ended, civil and military officials gathered in groups of three or five, or a dozen or so, to discuss how to deal with the surrendered Yellow Turbans.

West City of Luoyang, the residence of Zongzheng.

As the head of the imperial clan, Liu Yan was one of the Nine Ministers and also the top official of the dynasty. In addition, he was a relative of the Han royal family and held a high position of power.

In the hall, Liu Yan, Liu Biao, Yang Biao, Ma Riti and seven or eight others who were on good terms with each other gathered together to discuss how to deal with the surrendered Yellow Turbans.

"I think the Yellow Turbans should be sentenced to death, but now the Yellow Turbans have the upper hand. The overall situation is more important. General Li said that we should leave the Yellow Turbans a way out, thereby destroying their morale. The Han army has a greater chance of winning against the Yellow Turbans."

Ma Riti stroked his beard and said in a deep voice.

"Indeed, although General Li is brave and good at fighting, the Beiwei Army is a cavalry after all, and it was General Li who planned and built it for the expansion of the Han Dynasty in the north. Losing soldiers and generals in the Central Plains with many strong cities is not good. Now the Yellow Turbans are not only powerful, but also occupy strong cities. The Beiwei Army is not easy to fight." Liu Biao nodded and said in agreement. Liu Biao is more than eight feet tall, with a gentle and majestic appearance. He was well-known in the world when he was young and was listed as one of the "Eight Talents". He is now a military officer in Luoyang North Army. In addition to his reputation as a relative of the Han Dynasty, he is also a hero of the Liu Dynasty.

As soon as Liu Biao said this, everyone nodded in agreement.

However, Liu Yan, who was sitting in the main seat, smiled and shook his head, while pouring the wine, he said:
"Everyone is right. I agree with you all. I am afraid that in order to pacify the Yellow Turbans, Your Majesty will also leave a way out for the Yellow Turbans."

"But, do you feel that if all the Yellow Turbans were exiled to the counties of Bingzhou, and General Li said that he wanted to take back the six counties of Bingzhou occupied by foreign races, namely Xihe, Dingxiang, Yunzhong, Wuyuan, Shuofang, and Shangjun, restore order, and fill them with surrendered Yellow Turban soldiers, then wouldn't the Li family be too powerful?"

As soon as Liu Yan finished speaking, the hall fell silent. Liu Biao, Yang Biao, Ma Riti and others all looked at Liu Yan in surprise.

"Zong Zheng, what do you mean?" Yang Biao frowned and asked Liu Yan.

Liu Yan stroked his beard and said without hesitation:

"With General Li's victory over the Xianbei, the Li family took control of Bingzhou, and went on a second expedition to conquer the vast grasslands in the middle of the desert, the Li family's influence has become even greater. If General Li pacifies the Yellow Turbans again, sends all the surrendered soldiers to the counties of Bingzhou, and recovers the counties of Bingzhou, the Li family's power will be too great. There are many top families in the Han Dynasty, but I'm afraid none of them can compare to the Li family, right?"

"Of course, General Li fought bravely for the Han Dynasty. I did not say that General Li or the Li family had any rebellious intentions. However, as the head of the clan, I have to think more about it."

Liu Yan's words made everyone frown, but they couldn't help but feel that what Liu Yan said made sense.

Yang Biao couldn't help but smile bitterly and said:

"My Hongnong Yang family and Runan Yuan family are both big families. However, in the past two years, the Li family has been rising rapidly. I am afraid that the Yang family will be far away from the Li family in the future."

Seeing Yang Biao speak, Liu Yan nodded and stroked his beard, saying, "Although we are not as good as the Li family in leading troops, tactics and battle formations, we should also think about making more contributions to pacifying the Yellow Turbans in various places. I have some humble opinions. Can you please help me to discuss them?"

Liu Biao, Yang Biao, Ma Riti and others all looked at Liu Yan.

Liu Biao smiled and said in surprise, "Zongzheng actually has a good idea to pacify the Yellow Turbans. Tell me about it."

Everyone nodded, but looked at Liu Yan curiously.

Does Liu Yan have any good ideas?

Liu Yan took a deep breath and said, "Actually, this idea is the same as when His Majesty let the Li family take over Bingzhou and give me full responsibility for Bingzhou's military and political affairs."

"The Thirteen Prefectures of the Han Dynasty are full of Yellow Turbans. Apart from the four major Yellow Turbans, there are still countless Yellow Turbans in each prefecture and county. I think it is necessary for General Li to lead the Beiwei Army to attack the four major Yellow Turbans. However, it is also necessary to pacify the scattered Yellow Turbans in various places. Otherwise, even if the main Yellow Turbans are defeated, they will still thrive with the scattered Yellow Turbans in various places to supplement them."

"And this time the Yellow Turban Rebellion was so powerful, and the fact that the court had no troops to suppress it has already given us a warning."

"So, I feel that we should abolish the Inspectorate and restore the Provincial Governor system?"

In the hall, Liu Yan's words caused a huge uproar. The system of provincial governors was abolished and the system of provincial governors was restored, which shocked Liu Biao, Yang Biao, Ma Riti and others.

"What? Restoring the governor system? How can this be possible?"

Ma Riti glared at Liu Yan and exclaimed in shock.

The people around were also surprised and suspicious.

In fact, the provincial governor system has existed for a long time.

During the reigns of Emperor Cheng and Emperor Ai, provincial governors were used to replace provincial governors twice, but the emergence of provincial governors also brought a series of problems. The provincial governors held great military and administrative power in the local area, which led to their dominance in the local area and even the formation of separatist forces, posing a threat to the court.

Although the provincial governor system to a certain extent met the needs of the expansion of the Han Dynasty's territory and population, it also intensified local separatist forces and disputes in the imperial court.

Therefore, after Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu re-established the Han Dynasty, in order to weaken the power of provincial governors, he re-established the system of Inspectors, abolished the administrative, military, and personnel powers held by provincial governors, and returned the supervisory duties to the Inspectors.

This move effectively weakened local separatist forces, strengthened the power of the imperial court, and stabilized the Han regime for a period of time. The provincial governors in various places were only left with supervisory powers.

Now, Liu Yan actually proposed to restore the provincial governor system?
Facing the uproar of the crowd, Liu Yan looked righteous and said in a deep voice:
"Everyone, I am the head of the Han clan and the leader of the Liu clan. I understand the significance of restoring the provincial governor system."

"However, if each state is enfeoffed with a governor, firstly, they can gather the troops of the state and county to wipe out the scattered Yellow Turbans in various places and respond to General Li. Secondly, they can recruit troops to serve as reserve forces for our Han Dynasty. Even if the Beiwei Army is defeated by the Yellow Turbans, there will be protection."

Liu Yan's words made Liu Biao, Yang Biao, Ma Riti and others in the hall slowly calm down. They frowned slightly and thought carefully. They felt that Liu Yan's words did make sense.

But people like Yang Biao looked at Liu Yan strangely.

At the beginning, when Liu Yan said that the Li family was too powerful, he didn't quite understand what he meant. Now, Yang Biao seemed to understand what Liu Yan meant.

"Zongzheng, restoring the provincial governor system involves a lot of issues. Your Majesty needs to make a decision at this time." Yang Biao's eyes flashed, and he said to Liu Yan in a deep voice.

Liu Yan was delighted when he saw that Yang Biao seemed to be interested, but he remained expressionless and said:
"The restoration of the provincial governor system will be of great benefit to the Han Dynasty in suppressing the Yellow Turbans. The most urgent task is to suppress the Yellow Turbans first. As the head of the clan, I have the need to advise Your Majesty. I will tell Your Majesty about this tomorrow, and I will need your help then. It is not only the Li family that can suppress the Yellow Turbans. We must all work together."

Liu Yan said solemnly to several people.

"This... should be so!" Liu Biao, Yang Biao and Ma Riti looked at each other. Now they finally understood what Liu Yan meant. Although they were not as good as the Li family in leading troops, military tactics and battle formations, they could also make some contributions to pacifying the Yellow Turbans in various places.

Some people in the hall even felt a stir in their hearts, thinking about the power represented by the position of governor of a state.

……

That night.

Liu Yan's carriage arrived outside Yuan's mansion.

Yuan Mansion, in the hall.

Yuan Feng and Yuan Kui, the two helmsmen of the Yuan family, sat in the main seats.

After a round of greetings, Liu Yan put down his wine bottle and finally got to the point.

“What? Restore the system of provincial governors? This…” Yuan Feng originally thought that Liu Yan came to persuade him about today’s court affairs, but they were shocked when they heard Liu Yan actually proposed to restore the system of provincial governors and gain the support of the Yuan family.

"Sikong, if the provincial governor system is restored, the Yuan family can also take revenge on the Yellow Turbans themselves, right?" Liu Yan smiled, shook the wine jar, and said to Yuan Feng in a serious tone.

"Hiss..." Yuan Feng and Yuan Kui were shocked. They looked at each other, shocked and surprised at the same time as they looked at Liu Yan.

"It seems that what Zong Zheng said makes sense." Yuan Feng took a deep breath and said solemnly.

.........

(End of this chapter)