Super Cultivation System of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 256 Such a Reward
Yuan Wei didn't even look at Lu Zhi, but just remained respectful to Emperor Ling.

"The Right Lieutenant General is indeed a great scholar of classics. His few words are so sharp that they strike at the heart. I have never meant to belittle the royal bloodline in what I have said. Why would Lord Lu want to harm me?"

"Okay, I believe that Master Taifu has no such intention."

Once Emperor Lingdi spoke, the decision was naturally made.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Emperor Ling waved his hand and said, "Ahem...it's just that the Right General is right. Just because we are of the same bloodline as Emperor Gaozu, we have to be treated inferiorly after making contributions. In the more than 400 years of our Han Dynasty, we have never done this. It is really inappropriate."

Yuan Wei said, "Your Majesty, please don't be impatient. I haven't finished speaking yet. I would like to ask the two Lieutenant Generals, what is Liu He's current position?"

Huangfu Song sneered, "Taifu, why do you ask when you already know the answer? It must be the governor of Yanmen."

"Okay. Then let me ask you again, how many soldiers does he have?"

"He made it clear in his report that the Yanmen army now has about 95,000 men."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cui Lie, who was not far behind Yuan Wei, changed his expression.

Yuan Wei sneered slightly.

"A mere governor has secretly recruited soldiers and has such a large force. You should know that the garrison troops in Luoyang City are not of such a scale, and the troops of the Bingzhou governor's department are only 60,000 to 70,000. In other words, Liu He is only the governor of a county under the jurisdiction of Bingzhou in the Great Han Dynasty, but his troops have exceeded those of the governor of the state, and even exceeded those of the imperial guards of the capital of the Great Han Dynasty."

"What does this mean, Master?"

Lu Zhi questioned, "Your Majesty personally issued an edict to order local forces to recruit troops and pacify the world. Liu He has made great contributions to local governance and military management. He has won the support of the people and soldiers, which is why he has the military strength he has today. This is also the reason why he was able to annihilate Zhang Jue and capture Kui Tou alive. Now the Grand Tutor is using this as a charge against him, which is really ridiculous!"

Yuan Wei's expression remained calm.

"Mr. Lu has misunderstood. I don't intend to use this as a charge against him, nor have I ever intended to convict Liu He. I am just discussing the matter. Liu He's position does not match his power. If he is in the border area, he can naturally protect the country and resist foreign races, which is a good thing. But if he is summoned to the capital and then granted the power of a fake emperor, haha, I am afraid that no one in Bing, Ji and other places will be able to restrain him."

These words made Huangfu Song so angry that his mouth was twisted.

"You are just making up stories! Have you ever met Liu He? Have you ever fought alongside him or talked with him by candlelight? There is nothing. You are just making wild guesses based on your own ideas. You are just trying to find excuses to accuse me!"

Yuan Wei did not argue with him, but just stood there straight, and no one knew what he was thinking.

"The court is an important place, no quarrels or noises are allowed!"

The Praefectus Urbicha shouted again majestically.

"Yuan Pang, you are from the Yuan family. You don't care about Yuan Wei's nonsense. But you are shouting nonsense when I say a few fair words. I think you should stop being the Praefectus Armorus!"

The Prefect of the Guards Yuan Pang was older than his cousin Yuan Wei. When he was scolded by Yuan Pang, he became so angry that his neck turned red.

Emperor Ling said, "Well, this is a court meeting, my dear ministers, please stop arguing. Ahem... I wonder what other dear ministers think about this matter?"

"I think what the Grand Tutor said makes sense. Although Liu He has made outstanding contributions, he can be rewarded or promoted, but he cannot enter the capital or be granted imperial seal. The world is in chaos now, and many villains are trying to disrupt the government. Liu He is also a member of the royal family. If he has ambitions, his power will be unstoppable after he is granted imperial seal. If he is allowed to enter the capital, the consequences will be even more disastrous."

"This is simply nonsense! Liu He is loyal to his country and cares for the people and soldiers. You are all judging him by your own standards!"

Huangfu Song scolded angrily.

"Old General, he doesn't have such ambitions now, but that doesn't mean he won't have them in the future. Now in Bingzhou, there is still Governor Ding who can control him a little, but if he is given the power of pretextual authority, there is no guarantee that he will not secretly control the entire Bingzhou and sideline Ding Yuan. This man has such outstanding ability to command troops. Once he reaches that point, I'm afraid even General Huangfu and General Lu may not be able to subdue him, right?"

Lu Zhi said sullenly, "You are judging a man who has made great contributions to the country with such groundless speculations. Aren't you afraid of chilling the hearts of the people of the world?"

"No, we are only concerned about the country. Your Majesty's princes are still young. If a royal relative holds local power and is in charge of such a powerful military force, who can guarantee that he will not rebel in the future? We must check and balance him!"

"You...you are simply shameless!"

"General Huangfu, please stop speaking evil words!"

"It's you I'm scolding..." Emperor Ling frowned, looking impatient.

"That's enough. This is disgraceful. Ahem... just shut up..."

Everyone hurried to apologize.

"General, you are in charge of all military affairs in the world. How do you think this matter should be handled?"

Hearing this, He Jin rolled his eyes and raised his head slightly to glance at Emperor Ling's expression.

"Your Majesty, I think what the Grand Tutor and the others said is a bit alarmist. After all, Liu He has made great contributions repeatedly. If the court does not reward him greatly but suppresses him instead, how will the people of the world view Your Majesty? Therefore, I think that Liu He must be rewarded well."

Emperor Ling looked at He Jin, and Huangfu Song also looked at him in surprise.

"Zi Gan, these words don't sound like what the general would say. Am I hallucinating?"

Huangfu Song whispered to Lu Zhi beside him.

"It's not that simple. Just listen to me. I think the general has something else to say."

As expected, under everyone's surprised gaze, He Jin spoke again.

"However, I think that the reward mentioned by the Left General is still insufficient. As far as I know, there are a group of talented people under Liu He, including Cui Tingwei's youngest son, who has also made great contributions. Therefore, I think that this reward should include these people, so as to show your majesty's great grace!"

Emperor Ling seemed to be interested and asked, "What do you think we should do, General?"

"It's very simple. Appoint Cui Jun as the governor of Yanmen, Guan Yu as the governor of Dingxiang, Cheng Liang as the governor of Yunzhong, Zhang Yong as the governor of Wuyuan, Zhu Ye as the governor of Shangjun, and the rest of Shi Tao, Meng Jian, Ye Xiang, Gao Shun and others will also be given titles and rewards. Appoint Liu He as the lieutenant to suppress the enemy and the governor of Shuofang, and control the military and political power of the six counties at the same time. Grant him temporary authority in the six counties, and reward him with 100,000 dan of grain and grass, 8 million coins, and 2,000 bolts of cloth as a reward!"

Huangfu Song's face changed drastically.

"No! Except for the southern part of Yanmen, the rest of these six counties have been lost to the barbarian cavalry. Isn't it a promotion in name only and a demotion in reality? I think it is totally inappropriate!"

He Jin's face trembled a little from laughing.

"Haha, this Liu He is quite talented. He is a relative of the Han Dynasty. Now that the country is in trouble, it is the time for him to show his strengths and serve the court. What's wrong with that?"

"Yes, as a relative of the Han Dynasty, it is a great joy and a great achievement to recover the lost territory of the Han Dynasty. If you succeed, you will be granted a title of nobility and appointed as a general. I, an old minister, also fully support it!"

"We all agree with the general's proposal!"

Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi were so angry that they were completely speechless.

Cui Lie suddenly stood up.

"I thank the general for recommending my son. My son is still young, and I am really terrified to be appointed as the governor of a county. I can only live up to your grace by working hard! However, I have another idea."

Emperor Ling said: "My dear minister, your family is full of loyal heroes and can serve as role models. If you have any suggestions, just say it... ahem... just say it."

Cui Lie said respectfully, "Although I am not familiar with military affairs, I know that the northern Hu people have grown up on horses and are very good at riding. No matter how brave our Han army is, they are mostly infantry. We can succeed by defending in dangerous places, but if we want to pursue them over long distances, I am afraid we may not be able to do so. The general's proposal is a brilliant idea, but if we can exchange those rewards for 10,000 fine war horses, it may be more beneficial for Liu He to achieve meritorious service, kill the enemy, and stabilize the border."

Emperor Ling nodded: "Ahem... Minister Cui is absolutely right. Let's do it this way."

Huangfu Song wanted to say something, but Yuan Wei spoke before him.

"Your Majesty, the Qiang people in Liangzhou and the barbarians in Jiaozhou have both rebelled. I believe that only Lords Huangfu and Lu can put them down."

"Approved. Pass the decree, appoint Huangfu Song as the Left General of Chariots and Cavalry, and lead 60,000 troops to Liangzhou. Lu Zhi as the Right General of Chariots and Cavalry, and lead 50,000 troops to Jiaozhou. In addition, General Huangfu is asked to personally select 10,000 war horses, um... and bring 100,000 shi of grain and fodder as well. You are to personally send someone to escort them to Yanmen, and be sure to convey... ahem... my high hopes for him to him."

"By the way, there's no need to escort that Xianbei leader Kuitou to the capital. Let... ahem, let Liu He deal with him on his own. The Xianbei people probably won't regard him as their leader anymore anyway."

"I will obey your orders!"

(End of this chapter)