Super Cultivation System of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 707 Internal Crisis
"Okay, okay!"

In the palace, Liu He laughed with joy as he looked at the good news that had just been delivered.

"In just twenty days, my second brother and his men have wiped out Xiliang. Not only did they destroy Han Sui, they also recaptured the two counties of Jiuquan and Dunhuang that had been occupied by the Shaodang and Xianling Qiang tribes. This is a great achievement. When they return, I will definitely reward them handsomely!"

Cui Jun said: "Congratulations, Your Majesty. The threat from the Western Qiang that has troubled our Han Dynasty for a hundred years has been resolved so smoothly. It is truly a great blessing for Your Majesty."

Liu He smiled and said, "Zhou Ping said it well."

However, Xun Yu said, "Your Majesty, there are nearly a hundred Qiang tribes, and the strongest ones are Shaodang and Xianling. Although the chiefs of the two tribes have been killed and the main forces have been destroyed by Yunchang, there are still tens of thousands of troops and hundreds of thousands of people in the tribe. Now they have fled far away. If they come back in the future, we must be on guard. Moreover, less than half of the Western Qiang tribes are now submitting to the court. According to the information obtained by the business and the Flying Eagle Guard, there are dozens of tribes of different sizes, such as Baima Qiang, Zhong Qiang, Lejie Qiang, Bonan Qiang, Qiedong Qiang, Po Qiang, Dangjian Qiang, etc., who are unwilling to be driven by our great Han. They may cause trouble to various places in the future. It is not the time to let down our guard."

Although Xun Yu's words were very disappointing, every word of them made sense.

Now, through the deterrence of military power and the trade of merchants, many tribes have chosen to submit to the Han Dynasty, and he has also gained a better understanding of the situation of the Qiang tribe, which will facilitate further control in the future. However, in terms of strength, these surrendered tribes only account for less than half of the entire Qiang population.

"In Wenruo's opinion, how should we deal with the remaining Qiang tribes?" Liu He asked.

"In my humble opinion, the Qiang people are causing chaos in Liang Province, and even the people of the Han Dynasty are suffering from border disturbances. In addition, Dong Zhuo, Han Sui and others have been tyrannical for many years, which has caused many people to turn away from the Han Dynasty. Our current plan is to stabilize the border and win back the people's hearts."

Liu He heard this and said thoughtfully: "Well, there is some truth in it. Go on."

Xun Yu said respectfully: "To stabilize the border, we must send heavy troops to guard the important passes to prevent the Xiongnu, Qiang people, and even Liu Yan of Yizhou from causing trouble. As for the people's loyalty, we must send competent officials to various parts of Liangzhou to enforce the law and show kindness. Then the people will naturally be loyal to the court again. In this way, Liangzhou will be completely stable in a few years."

Upon hearing this, Liu He frowned slightly. "The matter of stationing troops is easy to say. But Liangzhou has a total of ten counties and nearly a hundred counties. The court itself is a little short of officials. After the previous promotion and the strong recommendation of the ministers, only about 60% to 70% of the vacancies have been filled. It is difficult to select so many capable officials to govern Liangzhou at once."

Unexpectedly, Xun Yu said: "Your Majesty, I have already made preparations for this matter."

"Oh? Wen Ruo is indeed always ahead of others and can always share my worries at critical moments. Tell me quickly."

"I think that after years of governance, Bingzhou and Sili are now in good order. The imperial court's orders are well communicated, officials are doing their jobs, the people are devoted to agriculture and commerce, and officials at all levels are not as busy as before. Therefore, I suggest that the officials in Bingzhou and Sili be selected and transferred to Liangzhou."

Xun Yu's suggestion was something Liu He had never thought of before.

"Hmm... Interesting, indeed. Daozhun and others did mention to me before that their government affairs are much easier now than a year ago. However, Liangzhou needs no less than a hundred county-level officials. If so many officials are to be sent there, I am afraid that it will also have an impact on the government affairs of Sili and Bingzhou."

"There is nothing we can do about it. We can only wait for more recommendations and promotions from all over the country to gradually fill the vacancies."

Xun Yu said.

"Talents, talents... Where can I find so many talents? It's really a headache..."

He now has no shortage of top talents under his command, including the two Xuns, one Cui, and Guan Yu. Liu He is confident that no other prince in the world, whether civil or military, can compare with him. However, it is impossible to govern the country well with just these few people. Officials at the state, county, and county levels are indispensable. It's like playing a game. A few kings can't win with a group of rookies.

Cui Jun said: "The only way to solve this problem is to rely on the big families to recruit more disciples and train scholars for the court. Otherwise, there is no other way." Liu He felt that this was a bit disadvantageous. The power to recommend officials in the court was ultimately in the hands of those big families. Only their family members and students would be recommended, while others, let alone being recommended for official duties, would have very slim chances of even being able to read and write. This was a situation Liu He did not want to see.

But he didn't have any good solution at the moment. The imperial examination system of later generations would have almost no effect in this era. The vast majority of people were illiterate. The imperial examination would only serve the wealthy and powerful families, and the result would be the same.

"Well, let's just leave it like this for now. You will draft the list of transfers and submit it. In a few days, during the court meeting, after discussing with the ministers, the decree will be issued."

"Yes!" The three of them took the order together.

A few days later, the army returned victoriously from the Western Expedition. Liu He personally went out of the city to welcome them and held a celebratory banquet in the palace. All civil and military officials in the court attended the banquet.

Early the next morning, there was a grand court meeting in the palace.

"Announce: General Guan Yu, the General Zhu Ye, the General Zhao Yun, the General Deng Yuan, the General Ma Chao, the General Ma Chao, the General Ma Chao, the General Ma Yu ...

As Gong Saner's sharp voice rang out, Guan Yu and five others walked into the hall.

Afterwards, Gong Saner took out the imperial edict and read it out: "The Emperor, in compliance with the Will of Heaven, declares: There is a traitor named Han Sui who has colluded with the Qiang rebels and attached himself to the false emperor. He is rampant in Xiliang, rebelling against the court and causing chaos to the people. Fortunately, General Guan Yu, General Zhu Ye, General Zhao Yun, General Deng Yuan, General Ma Chao, General Deng Yuan, General Ma Chao, have made far-sighted plans and bravely marched forward to eliminate the traitors and eliminate the troubles. They have made great contributions to the country and I am very pleased."

"Guan Yu conquered the country wisely, and was promoted to General of the Front and Marquis of Shichan Township."

"Zhu Ye broke the enemy's trap and was promoted to Marquis of Cheng'an."

"Zhao Yun killed Han Sui and the other three bandit leaders, and made outstanding contributions. He was promoted to General Pingdong and Marquis of Xianyin Township."

"Deng Yuan followed Zhao Yun across the desert, killed the enemy and was awarded the title of Lieutenant General."

"Ma Chao killed the enemy bravely and was promoted to Lieutenant General."

The five people received the order respectfully: "We thank your majesty for your grace. We swear to go through fire and water for your majesty without hesitation!"

"Haha, second brother, fifth brother, and Zilong, Ziyang, Mengqi, please stand up quickly."

Liu He was very happy and gave the five people a helping hand, helping them stand up again.

At this time, Lu Zhi stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the fact that Liangzhou is now under the jurisdiction of the imperial court is due to the blessing of the Han ancestors and the blessing of Your Majesty. The people of Liangzhou have long suffered from the tyrants and Qiang people. We should quickly send officials to govern them to show Your Majesty's great grace."

Liu He secretly praised Lu Zhi for his great understanding of the overall situation. With such knowledge and talent, it seemed a waste of his talent to be a powerless General of the Left Cavalry. Liu He began to think about what position to transfer him to.

(End of this chapter)