The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 398 Establishing a Grand General's Office and Controlling the Armies of the Realm
In midsummer, Li Yi and his party finally returned to Luoyang.

The city gates were opened wide, and Emperor Liu Bei of Han personally led his civil and military officials to greet him.

"Your subject Li Yi has returned from the imperial tour of the south, and I am fortunate to have fulfilled my mission!"

"Your subject Chen Deng, having returned from the southern expedition, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Liu Bei personally helped the two up, took their hands, and sighed:
"Ziyu's southern tour was arduous, and Yuanlong's defense of the border was meritorious."

"I am very pleased!"

After saying this, he specifically addressed Chen Deng:

"The general has guarded Huainan for more than 20 years, and now he has pacified Eastern Wu. His contribution is great to the country."

Chen Deng bowed:

"This is my duty, and I dare not claim credit for it."

That night, a grand banquet was held in the palace.

The Qilin Hall was brightly lit and filled with lively music and singing.

Liu Bei sat in the main seat, with Li Yi and Chen Deng standing to his left and right respectively.

Meanwhile, Lu Xun and other former officials of the Wu Kingdom were also invited.

"Today's banquet serves two purposes: first, to celebrate Ziyu's successful southern tour, and second, to congratulate Yuanlong on his conquest of Wu."

"The third thing... hehe, is to welcome Boyan and other talented people from Wu."

Liu Bei raised his cup, "May all the talented people in the world fall into my fold!"

The ministers raised their cups in response:

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

At the height of the banquet, Liu Bei solemnly said:

“Ziyu once established a rule that the prime minister cannot act unilaterally.”

"Now that his term has expired, he should step down to a more capable person."

He then turned to Li Yi and said, "The handover ceremony will be prepared by Ziyu."

Li Yi bowed and accepted the decree:

"My minister obeys."

Three days later,
The ceremony for the handover of the prime minister was held at the Southern Palace in Luoyang.

All cabinet members were present, and all the court officials gathered together.

Even more strikingly,
Representatives from prominent families such as the Wei clan of Hedong and the Wang clan of Hongnong were all present at the meeting.

These powerful clans donated manpower and construction materials when Luoyang was being rebuilt, and strategic materials during the war.

After the war, he donated a huge sum of money to the reconstruction efforts.

Therefore, they were specially honored to participate in the grand ceremony.

The auspicious hour has arrived; bells and drums resound in unison.

Li Yi, dressed in a purple robe and gold belt, slowly ascended the stage.

Chen Deng, dressed in scarlet robes and wearing a jade crown, followed closely behind.

"Your subject, Li Yi, has been trusted and relied upon by Your Majesty to serve as Prime Minister for ten years."

"Now that my term has expired, I hereby return the seal of office."

Li Yi's voice was loud and clear, echoing throughout the hall.

Liu Bei nodded:

"Accurate."

Li Yi turned to Chen Deng and solemnly said:

"General Yuanlong, today we entrust the fate of the nation to you. I hope you will not fail the Emperor's grace."

Chen Deng solemnly knelt down to receive:

"Your subject, Chen Deng, will exert all his strength, even unto death!"

The most solemn moment has arrived.

A palace attendant presented a brocade box, and Li Yi took out a jade token from it—

This is a token used by the Prime Minister to mobilize troops and govern the country. It was cast in the first year of the Zhangwu era.

This is also its first time being passed down.

"This decree is hereby given to you to act as the Emperor's representative, to patrol and protect the people."

Li Yi handed the jade token to Chen Deng.

Chen Deng raised both hands above his head and solemnly accepted it:
"...Your subject humbly accepts the order!"

"We must always keep the people's livelihood in mind and prioritize the well-being of the nation!"

In an instant, the bells and drums sounded again, and all the officials offered their congratulations:
"Congratulations, Prime Minister Chen! May the empire be forever secure!"

Wei Ji, representing the Wei clan of Hedong, stepped forward to present gifts:

"The Wei family respectfully presents a pair of jade discs to congratulate the new prime minister!"

May the world be at peace and the people live in good health!

Wang Jun, representative of the Hongnong Wang clan, also presented a congratulatory letter:
"The Wang family is willing to donate 100,000 shi of grain to assist the new prime minister in his administration!"

Liu Bei was overjoyed and bestowed upon him three cups of imperial wine.

Li Yi and Chen Deng drank together, looked at each other and smiled.

During the banquet, Lu Xun quietly said to Jiang Wei beside him:
"...Such a smooth transfer of power is rare in history."

"Prime Minister Li is truly an extraordinary man."

Jiang Wei couldn't help but sigh:

“…Exactly.”

"Throughout history, the change of power has often been accompanied by bloodshed and turmoil."

"Today's grand occasion is truly a sign of a prosperous era."

The ceremony continued, accompanied by the sounds of traditional Chinese string and wind instruments.

But it's clear to everyone that the new prime minister's first storm has already quietly arrived.

As the banquet drew to a close, Xuande (Liu Bei) looked weary, and took Li Yi's hand, saying:
"I will return to the palace first, and you will act as my guest in my stead."

After speaking, eight eunuchs led the emperor away, carrying glass palace lanterns.

Li Yi stood up, sleeves fluttering, and laughed loudly:
"His Majesty has decreed that all gentlemen shall revel until dawn—"

"Come on! Keep the music playing! Keep dancing!"

In an instant, the chime bells rang.

Twenty-four ethereal dancers, dressed in feathered robes, moved gracefully like swans, while the hall was filled with people of high rank and noble bearing, all raising their cups in celebration.

Just as the amber wine was being poured into the luminous glass, the newly appointed Prime Minister, Chen Dengzhi, suddenly appeared and began to display it.

“…Ziyu,”

Although Chen Deng was dressed in a purple and gold court robe, he could not hide the weariness between his brows.

“Back when we were playing in the waters of Guangling, we could drink for three days and nights straight.”

"Although I am now ranked at the top of the cabinet, I feel that I am not up to the task."

Li Yi lightly tapped the rim of his cup against the wine vessel, making a clanging sound, and asked:
"Why do you say that, Yuanlong?"

“In the past, Yu the Great passed by his home three times without entering while controlling the floods. Now, you are not yet sixty years old, and it is time for you to assist in the government for another ten years.”

Chen Deng shook his head and smiled to himself:

"...Sigh, I'm getting old."

"When I combed my hair this morning, I saw that silver threads had already crept up my temples."

"For example, though the sunset is beautiful, it is still approaching dusk..."

According to Chen Deng's original plan, he intended to retire in Jiangnan and settle down peacefully.

He's lived a carefree life.

However, Li Yi forcibly brought him to the central government.

He didn't know how many more years he could work, but his energy was far less than before.

Just then, a sound of jade chopsticks falling to the ground suddenly arose from the side of the table.

Wei Kai, the representative of the Wei clan of Hedong, suddenly stood up, his rhinoceros horn hairpin trembling slightly. He bowed and asked:

"I apologize for my intrusion, but what does it mean when you say that Prime Minister Li will assist in governing for another ten years?"

"You're saying you support Chancellor Chen so early on? Doesn't that seem like you've been appointed by the emperor?"

The music in the hall suddenly stopped, and even the guards with halberds turned their heads to look at them.

Since the establishment of the cabinet system in the first year of Zhangwu, the prime minister has always been selected by the cabinet ministers and appointed by the emperor.

No senior official has ever publicly discussed the matter of succession.

Wei Ji's words immediately put Li Yi in the spotlight.

After all, there were many rumors circulating that Li Yi was a "powerful minister," which was indeed the case.

Representatives from various prominent families gained some experience and qualifications as "government-run enterprises" by donating supplies.

They donated a lot of money both during and after the war.

But what they really care about is how long Chen Deng will remain prime minister.

Because it's obvious to anyone with eyes that Chen Deng will definitely support Li Yi's new policies.

Li Yi tapped his knuckles lightly on the table, then laughed loudly, looking up at the sky:

"How absurd is Bo Yu's claim!"

"I didn't mean that at all."

"The Han law clearly states: the selection of the prime minister shall be in accordance with the Cabinet Law."

"What I am saying is an expectation, not an imperial decree." The nine-dragon pendant at his waist jingled with laughter, drowning out the sound of the water clock outside the palace.

"However, the Prime Minister just stated clearly..."

Wei Ji was about to argue when Li Yi interrupted him by shaking his sleeve.

"If you insist on asking whether or not you support me—"

Li Yi's smile vanished instantly, his gaze sweeping across the entire room like lightning. "I truly support Lord Chen!"

"I can tell you all clearly! I support it."

"However, this support is established in accordance with the law, and is not a private exchange!"

Before he finished speaking, a young man at the last seat suddenly pushed the table and stood up.

It turned out to be Wang Jun, the representative of the Hongnong Wang clan.

Wang Jun was from Hongnong Lake.

It is not the Los Angeles Lakers, but the Lakers County of Hongnong Prefecture.

Most of the family representatives were older, with Wang Jun being the youngest.

He came from a family of officials who had held the rank of two thousand shi for generations.

The family has had members serving as officials in the imperial court for generations.

It was a powerful family that was no less prestigious than the Yang family of Hongnong.

Wang Jun was well-versed in classical texts from a young age and was also handsome.

Cheerful and open-minded, with lofty aspirations.

At the same time, he was also a famous minister of the Western Jin Dynasty and a renowned general of the Jin Dynasty who participated in the war to destroy Wu.

Ten years ago, when Liu Bei first entered Luoyang, everything was in ruins and needed to be rebuilt.

The Wang family also actively contributed their efforts, providing manpower and funds to help build the palace.

Thanks to this well-considered investment, the Wang family has further solidified its position in Hongnong.

Wang Jun, as a talented young man in the family, also took up the post of Hedong Attendant at a young age.

"Li Xiang..."

The boy was stopped by Li Yi's gesture as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Given that you are all outstanding individuals from distinguished families, why not emulate the diligent study methods employed, like pricking your thighs with an awl to stay awake?"

Li Yi, with his hands behind his back, sneered:

"When I roamed the world, Yuan Shao was entrenched in Hebei, Sun Ce was dominating Jiangdong, and Cao Cao was a tiger crouching in the Central Plains—"

"Even a madman like Ni Zhengping once sat down with me to discuss the world!"

Chen Deng lightly tapped his jade crown, glanced at the cabinet ministers, and saw that they were all sneering.

Wang Jun blushed and was about to argue when he saw Li Yi flick his finger at the bronze candle tree, and the flame flickered in response.

"Why did I establish the imperial examination system? Precisely to break the blockage created by aristocratic families!"

Li Yi paced back and forth, his feet casting shadows on the ground. "If we allow powerful families to recommend candidates, wouldn't that mean that people from humble backgrounds will never have a chance to rise in society?"

"Gentlemen, you all pride yourselves on your intelligence, yet you fail to see the Yellow River's tendency to change course?"

“You, you aristocratic families, are at least prestigious clans.”

"But I feel you should read more books, because the questions you're asking are really naive."

"You are too self-important, thinking you are very smart."

Wang Jun and Wei Kai looked at each other blankly, stunned, and wanted to speak again.

However, they were completely overwhelmed by Li Yi's aura, and it turned into Li Yi's personal speech.

Before Wei Ji could speak, Li Yi suddenly turned around and pointed at the tip of his nose:
“I am not a politician, because I have retired today.”

"I originally intended to emulate Zhang Liang in practicing fasting and cultivating the Tao, but alas, I find you all as immature as children!"

Everyone looked at each other, speechless.

Chen Deng calmly rose, raised his glass, and said:

"Why are you all so surprised? Prime Minister Li is merely joking—"

"Come! Play the music!"

When the chime bells rang again, no one dared to answer.

The next day, early morning court.

The officials, dressed in their court robes, stood with their heads bowed, watching as Prime Minister Li Yi handed the seal of office to Chen Deng.

On the jade steps, the fine lines around Liu Bei's eyes were faintly visible in the morning light. Suddenly, he spoke, breaking the silence:
"Wait a minute!"

All the officials in the court looked up in surprise and saw the emperor descend the steps and personally help Chen Deng, who was kneeling to receive the seal of the prime minister.

But then he turned to Li Yi and sighed:

"...Ziyu, do you know about the report from the observatory last night?"

"Mars guards the heart of the sky, and a comet traverses the heavens."

"In these turbulent times, I truly cannot bear to see you retire to the mountains and forests."

Then, Liu Bei turned to his ministers and said:
“Last night, Emperor Gaozu appeared to me in a dream and told me that I cannot lose the Ziwei star.”

"Do you all agree or disagree?"

The courtiers were taken aback, but immediately understood Liu Bei's implication.

Pang Tong stepped forward first, his jade tablet striking his palm with a clear sound.

"During Li Xiang's ten years in power, the size of the government granaries and granaries has more than doubled."

"The fact that criminal cases have been reduced by half is a testament to the will of Heaven!"

Before he could finish speaking, Liu Ye also stepped forward quickly, holding the bamboo slips:

"Last year, the top performers in the performance evaluations of 379 counties were all located in areas where Prime Minister Li's new policies were implemented!"

Zhang He also hurriedly stepped out from the ranks of military officers, his iron armor clanging loudly.

"I am willing to pledge my military achievements in Jiangnan as proof!"

"Without Prime Minister Li's central command and clear direction, how could the southern campaign have gone so smoothly?"

After speaking, he knelt down on one knee.

Those who stood up to speak for Li Yi were all his close friends, and many of his disciples were also involved.

Li Yi's retirement must have been terrifying for them, as they had lost a powerful patron.

Seeing that Liu Bei had given a hint, everyone seized the opportunity and begged Li Yi to stay.

“…Ziyu.”

An aged voice came from the palace gate.

The officials turned around and saw Lu Su leaning against the door frame, panting heavily, while Xun You was being supported by two eunuchs as he followed behind.

The left prime minister's official robe revealed bandages and ointment, while the right prime minister had to rest three times even when entering the palace.

Although Lu Su and Xun You held the prestigious positions of Left and Right Chancellor, they were already quite old.

In the past two years, he has also been seriously ill, so he has been semi-retired from court.

Of course, if we follow the original historical timeline...

In fact, the two of them had long since died of old age.

They have lived four or five years longer than the original timeline.

The reason for this is that the workload for the two was not as great as in the original timeline.

At the same time, Li Yi attached great importance to the development of the medical industry.

He heavily relied on Zhang Zhongjing and Hua Tuo, two renowned experts in internal medicine and surgery, to safeguard the health of the people.

Furthermore, the reconstruction of Luoyang was led by Li Yi, and the rational urban planning further guaranteed the people's quality of life.

The combined effect of these multiple buffs allowed Lu Su and Xun You to live longer.

He lived several years longer than in the original timeline.

Even so, we cannot avoid birth, aging, sickness and death.

It will come eventually.

The two men were already exhausted, and Liu Bei granted them special permission to decide whether or not to attend court based on the actual situation.

The situation of two people attending court at the same time has become extremely rare in the past two years.

Therefore, the fact that the two of them came together today despite their illnesses is clearly "premeditated".

Although Liu Bei was fully aware of the two men's arrival, he pretended not to know and asked:

"Both of you are gravely ill; what brings you here today?"

The two elderly ministers, their hair and beards both white, still forced themselves to bow and pay their respects despite their illness:
"Your Majesty... This old minister heard that Ziyu wishes to retire into seclusion, so I came here... I came here to persuade him to stay."

As he spoke, he suddenly coughed violently, and specks of scarlet blood seeped through the plain silk handkerchief.

Left Chancellor Lu Su was carried into the palace in a sedan chair; his voice, though weak, was clear:
"I was able to assist the Holy Emperor entirely thanks to Prime Minister Li's recommendation back then." "Now that the realm is not yet at peace, how can Prime Minister Li remain unscathed?"

Xun You also said:
"...Your Excellency, you often say: 'The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen.'"

"It is not easy to conquer a country, but it is even more difficult to maintain it."

"Now that the country has just been stabilized, you must not retreat at this time."

Seeing that the atmosphere had been set, all the civil and military officials bowed to Li Yi.

"Please, Prime Minister Li, stay!"

"Please, Prime Minister Li, stay!"

"..."

Upon seeing this, the newly appointed Prime Minister Chen Deng also approached Li Yi and said:
"...Ziyu, you can stay here."

"The position of prime minister is not easy to hold. Without your support, I really don't know if I could manage it."

Faced with the crowd's warm hospitality,
Li Yi looked up at the sky and sighed, his gaze sweeping over the willow catkins filling the air outside the palace:
"Do you all want me to be a horse that clings to its perch?"

Liu Bei descended the steps of the imperial palace, took Li Yi's hands in his own, and said in a deep voice:

"I remember during the Jian'an era, in Tan County, when you came out of seclusion to assist me, you said:"
"Having dedicated myself to the nation, how could I possibly cherish my remaining life?"

There seemed to be tears glistening in the Emperor's eyes.

"The land of Shu is not yet pacified, and the people of Jiangdong are restless."

"Sir, can you bear to abandon the people of the world?"

Liu Bei couldn't remember the last time he had addressed Li Yi as "sir".

The moment he uttered the word "sir," countless memories were stirred within him.

A sudden gust of wind arose outside the hall, causing the bronze bells at the corners of the hall to ring erratically.

Li Yi looked out the window at the rolling dark clouds.

"minister……"

The former prime minister knelt down, his voice piercing through the sudden gust of wind and rain.

"I am willing to dedicate myself to the Han Dynasty until my dying breath!"

A thunderclap boomed, and a torrential downpour began.

All the officials bowed down in unison, and their shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" resounded throughout the palace.

Amidst the flashes of lightning, people saw the old prime minister's graying temples trembling in the wind.

Those hands, already showing signs of age, steadily held up the seal that Chen Deng was returning.

Deep in the rain, the outline of Luoyang city was faintly visible.

This empire was like a giant ship sailing through turbulent waves, and the old helmsman ultimately failed to abandon the ship.

The willows by the palace walls are even greener after the rain, as if they know that a new chapter will be written in the court tomorrow.

……

As the evening drums sounded, Li Yi's blue-canopied carriage rolled over the wet bluestone slabs of Luoyang.

The gates of the Prime Minister's residence were already wide open, and the steward was waiting on the steps with an oil lamp in hand.

"Welcome back to the Prime Minister's residence!"

Before the servant's voice had even faded, several people emerged from behind the screen wall.

Pang Tong, draped in a crane-feather cloak, leaned against a Taihu rock; Xu Shu was bending over to observe the newly blooming ink chrysanthemums under the corridor; and Liu Ye and Zhang He were playing chess in the pavilion.

Xu Huang and Zhang Liao leaned on their sword hilts and looked up at the eaves in the rain, while even the young Jiang Wei stood under the corridor holding documents.

Clearly, everyone had been waiting at the Prime Minister's residence since the end of the court session.

Most of them were Li Yi's henchmen or disciples.

Once Li Yi retires, they will lose a powerful patron.

Today's court assembly was completely confusing.

That's why they came to make sure.

Li Yi took off his soaked court robe and laughed loudly:
"You all arrived even faster than swifts!"

Pang Tong rushed forward and grabbed Li Yi's sleeve:
"In the daytime court, how much of your so-called 'temporary stay' truly meant?"

Pang Tong came up and got straight to the point.

Li Yi didn't rush to answer, but simply smiled and invited everyone inside to chat at their leisure.

The banquet was held at Tingyuxuan.

After several rounds of drinks, Liu Ye finally threw down his cup and asked:

"I have a question: what position will Your Excellency hold if you remain in court?"

"We can't possibly be relegated to the ranks of the Nine Ministers, can we?"

According to the original plan, Li Yi should have retired, but at the urging of Liu Bei and his ministers, Li Yi decided to continue serving for a few more years.

However, the position of prime minister has already been relinquished, so it would be unwise to allow Li Yi to be relegated to the position of one of the Nine Ministers.

This was undoubtedly a humiliation for him.

The room fell silent instantly, with only the sound of rain pattering on banana leaves.

The roasted meat in Xu Huang's hand fell onto the silver plate:

"Could it be that I really want to learn from Zhang Liang's practice of fasting and cultivating Taoism?"

Li Yi stroked his beard and smiled, his gaze sweeping over the watchtower outside the window, glistening with raindrops:
"Since you all have shown me such kindness, I will stay for a few more years."

"However, I am getting old and should retire to a secondary position, no longer in charge of all affairs."

The implication is that even if Li Yi stays, he won't remain for long.

He plans to step down from his leading role.

After speaking, he raised his cup and drank it all in one gulp.

A collective sigh of relief immediately filled the room.

As long as Li Yi decides to stay, it will be good for everyone.

Xu Shu then raised Liu Ye's question again:
"Your Excellency's achievements are unparalleled; to place you in a lower position would be a disgrace."

"I wonder... what are your plans next, Prime Minister?"

Li Yi said meaningfully:
"The outcome will be clear at tomorrow's morning court session."

"Go back and resume your duties, and do not cause any trouble."

"The war in Longyou should also be resolved at the same time."

Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly realized what was happening.

It seems that Liu Bei had already communicated with Li Yi in advance in private.

The daytime court assembly was another two-person show between the emperor and his minister.

They tricked everyone into falling for their tricks.

Judging from Li Yi's calculating manner, he probably had already planned all these things in advance, before even going to Jiangnan.

However, with Li Yi's assurance, everyone was finally able to put their minds at ease.

The banquet ended and everyone dispersed.

Li Zhi stepped out from behind the screen:
"Father is unwilling to speak openly; I fear there will be another major upheaval in the court tomorrow?"

Li Yi raised an eyebrow:

“How come you see?”

"My father held a very high position, yet he was content to remain in a secondary position. Only through reform can he fully enjoy his honor."

"I wonder if we should either create a new position or reinstate the old one?"

Li Yi burst into loud laughter, causing the dust on the beams to fall slightly:
“My son has indeed made progress! He should continue to learn and grow with Boyue, for there is still much to come.”

……

At dawn the following day, the bell of Weiyang Palace rang nine times, and civil and military officials lined up on both sides of the Dan Chi.

Everyone held their breath, eagerly awaiting Liu Bei's decision regarding Li Yi.

When Liu Bei held court, his gaze swept over the assembled officials from beneath his crown, finally settling on Li Yi.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he slowly began to speak:
"Having observed the rise and fall of dynasties throughout history, I deeply feel that military and political affairs must be given equal importance."

Liu Bei, with a voice as loud as a bell, took out the imperial edict and showed it to his ministers.

"The position of Grand Marshal and General-in-Chief is now re-established, to oversee all the military forces in the land, and is hereby specially appointed to Li Ziyu."

As soon as this statement came out, the whole court was in an uproar.

Unexpectedly, it makes sense.

Due to the establishment of the cabinet system, the Grand Marshal and Grand General, which had been briefly reinstated, were immediately abolished again.

Because it conflicts with the Prime Minister.

Now that Liu Bei has reinstated this position, it is tantamount to indirectly stripping the prime minister of his military power.

Controlling the military means controlling the narrative.

Clearly, Liu Bei was not comfortable entrusting military power to anyone other than Li Yi.

Moreover, judging from Liu Bei's words, he clearly wanted Li Yi to carry out military reforms.

But thinking about it, it makes sense.

Although Chen Deng had taken up a post in Luoyang, many generals in Jiangnan still held their own troops.

In other places, there are also some special counties that have retained their own troops.

Military reform is imperative.

Attendant Yang Yi stepped forward and urgently reported:
"Your Majesty! The Grand Marshal and General wield too much power, and Prime Minister Li has already established his own government."

"If he were to also hold a military post, I fear it would be..."

Yang Yi was implying that this would give Li Yi even more power.

Because the Prime Minister's office itself has a lot of power, and when he was Prime Minister, he was also subject to some constraints from the cabinet.

Now, military power has been separated, while the power to govern the Prime Minister's residence has been retained.

Is his power not far greater than when he was prime minister?

Liu Bei raised his hand to stop the remonstrance and said solemnly:
"Ziyu has served me for twenty-five years."

"How could you not know about military affairs: you pacified Hebei, secured the Central Plains, and recovered Longyou?"

He then ordered the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat to read the imperial edict.

The sound reverberated throughout the hall, its echo lingering in the air:
"I have heard that praising virtue and recognizing merit is a national custom."

"Appointing the virtuous and capable is the foundation of good governance."

"To Li Yi, Grand Master of the Palace and former Prime Minister of the Cabinet."

"Upholding steadfast integrity and upright conduct."

"Since the early years of the Jian'an period, I have been involved in important matters and worked tirelessly day and night for twenty years to assist in the restoration of the dynasty."

“He always devoted himself to his duties with utmost loyalty and diligence, never shirking his responsibilities, which I greatly admire.”

"Recently, he requested to retire due to illness, and his words were earnest and sincere."

"Although I am considerate of the elders, I am mindful that the world is not yet at peace."

"The beacon fires were alarming, the threat from Cao Wei in Bashu was still present, and the situation in Jiangdong was still uncertain."

"This is truly a time for brave men to serve their country and for virtuous officials to assist in governing."

"In the past, the Duke of Zhou spat out his food to welcome guests, and Jiang Shang held a battle-axe; both shouldered important responsibilities in their twilight years."

"How can you live a life of seclusion in the mountains and forests, cultivating your own virtue in solitude?"

"Now I hereby promote you to the position of Grand Marshal and General-in-Chief, and grant you the authority to command troops."

"He is in charge of all military affairs, both domestic and foreign, and has control over all the troops in the country."

"He was granted the same rank as the Three Excellencies, and his subordinates were all allowed to appoint their own officials. All officers below the rank of Colonel were to be appointed independently."

“On the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month, officials shall enter the palace with swords and shoes, and shall not name their guests.”

"I hope you will display the might of an eagle and the fierceness of a tiger."

"Reorganize the six armies and pacify the four directions."

"Alas! The yellow axe and white banner are not for my personal favor."

"This is an honor, a reward for great merit."

"You must diligently obey the king's orders and not fail my trust."

"Awesome!"

Everyone held their breath and listened intently as the imperial edict was read aloud.

When they heard that "they are still allowed to open their own offices, and all official documents shall pass through the Prime Minister's office," all the officials looked at each other in shock.

This clearly establishes a power that transcends the cabinet and the imperial authority.

The prime minister's residence that Liu Bei promised to Li Yi was somewhat similar to Cao Cao's "hegemonic residence" in history.

The term "霸府" (ba fu) refers to the fact that the power of the prime minister's office surpasses that of the emperor.

From the late Eastern Han Dynasty to the Three Kingdoms period, only two people established powerful vassal states.

One is Cao Cao, and the other is Zhuge Liang.

Of course, Zhuge Liang called it the Prime Minister's Residence, not the "Overlord's Residence".

However, the power of his Prime Minister's residence is the same as that of the Ba family.

The Memorial on Dispatching the Troops has already made it very clear:
"The palace and the government are one."

"Promotion and punishment, praise and blame, should not be based on differences of opinion."

However, not just anyone can open a powerful mansion.

Looking at the entire history of the Three Kingdoms, there are only two people like Zhuge Liang and Cao Cao.

Then, if you look at the power of these two individuals, you'll understand the political status of the hegemon's government.

Of course, Zhuge Liang's goal in establishing his hegemonic government was to completely suppress the local gentry of Yizhou.

The situation in Yizhou is a bit special.
In his early years, Li Jue and Guo Fan wreaked havoc in Nanyang and the Sanfu region, causing a large influx of refugees into Yizhou.

Because these refugees all came from the east of Yizhou, they were collectively called Dongzhou people.

With hundreds of thousands of refugees pouring into Yizhou, they inevitably had to compete with the locals for resources, and conflicts gradually accumulated.

In order to survive, the refugees banded together and formed an organization known as the Dongzhou Faction.

After Liu Zhang ascended the throne, the local people of Yizhou rebelled and besieged Chengdu.

Liu Zhang extensively employed people from the Dongzhou faction to suppress rebellions and govern Yizhou.

After Liu Bei entered Shu, Yizhou welcomed a new outsider: a person from Jingzhou.

From then on, three forces formed within Yizhou.

A native of Yizhou, a native of Dongzhou, and a native of Jingzhou.

After Guan Yu lost Nan Commandery, the gentry of Jingzhou lost their homes.

The power of the gentry in Jingzhou was greatly weakened.

The people of Jingzhou lost their roots and settled in Yizhou.

In order to survive, they naturally banded together and elected Zhuge Liang as their leader.

They shared both glory and disgrace, advancing and retreating together, thus forming the Jingzhou faction.

Therefore, Liu Bei entrusted his son to two important ministers.

Li Yan was the leader of the Dongzhou faction, and Zhuge Liang was the leader of the Jingzhou faction.

Zhuge Liang's Prime Minister's residence was able to effectively suppress the Dongzhou faction and the local people of Yizhou.

This makes it easier to exercise power.

Therefore, Liu Bei's arrangement was clearly a special honor bestowed upon Li Yi.

Only for Li Yi.

Liu Bei was not worried about Li Yi's power becoming too great, after all, they had been friends for so many years and he trusted him.

As for those who come after, there's even less to worry about.

A tyrant's mansion isn't something you can just open whenever you want.

Even a position like Prime Minister isn't something you can just be given to do.

You must have prestige and power commensurate with it.

Besides Zhuge Liang and Cao Cao, Fei Yi also once established a powerful government.

However, he was assassinated shortly after establishing his residence.

It's important to know that Fei Yi was already the second-in-command of Shu Han at that time.

They directly stabbed the country's second-in-command to death.

You'll then realize that a powerful family mansion isn't something you can just open whenever you want.

The reason Liu Bei dared to delegate power in this way was also to give Li Yi a hint.

He himself is sixty years old and won't last many more years.

The future of the empire still needs you to steer it.

In particular, A Dou lacks his own opinions and cannot do without a good teacher to guide him.

Therefore, Li Yi was given a special exception.

This can be seen as Liu Bei's compensation to Li Yi for all the years he has wronged him.

"...Ziyu, go ahead and do it."

Liu Bei looked into Li Yi's eyes, and this time, he didn't say anything.

The implication is that...
We've known each other for so many years, and now I'm getting old.

I can't seem to do anything anymore, even if I want to.

I know you have a lot of ideas, but you still overthink things.

Now I am handing over all power over the army and the country to you.

In these last few years, I'll let you go crazy.

Go ahead and do whatever you want to do.

The road ahead is still long.

The court officials looked at each other, all of them understanding.

Liu Bei established a new "Military Council" and wanted Li Yi to continue to be the "Retired Emperor".

It may seem like a retreat, but in reality, it's a step forward.

(End of this chapter)