I am not Yuan Shu

Chapter 324 Heading North to Bingzhou
Yuan Shu hadn't expected that the news would eventually turn into him having five children in one go and possessing amazing fertility, but it has to be said that such a thing is truly enviable in this era.

Especially those from prominent families, when faced with the same pressure to have children, would greatly admire Yuan Shu's incredible ability to produce offspring.

Later, when Yuan Shu was handling affairs at the headquarters of the Yixin Society, the Tianxiong Army camp, and the Zhixing Academy, he would receive inquiries from his subordinates who admired him immensely, asking him for the secret to achieving five shots in one go and his tips for nourishing his body.

When gathering with Liu Biao, Xia Fu, and other party members, many unfamiliar faces would appear at the banquet. Whenever the topic of the feat of firing five shots at once came up, these people would listen intently.

This group of people were often not interested in his philosophy of mind. When he gave lectures at banquets, he would occasionally engage in some limited debates on the classics. However, when he talked about this issue, everyone, regardless of their interest in his philosophy of mind, became extremely focused.

They stopped drinking, listening to music, and watching dances, and focused all their attention on Yuan Shu.

It's one thing for the young ones, but it's also true for some people in their fifties or sixties with gray beards.

It seems that matters of fertility really do reflect a man's social status...

Yuan Shu sighed in this way.

With his "mission" completed, Yuan Shu was naturally relieved. However, as autumn approached, Yuan Shu felt that his journey north was drawing ever closer.

The cold air arrived earlier this year. By mid-September, Yuan Shu could already feel a slight chill. If nothing unexpected happens, this winter will be just as cold, especially for the grasslands. Therefore, by the end of this year at the latest, the Xianbei people will definitely move south again, and Youzhou, Bingzhou, and Liangzhou will suffer another round of war.

Yuan Shu wanted to head north before that, and give the Xianbei a good beating when they moved south.

So on September 16th, Yuan Shu told Yuan Feng about this. After hearing it, Yuan Feng's expression changed slightly, as if he wanted to say something to stop him, but remembering the series of events that had happened before, he ultimately did not say anything to stop him.

After such a long internal struggle, he had come to terms with the matter a little. His child had grown up and he could no longer make all the decisions for him. Yuan Shu had lofty ambitions, like a roc, while he was just a nostalgic old sparrow, and there was no comparison between them.

Even if you can't help your child, you shouldn't hold them back. If your child wants to do something and has the courage and preparation to do it, then let them do it...

Yuan Feng nodded in agreement.

He ordered the Ministry of Personnel to begin a grain transfer operation to Bingzhou immediately, in accordance with Yuan Shu's request, to transfer all the grain and other supplies needed by Yuan Shu to Jinyang County, the capital of Bingzhou.

Yuan Shu was very happy, but he didn't say much to Yuan Feng before starting preparations for the army's march to Bingzhou.

His plan was to first send a vanguard army north, not to Jinyang, but to Yinguan County, the seat of Yanmen Commandery.

The purpose of this army was to establish a forward base for the Han army in Yinguan County in preparation for an attack by the Xianbei.

Every time the Xianbei attacked, Yanmen County was the first to bear the brunt. Yuan Shu believed that he needed to do some defensive work in Yanmen County.

Moreover, there is the Great Wall within Yanmen County, which, if used properly, can at least play a certain role.

Yuan Shuze will lead the main force to Jinyang. After he finishes to reorganize things in Jinyang, it will be about time for the Xianbei people to move south. At that time, he will face an unprecedentedly difficult and dangerous battle.

As for Yuan Shu's upcoming trip north to assume the post of governor of Bingzhou, he did not choose to conceal it, but immediately informed Du Ning and the other four.

"Of course it's dangerous, and the future is uncertain, but this has always been my ambition, and I will never give up on it. So I hope you can understand me and wait for me to come back."

Yuan Shu called Du Ning and the other four people together. After he finished speaking, he observed their reactions.

Apart from Du Ning, the other four women indeed started to tear up, looking incredulous. They grabbed Yuan Shu's hands and asked him if he was joking or lying. They were all pregnant, and Yuan Shu was about to go north to fight against the Xianbei. This made them very uneasy.

"My lord, how can you risk your life? I've heard that the Xianbei people are extremely fierce and cunning. Please, my lord, don't go!"

Du Yue did put what she had learned into practice, but she still couldn't escape the realm of a young woman's emotions.

Only Du Ning remained relatively calm. Seeing the other four crying and clinging to Yuan Shu's sleeve, and not letting go, and noticing Yuan Shu's troubled expression, she sighed and then put on a serious face.

"Stop crying, all of you. Sit up properly. What kind of behavior is it to cry and whine in front of your husband?"

Du Ning adopted the demeanor of a matriarch, and at her command, the four people immediately turned to look at her.

Xiuxiu and the other two looked at Du Ning, then at Yuan Shu, and lowered their heads without saying anything, but they didn't let go of each other's hands.

Du Yue then threw herself at Du Ning, pleading tearfully, "My wife, Bingzhou is very dangerous, please don't let your husband go, okay?"

Du Ning looked at Du Yue's tear-streaked face and touched her cheeks with a pang of heartache, but did not change her mind.

"My husband is the Rear General of the Imperial Court, the commander of the army. When the country is in trouble, it is only natural for the commander to rise to the challenge. Although we women cannot go to the battlefield to fight the enemy, we cannot cry and make our husbands feel uneasy about fighting the enemy!"
My husband fights to achieve glory and establish his career. If he does, he will bring us honor with him, and we and the child in our womb will receive even greater glory. How can you stop him from doing this?

After saying that, Du Ning looked at Yuan Shu.

"My husband, you can go in peace. Leave the household to me. I am the head wife. If you are not here, I will take care of the household. You can fight the enemy without worry."

To be honest, Du Ning's statement made Yuan Shu look at her in a different light.

The other women were all in tears, but she remained calm. Although her expression showed that she was putting on a brave face, she spoke without hesitation.

Of course, whether she hesitated or not, it wouldn't change the fact that Yuan Shu was going north. But in any case, Yuan Shu remembered Du Ning's help and developed a new feeling towards her.

As Yuan Shu believed, neither Du Ning nor anyone else could change the fact that Yuan Shu was heading north.

Even though some people found it hard to understand why Yuan Shu was appointed governor of Bingzhou at the age of eighteen, and pointed out that the governorship of Bingzhou was too powerful and that entrusting it to Yuan Shu, who had never had any experience in governing a local area, would probably cause big problems, nothing changed.

At the court meeting without Liu Kui's participation, Yuan Feng displayed an unprecedentedly strong attitude, overruling the objections of others and firmly supporting Yuan Shu's appointment as the governor of Bingzhou to go north to Bingzhou and fight against the Xianbei.

He believed that the most important problem facing Bingzhou was not governance, but the invasion of the Xianbei. The Xianbei would invade southward every year and attack the passes. No matter how well the governance was done, the Xianbei would come and the land would become their spoils of war. Without strong border defense and military victories, the achievements of governance could not be preserved.

Therefore, the problem of the Xianbei must be solved!
The Xianbei must be fought at any time, and the problem must be completely resolved without any hesitation.

Moreover, Yuan Shu might not necessarily be incapable of managing Bingzhou well.

Yuan Shu's abilities are evident to all. We should not underestimate him just because he is young and lacks experience in governing a region. He will certainly not disappoint the entire Han Dynasty.

Thus, the people in the court finally understood that the father and son were in cahoots; everything was discussed and decided by them before being made public and decided, and no outsider could possibly shake their resolve.

Yuan Shu is definitely going to be the governor of Bingzhou.

Gradually, the opposition subsided, and the voices of support grew louder. Some even predicted that Yuan Shu would be the Huo Qubing of this era, and would surely achieve feats comparable to Huo Qubing.

If someone can say something like that, who can possibly object to it?

They dared not target Yuan Shu, nor Yuan Feng, nor accuse him of nepotism, because the last person to do so was still being forced into hard labor.

The emperor remained silent, the officials tacitly agreed, Yuan Feng made the decision, and the Secretariat approved it.

Done!
Yuan Shu will lead 30,000 Tianxiong troops northward to take charge of all military and political affairs in Bingzhou, integrate the forces of Bingzhou, and completely eliminate the Xianbei people and the various Hu forces that have been looting without authorization. This is Yuan Shu's mission.

He even held a ceremonial staff.

Officials below the rank of 600 shi (a unit of grain measure) could not only be appointed independently, but if they committed any wrongdoing, they could be executed first and reported later.

Officials below the rank of 1,000 shi could be appointed or dismissed directly without the court's permission. If they committed minor crimes, they would be escorted to Luoyang and handed over to the relevant authorities. If they committed serious crimes, they could be reported to the court and executed directly.

He could appoint and dismiss officials even at the level of two thousand shi (a unit of grain measure), after reporting to the imperial court. If an official committed a crime, he could directly hand him over to the relevant authorities in Luoyang for prosecution and punishment.

He already has a great deal of autonomy, more than the average governor.

After reporting to the court, they can do more things and have greater authority, almost like "the emperor himself is there".

Who was the representative of the imperial court?

His father was Yuan Feng.

Alright, even if Yuan Shu claimed to be the King of Bingzhou and could decide the affairs of Bingzhou with a single word, no one would find it inappropriate.

(End of this chapter)