Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 253: Fear of Zhang Clan, Appointed as Governor of Yongzhou

June, Chang'an.

"Your Majesty, General Zhang Liao, who is in charge of the Guanzhong generals, has pacified the Fufeng bandit Dong Xia, beheaded more than 600 people, and captured more than 2,000 old and weak people. Now the troops are stationed in Wugong for rest and will attack the bandit Li Jue soon." Zhang Yu said.

Dong Xia was a branch of Dong Zhuo. In the past, he served as a lieutenant and stationed troops in Meiyang. After Zhang Yu defeated Li Jue, Dong Xia fled back to Meiyang and started a rebellion, taking the old and weak people of Meiyang as his soldiers, claiming to have 10,000 people.

When Zhang Liao led his troops to Fufeng, he sent Zhang Xiu and Man Chong to attack, and they defeated and killed Dong Xia, thus resolving the Fufeng rebellion.

"The soldiers under the command of the General of Chariots and Cavalry are brave and will surely help the court to eliminate the bandits in Guanzhong!" Liu Xie said with a smile, "Reward the two generals Zhang Liao and Zhang Ji, and I will ask the Secretariat to discuss this."

"promise!"

"Your Majesty, I, the Minister Wu Shuo, have something to report!"

"allow!"

Wu Shuo held the tablet in his hand, stole a glance at Zhang Yu, and said, "Since the reign of the late emperor, the rebels in Longshang have been causing chaos in Guanxi, and counties have been successively occupied, and the road to Hexi has been gradually blocked. When the two thieves Dong Zhuo and Li Jue took control of the government, the situation in Guanzhong and the three prefectures became increasingly chaotic."

"Fortunately, the General of Chariots and Cavalry convened an alliance with the princes, expelled Li Jue, subdued the rebels, and assisted the Han Dynasty. However, although most of the rebel army was defeated, the remnants still exist in Guanzhong. If Your Majesty moves east to Luoyang, I am afraid that Li Jue will rise again. Therefore, under the current situation, Liangzhou alone may not be enough to rule Hexi and Longyou. It is necessary to borrow the power of the three auxiliary provinces in Guanzhong!"

"The Tribute to Yu says, 'The area west of the Yellow River and east of the Black Water is Yongzhou.' Now it is better to adjust the prefectures and counties, and set up Yongzhou with the three auxiliary prefectures in Guanzhong and the seven prefectures of Wudu, Hanyang, Anding, and Longyou in Longshang, and the six prefectures of Jincheng, Wuwei, Jiuquan, Dunhuang, Beidi, and Zhangye as Liangzhou."

"General Chariot and Cavalry saved the country from danger and will assist Your Majesty in moving east to Luoyang. This is considered a meritorious service to the country. I suggest that we establish Yongzhou, appoint Chariot and Cavalry as the governor of Yongzhou, grant him the power of conquest, wipe out Li Jue and his remnants, and conquer the counties in Longshang to enhance the prestige of the Han Dynasty."

As soon as Wu Shuo said this, he immediately attracted the attention of everyone in the court, and many of them looked at Zhang Yu who had a calm expression.

On the imperial couch, although Liu Xie was young, he knew the importance of what Wu Shuo had submitted.

The three prefectures of Guanzhong and Hongnong, with a population of one to two million, have always been the basic base of the imperial court. If the three prefectures of Guanzhong are separated from Sili, won’t the imperial court include only Hongnong after moving east?

As for Henan Yin where Luoyang is located, because Dong Zhuo forcibly relocated its people to Guanzhong, there is now no one living within a hundred miles. It will be extremely difficult to revive it!

Therefore, Liu Xie adopted Shisun Rui's suggestion and dismissed Zhang Yu from the post of Sili Xiaowei, in order to retain the base for the Han Dynasty. Now, before the court moved east to Luoyang, Zhang Yu finally revealed his purpose, which was to occupy Guanzhong.

"Zhang Cheqi, the three prefectures in Guanzhong have been governed by the Sili since the Western Han Dynasty. Setting up Yongzhou in Guanzhong may violate the laws of the Han Dynasty." Shisun Rui said in a cold tone.

"otherwise!"

Dong Zhao stepped out to refute, saying: "There is no permanent system in the world, and the legal system must change according to the situation. In the past, Guanzhong was the center, without strong enemies to harass, and the counties on the Long River served as a barrier, so it could be the governor. But now the situation has suddenly changed, Long River is occupied by bandits, and bandits are rampant in Guanzhong. It has become a frontier prefecture, and it is no longer suitable for the governor."

"Moreover, if the emperor moves east to Luoyang without a minister to take charge, Guanzhong will be occupied by the bandits sooner or later. Now I appoint the General of Chariots and Cavalry as the governor of Yongzhou to protect the country from Guanxi. What's wrong with that?"

Liang Shao said dissatisfiedly: "The general of the chariot and cavalry stationed troops in Guanzhong, and the food and grain were supplied by Guanzhong. Why not now? In Shao's opinion, there is no need to establish Yongzhou, and the old system can be followed!"

"The General of Chariots and Cavalry is in charge of Bingzhou's military affairs. Now he has no official position and is stationed in Guanzhong. I'm afraid that this is not right and his words are not appropriate!" Wu Shuo said.

Seeing that everyone was arguing, Liu Xie looked at Zhu Jun and Yang Biao and asked, "What do you two think?"

Yang Biao pondered for a while and said, "Emperor Gaozu has been in Guanzhong for eleven generations. Guanzhong has been the land of Sili since ancient times. Although the situation has changed greatly now, it has never happened since ancient times to regard Guanzhong as Yongzhou. It should not be established lightly!"

"If Your Majesty has no intention of setting up Yongzhou, you might as well stay in Chang'an to deter the bandits in Long and cancel the eastward migration!" Dong Zhao said in a sharp tone.

Liang Shao's blood boiled, and he said in a stern voice: "Dong Zhao, you are now the Shangshu, but you do not think of the public but the private, betraying the master and flattering the subordinates. Confucius once executed Shao Zhengmao to show the power of the law. Now we should execute Dong Zhao and display his body to punish the treacherous. If you indulge in rebellion, it will harm the loyal and the righteous and endanger the country!"

"Your Majesty, please execute Liang Shao. Liang Shao framed and slandered ministers, and alienated the emperor and his ministers. We must not let him go!" Dong Zhao retorted coldly.

Seeing the court in a heated debate, Zhang Yu raised his eyebrows slightly. He did not expect that the establishment of Yongzhou would arouse so much opposition. Could it be that his temper was too good, causing these people to misjudge the situation?
Jia Xu walked out slowly and said, "Your Majesty, when the Ji Zhou Dynasty moved east, they were assisted by Duke Wen of Jin and Duke Wu of Zheng, and they established their foundation in Luoyang. Now the situation in Guandong is complicated, Yuan Shao is establishing a supportive emperor, Cao Cao is occupying the land but not attending court, and the emperor has moved east. Without the assistance of Duke Wen of Jin and Duke Wu of Zheng, I'm afraid the prestige of the Han Dynasty will be difficult to restore."

"Looking at the general situation in the world, the generals of chariots and cavalry are like Jin Wen, and the generals are like Zheng Wu. Please forgive me for being so bold and frank. Your Majesty does not have the two ministers to assist you. The court is still controlled by Li Jue, and it is even more difficult to talk about moving east to revive the Han Dynasty."

Although Jia Xu's voice was not loud, it was powerful enough to make the officials in the court listen attentively.

Jia Xu said: "The establishment of Yongzhou is not out of personal motives, but out of concern for the situation in Guanxi. From the west of Xiaohan, the counties are either occupied by bandits or used by Qiang and Hu. If we cannot combine the strength of Guan and Long, how can we talk about suppressing the bandits in Guanxi!"

"I hope Your Majesty will think carefully and not listen to the opinions of mediocre people!"

Liu Xie subconsciously looked at Zhu Jun and asked, "What do you think, Grand Commandant?"

Zhu Jun looked at Zhang Yu deeply and said, "Since you want to set up Yongzhou, why not let the General of Chariots and Cavalry express his opinion?"

"What do you mean by Zhang Cheqi?" Zhang Yu looked calm, cupped his hands and said, "Guanxi is in chaos, and the bandits Li Jue and Han Sui have not been eliminated. The people of Liangzhou are always afraid of Yu and the soldiers of Bingzhou, so the bandits dare not invade Guanzhong."

"If there is no one guarding Guanxi, the two bandits will unite and rebel again and make a comeback. Once Li Jue raises his arm and calls for action, his old subordinates who have returned home may gather and rise up. Setting up Yongzhou to resist the generals in Longshan is the correct solution."

"If Your Majesty thinks that I am not up to the task, Your Majesty can stay in Chang'an yourself, or appoint Dong Jiwei to stay in Guanzhong. I will lead the troops back to Jin, and from now on, Your Majesty can entrust the important matters to the heroes of Guandong!"

When everyone heard Zhang Yu's words full of resentment and threats, they all looked helpless. The reality was cruel. If Zhang Yu did not care about the court's eastward migration, many things would be difficult to deal with after the court returned to Luoyang.

And according to what Zhang Yu said, as soon as Zhang Yu led his troops to leave Guanzhong, Li Jue would probably rely on his old subordinates to lead his troops to make a comeback, re-occupy Guanzhong and threaten the country again.

Seeing Zhang Yu hinting at him, Dong Cheng stepped out quickly and said respectfully: "Cheng's ability is humble, and he is no match for Li Jue and Han Sui. The current situation in Guanxi cannot be handled without a chariot and cavalry general!"

Seeing that everyone was arguing about the establishment of Yongzhou, Liu He, considering Zhang Yu's importance to the court, said: "Your Majesty, the General of Chariots and Cavalry assisted the Han Dynasty and saved the country from danger. Now he will be remembered for his merit in welcoming the emperor, so I ask Your Majesty to establish Yongzhou!"

Zhu Jun heard Zhang Yu's threat, looked at him with disappointment, and said, "Your Majesty, I think Wu Shangshu's memorial is reasonable. Now you can set up Yongzhou and entrust the affairs of Guanxi to the General of Chariots and Cavalry!"

Seeing Zhu Jun choose to obey, Liu Xie was silent for a while, and in order to return to Luoyang, he said: "In this case, the three prefectures of Guanzhong and the four counties of Longyou will be made into Yongzhou, and the General of Chariots and Cavalry will be appointed as the governor of Yongzhou and the chief of Shanxi affairs."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Zhang Yu held a tablet and made a great gesture, saying, "Since I have been appointed to Yongzhou, I beg Your Majesty to appoint me as the governor of Liangzhou after you return to the capital Luoyang."

After a pause, Zhang Yu continued, "Henei County is rich, and I propose to separate the seven counties east of Xiuwu into Chaoge County."

"As the General of Chariots and Cavalry said!"

Perhaps it was because he felt that Zhang Yu was no different from other powerful ministers and was only good at superficial work, so Liu Xie's face gradually showed dissatisfaction. Now he only wanted to return to Luoyang as soon as possible.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The court meeting ended hastily, and Zhang Yu and other ministers left the hall one after another.

Zhu Jun wanted to talk to Zhang Yu, but he hesitated for a moment and finally gave up. Perhaps Zhu Jun understood that Zhang Yu and he were not of the same mind. He was loyal to the Han Dynasty, while Zhang Yu reluctantly considered the Han Dynasty.

Zhang Yu naturally didn't know what Zhu Jun was thinking. On the way out of the palace, Zhang Yu talked with his left and right companions as they walked.

"Congratulations, my lord, on being appointed governor of Yongzhou!" Dong Zhao congratulated him, "When the emperor moves east to Luoyang, my lord will be able to govern Guanzhong."

Although he had a disagreement with the court officials, Zhang Yu smiled slightly and said, "There is no one to take up the post of Jingzhao Yin, so I will need Gongren to govern for me in the future."

"Thank you for your respect!" Dong Zhao said with a smile.

"My lord, the emperor's carriage will move east to Luoyang soon. Today, you have a rift with the emperor, so I think it would be better for you to send your trusted confidants to protect him to avoid unnecessary trouble." Jia Xu said.

Although Jia Xu did not say it clearly, Zhang Yu understood the deep meaning of Jia Xu's words. He was simply worried that if Zhang Yu went to Luoyang, he would be attacked without the protection of the army.

After all, the civil and military officials under Zhang Yu's command rely on Zhang Yu to stay together. If something happens to Zhang Yu, the foundation established by Zhang Yu will probably fall apart!

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Let Gongming lead 5,000 soldiers to escort the emperor, and let Gongren accompany him to Luoyang. After the emperor settles down in Luoyang, he can lead the troops back home."

"As ordered!"

After leaving the palace, Guo Tu got off the carriage and reported, "Sir, Yuan Shu sent a letter asking if he could give him the 600-li Shangyu area!"

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "Since Yuan Gonglu allowed Lü Bu to stay in Yingchuan temporarily, why can't I agree to borrow the land of Shangyu?"

"Gongren drafted a memorial for me, dividing the two counties of Shang and Shangluo in the southeast of Jingzhao Yin and the five counties of Xi, Danshui, Nanxiang, Shunyang and Liguo in the northwest of Nanyang County to establish Shang County, and recommending Yuan Shu's son-in-law Huang Yi as the governor of Shang County."

"promise!"

Shangyu was the throat of Chu and Qin. For the Guanzhong regime, occupying Shangyu would give them a view of Jingzhou. However, Zhang Yu considered his relationship with Yuan Shu and his strategic direction. Since Yuan Shu wanted it, he might as well lend it to him temporarily. After he settled the north, would he still be afraid that he could not get Shangyu back?

Now that he has gained control of Yongzhou, the next step is to govern Guanzhong!

ps: I updated too late last night, and I was feeling a bit distracted. Today I can only update one chapter temporarily, so I can adjust my work and rest schedule and make up for the one I owe.

(End of this chapter)