Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 109 Referee
"The Wei bandits have not defended their fortified positions and are seeking battle in the open field. This shows that they are angry and want to fight because they see that our troops have split into two groups. Their unwiseness is obvious."

"As for the enemy north of the Wei River showing us a large force of more than 10,000 infantry and cavalry, it is Sima Yi's strategy of feinting to the east while attacking the west. I expect Sima Yi will bring a large force of elite troops from south of the Wei River. The Prime Minister can lead the large force to repel them."

"Your Majesty, I request that we use our own 5,000 troops to feign weakness and lure the enemy north of the Wei River to attack. We will first annihilate them for Your Majesty, and then send reinforcements from the south."

Wei Yan remained calm and composed, showing no excitement. He was clearly saying that even if they were outnumbered, it was only right to annihilate them.

This shows a lack of respect for the Wei army.

Liu Shan was initially surprised, but then felt something was amiss.

It's not that I don't believe Wei Yan can win, but facing over 10,000 men with 5,000 men plus 2,000-3,000 cavalry would definitely put him under considerable pressure.

Wei Yan's main force of 5,000 elite troops was the sharpest blade of the Han Dynasty. Although the Wei army sent more than 10,000 infantry and cavalry, it was only a feint.

Using a sharp weapon against a feint will put immense pressure on the Prime Minister's headquarters.

But... if Wei Yan's sharp blade can truly pierce through the Wei army north of the Wei River first, and then move south to provide support, it seems to be in line with the principles of warfare.

"Wait a minute, what do I know about fighting?" Liu Shan suddenly paused as he thought about it.

With the Prime Minister here, what is this layman scheming about?
He then looked at the Prime Minister and saw that Yang Yi, Fei Yi, Chen Shi and others below the Prime Minister all had strange expressions.

Liu Shan was initially puzzled, but then suddenly realized what was happening.

The strategy of dividing the army into northern and southern camps to lure the enemy deep into their territory was proposed by the Prime Minister, who must have already had a complete battle plan.

Wei Yan was dissatisfied with the Prime Minister's plan. Seeing that the Emperor was there, he wanted to see if he could directly ask the Prime Minister for permission to break away from the Prime Minister's command!

Upon realizing this, Liu Shan fell into deep thought.

He appeared to be thinking, but in reality, he was waiting for the officials in his office who opposed Wei Yan to step forward.

As expected, Yang Yi, the Chief Military Advisor, who was also the second-in-command of the Prime Minister's residence, was the first to retort:
"Wei Yan, the Prime Minister has given you the task of waiting for the enemy north of the Wei River!"

"Who would have thought that you would disobey military orders again, knowing that enemy cavalry were nearby, yet you still acted with the courage of a common man, risking your life as a scout as a commander. Even if you win, it is not an honor, but a disgrace!"

Liu Chan was stunned.

He knew that Yang Yi and Wei Yan were at odds, but he didn't expect that when Yang Yi stood up to refute him, he would first criticize the preliminary battle that Wei Yan had just won.
Although Wei Yan's actions were indeed quite risky, with Xiahou Yuan and Sun Ce serving as cautionary tales, that's just his personality; he should be used according to his abilities.

Indeed, the Prime Minister did not entrust Wei Yan with the heavy responsibility of leading the army; it was good to have such a formidable man as the vanguard.

“You worthless slave, if it weren’t for me fighting and killing in front of you, you wouldn’t be here gossiping!” Wei Yan immediately cursed back, responding sharply.

"The Prime Minister has already made a plan. If you are unwilling to follow the Prime Minister's plan, then so be it!"

"On the contrary, you intend to take advantage of His Majesty's presence to carry out your risky plan!"
"To disregard the nation's interests in this way is utterly despicable!"

Yang Yi was also speaking with great enthusiasm.

"Enough, Duke Wei, Wenchang! A great battle is imminent, and His Majesty has come here to inspect and encourage the troops. Yet you two are making such a racket in front of His Majesty. What kind of behavior is this!" The Prime Minister immediately rebuked them angrily.

Wei Yan snorted coldly, while Yang Yi remained silent, seething with resentment.

Liu Shan looked at the Prime Minister, then shifted his gaze to Yang Yi, who sat to the left of the Prime Minister.

To be honest, this was the first time since he personally led the expedition that he had encountered a situation where ministers were arguing in front of him.

Although I have never dealt with such a matter before, I feel that as the emperor of the Han Dynasty and the leader of these people, I cannot just stand by and watch them make a fuss without doing or saying anything.

He should be the referee.

Isn't the power of adjudication also a power?

Unexpectedly, with war imminent and a formidable enemy at hand, the two of them started arguing.

There's no one else in Shu. Wei Yan, Li Yan, Yang Yi—each one is talented but also sickly. The Prime Minister is truly exhausted trying to make the best use of everyone's talents.

Seeing that Wei Yan and Yang Yi were still indignant, Liu Shan spoke up:

"In battle, courage is essential. When the General of the North personally inspected the battlefield and returned victorious after defeating the enemy, the morale of the troops was greatly boosted."

"Although it was indeed risky, now that there is no harm done, there is no need to dwell on it any longer."

Seeing that the emperor had indeed spoken up for him, Wei Yan smugly snorted twice at Yang Yi.

Even the emperor says I am brave, so who are you, a lowly servant, to say that I am just showing off my meekness?
Liu Shan then said:
"However, what Chief Secretary Yang said makes some sense. A general should have moments of weakness and should not rely solely on courage."

"I hope that when General Zhenbei faces the enemy in the future, he will be both wise and brave, and not be like Xiahou Yuan, who was killed without careful planning."

"Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to grant the General Who Guards the North the title of 'General Who Has Gone to the Ground' to appease the troops and put an end to his life."

"Yes!" Wei Yan bowed and thanked him, clearly indicating that His Majesty was still on his side.

He then gave Yang Yi a provocative look.

He thought to himself, "I don't even care about my own life, so why are you, you worthless lackey, making such a fuss?"

Besides, do you think I'd die at the hands of a mere few dozen riders? Did I kill them without thinking?
Liu Shan then looked at Yang Yi:
"I have heard that Chief Secretary Yang and General Zhenbei are at odds, which is more irreconcilable than fire and water."

"Seeing it today, I can confirm it is indeed so."

"I have no intention of interfering in your personal grudges, but Chief Secretary Yang saw that General Zhenbei was risking his life and did not want to see him die and ruin the affairs of the country. This shows that Chief Secretary Yang's public spirit outweighs his personal interests, and I commend him for that."

Liu Shan had heard that Wei Yan had held a knife to Yang Yi's neck several times in front of a group of officials, causing Yang Yi to burst into tears and feel extremely embarrassed, unable to save face.

The two men couldn't stand each other and wanted to kill each other. If they weren't both capable and the Han Dynasty didn't have so few other people, the Prime Minister would have had to get rid of at least one of them.

Yang Yi paused.

Unexpectedly, even the Emperor, who had long resided deep within the palace, knew about his private feud with Wei Yan, and it was brought to the forefront.

But His Majesty is right. If it weren't for his public-spiritedness, he would have preferred Wei Yan to die sooner.

Liu Shan, unaware of what Wei Yan and Yang Yi were thinking, simply glanced around at everyone and said:

"Emperor Xuan once said that the Han dynasty's system combined the ways of the hegemon and the king, and neither could be neglected."

"All of you ministers here are of great importance to the country and are relied upon by me. If I am determined to restore the Han Dynasty, then I must have a brave general like Zhenbei and a capable minister like Changshi. I cannot do without either of them."

"I hope all of you will strive to be tolerant for the sake of the country. When the world is at peace and the Han dynasty is in great prosperity, those who have made contributions to the country will surely be rewarded with the titles of dukes and marquises."

Wei Yan and Yang Yi were both taken aback.

The others also reacted quickly.

Your Majesty spoke of "the position of duke or marquis," not "the position of enfeoffment as a marquis!"
This means the reward is going to be raised to the "public" level!
Regardless of whether this official is a prefectural official, a county official, or a township official, he is still an official!

Isn't a duke much better than a marquis?
Furthermore, although His Majesty's mention of bestowing the title of Duke was triggered by the quarrel between Wei Yan and Yang Yi, it was not limited to these two individuals, but rather referred to "meritorious officials." Even if my abilities and merits are insufficient to reach the level of being granted the title of Duke, since someone has already been granted the title of Duke, surely it shouldn't be a problem for me, with my slightly inferior abilities and merits, to be granted the title of Marquis?

There are fewer than ten marquises in the Han Dynasty now! But they are extremely valuable!

As for whether it will become widespread in the future, as long as one becomes a marquis, it will be a great honor for one's ancestors!
However, Liu Shan's words sounded one thing to everyone else, but quite another to Wei Yan and Yang Yi.

His Majesty's words were inspired by them, and were naturally directed at the two of them.

His Majesty specifically mentioned the words "Duke and Marquis" this time.

What does this mean?
This is because they know the others are capable, and they are being encouraged to do their jobs well, with the intention of eventually granting them official titles!

It's just that I can't show favoritism in front of so many people.

Just as everyone was lost in their own thoughts, the Emperor's voice rang out again:
"But I have something to say today."

"War is a matter of vital importance to the state; it is a matter of life and death, a road to survival or ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected."

"This central command tent is a strategically important location for military operations."

"The rise and fall of a nation depends on the lives and deaths of countless people; this is of utmost importance."

"Each of you has your own personal grudges, which is hard to avoid."

"But I urge you all to consider the affairs of the nation and not to bring personal grudges or emotions arising from them into this central command tent, where the fate of the nation and the lives of countless men are decided."

"Personal grudges can be resolved anywhere and in any way, I don't care, but not here. I hope you all will be careful in the future."

Upon hearing this, the Prime Minister and Fei Yi exchanged a complicated look.

The others in the tent looked at each other in bewilderment, remaining silent as if trembling with fear.

With a major battle imminent, His Majesty has made these remarks that are clearly aimed at Wei Yan and Yang Yi.

Yang Yi is alright, but Wei Yan is leading the elite and valiant army of the Han Dynasty. Aren't you afraid that Wei Yan might just quit if he gets dissatisfied?

Should we still take Chang'an?

Liu Shan then looked at Wei Yan and Yang Yi, and said earnestly:
"General Zhenbei, Chief Secretary Yang, I know you will be unhappy with what I have said, and I also know that a great battle is imminent and Chang'an is in sight. For the sake of the overall situation, perhaps I should not say this."

"But... even if I'm unhappy, I'll still say it; even if I shouldn't say it, I'll still say it."

"My words are indeed born out of the grudge between the two ministers, but they are by no means directed at the grudge between the two ministers. Rather, in my view, this is a matter of principle."

"Now that I have encountered this situation today, I do not wish to compromise or drag this matter out until the future, when the situation is less severe, or when other people with less power and ability than you two have a similar dispute, and then I will pick on the weakest one."

Why?
"Because those who are less powerful and capable than the two ministers can bring their personal grudges into public affairs, it will not affect the plans of the country or the lives of thousands of people."

"But the two ministers are different. Every word and action of the two ministers is related to the life and death of the people and the rise and fall of the country."

"If I were to pick on the weak and establish so-called principles, I'm afraid it wouldn't necessarily attract the attention of the two ministers."

"If this principle cannot bind the two ministers, it becomes empty talk, nonsense, and a joke. How can it then bind others?"
"As for the imminent great battle and the imminent Chang'an, I do not prioritize the overall situation and do not choose any other time to make this matter clear. I truly believe that in this way, all the ministers of the Han Dynasty should be able to see that I do indeed regard this as an inviolable principle."

"Instead of trying to smooth things over or picking on the weak, I hope that my two upright ministers can lend me a hand and set a good example."

"The late emperor was busy all his life and did not teach me how to be an emperor. Before he passed away, he only taught me one thing: only by being virtuous and wise can one win people's hearts."

“I do not know what virtue is, but looking at the late emperor’s life, I know that I treat people with sincerity and they treat me with sincerity in return. I also know that you two are important ministers of the country, with a heart of public service, and you would never abandon public duty for private reasons. That is why I speak frankly and directly.”

"I hope you two gentlemen can lend me a hand in establishing these rules and upholding these principles, and in this endeavor, we can be tolerant for the sake of the country. Although this is a public matter, if you two gentlemen can agree to this, I will owe you a favor."

First, they made grand promises of high rank and titles, and now the late emperor has brought it up again. It's all about treating me with sincerity and I'll treat you with sincerity in return. But all I'm asking is that you two shouldn't let personal matters interfere with public duties in the central military tent. We can't just refuse to give you that little bit of face, can we?

The two could not possibly have a personal relationship; their conflicts had all accumulated in the central military tent. Liu Shan didn't expect to be able to resolve them, but he just shouldn't let his personal emotions affect matters of state, otherwise, trouble would inevitably follow sooner or later.

If the two of them were to continue arguing, and Wei Yan were to cause trouble by burning down their own people's plank road and cutting off their own people's way back, that would truly be a bombshell.

Once we have more territory and more people, we'll separate these two.

Liu Shan really didn't like Yang Yi.

He has some skills, but that's about it. It's just that the Han Dynasty has no other options these days, so he's just choosing the best among the worst.

If it weren't for concerns that the Prime Minister was too overworked and that Yang Yi was temporarily indispensable as a deputy, he would have been sidelined sooner or later.

After all, in the original timeline, after the prime minister passed away, this fellow, feeling that he had made great contributions but failed to take control of the government, said something like, "If I had known this would happen, I should have gone to Wei back then, otherwise I wouldn't be in this situation."

Liu Shan (A Dou) didn't kill him, only demoted him to a commoner. But the man remained stubborn and continued to submit memorials slandering the court, showing no remorse. In the end, he was arrested and imprisoned by the court, where he committed suicide.

This is even worse than Li Yan. Li Yan, who always wanted to compete with the Prime Minister for power, knew that he had no hope after the Prime Minister's death, so he deliberately died of melancholy, saving the court from several prison meals.

Although Yang Yi and Liu Shan looked down on him, Wei Yan was truly capable; with proper training, he could become a fine weapon.

Go down there and comfort him properly, tell him that you are one of my own.

"Your Majesty, I will obey your command!" Wei Yan seemed reluctant. "But Your Majesty, I did not bring personal grudges into official business. I only scolded him a couple of times. It was a personal grudge and did not involve official matters."

It's true, Wei Yan only cursed the incompetent slave twice.

As for Yang Yi's statement that the Prime Minister had already made a plan but Wei Yan still wanted to take some risky measures, this really cannot be considered as having malicious intentions.

As soon as Sima Yi made his move, Wei Yan went to inspect the battlefield and obtained firsthand information, thus gaining the right to offer advice.

Even if the Prime Minister has any countermeasures, they were all plans made by Sima Yi before he set off. They were just contingency plans, and the official military orders had not yet been issued. Everything was still up for discussion.

Yang Yi also bowed to the emperor with his hands clasped.

"Upon hearing Your Majesty's words, I am filled with fear and trepidation. However, I was acting with utmost impartiality and without any personal grudges. I hope Your Majesty will understand."

Liu Shan somewhat disagreed with this.

Wei Yan personally inspected the battlefield and returned victorious. He had already praised Wei Yan's bravery, and that was the end of that matter. However, Wei Yan's strategy had been rejected. You were dissatisfied, but instead of directly refuting Wei Yan's strategy or offering any guidance, you criticized and denied Wei Yan's personal inspection of the battlefield and his victorious return. This was somewhat influenced by your personal feelings.

But Liu Shan still nodded slightly:
"I know it's all out of public interest."

"Since both ministers have agreed, from now on, this central command tent will only discuss official matters, focusing on the issues at hand and not on the individuals involved."

"Disputes in official matters are inevitable, and I encourage them. Truth becomes clearer through debate, and any debate is acceptable as long as it is based on the facts."

"But once a military order is given, there can be no further objections, and everyone must carry it out."

"I hope that in the future, all the ministers of my great Han Dynasty will be able to tolerate each other for the sake of the country."

(End of this chapter)