Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 164 Living Up to Expectations
Sima Zhao unfolded the imperial edict amidst his surprise and uncertainty.

"...General Huang Quan, originally a loyal minister of Shu, was insightful and adaptable...During the Battle of Xiaoting, he made a wise decision about whether to stay or leave, leading the troops to surrender..."

"...For seven years, he has served with utmost loyalty, working tirelessly day and night, participating in military affairs and assisting in imperial planning... He is admired by both the court and the people, his merits are evident, and he is the object of public trust."

"Now, you are hereby specially promoted to General of Chariots and Cavalry, granted the authority to establish your own government and enjoy the same rank as the Three Excellencies, and given the power to command troops on a grand scale. Your fief will be increased by 1,200 households, bringing the total to 3,000 households."

"His son, Huang Yong, was promoted to Grand Herald and appointed Marquis of Yangren, with a fief of three hundred households."

"..."

Looking at the imperial edict in his hand, Sima Zhao was momentarily filled with existential doubt.

Throughout history, there have been those who established their own offices and those who held the same rank as the Three Excellencies, but this was the first time Sima Zhao had ever heard of someone who established his own office and held the same rank as the Three Excellencies. It can be said that Huang Quan set a precedent.

His son, Huang Yong, was promoted to Grand Herald, one of the Nine Ministers, at the age of just over thirty, which was enough to shake the court and the public.

After a long period of confusion, Sima Zhao finally came to his senses.

The emperor had clearly anticipated that the Shu Kingdom might make things difficult for him due to his age and authority, and that Huang Yong had been chosen as the Grand Herald...

“Angel, His Majesty’s decree…” Huang Yong looked at the talisman in Sima Zhao’s hand.

Sima Zhao nodded absentmindedly, then hesitantly handed the staff that rightfully belonged to him to Huang Yong.

Meanwhile, Huang Chong examined the "Wei Da Honglu" seal handed to him by his elder brother, his expression equally conflicted and complicated.

Huang Yong, holding the imperial insignia, stood with his hands on the staff and looked at his younger brother, speaking in a gentle voice:
"General, Huang Yong has been ordered by the Emperor of Wei to negotiate the exchange of prisoners of war with Shu Han. Please convey this message on my behalf."

"If Yong is of low rank and has acted improperly, and is not worthy of discussion, then return to Luoyang to report back and request the Wei Emperor to make a new decision."

After a moment of silence, Huang Chong nodded, handed back his brother's seal of office, and then turned and left.

Half an hour later, they returned to the post station.

The Grand Herald of the Wei Dynasty walked out of the official residence with his imperial insignia and headed towards the official temple under the guidance of the Han Tiger Cavalry Supervisor.

Sima Zhao and his entourage of guards intended to follow, but Huang Chong blocked them at the entrance of the residence:

"You have no official position or title, and no official insignia. You are no longer qualified to meet the envoys of our Great Han. Please stay here for a few days."

After saying this, Huang Chong turned and left, leaving Sima Zhao, who looked embarrassed and somewhat angry, standing there.

With his staff in hand, Wei's Grand Herald Huang Yong also shifted his gaze from Sima Zhao, then turned and followed the Han general who was leading the way.

Throughout the journey, everyone remained silent.

Only the sound of the armor plates colliding continued to echo.

The people on the street cast curious glances at them.

The Grand Herald of Wei kept his gaze gently fixed on the figure that had grown to be as tall as him, and whose breadth was even greater.

Before long, they returned to the main hall of the official temple.

However, Zhao Tong, who had been sitting in the main seat in the hall, had moved to the upper left seat, and the young general at the upper left seat had switched seats with Zhao Tong.

Avoiding eye contact, he bowed deeply.
"Huang Yong, Grand Herald of Wei, greets Your Majesty. I was disrespectful to the Han just now, but Your Majesty still granted me an audience. I am deeply ashamed."

Guan Xing, Mi Wei, Zhao Tong and others frowned upon hearing Huang Yong's words and turned their gaze to Huang Chong, who was standing below the hall.

Liu Shan understood that Huang Yong was serving under Wei and was speaking for the public good. However, since that was the case, why did he refer to it as Han instead of Shu? This shows that Huang Yong's feelings at this moment were extremely complicated.

He pointed to the seat at the upper right: "Wei sent someone to invite you to take a seat."

Huang Yong then thanked them and took his seat.

Liu Shan then said:
"I already know the purpose of the Wei envoy's entry into Guanzhong, but Huayin is not a place for deliberation, and there are no ministers here to discuss matters."

"The Wei envoy shall rest in Huayin for a day, and tomorrow he shall go to Chang'an to discuss matters with the ministers and officials of our Great Han."

Huang Yong was already mentally prepared, and upon hearing this, he cupped his hands in greeting:

"Your subject obeys."

The emperor, being the supreme ruler, should not personally intervene in many matters. If he were to condescend to discuss matters with this Wei envoy, what would be the point of having the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers?

Therefore, when Zhao Tong was discussing with Sima Zhao just now, Zhao Tong did not elaborate on the demands of the Han Dynasty at all. He only said that he could grant Cao Rui's request to exchange corpses for corpses and prisoners for prisoners, and so on.

"Borong, how is Huang Zhenbei doing lately?" Liu Shan no longer asked about state affairs.

Although he called Huang Yong "Bo Rong," Liu Shan, who was still the crown prince at the time, had never met Huang Yong and the two had no interaction. Therefore, Liu Shan had no memory of Huang Yong, and even his memory of Huang Quan was very limited.

After all, Liu Shan was only thirteen or fourteen years old at the time, of average appearance, and lacked the qualities of a hero, while Zhao Lie had just ascended the throne and was not prepared for the transfer of power.

Huang Yong's expression was complicated as he said:

"Your Majesty has gone to great lengths to inquire."

"However, the ministers knew that the Han and Wei dynasties could not coexist."

“The father and son of the foreign ministers have been two-faced, betraying the Han and surrendering to the Wei, living a life of ignominy. They are not worthy of the Han, nor can they die for the late Emperor of Han. They have truly failed the late Emperor’s great kindness and special treatment.”

"After Beitou, he was taken in and spared death by the Wei Dynasty, and received numerous high-ranking official titles and rewards from the Wei Dynasty. All these things show that the father and son of the foreign minister are two-faced and greedy for life and glory. They have no face to bear Your Majesty's concern and inquiry."

"Furthermore, as a foreign subject who has come with imperial credentials, I should not have any private matters to discuss with Your Majesty. Therefore, please forgive me for not being able to discuss private matters with Your Majesty here."

Liu Shan's expression darkened slightly.

Guan Xing, Zhao Tong, Zhao Guang and other generals all showed anger on their faces, but seeing that His Majesty was silent, they could only suppress their anger.

Standing below the hall, Huang Chong, the Tiger Cavalry Supervisor, was already furious and shouted:

"Huang Borong, there are no members of the pseudo-Wei regime in the temple, so why are you pretending to be a loyal subject of the pseudo-Wei regime?!"

Huang Yong hesitated for a moment, then sighed, bowed his head, and said sadly:
"A virtuous person is cautious even when alone and does not deceive himself in the dark; he is humble and self-disciplined and does not deceive his own heart."

“This foreign official is already a despicable and two-faced person, and dares not tarnish the word ‘gentleman’.”

"But now that I hold the imperial staff of the Wei Dynasty in my hand, I am a subject of Wei. I really cannot set aside public duty to talk about private matters and reminisce with Your Majesty about old times."

Huang Chong became even more furious upon hearing this:
"According to the law, my mother and I should have been arrested and punished, and those within the five degrees of kinship should also be punished. However, His Majesty the late Emperor treated my mother, my relatives and clansmen as before, and we were treated the same as before!"
"Now that you claim to be here with the imperial insignia of the false Wei, you cannot set aside personal matters for the sake of public duty. Aren't you stabbing the late Emperor in the heart for the false Wei?!"

"How can we face the late Emperor and His Majesty in this way?! What kind of situation do we place the Huang clan in?!"

Huang Chongzhi's scolding was incisive, powerful, and hit the nail on the head.

When the Han general in the hall saw Huang Chong rebuking his brother, he fell silent for a moment.

Liu Shan finally understood why Cao Rui had sent Huang Yong.

This clearly shows that they have a good grasp of Huang Yong's character and know what kind of person he is.

While everyone remained silent, Huang Chong, his face now filled with grief and indignation, once again spat and cursed at his brother:

"Now you're putting on airs, saying that a gentleman is cautious even when alone, and that one cannot abandon public duty for private matters. Why didn't you act like a gentleman back then and sacrifice your life for your country, instead choosing to betray the Han and surrender to the Wei, living a life of ignominy?!"

In the Battle of Yiling, the Grand Commander Feng Xi, the Former Commander Zhang Nan, and the Deputy Commanders Fu Tong and Zhao Rong, among others, all died for their country.

Huang Quan's Jiangbei army was entirely surrendered to Cao Wei, with almost none willing to risk their lives for the country.

However, the late emperor had already determined the nature of the defeat at Yiling and Huang Quan's defection to the north.

The phrase "I have failed Huang Quan, but Quan has not failed me" not only allowed the late emperor to blame himself for the defeat at Yiling, but also prevented criticism of the Huang family in Shu from being brought to the forefront. Huang Yong paused for a moment, then sighed again:

“Since ancient times, the only hardship is death. The father and son of the foreign minister are indeed cowards who are afraid of death and have become a laughing stock in the world.”

"As for the underworld, I will be ashamed to face the late emperor, ashamed to face my ancestors, and ashamed to face the generals and soldiers who died for the Han Dynasty in Yiling."

Huang Chong was about to curse again.

But the emperor gestured for them to stop:

"Alright, Borong, Zhongshang, you two brothers don't need to be like this."

"When the late emperor was on his deathbed, he had no important matters of state to entrust to me."

"Just chat with me about everyday matters, about my brothers, about not doing evil because it is small, and not neglecting good because it is small, about how only the virtuous and wise can win people's hearts."

Finally, he said to me, "Your father was of little virtue, so do not follow his example."

"I understand all of what he said before, but when the late emperor said that he was of little virtue, I was too young to understand what he meant."

"The late emperor once again told me that his way of dealing with people and the world throughout his life consisted of only four words."

"—'To live up to others' expectations."

"However, on his deathbed, he reflected that he had three responsibilities in this life."

"One is Liu Jiyu of Yizhou."

"Secondly, it was for the soldiers who died in the Battle of Yiling."

"The third one is Huang Zhenbei."

"Huang Zhenbei returned to the late emperor and repeatedly offered him strategies and made contributions. He killed Xiahou Yuan and occupied Hanzhong. All of this was done by Huang Zhenbei on behalf of the late emperor."

Before the campaign against Wu, Huang Zhenbei also advised the late emperor to prioritize the elimination of Wei, but the late emperor did not heed his advice.

"When the late emperor was about to launch an eastern campaign against Wu, Huang Zhen went north to remonstrate again:"
"The Wu people are fierce warriors, and their navy is downstream, making it easy to advance but difficult to retreat. I request to be the vanguard and test the strength of the Wu forces for the late emperor. I also request the late emperor to be the rear guard."

"The late emperor refused again."

"After the defeat of the Southern Army led by the late Emperor, the late Emperor withdrew, and the road from Jiangbei back to Baidi City was cut off by the Wu invaders."

"Huang Zhenbei's army could not return, and the officers and soldiers were terrified. Some of them were angry with the late emperor, saying that the late emperor abandoned the army and fled. As a result, the soldiers lost their will to fight."

"Your Majesty..." Zhao Guang said anxiously, trying to persuade the emperor not to expose the late emperor's shortcomings again, otherwise people might say that the emperor was unfilial.

Although none of the people here would likely spread these things.

But the emperor shook his head:

"The late emperor told me on his deathbed that the one who caused Huang Zhenbei to suffer criticism for being disloyal and unfilial was your father. He also said that he did not hide his shame, which was both a sign of his guilt and a way to spur me on."

"I hope that I can strive harder and harder, think thrice before acting, reflect on my actions afterward, strive to improve if I have no faults, and correct my mistakes if I have. Do not cover up your faults or shift blame to others."

"The so-called 'only the virtuous and wise can win people's hearts' is nothing more than that."

"Now that I have revealed the late emperor's dying wishes in front of Bo Rong and Zhong Shang, it can be considered as a way to make up for the late emperor's regrets."

"If Bo Rong, after returning to Wei, could let Huang Zhenbei know the late emperor's dying words and that the late emperor still cared about Huang Zhenbei before his death, the late emperor's spirit in the afterlife would have some less regret."

What the late emperor said to the current emperor before his death is something that is difficult for anyone other than the emperor's brothers, the prime minister, and Li Yan to know.

Hearing the Emperor's words, the late Emperor's voice and appearance seemed to appear before their eyes, causing all the Han generals in the hall to feel deeply moved and nostalgic.

The late emperor, with his wisdom and virtue, won the hearts of the people. Throughout his life, he relied on his loyalty and never failed them, ultimately gaining their unwavering support. He also wandered and drifted for half his life, never giving up in defeat or breaking down, and finally established the great Han dynasty. His virtue was illustrious and his will was fervent. Was he not the very embodiment of the late emperor?
Countless people died for the late emperor in the Battle of Yiling, and countless others devoted themselves to assisting his orphans after his death. Is this not the very meaning of the saying, "If the ruler treats me as a national hero, I will repay him as a national hero"?
As for what the Emperor just said, the late Emperor's words on his deathbed were not about national affairs, but rather "Do not do evil because it is small, and do not neglect good because it is small." Isn't that enough to demonstrate the late Emperor's benevolence and virtue?
The late emperor never boasted of his benevolence and virtue, but on his deathbed, he still felt sorry for Liu Jiyu, Huang Gongheng, and the generals who died in the defeat at Yiling. He even said, "Your father was of meager virtue, do not follow his example." His gentle and self-reflective heart is evident.

The brothers Huang Chong and Huang Yong were also shaken by the late emperor's dying words, which they had never heard before.

...

...

Not long after, Huang Yong departed with his imperial insignia.

Liu Shan didn't say anything else, only ordering Huang Chong to send his brother back to the post station, and also ordering the other guards to keep a little distance, so as to give the two brothers some space to be alone.

As for whether the two brothers would have any more friction or just chat about everyday matters, Liu Shan couldn't care less.

He couldn't understand what Huang Yong was trying to do, nor did he know if Huang Quan would also feel grateful to Cao Wei for taking him in and rewarding him, and thus accept Wei's bounty and serve Wei.

But he did what he was supposed to do.

Regardless, Guan Yu's remains and loyal head must be exchanged with Huang Quan.

If Huang Quan doesn't return to the Han Dynasty, then Guanqiu Jian, Xiahou Ru, Wang Jun, and the others won't be able to return either.

After all, people like Guanqiu Jian, Xiahou Ru, Wang Guan, and Wang Jun either lacked ability or had the ability but needed time to develop it.

Even if someone like Guanqiu Jian, a confidant of Cao Rui, were developed, there would still be security risks involved in using him. Just like how Cao Pi and Cao Rui dared not really give Huang Quan a proper position, he could only be a figurehead most of the time.

Huang Quan's return to the Han Dynasty was different. He was a man of talent, capable of serving a province, and he would work for whoever was in charge of his livelihood, so he was reliable.

The Han Dynasty was severely lacking in capable administrators.

The generals dispersed, and Liu Shan first returned to the so-called "temporary residence" to eat and rest. Not long after, Zong Yu sent someone to move some historical documents and files from Huayin to the main hall of the official temple.

Liu Shan then returned to the official temple and reviewed the information about Huayin in order to get a general impression of this important border town.

First, there were the more than 20,000 shi of grain salvaged from the government treasury, plus the more than 20,000 shi contributed by powerful clans and wealthy families in the vicinity after entering Huayin.

This amount of grain was enough to feed the Han Dynasty's eight thousand armored soldiers and over a hundred administrative staff for three or four months, relieving the Han Dynasty's urgent need.

Three months later, it will be autumn harvest time, and the Han Dynasty will be able to collect its first tax from Huayin.

Next, let's look at the household registration and land area in Huayin.

More than 3,200 households.

It must be said that compared to counties such as Wugong, Huaili, Mei, and Hu, this is already quite a lot.

Most of these households were self-employed farmers, meaning they were not dependent on powerful clans and were self-reliant.

This is where a healthy regime's tax base and manpower are located.

However, it is conceivable that the number of households in Huayin was far more than that. According to Liu Shan's judgment, powerful clans generally counted thirty or forty households as one household, and all the others were hidden households.

In other words, the actual population would double from the base of 3,200 households to represent the true population.

How to separate these hidden registered households from the powerful clans is a problem that Huayin, and indeed the entire Guanzhong, Anding, and Longyou regions, need to solve.

Liu Shan wasn't without ideas, but these areas had just been recovered, and things had to be done one by one.

Taking too big a step and acting too rashly will be a huge drain on both the people and the administrative staff. If it fails, it will damage the credibility of the imperial court.

Soon, Liu Shan discovered a pressing issue concerning people's livelihood: "General Pingdong, weren't many able-bodied men among these households conscripted by Cao Wei a few days ago?"

Zong Yu nodded: "Yes, Your Majesty. I sent a letter to the Prime Minister a few days ago, hoping that he could coordinate and make an inventory of the laborers sent by Huayin."

(End of this chapter)