Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 214 Posthumously honors him as a loyal and valiant man, setting the tone for the campaign against Wu.

"Your Majesty, the current supervisor of agriculture, Fei Shi, is outwardly ostensibly offering loyal advice, but inwardly harboring the intention to mislead the masses!"

"They slander the late emperor for acting against the will of the people and defy Your Majesty for being arrogant because of your victory, spreading false rumors and undermining the morale of the army!"
“The horse that disrupts the herd must be removed, and the scoundrel who misleads the masses must be punished. I believe that his three clans should be exterminated and the law should be strictly enforced!”
"So that both inside and outside the court may know that the majesty of the imperial court is inviolable and that military and national policies are not to be interfered with!"

Above average.

The central army of the Han army.

The dragon banners fluttered fiercely.

The powerful and authoritative voice of the Imperial Censor Meng Guang echoed throughout the central military tent.

Zhao Yun, Deng Zhi, Gao Xiang, and the generals Yang Qun, Yan Zhi, Deng Tong, Fu Qian, Cuan Xiong, and Li Qiu were all solemnly awestruck.

Although military officials generally look down on scholars, this was a remarkable feat considering that the man dared to enter the city alone and actually dared to draw his sword and kill someone at the enemy's banquet.

Many martial artists, who were not very cultured, did feel a sense of awe. Even Yang Qun, who had the worst mouth, tried his best to restrain himself and avoid provoking the Imperial Censor.

This grandfather not only impeached officials, but even dared to speak frankly to the emperor, showing no fear.

Now that we have heard this grandfather advise Your Majesty to exterminate Fei Shi’s entire clan, which of the generals present is not trembling with fear, and which of them does not feel even more apprehensive about this Imperial Censor?

Don't accidentally offend this man one day, lest your family's grave be left unattended.

Fortunately, dealing with Fei Shi was not something that they, as outsiders, should be involved in; it was appropriate and proper for them to remain silent.

It just so happened that the emperor summoned them here to discuss matters, and Li Fu, the clerk in charge of the imperial residence, happened to come from Chengdu and told the emperor about the recent situation in Chengdu, which gave Meng Guang an opportunity to make an example of them and scare them.

Liu Shan greatly admired Meng Guang's ability to make a fuss over a pretext.

But is there any law or reason in the world that would punish someone and exterminate their entire family for their words?
He almost laughed out of anger at Meng Guang.

Zhao Yun then spoke up solemnly:

"Your Majesty, with the nation on the brink of war, Fei Shi's act of inciting the masses and causing chaos is a serious crime."

"But I humbly believe that Imperial Censor Meng's argument is indeed somewhat excessive."

"In the past, Fei Shi once advised the late emperor to continue the throne and to stop the late emperor from launching an eastern expedition against Sun Wu. The late emperor only demoted Fei Shi to a lower rank."

"I have heard that the state uses the law as its standard, and that a crime is limited to the individual; I have never heard of a case where a single word leads to the extermination of three generations of one's family."

"The law of exterminating three clans shall not be used except for treason and rebellion."

"When Fei Shi advised Your Majesty on the eastern expedition, he was merely offering advice and remonstrance, and had no intention of plotting a rebellion."

"I believe that punishing one person is sufficient, but it is absolutely unacceptable to implicate their entire family."

"Therefore, Imperial Censor Meng's argument is not only without legal basis, but also blocks the path for loyal and righteous people to offer advice. I beseech Your Majesty to make a decision."

After Zhao Yun finished speaking, Deng Zhi followed suit and spoke.

Before long, Xi Zheng, Zhang Shao, and other close advisors to the emperor also began to advise him.

Despite the overwhelming opposition, Meng Guang remained calm and composed, neither feeling that he had done anything wrong nor that the criticism and opposition from others were wrong.

If I don't say something outrageous, how can these arrogant and fierce soldiers be afraid of the emperor's might?
If you don't exaggerate a bit, how can you stir up controversy?
How can the emperor be compelled to make the right decision without provoking public opinion, thus firmly grasping the power of decision and instilling awe in the generals?

This is true cunning and shrewdness; how could these officers, whose fists are bigger than their brains, possibly understand it?
"Your Majesty, I believe that Fei Shi's crimes warrant either imprisonment or exile to distant borders, which would be sufficient punishment."

"It can also maintain the court's tradition of accepting advice and not block the path of loyal remonstrance."

Xi Zhengyan, the Emperor's Secretary, said.

Liu Shan neither confirmed nor denied this, but instead looked at Li Fu, the clerk in charge of the Imperial Household Department:

“Li Lingshi, the Great Han Dynasty governs by law. Go back and tell Chief Clerk Jiang that the man should be handed over to the relevant authorities. If his crime warrants execution, we will await my judgment. If his crime warrants imprisonment or exile to the border, then there is no need to request permission.”

Li Fu bowed his head and agreed.

Fei Shi served as the agricultural supervisor in the prefecture and received a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain) in the court. Without the orders of the emperor or the prime minister, even Jiang Wan could not arbitrarily dispose of him.

Unless he rebels or plots a treason.

This matter was just a side story, and it's now over.

Liu Shan summoned his generals today mainly to announce an important event and to boost the morale of his troops.

But now Li Fu has brought news from Chengdu that some people in the country have objections to the campaign against Wu. So we must take this opportunity to set the tone for the campaign and unify people's hearts.

"After the Guanzhong region was pacified and the capital was returned to its old location, due to the urgency of the situation and the busyness of various affairs, the court only had time to reward the generals and officers who held the rank of general for their merits."

"As for the thousands of soldiers below the rank of colonel, commander, military officer, and battalion commander, some were the first to charge forward after being beheaded, while others covered their wounds and held the rear."

"However, due to the many duties of officials and the heavy paperwork, the merits were difficult to calculate at the moment, and rewards could not be given in time."

"Thanks to the officials who have been investigating day and night, the verification of the merits and achievements of all the generals and soldiers has now been completed."

"The authorities have sent over five hundred volumes of merit reports, all of whom have achieved first-class merit or above and are listed in this volume."

"Gentlemen, you may take back your certificates of merit and celebrate with the soldiers of the three armies."

"If there are any objections, the matter shall be referred to the relevant authorities for further review."

"If there are no objections, the rewards in kind, such as money, grain, cloth, livestock, and land, will be sent back to the original hometowns of the generals and soldiers one month later."

"As for the Battle of Xicheng, the merits and achievements must also be determined by the court before rewards are given. I hope the soldiers will remain calm and strive to be the first to act."

Upon hearing this, generals Yang Qun, Yan Zhi, Deng Tong, and Ma Yu were all greatly encouraged.

Nearly four months have passed since the great victory in Guanzhong, and their generals, officers, and military commanders have been eagerly awaiting news.

If the rewards are not distributed soon, it will indeed be detrimental to the morale of the troops.

However, generally speaking, it takes at least sixty or seventy days to tally the results of a battle and to reward those who have made contributions.

The results of this Northern Expedition were truly enormous. With the counties and prefectures newly established and everything in its initial stages, a large number of accompanying military officers and officials needed to be dispatched to the area.

This resulted in a shortage of personnel for performance evaluation, which naturally slowed down the process of verifying merits. A delay of two months was normal.

Most of the soldiers understood.

But as time goes on, people who spread nonsense in the military will eventually emerge.

Under the organization of Meng Guang, Xi Zheng, Zhang Shao and other close ministers of the emperor, the Longxiang Lang distributed the merit certificates sent from Guanzhong to generals such as Yang Qun and Yan Zhi.

The generals discussed the matter animatedly, and each of them expressed their gratitude to the emperor on behalf of their soldiers.

After the thanksgiving ceremony was over, there was still some noise, even some chaos, in the tent.

A group of roughnecks started making a ruckus, comparing the number of merit certificates they had received with the crowd.

Yang Qun was somewhat proud and complacent because he had received the most merit certificates.

After walking around the military tent and comparing the scrolls, he finally showed off to Yan Zhi, who had the fewest scrolls in the box.

Yan Zhi, perhaps due to her poor communication skills, was speechless in the face of Yang Qun's teasing and provocation.

As Ke Yangqun was showing off, he noticed that Yan Zhi, who had been silent in front of him, suddenly had red eyes. Then, she left her seat and went to the emperor to bow and apologize.

"I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness. My old wound has suddenly recurred and I have momentarily lost my composure."

"I suddenly remembered that there are still urgent matters to attend to in the camp, and I humbly request Your Majesty to allow me to take my leave first."

Not everyone missed this scene, so there was still some noise inside the tent.

Meng Guang coughed twice, looking displeased, signaling the generals to be quiet. The generals turned to look and saw that the emperor seemed to be talking to Yan Zhi, so they all fell silent and sat up straight.

"Yan Dangkou, please wait a moment, I have something for you."

Liu Shan knew why Yan Zhi was weeping, so he summoned Zhao Guang, whispered a few words in his ear, and Zhao Guang nodded and strode away.

Upon hearing this and seeing the situation, Yan Zhi, whose vision was somewhat blurred, was momentarily confused, but because of her own thoughts, she did not dwell on it and was simply filled with sorrow.

When Yang Qun, Ma Yu, Deng Tong and the other generals saw this scene, they looked at each other, somewhat puzzled. They didn't know why their old comrade Yan Zhi was acting this way, nor did they know what the emperor wanted to bestow upon them.

Only the two generals Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi, along with Guan Xing, Mi Wei, Fu Qian, and other close generals, who had served the emperor for a long time and knew his intentions, sat up straight and looked solemn after Zhao Guang left.

Before long, General Zhao Guang returned, holding a red cloth in both hands, and stood solemnly beside Yan Zhi.

Liu Shan raised his chin, gesturing for Zhao Guang to hand the red robe to Yan Zhi.

At this point, Yan Zhi finally remembered some rumors about His Majesty and then understood what the red fabric in Zhao Guang's hand was.

But he looked dazed, his hands trembling as he took the red robe from Zhao Guang's hands, then cast a grateful glance at the emperor, and finally unfolded the blood-stained robe.

He looked at the clothes for a moment, then choked up and wept uncontrollably.

The red robe in his hand, made from dozens or even hundreds of pieces of blood-stained fabric, had words sewn in black thread on its chest and abdomen.

They were all names, ages, and hometowns he knew well, including his confidants' confidants, numbering more than a hundred.

As the black characters came into view, the voices and smiles of these comrades-in-arms who died for their country seemed to appear right before their eyes.

This veteran had indeed heard of the emperor sewing his soldiers' blood-stained clothes into robes.

But with so many things to do, he had no time to think about it and soon put it out of his mind. Even when he suddenly remembered it, he didn't really care.

Unexpectedly, the emperor's actions were not merely a whim.

Only then could one understand why he had feigned illness and wanted to leave, and with just a few words, Zhao Guang was able to retrieve the blood-stained clothes from their hiding place.

All of this demonstrates their dedication.

"Your Majesty is busy with countless affairs of state, yet you still have this sentiment. This humble general thanks Your Majesty on behalf of the fallen soldiers!" Yan Zhi held his clothes in both hands and prostrated himself on the ground.

Liu Shan said, "Please rise up to quell the rebellion. I will never forget these soldiers for a single day. I have already ordered people to allocate five times the usual amount of compensation from my private treasury to their families, hoping to put their minds at ease."

In the Battle of Wuzhang Plains, in order to lure the two hundred heavily armored soldiers under the command of Wei general Zhou Tai into a deep penetration at exhaustion, so that the heavy armored soldiers of the Han Dynasty could deliver the decisive blow, generals Deng Zhi and Yan Zhi lost many of their personal guards.

This resulted in Yan Zhi losing many mid-level commanders in the subsequent battles of Chang'an and Xinfeng, ultimately preventing him from achieving any significant merit.

Upon hearing the Emperor's words, Generals Yang Qun, Deng Tong, and Ma Yu finally understood what the red garment in Yan Zhi's hand was. Seeing Yan Zhi prostrate on the ground and weeping bitterly, they were all deeply saddened and felt even more respect for the Emperor before them.

After Yan Zhi returned to the table with the clothes, Liu Shan slowly spoke:

"There is another matter, which I discussed and decided upon with the Prime Minister, Attendant-in-Ordinary Fei, and Attendant-in-Ordinary Guo when Guanzhong was first established."

After Liu Shan finished speaking, he took out a bright yellow silk book from his bosom and handed it to Zhang Shao, Zhang Fei's illegitimate son and a court official.

Zhang Shao received the still-warm imperial edict, walked to the center of the main tent, and unfurled it to proclaim:

"I, being unworthy, have served the ancestral temple with utmost respect, and I am filled with dread day and night, fearing that I will lose the hopes of the people."

"Thanks to the Emperor's grace and the combined efforts of his ministers, the chaos was quelled, and the Wei barbarians were defeated."

"Now that Guanzhong has been pacified and Xijing has been recovered..."

"Though the world is not yet at peace, generals and officers have fallen to the sword."

“If we do not discuss posthumous honors, how can we repay the loyalty and bravery of our martyrs and comfort their souls in the afterlife?”

"Now, I have specially ordered the relevant officials to thoroughly examine past achievements and to determine a posthumous title."

"So that future generations may know what they have accomplished, and so that the nation may not fail the meritorious officials, thus ensuring their legacy endures forever."

"According to the Book of Posthumous Titles, those who are majestic and powerful are called Zhuang; those who are martial but fail to achieve their goals are called Zhuang; those who are holy, respectful, and dignified are called Mu; those who spread virtue and uphold righteousness are called Mu. Therefore, Guan Yu was posthumously titled Zhuangmu Hou."

"According to the Book of Posthumous Titles, those who expand their territory and subdue distant lands are called Huan; those who pacify the four directions with martial prowess are called Huan; those who are strong and powerful are called Huan. Zhang Fei was posthumously named Marquis Huan."

"According to the Book of Posthumous Titles, 'Gang' means to be resolute in killing the enemy and to be self-reliant and unyielding. Huang Zhong was posthumously titled Marquis Gang."

"According to the Book of Posthumous Titles, 'The one who is fierce and resolute is called Wei; the one who is strong and righteous in upholding justice is called Wei; the one who subdues rebels and wins over distant lands is called Wei; the one who makes barbarians submit is called Wei.' Therefore, Ma Chao was posthumously titled Marquis Wei."

"According to the Book of Posthumous Titles, 'Jing' means gentleness and virtue that brings peace to the people, strict discipline and order, and profound virtue that ensures stability and integrity. Pang Tong was posthumously named Marquis Jing."

"According to the Book of Posthumous Titles, those who are concerned about their country and forget their own lives are called Zhen; those who are upright and unyielding are called Zhen; those who are virtuous and steadfast are called Zhen. Ma Liang was posthumously titled Marquis Zhen."

Before the imperial edict was even finished being read, the generals in the tent had already emerged from their sorrow and become excited and invigorated.

During the reign of the late emperor, only Fa Zheng received a posthumous title.

Since the late emperor's death, no one has been given a posthumous title.

The emperor's bestowal of posthumous honors upon meritorious officials who have died for the country is an immense temptation for these generals who have fought on the battlefield and whose lives may be lost at any moment.

However, just when everyone thought the posthumous conferment was over, the emperor suddenly took out another decree from his bosom and handed it to Zhang Shao.

Zhang Shaozhan issued the decree:

"The posthumous title system states that loyalty is defined as: risking one's life to serve one's superiors, serving one's sovereign with utmost loyalty, and dying to defend one's country. It is also called loyalty if one risks one's life for the benefit of the nation!"

"His virtue and martial prowess were bestowed upon him, and he was posthumously honored as Marquis Feng Xi

"He was posthumously honored as Marquis Zhang Nan Zhongyi for his decisive victory in killing the enemy!"

"He who died for his country out of righteousness is called brave; he was posthumously honored as Marquis Fu Tong, the Loyal and Brave!"

"He was described as strong, righteous, and courageous, and was posthumously honored as Marquis Zhonggang of Chengji!"

The generals in the tent—Zhao Yun, Deng Zhi, Gao Xiang, Fu Qian, Guan Xing… even Zhang Shao, who was carrying the imperial edict, and Meng Guang, who had a cold expression—were all moved, yet their expressions remained resolute.

Generals Yang Qun, Yan Zhi, Ma Yu, and Deng Tong all understood the reason behind the posthumous title in the second imperial edict.

Feng Xi, Fu Tong, Zhang Nan, Cheng Ji, and others were all generals of the state who died at the hands of the Wu people in the Battle of Yiling.

At that time, Han and Wu were allies and jointly attacked Cao Wei, so the affairs after the deaths of these generals were all handled in a low-key manner. Few people in Shu mentioned them, to the point that many people almost forgot that these people had sacrificed their lives for the country.

Today, the emperor bestows upon them the posthumous title of "Loyal," which is a declaration to the world that those who died for their country in the Battle of Yiling were all martyrs in a battle of righteousness.

The Han and Wu were enemies, not friends.

Next, everyone needs to work hard to kill Wu Gou.

Just as everyone was lost in thought, the emperor, who was sitting upright, suddenly rose from his seat and raised his voice:
"General Yang Hong, the Loyal and Integrity General, Colonel of the Yue Cavalry, and Prefect of Shu Commandery, died in office."

"Hearing that Hong was about to die, he dared not forget his concern for the country and offered two strategies for attacking Wu."

"His loyalty and integrity can be witnessed by heaven and earth, mountains and rivers, the sun, the moon and the stars."

"According to the posthumous title system, 'Respectful' means being vigilant day and night, 'Respectful' means never forgetting one's ruler, 'Complete' means being vigilant day and night, and 'Complete' means assisting one's ministers to the end."

"I posthumously honor his achievements with the title of Marquis Jingcheng."

"These two edicts were first sent to Chengdu."

"Then the news was spread throughout the land, so that all may hear of it!"

(End of this chapter)