Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 222 Impeachment by the Entire State, Li Yan's Power Collapses

"Your Majesty... Your subject is filled with trepidation!"
"It is all because I have failed to manage my subordinates properly and have lost control of the discipline, which has led to the two scoundrels, Hu Zhong and Cheng Fan, rebelling against their superiors and acting arrogantly!"

"I humbly request Your Majesty to execute these two villains!"
"To uphold the laws of the land and to uphold the authority of Heaven!"
"I am of meager talent and virtue, yet I am unworthy to hold such an important position!"
"Your Majesty does not consider me lowly or base, and entrusts me with a heavy responsibility in the face of battle!"

"I am foolish and presumptuous, and I cannot be without shame in my heart. I have failed the late emperor's great trust and disgraced Your Majesty's trust in me. Even death ten thousand times would be too light for me!"

"However... if I were to crane my neck, I would not know how I could face the late Emperor in the netherworld."

"I humbly beg Your Majesty to temper your wrath and spare my humble life!"

"The envoy was able to lay bare his liver and pour out his blood to atone for his mistakes and repay the kindness."

"If Your Majesty grants your request, then please confiscate my seal and hand me over to the Court of Justice to be punished for my disrespect, negligence, and slander against the court!"
"It was displayed in the marketplace and the court to warn all officials."

"If Your Majesty still wishes to entrust the duties of corrupt officials in prefectures and counties to this guilty minister."

“This guilty subject deserves to have his liver and brains spilled on the ground, his head shattered and his heart broken.”

"To repay the late Emperor's great trust and grace, and to repay Your Majesty's kindness in restoring our lives, I will not harm my offspring while alive, and I will have a reason to die before the late Emperor!"

Li Yan finished speaking with a choked voice and bowed deeply.

Upon hearing the noise and seeing the scene, Hu Zhong and Cheng Fan, who had been bound and kneeling on the emperor's ship, were in a daze, as if they had lost their parents.

Following closely behind Generals Hu Zhong and Cheng Fan, the generals Cen Shu and Wang Chong, who had come to protect the emperor, looked at each other in bewilderment, unsure of what to say.

The officers and soldiers who followed Cheng Fan and Hu Zhong, who were also planning a rebellion, as well as some officers and soldiers who were unknowingly coerced by Cheng and Hu onto the ship, were all confused, fearful, and in complete disarray.

Why is their commander, a man who is usually so arrogant and domineering, behaving like this today? Is it because the person behind him is the emperor?
But isn't this very governor the one who loves to slander the court and never takes the emperor or the prime minister seriously?
Given this governor's arrogant nature, even if the emperor wanted to capture him and bring him back to Chengdu for house arrest, or even if the emperor really wanted to execute him, he should still be stubborn and defiant, right?

Why are you so groveling now?!
Most importantly, now that this governor has requested the emperor to execute Cheng Fan and Hu Zhong, should all those who either knowingly violated the law or followed him in a daze be punished and executed for treason?

"Commander, how could you do this?!"

"Li Yan, you scoundrel, are you even speaking human language?!"

Many people finally saw Li Yan's true colors, and felt a deep sadness and hatred towards him.

Some people are confused and just want to survive.

"Your Majesty, spare your life!"

"Your Majesty...we are innocent!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, we know nothing! It was the two traitors, Hu Zhong and Cheng Fan, who lured us here!"

First, the soldiers who had been brought aboard the ship in a daze knelt down and begged for mercy.

Immediately afterwards, those who knew they were committing the crime finally realized what was happening, and they all knelt down, crying as if they knew nothing at all.

More and more people stared intently at the emperor at the bow of the ship, who could decide the fate of countless people with a single word, but the emperor seemed to see and hear nothing, remaining unmoved.

Li Yanzhen, still kneeling on the ground, pleaded for his life:

"Your Majesty, those who commit treason and rebellion must be punished!"
"But... I humbly beseech Your Majesty to see clearly that there must be those who knowingly commit crimes, while there are also soldiers who were unknowingly dragged here by the two villains, Hu and Cheng, and it is difficult to distinguish them for the time being."

"I beg Your Majesty's mercy to punish only the ringleaders!"

"The rest of us will await punishment in the eastern expedition, hoping to atone for our sins through meritorious service!"

Those who heard the sound all turned their gaze away from Li Yan and focused it back on the emperor.

But the emperor's face remained calm and still, and he did not speak.

After a short while, without making any statement, the emperor turned back towards the cabin with his hands behind his back.

Seeing the emperor's actions, Cheng Fan and Hu Zhong were finally heartbroken.

The Emperor's words just now linger in my mind.

"Li Qing just told me that you two generals were merely confused for a moment, and I can see your loyalty to Li Qing."

"I hope you two generals can lead your six thousand soldiers to accompany Minister Li in garrisoning Chengdu. What do you say?"

Such absurd statement!

They actually believed it?!

The howling from the boat grew louder and louder, filling the entire river and fields.

At sunset.

All those in Jiangzhou who were at least 100 commanders gathered at the Xuanwu Gate in the south of the city to witness their executions.

The emperor is not present.

The mighty dragons and tigers are gone.

Not a single close advisor of the emperor was present.

Not a single general or soldier who obeys the emperor is here.

At least that's how it appears on the surface.

Li Yan, who had not yet resigned from his post as governor of Jiangzhou, walked down from the city wall and slowly proceeded to the execution site.

Before him stood Hu Zhong and Cheng Fan.

"My lord! We came here to save you. His Majesty has not punished us, and even praised us for our unwavering loyalty to you. How could you... how could you persuade His Majesty to kill us?!"

Generals Hu Zhong and Cheng Fan were surrounded by over fifty men, including commanders, military officers, captains, and lieutenants who had joined Chang Jing in his rebellion in the Yangtze River. Upon seeing Li Yan's audacity in coming here, they all cursed him.

Li Yan's expression was complicated; he, who was never one to mince words, remained silent at this moment.

Seeing that Li Yan remained unmoved, Hu Zhong and Cheng Fan made a last-ditch effort.

"My lord, you must be deceiving the emperor to gain his trust, preparing to turn against that so-called emperor at any moment, right?!"

"My lord, Liu Shan only has two or three thousand men, while we in Jiangzhou have an army of thirty thousand. What are you afraid of?!"

"Why not kidnap Liu Shan and take him to Eastern Wu? Chen Hu and Chen Dao will be hesitant to act rashly, fearing the consequences!"

"Even on the verge of death, you remain stubbornly unrepentant. Do you only shut up when His Majesty executes your entire clan?!" Li Yan's face turned red as he finally broke down in a tirade of curses.

Upon hearing Li Yan's words, the man who had once been deeply trusted by Li Yan seemed to have heard the funniest joke and burst into wild laughter.

"Li Yan, there's no one from Liu Shan here, why are you putting on this act for us?!"

"Such groveling and groveling, your knees are probably even softer than those of us kneeling here!"

"Hmph, although I have self-respect, I have never thought of rebelling or defying the Han dynasty!"
"My resentment stems entirely from Zhuge Liang!"
"His Majesty's appointment of me as Grand Tutor and General of the Guards is, at worst, a promotion in name only, a demotion in reality!"
“You have taken it upon yourselves to mobilize troops and followed the Emperor here. Your rebellious and treacherous intentions are clear!”

“You are the ones I raised, and my past crimes can all be said to be fabricated.”

"You have implicated me in this way, depriving me of even the last shred of dignity. I am not committing treason, but I am committing treason!"

"If I don't kill you, His Majesty will kill me!"
"You people... I've raised you for so many years, how could you be so stupid? You're worse than dogs and pigs!"
"You may all go. If I survive, I will take care of your wives and children."

Upon hearing this, Hu Zhong, Cheng Fan, and the others realized that they had no way out and were utterly dejected.

A moment later, he became extremely angry again and cursed Li Yan once more, using the most vile and disgusting language imaginable, including Li Yan's ancestors, wife, and children.

Outside those about to be executed, many officers and soldiers overheard the verbal sparring between Li Yan and Hu Zhong, Cheng Fan, and others. Some crude individuals who knew nothing about politics and thought the emperor intended to give Li Yan an important position finally realized that the emperor's appointment of Li Yan as Grand Tutor and General of the Imperial Guard was not to have Li Yan stationed in Chengdu, but merely to give Li Yan a respectable position.

Some astute individuals with a keen understanding of politics, though they had long known that the emperor might punish Li Yan, only now truly saw through Li Yan's true nature.

Li Yan was the most lawless and rebellious person in the world.

Now that he is likely to face great calamity, even soldiers like Hu Zhong and Cheng Fan, who were willing to die for him, are willing to be executed in order to save their own lives. How callous!

Let alone whether the emperor will use him again, even if he does, even if he regains power in the future, who will dare to risk their lives for him again?

"cut!"

Li Yan gave the order.

Dozens of heads rolled off, blood splattering in the mud.

Before these people were beheaded, they accused Li Yan of countless past crimes, the truth of which is hard to know, but no one has investigated them now.

at night.

News from the Xuanwu Gate execution ground kept reaching back to the emperor's ship.

The verbal sparring between Hu Zhong, Cheng Fan, and other rebels and Li Yan before their execution was recorded almost without omission by dozens or nearly a hundred people, and was finally sealed in a wooden box.

"Your Majesty, all those who followed Hu and Cheng into the river, including those of the rank of commander of a hundred or above, have been executed and their heads displayed at the four gates."

"There are 2,652 people below the rank of centurion who have joined the rebellion. What should be done with them?"

The Imperial Censor Meng Guang brought a memorial.

Liu Shan had already made up his mind, and without hesitation said, "Release them to their respective camps and let Li Feng, the Protector-General of Jiangzhou, decide their fate."

Meng Guang frowned first, pondered for a few moments, then cupped his hands and said yes.

Of the more than two thousand people, there were indeed some low-ranking soldiers who were unaware of the situation. Executing them all would have too many repercussions and would not have a good impact on the emperor. Let Li Feng, the Protector-General of Jiangzhou, investigate and deal with them carefully. It would be Li Feng's responsibility to kill the wrong people, and it would also be Li Feng's responsibility if any escaped and caused trouble in the future.

It remains to be seen whether Li Feng, the Protector-General of Jiangzhou, has the ability to deliver a satisfactory performance and continue the Li family line.

Just a few days later.

The news of the dramatic change in the river spread rapidly throughout the Jiangzhou Military Region, as if it had grown wings.

The Emperor personally visited Jiangzhou and intended to appoint Li Yan as Grand Tutor and General of the Guards, to be stationed in Chengdu.

However, Li Yan's trusted subordinates actually believed this to be a story from the tale of Emperor Gaozu Han Xin's dream journey, and they plotted to rebel and force Li Yan to abdicate.

Ultimately, they were treated as traitors; over fifty were beheaded and their bodies displayed in the marketplace at Xuanwu Gate, all under the personal supervision of Li Yan!

Jiangzhou was in an uproar.

Jiangzhou was solemn.

Some say that Li Yan feared his treason would be exposed, so he deliberately incited Hu Zhong, Cheng Fan, and other generals to rebel. In the end, he begged to be executed along with all his trusted generals, pleading to save his own life and remain useful in the future.

Some say that the upheaval in Jiangzhou was already a foregone conclusion the moment the emperor "invited" Li Yan onto the boat.

The emperor had already made plans when he went south. He anticipated that if he cut off Li Yan's communication with his confidants and invited Li Yan to board the ship, his confidants would surely force him to abdicate.

If Li Yan had not executed the generals and officers who had defied his authority, then regardless of the circumstances, the charges against Li Yan for abusing his power and committing treason would have been confirmed, and no one would have dared to defend him; he would have been executed without a doubt.

Regardless of the facts, it undoubtedly proved once again to the people of Sichuan and the surrounding areas that the majesty of this Han emperor was inviolable.

After all, even Li Yan, the governor of Jiangzhou and the head of the Dongzhou faction, has fallen. What can the other Dongzhou scholars do?
More importantly, Li Yan was guilty, but he didn't die.

This completely put the Jiangzhou Military Region, and even all the Dongzhou scholars who had once followed Li Yan's lead, into a passive position, and they no longer had any ambition to cause trouble.

If Li Yan were to die, some of the Dongzhou scholars who harbored resentment for not being given important positions might still feel indignant, unite, and spread rumors and cause trouble.

But Li Yan survived, and not only survived, he also went to great lengths to show his loyalty to the emperor.

As a result, the scholars of Dongzhou began to live in constant fear and scattered like birds and beasts.

Among the scholars of the Dongzhou faction, Fa Zheng died first, Meng Da betrayed Wei, Li Yan fell, and Wu Yi and Wu Ban were already the emperor's men.

The people of Dongzhou were now leaderless, with no one left to raise the banner.

Those in the Jiangzhou Military Region who were not part of Li Yan's faction gathered together in high spirits, praising the benevolence of the imperial court.

It should be understood that governing the world requires employing people.

The scholars who had fled to Dongzhou and those powerful and corrupt officials who were attached to them were indispensable to the Han Dynasty, which was extremely short of talent.

After the Han Dynasty conquered Guanzhong and half of Longyou, the importance of these capable administrators became even more prominent.

If we don't use them, then nobody will use them anymore.

Should we use those even more greedy and despicable powerful figures?

If the imperial court were to take a hard line and deal with Li Yan directly, many people would become extremely nervous.

What can they do?
There are so many things they can do.

The Sanba region, where Li Yan wielded the most influence, was inhabited by both Han and Ba people, and its people were known for their fierce and unruly nature. A few years ago, a scholar from Dongzhou moved to another prefecture to govern, and as a result, the Ba people in this prefecture began to gather and rebel, which the prefecture could not quell.

The imperial court sent envoys to persuade the people, and the respected elders of the Cong people sincerely presented their conditions to the court:

"We are a barbarian tribe. We do not wish to rebel, but our former ruler was benevolent, while our successor is lacking in virtue. If our ruler is not returned, the hearts of the Bai Cong tribes will not be at peace, and the unrest may not be contained."

Finally, the imperial court had no choice but to appoint a talented and virtuous member of the Dongzhou scholar's clan as the new prefect.

Well, the rebellion of the Ba people was quelled in no time.

Didn't they say they wouldn't stop until they returned the money to the former magistrate?

In reality, it is still a matter of mutual protection, entanglement, and binding of various interests.

This was the political landscape of the Han Dynasty in the Sanba and Nanzhong regions.

It is not impossible to quell the unrest directly using forceful means.

But the imperial court had to weigh whether it was cheaper to replace the governor or to quell the rebellion by force.
The results speak for themselves.

The fact that the Emperor spared Li Yan's life not only demonstrates the Emperor's benevolence but also shows that the Emperor was unwilling to lightly punish the minister entrusted with the care of the young emperor, lest he tarnish the wisdom of the late Emperor.

The fact that Li Yan personally oversaw the execution of the traitor left everyone speechless, and also caused Li Yan to lose his martial arts skills and the support of the people. From then on, no one dared to associate with Li Yan.

With the emperor personally taking charge of Jiangzhou, summoning the generals of Jiangzhou, and rallying the troops, Jiangzhou, which was not a cohesive unit to begin with, was further divided and disintegrated. As a result, memorials from the county and prefectural officials in the Jiangzhou military region impeaching Li Yan flooded into Jiangzhou like an avalanche.

Furthermore, dozens of people jointly submitted a memorial listing Li Yan's crimes in the military and state, hoping that the emperor would not be blinded by wolves and should undoubtedly execute him.

The emperor kept it in the palace and did not issue it.

A few days later, Li Yan relinquished his titles as Governor of Jiangzhou and General of the Vanguard. He bid a silent farewell to his few relatives and friends at the Xuanwu Gate Wharf in Jiangzhou, and, with his wife, mother, and young children in tow, boarded a boat traveling upstream to the capital to assume his new post.

Li Yan's son, Li Feng, temporarily assumed the position of Left Protector-General of Jiangzhou, commanding a military force of ten thousand men.

Yan Zhi, the General Who Pacifies Bandits who once served as the Prefect of Bazhou, rushed from the front line of Hanzhong to Jiangzhou and was appointed Right Protector of Jiangzhou, commanding 10,000 troops. He was jointly protected by Li Feng, the Left Protector.

Soon after, news of Li Yan's subordinates plotting a rebellion and Li Yan's removal from his post as governor of Jiangzhou arrived in Chengdu before Li Yan himself.

(End of this chapter)