Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 310 Stories of Marquises and Nobles

North of Chang'an, along the official road over the Wei River, several simple carriages, escorted by dozens of elite guards, slowly made their way back to Chang'an.

Before long, they saw the Weiqiao Pavilion in the distance. Fei Yi and several of his subordinates were eagerly waiting, clearly having been waiting for a long time. Upon seeing the Prime Minister's carriage, Fei Yi immediately led his men to quickly greet it.

Upon seeing Fei Yi from afar, the Prime Minister's expression immediately changed. Thinking of a certain evil deed, he got up and got out of the carriage before it had even come to a complete stop.

Fei Yi quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"Prime Minister!"

The Prime Minister helped Fei Yi up: "Wenwei, why did you rush back north? Is it because of His Majesty..."

Fei Yi straightened up and spoke with great enthusiasm:

"Prime Minister, a great victory has been achieved at Yiling, captured in a single day! His Majesty is divinely mighty, and the soldiers fought with all their might. Zhu Ran has been defeated and fled, and the fortified city of Yiling has fallen into the hands of our Great Han! The day before yesterday, I brought the news of the victory, and the entire army rejoiced, and Chang'an was filled with renewed vigor!"

Upon hearing this, the Prime Minister laughed heartily:

“Good, good! I heard about the saying ‘victory in one day’ in the countryside of Fengyi yesterday. I thought it was just hearsay and didn’t dare to believe it completely. I didn’t expect it to actually be true that it was victory in one day.”

"Wenwei, please tell me in detail how His Majesty, General Zhao, and General Chen made their deployments? How did the generals perform? What were the casualties? Have the people of Yiling been appeased?"

Fei Yi immediately composed himself and gave a clear and detailed account of the entire Battle of Yiling, outlining all the key points he knew.

The Prime Minister listened intently, nodding occasionally.

After Fei Yi finished his brief report, the two walked together to the north gate of Chang'an. The Prime Minister looked up at the banners of the Han Dynasty atop the city wall and smiled with satisfaction:

"When besieging an enemy, leave an opening; the best strategy is to attack their mind; the two sides should coordinate their attacks; and they should launch fierce and relentless assaults. This strategy deeply embodies the essence of military tactics. Furthermore, the soldiers are willing to die for their country. With favorable timing, terrain, and popular support, victory is assured!"

"Once Yiling is breached, the perilous Three Gorges will be entirely under the control of our great Han, and the gateway to Jingzhou will be wide open."

"Last year, Sun Quan lost Bu Zishan and my elder brother. In the first month, he also lost his generals Pan Jun, Sun Shao, and Pan Zhang. Now, Zhu Ran has also been defeated and fled."

"Among those generals who could stand alone in one place and command one region without ever suffering a defeat, there was only Lu Xun."

"Given this situation, how could the people of Wu, from the highest to the lowest ranks, not be terrified? Sun Quan must be restless and unable to sleep at this moment."

Upon hearing this, Fei Yi smiled, just like the prime minister.

Yiling was no ordinary city for the Han Dynasty. The great victory at Yiling was not just about the gain or loss of a single city or town, but also about the hearts and minds of the people of Jingzhou and even the entire world.

If the policy of issuing national debt to the emperor were to actually be implemented, and if hundreds of thousands of units of grain could be raised from so-called "loyal and patriotic men," it would certainly be inextricably linked to the great victory at Yiling.

At that moment, Fei Yi said again:
"Prime Minister, you may not know this, but before the Battle of Yiling, His Majesty greatly comforted the three armies, and there were games and games played in the army. His Majesty also personally visited the camp of the surrendered generals in Jingzhou..."

"...General Liao Shi of Zhaoyi drew his sword and swore an oath before throwing the dice, saying that if he could not get Lu, it would be because his heart was not sincere, and he was willing to cut his own throat to apologize to His Majesty."

"Oh?" The Prime Minister paused slightly, clearly not expecting that Liao Shi, who had made great contributions in the recapture of Zigui and Yiling, would have such a strange story. "Liao Zhaoyi really got Lu?"

Fei Yi shook his head and sighed with a smile: "His Majesty stopped him, and then said to Liao Zhaoyi, 'Man proposes, God disposes.'"

"It is also said that 'Liao Zhaoyi's achievements in leading the people to righteousness and restoring the Wu and Zi tribes far surpass those of ten Lu Cais; why should we question the gods and spirits about his loyalty?'"

The Prime Minister smiled and nodded, about to express his feelings, but Fei Yi continued:

"Not only that, Liao Zhaoyi had already thrown the dice at that time. The dice were covered by a bamboo tube. His Majesty then stepped forward and shook the bamboo tube to scramble the dice. After that, he turned the tube over and personally changed the scrambled dice to Lu Cai."

"Liao Zhaoyi and the other surrendered generals from Jingzhou were moved to tears and vowed to serve him to the death."

Before Fei Yi could finish speaking, the Prime Minister slowly stroked his beard, a genuine smile appearing on his lips, and sighed heavily:

"Is this not what Your Majesty meant when you said, 'Man can conquer nature'?"

"Winning hearts and minds is of paramount importance. Your Majesty does not rely on ghosts and gods but values ​​human affairs, showing sincerity and treating people with trust. By taking advantage of the situation, you have inspired their loyalty and righteousness. You have won the hearts of the people in such a way that you are truly worthy of being descendants of the Emperor Gaozu!"

After Fei Yi's death, Jiang Wei, Yang Xi, and other officials in the government office, who had never heard such a story from this chief secretary, were also greatly shocked and seemed to be deep in thought.

The Prime Minister suddenly remembered something that made him quite uneasy: "Wenwei, has anything gone wrong with Sha Lie, the Miao chieftain of Wuxi? Has Sun Quan sent an envoy to assassinate him?"

Fei Yi was immediately taken aback: "Did the Prime Minister guess that Sun Quan would assassinate Sha Lie?"

The Prime Minister nodded: "I heard that Sun Quan was going to grant Sha Lie the seal of the false Miao King of Wu. At first, I didn't think much of it, but then I heard that he was arguing fiercely with Zhang Zibu, which led to Zhang Zhao resigning and leaving. The people of Jingzhou heard about it everywhere, and everyone knew about it. I then felt that something was wrong."

"However, the journey is long and letters are difficult to deliver. Although I have written to His Majesty about this matter, I do not know if they will be delivered in time."

"The Prime Minister's prediction is correct!" Fei Yi immediately shook his head indignantly.

“Sun Quan indeed intended to use the opportunity of bestowing the seal of office to assassinate the Miao chieftain Sha Lie, attempting to once again divide the Miao and Yi peoples of the Five Streams.”

"Fortunately, Bo Duan (Ma Liangzi Bing) was cautious and prevented such a disaster from happening. Otherwise, the morale of the people in Wuling and Jingnan, as well as the course of the war, would not have been under the control of our Han Dynasty."

At this point, Fei Yi paused, his expression and tone carrying a hint of disdain:
"Prime Minister, you are unaware that the envoy sent by Sun Quan to Wuling to bestow the seal of the Miao King Sha Lie was completely unaware of this assassination attempt."

"Oh?" The Prime Minister paused.

Fei Yi shook his head and said disdainfully:
"This was done by the guards responsible for protecting the two men, who were acting on a secret order from Sun Quan."

"To use such unscrupulous means to achieve one's goals, Sun Quan is truly despicable!"

The Prime Minister nodded slightly, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
“Sun Quan is a man who is adept at using such political and scheming tactics. Back then, he sent Zhou Shan disguised as a merchant to sneak into Jingzhou, secretly bring back Lady Sun, and seize His Majesty. He was also acting in such a treacherous manner.”

"Sha Lie was unharmed, so he and Ma An'nan acted according to plan." Fei Yi continued to report, "Wu Wuling Prefect Wei Jing was captured by Ma An'an, while the two Wu envoys were escorted to Yiling by the Miao people."

Fei Yi then recounted to the Prime Minister in detail how Ma Zhong had captured Wuling. When he spoke of how Ma Zhong's nephew, Hu Yan, led fifty brave warriors into the Lin Yuan official temple at night and captured Wei Jing in his sleep, a look of approval flashed in the Prime Minister's eyes.

"The Fox Clan's descendants are indeed brave," the Prime Minister praised sincerely.

“Exactly,” Fei Yi continued. “After Hu Yan captured Wei Jing, Xi Wen, the clerk of Wuling, persuaded the officials of Lin Yuan to open the city gates and return to Han. After Lin Yuan was captured, the entire Wuling prefecture rose up in rebellion.”

Upon hearing the name Xi Wen, the Prime Minister suddenly seemed to remember something and asked softly, "Is he the son of Xi Boyu, the Northern Commandant of Lingling?"

“Exactly,” Fei Yi replied. “Xi Wen addressed the officials from the city walls of Linyuan, saying: ‘In the past, my father defended the land for Han and died rather than surrender to Wu. I, as a son, have humbled myself to serve Wu for the sake of my family and clan, just to save my own life. You all did the same. Now that the royal army has arrived and the governor has been captured, why don’t you welcome him?’”

The Prime Minister recalled the appearance of Xi Zhen, who was said to have been forced to go up the mountain, fought until he ran out of food, and finally committed suicide. After a long silence, he sighed deeply.
"The loyal and virtuous men of the Han Dynasty are still here, and the people of Jingzhou can still be relied upon. If Boyu's spirit is in heaven, he will surely be pleased to see his descendants raise an army and return to the Han."

Sun Quan's regime was, after all, a separatist regime. As long as those born and raised in the Han Dynasty were not all dead and people still longed for the Han, Sun Quan's rule could not be stable. He could only use interests to bind ordinary people like Pan Jun, who valued personal and family interests more. However, the Han Dynasty had nurtured scholars for four hundred years, and the world was so vast, how could it only have ordinary people like Pan Jun?

"Wenwei, your return this time must be more than just to report victory, right?" Upon entering Chang'an, the Prime Minister's tone returned to its usual gentleness and wisdom. "Your Majesty, in this newly recovered territory, have you encountered any difficulties?"

After asking, the Prime Minister sighed again:
"Since the Eastern Expedition, we have fought one fierce battle after another, and the distribution of rewards and compensation to the troops has become a difficult problem."

"The three places of Wuxian, Zigui, and Yiling have just been recovered. The tasks of pacifying the people and the people within their borders, resuming spring plowing, and procuring and transporting provisions for the army are all extremely heavy. Although you have only been there for a short time, you must be overwhelmed with work, right?"

Conquering the world is difficult, but governing it is even more difficult.

After a major victory, there are often more difficult and challenging governance problems, especially in a border town like Yiling, which suffered the calamity of scorched earth policy. The hardships faced by the people there can be imagined.

Upon hearing this, Fei Yi's expression turned serious:
"Your Excellency is wise. My return to the north is on His Majesty's orders to discuss with you and other officials the matter of deciding on military supplies and provisions."

"This matter concerns whether His Majesty's eastern expeditionary army can hold out against Cao Wei and Sun Wu for a long time in Jiangling, and also whether the newly annexed Jingzhou can be stabilized..."

"That's not all."

"I have heard that a great locust plague is about to break out in Linjin. If the Prime Minister's methods of locust control are also ineffective, then Your Majesty's policy will be imperative and must be implemented."

"Your Majesty's plan? What exactly is the mission Wenwei is entrusted with?" Even with his intelligence, the Prime Minister couldn't immediately fathom what Fei Yi meant by military supplies and provisions, or His Majesty's plan. Fei Yi, however, posed the first question:
"I wonder if the methods the Prime Minister implemented in Linjin to control locusts can truly stop the locust plague?"

The Prime Minister shook his head:

"I don't know either, but we have to do it. If we do it, we may not be able to stop it, but if we don't do it, the locust plague will definitely not be stopped. For now, we can only do our best and leave the rest to fate."

Fei Yi then took out two Han Dynasty bonds bearing the emperor's signature and seal from his sleeve and handed them to the prime minister:

"Prime Minister, that is the idea. Doing it may solve the immediate problem, but not doing it will certainly be of no use. We can only let nature take its course and leave it to fate."

"The country is currently facing many troubles, with wars raging and food shortages everywhere. Guanzhong is also in danger of locust plagues. Your Majesty has ordered me to return north this time because you do not want to leave things to fate, but want to issue Han Dynasty bonds to the people to raise funds for the country to pacify the people and support the army."

"National bonds?" The Prime Minister's expression changed, and he solemnly took the so-called bonds from Fei Yi's hand, examining them for a long time with a serious expression.

On the two mulberry bark papers of different sizes in his hand, the words "Special National Debt for the Eastern Expedition in the First Year of Yanwu of the Great Han Dynasty" were particularly eye-catching.

The small bonds were marked with the words "One Thousand Stones".

The larger bonds were marked with a face value of 5,000 koku, and both bonds also clearly stated "tithe" and "one-year term".

The Prime Minister was all too familiar with the handwriting at the bottom of the bond; it was the Emperor's own handwriting, the three characters "朕准此" (I hereby grant this permission), with the Emperor's jade seal affixed above them.

The prime minister reached out and stroked the handwriting on the bond that the emperor had personally signed, then gazed thoughtfully at the imperial seal that symbolized the supreme authority of the state.

"We'll discuss this matter again at the Prime Minister's residence." Carefully tucking the bonds into his sleeve, the Prime Minister immediately urged his horse to speed up towards the residence.

The next morning.

Inside the main hall of the Prime Minister's residence.

The Prime Minister summoned the main officials in the capital.

Fei Yi, Yang Yi, Xiang Chong, Li Fu, Fan Qi, Hu Ji, Jiang Wei, Yang Xi... more than twenty people sat on both sides.

The Prime Minister placed several bond samples on the table and slowly said, "His Majesty wishes to raise funds for provisions from loyal and patriotic individuals, promising interest, and call it national bonds. What do you all think?"

Yang Yi, the former chief clerk of the prefectural government, had already learned of this matter from Fei Yi. He was the first to stand up, his face showing displeasure.

"Prime Minister, I believe this action is absolutely unacceptable!"
"King Nan of Zhou once racked up huge debts, which ultimately led to the demise of the Zhou Dynasty. This is a lesson from the past! It is unprecedented in history for the Son of Heaven to borrow money from the people! This is truly detrimental to the dignity of the imperial family and the nation!"

He walked into the hall and continued his impassioned speech:

"Furthermore, the nation's finances should be based on tax revenue!"
"If we set a precedent for lending, I fear that future rulers and ministers will neglect their duties and rely solely on loans to make a living!"

"Furthermore, if the one-year deadline is reached and the debt cannot be repaid, wouldn't Your Majesty lose credibility with the world? Wouldn't the nation lose credibility with the world?!"

"If this is the case, how can we expect the Han Dynasty to rise again three times?!"

The Prime Minister and Fei Yi exchanged glances, remained silent, and continued to observe the reactions of the other officials and senior ministers present.

Registrar Hu Ji pondered for a moment, then spoke:

"What Duke Wei said is indeed reasonable, but the country is in turmoil and food supplies are scarce in all directions. However, Your Majesty has won one battle after another since the eastern expedition, and the recapture of Jingzhou is in sight. This is truly a matter of great importance to the fate of our Han Dynasty."

"If we miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity due to insufficient food supplies, we may never have such a good chance again."

"Your Majesty's willingness to disregard the dignity of the imperial family in order to promote the Eastern Expedition is truly a testament to your good intentions."

Yang Yi snorted coldly upon hearing this, unimpressed.

However, young officials such as Jiang Wei and Yang Xi immediately nodded in agreement.

Hu Ji paused, then said:

During the reign of Emperor Jing, the Rebellion of the Seven States occurred. The marquises and lords of Chang'an borrowed money from the Qian family in Guanzhong to purchase military equipment.

"At that time, people's hearts were unsettled, and no one dared to lend money. Only Wu Yan was willing to lend a thousand gold pieces, demanding ten times the interest. Three months later, the rebellion was quelled, and Wu Yan received ten thousand gold pieces to repay the debt, thus becoming the richest man in Guanzhong."

Hu Ji looked around at everyone and suggested:

"Since Your Majesty has this intention, why not refrain from publicly issuing so-called 'national bonds' to the people in the name of the emperor and the state?"

“We, the staff of the Prime Minister’s office, can set an example and call on the important civil and military officials of the country to borrow money from the wealthy families in Guanzhong and Shu in their own names, just like the story of the marquises and lords during the Rebellion of the Seven States.”

Fei Yi then slowly stood up:
“I cannot agree with what the registrar said.”

"Tell me, what personal credit do we have? What collateral do we have? What can we offer to borrow grain from the wealthy and powerful?"

"If we borrow money in our own names, even if we don't get the tenfold interest of Wu Yan, we'll still inevitably incur interest of thirty or forty percent from ordinary lenders. How will we repay it then?"

At this point, Fei Yi took out the emperor's handwritten letter and handed it to Yang Yi and other officials in the government office for review.

The main hall of the Prime Minister's residence immediately fell silent.

As the registrar Hu Ji looked at the handwritten letter, his expression gradually changed from solemn to complicated.

When I saw the sentence, "The Emperor's reputation and the nation's reputation are the very lifeblood of national debt," I couldn't help but sigh.

After reading it carefully, Xiang Chong looked up and said:
"His Majesty has made a very clear distinction between national debt and King Nan of Zhou's loans."

“The power of our great Han Dynasty is rising day by day, unlike that of the late Zhou Dynasty.”

"Moreover, the certificates of government bonds are clear and the process is transparent, which is very different from the private transfer of funds and debts. It is indeed an expedient measure and a feasible method."

Jiang Wei took the letter, his eyes gleaming:
"Your Majesty is right. Such national debt can bind the private interests, family interests, and clan interests of loyal and patriotic people with the fate of our Great Han Dynasty. It is indeed a wonderful strategy to unite people's hearts."

"Your Majesty's eastern expedition will surely succeed. The rich land of Jingzhou will soon belong to our Great Han, and repaying this national debt will not be difficult."

After everyone had finished reading it, the Prime Minister slowly spoke:
"Now is the time when the locust plague is about to break out in Linjin. Whether it can be contained is still uncertain. If the locust plague ravages Guanzhong, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians will suffer from famine. Even if the granaries are opened to provide relief, it will be difficult to cover all the losses."

He stood up and walked to the front of the hall:
"Your Majesty, by lending money to the wealthy and powerful in the country with the credit of the emperor and the nation, if you can get their support, even if you only get 100,000 shi of grain, it can still sustain 100,000 people for one or two months. This is not only necessary for the northern expedition or the eastern campaign, but also a preparation for disaster prevention in Guanzhong."

At this point, the Prime Minister's gaze swept over the crowd:

"Your Majesty's primary purpose in issuing national bonds this time is to meet the needs of the eastern expeditionary army."

"Now that Jingzhou is reporting frequent victories, why not try it out in Chang'an first?"

"If wealthy families in Guanzhong are willing to purchase it, then promoting it in Chengdu will not be a problem."

"If the response is negative or it incites public resentment, we will then advise Your Majesty to stop issuing the funds."

Fei Yi immediately nodded and said, "Prime Minister's plan is excellent. It can both satisfy His Majesty's heart for the country and allow him to act according to the trend of public opinion."

The Prime Minister then said, "I will set an example by acknowledging the loss of two 1,000-stone national bonds."

Fei Yi also said, "I acknowledge Zhang Qianshi."

Jiang Wei also stepped forward: "I will purchase two bonds worth 5,000 shi each, and then send a letter home to order my clan to transport 10,000 shi of grain from Tianshui to Guanzhong."

Seeing this situation, everyone finally expressed their opinions.

(End of this chapter)