Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 457 Sincerity in Appeasing the Army
What does the Prime Minister mean?

Zhang Ji, who was more familiar with Liu Bei, asked the question.

"These days, the Ministry of Works has sent official documents to all counties and prefectures, requesting that you report the autumn grain tax revenue."

Liu Bei did not mention this matter in court, but brought it up at a banquet: "You all requested the court to dispose of the autumn grain locally, citing reasons such as providing relief to refugees and replenishing military supplies. I know that what you all said is true, and I have never urged it."

"But have you ever considered that this task of calculating and reporting the autumn tax should not have been done by you in the first place?"

"What do you all think will happen to those who have the right to perform their duties but don't receive the benefits of the autumn tax?"

Li Jue, Guo Si, and the others looked at each other, none of them saying a word.

They probably thought Liu Bei had come to demand money and provisions from them.

The claim that "what they said is true" is actually a bit of a lie... They really didn't provide relief to the refugees; they just wanted to pocket the money and grain for themselves.

Zhang Ji asked, "May I ask, Prime Minister, has someone framed us before His Majesty?"

"It wasn't a frame-up... it was murder."

Liu Bei shook his head and said, "Regarding the autumn tax reports from the prefectures and counties, please recalculate them after you return. Especially Zhi Ran, your report has been altered. You should carefully check it with the chief scribe You Chu first."

Li Jue stood up in shock: "It's been altered?"

Liu Bei nodded: "Your report mentioned sending 5,000 laborers to transport flowers, trees, and rare stones to Chang'an. Are there that many flowers, trees, and rare stones in the north? Do we need 5,000 people to transport them?"

“I did find some auspicious items, suggested by Zhao Rong, the governor of Beidi, as a congratulatory gift for His Majesty’s relocation of the capital… but there were only 500 people to transport them, not 5,000.”

Li Jue's face was grim: "Zhao Rong framed me?!"

Liu Bei produced two documents: "Since you only sent five hundred men, it seems that the other five thousand were planning to launch a surprise attack on Chang'an... If my clerk hadn't been so careful, you would have been charged with treason."

Li Jue held the document and looked at it for a long time, his face turning pale and then red: "I will immediately send someone to stop it!"

“I have already asked Duan Zhongming to stop him.”

Liu Bei shook his head and said, "Zhi Ran, it's not that I don't trust you, but Duan Zhongming already has a grudge against you. His interception won't arouse suspicion from the mastermind... I have to use this as a pretext to uncover the mastermind."

Li Jue frowned and slowly sat down: "How could this be... I have no ill relationship with Zhao Rong..."

"Actually, this is also due to your own reasons... Just after the court assembly today, His Majesty asked me why Minister Yang and Duan Zhongming were able to obtain grain from Huayin and put it into the imperial treasury, but all the other prefectures had no grain to use? Is it because Huayin is so wealthy, or are only Yang Wenxian and Duan Zhongming considered loyal ministers?"

Liu Bei scanned the people present: "Gentlemen, how should I answer?"

Everyone present wore different expressions, looking even more uneasy, and glancing around, probably checking for any axemen nearby...

There were no executioners, of course. Liu Bei wasn't that extreme in his actions. These soldiers from Xizhou weren't the gangsters like the bandits from Jingxiang.

The soldiers under these Guanzhong commanders were all from the same hometown and had relatives. If these commanders were eliminated, not only would their troops be unable to be incorporated into the army, but Liu Bei would also have to deal with the Guanzhong officials and powerful families himself, which would be a loss.

Seeing Liu Bei looking at him, Li Jue asked, "Is this why His Majesty appointed Duan Wei as the commander-in-chief?"

"Your Majesty traveled thousands of miles to Chang'an, and only Duan Zhongming served Your Majesty wine, food, vegetables and fruits, and promptly supplied Your Majesty with provisions, and also reported on the matter of attacking the bandits in Liangzhou."

Liu Bei smiled at Li Jue and said, "You all hold important positions in the Three Auxiliary Regions, yet I have not seen any respect for you... If you were in my shoes, what would you think?"

Li Jue was stunned: "Duan Zhongming's appointment as general was for such a reason?"

"How complicated could it be? His Majesty will assume personal rule after conquering Liangzhou, and His Majesty's marriage will also be decided by himself after assuming personal rule. Conquering Liangzhou is His Majesty's most important matter. And after His Majesty comes down, the only Liangzhou general he recognizes is Duan Zhongming."

Liu Bei shrugged: "Duan Zhongming has already shown his loyalty, has the talent to lead troops, and has also presented a strategy for attacking Liangzhou, which is quite insightful... So Your Majesty will naturally appoint him as the commander-in-chief."

Li Jue stood there dumbfounded upon hearing this.

That's why it's really important to become a familiar face...

Chen Dao, who was holding a wine pot and pouring wine for Li Jue, twitched his face, but then continued pouring wine expressionlessly, clearly trying to suppress a laugh.

"Many things are inherently simple, but there are always people who overcomplicate things..."

Liu Bei stepped forward, took the wine pot, waved for Chen Dao to leave, and stood in front of Li Jue to pour wine for himself: "Take the grudge between Brother Zhiran and Duan Zhongming, for example. You and Duan Zhongming had no enmity to begin with, it was just a verbal dispute, why did you become mortal enemies?"

Upon seeing this, Li Jue quickly raised his cup and bowed: "It was not that I, Li, was fighting with Duan Wei, but that Duan Wei falsely accused me of attacking the emperor's entourage..."

Liu Bei nodded and poured wine: "The emperor's ceremonial regalia was abducted west of Huayin, and the Yang clan of Huayin were killed while escorting the regalia. Duan Zhongming is stationed in Huayin and has a duty to protect his homeland. Yang Wenxian asked Duan Zhongming to investigate this matter, which was perfectly reasonable and legal. Duan Zhongming also said that he went to your camp to ask you if this had happened."

Li Jue nodded: "He did come to ask, and I tried to reason with him. But Duan Wei is convinced that I did it and insists on framing me..."

“Zhiran, I know you didn’t instigate this, but it’s true that you insulted Duan Zhongming because of official business.”

Liu Bei laughed and said, "Actually, you should know if you just think about it for a moment... In Huayin, besides Duan Zhongming, who is the most likely to rob Yang Dingyun's ceremonial entourage? Why did Yang Wenxian only send Duan Zhongming to handle the matter, but didn't show up himself?"

"What was originally a very simple matter has turned into a personal feud between you and Duan Zhongming. Who benefits from this?"

Li Jue held the wine cup in silence.

Guo Si, sitting next to him, laughed and said, "The one most likely to hijack Yang Ding's convoy is Yang Ding himself..."

Guo Si was a bandit by trade and had extensive experience in robbery... but this remark was probably just meant to ease the tension.

Liu Bei turned to Guo Si, raised his cup, and said earnestly, "Brother Guo, your insight is excellent."

Guo Si was taken aback: "I was just saying it casually, is it really true?"

"I don't know if that's true either, but let's just imagine it..."

Liu Bei did not make any definitive statements, but instead analyzed the case: "The emperor is about to arrive, and as the Minister of Works, it is Yang Wenxian's duty to prepare the emperor's ceremonial guards and repair the palace."

"However, such matters are very costly. The ceremonial embroidery, gold and silver, flowers and trees are all very valuable. The Yang family of Hongnong provided money and grain to raise funds for the emperor's ceremonial rites, but the emperor may not compensate the Yang family after he arrives in Chang'an, because some people have previously discussed asking His Majesty to marry Lady Meiyang."

"It would be beneficial for all of you for Meiyang to enter the palace to accompany the emperor, but it would be a threat to the Yang family... after all, none of you are on good terms with the Yang family."

"The Yang family had long resided in Huayin, and Duan Zhongming's military settlements and land reclamation in Huayin were inherently disadvantageous to the Yang family."

"The Yang family then had a motive to sow discord. Whoever robbed the ceremonial entourage, Yang Ding could claim it was Li Zhiran, and then use that to ask Duan Zhongming to find the thief and catch the murderer. Regardless of who wins or loses between Li Zhiran and Duan Zhongming, the Yang family would have one less opponent. Even if this plan failed, at least they would have recovered the valuables, which would at least reduce their financial losses..."

Liu Bei turned to Li Jue and said, "Before the Emperor and I arrived here, Minister Yang was the head of all officials, and all the ministers and governors in the court were under his command... Zhi Ran, if Duan Zhongming is killed by you, whose hands will his troops fall into?"

"If you are killed by Duan Zhongming, to whom will your troops go?"

Who else could they turn to? Of course, they would turn to Yang Ding.

If Duan Wei had killed Li Jue, Li Jue's subordinates certainly wouldn't have joined Duan Wei, nor would they have had time to switch allegiance to Guo Si and others, but joining Yang Ding would have been effortless.

Seeking refuge with other families might lead to them being held accountable for past plundering of wealthy households; only the Yang family can protect them.

Liu Bei's words were, of course, a forced interpretation. The Yang family's caravan was hijacked by Zhang Bai at Jia Xu's behest, originally intended to disrupt the emperor's wedding and delay the process. However, Liu Bei's analysis from a self-interested perspective made a lot of sense.

Yang Biao wouldn't actually care too much about the financial losses, but he certainly had the intention to sow discord. It would indeed be beneficial for Yang Biao if the generals in Guanzhong started fighting each other.

Yang Biao hadn't expected Duan Wei to have such a bad temper, and that he had actually made enemies with Yang Ding again.

"So that's how it is... So that's how it is!" Li Jue seemed to have taken it to heart, muttering resentfully.

"Duan Zhongming has already figured things out, so he has pledged his loyalty to His Majesty... It's just that he's getting old and can't bring himself to shake hands and make peace with you. I won't advise you two to settle your personal grudges; I just want to tell you..."

Liu Bei raised his cup to those present and said, "The world is bustling with people coming and going for profit."

“I remind you all that under Lord Dong’s rule, you have taken advantage of the local counties and had a lot of conflicts with the local officials and powerful families. The enmity between you has been brewing for a long time.”

"At that time, Lord Dong granted them official positions in exchange for keeping them in the dark. But you have all seen what happened afterward: the rebellion in Bingzhou and the assassination attempt on Lord Dong... Gentlemen, Lord Dong's hatred was based on the two words 'interest'."

"I request His Majesty to appoint you all as generals and to have the officials recommend each other for official positions, following the precedent set by Lord Dong. But you should all know that this matter is perilous. You have been framed and plotted against, and you are only one part of the whole..."

“I have a past relationship with Lord Dong and have fought alongside you all. Although I am willing to help you, the main force of my troops must protect His Majesty closely... We cannot allow His Majesty to be plotted against like Lord Dong.”

"Please keep yourselves in mind and stand with His Majesty through thick and thin."

Liu Bei had made his point very clear, and everyone present fell silent in thought.

The reasons for the factions and the struggles have been clearly explained, so now it's time to choose sides.

Guo Si raised his cup and drank it all: "If it weren't for Lord Xuande's warning, I wouldn't have known that this place is so dangerous... Please tell me how to resolve this matter, Lord Xuande."

"What did Duan Zhongming do?"

Liu Bei smiled and said, "Do you think anyone would still plot against Duan Zhongming these days?"

Everyone was stunned.

Indeed, since Duan Wei openly pledged allegiance to the emperor and accepted the authority to conquer Liangzhou, no one would plot against him anymore.

The campaign against Liangzhou would not only avoid competing with the locals for their interests, but it would also be a major undertaking for the court. Liu Bei had already made it clear that the emperor would assume personal rule after Liangzhou was pacified. Therefore, regardless of which faction it was, they all had to support Duan Wei's campaign against Liangzhou.

"Why doesn't the Prime Minister kill all those treacherous officials?!"

Li Jue asked.

"There must be a reason to execute traitors and rebels... Who are the traitors and rebels? What crimes have they committed? Is there any evidence? Take the report documents in your hand, for example. Who knows who wrote them? If there is no evidence, then it is an unjust execution."

Liu Bei countered, "Liangzhou is currently in turmoil and needs to be attacked. If we execute them without punishing them, the officials of the Three Auxiliary Regions will all join the rebels and cooperate from within. How can we deal with that?"

"Dong Gong's bravery is known throughout the land, yet he was still murdered in the Northern Residence... If chaos breaks out again in the Three Auxiliary Regions, and the Liangzhou bandits take advantage of the situation to attack, how can Your Majesty ensure your safety in Chang'an?"

"Even when they harmed you, they used a false report to infiltrate, and the blame fell on you and You Chu... They could have fielded five thousand men, and you weren't prepared beforehand. They could have easily launched a surprise attack and taken your head, but why didn't they just kill you directly?"

Li Jue fell silent, head bowed, lost in thought.

Liu Bei actually said that on purpose...

He couldn't be happier that these soldiers would cause trouble for Yang Biao and the officials of the Three Auxiliary Regions.

If there's no pretext, then create one. The campaign against Liangzhou is imminent, so colluding with the Qiang and Hu tribes to rebel is the best pretext.

Instead of waiting for others to cause trouble, it's better to cause trouble yourself...

That's what Liu Bei thought.

Now Li Jue, Guo Si, and others think the same way.

They just thought differently...

"We are willing to follow the Prime Minister's orders. May we ask what the Prime Minister's plans are?"

Zhang Ji asked.

"Since we are going to attack Liangzhou, we should make preparations. Please take up positions in Huaili, Wannian, and Shangluo to raise military supplies. I will send messengers to your troops. We will advance and retreat together in case of any event."

Liu Bei turned and walked toward the main seat: "Gentlemen, we all come from the army, and have fought countless battles to get to where we are today. We are not able to be on the same path as those who are born with fine clothes and silks. We should unite as one."

"I believe that you are all loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty. I request that each of you send a close associate with a contingent of elite troops to Chang'an to serve as the Emperor's personal guard."

"Please trust me, gentlemen. You can form your own alliance and rely on each other. I will only use military discipline to restrain you. I will not force your troops to obey me, nor do I intend to take hostages."

"Gentlemen, we are all under the same banner. The villains will not dare to cause any more trouble. We can deal with the treacherous officials slowly... However, I also ask that you do not let your troops cause harm. Everything must be justified. Otherwise, His Majesty and I can only act according to the law."

Liu Bei's words were quite sincere. He ordered all the military leaders to send a group of men to the emperor's side, without imposing any orders, but only to enforce military discipline.

It seems that the idea was to place all the military leaders near the emperor, giving them equal opportunities.

If each of these people were to send a unit, the total would amount to five thousand men.

If they appointed their trusted nephews and nieces to lead the army and formed an alliance with each other, they could indeed act as a check and balance against Liu Bei.

“Lord Xuande has shown us great kindness, and we will certainly not let him down.”

Li Jue, Guo Si, Fan Chou, and others rose together and bowed to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei's statement, "All of this comes from the army, from bloodshed to this day," truly resonated with all the soldiers.

……

The 20th day of the tenth lunar month.

There are ten days left until the winter solstice.

There has been a major troop movement in the Sanfu region.

Fan Chou and Li Meng deployed defenses in Meiyang.

Li Jue stationed himself at his old military camp in Huaili and recruited soldiers to replenish his losses.

Guo Si stationed troops there for ten thousand years and recruited refugees.

Zhang Ji was stationed in Shangluo, and Wang Fang was stationed in Danfeng, connecting Nanyang to dispatch military supplies.

At the same time, they each handed over half of the grain tax they had originally withheld to the Chang'an treasury for Liu Bei to manage.

Paying only half was Dong Zhuo's old practice, but paying according to the rules already showed a very clear attitude.

Li Jue's cousin Li Heng, Guo Si's cousin Guo Mu, Zhang Ji's nephew Zhang Xiu, and others led their troops into Chang'an and served as the city gate commanders, under the emperor's command—in reality, it was Liu Bei who was in charge.

It was at this time that Duan Wei intercepted a group of "laborers" in Chiyang, north of Chang'an, who were indeed led by Zhao Rong.

But to everyone's surprise, this group of so-called laborers proved to be far more capable than expected, and Duan Wei was actually defeated by them!

Although Duan Wei didn't get along well with most people, he was old and knew quite a few people.

Besides Zhao Rong, Duan Wei also recognized an old man as one of the leaders.

Xia Yu, a former subordinate of Duan Jiong and Protector-General of the Qiang.

(End of this chapter)