Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 138: Liu Bei's Conquest of the World Leads to the Death of Yuan Shu (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)
"As expected."

Liu Bei was not surprised by Yuan Shao's rebellion.

Given Yuan Shao's personality, it would be surprising if Liu Bei didn't rebel after he suffered such a great loss in Luoyang.

After carefully glancing at Lu Zhi's letter, Liu Bei couldn't help but sneer: "Yuan Kui and Yuan Ji thought they could be fearless because they had the Yuan family's century-long accumulation of wealth, but now they are dying because of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu."

"Success was due to the Yuan family, and so was failure."

At first, Liu Bei only guessed that Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu would try to kill Yuan Wei and Yuan Ji, and then divide up the network of people and resources that the Yuan family had accumulated over a century.

Looking back now, it's clear that Yuan Wei and Yuan Ji were truly betrayed and killed by Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.

If Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu were concerned about their lives, they would surely make them find a reason to leave Luoyang temporarily.

Now, not only do they disregard these things, but they also seem to want to wipe out Yuan Wei, Yuan Ji, and all the Yuan clan members in Luoyang.

In truth, Yuan Kui and Yuan Ji should be grateful to Liu Bei.

If Liu Bei hadn't made prior arrangements and hadn't had Lu Zhi stay by Liu Xie's side under the guise of giving lectures, it wouldn't just be Yuan Wei and Yuan Ji who would have died.

Shaking his head inwardly, Liu Bei sighed at the two men's arrogant deaths. He then put down the letter, his tone slightly displeased with Dong Zhuo.

"Dong Zhuo is truly foolish. I even gave him the secret edict, yet he still wants to kill the Prince of Hongnong. Does he not know how to deal with the situation if he doesn't kill the Prince of Hongnong?"

"If you serve as Minister of Works in Luoyang for a few years, you can buy me three to five years of time. Maybe then I can have a peaceful end."

Liu Bei was speechless at Dong Zhuo's attempt to kill the Prince of Hongnong, thinking that only someone who forged an imperial edict would be afraid of the Prince of Hongnong living.

Yuan Shao would be happy if the Prince of Hongnong died.

Without a secret edict, one can forge one.

As long as one forges an imperial edict and falsely claims to have received a secret edict from the King of Hongnong, one can obtain a legitimate claim.

Although some clever people could see the clues, there were too many of Yuan's protégés and former subordinates, and many either didn't understand or pretended not to.

Just as Qiao Mao falsely claimed to have written letters from the Three Dukes, a group of Yuan's protégés and former officials rose up in response.

Some people in this group may have actually believed it, while others are undoubtedly pretending not to understand in order to take advantage of the situation.

Yuan Shao was well aware of the nature of this group, so he could easily have forged another imperial edict saying, "If I die, you may ask Liu Yu, the governor of Youzhou, to take charge of the overall situation."

Then, it was only natural to support Liu Yu as emperor.

Liu Yu was both a member of the imperial clan and a minister. If Yuan Shao were to install him as emperor through a forged edict, Liu Xie's status, even if granted by a secret edict, would be useless.

When a country has two emperors, the decision of who is the real emperor is not based on title but on strength.

Just like Emperor Gengshi and Liu Xiu.

From Liu Xiu's perspective, Emperor Gengshi was a traitor; from Emperor Gengshi's perspective, Liu Xiu was a traitor.

Liu Xiu defeated Emperor Gengshi, and Liu Xiu became the king while Emperor Gengshi became a bandit.

same.

From Liu Yu's perspective, Liu Xie was a traitor; from Liu Xie's perspective, Liu Yu was a traitor.

Liu Yu defeated Liu Xie, and Liu Yu became the king while Liu Xie became the bandit.

The victor is king, the loser is villain; this has always been the case.

Even if Liu Yu was unwilling, Yuan Shao could still establish himself as a "loyal minister" under the pretext of avenging the Prince of Hongnong, thus winning over a large number of his former disciples and officials who either didn't understand or pretended not to understand.

As long as there is a title, there will be no shortage of followers.

Xu You asked, "Dong Zhuo has always been greedy, and many of his men are eager for quick success and instant benefits. Yuan Shao also has many spies. Not only will Dong Zhuo's men try to kill the Prince of Hongnong, but Yuan Shao's spies will also try to kill the Prince of Hongnong."

"Even if Minister Lu can protect the Prince of Hongnong for a time, he cannot protect him for a lifetime. Should Your Majesty send someone to temporarily bring the Prince of Hongnong to Chang'an? That way, even if the Prince of Hongnong dies in Chang'an, the news can be kept secret."

“That’s not appropriate.” Liu Bei shook his head: “Let’s not even talk about whether Dong Zhuo is willing to let me bring the Prince of Hongnong to Chang’an. If the Prince of Hongnong dies on the way to Chang’an, not only will Yuan Shao’s plan succeed, but I will also bear the infamy of killing the late emperor’s son.”

After a moment of contemplation, Liu Bei said, "Since the death of the Prince of Hongnong is unavoidable, we might as well skip this step and directly consider how I should deal with the changing situation of the world if the Prince of Hongnong dies."

Xu You lowered his head and pondered for a while, then said, "If the Prince of Hongnong dies, the various prefectures and counties will be divided into two forces: those who support Your Majesty and those who oppose Your Majesty. Only one of these two forces can survive."

"The court is divided, and there are two rulers. This is a serious blow to the prestige of the Han Dynasty. Ambitious governors, prefects, chief ministers, and even local bandits, Yellow Turban rebels, and river pirates may seize power and become kings."

“He who seizes the great power can seize the world. Therefore, I believe that now is the perfect opportunity for Your Majesty to plan for the future of the world.”

Xu You's eyes lit up with excitement.

Why did they abandon Yuan Shao and follow Liu Bei?

Isn't it just that they believe Liu Bei has the ambition to conquer the world?
Now that a great chaos is about to unfold, remaining in Yongzhou will only allow Yuan Shao and others to seize control of the world. Only by seizing the opportunity and taking the lead can we achieve anything.

Liu Bei's eyes sharpened.

From the very beginning, Liu Bei's ambition was to become emperor.

Along this journey, we have been actively paving the way for this ambition.

Although it only managed to acquire a small territory with just over 100,000 households, it had the advantage of a unique location in Guanzhong.

The powerful Qin dynasty rose from Guanzhong and eventually seized control of the entire country.

Although Emperor Gaozu rose to power in Hanzhong, he actually established his dynasty in Guanzhong.

"If one wishes to strategize for the future of the world, what should be the first thing to do?"

Liu Bei had no incentive to discourage Xu You.

Upon leaving Luoyang and returning to Chang'an, Liu Bei was already actively preparing for the struggle for power in the world.

Otherwise, Liu Bei only needed to stay in Luoyang to deter those who refused to submit.

Even if Yuan Shao and others took risks, Liu Bei was still able to personally go to Hulao Pass to resist the Guandong Coalition.

However, suppressing the rebellion was not what Liu Bei wanted, and even if the rebellion were quelled, the root cause of the turmoil would not be resolved.

The court under Emperor Liu Xie would absolutely not dare to touch the powerful and influential families in the various prefectures and counties.

However, if the powerful families and clans in each prefecture and county are not touched, the Han Dynasty can only continue to move towards the era of aristocratic clans.

At that time, it would be a Han Dynasty version of the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families, which would evolve into the chaotic warring states of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and the division and unification would still be inevitable.

Since the ultimate outcome is division and unification, Liu Bei should seize power and become the strongest warlord, eliminating other warlords before the division becomes too obvious.

This is also why Liu Bei was unwilling to let the Prince of Hongnong enter Chang'an.

If Liu Bei truly wanted to protect the Prince of Hongnong, he only needed to personally lead the Yongzhou cavalry to safely bring the prince to Chang'an for protection. However, this would disrupt many of Liu Bei's plans. Originally, Liu Bei thought Dong Zhuo could hold out in Luoyang for another three to five years, but now it seems that without Liu Bei's prior contingency plans, Dong Zhuo wouldn't even be able to withstand a single blow from Yuan Shao.

Let alone three to five years, even if it drags on for three to five months, Dong Zhuo will be blessed with good fortune.

Since Dong Zhuo couldn't withstand Yuan Shao, Liu Bei had to resort to another clever plan.

This is why Liu Bei reminded Zhang Wen that money is an inanimate object and cannot be exchanged for living things; it is just a pile of broken copper and scrap iron, thus enticing Zhang Wen to transport grain to Nanyang.

"Although Guanzhong has fertile land, it is sparsely populated. If Your Majesty wishes to accomplish great things, you will need a large number of households to populate Guanzhong." Xu You said slowly, "And among all the prefectures in the world, none has the largest population than Nanyang."

"If the Guandong Coalition fails to break through Hulao Pass this time, Yuan Shu will definitely use Nanyang as a base to fight for Yuzhou to the east. Once the war breaks out, many people in Nanyang will inevitably flee to avoid disaster."

"At present, Yongzhou still has surplus funds. Your Excellency can purchase grain from Hedong and Hanzhong, and then set up more post stations in the area from Chang'an to Wuguan to stockpile grain, either for sale or for relief."

"The unclaimed wasteland in Guanzhong can also be surveyed by the governor, land deeds can be made, and special personnel can be set up at the post stations for sale or distribution."

"In this way, the wealthy can buy the grain and land deeds they need in Guanzhong, while the poor can receive relief and distribution from the state government."

"If wealthy households in Nanyang have surplus grain, Your Excellency may grant them property deeds in the city so that they may resell the grain to Your Excellency for sale and to provide relief to the people of Nanyang who have no grain."

Xu You eloquently explained the core of his grand scheme: "household registration," along with the specific details.

The most important of these are the three hard currencies: food, housing, and land.

The population of Yongzhou was far too small. Forcibly relocating people would be fast, but it did not align with Liu Bei's core governing principles and would be difficult to manage properly.

If the rear is unstable, a large number of troops will have to be deployed to the rear to quell the rebellion when going on expeditions.

Although Xu You's method was slower, it had the advantage that the people of Nanyang migrated voluntarily.

How can adding flowers to brocade compare to providing charcoal in the snow?
Providing convenience to the people of Nanyang during their most difficult times will earn them their support.

"Ziyuan's words are excellent." Liu Bei largely agreed with Xu You's plan, and said with a smile, "I will send more troops along the way to maintain order, so that the people of Nanyang entering Guanzhong will feel the warmth and justice of Yongzhou."

"Although I accept the people of Nanyang, the rules of Yongzhou will not be made special for them. Under my rule, those who are corrupt, lawless, disorderly, and bring disaster to the people will not be affected by their status or background."

"Those who want to come can come; those who don't want to come, I won't force; those who dare to cause trouble, I will never show mercy."

Yongzhou already has a small number of registered residents, so if rules aren't established in advance, it's easy for someone to usurp another's place.

Liu Bei had spent a great deal of effort to revitalize the administration of Yongzhou, but he did not expect it to become corrupt again because of the arrival of the people of Nanyang.

"Why not lure those who are corrupt, lawless, disruptive, and bring disaster to the people here and kill them?" Xu You made a gesture, showing a more ruthless consideration than Liu Bei.

“No!” Liu Bei shook his head and said, “Since ancient times, a person cannot stand without integrity. Luring corrupt, lawless, disorderly, and harmful people into Guanzhong and killing them may bring their wealth in the short term, but it is not good for the long term.”

"Public opinion is a fearsome thing, and three men can make a tiger." If the small amount of wealth of those who are corrupt, lawless, and disruptive to the people makes those who want to live and work in peace in Yongzhou afraid, then Yongzhou will not be a paradise that all the people of the prefecture yearn for, but a den of demons.

"Don't put the cart before the horse!"

Seeing that Liu Bei was unwilling, Xu You did not bring it up again.

As a strategist, Xu You knew the advantages and disadvantages of his proposed plan. If Liu Bei could accept it, he would implement the plan accordingly; if Liu Bei was unwilling to accept it, he would propose a different plan.

The discussion was merely about the feasibility of a plan, not about forcing Liu Bei to obey.

“Ziyuan is also from Nanyang, and he must know many wealthy people there. Would you be willing to go to Nanyang for me and persuade them of the pros and cons?” Liu Bei suggested again.

Land consolidation was more severe in Nanyang than in Guanzhong. When it came to relocating people, the main force was still the large households, while small households could easily starve or freeze to death on the way.

Furthermore, retail investors do not have the same access to information as large investors, making it difficult for them to accurately judge changes in the situation.

At this point, Liu Bei needed to send someone to give them a push.

As long as a few wealthy families are willing to move to Guanzhong, given Yuan Shu's greedy and extravagant nature, the wealthy families of Nanyang will eventually discover who truly treats them well.

Yuan Shu wanted the wealthy households in Nanyang to hand over their money, grain, and people, all of which would be put into their private treasuries, without providing them with any protection.

Liu Bei instructed wealthy households not to conceal their land, houses, or people, and to abolish the slave status of slave farmers. Most importantly, he promised to provide protection as long as people obeyed the law.

In this chaotic world, money is always just an external thing; life is the most important thing.

Whoever can protect the people under their rule from the ravages of war, and whoever will not abandon them in times of natural disasters or man-made calamities, will truly win the hearts of the people.

Xu You had followed Liu Bei for a long time and understood these principles, so he immediately agreed to Liu Bei's request.

After sending Xu You to Nanyang, Liu Bei sent a messenger to Zhang Fei, who was heading to Hanyang County, to warn him to be wary of the Qiang and Hu tribes.

At the same time, Liu Bei sent a messenger to Jia Xu, who was on his way to Hanyang County, with a troop deployment order, authorizing Jia Xu to mobilize Zhang Yang of Chencang and Huangfu Jianshou of Mei County to assist in quelling the rebellion in case of emergency.

Subsequently.

Liu Bei then summoned Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, and Dian Wei.

Now that Guan Yu has to handle government affairs and Xu Huang is stationed in Huaili, the only mobile units left in Chang'an are Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, and Dian Wei.

"The world is in turmoil, and powerful bandits are rising up everywhere. Winter is approaching, and there are many restless people in Yongzhou as well."

"From this day forward, the three of you will take turns sending troops to patrol and guard Anding County, Beidi County, and Fengyi County. Regardless of whether they are Han or Hu, anyone who dares to deliberately disrupt the stability of Yongzhou will be killed without exception."

Sending three battalions to patrol in rotation serves both to maintain public order and to train troops.

With the new emperor just enthroned, Yuan Shao and others raised troops in rebellion, and there were also many White Wave bandits and Hu people who wanted to take advantage of the situation.

These people don't have a fixed gathering place; they go wherever there's food and fight wherever there's an opportunity.

Sending troops specifically to conquer it would be time-consuming and laborious.

The best way is to bare your fangs so that thieves dare not attack.

After assigning military duties, Liu Bei kept Dian Wei behind.

"Wenwei, I found you many good families before, but you scared them all away. This time I've found you a good family that you definitely won't be scared away by. Are you willing?" Liu Bei didn't forget to find a marriage partner for Dian Wei.

Not only should your beloved generals be rewarded for their merits, but you should also pay attention to their marriages, especially since men on the battlefield often face life and death. If they can leave behind an heir, they will have something to look forward to.

However, Dian Wei's reaction seemed uninterested. It wasn't that Dian Wei didn't want to get married; he had scared people away every time. Even with his strong mentality of chasing tigers across streams, Dian Wei was somewhat vulnerable: "I may look fierce, but I am refined at heart."

Seeing this, Liu Bei didn't say anything more, gave Chen Dao a look, and then Gu Yue strode in.

"Uncle, I've come to retrieve the double iron axes."

Upon hearing that loud voice, as clear as a tigress's, Dian Wei turned around in surprise, his eyes filled with delight as he looked at Gu Yue.

Gu Yue frowned and said, "What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a beautiful woman before? Look again and I'll kill you!"

Dian Wei was increasingly pleased with himself and grinned, saying, "You may be very powerful, but you can't kill me."

(End of this chapter)