Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

Then, Liu Ce patted Zhou Cang and Pei Yuanshao on the shoulders and said, "Well done! You'll be richly rewarded! Next time anyone disobeys, you'll be the ones to 'entertain' them!"

The two rough men happily accepted the reward, each of them... plus a month of paid leave specially approved by Liu Ce.

Zhou Cang rubbed his hands together and said, "Your Majesty, this job of impersonating Yellow Turban soldiers is much more interesting than fighting! No need to risk your life, and you even get paid!"

Pei Yuanshao nodded vigorously and said, "Exactly! I could laugh for a year at the expressions on the faces of those aristocratic lords!"

The crowd laughed.

...

With money and provisions in hand, the governance of Jizhou proceeded exceptionally smoothly.

The land survey was carried out without anyone daring to obstruct it. Who would dare to obstruct it? Weren't they afraid that the Yellow Turban Army would come to "visit" again?

Work-for-relief programs were implemented with great enthusiasm from displaced people, who were provided with meals and cash. Where else could you find such a good thing?

In the crackdown on corruption, corrupt officials confessed one by one. If they didn't, the Embroidered Uniform Guard would come and arrest them, and it wouldn't be as simple as just being dismissed from their posts.

Liu Ce transferred people from Youzhou Academy to fill the vacant official positions.

These students were all personally trained by him and a group of teachers; they were loyal, reliable, and quite capable.

...

Just as things were starting to get under control in Jizhou, another urgent report arrived in Zhuoxian in early September.

This time it wasn't an imperial edict, but an urgent military report, delivered by express messenger on an 800-li journey!

In the council chamber, Liu Ce frowned after reading the urgent report.

"Something has happened in Bingzhou."

He relayed the urgent report to everyone, saying, "The Southern Xiongnu Chanyu, Yufuluo, has led several thousand elite Xiongnu cavalry south. This is not surprising, as the Xiongnu come to plunder every year. What is surprising is... that they have allied with Guo Tai's tens of thousands of White Wave Army soldiers."

Xu Da received the urgent report, quickly glanced at it, and said in a deep voice: "The Xiongnu lack territory and supplies, while the White Wave Army lacks cavalry strength. The two sides hit it off immediately. Their main force is currently attacking Hedong Commandery, while their troops are splitting up to plunder Taiyuan and Henan, forming a pincer movement against Luoyang from the north."

Xue Rengui added, "Hedong is the protective barrier of the capital region, separated from Luoyang only by the Yellow River. Once we break through the Mengjin ferry crossing, we can directly threaten the northern gate of Luoyang."

Liu Ce tapped the table and asked, "What's the reaction from Luoyang?"

Lu Bing replied, "The court is in turmoil and in complete chaos. He Jin advocates for the deployment of the Western Garden Army northward, but the eunuchs oppose it, saying that the defense of the capital cannot be compromised. The powerful families each have their own agendas; some want to use this opportunity to weaken He Jin's military power, while others want to seize the chance to gain military merit... They've been arguing for days without reaching a conclusion."

Guo Jia scoffed, "That's normal. Those people are experts at internal wars, but incompetent at external wars."

Xi Zhicai said, "In the end... I'm afraid it will still fall on our lord's shoulders."

...

The imperial court was shaken.

Liu Hong received the battle report while on his sickbed, and was so angry that he vomited blood again.

The court was in an uproar.

Some suggested transferring the Xiyuan New Army, others proposed having Dong Zhuo return from Liangzhou to provide reinforcements, and still others suggested conscripting troops from various prefectures...

Finally, Liu Hong made the final decision: "Reassign Liu Ce, the Prince of Yan! He is the General of Chariots and Cavalry, in charge of military affairs in the three provinces of You, Bing, and Ji! If something happens in Bing Province, who will take responsibility if he doesn't!"

The imperial edict was delivered to Youzhou by fast horse.

Sure enough, a few days later, the imperial edict arrived.

The same old rhetoric: Bingzhou is in grave danger, threatening the capital region. Prince Liu Ce of Yan, holding the title of General of Chariots and Cavalry, oversees military affairs in You, Bing, and Ji provinces; it is his duty to lead troops to quell the rebellion. We urge Prince Liu Ce to prioritize the well-being of the state and swiftly dispatch troops to eliminate the White Wave Xiongnu coalition and stabilize the northern frontier…

In the council hall of the Prince of Yan's residence, Liu Ce held the imperial edict, his expression somewhat subtle.

Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Xun Yu, and the others exchanged glances and laughed.

Guo Jia was the first to speak: "My lord, this is a golden opportunity!"

Xi Zhicai said, "Bingzhou is in turmoil, and the court has ordered our lord to quell the rebellion. This is a legitimate way to hand over military and personnel power in Bingzhou to our lord."

Fang Xuanling stroked his beard and said, "Bingzhou is located on the frontier, and its people are known for their fierce and unruly nature. If we can bring it under our rule, Youzhou, Bingzhou, and Jizhou will be connected, and the north can be pacified."

Xun Yu said, "We can take this opportunity to gradually replace the commanders of the various prefectures in Bingzhou, as well as their key officials, with our people. Our lord is already a General of Chariots and Cavalry, with the authority to command troops; he also oversees the military affairs of Bingzhou, so it is only reasonable for him to move officials."

Liu Ce stroked his chin and chuckled, "You mean... to use the pretext of suppressing the rebellion to 'take care of' Bingzhou as well?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Du Ruhui said, "However, we cannot act too hastily. First, we must quell the rebellion, stabilize the region, and win the hearts of the people. Then, under the pretext of 'strengthening defenses and border defenses,' we can adjust the officials. Like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, by the time the court reacts, Bingzhou will be completely under our control."

Liu Ce slammed his hand on the table and laughed, "Alright! Let's do it that way! Who will quell the rebellion?"

Upon hearing the news, all the generals volunteered for battle.

Guan Yu clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Brother! I am willing to go!"

Zhang Fei shouted, "Damn it! It's been so long since I've been in battle, my hands are itching!"

Lü Bu said directly, "My lord! The mere Xiongnu Baibo can be pacified in half a month by my own troops!"

Dian Wei, Xu Chu, and Cheng Yaojin all jumped out and said, "My lord! Let us go! My wife said a man should make a name for himself!"

Liu Ce looked at the group of generals who were yelling and shouting, and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Finally, he pointed to Xu Da and said, "Tian De, you should go. You are steady, and the Second Army has been trained enough. Remember, you must fight well, but more importantly, you must take this opportunity to understand the situation in Bingzhou and prepare for future plans."

Xu Da clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general obeys!"

The other generals who were not selected were all dejected, looking like wilted eggplants.

Zhang Fei muttered to himself, "It's Xu Da again... When will it be my turn...?"

Lü Bu looked up to the sky and sighed, "A hero has no place to use his talents!"

Liu Ce laughed and scolded, "What's the rush! You've got plenty of battles to fight! Go back and train your troops properly! Once Bingzhou is pacified, the next step will be..."

He pointed to Liangzhou, Yizhou, and the Central Plains on the map...

The generals then perked up and went off to prepare for battle.

...

After the military meeting ended, Liu Ce returned to his backyard.

The ladies had already heard about what happened in Bingzhou, and each of them looked worried.

Cai Yan held Liu Ying in her arms and said softly, "Husband, General Xu's journey is fraught with danger, isn't it?"

Liu Ce took his daughter and teased her, saying, "Don't worry, Tiande is a steady and reliable strategist. The White Wave Army and the Xiongnu are no match for him. Besides, it's not like I'm going there myself."

Zhang Ning replied quickly, "That's good! If you dare to take any more risks, we sisters won't stand for it!"

Zhen Jiang, being more thoughtful, had already prepared farewell gifts for Xu Da and his entourage: "General Xu and his men are going on an expedition, so the manor must show its appreciation. I have already had wine, meat, medicine, and warm clothing prepared."

Ren Hongchang said in a low voice, "I heard it's cold in Bingzhou, should we prepare more fur coats?"

Liu Ce laughed and said, "You guys are even more worried than I am. Don't worry, Du Ruhui and the others have already taken care of the logistics."

"Oh, right," Liu Ce remembered something, "please take good care of Yue'er."

Cai Yan nodded and said, "Husband, don't worry, Yue'er gets along very well with us. She especially likes the children and comes to play with them every day."

Just then, Princess Liu Yue arrived.

She was dressed in a light blue casual outfit today, simple and elegant, and was holding a rattle drum in her hand, clearly there to amuse the child.

"Uncle, aunts," Liu Yue greeted them.

"Yue'er is here?" Liu Ce said with a smile. "These days, it's just the few of us in the manor. Spend more time with your aunts and help them take care of the children. Of course, they are very experienced in taking care of children, so you can just learn from them."

Liu Yue smiled and said, "Yue'er understands. Actually... taking care of children is quite fun."

She squatted down and shook a rattle drum.

The older ones, Liu Chen and Liu Heng, crawled over, making little noises as they tried to grab it.

Looking at this heartwarming scene, Liu Ce suddenly felt that what was the point of vying for supremacy or pursuing grand ambitions? Sometimes, nothing was as comforting as the scene before him.

...

...

...

(Today is Lunar New Year's Eve! Lunar New Year's Eve, let's cast away our worries and welcome hope. In the new year, I wish you, me, and us: everything goes smoothly, a hundred times smooth, a thousand days smooth, smooth sailing, long life, blessings, wealth, and longevity, a good year, good times, and a bright future!)

(Liu Ce, Cai Yan, Zhang Ning, Ren Hongchang, Du Xiuniang, Zou Yu, Zhen Jiang, Zhen Tuo, Zhen Dao, Zhen Rong, Zhen Mi, Dian Wei, Zhao Yun, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, Cai Yong, Zhen Yi, Zhen Yao, Zhen Yan, Liu Yue, Liu Hong, He Lian, Xun Yu, Guo Jia, Xi Zhicai, Xun You, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Jia Xu, Tian Feng, Ju Shou, Shen Pei, Chen Gong, Xu Shu, Cheng Yu, Shen Wansan, Xu Chu, Yuchi Gong, Luo Cheng, Yuwen Chengdu, Xue Rengui, Xu Da, Lü Bu, Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, Huang Zhong, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Zhang He, Yu Jin, Taishi Ci, Gao Lan, Xu Huang, Qu Yi, Zhou Cang, Pei Yuanshao, Gan Ning, Cheng Pu, Gongsun Zan, Han Dang, Tian Chou, Tian Yu, Lu Bing... all put their hands together in front of their chests, bowed, and loudly wished everyone a Happy New Year:)

As the old year draws to a close and the new year begins, on this Lunar New Year's Eve, I wish you a peaceful and prosperous new year, a bright future, unimpeded progress, and the fulfillment of all your wishes, with each passing year bringing tranquility.