Has the Han Dynasty been restored today?

When Chen Zhi woke up again, the small bedroom was almost pitch black, and he couldn't tell what time it was. With the help of the faint light coming through the edge of the window, Chen Zhi sat up and groped around the side of the bed for a while before finding a rough porcelain tiger-shaped ornament that he had placed there the night before.

"Tiger pot" is a term used by scholars. It has a handle and its overall shape resembles a reclining tiger with its mouth open in a round shape. In reality, it is a chamber pot.

Living together in the same dormitory, these things are not awkward; a true man should not be bothered by trivial matters.

After Chen Zhi finished relieving himself, he had just straightened his robes and sat down when he heard Liu Yin turn over at the door and cough lightly twice.

Chen Zhi chuckled: "Did I disturb Commander Liu? It's my fault."

"It's alright, it's alright." Liu Yin was clearly not asleep. He sat up abruptly and said in a low voice, "I wasn't asleep, so how could I have disturbed you? Censor, there are a few things I've never understood and want to ask you, but I'm not sure if I should ask them given my position..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhi took a breath, sat up straight in the darkness, and replied, "There's nothing I shouldn't ask. The country is in crisis, and I came to Hanzhong with Commander Liu. He also saw the various chaotic situations in the Prime Minister's residence, so I should ask."

"But can I trust you?"

Liu Yin stood up, his armor rustling. Although Chen Zhi couldn't see Liu Yin's movements clearly, he could sense that Liu Yin was bowing to him.

"Imperial Censor Chen is a high-ranking official holding the imperial authority. Although I am of humble rank, I am also a loyal subject of the country and His Majesty!"

Chen Zhi nodded in the darkness, sat cross-legged, and asked, "Then what don't you understand?"

"Uh..." Liu Yin hesitated for a few moments, "There are many things I don't understand, please allow me to ask slowly. First, has Chief Clerk Yang acted improperly?"

Chen Zhi remained silent.

Liu Yin had already put it very tactfully, and Chen Zhi's silence meant he agreed.

Liu Yin continued, "When we first arrived at the city gate, the censor praised Commander Fei and Protector Jiang as pillars of the state and meritorious officials of the Northern Expedition. However, Chief Clerk Yang's behavior in the main hall of the Prime Minister's residence was quite inappropriate. Why were Commander Fei and Protector Jiang unmoved by this, and why did they have to bow their heads and obey orders in front of Chief Clerk Yang? Why was the censor so polite to Chief Clerk Yang?"

Chen Zhi sighed heavily: "Commander Liu, you are more than ten years older than me. May I address you as 'Brother Xiuran'?"

"No, no, I wouldn't dare accept such a title from an imperial censor. The position of imperial censor is of such high rank. How could I possibly accept such a title?" Liu Yin declined repeatedly.

Chen Zhi ignored Liu Yin: "Brother Xiuran, do you think I, as a minister holding the imperial staff, carry much weight? Do you think that if I take the staff to Hanzhong, everyone will obey my orders without question?"

"No, it won't happen." Chen Zhi muttered to himself, "Yang Yi just killed Wei Yan, who was acting as a general. He dared to kill even the General Who Conquers the West. What am I, a mere Imperial Censor with a salary of 600 shi, compared to him? I told you before that Brother Xiuran there was no need to be nervous tonight, but in a few days, things will really get tense. I'm afraid I'll have to stay in another army camp outside the city to feel at ease."

Liu Yin gasped.

Chen Zhi continued, "Even though Yang Yi is despicable and deserves to die, as long as the imperial edict is not issued and does not reach Mianyang, Yang Yi will still be the Chief Secretary of the Prime Minister, a person who can assist in the affairs of the Prime Minister's office and manage military affairs."

"Having just arrived in Hanzhong today, let alone whether I will die if I offend Yang Yi. Yes, everyone is dissatisfied with Yang Yi. But Brother Xiuran, if I were to, as His Majesty's envoy, incite everyone to oppose Yang Yi, or even entice Fei Yi, Jiang Wei, and others to plot Yang Yi's arrest, would that be proper? If I were to act in such a way that oversteps the bounds of propriety, where would I place the laws of the court?"

"Yang Yi broke the rules. If Fei Yi, Jiang Wei, and I were to do something similar, wouldn't His Majesty, after worrying about Yang Yi, then worry about me, Fei Yi, and Jiang Wei? If that's the case, doesn't that mean the entire Northern Expeditionary Army and the entire Prime Minister's residence are not worthy of His Majesty's trust?"

"Leaving aside the aforementioned risky actions, Brother Xiuran, Yang Yi was personally chosen by the Prime Minister as his deputy, and has been the Prime Minister's chief secretary for many years. Do you think he has no other means of dealing with this?"

Even though it was late autumn and the weather was already cold, Liu Yin was still so nervous that sweat beaded on his forehead: "Imperial Censor, that's not what I meant."

"I know," Chen Zhi sighed softly, "I am an envoy, of course I must do the work of an envoy..."

Liu Yin interrupted Chen Zhi: "But if we can only act as envoys, wouldn't the censors be at a loss and unable to accomplish anything?"

Chen Zhi chuckled: "Not so. Brother Xiuran, let me ask you, what is the most important thing His Majesty sent me to Hanzhong with the imperial insignia to do?"

Liu Yin thought for a few seconds, then asked, "Is it about investigating General Wei's death?"

Chen Zhi said, "Wei Yan's entire clan is already wiped out. What good will it do me, His Majesty, and the court to stand up for him in such a hurry? Of course, we must investigate and find out the truth, but that is not the most important thing!"

"This..." Liu Yin pondered for a few moments, "Then what His Majesty wants the Imperial Censor to do is to withdraw the army."

Chen Zhi shook his head: "You heard what Fei Sima just said. The Baoxie Road is difficult, and the Wei army will not come in the short term. Prime Minister Zhuge has launched five Northern Expeditions. It is common for him to withdraw troops. If we cannot fight, we should withdraw. The generals and the Prime Minister's office will reach a consensus, and we will withdraw sooner or later."

Liu Yin asked again, "Was that for Chief Secretary Yang?"

Chen Zhi shook his head again: "Yang Yi's bones are in his tomb; no one in the court will tolerate him anymore."

"Why is that?!" Liu Yin was extremely confused. "What exactly is the purpose of His Majesty sending the Imperial Censor to Hanzhong?"

"The Northern Expedition," Chen Zhi said calmly.

"The Northern Expedition?!" Liu Yin's voice rose several octaves. "Weren't we just about to withdraw our troops? How come the Northern Expedition is the most important now?"

"As a subject, one must carefully consider His Majesty's intentions and always anticipate his needs," Chen Zhi said calmly. "Brother Xiuran, the state of Shu Han is governed by its own circumstances. The Prime Minister's Office is a self-contained entity, housing the nation's elite. Its power surpasses that of Chengdu and even His Majesty. Yang Yi, as the Chief Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, has committed such an act. Does that mean that everyone in the Prime Minister's Office and the armies of the Northern Expedition are still worthy of His Majesty's trust and loyalty?"

"Even if Wei Yan had a thousand faults, his passion for the Northern Expedition is undeniable. With such a man killed, does the Prime Minister's office still want to launch the Northern Expedition? What are the views of the Prime Minister's Sima, Protector-General Jiang, all the military advisors and protectors, and the generals throughout Hanzhong on continuing the Northern Expedition? Do they want to continue to revive the Han Dynasty, or do they want to seek a peaceful and stable life in Yizhou?"

Liu Yin also pondered, muttering to himself, "This matter is indeed important."

Chen Zhi continued, "Furthermore, while withdrawing the troops is certainly necessary, should we also make preparations for the next Northern Expedition during the withdrawal?"

"Of course!" Liu Yin interjected, "The Prime Minister spearheaded the Northern Expedition from the fifth year of Jianxing, and did not return to Chengdu for seven years. His advances, retreats, and troop training were all well-organized. Now that the Prime Minister is no longer here, if we easily abandon the preparations and systems, how can we prepare for the Northern Expedition next time?"

Chen Zhi sighed softly and stood up as well: "Brother Xiuran has finally gotten to the point. The Prime Minister is no longer here. If the momentum of the Northern Expedition is lost and the system for the Northern Expedition is delayed, I really don't know when the whole country will be able to unite as one and devote itself to the Northern Expedition again."

"Brother Xiuran, let me ask you, does the Prime Minister want to launch a northern expedition? Does His Majesty trust the Prime Minister? Would the Prime Minister harm His Majesty?"

Liu Yin understood Chen Zhi's meaning and replied loudly, "Of course His Majesty wants to launch a northern expedition!"

"Then, my purpose in coming here is for the Northern Expedition," Chen Zhi said calmly. "The withdrawal of troops is to prepare for the next Northern Expedition, the assignment of generals is to prepare for the next Northern Expedition, and the commanders should be chosen to be capable and willing to launch the Northern Expedition. Since the Prime Minister's death, the people's hearts have been scattered, and we should also win them back to prepare for the Northern Expedition."

"When I was in Chengdu, someone asked me, 'Even Prime Minister Zhuge Liang couldn't succeed in the Northern Expeditions, is there no hope for the restoration of the Han Dynasty? If people in Chengdu think this way, are there even more people in the army here who are worried?'"

"Of course, some people don't want the Northern Expedition. But Prime Minister Zhuge Liang wants the Northern Expedition, His Majesty wants the Northern Expedition, and I, Chen Zhi, also want the Northern Expedition. Anyone who doesn't want the Northern Expedition, anyone who obstructs the popular will, the system, and the military efforts for another Northern Expedition, is my enemy, and His Majesty's enemy!"

Liu Yin sighed deeply, then bowed deeply before Chen Zhi, saying, "Your Excellency's vision is truly remarkable; I, Liu Yin, am deeply impressed. If it can contribute to the Northern Expedition, I, Liu Yin, would gladly give my life."

Chen Zhi stepped forward to help Liu Yin up and calmly said, "Brother Xiuran has a bright future ahead of him, and I need your help!"

Liu Yin nodded heavily.