Has the Han Dynasty been restored today?

Chen Zhi stood beside Liu Shan, clearly observing the actions of everyone in the hall: Jiang Wan stood with his hands clasped, eyes open and brows furrowed. Dong Yun stood silently, his eyes lowered, staring at the ground. Most importantly, Emperor Liu Shan was still kneeling on the ground, mouth agape, unable to speak, his panic visibly palpable.

"I...I..." Liu Shan's voice trembled as he reached out to push the ground to stand up, only to find that his hands were shaking uncontrollably.

Seeing this, Chen Zhi did not ask any questions, but instead bowed his head and stepped forward, half supporting and half lifting Liu Shan's body, helping Liu Shan to stand up with difficulty.

Chen Zhi already knew what Jiang Wan had said, so he was not alarmed and remained calm.

But Liu Shan was different.

Liu Shan immediately realized that Wei and Yang's accusations of rebellion were indeed, as Jiang Wan had said, a crisis that threatened the "overthrow of the state."

As the Northern Expeditions progressed and the population and economy rapidly recovered, the Shu Han army, during Zhuge Liang's fifth Northern Expedition, boasted a combined force of over 120,000 troops, both internal and external. Chengdu had a garrison of just over 10,000 imperial guards, and over 10,000 troops were stationed in Jiangzhou, Nanzhong, and various prefectures within Shu. The remaining 100,000 troops were taken by Zhuge Liang from Hanzhong, traveling the Baoxie Road into Guanzhong for the Northern Expeditions!

In terms of proportion alone, the Northern Expeditionary Army accounted for nearly 80% of the total military strength of the Shu Han Dynasty! In terms of combat power, it was even higher than 80%!

If a force of this size were to become disorderly... the consequences would be unimaginable.

Yang Yi, Duke of Yangwei... Wei Yan, Duke of Weiwen...

Liu Shan's chest heaved. Chen Zhi silently supported him, and gradually, Liu Shan seemed to regain some composure. He gently pushed Chen Zhi away, stood up straight, and looked directly at Jiang Wan.

"Minister Jiang is a pillar of the state; what does he have to say to me?"

Jiang Wan cupped his hands and said earnestly, "Yang Weigong and Wei Wenchang have accused each other of treason, and there are already memorials from both sides as evidence. Whether Yang Weigong is truly rebelling, or Wei Wenchang is truly rebelling, or both are rebelling, or neither of them is rebelling, the Chengdu court must quickly prepare a response."

"On my way to the palace, I already had three plans in mind."

"First, send envoys to the army to stabilize the army, clearly order the troops to withdraw, and order the army to return to Hanzhong and Zitong. Before the court assigns them, each general shall remain in his post."

"Secondly, we sent someone to comfort Yang Weigong and Wei Wenchang, saying that whether they rebel or not, the matter would be decided after they returned to the capital, and they should not fight each other in the army."

"Thirdly, this matter ultimately involves military affairs, and military affairs are the most unpredictable. To guard against any unforeseen dangers, I request to lead the troops from Chengdu northward along the Jinniu Road to control Jiange!"

Having said that, Jiang Wan bowed deeply: "I hope Your Majesty will make a swift decision. In any case, I believe that at the very least, troops should be brought in to control Jiange!"

Liu Shan's eyes flickered, and after a few moments of silence, he sighed and asked, "Wei and Yang both accuse each other of rebellion. How can it be that who rebels and who doesn't have anything to do with each other?"

Jiang Wan sighed softly, "The priority is to appease the troops and guard against any unforeseen circumstances! With the main army in the north, how can we, your subjects in Chengdu, possibly distinguish right from wrong?"

"However..." Jiang Wan drew out the last word, his tone becoming increasingly resolute and forceful: "Wei and Yang have accused each other. If you ask me, I believe Yang Weigong and not Wei Yan. It must be Wei Yan who harbors malicious intentions! When the Prime Minister was alive, he was worried about Wei Yan taking risks, and his troops were often less than ten thousand men. It is common knowledge that Wei Yan was dissatisfied with the Prime Minister! As for Yang Weigong, he worked diligently in the Prime Minister's office and was a great help to the Prime Minister. I do not believe he would rebel!"

Dong Yun also bowed and said, "Your Majesty shares the same opinion as Chief Clerk Jiang. I trust Lord Yang Wei, not Wei Yan, who is known for his arrogance and recklessness. I urge Your Majesty to quickly send troops to block Jian'ge Pass to prevent chaos!"

After they finished speaking, they both looked at Liu Shan.

It is now the twelfth year of Jianxing, and Liu Shan has been on the throne for twelve years. During these twelve years, all matters of state, large and small, have been decided by the Prime Minister's office. Although Jiang Wan and Dong Yun are said to be ministers of the court, their promotions, appointments, and tasks are all decided by the Prime Minister. Whenever the two of them encounter something in Chengdu, they report to Liu Shan, and Liu Shan never refuses.

"The government is handled by the Ge family, but the sacrifices are performed by me," meaning that Liu Shan himself explicitly acknowledged entrusting all political affairs to Zhuge Liang and the Prime Minister's office.

In the view of Jiang Wan and Dong Yun, Liu Shan should have nodded in agreement to their suggestion, as he had done in the past.

Liu Shan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Then it will be as the Chief Secretary says..."

"No."

Chen Zhi, who had been silent all along, suddenly uttered these two words and bowed to Liu Shan, saying, "I believe that the only way to deal with this matter is to send an envoy to Hanzhong, and not to send troops."

Dong Yun suddenly changed his expression, his face showing anger: "This is a matter of national importance, how dare you, a mere vice minister, interfere? You are not allowed to speak recklessly!"

With Zhuge Liang away, Dong Yun was in charge of affairs within the Chengdu palace. He often used his own moral standards to correct Liu Shan's actions. Although Dong Yun was loyal, he was quite self-willed. Today, he requested an audience with Liu Shan three times, but Liu Shan refused to see him, only granting an audience with the outside official Chen Zhi!

Dong Yun was already dissatisfied with Chen Zhi.

"Before Your Majesty, I am of low rank and dare not speak presumptuously. I only wish to offer loyal, frank, and remonstrating advice on matters of state!" Chen Zhi raised his hand to greet Liu Shan, then looked directly at Dong Yun: "May I ask, Attendant-in-Ordinary, what is the purpose of sending troops? Whom are we guarding against?"

Dong Yun narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly having been persuaded by Jiang Wan outside the hall: "Of course, it's to prevent chaos within the army!"

Chen Zhi shook his head, his face cold: "Does the Attendant-in-Ordinary think that if General Wei rebels, all the generals in the army will rebel with him? Will Generals Wu, Gao, Deng, and Wang rebel with General Wei? Or will Chief Clerk Yang rebel, and the Protectors and Supervisors Fei, Jiang, Liu, and Xu rebel with Chief Clerk Yang?"

"Your Majesty is wise and virtuous, the Prime Minister is a model of martial prowess and moral excellence, and all the generals and officials have worked diligently for many years. Why should the court and its officials harbor such suspicions?"

At this point, Chen Zhi also turned and bowed to Liu Shan: "Chief Secretary Yang has served the king diligently for many years. Wei Zheng, who protects the imperial family on the western flank, is a former retainer of the late emperor. He has been by the late emperor's side since Xinye, and his merits and hardships are the greatest among all the generals of the court today!"

"I do not believe that Chief Clerk Yang would rebel, nor do I believe that General Wei would rebel! Therefore, there is no need to send troops!"

Unlike Dong Yun, who used his status to pressure, Jiang Wan maintained a dignified demeanor before the emperor and patiently persuaded him: "Fengzong, war is a matter of great importance to the state, and we must be prepared for any eventuality! The armies in the north may be at risk of getting out of control. What's wrong with securing Jiange first?"

"Generalissimo Chiang," Chen Zhi took a deep breath, "if you want to contain an army of 100,000, how many men would you need? Five thousand or ten thousand?"

Jiang Wan looked at Liu Shan: "I need at least ten thousand soldiers."

Chen Zhi's voice rose several octaves instantly: "How can a ruler be without troops? The imperial army already numbers 100,000 in the north, with only a mere 10,000 elite soldiers guarding Chengdu. Is Lord Jiang intending to take away the last remaining troops by His Majesty's side?"

"You brat, you speak recklessly!" Jiang Wan looked at him coldly. "How dare you utter such a scathing remark before the Emperor?"

Chen Zhi bowed respectfully: "It is not that I am speaking ill of Lord Jiang, but that this is the truth. I oppose sending troops, and I have advised Lord Jiang and the Attendant-in-Ordinary not to worry too much. Currently, only Chief Clerk Yang and General Wei have sent letters to Chengdu. General Wu, Commander Fei, and Protector Jiang are all men of exceptional insight and foresight; how could they possibly conceal such a matter from the court? I believe that we should wait two more days for news from them, and then we can discuss it further!"

"Now that the Prime Minister has passed away and the nation has lost its Marshal, it is most important to ask General Chiang Kai-shek to take charge of affairs in Taichung and other parts of the prefecture, shoulder this great responsibility, and ensure stability in and around the capital!"

Chen Zhi's words were so clear that even if Liu Shan was slow to react, he understood them at this moment.

Give Jiang Wan governing power, but don't hand over military power yet!

Liu Shan nodded in understanding, stepped forward, took Jiang Wan's hands in his own, and said sincerely:

"When the Prime Minister was alive, he often spoke to me, saying that Minister Jiang could succeed him and restore the Han Dynasty. Now that the Prime Minister has passed away, how about I appoint you as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and Governor of Yizhou? I hope you will not hesitate to accept this difficult task and will take on this important responsibility to help me stabilize the country!"

The death of the prime minister left a huge power vacuum. Liu Shan's words, from the perspective of the monarch, had already confirmed Jiang Wan's role as ruler.

To be a subject, to be employed by the ruler, to assist the king, and to leave a lasting name for posterity—isn't this what people in the world seek?

At this moment, there was no time for Jiang Wan to hesitate.

Delay will only lead to unforeseen changes.

Jiang Wan composed himself, withdrew his hand, took a step back, prostrated himself, and said, "It was my oversight just now, and I beg Your Majesty to punish me. Your Majesty has entrusted me with the task of restoring the dynasty, and I will certainly not fail in my duty!"

"Very well, Minister Jiang may send an envoy to Hanzhong himself; there is no need to ask me about anything else."

Liu Shan stepped forward and helped Jiang Wan up, seemingly more confident. He didn't mention anything about commanding troops, but turned to Dong Yun and said, "Could you help me set up a mourning hall in the palace? Let's do it now, in a dignified manner, without being bound by formalities. I'm very hungry, so I'll go and have some food first, and then we'll hold the memorial service together with the inner court and the imperial clan later."

Dong Yun was taken aback, but then bowed respectfully and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."

Liu Shan nodded in agreement.