Han Dynasty Achievements

Chapter 150 The joy of fish and water

Chapter 150: Love and Happiness

Dong Zhuo left this inconspicuous teahouse with Liu Bian's mission and firm determination.

As soon as he left, Wang Yun couldn't wait to say, "Your Majesty, Dong Zhuo is a man with eagle eyes and wolfish ambitions, and his ambitions are unpredictable..."

Before he could finish, Liu Bian waved his hand and said, "Sir, don't joke."

He turned to Liu Dai and said, "Weapons, armor, military pay and food should be given to Dong Zhuo and Gongsun Zan first."

Liu Dai just raised his hand when Liu Bian stood up and said, "The Shangshutai will immediately call all officials to a meeting to discuss countermeasures and send a letter to the governors of various provinces."

After saying that, Liu Bian left.

Yang Biao, Wang Yun and others looked at Liu Bian's back and glanced at each other.

For such a big matter, is this the only two sentences Your Majesty said?

Yang Biao was silent for a while, then suddenly straightened his fat face, his eyes darkened, and he said, "The Secretariat will hold a meeting, and no one from the six ministries, the ministers, and the nine officials must be absent!"

After saying this, he turned around.

Wang Yun had a blank expression on his face, his eyes were burning with anger, he was shocked and angry in his heart, and kept thinking of countermeasures.

Liu Dai watched the two important figures leave and for a moment he didn't know what to do so he could only follow them.

Liu Bian drove away Pan Yin and Zhao Yun, and walked casually on the streets of Luoyang with only Dian Wei and the plainclothes guards.

Dian Wei followed behind Liu Bian, his eyes wide open, looking around vigilantly.

Liu Bian was thinking about the impact of Yuan Shu's manifesto on the Han Dynasty and his various arrangements.

"History always repeats itself in a surprising way..."

Liu Bian whispered to himself.

It’s the same manifesto, it’s Yuan Shu, it’s Dong Zhuo, it’s Runan and the Guandong coalition forces, it’s such a familiar scene!

After walking for an unknown amount of time, Liu Bian arrived at a temple with a plaque that read: Puguang Temple.

"Buddhist temple?"

Liu Bian was a little curious and walked in.

"Oh, Taoist."

Liu Bian saw some sculptures, not Buddha statues.

Now that he was here, he might as well make the best of it. He walked slowly inside.

Liu Bian never believed in ghosts and gods. He looked at the many pilgrims coming and going and the statues in the hall, wandering around aimlessly.

There were not many pilgrims in the backyard. Most of them came there to ask for something and were reserved and pious. None of them was as carefree as Liu Bian.

The temple was very large. Liu Bian walked around for an unknown amount of time before arriving at a secluded courtyard.

No one stopped him, and Liu Bian just treated it as a visit to a scenic spot. He put his hands behind his back, paced while thinking.

"Cai Yan greets Your Majesty." Suddenly, a clear voice sounded behind Liu Bian.

Liu Bian paused and looked back.

Cai Yan, dressed in white, was seen standing not far from the door of the wing room, bowing to Liu Bian. She was not wearing a veil, her pretty face was fair, her eyes were like water, and she had a strong scholarly air and the unique charm of a young woman.

"Mrs. Cai?" Liu Bian was a little surprised and asked with a smile, "Why are you here?"

Cai Wenji took two steps forward and said softly, "I am a pilgrim here."

Liu Bian remembered that Cai Wenji's husband had died last year. He nodded and said nothing more. He was about to move forward. After taking a step, he suddenly turned back and looked at Cai Wenji with a strange look and said, "Miss Cai, can you answer a few questions for me?"

Cai Wenji was startled and asked, "What does your majesty want to ask?"

Liu Bian walked back, looking thoughtful, and for a moment he didn't know where to start.

Cai Wenji saw that Liu Bian had a frown on his face, and looked confused and troubled, and a hint of doubt flashed across her pretty face.

After a long silence, Liu Bian suddenly said, "Let's go in and talk." As he spoke, he walked around Cai Wenji and headed for the room behind her.

Cai Wenji pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and followed.

Liu Bian entered the wing room, which turned out to be an ordinary guest room with a small bed behind the curtain.

"Close the door." Liu Bian sat cross-legged in front of the small table and said to Dian Wei.

Dian Wei responded, closed the door, and stood at the entrance.

Cai Wenji blinked, not suspecting that Liu Bian had any ill intentions. She just saw that Liu Bian was becoming more silent and troubled, and sat quietly opposite him.

Liu Bian still didn't know where to start, so he took out the letter from Yuan Shu and Han Fu from his pocket, handed it to Cai Wenji, and said, "Mrs. Cai, please take a look at this."

Cai Wenji's hands were as white as jade. She took it and opened it to read.

Even though Cai Wenji didn't care about state affairs, she was still quite surprised when she read this manifesto, and couldn't help but look up at Liu Bian.

She understood something immediately, pursed her lips, and said softly, "Your Majesty, is there really a will from the late emperor?"

Liu Bian was sitting cross-legged, his waist slightly bent, pouring tea by himself, and said, "I have never heard of it before. This is the first time."

Cai Wenji grew up in Luoyang, so she naturally knew something about it because of her father's relationship. If there really was a will, it would have spread throughout Luoyang City long ago.

Cai Wenji glanced at the letter again, raised her head and stared at Liu Bian, and said, "From Cai Yan's point of view, all of the above are malicious frame-ups to find excuses for their rebellion. Your Majesty, why are you bothering yourself?"

Ever since Liu Bian saw this manifesto, he felt inexplicably depressed and irritated, which he could not get rid of.

After thinking it over carefully, he took a sip of tea and said thoughtfully, "I can't explain it clearly. I have a strange feeling that my deep affection has been betrayed."

Seeing that Liu Bian's frown had not relaxed, Cai Wenji's pretty face remained calm as she asked softly, "Your Majesty, is it because of Yuan Shu?"

Liu Bian shook his head and said, "A fish that slipped through the net is not in my eyes."

"Is it Han Fu?" Cai Wenji asked.

Liu Bian still shook his head and said, "I specially arranged him in Yangzhou."

Cai Wenji's pretty face showed confusion, and she said, "Your Majesty doesn't care about Yuan Shu, and Han Fu is under control... Is it because the officials of the court are not doing anything?"

Liu Bian thought for a moment and said, "Not entirely. I already know their personalities and abilities."

Cai Wenji stared at Liu Bian quietly, tilted her head slightly, blinked her eyes, and suddenly said: "Your Majesty wants to be a good emperor, strive for innovation, and implement benevolent policies, but the government and the people cannot understand and instead rebel... Is Your Majesty sad?"

Liu Bian was startled, and suddenly sat up straight, staring at Cai Wenji.

He seemed to be awakened by Cai Wenji, and the irritability in his mind was swept away. He was no longer depressed, but laughed and said, "The one who understands me is Miss Cai!"

Cai Wenji's pretty face turned slightly red when she was stared at. She bent down subconsciously and her eyes saw the cup that Liu Bian was drinking tea from. She pursed her lips unconsciously, thinking of something, and her pretty face became even redder.

This is where she often comes to meditate and read, and the teacup is naturally for her alone.

This was the second time Liu Bian used her cup.

Liu Bian felt relieved and relaxed. Looking at Cai Wenji's charming appearance, he asked in a mysterious way, "Miss Cai, are you married?"

Cai Wenji raised her head and met Liu Bian's scorching gaze, and her pretty face instantly turned red to her ears.

……(Five thousand words omitted here)

An hour later, Liu Bian came out with a smile on his face and said in a refreshed mood: "Go back to the palace! They are a bunch of clowns, it's not worth my worrying about them!"

Dian Wei nodded heavily, turned his back to Liu Bian, scratched his crotch, and quickly followed.

In the side room, Cai Wenji's eyes were misty, her pretty face was moist, and she got up with her clothes on.

Inside the Chancery.

The highest-level bureaucrats of the Han Dynasty, from the prime minister to the six ministers, total more than thirty people. The small conference hall of the Shangshutai is packed with people.

After listening to Yang Biao's retelling, everyone's faces turned gloomy and they were extremely angry.

The Yellow Turban Rebellion is more or less understandable, and even sympathetic. But Yuan Shu's is different. It is a betrayal of the ruling class - unforgivable, even more unpardonable!

Zhong Yao said with a serious face: "Prime Minister, we must concentrate our superior forces and coordinate with Yan, Jing, Xu and other states to jointly attack and eliminate Yuan Shu and other traitors as soon as possible!"

Xun You followed with a deep voice and said: "Yanzhou Cao Cao has 30,000 elite soldiers, Yingchuan Gongsun Zan has 20,000, Chen State has 30,000, Xuzhou Tao Qian has 30,000, Jingzhou Wang Rui has 20,000, 130,000 troops, encircling from all sides, one month is enough to pacify it!"

Li Ru said without hesitation, "I second the motion."

Liu Dai, He Yong and others followed suit and said, "I second the motion!"

The other assistant ministers were of lower status and had little right to speak, so they rushed to say, "I second the motion!"

Wang Yun's expression remained unchanged as he glanced coldly at the group of people.

In his opinion, most of these people are members of the Yingchuan Party, meaningless yes-men!

He waited for the group of people to finish their words, and then asked calmly, "Where will the money and food come from?"

Xun You bowed to him and said, "Today the bank received 130 million yuan, which is barely enough."

Wang Yun glanced at him and said, "One hundred and thirty thousand troops, one hundred and thirty million, how long will it last? If the depositors come to withdraw money, how will the bank pay them?"

Xun You had already thought about it, and said, "The salt tax from Sili and part of the confiscated money and grain from Yanzhou will be delivered to the capital in ten days. The total amount will be about 600 million, which is more than enough to deal with it."

Wang Yun snorted and said, "Even so, who will lead the army? With 130,000 troops, even if Dong Zhuo is the Grand Commandant, who in the states can obey him? I still want the Grand Marshal to lead the army himself."

Although Wang Yun's words were very harsh at this time, they were also practical issues.

Dong Zhuo was originally a ferocious and ruthless person in Xiliang who was "incapable of accomplishing anything" and "defeated in every battle". He had no prestige at all. It was simply wishful thinking for him to expect the governors, provincial governors, and prefects of various states to listen to him.

"Your Majesty, there is no order to dispatch troops from Yanzhou, Xuzhou, Jingzhou and other places." Liu Dai said in a neither humble nor arrogant voice in the silence.

Everyone looked at him, and then turned to Yang Biao.

Yang Biao sat upright, his face dignified, and said, "Your Majesty has indeed not said that. According to my opinion, 50,000 troops are enough!"

"No!"

Wang Yun suddenly looked stern and said, "We must fight quickly and decisively! We must not give these traitors any chance to catch their breath. The great Han Dynasty's majesty must not be offended!"

A group of people looked at each other and whispered.

What Wang Yun said was not wrong, and it should be so.

The problem was that the order from His Majesty in the palace only asked Yanzhou, Xuzhou and other places to organize their armies, but did not order them to march forward to suppress the rebellion.

Xun You was not in the teahouse at the time. Seeing Yang Biao's hesitant attitude, he suddenly asked, "Where is His Majesty?"

With such a big thing happening, His Majesty hasn't shown up in the palace?

Xu Yan, who was in charge of recording, stood up quickly and said, "Your Majesty has not returned to the palace yet."

Everyone listened and thought that Liu Bian had something else to do outside the palace.

Yang Biao said with a sullen face, "Dong Zhuo has already left for Yuzhou, commanding 50,000 troops in Yuzhou, which should be enough. Now, what the court needs to do is to raise military rations and coordinate with various states and counties to respond to this manifesto!"

Xu Yan sat down and shook his head secretly.

After discussing this for so long, it's like saying nothing.

The real decision maker is still Your Majesty.

At this time, a clerk came to the door and said, "Prime Minister, His Majesty has returned to the palace and summoned him to the Jiade Hall for a meeting."

Everyone immediately fell silent and stood up almost at the same time.

Because Prime Minister Yang Biao lacked the courage to make decisions, or was deliberately shirking his responsibilities, the Secretariat was different from before. Basically, all matters, big or small, required Liu Bian's approval.

When they arrived at the Jiade Hall, Xu Yan was already standing next to Liu Bian, while Liu Bian was sitting in the upper seat, looking through Xu Yan's records.

"Your Majesty, we are here to pay our respects." Yang Biao led a large group of people into the hall and saluted respectfully and cautiously.

"No need to be polite, just sit down." Liu Bian said without raising his head.

The voice was calm and composed, just like usual.

The court officials observed Liu Bian's expression, thanked him, and sat down one by one.

Wang Yun glanced at Yang Biao, raised his hand and said, "Your Majesty..."

Liu Bian raised his hand, interrupted him, put down the record, smiled and said to the court officials: "I have read the record, and I know what you think. I have given them face by letting the general lead the army! There is no need to make a fuss and start a war with a bunch of petty cowards. The court should still be committed to promoting new policies, focusing on reforms, eliminating bad policies, and clarifying the administration of officials!"

More than thirty eyes were staring at Liu Bian. Seeing that he was calm and composed, without any panic, they gradually calmed down from their original nervousness and fear.

"We obey your order!" All the court officials in the hall raised their hands and said loudly.

Liu Bian hummed, stood up and looked down at them, saying: "Other matters will be decided by the Shangshutai. You are the officials of the Han Dynasty, you should have courage and not panic over trivial matters, which would be unworthy of your status."

The court officials were shocked and raised their hands again, saying, "We are ashamed."

Liu Bian turned and left the Jiade Hall and headed straight for the Yongle Palace.

He was confused about the "last will". He recalled the death of He Jin and the series of abnormal behaviors of Empress Dowager He before and after that.

"Go to Shou'an Palace." After walking a few steps, Liu Bian suddenly turned around.

If there really was a will, the one who knew it best should be Empress Dowager Dong.

I have something to do tomorrow, so I will put the morning update in the evening~

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