"I heard that it is a virtue for the king to read and take pictures of the world at the same time, and it is a loyalty for me to offer you whether you can replace him or not." [Book of the Later Han·Hu Guangzhuan]
It was the tenth day of the seventh month in the fourth year of Jian'an in the Han Dynasty.
The emperor returned to Ye and settled in the southern suburbs.
Burn fires to offer sacrifices to the heaven, earth and mountains to celebrate the restoration of the Han family, and issue edicts to reward meritorious deeds:
'...Former general Zhu Jun was appointed as general of chariots and cavalry, and he added a thousand households in the city and returned to Luoyang to prepare for the arrival; general of Pingnan Xu Huang was appointed as general of Zhennan and Marquis of Jiangxiang, to control the troops stationed in Yangzhou; general of Pingbei Zhang Liao was The general of Zhenbei, the governor of Kangtinghou, and the control of the troops stationed in Youzhou... Taishi Ci was appointed as the general of Bi, and the governor of Dutinghou...'
In addition to the meritorious generals, the ministers who participated in the Eastern Expedition, from Situ Huangwan on down, also received official titles and rewards.
After the emperor rewarded the accompanying civilian and military generals with official titles, money and silk, although the sergeants were inspired and the hearts of the people were convinced, except for arranging Xu Huang and Zhang Liao to be responsible for the military affairs in the southeast and northeast, the emperor made few specific arrangements and movements for the other generals. Not to mention surrendering generals. Some people can't help but speculate that the emperor may be rushing to Guanzhong with tens of thousands of troops to resolve the Yongliang rebellion. Others are vaguely worried that the emperor has not left to go south to Luoyang after staying in Yecheng. , like there are still some unresolved issues in Hebei.
On this issue, the emperor's explanation was: "The king has not yet arrived in Hebei, and this is a large state. I have something to tell him, and I need to give him a heads-up."
These words not only confirmed the fact that Wang Yi was the governor of Jizhou, but also showed that the emperor had unusual expectations for him. Those who understood would naturally understand. From Liu Yu's timid attitude, they knew that the other party was unwilling to come forward for a while, so I had no choice but to come forward in person.
On this day, the emperor was summoning the new Julu Governor Zhang Dao. This man was a military cultivator from Henan. He had participated with Xun Chen and others in advocating for the surrender of Han Fu to Jizhou. Because he surrendered early and had strong expertise, he not only surrendered to the court but also Instead of being idle and neglected, he was promoted by the emperor, which has to be said to be an anomaly: "Julu County has a large water system and a large swamp. I heard that the Zhang River floods here every year, and the people only have fertile land but cannot cultivate it. I saw it with my eyes." This year's rain is coming, and you are really good at controlling water. Once you take office, you must make water control your top priority."
Director Zhang was a shrewd and capable middle-aged man who was valued by the emperor. He replied with fear: "The river has its own way, but officials in Julu have always allowed it to flow freely, which eventually led to harm. I am stupid. After arriving at the house, press the button first." The old diagram takes care of its adversity and its internal and external aspects, and then summons the people to repair and drain the waterways to straighten the waterways. In this way, floods will be eliminated and people will live a long and prosperous life..."
"Why did Julu always prefer to build dams instead of repairing rivers and take advantage of the situation?" The emperor waved his hand, and he saw some things clearly: "Because most of the flooded fertile fields by the river belong to ordinary people. When the common people enclose beaches and lakes to cultivate fields in order to make a living, when the river water rises, they will naturally be submerged. How will the common people make a living without their fields? After the flood recedes, to whom will the silted fields be sold at a discount? You go The first thing Julu wants to control is the Zhangshui River, but it is not just the Zhangshui River. Your time with Yuan Shao in Jizhou is not short, so you should also understand the appropriateness..."
The emperor stood still, waved to the distance, and signaled the few people waiting at the door to come in, and then said to the frightened Director Zhang: "You have conspired for Yuan Shao. Logically speaking, I am not It’s time to give you this great responsibility. I think you have the talent to control water, so I’ll put it to good use. Don’t let me down.”
Director Zhang knelt on the ground anxiously, and he did not know whether he was thanking him or trying to refuse. The Julu tycoons colluded with the government, taking advantage of floods to annex fields, hide the population, and accumulate a lot of wealth. Director Zhang had indeed heard of this kind of thing,
Now that the emperor wants him to govern the county, the first thing he should do is to control the water, but water control will inevitably conflict with the powerful. Director Zhang originally thought that the emperor took a fancy to his talent in water control, so there was neither liquidation nor punishment. Unexpectedly, it turned out that
It depends on what he will do.
It seems that the Julu flood control issue will be very difficult to solve, Director Zhang thought in his mind, and then left without a trace. It was not until he walked out of the door in a daze that he suddenly recalled that the person he had just passed by seemed to be particularly special.
Familiar, seems to be Jushou?
"To advise the great ministers and ministers, the chief registrar of Jizhou, Fu, came to see your majesty."
The emperor nodded and asked Ju Shou and Li Fu to stand up. He glanced at Ju Shou and said meaningfully: "I only have six hundred stones to advise you. Although I am in charge of advisors, you have nothing to do. Duke Ju
You don’t have any dissatisfaction, do you?”
"I returned home astray, and I am forgiven. I have vowed to serve the imperial court. How dare I complain." Jushou's expression did not change and he immediately replied.
"Good." The emperor held up his palm and said with a smile: "I have always heard of your reputation for being strong and daring to remonstrate. You have repeatedly violated Yan Qiang's remonstrances under Yuan Shao's command. Now that you have entered the court, don't let go of your character. Now the court needs more critics.
Only by speaking out about the people's ills can I govern the world."
Every word of the emperor seemed to be pierced into Jushou's heart like nails. Jushou's face looked a little ugly. He closed his eyes slightly and responded in a low voice: "I promise."
Being strong and daring to give advice was Jushou's style of conduct when he served under Yuan Shao, and it was also his personal temperament. After entering the dynasty, when the new master was changed, it became a dilemma for Jushou. The emperor's authority was grand, and his temperament was more powerful.
Yuan Shao must be strong and have no scruples about the newly attached Jizhou. If Ju Shou rashly gives advice, it will easily lead to disaster; if he dares not speak out when something happens, he will be accused of disloyalty.
On the surface, the emperor said that he was encouraging Ju Shou despite his strong remonstrance, but in fact, he was still making things difficult for him.
"In the past few days in Yecheng, I checked the household registration and found that there were only more than 300,000 households in Jizhou. However, I remember that in the registers collected by the imperial court, during the time of Emperor Xiaohuan, there were 900,000 households in Jizhou." The emperor did not know what to do.
He took out a slip of paper somewhere, patted it in his palm, and sighed softly and said: "You two are both local scholars in Jizhou, and Li Fu is the chief administrator of Jizhou. He is the most familiar with the books. Do you know why it is so short?"
In just a few years, two-thirds of the households in Jizhou disappeared?"
Jushou said almost out of habit: "First there was the Yellow Turban in Jizhou, then there was Heishan, and then there was Gongsun Zan who was at war with Yuan Shao. Disasters continued year after year. People fled to the mountains or died on the roadside. Over the years, this has become a common occurrence.
Now, fortunately, the country has a wise king who has put an end to the great chaos, and the people are eagerly awaiting the day when peace will be restored."
"That's good." The emperor replied casually, pointing at Li Fu: "What do you think?"
Li Fu was born into a poor family, but he was a serious Confucian scholar, and his words were clear-cut: "Although Hebei has been restored, people's hearts are still undecided. I think that the court should promote the religion of benevolence and rest with the people. Only in this way can the people, Li Shu, worry about farming and mulberry, and recover."
vitality."
Propagating benevolent religion and resting with the people are the common aspiration of almost all scholars. If the emperor does not formally issue an edict to confirm the national policy of resting with the people from now on, and withdraw troops into the treasury, it means that the state of war will not be lifted.
"Isn't this talking about resting with the people?" the emperor asked rhetorically, deliberately avoiding the key point.
But Li Fu insisted: "This is what all the people in the world are eagerly waiting for. I beg your Majesty to settle the matter as soon as possible."
The emperor glanced at him sideways and ignored the little chief clerk.
At this time, Jushou spoke: "I recently heard about something that concerns the hearts of the people of Jizhou, so I have to report it to you."
The emperor was aware of it, and his eyes flickered from the Jizhou household register in his hand to the face of Jushou Gujing Wubo: "In that case, let's talk about it." He turned to Mu Shun and ordered: "Go and call Mr. Jia.
Come, tell me you have something important to do."
Mu Shun, who was standing on one side, agreed softly, bowed and left.
Seeing many such shady things, Li Fu seemed to look at Jushou nervously, but Jushou's expression remained unchanged. However, when he heard that the emperor called Jia Xu alone, but did not call Xun You, who had the same status, his eyes changed slightly.
When he saw Mu Shun walking out, he said loudly: "I wonder if your majesty still remembers the battle in Weijun, when General Fan Chou showed off his power to Zhang..." He immediately paused and replaced the word 'Zhang He' that he almost said with:
"After being defeated by Jiang Qi, General Fan's troops recovered within ten months, and their momentum was even stronger than before."
"I remember this happened." The emperor looked thoughtful and considered: "Fan Chou's battle report said that his forward was frustrated, so he retreated for a while to recuperate, and then participated in the conquest. During this period, he successively captured the counties of Wei County,
Although he did not join forces with Zhang Liao to attack Ye, he achieved this great feat, and his meritorious services are not small."
Those who participated in the defense of Yecheng at that time were Ju Shou and Zhang He. Now one of them is the admonishment officer beside the emperor, and the other is a partial general beside Zhang Liao. When talking about this embarrassing past event in front of Ju Shou, the emperor did not feel that there was anything wrong with it.
That's right, Jushou just let it go, as if he wasn't the one who guarded Yecheng in the first place.
Jushou did not let the topic deviate too far, and continued: "No! Fan Chou is deceiving the emperor! Recently I heard that the villagers in Wei County complained to the government about their grievances, saying that after Fan Chou was defeated by Jiang Qi, his troops would be lost.
Dare to tell the truth to His Majesty, and he will be punished. Therefore, on the pretext of calling for rebellion, he robbed and attacked forts in various places, beheaded the good people for military merit, and snatched the wealth of the powerful for their own use... The people of Wei County were so angry that they dared not speak out.
The Holy Emperor treats the people with kindness and governs the army very strictly. How can he tolerate Fan Chou's disorderly behavior?"
As the chief secretary of Jizhou, Li Fu had no choice but to bite the bullet and testify to Ju Shang's words. These days, there are indeed many powerful people who have survived the disaster lobbying everywhere to promote Fan Chou's actions that harmed the people. This matter soon became a sharp weapon.
, shining brightly in front of the emperor: "Does he still have such a thing?" The emperor shouted angrily: "Mu Shun, Mu Shun!"
By this time, Mu Shun had already sent a message to Jia Xu. When there was no response, the emperor had no choice but to ask Xiang Jushou: "If this matter is serious, how do you think the doctor should handle it?"
"I beg you to kill Fan Chou and punish him according to the canon. Thank you to the people!" Ju Shou knelt down solemnly, and Li Fu beside him followed suit.
"Xiaohuan, Xiaoling came down to conquer and kill thieves, and the number of rewards was greater than the number of gains, all to show off his martial arts and to get special rewards from the court." Li Fu blushed and said nervously: "Li Shu
What's the crime? I originally hoped that the court would restore peace at home, but I was killed unexpectedly! If Fan Chou is not eliminated, how can we show the court's intention to resolve the crisis and bring peace to the people of Hebei?"
The emperor frowned and waited until Jia Xu came to visit and Ju and Shou were sent away with excuses, and then he felt a little relieved: "As expected, Fan Chou's matter was not kept secret for a long time. This man dares to say and do, but he can't even do such things.
It’s not clean.”
Jia Xu, who had just been named Tinghou of Hejin, did not panic at all, but said in an expected tone: "Isn't it just for this reason that Your Majesty has stayed in Yecheng for a long time? There are troops from the imperial court here, Hebei
There won't be any chaos, it's just that it happened too early, so it's a bit tricky."
"How did Fan Chou arrange it?" the emperor asked.
Jia Xu took out the memorial he had prepared from his sleeves and presented it to the emperor with both hands. He seemed to know in advance the reason why the emperor had summoned him: "All the ministers have followed your Majesty's instructions and persuaded Fan Chou to ask the Taiwei. Now the Taiwei has already
…”
"As long as the matter is done, I won't look at this now." The emperor did not reach out to take it, but sighed in annoyance: "Whether Fan Chong committed indiscriminate killings in Wei County or not, I will definitely kill him.
Dong Cheng has often committed crimes in private in recent years, and now Fan Chou is enough to step him down! But not now..."
The emperor only felt that he was caught in some kind of dilemma, something that was obviously not going to bring any benefits, but he had to choose the lesser of two harms. He threw the Jizhou household registration book in his hand hard.
On the ground, he said angrily: "I just rewarded the generals, and someone pointed out that Fan Chou was wrong... If you kill him, what will happen to the morale of the soldiers? If you don't kill him, do you still have to defend him?"
Ordinary soldiers would only see the emperor killing meritorious generals shortly after rewarding the three armies. Even if there were sufficient reasons and evidence of guilt, this would be enough to deal a blow to the high morale. They saw the emperor punishing Fan Chou for his tyranny.
, there will inevitably be doubts in my heart, worrying whether Fan Chou's death is just the beginning.
If this matter is not handled properly, it will have a very negative impact on the emperor's authority in the army and the morale of the three armies.
Jia Xu thought for a while, then quickly raised his eyebrows and said: "When Yuan Shao rebelled, all Jizhou rebelled against him, and the powerful people in Wei County were naturally the brunt of it. When Zhang Liao, Fan Chou and other armies entered Wei County, they never saw the powerful people here eating pots of pulp.
, Instead, they just sit back and watch, waiting for success or failure. In the humble opinion of this foolish minister, this really cannot be said to be very loyal to the Han Dynasty or the country."
"So Fan Chou eradicated those indifferent powerful people one after another, which is not a fault, but a meritorious service?" The emperor snorted coldly, as if he had not yet fully accepted Jia Xu's remarks.
"Whether it is yes or no, it all depends on who said it and when." Jia Xu said quietly.
"Then let him say it." The emperor's face brightened slightly. He understood what Jia Xu meant. He was just passing this opportunity to quibble to Dong Cheng, who was willing to stand up for Fan Chong, and burning the fire on Dong Cheng: "But if it is still
If he refuses to give up, what should he do if the hearts of the people of Jizhou are taken into account? Dong Cheng may not be willing to do his best to protect him."
"Although the people's morale is important, isn't the military's morale important? The imperial court has just issued the reward, and there are already discussions about killing the general. Why didn't this matter be mentioned earlier? Why didn't we talk about it for a while? It had to be done at the moment when the three armies were congratulating each other. This is really true.
Are you thinking about your majesty and the court?" A sneer slowly appeared on the corner of Jia Xu's lips, and he cupped his hands easily and said:
"The scholars and people of Jizhou have been attached to the Yuan family for a long time, and they are impetuous. Now I have tried it, and I am convinced that it is true."