Wait, please don't call me Emperor Zhaolie

Chapter 410 Liu Yu: Bogui, I am not targeting you

On September 198, the first year of Jianxing (), General Anxi Ma Teng sent someone to bring an urgent report that more than Qiang and Hu people in Liangzhou had sworn an oath of blood with Han Sui, and many tribes such as Qiang, Di, and Dingling in the east and west were involved.

Under the instigation of some people with ulterior motives, the voices of hatred against the Han people in various places have become increasingly rampant.

Countless strongholds of wealthy families in Liangzhou were attacked, and the common people who had no time to escape were slaughtered and looted. For a time, the screams and cries of women and children echoed throughout Yongliang, and the three prefectures in Guanzhong were shaken.

At night, the main palace in the Yunyang Palace City was brightly lit. The emperor ordered all his ministers to rush to the Yingfeng Palace to discuss matters, except for Guan Yu, Xun You, and Lu Bu who had returned to Jizhou and Luoyang a few days ago and were responsible for handling the land measurement in Sili and Hebei, as well as taking Bingzhou to deter the Xiongnu and Xianbei.

The remaining Grand Tutor Lu Zhi, Shang Shu Ling Xun Yu, Zhong Shu Ling Guo Jia, Wei General Zhao Yun, the Nine Ministers and other assistant officials, including Liu Yu, Gongsun Zan, Duan Wei, Jia Xu and others were called to discuss the matter.

Inside the palace, the ministers were discussing the issue of supporting Liang Province with serious faces. Even Xun Yu, who was usually gentle and refined, had a look of anger at this moment.

The Qiang and Hu barbarians in Yongliang were truly rebellious. They dared to rebel and slaughter Han people before the Han army even decided to invade them. Aren't they afraid of being exterminated?

“Xuan, Your Majesty…” Gongsun Zan was already furious, and almost called out the wrong name. Fortunately, he reacted and immediately changed his words and bowed, “Your Majesty, the Qiang and Hu barbarians have been causing trouble for many years. They have refused to change despite repeated admonitions. Now they are riding on war horses and holding bows, with beastly hearts, killing our people and trampling on the face of the Han family. If we don’t wipe them out with the force of thunder, I’m afraid that the Hu and Di people will look down on the Han Dynasty even more!”

"The barbarians have been ungrateful for a long time. I, your humble servant, would like to follow the good advice of General Duan and march westward for Your Majesty to fight the Qiang and Hu tribes, exterminate all the barbarians and restore order in Hexi."

Gongsun Zan waited for a long time and finally got the opportunity to make a name for himself. Being able to conquer the Qiang and Hu could make up for the regrets of many years ago.

When the Qiang rebelled, General Zhang Wen ordered him to recruit 3,000 Wuhuan cavalrymen and rush to Sanfu to suppress the rebels. However, because food and fodder were not replenished in time, the Wuhuan cavalrymen that he had recruited with great difficulty scattered, leaving him alone in an instant.

That period of time made him feel very depressed.

Now he can go to conquer the Qiang again, which is like a pillow delivered to him when he is sleepy. Conquering the barbarians and Hu people is his old job.

Unfortunately, the only remaining "White Horse Volunteers" are now in Guan Yu's hands. I don't know if I will have the chance to wear armor and robes with the White Horse Volunteers again in this lifetime.

After Gongsun Zan, Duan Wei also stood up and bowed to the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, what General Gongsun said is very true. The Qiang people are good at stealing and often cause trouble on the border. They graze and farm and occupy the land of Han people. They often move inland and cause trouble from time to time. We need to eradicate the roots and eliminate all evil before we can stop them."

"Your Majesty, don't do that!" As soon as Duan Wei finished speaking, Liu Yu immediately walked out of the crowd, not caring about the impoliteness of bowing and retorting with a long bow: "I have heard that people are not fixed in customs, and the government can be ordered or chaotic, all because of the wisdom of the emperor."

Liu Yu stood up and sorted out his thoughts, then bowed and said, "Your Majesty, there are countless Hu tribes thousands of miles away from Yongliang, such as the Qiangqu tribe, the Helai tribe, the Zhongqi tribe, the Dalou tribe, the Yongqu tribe, etc., which have successively invaded Han territory. This is because the weather is bitterly cold, the water and grass are exhausted, and they have no way to make a living. Many Hu people have no choice but to migrate from west to east to Yongliang."

"In addition, the Hu people are righteous and live in a tribe. When their father dies, they marry their stepmother. When their brothers die, they marry their wives. Their language is different from that of the Han people, so they often rebel. The Han army strangles and exterminates them. Although they can save them for a while, it is difficult to eradicate their roots."

"What's more, extermination can easily bring disaster to innocent people and provoke rebellion among various ethnic groups, making it difficult for soldiers to take off their armor and horses to take off their saddles. The Yongliang border troops are often stationed at the border, and are prone to the disaster of the Dong thief. We must learn from this."

"For now, the Qiang and Hu can be pacified, but we should not kill them too much. We should select generals with both talent and strategy, and use both kindness and power to suppress the Qiang and Hu. Bogui and Zhongming are good at commanding cavalry, but they are not suitable for suppressing rebellion. I hope Your Majesty will consider this."

As Liu Yu spoke, he glanced at Gongsun Zan and Duan Wei, and finally chose to express his concerns after some careful consideration.

Who made these two people like to shout and kill the barbarians at every turn? It can only effectively solve the problem temporarily, but cannot be sustained for several years.

Once the weather changes suddenly, the Hu people will migrate here again. It is better to comfort and win over the pro-Han barbarians, and use their tribes as a barrier to resist the migration of other tribes. When the Qiang tribe can no longer survive, the Han will send troops to help them. Year after year, the barbarians will attack the barbarians, and the Chinese will not waste soldiers or people's food. The Hu people will be defeated without attacking. This is a good plan.

That's why he couldn't help but stand up and advise Gongsun Bogui not to lead the emperor astray by using his status as an old friend.

After thinking about it, Xun Yu, Guo Jia and others all raised their hands and said, "The Han Dynasty has just been established and the world is at peace. Your Majesty is the one who has restored the country and inherited the work of Emperor Gaozu. However, the Qiang and Hu dare to rebel and kill the people. If you don't show your wrath and make the Hu people regret it, how can you implement a long-term policy of border security?!"

"If you do not first use your military might to pacify the barbarians, you will surely invite disaster. The barbarians are fierce and have the hearts of jackals and wolves. You should tame them with powerful crossbows and sharp weapons, and then show them kindness. This is the only way to pacify the barbarians."

Following the statements of the important ministers, the other ministers also agreed. Ying Shao even pulled Liu Yu's sleeve without leaving a trace, telling him to quit while he was ahead.

After listening to the advice of his ministers, Liu Bei immediately ordered the officials of the Secretariat to write an edict, which said: "I order General Yu Jin, the General of the Eastern Frontier, to lead the army to suppress the rebels and the Qiang and Hu in Wudu, Beidi, Anding, Hanyang, Longxi, and Jincheng in Liangzhou."

"Zhang He was appointed General Suppressing Bandits, Gao Lan was appointed General Suppressing the Enemy, and Gongsun Zan was appointed General Suppressing the North, and they all went with the army to the battle."

"Also transfer Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, Chen Dao, Xiahou Yuan, Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, Cao Chun, Huang Quan, Wu Yi, Yan Yan and others to Guanzhong to await appointment."

"In addition, Sun Ce, who was transferred to be the governor of Langya, was transferred to be the governor of Anding County, Man Chong was transferred to be the governor of Shu County, and Gao Rou was promoted to be the governor of Guanghan County."

"Send an order to Wuwei Governor Zhang Meng to send troops to attack Jincheng County first."

Then Liu Bei turned his gaze to Jia Xu, who was familiar with the Qiang and Hu tribes in Liangzhou, and said in a deep voice: "Wenhe has lived in Liangzhou for a long time and knows which Qiang tribes are pro-Han, so I order you to go with the army and point out how to suppress the Qiang and Hu tribes."

"The army has been resting for a long time. Once the arsenal is opened and weapons and food are distributed, we will set out immediately!"

"The matter of changing the battle troops to the central army will be postponed for now."

Liu Bei thought for a moment and added: "If the front army fails to suppress the bandits, I will lead the Tiger Cavalry to Youfufeng and observe the battle."

"The Qiang and the Hu have been plundering many civilians for decades. When we defeat the barbarians, we need to identify them more carefully. This order is passed throughout the army. Do not kill Han civilians by mistake. Remember! Remember!"

Those people who had been abducted and enslaved by the Hu people for a long time were dressed almost like the Hu people, with disheveled hair. They were most afraid that the soldiers would become bloodthirsty and kill them without any discrimination.

As for why the rebellious Qiang and Hu were not recruited as laborers, it was because the food and fodder transported to Guanzhong were already in short supply. If Liu Zhang, the governor of Yizhou, had not surrendered in time, Liu Bei would have taken the lead in tightening his belt and cutting back on food.

Considering Liu Zhang's service to the country, the imperial court held Liu Yan and his other sons accountable, confiscated all their property, demoted their descendants to commoners, and never employed them again during the Han Dynasty.

Liu Zhang and his sons and their wives and concubines were allowed to move to a wealthy village near Luoyang, and his father and brother were no longer held accountable for their crimes.

When the imperial edict arrived, Liu Zhang and his wife could not help crying with joy and kowtowed to Chang'an to apologize.

(End of this chapter)