The revival of the Han Dynasty must start with Dong Zhuo

Chapter 124: The Emperor is a robber?
But the time to deploy military forces must not be now.

Guanzhong is currently experiencing widespread natural disasters.

A battle in Hedong had already forced Jia Xu to open Taicang to provide relief, let alone the more distant Jizhou? Hebei?

If we insist on sending troops now, the biggest possibility is that for every soldier we transport to the front line, two civilians will starve to death in Guanzhong behind.

Therefore, we still need to suppress the warlike spirit of these people.

"Wenhe, I'll leave this matter to you."

Jia Xu, who had just sighed that Liu Xie was indeed an eloquent ruler, immediately turned bitter and said, "Your Majesty, why do you always ask me to do such offensive things?"

"What do you mean by offending someone? This is called sharing your worries!"

It was inappropriate for Emperor Liu Xie to step in to stop the warmongering trend.

They had already established a new emperor. It would have been good enough if Liu Xie had not directly issued an edict to fight against the rebels. How could he have stepped forward to stop them?

Normally, this kind of thing is actually done by the moderates represented by Yang Biao.

But now, moderates like Yang Biao obviously think that the radicals are too moderate. How can they rely on them?

"I don't care. I'll leave it to Wenhe anyway."

Liu Xie pressed his temple and said, "I just asked you to suppress those court officials."

"I am in trouble here."

"Countless generals and soldiers have requested orders. If we fail to do this properly and disappoint their hearts, it will be bad."

Jia Xu also realized this when he heard this.

"Your Majesty, are you saying that the Grand Master also wants to fight?"

"Ah."

That's why Liu Xie was a little distressed.

"It's only because the weather is still hot that the Grand Master knows not to use weapons easily. Otherwise, he would have already started to mobilize the army."

Upon hearing this, Jia Xu sighed softly.

When the emperor and his ministers were in distress, another palace maid came to report that Taiwei Yang Biao and Taichang Wei Duan came to ask for a meeting.

Got it!
What you say will come true!
Liu Xie didn't expect that these usually docile rabbits would become so bloodthirsty at this moment.

Yang Biao, who was rarely seen except for court meetings, actually went directly to the palace to meet the emperor! He no longer cared about his reputation.

And he also brought Wei Duan with him.

Wei Duan is Wei Kang's father, the former governor of Liangzhou.

Because of Wei Kang's contribution in Huaili, Dong Zhuo kept his promise and changed his father Wei Duan's title to Taichang, the head of the Nine Ministers, thus saving him from the suffering of traveling by boat and carriage.

Now one of the Three Dukes and the head of the Nine Ministers came to ask to see the emperor. Even if Liu Xie wanted to hide, he couldn't do it. He could only bite the bullet and order the palace servants to welcome them in.

"His Majesty!"

Yang Biao was indeed still strong despite his age. He trotted over, knelt down, and slid to Liu Xie's side.

"Your Majesty!! There are now Han thieves causing chaos and setting up a false emperor in Hebei. This is a disgrace to the Han Dynasty! I request Your Majesty to send troops immediately to conquer Yuan Shao, execute Liu He, and revive the Han Dynasty!"

Wei Duan followed behind and also said: "I hope Your Majesty will send troops to wipe out the Han thieves and wipe out the holes in the house!!"

……

brutal!

Those generals wrote to the emperor and only asked him to kill Yuan Shao and Liu He.

But this group of court officials even used words like "ploughing the yard and sweeping the holes"!

It can be seen that Yuan Shao's decision to establish a new emperor this time really angered these court officials and pushed them completely to Liu Xie's camp.

"What the Grand Commandant and the Grand Chancellor said makes sense."

Liu Xie rummaged around on the table and finally found a bamboo slip and asked Jia Xu to give it to the two of them.

"The Han traitor Yuan Shao has established another emperor. How can I tolerate such a treasonous act?"

"But the Grand Commandant and the Grand Minister of Rites are in charge of military affairs and etiquette respectively, so I'm afraid they really don't understand the people's livelihood in Guanzhong. If you two read this document, will you still have the intention to fight?"

The Grand Commandant was in charge of military affairs in all directions. At the end of the year, he would report the best results to the palace and decide on rewards and punishments.

Taichang, in charge of rituals and sacrifices. Before every sacrifice, he would first report the rituals; when doing things, he would always praise the emperor. Before every selection and examination of doctors, he would report their abilities. For major archery, elderly care, and major funerals, he would report their rituals. Before the last day of every month, he would inspect the mausoleums and temples.

Although the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers have almost become nominal positions nowadays, their duties have indeed nothing to do with people's livelihood, so what Liu Xie said is actually not wrong.

"This is the official document submitted by Xinfeng County Magistrate Zhang Ji."

"He said that the grain output in Xinfeng County alone was 70% less than last year. And now the people's wells are dry and their lives are difficult. He asked the court if they could reduce some of the people's taxes this year."

"As far as I know, this Zhang is both knowledgeable and gracious, and his achievements are known as 'the best among the three prefectures'. Even the county under such a capable official is like this, let alone other prefectures and counties?"

Liu Xie has not yet taken a real look at the area around Chang'an.

But just from the official documents submitted by county magistrates from all over Guanzhong, Liu Xie could feel the misery and difficulties faced by the people of Guanzhong.

How can we send out troops to conquer the country when we have such internal troubles?
Although Yang Biao and Wei Duan did not often come into contact with government affairs, they were not above handling the affairs of state.

The moment they saw the official document, they knew that what Liu Xie said was true and that the imperial court did have its own sufferings.

That being the case...

Yang Biao gritted his teeth and said, "Although Guanzhong suffered a natural disaster, this matter is related to the orthodoxy of the court after all!"

"If the imperial court can collect food from the people, perhaps it can collect enough food for the army and go to Hebei to fight the bandits!"

……

Liu Xie knew that Yang Biao and others were getting anxious.

But I didn't expect that he would get so anxious!

Collecting food from the public?

Who should we ask for food? Isn't it still from them?

Just say that these wealthy families in Guanzhong want to bear the cost of military rations and ask the court to send troops!
The determination of Yang Biao and others to cut off their own flesh and feed it to the court obviously exceeded Liu Xie's expectations.

"Why did the commander come to this?"

They say that a dog that bites doesn't bark.

This group of court officials were really crazy, and their actions were completely beyond Liu Xie's comprehension.

"I appreciate the commander's kindness."

"But even if we can raise grain, how much can we raise? Fifty thousand dan? One hundred thousand dan? Taiwei, do you know that once the army moves, the money and grain consumed will be an astronomical figure! Even if we can really raise one hundred thousand dan of grain and send the army to Hebei, can we successfully defeat Yuan Shao?"

"I know that the generals under the Grand Master are brave and the soldiers are elite. But that evil villain Yuan Shao is definitely not a good person either."

"Let's not talk about anything else. He only needs to send a large army to guard the several passes leading to Hebei from Taihang Mountain. Even if he sends more elite soldiers and more skilled generals, what will it matter?"

Liu Xie boasted that he was now quite proficient in the art of war. Although he was not a genius, he was able to "talk about war on paper."

"When the time comes, Yuan Shao will hold on to the pass, turning the battle into a war of attrition..."

"Taiwei, how much food do you think Guanzhong needs to transport to compete with Yuan Shao, who has the advantage of being at home and owning fertile land?"

"By then, the soldiers will return in defeat, and the food and grass reserves in Guanzhong will be consumed in vain. Wouldn't that only encourage the arrogance of the Han traitors and undermine the prestige of the imperial court?"

……

"If 100,000 dan is not enough, then 200,000 dan! If 200,000 dan is enough, then 300,000 dan! With the brave warriors under the Grand Master, how can the court still be afraid of a mere Yuan Shao?"

Liu Xie was helpless.

Although Yang Biao was the Grand Marshal, he really knew nothing about military affairs!

Once it turns into a war of attrition, not to mention 300,000 shi of grain, even 500,000 shi, 700,000 shi, or 1 million shi won't be enough!
During the Warring States Period, when the Qin State attacked the Zhao State, even though they had the entire Bashu land as their granary, they were almost drained by the huge force of the Zhao State and nearly lost...

Now there is no Bashu in Guanzhong, and it has suffered from natural disasters. What can it use to compete with Yuan Shao in consumption?
Once a war turns into a stagnant one, the development of the situation will be completely out of control!
However... there was a different look in Liu Xie's eyes.

Three hundred thousand shi of grain?

This was said by Yang Biao himself!
He didn't know whether Yang Biao was bragging or just trying to be pretentious.

But what is certain is that with court officials like Yang Biao and the background of these Guanzhong families, there is a high probability that they can gather 100,000 shi of grain!

In the past, even if Emperor Liu Xie starved to death, he would never have asked them to hand over the grain.

But now, they took the initiative to give food to the court to attack Yuan Shao...

Liu Xie suddenly laughed.

This laughter frightened Yang Biao and Wei Duan, and they quickly added: "What I just said is just a figure. Guanzhong may not be able to gather so much food."

The bureaucratic instinct made them subconsciously defend themselves and make Liu Xie give up the idea of ​​blackmailing them.

Liu Xie glared.

What to say!

Am I the kind of emperor who would beat people with bamboo sticks?
Hey?
It really is!
Liu Xie smiled and said, "I understand the commander's intention."

"However, the most important thing for the court today is to protect people's livelihood and help Guanzhong survive this natural disaster."

"Only when the rear is peaceful can the soldiers feel at ease, be invincible on the battlefield, defeat Han traitors like Yuan Shao, and safeguard the righteousness of the court."

"Do you think I am wrong in what I said, Commander?"

Yang Biao didn't know what Liu Xie was going to say, so he could only speak cautiously: "Your Majesty is far-sighted, it is indeed the right thing to do."

"If that is the case, and the Grand Commandant is so eager to defeat the Han thieves, why not first restore the livelihood of the people in Guanzhong and help them survive this disaster?"

"Only by stabilizing people's livelihood can we send troops as soon as possible to kill Yuan Shao!"

……

Yang Biao never expected that he came here with good intentions to support the imperial court, but the emperor actually wanted to punish him.

This made Yang Biao speechless for a moment, and he suddenly became pessimistic about the future of the court.

"Your Majesty, the food we have collected is not enough to sustain the army, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to treat the victims."

Yang Biao is already over 50 years old this year, which is considered old.

When he was a child, there was a severe drought in Guanzhong.

Yang Biao still remembers the scene at that time vividly!

The tree bark and weeds on the road were all eaten clean!

Exchanging children for food was the norm at that time.

When people walk on the road, there is almost nothing except sand, stones and yellow soil!

Not even a body!

Because people who die of starvation are also food!
So Yang Biao knew that once a severe drought really occurred, no matter how much grain was planted, it would not be enough!

Even if Liu Xie confiscated all their properties and dug out all the food hidden in the cellar, it still would not be enough!

So Yang Biao was half selfish and half righteous: "When that time comes, even if we collect more food, it will probably be difficult to resolve the disaster in Guanzhong."

"I know."

?

Liu Xie replied calmly: "I know."

"I also didn't say that we should collect food to survive this disaster."

As long as they squeeze Yang Biao and his group of court officials to death, they will definitely be able to squeeze out some benefits.

So, is this oil and water enough?
The real problem in Guanzhong now is natural disasters and reduced grain production, not uneven distribution.

If there were a total of 100 rations of grain in Guanzhong, 90 rations were needed to feed the people, and Yang Biao and others had 30 rations, and the imperial court had 70 rations, then Liu Xie would definitely grab the grain from Yang Biao and others without hesitation.

But now, there are only fifty rations of grain in Guanzhong, the court has only thirty rations of grain, and Yang Biao and others may only have twenty rations.

The amount of food needed to feed the people is still ninety portions.

As the saying goes, when solving a problem, we must grasp the main contradiction.

At this time, even if Yang Biao and his men's food were seized, it would still not be enough to feed the people in Guanzhong.

In this case, why do we need to do such a stupid thing of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs?

Yang Biao looked at Liu Xie uncertainly: "Your Majesty, you won't collect food?"

“No fundraising.”

Robbing people like Yang Biao still won't solve the problem.

Ultimately, the problem of food has to be solved by importing from Jingzhou, Jizhou, and Yanzhou.

"Does the commander think I'm a robber?"

What Yang Biao did not expect was that Liu Xie actually blatantly exposed the hidden meaning that should not have been exposed.

This made Yang Biao a little embarrassed: "I dare not."

Liu Xie sighed: "I can actually see that the Grand Commandant is still unwilling to believe me and the Grand Master."

"The reason why we are willing to donate food to the court and provide food and fodder for the soldiers of the Grand Master is because Yuan Shao set up a new court and made you afraid that the scholars in Guandong would no longer recognize your identity and family background. It's not because we really want to consider the emperor."

Liu Xie waved his hand, telling Yang Biao and Wei Duan not to deny it in a hurry.

"But I have always been like this. When I judge and employ people, I always look at their deeds instead of their intentions."

"No matter what the reason is, I know that the general and his men sincerely want to defeat Yuan Shao and pacify the false dynasty."

"So, I now regard the general as my own."

"Since he is one of my own, why would I think of robbing the Taiwei's property?"

Liu Xie's voice was brilliant, like a radiant light.

"Therefore, I have to be honest with the Grand Commandant today, hoping that he will be completely relieved."

"Whatever dirty things happened between the Grand Commandant, me, and the Grand Master, they are all written off."

"From now on, the goal of the Grand Commandant and I is to wipe out the Han thieves, pacify the false dynasty, and revive the Han Dynasty."

"If the general can truly understand my thoughts, then he won't have to worry anymore."

At this moment, Yang Biao was already feeling extremely ashamed.

The emperor's words are truly upright and just!
Moreover, the emperor clearly had no intention of seizing his property and inheritance, but he was judging him by his own standards... How could Yang Biao, who always had a good reputation, not be embarrassed?

"I am frightened!"

"Then don't panic."

"I am ashamed!"

"Then don't be ashamed."

"minister……"

Yang Biao was speechless for a moment and dared not say anything more.

"In the future, I am willing to go through fire and water for your majesty and solve your problems!"

"good."

Liu Xie was quite pleased to see Yang Biao's promise, at least reaching a consensus on eliminating Yuan Shao and pacifying the pseudo-dynasty.

"In that case, I do have some things that I need the help of the general."

(End of this chapter)