The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 301 Wei Yan said: Prime Minister, we are eager to improve!
Meanwhile, the Qi army besieged Mount Dapi.

The elderly, weak, women and children in the mountains could not endure it any longer, so they lowered themselves down by ropes, intending to join the Qi army.

They had only reached the mountainside when they were discovered by the patrol.

Sima Min was furious upon hearing the report:
"How dare a traitorous slave behave like this!"

He immediately ordered his men to retrieve them all.

At dawn the next day, Sima Min gathered the entire clan in front of the dilapidated ancestral hall.

He was dressed in white robes stained with blood, holding a sharp sword, with the fleeing people kneeling at his feet.

"You eat the grain of the Sima family and wear the clothes of the Sima family, yet today, in this time of crisis, you dare to betray your lord for your own survival?"

Before he could finish speaking, a flash of sword light appeared, and an old servant's legs were severed, causing him to immediately lose consciousness.

The tribespeople were horrified. Some children cried out in alarm, but their parents covered their mouths tightly.

Sima Min threw his sword to the ground and shouted sternly:
"If there are any more fugitives, they will all be in the same state!"

Pointing to the wounded lying in pools of blood, he said, "Carry them up to the top of the wall and let the Qi army see—this is the consequence of betraying one's lord!"

Wei Yan, seeing this from the front lines, couldn't help but frown:

"Could the Sima family really be this ruthless?"

Although he had a violent temper, he always treated his lower-ranking soldiers kindly and could not possibly be as cruel as the Sima clan.

However, the Sima clan was not an isolated case; their behavior was merely a microcosm of the aristocratic families at the end of the Han Dynasty.

In the eyes of these powerful and influential families, their servants were people who could be abused and killed at will.

If you turn your back on the Lord, that is disloyalty, and you deserve to die.

So no matter how brutal the Sima clan's actions were, it was actually quite difficult for them to attract criticism and condemnation from the world.

And indeed, no one on the mountain escaped to surrender to the Qi army.

Whether they did so voluntarily or were forced, they all devoted themselves to guarding the mountain under the oppressive rule of the Sima clan.

Because the Sima family demonstrated a tenacious fighting spirit and a determination to resist.

Due to the treacherous terrain, Wei Yan and Chen Dao had no choice but to continue the siege.

Thus, the war continued for another month.

……

Meanwhile, Li Yi had basically pacified the counties of Hanoi.

During this period, he tried his best to downplay the influence of the Sima clan in the area.

Although their people have fled into the mountains, they are still resisting.

But anyone with discerning eyes could see that the Sima clan was merely putting up a last-ditch resistance, a desperate struggle.

With no external support and internal troubles, defeat was only a matter of time.

Based on this, after stabilizing Hanoi, Li Yi returned to Yecheng in Wei Commandery.

Preparations for relocating the prefecture to the capital began.

That is, to move the original prefectural capital, Nanpi, to Yecheng.

There are two main reasons,
First, Ye City has a more dense population and a more prosperous economy, making it more suitable as the capital of a prefecture.

The second reason is strategic considerations.

With Hebei largely unified, the relocation of the prefectural capital to the southwest clearly indicated a shift in strategic focus towards the Yellow River region.

By allocating resources accordingly, it will be easier to cooperate with Liu Bei in a pincer attack from the north and south to completely conquer the Henan region.

After making this decision, Li Yi notified the officials of Bohai to move their entire families to Ye City.

On the one hand, he sent Xu Huang to lead troops to escort his family members here.

Finally, he wrote to Liu Bei, requesting the enactment of the "Qi Law," which was to create a unified new legal system.

The book states briefly:

Your subject, Yi, respectfully reports:

"I humbly believe that although Hebei has just been pacified, the lingering poison of the Yuan family has not yet been eradicated."

"Powerful clans seized territory, and the common people were forced to flee."

“Cunning officials manipulate documents, leading to numerous wrongful convictions.”

"Only swift and decisive measures can effectively eradicate deep-seated problems."

"Without the brightness of the sun and moon, it is difficult to illuminate the darkness of an overturned basin."

"When Xiao He entered Guanzhong, he was the first to collect Qin laws."

"Now that Your Majesty's achievements surpass those of Huan and Wen, it is appropriate to establish extraordinary measures."

"I beg that the Qi Law be promulgated, so that officials know what to abide by, people know what to avoid, and powerful people know what to fear."

"In this way, the king's rule can be manifested in Yan and Zhao, and the foundation of the government can be as solid as a rock."

"If we wait for time to heal itself, we may encounter internal and external troubles."

“In the past, Jia Yi wept in the Xuan Room, and Chao Cuo’s reduction of the fiefdoms led to disaster; both were due to procrastination and opportunism.”

"Though I am not wise, I dare to ask Your Majesty."

"When laws are established, wickedness disappears; when laws are clear, authority is strengthened."

"In the summer of the sixth month of the thirteenth year of Jian'an, your minister, the Chancellor, respectfully submits this document."

Liu Bei was preparing to return to Xuzhou when he received a letter from Li Yi before setting off.

After only a short while of thought, he approved the request with the word "Approved".

Someone might advise:
"Now that the laws of Qi are fully established, why does Prime Minister Li want to change them?"

“The law is the balance of power in a country; if it is changed too often, the people will become suspicious.”

"In the past, Xiao He and Cao Cao followed his rules, and the Han Dynasty was at peace."

"The laws of Qin were changed every day and night, and the dynasty perished after only two generations."

"I hope that the Prime Minister will only modify or supplement the existing regulations, without abolishing the old ones, so that the people and the government can live in peace and the government can maintain its policies for a long time."

These people meant that they disliked Li Yi for being too troublesome.

Re-enacting the law would greatly increase the government's workload.

Everyone has some fear of difficulty and trouble.

Therefore, he suggested to Liu Bei that since Prime Minister Li felt the original laws were not good, he should simply add or subtract from them.

Why make major changes, or even re-enact the Qi Law?

Liu Bei then explained:
“When I toured Hebei, I observed the local administration and found many malpractices.”

"To cleanse the remaining filth of the Yuan family is the least of our worries."

"To rectify the laws and regulations of the prefectures is the most important task."

“You are all key ministers; at this critical juncture, how can you be complacent and fearful?”

"We should all strive together to overcome these difficult times."

"If we harbor any more lazy or indolent thoughts, it will not be a blessing for the nation!"

During his visit to Hebei, Liu Bei discovered that the problems in the Hebei officialdom were very serious and indeed needed to be rectified.

He also criticized those who were afraid of trouble and advised them not to try to cheat or take shortcuts.

Upon hearing the imperial edict, the assembled officials held their breath in solemn silence, none daring to utter another word.

Liu Bei pondered for a long time, then summoned Chen Qun and said:

"I have long known of your literary talent and ability."

“Since you came here with me from Xuzhou, you have traveled all over Hebei to see the people’s conditions and the corruption of officials. You should find out where the problem lies.”

"Now that Prime Minister Li wishes to revise the Qi Code, you should remain in Ye to assist him."

"With your understanding of the law and your ability to adapt to change, you are certainly capable of this task."

Chen Qun bowed deeply and said:
"Your subject dares not fail to exert all his strength!"

Chen Qun was extremely excited and thrilled.

It's not that he was left in Hebei, but rather that Liu Bei specifically left him in Hebei to assist Li Yi in revising the "Qi Laws".

What does that mean?

When Chen Gui died, everyone thought the position of Chancellor of Pei would fall to Chen Qun, a member of a powerful family in Yuzhou.

As a result, Liu Bei overruled the objections of others, and with Zhang Fei's advice and Li Yi's tacit approval, he gave the position of Prefect of Pei to Xin Pi, a former official from Hebei.

At the time, many people felt indignant on Chen Qun's behalf.

Only Chen Qun remained calm. He comforted those around him, saying:
"Your Majesty, how can you be so disrespectful to your old ministers?"

"There must be a deep reason why the position of Chancellor of Pei is not being filled now."

"Gentlemen, please observe this carefully; a special encounter is on the horizon."

As a renowned official in the field of law, Chen Qun was naturally reserved, yet he possessed a keen insight into the emperor's intentions.

Now, he had figured out Liu Bei's intentions.

Why would a Xuzhou official stay in Hebei to compile the Qi Law?

Of course, it was after the promulgation of the Qi Law that he was appointed as the Minister of Justice!

This is an official position with immense power.

It was the head of the highest judicial body in ancient times, who could compile the number of cases adjudicated nationwide.

All cases of doubtful crimes in prefectures and kingdoms shall be reported accordingly.

It is far superior to the position of Prime Minister of Pei.

In other words, although Chen Qun failed to become mayor, he directly became the president of the Supreme People's Court.

How could he not be pleased?
"There is no time to lose; you should set off immediately!"

"Here."

Chen Qun bowed again and bid farewell to Liu Bei.

They rode in a horse-drawn carriage and sped off towards Ye City.

Chen Qun attached great importance to the work assigned to him by Liu Bei.

Even while traveling, he was still reviewing books and reading.

By the time they arrived in Ye City, Chen Qun had already drafted a proposal and intended to hand it over directly to Li Yi.

Li Yi was working in the yamen.

He comes to work at dawn every day and leaves for lunch at noon, without fail.

Chen Qun arrived at the Prime Minister's office early, only to find Li Yi already bent over his desk reviewing documents, with the candlelight still burning on his desk.

Not daring to disturb them, Chen Qun quietly entered and bowed.

Li Yi didn't even look up, he just waved his hand:

"Please sit down and read the long article."

He sat there for two hours.

Chen Qun sat upright like a pine tree, only hearing the scratching sound of Li Yi's brush and the occasional cough.

The sunlight outside the window gradually rises higher.

Other officials from the yamen arrived one after another, but they all held their breath and kept their footsteps extremely quiet.

It turns out that these people had worked under Li Yi for a long time and knew his temperament and personality very well.

The clerk brought over urgent military reports three times, each time bowing and taking small steps forward.

The clerk's wrist trembled as he poured tea, afraid that the cups would clink together.

Upon seeing this, Chen Qun broke out in a cold sweat, soaking his undergarments.

One can't help but marvel at how much more intense the work and atmosphere is in the Prime Minister's residence than in other prefectures and counties.

No wonder everyone says that the Prime Minister's residence is extremely efficient.

With this attitude towards work, how could it not be excellent?
Suddenly, the watchman's drum sounded to announce the time, and a servant outside the door called softly:

"Prime Minister, it is noon, time for lunch."

Li Yi then put down his pen and rubbed his temples.

Seeing this, Chen Qun hurriedly took out a bamboo slip from his bosom:

"Reporting to the Prime Minister, I have drafted the Qi Code. Please review it!"

Li Yi glanced at it indifferently, "Just leave it there."

He then got up and left.

Chen Qun stood frozen in place, holding the bamboo slips, his ears ringing.

But then the registrar quietly came over and whispered:

"Don't worry, Lord Chen. The Prime Minister's meal will last no more than a quarter of an hour. He will surely come back and check on it."

It also refers to a mountain of documents piled up on a desk:
"The urgent report from Youzhou yesterday was only approved by the Prime Minister on the third day."

Just then, they heard Li Yi's voice coming from under the eaves:

"Has Changwen eaten yet?"

Without waiting for a reply, he instructed his servant:

"Add some sashimi to his dish."

Chen Qun was stunned for a moment, then glanced at the registrar, and the two of them actually laughed at the same time.

This feeling is amazing.

The work atmosphere in the Prime Minister's residence is very oppressive, yet it also inspires a desire to work hard.

Li Yi is truly a very charismatic leader.

"The Prime Minister is truly a man of exceptional talent. Assisting him is like being bathed in a spring breeze, where even orchids and magnolias naturally bloom."

Chen Qunruo sighed.

A short while later, a servant brought over a plate of sashimi.

Chen Qun thanked him, then picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and tasted it less than two times.

Before he could even swallow the sliced ​​meat, he suddenly heard the sound of boots on the veranda—Li Yi had already finished eating and returned!
Startled, he choked on a fishbone, coughing until his face turned red.

He hastily threw the ivory chopsticks onto the table, flicked his sleeves, and hurried to greet her.

After the two finished exchanging greetings, Li Yi sat down and took out a draft of the Qi Code to examine it closely.

Then, without saying a word, he began to write annotations.

Chen Qun stood with his hands at his sides, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the Prime Minister sometimes frowning and sometimes nodding.

As the sun began to set outside the window, it cast long shadows of the two figures against the white wall, making them look like prison guards and prisoners.

Suddenly, the drumbeat announced the time of Shen (3-5 PM), and Li Yi threw down his pen and stood up.

He handed the draft, which he had annotated, to Chen Qun and said:

“You can revise the text according to the example I have noted. After you have revised it, bring it to me for review.”

Chen Qun accepted it with both hands, before he could even speak.

Suddenly, Zhang He strode into the hall, clasped his hands in greeting, and reported:
"Prime Minister, a report has arrived from the army at Mount Dapi!"

Li Yi took the military report and read it carefully, his brows gradually furrowing.

After a long pause, he threw the letter on the table and said coldly:

"The Sima clan is trapped on Gushan Mountain, like turtles in a jar."

"It would be one thing if the delay was prolonged, but how could it result in such a loss of money and supplies? Moreover, the wounded are too numerous!"

He looked up and stared directly at Zhang He. "Our Qi army has a generous system of compensation for its soldiers. Could it be that someone is taking advantage of this?"

Because when the military law was amended previously, Li Yi improved the treatment of soldiers and provided substantial subsidies to the wounded.

Even those who are permanently disabled receive preferential treatment from their children.

This results in Hebei's annual military expenditure being very high.

Many people advised Li Yi to reduce military spending, arguing that no other warlord in the land would treat his soldiers so well.

Initially, Li Yi was under immense financial pressure and genuinely considered cutting military subsidies.

However, this move drew unanimous opposition from the generals in Hebei.

They receive huge sums of money, grain, silk, and cattle and sheep subsidies from the government every year.

The generals in Hebei had already regarded this policy as their exclusive domain.

Anyone who dares to touch this policy will face their wrath.

Under pressure, Li Yi still did not cut the benefits for soldiers in Hebei.

On the one hand, this mobilized the enthusiasm of Hebei people to join the army.

On the other hand, the good treatment allowed the government to select stronger and more capable soldiers.

So, all I can do is grit my teeth and persevere.

But Li Yi would never allow anyone to exploit loopholes and fraudulently obtain national subsidies.

Zhang He's eyes flashed, and he said smoothly:

"I have heard that Generals Wei and Chen have been frequently requesting pay recently."

"That Mount Dapi is just a tiny place, why waste so much effort?"

"I'm afraid... I'm afraid there's something fishy going on."

The conversation ended abruptly there.

The candlelight in the hall suddenly popped and flickered.

Chen Qun lowered his head and stroked the bamboo slips, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

“儁乂”.

Li Yi suddenly chuckled, "I hereby appoint you as the military supervisor. You shall immediately lead three thousand elite troops to oversee the battle."

If what you suspect is true—

He tapped the draft of the Qi Law on the table with his fingertips, saying, "My new law is in dire need of a figurehead."

"Here!"

Zhang He gladly accepted the order and left.

As soon as he stepped out, a general walked towards him.

This man's surname is Hao, given name Zhao, courtesy name Bodao, and he is from Taiyuan, Shanxi.

He joined the army at a young age and served as a subordinate commander under Zhang He, but at that time he was still relatively inexperienced.

Seeing Zhang He emerge, he clasped his hands in a fist and asked in a low voice:

"General, please allow me to report. This humble general has verified the military reports from the front lines."

"The number of wounded soldiers and the amount of money and food lost as listed by Generals Wei and Chen are all true."

"Why would you say that to the Prime Minister..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang He grabbed his wrist and pulled him to a secluded spot.

In the twilight, one could see the Five Tiger Generals squinting and smiling slightly:
"Bo Dao, Bo Dao, you're only twenty-seven this year, aren't you?"

Suddenly lowering his voice:

"Do you know why, out of all the officers and soldiers in the camp, you alone are chosen to be the director of this piece?"

The official position of "Buqu Du" is different from that of a modern national army.

It is closer to the commander of a private army.

If we had to make an analogy, we could think of it as a security supervisor.

Therefore, Hao Zhao was able to become this official because he was regarded as a confidant by Zhang He.

After all, Zhang He is a typical professional; he wouldn't explain things clearly in this situation.

But it's different with trusted juniors.

Hao Zhao was taken aback and could not answer.

Zhang He tapped his chest armor lightly with his fingertips and said:

“Actually, the Prime Minister is perfectly clear-headed; he knows exactly what the situation is like at the front.” “But…” Hao Zhao wanted to ask again.

Zhang He had already mounted his horse and uttered a sentence:
"There is a lot to learn in the military. You are still young, and you will have plenty of time to learn in the future."

"Now that I am the military supervisor, you may immediately muster the troops and lead them on the expedition at dawn tomorrow!"

After saying that, he hesitated for a moment.

Suddenly he reined in his horse and turned back, saying meaningfully:

"Remember this: you, Hao Bodao, can find your captain's seal even in the cracks of the rocks on Mount Dapi!"

The night wind whipped up the lingering smoke from the torches, and three thousand elite soldiers from Hebei headed towards Mount Dapi.

At this time, Wei Yan and Chen Dao were still attacking the Sima clan.

Upon hearing that Hebei had appointed Zhang He as military supervisor, both men were taken aback.

Among them, Chen Dao was the most indignant:
"We risked our lives and fought bravely to destroy the great enemy."

"The victory is achieved in an instant; how dare that brat Zhang He steal the credit!"

Chen Dao was a general from Xuzhou, so he did not show much respect to Zhang He, a veteran general from Hebei.

In particular, during the martial arts competition at Yulongtai, the two sides clashed in an attempt to outshine Liu Bei.

Wei Yan, a newcomer trained by Li Yi, was also greatly puzzled by this arrangement:

"Since the Prime Minister has entrusted me with such an important task and sent a military supervisor here, does he suspect that Yan has ulterior motives?!"

Wei Yan was momentarily speechless, suddenly doubting himself, wondering if he had done something wrong.

I have displeased the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, Zhang He had already led three thousand elite troops to Mount Dapi.

Although Wei Yan and Chen Dao were resentful, they had no choice but to prepare their troops to meet them, as the military supervisor's tally was hanging high above them.

Wei Yan, his face ashen, handed over the topographical map, while Chen Dao clasped his hands in a fist salute and said coldly:

"Please give your instructions, Supervisor."

Zhang He didn't take it to heart, and patted the two men's shoulder armor with a smile:

"Wenchang and Shuzhi, you've worked hard."

At this point, Zhang He was far superior to Wei Yan and Chen Dao in every aspect.

Although Wei Yan was a talented general, he was still a novice.

Zhang He had been serving in Hebei for over twenty years, far surpassing the experience of a greenhorn like Wei Yan.

As for Chen Dao, he was a brave general, but in terms of military campaigns, he was far inferior to Zhang He.

Immediately afterwards, Zhang He climbed to a high place to inspect the area.

His eagle eyes swept across the broken stream, and his ape-like arms pointed towards the hidden forest of soldiers.

Less than half a day later, he summoned his generals and issued an order:
Wei Yan led 500 light cavalry, specifically tasked with cutting off the springs on the western slopes of Shanxi.

Chen Dao led 300 crossbowmen to harass the northern camp day and night.

The main force blocked the official road to the east, but remained inactive.

After the arrangements were made, the Sima clan on Mount Dapi was furious.

Wei Yan and Chen Dao were already quite difficult to deal with, and now Zhang He has joined the fray, making things even worse.

After a few days, many people couldn't hold on any longer and suggested that Sima Kui and Sima Min organize a breakout.

They said that Sima Yi must have already given up on them.

Otherwise, why hasn't someone been sent to negotiate with Li Yi after all this time?
It can be said that the Sima clan was able to persevere through sheer willpower because they hoped that Sima Yi would return to Luoyang to save them.

With this hope in mind, everyone can grit their teeth and persevere no matter what.

But once hope is shattered, everyone's willpower will immediately collapse.

Sima Kui knew he couldn't let everyone believe this, so he sternly rebuked them:
"Stop talking nonsense! Zhongda will never abandon us."

"You should simply hold your ground and wait patiently!"

Although the morale of the army could be stabilized temporarily, it could not stop the Qi army from tightening its encirclement.

On this day, the Qi army attacked the mountain again.

In the midst of the chaos, Wei Yan nocked an arrow and struck Sima Kui squarely in the face.

The arrowhead pierced through his bone, causing him to bleed profusely. The guards fought desperately to retrieve him back to the camp.

Before he could be treated, Sima Kui had already died.

Cheers erupted from the Qi army ranks, and the military advisor immediately sent an envoy to persuade them to surrender.

After all, they believed that Sima Kui was the chief culprit.

With Sima Kui dead, there's no reason to continue the resistance.

This also presented an opportunity for other tribesmen to surrender.

As soon as the envoy entered the village gate, he saw Sima Min with disheveled hair and bare feet, his eyes bloodshot, kicking over a table.
"You scoundrel, how dare you bully me!"

He actually drew his sword and killed the messenger himself, blood splattering everywhere!
Everyone who saw this was horrified.

It's astonishing how Sima Min has been suppressing her emotions for so long; she's gone mad!

In war, envoys are not to be killed!

"Send the order!"

Sima Min pointed his sword at the heavens, his voice like a ghostly wail:
"Those who speak of surrender will have their tongues cut out!"

"Fleeing individuals will be cut in half at the waist!"

"For every soldier killed, the reward is ten bushels of millet!"

In a short while, ten bloody heads hung down beneath the stockade wall—all belonging to the men who had hesitated slightly earlier.

Bathed in the setting sun, Sima Min, holding his brother's blood-stained battle robe, shouted sternly to the crowd:
"Mount Dapi is the ancestral tomb of my Sima family!"

The news came that the Qi envoy had been beheaded and that they would continue to resist stubbornly.

When the Qi army heard this, they were all extremely shocked.

However, Li Yi had already lost patience by this time.

A new military order was immediately issued to the soldiers at the front.

The order states:

"A decree was issued to Zhang He and others:"

"The bandits of Dapi Mountain are stubborn and incorrigible, and have repeatedly humiliated the royal army."

"First they killed my envoy, then they depleted my provisions."

"Heaven cherishes life, but jackals and wolves are unworthy of benevolence and righteousness!"

"Immediately cease all attempts at appeasement."

"On the day the stronghold is breached, all, regardless of whether they are masters or followers, shall be executed."

"Anyone captured alive will be executed immediately after their identity is verified."

"In the past, Bai Qi buried alive 400,000 Zhao soldiers, and Xiang Yu buried 200,000 Qin soldiers, all because they were determined to eliminate evil completely!"

"Today I am merely executing a rebellious clan; why should I hesitate?"

Li Yi's meaning is already quite clear.

The goal was to stop Zhang He and his men from all attempts to persuade them to surrender, and after capturing the mountain, to exterminate them all!
Because Li Yi's previous orders only targeted the Sima clan, his family members were not pursued further.

But now, Li Yi has given an order, regardless of whether his surname is Sima or not.

Anyone who helps the Sima clan resist the government troops will be killed without exception!

Li Yi also specifically explained:

"The chief culprits, Sima Kui and Sima Min, stubbornly resisted, and their crimes were numerous and wicked."

"Fortunately, Heaven's punishment arrived swiftly, sparing me from public execution."

"However, the remaining rebels still serve Min as their master, remaining incorrigible and demonstrating that the entire village is wicked and devoid of any good people!"

The meaning is that now that Sima Kui is dead, the bandits are leaderless.

Those of you who are unwilling to follow the Sima clan should now rise up in rebellion.

But you didn't even have the courage to resist; you were still forced by their tyranny to continue fighting against the heavenly army.

Then you are guilty and deserve to die!

Upon receiving the order, Zhang He agreed to obey.

In fact, at this point, Mount Dapi was already at its last gasp.

Three days later, Zhang He officially launched a general offensive.

The Qi army had been preparing for a long time and was poised to storm the mountain.

Sima Min, with disheveled hair and wielding a sword, fought like a cornered beast.

He killed three soldiers, but was eventually hacked to pieces by a flurry of blows.

Zhang He urgently ordered: "Examine the head immediately!"

The military medical officer held his face in a golden basin, carefully comparing it to the portrait before finally letting out a long sigh of relief.
"It is indeed Sima Min without a doubt."

After verifying Sima Min's identity.

Zhang He then ordered his men to place Sima Min's body into a coffin and preserve it temporarily.

Then they ordered people to excavate Sima Kui's tomb, take out the body, and put it into the coffin.

Next, it was time to take control of the prisoners of war.

With Sima Min dead, no one was willing to continue the resistance.

The surviving Sima clan members were chained together and driven to the bottom of the valley like a flock of sheep.

Wei Yan and Chen Dao were responsible for taking inventory of the prisoners, while Zhang He led his troops to search for the wealth hidden by the Sima family.

After counting, there were 3,120 able-bodied men left.

Women and children together numbered about 981.

According to the Prime Minister's orders, all the men must be killed.

But to their surprise, the two discovered that there were actually only about a thousand adult men.

The remaining boys, though not children, were at most thirteen or fourteen years old.

Should we kill these people or not?
Especially women and children, should these people be killed?

The reason why the two hesitated so much was
This is because Liu Bei's army never committed the act of massacring prisoners of war.

As a result, Wei Yan and Chen Dao took on this dirty work, and naturally, they had some reservations.

Suddenly, more than ten people crawled out on their knees, kowtowing and weeping blood:

"General, you are wise! We originally wished to surrender early, but Sima Min ordered our hands and feet to be cut off. We had no choice!"

After saying this, he lifted his clothes, and sure enough, everyone had hideous scars on their hands and feet.

Chen remained silent, then pointed to an infant in an old woman's arms:
"This child can also aid and abet evildoers?"

Wei Yan stroked his sword and pondered:

"Although the Prime Minister ordered them all to be executed, it may have just been a momentary outburst."

"Based on my understanding of the Prime Minister, he would never use a knife on women and children."

"How about we pardon him?"

Wei Yan was fierce in character, but not cruel, and he did not have the habit of torturing or killing prisoners.

So the two of them discussed it and decided to kill all men over the age of thirteen.

As for the remaining women and children, they were spared.

The men were made slaves and sent to farm.

As for the women, let them be given to the soldiers.

In their view, doing so would fulfill the Prime Minister's orders.

This would also demonstrate the Prime Minister's benevolence and righteousness, so the Prime Minister would certainly not blame him.

Moreover, both men felt that too much killing and violence might cause panic among the people of Hanoi, which would make it difficult for the prime minister to govern in the future.

Therefore, they all believed that their decision would be praised by Li Yi.

So he excitedly sent someone to report the matter to Li Yi.

After receiving the reports from the two men in Ye City, Li Yi was so angry that he cursed them loudly:
"Wei Yan and Chen Dao defied orders and let the enemy escape; they are as stupid as rotten wood!"

"You shameless scoundrels, acting on your own initiative, deserve to be torn to pieces!"

Li Yi rarely flew into such a rage, and the two of them were completely stunned by the barrage of insults directed at them.

Only then did he realize that Li Yi really didn't intend to spare even women and children.

They flattered the horse's rump instead.

Therefore, the two quickly sent men to recapture the released prisoners of war.

Then they dug a large pit and ordered warriors to wield large clubs and kill all the women, children, and infants inside.

Although the two made amends, they still found Li Yi's behavior somewhat incomprehensible.

This character is a bit out of character (OOC).

In their minds, the prime minister was always benevolent and had never done anything so ruthless as to exterminate his enemies.

Otherwise, the two wouldn't have made such a mistake in flattering the wrong person.

What's wrong with me today? Why am I being so cruel?
The two couldn't figure it out, so Chen Dao finally suggested:
"Zhang Junyi was a veteran general from Hebei who had worked with the Prime Minister for many years."

"He must know the Prime Minister's intentions."

Historically, Zhang He rose to become the top military officer in the State of Wei, a national treasure.

It's not just about seniority and ability.

A politician who can remain in office until his seventies and still stand firm.

Besides being capable, they must be very savvy in the workplace and know how to handle situations.

Although Chen Dao was dissatisfied with Zhang He, he still went with Wei Yan to humbly seek his advice.

"You two have arrived."

Zhang He sat on a stool, holding an account book in his hands, which recorded the wealth that the Sima family had accumulated in the mountains.

“I knew you two would come.”

After saying this, he ordered his servants to serve tea to the two generals.

The two thanked him and then got straight to the point:

“Supervisor, you are a veteran general in the army and have worked with the Prime Minister for many years. You must know the reason behind this.”

"The Prime Minister has always been known for his leniency and benevolence, so why does he demand that we exterminate the Sima clan?"

Ha ha.

Zhang He smiled slightly and began to explain:
"You two only know that the Prime Minister is kind and benevolent, but you don't know that the Prime Minister also values ​​the law."

"Does Your Excellency not realize that these people initially resisted because their wives and children were coerced by the Sima clan, and thus they refused to fight against the Qi army?"

"Now that they have surrendered due to their predicament, if we were to immediately pardon them, it would be teaching the world—"

"Those who defy orders should fight to the death; when faced with a desperate situation, they may survive!"

"If everyone follows suit, how will the royal army quell the rebellion?"

Zhang He, being a seasoned veteran, immediately pointed out the reason.

These clansmen dared not surrender because their wives and children were controlled by the Sima clan, and they were afraid of causing the death of their families.

Now that they had exhausted all their options, they finally surrendered.

If we let them off the hook, wouldn't that be telling them that they should fight to the very end when confronting the government in the future?

Because if they surrendered halfway through, their wives and children would die.

If they persist until the end and surrender, the government will actually pardon their entire family.

If that happens, everyone will have to resist to the very end. How are we supposed to fight a war then?

Wei Yan and Chen Dao seemed to have been enlightened, suddenly realizing the truth.

"Hey!"

"I never expected this! Damn it! Damn it!"

Chen Dao and Wei Yan felt extremely guilty.

"We have disrupted the Prime Minister's laws and regulations, no wonder the Prime Minister scolded us and said we deserve to be torn to pieces."

"Ugh!"

The two bowed to Zhang He in gratitude:
"Thank you so much for your guidance, Supervisor Zhang! Thank you!"

"You two are too kind. I hope you will continue to work hard in the future and live up to the Prime Minister's expectations."

Zhang He glanced at him, a smile playing on his lips.

It's as if he's saying, "He should thank us!"

Chen Dao and Wei Yan were too busy thanking Zhang He.

They completely forgot about Zhang He stealing their military merits.

After the two left, Zhang He took a sip of tea and said leisurely:

"Boji!"

Do you know why the Prime Minister is so angry?

what?
Hao Zhao looked bewildered; he had been standing nearby, listening to the whole thing.

"...Isn't this because Generals Wei and Chen disrupted the Prime Minister's laws?"

Hao Zhao scratched his head and said blankly.

"……Hahaha."

Zhang He put down his teacup, grinning from ear to ear.

"You only know one thing, but not the other."

"The Prime Minister is certainly angry that these two have disrupted his laws and regulations."

"But in reality, it was only because Generals Wei and Chen were too clever for their own good."

"Think about it carefully. The Prime Minister has clearly ordered the extermination of the Sima clan, to kill them all and leave no survivors."

“They actually released prisoners to curry favor.”

"The common people only know the benevolence of the two generals, but who understands the law of the prime minister?"

"To die for one's lord is no way of a subject!"

Li Yi has already given the order to kill all members of the Sima clan.

As a result, Wei Yan and Chen Dao actually released the man.

In this way, the two of them became the good guys in this matter.

But Li Yi became the most despicable and worst person.

This is something Zhang He never told Wei Yan and Chen Dao.

Because this involves a workplace principle.

Zhang He would not pass on the skill to his two colleagues.

But facing Hao Zhao, a younger man, Zhang He said in a serious tone:

"Bo Dao, this is the lesson I want to teach you."

"No matter when or where, you must always remember—kindness comes from above!"

"This is why the Prime Minister is so important to the King of Qi."

Never bypass the leader and try to win people's hearts yourself.

This principle has been universally applicable from ancient times to the present.

……

(End of this chapter)