I am not Yuan Shu

Chapter 385 While I'm Still Young
Many of the jobs of Yixin members involve contact with ordinary people. Currently, the vast majority of Yixin members hold low-level positions, which means they have more contact with ordinary people.

The feeling is especially strong when the same person appears in front of the same group of civilians twice, under different identities.

Both Jia Xu and Cheng Li deeply felt this.

Therefore, including the two of them, more and more Yixin members are more willing to highlight their Yixin member status and use this status as their representative identity.

Naturally, this tendency is even stronger among officials, who tend to form large-scale cliques, leading to many disagreements and even differences in values ​​between them and traditional officials.

However, because Yuan Shu stands behind Yixin members, traditional officials are at a disadvantage in this value-based disagreement.

All these factors combined have led to the current rather interesting phenomenon, and this phenomenon has become even more obvious and widespread as news of Yuan Shu's annihilation of 400,000 Xianbei people has spread.

More and more people want to join the Yixin Society. The popularity of the study of mind in Luoyang has surpassed all modern and ancient classics. As a result, academic discussions related to Mencius have also become increasingly heated.

Some have even started suggesting that the book "Mencius" should be included in the Confucian classics system and become a "classic".

Once such discussions emerge, it essentially signifies that a cultural and intellectual revolution is irreversible, and the day when the philosophy of mind gains mainstream acceptance may not be far off.

All of this took a backseat after news of Yuan Shu's triumphant return to Luoyang spread. Yuan Shu's return became the hottest headline, and the fact that the city was deserted that day best described the scene inside and outside Luoyang.

From officials to ordinary people, almost everyone was talking about this matter. Some even brought their families to "pay homage" to Yuan Shu's face as soon as they heard that Yuan Shu was going to pass through a certain place, as if they could absorb his noble aura just by looking at him.

Yuan Kui, as the Minister of Works, personally greeted Yuan Shu with his imperial insignia. They then chatted and laughed together, returning to Luoyang City in great joy.

As they walked, the roadside was lined with Luoyang residents who had come to watch. So Yuan Shu simply pulled out all the prisoners to display, and pulled out the Xianbei nobles led by Tan Shihuai to display, so that everyone could see the majestic Han soldiers and the timid and dejected Xianbei prisoners of war.

Tan Shihuai was imprisoned in a prison cart, on which a flag was specially placed, bearing the words "This is the bandit leader Tan Shihuai," to let people know his identity and to let everyone know that this ashen-faced cripple was the once arrogant Tan Shihuai.

As a result, the crowds became even more enthusiastic, the scene even more joyful, and cheers echoed wherever they went.

Looking at this scene, Yuan Kui, who was on par with Yuan Shu, also felt deeply proud and honored, as well as deeply moved.

“Zijia, back then you said you wanted to achieve great things and destroy the Xianbei. Although I supported you, I also had doubts in my heart. The Xianbei have been powerful for a long time. So many elite soldiers and generals couldn’t do anything about them, let alone you?”
But I never imagined that you could actually accomplish such a great feat, that you could actually defeat Tanshihuai and annihilate the Xianbei. I can only say that your father and I underestimated you; your talent is far beyond the comprehension of ordinary people like us!

Yuan Shu simply smiled slightly after hearing Yuan Wei's words.

“Uncle, people in the world care about destiny, but I believe that things can be accomplished by human effort. Many things are not impossible, but rather people are unwilling or afraid to do them. They are hesitant and afraid to take responsibility, which leads to many difficulties.”

There are too many talented people in this world. Emperor Gaozu established the Han Dynasty with the talents of a single county, which shows that the Han Dynasty was full of talented people. So why did the Han Dynasty decline? It is simply because there are fewer and fewer people with that courage and determination.

My success this time means that all my previous plans have a high probability of success. My purpose in returning, besides celebrating the festival and presenting the captives, is to ask my father to hand over the military and political affairs of Youzhou to me so that I can reorganize them.”

Upon hearing this, Yuan Wei paused for a moment, somewhat surprised.

"Zijia, the Xianbei have been destroyed, their leader has been captured, and the northern border troubles are almost gone. Don't you plan to return to Luoyang?"

Yuan Shu shook his head.

“Uncle, the border troubles have not been completely eliminated. We still have a lot to do. If we think that winning one battle will solve all the problems, then the northern border troubles will never be resolved. Our predecessors have already made this mistake.”

Previous generations thought that the Xiongnu had been eliminated, but the Xiongnu were internally divided. The Southern Xiongnu submitted to the Xiongnu, while the Northern Xiongnu continued to cause trouble. After the Northern Xiongnu were eliminated, the gap on the grassland was occupied by the Xianbei, who became a great threat.

Similarly, if we eliminate the Xianbei people but do not manage the grasslands, then soon the Wuhuan, Qiang, and even the Southern Xiongnu will occupy the grasslands, grow stronger, and continue to be a threat to our borders.

So ultimately, the problem lies in the grasslands. If we don't occupy and manage them, then this fertile land is destined to become the territory of the next powerful enemy, and the border troubles will never be resolved. Uncle, do you think I can just sit idly by?

Yuan Wei remained silent for a long while before slowly shaking his head.

“Zijia, your father and I haven’t thought that far ahead, nor can we see that far ahead. Perhaps there are some things that people like us can no longer do, only young people like you can do. We are getting old after all, and we don’t like to make trouble anymore…”

"The problems will always be there, but young people will always come one generation after another. Even if I can't solve these problems, there will always be young people in the future to solve them."

Yuan Shu chuckled and said, "But while I'm still young, I don't want to limit myself. I must do what I should do while I'm still young!" Yuan Wei looked at Yuan Shu's spirited appearance and felt a little envious.

He recalled his youth and realized that he hadn't been so full of vigor back then.

It seems that even among young people, the situation can be different...

After the triumphant procession entered Luoyang City, Yuan Shu and many meritorious soldiers, led by Yuan Wei, headed towards the palace. Yuan Feng, along with the young Emperor Liu Li, had already prepared a triumphant ceremony inside the palace, which would officially begin once they arrived.

Before that, there must be a preliminary ceremony to present the prisoners.

The young Emperor Liu Li, led by Yuan Feng, arrived at the palace gate tower. The meritorious soldiers, headed by Yuan Shu, would escort all the prisoners to the emperor as a tribute and report their identities.

The higher the status of the captive, the greater the significance of the captive presentation ceremony, the happier the emperor will be, and the more rewards he will bestow.

Of course, this time, whether the emperor is happy or not is secondary; what matters most is whether Minister of Works Yuan Feng is happy.

How could Yuan Feng not be happy when facing his beloved eldest son?
They were overjoyed.

The most significant "offering" at this prisoner-of-war ceremony was Tan Shihuai, whose arm had been severed by Yuan Shu. This man was a notorious bandit who had plagued the borders of the Han Empire for twenty years, killing countless people and rising to the pinnacle of power amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

His capture signifies a complete victory for the Han Empire in its war against the Xianbei tribal alliance.

There were many onlookers. Apart from Yuan Feng and the young emperor Liu Li, most of the officials of the court gathered here to watch the ceremony of presenting the captives. When Tan Shihuai was personally escorted out by Yuan Shu, many people stood on tiptoe and craned their necks to see this guy.

This is a legendary evil spirit that eats people without spitting out the bones.

Then, to their disappointment, they discovered that the guy was practically dead, disheveled, ragged, and missing an arm, looking like a rat in a sewer, with no trace of his former kingly demeanor.
On the other hand, Yuan Shu, who was escorting him, was full of vigor and heroic spirit, displaying a true sense of heroism.

Yuan Shu symbolically presented the sandalwood tree to the young emperor Liu Li, and then made his request to the young emperor.

"This traitor has harmed more than a million people on the border, causing countless families to be broken up and people to die. The Han people of You, Bing and Liang provinces all hate him with a vengeance. I also deeply hate this traitor. In this northern expedition, I defeated the royal court of Tanhan Mountain and captured Tan Shihuai and his entire family alive."

Therefore, I request that Tan Shihuai's entire family be executed before his very eyes, and then torn apart by chariots. In this way, even a fraction of the blood feud can be avenged. This is the wish of the Han people on the border, and the wish of all the soldiers. I humbly request Your Majesty's permission!

Yuan Shu bowed to the young emperor.

The meritorious soldiers behind him followed Yuan Shu in bowing to the young emperor.

"Please grant my permission, Your Majesty!"

The soldiers shouted in unison. Liu Li swallowed hard and turned his questioning and pleading gaze to Yuan Feng.

He had no idea about all the grudges and hatred. All he knew was that he was just living a perfectly normal life as the son of a prince, when suddenly he began to flee, then inexplicably became the crown prince, and then, not so inexplicably, became the emperor.

But strangely enough, he felt that his life hadn't changed much.

When he was a prince, he was waited on hand and foot, and had no worries about hunger or thirst.

When he was the crown prince, he was always waited on hand and foot, and had no worries about hunger or thirst.

Even after becoming emperor, he still had everything done for him. The biggest difference was that he had a group of eccentric people around him who told him what he could and could not do, in great detail. Even going to the toilet was subject to certain rules, and he couldn't just go to the toilet whenever he wanted.

This made him unhappy.

However, as emperor, he had an empress and two concubines, a total of three women serving him, which he had never had before, so his life was relatively pleasant.

He lived his life in a leisurely manner, never thinking of doing anything to Yuan Feng, nor did he feel that his resentful old man was anything worth missing. He just wanted to live a peaceful and stable life.

So, he naturally turned his attention to Yuan Feng and handed over the decision-making power that should have belonged to him without reservation.

(End of this chapter)