Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 433 Deception and Reality (A Long Chapter of 10,000 Words)
“We are all officials selected by the court and passed the imperial examination, but we never expected that our official positions would be lower than those ugly and vicious people.”

"If it weren't for the secret examination system, how could those poor and destitute people live with us?"

"Keep your voice down, someone's coming..."

"Why are you whispering? I want certain people to hear this, so they won't think that just because they have an official position, they can be on equal footing with you and me."

"Not to mention his appearance, how could the King of Han, with such a distinguished and outstanding appearance, be willing to have ugly people running around under his command?"

Inside the Ministry of Revenue of the Tang Dynasty, a dozen officials openly expressed their discontent.

While they were making sarcastic remarks, many officials who were focused on their work frowned but said nothing.

However, judging from the situation inside the Ministry of Revenue, these officials each had their own small cliques.

Prestigious families gathered together, powerful commoners gathered together, farming and scholarly families gathered together, and poor, ordinary families gathered together.

The various circles are clearly distinct.

When Luo Yin returned to the Ministry of Revenue, he happened to meet with officials from powerful commoner families, and was inevitably ridiculed for his ugliness.

If this had happened before, Luo Yin would have swallowed his anger, since he had finally obtained his official position through the anonymous examination system of the Prince of Han's mansion, and he cherished this position very much.

But after meeting that person in person today, he felt that the person seemed very friendly to officials like them who came from humble backgrounds, and unlike the officials he had met in the past who judged people by their appearance, he naturally felt more confident.

"It has acquired a fine name and is surrounded by fragrant trees, lingering in the autumn light. If this thing could be stored away, it would surely be dug up and taken by the wealthy and powerful."

Luo Yin was short and ugly, but he was very proud and aloof.

Even when someone is being insulted, they respond with poetry.

"Luo Zhaojian! You are arrogant!!"

"What a despicable scoundrel! You come from a poor family, yet you dare to mock us!"

"What a despicable country bumpkin!"

Faced with Luo Yin's poem, how could anyone not hear the sarcasm within it?

He likened the money flower to a scion of a wealthy family, implying that the sons of the rich and powerful are like this flower—all show and no substance, and if they could truly be cashed in, they would have been wiped out by the powerful and wealthy long ago.

It may seem like they're just putting on a show, but don't forget that those ministers who are relied upon by the court have already fled to the Eastern Capital with the Emperor overnight.

The other officials who remained were mostly people abandoned by the imperial court.

If they were truly talented, how could they have been abandoned by the court?

The fact that they can be discarded shows that they are all show and no substance, and have no value whatsoever.

For this reason, after Luo Yin finished writing this poem, not only those from humble backgrounds who mocked him, but also those from silent noble families were ridiculed.

The crowd saw his hostile gaze but dared not do anything.

Although they looked down on Liu Jilong, who came from humble origins, and the officials and generals of the Han Prince's Mansion, they could also see that the entire Guanzhong region had been transformed since the arrival of the Han Prince's Mansion.

Even if they were unwilling to admit that these Han Prince's officials, who came from humble backgrounds, were more capable and resourceful than them in governing the country, they still had to face reality.

The reality is that, from Liu Jilong to the ordinary soldiers, everyone in the Han Prince's Mansion is conveying the same message.

Even the poorest families, and even the lowest-ranking servants, were no less powerful than these aristocratic and wealthy families, and in some ways far surpassed them...

It was precisely because the Prince of Han's residence acted as if they didn't need them at all that they felt so stifled.

They were only allowed to mock the officials of the Prince of Han's mansion; they wouldn't dare to do that, which is why they mocked Luo Yin and other poor and impoverished people.

Using the lowly status of Luo Yin and others to satirize the officials of the Han Prince's mansion can be seen as a means for them to find psychological balance.

However, Luo Yin's poem has now thoroughly satirized them, and even the most good-natured person cannot bear Luo Yin's mockery.

The scions of these powerful and influential families gathered together and surrounded Luo Yin.

Seeing Luo Yin suffer a setback, although the officials in charge of the imperial examinations, who came from humble backgrounds, did not usually like Luo Yin, the current issue involved was not Luo Yin and the people who had mocked him, but rather the powerful families and the commoners.

In an instant, dozens of officials confronted each other, and at this moment, Gao Jinda, who was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, also walked in from outside, followed by dozens of officials from the Prince of Han's Mansion.

Seeing the group locked in a fierce confrontation, Gao Jinda couldn't help but frown: "Have you all resolved your administrative matters?!"

"Prime Minister Gao..."

Upon seeing Gao Jinda, everyone bowed to him.

Although Gao Jinda held the official positions of Chief Secretary and Commander-in-Chief within the Prince of Han's Palace, many people privately regarded him, the Prince of Han's 'chief steward,' as the future prime minister.

Gao Jinda was also happy to see this happen, but not for his own sake, but to make it easier to persuade his own Prince of Han to ascend the throne in the future.

"What happened?"

He questioned the crowd, but they all remained silent. Many of them had switched sides from the Tang court, and it would be bad if anyone brought up the matter and angered Gao Jinda.

Gao Jinda knew he wouldn't get anything out of him this way, so he coldly snorted, "Govern properly, and there must be no problems with the maps and records of Guannei Circuit and Jingji Circuit..."

"Yes..." Everyone bowed and kowtowed, and Gao Jinda also entered the Ministry of Revenue.

Seeing this, although everyone was still angry, they had no choice but to return to their positions and bury themselves in handling government affairs.

As the sun began to set, Gao Jinda learned the reason for the conflict between Luo Yin and the others through his spies among the group.

He frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and then ordered a carriage to be prepared, heading to Yongxingfang, the closest ward to the various government offices.

After Liu Jilong settled in Chang'an, although he could live in the Xuanyangfang government office to make ends meet, if he continued like this, what face would his subordinates have to live in the mansions he had bestowed upon them?

For this reason, Liu Jilong still had someone select a residence in Yongxingfang, hung up the plaque of the Prince of Han's Mansion, and made it his residence.

After Gao Jinda entered Yongxingfang by car, he saw patrolling soldiers everywhere on the streets of Yongxingfang.

On one street, there were at least forty or fifty fully armed soldiers, and that was only what was visible.

Many people were out and about on Yongxingfang Street, all dressed in silk and brocade, which showed that they were wealthy and well-off.

Although the wealth of these common people is nothing compared to that of the powerful and wealthy, they are definitely rich compared to the people outside Chang'an.

The gap between the rich and the poor has existed since ancient times, and this is a situation that is difficult to change.

Gao Jinda hadn't left the various government offices for almost half a month, so he wanted to see the changes on the streets.

At this time, the streets were filled with Han soldiers and patrolling soldiers of the Left and Right Jinwu Guards, as well as ordinary people and sanitation workers in their fifties or sixties with red cloths tied around their arms, carrying dustpans and brooms, constantly cleaning up the street garbage.

The streets were clean and tidy, and Gao Jinda nodded in satisfaction after seeing them.

Before long, the carriage stopped in front of the Han King's mansion. After arriving at the mansion, the number of Han soldiers patrolling around the area had visibly increased.

"Captain!"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Gao Jinda looked in surprise toward the entrance of the Prince of Han's mansion, only to see his second son, Gao Huai, dressed in the armor of a general, smiling and reaching out to help him.

"You scoundrel, you've come to Chang'an but haven't even seen your father!"

Upon seeing Gao Huai, Gao Jinda was initially pleased, but then began to berate him.

Upon hearing this, Gao Huai immediately showed a helpless expression and said, "Father, I have been staying in the mansion for several days, but you have not returned to the mansion. It's almost like you're living in the various government offices."

"His Highness has issued a military order that officers are not allowed to go to the Southern Office for personal reasons. I have no choice but to comply..."

Gao Jinda had forgotten about the incident, but he couldn't admit he was wrong. Instead, he glared at him and said, "Enough of this talk. I'll deal with you when we get back."

"Hehe..." Gao Huai didn't take it to heart. After helping Gao Jinda down from the carriage, he escorted him to the entrance of the Prince of Han's mansion and watched him walk into the mansion.

Not long after Gao Jinda entered the Prince of Han's residence, Liu Jilong learned of his arrival and immediately summoned him to the main hall.

"Your Highness..."

"In a hurry?"

Gao Jinda entered the main hall and found that his prince had already taken off his robes, presumably preparing to rest after his meal.

Liu Jilong knew that Gao Jinda must have come for something, but he was also curious about what had happened, since the two had talked for several hours and covered almost everything they could.

He sat in the main seat in the central hall, while Gao Jinda sat in the first seat on the left. He then recounted what had happened at the Ministry of Revenue that day.

After explaining the cause and effect, Gao Jinda then added:

“These officials are different from those who came from our army, and they have caused quite a bit of trouble these days.”

"I believe that if these trends are not contained, they will inevitably affect officers who come from our military background in the future."

Although Gao Jinda pushed Liu Jilong to become emperor, he never forgot what Liu Jilong had told him when he was in Shandan years ago.

They raised an army because they wanted to ensure that the people had enough to eat, that children could afford to go to school, and that the world would be at peace.

If these trends are not curbed, what difference will there be between us and the once mighty Tang Dynasty?
Although Gao Jinda is not as robust as he used to be, when he talks about these things, his eyes always make people think he is only in his twenties or thirties.

Even though Liu Jilong himself knew that Gao Jinda was loyal, he did not expect that Gao Jinda would still remember these things.

His expression couldn't help but reveal a hint of melancholy and regret as he sighed, "You still remember these things?"

"I will never forget it!" Gao Jinda bowed solemnly. He could still remember how shocked he was when Liu Jilong described this scene to him.

"You still remember, but many people have already forgotten..."

Liu Jilong inevitably thought of many people, but he quickly regained his composure and said to Gao Jinda:
“These scions of powerful and wealthy families are spoiled from childhood and do not understand the suffering of ordinary people, so they naturally cannot empathize with the suffering of ordinary people.”

Liu Jilong stood up and paced back and forth in front of Gao Jinda, as if he were thinking.

Seeing this, Gao Jinda couldn't help but say, "How about we send them to the countryside?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Jilong stopped in his tracks, but after a moment he sighed and said, "It's no use..."

"Why?" Gao Jinda asked, puzzled.

In his view, the students sent to the countryside by more than ten universities in Longyou undoubtedly gave these students a good experience of the hardships of ordinary people, so he thought that the sons of powerful and wealthy families would also do the same.

Liu Jilong naturally couldn't tell him that some predecessors had already conducted experiments for them and obtained results.

As it turns out, even though these people are educated and appear approachable on the surface, they still look down on others from the perspective of those in positions of power.

Sending people to rural areas is only a temporary solution, not a cure...

Only by having more and more civilian officials, isolating this group as a minority, and letting time wear them down, can these problems be temporarily alleviated.

The reason it's a temporary halt is because no matter what they do, this group will always reappear under different names.

They could be nobles, aristocratic families, powerful clans, or even scholar-officials...

"The struggle only begins, never ends."

Liu Jilong spoke these words with great concern, and Gao Jinda seemed to understand them, yet he didn't quite grasp their meaning.

Seeing his half-understanding expression, Liu Jilong opened his mouth, hesitated, and finally said nothing.

What he really meant was that even if their generation worked hard and even managed the next generation well, class could not be eliminated.

As long as there are people, they will proliferate from flesh and blood, and even if all people die, animals will continue this tradition.

But the words stuck in Liu Jilong's throat.

In fact, those people understood these principles, but in the end, they still rushed forward one after another.

They haven't admitted defeat, so how can I admit defeat?
"Let's observe them for now. We expanded too quickly this time and need to digest our gains properly."

"In another two months, new officials should enter the court, which will eventually dilute their influence completely."

Liu Jilong gave a hopeful answer, and Gao Jinda chuckled and nodded: "Indeed, children from Longyou don't have these slovenly things."

"In that case, I will return to the yamen first."

Gao Jinda made a move to get up, but Liu Jilong stopped him, saying, "Wait a minute."

He went to his study and soon came out with a roll of blueprints.

He spread the blueprints on the table and said, "I originally intended to take another look with you tomorrow, but now that you're here, you should go back to your residence and rest well. Let's finalize this matter today."

As the blueprints were unfolded, Gao Jinda immediately recognized them as blueprints of Chang'an City.

He looked at Liu Jilong with a questioning gaze, and Liu Jilong said, "This is an underground pipeline in Chang'an that I decided to build after discussing with many officials and craftsmen from the Ministry of Works, so as to remove sewage and prevent the people from getting sick from drinking brine."

The halogenation of groundwater in Chang'an is a problem that dates back to the Han Dynasty.

The city of Chang'an in the Han Dynasty was located on the terrace of the Wei River. As the Wei River eroded downwards, the groundwater level rose, causing salt to seep in and pollute the groundwater.

To solve this problem, the Sui and Tang dynasties decided to move the capital to the southern foot of Longshouyuan. However, as the population of Chang'an increased and the underground sewage pipes were insufficient, the shallow groundwater in Longshouyuan began to gradually become saline.

From the height of the Tang Dynasty onwards, the people of Chang'an began to employ all sorts of ingenious methods to obtain fresh water.

Royal families and powerful clans chose to dig deep wells to avoid shallow brine.

Wealthy households could not afford such high costs, so they chose to use ceramic pipe wells to filter the salt in the brine.

The worst off were the common people who had to rely on water trucks to fetch water from outside the city, paying for it and incurring unnecessary expenses.

Although Liu Jilong couldn't solve the problem, he could prevent it from getting worse. So, rebuilding the underground sewage system in Chang'an was one of his ideas.

In addition, the government funded the digging of deep wells in various wards of Chang'an, and the construction of dams outside the city to divert water from some small rivers, as well as the construction of underground channels to bring water into Chang'an.

While these methods cannot change the problem of salination in the shallow water sources of Chang'an, they at least allow the people of Chang'an to drink normal water.

In addition, the excrement of the people of Chang'an should also be collected by officials, just like in Longyou, and transported to areas far from Chang'an for composting.

Once ordinary people know how to compost human excrement, it is estimated that human excrement will become as precious as cow and sheep manure.

After Liu Jilong finished explaining his ideas, Gao Jinda nodded in agreement.

"Your Highness's move is indeed beneficial to the country and the people, but such a massive project will probably take more than a year or two to complete, and will cost no less than a million."

Liu Jilong chuckled upon hearing this, and as he put the map away, he said, "This is something that someone has to do eventually. If we don't do it now, we'll have to leave it to our descendants."

"You know, I never leave things that I can do to future generations..."

Seeing his reaction, Gao Jinda could only nod and say, "I understand. Once the Ministry of Works calculates the required funds for the construction, I will see if we can use the money and grain to gradually build it."

Liu Jilong nodded: "This matter is of great importance. You should return to your residence for the next few days and get some rest. You'll be busy from now on."

“Yes…” Gao Jinda replied and then left the main hall.

Of course, before returning to his residence, he didn't forget to teach Gao Huai a lesson.

After he left, the Prince of Han's residence gradually quieted down.

While Liu Jilong was resting, those officials who had been abandoned secretly gathered together.

When the oil lamp was lit, three faces were revealed in the pitch-black room.

Pei Che, a member of the Dongjuan Pei clan, served as an assistant minister in the Ministry of Revenue; Dou Zhuan, an official, served as a vice minister in the Ministry of War; and Xiao Gou, a member of the Lanling Xiao clan, served as a vice minister in the Ministry of Personnel.

When the three of them saw each other, they all looked surprised, clearly not expecting it to be each other, but they quickly regained their composure.

As they looked at each other, Xiao Gou, who served as the Vice Minister of Rites, spoke first:

"The Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Personnel are all related to the safety of the imperial court."

"Although the Han army has not yet shown any signs of advancing eastward, we must not be complacent."

Seeing Xiao Gou begin, Pei Che nodded in agreement and then said, "Liu Mu's cruelty is such that he makes the people pay three to five tenths of their grain tax, levying tens of millions in taxes on the five weak and impoverished regions."

"Fortunately, his subordinates are quite capable and their resources are considerable. The documents from the various departments of the Ministry of Revenue that I have seen today show that their funds and provisions are insufficient to invade the Eastern Court."

After Pei Che finished speaking, Doulu Zhuo, who was in charge of the Ministry of War, changed his expression slightly and said with some lack of confidence, "The Ministry of War is already weak, and the Han army is all under the command of the Prince of Han's Palace."

"Right now, the Ministry of War is just an empty shell; it can only control the Left and Right Imperial Guards and maintain the post stations in various places."

"However, judging from the fact that the Han army transferred the craftsmen from the Imperial Workshop and the Arsenal to Longyou, all of the Han army's weapons were made in Longyou. If we can obtain the techniques from the Han army, the court will surely be able to turn defeat into victory."

The three men shared their thoughts and the intelligence they possessed. Pei Che looked at Xiao Gou and asked, "Sage, could you arrange for loyal men to be sent to Longyou to assume important positions?"

Xiao Gou shook his head: "The official positions in Longyou are all full, and Cui Shu is keeping a close eye on things, so it's not easy to make arrangements."

"If we act rashly, we risk exposing ourselves, which could implicate far and wide, potentially causing the deaths of thousands..."

Upon hearing his words, Doulu Zhuo and Pei Che fell silent, while Xiao Gou also said, "Although the Han army exploits the people, their military discipline is strict, so it is not unreasonable to maintain the current situation for the time being."

"If the intelligence we have can be safely delivered to Luoyang, it will at least stabilize the situation of the imperial court."

“However, the Han army has set up checkpoints along the way, making it difficult to transmit intelligence…” “Leave this to me.” Doulu Zhu interrupted, and the other two, seeing this, said nothing more, each taking out the intelligence they had prepared in advance from their sleeves.

Behind each of the three of them, a small circle of people had gathered.

The small circle of officials can range from dozens to hundreds of people.

These people were all handpicked and loyal; they had long planned what to do while they stayed.

Although he has wavered somewhat these days in the face of the Han army and the Han Prince's mansion's style, his will remains firm.

Seeing that the matter was settled, the three immediately blew out the oil lamp and left through the back door.

Shortly after they left, several figures hurriedly walked towards the Prince of Han's residence from a corner of the house.

As dawn broke, after Liu Jilong finished washing up, he saw Zhao Ying appear in front of the main hall, and he knew that things had progressed.

"how?"

He calmly wiped his face, and Zhao Ying, without any attempt to conceal himself from the Han soldiers serving Liu Jilong, bowed directly and said:

"Though they were careful, they could not escape the watchful eyes of their brothers."

“The three were Pei Che, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue; Doulu Zhuo, Vice Minister of the Ministry of War; and Xiao Gou, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. They were the masterminds.”

"Below these three, there were eighty-four others, including Du Guangting, Zheng Qi, Pi Rixiu, Sikong Tu, and Wei Zhuang."

Zhao Ying named many people Liu Jilong knew, among whom Pi Rixiu and Wei Zhuang were well-known.

Upon hearing this, Liu Jilong couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Both Pi Rixiu and Wei Zhuang came from impoverished families, were orphaned and destitute in their youth, and suffered exploitation from local government officials."

"Now that the Tang court is in trouble, they have stepped forward to help it. They are truly repaying evil with kindness."

His tone carried a hint of sarcasm, after all, for him, his struggle with the Tang court was ultimately a struggle between the Han people.

Anyone who has experienced life under the rule of the Tang Dynasty would find it impossible to have any expectations of the Tang Dynasty.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong couldn't help but ask, "There are over four thousand people taking the imperial examinations in the prefecture, and two hundred and seventy-two have been selected."

"Now, eighty-four of them are loyal to the court. What about the rest of them? What is their attitude towards our army?"

In response to Liu Jilong's question, Zhao Ying said in a deep voice, "Han Wo, Mr. Yishan's nephew, can represent most of the elected officials."

"They just kept their heads down and didn't interact with Pei Che and the others."

“Pei Che and the others did try to win them over, but they didn’t respond or submit any memorials.”

"Has anyone submitted a memorial to the emperor?" Liu Jilong asked Zhao Ying in return. Zhao Ying nodded and replied:

"Sixteen officials, including Luo Yin, Lu Guimeng, Du Xunhe, Nie Yizhong, and Li Shanfu, had privately submitted memorials to Prime Minister Gao."

"Besides, Pi Rixiu had also privately approached Prime Minister Gao, which is why Prime Minister Gao was so distraught yesterday..."

If nothing else happened, Zhao Ying wouldn't go too far from Liu Jilong, so he was naturally aware of what happened at the yamen yesterday.

Pi Rijia intended to surrender, but instead gathered intelligence on the Han army and provided it to Pei Che and others, who then sent it to Luoyang.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong couldn't help but sneer, feeling that people like Pi Rixiu, who had suffered poverty since childhood, were truly pedantic.

"Your Highness, should we do this before they send the message out..."

Zhao Ying asked cautiously, and Liu Jilong shook his head: "No need. We just need to intercept the messages they send out, use some methods to turn the messengers into our people, and send out the intelligence we want to send out."

"Yes!" Zhao Ying replied without hesitation, and Liu Jilong also looked at him and started talking about everyday things.

"Sanlang was recently transferred by me to Guannei Circuit to serve as the Prefect of Fengzhou. Did he mention this to you or complain about it?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ying quickly replied, "No, Sanlang understands. Your Highness's arrangements are all for a reason."

Seeing Zhao Ying's momentary panic, Liu Jilong chuckled and said, "Sanlang's military strategy is mediocre. If he continues to stay in the army, he can only become a captain, and it will be difficult for him to rise any higher."

"Now that the government has mobilized manpower and resources to Fengzhou, if Sanlang can repair and expand the Tanglai Canal, preserve the 300,000 mu of farmland in Fengzhou, and continue to cultivate the land, he will be highly commended."

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness!" Zhao Ying breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing his master's explanation.

He initially thought it was his own son, Zhao Sheng, who had made some mistake, but he never expected that his own prince was paving the way for his son.

If that's the case, then he can rest assured...

"What have Li Ji and Ma Cheng been up to lately?"

Liu Jilong inquired about the situation of Li Ji, who was under house arrest, and Ma Cheng, whom he had been ignoring.

In response, Zhao Ying pondered for a long time before sorting out his thoughts and replied, "Governor Ma was training new soldiers in Longyou and did not do anything out of line."

"General Li seems to be waiting for you to forgive and release him, but you haven't mentioned him in the two months since you entered Chang'an. Therefore, he has thrown many tantrums in his residence, but he hasn't insulted you..."

Although Liu Jilong was annoyed by the fact that Li Ji, Ma Cheng, and Cui Shu were sticking together, he had now broken up the group through his own means.

With Li Ji gone, Ma Chengli became as docile as a quail, while Cui Shu, lacking strength, had his men either transferred away or left idle by Liu Jilong.

All of this seemed to happen silently, so much so that many people hadn't even realized it before they were being transferred to all corners of the country.

Although Zhang Chang, Zheng Chu, Cao Mao, Chen Jingchong, Zhang Wu, An Pohu, Gao Jinda, Geng Ming, and others also had their own confidants, they did not maintain close contact with each other.

They probably understand that promoting newcomers is fine, but if the older generation sticks together, then the situation is different.

"Don't stare too closely..."

After a moment of contemplation, Liu Jilong slowly uttered these words.

Zhao Ying knew that his lord was referring to Zhang Chang and the others in general. After nodding, he carefully left the place.

For the next period of time, the entire city of Chang'an maintained a peaceful and prosperous society, and the people lived happily.

Even the most powerful and influential families couldn't find fault with this situation.

Those scoundrels and hooligans were all arrested by the Imperial Guards, and their property was confiscated.

As a result, the Prince of Han's mansion acquired over 300,000 mu of unclaimed land, as well as hundreds of residences and houses, over 100,000 strings of cash, and over 300,000 shi of grain.

With this money and supplies, Liu Jilong's idea of ​​rebuilding Chang'an's underground water conservancy system could begin ahead of schedule.

In the following days, the various workshops outside Chang'an became bustling with activity.

At the same time, land surveys and population censuses in Gwannei Province and Gyeonggi Province are also underway.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and Doulu Zhuo finally found an opportunity to send someone with the intelligence they had gathered to hand over to the woodcutter spy who appeared to be a woodcutter.

At Zhao Ying's instruction, the soldiers at the city gate only conducted a cursory search before letting him out.

Before the spy could even rejoice, Zhao Ying sent men to knock him unconscious. After severe torture and coercion, he was forced to become one of the Han army's own.

After completing the task, Zhao Ying brought the military intelligence report that Doulu Zhu had sent to Liu Jilong.

Liu Jilong took the document and looked through it. He found that the information contained therein was mostly information that anyone working in the government office could access, and it was not considered confidential information.

However, if the intelligence regarding the Ministry of Revenue's finances and provisions were to fall into the hands of the Eastern Capital, the court would still be able to deduce when the Han army would advance eastward or in a certain direction.

Thinking of this, General Liu Jilong entrusted the matter to Zhao Ying and gave the instructions:
"The Ministry of Revenue has made revisions to the budget, exaggerating our army's food supplies by two times. In addition, we have added several pieces of intelligence from the Ministry of War that our army is assembling troops and heavily garrisoning Dingxiang."

"At the same time, send someone to tell Cao Mao to send 5,000 cavalry and infantry to Dingxiang, preferably to probe into the territory of Yunzhou under Datong's command, to provoke the Tang court."

"Add a few more messages, saying that Wang Shi, Zheng Tian and others were captured, endured torture, attempted suicide several times, and have not yet surrendered."

Liu Jilong still wanted to persuade Wang Shi and Zheng Tian to surrender, so naturally he had to protect their families.

There is no means that can protect their family better than the message Liu Jilong mentioned.

"Yes!" Zhao Ying bowed in response, and then sent someone to take good care of the captured and surrendered spy.

Half a month later, as December arrived, the spy followed the original route, crossed the Yellow River under cover of night, and delivered the intelligence to the local spies.

Zhao Ying's methods were very clever; she had no external injuries, so the spy had no suspicions and directly sent the intelligence, which was seven parts true and three parts false, to Luoyang, the eastern capital.

By the time Lu Yan of the Southern Office received the intelligence, it was already the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month.

Since the beginning of winter this year, there has been no snowfall in the north, which has caused concern among those familiar with the seasons.

If it doesn't snow in the north, there's a high chance of a severe drought or locust plague next year.

Therefore, when Lu Yan arrived at Zhenguan Hall, Yu Cong was already inside the hall reporting many things about the Ministry of Revenue to Li Cui.

Standing next to Yu Cong was Liu Zhan, who had just returned to Luoyang from Shannan East Road.

At this time, Liu Zhan had already been appointed prime minister. When Lu Yan saw the two of them, his expression froze slightly, but then he presented the intelligence he had in his hand.

"Your Majesty, this is military intelligence sent by those officials in Chang'an who have endured hardship and bided their time. Please take a look."

"Military intelligence?!"

Li Cui had recovered from his illness. Upon learning that the intelligence concerned military matters, he immediately signaled Tian Yun to quicken his pace and take the intelligence from him to examine it.

The entire intelligence report contained a great deal of information about the six ministries and six departments under the Han Prince's jurisdiction, especially the information on the mobilization of funds and provisions and the mobilization of troops, which was particularly valuable.

"Has Lu Xiang already been examined?"

After reading the entire intelligence report, Li Cui learned that the Han army was conscripting laborers and provisions to march north to Dingxiang, preparing to attack Daibei. He couldn't help but feel panicked.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan nodded and bowed solemnly, saying, "Your Majesty, judging from the amount of money and grain the rebels transferred to Dingxiang, as well as the number of laborers they recruited from Guanzhong, the rebels seem to have the intention of attacking the Northern Capital from Daibei."

"Judging from the amount of grain and fodder, the number of rebels is probably no less than 30,000, while the number of troops in Datong is less than 8,000."

"Currently, both the Shenwu Army and the Shatuo Army are under the command of Wang Juesi. It seems that Wang Juesi has already led his army into Hedong."

"Hedong Town is said to have 50,000 troops, of which several thousand are arrogant and domineering, no different from the elite guards."

"However, Hedong is ultimately controlled by the imperial court. Even though it is currently in a state of arrogance and rebellion, it is merely an internal mutiny."

“Since Cui is truly capable, the local militia will certainly not follow him in rebellion. Therefore, the number of soldiers who rebelled was only a few thousand.”

“As long as Wang Juesi responds with swift and decisive measures, those thousands of rebel soldiers can be quelled at any time.”

Lu Yan's words were true. Hedong Town was a very important vassal state for the Tang Dynasty and had always been firmly controlled by the imperial court.

Although rebellions were frequent, they were only committed by a minority of people. Overall, the tens of thousands of soldiers and officers in Hedong Town still closely followed the imperial court's lead.

Therefore, once the few thousand arrogant Hedong soldiers in Taiyuan are dealt with, the Hedong troops in other prefectures and counties will naturally not follow suit and cause trouble.

"That being said, the soldiers outside the mutinous troops will probably take the opportunity to demand rewards..."

Yu Cong pondered for a moment before speaking, and Liu Zhan, upon hearing this, also took the initiative to say, "Your Majesty, Li Guochang and his son are brave and skilled in battle. A mere few thousand rebel soldiers from Hedong are naturally no match for them."

"The most pressing matter right now is the rebels' attack on Datong."

"I believe that the troops of Yiwu, Yichang and Zhaoyi should be transferred north. After Wang Juesi leads his army to quell the rebellion, the Shenwu Army should be stationed in Taiyuan, with the supervising officer and the Hedong Army holding it in check. Then, troops from other prefectures and counties should be recruited to train north."

"If the rebels are just bluffing, then we can take this opportunity to train the troops of various towns, and then Wang Duo can lead the army south to put pressure on Guanzhong."

As soon as Liu Zhan finished speaking, Lu Yan couldn't help but say, "The three towns have already lost nearly 10,000 troops in Longdong, and they have not yet been replenished."

"What if the three towns are weakened, causing the three towns of Hebei to become restless?"

Liu Zhan had long been prepared for Lu Yan's questioning, so as soon as Lu Yan began to question him, he bowed to Li Cui and said:

"I believe that we should bribe Lulong with a large sum of money to mobilize Lulong's troops to support Datong's troops."

"As long as Lulong doesn't move, Chengde and Weibo won't be able to move either."

"Furthermore, based on my own observations, the military strength of Weibo is inferior to that of Xuanwu and Zhongwu."

As Liu Zhan spoke, he immediately exposed the ugly side of Wei Bo's soldiers.

Claiming to be an elite force, they were utterly defeated by a raid on their camp by rebel troops who had just risen from humble origins—a disgrace indeed…

With Wei Bo so weak, what makes him even think of making a move?
"Wei Bo...is this really the case?"

Li Cui also couldn't believe what Liu Zhan was saying, but seeing Liu Zhan's composed demeanor, he could only choose to believe him and asked at the same time:
"How many troops does Prime Minister Liu think the court will need to recapture the old capital?"

"This..." Liu Zhan hesitated, after all, Liu Jilong had already defeated Wang Shi, Zheng Tian, ​​Gao Pian and others.

Apart from Gao Pian's somewhat respectable results, the other two were simply pathetic.

Even so, Liu Zhan didn't think he was much better than Wang Shi and Zheng Tian.

After thinking it over, he finally spoke up: "The rebels have occupied the Three Rivers, Guannei, Longyou, Guanzhong and other places. Judging from the memorials in Your Majesty's hands, the number of rebels is probably no less than 200,000, far exceeding the number of the two traitors An Lushan and Lu Xun in the past."

"In my opinion, 200,000 troops are needed to defend, and 300,000 troops are needed to attack..."

Before Li Cui and the others could speak, Liu Zhan looked troubled and said, "However, the court has suffered repeated defeats, and the various garrisons have inevitably become somewhat contemptuous of it. Therefore, it is inevitable that they will refuse to mobilize troops from these garrisons."

"Moreover, the troops of the various towns are the most arrogant and unruly, and in order to survive on the battlefield, they even dare to draw their swords against their comrades."

"I believe that at present we can only rely on the court to recruit troops to fight the rebels. The number of troops recruited and trained by the court alone, including those in Shannan East Circuit and the capital region, should not be less than 150,000."

"150,000?!"

Upon learning that Liu Zhan wanted the court to raise 150,000 troops, even Yu Cong couldn't help but gasp in shock.

He certainly couldn't afford to raise 150,000 troops unless the Shence Army was completely eliminated.

Although Li Cui was still indulging in wine and women, he was aware of the current state of the court and pondered before saying:
"Currently, there are 40,000 troops in the capital region and 20,000 troops in the Sannam-dong region."

"According to Prime Minister Liu, does the court need to recruit another 90,000 soldiers?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhan shook his head and bowed frankly, saying, "Your Majesty, the elite troops of Shannan East Circuit have been lost. The so-called 20,000 elite troops are actually nothing more than a group of armored ruffians and hooligans."

"I believe that instead of training them, we should select generals from the Zhongwu Army and Xuanwu Army and recruit new soldiers."

"Furthermore, I must personally investigate the condition of the troops in the capital region to determine their readiness for battle."

"If that doesn't work, instead of training these scoundrels, we should recruit honest and law-abiding people from the vagrants to train."

As soon as Liu Zhan finished speaking, Li Cui frowned, Lu Yan remained calm, and Yu Cong was calculating how much money and grain they needed.

In fact, Li Cui also knew that Liu Zhan's idea was not wrong, but the court's funds and provisions were indeed insufficient for Liu Zhan to raise 150,000 soldiers.

Recruiting 150,000 soldiers would require more than 4 million strings of cash, not to mention the cost of armor and weapons alone; the military pay alone would probably be no less than 4 million strings of cash.

The imperial court has only collected seven million strings of cash this year. How can it raise 150,000 soldiers?
Li Cui pondered for a moment, then finally looked dejected: "Prime Minister Liu, it's not that I'm unwilling, but the national treasury is empty."

He looked at Yu Cong, who was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue's expenditures, and asked in front of Liu Zhan, "How much money and grain is left in the treasury?"

"Your Majesty," Yu Cong replied, taking a deep breath and recalling the events.
“The shipments from various towns were all subject to deductions. Although it was slightly more than the seven million strings of cash I had estimated, after the conversion, it was still only a little over seven million three hundred thousand strings of cash.”

"Currently, the only usable amount in the treasury is a little over 400,000 strings of cash."

"By the summer harvest next year, we can expect to collect at most 1.4 million strings of cash."

After Yu Cong explained the current situation, Liu Zhan was dumbfounded.

Although he knew that the court had lost most of the Three Rivers region and the capital region and Guannei, and had anticipated the sharp drop in the court's funds and provisions, he also thought about the destruction of the towns in northwestern Beijing and the Shence Army, which consumed the majority of the military funds.

In his view, even if the various towns had embezzled some of the taxes, the amount of taxes collected by the imperial court, after being converted into cash, should not be less than ten million strings of cash.

Unfortunately, he underestimated the extent to which the various garrisons were embezzling transport funds and grain; the current imperial court simply didn't have the money to recruit so many soldiers for him.

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhan could only think quickly, and finally said with difficulty: "If that is the case, I think we can select twenty generals from the Zhongwu Army, Xuanwu Army, and Yicheng Army, and transfer five thousand Xuanwu Army soldiers and five thousand Zhongwu Army soldiers to Shannan East Road."

"At that time, the 20,000-strong army of Shannan East Circuit can be disbanded, their armor repaired, and another 20,000 soldiers recruited."

"When the summer harvest comes next year, we will recruit another 30,000 soldiers in Tongguan, Shangluo and other places."

"If Governor Kang can defeat the Huang bandits and quell the bandits in Hunan, the various garrisons will certainly not dare to outwardly comply but inwardly defy him, and the imperial court's funds and provisions will surely increase."

Liu Zhan chose to take a step back, a gesture that earned him a nod of approval from Li Cui. He then looked at Lu Yan:

"Minister Lu, urge Kang Chengxun and Wang Duo to quickly pacify Hedong and Hunan!"

"Your subject obeys the decree..." Lu Yan replied without hesitation, and Li Cui looked at Tian Yun upon seeing this.

"The court session is over—"

Seeing that Li Cui had dismissed the court, the three bowed and withdrew without hesitation. Li Cui watched their departing figures, and for some reason, a sense of unease gradually rose in his heart...

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

I don't know when I'll be able to update the "bonus chapter" tonight, but I should be able to post it before midnight.

(End of this chapter)