Taiheiki

Chapter 168 Bribery
Since the Grand General was a relative of the Empress Dowager and had no experience serving as an official in the prefectures or counties, he lacked administrative experience. Therefore, one or two of the Three Dukes of the outer court would be appointed as Ministers to assist the Grand General in governing.

Clearly, the power of the Three Dukes, who were also in charge of the Secretariat, was slightly lower than that of the Grand General, who was also in charge of the Secretariat. However, thanks to the merit of his son and nephew in eliminating the eunuchs, Yuan Kui's voice in the Secretariat had become almost as powerful as Dou Wu's. This was truly unprecedented in the nearly two hundred years of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

"Actually, the General is alright this time! The main problem is with Minister Hu Guang!" Yuan Feng coughed, his gaze sweeping over Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao: "He strongly advocates for the rule of law and demands that you be dealt with according to the law!"

"You old scoundrel!" Yuan Shu roared in fury upon hearing this. "He died of old age, his grave is already overgrown with weeds! I'll find a chance to teach him a lesson!"

"Shut up!" Yuan Wei shouted. "What Lord Hu said is absolutely fair. How dare you complain?"

“Yes!” Yuan Shu replied defiantly.

"Shao'er! What do you think?" Yuan Wei asked.

"Lord Hu is well-versed in the Five Classics and has read widely in all arts and sciences, both ancient and modern! His knowledge is far beyond our reach!" Yuan Shao said in a deep voice, "However, he has always adhered to the Doctrine of the Mean and has maintained good relationships with both scholars and eunuchs, which is why he has been able to retain his position and salary to this day!"

"Hmm!" Yuan Wei nodded with a smile: "What you said is quite true. Hu Boshi is indeed a smart man. In all these years, this is the first time I have seen him insist on punishing someone. What you guys did this time was indeed a bit too much!"

“I know this!” Yuan Shao lowered his head. “That’s why I was prepared to hang myself in the East Market before I took action! But when it came to the greater good, I didn’t care so much about my own life and death!”

Yuan Shu glanced at his cousin with a hint of jealousy and said hastily, "Yes, that's what I think too!"

“Hmm! But now that the purge of the eunuchs is over, let’s not dwell on the past so much. Let’s forget about it,” Yuan Wei said meaningfully. “While it’s true that you should watch your step, if you’re always focused on it, you won’t go far, will you?”

“I will remember your words, Uncle!” Yuan Shao said in a deep voice.

"Alright, A-Shao, you're twenty this year, right?" Yuan Wei smiled at the younger generation of the family. "Let's have the coming-of-age ceremony in a couple of days, so that when you go to court you won't even have a courtesy name, which would be a real hassle!"

"Here!"

Yuan Wei said a few more words, and Yuan Feng, seeing that he was already somewhat tired, smiled and said, "Then let's call it a day! If there's nothing else, let's call it a day!"

Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu bowed to their elders and withdrew from the house. The old men inside looked at each other and smiled. Yuan Feng laughed and said, "I was originally thinking that passing on the title of Marquis of Anguo to Ji'er might be a bit unfair to A-Shao, but now it seems there's no need for that. He can earn his own title and salary!"

“Yes!” Yuan Wei laughed, “I was worried that Shao’er and Shu’er wouldn’t get along, but it seems I was overthinking it. When it really matters, brothers are always united!”

"Youthful impetuosity shouldn't be taken too seriously!" Yuan Feng laughed. "Didn't we all act like that when we were young? We all understand when we get older!"

"Hmm!" Yuan Wei nodded. Just as he was about to say something, the door opened, and Yuan Shao entered from the outer room. He bowed to the two men and said, "My two uncles, I have something I'd like to show you. Please follow me!"

Yuan Shao's residence in the capital was a mansion located west of Luoyang City. It originally belonged to the late Left General of the Household, Yuan Cheng. Since Yuan Shao was adopted by Yuan Cheng in his childhood, the mansion became his property, and he lived there while in the capital. The three Yuan Shao's uncles and nephews left the city and arrived at the mansion. Yuan Wei and Yuan Feng saw that the furnishings of the inner courtyard were almost identical to those when Yuan Cheng was alive. Overwhelmed with nostalgia, their expressions turned somewhat somber. Yuan Feng asked, "Ah Shao, the furnishings of this mansion haven't changed much at all!"

"Indeed!" Yuan Shao said, "I cherish the memory of my late father's kind face and cannot bear to alter it!"

"Alas!" Yuan Wei sighed, "I know you are filial, but the world changes, so don't make things too hard on yourself!"

"Yes!" Yuan Shao responded, leading the two through a secluded alley to a side courtyard on the right. He knocked twice on the door. The gate opened, and a dark-faced youth stepped out—it was Cao Cao. He bowed somewhat nervously to Yuan Feng and Yuan Kui, saying, "This nephew greets my two uncles!"

"It's you?" Yuan Wei looked at Yuan Shao in surprise, but Yuan Shao ignored him and asked directly, "Aman, did anything happen while I was away?"

"No!" Cao Cao nodded and said to Yuan Feng and Yuan Wei, "My two uncles, let's come in and talk!"

Yuan Wei and Yuan Feng entered the courtyard, went up to the hall, and sat down. Yuan Shao coughed and said, "Aman, there are no outsiders here, so please tell my two uncles what happened!"

"What are you two up to?" Yuan Feng was even more impatient. "Are you deliberately creating such a disparity?"

"Alright, Nephew Cao!" Yuan Wei patted his brother's hand. "Tell me, what exactly happened?"

Cao Cao swallowed hard, apologized to Yuan Feng and Yuan Kui, stood up, closed the door to the back hall, lit several oil lamps in the room, pushed aside the screen, and extended his right hand, saying, "Please look, my two uncles!"

"This, this is—" Even Yuan Feng, a nobleman from a family of noble families, was stunned by the two four-foot-tall red corals in front of him. The red corals were crystal clear, and the dark red light reflected from their translucent surface looked like two flames in the darkness.

"Where did this coral tree come from?" Yuan Wei, more shrewd, asked in a deep voice. "It was presented to you two by Wei Cong of Jiaozhou!" Cao Cao said in a low voice. "Besides that, there are some other treasures from the South, five hundred catties of silver and one hundred catties of gold, all here. He hopes the court can pardon his crimes and appoint him as the governor of Jiaozhou and the Protector of the South China Sea!"

Even though Yuan Wei and Yuan Feng had already reached the pinnacle of power in the empire, and the other was not far behind, they were momentarily stunned by such a grand gesture. The two four-foot-long red corals before them were undoubtedly rare treasures, but the 1,000 catties of silver and 500 catties of gold alone amounted to tens of millions of copper coins. Historically, Emperor Ling of Han sold official positions with a salary of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain) for only 20 million coins, and those who couldn't afford it could pay on credit. Yet Wei Cong was asking for the governorship of Jiaozhou for only 600 shi, making this an exorbitant price.

"How did Wei Cong's bribe end up here?" Yuan Wei finally managed to control his emotions and asked.

Cao Cao glanced at Yuan Shao and said in a deep voice, "I am an old acquaintance of Wei Cong. These bribes were given to me by him after I went to Jiaozhou and met him in person. He also specially sent people to transport these valuables by sea to Guangling, and then to Luoyang!"

"The states of Jing and Yang are in turmoil due to the moth-like bandits. What are you doing going to Jiaozhou for no reason?" Yuan Feng asked.

“Aman went under my orders!” Yuan Shao said in a deep voice, “Before I started the uprising, I was afraid that things might not go smoothly, so I prepared a way out for myself!”

"You asked your nephew Cao to contact Wei Cong as an external ally?" Yuan Wei said in a deep voice. He sighed, "That must be it. You have always acted with composure and great strategy. I was wondering why you were so reckless this time. It turns out you had a plan in mind!"

"Please punish me, Uncle!" Yuan Shao knelt on the ground, his face pressed against the ground, like a frog lying on the ground.

"Enough!" Yuan Wei sighed. "Ah Shao, Ah Shao, although you were adopted by Chengdi when you were young, we uncles have never treated you badly. Why are you in such a hurry? For the sons of the Yuan family of Runan, becoming a prefect at forty, a minister at fifty, and one of the Three Dukes at sixty are all legitimate paths. Why do you insist on taking that dangerous path?"

“Uncle has not mistreated me!” Yuan Shao raised his head, his handsome face calm as water, his gaze sharp as a knife, making people dare not look directly at him: “It’s just that this is not the path I want to take. Uncle, you have already become one of the Three Dukes, and Hu Guanggong is also one of the Three Dukes, but now the Three Dukes are no longer those people who hold the highest position and are respected by the emperor. All the power and position belong to the central government. The Three Dukes are just empty shells!”

"Then what else do you want?" Yuan Wei sighed. "Do you want to become a great general? But is that a position that even a scholar like us can hold?"

“General Dou is also a scholar!” Yuan Shao replied.

"If he weren't surnamed Dou, how could he have become a Grand General?" Yuan Wei asked. "Besides, what's so great about being a Grand General? How many Grand Generals in this dynasty have had a good ending? Which one didn't end up dying and having their clan wiped out? How can they compare to the Yuan family of Runan, whose traditions have been passed down through generations?"

Yuan Shao remained silent, but his head was stubbornly held high, like a rock. Yuan Feng, standing nearby, coughed and tried to smooth things over, saying, "Forget it, let's put this matter aside! Nephew Cao, what did you see and hear on your trip to Jiaozhou? Wei Cong must have plundered Jiaozhou terribly with all that wealth he amassed, right?"

"No, that's not true!" Cao Cao's expression was somewhat strange. "I only went to Panyu in Jiaozhou. At least in Panyu city, the people were peaceful and prosperous, merchants flocked to the area, and the fish, salt, and fields were abundant. Not to mention compared with Jing and Yang provinces, which are currently at war, it is no weaker than Luoyang, Henan, and Yan provinces!"

"Nephew Cao, did you receive some benefits from Wei Cong and speak well of him in front of us?" Yuan Feng's expression was somewhat displeased: "As far as I know, Wei Cong led tens of thousands of troops south to Jiaozhou, and only defeated the governor of Cangwu in February, occupying five counties. In just a few months, he had to support his army, fight wars, and also extort such a large sum of money. The local people are probably already living in misery, how could they be alright?"

"If it's true, that's fine. If you two don't believe me, you can ask Kong Gui, the governor of Nanhai, in the future. He wouldn't lie to you, would he?" Cao Cao was getting a little anxious. "As for these gifts, the red coral and other treasures came from overseas merchants. There's no need to exploit the people, and you couldn't get them anyway. As for the gold and silver, Wei Cong discovered the deposits in Jiaozhou and sent people to mine them himself!"

"Wouldn't mining require conscripting manpower?" Yuan Feng sneered. "With so much gold and silver, who knows how many innocent people have died behind it!"

“Wei Cong’s mining operations are not about conscripting laborers, they’re about paying wages!” Cao Cao said, “However, they’re not paying with money or silk, they’re paying with salt!”

"Salt?" Yuan Feng was taken aback. "Does salt fall from the sky? Isn't it also the result of the people's hard-earned money?"

“This—” Cao Cao recalled Wei Cong’s mention of the salt fields by the sea and couldn’t help but regret that he hadn’t taken the time to go and see them for himself: “Wei Cong said that as long as salt fields are developed by the sea, and the sun and wind are used, there will be an inexhaustible supply of salt!”

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Yuan Shao, who was standing nearby, couldn't stand it any longer and coughed twice, saying, "Uncle, let's put the salt matter aside for now. Wei Cong is indeed quite capable in governing the army and understanding the people. If we appoint him as the governor of Jiaozhou, he will surely be able to quell the local rebellion and restore peace to Jiaozhou!"

"How could I not know he has some ability?" Yuan Wei sneered. "But in these remote prefectures and counties like Jiaozhou, Liangzhou, and Youzhou, mediocre officials without ability are definitely not good enough, and those who are too capable and too troublesome are also no good. You must know that these prefectures and counties are mostly remote and desolate places. The locals are either barbarian chieftains or descendants of displaced criminals, not loyal ministers or filial sons. What can be done in the inland prefectures and counties may not be so possible there. One wrong move and you could incite a popular uprising, or even a rebellion. Some people who don't know the immensity of the situation deliberately incite popular uprisings so they can burn, kill, and plunder to gain personal benefits to give to their superiors in order to get promoted. I have seen far too many cruel officials like this!"

Hearing Yuan Wei's words, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao exchanged bewildered glances. Seeing the lavish gift Wei Cong had sent, they had assumed the matter was settled. After all, Jiaozhou was a remote, malarial region, and war was raging there; anyone with connections would avoid going if possible. Someone like Wei Cong, willing to bring his own provisions and take the blame, even if he had committed a crime, could be dealt with with a mere word from Yuan Wei. They hadn't expected the problem to arise from the sheer value of Wei Cong's gift—truly unexpected.

“Brother!” Yuan Feng finally spoke up: “In my opinion, it would be good to appoint Wei Cong as the governor of Jiaozhou. Yes, he is a troublemaker, but as long as he is willing to send troops to Yuzhang to attack the Ezhou bandits from the north and south and wipe them out as soon as possible, everything else is a minor matter. Otherwise, if we continue fighting like this, it will take three to five years to pacify the region, and if we are unlucky, it may not be peaceful for ten years!”

"A pincer attack on the Moth Rebels from the north and south?" Yuan Wei was moved this time. He knew, of course, how troublesome this Moth Rebels were. Unlike peasant uprisings that were occasionally triggered by famine or excessive exploitation by officials, this Moth Rebels were the result of long-term preparation and premeditation by an organized group. This was manifested in the extremely wide scope of the uprising, affecting the entire Jianghuai region, the tight hierarchical structure and plans within the organization, and the fact that their army even possessed a large number of sophisticated weapons.

Moreover, the two provinces of Jing and Yang, where the outbreak occurred, are located in the south of the Han Dynasty. In addition to the large areas of lakes, swamps, mountains and forests that are not suitable for the activities of the Han army's advantageous troops such as cavalry and chariots, they also have intricate connections with the local forces of the two provinces (for example, Feng Kun mentioned in his memorial the tacit understanding between the Moth bandits and the Wuling barbarians in southern Jing, as well as the participation of many local powerful families in the south among the Moth bandits).

(End of this chapter)