Tiger Guards

Chapter 303 Appointed as Military Advisor
After Lü Bu arrived in Yingchuan, all sides held their troops still.

Lu Bu stationed his troops twenty li northeast of Xuxian County, with the Wei River behind him and facing Xuxian County.

Li Tong blocked Xun Yu's escape route from the northeast, and the Xutiandige granary south of Xuxian had already been occupied by Li Tong.

Yingyin, west of Xu County, had always been under the control of Zhang Xiu and the Nanyang army, while the court officials were stuck at the gates of Yingyin, caught in a dilemma.

They didn't have enough troops to attack Yingyin, and the Nanyang soldiers who wanted to take advantage of the situation also realized that they were not actually on Zhang Xiu's side.

However, the surrounding grain supplies were controlled by Zhang Xiu, Xun Yu, and Li Tong. The more than 20,000 soldiers from Nanyang were running out of food and had no choice but to depend on Zhang Xiu's whims.

As for the high-ranking officials, they couldn't even handle Zhang Xiu and the Nanyang soldiers, so how could they possibly persuade Xun Yu?
Holding onto the grain reserves and garrison troops in Xu County and the city was Xun Yu and the scholars of Ruying's only bargaining chip.

Since the promises made by the ministers lacked the power to be fulfilled, Xun Yu could only wait until Zhao Ji and Lü Bu, who were truly capable of making decisions, arrived before discussing the matter further.

Even after Lü Bu arrived, Xun Yu only transported grain to express basic goodwill.

Lü Bu was also very patient. On the one hand, he paid homage to the emperor to communicate information, and on the other hand, he waited for Zhao Ji to arrive.

Lu Bu had no shortage of courage to deal with the powerful officials; his fellow villagers and brave warriors dared to follow him in assassinating Dong Zhuo, so killing a few more powerful officials was nothing to him.

If Lü Bu dared to kill, he had no shortage of men willing to carry it out.

But he couldn't grasp the right balance, and he didn't want to anger the emperor.

Since Zhao Ji will definitely make a move anyway, why should he step forward and play the villain?

As for the emperor, he stationed himself in a village north of Yingyin, observing the changing situation.

He was a very patient emperor. At the beginning of the eastward relocation, the construction of a bridge alone delayed the process for more than a month.

Over the course of more than a month, the emperor withstood the pressure from Li Jue and finally broke through the obstruction of Guo Si's troops.

Now that all forces have converged and safety and basic needs are guaranteed, the emperor eats and drinks very well.

The emperor remains calm and secure; only the high-ranking officials are anxious.

But what's the use of their anxiety?

Now even Dong Cheng is no longer getting involved with them, unable to command any army, and can only wait quietly.

In this strange atmosphere, Zhao Ji orderly broke camp; during this time, when Cao Hong and Xiahou Yuan led their troops north and passed by Zhao Ji, both sides maintained great restraint.

When Zhao Ji crossed the Ying River, he encountered Chen Gong, who was leading his troops north. After maintaining a safe distance, they arrived one after the other.

Chen Gong's troops camped on the east bank of the Ying River, close to the Xutian residence; Zhao Ji went directly to Yingyin City.

His arrival prompted the Nanyang soldiers who were encamped at Yingyin City to voluntarily withdraw and retreat to the west of Yingyin City.

More than 100,000 troops from all sides gathered in Yingchuan, and Chen Xiang Luo Jun also joined more than 20,000 Chen soldiers, following behind Zhao Ji.

At this point, Zhao Ji was no longer in a hurry and declined the invitations from all sides upon arrival.

Staying one more day and eating more rice from Yingchuan means reducing the consumption of Taiyuan's grain reserves.

Zhao Ji camped there for three days, and only after the entire army had arrived and rested did he and Luo Jun travel by car to the south gate of Yingyin.

Before any negotiations take place, it is essential to first ascertain the positions and relationships of all parties involved.

Zhang Xiu dared not leave the city easily. He had to be on guard against all possible changes within the city. There were still more than 5,000 prisoners in the city, and he had to keep a close watch on them.

Zhang Xiu appeared at the South Gate, and Zhao Qi rode out in a carriage.

A cold wind blew through the curtains outside the south gate.

Zhao Ji and Luo Jun welcomed Zhao Qi into the tent. After Zhao Qi sat down, Zhao Ji cupped his hands and said, "If it weren't for Minister Tai Qing's heroic efforts to turn the tide, the Emperor would have been captured by Cao Cao. He has done me a great favor, so please accept my bow."

Luo Jun also bowed deeply with Zhao Ji, and Zhao Qi accepted the greeting calmly. After the two were seated, Zhao Qi spoke: "I don't know what Xun Wenruo is planning, but I dislike the fickle behavior of the officials in the court."

Observing Zhao Ji and Luo Jun's expressions, he asked, "Has the Attendant-in-Ordinary formed an alliance with the Prince of Chen?"

"Yes, the oath of Xinping is known throughout the army, and I will certainly fulfill it."

As Zhao Ji spoke, he looked at Luo Jun, who also cupped his hands in greeting: "This foreign subject has come to court on behalf of the King to decline the important position of Grand General."

The position of Grand General was meaningless to King Chen; it would only arouse the court's suspicion and make Lü Bu covet it.

Zhao Qi chuckled upon hearing this, "Prince Chen is indeed magnanimous; it's truly a pity."

Zhao Ji and Luo Jun also knew what he regretted: if the emperor died suddenly, then Prince Chen would be an excellent and wise ruler who would revive the Han Dynasty.

Zhao Qi then asked Zhao Ji, "Why has the Attendant-in-Ordinary closed his camp for three days?"

"I was waiting for Huan Dian to apologize, but I never expected that he would be so shameless and unrepentant."

Zhao Ji smiled and said, "By instigating and kidnapping the emperor to march south, we have delayed military operations. We could have annihilated Cao Cao in one battle. Now that the war has dragged on, who knows how many soldiers and civilians will die in vain. Such a crime is tantamount to colluding with a traitor. How can we let it go so easily?"

Zhao Qi wasn't surprised and pressed further, "Anything else?"

"There are many accomplices in this matter. I will interrogate them in detail when the Emperor is present later, so as not to wrong an innocent person."

Zhao Ji then asked, "What is General Zhang's attitude?"

Zhao Qi countered, "How does the Attendant intend to settle the people of Yong and Liang?"

In chaotic times, people's hearts are restless. We are merely going with the flow. How many of us can truly control our own destiny?

Zhao Ji composed himself and sighed deeply: "After eliminating the rebel leader, we should allow the people to recuperate and rebuild their lives. When the time is right, we should send troops to punish the northern barbarians. If the court can stabilize the Central Plains and the nation can be restored to peace for the people, I will be the pillar of the country in the north. If there is conflict in the Central Plains, I will personally lead my elite troops to protect the emperor and punish the disloyal."

Seeing that Zhao Ji had no intention of persecuting the Three Auxiliary Regions and Longxi, Zhao Qi had no choice but to believe him.

If he doesn't trust Zhao Ji, he'll trust Zhao Yan; he can't possibly trust Lü Bu.

If Lü Bu were to actually attack Yong and Liang, those in Yong and Liang who wanted to surrender would not dare to, and would only grit their teeth and resist, wasting precious human resources on meaningless regional conflicts. Zhao Qi's thoughts were slow, and his response was also slow: "Since the Attendant-in-Ordinary is trusted by the King of Chen, he should also be able to gain the trust of General Zhang. Later, the Attendant-in-Ordinary will dispatch three thousand soldiers. If General Zhang has no objections, he can enter the city to assist in the defense and take over the granaries."

"Yes, if General Zhang trusts me, I will not betray him."

Zhao Ji agreed and asked, "I've heard that some people in Nanyang have the intention to depose and install the empress?"

"They had made quite a show of force before, but after hearing of the great victory of the Chamberlain and Marquis Lü at Bian River, they lowered their flags and made no further such proposals."

Zhao Qi then asked, "What is your opinion on the matters of Nanyang and Jingzhou, Your Excellency?"

"I have no intention of getting involved in the disputes in the Central Plains, let alone in the distant Nanyang and Jingzhou."

Zhao Ji glanced at Luo Jun and said, "However, there are over 100,000 refugees in Nanyang who are living under the roof of others and are enslaved. After I settle the Three Auxiliary Regions, I will exempt them from corvée labor and taxes for three years to allow the people to recuperate. In Nanyang, we also need to issue strict orders to urge each family to release the enslaved people of the Three Auxiliary Regions so that they can return to their original homes and rebuild their families' livelihoods."

Zhao Qi nodded immediately. With all these actions, he had betrayed far more than just high-ranking officials.
The people of Nanyang were the ones who were most severely wronged by Zhao Qi, missing out on a golden opportunity.

What they were after was to rescue the people of Sanfu.

While enslaving the disaster victims of the Three Auxiliary Regions, the powerful clans of Nanyang also surrounded Zhao Qi, attempting to make him their spokesperson... Zhao Ji simply could not fathom the thinking of the powerful clans of Nanyang.

This idea isn't entirely absurd. People with prominent surnames are a group of people, and in their eyes, Zhao Qi is one of their own.

However, Zhao Qi's life experience has been overlooked. As one of the families that suffered the most during the Party Prohibitions, Zhao Qi was a completely different person from the existing major families.

If Zhang Xiu had not been short of troops, and if Zhang Xiu had been skilled in battle, Zhao Ji suspected that Zhao Qi would have dared to instigate Zhang Xiu to purge the powerful clans of Nanyang.

After all, the powerful families of Nanyang not only enslaved the disaster victims of the Three Auxiliary Regions, but these servants of the powerful families were not necessarily of one mind with their masters.

It was because he was worried that if the war did not go well, more people would die needlessly that Zhao Qi abandoned the idea of ​​armed massacre.

The goal is simply to keep the people of Nanyang here, making their schemes come to naught.

Zhao Qi thought for a moment and then asked, "In your opinion, who is suitable to serve as the governor of Nanyang?"

As for Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou, anyone who dares to propose summoning Liu Biao to the capital is Liu Biao's enemy.

Given Liu Biao's current state, he is unlikely to be recruited into the court. Instead, this would only provoke him to give up and go down a dead end.

If Liu Biao had declared himself king or emperor, he could have completely seized control of Jingchu as long as he could have weathered the initial turmoil.

However, Liu Biao was perhaps too old and lacked confidence, and the prominent families of Jingzhou also lacked confidence, so they did not follow Liu Biao on this path.

However, just like Liu Yan, Liu Biao's plan to become emperor was also thwarted when Liu Yan built the emperor's carriage, which was then set on fire by powerful clans in Yizhou. This forced Liu Yan to move his capital to Chengdu and suspend his plan to become emperor.

Liu Biao did the same, offering sacrifices to Heaven and Earth in the suburbs as if he were the emperor.

As a result, he immediately faced a collective condemnation from both local and visiting scholars in Jingzhou, forcing Liu Biao to suspend further attempts to probe the waters.

If we propose to summon Liu Biao to court, it would be tantamount to forcing Liu Biao to immediately declare himself king or emperor.

Being in the imperial court, one should naturally avoid declaring oneself king or emperor; as long as everyone remains under the same court, many things can be handled gradually.

If they are truly forced into rebellion, then the rebellion must be quelled immediately.

If left unchecked, it would be tantamount to encouraging others to declare themselves emperors. Eventually, every region would be filled with emperors and vassal kings, the authority of the imperial court would be greatly diminished, and it would lose all value and meaning.

How to deal with the Nanyang issue is the most important matter for the new dynasty.

Sending a powerful person would be tantamount to forcing Liu Biao to hasten his rebellion.

Zhao Ji had a plan in mind, so he said, "I have two candidates. The first is Chen Gui, the former chancellor of Pei State. If he is appointed to Nanyang, it will put the mind at ease in Jingzhou. The second is Li Tong. He has thousands of troops and is stationed between Ru and Ying. If he joins forces with Meng Hou, it will not be a blessing for the country."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qi thought for a moment and then said, "Divide Nanyang into two parts, with Chen Gui in charge of Nanyang, and give the newly separated prefecture to Li Tong."

Li Tong was not of high social standing, and his troops were mainly composed of people from his hometown. When he occupied the southwest of Runan, Li Tong was a powerful local tyrant who could easily mobilize more than 10,000 troops to fight.

If Li Tong were to migrate with his troops, many people would be reluctant to leave his homeland and would abandon him, reducing Li Tong's household to three to five thousand.

Given Li Tong's unorthodox methods, he might not be able to resist the high position of prefect.

Besides, being neighbors with Lü Bu and Yuan Shu in the Central Plains wouldn't be a good thing for Li Tong.

Seeing Zhao Ji nod, it was clear that Zhao Ji truly didn't care about Nanyang.

Zhao Qi then said, "Liu Biao is worried that the powerful families of Nanyang will become too powerful after annexing the disaster victims of the Three Auxiliary Regions. The court can issue an order together with Liu Biao to urge all families to release the men and women of the Three Auxiliary Regions. What about General Zhang?"

"There is a Duan Wei in Hongnong. I would like to ask General Zhang to temporarily serve as the Left Fengyi, and then be promoted to the position of Jingzhao Yin. In the future, he can serve as the Zhonglang General who is sent to the Xiongnu, so that he can stay away from the conflicts between the prefectures and counties."

Sending Zhang Xiu to the Three Auxiliary Regions for a while, and then having him guard the border, would naturally avoid many political dangers.

After spending time together, Zhao Qi also wanted to find a good path for Zhang Xiu.

After a moment's hesitation, Zhao Qi asked, "When will you be able to defeat Li Jue and Guo Si, Your Excellency?"

"Next year, I will take the heads of Li Jue and Guo Si and make them into wine vessels for your appreciation, Your Excellency."

Zhao Ji made a promise, even though those were two men who once held immense power.

Luo Jun listened with a sidelong glance, and Zhao Qi immediately declared, "In that case, I am willing to accompany the Attendant-in-Ordinary northward."

It wasn't that they were afraid of Zhao Ji purging the powerful clans of the Three Auxiliary Regions; the powerful clans of the Three Auxiliary Regions had already been severely weakened and were not worth Zhao Ji's attention, except for the Su clan.

“If you are willing, Minister Tai, I am willing to follow General Zhang’s example and appoint you as my military advisor.”

Zhao Ji solemnly cupped his hands in greeting. Zhao Qi was nearly ninety years old. Leading Zhao Qi to conquer Guanzhong would make it easier to gain the trust of the remaining scholars and military officers in the Three Auxiliary Regions and disintegrate the peripheral forces of Li Jue and Guo Si.

His current size is sufficient to accommodate these struggling scholars from Guanzhong.

(End of this chapter)