Tiger Guards

Chapter 558 Hebei Envoy

The central area of ​​Xutian is a large, flat, square piece of land.

Here, the field roads are repaired more neatly, and the crisscrossing road network and irrigation canal network intertwine, dividing the land into long and neat plots.

The curved plow presented last year, after being replicated and localized by the Xudu craftsmen's workshop, is now being used to cultivate the land.

After some initial learning, almost everyone can hold a plow by themselves.

Liu Xie also set an example for his subjects by personally plowing a field.

Two experienced and strong warriors each pulled a bull, and the curved plow smoothly broke through the soil. Liu Xie hardly exerted any effort... He even had a terrifying feeling that the curved plow invented by Zhao Ji was very stable. Whether or not he, the emperor, was there to help, the curved plow could still move forward very steadily and break through the soil.

When the initial news of victory arrived, Liu Xie was overjoyed. Wars to conquer the various Hu tribes had always been unprofitable... except for the time when Wei Qing and Huo Qubing captured a large number of herds of beasts, which was the only time.

In most cases, the resources invested in war can only buy stability on the border for a period of time.

Let alone making money, even recouping the costs of the war... is extremely difficult.

As for Zhao Ji, the more he fought, the more substantial his resources became.

Only Zhao himself knew the cautious and restrained manner in which he carefully calculated every penny while his hands were on the abacus.

In the eyes of others, including the emperor, Zhao Ji was born to love war and killing; as long as he found a reason to wage war, he would start a war, and no matter how he fought, he could make money, so much so that people were envious to the point of being numb.

Logically speaking, after the war to protect the country and oppose Yuan Shikai, and after relocating so many people back to Xizhou, it would take at least a year to recuperate before launching a military campaign against the various Hu tribes as early as next autumn... This is already very fast.

However, after Zhao Ji withdrew his troops, he immediately launched a war against the Qiang people in the three northern prefectures. The Qiang people sought help from the Xianbei, and as a result, the Xianbei were dragged into the swamp of war.

The elite Xianbei royal court troops that were sent to reinforce the Qiang tribes and the elite Xianbei troops in the west were almost completely annihilated by Zhao Ji. The remaining task was to defeat and subdue the Xianbei tribes one by one.

It was only as this war neared its end that many Han and Hu heroes came to understand one thing.

That is, the Han army's deep penetration into the border to pursue the various Hu tribes was destined to be a time-consuming and costly endeavor that required twice the effort for half the result.

However, if the various barbarian tribes were as arrogant and conceited as the Xianbei, daring to cross thousands of miles to fight the Han army in the open field, it would be tantamount to courting death.

Based on this summary and understanding, the success of Zhao Ji's campaign against the Hu people was so remarkable that it inspired envy and jealousy.

Of course, in the long run, the fact that the Xianbei people's spine was broken by Zhao Ji in the battle will lead other resurgent Hu tribes to adopt a more conservative attitude towards the Han lands and Han warlords.

If any future leader of the grasslands, after unifying all the tribes, feels empty in life and wants to challenge the Han territory, then many tribal elders and meritorious officials will inevitably step forward and ask: How does he compare to the Xianbei of yesteryear?

Now, how to reward Zhao Ji has become an unavoidable problem for Liu Xie.

The whole world is watching; once a reward is bestowed, all previous restrictions will inevitably be broken.

The high-ranking officials remained silent. Even Kong Rong, who usually praised Zhao Ji, would not touch upon this sensitive and sharp issue at this time; even if asked, Kong Rong would not express his opinion.

Kong Rong held this view, and Liu Xie simply couldn't find anyone to help him share the burden of public opinion.

As Liu Xie pondered matters of state, he held onto the curved plow, his steps light and quick, as if he were being pulled along by the plow.

Before noon, when the warm February sun shone on his face, Liu Xie had already finished cultivating the land that he had expected to take a day to complete.

He came to the yellow-canopied cart on the other side of the field, took a sip of honey water from Shi Qian to moisten his throat, and looked around to see Fu Wan walking towards him with several other people.

Fu Wan lowered his head and walked slowly, perfectly avoiding Liu Xie's gaze, which Liu Xie interpreted as a rejection.

As time went on, Fu Wan grew increasingly eager for the marriage alliance with the Zhao family.

When it comes to testing Zhao Ji's bottom line, Fu Wan, out of the instinct of a semi-mature powerful minister, would accept and cooperate with others' suggestions and initiatives, but he would not take the initiative to contact or provoke Zhao Ji.

He was already a winner in life. Although his eldest son, whom he favored most, died unexpectedly, Fu De's title of Marquis of Ting was still passed down. Now, the Fu family has two marquises, making them one of the most prominent families of the time.

Once the marriage alliance with the Zhao family is successful and an heir is born, who would dare to provoke the Fu family?
Although some of the other sons are not very smart, as long as they can marry into other families and the other daughters can marry into the most outstanding people of the time, they can make up for the shortcomings of the Fu family and enhance the prestige of the Fu family.

In the distant future, given the foundation of the Fu family, many things that cannot be spoken of but can only be imagined may come to pass.

Based on Fu Wan's many years of life experience, how could someone as talented as Zhao Ji, who is skilled in both literature and martial arts, possibly produce an equally outstanding successor?

In particular, with the successive recapture of the three northern prefectures and the four Yunzhong prefectures, Fu Wan's confidence increased greatly, and he even dared to challenge Lü Bu.

In this situation, let alone ignoring the emperor's gaze, he would dare to publicly refute and refuse even if the emperor forced him to do something he didn't want to do. In Lü Bu's eyes, the emperor and the high officials were a gang, and even the vast majority of officials could be included.

But the emperor is the emperor, the eunuchs and attendants are one group, the court officials are another, the dukes and ministers are several groups, and the officials are even more fragmented because of their different regions, relatives, mentors and factions.

When Lü Bu appointed and promoted scholars, it felt like trying to find a grain of gold in muddy water... The chances of winning were very slim, but while large-scale promotions could increase the chances, they would also squeeze out the career paths of his old subordinates and officers.

If promoting reliable scholars is so difficult, it's even more difficult to select outstanding talents from among them and entrust them with important responsibilities.

Therefore, since taking power, Lü Bu has appeared to Zhao Ji in a sleepwalking state, as if he were overwhelmed by the sea of ​​scholars and felt lost and helpless.

The only good news is that Lü Bu is relatively more principled, and with vivid examples like Dong Zhuo and Li Guo, Lü Bu is like a tortoise, passive in everything he does and doesn't like to take the initiative to cause trouble.

Without the wise and slow-witted Chen Gong, Lü Bu appeared even more dull-witted.

The emperor previously favored Lü Bu, but now that he had to break through the restrictions to bestow titles upon Zhao Ji, Lü Bu's performance was too slow, which made the emperor even more uncomfortable.

When Liu Xie saw Fu Wan come to the front row, he smiled and asked when Fu Wan was beside him, "Where has the Imperial Father-in-Law gone?"

"Your Majesty, Governor Yuan Benchu ​​of Ji Province sent someone to visit my private residence. I dared not associate with officials outside the capital, so I refused to meet him. Unexpectedly, Yuan Benchu's messenger changed his clothes and disguised himself as a minor official, and came to Xutian. He stopped me and explained Yuan Benchu's request, thus delaying my journey. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

"Oh? The envoy is actually impersonating a minor official?"

Liu Xie became interested and asked, "Who is this person?"

"He himself is Feng Fu of Julu, courtesy name Zixian, a young man who has just reached adulthood. In my opinion, he has a heroic and imposing presence, quite similar to the Grand Marshal when we first met."

Fu Wan smiled as he recounted the story, his words revealing his high regard and admiration for Feng Fu.

It was after seeing Feng Fu that Fu Wan conceived the idea of ​​selecting a team of sons-in-law to become the strongest father-in-law.

As long as his sons-in-law are strong enough, his status as the mediator will naturally rise sharply; with his high status, his daughters' status will be guaranteed; with their status guaranteed, they will be united and able to deeply influence the decisions of those talented sons-in-law, as well as private family matters.

It can't be called a home invasion; it was just a normal choice for an old, prestigious family.

Sometimes, nobles and high-ranking officials like Fu Wan looked down on Zhao Ji's background because the Zhao family lacked resources and was easily exploited or ruined.

Lacking a sufficient number of loyal and long-standing protégés and subordinates, they were either usurped by powerful subordinates or by their trusted relatives.

Even now, most of the lower-level officials under Zhao Ji's rule don't really care who's in charge.

Liu Xie feigned interest and said, "Since he is a young hero from Hebei with some of the demeanor of a Grand Marshal... Since the Imperial Father-in-law says so, I shall see this man for myself."

"only."

Fu Wan bowed deeply with his hands clasped, then turned and whispered instructions to his subordinates, handing them a gold medal.

Without this gold medal, it would be difficult to bring someone before the emperor.

Even if the emperor were in the palace today, it would be difficult for Fu Wan to deliver a commoner, who was also Yuan Shao's envoy, to the emperor.

After Chen Gong's death, Lü Bu lacked a heavyweight to fill the vacant position of Grand Master of Ceremonies, so he had to appoint his cousin Wei Xu as General of the Imperial Guards.

Wei Xu's method of managing the palace gates was rather clumsy. He only restricted the original palace staff and officials from entering and leaving. Other unfamiliar faces who were not part of this system had to obtain a token or waist badge from General Lü Bu's headquarters.

Liu Xie's departure from the palace to oversee spring plowing was itself a rare opportunity for him to get some fresh air.

Now that this opportunity is even more precious, I must at least meet Yuan Shao's envoy.

Perhaps we can find a way to resolve the issue of Zhao Jigong's difficulty in being granted a title through Yuan Shao.

If the court had been strong in the past, Zhao Ji probably wouldn't have done something that put the court in such a difficult position.

Even if Zhao Ji is young and naive, all parties in the court and the public will unite to resolve this problem.

The imperial court is only so big, and suppressing a junior like Zhao Ji... is a consensus among all parties.

The reason the country is in such chaos is that the Yuan brothers were not properly suppressed back then.

(End of this chapter)