Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 188 I and the fifty million people of the Great Han await news of your meritorious deeds.

Unsurprisingly, all of this data was eventually published in the official gazette.

The Crown Prince personally wrote an article in the official gazette, representing the Emperor and the court, to extend sincere greetings to the soldiers on the front lines, and called on soldiers in all regions to learn from the soldiers on the front lines in Liangzhou, to continue to fight bravely for the Han Dynasty and the people, and to strive to become good soldiers who can win battles!

At the end of the article, the Crown Prince concluded with "I and the fifty million people of the Han Dynasty await news of your meritorious service," which greatly inspired the soldiers on the front lines.

"Your Highness, who are these soldiers?"

Chen Lin, who was in charge of editing the official gazette, was a little confused. Why call these soldiers "sons of soldiers"?
Liu Bian leaned against the jade armrest, glanced at Chen Lin, paused briefly, coughed lightly, and explained: "At present, the official gazette is only being tested in the Sanhe area. For the people of Sanhe, the good men of Sanhe are naturally their hometown soldiers."

"Besides, I am from Luoyang. How can these good men from Sanhe not be my hometown soldiers?"

Chen Lin really wanted to say that the bloodline of the Later Han imperial family was not passed down from Emperor Guangwu of the Southern Han Dynasty, a man from Nanyang.
Even tracing back to Emperor Taizu Gao, Your Highness, you are a native of Pei.

But looking at the smiling face on the Crown Prince's face, Chen Lin felt that if he really said that, he might be punished by the Crown Prince.

Therefore, Chen Lin said that Your Highness's calling these good men from Sanhe "sons of soldiers" would increase the soldiers' sense of identity and boost the morale of the soldiers at the front. These positive effects are exactly the original intention of issuing the official gazette!

Subsequently, the Crown Prince summoned the generals and soldiers who had previously quelled the rebellion in Taishan County. After several days of discussion, the Crown Prince, General Lu Zhi, the Grand Secretary, Liu Yan, the Minister of Works, and the Secretariat finally reached a consensus on the rewards and honors.

"General Wei Zhu Miao quelled the rebellion and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Sanhu Pavilion with a fief of one thousand households; Colonel Huang Zhong of the Archery School broke through enemy lines with extraordinary bravery and was appointed as General of the Army to Pacify the Rebellion with an additional fief of five hundred households."

"Military Commander Zhang He cleverly captured the bandit leader and was appointed as the Capture Commandant and granted the title of Grand Master of the Army; Military Commander Yan Liang was appointed as the Pacification Commandant and granted the title of Left Grand Master; Military Commander Wen Chou was appointed as the Expeditionary Commandant and granted the title of Left Grand Master."

There was almost no objection to the rewards given to Zhu Miao, Huang Zhong, Zhang He, Yan Liang, and Wen Chou. Granting Zhu Miao the title of Marquis after suppressing the rebellion was definitely not an indiscriminate bestowal.

Generals like Huang Zhong were also rewarded for their merits. If Zhang Ju, the leader of the rebels, hadn't been so insignificant, Zhang He might have been granted the title of Marquis of Guannei for his contributions.

However, Liu Bian had no motivation to drag Zhang Ju to the Imperial Ancestral Temple for a captive presentation ceremony, given his overconfidence. Instead, he had Zhang Ju torn apart by chariots and his entire clan, the Zhang family of Yuyang, executed outside the East Gate of Luoyang.

What truly caused the Crown Prince and several senior officials and the Ministry of Personnel to debate for many days was the proposed handling of Hu Wugao, who defected on the eve of battle, and Zang Ba, the bandit leader from Mount Tai who raised an army.

Liu Yan was very disgusted with people like Hu Wugao. Even if Hu Wugao spoke eloquently, saying things like he had endured humiliation and served the traitor, the old politicians who had become high-ranking officials were not fools. How could such rhetoric fool them?

This tactic was used before, switching from one faction to another. You, Hu Wugao, are just showing off your limited skills.

To put it bluntly, he was just a treacherous thief who, seeing things were going badly, switched sides to welcome the king's army.

The upright and outspoken Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Yang Xu, also supported Liu Yan's viewpoint, as did Liu Tao, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, who despised the traitors to the Han Dynasty. Only Lu Zhi, considering the Crown Prince's opinion, chose to remain neutral.

To be fair, he agreed with the views of Liu Yan, Liu Tao, and Yang Xu, but the Crown Prince believed that at a time when Bing and Liang provinces were in rebellion, the image of a righteous man who endured humiliation and served the rebels was extremely beneficial to the propaganda of the court's positive image.

Let the world see that it is not that our great Han Dynasty has lost the hearts of the people, but that true righteous men are enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens.

Our great Han dynasty bestows generous rewards upon righteous men!
Hu Wugao's title of Marquis within the Pass was no less than shouting through a megaphone, "If you surrender with respect and lay down your arms, you will still be granted the title of Marquis!"
Lu Zhi could understand his disciple's thoughts; given the current situation, it was indeed a brilliant move. However, he was always worried that some people would turn to banditry in order to become officials.

However, Lu Zhi also understood that his disciple, who was about to ascend the throne, was ultimately a ruler. Although he held opposing views in his heart, if the decision-making body collectively opposed him, the crown prince would lose face.

Lu Zhi ultimately proposed that Hu Wugao be granted the title of Marquis of Guannei, but without any official position, since the title of Marquis of Guannei sounded more tempting than an ordinary official position.

Moreover, the title of Marquis of Guannei cannot be inherited; at most, one can only endure the disgust and watch him dart around for ten or twenty years.

"The edict appoints Zang Ba, a righteous man from Mount Tai, as the Colonel of Loyalty and Righteousness, and grants him the title of Marquis within the Pass!" The edict showed great leniency towards Zang Ba and other former bandits, replacing the title "bandit of Mount Tai" with "righteous man of Mount Tai," which can be seen as an endorsement from the imperial court, whitewashing Zang Ba's past.

If Hu Wugao's conferment of a marquisate was an encouragement of internal division within the rebel army, then the conferment of the title of Marquis within the Pass to bandits like Zang Ba of Mount Tai was an encouragement to those with criminal records and unclean backgrounds to bravely join the Han Dynasty.

As long as you dare to rise up in rebellion against the rebels and restrain your troops from looting and obeying orders, the imperial court will not only forgive your past transgressions but also grant you a noble title!

Of course, if you disobey orders and plunder everywhere, then I'm sorry, you only get one chance to clean up your act. If you don't cherish it, someone else will have to risk your life to do so.

After finishing these complicated official duties, Liu Bian rubbed his aching temples, let out a long sigh, and prepared to enjoy a rare day off.

With frequent reports of victories from the front lines and the turmoil in the rear finally subsiding, morale in the government and the public was high, and the people were won over. Naturally, he could temporarily put aside his official duties and take a break.

It's impossible for the officials to have days off while he, the crown prince, has to stay in the crown prince's residence alone to handle state affairs.
In the undisturbed side hall, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. Liu Bian removed his crown and head, resting his head on the "zhishan" (a type of cushion) that exuded a captivating aroma. His eyes were slightly closed as he felt Liu Qing's jade-like fingers gently massaging his head. His expression relaxed, and he couldn't help but let out a contented groan.

"Lianyi's skills are still superb. I've been really exhausted these past few days."

Liu Qing smiled faintly, her fingertips moving even more gently, and said, "I am unable to share Your Highness's burdens, but I can only use this meager skill to relieve Your Highness's fatigue."

Feeling Liu Bian's growing affection and dependence on her, Liu Qing couldn't help but feel a little smug.

According to regulations, the crown prince has a separate sleeping quarters, and even if he is too tired to engage in sexual relations, he should still rest alone in his sleeping quarters.

But thanks to her superb skills, even though the prince was too tired to engage in sexual relations, he still stayed in her room every night.

Just as Liu Bian was immersed in comfort and enjoyment, Gao Wang tiptoed into the hall. He lowered his head, deliberately making his breathing soft, and slowly bowed, saying, "Your Highness, Minister of the Imperial Stud, Lord Zhang, requests an audience."

Liu Bian lazily half-opened his eyes and continued to rest his head on the lipstick. The two of them did not do anything indecent, and did not reveal anything that should not be revealed. Naturally, there was no need for them to avoid Gao Wang, the eunuch.

But Gao Wang kept his head down and his eyes lowered, not daring to even glance around casually.

However, Liu Bian was somewhat puzzled as to why Zhang Wen, the Minister of the Imperial Stud, had to bother him on his day off.

As he was pondering, Liu Qing gently nudged the Crown Prince, her movements soft yet firm, seemingly unmoved by his tenderness. She then skillfully combed his slightly disheveled hair, her fingertips occasionally brushing against his earlobe.

Liu Bian reluctantly got up from the comfortable, warm, and soft embrace. He felt a mix of resentment and relief at Liu Qing's understanding. He stretched his neck, listened to the cracking sound from his cervical bones, and asked Gao Wang, "Is it official business or personal?"

If it is for official business, Liu Qing should be asked to recuse himself.

If it's a private matter, it's fine for Liu Qing to stay by my side.

"Zhang Gong said that this matter is both a public and a private matter."

After speaking, Gao Wang gave the Crown Prince a knowing smile, and Liu Bian understood what Gao Wang meant.

Feeling the strength of the arms embracing his left arm increase slightly, and sinking into a soft embrace, Liu Bian turned his head slightly to look at Liu Qing, a knowing glint in his eyes, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

For a ruler, only family matters can be both public and private.

(End of this chapter)