Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 262 Liu Bian: If we don't listen to you, will the Han Dynasty perish?!
The affairs of the Wei family of Hedong did not hold much weight in Liu Bian's mind.

He simply mobilized two thousand full-time soldiers from the Zhonglei Battalion to maintain order for his former retainers from the Prince's residence and kill some corrupt clan elders along the way; it wasn't worth his time or effort.

As for whether the two thousand soldiers of the Central Base Battalion can hold the line?
The central army was only rebuilt, not abolished. With Liu Dai, the governor of Hedong, in charge, even if the Wei clan of Hedong rebelled, they wouldn't be able to stir up any trouble.

What would be a catastrophe for ordinary people was merely a minor matter that Emperor Liu Bian would casually inquire about.

What truly troubled Liu Bian was the distribution of rewards to the generals of Youzhou.

With the report verifying the battle results arriving in Luoyang, Liu Bian should also issue his decree to reward the generals of Youzhou.

The others didn't have much to worry about. Killing the Xianbei leader He Lian amidst the enemy ranks, even though He Lian was a Xianbei leader in name only, had a different symbolic meaning. It was a way to reverse the weak position of the three-pronged attack on the Xianbei back then.

Therefore, Liu Bian prepared to issue an edict to increase his fief to one thousand households and promote him to Marquis of Gengxiang.

Gengxiang was a township under the jurisdiction of Anyi, the capital of Hedong Commandery. To bestow such an honor upon Guan Yu, a native of Hedong Commandery, was a great honor.

As for the Commandant of the Danhan, Xianyu Fu, Guan Yu petitioned for merit on his behalf, believing that if Xianyu Fu had not attracted the attention of the Xianbei army, he might not have been able to break into the Xianbei central army so smoothly.

Xianyu Fu was indeed quite decisive. Even if Guan Yu hadn't launched a surprise attack at that moment, Xianyu Fu's methods would have easily dampened the Xianbei's morale and allowed them to hold their ground until reinforcements arrived.

Liu Bian also took Xianyu Fu, a man from Youzhou, as a role model to encourage other people from Youzhou to join the army, and at the same time further reversed the Han people's fear and weakness towards the Xianbei.

There was no other way. The fact that the three Han armies were wiped out before they even saw Tan Shihuai was a devastating blow to the soldiers and civilians in the border region. So even though Xianyu Fu's merits were not enough to warrant a heavy reward, he, like Zang Ba, Sun Guan, and other bandits from Mount Tai, had stumbled upon a good time.

Therefore, Xianyu Fu, who was originally the fourth-rank official without change of title, has now been promoted to the eighth rank, becoming the twelfth-rank official with change of title!
The remaining officials under the General of Anbei, Cao Hong, Yue Jin, and Yu Jin, as well as Xiahou Dun, the Prefect of Shanggu Commandery, and Wang Ze, the Prefect of Dai Commandery, were each promoted four ranks in rank. Meritorious generals and soldiers such as Taishi Ci, Wen Ji, and Shi Huan were each promoted two ranks in rank.

What left Liu Bian unsure of how to best reward him was Cao Cao.

Cao Cao himself only held the rank of fifth-class Grand Master, which was an award given to him when he quelled the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Qingzhou. His rewards were mainly focused on official positions rather than noble titles.

Cao Cao didn't care about this.

He was Cao Song's eldest son. Last year, Cao Song was granted the title of Marquis of Pingluo Township, with a fief of one thousand households. Moreover, Pingluo Township was located near Mengjin, the capital of Henan Yin, which was an extremely prestigious honor.

When Cao Song passed away, the title of Marquis of Pingluo was naturally inherited by Cao Cao.

He was not only a former official of Cao Cao's former residence, but also the eldest son of the Cao family and the most talented among them. The emperor had no reason not to allow Cao Cao to inherit the title.

Now that Cao Cao's official rank can no longer be promoted, the only reward he can receive this time is a noble title. However, if Cao Cao were to inherit Cao Song's title in the future, there might be no more titles to bestow.

Liu Bian was very optimistic about Cao Cao's future prospects. In terms of comprehensive abilities, Cao Cao was definitely the most outstanding among them, and he would be the one to replace Lu Zhi as the head of all officials in the future.

The position of Chancellor could not be reinstated, but Cao Cao was able to obtain a "Han Chancellor" position that was nominal but not actual, like Lu Zhi.

After Cao Cao, another "Han Chancellor" will take over.

However, it was precisely because they had too much confidence in Cao Cao that they worried about the possibility of not being able to appoint anyone to a higher position in the future.

Speaking of which, just a few days ago he was discussing with several attendants and palace attendants the matter of granting Cao Song a fief. Cao Song's performance as Grand Minister of Agriculture since last year has been outstanding, and his noticeably thinner figure is hard to ignore.

Now things are really messed up for him, and he doesn't know how to reward him.

"Enough, how can I be left to worry alone?" Rubbing his head, Liu Bian decided to spread his troubles elsewhere, and called out, "A-Wang, go and summon the Grand Minister of Agriculture to the palace!"

As the emperor, I certainly have to worry about my beloved ministers, but you, Cao Jugao, as their father, can't escape either!
However, before Gao Wang could personally go and summon Cao Song, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, he heard a report from a eunuch that Liu Yan, the Minister of Works, Cui Lie, the Minister of Justice, and the three Grand Masters of Ceremonies, Ma Ridi, Liu Kuan, and Zhou Yi, requested to enter the palace to pay homage to the Emperor.

Upon hearing that these five people were requesting an audience, Liu Bian could roughly guess what it was all about.

Upon hearing Liu Kuan's name, Liu Bian's previously calm brows furrowed instantly. He slammed the memorial in his hand onto the table with a dull thud, drawing the attention of the court officials. Liu Bian, his face displeased, asked, "What exactly are these people trying to do? And why are they dragging Wen Rao Gong into this?"

Wenrao is Liu Kuan's courtesy name. During the Lunar New Year this year, Liu Kuan's health deteriorated further.

Liu Kuan suffered from abdominal pain. Zhang Ji, the Imperial Physician, examined Liu Kuan and suspected that Liu Kuan had a tumor in his abdomen, but said he was powerless to help.

A tumor is a mass formed by the flow of blood.

In the past two years, Liu Kuan's abdominal pain has gradually worsened, and at the beginning of this year, he even occasionally vomited blood and had bloody stools.

This is also why Liu Bian did not promote Liu Kuan or give him more responsibilities after ascending the throne.

Since the beginning of spring, Liu Kuan's illness has worsened. He feels a burning pain in his abdomen every day and survives on rice gruel. Liu Kuan's son, Liu Song, has already begun preparing for Liu Kuan's funeral.

Many scholars in the capital were also saddened by this. First, the old Grand Commandant Yang Ci was terminally ill, and then Liu Kuan, a renowned scholar, was nearing the end of his life. The ministers who were contemporaries of these people were also growing old, and perhaps in a couple of days another familiar colleague would fall ill.

Liu Kuan served as Grand Commandant twice and one of the Nine Ministers five times. He was always kind to people and never got angry with his colleagues or subordinates. He was also known for his lenient governance.

His wife was curious about what would make Liu Kuan angry. One morning, when he was changing clothes before the morning court session, Liu Kuan ordered a maid to bring in a meat soup and deliberately spilled the soup, staining his court robes.

Liu Kuan did not get angry, but instead asked the maid with concern whether she had burned her hand.

Liu Bian was also somewhat saddened. Although he had clashed with Liu Kuan in the past, it was only to consolidate his authority at that time. Seeing such a virtuous and talented senior official of the imperial clan about to pass away, he ultimately felt regretful.

Liu Bian never expected that the person who came to offer advice today would also involve Liu Kuan, an old minister who was seriously ill.

Before long, with Gao Wang's introduction, the two Grand Dukes and the three Grand Masters of Ceremonies entered the Hall of Joyful Success, paid their respects to the Emperor, and were granted seats.

Liu Bian also had a stern face and was very impolite, saying, "There must be a lot of business at the Ministry of Personnel today. If there's nothing important, you should go back. Don't make a fool of yourself."

He knew that these five people had come here to discuss something with him, nothing more than Gao Wang's ennoblement.

After the previous fire at Yuntai Pavilion, Gao Wang and Dian Wei's merit in saving the emperor naturally deserves a reward.

Throughout history, no one has ever performed the greatest feat than saving their lord!
Dian Wei was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Fanyang, with a fief of five hundred households.

Fanyang Pavilion is located outside the west gate of Luoyang. Since Dian Wei was already a Marquis within the Pass and also a General of the Left Martial Guard Camp, it would not have been a problem for him to be promoted one rank and granted a fief of 500 households as a pavilion marquis.

This did not provoke much opposition in the court. After all, he was the emperor's favorite general and the Left General of the Left Guard Battalion. Moreover, Dian Wei was originally a Marquis of Guannei, and this was just a promotion of one rank.

When the fire broke out, Gao Wang was the first to react, carrying Liu Bian on his back and running outside, which can be considered a major contribution.

Moreover, considering that Gao Wang has been with him since he was still in the Taoist temple, Liu Bian felt that bestowing upon him the title of county marquis was not an exaggeration.

Of course, becoming a county marquis was his ideal goal. He knew that there would be no shortage of opponents, so he had to raise the upper limit in order to achieve a result that was at least higher than the lower limit he thought he had in his power struggle with the court officials.

As expected, the court showed strong resistance to Gao Wang being granted the title of county marquis. Perhaps they were suffering from PTSD from a certain incompetent emperor. Many people were worried that Gao Wang, the former Ten Attendants, would become an even more wicked eunuch than Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong!

Yes, even though Gao Wang is currently regarded as a virtuous eunuch, opposing eunuchs is the politically correct stance of the Han Dynasty.

In the eyes of scholars, no matter how generous their rewards, they would still remember loyalty, filial piety, and propriety. But eunuchs would only covet more rewards and seek more gold, silver, and jewels, ultimately becoming a scourge to the world!

As for the statement made by the emperor when he was still the crown prince at the beginning of his regency that he would prohibit eunuchs from interfering in politics and from indiscriminately appointing eunuchs and relatives of the empress... Liu Bian said, "When did I ever say that!"

The emperor never said that!
That's what the Crown Prince said. Go find the Crown Prince to fulfill his promise, why are you coming to me!

Hearing the emperor act shamelessly, Liu Kuan coughed and also acted shamelessly. He bypassed the two Grand Ministers, Liu Yan and Cui Lie, and refused the emperor's "good intentions." He stubbornly said, "The matter of granting Gao Changshi the title of Marquis of County has caused too much controversy in the court and among the people. I beg the country to rescind the decree."

Seeing Liu Kuan, who remained so defiant even in his terminal illness, Liu Bian was somewhat helpless and said, "Lord Wenrao, why are you so insistent? Does the merit of saving the emperor not even deserve a county marquis title?" Liu Kuan still refused to back down, and even though his face was pale, he insisted, "Merit can be rewarded with gold, silver, and jewels, but the matter of bestowing titles upon eunuchs will only encourage greed, and this is very inappropriate!"

Listening to Liu Kuan cite numerous examples of the greed of eunuchs, first the "Five Marquises" of Emperor Xiaohuan, and then the "Ten Attendants" of Liu Hong, Liu Bian was somewhat annoyed by it. Liu Yan, Zhou Yi, and Ma Ridi, who were standing nearby, also advised Liu Bian to retract his order and become a wise ruler.

Eunuchs were nothing more than the emperor's lackeys. As some insightful people in history have said, eunuchs could be arrested by two or three jailers as long as the authorities announced their crimes.

"If I don't reward those who have rendered meritorious service, does that make me a wise ruler? If I don't reward you scholars for your meritorious service, am I a foolish ruler? If I don't reward eunuchs for their meritorious service, am I a wise ruler? Are you scholars the only good people? Wang Mang was both a relative of the empress and a scholar, so how did he become a usurper?"

Liu Bian also lost his temper, pointing at the group and saying, "Has Wang Mang never read the Book of Poetry, the Book of Documents, or the Book of Rites? Doesn't he know loyalty to the emperor and love for his country? Doesn't he know propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame? Does being a scholar make one superior to a eunuch?"

"How many scholars have usurped the throne, and how many eunuchs have usurped the throne?" Liu Kuan rarely lost his temper, but when he did, Ma Ridi couldn't stop him. The two Grand Ministers beside him were also astonished as they watched Liu Kuan, who was challenging the emperor, but Liu Kuan continued, "Qin had Zhao Gao, and our Han Dynasty had five marquises and ten attendants, but there was only one scholar who usurped the throne, Wang Mang."

Liu Kuan coughed violently. Zhou Yi patted his back to help him catch his breath. After a long while, he said, "The indiscriminate bestowal of titles by eunuchs will surely lead to disaster, just like the eunuch chaos during the reigns of Emperor Xiaohuan and the Retired Emperor. It may even lead to another outbreak of the partisan purge, losing the hearts of scholars across the land."

Liu Bian was so angry he laughed. The reward for saving the emperor could be considered an indiscriminate bestowal. My "worthless life" is not even enough to be granted the title of a marquis?
He pointed at Liu Kuan and sneered, "Does Lord Wenrao want to challenge me?"

"Your subject dares not, but I know that 'a family with a remonstrating son will not ruin the family; a country with a remonstrating minister will not perish'!" Liu Kuan's face flushed red, clearly displaying the stubbornness of a mule, determined to argue with the emperor on this ideological issue.

"Oh ho, if we don't listen to you, the Han Dynasty will perish?"

"If the emperor favors eunuchs like this... it's hard to say!"

"Lord Wenrao, please wait. Why have you come to this?"

Liu Yan quickly stepped forward to interrupt Liu Kuan, as the topic had escalated too quickly.

He only intended to persuade the emperor to abandon the plan to grant Gao Wang the title of county marquis. He could help appease the officials and get them to accept that Gao Wang would be granted the title of pavilion marquis with five hundred households.

If all else fails, he'll become a village lord; his bottom line is a village lord with a fief of a thousand households.

How could Liu Kuan have forgotten his original purpose and insisted on arguing with the emperor about the political correctness of these eunuchs and scholars?

"You shut up too."

Liu Kuan showed no respect to Liu Yan, the Minister of Works. "I have served as Grand Commandant twice as one of the Three Dukes. What is Minister of Works?"
Besides, I'm an old man who's about to die, what's there to be afraid of!

Seeing that Liu Kuan was clearly ready to launch a tirade without distinguishing friend from foe, Liu Bian decided not to give this elder of the imperial clan any face. He stood up, walked up to Liu Kuan, looked down at him, and said, "In the past, Liang Ji was arrogant and poisoned Emperor Xiaozhi. Yet you, Liu Wenrao, accepted Liang Ji's invitation and was promoted five times before becoming his Chief Secretary to the Minister of Works. Don't think that I really don't know about your sordid deeds!"

"Liang Ji is dead, yet you all call yourselves loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty, claiming to have endured humiliation and waited for the right time. You turned a blind eye when Emperor Xiaozhi was poisoned. You are truly loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty!"

"It was the five marquises who served Emperor Huan who killed the traitor, not you scholars!"

"Those who attempt to usurp power are not limited to Wang Mang and Liang Ji. The Yuan family of Runan, with four generations of high-ranking officials, also harbored rebellious intentions. Gao Wang, on the other hand, has never made a mistake or been corrupt since he began serving me, yet you all say he will be corrupt in the future. If I were to say that you will definitely be corrupt tomorrow, I would imprison you all in the Court of Justice today. Would that be acceptable?"

The group looked at the emperor in astonishment, clearly intimidated by his words, but Liu Bian was unwilling to waste his energy on this matter.

Perhaps it was because Liu Bian was far more restrained in his personal desires than that incompetent ruler, not building palaces and keeping only a few concubines in his harem. In matters other than state affairs, Liu Bian was so easy to talk to that the court officials were almost "relentless" in their advice on this matter, and many even tried to use this incident to make a name for themselves!

Look, I am not afraid of the emperor's rebuke, and I persuade the emperor not to enfeoff eunuchs as marquises. How upright and honest I am, and how unafraid of power!

Even these high-ranking officials, though not thinking of using the emperor to gain fame, felt that the emperor would not be too stubborn on this matter.

This is what infuriated Liu Bian the most.

Good people have to be held at gunpoint?

"I'm telling you, my bottom line is a thousand-household marquis. You have to accept it today, whether you like it or not!" Liu Bian unfolded a blank edict, picked up his brush and wrote a decree of investiture, filled in the date, and without caring about the expressions of the crowd, he directly affixed his seal and handed the edict to Lü Qiang, saying sternly, "Issue it to me immediately. Anyone who dares to disobey will be executed without mercy!"

Liu Bian bluntly stated that he had to deal with government affairs and did not have the leisure to meddle in other people's business, and immediately "invited" the five people to leave.

When Liu Bian's edict was issued, unsurprisingly, the officials were in an uproar.

Gao Wang was from the Jingzhao Yin region, so Liu Bian chose Jianzhang Township as his fief, with a fief of one thousand households.

At first glance, Jianzhang Township was just a township under the jurisdiction of Chang'an, but the name sounded so familiar. Then a court official realized that the predecessor of the Imperial Guard was called Jianzhang Camp.

Jianzhang Township is the site of the Jianzhang Palace, which was destroyed by the Red Eyebrow Army!

After Jianzhang Palace was destroyed by the Red Eyebrow Army, it was not rebuilt because the Later Han Dynasty established its capital in Luoyang. Instead, the land was given to the people to cultivate.

Such a fiefdom was actually granted to a mere eunuch!
More people submitted memorials to offer advice, but Liu Bian declared, "I also have a temper!"

When people are busy with government affairs for a long time, they become more and more irritable and inevitably develop some rebellious feelings.

The more I'm forbidden to do something, the more I want to do it!
Looking at the boxes of impeachment memorials brought by several eunuchs, Gao Wang smiled bitterly and said, "The country is not worth clashing with all the officials for the sake of one servant."

Just now, when Liu Bian was discussing with the others, he felt helpless, unsure whether to stay or leave.

It's impossible not to feel resentful when someone insults a Taoist priest in front of him and opposes his own appointment as a marquis.

Gao Wang felt that the emperor should not clash with his officials for the sake of his marquisate, believing that the disadvantages outweighed the advantages and it was not worth it. However, Liu Bian did not think so.

Liu Bian was also a human being; no one could ignore a eunuch who had taken care of them for ten years.

If we only consider right and wrong, and value, then life would be too stifling.

There are always some things that an emperor shouldn't or shouldn't do, but that a person or a friend should do.

He didn't want to be all alone.

"Fool, do you think I'm doing this for you?"

Liu Bian turned his head away and scolded irritably, "This matter is no longer an ordinary struggle for titles and honors. This is a challenge to my imperial authority by scholars. Otherwise, do you think I would fight with all the officials for your sake? You're dreaming in broad daylight!"

Gao Wang smiled but remained silent.

In fact, he didn't care about the title of marquis.

Given the long-standing friendship between him and the emperor, and the emperor's sentimental nature, he would inevitably be buried in the imperial mausoleum after his death, and he would certainly pass away before the emperor.

Once he dies, no one will object to the emperor posthumously granting him the title of county marquis.

Moreover, he adopted a son from his clan. This son is sixteen years old this year and is studying incognito at the Imperial Academy. He can also inherit his title. Even if this son is just mediocre, there is no need to worry about his future.

Of course, he wasn't exactly good-tempered, nor had he truly overcome his selfish desires.

However, at one point, while reading a chapter of the Tao Te Ching, he came across a sentence that greatly benefited him.

It is because he does not contend that no one in the world can contend with him!
(5344 words)
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P.S.: Hey, let's have hot pot tonight!

So I'm in a particularly good mood, so I'll add another 1300 words.

Dear readers, please give me some extra monthly votes in recognition of the extra 1300 words I've added!
(End of this chapter)