Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 265 The Twelve Swords of Hanxing! (6K views, please vote!)
Liu Bian ultimately did not summon only Dong Zhuo, after all, the Black Mountain bandits had become a major threat that the court had to eradicate as soon as possible after this battle.

He then dispatched Lü Qiang, Zhao You, and other eunuchs to summon Grand Tutor Lu Zhi, Minister of Works Liu Yan, Minister of Agriculture Cui Lie, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat Liu Tao, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat Yang Xu, General of the Rear Huangfu Song, General of the Left Dong Zhuo, and all officers and above of the Central Army to gather in the Lecheng Hall for a meeting.

"Paying homage to the nation."

A group of high-ranking officials filed in and took their seats in the Hall of Joyful Success.

On the way here, they had already learned of the absurd defeat of Zhang Yan, the governor of Ji Province, from a group of eunuchs.

After all, it wasn't a formal court assembly; it was just the emperor summoning a group of important officials to discuss matters privately, so there wasn't much concern about the order of events.

Therefore, Situ Liu Yan could not hold back and took the initiative to attack Zhang Yan. His brows were furrowed, and his tone was filled with undisguised disappointment and anger. He said, "How many days has the court been at peace? First there was the hail disaster, then the locust plague. Natural disasters are unavoidable, but this man-made disaster... Zhang Yan is truly utterly incompetent!"

This time, it wasn't that Liu Yan was deliberately trying to make his presence known, but rather that he genuinely felt deep dissatisfaction with Zhang Yan.

Six years ago, he himself served as the governor of Ji Province!
The previous governor of Ji Province was Lu Zhi, the one before that was Gongsun Du, the current governor of Xuantu Commandery, and the one before that was him!

Although the governor of a prefecture at that time only had a salary of 600 shi (a unit of grain), and his main function was supervision with little political power and no military power, Liu Yan was able to rise through the ranks to become the governor of Nanyang, the minister of the Imperial Clan Court, the minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and finally the minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and his current position as Minister of Works, precisely because of his achievements in Ji Province.

Older people tend to be nostalgic.

This land of Jizhou was imbued with his hard work and dedication. Witnessing his successor's absurdity and incompetence, he felt a deep sense of resentment and even addressed Zhang Yan by his full name instead of his courtesy name, making no attempt to conceal his contempt and humiliation.

However, there was someone in the hall who was even angrier than Liu Yan. Cui Lie, the Minister of Works, was even more furious than Liu Yan.

Cui Lie's face was ashen, his eyes flashed with a chilling light, and his voice trembled slightly as he suppressed his anger. He roared, "What Lord Situ said is absolutely right! This man has caused the loss of our army and disgraced our country. According to the law, he should be executed!"

Cui Lie was from Jizhou, and his hometown, Boling County, was also plundered by the Black Mountain bandits!

What pained him even more was that his youngest son, Cui Jun (also known as Cui Zhouping), was currently serving as a clerk in the governor's office of Jizhou.

Cui Lie originally wanted to ask Wang Lang to do him a favor and recommend Cui Jun for official service.

However, Cui Jun believed that he should first accumulate practical experience, and Cui Lie agreed with Cui Jun's idea.

After all, the eldest son, Cui Jun, is now in the hands of Prince Liu Chong of Chen, who may rebel at any time. Although the emperor has arranged for several highly skilled Embroidered Uniform Guards to protect him, no one can say for sure whether Cui Jun will be able to get out alive. Cui Lie has already prepared himself for the possibility that his eldest son will die for his country.

If Cui Jun were to tragically die for his country, Cui Jun would be his only son.

He only wished for his youngest son's safety and not for fame or fortune, so he arranged for him to serve as a clerk in the governor's office of Ji Province, in charge of the money and grain registers.

Unexpectedly, during this campaign against the Black Mountain bandits, Cui Jun was in charge of supervising the transport of grain and fodder for Zhang Yan when he was ambushed by the Black Mountain bandits and was hit by two swords and an arrow!
If it weren't for the guards arranged by Cui Lie risking their lives to save him, Cui Jun would have already perished.

Even so, letters from Cui Jun's clansmen indicated that although the arrows and blades were not poisoned, Cui Jun remained unconscious and was still in danger.

Cui Lie naturally understood why he had fainted after being wounded by weapons.

But he had no good remedy. Cui Lie knew all too well how many prisoners in the Court of Justice died from wound infections every day, and how many people in the border counties of the Han Dynasty died from wound infections every year.

In other words, this man, the foremost scholar of Hebei and one of the three highest officials of the court, might be rendered childless because of Zhang Yan's foolishness!
For a prestigious family like the Cui clan of Boling, to cause someone to be childless and without descendants is an irreconcilable enmity!

If it were truly just a normal battle where Cui Jun fought valiantly but was defeated, leading to his misfortune, then Cui Lie would only hate the Black Mountain bandit Zhang Yan.

However, everyone opposed pursuing the enemy deep into the Taihang Mountains. Even he, who was unfamiliar with military affairs, knew that in this situation, one should not pursue a desperate enemy.

But Zhang Yan, that fool, actually went deep into the Taihang Mountains to pursue his own career, putting his youngest son, who might become his only son, to death.

How could Cui Lie not hate Zhang Yan?

As the former Minister of Justice, Cui Lie was well-versed in the laws of the land, and according to the law, Zhang Yan's execution was inevitable!
"I deeply resent Zhang Yan. I thought that if I entrusted Ji Province to Zhang Yan, he would at least not quell the Black Mountain bandits, but he has truly opened my eyes. I trusted the wrong person!"

Liu Bian's tone was also full of disgust as he said viciously, "I want to dismiss him, put him in a cage and send him back to Luoyang, where he will be executed in the autumn!"

No one objected to the emperor's decision.

Zhang Yan had earned the emperor's wrath, and no one had any goodwill towards such an incompetent person.

The only thing that could warrant pleading for his life was his status as a descendant of the Marquis of Liu.

But he wasn't the only one after Marquis Liu!
Zhang Yan was merely a descendant of the Marquis of Liu from the Henan branch. Zhang Daoling, who founded the Five Pecks of Rice sect in Shu, was an eighth-generation descendant of the Marquis of Liu, a lineage even Emperor Xiaohe recognized!

Two years ago, Zhang Lu, who succeeded as the Celestial Master of the Five Pecks of Rice sect at the age of twenty, led the followers of the Five Pecks of Rice sect to participate in the war to quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion led by Zhao Ang, the governor of Yizhou, with the assistance of his mother. Did Marquis Liu really need an incompetent collateral descendant like Zhang Yan to carry on his bloodline?

After deciding on Zhang Yan's fate, the topic naturally shifted to the Black Mountain bandits.

Minister of the Imperial Secretariat Yang Xu frowned slightly. He understood that the Emperor was determined to eradicate the Black Mountain bandits, but the imperial court would incur enormous costs by mobilizing troops. Nevertheless, Yang Xu carefully considered his words and advised, "The nation, the Han Dynasty, needs time to recuperate. I believe it is not advisable to wage war for the time being. Perhaps... we could first offer amnesty?"

When dealing with banditry, let alone the Song Dynasty, which was not a unified empire, even the powerful Han and Tang dynasties, which were known for their martial prowess, often chose to offer amnesty.

It wasn't that the imperial court feared the strength of these mountain bandits, but rather that the losses outweighed the gains.

To quell the more than one hundred bandits, the imperial court would need to mobilize at least two hundred men, expend considerable resources, and risk casualties.

If the bandits hold their positions in strategic locations, it will take several times the number of troops to surround them, cut off their external support and supply lines, and cut off their water supply. Only when their morale is low should the attack be launched.

However, how can the Taihang Mountains, which stretch for thousands of miles, be contained?

Even if it's just about controlling a few main downhill routes, it would take an army of 100,000 to accomplish this.

In the event of a strategic decisive battle like the suppression of the Qiang and Hu rebellion in Liangzhou, recruiting 100,000 men would not be a problem.

However, such a siege of the Black Mountain bandits would require years of continuous siege, with 100,000 troops stationed for at least a year. Not only would the military expenditure be enormous, but it would also require 100,000 able-bodied men to farm, triggering a series of chain problems.

Liu Bian would never take such a risk, especially since the potential dangers of surrendering to the emperor were even greater.

Liu Bian turned his gaze to Yang Xu and gave a clear answer of refusal, saying decisively: "Unless all the Black Mountain bandits come down from the mountain and become good citizens, I will never allow them to be granted amnesty!"

"The Taihang Mountains, stretching for thousands of miles, can threaten the Governor of Henan. How can I allow the capital to be under the blade of bandits?"

Liu Bian slowly rose, holding a wooden stick, and pointed to the giant map prepared behind him, drawing several routes for the army to advance north. A palace attendant then marked the routes drawn by the emperor's stick with vermilion ink, and said in a deep voice, "Moreover, you all know that the court will launch a northern expedition against the Xianbei in five years. At that time, whether the army marches out of Bingzhou or Youzhou, the supplies will inevitably pass through the area plundered by the Black Mountain bandits. If military supplies are lost, it will be a catastrophic disaster for hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the front lines!"

As the emperor, how could he not wish to be remembered in history?
Reviving the Han Dynasty is an opportunity to make a name for oneself, but merely restoring national strength is not enough.

I want to make Han civilization transcend the barriers of the Great Wall!
But on this road, what blocked his way was not only a large number of Hu people, but also a group of weak but disgusting Black Mountain bandits, which Liu Bian could not tolerate!
Looking at the spirited emperor, Lu Zhi was deeply pleased with his disciple's ambition. He nodded in agreement and said, "The nation is wise. In my opinion, Zhang Yan will never accept such terms of amnesty. There is no need to send an envoy and risk his life."

Well, it's a perfectly legitimate matter. Why should suppressing bandits require wasting the lives of Han envoys?
Huangfu Song did not interrupt, but frowned, reviewing Zhang Yan's battle in his mind. He made no attempt to hide his contempt for Zhang Yan and cupped his hands, saying, "My country, my reputation should still have some effect in Ji Province. Why don't I go to Ji Province to take charge? At least I won't let the bandits be so arrogant anymore."

Huangfu Song's name naturally carried weight in Ji Province.

After all, Huangfu Song was the greatest contributor to the suppression of the Yellow Turban Rebellion and ultimately the annihilation of the Zhang brothers in the heart of Taiping Road in Ji Province!

With Huangfu Song's reputation, he could command respect wherever he went, not just in Jizhou.

“General of the Rear is a foremost general of the Han Dynasty, but Lu Shi has been busy with political affairs lately. It is still necessary for General of the Rear to take charge of the central army and continue to be in charge of its training.” Liu Bian raised his hand in a gesture of refusal, not granting Huangfu Song’s request to go to war. He then looked at Dong Zhuo with a sharp gaze and said, “Zhongying! As for the Black Mountain bandits, I don’t care what means you use, you must resolve this matter for me!”

Liu Bian had his reasons for refusing Huangfu Song.

Firstly, using Huangfu Song, a top general of the Han Dynasty, to suppress the Black Mountain bandits would make the court seem too insecure. It would give people the impression that the Han Dynasty could only rely on Huangfu Song to deal with the Black Mountain bandits, as if the Han Dynasty had no one else who could lead the army.

Secondly, Huangfu Song is already fifty-four years old this year. It is not appropriate to let him work hard on the battlefield for two consecutive years. It may damage his vitality. He will still need to contribute to the future Northern Expedition against the Xianbei.

Thirdly, Liu Bian felt that Huangfu Song was not radical enough and worried that his handling of the Black Mountain bandits was too conservative.

Mountain bandits must be eradicated at any time!
However, Huangfu Song was sometimes too indecisive and inevitably had a bit of womanly compassion, so Liu Bian chose to send Dong Zhuo.

Hmm... If Liu Bian's assessment of Huangfu Song as "womanly benevolence" were heard by the powerful clans of Liangzhou and the Qiang and Hu tribes, they might not be able to resist cursing.

Who is being so kind-hearted?
Huangfu Song?
Who built seven or eight mounds of Jing in Liangzhou?

You say Huangfu Song is a woman's compassion?
But compared to Dong Zhuo, Liu Bian could only say that Huangfu Song, this radical, was still too conservative! No matter how radical you, Huangfu Song, are, compared to Dong Zhuo, who dared to burn down Luoyang City and plunder the treasures of the imperial tombs of the Han Dynasty, do you even deserve to be called radical?
Of course, this was just a joke.

Huangfu Song's military tactics leaned more towards the righteous path, and he was better at frontal warfare. He also took into account the fact that the elderly, weak, women and children on the mountain could not use many of his methods.

But Dong Zhuo had few constraints and no high moral standards. He didn't care about the elderly, weak, women, and children of the Black Mountain bandits' families and didn't hesitate to use any insidious methods.

Even the elderly, weak, women, and children who are thieves are thieves!

Why should they enjoy the benefits plundered for them by their husbands, brothers, and sons who are thieves, but not bear the responsibility for their crimes?
This is not a petty thief, but a traitor who betrays the country and plunders the people!
Liu Bian did not deny the Black Mountain bandits a chance to reform. He announced that the people who had joined the Yellow Turban Army in the past would be pardoned as long as they returned to their place of origin and re-registered in the household register.

If there is no land, the government will provide enough land to support the family. In order to encourage refugees to return home, the court will even provide food and drink for the journey and exempt them from taxes for six months after they return home.

This matter was well implemented in Jizhou, Youzhou, Qingzhou, and Yuzhou, areas that had been severely affected by the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

But since the thief was unwilling to reform, Liu Bian couldn't be blamed for being cruel.

In fact, if setting fire to the mountain hadn't failed to achieve the goal of burning down the entire Taihang Mountains, Liu Bian would have preferred to burn the entire mountain and its inhabitants to the ground.

The cruelty shown to the Black Mountain bandits was, in a way, a form of mercy towards the people of Ji, Bing, and Sanhe.
Why drag this out for the sake of a so-called "million people" at the expense of the interests of the remaining 49 million Han Chinese citizens?
If Liu Bian had a way to satisfy both sides, he would naturally not mind using it, but unfortunately he didn't, and he wouldn't be held hostage by the trolley problem.

As the driver of this golden car, he would not hesitate to drive it and crush the so-called "million" corpses with its wheels.

"Your subordinate obeys!" Dong Zhuo grinned, clasped his hands in agreement, and then winked and smugly at Huangfu Song for a while.

It wasn't that the two were at odds, but as military generals, Huangfu Song and Dong Zhuo had long been tired of staying in Luoyang. However, there was no war going on, and the emperor hadn't allowed them to get involved in the affairs of Youzhou. They were simply bored.

Therefore, Dong Zhuo's boasting was probably similar to two children who wanted a new toy, but there was only one new toy. One child got the new toy and boasted about it to the other child, who was his friend.

Huangfu Song rolled his eyes at Dong Zhuo and let out a cold snort, but that snort betrayed the envy in his heart.

"Dong Zhongying, don't get too cocky." Liu Bian's tone turned cold, carrying a hint of warning, and he said, "What I had Awang convey earlier was no joke. If this matter is botched, I will definitely deduct your fief!"

Although the emperor's words contained a threatening tone, everyone in the hall kept their eyes down and didn't feel that the emperor was harsh at all.

If one fails to handle matters assigned by the emperor, dismissal from office is the least of one's worries.

Deducting a portion of one's fiefdom is like a child being slapped on the hand for making a mistake—it's just a symbolic punishment, nothing more.
In contrast, look at Zhang Yan, who has already reached the point of being executed!
"Your subject will certainly not fail the country's expectations!" Dong Zhuo hurriedly bowed, his fear still lingering on his face before his true intentions were revealed. He then revealed a cunning smile and said, "However... hehe, your subject would like to ask for some generals as assistance."

"Don't even think about getting a general-level commander in the central army. Fengxian's primary task now is to train the elite cavalry well." Liu Bian naturally guessed who Dong Zhuo wanted. He could do without others, but this guy would definitely ask for Lü Bu as an ally.

However, although Liu Bian dashed Dong Zhuo's hopes of getting Lü Bu, he would not abandon him with other support.

Liu Bian waved his hand, signaling the eunuchs to step forward. Two junior eunuchs, one holding an eight-sided Han sword with a concealed gleam, and the other holding a ceremonial axe symbolizing the power of life and death.

Liu Bian pointed to the imperial axe and said, "I hereby grant you the authority to act as an imperial axe commander, and to supervise the governors of Bingzhou and Jizhou, to assist you in quelling the Black Mountain bandits!"

He then turned his gaze to Xu Chu, who was standing beside him, and said, "In addition, my Right General of the Martial Guard will accompany you on this expedition!"

Liu Bian planned to send Xu Chu out for a tour. Dian Wei had already been enfeoffed as a marquis, while Xu Chu was still only a marquis within the pass.

Although Liu Bian could find an opportunity to promote Xu Chu to the rank of Marquis of Ting on the grounds of Xu Chu's dedication and service, keeping fierce generals like Dian Wei and Xu Chu by his side forever would be a kind of burying of their talents. They should be given the opportunity to make a name for themselves on the battlefield.

Dong Zhuo was slightly taken aback, then overjoyed.

The Right General of the Martial Guard was Xu Chu. Although Xu Chu did not officially lead troops into battle, his immense strength during daily wrestling matches deeply impressed Dong Zhuo.

As for his ability to lead troops, his ability to command 10,000 soldiers of the Right Guard Battalion is sufficient proof of his talent.

After Dong Zhuo received the order, Liu Biancai signaled to the eunuch to hand the eight-sided Han sword to Lu Zhi, so that the officials could pass it around and admire it.

The hilt of the sword is inlaid with gold and silver patterns, giving it an antique and luxurious appearance.

Lu Zhi slowly drew his sword, and a clear, melodious sword cry rang out, its lingering resonance echoing for a long time.

As military generals, Huangfu Song and Dong Zhuo were naturally connoisseurs of swords. Based solely on the clear and resonant sound of the sword, they could roughly guess that it was a "hundred-times-forged" sword, and the clearly visible regular folds and forging patterns on the blade further corroborated this.

In fact, the Later Han Dynasty already had a mature and complete smelting system and process standards, with process standards for thirty, fifty, and one hundred smelting processes.

The blades of weapons are marked with the date and type of the weapon, such as "Made on the Bingwu day of the fifth month of the sixth year of Yongchu, a thirty-level sword", which is a ring-pommel sword of the thirty-level.

Near the hilt of the sword, the two small seal characters “Han Xing” (meaning “the rise of the Han Dynasty”) are written in intaglio with gold inlay, shining brightly in the sunlight streaming in from the window.

Liu Bian took in everyone's expressions, a barely perceptible smug smile playing on his lips, and said, "This sword... is the 'Four Swords of Restoration' that I forged at the beginning of the year, modeled after the Emperor Emeritus. I ordered Chai Yu of the Imperial Workshop to oversee the forging of the 'Twelve Swords of Hanxing' to be bestowed upon those who have made outstanding contributions to my restoration of the Han Dynasty since the first year of Hanxing!"

Even Lu Zhi, who was usually indifferent to fame and fortune, couldn't help but be moved at this moment. The significance of this sword was obviously extraordinary; it was a treasure worthy of being passed down through generations!
Even possessing this sword signifies a political promise that the family and the nation will share the same fate!

Even if the Han Dynasty were to fall hundreds of years later, this sword would still provide their family with political prestige; this sword would become their family's political reputation!
"The...the nation..." Dong Zhuo pursed his lips, his throat bobbed, and he swallowed hard. His gaze was fixed on the Hanxing Sword, even though the sword had already been passed to the Central Army Commander below. He asked, "Is this sword...a gift to me?"

Liu Bian scoffed and pointed at Dong Zhuo, mocking, "You, Dong Zhongying, are dreaming!"

Dong Zhuo was not annoyed by the emperor's ridicule. Since the emperor was not bestowing the Han Xing sword upon him now, the purpose of bringing out the sword at this moment was obvious: to inspire him!

No, the Emperor wants to inspire all the civil and military officials of the entire Han Dynasty!

The allure of sharing the same fate as the nation!

Dong Zhuo suddenly stood up, his face solemn. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Liu Bian and said in a deep and powerful voice, "If I can wipe out the Black Mountain bandits, may I be granted this sword?!"

"can."

Liu Bian's answer was extremely concise, yet it ignited a gleam of wild joy in Dong Zhuo's eyes.

"The nation!" Huangfu Song's tiger-like eyes flashed with a predatory light, like a lurking tiger suddenly opening its blood-stained mouth to reveal its sharp fangs, and he said, "What merits must I achieve to obtain this sword?!"

As Huangfu Song asked his question, the high-ranking officials and generals in the hall all looked at the emperor with eager eyes.

Liu Bian smiled slightly and said calmly, "I have said that the 'Hanxing' Twelve Swords will be bestowed upon those who have made outstanding contributions to my restoration of the Han Dynasty since the first year of the Hanxing era. As for what constitutes outstanding contributions..."

Liu Bian paused, glanced at everyone, and smiled, "You can figure it out yourselves."

Given Lu Zhi's and Huangfu Song's status, they would inevitably receive a Hanxing sword, but some promises cannot be made in advance.

If they are promised in advance, they will feel that it is what they deserve.

However, Liu Bian limited the scope of the rewards to those who had made outstanding contributions after the first year of the Hanxing era.

Before the first year of the Hanxing era, the achievements of Lu Zhi and Huangfu Song would not be included in the merit measurement of the Hanxing Sword, so that they would not necessarily be granted the Hanxing Sword, and at the same time, it was to encourage the rising stars in the court and the local areas.

You all start from the same point. Whoever makes outstanding contributions and achieves great merit will be awarded the Hanxing Sword.

Roll them up! Roll them all up for me!
If you actively contribute to the revival of the Han Dynasty, I will reward you generously!
As for what constitutes outstanding achievements?
Naturally, it's up to referee Liu Bian to decide!
How could reforming and reorganizing the central army not be considered a great achievement worthy of bestowing the Han Dynasty's revival sword upon Lu Zhi and Huangfu Song?

As for the number of twelve swords being too small?

Who says there can only be the Twelve Swords of Hanxing?

What about the Thirty-Six Heavenly Swords and Seventy-Two Earthly Swords that protect the emperor?
Even if all 120 swords are distributed, he still has the 28 generals of the Hanxing Palace, and he can build the Lingyan Pavilion and set up the 24 meritorious officials of the Lingyan Pavilion. At the very least, he still has the list of meritorious officials who can be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Liu Bian felt that even if he lived to be eighty, he might not be able to bestow all these titles upon him.

(6010 words)
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P.S.: Hey, it's Friday! Time to go get some barbecue!!!
So I'm in a particularly good mood, so I'll add another 2000 words.

Dear readers, please give me some extra monthly votes in recognition of the extra 2000 words I've added!
PPS: On the 24th, which is next Tuesday, I'm going to get a recommendation with pretty good traffic. I'm planning to stock up on articles and update a lot on the day it's published!

(End of this chapter)