Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 303 To be able to serve the Han Dynasty is the greatest honor for Goguryeo!

Inside the Xiangping County government office, Lu Fu coldly observed the group of ragged Goguryeo people before him. The guards were carefully searching each person, not even missing the lining of their clothes, until they confirmed that no weapons were hidden before waving them off and allowing them to enter the office.

It wasn't that Lu Fu deliberately humiliated the Goguryeo people, but rather that these shameless barbarians had a history of such behavior.

However, judging from their ragged and disheveled appearance, if it weren't for the fact that the tattered clothes still revealed the fine material, as well as the banner and the letter of credence bearing the seal of "King of Goguryeo," he would never have believed that this group of "beggars" were a Goguryeo delegation.

Lu Fu instructed the kitchen to prepare ginger soup and serve some food. Watching the group of shivering Goguryeo people wolfing down their food from the earthenware bowls, and waiting for their complexions to gradually regain their color, he slowly spoke and asked, "Why has Goguryeo not paid tribute to the Han Dynasty for the past three years? Is it because you despise our Emperor?"

The Goguryeo envoy's face stiffened, and his hand holding the bowl trembled slightly.

Three years ago, the King of Goguryeo heard that the Han Dynasty was in turmoil, and later he heard that the Han Dynasty was mired in war and had experienced three major wars in succession. The King of Goguryeo thought that even if the Han Dynasty won, it would be severely weakened, so he stopped paying tribute. He did not expect that today this young man would bring up the old grievances and question him face to face.

Lu Fu took in the other person's expression and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

As the emperor said, they were all barbarians who feared power but did not cherish virtue.

"The Emperor is very dissatisfied with this. We plan to launch an attack on Goguryeo in the spring so that our soldiers can earn some military merits and receive rewards from the Emperor." Lu Fu casually tossed the letter back to the chief envoy, his voice suddenly turning cold. "Therefore, you don't need to go to Luoyang. Go back to where you came from. After the spring, our Emperor will send an envoy to your king with a declaration of war!"

Having spent a year and a half in this harsh and cold place, Lu Fu led his troops to defeat the Fuyu people and a few Xianbei people who came to plunder several times this spring. He was no longer the gentle and refined "young man" from Luoyang City.

Now, he has a more stern and murderous air about him.

Or rather, this kind of gentle and refined demeanor internally, but ruthless and merciless externally, is what truly makes a "young man" capable.
"May I ask what your official position is?" Suddenly, a deputy envoy from the Goguryeo delegation looked up, his eyes filled with arrogance, and questioned, "Why do you question a Goguryeo envoy on behalf of the Emperor?"

Lu Fu wasn't annoyed. He waved his hand and casually said, "Me? Just a mere Prefect of Liaodong Commandery."

Upon hearing this, the deputy envoy's face immediately darkened. He thought that this young man was at least the governor of Liaodong with a rank of two thousand shi, but he was just a mere chief clerk. What right did he have to question them?

Just as he was about to lash out, he heard Lu Fu's lips curl into a playful smile. He tapped the table with his fingers and said, "However... my father, Lu Zhi, is the Grand Tutor, appointed as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Marquis of Dukang, with a fief of one thousand households. I am just a nobody who occasionally dines with the Emperor. I am not worth a second glance."

The chief envoy and several deputy envoys' expressions changed. They did not recognize Lu Zhi, but they knew the Grand Tutor's status in the Han court.

Those who could enter the Goguryeo delegation were mostly members of royal families and nobles of high status, and they also had a detailed understanding of the Han system. Otherwise, if they offended high-ranking officials and nobles of the Han court, the original purpose of paying homage and making friends would turn into enmity, which would lead to their destruction.

"I never imagined he was the Grand Tutor's son. I was rude earlier, please don't hold a grudge against such a vulgar person as me."

"Yes, please don't take it to heart."

The Goguryeo envoys' expressions changed drastically, and they all prostrated themselves to beg for forgiveness.

This attitude of feigning arrogance before turning around actually made Lu Fu feel a little satisfied with this face-slapping behavior.

No wonder I've heard some friends say that they taught a lesson to arrogant and conceited young nobles who were new to Luoyang. They said that after introducing themselves, seeing the other party's trembling expression was such a wonderful feeling. It's just a pity that such arrogant brutes are rare in Luoyang.

He couldn't understand it in the past, but now... he seems to understand it a little.

Although he was secretly pleased, Lu Fu did not show it. Instead, he deliberately put on a stern face and adopted the arrogant demeanor of a noble son. He slammed his hand on the table and scolded, "It's nothing to humiliate me. In the past, you would offer ginseng, sable fur, agate, Mo bows and warhorses as tribute, but you have not offered any tribute for three consecutive years. You are humiliating the Emperor of the Han Dynasty!"

"If the ruler is disgraced, the subject shall die!"

Before he finished speaking, the subordinate officials on both sides of the government office drew their ring-pommel swords, their cold gleam filling the room.

It seemed as if, at Lu Fu's command, the group of Goguryeo envoys would be meticulously chopped into minced meat.

As for the pretext for killing the Goguryeo delegation?

Under the guise of sending envoys, he actually carried out an assassination attempt. When the Prefect of Liaodong Commandery was receiving the delegation, he stabbed the Prefect. Afterwards, he simply made a shallow cut on his own arm.

It must be said that, although it was somewhat insidious, Jia Shizhong's plan was indeed effective.

The chief envoy immediately bowed deeply, banging his head heavily on the ground, and said, "Please allow me to explain, Chief Secretary, our King has no intention of disrespecting the Emperor of Han. It is only because of the turbulent situation in the country these past few years that our King has been unable to send envoys to pay homage, thus delaying the tribute." Another deputy envoy also quickly bowed, eagerly adding, "This time we have brought tribute that we have not offered for the past three years. We hope that the Emperor of Han will be magnanimous and forgive our mistake, and generously lend a helping hand to our King. Our King will offer ten times the tribute next year to express his gratitude to the Emperor of Han!"

Lu Fu neither confirmed nor denied the statement.

How the court makes decisions is not his concern. As the Chief Administrator of Liaodong Commandery, his job is simply to help the court ascertain the intentions of these people as much as possible, and to compile and report on the events that have occurred in Goguryeo to the court, so as to assist the court in making the most correct judgment.

Later, under Lu Fu's coercion, the Goguryeo delegation finally revealed the truth: they were not seeking help to defend against Buyeo in the north and Mahan in the south, but rather to help with the internal political struggle within Goguryeo.

The Goguryeo people had some learning difficulties; in recent years, when they studied Han culture and the Han system, they always took the dross and discarded the essence.

Instead of learning the methods of governing the Han Dynasty, they learned the bad habit of relatives of the empress interfering in politics, and even surpassed it.

As the daughter of Yu Su, the chief of the Tina tribe, Queen Yu of Goguryeo placed a large number of her relatives in key positions in Goguryeo.

King Goguryeo Gonammu only realized the loss of power two years ago, as his queen was now able to rival him in power. Therefore, in recent years he has shifted his attention to the struggle for internal power.

Now, the old and frail Gao Nanwu is gradually losing his strength and is increasingly unable to compete with the queen, who is only in her early thirties. However, since he has no children, the ministers in the country neither believe that supporting Gao Nanwu has any future, nor do they believe that the queen can accomplish anything.

Then Queen Yu turned around and committed adultery with Gao Nanwu's younger brother, Gao Yanyou, and obtained the promise of the "Queen" position of the new dynasty, and prepared to support Gao Yanyou to take the throne.

A young king is naturally more promising than an old king who is over fifty and frail. Many ministers have pledged their allegiance to Gao Yanyou and Queen Yu.

Suddenly someone reminded the King of Goguryeo that he could seek external support. After all, he was the "King of Goguryeo Who Returns to Righteousness" appointed by the Han Dynasty. Would the Han Dynasty just sit idly by and watch him be usurped?
Therefore, Gao Nanwu sent envoys in an attempt to rely on external forces from the Han Dynasty to help him stabilize his throne.

Lu Fu sneered inwardly. The old Wang, who was both childless and incompetent, had nowhere else to turn and only then thought of asking the Han Dynasty for help.

Lu Fu had the scribe meticulously record every detail of what the Goguryeo delegation said. Of course, he wasn't being overly compassionate and trying to persuade the court to help this damned Goguryeo king seize power.

Whether the Han Dynasty supported Gao Nanwu to seize power or supported a new king to ascend the throne, it made no difference, but this may be a good opportunity for the court to intervene in Goguryeo affairs.

If we can use this to control Goguryeo, we will have an extra piece to play when we launch a northern expedition against the Xianbei.

Lu Fu chuckled lightly, his eyes narrowed slightly, and said with a faint smile, "Very well. As Zuo Zhuan says, 'Who is without fault? To err is human, to forgive divine.' Since your king sincerely admits his mistake, our Han Dynasty, as a land of propriety, naturally cannot sit idly by and watch treacherous ministers usurp the throne. I will send someone to escort you to Luoyang after the spring."

The Goguryeo envoy, beaming with joy, exclaimed, “Before coming here, my king swore an oath by the Mazi River that if the Han Dynasty could lend a helping hand, Goguryeo would serve the Han Dynasty as its master for generations, forever remaining its loyal subjects. Our hearts are set on going east!” (Note 1)

Lu Fu looked at the envoy and felt disgusted by this clumsy imitator who swore an oath by pointing to the Luo River, but he still managed to force a smile and said, "He is indeed a humble king of a humble country, unlike some stray dogs that run around not knowing who their master is."

The Goguryeo envoy naturally knew who Lu Fu was referring to; it was Buyeo, their great enemy to the north.

The Fuyu Kingdom was a branch of the Donghu after their destruction. It shared the same roots and ancestors as the Xianbei and Wuhuan. During the reign of Emperor Taishang Liu Hong, it submitted to the emperor three times and rebelled three times, acting as a fence-sitter between the two hegemons, the Xianbei and the Han.

Taking a step on the great enemy, the Buyeo Kingdom, was naturally a convenient action.

"Yes, that person doesn't know what's good for them!"

The Goguryeo envoy gladly bowed down and prostrated himself, saying, "To be the dog of the Han is the greatest honor for Goguryeo!"

(3041 words)
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Note 1: Mazi River is the Yalu River.

PS: Goguryeo during this period was quite chaotic. In history, the Goguryeo king was described in their historical records as a wise ruler who was "nine feet tall, with a majestic appearance and the strength to lift a tripod." However, when he was old and near death, he discovered that his power had been usurped by the queen and her relatives. Just as he was about to seize power, a rebellion broke out, and he died in depression. Then the queen ascended the throne with her younger brother and became the new queen.

P.S.: This part of the Goguryeo storyline won't be described in too much detail; it's just to lay the groundwork for later events.

(End of this chapter)