Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 158 General He
A few days after Guo Dian's proclamation reached Luoyang, a report arrived in Luoyang that the Yellow Turbans had defeated Zhao Qian, the governor of Runan, at Zhaoling County.

It is said that after the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out in Runan, Zhao Qian led his troops to attack, but was unfortunately defeated by the Yellow Turbans at Zhaoling County.

Zhao Qian then fought and retreated, all the way to Chen County in the State of Chen.

Zhao Qian's subordinates, including Yuan Mi, Chen Duan, Feng Guan, Fan Zhongli, Liu Weide, Ding Zisi, and Zhang Zhongran, fought to the death on their way to Chen County.

Zhao Qian barely escaped with his life, then submitted a memorial impeaching himself for his defeat and requesting the court to commend and reward his subordinates for their loyalty and righteousness.

This is logically sound. Although Zhao Qian was defeated, his subordinates were commendable for their loyalty, and it is only right to honor the fallen subordinates.

However, the report made no mention of which Yellow Turban leader in Runan was so powerful, nor did it provide any details of the battle. It simply stated that they were defeated, and people died—the kind of deaths that were loyal and righteous, like sacrificing themselves to block a sword...

This was just as Liu Hong had issued an edict to enfeoff Guo Dian as the Marquis of Ruyang and ordered He Jin to move Guo Dian's family to Ruyang.

Ruyang County is located right in the middle of Zhaoling and Chen County, only a few dozen miles away from both sides.

If Zhao Qian was defeated at Zhaoling and was retreating to Chen County, he would have inevitably passed through Ruyang. The so-called "road to Chen County" was actually within the territory of Ruyang.

As for Ruyang... the entire county is Yuan family land, and the county is full of Yuan family members, retainers, guests, servants, and tenant farmers—there is not a single outsider, and tens of thousands of young men can be mobilized at any time.

Even though the Yellow Turban leaders in Yingchuan were so close, they didn't dare to come to Ruyang to raid our grain supplies...

There were indeed Yellow Turbans in Zhaoling, but they did not rebel.

Zhao Qian went to Zhaoling County not to fight, but to capture Ma Yuanyi.

The reason so many people died in Chen County was that it was Ma Yuanyi who fought and retreated to Chen County. Yuan Mi and others did die in battle, but they died on the way to capture Ma Yuanyi.

……

During this period, He Jin felt somewhat stifled.

With his elite troops transferred away, Dong Zhong, the General of the Cavalry, had actually gained the upper hand over him, the Grand General.

Despite being a general, he was engaged in the work of forging military equipment... He had long since stopped being a master craftsman, yet he was still considered a master craftsman.

Of course, the emperor also asked him to investigate Ma Yuanyi, a disciple of Zhang Jiao, since Tang Zhouju had accused Ma Yuanyi of plotting a rebellion in Luoyang.

However, He Jin searched in Henan for more than two months without finding anything—Ma Yuanyi was neither in Luoyang nor in Henan Yin, so of course he couldn't find anything.

Right now, the Yellow Turban rebels have issued another proclamation calling for the removal of corrupt officials from the emperor's inner circle, and the emperor has even ordered He Jin to send Guo Dian's family to Ruyang...

He Jin thought to himself, "Is this 'purging the court of corrupt officials' a euphemism for the emperor to mean getting rid of me, the Grand General?"

Otherwise, why would the emperor transfer himself away from Luoyang?
Is it really necessary for the general to handle such a trivial matter as relocating the families of thieves?

Throughout the Han Dynasty, the reputation of imperial relatives was consistently poor; it seemed the emperor didn't trust them...

Just as he was drowning his sorrows in alcohol, Yuan Shao sent him a generous gift.

Yuan Shao brought Ma Yuanyi before He Jin.

Yuan Shao said that Ma Yuanyi was hiding in Luoyang and trying to kidnap Liu Bian. There were indeed eunuchs in the palace who were accomplices of the Yellow Turbans. Ma Yuanyi was preparing to launch a coordinated attack from within and without. The Yellow Turban rebels' proclamation was completely unreliable. The rebels were plotting to murder the emperor!
But Ma Yuanyi was certainly not captured in Luoyang...

Guo Dian's manifesto had just begun to circulate when Ma Yuanyi was immediately sent to him, only three days later.

He Jin didn't consider what this meant. Tang Zhou had initially reported Ma Yuanyi. If they could crack Ma Yuanyi's treason case, it would be a great achievement. Eliminating the hidden dangers in the palace would also be a big deal. If they accomplished this great task, the emperor would naturally understand He Suigao's loyalty to the emperor!

He Jin then appointed Yuan Shao as an aide to the Grand General, subjected Ma Yuanyi to severe torture, and launched a large-scale arrest of people associated with the Way of Peace.

For example, those who believed in the Way of Peace, those who always mentioned the Yellow Heaven, those who wrote on walls in various counties, those who worked as doctors, and so on.

This round of arrests implicated thousands of people and also brought Feng Xu and Xu Feng, two eunuchs who had been accused by Tang Zhou but whose cases had been found to be unsubstantiated, to the imperial prison for investigation.

Since the safety of the princes was at stake, Empress He would naturally cooperate by issuing an imperial decree to investigate.

To be honest, these two eunuchs were certainly not good people, but to say that they colluded with the Yellow Turbans would be a miscarriage of justice.

These two eunuchs only believed in the Yellow Heaven, but they were not Yellow Turban spies at all—there was no need for that.

Eunuchs don't lack food, and the position of Zhongchangshi is the highest eunuch position under the emperor. It's their end, and the current emperor Liu Hong has no intention of getting rid of them. Why would they rebel?

Is it to challenge the limits?
Despite being subjected to all sorts of torture, Ma Yuanyi insisted that Luoyang was not as generous as the Yellow Turbans, and that he had only come to Jing and Yang to gather doctors to go to Jizhou. He had no intention of causing trouble in Luoyang and did not know any eunuchs.

This is actually the truth.

Ma Yuanyi was sent by Zhang Jiao before his formal rebellion. At that time, a plague was severe in Jizhou, and Zhang Jiao planned to gather traditional Chinese medicine doctors from the south to go to Jizhou to control the spread of the disease.

Luoyang was indeed not as generous as the Yellow Turbans. Ma Yuanyi was indeed Zhang Jiao's disciple, but he was not the leader of the Dafang tribe.

He was arrested in Zhaoling for the same reason—he had brought real doctors with him, and a major battle was taking place in Yingchuan, north of Zhaoling, so Ma Yuanyi didn't have time to cross the Yellow River.

However, in He Jin's eyes, this was just the thief being cunning and refusing to admit it, since no one would admit to the crime of treason.

Most people hold this simplistic view: thieves are untrustworthy, eunuchs are full of lies, and only the words of a young man with thick eyebrows, big eyes, an upright appearance, and an excellent reputation are credible...

Yuan Shao was the kind of young man with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and an upright demeanor. Not only was he handsome, but he also had a reputation for being kind, virtuous, and public-spirited.

His long tenure as a gang leader in Luoyang was not in vain. Although everyone in the palace knew that he kept assassins, outside, most people regarded his act of helping the poor and befriending heroes as "generous and timely."

Having a good face and a good reputation definitely makes a difference.

The words of the two eunuchs, Feng Xu and Xu Feng, were naturally regarded as sophistry. These two had hundreds of relatives and servants in their households. He Jin felt that these people were indeed very likely to kidnap his nephew and also very likely to murder his sister and brother-in-law. After all, it was best to get rid of any traitors as soon as there was any suspicion.

Moreover, Feng Xu and Xu Feng did indeed have a lot of weapons at home, and they had some conflicts with the He family before—they had competed for business when selling horses.

Honestly, these days it would be really strange if a family didn't have some weapons...

But Butcher He felt this matter must be an ironclad case, if not an ironclad one—he really disliked eunuchs. The eunuchs always tried to teach him how to do things, prevented him from entering the palace, and were always competing with the He family for business.

Yuan Shao not only helped him with business, but also treated him with utmost respect and spoke to him in a very pleasant manner...

Partnering with aristocratic leaders would also improve the reputation of the Ho family!
Butcher He also wanted to become a member of the gentry.

He Jin then had Ma Yuanyi torn apart by chariots, and ordered the execution of Feng Xu and Xu Feng as spies. Thousands of people were implicated and killed—none of those who had once believed in the Yellow Heaven were spared.

He Jin then reported to the emperor that Ma Yuanyi had indeed colluded with Feng Xu and Xu Feng to incite thousands of people in Luoyang to plot a rebellion, and that the evidence was conclusive and he had been executed.

With thousands of Yellow Turban rebels hiding in Luoyang, and Ma Yuanyi indeed being a disciple of Zhang Jiao, along with Tang Zhou as a witness, and so many weapons confiscated, the evidence was undoubtedly conclusive.

Liu Hong hadn't expected He Jin to act so quickly. One day he was saying he was investigating Feng Xu and Xu Feng, and the next day he had orchestrated a massacre of thousands. But Liu Hong's thinking wasn't as simple as He Jin's…

Liu Hong's first reaction was that this was probably a counterattack by the Yuan family in response to Guo Dian's proclamation.

He Jin and Empress He killed over a thousand people in their investigation of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. This major case would directly overshadow the public opinion sparked by Guo Dian's proclamation. Moreover, He Jin's actions were too ruthless—this great general might become the powerful and influential figure mentioned in the proclamation. The "purging of the court of corrupt officials" would probably seem more like a purge of He Jin...

After much deliberation, Liu Hong issued an edict to grant He Jin the title of Marquis of Shen for his meritorious service in eliminating the rebels.

Shen County was also located in Runan Commandery...

He Jin was from Nanyang, and according to custom, he should have been enfeoffed in a county in Nanyang, but Liu Hong enfeoffed him in the territory of the Yuan family.

This conferment of a title is certainly not an honor...

The word "慎" (shèn) has a double meaning. It means that the emperor felt that He Jin was getting too close to the Yuan family, so he deliberately placed He Jin's fiefdom on the Yuan family's territory, which is the same as Guo Dian's title of Marquis of Ruyang.

Liu Hong then ordered He Jin to leave Luoyang immediately for his fiefdom, and to take Guo Dian's family to Ruyang as well.

This was to use He Jin as a pretext to probe what the situation was like in Runan.

The emperor had a bad feeling—since the Yuan family had retaliated so quickly, the imperial army was probably out of control.

The fact that Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun are trapped in Changshe without making a move is probably not a problem with the two generals' abilities, but rather a problem with Yingchuan and Runan.

If it were someone else, they would probably have already discerned the emperor's warning and intention to abandon the idea.

But He Jin just didn't see it.

He didn't even understand the meaning of Guo Dian's proclamation; he only felt that Guo Dian was a man who had forgotten his roots...

Moreover, just before he was about to leave Luoyang, he was subjected to some further persuasion.

"Does the General truly intend to take this traitor to Ruyang?"

Yuan Shao shook his head and asked He Jin, "General, do you still not know the Emperor's will?"

What did the Primordial One mean?

He Jin truly doesn't understand.

"Guo Dian betrayed his country and surrendered to the enemy. How could the Emperor truly wish to bestow a title upon him? The so-called title is merely a way to redeem his title as the Prince of Anping and to give him an explanation..."

Yuan Shao said with an air of righteous indignation, "General, think about it, how could the Emperor allow those who have betrayed the country to enjoy fiefdoms?"

"That's true... but the imperial edict has already been issued, and the emperor's words are law, so we can't..."

He Jin thought about it and agreed. How could the emperor grant a title to a rebel? He had simply received the imperial edict and was obligated to carry it out…

"Now that Zhang Jiao is causing trouble, if the General were to use Guo Dian's family as leverage to coerce him into assassinating Zhang Jiao, perhaps Guo Dian could be persuaded to do so! If this succeeds, it would be a great achievement in saving the world..."

"If so, then Guo Dian will be a model for the world, and the General will send his clansmen to their fiefs to demonstrate his bravery; if not, then Guo Dian will be a traitor, and the General will kill his clansmen to establish authority, so as to prevent the people of the world from following the traitor and joining the rebellion."

Yuan Shao pointed to the imperial edict: "This is the Emperor's true intention. The Emperor cannot do such a thing as coercing others, which is why he put the Grand General to this task... Just like before, when Feng Xu and Xu Feng were killed, the Emperor had received their service for many years and had some feelings for them, so only the Grand General could do it. The Grand General killed the eunuchs and took their wealth to relieve the Emperor's predicament, which not only won him the praise of the people but also earned him the title of county marquis... The Grand General should understand the Emperor's intention."

"So that's how it is! No wonder I always felt that the Emperor was not close to me... I was truly dull-witted. If it weren't for Yuan Shao telling me, how could Su Gao have failed to relieve the Emperor's worries!"

He Jin suddenly realized that he had always been following orders, but the emperor was never close to him.

On the contrary, he was immediately granted a marquisate for handling the major case of Ma Yuanyi on his own initiative!

This is because I don't know how to understand the emperor's intentions...

He Jin looked at Yuan Shao with great admiration: "I should recommend Yuan Shao for the highest rank! Driving Guo Dian to kill Zhang Jiao is precisely the plan to destroy the rebels!"

Yuan Shao actually just wanted He Jin to coerce Guo Dian's family into staying...

As long as Guo Dian's family doesn't end up in Ruyang, then half of the Yuan family's problem will be solved.

And the other half...

Naturally, General He Da took the blame.

……

In fact, it was impossible for Guo Dian to assassinate Zhang Jiao.

Guo Dian knew very well that he had to be useful to the emperor for his family to live; if he became useless, his family would surely die.

No one but the emperor would kill Guo Dian's family, because whoever harmed Guo Dian's family was a powerful figure mentioned in the proclamation.

How to be useful to the emperor was the advice Liu Bei gave him before sending him to Guangzong.

Guo Dian's proclamation was certainly influenced by Liu Bei, who wanted to help the emperor and prevent him from being completely suppressed by powerful clans.

Liu Bei knew that if he didn't change the Yellow Turban Rebellion from a rebellion to a purge of corrupt officials, no one could stop the Yuan family from achieving the greatest victory.

If Lu Zhi is wavering, what will the other generals do?
At best, he'd be just like Lu Zhi...

But in reality, no one can do what Lu Zhi did; Lu Zhi was already a scholar with the highest moral standards.

The generals leading the army were all from aristocratic families, and the imperial army was not under the emperor's control after leaving Luoyang. However, if the Yellow Turbans still aimed to "rebel," then the imperial court had to continue to suppress them.

The final result would be nothing more than the court having no soldiers to use, powerful clans rising up in rebellion, the central government weakening, and warlords carving up the country – this was the reality that Liu Bei knew was about to happen.

This situation only benefits the Yuan family and is detrimental to everyone else...

The warlords who were able to raise "righteous armies" to suppress the Yellow Turbans in advance were all officials of the prefectures and counties who knew in advance that the world would be in chaos, and almost all of these well-prepared officials came from the Yuan family.

After all, the root of this matter was their coercion of the emperor with grain. They knew the consequences from the beginning and even helped Zhang Jiao make arrangements so that the Yellow Turbans had to fight the court to the death.

Rebellion would be a mutual drain between the Yellow Turbans and the emperor; while purging the court of corrupt officials would be a mutual drain between the Yellow Turbans and powerful clans, which could largely prevent powerful clans from becoming too powerful.

But, but.

Liu Bei was far away in Xihe at this time, unaware of the trouble He Jin was causing...

(End of this chapter)