Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 193 He used his skill to protect the divine artifacts, rising early and retiring late, his only thought being the common people.

Your Majesty is of meager virtue and young and inexperienced. Since you have inherited the throne, you have first suffered the chaos caused by the treacherous minister Dong Zhuo, then the calamity of Li and Guo in Chang'an, and now you are controlled by the traitor Cao Cao.

This caused the four-hundred-year foundation of the Han Dynasty to be shaken by storms, the world to fall apart, and the nine provinces to be in turmoil. His Majesty was forced to wander and never had a moment's rest.

Your subject, General Shu, when in high office, worries about the people; when in seclusion, worries about the ruler. Even while in Huainan, he never forgot his heart to restore the Han Dynasty and his ambition to rebuild the glorious Han.

Now, though I am but a nobody, I rule the court and the country, addressing myself as "I" in court, acting on behalf of Heaven to issue edicts, inheriting the imperial power, upholding the state, rising early and retiring late, with only the common people in my thoughts.

I have observed that Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou, harbors treacherous intentions, oversteps his bounds and is disloyal. His crimes are blatant and arouse the wrath of both Heaven and man. If he is not punished, Heaven will not tolerate him!
Liu Biao was fortunate to receive the Emperor's favor and held the position of Governor of a province. He should have served the country faithfully, guarding the borders, protecting the people, and safeguarding the royal family.

However, he was treacherous and treacherous. Instead of thinking of returning to Luoyang to serve the emperor, he harbored rebellious intentions, allied with the traitor Cao Cao, and used this to attack loyal and righteous officials, slander the pillars of the dynasty, and actually use his military power to make himself powerful.

To stand idly by and do nothing to help the court when it is in trouble, and to disregard the ancestral temples and the state, is to be disloyal.

Seeing the suffering of the people of Jingzhou, he still conscripted soldiers indiscriminately, exhausting the people's resources and engaging in wars, causing them to live in misery and starving to death everywhere. This was an act of inhumanity.

Forming cliques against traitors, attacking loyal and virtuous officials, suppressing honest and loyal ministers, and blocking the path of virtuous officials to the north are all unjust acts.

Conscripting local soldiers and expanding the ranks of armored warriors in an attempt to carve out a territory and disrupt the unified state of the country is considered disloyalty.

These disloyal, inhumane, unjust, and disloyal people are truly parasites of the Han Dynasty and enemies of the world!

Although I am in Huainan, I have heard that Ministers Zhang Xian and Huan Jie are full of loyalty and righteousness and have always had the heart to serve the country.

On behalf of His Majesty, I hereby issue this edict, ordering you to immediately raise the banner of righteousness, lead righteous troops, raise the banner of justice, attack the guilty army, and punish Liu Biao to bring glory to Heaven.

I hope that you will all be of one mind and fight bravely against the enemy. Do not be afraid. When the righteous army rises, I will personally lead the royal army to pacify Jingzhou and Xiangyang.

If one can achieve great success, one will surely sit on a golden platform, and when the world changes, one will be granted land and title, bringing glory to one's family. Even so, this is still uncertain.

Upon receiving this edict, raise your troops immediately. Do not fail to do so, or 100,000 heavenly soldiers will arrive, and your death will be imminent!

The Imperial Seal bestowed by His Majesty as Regent is hereby declared as proof of this edict.

As Zhuge Jin began to read the imperial edict, Huan Jie, who was kneeling on the ground in disbelief, changed his expression several times, and his eyes became increasingly strange.

This imperial edict...?

If you say it's an imperial edict, why does Huan Jie sound more and more like Yuan Gong of Huainan?

But if you say it's not an imperial edict, it contains the word "朕" (Zhen, meaning "I" or "the Emperor") repeatedly and is stamped with the Imperial Seal of the State. It might even be more authentic than the imperial edict Liu Biao received in Luoyang.

But... what kind of mess is this?!
Logically speaking, even a fool could see that this imperial edict was clearly issued by that important figure from Huainan. He didn't even bother with acting; he openly and brazenly forged an imperial edict and issued arbitrary orders.

But Huan Jie had to accept this fake imperial edict, which was so obviously fake!

Without him!

He had just been forcibly dragged onto the pirate ship by Zhang Xian a couple of days ago, and now he was living in constant fear, afraid that one day his rebellion would be exposed and Liu Biao would exterminate his entire family.

Now that a powerful ally like Lord Yuan of Huainan has extended an olive branch, how could Huan Jie possibly refuse?

Therefore, regardless of whether this edict is true or false, at least within the territory of Changsha, or rather the three prefectures of Jingnan, it must be true.

This is the great reason why they persisted in resisting Liu Biao!
We are not plotting a rebellion, but are acting on imperial orders to punish the traitors!
In the blink of an eye, without a moment's hesitation, Huan Jie stepped forward to receive the imperial edict after Zhuge Jin finished reading it, and respectfully bowed in greeting.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the General! Long live the General!"
Your subject, Huan Jie, former Assistant Minister, has received the imperial edict!

Such a smooth turn of events left even Zhuge Jin, who was reading the imperial edict, momentarily stunned, and he inwardly gasped.

I couldn't help but think: Could Yuan Gong's power and prestige in the South be so terrifying?
Even Zhuge Jin himself felt deeply ashamed when he read the edict aloud, given its tone.

He thought to himself, "Yuan Gong is in such a hurry. He calls himself 'I' in court and issues imperial edicts in private. Where does this leave His Majesty? Where does this leave the Han Dynasty?"
Huan Jie was once a court official, but he wasn't exactly a man of loyalty and integrity.

Upon hearing such an outrageous imperial edict, even if he was actually estranged from Liu Biao, he still had to firmly refuse it to demonstrate his loyalty as a subject.

At this moment, Zhuge Jin was already thinking about how to use his silver tongue to persuade Huan Jie by threatening Yuan Shao with his powerful position and appealing to Sun Quan's feelings, thus demonstrating his own abilities.

But little did he expect that at this moment he would punch cotton. Before he could even open his mouth to persuade Huan Jie, Huan Jie did not show any scholarly integrity and knelt down directly.
this.
Is this the overwhelming support and popular sentiment that Yuan Gong enjoys? It is the will of Heaven and the will of the people. There is no need for persuasion or enticement. Scholars like Huan Jie from Jingzhou have already tacitly accepted Yuan Gong's intention to seize power and replace the emperor.

Even more shocked than Zhuge Jin was Sun Quan. Zhuge Jin was unaware of Huan Jie's character and might have thought he was a spineless coward with no backbone.

But Sun Quan witnessed firsthand how, after his father Sun Jian's death, Duke Huan of Qi walked alone into Liu Biao's camp amidst a vast army, demanding the return of Sun Jian's body.

His integrity and passionate spirit impressed even Liu Biao, who then entrusted Huan Jie with the collection and return of Sun Jian's body.

But today
Duke Huan, are you still the righteous man whom Zhongmou once looked up to, the one who brought back his father's remains?

How come even you so easily bowed down to Yuan Shu's power?

This made it clear that his elder brother was being suppressed by Yuan Shu, like being trapped in a cage from which he could not escape, and that his family was being lured by Yuan Shu, like being bound by a spider web with thousands of threads.

Therefore, upon learning that he would have the opportunity to temporarily leave Yuan's camp and travel to Changsha, Sun Quan received a series of instructions from Zhou Yu before his departure.

He was planning to take this opportunity to develop his elder brother's influence in Changsha, the capital of the Sun family, in preparation for a future opportunity to break away from Yuan Shikai.

But this scene only made Sun Quan feel terrified and his spine go cold.

Huan Gong was already the most loyal and righteous old friend of his father Sun Jian in Changsha. If even he turned pale at the mention of Yuan and bowed down to him, what could Sun Zhongmou possibly develop in Changsha?

What if he makes a move in Changsha, and then one of the Sun family members he considers a confidant turns around and sells the information to Huainan in order to advance his career? Wouldn't that be like trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead, harming the entire Sun family?

Confidant?

The young Sun Quan smiled bitterly to himself. If even Duke Huan could not be trusted, who could he trust in Changsha?

Has Yuan Gong's power and influence really reached this level?
Gongjin, is there really any hope for us to escape? Brother, is it possible for you to continue being his adopted son in order to protect the entire Sun family?

Huan Jie was unaware that his kneeling without hesitation in the face of such an absurd and outrageous imperial edict deeply impressed Zhuge Jin with the power and prestige of Yuan Gong.

As a result, Sun Quan, the only one among the Sun brothers who could understand and help Sun Ce, gradually sided with Lady Wu and his other brothers.

For Huan Jie, however, this was merely a choice made when he had no other options.

Everything happened too fast. Liu Biao suddenly ordered troops to be transferred from the three commanderies of Jingnan, forcing Zhang Xian to rebel in order to protect himself. And the phrase "forced to rebel" says it all: they weren't ready!
This is also why, even though some time has passed since his secret plot with Zhang Xian in the dark room, the three counties of Jingnan have yet to rebel.

At present, Zhang Xian can only completely control Changsha County. The prefects of Lingling and Guiyang County are Zhang Xian's former subordinates.

But treason, a matter of life and death that could lead to the extermination of nine generations of one's family, couldn't possibly be accomplished by Zhang Xian simply writing a letter and announcing it:
"A true man is not content with living on five tripods of food, but will rather be cooked in five tripods in death. Gentlemen, follow me in this great undertaking; are you not willing to die for your country?"

However, the two prefects were like fools, blindly following him in his rebellion.

Such a serious matter as rebellion was not discussed with the governors of the two prefectures in advance, nor was any preparation made beforehand.

At this moment, they were suddenly asked to raise an army together, and the two prefects of Lingling and Guiyang obviously could not make a hasty decision.

After all, Liu Biao is clearly powerful right now, and his rebellion is unlikely to succeed. Zhang Xian is feared by Liu Biao and wants to get rid of him, so he has no way out. However, they may have a chance to protect themselves.

The time that has been delayed until now is because Zhang Xian has been using his influence to explain the pros and cons in his letters.

It was basically a process of negotiating the distribution of benefits and conditions after the deal was done, clearly stating our own advantages and Liu Biao's disadvantages, giving them confidence that we could win, and persuading the two of them to raise an army.

There was nothing that could be done about it. No one expected that things would suddenly come to the point of rebellion. In fact, according to Zhang Xian's plan, he originally needed several more years to prepare.

By gradually leveraging his influence and former subordinates in the three counties of Jingnan, he can erode and undermine the power of the three counties, secretly amass military strength, and perhaps even bring the nearby Wuling County into the alliance.

When the time comes, if they launch an attack, Liu Biao will be in a complete mess and caught off guard.

However, plans can't keep up with changes. Who would have thought that Liu Biao would take the initiative and launch an attack several years earlier than Zhang Xian had prepared?

For the time being, they could only delay the delivery of troops under various pretexts in order to stall Liu Biao's conscription order. Meanwhile, Zhang Xian kept writing letters to the prefects of Lingling and Guiyang counties, ordering them to form an alliance and raise an army.

However, the two prefects were both former subordinates of Zhang Xian and fearful of Liu Biao's power, so they hesitated and ultimately caused Huan Jie a terrible disaster.

He was utterly disappointed in Zhang Xian at this moment. You said that day you were so sure that you wanted to rebel, and I also devised a plan for you. Then take action immediately!

If you truly feel that preparations are inadequate and it is not yet the time to rebel, then you should remain patient and relinquish your military power.

As a result, Huan Jie was caught between a dilemma: whether to rebel or not, whether to tolerate or not, and he was caught in a dilemma. This made Huan Jie live in constant fear, lest his rebellion be exposed and Liu Biao's general Huang Zhong lead his troops into Changsha and attack.

Huan Jie, who was in such a state of panic, saw the imperial edict and felt as if he had found a lifeline. He wished he could prostrate himself and kneel to welcome the general and the royal army.
He knew that with this imperial edict, the already hesitant prefects of Guiyang and Lingling would completely side with their former superior, Zhang Xian.

It wasn't because of the righteousness of the imperial edict, but because of the general trend it represented!
With Yuan Shao's assistance, the outcome of their battle against Liu Biao would be reversed.

After kneeling and bowing deeply, Huan Jie held up the imperial edict with both hands as if it were a priceless treasure. He then looked at Zhuge Jin and Sun Quan, not needing their instructions on the next steps of the plan.

Huan Jie then took the initiative to speak, saying:
"No need for further words. I already know the General's expectations and your purpose in coming."

Time is of the essence, and there is no time to lose. Changsha is already showing signs of impending storm, and nearby, there is also Huang Zhong, the general of the traitor Liu Biao, lurking in the shadows.

"You will immediately change into different clothes and disguise yourselves as servants of my household. I will then take you to see Prefect Zhang Xian."

Zhuge Jin/Sun Quan: "."

The two exchanged a blank look, both with a strange expression in their eyes.

Are you a loyal subject of the Yuan family, or are we?

Why are you so enthusiastic? You seem even more anxious than us!

Shouldn't the normal process be for us to persuade you and tell you what to do next? How come you've turned the tables and are dictating things to us?
However, the two of them had come to see Huan Jie in order to make it easier to meet with Prefect Zhang Xian. Now that Huan Jie was offering to help, although it was a bit rushed, they had no reason to refuse and naturally agreed.

Before long, Zhuge Jin and Sun Quan, disguised as servants, arrived at the prefect's residence under the hurried guidance of Huan Jie.

When they finally met Prefect Zhang Xian, whom they had traveled so far to seek, they were both taken aback.

This was because Zhang Xian, as they saw him at that moment, had dark circles under his eyes, looked haggard, and appeared emaciated.

Upon seeing Huan Jie approach, Zhang Xian seemed to perk up somewhat, and said helplessly:
"Duke Huan is urging me again? Don't rush, don't rush. They're already showing signs of wavering. Give me a little more time."

He was surprised to see Huan Jie come to discuss important matters with him, but instead of dismissing his attendants, Huan Jie came straight over with two servants.

Zhang Xian was shocked. At that moment, countless thoughts raced through his mind, and his expression suddenly turned gloomy.

"What does Duke Huan mean by this?"

Unexpectedly, Huan Jie laughed loudly, "Your Excellency, you have been worrying and working hard today, and you have developed a heart ailment. I have brought a prescription to cure you."

"You're just making things complicated. If something happens to me, you'll be too."

Before Zhang Xian could finish speaking, Huan Jie interrupted him with a light laugh, "This is not the place to discuss matters. Your Excellency, please go to the secret room from that day."

Zhang Xian was taken aback. He didn't seem to think that Huan Jie could threaten him with two weak servants. Instead, he wanted to see what Huan Jie was up to today.

After a moment's thought, he nodded slightly. "That's fine too."

As the group got up and headed toward the dark room, Zhang Xian noticed that Huan Jie had actually brought the two servants with him, without any intention of keeping it a secret.

Suspicion began to grow in his heart, and his gaze toward the three people became increasingly strange.

Once the door to the dark room was closed, and the candlelight was dim, Zhang Xian couldn't help but ask a question.

"Duke Huan, what is the purpose of your actions today?"

Huan Jie chuckled lightly and handed the imperial edict he had just received back to Zhuge Jin, then bowed and knelt down.

"Your Excellency, now that you have seen the imperial envoy, why don't you pay your respects?"
"By imperial decree, we must quell the rebellion today!"

Zhang Xian: "???"

An angel? This little servant?

Why would you make such a mystery about the arrival of an angel?

"Is it an imperial edict to suppress traitors? The imperial edicts from Luoyang have all gone to Liu Biao, how could it possibly be my turn as a mere prefect?"
(End of this chapter)