Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 226 Yuan Shu plots to seize Yizhou, Liu Bei also plots to seize Yizhou (Seeking monthly votes and continued updates)
"Lu Bu first served Ding Yuan, then Dong Zhuo, then betrayed Liu Bei, and then ruined Liu Xie's plans because of his lust. Such a fickle and opportunistic person cannot be trusted!" Zheng Tai gave his evaluation of Lu Bu without hesitation.

Zheng Tai disliked people like Lü Bu, regardless of whether they were friend or foe.

What Zheng Tai found even more abhorrent was that if Lü Bu hadn't arbitrarily altered Liu Xie's plans and assassinated Liu Bei, Liu Bei wouldn't have needed to declare himself emperor, he wouldn't have needed to flee from Luoyang to Echeng, and his years of strategic planning wouldn't have been in vain.

After revealing all his grievances against Lü Bu, Zheng Tai suggested, "Your Majesty should kill Lü Bu to avoid leaving any future troubles!"

The voice just fell.

Situ Yang Hong urgently objected: "Absolutely not! Lü Bu came to us out of desperation! If Your Majesty kills him, wouldn't that discourage heroes from all directions from coming to join you?"

Zheng Tai sneered: "If Your Majesty keeps Lu Bu, a fickle man, wouldn't the heroes from all directions mistakenly believe that Your Majesty's subordinates are all treacherous? Why would truly talented heroes come to join you?"

Yang Hong's expression changed, and he said with displeasure, "That's an exaggeration. These heroes have come because of His Majesty's reputation; how can you slander them as fickle people?"

A newcomer is eager to show off his unique talent, does he really think we are all just sitting idly by?
Not only Yang Hong, but also other former subordinates of Yuan Shu, such as Zhang Xun, Liu Xun, and Qiao Rui, all expressed their disgust for Zheng Tai.

Zheng Hun quickly pulled Zheng Tai aside and apologized to Yang Hong, saying, "My brother's years of planning in Luoyang were ruined because of Lü Bu's assassination attempt on Liu Bei, so he deeply hates Lü Bu. Although he has his own selfish reasons, they are understandable. Please forgive him."

He then reported to Yuan Shu: "Lü Bu is a fierce tiger. I believe that if Your Majesty wants to use Lü Bu, you should put a chain on the tiger."

"When Lü Bu assassinated Liu Bei, his wife and children were trapped in Luoyang. If Your Majesty could select a woman from the imperial clan to be Lü Bu's wife, he might be able to be used in battle."

Seeing Zheng Hun trying to smooth things over, Yang Hong snorted and stopped arguing with Zheng Tai. Instead, he said, "Your Majesty, I also believe that a woman from the imperial clan should be chosen as Lü Bu's wife. If heroes from all directions see that Your Majesty is willing to treat even Lü Bu well, they will surely flock to you!"

Zheng Tai snorted coldly: "Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo were both Lü Bu's adoptive fathers, yet Lü Bu never served them wholeheartedly. Liu Bei treated Lü Bu well, but Lü Bu turned against Liu Bei because of a woman."

"How could such opportunistic and treacherous people be willing to serve Your Majesty wholeheartedly just because they married a member of Your Majesty's imperial clan?"

Zheng Hun grew increasingly anxious as he listened, and tugged at Zheng Tai again, loudly retorting, "Brother, you are mistaken! Lü Bu's surname is Lü, and he possesses the courage of a bear and a tiger. How could he possibly remain subservient to someone else and be someone else's adopted son for so long?"

"The only one who can employ Lü Bu is the emperor! If Liu Bei hadn't previously been just a general and not the emperor, would Lü Bu have turned against him for a woman? Now that Lü Bu has submitted to His Majesty, who can offer him more benefits than His Majesty?"

"If Lü Bu marries a princess of His Majesty's clan, he will become a member of the imperial family. After that, he can lead troops to fight for His Majesty and become His Majesty's general. How could Lü Bu not serve His Majesty wholeheartedly?"

Zheng Hun didn't actually have such a high opinion of Lü Bu, but right now, the only way to avoid being hated by Zheng Tai was to lavish praise on Lü Bu.

Zheng Hun wanted to say to Zheng Tai: Brother, can you please not speak?

Seeing Zheng Hun's anxious look, Zheng Tai hesitated and stopped objecting.

Listening to the discussion, Yuan Shu lowered his head and pondered.

When Lü Bu first arrived in Jingzhou, Yuan Shu was very wary of him.

The idea that Liu Bei would fight with Lü Bu over a woman, and even hate Lü Bu to the point of assassinating Liu Bei, sounds utterly absurd.

But as Yuan Shu learned more about Lü Bu, he found that the possibility of this happening was becoming increasingly high.

First, he learned from Zheng Taidi, Zheng Hun, that Lü Bu had an affair with a maidservant of Dong Zhuo.

As Dong Zhuo's adopted son, Yuan Shu was astonished that he went and seduced Dong Zhuo's maid.

Later, when he was in Echeng.

Lu Bu happened to bump into Yuan Shu's beautiful woman, Feng Fangnu, and was immediately captivated by her beauty, so he wanted to seduce her.

If Dong Cheng hadn't stopped him in time, saying that Feng Fang was Yuan Shu's beauty, Lü Bu would have snatched her away.

Just when everyone thought Lü Bu would calm down, he got into another fight with Zhou Ang, the governor of Jiangxia, over a woman.

Although Lü Bu had not been there long, his lecherous nature was already fully displayed in his affairs, whether it was having an affair with Dong Zhuo's maid, turning against Liu Bei for a woman, coveting Yuan Shu's beauty, or competing with Zhou Ang for a woman.

Now, having learned from Zheng Tai that Lü Bu was actually won over by Liu Xie, Yuan Shu's wariness of Lü Bu has greatly decreased.

He was lustful by nature and greedy for personal gain.

It certainly wasn't Liu Bei's inside man.

If Lü Bu were an ordinary military general, his attempt to seduce and seize Yuan Shu's concubine would have been enough to get him thrown into the Han River to feed the fish.

However, Yuan Shu valued Lü Bu's martial prowess and wanted to bring him under his command.

Although Yuan Shu declared himself emperor and occupied the two provinces of Jing and Yang, his forces were numerous and deeply entrenched, causing him considerable distress.

In particular, the three brothers Zhou Xin, Zhou Ang, and Zhou Yu, who made the greatest contributions in the battle of Jingzhou, had many civil and military officials under their command who formed factions with them.

When Yuan Shao convened a meeting to attack Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo, Zhou Xin, as the governor of Danyang, responded to Yuan Shao's call and raised troops to confront Liu Dai.

Later, when Liu Yu declared himself emperor, Yuan Shao appointed Zhou Yu as the governor of Jingzhou.

The three brothers had always supported Yuan Shao.

When Yuan Shu first arrived in Huainan, he was disliked by Zhou Xin because of his lewdness and cruelty.

If Liu Bei hadn't decisively defeated the rebels of three provinces, severing Yangzhou's connection with Yuan Shao, Zhou Xin wouldn't have aided Yuan Shu.

Now, having helped Yuan Shu first conquer Lujiang, then Jiangxia, and finally capture Liu Biao, Zhou Xin's thought is also to gather the strength of Jing and Yang to help Yuan Shao.

Therefore, Zhou Xin repeatedly suggested to Yuan Shu that they form an alliance with Yuan Shao to jointly attack Liu Bei, which made Yuan Shu extremely wary.

You've already become Da Zhong's subject, yet instead of thinking of plans for me, you're still trying to plan for Yuan Shao's son born of a concubine.
If it weren't for Zhou Xin's immense contributions, and the fact that the Zhou family of Kuaiji was a powerful and influential clan, Yuan Shu would have had Zhou Xin executed long ago, given his personality.

Yuan Shu wanted to give Lü Bu a more important position, partly to use Lü Bu to counterbalance the three Zhou brothers.

However, since Lü Bu had once served under Liu Bei, even if Yuan Shu were to be given important responsibilities, careful consideration must be given.

Think for a long time.

Yuan Shu decided to marry a member of his clan to Lü Bu, both to test Lü Bu and to monitor him.

After suppressing this thought, Yuan Shu changed the subject and asked, "Now that Liu Bei has declared himself emperor, he may launch a southern campaign against Jing and Yang. Do any of you have any good strategies to advise me?"

Zheng Tai had just angered everyone because of the Lü Bu incident. In order to avoid losing his position under Yuan Shu in the future, Zheng Tai preemptively analyzed, "Your Majesty, I believe that Liu Bei will not launch a southern expedition to Jing and Yang before he pacifies Hebei. There are two reasons for this!"

"Firstly, Jing and Yang have the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, and there are many rivers within them. Northerners are not familiar with water, and Liu Bei has no naval generals. If he were to contend with Your Majesty, it would take at least three years, and at most ten years, before a winner could be determined."

"Secondly, although Liu Bei has declared himself emperor, Yuan Shao has also supported Liu Yu. How can a great Han Dynasty have two emperors? As the saying goes, to quell external aggression, one must first pacify the internal situation. Liu Bei will surely destroy Yuan Shao first, and then head south to contend with Your Majesty."

"Therefore, I believe that Your Majesty should take advantage of the fact that Liu Bei and Yuan Shao have not yet determined a victor and take Yizhou to the west. If so, you can advance to take Yongzhou, Yuzhou, and Xuzhou, or retreat to protect the three provinces of Jing, Yang, and Yi."

These words made Yang Hong, who had just been dissatisfied with Zheng Tai's sharp edge, secretly marvel.

When judging Liu Bei's next strategic move, Yang Hong also believed that Liu Bei would first contend with Yuan Shao, and then head south to contend with Yuan Shu.

Therefore, Yang Hong had long harbored the intention to conquer Yizhou in the west.

Yuan Shu has already eliminated two members of the imperial clan, Liu Dai and Liu Biao. If he were to eliminate Liu Yan as well, his prestige would surely rise to another level. Yang Hong did not reject this plan because of his dissatisfaction with Zheng Tai, and instead echoed, "I also believe that we should take advantage of the struggle between Liu Bei and Yuan Shao to seize Yizhou first. Yizhou has a population of one million, fertile land, and abundant resources. If we can truly seize this place, Your Majesty will surely achieve great things."

Zhang Xun, Liu Xun, and others echoed this sentiment.

Although these people didn't understand the overall situation, Zheng Tai and Yang Hong both believed that Yizhou should be taken, so agreeing to take Yizhou was definitely the right thing to do.

Yuan Shu, his heart pounding with excitement, asked, "If we are to take Yizhou, who should we appoint as general?"

Zheng Tai did not speak.

Zheng Tai was unaware of which of Yuan Shu's subordinates were skilled in battle.

Zhang Xun was about to speak when Yang Hong stopped him, recommending, "We can use General Zhou Xin as our general. Yizhou has many natural defenses, and its generals are fierce and its soldiers are brave. Only General Zhou Xin can conquer Yizhou."

While seemingly praising Zhou Xin, Yang Hong's true intention was to send Zhou Xin to Yizhou to wage a war of attrition against Liu Yan, so that Yuan Shu could concentrate power in both Jing and Yi provinces in Echeng.

Yuan Shu, understanding the implied meaning from the music, was even more pleased and ordered, "Minister Yang's words are reasonable. Quickly issue an edict to the General of Chariots and Cavalry, strengthen the army and prepare for battle. We will attack Yizhou as soon as Liu Bei and Yuan Shao are at odds!"

While Yuan Shu was actively courting Lü Bu in his plot to seize Yizhou, Liu Bei in Luoyang, having completed a series of tedious affairs for the new court, also had time to consider his future strategy.

Feng Ji's prediction was largely correct; Liu Bei did indeed establish a national policy of recuperation and development.

People eat for food.

Liu Bei's previous campaigns relied on frequently using confiscated money and grain from corrupt officials, powerful families, and wealthy clans to fund his military campaigns.

Now, Liu Bei has dealt with most of the corrupt officials, powerful families, and corrupt bureaucrats.

Raising military funds in this way will no longer be very effective.

Now it's that time of year again when money flows like water.

As emperor, Liu Bei had to find ways to increase the national treasury's wealth, and this could not be achieved solely through taxation.

Wang Mang simply increased taxes and corvée labor, turning his reform efforts based on ancient precedents into a joke.

If one wants money, one cannot directly demand it from the people and officials of the prefectures and counties under one's jurisdiction.

A new dynasty must have new role models; it cannot forget its original aspirations and become a wicked dragon once it becomes emperor.

If we cannot extract resources from the people and officials in the prefectures and counties under our jurisdiction, then we must extract them from those outside our jurisdiction.

Now, the only remaining non-administered prefectures and counties are those of Yuan Shao in Youji, Yuan Shu in Jingyang, and Liu Yan in Yizhou.

Liu Bei cannot attack Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu for the time being, as this does not align with his strategic plan.

Defeating Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu was easy, but subduing powerful clans and warlords was difficult.

Liu Bei wanted to use Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu to weaken the power of the powerful clans in the four provinces.

Ideally, Liu Bei should weaken the power of the powerful families and clans in the four provinces before launching a counterattack.

Compared to conquering cities and seizing territories, Liu Bei preferred defense and counterattacks.

To conquer cities and seize territories, one must win the hearts and minds of the people under the enemy's rule in order to achieve a decisive victory.

Just like when Liu Bei attacked Yanzhou, he first defeated hundreds of thousands of troops with 20,000 soldiers and captured Yuan Yi and Tao Qian in one battle, which established his prestige. Only then could he pacify Yanzhou with unstoppable momentum in the spring and autumn battles of the following year.

Clearly, Liu Bei lacked the support of the people in You, Ji, Jing, and Yang provinces.

Even if some of these powerful families did not believe that Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu could succeed, they still had to support the court established by Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.

This is a dispute over positions.

If Liu Bei cannot fight Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, he will be unable to obtain money and resources from them.

but.

Besides Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, there was another place even more suitable for acquiring wealth.

That is Yizhou.

In terms of ownership, Yizhou still belongs to the Han Dynasty.

Although Yizhou was rich, it was not fundamentally different from other provinces. The rich were all powerful families, while the poor were all slaves and commoners.

Powerful families recruited followers and gathered crowds to protect themselves, resisting taxes and corvée labor, leaving county and prefectural governments financially depleted, militarily weak, and administratively paralyzed.

Even Xi Jian, the former governor of Yizhou, was killed by the Yellow Turbans, who were then suppressed by powerful local lords.

Because Yizhou had many dangerous passes and often blocked roads, the powerful families and clans of Yizhou basically lived as local emperors behind closed doors.

Although Liu Yan went to Yizhou, his sphere of influence was not large. Even though he was called the governor of Yizhou, he only controlled a part of it.

The powerful families of Yizhou wanted to become local emperors behind closed doors, while Liu Yan also wanted to become a local emperor in Yizhou. The two sides fought fiercely for control of land and population.

Although Liu Yan was the earliest governor of Yi Province, he did not rise to prominence as quickly as Liu Bei, the later governor of Yong Province.

Most importantly, Liu Yan's Dongzhou troops were intercepted by Liu Bei.

Since no people from the Three Auxiliary Regions or Nanyang flowed into Yizhou, Liu Yan could only rely on local people from Yizhou.

Just like how Liu Biao could only use Kuai Yue, Kuai Liang, Cai Mao, and others.

Liu Bei's sudden rise to power meant that Liu Yan, like Liu Biao, only had a brief period of glory when he first entered Yizhou, but for the next two years he was constantly being bullied.

Without sufficient troops from other states at his disposal, it would be impossible for Liu Yan to subdue the local powerful clans unless he possessed the courage to defeat ten thousand men.

Liu Yan had four sons: the eldest son, Liu Fan, the Left General of the Palace Guard; the second son, Liu Dan, the Imperial Censor; and the youngest son, Liu Zhang, the Commandant of the Imperial Carriage. They were all in Luoyang at the time. Only the third son, Liu Mao, the Commander of a Separate Division, followed Liu Yan to Yizhou.

Considering Liu Yan's difficult situation in Yizhou, Liu Bei decided to help him this time.

Liu Bei is now the emperor.

Helping Liu Yan is helping yourself.

The third day of the third month of the first year of Zhangwu (i.e., 192 AD).

Liu Bei promoted Liu Fan, the Left General of the Household, to be the Director of the Imperial Clan, and Liu Dan, the Imperial Censor, to be the Assistant Director of the Imperial Clan, so that they could jointly manage the affairs of the Liu clan.

He then promoted Liu Zhang, the Commandant of the Imperial Carriage, to the position of Gentleman of the Three Offices, and ordered Liu Zhang to enter Yizhou with imperial credentials. He then gave Liu Zhang detailed instructions:

"After Ji Yu arrives in Yizhou, he can advise your father. The claim that there is an aura of an emperor in Yizhou is just the nonsense of sorcerers; do not believe it. Now that I have ascended the throne, and appointed Liu Fan as the Minister of the Imperial Clan and Liu Dan as the Assistant Minister of the Imperial Clan, I also hope that your father will not go astray because of the nonsense of sorcerers."

"I have heard of a man from Linjiang in Ba Commandery named Gan Ning, courtesy name Xingba, who is brave and resourceful, generous and chivalrous; and also Zhang Ren, Yan Yan, and others, all valiant and wise men. Detailed information is on the roster. If Ji Yu encounters them, he can recruit them for me."
(End of this chapter)