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

Chapter 229 When powerful figures refuse to listen, Liu Bei also knows how to use force (Seeking subscriptions and monthly votes)
The implementation and promotion of the new policies were the foundation of Liu Bei's new regime.

Although Liu Bei valued Chen Deng's talent, he would not tolerate the Chen family of Xiapi obstructing the new policies.

After the Three Dukes?

Are the clans large and their armies strong?

It didn't work with Liu Bei.

Liu Bei sent Wu Jing back to Xiapi first, and then selected Zhao Yun to lead a thousand light cavalrymen from the Lingyan Army to Xiaopei.

After gaining experience in Ma Chao's camp, Sun Ce, a disciple of Ma Chao, was also selected to join the Imperial Guard and command the White Feather Army alongside Chen Dao.

Sun Ce also accompanied them on their journey to Xiapi.

Liu Bei did not put on airs after becoming emperor. He was an emperor when he sat on the throne, and a general when he went out to command troops.

Even in military uniform, he could still sit and eat with the soldiers of the Lingyan Army, and he did not become estranged from them after becoming emperor.

The emperor traveled in grand attire to project power and prestige to all.

Liu Bei conquered the world for many years and was renowned for his power. He did not need elaborate costumes or pomp to command respect.

If they disagree, just beat them up and they'll submit.

Liu Bei led his cavalry to Yingchuan first.

Upon seeing that Liu Bei was going to Xuzhou in person, Guan Yu's brows furrowed with anger: "The Chen family of Xiapi is ungrateful and insists on troubling you, brother. I am willing to go on your behalf."

Guan Yu didn't care about the status or position of the Chen family in Xiapi.

Anything that causes Liu Bei mental and physical strain can be eliminated.

"If it were just the Chen family, they wouldn't be worthy of my personal attention," Liu Bei reassured Guan Yu. "The Chen family of Xiapi is trying to obstruct the new policies, and they will surely be secretly colluding with Yuan Shu. I have to deal with more than just the Chen family of Xiapi. Second brother, please stay in Yuzhou and await orders."

Upon hearing that it was related to Yuan Shu, Guan Yu's brows furrowed in doubt: "Brother, not only did you condone Yuan Shu's claim to be emperor in Jing and Yang, but you also did not prevent officials and commoners of Yu Province from going to Jing and Yang. Many officials and commoners of Yu Province have gone south in groups. Last month, Chen Ji resigned from his position as Chancellor of Liang and went to Nanyang with his son Chen Qun. Although he claimed to be going to Nanyang to seek Zhang Ji's medical advice, there is already the Imperial Physician Hua Tuo in Luoyang, whose medical skills are superb. Why do we need to go to Nanyang?"

After Liu Bei declared himself emperor, he implemented a policy of lenient entry and strict exit for the various provinces.

Liu Bei did not stop those who wanted to leave.

Those who want to join must agree to the new policy.

This gave officials and commoners in various prefectures who outwardly complied with the new policies but envied the old ones the opportunity to go to the rule of the two Yuan brothers.

After confirming that Liu Bei would neither obstruct nor retaliate, the number of officials, scholars, and commoners going to the areas under the rule of Yuan Shao and Yuan Zhi increased day by day.

Chen Ji is the highest-ranking official to have left the government.

Although Yi Lang submitted a memorial to abolish the policy of lenient entry and strict exit, Liu Bei did not adopt it.

Liu Bei did not care about the officials and common people who did not agree with the new policies.

After the advent of simplified Chinese woodblock printing and suitable paper for printing, the difficulty for Liu Bei in cultivating officials was greatly reduced.

Liu Bei then dispatched soldiers from the Lingyan Army to visit every county and township, specifically selecting impoverished families with a desire to learn to donate books and money, and assigning the townships a task of reporting regularly.

In fact, given the wealth of corrupt officials and powerful families that Liu Bei had confiscated over the past few years, as well as the liberation of productivity brought about by the new policies, there was no need for Liu Bei to raise funds from other sources.

It was simply because Liu Bei had too many things to do.

We need to increase spending on water conservancy construction, education and talent selection, medical construction, and so on.

In addition to these expenditures, provisions must be made for military expenses, labor service expenses, and disaster relief in the event of natural disasters in order to fight against Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.

If Liu Bei had remained in Luoyang, the national treasury would have been emptied within three years at most.

This is one of the core reasons why Liu Bei actively targeted Yizhou and decided to personally go there after learning that the implementation of the new policies in Xuzhou was encountering obstacles.

The purpose of going to Xuzhou was not only to promote the new policies, but also to seize the wealth accumulated by the powerful families who opposed them.

Since he was unwilling to actively help the poor, Liu Bei had no choice but to rob the rich to help the poor.

For Liu Bei, those officials, scholars, and commoners who left were like parasites running away on their own.

Prevent?

Liu Bei couldn't be bothered to stop it!
Staying would not only undermine the new policies, but also waste the salary Liu Bei had distributed by occupying a position without contributing anything.

After carefully explaining the reasons to Guan Yu, Liu Bei earnestly said, "Don't feel sorry for the officials and people who have fled to other countries. Those who truly care about the country and its people will not flee to other countries. Those who flee to other countries are just a group of sophisticated egoists who want to be superior to others."

"They hated the new policies because they could no longer have slaves that they could use at will, because they could no longer enjoy fine clothes and delicacies without doing anything, and because they were deprived of the right to recommend themselves for the civil service even if they did not know that their fathers lived separately."

"Those who truly serve the country and its people are those who wholeheartedly address the most pressing needs of the common people, such as food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, ensuring that there are no more starving corpses or frozen bodies. Even if the road ahead is fraught with peril, they will bravely forge ahead like those who are the first to risk their lives."

Guan Yu actually understood the principle.

However, the thought of someone like Chen Ji, who had received high-ranking official positions and generous salaries, still fleeing to another country filled Guan Yu with anger.

Either don't become an official or take a salary, or become an official, take a salary, and then betray Liu Bei. What kind of benevolent and righteous gentleman is that?
Seeing that Guan Yu still looked resentful, Liu Bei ordered someone to bring him some fine wine to drink with him. They did not discuss military or political affairs, but only talked about romance and nature.

During the conversation, Liu Bei learned that Guan Yu had secretly taken a beautiful concubine surnamed Du. Liu Bei did not know whether this Du was the same person as the other Du.

However, Guan Yu's willingness to talk about romance and nature lessened his resentment considerably.

After spending a day in Yingchuan, Liu Bei set off for Xuzhou.

Wu Jing first arrived at Xiapi and told Sun Jian about Liu Bei's intention to enter Xiapi. He also said, "His Majesty said that we can publicly announce that Zhao Yun, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, has been ordered to inspect Xuzhou, while secretly spreading the news that His Majesty has personally arrived."

Sun Jian was taken aback: "If we spread the news, the Chen family of Xiapi, the Mi family of Donghai, and the forces in Xuzhou who are not in favor of the new policies may act rashly. If they harm His Majesty, we will be guilty of a grave crime!"

Wu Jing laughed and said, "Brother-in-law, you are worrying too much. His Majesty's military prowess is renowned throughout the Central Plains. Who can harm His Majesty? His Majesty intends to use himself as bait to lure the rebellious Xuzhou into launching an attack, and then wipe them all out in one fell swoop."

Sun Jian was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening.

Because of Liu Bei's change in status, Sun Jian subconsciously developed a fixed mindset that Liu Bei should not take risks, forgetting that Liu Bei conquered the world through military campaigns and was willing to risk his life when undertaking great tasks, which is why he ascended to the throne.

It was not a prince from the palace who was unfamiliar with military affairs who ascended the throne.

Thinking of this, Sun Jian's worry turned into a fierce determination: "His Majesty has appointed me as the governor of Xuzhou and recognized Bo Fu as his disciple, showing such trust in me. Yet I cannot even suppress the Chen clan of Xiapi and the Mi clan of Donghai, and instead I have to make His Majesty personally come to Xuzhou. I am truly ashamed."

"If that's the case, then spread the news. I want to see if the Chen family of Xiapi, the Mi family of Donghai, and others really dare to harm His Majesty! If they do, I will definitely take their heads!"

Sun Jian was a ruthless man who could take up arms in his teens. He just didn't understand Liu Bei's true attitude towards the Chen family of Xiapi and the Mi family of Donghai, which is why he hesitated. The Mi family was not an official family. Although they were educated, when it came to governing and commanding troops, there were many who could easily surpass the Mi brothers.

Mi Fang has always believed that his current status is due to his substantial family fortune.

Therefore, after Mi Zhu was highly regarded by Gai Xun, Mi Fang continued to expand his family business.

Especially after the rebels were defeated by Liu Bei, Mi Fang intensified his annexation of the rebels' properties.

Although Mi Zhu did not express his opinion explicitly, he tacitly approved of Mi Fang's behavior.

The Mi family had seized the rebels' property, and Gai Xun turned a blind eye to it.

After being allowed to expand, the Mi family became the family with the most private land and slaves in Xuzhou. They had more than 10,000 slaves and countless private lands.

Such a large family business cannot be given up so easily.

Therefore, after Sun Jian took office as the governor of Xuzhou, he initially wanted to gain the support of the Mi family and set an example so that the Chen family of Xiapi would follow suit.

If the Mi and Chen families take the lead, the remaining powerful and influential families in Xuzhou will not object.

As a result, the Mi brothers, Mi Zhu and Mi Fang, gave vague answers, while Mi Fang directly claimed, "Your Majesty recommended you to Governor Gai in the past, and Governor Gai tacitly approved it. Governor Sun, you want us to give away all our family wealth as soon as you take office. Do you want to take our family wealth or do you want to disrespect His Majesty?"

This left Sun Jian speechless.

Before this, Sun Jian had tried to reason with them in order to find a better solution, since he knew he couldn't easily give up such a large family business.

It wasn't until after the autumn harvest, when large numbers of Yellow Turban rebels reappeared in Xuzhou, that Sun Jian realized the seriousness of the situation.

Because of Sun Jian's previous hesitation, the powerful families and clans in Xuzhou thought that Xuzhou could be treated specially, and the annexation of land became increasingly intense.

For example, Zuo Rong, a former subordinate of Tao Qian, first seized the profits from the Grand Canal, and then built Buddhist temples on a large scale, attracting people who worshipped Buddhism to listen to the sutras and receive teachings. Among these people who worshipped Buddhism were many fugitives. In name, they were worshipping Buddha, but in reality, they were encroaching on land and annexing people in disguise.

This also allowed Zuo Rong to gradually become a powerful local force through the disguised method of annexation and encroachment via Buddhist worship.

As powerful clans annexed more land, more commoners were left unable to survive, leading to the resurgence of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Sun Jian had no choice but to go and find Liu Bei.

Now that he had received Liu Bei's affirmative reply, Sun Jian's ruthlessness and decisiveness were restored.

On the day.

Sun Jian deliberately summoned the civil and military officials of the prefecture and informed them of Zhao Yun's inspection of Xuzhou.

Later, Sun Jian had his personal guards pretend to be drunk and spread the news that Liu Bei had secretly accompanied him.

The first to receive the news was Mi Fang, Mi Zhu's younger brother.

The reason was that the person drinking with Sun Jian's personal guards was a loyal servant of the Mi family, who often used various excuses to secretly give Sun Jian's personal guards benefits and inquire about information.

"No wonder it was Zhao Yun, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, who came instead of the other captains of the Lingyan Army. His Majesty is hiding among them, probably because he is dissatisfied with the failure to implement the new policies in Xuzhou."

Mi Fang was in a heavy mood and hurriedly went to Mi Zhu to discuss the matter.

Mi Zhu was also alarmed: "Where did Zifang get this information? Perhaps someone is deliberately spreading rumors?"

Mi Fang said in a deep voice, "It was Governor Sun's personal guard who told us while drunk. I had been wondering before, even if His Majesty was going to inspect Xuzhou, it shouldn't have been Zhao Yun, the Grand Master of Ceremonies in charge of the palace guards. Now that I think about it, if His Majesty hadn't come in person, why would Zhao Yun have come to Xuzhou?"

"Your Majesty's arrival in Xuzhou in disguise must be related to the fact that the counties of Xuzhou are outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant of the new policies. If no countermeasures are taken, my Mi family's fortune may be completely lost."

If it weren't for the fact that the Mi family didn't have a background as an official family, they could have become the most prominent family in Xuzhou.

Although they are no longer an official family, the Mi family is still the most powerful and influential family in Xuzhou.

If the descendants of the Mi family continue to serve in government, the Mi family will be able to transform from a powerful clan into a prestigious family.

This was Mi Fang's ambition.

However, now that this ambition is about to be shattered, Mi Fang is very anxious.

Unless Liu Bei comes, any newly appointed governor will have to be mindful of the past incident where Liu Bei recommended Chen Deng and Mi Zhu to Gai Xun.

Now that Liu Bei has arrived, this tactic of implied threat is no longer effective.

Upon seeing that Mi Fang had confirmed Liu Bei's arrival in Xuzhou in disguise, Mi Zhu felt a great loss of strength.

After a long silence, Mi Zhu closed his eyes and sighed, "Now that His Majesty has come, the Mi family should set an example. Go and tell Governor Sun that the Mi family will respond to the new policies and return their private land and slaves to the state."

Mi Fang was shocked upon hearing this: "Brother, are you crazy! How can we easily give up the family business that we have worked so hard to build? I'm not going!"

“What can we do if we don’t allow it?” Mi Zhu’s tone was slightly stern. “I was recommended by His Majesty and helped Governor Gai establish himself in Xiapi, which is quite meritorious. If I had responded to the new policies before His Majesty came to Xiapi, I could have made amends for my crimes. His Majesty is benevolent and should not hold my previous actions of outwardly complying but inwardly opposing them against his will.”

Seeing that Mi Zhu was truly determined to squander his entire fortune, Mi Fang hurriedly said, "Brother, you are too naive! Our double-dealing has led to the resurgence of the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Xuzhou this year. How could His Majesty easily forgive us just because you are responding to the new policies?"

Mi Zhu fell silent.

Mi Fang added, “Moreover, the Chen family of Xiapi has not yet expressed their opinion, so why should you, brother, express your opinion first? In my opinion, it would be better to inform Chen Gui and Chen Yu of this news first. If they also respond to the new policy, it will not be too late for you to respond; if they also refuse, you should not express your opinion.”

“Otherwise, if my elder brother takes the lead, where will that leave the Chen family of Xiapi? If His Majesty finds that the Chen family is too powerful and cannot be easily dealt with, and returns to Luoyang, will Chen Gui and Chen Yu let the Mi family off the hook?”

"Brother, think it over!"

After Mi Fang's analysis of the pros and cons, Mi Zhu also wavered and said, "In that case, you can first go and pay a visit to the brothers Chen Gui and Chen Yu. These two are different from Chen Deng. They are both cunning and scheming people. When you go to pay your visit, you must be careful and cautious to avoid being used by them."

Seeing that Mi Zhu had relented, Mi Fang said confidently, "Brother, don't worry. Although Chen Gui and Chen Yu are cunning, I'm not stupid either. They want to use me because they want my brother to test His Majesty's bottom line; it just so happens that I also want to use them to test His Majesty's attitude."

Seeing Mi Fang leave in a hurry, Mi Zhu felt even more worried.

“My position today is the result of walking on thin ice. One wrong step could have led to my complete destruction. Zifang’s words may have some merit, but they could also bring about the annihilation of the Mi family.”

We still need to prepare contingency plans to deal with unforeseen circumstances.

After careful consideration, Mi Zhu went to the backyard and found his younger sister, Mi Zhen, who was learning royal etiquette.

Even before Mi Fang was allowed to annex the land slaves, Mi Zhu already had the idea of ​​offering his sister to gain favor.

No one who becomes a powerful figure truly rises from humble beginnings by being naive and innocent.

The Mi family, whose tradition was based on land reclamation, sought wealth and status, and their rise to power inevitably followed the law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak.

(End of this chapter)