My brothers are all warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men; I'll roam freely in the Thr

Despite the lingering chill of early spring, undercurrents were surging in the officialdom of Zhuojun.

The news from Zhuojun spread like wildfire. Instead of deterring the powerful clans that had been entrenched for hundreds of years, it provoked an even fiercer counterattack from them. Since the assassination failed, they started with the official system and used "legal" means to restrain this fledgling eagle that wanted to spread its wings.

One after another, official appointment documents were issued from the Imperial Secretariat and sent to various prefectures of Youzhou by express horses.

Ostensibly, it was to "replenish the officials in the border counties to strengthen the defenses," but in reality, it was aimed at Zhuojun and directly at Ji Xuanyuan's earth-shaking edict to recruit talents.

The atmosphere in the main hall of the prefect's residence was as heavy as iron.

Tian Feng slammed a newly received imperial document onto the table, his resolute face frosty: "Cui Tang, a disciple of the Cui family of Jizhou, is appointed as the Prefectural Assistant of Zhuojun; Yang Fu, a collateral branch of the Yang family of Hongnong, is appointed as the Commandant of Zhuojun. The appointments have been issued, and he shall take office within the next month."

Ju Shou paused in mid-air, stroking his beard, and said in a deep voice, "Not only that, but Teng Fu, the magistrate of Zhuo County, has governed effectively and has already received the highest performance evaluation. However, the court suddenly transferred him to the position of Commandant of Jiujiang. It is a promotion in name only, but a transfer in reality, to seize his power. The new magistrate is Yuan Tong, a former official of the Yuan family of Runan."

"And the magistrate of Fangcheng County, the county head of Gu'an County..." Guo Jia's peach blossom eyes were unusually devoid of languor, only coldness remained.

"All the local officials whom we relied on and who were effective in implementing the new policies were either transferred or 'promoted' to sinecure positions. The vacant positions were filled by the sons, protégés, and former subordinates of the Cui, Yuan, Yang, and Chen families."

Lu Zhi looked at Ji Xuanyuan, who was sitting in the main seat with a pale face and eyes closed in thought, and said in a hoarse voice: "Wenlie, this is an open conspiracy. The prefectural assistant and the prefectural commandant are deputy positions at the prefectural level, and the county magistrate and the county head are local officials who are close to the people. According to the system, they are all directly appointed by the central government's Secretariat. The prefect only has the power to supervise and evaluate performance, but has no power to appoint or dismiss. They are trying to use the laws of the court to block our hands and feet."

The hall was deathly silent.

The snow outside the window had not yet melted, and the chill seeped in through the windowpane, but it was nothing compared to the coldness in everyone's hearts.

Zhang Fei, his face flushed red, clenched his fists so tightly they cracked: "Damn it! They can't play dirty tricks, so they resort to this! Brother, let me lead the troops to 'receive' those new officials. I guarantee they'll 'catch the change' and crawl back to Luoyang on their own!"

"Yide, don't be rash." Guan Yu narrowed his phoenix eyes slightly.

"To obstruct an official appointed by the imperial court from taking office is tantamount to treason."

"Are we just going to stand by and watch these bastards come to Zhuojun and act like bullies, ruining all of my brother's hard work?!" Li Cunxiao said anxiously.

Ji Xuanyuan slowly opened his eyes.

He coughed a few times, but his eyes were clear and sharp as he swept them over the crowd below: "They've come. What do they want?"

"Of course, we are hindered at every turn," Tian Feng said bitterly.

"The recruitment order will be shelved on the grounds that it 'disrupts the old system of selecting officials,' and even the resettlement of refugees and the construction of schools will be subject to numerous 'faults.'"

"Therefore, they cannot come." Ji Xuanyuan's voice was calm, yet carried a resolute tone.

Lu Zhi's body stiffened: "Wen Lie, you mean...?"

Ji Xuanyuan stood up. Though thin, he possessed an undeniable air of authority: "Luoyang is a thousand miles from Youzhou. The mountains are high and the roads are long, bandits roam freely, and the remnants of the Yellow Turbans have not yet been eradicated... Isn't it normal for something unexpected to happen on the way?"

"Assassinate a high-ranking official of the imperial court?"

Lu Zhi gasped, abruptly standing to his feet: "This is a grave crime! If it's leaked, it will be a catastrophe! Wen Lie, think it over!"

Ji Xuanyuan turned around to face the worried scholar, his gaze as deep as an ancient well: "Lord Lu, let me ask you, am I, the Prefect of Zhuojun, an official appointed by the imperial court?"

"Of course."

"I have survived more than a dozen assassination attempts over the past few months, with poisoned arrows and death-defying warriors. Is that not true?"

"……yes."

"Are those assassins backed by these powerful families who are currently smuggling people into Zhuojun?"

Lu Zhi remained silent.

"They killed me, and it was considered perfectly justified, but I, in self-defense, retaliated, and that was a grave crime?"

"What kind of logic is this?!"

Everyone in the hall felt a pang of sadness at these words.

A fierce glint flashed in Xiang Yu's double pupils: "Brother is right! They're allowed to set fires, but we're not allowed to light lamps? That's outrageous!"

"Don't worry, Lord Lu."

Guo Jia laughed instead: "The 'accident' that Senior Brother mentioned doesn't necessarily require us to take action ourselves. At the border of Ji Province and You Province, the bandits under Zhang Yan of the Black Mountain Bandits number more than 100,000. On the borders of Bing Province and You Province, the Wuhuan and Xianbei cavalry frequently raid the borders, and there are also those remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion that have 'risen from the ashes'... Encountering any of these groups on the road is all 'fate'."

A glint flashed in Ju Shou's eyes, and he instantly understood: "That's right, we just need to... casually reveal the itineraries, routes, and number of guards of the new officials to those who 'should know,' and even secretly fund some existing bandits and outlaws to make their 'business' busier."

Tian Feng clapped his hands: "This plan is brilliant! We won't get our hands dirty, the court will have no evidence, and even if they have suspicions, they can only blame it on the unrest on the roads and the difficulty of traveling in chaotic times."

Lu Zhi looked at the group of young people who had completed their plan in an instant, opened his mouth, and finally sighed and slumped down.

He knew that the rules of this chaotic world were no longer bound by the Confucian classics he had studied so well.

Ji Xuanyuan is dancing on the edge of a knife, but it seems he has no other choice.

"Fengxiao." Ji Xuanyuan looked at Guo Jia.

"exist."

"You and Yuan Hao will coordinate this operation, with the secret guards providing support. Remember, be thorough and leave no trace. We only want an 'accident,' not a provocation."

"Jia understands."

"in addition."

Ji Xuanyuan paused for a moment: "The memorials to Luoyang cannot stop. They complain about poverty, the lack of personnel, and the difficulties in governing the region. They request the court to retain the original officials who are 'familiar with local affairs,' especially the magistrates of Zhuozhou, Tengzhou, and Fangcheng. Their achievements are outstanding, and their transfer would be a loss to the court. We must do our utmost to retain them."

Guo Jia's face fell: "Senior brother, my hands are about to break from writing! I've written more memorials in the past month than I have in the first half of my life!"

Ji Xuanyuan rarely showed a smile, and patted his shoulder: "The capable should do more. After I get that purified high-concentration alcohol, you'll be the first to try it."

Guo Jia's eyes lit up: "Really? Then... I'll write ten more copies!"

In the days that followed, "accidents" occurred frequently on the official road from Youzhou to Luoyang.

The newly appointed Prefect of Zhuojun, along with dozens of his family members and servants, traveled to the territory of Zhongshan State in Jizhou. While staying at an inn for the night, they were suspected to be attacked by remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. All of them disappeared, and only a few burnt-out cart frames and scattered blood-stained clothing were found.

The newly appointed Commandant of Zhuojun led fifty troops to his post. On the border of Daijun in Youzhou, he "encountered" Wuhuan cavalry. After a fierce battle, he was defeated and Yang Fu "fought bravely and died for his country." His head was hung at the gate of a Wuhuan tribe. This incident was even witnessed by Han soldiers on the border.

Yuan, a former official of the Yuan family of Runan, and the newly appointed magistrate of Zhuo County, entered the territory of Zhuo County safely. However, on the night before he was to take office, he suddenly fell ill in his lodging, vomiting and having diarrhea, and fell into a coma. The accompanying physicians were helpless and had to rush him back to Luoyang for treatment.

Meanwhile, officials like Teng Fu, who had just received their transfer orders and were packing their bags to leave, hadn't even finished packing when new appointments arrived.

Because the previous official died unexpectedly or was unable to take office, and because the official was familiar with the local area and had an outstanding track record, he was ordered to "remain in his original post temporarily to ensure the stability of the local area."

On the imperial court's side, memorials impeaching Ji Xuanyuan for "ineffective governance, causing unrest in prefectures and counties, and repeated misfortunes for appointed officials" flooded the Ministry of Personnel.

On Ji Xuanyuan's side, Guo Jia's pen flowed freely, and memorials such as "deeply reporting the unexpected incident," "earnestly requesting the retention of virtuous officials," and "urgently requesting the dispatch of more capable officials" were sent to Luoyang at almost the same rate.

Luoyang, Nangong.

The warm pavilion was filled with fragrance. Liu Hong leaned against the soft couch, with two piles of bamboo slips in front of him that were almost the same height.

A whole bunch of them were impeachments against Ji Xuanyuan.

One group consisted of Ji Xuanyuan pleading his case and requesting support.

Zhang Rang stood to the side, carefully observing the emperor's expression.

Liu Hong casually picked up a memorial of impeachment, glanced at it, and saw that it was written by a student of Grand Commandant Cui Lie. It denounced Ji Xuanyuan's perverse actions in Zhuojun, which had incurred the wrath of Heaven and the resentment of the people. Therefore, Heaven had sent down calamities, which had also affected the officials of the court. It requested His Majesty to immediately dismiss Ji Xuanyuan in order to bring peace to the world.

He scoffed and tossed the bamboo slips aside.

He picked up another memorial from Zhuojun, written by Guo Jia in the voice of Ji Xuanyuan. It was eloquent and described how capable Zhuojun Magistrate Teng Fu was, how popular he was, and how he was vigorously promoting spring plowing and new agricultural tools. He said that his transfer at this time was a great loss to Zhuojun. Every word was sincere.

A subtle, enigmatic smile curved Liu Hong's lips.

"Zhang Rang".

"This old servant is here."

"The impeachment of Ji Xuanyuan will be kept secret, and the request from Zhuojun to retain officials is approved."

"Accurate?" Zhang Rang thought he had misheard.

Over the past month, His Majesty has maintained a remarkably consistent attitude towards the reports of infighting between the two sides.

All accurate.

The aristocratic families were allowed to send people to Zhuojun, and Ji Xuanyuan was also allowed to request to remain in his post after "getting rid of" the people.

How can this be considered a ruling?

This is clearly sitting on the sidelines watching the tigers fight, and even fanning the flames.

"Yes, approved." Liu Hong repeated lazily, but a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes.

"I want to see how long this Ji Xuanyuan can play along with them."

He leaned back on the soft couch, his gaze seemingly piercing through the palace walls, looking towards the distant Youzhou.

The reasons for valuing Ji Xuanyuan are complex.

Firstly, naturally, were those two poems. The recruitment order, which valued talent above all else regardless of background, was like a thorn that pierced his already numb heart, making him see the shadow of his youth, the shadow of someone who once wanted to work hard and make progress, but ended up getting hurt.

Secondly, Ji Xuanyuan was recommended and promoted by Liu Yan.

Liu Yan, a descendant of the imperial clan, is cunning and scheming. A few days ago, he even volunteered to be the governor of Yizhou, hoping that I would transfer him to Yizhou. His intentions are hard to fathom.

Is the great commotion caused by Ji Xuanyuan, whom he promoted, truly a sign of ambition, or is it a pawn planted by Liu Yan in the distance to stir up trouble?

Liu Hong needs to see this clearly.

The most important third point is that he needs a "catfish" and a "knife".

He Jin is no longer reliable. This general, who was promoted from a butcher's background, has long been corrupted by the sugar-coated bullets of powerful families and has become their new spokesperson.

In the imperial court, powerful clans held sway, and imperial power was increasingly being undermined.

He needs someone, like the three Ming of Liangzhou back then, or like the cruel officials of earlier times, to break through, to tear apart, to shatter this stagnant pool.

Even if this person uses drastic methods, even if he gets hurt and bleeds.

Ji Xuanyuan, perfect.

He is young, ambitious, capable, and comes from a humble background that is not accepted by established families.

He was naturally on the opposite side of the aristocratic families.

Let him fight it out.

If he wins, he might truly be able to forge a new path and see for himself, the emperor, what a world "regardless of birth" really looks like.

Even if they lose the battle, it will only result in the death of a border prefect, which will not affect the overall situation. In fact, it can even serve as a warning to the increasingly restless Liu Yan.

"Ji Wenlie, oh Ji Wenlie..." Liu Hong murmured to himself, his fingers unconsciously tapping the edge of the bed.

"Don't disappoint me too much."

He looked at Zhang Rang: "Pass on my imperial decree to urge the Ministry of Personnel to fill vacancies in the various counties and prefectures of Youzhou as soon as possible, but the candidates... let them 'consider' them carefully."

Zhang Rang understood immediately; His Majesty felt the fire wasn't burning bright enough and wanted to add more firewood.

"besides."

Liu Hong added, "Tell Cui Lie and Yang Biao that recommending officials is acceptable, but if the recommended person is unsuitable and repeatedly suffers misfortune, it is the fault of the recommender for negligence."

Zhang Rang bowed: "This old servant understands."

The warm pavilion returned to silence.

Liu Hong looked out the window; spring was in full bloom, and the willows were sprouting new buds.

This game of chess is getting more and more interesting.

Meanwhile, in Zhuojun, a thousand miles away, Ji Xuanyuan had just received the latest approval from Luoyang.

"allow."

He looked at the familiar vermilion annotation, smiled slightly at Guo Jia, Lu Zhi and others beside him. His smile was pale, but it carried a calm indifference that understood the ways of the world and a hint of cold decisiveness.

"Our counterattack has only just begun."

"Pass down the order: the second batch of 'accidents' can be arranged."

"This time, let's choose a location close to the Black Mountain Bandits' area of ​​activity."

The spring breeze swept across the city walls of Zhuojun, carrying both chill and the vitality of life breaking through the soil.

A covert war that began with official appointments and swept through the imperial court and local areas has quietly entered a new phase under the shroud of the empire's twilight.

Meanwhile, the emperor, who lived deep in Luoyang, was using the world as a chessboard, observing coldly and waiting for the next move to be made.