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

Luoyang, deep within the Southern Palace.

The air was thick with moisture, carrying the distinctive scent of sulfur.

Liu Hong leaned wearily against the smooth, warm stone by the pool, his eyes slightly closed, as two beautiful palace maids dressed in light gauze knelt beside him, massaging his sore and stiff shoulders and neck with their soft yet strong hands.

The debates at court meetings over the past few days, especially the fierce exchange in the Deyang Hall today regarding the rewards for the northern frontier, had exhausted his already meager energy, which had been depleted by wine and women.

The warm pool water enveloped my body, slightly dispelling the deep-seated fatigue and chill.

In his hand, he still clutched the report of victory in the northern frontier, its edges slightly damp from the moisture around the pond.

The ink on the silk was slightly blurred by the water, but the words "slaying in formation," "captured alive," "greatly defeated," and "burning their accumulated strength" were still clear and glaring, carrying the scorching heat of blood and fire, which came through his fingertips, forming a strange contrast with the warm water he was soaking in.

"Ji Xuanyuan... Jingnan Army... Xiang Yu..." Liu Hong closed his eyes, repeatedly chewing on these names in his mind, his thoughts churning.

Today in the imperial court, he defied public opinion and, with an almost autocratic attitude, bestowed unprecedented honors and power upon this young general who rose to prominence in the border region of Youzhou.

At that moment, what stirred within him was not only the joy of a long-awaited great victory, but also a long-suppressed anger and rebellion against the court's decadent and cowardly atmosphere.

He recalled the time when Wei Qing and Huo Qubing of the Wu Emperor's reign attacked the Xiongnu in the north, sealed the Wolf-Dwelling Mountain, and inscribed their achievements on Yanran Mountain. What a spirited and glorious military achievement they were!

That was the strongest voice of the Han Dynasty, a glorious reflection of the pinnacle of Liu's imperial power.

There was a time when he dreamed of having such "General of the Cavalry" and "Marquis of Champion" under his command, to expand his territory, eliminate border troubles, and restore the increasingly declining prestige of the Han Dynasty.

Could Ji Xuanyuan be the one he has his eye on?

Could it be Liu Hong's "Wei Huo"?

Once this thought arises, it spreads like wild grass in the heart.

Ji Xuanyuan's rise to power was astonishing. From a commoner to a military officer in charge of suppressing bandits, then to a general in charge of suppressing barbarians and the governor of Zhuojun, he is now a general of the middle rank and a county marquis, with his own government and power over the northern frontier.

His unpredictable military tactics, innovative governance, and ability to attract talent all demonstrate extraordinary potential.

More importantly, he dared to fight, was capable of fighting, and was able to win!

Faced with the Wuhuan rebellion and the Xianbei provocations, he chose the most direct and violent counterattack, rather than the "appeasement" and "peace negotiation" favored by the officials in the court.

This perfectly reflects the deep-seated passion within Liu Hong—a passion that had been suppressed for far too long by the flattery of the Ten Attendants, the constraints imposed by powerful families, and the financial constraints—a passion that was almost extinguished within him, a passion belonging to the descendants of the Liu family and the emperor of the Han Dynasty.

However, amidst the excitement and anticipation, the cold reality enveloped them like a pool of water.

He is not Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che.

Emperor Wu had the strong national power accumulated during the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing to support his continuous northern expeditions, and the entire central government revolved around his strategy to a certain extent.

And what does Liu Hong have?

The national treasury had long been emptied by his indulgence, the embezzlement of eunuchs, and the corruption of powerful families. Rebellions were frequent in various places, and taxes were difficult to collect.

In the imperial court, factions were everywhere, each with its own ulterior motives, and very few were truly willing to serve the country and obey the emperor's orders.

The military system was corrupt. The central imperial guards were still acceptable, but the border troops were mostly controlled by local powerful figures and generals, and their combat effectiveness was worrying. Otherwise, the Xianbei and Wuhuan would not have been able to repeatedly raid the borders.

The support he could provide to Ji Xuanyuan was extremely limited.

forage?

With frequent wars, the amount of supplies the imperial court could provide was far from sufficient, so Ji Xuanyuan had to rely mainly on his own efforts in Zhuojun to raise funds.

troops?

Apart from the county soldiers nominally under his control and the retainers he was allowed to recruit himself, the imperial court could not provide him with any more elite central troops.

Rewards in the form of money, official titles, and verbal commendations... this is almost the limit of what the emperor's current power can achieve.

Even these rewards had to be pushed through despite the enormous opposition from the court, relying on the emperor's last vestiges of authority.

A profound sense of powerlessness, mixed with anxieties about the future, quietly began to grow.

There was a time when he worried that Ji Xuanyuan's influence would become too great.

Therefore, taking advantage of the fact that Liu Yan's term was about to expire and he was to be reassigned, they conveniently transferred the governor of Youzhou who had personally promoted Ji Xuanyuan away.

At the time, there was also the intention of using this opportunity to warn and limit Ji Xuanyuan's overly rapid expansion of power in Youzhou.

Today in court, Liu Yan indeed wisely refrained from speaking much on behalf of Ji Xuanyuan, and instead subtly expressed his concerns.

But now it seems that without Liu Yan's possible gentle restraint, Ji Xuanyuan has not only not restrained himself, but has become even more powerful like a wild horse!

A major victory in the northern frontier immediately thrust him and his Jingnan Army into the spotlight.

While his extraordinary reward today will greatly boost the loyalty and morale of Ji Xuanyuan and his subordinates, it will also push him to a more prominent and dangerous position.

Liu Yu was known for his benevolence, kindness, and skill in appeasing the barbarians. His governing philosophy was almost diametrically opposed to Ji Xuanyuan's hardline and warlike style.

By granting Ji Xuanyuan the authority to "assist in the defense of the northern frontier," he was nominally assisting Liu Yu, but in reality, he nearly severed the military control of Youzhou.

Could Liu Yu tolerate this?

How would he view this young general who suddenly received the emperor's promotion and whose power rivaled, or even surpassed, that of the governor in some aspects?

"Your Majesty, is the water temperature uncomfortable?" a palace maid asked softly, noticing the slight tension in the emperor's body.

Liu Hong slowly opened his eyes, his gaze somewhat vacant. After a long while, he murmured, "It's alright..."

However, no matter how warm the pool water was, it couldn't warm the chill in my heart.

He waved his hand, signaling the palace maids to step back, and then immersed himself in the rising steam and his chaotic thoughts.

Ji Xuanyuan, Ji Xuanyuan, I have bestowed upon you the greatest honor and power I can give, placing my hopes on you, hoping that you will become my sharp sword and clear the gloom from the northern border for the Han Dynasty.

But will you ultimately be an obedient sword, or a fierce tiger that will eventually turn on you?

Liu Hong didn't know the answer.

All he knew was that he had made his move and the game had begun.

Whether it's the flames of war in the northern frontier, the undercurrents in the imperial court, or the subtle power struggle between the upcoming governor of Youzhou and the "uncrowned king," we can only wait and see.

At this moment, he was merely a weary emperor, feeling the illusion of power and the reality of his body in a gradually cooling hot spring.

Almost simultaneously, on the official road leading to Youzhou, a not-so-luxurious but rather spacious carriage, surrounded by dozens of elite guards, was traveling slowly northward.

Inside the carriage, an elderly man of about forty years old, with a refined and scholarly appearance and a neatly trimmed long beard, was reading a copy of the imperial gazette that had just been delivered by fast horse, using the daylight streaming through the carriage window.

His brows furrowed slightly, his expression focused yet solemn. This man was none other than Liu Yu, the newly appointed governor of Youzhou and a renowned minister of the imperial clan, appointed by imperial decree.

When he read the details of the great victory in the northern frontier and the emperor's rewards, his hand holding the official gazette paused slightly, and then he let out a long, almost inaudible sigh.

"Your Majesty...you've really given me a difficult problem." Liu Yu put down the official gazette, gently rubbing his brow with his fingers, a helpless bitter smile on his face.

Before leaving the capital to take up his post, he had already anticipated the complex situation in Youzhou.

With the aftermath of the Yellow Turban Rebellion still raging, Zhang Chun and Zhang Ju colluded with the Wuhuan to rebel, and their power became too great to control.

The local powerful families in Youzhou were deeply entrenched and alienated from the central government.

The border regions were desolate, and the people suffered greatly.

Although the Xianbei were divided, they were still eyeing him covetously... These were all problems he planned to gradually resolve using strategies such as appeasement, reorganization of internal affairs, and good neighborly relations.

But to his utter surprise, the situation had already changed drastically before he even arrived in Youzhou!

Ji Xuanyuan, the young prefect whom he had heard of before and knew was quite capable, but also knew that he was involved in "unorthodox" matters, was able to do such an earth-shattering thing!

They annihilated Wuyan, severely damaged Ke Quan, and captured Kui Tou alive!

What alarmed him even more was that His Majesty's reaction was not one of balance and restraint.

Instead, it was an almost fanatical act of extraordinary promotion and reward!

"General of the Central Army, Marquis of Zhuo... to establish his own government and govern affairs, overseeing the military and political affairs of Zhuojun, and assisting in the defense of the northern frontier..." Liu Yu murmured, repeating the contents of the official gazette. With each word he read, his heart sank a little deeper.

What does this mean?

This means that, legally speaking, Ji Xuanyuan was no longer just the Prefect of Zhuojun, but a special envoy appointed by the emperor to oversee the military defense of northern Youzhou!

His power to "establish his own government" allowed him to appoint his own staff and officials, and build a relatively independent administrative and military team.

His control over the military and political affairs of Zhuojun made it almost an independent kingdom.

The obligation to defend the northern frontier further gave him a legitimate basis to interfere in the defense of other border counties in Youzhou.

In addition, there was his soaring personal prestige due to the great victory, and his group of brave and unparalleled brothers and soldiers who had just been ennobled and appointed as generals...

In military terms, Ji Xuanyuan has far exceeded the scope of authority of a governor and has become the undisputed military hegemon of Youzhou, or at least the northern border of Youzhou.

Looking out the car window at the somewhat desolate northern plains, Liu Yu felt even heavier than the autumn scenery.

"Given time, if his influence deepens further, these several prefectures in the northern frontier may truly become Ji Wenlie's 'fiefdom'..."

Liu Yu, nominally the highest administrative official of Youzhou, came with the imperial court's mission to "pacify Youzhou and win over distant peoples," but he was facing a "subordinate" who held a large army, had outstanding military achievements, enjoyed the emperor's favor, and clearly held a hardline pro-war stance.

From some perspectives, it's even difficult to say whether they are better or worse.

How could he implement his appeasement policy after Ji Xuanyuan had just launched a near-annihilation attack on the Xianbei tribes and captured their nobles?

Will the Xianbei royal court accept his appeasement?

Or will he unleash his anger on the entire Han court, including Liu Yu himself?

What kind of conflict and internal strife will his fundamental differences with Ji Xuanyuan on frontier strategy lead to?

Is it Ji Xuanyuan who forcibly implemented his strategy by relying on his military achievements and imperial favor, or is it Liu Yu who can stabilize the situation and even influence Ji Xuanyuan by relying on his authority as governor, his status as a member of the imperial clan, and his experience in governing the people?

Is the court's move truly intended to rely on Ji Xuanyuan to quell the northern threat, or is it a deliberate attempt to create some kind of check and balance in Youzhou, or perhaps... there are deeper considerations at play?

A series of questions, like a tangled mess, entangled in Liu Yu's mind.

He knew full well that his trip to Youzhou would likely be far more difficult and complicated than he had anticipated.

Not only must they deal with external rebellions and border troubles, but they must also carefully manage this suddenly rising, powerful "ally" or "opponent" within their own borders.

"Ji Wenlie..." Liu Yu's eyes held a complex expression.

"I hope you are truly as His Majesty expects, a pillar of the nation, and not... the beginning of chaos."