The Three Great Han Dynasties: Awaken Liu Bei with a scolding; you weave mats and sell sandals.

Gongsun Du continued to laugh, and Gongsun Zan, after hearing his words, was even more speechless and could only reluctantly accept it.

However, the Gongsun family was not the only one to make such a decision in the various prefectures of Youzhou.

The reason they chose to bet on both sides was because the Liu family of Youzhou still had the power of the imperial court. Otherwise, they would have long since forgotten how to restrain themselves.

The gentry's pursuit of profit is just like the sycophancy that occurred centuries later; it is both disgusting and repulsive.

It's no wonder that almost every emperor of the Liu family severely suppressed these aristocratic families. When it came to Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, he even caused the disaster of the partisan purge.

This clearly demonstrates just how outrageous these aristocratic actions were, having already touched upon the taboos of imperial power, and could not be tolerated in the slightest.

"how?"

In the governor's mansion in Guangyang County, Liu Hong smiled faintly, a hint of probing in his eyes.

Hearing his words, Cui Yan gave a wry smile, shrugged helplessly, and said directly, "Don't worry, the Cui family of Qinghe is definitely on your side."

After all, the Liu family had never made a single mistake over the years, so even though it was a huge gamble, the Cui family of Qinghe was willing to take it.

Even if you bet wrong, the consequences won't be too great.

Cui Yan first made his stance clear, and it wasn't just Cui Yan alone; almost everyone who served under Liu Hong firmly stood on the side of the Liu family of Youzhou.

This was solely due to the power of the Liu family in Youzhou.

Even if they only know the tip of the iceberg, they would never do the right thing, otherwise the consequences would be something they would regret for the rest of their lives.

Liu Hong glanced at Cui Yan indifferently, then opened his mouth in an annoyed tone: "I wasn't asking you, I was asking about the various prefectures of Youzhou."

Cui Yan then realized what was happening and slowly said, "Liaoxi Commandery and Liaodong Commandery are still well-behaved, and Youbeiping Commandery is even more well-behaved. After all, the Cheng family is just a family from one commandery, and they can't cause any trouble."

As for the other Wuhuan tribes, they were arguably the most peaceful.

They are grateful for your kindness as a member of the Han imperial family, which allowed them to survive several winters without losing a single member of their clan. With such unity, you are probably considered a high and mighty deity by them.

I've heard that many Wuhuan tribes have erected shrines in your honor; that's truly a rare privilege.

Seeing that Cui Yan was changing the subject again, Liu Hong continued to urge him on.

"The other counties were mostly in normal condition, with no particular group of people making any major rebellions."

Even if there were any unusual movements, they were all secretly eliminated, and the official story presented was quite different.

"Who was sent?"

Liu Hong asked another question.

Cui Yan stretched and said, "Who else could it be? Of course, it's my good student Bo Cai, who led Gan Ning and Zhou Cang to wipe them out. In addition, Zhao Yun is also in charge of a region, and Chen Dao also brought a group of men."

"Their three groups of troops were able to stabilize Youzhou in the shortest time, allowing you, the governor of Youzhou, to rise to prominence amidst the chaos of the thirteen provinces of the Han Dynasty and once again catch the emperor's eye."

"Congratulations, Governor Liu! You'll likely be appointed as a Lieutenant General or Commander of the Three Armies soon. It's not impossible that you'll become a Grand General someday."

Upon hearing this, Liu Hong smiled slightly, showing no modesty, and nodded in agreement, as if it were the natural course of things.

……

The scene shifts to Luoyang, where the Yellow Turban Rebellion has broken out, and nearly three months have passed since then.

At first, no one paid attention, but within three months, the rampage of the Yellow Turban rebels had already shocked the world.

Their presence can be seen in Jizhou, Jingzhou, and Xuzhou, and judging from the situation, they seem poised to conquer half of the country.

Its rampage seemed to be approaching Hulao Pass and then heading straight for Luoyang, as if it were about to change the dynasty and change the fate of the nation, which was indeed terrifying.

But at this point, the matter could no longer be concealed, and it was only then that it reached Luoyang and was presented to Emperor Liu Hong.

"The Taiping Cult. How could such a mere Taiping Cult have such a thing?"

"Among the thirteen prefectures of my Great Han Dynasty, has half already been seized by these Yellow Turban rebels?"

Inside the Jade Terrace, Liu Hong was so shocked by this thunderous news that he lost all interest in continuing his debauchery and immediately flew into a rage, speaking out sharply.

Upon hearing this in the North Palace, Zhang Rang was overjoyed. Without hesitation, he stepped forward with his head held high and replied, "Your Majesty, among the thirteen provinces of our Great Han, Liu Hong, the Marquis of Weining, who has been promoted by Your Majesty and appointed as the Governor of You Province, has managed the territory of You Province for several years. Although there are rumors of Yellow Turban uprisings in the various counties under his jurisdiction, not a single city or city has been captured."

"The people of each prefecture, under the command of Governor Liu, the Marquis of Weining, were all diligent and hardworking, and the Yellow Turban rebels could not even get an inch into the border of Youzhou."

"Even with only two or three prefectures in Youzhou, the Yellow Turban rebels are currently the weakest force."

"All of this is due to His Majesty's wisdom in choosing this member of the Han imperial family, which has enabled the Marquis of Weining to achieve what he has today. It is truly a blessing for our Great Han Dynasty and a boon for our people."

"Marquis Liu Hong of Weining... does share a name with me."

Liu Hong raised his eyes slightly, then sat back on the throne. Gradually, he remembered who Liu Hong was, and a smile appeared on his face. "The world is in chaos, and all thirteen provinces of the Han Dynasty are in chaos. Only Youzhou, the land ruled by my Han imperial relatives, is so peaceful."

"I'm afraid Jingzhou still has other territories under the jurisdiction of my Han imperial relatives, so it wouldn't be in such a sorry state."

A chill had crept into his words, and Zhang Rang dared not disobey in the slightest. He could only bow his head and reply with a smile, "Your Majesty is wise."

"It is not that I am wise, but that someone does not want me to have a good life, and that someone wants to seize the Han Dynasty from my Liu family."

Liu Hong said coldly.

Zhang Rang dared not continue the conversation and could only remain silent and bow.

A moment later, the imperial edict was issued: Lu Zhi was appointed as a General of the Central Army to assist in suppressing the unrest in various places; in addition, Liu Hong, the governor of Youzhou, was granted the power to recruit soldiers for his meritorious service and effective governance. He was also granted the authority to make decisions on all military and political affairs within the jurisdiction of Youzhou. Officials of other prefectures, counties, and governments were not allowed to disobey him, and he was to cooperate in suppressing the unrest.

"The central government is suppressing them, and the local governments are responding. I refuse to believe that these mere Yellow Turban rebels can overthrow my Great Han Dynasty with just these few."

Liu Hong shouted again, his eyes now filled with dragon might.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Zhang Rang responded loudly.

Once outside the palace gates, Zhang Rang unconsciously straightened his back again, having just bent down, and muttered to himself in a dignified tone: "What a Marquis of Weining, what a Governor of Youzhou."

"As expected, I was right about you. The Han imperial family is ultimately more reliable than these aristocratic families. This time, the aristocratic families made a decision without consulting me. It's like asking a tiger for its skin."

Zhang Rang sneered repeatedly.

As a eunuch, he had always colluded with the gentry in the court, and many officials were representatives of his eunuch faction.

This time, however, no one informed the eunuch faction at all when the aristocratic families held their meetings, which shows how low the aristocratic families regarded them.

They have long been dispensable.

This thorn was pricking Zhang Rang's heart painfully; it was truly unsettling not to remove it.