Emperor Zhaolie of the late Han Dynasty: Rising to power in Liaoxi

Chapter 124 Rewards

But as soon as he stepped into the territory of Youbeiping, the imperial edict from the Luoyang court was delivered to the Youbeiping prefecture by fast horse.

The imperial edict was stern and stern, demanding accountability for the Xianbei's invasion of the Central Plains.

Liu Qi, the Prefect of Youbeiping, failed to defend the territory effectively, resulting in the loss of border defenses and invasion by the Hu barbarians. He was stripped of all his official titles and ranks and sentenced to exile to the malaria-ridden land of Rinan.

Xia Yu, the Protector of the Wuhuan, underestimated the enemy and advanced recklessly, resulting in heavy losses of soldiers and generals. He was fined one year's salary.

In the end, it was the elderly Prefect Liu Qi who took the blame for everyone.

Rinan is located in the southern border region, a place with dense jungles and rampant miasma. It has always been a place for exiling death row inmates. For an elderly person, being exiled here is almost equivalent to a death sentence, with no chance of survival.

After the decree was read aloud, Liu Qi silently accepted it, his face filled with sorrow, and instructed Gongsun Zan to act with caution.

Gongsun Zan looked at his old superior, the bride-to-be, whose hair and beard were all white and who was about to go to his death, and felt a mix of emotions.

He knew that Liu Qi had not done anything seriously wrong, but had taken on the enormous blame for Xia Yu and himself.

Three days later, Liu Qi's prison cart set off for Rinan.

Officials and soldiers along the way dared not see him off due to the laws and regulations of the imperial court.

Only Gongsun Zan changed into coarse clothes, disguised himself as a guard, and followed beside the prison cart.

He disregarded the advice of those around him and ignored the imperial decree that "officials exiled to prison must not be escorted privately."

Throughout the journey, he personally served Liu Qi his food and medicine, cleared roads through mountains and built bridges over rivers, sharing joys and sorrows and never leaving his side.

After driving out Su Li, Liu Bei led his army back to Yangle City in Liaoxi.

Upon hearing of the Xianbei invasion and Xu Rong's successful retreat, Liu Bei clapped his hands in praise: "Yuan Zhao remained calm in the face of danger, using a thousand men as a feint to frighten away three thousand Xianbei cavalry, thus ensuring the safety of the entire Liaoxi region. He truly is a general of great talent!"

He immediately ordered that the three armies be richly rewarded, especially the soldiers who had rendered meritorious service in defending the city. Xu Rong and Gao Shun were particularly commended.

After the soldiers and civilians have been appeased and the spoils of the battle have been counted.

Liu Bei then dismissed his attendants, leaving only Cheng Yu and Jian Yong in the mansion to discuss how to submit memorials praising the meritorious generals and soldiers who had contributed to the battle.

Holding the bamboo slips, Cheng Yu clearly and logically explained: "My lord, this battle can be attributed to three great achievements."

"Firstly, it relieved the siege of Changli and stabilized the vassal state of Liaodong;"

Secondly, to relieve the crisis in Jicheng and expel Su Li from the heart of Youzhou;

"Thirdly, defend the Liaoxi homeland and repel the Mija raid."

"For meritorious soldiers, rewards should be distributed according to their merits, with a clear distinction between primary and secondary contributions. This not only conforms to the regulations of the imperial court but also puts the minds of the people at ease."

Liu Bei nodded upon hearing this, deeply agreeing.

The three men worked through the night to compile a detailed report listing the achievements of each soldier, which was then sent to Luoyang by express courier.

Soon after, the imperial edict was delivered to Liaoxi by a eunuch and read aloud in the main hall of the prefect's residence.

The imperial edict begins by praising Liu Bei: "He was loyal and brave in serving the country, pacified the barbarians, and brought peace to the northern frontier. His achievements are truly great."

Immediately, an award was issued: Liu Bei was promoted to Marquis of Lucheng, still serving as Commandant of Liaoxi Commandery, and concurrently acting as Commandant of Liaodong Dependent State, and was granted the authority to hold an imperial insignia.

When the four characters "Marquis of Lucheng" were read out from the imperial edict gate, Liu Bei was startled, and his hands, which were bowing to receive the decree, trembled slightly.

Lu Chengting is located in Zhuo County, Zhuojun, Youzhou, his ancestral home, which was the place where his ancestor, Liu Zhen, son of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, was enfeoffed.

In the past, Liu Zhen lost his title due to a loss of gold, and the title of Marquis of Lucheng Pavilion was lost. More than three hundred years have passed since then.

The Eastern Han Dynasty had a long-standing tradition of granting preferential treatment to members of the imperial family and "restoring the fiefdoms of their ancestors." However, when this favor fell upon him, it still stirred up Liu Bei's emotions.

He bowed again in gratitude, his voice steady yet unable to conceal his emotions: "Your subject Liu Bei accepts the imperial decree!"

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

Although he was not promoted to the position of prefect, he was appointed "acting as the Commandant of the Liaodong Dependent State," which meant that he rightfully took control of the military and political power of the Liaodong Dependent State and stepped out of the territory of Liaoxi Prefecture.

The phrase "holding the imperial staff" further granted him the power of life and death on the border.

Holding the imperial insignia, one can make decisions on the spot and execute officials below the rank of two thousand piculs who disobey orders without having to report to the court. Military and political autonomy has more than doubled compared to before.

After the imperial edict was read out, the eunuch read out the decrees of reward and honor for the generals and soldiers under his command, which corresponded to the edicts previously presented by Liu Bei.

First, there's the Liaodong vassal state.

Gong Shamu was posthumously granted the title of Marquis of Changli County. Upon hearing this, the Gong Sha brothers were moved to tears and felt even more grateful to Liu Bei.

Subsequently, as mentioned earlier, Gongsha Shao became the Chief Administrator of Liaodong Dependent State, assisting Liu Bei in managing military affairs in Liaodong Dependent State.

Gong Shafu served as the magistrate of Changli County.

Gongsun Bai was transferred to Linyu County as magistrate, and Tian Shao was transferred to Feiru County as magistrate. Both were promoted from military commanders to officials of the court with official seals and salaries of 200 shi (a unit of grain).

The two men were overjoyed to receive the imperial decree, believing that Liu Bei had done everything in his power to help them rise from local strongmen and their subordinates to become proper officials of the imperial court.

He repeatedly kowtowed to Liu Bei in gratitude, completely unaware that he had been quietly transferred away from his home base in Liaodong, and all his military power had been taken into Liu Bei's hands.

Tian Yu was transferred to the position of Commandant and Assistant Commandant of Liaodong Dependent State, where he assisted Liu Bei in managing the military and political affairs of Liaodong Dependent State, becoming the nominal second-in-command of the dependent state.

Xu Rong was transferred to the position of Chief Administrator of Liaoxi Commandery, where he assisted Liu Bei in managing military affairs throughout the entire commandery, becoming the nominal second-in-command of the Liaoxi military.

Cheng Pu and Han Dang were appointed Cavalry Commandant and bestowed with brocade and fine horses. Although they were not promoted to the next rank, they received official military titles from the court and could legitimately expand their troops.

Cheng Yu was appointed magistrate of Yangle County, in charge of civil administration in Liaoxi Commandery, becoming Liu Bei's most reliable support in the rear.

Zhao Yun, Gao Shun, and Hou Cheng were all promoted from military commanders to military officers, each leading their own troops and becoming core generals directly under Liu Bei.

Zhao Bao, the governor of Liaoxi, was promoted to the title of Marquis of Le'an Pavilion in recognition of his merits in protecting the territory and ensuring the safety of the people.

After the great battle of Youzhou, all of Liu Bei's men received substantial rewards, which boosted morale and strengthened the bonds between the army and the people.

After the eunuch delivering the imperial decree was sent away and the generals in the mansion dispersed, Liu Bei received official documents from the prefectural government and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

According to the custom of the Han Dynasty, when a marquis was promoted to a higher rank or a border official was granted imperial authority, he had to go to Luoyang in person to meet the emperor to express his gratitude and receive the seal and insignia.

This matter was unavoidable, and it was also an excellent opportunity for him to step into the center of power and see the situation in Luoyang clearly.

Liu Bei immediately closed the door and repeatedly discussed with Cheng Yu, Xu Rong, Tian Yu and others, and decided on the arrangements for leaving the Liaoxi and Liaodong vassal states to be guarded.

In Liaoxi, Xu Rong was in charge of all military affairs in the prefecture, with Cheng Pu, Han Dang, and Cheng Yu assisting him.

The primary task remained to ensure the safety of the people and cultivate the land, while also developing water conservancy projects and promoting agriculture and sericulture. Secondly, the focus was on strengthening the army, repairing border fortifications, and preventing the Xianbei from invading southward again.

The Liaodong Dependent State was headed by Tian Yu, who was in charge of the military and political affairs of the Dependent State, with Hou Cheng, Gongsha Shao, and Gongsha Fu assisting him.

They gathered refugees, rectified officialdom, recruited soldiers, firmly stabilized the Changli defense line, and completely transformed the Liaodong vassal state into the eastern barrier of western Liaoning.

Everything is arranged properly!

Liu Bei then took only Zhao Yun as his personal guard commander, Jian Yong as his accompanying strategist, and twenty elite guards, traveling lightly and discreetly to Luoyang to meet the emperor.

On the day of departure, Xu Rong, Cheng Yu, Tian Yu, Zhao Bao and others led a group of civil and military officials to escort them all the way to Shili Pavilion outside Yangle City.

Cheng Yu stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said in a deep voice, "My lord, on your journey to Luoyang, the court is turbulent and unpredictable, eunuchs hold power, and the disaster of the partisan purge has not yet subsided. You must be careful in all matters."

Liu Bei nodded, patted Cheng Yu's arm, and said gently, "I'll leave the affairs of Liaoxi and the vassal states to you all. I will return in three months at the earliest, or half a year at the latest!"

Little did he know that this departure would last for three years!