Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

Guo Jia returned to the carriage from his horse and smiled at Xun Yu:

"This Prefect Wang is a really good actor. He can shed tears so easily."

Xun Yu shook his head: "That's normal in officialdom. But your memorial, Marquis... was indeed risky."

"What's there to be afraid of?" Guo Jia said nonchalantly.

"Our Marquis is quite shrewd. Look at his performance in Luoyang; His Majesty treats him like a treasure now. At most, he'll get a scolding for submitting a memorial, but he won't lose his head."

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui were sitting in another carriage, discussing something in hushed tones.

"Brother Fang, what do you think of the lord's memorial? Is it feasible?" Du Ruhui asked.

Fang Xuanling pondered, "It's likely to succeed. Firstly, Jizhou is indeed in dire straits; His Majesty only needs to send someone to take a look to know. Secondly, our lord has just rendered great service, and His Majesty is currently favoring him."

Du Ruhui nodded: "That makes sense. But even if it works out, it will take at least three to five years to recover from this mess in Ji Province."

"Therefore, my lord is wise to keep military affairs in his own hands and let Wang Fen handle the political affairs," Fang Xuanling said with a smile. "Our target is Youzhou, and as for Jizhou... just keep it stable."

The procession continued onward.

The autumn sky is high and the air is crisp; the weather is perfect.

In areas unaffected by the disaster, farmers can occasionally be seen working in the fields by the roadside. Although they are still thin and pale, at least they have something to do.

Looking at this scene, Xun Yu sighed, "If we could exempt the land rent, Ji Province might be able to recover some of its vitality next spring."

Fang Xuanling nodded: "The people's livelihood is of utmost importance. When the people have hope, they will naturally be able to work with peace of mind."

Du Ruhui added: "However, the key lies in implementation. The fear is that when the imperial edict is issued, local officials will outwardly comply but inwardly disobey."

Liu Ce was aware of the situation, but he couldn't worry about that now; there was an even bigger mess to deal with in Youzhou.

The situation was much more lively on the military side.

Lu Bu and Yuwen Chengdu have started competing again, having already sparred three times along the way:

In the archery contest, Lü Bu won; in the martial arts contest, Yuwen Chengdu won; in the horsemanship contest... before the result was determined, Dian Wei insisted on joining in halfway through the race, startling both horses.

"Fengxian, when we get to Zhuojun, let's have another good match," Yuwen Chengdu said with a smile.

"I'm ready anytime." Lü Bu raised an eyebrow.

Zhang Liao and Gao Shun watched from the sidelines, shaking their heads in disbelief.

Zhang Liao whispered, "These two are just natural enemies."

Gao Shun was a man of few words; he simply said two words: "Pretty good."

"What's so good about it?" Zhang Liao asked, puzzled.

"Competition is the driving force for progress." Gao Shun rarely said such a long sentence.

The two brothers, Yan Liang and Wen Chou, were discussing...

"I heard from Dian Wei that the hot pot in Zhuojun is absolutely amazing!" Yan Liang swallowed hard.

"And there's braised pork knuckle rice!" Wen Chou added, "It's stewed until very tender, and smells delicious!"

Yu Jin couldn't listen any longer: "Generals, we're going to fight a war, not to eat."

"Even soldiers need to eat!" Yan Liang retorted confidently. "How can we fight a war if we're not well-fed?"

Wen Chou chimed in, "Exactly! Exactly!"

Huang Zhong rode his horse, remaining silent.

He was preoccupied with his son's illness and only hoped to arrive in Zhuojun soon so that Liu Ce could fulfill his promise.

Zhao Yun and Dian Wei stood guard on either side of Liu Ce's carriage.

Dian Wei grinned, "Brother, we're almost home! I want to eat..."

Liu Ce poked his head out of the carriage: "Don't worry, there's plenty! When we get to Zhuojun, we'll have a good meal!"

While Liu Ce was heading north, Liu Hong was enjoying life in the Greenhouse Hall in the Luoyang Imperial Palace.

The floor of the hall was covered with carpets from the Western Regions, and the walls were hung with the poems written by Liu Ce.

A dozen or so dancers were dancing, their clothes fluttering in the breeze, while musicians played instruments and sang, creating a lively scene.

Liu Hong leaned back on the soft couch, holding a glass of wine in his hand—the same set Liu Ce had given him, filled with fine grape wine from the Western Regions.

Sunlight streamed through the glass, refracting into a dazzling array of colors that filled him with joy.

"Good stuff..." he murmured to himself, "My brother is a sensible man."

Then.

"Great! Well done!" he clapped his hands. "Reward them! Reward them all!"

Just as she was enjoying herself, Zhang Rang tiptoed in, carrying a scroll of silk.

Liu Hong frowned: "What is it? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Zhang Rang smiled apologetically: "Your Majesty, it is an urgent memorial from the Marquis of Champion. I dare not delay."

"Give it to me." Liu Hong put down his wine cup and took the silk scroll.

He unfolded it and frowned.

The gist of it is: Jizhou is in a terrible state; houses have burned down, land is barren, and people are starving to death. We beg for a year's rent exemption.

Liu Hong fell silent.

Zhang Rang's heart pounded: What did the Marquis of Champion write? Did he displease His Majesty?

After reading it, Liu Hong remained silent for a while, then handed the memorial to Zhang Rang:

"Take a look too."

Zhang Rang took the document, quickly scanned it, and his heart sank—waiving a year's land rent in Ji Province? This Marquis of Champion is incredibly audacious! This is tantamount to threatening the imperial treasury!

……

Rent waiver? That's a lot of money! The Yellow Turban Rebellion has been raging for over half a year, and the national treasury is already depleted. Waiving rent now would only make matters worse.

Liu Hong was about to refuse when he suddenly noticed the glass in his hand.

The transparent cup reflects a rainbow of colors under the candlelight.

Then I remembered the complete set of glassware that Liu Ce had given me—a teapot, wine cups, bowls and plates, each one exquisite.

Then I recalled Liu Ce's performance in Luoyang: he was good at writing poetry and prose, good at fighting battles, and was also very sensible, never asking me for anything.

More importantly... Liu Ce is a member of the imperial clan, one of our own. Stabilizing Ji Province is beneficial to the imperial court.

Moreover... the statement in the memorial made sense: "The lesson of the Qin Dynasty losing the empire due to its heavy taxes is right before our eyes."

Although Liu Hong is playful, he is not stupid.

How did the Yellow Turban Rebellion start? Wasn't it because the common people couldn't survive? If Ji Province were to fall into chaos again, the cost of suppressing the rebellion would be far more than exempting a year's worth of land rent.

He hesitated for a long time.

Zhang Rang, observing the situation closely, cautiously said:

"Your Majesty, the Marquis of Champion's memorial... makes some sense. Ji Province has just been pacified, and the people's hearts are unsettled. If we push too hard... However, this matter concerns taxes, so we must proceed with caution."

"I know," Liu Hong waved his hand.

He stared at the memorial for a long time, and finally sighed:

"Yes, please."

Zhang Rang was taken aback: "Your Majesty?"

"Approved," Liu Hong said. "Draft an edict to exempt the people of Jizhou from one year's land rent in order to provide relief to the disaster victims."

"Your Majesty is wise!" Zhang Rang quickly flattered.

Liu Hong tossed the memorial to Zhang Rang:

"Let the Imperial Secretariat draft an edict. Oh, and in the edict, mention that I am compassionate towards the people and, mindful of the disaster suffered in Ji Province, have granted a one-year exemption from land rent—let the whole world know that I am a benevolent ruler!"

"This servant understands!" Zhang Rang took the memorial, bowed, and withdrew.

As Zhang Rang stepped out of the greenhouse, he wiped the sweat from his brow.

He knew in his heart: His Majesty's generosity this time shows how much face the Marquis of Champion has.

"Knowing how to give gifts is a skill in itself," Zhang Rang remarked.

Soon, the Imperial Secretariat received the Emperor's approval, drafted a formal edict, affixed the Imperial Seal, and issued it for implementation.

The whole process went surprisingly smoothly.