Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

Liu Hong cursed for a long time until his throat was dry. He picked up his teacup and took a big gulp, but he drank too fast and choked, coughing violently.

Zhang Rang quickly stepped forward and patted his back: "Your Majesty, please calm down and take care of your health..."

Liu Hong, finally recovering, roared, panting, "Issue an imperial decree! Summon all officials to the Deyang Palace for a meeting! I need to give these good-for-nothings a good talking-to. They collect their salaries every day without doing any work, and now the rebels are practically at our doorstep—what are they going to do?!"

"Yes, yes!" Zhang Rang scrambled out to deliver the imperial decree.

Liu Hong's chest heaved with rage as he looked at the mess on the floor. He kicked the broken table again, yelling, "They're all useless! Completely useless!"

Liu Hong plopped back down on the couch, looking at the mess on the floor, and became angrier the more he thought about it.

The Yellow Turban Rebellion had only been over for a little over six months, and he had barely enjoyed a few days of peace when Liangzhou was thrown into chaos again. These rebels were particularly good at picking their time—springtime, a time when food was scarce and the imperial court's provisions were also limited.

"A bunch of ungrateful wretches!" he cursed again.

Half an hour later, at Deyang Palace.

The hall was packed with ministers, civil officials on the left and military officers on the right, all with their heads bowed, eyes downcast, not daring to utter a sound.

Liu Hong sat on the dragon throne, his face ashen, clutching the urgent letter in his hand.

"Is everyone here?" he asked coldly.

"Your Majesty, everyone has arrived," Zhang Rang said cautiously.

"it is good."

Liu Hong threw the letter on the ground.

"Look at yourselves! Bian Zhang and Han Sui are practically touching the tombs of our ancestors!"

"You all usually argue so loudly in court, this one saying that's wrong, that one saying this has a problem, this one saying corrupt officials should be severely punished, that one saying official corruption should be rectified, but now you've all fallen silent?"

"They all take my money and eat my food, but when it really matters, they can't even utter a fart!"

The ministers were severely reprimanded.

Some were looking down and picking at their sleeves, some were secretly exchanging glances, and some simply closed their eyes to rest—Liangzhou was a place known for its fierce people, and the rebel army was cavalry, swift as the wind, making them difficult to deal with.

Moreover, the imperial treasury is currently empty—a lot of money was spent last year fighting the Yellow Turbans, and this year's tax revenue has not yet come in, so where will the money come from to fight the war?

Who would dare to step forward at this time? Anyone who did would be obligated to quell the rebellion. If they succeeded, it would be their duty; if they failed, it would be dereliction of duty, punishable by dismissal or even execution.

Liu Hong ranted for the duration of an incense stick burning, denouncing everything from the Liangzhou rebellion to the court's corruption, from the ministers' incompetence to natural and man-made disasters. His mouth was parched before he finally sat down, panting, and slapped the armrest of the dragon throne: "I've finished ranting! Now, think of a solution! Who will quell the rebellion? If the rebels truly occupy the Three Auxiliary Regions and desecrate the imperial tombs, you will all be buried with me!"

Actually, Liu Hong did have someone in mind.

The first person he thought of was Liu Ce—his "younger brother," the Marquis of Champion, General of Chariots and Cavalry, and Governor of Youzhou. Last year, he quelled the Yellow Turban Rebellion with remarkable efficiency, defeating 100,000 at Zhuojun… He burned Bo Cai at Changshe, beheaded Zhang Bao at Xiaquyang, and at Guangzong…

But then I thought about it again and hesitated.

Liu Ce is currently in Youzhou, where he has to deal with the mess there—the resettlement of displaced people, border defense, and keep an eye on the Wuhuan and Xianbei to prevent them from raiding. Moreover, there are still remnants of the Yellow Turbans in Jizhou, who also need him to keep them in check.

"Send my younger brother to Liangzhou to quell the rebellion..."

Liu Hong muttered to himself, "Isn't this a bit unfair? He's doing so well in Youzhou, and I'm being transferred to that godforsaken place, Liangzhou..."

Thinking about this, Liu Hong himself felt a little embarrassed to speak.

The hall was quiet for a moment.

At this moment, Situ Cuilie stepped forward.

Cui Lie had bought the position of Minister of Works from Liu Hong for five million coins—yes, he bought the position through Lady Cheng, Emperor Ling's wet nurse. Therefore, he always spoke with a sense of unease in court.

"Your Majesty," Cui Lie bowed and said, "the rebel army in Liangzhou has captured Hanyang and is approaching the Three Auxiliary Regions. The government troops have suffered repeated defeats, and the treasury is empty. I believe... Liangzhou is remote and difficult to subdue, and the Qiang and Hu tribes are hard to control. It would be better to abandon it, consolidate our forces, and defend Chang'an to ensure the safety of the capital region!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a buzz of discussion erupted in the hall.

Abandon Liangzhou? That was one of the thirteen provinces of the Han Dynasty, one of the four commanderies established by Emperor Wu of Han when he expanded the territory! Abandon it just like that?

"Minister Cui is mistaken!"

With a furious shout, Fu Xie, the Imperial Secretary, strode forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword—although swords were not allowed in the palace, it was a habitual gesture, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Fu Xie was from Beidi County in Liangzhou. He was upright and could not stand anyone saying they wanted to abandon his hometown.

"Liangzhou is the nation's bulwark. Emperor Xiaowu opened up four prefectures precisely to sever the right arm of the Xiongnu! If we abandon it now, the Qiang and Hu tribes will gain fertile land and will surely lead their troops eastward. At that time, the Three Auxiliary Regions will be in danger, and Chang'an will be in peril! Minister Cui, as the prime minister, does not think of suppressing the rebellion but instead wants to cede territory. This is a reckless and treacherous argument that should lead to the downfall of the country, and he should be executed!"

"You!" Cui Lie's face flushed crimson. "Fu Yilang, you...you insulted the Three Dukes in court! This is utterly disrespectful!"

"Alright, alright."

Grand Master of Ceremonies Yang Zan stepped forward to smooth things over, saying, "Fu Yilang's loyalty and courage are commendable, but what the Minister of Works said is not without basis. Abandoning Liangzhou is a temporary measure, which is better than the war spreading to Guanzhong and causing widespread suffering."

He glanced at the representatives of the powerful families and said meaningfully, "Your Majesty, the most urgent task is to quickly appoint a commander-in-chief, not to engage in empty talk."

These words were ostensibly meant to encourage reconciliation, but in reality, they were a message to the powerful families—it was time to push someone away.

As expected, Grand Tutor Yuan Wei stroked his beard and stepped forward, with Xun Shuang and Yang Biao behind him nodding slightly, forming a powerful family camp.

Yuan Wei was calculating in his mind: Liu Ce was tied up in Youzhou, which presented a perfect opportunity for the powerful clans to seize power. If they could take over the position of commander-in-chief in suppressing the rebellion, they could not only place their own people in the army, but also take the opportunity to control Guanzhong. For the Yuan clan of Runan to advance further, controlling military power was key.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger," Yuan Wei bowed, his voice steady. "Fu Yilang is commendable for his loyalty and courage, but what the Minister of Works said is not without merit. I believe that abandoning Liangzhou is absolutely unacceptable, but the right person is needed to quell the rebellion."

He paused, then continued, "Yuan Pang of Runan is a veteran official of our dynasty. He made outstanding contributions in overseeing logistics during the suppression of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Moreover, Yuan Pang has long maintained connections with the powerful families of Guanzhong and Liangzhou, and can coordinate provisions and private troops to jointly fight the rebels. Yuan Pang is a prudent man and will certainly not tolerate his soldiers looting, thus ensuring the safety of the property of the powerful families in the Three Auxiliary Regions."

That's a clever way of putting it—it both puts his own people out of trouble and gives the emperor a way out: Yuan Pang can coordinate the private armies of powerful families without the court having to spend too much money and grain; he can also ensure that the people are not disturbed and that the property of the powerful families in the Three Auxiliary Regions is protected.

Yang Biao immediately added, echoing the emperor's concerns: "What Lord Yuan said is absolutely right! In addition, Wei Duan of Anding is a prominent family in Liangzhou, having lived there for generations. They have a long-standing relationship with the Qiang and Hu leaders, and command several thousand private soldiers who are familiar with the geography. If Yuan Pang is appointed as the commander-in-chief and Wei Duan as the deputy, we can 'use Liangzhou to control Liangzhou,' which can both militarily suppress them and appease and divide them."

He lowered his voice, but made sure the entire hall could hear him: "Kuang Weiduan is willing to donate his family's provisions to help the court quell the rebellion; this is the heart of a loyal minister!"

Liu Hong's eyes lit up—donate grain? That's great!

The imperial court is currently short of money and grain. If Wei Duan could donate grain, it would save a lot of expenses.