Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

The study was quiet for a few seconds, and the two stared at each other for a long time.

Liu Ce cleared his throat, then waved his hand, trying to appear calm, and said:

"Yes, good to know. I'll leave this to you. The prison will be built outside Luoyang City, not too close to the city, but not too far either. All the guards will be veterans from our Embroidered Uniform Guard; they must be reliable. They need to keep a close eye on them, making sure none of them escape, but also prevent them from forming cliques and causing trouble inside."

Lu Bing forced a laugh and bowed in agreement:

"Understood! I guarantee it will be handled perfectly, not even a fly will be able to get through!"

After saying that, he turned and walked out.

As soon as I stepped out of the study, I couldn't help but cover my mouth and burst out laughing.

Our lord's move was truly ruthless, but also incredibly effective!

...

A few days later, Liu Ce wrote a letter in his study.

He checked it carefully and, after confirming that everything was correct, called Lu Bing over.

"Lu Bing, send this letter to Zhuo County and deliver it to Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Xun Yu, and others. It is an urgent letter delivered by express courier."

Lu Bing took the letter and nodded, saying:

"yes!"

He turned around and went out.

The letter mainly contained several points:

First, send people from Youzhou Academy to the various prefectures and counties that have already been recovered. Yanzhou, Qingzhou, Yuzhou, Xuzhou, and Liangzhou all need a large number of officials to govern them. Youzhou Academy has trained many talented people in recent years; it's time to put them to use.

Second, we need to discuss how to govern the various prefectures and counties that have already been recovered. The situations in different places vary, so a one-size-fits-all approach is not feasible. We must develop specific plans tailored to local conditions.

Third, make preparations to move the base from Zhuo County in Youzhou to Luoyang. Luoyang is the capital, the center of the world. Now that we have conquered most of the north, we should move the main camp here to facilitate command of the overall situation.

Fourth, it was time for the family members to prepare to move to Luoyang. Cai Yan, Zhen Jiang, Zhang Ning, Ren Hongchang, and their eleven children all had to come.

Fifth, there are also some routine arrangements.

After sending the letter, Liu Ce leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh of relief.

almost.

Once Fang Xuanling and his men arrive, once governance in various regions is on track, and once the army has rested and reorganized, we can consider heading south.

The four prefectures of Yangzhou, Jingzhou, Yizhou, and Jiaozhou are still observing the situation.

But it's okay, he's not in a hurry.

Let's stabilize the situation, and then stabilize it again.

Taking too big a step can easily lead to nonsense.

...

Four days later, in Zhuo County, Youzhou, at the Prince of Yan's residence.

Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Xun Yu and others received Liu Ce's letter.

The group huddled together and read the letter from beginning to end.

After reading it, Fang Xuanling stroked his beard and said:

"Our lord is about to begin a comprehensive governance. The talents of Youzhou Academy will come in handy."

Du Ruhui nodded and said:

"The situation varies from prefecture to prefecture, so we must adapt to local conditions. Yanzhou, Qingzhou, Yuzhou, and Xuzhou have just been recovered, and we need to stabilize the people's hearts. As for Liangzhou, Xu Da and Li Ji have just taken it, and we also need to send people to govern it."

Xun Yu pondered for a moment and said:

"The relocation to Luoyang must be arranged as soon as possible. Zhuoxian is, after all, a remote corner, while Luoyang is the capital. Moving to Luoyang is only a matter of time. Now that the north is pacified, it is indeed time to move. Only by being based in Luoyang can we rule the world."

Du Ruhui pondered for a moment and said:

"The selection and appointment of officials in various regions must be done with care. Youzhou Academy has trained many people in recent years, and they can be put to good use. However, careful screening is necessary to ensure that only the virtuous and capable are chosen."

Fang Xuanling said, "Wenruo is right. The situations in the five provinces of Yan, Qing, Yu, Xu, and Liang are all different. Yan, Yu, and Xu are relatively stable, so we can send young officials there to gain experience; Qing has many remnants of the Yellow Turbans, so we need capable and experienced officials; Liang is a border region, so we need someone who can keep things under control."

Du Ruhui added, "The performance evaluation system for officials must also be improved. We can't let them go wild once they're in their posts. There should be an evaluation every three years; those who perform well should be promoted, those who perform poorly should be replaced, and those who are corrupt should be beheaded."

Fang Xuanling said:

"That's right. Let's split up and prepare. Ru Hui will be in charge of selecting officials, Wen Ruo will be in charge of the governance plan, and I will be in charge of the relocation of the capital. What do you think?"

Du Ruhui and Xun Yu nodded in agreement.

"Let's do it this way."

The group of people started discussing the specifics, one after another.

Finally, a few things were decided:

First, over three hundred outstanding students were selected from Youzhou Academy and assigned to various recovered prefectures and counties to serve as county magistrates, assistant magistrates, and other grassroots officials. These individuals had been trained by Youzhou Academy for several years; they were cultured, knowledgeable in law, and knew how to govern local areas.

Second, formulate a unified governance plan. Land surveying, resettling displaced people, restoring production, and rectifying official corruption have already been proven effective in Youzhou, Jizhou, and Bingzhou, so they can be directly promoted.

Third, arrange the relocation. The Prince Yan's Mansion in Luoyang has been packed up, but there are still a lot of people and belongings to move in Zhuoxian. We need to assign someone to be in charge and relocate them in batches.

Fourth, reply to Liu Ce, report the situation, and request instructions on the next steps.

......

Over the next few days, the group was extremely busy.

Fang Xuanling began to organize the political experience accumulated in Youzhou over the years, wrote it into a booklet, and prepared to take it to Luoyang.

Du Ruhui reviewed intelligence reports sent from various regions to understand the situation in Yanzhou, Qingzhou, Yuzhou, Xuzhou, and Liangzhou, in order to prepare for the selection of officials.

Xun Yu then summoned the students of Youzhou Academy to conduct assessments and interviews, selecting the most outstanding group to be sent to various prefectures.

Busy as they may be, everyone knows in their hearts...

The world is finally getting back on track.

The people of Zhuo County in Youzhou were reluctant to see the Prince of Yan move to Luoyang.

In recent years, under the rule of the Prince of Yan, life has gotten better and better. Every family has surplus grain, and children have access to education. Who would bear to part with such a life?

But everyone knew that the Prince of Yan was going to do something important, so all they could do was offer their blessings.

...

a few days later.

The various armies gradually returned to Luoyang.

Xue Rengui, Su Lie, Zhang He, Yuwen Chengdu, Yu Jin, and Xu Huang all returned with their troops.

The four provinces of Kanto were all recovered, and the process was surprisingly smooth.

Xu Da and Li Ji also returned from Liangzhou with their troops. Ma Teng surrendered, Han Sui was captured, and Liangzhou was pacified.

Outside Luoyang, banners fluttered and horns sounded.

Liu Ce personally went out of the city to greet him.

He rode his black horse, stood at the city gate, and looked at the vast army returning in the distance, feeling an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Xue Rengui was the first to spur his horse forward, dismount, and clasp his hands in greeting:

"My lord! Your humble servant has fulfilled your mission; the entire territory of Qingzhou has been recovered!"

Su Lie stepped forward and said, "My lord! The entire territory of Yu Province has been recovered!"

Zhang He, Yuwen Chengdu, Yu Jin, and Xu Huang also stepped forward to report:

"My lord! The entire territory of Yanzhou has been recovered!"

"My lord! The entire territory of Xuzhou has been recovered!"

Finally, there are Xu Da and Li Ji:

"My lord! The entire Liangzhou region has been recovered! Ma Teng has surrendered, and Han Sui has been captured!"

Liu Ce laughed heartily, dismounted, and helped each of his generals to their feet.

"Good! Good! You've all worked hard! Let's go into town! I'll personally host a banquet for you tonight!"

Squads of soldiers marched into the city in neat formations.

The people spontaneously flocked to the city gate to welcome the victorious soldiers.

That evening, a grand banquet was held at the Prince of Yan's Mansion in Luoyang.

...

...

...

(Here's a side note: regarding the officials in charge of governing Yanzhou, Qingzhou, Yuzhou, Xuzhou, and Liangzhou, Liu Ce sent outstanding students from Youzhou Academy because Liu Ce was the principal of Youzhou Academy... [Image])

(Why not send Tian Feng, Ju Shou, Shen Pei, Tian Chou, Tian Yu, and others? Liu Ce felt it was unnecessary; occasionally sending Tian Feng, Ju Shou, and others to inspect would suffice. Also, regarding loyalty, Liu Ce trusted the students of Youzhou Academy more.)