Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

He paused, then added, "Besides, if that rebellious son really dares to go against Your Highness, where will this old minister put his face? Your Highness, rest assured, leave this matter to this old minister!"

And that's how it was settled.

Zhu Jun then chatted with everyone about the local customs and culture of Jiaozhou, such as lychees, longans, coconuts, miasma, poisonous insects, and the rainy season, which amazed everyone.

When the conversation got lively, he also told many funny stories about suppressing the rebellion in Jiaozhou back then, such as having his dry food stolen by monkeys in the middle of the night, or being chased by crocodiles while bathing in the river, which made everyone laugh out loud.

Finally, Zhu Jun, eager to return to write a letter, rose to take his leave.

Reaching the door, he turned back and added, "Your Highness, when I write this letter, could you please mention that I'm doing quite well in Luoyang, and that he shouldn't worry about me? If he dares to disobey, I'll personally go to Jiaozhou to deal with him!"

Liu Ce smiled and nodded, saying, "Don't worry, Master Zhu, you can write it however you like."

Zhu Jun then left satisfied.

Watching Zhu Jun's departing figure, Liu Ce smiled and said to everyone, "Alright, now the matters of the three provinces are all settled. Yi Province will be persuaded to surrender, Yang Province will be attacked, and Jiao Province will send a letter. Let's just wait for good news!"

Everyone responded in unison, and the council hall was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation.

...

a few days later.

In Wang Yun's mansion in Luoyang, a group of old men with white hair and beards sat around a table.

The hot tea on the table had been replaced several times, and it was almost like drinking plain water, but no one was in the mood to drink it.

They were all sighing and looking worried, as if their mothers had died.

Those present were none other than Huang Wan, Zhao Qian, Ma Ridi, Yang Biao, Wang Yun, Zhang Wen, and Han Rong—a group of veteran officials from the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Previously, they were all high-ranking officials, the kind of people whose mere stomp of their feet could shake the court.

But ever since Liu Ce entered Luoyang, they have become mere figureheads. They still hold their official positions and receive their salaries, but they have no real power whatsoever.

I spend all day at home drinking tea and walking my bird; I'm so bored I'm practically growing mushrooms.

Wang Yun was the first to speak.

He slammed the teacup down on the table, sighed, and his voice was full of grievance:

"Gentlemen, what kind of situation is this? Ever since Prince Liu Ce of Yan entered Luoyang, there hasn't been a single court assembly for months! We, who hold the titles of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, are stuck at home every day, like retired country gentry. Forget about handling state affairs, we can hardly even get close to the palace!"

These words instantly struck a chord with everyone.

Yang Biao immediately replied:

"Brother Zi is absolutely right! My Grand Commandant's seal has been sitting in its box for ages, practically growing mold! All I do is eat and walk my birds; there's no real work to do. What kind of situation is this? Before, when Dong Zhuo was in power, at least I could attend court and see His Majesty. Now, the Prince of Yan has completely destroyed the court!"

"you do not say!"

Ma Ridi nodded in agreement, looking aggrieved. "We've served several emperors, and now we can't even see His Majesty! We spend all our time at home wondering if he's doing well in the palace, if he's being mistreated. We're so anxious, we can't even sleep soundly!"

Huang Wan sighed, "Yes, we old ministers may not have much ability, but we are still the face of the court. Now they don't even hold court assemblies anymore, what kind of nonsense is this?"

Zhang Wen also complained, "Yesterday I went to the palace gates, but the imperial guards stopped me, saying, 'No one is allowed to enter the palace without the Prince of Yan's authorization.' I, a high-ranking official, can't even get through the palace gates!"

Han Rong sighed, "We're getting on in years, and we don't crave power. But we can't even get an audience with His Majesty. What's going on?"

Huang Wan remained silent for a moment before speaking again: "To put it bluntly, the Prince of Yan simply doesn't trust us. He thinks that we old guys are just sticking to ancestral rules and can't accomplish anything."

Zhao Qian shook his head and said, "It's not that he doesn't trust us. It's that he thinks we're useless. Look at the people he uses: Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Xun Yu, Guo Jia... aren't they all young and capable? In his eyes, we old guys are just decorations."

The crowd started talking, getting more and more agitated, and feeling increasingly wronged.

Zhang Wen slammed his hand on the table, his neck stiff with arrogance, and shouted, "No! We can't just sit here like this! No matter how powerful Liu Ce is, he's still a member of the Han imperial family, the Prince of Yan of the Han Dynasty! We can't break the ancestral rules by not even holding court assemblies, and not even letting us see His Majesty, can we?"

He became increasingly agitated, saying, "Let's go to the Prince of Yan's residence together! Let's demand an explanation from him!"

"Yes! Let's go together!"

Han Rong immediately chimed in, "With so many of us veteran officials going together, Liu Ce can't possibly refuse us! We must force him to resume court assemblies so we can have an audience with His Majesty!"

Huang Wan hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "But... given the Prince of Yan's temper, what if..."

"What's there to be afraid of!"

Wang Yun waved his hand, his face full of arrogance, "We're in the right! The ancestral rules are there for all to see. Liu Ce can't possibly kill us all, can he? Let's go together, he'll have to give us an explanation!"

The crowd started talking, getting more and more agitated, and feeling increasingly wronged.

Finally, Wang Yun made the decision on the spot: "Alright! It's settled then! Let's go to the Prince of Yan's residence now! I want to see what kind of nonsense Liu Ce can come up with!"

A group of old men set off on a whim.

After tidying up their court robes and leaning on their canes, they marched out of the Prince's mansion in a grand procession, heading straight for the Prince of Yan's residence.

The people on the street, seeing this group of old men surrounded by followers, thought something serious had happened and all turned to look.

"Who is this? Such a grand entrance!"

"Hey, isn't that Minister Wang? And Grand Commandant Yang, Minister Huang... Why are all these old officials out here?"

"Who knows? Judging by their posture, they're going to cause trouble at the Prince of Yan's residence?"

"Cause trouble? Do they dare? Who is His Highness the Prince of Yan? He even beheaded Dong Zhuo with a single halberd. These old men... tsk, they're probably going to get a taste of their own medicine."

...

Inside the Prince of Yan's residence, Liu Ce was playing chess with Guo Jia in the study.

Guo Jia plays black, and Liu Ce plays white.

The battle on the chessboard was fierce and evenly matched. Guo Jia's black pieces were completely surrounded by Liu Ce's white pieces, and he was left with only one move.

"Fengxiao, you're not playing chess well." Liu Ce smiled and placed a piece. "You've lost again."

Guo Jia stared at the chessboard for a long time with a bitter face, then let out a long sigh:

"My lord's chess skills have improved significantly; I, your subordinate, humbly admit defeat."

"It's not that you admit defeat, it's that you're not paying attention."

Liu Ce smiled and shook his head, saying, "You've been spacing out since just now. What were you thinking about?"

Just as Guo Jia was about to speak, the gatekeeper's personal guard rushed in to report:

"My lord! A group of senior officials have arrived outside the manor. Leading them are Wang Yun and Yang Biao, along with Huang Wan, Zhao Qian, and seven or eight others. They say they have important matters to discuss with you!"

Liu Ce paused, his hand holding the chess piece still, then couldn't help but laugh. "Oh? These old fogies? I'd almost forgotten there were even a few of them in Luoyang. What are they doing here?"