Chapter 392: Recommendation, Zhou Yafu's death
The army was on its way back, and a messenger from Chang'an brought the emperor's order, asking General Zhou Yafu to return to Chang'an as soon as possible, as the emperor was very worried about him.
Changle Palace.
The moment Liu Che saw the battle report, he was terrified and could not help but say, "This battle was too difficult. I thought that even a small defeat would not affect the overall situation, but who could have thought that the general was seriously ill and almost caused our army to be leaderless.
If it weren't for Duke Zhao going to the grassland, at least half of the army would have been killed or wounded, or even all of them would have perished on the grassland. Lord Dong'e, it's really thanks to you that you went to Zhaocheng. I thank you on behalf of the soldiers of the Han Dynasty."
Luo Jing's hair was already gray, and he was also in shock. The Dong'e clan had a very close relationship with the Han Dynasty. After hearing the emperor's words, he said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, Lord Zhaogong is an unprecedented figure in the Luo clan. He is very old now. If he does this again next time, I'm afraid no one will be able to save the army from danger. We should be extremely cautious in the future."
Liu Che asked curiously, "Lord Zhao has made contributions to the world, and he is also blessed by the Supreme Emperor Su Wang. Can't he live forever?"
Luo Jing was stunned when he heard this, and said without hesitation: "Of course there is no immortality in this world, at least the Luo family doesn't know that Lord Zhaogong is a rare long-lived person in the Luo family. Most of the Luo family members have a lifespan similar to that of ordinary people, and are even worse than those long-lived people."
A look of joy and disappointment flashed in Liu Che's eyes. He was happy that Luo was still a mortal, but disappointed that Luo might really have no way to achieve immortality.
"Your Majesty, the general is back."
The attendant hurried into the hall, and Liu Che immediately said, "Please invite the general in immediately."
The three people in the hall waited quietly, and then the marquises personally carried Zhou Yafu in. From time to time, someone cried out in sorrow. Zhou Yafu was placed on the seat and said weakly: "Your Majesty, I have failed your expectations and failed to defeat the Xiongnu."
Liu Che waved his hand and said, "General, in your first attack, you knew nothing about the Xiongnu, but you defeated the Xiongnu Zuo Xian Wang's army and captured more than 8,000 Xiongnu heads. Isn't this a great achievement?
Later, it was just because of a sudden serious illness, which was a disaster sent by God. Besides, it did not cause any major losses. How could I blame you, the general?
You are already very old, but I still let you go to the war. This is my fault. I should reward all the soldiers generously.
In addition to what they should have received for their military merits, I will raise the rank of all the soldiers who are going on this expedition by one level, reward them with rice and other valuables, exempt them from corvee labor for three years, and exempt them from taxes for one year.
Prime Minister, please write down everything and promulgate it when you return. At the same time, urge all counties and states to give rewards and report the follow-up results to me. I will review them personally. If any county or state fails to implement them, I will punish them severely.
For the nobles who are going on this expedition, the general will receive an additional 500 households, and the rest of the ministers will receive an additional 200 households. This is all I can do."
"Your Majesty is wise!"
Almost all the dukes in the hall knelt on one knee on the ground, tears in their eyes, and thanked the emperor for his grace.
When everyone left the room and only Zhou Yafu and Liu Che were left, Liu Che asked, "General, who do you think should take over the position of general after you?"
The general is an important official second only to the prime minister, ranking second among the prime minister, the general and the chief censor, so his selection is extremely important.
Zhou Yafu pondered and said, "During the time of Emperor Xiaowen, there were many people who could serve as the general. However, Your Majesty must want to fight a major war with the Xiongnu, so you must find someone who is familiar with the Xiongnu. Your Majesty may temporarily let the Marquis of Huaiyin take the position, and then replace him when you find a suitable candidate. The Marquis of Huaiyin is a person who does not cling to power and will not cause any waves.
Your Majesty, I am a general and I also hold the title of Marquis of Jiang granted by Emperor Gao. It is my responsibility to recommend talents for the country. This time when I went to the grassland, I got a fierce general named Wei Qing. He personally killed the deputy king of Zuo Xian Wang, and also killed several thousand and hundred households of the Huns. He was the person with the highest merit this time.
I talked with him on the way back to Chang'an and found that he was brave, resolute and decisive. He had guarded the border for a long time and was very familiar with the tactics of the Xiongnu grasslands. I also learned a lot from him. Moreover, he came from a humble background. If Your Majesty uses him, he will certainly repay you with his life.
I have heard that brave generals often come from the ranks of soldiers, so I recommend him to you."
Liu Che was somewhat surprised that Zhou Yafu did not recommend his own relatives and old friends, but instead recommended the Marquis of Huaiyin, a not-so-close marquis, and an unknown person at this time. This surprised him a lot.
Zhou Yafu knew that the emperor must be puzzled, so he sighed and said, "I was appointed as the general by the late emperor. I went to the grassland to repay the late emperor and your kindness, but now I have only completed half of it.
My relatives and old acquaintances have all become extremely wealthy and prosperous. The royal family's grace is higher than Mount Tai and deeper than the East China Sea. It is not good for the country if you do not have the ability to occupy a high position.
Your Majesty asked me to recommend someone, and I have no selfish motives. I hope to recommend someone talented to Your Majesty. If one day I can defeat the Xiongnu, please let the commander of the Han Dynasty come to my grave and let me know."
Liu Che was moved when he heard this and said, "You are truly a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty. I should treat your family well and let them prosper for a long time until the end of the Han Dynasty."
Zhou Yafu smiled and said, "I always remember that as long as I am loyal to Your Majesty, the more prosperous the Han Dynasty becomes, the more prosperous the Jianghou State will become."
Upon hearing this, Liu Che praised: "General, you said it well. Understanding this principle is probably the reason why the Jianghou State is so rich and prosperous."
The emperor and his minister talked for a long time. Zhou Yafu told Liu Che in detail what he had seen and heard on the grassland. Liu Che was sweating profusely and said, "General, you are indeed a general trusted by the late emperor. You can still have a slight advantage in such a dangerous situation. If you hadn't suddenly fallen seriously ill, the Huns would have been defeated."
Zhou Yafu felt sad when he heard this. He had already prepared a strategy for the Huns to lure the enemy deep into their territory, but an accident turned everything upside down and he almost lost his life on the grassland.
…
After receiving a large amount of rewards, Zhou Yafu begged for his life from Emperor Wu of Han. Emperor Wu of Han removed him from his position as general and allowed Zhou Yafu to recuperate. However, Zhou Yafu's health was deteriorating, and anyone with a discerning eye knew that he was really dying.
At this time, Marquis Huaiyin received the imperial decree and entered the palace. After greeting, Liu Che said straight to the point: "Marquis Jiang is seriously ill. I want to appoint you as the general and commander of the Han Dynasty."
The Marquis of Huaiyin was shocked when he heard this, and his face was full of confusion. He didn't understand why the emperor would appoint him, so he said in surprise: "Your Majesty, I have heard that people should do what they are good at in order to get good results. Although I was born in a general family and my family has military tactics, I am not good at leading troops in battle. If you let me lead an army, I can still die for your majesty. If I am appointed as a general, I am only worried that I will delay your majesty's great cause. Please think about it."
Liu Che smiled and said, "You don't have to do this. I won't let you lead the army to fight."
The Marquis of Huaiyin understood. It was precisely because he did not want to be the general that the emperor let him take the position first and wait for a suitable candidate to replace him. Moreover, the relationship of the Marquis of Huaiyin Mansion was strong, so there would not be so many obstacles for him to become the general. This was regarded as the trust of the royal family in the Marquis of Huaiyin Mansion. So he bowed down and said, "Your Majesty trusts me. I will serve you till death."
Wei Qing, who followed Zhou Yafu to Chang'an, soon learned that Zhou Yafu had recommended him to the emperor in the palace. He was credited with killing Zuo Xian Wang's deputy king and those beheadings.
Liu Che generously rewarded all the soldiers, and all the soldiers praised the emperor for his wisdom. Not to mention Wei Qing, who had made great contributions and was recommended, and was directly admitted to the imperial guards.
He also settled a small house in Chang'an. The vice king's head could be said to have helped him turn his life around.
This is the Han Dynasty today. As long as you have military merits, you can instantly become the master. If you are recommended by a noble, it is only a matter of time before you become a superior person.
For example, if Wei Qing is successful now, he can gradually accumulate military merits and qualifications, and then make similar achievements to what he has now, he can be granted a title of nobility. After being granted a title of nobility, he can serve as a high-ranking official like the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, or even become a general. This time can be as short as ten years, and it is unknown how long it can take. After all, a well-known general never became a title of nobility in his entire life.
One month after Zhou Yafu returned to Chang'an, the obituary from the Jianghou Mansion finally spread to all directions. This great general, who had an unhappy ending in real history, met the end of his life amid endless mourning and honor.
When Liu Che received the news, even though he had been mentally prepared, he still sighed slightly and said, "I will suspend court for three days as a sign of mourning. I ask all the important officials to discuss the posthumous title for the general."
Zhou Yafu's posthumous title was soon decided, and he was called "Marquis Jiangzhongyi" because "to endanger one's own life for the benefit of the country is called loyalty, and to kill the enemy is called perseverance".
Many people went to Marquis Jiang's mansion to pay their respects, and Emperor Liu Che also sent people to express his condolences. Zhou Yafu was different to Liu Che. When Liu Che had just ascended the throne, he did not like the ministers of the previous emperor because these people were an obstacle to his exercise of power.
Zhou Yafu's words before his death shocked Liu Che greatly, making him realize that these ministers of the previous emperor could also be loyal to him. This change even made Liu Che let down his guard against other ministers of the previous emperor.
Zhou Yafu was Wei Qing's sponsor, so of course Wei Qing had to come to pay his respects. This was a grand scene that Wei Qing had never seen in his previous masters' families. It can only be said that there is a gap between the powerful and the wealthy. A family like Marquis of Jiang, which has been prominent since the time of Emperor Gao, is really different.
Luo Jing did not come to pay his respects, but sent one of his sons. He himself went to Zhaocheng again. This time it was Luo Ling who summoned everyone, as he had already sensed his own end.
(End of this chapter)
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