Chapter 314 Whose Era
Not only did the man who disguised himself as Liu Yan not know what to say at this moment, even Zhao Wei, who was supposed to take the main responsibility for the drama of appointing an heir, did not know.
What should he say? Should he say that as the instigator of the scene before his eyes, he should personally welcome the Grand Marshal?
Even someone as bold as Zhao Wei behaved like this, not to mention Liu Zhang who was closely watched by Qiao Yan the next moment.
Liu Zhang looked at her again and asked, "Or is it because of your support that Liu Yizhou feels that when I, the Grand Marshal, come to your territory of Chengdu in Shuzhong, I must also act according to your rules."
"Won't Liu Yizhou tell me something in person?"
The emphasis on the word "personally" became even more ambiguous as he was surrounded by soldiers.
Under Qiao Yan's overly sharp gaze, Liu Zhang, a mediocre man who had been bewitched by Zhao Wei and sat in this position, retreated in fear and even sat on the ground.
Liu Yizhou, Liu Yizhou...
At this moment, the Liangzhou soldiers led by Wu Yi and Zhang Lu have already taken more and more control of the city. Even because Wu Yi is quite trusted by Liu Yan, the forces he can mobilize in the city have further established his advantageous situation.
But at this point, Liu Yan still sat there, not behaving like a normal person. Everyone should know that he was definitely not in a sober state.
Could it be that Qiao Yan couldn't see this? Absolutely not!
But she still asked the question.
So, are these three words "Liu Yizhou" referring to the real Yizhou governor Liu Yan, or to the person who impostor and usurped the throne? From the look in her eyes, there was clearly ambiguity, and it was very likely that it was referring to the latter!
Liu Zhang's lips trembled and he dared not speak.
In his almost blank mind, he no longer had time to think about how she had managed to travel a thousand miles from Hanzhong to Chengdu in a blink of an eye. He only knew that the moment the alarm signal in the city was sounded, he regretted more than ever before.
He regretted why he was persuaded by Zhao Wei to do such a thing!
If Qiao Yan hadn't come here, and let them really follow the plan and make the matter a done deal, it would be fine. At most, they would have to face the subsequent expedition launched from Chang'an. But now, the opponent has already appeared in front of him while the raw rice is still being washed...
In front of this powerful Grand Marshal, do they still have a chance to turn the tables?
Qiao Yan withdrew his gaze from the trembling Liu Zhang's face, and secretly complained that the people of Yizhou had chosen a rather "suitable" new governor of Yizhou. He then said, "Capture Zhao Wei and Liu Zhang, blockade Chengdu, dismiss all those involved in this, and settle Liu Yizhou and other personnel in the provincial government. General Wu, follow me."
The previous resettlement instructions were obviously directed at people like Yao Chang and Ma Chao.
Except for Liu Yan, who was treated as a dying man and was transported away in a proper manner, all the others, regardless of whether they were victims of this drama of grafting, were directly detained in Liu Yan's provincial capital by the Liangzhou soldiers who were unfamiliar with them.
Needless to say, the guy hiding under Liu Yan's chair was directly thrown into the prison in Chengdu.
What is quite interesting is that before he was escorted away, he gave a speech to redress his own grievances and to accuse Zhao Wei and others. Because his voice was so similar to Liu Yan's, it seemed as if he was making a speech for Liu Yan.
Qiao Yan sneered and said something in a low voice.
Then he waved his hand, signaling the military doctor to follow the group heading to the provincial capital.
Marching into Yizhou, a miasma-ridden area in the south, Qiao Yan did not dare to relax at all.
Even though the route they took was unexpected by the people of Yizhou, and they found a qualified guide after passing through the vassal state of Guanghan, disease would not avoid them because of the speed of action and the speed of capturing Chengdu.
However, probably because the main force in this march was the Liangzhou Army, even the Bingzhou Army might not be able to compare with them in terms of physical fitness. In addition, a considerable number of them had become accustomed to the climate of Yizhou in the past two years, the military doctors did not play much of a role. Instead, they were asked to bear the responsibility of treating Liu Yan.
Watching the teams walking in two directions disappear from her sight, Qiao Yan also walked out in one direction.
Because of her previous words "General Wu, follow me", Wu Yi followed Qiao Yan's footsteps and heard her ask: "Can you get the authority of the military camp near Chengdu?"
He was still somewhat saddened by the sight of Liu Yan being controlled by others, but after hearing what Qiao Yan said, he immediately replied, "Okay."
"I would like to trouble you to spread the news that Zhao Wei and Liu Zhang have detained the Lord widely in Chengdu."
Although Liu Yan treated the Yizhou scholars and Dongzhou scholars differently, which aroused the dissatisfaction of Zhao Wei and others, the time he had served as the governor of Yizhou since the Zhongping period was enough for him to accumulate prestige here. There were even quite a number of Yizhou people who felt that Liu Yan was worthy of support because of the comparison between him and Xie Jian.
If one wants to win the hearts of the people of Yizhou, it is undoubtedly necessary to use the banner of helping Liu Yan to quell the civil strife.
Seeing Qiao Yan nod, Wu Yi continued, "Besides, it would be best if you could get General Pang and the princes of the mansion to appear in front of the public as soon as possible..."
"There is no rush for this matter. Just say that they are being controlled by Zhao Wei and others with southern barbarian poison and are not yet awake."
Wu Yi was a little surprised when he heard this for the first time. But he suddenly remembered that Qiao Yan had said when he came to Fu County where he was stationed before that instead of hoping to marry his sister to Liu Yan's son and realize the fortuneteller's interpretation of her invaluable fate through Liu Yan's son's rapid rise, why not let both brother and sister fight for a position under her and fight for an invaluable fate that they could control more easily? So he just asked, "So what does the Lord need from me at this time?"
"After taking control of the military camp in Chengdu, I will hand over Ma Mengqi and his followers to you under the pretext of assisting Liu Yizhou in suppressing the rebellion. Go north immediately together with the governor of Hanzhong—"
“Attack Yan Yan who is in Ba County!”
As early as when she successfully persuaded Zhang Lu to help her sneak across the Yinping Road, she sent a message to Hanzhong, ordering Xu Shu to lead his troops south ten days later, cross the passes of Micang Mountain and Daba Mountain, and march towards Chengdu from Ba County.
The soldiers recruited by Xu Shu in Hanzhong and the generals led by Chu Yan who were in Hanzhong with him must also arrive in Chengdu to form backup support for Qiao Yan. Otherwise, it would be difficult to suppress Wu Yi and Zhang Lu, or even Pang Xi's followers at the same time relying solely on the special forces led by her.
The army can only go through Ba County, and the person guarding Ba County now is Yan Yan, who was sent to replace Pang Xi as the prefect of Ba County when Zhao Wei assisted Liu Zhang in seizing power.
This person is indeed very capable. In order to reduce excessive casualties in breaking through the defense line of Ba County, it is better to launch a surprise two-pronged attack.
However, after Wu Yi left, Fu Gan, who was still leading a part of the cavalry beside her, asked: "Your Majesty asked General Wu to take the soldiers stationed in Chengdu to Ba County to join forces with Zhu Zhonglang, but in order to prevent Chengdu from having too many troops and causing any rebellion and unrest here, which would be detrimental to our control of the situation?"
Qiao Yan smiled and said, "Why can't it be that I want to give him a chance to make a contribution?"
When her troops arrived in Fu County, she persuaded them to surrender and led them into Chengdu, which can be considered a merit.
Together with Xu Shu and Zhu Yan, attacking Yan Yan from the north and south was equivalent to eradicating the armed forces that rebelled against Yizhou, which of course should be considered a merit.
She would definitely report these two achievements to the court in Chang'an "truthfully".
The recent changes in Yizhou, along with Liu Yan's impending retirement, also gave her an opportunity to eliminate the governors with the surname Liu one by one. Therefore, she would never allow Liu Yan's descendants to continue to inherit the position of governor of Yizhou. Instead, she needed someone who had a certain reputation in Yizhou but was not a native of Yizhou.
But to be precise, Wu Yi would not be the governor of Yizhou, because a place like Yizhou, which is very easy to be independent, is no longer suitable to put all military and political power in the hands of one person.
Therefore, Wu Yi was at most a governor of Yizhou.
The governors of the counties in Yizhou are the ones she wants to manipulate.
She changed the topic of Wu Yi's arrangement and said to Jiang Jiong, "Shu Ming, you assisted Zhong De in handling military settlement affairs in Jincheng County in the past, and now you are in Chengdu?
Jiang Jiong originally thought that he followed the Lord this time because he wanted to see the attitudes of the four Hanyang families after the purge that year. However, he did not expect that Qiao Yan actually had some considerations about his position when he led this team composed of people from Liangzhou.
Qiao Yan continued, "Before Yuan Zhi and his men arrive in Chengdu from Ba County and Liu Junlang's sons and subordinates are released by me, we should count the grain stored in the Yizhou Prefecture Treasury and the supplies seized from Zhao Wei and his men. When we have enough manpower, we can directly send the grain and grass to Hailing via the Yangtze River without asking Chang'an."
These will be the inducements that Liaodong County will use to win over Gongsun Du, and the expenses for the other party to send troops.
Realizing that this trip to Yizhou would likely trigger a series of changes, and that he would have a chance to make a further breakthrough, Jiang Jiong's face flashed with joy, and he replied, "Don't worry, my lord. I will definitely get this done."
As for the negotiations involved in the confiscation of the treasury of Zhao Wei and others, and the unspoken rules between them and the aristocratic families in Yizhou, Jiang Jiong could already find a reference answer from Qiao Yan's attitude towards the various families in Liangzhou.
After Wu Yi took the soldiers from Chengdu away, the city was completely under their control.
"We can leave now," Qiao Yan finally said to Fu Gan, "Back then, a fire in Chengdu burned down thousands of carriages built by Liu Yan, and another fire burned down the former residence of Dong Fu in Mianzhu. But I think the evidence that the governor of Yizhou left for us is probably not just the ones that were burned."
It remains unknown whether his wife and children will be as cautious as he was after being intimidated by Qiao Yan's expedition to Hanzhong.
You can always find something wrong after establishing your own regime.
Even if it didn't exist, it had to exist in order to abolish Liu Yan's position as governor of Yizhou and make the people accept the changes in Yizhou's management style.
Therefore, such searches can only be done by her confidants.
Fu Gan understood the implication of Qiao Yan's words and followed without saying anything.
With this arrangement, everyone should be doing their job.
For the Yizhou people in Chengdu, the sudden replacement of the personnel responsible for garrisoning the city seemed to have no impact on their lives at all. This made them feel uneasy, worrying whether they would be affected by this power change, while at the same time they began to inquire about the series of events that had taken place in the city.
People are always curious, especially when the gossip is related to the fight for inheritance rights among heirs.
In addition, the fact that "Liu Yan selected Liu Zhang as his successor" was even displayed on a platform, allowing people to see it clearly, making it even more of a topic for discussion.
When Qiao Yan was looking through the files and books left by Liu Yan, she heard Yao Chang, who was in charge of patrolling the city, report to her: "Today, I heard people saying on the street that although Yizhou is thousands of miles away from Chang'an, if you do something bad, the prince will come down from the sky to punish you."
"Last time, Liu Yizhou's illegal carriage was exposed to the public, and you rushed to Hanzhong without paying attention to the coronation ceremony in Chang'an. This time, Liu Zhang has usurped his father's power, and you have come before he even took the position. Although you have no control over those trivial matters, it does not prevent these people from using them to warn children."
When Yao Chang said this, the more she thought about it, the funnier it became.
She imitated the tone of those adults and said, "It's probably like this. If you disrespect the king and your parents, the Grand Marshal will come to your door tomorrow, bringing those Liangzhou soldiers with him."
Qiao Yan replied: "Then aren't you also among them?"
Yao Chang smiled and said, "You know what, this experience is quite novel."
But Zhao Wei, Liu Zhang and others who have been imprisoned probably would not think that their situation and treatment could be called novel.
What kind of punishment the usurper would receive if he was caught red-handed was entirely decided by Qiao Yan.
All they knew was that Qiao Yan had imprisoned them in adjacent cells with a sense of evil, giving them the opportunity to blame each other and even reveal more secrets to each other. On the other hand, all their land and treasury assets outside the prison were confiscated, even those hidden in villas and courtyards.
After all, the methods Jiang Jiong used against Zhao Wei's clan were clearly no different from what Qiao Yan used against the Hanyang Jiang family.
In this torment that was almost like being cut by a soft knife, they heard a piece of news brought by the jailer with good intentions:
Liu Yan woke up.
But he was not saved from the brink of death by the medical officer under Qiao Yan. When Qiao Yan arrived at the other party's bedside after receiving the news, he heard the medical officer's report that this was most likely Liu Yan's last breath.
There probably wasn't any such thing as hospice care for Qiao Yan. At most, when he was facing Liu Yan, his expression looked a little gentler and more approachable than when he frightened Liu Zhang so much that he collapsed on the ground.
But for Liu Yan, no matter how gentle her expression was and how smiling she was, when he opened his eyes and saw that the person was not his son, but Qiao Yan who was supposed to be in Luoyang, he could only feel shock and astonishment.
And when Qiao Yan waved away everyone, sat beside the other's bed, and told him all the misfortunes he had encountered before, Liu Yan's eyes revealed a look of astonishment and suspicion.
He struggled to get up, "I want to see my son..."
However, the last burst of energy could not give him the strength to get out of bed. Qiao Yan's next words froze Liu Yan on the spot, "Do you want to see a son who is still refusing to repent in prison and thinks he was just bewitched by others, or do you want to see three sons who have not yet recovered their sanity and are no match for that foolish brother in the face of adversity?"
"I don't need to make up some lies to deceive you. If it is not true, why would I give up the development and defense of Luoyang and run to Yizhou where there is no access to the road?"
A look of deep thought flashed across Liu Yan's face.
The attacks of arrow wounds over the past few months have caused great damage to his body and mind, but his mind has not been destroyed by the serious illness. When he thought of Liu Zhang's abnormal behavior when he woke up last time, he already had some judgment in his mind.
What Qiao Yan said is very likely to be true.
And the fact that she spoke slowly and calmly at this moment made Liu Yan realize that she no longer intended to lie to a dying man.
"Besides, I should be thanking you, why would I lie to you?"
"If you hadn't proposed the idea of restarting the governorship of Fanzhou, I wouldn't have been able to use your words to refute it. This not only made me famous in the capital, but also earned the evaluation of General Xu and the trust of Emperor Xiaoling."
"And if it weren't for your persistence that the governor system finally came into being, I wouldn't have been able to sit on the position of governor of Bingzhou according to the rules and regulations, but no one has ever thought that this position was also won by me."
"If you hadn't developed the intention to usurp power in Yizhou, I don't know how long it would take me to achieve my goal of becoming the Grand Marshal."
"Today, you failed to teach your sons well again, and even let one of them become a puppet of the Yizhou people who wanted to control the entire Yizhou. This gave me a legitimate reason to take back the Yizhou territory!"
All of these are due to Liu Yan's devoted help, so how can we not say that it is all thanks to him, so -
"Just for this gratitude, I will definitely treat your three sons well."
There is no need to explain why there are three sons.
Because Liu Zhang must pay the price for what he has done, as Qiao Yan's explanation to the court in Chang'an!
At this moment, Liu Yan saw an almost ruthless political game in the eyes of the Grand Marshal of the current dynasty, who was only in his twenties, and felt a chill to the bone because of her gratitude.
This is not a thank you at all, it is clearly a torture to the opponent. The only remaining sentence "treat him well" can be regarded as the last bit of mercy.
And the only consolation was that... he was not kept in the dark during the last moments of his life.
How could Yuan Shao, who was still in a tug-of-war with her, be her opponent?
Is Liu Yu, who is now in Chang'an, really lucky to have such a minister?
In his already somewhat blurred consciousness, he vaguely heard Qiao Yan's last words to him, "This is no longer your era, Liu Junlang."
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