Chapter 348 Two Treatments
When Qiao Yan said this, Cai Yong was stunned on the spot.
What does "force her too" mean?
This seems to be different from what Dian Wei said when he sent the letter?
Cai Yong didn't think much about it when he received the letter.
Something happened in Yangzhou, and one of the four surnames in Wujun contributed to Sun Ce's death. Since it had nothing to do with his disciple Gu Yong, it was only natural for him to come and rescue him.
He also took the letter to Zheng Xuan and Lu Zhi who were at Leping Academy for consultation. They both agreed that it was necessary for Dian Wei to act miserable as he had written in the letter. In this way, Qiao Yan could follow the step given by his plea and release Gu Yong.
Perhaps it was not just Gu Yong who was released. With the death of Zhu Rong and the warning of imprisonment, the four surnames of Wujun would be enough in the current situation if they were given minor punishments and severe warnings. If they were uprooted cleanly, it would lead to unrest in Yangzhou, which would be unfavorable for Qiao Yan to send people to take charge later.
When Cai Yong thought about it, it seemed to be true.
Think about the place Qiao Yan provided for him and his two daughters, think about this study environment that couldn't be more comfortable for him, think about Gu Yong is the disciple he gave the name "Yuan Tan" in the past, and think about the embarrassing actions he made in front of Qiao Yan. Anyway, it's not just one or two.
Now he can save his apprentice's life from thousands of miles away and benefit Qiao Yan at the same time, why wouldn't he do it?
Just go through the process and it makes everyone look good.
Although Dian Wei said that he hoped Cai Yong would come to persuade him, Lu Zhi also said that Qiao Yan could sit in the position of Grand Marshal today, and he had a clear understanding of some conflicts of interest and personal relationships, so he did not need much eloquence to achieve the purpose of persuasion.
What's more, he had to think about who Dian Wei was. How could he have such a clear idea to ask Cai Yong to rescue people?
This must be because Qiao Yan has already revealed some of his attitude invisibly.
Therefore, Cai Yong did not need to worry about ending up in a situation where he would be embarrassed.
Therefore, even after he arrived in Yangzhou, he was sent here via another route because Qiao Yan was in Xuzhou, Cai Yong did not think there was anything wrong with it.
He was concentrating on thinking about how he should behave when he met Qiao Yan. He heard some noisy noises when he entered the city, but he ignored them without being distracted.
Then, this was the scene that Qiao Yan and the people who accompanied her out of the provincial capital saw together.
Cai Yong really showed a state of being anxious to rescue his apprentice, and he even lost his shoes without caring about his image. He almost covered his face and cried. Perhaps it was only to save his own face that he did not lose his composure to such an extent. He did not even have time to exchange a few words with Qiao Yan, and went straight to the point.
He wanted to save his apprentice.
But for those who are not in the know, as Qiao Yan showed, Cai Yong's appearance was really at a very inappropriate time.
Outside the city were those who came to plead for Liu Bei. Even in Tan County, there were people trying to pass the signal of pleading to the provincial government. However, because Qiao Yan was the one who led the troops to capture this place, there was still some distance between these people and her.
It just so happened that at this time, Cai Yong, who was considered an elder to Qiao Yan, came here with the purpose of begging for mercy, adding another layer of intimidation.
This is so difficult.
Seeing Cai Yong standing there in a daze and Qiao Yan looking angry, everyone thought it was a normal scene.
The only one who was not involved in the situation was Cai Yong.
There was only one question left in his mind: what should he do now?
Now he was in the territory of Tan County, Xuzhou, and there was no Lu Zhi or Zheng Xuan to answer his questions. Why after he made this plea, Qiao Yan's response was not to help him up, explain that he had no choice but to imprison Gu Yong and the innocent people of the Four Families of Wujun, and walk down the ladder given by the elders, and then release them, but he actually had such a reaction.
But he didn't know that Qiao Yan was very surprised by Cai Yong's timely arrival.
This is exactly when he needs to be put to use!
However, he didn't need to do anything, he just needed to stick to his position.
Plead for Gu Yong!
From an outsider's perspective, Qiao Yan seemed to realize that her words to Cai Yong were inappropriate. She calmed down a little and asked, "Does Lord Cai really want to plead for Gu Yuantan at this time?"
Cai Yong felt that he should understand what Qiao Yan meant.
This requires a tug-of-war drama of three requests and three refusal, so that people can believe that she struggled to release Gu Yong.
Cai Yong had no idea that he had guessed the situation wrong, and immediately replied, "Yuan Tan is good at writing and music, and he performed his duties conscientiously during his tenure as a minor official in the county. I don't think he has anything to do with the death of Sun Bofu. He can make a contribution to Ye Shu's administration of government affairs in Yangzhou. It's okay to spare his life, right?"
"Spare his life, spare his life..." Qiao Yan repeated these four words in a cold voice over and over again, and when Cai Yong once again failed to anticipate her next move, she took him out.
When they passed by the shoe that Cai Yong had lost when running, he did not forget to ask him to put on the shoe first, and then took him all the way south to the city wall of Tan County.
Someone appeared on the top of the city wall, and judging from his aura, he might be the person in charge. The people who were there to plead for Liu Bei calmed down temporarily.
Or perhaps what made them quiet down was not just because someone came, but also because the behavior of these two people at this moment was really strange.
But their silence did not mean that Cai Yong, who was unaware of what the people around him were doing, could not see their demands.
Being here, and being dragged here by Qiao Yan, and seeing the densely packed people here, even a fool would feel that something is wrong with the current atmosphere.
Cai Yong immediately saw that under the two-meter-high city wall, not too far from him, there was a banner written on cloth with the six words "Pleading for Envoy Liu" written on it.
Perhaps it was done by the few literate people among them, or perhaps there were officials who still obeyed Liu Bei's orders and pushed for it. But no matter what the reason was that caused this scene, Cai Yong saw many faces full of eager expectations, which looked like a petition initiated by the students of the Imperial College for the purpose of persuasion.
He also suddenly realized why Qiao Yan said the word "again".
Looking at it this way, it seems that he really came at the wrong time.
Qiao Yan had already let go of his hand, and asked with a bit of indignation on his face: "They said that Liu Xuande was a governor of a province, his achievements were clear and his virtues were commendable, so he should not be killed. Lord Cai said that Gu Yuantan was talented and pragmatic, so he should not be killed either. Okay! Then I would like to ask a few questions as well."
"Since Emperor Xiaoling passed away in the sixth year of Zhongping, first Dong Zhuo seized power and then the world was divided into two. The Han Dynasty no longer had power and honor. The prefectures and counties in the world only knew the chief officials but not the emperor. Is it possible that the prefectures and counties would attack and invade each other at any time?"
Cai Yong replied: "...Of course not. If the world can be unified and peaceful, and the people can have their own homes, they won't have to worry about the disaster of conscription. That's the right way."
Qiao Yan said, "As Mr. Cai said, there should be only one court in the world. But at that time, Emperor Xiaoling passed away and made Prince Xie his successor. Prince Xie was still alive, and Dong Zhuo was not someone who could not be eliminated, so the court in Yecheng was built in a hurry. He was incapable of sitting in the center, so he hurriedly moved the capital, so that everyone in the world knew that if the emperor was in trouble, the ministers should not rescue him, but should establish a new master; if the capital was in danger, the ministers did not have to defend it, and it would be fine to move out. Although he was not as perverse as Dong Zhuo, he was still undoubtedly a traitor, isn't that right?"
Cai Yong blinked his eyes, trying to get some other hints from Qiao Yan, but in the face of the other party's seemingly genuine questioning gaze, he had no other answer except to say "yes".
But when Qiao Yan asked this question, not only Cai Yong, but even those who heard it felt that they should respond with a "yes".
From this perspective, the Chang'an court is stronger than the Yecheng court not only in terms of the amount of territory?
To those who originally did not quite understand the situation, it now seems much more legitimate.
If Liu Xie had not disappeared, Qiao Yan would not have had to invite Liu Yu, who was known for his benevolence, to rule Chang'an. This was very different from the situation at that time when Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu supported Liu Bian to ascend the throne.
The questions she asked were indeed thought-provoking.
Does the existence of the Yecheng court mean that if the emperor is in trouble, his ministers will not come to his rescue, and if the country is in trouble, his ministers can move the capital at will?
This is contrary to the existence of the capital, ancestral temples, the country and the emperor.
"Liu Xuande first attacked Yuzhou Pei State in the name of the General of Suppressing Bandits, and later took on the title of Xuzhou Mu. After Tao Gongzu died, he took over the northern part of Xuzhou and remotely respected the Emperor of Yecheng as the emperor. Isn't he a traitor?"
"Sun Bofu, the governor of Yangzhou, lost his father in an accident while trying to save the emperor. During his time as governor of Yangzhou, he always regarded the emperor of Chang'an as the emperor, and paid tribute every year without fail. He was able to cross the sea and attack Liaodong thanks to the boatmen from Yangzhou he sent. However, before the great cause of unifying the world was accomplished, he was murdered because the four surnames of Wujun wanted to dominate Jiangdong alone. Aren't these four surnames traitors?"
"I'm killing the thieves and saving the people, why are you trying to stop me?"
Every word Qiao Yan spoke was sonorous. Despite the four or five-meter-high city wall, the people closest to the city and Lu Su, Wang Lang and others who followed her could still hear it clearly.
According to the logic of her previous judgment, since the Yecheng court was not based on justice, Liu Bei was undoubtedly a traitor, and the four families of Wujun who killed Sun Ce were also traitors.
And her next sentence gave her action a name that could not be more just.
"Dong Zhuo's small coins were introduced in Chang'an, which showed people that the trade order could be disrupted at will. For four years, we worked hard to maintain the market price, and only then did we completely cut off its influence."
"The world is divided into two, and the emperor can be deposed and relocated at will. This influence can only be restored when the world is unified. If we don't kill people as a warning, how can we prevent this custom from happening?"
"Liu Xuande is a hero and a good official, but he misjudged the monarch and stood in the wrong position, making the world vulnerable to disasters and revival at any time. I cannot tolerate him!"
A low voice came from somewhere asking, "But Envoy Liu is a relative of the Han Dynasty. Can you ask the emperor whether he should be killed?"
What Qiao Yan said made sense, but they also had their own way.
If Liu Yu could make the decision, perhaps Liu Bei's life could have been saved.
However, all they heard was Qiao Yan's cold laugh: "Han royal family? The Han Dynasty has existed for 400 years, and there are countless Han royal family members. The King of Zhongshan alone has left behind more than a hundred descendants, scattered all over the place. If everyone's life and death must be decided by Your Majesty just because they are Han royal family members, then who will decide the rise and fall of the country, and the political decrees and laws?"
"Liu Zhang, the son of Liu Junlang, the former governor of Yizhou, intended to establish his own kingdom in Shu. He took advantage of his father's illness to start a rebellion, disregarding the etiquette between father and son, and the relationship between the ruler and his subjects. I will kill him without waiting for the emperor's decision."
"If all the relatives of the Han Dynasty were like your majesty when he was the governor of Youzhou, they would abide by the moral principles, be frugal and self-disciplined, open up the market, and guard the border. Even in the years of unrest, the price of grain in Youzhou was only 31 stones. What would be wrong with me offering sacrifices to all the relatives of the Han Dynasty? However, people have selfish desires, do not respect the rules, and rebel. All of these should be decided by the law, not by their status as relatives of the Han Dynasty!"
"May I ask you, is this the way it should be?"
The crowd below whispered to each other for a while. Although some people felt that Qiao Yan's words seemed to be an insult to the Han royal family, the statement that royal family members should be punished according to the law if they broke the law and should be punished the same as common people was not a bad thing for them.
According to this statement, Liu Bei also seems to...
etc!
Everything in Qiao Yan's tone clearly showed that he highly praised Liu Yu, who was then the governor of Youzhou. But if that was the case, Liu Bei's performance in Xuzhou was actually not bad!
Since her identity as a relative of the Han royal family is not a reason for her to beg for mercy, they can use their political achievements to speak!
Liu Bei has something to say!
Immediately, a smart person stepped out of the crowd, looked up at Qiao Yan, and asked, "May I ask the Grand Marshal, if someone cannot keep the grain price at 30 coins, but can visit every household and completely eliminate the Buddhist scriptures and methods spread by Zuo Rong in the prefectures and counties, and then allow the people to have land to cultivate, follow the weather, and cultivate for a good harvest, can this be called benevolence?"
"If someone visits the villages and urges the construction of canals so that the people of Xuzhou can have drinking water, can it be said that he is fulfilling his duty?"
As soon as he started, someone took up the conversation.
"Last year, a county official in Xiapi County was dissatisfied with the governor's governance and intended to send assassins to kill him. However, he saw the governor adjudicate an unjust case and turned against him and told him the truth. This is a manifestation of a person of noble character."
"Zao Rong stole grain from three counties for his own use and established a Buddhist association in the southern part of Xuzhou, leaving Xiapi and Pengcheng counties without grain. If it weren't for the envoy visiting the wealthy families in the counties and prefectures and borrowing money in exchange for a batch of grain, many of us would not be alive today!"
"besides……"
Voices clashed one after another, and were finally drowned out by a more prominent voice, "Grand Marshal, can you come and see for yourself what the northern part of Xuzhou looks like under the governance of Envoy Liu?"
"Even if he did make mistakes, his merits and demerits should be offset!"
Qiao Yan stood on the top of the city wall, looking at the faces of those who were begging for mercy with sincerity, and said, "Take Chen Yuanlong out of prison."
"I have heard for a long time that he is a man of great talent, both in literature and in martial arts, and he disdains to tell lies. He has also served as the agricultural officer of Xuzhou for several years and knows the harvests of the fields in various parts of Xuzhou. So - I want him to speak."
Chen Deng never expected that he would be released in such a situation.
Being imprisoned after being schemed against by the junior Pang Tong was not a difficult thing for Chen Deng to accept. He just couldn't understand why Qiao Yan chose this moment to launch such a campaign to attack Xuzhou with everyone helping each other.
Because of this confusion, when he and his father were imprisoned one after another and even detained in the Tan County prison, Chen Deng just closed his eyes and pondered over everything in this battle, intending to review the entire defeat.
He was not worried about what kind of disaster he was about to face, but he couldn't help but worry about Liu Bei's situation.
Sometimes he felt that Qiao Yan acted like a kind person, and sometimes he felt that the fact that her opponents left one after another was also a sign.
A sign that Liu Bei would likely die at her hands.
But Chen Deng never expected that Qiao Yan would entrust Liu Bei's life and death to his hands.
He looked at the people who were still following him and asking for mercy, and then looked at the carriage that had stopped in front of him. He had some guesses in his mind, and then he heard Qiao Yan say:
"I heard that a famous scholar from Xiangyang came to see you, Chen Yuanlong, but you showed no courtesy to the guest. You went straight to bed and made the guest sit down. Since then, some people say that you are arrogant. I wonder how Yuanlong will introduce Xuzhou to me, a guest, today?"
Chen Deng replied, "Your Excellency only knows one side of the story, and you made me get off the bed. It's not that I look down on him, but I want him to worry about the country and the people. He only wants to ask for land and houses, and since his words are not acceptable, I naturally avoid telling him. Now, Your Excellency wants to ask me about the achievements of Envoy Liu. I can talk to you for three days, so why are you so arrogant?"
Qiao Yan studied his expression and said with a smile, "Okay, I've heard that Chen Yuanlong of Xia Pi takes care of the elderly and orphans and treats the people as if they were his own. Let me hear what you have to say!"
Chen Deng did not shy away from the fact that he had just been released from prison and boarded the enemy's carriage. He waved his sleeves and said, "Please slow down the carriage and let the people behind follow. We will talk about the surrounding areas of Tan County."
"To the east of Tan County is the military settlement of Xuzhou Prefecture. However, this military settlement is different from the military settlement in Guanzhong. It is not owned by regular soldiers. It is actually obtained by us from the pirate Xuezhou. However, after a year, the pirates have become soldiers and will no longer cause harm to the people. This is the welfare of the people along the coast."
The carriage drove slowly through the land where spring plowing had not yet begun. Several farmers could be seen loosening the soil in the fields. From a distance, their skin color was indeed closer to bronze than that of ordinary farmers, and their physiques indeed looked more like sailors.
Qiao Yan slowly withdrew his gaze and replied, "Let's go to the next one."
Chen Deng said: "To the north of Tan County is Zeng Mountain, where people live. The governor once visited the mountain because it was difficult for the people to farm and there were no water channels. As the people did not want to leave the mountain, he built a bridge for them on the road through the mountain. This bridge shows the governor's sincerity in treating the people."
The bridge was between the cliffs on both sides. Qiao Yan did not go there in person, but when she looked back at the people behind her, she saw some people nodding anxiously to confirm the fact.
Before the carriage stopped, Chen Deng said, "To the west of Tan County, there is a tributary of the Yi River. The land is flat and suitable for farming. Unfortunately, it has long been occupied by a wealthy family in Tan County. The envoy personally went to lobby and talked with them for several days. Only then did they take it back and then distributed it to the relatives of the soldiers who died in the county."
"And the south of Tan County..."
"You don't have to say anything." Qiao Yan suddenly interrupted Chen Deng and ordered the carriage to stop.
What no one expected was that after the Grand Marshal, who now dominated the life and death of Xuzhou, got off the car, he did not interrupt their attempt to rescue Liu Bei, but first bowed to Chen Deng, and then bowed to the people who had been following the car.
"If it weren't for the fact that Envoy Liu was truly fair in judging rewards and punishments, and had not announced them, and loved the people like his own children, today, without the merits between these words, I would have been derelict in my duty to execute him simply for supporting the court in Yecheng."
"However, if he remains in Xuzhou, it is inevitable that he will cause unrest because he has obeyed the orders of the court in Yecheng. I will bring him back to Guanzhong and hand him over to Your Majesty for punishment. I will also report to the emperor and ask him to give him a lighter sentence because of his meritorious service to the people. Since Liu Xuande is a member of the royal family, it is reasonable for him to follow the rituals of ancestral temple sacrifices. What do you think?"
After a long silence, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted:
"Great Sima is wise!"
This sentence was shouted out, and immediately triggered a series of responses.
How is this not wise?
Although she intended to execute Liu Bei as a warning to others, she also decided to release Liu Bei after listening to their truthful statements.
He was just escorted to Chang'an for temporary observation, and he could even get an official position, which was much better than the original outcome.
Guanzhong needs an emperor like Liu Yu who loves his people like his own children, and probably also needs a good official like Liu Bei.
Although it was a pity that he could not stay in Xuzhou, at least he had found a suitable place to go.
They had achieved the purpose of their request and could rest assured.
but--
Liu Bei’s problem has been solved, but other problems have not been solved yet!
Cai Yong looked at the jubilant scene in front of him and felt that it was the right time to speak. He moved to Qiao Yan's side and asked, "Ye... Grand Marshal, since Xuande's life can be saved and he can return to Chang'an to be an idle official, what about Yuan Tan?"
But almost in an instant, as the expression on Qiao Yan's face faded, the surroundings returned to silence again.
Qiao Yan pursed his lips and said, "Mr. Cai...it's not that I don't want to help you."
When everyone saw the slightly cold and hesitant tone, they knew that the four surnames from Yangzhou Wujun, who were unfamiliar to the people of Xuzhou, were probably far inferior to Liu Bei in character, and did not have so many reasons to persuade her to change her decision.
As expected, they heard Qiao Yan say, "Do you know that before I set off to Xuzhou to supervise the war, the illegal revenue of the four families seized had reached more than 10,000 gold coins, countless fertile farmlands were occupied, and more than 4,000 households were hidden. Gu Yuantan may not know about this, but he paid attention to where I landed at the port along the river. It is clear that he knows - once I point my sword at Wujun, what consequences will they face!"
"Even if we ignore Sun Bofu's death and Lord Cai pleads for mercy, they will definitely be spared the death penalty, but they will not be able to escape the punishment of living!"
In the eyes of the people around him, there is no crime in keeping him alive, so just kill him.
But when they saw the look in Qiao Yan's eyes when he looked at Cai Yong, they knew that this person who was begging for mercy was of great importance.
"Mr. Cai came in person, even with his hair loose and barefoot, so I have to give you some face."
Qiao Yan sighed deeply, and said with a look of having gone through a mental struggle, "I can not kill them, but I will petition the emperor. There is an island to the east of Yangzhou called Yizhou, where the Gaoshan tribe lives, but there are no tall houses or delicacies. Let the four surnames of Wu County live there and cultivate the island fields. If they can change their bad habits and restore the style of the gentry, then I will take them back."
"I will have all the books and codes needed on the island delivered, and there will be no shortage of food, water, weapons, and medicines. In addition, since Lord Cai has praised Gu Yuantan highly—"
"Then let him be the governor of Yizhou, to look after the people of the tribe and urge them to mend their ways and become good people as soon as possible!"
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