Chapter 66 Questions from the Court
The two words "Ye Shu" expressed Liu Hong's aspirations directly, which made him less wary of Qiao Yan.
It is really difficult to explain whether a young genius with perfect skills and the ability to seize power and get things done can be controlled by him when he grows up, or whether his future successor can control him.
But what if it is a lonely minister or a cruel official?
There was an example before this - Yang Qiu, the Inspector of the Imperial Guards.
It was not only Lu Zhi who had been involved in suppressing the rebellion of bandits in the Jiujiang Mountain area. There was also Yang Qiu. It was because of his efforts in eliminating bandits while serving as the prefect of Jiujiang that he came to prominence and was later promoted to the Prime Minister of Pingyuan and the Inspector of the Sili Army.
Yang Qiu was the main person responsible for the execution of the eunuch Wang Fu. His cruel methods forced the eunuchs to band together and ask the emperor for help. In the end, Cao Jie falsely accused Yang Qiu, causing Yang Qiu to be imprisoned and executed.
But did Liu Hong really not know that the "false accusation" at that time was a false accusation?
Not necessarily.
He used capable ministers and cruel officials like Yang Qiu to execute eunuchs who abused their power, such as Wang Fu and Hou Lan, and took full control of the power. After the remaining eunuchs turned to him out of grief for the loss of their loved ones, he killed Yang Qiu as a way of winning them over.
When Qiao Yan had handed him the evidence of his violent act of kidnapping the state magistrate, was he seeing a genius even more amazing than Qiao Xuan, or a second Yang Qiu?
The Han Dynasty advocated the virtue of fire and attached great importance to martial arts. Yang Qiu gathered his accomplices to kill the officials in the county because his mother was humiliated. While suppressing the rebellion in Jiujiang Mountain, he also eliminated all the officials in the county.
Such people can be like a blazing fire that burns moths and dead wood for a while, but they will inevitably become the target of reckoning after a period of time, and eventually let the fire burn themselves.
But even with the lesson of Yang Qiu six years ago, there are still people who target him, not seeking to maintain their high position forever, but only to leave a name in history.
Liu Hong saw this potential in Qiao Yan's apology which was full of the implication of "I'll dare to do it again next time" and in the courtesy name he gave himself to take the responsibility for one person.
This is undoubtedly good news for him.
Zhang Rang, who was always paying attention to the expression on his face, clearly saw that the previous dense clouds and rain on Liu Hong's face had now turned into a kind of happiness that was more like discovering a new opportunity for checks and balances than satisfaction.
Qiao Yeshu...
This was a name Zhang Rang had never heard of before.
But if combined with Bingzhou, it would not be difficult for him to guess who this person was.
I'm afraid this is Qiao Yan.
After a year, Zhang Rang saw the Marquis of Leping being linked to an important event again. For some reason, he had a feeling that it was as he expected.
It's just that some people may not be so happy.
He immediately saw Liu Hong pick up the two letters that came with the letter of apology sent by Qiao Yan.
One of the letters was exactly what Qiao Yan mentioned. After the keel overturning project in Leping was completed, she also wrote a letter to the governor of Bingzhou. The date on the letter was exactly three or four months ago.
And the other one...
"Yuan is ridiculous!"
Liu Hong had only read a few lines when he was initially satisfied with himself as a future tool, but then his expression turned into anger, and he threw the book in his hand to the ground.
Liu Hong knew that Yuan had contributed to Zhang Yi's appointment as the Governor of Bingzhou. After all, this was precisely the result of the exchange and balance of interests he sought after the implementation of the provincial governor system.
However, in the letter Yuan Shao wrote to Zhang Yi, he told him that by dealing with the Hu forces after Tan Shihuai's death, he could get a chance to become famous, and thus slightly reduce the handling of important affairs in the state at this time, which undoubtedly made Liu Hong directly turn his attention.
Let’s not discuss what would have happened if the locust plague had not occurred, and whether his support for Qianman in the confrontation with Kuitou would really allow the Han Dynasty to profit from it, and just talk about the present.
If Qiao Yan had not decisively chosen to hold the prefect hostage and order the control of the locust plague in Bingzhou, considering that Zhang Yi had to obey the orders of the Yuan family of Runan, would he be able to make up his mind to eliminate the locusts, and could he quell the chaos as quickly as Qiao Yan did?
Compared with the capable ministers Liu Hong had controlled, he obviously couldn't!
So in this case, without the accident of Qiao Yan, would Bingzhou become the current situation of Liangzhou?
In Bingzhou, there is also the potential for a rebellion like that in Liangzhou.
But Liangzhou has already dispersed so many troops for him, how much will be left in Bingzhou?
Liu Hong couldn't help but get angry about this.
Since he acquiesced to the influence of the aristocratic families in the nomination of the Assassin, he would not mind Yuan Shao writing a letter to give Zhang Yi any instructions. But what he minded was that someone, under such circumstances, might contribute to the destabilization of his rule.
Another person nominated by aristocratic family, Huang Wan, who was appointed as governor as a disciple of the Hongnong Yang family, has proved himself to be a capable official with the talent of one of the Three Dukes with his outstanding achievements as governor of Qingzhou.
In comparison, Zhang Yi's performance really made Liu Hong feel a little annoyed.
But fortunately, Zhang Yi's existence was not completely useless. At least he used this whetstone to sharpen Qiao Yan's blade.
The question now is how to deal with Qiao Yan’s actions.
What was said in this letter of apology was indeed correct. He could not let the crime of shooting the governor with an arrow go lightly just because of the political achievements Qiao Yan had achieved after seizing power, otherwise others would surely follow suit.
It is true that there are people like Zhang Yi among the provincial governors.
For example, Liu Yan became the governor of Yizhou because the governor of Yizhou, Xie Jian, levied heavy taxes while in office.
To put it in a smaller context, although Geng Bi, the governor of Liangzhou, did not do things that were harmful to the people's livelihood like Xie Jian, he could only be considered a mediocre person after all.
If Qiao Yan's actions were directly approved by the imperial court, it would be easy for other states to follow suit.
However, those who are likely to do things under similar banners may not have the courage and means like Qiao Yan.
At that time, apart from causing chaos in the world, what benefit will it bring?
So Liu Hong couldn't let it go.
But Liu Hong felt it was a pity to punish this self-sacrificing fire.
With such talent and such determination to be the emperor's sharp sword, how could he bear to bring her to the capital in a prison cart to be punished.
He signaled Zhang Rang to pick up the book he had thrown away, and read it over and over again, and had some ideas in his mind.
Three days later, at the court meeting, Liu Hong, who was sitting at the head of the court, listened to the reports from the people below, especially the disaster relief situation in the three prefectures, and suddenly said, "I intend to restore Yang Boxian to the position of the Three Dukes."
Yang Boxian?
Yang Boxian is also known as Yang Ci.
In the previous year, several people who had originally held the three highest positions were replaced and laid off, and even Yang Ci was no exception.
However, Yang Ci had been prepared for this - after all, he was old, and it would take too much energy and effort to serve in a position like the Grand Marshal, which was in charge of military affairs, and it was indeed not appropriate.
In addition, his son Yang Biao has accumulated enough political capital, and in a few years, the Yang family will be able to produce another one of the three highest officials in the country, so he really has nothing to worry about.
This "retired" old man was quite leisurely and wrote a few letters to Yang Xiu, giving him some advice on his experience in running the local area in Leping, and telling him not to think that his grandfather's resignation was a fatal matter, unless he was staying in Leping because "I am the grandson of the grand marshal."
He did originally feel that the title of county marquis given to Qiao Yan was a little too high, but after realizing during their correspondence that his grandson had grown significantly and that he might have a better future than staying in Luoyang, he felt that the title of county marquis was his due.
A few days ago, he even thought about going to Leping to live for a couple of months while he still had time to breathe, so that he could keep Cai Yong company.
But obviously, with Liu Hong's words, his retirement plan had to come to an end.
But now the question is, Yang Ci was originally the Grand Marshal, so to which position will he be restored to when he is reinstated as one of the Three Dukes?
When Situ Cui Lie heard this, his face turned pale.
A few days ago, there was a debate about whether to give up Liangzhou. After Fu Xie accused him of being either unwise or disloyal, Liu Hong directly agreed with Fu Xie's statement and was determined to defend Liangzhou to the death.
Although he still holds his current position as Situ, he has undoubtedly lost the emperor's favor and is despised by a group of colleagues who also support Fu Xie's ideas and strictly uphold the integrity of the Han Dynasty.
Now, hearing that Liu Hong intends to reinstate Yang Ci as one of the Three Dukes, the first reaction is naturally that he is going to be dismissed.
However, he immediately heard Liu Hong say: "Zhang Boxin has taken the position of General of Chariots and Cavalry to quell the rebellion, and the position of Minister of Works is vacant. Let Yang Boxian be the Minister of Works first."
Zhang Wen went to replace Huangfu Song to quell the rebellion in Liang Province, leaving the position of Sikong vacant, which was left for Yang Ci to take over.
Cui Lie breathed a sigh of relief.
But he immediately realized that there was clearly another meaning in Liu Hong's words.
What does it mean to be "Sikong first"? Doesn't that mean that there will be adjustments after a while...
His position was still very precarious.
Liu Hong didn't care what Cui Lie was thinking at the moment. He continued calmly, "Although Lord Yang made some minor mistakes when he was the Grand Commandant, he didn't do any major things. He selected talented people and performed his duties conscientiously. He can be called a role model for the Three Dukes. The Qingzhou Governor Huang Ziyan is a pillar of the country. Lord Yang saw his ability and recognized his talent and recommended him to the central government. As a result, Qingzhou is now pacified. I will restore him to the position of Minister of Works for his merits. Do you have any objections?"
There are still many disciples of the Hongnong Yang family in the court, so naturally they would have no objection to Liu Hong's move.
Just as Liu Hong said, Huang Wan, recommended by Yang Ci, showed extraordinary governing ability. So there was no problem in Yang Ci, who had already been one of the Three Dukes and had the merit of recommending Huang Wan, being promoted to the position of Sikong again.
But no one expected that Liu Hong had other intentions when he asked Yang Ci to be the Sikong.
He then added: "Yang Ci's recommendation of the Qingzhou governor is meritorious, so I would like to ask, what exactly does Yuan Ci Yang mean by recommending Zhang Yi!"
Since Yuan Ji was the Grand Coachman, he was also among the officials below. When he suddenly heard Liu Hong's accusation, he was stunned at first.
Now that Yuan Wei has been temporarily dismissed from his post, he naturally should step forward and answer.
As Qiao Yan guessed, the idea of Yuan family recommending Zhang Yi was due to Yuan Shao's proposal of "controlling the river in the south, blocking Yan and Dai in the north, and conquering the Rong and Di peoples". The idea was to seek a way out for Yuan family, which was equivalent to sharing the risk of the aristocratic family.
However, since the Yuan family was one, there was no way to shirk responsibility. This idea of leaving a way out could not be made clear to Liu Hong. After Yuan Ji stepped out of the line, he bowed and held the hu tablet in his hand and replied:
"Zhang Zitai was selected as a filial and honest official. He has a fair character and is a local governor. He has a clear record of government and can be a local leader. That is why Lord Yuan recommended him as the governor of Bingzhou. May I ask Your Majesty if there is any important event happening in Bingzhou?"
Liu Hong replied with a look of joy and anger that was hard to tell: "The locust plague could be considered a big deal?"
Yuan Ji hesitated and asked, "I wonder what the situation is?"
The locust plague is naturally a big deal. Just look at the current situation in Luoyang and you will understand.
However, this major event also depends on the specific situation. After all, the locust plague is a natural disaster, and it originated from the Three Prefectures. We cannot say that the governor of Bingzhou is a waste just because the locust plague has spread to Bingzhou.
It is somewhat inappropriate to further trace the blame to the recommender.
"What's the situation?" Liu Hong sneered. "Very good, everything has been quelled. The locust plague has caused almost no damage, and the people of Bingzhou are waiting for the autumn harvest. Because the locust plague was dealt with so quickly, the barbarians dare not invade. It's time to ask the officials of Youfufeng, Zuofengyi and Jingzhao Yin how they are doing things."
"......?" Yuan Ji looked up at Liu Hong blankly and cautiously.
If it is true as Liu Hong said, Zhang Yi should have made contributions rather than faults.
It is no wonder that there is no report from Bingzhou among the reports that arrived in the capital recently. It is obvious that they want to wait until the situation stabilizes before delivering the good news directly.
But when he heard Liu Hong addressing him by both his full name and surname, he was obviously very dissatisfied with him, and his tone was more like accusation.
Before Yuan Ji could ask the question, he heard Liu Hong throw the memorial on the table, "But what does this have to do with Zhang Yi?"
"The order to kill the locusts came from the mouth of Leping Hou. All Zhang Yi did was to reject Qiao Yeshu's suggestion four months ago to build a keel overturned cart to prevent locust plagues."
"Exchanging locust seeds for food, using night fires to lure the insects, using carts to irrigate the land, and using ditches to bury the insects, all of these were done by Leping Hou. What did Zhang Yi do?"
"He really brought disgrace upon the governor of a state." Liu Hong's tone was full of accusation. "After receiving the news of the locust plague, he didn't even have time to make any proper response. He was arrested and imprisoned by a child because of his incompetence. If this were spread out, it would be a laughing stock in the world!"
Not to mention Yuan Ji, who was called out to respond directly, all the officials present were stunned.
There is really too much information in Liu Hong's words.
What does it mean that Zhang Yi was captured and detained by a child? Obviously, there is no other possibility for a child with such abilities except Marquis Leping.
Imprisoning an official appointed by the imperial court without authorization, including the governor of a state, only a very bold person could do such a thing!
But the image outlined in Liu Hong's previous sentence is clearly that of an exceptionally wise and decisive person.
They can quickly formulate policies to quell the locust plague, and even make up their minds to use locust fishing as a means to fight against natural disasters.
Even though most of the people present had worked their way up from the local communities, no one dared to guarantee that they could achieve the same level as Qiao Yan.
But her approach was indeed a bit extreme.
By this calculation, Zhang Yi would be reprimanded by Liu Hong in court, and even his recommender would be implicated. It is not difficult to understand why Yang Ci was promoted to one of the Three Dukes because of his meritorious recommendation.
This Bingzhou is really something. There was no news before, but now a big thing came.
Yuan Ji was still at a loss for words, feeling that he had suffered an unexpected disaster, when he suddenly heard Liu Hong turn to another person and ask, "Situ Cui, how do you think this matter should be handled?"
Cui Lie:……?
He didn't want to be named at this time at all.
Why throw such a suffocating question in front of him when he could have been stripped of his position because of his left foot first!
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