Chapter 75, Chapter Six: Another Wave of Turbulence
Before Liu Jun and Wen Qiao could come up with a brilliant plan to kill two birds with one stone, an unexpected change occurred—following Qi Wannian's rebellion in the fourth year of the Yuankang era, the Di and Qiang tribes in Qin and Yong provinces also rebelled.
Fortunately, they rebelled not only against the Jin Dynasty but also against Liu Zhao.
In the imperial court, the atmosphere was one of intense indignation. Whether they were from the Su faction or the Emperor's faction, the vast majority of officials were vehemently requesting and urging war, fearing that if they were too slow, the other side would gain the upper hand.
Seeing that Suo Lin had already volunteered to lead the expedition, and that Du Dan was being recommended to lead the troops on the other side, Liu Jun, who had been observing from the sidelines, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, now that I have been appointed as the governor of Yongzhou, this matter should be handled by me. I beg Your Majesty to allow me to take stock of the troops and quell the rebellion as soon as possible."
After he spoke, Suo Lin fell silent. In the past year or two, Sima Ye had been pressing him step by step. He was fighting to the death with the Du and Xun families in the court. Fortunately, Liu Jun mediated between them, otherwise he would not have gained any advantage.
Especially half a year ago, he went to the battlefield and was shot by Liu Yao's arrow. Although he survived, his health was not as good as before. He no longer had the courage of his youth, and his ambition to fight for power and profit had faded. Now he only asks for a peaceful end and to bring blessings to his descendants.
He wasn't genuinely seeking war, so when Liu Jun spoke up, he readily accepted the offer and remained silent.
On the other hand, Du Dan was also in a dilemma. He had always relied on his father's influence and had never truly led troops into battle. After the Yongjia era, he fled all the way to Liangzhou. If it weren't for his niece Du Lihua's letter of entreaty, he probably wouldn't have wanted to return to Guanzhong, a place of constant warfare. Du Lihua repeatedly sent members of the Du family to fight and achieve merit, so that the Du family could gain a foothold and restore the glory of their father and grandfather.
But he wasn't a father after all. He could manage to talk his way out of court, but when it came to real combat on the battlefield, he had absolutely no chance of success.
Sima Ye, sitting upright, was actually extremely reluctant to let Liu Jun go on the expedition. However, he knew that Liu Jun was the most suitable person to lead the expedition because he was young, strong, and experienced in battle. But the thought of being without his protection for several months or even half a year made him unhappy.
When the emperor's face fell, the court officials, thinking he was annoyed by the noise, also fell silent, and for a moment the court was completely quiet.
Wen Qiao laughed and said, "It seems that it has been several months since Liu Shizhong's sword has tasted blood. Perhaps he can no longer suppress the sharpness at his waist?"
"Now that the Grand Secretary is by His Majesty's side, there will be no chaos in the court. Jun will have no more worries and can go on the battlefield."
Suo Lin and Du Dan exchanged a glance and neither of them argued further.
Therefore, after the court assembly, Liu Jun's suppression of the Di and Qiang rebellions was a foregone conclusion.
As soon as the court session ended, Sima Ye returned to the inner palace with a cold face, seemingly glaring at Liu Jun.
Liu Jun pondered why he was angry, when he saw Wen Qiao gracefully walk to his side. "Aren't you going to apologize?"
Liu Jun then realized he hadn't misread it, but frowned and said, "What crime have I committed? Why should I go to apologize?"
“Sigh,” Wen Qiao tapped his shoulder with the whisk in his hand, “I’ve heard that you’re indifferent to matters in the inner quarters and have no concern for your wife, children and elderly parents. Now it seems that’s true.”
Liu Jun said in a low voice, "Brother-in-law, be careful what you say. How can the emperor be compared to the women in the inner quarters?"
He cupped his hands in greeting, strode out of the palace, and returned to the shogunate to prepare for battle.
When Sima Ye did not see Liu Jun at the court assembly the next day, he learned that Liu Jun had set off overnight. He was filled with mixed feelings and remained stunned for a long time before saying, "In that case, we must not neglect the provisions and supplies for the Attendant-in-Ordinary."
The matter was thus dropped.
Meanwhile, Liu Jun led his troops at breakneck speed and arrived in just a few days. Before they could even sit down, he summoned Wei Xiong.
After Jia Pi ceased to serve as the governor of Qin Prefecture, Liu Jun appointed Wei Xiong as the governor of Qin Prefecture and Liu Shu as the military advisor of Qin Prefecture. At the same time, he recommended Liu Dan as the governor of Yu Prefecture, which was a way of giving an explanation to the brothers who had come to him. Now, shortly after Wei Xiong took office, a popular uprising broke out. Although Liu Jun knew that the problem was mostly not with him, he was worried that others would say that he was protecting Wei Xiong, so he had to call Wei Xiong over for questioning.
"Your Excellency." Wei Xiong stepped forward and bowed. This sturdy man actually looked somewhat aggrieved.
Knowing that Jia Pi's former subordinates might not be convinced of Wei Xiong's loyalty and would likely face difficulties in the coming days, Liu Jun gave him a reassuring look and said calmly, "Have you figured out whether the rebels this time are led by the Di or the Qiang people?"
“Your Excellency, they should be Di people,” Wei Xiong said hesitantly.
Liu Jun frowned. "Is there something else going on?"
“Although the crime of treason is unforgivable, the circumstances are pitiable. I urge Your Excellency to personally visit the Di region to learn more.” Wei Xiong rose and led the way.
When they arrived at their destination, Liu Jun had prepared a speech to shame these rioters, but when he actually saw the Di people who were starving and poorly clothed, he was speechless.
His gaze swept over the emaciated old people, the children crying from hunger and cold, the women with scarred faces, and the men missing limbs. He said with difficulty, "There is a saying in our dynasty that 'those who are not of our race will surely have different hearts, and the ambitions of the Rong and Di tribes are not the same as those of the Hua.' But if we do not treat them as human beings, how can they not rebel? Although the world is poor and weak now, it is not as heartbreaking and tragic as this. Look at these old people and children dying from hunger, men crippled by military service, and women who disfigure themselves for fear of being captured. Is this still the world under the rule of the Great Jin?"
"Your Excellency is benevolent," Wei Xiong sighed, "They only did this because they truly had no other choice..."
The Sima clan's governance of the Rong people largely followed the Cao Wei model. They won over and rewarded the leaders of the foreign tribes, while also establishing the Protectorate of the Western Rong to manage the affairs of the Di, Qiang, and other Hu peoples. As a result, the Hu people had to endure the exploitation by their own tribal chiefs and were also oppressed by the Jin dynasty. The Jin dynasty already levied numerous taxes and levies, and the land rent was twice as high as that of the Cao Wei dynasty. They had to be slaves to the chiefs and registered as households in the Jin dynasty, which was an extremely heavy burden.
In the later period, the Sima clan's administration became corrupt, and the officials they sent out "either used trickery to invade and harass the border tribes, or sought rewards and benefits and arbitrarily carried out attacks and killings." These mixed Hu people who migrated inland were not as strong and well-equipped as the Xiongnu and Xianbei, and were simply unable to protect themselves. Many of them were captured and forced into hereditary service, and even a large number were taken as slaves. It can be said that the people were living in misery and suffering.
Liu Jun said in a deep voice, "If the court had fallen so low, I'm afraid I would have raised the banner of rebellion too."
He paced slowly for a few steps, then suddenly asked a series of questions: "Did the Duke of Jiuquan previously cite an old precedent? Is the person leading this time a chieftain, a refugee, or an ordinary Di person?"
"The Duke of the Prefecture did not increase taxes; the ones leading the way were the Di nobles..."
Liu Jun suddenly turned his head, "Is this related to Li Xiong of Cheng Han?"
“The prisoner has already been severely tortured, but he refuses to confess,” Wei Xiong said decisively.
"The sudden outbreak of a popular uprising at this time is no accident. Someone must be stirring things up, trying to make the court overwhelmed so that Liu Yao, Shi Le, or Li Xiong can reap the benefits." Liu Jun recalled the intelligence he had seen a few days ago, and the frequent actions of that group south of the Yangtze River. "It can't be that?"
"Who?" Wei Xiong asked blankly.
Liu Jun shook his head. "Maybe I'm overthinking it, but I feel like there's someone behind me, though I can't quite place who it is. By the way, where's Liu Shu? Why hasn't he come to see me?"
Wei Xiong smiled wryly, "The Di people are quite brave, and the two of us dare not be presumptuous. We take turns guarding the city. He should be on the city wall now."
Liu Jun's expression softened. "Alright, I'll lend him a hand. Lead the way."
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