53 Something big happened
◎Liu Che: What a nice little workshop!◎
Huo Yan finally asked for compensation. Under Wei Qing's persuasion, Liu Che gave money and people, allowing Huo Yan to successfully replace all the rice pounding equipment in the palace within two days. But that was all. Just like Liu Che was slow to allocate money to build water wheels among the people, the rice pounding equipment was also forcibly left in the palace.
It was not only because of lack of money, but also because a war was about to break out. This war had been prepared for two years and the situation was tense. At this critical juncture, even Liu Che did not dare to make too much trouble.
This time, it was the Huns who took action first. In the autumn of the sixth year of Yuanguang, the Huns attacked Shanggu.
This report was placed on Liu Che's desk three days later.
Without hesitation, the emperor personally deployed the strategic plan, dispatching four armies. General Wei Qing was to march directly from Shanggu, General Gongsun Ao from Daijun, General Gongsun He from Yunzhong, and General Li Guang from Yanmen. Each of the four generals led 10,000 cavalry.
Compared with the Mayi Conspiracy four years ago, when the two sides argued back and forth, this time there was no quarrel in the court, and they unanimously decided to attack and fight the Huns.
This showed that Liu Che was more powerful than he had been four years ago. He had a firm grip on the country, and the will of the entire country would move according to his will.
Huo Yan accompanied Huo Qubing and Liu Che to see off the soldiers. He could not describe what he saw.
Liu Che stood on the high platform, his figure tall and majestic, like an unshakable mountain. His eyes swept over the soldiers about to go to war, his gaze filled with trust and expectation. These four armies, like four galloping dragons, were about to rush towards the vast grasslands in the north.
The fluttering military flags rustled like the stirring beat of war drums. Thousands of passionate men mounted their steeds, each saddled with his own harness. Though some still looked childish, their faces were filled with determination and resolve, without the slightest fear.
He didn't know whether these people were afraid or not, but when he held the words "defending the country" in his mouth, he felt that they were more important than a thousand pieces of gold, and his heart was filled with warmth.
Wei Qing waved goodbye to them. He was smiling, his face still gentle and charming, but the cold light reflected from his shiny armor also made him look sharp.
The army's horses' hooves kicked up clouds of dust, which, in the sunlight, resembled golden clouds. With a command, the four armies slowly set off, the rhythmic clatter of their hooves echoing over Chang'an before gradually fading away.
It was clear that a few months ago, his uncle was still the one who would pick up the crumbs of pastries with his fingers, put them into his mouth, and then smile at him gently, "Ayan, don't waste it."
Now it was just a small black dot moving farther and farther away from him.
Are you leaving soon? Will your uncle be scared? Will he come back?
Huo Yan knew his uncle would triumph, returning to Chang'an with unparalleled achievements; this was a historical fact. Yet, even at this moment, Huo Yan empathized with the tear-stained women and children by the roadside. Though he harbored no faith in spirits and gods, he still prayed to the heavens, hoping that history would be true, that gods truly existed, and that they would protect his family and every Han soldier, granting them a safe journey and a swift return home to a truly Chang'an.
Huo Qubing was different from him at this moment. The twins stood beside Liu Che, one with lowered eyebrows and a worried look in his eyes. The other's eyes were not only filled with worry, but also with a burning desire to achieve great things.
The two of them seemed to represent the extremes of the emotions of the calm king at the top. No, that's not the case. The ambition in the king's eyes had long surpassed shallow worries.
Wei Zifu was crying beside him, her tears had already stained her handkerchief. Huo Yan handed her another clean handkerchief. In the increasingly strong wind, Wei Zifu's soft hand gently stroked his forehead hair, with a sad look on her face.
Huo Yan's own worries hadn't dissipated, but he tried hard to smile at her, his eyes curved and his words flattering, "Aunt, the little fairy told me yesterday that my uncle would win, and he would bring home lots of lambs!"
Wei Zifu also laughed and watched the army leave with him.
[This is Tetsuko's typical political animal look.]
[His ambition was almost overflowing.]
[Ayan is soft-hearted.]
[Woo, uncle will definitely win!]
…
Before the troops move, the food and supplies must be sent first.
A country's war relies not only on fearless soldiers, but also on stable logistical capabilities.
Although the battle had begun hastily, the preparation period was long, so food, labor, and other logistical needs were gathered in just a few days. Sang Hongyang was so busy that even the children who were doing the accounting for Huo Yan were drafted.
He and Sang Hongyang spent almost every day and night immersed in the accounts, constantly checking accounts and dispatching supplies. Almost everyone had a detailed logistical map in their minds, knowing where food supplies needed to be replenished and where the number of migrant workers needed to be adjusted. This required the entire state machinery to operate efficiently to complete this seemingly simple material preparation.
Under their almost non-stop high-intensity work, in the warehouses filled with grain, bags of grain were carefully inspected by the soldiers responsible for escorting the grain, and then the recruited civilian workers carried them to the front line in an orderly manner.
Starting a war is easy enough, but how to fight the war without letting the soldiers and the people go hungry is the domestic problem that lies ahead.
This is a long and tedious task, and it is likely that this problem will remain until the end of the war.
The young emperor and his inner court advisers would always discuss matters by lamplight all night long.
Huo Yan didn't often follow Sang Hongyang, although Sang Hongyang always wanted to take him with him.
Because he had more important things to do. Compared with the situation in the court that was united against foreign aggression, the pro-peace and pro-war factions in the society had no idea how many quarrels they had in private. Ever since the publication of the technology-oriented "Han Qingnian" and the Confucian "Rufeng", which started to quarrel with each other, hundreds of publications have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain. For one issue, each of them went in a different direction and would argue over and over again for eighty or ninety times before they would stop.
This war was a rare national event, and the hundreds of articles criticizing the war nearly flooded Huo Yan's printing factory. The workers arranging the typefaces were nearly spitting out sparks from their ink brushes these past two days.
In order to stand out, these publications use a wide variety of paper. They used to be busy with the verbal battles, but now they have to print books in large quantities. Where can they find the extra production capacity? Although they can recruit workers, they will not be able to take such large orders in the future. Do they have to lay off employees?
Shi Ye, who was in charge of the printing factory, almost cried and ran to the Minister of Agriculture's Mansion to find Huo Yan.
Huo Yan looked up from the file, and after hearing the situation, he got up and went directly to the printing factory. On one hand, he asked Shi Ye to post a notice recruiting temporary workers, and on the other hand, he picked up an article to be printed and started reading it. When he saw it, his brows raised, and he grabbed all the articles and looked at them carefully.
The ideas of the peace faction were prominently featured, and some articles even predicted failure and mocked the generals of Liu Che's faction, especially Wei Qing. The label of "a relative" was almost stuck on him, and some lower-level articles even took pleasure in insulting him.
Huo Yan's frown deepened. He copied the names of all the authors of the manuscripts that insulted Wei Qing. Finally, he asked all the workers to stop and picked out the articles one by one that slandered Liu Che's purpose of fighting the war and slandered the soldiers. His face was pale and his fingers trembled slightly.
After a long while, he cursed in front of everyone, and without even changing his ink-stained clothes, he rushed to the Supreme Court to find Zhang Tang with the manuscripts in his pocket.
He was in big trouble! He seemed to have accidentally ruined his ideological unity.
If it continues to develop freely like this, without killing some people, the country’s ideology will be destroyed sooner or later!
[This is fucked up, free speech is fucked up.]
[Yanzi, contact the legal department now. These people are already considered traitors. Arrest them immediately.]
[Now we can rule out someone's instigation; these articles are all quite mixed up.]
[The devil is behind this, stop the conspiracy theories. Aside from the Han, the most advanced people right now are the Xiongnu. This method hasn't even reached the public opinion yet!]
[Everyone, I'm being honest. If this is the case, we and Yan Zai Gan are the ones behind this printing.]
[grass]
…
[Have the state immediately halt all publications. If the public believes these slanderous words and believes that the emperor launched the war for improper purposes, motivated by personal desires rather than national interests, it may lead to a decline in public support for the war and even civil unrest.]
[The soldiers fought bravely on the front lines, they are heroes defending the country. What a bunch of idiots!]
[Whether or not to fight a war has become a sensational business for them. They write controversial articles to attract attention and increase their own fame and influence. Damn it!]
[Son, we should have added an audit.]
[We didn't take into account that the printer couldn't read.]
[Damn it, literacy, we must literacy, build schools!]
[Yan Bao, the most urgent task now should be to find an censor and use the government's help to crack down on these people and publications on the market.]
[Hey, we have to go to Weiyang Palace soon.]
…
Huo Yan rushed all the way, his heart filled with regret and anxiety. If these articles slandering the court and defaming the officers and soldiers were not controlled and allowed to spread among the people, the people's thoughts would be confused and their trust in the court would collapse.
When he arrived at the Supreme Court, Huo Yan ignored the doorman's attempts to stop him and rushed in.
"Master Zhang! Master Zhang!"
He shouted loudly.
Zhang Tang was reviewing the files. When he heard the anxious cry, he frowned, put down the documents in his hand, and walked out quickly.
Seeing Huo Yan, who usually smiled, in such a state of disarray, his heart tightened, thinking that something had happened to this precious favorite of His Majesty. He simply led the group forward, swallowing the curses of the man shouting "Who's that?" and hurriedly asked, "Young Master, what are you looking for Tang for? Why are you so panicked?"
He was not from a noble family and could only gain a foothold in the court by relying on Emperor Wu of Han. Therefore, he was very humble in front of Huo Yan, fearing that he would displease him.
In the past, Huo Yan would have certainly exchanged a few pleasantries to express his gratitude for the honor. But at this moment, he didn't care about such formalities. He simply took out the articles and handed them to him, telling him in detail how he had discovered them in the workshop.
"Sir, although I have intercepted some of these articles, if you don't intervene to control them, there will be endless troubles!"
Zhang Tang, having reached this position, was no fool. He read carefully, his expression growing darker the more he read. "How dare you be so brazen in writing such treasonous words?"
With a serious expression, he immediately summoned the officers, divided them into teams, and sent them to search various places in the city according to the list given by Huo Yan. He also immediately rode on horseback and took Huo Yan to the Weiyang Palace.
When they arrived, Huo Qubing was helping Liu Che organize military reports. He saw Huo Yan jogging up the stairs from a distance, and his eyes lit up, "Uncle, it's Ah Yan who's here."
Only then did Liu Che raise his head and let them in without anyone stopping them.
Huo Yan ran all the way, then rode a horse. When he arrived in front of the hall, he even saluted crookedly, breathing heavily, and placed the manuscript in his hand on Liu Che's desk.
"Uncle." He raised his head and gulped down a large drink from the hand in front of Huo Qubing, then sat down on the steps with a gloomy expression. "Something terrible has happened."
Liu Che was startled when he saw Huo Yan's out-of-control appearance. He put down the pen in his hand, picked up the manuscript on the desk and began to look at it.
Huo Qubing also came over. When he saw the words that slandered the court, defamed the soldiers, and especially slandered Wei Qing, his face instantly turned ugly and his hands unconsciously clenched into fists.
"hateful!"
He spat out two words in hatred.
Liu Che slowly put down the manuscript, his eyes filled with uncontrollable anger. "These words are truly abominable. Who is so bold?"
Huo Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Zhang Tang continued, "Your Majesty, these articles are disorganized and incoherent. They are simply the work of a group of people who are just trying to attract attention. They won't cause any trouble. Young Master Huo has already investigated some of the authors, and I am sending people to hunt them down. But I am worried that Young Master Huo has only intercepted some of them. If these articles continue to spread, they will undoubtedly disturb the people's hearts and be extremely detrimental to the stability of our Han Dynasty."
Liu Che nodded slightly, his eyes gleaming with a cold light. "I will never allow anyone to stir up trouble under my nose. Zhang Tang, make sure to thoroughly investigate the author of such articles. Those who dare to create chaos must not be spared."
Zhang Tang accepted the order. He glanced at Huo Yan, who had moved from sitting to kneeling, with a hint of comfort in his eyes, and then quickly left the Weiyang Palace.
Huo Yan knelt on the steps, bowed deeply, and said in a hoarse voice, "Your Majesty, I sold this paper, and many of the articles were printed in my factory. This is all my negligence. I forgot that the factory workers are illiterate and cannot distinguish good articles from bad. They are just trying to make a living. Please consider the money they earn for you and the Han Dynasty and do not implicate them. Huo Yan knows his humble status and is willing to die a hundred times to pay for this."
He really made himself the culprit without realizing it.
Really, I want to die.
He was about to kowtow heavily, and Liu Che and Huo Qubing were so scared that they each grabbed one of his arms, fearing that he would get a headache from kowtow.
Huo Yan was held up, and for a moment, he didn't know whether to kowtow or not.
"Well, how about letting go first?"
Huo Qubing let go, but frowned. He sat down beside him, head to head, and lectured him, "Ayan is still young, it's normal for him to make mistakes. Now just think of a solution. Don't keep bumping your head. If it gets swollen, it will hurt, you know."
"And how could Ah Yan be so humble? Don't talk like that in the future." Huo Qubing paused, patted Huo Yan's shoulder, and said, "Brother doesn't like to hear it. Remember to change it in the future."
Huo Yan responded with a hum.
Liu Che did not let go, fearing that this kid would become too honest and kill him. After all, he had experienced Ah Yan and Qu Bing going crazy before.
"This uncle of the small factory also took the money. I'm not a tyrant. Now that something has happened, I'm also responsible for my negligence. So don't be stupid. We should kill this group of people first to make an example of them, and then investigate whether there are other workshops that are secretly printing these things, and cut off this rumor at the source."
Huo Yan's eyes widened, and he lowered his head a little with a guilty conscience, saying, "Uncle, there's no need to look for other workshops. Their source is publications, and almost all publication printing is my business. Moreover, the paper used by the Han scholars now is all produced by my factory. I have swallowed up all the workshops in Chang'an that can make hemp paper. So basically, what is circulating on the market is what I produce."
Liu Che was stunned for a rare moment, raising his voice. "I remember you complaining about being poor last time, saying that your little paper mill only had one room. I thought you were running a small workshop selling some novelty paper, but you managed to print so many things and even monopolize the papermaking industry in Chang'an?!"
Damn it, all the publications of the Han Dynasty were published by him, Huo Yan. No wonder this kid is so scared, it seems like there’s a traitor in front of him!
This guy has a lot of money in his hands!
Huo Yan lowered his head and argued, "It's just a small factory with only 500 people. Mainly because there are too few scholars in Chang'an. I'll swallow it up and it will all be mine."
Huo Qubing remained silent, and his uncle was surprised. The papermaking factory was really just a small one. There were only fifty papermaking and movable type printing and typesetting machines, which was not even enough for a fraction of the casino and polo field.
Liu Che saw their guilty expressions and gnashed his teeth in anger. "I am only responsible for arresting people. Now it's up to you, the papermaker, to handle this matter."
Huo Yan sighed and rubbed his hands. "Could you give me some of my uncle's doctorate? And give me an official title. Then I'll be more strict about the content of the printing."
Liu Che nodded. "You pay for their support. I'll give you the card box and the decree later. As for the old rule, your eight-two is no longer valid. This time, I'll ask for one more cent. No matter where you expand, you have to pay me."
This time it was Huo Yan's turn to grit his teeth, but when you are under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.
He made up his mind and agreed.
Liu Che touched his chin and said, "Qubing, your younger brother has other profitable businesses, right?"
Huo Qubing's ears suddenly pricked up, and then he shook his head decisively, "It's gone!"
Liu Che snorted coldly and glanced at them both meaningfully, "Then it's best not to let me catch you."
【Author’s words】
Pig: What a shady little black workshop! This guy is running a monopoly!
Yan: Suddenly it seems that I can clean up the industry.
Bing: It’s really a small factory, much smaller than my brother’s tea factory.
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