“Liu Hu unexpectedly died? And the three cities of Jingling have fallen into the hands of Liang Zixi?” Inside the Han camp in Hedong, Liu Yuan frowned, looking at his kneeling son.
This time, he sent Liu Cong to Lishi, not just to simply block the enemy troops. Instead, he wanted to utilize the forces under Liu Hu’s command to launch a general attack on Jinyang. With nearly thirty thousand troops from both sides, it could be lethal for the Bing County army that acted without proper orders and hastily launched an attack.
“Who would have expected Liu Hu to die? And Jingling’s three cities have fallen into the hands of Liang Zixi?” Inside the Han camp in Hedong, Liu Yuan frowned, looking at his kneeling son.
This time, he sent Liu Cong to Lishi not just to simply block the enemy troops. Instead, he wanted to utilize the forces under Liu Hu’s command to launch a general attack on Jinyang. With nearly thirty thousand troops from both sides, it could be lethal for the Benzhou army that acted without proper orders and hastily launched an attack.
“The results of this battle have given Liang Zixi all the advantages. Unexpectedly, Pei Dun died in battle. Someone might have used a borrowed knife to commit murder!” Liu Yuan’s voice contained a mix of mockery and anger.
Liu Cong lowered his head, “Your son is incompetent!”
“Enough.” Liu Yuan waved his hand, “In the end, we managed to hold Lishi. Liang Zixi has already established a foothold in Bing County, and it might be even harder to deal with him in the future. However, for him to be so audacious, plotting against the newly appointed peace general, and even the brother-in-law of Prince Donghai, Prince Donghai might hold a grudge.”
“If Prince Donghai breaks down the barriers himself, His Majesty could welcome Liang Zixi under his command.” A minister suggested.
Liu Yuan sighed lightly, “If he is willing to submit, I will welcome him warmly. But Prince Donghai might not be so foolish. Well, there will be opportunities for future dealings. Let’s focus on capturing Hedong.”
Recently, the army had approached Wenxi, and the governor of Hedong, Lu Shu, fought to the death. This fertile land was already within their grasp, easily obtainable.
“Xuan Ming, this time you will act as the vanguard and help me capture Wenxi.”
Advertisement
Upon hearing his father’s words, Liu Cong finally breathed a sigh of relief and loudly declared, “Your son will definitely present Hedong to Father!”
Watching his beloved son regain his vigor, Liu Yuan couldn’t help but feel somewhat helpless. Liang Zixi seemed to be a nemesis to the Han state, returning empty-handed every time he led an expedition. If this person continued to guard Bing County, the shortcut from Shangdang to Luoyang would be completely sealed off. They would also have to be on guard against reinforcements when attacking Luoyang. It was truly troublesome! If only there was a way to sow discord between him and Jin…
However, this idea flashed briefly in Liu Yuan’s mind and was cast aside. Now, the most important thing was Hedong! After Wenxi, there was Anyi. Once these two large cities were captured, Hedong would be completely under control. Just thinking about the benefits of the salt pool made people extremely excited.
“Continue the siege! Within ten days, I want to stand on the walls of Wenxi!”
※
Sitting in the palace gardens of Luoyang, not yet at the Mid-Autumn Festival, Sima Yue felt a hint of the chilling winter. On the desk were two letters, one worse than the other.
A few days ago, news came from Bing County. The new commander-in-chief of Bing County, Peace General, Pei Dun, unexpectedly died in battle. Due to Pei Dun’s unauthorized military action, Liu Hu sent ten thousand troops to attack the empty Jinyang City, almost breaking through the city. Fortunately, Liang Zixi fought desperately to defend Jinyang, repelling the enemy and reclaiming the three cities of Jingling. The casualties from the expedition were not too severe, barely maintaining stability in the province.
This news left Sima Yue at a loss on how to proceed. In fact, Pei Dun’s military action was something he tacitly approved of. After all, the situation in Hedong was perilous, and if it could be saved, that would be for the best. However, the subsequent developments were completely unexpected. The thought of Jinyang possibly being taken, the two hundred thousand troops being defeated and scattered, and the complete loss of Hedong sent shivers down one’s spine.
Advertisement
However, even though Jinyang was saved, how should the death of Pei Dun be handled? The whole matter seemed suspicious from every angle. Could it be that the forces of Jinyang conspired with Liang Zixi? When Princess Pei heard of her brother’s death, she immediately cried, her tears flowing like a river. Pei Shao also hated fiercely, wanting to avenge his elder brother. But who was the enemy? In the midst of a great battle, he fled the scene, fell from his horse, and died, with even his personal guards abandoning him completely. This manner of death was utterly disgraceful!
Should he hold his subordinates accountable? Jinyang had just repelled the enemy. If the court were to intervene, causing chaos again, what would happen? Should he send a trusted person to Jinyang to take over the position of commander-in-chief? Even his own younger brother, Sima Teng, abandoned Bing County and fled. How many people could handle the situation like Liang Zixi, remaining calm in the face of danger and turning the tide?
This battle was truly troublesome, leaving him unable to decide whether to reward or punish. In the midst of this dilemma, another piece of news reached Luoyang.
Liu Yuan had captured Wenxi, and all the branches of the Pei clan in the city had surrendered!
Upon hearing this news, Sima Yue’s face turned green. The Pei clan had been loyal to the imperial court for generations, and he hadn’t expected them to surrender so cleanly after the city fell! If other major counties also fell into enemy hands, would those who had enjoyed prosperity, the high-ranking families of the past generations, also defect? Of course! Otherwise, how did the Sima clan take over the world from the hands of Cao Wei?
The Sima clan also came from a scholarly background, and Sima Yue understood too well the idea in the hearts of these aristocrats, that “family comes before the country.” What did it matter if the country fell? They could pledge allegiance to the new emperor! However, could these aristocratic families become subjects of other families? Could his Sima clan descendants? What they had done to the descendants of Cao Wei was something no one understood better than Sima Yue!
Now, the wailing and resentment of Princess Pei and her brother were becoming less important. The key was how to curb the expansion of the Xiongnu! However, the court couldn’t spare any troops at the moment. The situation in Jing County was like a tug-of-war, unable to do without people for a moment. After Wang Mi sided with Sima Ying, the provinces of Qing, Xu, Yan, and Yu fell into chaos, not to mention the bandits and rebels in Ji County. This was a struggle for the imperial throne. If Sima Ying were to win, this traitor who had proclaimed himself a “false emperor” would have to sacrifice himself!
In this situation, how could Hedong remain stable? Could anyone else truly handle the role of commander-in-chief?
This suppressed anger had to be endured. Sima Yue sat stiffly for a long time, and finally gritted his teeth with resentment, “Summon someone, draft an edict! General Pei sacrificed himself for the country, posthumously1 promoted to Grand General, and granted the title of Palace Attendant. Liang Feng, the governor of Bing County, made meritorious contributions in defending the city, promoted to Eagle Soaring General, and granted an honorary seal… Appointed as the commander-in-chief of all military affairs in Bing County.”
The last few words were practically squeezed out between his teeth.
Advertisement
Just wait and see. Once the chaos in Chengdu Wang’s faction is quelled, then slowly deal with Liu Yuan and his group of barbarians! By then, Liang Zixi would also have to change his position, which would be appropriate.
※
After “truthfully” reporting the situation in Jinyang, Liang Feng did not wait idly for the court’s instructions. Instead, he immediately rearranged his forces. He sent Zhang He’s troops back to guard Shangdang and replaced them with the Thunderbolt Battalion, skilled in siege warfare. Sun Jiao would assist Yiyan from the side in attacking Xinxing Commandery.
Though the soldiers were tired from the recent battle, the opportunity was too rare to pass up. This time, Liu Hu brought with him most of his troops. Now, they were scattered and defeated, with their main commander lost. Jiuyuan City had become as vulnerable as Jinyang had been before. In such a situation, abandoning the opportunity would be a great pity. Fortunately, the military supplies and provisions brought by Pei Dun from the court were still surplus. It was better to seize the moment and launch another campaign.
The task was incredibly challenging, but for the Shangdang troops, it wasn’t something too difficult to handle. This was a pursuit after victory, with Yiyan overseeing from the side. They were not afraid of failing to capture the city.
On the other hand, it was also a way for the Governor’s Mansion to showcase its power. With no commander-in-chief in Jinyang now, there needed to be a clear protocol for who held military authority. Liang Feng’s actions were a clear demonstration of his confidence in controlling the forces in Jinyang. It also emphasized to the influential families in Jinyang that the generals had already pledged their allegiance.
This military operation, as expected, gained unanimous support from the top to the bottom in Jinyang. Even Linghu Kuang, representing the local forces of Jinyang, joined the army attacking Xinxing Commandery, wanting to redeem himself and remove the stain of losing the commander-in-chief.
External wars have always been an effective way to resolve internal conflicts. However, what Liang Feng did went beyond that. After settling the military and civilians in the city and addressing matters such as resettling refugees and opening up new land, he issued another order that would cause a stir.
“Now that Taiyuan Guo has been established and Xinxing Commandery is about to be conquered, it is the right time to use talents! Not to mention the county officials, even the officials at the lower levels are quite lacking. We should adopt a method to select talents and enrich the counties!” Liang Feng gathered his staff and got straight to the point.
“Now that there is a temporary vacancy for the position of the Zhongzheng official in the province, why not report to the court and select Zhongzheng officials at all levels in the province and counties, and restart the evaluation?” Sun Li suggested. Being from the Sun family in Taiyuan, he was extremely familiar with the nine-grade Zhongzheng official.
On the side, Duan Qin sighed lightly, “Selecting Zhongzheng officials is necessary, but choosing officials might lead to a waste of talent. However, with the imminent recovery of Xinxing Commandery, waiting for Zhongzheng officials to arrive may be too late. I suggest emulating what the Governor did at the Shangsi banquet, drafting some test questions, and inviting scholars to answer them. As long as they are talented, they can enter the government and temporarily replace officials at all levels.”
Sun Li was insightful, but upon hearing Duan Qin’s suggestion, he understood that Governor Liang wanted to firmly control the personnel authority of the middle and lower levels. Since the selection was for officials, using a written examination was a crude method. High-ranking families would likely avoid it. Those who would come to apply were likely to be mostly from commoner families. Although this method deviated somewhat from the usual practice of selecting talents, it was ultimately a way to avoid appointing unsuitable officials. As the governor, Liang Feng naturally had the right to appoint and dismiss officials in the province.
This way, it would not generate much resentment from the aristocratic families, and it could address the urgent matter at hand. Considering this for a moment, Sun Li nodded in agreement.
Subsequently, the Governor’s Mansion made a grand public announcement of the decree, declaring the selection of talents in Jinyang one month later. This time, only three subjects were set for the examination: classics, arithmetic, and medicine. The first was evidently for officials’ needs, while the latter two were highly practical and resembled craftsman skills. However, such a decree still attracted attention in both Jinyang and Shangdang.
The commoner students in the Shangdang County School were quite straightforward. Upon hearing the news, some immediately packed their bags and headed to Jinyang. They had expected the next examination for selecting scholars to be held next year on the Shangsi festival, but who would have thought it could be advanced? How could this not make them ecstatic? Meanwhile, many others observed from the sidelines. Did the issuance of such a decree by the Governor’s Mansion also indicate something else?
Advertisement
One month may seem neither long nor short, but it eventually allowed this “novelty” to spread beyond the borders of Jinyang.
1something that occurs or is awarded after a person’s death
“Liu Hu unexpectedly died? And the three cities of Jingling have fallen into the hands of Liang Zixi?” Inside the Han camp in Hedong, Liu Yuan frowned, looking at his kneeling son.
This time, he sent Liu Cong to Lishi, not just to simply block the enemy troops. Instead, he wanted to utilize the forces under Liu Hu’s command to launch a general attack on Jinyang. With nearly thirty thousand troops from both sides, it could be lethal for the Bing County army that acted without proper orders and hastily launched an attack.
“Who would have expected Liu Hu to die? And Jingling’s three cities have fallen into the hands of Liang Zixi?” Inside the Han camp in Hedong, Liu Yuan frowned, looking at his kneeling son.
This time, he sent Liu Cong to Lishi not just to simply block the enemy troops. Instead, he wanted to utilize the forces under Liu Hu’s command to launch a general attack on Jinyang. With nearly thirty thousand troops from both sides, it could be lethal for the Benzhou army that acted without proper orders and hastily launched an attack.
“The results of this battle have given Liang Zixi all the advantages. Unexpectedly, Pei Dun died in battle. Someone might have used a borrowed knife to commit murder!” Liu Yuan’s voice contained a mix of mockery and anger.
Liu Cong lowered his head, “Your son is incompetent!”
“Enough.” Liu Yuan waved his hand, “In the end, we managed to hold Lishi. Liang Zixi has already established a foothold in Bing County, and it might be even harder to deal with him in the future. However, for him to be so audacious, plotting against the newly appointed peace general, and even the brother-in-law of Prince Donghai, Prince Donghai might hold a grudge.”
“If Prince Donghai breaks down the barriers himself, His Majesty could welcome Liang Zixi under his command.” A minister suggested.
Liu Yuan sighed lightly, “If he is willing to submit, I will welcome him warmly. But Prince Donghai might not be so foolish. Well, there will be opportunities for future dealings. Let’s focus on capturing Hedong.”
Recently, the army had approached Wenxi, and the governor of Hedong, Lu Shu, fought to the death. This fertile land was already within their grasp, easily obtainable.
“Xuan Ming, this time you will act as the vanguard and help me capture Wenxi.”
Advertisement
Upon hearing his father’s words, Liu Cong finally breathed a sigh of relief and loudly declared, “Your son will definitely present Hedong to Father!”
Watching his beloved son regain his vigor, Liu Yuan couldn’t help but feel somewhat helpless. Liang Zixi seemed to be a nemesis to the Han state, returning empty-handed every time he led an expedition. If this person continued to guard Bing County, the shortcut from Shangdang to Luoyang would be completely sealed off. They would also have to be on guard against reinforcements when attacking Luoyang. It was truly troublesome! If only there was a way to sow discord between him and Jin…
However, this idea flashed briefly in Liu Yuan’s mind and was cast aside. Now, the most important thing was Hedong! After Wenxi, there was Anyi. Once these two large cities were captured, Hedong would be completely under control. Just thinking about the benefits of the salt pool made people extremely excited.
“Continue the siege! Within ten days, I want to stand on the walls of Wenxi!”
※
Sitting in the palace gardens of Luoyang, not yet at the Mid-Autumn Festival, Sima Yue felt a hint of the chilling winter. On the desk were two letters, one worse than the other.
A few days ago, news came from Bing County. The new commander-in-chief of Bing County, Peace General, Pei Dun, unexpectedly died in battle. Due to Pei Dun’s unauthorized military action, Liu Hu sent ten thousand troops to attack the empty Jinyang City, almost breaking through the city. Fortunately, Liang Zixi fought desperately to defend Jinyang, repelling the enemy and reclaiming the three cities of Jingling. The casualties from the expedition were not too severe, barely maintaining stability in the province.
This news left Sima Yue at a loss on how to proceed. In fact, Pei Dun’s military action was something he tacitly approved of. After all, the situation in Hedong was perilous, and if it could be saved, that would be for the best. However, the subsequent developments were completely unexpected. The thought of Jinyang possibly being taken, the two hundred thousand troops being defeated and scattered, and the complete loss of Hedong sent shivers down one’s spine.
Advertisement
However, even though Jinyang was saved, how should the death of Pei Dun be handled? The whole matter seemed suspicious from every angle. Could it be that the forces of Jinyang conspired with Liang Zixi? When Princess Pei heard of her brother’s death, she immediately cried, her tears flowing like a river. Pei Shao also hated fiercely, wanting to avenge his elder brother. But who was the enemy? In the midst of a great battle, he fled the scene, fell from his horse, and died, with even his personal guards abandoning him completely. This manner of death was utterly disgraceful!
Should he hold his subordinates accountable? Jinyang had just repelled the enemy. If the court were to intervene, causing chaos again, what would happen? Should he send a trusted person to Jinyang to take over the position of commander-in-chief? Even his own younger brother, Sima Teng, abandoned Bing County and fled. How many people could handle the situation like Liang Zixi, remaining calm in the face of danger and turning the tide?
This battle was truly troublesome, leaving him unable to decide whether to reward or punish. In the midst of this dilemma, another piece of news reached Luoyang.
Liu Yuan had captured Wenxi, and all the branches of the Pei clan in the city had surrendered!
Upon hearing this news, Sima Yue’s face turned green. The Pei clan had been loyal to the imperial court for generations, and he hadn’t expected them to surrender so cleanly after the city fell! If other major counties also fell into enemy hands, would those who had enjoyed prosperity, the high-ranking families of the past generations, also defect? Of course! Otherwise, how did the Sima clan take over the world from the hands of Cao Wei?
The Sima clan also came from a scholarly background, and Sima Yue understood too well the idea in the hearts of these aristocrats, that “family comes before the country.” What did it matter if the country fell? They could pledge allegiance to the new emperor! However, could these aristocratic families become subjects of other families? Could his Sima clan descendants? What they had done to the descendants of Cao Wei was something no one understood better than Sima Yue!
Now, the wailing and resentment of Princess Pei and her brother were becoming less important. The key was how to curb the expansion of the Xiongnu! However, the court couldn’t spare any troops at the moment. The situation in Jing County was like a tug-of-war, unable to do without people for a moment. After Wang Mi sided with Sima Ying, the provinces of Qing, Xu, Yan, and Yu fell into chaos, not to mention the bandits and rebels in Ji County. This was a struggle for the imperial throne. If Sima Ying were to win, this traitor who had proclaimed himself a “false emperor” would have to sacrifice himself!
In this situation, how could Hedong remain stable? Could anyone else truly handle the role of commander-in-chief?
This suppressed anger had to be endured. Sima Yue sat stiffly for a long time, and finally gritted his teeth with resentment, “Summon someone, draft an edict! General Pei sacrificed himself for the country, posthumously1 promoted to Grand General, and granted the title of Palace Attendant. Liang Feng, the governor of Bing County, made meritorious contributions in defending the city, promoted to Eagle Soaring General, and granted an honorary seal… Appointed as the commander-in-chief of all military affairs in Bing County.”
The last few words were practically squeezed out between his teeth.
Advertisement
Just wait and see. Once the chaos in Chengdu Wang’s faction is quelled, then slowly deal with Liu Yuan and his group of barbarians! By then, Liang Zixi would also have to change his position, which would be appropriate.
※
After “truthfully” reporting the situation in Jinyang, Liang Feng did not wait idly for the court’s instructions. Instead, he immediately rearranged his forces. He sent Zhang He’s troops back to guard Shangdang and replaced them with the Thunderbolt Battalion, skilled in siege warfare. Sun Jiao would assist Yiyan from the side in attacking Xinxing Commandery.
Though the soldiers were tired from the recent battle, the opportunity was too rare to pass up. This time, Liu Hu brought with him most of his troops. Now, they were scattered and defeated, with their main commander lost. Jiuyuan City had become as vulnerable as Jinyang had been before. In such a situation, abandoning the opportunity would be a great pity. Fortunately, the military supplies and provisions brought by Pei Dun from the court were still surplus. It was better to seize the moment and launch another campaign.
The task was incredibly challenging, but for the Shangdang troops, it wasn’t something too difficult to handle. This was a pursuit after victory, with Yiyan overseeing from the side. They were not afraid of failing to capture the city.
On the other hand, it was also a way for the Governor’s Mansion to showcase its power. With no commander-in-chief in Jinyang now, there needed to be a clear protocol for who held military authority. Liang Feng’s actions were a clear demonstration of his confidence in controlling the forces in Jinyang. It also emphasized to the influential families in Jinyang that the generals had already pledged their allegiance.
This military operation, as expected, gained unanimous support from the top to the bottom in Jinyang. Even Linghu Kuang, representing the local forces of Jinyang, joined the army attacking Xinxing Commandery, wanting to redeem himself and remove the stain of losing the commander-in-chief.
External wars have always been an effective way to resolve internal conflicts. However, what Liang Feng did went beyond that. After settling the military and civilians in the city and addressing matters such as resettling refugees and opening up new land, he issued another order that would cause a stir.
“Now that Taiyuan Guo has been established and Xinxing Commandery is about to be conquered, it is the right time to use talents! Not to mention the county officials, even the officials at the lower levels are quite lacking. We should adopt a method to select talents and enrich the counties!” Liang Feng gathered his staff and got straight to the point.
“Now that there is a temporary vacancy for the position of the Zhongzheng official in the province, why not report to the court and select Zhongzheng officials at all levels in the province and counties, and restart the evaluation?” Sun Li suggested. Being from the Sun family in Taiyuan, he was extremely familiar with the nine-grade Zhongzheng official.
On the side, Duan Qin sighed lightly, “Selecting Zhongzheng officials is necessary, but choosing officials might lead to a waste of talent. However, with the imminent recovery of Xinxing Commandery, waiting for Zhongzheng officials to arrive may be too late. I suggest emulating what the Governor did at the Shangsi banquet, drafting some test questions, and inviting scholars to answer them. As long as they are talented, they can enter the government and temporarily replace officials at all levels.”
Sun Li was insightful, but upon hearing Duan Qin’s suggestion, he understood that Governor Liang wanted to firmly control the personnel authority of the middle and lower levels. Since the selection was for officials, using a written examination was a crude method. High-ranking families would likely avoid it. Those who would come to apply were likely to be mostly from commoner families. Although this method deviated somewhat from the usual practice of selecting talents, it was ultimately a way to avoid appointing unsuitable officials. As the governor, Liang Feng naturally had the right to appoint and dismiss officials in the province.
This way, it would not generate much resentment from the aristocratic families, and it could address the urgent matter at hand. Considering this for a moment, Sun Li nodded in agreement.
Subsequently, the Governor’s Mansion made a grand public announcement of the decree, declaring the selection of talents in Jinyang one month later. This time, only three subjects were set for the examination: classics, arithmetic, and medicine. The first was evidently for officials’ needs, while the latter two were highly practical and resembled craftsman skills. However, such a decree still attracted attention in both Jinyang and Shangdang.
The commoner students in the Shangdang County School were quite straightforward. Upon hearing the news, some immediately packed their bags and headed to Jinyang. They had expected the next examination for selecting scholars to be held next year on the Shangsi festival, but who would have thought it could be advanced? How could this not make them ecstatic? Meanwhile, many others observed from the sidelines. Did the issuance of such a decree by the Governor’s Mansion also indicate something else?
Advertisement
One month may seem neither long nor short, but it eventually allowed this “novelty” to spread beyond the borders of Jinyang.
1something that occurs or is awarded after a person’s death
