Shuhan

The late autumn wind, with a biting chill, penetrated the thick yellow silk curtains of the Taiji Hall, making this hall, which was supposed to be a symbol of imperial power, even more bleak and desolate.

The leaves of the sycamore trees outside the palace have all fallen, leaving only bare branches swaying in the cold wind, as if foreshadowing the crisis that the Wei Empire is facing.

Cao Rui, the young Emperor of Wei who was once addicted to wine and sex, had to cheer up and face the coming storm.

He knew very well that if he continued to sink like this, not only would he fail to solve the problem, but he would also push the entire empire into an abyss of no return.

Therefore, he chose to handle government affairs in the warm room of the side hall of Taiji Hall. Although it was not as solemn as the main hall, it could temporarily isolate him from the disturbances of the outside world, allowing him to calm down and think about countermeasures.

Cao Rui's desk was piled with memorials, but his eyes did not rest on these cumbersome documents. Instead, he looked out the window from time to time, as if waiting for something.

His heart was full of contradictions and struggles. On the one hand, he wanted to completely purge the old ministers left by his father and replace them with his own confidants in order to better control the court; but on the other hand, the situation in the country did not allow him to be distracted. The threat from the Han State was like a sword hanging over his head, forcing him to temporarily put aside these power struggles and concentrate on dealing with foreign enemies.

At this moment, a burst of hurried footsteps broke the silence in the warm room, and the chief eunuch Bixie hurried in, with a look of anxiety and nervousness on his face.

"Your Majesty, General Sima Yi has arrived outside the Taiji Hall to request an audience!" Although Bixie's voice was not loud, it was clearly heard by Cao Rui.

When Cao Rui heard Sima Yi's name, his eyes suddenly became sharp. He put down the brush in his hand, sat up straight, and said in an unquestionable tone: "Let him in."

Soon, with the sound of steady footsteps, Sima Yi, dressed in an official robe, slowly walked into the warm room.
The moon seemed to have left many marks on his body. His face looked a little haggard, but his eyes were still deep and sharp, as if they could see through people's hearts.

He bowed to Cao Rui and said in a deep and powerful voice: "Your Majesty, I, Sima Yi, pay my respects to you."

Cao Rui nodded and looked directly at Sima Yi. Without any extra greetings, he asked directly, "Liu Chan is in Youzhou. The next step for the Han army to attack will be Jizhou. What do you think or what countermeasures do you have?"

Sima Yi frowned slightly, as if he was quickly organizing his thoughts.

He spoke slowly, his voice steady and methodical: "Your Majesty, the Han army is using Liu Gongsi as bait to tie down our main force. Their real purpose is probably not just Youzhou. I think we should first consolidate our defenses and strengthen the defenses of Youzhou. At the same time, we should send elite troops to bypass the Han army's rear and cut off their food and grass supplies. This is the best strategy."

As Cao Rui listened to Sima Yi's analysis, a hint of approval flashed in his eyes.

Sima Yi is not only extremely intelligent, but also has rich combat experience. He is a rare talent in the current Wei Dynasty.

However, he also had some concerns in his heart. After all, Sima Yi's power was growing. Would he become another threat in the future?
But at this moment, facing the pressure from foreign enemies, these thoughts can only be temporarily suppressed in the heart.

However, even though one agrees, it is also crucial to implement the strategy in reality.

"How to cut off the Han army's food supply?" asked Cao Rui.

Sima Yi did not answer immediately, but narrowed his eyes slightly, as if thinking about some more profound question.

His face was gaunt and his temples were slightly gray, but his eyes were still as sharp as an eagle and sparkled with wisdom.

Sima Yi spoke slowly, his voice calm and deep: "Your Majesty, do you know why Liu Gongsi wanted to go to Youzhou?"

Cao Rui frowned when he heard this, and was obviously a little unhappy that Sima Yi did not directly answer his question, but he still patiently thought for a moment and said: "Next time, the main attack direction of the Han Kingdom will be in the direction of Jizhou, so he came to Youzhou."

Sima Yi shook his head slightly, a faint smile appearing on the corner of his mouth. That smile contained both affirmation of Cao Rui's answer and a reminder of his unfinished ideas.

"Your Majesty guessed half right, but the other half is wrong."

His voice was neither hurried nor slow, but every word he spoke was profound and touched people's hearts.

Cao Rui's eyes brightened with curiosity. He leaned forward slightly and asked eagerly, "What else?"

Seeing this, Sima Yi was secretly satisfied that he had successfully guided the direction of the topic.

He said slowly: "The main reason why Liu Chan came to Youzhou was not because the Han Kingdom wanted to attack Jizhou from Youzhou to the south, but because, if he didn't come, it would be difficult for Zhao Zilong to stabilize the situation in Youzhou, just like in Qingzhou."

Zhao Yun was in control of the situation in Qingzhou for a time, but why was Qingzhou eventually recaptured by the State of Wei?

It's nothing more than people's instability.

Liu Gongsi went to Youzhou to stabilize people's hearts.

As soon as these words were spoken, a look of sudden enlightenment flashed across Cao Rui's face.

He realized that his understanding of the internal situation of the Han Dynasty was still too superficial, while Sima Yi had already seen through everything.

"You mean, it's not easy for Han to control Youzhou?"

Sima Yi nodded slightly, and his expression became more serious.

"There are many ethnic minorities in Youzhou, and they are quite disobedient. The nobles are also ambivalent, and the Xianbei are not completely obedient to the Han. As far as I know, the Xianbei Khan Tuoba Liwei is a tyrant with great ambitions. If we want to break the impasse in Youzhou, this person is crucial!"

As Sima Yi spoke, a picture of the complicated situation in Youzhou slowly unfolded before Cao Rui's eyes.

He seemed to see the restlessness of the foreign tribes, the vacillation of the gentry, and the wolf-like eyes of the Xianbei Khan Tuoba Liwei.

"So, how should we respond?"

There was a hint of urgency in Cao Rui's voice. He knew he had to seize this opportunity and turn the situation around in one fell swoop.

Sima Yi smiled and said confidently: "Disrupt Youzhou and alienate Youzhou. We will take advantage of the internal conflicts in Youzhou to provoke fighting between them. At the same time, send spies to infiltrate Xianbei and secretly provoke the relationship between Tuoba Liwei and the Han Kingdom. Finally, when we recapture Youzhou, it will be the day when the Han Kingdom retreats!"

As Cao Rui listened to Sima Yi's plan, his eyes became brighter and brighter.

He stood up suddenly and said to Sima Yi: "You will be the general in this expedition against the pseudo-Han! I order you to lead the military affairs of Qing, Ji, You and Bing, and lead an army of 100,000 to Yecheng!"

Sima Yi felt Cao Rui's trust and expectations, and a warm feeling surged in his heart.

He bowed respectfully and said, "I obey your command! I will definitely fulfill my mission!"

Sima Yi's judgment is as accurate as ever.

Liu Chan's arrival was indeed, as he expected, to stabilize this turbulent land.

As an emperor, Liu Chan had his own unique skills. He knew how to suppress those who disobeyed with iron and blood, how to win people's hearts with official titles, and how to use the ties of blood to tightly bind all forces together.

In October of the sixth year of Tianming, Youzhou finally ushered in initial stability.

However, this stability is only superficial, just like undercurrents surging beneath the calm surface of water.

A large number of people became bandits in the mountains. Some of them lost their homes due to the war, while others chose to become bandits out of fear of exploitation by the aristocratic families and officials.

These mountain bandits are like maggots attached to the bones and are difficult to eliminate in a short period of time.

What is even more troublesome is that the aristocratic families hid a large number of people during the turbulent times.

They hold these people tightly in their hands either to preserve the family's strength or to gain a place in future troubled times.

This also led to the fact that the number of people on the official list of Youzhou today was less than 400,000.

Even after the war, this number seems too thin.

How to release these hidden people without causing further unrest in Youzhou became a difficult problem facing Liu Chan.

Only by releasing these laborers could large-scale farming be carried out in Youzhou to accumulate food and fodder for the southward march to destroy Wei.

If we transport food and fodder from other places, the journey will be long and the cost will be huge, which is basically impossible.

Liu Chan stood in front of the window of the study in the government office, gazing at the snowflakes falling outside, with mixed feelings in his heart.

The beans planted in August and September have been harvested, which is undoubtedly good news for the people of Youzhou.

At least, this winter, they can spend a peaceful winter without the threat of war or the trouble of hunger.

However, Liu Chan was not at ease.

This is just the beginning, the real challenge is yet to come.

He must find a way to release the hidden population without causing backlash from the aristocratic families or plunging Youzhou into turmoil again.

Liu Chan frowned, he was thinking and looking for a solution.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up and an idea came to his mind. He decided to hold a court meeting to discuss the plan with his civil and military officials.

At the court meeting, Liu Chan put forward all his thoughts.

He proposed that a series of policies should be implemented to encourage the wealthy and powerful families to voluntarily release the hidden population.

At the same time, a certain degree of forgiveness and amnesty were given to those mountain bandits who were willing to surrender.

Once this plan was proposed, Liu Chan's words were like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, and the court instantly exploded.

The ministers were whispering to each other, talking a lot, each with different thoughts in mind.

There were gleams in the supporters' eyes and they nodded in agreement.

One of the officials was an elderly one, with white hair and beard, but in good spirits. He was the head of the Liu family in Zhuo County. He stepped forward, cupped his hands and said to Liu Chan: "Your Majesty, this plan is brilliant! It not only demonstrates the magnanimity of our Han Dynasty, but also effectively solves the population problem. It is really a two-pronged strategy. I am willing to cooperate fully to ensure the smooth implementation of this plan."

His voice was sonorous and powerful, full of confidence in Liu Chan's plan.

Now that the Liu family of Zhuo County is the imperial family, how could they not support Liu Chan?

However, there are also constant voices of opposition.

A young noble in gorgeous clothes had a worried look on his face. He was from the Fanyang Lu family. He stepped out of the line and said with a hint of doubt: "Your Majesty, I think this is inappropriate. The aristocratic families have accumulated for many years to have the foundation they have today. If we rashly let them release the population, it may cause a strong backlash from them and may even cause new unrest. Please think twice."

His words were sincere and he was obviously very concerned about the interests of the family.

In the court, the two voices intertwined, forming a strong convection.

Liu Chan listened quietly, his eyes firm and deep, as if he could see through everyone's thoughts.

In order to implement this plan, numerous obstacles must be overcome, but he also firmly believes that only by doing so can Youzhou be truly stabilized.

"My dear ministers, I understand your concerns." Liu Chan spoke slowly. His voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable majesty.

"But I also know that the stability of Youzhou is related to the future of our Han Dynasty. We cannot give up this opportunity because of temporary difficulties. The aristocratic families do have their difficulties, but I believe that as long as we convince them with reason and move them with emotion, they will definitely understand our painstaking efforts."

At this point, Liu Chan's eyes became sharp. He glanced at everyone in the court, as if to convey his beliefs to them: "Moreover, I will never ignore the interests of the noble families. While implementing this plan, we will give the noble families certain compensation and preferential policies to ensure that their interests will not suffer too much loss. As for those mountain bandits, I have already made plans and will definitely be able to quell them one by one."

Liu Chan's words were full of confidence and determination, and his attitude also infected the ministers in the court.

Those who originally opposed it also began to waver. They started to think about the feasibility of this plan and their own role in it.

At this time, another old minister stood up. He said in a hoarse but firm voice: "Your Majesty, I originally had many doubts, but after hearing what Your Majesty said, I think this plan is feasible. As long as we can properly handle the interests of the aristocratic families and resolutely crack down on those bandits, Youzhou will surely usher in real stability."

With the old minister's statement, more and more court officials began to support Liu Chan's plan.

They all expressed their willingness to fully cooperate and work together for the future of Youzhou.

Liu Chan looked at this scene in the court and felt secretly satisfied.

Although this plan is full of challenges, it will surely succeed as long as we have everyone's support.

"Don't look at what these families say, but look at what they do."

Liu Chan's words echoed in the court, his eyes were firm and deep, as if he could see into people's hearts.

The outward obedience and inner cunning of the aristocratic families often coexist.

Therefore, he decided to test the family's sincerity through action.

Under Liu Chan's strong push, the Liu family of Zhuo County took the lead in responding and returned three thousand households.

This move undoubtedly caused an uproar in Youzhou.

The Emperor of the Han Dynasty immediately commended them and appointed the descendants of the Liu family of Zhuo County as the governor of Zhuo County, the lieutenant of Dai County, and the magistrate of Guangyang County respectively.

Such rewards not only demonstrated Liu Chan's trust and importance to the Liu family of Zhuo County, but also sent a clear signal to other aristocratic families: as long as you are willing to cooperate, benefits will naturally be inevitable.

With the Liu family of Zhuo County taking the lead, other noble families followed suit. They either voluntarily returned the people or asked Liu Chan to send officials to assist in the population census.

Liu Chan was also generous in bestowing official titles and rewards, and gave corresponding rewards to the noble families who performed well.

For a time, the number of people registered in Youzhou increased dramatically, and social order gradually recovered.

However, in this trend of surrender, some aristocratic families chose to resist.

The Lu family of Fanyang is one of the representatives.

They claimed to be a family with a tradition of Confucian classics and a famous family in the Middle Ages, but they just perfunctorily responded to Liu Chan's edict and only sent back a hundred people.

Such an attitude was undoubtedly a provocation to Liu Chan's authority.

Liu Chan was angry at their perfunctory attitude, and there was a cold light flashing in his eyes, as if it could freeze everything.

"Fanyang Lu, you are courting death!"

He thought to himself, and then ordered the secret army to collect evidence of Fanyang Lu's crime.

The spies of the Imperial Guard sneaked into the territory of the Lu family in Fanyang silently like ghosts.

They collected evidence, investigated public opinion, and soon found out the ten crimes of the Fanyang Lu family one by one.

These crimes, including oppressing the people, hoarding weapons, and resisting imperial edicts, were enough to bring ruin to the Lu family of Fanyang.

There is no way. In this era, no one in the aristocratic families is clean.

When the army approached and broke through the fortress of the Lu family in Fanyang, the patriarch of the Lu family, Lu Yuan, realized his mistake.

He knelt before Liu Chan, tears streaming down his face, and begged for forgiveness.

However, Liu Chan's eyes were filled with indifference and determination. "If I had known this would happen, I would not have done it in the first place."

He said this coldly, and then ordered the destruction of their ancestral temple, the killing of their clansmen, and the enslavement of their women.

This cruel punishment completely destroyed the Fanyang Lu family.

There were only a few small factions, and Liu Chan spared their lives for Lu Zhi's sake.

After killing hundreds of people, Liu Chan did not feel the slightest bit disturbed.

He knew that this was for the future of Youzhou and for the country and people of the Han Dynasty.

He had to do this in order to intimidate other families and stop them from acting rashly.

Sure enough, when faced with the fate of the Lu family of Fan Yang, the other noble families were all terrified.

They dared not to deal with it perfunctorily anymore, but instead sent out some of the people in the fortress in order to protect themselves.

In a short period of time, the registered population of Youzhou reached as many as 600,000.

This number means that Youzhou’s strength has greatly increased, and it also means that Liu Chan’s prestige has reached an unprecedented height.

However, Liu Chan was not satisfied with this.

There is more work waiting for him to do.

The people who go up the mountains to become bandits are still a huge hidden danger.

Although they were forced to become bandits, if they are not guided, they may very well become the source of new turmoil.

And he has also received news from the Jianjunsi.

His old friend, Sima Yi, followed him again like a tail. (End of this chapter)