Yuan Shao, the father of Fanghua in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1312 Confessing the King
After hearing what Zhuge Liang said, Yuan Xi also said, "I'm not sure either. Kirby has very strict defenses. It's difficult for spies from the Procuratorate to get into the Xianbei King's tent, so there hasn't been much intelligence from there."

"After Kirby was able to send off those tribes that opposed him, he could be said to be lightly equipped and less threatening."

"If it is just a Xianbei confrontation, I would have some confidence, but it is difficult to destroy the Wei Kingdom in a short time, so the use of troops here is a bit stretched."

"So after much thought, I decided to use diplomatic means to get through this period. At least I can force Wei to not dare to attack actively."

Zhuge Liang said, "I heard that the Lord sent people to negotiate with Goguryeo to let it join Jin State, and he also offered quite generous conditions?"

Yuan Xi nodded and said, "Goguryeo is different from the Three Kingdoms of Han. Their ancestors can be traced back to the seven kingdoms during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, so their traditions and writing systems have always been similar to those of China."

"The real natives of the peninsula are the Three Han regions that have been pacified by Tian Yu. Now, after three years of expansion by Tian Yu, using both kindness and force, they have been basically pacified and incorporated into the territory of Jin. Goguryeo has been surrounded on three sides and has no choice but to make a choice."

"I have not been idle in the past few years. I have been sending people to investigate the situation of Goguryeo. It is now divided into several factions. Some advocate keeping Goguryeo, some support merging it with Jin, and some suggest uniting with Xianbei."

"Now, with the Three Kingdoms of Han pacified, Tadun regained control of Wuhuan, and the Xianbei repelled, the other two voices of Goguryeo have weakened. Of course, the Gongsun family played a significant role in this."

"They have been putting pressure on the border of Goguryeo as I requested, and the Gongsun family and Goguryeo have a deep hatred. If I continue to support the Gongsun family, Goguryeo will also be afraid of a bad end in the future."

"So as the Xianbei were defeated last year, Tian Yu deployed troops on the border of Goguryeo, and Goguryeo finally began to loosen up internally, and came to me privately to negotiate."

"Many of them have very simple ideas. Goguryeo is far inferior to the Central Plains and Youzhou. Many people would rather be idle nobles for generations than fight day and night for territory."

Zhuge Liang listened and smiled, "And the lord seized this opportunity and gave them what they wanted most."

"That's right," Yuan Xi said with a smile, "They don't actually ask for much, and are much easier to satisfy than the Central Plains nobles."

"What they want is for the family to be integrated into the orthodox Chinese culture and no longer be seen as barbarians. Many of these are not about money, but simply about reputation. With my current strength and status, I have the ability to satisfy them."

Zhuge Liang said in a deep voice: "Proclaim yourself emperor."

"That's right," Yuan Xi said, "Goguryeo's willingness to surrender is an urgent factor in my desire to become emperor. After all, a war in which hundreds of thousands of lives were lost can be resolved with a title. It is really a great deal."

Zhuge Liang said, "But because the lord has distributed his subordinates to various places, less than half of the officials are in Yecheng now. If the lord proclaims himself emperor, they will not be able to arrive in time, and I am afraid that the momentum will be affected."

Yuan Xi said, "Never mind, Goguryeo is waiting for this title. The sooner they surrender, the fewer variables there will be in the north."

Zhuge Liang asked, "What conditions did the lord offer that would make you so sure they would accept them?"

Yuan Xi said, "Make him king."

Zhuge Liang was surprised and asked, "A king with a different surname?"

Yuan Xi said: "That's right."

"Not only can Goguryeo be crowned king, but I can also crown the Mi Kingdom and the Gongsun family."

"Even Cao Ang in Cao County can be made a king by me, so what if he is made a king for his county?"

Zhuge Liang said, "My lord, are you not afraid of repeating the story of the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion?"

Yuan Xi said, "It's impossible to say that I'm not afraid at all."

"But the rebellion of the Heterosexual King is not necessarily inevitable. I do have a way to deal with the Heterosexual King."

"For example, the kings also have to accept performance evaluations. Those who violate the law will be stripped of their titles. This measure is very sensitive in the early stages, so it can be put on hold, but there are other means as well."

"For example, when the descendants divide up, they will also have to divide up a corresponding portion of territory. In the long run, the territories of kings of different surnames will become smaller and smaller, and naturally they will not pose a threat."

"Of course, this is just an initial idea. There are still many areas that can be operated. I believe that since the general direction has been pointed out, future generations should be able to solve the remaining problems. If future generations are not as good as their predecessors, then there is nothing to say."

Zhuge Liang listened and nodded, "This is indeed a good idea. Besides, if you really want to make me king, some people may not dare to accept it, right?"

Yuan Xi smiled and said, "That's right. It depends on their courage. If they dare to accept it, they will naturally have to do the corresponding things. There is no such thing as free food in the world."

"I will try to control the fiefs of the kings to a level that they can accept. As for the officials and nobles of Goguryeo who want to settle in the Central Plains, I can also allow them to exchange land at a certain ratio. Their land will be used as public land for garrison, which will also weaken a lot of local forces." "I'll trouble the military advisor to grasp the balance between the two."

Zhuge Liang smiled bitterly. This was a very troublesome matter. How could it be solved in a short time?
Yuan Xi added, "Now that Sima Yi has sent out his troops, it is good to maintain a balance of power on the front line for the time being. I do not intend to delay it for too long. I will prepare for a few days and issue the imperial edict first. The ceremony will be held in half a month, and we can talk about the rest later."

"Goguryeo Wuhuan, give them a title first. Whether they accept it or not is up to them. If they have time to come here, anyone who is willing can come."

Zhuge Liang agreed and thought to himself that his lord really did what he said without any hesitation.

On that day, news spread in Yecheng that Yuan Xi was going to proclaim himself emperor. At the same time, he ordered officials from all states to stay in their local areas to handle government affairs. They did not need to go to Yecheng to watch the ceremony and wait for appointment and dispatch afterwards.

As soon as the news came out, Yecheng suddenly became busy. Yecheng was originally preparing to mobilize the army and send troops, and the officials and generals were all busy. Now they are working even harder.

Yang Xiu and Ni Heng were assigned the task of drafting the imperial edict. They stayed up late into the night, carefully considering the words word by word. By three o'clock in the morning, they were both extremely sleepy. Yang Xiu ordered someone to fetch water to wash his face, and then discussed with Ni Heng for most of an hour before they finished the task.

The two of them looked out the window at the dim white sky, and both felt relieved. Yang Xiu ordered someone to bring some wine, and drank with Ni Heng, saying with a wry smile: "From the time I was born until now, this year of following the king has been the most tiring. I have done almost as much as I did in the previous decades combined."

"Our great king never stops, as if he is being chased by something."

Ni Heng took a big gulp of wine and said angrily, "I don't think anything is chasing him, but something is waiting for him ahead."

"Look at how he enjoys it every day. It's not like he's being chased by someone, but he's enjoying it."

"I was a few months ahead of you, but only a little over a year. During this time, Your Majesty first attacked Jingzhou, then Yecheng, then the Xianbei, and finally turned around to destroy the Wu Kingdom. Now you are rushing to become the emperor and deal with the Wei Kingdom and the foreign barbarians at the same time."

"In this year, I have walked ten times more than in the first half of my life. What the king has done is probably something that others can only accomplish in ten years. I have never seen such a person. Just this point alone makes me speechless."

Yang Xiu shook his head and said, "Forget it. Since the king has set an example, let's just work hard for the next few years. He can't stay like this forever, right?"

He glanced at the title at the back of the edict and sighed, "The king is really generous. The left and right prime ministers have established offices and granted fiefs to the kings. Although the fiefs are not many and they are all vassal states, it still makes me feel like I am dreaming back to the Zhou Dynasty."

Ni Heng gulped down another mouthful, "Your Majesty is not a Zhou Dynasty scholar. He is a Confucianist on the outside and a Legalist on the inside. His skin is Taoist, his bones are Mohist, and his flesh and blood are the School of Names."

Yang Xiu laughed out loud upon hearing this, "Zhengping's words are really brilliant."

"Your Majesty's daily words and deeds place great emphasis on logical reasoning, which is the way of the famous scholars. Your Majesty also places great emphasis on craftsmanship, which is the strength of the Mohist school. On the contrary, the Taoist school is the most fake. The world is abuzz with rumors that he is the reincarnation of a saint, but no one knows that Your Majesty privately despises him.

"The path that the king has taken is completely different from that of previous emperors. I am very interested in how far he can go."

Ni Heng shook the wine pot and sighed, "What's more amazing is that he has a very good eye. I have been in contact with many of the king's subordinates these days, and I have found that each of them is talented and knowledgeable. So far, I have never found anyone who is just seeking fame and reputation."

"You should know that I have served several lords in succession, and most of their subordinates are unqualified people, and there is no such atmosphere as the Jin State."

He pointed at the imperial edict and said, "But conferring so many titles on the kings, isn't that a bit ridiculous?"

Yang Xiu sighed and said, "This is the wisdom of the king."

"His move is to weaken the influence of the title of king in disguise. The more titles are given, the less real benefits the king will have. In addition, the number of troops a king can have is restricted. In the end, it is just a title."

"Your Majesty, your thoughts are really unlike those of a young man."

A few days later, thanks to the improvement of communication channels, Youzhou and Jianghuai successively received the imperial edict that Yuan Xi was about to become emperor, and officials from all over the country immediately came forward to congratulate him.

At the same time, the Gongsun family and the Wuhuan also received news that they were allowed to go to Yecheng to watch the ceremony. Although Gongsun Kang and Tadun knew that they might not make it in time, they set out without hesitation and rode their horses as fast as they could to Yecheng. This was the best opportunity to show their loyalty, and they would not miss it.

By the time the news reached Tian Yu at the border of Goguryeo, it was already ten days later. It was too late for him to rush to Yecheng, so he took the imperial edict to the Goguryeo envoy in the city and asked him to take it to the king of Goguryeo.

When the Goguryeo envoys saw the contents of the edict, they were immediately shocked. This edict actually included a promise to incorporate Goguryeo into the State of Jin and to enthrone a king of a different surname!
This was simply a step to heaven. This was no longer a vassal state of China, but a direct subordinate state. This had been the wish of Goguryeo for hundreds and thousands of years. The Goguryeo envoys immediately mounted their horses and rushed to the Goguryeo capital.

The current king of Goguryeo is the ninth king, Yi Yimo. He was also very surprised after receiving the imperial edict.

These days, he has been afraid that Tian Yu and the Gongsun family would launch a war to destroy his country. Today, such a big piece of pie fell from the sky, so he immediately summoned all officials to discuss the matter.

(End of this chapter)