Han family achievements

Chapter 551 Falling apart
It’s not like Tian Feng had never killed anyone before, nor had he never experienced battles, but he was still deeply shocked by the methods used by the Imperial City.

However, as he looked at the case files in his hands, he felt that such killing seemed too light.

This is not a salt field, but a relatively independent kingdom with a "king", soldiers, fortresses, and armor. It is a complex ecosystem where officials, merchants, and salt households are intertwined.

This system has been in place for many years and is deeply intertwined. Outsiders cannot get in, and the evil deeds hidden within it are hard for outsiders to imagine.

But according to the case files in Tian Feng's hands, there were hundreds of corpses transported from the salt field every year!

Some people are not human, some people do not treat as human, and some are not treated as human.

With careful planning, especially internal coordination, Lin Zheng's army was able to attack various fortresses and passes very smoothly.

But every step was met with extremely stubborn resistance. There was blood and corpses everywhere. The salt field was dyed red. Shouts of killing enveloped the salt field, spreading out like ripples.

The army showed no mercy, arrows rained down and charged forward.

From south to north, from point to surface, without any hesitation, they are more ferocious than bandits.

It was the first time that Tian Feng witnessed what it meant to have mountains of corpses and seas of blood, with human lives being treated as worthless.

It took three full days for the salt field to slowly return to calm.

Tian Feng didn't look any further, but took his men to a pavilion ten miles away from the salt field.

"Zhongcheng!"

A fast horse galloped over from a distance, dismounted hastily and ran into the pavilion, panting and saying, "Zhongcheng, they are here, they should be the city defense soldiers of Jizhou, there are more than 10,000 of them!"

Tian Feng looked up and could vaguely see dust rising. He said, "More than 10,000 people. It seems that Ying Shao is also anxious."

The Junior Minister of the Inspection Office behind Tian Feng was a little worried and said, "Second Minister, Ying Shao is the governor of Jizhou after all. He has been operating in Jizhou for many years and has a very complicated relationship with the Jizhou nobles and Yingchuan... the court. If he comes by force, what should we do?"

"He will not."

Tian Feng looked calm as he picked up a letter from the table and said, "Give it to him and tell him that this time, I am only responsible for the salt administration and will not ask about anything else. Please give me some convenience."

Shao Cheng took the letter and said uneasily: "Zhong Cheng, the salt administration is a matter of great importance. Everyone in Jizhou is involved. If Ying Shao is too deeply involved, he may take risks to protect himself, or even rebel!"

Tian Feng turned around and looked at him, saying calmly: "Is this something you should worry about? Otherwise, you can be the Chief Censor? If that's not enough, you can be the Prime Minister as well, one of the three highest officials in the Secretariat?"

Shao Cheng's face changed slightly, and he said hurriedly: "I dare not, I will go now."

Tian Feng reached out and picked up the teacup, took a sip, and asked, "When will the court officials arrive?"

The clerk behind him said, "Reporting to the Minister of Justice, according to the journey, it will take two or three days to reach the Ministry of Revenue and the Salt Administration... This time, it seems that Minister Han will come in person."

Minister Han, Han Bin.

Tian Feng frowned. This man was also a member of the Yingchuan Party.

Although he may seem inconspicuous, he was actually promoted by Your Majesty in his early years. Like Xun You, Zhong Yao and others, he was highly regarded. In recent years, he has been running around and rarely appears in the court.

After this time, Han Bin is afraid that he will have to return to Luoyang.

The power of the 'Yingchuan Party' will further expand.

Not only the imperial court, but also the salt fields in Jizhou fell into the hands of the "Yingchuan Party".

The 'Yingchuan Party' has become too powerful to be eliminated.

Tian Feng's eyes darkened slightly, and he was thinking about something.

He investigated a river case in Yuzhou in which the 'Yingchuan Party' was heavily involved, but it was quietly smoothed over afterwards. However, in the 'rectification of officialdom' in Luoyang, the 'Yingchuan Party' suffered the least damage but gained the most!
Seeing Tian Feng deep in thought and keeping silent, the officials both high and low inside and outside the pavilion also did not dare to say anything.

The cases handled by the Censorate recently have been bigger than each other. They are all deeply frightened and take every step carefully, not daring to say a single extra word.

Not long after, Ying Shao also received a letter from Tian Feng.

Ying Shao sat on his horse, read the letter, his face indifferent, and looked quietly in the direction of the salt field.

The staff behind him was nervous and urged in a low voice: "Ying Gong, we can't delay any longer, otherwise there will be a disaster."

Ying Shao handed over the letter with an expressionless face.

The aide took it in a hurry, read it from top to bottom, and then said with doubt: "This letter from the Prime Minister? Can it really pardon Ying Gong? I'm afraid, I'm afraid it's to stabilize Ying Gong and settle the score later... Ying Gong, we can't delay, we should rush here as soon as possible, take over the salt field from the imperial army, and destroy all the evidence..."

Ying Shao sat still and said, "Do you think this letter is meant to reassure me?"

The staff was even more frightened than Ying Shao, and said anxiously: "Mr. Ying, matters of life and death must not be controlled by others. Once it is too late, the consequences will be disastrous..."

Ying Shao seemed not to have heard it, and said indifferently: "You don't understand, withdraw your troops."

The staff was horrified and said, "Mr. Ying, but, but, the salt field is of great importance. Once it is accepted by the court, we, we, that would be a serious crime of confiscating our property and exterminating our clan..."

Ying Shao looked at the salt field, shook his head slightly, and said, "You don't understand. The Prime Minister has no power to pardon. Only His Majesty can pardon. The letter sent by Tian Feng is not from the Prime Minister, but from His Majesty."

The aide's hands trembled, and just as he was about to speak, Ying Shao said, "This is the will of His Majesty, and it is also the final warning to me. If I continue to advance and seize the salt field, it will be treason. I can tell you for sure that Zhao Yun is waiting somewhere now. Once I cross the line, the army will suddenly arrive and strangle us on the spot."

The aide was pale and shaking all over. He wanted to say something but couldn't.

This is a trap, a huge trap!

But, but, if they don't destroy the evidence, will the court let them go? What if they are held accountable later?!
Ying Shao understood the seriousness of the matter better than his staff. He struggled internally for a long time, but ultimately, he did not continue advancing.

He is no longer the governor of Jizhou as he was a few years ago. After the court strictly enforced the "separation of military and politics", his military power was stripped away bit by bit. The only troops he could mobilize were the city defense troops of the prefectures, counties and cities. The entire Jizhou had no more than 20,000 troops in total, and he could mobilize 10,000, which was already the limit.

He had neither the ability nor the courage to resist the imperial court.

"Zhongcheng, Ying Shao has withdrawn his troops."

The clerk behind Tian Feng reported back and forth with a sigh of relief.

Tian Feng had already predicted this and said, "It's almost time to go to Xuzhou."

The clerk was startled and asked, "Zhongcheng, aren't you going to Youzhou?"

Tian Feng packed up his things and stood up and said, "That's Cao Cao's territory, what's the point of going there? We should take care of the grain transport."

The clerk followed along and cleaned up, when suddenly he had something on his mind and came to his senses.

Salt fields and water transport are the places with the most "oil and water", and there is a purpose for this!
Tian Feng set out, leaving Jizhou and heading for Xuzhou.

But before that, he had to pass through Chenliu State in Yanzhou. Dong Cheng, the former prime minister of Chenliu State, was involved in a rebellion and had been detained in Tianlao, which had implicated countless officials of Chenliu State.

Tian Feng had to clean up and deal with the aftermath.

As for King Liu Xie of Chenliu, that was not someone Tian Feng could deal with.

The strong wind in Luoyang City has stopped, but the people and things that were blown by the wind are still rising and falling, drifting in the air, and are still far from settling down.

Royal Palace, Honglin Garden.

Liu Bian was brewing tea by himself. In front of him sat Liu Xie, Xun Yu, Cao Cao, Wang Lang and Zhong Yao.

Wang Lang was extremely respectful. He held up a memorial and said, "Your Majesty, the transfers and replacements of officials in the court and various prefectures and counties, especially Wu Prefecture and Jing Prefecture, have been completed. Please review them."

"Oh,"

Liu Bian slowly brewed tea, raised an eyebrow and glanced, and said, "Prime Minister?"

Xun Yu leaned forward a little and said, "Your Majesty, the Secretariat has carefully reviewed it and believes that the list of officials is fair and reasonable and there is nothing wrong with it."

Liu Bian was a little surprised. He put down the teapot, picked up Wang Lang's memorial, glanced at the list of names on the memorial, and looked at the last signature: Wang Lang, Xun Yu, Zhong Yao, and Xun You.

'Are you giving in so quickly?'

Liu Bian smiled inwardly, then put it aside and said, "Okay, I'll take a look at it later. Liu Biao is about to arrive in Beijing, what do you think of the matter?"

Xun You immediately said, "Your Majesty, Liu Biao is a royal family member after all, and he is also loyal to Your Majesty. I think he should be promoted to a higher position to serve as a model for the world."

"I second the proposal."

Zhong Yao said.

Wang Lang, Xun Yu, Cao Cao, and Liu Xie followed suit and said, "We second this motion."

Liu Bian picked up the teapot and slowly poured tea into the cup without making any comment.

The intention of Xun You, Xun Yu, Cao Cao and others was very clear, which was to put Liu Biao on the shelf for the people of the world to see, especially those rebellious and vassal nobles who were rebellious.

Liu Xie sat aside, obediently and respectfully, and only followed quietly when court officials "seconded the motion" to never let himself stand out.

Liu Xie had no feelings towards Liu Biao. It didn't matter whether he was killed or hanged.

After this experience, Liu Xie figured out a lot of things.

When Xun Yu, Wang Lang and others saw that Liu Bian didn't say anything, they couldn't help but look at each other secretly.

Xun You spoke again, "Your Majesty, Jingzhou has just been settled, and people's hearts are still unstable. Liu Biao has great prestige in Jingzhou, so it is not appropriate to deal harshly with Liu Biao for the time being."

Liu Bian put down the teapot, poured a cup for Xun You, and said, "I heard that your family is very concerned about the nobles who escaped from Danyang. Will you give them generous treatment?"

Xun You took the teacup steadily and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I think this is a great opportunity to strike a blow against Yuan Shao and win over the people of Yangzhou. We should not miss it."

Liu Bian handed Zhong Yao another cup and said, "My dear, what do you think?"

Zhong Yao took it carefully and said, "Your Majesty, the three Qiang have withdrawn their troops, and Ma Teng is increasingly willing to submit. I am considering whether to give him the title of Governor of Liang Province."

Liu Bian was just picking up his teacup. After hearing this, he thought about it and said, "It's fine. Let's discuss it."

As he spoke, he handed the teacup in his hand to Cao Cao and said, "What do you think of Liu Biao? By the way, who should be the Lieutenant General of Jingzhou?"

Cao Cao took the tea with a normal expression and said thoughtfully, "I agree with Xun Pushe's opinion. As for the Lieutenant General of Jingzhou, I prefer Guan Yu."

Liu Bian held the teacup in his hand, thought for a moment, and said, "You two can discuss it. My brother, have some tea."

Liu Xie was terrified, but pretended to be calm when he took it and said, "Thank you, brother. I think Guan Yu took the enemy's head in the midst of thousands of troops. He is extremely brave and unparalleled in the world. He deserves to be the Lieutenant General of Jingzhou."

Xun Yu, Xun You, Zhong Yao and others glanced at him and shook their heads secretly.

Guan Yu was the General of the Central Army of Jingzhou. He was not only brave and had the merit of killing Zuo Rong, but also because he was Liu Bei's man, not Cao Cao's!
If the General of the Central Army of Jingzhou was still Cao Cao's man, no one in the court or the country would be able to accept it.

"Did I ask you?" Liu Bian said calmly with an indifferent look.

Liu Xie turned pale with fear, the cup in his hand fell to the ground with a thud, and he fell to the ground and trembled, "Your Majesty, I know my crime, I know my crime, I dare not interfere in the government without authorization..."

"Humph!"

Liu Bian snorted coldly, interrupting his plea for mercy, and said, "Let me ask you, what kind of person is Dong Cheng? He is a mediocre and incompetent person who can be manipulated at will. He is not even a chess piece with a purpose! Tell me, how did I cultivate you over the years? How many years have you been in the Censorate, and you only used such a useless thing? You think rebellion is just a game? Don't you feel ashamed? You are really shameless!"

When Xun Yu, Xun You and others saw Liu Bian scolding Liu Xie, they thought he was furious, but why did they feel more and more something was wrong the more they listened?

Liu Xie was also stunned by the knock, but he was too flustered to think too much. He just kept saying, "I know my crime, I know my crime!"

Liu Bian kicked him directly and said, "You know shit, what do you know? Find someone capable next time and continue the rebellion?"

"Your Majesty..." Liu Xie was terrified and his whole body was shaking violently.

Before he could finish, Liu Bian kicked him again.

Because he was sitting, he almost fell backwards, and a lot of tea in his hand spilled. Looking at this disappointing brother, he became more and more angry as he wrote, but there were some things he really couldn't say in public, so he had to put down the teacup and said, "Okay, Dong Cheng confessed, you really didn't know anything, and you were hiding at the time and didn't have any vassal rebels, so I won't pursue this matter. You should read more books instead of mixing with some messy people. Go!"

Liu Xie understood more or less now, and said excitedly, "Yes, yes, I admit my guilt. Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you, Your Majesty..."

Liu Xie retreated in a panic, kneeling and crawling without falling.

Xun You looked back at Liu Xie's back, the corners of his mouth twitched, and he suppressed the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

Did Liu Xie really not know anything about this? Did Dong Cheng really not even give any hints beforehand?

Xun You didn't believe it.

But he could also hear that the words of the emperor in front of him seemed to be a reproach, but in fact he was still trying to pick Liu Xie out.

Thus, this grand "rebellion" can come to an end here.

There were hundreds of people imprisoned in Tianlao, and the execution would not be delayed until the end of the year, but there was no royal relative, no chief official of the six ministries and nine temples or above, not a single one was involved.

This was a long-planned purge of middle and lower-level officials!
Xun Yu, Zhong Yao and others could naturally hear it, but they didn't care. After all, Liu Xie posed no threat.

After Liu Xie walked away, Liu Bian drank a sip of tea, and Zhong Yao said, "Your Majesty, Wucheng Hou requested permission to come to the capital to continue his studies. Liu Zhang of Yizhou sent 500,000 grains and 100,000 coins, saying that it was to make up for the taxes that Yizhou had owed for many years, and asked to send his son to the capital to study at the Imperial College. Yuan Shao has withdrawn his troops from Danyang and entered Kuaiji, and recommended his second son Yuan Shang as the Junior Minister of Honglu."

(End of this chapter)