Wei Ni

Chapter 266 It’s over
For Guanqiu Jian, no matter how small the matter was, it would not be taken lightly as long as it brought benefits to the State of Wei or Emperor Cao Rui.

Moreover, after spending many days together, he had a better understanding of Xiahou Hui.

For example, although Xiahou Hui was young, some of his ideas and opinions were very unique and sophisticated, which even some old ministers who had been in the court for a long time could not think of.

Therefore, when he heard the words "leading the way for the king", he temporarily put aside his insistence, nodded and said softly, "I know that Zhiquan has strategies and wisdom that ordinary people cannot match. Now I have some thoughts. If you don't think I'm stupid, please explain it in detail."

"Brother Zhong Gong, you are too kind."

Xiahou Hui quickly waved his hands, smiled modestly, and explained his ideas.

It turns out that what he called "being the forerunner of the king" was actually just a way to divert conflicts.

Since killing, relocating or dismissing these Liaodong generals with their own troops is inappropriate, let's make a pie in the sky and give Goguryeo, which has already betrayed Wei, and Han Ye, who has always refused to submit to the king, as rewards, and let them go and carry out a bloody colonization movement.

The territories of Goguryeo and Han Ye were both in mountainous areas. Even if the Wei State destroyed them, it would be difficult to eliminate the remnants who had fled into the mountains, let alone completely conquer them, set up counties and incorporate them into the territory.

This was the biggest reason why the Han Dynasty turned a blind eye to their repeated invasions and rarely sent troops to fight against them.

However, if power is decentralized and these mountain cities are "privatized" like fiefdoms, it will be relatively easier to stimulate the enthusiasm of military leaders and powerful people and control these places with the power of the people.

For example, the imperial court would set up the "Haedong Protectorate" to conquer Goguryeo and Hanye, and include the current Liaodong soldiers and generals. The imperial court would only appoint officials headed by the Protectorate, and the appointment of subordinates at all levels would be based on the strength of the Liaodong generals and the number of troops they sent.

Rewards are determined based on merit.

For example, when conquering the lands of Goguryeo and Han Ye, each person contributed a lot.

Moreover, these conquered territories will be divided among them according to their merits, and they will be required to guard and manage them, just like fiefdoms.

They only need to pay taxes to the imperial court on time every year, and the Four Liaodong Counties and the Haidong Protectorate will always be their firm backing. When necessary, they can send troops to help them resist or suppress the counterattacks and rebellions of Goguryeo and Han Ye.

To put it bluntly, it was to gradually erode the Haidong Peninsula into the territory of the Central Plains dynasty and lay a solid foundation for the establishment of counties in the future.

Just like the four Liaodong counties today, before they became the integral territory of the Central Plains dynasty, they were established by the Yan State over a thousand miles away from the Donghu, acting as the "pioneer of the king" for the unified Qin Shihuang.

Naturally, this kind of thing requires a long process.

Xiahou Hui did not expect to achieve success overnight.

His explanation to Guanqiu Jian was that this move was to ensure a smooth transition for Liaodong as quickly as possible, and to find a common enemy to reach a consensus on external interests, so that the Liaodong scholars and common people would have a sense of belonging to the Wei State.

Moreover, war is costly and exhausting, but colonial wars are profitable.

From a short-term perspective, establishing the Haidong Protectorate and launching such a war would certainly not be as beneficial to Wei's national strength as directly migrating these Liaodong soldiers to Qingzhou or Jizhou; but in the long run, the prisoners of war, slaves, supplies, and wealth obtained through the war would be equivalent to adding a continuous source of wealth for Wei!
Moreover, Qingzhou and Jizhou have always been famous for their fertility and have always been rich in grain and fodder.

After the Haidong Colonial War began, frequent grain and fodder trade would strengthen the connection between Liaodong and the Central Plains, promote the development of navigation and the navy, and may not be unable to benefit the war against Wu in the future~
However, after Xiahou Hui's explanation, Guanqiu Jian pondered for a long time and still did not agree.

He did not express his disapproval of war plunder with a full-hearted talk of morality.

Instead, he felt that the current Wei State should not create unnecessary trouble.

The two kingdoms of Shu and Wu still exist!

The war against Liaodong was forcefully pushed forward by Emperor Cao Rui despite the dissuasion of all the ministers in the court.

Now that Liaodong has been conquered as expected, we should bring back the war dividends in a down-to-earth manner and restore the reputation of Emperor Cao Rui. We should not provoke the ideas of the older generation of ministers in the court and should not cause trouble for the emperor.

Of the more than 40,000 prisoners of war, half were left to garrison the four counties, and the other half were moved to Qingzhou or Xuzhou to settle down and farm in preparation for the war in Jiangdong. This was the result that the emperor and the ministers in the court wanted to see.

This is also the best benefit for the country that has consumed so much strength when these two of them come to conquer the country.

The most important thing is that Guanqiu Jian still insisted that Goguryeo and Han Wei were just minor problems for the Wei State and were not worth worrying about.

"You are young but you don't have to worry."

Perhaps, in order to dispel Xiahou Hui's doubts, he also said, "I have not been in Youzhou for long. If Your Majesty intends to transfer me to another place, it must be at least three or four years later. During this period, if the clowns like Han Ye of Goguryeo dare to cause trouble, I will personally lead the army to destroy their capital and swear not to return until their country is destroyed!"

Okay.

Having mentioned Emperor Cao Rui, and having pledged his confidence, Xiahou Hui could not continue arguing.

After all, Guanqiu Jian was not a second-generation man like him. He had not witnessed the changes in the world over thousands of years. It was normal that he did not dare to make assertions or advance ideas easily about the future that he could not control. In the eyes of modern people, Guanqiu Jian's suggestion was correct.

Another reason is that Xiahou Hui is probably used to it.

Just like before in Shiquan Songlin, when he enthusiastically demonstrated his research on woodblock printing to Ding Mi, I thought that even if Ding Mi did not sigh with emotion that it "benefited the poor students in the world", he would at least praise it for promoting culture and education in the world!
But what about the results?

It's like a pour of cold water.

So some things are destined to be restricted by the times and cannot be forced.

In other words, when you have little power, your voice will also become very low. Whether others are willing to hear it depends on them, not on yourself or whether it is right or wrong.

In the end, the two men, unable to convince each other, decided to take a step back and put the proposal on hold. Instead, they revised the appendix to the memorial and sent it to Luoyang, leaving it to Emperor Cao Rui to decide.

Guanqiu Jian, who wrote the letter himself, recorded the words in detail at the end of the book and bowed to Xiahou Hui solemnly to apologize.

Because Xiahou Hui was the main general who led the expedition against Liaodong.

He also had arbitrary power over how to deal with things after the war; and his strong opposition and resolute disobedience were considered a challenge to Xiahou Hui's authority as the main general.

Of course, Xiahou Hui had nothing to mind.

He casually said a few words to ease the situation and let the matter go, then asked about other things.

Just like the arrangements for Xuantu, Lelang and Daifang counties.

The four counties of Liaodong are headed by Liaodong County. As long as this county is evaluated, the other three counties can be decided by issuing an edict. So what he wants to ask is which three divisions of the Youzhou border army should be arranged to garrison there. The generals who will take over the defense and garrison now have almost been decided, which means that they will be recommended to the court as county generals (prefects) in the future.

Since Fufu County was a border area, the first governor must have been a general of the border army.

In this matter, Guanqiu Jian, the governor of Youzhou and general of Du Liao, proposed a candidate who was more pertinent and more likely to be adopted by the court than Xiahou Hui.

"In my opinion, Wang Qi, Gong Zun and Liu Mao are the most suitable."

As expected, Guanqiu Jian gave the answer without hesitation, and this was also the expected choice. Good steel should be used on the blade.

Among all the border troops of Youzhou, these three are the most elite and most suitable for guarding the border.

Guanqiu Jian also mentioned the personnel suggestions for Liaodong County, "Zhi Quan, if not, how about I nominate someone else to be the chief of Liaodong?"

This made Xiahou Hui raise his eyebrows slightly.

Immediately, he nodded, smiled, and bowed his hands in thanks, "That's great. Thank you for your concern, Brother Zhonggong."

The power of the Border County Chief Clerk was very large, almost taking on the duties of the County Magistrate and the County Lieutenant. In history, there were many cases where the Chief Clerk took over the power of the Prefect. Now the Prefect of Liaodong would be his second brother Xiahou Ba, which was already decided by the Emperor Cao Rui.

Guanqiu Jian knew this, so when he said he wanted to nominate someone to take the position, he actually wanted to avoid the court appointing someone who was not familiar with the situation in Liaodong or had a strong personality, which would further hinder Xiahou Ba.

"Haha~ you're welcome."

Guanqiu Jian also nodded and smiled, "The person I like is Li Yin, Li Xuanbo from Xiangping."

It turned out to be Li Yin!

Xiahou Hui knew this person.

Long before the war against Liaodong began, Qian Hong, with whom he had always had a good relationship, had recommended him privately.

Well, Li Yin is the grandson of Li Min, the governor of Hanoi in the previous dynasty, and also the half-brother of Qian Hong.

Li Yin's grandfather, Li Min, served as the prefect of Henei in the late Eastern Han Dynasty.

After he resigned and returned home, Liaodong Governor Gongsun Du tried to force him to take up a post, but he refused to give in and sailed out to sea, and has been missing ever since. Li Yin's father Li Xin forgot to eat and sleep and traveled all over Youzhou in search of Li Min, but still found nothing.

Later, Xu Miao, a Yan native who was on good terms with Li Xin and now the governor of Liangzhou in Wei, advised him to marry. Li Xin then married and gave birth to Li Yin. A few years later, he died in vain after searching for his father in vain.

His wife remarried Qian Zhao.

At that time, Li Yin was still very young, and he became a half-brother of Qian Jia and Qian Hong.

When he was a little older, he began to mourn for his father and set up a wooden tablet to worship his grandfather whose life and death were unknown. He was famous for his filial piety in Youzhou. When Jian grew up, he was knowledgeable, magnanimous, and trustworthy. He was listed as a senior accountant by the county and later a state official.

Qian Hong had always respected him and felt that his talent should not be buried in Youzhou, so he privately recommended him to Xiahou Hui and asked him to bring Li Yin to Luoyang if he had the chance in the future.

However, Xiahou Hui now feels that Guanqiu Jian's proposal is more appropriate.

Li Yin was a very upright person with no desire for power. He was also a native of Liaodong. He was definitely a good helper for Xiahou Ba in stabilizing and governing Liaodong.

“I have heard of this person too.”

In order to avoid Guanqiu Jian feeling that he was being used to gain personal gain and thus creating a rift, Xiahou Hui evaded the question by saying, "Now that Brother Zhonggong has recommended him, it is clear that he must have outstanding qualities and is the only choice for the Chief of Liaodong."

After saying this, he asked Guanqiu Jian to handle other miscellaneous affairs on the grounds that the flag had just been changed in the city. He himself planned to take some soldiers to patrol the city, to restrain the soldiers from behaving recklessly after entering the city, to prevent some playboys from taking advantage of the chaos to rape and loot, and to take the surrendered Yang Zuo to the military camp to appease the prisoners.

"Wait a moment, Zhiquan. I have something else to ask."

Unexpectedly, Guanqiu Jian first agreed, and then said to keep him, "Zhi Quan, now that Xiangping City has been captured, why don't you send someone to summon Xiahou Zhongquan and Chen Sima?"

Why did you invite my second brother and Chen Qian here?
The counties south of Xiangping also need to maintain public order! And there are so many soldiers in the city, enough to maintain stability during the transition of the flag change, and there are also many powerful people in the counties over there who need to be relocated!
Xiahou Hui tilted his head and pondered slightly, still somewhat puzzled, so he cast an inquiring look at Guanqiu Jian.

"After Yang Zuo surrendered, he has been staying under my command."

Guanqiu Jian explained with a smile, "When I was chatting with him, I also asked about the incident in which the traitor Gongsun sent people to recruit the traitor Wu for help. Yang Zuo claimed that the Liaodong envoys only set sail south in May."

Forehead!
Understood.

Given the distance between Liaodong and Jiangdong, the round trip and the time it takes to gather soldiers in Jiangdong, there is no need to worry about Wu soldiers appearing along the coast of Liaodong before October. Rather than letting Xiahou Ba and Chen Qian continue to waste time at the mouth of the Liao River, it would be better to let them return to Xiangping City for a short rest, and then go there to deploy defenses after they have recovered from the fatigue of the battle.

Moreover, the army that is attacking Liaodong must return before winter.

The reason is obvious.

The war is over. There is no reason to stay here and further deplete our national strength.

On the other hand, it was impossible for the government to produce winter clothes for tens of thousands of troops all at once.

If we don't hurry back, and wait until Liaodong is hit by heavy snow and countless soldiers freeze to death, we will be "winning first and then losing".

Furthermore, Xiahou Ba was, after all, the person in charge of guarding the four counties of Liaodong.

Regardless of the post-war appeasement measures, the deployment of defenses in various counties, the recruitment of local talents to stabilize people's hearts, the killing of rebels, and other things to establish grace and authority, it would be better for him to come and show his face.

"Brother Zhonggong, you can arrange things like these by yourself. There's no need to ask me for help. In a life-and-death battle, you're not as good as me. If we talk about the Jing'an area, how dare I compete with you for glory? But I hope you'll work hard and allow me to be lazy sometimes, hahaha~"

After saying this, Xiahou Hui left quickly, not giving Guanqiu Jian any chance to refuse.

This is also Guanqiu Jian's responsibility.

He was not only the governor of Youzhou, but also held the titles of General Du Liao and Commandant of Wuhuan.

The bandit leader surrendered and the city was captured, and General Xiahou Hui's duties as commander had actually been completed. The remaining trivial matters such as pacifying the local people were handled by Guanqiu Jian.

It would take at least half a month or at most a month for the garrison troops to rest and recuperate, and then Xiahou Hui could lead his troops back to Luoyang.

If he had any other responsibilities, it was just to record the achievements of others and present them to the court.

Moreover, Guanqiu Jian would mention some of these things in advance.

For example, after the three counties of Xuantu and others changed their flags and the Liaodong rebellion was decided, he would submit a memorial to the imperial court, outlining in detail the troops and horses left in the four counties of Liaodong, the temporary positions of each person, etc. This involved the merits of each department and affected how the imperial court would reward those who had made contributions.

The difference between the two is that Xiahou Hui's report on the achievements of all members included everyone.

For example, Guanqiu Jian is also included.

(End of this chapter)