I, Liu Bian, Sanxing Han Dynasty

Chapter 438 Cruel Officials
All along, Man Chong had been very respectful to Zhang Rang because he was investigating the case with Zhang Rang under the order of the emperor.

But Zhang Rang seemed to have misunderstood him deeply.

How could he kill an entire clan of people so casually?
——"Your Majesty is merciful. Although Sun Kang is guilty of treason, he is not the culprit. If he can turn himself in in time and make meritorious contributions, it is possible to give him a lighter punishment and leave a descendant for his clan."

Zhang Rang was speechless.

He no longer knew what to say.

At first, Zhang Rang thought Man Chong was here to supervise him.

Then, Zhang Rang thought that Man Chong came to assist him.

It was not until now that Zhang Rang finally understood that His Majesty had sent him here to supervise Man Chong!

The next second, long-lost memories emerged.

He thought of Yang Qiu, who beat the eunuch Wang Fu to death and forced the Grand Marshal Duan Xing to death. At that time, he trembled in fear when facing Yang Qiu.

Fortunately, Man Chong still calls him "Mr. Zhang"!

……

Xuzhou, Donghai State.

Ba Ji, who has always been frugal to the point of being stingy, was no exception this time.

He did not forget his original intention and used his usual meals to entertain Zhao Zhong, Zhang Yang, Taishi Ci, Qian Zhao and others.

Each person had two dishes and one soup, one of which was the pickled vegetables that ordinary people usually eat, and the other was tofu, which was a little more luxurious. In addition to rice as the staple food, there was also a bowl of noodle soup with oil and salt, which Baji usually didn't want to eat.

Qian Zhao, who had already witnessed this scene with He Jin, was no longer surprised and even felt admiration for Ba Ju.

After all, although He Jin was a former general and a relative of the emperor, the county and state schools had nothing to do with the governor, so He Jin had no control over Ba Ju. But this time Ba Ju failed to suppress the rebellion, and Zhao Zhong came with the name of an angel.

I can only say that for being able to be so frugal and consistent, Qian Zhao can only respect and bless him.

After all, Qian Zhao noticed on the way here that Zhao Zhong, the well-known eunuch, was not a narrow-minded person and came with a lot of hatred.

Before the feast began, Ba Ju said to Zhao Zhong and the others in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "There are many droughts in the north now. Although the disaster in Xuzhou is not as serious as that in Qingzhou and Jizhou, the production of wheat, rice, and millet in Langya, Donghai and other places has also decreased by nearly 30% compared with previous years. As a governor, I must be frugal and set an example. I also hope that when you lead the troops to investigate, you will also set an example to reassure the people."

Zhao Zhong, who had been frowning, originally planned to accept it with a pinch of his nose. After all, this was a great opportunity he had been waiting for in the past few years and he couldn't miss it.

He also noticed the faint patches on Baju's black turban and official uniform.

But after hearing what Ba Ju said, he decided not to endure it anymore!

Zhao Zhong said sarcastically, "Without magnificence, there is no way to strengthen authority. You are the governor, supervising the counties and states on behalf of the emperor. Your every word and action represents the emperor. How can the people of Guizhou feel respect when they see that the governor is so shabby? Where is the majesty of the court?"

But Ba Ju has been able to stand out for so many years because he has his own logic: "All the food and money we use as officials come from the people. When the people see me being frugal, they will only respect me more. How could they despise me?"

"To use power to make people fear you is the way of the lower world!"

When it comes to talking, Zhao Zhong is no match for Ba Ji.

In response to this, Zhang Yang and Taishi Ci both watched the fun from the sidelines, not minding the hassle. It was good enough that they didn't add fuel to the fire.

Qian Zhao wanted to help, but he didn't want to fall out with the governor as soon as he arrived in Xuzhou.

But now Zhao Zhong has fallen into a trap, and the topic has been in the other party's area of ​​expertise from the very beginning, so Qian Zhao can do nothing to help.

However, Wang Yun, the Prime Minister of Donghai State, who was also accompanying the guests, was not willing to entertain Zhao Zhong in the first place. But when he saw the conflict between the two, he happily started to eat the food in front of him.

As for mediating? It was good enough that he didn't make sarcastic remarks about Zhao Zhong!

Compared to Jizhou, which had a smooth start, conflicts arose between the two sides in Xuzhou before the first welcoming banquet had even begun.

In the end, both sides parted ways unhappily.

It is said that after Zhao Zhong returned, he bought dozens of sheep from various places that day. He specially sent a sheep with some tendons and meat left on its bones to the governor's mansion. Once this news spread, the rebellious enthusiasm in various parts of Xuzhou rose again.

Only the Donghai Kingdom ruled by Wang Yun did not receive much response.

Zhao Zhong had no choice but to send Zhang Yang and Taishi Ci to lead their troops to fight alongside Ba Ju.

Zhang Yang usually liked to associate with heroes, and his relationship with Taishi Ci was not bad. On the way to quell the rebellion, he couldn't help complaining: "How to deal with those rebels? Donghai Xiang Wang Zishi has already shown us. Look how peaceful Donghai is now!"

Taishi Ci certainly knew what Zhang Yang meant by display—the pile of human heads hanging outside the city wall of Tan County was Wang Yun’s masterpiece.

He sighed, "Among the two thousand officials, there are only a few who are as decisive and strong as Master Wang Zi. And whether the national security of Donghai is stable or not, we have to wait until my elite soldiers from Xiyuan leave to see."

Zhang Yang agreed with this, but he thought Wang Yun should have a response, so he said: "Zi Yi, you should make a bet. After we lead the army to leave, there will still be no chaos in the East China Sea."

"What are you gambling?"

"I'll bet on the bow you have."

Taishi Ci picked up the bow, touched it, and said, "This bow is the magic bow that never misses a shot unless you follow it!"

"Let's just say we want to gamble or not. I'll use the lance that I usually don't want to use!" Zhang Yang asked.

"I accept it!" Taishi Ci accepted it and said, "Thank you for the gift!"

Zhang Yang smiled and asked Qian Zhao, who was sitting beside him and listening attentively, "Zijing, who do you think will win?"

Qian Zhao replied: "Lord Wang has extraordinary means."

Having received support, Zhang Yang smiled triumphantly at Taishi Ci.

Taishi Ci didn't react much. His bows were not that expensive, and he brought several on this expedition!

Zhang Yang saw this and asked Qian Zhao, "Zijing, if we lead the army to the rebellion site this time and the rebels still disperse and disguise themselves as civilians, what are you going to do?"

Qian Zhao said confidently: "Don't worry, Captain. I have my own ways. Just wait and see!"

By the time the army arrived at Huaiyin County of Xia Pi State, the rebels who had long been aware of the army's movements had indeed disappeared without a trace.

Zhang Yang and Taishi Ci both turned their eyes to Qian Zhao who had made the big promise in advance.

Qian Zhao was confident: "In Huaiyin County, all officials from the county magistrate to the clerks of 100 stone level were summoned to the county temple, and only those from poor families were released first."

"Also, the Liu family, the Zhang family, the Lu family in Huaiyin...all of them should be arrested!"

Zhang Yang glanced at Taishi Ci, who was as surprised as he was.

On the other side, Ba Jilian, who heard what Qian Zhao said, said: "Absolutely not. If so many officials are missing, Huaiyin County will definitely be in chaos!"

Qian Zhao shook his head and said confidently: "With the Xiyuan Army here, there will be no chaos!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Yang replied: "Okay, I'll do as you say."

After that, he said to Ba Ju: "General Ba, I will be the leader of Xuzhou's military affairs. Please send troops to cooperate with me!"

Ba Ju wanted to persuade him again, but he shut up only when Zhang Yang impatiently wanted to have Taishi Ci take over his military power.

Afterwards, Qian Zhao looked at the soldiers who were carrying out orders. The military discipline of the Xiyuan Army could still be enforced, but it was different for the soldiers from the prefectures and counties. They would definitely take the opportunity to steal.

Qian Zhao, who was young but knowledgeable, was used to this. As long as the county soldiers did not go too far, he was too lazy to care.

After all, the soldiers from the prefectures and counties have fought here, but they have not captured any spoils and have not made any military achievements, so they must be given some opportunity to make a profit.

The local big families can only suffer.

Anyway, they are not innocent. Even if they did not participate in the rebellion, as local bosses, they are also guilty of knowing about the incident and not reporting it.

There is only one requirement for the recruitment - none of the suspects can escape!
(End of this chapter)