I, Liu Bian, Sanxing Han Dynasty

Chapter 567: Court Meeting and He Miao's Decision
Honglu Qing Han Rong has been very busy recently. It is fine for a Xianbei leader like Dou Bin to come to the court for an audience. Although Dou Bin has a special status, there is no need to dwell on it at this time.

But in addition to this, the Southern Xiongnu Khan Qiangqu also had to come to the court to meet the emperor, and there was also Budugen who had just presented a memorial. It was still undecided whether to directly summon the latter to the court to accept the title or to send an envoy to the outside of the Great Wall to confer the title.

Before the issues in the north were resolved, good news came from the Western Regions. Xu Huang, Zhang Fei and Hu Zhen led their armies to a great victory. It is entirely conceivable that after this great victory, the countries in the Western Regions will completely return to the embrace of the Han Dynasty. The countries, which had stopped sending their princes to the court as "servants" for many years, would no longer be able to do so.

These are all things that he, as the Minister of Rites, needs to be in charge of.

And today in court, he is the protagonist.

Thinking about what he was going to say at the court meeting later, Han Rong suddenly saw a figure and hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, saying, "General of the Chariot and Cavalry, Lord Huangfu... please stay."

Huangfu Song turned around when he heard this and saw that it was Han Rong. He also politely bowed and greeted him, "Mr. Han."

Then he waited there for Han Rong to speak.

Han Rong did not delay and said directly: "You just returned from Xuzhou with your troops. I have never found a chance to visit you. Today, I am presumptuous to ask Mr. Huangfu for advice."

Han Rong treated Huangfu Song very well, not only because of his military achievements, but also because of his character. The General of Chariots and Cavalry had the power to establish a government, and Huangfu Song had not resigned from his post long after returning to Beijing with his troops. However, instead of taking the opportunity to expand the government, he resigned from the post of General of Chariots and Cavalry on the grounds of old age and illness as soon as he returned to Beijing.

However, it has not been approved by the emperor yet.

After all, General Huangfu Song and the four generals below him would naturally be relieved of their posts after the battle, but whether they would be retained in their original posts or transferred to other posts after being rewarded for their merits was a matter worth discussing.

Han Rong did not come to Huangfu Song for this matter. "Now the Western Xianbei have been defeated. As far as I know, the emperor intends to restore most of the Beidi County and re-establish the Shuofang County. What do you think of this, Lord Huangfu?"

Huangfu Song thought about it and did not beat around the bush with Han Rong. He directly expressed his attitude: "Your Majesty is enterprising, and Beidi County and Shuofang County are the old lands of the Han Dynasty. If Your Majesty has an order, I, as a subject, will obey it."

Han Rong sighed, "How could I not know that these two places are the old lands of the Han Dynasty? But these two places have been abandoned for a long time... Beidi County is fine, like Xuantu County in Youzhou, there are still people on the official list, they just live somewhere else, but Shuofang County has been abandoned for many years, and there are no people."

"I have asked the people who have lived in the two places, Xianbei and others. A hundred years ago, these two places could still be cultivated. But now the old land of Beidi County is slightly better, and some Xiongnu people still use the water conservancy left over from the past to raise livestock and cultivate. The old land of Shuofang County is now all water and grass pasture. If we want to rebuild Shuofang County, do we have to start a war and relocate the people here to graze?"

The location of Shuofang County and Beidi County is very special. Shuofang County is located in the upper left corner of the Yellow River, which is the southern part of Yinshan Mountain. Because the Yellow River flows through here, the famous Houtao in the Hetao Plain is formed there. This place benefits from the water of the Yellow River and has lush pastures. It is also the grassland that the western Xianbei tribes fought most fiercely against each other.

To the south of Houtao, in the middle of the stroke of the Chinese character "几", there is another plain called Xitao, which is the old site of Beidi County. Once upon a time, the Han Dynasty used Chang'an as its capital, so Beidi County was an indispensable defense point facing the north. But after Emperor Guangwu established his capital in Luoyang, the importance of Beidi County was not so high. Later, as Beidi County moved inland, this plain, like Houtao, became a pasture for the Xianbei and Xiongnu people.

Huangfu Song was born in Anding County, adjacent to the Northland, so he was naturally very familiar with these things.

In response to Han Rong's question, he replied: "If the real person is willing to graze here, then of course it's fine. Besides, why do you have to be so obsessed with the Han people?"

Han Rong said: "If we still leave the Xianbei here, what difference does it make whether or not to establish Shuofang County? If we force it, I don't know how much money and grain will be wasted."

As they were talking, it was time to go to court, so they entered the court one after another.

Soon, the court meeting officially began.

Taiwei Zhu Jun first reported on the progress of the soldiers' dismissal. As for the three colonels of the Northern Army that were added specifically for land measurement, and the eight colonels of the Western Garden that were established even earlier in order to quell rebellions and deter local forces in a timely manner, Zhu Jun had not yet mentioned them publicly.

After Zhu Jun came Han Rong.

Budugen took the initiative to submit to the throne, so he must be enthroned.

"Your Majesty, Budugen is a barbarian. Although he has pledged allegiance to you, I wonder how much he is afraid of the power of the Han Dynasty. I think we should summon him to the court to show his willingness to be our vassal!" Dong Zhuo said impatiently.

In this matter, Dong Zhuo claimed that he had grasped the emperor's thoughts.

After Huangfu Song came back, Dong Zhuo felt a sense of urgency. He had not served as the Minister of the Interior long enough. It would be bad if the emperor wanted him to give up his position to the General of Chariots and Cavalry.

After all, the best people who could become the replacement for the General of Chariots and Cavalry would naturally be one of the Three Dukes.

"I don't think so... Budugen is the son of Tan Shihuai. Since he has pledged his loyalty, he must have made up his mind. It would be better to send an envoy to confer the title on him to show the court's trust in him."

Dong Zhuo felt the voice was unfamiliar and glanced over. Seeing that it was the Prefect of the Guards Xu Qiu, he gave up the idea of ​​writing down the man's name in the little notebook in his mind.

"If you want to show your great favor, I will certainly honor your Majesty for summoning me, and also let Bu Dugen know the majesty of our Han family!" These words were spoken in a resounding voice, and it was Huang Zhong who returned at almost the same time as Huangfu Song.

Afterwards, the court officials expressed their opinions one after another, but overall, there were more supporters who wanted to summon Budugen to Luoyang.

After the two court officials had almost finished explaining their reasons, Liu Bian made the final decision: "Budugen submitted his loyalty because he was afraid of the might of our army. After the war, we must stop fighting and keep the people safe. We should take this opportunity to summon him to the capital to show him the grace and power of the Han Dynasty."

After deciding on this matter, Liu Bian continued, "Beidi and Shuofang counties were abandoned due to external harassment and the migration of people. Now that the Xianbei have been defeated and the Xiongnu have returned, we should re-establish the two counties to recover our old lands."

When Han Rong heard this, he naturally understood that the emperor had already made up his mind on the issue of the two counties. This was not a discussion at all, but the emperor directly issuing orders.

Han Rong, who originally wanted to give some advice, hesitated again and again and finally chose to keep silent.

As for the reasons why he thought the two counties, especially Shuofang County, should not be restored, Han Rong planned to write a memorial and submit it to the emperor after returning.

In the court, after Liu Bian announced his decision, there was no dissenting voice, and all the officials almost unanimously agreed.

Liu Bian did not discuss the details further. He only said: "You may write to the emperor and speak freely about this matter."

Then Liu Bian looked at Han Rong again, waiting for him to raise the next topic.

"The Southern Xiongnu Qiangqu Chanyu had previously expressed his wish to settle in Luoyang through the General of the Western Expedition many times..."

"Xianbei Dou Bin will arrive in Luoyang today. I think Your Majesty only needs to summon him to the court..."

"..."

When all the scheduled matters were announced, Huangfu Song resigned again, saying, "Your Majesty, the war in Guandong is over now, and the world is at peace. There is no need to establish a general of chariots and cavalry to deter the four directions. I resign to respond to your majesty's policy of stopping the war and pacifying the people!"

This was Huangfu Song's third resignation. Moreover, he did not use the usual excuses such as "Since returning from Xuzhou, I have been feeling unwell and my old injuries from military service have recurred. Please resign and return home to recuperate."

This time, Liu Bian did not refuse again.

"You have worked hard and made great contributions. Now that state affairs are heavy, it is time for you to share my worries... I now appoint you as the Minister of the Court and the Minister of the Secretariat. I order the officials to draft the edict and the master to execute it."

The Shizhong is fine, although he is a close minister of the emperor and can theoretically influence the emperor's decision, he has no actual affairs after all. But the Shangshu Ling... this is the absolute core of power.

There was no shortage of court officials who cast envious glances at Huangfu Song.

But some people still remember what Huangfu Song said when he just resigned.

The speaker has his own intentions, so how can the listener pretend that nothing happened?

General He Miao was keenly aware of this. After all, he had been a general for many years, so he could still hear the hidden meaning in the words.

Indeed, with the world at peace, there is no need to appoint a General of Chariots and Cavalry. Then what about the General of the Army? What about the General of the Cavalry?

It should be noted that according to the old Han system, the post of General Kaifu was not a permanent position.

Originally, the status quo could be maintained on the grounds that the emperor was young and the local area was unstable, but now, times have changed.

To be fair, He Miao has never had the ambition of his brother He Jin, but after all, he has been a general for so many years, and many of his subordinates have become ministers inside and outside the court. If he really wants to give up...

Even though he knew that his nephew, the emperor, would never treat him unfairly, he couldn't make up for it as much as the general who could suppress the three ministers. He Miao couldn't help feeling a little reluctant.

Thinking of this, He Miao looked at the cavalry general Dong Zhong who was sitting beside him. The latter noticed that He Miao was looking at him and looked confused...

An idea suddenly came to He Miao's mind - could it be that he didn't hear the hidden meaning of Huangfu Song's words?
Thinking of Dong Zhong's past, He Miao felt more and more that his guess was right.

After the court was dismissed, He Miao stopped Dong Zhong who was about to leave and asked, "My chef has learned a few new dishes. If you have nothing to do, why don't you come to my house and try them?"

When Dong Zhong heard He Miao's invitation, he was stunned: Although we are all relatives by marriage, is our relationship so good?

But Dong Zhong thought again, since the emperor was made the crown prince and he gave up supporting Liu Xie, they had indeed not had a conflict for many years, but their relationship was not that good...

While he was hesitating, He Miao grabbed his hand and heard He Miao's words again: "It's a good opportunity for you and me to have a heart-to-heart talk..."

Dong Zhong was confused: What is there to talk about?

But before he could even agree to it, He Miao took him to the general's mansion.

He Miao did indeed send someone to ask the kitchen to prepare food in advance. Dong Zhong set out early in the morning. Although he ate a little, the court meeting was still quite long and he was indeed a little hungry. Seeing that the dishes in the General's Mansion looked delicious, he simply started to eat.

Seeing Dong Zhong being so open-minded, He Miao confirmed his guess.

After Dong Zhong had eaten a few mouthfuls of food, he asked, "What do you think of what Huangfu Yizhen said in the court today?"

Dong Zhong was a little puzzled when he heard this: "Huangfu Yizhen led the army to war as the General of Chariots and Cavalry. Naturally, he resigned after returning. What's so strange about this? He is not like us, a relative by marriage."

He Miao was speechless for a moment when he saw Dong Zhong's matter-of-fact look.

But he recalled Huangfu Song's words and Liu Bian's attitude, and felt that his guess was correct: "Piaoqi should still remember what Huangfu Yizhen said about stopping the war? Your Majesty also has this idea. Since the establishment of the Xiyuan Army, the court's elite troops have been increasing day by day, and the number of troops will definitely be reduced in the future. Dong Piaoqi thinks that the troops of our two prefectures will be among those to be reduced?"

Dong Zhong finally couldn't eat anymore.

He hesitated and said, "It shouldn't be that serious, right? Besides, I don't usually manage my troops. Even if there are actions, they are all in cooperation with the school affairs department."

"Moreover, if Your Majesty wants to reduce it, you only need to say so. Do you and I dare to resist?"

After hearing this, He Miao didn't know whether to evaluate whether Dong Zhong was open-minded or wanted to give up.

However, He Miao also saw that Dong Chong was the same as him. Although he might be reluctant to give up the position of General Kaifu, he should be able to make up his mind if he really wanted to give it up.

He explained to Dong Zhong: "Why should we wait for His Majesty to speak up about this matter? Wouldn't it be better if you and I take the initiative to speak up? This will also preserve the friendship between you, me and His Majesty."

"Besides, don't forget that your majesty also has to consider the Grand Empress Dowager and the Queen Mother of the West Palace."

Dong Zhong sighed with some realization: "Is that so?"

But Dong Zhong immediately asked doubtfully: "What the general said just now is just a guess... How about we go find some smart people to ask for advice?"

He Miao felt helpless when he saw that Dong Zhong had brought him to the same level as him.

He even wondered if it was a mistake to bring Dong Chong here with the intention of sharing the worries of the emperor's nephew. Seeing Dong Chong's attitude of not believing unless he consulted someone, He Miao said helplessly: "If you really want to ask someone for advice, you must find someone who is trustworthy and tight-lipped, and you can't ask questions that speculate on the emperor's mind."

Dong Zhong agreed straightforwardly: "I happen to know such a person, Li Ru Li Wenyou, I wonder if the general has heard of his name? He used to be a doctor of the Imperial College!"

After hearing this, He Miao looked at Dong Zhong with even more shock.

Li Ru had a bad reputation among court officials. What he did during his tenure as the Prison Regulation Officer was no different from that of a cruel official. How could Dong Zhong dare to trust such a man?

But He Miao immediately thought, maybe one is willing to fight and the other is willing to be beaten.

Not long after, Dong Zhong actually sent someone to invite Li Ru and asked him directly whether there was any hidden meaning in Huangfu Song's remarks.

Li Ru's answer was straightforward: "Mr. Huangfu requested three times before he was appointed General of Chariots and Cavalry. Since you have no attachment to power, why don't you just submit a letter of resignation?"

(End of this chapter)