Han Dynasty Achievements

Chapter 158 Guo Jia Miscalculates and Jia Xu Gets a Good Plan

Chapter 158 Guo Jia Miscalculates and Jia Xu Gets a Trick

Liu Bian returned to Luoyang at noon on the third day, and he didn't know that the backyard had caught fire.

After entering the palace, he did not go to see Empress Dowager He, but went straight to his residence.

Xu Yan had already finished checking the accounts. Seeing Liu Bian coming over, he quickly handed over the account book and said, "Your Majesty, I have finished counting. The total is 130 million yuan, and the available money is about 100 million."

Liu Bian flipped through the account book with his brows twisted into a knot.

This money mainly came from the harvests from the royal estates, gardens, mines, etc., and part of it came from Liu Bian selling a lot of land that Emperor Ling had spent a huge amount of money to build the forests and gardens.

Liu Bian looked at the account book and said to himself, "If we open these forests and gardens and charge one thousand or five hundred coins per person for a day's visit, do you think it's feasible?"

Pan Yin opened his eyes and asked in surprise, "Your Majesty, are you going to open the royal garden?"

The previous emperor built quite a few things outside the palace, but some of them have been abandoned, and some have no money to continue repairing, and are now in a half-dead state.

Liu Bian looked at him and asked, "Can I?"

Pan Yin looked hesitant and said, "Your Majesty, this may damage the dignity of the royal family. The government and the public may also think that Your Majesty is too greedy for money and undermines His Majesty's virtue."

The corner of Liu Bian's mouth twitched. He still cared a lot about his reputation. The plaque of "Emperor Shengde" that he had spent so much effort to create could not be smeared at will.

After thinking it over, Liu Bian gave up and threw the account book to Xu Yan, saying, "Let's do this. Pan Yin, you keep an eye on the bank and the Ministry of Rites. If there is any news about Xun Yu in Jizhou, notify me immediately."

"Yes." Pan Yin lowered his head.

A palace maid came over hurriedly and saluted, saying, "Your Majesty, the Queen Mother invites you."

Liu Bian looked back at her, nodded, and was still thinking about how to raise money.

Disaster relief requires money and food, reform requires money, and a huge army also requires money!

Nowadays, the army's expeditions basically rely on "self-financing". If this continues, even if the generals have no other thoughts, the soldiers will weaken their identification with the court, which will directly lead to the formation of warlords and local vassal states.

Before I knew it, I arrived at Yongle Palace and Empress Dowager He was already fiddling with the dishes.

Liu Bian smelled the aroma and his stomach started growling. He sat down at the table, picked up his chopsticks and started eating. He said, "Mother, what is the matter with you calling me here?"

Seeing this, Empress Dowager He pushed two soup noodles in front of him and said with a smile, "Eat slowly, eat slowly. I heard that you personally mentioned Marquis Buqi and Princess Yang'an's Fu Shou?"

Liu Bian ate with big mouthfuls, hummed, and said, "I chose it for Liu Xie."

Empress Dowager He's originally happy expression suddenly froze, and she frowned and said, "What do you choose for him? There is only one Tang Ji in your palace. I think Fu Shou is very good. She is from the eldest princess's family and is just right. Although she is a little young, she will be suitable to be your queen in a few years."

Liu Bian kept eating, mumbling: "This is for the outsiders to see, so that he can get married as soon as possible and go to the vassal state at the right time to put an end to some people's delusions..."

Queen Mother He didn't hear clearly. Seeing that Liu Bian still refused to take more concubines, she looked unhappy and glared at him and said, "I'm telling you, I heard rumors that you have been running out of the palace from time to time recently and often not coming home at night. The court officials' advice and remonstrances are piled up all over my table."

Liu Bian coughed dryly, drank the soup quickly, and said, "Mother, I am worried that Marquis Buqi and the Princess will not agree. Now that you are okay, take Liu Xie to Marquis Buqi's mansion and have a chat. He will explain everything that needs to be explained."

Empress Dowager He snorted coldly and said, "Let that old woman go. I'm busy!"

Without waiting for him to finish, Empress Dowager He stood up and left, obviously not wanting to waste any more words with this stubborn son.

Liu Bian ignored it and just continued eating.

The so-called "Princess Yang'an" was the eldest daughter of Emperor Huan. Because Emperor Huan had no son, Emperor Ling was brought in to succeed to the throne. Therefore, Liu Bian's family had no direct blood relationship with Princess Yang'an and were not close to her.

Empress Dowager He wanted to kill Liu Xie so much that it was impossible for her to take Liu Xie with her just for show.

While eating, Liu Bian was thinking about having to go to Shou'an Palace later.

At this moment, Liu Bian's order had already reached Yanzhou.

The first person to receive the call was Cao Cao, who was suppressing bandits in Chenliu County.

He sat in the tent, looking at the imperial edict that said "transfer back to the capital for another appointment". He and Guo Jia looked at each other, both with an expression of disbelief.

Cao Cao had all kinds of speculations about his own future development, and Guo Jia had all kinds of speculations about Cao Cao's future development, but they never thought that he would be transferred back to Beijing!

Cao Cao's face gradually darkened, his narrow eyes flickered continuously, and after a long while he said, "Fengxiao, do you think that His Majesty is planning to order me to fight against Yuan Shu, so he temporarily transferred me back to the capital?"

Guo Jia shook his head, also puzzled. He did not drink from the wine jug, and said, "Dong Zhuo led the army as the Grand Marshal. He has not been deprived of his position as commander-in-chief. The general cannot cross the line. This decree may have other implications."

Cao Cao couldn't figure it out. He went north to Jizhou, east to Qingzhou, and south to Yuzhou. He guessed everything, but he never expected that it would be "transferred back to the capital for another appointment."

After thinking it over, Cao Cao still couldn't figure it out, so he looked at Guo Jia and said slowly: "Feng Xiao, do you think it's because of those impeachments?"

Cao Cao had been subject to numerous impeachments along his journey. This time, when he went to Yanzhou for the expedition, there were already more than twenty impeachment memorials before he even left the capital. These memorials had never stopped over the past few days. I wonder how many impeachment memorials had accumulated!

Guo Jia knew what Cao Cao was worried about. He took a sip of wine, his eyes still thoughtful, and said, "No. Judging from this decree, the court has other plans for the general, but I can't think of where they are."

The wars are currently taking place near Yanzhou. What is the purpose of transferring Cao Cao back to Beijing?

Cao Cao had already chosen the path of a military general, so he could not become a local governor or a provincial governor, nor could he enter the Secretariat.

Could it be the Grand Marshal’s Mansion?

Cao Cao and Guo Jia were puzzled and full of doubts.

Xiahou Dun came in from outside, wiping the blood off his face, and said, "Meng De, we're done. There are more than 300 people, and there are actually more than 30 women and children inside."

Cao Cao was no longer surprised and said, "Let the people of Chenliu County take care of them."

Xiahou Dun nodded and said, "Oh, right, Ding Shijun sent someone to bring a message saying that the Yellow Turbans have invaded Taishan County again, and ordered you to go and wipe them out."

Cao Cao snorted and said loudly, "He is getting better and better at commanding me! Tell him that Cao Cao doesn't agree and let Ding Shijun find someone else!"

Xiahou Dun turned his head and looked outside. He heard footsteps going away, and then he asked, "Meng De, what is this?"

Cao Cao stood up with some annoyance and said, "Organize the troops, and send a message to the talented people in Shanyang County, telling them not to move for now, and not to obey anyone's orders!"

Before Cao Cao finished speaking, he had already strode out of the tent.

Xiahou Dun was puzzled and looked at Guo Jia and asked, "Military Advisor, what's going on with Meng De?"

Guo Jia stood up, handed the imperial edict on the table to Xiahou Dun, and followed him out.

Xiahou Dun glanced at the imperial edict and couldn't help but ask Guo Jia, "Military Advisor, is it because Zhang Miao rebelled that Meng De was blamed?"

……

Shanyang County, Changyi.

Lü Bu, who had been injured by alcohol and sex, had been hurt even more seriously recently. His face was haggard, his eyes were tired, and his spirit was very depressed.

At this moment, he was standing on the top of the city wall, holding a spear, looking towards the direction of Jizhou, and sighing from time to time.

Gao Shun stood silently by the side, his eyes bright and without any sign of depression.

"Master clerk! Master clerk!"

Suddenly, a petty official came running up and said in a hurry, "It's the imperial decree. Go and receive it!"

Lu Bu disagreed and said, "Let my foster father take it. It's none of my business."

Lü Bu's official position was the chief clerk of Ding Yuan's government, a position that was more private, with a dangerous position but a low rank. Therefore, in the eyes of people other than Ding Yuan, Lü Bu was just an insignificant little man.

"No, it is specially given to the chief clerk. It is the order of His Majesty!" said the clerk excitedly.

Lu Bu turned his head suddenly, his eyes widened, and shouted: "Say it again?"

The clerk had also been with Lu Bu for many years, so he was not surprised and said, "I have inquired about it. It is said that the chief clerk will be appointed as a lieutenant and lead troops to Xuzhou to quell the rebellion!"

Lu Bu pushed him away and strode towards the governor's mansion.

When he arrived at the front hall and found no one there, Lu Bu went straight to the back hall.

As soon as I entered the door, I saw Ding Yuan drinking tea leisurely, no one else.

Lu Bu was startled. He did not see the angel. He stepped forward and asked in confusion: "Foster father, someone told me that there was an angel..."

Ding Yuan put down his teacup with a smile, pushed the imperial edict in front of him, and said, "Since you have been late, your father will take it for you. His Majesty orders you to be the lieutenant of the Suppressing Enemy Army and transfer you to Xuzhou. You will be under the command of the governor of Xuzhou to stop Yuan Shu's rebels and recover the lost territory of Xuzhou..."

Before he could finish, Lu Bu took away the imperial edict. Looking at the clearly written order, Lu Bu's eyes turned red with excitement.

Ding Yuan stared at Lu Bu's expression, anger flashed in his eyes, and then he smiled and said, "Fengxian, I didn't know you had such a relationship in the capital. Why didn't you tell me about it before?"

In Ding Yuan's opinion, the leap from Lu Bu's unknown little clerk to the commander of the Pinglu Army was quite huge, and it would have been impossible without strong recommendation!

Lü Bu was stunned for a moment, then looked at Ding Yuan and said, "Foster father, wasn't it you who recommended me?"

Ding Yuan frowned, then relaxed, stood up, stroked his beard and said, "It's okay if you don't want to talk. This time when you go to Xuzhou, you must be brave enough to suppress the bandits. Your father has prepared 2,000 men and 10,000 dan of grain for you. You can recruit at least 5,000 men along the way. Otherwise, you will die without knowing how you died if you live under someone else's roof."

Seeing Ding Yuan's increasingly serious tone, Lü Bu felt uneasy. He raised his hand and said in a deep voice, "Foster father, I also feel that this matter is strange. Is someone trying to alienate me and my son?"

Ding Yuan had thought of this possibility in his mind. Looking at Lu Bu's expression, which did not seem fake, he smiled and said, "How could your father care about these things? Your father has some friendship with Governor Xu. I will write a letter to him in person later. I believe my name will be on it. He will take better care of you. If things don't go well, just come back."

Lu Bu finally breathed a sigh of relief, knelt on one knee and said, "Thank you, foster father!"

Ding Yuan still suspected that his adopted son had found some support in the capital and was going to abandon him, his shaky adoptive father.

But Ding Yuan did not break off relations with him, thinking that if the court held him accountable in the future, he would still have to rely on Lu Bu for support.

Ding Yuan pulled Lu Bu up, and the father and son were in harmony and had a heart-to-heart talk as usual.

……

Chen State, Chen County.

The State of Chen borders Shanyang County, and the imperial edict arrived at about the same time.

Dong Zhuo looked at the decree, looked at Niu Fu and Jia Xu in surprise, and said, "With an army of 100,000, the court trusts me?"

Niu Fu was eating roasted lamb, his face covered in oil, and said, "Foster father, no matter whether he believes it or not, the key is to get a hundred thousand troops!"

Dong Zhuo's old face did not move. He blinked and turned to Jia Xu.

Jia Xu hesitated for a moment and said, "Mr. Dong, the three states of Yu, Jing, and Xu sound good, but in reality, Mr. Dong can only mobilize 30,000 people."

Dong Zhuo looked hopeful and asked, "Is there no benefit at all?"

Jia Xu remained calm. He saw a little oil stain on the white skirt from the corner of his eye. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable, as if something was stuck in his throat. He took a deep breath, suppressed the discomfort, and said to Dong Zhuo: "It's not all bad news. This decree clearly states 100,000 troops. If Lord Dong expands the army to 100,000 in the future, the court will not be able to criticize him."

Dong Zhuo opened his eyes and said happily, "Good! Good! Good!"

After laughing for a while, Dong Zhuo picked up the wine glass, took a sip, and said, "Then, how about ordering me to lead the troops to suppress them?"

Jia Xu's eyes were still on the oil stain, feeling uneasy, and he said, "It is not difficult to defeat Yuan Shu. The key is not to let Yuan Shu lose completely. We must find the right measure."

Dong Zhuo immediately knew that Jia Xu had a plan in mind. His old face lit up and he said with a smile: "That little Yuan Shu doesn't take me seriously, so I will teach him a lesson for Yuan Feng!"

Niu Fu ate the meat in big mouthfuls, swallowed it whole, and said, "Foster father, when will we send out the troops?"

Dong Zhuo's eyes turned cold and he said with a smile: "Wait a few more days and let those people in the court worry a little."

Jia Xu didn't say anything, but stared at the oil stain. He wanted to wipe it off, but was worried that it would get bigger. He frowned unconsciously, feeling more and more upset.

"Mr. Dong!"

Zhang Ji strode in with a gloomy face and said, "Yuan Shu sent someone to challenge us again and insulted Lord Dong's ancestors!"

"What a good little Yuan Shu!"

Dong Zhuo was furious. He looked at Jia Xu with wide eyes and said, "Wenhe, do you have any way to help me vent my anger?"

Jia Xu looked away from the drop of oil with difficulty and said, "Yuan Shu can scold, so can Lord Dong not do the same?"

Dong Zhuo looked at Jia Xu, somewhat unresponsive.

Jia Xu's eyes were as cold as a snake, and he said, "Mr. Dong, Yuan Shu's rebellion has been too smooth without any setbacks. I'm afraid he won't be able to withstand a few words from Mr. Dong and will definitely come with all his troops."

The smile on Dong Zhuo's old face gradually increased, and he laughed loudly: "Wenhe's great plan!"

After saying that, he looked at Zhang Ji and said, "Retreat and let Yuan Shu scold you to his heart's content today!"

Zhang Ji didn't hear any clever tricks at all. When Dong Zhuo spoke, he raised his hand and said, "Yes."

Even as Dong Zhuo withdrew his troops, the people in Yuan Shu's camp continued to shout and curse.

Gao Lan rode his horse in front of the camp, pacing back and forth with an impatient look on his face.

Qu Yi defeated Gongsun Zan, and Wen Chou defeated Hua Xiong, but he challenged the enemy for many days, and the enemy retreated and refused to come out, so he wanted to make a contribution but failed.

Not far away, Yuan Shu was sitting on his horse, facing the direction of Chen County, laughing and saying, "Dong Zhuo is such a coward, let alone 100,000 troops, even if we give him a million troops, what will happen!"

Obviously, Yuan Shu knew the imperial edict issued from Luoyang first.

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