Chapter 538 Liu Yan: My subordinates are all loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty, and I am the only one who is a rebel???

Weiyang Palace.

The five-day court meeting went on as scheduled, but this time it seemed a little different from usual.

Even the courtier with the worst eyesight could see the clue. The difference was the emperor sitting on the throne.

Because court meetings were too time-consuming and stressful, since the reign of Emperor Xiaoxuan, court meetings were changed to once every five days.

Even if it happens once every five days, the current emperor still finds it a bit too much to bear.

During the initial period of the court session, the emperor was in a good condition indeed, but not as good as it is today, right?

The ministers saw that Liu Bian had a ruddy and radiant complexion, his eyes were bright, and even his lips were as white as cream.

Could it be that Your Majesty has encountered some happy event?
Zhao Yun, Chen, Xun Yu and others thought of what had happened recently and reacted instantly. It must be a great victory for their lord/General Wei!

As expected, Liu Bian ordered the messenger to say: "General Wei Liu Bei defeated the false emperor, and the three states of Yan, Yu, and Yang all surrendered. This is an unprecedented achievement. I want to make General Wei a general, with 10,000 households and a reward of tens of thousands of gold."

All the officials were silent. No one was willing to refute such a solid achievement. Then Liu Bian ordered the messenger to tell the contents of the rewards given to Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, Jia Xu and others, so that the officials could see if there were any omissions.

After suggestions from the ministers, a series of rewards including specific titles, fiefs, etc. were finally finalized.

Just when the officials thought the matter was over, Liu Bian suddenly said, "My lords, ever since the traitor Dong started his rebellion, the country has been in turmoil. It was not until recently that the hidden dangers were completely resolved. I have often reflected deeply on the source of the cholera. Finally, I have found a clue. The source of the cholera lies first in the relatives of the emperor's wife and second in the eunuchs."

All the ministers were applauding. Aren’t the root causes of cholera the foreign relatives and eunuchs?

only.
Why did Your Majesty suddenly say this?
Could it be
Does Your Majesty know the importance of scholars like us and want to vigorously support us? !
Some court officials were so surprised that they clenched their fists in excitement.

However, Xun Yu did not think so. How could it be possible that he strongly supported the entire aristocratic family?

“Fortunately.”

The court officials pricked up their ears, waiting for Liu Bian's next words.

"If the late emperor had not valued the clan members, how could we have defeated the Dong and Yuan thieves? Fortunately, the clan members helped us, which prevented the Han Dynasty from falling into the hands of evil. There were too many restrictions on the clan members before, and they were too harsh. I think it is inappropriate. At present, all states have suffered from wars. I want to use the clan members with talents and virtues from all over the country to help me govern the states and counties. If there is a change in the world, these clan members with both talents and virtues can go to the capital to serve the king, save the country from danger, and protect the clan sacrifices."

All the ministers were stunned. No, why did His Majesty say something completely different from what they thought? !
Could it be that they want the clan members to take over the positions of the maternal relatives and eunuchs? No, this feels like the ancient Zhou Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, I think it's inappropriate!"

A powerful voice sounded, and all the ministers looked in the direction of the voice. The first one to stand up and refute Liu Bian was Zhao Yun.

"Hmm?" Liu Bian was slightly surprised. He didn't expect that it was Zhao Yun who opposed him. What he said just now was what he thought in his heart. Since Liu Bei was not in Chang'an, he couldn't find anyone to talk to, and he didn't know whether this idea was wrong or not.

Zhao Yun was an old subordinate of Liu Bei. He remembered that Liu Bei had mentioned that Zhao Yun was both civil and military, and that he should listen more to Zhao Yun's advice.

Liu Bian asked, "Grand Minister of Agriculture, what's wrong?"

"I think that all clan members are loyal and reliable. As for selecting clan members with virtue and talent, Wang Mang was a famous gentleman before he caused chaos, and Dong Zhuo was a general with military achievements before he usurped power. Your Majesty, not everyone is a general of the guards or a general. If the rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms in ancient times happens again, the people will suffer in the end. Please think twice."

There was a strong sense of worry in Zhao Yun's words, as if the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms would happen again in the near future.

Even other court officials thought that Zhao Yun was worrying too much. Given the mistakes of the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion, even if the emperor was confused, would the righteous people in the court be confused?
Only Chen Dao knew that Zhao Yun's worries were not groundless. The old thief Sima had managed for three generations and successfully usurped the throne.

In the process of usurping the throne, the Sima family made peace with the gentry. Of course, Sima Yan also knew that the gentry was too powerful and might even threaten his throne.

Sima Yan learned from Cao Wei's lesson of guarding against relatives and made many Sima kings. He also did not restrict the power of these Sima kings. Everything from collecting taxes and rents to selecting civil and military officials in the counties was decided by the Sima kings.

As the news of the evil Empress Jia Nanfeng's murder of the crown prince shocked the world, the Rebellion of the Eight Kings finally broke out.

The eight Sima kings fought each other until their heads were broken and blood was shed, leaving the country in tatters. They also brought in barbarians, which eventually led to the tragedy of the Five Barbarians' Invasion of China.

Chen Dao followed closely and stood up to persuade him: "Your Majesty, please think twice!"

Xun Yu and other wise ministers also spoke out to dissuade them, and the rest of the court officials quickly followed in the footsteps of Zhao Yun, Xun Yu and others and echoed them.

"Since you gentlemen have spoken out to persuade me, let's just leave it at that." Liu Bian couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. It seemed that he had thought things were too simple. But was there no merit in it?

As soon as one wave subsides, another one rises.

When the court meeting was halfway through, the sudden news caught Liu Bian and the court officials off guard.

"Your Majesty, Liu Yan, the governor of Yizhou, has the emperor's robe hidden in his home. He is secretly planning to train his troops and travels in a six-horse carriage!"

"Is this true?"

"Your Majesty, we have all the evidence and witnesses, and have handed it over to the court."

All the ministers were silent. The imperial robe and the six-horse carriage were the most excessive form of usurpation and were a definite sign of treason.

If Yuan Shu proclaimed himself emperor openly, then Liu Yan proclaimed himself emperor secretly.

How long has it been since we sent away one fake emperor and welcomed another?
Liu Bian's face suddenly turned ugly. Just now he said that he would support the Han royal family. He never expected that Liu Yan, who was entrusted with an important task by the late emperor, was actually a traitor who coveted the throne!
Isn't this a slap in the face?
Fortunately, there were loyal ministers in the court who rejected my idea.

This is how you avoid making a big mistake!
A sense of relief emerged in Liu Bian's heart.

Now that the general is away, there are only a few people in the court who can lead the troops into battle.
Liu Bian looked at Zhao Yun.

Who knew that the usher continued, "Your Majesty, the loyal and righteous men of Yizhou have tied Liu Junlang to Chang'an and request to see Your Majesty!"

"what?"

Not only Liu Bian, but even the court officials were stunned. What was going on? Liu Junlang was planning a rebellion, and then they were told not to send troops. The officials of Yizhou tied Liu Junlang up? ! It turned out to be a false alarm? ! Aren’t the officials of Yizhou so loyal? Why didn’t they notice it before? !
Liu Bian struggled to stand up and urged the usher: "Quick, quick, quick, summon the righteous men!"

"promise."

The usher left in a hurry, and came back in a hurry after a while, but this time there were two figures behind him.

One was a young man who was eight feet tall. He was tall and strong, with a heroic appearance, a resolute expression, and was quite heroic in his every move.

The other was Liu Yan, whose hands were tied. At the moment, Liu Yan was in a bad state, his eyes were dull and lifeless, his face was full of sorrow, and he kept muttering, "Where is the Yizhou Emperor's aura that you promised me?"

"I can understand why the people of Yizhou disobey me. Why did even Wu Yi rebel?"

Liu Yan's face showed pain, and his thoughts went back to dozens of days ago.

成都
Liu Yan moved the government seat to Chengdu with great enthusiasm. He sat in the main seat in the hall of the Chengdu government office and kept bragging about his achievements to Liu Zhang.

"Zhang'er! Your father has fought all over the country and wiped out the bandits entrenched in Yizhou! All the powerful people in Yizhou are convinced by your father!"

"Now the treasury is full. When the weather changes, you and I will definitely make a difference!"

"No wonder Dong Maoan said Yizhou has the aura of an emperor!"

Liu Zhang's face suddenly changed, "Father, is it really okay to say this? If someone hears it..."

"Haha, Zhang'er, why are you afraid of this?" Liu Yan waved his hand nonchalantly, "The person who leads the provincial guards is Yan Yan Yan Xibo, I promoted him and he is loyal to me. Would he betray me? Impossible, absolutely impossible!" "Right." Liu Yan sat up straight. He thought of something, "Zhang'er, by the way, why haven't you seen Mao An recently?"

Liu Zhang thought for a moment and replied, "Father, Mr. Dong has been giving lectures to Du Qiong and Zhou Shu recently, so I guess he can't get away."

"I see." Liu Yan didn't care. What could go wrong with a teacher lecturing a student? Of course, there was something else that made him pay more attention. "Zhang'er, do you know what day it is today?"

"I don't know, please tell me clearly, father."

"It's the day when Ziyuan returns to report on his work! Ziyuan is truly extraordinary, having actually overthrown Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. One's own sons and nephews are more reassuring than others!"

"It turns out to be Brother Ziyuan!"

"But there is one more thing."

"What's the matter?"

"It's to find a marriage for Zhang'er!"

"Whose girl is this?"

"Of course it's Ziyuan's sister!" Liu Yan planned his blueprint, "Zhang'er will marry Ziyuan's sister as his principal wife, and Ziyuan will take charge of the troops in Hanzhong. In the future, you two brothers will support each other, which is great!"

"I am willing to follow my father's arrangements."

Liu Yan nodded with satisfaction. He had heard from a fortune teller that Wu Yi's sister had a face that would make her rich and powerful. Wu Yi's previous actions did not dissuade him from thinking about this. Of course, his original plan was not to let Liu Zhang marry Wu Yi's sister. He planned to let his third son marry her. Unfortunately, when the third son was trying to quell the banditry in Yizhou, he accidentally fell off a cliff and lost his life.

Liu Yan couldn't help but sigh, thinking that his third son didn't have this blessing, so he could only let his youngest son Liu Zhang come.

It just so happened that Wu Yi showed his talent. Perhaps this is the profound meaning of heaven and earth.

As Liu Yan was thinking, he suddenly felt a little tired. He waved his hands towards Liu Zhang and said, "Zhang'er, get ready to welcome Ziyuan. I am tired and need to take a rest first."

"promise."

Liu Zhang left the hall.

However, not long after Liu Yan closed his eyes, he heard a lot of noise outside, which was really annoying and dispelled his sleepiness.

Just as he was about to call the guards to reprimand them, he heard Liu Zhang's scream, "Brother Ziyuan, what are you waiting for?"

Ziyuan? ! !

Liu Yan was shocked, and his sleepiness completely disappeared.

What on earth happened?!
Liu Yan suddenly became anxious and rushed out of the house with big strides.

Suddenly, a ring-handled sword poked out from the gate and blocked Liu Yan's way. "Envoy, why are you so anxious?"

"!" When Liu Yan saw the man's face clearly, his face turned pale and he thought to himself that something was wrong. However, he still pretended to be calm and said, "Xiber, get out of my way!"

Yan Yan sneered, "Get out of the way? I'm afraid you can't leave here today."

"What do you mean?"

Liu Yan saw that Yan Yan's eyes pointed at something, so he followed Yan Yan's gaze. The calmness on his face could no longer be maintained, and was instantly destroyed by the object in front of him!
He widened his eyes in disbelief, and saw that all gathered in the courtyard were his trusted and capable ministers, and next to these ministers were imperial robes and carriages, which were pulled by six horses!

It is self-evident what these capable ministers want to do when they take out his imperial robe and carriage!

If these things were reported to the court, it would be the end of us!

To go to Chang'an, Hanzhong is the only way.

He now only hoped that Liu Zhang was referring to someone else as Wu Ziyuan!
However, the person standing in the center of the crowd was none other than Wu Yi and Wu Ziyuan!
"No, it's impossible!" Liu Yan made a hoarse and desperate sound in his throat. He raised his trembling arm and pointed at Wu Yi, "Wu Ziyuan, why did you betray me?"

Wu Yi sighed and said seriously, "Envoy Liu, it was not me who betrayed you, it was you who betrayed the Han Dynasty."

what?
Liu Yan was dumbfounded. Wu Yi was a loyal minister to the Han Dynasty? All his trusted and capable ministers were loyal ministers to the Han Dynasty? He was just a traitor? This was ridiculous!
What is the aura of the emperor of Yizhou? Is this the aura of the emperor of little Liu Bian? !
The young man bowed to Liu Bian, "Your Majesty! Wu Yi and Wu Ziyuan pay their respects to Your Majesty!"

"Please stand up, Mr. Wu!" Liu Bian understood, thinking that this man was the loyal and righteous man who captured Liu Yan. Liu Yan was the governor of Yizhou, and the military and political affairs of Yizhou were all in the hands of Liu Yan. In addition, Yizhou was surrounded by mountains and rivers. It must have been quite difficult to capture Liu Yan alive in Yizhou, so such a righteous man should be respected.

Liu Bian waved his hand and ordered someone to bring a chair to Wu Yi. Wu Yi thanked Liu Bian and said, "Thank you very much, Your Majesty," and then sat on the chair.

Liu Bian looked at Liu Yan with a scrutinizing gaze. He said in a cold voice: "Liu Junlang, you are paid by the emperor, but you actually did such a ridiculous thing. What else do you have to say?"

"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I feel ashamed towards the late emperor. I have nothing to say." Liu Yan replied dejectedly. There was no point in making amends now.

Looking at Liu Yan's distraught appearance, Liu Bian really couldn't bear to sentence Liu Yan to death, but he felt uncomfortable in his heart to directly declare Liu Yan not guilty in front of the court officials.

After thinking for a while, Liu Bian finally made a decision. He called the court judge and ordered him to deprive Liu Yan, the governor of Yizhou, of his official position and put him in jail.

As Liu Yan was dragged away by the court officials, Liu Bian and the court officials focused their attention on Wu Yi.

Facing the attention of these people standing at the top of the Han Dynasty, Wu Yi was not at all nervous, but talked freely.

He described how he captured Liu Yan. In a nutshell, he controlled the Hanzhong army while contacting loyal officials and righteous men in the state government.

As for the reasons that drove them to act this way.
Wu Yi said with a face full of reverence: "It is because Your Majesty has appointed wise officials and promoted justice in the world. We sincerely want to follow him and do not want to associate with evil villains."

"Good, good, good!" Liu Bian had never heard such pleasant words before. Even though he knew in his heart that he had to rely on Liu Bei and the wise ministers, he still smiled with joy and was filled with excitement.

He immediately waved his hand and said, "Wu Yishi has made great contributions. I want to reward Wu Yishi. After thinking about it, I think I should ask Wu Yishi what he wants."

"As long as it is a gift from the emperor, I will be filled with joy."

"Haha, just speak frankly. I will definitely not blame you!"

Wu Yi suddenly felt that the gazes directed at him became more eager. He didn't need to think too much to realize that someone among the court officials was jealous, after all, it was the emperor's promise.

If it were in the past, he would definitely seek a high-ranking official position.

However, ever since he had the dream in which the gods spoke to him, he had long since gotten rid of vulgar interests. Regardless of the fact that what Liu Bei did was what he thought a wise ruler should be like, just by saying that his sister would become the queen, he would not just focus on the so-called high-ranking officials.

Wu Yi, who had been prepared, pretended to be having a hard time deciding. After thinking for a moment, Wu Yi said, "Liu Junlang is a good friend of my father. Your Majesty, please spare Liu Junlang's life."

Liu Bian's face changed slightly. Is it not good to say this in public? He coughed a few times and forcibly changed the subject, "Mr. Wu, please change one."

Wu Yi thought about it seriously and said, "I have a younger sister who has admired heroes since she was young. She said General Wei is the best hero in the world. So I want Your Majesty to grant me a marriage and let my sister marry General Wei."

"." Liu Bian fell silent. Let the emperor's uncle marry your sister? You really dare to think so. The emperor's uncle has a legal wife. If I really agree to you, won't I be beaten by the emperor's uncle?
The ministers were silent. Was Wu Yi mentally ill? It was easy for him to plead for Liu Yan, but he actually wanted his sister to marry General Wei. This was ridiculous.

Zhao Yun and Chen Dao thought secretly: This sounds familiar, as if I have heard it somewhere before.

Liu Bian coughed a few times, and he decisively gave in, "Let's talk about the first one."

(End of this chapter)