Chapter 49 The whereabouts of the six seals and the jade seal are unknown, and the food crisis is alleviated!

"Your Majesty, the aftermath of the execution has been completed.

"The heads of Yuan Wei's entire family, Dong Zhuo's entire family, and the officers and soldiers of the Xiliang Army have been quickly processed and will be sent to the front line immediately to announce it to all the princes.

"After interrogating Zhou Bi and other officials, the Imperial Guards confirmed that they were behind the fires set by grain and salt merchants in the twelve districts of Luoyang, in an attempt to cause a famine in the capital.

"Just before I entered the palace, a reply from the Jinyiwei spy came from Mengjin Pass. After seeing the handwritten letter from Your Majesty and the seal of the prince, Lu Zhi came to his senses and bound himself to the capital to plead guilty.

"Wang Kuang, the governor of Henei, and Zhang Yang, the governor of Shangdang, knew that they had been deceived by Qiao Mao's forged imperial edict. After they learned that they were not coming to the emperor's defense to save him, but were committing treason and attacking the capital, they also tied themselves up and asked for forgiveness."

Zhuque rode into the palace at full speed to report on the aftermath of the execution and the results of their interrogation of Zhou Bi. By the way, he also received news from Xiaopingjin Pass and Mengjin Pass in the north of Luoyang.

In fact, Liu Bian was not surprised by Lu Zhi's reaction. This was an old minister who was loyal to the Han Dynasty, and this had been "proven" by the Yuan family and other aristocratic families.

When the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, the Northern General Lu Zhi suppressed the battlefield in Jizhou and beat the Yellow Turban leader Zhang Jiao into a corner. Later, he was framed and escorted back to the capital for interrogation. All of this is enough to show Lu Zhi's loyalty to the Han Dynasty.

Liu Bian said calmly: "I believe that Minister Lu is loyal to the emperor and loves the country. You can just obey the summons and come to the capital. There is no need to take such a serious action to apologize!"

"I will immediately send a message to the Jinyiwei spies on the front line to escort Minister Lu, Prefect Wang, and Prefect Zhang to the capital!"

Seeing Liu Bian's expression ease, Zhuque added: "Your Majesty, after the Jinyiwei tortured Zhou Bi and other officials, they did not get any information about the six seals of the emperor and the imperial seal. The Jinyiwei will retrieve the seals as soon as possible!"

Zhuque was very smart, reporting the good news first and then the bad news. Even if Liu Bian was angry, the good news would disperse a little and even out his anger.

After hearing this, Liu Bian frowned and said in a deep voice:

"Now that Yuan Wei's entire family has been executed, the Imperial Guards can spare some personnel to focus on the search for the seal.

The disappearance of the six imperial seals and the imperial seal is a matter of national importance. The Imperial Guards must find the whereabouts of the seals as soon as possible. Find them back at all costs!"

"I obey my orders!"

Suzaku breathed a sigh of relief.

Afterwards, Suzaku reported some more things and then retreated.

However, Liu Bian's brows were still furrowed.

The matter of executing Yuan Wei's entire family has come to an end for the time being, but the problem is that the influence created by Yuan's followers is still there, and the crisis in the capital still exists!

For example, if they burned grain and fodder, the capital, which already had an empty treasury, would be at risk of an imminent food crisis.

On the contrary, it is a problem of the princes besieging the capital. As long as the heads of criminals such as Yuan Wei and the Xiliang Army are sent to the front of the pass and the order is given, those princes who think they are "serving the king to save the emperor" will immediately wake up!
After the truth came out, they were deceived by Qiao Mao's forged imperial edict, and turning against their allies in the middle of a battle was the least they could do.

People like Liu Dai, the governor of Yanzhou, and Liu Bei, the magistrate of Pingyuan County, were all relatives of the Han royal family. They were fooled into counterattacking the capital, which was a heinous crime and conspiracy, and they had political stains. It would be strange if they didn't kill Yuan Shao and others!

It was just like Lu Zhi, Wang Kuang, Zhang Yang and others who attacked Mengjin Pass. After seeing Liu Bian's handwritten letter, because Lu Zhi recognized Liu Bian's handwriting, even if there was no seal of the six emperor seals and the imperial seal, they knew the truth and woke up!

Therefore, the danger of the princes besieging the capital is not as great as the food and grass crisis!
After thinking about it, Liu Bian still had no idea, so he could only say, "Zhengchun, summon Xun Yu, Xun You, and Cao Cao to the palace to meet him."

"Slave, you obey!"

Since the last debate between the emperor and his ministers in Deyang Palace, Liu Bian recognized the abilities of these pillars of the Han Dynasty and ministers who were capable of governing the country and saving the people, and he expressed his trust in them because of their high loyalty.

Xun Yu and Xun You have already transferred to the Secretariat to gain experience in government administration. This is a manifestation of Liu Bian's cultivation and support of his team.

Although these people are also children of aristocratic families, all the literate scholars in the Han Dynasty are children of aristocratic families. Even the children from poor families have complicated relationships with the aristocratic families.

If he wanted to support the children of commoners, he could only follow Emperor Ling's example and establish the "Hongdumen School". However, education takes ten years to grow a tree and a hundred years to cultivate a person, and it cannot be accomplished overnight. Liu Bian needed to do it step by step.

"Meet Your Majesty!!!"

Xun Yu, Xun You and others soon entered the palace to meet the emperor.

Compared with the last audience, everyone was more awed this time. From their tone, expressions, and even the way they bent their backs, it was not difficult to see that their awe of Liu Bian was even deeper!
There is no other reason——

Today, Yuan Wei's entire family was executed. If we add Dong Zhuo's entire family and the officers and soldiers of the Xiliang Army, there are more than a thousand people. If we count the small soldiers who are implicated, there are at least thousands, or even tens of thousands.

This is a big case!
Through this major case, Liu Bian's image as a king after he ascended the throne finally made everyone in the capital, from ministers and dignitaries to ordinary people, know that the authority of the Han emperor was unquestionable!

The capital was in turmoil as a result. People were frightened and uneasy under the majesty of the emperor, and their awe became more and more obvious.

Even Xun Yu, Xun You and others were deeply affected!
"No need to pay tribute."

Liu Bian naturally sensed the awe in their voices and sighed in his heart. Emperors have no friends, and being alone is their fate.

...

With emotion in his heart, Liu Bian informed the emperor about the "food crisis". Unlike the last discussion on the "fiscal deficit", they could start with tax reform, but the current "food crisis" is imminent!

With a population of millions and hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the capital, the people and horses could not survive more than three days due to lack of food.

Liu Bian wanted to see what unique opinions these talented people who were good at governing the country and saving the world had.

Especially Xun Yu, who is a talent who can assist the king. In the original history, Cao Cao commented on "my Zifang" and thought that Xun Yu was like Zhang Liang in the early Han Dynasty.

But in Liu Bian's opinion, Xun Yu's real talent lies in coordinating logistics. He can be called "Xiao He of the late Han Dynasty", or in other words, a comprehensive talent that combines Xiao He and Zhang Liang in one person!
The talent of a king's assistant!

...

After hearing this, Xun Yu, Xun You, Cao Cao and others also looked solemn. The capital's treasury was empty, there was a fiscal deficit, and there was a food crisis.

Now, with Yuan's interference and instigation of grain and salt merchants to burn grain and salt, it will be a fatal blow to the logistics and people's livelihood issues in the capital.

If it’s not handled properly, famine will definitely break out!

"Your Majesty, you can temporarily requisition grain and grass from nearby places. It is now the fourth day of September, and the autumn harvest season is approaching. Once the subsequent grain is escorted to the capital, the food crisis can be temporarily alleviated."

Xun Yu quickly came up with a solution.

The capital is now short of food and can only survive for a few days. Tax reform, farming and other methods are just far-flung solutions that cannot solve immediate problems. The only thing left is to requisition food and grass.

The practice of transporting grain to the capital began in the Han Dynasty, became popular in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and became a custom in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It refers to the tax grain transported from the southeast region to the capital by river and sea.

...

"What Wen Ruo said is very true."

Cao Cao also nodded:

"Your Majesty, now that Yuan Wei and the Xiliang army are dead, as long as their heads are sent to the front line, it will surely shock the princes and make them collapse without a fight. The siege of the capital can be lifted and the river roads will be unblocked!"

...

"Although the localities are resisting taxes now, Youzhou Governor Liu Yu, Yanzhou Governor Liu Dai, Jingzhou Governor Liu Biao and other Han royal relatives will definitely obey the king's orders as long as your majesty issues them."

Xun You also said.

...

In their view, the food crisis in the capital was not a big problem. Even though there were many local warlords and many ambitious people, there were still many Han royal relatives and loyal ministers who were loyal to the Han Dynasty.

The real problem affecting the capital is the transportation of food and fodder.

However, as long as the siege of the capital by the princes dissipated, the Haihe River water transport, the Yellow River water transport, and the Huaisi water network would be able to immediately requisition grain and grass from the Youji region and the Jiangnan region to the capital.

Not to mention, there are still taxes and grains to be paid later!
...

After hearing this, Liu Bian sighed, thought for a while and said:

"You are all my loyal ministers, and I will not hide it from you. Due to the turmoil in the capital, the six seals of the emperor and the imperial seal have been lost. Therefore, if we want to requisition food and grass, we lack the key evidence!"

...

"What?!!!"

Cao Cao, Xun Yu, Xun You and others were horrified!

These people are all talented people who can govern the country and help the people. Although they are still in their infancy and have not reached the peak of history, because of their backgrounds, they have been familiar with poetry, books and military strategies since childhood and are definitely pillars of society.

Their family background was extraordinary, and they were used to seeing many storms, so they were not shocked. But the loss of the six seals of the emperor and the imperial seal was a serious matter, even related to the Han Dynasty!
The credential of an army is the tiger talisman, which is used to dispatch troops. This is a token held by the king and the generals, each holding half. There is a famous story in the Warring States Period, "Stealing the talisman to save Zhao", which talks about the importance of the tiger talisman.

At that time, Qin State besieged Handan, the capital of Zhao State. Zhao State asked Wei State for help, but Wei State was afraid of Qin State and did not dare to send troops to rescue Zhao.

In a desperate situation, Lord Xinling Wei Wuji listened to Hou Ying's plan, put national interests first, disregarded his own life, and stole the military command through the hands of Wei King's concubine Ru Ji, thus seizing the military power of Wei.

Not only did it successfully defeat the Qin army and rescue the State of Zhao, but it also consolidated the position of the State of Wei at that time.

...

It can be seen that the "Tiger Tally" can be used to mobilize troops and generals, and even the army only recognizes the Tiger Tally!
As for the local governors, how can they confirm that the "Emperor's Edict" is real? ! Not a forgery? !
Just look at the stamps of "Six Seals of the Son of Heaven and Seal of the Realm" on the edict. The Seal of the Realm is not often used, while the Six Seals of the Son of Heaven have their own uses. Some are used to enfeoff states, to reward princes, to send troops, to summon ministers, and so on.

Without the seals of the six imperial seals and the imperial seal, who knows whether this edict is real or fake?! Is there someone impersonating or even plotting something bad?!
Not everyone is like Lu Zhi, who gave up resistance immediately after seeing and recognizing Liu Bian's handwriting!

If he is a traitor, he can just use the excuses of "forged handwriting" and lack of "seal certificate" to continue leading troops to confront and resist!

The six seals of the emperor and the imperial seal are the symbols of the authority of a country and a king!

Now, it’s lost!!!
...

"The one who first created the terracotta warriors was the Yuan family!" Liu Bian said coldly.

...

After hearing this, Cao Cao, Xun Yu, Xun You and others suddenly became serious. They finally understood and woke up with a sudden realization.

Why could Qiao Mao's "forged edict" call for an alliance among the princes of the world, and launch a heinous siege on the capital, with the high-sounding words of "clearing the emperor's side and punishing treacherous ministers"!
I'm afraid this is not a "fake edict" but a "real edict" because the seal on it is real!

Plus the response from the Yuan family - the Runan Yuan family, three officials in four generations, with students and former officials all over the world, their "echo" plus the "true edict", isn't it just a call to clear the emperor's side, punish treacherous officials, and quell the rebellion in accordance with the will of heaven? !

Among the princes who were summoned to purge the emperor, there must be Yuan's followers and those with ulterior motives. But there must also be loyal officials of the Han Dynasty who were kept in the dark, such as Liu Dai, the governor of Yanzhou. This relative of the Han Dynasty was fooled!
These princes who were kept in the dark still thought that they were "serving the king to save him", but they did not know that they were actually committing the "treasonous" "counterattack on the capital". They were traitors and conspirators!
...

"How can we requisition food and fodder without seals and certificates?" Liu Bian awakened them from their shock.

...

After thinking about it, Xun Yu could only say:

"Your Majesty, we don't have the imperial seal, so we can only send a special envoy. But I'm afraid that will arouse suspicion. And we have to transport food and grass along the way. There are checkpoints at every checkpoint, and without the imperial documents and seal, the thieves will take the opportunity to attack us.

"However, Liu He, the son of Liu Yu, the governor of Youzhou, was serving as a minister in the court.

"Given Liu Yu's loyalty to the emperor and his love for the country, as long as Your Majesty writes a letter with... the seal of the prince, as well as the certificate of Liu He, the legitimate son, I believe Liu Yu will allocate food and send troops to the capital!"

...

At this time Cao Cao added:
"Benchu... ahem, Yuan Shao is the governor of Bohai, and Han Fu, the governor of Jizhou, is a former official of the Yuan family. Many of the local officials in Jizhou have complicated relationships with the Yuan family.

“It is best not to transport grain and grass from Youzhou through Jizhou to avoid being robbed by Yuan Shao. Instead, you can go through Bingzhou, pass the eight passes of Taihang, and enter Henei to deliver them to the capital.

"Lü Bu and other generals of the Bingzhou army, Wang Shi (Wang Yun) of Bingzhou Taiyuan, and Zhang Yang, the governor of Shangdang, are all loyal and patriotic. Although Bingzhou is not as well-traveled as Jizhou, we should be prepared for the worst. Safety comes first!"

...

“As long as the heads of Yuan Wei and the Xiliang army are sent to the capital, the princes who have been kept in the dark will wake up. When the truth comes out, we can also order the princes to come to the capital to see the emperor and directly requisition food and grass from them.

"Yanzhou Governor Liu Dai is the closest to the capital, so we can immediately draw food and grass to help. We can even order Liu Dai to purchase food and grass from the surrounding Qingzhou, Xuzhou, Yuzhou and other places to alleviate the urgent need!"

Xun You also added:
“In fact, we can also send a special envoy to Jingzhou. The Han Dynasty has the most fertile land and abundant food and grass in the North China Plain of Jizhou and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Plain of Jingzhou. They are the places where the tax revenue is the highest.

"But Liu Biao has just taken office, and I don't know if he has already taken control of Jingzhou. Moreover, Yuan Shu is stationed in Nanyang, blocking the road from the capital to Jingzhou, so the transportation of food and grass is a bit troublesome."

...

Cao Cao added:
"Your Majesty, no matter what, the food crisis must be resolved, but the whereabouts of the Six Seals of the Emperor and the Imperial Seal must also be investigated. We must immediately recruit capable officials to investigate. We must not let the Six Seals of the Emperor and the Imperial Seal leave the capital!"

...

Xun Yu shook his head and said, "This matter cannot be made public and needs to be investigated secretly. If it is really impossible to do anything, we can only forge the six seals of the emperor in an emergency."

...

Liu Bian sighed in his heart, these people are indeed pillars of society. With their joint efforts, the far-reaching and vital "food crisis" problem was immediately solved.

Liu Bian nodded one by one, and finally said:
"I have ordered the Jinyiwei to saltpeter the heads of Yuan Wei and other criminals, and they can be sent to the front before dusk. I have also secretly ordered the Jinyiwei to investigate the whereabouts of the six seals of the emperor and the imperial seal. You don't have to worry!

"The most urgent task now is to immediately summon the Minister Liu He, take my imperial edict, and go to Youzhou to requisition food and grass. We also need to send special envoys to Jingzhou, Yanzhou, and even the three auxiliary areas of Chang'an.

"I believe that the Han Dynasty has more loyal ministers than traitors!"

...

"Your Majesty is wise!!!"

Cao Cao and others immediately shouted.

Today's meeting between the emperor and his ministers has made Cao Cao and others very excited.

Your Majesty was able to reveal the disappearance of the six imperial seals and the imperial seal. This important matter concerning the state system was told to them, which shows the trust you have in them!
The most important thing for a minister is to win the trust of the king!
...

After they left, they immediately assisted Si Tu Wang Yun in handling these matters. Wang Yun obviously knew that Liu Bian was training Xun Yu and others, so as the Recorder of the Secretariat, he gradually delegated power to these people.

Wang Yun deeply understood that as a subject, one should not be greedy for power. He should accept the talents that His Majesty gives him, and decisively give up those that His Majesty does not give him.

Moreover, sometimes delegating power is a step further, isn’t it?

...

Driven by these pillars of talent, important military and political tasks were immediately carried out.

The imperial attendant Liu He was flattered when he was summoned by the emperor. After learning about the important task entrusted to him by the emperor, he patted his chest and promised that he would definitely fulfill the mission!
Liu Bian still trusted Liu Yu and Liu He very much, not only because they were relatives of the Han royal family, but also because the father and son were truly loyal to the emperor and patriotic, or they were truly loyal to the Han Dynasty.

In the original history, Yuan Shao once wanted to support Liu Yu as emperor to fight against Liu Xie, who was deposed by Dong Zhuo. Liu Yu gave up the throne that everyone dreamed of without even thinking about it!
It’s not that Liu Yu was hypocritical, nor was it that Liu Yu knew that Yuan Shao was difficult to control, but that he truly loved the people like his own children and loved the Han Dynasty, and was a true loyal minister of the Han Dynasty!
It is believed that after Liu Yu received Liu Bian's handwritten edict, Prince Bian's seal, and Liu Yu's son Liu He, the special envoy, Liu Yu would requisition food and fodder and send troops to escort them to the capital.

Youzhou was long and difficult to reach the capital, so Liu Bian did not hold a banquet to entertain him. He personally escorted Liu He out of the palace gate, and then had the Jinyiwei personally escort him to Youzhou.

...

In addition to special envoy Liu He, there were many other special envoys who were sent out of the capital to various places to collect food and fodder.

at the same time.

The Jinyiwei rode at full speed to saltpeter the heads of Yuan Wei and others.

There were thousands of human heads, and the process of making saltpeter was extremely complicated. However, under constant urging, they still completed the work of making saltpeter around the beginning of the You hour, around five in the evening.

From the noon hour when Yuan Wei and others were executed to the beginning of the evening hour, it took only five hours, but they completed the task and mobilized almost all the saltpeter craftsmen in the capital.

Don't underestimate nitrate production, it is an anti-corrosion work that has always required high technical content.

If a human head is not treated with saltpeter, it will quickly rot, stink, and breed maggots. Not to mention that it is early September, the summer and autumn season, and the weather is hot, it may rot overnight.

This cannot preserve the head for a long time, and the true appearance of the head cannot be recognized. Naturally, Liu Bian’s goal of intimidating the princes could not be achieved.

Therefore, nitrate production is of vital importance!
After the Jinyiwei supervised the saltpeter craftsmen to complete the production of human head saltpeter, they reported to Liu Bian, and then supervised the soldiers to send them to the front line without stopping and at full speed.

To be honest, the Jinyiwei worked hard and without sleep, and they have made great contributions.

Liu Bian had been seeing this all along, which is why he did not blame anyone when the Jinyiwei had not found the six seals of the emperor and the imperial seal to date.

But Liu Bian also felt that the Jinyiwei was short-staffed, and the same was true for the Dongchang.

After this incident, we must immediately expand our staff. This tight situation is not conducive to long-term development.

Even the six seals of the emperor and the imperial seal, such crucial certificates, could be lost and could not be found again. Liu Bian just felt it was ironic!
……

(End of this chapter)