ushernet Chapter 253 Xun You's Taboo Words
Chapter 253 Xun You's Taboo Words
Chapter 253 Xun You's Taboo Words
After Yang Biao, Huangfu Song, Xun You and others left, only Liu Bian and Xun Yu were left in the huge back hall.
Liu Bian smiled widely, got up from his chair, and said with a smile: "Xun Qing, please sit down."
When Xun Yu saw Liu Bian's smile, he felt inexplicably alert, but his expression remained unchanged. He raised his hand to greet him, and after Liu Bian sat down, he sat down opposite him.
Liu Bian picked up the teapot, poured a cup for Xun Yu, and said casually: "You have helped me get out of this situation. Without your words, I would not have been able to come down from this situation."
What he meant was the matter of "dividing the land". If Xun Yu did not respond and others objected, Liu Bian would have to spend a lot of effort to convince others.
Xun Yu took the teacup respectfully and said, "Your Majesty's wise move will not be opposed by other colleagues."
Liu Bian's smile did not fade, and he said, "You are only in your early thirties, and you are working so hard. I really can't bear it."
Xun Yu's face was already a little old, and in the past two or three years, he looked even older.
Xun Yu bowed and said, "It is not the government's fault, it is all my own fault."
Seeing that Xun Yu was unusually respectful and talked more than usual, Liu Bian knew that he had guessed it. He drank a sip of tea, organized his words in his mind, and said, "Do you really think that other families will not object?"
Liu Bian understood what Xun Yu meant and looked thoughtful.
He raised his hand, his eyes solemn, and said, "Your Majesty, if Cao Cao's actions were not approved by the Grand Marshal's Mansion and Your Majesty, it would be unauthorized mobilization of troops and deceiving the emperor, which is an unpardonable crime. Your Majesty must not condone it!"
Xun Yu also had reservations and instead mentioned some sensitive matters.
Xun Yu was silent for a while when he saw this, and then said, "Then, how about Luoyang Prefecture take charge of Sili?"
As the saying goes, 'It's hard for a poor family to produce a noble son', let alone the common people.
"The number five to five?"
Lu Yu said: "There is no news, but every now and then, Yizhou will submit a letter to the court."
Guan Yu wanted to be transferred back to Hanzhong more than once to accompany his good brother Liu Bei.
Xun You looked at Zhong Yao but didn't understand, so he asked, "You mean His Majesty might increase taxes?"
The 'beloved minister' here refers to Cao Cao; 'no distinction between lord and concubine' refers to Liu Bian's refusal to appoint a crown prince; 'brother' refers to Liu Xie; should the 'treacherous minister' refer to Dong Zhuo or Cao Cao?
Xun Yu looked at Liu Bian and said sternly, "Your Majesty, if you love your ministers too much, you will endanger your own life; if your ministers are too noble, the lord will be replaced; if the lord and his concubines are not equal, the legitimate son will be endangered; if the brothers are not obedient, the country will be endangered. If treacherous ministers proliferate, the lord's way will decline..."
Zhong Yao vaguely thought of it, and calmly pointed out: "Summer grain has not increased but decreased, the treasury is in deficit, and the debts are due, totaling 300 million, but Your Majesty did not mention it at all."
Liu Bian muttered to himself, and then said: "Send a message to the Grand Marshal's Mansion. First, transfer Huang Zhong to Yanzhou to replace Xu Rong. Xu Rong will lead 10,000 soldiers to station in Langya County to supervise military affairs. Cao Cao will supervise the affairs of Yingchuan, Runan, and Chenguo. Then send a message to the Shangshutai and order him to give orders to Sun Jian, Wu Jing and others, ordering them to recommend the governor of Yangzhou."
Liu Bian stared at him for a long time before he sat back down, reached out to pick up the teacup and took a sip, then said with a smile: "This year we have to pay back a debt of 100 million, and there is still a deficit of 200 million. What do you think?"
"I obey your command." Xun Yu raised his hand and said when he saw Liu Bian agreed.
"It's time to make some preparations..."
Lu Yu knew that Liu Bian's words had a hidden meaning, so he bowed and dared not say more.
Seeing this, Lu Yu hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, there is news from Langya County that the mother of the prefect Zhao Yu is ill, and he requested to return home to take care of her."
Zhong Yao said, "I'm not worried about this, but that Your Majesty seems to have a plan in mind and seems to be planning something else."
After thinking for a while, Liu Bian looked at Lu Yu and said, "How is the Hongdu School doing now? Are there any talented people?"
Xun Yu's expression suddenly became serious. He sat up straight and raised his hand, saying, "Your Majesty, you must contain Dong Zhuo and never start another war!"
Liu Bian raised his hand, made a knife-holding gesture, and said, "There are many ways to eat tofu. One of them is to eat it piece by piece. If you eat too much at once, you will easily burn your mouth and upset your stomach."
Xuzhou is now divided into three parts. The northernmost Langya County is in the hands of the imperial court, the southernmost Guangling County is in the hands of Sun Jian, and the middle one is in the hands of Lu Bu.
Xun Yu pretended not to hear and said, "Sili, do you want to set up another Sili captain?"
For example, since Liu Bian ascended the throne, the imperial court could not provide a penny of money or food for the expeditions to various places, and all the funds had to be raised by the generals, governors, and county magistrates themselves.
Xun You and Zhong Yao were either openly or secretly opposed to the "division of land". As the largest party in the court and the leaders of the "Yingchuan Party", their ideas were almost the same as the attitudes of the court and the public.
Zhang Wen, a man similar to the so-called "Three Heroes of the Late Han Dynasty", made great contributions in suppressing the Yellow Turban Army and fighting against the Qiang rebellion, and once served as the Grand Marshal.
Xun Yu had been in the court for several years and had spent more time with Liu Bian. He came to understand this emperor and his habit of avoiding questions by drinking tea.
Xun You said with a sullen face, "We need someone with enough weight to go and explain things to Dong Zhuo."
Xun Yu stood up and walked out. Lu Yu happened to come in from outside and quickly turned sideways to greet Xun Yu.
"Please submit your copy of the document to the emperor." Liu Bian said calmly.
Xun Yu saw that Liu Bian was indifferent, and he felt helpless. He could only raise his hand and said, "I accept your order and leave."
However, Liu Bian smiled slightly and said, "Qingjia, have you ever eaten tofu?"
The entire Sili is now directly governed by the Shangshutai. If we want to promote "land division", the Shangshutai cannot step in and the local authorities are required to carry it out.
Liu Bian looked outside the door, his eyes flickering slightly.
"After all, they are all from aristocratic families..."
Xun Yu looked thoughtful and said, "It should be fifty-fifty."
Xun Yu was slightly startled, but soon calmed down and said, "I don't know."
On the other side, Xun You and Zhong Yao left the palace earlier and returned to the Ministry of Personnel.
Liu Bian hummed, thought about it carefully, and pretended to say: "Although I have hinted many times, I have not said it explicitly. I believe they will not think too much about it."
So much so that Xun Yu said these words.
Yang Biao's attitude has always been ambiguous. He would only move when Liu Bian whipped him. Normally, he would just say "I know everything" to anyone and never express his opinion.
Sili is a special place. Its implementation has always been good, but there are also many residual problems.
Liu Bian nodded and sighed in his heart.
Liu Bian shook his head and said, "No."
Three or four years passed, and the court not only had no money, but also had a huge deficit.
Xun Yu's words expressed his attitude, but then stopped abruptly.
Xun You was startled, then reacted and said, "Your Majesty is unwilling to speak frankly, is it something serious?"
Liu Bian drank a sip of tea and said with a smile: "After all, he is a general who has the power to act at his own discretion. I am afraid that the court and the public will not accept it if I use this reason to deal with him. Let me issue an edict to reprimand him. As for Dong Zhuo you mentioned, I will discuss it with the Grand Marshal. You should still use your energy on the 'New Deal'."
Lu Yu bowed his head and dared not say much.
Liu Bian blinked his eyes. What he was thinking was that according to the court's order, the task could be completed piece by piece from north to south. However, Xun Yu's method seemed better and more appropriate.
Dong Zhuo, Sun Jian and others were once his subordinates!
Liu Bian put the memorial aside, smiled at Lu Yu, and said, "Have you noticed that people in Luoyang and outside Luoyang have their own ideas?"
"Take your time." Liu Bian said.
With just a few words, Xun Yu made clear the most important and also the most taboo thing at the moment.
Zhong Yao immediately understood and said thoughtfully: "That's a solution, I think, Fu Zhongcheng."
Xun You frowned and said, "If Cao Cao is not punished, how will the court suppress Dong Zhuo's rebellion? The state treasury cannot afford any more trouble."
Lu Yu bowed, his face was pale but quite calm. After recalling for a while, he said, "Your Majesty, no, in all the previous major examinations, less than one-twentieth of the students admitted to Hongdu School were admitted."
Zhong Yao, who was always serious, said, "From your Majesty's light words, it seems that you will not punish Cao Cao."
The previous governor of Yangzhou was Liu Biao, who was stabbed to death in public by his adopted son Lu Bu.
"What do you mean?" Zhong Yao asked.
Liu Bian shook his head and said, "It would be good if we could achieve even a little success. Do you think this can be accomplished?"
"Taxes are low, expenditures are high,"
After thinking for a long time, Liu Bian nodded and said, "Okay, but the troops of Sili will be directly under the jurisdiction of the Grand Marshal's Office. The commanderies of counties and prefectures will be under the command of the Military Department."
This kind of consumption is simply unimaginable!
As for Liu Bian, even if he tried to restore some vitality with the so-called "New Deal", judging from the current situation, it was not only unhelpful, but also a burden.
It was obvious that Xun Yu did not speak these words casually. Perhaps he had already written the memorial but had not submitted it yet. Now he took the opportunity to blurt it out.
Raising taxes is the most common thing the last dynasties of history have done, but it is also a death warrant. No one will do it unless it is absolutely necessary.
Since Liu Bian ascended the throne, no, it should be said that since the Qiang rebellion, the court's expenditure has been increasing day by day, and then to the Yellow Turban Rebellion and up to now, the Han Dynasty has been fighting almost non-stop for nearly fifty years!
Liu Bian snorted and said, "Are you reluctant to die, or are you reluctant to give up the foundation of Yizhou?"
Xun You felt relieved and said, "I will go and talk to him in person."
The content of Zuo Li's memorial was simple. He bluntly said that Guan Yu, who was stationed in Yingchuan, was very strict with his subordinates, was supported by officials and people, had good command of the army, and missed his brother very much.
Xun You nodded and suddenly said, "Got it, Zhang Wen!"
Liu Bian picked up the teacup and drank a sip of tea, then asked, "How is Liu Yan's condition?"
Xun You looked worried and asked, "Yuan Chang, what do you think of what happened today?"
Zhong Yao thought about the officials of all ranks in the court and said, "It is best if they do not hold an official position, but have a status."
Liu Yan's rebellious intentions had long been obvious. In Yizhou, he was not only a local emperor, but he also used the emperor's utensils!
……
With rigid classes, scarce resources, and fierce competition, the common people's way out has been basically blocked.
In general, the Han Dynasty was not stable enough and its policies were not implemented thoroughly enough.
There is no need to point out the differences between smart people, as their minds are as clear as mirrors.
After Xun Yu left, Lu Yu came in, bowed, and held up a memorial, saying, "Your Majesty, the noble lady Zuo has arrived in Yingchuan."
Liu Bian raised his eyebrows and couldn't help but sigh: "What a good brother..."
Liu Bian knew Xun Yu’s concerns, which were also his concerns.
Soon after Liu Bian ascended the throne, he had been promoting the "separation of military and politics", aiming to deprive local officials of their military power in order to curb the emergence of local princes.
Liu Bian nodded, took it, opened it and looked at it.
Xun You said: "This matter cannot be done openly, so we need to do it secretly."
Xun Yu's slightly mature face twitched, and he said, "I don't know."
Liu Bian looked outside the door, and countless thoughts flashed through his mind in that short moment.
Xun Yu was a little confused and said, "I have eaten it."
Xun Yu was relieved when he saw that Liu Bian was not impatient. He put down his excessive tension and his mind gradually became sharper. He said, "Your Majesty, this matter needs to be kept secret. Just do it and don't talk about it."
Liu Bian narrowed his eyes suddenly and looked at Xun Yu deeply.
Xun Yu sat up straighter and said, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue has already made some arrangements. As for the debts, they can be repaid temporarily through the money houses and the debts can be transferred to the money houses. As for the deficits, the Ministry of Revenue can increase revenue and reduce expenditure. The northern states have just been settled, and although a lot of money is needed, the money houses, Shihou Paper, and the salt administration can all be passed on unimpeded. It is not difficult to collect 500 million before the end of the year."
"Dividing the land" is a very sensitive and even terrifying matter. Even though the northern states had long been shattered, the aristocratic families were already huge. If the court wanted to divide their land again, their backlash would easily destroy the Han Dynasty, which was running out of energy!
Xun Yu remained calm and raised his hand, saying, "I agree. The foundation of the country lies in the people, not the aristocratic families."
Liu Bian smiled and said, "The deficit in the national treasury will only get bigger. Now the situation in the south has changed suddenly, and your family must be more prepared."
Xun You was now a little irritated and worried, and his thoughts were not so clear. Seeing Zhong Yao change the subject, he said: "We must prepare early. Once Dong Zhuo openly rebels, we need to suppress him immediately and make a quick decision. We can't delay any longer."
Seeing that Xun You had not thought of this, Zhong Yao said, "Let's talk about Dong Zhuo."
Seeing Liu Bian coming straight to the point, Xun Yu's face turned serious, his eyes calm, and he said, "Your Majesty, more than 70% of the land in our Han Dynasty is in the hands of aristocratic families. If the court wants to divide it up, there will definitely be strong opposition from the court to the local areas. If you force it, I'm afraid there will be chaos in the world."
Liu Bian kept his posture, staring at him, and asked, "If he retires, who will replace him?"
There were rumors that Liu Yan was seriously ill and asked Liu Zhang to return to Yizhou, but after a year or two, he still did not die.
Xun You heard that it was Fu Wan, thought again and again, and said: "It's still not possible. It's too winking, and it makes the court look cowardly."
"That's him!" Zhong Yao said excitedly, "Besides Dong Zhuo, we can also go to Wujun."
Liu Bian looked at him, leaned over, and said in a low voice with a cold gaze: "I know your family's attitude. Xun You and Zhong Yao are against it. I also know that. What is the Prime Minister's attitude?"
Subconsciously picking up the teacup to hide his embarrassment, Liu Bian nodded after a moment and said, "Your family is right. This matter will be handled by your family, starting with Sili, dividing the unowned land first."
Zhong Yao also breathed a sigh of relief. If Dong Zhuo could be appeased, the pressure on the court would be greatly reduced, and in another three to five years, the court would be able to recover.
The reason why he was reluctant to give up the Inspector of the Imperial Capital was because the Inspector of the Imperial Capital had too much power. Yuan Shu was the Inspector of the Imperial Capital in the past, and he massacred more than 5,000 people in Luoyang City overnight!
This would shock anyone!
Liu Bian raised his eyebrows and couldn't help but sit down cross-legged to think carefully.
"Yes." Lu Yu responded.
Xun Yu was a very smart man, and he understood it immediately. He said, "Your Majesty means that we should not coordinate with the court, but advance from the local level in small steps, bit by bit, until a certain point, even if those aristocratic families react, it will be useless?"
For example, the Duwei of Zhisu, the Duwei of counties and prefectures, as well as the county governors and county magistrates, often had to hold multiple positions in order to deal with emergencies.
The aristocratic families are entrenched in every inch of the Han Dynasty, and the country cannot do without them. But if they are allowed to continue to gnaw at the enemy, the Han Dynasty will inevitably perish.
Zhong Yao shook his head and said, "Your Majesty has already refused."
Liu Bian picked up the teacup again and drank his tea.
Liu Bian smiled, looked directly at Xun Yu, and said, "Then...what is your family's attitude?"
Xun You looked at Zhong Yao and said, "The only one left is Cao Cao."
Zhong Yao subconsciously frowned and said, "Your Majesty's intention to protect me is very obvious, so let's not move for now."
Xun You said, "How can we tolerate Cao Cao's audacity? Has he ever followed the rules since he started his career? If we continue to tolerate him like this, is there anything he won't dare to do?"