I run a training class in Shu Han

Chapter 19 The Southern Rebellion Begins

Throughout history, the implementation of new policies has often been accompanied by bloodshed within the regime.

Under the Han regime beset by internal and external troubles, it remains to be seen whether this new policy, which directly impacts the aristocratic clans, will ultimately bring more benefits than harms, or vice versa.

"Your Majesty, I am well aware that Yizhou is currently plagued by long-standing problems that are unlikely to be eradicated in a short period of time. Moreover, Cao Pi and Sun Quan are eyeing us covetously, and if the country becomes unstable due to the new policies, they will surely take advantage of the situation to invade."

Li Yan's words make some sense, but we are currently in a rare period of peace.

"Now that the tripartite division of the world has been established, Yizhou, with its limited territory and weak national strength, should be mindful of potential dangers even in times of peace and take the initiative to complete the new policies."

"Yizhou is a remote and easily defensible region. I have decided to form an alliance with Eastern Wu to jointly resist Cao Cao, thereby creating a balance of power and paving the way for peaceful conditions for the implementation of the new policies."

"If Cao Wei and Eastern Wu are allowed to complete the new policies first, we will be like fish on a chopping board, at their mercy."

The group remained calm after hearing this; they did not feel any sense of crisis.

"Your Majesty is overthinking it. Yizhou is surrounded by mountains on all sides, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. We only need to send elite troops and strong generals to guard the passes, and even a million-strong army will not be able to get in."

Can't get in?

Then how did my cheap old man manage to get in?

If Yizhou does not strengthen itself and develop, given the strength of Cao Wei and Eastern Wu, they will eventually invade.

Moreover, what they fear most is not external enemies, but internal strife.

The Yizhou faction is inherently opportunistic.

When the enemy army besieges the city, they will be the ones who jump out to persuade the city to surrender.

This was the case when Liu Zhang was alive.

Liu Shan did not want to repeat their mistakes, which led to his eventual annexation after he had only managed to maintain a small, isolated territory.

"When Emperor Taizu Liu Bang was enfeoffed as the King of Han, if he had not worked diligently to govern, how could there be our great Han Dynasty? Our ancestors have already proved with facts that unifying the Central Plains with Yizhou as the base was not a fantasy."

"Are we, the descendants, incapable of even copying the answers of our ancestors?"

Liu Shan's question left everyone speechless.

When Xiang Yu enfeoffed various kings, he drove Liu Bang to the remote Shu region and even enfeoffed several kings on the outskirts of Shu, intending to besiege him forever.

However, Liu Bang grew stronger in just a few years, using the strategy of "openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass" to sweep away the feudal lords.

He achieved a decisive victory in the final battle against Xiang Yu, laying the foundation for the Han Dynasty's four-hundred-year reign.

At this moment, Zhuge Liang stepped forward and bowed to Liu Shan.

"Gentlemen, according to reliable sources, Cao Pi is preparing to rectify official corruption, establish military farms, and raise troops. Given time, he will surely be able to gather a million men and set his sights on the world."

"Under Sun Quan's management, Eastern Wu was internally stable and externally expanded its military. Relying on the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, it resisted Cao Wei and should not be underestimated."

"If Yizhou wants to survive, it has no choice but to change. Your Majesty's words about racing against time resonate deeply with me."

The emperor and his ministers sang in unison, leaving everyone speechless and unable to refute their claims.

In the midst of the silence, Qiao Zhou rose and bowed.

"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Zhuge's concerns are not without merit. However, the scope of the new policies and the scale of the mobilization required are so vast that I fear the court may not be able to support them."

As a native of Yizhou, Qiao Zhou naturally had to care about the interests of his faction.

In his view, while the new policy was beneficial to them, it also had a serious problem.

Where does the money come from?

The implementation of such a large-scale new policy required substantial financial and material support.

The Battle of Yiling depleted the national treasury. If the court wanted to raise funds and provisions, it would inevitably have to take them from the powerful clans of Yizhou. This was tantamount to drinking the blood of the Yizhou people.

Li Yan nodded in agreement.

He had previously requested increased military spending and reinforcement of city defenses at a court meeting, but Zhuge Liang rejected his request with a simple "no money."

Since there is no money, the new policy cannot be implemented smoothly.

"Rest assured, gentlemen, I have made proper arrangements to keep the budget to a minimum and ensure that the new policies are implemented in an orderly manner."

Yang Hong presented the document for everyone to read.

The plan outlined in the document begins with troop reductions and cuts in military spending.

The so-called disarmament is to remove the old, weak and disabled soldiers and let them retire.

However, the prerequisite is to form an alliance with Sun Quan and eliminate the threats and hidden dangers in the east.

Then came a purge of the civil service system.

Those unnecessary positions, or redundant staff who are simply occupying positions without performing their duties, should be removed from the scope of authority, and expenses should be reduced.

With these two combined measures, the imperial court can save a lot of money each year.

Finally, there is the training and evaluation of officials.

Because it involves a wide range of issues, it will not be rolled out across the board, but rather the learning and assessment will be conducted at each level.

First, those with higher official ranks would undergo training, and then their positions would be temporarily filled by their deputies, or second-in-commands.

After completing the assessment, the second-in-command enters the learning phase, while the third-in-command temporarily assumes the duties of the second-in-command, and so on.

Although the process takes a relatively long time, the costs will not suddenly skyrocket, and it will ensure that each county and district can operate normally.

The same applies to the military.

Following Yang Hong's suggestion would indeed save a lot of money and grain, but for Yizhou at present, it is still on the verge of being threatened.

"Your Majesty, although Prefect Yang's plan can reduce the national treasury's expenditure, the national treasury itself does not have much money and grain. Next year, we still need to build water conservancy projects and produce agricultural tools to restore production, which can barely sustain us. Once there is a natural disaster or war, the court will not be able to spare a single grain of food."

It was Qin Mi who spoke.

Although Qin Mi was a libationer, he was very knowledgeable and once strongly advised Liu Bei to attack Sun Quan, which led to his imprisonment.

He was later released on ransom and reinstated to his original position after Liu Shan ascended the throne. Zhuge Liang kept him in Chengdu, where he was put to great use.

After a moment's thought, Liu Shan said, "Since the finances are tight, I will take the lead in reducing the expenditures on the palace, and my ministers will follow suit. This will save the country a lot of money."

A hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the assembled officials.

While it was not unprecedented for an emperor to lead the way in reducing his own food, clothing, and daily necessities, the fact that this came from the mouth of a 17-year-old emperor was quite surprising to everyone present.

Zhuge Liang also cast a look of satisfaction and approval upon him.

After he established his own government, he did indeed intend to reduce the expenditures of the palace in order to reduce the national treasury.

Before he could even bring it up, Liu Shan had already done so, demonstrating his unwavering determination to implement the new policies.

Liu Shan's decision left the ministers present at a loss for words, and they all whispered among themselves, discussing what to do.

After all, once a new policy is implemented, there is no turning back.

Just then, a messenger rushed in to report.

"Your Majesty, there is an urgent military situation in Yizhou Commandery."

The sudden military report surprised everyone present.

"read!"

Liu Shan remained calm and composed, instructing the messenger general to read the message aloud.

"Yong Kai of Yizhou Commandery, together with Zhu Bao, the governor of Zangke, and Gao Ding, the king of Yuexi, decided to rebel against the imperial court."

What?

The courtiers inside the hall were in uproar.

Li Yan suddenly stood up and demanded in a low voice, "Where is this letter written in my own handwriting?"

"Reporting to Protector Li, Prefect Zhang Yi sent a letter to the prefecture ahead of him on his way to Yizhou Commandery. But Yong Kai only replied with one sentence."

"What did you say?" Li asked sternly.

"I have heard that there cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two rulers in a country. Today, the world is divided into three powers, and three calendars are in use. This has caused great confusion among people in remote areas, who do not know which side to follow."

"How dare you!"

Li Yan roared angrily and immediately went to Liu Shan to ask for permission.

"Your Majesty, Yong Kai is arrogant and disrespectful to the emperor. I request permission to lead an expedition to punish him and capture his head alive, which will then be presented to Your Majesty."

Li Yan has three reasons for sending troops at this time.

First, Yong Kai was arrogant and ignored his own advice, which was a self-inflicted slap in the face.

Secondly, he could lead his troops into battle, thereby gaining control of some military power and increasing his prestige.

Third, the implementation of the new policy was delayed.

Sending troops means that the country has to mobilize its troops, money, and supplies, and the national treasury will not be able to support the expenditures of the new policy.

But Liu Shan waved his hand gently and said, "Protector Li, there's no need to rush."

Li Yan didn't care about any of that; he would seize any opportunity.

"Your Majesty, if the three southern prefectures rise up in rebellion, they will surely receive secret support from Eastern Wu. At that time, Eastern Wu will seize the opportunity to send troops to attack from both inside and outside, and Yizhou will be in grave danger."

"This humble general requests permission to immediately proceed to quell the rebellion, lest further complications arise."

Liu Shan replied calmly, "Governor-General Li, I said there's no rush."

His tone was calm, clearly indicating that he did not take Yong Kai's rebellion to heart, and instead appeared to be in complete control.

"Where is Zhang Yi now?" Liu Shan asked.

"Upon learning of this, Prefect Zhang immediately rushed to the prefectural office to assume his post, hoping to catch Yong Kai off guard."

Qiao Zhou slapped his thigh after hearing this.

"How foolish you are! Since Yong Kai dares to openly rebel, he must be fearless and reckless. Your son's journey there will surely be more danger than good."

Just as everyone was anxious, a secret agent from the Prime Minister's residence came to report.

"A secret message from Nanzhong, delivered to the emperor."

"Read it!" Liu Shan said.

"A secret report states that Yong Kai has incited the local people and barbarians to secretly capture Prefect Zhang Yi and send him to Eastern Wu as a sign of surrender."

This time, the officials in the side hall could no longer sit still.

The rebellion in the south is developing in the most chaotic direction.