Chương 166: Liangzhou has rebelled yet again.

Sunlight shines on the paddy fields, reflecting shimmering waves and the busy figures of the displaced people.

Standing on the edge of the field, looking at this hopeful scene, Liu Ce felt incredibly relieved.

"Finally, this feels a bit like a farming novel."

He muttered to himself, "Fighting and killing are so boring, farming and developing is the way to go."

He had even begun to imagine: when the autumn harvest came, the golden rice ears would be heavy with grain, potatoes and sweet potatoes would be piled up like mountains, and the people would be smiling from ear to ear as they held the grain. How beautiful that scene would be!

This is what time travelers should do—farm, develop their skills, survive, and then go out to clean up the mess when the world descends into chaos.

A few days later, at the Liu residence in Zhuo County.

Liu Ce was enjoying a rare moment of leisure, spending time with Cai Yan, Zhen Jiang, and others admiring the flowers in the back garden—though there weren't many flowers to begin with, as it was March, the peach blossoms were just budding, and the apricot blossoms were only just beginning to emerge; it was mainly about basking in the sun and chatting.

Cai Yan was playing the zither, the music melodious; Zhang Ning and Ren Hongchang were playing chess; the five Zhen sisters were embroidering; Zou Yu and Du Xiuniang had just arrived and were still a little reserved, sitting aside listening and watching.

Liu Ce lay on the rocking chair, squinting in the sun, enjoying this rare moment of peace.

"If only every day could be like this."

He muttered to himself, "No war, no backstabbing, just farming and spending time with my wife..."

Before he finished speaking, Lu Bing appeared at the garden gate like a ghost.

Liu Ce's eyelids twitched: "Hey Commander Lu, can you please stop appearing and disappearing like this all the time?"

Lu Bing said expressionlessly, "My lord, this is an urgent dispatch from Luoyang, traveling 800 li."

Liu Ce sat up and waved for the women to leave. Cai Yan and the others were very sensible and packed up their things to return to the inner courtyard.

"Speak, what is it?" Liu Ce asked.

Lu Bing lowered his voice: "Liangzhou has rebelled. Bian Zhang and Han Sui are leading tens of thousands of cavalry towards the Three Auxiliary Regions, and they are almost at the imperial mausoleum."

Liu Ce raised an eyebrow and smiled, "What was bound to happen has finally happened."

He was not surprised at all; the rebellions at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty were truly a case of one problem being solved only to create another.

The Yellow Turban Rebellion had just been quelled when Liangzhou descended into chaos. Historically, this rebellion lasted for several years, draining the last vestiges of the Eastern Han Dynasty's strength and allowing the old fox Dong Zhuo to rise to power.

"Tell me in detail," Liu Ce said.

Lu Bing reported: "Bian Zhang and Han Sui were originally powerful figures in Liangzhou. Last winter, when the Qiang people rebelled... Bian Zhang and Han Sui were initially 'held hostage' by the rebels, but they turned around and led the Qiang people to rebel as well. Their banner was 'punishing the eunuchs,' saying that Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, and others were bringing disaster to the country and the people, and that they wanted to purge the court of corrupt officials."

Liu Ce sneered, "Purge the court of corrupt officials? Nonsense. They just want to take advantage of the chaos to profit."

"The rebels have captured Hanyang and are approaching the Three Auxiliary Regions. The government troops have suffered repeated defeats, and the treasury is empty," Lu Bing continued.

"The imperial court in Luoyang is in an uproar."

Liu Ce nodded and said, "Keep a close eye on the movements in Luoyang and Liangzhou, especially Dong Zhuo's marching route, and report back immediately if there is any news."

"Yes," Lu Bing replied, then vanished like a ghost.

...

Governor's Office.

Liu Ce handed the letter to Xun Yu and others.

Xun Yu's expression turned serious upon seeing this: "Liangzhou has rebelled again? The Qiang rebellion was just quelled last winter, and it's only been a few months..."

Fang Xuanling leaned over for a look, then shook his head and said, "Pressing down one gourd only to have another pop up; the rebellion of the Han Dynasty is truly endless."

"My lord," Xun Yu said in a low voice, "there's a rebellion in Liangzhou, and the imperial court will surely send troops to quell it. Should we...?"

"No," Liu Ce waved his hand.

"Youzhou has only just been stabilized, and spring planting has only just begun. We're too busy with our own affairs to handle anything else. Besides—" He paused, then sneered, "Those people in the imperial court won't let me go."

Xun Yu and Fang Xuanling exchanged a glance and both understood.

Liu Ce is now General of the Cavalry and Governor of Youzhou, commanding a large army, and has just made great contributions in suppressing the Yellow Turban Rebellion. The powerful families in the court are afraid that his achievements are too great and that he will become too powerful to control, so they will definitely not let him take on the task of suppressing rebellions again.

"Let's wait and see," Liu Ce said, turning and walking out.

"promise!"

Back at the Liu residence.

Liu Ce lay back in the rocking chair, gazing at the sky, lost in thought.

Historically, the court would have dispatched officials like Huangfu Song and Dong Zhuo to quell the rebellion in Liangzhou, but the campaign would have been fraught with difficulties and ultimately fizzled out. Dong Zhuo used this opportunity to strengthen his power, laying the groundwork for his later entry into the capital.

He thought for a moment, then shook his head: "But it doesn't concern me much. I'll farm my fields and train my soldiers in Youzhou, and let Liangzhou be as chaotic as it wants. As long as it doesn't affect Youzhou."

...

At the same time, in the Luoyang Imperial Palace, at the Greenhouse Hall Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, was reclining on a soft couch, with a beautiful woman feeding him grapes on his left. This woman had just been selected from Jiangnan; she was fair-skinned, beautiful, and had a voice so sweet it could drip water. Liu Hong teased her as she ate, his hands also wandering, making the woman giggle. On his right, another beautiful woman was playing the pipa.

He opened his mouth and let out an "Ah—" sound. The beauty quickly put the peeled grapes into his mouth.

"Sweet!" Liu Hong chewed on a grape, his eyes squinting with satisfaction.

"The grapes from the Western Regions are still the best; they're much sweeter than the ones from the Central Plains."

The beautiful woman smiled sweetly and said, "If Your Majesty likes it, please have Zhang Changshi bring in more tomorrow."

"Alright, alright," Liu Hong reached out and touched the beauty's face, "You really know how to serve me..."

Before he could finish speaking, hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

Zhang Rang stumbled in, holding a dusty, urgent letter in his hand, his face as white as paper.

"Your Majesty! It's terrible! Urgent report from Liangzhou! Bian Zhang and Han Sui have rebelled!"

Liu Hong abruptly stopped chewing grapes, a grape seed getting stuck in his throat, causing him to cough violently: "Cough cough... What? Rebellious? Who's rebelling?"

The beauty quickly patted his back.

Zhang Rang handed over the letter, his face contorted with grief: "Urgent report from Liangzhou! Bian Zhang and Han Sui have gathered tens of thousands of troops, captured Hanyang, and are marching towards the Three Auxiliary Regions. They're almost... almost at the imperial mausoleum!"

Liu Hong took the letter, and his face grew darker and darker as he read it.

It is said that Bian Zhang and Han Sui, under the pretext of "punishing the eunuchs," allied with the Qiang and Hu tribes, and with tens of thousands of cavalry, they advanced with unstoppable momentum. The government army suffered repeated defeats and has now retreated to Chang'an, requesting the court to send reinforcements immediately.

"Snapped!"

Liu Hong slammed the letter to the ground, jumped up, and cursed, "You sons of bitches Bian Zhang and Han Sui! I just finished dealing with the Yellow Turban rebels and haven't even had a chance to enjoy myself yet, and you two come to cause trouble again!"

He paced back and forth in the hall, pointing at the letter on the ground and cursing, "The Qiang people rebelled last winter, and it only subsided a few months ago, and now they're back again! They even dare to use the banner of 'punishing the eunuchs'? They're clearly trying to seize my throne!"

"They've rebelled! They've all rebelled! Do they think I'm easy to bully?"

In the heat of his rant, he kicked over a nearby table.

The fruit plate and wine pot on the table crashed to the ground with a loud crash, grapes rolled everywhere, and the beauty was so frightened that she turned pale and hid in a corner, trembling.

Zhang Rang knelt on the ground, not daring to breathe, and could only secretly pick up grapes—these grapes were expensive, and it would be a pity to waste them.

He thought to himself: "His Majesty's temper is truly explosive. But it's no wonder, after a few days of peace, trouble has arisen again..."