Chương 168: Recommended Candidates

Upon hearing this, Fu Xie objected.

He sneered, cutting straight to the heart of the matter: "Yuan Pang is from a prominent family in Runan, and Wei Duan is a powerful clan in Liangzhou. Both families own fortified villages and farmland in Liang and Yong. Their mission is merely to protect their own property! The rebels use the pretext of 'eliminating the eunuchs,' but these powerful families only want to use the suppression of the rebellion to expand their power. Where does this place the safety of the nation?"

These words pierced through the barrier between truth and falsehood.

The atmosphere inside the hall immediately became awkward.

Yuan Wei's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he cursed: This Fu Xie is truly a rock in a latrine, both smelly and stubborn!

Just then, the eunuch faction made their move.

The eunuch Zhao Zhong twisted his body as he stepped forward—he had received bribes from aristocratic families and had to speak on their behalf.

"Your words, Fu Yilang, are too harsh."

Zhao Zhong said in a shrill voice, "Lord Yuan and Lord Wei have both served the court and their donation of grain to aid the war effort is a great achievement.

I believe it would be better to follow Lord Yuan's wishes and appoint Yuan Pang as General of the Left Chariots and Cavalry, Wei Duan as Governor of Liangzhou, and Zhu Jun as Protector of the Army to command all the armies—" He glanced at Liu Hong: "Zhu Jun has rendered meritorious service in suppressing the Yellow Turbans and has no grudges with powerful families, which can reassure the court."

This statement was perfectly logical: Yuan Pang was the commander-in-chief, Wei Duan was the governor, but there was also Zhu Jun as the military supervisor above them, so they checked and balanced each other.

General He Jin, who had been observing coldly from the sidelines for a long time, finally stepped forward. He also had his own plans.

"Your Majesty," He Jin bowed and said, "Huangfu Song has rendered meritorious service in suppressing the Yellow Turban Rebellion. He is brave and skilled in battle and can be appointed as the Left General of Chariots and Cavalry to lead the army. As for Dong Zhuo, although he was previously convicted and imprisoned, he is familiar with the terrain of Liangzhou and can be appointed as the Deputy General of the Central Army. With the two of them working together, they will surely be able to quell the rebellion."

He Jin had his own calculations: Huangfu Song was a neutral party and could be won over; Dong Zhuo was a local strongman in Liangzhou, and using him to deal with the rebels was just right. Moreover, Dong Zhuo had been imprisoned after a defeat, and He Jin had indirectly helped him save his life by intervening. With this favor in hand, Dong Zhuo should be obedient.

On the dragon throne, Liu Hong stroked his beard, his gaze sweeping over the people in the hall.

His mind raced, calculating: Cui Lie wants to abandon Liangzhou? No, we can't lose our ancestral land.

Fu Xie was loyal and brave, but too straightforward, which offended too many people.

Yuan Wei recommended Yuan Pang... The Yuan family of Runan was too powerful.

Zhao Zhonghe is a smooth talker and a cunning old fox.

He Jin recommended Huangfu Song and Dong Zhuo... Hmm, Huangfu Song? Okay! That old guy can fight!

Dong Zhuo? Oh right, that guy is a local strongman in Liangzhou, familiar with the terrain, perfect for dealing with the rebels!

But the opinions of powerful families must also be considered... Yuan Pang and Wei Duan, one can coordinate the supply of grain, the other can donate grain, and they can also appease the powerful families of Liangzhou.

Liu Hong then thought of the money he had made from selling official positions—if the rebels really reached the Three Auxiliary Regions and destroyed the imperial mausoleums, his "secret stash" would be in danger.

The rebellion must be quelled as soon as possible!

Liu Hong's eyes darted around, and he had an idea.

"It is unacceptable for Minister Cui to abandon Liangzhou; Minister Fu is right," he set the tone first.

Liu Hong then said, "Pass on the imperial decree..."

The hall fell silent immediately.

"Huangfu Song is appointed Left General of Chariots and Cavalry, serving as commander-in-chief; Yuan Pang, Commander of the Imperial Guards, serves as deputy commander-in-chief; Dong Zhuo is appointed General of the Household; Wei Duan is appointed Governor of Liang Province, tasked with pacifying the Qiang and Hu tribes. Lead 100, 000 infantry and cavalry to hasten to the aid of the Three Auxiliary Regions!"

Liu Hong slammed his hand on the dragon throne, emphasizing his words: "If we're even a step too late and the rebels manage to raid the imperial tombs, I'll skin them alive!"

This decision can be described as a model of "balancing act": appointing Huangfu Song as the commander-in-chief satisfies He Jin and the court; appointing Yuan Pang as the deputy commander-in-chief appeases the powerful families; appointing Dong Zhuo utilizes his background in Liangzhou; and appointing Wei Duan both pacifies the Qiang and Hu tribes and saves on food supplies.

As for Zhu Jun? He's been forgotten. Zhao Zhong pursed his lips and said nothing more.

"Your Majesty is wise!" The ministers quickly bowed and accepted the decree.

Yuan Wei and Yang Biao exchanged a glance, secretly giving each other a knowing look—although they weren't the commander-in-chief, they had secured the positions of deputy commander and governor. This would allow the Yuan family of Runan to control some of the military power in Guanzhong, while Wei Duan could maintain the autonomy of the Liangzhou aristocratic families. This was a worthwhile move.

Zhao Zhong also breathed a sigh of relief—the powerful families had promised not to pursue the crime of selling official positions by eunuchs after the rebellion was quelled, and the exchange of benefits was reached.

He Jin's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. Huangfu Song was someone he had recommended; Dong Zhuo owed him a favor, and with this suppression of the rebellion, the General's Mansion's power could expand once more.

Liu Hong waved his hand impatiently and said, "Disperse! Get Huangfu Song and Yuan Pang to raise their troops right now, or I'll hear any more bad news!"

After saying that, he turned and left, heading back to the harem to find his beauties—he had just vented his anger and needed to calm down.

The ministers in Deyang Palace dispersed one after another, whispering among themselves in twos and threes.

"With Huangfu Song as the commander-in-chief... it seems His Majesty still trusts He Jin more."

"With Yuan Pang as deputy commander and Wei Duan as governor, the aristocratic families are not at a disadvantage."

"That scoundrel Dong Zhuo has come out again... He's arrogant and difficult to control."

"Who cares, as long as we can quell the rebellion..."

Yuan Wei and Yang Biao walked out of the main hall side by side and talked in hushed tones.

"Although he's not the head coach, he's still doing quite well," Yuan Wei said.

"Yes, Yuan Pang can control some of the military power, and Wei Duan can protect Liangzhou."

Yang Biao nodded, "But that Dong Zhuo... he's a wolf in sheep's clothing, we have to be wary of him."

"Don't worry, with Huangfu Song and Yuan Pang around, Dong Zhuo won't be able to cause any trouble," Yuan Wei said confidently.

...

Only Fu Xie stood in the hall, watching the dispersing crowd, and let out a long sigh.

"With everyone harboring their own ulterior motives, how can we quell the rebellion?" he murmured, shook his head, and left.

A few days later, Liu Mansion in Zhuo County Liu Ce was enjoying the flowers in the garden with Cai Yan, Zhen Jiang, and others... Just as Liu Ce was feeling quite pleased with himself, Lu Bing suddenly rushed in.

"My lord, urgent report!"

The two came to the study.

He took the secret report handed to him by Lu Bing and recorded the proceedings of the meeting in Deyang Hall in detail—the Embroidered Uniform Guard had people in the palace, and no action in the court could escape their eyes.

"Cui Lie is going to abandon Liangzhou? That old bastard really bought his position with money; he has no backbone at all."

"Fu Xie's scolding was well-deserved! He deserved it!"

"Yuan Kui promoted Yuan Pang... indeed, the aristocratic families wanted to gain military merit."

"He Jin pushed Huangfu Song and Dong Zhuo... Well, the course of history hasn't changed."

After reading the report, Liu Ce placed it on the table and sneered, "It's the same old trick. After all that wrangling, they've ended up with a haphazard leadership team. Huangfu Song as commander-in-chief, Yuan Pang as deputy, Dong Zhuo as general... Ha, these people in the court are still playing the balancing act even now."

He walked to the map and pointed to Liangzhou: "Although Huangfu Song is a good fighter, he is not familiar with the terrain of Liangzhou, and he is also hampered by Yuan Pang; Yuan Pang is just a bureaucrat who does not understand military affairs; Wei Duan wants to protect his own property and may not be sincere in suppressing the rebellion... This battle is going to be tough."

His finger moved to Dong Zhuo's name:

"Only Dong Zhuo, being both a native of Liangzhou and familiar with the Qiang and Hu tribes, and commanding a Liangzhou army, is truly the main character in this rebellion, with everyone else playing a supporting role."

Lu Bing asked, "My lord, shall we do something?"

"What for?" Liu Ce shook his head.

"The court didn't send us, so we'll just stay in Youzhou and farm and train our troops. Let Huangfu Song, Yuan Pang, and Dong Zhuo deal with that mess in Liangzhou."