Chương 73: Sustained Output

Seeing the members of the aristocratic families rendered speechless and their faces turning pale and then red, Liu Hong felt extremely pleased, but his expression remained serious.

After a long while, Yuan Wei realized that he had completely lost the battle on the issues of "whether or not to reward" and "who can go." He could only resort to his last trick to try to preserve some of his interests, or rather, to disgust Liu Ce.

He spoke again, but his tone was much more yielding:

"Your Majesty's wisdom and foresight are truly admirable. General Liu is brave and skilled in battle; his appointment as Marquis of Champion, General of Chariots and Cavalry, and governor of Youzhou is indeed a testament to his abilities. However..."

He changed the subject: "As for temporarily taking command of the Ji Province military... since the main force of the Yellow Turbans in Ji Province has been wiped out, the few remaining mountain bandits are nothing more than a minor ailment. Why should we trouble the General of the Cavalry to personally take command of the army?"

In my opinion, this is a perfect opportunity to select and train young generals in the court and entrust them with this task. This would not only eliminate the remaining rebels but also cultivate military talents for the country. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?

My Yuan family members, such as Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, all cherish the ambition to serve the country and have some knowledge of military strategy.

There were also many brave and valiant men under the command of generals such as Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun in the imperial court.

Entrusting this task to them will not only solve the problem but also demonstrate Your Majesty's fairness and prevent the concentration of power too in one place. I hope Your Majesty will consider this carefully!

Yuan Wei's words revealed his true intentions: merits can be acknowledged, and honors can be bestowed, but real territory and military power, especially the military power in the wealthy Ji Province, must be divided up! It would be best if they were distributed to our aristocratic families!

After listening, Liu Hong slowly picked up a new piece of jujube cake, took a small bite, and savored it, as if he was thinking.

Just as Yuan Wei and the others thought they had a chance and were secretly delighted, Liu Hong spoke up, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable authority:

"Minister Yuan, and all of you."

He scanned the aristocratic officials below.

"Do you think I don't know what you're really thinking about? Isn't it just that you see Liu Ce as a member of the imperial clan and has real power, and you feel that he's blocking the path for your families' sons to rise to power?"

"I'll make this clear: Liu Ce's reward was earned through his own blood and sweat, and it's not too much at all! Youzhou needs capable fighters to defend it, and Jizhou needs victorious troops to stabilize it; he is the most suitable candidate!"

He paused, then a very "kind" smile suddenly appeared on his face as his gaze swept over Yuan Wei, Yang Ci, and the others:

"Of course, if you really feel that my rewards and punishments are unfair, or if you are worried that Liu Ce can't handle everything by himself... I also have an idea."

An ominous premonition arose in the hearts of the members of the aristocratic families.

Liu Hong spoke in a consultative tone:

"Here's what we'll do: when Liu Ce goes to take up his post in Youzhou, each of your families, according to his official rank, should send one or two ambitious and skilled sons to accompany him."

Once you arrive in Youzhou, follow Liu Ce and learn how to fight and defend the border.

Don't ask for too much. If any of them could follow Liu Ce out of the Great Wall and kill a minor Xianbei leader, even just a centurion... I would grant them a title on the spot!

As for the fiefdom... well, it'll be less than Liu Ce's, just four thousand households! How about that? Am I fair enough?

This not only solves your problem of unfair rewards and punishments, but also gives your sons the opportunity to earn merit and be ennobled, and strengthens Liu Ce's power—it's a win-win situation!

Upon hearing this, the temperature in the entire Jiade Hall seemed to drop several degrees!

Send your sons to Youzhou? To follow Liu Ce? And even beyond the Great Wall to fight the brutal Xianbei? They'll just chop off your heads and bring them back?

Are you kidding me?! That's suicide! It's more like being cannon fodder or a stepping stone for Liu Ce!

The faces of all the aristocratic officials turned deathly pale instantly, their eyes filled with terror as they looked at Liu Hong.

They could almost see their precious sons/nephews, whom they had carefully nurtured and were preparing to secure a prestigious official position in Luoyang, being thrown into the harsh and desolate Youzhou, being ordered around by Liu Ce, and finally becoming nameless skeletons on the grasslands...

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty is wise! We... we are foolish and have not considered things thoroughly!"

"Your Majesty is absolutely right! General Liu's merits are well-deserved and he truly deserves the reward! We were narrow-minded!"

"Yes, yes, yes! The affairs of Youzhou and Jizhou are none other than those of General Liu! We have no further doubts!"

"Your Majesty, please rescind your order! You mustn't allow your unfilial son to drag General Liu down!"

The esteemed gentlemen who had just been righteous and eloquent, quoting classical texts, were now kowtowing like pounding garlic, terrified out of their wits. They hurriedly admitted their mistakes and changed their words, wishing they could swallow back everything they had just said.

I only hope that the emperor will not take the "favor" of "sending his sons to join the army" seriously.

Looking at the group of aristocratic officials below who had instantly transformed from "fighters" to "quails," Liu Hong was secretly delighted, but feigned regret on his face.

"Huh? Didn't you just say you wanted to recommend talented people for the country and train young generals? Why are you being so modest now? Really not going to do it? What a great opportunity..."

"No, no! Absolutely not!"

"The children in my household are unruly and unmanageable; they will only cause trouble for General Liu if they go!"

"Your Majesty, please forgive us! We misspoke!"

Seeing their pathetic state, as if they wanted to dig a hole and bury themselves, Liu Hong felt the time was right, so he waved his hand, as if shooing away flies:

"Alright, alright, get up! Look at the audacity of you all! From now on, don't try any more of these little tricks in front of me."

Instead of wasting time on this, you should keep an eye on those spoiled brats in your own families who run rampant in Luoyang, bullying men and women! If I hear any more bad rumors…"

He deliberately drawled out his words and gave a "kind" smile:

"I'll just pack them all up and give them to Liu Ce, so he can take them to the northern frontier for some 'training,' let them get some fresh air and sunshine, and I guarantee they'll all come back completely transformed!"

"Your Majesty, we obey! We take our leave!"

The aristocratic officials were overjoyed, and they scrambled to their feet, abandoning all pretense of etiquette and decorum. They pressed themselves against the wall, heads bowed, and slid out of the Jiade Hall as fast as they could, fearing that if they were a step too slow, the emperor might change his mind.

Watching their disheveled retreat and the empty hall, Liu Hongzhi was filled with smug satisfaction. He swallowed the remaining jujube cake in one gulp, thinking to himself:

"Trying to fight me? Hmph! I have Liu Ce as my trump card. Can't I handle a bunch of old foxes who only know how to talk big?"

He thought to himself smugly that his political skills had improved considerably.

Liu Hong was in high spirits and smiled at Zhang Rang beside him:

"See? To deal with these old foxes who only know how to talk, you have to be practical. Reasoning with them? It's much more effective to just ask them, 'Do you dare send your son to his death?' Haha!"

Zhang Rang quickly smiled ingratiatingly, "Your Majesty is wise and insightful!"

In his heart, however, his evaluation of Liu Ce, the Champion General, rose even higher.

This guy hasn't even shown his face yet, but he's already made so many powerful families suffer. His future... is probably going to be extraordinary.

I need to tighten my own thread even more.