Loyang, Court of the Imperial Clan.
Liu Yan returned to his residence after the court session, his face filled with anger.
“Outrageous! Simply outrageous! He Jin, that mere military man, actually dares to disregard this old man so completely!” Liu Yan fumed, “He seems to have forgotten that this old man’s position as the Court of the Imperial Clan has not yet been relinquished!”
Seeing Liu Yan in a fit of rage, none of the stewards or servants dared to approach and court disaster. They all hid to the side, not daring to get close.
Just then, a middle-aged man, eight feet tall and burly in appearance, walked in from outside the door and, seeing the situation, asked, “What’s going on?”
“General Zou, His Lord has been like this since returning from court…”
“You may leave first,” the man said, stepping into the hall.
“Lord,” the middle-aged man bowed to Liu Yan, “May I ask who has angered Your Lord so greatly?”
Liu Yan turned around, and upon seeing the man, his anger subsided slightly, and he said, “Zou Jing, sit down.”
This middle-aged man was named Zou Jing. He had previously served as a Colonel Who Breaks and Captures. When Liu Yan was the Prefect of You Province, he served under his command and was someone Liu Yan trusted greatly.
Zou Jing sat down and asked, “Lord, what exactly happened? Why are you so angry?”
Liu Yan sighed and said, “During the morning court session today, His Majesty issued an imperial decree, appointing that Prefect of Wei Commandery, Zhang Chen, as General Pingbei (Pacifying-the-North General) and granting him the position of Governor of Ji Province.”
Zou Jing was startled upon hearing this and asked, “Could it be that Prefect of Wei Commandery, Zhang Zifan, who defeated the hundred thousand Yellow Turban bandits?”
Liu Yan nodded and said, “Precisely, it is him.”
Zou Jing said, “Lord, this subordinate has also heard of this man’s reputation. I heard that not only did he greatly defeat the Yellow Turbans, but he also once, with just a few thousand soldiers, reinforced Yingtao County, which was besieged by the Black Mountain Army. In a single battle, he soundly defeated fifty thousand Black Mountain Army soldiers and killed four bandit generals! This man’s talent is truly exceptional and suitable for important tasks. It is quite reasonable for him to be appointed as a Prefect.”
“I naturally know all this,” Liu Yan sighed, “It would be one thing if His Majesty merely bestowed some minor rewards upon him, even appointing him ‘General Pingbei (Pacifying-the-North General)’ would be acceptable. But the position of Governor of Ji Province is such a crucial post, how can it be easily given to someone of a different surname?”
“So that is why Your Lord is displeased,” Zou Jing said, “But this subordinate believes that since this man is exceptionally capable, wouldn’t his governance of a province also be a blessing for the court and the people?”
Liu Yan sighed and said, “Zou Jing, you do not understand. This old man’s suggestion to ‘Abolishing History and Establishing Governors (Purple)’ was made after repeated consideration and deep thought. How could this old man not know the drawbacks of the Prefect system? A Prefect holds great military and political power within a province, occupying a high and influential position. The officials, military, and civilian affairs under his rule are all determined by him. If not properly controlled, he could become a Marquis who carves out a territory for himself. When this old man proposed this suggestion, I said that members of the imperial clan and important ministers should be appointed to this position, because members of the imperial clan would never betray the Han. Even if they became Marquis, the realm would still belong to the Liu family. But once someone of a different surname holds power, if they harbor ill intentions in the future, wouldn’t it lead to great disaster?”
Upon hearing this, Zou Jing suddenly understood and immediately nodded, saying, “Your Lord’s concerns are very valid.”
“His Majesty is acting unilaterally, and has the guarantee of He Jin and the Yuan Family. Once this precedent is set, won’t people of different surnames be able to hold this position in the future? If this continues, the realm fears great chaos!” Liu Yan sighed softly, “If the situation of Marquis carving up territories takes shape in the future, it will surely threaten the imperial power. This old man will then be a sinner for all eternity of the Great Han!”
Zou Jing pondered for a moment and said, “Does Your Lord believe that Zhang Chen will be disloyal to the Han?”
Liu Yan said, “It’s better to believe it might happen than to believe it won’t. This old man saw this man with his own eyes today. Do you know, he is not even twenty years old, yet so young, he has achieved such great merit. Today in the court, his words and actions were proper, without any of the nervousness or awkwardness of a first-time audience. Just this composure alone is admirable. Moreover, he has only been in Loyang for a few short days, yet he was able to get He Jin and the Yuan Family to jointly vouch for him. What kind of methods has this man used behind the scenes? How can such a person not be guarded against?”
Upon hearing this, Zou Jing pondered for a long time and said, “Lord, since that is the case, why not…”
Zou Jing’s eyes revealed a murderous intent, and he made a ‘killing’ gesture with his hand at his neck.
However, Liu Yan shook his head and said, “It’s not that easy. He is currently in high favor with the emperor. His Majesty has just issued a decree to promote him and grant him a noble title. How can we make a move at this time?”
“But when he returns to Ji Province, we can ambush and kill him halfway!”
Upon hearing this, a glint of sharpness flashed in Liu Yan’s eyes. After a moment of thought, he said, “However, it is said that this man is skilled in martial arts. Who can kill him?”
Zou Jing thought for a moment and smiled, saying, “Lord, there is one person who can definitely accomplish this.”
“Oh? Who is it?” Liu Yan eagerly asked.
Zou Jing said, “Does Your Lord still remember Liu Bei, Liu Xuande of Zhuo Commandery?”
“Liu Bei?” Liu Yan said, “Of course I remember. Are you saying he can eliminate Zhang Chen for us?”
Zou Jing said, “Liu Bei has two sworn brothers, one named Guan Yu, courtesy name Yunchang, and the other named Zhang Fei, courtesy name Yi De. Both of these men possess the valor of ten thousand men. With the three of them making a move, are we still afraid of failing to kill this Zhang Chen?”
Liu Yan shook his head and said, “I know Xuande’s character. He has always acted with benevolence and righteousness. How could he commit such a senseless killing?”
“Not so,” Zou Jing said, “Although Xuande is benevolent and righteous, in his heart, he values the Han even more. If Your Lord explains the advantages and disadvantages to him, and insists that Zhang Chen has always harbored ambitions and will surely develop rebellious intentions in the future, Xuande will, even if it means incurring the world’s condemnation, take his life for the sake of the Han realm!”
After saying this, Zou Jing looked at Liu Yan.
Liu Yan pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up, a flicker of determination in his eyes, and asked, “Where is Xuande now?”
“He is currently the Magistrate of Pingyuan.”
“Immediately write a letter to Xuande, ordering him to intercept and kill Zhang Chen halfway. In the letter, clearly state the reasons and the stakes, and tell him that the fate of the Han realm rests on his decision!” Liu Yan’s eyes were filled with murderous intent, “I want that Zhang Chen to never return to Ji Province!”
…
That evening, a banquet was held at the General's Residence to celebrate Zhang Chen's promotion and ennoblement.
The General's Residence was bustling with activity, as many officials came to congratulate Zhang Chen.
Zhen Yan and Yuan Shao were both General's Attendants, so they were naturally present. Yuan Ji of the Yuan Family personally came, showing great respect. Cao Song, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, also brought his son Cao Cao to offer congratulations.
Of course, most of this was for the sake of He Jin, not Zhang Chen.
How could outsiders not see that He Jin was supporting Zhang Chen in such a manner?
That night, the guests gathered happily and did not disperse until late into the night.
A few more days passed. Early one morning, Zhang Chen asked Diao Chan to pack his belongings, and he went to see He Jin to bid farewell.
He had been away for quite some time, and now that matters in the capital were settled, it was time for him to return to Ji Province.
He was just beginning his tenure as Governor of Ji Province, and there were still many important and minor affairs to handle. He would be busy for a while.
During this trip to Loyang, he had befriended He Jin and the Yuan Clan, and had also won over Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong. He had built connections with almost everyone who had a say in the court. With these people covering for him in the court, Zhang Chen’s position as Governor of Ji Province was secure.
Next, it would just be a matter of providing them with some benefits each year, which was insignificant compared to the great advantages of controlling Ji Province.
Zhang Chen met with He Jin and bid him farewell. He Jin originally wanted to persuade him to stay for a few more days, but Zhang Chen said that affairs in Ji Province were numerous and complicated and he needed to return quickly to take charge of the overall situation. He Jin had no choice but to let him go and immediately ordered someone to give Zhang Chen one hundred catties of gold and also allocated one hundred guards to accompany him to Ji Province.
Zhang Chen immediately bowed in thanks, and with the one hundred guards and Diao Chan, headed straight for the city gate.
Zhang Chen ordered a carriage to be prepared for Diao Chan to ride in, while he himself rode on horseback.
In front of the city gate, Zhen Yan personally came to see him off.
A month ago, he had been ordered by He Jin to summon Zhang Chen. He did not expect that when he was seeing him off again, Zhang Chen had already become the Lord of Ji Province. Fate truly plays tricks on people. However, Zhang Chen securing the position of Governor of Ji Province would be of great benefit to his Zhen family. Zhen Yan couldn’t help but feel happy, his younger sister had truly chosen a good husband.
Zhang Chen bid farewell to Zhen Yan and had just exited the city gate when he heard rapid hoofbeats behind him. A person on horseback galloped up, shouting to him.
“Zifan!”