gnovel Chapter 2 Military Order
Chapter 2 Military Order
Near the main hall, a dignified man with a long beard was hurrying towards them.
Watching Huang Hao being dragged away by the guards, she stopped and looked on, a hint of surprise in her eyes.
"Your subject Yang Hong pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Although Yang Hong was surprised, he hesitated for only a few seconds before bowing respectfully to Liu Shan in the main hall.
"Officer Yang is here, please have a seat!"
Liu Shan immediately and warmly invited him to sit down.
For no other reason than that this person was Yang Hong, whom Zhuge Liang had left in Chengdu to assist him before he set off.
Liu Shan knew very little about him, but he knew that anyone left behind by the prime minister could be trusted and given important responsibilities.
A look of suspicion flashed across Yang Hong's face. He quickly stepped forward, not taking a seat, but bowing and clasping his hands in a hurried manner. He said, "Your Highness, Prefect Huang Yuanjin of Hanjia has attacked Linqiong County, set fire to Linqiong City, and even threatened to besiege Chengdu and capture the Crown Prince alive."
What?
I haven't even become emperor yet, and someone's already trying to raid my home! This is outrageous!
Order troops, order troops!
Huang Yuan, the governor of Hanjia Commandery, held considerable military and political power in the commandery and held a high position.
Therefore, the prefects of each prefecture were people whom the emperor trusted greatly, and in principle they would not easily rebel.
After suffering a crushing defeat at Yiling, Shu Han had few troops left, which were mostly used to defend various passes. Chengdu was particularly vulnerable, with only a few thousand soldiers remaining.
With Zhuge Liang, who was stationed in Chengdu, going to Yong'an to visit the sick, and Minister Li Yan leaving for the front lines early, the court lacked a key figure. At this time, being stabbed in the back by Huang Yuan was indeed a tricky situation.
"Yang, why did Huang Yuan betray us?"
Liu Shan did not panic, but instead inquired about the whole story.
"Your Highness, several months ago, Huang Yuan heard that His Majesty was seriously ill, and he has already amassed his own army. This man has always been at odds with Prime Minister Zhuge, and now that he has heard that the Prime Minister is not in Chengdu, he has become even more unscrupulous."
The disastrous defeat at Yiling shocked the country, but Zhuge Liang paid no attention to this minor setback.
Unexpectedly, Huang Yuan took advantage of Zhuge Liang's departure from Chengdu to launch a military campaign, burning Linqiong City, which was relatively close to Chengdu, thus challenging the authority of Shu Han.
This is yet another person who is at odds with the Prime Minister; he must be eliminated.
"Immediately summon all officials to discuss the matter and quell the rebellion."
When Huang Yuan set fire to Linqiong, all the officials were shocked, and the people of Chengdu were filled with panic.
Inside the main hall, the courtiers were in complete chaos.
"Huang Yuan has rebelled, and His Majesty and Prime Minister Zhuge are not in Chengdu. What should we do?"
"Our army suffered heavy losses at Yiling, and the city is now sparsely defended. How can we defend against the enemy?"
"When the people heard that Huang Yuan was going to storm the city, they all fled at the first sign of trouble, and the city was thrown into chaos."
"Our army is small and our generals few; Heaven is decreing the demise of our great Han!"
boom!
Liu Shan, unable to bear the clamor of his ministers, who were haggling like they were in a marketplace, slammed his fist on the table and stood up.
"What's the panic? You're all so easily frightened by someone as insignificant as Huang Yuan. What kind of behavior is this?"
The fact that the usually mild-mannered Liu Shan suddenly flew into a rage surprised the group of ministers, who all lined up and fell silent.
"What are your suggestions?"
Upon hearing Liu Shan's words, the assembled officials exchanged bewildered glances.
They are currently outnumbered and outgunned, and can only rely on Chengdu for passive defense. What other good strategies can they possibly have?
"I believe that the traitor Huang Yuan did not possess siege equipment. His burning of Linqiong was merely a show of force, and he did not dare to actually attack Chengdu."
"I second your opinion. We should keep the city gates tightly shut, defend the city, and the enemy will naturally retreat."
"I believe that we should immediately inform Your Majesty and Prime Minister Zhuge to return to Chengdu to provide reinforcements."
Given the current troop strength in Chengdu, holding the position is a good strategy.
However, Liu Shan believed that most of these people were former subordinates of Liu Zhang of Yizhou, and that the ministers who supported Liu Bei had either died in the Battle of Yiling or gone to Yong'an, so they could not be relied upon at all.
If one adopts a passive defensive stance, it will only diminish one's prestige among these ministers.
If he were to ascend the throne in the future, they would surely be dissatisfied with him, and then Zhuge Liang would have to suppress them, which would undoubtedly increase Zhuge Liang's workload.
No, I need to establish my own prestige.
Liu Shan glanced around and saw that Yang Hong had a calm and composed expression, which was in stark contrast to the timid and anxious faces of the other ministers.
"Yang, Huang Yuan has rebelled. What do you think?"
Yang Hong stepped to the right, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, and said solemnly, "I believe that we should send troops to quell the rebellion."
These words shocked the entire hall, and the assembled officials gasped in astonishment.
"Yang Hong, you don't know that Chengdu's military strength is currently depleted, and there are no soldiers to send."
"Huang Yuan is a fierce and exceptionally brave general. All the army's top generals are not in Chengdu. Who can lead the troops to suppress him?"
"Your Highness, do not heed Yang Hong's words, lest you bring disaster upon the people of Chengdu!"
"I second that opinion. Yang Hong's words are tantamount to destroying the Han Dynasty!"
A wave of opposition arose in the main hall, with all the ministers disagreeing with sending troops.
Yang Hong ignored him, his hands hanging down in front of him, his eyes fixed on Liu Shan.
Liu Shan understood that Yang Hong was testing him, wanting to see if he had the courage to send troops.
"Back then, when Sun Quan first took over the six commanderies of Jiangdong, he resolutely resisted Cao Cao's 800,000-strong army marching south. Huang Yuan is merely a commandery governor with no more than a thousand soldiers and no famous generals, yet he dares to openly provoke our great Han. If I were to retreat to Chengdu, wouldn't I become a laughingstock among the world, inferior to the rats of Jiangdong?"
Liu Shan's words were passionate and resolute, earning the admiration of his ministers.
Is this still the gentle and kind-hearted crown prince we know?
"Huang Yuan and his ilk are not a concern, but I fear that he might secretly collude with other prefects and launch an attack, which would put Chengdu in grave danger."
"The five counties in the south are not under the emperor's control. Your Majesty can still keep them in check in Chengdu, but now these five counties are restless and could rebel at any time."
"Once the various prefectures rise up and join forces to attack the city, how can Chengdu, with its mere thousand defenders, possibly hold off the enemy?"
This is what the ministers feared.
After Liu Bei led the Jingzhou troops into Chengdu, various forces in Yizhou were intertwined, and the southern region was a gathering place for ethnic minorities who did not submit to the king's rule or respect the control of Shu Han.
When Liu Bei was alive, he was able to keep the situation in check, but now that the emperor of the Han Dynasty is seriously ill, there are signs of rebellion in various counties.
Huang Yuan was just one of those hot-headed young men who couldn't stand the pressure.
Everyone else was waiting to see what would happen, perhaps only rebelling when Liu Bei had truly passed away.
"Gentlemen, you are mistaken."
Yang Hong said loudly, "Huang Yuan is violent and ruthless, and the various prefectures will not easily trust him. The burning of Linqiong was just a bluff; how could he dare to lead troops to attack Chengdu?"
At this moment, Situ Xu Jing stepped forward.
He first bowed to Liu Shan, then slowly said, "Since Huang Yuan dares not attack Chengdu, why should we provoke him? Not only will we suffer losses, but we will also anger him."
"In my humble opinion, holding Chengdu is the best course of action."
Xu Jing held one of the Three Dukes, and his words carried great weight, earning the approval and support of the assembled officials.
You old man, Deng.
Throughout the entire Three Kingdoms period, you were the one who switched jobs the most, yet you were not only spared the insults of being called a "servile slave" by later generations, but also earned a good reputation.
Now you're thinking of protecting yourself, huh?
Yang Hong bowed to him first to show his respect, and then continued in a loud voice: "Although Huang Yuan is not to be feared, his influence is great. If he goes down the river to the east, he is very likely to incite rebellions in Jianwei, Jiangyang, Bajun and other places."
"He could also go downstream out of Sichuan and into Jingzhou, and submit to Eastern Wu. We must be wary of this man."
Yang Hong's analysis was logical and well-founded, and the assembled officials found it difficult to refute him for a time.
Upon hearing this, Xu Jing asked, "Then may I ask Ji Xiu, if we are to capture this traitor alive, who should be appointed as general, and how many troops should be dispatched?"
In fact, the most crucial issue of the entire meeting was the availability of capable and competent personnel.
If a capable general were stationed in Chengdu, capturing Huang Yuan and his ilk would be a piece of cake.
Although Yang Hong proposed sending troops to annihilate the enemy, he was a civil official and had no experience in leading troops into battle.
If he were to lead troops to conquer the enemy, he would certainly face opposition from his ministers.
"I recommend two men who will surely capture Huang Yuan alive. If we fail to capture this scoundrel, we shall atone with our lives."
"A soldier's word is law. Ji Cong is but a scholar; do not presume upon him."
"I am willing to accept the military order."
Hey!
Upon hearing the pledge, Liu Shan felt uncertain.
This military order from Shu Han was only valid for Ma Su.