Chapter 43: Imperial Reward While Liaodong was vigorously promoting development and reform, the court was in an uproar. Tian Ze led two thousand cavalrymen and not only lifted the siege of Liaodong, but also completely eliminated the rebellious Su Puyan, defeated the invading Eastern Xianbei, and killed nearly 10,000 enemies. Such brilliant results were unbelievable to the ministers in the court. After carefully checking and confirming that it was correct, the emperor was overjoyed. For many years, the imperial court had been dragged down by the affairs of Xiliang, and the wars in You and Bing states had more defeats than victories. It was only after Tan Shihuai's sudden death that the situation was barely stabilized in the past two years, but small-scale attacks never stopped, and even a prefect was unfortunately killed. Now, serving as an official in You and Bing states has become an extremely risky job, and everyone tries to avoid it. Under such circumstances, he was naturally delighted that Tian Ze, the newly appointed emergency rescuer, had achieved such a great victory. He Jin, Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong and others were also very happy. Tian Ze was the person recommended by them and belonged to their own camp. They did not expect that he had such ability, which really surprised them. "Your Majesty, the great victory achieved by Governor Tian has greatly inspired the soldiers on the border and intimidated the barbarians on the border. Such an outstanding talent should be given important positions." He Jin said immediately.
Many officials from aristocratic families in the court heard the news and began to discuss it secretly. He Jin is still weak now, and has a close relationship with Zhang Rang and others. The two of them are planning to unite and fight against the aristocratic families together. They knew that Tian Ze was recommended by He Jin, so naturally they did not want to let him become too powerful. "Your Majesty, what Minister He said is not wrong. But Tian Ze has just been promoted from county magistrate to prefect. He is still young, so I'm afraid it is not appropriate to reward him too much. Moreover, there is one thing in this battle report that has not been clarified. Prefect Tian was just a county magistrate before. How could he have two thousand cavalrymen? This may exceed the regulations." A thin official stepped out and said. Hearing this, He Jin snorted coldly, a hint of anger flashed in his eyes, and he glanced behind him. An official got the hint and stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I think this is inappropriate. If they don't give rewards for their great achievements, I'm afraid it will make the border soldiers feel discouraged!" "At the young age of twenty, Huo Piaoqi was granted the title of Marquis of Guanjun, and he defeated the Xiongnu and conquered the Wolf's Lair. The borders of our great Han Dynasty need such vigorous young generals to protect them, so that they can be safe!" "When Governor Tian was the county magistrate, he achieved outstanding results and resettled countless refugees. Wen County is close to Wuhuan and conflicts are constant. It is reasonable for him to recruit some local warriors for self-defense!" The two men's speeches were like a fuse, splitting the court into two factions and immediately starting a fierce debate. Taiwei Yang Ci and Situ Yuan Wei did not participate in it. They narrowed their eyes slightly and silently observed Liu Hong's expression. When the two sides had almost finished arguing, Liu Hong, who had been sitting in a high position, slowly opened his eyes, raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and said lightly: "Those who have made contributions should be rewarded, and those who have made mistakes should be punished. Tian Ze lifted the siege of Xiangping, defeated tens of thousands of barbarians, and subdued the people of Liaodong's vassal state. He is promoted to General of the Central Army and concurrently the Chief of the vassal state." "Your Majesty is wise!" He Jin and all the officials bowed. A faint smug smile appeared on He Jin's face, and he cast a provocative look at the officials from the aristocratic families. Some of those officials from aristocratic families had gloomy expressions, while others lowered their heads and sighed secretly. Yang Ci and Yuan Wei looked at this scene, their faces darkened slightly, and they tightly grasped the tablets in their hands, wondering what they were thinking about. …… By the pond, Tian Ze was holding a fishing rod, admiring the fish swimming underwater while chatting with Jia Xu. "Wenhe, what do you think the emperor will decide this time?" "I will definitely reward you handsomely, my lord." Jia Xu said without hesitation.
"The predicament of the Han Dynasty today can be seen by all knowledgeable people, including the emperor. The emperor has great ambitions but no talent. In order to suppress the powerful families, he did not hesitate to start the Party Imprisonment Disaster, but he is powerless to change it and can only choose to rely on his relatives and eunuchs." "Let's not talk about the distant future. Zhao Bao was able to serve as the governor of Liaoxi. His family's whereabouts would be discovered by the Hu people. There are probably many unknown secrets behind this." Tian Ze looked at the clear lake water and sighed: "The water in the court is too deep. If you are not careful, you will be dragged into it. It's better to stay in Liaodong for peace." "Deeply trapped but unable to save himself, it is really difficult for the emperor today. The great changes in the world are inevitable. All that is missing is the bait." "It's almost there, it won't take long." Tian Ze murmured to himself. "How is the terrain exploration in the Liaodong Mountains going?" "The progress is very smooth. There are seven or eight large rivers to the north of the Daqing River, such as the Shaozi River and the Haicheng River. It is no problem to accommodate millions of people. The surrounding area is deserted and the terrain is dangerous. By building a checkpoint fortress and stationing dozens of people, we can completely block it." Jia Xu said. "This year is the best time. There has been severe drought for two years and there are millions of refugees in the Central Plains. I have now been promoted to the governor of Liaodong, and Liaodong is at a critical moment. Even if we are discovered recruiting more refugees, I don't think the court will care. We must speed up, for I'm afraid the Yellow Turban Rebellion will break out next year." Tian Ze said. During times of peace, there were always one or two million refugees living in the Kanto region, not to mention the severe droughts of the past two years. The number of refugees in the Central Plains is unimaginable, and any carelessness could lead to a huge disaster. "My lord, most of the refugees are gathered in the Kanto region and the Jianghuai region. It is very difficult for them to move to the three counties under our control. You are now the governor of a county, and your status is different. Naturally, we can mobilize more resources." "Xu suggested that we directly contact the counties around the areas where refugees from the Central Plains gather, in order to lure them and recruit them. By transporting them to the three counties along the Yellow River and the Huai River, the speed of recruiting refugees will surely be greatly accelerated." "But the risk may be quite high. I'm afraid someone will use this as an opportunity to attack our lord," said Jia Xu. "No problem. Send someone to strengthen the secret contact with He Jin. With their guarantee, there should be no problem. The officials in these places are probably already worried about these refugees, so they should agree." Jia Xu nodded. There are also people in the aristocratic families who are on good terms with their foreign relatives, but they just have a bad reputation. As long as they can gain actual benefits, mere false reputation does not mean anything. Tian Ze does not want to be one of the Three Dukes or Nine Ministers. Just look at Yuan Wei, who was very successful in the court. As a leader of scholars, he got along well with relatives and eunuchs. He not only saved himself during the Factions and Persecutions, but also took the opportunity to grow stronger. As for what to do after He Jin's fall, Tian Ze did not consider it at all. The group of aristocratic scholars that everyone flocked to had no appeal to him who knew the future well. By that time, the chaotic times will have already arrived, and who will care about these things? "The number of these refugees is too large, so they must be carefully screened to ensure that there are no criminals or lazy scoundrels, especially no Yellow Turban followers." Tian Ze said seriously. Most of the refugees are victims, but in such a tragic environment, the evil of human nature will continue to grow, and it is inevitable that there will be people like thieves and villains. Many people have lost their original intentions. Although Tian Ze sympathizes with these people, he would never ruin the overall situation for them. When he recruited refugees in the three counties before, he would only recruit those who had rested in the local area for a period of time and whose character he knew clearly, so as to eliminate potential risks as much as possible. After taking control of Liaodong, he vigorously cleaned out many Yellow Turban followers. "I understand. I will arrange special personnel to observe along the way, and let them stay in the three counties for a longer period of time to eliminate unqualified people." Jia Xu said. "By the way, since I have become the governor of Liaodong, I am naturally qualified to recruit some county officials. You should get to know the people on the list I gave you before, and if they are interested, recruit them as soon as possible." Tian Ze said. "Yes!" In the Han Dynasty, the prefect and the county magistrate seemed to be only one step apart, but their status was very different. If it is a normal promotion, Tian Ze needs at least ten years of hard work to achieve it. If it were not for the special situation in Liaodong and He Jin's guarantee, Tian Ze would never be able to sit in this position.
Today, Tian Ze is considered a high-ranking official who is directly responsible to the emperor. For some scholars and young generals of humble origins, he has a certain appeal. Naturally, Tian Ze wants to recruit a group of wise officials and famous generals. (End of this chapter)