As Yuan Wei stepped forward to speak, many of Yuan's disciples also came out to agree with him.
The main war faction and others frowned upon hearing this, and many people's faces showed displeasure.
Especially Huangfu Song in the crowd, ever since he was suspected by the Emperor last time, although he was not imprisoned, he was still suppressed and no longer had his previous prestige.
He had hoped to use this opportunity to regain military power, win a beautiful victory, and restore his former reputation.
However, the Yuan clan unexpectedly jumped out to oppose him, filling him with unwillingness; he could not miss this chance to make a comeback.
Huangfu Song immediately stepped forward and said loudly!
"Your Majesty, I believe Yuan Situ is incorrect."
"Since these Xiongnu have rebelled and begun to challenge the might of our Great Han, we should send troops early to suppress them."
"Lest the enemy thinks our Great Han is terminally ill and dares not oppose them, they will become even more arrogant in their hearts. At that time, the leaders of various foreign tribes in the surrounding areas will all choose to follow suit, and the court will truly be surrounded by enemies."
"Have all of you forgotten that the former Shuo Fang Commandery was gradually encroached upon by these Xiongnu and is now completely their territory? Now they are using the same method to invade Wuyuan Commandery. If this continues, the entire Bing Province will probably become the territory of the Xiongnu."
"In my opinion, we must send troops early to suppress the Xiongnu, nip any and all factors in the bud, and let the surrounding foreign tribes feel the might of the court, so they will not dare to oppose it."
Liu Hong nodded upon hearing this, finding Huangfu Song's words very reasonable.
Since these Xiongnu had rebellious intentions, they naturally had to be suppressed to prevent them from growing stronger and even uniting with other tribes, which would make suppression very difficult later on.
Yuan Wei heard this, and an expression of displeasure instantly appeared on his wrinkled face.
He hadn't expected Huangfu Song to dare to jump out and oppose his statement.
He knew exactly what Huangfu Song was thinking; he had clearly been impeached some time ago, causing him to lose both fame and prestige.
He must have been unwilling and wanted to regain power.
He immediately stepped forward to retort!
"Your Majesty, although General Huangfu Song's words are reasonable, the most important task at hand is to quell the Xi Liang Rebellion."
"If we divide our forces, leading to a weakening of our front lines and giving the Xi Liang Rebels an opportunity to recapture Chang'an's Three Supports, it will then threaten Luoyang. As to what is more important, I ask Your Majesty to reconsider."
Liu Hong, sitting on the dragon throne, frowned upon hearing this; Yuan Wei's words also made sense.
the court's elite troops were all suppressing the Xi Liang Rebellion. If a portion of the troops were diverted to suppress the Xiongnu, no one could guarantee what might happen.
Just as the main war faction and the appeasement faction were arguing.
He Jin, standing in the crowd, watched the others vying for power, and a glimmer of light instantly appeared in his eyes. He immediately stepped forward and said loudly!
"Reporting to Your Majesty, I have a foolproof plan."
As soon as these words were uttered, the arguments in the court instantly ceased, and both factions looked towards He Jin in the crowd.
Liu Hong, sitting above, looked over with deep eyes and eagerly asked!
"What brilliant plan does the Great General have?"
He Jin adjusted his robes, a confident expression on his face, and said loudly!
"Reporting to Your Majesty, we can have General Zhenbei Liu Jin lead troops to suppress the Xiongnu. This way, we won't need to mobilize elite troops from the front lines, and we can also curb the arrogance of the Xiongnu. Isn't this killing two birds with one stone?"
"Furthermore, Liu Jin was then the Defender General of the Xiongnu, a title bestowed by Your Majesty. Although he is now General Zhenbei, his duty remains. Since the Xiongnu are causing trouble, it is only right that he should suppress them."
Everyone was stunned upon hearing this, almost forgetting that there was also General Zhenbei Liu Jin.
The main reason was that everyone wanted to contend for military power in the court; holding some military power would make them more assertive. They hadn't considered Liu Jin at all.
Liu Hong heard this, and his tightly furrowed brows instantly relaxed, a look of joy appearing on his face. He still had a Qilin Child of the Imperial Clan.
He said loudly!
"The Great General is right. Since the Xiongnu are causing some unrest, then send General Zhenbei Liu Jin to suppress them."
He Jin's smile was very bright upon hearing this, and he continued to say!
"Your Majesty, I believe that Liu Jin leading a large army to campaign against the Xiongnu will clearly not be settled in a short time, and there will certainly be a shortage of provisions."
"It would be better to let Liu Jin, as General Zhenbei, control the six northern commanderies, namely Yanmen Commandery, Yunzhong Commandery, Dingxiang, Wuyuan Commandery, Shuo Fang Commandery, and Shang Commandery. He could also raise enough provisions to suppress the Xiongnu and prepare for a prolonged war."
"Lest, later on, with insufficient provisions, we are forced to retreat, which would only make the Xiongnu even more arrogant, believing that the might of our Great Han no longer exists."
"Therefore, we either do not campaign, or if we do, we must cripple and disable these Xiongnu directly, making them feel pain, so they will be honest in the future."
Liu Hong pondered for a moment after hearing this and was still very satisfied with what He Jin had said.
As for controlling the six northern commanderies, he wasn't worried about the power being too great. Liu Jin was, after all, a member of the imperial clan, and he trusted him greatly.
If it were another general of a different surname, he would have to reconsider whether to grant such authority.
He immediately spoke loudly!
"If that is the case, then let General Zhenbei Liu Jin control the six commanderies to procure provisions and suppress the Xiongnu unrest."
Upon hearing this, the civil and military officials in the court frowned slightly. Anyone with a discerning eye could perceive that His Majesty greatly approved of Liu Jin.
But they also had nothing to say; he was, after all, a member of the imperial clan, and the degree of trust was naturally more reliable than for outsiders like them.
Especially with the widespread unrest in various places, no one could guarantee whether it would threaten the court. It was perfectly normal for Liu Hong to want to cultivate some members of the imperial clan to take on important responsibilities.
Seeing this situation, Yuan Wei could only swallow his bitterness. He had initially wanted to be the first to object, absolutely unwilling to let members of the imperial clan rise.
But there was no way; if he objected, the Great General and the main war faction would definitely find a way to mobilize Dong Zhuo's troops to suppress the rebellion. If that happened, it would instead weaken his own power, so he could only approve of the matter.
Liu Hong saw that no one in the court objected, so he waved his dragon robe and said loudly!
"Do any of you beloved ministers have anything else to discuss? If there is nothing else to report, today's court session is dismissed."
After waiting for a moment, the civil and military officials in the court had nothing to report.
The young eunuch standing beside him stood up and shouted!
"Court dismissed!"
As the sound faded, Liu Hong left the great hall, supported by the eunuch.
The civil and military officials all bowed, then successively exited the great hall, boarded their carriages, and returned to their respective residences.
the court's orders sped northward with extreme haste.
