He Jin furrowed his brows, straightened his robes, stepped forward, and declared loudly!
"Yuan Situ, those words are wrong. What if he is still young? In the past, Huo Qubing, at only seventeen or eighteen, was made Champion Marquis and became the Great Han's bulwark."
"Now, Liu Jin is the same. He has campaigned for His Majesty in all directions, annihilated the Yellow Turban, and shown the demeanor of a famous general. Why can't he be enfeoffed as a Marquis and become the new Great Han's bulwark?"
"Could it be that you, Yuan Situ, believe His Majesty does not possess the qualities of Emperor Wu and cannot cultivate a Champion Marquis?"
Yuan Wei and the others paused upon hearing this.
Their eyes subtly glanced at Liu Hong, who was seated on the dragon throne. He was thin, with dim eyes, and looked like a sickly person.
They secretly thought, "How can He Jin say such a thing without blushing? Our Emperor, in his weak state, is nowhere near comparable to the mighty and awe-inspiring Emperor Wu of Han."
However, these words naturally could not be spoken, or all of them would face the extermination of their nine generations.
Yuan Kui's eyes darted around, constantly conversing with those around him. After some thought, he immediately stepped forward and declared loudly!
"Great General, it's not that we don't want Liu Jin to be enfeoffed as a Marquis; it's just that he is genuinely too young, and his achievements are not yet sufficient."
"If he is enfeoffed as a Marquis, how will the other main generals conduct themselves?"
"Especially Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, who led the Han Army to victory after victory, driving the Yellow Turban from Runan and Yingchuan into a rout."
"In the battle of Changshe, they annihilated hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban, yet they have not yet been enfeoffed as Marquises. They are only recorded for future rewards."
"If Liu Jin is prematurely enfeoffed as a Marquis, wouldn't it dampen the spirits of the soldiers, lead to instability on the front lines, cause the situation to collapse, and give the Yellow Turban an opportunity to turn the tables?"
"Therefore, I ask the Great General and His Majesty to consider this further. First, promote Liu Jin's official position. As for the matter of enfeoffment, it will not be too late to reward him according to his merits once the Yellow Turban Rebellion is completely pacified."
Liu Hong, seated on the dragon throne, nodded upon hearing this. It made some sense.
The matter of enfeoffment was not trivial; it had to be handled impartially and not arbitrarily, especially with fighting still ongoing on the front lines.
If it were to cause dissatisfaction among the commanding generals, who might then join the Yellow Turban Army, his dragon throne would not be secure.
After a moment of silence, Liu Hong declared loudly!
"The matter of enfeoffment will be discussed after the war is settled. However, Liu Jin has merits now and should naturally be rewarded to demonstrate the might of our Great Han."
"Let him be promoted to the rank of Commandant, and continue to serve under Lu Zhi."
Great General He Jin immediately stepped forward to express his support. Although he couldn't be enfeoffed as a Marquis, obtaining the position of Commandant was also good.
If he advanced further later, he could become a Zhonglang General, a position held by only a handful in the entire Great Han.
By then, he would be a prominent figure in the military and He Jin's right-hand man, allowing him to firmly establish himself in the court.
Yuan Kui and the other aristocratic families could only nod in agreement upon hearing this.
Since Liu Jin wasn't enfeoffed as a Marquis, his official position had to be elevated. Otherwise, it would incur the displeasure of the Great General and His Majesty. Both sides had to compromise for the court's stability to endure.
After Liu Hong saw that everyone agreed, he immediately instructed the eunuch beside him to draft an imperial decree, preparing to issue the reward early.
After the matter was handled, he asked the officials in the court.
"My beloved ministers, is there anything else you wish to report? If not, court is adjourned today."
Just then, Zuo Feng, disheveled and with messy hair, walked into the main hall, fell to his knees with a thud, and cried out!
"Your Majesty, you must uphold justice for your old servant!"
Liu Hong, seated on the dragon throne, saw his favored official in such a state. He frowned and coldly asked!
"What exactly happened? Didn't I send you to supervise the army under Lu Zhi? Why are you back so soon?"
Zuo Feng, with red eyes, cried out!
"Your Majesty, I went to inspect the military camp and saw that the enemy forces in Guangzong City were disorganized and morale was low, making it easy to defeat them. However, Lu Zhi refused to listen to my advice, instead insulted me, and expelled me from the camp."
"I believe this Lu Zhi is audacious, harbors deep selfish motives, and relies on commanding tens of thousands of troops outside to cultivate his own power, disregarding His Majesty's orders."
The civil and military officials were shocked upon hearing this and immediately began to whisper among themselves.
This was no small charge. If he truly hoarded troops for his own power, it would lead to the extermination of his nine generations.
Liu Hong, seated on the dragon throne, revealed a fierce glint in his eyes and coldly roared!
"How outrageous! This Lu Zhi dares to be so bold and intends to hoard troops for his own power!"
"Great General, send someone to escort Lu Zhi back to the capital! I will punish him!"
Immediately, Lu Zhi's trusted confidants and friends quickly stepped forward!
"Your Majesty, there must be a mistake in this matter! Lu Zhi is an upright and loyal man; his loyalty is evident. He would never betray the court. We implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly and not be angered."
Liu Hong didn't listen at all, a fierce look in his eyes, staring intently at the few people before him.
Lu Zhi had already challenged his authority. Regardless of whether he was guilty or not, he had to be escorted back to the capital.
He angrily rebuked!
"Anyone who dares to step forward and intercede, I will have them imprisoned as well!"
The few people who had stepped forward to intercede could only lower their heads, not wanting to get further involved in this messy situation.
Although they didn't believe Lu Zhi had such great ambition, this matter was extremely sensitive. It was an act of hoarding troops for one's own power, and getting involved could lead to the extermination of nine generations.
Some even, with meticulous thought, saw that with Lu Zhi being escorted back to the capital, they could send their trusted confidants or clan members to take over as Central Protector-General, thereby increasing their standing in the court.
Yuan Wei pondered for a moment, then immediately stepped forward and said!
"Your Majesty, since this Lu Zhi is to be escorted back to the capital, the tens of thousands of Han Army troops at the front will be without a main general. While it might be fine for a short time, prolonged absence could lead to problems."
"Someone must be reappointed as the main general to command the three armies and annihilate the Yellow Turban."
"Your subject believes that Dong Zhuo is loyal and brave in battle, and can take over Lu Zhi's position, command the three armies, and annihilate the Yellow Turban."
He Jin's eyes lit up upon hearing this. Since Lu Zhi was dismissed, presumably, his deputy, Zong Yuan, would also be arrested and brought back to the capital.
This was a perfect opportunity to recommend Liu Jin as deputy general, gaining him political capital.
He immediately stepped forward and declared loudly!
"Your subject believes that Dong Zhuo can serve as the main general, and Liu Jin as the deputy general. With their combined efforts, they will surely be able to defeat the Yellow Turban."
Yuan Kui cursed inwardly upon hearing this, not expecting He Jin to take advantage of the situation.
He had wanted to step forward and object, but after some thought, he suppressed it.
If he opposed Liu Jin becoming deputy general, He Jin would likely oppose Dong Zhuo becoming main general. In that case, neither side would benefit.
Rather than that, it was better for both sides to support it. With the aristocratic families and the General's Mansion supporting it, no one else could stir up trouble.
Liu Hong considered this, finding it agreeable to his wishes. At the very least, the main general and deputy general were not from the same faction, which would put his mind at ease, not fearing them hoarding troops and threatening the court.
He declared loudly!
"Since that is the case, let Dong Zhuo serve as the main general and Liu Jin as the deputy general. The two of them will work together, command the three armies, and annihilate the Yellow Turban."
The civil and military officials in the court all bowed and affirmed.
Soon, the military order and imperial decree were swiftly dispatched.