"Since our lord has no worries, then what need is there for a strategy?" Jia Xu added a hint of showing off in his tone.
Lu Ming disliked this kind of scholarly arrogance. He rubbed his head. "Wenhe, why not speak more bluntly? I don't understand."
Faced with such a direct and straightforward lord, Jia Xu was somewhat taken aback. He thought about it and realized it made sense. If the other party hadn't been so direct and frank, he wouldn't have switched allegiance to Lu Ming. Even under Dong Zhuo, he had seen the man's recklessness and pettiness; following Dong Zhuo wouldn't lead to great things.
Perhaps Jia Xu wasn't confident in other areas, but he was quite adept at judging people's appearances and understanding their hearts.
"Our lord is currently enjoying the height of imperial favor. The Yuan family has only two options. One is to send insignificant figures to provoke him, seeking weaknesses to convict him. The other is to send envoys to Longxi County to undermine his power!"
This was something Lu Ming hadn't considered. After a moment's thought, he stated directly, "The second point is unnecessary. When I return victorious, His Majesty will need meritorious officials to assist in establishing an heir apparent. There's no need to worry about them being discarded after their usefulness is over. Hmph, if the Yuan family doesn't interfere, fine; but if they do, I'll cut off their hands! Wenhe, in terms of scheming and intrigue, I'm no match for the Yuan family, but often, not everything has to be done according to the rules."
The current emperor has not yet designated an heir apparent.
According to the rules, the eldest son is always designated as the heir apparent.
However, Empress He's actions, coupled with the downfall of General He Jin, have changed Emperor Ling's mind.
More crucially, the eldest son, Liu Bian, was utterly incompetent—this was the most fatal flaw!
An emperor without talent isn't inherently terrible, but one lacking courage and shrewdness will be unreliable; no one would dare entrust him with anything.
Being an emperor isn't something just anyone can do.
Although Liu Hong was a scoundrel, he knew that if he passed the throne to his eldest son, Liu Bian, the Han dynasty, while not entirely destroyed, would at least be severely undermined.
Lu Ming's words were much more direct; he didn't care whether the Yuan family undermined the dynasty or not.
He had sent and placed countless people in Longxi Commandery. When he returned from Bingzhou, those who obeyed would be fine, but those who didn't, he'd have them all chopped up!
Not a single one spared!
Jia Xu's expression turned serious as he stroked his beard. "My lord, such slaughter, even if it stirs up bloodshed, is not to be feared, but we must be careful of a situation where we have no one to rely on."
"That's alright," Lu Ming said, lowering his voice. "I have already learned of a method to improve paper. The paper produced is white, smooth, and suitable for writing. We will then copy all the books in Luoyang's collection, and we will train our own scholars." He continued, "Back in the Chu-Han Contention, didn't the King of Guanzhong rely on accumulating grain and delaying his declaration of kingship? We have plenty of time; three to five years is enough to train the necessary minor officials and civil servants."
Jia Xu and Fa Zheng were both shocked. Such a bold statement was practically tantamount to rebellion on their minds.
"The people suffer when the dynasty prospers, and the people suffer when it falls. If everyone in this world lived in peace and prosperity, the Yellow Turbans wouldn't have rebelled. On their way here, did they see fields strewn with corpses? Powerful families monopolize power; to study, one must join their ranks. Power doesn't last three generations; after three generations, chaos is inevitable. The Yuan and Yang families have held power for so many years. If they wanted, whether the empire would belong to the Liu or Yuan families is still uncertain!"
"Was the Yellow Turban Rebellion truly instigated by Zhang Jiao? The Yuan family played a significant role. Only when the Han dynasty collapsed did they have the opportunity and the qualifications to seize imperial power. With the people's hearts corrupted, reverence naturally disappears. Heh, now in the border regions, Zhang Chun, the prefect of Zhongshan, has rebelled, Liaodong has responded, and together with the Wuhuan and Xianbei, they have launched a major uprising, raiding five prefectures: Qing, Xu, You, Ji, and Bing, killing and plundering officials and civilians, leaving devastation in their wake. Zhang Chun is a protégé of the Yuan family; without the Yuan family's authorization and support, a mere prefect couldn't have stirred up such a storm!"
This is a bit of a conspiracy theory, but regardless of whether it's true or not, let's first pin the blame on the Yuan family.
Lu Ming wanted to tell his two advisors his true thoughts on the world.
Putting oneself in others' shoes is the only way to prepare a foolproof plan.
Jia Xu, abandoning his indifferent attitude, even became much more dignified in his kneeling posture.
His assessment was that of a ruthless strategist; with a single word, he tore away the last veil of shame from the Han dynasty.
"The Han Dynasty is on the verge of collapse. My lord, you are making thorough preparations. All the past events have enlightened me. Since you are so determined, why not recruit some talented individuals from among the wandering knights to act as your spies?"
"According to the strategy of stockpiling grain, it's good, but we need someone to guard Longxi Commandery." Fa Zheng finally realized what was going on. Good heavens, this plot to rebel is truly outrageous!
However, he didn't object, because in the eyes of a wise man, the Han Dynasty was already beyond saving.
Its reputation was almost completely ruined.
For decades, the buying and selling of official positions had caused widespread suffering.
Where did the money for buying official positions come from?
It was undoubtedly from extorting money from the people, which led to the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
It could be said that the Han Dynasty was rotten to the bone; even a god couldn't save it.
Plus, there were powerful clans eyeing it covetously. Even if Bian Que (a legendary physician) came, he would only utter the three phrases: "It's beyond saving," "It's hopeless," and "Farewell."
"I plan to send Wenhe to garrison the city. I'll allocate twenty elite soldiers and one hero from here to you. The hero can be used to win over the wandering knights within the prefecture, and the elite soldiers will form a retinue to protect the city. The rest will be handled by Wenhe. As for the local powerful families, win them over if possible; those who cannot be won over will be killed. Their land and assets will be confiscated and placed in my name. We'll recruit refugees and impoverished families to cultivate the land, prioritizing stable settlements." Lu Ming's plan was to develop Longxi Prefecture into an industrial hub, connecting the Central Plains and the Western Regions.
Scarcity increases value, and cities connecting the two regions will benefit greatly.
"I accept the order," Jia Xu bowed deeply, a surge of pride rising within him.
He also wanted to accomplish something, but he needed an opportunity and a ruler who could completely trust him.
Sending him elite soldiers to form a retinue wasn't surveillance or suspicion, but rather a form of protection.
Longxi Commandery was devastated and ravaged, infiltrated by bandits and foreign tribes. Without any military power, going there would be tantamount to suicide.
This was no simple matter, but who was Jia Xu?
This problem was nothing to him.