After Yong'an entrusted his son to Liu Shan, Liu Shan turned evil and ruled the world.

Chapter 48: Did Merit Grant You Power? — The Chart Added the Word "Useless"

Li Yan stands second in the right row.

A complete set of official robes.

I held the twelve scrolls of bamboo slips in my hands.

They were tied with red string and stacked neatly.

I returned three days earlier than expected.

Liu Shan sat on it.

I glanced at him.

He seems to be in good spirits, but there are dark circles under his eyes.

The traces of traveling overnight could not be concealed by his official robes.

The sentry reported before dawn that road construction had already begun when they entered the south gate.

The carriage curtain was lifted slightly. A glance was taken out. Then it was lowered.

Upon returning to the Central Protectorate, Fei Guan received him. They spent an hour in the study.

I haven't been home for a month.

The first thing I did when I got back was ask how many people had changed outside.

The first few tasks remained the same: bridge repair, autumn harvest, and border post reports.

It was Li Yan's turn. He stepped forward. The bamboo slips were presented.

"Your Majesty, I was ordered to travel to the south for a month to investigate. The yield of cultivated land, military organization, tribal distribution, and mineral reserves are all recorded. I request Your Majesty's review."

The twelfth volume has been delivered.

Liu Shan flipped through two volumes. The figures were detailed and the organization was clear.

From Jianning to Zangke, the yield per mu and the number of soldiers in each prefecture were recorded without any discrepancy.

They really put in the effort.

"You've worked hard, Protector-General."

"To share Your Majesty's burdens, I dare not complain of hardship."

Li Yan steadied his voice for a couple of breaths. Then he changed the subject.

"I believe that the military system in the south should be adjusted. The current system relies too much on the self-recruitment of tribes, and the court has insufficient control over it."

There was a pause. All eyes in the hall turned towards them.

"Your subject requests that the imperial decree be issued to establish three military settlements in the south, which shall be directly under the jurisdiction of the imperial court."

The hall fell silent.

Liu Shan tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest.

Zhuge Liang spoke.

"I agree with what the Protector-General said. There is indeed room for improvement in the military system of the South. However—the matter of establishing military garrisons is of great importance and must be discussed with Li Hui, the Governor of Yijiang, before a decision is made."

Neither soft nor hard. Just sitting there.

Li Yan gripped his scepter tighter.

Liu Shan picked up the bamboo slips, flipped through them, and handed them to the eunuch.

"Issue the imperial decree. The military report on the southern regions submitted by Protector-General Li shall be jointly reviewed by the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Personnel. The matter of military settlements shall be discussed after the review results are available."

Li Yan's expression remained unchanged. His hands changed. A section of his knuckles on the tablet turned white.

The court session has ended.

Li Yan left the hall, his pace three steps faster than usual. Fei Guan followed behind, his mouth opening and closing, but he didn't speak.

Liu Shan sent a eunuch to chase after him.

Wooden box. A piece of fine Shu brocade. Cloud pattern. Embossed with gold thread.

Beneath the brocade was a small note. In Liu Shan's own handwriting: "The Protector-General has rendered great service and merit; I will remember it in my heart."

The eunuch ran off.

Zhuge Liang did not leave. He stood to the side of the hall.

"What does the Prime Minister think of his report from the south?"

"The figures are detailed, and the analysis is fair."

"The military settlements."

Zhuge Liang placed the feather fan on his lap.

"It can be adopted. But we can't let him decide who to choose."

Liu Shan thought for a moment.

"Let Li Hui decide."

"That's what I think too."

Zhuge Liang stood up. He walked to the door, paused for a moment, and didn't turn around.

"Your Majesty's Shu brocade is exquisite."

Liu Shan didn't respond. He lowered his head and flipped through the folded pages.

Zhuge Liang is gone. The hall is empty.

Liu Shan took a secret report from the corner of the table. It was from Li Hui. It was delivered last night.

"During his time in the south, the Protector-General had three secret talks with Cuan Xi. Cuan Xi relayed that the Protector-General promised to recommend Cuan Xi as the Prefect of Jianning County upon his return to the capital. The condition was that Cuan Xi would speak on the Protector-General's behalf in court. Cuan Xi neither agreed nor disagreed."

Not a single word was missed.

Liu Shan pressed his thumb on the silk for a moment.

They remained noncommittal. The people of Nanzhong were also weighing the options, but didn't agree. Meng Huo's pot of wine was more effective than Li Yan's three secret talks.

The secret report rested on the bean lamp. The flame licked at the bamboo strip. A few breaths later, it went out. The ashes were swept away.

Take the diagram from the hidden compartment. (Vermilion brush)

Three words were added next to Li Yan: "South China is ruined".

Retract the atlas. Press the cover firmly.

Back in the side hall. The curtains moved.

The sentry's voice was kept low to the floor.

Two items.

"The first thing. The eunuch caught up with Li Yan and delivered the box. Li Yan opened it, read the inscription, closed the box, and handed it to Fei Guan."

The sentry paused for a moment.

Fei Guan took the box. He stood and waited for a while. The Protector-General didn't speak. Fei Guan put the box on the table and left.

They've left. They didn't even keep Fei Guan.

There's no solution left to come up with.

I held the shell in my hand for a month, and it was empty inside.

After making a trip to the south, the proposal was submitted, and the right to review it was given to the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Personnel.

I admired the Shu brocade and wrote some kind words.

We can't fight them.

Annoyance cannot be resolved.

"The second item."

Fei Yi's silk strip was passed in from under the curtain. The order had changed. He hadn't used a sentry to dictate; he'd written it down directly.

A single line of text.

"Qianwei Guild Hall. Half an hour after the court assembly ended, a person emerged from the back door. Riding a fast horse, heading towards Qianwei."

Jianwei. It's Jianwei again.

Liu Shan pulled a strip of silk from his sleeve and wrote a line.

Follow along. Don't stop them. If you meet Zhao Heng, remember the place and time.

Fold it neatly. Tuck it into the gap in the curtain.

"For Fei Yi."

The curtain was taken away.

On the table lay Zhuge Liang's initial draft of his Northern Expedition strategy. Three pages. The handwriting was neat and legible.

The opening line is: "In my opinion, the key to the Northern Expedition lies in provisions, troops, and momentum. If all three are in place, the Central Plains can be conquered."

At the end of the blank space, Zhuge Liang wrote a line of small characters.

"This plan still requires Your Majesty's decision. I dare not presume to make it on your own."

Liu Shan picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote three characters next to it.

Discuss the Northern Expedition.

It's dried. Have a eunuch take it back to the Prime Minister's residence.

Footsteps passed by outside the threshold. Not Xiao Shunzi. Heavy steps. Each step steady.

Substitution.

The distant clanging of chisels echoed from outside the window. A road construction site. Hammer after hammer blow.

The backyard is almost clean.

[End of Chapter]