novelSusiti Chapter 5: Rebellion Breaks Out Suddenly, Ruler and Ministers Formulate a Strategy
Chapter 5: Rebellion Breaks Out Suddenly, Ruler and Ministers Formulate a Strategy
The eunuch's report was like a thunderclap, exploding in the empty hall, causing the candlelight to flicker violently and the air to seem to freeze.
Liu Shan swayed, as if shocked by the news and unable to stand steadily. He quickly grabbed the armrest of the dragon throne beside him, his face turning ashen, his voice filled with undisguised panic.
"What...what did you say? Yong Kai rebelled? And he even killed Zheng Ang, the governor of Zangke?"
His brows furrowed, his hands wrung frantically, and he unconsciously took a half-step back, his expression anxious and helpless, completely flustered: "How could this be? The South has always been peaceful, why did Yong Kai suddenly rebel? And even collude with Eastern Wu... What should we do!"
The eunuch knelt on the ground, trembling all over, not daring to breathe, and repeatedly kowtowed with his head down: "Your Majesty, the urgent report is absolutely true! Yong Kai has gathered a crowd in the south and raised an army. The momentum is huge. He has also sent people to contact Eastern Wu. Now Zangke County has fallen into the hands of the rebels, and the surrounding tribes are also showing signs of responding."
Liu Shan slumped back onto the dragon throne, burying his face in his hands, his voice choked with sobs and helplessness: "My father has just passed away, and Shu is already unstable. Now the south is in chaos, and Wei and Wu are watching us like tigers eyeing the land... I am incompetent, and I truly do not know what to do!"
He lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes obscuring the expression in them. He seemed heartbroken, but his fingertips unconsciously traced the dark patterns on the armrest of the dragon throne—no one noticed that beneath that panic lay a trace of understanding and certainty.
The rebellion in the south came at just the right time; it was both a crisis and an opportunity for him to consolidate his power. However, this charade needed to be convincing enough to fool Zhuge Liang and Li Yan, as well as his spies lurking in the shadows.
"Quickly! Summon the Prime Minister and Minister Li to the palace immediately!" Liu Shan abruptly raised his head, his voice still trembling, but now filled with urgency. "This matter is of utmost importance. Only you two gentlemen can share my burdens and save Shu Han from this peril!"
The eunuch dared not delay, and hastily bowed and agreed, then quickly retreated from the hall to deliver the imperial decree.
Before long, Zhuge Liang and Li Yan hurriedly entered the palace. Both were dressed in plain clothes and looked solemn. They had already learned of the rebellion in the south on their way, but each had their own plans and their expressions were different.
"Your subject, Zhuge Liang (Li Yan), pays his respects to Your Majesty!" The two knelt down together, their tone respectful, yet they could not hide their own thoughts.
Liu Shan hurriedly rose, quickly descended from the dragon throne, and reached out to help the two men up, his fingertips trembling: "Gentlemen, please rise! There has been a rebellion in the south, and Yong Kai, in collusion with Eastern Wu, has killed the governor of Zangke. I am truly at a loss; I am entirely at your mercy!"
Zhuge Liang rose, gently waving his feather fan. His expression was solemn, and his gaze swept over Liu Shan's flustered face without making a sound. The doubt in his eyes deepened.
Despite His Majesty's apparent helplessness in the face of such a momentous event, he was able to summon them to the palace immediately without losing his composure, which suggests he is not entirely confused. Could it be that His Majesty is deliberately feigning weakness to test his and Li Yan's attitudes?
Li Yan rose, his expression equally solemn, yet a barely perceptible gleam of elation flickered in his eyes, his fingertips slightly raised. The rebellion in the south presented him with the perfect opportunity to win over the gentry of Yizhou and to check and balance Zhuge Liang!
If Zhuge Liang could lead the army to quell the rebellion and deplete the forces of Jingzhou, he could take the opportunity to consolidate his power in the court; even if he went on the expedition himself, he could use the merit of quelling the rebellion to control the military power in the south, achieving two goals at once.
"Your Majesty," Zhuge Liang spoke first, his tone steady and powerful, "Nanzhong is the foundation of Shu. If Yong Kai's rebellion is not quelled in time, it may spread throughout the entire territory. Moreover, with Eastern Wu secretly assisting, the consequences will be dire. I request permission to personally lead the army south to quell the rebellion, execute Yong Kai, and pacify the tribes!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Li Yan stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said urgently, "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister is absolutely right. Pacifying the south is of utmost urgency!"
He abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming earnest yet subtly calculating: "However, the Prime Minister is a pillar of Shu Han, holding supreme power. If he were to leave the capital and head south, unforeseen changes might occur within the court, making it difficult to deal with the probing threats from Wei and Wu. I am willing to lead the army south to quell Yong Kai's rebellion!"
"I have long been in Shu and am familiar with the terrain and tribal situation in the south. I will certainly live up to Your Majesty's trust and quell the rebellion as soon as possible, thus consolidating the foundation of the south!" Li Yan raised his eyes and met Zhuge Liang's gaze defiantly, showing no sign of yielding.
Zhuge Liang's heart skipped a beat—he knew Li Yan's ambition all too well. If he were allowed to lead the army south and seize control of the military in the south, he would surely become a major threat in the future! He immediately retorted, "Lord Li has not led troops for a long time. The rebellion in the south is raging, and Yong Kai is colluding with Eastern Wu. Only a valiant general can quell it!"
The two men, each sticking to their own version of events, locked eyes in mid-air, the tension palpable. Though the officials were not present, they seemed to sense the impending conflict between them, and even the eunuchs lowered their heads and held their breath in fear.
Liu Shan stood to the side, his expression growing increasingly flustered. He wrung his hands and paced back and forth, muttering, "What should I do? Both gentlemen have valid points, but I... I really can't make up my mind."
He paused deliberately for a moment, looked at Zhuge Liang, and said with a hint of pleading in his voice, "Prime Minister, I know you are loyal, but the court truly cannot do without you. But Lord Li..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhuge Liang interrupted him: "Your Majesty, I have a plan. I would like to recommend someone to assist Lord Li in his southward campaign, which will not only ensure the success of the rebellion but also stabilize the situation in the court."
"Oh? Whom does the Prime Minister recommend?" A barely perceptible glint flashed in Liu Shan's eyes, but he quickly regained his flustered expression and hurriedly asked, his tone full of "urgency".
"Li Hui, the Governor of Yijiang," Zhuge Liang said slowly, his tone resolute. "Li Hui is loyal and steadfast, familiar with the situation of the tribes in the south, and adept at dividing rebel forces. Let him assist Lord Li; the two of them will complement each other and surely pacify the south."
Li Yan's heart sank, and his face instantly turned cold. Li Hui had always been inclined to support Zhuge Liang. If he were to go south with Li Hui, he would not be able to control the army alone, let alone take the opportunity to expand his power!
However, he could not refuse directly, so he could only suppress his dissatisfaction and bow, replying, "Your subject obeys the decree and is willing to go south with Li Hui to quell the rebellion and live up to Your Majesty's trust."
Seeing this, Liu Shan showed a relieved expression and quickly said, "Good! Good! As the Prime Minister says!"
"Li Yan is appointed as the commander-in-chief of the campaign to quell the rebellion in the south, and Li Hui as the deputy commander-in-chief. They shall lead the army south to suppress Yong Kai's rebellion! All necessary provisions and weapons shall be allocated and distributed under the Prime Minister's overall command. The rebellion must be quelled as soon as possible, and the people of the south must be pacified!"
"Your subject obeys!" The two bowed in unison, but their tone betrayed their resentment and calculation.
Just then, the eunuch rushed in again, his expression even more panicked. He disregarded etiquette and knelt down to report urgently: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Another urgent report has come from the south: Yong Kai has contacted Meng Huo and other tribal leaders to launch a rebellion. The rebel army is now approaching Yuexi County, and the garrison commander has sent men to desperately plead for reinforcements!"
"What?" Liu Shan's body trembled, his face turning even paler. He staggered back a step, gripping the dragon throne tightly, his voice trembling with tears, "Meng Huo has rebelled too? This...this southern region, is it going to descend into complete chaos?"
A glint of wild joy flashed in Li Yan's eyes, and he chuckled to himself: Meng Huo is the leader of the southern tribes and has a huge power. With him joining, the rebellion will become even more troublesome. Even if Li Hui has some ability, he will find it difficult to turn the tide!
Then, he can secretly delay until the rebels are powerful enough to ask His Majesty to send more troops, thus gaining complete control of the military in the south, sidelining Zhuge Liang, and even controlling Liu Shan!
Zhuge Liang's brows furrowed, his expression growing increasingly grave—Meng Huo's joining the rebellion undoubtedly made suppressing it much more difficult. The southern tribes were numerous; if they couldn't be divided and weakened, relying solely on military force would likely be insufficient to completely quell the rebellion and might even exacerbate existing conflicts.
He looked up at Liu Shan, hesitant to speak—His Majesty seemed at a loss, yet remained silent. Could it be that he already had a plan in mind? That calmness hidden beneath the panic was no illusion.
Liu Shan lowered his eyes, concealing the calculation in them, his voice trembling with emotion: "Gentlemen, Meng Huo has also rebelled. What should we do? I... I really don't know what to do."
He raised his head, looked at Li Yan, and said urgently, "Lord Li, you must lead your troops south as soon as possible to stabilize the situation and prevent the rebellion from spreading further! If necessary, I will support you even if it means emptying the treasury!"
"Your subject will certainly not fail in his mission!" Li Yan bowed and replied, his eyes filled with determination, eager to lead his army south immediately and take control of the entire situation.
Zhuge Liang looked at Liu Shan, his doubts deepening, but he ultimately asked no further questions and bowed to take his leave. After the two left, the hall returned to silence.
The panic and helplessness on Liu Shan's face vanished instantly, replaced by a cold and resolute expression. He slowly walked into the hall, his fingertips tracing the half-finished tiger tally at his waist, a sharp glint in his eyes.
"Your Majesty." The dark figure emerged again from the shadows, kneeling on one knee. It was Mo Chen. "Lord Li Hui has received a secret order and can lead his army south at any time. In addition, I have discovered that Meng Huo's uprising was not a genuine rebellion, but rather Yong Kai was using his tribe members as hostages, and there are also envoys from Eastern Wu secretly instigating trouble."
Liu Shan nodded slightly, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes: "I knew it, Meng Huo was not truly rebelling against Han."
He ordered in a deep voice: "Issue my secret order, instructing Li Hui to secretly contact Meng Huo, inform him of Yong Kai's conspiracy, and offer him tribal autonomy and a three-year tax exemption to persuade him to surrender and divide the rebel army. This matter must be kept secret and no one should find out."
"Your subject obeys the decree." Mo Chen bowed in agreement and quietly withdrew.
Silence returned to the palace, the flickering candlelight illuminating Liu Shan's tall figure. He walked to the window, gazing southward, a cold smile playing on his lips.
Yong Kai rebelled, Meng Huo was coerced, Li Yan harbored ambitions, and Zhuge Liang was filled with suspicion—all of this was under his control. Eastern Wu was eager to sow discord, and Wei and Wu were eyeing him covetously, but they all thought that he was still the incompetent ruler Liu Shan.
"Eastern Wu, Cao Wei, and Li Yan, you all underestimate me." Liu Shan gripped the tiger tally at his waist tightly with his fingertips. "In the end, I will be the one to make the moves in this game. The rebellion in the south is the first step in my consolidation of power, and no one can stop me."
This tiger tally was a contingency plan left to her by her father, and now it's time to put it to good use.
Just then, a palace attendant entered to report, his expression respectful yet somewhat probing: "Your Majesty, Qiao Zhou and other officials from the gentry of Yizhou have jointly requested an audience, claiming they have a good plan to quell the rebellion to report to Your Majesty."
A cold glint flashed in Liu Shan's eyes, and a barely perceptible smile curved his lips. The gentry of Yizhou, in the end, could no longer contain themselves and sought to use the rebellion in the south to interfere in court affairs and vie for power.
Very well, since they've come to me of their own accord, then don't blame me for using them to add another pawn to the game of checks and balances.
"Summon them in." Liu Shan put on his usual timid and helpless expression again, slowly sat back on the dragon throne, his voice still carrying a hint of weariness and panic, as if he had not yet recovered from the news of the rebellion in the south.
He knew that another power struggle within the imperial court, centered around the suppression of the rebellion in the south, was about to begin. This time, he intended to use the pretext of suppressing the rebellion to thoroughly investigate the true intentions of all factions and gradually consolidate power in his own hands.
Little did he know that Yong Kai had already secretly received a promise from Cao Wei's envoy, and an even greater crisis was quietly brewing in the south, about to engulf the entire Shu Han...