novelSusiti Chapter 6: The Aristocratic Clan Offers Strategies, and the Later Lord Makes Secret Plans
Chapter 6: The Aristocratic Clan Offers Strategies, and the Later Lord Makes Secret Plans
"Summon them in."
As soon as Liu Shan finished speaking, the sound of orderly footsteps came from outside the hall. Qiao Zhou, dressed in plain court robes, led five or six officials from the Yizhou gentry clans, bowing as they filed in. Their expressions were solemn, but they could not hide the urgency and calculation in their eyes.
Each of them carried a memorial in their hands. As they entered the hall, they knelt and kowtowed in unison, their voices deliberately calm and steady, carrying a hint of their power to control the court and the people: "Your Majesty, we pay our respects! Long live the Emperor!"
Liu Shan sat upright on the dragon throne, still looking timid and helpless. His brows were slightly furrowed, and his voice carried a hint of lingering weariness. He raised his hand in a gesture of support, and said in a daze, "My dear ministers, please rise."
He paused, then added with feigned eagerness, "I just heard that you have a good plan to quell the rebellion. Tell me quickly, if it can resolve the crisis in the south, I will reward you handsomely!"
Qiao Zhou was the first to stand up, holding the memorial in both hands. He quickly stepped forward and handed the memorial to the eunuch, bowing deeply as he presented it. His tone seemed earnest, but in reality, every word he uttered was a ploy to seize power for the gentry of Yizhou.
"Your Majesty, a rebellion has broken out in the south. Yong Kai has colluded with Wu and Wei, wreaking havoc in Shu. We, your subjects, are worried day and night, unable to eat, and wish we could share Your Majesty's burdens and relieve your worries!"
Changing his tone, he glanced at his colleagues beside him, his voice becoming increasingly firm and authoritative: "The land of Nanzhong borders Yizhou. Many of the gentry from Yizhou are familiar with the terrain of Nanzhong and understand the languages of the tribes, making them the best candidates to quell the rebellion."
"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you appoint men from Yizhou as governors of the various prefectures in the south, to assist Lord Li Yan in quelling the rebellion, to appease the local tribes, to consolidate the foundation of Shu, and to help Your Majesty quell the rebellion as soon as possible and restore peace to Shu Han!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the other aristocratic officials bowed and echoed him, their voices resounding in unison, carrying a hint of pressure: "Your Majesty, please grant our request! We are willing to recommend virtuous and talented individuals to share Your Majesty's burdens and to serve Shu Han to the death!"
Liu Shan lowered his eyes, his fingers unconsciously stroking the armrest of the dragon throne. He seemed hesitant, but his fingertips inadvertently traced the dark patterns on the armrest—the signal he had agreed upon with Mo Chen, secretly communicating and keeping a close eye on Qiao Zhou and the others. A barely perceptible cold glint flashed in his eyes.
He had long seen through their intentions: under the guise of suppressing the rebellion, they wanted to firmly grasp control of the southern region, collude with Li Yan, and strengthen the power of the Yizhou gentry, which would inevitably become a major threat in the future. However, now was the time when he needed manpower, so he couldn't directly reject their proposal. He needed to stabilize them first and then defeat them one by one.
Liu Shan slowly raised his eyes, a hint of difficulty on his face, his voice hesitant, feigning concern: "I appreciate the loyalty of my beloved ministers. However, the rebellion in the south is perilous, and the position of prefect is crucial to the overall suppression of the rebellion. If the wrong person is appointed, it may ruin the great cause and implicate the entire Shu Han!"
Upon seeing this, Qiao Zhou quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said urgently, "Your Majesty, rest assured! The people we recommended are all virtuous and capable individuals from Yizhou, loyal and devoted, and familiar with the situation in the south. They will certainly live up to Your Majesty's expectations!"
His words were loaded with hidden meaning, subtly linking the Yizhou gentry with Li Yan, his tone carrying a hint of suggestion and pressure: "Furthermore, Lord Li Yan has long been in Shu, and he shares the same heart and mind with our Yizhou gentry. With our assistance, Lord Li will surely be able to pacify the South and ensure the stability of Shu as soon as possible!"
The implication was clear: without heavily relying on the gentry of Yizhou, Li Yan's suppression of the rebellion would be difficult, and His Majesty had no other choice. Qiao Zhou secretly gave a wink to his colleague beside him, his eyes filled with determination, certain that Liu Shan would compromise.
Liu Shan sneered inwardly, but his expression grew increasingly flustered. He wrung his hands and paced back and forth, muttering, "This... how can I decide? On one hand, there are the loyal recommendations of my beloved ministers; on the other hand, there is the crucial matter of suppressing the rebellion. I... I truly cannot make up my mind!"
He paused deliberately for a moment, looked at Qiao Zhou, and said with a hint of probing in his tone, feigning helplessness: "How about this, my dear ministers, please present the list of talents you recommend, and I will give it to the Prime Minister and Minister Li so that they can discuss it together."
"If it is suitable, I will grant your request, what do you say?"
Upon hearing this, a hint of joy flashed in Qiao Zhou and the others' eyes. They knew that although Zhuge Liang favored his old subordinates from Jingzhou, Li Yan would definitely favor the gentry of Yizhou. As long as the list was delivered to Li Yan, the matter would almost certainly succeed, and the position of governor of Nanzhong would be within their grasp.
"Your Majesty, we obey!" Qiao Zhou hurriedly bowed and acknowledged, gesturing for the official beside him to hand over the list. His tone was respectful, yet he couldn't hide his pride. "We have prepared the list of recommendations; Your Majesty, please review it!"
The eunuch stepped forward, took the list, and presented it to Liu Shan. Liu Shan took the list, glanced at it quickly, and saw that all the names on it were sons of the Yizhou gentry, and some of them were even Qiao Zhou's confidants. He had already made a thorough plan in his mind—he could use Zhuge Liang to check and balance Li Yan and the Yizhou gentry.
"Very well, I understand." Liu Shan placed the list on the table next to the dragon throne, a look of relief on his face. He feigned sincerity and said, "Rest assured, my beloved ministers, I will urge the Prime Minister and Minister Li to discuss this matter as soon as possible and give you a satisfactory answer."
"Your Majesty, we thank you for your grace!" Qiao Zhou and the others knelt down to express their gratitude, their faces full of confidence, as if the position of governor of Nanzhong was already theirs. After bowing and taking their leave, their steps were light and quick.
After Qiao Zhou and the others left, the hall returned to silence. The timidity and panic on Liu Shan's face vanished instantly, replaced by coldness and disdain.
He picked up the list of recommendations on the table and tossed it aside casually, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes: a bunch of short-sighted fools who think they can control the South and interfere in politics by relying on Li Yan. Little do they know that they are just pawns for me to balance the various forces.
"Your Majesty." A dark figure emerged silently from the shadows, kneeling on one knee. It was Mo Chen. His voice was extremely low, and every word carried astonishing information: "I have discovered that Yong Kai has reached a secret agreement with Cao Wei's envoy."
"Cao Wei promised that if Yong Kai could hold off the Shu Han army until the Cao Wei army marched south, they would enfeoff Yong Kai as the King of Nanzhong, cede the Nanzhong region to his jurisdiction, and send a large army to help him consolidate his power."
Liu Shan's fingers paused slightly, and the coldness in his eyes intensified. Cao Wei was indeed ambitious, wanting to reap the benefits without lifting a finger, and Yong Kai, being greedy and insatiable, would surely be blinded by this temptation. The situation in the south would likely become even more complicated and uncontrollable.
"There is one more thing," Mo Chen continued in a deep voice, "During Li Yan's southward march, he secretly sent someone to contact Qiao Zhou. The two made an agreement that after pacifying the south, they would jointly recommend the sons of the Yizhou gentry to gradually undermine the Prime Minister's power in the south and take the opportunity to strengthen themselves."
"In addition, Lord Li Hui has arrived at the border of Nanzhong and secretly contacted Meng Huo's confidants, informing them of Yong Kai's conspiracy to collude with Cao Wei and use his tribesmen as hostages. Meng Huo is willing to surrender, but he has not dared to act yet because his tribesmen are being threatened. He is still secretly observing the situation."
Liu Shan nodded slightly, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes. Everything was under his control, but the collusion between Li Yan and Qiao Zhou was more urgent than he had anticipated, and the direct intervention of Cao Wei had added more variables and dangers to this campaign to quell the rebellion.
"Issue my secret order," Liu Shan commanded in a deep voice, his tone firm and leaving no room for argument. "Have Li Hui remain inactive for now, secretly observe the movements of Yong Kai and the Cao Wei envoy, and be sure to gather irrefutable evidence of their collusion. Do not alert them."
He paused, then continued, "Furthermore, send someone to deliver Qiao Zhou's list of recommendations to Zhuge Liang, informing the Prime Minister that I intend to appoint members of the Yizhou gentry to reassure the people, but the Prime Minister must strictly oversee and carefully verify the names on the list, lest treacherous individuals infiltrate the position of governor of Nanzhong and jeopardize the important task of suppressing the rebellion."
"Your subject obeys the decree." Mo Chen bowed in agreement, then vanished silently, as if he had never been there.
Liu Shan walked to the palace window, gazing southward with a solemn expression. The rebellion in the south, seemingly a local tyrant's act, was in reality a complex interplay of multiple forces: the spying of Wu and Wei, the power struggle among the Yizhou gentry, and the ambitious Li Yan. One wrong step could lead to utter ruin.
What he didn't know was that Yong Kai had already noticed Li Hui's unusual movements and secretly set up an ambush, waiting for Li Hui to walk into the trap, attempting to wipe out the vanguard of the Shu Han army that was suppressing the rebellion.
What they didn't know was that Cao Wei's secret envoy not only contacted Yong Kai, but also secretly made contact with Gao Ding, another tribal leader in Nanzhong. He offered Gao Ding great benefits and instigated him to rebel against Han, intending to completely disrupt Nanzhong and watch Shu Han suffer internal strife.
Meanwhile, Zhuge Liang received the list of recommendations from Liu Shan. Looking at the densely packed names of Yizhou gentry, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes. He vaguely sensed that His Majesty's move was not simply to appease the gentry, but seemed to have a deeper meaning behind it—seemingly a compromise, but in reality, he was using Zhuge Liang to check the power of Li Yan and the Yizhou gentry.
A covert war surrounding the suppression of the rebellion in southern China has intensified, with various forces secretly vying for power and danger lurking everywhere.
Liu Shan raised his hand and stroked the fragments of the tiger tally at his waist, his fingers tightening, a resolute glint in his eyes. Neither Li Yan, Qiao Zhou, nor Yong Kai, nor Cao Wei could disrupt his plans. This southern land, this Shu Han empire, would ultimately be under his control.
However, he had not anticipated that Gao Ding's sudden uprising would cause the situation in the south to spiral out of control, and that Li Hui's rash actions to save Meng Huo's people would nearly lead him into utter ruin, almost completely disrupting his entire plan...