A special thank you to my patrons:
—Miguel razo, Cain, Shahzaam, Jacob Mooe, Varun Madhu, Gonzalo Sumalavia, kevin Williams, Jose Carrillo, ZaberZ, Joseph, Jose Sierra, Nocturnal, Impreux, Florin Durbaca, Salim, Vernan Stapleton, Pasang Sherpa, Edvards Kazlouski, Wilver, Archer, ManyEB.
You can read 50 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - [email protected]/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
—————————————————————
Fei Qian knelt quietly and properly in the main hall. Behind the beaded curtain at the head of the hall sat Liu Xie, the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, also watching him in silence.
Originally, Fei Qian did not need to come. Although it was customary for ministers assigned to posts outside the capital to take leave of the emperor, that only applied to governors with a rank of two thousand dan or higher. Fei Qian's highest official position was only equivalent to one thousand dan…
However, Fei Qian's official position was too special. Additionally, the memorial submitted by Cai Yong had given Liu Xie the idea to meet Fei Qian. Therefore, after obtaining Li Ru's consent, Liu Xie summoned Fei Qian to the Eastern Pavilion of Deyang Hall.
It was both unbelievable and ironic that an emperor needed the permission of one of his ministers to see another, but that was the reality.
Even now, guards were stationed outside the hall. Though they did not appear to be eavesdropping, in reality, whether it was the guards or the eunuchs, someone was likely responsible for recording the conversation between the two and reporting it to Li Ru…
Liu Xie had been raised by Empress Dowager Dong. She was not particularly well-educated; in fact, she was not much different from the illiterate women in the countryside—petty, greedy, and sometimes speaking without thinking. However, she genuinely doted on Liu Xie, always thinking of him first when there was something delicious or fun to enjoy.
As a result, Liu Xie grew up in a relatively relaxed environment, much like a normal child—cheerful, playful, and relatively bold. This was also part of the reason he could step forward courageously under the intimidation of Dong Zhuo's soldiers.
But now, Liu Xie had completely changed.
Could one imagine a ten-year-old child thinking and speaking exactly like an adult, even uttering every word slowly and deliberately?
"...Zhonglang Fei," Fei Qian's current official position was rather peculiar, so after a few seconds of consideration, Liu Xie decided to address him as he was accustomed to, "...How confident are you in the assimilation strategy for Bingzhou?"
Fei Qian cupped his hands and replied, "I dare not hide it from Your Majesty. I have no confidence."
This was not Fei Qian being evasive or deceptive; he truly had no confidence. Although there were examples from later generations for reference, could they necessarily be implemented in the Han Dynasty?
Fei Qian did not want to create a false impression in front of the emperor by making grand promises. Sometimes, making promises too easily or exaggerating successes while hiding problems was akin to digging one's own grave.
Liu Xie found this somewhat strange and asked, "...Why is that?"
"No soldiers, no funds, no provisions, no people—hence, no confidence…" Fei Qian reported.
Fei Qian's words were straightforward and practical. The resources he currently controlled could be counted on one hand.
Aside from his original private troops, Family Head Fei Min had provided him with thirty guards, fifteen horses, fifty sets of ordinary armor, five sets of full body armor, and some additional weapons and provisions.
The Fei family was not a particularly large noble house, and they too faced relocation. They needed guards to protect the entire family on their journey west. If not for Fei Qian's voluntary request to go to Bingzhou, which resolved the conflicts between the Fei family and the Yuan and Yang families, Fei Min might not have provided these resources at all…
The court's allocation was relatively more substantial. In total, five hundred soldiers were assigned to him—two hundred from Bingzhou and three hundred from the Northern Army. These were formally placed under Fei Qian's command, equipped with five hundred spears, five hundred ring-pommel swords, five hundred sets of armor, one thousand each of clothing, robes, undergarments, and trousers, two hundred bows, one hundred crossbows, one hundred shields, fifty horses, a quantity of arrows, and two carts of miscellaneous items such as axes, chains, hooks, claws, forks, and horns. Additionally, he was provided with two hundred dan of provisions and three months' advance pay for the five hundred soldiers…
In other words, the Han Dynasty had assembled an army of about five hundred soldiers for Fei Qian, placed them under his jurisdiction, and covered their maintenance for three months. After three months, they would no longer be within the scope of support, and Fei Qian would have to resolve matters himself.
These were all the resources Fei Qian possessed.
Compared to the average person, this was quite substantial. For example, Gucheng, which Fei Qian had visited before, had only two to three hundred garrison soldiers. Thus, the troops Fei Qian now controlled was equivalent to the total military strength of two counties.
However, this was practically useless.
Bingzhou was vast. Five hundred soldiers—or, including Fei Qian's private troops, six to seven hundred men—tossed into Bingzhou would not even make a ripple…
Yet, Fei Qian's words left Liu Xie somewhat puzzled. "If that is the case, why are you going?"
"To quell the Qiang rebellion in Liangzhou, fourteen military campaigns were launched, costing two hundred and forty billion coins. The national treasury was depleted, and the court's coffers were emptied. Officials' salaries were reduced, loans were taken from nobles, and still the problem remained unsolved…" Fei Qian cited several figures, referring to the military expenses incurred by the Eastern Han Dynasty in suppressing the rebellions of the Qiang and Hu tribes in Liangzhou…
The Eastern Han Dynasty employed a military structure combining recruitment and conscription, resulting in significantly higher military expenditures compared to the Western Han Dynasty. Moreover, the example Fei Qian mentioned was only one instance of the campaigns against the Qiang and Hu tribes…
It could be said that the Eastern Han Dynasty's policies toward the Qiang and Hu tribes in Liangzhou were flawed, leading to repeated rebellions. This, in turn, affected the entire national finances. To suppress the rebellions, the Eastern Han Dynasty had to repeatedly borrow money and increase taxes in various prefectures and counties, further oppressing the common people. Eventually, the people could no longer bear the burden, and when disaster struck, they could no longer survive, leading to the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
Of course, during this period, local gentry families, taking advantage of the turmoil, built fortifications for self-protection and absorbed undocumented households, further reducing the Han Dynasty's tax revenue and worsening the situation…
Land annexation increased, the number of self-cultivating farmers decreased, the power of the gentry families grew stronger, and the imperial family's influence declined further.
Naturally, Fei Qian would not voice these thoughts. He merely expressed that if a single Hu tribesman could be assimilated, it would directly add a soldier to the state's ranks while saving the military expenses that would have been spent on dealing with that tribesman. This could alleviate the financial burden on the Han Dynasty…
Fei Qian concluded, "...In all matters under heaven, there are those that are easy to understand but difficult to execute, and those that are difficult to understand but easy to execute. As a minister, how can I choose only the easy tasks and abandon the difficult ones? Moreover, success depends on human effort. Since I receive the Han Dynasty's salary, I am duty-bound to serve the Han with loyalty, exerting all my strength and working diligently to guard and protect the territory of the Han, living up to Your Majesty's grace."
Fei Qian spoke calmly and plainly, without exaggeration or concealment, and without any dramatic fluctuations or fervent passion. Yet, Liu Xie found his words genuine and sincere, completely different from the obscure and convoluted language of Grand Tutor Yuan Wei or the circuitous speech of Minister of the Royal Stable Wang Yun.
Behind the beaded curtain, Liu Xie silently repeated the phrases "easy to understand but difficult to execute" and "difficult to understand but easy to execute" twice, nodding unconsciously. The Fei Qian before him seemed just as gentle and earnest as he remembered…
Suddenly, Liu Xie thought of something and smiled slightly. "Zhonglang Fei, your determination comforts me greatly. As you are about to depart… Attendants! Bring some pastries!"
Soon, a eunuch brought pastries in a food box and presented them. Liu Xie signal that these pastries be bestowed upon Fei Qian, saying, "These pastries are quite delicious. I bestow them upon you to fortify your journey."
After kowtowing to express his gratitude, Fei Qian accepted the pastries, took his leave of Liu Xie, and withdrew.
Glancing at the food box in his hand, Fei Qian couldn't help but entertain a strange thought: Could there be a secret message or a blood-stained edict hidden inside these pastries…
As he pondered this, Fei Qian walked while holding the food box. Unexpectedly, as soon as he turned a corner, he ran into Dong Zhuo, who was heading toward Deyang Hall…
Dong Zhuo was originally extremely burly, and after living a life of luxury in Luoyang during this period, he had gained a significant amount of weight. Standing there now, he truly gave the impression of a wall blocking the way.
Previously, in the main hall, the distance had been too great to feel much, but now, with Dong Zhuo standing right in front of him, Fei Qian genuinely felt an intense sense of oppression. It was as if all sunlight and warmth were instantly blocked out, leaving only darkness and cold.
Dong Zhuo walked up to Fei Qian, who was bowing in respect, tilted his head slightly, squinted his eyes, and stared at the food box beside him. "What is this?" he asked.
Fei Qian inwardly grumbled, So this is where Cao Cao learned his tricks from, this Dong the Fatso!
But grumbling aside, Fei Qian still replied respectfully, "This was bestowed by His Majesty."
"Oh? Bring it here!" Unlike Cao Cao, Dong Zhuo showed no courtesy whatsoever. Perhaps in Dong Zhuo's eyes, Fei Qian was merely a minor official, not worth mentioning. He directly had someone bring the food box to him, opened it, and saw four varieties of pastries, eight pieces in total, arranged in two layers with two of each kind stacked together.
Dong Zhuo tapped the food box lightly with his finger, then glanced at Fei Qian, who was bowing his head. Clearly, he was also somewhat puzzled as to why Liu Xie would bestow pastries upon him.
"These pastries look quite delicious. How about giving them to me?" Dong Zhuo asked, grinning.
Although Fei Qian's expression remained calm, his mind was racing. The trope of hiding a secret message in pastries or steamed buns was such a creative idea that it appeared in almost every spy film or drama. Although Liu Xie had never seen such movies or shows, what if he had figured it out on his own?
So, should he agree to Dong Zhuo's request or not?