Chapter 107: Yang Xiu's Request

  Xu Huan was a county official and did not belong to the national official system. In front of the emperor, he could only be called a commoner.

  The political system of the Han Dynasty was local autonomy, and the government's rule only extended to the counties. Only the prefects, county magistrates, and county heads were appointed by the government; apart from this, most of the officials in the prefectural offices and county temples were held by local people.

  Being an official in a county is, of course, unattainable for ordinary people. Without any family background or influence, it's impossible to achieve this position. Although there may be exceptions where individuals with outstanding abilities are discovered by the county governor or recommended by someone influential, generally speaking, those who hold positions in the county have some family wealth. One's official rank is also closely tied to their family's power and influence.

  Xu Huan's family background was ordinary, so in the county he was just an inconspicuous small official. If it weren't for his outstanding performance in this battle, he wouldn't have had a chance to stand out. He was lucky enough to follow Niu Fu on a military campaign and make achievements, and he felt honored to stand before the Emperor and receive his inquiry. He already felt like he was born with good fortune, and his ancestors' tombs were emitting auspicious smoke, but unexpectedly the Emperor actually knew him too.

  Xu Huan was stunned for a moment. He had a feeling that his good luck had arrived.

  Not only was Xu Huan stunned, but Niu Fu and others were also extremely surprised. When Liu Bian asked Dong Zhuo for Zhang Xun and Jia Xu, they were already very suspicious, but it could still be explained, after all, Zhang Xun was a brave warrior in the Liangzhou army, and the reputation of the Northern Territory Gun King was not blown out of proportion. Jia Xu had once served as a courtier in the palace, so it's possible that the emperor had seen him before. Now the emperor actually knew Xu Huan, which was a bit too mysterious.

  Who is Xú Huǎng? He's just a minor official, and even before Bó Fù, no one knew who he was. Now, I don't know what his courtesy name is either, and probably the Governor of Hedong doesn't understand him either. But Líu Biàn can say his courtesy name in one breath, which shows that he's not pretending, he really knows this person, and is very familiar with him.

  The scene suddenly became somewhat eerie.

  Liu Bian saw, his eyes rolled over once, and he burst out laughing. He pointed at Xu Huang: "You really are the same as the person I met in my dream, only your face has too much blood on it, so I didn't recognize you at first."

  "Your Majesty, did you dream of him?" Lü Bu blinked his eyes, half believing and half doubting.

  "Hmm, I stayed overnight at Dongchi Pond yesterday and had a dream. In the dream, all of you were fighting bravely, including Xu Huan." Liu Bei said seriously: "Gongming, I can wait for you."

  Xu Huan's eyes rolled up, and Lü Bu kicked him in the knee, scolding: "You fool, how can you be so stupid? Why don't you pay your respects to His Majesty, standing there like a hitching post?"

  Xu Huan suddenly came to his senses, hastily knelt down on the ground and trembled with fear, saying: "Your humble subject Xu Huan, pays homage to Your Majesty, willing to serve as a horse or dog for Your Majesty."

  Liu Bian burst out laughing.

  "Your Majesty, Xuhuang is a talented general bestowed upon you by heaven. Are you...?" Lü Bu cupped his hands and chuckled: "Do you have any gifts for our meeting?"

  Liu Bei woke up Xu Huan while glancing at Lü Bu, and smiled faintly: "Are you teaching me how to do things?"

  The crowd heard this and immediately wiped the smile off their faces.

  Lü Bu awkwardly rubbed his hands together.

  ……

  Yang Xiu rushed to the main camp and told Liu Bei about what he had seen with Xun You. Liu Bei was silent for a while: "What is the intention of Xun You's actions?"

  From the moment he saw Xun Yu, Yang Xiu was considering Xun Yu's intention. At this moment, Liu Bian asked him and he replied: "In my opinion, there are only two possibilities. One is to be the strategist of the Yellow Turbans, attack He Dong, gain the trust of the Yellow Turbans, and serve as a vanguard for Yuan Shao to nibble on Pingzhou. The other is that the aristocratic family is accustomed to it, before the situation is clear, dispatching children to each side, leaving a way out for the family."

  Liu Bian nodded slightly, he also thought so. However, he thought deeper than Yang Xiu.

  "Xun Yu was originally a Huangmen Shilang, and had many opportunities to meet with me. He abandoned me along with Xun You, probably because he was extremely disappointed in me. Now that he wants to return to the imperial court, it's likely not just as simple as leaving one route open."

  "Your Majesty's words are correct." Yang Xiu rubbed his forehead, furrowed his brow, and rested for a moment: "Xun... is probably disappointed with Yuan Shao, so he adjusted the deployment to guard against any eventuality. Your Majesty, your plan has a chance of success. With Yuan Shao's ability, it's possible that he can't control the overall situation. Once there's no external pressure, the Shandong Allied Army may have internal conflicts."

  Liu Bian smiled. He could tell that Yang Xiu's attitude had undergone a subtle change. If he still had doubts about his own plan tomorrow, now he was actively thinking about the possibility.

  "So, should I accept Xun Yu?"

  "Of course." Yang Xiu said without hesitation: "If he can persuade Yang Feng and Guo Tai to surrender, that would be the best. With this tens of thousands of troops, we can quickly pacify Pingzhou, relieve the crisis in Guanzhong to the west, and alleviate the difficulties in Yingyang to the east. Moreover, although the Yellow Turbans have been defeated, there are still hundreds of thousands of scattered remnants, especially in the Qing-Xu region, where many Yellow Turbans are hiding on Mount Tai. If Your Majesty can show benevolence and turn bandits into civilians, it would be a great blessing for the world."

  Liu Bian's heart skipped a beat. He knew that the willow branch he had inadvertently inserted might grow into a large tree, or even a forest. If he could really utilize the connection between the former emperor and Zhang Jiao to turn the Yellow Turbans into his own force, wouldn't Yuan Shao be left crying?

  "Go on, how can we persuade Xun Yu to surrender?"

  Yang Xiu puffed out his chest: "Not I, who else can match it?"

  Liu Bian smiled: "But you're still ill, I'm afraid..."

  "It doesn't matter." Yang Xiu said: "I don't have the strength to tie up a chicken, I can't behead generals and seize flags for Your Majesty. All I can do is use my three-inch untainted tongue to persuade Xun You to surrender, and exert my utmost efforts for Your Majesty."

  Liu Bian was overjoyed: "You can go, but there's no rush. The person sent to An Yi to fetch medicine will be back soon, you take the medicine first, rest for a night, and we'll talk about it tomorrow. I'll stay here and guard, Xun Yu won't be able to escape." Yang Xi wanted to insist, but Liu Bian cut him off without hesitation, forcing him to go rest: "Whether Xun Yu can serve me is still unknown, but you are my confidant, how could I let you lose? Go rest!"

  Yang Xiu was deeply moved and tearfully accepted the order and left.

  Liu Bian was the only one left in the house. Liu Bian sat down and shook his head gently. Yang Xiu was clever, but he still didn't fully grasp the psychology of aristocratic families, nor did he have a good understanding of the overall situation. Besides, he was too young. If it were that easy to bring down Xun Yu, why would Xun Yu have left Luoyang in the first place?

  It takes someone as cunning as Jia Yu to handle this matter.

  Wang Yue and Shi Ah, standing outside the door, exchanged a glance, both seeing doubt in each other's eyes. Liu Bian sat casually, yet exuded an air of dignity. Logically speaking, this was a manifestation of his mastery of Taoist arts, but they were all aware that Liu Bian's body was empty and hollow.

  This is unreasonable.

  The third update, seeking recommendations, seeking collections!