Chapter 39: The Rise of the Yuan Family

  "Your Majesty, this is just a momentary impulse, it won't accomplish anything." Lu Zhi sighed and shook his head, his face filled with worry.

  Liu Bian refuted, "So according to Lu Shizhong's meaning, should I make Yuan Wei the Grand Tutor and Yuan Shao the General-in-Chief, and continue to be controlled by them?"

  Lu Zhi was speechless. He didn't want to see this result, but he couldn't think of a better way out. Of course, he also disapproved of Liu Bian's approach. Liu Bian had infuriated Yuan Wei to the point where he spat up blood in court, which seemed satisfying at first glance, but actually had little effect. What Liu Bian said was well-known to those who attached themselves to the Yuan family - they didn't do so because of the Yuan family's moral integrity, but rather for personal gain.

  Now breaking up with the Yuan family will only intensify the conflict and force the Yuan family to take more drastic measures.

  "Your Majesty, Lu Zigan's intention is not to indulge in evil, but to use softness to overcome stiffness, and wait for the right moment to act." Yang Bi took over the conversation, sighing softly: "Your Majesty has the power in your hands. If you can work hard to govern, widely recruit talents, what can the Yuan family do? Your Majesty is still young and vigorous, with plenty of time ahead, while Yuan Shu is already over 60 years old, with not many days left. Once Yuan Shu dies, the Yuan family will inevitably split into two factions, and will no longer be a threat. At this moment, provoking Yuan Shu is really not a foolproof strategy. If by any chance the situation in Shandong gets out of control, I fear that the whole country will be shaken, and it will be difficult to restore order."

  Liu Bian's heart skipped a beat, suppressing Yuan Shao would lead to the division of the Great Han? Historically, Yuan Shao rose up in arms because Dong Zhuo abused his power, and Yuan Shao fled, which led to the vassals rising up to overthrow Dong. Now it's not Dong Zhuo, but this emperor himself taking action, can Yuan Shao still rally his troops?

  Seeing Liu Bian's hesitation and doubt, Yang Biao had to make his words clearer: "Your Majesty, do you still remember how the Yuan family rose to power?"

  This Liu Bian really didn't know. Although he integrated the memories of two lifetimes, neither lifetime had any impression in this regard.

  "Yuannan's Yuan family rose with Yuan An, and Yuan An's rise originated from a major case during the time of Emperor Xiaoming..."

  Yang Biao gave a detailed account of the rise of the Yuan family, especially the fame of Yuan An.

  The Yuan family was originally just an ordinary family in Runan, not even a local strongman. Their rise, of course, cannot be separated from their own efforts, but behind the rise of the Yuan family there are deep-seated reasons, that is, the Yin and Guo controversy that has existed since Emperor Guangwu.

  Emperor Guangwu rose to power, relying on the Nanyang faction, but he was able to establish a foothold in Hebei and break with Gengshi, relying on the Hebei faction. The great influence of the Hebei faction led Emperor Guangwu to choose Guo Shengtong from the Hebei faction as his empress after ascending to the throne, rather than his closest relative Yin Lihua. Later, when the world was pacified and the influence of the Hebei faction weakened, Empress Guo was deposed and Yin Lihua was established as empress.

  However, Hebei Group was not reconciled.

  After the death of Emperor Guangwu, Emperor Ming ascended to the throne. Not long after, the case of Liu Ying, Prince of Chu, plotting a rebellion broke out, involving tens of thousands of people. The mother of Liu Ying, Lady Xu, was not favored by Emperor Guangwu, and the Principality of Chu was weak and small. Moreover, Liu Ying had been on good terms with Emperor Ming since they were young. How could he have plotted a rebellion? And how could it have caused such a huge stir? This case was very clear-cut, so why did it end up implicating tens of thousands of people, yet the emperor did not severely punish Liu Ying himself? Why did the case drag on for many years?

  Because there is the Hebei group backing him. The Xiaoming Emperor wanted to strike was also the Hebei group, not the King of Chu himself. So the emperor spared the life of the King of Chu Ying, but captured and imprisoned tens of thousands of related people for many years without release.

  Hebei Group is just a core, in fact it includes half of the Great Han, thirteen states under heaven, involving You, Ji, Qing, Xu, Yan, Yu, Yang and seven other states.

  At this point, Liu Bian suddenly interrupted Yang Biao: "How is it...the same as the scope of Huangjin's activities?"

  Yang Biao smiled wryly and remained silent, but his meaning was clear: Your Majesty, you finally understand.

  Liu Bian seemed lost in thought.

  That's right, the rise of Yuncheng Yuan family was due to the Chu Wang case. Although the Chu Wang case was suppressed, the problem was not completely solved, and in the end, it was actually a reconciliation, and the Nanyang group did not achieve complete victory. After more than 100 years of recovery, the Hebei group rose again with the help of geographical advantages and cultural advantages, while the Yuan family became a mid-stream pillar.

  Yuzhou is the largest province in the world, with a population of nearly 7 million. Runan is the largest county in Yuzhou Province, with a population of over 3 million. The adjacent Yingchuan County has more than 140 million people. The two counties together account for 70% of Yuzhou Province, which is the most populous province in the world.

  Your province is rich in talent, based on its strong economic strength.

  The Yuan family had the advantage of having a good geographical location, and with their own continuous efforts, it was only natural that they became the core of the imperial court. Among them, the contributions of Yuan Cheng and Yuan Wei were extremely important. Yuan Cheng relied on the powerful general Liang Ji, while Yuan Wei colluded with the eunuch Yuan Fen; both were despicable acts, but it cannot be denied that their efforts played an incalculable role in making the Yuan family the most prominent clan in the Han dynasty.

  Liu Bian glanced at Yang Biao and couldn't help but laugh.

  Yang Biao's face was stern and he didn't utter a word.

  Yang Biao spoke of the history of the rise of the Yuan family, especially when he mentioned Yuan Cheng and Yuan Wei, there was a deeper meaning to it.

  In name, the Yang family was a match for the Yuan family as a fourth-generation noble family. However, in reality, the Yang family was no match for the Yuan family. The most important reason is that the Yang family did not manage their affairs like the Yuan family did. They adhered to their duties and were unwilling to do things that would harm their reputation, so apart from having a similar reputation, their actual strength was far inferior to that of the Yuan family.

  Liu Bian had a headache, the complexity of this matter exceeded his imagination. He originally thought that he had controlled Dong Zhuo, the fierce tiger, and Yuan Shao would not be able to find an excuse to start a war, and the Han dynasty would not collapse. Now it seems that he was too simple-minded, without Dong Zhuo, the Yuan family could still start a war, they had the power to do so, as for what reason, it didn't really matter.

  History is indeed not entirely trustworthy; what's recorded in books is only the tip of the iceberg, and most of the truth remains hidden beneath the surface.

  "So it seems, the Great Han is doomed to split apart, an unavoidable fate?"

  "If we can't stabilize the Yuan family, I'm afraid it's unavoidable." Yang Bi was worried and had a troubled expression, just like Lu Zhi. "I think that taking in Lady Yuan as empress, making Yuan Shao the Grand General, and waiting for Yuan Wei to pass away, with the Yuan brothers splitting apart, is currently the most feasible plan."

  Liu Bian sank into deep thought for a long time: "This matter... can be renegotiated. The most urgent thing now is to take over the military power of the Northern and Southern Armies. Lu Qing, you are familiar with the army and have experience in using troops, I want to appoint you as the North Army's Zhonglang Jiangjun, taking control of the North Army. Yang Qing, I want to appoint you as the Hu Ben Zhonglang Jiangjun."

  Lu Zhi and Yang Bi exchanged a glance, shaking their heads in unison: "Your Majesty, taking away the military power of the Yuan brothers now, isn't that a bit too hasty?"

  Liu Bian looked at them, wanting to speak but hesitating.

  The scholar rebels, it takes ten years to succeed, this matter still needs to be discussed with Jia Yu, first solve Ding Yuan's problem and then talk about it. Say a thousand words, say ten thousand words, but the life must be preserved first. The country can be taken back if lost, but there is no way to revive if one loses his life.