Chapter 178 Rewards based on merit
“If you abandon the dark and join the light now, you will still be Han officials! The court can accept you again. If you resist to the end, you will die.”

“Why do you have to struggle to the death? Wang Mang deceived the emperor and usurped power! His Wang family has been favored by the emperor for generations, but he still did such a treasonous thing. There is no need to work for such a person anymore!”

Liu Xiu struck while the iron was hot. He knew that if he wanted to persuade people to surrender, he had to promise them benefits. Everyone was not a fool. How could he play the emotional card and just shout “loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty” and have them come out without hesitation?
I would not be able to tolerate being killed directly, so I have to resolve their concerns first.

Sure enough, after receiving the opponent’s reply, the Xinmang generals behind the shield formation completely turned to the Han side. Only in this way could they survive!
Once Chang’an is captured by the Han army, we will no longer be qualified to negotiate. Life or death will all depend on our thoughts. It is better to seize some favorable conditions now.

This is also the biggest drawback of a usurped throne. The ministers have almost no loyalty to the king, and everything depends on the personal prestige of the monarch. If it declines, it will be the end of the world.

“General, let’s surrender.”

“Yes, Wang Mang is just a usurper. What qualifications does he have for us to swear allegiance to him?”

Everyone began to persuade Wen Qi. They did not want to die, mainly because it would be too much of a loss to be buried with a dynasty that had one foot in the grave. Surrendering to the Han was the best option.

Since the other party said it in public in front of so many people, he will definitely not go back on his word.

Otherwise, who would be willing to surrender in the future? Anyway, surrendering is a dead end, so it is better to resist to the end! This is a huge damage to the overall dignity of the Han court.

“…Forget it, forget it. Now that things have come to this, what reason do I have to persist?”

After some struggle, Wen Qi didn’t want to go on. The morale of the people had been dispersed and the team was difficult to lead. Even if he continued to resist, his soldiers would not help.

As Yuzhou commander Wen Qi surrendered, the entire Ruyin garrison threw down their weapons and swore allegiance to the Han Dynasty.

Not many people wanted to continue defending in the first place. The Xinmang Dynasty had too low a foundation and existed for less than ten years. It was not worth mentioning compared to the 200-year-old Han Dynasty. In addition, the idea of ​​loyalty to the emperor had been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

The main reason Wang Mang was able to stabilize the people’s hearts was that he borrowed the reputation of the Han Dynasty and his own name as a saint. The ministers and soldiers all believed that the new emperor could lead everyone to a good life.

But the reality is the opposite of what one wishes. As the saint’s halo vanished, the people’s hearts also disappeared, the filter was shattered, and was replaced by a tide of backlash!
The defenders opened the city gates, and the Han army entered Ruyin, announcing the capture of Yuzhou, resolving the crisis north of Nanyang, allowing the front-line army to march towards Guanzhong with confidence!
The credit for this battle undoubtedly went to Liu Xiu, although it was Li Yang who actually planned to instigate Zhang Cong to rebel.

But after all, it was Liu Xiu who did it, so the responsibility of breaking the city and persuading the surrender must be attributed to him.

This was what Li Yang did deliberately. He wanted to use this method to make another contribution for the younger generation he believed in.

In this way, when the emperor submitted a memorial to recommend the governor of Runan, those in the court could not use the excuse of his young age to evade the issue.

As for Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. Liu Xiang likes to use relatives of the Han royal family very much. As long as he finds a good seedling, he will cultivate it vigorously. He believes that the world still rules by relatives.

After all, the Xu family is a minority, and as the emperor, Liu Xiang could not have been without opinion on Xu Hua’s monopoly of power.

It was nothing more than a helpless act. Even the throne could only be secured with the support of the other party. At this time, rash internal fighting would only make things convenient for Wang Mang in Chang’an. No matter what, he had to wait until everything was settled.

And maybe Xu Hua will follow the example of King Jingxuan Xu Zhen and return power to the emperor.

Former general’s mansion.

Finally, everyone no longer had to live in military tents.

Li Yang sat in the main seat with a relieved look on his face, which was the seat of Wen Qi, the former governor of Yuzhou, and he felt deeply touched.

After several years, he finally came back! He washed away the shame of that defeat!

Next, according to the promise of General Xu Zhong, Li Yang can resume his position as Left General and Governor of Yuzhou! He will become a truly powerful official in charge of one side.

Although he was nominally the governor and had the important title of Left General, he was actually unable to control the entire state.

Except for Runan, all other counties were in the hands of the Xinmang Army. There was always a back-and-forth battle between the two sides. For example, Wang Yi actually attacked Ruyin more than once, but without exception, he would retreat after a short while.

Unfortunately, an accident happened and Ruyin City was breached, and the entire Runan was lost.

Today, Li Yang truly controls the military and political power of Yuzhou. Coupled with the position of Left General, his power is at the forefront of the entire world. There are not many princes who control a state.

“Don’t worry, I have just reported the battle report to the general. I will reward those who have made contributions according to their merits. No meritorious official will be treated unfairly. Don’t worry.”

He thought about it for a moment and then spoke about what everyone was concerned about.

The generals and soldiers shed their blood and risked their lives on the front lines, all for a little reward, right?

As for being loyal to the emperor and serving the country, it was only secondary. If you can’t even afford to eat or marry a wife, what loyalty to the emperor and what country are you serving? All of this must be based on the premise that the court does not treat you unfairly.

“My lord, Uncle Wen should be the one who made the greatest contribution in this battle.” Someone flattered.

“Yes, yes. When we first attacked Runan, he captured more than 30 counties in succession. This feat is unmatched. I think he can at least be a governor for this alone.”

“Yes, if Uncle Wen hadn’t used a trick to lure out Wen Qi’s army, we would never have been able to do it so smoothly. There were still more than 10,000 defenders in Runan at that time.”

“Sun Tzu’s Art of War once said that when attacking a city, you need to surround it ten times as much. Our military strength is far from enough. We need to at least hold out for a few more. Let’s sit in this governor’s mansion for the peace talks.”

Others followed suit because they knew that this person would be their boss in the future.

As the lord’s most trusted subordinate, he is basically the second in command. If you don’t build a good relationship with him, you will definitely be in trouble!
“I don’t deserve it, I don’t deserve it. It’s all the result of the cooperation of all the soldiers. How could I conquer Yuzhou alone? The credit should be shared equally with everyone.” Liu Xiu said repeatedly, very modestly.

Even in this situation, he couldn’t be proud and complacent! They were all colleagues, and they would meet each other every day. Now that he was successful, what could he do next?
Li Yang is a famous general known throughout the world, and he also has the support of Prime Minister Xu Hua. At a young age, he is the governor of a state and is ranked as the left general. No matter how you look at it, he has a bright future.

But who knew what kind of unexpected events would happen, and he would lose all his territory, and no one in the court said anything, but instead they all started to add insult to injury!
Li Yang nodded in satisfaction. As colleagues, they should coexist peacefully. Then he stopped them and said, “You don’t have to be modest. The court will not lack anything it needs. Don’t worry.”

“I have fulfilled my promise to Uncle Wen. I will recommend you as the governor of Runan. Of course, the court has the final say.”

“I am only a provincial governor, not a military commander. I do not have the qualifications to appoint a governor at will. I still need His Majesty’s approval before the appointment can be made. But I don’t think there will be any accidents.”

Although the local area had become separatist and the prefects and governors had almost absolute power, due to the deterrence of the three Xu troops, everyone maintained a delicate balance. No one dared to break this window paper. They still obeyed the orders of the court and did not dare to openly oppose it.

If the imperial edict does not come down, it will be useless even if you deserve it.

Li Yang thought for a moment and then said, “I remember Uncle Wen, you are a relative of the Han Dynasty… Well, I asked a nonsense question. How many people with the surname Liu are not Liu?”

“Since you are a relative of the Han Dynasty, you don’t have to worry. The Liu family has been very useless recently. There are only a few who have achieved fame. Your Majesty and the prime minister are very worried about this. There is a lack of successors.” “Your Majesty has no son, and he has no idea who to pass the throne to, so you will definitely be valued.”

Liu Xiang was very anxious because he didn’t have anyone of his own to show for his services, so how could he keep his kingdom stable?

Emperor Gaodi used meritorious officials to conquer the country, but he used relatives to rule the country! But he had no relatives to use, how could this be possible? If something unexpected happened to him, he would not even know who would be the emperor.

By then, the military force of the Three Xus alone will not be able to control the separatist princes everywhere, and they will inevitably cause chaos again and again.

The enfeoffment of princes with the surname Liu was imminent.

Since the world must be divided, why not let one of our own family be the king? At least the meat will rot in the pot.

Of course, Xu Hua also played a role in this. He kept his ancestors’ advice in mind and was very kind to the outstanding Liu son, fearing that he would miss out on this person.

The governor of Runan was named Liu, and Liu Xiang certainly approved of him and even offered him rewards.

………

Wancheng, Nanyang.

The news that Li Yang had captured Ruyin and recaptured Yuzhou reached the imperial court as quickly as possible. After all, the two were only a hundred miles apart.

If we work harder, we can get there in one day at most.

What’s more, this is good news. Li Yang’s troops in Yuzhou must hope to arrive soon, even though the army is coordinated by Xu Zhong of Yanzhou.

But it is the imperial court that is giving out the rewards, and we need their approval.

The emperor in his bedroom was overjoyed when he received the news of the great victory. Chenliu had fallen into a stalemate. The Han army could not attack for a while, and the Xinmang army could not counterattack.

Even Wandu had begun to voice pessimism, and a victory was urgently needed to boost the morale of the troops.

At this time, the news from Yuzhou came, how could he not be happy? And he also heard that the great hero this time was actually a relative of the Liu clan, which made him even happier, because he had someone he could use.

In the council hall, ministers stood by with smiles on their faces. The sword hanging over their heads was finally removed, and Runan returned to the territory of the Han Dynasty.

“What a happy event! It is truly a happy event. Li Yang’s expeditionary army has conquered Ruyin and controlled Yuzhou, avenging the previous humiliation.” Liu Xiang said with a smile.

This was also a slap in the face of those people in the court who suggested executing Li Yang. The young man whom you looked down upon won a great victory and resolved the court’s long-standing concerns.

Although this worry is also because of him.

“Your Majesty, I suggest that we should give generous rewards so as not to discourage the meritorious officials.” Zhu Chun echoed.

As a senior member of the Xu Party, he had no ill feelings towards Li Yang. After all, he was also the Prime Minister’s man, and they were allies.

“Of course, I won’t forget it.” Liu Xiang was very happy.

Those who took advantage of Li Yang’s misfortune treated him coldly. Although they were reluctant, there was nothing they could do. It was unrealistic not to reward him for his merits, not to mention that His Majesty was in a good mood now.

If I speak at this time, it will not only be useless, but will also make His Majesty feel disgusted.

Liu Xiang thought for a moment and said, “I remember that General Xu once promised that if Li Yang could recapture Yuzhou within three months, he would be reinstated as General of the Left.”

“But I think it’s not enough. This achievement is too great. He lost Runan, but regained Yuzhou. Not only did his merits and demerits offset each other, but he also became richer.”

“Let him be the Right General, Governor of Yuzhou, and Governor of all the counties. He should replenish troops and supplies on the spot and be ready to respond to the call from the front. Once Chenliu is defeated, we will march north together to attack Luoyang!”

In order to show his favor, Liu Xiang deliberately promoted him to a higher level. The Han Dynasty respected the right, and among the four generals with important titles, the left was the second to last.

In fact, he originally wanted to be appointed as the front general, directly at the first place, and his status was second only to the general, the general of cavalry, the general of chariots and cavalry, and the general of guards.

But after thinking about it carefully, he realized that he would have to attack Luoyang and Guanzhong later, so he would not be able to be promoted any further. A position like General Wei could not be given casually, so he had to settle for the second best and leave room for himself to be promoted further.

That’s just right.

“Your Majesty, aren’t you honoring him too much?” General Chen Yong couldn’t stand it anymore. Mainly because he was one of the people who stepped on Li Yang the hardest when he was defeated.

If I become rich, will I still be able to reap the benefits?
“Li Yang was originally guilty. His actions today were just to make up for his mistakes. Being reinstated is already a great favor.”

Hearing this, Liu Xiang’s expression immediately fell, and he said coldly: “Chenliu is in a stalemate, and Wang Mang has already quelled the rebellion in Guanzhong. No matter how you look at it, it’s not in my favor.”

“At this critical moment, General Li’s victory is extremely important. I think the reward is too little.”

Seeing His Majesty’s gloomy face, Chen Yong immediately gave up the idea of ​​continuing to protest, “I am just reminding you, the specific decision-making power is still in the hands of Your Majesty.”

The two of them actually don’t have any deep hatred. In the officialdom, as long as it doesn’t touch upon fundamental interests, it doesn’t matter.

After saying this, Liu Xiang smiled again, “In addition to General Li, I saw another person in the battle report. Coincidentally, he is also a relative of the Liu clan.”

“That is Liu Xiu, who served as the vanguard. His ancestor was the descendant of the King of Changsha, and he has a close relationship with me.”

In fact, apart from the fact that it is still a surname, there is no connection.

Hearing this name, Xu Hua, who had been calm at first, obviously changed his expression, but he quickly recovered.

Liu Xiang continued, “According to seniority, he should be my nephew. This nephew of mine is incredible. He has made great contributions in Yanzhou. When he first entered Yuzhou, he captured more than 30 counties. He also used a trick to lure Wen Qi out of the city, and finally laid the foundation for victory!”

“According to Li Yang, he is the number one contributor to the conquest of Yuzhou, and his contribution is even greater than his own!”

“Good boy, you didn’t bring shame to the Liu family…” Liu Xiang had a good impression of this nephew whom he had never met before.

(End of this chapter)