Chapter 981

"All officials may enter the hall."

The Lesser Yellow Gate Eunuch Zuo Feng, who walked out of the Jiade Hall gate, summoned the officials below the hall.

The officials tidied up their attire, then held their tablets with both hands and ascended the stairs to walk into the Jiade Hall.

Inside the Jiade Hall, Liu Hong sat upright on the wooden chair behind the dragon desk.

Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong stood below the stairs, watching Cui Lie, Yang Ci, Zhang Wen, and others walk into the hall one after another.

Liu Hong, who was in an extremely depressed mood at this moment, raised his eyes to look at Cui Lie and the others, frowned impatiently, and said: "What is the matter, my officials?"

Cui Lie held his tablet with both hands, stepped forward, then bowed and saluted: "Your Majesty, I have a matter to report."

"Today, I received a memorial sent from the commanderies of Liangzhou."

Hearing the two words "Liangzhou," Liu Hong instinctively thought of Duan Yu.

"Your Majesty, the Administrator of Beidi Commandery, Duan Wei; the Administrator of Wuwei, Huang Juan; the Administrator of Zhangye, He Luan; the Administrator of Jiuquan, Huang Yan; the Administrator of Dunhuang, Cao Kuan; and many county magistrates, clerks, and ministers have impeached the Liangzhou Shepherd, Duan Yu, for arbitrarily changing imperial decrees, causing resentment among the residents in various parts of Liangzhou, to the extent that chaotic people have appeared in Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, as well as Beidi and Anding."

What?

Liu Hong listened to Cui Lie's words, his two brows almost twisting together.

Duan Yu arbitrarily changed imperial decrees?

Liangzhou residents were resentful?

What was this Cui Lie saying?

"Cui Lie, do you know what you are saying?" Liu Hong looked at Cui Lie with a frown.

Cui Lie looked at Liu Hong without changing his expression or skipping a beat, nodding: "Your Majesty, I know, and everything I say is true. I have brought the documents from the officials of various commanderies and counties impeaching Duan Yu."

"It is written clearly, stroke by stroke, detailing how Duan Yu oppressed the people, forcing them to rebel, and forcing many Western Qiang tribes and numerous miscellaneous Hu to rebel together."

Zhang Rang, standing below the stairs, raised his head and glanced at Cui Lie.

This Cui Lie, he really dares to say anything.

Duan Yu forced the people to rebel?

How could Cui Lie dare to say such a thing?

If it weren't for the news that Duan Yu had died in battle in Liangzhou, even if Cui Lie were given a hundred guts, he wouldn't dare to say this.

Also, besides the administrators of Hanyang, Jincheng, and Longxi commanderies and those local scholar-gentry in Liangzhou.

Which one of those mentioned by Cui Lie was not a local great clan?

Why did these people dare to impeach Duan Yu so quickly?

It was only because they learned the news of Duan Yu's death in battle.

The Administrator of Beidi Commandery, Duan Wei, was a cousin of the Marquis of Xinfeng, Duan Jiong.

The Cao clan of Dunhuang, Cao Kuan's family, had lived in Dunhuang for generations; they were a branch of the early Han Chancellor Cao Can, who had been demoted to Dunhuang by Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che.

During the time of Emperor An, the Dunhuang Cao clan rose again; Cao Zong began to serve as the Administrator of Dunhuang, leading troops to attack the Western Regions and subduing various states, making no small contribution.

Subsequently, this branch of the Cao clan settled in Dunhuang.

Later, there were clan members Cao Gao, who was a Filial and Incorrupt, promoted to Magistrate of Xingyang; Cao Min, recommended as Filial and Incorrupt, served as Chief Clerk of Wuwei, Magistrate of Quren in Ba Commandery, and Commandant of Juyan in Zhangye.

Cao Shu, recommended as Filial and Incorrupt, Gentleman-in-Attendance, Chief Clerk of Jincheng, Magistrate of Xiayang, and Western Commandant of Shu Commandery.

The family had been officials with a salary of two thousand shi all the way to the current Administrator of Dunhuang, Cao Kuan.

And there was the Jiuquan Huang clan mentioned by Cui Lie.

The Jiuquan Huang clan was a scholar-gentry family that had served as Chancellor during the early Han dynasty.

Before Wang Mang's Xin dynasty, because the capital was in Chang'an, which was closer to Liangzhou, the scholar-gentry in Liangzhou at that time were like the Yingchuan of today.

Not only were scholars produced in abundance, but elite soldiers and strong generals also mostly came from Liangzhou.

It was not until after the Xin dynasty, when the Great Han moved its capital to Luoyang, that Liangzhou, far from the political center, gradually drifted away.

The Huang clan's ancestor, Huang Ba, served through the reigns of Emperors Wu, Zhao, and Xuan. In the third year of Wufeng, he replaced Bing Ji as Chancellor, was enfeoffed as Marquis of Jiancheng, and oversaw the imperial government.

Huang Shang, son of Huang Ba, once served as Commandant of the Passes, inherited the title, and was posthumously titled Marquis Si.

Huang Fu, grandson of Huang Ba. He reached the position of Minister of the Guards, inherited the title, and was posthumously titled Marquis Zhong.

The Administrator of Wuwei, Huang Juan, and the Administrator of Jiuquan, Huang Yan, mentioned by Cui Lie, were both members of the Huang clan.

If Cui Lie said that Duan Yu acted tyrannically in Liangzhou, touching the interests of these local great clans in Liangzhou, then Zhang Rang would believe it.

But to say that Duan Yu oppressed the people, and that it was the local great clans of Liangzhou who were seeking justice for the people.

Zhang Rang wouldn't believe it even if he were beaten to death.

"Your Majesty, what I say is true."

Cui Lie said righteously: "The various administrators and county magistrates said in their memorials."

"They said that Duan Yu implemented some kind of production team model in Hanyang, Jincheng, and Longxi, oppressing the people in farming and tilling the land, and then demanding that all the proceeds be handed over."

"The common people of the world work hard in the fields, yet they can only get a portion of the harvest."

"Since the time of Gao Zu, there has never been such an absurd thing in the world!"

Cui Lie refuted while frowning: "Also, those Western Qiang tribes survive by fishing and hunting, yet Duan Yu made them plant mulberry trees and raise silkworms. Isn't this nonsense?"

"How could the common people and the various Western Qiang tribes not resist?"

"Your Majesty, Duan Yu is currently only implementing this in three commanderies. If he were to implement his so-called 'New Policy' throughout Liangzhou, wouldn't all the commanderies in Liangzhou rebel?"

"The world has just stabilized. If Liangzhou rises in rebellion again, how will the imperial court respond?"

"To quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the troops in the Three Auxiliary regions and Luoyang are now empty. If Liangzhou rebels, where will the imperial court find the troops to suppress the chaotic bandits?"

"Your Majesty, I am dedicated to the country and to Your Majesty. I kowtow and request Your Majesty to abolish the New Policy established by Duan Yu."

Cui Lie knelt down as he spoke.

Behind Cui Lie, many court officials also knelt in the hall to request the same.

The muscles on Liu Hong's face were twitching.

A threat.

This was clearly a naked threat.

What Liangzhou rebellion.

What people everywhere being in a state of panic.

It was just those local scholar-gentry in Liangzhou using this method to put pressure on the imperial court.

Liu Hong gritted his teeth, one hand pressing firmly on the armrest of the wooden chair, looking at Cui Lie and saying: "Does Minister Cui not know the news that the Marquis of Ji might have already died in battle?" ===== CHAPTER 983 =====