Chapter 817
The Radicals of Huangzhou Prefecture
The atmosphere froze. The eyes of those around him were like knives, fixed on Old Hama, making him feel like he was being pricked by thorns. However, this old fellow had been through many ups and downs in officialdom; although he had a thousand thoughts in his mind, he showed no outward expression and remained composed.
Seeing this, Zhou Chu said to Wu Hong beside him, "Brother Hong, this old guy is something else. He can still keep his face down like this. He has a lot of resilience."
Upon hearing this, Wu Hong said, "After all, he was once a prime minister. How could he not have this much shrewdness?"
After Wu Hong finished speaking, Zhou Chu said, "That's true."
As they were talking, Chen Jie also laughed and said, "The Two Emperors of the North and South, hehe, old man, we've known each other for a long time. Let's get straight to the point. What are the Two Emperors of the North and South?"
After saying this, Old Hama said, "King Han, my emperor's intention is that you and my emperor each declare yourself emperor, maintain your current territories, and cease fighting each other. My emperor is willing to address you as my elder brother, and to have your country as his brother's."
Upon hearing this, everyone present was taken aback, and many well-educated officials were quite intrigued.
After all, war consumes too much resources. If there is no war, and the people can develop peacefully, it will also benefit the Han people. More importantly, the north, especially the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, has been ceded to foreign tribes by Shi Jingtang during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period for more than four hundred years.
For over four hundred years, although the people there were called Han Chinese, they were actually quite similar to the northern ethnic minorities. In fact, when the Great Qian Dynasty divided the ethnic groups, this group was classified separately. The Great Qian Dynasty defined the races as four classes: the first class was the Mulan people, the second class was the Semu people, the third class was the Han people, and the fourth class was the Nan people.
So what are Han people? This Han people does not refer to Han people like Chen Jiu Si and Zhu Chong Ba. It refers to Han people living in the Sixteen Kingdoms of Yan and Yun in the north. Chen Jiu Si and Zhu Chong Ba should not be called Han people, but rather Southern people.
Han Chinese living in the south are called Southerners. This division shows that Han Chinese in the north and Han Chinese in the south are actually divided into two categories. Although they are both Han Chinese, their lifestyles are very different, and there are even differences in their ethnic identity.
Is there really a need to govern such a piece of land?
The court officials, these scholars, were all calculating in their hearts. They felt that the territory was already quite large, even larger than during the Song Dynasty. What was there to be dissatisfied with?
By Song Dynasty standards, the current King of Han's territory is already larger than that of the former Song Dynasty emperors.
Chen Jie glanced at the group of civil officials. Among them, the older ones were all in agreement, while the student officials who had just graduated from academy were full of dissatisfaction.
At this point, one of the student officials finally couldn't hold back any longer and suddenly stood up and shouted, "Bullshit! What 'two emperors of the North and South'? My king will never agree to such terms!"
As soon as this person opened his mouth, everyone looked over. Many people were puzzled, and some even frowned, their brows full of dissatisfaction. "Is it your turn to bark and howl here?"
Old Hama looked at the young man, then turned to him and said, "Who are you? I'm speaking with your prince, when did it become your place to interrupt?"
The young man was taken aback by the question and felt slightly uneasy. After all, he had only graduated from the academy two years ago and was now a minor official in the Ministry of Revenue. He was not qualified to participate in court affairs. This time, the top civil officials under the Prince of Han's command had all been sent out, so they brought in these old-school officials who stayed behind, as well as these young and promising officials, to make up the numbers and boost their prestige.
But today, he was angered by a single sentence from Old Hama and couldn't help but speak up. He didn't know what the Prince of Han was thinking, and he was a little scared.
He glanced at Chen Jie, only to see Chen Jie calmly observing everything. Old Hama also turned to look at Chen Jie, assuming it was Chen Jie's authorization, but found Chen Jie silently watching the two of them, offering no comment, like an abyss, unfathomable.
The young man was very nervous. He glanced at Chen Jie and found that Chen Jie didn't react. However, he suddenly remembered a sentence that Chen Jie had said to them when he was teaching at school.
The world belongs to you, and to us, but ultimately it belongs to you.
These words churned in my mind. Yes, the King of Han said that we are the future masters of the world, and we have the right to participate in and discuss the affairs of this country. If I do not speak out against the injustice I see today, I will be letting down the people of the world, and even more so, I will be letting down the King of Han and myself.
Thinking of this, he saw the man clasp his hands in greeting and say, "Liu Peng, a supervising secretary in the Ministry of Revenue."
“You’re just a lowly seventh-rank official, yet you dare to speak so arrogantly in front of all those high-ranking officials in the imperial court. If you disagree, what gives you the right to disagree?”
Old Hama looked at the greenhorn-clad young official in front of him and couldn't help but ask a question. He had heard that the Prince of Han's mansion was giving important positions to some young officials who had come from academies, so this time he wanted to put this young official's arrogance to a halt.
Chen Jie then beckoned to Chen Chun and asked, "What's this kid's background?"
Chen Chun said, "He graduated from the Department of Actuarial Science at Huangzhou Prefectural University and ranked third in the school's list two years ago."
Huangzhou Prefectural University had a school ranking system, which was a shortcut for students to enter politics. Anyone who ranked in the top fifty on the school ranking system had the possibility of entering officialdom. This was also the main source of young civil officials. As for military officers, they all graduated from Huangzhou Prefectural Military Academy and then joined the army to become officers.
To clarify, the vice-principal of Huangzhou Prefectural University was Su Yunjin, and the principal was Chen Jie. The vice-principal of the Military Academy was Prince Ruyang, and the principal was also Chen Jie.
Upon hearing this, Chen Jie remarked, "This kid is interesting."
Chen Jie casually remarked, and Chen Chun thought to himself that if this kid could make a name for himself today, he would really hit the jackpot. If he were appreciated by the Prince of Han, he would rise to the top in no time.
Thinking this, Chen Chun couldn't help but feel a little envious.
“Prime Minister Hama, I was reluctant to speak ill of you because I consider you an elder, but if you are so ignorant of your own mortality, then I will not be polite.”
Liu Peng stared at Lao Hama, his eyes blazing with fury.
Old Hama glanced at Liu Peng, then turned to Chen Jie with disdain and said, "King Han, what I said is all for the benefit of the country and the people. Only with the two emperors of the North and South can there be peace in this world. Why should we fight each other?"
"Shut up! You vile bastards, how dare you talk about the two emperors of the North and South?!"
Liu Peng roared, his voice like tearing silk, shattering the deathly silence of the hall.
At this moment, one could see the veins on his neck bulging, and the hem of his official robe trembling as it swept across the blue bricks on the ground.
"Since Shi Jingtang surrendered Yan and Yun, Youyan has wept blood for four hundred years; since the Jingkang Incident, we have been ashamed to cross the river, and every night in Lin'an we hear the partridges! Your ancestors trampled my Han dynasty's state with their horse hooves—the printed copy of the Book of Rites in the Bianliang Palace was used by your Tartar chieftain to line the mangers! The commentaries on the Spring and Autumn Annals in the Lin'an Academy were torn up by your shamans to make ritual symbols!"
Liu Peng roared, and all the civil and military officials frowned slightly. Old Hama's expression changed slightly, and Liu Peng continued angrily.
"You, the Mulan people, have deceived us Han people for a hundred years. Now that I have raised the banner of China atop Huangzhou City, what are you talking about, 'brotherly nation'?"
"Back then, when a million Han Chinese were slaughtered, including the old, weak, women, and children, and when I, a Confucian scholar, was relegated to the status of a prostitute under the four-class system, did you ever speak of 'brotherhood' even a little bit?"
"The blood feud of the past has not been avenged, and this matter cannot be turned over. Blood debts must be repaid with blood!"
As Liu Peng spoke, he turned and bowed to Chen Jieyi, saying:
"King of Han! This time, the northern barbarians' so-called 'brotherhood' is actually a delaying tactic they've learned from the Uyghur Khan. If we allow them to split the north and south, when the grasslands of the northern deserts are lush and the horses are fat, the banks of the Yellow River will once again be covered with human remains, and the walls of Xiangyang will once again be adorned with skull and crossbow flags!"
"Your Majesty, if we divide the land today, how will we explain the serpent-slaying sword of Emperor Gaozu of Han and the Zhaoling stele of Emperor Taizong of Tang when we hold sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple in the future? How will the historians write about these 'two emperors of the North and South'—will they write it as the Han King restoring the Xia Dynasty? Or will they write it as... the old story of the Jin Dynasty?" Liu Peng looked at Chen Jie and asked.
After listening to Liu Peng's words, Chen Jie looked at Chen Chun beside him and said, "Who taught this kid Chinese? Why is he spouting classical Chinese phrases all the time?"
Chen Chun smiled wryly and said, "It seems they invited that great scholar."
Chen Jie said, "No wonder your words sound so old-fashioned."
Chen Chun nodded: "He does look old-fashioned, but his math skills are quite good."
Chen Jie said, "We'll send him to Hu Weiyong later and let Prime Minister Hu teach him how to speak."
Chen Chun nodded.
Chen Jie glanced at Old Hama and saw that the old man looked very unhappy. He was most afraid of having old grievances brought up.
Chen Jie then looked at Wu Hong and asked, "Wu Hong, what do you think of this matter?"
After Chen Jie finished speaking, everyone looked at Wu Hong. Wu Hong was no ordinary person; he was the head of the Supervisory Department, one of the most powerful departments in Huangzhou Prefecture.
Wu Hong stepped forward and bowed to Chen Jie, saying, "King of Han, although Liu Peng's words are verbose, his meaning is very clear. Throughout history, neither the emperors of the North nor the South have had a good ending, whether it was the father-son kingdoms of Shi Jingtang and Yelü Deguang during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period."
"Whether it is the state of uncle and nephew between Jin and Song, or the state of uncle and nephew between Mulan and Song, it is nothing more than a delaying tactic."
"I think Prime Minister Hama's visit is also to lull us into a false sense of security, while his real purpose is to provide cover for the southward advance of another country's army."
As Wu Hong spoke, Old Hama was taken aback, then looked at Wu Hong and said, "Lord Wu, I have come with sincerity!"
Wu Hong looked at Old Hama and said, "Sincerity? Where's the sincerity?"
"Did you bring gold, silver, and provisions, or are you planning to offer several cities to our King of Han?"
"this!"
Old Hama was speechless for a moment. Wu Hong looked at Old Hama and said, "You have no gold or silver, no grain or fodder, and no cities. You come to form an alliance with nothing but empty words. Doesn't the old prime minister find it laughable?"
Old Hama paused for a moment upon hearing this, then immediately laughed and said, "Hahaha... Lord Wu has misunderstood. We are brotherly nations, so there is no reason for us to pay tribute."
Wu Hongdao said, "Prime Minister, since we are brotherly nations, is it appropriate for you, the younger brother of the Mulan people, to come to your elder brother's home without offering a gift?"
Old Hama was silent for a moment, not knowing how to answer. After a long while, Old Hama said, "Brotherly nations, we don't talk about these things, do we?"
"Hahahaha... Old Prime Minister, you won't talk about this or that. What benefits would we gain from forming an alliance with your Emperor? As you can see, many of my officials are now calling my King Shi Jingtang. My King is bearing this infamy. If you're not willing to give him even the slightest benefit, that's not fair, is it?"
Upon hearing this, Old Hama looked at Wu Hong and asked, "So what do you want?"
Wu Hong paused for a moment upon hearing this, then looked at Lao Hama and said, "I heard that your Mulan Emperor has invited many troops from brother countries to garrison in Hebei, threatening our territory. Why don't we have them retreat to the northern desert and let both sides live in peace?"
Upon hearing this, Lao Hama's expression changed. He said, "Lord Wu, this is not right. We do have troops stationed in Hebei, but you have also deployed troops around the area. If we withdraw our troops, you will advance unimpeded. Wouldn't we be doomed to lose our country?"
"This is not a condition that can be negotiated!"
"If you can't talk about this or that, then what are you doing here? Catching up with old friends?"
At this moment, Zhou Chu stepped forward and confronted Lao Hama. Lao Hama was taken aback upon hearing this and suddenly felt somewhat isolated and helpless.
Just as he was in a dilemma, Chen Jie spoke up: "Alright, alright, don't make things difficult for our old lord. I have known the old lord for many years. Old Prime Minister, would you be willing to serve under me?"
Chen Jie said casually. Old Hama was taken aback when he heard this. He was slightly moved, but now the Han Prince’s Mansion was full of talented people. He was afraid that he would not be second only to the emperor. Moreover, this was a Han dynasty. He was afraid that he would not be able to be given important responsibilities.
Although the Great Qian Dynasty is now in decline, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; at the very least, he is still a prime minister.
Thinking it over, he chuckled and said, "Your Majesty is joking. Although I, Old Hama, dare not call myself a capable minister or a famous minister, I certainly possess the virtue of 'loyalty'!"
"Hahaha……"
Upon hearing this, Chen Jie couldn't help but laugh, then stepped down the stairs and said, "Good, good, loyal, loyal!"
As he spoke, he approached Old Hama and said, “I appreciate the trouble you’ve made this trip, Prime Minister. However, I don’t like this brotherly kingdom. I prefer to monopolize things, whether it’s the whole country or a title. So, if your emperor is willing, he can hand over the Yan-Yun region to me, and we can settle this grudge.”
Old Hama then looked up at Chen Jie and asked, "Does the King of Han mean he is unwilling to reconcile?"
Chen Jie laughed and said, "Reconciliation is impossible. Go back and tell your emperor that this game will determine not only victory or defeat, but also life or death."
Old Hama was about to say something when Chen Jie suddenly changed the subject and said, "By the way!"
At this moment, he looked at Old Hama and said, "The gates of my Great Han are always open to the old prime minister. If the old prime minister can no longer stay in the court and is willing to come to me, I will certainly welcome him with the utmost respect."
Old Hama knew that further words were useless, so he sighed and said, "Well, it seems we have no choice but to resort to arms."
Chen Jie said, "Go back and tell your emperor that I will launch a northern expedition in six months. Your emperor can also attack ahead of time. Then we'll see who wins."
After saying that, Chen Jie turned around and said, "See the guest out."
"promise!"
All the civil and military officials responded in unison.
Old Hama was sent away immediately. Once outside, he looked back at the Prince of Han's residence and couldn't help but say, "The tide has turned; there's no turning back!" (End of Chapter)