ATPnovel Chapter 3 This is no novice, he's clearly a wise and virtuous ruler.
Chapter 3 This is no novice, he's clearly a wise and virtuous ruler.
Yang Hong was a civil official with no prestige in the army, and the officials did not believe in the military orders he made.
But right now, only he has the courage and determination to speak out against Huang Yuan, and Liu Shan must give him his full support.
"Very well, Yang recommended those two generals, please come in quickly."
Liu Shan knew that these ministers were afraid of war, so he didn't even ask their names and directly ordered Yang Hong to bring them to him, giving them no room for rebuttal.
"I recommend Generals Chen Hu and Zheng Chuo."
As soon as he finished speaking, two generals stepped forward from the right row of military officers and bowed to Liu Shan.
"This humble general, Chen Hu (Zheng Chuo), pays his respects to the Crown Prince."
Liu Shan looked him over and nodded in satisfaction.
The two men stood tall and straight, their voices booming, exuding an imposing aura.
Although he is not a famous general yet, as long as we are willing to promote him and train him well, he will definitely be able to stand on his own in the future.
Before Liu Shan could speak, Xu Jing, standing to the side, said sarcastically, "Generals, Lord Yang has signed a military pledge that if he doesn't forgive Huang Yuan, he'll offer his head. What do you two generals think?"
As generals, the two men would not shy away from battle, and immediately said, "We are willing to accept the military order."
"I must remind you two generals that Chengdu's military strength is currently limited. To prevent the enemy from taking advantage of the situation, you two can only lead your own troops to attack Huang Yuan. Are you confident?"
This is both a reminder and a warning.
Upon hearing this, Chen Hu and Zheng Zhuo exchanged bewildered glances.
Huang Yuan had over a thousand soldiers under his command, while the two men's own forces combined numbered only a little over a hundred. How could they possibly be a match for each other?
"Although Huang Yuan is incompetent, his thousand men are no rabble. How can we defeat him with only a hundred men?"
Yang Hong knew that Xu Jing, that old scoundrel, was deliberately making things difficult for him, so he immediately retorted sharply.
Xu Jing said, "The city's forces are already few, and they are mostly old, weak, and disabled soldiers. How could they possibly be a match for Huang Yuan's fierce and powerful army? If we divide our forces further, and if the two generals are unable to defeat them, how will we defend ourselves if the rebels take advantage of the situation to attack Chengdu?"
Xu Jing's words struck Yang Hong squarely at his weak point.
The courtiers also began to echo this sentiment, advising Liu Shan that defense should be the primary strategy.
Inside the main hall, the debate resumed.
A sneeze!
Liu Shan suddenly sneezed, and all the ministers turned to look at him, only to see the Shu crown prince with an angry expression.
"I never imagined that early spring in Chengdu could be so terrifying."
Liu Shan's seemingly unrelated words commanded the respect of his ministers.
Xu Jing wanted to continue speaking, but Liu Shan raised his hand to stop him.
"My father was known for his benevolence and righteousness in saving the world. He defeated the Yellow Turbans, fought against Dong Zhuo, rescued Xuzhou, attacked Yuan Shu, and resisted the traitor Cao Cao. The people of the world welcomed him with food and drink, which is why we have a place to stand in Yizhou today."
"Huang Yuan eats the food of our great Han Dynasty, yet he betrays our promise and righteousness. If we do not punish him, how can we appease public anger?"
"Were the people burned in Linqiong not subjects of our Great Han Dynasty?"
Liu Shan's words echoed throughout the hall, each word resounding and stirring, deeply moving the assembled officials.
"If Huang Yuan is not eliminated to rectify the world, countless people like him will follow suit, which is a serious threat to our health."
"A single punch can ward off a hundred more."
"Huang Yuan, we have to fight him."
After saying this, Liu Shan stood up, drew the golden sword from behind him, and slashed off a corner of the table.
"Anyone who speaks of seeking only to preserve themselves will be like this case."
The golden sword in Liu Shan's hand was a gift from Liu Bei. Seeing this sword was like seeing the emperor; one could execute first and report later. The courtiers could only keep quiet and dared not speak further.
As the Minister of Works, Xu Jing dared not directly contradict him, so he changed the subject and said, "Your Highness, this battle is of great importance. It is not that we are afraid of fighting, but we are afraid that the enemy is too powerful, and we are afraid that Generals Chen Hu and Zheng Chuo will not be able to defeat them."
Liu Shan returned the sword to its sheath and sat down calmly.
He has already cleared the road; now it's up to Yang Hong to come up with a good plan to defeat the enemy.
Before he could give any hints, Yang Hong cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, I predict that Huang Yuan will sail down the river and seek refuge with Eastern Wu. We can have Generals Chen Hu and Zheng Chuo lead troops to ambush him along the way, and we will surely capture him in one fell swoop."
"Alright, are you two generals confident?" Liu Shan asked.
"This humble general is determined to repay his country with his life."
Upon hearing this, Liu Shan shook his head and said, "What I want is Huang Yuan's head, not the lives of the two generals, do you understand?"
Liu Shan sensed the lack of confidence in their tone. After all, asking a hundred men to attack a rebel army of over a thousand and to kill the enemy commander was asking too much of them.
After all, they weren't warriors like Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun, who could defeat ten thousand men.
"yes!"
Although Chen Hu and Zheng Zhuo responded loudly, their eyes secretly glanced at Yang Hong standing to the side.
Yang Hong understood their predicament and immediately said, "Your Highness, it is not difficult to annihilate Huang Yuan, but Generals Chen and Zheng do not have many troops, so I am afraid it will be difficult to succeed. I request that Your Highness allocate another nine hundred soldiers..."
Xu Jing hurriedly rebuked, "Yang Hong, how dare you speak like that! Do you even know how many troops are left in Chengdu?"
"What if other counties rebel and attack Chengdu? How will we defend ourselves?"
Liu Shan waved his hand to stop Xu Jing from speaking further, and asked Yang Hong, "Officer Yang, if I send reinforcements, how confident are you in annihilating Huang Yuan?"
"Seventy or eighty percent," Yang Hong said bluntly.
"What about the thousand soldiers?"
"Eighty to ninety percent."
"What about 1,500?"
"Fifteen thousand?" Yang Hong was taken aback for a moment, then beamed with joy and said, "That's definitely a good deal!"
"Alright, then I'll give you two thousand soldiers. Bring Huang Yuan here to me."
"I want to kill him with my own hands!"
The courtiers were in uproar.
That's two thousand soldiers!
This is going to drain Chengdu of all its resources!
Upon hearing this, Xu Jing immediately knelt in the main hall, tears streaming down his face, and pleaded, "Your Highness, please reconsider! If other places rebel, Chengdu will be in grave danger."
After he finished speaking, the other ministers all knelt down.
"Your Highness, please reconsider!"
Liu Shan said impatiently, "Where did all these rebels come from? Besides, did I say I was going to transfer the garrison troops from Chengdu?"
If we don't transfer troops from Chengdu, where will we find more soldiers?
Liu Shan said, "My personal guards are to be assigned to the two generals. Now, take my token and go to mobilize the troops. Anyone who disobeys orders will be killed without mercy."
The Imperial Guard was the personal guard protecting Crown Prince Liu Shan, and all of them were elite soldiers.
It's not just about elites.
To command the Crown Prince's personal guard must be someone he deeply trusts.
Chen Hu and Zheng Chuo were just ordinary generals, yet they received such an honor and became the Crown Prince's confidants. They were sure to rise to prominence in the future, which was an immense blessing for them.
The two immediately knelt down and kowtowed to express their gratitude.
Liu Shan continued, "As for how to set up an ambush and how to encircle and annihilate them, you two can discuss it with Yang Hong. I will not interfere."
"All I care about is the result."
"I want either Huang Yuan's head, or the heads of the three of you!"
The three bowed again after hearing this.
"This humble general will surely capture Huang Yuan alive, and will not fail the Crown Prince's grace."
Liu Shan nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Xu Jing.
"Minister Xu, I know you care about the safety of the people of Chengdu, but if Huang Yuan is not eliminated, he will go down the river to join Sun Quan, and together with the Wu army, they will be attacking Yong'an from both sides. Your Majesty and the Prime Minister are in danger."
Xu Jing felt ashamed after hearing this.
Not only him, but all the ministers were surprised that letting Huang Yuan run rampant could cause so much trouble.
Liu Shan continued, "Currently, the people of Chengdu are in a state of panic, and the morale of the army is unstable. Minister of State is highly respected and I hope you will spare no effort to visit and reassure the people."
"To repel external threats, we must first pacify internal strife!"
"Liu Shan hereby expresses his gratitude to the Minister of Works."
Upon hearing this, Xu Jing was moved to tears and immediately returned the courtesy, bowing deeply to Liu Shan.
Yang Hong was overjoyed upon seeing this.
He was ordered by Zhuge Liang to stay in Chengdu and assist Liu Shan.
It was originally thought that Liu Shan was a kind and honest person who rarely got involved in politics, and that he would lose his composure and be indecisive in the face of important matters.
However, judging from the proceedings in the main hall just now, Liu Shan has a clear mind, makes decisive decisions, and combines kindness with severity in handling government affairs, which has won him the hearts of the people. He does not seem like an inexperienced novice.
"Prime Minister, you are overthinking it."
"Our great Han Dynasty will have gained another virtuous ruler in the future!"