“Who do you recommend to me?”

He Jin was suddenly stunned by Liu Hong’s mention, but he soon realized that this could truly be considered as the emperor’s trust in him.

Since his younger sister entered the palace and gained favor, his promotion in official positions could be described as smooth sailing.

He was even promoted to the position of Grand General because of his exceptional role in suppressing the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and was granted the title of Marquis Shen.

Being a Grand General allowed him to establish his own mansion.

It had only been three months since the execution of Ma Yuanyi, a disciple of the Yellow Turbans, yet the staff in He Jin’s mansion were already well-organized.

Now, when Liu Hong asked him for recommendations, He Jin thought of a bunch of names right away.

For example, his chief clerk Chen Lin, who wrote excellent articles.

Although he wasn’t as famous as the Seven Scholars of Jian’an, and he hadn’t written any anti-tyranny essays like the ones that cursed Cao Cao, it didn’t stop Chen Lin from winning He Jin’s favor with his pen.

However, scholars weren’t suitable for dealing with the chaos of rebellion.

So, the options were much fewer.

He Jin preferred some of his attendants.

Who were the attendants under He Jin at this time?

Kuai Yue, the military leader of the prominent Kuai family in Nanjun, Jingzhou.

Yuan Shao, who had been in seclusion due to political persecution, but now served after being recruited by He Jin.

Liu Biao, one of the Eight Geniuses, a member of the Han imperial family, who had been implicated in political persecution due to the student movement and had been forced into exile until He Jin invited him last month.

There were also Han Zhuo, Wang Kuang, Xu You, Wu Fu, and others…

In He Jin’s view, they were all better than him at speaking and acting.

What they said to him here sounded pleasing.

Since Liu Hong asked, it seemed appropriate for him to recommend one as a reward.

However, perhaps because he took a little longer to think about it, before he could mention Liu Biao, whom he had selected after careful consideration, he heard Liu Hong say first,

“Forget it. You’ve only recently become Grand General, and the people under your command haven’t had the chance to fully demonstrate their abilities. If you recommend someone with an inflated reputation, it might tarnish your own name.”

Liu Hong’s words sounded like concern for He Jin, so much so that He Jin didn’t even realize he hadn’t said a word when he returned to the queue.

Yuan Wei glanced suspiciously in He Jin’s direction, seeing only the joy and pleasure of being trusted by the emperor on his face, and felt that he might have overthought things.

But before he could think further, Liu Hong spoke again.

“Previously, the Grand Commandant mentioned Huang Wan and Huang Ziyuan, which reminded me of someone I’d like to discuss with you all. This person’s name happens to share one character with Huang Ziyuan’s style name.”

“Descendant of Duke Qiao, Qiao Yan.”

Upon hearing this name, Yuan Wei’s eyelids twitched.

Previously, when Liu Hong ordered Zhang Rang and Zuo Feng to go to Jizhou to read the imperial edict, he wouldn’t have missed it due to his channels of information.

It was precisely because of this that he had instructed Chunyu Qiong to accompany them when Liu Hong chose the Guard Captain.

And just yesterday, Chunyu Qiong’s brief but informative letter had been delivered to him.

Now, hearing Liu Hong mention Qiao Yan, others might not know what was so special about it, but Yuan Wei certainly did.

He had thought that Liu Hong’s granting of the Marquis of Leping Township to Qiao Yan before the Jizhou campaign was settled was already an extraordinary favor, but he never expected him to say it in such a formal occasion as the court meeting.

Was he confirming the marquis status for Qiao Yan, or…?

Yuan Wei cursed Chunyu Qiong in his heart.

If he had a little bit of cunning, he should have included more information about Qiao Yan in the letter, so that he could have some understanding of the Qiao family woman who was not accustomed to Luoyang.

Unfortunately, his letter only vaguely mentioned her contact with Zhang Rang, which inevitably caused him to miss the opportunity.

But Yuan Wei also knew that it was precisely because someone like Chunyu Qiong, who seemed unreliable, was sent out that Liu Hong agreed to this decision.

His absurdity was built on intelligence, and now he wasn’t someone easily fooled.

But saying all this now was useless.

Yuan Wei suppressed his frustration and heard Liu Hong say,

“I hadn’t had the chance to mention it before, but the grandson of Duke Qiao assisted the Left and Right General to suppress the Yellow Turbans in Yan and Yu provinces.

To avenge his father, he infiltrated the enemy camp and manipulated the two sides of the Yellow Turbans to fight each other, giving the opportunity for the Left General to defeat the bandits with his army.

He is truly a filial and loyal person.

Yet, you all only knew that the Right General went straight to Wancheng after the victory in Changshe, but you didn’t know that the Huangfu Song and Qiao Yan launched a surprise attack on Quyang, and after the victory, they joined forces with the North General.”

Upon hearing the news of meeting with Lu Zhi, the officials and ministers present couldn’t help but prick up their ears, and in their hearts, they already had some speculation.

“The two generals, in order to prevent any remaining Yellow Turban remnants from causing trouble in the capital, delayed the delivery of military reports previously.

Now that the delayed military reports have arrived, Qiao Yan, on behalf of Lu Zhi, is holding the main camp at Quzhou, confronting Zhang Liang.

Lord Lu, together with General Huangfu and the two others, used Zhang Bao as bait to trick the opening of the gates of Guangzong City, captured Zhang Jiao, and then returned to Quzhou.

They then proceeded to capture Zhang Liang. Although the rebellion of the Yellow Turbans has not been completely quelled, it is not far from being finished.”

Upon hearing this, everyone quickly echoed, “Congratulations, Your Majesty.”

But perhaps, in the tone of their congratulations, they were not only congratulating Liu Hong but also themselves.

The Yellow Turban bandits had been making trouble right under their noses, and many factions were aware of it to some extent, but no one ever thought that a mere Zhang Jiao could accomplish so much.

It was unforeseen that this person could cause such a stir.

If he had continued his rampage in Julu, with the passage of time, it would have been difficult to assess how things would have developed.

At that time, they could still blame the root of the Yellow Turban rebellion on the Ten Attendants, but what would happen afterward was completely unknown.

But now that Zhang Jiao had been captured, cleaning up the mess was much easier than quelling the rebellion. Everyone could finally sleep well.

Liu Hong continued, “In this battle, the Left General Huangfu Song swiftly rushed a thousand miles after securing two provinces, and should be credited with the initial success.

The North General Lu Zhi maneuvered between Zhang Liang and Zhang Jiao, demonstrating the ability to accumulate advantages and stabilize the situation.

Qiao Yan, who can be placed below these two, what do you gentlemen think?”

Yang Ci was always straightforward, and this time was no exception.

Upon hearing that the Yellow Turban rebellion had already captured its leader in May, he couldn’t help but feel that Liu Hong hadn’t completely lost his mind.

At least, he hadn’t made a mistake in selecting generals for the expedition, and it could even be said that it was a stroke of luck.

As for Qiao Yan mentioned by him…

He stood up and replied, “If this young man truly possesses the abilities as described by Your Majesty, it wouldn’t be excessive to grant him a noble title and appoint him as a general, showcasing Your Majesty’s appreciation for the achievements of his subjects.”

Yang Ci didn’t know about Qiao Yan’s situation, so he spoke according to what he knew.

Qiao Yan hadn’t gained any fame before this, and the fact that His Majesty mentioned him by name suggested that he might still be very young.

But according to the usual practice of the Han Dynasty, if parents passed away, their children should observe mourning for three years.

By that time, “he” would be about the right age, so it wouldn’t hurt to give “him” an official position ahead of time.

Special times call for special treatment.

However, Liu Hong seemed completely unconcerned that an old man like him suddenly receiving unexpected news might cause any problems.

He immediately interjected with a thunderous voice, “But does the Grand Commandant know that Qiao Yan is not the person you mentioned, but the granddaughter of Duke Qiao? Do you still think it’s appropriate to reward her in this way?”

“… ” Yang Ci was stunned in place as if struck by lightning, slowly raising his gaze to look at Liu Hong, but he found that the other party’s expression was very serious, obviously not joking.

“A granddaughter…”

It seemed like it wouldn’t be so simple to just reward her.

Liu Hong didn’t need to raise Qiao Yan’s status during the court meeting just to elevate her.

enemy camp, incite the Yellow Turbans, and launch a surprise attack on Quyang with Huangfu Song, as well as play an exceptionally crucial role in the battles of Guangzong and Quzhou, perhaps all of these were her contributions.

“She’s just a ten-year-old girl.”

Liu Hong’s addition came immediately after.

Even though Yang Ci considered Huang Ziyuan, whom he recommended, as a talent of the Han Dynasty, compared to this Qiao Yan, he was indeed far inferior.

It was no wonder that Liu Hong temporarily set aside the person he recommended upon hearing his name and immediately associated it with her because of the character “Yan.”

But if it were a boy, there wouldn’t be any hesitation or difficulty in bestowing such rewards.

For achievements like suppressing the Yellow Turban rebellion, the three main generals would definitely be appointed as marquises.

Furthermore, based on the foundation of their current ranks as generals, they would be further promoted.

Since Qiao Yan was still a you g, it wouldn’t hurt to grant her a marquisate first and discuss other matters later.

But if it were a girl…

“Since Emperor Xiaowen, there have been no women in the Han Dynasty court, nor have there been any female marquises. I’m afraid… I’m afraid it might not be appropriate to follow the previous practice…”

Yang Ci, who was always articulate, hesitated when faced with this issue.

But before he could finish speaking, Yuan Wei stood up from the queue and said, “Since she has made significant contributions to the Han Dynasty, she must be rewarded.

Otherwise, it will be difficult to convince the people. However, in my opinion, the reward should be given in a different way.”

Yuan Wei had not been completely sure about Liu Hong’s attitude toward rewarding Qiao Yan before.

Now, after hearing the conversation between him and Yang Ci, he roughly understood.

He was still hesitating.

But obviously, he leaned more towards rewarding her with a marquisate.

In this short period of time, Yuan Wei couldn’t determine why Liu Hong had this inclination, whether it was due to personal preferences or the conspiracy mentioned by Chunyu Qiong in the letter.

But regardless of the reason, Yuan Wei could at least confirm that Liu Hong was indeed hesitant, which meant there was still room for maneuvering.

Yuan Wei did not approve of women being granted marquisates!

He would definitely intervene.

But he was more articulate than Yang Ci, and he wouldn’t splash cold water on His Majesty’s joy at the victory of his generals.

This had to be approached with tact.

Considering He Jin’s favor since becoming Grand General and his previous performance, when Liu Hong gestured for him to continue,

Yuan Wei replied, “The Han Dynasty values filial piety to govern the country. Your Majesty mentioned that Qiao Yan assisted in suppressing the Yellow Turbans to avenge her father, and you have personally recognized her as someone who embodies both loyalty and filial piety. Therefore, she should indeed be regarded as a model for commendation.”

“Exactly.”

“This girl’s ability to midst of chaotic armies, searching for weaknesses shows considerable intelligence. Furthermore, with General Lu Zhi temporarily leading the troops away, it is evident that she has the ability to coordinate and manage the troops.” Yuan Wei continued.

Seeing that Liu Hong still didn’t show any signs of denial,

He continued, “Prince Bian is now eleven years old, while Lady Qiao is exactly ten years old.

Why not bestow upon her the title of Prince Bian’s consort in recognition of her loyalty and filial piety?

After three years of mourning, the marriage can be consummated. With her talents, she will surely assist Prince Bian in his studies, easing Your Majesty’s worries and difficulties.”

“Qiao Yan’s grandfather was a man who devoted himself to the prosperity of the Han Dynasty and remained loyal throughout.

This can also be seen as a commendation for him.

Considering that both of Qiao Gong’s sons have passed away, aside from Your Majesty, who else can take care of his weak daughter and raise her to adulthood?”

“If we can’t bestow a noble title, then we should consider the win-win strategy I’ve proposed.”

After Yuan Wei finished speaking, there were murmurs of agreement in the court, except for Liu Hong, who sat at the head of the assembly and remained silent.

Yuan Wei glanced carefully at him and noticed that he showed no signs of concern.

He felt confident that his suggestion was probably correct.

However, little did he know that despite Liu Hong’s outward calmness, turmoil raged within him.

Yuan Wei! That fool Yuan Wei actually stumbled upon three of his taboos with one suggestion.

Appointing Qiao Yan as Prince Bian’s consort sounded like a decent idea.

But a few years ago, Liu Hong might have considered it acceptable.

But Not anymore.

Liu Bian was already eleven years old, and Liu Hong had once placed high hopes on him.

However, he found the boy to be timid and indecisive in his actions, unlike his own child, Liu Xie, who seemed to garner more favor from him.

Yet Yuan Wei mistakenly assumed his preference for Liu Bian.

Although it was customary for the eldest to succeed, Liu Hong had rebelled against tradition more than once and cared little about it.

Even if Qiao Yan were to marry Liu Xie, Liu Hong would never agree to it.

Several generations ago, Empress Dowager Deng Sui, though titled as such, had twice intervened in imperial matters, almost entirely seizing control.

While her governance was just, it was her influence that led to Empress Dowager Dou’s desire to seize power, putting Liu Hong himself at risk.

He wouldn’t subject his descendants to such a situation.

Qiao Yan manipulated the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Yanzhou and outwitted the three Zhang brothers in Jizhou.

With such a nature, adding a layer of loyalty and righteousness…

The name Qiao Yan couldn’t help but instill a sense of apprehension in Liu Hong.

Especially, he could not let her become the future empress.

And thirdly…

His gaze seemed casual, but in reality, it circled between Yuan Wei and He Jin underneath.

Since he had lost some favor towards Liu Bian, he naturally shifted his anger towards Empress He and He Jin.

However, he still needed to rely on the extended family to balance the situation, which naturally led to his decision to appoint He Jin as the Grand General and Marquis of Shen.

But apparently, the addition of the word “Shen” didn’t make He Jin act cautiously when he was in power!

Instead, after being appointed as Grand Marshal, he acted as if he were the most prominent figure in Luoyang!

While Liu Hong didn’t criticize his actions and even praised him, he couldn’t ignore this situation.

Yuan Wei’s nephew, Yuan Benchu, had joined He Jin’s faction, and Liu Hong was well aware of this fact.

Now hearing Yuan Wei’s seemingly outstanding suggestion, he felt that it was nothing but a show of goodwill from the Yuans of Runan towards He Jin.

This was something he could not tolerate!

Of course, Yuan Wei’s guess wasn’t entirely wrong.

He indeed hadn’t decided on the reward for Qiao Yan, and he was indeed hesitating whether to break the ancestral tradition and bestow the position of Marquis upon that village.

But Yuan Wei didn’t make him reconsider the idea of giving up the title of Yueping Marquis; instead, he pushed him in another direction.

Why couldn’t he bestow a noble title? By what right couldn’t he?

He had barely managed to balance the aristocratic families and the eunuchs against each other, but now, both sides were conniving under his nose.

It would be better to make Qiao Yan a marquis and use her loyalty and filial piety to his advantage!

However, before he could speak, a eunuch hurriedly arrived with an urgent military report from Jizhou.

Liu Hong suppressed his rising thoughts and first took the sealed military report, reading Lu Zhi’s letter word for word.

He had initially been worried that the urgent report might bring bad news, but as he read its contents, his eyes lit up bit by bit.

He had always found Lu Zhi to be too scholarly and preachy, but now he felt that the letter was timely and appropriate!

As soon as he finished reading, he slammed his hand on the table.

The sound was resounding, as resolute as his rebellious decision at this moment!

“Lu Zigang’s letter states that Qiao Yan has won three debates against Zhang Jiao, the leader of the Yellow Turbans, exposing all the flaws in the doctrine of the Taiping Dao.

Now, the people of Jizhou…

no, all the refugees in Jizhou regard Zhang Jiao as a bandit and a villain.

This is truly the perfect move to strike at the heart of the problem!”

“Minister Yuan, your previous words were indeed absurd! How can such a phoenix be confined within the depths of the palace?”

Liu Hong’s voice was firm as he looked at the ministers present and said, “I intend to reward her with the title of County Marquis for her merits.”