Liu Hong’s words hung in the air for a long time, leaving everyone present in a state where they almost believed they had misheard.

Promoting Dong Taihou’s nephew, Dong Zhong, to General of the Valiant Cavalry was a typical result of the Han Dynasty’s tradition of allowing relatives by marriage to control military positions.

Though surprising, Liu Hong’s decision to promote someone from the Dong family into competition with the He family clearly indicated his wavering choice between Liu Bian and Liu Xie as the heir apparent.

However—

Appointing Marquis Qiao Yan as Governor of Bingzhou?

Under the system of provincial governance, a provincial governor not only held the power to supervise and appoint officials but also commanded military forces, thus wielding authority over both military and civil affairs.

When local officials held such power, they were almost indistinguishable from regional warlords.

Particularly considering Bingzhou’s geographical isolation behind the Taihang Mountains, it possessed conditions for independence, unlike the fertile but fortified Yizhou to the west.

Moreover, with nomadic threats looming beyond the frontier, it was clear that such authority should not be relinquished lightly.

Instinctively, everyone looked towards Han Fu, unsurprisingly seeing his earlier smile freeze on his face.

Just a moment ago, Han Fu had felt honored to take on the responsibility of overseeing Bingzhou’s military operations to the northwest and northeast—an immense privilege bestowed upon him.

Though it wouldn’t be easy to repel the Xiongnu and Xianbei beyond the Great Wall, the military authority itself was already a significant stepping stone.

After all, Qiao Yan’s grandfather, Qiao Xuan, had similarly risen from this very position to become one of the Three Excellencies!

If Han Fu could achieve within three years what Qiao Xuan did—stabilizing the borders and deterring the nomads—it would certainly secure his place in history.

Yet now, he faced this unexpected development.

With a Governor of Bingzhou in place and considering that the residence of the General of the Flying Cavalry fell within Bingzhou’s jurisdiction, the Governor would be the superior authority over the General, requiring Han Fu to obey Qiao Yan’s strategic commands in most circumstances.

Moreover, if this Governor of Bingzhou also held the post of provincial governor, Han Fu’s prospects for advancement would face additional obstacles.

At this moment, Han Fu found himself in a particularly awkward position.

If this Governor of Bingzhou possessed a temperament like Liu Yu’s, Han Fu might manage, but if the authority fell into the hands of someone as ambitious and action-oriented as Qiao Yan, it would certainly spell trouble for the General of the North.

Once this appointment was finalized, his situation would become even more precarious.

After forcing them to step down, there’s no need to go through the process of submitting a plea letter.

Because this doesn’t really count as overstepping authority in the Governorship of Bingzhou.

Just now, Liu Hong felt suffocated after discovering that those few people were all from prominent families and former officials.

Now, this newly appointed General of the North feels just as suffocated.

Not to mention that such great power has been handed over to a child not yet fifteen years old.

“Your Majesty, I think this move is inappropriate.”

After a long silence, someone finally spoke up.

However, as soon as the crowd heard this voice, they realized that it wasn’t someone being rash and protesting against Liu Hong at this moment.

Instead, it was Qiao Yan herself who had already made this response in advance.

No matter how today’s performance is just a performance, it is after all a cavalry clash.

When she returned to the stage after defeating Jian Shuo earlier, there were still some sweat stains on her temples.

Now, after standing outside for so long, they had almost frozen into a thin layer of frost.

When she spoke, she carried an air of cold determination, which appeared unusually resolute.

No one expected that she would be the one to proactively refuse this authority.

And what she said was particularly well-founded.

“Cui Wei, the Governor of Bingzhou, has been diligent in his duties, upholding education and governance. After the pacification of internal rebels among the Xiongnu, he communicated with various counties under Bingzhou’s jurisdiction.

He appointed the capable military officers under his command as generals and obtained approval from the Prefects of Yanmen and Yuncheng to deploy troops, thereby achieving the merit of raiding beyond the frontier.

Since he has not failed in his duties, why should I, Bingzhou Governor, be replaced?”

Indeed, now there are no vacancies in the positions of the Three Excellencies, nor are there any obvious signs from heaven that would allow Liu Hong to dismiss one of them.

Clearly, Cui Lie would not tarnish his reputation again just to buy another chance to become one of the Three Excellencies.

In this case, with the essentially being an upgrade from the Governorship of Bingzhou, what options does Cui Lie have?

When Qiao Yan said this, there was no problem at all, and if she hadn’t said it, it would have been criticized.

After all, one of Cui Lie’s additional responsibilities when dispatched to Bingzhou was to guide the unpredictable Marquis Qiao, which was equivalent to a master-disciple relationship between the two.

It is a major taboo in the current environment of filial piety for a disciple to seize the position of a teacher.

However, Qiao Yan’s words also emphasize one thing at the same time—

She holds the military merit of guarding against the Xiongnu, which indeed qualifies her to be the Governor of Bingzhou.

In terms of actual achievements, Han Fu is far inferior to her in this aspect.

This time, the selection of General of the North has also failed in her hands. If we truly consider these practical circumstances, since Han Fu can be General of the North, why can’t Qiao Yan be Governor of Bingzhou?

Liu Hong, looking towards Qiao Yan, seemed outwardly displeased with her resignation, but inwardly, he was satisfied.

However, at this moment, whether from the aristocratic families or from the relatives, they had already pushed him to the edge of the cliff with sharp blades.

He had to wield an even sharper weapon to carve out a path to preserve the dignity of the Han royal family.

Among the Eight Division, a few who could still be considered his own were naturally weapons he could rely on, including Qiao Yan.

He replied, “Appoint Cui Lei as the Prefect of Taiyuan County, concurrently managing affairs in Xiyi County. These two prefects will be transferred elsewhere, and Lord Cui will still be responsible for your moral guidance.”

This could not be considered a demotion.

However, with the Governorship of Bingzhou in place, the authority of the prefects would be greatly reduced.

Although Xiyi County seemed extensive, the northern part would continue to be divided under the command of the Protector of the Xiongnu.

It was unknown what kind of mood Cui Lie would be in if this appointment were truly implemented.

But no matter what, Liu Hong had already given a response to Qiao Yan’s rebuttal.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Yan remained seated and continued, “Over three years ago, I wrote a memorandum in Luoyang’s Ding Hall, discussing the evils of feudal governance by provincial governors. It was through this that I gained an audience with Your Majesty.”

“At that time, in my memorandum, I said— ‘If one person governs one province, even if they disturb the people, it affects only their relatives. But if they turn against the court and fortify themselves in a strategic location, how can the court handle it?'”

“Now, I still believe this to be true. The harm of provincial governors lies not in the present but in the future.

Currently, there is rebellion in Ba County, Yizhou, and a man named Zhang Ju in Youzhou has proclaimed himself Emperor, exercising military authority under the guise of provincial governance.

It may be expedient to appoint governors in such cases.

If this method is extended, governors could be appointed in Bingzhou, Liangzhou, Jingzhou, and Yuzhou.