Chapter 9 Section 5 The past in Youzhou

As the highest official in Hebei, Liu Xiu handed over Jizhou to Wang Lang and concentrated on managing Youzhou.In Liu Xiu's strategic plan, Youzhou is his northern Shaanxi. Because it is located in the frontier and far away from the Central Plains, the Gengshi court looked down upon Youzhou at all, and even the shepherd of Youzhou didn't bother to appoint him, but sent an envoy Han Hong to appease and comfort him.And Han Hong is also an unreliable master. Once he has the power in his hands, he will carry out the orders. After arriving in Youzhou, his series of personnel arrangements are all based on personal likes and dislikes, which is nothing more than a child's play.

Take Yuyang County and Shanggu County, which are the most powerful in Youzhou, as examples.Han Hong is from Wancheng, Nanyang. As soon as he arrived in Yuyang County, he happened to meet two fellow villagers, one named Peng Chong and the other named Wu Han.When Peng Chong and Wu Han heard that Han Hong was the imperial envoy and held great power in personnel affairs, they immediately became interested in the glory, and wanted to take the opportunity to become an official and a half-job, so they refused to let Han Hong go. Pour hard. After several bowls of old wine, Han Hong was already half-drunk, and then he remembered to ask Peng Chong and Wu Han about their origins, and they answered one by one.

Peng Chong, courtesy name Botong, was born in a family of officials and eunuchs. His father, Peng Hong, was the prefect of Yuyang during the reign of Emperor Ai, and he had a great reputation in the local area.Under the protection of his father, Peng Chong once served as a senior officer, accompanied Wang Yi to participate in the Kunyang War, and accompanied Wang Yi to flee back to Luoyang in embarrassment.After the fall of Wang Mang, Peng Chong fled to Yuyang and sent food to his father's subordinates. Wu Han, courtesy name Ziyan, when he was in his hometown of Nanyang, the biggest official was only the head of the pavilion, and he liked to take care of the guests. Later, the guests killed people, and Wu Han was not allowed to sit, so he also fled to Yuyang, where he usually traded horses. Barely making ends meet.

After listening to the resumes of the two, Han Hong kept shaking his head: "It's a crime, it's a crime." Wu Han was not good at words, so he just apologized from the sidelines.Peng Chong, on the other hand, was much more slippery, and took the opportunity to toast and said, "I'm also a township party member, and I'm asking for your help. My lord eats meat. I'll follow along, and I'm sure I can have a few sips of hot soup." Han Hong hiccupped, bursting with arrogance, and yelled, "Brother eats meat, how can you only let you drink soup!" After finishing speaking, he opened his drunken eyes, pointed at Peng Chong, and said, "From now on, you It's the prefect of Yuyang." Pointing to Wu Han, he said, "From now on, you are the county magistrate of Anle."

Both Peng Chong and Wu Han thought that Han Hong was just talking nonsense after drinking, so they didn't dare to take it seriously.The next day, Kong Song, the former governor of Yuyang, came to meet Han Hong and presented his seal and ribbon.Han Hong took over Yinshou and handed it over to Peng Chong.Peng Chong caressed the prefect's seal ribbon, suspected that he was in a dream, and asked Han Hong, "It's so simple?" Han Hong laughed loudly and said, "This is not an examination for civil servants! Prefects and county magistrates are not a matter of my brother!" After speaking, he patted Peng Chong on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Search hard for a few years, and then return home. "

In this way, Peng Chong and Wu Han, who were two outlaws yesterday, woke up, one became the prefect of Yuyang, and the other became the county magistrate of Anle. Han Hong left Yuyang County and went to Shanggu County.Geng Kuang, the former prefect of Shanggu, greeted him personally and treated him warmly.Han Hong asked Geng Kuang, "Where are you from?" Geng Kuang replied, "From Fufeng Maoling." Han Hong nodded, and then asked, "Where is the prefect's seal?" Geng Kuang offered the seal, and Han Hong took it, saying, "I will Save it for you." Geng Kuang lost his seal, and returned to the mansion restlessly. Gong Cao Kou Xun came to see him and asked about seeing Han Hong.Geng Kuang sighed: "Han Hong withheld the seal ribbon, it seems that he has no intention of returning it."

Kou Xun said angrily, "Han Hong wants to repeat his old skills? Shanggu is not Yuyang!" Said, "Shanggu Gong Cao Kou Xun, please prefect Yinshou." Han Hong was also a person who had seen big battles. Although he was surrounded, he didn't panic at all. He glanced at Kou Xun coldly and said, "I am the envoy of the Son of Heaven. How dare Kou Gongcao coerce me?" Kou Xun said in a loud voice: "The imperial court has long had a decree: 'The one who descends first will be restored to the title.' Geng Kuang, the prefect of Shanggu, heard that the emissary came and surrendered from the county, and dared not delay. Now the envoy does not obey the imperial edict, and privately seizes his eunuch's seal and ribbon. for what?"

Han Hong knew he was wrong, so he kept silent.Kou Xun called Geng Kuang in the name of Han Hong.When Geng Kuang arrived, Kou Xun said to Han Hong, "Please envoy, please return the seal and ribbon immediately, and order to pay homage to the prefect." Han Hong snorted coldly, as if he had never heard of it.Kou Xun was furious, stepped forward to push Han Hong down, and rode Han Hong under his crotch, turned his hands around, grabbed the seal ribbon, and put it on for Geng Kuang. Things have come to this point, the hero does not suffer immediate losses, Han Hong has no choice but to accept the reality, and still worships Geng Kuang as the prefect of Shanggu.

After Han Hong returned to Luoyang, the lingering hatred was hard to dispel, and he sued everywhere, insisting on dismissing Geng Kuang.Helplessly, the imperial court regards Youzhou as a backwater, a place where birds don’t lay eggs, so it doesn’t matter who is the prefect!Ignore Han Hong's complaints. Besides, Geng Kuang, although the official was restored to his original post, he was not at ease after all, so he sent his eldest son Geng Yan to Luoyang with generous gifts, intending to bribe the dignitaries, broaden his connections, and thus stabilize his position as prefect. Geng Yan was twenty-one years old at the time, and set off on the same day to Songzi, when the news came that Wang Lang proclaimed himself emperor in Handan. , the destiny belongs to; Liu Xuan is a branch of the emperor's family, and the situation will not last long. It is better to stay close to Handan than to invest in Luoyang."

Geng Yan was young and energetic, and he snapped at his sword, "Liu Ziyu is a traitor, how can anything be done! I went to Luoyang and used it with the country's Chen Yuyang and Shanggu's soldiers and horses. Destroy the withered and rotten ears. Guan Gong and others don't know how to go, and the family will be wiped out soon!" Sun Cang and Wei Bao didn't dare to contradict Geng Yan, they both apologized and said with a smile: "My lord taught you well."