As soon as Huan Xi arrived in Lantian County, the relatives and friends of the imprisoned prisoners had already come together to plead for mercy.
"I understand the purpose of your visit. I will take care of this matter when I return to Chang'an."
Huan Xi faced the petitioners and comforted them.
It was impossible for him to wave his hand and pardon the prisoners before they arrived in Chang'an. Doing so would also be a blow to the prestige that Wang Meng had finally built up.
After perfunctory and dispersing the crowd, the team was able to move on.
On September 24, the sixth year of Yonghe (AD 350), Huan Xi returned to his loyal Chang'an with his newlywed wife, surrounded by everyone.
At the city gate, Huan Xi publicly blamed Wang Meng and said:
"Why don't you discuss this with me beforehand, sir?"
Wang Meng did not bow his head and plead guilty as everyone expected. He had his own reasons:
"My lord has left me with fierceness, entrusted me with important tasks, and granted me autocratic power. Now I am just clearing away some insects, so why bother my lord."
Huan Xi sighed:
"Alas! That's all! The matter has reached this point. If we pursue the matter further, it cannot be undone. Please sir, release the detained officials."
When the prisoner's relatives and friends heard this, they were all happy, but Wang Meng had a tough attitude and said:
"No! The state has national laws. Nowadays, officials break the law. How can we let it be ignored!"
With that said, Wang Meng took out his military advisor general seal from his arms:
"If the lord insists on releasing the prisoner, Wang Meng will ask to be sealed and leave."
Huan Xi looked at the military advisor and general seal handed over by Wang Meng and was at a loss:
"Ah! This..."
Naturally, Huan Xi would not pick him up. He said:
"Sir, put it away quickly, why is it like this! Why is it like this!"
Wang Meng then put away his military advisor general seal and said seriously:
"The reason why I kept them alive is to wait for the lord to come back, to clearly prove their punishment, and to ask the lord to give the order. The swordsman has already prepared and the execution will be carried out immediately!"
These words fell like a thunderbolt in the ears of the prisoner's relatives and friends, and they all cried and begged:
"Huan Gong is so kind!"
Some people even begged Wang Meng, hoping that he would be noble.
Huan Xi looked at the pleading people and said to Wang Meng:
"The law is nothing more than human kindness. When I launched the Northern Expedition, they were the ones who came to greet me and help me succeed. How can I bear to watch them being executed today?"
"There is a way of saying that no one has any faults. If they can correct their faults, there is no great virtue. I also ask the military advisor to spare their lives."
"If Sir feels that forgiving them is not enough to warn the officials, Huan is willing to ask Sir for twenty lashes and receive them on their behalf to prove the truth!"
Everyone exclaimed, this time it was Wang Meng’s turn to be at a loss:
"How could this happen!"
Wang Meng said helplessly:
"That's all! Since my lord is interceding for them, Wang Meng doesn't want to commit more killings. However, death crimes can be avoided, but living crimes are difficult to forgive. They need to be exiled to the border to serve as a warning to others."
The prisoner's relatives and friends were all overjoyed. It was extremely difficult to save their lives despite Wang Meng's tough attitude before.
What's more, it is said that he is a miscarriage, but as long as he is amnesty, he can come back. These days, there is no such thing as a heinous crime.
Moreover, corruption is not among the ten serious crimes that cannot be pardoned.
The prisoner's relatives and friends knelt down one after another to express their gratitude for Huan Xi's kindness.
After witnessing this scene in front of others, Huan Xicai entered the city with Wang Meng, but left Xie Daoyun in another carriage.
Without outsiders, the two of them talked freely. Huan Xi sighed:
"It's a pity that I didn't have enough fun today."
His original intention was to have Wang Meng whip him twenty times in public, but how dare Wang Meng. When the two communicated about the scene privately through messengers, Wang Meng flatly rejected the proposal.
When Wang Meng heard this, he smiled bitterly. In this world, there is no reason for a minister to whip the monarch in public.
Huan Xi turned to ask about business matters. What he was most concerned about was the preparations for accepting the emigrants.
Wang Meng personally inspected once yesterday. Just as Quan Yi said, Zhao Ju was well prepared. Wang Meng did not hesitate to praise Huan Xi.
Huan Xi asked:
"For Zhao Ju, taking up the position of Zhonglang is indeed a dereliction of his talents. I plan to promote him to be the head of the military palace. What do you think, sir?"
Wang Meng laughed and said:
"Since my lord has made a decision, why bother asking me again? The Tianshui Zhao family is the top of the Guanlong clan, and Zhao Ju's talents are also qualified for the position of chief minister. I have no objection to the lower officials."
In the shogunate of Huan Xi's general who conquered the east, Wang Meng, the military advisor general, had the highest status and was in charge of the affairs of the government, followed by Chang Shi Quan Yi. Now that Zhao Jurong has been elected as the chief minister, he will also become the third civil servant under Huan Xi.
When dealing with nobles, one cannot blindly make concessions or blindly suppress them. The long-term solution is to use both kindness and power, firmness and softness.
Of course, the most important thing is to ensure that you are strong.
Back in Chang'an City, Xie Daoyun was naturally sent to Jingzhao Gong's Mansion, while Huan Xi went directly to the Military Mansion to listen to the report.
During his absence, not many things happened in Guanzhong. What could really be called a major event was Wang Meng's rectification of the officialdom.
The key is also because Huan Xi's absence made people uneasy and Wang Meng did not dare to make too many big moves.
As for the surrounding forces, it was quite lively.
As for Qianliang, Zhang Chonghua was ashamed of his defeat and re-appointed General Xie Ai to guard Jincheng County (now Lanzhou, Gansu). Obviously, the peace treaty could not give Zhang Chonghua much sense of security.
After Zhang Chonghua returned to Liangzhou, he no longer had any ambition to go east. Not only did he engage in absurd government affairs, he even indulged in drinking and sex, and his health deteriorated.
Xie Ai saw it in his eyes and was anxious in his heart, but Zhang Chonghua didn't accept his advice, so Xie Ai could only be anxious.
As for Zhang Chonghua's concubine brother, Zhang Zuo, who had previously persuaded him to fight in person, seemed to have seen an opportunity and made friends with Zhang Chonghua's favorite ministers Zhao Chang, Wei Ji and others, and became opposite-sex brothers with them. The crisis of a civil strife in the Zhang family had been laid.
Zhang Chonghua, who only cared about having fun, didn't notice it at all.
At the same time, Yao Xiang had already left Luoyang with the autumn grain harvest, and went to rescue Xiang State on the orders of his father Yao Yizhong.
After failing to fight for Guanzhong, the Qiang people returned their attention to Hebei.
After all, although the Central Plains is good, it is the land of the Four Wars and there is no danger to defend. Surrounded by forces such as Huan Xi, Huan Wen, Fu Jian, Ran Min, Yin Hao, Duan Bu Xianbei, etc., as the foundation for starting a business, it is obviously inappropriate.
Yao Xiang does not have the ability of Cao Cao and Zhu Wen.
After Yao Xiang evacuated, Luoyang, Xuchang and other places were reoccupied by Zhang Yu, the governor of Yuzhou in the later Zhao Dynasty.
Yao Xiang was appointed governor of Yuzhou by Shi Zhi, who proclaimed himself emperor in Xiang State.
After Ran Min became emperor, he also appointed Zhang Yu as the shepherd of Yuzhou.
Zhang Yu naturally knew that if he wanted to gain a foothold in the Central Plains, he had to find a backer, so he set his sights on the Eastern Jin Dynasty, which was located in Jiangdong.
After surrendering to the Eastern Jin Dynasty, he could be regarded as a prince, alongside Huan Xi, Huan Wen, Fu Jian and others.
How could Zhang Yu consider the Huan family, his father and his son, Fu Jian and others.
Now that he had decided on a strategy, Zhang Yu sent people to contact Xie Shang, the governor of Yuzhou in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, hoping to join the Jin Dynasty in Luoyang, Xuchang and other places.
