Chapter 37: Lord of Ji Zhou
Lu Zhi then recited Lu Bu's outstanding military achievements: "In the twelfth month of the second year of Guanghe, the Xianbei invaded Youzhou and Bingzhou. Lu Bu led the army to repel the Xianbei, and the Bingzhou army beheaded more than 1,500 Xianbei, with Lu Bu personally beheading over a hundred. In the winter of the third year of Guanghe, the Xianbei invaded again, and the Bingzhou army beheaded more than 2,000, with Lu Bu personally beheading over two hundred. Since then, the Xianbei trembled at the mention of Lu Bu's name. In the sixth month of the first year of Zhongping, Lu Bu accompanied Ding Yuan to assist Lu Zhi, killing over 3,000 Yellow Turban rebels, and Lu Bu personally beheaded over two hundred. In the eleventh month of Zhongping, Lu Bu assisted Ding Yuan in aiding Zhang Wen to defeat the rebel Beiyu, killing over 2,000 enemy soldiers, and Lu Bu personally beheaded over a hundred. In the same month, while Lu Bu was away from Bingzhou, the Xianbei invaded again. Lu Bu rushed back, defeated the Xianbei, and the Bingzhou army killed over a thousand Xianbei soldiers, with Lu Bu personally beheading over two hundred. The Xianbei then retreated. In the twelfth month, the Xianbei invaded again, and Lu Bu, leading the Bingzhou iron cavalry, killed over 2,000 Xianbei, with Lu Bu personally beheading over two hundred."
Empress Dowager He looked at the royal and noble ministers with a disdainful gaze, saying, "Lu Bu, commanding a large army, beheaded more than 13,000 rebels and personally executed over a thousand. I ask, apart from the three esteemed gentlemen, Huangfusong, Zhu Jun, and Lu Zhi, who in the entire court can boast such military achievements? Some people kill a few defenseless cripples and dream of becoming high-ranking officials. Lu Bu has killed so many vicious rebels, saved my family, the emperor, and Prince Chenliu. Isn't he worthy of being a General for the Northern Expedition? Lu Bu's military might has terrified Youzhou and Bingzhou, making the Xianbei rebels cower in fear. With him in the north, my heart is at ease. If anyone still doubts, feel free to exchange positions with Lu Bu and resist the Xianbei rebels yourself."
Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and others looked at each other. They wanted to drive Lu Bu out of Luoyang but were reluctant to let him govern a province, especially with control over three provinces' military affairs. Now that Empress Dowager He had spoken so decisively, they were unwilling to add fuel to the fire. If Empress Dowager He turned against them, it would be a loss for them.
Cao Cao suddenly noticed a problem and stepped forward to remonstrate, "During the reign of Emperor Wu, it was stipulated that the Inspector should not be from the same province, the Commandant should not be from the same commandery, and the Magistrate should not be from the same county. Lu Bu hails from Jiuyuan County in Wuyuan Commandery, Bingzhou. Therefore, he can serve as a general officer in Bingzhou, but he cannot be the Governor of Bingzhou. Furthermore, the Governor's position is typically held by an experienced Inspector, such as Liu Yu in Youzhou and Liu Yan in Yizhou. Lu Bu, being young and inexperienced, is not suitable to be the governor of a province. I hope the Empress Dowager will reconsider."
The cunning Prime Minister Yuan Wei also advised, "During Emperor Huan's reign, the Three Interlocking Laws were established, stipulating that local officials should avoid their hometowns. Besides, they should also avoid officials from their spouses' hometowns. If someone from Province A serves as an official in Province B, officials from Province C must also avoid serving in both Province A and Province B. According to this rule, Lu Bu cannot hold the position of Governor of Bingzhou."
Empress Dowager He, caught off guard by their objections, became anxious. She had not considered these issues at all.
Lu Zhi, aware of Empress Dowager He's favoritism towards Lu Bu, and under the misconception that Lu Bu was a loyal and patriotic subject, tried to entrust the important duty of supporting the Han Dynasty to Lu Bu. He smiled slightly and said, "I am originally from Zhuo Commandery in Youzhou. If I become the Governor of Bingzhou, and Lu Bu becomes the Governor of Ji, we won't violate the rules set by Emperor Wu and Emperor Huan. If you think Lu Bu is too inexperienced, you can appoint him as the Inspector of Ji Province. If the ministers are not satisfied with Lu Bu's promotion to General for the Northern Expedition, we can lower his rank to General for the Northern Garrison, but he will still command the military affairs of Youzhou, Ji, and Bingzhou."
Empress Dowager He, upon hearing this, brightened up and ordered Lu Zhi to quickly draft the imperial edict. The edict was then issued, stating, "Due to the untimely death of the former Inspector of Bingzhou, Ding Yuan, and the refusal of the General of the Front, Dong Zhuo, to take over as the Governor of Bingzhou, Lu Zhi is transferred to become the Governor of Bingzhou while still holding the position of Grand Commandant. Lu Bu is appointed as the Inspector of Ji Province, concurrently holding the position of General for the Northern Garrison, commanding the military affairs of Youzhou, Ji, and Bingzhou. Duhu Commander, Protector of the Wuhuan, and Chief Commandant of the Xiongnu all fall under the jurisdiction of the General for the Northern Garrison."
Previously, Lu Bu thought that the Governor (州牧) and Inspector (州刺史) were similar roles, both capable of managing the military and political affairs of a province. Now he gradually understood that, in terms of official rank and actual power, the Governor held a higher position than the Inspector. First, in terms of official rank, the Inspector was rated at two thousand dan, the same as the Commandant of a commandery, while the Governor was rated in the middle range of two thousand dan, one level higher than the Inspector. Second, if a province had an Inspector, it wouldn't have a Governor, and vice versa. It was common for an Inspector to be promoted to Governor within their own province. The Inspector was a permanent official in the province, but the Governor wasn't. Not every Inspector could be promoted to Governor; usually, Governors were appointed in regions with frequent military activity. For example, Youzhou, plagued by the Xianbei and Wuhuan, had Liu Yu as the Governor, while Yizhou, facing rebellion from the southern tribes, had Liu Yan as the Governor. From this perspective, the Governor held stronger military authority than the Inspector. In summary, the position of an Inspector was not significantly higher than that of a Commandant. Commandants generally did not obey the orders of Inspectors, explaining why, later in the anti-Dong Zhuo alliance, many Commandants and Inspectors stood side by side.
As an analogy, an Inspector was like a modern provincial governor, while a Governor was akin to a provincial party secretary. Some party secretaries in economically developed cities might not pay much attention to the provincial governor, but they still had to obey the orders of the provincial party secretary.
However, when Lu Bu went to assume the role of Inspector in Jizhou, with the title of General for the Northern Garrison and commanding tens of thousands of troops, the counties and commanderies under Jizhou would certainly treat him differently than a typical Inspector.
Yuan Shao initially wanted to continue obstructing Empress Dowager He's appointment of Lu Bu. However, he suddenly remembered a letter he received the previous night. The letter contained a copy of the message he wrote to Ding Yuan, advocating the elimination of all eunuch relatives. It was undoubtedly sent by Lu Bu. If he persisted in blocking Lu Bu's appointment, he feared Lu Bu would expose his involvement in the plot that led to the Ten Attendants killing He Jin. If that happened, his reputation would be ruined.
Seeing the discontent on the faces of his two nephews, Yuan Wei asked on their behalf, "If Lord Lu becomes the Inspector of Jizhou, who will be in charge of the role of Grand Commandant?"
Empress Dowager He glanced at the entire court, shaking her head continuously.
Understanding Empress Dowager He's intentions, Lu Zhi interjected, "Since Liu Yu, the Governor of Youzhou, can remotely hold the position of Grand Commandant, why can't Lu Bu, the Inspector of Jizhou, also remotely hold the position of Grand Commandant?"
Empress Dowager He, pleased with Lu Zhi's suggestion, responded to Yuan Wei, "Let Lu Bu concurrently hold the position of Grand Commandant. When there is a suitable candidate, he can step down from the position."
Feeling discontent, Yuan Wei originally wanted to insert members of the Yuan faction into the position of Grand Commandant. However, Empress Dowager He, wary of the Yuan faction, did not give him the opportunity to arrange candidates. He continued to advise, "Since Ding Yuan, the former Inspector of Bingzhou, concurrently held the role of Commandant of the Imperial Guards, and now, with Ding Yuan deceased, the position of Commandant of the Imperial Guards is vacant. I recommend the Gatekeeper Officer, Wu Qiong, to be appointed as the Commandant of the Imperial Guards. Wu Qiong is honest and cautious, suitable for this significant responsibility."
Empress Dowager He coldly snorted, "Wu Qiong was previously a scribe for the county office. When his neighborhood leader committed a crime, the Prefect ordered him to write an arrest warrant. However, due to the neighborhood leader's past favor, he refused to write the warrant, prioritizing personal feelings over official duty. How can we entrust such an individual with significant responsibilities?!"
Surprised, Yuan Wei and others looked at Empress Dowager He. They had never expected that the Empress Dowager, secluded in the palace, would know the trivial details of the external ministers' past. A chill ran down their spines.
Empress Dowager He, secretly pleased, attributed her knowledge to the intelligence she obtained from the eunuch spies. She had carefully reviewed the information on Yuan Shao and others the previous night. Unexpectedly, it came in handy today.
All this was thanks to Lu Bu. If he hadn't reminded her that Yuan Shao and others were treacherous, she wouldn't have made so many preparations. Thinking about this, Empress Dowager He couldn't help but cast a glance at Lu Bu, who stood tall and proud in the military officer lineup, seemingly uninvolved.
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