95. Rumor Of Emperor Ling Is Sick

Lie Fan can't wait for both of them to reach adulthood and begin to serve him, Sima Lang is short term and Sima Yi is long-term. Lie Fan has planned for Sima Lang in 3 or 4 years to become a clerk under Jia Xu and Xun You to accumulate experience and hone his talent.

Lie Fan enjoys what can be called free time for him, He begins to train and hone his intelligence now that he has time. Even though the manual training effect is slower than drinking a potion, he also wants to familiarize his body movement so he will not be rusty.

2 weeks passed by in the blink of an eye, Baohuzhe as the protector of the people continued their charity helping refugees and the people of Luoyang. Due to the large number of people from Luoyang population and refugees, the crime rate began to rise due to the unemployed people.

Lie Fan led Baohuzhe into a meeting to discuss this problem, even though the city guards and Lie Fan's army patrolling the city due to the large number of people identifying the criminal is very hard like finding a needle in a haystack.

Luoyang and Han Dynasty treasury itself is almost empty due to the projects that were being done, Lie Fan hoped that everyone could find a way to reduce the number of unemployment in Luoyang which could decrease the number of crimes being committed.

Jia Xu and Xun You first have a private meeting with him asking him if they should use the Tuntian system here in Luoyang, reducing the number of unemployed people and receiving numerous crops from the taxes that they paid.

Lie Fan disagrees as he doesn't want people to know his methods at least until the Anti Dong Zhuo alliance begins, he wants to have a very large headstart from other people and if the Tuntian system is introduced it will not be long before all corners of Han Dynasty will use it which reduce the chance of Han Dynasty falling.

Jia Xu understands Lie Fan's sentiment and agrees with his consideration, Xun You on the other hand a bit disappointed as he cares for the common people but understands Lie Fan.

Baohuzhe members such as Wang Yun and Dong Cheng said that the only way they can reduce the number of unemployed people is by sending them to other Cities as Luoyang can't hold for long feeding a large number of people that the numbers are still increasing day by day.

Militaries Man led by Zhu Jun gave their opinion saying that it could be used to increase the amount of military personnel the empire had which immediately received opposition from the civil officials as increasing the amount of the army meant the military budget had to be increased which would impact the almost empty treasury.

Lie Fan who led the meeting was having a conversation with his advisors, while they couldn't introduce the Tuntian system that doesn't mean they can't make the people plant crops in the area outside of Luoyang.

This wasn't a system and as usual, the government could lend the framing tools which they would pay with crops as some form of tax, the rest of the crops could be used by them for personal use. Jia Xu agrees with this one but changes some of Lie Fan's ideas, about how they make the people from a group to do farm work.

They will work under the affiliated landlords and big farmers in Luoyang who have sided with Baohuzhe, this can be some sort of benefit for them and help reduce the amount of unemployment and hunger. As long as these 2 can be tackled, shelter can be done slowly and even the people can build themselves a but to live beside the farmland.

Lie Fan and Xun You agree with this, giving some form of benefits to the landlords and big farmers are a great way to keep them on their side especially when their resources are being used for shelters and soup kitchen.

Jia Xu who got Lie Fan's approval immediately by this idea to all the members of Baohuzhe, Everyone was silent at first and after some time thinking that Jia Xu's plan could work especially the crops which could be used where 25% being distributed to the people and 75% being split in half for taxes and the rest for the landlord and big farmers.

Everyone gives their support to Jia Xu's plan, Lie Fan begins to act seeing that Jia Xi's plan is agreed upon by everyone. He ordered Jia Xu to bring some of the Baohuzhe members to visit the landlord and big farmers, and said that until the first harvest, the upkeep for the people would be paid by Baohuzhe.

Some of the Baohuzhe members hearing this wanted to disagree but were seen by Lie Fan and continued saying that if Baobuzhe doesn't help then the plan will not go through as the amount of benefits the landlord and big farmers receive will be too small.

The members who wanted to disagree shut their mouths as they knew if they still opposed Lie Fan after his explanation then they could be ostracized from future meetings. Witnessing the number of people who wanted to disagree growing smaller Lie Fan is pleased, as they have found a way out of their problem the meeting was dismissed by Lie Fan.

Before everyone scattered leaving, Lie Fan also hoped that they could help reduce the number of crimes happening especially the Military officials and generals as sooner or later crime rings and syndicates could rise if they didn't take care of it quickly.

Going back to Lie Clan Estate, Lie Fan was accompanied by Jia Xu, Xun You, and Sun Qian sitting in a pavilion drinking tea while relaxing together. Lie Fan likes to do this and take his subordinates along with him as rest is also important to keep a healthy mind and body.

While enjoying tea together, suddenly a servant comes and gives a piece of paper to Jia Xu and then leaves the area. Jia Xu who received this began to open it and read the contents of the letter, reading it Jia Xu's eyes turned wide making everyone including Lie Fan curious about the content of the letter.

Jia Xu: "My Lord the Oriole is reporting that Emperor Ling is sick and this news has just been spread in the Noble Circles, Zhang Rang and the eunuch should have known about this and they tried to hide it."

Lie Fan: "Haha looks like Emperor Ling's body can't stand the flamboyant lifestyle he has had since his reign and we have known this before thanks to the Imperial Doctor I bribed, I don't know who decided to spread this matter that will grow like a wildfire. Looks like he doesn't want Luoyang's political stage to be calm, I don't know if this is a smokescreen for something else."

Xun You: "Then what should we do My Lord? Now that all noble know that Your Majesty is sick they will grow restless especially He Jin knowing that they can move their pieces."

Lie Fan: "Let them be, they only know that Emperor Ling is sick and not what kind of illness he has. Keep this for as long as we can, because if they know the race for putting a crown prince will begin."

Jai Xu, Xun You, and Sun Qian agree with what Lie Fan said. The matter of putting a crown prince

can be said to be a prelude to battle, with each side choosing the prince they will support and a battle to glorify the name of the prince they support will begin.

If The Emperor is still healthy, the battle can be minimized, sabotage and schemes will be on a minimum scale. But if everyone knows that Emperor Ling doesn't have a long time to live then it can be a civil war not to put a crown prince but a new Emperor on the throne.

Lie Fan: "Jia Xu tightens the monitor on the Noble's household, I want to know the reaction of every novel in Luoyang especially one in He Jin's Faction."

Jia Xu: "Yes My Lord!"

True to Lie Fan's prediction, the rumor that Emperor Ling is sick began to spread like wildfire in Noble's circle. Everyone began to grow restless, it didn't matter for now if the illness was terminal or not because the Emperor hadn't picked a crown prince yet.

He Jin who heard the rumor that Emperor Ling was sick visited the Palace to meet his sister Empress He to clarify if the rumor was true, because If it was true then he alongside his supporters began to prepare to support his Nephew Liu Bian to become the crown prince even though he is still young about 9 years old.

He Jin doesn't want Zhang Rang and the eunuchs to support the younger Liu Xie who was known to be Emperor Ling's favorite. Entering the palace, He Jin requested to meet his sister Empress He and was brought toward the Imperial Harem by a maid to meet Empress He.

Empress He was waiting for her brother on a terrace accompanied by her handmaidens eating fruits and enjoying the sun. He Jin who arrived at the location saw his sister and greeted her formally because she was the Empress.

Empress He: "Everyone leaves us be, I wanted to talk alone with my Brother."

With Empress He's order, all maid that was assigned to accompany her left the terrace leaving the 2 of them alone.

He Jin: "Sister, is the rumor true? That Your Majesty is sick?"

Empress He: "Yes it's true Brother that Your Majesty is sick, I don't know what illness his Majesty has but he told me that it's just a small illness it will go away."

He Jin: "Then you haven't sent some people to investigate it? What if Your Majesty's Illness is terminal? Don't you want your son to become the crown prince and then Emperor of Han Dynasty? What if those damned eunuchs managed to persuade Your Majesty to put Liu Xie as the Crown Prince?!"

__________________

Name: Lie Fan

Title: Yellow Heaven Subjugator

Age: 18 Years Old (185 AD)

Level: 13

Next Level: 12.000

Renown: 175

Cultivation: Art Of War (level 8)

SP: 376.700

ATTRIBUTE POINTS

STR: 491 -> 508 (1 Potion)

VIT: 204 -> 219 (1 Potion)

AGI: 215 -> 228 (1 Potion)

INT: 234 -> 247 (1 Potion)

CHR: 90

WIS: 199 -> 209 (1 Potion)

WILL: 155 -> 165 (1 Potion)

ATR Points: 0