Han Dao world

Chapter 702
In the fourth year of Jian'an, Meng Chun, Kuaiji Mountain.

The spring breeze is blowing, the water is calm, and the sea is sparkling. A small boat is slowly approaching, and singing can be faintly heard.

Sun Ce stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes slightly squinted, and there was a trace of hesitation, a trace of anxiety, and a trace of helplessness on his handsome face.

Zhou Zhong was standing not far away, chatting and laughing with Yu Fan.

"Zhongxiang, the imperial court has an edict to hold a meeting in Chang'an at the end of the year to discuss Confucian classics. If you have such knowledge, if you miss the grand meeting, it will not only be your personal regret, but also the loss of Confucianism."

Yu Fan stroked his beard and smiled, not feeling that there was anything wrong with Zhou Zhong's words.

"I heard that Kong Wenju has also arrived in Chang'an?"

"Indeed. He arrived at the end of last year. He was recommended by Duke Yang to serve as an instructor of the Taixue." Zhou Zhong smiled calmly, without mentioning Kong Rong's purpose for going to Chang'an, nor did he mention Kong Rong's embarrassment in front of the emperor.He has already learned about such things from different channels, but it is not suitable for Yu Fan to know.

"Re-study Taixue in Chang'an, do you want to revive the school of Guanzhong?" Yu Fan laughed. "But I heard people say that when Zheng Kangcheng returned to the east, Ma Jichang once said that my studies are going east. Since the Confucian classics are in Shandong, why bother to re-study the Chang'an Taixue? Now that the world is peaceful, why doesn't the emperor return the capital? Could it be that there is something for Shandong? Wary?"

Zhou Zhong laughed, and after a while, he said again: "The son of heaven is very young, and it is normal to be suspicious. However, I think he did it not because of suspicion, but because of his stability."

"How to say?"

"Zhong Xiang, do you think Dong Zhuo is the most dangerous, or Yuan Shao is the most dangerous?"

Yu Fan turned his head to look at Zhou Zhong, and even Sun Ce, who was not far away, turned his face slightly.

Comparing Yuan Shao with Dong Zhuo is a very important hint to Zhou Zhong.

Shandong's ability to restore peace so quickly has a lot to do with Yuan Shao's surrender.Nowadays, many people in Shandong regard Yuan Shao as a gentleman who endured humiliation for the sake of the people of the world, a hero who contributed to the peace of the world, a leader of the party, and a spokesperson for the scholar-bureaucrats.

His uprising also tended to turn into a climax of partisan resistance.

This kind of public opinion has been spreading in Shandong since Yuan Shao's retreat. If it gets worse, it has already spread to Jiangdong, and there are quite a few people who respond.

At this moment, Zhou Zhong compared Yuan Shao with Dong Zhuo. Could it be that in the eyes of the court, Yuan Shao was still a rebellious minister.

Although the emperor did not say to move the capital to Chang'an, he studied the imperial school in Chang'an, which is of great significance.

Could it be that he has doubts about Yuan Shao, feels that Luoyang is not safe enough, and wants to subdue Yuan Shao by force in the future?
"You don't have to look at me like that, I'm just discussing the facts." Zhou Zhong smiled slightly and waved his sleeves lightly. "At least in the eyes of the emperor, Dong Zhuo is more dangerous than Yuan Shao. If Liangzhou is stabilized, Shandong will not be in trouble. He stayed in Chang'an and re-studied the imperial school in Chang'an. He still focused on Liangzhou and fought with Ma Ji. Length doesn't matter."

He paused, and then said: "After all, there are not many people in Liangzhou who can understand Ma Jichang's knowledge."

Yu Fan laughed dumbfounded, and didn't ask any more questions.

Discussing knowledge is not their topic today.

Zhou Zhong is about to leave for Beijing.Before that, they had to determine the court's arrangement for Sun Ce.

If the emperor had no plan to conquer Yuan Shao by force, then it would have nothing to do with Sun Ce.

"Duke Zhou, I heard that Cao Cao was appointed as the Protector of Yanran?" Sun Ce asked.

"It is true." Zhou Zhong nodded. "Cao Cao has returned to Yanzhou and is handing over his official duties. He is selecting elites and should be heading north to Meiji soon."

"Then when will Liu Bei set off?"

"I've never heard of it. Liu Bei hasn't gone to see him yet, so it should be a little later. But the emperor acted decisively, so it shouldn't be delayed too far. I guess Liu Bei will move to Qingzhou at the latest after autumn, and fight with You Yandu Protector's Mansion and Youzhou Governor's Mansion will work together eastward to pacify Liaodong."

"After pacifying Liaodong, will Liu Bei march into Sanhan and become the king of North Korea?"

Zhou Zhong nodded solemnly. "This is what the emperor promised before, and it will naturally be fulfilled."

Sun Ce sighed. "Cao Cao and Liu Bei both have unfinished journeys. What can Gong Jin and I do? Liu Yao has old grievances with us, and now he is the governor of Yangzhou again. Gong Jin and I may not live in peace."

"His governor of Yangzhou was appointed by the imperial court, and you, the prefect of Kuaiji, were also appointed by the imperial court. There is nothing to worry about."

Zhou Zhong paused, and then said: "I also heard a piece of news that the imperial court intends to restore the governor's supervision responsibility and cancel the governor's power to govern the people. From now on, as long as you obey the law and don't violate the six disciplines, he will help you."

"really?"

"It's just a rumor at the moment." Zhou Zhong said with a wry smile, "But I don't think it's groundless. After all, there are not many prefects in a county who make rebellions, and the governor and state shepherd are the source of the rebellion."

Sun Ce and Yu Fan exchanged glances.

This news is very important, but to Sun Ce, it is still not the point.

What he wants to know is whether he can continue to fight like Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

It is not his ideal to be a prefect of the county.

"Brother Jiamou, although the world is safe, Jiaozhou has not yet been decided, does the imperial court have any plans for conquest?" Yu Fan stopped beating around the bush and directly stated his thoughts.

"Jiaozhou...what's wrong?" Zhou Zhong was at a loss.

"Jiaozhou..." Yu Fan couldn't say anything for a moment.Although the Shixie brothers dominated the counties of Jiaozhou, they did not raise the banner of rebellion, so it is not easy to say that they were rebellious. "The Shixie brothers are tied to the counties, which does not make the imperial system."

"It's really inappropriate, but it's understandable to act in a hurry. I heard that although the Shixie brothers were exiled to the county, they didn't occupy their own county. It can be seen that they still understand the rules. They did this only for a while. I believe the imperial court will handle this matter well."

Zhou Zhong thought for a while, and then said: "The Son of Heaven can even control the tigers and wolves in Liangzhou, let alone the scholars of Jiaozhou scholars."

Yu Fan couldn't hold back. "Brother Jiamou, you seem to have some prejudice against scholar-bureaucrats."

Zhou Zhong laughed out loud, and after laughing for a while, he said earnestly, "Zhongxiang, it's not that I have a prejudice against scholar-bureaucrats, but after the past few years, I've learned a truth. Today's scholar-officials are no longer the same as they were when they were masters. They are good at sitting down and discussing the Tao, but they can't stand up and practice the Tao. Even if they are full of knowledge, they must rely on the strong to show their strengths."

He turned to look at Yu Fan. "Just like you Yu Zhongxiang, your knowledge and strategy are unparalleled in the world, but what can you do if you don't have a talisman? Don't deny it, Yuan Shao is the most typical example. He can rule the roost in Shandong, but facing the elite Son of Heaven, he doesn't even have the courage to fight."

Zhou Zhong pouted. "Our place of use is the court, not the battlefield."

He turned his head to look at Sun Ce, and said again: "Bo Fu, I know what you are worried about, but I advise you, even if you have the ambition to rule the world, you must first submit to the emperor, otherwise nothing will happen. Follow me Go ahead, only with the support of the Son of Heaven can you make a big splash."

Sun Ce raised his eyelids and looked at Zhou Zhong quietly, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

"The emperor will allow me to conquer Jiaozhou?"

"What is Jiaozhou?" Zhou Zhong shook his head. "Don't dare to say too much, at least you can go further than Cheng Gongjie."

Sun Ce's eyes lit up. "really?"

Zhou Zhong nodded solemnly. "I promise."

(End of this chapter)