Han family achievements

Chapter 373 The tacit understanding towards Cao Cao

As soon as Pan Yin left, Liu Yu arrived as promised.

He was skinny, with sunken eyes, walking on crutches and coughing constantly.

Liu Bian looked at him with a complicated expression.

Among the three men left behind by Cheap Daddy, Liu Bian was most optimistic about Liu Yu. He was a man of good character, capable, and a member of the royal family.

Liu Bian once hoped that he would succeed Yang Biao and become the second prime minister.

But this person also has very clear shortcomings. He lacks courage, acts softly, and blindly advocates 'harmony is the most important'.

"I am here to see you, Your Majesty." Liu Yu saluted with some difficulty.

Liu Bian sighed softly and said: "I have already agreed to the Qing family's Gongsun Du to be the governor of Liaodong. Why bother to go there in person in the cold weather?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Liu Yu insisted on saluting, and then said: "Your Majesty, Liaodong must be guarded by capable generals. I think Gongsun Du is capable of doing the job. I am here to ask for my resignation."

Liu Bian frowned deeply and looked at Liu Yu calmly.

Although Liu Yu was terminally ill and did not have long to live, according to the natural character of a superior, he would not give up power until he died.

If Liu Yu wanted to resign before he died, then he had other demands.

There was calm on the bridge for a while, then Liu Yu raised his hand again and said: "Your Majesty, I recommend Cao Cao to be the Grand Sima."

Liu Bian had already guessed it. Standing at the end of the bridge, his eyes turned to the river under the bridge. The fish had disappeared and the river was calm.

Liu Bian naturally had great expectations for Cao Cao, but he didn't want him to leave too fast. There were still many things that needed Cao Cao to do.

"Your Majesty is worried that the Chancellor will object? I have a way to persuade them to agree." Seeing Liu Bian's silence for a long time, Liu Yu spoke again.

Liu Bian glanced out of the corner of his eye and stared at his withered face. Knowing that he might not survive this winter, he sighed again in his heart.

The greatest reluctance in this world is undoubtedly the separation of life and death.

Liu Bian didn't want Huangfu Song to die, he didn't want Lu Zhi to die, he didn't want Zhu Jun to die, but they all left.

Now, it's Liu Yu's turn.

Once Liu Yu dies, the old ministers left by Emperor Ling will basically be gone, and there will be new faces in the court.

"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister is here." At this time, Pan Yin came over.

Liu Bian nodded and threw bait into the river again.

Xun Yu came over and saw that Liu Yu was also there. He was a little surprised, but he still saluted and said: "I am here to see you, Your Majesty."

Liu Bian hummed and said, "Is it about the Five Pecks of Rice Sect?"

Xun Yu raised his hand and said seriously: "Your Majesty, the Five Pecks of Rice Cult has been involved in the imperial court and even infiltrated into the imperial army. It has gathered a hundred thousand people outside. It must be dealt with as soon as possible. I am here to request an order."

Before Liu Bian could speak, Liu Yu suddenly interrupted and said, "How will the prime minister deal with the hundreds of thousands of people?"

Xun Yu turned sideways and bowed to Liu Yu to show respect, and then said: "I thought that we should capture the leader first, get the list of religious members, clean up the people in the imperial army and the court, and then ban the Five Dou Rice Sect and disperse those followers."

Liu Yu described the dead tree with an expressionless face and said: "If the news is leaked and the list cannot be obtained, then how will the prime minister respond when hundreds of thousands of people make trouble?"

Xun Yu clearly noticed that there was something in Liu Yu's words and said decisively: "So, we should strike first, act quickly, and don't give anyone a chance!"

Liu Yu shook his head slightly and argued with Liu: "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister's idea is good, but it is not comprehensive enough. This matter is like marching troops to fight. You must not be careless. I am no longer useful. I recommend Cao Cao to take over the Sima Mansion."

Xun Yu's expression changed slightly, he didn't expect that Liu Yu had this purpose.

"What do you think, Prime Minister?" Liu Bian focused on feeding the fish and said casually.

"I object!"

Xun Yu was extremely straightforward and said: "Your Majesty, there are many suspicious things in Cao Cao's many wars against the rebels. Until these are investigated clearly, I object to Cao Cao taking charge of the Grand Sima Mansion."

Liu Yu snorted coldly and said: "I just said that the Prime Minister does not know how to march and fight. The battlefield is changing rapidly. Except for insiders, outsiders can't see it clearly. You doubt Cao Cao, but when did Cao Cao fail to put down the rebellion? From Qingzhou to Jizhou, and then When he arrived in Yuzhou, his military exploits were unparalleled by anyone in the world? You were sitting there eating and drinking tea in peace and quiet. They were fighting with their lives, but in the end, you doubted them and wanted to kill them quickly? Prime Minister, you wrote a good moral article , but the article is for others to read, and you must have morality yourself."

Liu Yu's words couldn't be said to be rude, they were even quite mean, as if he was being insulted in person.

Xun Yu had done enough to nourish his energy, and there was no trace of anger on his face. He said calmly: "Mr. Liu, how can you guarantee that Cao Cao is a loyal minister and not a traitor?"

Liu Yu coughed twice violently, and then said: "Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi both trusted him and worked hard to train him. Your Majesty even tried to protect him several times before letting Cao Cao annihilate the Qingzhou Yellow Turbans and pacify the Jizhou Black Mountain Army. This time, even more so. Exterminated Dong Zhuo and pacified the two states of Henan and Xu. These achievements are unprecedented. How come they are considered evil in the eyes of the prime minister?"

Xun Yu slowly straightened up, put away his respect for Liu Yu, and said calmly: "Wang Mang."

Liu Yu's eyes widened angrily, and just as he was about to speak, he coughed violently again.

Wang Mang was probably the most taboo and vigilant person in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Wang Mang relied on his unparalleled reputation to usurp the throne and proclaim himself emperor!

This was something unprecedented. The most important thing was that the government and the opposition as well as the aristocratic families gave full support to him at that time. The reason for his failure was that the various reforms he implemented caused chaos in the world and was subsequently overthrown.

If he had not been so radical, even if he was just waiting to die, the emperor would still be named Wang!

Liu Bian also turned his head slightly and looked at Xun Yu.

His biggest impression of Xun Yu was probably that in history, Cao Cao wanted to become king, but Xun Yu strongly opposed it. In the end, Cao Cao still became king, and Xun Yu "died" of illness.

Some people often defend Cao Cao, saying that Cao Cao was a Han official throughout his life, but in fact, he was not.

Before Emperor Gaozu died, he made a pact with all his ministers to kill the white horse: He will not be king unless he is Liu, and he will not be a lord unless he has merit. If not as promised, the whole world will attack him together.

When Cao Cao became king, he was no longer a Han official.

On the contrary, Xun Yu was a Han official and opposed Cao Cao's claim to the throne until his death.

Immediately, Liu Bian looked at Liu Yu again.

The old minister was coughing violently, as if he would fall down the next moment and never get up again.

"His Majesty!"

Liu Yu straightened up again, with a trace of redness on his withered face, and said loudly: "Killing a good general just by saying "Wang Mang" is tantamount to destroying our country, the country of Han Dynasty, I ask for your Majesty's warning!"

Seeing Liu Yu's situation, Xun Yu seemed to be a little intolerant and said calmly: "Your Majesty, it is not because I have selfish motives. There are many doubts about Cao Cao. It is better to wait until the investigation is clear, otherwise the government and the public will not be convinced, and there may be more trouble. "

Liu Yu sneered and said: "The government and the opposition? Is the Prime Minister talking about the Yingchuan Party? In my opinion, ten Cao Caos are not as good as one Yingchuan Party! Party strife is the root of the country's ruin. For hundreds of years in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the Prime Minister's study has been compared I have many, do you want me to give you an example?"

Xun Yu was speechless after hearing the words "Yingchuan Party" and could not utter a single word. He raised his head to look at Liu Bian, met Liu Bian's gaze, slowly lowered his head, and said silently again and again: "Your Majesty, minister..."

"alright,"

Liu Bian waved his hand and said with a smile: "There is nothing to argue about. Cao Cao's matter has been under investigation. Until there is conclusive evidence, I still believe in him. So, the plan to transfer him to You Sima is not right. Change. He will not be the Grand Sima, but he can take charge of the affairs of the Grand Sima Mansion. How about this, you two ministers?"

Xun Yu hesitated, unable to voice his objections.

Liu Yu thought for a while, raised his hand and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

After settling Cao Cao's matter, Liu Bian quickly changed the subject and said, "Prime Minister, the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, how have you decided to deal with it?"

Xun Yu secretly took a breath, and could only put aside Cao Cao's matters, raised his hand and said: "Yes. I believe that the battle should be resolved quickly and should not be delayed."

Liu Bian thought for a while and said: "It can be dealt with, but it is not banned. Our government still adheres to the policy of tolerance towards positive and progressive religions. All religions, as long as they comply with the law, are allowed to preach and develop. Prime Minister, deal with this matter , it must be reasonable and well-founded, not one-size-fits-all, not affecting innocent people, and not harming the future development of religion.”

Xun Yu carefully tasted Liu Bian's words, and after a moment, he said: "Yes, I understand."

Liu Bian nodded, and then looked at Liu Yu.

Xun Yu seemed to have some understanding. He raised his hand and said, "My lord, please leave."

Liu Bian looked at Xun Yu's back and said to Pan Yin, "Bring over two chairs. I will sit with Liu Qing's family for a while."

Liu Yu originally wanted to speak, but he could only bow when he heard the words.

Not long after, two chairs were placed on the small bridge. Liu Bian was sitting on the edge of the bridge, and Liu Yu was a little behind.

Liu Bian looked at the bait in his hand and said, "The Qing family thinks, besides Cao Cao, who else can serve as the Grand Sima?"

Liu Yu was startled when he heard this, and then became a little dazed.

He calculated carefully, and it seemed that besides Cao Cao, he really couldn't find anyone else who was suitable.

Although His Majesty has made great efforts to promote "young people" since he succeeded to the throne, it is obvious that no one is qualified enough to serve as Chief Sima.

Looking at the Secretariat again, Xun Yu, Xun You, and Zhong Yao are all young people. In terms of reputation, they are far behind those who were under Emperor Ling!

"I need time." Liu Bian said, throwing the bait.

Liu Yu opened his mouth but made no sound.

"Liu Bei will be in Beijing soon. If the Qing family is free, please help him." Liu Bei said.

Liu Yu understood, and remembered Lu Zhi taking Cao Cao with him before his death, and then said: "I understand. Liu Bei is tolerant, knows his troops are tenacious, and is a suitable candidate for the Great Sima."

"Qing family,"

Liu Bian suddenly turned around and said with a strange look: "In my opinion, Cao Cao is actually suitable for the prime minister, but he made an agreement with me many years ago that he would be willing to ride on the battlefield for merit rather than serve as a civil servant."

Liu Yu also knew about this. He pondered for a while and said, "Your Majesty, do you want to create another general?"

Liu Bian raised his eyebrows, smiled, turned his head and said: "No. I just said it casually. Gongsun Du is also suitable to go to Liaodong. At most, he will suffer from scabies, but at least it can delay the court for four or five years." .As for Cao Cao, I have read the memorial to the Qing family and checked it, but the source of his money and food...has not been found."

Didn't even His Majesty find out?

Liu Yu's face changed slightly and he said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, Cao Cao's ability is unparalleled in the world today. He cannot be used without it, but he must be vigilant and controlled. Putting him in Luoyang is the most appropriate choice."

Liu Bian looked strange.

Unknowingly, the monarchs and ministers, the Chancellor, the Grand Sima Mansion, and the government and the public reached a tacit understanding of being "extremely vigilant" towards Cao Cao.

On the other side, a secret meeting was held in the Chancery.

After everyone listened to Xun Yu's narration, Zhong Yao said thoughtfully: "Your Majesty still intends to establish a national religion, but the Five Pecks of Rice religion is too unworthy, so he doesn't like it."

Xun You said: "Then let's pay homage first and then fight. Let Cao Li and Taichang Temple take care of the religion, and order him to issue management details. Then he will ask the Five Dou Rice Sect to hand over the list of members, and then the account books of money and grain."

Chen Gong listened quietly and said, "Then, what should we do with those 100,000 believers?"

One hundred thousand people is not a small number. Once they cause trouble, it will be a big deal!

In the land of Luoyang and Gyeonggi, if one goes wrong, the consequences are unpredictable, and it is a blame that none of us here can afford to bear.

"Kill the first culprit first!"

Xun Yu spoke decisively, saying: "First arrest Zhang Lu and others, and then order them to plead guilty, disband the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, and kill those who are stubborn and disobey as a warning to the monkeys."

Chen Gong still felt something was wrong and said: "Prime Minister, we must have a complete strategy. The Forbidden Army and the Yulin Army must ensure that they will not be coerced into changing things, and then the officials of the imperial court."

It would be unimaginable if the Forbidden Army were to change!

But Xun Yu was not worried at all about this. He did not believe that the palace would not be wary of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, nor did he believe that Zhang Lu could mobilize the imperial army!

"Just in case,"

Xun Yu said: "The Yu Lin Army has returned to the Grand Sima Mansion. I will go see the Grand Sima later and ask for his cooperation."

Chen Gong was relieved and said: "Prime Minister, this matter must be kept secret, and no leaks should be allowed."

Xun Yu met Chen Gong many times, and only then did he realize that this man was thoughtful and considerate. He nodded and said, "Okay. Gongda, go to Taichang Temple and tell them to quickly send a message to the Five Dou Rice Sect. It must be handed over within three days. Chen Gong, please order people to monitor the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, especially Zhang Lu and others. Their whereabouts must be carefully checked and you must not be careless!"

"Yes!" Xun You and Chen Gong responded immediately.

"There is one more thing." Zhong Yao raised his head and looked at Xun Yu.

Xun Yu immediately began to ponder and said: "Then the Lu family has nothing to do with Your Majesty."

"What about the Queen Mother?" Zhong Yao asked.

The reason why Zhang Lu's Five Pecks of Rice Cult developed so rapidly is because Zhang Lu's mother, Lu, came into the palace to treat the Queen Mother He's illness, which made the Queen Mother He happy, and she still lives in the palace today.

If they attack Zhang Lu and Queen Mother He suddenly intervenes, what will they do?

Xun You also realized the problem and said coldly: "I think we should find an opportunity first to arrest the Lu family. If Queen Mother He asks about it later, we can release him!"

Chen Gong frowned, but did not refute.

Xun You is different from Xun Yu. When talking to Xun Yu, as long as he has reason and evidence, he can do it directly to his face. But Xun You is different. This man knows how to hold grudges and take revenge!

Zhong Yao shook his head and said: "No! This matter is of great importance, and we must not create any complications!"

After thinking about it, Zhong Yao and Xun Yu said, "I think it would be better to make it clear to the Queen Mother."

Xun You objected directly and said, "What if the Queen Mother refuses to listen and instead leaks the news?"

Seeing that they were about to quarrel again, Xun Yu interrupted them and said, "There are still three days to prepare. Don't be anxious. If the Queen Mother really intervenes then, I will handle it."

(End of this chapter)