Han family achievements

Chapter 377 Don’t ask questions

While Huangfu Jianchang and Cheng Yu were silent, Cao Cao entered the city.

Unlike Sun Ce's lightly-armed and simple obedience, Cao Cao entered the city gates in groups with a large group of people.

Jia Xu, Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, Cao Ang, etc., as well as Guo Si, Li Jue, Zhang Ji and others, plus retinues, totaling nearly sixty people.

Cheng Yu examined it for a moment and said to Huangfu Jian: "Second Young Master, isn't this Cao Cao too high-profile?"

Huangfu Jianchang lowered his head to drink tea, worried about being recognized, and asked: "How is the verification of Jia Xu's list?"

Jia Xu handed over a list of Dong Zhuo's party members throughout the Han Dynasty, part of which had been resolved in Yu and Xu states.

Cheng Yu said: "After verification, there is basically no problem, but I suspect that he has hidden some of it."

Huangfu Jianchang lowered his head, raised his eyelids to the highest level, looked at Cao Cao and his party, and said: "If it were me, I would hide them, but I don't know if they have been given to Cao Cao."

Cheng Yu thought for a while, shook his head and said, "I don't know."

It's really hard to judge Jia Xu's thoughts, and Cao Cao's scheming is even more profound. No one knows what they will do when they work together.

"Keep an eye on him." Huangfu Jian waited for Cao Cao to walk over, then raised his head and said with obscure eyes.

Cheng Yu said: "It's not a big problem if there is that nail. Xiahou Dun and others didn't touch it lightly."

Huangfu Jian took a long breath and said: "That's good. Sir, His Majesty summoned me a few days ago and told me that the strong wind knows the strong grass, and the rough and sway knows the loyal ministers. But after listening to your words, the strong wind and the sway also know the loyal ministers. It may not count, until the end, who knows who is loyal and who is traitorous?”

Cheng Yu knew where Huangfu Jianchang's emotion came from.

Cao Cao has been favored by His Majesty since he ascended the throne. His Majesty has protected him from many calamities, even at the cost of confronting the imperial court.

But in the end, it was still difficult to distinguish between loyal and traitorous Cao Cao, and it was still unclear between man and ghost.

Cao Cao led a large group of people and went straight to Cao Mansion.

While walking, I paid attention to the movements in Luoyang City. There were patrolling Yulin troops everywhere, and the number of people around was visibly sparse. It was obvious that something big was going to happen.

Jia Xu was dressed in long clothes, pure white, and said expressionlessly: "It seems that the imperial court is going to use the Five Pecks of Rice Sect to thoroughly cleanse the city of Luoyang this time and clear the way for the Yuan Dynasty next year."

Cao Cao calmly touched the wine bottle on his waist, his narrow eyes were very calm, and he did not answer.

Xia Houyuan said from the side: "It's not surprising. After all, this is the first time His Majesty has changed his Yuan Dynasty."

Guo Si, Zhang Ji and others did not dare to speak. They were rebel generals, and if they said a wrong word in Luoyang City, they would be killed.

Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren and others were even more silent. They always ignored this kind of thing and only listened to Cao Cao's orders.

Seeing that Cao Cao was silent, Jia Xu said, "General, does he have other concerns?"

Cao Cao nodded and said: "I don't know how many people will be affected if old things are brought up again. My Cao family comes from the palace, so it will inevitably be affected."

Jia Xu heard that Cao Cao didn't mean what he said, but he didn't point it out. He looked at the oncoming Yulin army and said: "General, maybe you can visit the Lu family and Huangfu family. The big Sima can be later."

Cao Cao instantly understood what Jia Xu meant, shook his head and said, "Let's bury Feng Xiao first."

When Jia Xu heard this, he said no more.

On the other hand, Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren and others nodded secretly, feeling sad again in their hearts.

Cao Cao, or rather, they were able to be where they are today mostly because of the help of Guo Jia. Now that Guo Jia is dead, they seem to have had their muscles pulled out. Although they have bones and are still standing, they are always weak.

Not long after, everyone returned to Cao's mansion without any hindrance. After washing up, Cao Cao prepared to return to the palace.

As soon as he went out, he saw Jia Xu already waiting in the courtyard.

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes, then walked towards Jia Xu and said, "Wen He, do you have something to tell me?"

Jia Xu spoke bluntly and said: "When the general enters the palace this time, he can only plead guilty but not take credit."

Although Yuan Shao was credited with quelling Dong Zhuo, and later Liu Yu, Xun You, etc. were involved, everyone knows that the greatest credit lies with Cao Cao.

But the government and the opposition are very clear that this credit must not be given to Cao Cao!

In the battle to destroy Dong, Cao Cao once again exposed many problems, making the government and the public suspicious and wary of him.

Cao Cao sighed softly and said, "So, there is no hope of becoming a marquis?"

Jia Xu was used to Cao Cao's pretentiousness and said: "General, if you make one wrong move, you may be imprisoned!"

Cao Cao frowned and said, "If I destroy Dong Zhuo, will the court put me in jail?"

Jia Xu smiled contemptuously and said: "The cunning rabbit is dead and the lackey is cooked. This is the favorite thing of civil servants in the court. Once a general is imprisoned, he will be guilty. It will be extremely difficult to turn around in the future."

Cao Cao's expression became more solemn, and Jia Xu's words made him cautious.

He had never thought it would be so serious, but if he thought about it carefully, the court might really do this!

After pondering carefully and repeatedly, Cao Cao raised his head and said, "What can Wen He teach me?"

"Confess directly!"

Jia Xu and Cao Cao looked at each other and said: "Don't hesitate at all. Answer whatever your Majesty asks. Be honest. The more guilty you are, the more honest you will be!"

Cao Cao's expression changed, and then he said: "I understand."

After saying that, Cao Cao went out, got on the carriage and went straight to the palace.

Jia Xu stared at his back and frowned slightly.

He smelled a faint smell of alcohol on Cao Cao. After Guo Jia's death, Cao Cao suddenly started drinking alcohol and often hid and drank alone.

He thought others didn't know, but the smell of alcohol all over his body had long given him away.

Cao Cao was on the carriage and heard the sound of swordsmen outside the curtain. He opened the curtain and looked around, only to see the Yulin Army chasing some members of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect. Some of them had already fallen to the ground with blood flowing everywhere.

The sound of shouts, footsteps, swords and whistling arrows were only a few steps away from Cao Cao.

Xia Houyuan, who was driving the carriage, turned around and whispered: "Mengde, do you want to take a detour?"

"No need."

Cao Cao said calmly. He has been on the battlefield for decades, and this scene is not enough to make him detour.

"Mengde, that seems to be from Xiliang..." Suddenly, Xia Houyuan said again.

Cao Cao took half a step forward, opened the curtain and looked around, and saw a young man riding a tall horse, quite strong and heroic, coming towards them.

Cao Cao seemed to see the shadow of Lu Bu in this young man and said, "Go back and find out who he is and see if you can win over him."

Xia Houyuan responded and watched Ma Chao pass by.

Ma Chao just glanced at this ordinary carriage and didn't pay attention. Behind him were the imperial guards. Walking eastward, he was ordered to go to the imperial army camp for training.

Cao Cao's carriage entered the palace, stopped in the outer court, and walked to Chongde Hall. When he passed through Jiade Hall, he attracted the attention of Shangshutai and Da Sima Mansion.

The junior officials in Da Sima's Mansion were watching from a distance, while in the Chancery, Xun You stood under the eaves, silently looking at Cao Cao.

Cao Cao noticed him and looked at him. After just a moment, he missed his head and walked straight to Jiade Hall.

Xun You also turned around and entered the Chancellor's desk.

This is a silent warning, representing the chancellery and the imperial court.

Cao Cao, a controversial figure, has gradually evolved into some kind of unspeakable taboo.

The court was wary of him and could not take action directly, so Xun You gave him a silent warning.

Cao Cao passed through Jiade Hall and saw Chongde Hall already in sight. He couldn't help but take a deep breath and opened his eyes slightly, filled with indifference and vigilance.

Cao Cao didn't care about those in the imperial court at all. What really made him fearful was the mysterious and scheming Majesty in the palace.

Cao Cao kept walking and soon arrived in front of Chongde Hall.

Xu Yan stepped forward and welcomed Cao Cao in with a smile.

Cao Cao had a beard on his face and showed no emotion. He just handed over his hands and followed Xu Yan through the door.

After walking a few steps, he glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw a small private school at the side door.

There were several children inside, surrounding the table, practicing calligraphy.

Cao Cao recognized many of them, including the eldest prince Liu Shao, the second prince Liu Yu, He Xian's son He Yan, and his second son Cao Pi. There were also a few strangers whom Cao Cao had never met.

After a quick glance, Cao Cao followed Xu Yan into the back hall.

It's not like before, Liu Bian is not here.

Xu Yan smiled and said: "General Cao, Your Majesty is in the verandah at the back. Please come with me."

Cao Cao nodded, not surprised at all, and continued walking inside with Xu Yan.

After going in and out of several doors and going around several turns, Cao Cao finally came to a large verandah, with Lu Yu standing at the door.

Seeing this, Xu Yan said: "General Cao, I can only send you here."

Cao Cao raised his hand again and turned to Lu Yu.

Lu Yu, who was close to Cao Cao, stepped forward and whispered: "Your Majesty and Grand Sima are waiting for you, be careful with your words and actions."

Cao Cao responded silently, calming down secretly, and followed Lu Yu inside.

When you enter the door and turn right, you see Liu Bian and Liu Yu staring at a huge wooden frame, talking about something without raising their heads.

Cao Cao stepped forward and saluted: "Cao Cao, a humble minister, is here to see your majesty. Long live your majesty!"

Liu Bian turned his head and said with a smile on his face: "My great hero is here, come on, take a look at this."

Cao Cao thought about many possibilities of meeting Liu Bian, including refusal, indifference, scolding, and Xiao Zhi being moved by emotion, but he never thought that Liu Bian would smile like this.

After Cao Cao thanked him, he came closer and looked at it, and his face suddenly showed surprise.

Inside this wooden frame is a huge sand table. The sand table not only standardizes the thirteen states of the Han Dynasty, but also the desert grasslands in the north, the Qiang people in the west, the barbarians in the south, and the islands in the east.

Liu Bian pulled him over, with a confident look on his face, and said: "Qing family, take a closer look, and then tell us how to pacify the remaining five states?"

Cao Cao looked at the huge map and immediately realized that this profound majesty had more than just the Thirteen States of the Han Dynasty in his eyes.

He pretended to look at the sand table and pondered, and his thoughts quickly changed.

Liu Yu didn't look at Cao Cao at all, he just stared at the sand table, as if he was deducing something in his heart.

Liu Bian took the tea cup from Lu Yu and said quickly: "Give it to Da Sima and Cao Qing's family."

Cao Cao quickly thanked him, and then said: "Your Majesty, I think that we should first deal with the north and then the south, and deal with the three Qiang first, and pacify Liangzhou and the Western Regions."

Liu Bian hugged the teacup, let out a light sigh, and said, "The opinions of the Qing family and Grand Sima are exactly opposite."

Liu Yu took Lu Yu's tea cup and then straightened up. His withered face was indifferent and he said: "My opinion is to go south first and then north, to quell the internal troubles first, and then to meet the foreign enemies."

Cao Cao did not argue with Liu Yu. Instead, he put down his tea cup, knelt down on one knee, and plead guilty to Liu: "Your Majesty, I am guilty. During the battle to annihilate Dong Zhuo, I failed to detect Yuan Shao's conspiracy in advance, causing heavy losses to the coalition forces. Please punish severely."

Liu Bian waved his hand and said: "We have found out that it was a conspiracy between Dong Zhuo and Yuan Shao. It is not easy for the Qing family to escape this disaster. I have told Shangshutai and Da Sima about this matter. No merit."

Cao Cao still knelt on the ground and said: "Your Majesty, there is more..."

"there is none left,"

Liu Bian took a sip of tea and said: "I have already said that the Qing family does not need to care. I all know that the battlefield is changing rapidly, and the leader should make the best use of the situation. The court cannot just catch something and let it go. The Qing family still wants to talk about it. To calm down the chaos.”

Cao Cao saw that Liu Bian didn't mention it at all, and before he could defend himself, he no longer felt as grateful as before, but felt uneasy.

The corners of his face were straightened, and a trace of uneasiness flashed across his narrow eyes. Then he stood up and said with tears in his eyes: "I accept the order and thank you for your kindness."

Liu Yu didn't wait for Cao Cao to speak, and said: "Your Majesty, Liangzhou is too complicated and has too close relations with the Qiang people. Once the imperial army conquers it, the old thing may happen again."

The "old things" that Liu Yu mentioned were that during the reign of Emperor Ling, the Qiang people rebelled and fought until the third auxiliary period. There was a great earthquake in Luoyang. In order to repel the Qiang people, the court spent more than two million yuan in money and food. It can be said that , the rebellion of the Qiang people was the beginning of the decline of the Han Dynasty and severely damaged the Han Dynasty.

The 'Qiang people' are not only the three Qiang people in Liangzhou now, but also the real Qiang people's territory in the northwest.

Cao Cao pondered deeply for a moment, and after a moment he said: "Your Majesty, I feel that the Three Qiang are not of concern. Instead, the Wuhuan, Xianbei, and Xiongnu in the north should deal with them first."

Liu Yu glanced at Cao Cao and lowered his head to drink tea.

He was so ill that he was careful even when drinking tea and kept snorting.

Cao Cao saw Liu Bian thinking and said: "Your Majesty, from my perspective, Yuan Shao, Liu Yan and Liu Biao are just like chickens and dogs, and there is absolutely no chance of success. As long as your Majesty gives me five years, I will definitely be able to do it." Destroy them!"

Liu Yu didn't even raise his head and continued to sip the tea.

Liu Bian hugged the teacup, nodded slightly, and said: "I believe in the ability of the Qing family, but things in the world are ever-changing, and who can tell what changes will happen. I will decide whether it is south or north. Wu. On the Huan side, Gongsun Du swore to me and issued a military order, and let's see his ability. Xianbei is no better than the Huns in the past, so there is no need to worry too much. The Sanqiang has lost its vigor, so there is no need to worry. On the Yizhou side, Liu Zhang Cowardly and incompetent people can be destroyed with a backhand. As for Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, and Cao Mengde, I don't care about it. On the contrary, the "New Deal" in the court is struggling and the obstruction is difficult to solve. Cao Mengde, I need you to break the deadlock and give me some help. , make a show for the Chancellor's desk."

Cao Cao immediately raised his hand and said in a deep voice: "I accept the decree and will never let down your majesty's grace."

Liu Bian smiled, looked at him, and said, "Do you know what I want you to do?"

Cao Cao's face did not change and he said: "Your Majesty's orders, I will go wherever I go, without asking anything!"

(End of this chapter)