I, Liu Bian, Sanxing Han Dynasty

Chapter 530 I see through you at a glance!

"Is this your friend?"

Huang Wan heard the emperor's question and immediately replied: "That's right, Your Majesty. Yuan Tu just came from Guandong and encountered many military disasters on the way... I know that Your Majesty loves the people and has high requirements for military discipline... However, since the army has left Luoyang, it will be difficult to control it."

Liu Bian looked at Huang Wan, who was still trying to persuade him with all her heart, and he instinctively felt a little annoyed.

But reason told him that the court needed such people.

He immediately looked at Pang Ji. Before he came, the school affairs department had already sorted out Pang Ji's information on his desk.

According to the information, Pang Ji was a celebrity who did not seek fame or fortune.

He only served as an official under General He Jin, and never responded to calls for office afterwards. He also claimed to the outside world that he had no intention of becoming an official and only wanted to concentrate on studying classics.

There doesn't seem to be any problem at all.

Even serving as an official under the general against his will was no problem - after all, He Jin had used the power of the general to forcibly recruit people more than once.

Thinking of this, Liu Bian couldn't help but complain about He Jin. It would be strange if such a recruited person could be of the same mind as him!
To people of that time, Pang Ji was such a person. Even Jia Xu, who had been in charge of the School Affairs Department for many years, did not think there was anything strange about Pang Ji: he was just a famous scholar who was forcibly recruited by He Jin.

Even if he did not respond to the call just to build up his reputation and prepare to enter officialdom after writing some books, it would be a very normal thing to do.

But in Liu Bian's eyes, it was very abnormal.

Liu Bian remembered clearly that Pang Ji was Yuan Shao's counselor, and he was also the kind of counselor who loved palace fighting, just like Xu You. How could such a person who had always been eager to make progress suddenly change his mind and think that studying classics was also serving the people?

It would have been fine if he was implicated by He Jin in the beginning, but he didn't seize so many opportunities afterwards, and instead came here when Luoyang City was short of troops?
He also contacted Huang Wan, who was at the center of public opinion. Liu Bian didn't believe it if someone said there was nothing fishy about it!
"Yuan Tu probably didn't expect that I would come in person, right?"

Pang Ji felt a little strange. The emperor's words didn't seem like what he should say to a scholar he just met.

An idea suddenly occurred to him - could it be that what he had done was exposed?
But on the surface, he still reacted very quickly and bowed, saying: "I am ashamed that I did not know that Your Majesty came here without burning incense and bathing. I am guilty of death."

"How can you talk about a capital crime? This is not a capital crime." Liu Bian said with a smile, "But... using Ni Heng's mouth to slander my reputation is a capital crime!"

Pang Ji, who was already suspicious, could not help showing a panic expression when he heard this, but he reacted immediately and covered it up, "I am innocent!"

Huang Wan was listening to this and was somewhat confused, but he did not immediately speak up for Pang Ji. Instead, he asked Liu Bian, "Your Majesty, do you have any evidence?"

Liu Bian smiled slightly and did not answer.

Huang Wan was immediately anxious and said, "Your Majesty, I have only met Pang Yuantu a few times and I don't know what his true character is like. But today I am recommending him to Your Majesty. If he is disrespectful, I am also guilty."

"Please punish me, Your Majesty."

In his opinion, based on the emperor's usual style, since Pang Ji's guilt has been confirmed, there must be corresponding evidence. The reason why he was not told was probably because he had contact with Pang Ji, and the emperor became suspicious.

Thinking of this, Huang Wan felt even more sad and miserable. He couldn't blame the emperor for thinking this way, because it was he who had contact with the thieves!
Thinking about the past with Pang Ji, Huang Wan thought about it carefully and felt that it was indeed a bit sudden.

Looking for answers to questions, he soon found some inappropriate remarks made by Pang Ji. He immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, if Pang Ji is the one who slandered your Majesty's reputation, then he must have made some moves later. When he talked to me before, he said, 'Only changes can make your Majesty change the military and political affairs of Guandong.' This shows that he must have some shameful plans!"

Pang Ji looked at Huang Wan, who had already determined on him just because of a word from the emperor without even seeing any evidence, and then looked at the emperor with a burning gaze.

He made up his mind and laughed out loud, "I never thought that when Ji first met the emperor, he was accused of a heinous crime by the emperor himself. I also never thought that Huang Wan, who was imprisoned for his ambitions in the past, has now become a clinger to the powerful!"

"Well! Although I am not a minister of the emperor, since the emperor wants me to die, how can I not die? There will definitely be a record of me in the history books in the future, which will be a great pleasure!"

After saying this, Pang Ji put on a look as if he was ready to be killed.

Liu Bian watched his performance and when he finished, he commented: "You thought well about these few sentences, but they lack some momentum when you said them."

"Don't worry, in the future, the historians will record everything you have done, and you will be infamous for eternity."

"However, I am merciful after all. If you are willing to confess the thief, I promise to make sure you suffer less."

Pang Ji still can't figure out where the emperor got the evidence that allowed him to be so sure of his identity - but if there was no evidence and he openly killed famous people, even if he was the emperor, he would not have a good reputation.

Could it be that someone betrayed him?
But he has been hiding it very well!
Pang Ji was hesitating between revealing his identity and scolding the tyrant emperor in person to vent his anger, or believing that he had handled the whole matter and continued to protest his injustice, but after a moment of hesitation, his mouth was blocked and he was quickly taken away.

Looking at Pang Ji's unwilling eyes, Liu Bian said in his heart: You didn't expect it, I can see through you at a glance!

Now he doesn't need to explain anything to anyone when he does things!

As for Pang Ji, I guess no one could help him solve his doubts until his death.

"Your Majesty, I failed to judge people and recommended a traitor to you. I deserve death!"

Liu Bian personally helped Huang Wan, who was pleading guilty, to his feet. He did not intend to explain Pang Ji's crimes and evidence to him. He only said, "If it were not for you, this thief might not have been exposed so quickly... You have done nothing wrong, but have made contributions."

Huang Wan: Although he was very happy that the emperor trusted him, why did these words sound so wrong?

"You have seen it. Now, this group of rebels not only secretly colluded to plan the rebellion, but also dared to appear in Luoyang so blatantly, and appeared in front of me. How can I thank the world if I don't kill this official and those who conspired with him?"

Seeing that Huang Wan stopped talking, Liu Bian, who had achieved the purpose of this trip, did not stay any longer, so as to avoid Huang Wan, who had reacted, continuing to sell his conciliatory methods.

……

This was the second time in Kong Rong's life that he suffered such torment.

When he was young, he took in Zhang Jian on his own initiative. Later, when the government tried to convict him, he, his brother and mother all requested to take the blame for taking in Zhang Jian. The officials were unable to make a decision, so they submitted a letter to the court, naming the head of the family, his brother, as the main culprit and sentencing him to death.

That time, he lost his brother.

What about this time?

(End of this chapter)