Three Kingdoms: Heir of Wolong, my father-in-law is Guan Gong

When Cao Xiu saw Sima Yi speaking, he snorted coldly and turned his head away, no longer arguing with the junior Sima Shi.

Although Sima Shi was indignant, he turned his head away and stopped talking after being glared at by Sima Yi.

Cao Zhen's reaction was calmer than Cao Xiu's.

The current situation is unclear, and Sima Yi's worries are not unreasonable.

The Great Wei cannot be without a ruler for a day.

If Cao Rui really died accidentally, it would be a difficult question who would become the emperor of Wei.

Cao Rui has no children!

a long time.

Cao Zhen said slowly: "If your majesty is really in trouble, you can choose a talented person from the royal family to be the emperor."

Sima Yi looked at Cao Zhen and asked again: "Would you choose the King of Rencheng or the King of Juancheng?"

Cao Zhen looked back at Sima Yi and said, "Whichever of the two, the King of Rencheng or the King of Juancheng, becomes emperor will cause dissatisfaction to the other."

"So the talented person in the royal family cannot be either the King of Rencheng or the King of Juancheng, nor can he be their descendants."

"You may choose other descendants of the royal family and adopt them as your Majesty's adopted sons."

"Only in this way can we maintain the balance between the King of Rencheng and the King of Juancheng."

"The dispute between Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang should be used as a lesson for reference."

"What do you think, Zhongda?"

Sima Yi secretly praised Cao Zhen's sharpness.

If Liu Bei really had to choose between Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi, the Wei Dynasty would have been in civil strife without Liu Bei having to do anything.

Just as Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang were defeated in the past, the Wei Dynasty will be defeated in the same way.

Sima Yi agreed with Cao Zhen's point of view and said, "In this case, we can lead the troops to Baima to investigate the whereabouts of Your Majesty."

"If Your Majesty is here, it will be a blessing for the Great Wei."

"If your majesty dies, then we will take emergency measures."

"General Zhengnan, what do you think?"

Sima Yi, Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu were all important ministers entrusted by Cao Pi.

For such a major matter, it is natural that the three of them must reach a consensus.

When Cao Xiu saw that Cao Zhen and Sima Yi had both made their choice, although he was reluctant in his heart, he still expressed his approval.

The three of them agreed.

The army was then divided into three parts.

One part was led by Cao Xiu, responsible for searching for Cao Rui's whereabouts.

One part was led by Cao Zhen, responsible for resisting Liu Bei's pursuit.

One part was led by Sima Yi, responsible for attacking Zhuge Qiao at Bai Ma.

While the three were discussing, Cao Rui, who had fled from Juancheng in a panic, was now lingering on by the Yellow River.

Although many days have passed, the horror of Zhuge Qiao's capture of Juancheng in five days still shocks Cao Rui's heart.

In Cao Cao's eyes in the past, he always believed that Cao Rui was a talented child of the royal family who could compete with Zhuge Qiao.

Cao Rui thought the same.

The Han emperor Liu Chan was not a concern, and the only peer who could make Cao Rui muster the energy to deal with him was Zhuge Qiao.

however.

The battle of Juancheng completely shattered Cao Rui's confidence.

Five days!

In just five days, they captured Juancheng, which was guarded by nearly 20,000 soldiers and fully equipped with money, food and military equipment!

I thought we were evenly matched, but I didn't expect to be completely crushed!

This made Cao Rui think of the Qin State, which once faced off against six enemies alone.

This is a crushing defeat in terms of military equipment!

It is also a crushing of the system!

Zhuge Qiao could use the workshop to manufacture a large number of arrows and crossbow bolts in a short period of time, but Cao Rui could only produce arrows and crossbow bolts in the traditional way or purchase them from aristocratic families.

"Your Majesty, please drink some sugar water."

Zhuge Ke handed the water bag to Cao Rui, which contained precious cane sugar.

Although he was Zhuge Qiao's accomplice, Zhuge Ke was secretly surprised by Zhuge Qiao's "brutal" way of conquering Juancheng.

Arrows and crossbow bolts are consumables and it takes time to manufacture them.

Even if Zhuge Ke led the troops into battle, he would not dare to waste arrows and crossbow bolts in such a "generous" way.

Zhuge Qiao didn't feel sorry at all.

Within five days, one hundred thousand arrows and three thousand stones were fired at Juancheng.

Showed the pseudo-Wei soldiers in Juancheng what "truth is within range" means.

Cao Rui took a sip of the sugar water, and his eyes were filled with sadness: "Yuanxun, did I lose?"

Zhuge Ke shook his head gently: "If your majesty can return to Yecheng, you can make a comeback even if you are defeated; if your majesty cannot return to Yecheng, the Wei Dynasty will be in chaos!"

"Your Majesty, please do not lose your fighting spirit!"

Cao Rui looked at Zhuge Ke with complicated eyes: "Yuanxun, you are Zhuge Qiao's brother, you can choose to surrender to the pseudo-Han."

"As long as you capture me, based on the blood relationship between you and Zhuge Qiao, you will definitely be granted a title of nobility and become a general in the pseudo-Han, and your name will go down in history."

Zhuge Ke bowed his hands and said in a serious tone: "Your Majesty, I was originally a minister of Wu, but I was framed by a traitor and surrendered to Wei. Your Majesty did not look down on me and trusted me in every way."

"If I capture Your Majesty and surrender to the Han Dynasty, what difference will that make me like Lu Bu in the past?"

"Although Zhuge Qiao is my brother, he has long been adopted by the pseudo-Han Prime Minister Zhuge Liang."

"There are differences in closeness, ambition, and stance. How could I do such an unrighteous thing?"

Seeing that Zhuge Ke was neither humble nor arrogant, and his words were sharp and firm, Cao Rui's trust in Zhuge Ke deepened: "If I can return to Yecheng, Yuanxun will be the first to achieve the credit!"

Cao Rui promised Zhuge Ke and cheered up.

As they were speaking, someone reported that Wu Dang's flying army appeared nearby.

Cao Rui's face changed and he quickly ordered his guards to evacuate.

During this period, Cao Rui was constantly pursued by Wu Dang's flying army and could only barely escape each time.

Fortunately, Zhuge Ke was quick-witted and had a lot of military experience, which allowed Cao Rui to escape danger every time.

But Cao Rui suffered a lot during this period of his life.

In order to avoid making a fire and exposing his tracks, Cao Rui, who had lived a life of luxury for many years, was reduced to eating tree bark and grass roots to satisfy his hunger.

Not long after Cao Rui left, Wang Ping's deputy general Liu Yin led the Wudang Flying Army to the place where Cao Rui had just rested.

"Be steady, don't let Cao Rui see the flaws."

"In two days, the mission will be completed."

Liu Yin held a grass stem in his mouth and instructed the flying army soldiers around him.

A soldier of the Flying Army did not understand: "General, why do you have to let Cao Rui go? Capturing the emperor of the pseudo-Wei alive is a great achievement that will earn you a title of nobility and will be remembered for eternity."

Liu Yin rebuked: "What will happen if we capture Cao Rui? Will we be able to make the pseudo-Wei surrender if we capture Cao Rui?"

"Are you more thoughtful than General Fu Han?"

The soldier shrank his neck and said, "General, don't be angry. I'm just asking."

Liu Yin spat out the grass stem, clapped his hands and said, "You can't even ask! When is it your turn or mine to question General Fu Han's actions?"

"If I hadn't seen that you have been with me for many years, I would have treated you as a spy just based on your question."

"Don't be suspicious. Once Cao Rui crosses the Yellow River, everything else will have nothing to do with us."

Under the "pursuit" of Liu Yin and other Wu Dang flying troops, Cao Rui and Zhuge Ke fled in a panic and finally found a ferry at a ferry crossing.

Cao Rui was overjoyed: "Heaven will not destroy me! Yuanxun, quickly drive the boat across the river!"

Zhuge Ke grew up in Jiangdong and had the ability to sail a boat since he was a child.

Immediately.

Zhuge Ke boarded the ferry with Cao Rui, and only a few of Cao Rui's personal guards boarded the boat with them.

Cao Rui no longer cared about the rest of the soldiers.

Not long after Cao Rui and Zhuge Ke crossed the river, Liu Yin on the shore "just happened" to kill Cao Rui's soldiers.

The already hungry pseudo-Wei soldiers could not withstand the attack of Wu Dang's flying army.

In just a moment, there were no more pseudo-Wei soldiers standing at the ferry.

After carefully questioning the surrendered soldiers, Liu Yin secretly breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the ferry sailing away.

If they really wanted to catch Cao Rui, there would be no need to chase him for so long.

When Juancheng is captured, Cao Rui can be captured alive.

The reason why he played with Cao Rui for so long was, firstly, to deliberately lure the pseudo-Wei troops to Bai Ma to look for Cao Rui, and secondly, to create an opportunity for Zhuge Ke.

Hebei is still in the hands of the Pseudo-Wei. Capturing Cao Rui will not destroy the Pseudo-Wei.

More importantly: Zhuge Qiao doesn’t want a Hebei full of aristocratic families!

No matter whether it is Liu Bei or Liu Chan, they are both based on benevolence and righteousness. This dirty thing cannot be done by Liu Bei and Liu Chan!
Cao Rui, it’s a good sword!

white horse.

In the place where Guan Yu killed Yan Liang in the past, the armies of Zhuge Qiao and Sima Yi were facing each other.

Since Zhuge Qiao made his debut, he has had repeated clashes with Sima Yi.

When Cao Cao and Liu Bei were drawing the boundary at the Han River, Zhuge Qiao tried to use a strategy of sowing discord to get rid of Sima Yi. Zhuge Qiao also used this strategy many times during his time in Yongliang.

Unfortunately, Sima Yi was too cautious and extremely loyal to the Cao family, which made Zhuge Qiao's plan of alienation difficult to work.

When Zhuge Qiao first met Sima Yi, Sima Yi was only the military commander of the prime minister, and he also held no official position.

Now when we meet again.

Sima Yi was the minister entrusted with the care of the orphans of the pseudo-Wei Dynasty and the general of the army, while Zhuge Qiao was the mainstay of the Han Dynasty and the general of the Han Dynasty.
Both of them are experienced generals who are good at commanding troops.

"The great Han general Zhuge Qiao is here. Sima Yi, do you dare to come out and meet him?" Zhuge Qiao rode out in a silver helmet and armor, holding a sword.

At the age of 26, the childishness on Zhuge Qiao's face has long faded.

Years of military combat have left Zhuge Qiao's face weathered and more mature.

Sima Yi didn't want to go out into the battle, but considering that Cao Rui's life or death was unknown, he rode out on his horse with his sword in hand.

Sima Shi held a halberd and guarded Sima Yi's right side.

Zhuge Qiao looked at the young Sima Shi and praised him: "Sima Yi, what is the name of the young general next to you?"

Seeing Zhuge Qiao's old-fashioned appearance, Sima Shi was indignant and shouted, "I am Sima Shi of Henei!"

"Zhuge Qiao, although you are a minister of the pseudo-Han, you and I are of similar age. If you are willing to surrender to Wei, I will call you my elder brother."

Zhuge Qiao laughed: "Master Sima, you are still young! And you hold a low position. Calling me elder brother makes you look like a flatterer."

"I am the General of the Han Dynasty, and your father Sima Yi is the General of the Wei Dynasty. I am your father's equal."

"If your father is willing to surrender to the Han, I will condescend to call him Brother."

Sima Shi was so angry that he was fuming.

He originally wanted to suppress Zhuge Qiao's momentum, but unexpectedly, Zhuge Qiao took advantage of him.

"Ziyuan, don't be rude!" Sima Yi scolded lightly, but he felt helpless in his heart.

Sima Shi was only four years younger than Zhuge Qiao, but his character was far inferior to Zhuge Qiao's.

Looking at Zhuge Qiao who was full of vigor and vitality in front of him, Sima Yi thought of the Prime Minister Zhuge Liang of the Han Dynasty again.

Although they are both born in the same year, their offspring are very different.

"Zhuge Qiao, stop talking nonsense. You invited me to meet you in front of the battlefield. What do you want?" Sima Yi stared at Zhuge Qiao, his tone slow and calm.

Zhuge Qiao clapped his hands and smiled: "Sima Yi, I admire your calmness. You came to Bai Ma to find Cao Rui's trace, right?"

"It's a pity that I have captured Cao Rui alive. You should go back and change an emperor."

Sima Yi was shocked, and his eagle eyes narrowed: "Zhuge Qiao, let's not beat around the bush. If you really captured His Majesty, why would you be here talking to me?"

"You have failed to capture Your Majesty alive, but you are trying to confuse me with words. This trick is too boring."

Zhuge Qiao laughed again: "Sima Yi, you are wrong."

"I can capture Juancheng in five days, but can I still let Cao Rui escape?"

"The reason why I didn't make this public is because I was wondering whether I should kill Cao Rui or let him go."

"If you kill him, you can not only establish a new king when you return, but also unite against the common enemy."

"If you don't kill me, I'll have to keep me alive."

"I was just thinking, if you guys appoint a new emperor, and I release Cao Rui, will Cao Rui be the emperor or the emperor emeritus?"

“It’s so frustrating!”

Sima Yi's heart was in turmoil, and he was even more shocked.

If it was true as Zhuge Qiao said, that Cao Rui was captured alive and not made public, then Sima Yi would be in a dilemma.

Should we establish a new emperor or wait for Cao Rui to return?

Seeing Sima Yi's nervous expression, Zhuge Qiao said again: "Sima Yi, don't be so nervous, I was just lying to you."

"Cao Rui has already crossed the Yellow River and is not in Yanzhou at all."

Sima Yi frowned: "Zhuge Qiao, what do you want to say?"

Zhuge Qiao looked at Sima Yi with a teasing look in his eyes: "Do you want to know how I conquered Juancheng?"

"Look at your eyes. You look like you want to ask but don't want to."

"Since we are equals, I will tell you this with reluctance."

"In fact, Zhuge Ke is my insider!"

"Cao Tai was defeated in the battle of Dongping State because Zhuge Ke informed us of the secret. That's why I was able to capture Juancheng in five days."

"Remember to go back and tell Cao Rui that I am willing to use Cao Tai, Le Chen, Zhang Hu, and Xu Gai in exchange for Zhuge Ke."

Sima Yi's brows furrowed even more.

Sima Yi couldn't guess Zhuge Ke's intention.

Deliberately reveal in front of the two armies that Zhuge Ke was the traitor?

Is this to protect Zhuge Ke or to harm Zhuge Ke?

Sima Yi said coldly: "Anything else to say?"

Zhuge Qiao sighed: "Sima Yi, you are so boring!"

There was a pause.

Zhuge Qiao looked at Sima Yi solemnly, his eyes filled with murderous intent: "Sima Yi, I will not be at peace until you die!"

The words fell.

Something unexpected happened.

A crossbow arrow shot towards Sima Yi's face.

"Father, be careful!"

Sima Shi quickly pulled Sima Yi, and the crossbow arrow grazed Sima Yi's helmet. The sound of the crossbow arrow hitting the helmet made Sima Yi's ears tinnitus.

Sima Yi had no time to curse, so he bent over his desk and ran away in panic.

Sima Shi angrily denounced Zhuge Qiao as "despicable".

however.

What greeted Sima Shi were new crossbow arrows.

"We are so lucky that we couldn't even hit the target." Zhuge Qiao smiled as he watched Sima Yi and his son run away in panic.

Although it sounded regretful, Zhuge Qiao's tone did not contain any regret.

It was as if the two crossbow arrows were deliberately shot off target.

"General, why didn't you just shoot Sima Yi to death just now?" Zhang Yi saw clearly that Zhuge Qiao had held back just now.

Zhuge Qiao hung the crossbow on the saddle hook, his eyes deep: "Sima Yi is Cao Pi's trusted minister. Sima Yi cannot die before Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu die."

"I still need Sima Yi to do something for me."

"Instruct all the generals not to fight Sima Yi. If Cao Xiu's troops appear, kill them with all your might!"

"Remember to inform Generals Cao Tai, Le Chen, Zhang Hu, and Xu Gai."

Zhang Yi accepted the order and said, "Don't worry, General. I will do it right away."

Zhuge Qiao rode back.

After the hidden piece is placed, the next step is to move the visible piece.

Now there are two armies appearing near Bai Ma, one is Sima Yi and the other is Cao Xiu.

Don't attack Sima Yi, only attack Cao Xiu.

No matter how you look at it, there is something fishy going on.

Cao Xiu was in dire straits because of Zhuge Qiao's targeting.

Originally, the search for Cao Rui's whereabouts would have required the dispersion of military forces, and now they were being targeted by Zhuge Qiao.

Cao Xiu's search troops near Bai Ma were killed in more than a dozen groups within three days.

Although there were only fifty people in one group, the annihilation of more than a dozen groups meant a loss of nearly a thousand people, and this happened in just three days!
Just when Cao Xiu was feeling depressed, someone reported that Cao Tai, Le Chen, Zhang Hu and Xu Gai wanted to see him.

Cao Xiu was surprised and quickly let the four people in.

Seeing Cao Tai, Cao Xiu asked anxiously: "Cao Tai, where is His Majesty?"

Cao Tai wiped the dirt off his face and said, "Your Majesty has crossed the river and returned to Yecheng."

Cao Xiu was surprised and asked, "Where did you get this information from?"

Cao Tai asked Cao Xiu to dismiss his attendants and said, "This is the news that Zhuge Qiao got from his army."

"Zhuge Qiao wanted to exchange the four of us for Zhuge Ke, saying that Zhuge Ke was an insider."

"Although these reports may be provocative, it is certain that His Majesty has crossed the river."

"Otherwise, Zhuge Qiao would not have deliberately spread this information and deliberately let down his guard to allow us to escape."

Cao Xiu frowned: "Then why did you come to see me?"

Cao Tai said: "We were originally going to cross the river to Yecheng, but on the way we heard that the General of the Southern Expedition was still looking for your Majesty's whereabouts, and we were quite confused."

"Sima Yi knew three days ago that Your Majesty had crossed the river to Yecheng, so why hasn't the General of the Southern Expedition left yet?"

Cao Xiu's face changed drastically: "Sima Yi knew about this three days ago? Are you serious?"

Cao Tai nodded and said, "Three days ago, Zhuge Qiao had a conversation with Sima Yi in front of the battle line, trying to sow discord between the two sides. He then told Sima Yi the news that Your Majesty had crossed the river."

Cao Xiu was furious: "Sima the thief, he knew about this but didn't report it, causing me to lose nearly a thousand soldiers!"

"This guy must be dissatisfied with me and wants to use Zhuge Qiao to weaken my military strength."

"When I return to Yecheng, I will definitely report this villain!"

Cao Xiu threw his helmet to the ground and swore angrily.

Although Sima Yi was not sure whether Cao Rui had really crossed the river, Sima Yi did not tell Cao Xiu any news, which made Cao Xiu feel deceived.

Sima Yi could think that the news was false, but he could not keep it secret.

Cao Tai said: "Since your majesty has returned to Yecheng, we must cross the river as soon as possible. Once we are caught by Zhuge Qiao's pursuers, it will be difficult to escape peacefully."

Cao Xiu suppressed his anger towards Sima Yi and said, "Go to Hanoi! Go through Hanoi and cross the river."

Le Chen asked, "Should we tell the General of the Fu Army first?"

Cao Xiu snorted coldly: "Since he is unkind, why should I be righteous? If you want to go, go ahead and I won't stop you!"

Le Chen suddenly fell silent.

Cao Xiu gathered his soldiers and quickly retreated to Henei.

When Cao Xiu left, the pressure was put on Cao Zhen.

Not only Liu Bei had to fight, but Zhuge Qiao also had to fight.

On the other hand, Sima Yi felt a lot less pressure.

When the news of Cao Rui crossing the Yellow River spread, Cao Zhen did not dare to fight any longer and headed all the way to Henei. Liu Bei ordered his generals to chase Cao Zhen for 600 miles and chased him all the way to Henei before he withdrew his troops.

Cao Rui originally led five armies to attack Han, but he never expected to lose Yanzhou and be hunted down along the way, suffering the same treatment as Yuan Kugu in the past.

South of the Yellow River, from west to east, all belongs to Liu Bei!

After taking Yanzhou, Zhuge Qiao used the same old tactics again and started a vigorous campaign of "striking down the local tyrants, dividing the land, and abolishing private slavery."

Those who fail to cooperate will be regarded as traitors who support the pseudo-Wei.

In this regard.

Liu Bei did not interfere.

Obviously.

Liu Bei was already prepared to take all the blame to prevent Liu Chan from not having enough courage to support Zhuge Qiao's actions to weaken the powerful families in the future.

A large number of aristocratic families who had grievances against the Han Dynasty were expelled to the north of the Yellow River.

The money and grain of these noble and powerful families were nationalized and used to settle the tenant farmers, servants and other private slaves who had regained their freedom.

Compared with the policy implementation in Yuzhou and Xuzhou, the implementation in Yanzhou was smoother.

All land south of the Yellow River belongs to the Han Dynasty.

With Liu Bei's tacit approval, Zhuge Qiao's prestige reached an unprecedented high.

Even if there was fierce opposition from Confucian scholars from aristocratic families in the court, it would be of no avail.

Zhuge Qiao made full use of the contradictions among Confucian scholars and used the phrase "There are great Confucian scholars who will debate the scriptures for me" very skillfully.

Due to the inclusiveness of Confucianism, there were eight major schools of Confucianism in Han Fei's time alone, and later, there were hundreds or even thousands of branches.

For example, human nature is good at birth and human nature is evil at birth, these are the views put forward by Confucianism.

One is Mencius and the other is Xunzi.

Within one Confucian school, there are two completely opposite views.

It can be said that Confucianism is no longer simply a school of thought, but more like a name.

Whatever kind of Confucianism the superiors need, that is what should emerge.

A certain sect that has been practicing surrender has long since become the last branch of Confucianism and can no longer represent Confucianism.

If necessary, the language can also become the mainstream view of Confucianism.

For Zhuge Qiao, who had experienced a lot in later generations, it was not advisable to stick to the old ways. If you wanted something, you had to do it yourself.

Zhuge Qiao wanted the mainstream Confucian view to be "abolish private slaves", so that "establish a mind for heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, inherit the lost knowledge of the past sages, and create peace for all generations" would appear.

Even the five words "establishing a mission for the people" can explain thousands of things and silence those Confucian scholars from aristocratic families who hold opposing views.

Everyone's mouth speaks louder than gold.

Zhuge Qiao mastered the technology of printing and papermaking, and trained a large number of Confucian scholars from poor families.

At the same time, he controlled the military and political power and had a reputation that shook the world.

In terms of network of relationships, they are also among the best in the Han Dynasty.

Zhuge Qiao wanted to make "abolishing private slaves" the mainstream view of Confucianism. Who could object from top to bottom?

The biggest drawback of Wang Mang's reform was that government orders could not leave the palace.

Zhuge Qiao's reforms were supported by a large number of people from all walks of life, from the emperor, the three dukes and the nine ministers to the common people, including scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans.

This is the real deterrent!
It was also the reputation among all classes that Zhuge Qiao had spent ten years to build!
All the famous figures south of the Yellow River combined are not enough to defeat Zhuge Qiao alone!
however.

North of the Yellow River, Zhuge Qiao's reputation was terrible.

The noble families in the north hated Zhuge Qiao to the core!
Because Cao Rui lost Yuzhou, Xuzhou and Yanzhou successively, accusations against Cao Rui were heard one after another from both inside and outside the court.

Some aristocratic families even openly supported Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi, wanting them to replace Cao Rui as the emperor of Wei.

Cao Rui once again witnessed the true faces of these aristocratic families and decided to fully support Zhuge Rong in establishing a state-owned workshop within the Wei territory.

At the same time, Zhuge Ke was appointed to be in charge of the Imperial Examination Office to secretly monitor all officials.

With Cao Rui's support behind the scenes, Zhuge Ke and Zhuge Rong began a crazy competition against the aristocratic families of the pseudo-Wei.

As long as Zhuge Rong set his eyes on a mountain or river, he would get it.

If anyone wanted to resist, Zhuge Ke would find out charges against them.

Chen Qun and Sima Yi repeatedly made remonstrations, but Cao Rui always managed to make a big deal out of a small matter, and in the end, nothing was done.

For a time, the aristocratic families in the pseudo-Wei government and the country hated the Zhuge Ke brothers to the core.

Even Zhuge Dan and Zhuge Xu, who had little connection with the Zhuge Ke brothers, were affected.

Anyone with the surname Zhuge is considered an evil person in the eyes of the aristocratic families of the pseudo-Wei!
"Your Majesty's favor towards Zhuge Ke and Zhuge Rong has been growing day by day. He has repeatedly ignored our advice and even indulged the Zhuge brothers in their land grabbing."

"If this continues, the Wei Dynasty will be in chaos."

Chen Qun was worried, and his words were even more annoyed.

As one of the most powerful aristocratic families in the Pseudo-Wei, both Zhuge Qiao in the south and Zhuge Ke and Zhuge Rong in the north were digging up the foundation of the aristocratic families.

Zhuge Rong even "copied" the papermaking and printing techniques.

To put it nicely, it was a "copy"; to put it bluntly, it was secretly purchased from Zhuge Qiao.

Zhuge Rong even published a large number of debate articles written by southern scholars advocating the abolition of private slavery and circulated them in the north.

What made Chen Qun most angry was that this was actually supported by Cao Rui!
Can the private slaves of noble families be abolished?

If private slaves were abolished, who would open up wasteland for the aristocratic families? Who would provide labor for the aristocratic families?

The noble families provided food and drink to these untouchables, but Cao Rui actually wanted to restore their freedom?
After regaining his freedom, Cao Rui could levy taxes on these untouchables. Wouldn't the initial investment of the aristocratic families be wasted?

Sima Yi sighed.

The layman looks at the excitement and the insider looks at the doorway.

Although Zhuge Ke and Zhuge Rong offended the aristocratic families in Hebei, they brought real benefits to Cao Rui.

Not only did the registered population increase, but there was also more money and grain in the treasury.

Since the aristocratic families were frantically annexing land and population in front of Cao Rui, why couldn't Cao Rui take the land and population back?

If the emperor were Cao Pi, he might have compromised with the aristocratic families.

But the emperor was Cao Rui, a ruthless man who could even scheme against Cao Pi. How could he compromise with the aristocratic families?

Especially after the defeat in Yanzhou, voices were heard in Hebei calling for the enthronement of Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi.

This is something Cao Rui cannot tolerate!
Cao Rui, who inherited Cao Cao's ruthlessness, also acted in the same style of "I would rather let the world down than be let down by the world."

If the emperor was constrained by aristocratic families, wouldn't he become Liu Xie?

"Chang Wen, your Majesty has his own ideas. We, as your subjects, can give advice, but we cannot change your Majesty's will."

"Compared to Your Majesty, I am more worried about Liu Bei."

"I didn't expect that Liu Bei, who was almost seventy years old, could still eat ten kilograms of rice."

"This is the real problem for the Wei Dynasty!"

Sima Yi was quite depressed.

Cao Cao only lived to be sixty-six, while Liu Bei was almost seventy and still vigorous.

Chen Qun also had mixed feelings.

Although Chen Qun served Liu Bei in the past, he actually looked down on Liu Bei and only served Liu Bei for the sake of his father Chen Ji's face.

Therefore, after Liu Bei's defeat in Xuzhou, Chen Qun defected to Cao Cao.

I didn’t expect that after so many years, Liu Bei has become more powerful as he grows older.

"Liu Bei left all state affairs to Liu Chan."

"Without the worries of state affairs and without the need to work hard on military affairs, one will naturally live longer."

"In this regard, Liu Bei is indeed an extraordinary person. The emperor said he was not qualified to do so."

Chen Qun, who was good at health preservation, could naturally understand why Liu Bei lived a long life.

He doesn't have to worry about state affairs and play power games like Cao Cao, nor does he have to be bothered by wars like Cao Cao. Naturally, he can eat well and sleep well.

In addition, Liu Bei came from a military background, so his physique was stronger than others. Not to mention that he could still eat ten kilograms of rice at the age of nearly seventy, he would still be able to eat and drink well if he lived another ten years.

Unlike Cao Pi, who put a lot of effort into becoming the crown prince and also put a lot of effort into becoming the emperor.

People who have too many thoughts, too many suspicions and too many worries will not live long.

Sima Yi paced and said: "The current situation is no longer under our control."

"If your majesty wants to make trouble, then let your majesty make trouble first."

"Our advantage now is that the aristocratic families in Hebei are now united in their hatred of the enemy and have a strong dislike for the fake Han people."

"With the Yellow River as a natural barrier, it will not be as easy for the pseudo-Han to cross the Yellow River to attack Wei as before."

Seeing that Sima Yi refused to say anything more, Chen Qun knew that Sima Yi was trying to protect himself, so he could only sigh helplessly.

The aristocratic families of the pseudo-Wei monarchs and ministers fought fiercely against each other, while the conflicts within the Han Dynasty were relatively mild.

The aristocratic families in the eight states of Yong, Liang, Yi, Jing, Yang, Yu, Xu and Yan who dared to speak out against the trend were basically purged.

Most of the remaining aristocratic families have changed their identities and obtained new dividends, so naturally they will not object to the benefits shared by Liu Bei.

It is impossible for these aristocratic families to annex land and population on a large scale like the aristocratic families in the north.

Zhuge Qiao's papermaking and printing techniques and the "common people's writing" he promoted were enlightening the minds of the Han people south of the Yellow River.

Although darkness is everywhere, Zhuge Qiao can make it less dark.

Although simplified Chinese characters are now only used by the common people, the market effect will make the common people's characters replace the characters used by the powerful.

The core of writing is communication.

When the base of people using civilian writing becomes larger, aristocratic writing will become an obstacle to communication.

The market effect will force the "powerful and wealthy" to adapt!

When the time is right, Liu Chan will also say, "One word written in two ways, isn't this a division of the country?"
Luoyang.

The city, which had been burned down twice, was restored to life thanks to the efforts of Liu Chan and Zhuge Liang.

Liu Chan rejected the proposal of the ritual officials to build a palace on a large scale, and accepted Zhuge Qiao's advice, using all manpower and material resources to build houses in the city.

It not only provided a large number of jobs for the people, but also reduced the pressure on the court to provide disaster relief.

In addition, these houses were to be distributed to the people of Luoyang, so the enthusiasm of the workers in building the houses was very high.

It is rare to see an emperor who would rather not build a palace than not provide housing for the people!
With just this one move, Liu Chan's reputation for benevolence spread throughout Luoyang.

Liu Chan set an example by not building any palaces, and no ministers dared to complain.

The housing conditions of the rulers and ministers in Luoyang at this time were the worst.

Winter of the tenth year of Zhangwu.

Zhuge Qiao returned to Luoyang with his wife and children to visit relatives.

Zhuge Pan is nine years old.

Under Zhuge Qiao's guidance, Zhuge Pan became delicate and introverted, and to outsiders he looked no different from an ordinary boy.

Only Zhuge Qiao knew that Zhuge Pan's thoughts had already surpassed those of his peers.

To put it nicely, it's called meticulous, and to put it more commonly, it's called repressed and reserved.

Be well-mannered in front of strangers and let yourself go in front of acquaintances.

Just like now.

The six-year-old Zhuge Zhan, who was smart since childhood and should have called Zhuge Pan nephew according to his seniority, became Zhuge Pan's follower instead.

The brother follows in front and behind.

Huang Yueying and Guan Feng both wanted to beat the man with a cane after hearing this.

Zhuge Qiao did not care about it, and even used the saying "eldest brother is like a father" to appease Huang Yueying and Guan Feng.

One is Zhuge Qiao's younger brother, and the other is Zhuge Qiao's son.

Using the explanation that an elder brother is like a father, it seems reasonable for Zhuge Zhan to call Zhuge Pan "brother".

After chatting with Huang Yueying about family matters, Zhuge Qiao came to the study.

In the study.

Zhuge Liang was busy with official business.

"Father, Adou has granted you three days of leave. Why do you have to work so hard at home?" Zhuge Qiao placed the date cake next to Zhuge Liang, and then lay comfortably on the rocking chair in the study.

Zhuge Liang looked up at Zhuge Qiao and said, "Bosong, you should change your words. His Majesty has ascended the throne, so you can no longer call him by his nickname."

Zhuge Qiao didn't care: "If I still call Adou Your Majesty in private, Adou will worry that I am alienating him."

"Although most emperors are lonely, I don't want Adou to become a lonely person."

"When I met Ah Dou yesterday, he cried to me and said that you, my father, have not called me 'A Dou' for several years, but always 'Your Majesty'."

"Father, you are now Adou's 'father-in-law', please don't be too distant."

"Adou is the emperor in the court, but he is still a child in private."

Zhuge Liang held his forehead and said, "Your Majesty's eldest son is already six years old. If Your Majesty is a child, then what is Your Majesty's eldest son?"

Zhuge Qiao said without hesitation: "Your Majesty's eldest son is naturally a child."

As soon as he finished speaking, a scroll of bamboo slips hit Zhuge Qiao.

Zhuge Qiao was quick to act and quickly grabbed it: "Father, don't be so cruel!"

Zhuge Liang scolded: "You are so dishonest!"

Zhuge Qiao smiled and threw away the bamboo slips, and exclaimed: "Adou, you want me to be the general?"

"My father-in-law is still alive, and it's not quite appropriate for me to be the general."

Zhuge Liang glared at Zhuge Qiao and said, "What's wrong with that? If you don't take the position of general, who can?"

"The position of Grand General has been vacant since Yun Chang stepped down."

"Now all land south of the Yellow River belongs to the Han people. It is time for you to attend court."

Zhuge Qiao closed the bamboo slips, stood up and put them back: "I will continue to be the general who assists the Han Dynasty."

"Having my father in the court is enough. I still prefer to lead troops outside."

"I will not return to the court until the false Wei is destroyed!"

Zhuge Liang stared at Zhuge Qiao and said, "If you don't come back, who will help me with the military and political affairs?"

"If you were willing to share the burden with me, why would I have to review papers in the study during the holidays?"

Zhuge Qiao said solemnly: "Father, what you said is wrong."

“A good government must know how to share power.”

"Look at me. Even if I travel around, it won't affect my military duties."

Zhuge Liang held his forehead again: "You have so many reasons."

Chat for a while.

Zhuge Liang put down the document in his hand, stood up and walked to the chess table: "Come, play a game with me."

Zhuge Qiao's eyelids drooped: "Father, don't always try to gain the pleasure of victory from a poor chess player like me."

The next moment, Zhuge Qiao shrank his head and avoided the feather fan in Zhuge Liang's hand.

"I was just joking, please don't blame me, father!"

The black and white pieces fell.

Zhuge Liang's eyes gradually became serious.

"Bosong, you have gone to great lengths to drive the noble families of Yanyu and Xuyang to the north of the Yellow River. Aren't you trying to solve the problem of the noble families being too powerful to be eliminated once and for all since the previous dynasty?"

Zhuge Liang pointed out Zhuge Qiao's plans in recent years in a very precise way.

Seeing Zhuge Liang mention the noble family, Zhuge Qiao stopped joking and said, "Father, do you think this is inappropriate?"

Zhuge Liang shook his head: "If we can solve the troubles left by the previous dynasty once and for all, it will be appropriate."

"But Bosong, you use such a radical method, which will inevitably cause the northern noble families to unite against the enemy."

"Crossing the river to the north will become extremely difficult."

Zhuge Qiao snorted, his tone a little more contemptuous: "How can a group of foreign noble families compete with the local noble families in Jizhou for land and population?"

"To me, no matter the noble families I expelled to the north or the noble families in Jizhou, they are just a group of fish in the pond."

"However."

"The fish food in the pond is limited, and these big and small fish can only devour each other if they want to survive."

“The big fish eat the small fish, and in the end only a few big fish are left.”

"When the fish is big, the heart becomes big."

"If you are too careless, Emperor Cao Rui will be in trouble."

"As for the common hatred and common enemy?"

"In terms of military management, government administration, people management, and productivity, what can these aristocratic families of the pseudo-Wei compare with me?"

"I can make 100,000 arrows in ten days, and I can defeat Juancheng, which is defended by 20,000 people, just by using bows, crossbows and stones."

"In the face of absolute force, what is the point of talking about a common hatred of the enemy?"

"If I didn't need these noble families to consume each other in the north and didn't want Adou to bear the name of 'brutal', I would have captured Cao Rui alive in Juancheng!"

Zhuge Qiao dared to attack the aristocratic families because of his absolute military advantage.

Can’t the aristocratic families be moved?

In later generations, there was a man named Huang Chao who killed all the aristocratic families.

What Zhuge Qiao encountered were just a group of aristocratic families that couldn't even be considered as powerful families.

As for reputation for benevolence and righteousness?

The emperor is Liu Chan, not Zhuge Qiao. What reputation for benevolence and righteousness does Zhuge Qiao want?
As for controversy, I am even less afraid.

When Zhuge Qiao was alive, there were great scholars who debated for him; a hundred years after Zhuge Qiao, there would only be more, not fewer, great scholars who debated for him.

If the aristocratic families are not eliminated, the imperial power cannot be concentrated.

If imperial power cannot be concentrated, no matter how good the national policy is, it cannot be implemented.

Zhuge Liang saw that Zhuge Qiao's words were full of contempt for the noble families, so he reminded him: "Bosong, there are many wise men among the noble families."

"You are like dancing on the edge of a knife. If you are not careful, you will get hurt by the knife."

"If the northern nobles were forced into a desperate situation and worked together, it wouldn't be difficult to gather an army of one million."

"You have to think clearly."

Zhuge Qiao made a move and said, "If we want to gather an army of one million, the northern nobles will definitely migrate a large number of Hu people to the interior."

"It's just right. I'll deal with the Hu people together to avoid causing trouble to the Han Dynasty in the future."

"Father, you don't have to test my resolve anymore!"

"I will not allow the new Han Dynasty to be controlled by the aristocratic families like the Han Dynasty established by Emperor Guangwu."

“Whether it’s the students and former officials of the four generations of three officials spread all over the country, or the nobles annexing land and population to form a powerful family, they will have no place to stand in the rising Han Dynasty!”

"If we don't wipe out these parasites, the Han Dynasty will be like the former Han Dynasty in fifty years at most, with the emperor busy fighting the aristocratic families all day long, while the people will fall into endless suffering."

"I will definitely win this round!"

Zhuge Qiao made a move that directly broke Zhuge Liang's chess game.

Seeing Zhuge Qiao's unshakable self-confidence, Zhuge Liang couldn't help but smile with relief: "Since Bosong is so determined, I will accompany Bosong to the end of this game."

"I also don't want the Han Dynasty to be like the previous dynasty, which enjoyed prosperity for a few decades before falling into civil strife again."

Zhuge Qiao talked with Zhuge Liang for a long time.

Today's Zhuge Qiao has enough experience and wisdom to talk with Zhuge Liang about the world.

It was not until Zhuge Pan brought Zhuge Zhan to the study and called the two of them to have dinner that Zhuge Qiao stopped communicating with Zhuge Liang.

But when he saw Zhuge Zhan standing behind Zhuge Pan, "brother in front and brother behind", Zhuge Liang's eyes became more helpless.

Zhuge Liang, who was busy with official duties on weekdays, lacked attention and guidance for Zhuge Zhan.

So although Zhuge Zhan had some cleverness but not much, now when he met Zhuge Pan who was influenced by Zhuge Qiao, his cleverness was not enough.

Zhuge Liang couldn't even figure out what method Zhuge Pan used to make Zhuge Zhan willingly call him "brother".

In terms of seniority, Zhuge Zhan is Zhuge Pan's uncle!
"Agou, be polite!"

Zhuge Qiao scolded Zhuge Pan indifferently, patted the two children on the head, and walked out of the study with Zhuge Liang (End of this chapter)