Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 193 Half-step to the True Son of Heaven! Xu You was stunned. Yang Biao was actually the Emperor's accomplice.

After Cui Yan left, Guo Jia walked over from the side hall.

As soon as he arrived at the Xuanshi Hall, he asked anxiously, "Your Majesty, how is it?"

Liu Xie knew that Guo Jia, like him, cared more about Zheng Xuan himself than the mere 3,000 elite Tiger Guards.

He smiled and said, "Zheng Xuan is indeed still in Yecheng."

Guo Jia was overjoyed when he heard this, and said excitedly:

"Zheng Kangcheng studied heaven and man, and his research focused on ancient classics, while also adopting modern classics, and annotated Confucian classics. His works "On the Six Arts", "Zheng's Commentary on the Book of Changes", "Annotations on the Mao Poems", "On the Seven Political Systems of Astronomy", and "Zhonghou" were widely sought after by scholars. I am no exception."

"If we can get the support of Mr. Zheng, scholars from all over the world will flock to us."

Guo Jia talked about Zheng Xuan's works fluently, looking like a little fan.

This made Liu Xie even more aware of Zheng Xuan's status in the literati circle.

He said with some concern: "Zheng Kangcheng is famous all over the world and has countless disciples, but I cannot use force on him. What if he is unwilling to serve as an official and assist me?"

According to the history he knew, what Zheng Xuan is most known for is not the Confucian classics he wrote, but his loyalty to his husband and his refusal to take up an official position!
This person sought fame rather than official position, and devoted himself wholeheartedly to writing books and teaching.

After the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, he repeatedly refused the imperial court's invitations and was unwilling to embark on a career in officialdom.

In the second year of Zhongping, General He Jin forcibly recruited him to serve as an official in the court in order to win over the hearts of the people.

As a result, he refused to wear court robes, and fled after just one night without waiting to be granted an official position.

In the fourth year of Zhongping, the three ministries of Taiwei, Sikong and Situ recruited him twice, but were rejected.

Later, General Yuan Wei's reputation was at its peak, and he recommended him to be the Palace Attendant, but was still rejected.

In the sixth year of Zhongping, Emperor Ling died. Dong Zhuo deposed Emperor Shao and enthroned Emperor Xian. Despite his overwhelming power, he still could not get Zheng Xuan to serve as an official in the court.

In the third year of Jian'an, Emperor Xian of Han Dynasty appointed him as the Minister of Agriculture, one of the Nine Ministers. However, Zheng Xuan requested to retire and return home on the pretext of being ill as soon as he arrived in Xu County.

Last year, Yuan Shao held a banquet for all parties and recruited him in the name of the emperor, but was flatly rejected.

He successively rejected Emperor Ling, He Jin, the three governors, Yuan Kui, Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao, Emperor Xian...

Therefore, in Liu Xie's mind, Zheng Xuan would not be like other ministers who would rush to serve as soon as they heard the emperor summoned them.

He also didn't think that he could exude the aura of a king and make Zheng Xuan bow down to him just by shaking his body.

"Your Majesty, you must not use force against Mr. Zheng!" Guo Jia was shocked and said quickly, "Mr. Zheng is highly respected not only among scholars, but also among the people."

Liu Xie nodded in agreement.

He had read history books and naturally understood that Zheng Xuan's prestige among the people was equally terrifying.

The history books clearly record that in the first year of Jian'an, Zheng Xuan returned to Gaomi from Xuzhou and encountered a large number of Yellow Turban bandits on the way. These bandits not only did not rob Zheng Xuan of his property, but also treated him with great respect.

It can be said that "everyone bows when they see Xuan, and agrees not to enter the county"!
During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the county of Gaomi was spared from looting because of Zheng Xuan alone!

With such prestige, anyone who dares to bully him will be cut off from the world.

This was also the reason why Zheng Xuan had the confidence to repeatedly refuse invitations from Emperors Lingdi and Xiandi.

Liu Xie sighed, "In this case, we can only ask Kong Wenju to persuade him with emotion and reason. But Kong Wenju may not be able to persuade him."

Kong Rong and Zheng Xuan had a very good relationship, and Kong Rong once recommended Zheng Xuan's only son as a filial and honest official.

If Kong Rong couldn't persuade Zheng Xuan, then Liu Xie would be helpless.

Guo Jia also sighed.

Facing Zheng Xuan, he was helpless and could not think of any solution.

"That's all! Just let it be and do your best."

Liu Xie waved his hand and skipped the topic.

He pulled Guo Jia aside to discuss how to use Cui Yan to trick Yuan Shao.

The two discussed the specific details and implementation plan for nearly two hours, ensuring that as long as Yuan Shao was fooled and led his troops, he would definitely suffer a major setback.

"Your Majesty, I deeply admire this plan. If this plan succeeds, at least five of the ten counties in Jizhou will return to Han territory!"

Guo Jia's eyes were shining brightly, showing both excitement and emotion.

He also didn't expect that in just over two years, the emperor's scheming and plotting had reached such a level.

But he was vaguely worried.

It is not a good thing for an emperor to be scheming.

After the world is unified in the future, he will definitely be a person who specializes in the mindset of an emperor.

"You are overpraising Fengxiao!"

Liu Xie was very pleased to receive Guo Jia's recognition.

All the strategies I learned over the past few years have finally paid off.

Occasionally he could come up with some tricks.

Guo Jia suppressed his worries and said, "Your Majesty, I have a great talent and I would like to recommend him to Your Majesty."

"Oh? Is it He Dacai?" Liu Xie immediately became interested and his heart was full of anticipation.

During this long period of time, Guo Jia had recommended a great talent to him, and that was Sima Yi.

I didn’t expect that another person would be recommended today.

Anyone who can catch Guo Jia's eye cannot be incompetent.

Guo Jia looked a little strange, and said, "This man's surname is Yang Xiu, and his courtesy name is Dezu. He is the great-great-grandson of Yang Zhen and the son of Taiwei Yang Biao."

"Yang Xiu!"

Liu Xie was shocked.

Why did he come to Yecheng?
Yuan Shao had three generations of high officials in his family, and Yang Xiu’s family background was no worse than his, maybe even stronger!

From Yang Zhen to Yang Biao, four generations of Grand Marshal!
In addition, Yang Xiu also has a close relationship with the Yuan family.

He is Yuan Shu's nephew!

"Grand Commander Yang Biao is still in Xu County at this time, deceived by Cao Cao. How could Yang Xiu come to Yecheng to serve me?"

Guo Jia shook his head and said, "Yang Xiu needs to meet His Majesty in person to discuss this matter. I don't know either."

Liu Xie pondered for a moment. Although he was a little worried that Yang Xiu would see through his identity, he still didn't want to miss such a talent.

What's more, this is Yecheng.

Even if Yang Xiu discovered his plan, the worst that could happen was that he would be killed secretly!
The order was passed on: "Summon Yang Xiu to the throne!"

Gao Lan outside the Xuanwai received the order and immediately sent someone to Zhaoxian Hall to bring Yang Xiu into the palace.

About an incense stick of time later, Yang Xiu walked into the Xuanshi Hall.

When he saw the emperor, he forced himself to suppress his inner excitement and paid homage to him respectfully.

"Your Majesty, I, Yang Xiu, pay my respects to you! May your Majesty live forever and ever in happiness!"

Liu Xie took a close look at Yang Xiu, who had left a significant mark in history books.

He is in his early twenties, exudes a scholarly air and looks very elegant.

This talented man with a distinguished family background is well-known.

Cao Cao felt inferior to his talent, Lady Bian praised him for his unparalleled literary talent, and Cao Zhi praised him for being superior to the capital.

Ni Heng, who was upright and arrogant and liked to insult the powerful, praised him, "The eldest son is Kong Wenju, the youngest is Yang Dezu. The rest of my sons are mediocre and not worth mentioning."

"Be flat!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After Yang Xiu stood up, he secretly glanced at the emperor.

The more I looked at it, the more I became certain of my guess.

When Liu Xie met the close ministers of Emperor Xian of Han for the first time, he was afraid that Guo Jia would ask some private questions concerning Emperor Xian of Han, so he dismissed Guo Jia.

Without giving Yang Xiu a chance to ask questions, he spoke first:
"Grandmaster De, I haven't seen you for a few years. Is Mr. Yang doing well in Xu County?"

Yang Xiu could even guess Cao Cao's thoughts accurately, let alone Liu Xie?

I immediately knew the implication of these words.

He said quickly: "Your Majesty, my father was deceived and didn't know that he had been secretly sent to Yecheng before Your Majesty moved the capital.

Now that I have learned of this, I am furious. But the Cao thieves are so powerful that I cannot escape. So I have specially ordered me to rush to Yecheng to serve Your Majesty. "

When Liu Xie heard this, he was shocked.

Yang Biao actually believed what he said to the public?
No, what Yang Xiu said was that someone secretly sent him to Yecheng.

And this statement was recognized by Yang Biao!
After the great shock, there was another burst of great joy.

If this can be confirmed, the flaws in his identity will be reduced.

But who made such a statement?

Liu Xie didn't have time to think carefully and had to deal with Yang Xiu in front of him first.

At this point his acting skills had reached perfection, and the moving expression on his face came naturally.

"It's really hard for Lord Yang to be trapped in the enemy camp."

Seeing Liu Xie's touching expression, Yang Xiu breathed a sigh of relief and said solemnly:

"Everything is for the Han people! My father never complains about hardship, nor does he feel it!"

Liu Xie nodded and said, "Since Dezu has come to Yecheng, you should work for the Imperial Censor Guo Fengxiao in the future."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" After Yang Xiu bowed his head to express his gratitude, he said, "Your Majesty, the people who came to Yecheng with me include the son of General Dong Cheng, the son of the father-in-law of the emperor Fu Wan, and Chen Qun, who is under the command of Cao Cao. The purpose of their trip is to confirm your Majesty's identity." It was beyond Liu Xie's expectation that the close ministers of Emperor Xian of Han and even Cao Cao sent people to Yecheng to confirm his identity.

But one thing is certain, that is, something unexpected must have happened to Cao Cao.

This accident was related to what Yang Xiu had just said: "Your Majesty was secretly sent to Yecheng before you moved the capital."

No matter where this statement came from or who spread it.

But for Liu Xie, this was great news.

If used properly, it can be even more important than gaining Kong Rong's approval!

Liu Xie asked: "Where are they now?"

Yang Xiu replied truthfully: "They have all returned to Xu County."

Just as Liu Xie was about to ask for more details, Gao Lan shouted outside the palace:
"Your Majesty, Guanglu Xun sent an urgent secret letter."

Yang Xiu bowed very consciously and said, "Your Majesty, I will take my leave first."

Liu Xie nodded. It seemed that he was overloaded with information and had not yet figured out how to use the information brought by Yang Xiu.

"You go down now. I will summon you to the palace in two days."

After Yang Xiu left the Xuanshi Hall, Gao Lan walked in with the secret letter from Jia Xu.

Liu Xie unfolded it and found that it was related to Gongsun Zan's current situation.

After all, Gongsun Zan's background was far inferior to Yuan Shao's.

Even with the secret support of the Zhen family, the losses were still heavy.

In order to achieve the goal of consuming the military forces of Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao at the same time, Zhen's support was always maintained at a level that would prevent Gongsun Zan from being defeated.

Now, Jia Xu believes that the time is ripe to further deplete the military strength of both sides.

It was suggested that Zhen provide stirrups and horseshoes.

He also cooperated with Zhang Liao's army to unexpectedly destroy Yuan Shao's Jizhou army in one fell swoop.

Liu Xie thought about it for a long time and found it feasible.

"It just so happens that I have set a trap for Yuan Shao in Yecheng. With the help of Jia Xu, it is possible to annihilate Yuan Shao's Jizhou army by surprise."

……

at the same time.

Xu County, Sikong Prefecture.

After Cao Cao returned from the palace, Chen Qun reported to him the situation in Fu Wan and Dong Cheng's mansions.

"Fu De and Dong Xi have both returned to Xu County."

"However, Dong Cheng and Fu Wan were not at home at the time. According to the housekeeper, he went to visit Yang Biao's mansion."

"I think something must have happened in Yang's Mansion."

Chen Qun told his own experience truthfully.

Hearing that Dong Xi and Fu De were both in the mansion, Cao Cao's suspicions about the two were dispelled a lot, but his suspicions about Yang Biao increased exponentially.

"Yang Xiu has been sick at home for the past month, but he actually went to Yecheng secretly. Now Dong Cheng and Fu Wan's sons have returned, but Yang Xiu is nowhere to be seen. The emperor's substitution must have been planned by Yang Biao!"

"I think Dong Cheng and Fu Wan went to Yang Biao's house because of this matter. I'm afraid they went to ask Yang Biao for an explanation. Or maybe they were plotting against me."

Cao Cao quickly analyzed the situation in his mind and came to the conclusion.

He is now basically certain that the person behind all this is Yang Biao, but he still lacks the last piece of key evidence and needs to wait for Xun Yu and the others to bring back the results.

"It's been hard work, go back and rest first."

Cao Cao said to Chen Qun.

Chen Qun bowed, stood up and left.

As soon as he left, Xu Chu came over to report to Cao Cao: "My lord, Guanglu Dafu and his men have returned from Yang's mansion."

Cao Cao's eyes lit up and he quickly walked out of the study.

After a while, we arrived at the lobby.

Xun Yu, Xun You, and Xu You were already waiting here. When they saw Cao Cao, Xun Yu said directly, "Sikong, we have already visited Yang's mansion."

"Mr. Yang said that he sent someone to take Yang Zhubu to a Taoist temple a hundred miles away from Xu County to seek medical treatment this morning, so Yang Zhubu is not at home now."

What Xun Yu said was exactly the reason given by Yang Biao.

For him, there was no need to make enemies with Yang Biao, and he was unwilling to do so. He could just use this excuse to report to Cao Cao.

As for whether Cao Cao believed it or not, and whether Yang Biao would be punished later, that had nothing to do with him.

"Go to the Taoist temple to seek medical treatment?"

Cao Cao was stunned for a moment, and then a gloomy look flashed in his eyes.

Such a poor excuse, do you think he is a three-year-old child?

Even if you want to make up a story, you won’t make it look decent?
Although he did not believe it in his heart, Cao Cao did not reprimand Xun Yu and Xun You in person for not investigating carefully enough.

These two people, especially Xun Yu, always claimed to be loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty.

He nodded and said, "I see, then let him recover from his illness."

Xun You also saw what Cao Cao was thinking, and took the initiative to say: "Grand Marshal, if there is nothing else, we will take our leave first."

"Okay, take your time."

Xun Yu and Xun You both left.

As soon as they left, Cao Cao's face turned cold. He looked at Xu You and asked, "Ziyuan, have you noticed anything? Is Yang Dezu really not at home?"

He understood that Xun Yu and Xun You might not want to make enemies with Yang Biao.

He may also want to protect Yang Biao.

That's why he sent Xu You as well.

Xu You smiled and said, "Why do you need to ask me such a simple question? Ah Man, don't you already have the answer in your heart?"

"Xun Yu and Xun You, the uncle and nephew, each have their own thoughts. They were perfunctory in following your instructions and never thought of getting to the bottom of it."

"I have figured out that Yang Xiu has not been away from home recently. He has probably been away since he claimed to be ill that day. I don't know where he has gone."

Xu You said as he stepped on Xun Yu and the other man.

He was also very curious about where Yang Xiu had gone.

Hearing this, Cao Cao no longer had any doubts in his heart. He gritted his teeth and said, "Good! Good! It really is Yang Biao! It was he who replaced the emperor and sent him to Yecheng!"

"What?" Xu You was surprised. He was drinking and almost choked on the wine. He raised his head and looked at Cao Cao in surprise.

"What do you mean by replacing the emperor? Ah Man, what do you mean?"

He was stunned by what Cao Cao said.

Cao Cao now regarded Xu You as his confidant, so he did not intend to continue hiding it from Xu You, and said in a deep voice:
"A month ago, I sent Chen Qun to Yecheng to see the emperor's appearance and demeanor with his own eyes. As a result, he met Yang Xiu, Fu De and Dong Xi on the way."

"But now Chen Qun, Fu De, and Dong Xi have all returned to Xu County, but Yang Xiu has not returned. What does this mean? It means that Yang Xiu stayed in Yecheng!"

"That is to say, Yang Biao already knew that the emperor of Xu County was fake and the emperor of Yecheng was real, and he was the one controlling everything behind the scenes!"

"It was he who replaced the emperor and sent him to Yecheng before the capital was moved!"

Xu You had a dazed look on his face, and the wine gourd in his hand fell to the ground, spilling the wine all over the floor. However, as he was always addicted to alcohol, he didn't care at all.

Because now there is only one thought echoing in his mind -

"It was Yang Biao who sent the emperor to Yecheng?"

Xu You swallowed his saliva. He could drink a hundred cups without getting drunk, but now he felt like he was drunk and had waves of dizziness before his eyes.

It all made sense.

Why did the emperor suddenly appear in Yecheng? Why did the two emperors look exactly the same? It turned out that Yang Biao was the one behind the scenes!

This old guy is also an insider hidden among Cao Cao's men just like him!

Then today... didn’t he harm Yang Biao?

Xu You couldn't help but start to panic. He just wanted to muddy the waters and alienate Xun Yu, Xun You and Cao Cao. He didn't expect to accidentally hurt a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty!

If I had known this, I should have helped to keep it secret!
What to do now?
Xu You was anxious, mainly because the emperor had not told him that Yang Biao was an accomplice.

If Yang Biao was harmed because of this, the emperor would definitely not let him go.

Yang Biao is a great contributor who endured humiliation and hardship even more than him!
"Ziyuan, Ziyuan?"

Cao Cao didn't expect Xu You to react so violently that he even dropped his wine gourd, so he stretched out his hand and waved it twice in front of his eyes.

Xu You came back to his senses, bent down to pick up the wine gourd, suppressed his worries and said:
"I really didn't expect Yang Biao to be so well hidden... Ah Man, what are you going to do with him now?"

"I'm going to expose him in person and ask him if he has any accomplices!" Cao Cao's eyes were filled with anger, and he gritted his teeth and said, "This old dog has been playing tricks on me for two and a half years. This is intolerable!"

"Ziyuan, come with me. Now that the facts are solid and the evidence is complete, I want to see how this old dog will defend himself!"

After being fooled and bewildered repeatedly, he finally found the real culprit behind the scenes after going through so much trouble. He must vent his anger, otherwise his thoughts will never come true.

After saying this, Cao Cao stood up and asked Xu Chu to gather the soldiers. The group went to Yang Biao's mansion in a mighty manner.

Xu You had no choice but to follow him.

Now... we are in big trouble.

(End of this chapter)