The change in the princess' expression.
Naturally, it also fell into Cao Ang's eyes.
He knew in his heart that what he just said had a huge impact on Liu Ping, causing her impression of him to rise to several levels in an instant.
Cao Ang felt that the heat was almost done.
He immediately followed the trend and said: "It is precisely because the powerful landlords are growing stronger and no one can stop them. As a result, they control more and more land, and the people themselves have less and less land to cultivate."
"Therefore, as long as there is a natural disaster, a large number of people will be displaced, sell their sons and daughters, and even starve to death everywhere and bury their bones beside the road."
"Once the people cannot survive, as long as there are people who can lead them, there will be chaos like moth thieves and ant thieves, sweeping the world, which will intensify the danger of the Han Dynasty."
Speaking of which.
Cao Ang picked up a battle report from the table and handed it to Princess Wannian.
Then he continued: "If the Ant-Thieves Rebellion breaks out at any time, it will involve hundreds of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of troops. How can the imperial court be able to suppress it when half of the country is in flames of war?"
"In addition, the imperial court has been trapped in a situation where eunuchs, relatives, courtiers and other forces are fighting with each other all year round. It has no time to take care of itself and has no time to pay attention to the rebellion of some Guizhou leaders."
"We can only allow local governments to recruit soldiers and form their own armies to resist. There are private soldiers relying on clans and counties everywhere in the world."
"In this way, the local government becomes stronger and stronger, while the imperial court becomes weaker and weaker due to internal friction."
"Coupled with the establishment of the position of state pastor during the late emperor's reign, the relationship between the imperial court and local governments was alienated, which directly affected the state level."
"One thing went off the other. Almost at the same time, the imperial court lost contact with the prefectures and counties, and the local areas were no longer under the control of the central government. This was a bad consequence of the huge power of the landlords."
…
In fact, I have some reservations about this statement.
The decline of the Eastern Han Dynasty was due to the growth of landlord power and the increasing intensity of land annexation.
There are many, many more reasons.
Such as the monopoly of academic knowledge, aristocratic families firmly control the right to interpret the meaning of scriptures, while the middle and lower class people do not even know a few words.
Strong polarization is also the reason why the dynasty loses its vitality and quickly decays.
Coupled with class solidification.
The selection of talents mainly relies on inspections. The talents recommended by the local governor will only be the children of the local gentry or famous people, and will never be recommended by the common people.
The head of Guizhou will always be the head of Guizhou, and as long as there are no changes, the aristocrats and bureaucrats will always be the aristocrats and bureaucrats.
The short time is okay.
Over time, big problems arise.
There are no promotion channels for the middle and lower classes, and there are always just a few surnames in the upper class, making it difficult not to be corrupted.
certainly.
There is no need to talk about these reasons to the princess. Talking too much will not be effective.
Keep it for later, and whet the princess's appetite bit by bit. This is the way to keep the water flowing!
…
In fact, after hearing Cao Ang's words.
Liu Ping's face was already full of shock.
This time there was no need for Cao Ang to summarize, Liu Ping could already give the answer in her heart.
The huge power of the landlords and their unrestricted growth were the root cause of the Han Dynasty's peril!
This conclusion made her break into a cold sweat.
It turned out that the ideas she had been holding all along were wrong. She still thought of herself as a capable person, but she didn't expect that her eyes remained on the surface.
before today.
If someone told Liu Ping that the root cause of the Han Dynasty's peril was at the beginning of the rise of the Han Dynasty, then Her Royal Highness would not believe it no matter what.
This is challenging her inherent knowledge!
In the hearts of people all over the world.
Emperor Guangwu reorganized the country and rebuilt the Han Dynasty.
He is a holy master who can definitely be called a wise king.
The Han Dynasty has fallen to this point only because of the unscrupulous descendants of future generations who do not work hard and ruin the legacy left by their ancestors.
How could it have any connection with the great ancestor of Shengming himself?
But at this moment.
Cao Ang analyzed the situation deeply and laid out the cause and effect in front of him with such conclusive words that Her Royal Highness could not help but not believe it.
Just have people of a certain level.
Think about it in detail.
It can be seen that what Cao Ang said is true. It is definitely not a boast with closed eyes, but it is based on facts.
And it just so happens that Princess Wannian is not an ignorant woman. She is an outstanding woman with independent thinking ability and a certain political level.
So after thinking deeply.
Liu Ping suddenly realized.
That seems to be the case!
Powerful landlords became powerful and became an interest group that swept the world. For more than a hundred years, successive emperors were powerless against this interest group.
It seems that Emperor Guangwu is indeed responsible for this.
certainly.
This is not to say that the ancestor is not good, but that there is nothing he can do.
Once he really couldn't do it, he turned around as soon as he took office and attacked the heroes and landlords who supported him.
Secondly, even if you want to do this.
There are also many constraints.
We rely on these people to conquer the world. Attacking the landlords is attacking the cornerstone of the dynasty. It is very likely that the Han Dynasty, which has just been resurrected, will collapse first before this interest group is attacked.
After thinking about this.
The look in Liu Ping's eyes gradually changed from confusion and bewilderment to understanding.
Looking at Cao Ang.
He couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration and praise.
He can tell the truth that others can't, and his eyes can see things that others can't.
Isn't this a sign of amazing talent?
…
Liu Ping stood up immediately.
He bowed his hands directly to Cao Ang and saluted.
There was a lot of emotion on his face as he said: "I once asked many talented and knowledgeable people how to save the great man from his decline."
"They all told me that after slaying the traitors like Dong Zhuo, and then pacifying the Yellow Turban rebels, the Manchu ministers would assist the emperor and allow him to carry out many enlightened and sage acts."
"In this way, we will be able to help the country and rejuvenate the Han Dynasty."
"Now it seems that these people are just vulgar and superficial people. What they think and say has no depth. Compared with General Cao, they are really not as good as Jun Zhiyuan!"
Don't be shy about your compliments.
Cao Ang was naturally humble in response.
But I couldn't help but laugh secretly in my heart.
There were a lot of talents in the Han Dynasty, and there were a lot of smart people. It was impossible that no one saw this, but they wouldn't say anything if they saw it.
Since Princess Wannian said that he was asking about talented and knowledgeable people, these guys must have been born into noble families or aristocratic families. They themselves were vested interests and part of the local forces.
Liu Ping went to ask these people, which was basically a waste of effort. Can they tell Her Majesty the Princess that the crisis of the Han Dynasty is precisely because of our group of people?
So even if you know where the roots are.
I will never say it out loud.
But Cao Ang is different.
He is destined to be a man who reaches the highest level. These aristocratic noble families will definitely attack Cao Ang after he takes power in the future.
Especially the landlord power.
It would undermine the rule of a country and affect the long-term stability of the country. It is really unjustifiable not to carry out a violent attack.
So Cao Ang didn't care.
This was also the reason why he dared to speak frankly to the princess.
…
And after some emotion.
Liu Ping did not forget his original intention and found the problem. Although this was important, the ultimate goal was to solve the problem.
So Liu Ping couldn't help but ask.
"General Cao, since you have seen the root of the problem, you must have a good plan in mind."
"May I ask what we should do to completely cut off the root of this disaster that was laid more than a hundred years ago and restore peace and tranquility to the world?"
Cao Ang raised his right hand without hesitation.
Then he suddenly made a vertical slash downward.
"Only force can break it!"
"It has been more than a hundred years since Emperor Guangwu re-established the Han Dynasty. The powerful landlords have long been intertwined, and the various family forces in the world are connected to each other, forming a huge and dense network."
"As the saying goes, if you want to dismantle this network through ordinary means, the opposition will be like a mountain and a tsunami as soon as the decree is issued, and nothing will be done in the end."
"So only by completely overthrowing everything and shattering the structure of the world will this network collapse on its own. After the world is cleared and the rivers and mountains are reorganized, the world will be settled and the Han Dynasty will rise again!"
…
Cao Ang actually didn't say any specific countermeasures.
I just talked about my action plan.
But that's enough.
Anyway, what Liu Ping heard was the brilliance in her beautiful eyes.
She immediately moved forward.
With a face full of expectation, he asked: "So General Cao, are you walking on such a road right now, practicing your idea of overthrowing everything?"
Cao Ang nodded heavily.
Then he stood up and stood with his hands behind his back.
Said quite impassionedly.
"What the princess said is true. The reason why my father and I are moving forward bravely is because we want to use the land of Yanzhou to defeat many ambitious people in the world."
"Cleaning the world, sweeping across the eight wastelands, the size of the territory, the number of troops, the amount of money, I don't care about these."
"Becoming a marquis is not my intention. I hope Haibo will be peaceful. If the world can be peaceful one day, I will be satisfied even if I don't become a marquis or hold an official position!"
Princess Wannian's admiration for Cao Ang reached its peak in an instant. Cao Ang's words really made her blood boil.
There seemed to be a surge of air in his chest.
There seemed to be thunderclaps in his mind.
Sacrifice oneself for the public, be loyal to the country, have the ambition to swallow the sun and the moon, have the opportunity of the universe in mind, and have the ability and vision to be the best choice.
To meet such a talented person.
He is still a talented person who is loyal to the imperial court.
Sure enough, God’s will will not destroy the great man!
"I don't want to be granted a title. I hope the sea will be peaceful. The general is a loyal and loyal member of the Han Dynasty. Please accept your homage!"
The words are spoken.
Princess Wannian stood up immediately.
He saluted Cao Ang with an extremely excited expression.
…
"Your Highness, please get up quickly!"
Cao Ang also held his hands empty.
After Liu Ping stood up, she bowed her hand to Cao Ang again. Now she had no so-called problem.
He said very decisively and cheerfully: "I didn't expect that when I first arrived in Changyi County, I found the Ming Master for the money. It can be regarded as God's favor for me, Liu Ping."
"I don't know when the general plans to use the money. I can send someone to deliver it to you at any time."
As soon as these words came out.
Cao Ang suddenly felt relieved.
Isn't it just that he talks so much and performs so much that the money can be safely pocketed?
Now I finally got the result I wanted.
His efforts were not in vain.
However, regarding Princess Wannian's statement that she wanted to send the money to him, Cao Ang shook his head slightly.
"The chaos in Yanzhou has not yet been resolved. After my father and I lead the troops to pacify the ant thieves, I will personally send a team of soldiers and horses to accompany His Highness to transport the funds to Dongjun. There is no rush at the moment. "
Liu Ping nodded slightly.
Now that she has decided to entrust this resource to Cao Ang, of course she will not ask more about when it will be used and where it will be used.
…
After negotiating this matter.
The two immediately sat back down.
While drinking tea soup, we started chatting.
The topics were almost always related to the major and minor matters of the family, country and the world, and Liu Ping's interests were indeed very different from others.
And throughout the process.
Mainly Cao Ang was talking and Liu Ping was listening.
Of course, occasionally Her Highness the Princess will express her own opinions.
In short, Cao Ang did what he wanted.
The atmosphere was quite lively for a while.
"Yuan Shao..."
At this moment.
Watching the man sitting across from him talking eloquently, watching him pointing out the world with his gestures, scolding Fang Qiu, his understatement is the matter of the world, and every move shows his extraordinary style.
Liu Ping's eyes suddenly flashed.
A strange light flashed in his eyes.
Something suddenly occurred to her.
I am not young now, but I have never looked for a husband.
Before, it was because she was young and her father was still alive. As a favored daughter, she could laugh and play freely and enjoy a few good years.
Later, it was because of the great changes in the world.
With her father passing away and her two younger brothers being young and ignorant, she, as the eldest sister, needs to worry about family and national affairs, and such personal issues will not be on the agenda in a short time.
Therefore, it has been delayed.
But now looking at Cao Ang.
Liu Ping suddenly realized, wasn't this man just his perfect match?
…
He is handsome. No matter which woman she is, if she stays with such a man, she will not have any unpleasant emotions at first, and her first impression will be excellent.
Secondly, there is the Zhongliang of the Han Dynasty, who is loyal to the royal family surnamed Liu, which makes the princess extremely satisfied.
Then there is the person who has outstanding abilities and has so many excellent qualities and talents in all aspects that you can’t even count them on your fingers.
And in addition to these prerequisites.
There is one more point that is extremely important.
That is after the money was entrusted to Cao Ang, although Liu Ping had a high degree of trust in Cao Ang.
But how can everything be left to human hands?
People are easy to change!
What I said today is impassioned, but what if I change my mind in the future and no longer intend to help the Han Dynasty?
Safeguards must therefore be prepared.
This measure is marriage!
If she could marry Cao Ang, then if he showed signs of changing his mind in the future, as his wife, I would be able to stop him in time.
And after becoming husband and wife.
It means that their interests are tied together and they become people in the same boat.
When Cao Ang takes certain measures, he will definitely consider his own factors more. At the same time, his intention to help the Han Dynasty and save the imperial court from danger will become more and more unswerving because of the unity of interests.
All the above conditions add up.
This gave Liu Pin a bold idea.
…
"Zixiu, forgive me for asking, but have you ever married a wife?"
The princess quietly changed her title.
Cao Ang didn't care either.
On the contrary, he was a little surprised by the question the princess asked.
But in line with the mentality that this is not a secret, he replied very readily: "To be honest with you, Your Highness, I only have a few concubines now and I am not married."
Liu Ping let out a sigh of relief.
Then his eyes turned and his red lips opened slightly.
"Then I dare to ask Zixiu, do you have any thoughts on becoming the late emperor's son-in-law?"
The words are spoken.
Suddenly it was shocking.
Cao Ang's eyes widened.
He looked at Liu Ping in shock.
The emperor's son-in-law is the emperor's son-in-law, and the late emperor's son-in-law is not the husband of the Wannian Princess in front of him. Her Highness the Princess is asking herself if she has any thoughts of marrying her?
Cao Ang once suspected that he had heard wrongly.
What's going on? Although I knew that our princess was a free giver, she wouldn't give it away to this extent.
Cao Ang indeed had the intention of keeping the princess, but before he could exert any force, why did the princess come to her door on her own initiative?
Be reasonable.
The hydrangeas thrown by the princess are very tempting.
But Cao Ang absolutely cannot catch it.
…
"Your Highness has a body of thousands of dollars. How can it be trivial for you to choose a husband? Please think carefully about it!"
Liu Ping shook her head with a smile on her face.
"I have thought about it very clearly. Zixiu, you are very much in line with my wishes. There is nothing wrong with choosing you as my husband. You just need to tell me whether you are willing or not."
Cao Ang raised his head with difficulty.
He looked at the heroic princess.
Then he couldn't help but shook his head.
"Thank you for your favor, princess, but please forgive me for refusing. I'm afraid I will disappoint Your Highness!"
Liu Ping: "?"
Princess Wannian was stunned on the spot.
When she asked this question, she really didn't expect to receive such a decisive rejection.
If it weren't for her perseverance, most of her heart would be focused on recovering the Han Dynasty and saving the world from danger.
I'm afraid it was just Cao Ang's reply.
It was enough to break her mentality.
"Why?"
"Is it because my appearance doesn't appeal to you, or there's something about me that dissatisfies you, or maybe you really don't like me, a lonely princess?"
There was a bit of anger in his words, which was a strange thing for Liu Ping, who had always been quite gentle before.
Actually as a woman.
Being explicitly rejected by others is really an embarrassing thing, as if you are sending yourself out, but others still don't like you.
Such a situation.
No matter how strong-minded Princess Wannian is, she is still a bit unable to bear it, so it is inevitable that she will become angry.
…
Seeing Liu Ping looking so angry.
Cao Ang couldn't help but smile bitterly.
I know that if I don't explain clearly, I will really offend people.
Although Princess Wannian relied on herself to support the Han Dynasty, it was no big deal to offend her, but why bother leaving a thorn in the hearts of others?
Therefore, the thoughts in Cao Ang's mind turned instantly.
An excuse quickly came to mind.
"Your Highness is as beautiful as a flower, with a blue heart, and a caring heart for the world. He is an extraordinary person among women. There is no reason why Ang should not look down on her."
"It's just that as your highness the princess, once I become the emperor's son-in-law, I will no longer be allowed to take concubines in the future. To be honest with your highness, Ang actually has a few women he likes, and I'm afraid I can't let go of them."
"So I can only ask for your forgiveness, Your Highness!"
In fact, this is just an excuse.
The Han Dynasty is almost gone now. If Cao Ang insists on not observing etiquette, who can put a knife to his neck and force him not to take concubines in the future?
The reason for doing this.
There is only one reason.
That is Princess Wannian, who is not suitable to be his head wife, and is extremely unsuitable.
…
According to Cao Ang's idea.
In the future, he will definitely replace the Han Dynasty.
At that time, when he ruled the world and became the emperor of Wei, his first wife was the queen.
Once Princess Wannian becomes the head wife, isn't the so-called queen the princess of the previous dynasty?
Even if Cao Ang agrees, the civil and military officials of the entire dynasty will probably drown Cao Ang with their spittle.
It is even more impossible for those partners who started a business together to watch this happen.
Everyone finally made a break with the Han Dynasty and happily supported the birth of the Wei Dynasty.
Your Majesty, you have made the princess of the previous dynasty the queen. What do you want everyone to do? Will the heirs born in the future be surnamed Han or Wei?
This is a major event that shakes the foundation of the country.
Therefore, it doesn't matter if you become a concubine with a higher status, but you can't become a queen.
And based on Cao Ang's character.
It is absolutely impossible for him to temporarily abolish the queen. Such a move would be heartbreaking.
So instead of having a headache then.
It's better to be decisive now.
…
As for after rejecting Her Highness the Princess, will I still have a chance with her in the future?
Cao Ang is not worried about this.
As his strength continues to expand, his status and identity rise.
One day, Her Royal Highness the Princess will definitely find one thing, that is, it will be difficult for her to restrain Cao Ang anymore.
At that time, in order to keep Cao Ang tied to the big ship of restoring the Han Dynasty, Her Highness the Princess would definitely be willing to lower herself and no longer think about becoming the head wife.
This idea is a bit bad.
But it is a last resort.
Moreover.
Refusing to become a couple with the princess does not mean that you want to drive her away. You can stay with her first and cultivate the relationship first.
As long as the favorability level increases.
The threshold for many things can be lowered.
For Cao Ang, who has mastered various routines and has endless words, it is not difficult for him to ask himself.
…………
No matter what Cao Ang thinks.
In short, after Liu Ping listened to his explanation.
His expression softened a lot.
Rejecting her with good reason is acceptable.
Of course, there were some things she didn't say. The emperor's son-in-law in the Han Dynasty was allowed to take concubines. The most important thing was the princess's attitude.
If the princess agrees.
There is no clear etiquette that would prohibit the emperor's son-in-law from marrying one or two women he likes.
It's just that Liu Ping didn't think there was any need to say anything more. She wasn't some unruly girl who hated getting married. It didn't mean that she had to be sent out in a hurry.
If you say no, just say no.
Moreover, in order to truly be able to reject her, Cao Ang actually showed affection and righteousness.
Must be a man with such a character.
You won’t abandon the Han Dynasty at will in the future, right?
So Cao Ang said this.
She nodded to express her understanding.
"General Cao can't bear to give up his concubine. This is also human nature. Besides, you are affectionate and righteous, so what is there that I can't forgive?"
…
Something like this happened.
It will be difficult for the subsequent chat atmosphere to return to the relaxed and happy atmosphere before.
The conversation was somewhat awkward.
Anyway, Princess Wannian felt that she couldn't sit still.
So after staying for another half an hour, Liu Ping got up and said goodbye to Cao Ang.
Cao Ang stood up to see him off.
Just when Liu Ping was about to open the door and go out, Cao Ang suddenly said to her.
"The war is about to break out right now. Several troops have already gone to Jinxiang City and other places. They will lead the army to set off in the next few days."
"It just so happens that this is a city defense battle. Some things will be more convenient. If His Highness is interested, he can lead his troops to Jinxiang City first."
"When the time comes, you might as well join in the defense of the city. It can be regarded as a personal contribution to the recovery of the Han Dynasty. At the same time, you can also see the majesty of our Cao Jun soldiers, so that His Highness can have more confidence in us and others to rebuild the country."
Liu Ping's eyes suddenly burst into light.
The whole person was visibly excited.
"Uh-huh!"
The princess even forgot about some false etiquette and directly grabbed Cao Ang's arm with her right hand.
Then he asked with urgency: "Really, can I really join in the defense of the city?"
Cao Ang nodded affirmatively.
"Your Highness has come all the way across mountains and rivers, and you must have a team of troops on hand. You are also a rebel against the Yellow Turban bandits. You are not just traveling around for fun, so why not?"
…
Liu Ping suddenly became happy.
The slight embarrassment caused by Cao Ang's rejection just now, and the trace of depression hidden in his heart, disappeared without a trace.
as a woman.
It is almost impossible for her to appear in the army.
The negative impact is too great.
However, now Cao Ang is willing to give her this opportunity, even if it is a battle to defend the city, even if it is his troops who contribute.
But this is because she, Liu Ping, dedicated herself to the Han Dynasty and the Han Dynasty!
"General Cao is righteous!"
"I will keep your kindness in mind. I will gather my troops and rush to Jinxiang City in a moment."
"Don't worry, I will try my best to hide my identity as a woman and never cause you any trouble!"
Unfortunately there is no data sheet.
Otherwise, you can see now that Liu Ping's favorability towards Cao Ang is very low, and it is soaring.
………………
Five days later.
With everything in order.
The last troops also headed towards Jinxiang City.
Except for the small group of people who need to stay, the rest of the large forces all set off.
at the same time.
Cao Ang also received an urgent military report from the front. The main force of the Yellow Turban Army, which numbered more than 100,000, had come south in a mighty manner.
Now we have arrived north of the county boundary between Dongping Country and Shanyang County, and we can cross the county boundary in two or three days.
Although the Yellow Turban Army's marching speed has always been very slow.
But after crossing the boundary line, it is not far from Jinxiang County, so the army must arrive as quickly as possible without making any mistakes.
certainly.
Cao Ang attaches great importance to the enemy in tactics.
But strategically, it despises its opponents.
With the current strength of the Yanzhou garrison, there is really no need to fear the Yellow Turban thieves.
Although there is still a gap in military strength between the two sides.
But it's not as scary as before.
With the advantage of defending the city and the continuous supply of food and grass from the rear of the defenders, they can fully sustain a long war of attrition.
In addition, there is a gap in the elite level of soldiers between the enemy and ours, as well as factors such as equipment and tactics.
The gap in numbers can be completely made up!
So for this battle.
Cao Ang is very confident!
…………
p.s. I’m too lazy to write a chapter, and then I’ll double the monthly pass at the end of the month, and I’ll have three more days of updates starting tomorrow. I won’t brag, but I’m asking everyone for a monthly pass, wow! ! !
Monthly ticket recommendation ticket
(End of chapter)
