Almost everyone present was present, and their ears pricked up when they heard Yuan Xi and Liu He talking about the news of Liu Xiejie's return to the east.
Liu He murmured in his heart, what should he say?
When it comes to the relationship between Liu and his father Liu Yu and the Yuan family, it is complicated.
When Yuan Shao joined the Kwantung coalition, he initially fought under the banner of relying on Liu Yu.
At that time, Liu Yu was the Zongzheng of the Han Dynasty, and later served as the shepherd of Youzhou, with high prestige. At that time, the emperor Liu Xie, who was far away in Luoyang, was still young, and it was Dong Zhuo who deposed Liu Bian and ascended to the throne of emperor. In the clan, it is actually not very convincing.
Moreover, Dong Zhuo relied on hijacking Liu Xie and issued political orders to the princes of the world. The nobles led by Yuan Shao were not willing to sit back and wait for death, so they wanted to support another Han clan elder to fight against Dong Zhuo.
Yuan Shao chose Liu Yu. For this reason, he united with many people and suggested that Liu Yu should be crowned emperor.
To be fair, this is what Yi Yin Huoguang did. Although it is the selfish intention of Yuan Shao and others, it cannot be said to be completely wrong morally.
At that time, everyone was divided. Dong Zhuo stood up, why couldn't I stand up?
But for unknown reasons, Liu Yu still refused. Although he still maintained an alliance with Yuan Shao and others, this matter undoubtedly caused him a fatal disaster.
Liu He, who was serving as a minister in Chang'an at that time, became Liu Xie's secret envoy. Carrying Liu Xie's secret edict, he rushed to Youzhou to mediate the fight between Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan. However, he was detained by Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao successively, and finally did not arrive in time. Liu Yu was killed by Gongsun Zan.
The relationship between Liu He and the Yuan family was so complicated, so Yuan Xi didn't know what he was really thinking. He never asked Liu He about the contents of Liu Xie's secret edict.
Some things are hidden under the scars, which seem to be completely healed. If you tear them open with force, you will probably find that there is bloody rotten flesh and pus hidden underneath.
Seeing Liu He's hesitation, Yuan Xi changed his words and said, "I want to hear Brother Liu's thoughts on the emperor's return eastward."
"That will determine our next steps."
"Before that, I want everyone to listen to all the intelligence we have collected recently, think about it, express your thoughts, and brainstorm."
He nodded to Guo Jia. When Guo Jia saw him, he cleared his throat and said, "Now the emperor is in Anyi, the capital of Hedong, protected by the Baibo Army."
"The Baibo Army made a great contribution to the rescue this time. Three of the four people in Jiejie were there, and the rest, Zhang Yang, is also on good terms with the Baibo Army."
"The Xiongnu cavalry that had previously rescued with the Baibo Army were dispersed by Li Jue and Guo Si's army, and the general was killed in battle, so he was not granted a title. The Bingzhou where he was located was nominally under the jurisdiction of the Baibo Army."
"Han Xian, who came earlier, is also a general of the Baibo Army, and together with Yang Feng, the former Baibo commander who has been following the emperor, these four people have firmly controlled the emperor, just like Li Jue and Guo Si did before. "
After hearing this, everyone sighed. First it was Dong Zhuo, then Wang Yun, then Li Jue, Guo Si, and then Yang Feng. Liu Xie was afraid that he would not be able to live in peace for a few days.
Guo Jia added: "According to reliable information, the emperor's situation is very bad."
"Yang Feng was able to do superficial things before because of the threat from Li Jue and Guo Si. Now he has joined forces with the other three and has become even more arrogant and domineering."
"Not only was he disrespectful to the emperor, he overstepped his authority at will, and granted official positions indiscriminately, he also tortured and killed ministers at will. When a minister did not agree with his request to promote party members, he ordered him to be whipped to death."
"The soldiers under his command also made fun of the emperor's words and deeds at will. They were so rude that the Han Dynasty had no dignity at all."
"The Biography of Dong Zhuo" Pei Annotation quotes "Book of Wei": Chengyu (Liu Xie) lived in a thorny fence at that time, and the door was not closed. The emperor was meeting with his ministers, and the soldiers were watching from the fence, suppressing each other and making them laugh. The generals have exclusive power, or they are good at whipping and killing ministers. When Sili Xiaowei came in and out, the militiamen threw them at him.
The generals either sent their maids to join the province, or they drank wine themselves, and passed the emperor to drink. The servants were not understanding, and they shouted and cursed, and they could not stop it. They also competed to pay homage to the people in the camp and asked for their ritual legacy. The doctors and foot soldiers were all school captains, and the imperial censor did not engrave the seals, so they used cone paintings to show the text, which might be obtained from time to time.
When Guo Jia finished speaking, everyone was silent, thinking that this was indeed too much. After all, the emperor represents all the people in the world. No matter how superficial it is, he still has to do it. However, Bai Bojun was so careless in doing things, and the emperor was disgraced. As a All the officials of the Han Dynasty also felt that their faces were dull.
However, a few thoughtful people were thinking about something else.
Why does Youzhou know so much about the things surrounding the emperor?
Guo Jia finally said: "Previously when the emperor was in danger, he sent an edict to the princes of the world for help. Duke Benchu of Jizhou has received it, but we have not received it here. I am afraid that we are all members of the Yuan family and there is no need to issue a separate edict. Bar."
"There is also a lot of controversy over this matter in Jizhou. I heard that after Duke Zai and Mr. Jushou found out about it, they sent three urgent letters in a row to persuade Duke Ben Chu to welcome the emperor."
"But many counselors in Jizhou objected, so the matter was shelved."
At this time, Jushou, who was sitting here, said angrily, "They are all short-sighted people!"
This gathering was of great importance, and Yuan Xi specially invited him from Beixin City, because in Yuan Xi's heart, Jushou played a decisive role in this matter.
Although Jushuo's idea is not suitable for Yuan Shao, it is very consistent with Yuan Xi's current thoughts. The two have common goals and needs, so Jushuo can sincerely serve him.
Otherwise, with Jushou's qualifications and abilities, why would he be willing to work hard for himself?
Ju Shou had explained his thoughts to everyone before. Yuan Xi listened and looked at everyone's expressions, and had already guessed everyone's thoughts.
He said aloud: "Young Master, you think that now that the Emperor is in danger, we all have the responsibility to rescue the Emperor and help the Han Dynasty?"
Jushou looked excited, straightened his body and shouted: "I believe that as ministers of the Han Dynasty, you must be loyal to the emperor by eating the emperor's salary!"
"What Yang Feng and Han Xian are doing right now is the same as Li Jue and Guo Si. They are holding the emperor hostage to order the princes. But now they are not respecting the emperor. They are really ambitious!"
After he finished speaking, he looked around at everyone, especially Zhao Yun, with eager eyes.
In the days since he came to Jicheng, he had contacted Zhao Yun several times. He believed that among Yuan Xi's subordinates, Zhao Yun was the one who had the most ambition to help the Han Dynasty, so he thought Zhao Yun was the most likely to support him.
Zhao Yun saw Yuan Xi nodding to him and said, "Yun Yijie, a martial artist, doesn't understand any big principles."
"But now that the emperor is suffering, if he is used by someone with evil intentions, the world will be in chaos and the people will suffer. If we can rescue the emperor, it will be good for the world."
Jushou's face was filled with joy, "Then..."
Zhao Yun then said: "My husband and I have a saying that eating the emperor's salary means being loyal to the emperor, but Yun doesn't quite understand it."
"When the emperor ascended the throne, he did not pay a salary to Youzhou. Instead, he granted the Bai Bo thieves the title of marquis and general. So to us, what is the salary of the emperor?"
"Yun wants to know, if the emperor doesn't pay me a salary, should I be loyal to the emperor, or should I be loyal to the envoy who gives me a salary?"
After hearing this, Jushou was at a loss for words. It was not that he had no way to answer this question, but that there would be problems no matter how he answered.
As Yuan Xi's current subordinate, he must face a problem. If there is a conflict between the emperor and Yuan Xi, who will he take orders from?
This is why the matter of serving the emperor to order the princes seems very good, but in fact everyone is hesitant.
You know, this time Zhang Yang went to pick him up, but Lu Bu, who was also in Hanoi and had been close to Liu Xie, did not make any move.
Liu He cleared his throat and said, "As a member of the clan, I shouldn't say more."
"But the young master has saved my life. I must remind him of one thing."
"If the prince wants to welcome the emperor to his territory, unless he is as powerful as Dong Zhuo and Wang Yun, he must obey the orders of Amaterasu on the surface."
"Now the officials around the prince have their own agendas, and there are many forces behind them. If the prince cannot suppress them, he will counter them."
"I once knew the emperor Liu Xie very well. He is smart and tolerant. If it were not for troubled times, he would definitely become a wise king."
"However, now that the world is in chaos, he is being coerced, involuntarily, and forced to do things against his will."
"The emperor wanted me to mediate the matter between my father and Gongsun Zan, but he failed in the end. This shows that the emperor is no longer able to control the world's situation."
"If you want to please the emperor, the risk is great, but there may not be any reward. I hope you will be prepared..."
Jushou did not expect that Liu He, as a member of the clan, would also have reservations about welcoming the emperor, and could not help but lose his previous impassioned attitude.
Yuan Xi wanted this kind of effect, so he had to pour cold water on Ju Shou.
This matter is a double-edged sword. Now that Youzhou is developing well, if Liu Xie is introduced rashly, it will take away many nobles who care about the Han Dynasty. For Yuan Xi, this is creating unstable factors and finding it for himself. trouble.
How to flatter, where to flatter, what benefits can be obtained, and what troubles will come with it all need to be carefully considered.
Zhao Yun and Liu He were both inclined to please the emperor, but they only talked about benefits instead of talking about anything else. Isn't this a test of Yuan Xi?
Seeing everyone's silence, Yuan Xi spoke up: "I'll answer this question."
"The salary you eat is not given by me, but is grown from the fields by the people of Youzhou."
"When we eat their food, we have the responsibility to protect the land and the people."
"It is true that the emperor has not done anything since he ascended the throne, but if this status quo does not change, the situation in the world will only get worse."
"What everyone is worried about is simply to please the Emperor, which will lead to war and disaster to Youzhou, causing us to be involved in the vortex of fighting for the Emperor."
"Let me tell you what I think."
"Youzhou is located in a bitter and cold frontier, and is not suitable for serving the emperor."
Jushou's face darkened a bit after hearing this.
Yuan Xi smiled slightly: "But I don't want someone with evil intentions like Dong Zhuo to hold the emperor hostage and bring disaster to the world."
"So I want to find a way to please the emperor and place him in a relatively neutral area so that several forces can restrain each other."
"In this case, the emperor can deal with it, use several parties to balance the struggle, and at least achieve something."
Zhao Yun and Jushou's expressions changed after hearing this. They thought that Yuan Xibiao's thoughts were indeed for the sake of the emperor.
Yuan Xi added: "Of course, this place cannot be too far away from Youzhou. At least we can reach it quickly after we occupy the Black Mountain Pass in the next step."
"But my bottom line is that Cao Cao cannot be allowed to control the emperor alone."
"I absolutely cannot accept this, because the emperor may be used against us. How will we deal with it then?"
"That's not as good as serving the emperor!"
As soon as these words came out, everyone couldn't help but look at Liu He.
(End of chapter)
