Nancheng County, Yanzhou.
A carriage was driving towards the south of the city, followed by soldiers in front and behind, which looked a bit intimidating.
Pedestrians were not surprised and quickly got out of the way.
They didn't want everyone to know the destination of this group of people.
A scholar asked with a smile: "Is this the temple sending people to conquer the land?"
"It seems so. Looking at the scale, it was probably sent by the Great General or General Zhengxi."
The scholars started chatting, and when they talked about the conquest, they had both envy and pride in their eyes.
These people must be looking for Yang Hu.
Yang Hu came from a wealthy family. He lost his father when he was twelve years old. He performed filial piety and mourned more than common courtesy, so he became famous. It was not until he grew up that he became known to everyone. Xiahou Ba married his daughter to him, which made his reputation even greater.
The Yanzhou Prefecture recruited him as an official and a scholar four times, and the five prefectures also appointed him. Finally, even the general Cao Shuang wanted to recruit him, but Yang Hu always refused to serve as an official and never became an official.
Xiahou Ba later defected to Shu, but Yang Hu was not implicated because of his sister. In fact, none of Xiahou Ba's children were arrested and executed. They were all pardoned, and his daughter still stayed with Yang Hu. By his side, his son was exiled to the frontier.
Xiahou Ba's incident did not have a great impact on Yang Hu. If he wanted to become an official, it would not be difficult.
However, he chose to continue to stay at home to raise his family. He regarded himself as a Taoist, honest and simple, just like a Confucian scholar. His reputation grew bigger and bigger, and celebrities from all over the world spoke highly of him.
Sure enough, it was just as the scholars expected.
This group of people stopped in front of Yang Hu's mansion. A soldier came forward and informed the servants in the mansion to get ready.
The entire Yang Mansion was panicked in an instant.
When the servant brought the news to Yang Hu, Yang Hu slowly put down the scroll in his hand.
He is seven feet three inches tall, has a handsome man and eyebrows, and has a handsome appearance. He is currently wearing very simple clothes, kneeling in front of the case, with his virtuous wife accompanying him. It can be seen that his life is very nourishing.
"Is it the Great General or General Zhengxi?"
Yang Hu seemed a little hesitant. Yang Hu had a very peaceful personality and had not liked fighting since he was a child, especially intrigues.
He has long seen the turmoil of the current political situation, so he has been unwilling to become an official and has been waiting for opportunities.
Historically, he even refused Sima Zhao's conquest. In the end, he had no choice but to take office after the temple official issued an edict directly.
Seeing the change in her husband's face, Xiahou asked, "Do you still want to refuse?"
Yang Hu smiled bitterly, "Madam, you don't know. In the past, I refused to serve as an official because the situation was turbulent and critical. The current situation is much more terrifying than before."
"Are you talking about Huainan?"
"No, if there are no other changes, the Huainan incident will not be a big threat."
"Then are you talking about Jiang Wei from Shu?"
"No, the national power of Shu is getting weaker and weaker. Jiang Wei's offensive is like a powerful crossbow at the end of its power. In the end, it is unable to penetrate Lu Zhen."
Xiahou was a little surprised, "Then why do you say that today's situation is more terrifying than in the past?"
"The general has Guo Zhi as the general protecting the army. Is there anything more terrifying in the world than this?"
"ah??"
Xiahou was very surprised, but Yang Hu explained: "Madam, the position of the army guard has never been in the hands of the Sima family since Cao Xi. Like the leader, it is a top priority."
"Controlling all the camps of the Chinese army and taking the military attache examination. In the past, the Guo family had ideas about this position entirely because their Guo De was the son-in-law of Sima Shi."
"Wang Su also held this position because of his marriage status, so he was at odds with the Guo family."
"But now the Guo family is not related to the Sima family, how can they take on the role?"
Xiahoushi shook his head blankly.
Yang Hu raised his head and said, "Something big is going to happen in the temple."
Xiahou looked at Yang Hu, but his expression suddenly felt sad, and he couldn't help crying.
Yang Hu was shocked, "Why is Madam like this?"
Then Xiahou said: "You keep saying that you are not willing to become an official, but you know everything about the situation in the temple and are so concerned about the transfer of officials. How can you say that you have no intention of becoming an official? Is it not because of me that you can't?" Going into official service?"
Yang Hu shook his head and quickly reassured: "How could Madam think so? I just don't want to get involved in those things, not because of Madam."
Yang Hu stood up, changed his clothes, and then formally led people to meet the temple officials.
Yang Hu was very surprised when he saw the visitor.
The person who came was none other than Shi Zhonghuabiao.
Hua Biao looked far less chic than before. He thought he would get great credit for supporting the emperor, but who would have thought that he would meet a troublemaker like Cao Mao.
Hua Biao was so frightened by him that he pretended to be ill and asked to resign. As a result, he was unlucky and happened to see Wang Su and Jia Chong resigning. Sima Zhao was furious. How could he agree to it? He was immediately scolded and allowed to continue his duties.
At this moment, he had to be ordered to come here again.
The position of servant still depends on the person, and the responsibilities and powers in the hands of different people are very different.
Yang Hu obviously knew this person and hurriedly bowed to meet him.
"I didn't know it was Mr. Hua who came here. I missed him from afar, but I hope you can forgive me."
Hua Biao quickly forced out a smile. He was Hua Xin's son, but he did not dare to offend the upstart in front of him at all. His sister was the wife of Master Sima.
"Why is Mr. Sheep so polite?"
The two exchanged a few simple greetings. They both knew each other, but their relationship was only to the extent of knowing each other, and there was nothing to say.
After greetings, Hua Biao took out the edict.
"This is Yang Hu of Yanzhou, a man with a rare reputation as a virtuous man, respectful, filial and loyal."
Naturally, it started with a round of flattery. After the flattery, Huabiao just said: "Characteristics make Yanghu the general of the guard and protector, and the guard in charge."
Yang Hu was a little surprised.
The conquest of temples is different from that of ministers.
If a minister conscripts him, for example, Sima Zhao, Cao Shuang, or a local governor conscripts him, if he agrees, he will become the other party's "disciple and former official", and the person who conscripts him will automatically become the leader.
In this case, when he became an official, he went to serve as a subordinate official for other people, not as a temple official.
If Sima Shi went to conquer the country, he would serve in the general's palace, not in the temple.
But this time the conquest was different.
This is not a minister who conscripted him in a private name, but the temple directly conscripted him, and the emperor directly issued an edict. In other words, if he agrees, he is an official of the temple, and there is no issue of appointing a master or a private official. , and Sima Zhao and others were ministers of the same dynasty.
Yang Hu didn't want to participate in the turmoil, but he also didn't want to waste his time like this.
He originally refused many conquests, but those were all conquests to become subordinate officials, and Yang Hu didn't really want to be an official, nor did he want to find a candidate for himself.
As he himself said, the current situation is chaotic. With the leader, we can only live and die together. With Yang Hu's character, he believes that he cannot betray the leader. For the safety of himself and his family , it’s best not to find a sponsor for yourself.
Even if Sima Shi or Sima Zhao sent people to conquer.
He wouldn't agree either.
But it is different now. Temples are directly conquered.
This made Yang Hu hesitate.
Hua Biao looked at the silent Yang Hu in front of him and was not angry. In fact, he could understand Yang Hu's thoughts.
In this current situation, who would go to the temple?
If he couldn't run away even if he wanted to, why would Yang Hu be willing to come?
Hua Biao ordered everyone to leave temporarily, put away the edict, and said to Yang Hu: "If you are unwilling, there is no need to hesitate. This is not an edict issued by your sister-in-law. It is the empress dowager's edict."
Hua Biao whispered.
Yang Hu was even more surprised. The Queen Mother's edict?
He also thought that the Sima family had used the temple order to conquer him, and wanted him to replace the Guo family.
But is this an edict from the Queen Mother? The Queen Mother asked herself to replace her people? ?
Yang Hu was also a little confused at this moment. He couldn't understand the situation in the temple.
Does she know that she is an in-law of the Sima family?
The Sima family couldn't wait to give up their important position to the Guo family, and then the Guo family couldn't wait to give it back? ?
What is this?
Yang Hu frowned and asked hesitantly: "Why does the Queen Mother want to conquer me?"
"I don't know. I just know that the relationship between the Guo family and the Queen Mother is not very good recently. Guo Jian suddenly said that he was seriously ill and stopped coming. Maybe the Queen Mother thinks you are more trustworthy than her clan members."
Yang Hu groaned, the Queen Mother actually had a conflict with her own clan?
He pondered again, and all the fog in his mind suddenly dissipated, and he could gradually understand the situation in the temple.
Was it the emperor's closeness to the Queen Mother, and the Guo family's closeness to the Sima family, which caused the Queen Mother's dissatisfaction, which led to the strange situation that the Sima family began to strengthen the people of the Queen Mother Guo, while the Queen Mother Guo worked hard to weaken her own people?
But even so, why let yourself go? I have no connection with the Queen Mother
Yang Hu was about to ask again, but Hua Biao stroked his belly and asked awkwardly: "Is there anything to eat here?"
Yang Hu quickly invited him into the house and ordered his servants to hold a banquet. He also started asking for more details from his mouth.
Huabiao didn't have much to offer. As a servant, he didn't seem to care about what happened in the palace.
Hua Biao did not rush for Yang Hu to give an answer. After eating and drinking, he was led by his servant to rest.
Yang Hu returned to the inner room, where Xiahou was waiting for him.
"My beloved? What's wrong?"
Yang Hu was silent for a moment and shook his head, "I don't know either."
Xiahou could see the tangle in Yang Hu's heart. She turned her head and looked at the books in front of the case. These books were many and messy, with all kinds of books.
Laws, classics, art of war, and even the lists of some important officials of the ancient Han Dynasty.
These books seemed to have been opened countless times, and some of them were spread out and filled with various annotations.
Yang Hu followed his wife's gaze and looked at the books.
His eyes gradually became firm.
"Get ready."
"Tomorrow, we will set off."
"Go to Luoyang."
