The Dongtang banquet in Luoyang did indeed cause a huge sensation as Cao Mao thought.
However, Cao Mao paid no attention to this matter.
The ministers are trying their best to drag themselves to do things, so they should throw these things out first and let them bite them, while they can finish the most critical things first.
As for everything that happened at the East Hall Banquet, Cao Mao simply left it to Zhang Hua to deal with.
He actually wanted Zhong Hui to handle it, but there were too many things that Zhong Hui had to do. If he were to add these few more things, even if his mind could bear it, he might not be able to bear it physically. .
Cao Mao didn't want to send away his most capable minister so soon.
Cao Mao had previously rewarded many of his cronies, and all of them had been promoted more or less, except Zhang Hua, who had not and continued to stay with Cao Mao.
Of course, Zhang Hua himself doesn't care much about this. His character is still good.
Cao Mao didn't deliberately suppress him. He really needed someone around him who could come up with countermeasures in time.
Just like the current chaotic situation, we can leave it to Zhang Hua to take care of it for the time being, firstly to trust him, and secondly to hone his talents.
Zhang Hua will be at least as capable as Zhong Hui in the future, and Cao Mao wants him to train as soon as possible.
After leaving these matters to him, Cao Mao took Sanqi with him and happily went to meet the two big shots.
When Cao Mao and Sima Yan got off the carriage, Cao Mao signaled, and Sima Yan quickly arranged for people to guard the surrounding area and no one was allowed to enter or exit.
This is an ordinary courtyard located in Nancheng, Luoyang. It looks no different from the surrounding residential buildings.
When Cao Mao walked into the mansion, there was a father and son sitting in the courtyard, looking sad.
This father and son are none other than Lu Yu and Lu Qin.
These two people were also unlucky. After Lu Yu failed, he decided to leave Luoyang. However, he failed to leave Luoyang at all.
He didn't even get out of town.
Lu Yu gritted his teeth and looked at Cao Mao, who was smiling in front of him, with anger and hatred.
"Your Majesty, what do you want me to do?!"
"The veteran has retired and returned to his hometown. Why don't you let the veteran leave?"
Cao Mao told Hua Biao that Lu Yu and others could not leave Sili after leaving Luoyang and were caught by Ji Kang. In fact, this was a lie.
The truth is that the day after Lu Yu and his son met Zhang Hua, they were kidnapped by a group of rangers and imprisoned in this residence. They pretended that the Lu and his son had left Luoyang, making everyone think that they had returned to Hebei.
Lu Yu really didn't know what the emperor wanted to do. He initially thought that the wealthy people in Hebei were completely shameless and wanted to kill him. Later, he received a message from the emperor saying that he was very worried about his safety, so he had him killed. Protect him and tell him not to worry.
Lu Yu was about to collapse when she learned that the person who secretly imprisoned him was actually the emperor.
What kind of emperor is this? Even using ranger methods? Master Sima looks like a gentleman compared to you!
They are simply bandits! Worse than a bandit!
Seeing the emperor coming to the door at this moment, Lu Yu couldn't bear it anymore.
Cao Mao saluted him very cautiously, "Mr. Lu, it was my fault during this period that caused you to suffer injustice. Please don't blame me."
After all, Cao Mao still has the status of an emperor.
Even if Lu Yu was angry again, facing the emperor's salute at this moment, he instinctively stood up and returned the salute. His attributes as a scholar-official prevented him from doing anything that ignored etiquette, "Your Majesty, don't do this."
"Old minister just wants to go home"
Cao Mao asked the two to sit down and sat in front of them.
"Gong Lu, maybe you won't believe that among the many ministers of the Later Han Dynasty, the one I admire the most is your father."
"What a capable minister who can govern the classics, lead troops to fight, govern a place, and advise the emperor. It's a pity that he was born at the wrong time."
Cao Mao suddenly sighed.
When Lu Yu heard Cao Mao talking about Lu Zhi, the anger on his face dissipated a little.
In fact, Lu Yu didn't have a clear impression of his father. His father was gone when he was very young.
He couldn't tell whether his respect at this moment was due to etiquette or some kind of silent yearning.
"Mr. Lu, I sent Zhang Hua to find Mr. Lu earlier in order to let him continue to serve as the chief agricultural officer. However, he is very worried about your safety and is unwilling to leave you at this time."
"This son of yours is quite similar to your ancestor. I think he is more like his grandfather than you are."
"I really need the help of a capable minister who is filial and benevolent like him."
"Do you still want him to follow you to Hebei to die at such an age?"
Cao Mao cleared his throat, and Sima Yan walked in immediately. Cao Mao motioned for him to sit next to him, and then said: "An Shi, please tell me what you heard."
Sima Yan looked at Lu Yu and said seriously: "When we captured Gao Rou for rebelling against the party, we found correspondence between him and many ministers, in which he mentioned things about you many times."
With that said, Sima Yan took out a few letters and handed them to Lu Yu in front of him.
Cao Mao said calmly: "Let's see, you want to go back and enjoy your old age in peace, but the big families in Hebei have no such idea. They have already been ready to kill you, and even the people who do it are ready. These letters, This is written to He Zeng and Chen Ben. You should know what they can achieve in Hebei, right?"
Lu Yu frowned and looked at the letters in front of him, and then his face turned red.
He knew that he would encounter revenge when he returned this time, but he did not expect that the other party actually wanted to drive out his entire family.
Lu Yu trembled all over.
He took a deep breath and calmed down. At this moment, he raised his head again and looked at the emperor in front of him, but there was no trace of complaint in his eyes.
He stood up tremblingly and saluted Cao Mao.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!!!"
Cao Mao hurriedly helped him up, "Oh, Lu Gong, as long as you don't blame me, I force you to stay here, and I feel very guilty."
Lu Yu's face was full of shame, and he didn't even dare to look directly at the emperor. Thinking of the secret abuses he had been doing these days, he felt that he was becoming less and less human.
These letters in Cao Mao's hands are really not forgeries, they are real!
Previously, in order to unite the ministers, Wang Xiang wanted to completely kill the Lu family and lead his people to carve up the interests of many wealthy families in Hebei. Naturally, Lu Yu and his son were on the list that must be eliminated.
"If it weren't for Your Majesty, I'm afraid we would have encountered something unexpected."
"Don't talk like that, Mr. Lu."
Cao Mao looked at Lu Qin who was standing aside, "Lu Jun, you still have to take on the position of chief agricultural officer."
Lu Qin looked at his father beside him and said helplessly: "Your Majesty, how dare I continue to stay by your Majesty's side as a guilty person?"
Cao Mao said seriously: "Lu Jun, please don't be so selfish. Have you forgotten that you are not alone in Luoyang? You have a brother-in-law, so don't you care about his safety?"
"Hua Jun has made great achievements by assisting his father these days, but it is because of you that he dare not accept the reward."
"You don't want to be an official, why do you want Mr. Hua to be white like you? Isn't it the right time for him to take revenge in his heart?!"
When Cao Mao spoke like this, Lu Qin became even more ashamed.
"I"
Cao Mao shook his head, "These days, Hua Jun has been writing to me, saying that he wants you to continue to be the chief agricultural officer, saying that he wants to see you, and wants to persuade you, but I have stopped him."
This time, Lu Qin finally couldn't help it.
"Your Majesty, I'm going to meet him now. I'm guilty!"
Cao Mao glanced at Sima Yan again, and Sima Yan hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, if Mr. Lu takes his family back to Hebei, he will definitely be plotted by villains. Even if they can escape, how can Hua Jun, his wife and children live in peace? "
"I think that Your Majesty can re-investigate this matter and personally issue an edict to remove Duke Lu from his official title and let him reflect in the palace."
"In this way, the officials will not dare to embarrass him again."
"And Hua Jun and Lu Jun can continue to serve you. Today's spring planting has been affected a lot. If we don't arrange for the big farmers in time, I don't know what kind of damage the people will suffer."
Hearing these words, both Lu Yu and his son were speechless, and the house was extremely quiet.
Cao Mao nodded.
"That's fine."
"Jun Lu, I will arrange for Mr. Hua to meet you. Just be prepared to serve as the chief minister."
He ordered the next thing and was about to leave. Before leaving, he looked at Lu Yu again.
"Gong Lu, in order to gain power this time, you deliberately neglected government affairs and caused great casualties. To be honest with you, if it weren't for the fact that I needed someone to make up for all this, I would have ordered you to be abandoned! "
"If you still have a conscience, please help your son more and try to make up for the mistakes you have made."
"Otherwise, after you pass away, how can you have the dignity to see your father?"
"When your father first governed the place, he was very kind to the people. Even the southern barbarians admired his character and did not dare to point their swords at him. When they heard that it was him who came, they all took off their armor and returned."
"Why can't you learn this kind of behavior from him?"
After some questioning, Cao Mao said nothing more. He turned around and left with Sima Yan.
Lu Qin hurried to see him off.
Lu Yu, however, just stood there blankly, with a dull look on his face and said nothing.
When Lu Qin sent them away and returned to the courtyard again, two tears appeared on Lu Yu's face.
"My father's great reputation was ruined by my hands!"
Cao Mao had already gotten into the car, and Sima Yan was sitting next to him. Looking at Cao Mao with a serious face, he cautiously asked: "Your Majesty, he has promised to do things for us, why do you still question him like that?"
"I think his health is very bad, but don't be so angry by these words."
Cao Mao shook his head, "I don't know that sometimes, I just can't help myself."
"When I get a few years older, maybe it won't be like this."
"It's okay. I think this is actually quite good."
