After Yuan Shao and Cao Cao sent Liu Bei away, the drunkenness on their faces was completely gone.
Looking at Liu Bei's retreating back, Yuan Shao's eyes were full of calculations.
"Mengde, do you think Liu Bei knows why I invited him to drink?"
"It's... hard to say, but I think he can guess it to some extent."
"Yeah?"
"Even if he couldn't guess it, couldn't Gong Lu behind him guess it either?"
Cao Cao chuckled and said: "Liu Bei, he was only a mat weaver and shoe seller, but he was selected by Duke Lu as his disciple. In the past, he followed Duke Lu through life and death. Such a person cannot even understand these things."
Yuan Shao glanced sideways at Cao Cao.
"It seems that you have a high opinion of him?"
Cao Cao put away his smile and stood solemnly.
"It just feels like this."
Yuan Shao looked at Cao Cao for a while, withdrew his gaze, smiled, turned around and walked back, and Cao Cao followed him back.
While walking, Yuan Shao suddenly stopped.
"Mengde, do you think Liu Bei will get close to us?"
Cao Cao's eyes flashed with light, and then he nodded immediately.
"With his background, it is his honor to be attracted by you, and it will greatly increase his reputation. In any case, he has no reason to refuse."
"Is that all?"
"Isn't this enough?"
Cao Cao asked Yuan Shao.
Yuan Shao paused and laughed.
"Meng De, you are too shallow. You are too naive. Now, it is not just Liu Bei who needs me. Why don't I need him?"
Cao Cao was not surprised in his heart, but deliberately showed surprise on his face.
"You need him?"
Yuan Shao smiled and nodded.
"Although Liu Xuande is young, has a low official position, and is of ordinary origin, he has a great reputation. Almost everyone in Luoyang City knows about him, and most of the ancient scholars have good intentions towards him.
I sent people to inquire about it for a while. From the time he emerged, Lu Gong and some celebrities from the ancient literature school around him began to build momentum for Liu Bei. Liu Bei himself is indeed talented, so many people think that he will become Lu Gong's successor. He has high hopes.
If I don’t be the first to make friends with such a handsome young man who is widely popular among the ancient literature school, more and more people will want to make friends with him, and I won’t be the only one? By then, how can I use his reputation to reach a higher level? "
When Cao Cao heard this, he suddenly realized.
"I see."
Looking at Cao Cao's performance, Yuan Shao was very satisfied.
For a long time, he felt that Cao Cao could guess whatever he thought of, which made him feel uncomfortable and a sense of urgency. However, recently, he felt that maybe he had made progress, or maybe Cao Cao had regressed. There were many things. Cao Cao couldn't guess what he was thinking.
This makes him feel satisfied and relaxed.
It is not a good thing for a superior to always have his thoughts guessed by his subordinates. He was even worried about this at first.
It's much better now. Maybe it's because I've cultivated my skills more deeply, but Cao Cao's skills haven't kept up.
That's right.
Therefore, there are some things that Yuan Shao didn't say, and Cao Cao shouldn't have guessed.
In his eagerness to win over Liu Bei, the opponents he was worried about were not other people, but his two brothers, Yuan Ji, the eldest son of the Yuan family, and Yuan Shu, the second son.
Yuan Shao was born as a concubine and was often looked down upon for this when he was young, which he would never forget in his life.
Later, due to good luck, he was adopted as the heir to Yuan Cheng, who died early without a son. He inherited Yuan Cheng's family business and became Yuan Cheng's legitimate son in the patriarchal sense, thus gaining the same patriarchal status as Yuan Ji and Yuan Shu. equal status.
Having said that, how could Yuan Ji and Yuan Shu really respect him?
On one side is the legitimate son, and on the other is the bastard who was forced to do so. Although they are the same in the patriarchal sense, in terms of blood, Yuan Shao is still regarded as a humble bastard by Yuan Ji and Yuan Shu.
In the chain of contempt within the Yuan family, Yuan Shao has no advantage.
And as he grew older, Yuan Shao clearly felt that Yuan Shu's attitude towards him was getting worse and more targeted and hostile.
the reason is simple.
It turned out that the first heir to the next generation of the Yuan family was Yuan Ji, the second heir was Yuan Shu, and Yuan Shao was third. Unless the first two people died, Yuan Shao had no chance of inheriting the family business.
But things were different after Yuan Shao was adopted.
As the orthodox heir of Yuan Cheng's branch, he not only has the qualifications to inherit Yuan Cheng's status, but in matters of family inheritance, Yuan Shao also begins to have the faint possibility of threatening Yuan Shu and even Yuan Ji's status.
Of course, this is theoretical. In fact, he cannot threaten Yuan Ji.
When Yuan Ji was around, the two brothers Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu certainly had no chance of inheriting the Yuan family business, but if something happened to Yuan Ji, the status of the Yuan family's patriarch would have to be chosen between Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.
By then, what kind of battle will it be?
What choice will the Yuan clan and the vast group of disciples and former officials make between Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu?
This is all unknown.
Yuan Shao would find it funny to say that he had no competitive ambitions. He finally obtained a noble status in the patriarchal sense, but he was caught and severely criticized by Yuan Ji and Yuan Shu without being able to talk back. So what? Frustrated?
As far as the identity of the heir to the Yuan family business is concerned, Yuan Shao's desire for this far exceeds that of Yuan Ji and Yuan Shu.
The main family goals within the Yuan family have been basically clear during this period after years of consultation and transformation.
It is to constantly raise hopes and attract worthy targets, in order to make the Yuan family surpass other noble families and truly become the common leader of the world's scholars.
Then, we must repeat the unfinished business of Dou Wu, Chen Fan, and Li Ying - kill the eunuchs!
The severity of the party's scourge has caused heavy losses to the scholars and is unbearable. Continuing to allow these eunuchs to run rampant will only make the situation more and more uncontrollable. With formal channels unable to effectively promote the situation, there is only one way to go. Walk.
It's just that the original plan of Dou Wu, Chen Fan, Li Ying and others was too rough and ignored the eunuch's force, so that the success failed and led to even more tragic consequences.
For this reason, Yuan must carefully learn from the lessons of the past and avoid making the same mistakes again.
Therefore, the leaders of the Yuan family, including the second generation rookies, must also stand up to serve the family, gain a higher reputation for the family, and win more supporters for the family.
Yuan Ji and Yuan Shu are both taking action for this. Regardless of whether they are doing well or not, they are at least doing this.
Of course Yuan Shao cannot lag behind.
Liu Bei is a disciple of Lu Zhi and a rising star in the ancient literature school. He is well-known in Luoyang today. He has considerable academic standards and literary talent, and is very popular.
In addition, it is said that Cai Yong, Ma Rixi, Yang Biao, Han Shuo and other close friends of Lu Zhi, as well as modern and ancient writers, are very optimistic about Liu Bei and are willing to promote his reputation.
If such a popular favorite cannot be won over to his camp, wouldn't it mean that he is serving as a wedding dress for others for no reason?
Whenever Yuan Ji and Yuan Shu take action, he will never have such a chance.
Fortunately, Liu Bei came from a humble background. Yuan Ji and Yuan Shu relied on their noble status and did not think highly of a humble person like Liu Bei who was a mat weaver and shoe seller. Although he was a popular favorite, they did not take action in time.
And this is Yuan Shao's opportunity.
Winning over Liu Bei, a popular darling, and making friends with him would be equivalent to getting involved with Lu Zhi, Cai Yong, Ma Rixi and other famous ancient scholars behind Liu Bei, and also getting in touch with their supporters.
Although the ancient literature school is politically silent and quite repressed, in terms of public opinion, the ancient literature school is a very powerful existence.
There were a large number of scholars in the Ancient Literature School, and having connections with these people was of great significance to Yuan Shao, a concubine with insufficient congenital abilities.
Two brothers.
The political energy and public opinion energy of this person you look down on may really be far beyond your imagination.
Yuan Shao laughed at his two direct brothers in his heart.
But standing next to Yuan Shao, Cao Cao had another consideration in his heart.
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