When Cao Cao turned around, his face was already filled with sadness again, but as he exhaled, his shoulders relaxed a lot.
Seeing this, Xun Yu let go of Cao Cao's arm, stepped back half a step, folded his hands to salute, bowed deeply, and solemnly said: "My lord, you understand this very well. All the princes in the hall want to let your lord serve as Sikong, so that's why meaning."
"If the lord takes the wealth of Yanzhou and Xuzhou to build a large-scale construction project, the internal depletion will be serious, or more taxes will be levied. If the people are complaining, they will definitely slander and remove them. The successor can take advantage of this opportunity to continue Civil construction matters must be done according to the master's convenience."
"In this way, the reputation will be on the master's back, but there will always be someone who can benefit from it."
"If the lord does not use Yan and Xu's wealth, he will immediately speak to the emperor, strongly reprimanding the lord for neglecting the sacred mandate, not wanting to serve the public, and returning all the money and food to the soldiers and horses. He will even secretly criticize the lord for his evil intentions and doing Dong's methods."
Cao Cao took a deep breath and looked at Xun Yu intently before Er Qing said: "Wen Ruo, I don't care what other people say, I care about what you think of me."
"If it weren't for that, and you were also shaken, why would you say these words now?" Cao Cao smiled mockingly.
This made Xun Yu feel like he was struck by lightning.
He immediately shook his head and said: "My lord, Wen Ruo has never wavered. No matter how others slander and persuade, or use reputation and integrity to pressure me, I only see the lord who is loyal to the king, the country, and conquers others with virtue."
"I'm just weighing the relationship between the court and the lord."
"I ordered people to investigate the news and find out the whereabouts of the Chang'an generals. This is to share the Lord's worries. At the same time, I will continue to coordinate with various ministries and reduce the construction of government offices, which is also for the Lord."
"Wen Ruo," Cao Cao breathed a sigh of relief, with a smile on his face again, and said, "It doesn't matter if I feel a little wronged after hearing what you said."
"Then what do you think now?"
Xun Yu cupped his hands and said: "I will never give in. Now in Xudu, we are not focusing on civil construction and city expansion. There is still room for maneuver. As long as you meet your majesty, explain to him reason and express your feelings, your majesty should understand. .”
"Why deal with it?" Cao Cao listened patiently. He originally wanted to tell Xun Yu that the emperor's decision had changed, and he would not press so hard now.
However, he still wanted to hear what arrangements Xun Yu made at this time.
Xun Yu said: "Sweeping out the old generals in Chang'an is a top priority after the autumn harvest. I have found out that Li Jue and Guo Si fled to Chang'an and wanted to go west out of the customs to return to Liangzhou; Yang Feng and Han Xian fled to Runan, and then went to Runan. Huainan, defected to Yuan Shao; Zhang Yang, the prefect of Hanoi County, had no objection and could send troops to win over him, but Zhang Ji, who had served as a guard in the first place, went south to Nanyang County."
"Zhang Ji?" Cao Cao's face was stern. Nanyang was a large county with a population of one million. The terrain was strategic and it strangled the southern part of Cao Cao's territory. If he was not careful, his rear would be attacked.
Even if he does not use troops, if he lends the road to other princes, it will still be a hidden danger.
Wen Ruo's intention is nothing more than to let all the princes in the hall understand that it is not safe now, and they need to gather the rebel generals and princes who refuse to obey the imperial edict first.
But this is just a delaying tactic. In a few years, if they are swept away one after another and there are no strong enemies around, they will continue to hold back, trying to make Cao Cao unable to catch up and then resign.
The best way is to replace these officials and maintain a good system while continuing to perform meritorious services. If this can be achieved, the emperor will have the reputation of morality in the future, and at the same time, the court will be stable and stable.
This road needs to be walked for a long time, otherwise there will be chaos inside and outside, leading to hidden dangers and chaos.
"Therefore, I will advise you to use the food harvested in the autumn for the generals and officers of the army. We will first protect the surrounding area of Xudu and take back the old generals of Chang'an. We will never allow them to build such large-scale construction projects."
Xun Yu looked moved and extremely serious. He originally planned to talk about these things later, but since his lord has come to ask today, he naturally had to say it.
Moreover, he was even afraid that even saying this would not dispel Cao Cao's anger.
Xun Yu also saw the injustice suffered by his lord.
At this time, Cao Cao's expression was normal, but he seemed to be thinking about something. After a moment, he nodded slightly and looked at Xun Yu: "It is true what Wen Ruo said. It is important to stabilize the court, but it is even more important to attack it. "
"There are so many rebels outside, and we still need a large army to conquer them one by one. Those who do not respect the orders of the Han court will be subdued one by one."
Xun Yu's words made Cao Cao notice another solution. He didn't have to deal with the emperor and the princes in the court. It was also an option to lead his troops to fight.
In this way, the ministers included can be left speechless, and the money and food can be truly used where they should be used.
"Don't worry, my lord, I will write to Your Majesty right away and report this matter to His Majesty."
"No need, I will talk about it in the court tomorrow. I believe that these ministers' words may not necessarily be His Majesty's thoughts." Cao Cao sighed and said seriously: "If you have Wen here, you will have nothing to worry about in the rear. Otherwise, I will be out here." We are fighting, but these ministers are plotting against us in the rear. Who should we complain to?"
"The Lord's wishes should be His Majesty's will," Xun Yu suddenly muttered, causing Cao Cao to chuckle.
"Not necessarily, Wen Ruo, you are a gentleman, but that does not mean that all the ministers in the court are gentlemen. What they want in their hearts is power. They want to control the court with one hand and drive me out. Maybe they are still ashamed to be an official in the same court with me! "
Cao Cao's words made Xun Yu fall into deep thought. He did not refute, but took Cao Cao's words into his heart, so he handed Cao Cao away. After returning to the main hall of the government office, he could not calm down for a long time.
At first, Xun Yu thought it was because these old ministers, Li Guo and Li Guo, took power seriously and killed innocent people indiscriminately. Therefore, they were afraid that their lord Cao Cao was also such a person, so they were so wary and intimidating. But now, it turns out that it is not in this way.
Perhaps they really want power as their lord said.
However, wouldn’t it be ungrateful to leave the lord aside in order to fight for power at this time? You must know that if there is no lord to rescue, and Yuan and Yuan slowly come in, I am afraid that something unexpected will happen halfway.
The troops of Li Jue and Guo Si were in hot pursuit at that time.
Some seeds of scrutiny were left in Xun Yu's heart, and he would observe the officials in the court in the future.
"If it's true that the whole dynasty is full of mediocre people, maybe I should make a choice..."
Xun Yu sighed deeply. He was also a little disappointed in his heart. Moreover, seeing Cao Cao so angry and aggrieved today, he felt a little angry for some reason.
…
The next day at court, when Xun Yu wanted to make a rebuttal, Fu Wan and Dong Cheng took the initiative and once again mentioned that the money and grain tax revenue from the two states after the autumn harvest would be used to expand Xudu.
Build mansions and occupy land to build them, so that the offices of hundreds of officials can flourish, and officials in various ministries can recruit subordinate assistants.
To make the capital prosperous, we can carry out governance in an orderly manner, so that the political scene of Luoyang can be reproduced, and scholars from all over the world can have a place to debate scriptures and study.
After all, Yingchuan is a large county with a century-old history of culture and profound cultural connections, and it is time for it to regain its former prosperity.
But after saying that, he was naturally scolded by the emperor.
"You are all mediocre people! Do you know what the current situation is!?" Liu Xie kicked the objects on the documents in front of him to the ground, pointed at Dong Cheng and cursed: "I always thought you were a loyal minister! But you are like this Advise me, but you will put me in the land of the faint king!"
"The current situation is chaotic and wars are going on everywhere. If you have money and food this year, you should reduce taxes and let the people be peaceful. Only in this way can you be prosperous in the long run. Isn't the palace wall and government office not gorgeous enough so that you can't handle official business? Isn't the house and courtyard not enough? Can't you take the wealth and aristocracy as subordinates?"
"I am not a foolish king. Once all the people in the world are separated, the common people should be the most important thing. Sikong can use the wealth of the treasury to expand slowly. It would be nice to have various ministries, offices, palace walls and courtyards within a few years. I don't have that. Require."
"If they ask Sikong again, they can tell me that if any official dislikes me and complains about the hardships of the government office and refuses to serve as an official, he can resign and leave."
"Your Majesty, Holy Ming!" Cao Cao smiled from ear to ear in his position. He turned to look at Dong Cheng and others. Seeing their shrunken appearance, he felt very happy.
These people thought that Liu Xie was young and only knew about having fun. Their nostalgia for the old capital of Luoyang was about the splendid and intoxicating golden life.
In fact, this is not the case. Although he is young, he is also the emperor of the Han Dynasty. The history books handed down from his ancestors for more than ten generations record the deeds of each emperor.
There are good and bad.
Liu Xie is not afraid that historians will record his good or bad qualities. What he is afraid of is that the Han Dynasty will come to an abrupt end with him, and finally in this generation. Therefore, what he wants may be that the Han Dynasty can regain its stability in the world, rather than being controlled by others.
The traitors in the world must be punished, and the foundation of all people must not be ignored.
After Dong Cheng was scolded, his whole body fell into an inexplicable anger.
That's not what you said before! Just a few nights ago, when we came to see you, you also said that the state should be the most important thing and that we should build and expand it to show to the world that the Han Dynasty is still prosperous.
Why has everything changed now? !
Could it be that by rejecting it first and then asking me to offer advice, this would show His Majesty's kindness? Let me bear Cao Cao's hatred?
It should be so.
Your Majesty, he already understands the ways of being a servant, and it seems that these years of wandering have made him grow a lot.
At that time, Dong Zhuo thought that Liu Xie was smart and better than Liu Bian since he was a child, so he discussed with the Grand Tutor Yuan Wei to establish a new majesty.
Thinking of this, Dong Cheng felt that it was very possible, so he tentatively handed it down and said with a smile on his face: "Your Majesty is indeed benevolent, but you cannot ignore the state of this big man. The only way to build a magnificent Only in the capital can we demonstrate the majesty and virtue of my great Han Dynasty, and only then can countless talented people rush to join us."
"That's nonsense!!" Liu Xie frowned on the couch, pointed at Dong Cheng and cursed, "Say it again!"
At this moment, Liu Xie was so angry that he was shaking all over. He had already hinted many times not to mention this matter again, otherwise I would become a foolish king hated by all the people, yet he still spoke nonsense.
"His Majesty."
"Get lost! I won't let you say that again!"
Just as Dong Cheng was about to speak, he was scolded again. Now he was full of doubts and didn't know why.
This has been discussed before, and the princes came to you and said it. Why did you change your mind again?
"His Majesty……"
Dong Cheng wanted to say more, but was stopped by a look, and he did not dare to speak casually again.
The morning meeting that day was almost dominated by Cao Cao's speeches. Liu Xie agreed to all the things he advocated, and after the autumn, the power of money and food was enlarged and handed over to Cao Cao himself. The morning meeting ended peacefully.
After returning to Sikong Mansion, Cao Cao felt deeply relieved, so he ordered the pursuit of Zhang Ji's remnant party in Wancheng, and ordered the three armies to be ready for a conquest at any time, and Zhang Ji was not allowed to make any agreement with Liu She in Nanyang.
"According to military information, Zhang Ji went to Nanyang Wancheng to garrison in the name of countering rebellion, but he gathered many old Xiliang troops along the way, including Xiliang people who had fled from Li Jue, Guo Si and other soldiers."
"So, he does not have enough food and grass, so he can only make a living by looting. This will definitely conflict with Liu Biao of Jingzhou." After Guo Jia heard these military information, he judged Zhang Ji's situation in just a moment.
"Therefore, after the autumn harvest, as long as the food is sufficient, we can choose elite troops to conquer and fight against rebellion in the name of the emperor. As for Yuan Shu, I predict that he is stalling for time and will not take any action on the matter of Taifu Ma Rixi and Zhao Wen. Will respond so quickly.”
"Since we have the advantage, we should seize the opportunity to recruit the princes from all over the country. They still have soldiers and horses under their command. Even if they will not surrender, we should form an alliance and use the emperor's edict to let them garrison us. Fang Nannan.”
What he was actually talking about was Zhang Ji. This Xiliang prince had unprecedentedly sent food and money to support the emperor on his way back east, and he also mediated for a period of time between Li Jue and Guo Si. A fight between the two.
Therefore, His Majesty always remembered Zhang Ji's kindness and took good care of him. Even if he came to worship without the imperial edict, he did not blame him and just let him go.
Therefore, if you want to conquer Zhang Ji, of course you don't have to fight to the end, but use the line of His Majesty's kindness to win over him.
"Humph," Cao Cao chuckled twice, and then Xi Zhicai handed over his hand and said: "Zhang Ji's achievements were personally witnessed by His Majesty, so they are also recorded. This is what surprises me."
"Before Zhang Ji escaped, he knew that he was betraying His Majesty a huge favor, and then he left after making great achievements. At this time, he was suppressing the rebellion in Nanyang. His vision was far-reaching."
"At this moment, if the Yuan brothers want to become enemies with their lord, they can bribe Zhang Ji, and Liu Biao only needs to turn a blind eye, which will be regarded as secretly helping each other, allowing the two heroes to fight."
"If the lord wants to win over him, he needs to be more sincere to persuade him."
"Um……"
Cao Cao's eyes gleamed slightly, and Zhicai saw the fire clearly, and he could see the key point of this situation at a glance.
Zhang Ji can really be said to have chosen a place where he can have both sides.
"Okay, let's discuss this matter another day and pay close attention to the news from Nanyang."
Cao Cao did not decide immediately and put aside the matter first.
About ten days later, when the autumn harvest came, the people began to be busy in the fields, and Cao Cao received another piece of information.
Zhang Ji had occupied a city in Jingzhou, but as expected, there were too many stragglers from Xiliang that he had previously accommodated, and he was in a food crisis, and he didn't know where to get food.
However, Xiangyang, Jingzhou, was stationed in a fortified city and did not open the door to greet them. Liu Biao regarded them as tigers, wolves, thieves and bandits, and refused to greet them politely.
Cao Cao knew this, so he decided not to send troops, and instead asked Cao Hong and Cao Chun to lead troops into Runan, stationed in Runan, and went to farm, waiting for the development of the situation.
So in the name of going out to conquer Ni, the emperor asked the various states and counties to ask for funds. At the same time, he urged Yuan Shu to send the Taifu and his ministers back to the city with the imperial edict, ordering them to show their neglect.
He also asked him for another 60,000 shi of military rations to be transported back together to counter the rebellion. The edict hinted that Yuan Shu had blocked Cao Cao from going to greet the Han Emperor. As soon as the edict was sent, Yuan Shu became furious.
…
Yangzhou, Shouchun.
"Cao Mengde, the ugly eunuch! How dare you use the emperor's order to check and balance me today!"
"I also want to send him food! Let me send the merits of the meritorious people in the territory and let the court reward him!? He has a beautiful idea!"
Yuan Shu immediately threw down the edict and put the people who came to deliver the edict under house arrest in Huainan.
At the same time, he now felt that he could no longer wait any longer. He had the imperial seal in hand, he was sitting on the fertile land in the south of the Yangtze River, and he had more than 400,000 people following him.
I don't respect Cao Cao, I just order people to prepare secretly.
Yuan Shu was thinking about it, but Jin Shang, who was standing before him, sighed and said: "At this time, the emperor wants to reward meritorious ministers and a notice is issued throughout the city. How can I resist Youyou's words?"
"If a reward is given, it can divide the public's power. How about letting us return to Chang'an and work for you?"
Yuan Shu sneered, looking at his expression of bitterness and hatred, he said contemptuously: "When you came here, I said that if you use me, you can work together for great things. If you don't want to, in fact, your role is just a gift. It’s just a talisman.”
Jin Shang's face was ashen, his heart sank, he nodded and said: "Okay, in that case, I won't say more if it's inconvenient for me."
He had already begun to have the will to die, but before that, he could not let Yuan Shu have an easy time.
(End of chapter)
