As spring passed, the weather gradually became hotter. Liu Xie sometimes felt depressed after staying in the palace for a long time.
It wasn't that Cao Cao was controlling him and not allowing him to travel. Apart from a lot of etiquette, Liu Xie himself had nowhere to go.
Moreover, he has been wandering outside for too long. He has lived unaccompanied and fearful life for many years. Now he just wants to stay in the palace and be more stable.
There are also fine clothes and fine food, the palace people are waiting on you, and there are concubines by your side, so you are not alone at night.
However, I was still depressed and had trouble sleeping and eating.
Many of the meals served by the chef in recent days did not satisfy his appetite, causing him to have a strong internal fire and make him feel unwell. No matter morning or evening, the food tasted bland.
And if you eat chicken, duck, deer, hog, etc., it feels too rich, and you will only eat a little full throughout the day without filling your appetite.
"The weather has been getting hotter recently, so the food supervisor doesn't have to worry about it. Those medicinal meals are of no use. I still feel bored and have no intention of eating."
"Just do whatever you want."
"Wei, I will go and inform the Food Supervisor right now..." Chang Shi Wen Rui immediately saluted and trotted away.
This regular attendant was promoted this year. He took good care of His Majesty and took good care of him.
It won the satisfaction of Liu Xie and Cao Cao.
Not long after, Liu Xie arrived at the dining room courtyard, and indeed he only saw some soup cakes, minced meat, and a bowl of rice, so he frowned and subconsciously looked at Chang Shi Wen Rui.
The main reason is that I feel uncomfortable in my heart. When I say casual, do I really mean casual? This is not what ordinary people eat, so why is it served to the palace?
"Your Majesty, you try to eat it." Wen Rui smiled apologetically and persuaded in a low voice, "I heard that this is a new delicacy of the Food Supervisor. Although it is simple, it has hidden secrets. They said that your Majesty will understand after you eat some... …”
Liu Xie looked at him suspiciously, frowning slightly, but he did not intend to embarrass himself. He slowly walked to the main seat and sat down, beckoning the palace servants to bring the dinner plate over, and looked at the bowl of plain soup cake in front of him.
There are also many side dishes and snacks nearby. At first glance, there is nothing magical about them, they are just ordinary people’s home food.
"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister often eats this soup cake. It is said that when he is tired from dealing with official duties late at night, he will order someone to cook a bowl."
"Oh, that's it," Liu Xie also expressed great interest. Since the Prime Minister likes to eat, it doesn't hurt for me to eat some.
"The Prime Minister has been frugal throughout his life and has a strict family tradition. Most of the Cao family are honest people, except for Bochang Aiqing... but he is the son-in-law and is not a member of the Cao family, which is understandable."
Another headache for Liu Xie recently is that the censor has begun to get involved in Zhang Han's crimes, mainly for enriching his own pockets and misappropriating court expenses.
In fact, Liu Xie is also a sensible person now. He knows that Zhang Han is good at this, and the routes planned by these merchants were planned and built by Zhang Hanli. If he is greedy, he will turn a blind eye.
However, Liu Xie did not expect that the memorial said that Zhang Han spent all the money to arm his black-robed armored cavalry.
Each armor is as sophisticated and meticulous as a general's armor. The craftsmen alone have hired hundreds of people. If we follow what the memorial says, we must be held accountable...
Liu Xie wanted to close his eyes and let him pass by, but he seemed a little unconvinced.
"Oh, that's all."
Liu Xie put aside these worries, took a sip of soup with a spoon, and then said "eh".
The taste is not as bland as ordinary soup cakes, and it is not as greasy as chicken soup.
The taste is just right.
"This soup cake tastes good and has a fresh aroma. Who made it?"
Liu Xie took another bite, looked at Wen Rui and asked, without waiting for an answer, he immediately said: "This taste is different from usual, I don't know how to describe it."
"Anyway, the taste is a little stronger, but not too greasy. Let him come to see me quickly."
"Reporting to Your Majesty, when I tasted the food before, I also thought it was delicious. I asked how it was made, but the chef said he didn't know. He just added a seasoning called chicken essence to make the soup more delicious and flavorful, unlike before... …”
"Oh, where did this thing come from?" Liu Xie asked curiously.
"Yes, what the Prime Minister sent should be a rare treasure, extremely precious, so it was given to the Food Supervisor to present to His Majesty."
"People from the Prime Minister's Palace also said that if this thing is added to the dishes that are usually fried, it can also add a lot of flavor."
"It's so true, hurry up, hurry up and order the chef to cook some more dishes."
Of course Liu Xie was very interested. If this thing could be placed in other dishes, it would add more flavor.
When Wen Rui heard this, he was stunned for a moment, then immediately clapped his hands and trotted away.
His Majesty was finally willing to eat happily, "Quick, quick, follow me to the food prison, find a chef, and use that chicken essence to make a few more dishes!"
Liu Xie ate so much that night that everything he ate tasted a little more delicious. His mouth was filled with saliva as soon as he took it into his mouth, and he was full of praise.
After hearing this, Cao Cao quietly left and returned to the Prime Minister's Mansion to manage the government.
At the same time, an order was also sent to the Shangshutai to send all the memorials written by the imperial officials to the Prime Minister's Palace.
Cao Cao was unwilling to read it before, so he backlogged some of them. He originally planned to keep these memorials in the backlog. By the autumn harvest, as long as the grains were abundant and there were harvests everywhere, these impeachment memorials written by the imperial censors would not matter.
Naturally, there will be new things to report that can clear up these backlogs.
Anyway, if there is any official negligence, unkindness, or dishonesty, the school affairs office will have more detailed information, and Cao Cao will know it clearly.
The way to deal with it is also very simple. If one of your own people is involved too much, just give him a slight punishment to warn others that a bowl of water should be poured out to the level.
If one of your own is not involved, you can severely punish and deal with it severely to strengthen the atmosphere of honesty, strictness, and solemnity in the court.
If they are all one's own, then regardless of trivial matters, go ahead and scold Zhang Bochang. He will definitely not be wronged. He will definitely be in this muddy water. Maybe he is the one who muddied the water.
Cao Cao's mind was as clear as a mirror, as stable as Mount Tai, and he knew how to deal with various situations. He was naturally in a good mood now and could take a look at it.
However, you can watch it now.
Cao Cao read with pleasure all afternoon. Several of the memorials were related to his involvement in Zhang Han Tanmo's private transfer, and used the money used in the court to expand his factories to replenish his black-robed armored cavalry.
Later, he saw that the literary master of Shangshutai had been waiting by the side, and he even had to say a word to Cao Cao.
After reading the memorial sent by the Chancellor until the afternoon, Cao Cao smiled and said to Wen Ji: "We are all in Shenbo and often don't think about craftsmanship, but he first replenishes the armament and recruits more armored cavalry. He makes this crime as if he is secretly doing it." He is as rich as his army."
"Haha, but these people, don't they know that the black-robed cavalry are my soldiers and horses? When the army was first formed, these were the cavalry on my left and right, and they were also the most elite under my command. They were the same as the tiger and leopard cavalry. Same name."
"Prime Minister, what the Prime Minister said is absolutely..." Wen Liang lowered his head in shame, even though he had nothing to do with these memorials.
At this time, Yang Xiu came into the lobby from outside and said loudly: "The reason why a capable person is capable is because of his academic origin, his talent and aura, and his ability to adapt to changes. The reason why he can always win is because of his heavy gold." If you build up elite military equipment, practice it day and night, and be able to win battles, you will have the potential to win, and you will be able to achieve constant victory."
"And a victorious army will probably fall into ruin once it suffers a defeat. Therefore, kings and princes know the principles of military affairs well, so they can only continue to train, expand their armaments, and select war horses, so that their soldiers and horses can maintain their bravery at all times for generations to come. No matter how many times you go forward, you still have the reputation of always winning, so it is said that those who can always win."
"You can go back and report to the Chancellor. I am not very talented. I have already submitted several poems and treatises for your Majesty to discuss with you."
Cao Cao looked at Yang Xiu with satisfaction and joy, smiled and said, "Dezu is here."
"See you, Prime Minister," Yang Xiu came forward and held his hands, neither humble nor overbearing, with a calm expression.
Cao Cao nodded and asked him to go aside. He first ordered the literary man to leave, and then moved away the screen. However, Guo Jia had been behind the screen, secretly observing the comings and goings. He stood with his hands behind his back in the dark. His face showed the same expression when the literary man came and when he left. , he kept them all in mind.
At this time, Yang Xiu once again raised his hand and said, "General Zhonglang ordered me to report all the affairs of the king."
"Sure enough, it was written by Jizhou."
Cao Cao said "hmm" with a clear expression on his face, and his eyes signaled Yang Xiu to continue.
"A few days ago, Xiu received a family letter from Jizhou. Many former disciples and former officials of the family are still in contact with his father, and there is still an intention to win over him in his words."
"In accordance with General Zhonglang's wishes, I secretly intercepted many letters from the ministers along this route."
"In the future, if the envoy is captured and imprisoned, and a confidant is replaced to deliver the message for the envoy, this will keep this person quiet, and more information will be secretly discovered in the future."
"Well, let's get to the point," Cao Cao nodded with satisfaction and immediately reminded him with a hint of urging.
He saw that Yang Xiu seemed a little proud, so he straightened it out like he was holding the reins to pull the horse's head.
Bo Chang had said before that Yang Xiu was a man who could be made. He had a happy and contented temperament, and occasionally had fantastic ideas, and would always talk about them triumphantly, so he needed to be constantly hammered.
Both Cao Cao and Guo Jia received Zhang Han's advice and beat him more when they had nothing to do.
To prevent him from causing any big trouble in the future.
Yang Xiu also felt that he had relapsed into his old habit. When he talked about secretly continuing the letter path, he was a little carried away and accidentally expanded his words a little.
In fact, just tell me the result.
"In the letter, there are hints of asking about the current situation of the prince. At the same time, he also wants to win over people, secretly spreading rumors about the prince, and wants to make the prince punished again."
"However, this move will definitely not succeed. The civil and military officials in Jizhou do not know the status of the monarchs in Xudu..."
Yang Xiu said one more thing, and Cao Cao's eyes immediately looked over.
When the two looked at each other, they were silent for a while. After a while, Cao Cao smiled and said: "Dezu, come and sit down."
Although Yang Xiu didn't know why, he didn't hesitate and slowly walked to the futon at the other end of the desk in front of Cao Cao and sat down on it.
Cao Cao came closer with an expressionless face and said softly: "My child, you are still young. Let me ask you again, do they know Bo Chang's status in Xudu?"
"No, I don't know..."
No, I've already said it before, so I'm sitting here talking about it now.
Sure enough, Cao Cao had already shook his head.
Yang Xiu, on the other hand, thought deeply again, with sweat dripping from his back. Under the tension, it was difficult to have smooth thoughts. Soon after, he tentatively whispered: "Do they know?"
Cao Cao still shook his head and sighed: "If it were Bo Chang, he wouldn't think so."
Zhang Han and Yang Xiu are not much different in age, Zhang Han is just over a year older.
They are already of the same age, while Zhang Han had no family education since he was a child. He was homeless, wandering around, and grew up eating food from hundreds of families. It is said that this is the case.
Yang Xiu is from the Hongnong Yang family, a famous family in the world, with profound family knowledge that few families in the world can match.
Cao Cao's words stung Yang Xiu hard and made him even more nervous. He even lost all pride in his heart and did not dare to say anything.
It’s wrong to know, and it’s wrong not to know. What’s the answer?
"Please, please, Prime Minister, teach me how to practice."
Yang Xiu respectfully handed over his hand, not daring to guess again.
Cao Cao slowly straightened his back and said in a deep voice: "It doesn't matter. Whether they know it or not, or whether Bochang's status is high or not, it doesn't matter."
"The purpose of causing trouble to a place with rumors is to prevent our government from being harmonious and our officials to be harmonious, as long as there is chaos."
"Bo Chang, it's just one of the purposes," Cao Cao stretched out a hand, and his hoarse and magnetic voice surrounded Yang Xiu's ears.
After hearing this, he suddenly realized that it made sense. It was indeed true. Whether these letters were intercepted or not was not important.
If no one discovers it, it is possible to incite noble officials to attack Zhang Han or others.
If it is intercepted, the prime minister will also suspect that someone in the court has ulterior motives and does not trust the officials. This will make it more likely to be suspicious, so in anger, he may order strict supervision.
If the situation becomes more difficult, the disharmony between the DPRK and China will change sooner or later, and it will only be a matter of time before they become intrigues.
No wonder Jizhou would send letters to various officials in Xudu one after another. This was to stir up trouble, but in fact it was more of a plan out of nowhere.
If the prime minister is not an enlightened master and is bewitched by him, he may secretly do what Dong was a thief.
The heart of Northern Hebei is equally poisonous.
As for why Zhang Hou is always mentioned, there is no other reason, because he is the most arrogant and domineering relative of the Cao family in Ming Dynasty.
In this way, Junhou's behavior in recent years may be deliberate, to walk on the top of the wave.
Yang Xiu closed his eyes slightly, looked up to the sky, and sighed: "Thank you, Prime Minister, for teaching me. Dezu already understands."
"Well, you did the right thing," Cao Cao said with a calm smile: "Since you know his heart, you must not mess with it."
"You can refute it with a poem, which will leave all the officials speechless. What I just said is also a reason. Bo Chang has made great achievements, and his black-robed armored cavalry are the pillars of our army. These cannot be used as reasons for criticism. .”
Cao Cao had already made a decision in his heart. Zhang Han was regarded as their goal and they spread the net based on this. Then this momentum should be stopped immediately by Zhang Han.
After Yang Xiu left, Cao Cao returned to the inner room of the lobby, where Guo Jia was watching the farewell memorial. When he saw Cao Cao coming in, he immediately stood up to greet him.
The two looked at each other and smiled, and Guo Jiada said: "This young master of Taiwei Yang's family is indeed outstanding in literary talent and talented, but he is also quite arrogant and his temper is not calm enough."
"Compared with Bo Chang, he lacks a lot of cunning; compared with Zixiu, he lacks a lot of heart."
"As long as the two of them are here, Yang Dezu will not be able to cause any trouble in the future. He can be a stable and capable minister and leave his name in history."
"Humph," Cao Cao smiled and agreed with Guo Jia. Among the younger generation, no one can compare to Zhang Han in terms of cunning.
And when it comes to martial arts, there is no second best. Even the newly arrived Zhao Yun is half as dangerous as Zhang Han.
"My lord, what are your next plans?"
"Well, I want to see it again," Cao Cao chuckled, "I always feel that this kid Dezu has some information that he hasn't told me."
"When he reported it just now, the letter did not mention the specific person with whom he was communicating. It is estimated that he was arrogant in his heart and felt that speaking out would be a frame-up, slander, and conspiracy, so he did not say anything."
"I'm afraid, I need to ask the school affairs office about this matter."
Thinking of this, Cao Cao stretched out his hand and pointed outside and said: "Fengxiao, go and ask Zhicai to come over for me and bring information about this matter."
"Hey," Guo Jia nodded and immediately turned around and left.
(End of chapter)
