The Central Plains was finally reunited. At this point, Lu Lin's territory covered ten of the thirteen states of the Han Dynasty. As for the unstable factors, the only remaining counties in Jiangdong of Xiliang and Yangzhou were the problems. Not big, Zhang Xiu led an army of 30,000, and Han Sui had no power to resist at all.
Lin Mo stood at the gate of Xuchang City, somewhat in a trance.
This is Cao Cao's hometown. It was a heroic and prosperous place in the past. Cao Cao made his fortune and became strong here. The talents of Yingchuan gathered here, and countless fierce generals gathered here.
Now that I am standing here, it also means that the golden years that belonged to the Cao family and criticized Fang Qiu are gone forever.
This feeling is very strange. Lin Mo even recalled that when he was in Pengcheng, he had been planning for a long time to defect to Cao Cao.
Almost ten years have passed in a flash, and life has just passed by like a fleeting moment, all of a sudden.
Some people leave and some come.
Lin Mo will also think of Zhang Yang, Wei Xu, the three Cao Xing brothers who finally redeemed themselves with their lives, and the soldiers who died on the battlefield without tombstones.
"Let's go in and see how prosperous this so-called imperial capital is." Lin Mo chuckled and strode forward.
Behind him are Gao Shun, Xu Sheng, and the most elite trapped camp.
Although the two Central Plains states now nominally belong to Lu Lin, after all, Cao Cao has just escaped, and the remaining forces here must not have been completely eliminated.
In the past few days, many clan members and court officials have returned one after another.
If the personal official seal is not lost during the escape, you can enter the city after showing the sign. If it is lost, you have to register first, and then there is a lengthy verification process, during which you have to stand at the door and wait. With.
There is no way, let alone the people outside the city, even those who stay in the city have to stay at home and wait for the sergeant to check one by one. This is a very heavy task, but it cannot be done. Don't do it.
Regardless of whether this is Cao Cao's hometown, it is still the location of the imperial capital of Gyeonggi. After Zhao Yun brings Liu Xie back, he will still need to rule here.
"Compared to Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao is kinder." Gao Shun muttered as he entered the city.
"Mercy? Mercy, you didn't watch when he massacred the city. My parents were killed when he massacred the city!" Xu Sheng was furious.
Gao Shun glanced at him and said nothing. Lin Mo explained: "You misunderstood what Uncle Gao meant. He meant that when Cao Cao chose to move the capital, he did not burn it down like Dong Zhuo did with Luoyang. Few people left, but in the end the palace and private houses were not destroyed."
Hearing this, Xu Shengcai nodded silently.
Lin Mo continued to explain: "Actually, it's not that Cao Cao is kinder than Dong Zhuo, it's that he is smarter than Dong Zhuo. Burning Luoyang means telling the world that he never intends to leave Sanqin's throat in this life. He is a fool.
Cao Cao was different. He just coerced the people to leave, but he didn't touch the city at all. He just wanted to tell the world that this was just for us to live temporarily, and he would be able to fight back one day. "
"Cao Cao's thoughts are quite far-reaching." Gao Shun nodded.
The soldiers in the city were all busy, and they were all Liyang's garrison. In fact, the first people to take over the place were the Northern Army brought by the old Yinhuo. Of course, the Liao God also came later, and the two occupied this place and started to carry out the work. Rectify the work.
The capital is the key point, so that other places have not even had time to send troops to receive it. Things always have priorities.
After seeing Liao Shen and the old bastard, Lin Mo just exchanged a few simple greetings. Everyone was very busy now. They had their own things to do, and Lin Mo also had several extremely important things to work out.
There are also some people on the way, such as the Xin brothers, Guo Tu and Zuo Rong. They must rush over before Liu Xie comes back. By then, they will still be useful.
"Yunwen, Yunwen, hahaha, I heard that Zilong rescued His Majesty. I was so happy when I heard the news on the way here that I didn't sleep all night!
This must have been arranged by you, it was done beautifully! "
In a quiet courtyard in Xuchang City, Lu Bu strode in.
This villa belongs to Guo Jia, and Lin Mo chose to stay here first. As for Cao Cao's Sikong Mansion, it is of course much more magnificent than this one. The problem is that living in it now will inevitably attract criticism. Are you, Lin Mo, prepared to be The second Cao Cao?
Sometimes, rumors can kill people.
Lin Mo stood up with a smile, cupped his hands and said, "I have seen my father-in-law, Ling'er, and Xiao Niang live in the west wing. I will send someone to inform them to come over."
"No, no, no."
Lu Bu didn't even take off his armor. He pulled Lin Mo and sat down, "Come on, let's talk first. I have a lot to say to you."
The old father-in-law was really like a child. Lin Mo brewed a pot of tea in a calm manner. After filling it, he put on a listening posture.
"Cao Cao has lost all his energy by retreating. I have sent orders to control the war horses in Sizhou and Liangzhou. From now on, it will not be easy for him to buy war horses. Without war horses, how can he counterattack? In the Central Plains, his good days are finally over.
When His Majesty comes back, he will definitely expose the evil deeds of the Cao thieves to the world. I think there will be civil strife in Yizhou and Jingzhou by then, which will be enough for him.
I have also heard about Huang Zu, and this matter is even more beautiful. Hahaha, what our army lacks most now is the navy, and Huang Zu is a powerful navy general. Next, we will attack Jingzhou and attack Yi. The state cannot do without him. The most valuable thing is that I heard that this incident also caused conflicts between Liu Qi and Liu Bei.
On the other hand, there has been no news from Sun Ce on the other side of Jiangdong. "
The old father-in-law was really excited and talked a lot in one breath. Then he took a sip of hot tea and let out a pleasant aftertaste.
"Sun Ce went to Jiaozhou and is negotiating with the four major families. But the problem is not big. As long as His Majesty comes back, I will have a way to deal with these four major families." Lin Moyun said calmly.
"Well, no one has done more good than the savior. Although it was Zilong who rescued His Majesty, you were the one who was strategizing after all. Your Majesty will definitely remember you for this merit. With your achievements over the years, Your Majesty will be very happy. I might promote you to the rank of Third Duke."
Lu Bu smiled from ear to ear, supported his knees where he was sitting cross-legged with both hands, and said happily: "I can't say that I can't compare to Gan Luo, who worshiped the twelve prime ministers, but looking at the hundreds of years of Han dynasty history, there has never been anyone like you. Such a young Sangong."
Lin Mo chuckled lightly, with a hint of disdain, and said casually: "Don't just talk about me, what about my father-in-law."
"I?"
Lu Bu took another sip of tea, and the pleasure on his face turned into longing, "When I first joined the army, I wanted to be like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, drive hundreds of miles for the Han Dynasty, and drive the Huns out of the Hetao. To this day, my original intention has not changed. .
I estimate that with all my achievements over the years, Your Majesty will definitely be able to make me a general. While my old bones can still be used, I will lead the troops to fight through the river, and learn from Huo Qubing's horse riding Yanzhi. Mountain, seal the wolf to live in Xu! "
"My father-in-law has great ambitions. He wants to imitate Wei Qing and Huo Qubing."
Lin Mo smiled, "But it does suit my father-in-law's temperament."
"What about you? What do you want His Majesty to reward you with?"
Lu Bu held his leaning head with his right hand and joked: "You are a talented person in governing the country. You may not be able to become a mainstay of the court like Bigan, Wu Zixu, and Shang Yang in the future."
Okay, now that the sweet dream is over, Lin Mo is no longer going to embellish these unrealistic dreams. After a long sigh, he shook his head and said, "I just want to ask your Majesty to give me a way to survive."
"What's that?" Lu Bu thought Lin Mo was joking.
"The truth."
Lin Mo looked at Lu Bu seriously and said solemnly: "Master Yue Zhang, I thought a lot on the way to Xuchang. I thought about it for a long time and thought clearly. Originally, I planned to find a suitable time to discuss this matter with you. Fan, since we’re busy talking today, let’s just break it down.
It is not difficult for you to become a general, but I would like to ask your father-in-law, do you hand over the military power, or do you keep it in your hands? "
"Your Majesty is still in charge, so I will naturally hand over the military power. Otherwise, what is the difference between me and Cao Cao, Dong Zhuo and the like?"
Lu Bu almost blurted out, but seeing Lin Mo's bitter and resentful look, he quickly added, "But the general is the leader of the world's troops and has military power in his hands. This is an indispensable fact. You What are you afraid of?"
Such an answer was within Lin Mo's expectation. He took a sip of tea in a leisurely manner before replying: "My lord-in-law, you should know that your Majesty has been reduced to a puppet since the day he ascended the throne, being manipulated by others. Years, such people have either resigned themselves to being puppets for the rest of their lives, and just want to have enough food and clothing.
Or, be ambitious, bide your time, and wait for the opportunity. When I planned to rescue him, there was a large part of the way where I had to risk my life to break through, but he resolutely chose this difficult road, which is enough to show that we His Majesty belongs to the latter. "
Lu Bu listened to Lin Mo's analysis and nodded slowly. He obviously agreed with this.
Lin Mo continued: "Okay, then the question is, a person who can bear humiliation and bear the burden for more than ten years, we can't even guess how deep the mind and power of such a person are, right?
Once he takes control of the military, the first person he has to deal with is the one who poses the greatest threat to him. "
"The person who threatens the most?"
When the old father-in-law was still hesitating to say Cao Cao's name, Lin Mo had already knocked on the table and said sonorously: "For your Majesty, Cao Cao is already defeated and civil strife is imminent. There is nothing to fear. What really matters to him?" It is our son-in-law who is threatening!"
Hearing this, the old father-in-law's heart sank, his face turned ugly, and he stopped talking several times.
Lin Mo's fingers played lightly on the table, and he said earnestly: "Don't believe it, my father-in-law. Think about it seriously. At present, you and I are the only two people in the world who can make him a puppet again.
At that juncture, it no longer matters whether you or I rebel. What matters is that we can easily rebel once we want to. Do you think His Majesty will keep such a person by his side? "
If what he said just now made Lu Bu feel a sense of crisis, then these words were enough to make Lu Bu restless. Maybe he had subconsciously changed from sitting cross-legged casually to sitting on his knees without even realizing it. This action can Let him stand up immediately.
This is a defensive posture, also called subconscious defense in body language.
"No, you and I have made great contributions to the Han Dynasty. If it were not for our son-in-law, His Majesty would still be a puppet in the hands of Cao Cao. Even if he is not grateful for this huge contribution, he will not kill us all, right?" Lu Bu shook his head. He murmured, as if his faith had collapsed.
Don't blame him either.
Over the years, as his territory expanded and his strength improved, what he thought most about was how he would be grateful to Liu Xie after he rescued him. He even thought about how to gain a foothold in the court in the future and make everyone Know that you are a minister of the country.
He suddenly told him that all his thoughts over the years were actually wrong, and that he and the emperor were actually incompatible. He was a little at a loss.
Even at this moment, he never thought about replacing Liu Xie and being loyal to the emperor. This matter is a deep-rooted understanding of most people in this era. Not everyone has the delusion of reaching the top of the great treasure.
Lin Mo struck while the iron was hot: "No? When the birds are gone, the good bows are hidden, the cunning rabbits are dead, and the lackeys are cooked. Think about Zhang Liang, think about Han Xin, which one is not a minister of the country, and which one is not the greatest contributor to the Han Dynasty? .
I'm not afraid to tell my father-in-law, I can even guess how your majesty will deal with our father-in-law after he returns to the capital. "
Lu Bu swallowed and looked at Lin Mo intently. He didn't ask any questions, but his eyes were full of expectation. He wanted to hear what was going on.
"First of all, of course, it is to reward hundreds of officials lavishly. It is no problem for my father-in-law to be a general, and it is no problem for me to be a third prince, because at this time, he is still young and cannot do anything to us.
But he will start to cultivate his own power, starting with the Imperial Forest Army, then the patrol battalion in the city, and finally the Jiumen School Lieutenant and the two battalions guarding the capital.
Of course, he has no candidates in the military, so this process will be relatively long, at least three to five years.
In this process, people who are loyal to our father-in-law will be entrusted with important tasks or guard the border, or they will be transferred far away. In short, they will not be here in the capital.
When he is almost ready, he will start to close the net. As for the timing and time of closing the net, it depends on whether we, husband and wife, are so good at it. "
"This is just your guess." Lu Bu still couldn't accept this inference.
Because, once this inference is established, he will have to face the pressure from Liu Xie. The confrontation will be endless, and will he eventually become the most vicious national thief he has ever criticized?
"guess?"
Lin Mo laughed and said, "Master Yue Zhang, do you know that Uncle Gao's camp was in Runan when Cao Cao moved the capital? He had more than ten thousand defenders under his command at that time, and Zang Ba and Sun Guan's troops had also arrived and were approaching Chen Liu. , coupled with the deployment of the Northern Army and Anfeng, I could easily rescue His Majesty, but I didn't.
I deliberately gave him a loophole, just to see what kind of person he was. According to my plan, he ran for more than 200 miles from Sheqigou to avoid being chased. The battlefield is more dangerous. My father-in-law is better than me. clear.
The father-in-law also knew how many people he would abandon in the whole process, but he still decisively chose this path. Isn't that enough to explain the problem?
I just want to prove to you that he is not the kind-hearted emperor in your eyes. Once he has minions, he can become a tiger at any time. "
Speaking of which, Lu Bu could no longer find any excuses for Liu Xie.
What his son-in-law deliberately wanted to prove was that Liu Xie's city and mind were far from being as simple as he imagined.
He couldn't sit still anymore, stood up and paced back and forth in the room, with uneasiness on his face.
Lin Mo ignored this and continued to increase his efforts, "Master-in-law, Ling'er told me something. She said that she didn't want to marry me at the beginning and asked you to recruit me as a counselor. How did you refute her? Do you still remember?
What you are saying is that I, Lin Yunwen, can only be your son-in-law, not your adviser.
Then why did you say that then? Isn't it also because you were afraid that I would be dishonest and switch to Cao Cao?
Never underestimate His Majesty, believe me, he is much more powerful than you think. "
The amount of information was too great, and the old father-in-law was a little overwhelmed by the impact. He no longer looked as proud as when he came in. It seemed that Cao Cao was about to attack immediately and entered a situation where he had no troops on hand.
"My father-in-law really needs to think about this matter carefully. Oh, by the way, I also need to remind my father-in-law that if you take the initiative to hand over power, your majesty will really attack us. He will not just attack you and me. Let me Count them.
Chuan'er, Ling'er, Xiao Niang, mother-in-law, this is our family, don't even think about running away. As for the military, Zilong, Uncle Gao, Uncle Zhang, Uncle Wei, oh, there are too many, I can't count them. Well, how about my father-in-law count it himself. "
"Then why did you bring him back?" The old father-in-law became angry and started to blame Lin Mo.
Lin Mo chuckled, not impatient, and said quietly: "Of course there is a reason. There are some things that only he can handle at the moment, and there are other things that require his help. In a word, if it is in my hands, He does more good than harm.”
Now it's a done deal. Lu Bu didn't know what the advantages Lin Mo said were. He just saw the disadvantages, and couldn't help but feel depressed. He complained: "Then prepare to be the second Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao, and let the world point at you." Use your spine to scold."
"Master-in-law, why do we have to learn this and that? Why can't your majesty also follow the example of the ancestors?" Lin Mo said with a smile, spreading his hands.
"First Saint?"
"Yao surrendered to Shun, and Shun surrendered to Yu. This is a beautiful story that will last forever." Lin Mo raised his eyebrows.
This time, Lu Bu was really frightened. He pointed a trembling finger at Lin Mo, "You want to usurp the Han?"
"Don't say it so harshly. He can force it on me. Anyway, I have plenty of means."
In Lin Mo's eyes, this huge event was as ordinary as eating and drinking. It even made Lu Bu feel that he was a little strange. Lin Mo quickly shrugged, "Master Yue Zhang, don't look at me like that. It's not because of my desire for power." It’s heart-wrenching, but think about it, only a person who can be a thief for a thousand days can’t guard against a thief for a thousand days. We can’t keep raising him and guarding against him all the time.
If you don't think about this family, I still have to think about Ling'er and Chuan'er. "
"What do you want to do?" Lu Bu walked up to Lin Mo.
"Don't worry, my father-in-law, I won't touch him yet. I said that there are many things that need his leadership. Until then, you and I are loyal ministers who will save the country."
Lin Mo replied seriously: "As for when to take action, my father-in-law can also believe me. It must make the world look like it's not us who want to touch him, but he who can't tolerate us."
"Let me think about it, let me think about it again." Lu Bu's face was ashen at this time.
In his eyes, Lin Mo was of course a man of unparalleled intelligence, but no matter what you did, the fact that he usurped the Han Dynasty in the end could not be changed. He was not like Wang Mang who had his head cut off after his death to warn future generations. , kept muttering: "I just want to be a general."
"It's okay. I have plenty of time for my father-in-law to think about it. By the way, I heard that my father-in-law suppressed Zhong Yao when he came back. This old guy is quite strict, right? Please wait a moment, my father-in-law. I'll take care of him first." This will scare these bastards from Yingchuan."
After saying this, Lin Mo strode away regardless of Lu Bu still doubting life.
This kind of collapse of faith is indeed very frustrating. As a time traveler, Lin Mo can of course be free and easy without any psychological baggage, but Lu Bu is a person of this era, and he has the recognition and determination in his bones.
Well, it's really difficult.
This thing, even the old father-in-law who is involved is so doubtful about life, and he has to find a few helpers.
First, get rid of the old scumbag. During the whole process, many things also require his help.
(End of chapter)
