dtnovels Chapter 127 Is the Sword Sharp?
Chapter 127 Is the Sword Sharp?
Chapter 127 Is the Sword Sharp?
Cao Cao walked out of Jingfu Palace, his narrow eyes fixed with a serious look.
"God's grace is great!"
Cao Cao was in a panic. He felt that the current emperor had been too gracious to him. This was the sixth time he had committed a crime, and still no one had held him accountable.
Lift it high and put it down gently.
"How can I repay you, Cao Cao?"
Cao Cao looked up at the sky, his expression showing a hint of loneliness, and he sighed in his heart.
He had a heart full of desire to repay his king, but he was defeated over and over again, and by middle age he had achieved nothing.
"General Cao?" The eunuch who was leading the way saw Cao Cao suddenly stop and said in a low voice.
Cao Cao suddenly woke up, calmed down his emotions, and strode towards the Secretariat.
He came to Beijing on the pretext of being "transferred to another position" and had to go to the Shangshutai to hand over the seal.
When they arrived at the Secretariat, the Zhong Huangmen left and Cao Cao entered Wang Yun's duty room alone.
Wang Yun and Cao Cao were old acquaintances, but he had no enthusiasm for Cao Cao. While reviewing the document, he said indifferently: "General Cao is probably the first person in my dynasty to suffer such a fate."
"Transfer him to another position" was meant for other people in the court, and did not include important officials in the court such as Wang Yun.
Cao Cao had done so many bad things and suffered so many defeats in this year. In short, not only was there nothing he could show off, but his crimes were each more serious than the last.
In the past, he would have been imprisoned and sentenced to death.
Cao Cao could hear Wang Yun's sarcasm, but he was unable to refute it, so he reached out to take Wang Yun's approval document.
Wang Yun looked up at him and said, "If I were you, I would have resigned long ago."
Cao Cao was filled with reluctance. Seeing Wang Yun's repeated sarcasm, he could not bear it any longer. He took the document, his narrow eyes were very indifferent, and he said: "The people in the general's mansion in the past are now all in a very high position, except Cao Cao. It is because of his lack of ability, not luck. Your Excellency is an assistant to the country and sits in the center of the country. I wonder what achievements you have made?"
Wang Yun's face darkened, and after a moment, he said, "Meng De is still good at talking. I hope you can achieve great things and live up to the trust of His Majesty."
"Don't bother, Your Majesty."
Cao Cao raised his hand, turned around and strode away.
Wang Yun stared at Cao Cao's back, feeling annoyed. He lowered his head and looked at the "List of Redundant Officials II" on the table. His eyes suddenly became sharp, and he said to himself: "This is my achievement!"
Cao Cao left the Secretariat and walked towards the Suzaku Gate.
With Wang Yun's ridicule, his heart felt even heavier.
"If I continue like this, even the greatest favor will not last long."
But in an instant, Cao Cao suddenly became stern and determined, his eyes flashing like lightning, and he said: "I, Cao Cao, will accomplish great achievements to repay your kindness and silence the gossips!"
After leaving the palace, Cao Cao did not return home, but began to visit some "wise men" in the capital.
If he wants to achieve success, he can't do it alone, he must have enough arms!
Cao Cao was walking around Luoyang and didn't notice that Zuo Li passed him by and entered a seemingly ordinary house.
Chen Gong, who used the alias "Gong Cheng", was placed under house arrest by Zuo Li for several months. He tried to escape several times but failed, so he could only be detained in this courtyard.
Zuo Li sat opposite him and said with a puzzled look on his face: "Sir, I found that the officials in the court are moving more closely than before. I checked again and again, but still couldn't find anything, but I always feel that something is wrong."
Chen Gong sat upright, pretending to think, and did not answer.
In fact, he understood it from Zuo Li's words. As the court promoted the reduction of redundant officials, many people could not sit still. Such frequent movements must not be a year-end bustle, but a conspiracy!
Zuo Li asked with a questioning look on his face, "What do you think, sir?"
Chen Gong took one look at him and felt disgusted. This eunuch seemed humble on the surface, but was actually vicious at heart!
"Your Excellency can start with the one who made the most moves." Chen Gong simply pointed out. In this kind of connection, there must be very few people who know the inside story, perhaps only two or three people, who conspired in a secret room. If you don't catch the leader, you can't find out the inside story.
Zuo Li was not satisfied with this answer. How could he not know this truth?
Zuo Li reached out to pour tea for Chen Gong, a shadowy smile on his white face, and asked, "Sir, what do you think of the prince?"
Seeing Zuo Li's sudden change of color, Chen Gong, who already knew him, felt a chill in his heart and said calmly, "You can't hold on for long."
Zuo Li sincerely asked, "Please explain in detail, sir."
Chen Gong was disgusted, but he had to save his life, so he pretended to be in deep thought for a while and said, "My dear, think about it. In the court now, how many important officials of the previous emperor are left, from the twelve eunuchs, the generals, to Yuan Wei and the three ministers? A new emperor has new officials."
Zuo Li's expression moved slightly, and then he suddenly realized something.
The Twelve Eunuchs, He Jin, and Yuan Wei had all been defeated. Among the three ministers, Ding Gong and Liu Hong retired, and the only one, Liu Yu, went to Youzhou.
Those who die will die, and those who retreat will retreat!
People like Yang Biao and Wang Yun either held low positions or stayed away from the court at that time.
Even so, Zuo Li was clear that Yang Biao and Wang Yun did not win the emperor's favor!
It was just a choice that His Majesty in the palace had no choice but to make.
They are just a transition!
Zuo Li's mind suddenly became clear, and his gaze towards Chen Gong became blazing. He said, "Sir, how about I collect evidence of the crimes of Yang Biao, Wang Yun and others?"
Chen Gong shook his head and said, "The Prime Minister and Wang Yun are both important officials of the court. No one can move without your Majesty's clear will, otherwise there will be thunder!"
Zuo Li frowned and said, "Then what should I do?"
Chen Gong felt that he had said enough, and any more would only bring trouble upon himself, so he said, "My lord, your majesty's divine light shines through thousands of miles, so you must not act rashly. Everything must be done according to your will, and you must not follow the footsteps of the twelve eunuchs."
Zuo Li became more and more dissatisfied, and said calmly: "Please explain clearly, sir."
Seeing Zuo Li threatening him again, Chen Gong was furious in his heart, but said calmly: "Your Excellency can investigate the case of Henan Yin as soon as possible and report it to His Majesty. However, you must make some insignificant mistakes in it and let His Majesty know."
Zuo Li looked suspicious and asked, "What do you mean, sir?"
Chen Gong secretly shook his head. Zuo Li has never been to school and has little knowledge. He is a hopeless case!
But he had to be more serious when he was in Zuo Li's hand and said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty has been deeply persecuted by the eunuch party since he was young, and is very wary of the eunuch party. If your Majesty does things flawlessly, how can Your Majesty be assured? Only when you have both great achievements and mistakes can your Majesty's heart be at ease, and this is the long-term way."
Zuo Li's heart was moved, he stood up suddenly, raised his hand and said: "Thank you for your advice, sir!"
Zuo Li, who had been confused about how to please Liu Bian, suddenly had an epiphany.
Without waiting for Chen Gong to react, Zuo Li waved his hand, and five young girls and a large box came in from a distance.
Zuo Li smiled widely and said, "These are just some valuables, not a token of respect. Please accept them, sir."
Chen Gong kept shaking his head in his heart. Zuo Li's methods of winning people's hearts were really crude.
Zuo Li didn't care what Chen Gong thought. He was full of confidence and no longer cared about Yang Biao and Wang Yun.
At this time, the Grand Commandant Dong Zhuo's mansion.
In the backyard, Dong Zhuo sat in front of the fire, tearing mutton, and asked casually: "Are you the assistant clerk of the Situ Mansion?"
A middle-aged man was kneeling in front of him. He smiled confidently and said, "Yes, I am Jiang Hui. Wang Yun wrote a letter to the court, asking them to cut down on the so-called redundant officials and dismiss the three officials. Not only are the futures of minor officials like me ruined, but Lord Dong will also have nowhere to stay."
Dong Zhuo raised his eyelids and took a look, saying, "As the Grand Commandant, where can't I find a place to stay?"
Jiang Hui shook his head and said, "Grand Marshal, Grand Marshal, if the Grand Marshal's Office doesn't exist, how can there be a Grand Marshal?"
Dong Zhuo's eyes widened and he asked, "What on earth are you going to say?"
Seeing that there was no one else around, Jiang Hui sat up straight with a serious expression and said, "Mr. Dong, Wang Yun is as treacherous as the eunuchs. Today is the day to eradicate the evil and make an unprecedented contribution!"
Dong Zhuo looked at him, suddenly stood up, drew the sword beside him, and put it directly on Jiang Hui's neck, saying: "Do you want to test the sharpness of my sword?"
Jiang Hui was so frightened that his whole body turned cold, his face was filled with fear, and he was trembling and unable to speak.
Dong Zhuo snorted coldly and said, "Get out!"
The servants rushed in, dragged Jiang Hui and threw him out of Dong's house.
Dong Zhuo sat back and continued to tear his roasted whole lamb. He snorted coldly and said, "How can I be a fool for you to use!"
……
The sixth year of Zhongping, mid-December.
Liu Bian has been extremely busy lately. The closer it gets to the end of the year, the more government affairs he has to deal with, and memorials from all over the place are piling up like mountains.
It was not until the evening that Liu Bian finished clearing the things on his desk. He took a deep breath and then examined the "Policy Outline" sent by the Secretariat.
Liu Bian read every word with extreme concentration.
Yang Biao divided the "Policy Outline" into six parts, namely "government affairs", "agricultural affairs", "military affairs", "banditry", "taxation" and "administration of officials".
Although it is not clear enough, it basically cannot escape the four words "scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans". It is well-organized and every sentence is a great truth. However, the specific methods of governance are very general and vague, and still follow the methods of the time of Emperor Ling.
Liu Bian took a pen and made revisions and additions as he read.
There were many issues that Yang Biao and the Shangshu Tai did not dare to mention, let alone touch, so they needed him to break the deadlock.
Pan Yin walked in quietly from outside, took a look, and then retreated.
Xu Yan stood in front of him and whispered, "Grand Autumn Master, is His Majesty still busy?"
Pan Yin also lowered his voice and said, "You have seen that His Majesty has hardly slept for the past few days, and he only ate a few bites of dinner just now."
Xu Yan held a plate with more than 30 memorials on it and said hesitantly, "We can't delay these."
Pan Yin frowned, thought for a while, and said, "Leave it here first, I'll take it to Your Majesty when I have time."
Xu Yan responded, and then said: "I heard that there are big banquets everywhere in the capital recently, and one person has to entertain several families in one day."
Pan Yin naturally knew about it. He had received a lot of them privately, but he just pretended not to know and did not attend.
"What do you want to say?" Pan asked with a hint of understanding.
Xu Yan glanced into the study again and saw Liu Bian buried in his writing. He moved closer and said in a lower voice, "There are some people who need to be paid attention to."
Pan Yin looked at him calmly and said, "You don't need to say anything more. Just be careful what you do."
Although Xu Yan was Pan Yin's "senior", such qualifications were useless in the officialdom, so he quickly responded, "Yes, I'll take my leave."
When Pan Yin saw him leave, he turned around and glanced into the study. As soon as he turned back, he was startled to see a Zhonghuangmen blocking his way.
The Zhonghuangmen hurriedly smiled and held up a memorial, saying, "The Grand Chamberlain, sent it from the Shangshutai."
Pan Yin had an indifferent expression on his face. He reached out to take it, took a look at it, and immediately frowned.
This was a memorial impeaching Wang Yun by Qiao Zheng, the former Chief Clerk of the Sikong Mansion.
A Sikong Changshi is naturally not important, but there are more than twenty signatures behind this memorial!