dtnovels Chapter 88 Cao Cao's Achievements (Subscription Request)
Chapter 88 Cao Cao's Achievements (Subscription Request)
Chapter 88 Cao Cao's Achievements (Subscription Request)
Xun You and Zhong Yao once again returned from Jingfu Palace empty-handed, both looking rather solemn.
As he walked, Zhong Yao said with a worried look on his face, "Minister Xun, I think His Majesty may really be ill."
Xun You seemed to be thinking about something, and said, "However, judging from what Da Changqiu said, it should be fine."
Zhong Yao nodded, and his thoughts quickly turned to the outside of the palace. He asked, "How do you think this matter should end?"
Dealing with the Yuan family is not difficult at all. The most difficult part is to deal with the aftermath and minimize the impact.
It can be predicted that no matter what the court does, the Yuan family case will deal a greater blow to the court's prestige and control than the extermination of the eunuch party, and the local governments will certainly keep their distance from the court.
Xun You glanced at him and said, "My idea is to make a quick decision and close the case as soon as possible."
Zhong Yao answered decisively, "I think so too. Then tomorrow, when Your Majesty wakes up, we will close the case in the name of the imperial edict, just like the eunuch party and the general, and stop here and do not pursue it further."
Xun You shook his head and said, "The case cannot be closed in the name of your majesty's edict, but by the Supreme Court."
Zhong Yao looked puzzled and asked, "What does Minister Xun mean?"
Xu You looked at him and explained, "The case of the Yuan family was investigated by the Secretariat and concluded by the Court of Justice. It had nothing to do with Your Majesty from beginning to end. Your Majesty never issued an edict, nor did he instruct the Secretariat."
Zhong Yao was a very smart man. He understood what was going on and said with a smile, "Minister Xun is still the best!"
By doing so, the "wisdom" of His Majesty the Emperor in the palace was successfully preserved. Everything was the work of the Secretariat. The former students and officials of the Yuan family, looking at the Yuan family's aristocratic family, would only point their dissatisfaction at the Secretariat, and it had nothing to do with Liu Bian.
Emperor Liu Bian is still wise and the hope of the Han Dynasty!
As they talked, they came to the Shangshu Terrace.
A clerk had been waiting for a long time. He trotted over and said, "Tingwei, the prince is torturing the Yuan family in the Tingwei Mansion to extract a confession and a list of their accomplices."
Xun You and Zhong Yao's expressions changed slightly. It was obvious that Wang Yun did not want this to end.
"I'll go stop the prince!" Zhong Yao said, and walked away quickly. This case must not be delayed, it must be closed as soon as possible and over.
Xun You watched him leave and turned to enter the Secretariat.
When Zhong Yao rushed back to the Supreme Court, almost all the members of the Yuan family, except Yuan Wei, had been tortured.
Wang Yun was far away from the torture chamber. He kept looking at the interrogation records sent by the torturer, and his face never looked good.
He felt that the lists were wrong or insufficient.
Zhong Yao walked in, raised his hand and smiled, "Prince, there are so many things going on outside, why waste time in my small court?"
The arrest of the Yuan family has caused an uproar outside, and the court needs to do something to appease them.
Dong Zhuo did not show up, Yang Biao avoided suspicion, and the Minister of Works and the Minister of Works disappeared. Now only Wang Yun can do things.
Wang Yun said with a gloomy face: "We must eradicate all evil. If we cannot completely eliminate the Yuan family, there will be endless troubles in the future!"
Seeing Wang Yun's attitude, Zhong Yao pretended to be worried and tried to test him: "Prince, the Yuan family's students and former officials are all over the world. If we really want to investigate, most of the nobles will be implicated."
Wang Yun did not even raise his head and asked, "What did the Tingwei want to say?"
Zhong Yao's heart skipped a beat. He sensed a sense of danger from Wang Yun's words. He paused and said, "Lord, the overall situation of the court is important. Leave this to me. After the interrogation is over, I will submit it to the Shangshutai."
Wang Yun suddenly raised his head and stared at Zhong Yao with a stern look, and asked, "Have the Yuan family's followers been arrested?"
Zhong Yao bowed slightly and said, "This... I don't know."
Wang Yun looked unhappy. He threw away the confession in his hand and left.
He remembered that it was the confession he got from the Huangmen Beisi Prison, which meant that the palace had been prepared and there was no need for him to interrogate here!
When Zhong Yao saw Wang Yun leaving, he breathed a sigh of relief and walked towards the execution room.
The first thing he saw was more than 20 men from the Yuan family, all tied to the rack, their bodies covered in sweat, begging for mercy.
Zhong Yao had a complicated expression, sighed softly, and said, "Put them down and take good care of them."
The jailer was a little surprised, but still said, "I obey your orders."
Zhong Yao came out of the cell and summoned all the people from the Supreme Court to hold a secret meeting, preparing to quickly conclude the Yuan family case.
Xun You was extremely busy in the palace, going in and out without a moment's rest.
None of the Recorders of the Secretariat were around, so everything depended on him. He not only had to handle things, but also had to appease people from top to bottom, and he also had to go to Gyeongbokgung Palace from time to time to get information.
He was a Shangshu who was suddenly promoted to a high rank. He was a low-ranking official with little influence, but now he seemed to be in charge of recording Shangshu affairs.
Wang Yun, who was in charge of the Secretariat, was not idle and found Li Ru again.
As soon as the two of them sat down, Li Ru raised his hand and congratulated them: "Your Majesty, you have eliminated the thieves for the country this time. Your contribution is to the country and the people. Your name should be recorded in history and will be remembered forever!"
Wang Yun's appearance was very ordinary, with flat eyebrows and pleasant eyes, facial features that were neither fat nor thin, neither square nor round. He was also usually not sociable, so in a crowd, he was just the most ordinary and inconspicuous one.
He did not feel any joy, but instead looked unwilling, saying: "We must eradicate all the evil. Yang Biao and Dong Zhuo are still at large. If these two villains are not eliminated, there will be disasters in the future!"
what!
Li Ru was shocked. Wang Yun actually wanted to capture Yang Biao and Dong Zhuo at the same time? Wasn't he afraid of the sky falling and the earth collapsing?
He quickly gathered himself and said, "Lord, the incident with the Yuan family is already earth-shattering enough, and the Yang family must not be added to the incident!"
The Yang family, like the Yuan family, has three officials in four generations and is extremely famous. If these two families are eliminated at once, the gentry in the world will be furious.
Wang Yun understood this, but he still felt unwilling to give in. He said with a sullen face, "If the two thieves are not eliminated, they will definitely overturn the case for the Yuan family in the future!"
This is also one of the important reasons why He Jin and others vowed to wipe out the eunuch party.
Seeing that Wang Yun had no intention of giving up, Li Ru's eyes moved, and he bowed slightly and said: "My Lord, you must seize the power and establish your prestige at this time. With power in hand, it will be easy!"
The only thing that was lacking in Wang Yun's prestige was that before Liu Bian ascended the throne, he was just the Minister of Six Departments. He had neither aristocratic family background nor political achievements and prestige.
Wang Yun looked at him and asked, "How can I show my authority?"
Li Ru leaned closer and whispered, "My Lord, since ancient times, the only way to establish authority is to kill people and show favor. Now is a godsend opportunity!"
Wang Yun looked at Li Ru for a long time, nodded slightly, and then said: "Wen You, Minister of Criminal Affairs, are you interested?"
Li Ru, who had a refined and elegant temperament, hesitated when he heard this, as if he was in a dilemma. After a long time, he calmed down and said, "I am not here for fame and fortune, but I am willing to be driven by the king's great cause!"
Wang Yun smiled, stood up, stretched out his hand and took Li Ru's hand, saying: "With Wenyou's help, there is no need to worry about not being able to accomplish great things!"
……
At night, Cao Cao and Xu Rong arrived in Runan County.
Surrounded by Xu Rong, Cao Cao led his troops to approach. He sat on his horse with a cold face and murderous intent in his narrow eyes.
On the top of Runan City, the governor Wang Kuang looked at Cao Cao and shouted, "Meng De, the army is approaching the city, what is going on?"
Cao Cao reined in his horse and shouted, "I am ordered to eliminate the bandits. Please open the city gate immediately!"
"Is there any royal decree?" Wang Kuang shouted from afar.
Cao Cao asked, "Did Yuan Shao enter the Forbidden Palace with an imperial decree? Did Yuan Shu exterminate the eunuchs with an imperial decree?"
There was silence on the top of the city wall for a moment, and Wang Kuang said, "Since there is no royal decree, I cannot open the city gate. Please ask Meng De for permission first!"
Cao Cao suddenly drew his sword and said in a deep voice: "Open the gate, or the city will be broken. Governor Wang, please be careful!"
"I am the governor of Runan selected by the imperial court and appointed by His Majesty. Cao Cao, please don't be so rude!" Wang Kuang, who was on the top of the city wall, shouted in an anxious voice.
Cao Cao snorted coldly, and without further ado, turned around and asked, "How is Xu Rong doing?"
Xiahou Dun immediately said: "The four gates are surrounded!"
"Attack the city!" Cao Cao raised his sword and shouted at Runan City.
When Wang Kuang saw this, he shouted angrily, "Cao Cao, are you planning a rebellion?!"
Xiahou Dun didn't waste time talking to him and led his troops to attack the city directly.
There are only 2,000 county soldiers in Runan, guarding four gates. How can they possibly defeat 20,000 government soldiers!
Shouts and cries of killing were heard everywhere. Not long after, the north gate of Runan County was suddenly opened from the inside. Xiahou Dun led his troops to charge in. Anyone who resisted was killed without mercy.
Runan County was a large county with many aristocratic families and many famous people. For a time, cries of grief were heard everywhere, and screams filled the sky.
An hour later, Cao Cao rode into the city on horseback. In Runan County, which was under martial law, there was nothing but blood and murderous aura.
Xiahou Dun rode over, looked at Cao Cao, and nodded heavily.
Cao Cao's face flashed with a 'comfortable' expression, and he walked closer and asked, "Kill them all?"
Xiahou Dun nodded heavily and said, "More than a thousand people, no one was left alive, but Yuan Shu was still not found."
Cao Cao's narrow eyes were filled with murderous intent, but he looked up at the sky and laughed, "Yuan Benchu and Yuan Gonglu have always looked down on me, ridiculed my background, and bullied my family background. They are so arrogant, but what about them now?!"
Three generations of officials turned into ashes in an instant!
Xiahou Dun waited until Cao Cao had finished laughing, then said, "Meng De, some people want to see you."
Cao Cao stopped smiling and said indifferently, "I won't see anyone!"
"Aman! Aman!"
Before he finished speaking, someone shouted from a distance.
Cao Cao frowned and relaxed his brows, turned his head and saw a middle-aged man with a huge forehead, bald hair, sparse beard, and dirty black clothes, waving at him vigorously.
"Ziyuan!"
Cao Cao was surprised at first, then delighted. He walked over quickly and asked, "Why is it you?"
Ziyuan is the courtesy name of Xu You.
Xu You was overjoyed to see that Cao Cao still recognized him, and said to the people behind him: "Don't panic, don't panic, A Man and I are old friends, and he will not embarrass us."
Behind Xu You, there were a dozen men and women of different ages. From their clothes, one could tell that they were from wealthy families.
Everyone nodded repeatedly, looking at Cao Cao with a mixture of fear and flattery.
Cao Cao ignored him and pulled Xu You out, smiling as if meeting an old friend again: "Ziyuan, it really is you!"
Five years ago, Xu You was still in the capital. He was a knight-errant and good friends with Cao Cao, Yuan Shao and others.
Xu You shook his head and smiled bitterly, saying, "It's hard to explain. I wanted to stay in Runan for a while, but I never thought I would encounter such a disaster."
Cao Cao immediately said, "Yuanrang, you arrange for Ziyuan to bathe and eat. When I'm done, I want to sleep with Ziyuan."
"Aman, you just keep busy." Xu You said repeatedly. He saw too many people being killed and was terrified. At this moment, he was only slightly safe.
Yuan Rang, the name of Xiahou Dun.
Without saying a word, Xiahou Dun took Xu You and others to find a place for them to rest.
Cao Cao exterminated the three clans of Yuan's family, and at the same time summoned the famous families of Runan, treated them to good food and drink, and did his best to appease them.
After Cao Cao made the Yuan family's guilt clear, even though many people were still horrified, they finally understood and reluctantly accepted the fact that the Yuan family was disloyal and that their entire clan would be exterminated.
At night, Cao Cao took off his armor and held a banquet with Xu You. During the banquet, the two talked about the past without any emotion.
After eating and drinking, the two of them slept on the same bed.
Xu You was sleeping inside, lying on his side facing outwards, while Cao Cao was sleeping outside, lying on his side facing inwards. The two men were facing each other and could feel each other's breath.
Cao Cao was drunk and his face was red. He said, "Ziyuan, now that the thief Yuan has gone in, there is a lot that can be done in the Eastern Capital. I wonder if you are interested in this?"
Xu You also drank a lot. Hearing this, he laughed and shook his head, saying, "No, no, I think Dongdu is the most dangerous place right now. It's far from a peaceful time."
Cao Cao looked at him with inquiring eyes.
After Xu You finished laughing, he suddenly said, "I heard that Aman is favored by the emperor, and the emperor thinks highly of you?"
Cao Cao was disgusted with this 'Aman' in his heart, but he remained calm and said, "It is true. I have done many bad things and the court has complained about me. I should be dismissed and punished. I am completely grateful for your Majesty's protection."
Xu You straightened his expression and said, "Aman, the more this happens, the more you should stay away from him. A real man's life is all about 'achievements'. You must know that 'achievements' are not about trivial things like cockcrows, but about turning the tide."
Cao Cao was shocked, then frowned, with a struggle on his face.
Xu You saw through it, and said more sincerely: "Aman, I know you have the heart to repay the emperor, but you are in the East Capital, there is no opportunity for you to be of great use, you are just wasting your time in vain. Now that the Han Dynasty is declining and wars are raging, it is a place where heroes can show their talents. How can you be trapped in a city?"
Cao Cao's mind was attracted by the word "achievement" and he said, "Please teach me, Ziyuan."
Although Xu You was drunk, his mind was very quick. He said without hesitation: "Now among the thirteen states, Yizhou is occupied by Liu Yan. Jingzhou, Yangzhou, and Jiaozhou are all small corners of the country and are not the foundation for success. Youzhou and Yuzhou are both poor border areas. Qingzhou, Yanzhou, Xuzhou, and Yuzhou are in the Central Plains. They are home to talented people, have fertile land, and a large population. If we can gain a foothold in one of them, great things can be expected!"
Cao Cao remained calm, but there was a hint of excitement in the depths of his narrow eyes. He asked, "Then, where is the safest place?"
Xu You did not speak immediately. He thought for a while and said, "Yu."
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao lowered his eyes and pondered.
When Xu You saw this, he immediately understood Cao Cao's shortcomings.
Cao Cao was born into a family of eunuchs and was despised by scholars. The people around him were all reckless people from the Cao and Xiahou families, and he had no capable arms. It could be said that he had nothing he wanted.
Xu You immediately said: "If Ah Man can have a chance to show his strengths, I am willing to serve as the shogun!"
Cao Cao was overjoyed and sat up quickly, raising his hand and saying, "If Ziyuan can help me with his talent, I will not let him down!"
Xu You then sat up, held his hand and said with a smile: "You and I are close friends, why do you have to do this?"
Cao Cao was delighted, and pulled Xu You to lie down again, saying, "Ziyuan, please tell me in detail."
Xu You faced Cao Cao, smiling confidently and proudly, and said, "Then I will talk to Ah Man about it. Let me first tell you why we cannot stay in Luoyang..."
Cao Cao had automatically ignored the word "Aman" and his face showed a look of asking for advice and listening attentively.
The two talked and listened, asked and answered questions, until dawn.
It was not until the evening of the next day that Xu You woke up.
When I woke up, I saw several large boxes beside the bed.
A beautiful maid came in and bowed, saying, "Mr. Xu, General Cao Zhonglang sent someone to bring you here."
When Xu You got out of bed, he saw a large box of money, gold, silver and many valuables, worth tens of millions.
Xu You stroked his sparse beard with a satisfied smile on his face.
A four thousand word chapter!
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