ushernet Chapter 228 Lu Zhi and Cao Cao
Chapter 228 Lu Zhi and Cao Cao
Chapter 228 Lu Zhi and Cao Cao
When Empress Dowager He saw Liu Bian coming in, her expression became even worse and she said, "Come in and see what they have done!"
Ma Zheng knelt on the ground, shaking with fear. He no longer had the momentum to compete with Cao Cao in He's mansion.
Liu Bian walked over expressionlessly and stood beside the three of them.
"Cao Cao, you say." Liu Bian's eyes fell on Cao Cao and said lightly.
Cao Cao's hands were tied behind his back. He bowed and said calmly, "Your Majesty, I just saw Ma Zheng flirting with Yin and stepped forward to stop him, but he framed me. I have no personal relationship with Yin."
Ma Zheng immediately shouted, "Bullshit! Last night, I saw you guys having a secret meeting in the kitchen!"
Yin shuddered all over and kept saying, "No, no, I was just hungry and went to find someone to eat. I happened to meet General Cao. We are innocent..."
Ma Zheng was not willing to agree and sneered, "You're looking for food? You have so many maids, and you run so far to find food by yourself? You can only keep your lies to fool ghosts!"
Cao Cao's face turned pale, his eyes fixed on the ground, and he said, "Your Majesty, everything I said is true. If it is false, I will die by the sword!"
Empress Dowager He was so angry that her eyes widened. She slammed the small table and cursed: "A bastard who seduced a widow, a dog who had an affair with his brother's woman, a slave who committed adultery before her husband's body was cold..."
"Your Majesty, I didn't, I didn't..." Yin burst into tears and kept crying.
Ma Zheng was also panicking. He knocked his head heavily on the ground and said anxiously, "Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager, I know I was wrong. I know I was wrong. Please forgive me this time..."
Cao Cao knelt there, not begging for mercy, his face was as hard as iron, and his eyes were full of concentration.
He had not expected to encounter such a thing, and he was filled with fear and anxiety.
Liu Bian stood by and listened. He probably knew what was going on. He had a blank expression on his face and was thinking about how to deal with the matter.
Liu Bian naturally didn't care about Yin and Ma Zheng; the key was Cao Cao.
In history, Yin was indeed taken as Cao Cao's concubine, and He Yan became Cao Cao's adopted son. He Yan later married Cao Cao's daughter.
Liu Bian didn't care whether Cao Cao and Yin had an affair.
Cao Cao is no longer the same person he used to be. As this concerns the stability of Qingzhou, we must be cautious in dealing with him.
"Your Majesty, what do you think we should do with them?" Empress Dowager He did not give Liu Bian time to think and asked directly in a cold voice.
Liu Bian hadn't thought it through, so he turned aside and said, "Your Highness, I will listen to you, mother."
Seeing this, Empress Dowager He said indifferently, "Come here, drag Yin, Ma Zheng, and Cao Cao out and beat them to death."
"My Queen, My Queen, I didn't, I didn't..." Yin burst into tears.
Ma Zheng kowtowed continuously and said anxiously: "My queen, my queen, I know I am wrong. Please spare my life for the sake of my grandfather..."
Cao Cao gritted his teeth and said nothing.
A eunuch came in quickly with a big stick in his hand and tried to drag the three men away.
Liu Bian stood still and gave Pan Yin a look.
Pan Yin understood, and hurried forward, saying, "My Lady, no."
Empress Dowager He glared at him and said, "Why not? Beating them to death is unnecessary!"
Pan Yin's mind raced, and he said, "Your Majesty, He Xian just died, and He Yan is only one year old. Second, Ma Zheng is the descendant of General Ma, so we can't just kill him with a war. Third, Your Majesty, He Xian is a royal relative, after all. This matter concerns the royal family's reputation, so we need to keep a low profile."
Empress Dowager He didn't care about other things at all, but when it came to the "royal face", she, as the empress dowager, couldn't act recklessly.
He couldn't help but frown and said, "Then what do you say we should do?"
Pan Yin glanced at Liu Bian quietly and said cautiously, "Empress Dowager, in my opinion, it would be better for Yin to stay in Yongle Palace and be dealt with by the Empress Dowager. Ma Zheng, send someone to escort her back to the Ma family. Will the Ma family let her off easily? As for Cao Cao, he is a court official after all, so let Your Majesty deal with him. What do you think, Empress?"
Empress Dowager He's expression changed. She knew that it was Liu Bian's intention. She waved her hand impatiently and said, "Alright, you can take the person away."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Pan Yin responded and waved his hand. Two eunuchs came over and dragged Ma Zheng and Cao Cao away.
Liu Bian glanced at Yin and said to Empress Dowager He, "I will take my leave."
Empress Dowager He ignored her and just stared coldly at Yin, who was shivering not far in front of her.
Liu Bian left Yongle Palace, sent Ma Zheng away, and brought Cao Cao back to Chongde Hall.
Chongde Hall, back hall.
Cao Cao had already removed the ropes and was kneeling on the ground with his head on the ground, silent.
Liu Bian sat on the couch, reviewing memorials without saying a word.
Cao Cao didn't say anything because he couldn't guess what Liu Bian was thinking.
In the past, no matter how big a mistake he made, even if he led the Huns to besiege Shangdang County, Cao Cao was not very afraid, because at that time, he had nothing.
It’s different now. He has soldiers, territory, and momentum!
So, Cao Cao was afraid.
Liu Bian was reviewing the memorials and gradually became immersed in them. He seemed to have forgotten about Cao Cao and was so busy that he forgot about time.
It was not until dark that Pan Yin came in with a plate of rice. He glanced at Cao Cao who was still kneeling on the ground, walked quietly to Liu Bian, and whispered, "Your Majesty, it's time to eat."
Liu Bian glanced out the window and said, "I dismiss you from your generalship and appoint you as the Lieutenant General of Tiger Guards to work in the Grand Marshal's Office."
Cao Cao's face was straight, his eyes were like iron, and his tone was calm as usual. He said, "I accept your command. Thank you."
"Go ahead." Liu Bian didn't even look at him.
Cao Cao began again, saying, "I'll take my leave."
Then, he slowly stood up. Even though his legs and hands were numb, he did not show any panic and calmly left the back hall.
Liu Bian picked up the soup bowl, took a bite, and couldn't help but look towards the door. It was pitch dark and there was no trace of Cao Cao.
With a thoughtful expression on his face, Liu Bian asked, "Pan Yin, do you think Cao Cao is a loyal minister?"
Pan Yin's expression tensed, and he said, "Your Majesty, I cannot tell whether he is a loyal minister or a treacherous minister."
Liu Bian laughed and said, "I can't tell either."
After being emperor for a long time, Liu Bian discovered that "suspicion" was not a disease but an instinct of the superior. There was almost no one he could trust completely without any doubt.
On the other side, Cao Cao came out of the palace with a sullen face, a full beard, and narrow, cold eyes.
The guards around didn't dare to say a word. It was the first time they saw their general with such an expression.
Cao Cao said nothing along the way. He returned to his mansion, drove away everyone, and went straight to Guo Jia's courtyard.
Guo Jia didn't sleep or even drink, and kept waiting for Cao Cao.
Cao Cao glanced at him, walked into the house, took off his coat, warmed himself by the fire, saw the wine jug, picked it up, and poured it into his mouth in big gulps.
Guo Jia sat opposite, his slightly pale face without a trace of emotion.
Cao Cao finished drinking, panting heavily, wiped the wine off his beard with his sleeve, stared at Guo Jia with red eyes, and said: "Your Majesty let me enter the Grand Marshal's Mansion as a Tiger Guard Lieutenant General, I guess he will not let me leave the capital again."
Guo Jia was not surprised and nodded, "Your Majesty, this is also to protect the general."
Cao Cao looked grim and angry. He turned to look outside the dark door and said in hatred, "Why do I, Cao Cao, have such a miserable fate?"
In the past, Cao Cao had caused countless troubles because of his unruly behavior. If it weren't for his extraordinary family background, he would have died countless times. Later, Liu Bian succeeded to the throne, and he had too many opportunities. However, it was only last year that he achieved some success in pacifying the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Qingzhou.
Before he could get excited for long, he encountered this disaster in Luoyang!
Seeing Cao Cao's depressed face, Guo Jia seemed to be giving up on himself, so he picked up the wine pot, took a sip, and said, "I heard that Lord Lu is not feeling well and may not live beyond this year."
Although Cao Cao was filled with resentment and dejection, he did not lose his mind. He was startled when he heard this, and looked at Guo Jia and said, "Fengxiao means that Your Majesty intends to keep me to take over Lord Lu's position?"
Guo Jia leaned back, supported himself with his elbows, and said to Cao Cao, "What's the big deal about a love affair between a man and a woman? The Queen Mother may be very angry, but Your Majesty may not be. Your Majesty has a cold relationship with He Xian, and the general knows it. Your Majesty dealt with the general in this way, firstly to appease the voices of impeachment from the court and the public, and secondly, I'm afraid it's a precaution. Lord Huangfu's health is not very good."
Cao Cao seemed to come to his senses, sat up straight, and looked thoughtful.
Guo Jia watched Cao Cao recover and said with a smile: "Your Majesty's regard for the general will not be shattered because of this personal relationship. Next, the general will do something."
Cao Cao put his hands on his knees, his face serious and his eyes bright, and said: "Please teach me Fengxiao."
Seeing Cao Cao like this, Guo Jia could no longer be lazy. He sat up straight and said, "General, first of all, Qingzhou must not be in chaos, especially Beihai and Donglai counties. Second, hand over all military power, don't keep any. Third, make some achievements in the Grand Marshal's Mansion. I am sure that in a year at most, the court will definitely send generals to fight again."
Cao Cao frowned and looked hesitant.
He had worked so hard to gather so many troops in Beihai and Donglai County. With a single order, he could recruit hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Which general would be willing to hand over such a large army?
"Okay." After a moment, Cao Cao nodded.
Guo Jia smiled even more and said, "General, you don't know what you are going to face yet, right?"
Cao Cao was calm and poured himself a glass of wine, saying, "I have been in the Grand Marshal's Mansion for a while, and I know the affairs of the Grand Marshal's Mansion. Although it is difficult, it is not enough to scare Cao Cao!"
Guo Jia was relieved then and looked outside the door again, thinking to himself, this time, I should have a chance to meet His Majesty, right?
……
Early the next morning.
The Grand Marshal's Office issued an order to strip Cao Cao of almost all of his official positions, retaining only the position of General of the Tiger Guards, and to transfer the Grand Marshal's Office.
Whether it was the General Zheng Bei or the General Wuwei, they were all generals in charge of troops and horses, and were feared by the court officials. But the General of the Tiger Guards was different, and he was also called upon to serve in the Grand Marshal's Mansion, so Cao Cao was basically demoted to the lowest position.
The court and the public were extremely satisfied with the handling of the matter by the Grand Marshal's Office, and many people wrote letters to praise Huangfu Song's "fairness."
With the end of the court recess, the Nine Ministers, Six Ministries, the Secretariat and others gradually resumed their duties, and Luoyang City slowly became lively again.
The second year of Yonghan, the first day of February.
Cao Cao had been serving in the Grand Marshal's Mansion for some time, but the more he learned about the government affairs of the Grand Marshal's Mansion, the more shocked he was.
The main tasks of the Grand Marshal's Office at present are "military system reform" and "separation of military and political power".
The reform of the military system is mainly to further clarify the current military system, especially in terms of command authority, and to focus on it.
The direct purpose of "separation of military and politics" is to remove the military power of the chief officials of prefectures, counties and districts, strengthen the court's control over the local areas, and curb the emergence of de facto princes.
Cao Cao knew very well how difficult these two tasks were, so he could only take advantage of the situation. Once it was announced, not to mention the governors, even the prefects and county magistrates would openly rebel!
Cao Cao looked at the details of the plan and felt terrified. He came to Lu Zhi's seat with a document in his hand and said solemnly, "Lord Lu, this document..."
Lu Zhi looked up, coughed a few times, and said, "Your Majesty wants to collect all the troops in the country as imperial guards and station them in various states on a rotational basis."
Doubt and uneasiness flashed across Cao Cao's eyes, and he said in a deep voice: "Lord Lu, if you do this, it will definitely cause chaos!"
At present, the troops of the Han Dynasty are basically recruited and supported by the chief officials of each state, county and prefecture. Even though the troops of Cao Cao, Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun and others come from the Grand Marshal's Mansion, most of the money and food supply is "self-raised". In addition, they recruit surrenders along the way, so the troops are expanding rapidly.
These soldiers only recognize their chief officers and generals, and do not recognize the imperial court at all.
The imperial court wanted to take back these troops, but not only would the commanders disagree, but the "soldiers" being led would also not agree!
Lu Zhi was very ill, but he couldn't let go of these things. He coughed and said, "It's urgent, but don't rush. Take it step by step."
Cao Cao was secretly shocked. He never expected that the Grand Marshal's Mansion was actually brewing so many terrible plans.
Lu Zhi's eyes were sunken and his face was haggard. He looked at Cao Cao and said, "His Majesty loves you very much and arranged for you to enter the Grand Marshal's Mansion. You should know this very well. Don't let His Majesty down."
Cao Cao was shocked and raised his hand quickly, saying, "I dare not!"
Lu Zhi didn't say much. He coughed, took a document, handed it to Cao Cao, and said, "Go to the Imperial Army camp when you have time. Before you go, go to the Household Department and ask for more money and food to bring with you, otherwise you won't be able to gain prestige."
When Cao Cao saw Lu Zhi was about to "tell his last wishes", his expression changed immediately and he said, "Mr. Lu, your prestige is known across the country and everyone in the world admires you. Please take care of yourself."
Lu Zhi drank a sip of tea, suppressed the itch in his throat, and said, "Save the flattery for after I die. You should familiarize yourself with government affairs first, and I will take you to meet some people later."
Cao Cao looked at Lu Zhi's expression, and his hard heart felt a little uncomfortable at this moment, so he said, "Yes."
Lu Zhi said nothing more and continued to look through the documents in front of him.
He just coughed from time to time, and then a clerk brought a bowl of medicine. The small duty room was filled with the pungent smell of medicine.
Cao Cao was very grateful and worked even more seriously.
When it was almost time for the funeral, Lu Zhi took him to meet officials of all ranks in the Grand Marshal's Mansion, and then to meet Dian Wei, Zhang Yang and others.
In the evening, he personally hosted a banquet in his mansion and formally introduced some officials from the Six Caos and Nine Ministers to Cao Cao. His intention to pave the way for Cao Cao was obvious.