Chapter 160 Yuan Shao: I want them all!
Luoyang North Palace.

The young Liu Xie wiped the blood from the corner of Liu Hong's mouth with tears in his eyes.

Liu Hong's eyes showed tenderness, and he grabbed Liu Xie's hand and said, "Xie'er, Grandfather won't have much time left, so before he leaves, I'll give you a courtesy name."

Liu Hong was never that concerned about the eldest prince Liu Bian.

Liu Xie couldn't hold back his tears when he heard this and said, "Aunt, you will be fine. You will definitely get better! Your mother prays to God for you every day. You will be fine!"

A smile appeared on Liu Hong's pale face, but he said mercilessly: "Shut up! Don't disturb my thoughts."

Liu Xie obediently shut his mouth, but his hands were not idle. He washed the bloody silk feet in the basin himself.

Liu Hong glanced at him and felt better. He said, "Just call me Bohe."

Liu Xie was smart, and couldn't help but panicked: "Ah Weng, my elder brother hasn't even picked a name yet, I... I don't dare."

Liu Hong waved his hand and said, "Go down."

Liu Xie returned to his residence in a panic and couldn't help but tell this matter to his mother, Concubine Wang.

As her name suggests, Concubine Wang is very beautiful. Although she is not as gorgeous as Empress He, she has an outstanding temperament, which may be related to her background.

After hearing her son's story, Concubine Wang was both happy and worried. Empress He was jealous, and this was known to both palaces.

If she heard about this matter, Concubine Wang would definitely not survive, and even Liu Xie's life would be hard to say.

"Xie'er, there are a few things you must remember!"

Concubine Wang knew that she didn't have much time left, so she warned Liu Xie: "First, don't fight for the throne."

"Second, during this period of time, you must stay by your father's side without leaving his side."

"Third, since your father wants to promote Xuzhou Governor Jin Mao, he is the only foreign minister you can trust!"

Liu Xie didn't understand.

half a month later.

Concubine Wang hanged herself in her bedroom. Liu Xie cried bitterly and then he remembered what Concubine Wang had said.

He did not dare to stay for a moment and ran to Liu Hong's side to wait for him overnight.

At this time, Liu Hong was only awake for a very short time every day, less than two hours.

this day.

Zhang Rang, one of the Ten Eunuchs, came to request an imperial decree, appointing Dong Zhuo as governor of Bingzhou and handing over his military power to Huangfu Song.

Liu Hong refused and angrily said, "Zhang Jun reported to the emperor that you colluded with Zhang Jue and sent your fathers, brothers, children, relatives, and guests to various states and counties to monopolize the wealth."

"I didn't believe it at first, but now I have to believe it!"

"Is this how you repay me?"

Zhang Rang burst into tears and kowtowed, saying, "I did all this for Your Majesty!"

"Dong Zhuo has evil ambitions and is a former student of Yuan's family. If Your Majesty does not remove Dong Zhuo's military power, the world will be in chaos, and Prince Liu Xie will not be able to defeat the eldest prince Liu Bian!"

Liu Hong was already confused, so he couldn't tell the truth from the false. He just asked, "Why do you want to stop me from promoting Jin Mao?"

"Don't you collude with the nobles?"

Zhang Rang cried again, "Your Majesty, you don't know that if Dong Zhuo is a wolf, then Jin Mao is a tiger. He is embezzling the Han Dynasty!"

Liu Hong, who was seriously ill, could not think any more and fell into a deep sleep.

After waiting for half an hour until there was no movement, Zhang Rang got up carefully and observed whether Liu Hong was asleep.

After confirming that there was no problem, Zhang Rang stood up and left.

Zhang Rang's intention to stop Jin Mao was not to cooperate with Yuan Shao and others, but to take over Yangzhou alone was only one aspect.

The most important thing is that Emperor Liu Hong is about to die, and the Ten Eunuchs must find the next successor to power.

At the moment, it seems that the eldest prince Liu Bian has a high chance of winning.

Since Liu Hong wanted Jin Mao to help Liu Xie take the throne, in order to show goodwill, Zhang Rang and others naturally tried their best to stop Jin Mao from taking the throne.

Especially in the strategic location of Yuzhoumu, if Jinmao accumulates troops near Luoyang, many people would probably have trouble sleeping.

"Someone is coming!"

Zhang Rang ordered, "Go and call together the eunuchs."

Meeting of the Ten Eunuchs.

Zhang Rang proposed to forge an imperial edict ordering Dong Zhuo to hand over his military power, and everyone agreed to this.

They were all afraid that if a disobedient person like Dong Zhuo helped Yuan Shao and others to purge the emperor's side, the Ten Eunuchs would have a bad ending.

Afterwards, people had different opinions on the issue of forging an imperial edict to remove Jin Mao from his post.

Zhao Zhong believed that the time was not right and doing so would only force Jin Mao to side with the gentry. It would be better to give him some benefits and let him return to Yangzhou and pay tribute again.

Zhang Rang disagreed and wanted to take over Yangzhou for himself.

Zhao Zhong said something meaningful: "Emperor Zhang, have you ever thought that Yangzhou is no longer something that one person can take over alone?"

Zhang Rang did not back down. He sent his capable men to Yangzhou to collect rent, and soon he received a large sum of money.

In the end, the matter of Jin Mao was left unresolved, and the Ten Eunuchs simply forged an imperial edict to Dong Zhuo, asking him to hand over his military power.

Who knew, half a month later.

Dong Zhuo wrote a letter to defend himself: "I have been in charge of the army for ten years. The soldiers have a very good relationship with me and are willing to work hard for me. I beg to take these soldiers to Bingzhou and serve Bianchui."

At this time, Emperor Liu Hong was so ill that he could not speak, so how could he care about so many things?

Helplessly, the Ten Eunuchs forged an imperial edict, imitating Liu Hong's tone, reprimanding Dong Zhuo and ordering him to hand over his military power.

Unexpectedly, Dong Zhuo saw through the forged imperial edict and continued to write letters to defend himself, and also asked about the emperor's condition in subtle ways.

The Ten Eunuchs were afraid that their affair would be exposed and become a breakthrough point for the gentry, so they dared not forge the imperial edict again, and the matter was delayed.

...

Yuan Mansion.

Now, Yuan Shao has become the captain of the central army.

Although he was no longer an official under the general, Yuan Shao still frequently visited the general's mansion and sought advice from him.

Normally, I would get together with a few good friends to drink and have fun.

Yuan Shao would only discuss matters with his friends on special occasions.

this day.

Many famous people gathered in Yuan's mansion, including not only good friends such as Cao Cao, Xu You, and He Yong, but also famous people such as Kong Rong, Chen Lin, Tao Qian, and Liu Dai.

Yuan Shao read out the letter from Dong Zhuo to Yuan Wei in front of everyone.

When Cao Cao heard that the Ten Eunuchs were suspected of forging the imperial edict, he stood up angrily and said, "They are the ones who are harming the country!"

"I wish I could chop him alive right here!"

Everyone echoed this, and Kong Rong was even more indignant and said, "The sooner these pests are eliminated, the sooner the country can recover!"

"Gentlemen, I am willing to be the vanguard and submit a petition to clear the emperor's entourage!" "Kong Wenju, be careful with your words!" He Yong spoke up to stop them: "The eunuchs are now powerful, we are no match for them, we must rely on the power of the ruler to fight against them."

"Oh!" Kong Rong sat down very angrily and helplessly.

Seeing that everyone seemed to be deeply shocked, Yuan Shao stood up and dropped a bombshell: "I heard that the emperor is seriously ill and can't rule. Who is in power now?"

Everyone present was smart, and they were all extremely angry when they heard this.

Cao Cao even shouted, "Eunuchs! I will never coexist with you!"

Everyone present looked at him sideways. After all, Cao Cao was the only one who had a relationship with the eunuch here. If he didn't jump out first, who would?

Even so, Cao Cao could not avoid being despised, because his grandfather Cao Teng was once one of the Ten Attendants, and his power was even greater than that of Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong and others!

Cao Cao also knew this very well, and defended himself by saying: "Please rest assured, everyone! If I, Cao Mengde, were to associate with the eunuch thieves, I would be struck to death by the thunderbolt, and I would not die a good death!"

"What are you talking about, Meng De? We are good friends with the same ideals, how could we doubt you?"

Yuan Shao first defined the matter: "If I didn't trust you, why would I have helped you get the position of Commander of the Army?"

Xu You joked, "If Ah Man was really a eunuch and a spy, I would have beaten him out with sticks long ago. Why would I let him stay?"

With the support of several good friends, the rest of the people spoke up and expressed their belief.

This just shows that everyone is indeed doubting.

Cao Cao felt bitter and secretly vowed that he must do something great to prove his innocence. These so-called celebrities looked down on others and despised them because of their poor family background.

Isn’t what Cao Cao did enough?
As soon as he took office as the Northern Commander of Luoyang, he raised the five-colored stick and beat to death his uncle Jian Shuo. Isn’t this enough of an attitude?

But Cao Cao understood that these people were wary of him, except for his good friends like Yuan Shao who didn't care much.

I just don't care too much, but sometimes my words may offend.

Cao Cao endured all of this.

But today's meeting made Cao Cao somewhat disheartened. Instead of trying to kill the eunuchs, these people began to implicate loyal officials.

Xu You cited the names of more than a dozen high-ranking officials, saying that these people were all eunuchs' running dogs and everyone must be careful.

On the list is Jinmao’s father-in-law Tang Mao.

Then, at Yuan Shao's signal, He Yong began to read some letters written by the Xuzhou gentry.

"Humph!" Yuan Shao slammed the table and said angrily, "What a good governor of Xuzhou! Instead of going to wipe out the Yellow Turban bandits first, he wants to seize the people's property!"

In Yuan Shao's eyes, the nobles and powerful were the people, and the real people were just property.

"I really made a mistake. Why did I recommend such a person to be the governor of Xuzhou to quell the rebellion?"

Yuan Shao apologized to Tao Qian: "I am so sorry!"

Tao Qian's hair and beard were all white, and his face was full of wrinkles and age spots, but his clothes were very exquisitely groomed and his hair was neatly tied up.

Seeing Yuan Shao apologize to him, Tao Qian quickly stood up and helped Yuan Shao up, saying with tears in his eyes: "General Yuan was deceived by Jin Mao, how can I blame you?"

"I only hate myself for being incompetent and unable to contribute to the country."

Tao Qian covered his face and wiped his tears, saying: "Qingzhou Governor Jiao He is just a figurehead, and the people of Qingzhou are living in dire straits. I wish I could take his place!"

It couldn't be more obvious that Tao Qian wanted to go to Qingzhou to take up his post and make some achievements.

Yuan Shao didn't dare to respond. He was not familiar with Tao Qian, so why should he help a stranger to take the throne?

What's more, Yuan Shao mentioned Tao Qian just to move on to the next topic, but he didn't expect Tao Qian to be so shameless and take the opportunity to raise conditions.

I really thought Yuan Shao wanted to apologize.

Kong Rong was the only one who believed it and wiped his tears with emotion, saying: "Tai Yilang is a man of high moral character, and Kong Wenju admires him very much."

"I will write a petition and ask the court to appoint Tao Yilang as the governor of Qingzhou!"

At this moment, Yuan Shao regretted very much. Inviting these stupid celebrities was the stupidest decision he had made this year, no doubt about it!

But he had to invite them all, although it would be enough if Kong Rong came alone, but the intention was too obvious.

But if they continued like this, today's meeting would definitely not be able to go on. Yuan Shao turned his attention to Xu You, and it was Xu You who suggested that he call all the people here.

Now that a problem has arisen, it is natural for the person in charge to change the subject back.

"What Mr. Kong said is wrong." Xu You received Yuan Shao's signal and stood up and said, "The trouble in Qingzhou is not the fault of the governor of Qingzhou, but the fault of the governor of Xuzhou!"

Everyone couldn't help but look at Xu You curiously. What does the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Qingzhou have to do with Xuzhou?
Xu You stood up calmly and said, "Xuzhou Governor Jin Mao came to Xuzhou and seized the people's land. How could this not cause unrest?"

"But Jin Mao didn't take care of the kid properly, and instead killed him whenever he could. Isn't this forcing the people to become Yellow Turban bandits? How is this different from rebellion?"

Everyone didn't believe it.

Xu You continued, "I won't say much about the irrefutable evidence. I will just say one thing. Guangling and Xiapi counties suffered the least from the Yellow Turbans. Why did Jin Mao delay entering the four northern counties of Xuzhou?"

"You know, most of the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou were invaded by the four northern counties of Xuzhou, which is why they are difficult to contain."

"If the governor of Xuzhou had set out earlier instead of relying on his military might to seize the people's land, the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou and Xuzhou would have been pacified long ago!"

"Why should I wait here to discuss this?"

Seeing that everyone was confused and could not tell the truth from the false, Xu You asked Kong Rong, "I heard that Kong Yilang's sworn brother Sheng Xian is the governor of Wu County.

I wonder if you received a reply regarding the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Yangzhou?"

Kong Rong shook his head and said, "No."

"That's it!" Xu You gave an example: "When Jin Mao was the governor of Yangzhou, he was able to suppress the rebellion of hundreds of thousands of Shanyue people. Now there are only a few Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou and Xuzhou, why can't they be suppressed?"

Xu You concluded: "The real root of the troubles in Qing and Xu states is Jin Mao!"

"He has the ability but he doesn't do anything for the country. He has been staying in Huaiyin County and has not made any progress. What does he want to do?"

"Want to rebel?!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was involved. Regardless of whether Xu You's words were true or false, the facts were there, and everyone couldn't help but doubt Jin Mao's purpose.

Cao Cao found many loopholes in what he heard and was about to speak up to explain for Jin Mao, but Yuan Shao stopped him with a look.

Cao Cao silently swallowed back the words that were about to come out of his mouth. He was also a member of Yuan Shao's group. If he tried to sabotage others after getting benefits, then he would not be tolerated in this circle.

If he left this circle, the label of eunuch on Cao Cao would never be erased, and that was the last thing he wanted to see.

Without Cao Cao to cause trouble, Xu You bowed to Yuan Shao and said, "General Yuan, I propose that we all jointly submit a petition to dismiss Jin Mao, the governor of Xuzhou, and order him to hand over his military power."

Yuan Shao was secretly delighted, but pretended to be embarrassed on the surface and said, "This is not good. If we change the generals in the middle of a battle, what if the army mutinis?"

Xu You continued, "The people of Xuzhou are living in dire straits. If you hesitate for a day, they will suffer for a day!"

"Please take the lead and make decisions for the people of Xuzhou!"

Yuan Shao hesitated and asked, "Who should be appointed as the governor of Xuzhou?"

"Yilang Tao." Xu You recommended.

The people who were originally watching the two perform did not expect that a pie would fall from the sky and hit them on their heads. While they congratulated Tao Qian, they also recommended themselves.

Therefore, Yuan Shao threw out the governors of Jiujiang and Yuzhang as bait, luring these people to jointly submit a petition to dismiss Jin Mao.

Cao Cao watched from the side and complained a lot, saying that he could have just snatched it directly, but he had to take off his pants to fart.

What is the difference between Yuan Shao and these famous scholars?
(End of this chapter)