Three Kingdoms

Of course, China must pay attention to humility, so it is impossible for Cao Cao to be like Dong Zhuo, who announced that he was the Prime Minister on the same day, and then became the Prime Minister. There are still procedures that must be followed, so Cao Cao stood up in the early morning to express his lack of talent and embarrassment. Da Ren, I am afraid that he failed to live up to the expectations of the public, which gave everyone a buffer, and also prevented the emperor's face from falling to the ground on the spot.

But everyone knows that this matter has most likely been settled. Unless the emperor is ready to fall out with Cao Cao, Lao Cao, the prime minister, will basically be in his seat, just one day earlier and one day later.

After the chaotic morning meeting, the emperor naturally returned to the apse, but Cui Yan felt that the emperor's steps were a little unsteady when he walked back, presumably because he was somewhat uncontrollable emotionally.

Cui Yan put himself in the emperor's shoes and thought about it. Do you think this matter is actually not a bad thing? After all, even if the emperor does not recognize Cao Cao as the prime minister, isn't Cao Cao now being captured by both foreign and Chinese officials?

right?

Of course, giving Cao Cao the title of Prime Minister will make Cao Cao more justified in doing these things, and it will represent the decline of imperial power and the loss of more voice. But the problem is that this will not only affect the current Han Dynasty, but also Jizhou. Yuzhou, as well as other areas controlled by Cao Cao, can almost immediately avoid some people's unrest, which is of certain benefit to the Han Dynasty as a whole.

Well, the Han Dynasty here has actually faintly drawn out the area in Guanzhong.

However, since Emperor Guangwu, there have been many conflicts between Shandong and Shanxi. Now it is just completely on the surface, so it is not an unacceptable event.

One thing must have both positive and negative effects. This may also be an opportunity for the emperor. It depends on whether the emperor Liu Xie can seize it!

The same opportunity, some people can't even grasp it, but some people can make the most of it. This may be the difference between mediocre people and capable people.

Although Lao Cao was initially manipulated by Fei Qian, the situation in his own territory was somewhat distressed. Local forces and the emperor Liu Xie were at odds with Cao Cao, and Cao Cao was in financial distress. There is nothing he can do, but once he returns to the field he is good at, his operations are really exciting.

The title of Prime Minister is not only a difference in name, but also represents a large number of new carrot pits under the Prime Minister, and these carrot pits will greatly alleviate the conflicts between Jizhou, Yuzhou, and other states and counties due to job shortages. , and it will also make these internal personnel who originally had some conflicts under Cao Cao's rule become docile again to a certain extent.

Such as Cui Yan. .

The biggest conflict point between the children of the Jizhou gentry and Cao Cao before was the uneven distribution of benefits, or strictly speaking, there were not enough positions for this group of people in Jizhou. But now that Cao Cao has become the prime minister, there will be so much extra Cui Yan naturally has the position. Not to mention anything else, at least there is still a Cao Yu in the prime minister's house.

Cui Yan would not worry that Cao Cao would cross the river and burn the bridge, because this is the rule after all. Cui Yan was the first to speak out for Cao Cao. Could it be that Cao Cao turned around and threw Cui Yan away? If he is really so short-sighted, how will Cao Cao convince the public and employ people in the future?

Therefore, after the Jizhou nobles and others learned about this, they quickly reached a consensus and elected Cao Cao to the position of prime minister. Similarly, Zang Ba and Cai Mao had almost similar thoughts.

In this incident, Cao Cao took a step back, but profited to some extent. After all, Cao Cao did not want to completely break the broken jar, but still hoped to retain more soup. The reason why we had conflicts and disputes with the local powerful people in Jizhou and Yuzhou before was actually not because the original cake was too small to move around and everyone could eat so much, but now it is almost equivalent to enlarging the cake, naturally. Conflicts are reduced, or slowed down.

Xun Yu may have seen this step a long time ago, but he never said it or did it. It was just because Xun Yu still had a sense of loyalty to the emperor Liu Xie in his heart. But for Guo Jia, he has no thoughts and burdens in this regard. Of course, he will choose to do whatever is more beneficial.

Although Guo Jia's strategy is actually not perfect in some aspects, it may even be suspected of treating the symptoms rather than the root cause. However, when we have gradually reached a dead end, the only way is naturally the best. the road

Xun Yu knew what Liu Xie was doing, and Guo Jia also knew it. It was just that Xun Yu cared and Guo Jia didn't care.

In the previous battle of Jingzhou, Cao Cao won first, then lost and then made peace. Although he had meritorious service, it could not be said to be a great victory. But this time in the battle of Qingxu, he lost first and then won. Not only did he gain some gains, but he also lost some Hidden dangers, of course, can be described as a great victory. Anyway, just don’t compete with that guy on the hussar.

Under this premise, Cao Cao has a relatively sufficient reason to take advantage of the opportunity to ascend to the position of prime minister, and it is easier for ordinary people to accept it.

And these ordinary people obviously do not include the Emperor Liu Xie.

Liu Xie returned to the apse, only took off his heavy crown, and without even changing his clothes, he drove all the eunuchs out.

The warm pavilion in the back hall is not large, and the carved blue gauze partition divides it into two parts: the inner and outer parts.

There is a table and brocade cushion outside. A row of bookshelves stood on one side, holding some idle books. The serious books or memorials are in another study room. Most of them are not very important books. There is a wolf-hair pen resting on the desk, with some ink on the tip.

Behind the green gauze partition is a couch where you can take a temporary rest. Incense is lit in a corner of the inner corner, and the elegant fragrance is the finest spices from the Western Regions.

But these things that are difficult for ordinary people to obtain cannot bring Liu Xie peace of mind.

Liu Xie sat behind the desk with his brows furrowed.

He didn't know whether it was his actions during this period that caused Cao Cao to counterattack, or whether it was because Cao Cao originally had this intention and waited for this opportunity.

This time, Liu Xie already felt very careful.

After all, he could still vaguely remember Dong Cheng's death, and sometimes he would wake up at night because of the sound of a woman crying. Then he would turn over and sit up, only to realize that it was just the wind blowing through the treetops.

Liu Xie has been thinking carefully, well, carefully accumulating his strength. He is eager for the outside world, longing for the future man, imagining the blue sky and vast land.

It just so happened that Liu Xie knew that Cao Cao had not been doing well some time ago.

Against the Hussars, Cao Cao suffered losses in many places.

Cao Cao went to Yecheng, and the Xiahou princes were busy guarding against the Hussars. On the other side, they had to deal with Jiangdong. For a while, no one could care about Liu Xie, and no one had any thoughts to make things difficult for him. Liu Xie was preparing He carefully arranged some of his own little days and made some careful thoughts, but he didn't expect that just a short time later, there was a thunderbolt, and then pouring rain and hail hit his face.

It hurts in my heart!

Even though Liu Xie didn't have much experience in fighting for power, he instinctively knew that this was definitely not a good thing!

Although today's court meeting did not finalize the matter of Cao Cao ascending to the position of prime minister, Liu Xie knew that this was definitely just the beginning. There would be a second person and a third person to come forward until Cao Cao ascended to the position of prime minister as everyone expected. Until now!

Liu Xie couldn't help but pick up the langhao pen on the table, and then moved the pen on the paper on the desk like flying, and wrote down four words that he wanted to kill, especially the word "kill", which penetrated the back of the paper, and the long stroke was like a blade. sharp!

Liu Xie took a long breath, then threw the pen away, ignoring the stained pen and ink that splashed large pieces of ink on the desk. He stood up and walked around in the small back hall room with his hands behind his back. Two laps.

Then it went around twice more.

When it came to the third two laps, Liu Xie's mood finally calmed down slightly.

Does he have the ability to prevent Cao Cao from ascending to the position of prime minister?

He would like to have it, and he is still working hard to accumulate it, but unfortunately, Liu Xie knows very well that his current strength is not enough to compete with Cao Cao.

So

Liu Xie sighed slightly and was silent for a moment. He raised his head and was about to walk out. But when he reached the door, he suddenly stopped. Then he turned back to the table and grabbed the piece of paper on which he had just written. He crumpled into a ball, looked around, and finally stuffed it into his sleeves, then turned around and headed towards the queen.

After Liu Xie left, a cleaning eunuch came in with a low eyebrow. Not long after, he discovered the ink stains on the table. He quickly moved over and stretched out a finger to mark the remaining marks on the table. It was a pity that although some ink passed through the paper and remained on the desk, only that one stroke seemed to be more obvious, and the rest of the words were relatively vague, and it was not certain what was written.

The eunuch looked up at the door, his eyes flickering, but he quickly lowered his head again.

For Liu Xie, it was just a helpless psychological struggle in the palace, but for most officials, it was joy that could not be concealed.

After the early court, Cui Yan followed the flow of people to the Shangshutai.

The Shangshu Desk seems to be always busy, with people coming in and out, so busy that they can hardly touch the ground. But even so, after meeting Cui Yan, these officials, big and small, did not hesitate to offer their gifts. The brightest smile is like the peach blossoms in March.

There were even people who personally guided Cui Yan, standing at the corner, bending down and waiting for Cui Yan to walk by before leaving. Cui Yan was somewhat flattered by their politeness.

Ji Gui is pure, loyal and bright, with far-reaching elegance and knowledge. He is by no means a mediocre person. He is more beautiful than before and follows the straight path. He is really a role model for our generation! Walking on the Chancellor's desk, Lu Hong, the Prime Minister of Weiwei Temple, walked a few steps straight to Cui Yan with a smile. He praised Cui Yan and then invited Cui Yan to enter the hall.

Cui Yan was polite, and then he and Lu Hong walked into the hall, and then they paid homage and received the imperial edict.

What surprised Cui Yan was that this time, in addition to replacing his official position with the governor, he was also given an additional official position of a servant. Although the official position of this servant was an additional official, it was nothing. What a prestigious position, but this so-called small position is also relative.

Ordinary people, even if they are promoted to official positions such as those who are forbidden to serve, they start from being a doctor, and then it takes at least a year to be promoted to the rank of minister, and after a few more days, they can be promoted to the minister. .

The one who is above the servant is the servant.

Normally, it would be good to be granted the title of a minister or a minister, but as soon as Cui Yan came up, he was exempted from the time required to obtain the qualifications, and in one step he was promoted to a casual official in the imperial court, which is not a bad thing. A kind of grace.

Shizhong, who was first placed in the Qin Dynasty, was an additional official from the prince to the doctor. There was no fixed number of people. It was placed along the Han Dynasty. Because he could accompany the emperor, go in and out of the palace, and hear about the government affairs, it gradually became a trusted and valuable position.

Although Cui Yan was slightly surprised, his etiquette remained calm. After he respectfully received the official letter, the surrounding officials congratulated him in unison, making Cui Yan feel more and more emotional about his current situation and the differences from the previous few months. In comparison, it's really quite different.

However, this is also a reasonable thing. After all, during the Qin Dynasty, Shizhong had a history of being the prime minister, and he used to go to and from the East Chamber to report affairs, so it was called Shizhong. Cui Yan is now carrying the banner for Cao Cao, so he naturally deserves the position of attendant.

However, what should have been an extremely harmonious atmosphere soon disappeared with the arrival of one person.

An old man with gray beard and hair came along the corridor. He looked up and saw a group of people surrounding Cui Yan, laughing and talking. His face was a little unhappy. When he walked near Cui Yan, his eyes narrowed coldly, his face There was a sarcastic look on his face, and he raised his hand slightly, as if to salute, and as if he was flicking dust out. Ji Gui is now a blockbuster and enjoys a generous salary. He is really the envy of the world. Congratulations. It's just that when you are proud of your life, you still need to be cautious and self-restrained. Some bad words, tell them according to their feelings, listen or not, it's up to you.

What it means is that I am a straight-tempered Han Dynasty version.

Cui Yan smiled slightly, without any lack of etiquette, and cupped his hands and said: "Brother, please give me more."

Liu Tai and Liu Yi glanced sideways at Lu Hong who was beside Cui Yan. Without saying anything else, they just shook their sleeves and looked up and left.

Hum Lu Hong let out a cold snort with unknown meaning, and then saw Cui Yan turning his head and putting on a smiling face again. This person is just relying on his old age to show off his old age. He is a powerless person. Haha, this person is making some lies. Ji Guixiu should take it to heart

Powerless?

Haha, not necessarily.

Liu Yi, if you think about it, can be regarded as a veteran of three dynasties. During the period of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty, he served as Taichang and Sikong. Although he was dismissed the next year, which is a typical scapegoat, after all, he also served as the top official of the Han Dynasty. Naturally unusual.

In addition, Liu Yi has a complicated relationship with the imperial family, and now holds the position of Taichang, responsible for various ancestral temple etiquette. He is also old, so basically everyone will be polite to him when they see him.

Liu Yi's position and identity basically determine that he must stand on the side of the emperor Liu Xie, but he is older and has a group of people who are either great dancers or stargazers. God is making do with ghosts, and he can't really do anything. At most, he can only beat the drum like he is at the moment, and there is nothing else he can do.

Cui Yan cheered for Cao Cao this time. Although on the surface it was just Cao Cao's promotion to prime minister, as long as he had some knowledge in his heart, he would know what it actually meant. In the eyes of the pro-Cao faction, Cui Yan has of course become one of their own, and the courtesy and enthusiasm along the way are due to this. However, in the eyes of the royalists, Cui Yan's behavior is undoubtedly an evil act, which is a great harm to the country, and can even be said to be It is an unforgivable sin!

In Liu Yi's words, he basically regarded Cui Yan as a sycophant and a scum of the scholarly community.

Then Lu Hongzhi said that on the surface, he should not care about what he said, but in fact, it was full of encouragement.

Cui Yan smiled and said: "Taichang has kind words to warn you. He is well-intentioned. He is just a superficial friend but not deep in words. He may be ignorant and insensitive. I just want to express my gratitude. I have something else to do. We will meet again someday. Sorry, Rong." After saying goodbye first, he did not wait for Lu Hong's response. He turned around and gave a brief signal to the officials at the Shangshutai around him, and then left.

The reason why he did not continue to talk to Lu Hong was because Cui Yan noticed that Lu Hong was smiling, but he did not necessarily have good intentions. On the other hand, Cui Yan was slightly doubtful about the behavior of these officials, big and small. Digging a hole for him and attracting people like Liu Yi

That is to say, the emperor is weak at the moment, so he can do this, otherwise

Anyway, Cui Yan is the same as most of the children of the Jizhou gentry. He could offer his loyalty to Yuan Shao back then, and he can also offer his loyalty to Cao Cao now. If the future emperor Liu Xie can one day wield power, Cui Yan and others will not hesitate. Offer your loyalty to the emperor Liu Xie.

But this loyalty is on the premise of ensuring the interests of one's own family. To put it bluntly, Cui Yan and others basically have nothing to do with true loyalty, only actual interests.

When Cui Yan left the Chancellor's Desk and was about to arrive at his temporary residence in Xu County, before leaving the gate of the official residence, suddenly another attendant hurriedly came from behind and shouted loudly: Cui Shizhong! Cui Shizhong, please stay! The general came down with another favor, and asked Cui Shizhong to go to the general's mansion to receive the order!

When these voices fell, everyone around them couldn't help but burst into an uproar!

Received two orders in one day!

Before he even left the palace, he went to the General's Mansion to receive a title!

Feeling the envious looks cast by the surrounding officials, Cui Yan was surprised and also sensed a serious crisis. As a result, his original position as the leader of the Jizhou gentry would face a very big change. !

The color on Cui Yan's face did not change, but his heart began to feel a little orange.

Even if the Prime Minister's matter fails this time, Cui Yan knows that he will be firmly labeled as Boss Cao, and he can't even take it off!

On the surface it's two letters a day, but actually it's killing two birds with one stone!

No, it can even accomplish multiple things with one stone!

Cao Cao is really

What a good idea!