Chapter 39 6. Fission

In March of the fifth year of Jian'an, Yuan Shao, the great general and the shepherd of Jizhou, issued a call to arms against Cao Cao called "The Side of the Qing Emperor". The land of Yuzhou was under pressure. At the same time, Xun Yu took Kong Rong and other famous officials and officials to leave Xudu, and rushed to Yingchuan County, which borders Jizhou under Yuan Shao's jurisdiction, actively appeased and recruited local famous and powerful families, and provided food for them. , money to pay money, and troops to send troops to form the first solid line of defense against Yuan Shao's southward infiltration.Under their painstaking mediation, 140,000 households in Yingchuan County responded one after another, and threw themselves into the defense of Xudu in this "counterattack against rebellious ministers and defend the imperial family".

The half-month-long trip to Yingchuan Zhenfu has finally come to an end.Xun Yu and Kong Rong hurried back to Xudu to return to their orders.As soon as they entered the city gate in a small cart, they saw common people gathered at the base of the city wall, discussing a lot.When Xun Yu saw this, he was secretly surprised, and seeing the tense atmosphere in the streets and alleys of the city, he knew that there must be something wrong—he caught a glimpse of the proclamation written in big red characters on the wall, his heart was shocked, and he hurried down. He got out of the calving cart and stepped forward to watch.

Seeing that Xun Yu retreated from the crowd after reading the notice, Kong Rong's expression changed drastically, and he went over and asked in a low voice, "Brother Xun—it's just a notice to kill prisoners! Your Excellency’s review, but you shouldn’t be in such a hurry for this?” "Alas...Dong Cheng, Wang Zi'an, etc. did not listen to Xun's advice, and after all insisted on going their own way, taking advantage of Xun's going out to appease Yingchuan for half a month, and went to assassinate Cao Sikong..." Xun Yu sighed deeply , "Unexpectedly, Cao Sikong had already formed a net to capture them in one fell swoop and punish the three clans..."

"This Cao is lying! You really are cruel!" Kong Rong gritted his teeth when he heard this, "Dong Cheng, Wang Zi'an and other relatives and old ministers of His Majesty, even if they are guilty, they must be found by the court. He didn't even tell you in advance. Let me inform you, and then I will play tricks in the rear of Xudu and kill without authorization—that's too arbitrary!" "Alas! Cao Sikong's power and maneuvers are rare in the world - what can Dong Cheng and other senior ministers and relatives do against him? It's just that his method of investigating and punishing these people is very inappropriate. It was originally done by others, but now it seems It was Cao Sikong who acted arbitrarily and recklessly, and it coincided with Yuan Shao's great enemy, and it gave others an excuse to disturb the people's hearts!" Xun Yu shook his head, sighing, "Xun should not have left this capital city rashly to go to Yingchuan... ...In just half a month, the court has undergone such drastic changes, and it is really difficult to deal with the aftermath."

The two of them were talking, only to hear two people at the side chatting and discussing: "I heard that Uncle Dong Guo assassinated Cao Sikong for no reason this time, and he still obeyed His Majesty's secret edict." "According to His Majesty's secret edict? Then how could he be killed by Cao Sikong?" "Alas... Cao Sikong holds great power in his hands, and has hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Killing him as Dong Guojiu is not a pig in the ring? I just didn't expect that he would send someone to hang Dong Guifei, Dong Guojiu's daughter, on the spot! I heard that your majesty Concubine Dong Gui begged Cao Sikong because she was pregnant with a dragon seed, but she was not spared in the end."

"This Cao Sikong is really like the "flying and domineering, no king" said in General Yuan Shao's proclamation!" "Hush...Shut up! Shut up! These things can't be said outside, can't be said..." Hearing the two whispering and drifting away, Kong Rong was already so angry that his face was blue and his hands and feet were cold!As soon as Xun Yu calmed down, he suggested to him: "Brother Wen Ju, you go to the palace to comfort His Majesty Kaijie... Xun is going to the Sikong Mansion now..." Hearing that the guard told Xun Yu to come to visit, Cao Cao, who was taking a lunch break, walked out happily in pajamas with a pair of wooden clogs on.

Xun Yu did not pretend at all, as soon as he took his seat in the secret room of his study, he said solemnly: "Master Sikong, do you know that there are discussions about Dong Cheng in the streets and alleys of Xu Capital..." "Hehehe...that group of idiots must be yelling at me as a traitor?" Cao Cao smiled slightly, "Let them scold me! I'm used to being scolded by them—no matter how badly they scold me , it can’t compare to the essay that Yuan Shao asked Chen Lin to write.” "Lord Sikong, please forgive Xun for saying bluntly: Dong Cheng and others disregarded the overall situation to deliberately assassinate important court officials and secretly assist Yuan Shao in causing disaster. Their crimes should be severely punished." Xun Yu saw that Cao Cao was deliberately downplaying the matter instead of He wanted to talk in depth, but he didn't let it go, and he still said, "However, according to Xun's opinion, Lord Sikong must ask the emperor for an order, call a hundred officials to discuss, and openly ask him about the crime of causing chaos to the country. There are four seas and nine states. Now, Lord Sikong kills him without asking for an order or discussing with the court, so that the people of the country regard you as a domineering minister, Lord Sikong, and let Dong Cheng and those people get the name of "loyal to the emperor and defending the master". Isn't it a big mistake? ?”

"Please send an edict to the emperor to summon all the officials to discuss it?" Cao Cao sneered, "Wen Ruo, don't you know about the secret edict on the belt? How do you bring this matter up to ask the court to discuss it? Your Majesty can handle it. Do you want to confront him in court and investigate to the end?" "Yu thinks that the authenticity of the Yidai secret edict is still hard to say--however, if the matter is false, of course it should not be revealed lightly; if it is true, it should not be revealed lightly!" Xun Yu wrote He said, "Your Majesty is young and impatient, and is confused by the slander of Dong Cheng and others; and Sir Sikong must not overstep the courtesy of his ministers! Now that you have strangled Concubine Dong Gui, I am afraid that the people of the world will be full of rumors and criticisms against you." ——Master Sikong's reputation of "sincerely and wholeheartedly helping the Han Dynasty" was ruined in one fell swoop, it really deserves it!"

"Huh! Wen Ruo, you also know that His Majesty is young and impatient--he recently wrote a long motto on the purple gauze screen in the Imperial Study Room, saying, 'He who knows the principles of heaven is good at transforming things; Those who live quietly so as not to hurt things, and things cannot hurt them. Those who use reason to guide them are the virtues of the sages; , but why is it 'going against your heart', rashness and fall? Reckless about the consequences, regardless of gains and losses! Thinking of this, I, Sikong, is really angry with him!" Cao Cao said angrily, "Dong Zhuo's monopoly was a disaster back then. On the day of the country, the Central Plains was in a state of turmoil, and the princes from all walks of life had different aspirations. None of the rulers and people belonged to the Han Dynasty. It’s over! Now that the enemy is in front of us and the whole court is in danger, Dong Cheng and other relatives and old ministers want to murder me because they want to abolish the public for private reasons. They think they can take my place and enjoy the glory of the three princes—how stupid as a pig! Don't even think about it, if Yuan Shao goes south and gains power, they will bear the brunt of it and become Yuan Jun's ghosts! Your Majesty will be nothing but the fate of a deposed Emperor Hongnong."

"Master Sikong's speech is reasonable, and it should be discussed by the court. It's just that even if you take the rationale first and act carelessly later, you will still give others a excuse. It's really lamentable!" Xun Yu shook his head slightly and sighed, "Master Sikong must be careful about the way of slowing things down and doing his best to be a minister. Only in this way can there be no blame inside or outside!" "This Sikong doesn't have the mediocre good temper like you, Wen Ruo!" Cao Cao took a deep look at him, "Wen Ruo, you have always been impeccable in handling political affairs, and you are a real good looker! Of course, this Sikong is I know it. It’s just that if the Japanese Sikong suddenly informs you of Dong Cheng’s chaos in advance, I’m afraid you won’t be able to be a villain, but will be burdened by benevolence, which will create an additional layer of entanglement. Therefore, this time, this Sikong Xu Ducheng made his own decision, punished Dong Cheng and the others, and did not tell Wen Ruo you. Do you understand this painstaking effort?"

Xun Yu's eyes couldn't help getting wet, and he said lightly: "I swear that I will share the same glory with Lord Sikong, treat each other with sincerity, and help the society together. I am willing to use my heart and blood to help Lord Sikong, you become Zhou Gong of the Zhongxing Han Dynasty, then This life is enough!" "The Duke of Zhou of Zhongxing Han Dynasty? It turns out that today, Wen Ruo, what you can't forget is still helping me to become Zhou Gong of Zhongxing Han Dynasty!" Cao Cao looked deeply at Xun Yu and smiled bitterly. Isn’t it too tiring to be the unerring and flawless Duke Zhou of the Han Dynasty in the troubled times of fighting for power and profit? Why should I do this? Since the people of the world already regard me as a traitor, how can they count on me? Then Dong Cheng really got his hands, and this side of the land fell into a fierce battle again! After Xu's capital city was destroyed, and the living people suffered from exile, cold and starvation, those scholars and common people who yelled at me as a traitor in the street, Maybe I will miss the benefits of me, Mr. Cao again. I hate being betrayed the most in my life - I have devoted myself to it and sacrificed my life without regret, if I am despised by others, I will be heartbroken!" "Lord Sikong, don't be angry." Xun Yu heard the complicated meanings in Cao Cao's words, and it was not easy to argue for a while, so he said softly, "Your Majesty's knot, let Yu go to resolve it." .As long as Lord Sikong is determined to be the Duke of Zhou who rejuvenates the Han Dynasty, Yu will do his best to make your image of Duke Zhou shine bright and no one will despise you!" "That's all, that's all. Let's not talk about these things!" Cao Cao waved his hands, sat down on the couch, and changed the subject, "The enemy is now at hand, and we need people first. I, Sikong, should learn from Duke Zhou." One shower, three shakes hair, one meal, three spit feeds' is the wind of seeking talents. This Sikong has asked the secretary Lang in the mansion to write a book, and the second brother Sima Yi, who went to recruit Sima's master book, entered the mansion as a writer. The job of 掾!" "Lord Sikong, do you want to enlist Sima Yi to enter the mansion?" Xun Yu's heart was shocked when he heard this: the manuscript of the inner court appointment letter for enlisting Sima Yi as the palace's Yilang is also in his sleeve at this moment, just wait It was sent out immediately after returning to Shangshutai today—but, unexpectedly, Cao Sikong was one step ahead of him...