Great Han Empire

Chapter 262 The situation changes suddenly

Chapter 262 The situation changes suddenly
On the east side of the Taixue lecture hall stands 48 stone tablets one foot high and four feet wide. The front and back of the stone tablets are engraved with scriptures written in ancient Chinese, seal, and official script.This is the world-famous stone scriptures.

The students of Taixue come from all over the country. Due to their different backgrounds, it is inevitable that the scriptures they receive are wrong. At the same time, in order to make their students get good grades in the examination room, some doctors in Taixue even bribed the royal writers and changed the official scriptures. The text in the book, so that the scriptures match their private manuscripts.For this reason, in the fourth year of Xiping, the emperor of this dynasty ordered the famous Confucian scholars Cai Yong, Ma Ridun, Lu Zhi, etc. to write the texts of the Five Classics.After the collation was completed, Yilang Cai Yong personally wrote the scriptures in ancient Chinese, seal script, and official script, and then published them on the stone tablet and erected them in Taixue.There are "Book of Changes", "Shangshu", "Lu Shi", "Yili", "Spring and Autumn" Five Classics and "Spring and Autumn Gongyang Zhuan" and "Analects of Confucius".

"Mr. Xu, how many times has he observed the Stone Scriptures?" Ma Rixun (reading di) asked Xu Shao.

"This is the second time." Xu Shao stroked his beard and said with a smile, "In March of the fourth year of Jiaping (AD 175), when the inscription on Master Cai Yong Cai's inscription first appeared, I made a special trip to see it. At that time, the capital and There were tens of thousands of scholars who came from other places to watch and copy, and the crowds were bustling, and the streets were filled with horses and chariots, and the scene was spectacular."

"Cai Yilang has a good handwriting, dignified and vigorous without lack of elegance." Xu Shao praised, "I don't know where Master Cai is now?"

Ma Rixun sighed, "It's been several years since he took refuge in Wu County, and I haven't heard from him either."

He Yong smiled and said: "I have news about him. The general sent someone to Wu County last year to invite Mr. Cai to return to Beijing, but Mr. Cai refused. I heard that he and his daughter depend on each other for life, and their life is good."

Kong Rong squeezed profusely from the crowd, and said excitedly: "Sir, the lecture hall of Taixue has been prepared, and all the adults have arrived, and we are waiting for you to give lectures."

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The Xu family is famous for studying the "Book of Changes", and Xu Shao is a leader in his family, so the Confucian scholars who participated in today's event included almost all famous scholars in Beijing, such as Yang Biao, Yang Qi, Yuan Feng, Yuan Kui, Taiwei Zhang Wen, Situ Cui Lie, Shaofu Fanling, Shangshu Lu Zhi, Taixue Jijiu Zhong Ma Rixun, Zhao Qi, Huangfusong, etc., surrounded by more than 100 people. Sit in the front row of the lecture hall.After that, they were the children of the royal and noble families in Beijing, and then there were the students of the imperial school and the scholars who heard the news from all over the world.The entire Taixuefu lecture hall was surrounded by [-] to [-] groups, and it was impossible to get through.

Xu Shao sat high in the lecture hall, eloquent and eloquent, he lectured for an hour.

Xu Shao's voice is not loud, deep and magnetic, euphemistic and pleasant. He analyzed the arguments in the scriptures in a simple and easy-to-understand way, making everyone in the lecture hall listen with gusto, or thoughtful, or suddenly realized, or beamed with joy. .

Except for the dignitaries and celebrities sitting nearby, others naturally couldn't hear Xu Shao's speech, but the students of Taixue had their own solutions.Dozens of Taixue bachelors sat around the podium, writing books at their desks, for fear of missing a word, they were specially responsible for recording the speech of the master.Whenever Xu Shao finished speaking, the scholar in charge of transmission immediately sent the recorded letter to the crowd, and then many scholars with loud voices climbed up and recited it everywhere.Every wonderful place, cheers and cheers from the crowd resounded through the Taixue Institute.

After Xu Shao finished speaking, Taixue Jijiu Ma Riyi immediately came to the stage to make a brief summary, and then it was time for discussion.

In Taixue, it has become a common practice among doctors to discuss difficulties with each other, and there is also a strong academic atmosphere among students affected by it. Students can debate with famous scholars.When Fu Qian was a student of Tai Tai, he used "Zuo Zhuan" to refute He Xiu, the famous master of "Spring and Autumn Gongyang Studies" at that time.Due to the strong study atmosphere among the students at that time, many students were quick thinking, especially good at debating.

In the period of the party, due to the extreme political corruption, the scholars of Taixue gradually turned the direction of their debates to current affairs. At that time, there were more than 3 students headed by Jia Biao and Guo Tai. Public opinion was called "Qingyi" by the people at that time, and everyone from the ministers down was afraid of his derogatory opinions, so that "the three officials and the nine ministers were all under the festival, and the summons of the three government offices often came out of their mouths", which fully demonstrated the public opinion of the students of the Taixue. power.

Today, Taixue's power of public opinion once again played a huge role.

As soon as Ma Rixun finished speaking, Kong Rong stood up.

"Many of the new viewpoints expounded by Mr. are based on ancient scriptures. So, do you think that in today's world, using ancient scriptures to govern classics is more conducive to governing the country?"

Xu Shao nodded with a smile and said: "Wen Ju's words are very correct. Since Emperor Guangwu restored the Han Dynasty, the sects of Jinwen Confucianism have become more detailed, so the battles of various viewpoints have become more intense, although there are many advantages, but as an official school, its theory of governing the country has gradually been unable to adapt to the changes between the country and the government. The biggest weakness of Jinwen Confucianism is that one is obscene and the other is cumbersome. Jinwen Confucianism uses prophecy to explain the scriptures. It is full of absurd theories of ghosts and ghosts. Jinwen Confucianism has made many scholars' minds rigid, and the decline of the Han Kingdom today is directly related to it."

One word stirred up waves.Xu Shao's outspoken words immediately caused an uproar, and the entire Taixue Academy fell into controversy.

Yang Biao jumped out first.The Yang clan started with Yang Zhen, who was known as the "Master of Guanxi", who was a well-known Confucian classics master all over the world, and their family respected the Jinwen school.

"Sir, what you said is wrong. The purpose of establishing Confucian classics in this dynasty is not for academics, but to establish the political and educational outline of the Han Dynasty. Therefore, it does not matter whether the texts of the Five Classics and other classics are close to the original works of the sages or not. , what is important is the interpretation and flexible application of the classics. The official schools established by the Han Dynasty all have a set of state-governing techniques that can be learned and applied flexibly. "Spring and Autumn" judged the case and used "Poems Three Hundred" as a book of advice. Although these methods are rigid, they have strong vitality in the process of rectifying chaos and establishing culture and education in the Han Dynasty. In contrast, ancient Chinese classics are completely lacking. Function. Mister is sitting here now, talking nonsense about Jinwen Confucian classics, isn't it biased?"

Fu Wuji is the descendant of Fu Zhan, a famous minister of the Han Dynasty. He is erudite and knowledgeable. He is a great contemporary Confucian.

Fu Wuji added loudly: "Emperor Shizu himself came from a noble family. He has a tendency to like ancient scriptures, and Emperor Suzong Xiaoming is the same. Therefore, since Emperor Shizu's reign, some people have asked to establish ancient scriptures as academic officials. However, they all No success. In the name of supporting micro-learning, Emperor Xiaozhang ordered famous scholars from all over the world to go to Beijing to study the ancient texts, but the ancient texts still failed to win the academic officer. Can the ancient texts be designated as the academic officials of the Han Dynasty? The ancestors discussed it several times, the most famous of which was the White Tiger Viewing Conference held in the fourth year of Emperor Xiaozhang’s reign (AD 79). At that time, representatives from important factions of modern and ancient prose participated, and the result of the quarrel was still based on Jinwen It is the mainstream. Looking at this dynasty, is there a doctor of ancient Chinese classics lecturing at Taixue?"

"Sir, take another look at the stone scriptures written by Cai Yong in Taixue. Isn't it also Jinwen Jingxue? Mr. Jin falsely said that Jinwen Jingxue is outdated, and ancient Wenjingxue should be respected. Isn't it too extreme?"

Xu Shao said with a smile: "The text of the ancient texts is the Six Kingdoms script of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, and few people know it, so the texts of the ancient texts have not been systematically sorted out and studied in the past, and there are not many teachers teaching the ancient texts. , so it is normal that it is not designated as an academic officer."

"Nowadays, after several generations of hard work, many scholars have begun to sort out and teach ancient texts, explain ancient texts, and even compile dictionaries for identifying and explaining ancient texts. The study of ancient texts has been greatly developed. Although there is no academic officer, it is the mainstream of private schools in this dynasty. In this dynasty, masters of ancient literature and classics emerged in large numbers, such as Huan Tan, Ban Gu, Wang Chong, Jia Kui, Zhang Heng, Xu Shen, Ma Rong, Zheng Xuan and others. Xu Shen, Ma Rong, and Zheng Xuan made the greatest achievements in the exegesis and annotation of ancient Chinese classics."

"Today's ancient texts are simple and clear, with sharp thinking, and they don't pay much attention to the practical subtleties from the classics, but pay more attention to academic textual research and exegesis. At the same time, today's ancient texts are more retro, and they pay special attention to Excavating the patriarchal clan and rites and music culture belonging to the Shang and Zhou dynasties in the five classics. This is especially of special practical value."

"Because the imperial power of this dynasty is getting weaker and weaker. Although traitors and relatives are in charge of the country in turn, the gentry bureaucrats rely on the study of classics from generation to generation to act as the ministers of the dynasty. , Gradually became the powerful family of the local people. In the minds of these people, the state affairs and status of the Han Dynasty were gradually inferior to the ideals of Confucianism and the family status of the clan. Therefore, although the party imprisonment incident in this dynasty is a big dispute between right and wrong, it does not imply a little bit of struggle between imperial power and local gentry forces."

"Respecting the ancient Chinese classics means maintaining the orthodoxy of the imperial power, which means reforming the state affairs of the Han Dynasty and rebuilding a mighty and powerful Han Dynasty."

Xu Shao stood up slowly, raised his hands, and shouted loudly: "I can say this today, the modern Confucian classics will soon be out of place, and the ancient Chinese Confucian classics have firmly gained the upper hand."

"Boom..." Xu Shao's astonishing shout was like a spring thunder that suddenly exploded in the Taixue Academy, which immediately ignited a fierce debate between the School of Modern Literature and the School of Ancient Literature. Only fight until the sky is dim and the earth is dark.

At the beginning of the founding of the Han Dynasty, most of the five classics survived from the Qin Dynasty, and were rescued from scholars who could recite and teach the full text. Because the Qin Empire’s order to suppress books was extremely strict, the bamboo slips had already been reduced to ashes.Due to various reasons, there are discrepancies in the recorded texts.Therefore, for a classic, due to the difference in the text, it is necessary to have several doctorates side by side, all of whom are academic officials.In the reign of Emperor Xiaoxuan, there were three doctors in each of the Five Classics. The classics handed down by these doctors were all written in official script commonly used in the empire, so they were called Jinwen Confucianism.

Since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty "removed all schools of thought and only respected Confucianism", Jinwen Confucianism has been regarded as the official Confucianism in this dynasty.In the last years of Emperor Wu, King Gong of Lu expanded the residence of Confucius, and occasionally dug up dozens of scriptures recorded in ancient languages, including "Guwen Shangshu", "Book of Rites", "Analects of Confucius", and "Book of Filial Piety".Since then, there has been a distinction between Jinwen Confucianism and Ancient Chinese Confucianism.Ancient text scholars provided a classic model of hermeneutics, which is "I Annotate the Six Classics", which interprets the meaning of texts by means of textual exegesis and textual research on names and objects, focusing on academic issues rather than political textual research.Jinwen Confucian scholars also provided a classic model of hermeneutics, which is "Six Classics Annotating Me", which uses classics to explain the spirit of the times or develop their own new insights.

The debate between the two schools of ancient and modern classics, which began since the founding of the Han Dynasty, has never stopped during the entire dynasty for hundreds of years.

This great debate lasted from the afternoon of the tenth day to the afternoon of the eleventh day, and its intensity and scale created the highest level in the Han Dynasty.

Jinwen Confucianism is the main body of official academics in this dynasty. From the Imperial College in Luoyang to the official schools established in prefectures and counties, the Confucianism taught is Jinwen Confucianism.However, with the development of this dynasty, there are more and more people who respect and study the ancient texts. Although many people are still teaching or studying the modern texts, they are purely for the sake of eating and earning a bit of imperial salary to support their families.When it came to the critical moment of discussing academics, these people immediately revealed their true colors, and each of them became a fighter who resolutely defended the study of ancient Chinese classics.

In today's world, the three most famous masters of Jinwen Confucian classics are the Yang family, the most powerful in the world, as well as the Du family and the Fu family.The representative of the Du family is Du Fu, who has many disciples.The representative of the Fu family is Fu Wuji, and their family is a relative of the emperor.It is already a fact that the talents of Jinwen Confucianism are withering and their influence is declining. Today's controversy in the Taixue Institute is nothing more than a foretelling that the world's scholars will gradually unify into the ancient Wenjing school in the future.

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The eleventh day of the first month.

The general stood outside the study door and personally greeted He Yong's return.

"Congratulations to the great general, congratulations to the great general." He Yong clasped his hands and said with a smile, "The nobles in Luoyang City will soon return home, and they will support the great general with all their strength. It is really gratifying to congratulate."

He Jin smiled slightly, let He Yong into the study, and said with a smile: "Mr. Zijiang is invited this time, thank you for your hard work."

"Mr. Zijiang is too powerful." He Yong said with a smile, "He commented on Hongdu Gate as a filthy place before he entered Luoyang City. Now, Hongdu Gate's reputation has been greatly damaged, and it may not last long before it will be closed. Yes. Hongdu sect's bachelors are becoming rarer day by day, in fact, they have cut off the money of treacherous eunuchs, and dealt a heavy blow to their disciples and children. Now I want to see, these shameless Hongdumen are still in Luoyang and other states and counties. How do you stand?"

He Jin smiled and said: "Mr. Zijiang is happy, but His Majesty is very annoyed, I heard that he lost his temper in the palace."

"Does Your Majesty still intend to invite Mr. Xu into the palace?" He Yong asked with concern.

"Tomorrow." He Jin smiled triumphantly, "Your Majesty has issued an order today, asking me to invite Mr. Xu into the palace tomorrow."

"Okay, big things can happen." He Yong patted the table lightly, and said with a smile, "The traitors are probably still glad that their tricks have succeeded, His Majesty will take the eldest prince to Jizhou, haha, after tomorrow, I think they will cry gone."

"Now, they may already be crying." The general laughed, "They never thought that a few words from Mr. Zijiang could change the academic concept of scholars in the entire Han Dynasty. The bureaucrats came together because of ancient Chinese classics, forming a huge force. What is especially important is that when this force is at a critical moment, they want to maintain the imperial line, and they must firmly stand by our side and support us.”

He Yong nodded with a smile and said: "Yeah, years ago, Luoyang's Yang Clan, Zhang Wen, Cui Lie, Lu Zhi, and Zhu Jun all vented their anger from one nostril, worrying that the general would take over the power of the country after eradicating the traitors, and form the dictatorship of foreign relatives." Therefore, they all clearly rejected the general, and there were differences on whether to support the general to eradicate traitors. But it is different now. Mr. Xu's lectures led to the rapid unification of scholars' academic views, making Luoyang's Scholars trust each other more and get closer. Once the general rises, they will quickly gather under the banner of the general under the lobbying of the officials at all levels of the general's mansion, and support the general in eradicating traitors and rebuilding the army. Establish a royal line."

"The scholars of this dynasty have experienced the scourge of rape and foreign relatives, and they have suffered greatly. Therefore, whether they are in the field or in the court, they all hope that the general is not a general of foreign relatives, but a general of scholar-bureaucrats." He Yong looked at He Jin and said solemnly, "The general just fits this point, so the situation is becoming more and more favorable to us now."

"The treacherous eunuchs in Luoyang City are powerless to fight back under our repeated blows, but Mr. Sikong Xu Xiang has not clearly expressed his support for us, so it has become a top priority to win over Xu Xiang as soon as possible and to separate the relationship between Xu Xiang and the treacherous eunuchs. .For people like Xu Xiang and Fan Ling, their powerful families are huge. With them supporting the eunuchs outside the palace, some things are very difficult to deal with. If they turn against each other, the eunuchs will have no scholars to use , the power will be greatly reduced, and our chances of success will be multiplied."

He Jin nodded and said, "I also invited Lord Sikong to the banquet tonight. I hope that Mr. Xu Shao can persuade Prime Minister Xu not to mix with those middle-ranking officials and ruin the reputation of the Xu clan."

"What about Mr. Zixiu?" He Yong asked, "He respects modern classics and has not talked with Mr. Zijiang for several years. I think it is best not to invite them at the same time."

"Mr. Zixiu has been summoned by His Majesty to the North Palace to meet him." He Jin said, "By the way, there is one more thing I want to tell you. The Son of Heaven wants to recruit Yuan Shu's five thousand cavalry from the Changshui Camp to accompany Li Hong. Jizhou, I have already agreed."

"The Son of Heaven only transferred 5000 troops from the First Battalion of the Northern Army to Li Hong, which shows that he still cares about traitors." He Yong thought for a while and said, "He Feng was transferred to Changshui Camp. He is the general's confidant. Much more reliable than that slick guy Yuan Shu."

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It was already dark when Xu Xiang left the General's Mansion.Halfway on the way, I met Zhang Rang, the head of the Zhongchang servant's house.The chief executive was ordered by Lord Hou to invite Prime Minister Xu to the mansion to discuss matters.

In Zhang Rang's Lord Hou's mansion, Zhao Zhong, Duan Gui, Gao Wang, Fan Ling, and Cao Song were all present, and they seemed to be in a bad mood.

"Brother Gongfu, in the past few days, the voice of your Xu family has been heard in Luoyang City. It seems that everyone has forgotten the emperor." Gao Wang said with a smile, "The reputation of the Xu family is now so high that the Great Han Kingdom may not be able to come out." It's right, today is not what it used to be. Congratulations, brother Gongfu."

Xu Xiang has heard this kind of praise and flattery recently, and he felt extremely comfortable. He smiled and waved his hands and said, "It's too good. The Xu family's reputation today is all thanks to my two younger brothers." .”

"That's right, Master Sikong and his two well-known younger brothers have reconciled and reunited with the Xu family, which has become a popular story in Luoyang." Duan Gui sneered: "When Master Xu is smiling, do you still remember our friends?" ?”

Hearing his bad tone, Xu Xiang glanced at everyone and said slowly: "Recently, because of my two younger brothers, I have had more contact with the Yuan Clan, the Yang Clan, and the General's Mansion, but it doesn't mean I have already changed the course of Yi Xian, suddenly betrayed my promise, and came together with them instead. Is the friendship between us for so many years, is it all fake?"

Duan Gui suddenly stood up and said loudly: "Since your two younger brothers arrived in Luoyang, the situation has taken a turn for the worse, which is very unfavorable to us. Now the two forces of the aristocratic family and the general are between your two younger brothers and ordinary scholars. Under the instigation, we have gradually come together. And what about us? We have lost the entire Hongdu School. Now you, the Xu Clan, have become the object of competition among major forces. Xu Jing was called into the palace by His Majesty, Xu Shao and you In the General's Mansion, how can you make us trust you?"

Xu Xiang retorted without showing any weakness: "Don't make a mistake, who told me to invite them to Beijing? Could it be that I deliberately caused the current unfavorable situation?"

Zhang Rang sat on the table and looked at his withered hands, silent.Fan Ling and Cao Song turned to look at Zhao Zhong.

"Yeah, I was talking too much." Zhao Zhong patted his fat belly, and said embarrassedly, "I thought that inviting them here could put gold on Lord Sikong's face, but I didn't expect that Lord Sikong's face would It was paid for, but we were miserably harmed by those hateful scholars. These people have really sharp mouths, and they drove us to a dead end with just a few words."

He immediately lowered his face, pointed at Xu Xiang and said with great dissatisfaction: "Your two younger brothers are really not good people, and they intend to oppose us. However, with their bad temper, how can they reconcile with you as before? They have always hated you being with us, and scolded you so badly, why are you okay again? Gongfu, can you talk about it?"

"There is nothing to say, this is a matter between us brothers, and others have no right to ask." Xu Xiang smiled coldly and said: "I would like to advise everyone, at this time, it is better for everyone to trust each other, and don't be fooled by the general." Think about it carefully, my two younger brothers appeared in Luoyang City one after another, and in a short period of time, almost all the power of the aristocratic family was drawn to the general's side. Careful preparation, can this effect be achieved only with the personal prestige of my two younger brothers?"

Individuals in the room have different expressions, and everyone is thinking about their own thoughts.

"After His Majesty returns home to pay respects to the ancestors, if the general wants to eradicate us and establish a new monarch, he can now get the strong support of the scholars from the government and the opposition. Between the middle officials and the general, who will the scholars support?" Xu Xiang stared He glanced at them and said, "At this time, you still don't believe me, and you still don't think of a way to deal with it as soon as possible, but you have nothing to do here to find trouble with me. I think you are not far from death."

Everyone in the room looked at Xu Xiang almost at the same time, some showed panic, and some looked angry.

Duan Gui pointed at Xu Xiang's nose and cursed: "Xu Gongfu, what do you mean by that? We are dead, and you will not live."

"Hmph!" Xu Xiang glanced at Duan Gui with disdain, and said sharply, "It's best not to point your finger at me when you're talking to me. I can tell you clearly, if you are dead, I may not die."

Duan Gui was furious and shouted curses, Cao Song and Fan Ling hurriedly pulled them away.

Xu Xiang shook his hand and walked away without looking back.

"Stop yelling." Zhang Rang waved at Duan Gui, "Just warn him."

Then he looked at Cao Song and said, "Jugao, what Meng De said last time is true, we summed it up, and it is likely to be true. It seems that things are very troublesome. Now that the general's wings have been formed, It is also very difficult to kill him, so go back and ask Meng De to see what he can do?"

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Cao Song returned home sadly, and told his son what had happened at Zhang Rang's house.

Cao Cao said: "Master Sikong is right about this matter. I think Mr. Xu's appearance was indeed premeditated. Thinking of the queen's fingering of the marriage, and the general personally acting as a matchmaker, the marriage between the Xu and Zhu families is probably not a good thing. The situation has suddenly reversed, and the general seems to have secured the victory."

Cao Song thought for a long time, sighed, and asked, "Ah Man, is there any other way?"

Cao Cao smiled and said, "Father, why are you sighing? There is still room for saving this matter."

"Oh?" Cao Song looked at him in surprise, and asked, "Is there another way?"

"Yes. The general is too cautious, and always strives to be foolproof when doing things. Therefore, when the people in the general's mansion make suggestions, they often look forward and backward, and they are stretched. People like He Yong and Yuan Shao are careful people. Although the method is perfect and almost invulnerable, but they have a lot of secrets and one omission, and there are still loopholes."

Cao Song cheered up and asked, "The loophole? Where is the loophole?"

"He Jin did not expect that His Majesty would call Li Hong back to Beijing from the Xiliang battlefield. This is his fatal loophole." Cao Cao laughed, "Tomorrow, I will go to Li Hong."

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The twelfth of the first lunar month.

Cao Cao went to Sikong Mansion to visit Xu Xiang.

"Ah, did your father tell you what happened yesterday?" Xu Xiang asked with a smile.

"My lord, why are you so angry with those idiots? Is it worth it?" Cao Cao replied, "Aside from ensnaring the master, taking money and breaking the law, framing the loyal and the good, and harming the country and the people, what else would they do? In my opinion, they have done too much evil. It's fine to die, and it's fine to be killed by the general."

"What are you talking about?" Xu Xiang scolded with a smile, "Do you think that without the middle officials, the general will not cover the sky with one hand and hold the power of the country alone? Just look at the general Liang Yi from the previous dynasty." Well, in the end, he even killed the emperor at will, isn't that the same disaster for the country and the people? In the current Han Dynasty, there must be no fewer middle officials, and no fewer foreign relatives. Let them coexist in the court and let them restrict each other. Only in this way can we maintain a The situation is neither good nor bad. Otherwise, if either of them takes the lead, it will be our gentry bureaucrats who will suffer in the end. Therefore, it is the best policy to try our best to maintain the status quo. The Han Dynasty is stable, and there is no war, so that the people can live and work in peace and contentment , the country will be rich."

"Your Excellency, do you think there is still hope for our Great Han Kingdom to come to the world again?" Cao Cao asked.

Xu Xiang glanced at Cao Cao and said with a smile, "Ah Man, it depends on your generation whether you can restore the Han Kingdom to its former heyday. Why, no confidence?"

Cao Cao shook his head and said, "I don't see any hope. Whether it is a middle official or a general, they are all people who only care about their own self-interest. Have they ever thought about the rise and fall of the country?"

Xu Xiang smiled and didn't continue, he asked Cao Cao, "Ah Man, what's the matter with you?"

"Can't your lord see the crisis hidden behind this marriage?" Cao Cao asked in a low voice.

Xu Xiang glanced at Cao Cao appreciatively, and said with a smile: "The crisis has already happened, and it is everywhere. What countermeasures can A Man have?"

Cao Cao clasped his hands and said, "I have a group of brothers, all of whom are highly skilled in martial arts. I would like to escort the bridal sedan chair for your lordship."

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When Li Hong heard that Cao Cao was visiting, he was overjoyed to welcome him.He had a very good impression of Cao Cao. Cao Cao's forthrightness, erudition and extraordinary capacity for drinking made him sigh.

After the two exchanged pleasantries, Li Hong said regretfully: "I will go to Jizhou on the [-]th day of the first lunar month. I don't know if I can go back to the capital to meet Brother Mengde again. I can stay in Luoyang very well. It hasn't been long, and the happiest thing is meeting a friend like Brother Meng De."

"It is also my honor to meet the world-famous leopard." Cao Cao laughed and said, "I will go to Jizhou soon. Before I leave, I would like to ask, what do you think of the situation in Luoyang?"

In the past few days, Li Hong talked with Li Wei and Li Wei's Taixue friend Chen Hao every day late at night, discussing the situation in Luoyang, he naturally knew what Cao Cao wanted to know most.He paused for a while, and said: "Maintaining the status quo and stabilizing the country is of course the best strategy. It's just that the current situation in Luoyang is very unfavorable to Zhongguan, and it seems that chaos is inevitable."

He looked at Cao Cao and asked with a smile, "Brother Meng De has a countermeasure?"

Cao Cao shook his head and said, "No, I don't have the ability to turn the tide. I came today because there is something I want to tell you. Maybe it will be helpful for your trip to Jizhou."

"Brother Meng De, please tell me, I'm all ears."

"Before I came to Luoyang, I heard a news that Wang Fen, the governor of Jizhou, conspired to hijack the emperor, eliminate the middle officials, and establish a new monarch. When the people arrived in Jizhou, should they pay attention to check? This is related to your majesty's life, Sheji safety."

Li Hong felt that this news was absurd, unbelievable, and unreliable. He laughed and said, "This news is groundless. Do you think Brother Meng De is credible?"

Cao Cao said solemnly, "I'm here to tell you because it's credible."

Li Hong was taken aback, and asked: "The source of the news is reliable? If it is reliable, why didn't Brother Meng De let Uncle write a letter to His Majesty?"

"If there is no evidence, how can we report it? If you frame an official of the court, you will be sentenced to a serious crime." Cao Cao smiled helplessly, "I just heard it, and there is no definite evidence, but the source of the news is still very reliable."

After thinking for a while, Li Hong cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Brother Meng De, for your concern. When I arrive in Jizhou, I will definitely investigate and find out."

Cao Cao said with a smile: "If this is true, the people should make great contributions."

Li Hong said with a smile: "At that time, I will definitely report to Your Majesty, saying that this is the news provided by Cao Mengde..."

"Don't, don't..." Cao Cao waved his hands again and again, "If it gets out, it will damage my reputation, don't."

The two chatted for a while and talked about Xu Shao.

"Why don't you people visit Mr. Xu and ask him to comment? Mr. Xu and I are old acquaintances. I can take you to him." Cao Cao encouraged enthusiastically.

Li Hong shook his head and said, "I may die on the battlefield at any time. Why do I want such a false name? For me, a sharp sword is the most important thing. It can save my life."

Cao Cao looked at Li Hong with admiration and said: "The people are still open to it, but I can't. I am keen on fame."

"Then you went to Mr. Xu to comment? What did Mr. Xu say about you?" Li Hongda asked with interest.

"Back then, Taiwei Qiaoxuanqiao admired me very much. He advised me to go to Runan to find Mr. Xu Shao to comment. He said that I would definitely become famous and worth a hundred times. So I went all the way to Runan to find him. He He ignored me. I was so angry that I rushed forward and sealed his collar, threatening that if I didn’t speak again, I would burn his house down.”

"Did he say it?" Li Hong asked.

"He said that I am a capable minister in governing the world and a traitor in troubled times, but do you think I look like a traitor?" Cao Cao pointed to himself and asked Li Hongdao, "I think I am very honest, what do you think?"

Li Hong laughed loudly.

=====================

On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month.

The emperor called Xu Shao into the palace.

No matter how famous and knowledgeable Xu Shao was, he didn't dare to make fun of his own head.Little Huangmen Jian Shuo went to Taixue to announce the imperial decree, and then invited Xu Shao to get in the car.Xu Shao got up from the ground, patted the ashes off his body, got into the carriage and entered the palace.

The three children of the Son of Heaven seldom meet each other, but they have a childish nature and don't care about the thoughts of adults at all. After getting acquainted with each other a little bit, they immediately get together and play happily.

The emperor pointed to the three children and said with a smile: "Mr. Xu, these are my three children. Tell me, what will happen to them in the future?"

Xu Shao smiled without saying a word.

The Son of Heaven didn't think so, and said: "There is no outsider here, and what you say will not be leaked. Mr. Xu said casually, it doesn't matter whether it is good or bad, I forgive you for not being guilty."

Xu Shao remained silent.

The emperor gave him a slightly surprised look, and said again: "Just one word. You have already entered the palace, so you can't just turn around and leave without saying anything?"

Xu Shao stroked three long beards with his hands, and said slowly: "The eldest prince is the face of an emperor."

The emperor's face changed slightly, and he looked a little nervous.

"But life is bad." Xu Shao sighed softly and added another sentence.

The emperor's expression was relaxed, and there was no joy on his face.He looked at Xiao Shihou who was shouting and bouncing around in the house, and felt very uncomfortable.Fate?Poor fate, does it mean premature death?

"The little prince is also the face of an emperor." Xu Shao said.

The emperor immediately beamed with joy, he looked at Xu Shao, anxiously waiting for his next sentence.

"But life is hard." Xu Shao sighed again.

The emperor felt guilty for a while, and inexplicable fear instantly filled his heart.

"Where is the princess?" asked the Son of Heaven, "What about the princess?"

Xu Shao remained silent.He closed his mouth tightly, resolutely not speaking.

=====================

The fourteenth of the first lunar month.

Li Hong entered the palace to bid farewell to His Majesty.The emperor encouraged him and told him to be careful on the road.

"Your Majesty, I have two requests."

"Talk about it," said the Son of Heaven.

"Wang Fen, Inspector of Jizhou, recruited soldiers in the area of ​​Wei County, and repeatedly wrote letters to demand military funds." Li Hong said, "Your Majesty, can I bring him there by the way?"

The Son of Heaven pondered for a while, and said, "Alright. Time is running out. After you go, you must hurry up and train the soldiers. What else is there?"

"There are a few students in the Taixue Academy who are friends of Sima Li Wei, the minister's subordinate. He recommended these people to the minister. The minister saw that they were very knowledgeable and wanted to bring them to Xiliang. When Xiliang is pacified in the future, we can let them go." They are officials in Xiliang, governing the western borders. I don't know your Majesty..."

"This is a good thing." The emperor laughed, "There are too many students in the Imperial Academy, but there are too few official positions in the imperial court, so a large number of students return to their hometowns to teach books every year. It's too short of talent. I see you The frontier army has a huge organizational system, but very little history, you can recruit more students from Taixue. I will immediately order Taixue to sacrifice wine and Ma Aiqing to solve this matter for you."

The emperor stayed with Li Hong for lunch.It was already afternoon when Li Hong returned to Zhangyuetai.

Li Wei stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky.

"Zhong Yuan, what are you looking at?" Li Hong asked.

"It's going to snow." Li Wei replied, "It's estimated that there will be heavy snow on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month."

"That's a good thing." Li Hong said with a smile, "Where is Zilong, Zifeng?"

"They went to Yongping Street to see the terrain." Li Wei said gratefully, "The brothers ignored the severe cold for my sake..."

"Don't say such things." Li Hong smiled, "Zhong Yuan, you have to inform Xiao Lan to avoid any accidents."

======================
The fifteenth day of the first month.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month has already been valued in the Western Han Dynasty. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty’s activity of offering sacrifices to "Tai Yi" in Ganquan Palace on the first month of Shangxinye was regarded by later generations as the forerunner of offering sacrifices to the gods on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.During the Yongping period of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty (58-75 A.D.), because Emperor Ming advocated Buddhism, it happened that Cai Min returned from seeking Buddhism in India. He said that every fifteenth day of the first lunar month in India's Mohatuo country, monks gathered to pay homage to the Buddha's relics. It is an auspicious day for visiting Buddha.In order to promote Buddhism, Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty ordered the fifteenth night of the first lunar month to "light lamps to show Buddha" in the palace and temples.Therefore, the custom of lighting lanterns on the fifteenth night of the first lunar month has gradually expanded in China with the expansion of the influence of Buddhist culture and the addition of Taoist culture.

This morning, four brothers Xiahoudun, Xiahouyuan, Cao Ren, and Cao Hong rushed to Luoyang with a hundred servants.

In the afternoon, Du Wei Yan Liang, Biebu Sima Wen Chou, She Hu, and Army Sima Chen Ming rushed to the outside of Luoyang city day and night with [-] black panthers.

Li Wei, Chen Hao, Tang Yun and others rushed to the residence of Zhu Jun, the master craftsman, to bid farewell to the teacher.

Xiao Lan looked at the handsome and tall Li Wei, sad and painful, with a sad expression.

Li Wei smiled slightly, gently held Xiao Lan's warm and tender hands, and whispered, "Walk with me..."

Xiao Lan let Li Wei hold her little hand, and snuggled up to Li Wei's side docilely. The two walked quietly on the garden path just like in the past, quietly feeling the deep love and concern in each other's hearts.

Xiao Lan remembered that she was about to marry another woman, and that the longing and sweet dreams in her heart were quietly melting away like the snow in front of her eyes. Her heart was icy cold, and tears burst out of her eyes involuntarily.

Li Wei stopped, looked at her affectionately, gently wiped the tears off her face, and said in a low voice: "Xiao Lan, if I snatch you away, maybe you will never see the teacher again, and see you again." Your mother is gone, would you like to?"

A trace of pain suddenly flashed across Xiao Lan's beautiful face, and endless sorrow and sadness were revealed in her dreamlike eyes. She shook her head and said in pain: "Zhongyuan, you can't do it!" , you can't do it, as long as you can snatch me away, as long as I'm with you, I'm willing to die..."

Li Wei felt a pain in his heart, grabbed Xiao Lan's arms, and said solemnly: "Xiao Lan, I said, I want to marry you, we will be together for the rest of our lives, and we will do what I said." He suddenly hugged Xiao Lan's arrogant and weak body, hugged Xiao Lan tightly in his arms, leaned over to her ear, and whispered: "Tomorrow..."

=======================

The sixteenth day of the first lunar month.

The pure white snowflakes began to drift around lazily and casually in the morning, and at noon, the snowflakes began to grow larger and denser. It was already hard to see people.

The huge wedding party walked into Yongping Street, and immediately the gongs and drums were loud and lively, and crowds of onlookers gathered from all over immediately filled both sides of the street.

At this moment, Yuan Shu, Captain of Changshui, came with a hundred cavalry like a gust of wind, and his dense horseshoes immediately covered up the hustle and bustle of the long street.

Cao Cao was secretly surprised, and rode his horse to meet him.

He Feng took the lead, raised his knife and yelled, "Xu Dazi, get out of here."

(End of this chapter)

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