The woman mentioned the chief administrator of head rites, "Zhang Wei," who was the younger brother of Zhang Lu, the governor of Hanzhong and leader of the Five Dou Rice Sect.
Lu Yu's identity being revealed, and the current Great Wei's unification of Jiangdong and Xiliang, had greatly threatened the safety of Hanzhong's Five Dou Rice Sect.
On the surface, Hanzhong's meager troops were no match for Cao Cao.
Having no other choice... Zhang Lu sent his brother, Zhang Wei, the chief administrator of head rites of the Five Dou Rice Sect, to Jiangdong.
Jiangdong was newly subdued territory of the Great Wei, its foundations unstable...
It was also the most susceptible place for chaos to erupt.
For several consecutive months, the Five Dou Rice Sect dispatched over a thousand ghost soldiers and more than ten chief administrators to Jiangdong. Now, Zhang Lu himself sent his daughter, Zhang Qiying, to the region.
At this moment, Zhang Qiying's face was wrapped in black gauze...
Even though only her eyes were visible, the sharpness within them remained chillingly cold.
The chief administrator before her replied tremblingly, "The sect leader has issued a strict order to sow chaos in Jiangdong... But with just us, the chief administrator of head rites used... using that method was... was a desperate measure!"
Clearly, the chief administrator of head rites, Zhang Wei, had done something, something insidious, that violated the tenets and boundaries of the Five Dou Rice Sect.
Therefore... Zhang Lu sent his daughter to replace him.
"Can it still be recalled?" Zhang Qiying asked coldly.
"I fear... I fear..." the chief administrator lowered his head. "This thing breeds extremely quickly, I fear it has already..."
"Hmph!" Zhang Qiying let out a cold snort, her delicate hands clenching into fists. She slammed a fist onto the table, "Do you know how many people this will kill? Father sent you here to sow chaos in Jiangdong, not to cause devastation!"
"Gulp..."
The chief administrators lowered their heads in shame, daring not to breathe heavily.
Only one, who was a bit bolder, truthfully said, "Reporting to the Saintess, the sect leader's intention was to cause chaos in Jiangdong to delay the Great Wei's advance into Hanzhong, but... but our manpower is limited, and Jiangdong is filled with prominent clans. Because Lu Ziyu's identity is revealed, the Sun clan and the Eight Great Families have united as one. If... if we don't resort to these extraordinary measures, how can Jiangdong fall into chaos?"
"Hoo..."
Zhang Qiying let out a sigh.
She sank wearily onto a stool.
"The teachings my Heavenly Master Sect upholds are to save the endangered and aid the distressed, to rescue the common people, not to plunge them into dire straits. It was like this in Bashu, and it is like this in Jiangdong..."
"Since things have come to this, prepare the antidote. When it erupts... we will treat the illness and save the people!"
This...
The chief administrator scratched his head, "Saintess, you may not know, this strain was introduced from the Western Regions. We do not have the formula for the antidote here!"
This...
Instantly, an infinite sense of fatigue enveloped Zhang Qiying.
She finally understood why her father had sent her all this way to replace her uncle. Her uncle's actions in Jiangdong had gone too far!
"Saintess..." another chief administrator asked, "What should we do then?"
"What else can we do? Do you expect me to ask Lu Ziyu, the physician immortal of this era?" Zhang Qiying's tone was filled with helplessness and hoarseness. "My father sent me here not to replace the chief administrator, but clearly... to clean up this mess!"
Some other chief administrators wanted to ask questions...
The other chief administrators noticed Zhang Qiying's troubled expression and quickly stopped them. They then withdrew from the room...
One chief administrator asked, "Is the previous plan still going ahead?"
An older chief administrator replied, "Can we still control it? Since Jiangdong is already devastated, let it be even more chaotic. The more chaotic it is here... the safer Hanzhong will be!"
...
...
In the Xu Du Imperial Palace, Emperor Liu Xie retreated stumbling with helplessness.
He sighed, "What? The King of Wei refuses to accept?"
The envoy replied with difficulty, "The Ministry of Personnel reported that the King of Wei has only postponed it, and the Crown Prince also..."
"Also what?" Hearing the words "Crown Prince," Liu Xie's eyes narrowed rapidly. Clearly, more than the King of Wei, he cared about the Crown Prince's attitude.
"The Crown Prince also suggested that the King of Wei should not accept it for now..." the envoy replied truthfully.
Liu Xie gave a wry smile, "It seems I haven't done enough!"
Speaking of which...
Liu Xie waved his hand, "Issue my decree: all officials selected through the recommendation system this year are to be dismissed!"
This...
The envoy was startled. In the past... the Emperor rarely interfered with the selection of officials, let alone dismissed them.
And dismissing officials was more sensitive than selecting them, and more likely to create enemies!
"Your Majesty... this does not befit Your Majesty's status, does it?"
"What?" Liu Xie asked as the envoy questioned him, "Have I not yet abdicated the position of Emperor? Then my decree is an imperial decree. Am I not allowed to dismiss a few officials?"
Uh...
The envoy lowered his head, quickly cupped his hands, and went to convey the decree to the Ministry of Personnel.
Seeing the envoy walk away, Liu Xie gave a bitter smile. "I have been Emperor for over twenty years, and who would have thought that now I cannot even abdicate! Lu Ziyu... no, Cao Ziyu, you are still giving me a hard time!"
Speaking of which...
Liu Xie suddenly thought of something, "Someone, after abolishing the per capita tax this year, what is the tax revenue collected through the consolidation of land and households? I want to review it personally! Lest those scoundrels deceive me, deceive the imperial court!"
"Hoo..."
The eunuch's forehead was covered in large beads of sweat.
For the first time in over a decade, he felt that this Han Emperor had suddenly become formidable!
...
....
In the city of Xu Du, after the ancestral ceremony in Qiao Pei, Cao Cao returned to Xu Du with Lu Yu.
Tomorrow was the Crown Prince's grand wedding.
Cao Cao specially came to see his son. "Is everything ready?"
Lu Yu appeared calm, "Reporting to Father King, I have experience..."
"Last time it was the first and second halves, this time it's the first, second, and third halves. And the women this time are not like last time; they are all exceptionally skilled in martial arts. Er'er, you must take it easy..." Cao Cao said with a smile.
Lu Yu touched his forehead...
This was not his first marriage. Anyone who had been married had experience. Marrying one person was a test of stamina... let alone marrying three at once!
For a moment, Lu Yu suddenly felt a twinge in his waist...
He instinctively rubbed it, as if anticipating the busyness and labor of the next day.
Cao Cao, however, continued meaningfully, "Er'er, this wedding doesn't require Father to remind you specifically. You know, this concerns Jiangdong, Xiliang, and Yamatai Koku... behind each Crown Princess lies a faction..."
Before Cao Cao could finish speaking...
Lu Yu cupped his hands, "Father King, please rest assured... your son knows what to do!"
Marriages in ancient times mostly had a political alliance aspect to them... It was the same for Xiahou Juan and Princess Wannian Liu Xue before, who were backed by the Xiahou clan and the Han court. Now, Lu Lingqi, Sun Shangxiang, and Ma Yunlu are the same, but they are backed by Yamatai Koku, Jiangdong, and Xiliang!
Regarding specific women...
The difference is that before, they were like gentle little white rabbits. These three... if one is not careful, they could be fierce tigresses.
Tonight, no... tomorrow, I'll be wrestling with tigresses!
"Er'er, you have always made Father proud these years," Cao Cao said, standing in front of Lu Yu, shedding his demeanor as King of Wei and acting more like a loving father. He patted Lu Yu's shoulder and was about to leave.
But as he turned, Cao Cao suddenly thought of something and asked,
"Er'er, how do you plan to arrange for Cai Zhaoji?"
Uh...
This question completely stumped Lu Yu.
Regarding Sister Zhaoji...
He smackled his lips, clearly not having thought about it yet...
In fact, the matter was already settled. Sister Zhaoji was carrying his child, Lu Yu. A simpler solution would be to marry her with proper rites and give her the title of Crown Princess.
However... Lu Yu felt that the title of Crown Princess was not worth much in his Eastern Palace. Other Crown Princes had only one chief consort, but due to special circumstances, he had as many as five chief consorts.
Making Sister Zhaoji the sixth one... felt like a betrayal to her!
Therefore, this problem, Lu Yu pondered endlessly, but could not find a solution...
"Haha..." Cao Cao saw Lu Yu's predicament and tapped his shoulder again, "Sister Zhaoji is backed by the scholars of the north. Haha, alright, I will solve this problem for you!"
Saying that, Cao Cao strode out with his imposing gait
and left the Eastern Palace.
Leaving Lu Yu looking blankly?
What's going on?
Father King solved Sister Zhaoji's status problem for him?
How... how did he solve it?
Lu Yu was momentarily bewildered.
Over there...
"King of Wei..." Xu Chu, waiting outside the door, cupped his hands in a bow as Cao Cao emerged...
"Go to the Han Palace!" Cao Cao immediately commanded.
Xu Chu was startled, he looked up at the sky, "King of Wei, it's already dark... I fear His Majesty..."
"He cannot sleep..." Cao Cao said with a smile, and as he laughed, he walked towards the main gate of the King of Wei's palace. Along with it, Cao Cao's deep and resonant voice echoed, "The moon is bright and the stars are sparse, magpies fly south; Duke of Zhou spat out food, and the world's heart returns to us!"
...
....
The night was warm and humid, and the dark sky was dotted with countless stars, as if each star was telling its story.
In an open space within a mansion, Lu Bu was teaching his daughter, Lu Lingqi, spear techniques...
Under the torchlight...
Lu Bu held a spear in one hand and a sword in the other, dancing with impressive vigor. Lu Lingqi, still using her long spear, moved with grace and agility, surprisingly not inferior to Lu Bu.
After a flurry of sword and spearplay, father and daughter tacitly stopped. Lu Bu smiled and remarked, "Lingqi's spear technique has become even more refined!"
Lu Lingqi wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve and smiled, "How can your daughter tell? Is it because Father held back?"
As the words fell...
Lu Bu's expression became a little more serious, "What I used just now were the martial skills of Ma Yunlu and Sun Shangxiang. You must remember them firmly. The Crown Prince's Eastern Palace is not like other places. Father can help you win the auspicious time for marriage, but he cannot help you win the disputes within the harem."
Lu Lingqi nodded heavily. She knew... that learning these martial skills now had little practical use.
But this was her father... the last thing he could do for her, helping her in his own way!
"Father, daughter... daughter will miss you."
Lu Lingqi, like a little girl, buried herself in her father's chest, her eyes already shedding many tears.
She knew that after she got married, her father would likely return to Yamatai Koku soon.
"Daughter... daughter also misses mother!"
On the verge of marriage, girls always became particularly sentimental.
However, this hint of sadness was finally replaced by a soft blame.
"Father, why... why must you let your daughter marry the Crown Prince? Isn't it better for your daughter to always... always stay with Father?"
Lu Bu finally gently stroked his daughter's hair, looking at her with affection. These years, he had transformed from Marquis Wen Lu Bu back to Lu Fengxian of Jiuyuan. He had experienced much and grown much.
And this growth had made him understand more... and become more enlightened.
What Lu Bu held in his hands was not just "Yamatai Koku," but the Great Wei's "expansion of territory" overseas, the path of maritime exploration.
No one knew how many islands like "Yamatai Koku" existed in the sea, and how many people lived on them?
The territories Lu Bu controlled would only increase...
How could a person holding military power and territory be trusted by King Wei Cao Cao, Crown Prince Cao Yu, and the Great Wei?
Lu Bu marrying his daughter to the Wei Crown Prince...
This was the only choice!
This was good for his daughter, and good for himself. As long as his daughter remained Crown Princess, his expansion of territory, his age of maritime exploration, and the great achievements he established for the Great Wei would all become his daughter's greatest favor, and also the best life for Diao Chan and Ling Diao!
Lu Bu was someone who had died once. At his age, he had grown indifferent to fame, profit, and indulgence. What he cared about was only his family!
This was the only concern in his heart!
"Father would not harm you!"
"Marry the Wei Crown Prince, Father can rest assured..."
Finally, patting Lu Lingqi's back, Lu Bu's eyes, rarely, also showed sparkling teardrops.
--
--
Cao Cao, leading the Tiger Guards, stopped proudly outside the Han Palace.
Cao Cao dismounted from his carriage at the palace gate and looked up at the Han Palace, smiling proudly, "This palace, it looks a bit small now!"
Xu Chu cupped his hands, "The palace Your Majesty built in Luoyang is five times larger than this, and looks more like a palace!"
Upon hearing this, "Hahaha..." Cao Cao burst into laughter...
As he laughed, he commanded, "You all guard here, I will go see him!"
Xu Chu was startled, "Still let me lead troops to escort Your Majesty!"
"No need," Cao Cao smiled, "His Majesty now is not the same as His Majesty from ten years ago during the Emperor's Edict of the Girdle!"
As he spoke...
Cao Cao ascended the imperial steps alone, leaning on his sword. It seemed that because of his arrival, the Han Palace and its surroundings were brightly lit. These lights illuminated his back, proud and confident!
The guards at the gate all knelt down to greet the current King of Wei...
Cao Cao, however, recalled the dangers along this path during the Edict of the Girdle ten years ago. Every step, someone wanted to take his life!
But now, everyone submitted at his feet.
Through this path of swords and shadows, overt and covert attacks... fortunate that Er'er accompanied him, and Er'er provided strategies!
Entering the palace with his sword drawn, Cao Cao's footsteps sounded "thuddingly"...
Liu Xie had already been waiting inside. He listened intently to the footsteps outside the main gate, looking at the open door and the familiar figure, and for a moment, he did not know what to do!
Cao Cao swaggered towards Liu Xie... he cupped his hands to bow!
Liu Xie hurriedly helped him up, "King of Wei, please refrain from bowing... Tonight, although I am the ruler, at the dawn of tomorrow, who will be the ruler? Who bows to whom, is uncertain!"
Cao Cao smiled faintly, "I heard His Majesty abolished the officials selected through the recommendation system this year, and spent a full half-day re-examining the land and household tax generated by the consolidation of land and households. He ordered the punishment and exile of over twenty officials who were superficially obedient but inwardly defiant. What is His Majesty's intention?"
"Alas..."
Liu Xie sighed, "If I don't do this, can King of Wei come? Can King of Wei and the Crown Prince take over this mess of the Han Dynasty? Is there any hope for this world?"
Liu Xie grasped Cao Cao's hand. "King of Wei, here it is just you and me, ruler and minister. Shall we shed all pretense and be honest with each other for once?"
"Before I turned eighteen, I also wanted to save the Han dynasty with my own strength. But over the past decade, I have long understood that the Han has decayed to its very bones, beyond cure, beyond salvation... the mandate of heaven has shifted, and the hearts of the people have turned away. Only by ending the Han dynasty... can the common people have hope, and can I myself have hope! King of Wei, King of Wei, let me be like Shang Yang, and try to enact reform for the Great Wei. What I could not do for the Great Han in over ten years as Emperor, let me do it once for the Great Wei, for King of Wei, for the Crown Prince, and for the common people of the world. I want to be in charge, to make decisions, one last time, can I? Can I?"
--
--
.
.
Niu Nai Tang Tang Tang reminds you: Please remember to collect after reading.