Pei State, Qiao County.
A banquet was held on the official grounds before the imperial palace. Cao Cao sat in the center, Lu Yu on one side, and the elders and common folk of Qiao and Pei were seated among them, a scene of harmonious togetherness.
After introducing Lu Yu's identity, Cao Cao raised his wine cup and said to Lu Yu, "Yu'er, back in our old house, we used to grow a few sugarcane plants in the central courtyard. I truly wish you could taste the sugarcane from our hometown, but it's been over twenty years now. I fear those sugarcane plants are long gone?"
Cao Cao's words elicited laughter from the elders and common folk. The village head quickly replied, "The King's sugarcane grew exceptionally well. Every year when they grew ripe, the village would pick them and distribute them to the villagers, allowing them to share in the King's good fortune... Just like the Crown Prince, the King's son, whose roots are forever planted in our Qiao County!"
"Hahaha…"
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao burst into hearty laughter. "There is no sugarcane in this season, but Yu'er, this being your first time back, your heart is with the villagers. When you came here, you had people prepare all sorts of fruit juices. Villagers, please, do try them, do try them!"
The Tiger Guards sequentially brought out grapes, lychees, oranges, and other items…
But these people dared not make a move; they only looked, none daring to step forward to take any.
It was Lu Yu who popped a grape into his mouth, as if to instruct the villagers. "You eat it like this, spitting out the seeds. It's a bit sour, but also sweet!"
With the Crown Prince personally demonstrating, the villagers nervously began to eat.
Cao Cao asked the village head of this place with great interest, "I returned once a few years ago. At that time, under the turmoil of war, nine out of ten households in Qiao County were gone, with ruins everywhere. Those strong men followed me to conquer the world, leaving only women and children. The entire village was filled with weeping. At that time, I also ordered that for families who had no land due to poverty, they could receive land and farming equipment from the government; for families with fallen soldiers, all corvée and military service would be exempted! In these years, the people's lives must have improved, I presume?"
Cao Cao held affection for his hometown.
He also knew deeply how much harm his uprising and the soldiers he recruited from his hometown had caused the elders of his village during the war years!
On that return, Cao Cao had personally built a memorial hall to console the spirits of the soldiers!
Therefore, on this return, besides introducing Crown Prince Cao Yu to everyone, he also wanted to inquire again how the villagers were faring.
"Reporting to the King…" the village head said with a smile, "Thanks to the King's blessings these past few years, there has been no war in Qiao and Pei. The ruined houses have all been rebuilt, and the men who fled to the mountains have gradually returned. The population has more than tripled!"
Hearing this…
Cao Cao nodded with satisfaction.
However, Lu Yu caught a hint of evasiveness in the village head's eyes and immediately followed up with a question, "How has the harvest been? This is my father king's former residence; have the villagers all received land? Has the ideal of 'land to the tiller' been realized?"
This…
The village head immediately became awkward. He grew somewhat timid… as if he had concerns.
Cao Cao noticed the abnormality and quickly asked, "What is it?"
The village head quickly forced a smile. "It's good, it's good… We have grain, we have food…"
He said no more about the land, which made Cao Cao even more vigilant. Cao Cao glanced back at Lu Yu and understood something from Lu Yu's focused expression.
…His face turned cold as he said, "Where is the magistrate of Qiao Pei County? Issue my decree, order the county magistrate to bring the household and land registers of Qiao County!"
Not long after…
The Tiger Guards led the county magistrate, who tremblingly cupped his hands and presented the land register, then knelt on the ground in fear.
Cao Cao flipped through the pages one by one. He read very quickly, and the reason for his speed was… he didn't need to scrutinize, because most of the land was concentrated in the hands of a few nobles from the Cao and Xiahou clans.
"Hmph…"
Cao Cao's expression was one of furious indignation. "So, you mean to say the people here have no land to till, and are all tenant farmers?"
The county magistrate trembled, "It's not just Qiao County, it's the same for Pei State. This land is the ancestral home of the King and the generals. Each general has claimed a piece of land as ancestral sacrificial land. Where… where is there any remaining land to distribute to the people?"
"Hmph!"
Cao Cao angrily threw down the land register. "I ordered years ago for you to distribute land to the people, but what about now? I haven't even prepared a tomb for myself, nor would I spare a blade of grass or a tree here, yet so many generals have each claimed land! Are their ancestors more noble than mine? To sleep on a thousand mu of fertile land!"
It was shocking…
According to the land register, Cao Ren occupied five hundred mu, Cao Hong occupied eight thousand mu, Cao Zhen occupied three thousand mu, Cao Chun, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan… all had encroached upon land!
…How many mu of land could a county have?
Enough for these dozens of nobles to seize?
Seeing Cao Cao's fury, the village head and the county magistrate trembled, not daring to utter a sound…
Only Lu Yu cupped his hands and said, "Father King, ice three feet deep is not the work of one day… This matter still requires long-term consideration!"
Lu Yu's words somewhat diffused Cao Cao's anger.
But he was still indignant…
For a moment, he even thought of Emperor Guangwu… thought of the restoration of Emperor Guangwu, thought of the twenty-eight generals of the Yuntai, thought of marrying a wife meant marrying Yin Lihua…
But what was the end result? What had the empire built by Emperor Guangwu become?
What kind of an empire was the Han during the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling?
The aristocratic families gathered, the powerful clans flourished… The seeds sown by Emperor Guangwu had grown vigorously, even to the point of becoming giant trees…
Officialdom, land, commerce… clans could monopolize all resources.
The Son of Heaven had become the one with the least power!
Tragic, tragic!
The lament of the Han, would it… also be the lament of Wei?
Cao Cao's gaze deepened.
Just then.
A Tiger Guard hurried over, "King of Wei, urgent report from Xudu…"
Cao Cao calmed down, "Report!"
The Tiger Guards quickly said, "The Han court has stopped the exchange of national debt. Countless aristocratic families have surged forward. They have gathered their guards and rushed to the imperial palace, blocking the Canglong Gate, demanding an explanation from the Son of Heaven. Xudu city is in chaos!"
Mm…
Cao Cao was slightly taken aback.
This was the power of the great aristocratic families. Cao Cao had anticipated that after the suspension of national debt exchange, the aristocratic families would take more desperate measures, but he had not expected them to dare to gather people and block the palace gates of the Han palace.
The Son of Heaven?
The court? What were these to the great clans?
Because of the land in Qiao and Pei;
Because of the actions of the aristocratic families, Cao Cao realized for the first time that if they continued on the current path, Great Wei would inevitably follow in the footsteps of the Han.
…It would also become an empire of powerful families and aristocratic clans…
And this… was something he was unwilling to see!
Just then…
"Dada-da," suddenly there was the sound of flying dust from afar.
Squinting, they saw Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, Cao Xiu, Cao Hong, Xiahou Shang, and others… more than twenty in total, all nobles of Qiao and Pei.
Cao Cao swept his gaze over so many people and smiled faintly, "What great matter could have caused so many important ministers to come together?"
Cao Hong was the first to step forward, "Since the reigns of Huan and Ling, the Han has declined, leading to the displacement of the populace and the collapse of order. Now, the Han court acts against heaven and man, embezzling national debt funds and suspending exchanges, which is an act that provokes the wrath of heaven and resentment of the people. My Wei has already been established. The people of the world eagerly await a wise ruler to ascend the throne. Therefore, I humbly request that the King, obeying heaven's will and the hearts of the people, ascend the throne in place of the Han, to save the suffering people of the world from hardship!"
Cao Hong's words came out…
The ministers behind him also cupped their hands, "We humbly request that the King consider the will of heaven and the hearts of the people, establish a state in place of the Han, and save the suffering people of the world from hardship!"
As this scene unfolded, Lu Yu looked at everyone in his position…
He had thought that one day, Wei would replace Han…
But who could have imagined that this day would come so quickly, so suddenly!
Before Cao Cao could reply…
Cao Ren said, "Previously, the King hesitated to take this step due to the threat from Xiliang and Jiangdong. But now, with the Crown Prince's wedding imminent, Xiliang and Jiangdong are loyal, and the Han court has repeatedly made foolish decisions, causing heaven's wrath and the people's resentment. Now is the time, with favorable conditions and popular support, the King should obey heaven's will and ascend the throne! Wei shall replace Han!"
These words came out…
"Wei shall replace Han!"
"Wei shall replace Han!"
"Wei shall replace Han!"
The voices rose like a mountain and a sea, truly startling these common folk of Qiao and Pei.
How could they have imagined that Cao Aman, who had left Qiao and Pei forty years ago, would today… have the hope of becoming the Son of Heaven!
No…
Only Lu Yu saw some hidden clues.
Although the Han court's suspension of national debt payments would cause resentment among the clans, it would not be enough… to make the nobles of Qiao and Pei unanimously urge Cao Cao to ascend the throne.
There must be something else…
Just then, a school official quickly approached Lu Yu, crouched down, and whispered something into Lu Yu's ear.
After listening, Lu Yu nodded…
So that's how it is!
Conversely, Cao Cao waved his large hand, "More than ten years ago, I raised troops from Chenliu, calling upon the eighteen lords of the realm to attack Dong. At that time, my ideal was to be the General who Conquered the West of the Han. I felt that after my death, a monument could be erected at my grave with the inscription: 'Tomb of Cao Hou, General who Conquered the West of the Han,' and that would be enough!"
"I lived as a minister of Han, and I will die as a ghost of Han. I shall take your memorials as mere jest, and I ask that you do not mention this matter again!"
Speaking of which…
Cao Cao turned around with a resolute expression, "Yu'er, you accompany me to the old house for a walk! Everyone else disperse. To propose such a presumptuous act in Qiao Pei would make the elders and common folk laugh!"
With that said… Cao Cao strode toward the former residence, and Lu Yu quickly followed. He knew that Cao Cao had many words to share with him at this moment!
As for the remaining nobles of the Cao and Xiahou clans…
They looked at each other.
"The hearts of the people are with us? What else is missing?"
… "Brother still values reputation too much. He cares about his reputation and is unwilling to overstep. That's fine, let the Emperor abdicate himself!"
"Yes, abdication! This way, who in the world will have any objections!"
"Speaking of which, this matter must be quick. We can't really let that Emperor abolish the recommendation system and implement the imperial examination system, can we? If that happens, how will officials be selected in the future? Will we, the people of Qiao Pei, still have a say?"
As they talked… they arrived at the most crucial issue.
The former dragon-slaying heroes would eventually become dragons…
The recommendation system in the past was a means for the Grand Ministers, the Nine Ministers, and the aristocratic families to monopolize all resources. Now that they, the nobles of Qiao Pei, had risen, how could they allow the recommendation system to be replaced by the imperial examination system?
They heard that the imperial examination system selected officials through "examinations." These bastards… they, the people of Qiao Pei, were all roughnecks. How could they possibly pass those effeminate scholars?
…
…
Xudu City, Ministry of Personnel.
Chen Qun, the Minister of Personnel, walked in with a worried expression. Seeing Xun Yu, he felt as if he had seen a savior!
On the contrary, Xun Yu could tell what Chen Qun was worried about just by looking at his face.
As one of the Three Excellencies, Chen Qun had been personally appointed by the King of Wei to be responsible for the wedding of the Crown Prince and the three Crown Princesses, and this was a hot potato.
Xun Yu, knowing but not revealing, simply tapped the table and said, "Since you are here, why not bring out a chessboard? Let's discuss how to proceed while playing chess."
Chen Qun sighed, "Alas," and took a chessboard from a scribe, placing it on the table in the Ministry of Personnel.
In fact, although Xun Yu had exceptional insight and the talent of a king's advisor, he was not perfect. At least in terms of chess skills, he was not considered first-rate.
Chen Qun did not even need to exert his full strength to make Xun Yu frown and ponder for a long time.
In a game, Xun Yu was completely defeated…
Chen Qun still had a worried expression. "The chess game is over. Regarding the Crown Prince's wedding, Lord, you must offer me some advice!"
Xun Yu narrowed his eyes. "Then, Minister Chen, why don't you tell me first, in your opinion, on the wedding day, should Lü Lingqi, Sun Shangxiang, or Ma Yunlu come first, or who follows whom?"
Heh…
With Xun Yu throwing the question back, Chen Qun spread his hands. "If you ask me, let the Crown Prince and the three Crown Princesses have their ceremonies together. That already makes it one Crown Prince, five… no… six Crown Princesses. The rules and rituals have long been discarded. Why worry about who comes first or last? Let them all have their ceremonies together, and enter the bridal chamber together, wouldn't that be more expedient?"
Xun Yu could hear…
That Chen Qun was speaking out of frustration.
Having their ceremonies together could be understood, but entering the bridal chamber together, given the fierceness of these three young ladies, would they not tear the bridal chamber apart…
"This matter cannot be arranged this way."
"Heh heh… I also know it cannot be arranged this way!"
As soon as Chen Qun finished speaking, he heard continuous whistling from outside, followed by the sound of fabric ripping through the air. A clear female voice shouted.
"It is said that Lü Fengxian of Jiuyuan has a daughter with extraordinary martial arts skills. Is she truly as renowned as her reputation, or is it just empty fame? Today, this young lady will seek your guidance!"
"Hmph… Don't be crying to your mommy and daddy when you get beaten!"
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear…
Xun Yu and Chen Qun were just discussing Lü Lingqi and Ma Yunlu… when their voices could already be heard.
"Not good!" Chen Qun was suddenly alarmed. As he jumped up, he felt his arm grabbed tightly. Turning his head, he saw Xun Yu gripping his arm with a solemn expression.
Xun Yu said sternly, "Walk slower, let them fight for a while!"
Uh…
From Xun Yu's eyes, Chen Qun saw a hint of deeper meaning.
Unexpectedly, at this moment…
Another brand new female voice rang out, "The women from the Northern Regions and Yongliang seem very rough, but… I like it! Moonlight follows the shadow of the bow, and barbarian frost brushes the sword's bloom, hmph, watch my power!"
Passing through the west corridor of the Ministry of Personnel and just rushing into the main courtyard through the moon gate, Xun Yu and Chen Qun saw three figures in motion. Three valiant women, one wielding a spear, another a sword… engaged in a lively battle!
"Lord Xun, this…"
Chen Qun's eyes were almost popping out.
Xun Yu, however, stroked his beard. "Minister Chen, please be patient. For the Crown Prince's wedding, since we cannot decide who comes first or last, why not let these three women… compete against each other!"
Hoo…
As these words were spoken, Chen Qun broke out in a cold sweat. But after the shock, his eyes were filled with admiration.
He admired Xun Yu… completely and utterly!
…
…
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Niu Nai Tang Tang Tang reminds you: Please remember to collect after reading.