Han Dynasty Achievements

Chapter 144 Imperial Examination

Chapter 144 Imperial Examination

Inside the Shangshutai, a group of people were still discussing the issue of tax cuts.

Xun You looked at Yang Biao and said, "Prime Minister, can you lend me some more?"

As soon as Ji and Yan provinces were in chaos, not only did they have to pay taxes, but they also had to pay additional money for suppressing bandits and providing disaster relief.

Yang Biao frowned, blinked his eyes, and said, "The Xun family is a big family in Yingchuan. Can Minister Xun borrow some money in Yingchuan?"

Xun You's expression changed, and he sat back silently.

Yingchuan had been ravaged several times by the Yellow Turban Army, and most of the major families had fled. Where could they borrow money and food?

Wang Yun said: "For the Jizhou incident, we need to send troops to support it."

"Where will the money and food come from?" Yang Biao asked calmly with a tense face.

Wang Yun was blocked by these words and remained silent.

Xun You and Zhong Yao looked at each other, and both of them were thinking about how to get money and food.

But the situation changed too quickly, disrupting their plans again and again.

Inside the study room of Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Liu Bian lay on the table, looking at the pile of papers in front of him, and found them cute no matter how he looked at them.

"Shihou Paper..."

Liu Bian's eyes flashed with smiles, and then he muttered to himself: "Paper, pens and ink are not easy to get, what else can be monopolized by policy... Food, clothing, housing and transportation. Clothes? Official uniforms! Accessories? Food, housing, transportation..."

Liu Bian thought about it and it seemed that only clothes and accessories could be monopolized to reap the benefits of the wealthy and powerful families.

After laughing for a long time, Liu Bian looked at Ying Shao's memorial again. His smile gradually faded and his eyes became gloomy.

What he, Yang Biao and Huangfu Song said was indeed true, but it was also true that the Black Mountain Army formed an alliance with the rebels to cause chaos!

Liu Bian turned his head and looked at the map on the wall. In the center was Yanzhou, and above it was Jizhou.

"Cao Cao..."

Liu Bian narrowed his eyes, his mind turned slightly, and after a moment, he turned to Pan Yin who was not far away and said lightly: "Is everything arranged?"

Pan Yin bowed his body, his face slightly tense, and said, "Yes."

Liu Bian hummed, sat up straight, and said, "You have to keep a close eye on the Minister of Rites."

"I understand." Pan Yin said. He had already seen that Liu Bian wanted to make money with this 'Shi Hou Paper'.

……

Puyang City.

Ding Yuan sat on the main seat, smiling at Cao Cao, stroking his sparse beard, and said, "Meng De, you have made a great contribution in suppressing the rebellion at Qiao Mao. What are your plans next?"

Cao Cao could hear the hidden meaning behind Ding Yuan's words, and said expressionlessly: "I will wait for your order."

Ding Yuan smiled and said, "I guess the court will ask Meng De to lead his army north to help Envoy Ying pacify Jizhou."

Cao Cao said nothing.

It was obvious that Ding Yuan wanted to drive him away.

Guo Jia sat aside, drank a sip of wine, half leaned his body, raised his chin high, looked at Ding Yuan rather arrogantly, and said loudly: "Ding Shijun is to blame for the chaos in Yanzhou. Have you thought about how to deal with it?"

Ding Yuan paused, snorted, and said, "I am discussing matters with Meng De, you have no right to speak!"

Cao Cao suddenly smiled and said, "Mr. Ding, your words of piety are not rude. Mr. Ding should make plans early."

Ding Yuan stared at Cao Cao and sneered in his heart.

Guo Jia looked at Ding Yuan and took another sip of wine leisurely.

With the defeat at Qiao Mao, the brief alliance between Cao Cao and Ding Yuan collapsed, and they began to fight openly and secretly for the territory of Yanzhou.

After a few simple words, Cao Cao and Guo Jia came out.

Cao Cao held his sword in his hand and said as he walked: "Feng Xiao, what do you think?"

Guo Jia lost his arrogance in front of Ding Yuan. His eyes gleamed with a sharp light. He said, "General, Ding Yuan will not stay in Yanzhou for long. I predict that it will not be long before the court will call him back to Beijing to be punished. Yanzhou is a place of war on all sides. Only capable people can live there. If you succeed as the governor of Yanzhou, you will achieve great success!"

Cao Cao was shocked.

Cao Cao was extremely enthusiastic about the word "achievements". However, with his current qualifications, he was still far from being able to serve as a governor of a state.

Guo Jia could see this and smiled, "Your Majesty is very kind to you, General. This time, Your Majesty went against all odds and sent you to conquer Yanzhou. You must be the governor of Yanzhou!"

Cao Cao stopped and looked at Guo Jia, seeming to want to say something but stopping himself.

Guo Jia paused and said, "General, do you have any questions?"

Cao Cao frowned, and after a moment's silence, he said, "It's not a secret. I killed more than a dozen soldiers during training at the Imperial Army Camp, and was impeached. Your Majesty transferred me to Luoyang and left me idle."

Guo Jia was not surprised and nodded, "Your Majesty, this is to protect the general."

Cao Cao nodded and said, "Once, His Majesty asked me whether I should lead the army or serve in the court."

Guo Jia's face slowly froze, and he said with his eyes wide open, "General, have you chosen to lead the troops?"

"Yes." Cao Cao said.

Guo Jia stared at Cao Cao in a daze, speechless for a moment.

Cao Cao's choice was not unexpected to him at all. But does this mean that Cao Cao can no longer be the governor of the state?

It can only be a general leading the troops!

Your Majesty in the Palace, is this what you mean?

Cao Cao looked at Guo Jia and saw that he looked stiff. He suddenly laughed and said, "Feng Xiao, in this world, it is not only the governors and prefects who can achieve success. I want to emulate Wei and Huo, quell the rebellion at home, and destroy the four barbarians abroad. I want to establish a great cause that will be passed down through the ages. In the history of the Han Dynasty, the word 'Cao Cao' will shine forever!"

Guo Jia stared at Cao Cao in a daze, unable to speak.

There seems to be nothing wrong with Cao Cao's idea.

But the Han Dynasty was in decline, the imperial court was weak, how could a hero not have a place to stand?

Guo Jia looked at Cao Cao's profile which was full of passion and longing, and decided in his heart that he had to make some careful plans for him.

"Munde."

Xiahou Dun came hurriedly and said, "Rencheng Prime Minister Zheng Sui is here."

Cao Cao calmed down and asked, "What is he doing here?"

Guo Jia picked up the wine pot, took a sip, and said, "The imperial edict has arrived."

Cao Cao was startled, looked at Guo Jia, and said, "Imperial edict? So soon?"

Guo Jia smiled and said, "It seems that His Majesty trusts you very much and believes that you can pacify Qiao Mao."

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao straightened his clothes, strode forward, and said, "Follow me to receive the order."

Soon, they arrived at Puyang government office.

Zheng Sui, the Prime Minister of Rencheng, stood at the top, looking at Ding Yuan and Cao Cao below, spread out the imperial edict, and said in a deep voice: "In accordance with the will of Heaven, I have received this clear order: rebels and rebellions have risen together, all the wise men have worked together, and the soldiers have obeyed orders to protect the people and defend the borders... I order Ding Yuan, the governor of Yanzhou, to focus on government affairs and provide disaster relief to the people. General Cao Cao of Wuwei, who was brave and fearless and put down the rebellion, is ordered to be the governor of Yanzhou's military affairs, eradicate the rebels, eliminate the banditry, and protect the people... As the story goes, I obey."

When Ding Yuan heard this, his expression changed again and again, and his eyes were filled with unwillingness and fear.

This decree retained his post as governor of Yanzhou, but stripped him of his military power!

"Your servant Cao Cao obeys your order!" Cao Cao raised his hands and said in a deep voice.

Zheng Sui glanced at Ding Yuan, stepped forward and handed the imperial edict to Cao Cao, and said with a smile: "General Wuwei, please stand up."

Cao Cao stood up, his expression unchanged, but he could not hide his excitement.

He originally thought that the emperor in the palace would order him to lead the troops north, but he never expected that he would be the governor of Yanzhou’s military affairs!

Guo Jia resisted the urge to drink, but he couldn't help but feel curious.

Depriving Ding Yuan of his military power and appointing Cao Cao as the commander-in-chief of military affairs, was this an arrangement made at the critical moment or was it an early plan?

When Ding Yuan saw that the imperial edict was in Cao Cao's hands, his expression was gloomy.

He might be the first governor to have his military power taken away from him! When the news of Qiao Mao's defeat spreads back to Luoyang, the government and the public will impeach him, and this empty governor may not even have a chance to sit on the throne!

Cao Cao suppressed his excitement, exchanged a few polite words with Zheng Sui, spared Ding Yuan, and suddenly said to Lu Bu with a smile: "Fengxian is a hero that I have never seen in my life. If you are willing to join my army, I will not treat you unfairly!"

Lu Bu was stunned. He didn't expect Cao Cao to openly recruit him.

His expression remained unchanged, he raised his hand and said: "Thank you General Cao for your kindness. I am Ding Shijun's adopted son and I swear to follow him till death. Please forgive me, General Cao."

Cao Cao smiled and said, "You are so righteous. I will be waiting for you at any time."

Lu Bu glanced at Ding Yuan from the corner of his eye and said with a more solemn expression: "General Cao has made a mistake in loving you."

Seeing Ding Yuan's gloomy expression, Cao Cao felt very happy. He pulled Zheng Sui out and said, "Prime Minister Zheng, I have something to ask you. Please."

Zheng Sui didn't care much about Ding Yuan and walked out chatting and laughing with Cao Cao.

Ding Yuan watched Cao Cao and his companions leave, feeling angry. Seeing that Lü Bu did not abandon him, he sighed and said sadly, "After this incident, I am afraid I will have to go to the capital to be punished. Fengxian... it is better to follow Cao Cao. He is a favorite of your majesty and has a promising future."

Lu Bu immediately knelt on one knee and said in a deep voice: "Foster father, I will never leave you! If the court asks for punishment, I will take the blame for you!"

Ding Yuan's eyes flickered, and he quickly helped him up, sighing softly: "Forget it, I know you have always been filial. However, it is not so easy to overthrow your father!"

Lu Bu stood up, stared at Ding Yuan, and asked, "What's your trick, foster father?"

Ding Yuan smiled grimly and said, "Let Cao Cao be proud for a few days!"

Lu Bu followed his gaze toward the door and vaguely heard Cao Cao's laughter, his eyes flickering slightly.

Zheng Sui and Cao Cao walked out of the government office. Seeing that there was no one else around, Zheng Sui whispered to Cao Cao, "General Cao, His Majesty has ordered you to quell the banditry in Yanzhou as soon as possible and prepare your army to await His Majesty's orders."

Cao Cao raised his hand and said sternly, "I wonder if Your Majesty has anything else to say?"

Zheng Sui looked around again and said, "The court will soon send officials of all levels to Yanzhou, and General Cao needs to cooperate. This includes the governors, the county lieutenants, the county magistrates, the county lieutenants, the grain governors, the six departments of the counties, and so on. The governors and county magistrates will not lead troops. If there is any disorder, General Cao needs to suppress it."

Cao Cao listened carefully, and when Zheng Sui finished speaking, he whispered even more: "Is there anything related to me?"

"General Wuwei" was a temporary appointment, meant for retreat, while "Governor-General of Military Affairs" was not a specific official position.

Zheng Sui shook his head and said, "I don't know."

Cao Cao paused for a moment after hearing this, then burst into laughter and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Prime Minister Zheng. Come on, let's prepare a banquet!"

Zheng Sui wanted to establish a relationship with this new nobleman, so he said happily, "I really want to, but I dare not ask for it."

After three rounds of drinking with Zheng Sui, Cao Cao's face flushed and he staggered, saying, "Zheng..."

He fell on the table with a thud.

Zheng Sui laughed when he saw this and said, "General Cao, your alcohol tolerance... is just like this..."

Zheng Sui took a gulp of the wine, struggled to stand up, staggered and sat back down, burping and nodding continuously. Not long after, he also fell down.

After a while, Cao Cao sat up, wiped his beard expressionlessly, and turned to leave.

When I arrived at the yard, I saw Guo Jia drinking wine and admiring the moon.

Cao Cao walked over with a smile and said, "Fengxiao, there is no moon tonight. Wouldn't it be boring to drink alone?"

Guo Jia seemed to have drunk a little too much, his face was a little flushed, he looked at Cao Cao and asked: "General, what did you find out?"

Cao Cao sat down and shook his head, saying, "Zheng Sui knows very little. I think His Majesty may transfer me back to the capital."

Guo Jia took a sip of wine, then shook his head and said, "I'm afraid the general cannot guess what your majesty is thinking."

Cao Cao sat up straight and said, "Fengxiao, what can I teach you?"

Guo Jia sat down a little better and said, "General, I think you will get what you want."

Cao Cao's narrow eyes flickered slightly, and he felt both excited and a little disappointed.