Inside the Cao family's living room, everyone looked at Cao Song, who was sitting in the main seat, wearing a cotton coat and with a ruddy complexion. He didn't seem to have anything urgent to attend to.

Although they were very unhappy, no one dared to stand up and say anything.

Li Mao then spoke up at the opportune moment, saying, "You flatter me, Grand Minister of Agriculture. You are very busy, so it is no trouble for us to wait a little longer!"

"Yes, yes, yes! The Grand Minister of Agriculture is in charge of the Han Dynasty's treasury and grain, working tirelessly every day. He is truly a role model for us all!"

"Yes! The Grand Minister of Agriculture works tirelessly day and night for the country and its people; we should all learn from him!"

"......."

Seeing someone take the lead, the crowd began to echo each other. Although they were somewhat resentful for waiting for Cao Song in the cold wind for so long, they still had to say some nice things on the surface.

"Hehe~, since we eat the emperor's food, we should be loyal to the emperor and share the emperor's burdens. It is our duty! It is only right to work hard. We really do not deserve such praise from you all."

Cao Song smiled and waved his hand, his words revealing loyalty and humility.

Everyone was stunned. They had only been being polite, so why was Cao Song actually taking advantage of the situation?

How could the Grand Minister of Agriculture, a high-ranking official among the Nine Ministers, be so shameless?

For a moment, the hall fell into a brief silence, and the atmosphere was quite awkward.

"Uh... the Grand Minister of Agriculture is right! As His Majesty's subjects, it is our duty to share His Majesty's burdens!"

Although Li Mao was also speechless, he remembered that business was important, so he quickly spoke up to break the awkward silence.

"Yes! The Grand Minister of Agriculture is absolutely right!!"

The others realized what was happening and began to chime in with their agreement.

"Hehe~ Alright, let's get down to business first, please have a seat!"

Cao Song smiled and then gestured for everyone to sit back in their respective seats.

After everyone was seated, Cao Song glanced around at them and then said in a deep voice, "I'm sure you all know why I've come here today."

"We already know!" everyone said in unison.

Cao Song nodded. "Alright! I won't waste any more words!"

Cao Song then took out a memorial and said in a deep voice, "I have written down everything we discussed during the day in this memorial. Please fill in your names as well, and we can submit it together tomorrow!"

After saying this, Cao Song placed the memorial on a tray on the table, which also contained writing brush and ink, indicating that Cao Song had prepared it in advance.

"this....."

When they heard that Cao Song was going to submit a joint memorial to the throne with them, they looked at each other in bewilderment, their hearts pounding with apprehension.

"Isn't this a bit inappropriate? If we submit a joint memorial, it might be seen as collusion, which could displease His Majesty!"

An elderly official looked hesitantly at Cao Song and the memorials on the tray.

The others remained silent, but their appearances were no different from those of the elderly official.

Cao Song smiled dismissively, “Don’t worry, everyone. Joint memorials have existed since ancient times. As long as they are not directed at other ministers, there is no suspicion of collusion.”

Moreover, this matter concerns selecting talented individuals for the country and for Your Majesty; it is a beneficial undertaking for the nation and its people. How could Your Majesty be displeased?

Even so, the group remained somewhat hesitant.

As for the so-called alleged collusion mentioned by the older official, they didn't care at all.

As for whether it would displease the emperor, they didn't care at all, because Cao Song had done the same thing before, and in the end, everyone got along well.

But this time is different. After all, this matter will offend those top aristocratic families no matter what.

All they wanted was for Cao Song to be at the forefront, while they simply stood by and cheered him on. If he succeeded, they would add fuel to the fire; if he failed, they could escape unscathed.

Whether they succeed or not, they will not suffer any loss.

But once they signed that memorial, they would have no way out and would have to openly oppose those powerful families. Moreover, they would be categorized as being in Cao Song's faction and would inevitably face exclusion from others in the future.

On the surface, this group of people gave the impression of being a group without forming factions, but Cao Song could see right through them at a glance.

Thinking of this, Cao Song couldn't help but sneer inwardly, "Ha~ A bunch of idiots! They think they can use me as a tool?"

Then Cao Song looked at everyone with displeasure and said in a deep voice, "As the Grand Minister of Agriculture, Cao Song is one of the Nine Ministers and is deeply trusted and relied upon by His Majesty. It would be easy for me to recommend my own sons for official positions."

It's only because I saw you being excessively suppressed and bullied by the Yuan family that I felt pity for you and wanted to help you, which is why I was willing to stand up for you.

Now that the opportunity is right in front of you, why are you still hesitating and not knowing how to cherish it?

If you all feel this is not feasible, then you may all return home, and I will withdraw this memorial, as if nothing happened today. How about that?

After speaking, Cao Song remained silent, sitting in his seat and quietly watching everyone.

Hearing Cao Song speak so frankly, the crowd couldn't help but exchange glances, realizing that their own little thoughts hadn't escaped Cao Song's notice at all.

Upon hearing that Cao Song wanted to withdraw the memorial, everyone panicked.

Because what Cao Song said was indeed true. Even without this incident, it wouldn't have been a problem for the Cao family, along with the Xiahou family, to rise to power.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!