Chapter 354 Reasons for the Appointment
After Liu Yang said this, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was feasible.
He had been thinking that if he wanted to take any action against Qiao Yan in Chang'an City, it would definitely not be enough to rely on that little manpower.
Even if there is Yuan Yao who was sent out to be the governor of Nanyang, he can mobilize soldiers from Nanyang to enter Chang'an as a support. There are also people like Xian Yuyin who have some entourage troops in their hands and can assist him.
It is still too difficult to fight against Qiao Yan, who made his fortune through military operations.
At this point, Liu Yang even looked down on Wang Yun. After all, the other party had a failed experience in commanding troops, and his record was really not good enough compared to Qiao Yan's.
From this perspective, Liu Bei's appearance is like a beacon of light.
After all, it was an existence that had once defeated Yuan Shu and had confronted Qiao Yan's forces along the Huai River for several years!
Liu Yang did not think that Yuan Shu, the descendant of three generations of officials who were governors of Yuzhou, had serious problems in his ability to lead troops, nor did he consider that not much manpower had been invested in the North-South confrontation in Xuzhou earlier. He only felt that based on Liu Bei's performance, if he was allowed to rise again in Chang'an City and regain control of an army in Guanzhong, he would be able to compete with Qiao Yan.
If he could get his subordinate who killed Hua Xiong back under his command and give him a chance to perform, he might be able to deal a fatal blow to Qiao Yan!
But just as he was about to make this suggestion with hope, he was stopped by Chunyu Jia in front of him.
The other party's face was serious, as if he disagreed, "Your Highness, with all due respect, you must not make such an attempt to win over others at this time."
It was already a very dangerous move for Liu Yang to win over Yuan Yao.
But the good thing is that Yuan Yao's father Yuan Shu still stands on the side of the Chang'an court, and Yuan Yao himself does not have too much strength. Liu Yang's contact with him can be completely explained as sympathy for a peer, and there is absolutely no other intention.
But who is Liu Bei?
The rebel who once stood on the side of the Yecheng court!
Chunyu Jia knew it easily. No matter whether Liu Bei was sent to Chang'an after being stripped of his military power, or whether Guan Yu was still being detained in Yangzhou by Qiao Yan, there would definitely be Qiao Yan's spies around him.
"At least in the next six months, Liu Xuande will definitely have Qiao Yeshu's care and attention by his side."
Chun Yujia emphasized the word "care" very much, intending to let Liu Yang understand the meaning behind it. "If you go to him, let alone whether our current preparations can convince him to join, I'm afraid it will also arouse Qiao Yeshu's vigilance. Is this what you want to see?"
Liu Yang shook his head.
Chun Yujia added: "Besides, Liu Xuande has already experienced a failure. If we rashly try to win him over without a method that he thinks is effective in seizing power, he will never choose to join us."
Liu Yang couldn't help but say, "If I knew how to seize power, why would I need to win him over?"
Isn't it because the people under his command are not capable enough? Although they now hold official positions, they still have no chance of winning against Qiao Yan. So they thought of bringing in Liu Bei as an ally...
Chun Yujia's forehead jumped when Liu Yang admitted this so frankly. He was a little hesitant as to whether he had gotten on a pirate ship. However, things had come to this point and he had no other choice but to move on.
He said, "I am not saying that Your Highness must wait until everything is ready before trying to win him over. What I am saying is that if we do not have sufficient evidence to convince him, a chance to overturn Qiao Yan's constraints, and the confidence to resolve the crisis after getting rid of Qiao Yan, the possibility that Liu Xuande will agree to this attempt is very small."
Liu Yang asked, "Isn't it enough that the Han Dynasty might be usurped by Qiao Yan?"
"..." Chun Yujia dared to swear that if Liu Yang tried to win over Liu Bei with such performance, not to mention whether he could successfully bring him under his command, he might even be reported to Qiao Yan.
Liu Bei has not yet gone to such lengths to seek his own death.
"Your Highness, forgive me for being blunt. If it was Your Majesty who said that the Grand Marshal had a rebellious heart, Liu Xuande might still believe it, but if it was you who said it..."
"I'm not saying that your words may be considered a lie, but the Grand Marshal's actions so far have not exceeded his authority. Even if he has conferred these official positions on his subordinates, it has all been approved by His Majesty. If you take this to the streets of Chang'an, no one will respond."
Liu Yang seemed to have been hit by a hammer. He stood there for a long time before he asked, "Then according to Doctor Chunyu's opinion, what should I do?"
Qiao Yan's strength did not mean putting a knife on Liu Yu's neck, forcing him to act according to her orders, but when the trend of the Han Dynasty's integration had to be achieved under her manipulation, she had already firmly grasped too much power in her hands.
Just like this time, Yangzhou and Xuzhou were suddenly taken by her. Is it possible that Liu Yu, who was sitting on the throne of the emperor, would really refuse the official title she proposed?
I’m afraid it’s impossible.
This is not really Liu Yang's prejudiced idea towards her.
Chun Yujia said: "Let's assume Liu Xuande is not in Chang'an City for now. Don't worry about what he did here or what he discovered. Let him see for himself."
If Liu Bei still had the Han Dynasty in his heart, he would have definitely noticed no clues.
"Your Highness should also start striving for more say and show more concern for His Majesty. Perhaps one day His Majesty will realize that if things continue to develop in this way, when even Yuan Benchu and Cao Mengde are defeated by Qiao Yeshu, the result will not be peace and prosperity for the Han Dynasty, but Qiao Yeshu will replace the Han Dynasty."
If Liu Yu could speak out against Qiao Yan, the people they could mobilize would be more than just the few small people at the moment.
There will definitely be more people with lofty ideals joining this team!
"Besides, you should have more patience." Chun Yujia's tone was gentle due to his age, which made Liu Yang, who was on the verge of exploding, suppress his temper.
He squeezed out a sentence from between his teeth, "They say we need to be patient, but if we let her get her momentum, then all our patience will be nothing but empty talk."
"You can't say that." Maybe it was because Ni Heng scolded him in the street once before, but Chunyu Jia's brain is much better than before.
He explained to Liu Yang, "Think about it. In order to show that she had no selfish motives, Qiao Yeshu simply cut off ties with her clan and established herself as the Leping Qiao Clan. This certainly gave her fewer bossy elders and an extra layer of protection, but it also put her in an extremely dangerous situation."
"When Jing Ke assassinated Qin, he had to worry about whether the descendants of the King of Qin would take over his legacy and retaliate against the State of Yan after the assassination was successful. Qiao Yan, however, was alone. Even the few people in the Qiao clan in Leping were women who were not even as old as her."
"Your Highness, once Qiao Yeshu is executed, the situation will be completely reversed. Even if the garrisons in Liangzhou and Bingzhou really want to avenge her, the emperor will be able to suppress it. With such a guarantee, as long as you can be patient and wait, the one who succeeds in the end will definitely not be the thief who usurped power."
"Yes...that's right." A hint of excitement flashed across Liu Yang's face as Chun Yujia said this.
Qiao Yan has disadvantages, and is a factor that is often taken into consideration when a subordinate follows his lord.
At this moment, she can rely on her youth to make this disadvantage not so obvious, and even have it temporarily ignored by her supporters. But when she is about to be listed among the traitors, it will be a great thing for the orthodox forces!
With Qiao Yan's style of doing things, whether it is the drought that may continue this year or Yuan Shao in Yecheng, they will inevitably hold her back and prevent her from preparing an heir for herself at this time. This is also the biggest advantage of Liu Yang and others at present!
In that case, doesn't it mean that we won't talk to Liu Bei for the time being?
He can still wait!
He could even pretend not to see Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting who were sent to Chang'an by Qiao Yan, and turn a deaf ear to their studies in the Ministry of Justice.
Just as Chun Yujia said, in order to achieve their goal, all this necessary waiting is necessary.
It's because they are indeed short of manpower.
"Thank you for your help, sir. In your opinion, what should I do recently?" Liu Yang asked.
Seeing that Liu Yang was not so carried away by his actions, Chun Yujia finally breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "The Leping Monthly Report said that this year's drought may continue. The thunderstorms during the drought came after the Waking of Insects, but there is still no rain. This is indeed not a good sign..."
Thinking of how he was scolded in the street last year for not believing Qiao Yan's prediction of the weather, Chun Yujia still felt a little scared.
He will never make that mistake this year.
He said: "If Your Highness is interested, why not apply to His Majesty to work with Ji Tian Ling."
Although Ji Tianling Tian Chou was under the command of the Grand Minister of Agriculture, he was still Liu Yu's men. Putting Liu Yang to work under him was reasonable on the one hand, and it also allowed Liu Yang to accumulate more connections and qualifications.
It would be beneficial for Liu Yang to gain more favor from the people during the years of disaster.
We can't let him become the next emperor just by relying on his status as a prince.
When it comes to managing his reputation, Liu Yang should really learn from Liu Bei, Qiao Yan and others. After all, he is still far behind.
Although Liu Yang was somewhat reluctant, as he felt that this would make him two levels lower than Cheng Yu, the Minister of Agriculture, he still accepted Chunyu Jia's suggestion.
Liu Yu was quite surprised to receive his application. When he looked at Liu Yang, he clearly could not see how sincere he was when he claimed that he wanted to learn a thing or two.
But Liu Yu was struggling with his emotions and was exhausted. How could he have the extra energy to figure out whether his unlearned son made such a decision because he found this matter interesting or for some other reason?
"You can work with Tian Zitai, but you can't show off your temper or put on airs. If I know you do that, I'll have someone bring you back immediately." Liu Yu said, "Besides, the pressure of spring farming this year is not small, and you can't hold back."
Liu Yang almost swore to the heavens. He just felt that he had reached the age where he should take responsibilities, so he came up with this idea.
He explained according to what Chunyu Jia had taught him, that he also knew how capable he was, so he only chose such a position.
A clerk under the Grand Minister of Agriculture!
Look, what a restrained self-awareness this is.
Since he said so, there was really no need for Liu Yu to refuse him.
Liu Yang, who got this opportunity to improve his reputation, did not realize that his father's tired posture at the moment actually concealed a lot of more obscure information. He just said goodbye and left immediately, preparing to go to Tian Chou, the Ji Tianling, to maintain their relationship.
According to what Chunyu Jia and Wang Yun, who also supported this matter, said, if he could win over Tian Chou, it would mean that if there really came a day of change, with Qiao Yan's resignation, Cheng Yu would have a successor who stood on Liu Yang's side.
As long as there is a trustworthy person in a position where people can have enough food, the people in Guanzhong will not fall into chaos so easily.
The prospect of the people returning to their hearts made Liu Yang go out immediately after getting Liu Yu's permission, and even his steps were much lighter than when he came.
Liu Yu looked at his back and felt that he had not grown at all during the four years in Chang'an City.
He shook his head and sighed softly, "People's lives are so difficult..."
Unfortunately, Liu Yang is obviously not the person who can be entrusted with such an important task.
But on Ye Shu's side...
Liu Yu closed his eyes and sighed.
I just hope everything can still be salvaged.
But is this "hope" an unrealistic luxury he raised at this moment? Even if Liu Yu believed that he had experienced many ups and downs, he could not come up with a result at this moment.
Perhaps he should invite Lu Zhi, who had gone to Leping Academy due to his old age, back to help him solve his doubts, or perhaps the best option for him was to do nothing.
He seized the petition that someone had sent him asking him to exercise restraint on Qiao Yan. After dismissing his subordinates, he sat quietly for a long time in the empty and lonely hall. In the end, he only issued one order -
The situation has changed this year, so please ask the Minister of Agriculture to lead the calculation of the amount of tax reduction and exemption and report it to the emperor, and decide whether to reduce the population tax or the land rent tax. Since the northern part of Xuzhou is newly acquired, it will be implemented in the name of the court's favor.
He may not be a qualified emperor, but he should at least do more.
At the same time in Yanzhou, on Cao Cao's desk was the Leping Monthly Report which was used to infer the weather.
Cao Cao still believed the information conveyed by Qiao Yan through the monthly report.
The pressure he faces this year is undoubtedly greater than last year.
The second year of the drought would definitely not be as difficult as the first year. The area he was responsible for this year was also larger than last year. Moreover, more importantly, his opponents had shown a more ferocious stance than last year.
Xuzhou changes hands!
Yangzhou changes hands!
These two consecutive pieces of news were like two spring thunders hitting the land of Central Plains, leaving no room for people to react.
Last year's Yizhou-Youzhou Incident was seen as Qiao Yan's response to Cao Cao's surprise attack on Yuzhou, which was terrifying enough.
This year, she not only extended an invitation to him, but also took control of Yangzhou and Xuzhou, showing an increasingly sophisticated and aggressive attitude.
Even though he knew that she did not have the time to break the agreement on the boundary between Yingchuan and Runan and was attacking Yuzhou without caring about the cost, Cao Cao had to be on full alert in the face of these two pieces of news that could not change the outcome of the battle.
No one can predict who her next target will be?
Was it Yuan Shao, who had already been threatened by troops stationed on the border last winter, or was it him, the governor of Yanzhou, who might face the possibility of her sending troops from Sili at any time?
Faced with her always unpredictable behavior, Cao Cao was simply unable to give a clear answer.
Even Chen Gong, who was usually steady, couldn't sleep well in the few days after the news came from the east.
He spent two days thoroughly reviewing the battle situation in Xuzhou and Yangzhou, and used the most intuitive model diagram to clearly illustrate Liu Bei's response and Qiao Yan's actions.
But this obviously did not make them feel at ease because their doubts were resolved. Instead, they felt an impending pressure because of Qiao Yan's stable and winning method in multi-line operations.
But they are clearly not the only ones feeling anxious about this.
Compared to Cao Cao, who has a decent relationship with Qiao Yan and may even defect, Yuan Shao is under much greater pressure.
The fact that Liu Bei was able to save his life and be sent to Chang'an does not mean that he would have received the same treatment if Yuan Shao had been defeated.
The borrowing of grain during the Dong Zhuo Rebellion, the establishment of a new emperor after the pacification of Luoyang, the attempt to hinder Qiao Yan during her attack on Liang Province, and the various conflicts after the confrontation between the Eastern and Western courts, all made the hatred between Yuan Shao and Qiao Yan grow deeper and deeper.
It would be hard not to end with Yuan Shao's death.
"Yuan Benchu is so anxious... He even used the emperor in Yecheng's honor to ask me to come over!" Cao Cao looked at the letter placed together with the Leping Monthly Report, and a look of helplessness flashed across his face.
But to be honest, Yuan Shao was struggling, so how could he not be there?
Even though the two people have different ideas at the moment, if they talk about an alliance, it might be feasible.
However...this alliance cannot be done according to Yuan Shao's method.
Now is not the time for Cao Cao to lose the initiative!
He asked Chen Gong, who he had invited to discuss this matter, "Do you think Qiao Yan will keep the appointment at Hulao Pass on time after the appointment was postponed for half a month, which was made a month ago?"
"Yes!" Chen Gong answered confidently.
Perhaps because of the various analyses and considerations in recent days, Chen Gong's face showed a bit of fatigue, but this did not affect the firm gaze of this leading scholar in Yanzhou at this moment, and he was not at all knocked to the ground by the sudden news.
Even though there seemed to be a lot of unfinished business that Qiao Yan needed to do in the Xuzhou-Yangzhou area, Chen Gong still gave such a reply in a firm tone: "She will definitely come to the appointment, because... because she is Qiao Yeshu."
Cao Cao laughed out loud, "Yes, she is Qiao Yeshu, she will definitely not just use this appointment at Hulao Pass as a bargaining chip to distract us!"
"Please ask Gongtai to go to Yecheng on my behalf and inform Yuan Benchu——"
"Just say that in order to avoid showing any signs of weakness, I will first go to Qiao Yeshu's appointment, and then go to Yecheng to discuss the alliance with him!"
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