"Hehe, my lord, you flatter me. I am unworthy of such praise. I leave everything to your decision!" Jia Xu said humbly.
"Very well, let's follow Wenhe's plan. Wenyou, go and draft the imperial edict to bestow titles and fiefdoms upon our family!" Dong Zhuo exclaimed with boundless pride.
This time, all the feudal lords who had participated in the allied forces in the past were granted the title of king.
Even Liu Bei was made a king!
Cao Cao, who was in Yanzhou, naturally also received the imperial edict conferring him the title of king.
"What do you think of this matter?" Cao Cao asked, frowning.
"My lord, this matter is extremely beneficial to our army. Dong Zhuo is incompetent and has actually come up with the policy of enfeoffing kings. We can not only expand our strength, but also win the hearts of the people. It is a win-win situation!" Cao Ren said with a smile.
Guo Jia remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "My lord, this is a trap!"
"Oh, what advice do you have for me, Fengxiao?" Cao Cao asked, slightly puzzled.
"My lord, the decree to confer the title of king is an imperial edict, but it was issued by Dong Zhuo. If you accept the title of king, wouldn't that be acknowledging Dong Zhuo's identity and becoming his subject? Wouldn't that be aiding and abetting evil?" Guo Jia said calmly.
"Haha, Fengxiao is right."
Xun Yu echoed, "In that case, if Dong Zhuo issues an edict, we will have no choice but to obey. This is because our lord has previously been building momentum to support the Han Dynasty. If we refuse the edict now, we will inevitably be criticized by the world and even be condemned."
Cao Cao nodded. Indeed, if one accepted the title of king and then refused the imperial decree, it would be tantamount to rebelling against the Han Dynasty, and would certainly be despised by everyone. This was beyond doubt.
"Then we won't accept it!" Cao Cao said firmly.
"Not only will I refuse, but I will also send out a proclamation denouncing Dong Zhuo's actions as no different from those of the Yellow Turban Rebellion!"
Guo Jia and Xun Yu exchanged a glance, then cupped their hands in a respectful greeting and said, "Our lord is wise!"
As a result of the previous incident, Cao Cao now has a wealth of talented people under his command, and many Confucian scholars who are devoted to the Han Dynasty have come to serve him.
Yanzhou was almost becoming a gathering place for Confucian scholars, and Cao Cao's heavy reliance on aristocratic families led many of the aristocratic families from Luoyang to come to Yanzhou to serve him.
Although Dong Zhuo did not target the aristocratic families, he also did not give them important positions, causing a large number of aristocratic family members to become displaced and forced to seek survival in Yanzhou. As a result, Yanzhou gradually became stronger.
Yuan Shao, who was in Ji Province, had his own ideas after receiving the policy of being granted the title of king.
Their Yuan family had been high-ranking officials for four generations. Now that the imperial court had issued an edict to enfeoff Yuan Shao as a king, how could he not be tempted?
He was originally an illegitimate son in the Yuan family and was not well-liked. Now that he has the opportunity to rise to the top, why would he give it up?
However, Yuan Shao did not rashly agree to Dong Zhuo's request, but instead summoned his ministers to discuss the matter.
"Gentlemen, what is your opinion on this matter?" Yuan Shao asked, looking at the crowd below.
"My lord, accepting the title of king would indeed be beneficial to you!" Guo Tu advised.
“Yes, my lord, the Yuan family has been a family of high-ranking officials for four generations. If they can go even further, they will be qualified to establish their own government and gather talents from all over the world!” Xu You echoed.
"Yes, you two are right!" Yuan Shao nodded with satisfaction.
In fact, Yuan Shao had already had this idea when Xu You and Guo Tu first proposed it, but he hesitated to express his opinion because of the face and status of the Yuan family. Now, after being persuaded by Guo Tu and Xu You, he immediately made up his mind.
"Since you both say so, then I..."
"My lord! You mustn't!"
Before Yuan Shao could finish speaking, Tian Feng suddenly stepped forward.
"Tian Feng, what are your thoughts?"
Although Yuan Shao was full of schemes, he was not a fool. He would listen to any opposing opinions.
"My lord, if you accept the offer of a kingship, it would be tantamount to acknowledging Dong Zhuo's identity!"
"When Dong Zhuo issues an edict today and an order tomorrow, will you listen to him or obey him, my lord?"
Tian Feng's words plunged Yuan Shao into a dilemma once again, as what Tian Feng said made a lot of sense.
"Then what does Yuan Hao mean?"
"My lord, in my humble opinion, this imperial edict should not be accepted!" Tian Feng said.
"Tch, Tian Feng's words are truly misleading!" Xu You stepped forward and mocked Tian Feng.
"Xu You! What do you mean?"
Xu You stroked his small mustache, cupped his hands, and said, "My lord, Tian Feng's words may be appropriate when they are directed at other lords, but you, my lord, have been a member of a family that has held high office for four generations. How glorious is that?"
"If he were to be made a king, even if he disobeyed the court's orders, who in the world would dare to speak ill of our lord?"
Yuan Shao's eyes lit up; Xu You's words made sense!
The Yuan family is considered to be at the top among aristocratic families, and even if he disobeys the imperial court's orders now, no one in the world will say anything.
"My lord, Xu You's words are truly those of a treacherous minister!"
"My lord, think about it. In those chaotic times, what was most valued? Reputation and righteousness!"
"Wasn't Cao Cao willing to risk his life to attack the Yellow Turban Army just for the sake of reputation and righteousness?"
"The Yuan family has produced four generations of high-ranking officials; they must cherish their reputation even more!"
In just a few words, Tian Feng explained all the advantages and disadvantages, instantly dispelling Yuan Shao's restless thoughts, as if he had been enlightened.
"My lord!" Xu You wanted to say something, but Yuan Shao waved his hand to interrupt him.
He glanced at Xu You and said, "Ziyuan, you can all leave now! I need to think about it!"
"Here you go!"
The crowd dispersed.
"Hmph!" Xu You snorted coldly at Tian Feng, then turned and left.
After Xu You left, Yuan Shao fell into deep thought.
Tian Feng's words make a lot of sense. He only controls one province, Jingzhou, because of the Yuan family's reputation for four generations of high-ranking officials and the abundance of talented people under his command.
But he was too eager to become king. Once he became king, his Yuan family would surely be awe-inspiring and bring glory to his ancestors.
Moreover, Yuan Shu must have received the imperial decree to be made a king, and he had no doubt that Yuan Shu would agree without hesitation!
Various thoughts flashed through Yuan Shao's mind. He found that the more he thought about it, the more complicated the matter became. To put it simply, he was now in a dilemma. If he wanted to accept the edict of being made a king, he had to be prepared to bear the consequences. If he didn't accept it, he was unwilling to give up just like that.
Just when Yuan Shao was in distress, Ju Shou requested an audience.
"My lord, I think it would be better to put the imperial edict aside for now, observe the attitudes of the other lords, and then make a plan."
Ju Shou's words made Yuan Shao nod repeatedly. Tian Feng refused to accept the offer, while Xu You insisted on accepting it, which gave Yuan Shao a real headache.
But Ju Shou's suggestion at this moment, although it seemed like he was trying to smooth things over, actually hit the nail on the head for Yuan Shao.
"Okay! We'll do it your way!"
Upon hearing this, Ju Shou breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"Ju Shou, I'm entrusting this matter to you!"
"Find out the attitudes of the other lords as soon as possible, and then report back to me immediately!"
"My lord, please rest assured, I will certainly live up to your expectations!" Ju Shou said respectfully.
Go!
After Ju Shou left, Yuan Shao sat in his chair for a long time without saying a word.
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