In the prefect's house, Wuji's civil and military officials arrived. Guo Jia stood at the head of the scribes in a high-profile manner: "My lord, Yizhou is now established and the people surrender. This is what my lord has earned after decades of hard work. A genius can remember it in just 3 seconds." Zhujia believes that my lord should be the emperor and be promoted to the rank of prince."
As soon as Guo Jiagang finished speaking, all the civil and military officials almost stood up and bowed down: "My lord is so virtuous that he should be ranked as a prince!"
"You guys are here to force me to the palace!" Zhen Yao was originally wondering why all the civil and military officials came so early today and in such a large group, but he didn't expect that these guys seemed to have colluded to give him the title of "governor".
Zhen Yao uttered a sentence coldly, and everyone was a little worried. After all, it was impossible to tell from the surface whether his lord was happy or worried. However, Zhen Yao's subordinates were too smart, and most of them were not necessarily loyal to the royal family. They would not believe that their lord was not unmoved, so Xu You quickly answered.
"My lord, half of the Han Dynasty is stable because of my lord's great blessings. Such meritorious service deserves to be treated as a prince. You think that we and all the officials can jointly declare to the emperor. If my lord is ranked as a prince, the people will also pray for my lord."
"My lord, please think twice!" All the civil and military officials bowed together again, with a certain momentum of not giving up until the goal was achieved.
"This matter," if his subordinates had not mentioned it, Zhen Yao would not necessarily be able to claim justice, but after his subordinates mentioned it, there was a faint expectation in his heart. But Zhen Yao would not show this expectation on his face. He hesitated for a moment, waved his hand and said, "We can discuss it later."
In the first step, Guo Jia and Xu You did not think that their masters would speak easily. They looked at each other, nodded incomprehensibly, then stepped back to stand, bowed and said: "No!"
Suddenly, Guo Jia and others made this happen. Zhen Yao had no intention of dealing with the government affairs at hand anymore. He left some complicated winter affairs to Chen Lin, Mi Zhu and others. He glared at Guo Jia angrily and left immediately.
However, Guo Jia didn't take it seriously at all. He chuckled twice and followed his lord, neither stepping forward nor leaving. The two of them strolled in tandem, wandering from the Prefect's Mansion To the west of the city.
"Fengxiao, do you know where this place used to be?" There was someone following behind him, so Zhen Yao naturally didn't know it and returned to his old place unknowingly. Zhen Yao pointed to the place beside him and asked in a deep voice.
Guo Jia then slowly stepped forward. The street on the left was now the residence of ordinary people. There was nothing surprising about it. However, Guo Jia still had a certain understanding of the development of the entire Wuji County, and he immediately said softly: "This was the home of the Cheng of Wuji County back then. The Lord imprisoned the County Cheng in this house, and was able to lead thousands of soldiers to protect him. Let the people be safe."
"Not bad!" Zhen Yao nodded slowly. Although this place is very inconspicuous now, this was the place where his destiny changed twenty years ago. That day was the beginning when Zhen Yao became active in the entire Han Dynasty.
Guo Jia looked at the house on the left and whispered: "My lord, the emperor's influence on the Han Dynasty is getting weaker and weaker every year. If you want to suppress Sun Cao with righteousness and make him unable to move, proclaiming him Duke is the way to go, not me." Wait for the deliberate request."
"When did you wait to discuss this? Even my Lord, I don't know!" Zhen Yao's eyes narrowed slightly, he glanced sideways at Guo Jia, and snorted coldly.
Hearing this, Guo Jia smiled, shook his head and said, "Zi Yuan and I had this intention a long time ago, and Zi Long and Gong Ming also felt the same way." The meaning was obvious. The leaders of Zhen Yaoyao's civil and military forces had made such a decision, and those who followed closely followed. If there are many civil and military forces, there will be no objections.
As if he had seen Zhen Yao's thoughts, Guo Jia felt it was necessary to add more fire: "The lord's proclaiming the duke is in compliance with public opinion, not a forceful move. What's more, since the founding of the Han Dynasty, although the opposite sex proclaimed the duke is rare, it is feasible. The predecessors How can my lord be so meritorious?"
"Are you comparing Yao to Wang Mang?" Since Liu Bang founded the Han Dynasty, among the people of the opposite sex who have proclaimed themselves dukes, apart from Han Xin, the murdered King of Chu, the most impressive one is Wang Mang who proclaimed himself emperor. Apart from this king and one emperor, there were people with foreign surnames in Han and North Korea who were called lonely, Taoist, and widowed.
"How can what Wang Mang did be compared to my lord!" Guo Jia shook his head and smiled. As a wise man like him, naturally he would not simply think that Wang Mang was a reckless man and a traitor who usurped power and throne. However, when it comes to the way he governs, as he said, Wang Mang's methods are still too radical, and the result of his unscrupulous approach is that the country will be unstable.
Hearing this, the corners of Zhen Yao's lips slightly raised. After all, he is only a general now, but he can already compare with some emperors who have been in power for more than ten years. This is something to be proud of.
Guo Jia's little flattery made Zhen Yao very comfortable, but Zhen Yao shook his head and said: "Wang Mang is not as unbearable as you said, but Yao lacked the courage for his administrative orders back then. "
Zhen Yao also had some understanding of Wang Mang. If this person had not implemented land reform forcefully, he would not have touched the interests of the big family. And the country he took over at that time was not as good asAt the end of the Han Dynasty, the bandits in the world were in chaos and the nobles were dissatisfied, which directly led to the defeat and death of such a talented monarch.
As a person from later generations, Zhen Yao can naturally see the benefits of land reform, but as he said, even if he owned half of the country and had countless civilized men, he did not have enough courage to implement such a policy. After all, the Zhen family is a noble family, so there is no reason to rebel against them.
Guo Jia was born in a Han family, so he naturally understood what his lord was thinking. He shook his head and sighed: "My lord, this is a story for later. Now we still aim to eliminate Sun Cao and unify the thirteen states of the Han Dynasty as our main business."
"You can't just wait for your opinion on the matter of claiming the title of Duke." Zhen Yao paused for a moment after hearing this, and then continued: "Yao didn't want someone who was unfair in his reputation to be made a Duke."
"Jia Xingde." Guo Jia smiled. Zhen Yao didn't say it clearly, but he understood. Since the Lord is determined to claim justice, the next matter should be left to him, Guo Fengxiao.
It is rare for Guo Jia to be so concerned about one thing. Usually he is lazy when he can, but now he is busy because of Zhen Yao's righteousness. A few eloquent letters of hundreds of words were written casually. He summoned several secret sentries under his command and asked them to leave Wuji with the letter and go to the counties under Zhen Yao's command.
After that, he went to the residence of Sun Qian and Jian Yong and gave them instructions. Jian Yong's appearance in Wuji was due to Tian Yu. When Liu Bei was defeated, this elegant man who followed Liu Xuande around the country returned to his hometown in Zhuo County and devoted himself to farming without caring about worldly affairs.
However, after Tian Yu invited him several times and mentioned that Guan Yu had now served as an official in Zhen Yao, Jian Yong put aside his worries and came to Wuji with Tian Yu's letter. Zhen Yao also valued this important official of the Shu Han Dynasty in history, and gave him a high status, equal to that of Sun Qian.
On the second day, Sun Qian and Jian Yong reported to Zhen Yao that the war between Sili and Qingxu had just ended. Although the lord was victorious, he still had to send envoys to appease him. The two of them recommended themselves, hoping to get the job.
After the two of them finished speaking, Zhen Yao couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and looked at Guo Jia who looked like it was none of his business. He thought to himself that this kid moves really fast. Chen Lin and Jia Xu also supported Sun Qian and Jian Yong's mission. Zhen Yao no longer stopped him, and agreed with a wave of his hand, allowing the two of them to choose a time to leave the city.
Sun and Qian sent Sun Cao as envoys not for boring post-war appeasement, but to announce to these two princes the news that Zhen Yao had become duke. Those who understand the situation obediently express their agreement. This is actually to suppress others with force. Who makes Zhen Yao win this battle?
When Sun Qian and his team of envoys left Wuji, Sili and Bingzhou, which were closest to Jizhou, both received the news that Zhen Yao wanted to claim the throne. In the governor's house of Chang'an City, Tian Feng looked at the letter written by Guo Jia in his hand and remained silent for a long time. He, Tian Feng, was a royalist and loyal to the Han Dynasty. Although the Lord's talent is rare in the world, there are some things that he just can't move.
"Proclaimed Duke, the next step is to be promoted to king?" A bitter smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Tian Feng didn't know how to reply to this letter now. The words of agreement were not what he wanted, and if he didn't agree, I'm afraid no one would care. . This letter is a private letter written by Guo Jia. Naturally, his reply is just a private letter, not an official document.
Since it is a private message, so what if you accuse Guo Jiayi, the other party will at most not consider your opinion. Judging from the letter in his hand, I am afraid that he did this under the instruction of his lord.
"That's all, we haven't reached that step yet. When the time comes, even if we abandon this skin, we will still have to stand in the way." With this thought, Tian Feng turned to pen and ink and began to write a reply.
Compared with Tian Feng's sorrow, Bingzhou Lu Bu was very happy. He was a soldier, and his wish had been realized. The name of the flying general was not only famous throughout the Han Dynasty, but also outside the Han Dynasty, the surviving foreigners were also afraid of him.
And his son-in-law, the general Zhen Yao, is now going to be promoted to a prince, which is also a very honorable thing for Lu Bu. When Gao Shun and Cao Xing were summoned and the matter was told, the joy on Lu Bu's face could not be concealed at all.
Because they are Lu Bu's confidants, both Gao Shun and Gao Shun also know that Lu Bu has stopped taking care of things in the past two years and almost always drinks and engages in martial arts at home. And in Bingzhou, someone still had to take over the throne, because the lord had no male heir, so Zhen Yao became the only choice.
Gao Shun thought for a long time, then bowed and asked: "My lord, is it possible to take advantage of this matter and entrust Bingzhou and Wuji to do it?"
"Yes, Bu has no intention of taking any more responsibility. It's time to find a new master for Bingzhou." Lu Bu smiled and nodded: "Bu is already old, but you two are in your prime, so you should make great achievements again. How do you know Bu's intentions?"
"My lord," Cao Xing and Gao Shun are the two most loyal generals to Lu Bu. They want to say something at this moment, but they don't know how to say it, or what's the point of speaking!"That's it. Bu will go to Wuji today, and Bingzhou will be led by you two for the time being." Lu Bu waved his hands pretending to be impatient. In fact, he didn't like this kind of scene. He stood up and left, heading towards the backyard of the mansion.
Two days later, Lu Bu led a group of wolf cavalry and several wives and concubines at home, and headed west to Jizhou. Only Cao Xing and Cao Xing were left looking at each other and smiling bitterly. After leaving, the lord will never come back again. When we meet in the future, will we still be able to treat each other as masters and ministers?
"Jian Yong from Zhuo County has met Yanzhou Mu." After nearly a month, Jian Yong braved the wind and snow and finally arrived in Changyi. When she saw Cao Cao in the Prefecture Mufu, she bowed slightly and Rong Ya spoke.
"It turns out that Mr. Jian arrived, but Cao Cao didn't greet him. Don't be surprised." Jian Yong was also a figure who followed Liu Bei and was active in various places in the Han Dynasty decades ago. Although he was not famous, he had met and heard about him after all. Cao Cao was very fond of him. Still have some impression.
Jian Yong returned the greeting with a smile, and then said: "This time Yong was ordered to inspect the territory of the Han Dynasty for the emperor. He traveled around Yanzhou and learned that under the rule of the state Mu, it is also a paradise for the people."
"The happiness of the people is the work of our ministers." Cao Cao was not in a hurry to find out Jian Yong's intention, so he followed his words: "Sir, as an envoy, I will send someone to tour Changyi with you. "
"In that case, I'll leave it to Zhou Mu." Jian Yong was not in a hurry to reveal his intention. He seemed to really regard the inspection as his mission and agreed with a smile.
In the following days, Jian Yong spent time in Yanzhou City, and occasionally went for a walk outside the city. In this way, Cao Cao and the civil and military officials couldn't figure out what Zhen Yao was going to do when he came out like this. Could it be that he was just sending someone to demonstrate? Not to mention Cao Cao, not even the generals under his command would think that Zhen Yao would behave in such a boring way.
Cao Cao was still confused, but Jian Yong quickly took action. Because it was winter and the heavy snow was falling, even Changyi City would inevitably have flaws. Many people at the lowest level could not survive and died of illness.
This was originally a common thing, but Jian Yong caught it and expanded it. When he met Cao Cao again, he said: "Zhou Mu governs the land, and the people's lives are still miserable in the place where Zhou Mu governs. No wonder Zhou Mu has simple food and clothing on weekdays. This is my great misfortune."
Jian Yong clearly provoked Cao Cao. It would have been strange if someone else hadn't kicked him out. However, Cao Cao was still a powerful figure in the world. He agreed with a smile, shook his head and sighed: "Compared to Bo Gao, the people under Cao's rule have a hard time. So Cao has never slacked off." I don't know if this was said unintentionally or if it was intentional to block Jian Yong's mouth. After all, he had already admitted it and he couldn't use it as an excuse.
Hearing this, Jian Yong nodded and said, "Under my rule, the people are safe. How about the state pastor taking credit for this?"
Cao Cao couldn't help frowning when he heard this. Jian Yong's words sounded like asking for credit or showing off, but the target seemed to be wrong. If you want to show off, you can go to the emperor. After all, the big man still belongs to the Liu family. What should he do with Cao Cao?
Before Cao Cao could figure it out, Xun Yu had a look of understanding on his face, and then he shook his head slightly to wink at Cao Cao. Cao Cao received Xun Yu's glance and echoed twice before sending Jian Yong away.
As soon as Jian Yong left, Xun Yu said: "My lord, Jian Yong is here because Zhen Yao is going to be promoted to a high position again."
Cao Cao looked surprised. Hua Xin, who was standing aside, asked in confusion: "What does Wen Ruo mean by this? Zhen Yao is now a general, and his position is higher than that of the three princes. The Marquis is also a high-ranking Marquis in Guannei County, so how can he be promoted?"
"Proclaim yourself duke." Old man Cheng Yu spat out two words coldly, but it completely exposed Jian Yong's intention.
Although it was only two words, these two words really shocked everyone. Even Cao Cao did not think about the matter of the prince, because in the Han Dynasty, it was difficult for the opposite sex to become a prince, and how many people were called princes? people?
Cao Cao is now in a deep city, and his complexion will return to normal after a slight change, but his complexion will not look good. It is definitely not a good thing for him that Zhen Yao is proclaimed the king. From now on, the gap between him and Zhen Yao will not only widen in terms of strength, but also in terms of status.
There was silence in the hall for a moment, and Xun Yu continued: "My lord, if what you predict is correct, Jian Yong will definitely use the Sili war as an excuse to persuade your lord to send envoys to Wuji to meet the emperor."
"Why should we let him do what he wants? Just ignore him." This is what Cao Hong couldn't help but say. In his heart, he already hated Zhen Yao half to death. Without Zhen Yao, his eldest brother should be the strongest prince in the Han Dynasty, and he and others would not have been defeated year after year, killing so many brothers.
Xun You also smiled bitterly at this moment and said: "Luoyang is the imperial capital. Although there is no emperor living in it now, it is still the inheritance of the Han Dynasty. If the lord wins the battle in Luoyang, it will be fine, but the war will be defeated. The lord really needs to send envoys to Luoyang. Extremely, confess your sins to the emperor."
Cao Cao nodded silently, he knew this, but he didn't mention it before because Zhen Yao had already taken his Nanyang and he would not make a fuss about it again. Now, Zhen Yao wants to claim justice. If he doesn't express anything, Zhen Yao will definitely hold on to the matter and Yanzhou's situation will be even more embarrassing.
This is the advantage of the Emperor being in charge. Any behavior can be said to be under the orders of the Emperor, and the people who have been ruled by the Han Dynasty for hundreds of years obviously believe this. If you miss one move in chess, you will be controlled every step of the way. Cao Cao stroked his head with his left hand and waved his hand to signal both civil and military officials to retreat.
If Jian Yong's words when he went as envoy to Cao Cao were relatively reserved, Sun Qian's envoy to Jiangdong was not so easy to say. After meeting Sun Quan, he immediately asked Sun Quan in the name of the emperor why he invaded Xuzhou without any reason.
Sun Quan believed that Sun Qian was sent by Zhen Yao to demand compensation after the war, because this was not the first time Zhen Yao had done this, and he immediately said that Jiangdong was willing to pay compensation. When Sun Quan said the word "compensation", his heart was bleeding.
Jiangdong is not rich, and the troops sent to the north have achieved nothing. Now they have to be blackmailed by Zhen Yao, how can they afford it? But the power is stronger than the others, so I have to accompany him even if I don't want to, at least to compensate Bao Anwen. Zhang Zhao and others agreed.
Sun Qian will naturally not tell the most important things about his trip easily. It is also an unexpected joy to get compensation from Jiangdong. Although Zhen Yao did not give him such a task, since Sun Quan proposed it himself, how could Sun Qian turn him away and asked Yuzhang County to save grain for a year.
This price was impossible for Jiangdong to accept. The two parties bargained and bargained for a while, and finally reached a consensus that Yuzhang would store grain for half a year, plus more than ten Jiangdong warships, and send them to Xuzhou as compensation.
After the matter was settled, Sun Qian mentioned the matter of Zhen Yao proclaiming himself duke. He was very direct and did not need Sun Quan or Zhou Yu to guess. Sun Quan's face changed at that time, and he was so gloomy that he could scare him to death.
But it was impossible to go back on the promised post-war compensation. Sun Quan could not afford to lose this man, so he could only break his teeth and swallow his blood. Yu Fan was sent as an envoy to go to Wuji with Sun Qian. The promised compensation also left for Xuzhou on the same day.
Sun Qian left Jianye with Yu Fan, but instead of heading north directly, he detoured to Jingzhou again and met Liu Biao.
Liu Biao was old, and even though Zhen Yao had captured Nanyang but had not returned it to him, he had not expressed any sign of it. Now that he heard that Zhen Yao wanted to claim the throne, he sent Yin Ji to follow Sun Qian to Jizhou.
In this way, envoys from various princes in the Han Dynasty gathered in Wuji again because of Zhen Yao's proclaimed as duke.