My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 392 Cao Cao's Strategy
Yang Xiu was furious. He never expected his father to be so stupid.

"Father, the emperor is fickle!"

"Be bold!"

Yang Biao's expression immediately changed, and he shouted, but then, seeing his son's aggrieved face, his heart softened: "You must not talk nonsense in the future. What if others hear you?"

Yang Xiu smiled wryly and said, "If we can't pass this hurdle, Father, do you think there will be a future?"

Yang Biao was speechless and choked with anger.

Yang Xiu continued, “Since the Han Dynasty, some emperors have been great talents and strategies, shrewd and capable, and militarily powerful. Others have been muddle-headed and incompetent, favoring eunuchs. Are there any emperors who have deep affection and loyalty?”

The emperors of the Han Dynasty were the most virtuous emperors in all of Chinese history.

Despite the fact that the emperors of the Eastern Han Dynasty were all young, these young emperors were able to devise ways to seize power from their relatives, eunuchs, and aristocratic families.

As for the Western Han Dynasty, it produced a great number of wise and virtuous rulers.

However, even emperors from the Han Dynasty onwards, even those as benevolent and devoted as Liu Xiu, had their share of faults with Guo Shengtong.

When Lao Liu uses your family, he'll give you plenty of benefits. But when he no longer needs you, you'd better not cause any trouble. If you do, the outcome is often that he'll have to put family members aside for the greater good.

Not to mention officials, even relatives of the emperor cannot escape it.

The most typical example is Huo Guang, who was conferred the title of saint, but his family was exterminated.

Merits are merits, and faults are faults.

Moreover, Emperor Liu Xie was precocious in his youth and grew up under the oppression of military men, making him impulsive and fragile. To expect such an emperor to fight against the Cao-Liu alliance for the Yang family was, in Yang Xiuzhen's opinion, a sign that his father had lost his mind.

After hearing his son's words, Yang Biao finally fell silent.

He realized he had been talking nonsense.

If he were to enter the palace to see the emperor, Cao Cao and Liu Bei would surely join forces against him, and then the emperor would truly be unable to protect him.

********
At midnight, a rider hurriedly entered the general's mansion.

At this moment, the main hall was still brightly lit. General Cao Cao not only did not rest, but even his trusted confidants from his staff had gathered here.

Xiahou Dun sat at the head of the table to his left, Xun Yu at the head of the table to his right, and Cao Ang, Cao Hong, Man Chong, Xi Zhong, and others sat below him on either side.

At the very end of the hall sat two young children, one twelve years old and the other eight, none other than Cao Pi and Cao Zhi.

After the rider entered the hall, he knelt and reported: "Reporting to the General, at 1:15 AM, Yang Xiu left the mansion in the dead of night and has now entered the mansion of the General of the Cavalry."

"reward!"

Cao Cao's single word filled the messenger with joy. He quickly kowtowed in gratitude and then quietly withdrew.

"The Yang family has produced four generations of Grand Commandants, yet they have produced such a fool as Yang Biao."

Cao Cao was furious. If Yang Biao hadn't been so stupid, he could have planned for even greater benefits. He just didn't know what Liu Feng's letter to Yang Xiu contained that had frightened the Yang family so much.

After venting his anger, Cao Cao regained his composure and looked at everyone in the hall, saying, "What insightful opinions do you gentlemen have that you can share with me?"

Although Cao Cao addressed the gentlemen in the hall, he was actually relying on the strategists on his right.

The trusted generals on the left are brave and loyal, but they are far inferior in political strategy.

Xi Zhong stroked his short beard and spoke first: "My lord, we can't wait any longer. In my opinion, you should go to the palace to meet the emperor first thing tomorrow morning to report Liu Zhengnan's merits. In this way, although you may not be able to reap all the benefits, you can still gain great merit."

Cao Cao smiled and nodded repeatedly, but a faint disappointment flickered in his eyes. He could have guessed this himself, so why should anyone else say anything more?

Xi Zhong also sensed Cao Cao's disappointment, but he really couldn't guess the contents of Liu Feng's letter.

If he could know the contents of Liu Feng's letter, he could make further changes, but Cao Cao's side just couldn't find out anything.

At present, only Liu Feng and Yang Xiu probably know about that letter. Perhaps Yang Biao also knows about it now. No one else, not even Zhuge Jin who delivered the letter, has seen it.

None of these three people could have leaked the contents of the letter, and Yang Xiu kept the letter close to his body and never entrusted it to anyone else, so it's no wonder that Cao Cao tried every means to find out about it.

Cao Cao looked at Xun Yu, who remained silent for a long time, and asked, "What insightful opinion does Wenruo have?"

Xi Zhong's heart sank. It wasn't that he was jealous of Xun Yu, but rather that he was worried about Xun Yu.

Xi Zhong and Xun Yu were childhood friends. The Xi family was an old family in Yingchuan. However, Xi Zhong came from a collateral branch and was poor. But Xun Yu did not care about his status and became friends with him. Their friendship was very sincere.

Later, when Cao Cao wanted to find a resourceful strategist, it was Xun Yu who strongly recommended Xi Zhong, which secured this opportunity for him. Otherwise, no matter how talented Xi Zhong was, he would never have been able to reach Cao Cao's side.

Therefore, Xi Zhong was not only grateful to Xun Yu, but also loyal to him. The two were from the same hometown of Yingchuan and were true friends from the same village.

The reason Xi Zhong spoke before Xun Yu was not to steal credit, but to take the blame.

Xi Zhong was surprised that Cao Cao was still persistent and even specifically asked Xun Yu about him, which made him worry for his friend.

Even if Xun Yu didn't have any good ideas, Cao Cao wouldn't blame him, but the value of Xun Yu as the chief strategist would inevitably decline.

Just as Xi Zhong was worrying, Xun Yu spoke up leisurely: "My lord, is there any news about Liu Feng's letter?"

Cao Cao's face darkened, and he shook his head: "Never."

Xun Yu continued, "I am not very talented, but I do have some speculations, though they may not be true."

Cao Cao was taken aback at first, not expecting Xun Yu to give such an answer. After he realized what was going on, he was overjoyed and said, "Wenruo, please speak freely. We are here to discuss this, so there is nothing we cannot say."

Having received Cao Cao's permission, Xun Yu immediately spoke up: "My lord, I believe that letter was a threat. I fear that Liu Zhengnan has information on the Grand Commandant's wrongdoings. Judging from the Grand Commandant's reaction, this is no small matter, but a major one."

Upon hearing Xun Yu's words, not only Cao Cao, but also Xi Zhong, Man Chong, Cao Ang and others in the hall fell into deep thought. Even Xiahou Dun was no exception. Only Cao Hong looked curiously to his left and right, then to the person opposite him, his face clear and innocent.

"Wenruo's words are very reasonable!"

Cao Cao's face flashed with surprise. As the saying goes, it is better to make mistakes than to make merits. How much benefit must they have given to make Yang Biao and his son take it so seriously and change their attitude?
On the contrary, leverage is more direct and effective, and it takes effect faster.

But what exactly is this weakness?

Cao Cao's joy gradually faded, and he couldn't help but ponder it carefully. As he thought, he asked, "Wenruo, do you have any guesses about this?"

Cao Cao had asked the question casually, not expecting an answer, but Xi Zhong's sudden interjection sparked his inspiration.

"I have gained nothing, it is just my conjecture, and it is nothing more than a matter of personal relationships and interests."

Cao Cao jumped up suddenly, slapped his thigh and said, "What a brilliant Xi Zhicai! What a fine line about human relationships and interests! I already know what this letter says!"

As soon as these words were spoken, all eyes in the hall turned to Cao Cao.

The latter, however, was completely oblivious, pacing around excitedly: "Yang Wenxian's wife is Yuan Shao and Gong Lu's cousin. Now that Gong Lu has been imprisoned for his son's sake, what difficulty would it be to find a few letters exchanged between them?" Yuan Shu did not turn against the emperor and the court from the beginning.

In his earliest days, he even sent tributes to the emperor in Chang'an, and received praise from the emperor and the court.

This is why Li Jue and Guo Si thought Yuan Shu was easy to win over, and that's why they sent Grand Tutor Ma Ridi with an imperial staff out of Wuguan to Nanyang to persuade Yuan Shu to go north to serve the emperor.

As Yuan Shu's brother-in-law, Yang Biao wrote many letters to Yuan Shu.

There must have been some oversight in these letters that gave Liu Feng leverage over them.

It must be said that Cao Cao, Xun Yu, Xi Zhong, and Man Chong were all quick-witted and intelligent people, and extremely clever.

This conversation actually led them to guess about 70-80% of the truth, and even the one wrong point was actually pieced together by chance.

Cao Cao thought about it more and more and found it made sense. He never dreamed that Liu Feng would be so audacious and ruthless, directly framing the Yang family.

"If that's the case..."

Cao Cao's mind began to wander: "Wenruo, Zhicai, Boning, do you think there's a chance to get the Governor of Yangzhou? The position of Inspector of Yangzhou would also be acceptable."

"Absolutely not!"

Xun Yu, Xi Zhong, and Man Chong were greatly alarmed and advised at the same time, "This matter must not be done!"

Cao Cao's face darkened, and he began to think carefully.

Xiahou Dun, however, asked with a serious expression, "Gentlemen, Yangzhou is a land of plenty, with the natural defenses of the Yangtze River and the benefits of salt and iron. Is there really no way we can try to make a bid for it?"

If it were anyone else, Xun Yu and the others might have been dismissed with a few words, but Xiahou Dun was different.

Everyone thought Xun Yu was the second most important person in the Cao family, but in reality, Xiahou Dun was the true number two.

Because military power was in Xiahou Dun's hands, and Xiahou Dun's true strength lay in politics, yet he also possessed considerable military capabilities, Xiahou Dun consistently served as Cao Cao's replacement in overseeing the main camp.

Previously, Cao Cao wanted to obtain the position of Commandant of the Capital Region, but it was for Xiahou Dun's sake, not Xun Yu's. Later, through Liu Feng's mediation, he obtained the position of Governor of Henan, and his first thought was still Xiahou Dun.

Xun Yu was well aware of this, which is why he and Xiahou Dun maintained a good relationship.

"Yuanrang, you may not know this, but Yangzhou has now been taken over by Liu Zisheng. Moreover, Liu Zisheng is invincible in Jiangdong. I have also heard that he is using the war to win over the people and balance the local area. In the two counties north of the Yangtze River, he has greatly developed water conservancy, cleared the fields, and provided relief to disaster victims. Now it is rumored that the five counties of Jianghuai have been saved by Liu Bei and his son, and there are even cases of people building shrines for him and his sons."

Xun Yu explained this to Xiahou Dun in detail, while also speaking to Cao Cao, who was sitting at the head of the table.

"What use are honorary titles like Governor of Yangzhou or Inspector of Yangzhou at this point?"

Xi Zhong continued, "The prefects of various places in Yangzhou are all Liu Bei and his son's men. Even the governor of Yangzhou would find it difficult to act. Just look at where Liu Zhengli is now."

Man Chong bluntly stated, "It's probably wise of us to go like Liu Zhengli. If we were to go, we'd probably be buried in Jiangdong within a year or two."

Xiahou Dun was startled, nodded, and said no more.

Cao Cao, who was in charge, also took this advice to heart and felt that his confidants were right. So he asked from a different angle: "In that case, why not take this opportunity to dismiss Yang Biao?"

Despite being the Grand Commandant, Yang Biao's most powerful position was not that of Grand Commandant, but rather that of the Director of the Imperial Secretariat.

The system in the Eastern Han Dynasty was completely different from that in the Western Han Dynasty. The power of the Three Dukes had been replaced by the Secretariat, so the position of the Three Dukes was more of an honor than a real power.

But if the Three Dukes were to be combined with the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, that would be quite extraordinary.

This means that one can directly participate in the affairs of the Secretariat and even have the power to override the Minister of the Secretariat.

Of course, in the original timeline, Xun Yu served as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and Cao Cao, with the title of General Who Guards the East, was in charge of the affairs of the Imperial Secretariat, and later became Minister of Works and Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

Yang Biao was dismissed by Cao Cao for merely giving him a slight disapproving look.

According to the official system of the Eastern Han Dynasty, among the Three Dukes, the Grand Commandant was higher than the Minister of Works, who was higher than the Minister of Agriculture, and the Director of the Secretariat was higher than the Grand Commandant.

According to this rule, Yang Biao, who held the position of Grand Commandant and concurrently served as Minister of Works, should have been superior to Cao Cao, who held the same position, yet Yang Biao was easily defeated. This shows that during the Xuchang period, a new attribute had to be added: military power was paramount.

At present, the emperor still has more than a thousand elite soldiers to accompany him, and he is surrounded by Yang Feng, Han Xian, and Zhang Yang nearby, as well as Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, and Liu Bei and his son in the distance, who serve as a check and balance.

Cao Cao had disliked Yang Biao for a long time, but he still didn't dare to take action. His only concern was the various warlords, among whom he feared Liu Bei and his son the most.

Now that Liu Feng and Yang Biao have fallen out, isn't this the perfect opportunity to dismiss Yang Biao?

Upon hearing Cao Cao's question, Xun Yu and the other two reacted in different ways.

Xun Yu lowered his eyes and remained silent.

Xi Zhong frowned, wanting to speak but then stopping himself.

Man Chong's expression brightened, and he was eager to try.

Cao Cao took in the three men's behavior but pretended not to notice and turned back to sit down.

“Yang Biao, that old scoundrel, has always been at odds with me. Whenever I make reforms, he always tries to undermine and obstruct me. It’s not for my own sake, but because I’m truly worried about the state of the nation.”

Cao Cao said to himself, "Now that the old thief has also developed a grudge against Liu Zisheng, we can use Zisheng's strength to get rid of him!"

Xun Yu remained silent. Xi Zhong glanced at Man Chong and saw that this man from Yanzhou was already eager to fight. Without hesitation, he quickly said, "My lord, I have something to say."

Cao Cao glanced at Xi Zhong and nodded: "Why can't Zhi Cai speak frankly?"

Man Chong was interrupted by Xi Zhong and temporarily stopped.

Xi Zhong said solemnly, "What you are planning is not impossible, but in my opinion, we should go with the flow. If we are too hasty, we may suffer the consequences."

Cao Cao pondered for a moment, then gave Xi Zhong an approving look: "Zhi Cai's words are very true, and they are exactly what I was thinking!"

Cao Cao then immediately decided, "In that case, I will go to the palace first thing tomorrow morning to request an audience with the Emperor and ask for credit on behalf of Zisheng!"

After the meeting, Cao Ang led his younger brothers Cao Pi and Cao Zhi back to the backyard to rest.

Cao Pi and Cao Zhi were born to the same mother, Bian, who would later become the Queen of Wei. Cao Ang's mother, however, died early, and he was raised by Cao Cao's principal wife, Ding.

Interestingly, including Cao Chong, who was born last year, all of them were born when Ding was the principal wife, and the success rate was extremely high.

Not only was Cao Ang a worthy successor, but Cao Pi, Cao Zhi, Cao Zhang, and Cao Chong were all exceptionally gifted and intelligent.

But after Cao Cao killed three virtuous men with one cannon shot and was divorced by Lady Ding, Cao Cao had many more children, but none of them became successful.

Upon reflection, it seems that the Ding family truly brought Cao Cao considerable prosperity.

(End of this chapter)