Han Dynasty Achievements

Chapter 78 Scheming

Yuan Ji looked at his face and felt very uncomfortable.

Most officials in Luoyang City tacitly accepted the passive resistance to the court's "new system".

Everyone knew that the young emperor would be angry and furious, but no one had ever thought that it would be in such a heart-breaking way.

After what happened today, Huang Wan’s official career has been cut short.

Others should seriously consider the consequences of opposing the 'new system'!

After a long while, Huang Wan slowly turned his head, with a complicated expression, and said: "Shi Ji, tomorrow I will write a letter to resign and return home."

He came to the capital this time with the ambition of becoming one of the Three Highest Officials, but he never thought that this would be the outcome.

Huang Wan was an important candidate promoted by the Yuan family to succeed Yuan Wei. They had spent such a huge price on her, so how could they let her go easily?

Yuan Ji hesitated for a long time, but finally persuaded: "Zi Yan, maybe there is still a chance. I will go back and think of a solution with my uncle later."

Ziyan is Huang Wan's courtesy name.

Huang Wan's face moved, as if she was struggling. After a while, she sighed and said, "I didn't want to say more, but before I leave, I still have some heartfelt words to say to you, Shiji."

Yuan Ji knew that Huang Wan was determined to leave, and nodded helplessly.

Huang Wan hesitated on his pale face, and said slowly: "I... think the Grand Tutor is not as good as your father. Your father is straightforward, decisive and powerful, and everyone is convinced. The Grand Tutor is soft as mud, hesitant and timid, and he is not the mind of a man who can accomplish great things. You should make plans early."

Yuan Ji's eyes suddenly opened in surprise. He never expected that Huang Wan would actually be talking about this!

He opened his mouth but didn't utter a word in rebuttal.

Recently, the Yuan family has been losing ground in the court and the country. Yuan Ji saw it and was anxious, but Yuan Wei did almost nothing and allowed the emperor to exclude the Yuan family from the court step by step.

As soon as Huang Wan left, the 'new system' would be completed, the Nine Ministers would become mere decorations, his uncle would become increasingly isolated in the Secretariat, and Yuan Ji's influence had unknowingly declined to this extent!

Huang Wan looked at Yuan Ji's expression and said, "That's all I can say. You need to be very cautious about what to do next. Don't be careless. Your Majesty is not like the last emperor. He has few scruples in his actions. It's unknown whether he will punish the officials. Take care."

Seeing this, Yuan Ji's temples throbbed, and he stood up and raised his hand, saying, "Take care, Zi Yan!"

Huang Wan nodded silently, looking dejected and lonely.

Yuan Ji left Huang's house and took a carriage back to Yuan's house. All the way, he was worried about Huang Wan's words.

"Uncle..." Yuan Ji whispered in his heart.

As the next generation patriarch of the Yuan family, he was extremely unwilling to see the Yuan family decline so quickly.

"You, you dare to hit me!"

"I, I, it's you who comes closer!"

"Yang Wenxian, I'm not done with you!"

Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice. Yuan Ji drew aside the curtain and saw that it was Yang Mansion. He was startled. After listening carefully, he found that it was his uncle and aunt arguing.

Wenxian is Yang Biao's pen name.

The carriage was moving very fast, so Yuan Ji didn't hear much. He asked in confusion, "Aren't uncle and aunt always on good terms?"

Yuan Ji didn't have time to think too much. He returned to Yuan Mansion and went straight to Yuan Wei's room.

Yuan Wei was sitting on a stool, soaking his feet.

He saw Yuan Ji approaching, looking normal, and picked up the footcloth to wipe his feet.

Yuan Ji sent his servant away and said solemnly, "Uncle, one is the governor of Yanzhou and the other is the chief censor. Is that the decision?"

Yuan Wei wiped his feet, looked at him quietly, and said, "Are you exhausted?"

Yuan Ji took a deep breath and said straight to the point without beating around the bush: "What plans does uncle have?"

Yuan Wei looked at Yuan Ji with his eyes calmly. Seeing that Yuan Ji did not give in and bow his head like before, he was silent for a moment and said, "The previous emperor was also full of vigor and vitality, but later he was trapped in the palace for more than ten years. Do you know why?"

Yuan Ji frowned. He had been in officialdom for more than 20 years, but he was still unclear about this. He only knew that the late emperor later indulged in wine and sex, and became more and more absurd and unbearable.

Yuan Wei stood up and walked towards the bedroom with crutches, his voice floating back calmly: "Don't be anxious, look at the long term."

Seeing that he was still like this, Yuan Ji could no longer suppress his anger and said in a deep voice, "Uncle!"

Yuan Wei seemed not to hear and slowly walked into the bedroom.

Yuan Ji looked at Yuan Wei's back, his face full of anger, reluctance and helplessness.

……

Three days later, in Nanyang County, five miles east of Yu River.

Cao Cao led two thousand men on horseback to attack the Yellow Turban Army in the area.

Next to him was a tall, bearded man holding a large knife. He said calmly, "Meng De, there are only a few hundred bandits. Why do you need to come in person?"

Cao Cao, wearing armor and looking indifferent, said: "I don't want to destroy them, I want to recruit them."

Xiahou Dun looked out and said, "Their village is just ahead."

Cao Cao also saw it, and he rode his horse and shouted, "Right General Cao Cao, I have been ordered to suppress the bandits. Kill them!"

"kill!"

Xiahou Dun took the lead and charged forward.

There's just a few hundred bandits, no need to make a fuss.

The Yellow Turban Army not far away was in disarray. Few of them wore armor, and most of them were in tattered clothes. Their weapons included swords, spears, sticks, and halberds of all kinds. When they saw the government troops coming, they started yelling and fled in all directions.

"Don't let anyone go!"

Upon seeing this, Cao Cao shouted loudly and led his troops to chase after the group of people who had escaped the most.

Xiahou Dun, a minor general, chased ahead of him.

But not long after, his expression suddenly changed, and he turned around and shouted: "Meng De, there is an ambush, retreat quickly!"

"kill!"

Before Xiahou Dun finished speaking, countless Yellow Turban soldiers rushed out from all directions. These people were wearing armor and had uniform weapons. It was obvious that they were not ordinary bandits!

Cao Cao turned his horse around and ran away.

"Cao Aman, don't run away!"

Some of the Yellow Turban Army rode on horses, shouted loudly, and chased after them with spears in hand.

Cao Cao looked back and hit his horse hard.

Xiahou Dun roared, brandished his sword, and tried his best to cover the retreat.

After an unknown amount of fighting, Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun finally escaped, crossed the Yu River, and were on their way back to Nanyang.

Xiahou Dun's face was covered in blood, his armor was chopped to pieces, and he angrily said, "Meng De, someone must have tipped us off!"

This was clearly an ambush for them, and it must have been premeditated!

Cao Cao had thought of this long ago, and his narrow eyes were filled with murderous intent.

But he couldn't think of who it was for a moment. He looked around at the remaining hundreds of people behind him and said calmly, "I thought they were just a group of scattered bandits. I never thought they came specifically for me, Cao Cao."

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Dun shouted, "Meng De, let's go back and reorganize our troops, and then fight back!"

Cao Cao looked towards the direction of Nanyang County, pulled him over, and whispered with murderous intent on his face: "Find the spy!"

"Okay!" Xiahou Dun said, suppressing his anger.

Luoyang City, Imperial Palace.

Liu Bian has been having smooth sailing lately and is in a very good mood.

At this time, he was in his study, looking at the map of the Thirteen States of the Han Dynasty, thinking quietly.

At the local level, the most important person is the governor. Not only the governors of the seven northern states need further refinement, but also Yizhou, Jingzhou, Yangzhou, etc. have been included in his consideration.

At this moment, Xun You came in hurriedly with several memorials and said, "Your Majesty, something bad has happened."

Liu Bian looked up at him and said with a smile, "What is it that makes you so anxious?"

Xun You calmed down, handed over the memorial, and said, "Your Majesty, the army of Zhu Shijun of Qingzhou was defeated in Licheng, with the loss of more than 3,000 people. The Yellow Turban rebels in Yanzhou have captured more than ten counties. There are traces of the Yellow Turban Army outside Yingchuan, and Runan is under siege. Cao Cao was ambushed outside Nanyang County, with the loss of nearly 2,000 people, and he almost didn't get away..."

Liu Bian, who was immersed in a state of satisfaction, suddenly opened his eyes angrily and was instantly awakened.

After a moment, he slowly sat down on the chair, his eyes unusually calm.

It will be on the shelves next Tuesday. I have prepared the manuscript. I am an author who is not good at speaking, please support me~~