Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 158 Xun Chen: The Jizhou noble family has come to surrender. Is Your Majesty satisfied with this gift?
In the meeting hall of the prefect's mansion, Gongsun Zan was stunned and stood there staring at Jia Xu in a daze.

This notorious treacherous minister of the Han Dynasty actually read out the imperial edict in front of him?
Even if the emperor had issued an imperial decree, he should not be the one to announce it.

"Youzhou Mu Gongsun Zan receives the order!"

Seeing that Gongsun Zan did not move, Jia Xu repeated it in a solemn voice.

"Wenhe, is what you hold in your hand really an imperial edict?" Gongsun Zan asked with a questioning look on his face.

Putting aside the question of whether there was any problem with Jia Xu's identity as the person delivering the imperial edict, the so-called imperial edict in his hand was clearly a piece of cloth torn from his clothes.

"To forge an imperial decree is a crime of deceiving the heavens. How dare I bear this charge!" Jia Xu rebuked him, unfolding the imperial edict in his hand and saying once again, "Youzhou Mu Gongsun Zan, accept the decree!"

Upon seeing this, Gongsun Zan realized that it might really be an imperial edict.

Otherwise, in his territory, even if Jia Xu had a hundred courage, he would not dare to forge an imperial edict to deceive him.

Putting aside all his doubts for the moment, Gongsun Zan bowed respectfully.

"Your servant Gongsun Zan respectfully listens to the holy words!"

Gongsun Xu, Gongsun Fan and Zhao Yun followed Gongsun Zan and paid great tribute to the imperial edict.

Jia Xu stood up straight and read aloud: "Imperial edict to the censor: I have heard that among human relations, the first is father and son; among the differences between the noble and the humble, the most important is the monarch and the minister. Recently, the thief Yuan has abused his power and oppressed the monarch and father; he has formed cliques and undermined the government; he has issued rewards and punishments without my approval.

I worry day and night, fearing that the world will be in danger. You are a minister of the country, you should think about the precarious situation of the country and the people, gather loyal and righteous martyrs, destroy the treacherous party, and restore the Han Dynasty! I cut my finger and shed blood, and write this edict to you. Please be careful and don't let me down! Edict in the second month of the spring of the third year of Jian'an. "

After the imperial edict was read, Jia Xu immediately stepped forward to help Gongsun Zan up and handed the imperial edict to him.

Gongsun Zan took a closer look at the imperial edict in his hand and said in shock, "Wenhe, this... this was written in your Majesty's blood!"

Zhao Yun, who was standing by, was so angry that his eyebrows raised and his eyes turned red just by hearing the contents of the imperial edict.

When he heard what Gongsun Zan said, he hurried over to take a look.

Seeing the words written in blood on the imperial edict, he was immediately furious and could not help but curse with gnashing teeth: "Yuan thief! How dare you bully the emperor like this!"

Jia Xu looked at Zhao Yun in surprise. He never thought that under Gongsun Zan's command, there was actually a loyal and righteous man who was loyal to the Han Dynasty.

He sighed and said to Gongsun Zan, "This secret edict was written with blood by your majesty. I'm sure Lord Yi has many questions in his mind right now. I will answer them one by one."

Gongsun Zan immediately asked, "Why is your Majesty's edict in Wenhe's hands?"

Jia Xu raised his head, looking like a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty, and said proudly: "The emperor was in trouble and trapped in Yecheng. I surrendered to the thief Yuan on the surface, but in fact I had already pledged my loyalty to the emperor long ago. It was I who facilitated Yuan Xi's killing of his brother and imprisonment of his father, in order to free Your Majesty from the thief Yuan's hostages."

"This time I came to Youzhou to assist Marquis Yi in sending troops south to conquer Jizhou and rescue the emperor."

After hearing this, Gongsun Zan still couldn't believe it.

A loyal minister of the Han Dynasty? This is far from the stereotype that Jia Xu has given people over the years.

"Please look, Lord Yi, here is the seal of the imperial seal." Jia Xu said, pointing to the seal on the belt edict.

Gongsun Zan immediately lowered his head to check, and found that it was indeed the same seal he had used when he was conferred the title of Marquis of Yi. It was indeed the imperial seal, so he began to believe it a little.

Jia Xu continued, "I arrived in Youzhou a few days ago and explained the situation in Yecheng to Lord Yi. Lord Yi asked me to come here today. I believe he has made a decision in his mind, right?"

Gongsun Zan nodded and said with a serious face: "The emperor is in trouble. As a Han official, how can I sit back and do nothing?"

"This general has decided to send 30,000 troops to attack Jizhou. We will not turn back until Yecheng is conquered!"

"If Wenhe has a good idea, please tell us."

He didn't care whether the imperial edict was true or false. What he needed was justice.

Now that Jia Xu personally brought justice to his door, he had a legitimate reason to send troops to Jizhou, and he could justifiably shout out the slogan of clearing the court.

What's more, Yuan Shao was imprisoned and the situation in Yecheng was turbulent, which was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him.

If we do not send troops now, once Yuan Xi completely takes over Yuan Shao's power, or once Yuan Shao escapes from trouble, he will surely lead a large army to attack again.

Jia Xu laughed and said, "Marquis Yi is worthy of the title of a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty! I have three strategies that can help Marquis Yi defeat Jizhou!"

"Three strategies?" Gongsun Zan's eyes widened instantly, and he hurriedly arranged for Jia Xu to sit down. "Quick, quick, sir, please sit down and tell me in detail."

Unconsciously, he began to address Jia Xu as "Sir".

In the past, wars were fought by a group of warriors relying on their own experience, and they often fell into the strategies of Yuan Shao's advisers and suffered many heavy losses.

Now he has the help of Jia Xu, a ruthless scholar known for his "careless planning", who can come up with three strategies at once. How can he not be ecstatic?

He dreams of fighting this kind of brain-testing battle!
Seeing Gongsun Zan's excitement, Jia Xu sneered in his heart.

The Yidaizhao did give him a pretext to lead troops to attack Jizhou, but it was more of a restriction.

In the words of His Majesty, that is moral kidnapping.

It’s okay not to accept the imperial edict. At most, you can declare to the public that you don’t know whether it is true or not.

But once he accepted it, he was kidnapped, and in the eyes of the world he was the emperor's subject.

If I do not obey your Majesty's orders in the future, I will be a fickle villain and a traitor to the Han Dynasty who deserves to be killed by everyone.

About an hour later, Jia Xu explained in detail to Gongsun Zan his three strategies for conquering Jizhou.

After hearing this, Gongsun Zan grabbed Jia Xu's hands and said ecstatically: "With your help, we have defeated an army of 100,000!"

Jia Xu smiled slightly and silently pulled his hand back.

His hands, which were often held by Liu Xie, were now held by Gongsun Zan, and he just felt awkward.

"Sir, please go back and have a good rest. I will gather all the generals to discuss the matter of attacking Yuan Shao."

A person's reputation is like the shadow of a tree. Gongsun Zan knew Jia Xu's abilities before, and now after hearing the three strategies for conquering Jizhou, he was even more amazed.

Gongsun Zan said, and then said to Zhao Yun beside him: "Zilong, please see the master off."

"promise!"

Zhao Yun took the order and sent Jia Xu to a courtyard arranged for him by Gongsun Zan.

"I see that you are handsome and majestic, and I also heard Marquis Yi call you Zilong. Are you Zhao Zilong of Changshan?"

Jia Xu asked before entering the wing room.

"Do you know me?"

Zhao Yun frowned. Jia Xu had a long history of bad deeds. Even though he deeply admired the strategy he had just offered, he still had a very bad impression of Jia Xu.

Jia Xu shook his head, waved the feather fan in his hand, and looked Zhao Yun up and down again.

"Your Majesty once said that Marquis Yi has a young general named Zhao Yun and styled Zilong, who can take the head of an enemy general in the midst of a huge army. Seeing him today, I realize that Zilong is indeed an extraordinary person."

"Your Majesty knows me?" Zhao Yun widened his eyes and a sense of pride arose in his heart.

Looking at the slightly excited Zhao Yun, Jia Xu smiled slightly, "Your Majesty once heard about Zilong from Liu Bei, the governor of Jingzhou, and witnessed Zilong's bravery when Yuan Shao attacked Yicheng. After returning to the palace, he wrote a fourteen-character comment."

Upon learning that the emperor had fourteen words to describe him, Zhao Yun, with his temperament, could not help but lose his composure and asked, "Please tell me, what are those fourteen words?"

Under Zhao Yun's expectant gaze, Jia Xu slowly said: "With a heart of loyalty, we can pacify the troubled times, and with a spear in hand, we can determine the country."

After hearing this, Zhao Yun was not as excited as Jia Xu had thought. Instead, he looked ashamed.

"I have not accomplished any achievements, how can I deserve such an evaluation from Your Majesty?"

Seeing this, Jia Xu's evaluation of Zhao Yun instantly rose. He felt that Your Majesty was indeed a descendant of Emperor Taizu Gao. Was this ability to judge people really innate?

After sighing, he added: "This battle to conquer Jizhou will be a great opportunity for Zilong to establish his career."

Zhao Yun's eyes were firm, and he said with absolute certainty: "The traitor Yuan has committed atrocities, causing the emperor to suffer. Yun will fight hard to kill the enemy and save the emperor!"

Zhao Yun felt that he was now far from worthy of the emperor's fourteen-character comment.

He secretly vowed in his heart that he would strive towards this goal in his life.

To quell the chaos and restore the Han Dynasty for Your Majesty.

……

Yecheng, Xun Mansion.

The Xun family is a very special family among the aristocratic families in Jizhou.

The Xun family originated from Yingchuan, Cao Cao’s base camp.

However, the core members of the Xun family, the so-called Eight Dragons of the Xun family, each went to another place.

Xun Yu and Xun You, uncle and nephew, worked for Cao Cao in Xu County and were his two most trusted confidants.

However, Xun Yu's younger brother Xun Chen worked for Yuan Shao in Yecheng.

Someone once advised Yuan Shao that Xun Chen was an insider planted by Cao Cao and asked him to be careful.

But Yuan Shao ignored it and still entrusted important tasks to Xun Chen.

This is a perfect example of not putting all your eggs in one basket!
At this moment, the hall of Xun Mansion was full of people.

All the prominent families in Jizhou have their heads or elders here.

Even the Zhen family of Zhongshan is no exception.

The Feng, Guo, and Xin families were all wiped out by Yuan Xi. This bloody method made these aristocratic families panic-stricken, fearing that one day it would be their turn.

Especially the families behind Ju Shou, Tian Feng and Shen Pei were as anxious as ants on a hot pan.

After everyone arrived, Ju Zong, Ju Su's younger brother, asked impatiently, "Youruo, the second young master is too murderous, what should we do with him?"

Today he took the lead and summoned all the families to the Xun Mansion to discuss matters.

If we don't come up with a countermeasure, I will always feel uneasy.

Xun Chen, who was sitting in the main seat, had a plan in mind, but he did not speak it out immediately. Instead, he glanced at the panicked crowd and asked:

"Right now there are rumors spreading throughout the city that the second young master killed his brother and imprisoned his father. What do you think is true and which is false?"

Ju Zong said without hesitation: "I don't think Xin Pi would make a fuss. It is very likely that the Second Young Master killed his brother and imprisoned his father. Otherwise, why would he hold my eldest brother and his family hostage and move to the General's Mansion?"

Shen Rong, the nephew of Shen Pei, echoed, "Yes, Feng Ji and my uncle have always supported the eldest son Yuan Tan. How could Feng Ji be an accomplice of the third son in holding the general hostage? This is totally unacceptable!"

"In my opinion, Xin Pi saw this and spread the news. His purpose is definitely not just to destroy the reputation of the Second Young Master."

After listening to the two people's analysis, the representatives of the aristocratic families at home all nodded in agreement.

What Yuan Xi did would be difficult to conceal once someone discovered it.

Unless Yuan Shao comes forward and publicly clears the matter for him.

But the problem was that Yuan Shao had not shown up for a long time, and others who wanted to visit him were declined by Yuan Xi on the grounds of poor health.

Xun Chen nodded and said, "What you two said just now is not without reason. You all came to my house just to seek peace of mind."

"The current situation is confusing and no one knows the truth until the last moment."

"I have some humble opinions to share with you. You can decide for yourself whether to adopt them or not."

Upon hearing this, everyone present fell silent and pricked up their ears as if listening.

Xun Chen stood up and paced in the hall with his hands behind his back.

"Now, there are only three options before you."

"First, do everything possible to meet the general in person. If the general is really imprisoned, rescue him."

"Second, join the Second Young Master."

"Third, seek the emperor's blessing."

When the heads and elders of the major families heard the three suggestions given by Xun Chen, they all fell into deep thought, weighing the pros and cons in their minds.

After about a cup of tea, Ju Zong said, "Rescuing the general is fraught with danger. Once the second young master finds out, our fate will be the same as that of the Feng, Guo, and Xin families. We are in danger of being wiped out."

"For now, there is no risk in joining the Second Young Master, and the family can be saved. There is no need to be as frightened as today. But forgive me for being frank, the Second Young Master is not like a leader."

"I think seeking the Emperor's blessing may be the best option at this moment."

After Ju Zong finished speaking, Shen Rong nodded slightly, but with some worry in his eyes, he asked: "But I'm going to say something disrespectful. It is said that the emperor is just a puppet... Can he protect us?"

As soon as he finished speaking, an elder of the Zhen family immediately refuted him: "This is absurd! General Lu Bu is loyal to the emperor and has tens of thousands of troops stationed in Xuzhou and Yangzhou. Anyone who dares not respect the emperor will be crushed by the general. The second young master has no reputation and no troops, how dare he not respect the emperor?"

The words of the Zhen clan elder were unanimously recognized by everyone.

Compared with Lu Bu, Yuan Xi seems insignificant.

Everyone fell into thinking and weighing the pros and cons, trying to find a way to rescue Yuan Shao from trouble while seeking the emperor's protection.

Or both at the same time.

But no one thought of joining Yuan Xi.

Ju Zong bowed to Xun Chen and said, "I wonder if you can find a way to see the emperor and ask for his protection on our behalf?"

Under the gaze of the crowd, Xun Chen said: "Early tomorrow morning, I will go to the palace to ask to see the emperor, but I don't know whether the emperor will see me."

Except for him, no one else present was qualified to meet the emperor.

So everyone said some good things again.

Now that Yecheng is sealed off and Yuan Shao has failed to show up and take power, their hopes can only be placed on the emperor.

Xun Chen observed the attitudes of the crowd, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, and he thought to himself: "Many aristocratic families in Jizhou have come to surrender, I wonder if His Majesty will be satisfied with this gift?"

Ever since the news of Yuan Xi killing his brother and imprisoning his father came out, Xun Chen had already begun to calculate and analyze.

As long as Yuan Shao is alive, Yuan Xi will never be able to come to power.

If Yuan Shao died, relying solely on Yuan Xi's personal reputation would not be enough to support such a huge foundation.

After this incident, no matter what the outcome, he was not optimistic about Yuan Shao and his son.

On the contrary, as long as the emperor can seize the opportunity, he can regain power.

And he had several ways in mind to help the emperor soar to the sky.

Yuan Shao was already a dead body in a grave, and he wanted to be a loyal minister who would come to his aid in times of need.

　There are still 9000 words left, which I will upload in one go after polishing and revising. Around 23pm.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)