Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 609 Yuan Cao
In the fourth year of Xiping,

As the emperor shamelessly promoted and favored those from humble backgrounds...
The aristocratic families then launched a counterattack.

but,

They ultimately possessed more patience than the young emperor, and thus did not lose the refined manners they had learned from childhood.

after all,

Compared to the emperor's childhood in Hejian, where he had to worry about money,
They were truly born with a silver spoon in their mouths.

This is especially true for those things that have been passed down from the previous dynasty.

Therefore,

Contrary to the emperor's expectations, the aristocratic families did not vehemently exclude those from humble backgrounds; instead, they extended a hand of friendship to the most outstanding among them.

Born into the Yuan clan of Runan, Yuan Wei, now the Grand Minister of Works of the Han Dynasty, stroked his beard at a banquet at his home and said to his nephews and nieces, who were somewhat suspicious and dissatisfied with his close ties to those from humble backgrounds:
"The emperor did not have the patience of He Shun, and therefore could not promote talents as loyal to the country as Zhang Heng."

With the cooperation of Emperor He and Empress Dowager Deng for more than a decade,

The Imperial Academy at that time did indeed cultivate some talented individuals who possessed both high moral character and ability, and were also loyal to the Han Dynasty.

just,

During the years when Emperor An was in power,

In order to support the Yan family and help them bring glory to their family,

The deeply entrenched aristocratic families found it difficult to remove him from his position in a short time, so they chose to target those guys instead.

He felt no gratitude whatsoever for the Emperor and Empress's care for him; he only resented that they hadn't handed over power to him sooner.
He didn't hesitate at all to ruin the other person's hard work.

The powerful families, in this process, merely provided a little support.

This meant that after Emperor Shun ascended the throne, he had already missed the opportunity to bring those people back to assist him, and could only cultivate them again.

Perhaps with this in mind,
Only an emperor would naively believe:
Those from humble backgrounds who are promoted will surely stand on his side and become tools for him to strike at powerful and influential families!
"After all, they are young people."

Even when I was in the countryside of Hejian, I interacted with some people from the lower classes.

However, protected by the title of "relative of the Han Dynasty," no one dared to reveal their true feelings of like or dislike to him.

They lack a keen understanding of human nature.

There has been a lack of serious study on the profit-seeking nature of human beings.
How could he possibly become a tycoon who "sold off the country and made countless profits"?

"He was so eager to win over those from poor families, but he didn't realize that people who come together for profit will also leave for profit."

Morality is revered by countless sages because

This is because it is truly effective in resisting the temptation of profit, thus safeguarding human nature and reducing harm.

otherwise,

The recommendation system, which originally required candidates to be assessed, has evolved to the point that it no longer solely emphasizes recommending those who are filial and honest.

"It is obvious that we can offer those people more favorable terms than the emperor when it comes to providing them with more lasting and stable benefits."

Aristocratic families do not need those people to have complete faith and following them.

All they wanted was for those people not to follow the emperor in causing trouble, but to become useful pawns placed by powerful families in the local areas.

As for the truly trusted confidants, those positions will definitely be reserved for one's own relatives.

"But Dong Zhuo is just a commoner from Liangzhou. What makes him qualified to be the governor of Bingzhou?"

Even after the young Yuan Shao learned the reason, his dissatisfaction did not subside.

Even though Dong Zhuo had military achievements and brought some stability to the borders of the Han Dynasty, which had been plagued by Qiang invasions, he still managed to achieve his goals.

However, his humble origins were not enough to earn him the attention of the ambitious young men from prominent families.

Yuan Wei simply smiled and said to him:
"This is something you'll have to learn on your own in the future."

Those who haven't personally experienced these principles of human relationships will find it difficult to understand their true meaning.

"Although you served as a court official to His Majesty when you were young, you have never actually met many people."

Although Luoyang covers a vast area, it was a formidable city that the Han Dynasty had managed for a century.

But compared to this vast land, how insignificant it is!

And the emperor's status

Even walking freely within Luoyang city was difficult.

Not to mention seeing the lives of people all over the world with your own eyes and hearing their voices.

Even though Yuan Shao served by his side, he was not immune to such limitations.

"After the New Year, you will be appointed as the magistrate of Puyang."

"Take this opportunity to broaden your horizons."

"Don't always associate with the sons and grandsons of eunuchs!"

Yuan Shao and Cao Cao were childhood friends.

Taking advantage of their status and age, the two often did some outrageous things.

Although no law has been violated,
Many of his actions were chivalrous and righteous, earning him praise from the people.

But for the Yuan family, which had produced four generations of high-ranking officials, there was no glory, only utter humiliation.

The Yuan family's reputation has no need for a group of ordinary people to enhance it!

Despite his humble origins, Yuan Shao was on friendly terms with Cao Cao, whose grandfather was a eunuch, and he was active in various activities among the common people, which was a disgrace to his family!

Faced with the criticism of their elders,
Yuan Shao nodded in agreement.

His half-brother Yuan Shu, who was standing next to him, only showed a smug smile when he saw Yuan Shao being reprimanded. He even raised his wine cup and, under the pretext of "blessing his brother in taking office in Puyang," made sarcastic remarks to him.

Yuan Shao was filled with resentment, but dared not show it on his face.

After the party ended,

Yuan Shao then met up with his friend Cao Cao for a small gathering.

He had only eaten a few bites of food when he began to sigh to the people around him:
"I can only feel relaxed and at ease when I'm with you!"

Yuan Shao,

He was the son of Yuan Feng, his father, born out of wedlock. His mother was a lowly maid who had never existed in Yuan Shao's memory.

It seems that after Yuan Feng pulled up his trousers, his clever mind started working again, and he felt extremely regretful that he had allowed a maid to defile his noble body.

Once Yuan Shao was born, this stain was removed.

Afterwards,

Because Yuan Shao's uncle Yuan Cheng died young without children, in order to continue his family line, his biological father, who had always disliked him, decided to adopt him into Yuan Cheng's family, making him go from being a son of a concubine to the nominal eldest son of the Yuan clan.

They look much more noble now.

just,

How could Yuan Cheng, who died young, compare to his two younger brothers who successively held the high-ranking positions of the Three Dukes?
Before his death, his grandfather pointed to Yuan Feng and Yuan Weiming and said, "You will be the ones who support the Yuan family in the future."

Even the wives and concubines left behind by Yuan Cheng, who were Yuan Shao's nominal mothers and actual caregivers, all depended on the whims of these two uncles.

Just like Qu, the mother of Wang Mang during the Former Han Dynasty.

As a son, yet not quite a son, Yuan Shao felt increasingly resentful under the shadow of his biological father's authority and the occasional provocations from his brother Yuan Shu, who was the legitimate heir.

In this respect,

Cao Cao, who was ridiculed as the descendant of a eunuch and rejected by the purists, also had ample experience.

The two became close as a result.

"The thought that I will soon be sent to Puyang... no matter how delicious the dishes are today, I won't be able to taste them."

When Cao Cao heard Yuan Shao say this, he also sighed, "Don't even mention you leaving Luoyang, I will also be leaving Luoyang in a while."

Yuan Shao then became puzzled, "Weren't you just assigned by His Majesty to be in charge of the Hongdu Gate Academy?"

With the protection of his father and grandfather, Cao Cao was appointed as the Northern Commandant of Xiping in the third year of the Xiping era, in charge of the security of the northern part of Luoyang.

Upon assuming office, the young Cao Cao, disgusted by the rampant lawlessness and disorder among the high-ranking officials in Luoyang, used a five-colored club he had made himself to execute the uncle of the eunuch Jian Shuo, who had violated the curfew.

This act of making an example of someone to deter others brought about a complete improvement in the security of his jurisdiction.

This also brought the young man's reputation to the emperor's attention—

The emperor had a strong impression of Cao Cao's father, Cao Song. After all, this son of a eunuch had little talent, but was incredibly wealthy.

Back then, out of kindness towards the Imperial Academy, he took out a huge sum of money.
In order to get promoted over the years, he repeatedly spent money in accordance with the emperor's rules and successfully climbed to the position of Grand Herald, one of the Nine Ministers.

Unexpectedly, his son also catered to his tastes.

Thinking of the struggle between eunuchs and the "pure stream" faction, which began during the reign of Emperor He, intensified during the reign of Emperor Huan, and continues to this day...

After establishing the Hongdu Gate Academy, the emperor ordered Cao Cao to manage its affairs.

In any case, the scions of noble families who cherish their reputation will only breathe on Hongdu Gate and will not have any involvement with it in the slightest. It's just right to leave it to the eunuchs to handle.

Judging from the situation over the past two years,

Hongdumen Academy does not discuss the future.

It is indeed a fast track to gaining power and imperial favor.

Occasionally, the emperor would summon Cao Cao to the palace to have him talk to Prince Liu Bian about methods of martial arts for physical fitness!
Regarding his friend's doubts,
Cao Cao simply shrugged and said, "There's nothing I can do. The tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind!"

"A talent like mine is destined to attract the jealousy and rejection of insects!"

This is not,

The powerful families were both annoyed by Cao Cao, this young man who dared to take charge, and worried that the emperor might do things that would harm their interests by relying on the Hongdu Gate School and the eunuchs.
They then used various methods of persuasion and planning to convince the emperor to send Cao Cao to serve as the magistrate of Dunqiu.

The two then checked the time and discovered that Cao Cao had set off two days earlier than Yuan Shao.

After all, the Yuan family members went to local areas to accumulate experience and reputation, so there was no need to rush.

Cao Cao was promoted in name only, but demoted in reality. He was manipulated into becoming the "plague god" of Luoyang. How could he stay any longer?
"is it?"

"You dare to use the phrase 'the tallest tree in the forest'?"

Yuan Shao burst into laughter, then stood up and deliberately moved closer to Cao Cao, gesturing with his hand above Cao Cao's head to emphasize the difference in their heights.

Cao Cao was immediately enraged and chased after Yuan Shao to fight.

He was short in stature.
As a teenager, I could comfort myself by thinking that there was still room for me to grow.

But now, how can I continue to deceive myself?
Yuan Shao, however, was a typical scion of a powerful family:
He was handsome and elegant.

When she served as a court official, her appearance inspired her colleagues to imitate her, leading to the story of "Dong Shi".

This led to Yuan Shao frequently mocking Cao Cao for his height when the two played together, which infuriated Cao Cao to the point of exploding on the spot.

"...Unfortunately, these happy days are about to end."

After playing around for a while,

The two sat on the mat, breathing slightly heavily, a touch of sadness creeping into their hearts.

The life of a teenager will eventually come to an end.

Children who have grown up must leave their elders and friends to venture out into the world alone and experience its trials and tribulations.

How will those storms destroy once close friends?

Yuan Shao looked at Cao Cao and couldn't help but think:
This guy is short, and all I can say is that he looks very energetic.

If the wind and rain make him even uglier, will any beautiful woman still be interested in him?

Don't actually stoop to what they did before, trying to steal someone else's bride.

but……

I definitely won't have this kind of trouble!

Touching his face, Yuan Shao chuckled.

Cao Cao had no idea what he was so happy about. He simply called Yuan Shao over and told him that since the plums in Yuan Shao's house were ripe, they should boil some wine and drink it as a farewell.

The plums, still slightly green, were placed in the small pot of boiling wine, where flames scorched the pot, causing the wine to simmer and boil.

The sweet aroma of wine filled the air.

Its flavor isn't very intoxicating.
But with their parting imminent, the two young people, burdened with unspoken thoughts, willingly got drunk and lost their minds.

Taking advantage of that dizzy feeling,
The two men, while sipping their wine and munching on plums, discussed current events.

After all, how can a man born into this world not pay attention to such things?
Having been tormented by various powerful figures, Cao Cao even patted Yuan Shao on the shoulder and said:
"The only heroes in the world today are you and me!"

Yuan Shao nodded in agreement, and said with great ambition:
"Since we are heroes... let us go and change this world!"

After all,

The two looked at each other and then burst into laughter.

The laughter, accompanied by the smell of alcohol, lasted for a long time before slowly dissipating.

When Cao Cao left Luoyang,
Yuan Shao went to see him off.

He broke off a branch from a nearby willow tree and said to Cao Cao:
The Book of Songs says: "Seeing you off across the Qi River, as far as Dunqiu."

"There is no Qi River here, so I can't go to Dunqiu with you."

"I can only offer you a willow branch as a token of my feelings."

Cao Cao, who was very talented in poetry and prose, just chuckled when he heard this.
"This line of poetry is from the poem 'The Peasant Woman'."

"You specially used this to express your feelings to me, are you hoping that I won't change my mind about you in the future?"

This time,

Yuan Shao, adhering to the legend of "driving away ghosts with willow branches," vigorously shook them around himself.

Don't disgust me!

"If I say that again, I'll throw you into the Luo River!"

Cao Cao immediately replied, "Hmph, if you don't believe in my brotherhood with you, I can swear by the Luo River!"

Yuan Shao felt even more disgusted.

"roll roll roll!"

"Go be a county magistrate!"

then,

Cao Cao turned around, climbed onto the carriage, and headed towards Dunqiu.

Yuan Shao watched him go for a while, then went home and packed his things.

Two more days.

He's going to Puyang too.

but,

Cao Cao also had his good friend to see him off.
His own brother, Yuan Shu, would certainly not appear.

Thinking of this,

Yuan Shao couldn't help but sigh again.

And on the other side,
During his journey, Cao Cao set aside his superfluous emotions and only spoke to those he had brought from Luoyang:
"Once we reach Dunqiu and have complete control over the area, I will build the workshops I promised you!"

"You must all serve the Cao family well, understand?"

Those former students of the Imperial Academy who had once received favors from Cao Song nodded repeatedly in agreement.

When the emperor ordered the arrest of imperial students who spoke "slanderous words against the court,"

These people then went to Cao Song's residence, sought his protection, and escaped imprisonment.

In this regard,

They started working for the Cao family.

Now that Cao Cao was going to a county to become the "Marquis of a Hundred Li", several of those who had received education at the Imperial Academy and were well-versed in the study of things naturally followed him to help Cao Cao establish a firm foothold in Dunqiu more quickly.

"But gunpowder... I won't be making it anytime soon."

Unlike the emperor who was meticulous about cost and time,
Cao Cao valued gunpowder highly.

But the more important something is, the more careful you need to be.

He wouldn't be able to make gunpowder if he didn't manage Dunqiu well.

If that recipe gets out...
What if someone brings gunpowder to barbecue him?
This is absolutely not okay!

(End of this chapter)