The elite did not migrate south

Chapter 248 Small Goals for the New Year

The severe cold has passed. Although it is not yet the spring season, it is more suitable for travel than before.

Inside the palace, Cao Mao supported the empress dowager, and the two of them walked on the path, talking and laughing.

Behind him were eunuchs and yellow gates following.

"Mother, you should go out for a walk more often. Staying in the palace all day will ruin your health."

"When the world is settled, I will definitely build you the most luxurious palace, gathering the most beautiful and fun things in the world."

Empress Dowager Guo couldn't help laughing when she heard what Cao Mao said.

"How could you, as a king, do such a thing?"

"Emperor Liezu also thought so at the time. His ministers wrote petitions to dissuade him from building the house, but it was never completed."

Cao Mao smiled and said, "That's different. Emperor Liezu built it for himself, and none of the ministers dared to object. I want to build it for my mother. This is filial piety, and none of the ministers dare to object."

"Only you can say it!"

Empress Dowager Guo said with a smile.

The soldiers and eunuchs they met along the way all bowed and stepped aside.

Cao Mao talked about some interesting things in the world.

The mother and son chatted very harmoniously, and Empress Dowager Guo was in a good mood.

Cao Mao hurriedly said, "Mother, we discussed the matter of succeeding Emperor Liezu last year, but due to the cold weather and unrest in various places, we were unable to proceed. Now that General Wei has defeated the rebels and brought peace to the world, isn't it time to start the sacrifice sooner?"

Only then did Empress Dowager Guo remember this incident.

Cao Mao became emperor, but the nature of his ascension to the throne was still unclear. Did he inherit the throne as the son of Emperor Liezu, or did he ascend the throne as the grandson of Emperor Wen, or did he ascend the throne as a clan sage and the recommendation of ministers?

This needs to be explained because it will affect many things.

The Sima family probably did not want Cao Mao to inherit the throne of Emperor Liezu, so after Cao Mao ascended the throne, they did not bring him to the sacrificial hall.

But no matter what others thought, Cao Mao always believed that he inherited the throne as the son of Emperor Liezu.

If he was the grandson of Emperor Wen, then he was not the direct grandson of Emperor Wen, so it would be too easy for him to be replaced.

If it was just the royal family, the problem would be even bigger.

Only by saying that the successor is the adopted offspring of Emperor Liezu can the legitimacy be greatly enhanced, which will be of great benefit to Cao Mao's future governance of the world.

This sacrifice is a very important matter.

Empress Dowager Guo said, "This kind of ceremony should be held in autumn."

"Mother, it might be okay in spring."

Empress Dowager Guo was a little confused, "Why is my son so anxious?"

"Alas, the ministers are planning to send me to the Xuanwu Pavilion and forbid me from meeting my mother. Without this status, I would have no legitimate reason to come and see my mother. Only if I truly become your son through sacrifice will they dare not stop me!"

Cao Mao looked at the eunuchs behind him and asked, "Didn't mother notice?"

"Recently, there have been a lot of changes in the eunuchs in the palace, including the eunuchs."

Empress Dowager Guo widened her eyes and looked hurriedly at the kneeling eunuchs.

"Is that right?"

"Mother, I usually hang out in the palace and am very familiar with everyone there. Recently, there have been many new faces in the palace."

"These people are here to mark us."

"It seems that the ministers dare not let me stay with my mother anymore. They are beginning to be afraid of you!"

Empress Dowager Guo's good interest immediately vanished. She frowned and asked seriously, "When are they going to take action?"

"Mother, who could possibly know?"

"The Shangshutai is ready to make a move and try to undermine us mother and son."

"Mother, I think we can no longer indulge them like this. At least within this palace, we have to have the final say."

Queen Mother Guo looked at him and asked, "What do you have in mind?"

"Mother, Sima Zhao has been fighting with the ministers these days. We should ignore them for now. We can just ignore them and finish the sacrificial ceremony first."

There was a gleam in Cao Mao's eyes.

"Mother, after this sacrifice, I will give you a huge surprise."

"When facing Sima Shi, we must delay as much as possible and not rush into battle. When dealing with these ministers, we must act as quickly as possible and absolutely not hesitate."

"Last year I defeated Sima Shi. This year, I have to set a small goal for myself."

Empress Dowager Guo still had great trust in her son who had repeatedly created miracles. She asked curiously, "What is your goal this year?"

"Take charge of the Secretariat and command the world!"

Empress Dowager Guo opened her mouth and couldn't close it for a long time.

After going through so much, Empress Dowager Guo had seen many things clearly and understood the difficulty of ruling the country. When she heard her son say he would take back power within a year, even if she trusted him, her heart was still beating fast.

"Can it really be done?"

"Mother, I have actually been prepared for a long time. I am just waiting for the best opportunity."

"Let's finish the sacrificial ceremony first. Once we're done, you'll understand why I said that."

Cao Mao grinned.

Empress Dowager Guo was skeptical. "Okay, I agree to the sacrifice, but Taichang will be in charge of this matter. You still need to persuade your teacher. He was very friendly to us in the past, so why has he become an enemy now? You need to convince him to continue to assist us."

"only!!"

Cao Mao had a clear plan in mind. He was no longer the helpless person who had just entered the court.

If Cao Mao had not been afraid that his ministers would become desperate and join forces with the Sima family to deal with him, he would have taken action now.

No one could have imagined how many cards he had in his hand at the moment.

Once he inherited the legacy left by his father-in-law, Cao Mao would act without hesitation and become the true emperor with real power.

After going through one round, Cao Mao restrained his impulse. Although he now had some chance of winning, he could not act rashly. The ministers did not know what cards he had in his hands, but he also did not know how much power these people had. He would let them fight with Sima Zhao first to see their strength and then make a decision.

After sending his mother back to Zhaoyang Palace, Cao Mao went to the East Hall to wait in advance.

Today is another school day.

Cao Mao paid great attention to time planning and always arrived at the East Hall early to wait for his teacher to arrive.

When Wang Xiang appeared here, his face was very calm, and it didn't look like he had just experienced a setback at the Secretariat. There was no anger in his eyes when he looked at Cao Mao, just as always.

Seeing Wang Xiang's appearance, Cao Mao became even more wary.

He is worthy of being ranked first in the biographies of officials in the Book of Jin.

This made Cao Mao think of He Zeng, who was ranked second. Wang Xiang, who was ranked first, was so difficult to deal with. Was He Zeng, who was ranked second, really a pure flatterer?
Cao Mao no longer dared to look down on anyone.

"The teacher is here!"

Cao Mao stood up with a smile and quickly asked Wang Xiang to sit down.

Wang Xiang sat in front of him with a smile, showing no hostility, and then began the class as if nothing had happened.

But at this moment, Cao Mao looked a little uneasy and dazed, and was not as focused as before when listening to the class.

Wang Xiang slowly put down the book in his hand and looked at Cao Mao.

"Is there something on your mind, Your Majesty?"

Cao Mao sighed deeply and looked very hesitant.

"Teacher, I have something I want to tell you."

"Your Majesty, please speak."

"Actually, Teacher, Zhong Shiji is mine."

Wang Xiang looked at Cao Mao in confusion, "Your Majesty, you are the Son of Heaven. Who in the world is not yours? I don't quite understand."

What Cao Mao learned the most from Teacher Wang was actually his superb acting skills. When Cao Mao first came out, his acting skills could deceive An Shi. But now, after studying with Teacher Wang for a long time, Cao Mao has understood that before deceiving others, he must first deceive himself.

He said seriously, "Teacher, you don't know. I mean, he doesn't support the Sima family, he has always supported me."

Wang Xiang suddenly understood and nodded.

"I see."

Cao Mao glanced at him again and whispered, "He came to see me. Shi Ji was very angry and said that his brother had harmed him."

"Palace Captain Gao Dan told me that within the Secretariat, Chief Justice Zhong said something that was very unfavorable to you."

"Shiji said that these words had nothing to do with him at all, and that his brother said them on purpose to cause a conflict between us."

Wang Xiang was completely confused. He had no idea what Cao Mao was talking about.

"Your Majesty, I was in the Secretariat, saying I needed to resolve many unrest. Minister Zhong believes I caused the rebellion in Hebei, but what does this have to do with Zhong Hui or you?"

Cao Mao smiled wryly and said, "I was afraid you would think I taught it to you secretly."

"This matter really has nothing to do with me. Zhong Yu did this on purpose. He wanted to reap the benefits. I heard from Shi Ji that the rebellions in various places have actually ended. General Wei is unwilling to return because he is not yet ready."

Wang Xiang shook his head. "Your Majesty, please do not say such things again. I have never had any grudges against anyone. Even if the Minister of Justice misunderstood me, I will not be angry, and I will not be suspicious of Zhong Hui because of such a thing."

"As for your majesty, you are the king of the world. Who dares to blame you?"

Cao Mao smiled bitterly and said, "But I originally wanted to hold a sacrifice to commemorate the succession of Emperor Liezu, but I was afraid you would misunderstand me."

"This is a good thing. Your Majesty should take charge of it. I will certainly do my best."

Wang Xiang said calmly.

Cao Mao was overjoyed and said, "Teacher, please rest assured. I have already given orders to Zhong Hui. He will not do anything more. As for Zhong Tingwei, if you need me to do anything, please let me know at any time!"

(End of this chapter)