The elite did not migrate south

Chapter 252 Bow?

"Your Majesty, why does he seem a little reluctant?"

"how could be?"

"Didn't you see how happy he was smiling when he left?"

Cao Mao said with a smile.

The two of them sat in the Taiji Hall when Cao Mao suddenly asked, "Have you been scolding your grandfather these days?"

"Oh, no, my father called me in and gave me a lecture, telling me not to mess around."

The Zhongfu that Sima Yan mentioned was Sima Gan who stayed in Luoyang.

Cao Mao nodded thoughtfully and asked, "What about your great-grandfather?"

"Ah? You're scolding him too? Isn't that bad?"

"Who told you to scold him? I was asking you if you had any news about him!"

Sima Yan shook his head. "Not yet. It's not easy to travel here. There are rebels on the road. I don't know when we can arrive."

Cao Mao nodded, "I see."

Sima Yan looked at Cao Mao beside him, seeming to want to say something but stopping himself.

"what happened?"

"Recently, many scholars have been criticizing Your Majesty, saying that Your Majesty is close to eunuchs, that you don't study hard, and that you are greedy for pleasure."

Sima Yan talked about the recent changes in Luoyang. Since the confinement was broken, the scholars began to vent wildly. After scolding their relatives, they turned their spearheads on the emperor.

He wanted to gain fame by opposing the emperor.

Cao Mao laughed. Isn’t this the routine used by ministers in the late Ming Dynasty?
Deliberately angering the emperor to create an image of loyalty to the emperor and take the opportunity to become famous?
Sima Yan was puzzled. "Your Majesty, aren't you afraid that once you take charge of the government, the ministers will frantically write letters of advice and make it impossible for you to accomplish anything?"

Cao Mao shook his head. "If he really took power and held all the power, who would listen to advice?"

"An Shi, you must remember that as long as you are strong enough, nothing can limit you, but if you are weak, anything can limit you."

"The most important thing is yourself, Anshi. You are now famous in Luoyang and are considered a famous scholar by many people. Even Pei Kai and Wang Rong, who became famous at a young age, can be compared with them. However, you still can't let down your guard."

"You must constantly improve yourself. There are many ways to improve yourself. You can practice martial arts, read more, or continue to make a name for yourself. In short, use all possible means to improve yourself."

Sima Yan nodded. "I know all this, but we're not that old, so why should we be so anxious?"

"It's urgent."

Cao Mao said seriously, "If Duke Huan of Cai had listened to Bian Que when he first met him, he wouldn't have died so suddenly."

"If the disease is in the skin and muscles, it can be treated with hot water and massage. If it is in the blood vessels, it can be treated with acupuncture and moxibustion. If it is in the intestines and stomach, it can be treated with wine. If it is in the bone marrow, even the God of Life cannot help."

"The danger to the current great clan has already reached its bloodline. If we don't hurry up, it will be impossible to cure it."

Sima Yan nodded thoughtfully.

Wang Xiang sat at his desk with a stern face, picked up the tea and took a sip.

He looked in front of him again. The desks were empty, with only Wang Guan sitting beside them.

Chen Qian didn't come, Zheng Mao didn't come, Wang Jing didn't come, and Cui Zan didn't come either.

Cui Zan didn't come over, and Wang Xiang knew the reason. He was a little upset because of Zhong Yu's words, and he hasn't figured it out yet. He will come back when he figures it out.

But the rest of the people.

Wang Xiang gathered his forces today and wanted to start from the Imperial College to prove his ability to the Secretariat.

However, after waiting for such a long time, only Wang Guan came.

Even Wang Xiang felt a little embarrassed at this moment.

A soldier came in, stood beside Wang Xiang, and whispered a few words.

Wang Xiang's expression suddenly became extremely complicated.

Wang Guan looked at him curiously, "Taichang, what happened?"

Wang Xiang smiled and replied, "Nothing serious, just something happened in the mansion."

Wang Guan did not expose the truth. Instead, he muttered to himself, "Mr. Lu's family fortune is not easy to inherit."

Wang Xiang knew that Cao Mao had met with several of his allies, but Wang Xiang did not take it to heart. He believed that the emperor was just forcing him to complete the sacrifice.

Although the emperor had bargaining chips in his hands, he did not have great power, and he could not give what he could give to his allies.

His allies are not as foolish as Sima Yan, and the nine ministers of the court will certainly not betray him just because the emperor made a big promise.

Therefore, Wang Xiang was very confident and ignored this matter.

He was not afraid of the emperor's threats and pretended nothing had happened.

However, when his allies refused his summons, Wang Xiang was stunned.

What could the emperor offer them? How could he convince them so quickly? With just a few words, he persuaded them to surrender with courtesy?
There's something wrong with this situation.

Wang Xiang believed that he had never looked down on the emperor and had already treated him very seriously, but what was going on?

Wang Xiang had always believed that the emperor's communications with his ministers were under his control. He considered himself directly responsible for the entire incident, and that both Chen Qian and Zheng Mao had only been able to contact the emperor through him. However, he was unaware that Cao Mao had met with them several times under various pretexts, even repeatedly claiming to be the true person in charge.

The relationship between the emperor and the people under his command was not as weak as Wang Xiang thought.

Wang Xiang looked at the empty inner room with a complicated expression.

He was becoming increasingly confused about this emperor. How many cards did he have left?

He just met these people once, and he instantly became a lonely man. The huge force that was enough to compete with Gao Rou disappeared in an instant.

Does this mean that if the emperor made up his mind, he could also establish a royalist party within the court to compete with the ministers?

Looking at Wang Xiang who suddenly fell silent, Wang Guan didn't say much.

In fact, in terms of seniority, Wang Guan is capable of competing with the Three Dukes, and he is not afraid even of Gao Rou.

Gao Rou was not the only veteran minister in the court who had served three dynasties. Wang Guan was also a veteran minister who had been assisting the court since the time of Cao Cao.

This person has done everything, from a local county magistrate to the Censorate, then to the Central Commander-in-Chief and the Chancellery. In terms of merit and seniority, he is considered a big shot in the court.

But this big man was not from a wealthy family. During the reign of Cao Cao, many people from humble backgrounds were promoted and only the most talented were recruited. Wang Guan was also recruited at that time.

However, he did not have a powerful clan to support him, and he never made close friends, nor did he keep disciples or former officials, nor did he marry into a powerful family. He just did his job in the Secretariat.

The reason I followed Wang Xiang this time was probably because Wang Xiang was the only one who wanted to do practical things at the moment.

He didn't want to get involved in this kind of fight, he hoped that this would end soon.

Wang Xiang reacted and looked at him.

"Lord, I have something I would like to discuss with you."

"Tai Chang, please speak."

"When Your Majesty ascended the throne, you succeeded the ancestor. Shouldn't this grand sacrificial ceremony also be held promptly?"

Wang Guan was silent for a moment before looking at Wang Xiang.

"You are the Minister of Rites, so this matter is naturally your responsibility. Why are you asking me?"

"I'm just afraid that the ministers will criticize me."

Wang Xiang decided to bow his head temporarily. The emperor only met with those people once and asked them to refuse his summons. This was intimidating him. If he did not do as agreed, it would not be as simple as refusing the summons.

But it is not so easy to organize this sacrificial ceremony.

Now that all the ministers have discovered the threat posed by the emperor, how could they help him strengthen his legitimacy?

The current situation is the exact opposite of what happened later.

The ministers believed that Cao Mao belonged to a separate faction and should ascend the throne as the grandson of Emperor Wen, and his father might be posthumously honored.

However, Cao Mao believed that he was definitely the son of Emperor Liezu and that he was adopted. It was absolutely impossible for him to become emperor as an outsider.

Wang Xiang needs to think carefully about this matter, and there must be no problems.

Wang Guan did not give Wang Xiang any advice. He even felt that Wang Xiang was not doing his job properly and should take charge of the affairs of the Secretariat earlier.

Wang Guan also left the mansion, and Wang Xiang also hurriedly got on the car, left the mansion, and hurried towards Sima Fu's mansion.

Wang Xiang suddenly realized that he could no longer fight alone and had to find a big boss with enough weight to join forces.

Between Gao Rou and Sima Fu, Wang Xiang still favored Sima Fu.

Although Gao Rou failed to become the Minister of the Chancellery as he wished, he was still the number one minister due to his personal prestige and the strength accumulated over the years. Going to him to join forces would mean assisting Gao Rou.

Wang Xiang did not want to assist Gao Rou. He did not have to make the decision himself, but he felt that Gao Rou was not someone worthy of assisting.

Sima Fu's power is weaker, but he has divided part of the Sima family's power. He has good reputation and ability. In order to serve as a qualified backup, he will definitely stand firmly on the side of the aristocratic family. Therefore, he is Wang Xiang's best ally.

When Wang Xiang arrived at Sima Fu's residence, there were still many scholars blocking the place and cursing him.

Wang Xiang was not angry. He was even a little happy to see these people.

The emperor thought that etiquette and laws were protecting his ministers, and wanted to cause trouble for them by encouraging and advising them.

In fact, the person protected by this etiquette is the emperor.

The weakening of etiquette and law will not have a fundamental impact on the aristocratic families. On the contrary, the aristocratic families themselves are literati and officials. If the emperor removes the shackles on the literati and officials, the aristocratic families will become even more powerful.

When Wang Xiang got off the carriage, the scholars stopped cursing immediately, and some even bowed down to pay their respects.

Wang Xiang encouraged them with a few words and then knocked on Sima Fu's door.

Sima Fu came out to greet them. He looked refreshed and did not take the insults seriously.

"Why is Wang Taichang here? Is he here to gain fame as well?"

"Hahaha."

Wang Xiang laughed, "How dare I, how dare I, I came here specially to pay my respects to the Grand Tutor today."

"You are an honored guest. Come, slaughter the animals and entertain the honored guest!"

The two of them seemed like good friends who hadn't seen each other for many years, and their expressions were so close.

(End of this chapter)