The elite did not migrate south

Chapter 38: Never give up!

Cao Mao was placed under complete house arrest.

Two soldiers stood at the door.

He couldn't leave the room.

He could no longer see Guo Ze, Yang Zong, or even Sima Yan.

Sima Shi didn't even leave him a book. In the empty inner room, Cao Mao was alone, looking towards the gate.

Cao Mao was not afraid of being alone, nor was he afraid of having his power divided by Sima Shi.

As long as Sima Shi is unwilling, he will not be able to have any subordinates. Sima Shi will definitely not let Yang Zong, Guo Ze and others continue to follow him.

Cao Mao had anticipated this a long time ago.

He was just very worried about Guo Ze's safety.

He was afraid that Guo Ze would rush in and scold Sima Shi, and insult Sima Shi in public.

He was also afraid that Guo Ze could not bear the humiliation and would draw his sword and commit suicide.

The room was very stuffy, as if it was airtight.

The soldiers in front of the gate were probably Sima Shi's diehard followers, and they ignored whatever Cao Mao said.

In this dead silence, Cao Mao began to think about what would happen next.

Will I be treated like this in Luoyang?

At this moment, the door slowly opened.

Cao Mao was stunned and looked towards the gate.

What came into view was Jia Chong's hypocritical smile. He walked into the house with a smile, "Your Majesty! Your confidant is here to visit you!"

He made way.

The person standing behind him was Guo Ze.

Guo Ze looked much more haggard and his clothes were in disarray.

Cao Mao's eyes lit up and he stood up suddenly.

Jia Chong grabbed Guo Ze's hand, pulled him a little, and let him into the house. The soldier then closed the door.

Guo Ze shook off Jia Chong's hand, straightened his clothes, and bowed deeply to Cao Mao.

"I pay my respects to you, my lord!"

"Zi Shou, get up, get up quickly"

Cao Mao was smiling when he suddenly saw Guo Ze's back.

Blood seeped out from his clothes, and streaks of blood could be seen.

At that moment, Cao Mao's smile froze, his heart trembled, and he slowly looked at Jia Chong beside him.

Jia's face was full of innocence, as if nothing had happened.

"Zi Shou, get up."

Cao Mao helped Guo Ze up, and the king and his minister looked at each other, but both fell silent.

Jia Chong helplessly urged, "Mr. Guo, you've been thinking about His Majesty all day, saying you want to see him. Now that you've seen him, why don't you speak?"

Guo Ze glanced at him with disdain and said to Cao Mao, "My lord, this shameless villain actually wants us to testify against you. Does he really think that everyone in the world is as mean as him?!"

Jia Chong's face darkened and murderous intent flashed in his eyes, but he held himself back.

The general wanted to control Cao Mao by using those people who got along very well with Cao Mao, similar to hostages, so Jia Chong was not in a position to do so.

When he first arrived at the mansion, he wanted to incite Cao Mao's subordinates to rebel and collect some things that were unfavorable to Cao Mao so that he could take action in the future.

He captured all the servants and old soldiers who had escaped from Cao Mao's command and used both soft and hard tactics to deal with them.

But everyone remained silent and refused to betray Cao Mao no matter what.

Guo Ze even spat in his face and called him a beast.

If Guo Ze had not been useful, Jia Chong would have killed him long ago.

After Guo Ze was whipped by himself for dereliction of duty, he kept shouting that he wanted to see Cao Mao and even threatened to commit suicide. Jia Chong also wanted to tighten the ropes on Cao Mao, so he brought him here.

Cao Mao's eyes widened.

"Zi Shou! Don't talk like that!"

Guo Ze's eyes showed no fear at all. He looked at Cao Mao again and asked seriously, "Your Majesty, are you going to accept the ministers' proposal this time and go to Luoyang to become emperor?"

"Indeed."

"That's great. My lord is a man of great talent and strategy, and there are wise men to assist him in the court. He will surely create an unprecedented prosperous era." Hearing these words of blessing, Cao Mao subconsciously felt uneasy.

Guo Ze is upright and strong-willed. He will not tolerate humiliation, and he is even less willing to be used as a means of blackmail by others.

If Sima Shi and others really wanted to use him to threaten him, then Guo Ze must have been prepared to commit suicide. This meeting was just to say goodbye to him.

Cao Mao pursed his lips and said calmly, "My current talent and learning are also due to your teachings."

"You are still young. Entering the government too early may not be a good thing."

"Therefore, I plan to recommend you to the general and ask him to use you. This way, I can go to Luoyang with peace of mind."

"You are half my teacher. You stay by the general's side. The general sees your virtue and will surely know mine. He will then be able to let me govern the country with confidence."

"I know you're hot-tempered, but I've always considered you my role model. If you continue to insult and humiliate the ministers like this, how will the people of the world view me? And how will the general view me?"

"So, you have to change your impatient personality."

"The world is now divided into three parts. I must succeed Emperor Liezu and carry on his legacy, unifying the country and bringing peace to the people. To accomplish this great cause, I must rely on the support of virtuous individuals like Lord Jia and the Great General. Please prioritize the affairs of the world and refrain from imitating those righteous and famous scholars who seek only fame and reputation."

Cao Mao advised.

The king and his minister have been together for many years and have a tacit understanding with each other.

Although Guo Ze was slow, he understood what Cao Mao meant.

First of all, the sentence "The general can also rest assured" is telling Guo Ze that the general will be at ease only if you are alive and by his side, because you are now my handle.

In addition, "you have to rely on the general" is to tell Guo Ze that he is currently unable to turn against the general and can only survive first. You cannot offend them directly, otherwise it will implicate me.

The last sentence, "Don't imitate celebrities," is telling him that for the sake of world affairs, he has to temporarily serve the enemy, put aside his reputation, and do things that go against his inner moral concepts.

Guo Ze's face looked a little confused.

Cao Mao was furious. "In the past, you have been urging me to prioritize the country and ascend the throne early, so as not to disappoint the government. Why are you hesitating now?"

Guo Ze sighed, looked in the direction of Jia Chong, and bowed reluctantly.

Jia Chong hurriedly shook his head, "Mr. Guo, there's no need to be so polite. From now on, you and I will both assist His Majesty and serve in the same court. We should be closer."

He then said with a sense of grievance, "Mr. Guo, you don't know. My previous actions were not my own decision. I had no choice but to do so. I also had many frustrations. Alas, if it weren't for my plea, how could you have lived to see His Majesty? But you only think of me as a traitor."

Guo Ze didn't say anything, but Cao Mao grabbed Jia Chong's hand.

"Mr. Guo is a dull person, please don't blame me. I know Mr. Jia's character best. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have met the general."

"Mr. Jia, Mr. Guo is not a bad man, he is just stubborn and strong-willed. I am afraid he will offend others and be punished again, so I entrust him to you. I hope you can take good care of him in the future. I will be grateful."

Jia Chong was horrified. "Your Majesty, please don't say such things. Since Your Majesty has given the order, I will protect Lord Guo even if it costs me my life!"

Guo Ze closed his eyes in pain.

Cao Mao glanced at him and said, "Zishou, go back first. I have something to say to Lord Jia!"

Guo Ze bowed deeply to Cao Mao again, stood up and left.

This time, Cao Mao finally saw clearly that Guo Ze's back was covered with scars and he was limping when he walked.

Cao Mao just glanced at him and continued looking at Jia Chong in front of him.

"Mr. Jia, when are we going to Luoyang?"

"Your Majesty, don't worry. The court hasn't made any preparations to welcome you yet. It will be soon. We will be able to go to Luoyang in a few days."

"I've never been to Luoyang before, and I don't know the etiquette. What should I do?"

Jia Chong laughed and said, "Your Majesty, don't worry. When you arrive in Luoyang, someone will naturally come to teach you."

"That couldn't be better."

Cao Mao breathed a sigh of relief. "That's the best. I was quite worried when the prince refused to tell me before."

"Prince??"

Jia Chong narrowed his eyes.

Cao Mao said, "Yes, I went to see him several times before, but he refused to see me. I feel that although this man has a great reputation, his virtue is far inferior to yours."

Cao Mao didn't say anything else, but Jia Chong frowned, and no one knew what he was thinking.

The two chatted for a few more minutes, and then Jia Chong said goodbye and left.

When Jia Chong left, the smile on Cao Mao's face suddenly disappeared.

Thinking of Guo Ze's back covered in blood, Cao Mao's face suddenly became ferocious.

Jia Chong!!
Just wait, until you get to Luoyang!!
I will make you pay back tenfold!!!
ps: Du Yu, who was promoted by the Sima family and then loyal to the Sima family and earned the title of loyal minister of the Jin Dynasty, cannot be called a thief. But Jia Chong, who took advantage of the Cao family and then killed the king, took advantage of the Sima family and then resorted to all kinds of shameless actions for fear of defeat, is simply the worst of thieves.

In the words of a hamster, compared with him, Qin Hui is a warmonger.

(End of this chapter)