The elite did not migrate south

Chapter 448: Mr. Guo

"Order Guo Ze to go to Luoyang immediately and apologize to the emperor!!!"

When Liu Lu read the imperial edict aloud, Guo Ze knelt in front of him with tears in his eyes.

He had been looking forward to this day for too long.

After his emperor was forcibly taken away by Sima Shi, he had been waiting for this day to come.

He wanted to save the emperor very much, and for this purpose, he did a lot of things. However, it was proved that he was not suitable for things like rebellion. If it were not for Wang Yuan, he would have died at the hands of Sima Shi long ago.

Guo Ze has been feeling a little guilty these days.

He felt that he had failed to fulfill his duties as a minister.

He was the first person to follow the emperor, but he was unable to help the emperor in any way.

He even asked the emperor to send people to help him during these days.

Whenever he thought of these things, Guo Ze couldn't help but burst into tears.

Liu Lu read the imperial edict and then helped Guo Ze up, saying helplessly: "Mr. Guo, please don't be like this. You were the first one to raise an army to rescue His Majesty. Because of you, all the people with lofty ideals in the world rose up in resistance, which prevented Sima Shi from completing his plan."

"Your Majesty has been mentioning you constantly these days."

Guo Ze didn't say anything, but Liu Lu was a little worried.

Guo Ze is not so clear about the situation in the court now.

Liu Lu was very clear about Guo Ze's character: a typical scholar of the Later Han Dynasty, with strong moral values but not enough pragmatism.
Guo Ze will definitely know a lot of things when he goes to Luoyang this time. Given his personality, if he knew that His Majesty was employing cruel officials, killing famous people, and imprisoning generals, he would probably report it on the spot.

Anyone who opposes these things will be in trouble.

Liu Lu has been with Guo Ze for many years and is worried about his condition as well as His Majesty's mood.

Your Majesty still likes Guo Ze very much, but if Guo Ze goes against Your Majesty at that time, wouldn’t that make Your Majesty embarrassed?
Liu Lu frowned, not knowing what to say for a moment.

Guo Ze is a very stubborn person.

This was not something he could convince himself of at all. Liu Lu had grown a lot after all these days, but in his eyes, Guo Ze was still exactly the same as before.

Even after spending these years in the mountains, he hasn't changed much.

After all, he rarely left his mansion. He seemed to feel that leaving the mansion would make him feel like he was in a den of bandits, which would make him feel uncomfortable instinctively.

After all, he is a descendant of a wealthy family.

Liu Lu pondered for a moment before speaking, "Mr. Guo, when His Majesty was with us, he was the Duke of Xiang, and we could talk to him freely. But now, he is the Emperor of Wei, and we must not lose our manners."

Guo Ze agreed with this very much.

He himself is a person who sticks to etiquette and laws.

"That's how it should be!"

After conveying the imperial edict to Guo Ze, Liu Lu followed Wang Yuan to appease the remaining bandits.

In fact, these bandits had no resistance to surrender. Life in the mountains was not easy. What's more, the government had already stabilized the situation. With the army approaching, they were not enough to fill the other side's teeth.

Zhang Yan's 100,000 men didn't resist at the beginning, so how could they dare to do so?
The leaders were Wang Yuan and Liu Lu, and everyone expressed their willingness to surrender.

Soon, the people on the mountain began to clean up their masterpieces here, and then went down the mountain in batches. Perhaps because of the emperor's edict, the officials who came to recruit them did not dare to be too rude. They separated them according to their household registration and took them away one by one.

Wang Yuan had to keep an eye on these things and did not leave, but Liu Lu had already taken Guo Ze to Luoyang to meet the emperor.

The credit for the bandits' surrender this time was all attributed to Liu Lu.

Of course, Guo Ze will definitely be rewarded.

But Guo Ze didn't care about these. He sat in the carriage, looking at the situation outside, and felt as if he was in another world.

He hadn't been out of the house for a long time, and hadn't seen the outside world for a long time.

Guo Ze was filled with emotion. Luoyang seemed to have become much more prosperous than before.

He knew that once the Holy Emperor came to power, the area would surely be governed well.

Guo Ze looked at the bustling streets and was happier than if he had been pardoned.

When he was sent to the palace, Cao Mao was waiting for him outside the hall.

"Zi Shou."

Cao Mao smiled and spoke.

At this moment, Guo Ze felt his whole body tremble. He couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time. He just bowed deeply to Cao Mao seriously.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!!"

"Get up."

Cao Mao quickly walked up to Guo Ze and helped him up.

They had not seen each other for many years, but Guo Ze seemed to have not changed at all. Cao Mao had thought that he must have become darker after staying in the mountains for so long, but now it seemed that he still looked the same, fair and tender, and his eyes were still simple and resolute.

In contrast, Cao Mao's changes were enormous.

Guo Ze almost didn't recognize him.

Perhaps this is the age when the biggest changes occur. Cao Mao seems to have left behind his youthfulness and become more mature, but he still has no beard. He looks a little stern, and even though he is smiling, he is not as enthusiastic and gentle as he was in the past. He has a rather oppressive temperament.

When Guo Ze saw the change in Cao Mao, he almost cried.

He could imagine how much suffering His Majesty had endured during his absence.

Cao Mao held his hand and said with emotion, "I never thought that I would have the opportunity to see Zishou again."

"When we parted, I thought it would be the last time we would see each other." "Your Majesty! I am incompetent and have allowed Your Majesty to be bullied by thieves."

Cao Mao hurriedly shook his head and said, "Don't curse for now. Wait until we enter the palace."

Guo Ze was a little dazed. Cao Mao pulled him into the West Hall and asked Zhang Hua to guard the door.

Sitting in the West Hall, Cao Mao finally relaxed a little.

"Zishou, there's no need to elaborate on the past events in the imperial court. How have you been these days?"

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your concern. I am fine."

Guo Ze talked about his experience in the mountains, and Cao Mao listened very carefully.

"Alas, it's hard for Zishou."

Cao Mao sighed.

He kept silent about his experiences. After a long exchange of pleasantries, Cao Mao finally said, "The current government has undergone tremendous changes. There are some things I must warn you about, lest you be deceived by them."

"Your Majesty, please speak."

"All the officials in this palace are unwilling to let me take the throne. First, Gao Rou rebelled, and then the Imperial Household Officer rebelled."

"There is a minister named He Gong who saw through their rebellion and made great contributions. I have appointed him as the Minister of Works and have ordered him to continue to arrest those who participated in the rebellion."

"What can I do? These people are afraid of being implicated, so they start to slander and defame him, saying he is a cruel official and that I employ cruel officials!"

After hearing this, Guo Ze's face turned red with anger.

"How dare this traitor?!"

"Zi Shou, if these people found you, told you the cruel words of the officials, and asked you to submit a petition, you would know what to do, right?"

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will definitely capture these rebels and hand them over to the Prime Minister!"

Cao Mao clapped his hands, "Good!"

"Zi Shou, you've come at the perfect time. The temple is currently undergoing an assessment, and your presence here is perfect for helping Zhong Shiji with this matter."

"But you don't have to be too anxious. Take some time to rest and familiarize yourself with the situation in the temple with Mao first. Then you can start working."

Cao Mao talked with Guo Ze for a long time before taking his hand and taking him to Zhaoyang Palace.

When you come to the palace, you naturally have to pay a visit to the Queen Mother.

When Cao Mao brought Guo Ze to pay a visit to the empress dowager, the empress dowager was also shocked.

Isn't this guy a bandit in the mountains?

When she saw Guo Ze, the empress dowager's face looked very ugly.

She felt that it was these people who made the Guo family become desolate, but when Guo Ze saw the empress dowager again, he felt extremely excited.

When he began to apologize to the Queen Mother, the anger on Queen Mother Guo's face disappeared a lot.

Cao Mao sat aside with a smile, watching them chat and exchange pleasantries.

When Cao Mao saw Guo Ze, he was really happy, but at the same time he was a little worried.

What he was worried about was similar to what Liu Lu was worried about, so as soon as they met, he explained the affairs of the temple to Guo Ze to prevent him from going astray.

What really made Cao Mao helpless was not Guo Ze alone, but countless scholars like him.

We must quickly change the tide of thought in the world and make these scholars wake up.
They chatted for a long time, and Empress Dowager Guo praised Cao Mao in various ways.

The scene of loving mother and filial son is extremely touching.

When Cao Mao took Guo Ze out of here with a smile, the smile on Guo Ze's face suddenly disappeared.

"His Majesty."

"Ok?"

"I have thought about this for a long time and have realized that I do not have any talents to assist Your Majesty. Therefore, I would like to resign and return to my hometown to continue studying the classics."

Cao Mao slowly frowned, "Why?"

Guo Ze suddenly looked at him and said, "Because Your Majesty no longer trusts me."

Cao Mao was speechless and looked at him slowly, "What do you mean, Zishou?"

"Your Majesty, I have always been loyal to you. This time, on my way to the palace, I saw that the local officials were very diligent and did not dare to bully others. The people in Luoyang came and went in an orderly manner."

"Just now I heard the Queen Mother talk a lot about Mr. He's ability to govern."

"I think that perhaps those people in the court did not slander or spread rumors, and Mr. He might really be a cruel official."

Cao Mao was silent for a moment, "Maybe."

"Then why didn't Your Majesty speak directly to me? Are you worried that I would submit a petition to refute you?"

Guo Ze looked a little excited.

"I have studied the classics diligently, but don't I know what is right and wrong?"

"Your Majesty has always been benevolent and righteous, and loves the people. If you really used the methods of a cruel official, it can only mean one thing."

"Those officials deserve this punishment!"

Cao Mao was surprised. He looked at Guo Ze and was speechless for a moment.

Guo Ze looked a little sad. "Your Majesty, please allow me to leave."

(End of this chapter)