The elite did not migrate south

Chapter 623 Not bad
"It's finally time to take action."

Zhong Hui looked at the letter in his hand and couldn't help laughing.

Sun Hao's lawless harassment of the powerful families would definitely cause chaos. Zhong Hui had thought of this very early on.

He knew that the powerful families of Wu might take action against Sun Hao in the near future, but when he actually saw the letter and learned of their plan, Zhong Hui was quite disappointed.

That's it? ?
He took the letter, changed his clothes, and got on a carriage to leave his mansion.

Soon, Zhong Hui appeared in front of Cao Mao with a letter.

The king and his minister sat in the Taiji Hall, looking at the letter on the table and looking at each other in surprise.

Both Cao Mao and Zhong Hui felt that Wu's strategy was so simple that it was outrageous.

Are these guys always so simple and direct in their approach?

The letter sent from Xiong Yi recorded a very simple plan.

The general meaning is that one has to find someone to play the role of a bandit, then gather a crowd to rebel, kidnap someone who is suitable to be the emperor, and then lead the kidnapped person to Jianye, ascend the throne in Jianye, and let the new emperor order the killing of Sun Hao. The big families will directly obey the new emperor's edict, and the matter can end perfectly.

As for this scheme, how should I put it? The more I talk about it, the more I can't help but want to complain.

Cao Mao cleared his throat and couldn't help but say, "I feel that this plan is unlikely to succeed. If Sun Hao leaves Jianye, he must leave behind his confidants to guard Jianye. Even if someone joins forces with the outside and attacks Jianye in the name of bandits, it will..."

Zhong Hui, however, remained calm and asked, "Your Majesty, why do you care about this?"

"It would be best if the Wu people could accomplish nothing. Heaven has given us a man like Sun Hao. If he were easily replaced, wouldn't that be very disadvantageous to us?"

"With a ruler like Sun Hao, Wu will only fall faster. Your Majesty, do not worry about him."

Cao Mao laughed and said, "I am not worried about him. I just feel that there are no more talented people in Wu."

Zhong Hui shook his head. "It's not that Wu lacks talented people. It's just that most talented people wouldn't dare risk ruining their reputation by killing the king."

The two men discussed for a while, and Zhong Hui suggested, "Your Majesty, inform the generals on the front lines of this matter as soon as possible, especially Wang Ji. If unrest breaks out in Wu and someone besieges Jianye, it will definitely be a good opportunity for our generals to launch an attack!"

Cao Mao agreed with this deeply.

The State of Wei is still preparing for war, but it would be very good if it could give the State of Wu a slap in the face unexpectedly and capture more checkpoints. If serious civil unrest really occurs in the State of Wu, the war for unification may begin directly.

Zhong Hui was quite disappointed anyway. He had hoped that the people of Wu would give him a surprise and an unexpected plan.

I didn't expect it to be like this.

Zhong Hui did not think that the other party could succeed. He even thought that this incident might help Sun Hao to firmly establish his position.

He said seriously, "Your Majesty, the only benefit of this matter may be that it can help us capture the rest of Jingnan, complete further advancement, and expose Jiangdong to direct threats from Jingnan."

"However, Wang Ji is unable to complete such a task."

"Wang Ji is a good-looking man, so his talent and character are superior to Deng Ai, but he is too cautious."

"Your Majesty ordered him to attack Wu. Unless he is determined to completely conquer Jingnan or has the confidence to completely conquer Wu, he will not send troops, but only send people to harass them."

"He's not as daring as Deng Ai. As for Huo Yi in Jiaozhou, his army is composed of former Shu people. Jiaozhou has been governed by Wu for many years, and it's actually a weak spot for Wei. If I were Lu Kang, I would first try to open up Jiaozhou. Now that Jiaozhou is divided in two, Huo Yi's position is not stable."

"If Your Majesty sends Huo Yi on a punitive expedition, I'm afraid Lu Kang will defeat Huo Yi, seize the entire Jiaozhou, and drive Huo Yi into the South."

Zhong Hui commented on the crowd and said, "Therefore, I believe that if we want to pacify Lu Kang, we need to change the commander-in-chief."

In fact, after hearing this, Cao Mao already understood Zhong Hui's thoughts.

This guy laid so much groundwork, obviously just for one sentence.

Let me deal with Lu Kang!

Cao Mao hurriedly grabbed Zhong Hui's hand and said, "Shi Ji, the fall of Wu is only a matter of time. One battle will be enough to pacify it. However, governing the empire will take many years. This is the most important task. I absolutely dare not send Shi Ji to the front lines! If Shi Ji is no longer by my side, how will I handle government affairs?"

After hearing what Cao Mao said, Zhong Hui pondered for a moment before giving up the idea of going to the front line to fight Lu Kang.

Zhong Hui had no choice but to say, "Then please tell Wang Ji not to be so timid and to make more achievements!"

After seeing Zhong Hui off, Cao Mao went to the Queen with a smile.

After the child was born, the relationship between Cao Mao and Zheng Xian underwent subtle changes.

Just as Zheng Xian had thought, the child connected the two of them, and Cao Mao really began to treat Zheng Xian as his own, no longer filled with vigilance and alienation.

When Cao Mao arrived at Changqiu Palace, Zheng Xian was coaxing the child.

Several palace maids stood by, ready to take the child at any time.

After Cao Mao arrived, they tactfully stepped aside.

"Awen! Naigong is here!"

Cao Mao smiled and spoke. Although Cao Mao's naming skills were not very high, he still decided on the child's nickname: Awen.

Zheng Xian handed the child to him with a smile. Cao Mao held the child in his arms, his eyes full of love.

"Have you cried or made a fuss today?"

"It's still the same. He didn't cry or make a fuss. He's very well behaved!"

"I've heard people say that children who are well-behaved when they are young will become naughty when they grow up."

"So what was your Majesty like when he was young?"

The smile on Cao Mao's face faded, and then he said, "I don't remember."

Zheng Xian knew what to do and didn't ask any more questions.

Just as the two were playing with the child, Mr. Xu hurried in and whispered, "Your Majesty, the King of Donghai requests an audience."

Cao Mao frowned when he heard this. "Isn't it class time now? Why isn't this guy there?"

Zheng Xian advised: "Your Majesty, the King of Donghai is still young and has no other elders besides you. You should not discipline him too much."

Cao Mao then asked someone to call Cao Qi in.

Cao Qi walked into the hall and hurriedly bowed to meet Cao Mao. He was still particularly afraid of his only brother.

At first, he was probably afraid that he would not be able to escape the fate of the other princes. Later, he felt afraid and restrained because of Cao Mao's high prestige.

"Qi, you're not at the Imperial College, what are you doing here?"

"Brother, I'm here to see Youzi. General Cheng said you were here."

As Cao Qi spoke, he couldn't help but look at the little thing in Cao Mao's arms, "Is this Awen?"

He grinned, walked forward, and carefully took the little guy from Cao Mao's arms.

Seeing him laughing and teasing the little guy, Cao Mao didn't say anything else.

The little guy fell asleep quickly, lying in Cao Qi's arms. Cao Qi had no choice but to hand him to the palace maid beside him, and Cao Mao took him away.

As they walked along the road, Cao Mao couldn't help but ask, "How is the situation at the Imperial Academy?"

Cao Mao discovered that although his younger brother was not very good at studying, he had a good eye for people and was considered to have some brains and could see the situation clearly. Cao Mao sent him to the Imperial Academy to train his communication skills.

Cao Qi said, "Brother, the Imperial Academy has begun teaching the classics of the nobility. Confucius is in charge, and no one dares to refuse. It's just that the scholars don't like you very much."

"It's normal for them to dislike me. I've made it impossible for them to just eat and wait for death. Of course they won't like me."

"So how are your studies going?"

"Fortunately, Confucius often praises me."

"I have also made many good friends at the Imperial College. I have discovered that several of them are extremely talented and may be able to be of use to my brother."

"Oh? Who are they?"

"There was a Xianbei man named Shu Ji Neng. When he first arrived at the Imperial College, everyone looked down on him, thinking he was a barbarian and that his presence in the school was a humiliation to them. Therefore, they often bullied him."

"But this man is a master of martial arts. If it were just his martial arts, I wouldn't value him. What I value most is his broad mind."

"He was ostracized by everyone, but he didn't care at all. He greeted them as usual, his expression unwavering. He responded to everyone's requests and showed no concern for humiliation, simply laughing heartily. Even when surrounded by dozens of people, he showed no fear at all. Brother, this man is quite extraordinary!"

Cao Mao glanced at him and asked, "Are there any others?"

"There's another person named Liu Hong. He's the son of the late General Zhenbei, Liu Jing. He has many friends in the Imperial Academy and is a very eloquent person. Whether it's military affairs or government, he can always make sense. I often visit him, but he treats me and others the same way. He's not as snobbish as the others. Perhaps he can be of use to you, brother!"

"Oh, is there any other name like this?"

"There was another man named Liu Tun, the son of Shangshu Lang Liu Yi. He was upright, studious, and kind, and he often helped his fellow students."

Cao Qi talked about the many good friends he made in the Imperial Academy one by one, and Cao Mao couldn't help but sigh again.

I didn't expect that this guy actually has some talent.

It was not a wasted trip to the Imperial Academy. Cao Mao had some impression of the people he mentioned, and those who could leave an impression on Cao Mao were probably good talents.

The two of them walked all the way to the Taiji Hall.

Cao Qi became more and more excited as he spoke, and even accidentally mentioned the time when he sneaked out with them to play.

He thought his brother would be angry, but Cao Mao only whispered:
"Be careful not to get caught in the future."

(End of this chapter)