Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 257 You, an inside agent of Yuan's camp, still dare to spout such nonsense?
This must be Yuan Shu's scheme!

Yuan Shu's inside man is hidden among us!

After Cao Cao revealed these shocking revelations, the crowd in the hall, who had been noisy and shouting for the elimination of the traitors, fell into a deep silence.

They glanced around warily at each other, as if each were wary of their former like-minded patriots who had been united in their desire to restore the Han dynasty, fearing that they might have fallen into Yuan Shu's trap.

Before this, the people in this hall were all important officials and scholars of the time. Now that things have come to this, with the matter of eliminating Cao Cao imminent, how could they possibly sheath their swords?

But there was no way around it; the traitor Yuan Shu, whom Cao Cao had just described, was simply too terrifying!
On one hand, he manipulated the eunuchs and launched the disaster of the partisan purge; on the other hand, he represented the head of the aristocratic families and protected the people.

On one hand, he launched the Yellow Turban Rebellion, introduced the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao, and exposed the last fig leaf of the Han Dynasty. On the other hand, he participated in suppressing the rebellion, killing Yellow Turbans and earning merit as a son of the Yuan family.

On one hand, he used his position as a Tiger-General to help General He Jin eliminate the eunuchs; on the other hand, he secretly informed the eunuchs through his relationship with Empress He, causing them to kill He Jin.

On one hand, he used Yuan Shao to lure Dong Zhuo into the capital and wreak havoc on the world. On the other hand, he responded to the call of the eighteen warlords to attack Dong Zhuo and used Dong Zhuo to kill his entire clan in Luoyang in order to inherit the Yuan family's estate and become the undisputed head of the Yuan family!
The truth!
The truth behind why the turmoil of our great Han Dynasty lasted for more than ten years, and how it was only a short time before the four-hundred-year foundation collapsed in one night, has finally come to light!
Although there were some inaccuracies in Cao Cao's statement, such as the claim of having an affair with Empress He, these were things that were difficult to verify due to the fact that he was dead.

However, the main plot, even back when they were still in Jiangxia, was still logically connected and could withstand scrutiny after Cao Cao and his men in his camp analyzed and compared it step by step.

If you're talking about the disaster of the Party Prohibitions, Yuan Shu might have been too young to be the mastermind, but he and the Yuan family were definitely involved.

It was precisely because of the disaster of the Partisan Prohibitions that, in order to fight against the eunuchs, the powerful families of the world had no choice but to gather behind the Yuan family, with the Yuan family as their leader and their wings.

The Yellow Turban Rebellion is practically confirmed.

South of the Yangtze River today, the scene of the Yellow Emperor ruling the world, a prosperous and peaceful era, coupled with the Yellow Emperor's response to the primordial and manifest holy Dao Lord, is deeply praised by all people.

Even if Zhang Jiao were to come back to life, he would still have to acknowledge Yuan Shu as the legitimate successor of the Yellow Emperor.

Especially since most of the people present had experienced that period, and the Yellow Turban Rebellion itself was a strange event.

Zhang Jiao, a peasant from the countryside, how could he spread his religion throughout the world and inspire millions of believers to fight to the death if he had no one behind him?

Was it based on his slogan of peace and prosperity? Or on that bowl of talismanic water used to fool the world?

In the eyes of these meat-eaters, our great Han Dynasty has always been a time of peace and prosperity, with the people well-fed and clothed, and the country governed by loyalty, filial piety, and etiquette.

If there weren't some hidden hand behind the scenes, how could such a turbulent chaos suddenly erupt across the land?

Moreover, Zhang Jiao's Way of Peace at that time was not just fooling the common people, but also the nobles in the palace, the wealthy and powerful families, and the high-ranking officials.

If Zhang Jiao hadn't later become a rebel, he would have always treated the Taoist of Peace as an honored guest.

If you were to say that no one was supporting Zhang Jiao behind the scenes or helping him pull strings, obviously no one would believe it.

And coincidentally, Yuan Shu, whose family had been in high office for four generations, had the ability to become Zhang Jiao's benefactor.

As for the motivation...
It might not have been thought of before, but now it's very clear: they're plotting to undermine the foundation of the Han Dynasty and usurp the throne!
Moreover, after Cao Cao's reminder, some people who knew the inside story of that year quickly thought of a detail.

Logically speaking, Zhang Jiao united the people of the nine provinces and shook the royal court of one family. With a single order, eight provinces rebelled, and a million Yellow Turbans marched in overwhelming force.

The late emperor was so frightened that he couldn't sleep at that time, but the question is, how did he lose?

A mole tipped them off!
Tang Zhou, a disciple who was a close confidant of Zhang Jiao, took the initiative to inform the court about the matter before the uprising, allowing the court to take precautions in advance.

In the past, no one would have thought much of this, but after hearing Cao Cao's description of Yuan Shu's behavior...

How could anyone not feel a chill run down their spine upon closer examination?

Tang Zhou!

Who is that?

A disciple of Zhang Jiao.

And that is precisely the problem.

Even among the outer members of the Yellow Turban Army, including the thirty-six regional leaders, there was a mix of good and bad, and all of them could betray the organization.

Those who might become Zhang Jiao's disciples were all followers of the Yellow Heaven, and among all the believers, they were the most devout.

Zhang Jiao was, after all, just one person, yet he was able to spread his teachings throughout the world, making his name as a great and virtuous teacher known throughout the land, and his followers spread far and wide.

His disciples were among his most important missionaries.

This was a devout believer in the Yellow Heaven and Great Peace, who helped Zhang Jiao spread his teachings and was responsible for bewitching the people.

Why would he inexplicably come to the imperial court to report and inform on others before the incident even occurred?
Surely it's not that they had a change of heart?

The most likely explanation is that there is a mastermind behind the scenes, and Tang Zhou has never been Zhang Jiao's man from beginning to end!

It was someone who placed Tang Zhou next to Zhang Jiao to monitor the progress of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

He was manipulating the Tang and Zhou dynasties. He both hoped that Zhang Jiao would launch a rebellion to destabilize the world and did not want Zhang Jiao to actually succeed in his rebellion and cause the world to change hands.

And who else could be the mastermind behind this, besides Yuan Shu, the traitor who had endured decades of hardship as analyzed by Cao Cao?
In particular, there are cases where an important figure is sent to a location, only to defect at the crucial moment.

This is so Yuan Shu!
This was exactly Yuan Shu's style of doing things. When everyone was analyzing the truth or falsehood of Cao Cao's words, Grand Tutor Liu Biao took the initiative to step forward and use his own personal experience to testify to this.

The subsequent involvement of General He Jin and the eunuchs in the chaos is even more indefensible.

Without the participation of Yuan Shu, who was then the Tiger General and in charge of the Imperial Guards, and as a crucial part of the whole affair, it would have been impossible to accomplish this.

If he, as the Tiger General in charge of the Imperial Guards, did not acquiesce, how could a group of eunuchs possibly behead He Jin as soon as he entered the palace gates in front of the Imperial Guards?
If he hadn't let them get away with it, how could Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and the other eight colonels of the Western Garden, with their small numbers of troops—and these were the newly trained troops of the late emperor—have managed to breach the palace defenses and storm into the palace in such a short time?
Yet, this crucial figure, so important, seemed to be invisible during that great chaos, and was rarely mentioned.

Whenever people talk about this matter, they always mention Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, but it is clear that Yuan Shu was also at He Jin's residence at the time, and he was always present when participating in discussions.

Such a hidden and unassuming ability to manipulate everything behind the scenes is truly terrifying.
Later, when the campaign against Dong Zhuo by the eighteen warlords ended in failure, he indirectly killed the entire Yuan family in Luoyang by using someone else to do his dirty work, and became the head of the Yuan family.

He used Liu Biao to kill Sun Jian, then pretended to be a good person, inherited the Sun family's estate, and obtained the Imperial Seal of the State.

Each and every one of these incidents is truly shocking.

It all comes down to who benefits the most from this situation.

The warlords wasted their resources and manpower fighting for half a day, but gained nothing. On the contrary, all the benefits went to Yuan Shu.

If you, Yuan Gonglu, were still the same spoiled brat as before, no one would think much of it; you'd just be lucky.

But now that Yuan Shu has shown his true strength, and everyone present is a defeated opponent of Yuan Shu, who would dare to underestimate Lord Yuan?
You, Yuan Shu, are so cunning and shrewd, so incredibly intelligent, how can you say that none of these things were deliberately plotted by you behind the scenes? Who would believe that!

As everyone discussed the matter point by point, they found it increasingly plausible. Liu Biao, one of the victims in the Yuan Shu conspiracy theory, even took the initiative to speak up.

“Brother Wentai! Who would have thought that we were both tricked by Yuan Shu, causing Biao to mistakenly kill you, which in turn benefited Yuan Shu.”

"I only hate that the Sun family members, every single one of them, all recognized the enemy as their father, unable to distinguish right from wrong! Especially that Sun Quan, whom I promoted all the way and entrusted with important matters, who would have thought that he would not recognize Yuan Shu's true colors, and would only be a stepping stone for his enemy."

As he spoke, he took the initiative to speak, delivering a passionate and eloquent speech.

"Now we should expose the wickedness of the traitor Yuan to the world and spread the word to all people."

Even if it cannot cripple him, it can still cause his subordinates, the Sun family, to become disloyal and break away from Yuan Shikai to establish their own independent regime.

Thinking back to that day in Xiangyang, if Zhongmou had known Yuan Shu's true colors, he wouldn't have led his entire army to the marshland, risking his life to help Yuan Shu, thus causing the fall of the nine counties of Jingzhou and Xiangyang in a single day.

Yang Biao also spoke out angrily.

"I never imagined he would be such a heartless, cruel, and ruthless person."

I have known Brother Yuan Kui for many years, and we are very close friends. When the traitor Dong Zhuo was so cruel that he slaughtered the entire Yuan family, I also wept for him.

I never imagined that my brother Yuan's family would die at the hands of such an ambitious and rebellious son.

To be willing to exterminate one's entire family for the position of head of the clan—such a depraved and utterly inhuman person deserves to be condemned by both heaven and man.

Everyone echoed, "That's absolutely right!"

"How dare he abuse his position to have an affair with the Empress Dowager! If this traitor is not killed, how can the people's anger be appeased? If this son is not dead, how can the late Emperor rest in peace?"

"So it turns out that the reason why our great Han Dynasty has fallen to this state is all because of this one man's scheme."

He was in cahoots with eunuchs, led powerful families, controlled the Yellow Turban Rebellion, quelled other rebellions, executed He Jin, killed the Ten Changs, attacked the traitor Dong Zhuo, and cut off their supplies.

For over a decade, our great Han Dynasty has been turbulent and unstable, yet this very man directed and acted in his own performance, a farce of his own doing.

This is truly terrifying, and utterly ridiculous!
"You brat, how dare you regard us, the people of this world, as mere playthings, puppets on strings?"

"Yes, with his abilities, he can manipulate the world and control all living beings at will."

"How could you possibly know that our actions today are not within Yuan Shu's calculations, but rather play right into his trap?"

"That is exactly the point. Just as Cao Cao said, Yuan Shao's schemes often happen without anyone noticing, so we must be on guard."

"That's right, everyone, don't forget Tang Zhou!"
If I remember correctly, when the Ten Attendants wanted to kill General He Jin, it was Sima Pan Yin, a trusted subordinate of Jian Shuo, who informed He Jin, which led to the killing of the Ten Attendants.

Previously, when Cao Cao fought against him at Yingchuan, it was the traitor Jiang Gan who acted as his inside agent.

Liu Gong's decision to hunt in Jingzhou was also due to his misplaced trust in the traitors Xing Daorong and Sun Quan.

General Xu was defeated by the Liang Kingdom, and it was Yang Feng, a surrendered official, who had long been in cahoots with Yuan.

Before the troops arrive, an inside agent goes first, either to undermine someone's foundation, to coordinate an attack from within and without, or to defect on the spot. This is Yuan's usual trick, and it is precisely his style of doing things.

We must proceed with caution and lest we fall into his trap.

Seeing that everyone's analysis was becoming more and more reasonable, and that they were getting more and more excited, they were no longer united in eliminating the traitor Cao, but instead became wary of each other for the possibility of a traitor among them.

Liu Yao sensed something was wrong and quickly spoke up to stop them.

"Gentlemen!"
Yuan's rebellious intentions are obvious. We will surely eliminate such a usurper sooner or later.

But there is no need to rush. Today is the perfect time to eliminate the traitors and return power to the emperor.

"If we miss this opportunity today, and Cao Cao becomes prepared, we'll never have such a good chance again. The great cause of restoring the Han dynasty may be ruined in an instant!"

Seeing Liu Yao speak so emotionally, everyone was moved as well. Indeed, this was a sudden attack that everyone had been preparing for, and Cao Cao was caught off guard.

If you miss today, it might not be so easy next time.

Amidst the doubts, Cao Cao, who had previously received the emperor's bestowal and was granted the privilege of wearing a sword and shoes in the palace, immediately drew his sword.

"Once, twice, you, an inside agent of Yuan's camp, how dare you spout such nonsense and mislead the officials? Do you really think my sword isn't sharp enough?"

Cao Cao had already discerned that Liu Yao was the most proactive among them.

As long as a pretext of collusion with Yuan is fabricated and the ringleader is executed, Liu Biao, who is still a newcomer, will remain.

As a result, the imperial faction will soon be leaderless.

As he spoke, he drew his sword and prepared to strike Liu Yao.

Liu Yao never imagined that Cao Cao would dare to assassinate an important minister in the grand hall, before the emperor.

He was so frightened that his face turned pale, and he quickly shielded Liu Biao in front of him.

Liu Biao cursed under his breath, but fortunately he also had the right to enter the palace with a sword and shoes, so he quickly drew his sword to block.

The surrounding officials also rushed to stop them and persuaded both sides to calm down.

Cao Cao originally intended to take the opportunity to kill Liu Yao to end the matter once and for all, and to avoid any further trouble.

But little did he know that Liu Biao, who had just been promoted to Grand Tutor, had also been granted the privilege of wearing a sword and shoes in the palace. He shielded Liu Yao from his fatal blow, thus missing a crucial opportunity.

Before the two sides could fight again, Liu Xie on the dragon throne had already turned ashen-faced.

"presumptuous!
"Minister Cao! Minister Liu! I granted you the authority to enter the palace with swords and shoes, not so that you would fight to the death in the main hall!"

When the emperor became angry, all the ministers knelt down and bowed their heads.

Cao Cao replied:

"This traitor Liu Yao has repeatedly incited the masses and coerced the emperor and father to take the opportunity to kill his ministers."

Your Majesty, just imagine what Luoyang would be like if it were devoid of ministers.
If the Sili region were to be without any officials, what would the Central Plains look like?
This traitor sowed discord, attempting to wreak havoc in the central government, instigate internal strife within the court, and pave the way for Yuan Shu's northward advance.

This is Tang Zhou of the Yellow Turbans, Pan Yin of He Jin, Jiang Gan of Yingchuan, and Sun Quan of Jingzhou!
These traitors to Yuan Shu, if we don't kill them now, when will we?

Liu Yao's face flushed red, and his expression changed drastically. "You traitor Cao, how dare you spout nonsense and slander an important minister?"
I am a member of the Han imperial family, and I have served the emperor faithfully and protected him all the way. I am also one of His Majesty's most trusted ministers.

If you want to add a crime, why don't you have any trouble?
Your words are nothing but heresy and misinformation, intended to cripple His Majesty's power and influence!

"Spreading rumors and misleading the public?"

Cao Cao sneered, "Then let me ask you a question!"
"Grand Tutor Liu, who sent you to court?"

Liu Yao was horrified!

(End of this chapter)