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

Chapter 259, "Memorial to the King of Han on Appointing General Shu as Grand General!"
"Imperial edict:"
[I have heard that those who are loyal and brave enough to die for their country should be recorded in history, and those who defend their sovereign with their blood and bones should be honored after their death.]

Dian Wei served as a fierce and brave bodyguard to his commander. In the Battle of Wancheng, he held his halberd to defend the gate, suffering dozens of wounds but not retreating. His integrity shines as brightly as the sun and moon.

He is now posthumously granted the title of Marquis of Wuwei, the posthumous name "Zhongyong" (Loyal and Brave), and a fief of three hundred households.

Cao Ang, the eldest son of Cao Qing, was known for his propriety and righteousness both in his personal life and in his filial piety.

During the Battle of Wancheng, he gave his horse to save his father and died in the chaos of battle, a testament to his filial piety and bravery.

He was posthumously granted the title of Marquis of Fengdao, and his son succeeded him, with a fief of five hundred households.

Cao Anmin fought alongside his comrades, never shirking danger, and perished in Wan. His loyalty and integrity are truly admirable.

He was posthumously granted the title of Marquis of Duting, with a fief of three hundred households, and was bestowed with one hundred bolts of silk.

Are you satisfied with this reward, Minister Cao?

On the surface, three marquises were granted titles, demonstrating the emperor's high regard for the Cao family. However, apart from Cao Ang, who explicitly stated that the title could be passed on to his sons, the other two titles were merely posthumous honors.

This person is dead, and there's no mention of passing on the throne to future generations. It seems like the emperor's grace is boundless, but in reality, it's all in name only.

However, Cao Cao originally intended to feign weakness towards the emperor for the time being, allowing the emperor to maintain his perceived balance and control him, once he had overcome the immediate hurdle.

Afterwards, he met up with Xun Yu and Cao Ren, learned about the current situation in Luoyang, and once he had integrated his own troops, he found a pretext to launch an attack and then struck with lightning speed, completely severing the emperor's wings.

Therefore, it was natural for him to bow and express his gratitude, saying, "Your subject Cao Cao kowtows to express his gratitude to Your Majesty for your divine grace!"

Cao Ang, Cao Anmin, and others served the country, which was their duty. His Majesty has remembered their small contributions and bestowed upon them titles.

How could I not be moved to tears of gratitude? To repay Your Majesty's kindness, I will remain loyal and steadfast, and live up to Your Majesty's great favor!

Liu Xie nodded slightly, then looked at Liu Bei, who was mingling among the officials without uttering a word.

"Liu Huangshu came from afar and was ordered to suppress the rebels several times, never falling behind anyone else."

Now I wish to follow the example of the late emperor and rebuild the Western Garden New Army. I intend to appoint my uncle as the Rear General to lead the new army in preparation for a future campaign to the south to quell the rebellion.

Would the Imperial Uncle be willing to offer assistance?

"Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation."

Having suffered repeated defeats and achieved nothing of merit, how dare I assume such a high position?

"Now is the time when we need people. The Imperial Uncle has fought against Yuan's army several times. Apart from Cao Qing, he is the most experienced person in dealing with Yuan.

"Now that the nation is in peril and the situation is dire, will my Imperial Uncle also prioritize his own safety and refuse to aid me?"

"This"

Liu Bei feigned reluctance, indicating to the crowd that it was the emperor's order and he had no choice but to comply.

Only then did he bow in gratitude and accept his new post.

Liu Xie then appointed Wen Pin as the deputy commander of the Xiyuan New Army. Liu Biao was naturally pleased with this and quickly gestured to Wen Pin to express his gratitude.

Under the emperor's manipulation, Cao Cao was stripped of his authority and given three honorary titles, but he managed to escape a crisis, which was acceptable.

Although the imperial faction failed to eradicate all evil, it gained tangible benefits.

Thus, under the Holy Emperor's rule, the imperial court was filled with joy and harmony, preparing to welcome Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and others with a feast to celebrate peace and prosperity.

Just as the emperor and his ministers were getting along well, a messenger suddenly called out names urgently from outside the palace:

"Report to Your Majesty!

"General Yuan Shu's envoy, Cao Anmin, the newly enfeoffed Marquis of Duting, arrived and presented a memorial to the emperor."

Cao Cao: “???”

Liu Xie: "!!!"

The courtiers: "."

Is this an act of deceiving Heaven?
How could someone who was just posthumously convicted possibly come back to life?
At that moment, everyone's expressions were extremely complex and strange, beyond description.

Liu Yao was the first to seize the opportunity, his eyes fixed on Cao Cao.

"You traitor Cao, how dare you deceive the emperor!"

Cao Cao was speechless for a moment.

Liu Yao, having gained the upper hand, pressed on relentlessly.

“Cao Anmin is clearly still alive, yet you say he died for his country, deceiving the emperor to obtain a title. His heart is despicable!”

As he spoke, he said to Liu Xie:

"Your Majesty, what did I tell you?"

From Xiahou Dun to Xiahou Ba, from Yue Jin to Li Dian, and now even Cao Mengde's own nephew, are all surrendered officials of the Yuan family.

The entire Cao family surrendered to Yuan Shao; they are utterly untrustworthy. The entire Cao camp is the greatest loyalist of the Yuan clan in our Han Dynasty.”

Liu Xie: "."

He knew Cao Cao's ambition; he was already holding him hostage here to command the world, so how could he possibly become a loyal subject of the Yuan family?
However, Cao Anmin's arrival at this time provided Cao Cao with yet another pretext to suppress him.

His eyes seemed to flicker with light, and he said to Cao Cao:

"Minister Cao, you owe me an explanation for Cao Anmin's resurrection."

Cao Cao remained silent.

He was deep in thought, silently devising a solution.

He was also deeply puzzled. He had witnessed Cao Anmin being shot and killed by a flying spear from a hundred paces away while covering the rear in battle.

How can someone who is already dead come back to life?
Could it be that the attack missed a vital spot and was saved by Yuan's army?
Well, it's good that he's alive, and it's a good thing he didn't die. But the biggest mistake you could have made was surrendering to Yuan!

Before Cao Cao could think much about it, the attacks from his ministers, which had just subsided, came one after another.

Liu Biao sneered:
"Imperial Censor Cao, I have heard that you have repeatedly emphasized:"
Those who surrender to Yuan should have their entire family executed. Now, Cao Anmin has not only surrendered to Yuan, but he even dares to come here as an envoy, parading around the city without any remorse.

But what does Imperial Censor Cao intend to do with Cao Anmin's entire family?

"Yes, may I ask how Imperial Censor Cao intends to handle this?"

“That makes sense. It just so happens that Li Dian has surrendered to Yuan, and his family has not yet been dealt with.”

Why don't you let Cao Cao deal with Li Dian's family and Cao Anmin's family together?

Words are like knives, each one piercing the heart.

One person surrenders to Yuan, and his entire family is executed.

Cao Cao never imagined that this ban on officials who surrendered to Yuan Shikai would one day come back to haunt him.

In particular, these people have ulterior motives and want to deal with the Li Dianzhi family and the Cao Anmin family together.

dispose of?

What should Cao Cao do with him?

Would I kill myself?

Cao Anmin is his own nephew. If he is punished, not only will the Cao family be unable to escape, but he will also have to execute himself as a warning to others.

But if the Cao family is not dealt with, what will happen to the Li Dian family?
Treating the Li family separately, and showing such differential treatment, will inevitably alienate the entire army from its leaders.

But if we don't take action, and they're now disobeying the strict orders we just issued, what authority will we have left?

Yuan is a vicious traitor!

Yuan Shu's decision to release Cao Anmin was utterly malicious, a move designed to undermine his own foundation.

After a brief silence, facing yet another attempt by his ministers to launch an attack, Cao Cao smiled and said:
"This is Yuan's scheme; gentlemen, do not fall for it."

My nephew Cao Anmin, whom Cao Cao witnessed firsthand, was determined to cover the retreat, but he was struck by Zhang Xiu's spear from a hundred paces away and died without any chance of survival.

"joke!
Absolutely no chance of survival?

"Could Cao Anmin, the Yuan army envoy who has just returned, be a ghost?"

Not wanting to face Liu Yao's question, Cao Cao actually nodded in agreement.

"This must be a trick by the traitor Yuan, who sent someone to impersonate Cao Anmin."

No one knows Cao Anmin better than I do. My nephew Cao Anmin is loyal to the emperor and loves his country. He would rather die than surrender and there is absolutely no possibility that he would surrender to Yuan Shikai.

This man must be an imposter sent by Yuan Shao to impersonate Cao Anmin, in order to create internal conflict within Cao Cao, alienate his troops, and make it difficult to prevent others from surrendering to Yuan Shao.

"This"

Even after all this, how can you explain it away?
Liu Yao blinked, then turned and questioned:
"That traitor Cao is cunning!"
They blame everything on Yuan Shikai; it's either his scheme or his trickery.

As he spoke, he bowed to the emperor and said:
"Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, this traitor Cao has never uttered a word of truth. Now even Cao Anmin has surrendered to Yuan."

His generals and nephews are all loyal subjects of Yuan Shikai; how could he dare claim he hadn't colluded with Yuan? In my humble opinion, it's best to take him down as soon as possible.”

Cao Cao also said to the emperor:
"Your Majesty, I am innocent."

Cao Anmin died in Wancheng long ago; this was witnessed by my own eyes and is beyond doubt.

The person outside the palace must be an imposter sent by Yuan Ying to smear my innocence.

"I implore Your Majesty to be wise and not fall for the traitor Yuan's scheme."

Liu Xie: "."

He sighed, feeling utterly exhausted. To be honest, he felt quite helpless when faced with such a bizarre situation where the dead came back to life.

Then he said to him:

"Gentlemen, there is no need to argue. As for the truth, just invite someone into the hall to see for yourself."

Everyone praised it.

Before long, a courtier led a man carrying a golden book, head held high and chest puffed out, into the room.

At first glance, he bears a striking resemblance to Cao Cao. If he is not Cao Anmin, then who is he?

The newcomer entered the hall and bowed, saying, "Cao Anmin, the envoy from Huainan, pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!"

However, before he could even finish bowing and speak, a man with a ferocious face came slashing at him with a sword.

Cao Anmin was greatly alarmed. Upon seeing the man who was about to kill him, he recognized him as Cao Cao and hurriedly asked:

Why did my uncle kill me?

As he spoke, he rolled away like a gourd, heading straight for the ministers.

"You treacherous villain, how dare you impersonate the people and desecrate the souls of the dead?"
"If Anmin's spirit is watching from heaven, your uncle will surely kill this treacherous imposter for you!"

Cao Cao shouted and chased after them, hacking and slashing his way through the enemy lines.

"Uncle, it's a misunderstanding!"

I truly am a pacifier; please take a closer look.

My nephew isn't dead, he's still alive!

Cao Anmin fled east and west, always managing to shield Liu Yao, Yang Biao, and others in front of him.

"We're going to kill you, you traitorous Yuan!"
Your disguise skills in impersonating Anmin are indeed superb, but while you may fool others, you cannot fool Cao Cao!
I swear to kill you, to comfort the spirit of the people in heaven.

As Cao Cao spoke, he brandished his sword. He was skilled in martial arts, and among those present, only he and Liu Biao were allowed to enter the palace with swords and shoes.

At this moment, it was not like before when everyone was protecting Liu Yao, but who would protect Cao Anmin, a surrendered official of the Yuan family?

For a moment, Cao Cao charged left and right, and everyone hurriedly made way, shouting:

"Lord Cao, calm down!"

"Lord Cao must not behave improperly in front of the emperor."

"Children are ignorant, you can educate them at home, don't lose your dignity."

Seeing that his ministers were only shouting slogans but not protecting Cao Cao for him, Cao Anmin felt bitter.

Fortunately, in the chaotic hall, he saw two people standing motionless before him, their faces full of heroic spirit.

One person has large earlobes that reach their shoulders, and hands that extend past their knees.

A man with a red face and a long beard, his features as deep as a deep pool and as imposing as a mountain.

He seemed to see a savior and hurriedly called out:
"Lord Xuande, save me!"

Anmin has long admired Lord Xuande's benevolence and virtue, and even in battle, the two armies do not kill the messenger.

"Does the Great Han Dynasty, the Celestial Empire, intend to execute our envoy in a palace?"

As he spoke, he hurriedly fled, shielding Guan Yu in front of him.

Guan Yu frowned and looked up at his elder brother.

Liu Bei remained indifferent, only giving a barely perceptible nod.

Guan Yu understood and stepped forward to block Cao Cao.

Seeing Guan Yu blocking his way, unlike the previous civil officials, Cao Cao dared not use weapons to intimidate him, and only said coldly.

"Cao Cao wants to eliminate this traitorous spy Yuan Shao, will Guan Yu stop me?"

Without Guan Yu needing to speak, Liu Bei greeted him with a smile.

"Since you are in such a hurry, may I ask if you intend to kill someone to silence them?"

Cao Cao's eyes narrowed, and he said coldly.

"This man is audacious and reckless, impersonating my nephew Anmin."

Cao Cao was loyal to the Han Dynasty and had a clear conscience, so why did he need to kill someone to silence them?
I fear this person, under the guise of pacifying the people, will tarnish the reputation of my Cao family.

Liu Bei nodded and replied:

"Whether this person is indeed Cao Anmin, the nephew of the Prime Minister, can be left to His Majesty to investigate afterward."

Now that it is Yuan, the traitor, who has come as an envoy, we might as well listen to what he wants to do, so that we can respond accordingly later.”

Upon seeing this, Cao Anmin cried out urgently, tears streaming down his face.

"Uncle, I was sent on a mission to Huainan this time, carrying a great responsibility, and I have returned bearing the burden of humiliation."

"I have important matters to report to you in Huainan. Why did you kill your nephew so ruthlessly, Uncle?"

Did they endure humiliation and return home bearing a heavy burden?

Cao Cao pondered for a moment and realized that this might also be a reason not to execute his entire clan.

Cao Anmin did not surrender; he was deceiving us!
He nodded slightly, then sheathed his sword and stared coldly at Cao Anmin.

"Listen to what you have to say, you traitor. If you truly surrender to Yuan, I swear to kill you."

Seeing that the commotion in the court had finally subsided, Liu Xie, who had repeatedly called for silence from his throne but to no avail, had already grown ashen-faced.

He realized that he had become so used to being a puppet that no one really took him, the emperor, seriously anymore.

He then drew the Emperor's sword, slashed it at the dragon throne, and glared at Cao Cao, saying:
"Cao Cao?"

Is your sword very sharp?
Do you still regard me as the emperor and father?
Grand Tutor Liu Biao, General of the Rear Liu Bei, Commander of the Imperial Guard Xu Huang, and General of Chariots and Cavalry Dong Cheng, heed my command!

Seeing that the young emperor had been holding back all day, was he actually going to do it for real?

Don't you already understand that internal strife will only benefit Huainan, and do you know the tacit understanding between us?
At that moment, Cao Cao realized something was wrong. He had overlooked the fact that this young man, besides being naive, also had impulsive qualities.

This emperor, who now wields an additional 50,000 li of power outside the city, has become more temperamental than before.

Cao Cao hurriedly bowed and admitted his mistake, saying, "When I saw someone blaspheming the spirit of my beloved nephew in the afterlife, I was overcome with anger and acted impulsively. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

"I will discern the truth from the falsehood."

"Guards, remove Cao Cao's sword and shoes, and let him calm down."

This means he has once again been stripped of his right to wear a sword and shoes in the palace.

After Cao Cao stepped aside, the emperor raised his eyes to look at Cao Anmin and asked him a question.

"What brings you here, General?"

To be honest, even without asking, Liu Xie could probably guess.

It was nothing more than conquering Jingzhou and then coming to the court to request the appointment of governors for various prefectures.

Liu Xie was speechless. You could say that Yuan was a traitor, but he was actually very polite to him.

Whenever he bestowed titles or honors upon his subordinates, whether they were prefects, magistrates, generals, or nobles, he would always submit a written petition to go through the proper procedures. He was even more loyal and virtuous than the high-ranking officials of Sichuan and Liangzhou.

The problem is that he submits memorials without caring whether you agree or not. After submitting the memorials and reporting them, he can grant titles and fiefs in Huainan as he pleases.

However, to Liu Xie's surprise, the memorial Cao Anmin brought back this time was:

"Memorial to the King of Han on Appointing General Shu"
The ministers: “???”

Emperor: "!!!"

"Someone come here? Quickly!"
Put the Prime Minister's sword and shoes on him!

Prime Minister Cao!

"May I lead the army and quell the rebellion?"

(End of this chapter)