The Duke of Shu Han began guarding Jingzhou in place of Guan Yu.

Chapter 239 I, Cao Pi, will never be angry.

After Cao Pi finished speaking, he burst into laughter in the hall.

It was as if what I had just heard was just a joke.

The ministers looked at each other, neither agreeing nor offering any advice.

Cao Pi continued laughing until his mouth went dry.

Finally, someone spoke up.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report."

When Cao Pi saw that it was Sima Yi, his smile faded slightly.

"Please speak."

Sima Yi said in a deep voice:

"Although the words of the Shu traitor are foolish and stubborn, they concern the reputation of the entire court of loyal officials. I believe they should not be laughed off."

"If we ignore this, those nearby may not doubt the court, but those further away will not know His Majesty's intentions in time, and they will inevitably panic. If they panic, things will change."

"Therefore, the court should invite a high-ranking official of sufficient standing to write a rebuttal to this fallacy in order to set the record straight."

Cao Pi narrowed his eyes:

"Then who do you think should be invited to be the chief writer? Lord Zhong, Lord Hua, or Lord Wang?"

But Sima Yi shook his head and said:

"neither."

Cao Pi was slightly surprised:

"These three men were all great men of their time, and there were almost no successors in later generations."

"Is this still insufficient for you to write for me?"

Sima Yi said:

"Although the Three Dukes were highly respected, their disciples and former officials were spread all over the country because of their high reputation."

"This time, the Shu traitors have distorted the truth and sowed discord between superiors and subordinates, and even the Three Dukes are not immune. If you personally write the decree, how can you convince the public?"

"If we cannot win over the people, it will damage not only the reputation of the Three Dukes, but also the prestige of the imperial court!"

Upon hearing Cao Pi call out the names, Grand Commandant Zhong Yao, Minister of Works Hua Qin, and Minister of Public Works Wang Lang remained motionless.

Only then did they all rise from their seats and bow in respect.

The smile on Cao Pi's face vanished completely.

"If the three ministers are unable to write, are we to ask a local worthy for help?"

Sima Yi immediately replied:
"With a wise ruler on the throne, there are no worthy men left in the countryside!"

"Your Majesty, I humbly submit this statement: The Shu traitors have been sowing discord in every way, but in reality, their words are merely about who should inherit the Han dynasty's rightful lineage."

"Your Majesty received the Mandate of Heaven and succeeded the Han Dynasty, making you the rightful successor of the dynasty."

"The Shu bandits are trapped in the mountains and forests, their vision limited, unaware that the fate of the world has changed, and thus they write a lot of absurd words."

"Your Majesty is benevolent. Why not ask the Duke of Shanyang to write a document refuting the fact that Liu Bei and his ministers usurped the throne? In that case, their fallacies will be refuted without a doubt!"

The Duke of Shanyang was Liu Xie, the last emperor of the Later Han Dynasty.

In Shu, in the Shu Han dynasty, he was already dead and had been given the posthumous title of Emperor Xiaomin.

However, in the Central Plains, after his abdication, he was granted the title of Duke of Shanyang.

He currently resides in Choroc Fortress, San Duong District, Hanoi Province.

Sima Yi's words immediately caused an uproar in the long-silent East Hall.

Even the imperial censors in charge of the imperial etiquette in the hall did not dare to step forward and stop them.

They were afraid of getting into trouble.

After all, this was a former emperor who was still alive.

Moreover, he was an emperor who had reigned for over thirty years.

Many people had a nominal relationship with him as ruler and subject.

Seeing that the court order was on the verge of spiraling out of control, Zhong Yao, as the head of the Three Dukes, had no choice but to step in and stop it.

Although the murmurs subsided, the expressions of anticipation or fear on everyone's faces were impossible to hide.

Seeing this situation, Cao Pi had no choice but to make a statement:
“What Zhongda said is not without reason.”

"But I have already permitted the Shanyang Gong'an to reside in Zhuolu City. If I were to trouble them again now, wouldn't that be breaking my promise?"

Upon hearing this, the ministers immediately realized that Cao Pi had already shown signs of backing down.
Without the need for the Three Dukes or close ministers like Sima Yi to take the lead, they all spoke frankly, saying that the Duke of Shanyang was already a subject, eating the emperor's food, and should share the emperor's worries. How could he be accused of breaking his promise?
Liu Bei usurped the title of the Han dynasty, and it is only right that he, the legitimate successor of the Han dynasty, should come forward to clarify the facts, so as not to keep the people of the world in the dark about Liu Bei's actions.

Cao Pi readily accepted advice, and for a time, the Eastern Hall was restored to a state of wise ruler and virtuous ministers, with upright officials filling the court.

Grand Commandant Zhong Yao, seizing the opportunity, suggested that the remaining members of Xun and Cui's clansmen invite the Duke of Shanyang to Luoyang to demonstrate that the court had no intention of listening to slander.

But this time, Cao Pi's face darkened immediately:

"Lord Zhong, you're already in a precarious position. It's one thing if you can't quell public opinion for me, but why do you insist on summoning the spirits of the guilty?" "If I grant your request, are you also going to exonerate traitors like Wei Feng?"

Zhong Yao was shocked and immediately knelt down on the ground.

The courtiers fell silent once again.

The Emperor of Wei was indeed enraged.

They were indeed wary of the old guard listed in the proclamation.

Xu Shu watched this with a cold eye, secretly laughing to himself.

However, this did not prevent him from immediately coming out to cover for Zhong Yao, who had "secretly defected":
"Your subject has taken the liberty of submitting this report."

"This year is a crucial year for all the officials to re-establish their local ranks, and everyone is naturally wary of rumors and gossip."

"The widespread disinformation about the Shu traitors in Luoyang is certainly related to enemy spies. But there is no doubt that some people are secretly fueling this for their own selfish reasons!"

"Your Majesty, I implore you to issue a decree to thoroughly investigate this matter, so that the loyal may not speak out, and the wicked may not benefit!"

These words, as expected, sparked another round of discussion in the hall, drawing Cao Pi's attention.

If Sima Yi's suggestion was to counter the enemy's argument from its very core.

Xu Shu's suggestion was to take remedial measures in terms of the means of communication.

A moment later, Cao Pi raised his voice, but instead asked Xu Shu:
"What is your current rank in the local government? Is it high enough to be ranked in the top three ranks?"

Xu Shu truthfully replied:
"My family is of humble origin and has not yet attained the highest rank."

Cao Pi: "Then I will personally serve as your chief judge and re-evaluate your local rank!"

"Starting this year, your rank will be 'Upper Middle', and you will be specially promoted to Commandant of the Capital Region to thoroughly investigate the treacherous officials in Luoyang for me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone turned to look at Xu Shu again.

But this time it wasn't just about watching a show.

It should be noted that the Commandant of the Capital Region had been in charge of this position in the capital since the Han Dynasty, and was in charge of inspecting and recommending officials.

From the highest officials down, they were capable of correcting anything; their supervisory power was immense.

According to the official ranks of Cao Wei at that time, the Commandant of the Capital Region was ranked third grade, the same as the Nine Ministers, and only below the generals with important titles.

Even generals with high ranks were subject to the supervision and inspection of the Commandant of the Capital Region.

In short, Xu Shu has been promoted again, this time to a higher rank.

Everyone was filled with envy and amazement.

Those who harbored selfish motives began to feel uneasy.

I'm wondering if I should sabotage this whole thing.

But who, besides the Three Dukes of the court, was qualified to refute the Sili Commandant appointed by the emperor himself?

As for the Three Dukes...

Don't you see how Grand Commandant Zhong Yao looked at him as if he were a brother after he escaped from trouble thanks to Xu Shu's words?
……

The second month of spring.

Looking at the dense military camps outside Xuchang, Jia Kui, the governor of Yuzhou, was filled with doubt.

Only the scattered green paddy fields outside the camp could slightly conceal the unease in his heart.

Yingchuan has been in a state of war for nearly half a year, from last autumn and winter to the present.

To say that the people are exhausted is an exaggeration.

If this continues, in another year or two, this once prosperous and fertile land will fall into abject poverty.

But can this battle really end within two years?
To be fair, Jia Kui didn't have that confidence.

During this period, he reflected on himself three times a day.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that launching a war against Han and Wu at the same time last year was not a wise move.

If we hadn't fought with Sun Quan back then, hadn't coveted the land north of the Yangtze River, and had focused on dealing with Guan Yu, would we have been able to protect Nanyang?
Perhaps.

Or perhaps not.

But what's past cannot be changed.

The only saving grace is that the military and civilians in Huainan should be able to farm with peace of mind this year.

As long as Yangzhou supplies grain, Yuzhou can survive.

As I pondered, a commotion arose from a distant military camp.

A high-ranking banner bearing the character "Cao" appeared on the official road.

It turned out that General Cao Hong had returned in triumph.

Although Jia Kui held the position of commander-in-chief, he did not dare to underestimate this veteran general from the imperial clan.

He immediately put aside his thoughts and went out of the city to greet them.

(End of this chapter)