Shu Han Confucian General of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 254
Although there was an episode of Leng Bao Deng Xian, but under Zhao Feng's insistence, the first imperial examination in Yizhou went smoothly.The [-] civil and military candidates selected will be uniformly arranged to go to Xuchang to take the year-end exam.According to Zhao Feng's suggestion, such a big exam will be held once every three years.As for the officials selected by the nine-rank Zhongzheng system, they will be temporarily reserved for use.

"Kong Ming, you Zhongzheng official, what kind of talents have you selected for me this year?" Zhao Feng asked Zhuge Liang in the Yamen of Yizhou Prefecture.

"To tell you the truth, General, this year's Nine Rank Zhongzheng and Imperial Examinations have selected a lot of talents from Sichuan and Sichuan!" Zhuge Liang smiled, and handed a list to Zhao Feng while talking.

"Zhang Yi, Yin Mo." These well-known talents in the middle and late stages of the Shu Han Dynasty in history have already emerged one after another, but counting the time, it is almost time for them to step onto the stage of history.Both Liu Bei and Guan Yu are now nearly fifty years old. Although they are still in the prime of life, they are obviously not as energetic as the young guy. You can't expect everyone to be like Huang Zhong, the old guy who defied the sky, and the older he gets, the more energetic he gets.

"By the way, Kong Ming, when you watched the stars that night, what abnormalities did you see?" Zhao Feng hesitated for a while, but still asked the question that he had been worried about.Since that day, Zhuge Liang has obviously paid more attention to this. His speech and behavior are no longer as elegant and calm as before, and there is always a trace of worry deep in the corner of his eyes.

Zhuge Liang was silent for a long time when he heard the words, and finally sighed: "This matter is really incredible. I can't say it right now, so I can only play it by ear. If there is a chance in the future, I will go back to Lumen Mountain to ask my teacher face to face. It may solve this confusion."

"Is it serious?" Zhao Feng saw that Zhuge Liang seldom took things so seriously, so he was a little bit concerned.

"Don't say it, don't say it!" Zhuge Liang could only sigh, but his eyes were looking far out of the window, but he didn't know what he was looking at.Zhao Feng looked at him, he had never seen Zhuge Liang so dazed.

Zhuge Liang is rarely so dazed, but there is one person who has become accustomed to being dazed.In the imperial palace in Yecheng, Hebei, today's son Liu Xie sat there blankly, his eyes were as blank as ever, his mouth opened and closed, but he didn't know what he was talking about.

There are a lot of shining halos on his head, the ninety-five lord, and he should be the emperor.His ancestors were Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty who killed the white snake and destroyed Xiang Yu and finally won the world; Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty who conquered the Xiongnu in the north and swept the Western Regions;But now it's his turn. This series of titles seems to be useless except to ridicule his current situation.As a puppet, he has nothing else to do every day. All state affairs are decided by Cao Cao, and he has very little to do.Over time, Liu Xie could only be in a daze.

"Your Majesty, it's late at night, let's go to bed early!" Just when Liu Xie was in a daze, the maid beside him couldn't stand it anymore, and quickly reminded.Liu Xie came back to his senses with an "ah" and was about to give orders. At this time, an eunuch came to report, saying that the head of the state was begging to see him.

"Quickly invite the head of the country to come in!" Liu Xie got a little refreshed when he heard this, and quickly asked Fu Wan to come in.Not long after, under the guidance of the eunuch, he walked into the palace lightly. "Chen Fuwan kowtows to His Majesty, long live, long live, long live!" After performing the salute meticulously and obtaining the emperor's permission, Fu Wan stood upright and waited for orders with his hands down.

"Hey, patriarch, ever since Wen Ruo passed away and Wen Ju was demoted, you are the only one in the court, and you still regard me as the emperor!" Liu Xie motioned to sit down, then lowered his voice and sighed.Even in the middle of the night, the emperor didn't dare to speak too loudly, because he didn't know who among these court ladies and eunuchs would tell Cao Cao what he said.Not to mention that outside the palace, there were Cao Xiu and Xiahou Feng taking turns leading the [-] Iron Armored Army on duty at night.

"Your Majesty is serious!" Fu Wan sighed.Seeing that there was no one around, Fu Wan said cautiously: "Your Majesty, in fact, although most of the courtiers were forced by Cao Cao's power, even though they were loyal, in order to save the lives of the whole family, they had to endure it secretly. We must repeat the mistakes of Uncle Dong Guo and the others!"

The uncle Dong Guo mentioned by Fu Wan was naturally the Dong Cheng who was smashed by the whole family after the incident was revealed eight years ago because of his conspiracy against Cao Cao.With the lessons learned from the past, everyone would not dare to engage in underground activities so easily.And in this world, Liu Xie only has royal relatives like Fu Wan and Dong Cheng who can be united with him.After all, under the premise that Cao Cao's family dominates, their interests cannot be guaranteed.

"Oh, this statement is true." Liu Xie also knew that most of the courtiers were ignorant, and had to stand on the same side with Cao Cao due to the situation. The problem was that he knew that there was nothing he could do. Who told him that he had no real power?At this moment, Liu Xie thought of something, and quickly asked, "By the way, Master, I don't know what happened to the emperor's uncle recently?"

"Uncle Liu Huang has already occupied all the land south of the Yellow River, but he has not entered Hebei at the moment. Moreover," Fu Wan hesitated at this point, but he still gritted his teeth: "And it seems that Cao Cao just sent Wang Lang to Henan as an envoy. From my point of view, it seems that the two sides have reached a temporary truce agreement. Because after Wang Lang came back, Cao Cao ordered the army to station temporarily, and at the same time open the farm to rest and recuperate. If it was not for some guarantee from the emperor's uncle, Cao Cao would not dare to be so careless. "

"What?" Upon hearing this, Liu Xie's last illusion was shattered.At this moment, Fu Wan's voice sounded again, but he could be heard saying: "Your Majesty, forgive me for speaking bluntly. In fact, compared with Cao Cao, the emperor's uncle may not be as loyal. Even if he goes north to defeat Cao Cao in the future, can it be Does Your Majesty think that Uncle Huang will regard His Majesty as the Ninth Five-Year Honor?"

Liu Xie was silent when he heard the words, sighed and then said shyly: "Actually, why don't I know? It's just that the emperor's uncle is the clan of the Han family after all. Even if he doesn't regard me as the emperor in the future, he will replace him, but the world is still in the hands of the big man after all. Ah! It's better than being usurped by Cao Cao to seek rebellion!"

"Your Majesty?" Fu Wan didn't expect Liu Xie to be so open-minded, and he couldn't say the comforting words he had prepared.The two sighed and remained silent for a long time. Finally, Liu Xie said helplessly: "This is the end of the matter, and this is the only way to go. Zhang, you have to be more careful. If you can connect one or two loyal people, wait until the emperor's uncle's army goes north." At that time, Cao Cao's army is all outside, and the internal and external cooperation may be able to occupy Yecheng in one fell swoop to help the emperor!"

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, this is my duty!" Fu Wan nodded, but then smiled wryly: "I'm afraid that I may not be able to contact many loyal people. Who in this court dares to disobey Cao Cao?"

"Who said there are no loyal men?" Suddenly a voice sounded, and it was the order from the thick curtain behind the two. Fu Wan and Liu Xie, who were chatting vigorously, were suddenly dismayed when they heard the words.

"Who?" Liu Xie is the emperor after all, and an emperor who is used to being a puppet. His psychological quality is really not covered. After a while, his face returned to normal. While asking, his right hand was pressed on the hilt of his sword , As long as the timing is not right, the mess will be cut immediately.

"Your Majesty, there is no need to panic. Sima Yi knocks on His Majesty!" Accompanied by this sound, a man dressed in the uniform of the imperial guard lifted heavy curtains and appeared in front of Liu Xiehe Fuwan.After saluting naked, Sima Yi stood aside with his hands down.

"You said your name is Sima Yi, who are you Sima Fang?" Liu Xie asked after careful consideration.Sima Yi is Cao Cao's master book, but an official in the prime minister's mansion, so Liu Xie has never seen him.

"Your Majesty, don't bother to ask, Sima Fang is my father! Yi is my father's second son." Sima Yi said respectfully.Sima Fang used to be Jing Zhaoyin, but Liu Xie also knew him.

"The palace is heavily guarded, how did Zhong Da get in?" Fu Wan finally interjected, and hurriedly asked the question he was most concerned about.This question is quite level. Sima Yi appeared in the palace out of nowhere in the middle of the night. If he didn't find out, Liu Xiehe might have trouble sleeping and eating after he fell asleep.You must know that Cao Cao's clan generals are all around here leading the army on guard. If the news of Liu Xiehe's plot leaks out, there will be no place to die.

As if feeling the uneasiness in the hearts of the two, Sima Yi smiled slightly: "Your Majesty, I bribed a village chief under Cao Xiu's command, so I pretended to be the imperial guards and sneaked in." In fact, it was far from what Sima Yi said. He is so easy and happy, in order to sneak into the palace, he really took great pains.From the beginning of buying the insider, to the end of the surveillance, and then to sneaking in, every step in this process is full of dangers.

"I don't know why Zhongda entered the palace at night, why?" Liu Xie's complexion has improved a lot, at least the question is relatively calm.Sima Yi sighed when he heard the words, and then said: "Your Majesty is trapped by powerful ministers, and can't make decisions about state affairs. As a Han subject, Yi has already been heartbroken. Therefore, he took the risk to come here at night, just to help His Majesty wipe out the country's thieves you!"

"Are Zhongda's words sincere?" Fu Wan snorted after listening.

"Why did the father-in-law say that? I, Sima Yi, as an official of the imperial court, have long been full of glory and wealth. Now that I am willing to risk my life and wealth, I will go to the palace at night to meet His Majesty. Is it a joke?" Sima Yi said sternly.This righteous posture, coupled with the fact that his words were not unreasonable, immediately made Liu Xiehe unconvinced.

"I don't know what good strategy Zhongda has to help me get rid of this national thief?" Liu Xie couldn't help asking curiously.In his opinion, Sima Yi, who is the head of the prime minister's mansion, is at best assassinating Cao Cao.

Unexpectedly, Sima Yi said: "Your Majesty, I have already connected with many loyal people outside. As long as there is a change, we can launch an incident to punish the rebels! But right now, there is still one difficult thing to do."

"What's the matter?" Liu Xie asked quickly.

"I haven't got your Majesty's edict, how can I connect with the people? This time I came here to beg Your Majesty to give me a secret edict so that I can order more loyal people!" Sima Yi replied.

"This matter is easy!" Liu Xie immediately felt that he had something to do when he heard it. Anyway, it is not difficult to write a secret decree. He had written it before, and now he is very familiar with it.Flicking a brush and stamping the seal again, Sima Yi hid the secret order close to his body, and then bid farewell to Liu Xiehe and sneaked out of the palace.

"Husband, this is an urgent letter sent by the master today." As soon as he got home, Sima Yi's wife handed him an urgent letter.When Sima Yi opened it, his face changed slightly, but there was also a gleam of light in the corner of his eyes.

After retreating from the crowd, Sima Yi opened the letter just now in his own room, recorded the names and their official ranks on a piece of paper, and then looked at the names and official ranks. , thoughtfully.From time to time, cross out a name and fill in another name.

After a long while, Sima Yi seemed to feel that it was almost done, and then he took out the secret letter that Liu Xie had hidden in his bosom.Looking at this list and this secret decree, a smile gradually appeared on Sima Yi's face.It's just that under the moonlight, his smile is a little scary.

"Zhao Botao, Zhuge Kongming, and Xiahou Miaocai, the rest will be up to you!" Sima Yi said intriguingly.What he didn't know was that at this moment, he was already being followed by two pairs of eyes.One pair is from Chengdu, and the other pair is from Yecheng, which is very close at hand.

The next day, Liu Bao, king of the Xiongnu, sent envoys to Yecheng to pay tribute, and Cao Cao ordered a banquet to be held in the palace of Wei Wang to entertain the envoys.During the banquet, there were staggered cups of wine, singing and dancing, and Cao Cao, Cao Pi and other scholars, as well as Hua Xin and other civil servants were all on the list.

"Father, these are the tributes sent by the Xiongnu Shanyu Liu Bao just now! Among them, this pair of emerald horses was carved from a piece of natural jadeite by the skilled craftsmen of the Huns. Write an impromptu poem, please correct it!" In Wei Wang's mansion, Cao Zhi talked eloquently to a pair of emerald green jadeite horses on the table, and then recited his poems in public.Cao Zhi's literary talent is so outstanding, this recitation is not only Cao Cao, but all the civil servants present are full of applause.

"His Royal Highness's poems are indeed very good, but what His Highness does not know, these are not just a pair of horses, but three horses. There is a small horse in the middle of the two big horses!" The messenger reminded at this time.

"Oh? Is there such a thing?" Cao Cao became interested when he heard the words, and stared at the jade sculpture carefully. Sure enough, there was a small horse between the two big horses.It's just that the craftsman only carved out a part of the body, so it's really hard to see if you don't stare carefully.This craftsman is known as the most skillful craftsman of the Huns, and he really lives up to his reputation.

"So that's how it is!" After Cao Pi and Cao Zhi came together to watch it, they also praised its ingenuity.Cao Cao was also a drinker, and when he lost his interest, he drank wildly until late at night before leaving.All the men and women left, and Cao Cao himself had drunk too much, staggering and half asleep, Cao Pi hurriedly ordered someone to lift him up and help him go to the bedroom to rest.

"So there are three horses?" Cao Cao murmured while looking at the jade carvings on the table.Suddenly recalling his dream, his good mood was immediately discounted, and he just sighed: "Three horses, three horses!"

"Father, what happened to Sima Yi?" Cao Pi couldn't help asking when he was supporting Cao Cao to rest.

"My son misunderstood, father said three horses, three horses, not Sima Yi!" Cao Cao replied.Just now, he was muttering to himself, slurring his words, and Cao Pi didn't listen clearly for a while.

"My son misunderstood, and I thought my father was talking about Sima Yi!" Cao Pi laughed.When Cao Cao heard this, his drowsy head suddenly woke up, and he sat up straight.

Three horses, Sima?
(End of this chapter)