My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 390 Wanting to impose a crime
Perhaps Yang Xiu had been thinking for too long, because Yang Ming couldn't help but advise, "Young Master, shouldn't we also consult the Master about such an important matter as recruiting officials?"

Yang Ming's words startled Yang Xiu. After listening, he pondered for a few moments and slowly shook his head: "Go and invite Zhuge Cao Yuan into the main hall of the mansion first. Let me go and change my clothes."

Although Yang Ming was puzzled, he didn't dare to ask any more questions. The Yang family had very strict rules, and it was only because he had grown up with Yang Xiu since childhood that he dared to offer some suggestions, but that didn't mean he could make decisions for his master.

Soon, the gates of the Grand Commandant's mansion were opened wide, the threshold was removed, and Zhuge Jin and his entourage were welcomed into the mansion.

Although Luoyang is currently in decline and in need of reconstruction, the Grand Commandant's Mansion still occupies a considerable area, though it is far less luxurious and beautiful than it was in its heyday.

Zhuge Jin is a man with a very good temper and a steady temperament.

After waiting at the entrance for a long time, I was welcomed into the main hall, but then I didn't see anyone for a long time.

But he remained calm and composed, waiting patiently without showing any impatience, which surprised the servants of the Yang household.

Fortunately, Yang Xiu appeared in the main hall next. After entering, he bowed to Zhuge Jin and said, "My mother has caught a cold and I was just taking care of her. When I heard that distinguished guests had arrived, I had to take a bath and change my clothes. I apologize for keeping you waiting, Zhuge Cao Yuan."

Zhuge Jin wasn't particularly handsome, especially with his long, narrow face, which resembled some kind of animal. However, his calm demeanor and sincere eyes made Yang Xiu feel a sense of goodwill towards him.

"Brother Yang, I apologize for your sudden visit."

Zhuge Jin rose and bowed to the left wing to express his apology, then explained, "I am simply carrying a heavy responsibility. My lord greatly admires Brother Yang and has prepared generous gifts to recruit him into my lord's staff. I wonder what your opinion is?"

Yang Xiu had already thought it through, so after pretending to ponder, he immediately replied, "I am deeply grateful to the General of the South for his high regard for me and for entrusting me with such an important task. However, this matter is of great importance, and I must discuss it with my father. I would appreciate it if you could explain this to the General of the South on my behalf."

Zhuge Jin listened quietly to Yang Xiu's explanation. After the other party finished speaking, he stood up, cupped his hands, and then, under Yang Xiu's questioning gaze, took out a letter from his bosom and handed it to him.

"This letter was entrusted to me by Zheng Nan to be delivered to Brother Yang."

Yang Xiu was somewhat puzzled, but he still accepted the letter.

Zhuge Jin then took his leave, turned around and left, preparing to return to the General of the Cavalry's residence to report back.

After Zhuge Jin left, Yang Xiu curiously opened the letter, but after reading only a few lines, his face suddenly turned pale.

Before reading the letter, Yang Xiu thought it might contain Liu Feng's kind words of advice, tempting him with benefits.

But after looking closely, Yang Xiu realized that this was not a letter from Liu Feng to him at all, but a letter from his own father to Yuan Shu.

As the letters unfolded, they revealed not only flattery and sycophancy, but also blatantly offensive remarks.

Yang Xiu was willing to stake his own life on it: once this letter reached the Emperor or the Grand General, it would surely set off a major case, and the suspect in that case would be none other than his own father, Yang Biao.

Although Yang Xiu did not believe the contents of the letter at all, no matter how he checked and examined it, he could only come to one conclusion: the handwriting on the letter was indeed his father's handwriting.

At this moment, Yang Xiu's face was deathly pale, and his hands, which were holding the silk scroll, were even trembling slightly involuntarily.

He knew very well that even if the handwriting was only seven or eight parts similar to his father's, it would still become a sharp weapon in the hands of the general.

Yang Xiu suddenly recalled Zhuge Jin's words.

This letter was given to him by Liu Feng, Liu Zhengnan.

Yang Xiu suddenly jolted awake.

He absolutely could not let Zhuge Jin go back to report empty-handed. If Zhuge Jin returned empty-handed, his father would likely have to spend the night in prison.

Yang Xiu disregarded decorum and, amidst the shocked gazes of his servants, lifted his robes and chased after them.

After a sprint, he finally caught up with Zhuge Jin at the gate.

"Zhuge Cao Yuan, please wait!"

Under Zhuge Jin's surprised gaze, Yang Xiu ran up to him, panting heavily.

After finally catching his breath, Yang Xiu immediately bowed deeply and said, "Zhuge Cao Yuan, after careful consideration, I am deeply moved by Liu Zheng Nan's profound friendship and am willing to accept Zheng Nan's invitation to serve him faithfully."

********
Inside the General's mansion, Cao Ang walked briskly, almost running.

Upon entering the study, they saw Cao Cao talking to Xi Zhong.

The atmosphere in the study was quite harmonious. Cao Cao and Xi Zhong chatted happily, both with relaxed smiles on their faces.

Upon seeing Cao Ang, the smiles on their faces vanished instantly, and their gazes fell upon him.

Cao Ang immediately bowed respectfully to the two men and greeted them.

“Father, Mr. Xi.”

Cao Cao then turned to look at him and asked, "Zixiu, what's wrong? Why are you so panicked?"

Cao Ang swallowed hard and immediately replied, "Reporting to Father, this morning, General Zheng Nan sent his subordinate clerk Zhuge Jin to the Grand Commandant's residence to recruit the Grand Commandant's son, Yang Xiu."

"What!?"

Cao Cao, who had just been complaining about his eldest son's lack of composure, suddenly became focused: "What was the result?"

Xi Zhong's attention also turned to Cao Ang, and he and Cao Cao stared at him intently, waiting for his answer.

Cao Ang swallowed hard, answering nervously, "It is said that Yang Xiu initially refused Zhuge Jin, intending to politely decline. But no one expected that when Zhuge Jin was about to leave the Grand Commandant's residence, Yang Dezhu actually chased after him, right in front of everyone..."

Cao Ang originally wanted to keep them in suspense, but he noticed that his father Cao Cao and Xi Zhong had strange looks in their eyes, and there was a hint of murderous intent in them. So he quickly and honestly said, "I agree."

Cao Cao and Xi Zhong had actually guessed it when Cao Ang kept it a secret, but they were both shocked when they heard it with their own ears.

"My lord, this matter is of utmost importance."

After thinking for a moment, Xi Zhong spoke first: "Especially the process by which Yang Dezhu was appointed was also not right."

Xi Zhong keenly noticed Yang Xiu's unusual behavior. What had changed his mind and made him chase after him to the gate to answer the call?

Cao Cao agreed wholeheartedly and nodded slowly.

Cao Ang looked left and right, unsure of what to say.

"My lord, the most urgent task is to find out what changed Yang Xiu's attitude."

Xi Zhong continued, "Secondly, once Yang Xiu turns against us, we may no longer be able to stand idly by. I am worried that Yang Biao's faction will be controlled by Liu Feng."

Cao Ang was startled and instinctively looked at his father.

Even in the later years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was common for fathers and sons to serve different factions.

Take Cao Cao and Cao Song's father as an example. Although Cao Song doted on Cao Cao, he only gave Cao Cao a small portion of his property and money. After Cao Cao's first failed attempt to defend the emperor, Cao Song stood by and stopped supporting Cao Cao with money and supplies.

Conversely, Cao Song's decision to take his youngest son and a large sum of money to Langya was itself a form of diversified investment.

Cao Ang had already taken Yang Xiu's refusal to serve seriously, but after seeing his father and Mr. Xi's reactions, he realized that he had underestimated the impact of the matter.

As expected, at Xi Zhong's urging, Cao Cao slowly nodded: "Zixiu, go to the General of Chariots and Cavalry's residence and invite Liu Zhengnan over for a chat." "Yes, sir!"

Cao Ang dared not delay and immediately obeyed the order and left.

Cao Cao watched Cao Ang's departing figure, his brows furrowed, his earlier ease and comfort gone.

"Zhicai, can you guess how Liu Zisheng persuaded Yang Dezhu?"

Xi Zhong smiled bitterly and slowly shook his head: "My lord, I am also very curious, but I can't figure it out no matter how hard I try. Now that Yang Dezhu has pledged allegiance to Liu Zisheng, Yang Wenxian is likely to back down because of this. If we continue to sit and watch them succeed or fail, we may not be able to gain any benefits."

Previously, Xi Zhong devised a plan for Cao Cao to use Yang Biao to ambush Liu Feng, thereby forcing Liu Feng to make concessions to his side.

Originally, the emperor and Yang Biao's faction joined forces, which could have successfully annoyed Liu Feng. As long as Liu Feng still wanted to be the governor of Yangzhou, he would have to win over Cao Cao.

After all, Cao Cao was a great general, and even the emperor's edicts only became effective if they had his subordinates.

However, if Yang Biao's faction backs down, then Liu Feng will no longer need to rely on Cao Cao's assistance.

If Cao Cao still wanted to gain benefits, he could no longer maintain a neutral stance.

After all, given his terrible relationship with the emperor, even if he wanted to cooperate, there was a lack of trust.

“Indeed, this matter is extremely suspicious. Sir, you should use all your resources to find out the truth within the next few days.”

Cao Cao readily agreed: "Furthermore, please invite Wenruo and Boning to come over later to discuss this matter together."

********
Liu Feng stood at the entrance of the General of the Cavalry's mansion and saw Yang Xiu returning in the same carriage as Zhuge Jin. He immediately went forward to greet him.

"I have long heard of Dezu's magnanimity, lofty spirit, and photographic memory. Today I have met him. I do not know about his photographic memory yet, but the first two sentences are truly undeniable."

Liu Feng's attitude was gentle and kind, like a spring breeze and rain, but Yang Xiu seemed somewhat absent-minded, and there was even a look of horror in his eyes when he looked at Liu Feng.

"You flatter me with the praise of 'Conquering the South,' but I dare not accept it."

After getting off the carriage, Yang Xiu stood behind Zhuge Jin. Upon hearing Liu Feng's praise, he stepped forward and humbly said, "I am ashamed that I am not worthy of the general's invitation, but the general's sincerity is so great that I have reluctantly accepted."

Yang Xiu was usually very eloquent and persuasive, but at this moment his mind was filled with that letter, and he wished he could grab Liu Feng by the collar and ask him the reason.

But he dared not, and could not.

Glancing at Xu Chu behind Liu Feng, Yang Xiu felt that if he dared to be even slightly disrespectful to Liu Feng, he would probably be sent flying by Xu Chu before he could even touch Liu Feng's collar.

Unlike Yang Xiu, who was full of worry, Liu Feng was in high spirits, with a smile on his face: "Dezu, come with me into the mansion."

Liu Feng took Yang Xiu's hand, and the two of them entered the mansion step by step.

After taking their seats in the main hall, Liu Feng introduced Yang Xiu to the Zhuge brothers, Pang Tong, Xu Chu, Zhang Liao, and others.

Although Yang Xiu was anxious, he had no choice but to calm down and get to know the people.

After the introductions were completed, Liu Feng said solemnly, "Lord Dezu is learned, exceptionally talented, and possesses an extraordinary memory. Therefore, I would like to request that Lord Dezu accept the position of Chief Clerk in the General's Office. I wonder if Lord Dezu would be willing?"

Yang Xiu was somewhat surprised by this, as the position of chief clerk was quite important and one of the key positions in the staff office.

Although he was not the second most important person in the shogunate like the chief secretary, nor did he hold the authority of a department like the heads of the various departments.

The strength of the chief clerk lies in the fact that it is a versatile position with a very wide range of authority. In theory, all the affairs of the various clerks must be summarized by him.

Therefore, the position of chief clerk cannot be held by anyone but a close confidant; otherwise, wouldn't that be like exposing one's own secrets to others?
Yang Xiu originally thought that Liu Feng had brought him into the staff mainly as a handle to threaten his father, and that he would most likely be given a sinecure, such as Sima or Langzhong.

He never imagined he would be appointed as a registrar.

Yang Xiu even doubted that he had misheard because he was too nervous and worried, but after confirming that it was true, Yang Xiu became even more uneasy.

He was eager to know what Liu Feng was planning.

"General!"

Yang Xiu shouted loudly.

Liu Feng looked over in surprise: "What is it, Dezu?"

In an instant, everyone in the hall looked at Yang Xiu.

Yang Xiu felt that everyone's gazes were quite complicated, containing many emotions that he couldn't understand.

But at this moment he couldn't care less about anything else. He immediately left his seat, knelt down, and said to Liu Feng, "I have a confidential matter to report to the general. I humbly request that the general speak with me alone."

Yang Xiu's actions were undoubtedly quite rash, and should not have been done by a direct descendant of a family that had produced Yingluo for generations and had been Grand Commandants for four generations.

The hall fell silent. Yang Xiu kept his head down, not daring to look up, but he couldn't see the eye contact between Liu Feng and Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong and others.

After a long while, Yang Xiu finally heard Liu Feng's voice.

“Even so, Dezu, come with me to the back room.”

As Liu Feng spoke, he stood up and walked towards the back of the hall.

Yang Xiu breathed a sigh of relief, quickly got up, and without even looking at the people in the room, hurriedly chased after Liu Feng.

Once inside the inner hall, only Liu Feng, Xu Chu, and Yang Xiu remained.

Although it was said to be a solo performance, Xu Chu never left Liu Feng's side.

Yang Xiu ignored this.

"Duke Dezu, what do you have to say that requires a private audience?"

Hearing Liu Feng's seemingly clueless words, Yang Xiu gritted his teeth inwardly.

However, circumstances forced Yang Xiu to swallow his pride and hand the letter to Liu Feng.

"General, Xiu wants to ask where this thing came from."

Xu Chu stepped forward, took the letter, and presented it to Liu Feng.

Liu Feng took it, opened it, and looked at it. Then he looked up at Yang Xiu and said, "Naturally, it was obtained from Yuan Shu's secret treasury."

Yang Xiu's face showed anger, and he loudly retorted: "My father is the Grand Commandant of the Han Dynasty, and he is loyal to the Emperor and the court. There is absolutely no way he would collude with a traitor like Yuan Shu."

Tsk tsk tsk, you traitor, that's your uncle!

Liu Feng thought to himself, then said leisurely, "But I did obtain it from Yuan Shu's secret vault, which is strange."

Yang Xiu's mind raced, and he immediately said, "Perhaps this letter was forged by the traitorous Yuan clan in an attempt to sow discord between my father and the emperor. I hope that the General of the South will discern right from wrong and clear my father's name."

(End of this chapter)