Wait, please don't call me Emperor Zhaolie

Chapter 479 I, Cao Mengde, feel guilty
In Luoyang during the late autumn season, there is a stretch of endless farmland outside the city, painted golden by the setting sun. The Luo River is gurgling, and a slight wheel sound can be heard from the stone-grinding waterwheel.

Qingzhou water wheels were used not only for irrigating fields but also for grinding sesame and beans by craftsmen, bringing greater benefits to the people.

Many scholars who came to Luoyang for the first time could not help but sigh that the application of an artifact does not lie in the artifact itself, but in the person who uses it.

The waterwheel was just a toy instrument in the hands of Empress Xiaoling, but in the hands of Your Majesty, it became a thing that benefits the country and the people. Waterwheels are indispensable for obtaining water for farming.

"Meng Degong, Luoyang City has changed so much!"

"Luoyang now has two inner and outer cities, both with twelve gates. The inner city still has two palaces overlooking the north and south, with double towers over a hundred feet high. In addition, many government offices have been added, including the Shangshutai and Zhongshutai, where officials and ministers can discuss government affairs, and can accommodate 20,000 people including their families."

"There are even more houses in the outer city. There are more than 63,000 merchants and shops alone. It can be said that all the rare treasures from all over the world are gathered here. In the city, there are the White Horse Temple, the Imperial College, the Agricultural College, and the Medical College, as well as the Barbarian House, and the fountain and other buildings."

"Until now, because the territory is so vast, most of the walls of Luoyang's outer city have not been completed. When the people's livelihood is restored, that will be the day when Luoyang has a million people..."

On the north bank of the Luo River, Cao Cao, Cheng Yu, Chen Gong and others who had returned to Luoyang from the four counties of Jiangdong to report on their work looked at the magnificent changes in the capital and suddenly thought they had come to the wrong place.

The people on the roads and in the fields were all smiling, and groups of children were chasing and playing.

There was also a Hu monk who was holding the Hu Sutra written on Zuo Bo's paper and sitting under a tree, reciting it to his disciples.

The sword-wielding scholars and knights passing by were not surprised by this and they led their donkeys or skinny horses to the inn in front to register.

There were also Hu people from Shanshan State with slightly white skin shouting and selling rock honey and Putao wine on the roadside.

The Xiongnu and Qiang people wore Confucian hats and Han robes. If it weren't for their dark skin, short and thick limbs, and the fishy smell they carried when passing by, Chen Gong would have almost not noticed that this group of students were actually Hu people.

Not only Chen Gong, but even Cao Cao and Cheng Yu could not help but show bewildered expressions. They looked at each other, stood there with their mouths open.

Although when they were in Jiangdong, they heard that the emperor had detained hundreds of Xiongnu nobles' children and sent them to the Imperial Academy in Luoyang to study before exterminating the Xiongnu.

But it was not until I actually saw the Huns dressed like Han Confucian scholars, even walking with books in their hands, speaking with a poor Luoyang accent, and muttering to themselves that I realized I had really gotten used to it.

However, in just a few years, the speed at which the Huns became sinicized was astonishing.

Cao Cao couldn't help but wonder, Your Majesty, weren't you planning on training the Huns to become great Confucian scholars?
"Gongtai is right! The Han Dynasty has changed so much that it is hard to believe unless you see it with your own eyes."

"You must know that it has only been five years since the world was united. I dare not imagine what will happen to the world in another twenty years."

Cao Cao clapped his hands and smiled bitterly.

If he had known that Your Majesty had such talent, would he not have followed Yuan Shao to be the governor of Dongjun? Wouldn't it be better for him to go directly to Qingzhou to join the royal family and create a new empire?
There was no need for him to wander around. He left his sons behind and went to the land of Wu Yue from Yanzhou Dongjun. He thought that being away from the conflict between Yuan Benchu ​​and the emperor would be enough to allow him to achieve some achievements, but in the end he still surrendered to the current emperor.

"Gongtai, Zhongde, do you regret following me to Jiangdong? If you two had stayed in Yanzhou, you might have been employed by the emperor and would have been at least a 2,000-stone official by now, and you wouldn't have had to follow me and waste ten years in vain."

"From what I have seen, your talents are far superior to Xin Zuozhi of Yingchuan. He can be the governor of Yuzhang, and you are even more qualified."

"It was me, Cao Mengde, who delayed you two!"

Cao Cao sighed with mixed emotions in his eyes. The Cao and Xiahou families in Qiao County were gradually being employed by the emperor, and Cao Ang, Cao Zhen, and Cao Xiu were even recruited into the Zhongshutai as subordinate officials.

Cao Ren, Cao Chun, Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Dun were all colonels at this time. In addition to Cao Mengde, there was also Cao Hong who was the prefect of Youbeiping.

Having said that, I really feel sorry for the trusted aides who have always followed him.

Now that he had returned to Luoyang to report on his work, not only had his post as Governor of Yangzhou been temporarily dismissed, but even Chen Gong, the Chief Clerk, and Cheng Yu, the Senior Accountant, were also dismissed from their posts, because the two were not appointed by the emperor.

Chen Gong and Cheng Yu were officials of the Cao family, not court clerks, so naturally they could not be retained.

After Cao Cao and others left, Mi Zhu of Donghai took over as the governor of Yangzhou, Jia Xu of Wuwei was appointed as the provincial governor, Dong He was appointed as the chief clerk, and Zhong Yao was appointed as the deputy governor, and they went to govern the Shanyue barbarians.

Zhang Xiu, the nephew of Zhang Ji who surrendered to the Han army, led thousands of laborers from Liangzhou and went from Runan County to Jiangdong to reclaim farmland.

The court document clearly told Zhang Xiu that as long as each person in Liangzhou cleared wasteland and cut down trees every day to create 100 hectares of arable land, he could be restored to commoner status and live in Yuzhang County.

Zhang Xiu and the surrendered soldiers from Liang Province were all overjoyed. Although the requirements of the imperial edict were fraught with difficulties, at least they saw hope of restoring their status as civilians, which gave them the motivation to survive.

The sudden change in the Yangzhou state had little impact on Cao Mengde, who returned to Luoyang from Jiangdong, because after years of conquests by him, the Shanyue tribes in Jiangdong had been wiped out.

A total of 170,000 people were registered as civilians by him. Taking into account the population that had been plundered by the powerful families and released under the land measurement order, he registered more than 210,000 people in total.

Only a few scattered Shanyue tribes fled to Jiaozhou in panic, but that was a headache for the Jiaozhou governor and prefect, and had nothing to do with him, Cao Mengde.

Now that he has made meritorious services, according to the Han Dynasty's custom of rewarding merit and punishing faults, the emperor will not treat him unfairly.

But what about Gongtai and Zhongde?
Gongtai is already over forty years old, and Zhongde is sixty-one. If they were to start working as an official again, when would they be able to achieve success and retire?

Whenever Cao Cao thought of this, he felt a little guilty.

"Meng Degong, why do you have to do this? A real man should be upright and have an unyielding will. Now, I am lucky to follow Cao Gong and fight for the Han Dynasty to eliminate the barbarians in the southeast."

"Even if you live a mediocre life, you will eventually die. Now that you have done what you want to do, why should you have any regrets?"

Hearing Cao Cao's words, Cheng Yu stroked his beard and laughed.

There are not so many assumptions in the world. Man proposes, God disposes.

If he had stayed in Yanzhou, perhaps he would have died when the emperor was conquering Liu Dai, or died in the drought in Dongjun, or died in the battle when the Xianbei attacked Yanzhou. It is difficult to explain such a change in fate.

"Following Lord Meng De to Jiangdong may not be a pity, but may be a blessing. I hope you won't talk about this again!"

Cheng Yu bowed to Cao Cao and saluted solemnly.

(End of this chapter)