Wait, please don't call me Emperor Zhaolie

Chapter 480 Meng De is short and capable!

As Cao Cao and his companions were talking, someone suddenly shouted from behind: "Is that Cao Mengde from Qiao County?!"

The voice sounded a little excited, but Cao Cao couldn't tell which familiar person it was, so he turned around and saw a scholar with a goatee getting out of a carriage by the river.

Seeing Cao Cao's doubts, he still waved happily and said in a slightly louder voice: "Meng De has been in Jiangdong for many years. Has he forgotten the Chenliu Cai family?"

After hearing these words, Cao Cao then remembered who this person was. It turned out to be Cai Yong's cousin Cai Gu, who was just a flatterer.

When he was on good terms with Bo Ji, he disliked this man very much whenever he entered and left the courtyard. In order to save face for Cai Bo Ji, he kept his distance from him.

But that was more than ten years ago. After going through so much now, I can still act familiar even if I pretend.

Cao Cao frowned in thought, then suddenly realized something and went straight to meet him, bowed respectfully and laughed, saying, "Could it be that the person who came is Bo Ji's cousin, Cai Gu or Cai Maoshi?"

"It has been thirteen years since we parted in Luoyang. Is Mr. Cai in good health? Is everything going well?"

"I thought there was someone on the north bank of Luoshui who looked so familiar. I thought it must be an old friend. I came here to take a look and it was indeed Meng De!" Cai Gu smiled and looked at Cao Cao carefully. Hmm! Meng De was still the same, short and sturdy as always.

After staying in Luoyang for a long time, he realized that except for some Huns who were short and stout and not as tall as him, the other northern scholars were almost half a head taller than him. Even the Grand Tutor Lu Gong, although quite old, was still taller than him.

Even Zhang Hong from Guangling, Xu Jing from Runan, Sima Wei from Yingchuan, and Pang Degong, a famous scholar from Xiangyang, were much taller than him.

This dealt him a heavy blow, but he had no one to talk to and was afraid that if it got out he would be laughed at by the whole world.

This time when Cao Mengde came to Luoyang, as long as he often stood with Cao Cao when visiting friends, people would not think he was short.

"In the past, Dong Zhuo wreaked havoc in the capital, deposed the emperor and killed the empress, slaughtered scholars and civilians everywhere, and made people feel terrified day and night. Only Meng De judged the situation, first deceived the thief Dong, then changed his name, and took a small road away from Luoyang, which makes us feel ashamed of ourselves."

"Now I heard that Meng De is the governor of Yangzhou and is highly valued by Your Majesty. You were also ordered to fight against the Shanyue barbarians. I wonder why you suddenly returned to the capital?

Cai Gu walked up to Cao Cao with a smile on his face, gently took his arm, and then paced and chatted along the bank of the Luo River. Looking at the setting sun, he asked with a smile.

He cleverly told Cao Cao about his experience in Luoyang first, so as to reduce the distance between them that had lasted for many years.

Then he tried to find out indirectly why Cao Mengde came back this time.

Although Cao Cao was the descendant of a eunuch, for some unknown reason, his sons were favored by the emperor. Cao Ang became a clerk in the Secretariat, Cao Pi, Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi also went to the Imperial Academy, and even his adopted son Cao Zhen was favored.

I really don’t know what kind of luck the Cao family in Qiao County had. Why the Cai family didn’t have such good luck.

Even if it is rumored that the emperor and Cao Mengde are old friends, that cannot compare to the in-law relationship with the Cai family, right?

Zhao Ji, the most outstanding and talented woman of the Cai family of Chenliu, was presented to the emperor as a beauty. The emperor was not unfavorable to Zhao Ji. He even appointed her as a doctor in the compilation of "Han Ji" and participated in it as the main editor.

Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, there has never been a king who doted on his concubines so much. It can be said that except for Queen Yin, even though Zhaoji was the most favored, even Zhen, who was known to have the appearance of a noble lady, was not as good as the daughter of Cai.

But the emperor did not recruit the children of the Cai family to serve as officials in the Zhongshutai. Not only that, but none of the children of the Yin family, who had the support of the empress, entered the Zhongshutai and Shangshutai as officials. This was something Cai Gu could never understand. Even if the court did not want to use relatives by marriage, it was afraid that the same mistake would be repeated in the future.

At least we should love the queen and her beloved beauties and give them some honors. If we don't promote the younger generation, how will the other clans support them if something unexpected happens in the future...

Fortunately, Cao Cao didn't know what Cai Gu was thinking, otherwise he would have walked away in anger, and might even have beaten him up to vent his hatred.

Even if the other party came to accuse him, he was not afraid. There were often wrestling games in the army, and it was not impossible for the Han ministers to wrestle. Cai Maoshi was not as skilled as others, so what could he do?

Fortunately, he just wanted to know what had happened recently in Luoyang City. Although he disliked Cai Gu as a person in his early years, he could be considered a semi-acquaintance when he met him now. He had no idea that the other party would dare to slander the Cao family in this way.

"The Luoyang incident is over, and there is no need to mention it again." Cao Cao smiled and brushed it off. Then he straightened his back and bowed to the north, saying, "I am fortunate that Your Majesty has valued me and entrusted me with the task of conquering the Shanyue. Since I received the order, I have been worried day and night, trembling with fear, as if I were on the edge of an abyss or treading on thin ice. It took several years for me to lead the army deep into the barren land. Now I have finally wiped out the Shanyue, and there will be no more trouble from the barbarians in Jiangdong."

"This is all thanks to your Majesty's trust and the protection of Emperor Gaozu's spirit."

"For this reason, the imperial court issued an imperial decree to order Cao to return to Luoyang to report on his duties. Mao Shi lived in Luoyang as an official in the capital. Didn't he hear about Cao Mengde's extermination of the barbarians in Yangzhou?"

These words made Cai Gu feel extremely embarrassed.

He is just a crappy official in the capital. If he really became an official in the capital, would he have so much free time to wander around outside?

It was clearly heard that after Cai Zhaoji had given birth to Princess Leyang and recovered from her health, she took a carriage from Yunyang Palace to Luoyang to continue to preside over the compilation of "Han Ji".

He shamelessly rushed from Yu County, Chenliu, hoping to meet Zhaoji and ask for an official position for himself.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Ji's soft and clear voice said words that were like cold water poured on one's back, leaving one completely chilled to the bone.

She actually asked her own cousin to register for the examination. The Cai family, a prominent and prestigious family, had to lose face and compete with the children of the local wealthy families. If they failed the exam, wouldn't they become a laughing stock in the world?
Has Zhao Ji ever considered the feelings of her cousin who is nearly 50 years old and has gray hair?

At that time, Cai Gu was so angry that he was shaking all over and couldn't speak.

Looking at Cai Zhaoji, who became more graceful and elegant after giving birth to two princesses, Cai Gu did not dare to criticize her at all, for fear of bringing trouble upon himself.

A woman of about 24 years old, with such a graceful figure, charming and calm, must be very favored.

Without Cai Yong's protection, she had the support of the current emperor, and even his cousin could not say anything or scold him.

But isn’t it because of Cai Gu’s matchmaking that Zhao Ji is able to have the good fortune she has today?
The more Cai Gu thought about it, the angrier he got. He bowed and kowtowed before leaving. Before he left, he said loudly, "I, Cai Gu, will take my leave. I hope Miss Cai will forgive me!"

Fortunately, not long after, Zhao Ji sent a palace maid to tell him that she would ask the emperor to recruit his cousin as an official, but daily and monthly examinations for officials were inevitable, so he was asked to read more classics at home and prepare himself.

Cai Gu, with a smile on his face, ordered his followers to drive the carriage out of the inner city of Luoyang, intending to rent a house outside to settle down.

He finally won another chance for himself by using the name of filial piety and was determined to pass the emperor's assessment, but he didn't expect to meet Cao Mengde halfway.

(End of this chapter)