The elite did not migrate south

Chapter 4: His Majesty was deposed for treason

Yuancheng.

The sound of horse hooves broke the tranquility of the small county town.

On the official road, a group of fully armed, tall and strong knights were driving arrogantly in the front. The armor on their bodies made noises due to collisions, bringing a great sense of oppression. Pedestrians along the road retreated one after another.

There were armored soldiers following behind them, jogging at a very fast pace.

In the very middle, there is a carriage. An elegant old man stands on the carriage, holding up a bamboo pole with a solemn expression and a very pious look.

The county magistrate Shu Wan no longer had the aloofness and indifference he had before. A friendly smile was on his face. He was now following the carriage on foot, with a group of officials following behind him.

The city gate was open, and the soldiers who usually slept soundly with their spears in their arms were now standing straight.

The streets that were a bit dirty in the morning are now clean.

No one knew where the beggars and poor people on the road had gone.

Standing behind the soldiers were the respected elders in the city. They were wearing brocade clothes and looking at the carriage frame with smiles on their faces.

There were also some young talents who were well-known in the local area, standing on tiptoe and looking in the direction of the carriage.

The old man in the carriage ignored these people and looked straight ahead.

On his left, there was a man riding a horse, also dressed as an official. At this moment, his face was very serious, just like the old man in the car.

Only the person on his right was talking to the county magistrate in a lively manner.

"Your Yuan City, hahahaha, things will be different from now on! Soar to the sky!"

"That's right, that's right. The arrival of the angel is a blessing for Yuancheng. With the arrival of Lord Wang, Lord Zheng, and Lord Hua, Yuancheng will surely soar to the sky."

"This has nothing to do with us."

The man, riding a fine horse, looked unsteady and was quite rude to the county magistrate.

But the county magistrate didn't dare to say anything more.

It’s not just because he is an angel and leads the ministers, but more importantly, his father is called Hua Xin!
This unsteady scholar was none other than Hua Biao, the son of Hua Xin, the prime minister of the Wei Dynasty.

Shu Wan couldn't help but ask, "I really don't understand what could have caused the three of you to come to my tiny Yuan City and not allow the governor to greet you."

Huabiao was about to say something when he saw the old man in the carriage glance at him. He immediately touched his nose and didn't dare to say anything more.

"You'll find out later. Just lead the way. It's not a bad thing anyway."

I didn't say anything after the conversation, but I always had a bad feeling in my heart.

He whispered, "The wise men of the city have heard of the angel's arrival and have spontaneously come to greet him. I wonder if they can speak with the prince?"

Huabiao shook his head hurriedly.

"We can't delay the important work. Let's talk about it after we finish it."

"By the way, what kind of person is this noble lord of yours?"

Shu Wan narrowed his eyes. No matter what the angel wanted to see Cao Mao about, he would never let him get what he wanted.

If it's a bad thing, I will add fuel to the fire. If it's a good thing, I will make sure you can't do it!
He said calmly, "Mr. Gaogui is a smart man, but his reputation in the village is not very good. People often say that he is protecting criminals."

Hua Biao was taken aback and said quickly, "It seems that this Gaogui Xianggong is a kind person. He can't bear to see others being punished, and often provides relief and help to those who are suffering from criminal law."

Shu Wan continued, "However, the merchants in the city know the specific situation best. I heard that the noble Xianggong was profiting from the merchants, and the merchants often gave him money."

"It's clear that the noble man is a man of integrity and never cares about money! Otherwise, if he had a way to make money, why would he give it to those merchants? The merchants are also polite and know how to express gratitude. Not bad, not bad."

I couldn't help it after I finished.

"In fact, he often leads a group of rangers to cause trouble and fight in the city!"

Huabiao clapped his hands, "Excellent! Lord Gaogui is truly exceptional! His martial arts are superb!"

I was stunned after finishing the conversation. Is there something wrong with your understanding or is there something wrong with what I said?
The group of people marched towards Cao Mao's residence in a mighty procession. The wise men and scholars did not leave either, but followed the angels from a distance, their faces full of excitement.

When they arrived, the gate of Gaoguixiang Mansion was closed.

The knight dismounted and knocked on the door.

Soon, someone opened the door.

It was Guo Ze who opened the door. He stood in front of everyone with confidence, without any panic on his face.

The knight's eyes passed him directly and looked towards the inner hall, and he asked coldly, "Where is the noble Duke?"

A trace of anger flashed across Guo Ze's face. He blocked the knight's prying gaze and looked him straight in the eye. "I am Guo Ze, the Deputy Defense Commander of Gaogui Township. Who are you?!"

The knight was stunned and was about to get angry when the old man in the carriage finally stopped being a clay sculpture.

"Don't be rude."

He lowered his head and looked at the young man before him, a flicker of approval in his eyes. "I, Wang Su, also the Minister of Rites, bear the Emperor's staff and am here to see the noble Duke of Gao by order of the Empress Dowager. I wonder if he is already in the palace?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone around was shocked.

The Grand Master of Ceremonies, holding the imperial seal and carrying the Empress Dowager's imperial edict? Oh my goodness, what are you doing here?
Guo Ze was obviously shocked, but he quickly calmed down.

"Greetings, my lord. My Lord Cao is in the mansion."

"However, according to etiquette, please get off your carriages and horses and enter the palace!"

The knight flew into a rage, but Wang Su smiled and said, "As it should be."

"No need to go to so much trouble."

A voice was heard from inside the mansion, and a young man walked out with his chest puffed out and his head held high.

Seeing this, Guo Ze was about to say something, but Cao Mao spoke first, "No problem. Facing the emperor's banner and the empress dowager's decree, how can we neglect it?"

He leaned forward and saluted Wang Su, "Gonggui Xianggong Cao Mao pays his respects to the Minister of Rites."

Wang Su was stunned for a moment, and without returning the greeting, he raised the staff in his hand high.

"The Queen Mother has ordered!"

Everyone knelt down immediately, whether they were knights or the onlookers.

Even Cao Mao was no exception.

Seeing the Huabiao just now, he quickly stepped forward, took out the Queen Mother's edict, raised his head, and read it loudly:
"Emperor Fang is already quite old, but he neglects state affairs and only cares about the villains around him. He is also obsessed with women and hangs out with prostitutes every day!"

"Emperor Fang condoned their various ugly behaviors and even summoned the families of the six concubines into the palace to live in the inner chambers, destroying the order of human relations and disrupting the moral integrity of men and women!"

"The Emperor's respect and filial piety towards his elders have gradually faded, and his arrogance and disobedience have become increasingly serious!"

"Such an emperor cannot accept the Mandate of Heaven and worship the ancestral temple. Therefore, I now think it is better to send Duke Gao with the documents confirming Fang's accession to the throne and offer a large ox as a sacrifice to the Cao clan temple and the previous emperors. Then I will have Fang ascend to Qi to be king and abdicate in favor of a more virtuous person."

"King Cao Lin of Donghai is the legitimate son of Emperor Wen, the founder of the Ming Dynasty! Cao Lin's sons are all close relatives and descendants of Emperor Wen. I heard that among Cao Lin's sons, Duke Gaogui, Cao Mao, has the potential to achieve great things and has inherited the spirit of his ancestors. Now, he is being made the heir to Emperor Ming, and he will take the throne!"

Huabiao read out the imperial edict.

At this moment, this decree sounded like thunder in everyone's ears.

What?? The emperor was deposed??
Upon hearing the news, except for the Angel Team who had already known the news, the onlookers were stunned, and some people even collapsed on the ground.

Guo Ze widened his eyes, his eyes full of disbelief.

The second half of the sentence is like thunder among thunders.

Cao Mao, Duke of Gaogui, was made emperor.

After hearing this, Shu Wan collapsed to the ground with a dull look and almost despair in his eyes.

It's over, it's really over now.

And the guests who were eavesdropping in the mansion were also dumbfounded at this moment. What was going on?
My Lord Cao is going to be the emperor?

Probably the only one who could remain calm at the scene was Cao Mao.

He had imagined this day countless times and even thought of various ways to deal with it.

But when this day finally arrived, he felt so calm, without any excitement at all.

The angel already knew the purpose of coming to Yuancheng.

But the knight's attitude just now, is that the attitude he would use towards the future emperor?

No, that's the attitude towards puppets!!
Cao Mao could almost see his future life, a life of frustration and helplessness.

In addition, to welcome the new emperor, important officials at the level of the Three Dukes should be sent. There is no temporary arrangement for a Taichang to bring a Shaofu and a Shizhong to read the imperial edict.

This is already a great disregard for oneself.

Cao Mao also knew the reason. He was not the first choice to inherit the throne in the eyes of the court.

In fact, the court, that is, the Sima family, was more inclined to support Pengcheng King Cao Ju to be the emperor. This man was the brother of their grandfather and the biological son of Emperor Wu Cao Cao.

But Empress Dowager Guo refused to agree at all, because if he became emperor, the generations would be messed up, Emperor Ming of Wei, Cao Rui, would have no descendants, and most importantly, Empress Dowager Guo would not be in a legitimate position.

Cao Mao could also guess the reason why he was chosen.

His bloodline is relatively close to Emperor Ming, but he has no father, his mother died early, he has no maternal family, his brothers are not close to him, he is young, he has never had a family, and he has no wife or family. He is truly alone.

Sima Shi's decision to give in after his dispute with Empress Dowager Guo might not have been due to this reason.

Cao Mao slowly stood up and looked at the imperial edict in Huabiao's hand.

(End of this chapter)