Three Kingdoms: Fusion of Entries, Change of Destiny

Chapter 153 The Imperial Edict to Serve the Emperor: Cao Cao and Yuan Shao's Choice
Cao Cao is a genuine man; at least for now, he sincerely wants to help the Han Dynasty.

Moreover, Cao Cao never usurped the throne until his death, which shows that he still held the Han Dynasty in his heart.

After being hurt time and time again, he had lost all hope for the Han Dynasty at that time.

Inside the council hall of the Governor's Mansion in Juancheng, the charcoal brazier burned brightly, but it could not dispel the solemnity on everyone's faces.

Guo Jia, holding an intelligence scroll, was explaining the latest intelligence to Cao Cao and the others in detail:
"Zhao Qi was a man who fled to Beihai in his early years due to the persecution of the partisans, and was known for his loyalty and integrity."

He was fond of classical studies, especially the Mencius. While in exile in Beihai, he wrote the Mencius Commentary, which is recorded in historical records and various other works and is commonly known as the Mencius Commentary.

According to intelligence gathered, the emperor has broken free from the control of Li Jue and Guo Si and is being escorted eastward by Zhang Ji and others.

Five groups of envoys departed from Wuguan Pass this time, heading to different feudal lords, presumably to find a suitable lord for the emperor to rely on.

Cao Cao pondered for a moment, then glanced at Xun Yu, Mao Jie, Cheng Yu, and the others: "What are your thoughts on the matter of the emperor moving the capital eastward?"

Mao Jie stepped forward first and said in a loud voice, "In the past, Duke Wen of Jin welcomed King Xiang of Zhou and the feudal lords followed him; Emperor Gaozu of Han held a funeral for Emperor Yi and the world turned to him. Now the emperor is in distress. If you, my lord, can welcome him, you will surely be able to 'serve the emperor to command the disobedient.' This is a golden opportunity bestowed by heaven!"

Xun Yu nodded slightly and added, "Yanzhou has just been pacified, and the people's hearts are not yet settled. Welcoming the emperor will not only demonstrate our lord's ambition to support the Han dynasty, but also allow us to recruit talents in the name of the court and rightfully punish those who are disloyal."

Cheng Yu frowned and said, "The Emperor still has former subordinates from Xiliang such as Han Xian and Yang Feng by his side. If we rashly welcome them, things might go wrong. Moreover, Yuan Shao controls Ji Province. If he gets there first..."

Before he could finish speaking, the sound of wind and snow suddenly came from outside the hall, and Cao Yan, covered in cold air, pushed open the door and entered.

Cao Cao personally greeted him, brushed the snow off his shoulders, and said with a smile, "Zi'an, you've come at the right time. You met Zhao Qi in Chenliu. In your opinion, what is his purpose in coming here?"

Cao Yan breathed on his hands to warm them up slightly, and then replied, "Zhao Qi saw nothing but chaos and devastation in Jingzhou and Yuzhou, but our Yanzhou was prosperous and peaceful."

His trip was both an investigation and a test.

If we demonstrate sufficient sincerity and strength, the emperor will choose Yanzhou as his first destination when moving east.

Cao Cao pondered for a moment and said, "Wenruo and Xiaoxian both advocate welcoming them, but Zhongde is worried about the Xiliang army and Yuan Shao. Zian, what do you think?"

Cao Yan looked around at everyone and said solemnly, "The matter of welcoming the Emperor should be done sooner rather than later!"

Seeing that Cao Yan advocated welcoming the emperor without hesitation, Cao Cao had roughly made up his mind.

Xun Yu bowed to Cao Cao and said, "If my lord is determined to welcome him, he should send elite troops to greet him. Li Jue and Guo Si will certainly not let the emperor return east easily, and a fierce battle is inevitable!"

At this moment, Guo Jia suddenly spoke up: "You all only see the benefits of flattery, but have not considered its drawbacks."

Although the emperor was a puppet, he was still the legitimate ruler of the Han dynasty.

If our lord truly welcomes back the emperor, will you become like Huo Guang or Wang Mang?

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent instantly, and everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Cao Cao's expression changed slightly, but he did not speak.

Cao Yan said with a smile, "To welcome the emperor is to use his name to command the feudal lords, not to be controlled by the emperor."

As long as my elder brother firmly controls the military and ensures the people live in peace and prosperity, what is there to fear from others' opinions?

Guo Jia remained silent. His differing opinions were merely an attempt to draw Cao Cao's attention, not a genuine opposition to welcoming the emperor.

Cao Cao nodded and said, "Zian is absolutely right. The most urgent task is to reach a consensus with Zhao Qi and at the same time prepare the army to advance westward at any time."

Just as they were discussing this, a soldier came to report: "Reporting to our lord, the emperor's envoy, Zhao Qi, requests an audience."

"They've arrived!" Cao Cao and Cao Yan exchanged a glance, signaling for them to come in.

A moment later, a thin but capable-looking messenger entered the hall and presented a secret letter.

Cao Cao unfolded the document and examined it closely, his face gradually brightening with joy: "The Emperor has left Chang'an and is heading towards Luoyang!" Xun Yu exclaimed happily, "This is the will of Heaven! My lord, you should quickly make preparations to welcome the Emperor!"

Cao Cao stood up and looked around at everyone: "Regarding the matter of welcoming the emperor, we shall follow your plan."

Wenruo will remain in Juancheng to oversee the supply of provisions; Zian will accompany me on the expedition, and must ensure the annihilation of the bandits along the route before the Emperor arrives in Luoyang.

But Cao Yan said, "Elder brother, I would like to take Wenruo with me when we welcome the Emperor this time."

"Hmm?" Cao Cao was taken aback upon hearing this and asked, "Is there any explanation?"

“It’s easier to talk things out now that Wenruo is gone.” Cao Yan naturally couldn’t say that he wanted to take the opportunity to complete Xun Yu’s task; he was just making up an excuse.

"Very well." After a moment's consideration, Cao Cao said to Mao Jie, "Then Zhicai will stay and guard Juancheng to oversee the grain and provisions."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Xi Zhicai said, cupping his hands in greeting.

……

Yecheng.

As the messenger traveled to Juancheng and presented Cao Cao with the emperor's secret edict, another secret edict for the emperor's service was also delivered to Yuan Shao under the cover of night. Its contents were identical to Cao Cao's edict.

Yuan Shao hesitated and quickly summoned his civil and military officials to discuss the matter.

When Yuan Shao revealed the contents of the emperor's secret edict, Tian Feng was the first to step forward and said, "My lord, this is a golden opportunity!"
Zhang Ji, Li Jue, and other remnants of Dong Zhuo pursued and killed the emperor, causing him to be forced to flee his home.

However, the situation in my Ji Province is stable, the people are loyal, and we have been recuperating and building up our strength. This is the perfect opportunity to welcome the Emperor.

Ju Shou also stepped forward and said, "My lord, you can send a general to lead troops to Luoyang and welcome the emperor to Ye City."

At that time, my lord will be able to use the emperor to command the feudal lords. With the emperor's name in hand, who among the heroes of the world can stand against you?

Tian Feng and Ju Shou's words immediately captivated Yuan Shao.

Since Dong Zhuo set the precedent of holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords, all the feudal lords in the world knew the benefits of it, and Yuan Shao naturally had the same idea.

Now that Tian Feng has spoken so frankly about this matter, Yuan Shao is even more tempted.

He immediately said, "My Yuan family has received the Han dynasty's bounty for generations. How can we sit idly by and watch the emperor suffer? Yan Liang and Wen Chou, you two should quickly lead 30,000 elite troops to Luoyang to defend the emperor!"

But at that moment, Guo Tu suddenly spoke up to stop him: "My lord, you mustn't! That old scoundrel Tian Feng is short-sighted; he's trying to harm you."

Upon hearing this, Ju Shou couldn't help but burst into a tirade: "Guo Tu, you sycophantic, flattering villain! It was one thing in the past, but now, at such a crucial moment, you still have to cause trouble! Are you trying to delay our lord's important affairs?!"

Anyone with a modicum of insight can see the benefits of holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords, and Guo Tu naturally understood this as well.

But this guy seems determined to oppose Tian Feng and Ju Shou, always contradicting their suggestions and spouting a bunch of fallacies.

They oppose for the sake of opposing, completely disregarding the interests of the collective.

Guo Tu coldly replied, "What do you mean by 'holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords'? I think you're the one who's leading our lord into injustice!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao immediately pressed, "Gongze, is it not inappropriate to welcome the emperor?"

Guo Tu glanced at Tian Feng and Ju Shou, then explained to Yuan Shao, "Welcoming the emperor is nothing more than using the emperor's name to recruit talent, or to give ourselves a legitimate reason to launch an attack."

But our lord's family has held high office for four generations, his name is renowned throughout the land, and talented people from all directions flock to him. Why then do we need to borrow the emperor's name?

He paused, then continued, "As for using the emperor to command the feudal lords..."

I ask you, among all the feudal lords in the land, which one would take the emperor's edict seriously?

(End of this chapter)