About Cao Cao's reincarnation as the emperor's uncle

Chapter 30 Smiling as I Watch the Hall Full of Nobles

Liu Fang led the way, with Xu Feng carrying Qiao Zhu close behind.

Upon arriving at the Henan Prefect's office, Liu Fang announced loudly:

"Please inform them that Liu Yuanyi has brought Qiao Gong's youngest son."

The gatekeeper was about to stop him, but when he saw Qiao Zhu's face clearly, he recognized him as Qiao Xuan's youngest son and hurriedly ran in to report.

Before long, Qiao Xuan strode out from inside.

Qiao Zhu called out "Grandpa" so earnestly that Qiao Xuan's eyes welled up with tears, unable to hide his excitement.

He hurriedly had his servant take the bamboo pole, then turned and bowed to Liu Fang.

"Lord Yuanyi, this..."

Liu Fang noticed the gratitude and confusion in his eyes, and raised his hand in a gesture of support, saying:
"No need for formalities, Mr. Qiao. This is not the place to talk. We will discuss the details later."

Qiao Xuan nodded in agreement and led Liu Fang toward the main hall of the government office.

Upon entering the lobby, Liu Fang looked up and glanced at everyone.

Wow... Apart from Duan Jiong, there wasn't a single unfamiliar face.

Some of these people were colleagues in a past life, while others were old acquaintances in this life.

Upon seeing him enter, the crowd reacted in various ways, but most stood up and greeted him:
"Master Ma..."

As for why they address each other that way, let's look at who everyone present is.

……

Sitting opposite Duan Jiong was Song Feng, the Commander of the Imperial Guards and the father of Empress Song.

Seated in a row below were the captains of the five schools of the Northern Army.

These five military captains were equivalent to officers with a salary of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain), and were in charge of five battalions: the garrison cavalry, the Yue cavalry, the infantry, the Changshui (a unit of waterways), and the Shesheng (another unit of archery).

Duan Gui, the Commandant of the Cavalry, was born into a minor eunuch family and was a cousin of Duan Jiong. He wore his official robes impeccably.

Cao Poshi, the Commandant of the Yue Cavalry, was the younger brother of Cao Jie, the Grand Chamberlain. He was tall and strong.

Wang Ji, a captain of the infantry, was the adopted son of Wang Fu, a eunuch in the imperial court. He had a gentle smile.

Zhang Shuo, the Commandant of the Archers, is the younger brother of Zhang Rang, the Palace Attendant. His eyes are unfocused.

Cao Chi, Commandant of the Changshui School, was the elder brother of Cao Song, Grand Minister of Agriculture, the father of Cao Ren and Cao Chun, and the cousin of Cao Cao.

Because the late Grand Chamberlain and his uncle Cao Teng were once leaders of the eunuchs, he belonged to the eunuch lineage.

Liu Fang is quite familiar with this person.

Another city gate captain, Zhao Yan, the younger brother of the eunuch Zhao Zhong, sat alone on one side.

The next person is Feng Fang, the magistrate of Luoyang, and the son-in-law of Cao Jie, the Grand Chamberlain, with a smile on his face.

Further on, the six officers of Luoyang stood on both sides.

Left Commandant, Yang Qiu, a student of the learned scholar Liu Chong, a confidant of the Grand Herald Liu He, and the son-in-law of the Palace Attendant Cheng Huang.

Both Liu Chong and Liu He were members of the Han imperial family, and Liu He was also Cheng Huang's son-in-law, so Yang Qiu had a deep connection with the imperial family.

In his previous life, he was a direct participant in the robbery and murder case and a key figure in bringing down Wang Fu and Duan Jiong's faction.

Right Commandant, Zhao Rong, son of Liu Hong's wet nurse, female minister, Lady Zhao Rao, and nephew of the Central Attendant Zhao Zhong.

Lady Zhao had played a crucial role in supporting the emperor's ascension to the throne and was also a close friend of Empress Dowager Dong. Zhao Rong's status as a son could be attributed to his mother's influence.

Chunyu Qiong, the Eastern Commandant, was the adopted son of Chunyu Deng, a Palace Attendant. He was tall and had bright eyes.

Xia Mou, the Western Commandant, was the adopted son of Xia Yun, the Palace Attendant, and the nephew of Xia Yu, who was the Northern Governor Xia Yu who was used as a pledge of loyalty.

Bao Hong, the Southern Commandant, was a former subordinate of Zhang Huan and a protégé of Zhang Wen.

I won't go into too much detail about Zhang Huan. Zhang Wen is currently a high-ranking official and will likely become one of the Three Dukes in the future.

Zhang Huan and Zhang Wen were both disciples of the late Grand Chamberlain Cao Teng, Cao Cao's grandfather.

Therefore, Bao Hong also belonged to the lineage of eunuchs.

As for Cao Cao, the Northern Commandant, there's no need to elaborate further.

……

Of the eight colonels of the Western Garden in the previous life, apart from Jian Shuo and Yuan Shao, the others—Bao Hong, Cao Cao, Zhao Rong, Feng Fang, Xia Mou, and Chunyu Qiong—are all here.

Looking at the position we occupy now, we can already see the beginnings of our future.

The sentiments I had when talking about the Imperial Guards the other day came back to me. It was a pity that Liu Hong and Liu Fang died tragically in my previous life, and all these pawns in the court and the country were ultimately wasted.

This is only Luoyang city...

Then think about the world: above are the officials in the imperial court, and below are various clans and ancestral homes.

The powerful families and their former officials were everywhere, and their intermarriages spanned generations, dividing the Han Dynasty into fragmented parts.

And that doesn't even mention the countless feudal princes, each a kingdom within a kingdom... At least those from humble backgrounds still have a way out, a path to advancement.

Commoners are, to some extent, people, and even ordinary people have surnames.

Slaves still have value as commodities, but there are also beings in this world who can't even be considered human...

Have you not seen? White bones exposed in the wilderness, and for a thousand miles not a rooster crows.

Do you know? Of the people, only one in a hundred survived; the thought of it breaks one's heart.

Indeed, the hall is full of nobles, but how many people in the world pity them?
……

However, Cao Mengde wasn't much better in his previous life either.

The trend of the times pushes people forward; how can it be overturned by the efforts of one person alone?

Only in my heart can I sigh silently...

Liu Fang's thoughts were still lingering on the broken state of the Han dynasty, while the hall was already filled with the fluttering of robes.

All the officers and officials returned to their respective positions according to their ranks, and Qiao Xuan personally led him to the seat of honor.

As Liu Fang brushed the corner of the table, he caught a glimpse of Qiao Xuan's expression subtly shifting.

Qiao Xuan had heard Huangfu Jie recount Liu Fang's experiences and understood the meaning behind the repeated calls of "Lord Ma".

Unexpectedly, the many eunuchs who had sidelined him as the Governor of Henan were extremely respectful to Liu Fang.

Qiao Xuan had just opened his mouth when Liu Fang shook his head with a smile:
"Bridge Master..."

He naturally knew that Qiao Xuan wanted to introduce him as the emperor's uncle.

But this matter is not urgent; if Qiao Xuan were to reveal it, it would only make things more abrupt.

Qiao Xuan fell silent instantly, but a cloud of unresolved doubt lingered in the wrinkles around his eyes.

Cao Cao, sitting to the left, raised an eyebrow and tapped the side of the table three times.

He had already learned the general situation before he accompanied Jian Shuo to the palace today.

Liu Fang nodded slightly in response.

Afterwards, Liu Fang exchanged a few brief pleasantries with everyone.

The charcoal fire crackled in the hall. Liu Fang rose and bowed respectfully.
"Gentlemen, the meeting is of great importance. I am exhausted from my journey and will go to the backyard to rest for a while."

After saying this, Liu Fang stopped the crowd that was about to see him off and then leaped away.

Xu Feng gripped the green sword at his waist tightly, protecting him closely behind him.

……

Turning past the winding corridor, dusk had already spread over the eaves.

Liu Fang suddenly stopped by the ancient well, the well water reflecting the deep lines between his brows.

After this experience, he understood Jian Shuo's plan.

After Xia Yun dealt with the aftermath, the person he secretly signaled to was probably his adopted son, Xia Mou.

Although Xia Yun was on good terms with Duan Jiong, he was also Xia Yu's cousin.

However, Wang Fu held the same weight in Xia Yun's eyes as he did in Feng Xu and others.

Now it seems that Wang Fu has probably gotten wind of this, and Xia Yun is probably the one who jumped out to take the fall.

Those nobles who were just there will likely be purged soon.

At the very least, the positions held by Wang Fu and Duan Jiong's faction will be vacated...

Xu Feng noticed Liu Fang frowning in thought, and for once, he put his brand-new brain to work:

"My lord, are you troubled by Zilie's matter?"

Before Liu Fang could reply, Xu Feng drew his sword with a clang and turned to leave.
"I'm going to teach that Jian Shuo a lesson right now!"

Seeing this, Liu Fang chuckled and reached out to grab his shirt, pulling it back.
"Zilie is devoted to me, how could I blame him?"

"Although there were some minor issues with this matter, it ultimately went smoothly."

Upon hearing this, Xu Feng reluctantly sheathed his sword and returned to Liu Fang's side.

Although he didn't understand why Liu Fang was laughing, seeing the smile on Liu Fang's face, he also grinned and tried to force a smile.

Suddenly, the water in the well rippled outwards, and the circular ripples shattered the moon's reflection in the water.

Just as the two were talking, Qiao Xuan arrived in a hurry with Qiao Zhu.

Before Qiaozhu arrived, his voice preceded his arrival:
"Father, father holds on!"

Immediately afterwards, Qiao Xuan bowed with his hands clasped in greeting:
"I've kept Lord Yuanyi waiting..."

(End of this chapter)