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

Chapter 55 How Many Nameless People Are There?

The sunlight outside the window suddenly dimmed, and Yuan Shao's fingers tightened abruptly as he gripped the compass.

"When we parted yesterday, Boqiu was still chatting and laughing..."

His sleeve swept across the desk, and the compass clattered to the ground.
"How can it be……"

Zhang Miao's fingers were still digging into the door frame:
"It's absolutely true. I personally went to Bo Qiu's residence several times to confirm it..."

Why did Bo Qiu die?

"It is said that the eunuch Xia Yun arrested and killed Bo Qiu on charges of being a remnant of the partisans... Bo Qiu's courtyard was covered in blood, and there was no survivor."

Yuan Shao recalled what He Yong had said in his study a few days earlier: "What is there to fear about eunuchs?"

At this moment, his molars were clenched so tightly they ached.
"It's Xia Yun again? Has Xia Yun gone mad? He's been slaughtering people in the city these past few days?"

In a flash, Yuan Shao suddenly grabbed Zhang Miao's wrist:
Is the area around your residence still safe?

"Upon learning the news today..."

Zhang Miao's wrist ached from being gripped so tightly, but he couldn't break free.

"Fearing that Ji Pi, Wen Zu, and others might also be implicated, I immediately went to find them..."

"But none of us have noticed anything unusual."

Yuan Shao released his grip, his brows furrowed.

"So, only Bo Qiu was in trouble?"

Xu You, who had been staring at the compass on the ground, suddenly spoke:
"Perhaps, the intention is not in seeking something..."

The hall suddenly darkened, and the compass glowed faintly in the shadows…

Yuan Shao was startled, as if he had been punched in the chest.

"It's my fault..."

He slammed his fist on the table, "Bo Qiu died because of someone..."

He stared at the bloody marks on his knuckles, recalling the recent rumors that "Yuan Shao has gathered his followers, but what is his intention..."

Then he recalled Yuan Wei's repeated warnings, "If you continue to act recklessly, don't blame me for disregarding family ties..."

Not only Yuan Wei, but also Yuan Tang's words and the threats coming from the palace were completely ignored by him.

However, Yuan Shao was too similar to Yuan Cheng back then. The more difficulties and obstacles he encountered, the more determined he became, just like dry wood igniting a raging fire.

As the mastermind behind this scheme, He Yong naturally became the target of public criticism, and those with ulterior motives saw him as a thorn in their side.

Yuan Shao still had the banner and reputation of the Yuan clan of Runan to protect him.

However, He Yong was a fugitive from the first Party Prohibition and came from a poor family.

All three of them thought of this...

Therefore, is this a warning to Yuan Shao through He Yong's death?
As for taking revenge on Xia Yun...

The question is not whether or not this eunuch, who has been entrenched in the Forbidden City for many years, can be brought down.

Rather, all three of them knew that it was unnecessary.

Because, judging from Xia Yun's recent behavior, it is clear that... Xia Yun is about to become a pawn to be discarded.

But they had no idea which game this sacrificed piece belonged to.

It's not that there are no possible directions to speculate on; on the contrary, it's precisely because there are too many people to suspect that it becomes impossible to make a judgment.

While the three remained silent, two more people entered the hall.

The leader, dressed in a coarse cloth robe, had a kind face. Although he was not old, his temples were already streaked with white.

The latter, dressed in a flowing blue robe with a gourd of wine hanging at his waist, arrived before he did, his voice carrying three parts drunkenness and seven parts madness:

"Is the Primordial One still lamenting? A knife is already at our throats. It's time to think about how to break this deadlock..."

……

If Liu Fang were present, he would surely clap his hands and laugh upon seeing these two.

It wasn't mockery, but a knowing smile.

Because these are two idealists who belong to a completely different era.

During the first purge of the partisans, scholars from all over the country jointly recommended thirty-five prominent figures:
The first is called "Three Gentlemen", followed by "Eight Worthies", "Eight Advisors", "Eight Assistants", and "Eight Chefs".

Of the eight chefs, all were known for their compassion and dedication to helping people, and three of them still exist today. Besides Zhang Miao, who was known as "Zhang Mengzhuo, the most strict and unyielding man in the country," there are the two who just entered the hall.

The first one was named Wang Kao, courtesy name Wenzu, a native of Dongping, Yanzhou.

People called him "the king Wenzu who was relied upon throughout the land".

"Yihu" means to protect or shelter, and he was a true scholar who gave away all his wealth to help the poor.

He kept not a penny of the money he earned from selling his calligraphy and writings, and even had to rely on friends for a living, yet he could not bear to see any suffering in the world.

Therefore, although he was a party member, he was able to save his life because of his reputation for "relief".

In his previous life, Liu Fang always said that he didn't look like a scholar in Luoyang City, but rather like a monk in the White Horse Temple outside the city.

Wang Kao would then reply to him:
"Someone is greedy for the stability of the nation, resentful of the injustice of the world, and obsessed with the suffering of all living beings... How can someone entangled in these three poisons enter the Buddhist path?"
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[Buddhism - White Horse Temple]

After Emperor Ming sent people to seek Buddhist teachings in the West and brought back eminent monks, Buddhism gradually flourished in the Central Plains.

In the eleventh year of Yongping (68 AD), the White Horse Temple was built outside the West Yongmen Gate of Luoyang to commemorate the white horse carrying the Buddhist scriptures.

Kasyapa Matanga and Dharmaraksha translated the Forty-Two Chapters Sutra here, which is the first extant Chinese translation of a Buddhist scripture.

The earliest believers were members of the royal family and nobility. For example, Liu Ying, the King of Chu, "was fond of Huang-Lao philosophy and fasted and worshipped Buddha."

Later, Emperor Huan established a shrine to Huangdi and Laozi in the palace. By the time of Liu Hong, there was the earliest record of Buddhism attracting believers on a large scale.

Over the past hundred years, 192 Buddhist scriptures, totaling 395 volumes, have been translated at the White Horse Temple.

Buddhist scriptures translated from Huang-Lao Daoist doctrines and Confucian ethics became popular and spread in the imperial court and among the gentry.
-
Afterwards, he and his brother Wang Fen successively served as governors of Ji Province.

Call it greed, anger, and ignorance, or call it stupid.

Regardless of whether it was instigated or incited by others...

In short, Wang Kao believed that changing the emperor would save the country.

Thus, in the fifth year of Zhongping, when Liu Hong planned to make a northern tour to the old residence of Hejian State.

He conspired with Wang Fen, Xu You, and others to launch a rebellion to depose Liu Hong and install the Marquis of Hefei as emperor.

As a result, Liu Hong canceled his trip, and the two brothers committed suicide one after the other.

What's most interesting is that in his previous life, this group of people sent him a message first, inviting "Cao Mengde" to join them in supporting the great cause.

Fortunately, he declined without hesitation.

……

The latter, the carefree and unrestrained one, had the surname Hu and the given name Ban.

His courtesy name was Ji Pi, and he was from Taishan, Yanzhou. He was known as "Ji Pi, a rare and precious woman from the Hu region".

This is actually quite funny to read...

However, there are only wrong names, not wrong titles.

Hu Muban was indeed a rare gem, "possessing profound knowledge and refined talent."

But this is both his strength and his weakness.

A brilliant talent, possessing extraordinary insight from a young age, discovers he is powerless to change the times, or even to change himself…

He was already dead.

Liu Fang actually enjoyed spending time with him, listening to his stories from all over the world, as well as interesting anecdotes from ancient times to the present.

But he didn't like himself, and he also thought about going out to see this world in order to find redemption.

A virtuous person may have the mind to be unfettered, but lacks the power to be unfettered.

This "rare" man was repeatedly swept up by the tide, forced to do things he didn't want to do.

He drinks heavily every day, yet he's become even more sober...

In the first year of the Chuping era, Hu Muban finally got her chance.

He volunteered to go as Dong Zhuo's envoy to the Guandong coalition to persuade them to make peace.

Every word is piercing to the heart, yet it is filled with righteous indignation; it can be called a masterpiece.

This forced Yuan Shao to arrest him on the grounds of "colluding with the rebels," and he was eventually released.

In his past life, Liu Fang witnessed the death of Hu Muban with his own eyes, harboring no resentment, only a sense of relief...

(End of this chapter)