My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 370: Conflict with Confucians
Outside Tiance Mansion.

Yang Yin had just gotten off the carriage.

It was just a coincidence.

Cui Xian also got off the carriage just then.

“Zunyan.”

"Jilun".

After exchanging greetings, the two entered the Tian Ce Mansion together, moving slowly. Cui Xian took the initiative to speak, "Zunyan, do you know why the general summoned us here?"

"They said they would host a banquet to entertain the new emperor's envoy."

The excuse Gao Yu used actually revealed his attitude.

They were willing to acknowledge Yuan Xiu as the new emperor, but Gao Yu did not speak up. Instead, he summoned all his subordinates.

Military generals such as Yang Kan and Mulan were all leading troops outside, while the Tian Ce Mansion was mostly staffed by civil officials such as Cui Jie and Cui Xian, as well as members of Shandong aristocratic families who were under Gao Yu's command.

"In your opinion, what is the deeper meaning behind the general's hosting of this banquet?"

"It's freezing cold, why think so much? Let's just drink and eat meat."

"Hey."

Cui Xian chuckled but didn't say anything more. He simply quickened his pace and followed Yang Yin and the other person inside. There were already people who had arrived at Tian Ce Mansion earlier than them.

Before the banquet began, everyone was whispering and talking amongst themselves, clearly trying to figure out Gao Yu's intentions.

It didn't take long.

The two main characters, Gao Huan and Wang Sizheng, make a dazzling appearance, occupying the left side of the main position.

At this moment, Gao Yu also came out from inside, sat in the main seat, waved his hand, ordered the servants to bring fine wine and meat, and summoned the concubines to dance to entertain him.

Everyone tacitly refrained from speaking.

Gao Huan remained calm and collected, but he kept a close eye on everyone's reactions. When he saw that Wang Sizheng was doing the same thing, he started giving Wang Sizheng a sharp wink.

"Come, come, let us share a drink!"

Gao Yu took the initiative to raise his glass and urge everyone to drink. Everyone else raised their glasses, but Wang Sizheng did not make any move. Instead, he looked worried and even sighed from time to time, appearing so out of place.

"General Andong? Is there anything you're dissatisfied with?"

"How dare I? General Tian Ce personally hosted this banquet. For someone of my humble status like myself, this is already an immense favor. How could I possibly say more?"

"Then why are you sighing and complaining?"

Gao Yu put down his wine glass with a displeased expression. "Since you know I'm treating you with good intentions, why are you being such a spoilsport?"

Wang Sizheng still looked worried. "The general is treating us to fine wine and meat, and there are beautiful women dancing to entertain us. It should be a wonderful thing, but... I thought of other things and lost my mind."

"What's going on?"

"The late emperor!"

Wang Sizheng suddenly raised his voice and said solemnly, "When I think of the late emperor's tragic death, I realize that we, who have received the emperor's favor for generations, have not thought of avenging him..."

"What a courage!"

Gao Yu slammed his fist on the table in anger, glaring at Wang Sizheng. "General Andong, are you implying that I have received great favors from the late emperor, yet I do not think of avenging him, and am therefore an ungrateful wretch?"

"Be bold!"

"Guards! Drag this man out!" The crowd echoed in unison, filled with righteous indignation and extreme anger!
They were all officials and staff members of the Tian Ce Mansion. When they spoke ill of Gao Yu and cursed him, they were actually cursing them in a roundabout way, and the curses were quite harsh!
"Hahahaha!"

Wang Sizheng then burst into laughter.

"Before I came here, I had heard that the Tian Ce Mansion was full of the heroes of our Great Wei. But today I see that they are nothing but a bunch of sycophants who only know how to indulge in pleasure! I have been presumptuous and offended the general. If the general wants to kill me, he can take my life now. If the general does not want to kill me, then I will not accompany him. I am ashamed to associate with such a bunch of vermin!"

Gao Yu toyed with the wine glass in his hand with great interest, a strange look flashing in his eyes, and then asked, "What do you mean by that?"

He pointed at Cui Jie, "Lord Cui, you served as an official in the central government of Luoyang back then, and the late emperor praised you personally!"

"Jilun, Zunyan, Zhongmi... are all renowned figures, so how come they are seen as a bunch of insects in General Andong's eyes?"

Wang Sizheng was completely fooled. He stood up, walked around the table to the center of the hall, and bowed.

"To assist the emperor, to relieve his worries and difficulties, and to correct his moral conduct is the duty of a minister!"

"As subordinates and advisors of the Tian Ce Mansion, how can Cui Gong and others not consider the general's interests, sit idly by while the general bears the infamy of 'disloyalty and injustice,' and refuse to speak up to correct the general's behavior? How can they not be a bunch of vermin?"

Cui Jie squinted and stroked his beard. "The people of Shandong are all grateful for your heaven-like virtue, General. How could you have such a bad reputation?"

Wang Sizheng retorted sharply!
"The people of Shandong are subjects of the Great Wei, but aren't the people of Hebei, Shanxi, and Guanzhong also subjects of the Great Wei?!"

"When the Southern Liang army invaded Luoyang, General, you were appointed to a critical mission. You turned the tide and saved the collapsing empire, repelling the Southern Liang army and protecting the land and state of our Great Wei. His Majesty personally bestowed upon you the title of General of Heavenly Strategy! What an honor! It proves that in the eyes of the late Emperor, you were the pillar of our Great Wei!"

"But right now, the late emperor has died tragically at the hands of the traitor Erzhu Rong. Righteous men like the Governor of Hengzhou, who are following the late emperor's last edict, supporting the new emperor, raising the banner of righteousness, and punishing the traitor, what are the General Tiance, on whom the late emperor placed his hopes, doing? Staying peacefully in Shandong, which is contrary to the duty of a subject. Is this how you, the General Zhengzheng, behave?"

Cui Jie and the others looked extremely embarrassed and also spoke up to refute.

"Why didn't the general punish the disloyal subjects?"

"Then why don't you all persuade the general to go and pay homage to the new emperor! Don't you know that if the general doesn't pay homage to the new emperor for a day, rumors will spread that the two generals appointed by the late emperor are disloyal! The fact that General Tian Ce is reluctant to pay homage to the new emperor is precisely because he is disloyal and wants to take his place!"

"General Tian Ce is clearly a loyal subject of our Great Wei, yet he has now become a traitor like Narzhu Rong! You all sit idly by as the general bears such a bad reputation, yet you remain unmoved, instead indulging in sensual pleasures!"

Wang Sizheng goes all out!

He launched into a tirade.

Those who were being criticized were momentarily at a loss for words.

Gao Yu remained calm and composed, offering no opinion, and simply observed everyone.

Just at this time.

Yang Yin suddenly stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and said...

"General Andong is right!"

"General, General, we can no longer hesitate! We must support the new emperor, raise the banner of righteousness, and call upon all righteous men to jointly punish the traitor Erzhu Rong!"

After saying this, Yang Yin came to Wang Sizheng's side.

"Fellow officials, are you, as subordinates of the Tian Ce Mansion, really going to stand by and watch the General bear such a reputation of 'disloyalty and injustice'?"

"If that's really the case, how can we repay the general for his kindness in helping us?"

Cui Xian also stood up and said, "General! Support the new emperor and punish the disloyal!"

The two of them sang in unison, leaving everyone else speechless.

Many people only realized this belatedly.

How good is the relationship between Yang Yin and Cui Xian and Gao Yu?
How could these two possibly go against Gao Yu's wishes?
(End of this chapter)