I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 235 Dong Cheng: I'm already considering my next opponent!

"General Wei, what is this?"

"This is the Emperor's blood edict!"

Dong Cheng presented the blood-stained edict to Chen Yu with both hands. Chen Yu could only look at the edict with a puzzled expression, relying on the sliver of moonlight shining through the window.

"The Emperor, unable to bear Cao Cao's oppression, specially left me a blood edict, ordering us to kill Cao Cao!"

Chen Yu was secretly alarmed, but quickly asked Dong Cheng, "Why is that?"

"Why? Hasn't Gongwei noticed that the Emperor is being severely oppressed by that traitor Cao?"

Dong Cheng said indignantly, "Even the wine and meat served at your banquet cannot be decided by the emperor himself; he has to specifically ask Cao Cao for them... Humph! In this world, where is there any reason for a monarch to ask his subjects for his services? How is Cao Cao's behavior any different from Dong Zhuo's? How is it any different from Li Jue and Guo Si's?"

If it were Chen Yu, who had just come from Jiangdong, he would probably join Dong Cheng in cursing Cao Cao a couple of times.

But now, the Chen Yu of the past is gone!

Standing before Dong Cheng now is Chen Yu, who has interacted with countless top Confucian scholars of the Later Han Dynasty and personally witnessed sages like Huan Tan and Wang Chong blaze new trails with their bodies, and has a clearer understanding of the workings of the world's laws!

Why didn't Cao Cao treat the emperor like a mascot? Was he planning to hand over his entire empire to the emperor?

Moreover, even if this power is handed over, can it really fall into the hands of the emperor?

Those high-ranking officials and the emperor's maternal relatives like Dong Cheng were probably the ones who most wanted power.
Seeing Dong Cheng's resentment towards Cao Cao, Chen Yu advised, "General Wei, although Cao Cao is currently arrogant, he is at least not as rude as Li Jue and Guo Si... Moreover, the emperor and his officials do not have to suffer from hunger. Is there anything to complain about?"

"..."

Dong Cheng stared at Chen Yu speechlessly, almost saying aloud, "He's just a scholar, not fit to make plans."

"Gongwei, that is the Son of Heaven, who was born holy!"

"There is no one in the world more honorable than him! Yet his power was usurped by a treacherous villain like Cao Cao! This is a disgrace to us loyal ministers!"

Chen Yu was too embarrassed to expose Dong Cheng.

The emperor's authority could never belong to the emperor alone.

Whether it is the emperor who wants to regain power, or the emperor's close ministers and officials who want to take back the emperor, it is probably impossible for anyone to say at this moment.

However, Chen Yu also knew that this matter was urgent, so he immediately asked Dong Cheng, "What does General Wei want me, or rather, what does he want Zhongshan to do?"

"I have already joined forces with General Liu Bei, Lieutenant General Wang Zifu, Colonel Zhong Ji, and Consultant Wu Shuo, and are ready to kill Cao Cao at any time!"

"However, there are still the various Cao and Xiahou generals leading troops in other places... I am afraid that these people will follow the example of Li Jue and Guo Si under Dong Zhuo and launch a counterattack on the capital. Therefore, I would like to ask General Liu to send troops to contain these people and deal with them!"

Chen Yu believed that Dong Cheng wanted to recruit Liu Miao to fight against Cao Cao.

Unexpectedly, Dong Cheng was already considering his next move?
Moreover, Chen Yu very much wanted to emulate Zhang Liang, the Marquis of Liu, by saying something to Dong Cheng—

"Do you really think that killing Cao Cao will make the lands of Yan and Yu provinces yours?"

Cao Cao's rule was based on the 300,000 Qingzhou soldiers he had recruited in his early years! It also stemmed from the unwavering support of the Yingchuan gentry, including Xun Yu! Could killing Cao Cao really make these people immediately turn against him?

There may be people in this world who can do such a thing, but Chen Yu absolutely does not believe that someone like Dong Cheng can do such a thing.

after all……

If Chen Yu remembered correctly, the emperor was doing well in Luoyang, supported by the gold and provisions brought by Lu Su, and should have had no worries about making a living. It was only because Dong Cheng couldn't stand Yang Feng, Han Xian, and others controlling the court that he chose to lure Cao Cao to Luoyang, allowing Cao Cao to take the emperor away…

Therefore, upon hearing of Dong Cheng's plan, Chen Yu immediately sentenced him to death.

However, on the surface, Chen Yu still respectfully bowed to Dong Cheng: "I will definitely inform Zhongshan about the Emperor's blood edict in his belt!"

Dong Cheng was overjoyed: "In that case! Thank you very much, Gongwei!"

"Actually, Yuan Shao, Yuan Benchu, was also a loyal subject of the Han Dynasty. It's just a pity that we can't contact him. Otherwise, this matter would be even more certain!"

Yuan Shao?

A loyal minister of the Han Dynasty?

Chen Yu's eyelids twitched, and then he quickly bowed to Dong Cheng, wanting nothing more than to get rid of this plague.

"Alas, only through reading can one become wise!"

Chen Yu saw that Dong Cheng and others, despite being important officials of the court and having spent years in the officialdom, lacked even the most basic principles and discernment, and he was filled with pessimism about the future of the Han Dynasty.

"Never mind, I'm just a messenger anyway, it has nothing to do with me."

Chen Yu dared not delay, and the next day he summoned Sima Yi and his son to set off from Xuchang and continue south. They soon passed through Nanyang and arrived at Xinye, the territory controlled by Liu Miao.

As soon as he stepped into Xinye territory, Chen Yu couldn't help but smile: "I'm back! All the familiar scenes are back!"

Chen Yu pointed to the farmers working by the roadside: "These people must have been allocated land, which is why they are working so hard."

Sima Yi and his son looked at the people and found that they were working even harder than people in other places!

Those who came from the Central Plains felt this even more acutely. Cao Cao's land reclamation system left many people toiling with heavy hearts, muttering about how for every ten bushels of grain they harvested, they had to hand over seven…

Liu Miao's equal-field system not only had a lower tax rate than Cao Cao's, but the promise of "perpetual land" for private fields also greatly increased the people's enthusiasm for cultivation.

The poem says: "By day you gather thatch, by night you twist ropes; hasten to climb onto the roof, for then you begin to sow the hundred grains." As for the way of the people, those who have a stable livelihood have a stable mind, while those who do not have a stable livelihood have no stable mind!

Chen Yu then recited passages from Mencius.

“In the past, people did not care much about farming because they had no stable property; now, people have their own permanent land, which means they have stable property, and therefore they have a stable mind!”

Sima Yi asked curiously, "Isn't it said that all land under heaven belongs to the king?"

“Zhongshan has answered this question before.”

Chen Yu laughed and said, "If it is truly true that all land under heaven belongs to the king, then what about the private fields of powerful families?"

"Is it true that 'all land under heaven belongs to the king's land' if only powerful families are allowed to own private land, while ordinary people are not?"

"Moreover, although those permanent lands belong to the people and are not returned after death, and are allowed to be bought and sold, they are still subject to government supervision."

The essence of the equal-field system was always to suppress powerful clans, curb land annexation, and protect the interests of self-cultivating farmers, rather than to enfeoff land as in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

Perhaps one day in the future, there will be a real event of granting land to the people, but it will definitely not happen now, and it will definitely not happen within the current territory of the Nine Provinces of the Han Dynasty, right?
At this moment, everyone saw a continuous stream of merchants on the road, significantly more than in other places, which deepened their curiosity about Jingzhou and Liu Miao.

Chen Yu also felt apprehensive about returning home, and even couldn't help but shed tears.

"When Zhongshan sees me later, I'm afraid he'll be crying his eyes out, jumping around, and then talking incoherently, right?"

"If that's really the case, I hope you won't make fun of Zhongshan!"

Sima Yi and his son nodded in agreement, while also feeling somewhat envious of the relationship between Liu Miao and Chen Yu.

Upon arriving in Fancheng, the group checked into the post station.

Chen Yu has been completely distracted from his studies these past few days. Even when discussing the *Lunheng* with Sima Yi and the others, he is inattentive, constantly waiting and hoping...

On the third day, the news finally arrived!
"Zhongshan is coming to see me! Zhongshan is coming to see me!!!"

Chen Yu hurriedly gathered his clothes, even taking out precious deer antler velvet and applying it to his face, feeling uneasy.

at last!

When Liu Miao appeared before everyone, Chen Yu immediately burst into tears, jumping and hopping around, and then became incoherent...

Liu Miao had long heard that Chen Yu had somehow ended up with the Sima family, so he remained calm and composed when he saw Chen Yu.

However, after seeing Chen Yu's current appearance, Liu Miao suddenly became too lazy to pay attention to Chen Yu.

Upon arriving beside him, just as Chen Yu was about to say something, Liu Miao leaped aside to dodge Chen Yu and arrived in front of Sima Yi and his son.

Finding the oldest among them, Liu Miao was certain that it was Sima Fang, so he quickly reached out and shook his hand, saying, "Today, I am finally able to meet Lord Sima!"

Sima Fang was both surprised and delighted that Liu Miao had been able to pick him out from the crowd at a glance: "Greetings, General Liu!"

"I have long heard that Master Sima's talent is unparalleled in the world, and seeing him today, I can confirm that he is indeed extraordinary!"

Sima Fang said with shame, "Compared to Chen Gongwei, my talent is like a grain of rice vying with the sun and moon. How could it possibly reach your ears?"

But Liu Miao seemed not to hear this and immediately asked for the names of the people around Sima Fang.

Once it was confirmed that Sima Yi was also among these people, Liu Miao finally felt relieved.

Sima Fang's entire family was acquired in exchange for Yuan Shao's eldest son, Yuan Tan!

If Sima Yi had been involved, Liu Miao would have made a huge profit.

But if it weren't for Sima Yi, Liu Miao would have really lost out big time!

Now that Sima Yi was right in front of him, Liu Miao finally relaxed his brows: "Excellent! I see that the sons of Lord Sima are all intelligent, resourceful, learned, and devoted to Confucianism. They are truly talents for the state!"

Liu Miao grabbed Sima Lang with one hand and Sima Yi with the other, saying, "I have already prepared a banquet in Xiangyang! Come with me quickly to the banquet!"

Sima Lang hesitated, unsure whether he should remind Liu Miao—

"General Liu, Master Chen are still behind us?"

"Master Chen? Who is that?"

Liu Miao turned his head and saw that Chen Yu was frozen in place, motionless like a statue.

Ignore him!

Liu Miao continued to pull Sima Lang and Sima Yi back to Xiangyang.

"He left without a word, and then there was no news for half a day. I assumed he was dead out there! Let him do whatever he wants!"

(End of this chapter)