My Three Kingdoms is not right

The gates of the Sikong Mansion were tightly shut.

Liu Xun stood at the door, having already asked the gatekeeper to announce his arrival three times. Each time, the reply was the same—

"The head of the family is unwell; please come another day, Your Highness."

He looked up at the sky. The sun had moved from the east to its zenith.

Yang Xiu stood behind Liu Xun without saying a word.

Her already fair face became even more bloodless.

"Your Highness," the doorman said cautiously, "would you like to return home first and come back tomorrow?"

Liu Xun shook his head.

"I'll wait here."

The doorman opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't dare to persuade him any further, and shrank back inside.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the side door opened, and Guo Jia came out.

"Your Highness, may I speak with you in private?"

Liu Xun followed her to a locust tree on the street corner.

Guo Jia said in a low voice, "Your Highness, there is no need to wait any longer. Our lord will not see you."

Liu Xun remained silent.

Guo Jia continued, "My lord guessed that His Highness was coming, and he also knows why His Highness is coming. That is why my lord cannot see His Highness."

"Why?" Liu Xun asked.

"Because of the matter concerning Grand Commandant Yang, there is absolutely no room for maneuver. My lord does not want to meet and argue with His Highness, because he does not wish to damage our relationship."

"But Grand Commandant Yang is innocent."

Guo Jia gave a helpless, wry smile: "Your Highness, is what you're saying important?"

Liu Xun's heart sank.

Cao Cao! A cunning woman!

My guess was correct: the whole story of Yang Biao colluding with Yuan Shu to rebel was completely fabricated.

Although Yang Biao's wife was Yuan Shu's sister.

However, as one of only two top-tier aristocratic families in the Han Dynasty, it was perfectly normal for the Yang family of Hongnong and the Yuan family of Runan to intermarry for generations.

The truth is that after learning of Yuan Shu's rebellion, Cao Cao took advantage of Yang Biao's marriage ties with Yuan Shu to prepare to eliminate this obstacle.

This was her fatal blow to the faction of upright scholars.

This is troublesome...

Guo Jia leaned close to Liu Xun and whispered in his ear, "Lord Cao is pressing his advantage now. It might not be a bad thing for Your Highness to temporarily avoid the limelight."

Hey! If you press any tighter, you'll kiss!

Liu Xun strongly suspected that she was deliberately taking advantage of him.

Her sweet fragrance made his ears itch, so he took a half step back and said, "I understand."

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps approached. The two looked up.

The visitor was Kong Rong.

The great Confucian scholar, who always valued his image and regarded etiquette as paramount, was now wearing only an undergarment.

Clearly, they had received news of Yang Biao's arrest and, in their anxiety, rushed to the Sikong Mansion without even having time to put on their robes.

"Open the door! I need to see Cao Sikong!!"

Before the gatekeeper could even approach and ask, Kong Rong was already standing on the steps, shouting loudly at the tightly closed gate.

The doorman explained something to her, but made no move to open the door.

The two were talking, and Kong Rong's voice grew louder and louder:

"Grand Commandant Yang is a pillar of the court; how can you frame him?"

"The entire capital, the whole world, is watching how you treat loyal officials of the court!"

……

Liu Xun did not step forward. Since Cao Cao had made up his mind, it was not something that could be changed by a few words of criticism from scholars and literati.

He patted Yang Xiu on the back and said gently, "Let's go."

"Where to?" Yang Xiu's voice was weak.

"Go find Xun Yu."

In the current situation, the only one capable of stopping Cao Cao from raising his sword is her.

-----------------

Liu Xun led Yang Xiu straight to the Ministry of Personnel, where they met Xun Yu and bowed deeply in greeting.

"Please, Wenruo, save Grand Commandant Yang!"

Seeing this, Yang Xiu behind him immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowing and pleading, "Please, Lord Xun, save my mother!"

Xun Yu quickly stepped forward to help Liu Xun up: "Your Highness, please rise! Dezu, there's no need for this. Please get up and speak."

The three of them then sat down. Since things had come to this point, Xun Yu no longer exchanged pleasantries: "Your Highness, Cao Cao and I have discussed this matter."

Yang Xiu was furious and was about to stand up abruptly, but Liu Xun pressed down on his shoulder: "Don't be ridiculous, listen to me!"

Yang Xiu wiped away his tears, feeling wronged, and sat down with his lips pursed.

Xun Yu knew she was desperate to save her mother and didn't care. He simply shook his head slowly and said, "I already tried to dissuade you back then. But Cao Cao's mind was made up and couldn't be swayed."

Yang Xiu's face turned pale, and he said in a trembling voice, "Lord Xun, my mother is loyal to the Han Dynasty and has never colluded with Yuan Shu."

Xun Yu sighed softly, "How could I not know?"

But he didn't say anything more.

There were some things she didn't want to say outright, but Liu Xun stared straight at her and asked, "Wenruo, it's just the three of us today, and I have a question for you."

Xun Yu paused slightly, then nodded and said, "Your Highness, please speak."

"Both the court and the common people respectfully call Wenruo Xun Lingjun. Was Wenruo the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat of the Han Dynasty, or the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat of the Cao family?"

As soon as Liu Xun said this, it was as if a silent thunderclap resounded in the room.

Even Yang Xiu's soft sobs were paused.

Xun Yu's ever-present elegant smile gradually disappeared.

After a long while, she took a deep breath:

"I, Xun Yu, am loyal to the Han Dynasty, as Heaven and Earth can attest. If I have uttered any falsehoods, may I die a horrible death!"

Liu Xun replied calmly, "I know."

"Wenruo need not swear, I have never doubted this."

"I asked that question on your behalf."

Looking at the determined young man in front of him, Xun Yu suddenly felt a lump in his throat.

How could there be such a man in the world!

She lowered her head to straighten her already smooth clothes, and when she raised her head, her usual gentle demeanor returned: "Thank you for your trust, Your Highness."

"But I'm afraid I can't help with Grand Commandant Yang's case."

"How could Wenruo not have a solution?" Liu Xun was now truly anxious: "The government affairs are all handled by Wenruo, most of the talents in Xudu are recommended by Wenruo, and the prefects, magistrates, and officials in various places are all appointed by Wenruo."

"If Wenruo does his best to stop it, even if Cao Cao is unwilling, he will have to release Grand Commandant Yang."

This is Liu Xun's confidence in Xun Yu.

Although Cao Cao held the position of Minister of Works and Director of the Imperial Secretariat, he focused solely on military affairs, leaving almost all daily government matters to Xun Yu.

Without Xun Yu's cooperation, not only would the Xuchang court be unable to continue, and the advantage of "serving the emperor" would be completely lost, but Cao Cao's own territory's political affairs would also be largely paralyzed.

It was foreseeable that rebellions would break out everywhere in Yuzhou, and that supplies would run out, allowing surrounding forces to seize the opportunity to swarm in.

Xun Yu nodded slowly:

"Perhaps it is as Your Highness says."

"But why should I do this?"

This time it was Liu Xun's turn to be stunned: "Because...because Wenruo is loyal to the Han Dynasty."

Xun Yu calmly replied, "Is forcibly rescuing Grand Commandant Yang considered loyalty to the Han Dynasty?"

Eh?

"Is stopping Cao Cao equivalent to being loyal to the Han Dynasty?"

"this……"

Liu Xun was completely taken aback by this unexpected turn of events.

Xun Yu then continued calmly:

"Grand Commandant Yang served in the court for decades, working tirelessly and loyally, but he could only watch helplessly as the court gradually declined."

"Even earlier, when Yuan Wei, Wang Yun, Lu Zhi, Cai Yong, Kong Rong... these upright and virtuous scholars were all in high office, could they have prevented the decline of the Han Dynasty?"