The Three Kingdoms: The Oath of the Peach Garden, the Rise of the Han Dynasty

After listening, Li Chang stood still, nodded slightly, and said nothing more.

He knew that although these two looked arrogant, they were more astute than anyone else.

Both of them were aware of the dangers of the journey, yet they still went.

The sound of horses' hooves faded into the distance, and the two figures disappeared at the end of the official road.

They traveled non-stop and arrived in Jiangling, Nanjun in less than half a month.

Cao Cao was gathering his civil and military officials to discuss matters when he heard that Liu Bei had sent an envoy, so he summoned the two men to see him.

In the main hall, Cao Cao sat in the main seat, with Chen Gong, Xun Yu, Guo Jia, and Xun You standing on either side.

Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, and other generals stood with their hands on their swords, each with piercing eyes and an imposing presence.

When Mi Heng and Bian Rang entered the hall, they stood tall with their chests out and heads held high, bowing deeply without kneeling, displaying the proper demeanor of Han envoys!

"The King of Jin sent two of us to meet with Lord Cao."

Cao Cao squinted, scrutinizing the two men intently:

"What brings the King of Jin to send you two from afar?"

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Bian Rang spoke first, his demeanor gentle and upright, neither humble nor arrogant, establishing a strong moral compass from the outset:

"Today, the traitor Yuan Shu has usurped the title of emperor in the Jianghuai region, overstepped his authority over the imperial regalia, and wreaked havoc on the Han dynasty. He is a traitor whom the whole world should condemn."

My Prince Jin, inheriting the legitimate line of the Han dynasty, has prepared his troops and armor, and will soon march south to punish the usurpers.

We two were sent here only to ask you, sir, one question:

"Gongshi has received the Han's favor and holds the position of regional governor. Will he assist the Han in punishing the rebels, or will he hold onto his troops, observe the situation, and secretly harbor treacherous officials?"

The moment those words were spoken, the entire room fell silent!

Bian Rang truly deserves to be called a literary master of the world. He neither provokes trouble nor insults anyone. He only uses his status as a Han official to lock Cao Cao's position. Every word he says is upright and righteous, leaving no room for anyone to retaliate!

Cao Cao's face darkened, and he had no choice but to make a public statement:

"I, Cao Cao, am a loyal subject of the Han Dynasty. How could I associate with traitors!"

"The Prince of Jin is punishing the rebels. I will faithfully uphold my duty as a subject, wait for the opportune moment, and never side with the enemy!"

He had no intention of helping Yuan Shu; he only wanted to take advantage of the situation. However, Bian Rang publicly labeled him a "traitor," putting him in a passive position. He was already holding a grudge!

Before the people in the hall could calm down, Mi Heng suddenly sneered, his sharp edge suddenly rising.

He completely ignored any discussion of lofty principles, his arrogant gaze sweeping over the assembled civil and military officials of Cao Cao's camp, his eyes filled with utter contempt.

With a twist of his waist, he opened his robe, lifted his garment, and revealed his personal small drum!

Boom boom boom!

His opening remarks were full of malicious and offensive statements, reflecting his consistent nature of insulting all wise men and showing utter disdain for his contemporaries.

"Haha! What a great Han Chunchen!"

However, observing the officials under the governor's command, all of them were impeccably dressed and stood in rows, yet they were all mediocre and incompetent!

The entire hall of civil and military officials instantly changed color!

They'd only heard about this guy a few years ago—he'd been spewing insults all over Jixia Academy! Was it their turn now?

Mi Heng stood tall, pointing at everyone, offering his critiques one by one, his words sharp and merciless, showing no mercy whatsoever:

"Xun Yu is dignified in appearance, but he only knows how to adhere to minor details and etiquette. He is suitable as a guest to mourn the sick, but he has no ability to stabilize the country and bring peace to the country!"

Xun You was reserved and cautious, only good at meticulous planning, with a narrow perspective; he was nothing more than a clerk who hunched over his desk with a pen!

Guo Jia was unrestrained and reckless, acting without restraint and doing whatever he pleased. He was only fit to be a gatekeeper and watchman, not fit to bear the heavy responsibilities of the imperial court!

Chen Gongtai is a man of empty reputation, stubborn and indecisive, intelligent but slow to act; he has only a hollow name!

With all the civil officials demoted, he turned his gaze to the military generals, who were glaring angrily with their swords drawn, and his mockery intensified:

"As for the generals under your command!"

Xiahou Dun has a ferocious look in his eyes, is impetuous and lacks strategy; he is only fit to guard graves and protect lonely tombs in the desolate countryside!

Xiahou Yuan is reckless and lacks stability; he is brave but not wise, and is only fit to be a scout, not a commander-in-chief!

The rest of them are nothing but reckless fools, lacking any real talent!

One sentence was enough to condemn all the officials and civil and military officers in Cao Cao's camp! First, lower their morale!

Every official and military man in the hall had veins bulging. Xiahou Dun gripped his sword hilt tightly, his eyes blazing with rage, and he almost wanted to kill Ni Heng on the spot!

A murderous aura suddenly filled the hall!

Mi Heng continued to berate Dian Wei, but Dian Wei just smiled innocently, not understanding what he meant at all!

Mi Heng: "..."

At this moment, Bian Rang spoke again, maintaining his composure and refusing to echo Mi Heng's personal insults.

To prevent Mi Heng from being beheaded, he spoke kindly, only offering his condescending advice on matters of principle:

"Zhengping is unruly and speaks rudely, which is his nature."

However, his statement about holding a position of power without real authority was not unfounded.

You gentlemen enjoy the Han people's bounty and hold Han positions, occupying high posts and wielding significant military power.

Now the country is in peril, the emperor is in hiding, and the traitor has declared himself emperor in Huainan.

Instead of thinking about launching a northern expedition to purge the court of corrupt officials or marching south to punish the rebels, you only know how to sit and guard your prefectures and counties, watching the tides rise and fall.

As a Han official, if one cannot punish traitors for the country or eliminate harm for the people, even if one is dignified in appearance and exceptionally brave, one is still without merit or virtue and occupies a position in vain!

Loyalty and treachery are clear before us, and the general trend is obvious.

Today, Lord Cao publicly swore not to aid Yuan Shu, which is to uphold his loyalty as a subject.

If war breaks out one day, and you, my lord, dare to stand idly by or secretly aid the usurper, the scholars of the land will surely unite to condemn you!

Bian Rang did not dishonor people's personal integrity, but only praised their achievements; he did not mock their appearance, but only discussed the relationship between ruler and subject.

The most insidious thing is a refined and gentle man, which suffocated Cao Cao even more than Mi Heng's angry curses!

Most of them exchanged glances, and their urge to kill each other only intensified!

This time, even Xun Yu and Chen Gong from the aristocratic families were somewhat displeased!

Upon hearing this, Mi Heng burst into laughter again, his voice arrogant and defiant:

"Today, let the whole world know! The civil and military officials of Cao Cao's camp are all empty names!"

They merely watched passively, showing no intention of punishing the thieves whatsoever!

Cao Cao sat in the main seat, being repeatedly crushed by one arrogant and one righteous man.

On one hand, Mi Heng was humiliating people to the bone, causing his subordinates to lose all face;

On one hand, the principle of righteousness binds lives and blocks all escape routes.

With a buzzing sound in his head, his old headache flared up completely, and he was in so much pain that he pressed his hand tightly against the table, his face turning pale and bluish, and his chest heaving violently!

"Ouch!! It hurts so much!!"

"You scoundrel! You arrogant brat! How dare you insult my men and humiliate me like this!"

Cao Cao gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing with murderous intent, and he was about to order his warriors to drag him out and behead him.

Xun Yu quickly stepped forward, bowed deeply, and earnestly advised:

"My lord, please calm your anger! Both men are renowned scholars, famous throughout the land. If we kill them today, the world will surely say that you are jealous of talent and harm those who dare to speak out, which would be a greater loss than gain!"

Chen Gong, suppressing his anger, stepped forward and offered his advice:

"My lord, these two are arrogant and conceited, and their words are invincible. Killing them would only bring more infamy."

"Why not send them to Jiangxia and let the two of them continue their mission to Liu Biao and Huang Zu!"

Cao Cao's head was throbbing with pain, and after a long while he gritted his teeth and waved his hand:

"Guards! Take these two arrogant scholars... to Jiangxia! Hand them over to Liu Biao and Huang Zu, and give them a proper 'welcome'!"

The warriors on the left and right immediately stepped forward and lined up on both sides, intending to send the two away.

As he was being taken away, the samurai casually broke Miheng's drum!

Mi Heng raised his head and laughed wildly, unrestrained and without any fear!

Bian Rang remained calm and composed, his cold gaze sweeping over the assembled Cao ministers, showing no disdain for them!

One is unrestrained and wild, the other is aloof and proud.

One vulgar, one refined; one insult, one argument—they utterly shattered Cao Cao's camp and court.

As the two figures disappeared from sight, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

Cao Cao pressed his temples for a long time, his face grim. It took him a while to regain his senses after taking the medicine.

"Ni Heng has humiliated me, and Bian Rang has imprisoned my righteousness."

From that point on, he never dared to send troops to help Yuan Shu.

Once military action is taken, it would be an open act of collaborating with the rebels, solidifying the reputation of a traitorous minister and giving the enemy ammunition to criticize.

These two renowned scholars under Liu Bei, with their sharp tongues and eloquent writings, are worth more than a hundred thousand soldiers!

This scheme was truly ruthless!