20demayo Chapter 67 In the Name of the Emperor
Chapter 67 In the Name of the Emperor
"Then tell me... what should we do now?" Cao Cao asked calmly.
in fact.
Ever since receiving Li Zhao's letter, he has been pondering how to deal with this person.
He's too shrewd!
In the matter of Lü Bu, they first made a grand gesture, and then spared no expense to give him an opportunity.
By tricking Lü Bu, they left themselves with no other choice!
Even knowing it was the other party's design, you still have to obediently do it.
"In truth, my lord should know this in his heart!" Xun Yu lowered his head slightly.
As one of the people who knew Cao Cao best, he naturally understood that Cao Cao had already made plans in his mind under such circumstances, but he simply did not show it.
Cao Cao raised his eyelids slightly. "If we summon him to court in the name of the emperor, he'll probably have countless reasons to refuse, or perhaps... he'll try to buy it with gifts?"
Xun Yu smiled. "If that's really the case, it seems acceptable!"
"I'm afraid...this person might do something else!"
At this point, both of them fell silent.
Over the past year or so, during the stalemate with Lü Bu, in addition to military losses, the rear also suffered huge losses.
The price war initiated by Li Zhao attracted countless merchants, leading to chaos in the prices of goods in Yanzhou.
If it weren't for the use of strong measures to suppress them, things might have turned out very differently now.
Cao Cao rubbed his hands on his clothes and asked casually, "What official position should I give him?"
"Since his abilities are all related to food and other resources, the Grand Minister of Agriculture would be a perfect fit!"
"As you say, I will go see the Emperor now!"
Xun Yu's expression remained stern until Cao Cao's figure disappeared.
He had a strong sense of crisis, but couldn't pinpoint its source...
……
Linzi.
Li Zhao had just finished inspecting several granaries and the fields of the surrounding people.
Everything is moving in a positive direction, and the people are living in peace and contentment.
Compared to other places in the world, this place is practically paradise!
But at the same time, there is also a problem: their presence is too conspicuous.
We must find a way to maintain this situation!
Yuan Shao's side seems relatively stable at the moment. That old scoundrel is insatiable; he can be kept in check with just a little grain.
of course.
His choice of this method was not impulsive, but rather the result of careful consideration.
Besides stabilizing Yuan Shao, the more important thing was to let everyone under his command, including ordinary people, know that there were better things in the world.
If this thing were to disappear one day, it would trigger large-scale unrest.
His biggest worry was still Cao Cao...
In the original historical development, the fact that the other party had such a great reputation was by no means just empty talk.
"My lord..."
Just as Li Zhao finished inspecting the last plot of land, Xu Shu and Chen Gong arrived quickly.
Xu Shu was also holding a wooden tube in his hand.
"The Emperor's edict has arrived!" Xu Shu handed him the document.
"The emperor has already proclaimed to the world that he has appointed the lord as the Grand Minister of Agriculture, in charge of the nation's finances and grain."
Chen Gong, standing nearby, immediately exclaimed, "This is definitely Cao Cao's doing!"
"Because according to custom, those who receive such an imperial decree must go to court to kowtow and express their gratitude to the emperor."
"This old scoundrel intends to force our lord to go to Ye City through this method. Once we get there, we'll have no other choice. Please reconsider, my lord!"
Li Zhao took the wooden tube, opened the imperial edict inside, and noticed that both of them looked very solemn.
It goes without saying that they instinctively believe this is something they have no choice in.
If I can't hold out and actually choose to go to Ye City, then I'll fall into Cao Cao's trap.
Wasn't Ma Teng eliminated in this way in history?
"If I don't go, I'll be labeled a traitor, right?" Li Zhao handed the imperial edict to Xu Shu.
"That's right, they're just waiting for our lord to refuse!" Xu Shu nodded.
However, the two of them couldn't think of a perfect solution for the time being.
Acting in the emperor's name is indeed very convenient!
Once they are labeled as traitors, those who have long coveted this place will flock here.
Even with thorough preparations, it would be impossible to withstand the attacks from various warlords.
"What is the situation of the refugees on Yuan Shao's side?" Li Zhao suddenly asked an unrelated question.
"What?" Xu Shu didn't react for a moment.
Chen Gong explained, "My lord, you may not know this, but Yuan Shao has always valued his status above all else."
"His men are the same. Although I have never been to Ji Province, based on the intelligence I have gathered in the past, the situation there is quite dire!"
"There are too many refugees to handle, and it's impossible for them to actually settle them down."
At this point, he suddenly realized something, "My lord wouldn't be thinking of..."
"My lord, please reconsider!" Xu Shu also seized the opportunity to speak.
They sensed that Li Zhao would take this opportunity to receive a large number of refugees in order to demonstrate his magnanimity and benevolence.
Even if it has a good effect, it is too much pressure for them.
In today's chaotic world, food is the foundation of survival.
I can joke about anything, I can take risks, but not this!
"How about this..." Li Zhao pondered for a moment and said, "Let's give this position to Yuan Shao!"
"I'm willing to stand behind him in line, and incidentally help him solve his problem of displaced people!"
"The previously agreed-upon terms remain unchanged. If he needs anything, he should just ask."
"In short, we must make the right gesture no matter what!"
Upon hearing this, the two exchanged a glance, opened their mouths but ultimately remained silent.
They knew Li Zhao's personality; once he made a decision, he wouldn't easily change it.
then.
The emperor's bestowal of honors was quickly delivered to Ji Province.
Upon receiving the news, Yuan Shao burst into laughter.
For him, this so-called official position was completely unimportant.
The key is...
Li Zhao is becoming more and more sensible.
They even knew to deliver the benefits to me as soon as possible.
It's as if they treat him like an older brother, someone they can follow orders from at any time.
With Guo Tu's strong support, Yuan Shao quickly accepted.
Furthermore, he publicly declared once again that Li Zhao belonged to him and that the Yuan family would take care of him from now on.
Tian Feng was so angry he was furious, and he tried to persuade them several times, but was kicked out each time.
In the end, he couldn't even see Yuan Shao anymore!
Extremely disappointed, he couldn't help but look up to the sky and sigh, "Is Heaven going to destroy Yuan?"
"Did he really say that?" Yuan Shao asked Guo Tu, his face ashen.
"yes!"
"Many people saw it. Tian Feng is truly despicable; he actually said something about Heaven destroying Yuan!"
"Regardless of Li Zhao's intentions, he at least helped us solve the problem of displaced people and even offered us so many benefits. How could there be so much crisis?"
"That's just how he is; he always likes to talk nonsense to show off his talent."
"That's why they often disregard their lord and think they're the best in the world!" Guo Tu continued to press on.
……