Three Kingdoms

In Yingchuan, the incidents that broke out continuously made it a mess!

After all, in the Han Dynasty, there was no public relations department, let alone any specialized disciplines in crisis management. In response to the continuous thunderstorms, the people in Yingchuan, who were accustomed to a peaceful life, expressed that the melon was too big to eat.

Xi Lu was sitting alone in the Yushitai Yamen office, frowning.

He once felt that he was a loyal warrior of a big man, a brave man lurking in the darkest place, but with a bright heart!

In front of others, Xi Lu maintained his demeanor no matter what, and did not show his complex emotions of anger and fear. However, when he sat alone, he was somewhat controlled. Can't help myself anymore.

Although many county officials were a little confused when the big melon fell from the sky, they still followed the old model and did whatever they had to do. Of course, there were inevitably discussions in private, and they expressed that the world was declining and the times were changing. Changed and so on, different.

After all, when a melon is smashed, the big one has to hit it, so the things that junior officials face are naturally different from those of senior officials.

Xi Lu's Yushitai was not big or small, but he was still hurt by the melon.

Yushitai was once glorious in the Han Dynasty, but now, this glory has nothing to do with Xi Liu. Originally, the Yushitai could impeach officials from all over the world, from the Sangong and Jiuqing to the local counties and counties, and everyone could hear about the matter. Even if they said something wrong, they could still show their integrity and win the reputation of being outspoken and upright, but now the Yushitai The components of Shitai have completely collapsed.

All the officials in the world have the final say from two ministerial offices.

Xi Li couldn't control what was in the west, and he couldn't control what was in the east either. Regardless of whether it's personnel transfer or appointment arrangements, Xi Jiu doesn't have a say. Well, even if you have the right to speak, it doesn't matter...

In fact, at this moment, the overall structure of the Han Dynasty court has been almost destroyed. Although many department positions still have their original names, the actual authority and so on are quite different. Many times, it is like the current Yushitai, which only maintains a superficial appearance of respectability, but in fact it has no effect at all. The current political system of the Han Dynasty has long been divided into powers based on the balance of power among the princes, and the normal functioning of the political system has long been destroyed.

The reason why Cao Cao had no objection to Xi Lu becoming the imperial censor was actually not the emperor's insistence, but that Cao Cao knew that the institution of the censor's office was no longer what it used to be and had little effect.

Xi Xi worked very hard for a time, but his efforts seemed to be completely unable to withstand the changes in the current situation and the changes in the world.

Xi Lu originally wanted to borrow Kong Rong's story and repeatedly jump in and out, in and out, dawdling, and get some oil and water out, but now...

After all, the emperor lives in the inner court and has many restrictions. If you want to break Cao Cao's one-handed control of the sky, you must work together internally and externally to regain the country.

Is this correct?

So where is the support point from the outside world? Can it be achieved just by relying on the Yushitai?

Even if Xi Lu is covered in iron, how many nails can he drive?

So we must find allies.

But once he becomes powerful, he will be targeted by Cao Cao, and then he will slap him...

So what to do?

Naturally, he just pretended to be the same as the person under Cao Cao's crotch, and then he could slowly figure out Cao Cao's back.

Those who refuse to pretend and want to show that their horses and horses are against Cao Cao have become the crowds piling up at the street entrance.

Only by saving your own life can you serve the great man better and be more loyal to the emperor, right?

And in this process, Xi Lu can slowly restore the authority of Yushitai!

Kill two birds with one stone, no, kill multiple birds with one stone!

Otherwise, what benefits can be gained by maintaining the appearance of following the emperor? Even the salary from Yushitai is not enough! Is it pleasing to the eyes to go to the chancery all day long and look at the expressions of minor officials? But after reaching Cao Cao's crotch, everything seemed to go smoothly and became much smoother. The stipends owed before were all paid out in various names, and the Yushitai also had more or less manpower to build a shelf.

Anyway, Xi Liu would never admit that he was being targeted by Cao Cao. In panic, he tried to use Kong Rong as a bargaining chip to protect his own life...

This is a transition strategy adopted for the sake of the great man and the emperor!

Xi Liu comforted himself and then made an excuse for himself.

Well, actually, strictly speaking, that's what Xi Liu was thinking.

He wanted Kong Rong to die.

Is it because of Chinese custom? Only when someone dies can things become serious and cause trouble!

Xi Lu felt that it was not a pity that Kong Rong died.

The important thing is that he can use some of his strength through Kong Rong's matter so as to gain some real power, at least restore some of the authority of Yushitai, and then use it as a stepping stone to climb up and gather more people. In the end, he fought against Cao Cao. Moreover, a big-mouthed person like Kong Rong, who succeeds only when he fails, is more likely to fail. If he doesn't take advantage of the opportunity to kill him, his lack of words will actually become an obstacle to Xi Liu's upward climb!

Xi Liu really worked hard. He even acted in front of the emperor in order to deceive Cao Cao. Then when the Kong Rong incident came to a critical moment, he jumped out and stabbed Cao Cao in the back, but he never expected that Yes, at such a moment, another change occurred that left him completely speechless!

No one would worry about Kong Rong's life.

In politics, sometimes human life is also a bargaining chip.

A politician's hands will more or less be stained with blood, either from his enemies, from his own people, or even from ordinary people who were innocently implicated.

It turns out that no one took Kong Rong, a man who liked to brag and read, seriously, perhaps not even Kong Rong himself.

After all, Kong Rong became an outcast country squire after he retired from the court.

And he became a big troll for Qingliu in the wild...

Although they are said to be in the opposition, it does not mean that these people have no authority after leaving the court.

Generally speaking, these opposition squires do not have much say in the court, but it is different at the local level. Moreover, these opposition squires will be transformed into the ruling party at any time. Even if they are not the proper way for scholars to become officials, they may marry into a certain family due to the marriage of a certain lady, or the emperor may simply choose a concubine or something, and then immediately From the opposition party to the ruling party...

At the same time, the gentry and gentry in the opposition almost all control the local economic lifeline, and the entire local population has become the source of their industry. Even the government cannot easily touch them. After all, the amount of taxes every year is there. On the other side, is it possible that the county magistrate is required to plow the fields and pick mulberry trees to pay taxes?

But at the same time, the opposition party also has a disadvantage, that is, although they are also a class with vested interests, they pay more and get less than the ruling party. The children of the ruling gentry can use their power to reduce or reduce their own burdens. These burdens were transferred to other non-ruling nobles, so these opposition nobles would naturally have the desire to return to the court and be in power again.

So Xi Ji's original plan still makes some sense...

When Cao Cao was obviously ready to take action against Xi Lu, Xi Lu took the initiative to lie down and put on a posture of enjoyment, which actually made Cao Cao reluctant to take action. At the same time, Xi considered killing Kong Rong, a big troll. On the one hand, it also reduced his own risk of being trolled. At the same time, he could disperse the local opposition parties that gathered around Kong Rong, and then he could reap the rewards and eventually replace Kong Rong. Ascend to the position and become the spokesperson of the new generation of opposition Qingliu.

This is Xi's ultimate goal.

Kong Rong was not suitable to be the spokesman for Qingliu in the opposition, at least that's what Xi Liu thought.

He didn't know how to coordinate the postures, nor did he know how to progress in his studies. He even almost dragged Xi Lu down. If Xi Liu didn't mess with the Kong family, how could he prove that he and the Kong family were not involved or wet?

Of course, Xi Liu would not admit to death that it was him who wanted to use Kong Qian in the first place that caused a series of problems. Anyway, for Xi Liu, the faults are all the fault of others. As long as he can find an excuse to shirk, then he will That's right.

So it's all Kong's fault, it's all Kong Rong's fault.

In order to protect himself, so that he could better serve the emperor and do his best for the great man, he had no choice but to sacrifice Kong Rong.

In order to achieve multi-level needs, Kong Rong must die, and his death must be unclear.

Strictly speaking, Kong Rong's guilt framed by Xi Lu and Lu Cui cannot withstand scrutiny, but this is the effect they want...

If the crime is really proven, how will the confession be retracted and how will the fuss be caused in the future?

In Xi Li's most ideal situation, Cao Cao would just kill Kong Rong with a bang, and then unfortunately, after Kong Rong died, someone would find out that he had killed him wrongly!

Well, then Prime Minister Cao, who killed the wrong "good guy", should he...

Is it necessary to at least apologize, think about it behind closed doors and express your attitude?

As soon as Cao Cao closed his door and relaxed his authority, wouldn't this be an opportunity?

Even if Cao Cao asked Yushitai to take charge of the sword, Xi Liu could still say that he was ignored and unjustly accused, and he was just following orders. Then there is a wrongdoer and a debtor. Don't look for a knife to vent your anger, go find it. The man with the knife...

Unexpectedly, when Xi was still thinking about how to win over some local gentry who were in opposition through a series of connections, this would happen!

Kong Rong really said "disloyalty and unfilial piety"!

How can we continue to implement the plan?

The previous accusation of being unfaithful and unfilial was like a joke, and then the joke came true, making Xi Liu unable to laugh at all.

Now the situation has become chaotic. Before the opposition parties had time to integrate, they were beaten by Lao Cao with a combination of punches and were stunned. Each of them could not find their way. If Xi Lu jumped out to take the lead, there might indeed be some hope of unity. , but in this case, it goes without saying that Prime Minister Cao will definitely be hated. If it succeeds in the future, it may be okay, but if it fails...

How many people who hated Prime Minister Cao back then can still live smoothly?

who? Chen Lin?

ha!

Chen Lin, who wrote an article scolding Cao Cao, is indeed still alive, but she is worse than a dog!

Cao Cao didn't kill Chen Lin, but why did he let the talented Chen do?

The clerk in the recording office!

Didn't Chen Lin write an appeal? Let him write slogans for the rest of his life!

That guy named Cao has never been a good person.

The more Xi Liu thought about it, the more bleak his future became. He couldn't figure it out. Kong Rong, who was obviously known for his loyalty and filial piety, would actually say something that was almost crazy and that he had lost his loyalty and filial piety!

Doesn't this completely collapse the original stance of Xi Liu and others, making all Xi Liu's previous calculations fall into place?

What should we do next?

Before Xi Li could think about how Kong Rong would proceed, the news from the other side completely disappointed him...

Lu Cui is here.

He brings the latest news...

Mr. Xun made no move.

There was no movement at all.

"No, these Jizhou nobles have already kicked their noses and pooped on their faces!" ” At this time, Xi Lu no longer looked like a so-called great scholar of Confucian classics or a famous scholar. He just looked like a businessman, uttering evil words, “Can you tolerate this? Can this be tolerated? ! How can I bear this? ! ah? ! 』

Lu Cui glanced at Xi Liu, and then remained helplessly silent.

Although Lu Cui has the reputation of being a military advisor, his offering wine is completely different from Guo Jia's offering wine. Most of his affairs are like Chen Lin, who is a military advisor. "Recorder's Office", that is, it is just a written work such as drafting military orders, issuing announcements, etc., without any real power.

Everyone has to have some dreams, otherwise what is the difference between them and salted fish?

While working in the reporter's office, Lu Cui looked at Chen Xianyu and naturally didn't want to be Lu Xianyu...

Perhaps because people are unwilling to be lonely, they can always hook up with similar people in nightclubs. Lu Cui naturally started to flirt with Xi Liu, and they became more and more close to each other.

"The Cui family is like this, and there is no movement from top to bottom of the Xun family?" ” Xi Lu still refused to believe it and asked again.

Lu Cui closed his eyes and nodded.

"This..." Xi Lu sat down slumped, unable to maintain his original calm appearance. With a panic look on his face, he murmured, "How could this happen? How could this happen..."

Xi Liu couldn't figure it out.

Just like he couldn't understand that Kong Rong, who valued "loyalty and filial piety" more than his own life, would suddenly utter wild words of "unloyalty and unfilial piety", he also couldn't understand that Cui Yan was serving as Dong Cao of the Prime Minister's Office. One thing, there was no movement at all in the Xun family?

"Maybe... there is actually a measure, but it's just not known to you and me?" Lu Cui said slowly, "After all, right now... I'm afraid it's not just you and me who are staring at Mr. Xun?" 』

Xi Liu was stunned for a moment, then clapped his hands and said, "That's right!" That's for sure! 』

Will the Yingchuan faction let the Jizhou faction ride on their faces and rub them?

Obviously impossible!

Even if Xun Yu can endure it, can the entire Xun family endure it?

Even if the Xun family can endure it, can the Yingchuan people of the Chen family and the Xin family endure it?

"The Xun's Wubao was destroyed before..." Lu Cui said slowly, "The Xun's didn't move up and down, maybe it's reasonable..."

This is not the first time that Xunshi has behaved like a turtle. Xun Wang died before, and didn’t there be no movement soon?

"No, this time is different from that time," Xi Lu waved his hand and said, "The death in the past was just a side issue, but if it is the death today, the whole clan will be closely related..."

Hearing this, Lu Cui nodded, "That's true." But Xun didn't move, so... what should we do? 』

Yeah, what should I do?

This is a difficult question.

The original plan of killing two birds with one stone, or killing many birds with one stone, unexpectedly evolved into the current situation. Not only did the bird miss, but the stone also hit one's own feet? Who would have thought that after so many calculations, the result would be like this?

If the Xun clan doesn't move, Yingchuan will most likely be unable to move. After all, there is no leader. This is the same as Kong Rong. Without Kong Rong, these gentry families in the countryside can easily become a piece of loose sand and then be cut into different parts. , attached to other spokespersons.

Xi Liu's plan was to become the new spokesperson by replacing Kong Rong, but he now discovered that his plan had become a booster for Cao Cao to disrupt and cut up the entire Shandong noble system. It was not until now, when Cui Yan of the Cui family became Dong Cao of the Prime Minister's Mansion, representing the Jizhou faction, or that a considerable number of Jizhou people led by Cui Yan had completely turned to Cao Cao, that Xi Liu suddenly realized that he was staring at Kong Rong plotted against the rural nobles, but Cao Cao was eyeing the whole of Shandong and plotting against everyone!

This naturally includes Xi Li.

Xi Xi's worries soon became reality.

Cao Cao sent a soldier and brought an order from the prime minister, ordering Xi Lu to speed up the handling of Kong Rong's matter, which must be "completed" before the emperor's celebration.

This is really not a chance at all...

Xi Liu lamented, and then suddenly his body trembled, as if he thought of something, and his face showed a little panic.

"What's wrong? ” Lu Cui asked.

Xi Lu's face turned pale and he whispered: "Prime Minister... Could it be that the Prime Minister planned all this since the chaos in Xu County?" Could what you and I have done be part of the Prime Minister's plans? 』

Being plotted against by others is actually quite normal. How can one avoid being stabbed in the world of martial arts? If one plots against others, others will plot against him. Xi Xi will naturally not think there is any problem with this matter, but being plotted against him starts from such an early age. Planning, but then he didn't realize it. He was still in the plan of others, following the steps planned by others, and even thought that his plan had succeeded. This is really...

Lu Cui's face suddenly became worried and turned white, "No...it can't be..."

Xi Lu seemed to have lost his skeleton, slumped and leaning on the edge of the table, murmuring: "This... I thought that the Guanzhong Hussar had a far-reaching plan, and he was accompanying him like a tiger, so many things came to him. The county... I didn't expect that in the end... Oh, this hussar, the prime minister... Oh, why are there so many heroes in the world? 』