Chapter 82: Rest assured, Xuande, I, Cao Mengde, will seek justice for you!
After Liu Bei was forced to Guangling City, after discussing with his subordinates, he decided to ask Cao Cao for help.
So he sent his number one lobbyist Jian Yong to Xuchang to persuade Cao Cao to send troops to help him recapture Xuzhou.
Rumors circulated for many days, but after paying a "huge price", the fact that Lu Yan and Lu Bu were both in the innate realm was finally accepted by the world.
When he first entered Yanzhou, Jian Yong heard rumors about Lu Yan, but he just dismissed them as urban legends.
In Xuchang, in a restaurant opened by the United Chamber of Commerce, Jian Yong and his attendants were drinking wine while secretly listening to the discussions of the people around them.
"You can't touch women, tsk tsk... Lu Qiaoqi has paid a heavy price..."
"But I don't think the price is high... Is a problem that can be solved with just a few hands called a problem?"
"Hmph! If I could have Lu Qiaoqi's skills, what if I don't need that object?" Someone replied disdainfully.
"Pfft!" Jian Yong suddenly heard this man's words, and the sip of wine he had just taken into his mouth spurted out!
After hurriedly wiping the wine stains on the table, Jian Yong said with emotion: "These brothers are really all talents!"
At this moment, another attendant hurriedly entered the restaurant, came to Jian Yong and whispered: "Master, Cao Cao has returned to Xuchang!"
Jian Yong nodded and whispered back: "Very good! Get ready, let's go visit!"
After settling the bill, Jian Yong stopped staying and immediately came to the Taiwei Mansion to pay a visit.
After Cao Cao discussed with his advisers and decided to send troops to Xuzhou, he hurried back to Xuchang and prepared to enter the palace to explain his idea of sending troops to Xuzhou to the emperor Liu Xie.
Just when Cao Cao was about to leave for the palace, Jian Yong happened to bring two attendants to pay their respects and prepare to pay him a visit.
Although Cao Cao was a little anxious, Jian Yong's arrival gave Cao Cao an unusual smell, so he decided to meet Jian Yong first to see what Liu Bei would say.
The servants of Taiwei Mansion followed Cao Cao's instructions and brought Jian Yong to Cao Cao's study.
After seeing Cao Cao, Jian Yong immediately bowed his hands at almost 90 degrees and said in a salute: "Jian Yong, the lower official, I have met Cao Taiwei!"
Jian Yong used the word "xiaguan", which means, "We are all court officials, serving the emperor, and we are one of our own, big brother!"
"Xianhe, no need to be polite, please sit down." Cao Cao said with a hint of majesty in his tone after receiving a courtesy from Jian Yong.
"Thank you, Lieutenant Commander!" Jian Yong sat down respectfully.
After a while, seeing that Cao Cao had no intention of asking, he could only sigh and said, "Captain, you must already know what happened in Xuzhou, right?"
Cao Cao wanted to test it, so he pretended not to know: "Oh? Isn't Xuzhou prospering and becoming more prosperous and powerful under the governance of your lord Liu Bei?"
The corner of Jian Yong's mouth twitched, and he replied with a wry smile: "It should be so. But when our lord responded to the emperor's order and raised troops to attack the puppet emperor Yuan Shu, Cao Bao, the former Xuzhou tribe, united with the local Xuzhou families to rebel and take Xuzhou."
"Cao Bao can also become the lord of Xuzhou?" Cao Cao sneered.
"Of course it's impossible for Cao Bao alone, but there is very likely the involvement of Qingzhou forces!" Jian Yong only mentioned Qingzhou and did not mention Lu Bu by name, which still left some room.
"A certain person has long said that the aristocratic family cannot be trusted. The lessons learned from Yanzhou are still fresh in his mind. Why did Liu Bei turn a blind eye?" Cao Cao wanted to deceive Jian Yong again.
"My lord is kind-hearted. Taozhou Mu entrusted Xuzhou to my lord. My lord couldn't bear to harm his old subordinates, and even gave him preferential treatment." When he said this, Jian Yong was really heartbroken, "I never expected that. However, the old Xuzhou tribe headed by Cao Bao actually harbored evil intentions. Taking advantage of my lord's order to punish the thieves, they united with Qingzhou forces to seize Xuzhou... Alas! My lord also regrets that he did not take the Taiwei's words in the first place. Keep it in your mind and always be a warning!"
He also talked about Liu Bei's current situation. Cao Cao found that this man was very talkative and eloquent, and his words were really nice!
Cao Cao felt very comfortable being photographed by Jian Yong, and even a smile appeared on his face unconsciously.
Perhaps realizing something was wrong with him, Cao Cao coughed deliberately to cover up his embarrassment.
After pondering for a long time, Cao Cao then spoke to Jian Yong and said, "Liu Xuande was ordered to fight against the thieves. He was a loyal minister who was truly loyal to the Han Dynasty and to His Majesty. Moreover, when the princes were fighting against Dong, I had some friendship with Xuande...
Go back and tell Liu Xuande that I, the emperor, will never allow a loyal minister to be humiliated, and that I, Cao Mengde, will do my best to mediate."
"Is it just mediation?" Jian Yong felt that it was just words and actions were definitely not enough, so he thought twice and said: "My Lord has to deal with Yuan Shu's pursuers and Cao Bao's rebels. Now Zuo Bao The right block is already stretched thin.
Before coming here, my lord once said that he hoped that Lieutenant Cao could send troops to help...help my lord recapture Xuzhou!"
Cao Cao glanced at Jian Yong calmly and thought: "Help Liu Bei take back Xuzhou?"
"But I still have the words from Mr. Lu's diary embroidered on my sleeves!"
[Liu Bei, Boss Cao’s biggest opponent in the future, do you need to catch or kill him in advance...]
Cao Cao calmly glanced at the contents of Lu Yan's diary from a certain day of the month embroidered on his sleeve.
Cao Cao had no expression on his face and thought to himself: "Even Mr. Lu wants to capture or even kill his opponent. I will help him regain his foundation? I wish I could send a large army to occupy Xuzhou now, and then lock your lord Liu Bei in Xuchang forever." In the city!”
Jian Yong waited for a long time and saw that Cao Cao was thinking about something with an expressionless face.
He thought Cao Cao was thinking about the possibility of sending troops, so he sat back in his seat and began to wait patiently for the result.
Cao Cao's mind turned and he thought of a way: "Can I pretend to agree to recapture Xuzhou for Liu Bei, and then ask the emperor to issue an edict to keep him in Xuchang forever as an official? As long as Liu Bei comes to Xuchang, then he will never be able to escape from the hands of Cao Cao. !”
This may be a good opportunity to imprison Liu Bei. As for killing Liu Bei directly, Cao Cao feels that this is definitely not a good choice.
Regardless of whether Liu Bei is really a clan member of the Han Dynasty, as he is an official canonized by the imperial court and is the only local official who responded to the call to crusade against the puppet emperor Yuan Shu, Cao Cao cannot kill him.
If Cao Cao occupied Xuzhou and killed Liu Bei, this would not only arouse fierce resistance from Liu Bei's men, but also make the people of the world no longer trust the court's orthodoxy, and no longer trust his character, Cao Cao. In the end, the gains would outweigh the losses.
After thinking so much, Cao Cao finally made up his mind, "Go back and tell Xuande that a certain meeting will ask the emperor to issue an edict to attack Cao Bao. If troops can be sent out by then, I will personally lead the army to help Xuande recapture Xuzhou!"
When Jian Yong heard this, a big stone in his heart finally fell to the ground!
After taking a long breath, Jian Yong stood up, bowed 90 degrees to Cao Cao again, and said, "Yong, on behalf of my lord and the people of Xuzhou, I would like to thank Captain Cao!"
Cao Cao nodded and said, "Go, go back and tell Xuande that as long as he persists for a few more days, the imperial army will definitely seek justice for him!"
"Thank you, Lieutenant! Thank you, Emperor!"
After Jian Yong thanked him again and again, he left Cao Cao's study, Taiwei's Mansion, and Xuchang.
However, poor Jian Yong still doesn't know that Xuzhou has been sold to Cao Cao by Chen Gong at a clearly stated price...