"In terms of title, you are the Marquis of Wanhu County today."
"In terms of official position, you are both a lieutenant and a lieutenant."
"In terms of merit, you persuaded Zhang He to surrender and Gao Lan first ascended to Yuan Shao's camp."
"On wealth..."
Chen Qun looked at He Yan indifferently: "When it comes to wealth, not to mention Yingchuan County, not to mention the entire Yuzhou and the entire Central Plains, there are not many people who can compare with Marquis Shen. Why do I come to find you?"
He Yan took a breath: "Hiss——"
"So..."
"The aristocratic family is actually myself?"
Compared with other prominent families, the only thing He Yan lacks is that he has not yet reached the rank of San Gong.
But if He Jin and even Cao Cao are included, He Yan really looks like a member of a noble family...
"Besides, the Nanyang He family and the Nanyang Yin family from which Marquis Shen was born are both Confucian classics families... In this case, Marquis Shen, do you want me to continue?"
"No need..."
He Yan thought about it carefully and found that he had unknowingly become a very large and very small family.
I say big because it has the title of Marquis of Wanhu and various meritorious achievements to support it.
I say small because He Yan still has no heirs and his population is declining...
Hey, it looks like Mother Deng will have to work hard when she goes back.
Chen Qun added: "Firstly, this is what happened, and secondly, it was what Marquis Shen and I discussed in prison."
Through that time, Chen Qun knew that He Yan was a person who had no respect for the emperor.
Only such people can accept their own ideas and unite.
He Yan understood what Chen Qun meant, and at the same time he also found out some of Chen Qun's ambitions.
In fact, Chen Qun and even Xun Yu, representatives of the Yingchuan family, did not consider Cao Cao as their master at all.
Their nominal master is still the emperor sitting on the dragon throne.
Cao Cao and the various Cao and Xia lords can also be packaged into one "Qiao County Cao Clan" or "Yingchuan Cao Clan".
What these aristocratic families really want to do is to work with Cao Cao to stabilize the central order, break the original emperor's power system, and let the aristocratic families take control of power themselves.
He Yan frowned.
Will Cao Cao agree to this?
If Cao Cao agreed, how would Xun Yu die in the future?
And what Cao Pi did in the future was really just as simple as usurping the Han Dynasty?
"The family takes power."
In the final analysis, it still comes down to these four words.
They hope that a powerful figure will appear to help them end this chaotic world, but at the same time, they do not want that person to have too much power. It is best to be weaker than Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty. In this way, the world will still belong to the aristocratic family.
The world...
He Yan suddenly felt that Chen Qun in front of him was covered with fog.
He Yan even began to doubt Chen Qun's true purpose of finding him.
Just to win over yourself and bring yourself into the circle of aristocratic families?
Or do you want to use yourself to test Cao Cao's attitude?
Or maybe he just came out to drive a wedge between himself and Cao Cao?
"Brother Changwen, I still don't quite understand."
He Yan originally thought that it was only Yuan Shao's side that had many problems, but Cao Cao's side seemed to have quite a few problems as well.
And this problem mainly focuses on aristocratic families.
"Who are you supporting?"
"Marquis Shen, this is a bit immature."
It doesn’t matter who Chen Qun and the others support.
To be precise, Chen Qun and the others only support themselves. The rest, whether Cao Cao or the Emperor of Han, are their own as long as they stand with them.
He Yan slowly closed his eyes after understanding what Chen Qun meant.
Wei Wu.
Wei Wen.
Jin Xuan.
Jinwu.
And later, Song Wu, Qi Gao, Liang Wu, Chen Wu, and even Sui Wen.
These are actually not the same group as Chen Qun and others.
It can even be said that many of them still have hostile relationships.
Now that Chen Qun is confessing his true feelings to He Yan, he is actually asking He Yan - should he become our friend or our enemy?
And by the way, he tested Cao Cao behind him and asked him whether he was a friend or an enemy.
If they are friends, then powerful powers like the Emperor of Han are our common enemies.
If you are an enemy, you should carry the banner of Emperor Han on your back and be killed.
Class has always been so cruel.
"Brother Changwen, does Xun Lingjun know about what you are discussing?"
"Nature knows."
"And Mr. Cao actually knows it too."
After hearing this, He Yan finally couldn't help but open his eyes: "Does Mr. Cao also know?"
"Nature knows."
He Yan's scalp suddenly went numb at this moment.
Cao Cao actually knew it too.
Does that mean that it's not that Cao Cao doesn't want to usurp the Han Dynasty, but that the families under his command simply don't allow him to usurp the Han Dynasty?
The core appeal of the aristocratic family is to weaken the imperial power and keep political resources, financial resources, and even food resources in their own hands.
They did not allow a strong Han emperor to appear, and naturally they did not allow a strong Cao Cao to appear.
For them, the little emperors of the Eastern Han Dynasty were better. As long as the emperor was not strong, there would always be fights.
And fighting will keep these aristocratic families safe and prevent them from becoming the leeks that every emperor comes to harvest like the wave of wealthy families in the Western Han Dynasty...
He Yan was thinking about the causes and consequences, but Chen Qun thought He Yan was still hesitating——
"Did Marquis Shen hear what Duke Cao said recently?"
"What words."
"Be concerned about the world's worries first!"
"..."
He Yan thought he was hearing hallucinations: "What did Brother Changwen say?"
"Be concerned about the world's worries first!"
"Gong Cao's move is actually to tell everyone that he will not change his mind and become a powerful person just because he defeated Duke Yuan."
Chen Qun was surprised: "Marquis Shen never heard these words during the march with Duke Cao?"
Heard it!
Not only have I heard this before, but these words came out of my own mouth!
He Yan held his head and felt that the amount of information Chen Qun said today was a bit overwhelming.
"I hope Brother Changwen will give me some time to think it through."
He Yan didn't dare to make a hasty decision on such a big matter.
Chen Qun had no objection to He Yan's move: "This is indeed a big deal. I hope Marquis Shen will consider it carefully."
——————
——————
When he came out of Chen Qun's house, He Yan was a little dizzy.
He Yan was walking on the street completely unconsciously. It wasn't until he reached a familiar place that He Yan was awakened by the noise in his ears.
"Nvlu?"
It is indeed very familiar.
After staying in front of Nulu for a long time, He Yan took the first step back.
"He Yan?"
A familiar voice sounded behind him, and the next moment, a slap hit He Yan's shoulder.
Looking back, it was Cao Pi's big face.
Cao Pi looked cheerful: "Ha! You want to secretly go to Nulu again? I must have caught you!"
Seeing Cao Pi's beaming expression, He Yan felt deeply moved.
"Cao Pi..."
"Huh? Do you want to beg for mercy? If you ask me once, I won't tell Aunt Yin!"
He Yan shook his head: "I want to say - Cao Pi, it would be great if I could be as heartless as you."
"ha?"
For a moment, Cao Pi couldn't tell whether He Yan was praising him or scolding him.
"Promise me that if you can, you will continue to be so heartless."
Cao Pi heard that something was wrong with these words, and his interest was mostly softened just now.
"He Yan, have you been bullied by someone? Tell me and I'll get rid of him! ... It's not that I want to avenge you, but I just want to ask him for some experience in dealing with you."
Cao Pi's emotions changed several times in just one sentence, and his face turned ugly.
"No one. If there is anyone, it's probably in this world."
He Yan's deep posture seemed to be a pretense in Cao Pi's eyes, so Cao Pi rolled his eyes directly at He Yan: "You will have no friends if you look like this!"
Ignoring Cao Pi, He Yan looked at the people coming and going with his daughter and finally made a decision.
"I'm going to see my father."
"ha?"
Without waiting for Cao Pi to react, He Yan was already walking in the direction of Sikong Mansion.
Cao Pi looked at He Yan from behind and then at the nvlu next to him. He felt as if millions of ants were biting his palm.
Gritting his teeth.
Stomp your feet.
Cao Pi still chased in the direction of He Yan: "He Yan! Just wait!"
…
…
After a while, He Yan arrived at Sikong Mansion and saw Cao Cao, who was rarely wearing regular clothes and resting in the mansion.
Cao Cao was actually physically and mentally exhausted at this time.
Cao Cao is now forty-five years old. At this age, his energy has long been reduced. He had been tense in Guandu before, but now that he was relieved, he fell into deep fatigue.
However, seeing He Yan coming to look for him, Cao Cao still cheered up and asked He Yan to sit next to his bed.
"Dad, I went to see Brother Changwen today."
When he heard that it was Chen Qun, Cao Cao's nerves, which had been a little relaxed just now, suddenly became tense: "What do you want from him?"
"Firstly, it's because of the grace of saving him last time, and secondly, he accepted my... adopted son Deng Ai as his disciple. As a father, I always have to send him training."
"Adopted son?"
Cao Cao had obviously discovered a blind spot, and his expression when he looked at He Yan suddenly became strange.
"Dad! That's not the point!"
"Tell dad about it and let Chen Qun go beforehand."
Cao Cao picked up the mulberries in the cauldron and threw them into his mouth. He looked at He Yan with a smile: "Which woman is so greedy for you? You actually adopted someone else's child as your adopted son?"
"Is it okay if you don't say anything?"
"Do you think it will be difficult for your father and me to find a woman in Xuchang?"
"..."
He Yan had no choice but to tell Cao Cao about Deng's mother's origins. Unexpectedly, this made Cao Cao relieved.
"It's fine that my husband is dead. I thought you were the one who robbed someone else's wife!"
He Yan has a black streak, but boss Cao still has such moral integrity?
"Okay, let's get down to business."
Naturally, Cao Cao did not pay excessive attention to a woman who was not even considered a concubine.
But speaking of which, He Yan's marriage should also be put on the agenda.
While Cao Cao was thinking, He Yan had already summarized today's conversation with Chen Qun and told Cao Cao.
After hearing this, Cao Cao was not too disturbed. Instead, he asked about He Yan——
"What does Yulang think Chen Changwen means by this move?"
He Yan did not pretend to be stupid in front of Cao Cao: "My guess is that there are two meanings."
"The first one is that Hao'er's previous behavior of hoarding land really attracted their attention. In addition, pushing those Hebei soldiers into the Central Plains was a violation of some people's interests, so they wanted to win over Hao'er. If it succeeds,
Of course we are a family, but if we can't make it happen, if nothing happens, the child will be suppressed by them."
"The second one was when dad defeated Yuan Shao, which was when the momentum was at its peak. They were also afraid that dad would use this power to attack them, so I was just here to remind dad."
Cao Cao stroked his beard: "Is there a third point Yulang doesn't want to mention?"
"It's not that I didn't say it, but the kid didn't think about the third point and just treated it as if they were farting."
The third point they called was to create conflicts between He Yan and Cao Cao in an attempt to split them.
"You boy."
Cao Cao was obviously very satisfied with the answer. He simply sat up, grabbed a handful of mulberries and put them into He Yan's hand: "Let's chat while we eat. These are mulberries pickled in honey. They taste very sweet."
He Yan picked one up and put it into his mouth. As expected, it was as sweet as candied fruit, and he smacked his lips happily.
"Then Yulang, what do you think?"
He Yan was not in a hurry to reply, but threw all the mulberries in his hand into his mouth, stuffed his cheeks full, and chewed them for a long time before swallowing them.
"It depends on what father chooses."
This reply made Cao Cao frown and felt a little unhappy: "What does this mean?"
Cao Cao thought that He Yan wanted to have a showdown with him, and even wanted to intimidate him regardless of his dignity, so naturally he felt nervous.
But He Yan's next words made Cao Cao relax his vigilance, and the eyes he looked at He Yan were even full of doting.
"If dad really wants to ascend to that supreme position, from now on, my son will fully assist dad and wipe out all the little kids in the world for dad."
"If dad just wants to be like Duke Zhou and fulfill the era that Chen Qun and others talk about, whether it is good or bad, my child is willing to help dad achieve it."
After He Yan finished speaking, he looked at Cao Cao's tightly closed lips quietly on the surface, but in fact his heart was already beating wildly in his chest.
This is the first time that he has been caught between the noble family and Cao Cao. If one of them is not handled well, he may lose everything.
But in the end, He Yan still chose to believe in Cao Cao, so he came to have a showdown with Cao Cao.
Enemy or friend depends on whether Cao Cao wants to be Duke of Zhou or Emperor.
In today's world, only Cao Cao is qualified to make this decision.
Whether he should follow the trend of history or go against the development of history alone, it all depends on Cao Cao's thoughts.
only……
Who knows which way is compliance or retrograde?
He Yan didn't know.
Cao Cao naturally didn't know either.
At this time, all you have to do is believe in yourself.
Don't believe in yourself now, but believe in yourself when you were young.
"Yulang, it seems that after training in the army, you have become a lot more courageous. You actually dare to talk to dad like this."
There was no emotion in Cao Cao's words at this time, and his aura was so strong that He Yan did not dare to look directly at Cao Cao, but instead lowered his eyelids.
"You are really brave. It seems that even a Huo Qiao riding on your head can't suppress you. How can you even say "only" something like "being the Duke of Zhou"?"
"Do you really think that being a Duke of Zhou is easier than being an Emperor?"
At this time, Cao Cao's tone was a little high, but He Yan heard something and suddenly raised his eyes and looked at Cao Cao in surprise.
"King Wen had great virtues but failed to achieve success. King Wu had great merits but failed to achieve great governance. Only Duke Zhou combined great virtues, great achievements and great governance! Before Confucius and after Huangdi, the only one who had great influence in China was Duke Zhou."
"Of the twenty-six emperors of the Liu family, who dares to say that he can rival Duke Zhou? It is the great ancestor Liu Bang, can he?"
"But now it's in your mouth, why is the Duke of Zhou inferior to the Emperor?"
Although Cao Cao was sitting cross-legged at this moment, his figure seemed to be infinitely taller.
"Yulang, remember, it's not because I don't want to be the emperor."
"But I don't want to!"
"One year to relieve the rebellion, two years to conquer the Yin Dynasty, three years to practice the emperor, four years to establish the marquis and guard, five years to establish the Zhou Dynasty, six years to establish rituals and music, and seven years to establish government and become the king."
"Although I haven't reached the level of Zhou Gong now. But if I can't do it in one year, it will take five years. If I can't do it in five years, it will take ten years!"
"I'm an old man, but I'm determined to reach a thousand miles!"
"How many emperors have there been in the Han Dynasty in the past four hundred years? How many Dukes of Zhou have there been in China in the past thousands of years?"