In the county temple not far from the Juxian Hall, Cao Cao did not know that two great talents ran away because of a few words from a firewood seller under his rule.
At this time, Cao Cao was drinking at the same table as his life-spanning virtuous man.
You must know that the etiquette of the Han Dynasty has always emphasized one person, one seat, and those who can sit together are all extremely close.
At this time, Cao Cao was wearing simple clothes because of Mu Xiu. He tied a central knot on the top of his head, wrapped his hair in a scarf, wiped his forehead, wore a rug, and tied a big belt, giving him the look of a Yanju.
Wearing hair is the behavior of a low-level Guizhou leader. Even if someone like Cao Cao is casual, he must wear a bow. It's a pity that his long hair was cut off during the Battle of Qishui in Hanoi. Three years have passed, but his hair has not grown much longer.
But even though he is dressed like a humble servant, his heroic spirit cannot be concealed. Anyone who takes a first look will know who the owner is here.
On the food table in front of Cao Cao, the food was simple.
A pot of sesame cake, a plate of meat sauce, and a cube of tofu.
However, the iron stove on the table is a bit interesting, because it is boiling with a rare thing, tea leaves.
Cao Cao looked at the undulating green sprouts on the surface of the soup, mixed with dates, ginger, green onions and other ingredients and boiled them together, and the color of the soup gradually became darker and thicker.
He clicked his tongue and couldn't help but said enthusiastically to the scholar on the case:
"Wen Ruo, you have to try this. This is the prescription I got from Yuan Hua. He said that if I want to cure this headache, I have to eat this bitter tea for a long time, which can improve my spirit. You have to try it. , it’s not easy to do.”
The person facing Cao Cao was Xun Yu, who had been in prison for three years.
Ever since Cao Cao entered Jinan, there had been rumors about the man who almost captured Zhang Chong, the leader of the bandits. Although this person failed in the end, his father, who was the Prime Minister at the time, also set himself on fire and died.
After learning that this person was in the prison temple of Dongpingling, Cao Cao went to visit him personally.
Whether it was Xun Yu's feats in Jinan or the family behind him, Cao Cao had a strong intuition that this person would be of great help to his career.
But when Cao Cao went to the prison temple in person, he was surprised.
What is the environment of the prison temple? If you stay here for three years, even if you save one life, I'm afraid you will be ill and skinny for a long time.
But what did Cao Cao see?
What I saw in front of me was still a horrible and dirty prison cell. It was obviously an elegant apartment. Not only was the entire prison temple cleaned, Cao Cao even saw several incense burners placed in the prison temple.
With just a slight sniff, he, a high-ranking disciple, could tell that what was burning in the furnace was lavender from the South China Sea.
But when Cao Cao heard it again, he was a little shocked. Because he smelled a different smell again, which was the smell of borneol, Suhe.
This precious spice comes from Persia and is a precious commodity in the Silk Road trade. It has always been supplied to the royal family. I didn't expect to smell it in this cell. The contrast is too great.
This kind of borneol and suho cannot be burned directly. They must be finely crushed into powder and then heated in a special stove. None of the above is possible for the prisoner in front of him to do.
At this time, Cao Cao still didn't understand how powerful Xun Yu was.
In this way, Cao Cao, who was full of confidence in recruiting Xun Yu, was a little unsure now. He knew where his disadvantage was, that is, since he came from a family of eunuchs, he naturally suffered a disadvantage in recruiting scholars.
Not to mention that the person in front of him is a descendant of the Xun family, the leader of the Qingliu Party in the world.
But Cao Cao still has confidence because he is Cao Cao.
So, he looked down at Xun Yu who was sitting upright reading, and laughed:
"Xunjun, can you think of it?"
Xun Yu didn't move his eyelids, but replied coldly:
"I don't want to."
Cao Cao was not choked by these words, but asked:
"So you don't want to avenge your father?"
Xun Yu placed the silk book on the table and glanced coldly at Cun Ding in front of him:
"Whether someone takes revenge or not, what does it have to do with you?"
Cao Cao was aroused by Xun Yu's indifference, and said:
"Jun Xun, do you know who I am?"
Just when Cao Cao was about to introduce himself gloriously, Xun Yu clasped his fingers on the case and counted each item:
"I know who you are. The grandson of Eunuch, a friend of Yuan Shao, a rebel, and a general of the Eastern Army. Now you are the Prime Minister of Jinan. One word can determine my life or death."
Cao Cao couldn't hide his surprise at this time. He didn't expect that this man who was imprisoned in the temple would know everything about the world's major events. He couldn't help but ask:
"How did you know?"
Xun Yu carefully folded the silk book on the desk, put it in his heart, and smiled:
"Just as you, Cao Mengde, have one or two talents, I, Xun Yu, also have a small advantage, that is, I have more friends."
Cao Cao looked at Xun Yu, who was eight feet tall and sat as straight as a cypress tree, and he really recognized the merits of this man.
But when Xun Yu smiled, Cao Cao fell into a trance. He had only one thought:
"Great beauty, great beauty, really beautiful."
But Cao Cao quickly stabilized and tried to find the initiative again:
"Since you know that I am the Prime Minister of Jinan and can determine your life or death with one word, why do you dare to look down on me?"
Cao Cao was actually a little angry at this time, because Xun Yu's gesture reminded him of a bad scene in the past.
At that time, when he was looking for Mr. Xu Shao to criticize, the person opposite him also looked condescending. When Cao Cao was under him before, he tolerated it.
But it’s me who’s on top now? Why do you Xun Wenruo? Since you have a good face, can I use it to express my condolences?
At this time, Xun Yu seemed to have guessed what Cao Cao was thinking. He shook his head and said with a smile:
"Do you think I'm Xu Zijiang? Do you think I'm looking down on you?"
Cao Cao was stunned for a moment, and then heard Xun Yu say:
"I only think that Xu Zijiang from Runan is right in his praise and criticism. He uproots those who love him and suppresses those who hate him. He cannot support people. But when I saw you today, I realized that at least half of what Xu Zijiang said was right. That is, you are a hero in troubled times. ?”
Cao Cao's face turned dark and he was about to scold him, but when he heard the last four words, he couldn't help but point at himself:
"Are you saying that I am a hero in troubled times? Not a traitor in troubled times?"
At this time, Xun Yu stood up. Looking at Cao Cao, who was two heads shorter than himself, he bowed down and bowed.
This time, Xun Yu’s voice carried a strong color, and he said with emotion:
"That's right, being able to fight alone in Yingyang, why is not a hero? Being able to fight to the death at the Qishui River, why is not a hero? Being able to abandon family barriers, engage in war, clear the emperor's side, and protect the Han Dynasty, why is not a hero? The ancient road of Weihan, The three armies all face the east, but the king alone faces the west. Why is he not a hero? Perseverance, perseverance, strength and determination, I don’t know if this is not a hero, who is! ”
At this time, Cao Cao was stunned. His throat was a little sour and he asked:
"You know all this?"
Xun Yu nodded, stepped forward, put his arms around Cao Cao's neck, and asked him to sit down with him.
Xun Yu said seriously:
"To be honest, I have known you for a long time. I knew your wild and chivalrous demeanor in Kyoto. But at that time, my nephew Xun You once wrote to me, saying that you might be a pillar of the Han Dynasty in the future. Later, I came to Dongpingling with my father, and I originally planned to After I helped my father settle down, I went to Kyoto to get to know you. But unfortunately, you should know what happened next. Although I have been trapped in this humble house for the past three years, I dare not forget about the danger of my country. He is terminally ill, and one or two loyal ministers can no longer save the Han Dynasty. This can be seen from what happened in Lu Zhenbei." At this time, Xun Yu grabbed Cao Cao's hand and said seriously:
"The so-called great destruction means great establishment. From this point of view, what Zheng Xuan and Ru Nan He Xiugong said is the right way. Now it is time to conquer the troubled times again. A hero must rise again to end this troubled times. Only in this way can there be a peaceful world. , Peaceful times. And I think it is Duke Cao who ends this troubled times.”
If it were three years ago, Xun Yu would have been a gentleman and would not have called Xu Shao and Zheng Xuan by their first names. At least he would have called them "gong". While settling down, there is also a bit of vigor.
If you don't like it, you just don't like it.
Cao Cao was actually very moved in his heart. To be honest, he also recognized what Xun Yu said in his heart. That means I, Cao Mengde, am not a hero. Who is?
However, being marginalized in the gentry circle for a long time still made him feel quite inferior. Wasn't his past bohemian behavior a result of imitating the borderline "I'm a barbarian" character of the Chu people back then?
Although it is refreshing to do this kind of thing, is it possible that there is such a desire in the heart to be recognized and accepted?
But now Xun Yu's words moved him. It turned out that he was really outstanding. It turns out that Xun Yu, the leader of the family, has been paying attention to him and regards him as a hero who can turn the tide.
So, Cao Cao was also moved, grabbed Xun Yu's arm and asked:
"But can the world really be restored again? Now the Taishan bandits have established themselves as kings and are occupying the throne of Youji. But our Han Dynasty is still divided, and a war breaks out between Kanto and Kansai again, and we and the Kanto governors are also Only care about the family and intrigues. In such a situation, can the world be saved? ”
Xun Yu was silent for a while and told the truth:
"With the current situation, it is indeed possible for the Taishan Army to succeed. But we do not have no chance. I have always known the Taishan Army. With the hearts of millions of people, they want to change the world. Regardless of whether it is right or wrong, I only come from this point. See, the Taishan Army cannot conquer the world quickly, because it is not compatible with the clan of scholar-bureaucrats. Without the help of this generation, the Taishan Army will have to train its own officials. This is not the work of one generation, that is, twenty years."
As he said that, Xun Yu spread the silk book that he had put in his arms on the table. It turned out to be a map of Heji.
Xun Yu pointed at the map and continued:
"Mengde, look again, now Taishan excludes the land of Yanzhao, but its entire range is south of Yanshan and east of Taihang Mountain. Its power has not moved forward. It can be seen that Zhang Chong has made plans to stabilize the interior. This Judging from the time, I estimate that it will take more than a year, plus it will take another year to prepare for the war. "
He pointed at Qingzhou and Xuzhou below:
"In the past, Qi and Qin were both emperors, which shows how fertile and rich this place is. In the past two years, we have devoted all our efforts to the south, captured Qingzhou and lowered Xuzhou, and then united our army to the east to drive away the Taishan Army in the central and southern parts of Lu. When the time comes, , we have an alliance with the Yuan brothers in the Central Plains, and with the help of mountains and rivers, we may not be unable to fight against the Taishan Army.”
Cao Cao was overjoyed and asked Xun Yu to explain in detail:
"The current situation in Qingxu is very good. One is Liu Yu from the plain area. He is always an elder. He has strong generals such as Sun Jian and Shen Pei under his command. He also has Qinghe nobles as assistants, and even the Youzhou Tuqi who is arrogant in northern Xinjiang. There is also one that can be said to have strong soldiers and horses, but it can It's a pity that Liu Yu can't use it. This is the master of heaven. Besides, Sima He, Guan Hai, Guan Cheng and others are all grass bandits and pirates, and they cannot be attacked by Meng De. However, Tao Qian of Xuzhou is old and frail. , I have no ambition, it can be determined by passing on the message.”
Cao Cao's blood boiled with excitement, but his mind was still clear. He asked a key question:
"When you are fighting for the world, there are three parties: heaven, earth and man. The thieves of Mount Tai have the aspirations of Huang Tian, and the land is solidly supported by rivers, mountains and seas, and people can make thousands of Guizhou heads. Yuan Benchu had the rise of Mu De, and the land is rich in Ru Ying, and people How can I, Cao Mengde, compete with these two people?"
Cao Cao didn't even mention the two imperial courts in the west, the Kanto and Kansai, because everyone knew that those two imperial courts had long been dead bones in the graves, and a group of ministers stinking of corpses were playing ridiculous power games.
In Cao Cao's eyes, the two people he asked were the biggest players he considered.
In fact, Cao Cao was asking for advice rather than asking. He asked these three questions:
"What kind of flag should I use, where should I base it, and what group should I unite with?"
Faced with these three questions, Xun Yu answered this way:
"Whether it is Huang Tian discussed by Taishan Bandit or Mu De discussed by Yuan Benchu, they are both treasonous. But the Han Dynasty has been reborn for 400 years, how can it not be kind to the world? It is nonsense to abandon the Three Emperors, Xia Although the Shang Dynasty lived for eight hundred years, the world was in turmoil. Although the Qin Dynasty was unified, it only died in two generations. The Han Dynasty has given the world real stability for four hundred years. Therefore, since the Taishan bandits and Yuan Benchu are rebels, I will support Shunxing and carry this great cause with Liu Yu, Tao Qian and others. Go to the Han faction to challenge the rebellion of Sima He and Erguan and revive the Republic."
Cao Cao was confused and chewed on the last four words:
"Reviving the Republic?"
At this time, Xun Yu's eyes brightened, and he explained in detail the strategy he had thought of in the prison to bring peace to the world:
"That's right, your previous strategy of siding with the emperor and establishing a republic was right. It's just that the people who came up were wrong. The ministers of that generation are already withered bones. How can they have the ambition to help the world? So no matter how good the idea is, it will still fail in the end. .”
Seeing Cao Cao thinking, Xun Yu said another paragraph:
"How is the world in chaos? It's because the relatives and the eunuchs are fighting against each other, and the pure people who really serve the people are being persecuted. And who are the relatives and the eunuchs? The former is a relative of the Han family, and the latter is a slave of the family. So the two are nothing more than The result of the dominance of the Han Dynasty. But people are wise and foolish, and their lifespans are long and short. How can the safety of the world depend on one person? So it is better to let the monarch rule from the top and give authority to the person who rules the world, that is, hegemony. House.”
Cao Cao already understood what Xun Yu meant.
Xun Yu actually wanted the Han Dynasty to be the same as the Zhou royal family, standing as an imaginary king, and then letting the hegemon dominate the world, such as Qi Huan, Jin Wen and so on in the past.
But Cao Cao was worried that this would be like the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and the world would still be in chaos.
Xun Yu explained:
"This is completely different. During the Zhou Dynasty, the princes divided the world, and the wise men in the world were each their own masters. Naturally, the world was in chaos. But when we are in a republic, Lord Xu still runs the counties and counties, collecting the talents and wisdom of the world to rule the world. How can it be the same?" br>
Finally, Xun Yu also gave a reason:
"Moreover, it is more appropriate for you, Meng De, to propose the re-establishment of the Republic. You are the founder of the last republic, and you have your own legal principles. Now that we want to propose the re-establishment of the Republic, who can be more suitable than you?"
Cao Cao's eyes were shining.
Then Xun Yu talked about the following:
"Since we are helping the Han Dynasty and reviving the Republic, we will start from the land of Haidai. As for the people, the Taishan Army unites the ruffians in Guizhou, who are short-sighted. But Yuan Benchu unites the powerful families of the time. Greed is unethical. But we can unite the wisdom of the world, and all talents, regardless of rank, can be used. This is the world I dedicate to Mengde."
At this time, Cao Cao could not restrain himself. It was as if he could see the bright moon through the clouds and mist. His whole person had the clarity to control his destiny. He bowed to Xun Yu three times:
"Wen Ruo, now I know what it was like for Gaozu to have an ovary."
……
From then on, Cao Cao introduced Xun Yu as his mastermind, getting along with him day and night, having dinner together on the same bed, and always citing Xun Yu for everything.
Xun Yu also implemented the strategy of recruiting wisdom from the world for Cao Cao, and successively recommended Chen Qun, Xi Zhicai, Du Xi, Xi Lu, Xin Pi, Zhao Yan, Bing Yuan, and Wang Xiu to Cao Cao.
The first six were Xun Yu's close friends in his hometown, and the last two were confidants chosen by his father. Now they all defected to Cao Cao because of Xun Yu.
Originally there were three others, Xun You, Zhong Yao and Guo Jia. But Xun You fled to the Taishan Army, Zhong Yao stayed in Kyoto, and Guo Jia also chose Yuan Shao, who was closest to home.
Xun Yu could only feel sorry for this. However, even without these three people, Cao Cao's shogunate is still full of talents.
With sufficient intelligence, Cao Cao began to make drastic changes in Jinan. First, he destroyed the ancestral halls that harmed the people, then punished the lawless local tyrants, and finally established a Gathering Hall to attract the world's intelligence through meritocracy.
However, the Ruguo and Gaoer families in Jinan were severely hit by the Taishan Army before, and their strength is no longer as good as before. So facing Cao Cao, who had three thousand elite soldiers, the powerful people in the country chose to stay behind closed doors to avoid trouble.
It was also under this circumstance that Cao Cao and Xun Yu had time to have tea here.
When Cao Cao and Xun Yu were showing off the tea brought from Yizhou, thousands of miles away, Xun Yu smiled faintly:
"Did Meng De read the article "Children's Yue" written by Wang Bao, a famous scholar in Shu during the Pre-Han Dynasty?"
Cao Cao's face froze and he shook his head in confusion.
Then Xun Yu recited a four-parallel sentence:
"Build meat and taro, cook fish and turtles, and use all the utensils for making tea, then covered them up and hid them."
Seeing Xun Yu only made Cao Cao slander him:
"I'm good at everything, but I just like to recite some uncommon poems and essays. Doesn't this make me, Cao Mengde, uneducated?"
However, this was considered an elegant matter between the two of them. After the tea was brewed, they took a sip respectively, and the atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable.
With a cup of tea in their stomachs, the two of them seemed to have returned to their teenage years. The children of aristocratic families went on an outing together. At that time, the sun was shining brightly, youth was in full bloom, and the years were peaceful.
But now, after all, I want to buy sweet-scented osmanthus and carry wine with me, not a youth trip.
A faint sadness rolled in the tea soup, filling the room with the fragrance of tea.
Xun Yu hated this feeling and took the initiative to talk about a business matter.
That is, Chen Qun, who was sent to Liu Yu as envoy, came back, but the result was not smooth.
This is Xun Yu's plan to divide the world into three parts for Cao Cao. What name do you guys give this? In prison, right?