Cao Cao was promoted to Duke of Wei and was granted the nine gifts. He did not need to be named when praised or worshipped, did not need to bow when entering the court, and went into the palace wearing a sword and shoes. When the news spread, the whole world was shocked.
In the Xiangyang Academy, famous scholars such as Song Zhong, Fu Xun, and Wang Can all cursed Cao Cao and accused him of having the intention of usurping the throne and being treasonous, even worse than Wang Mang and Dong Zhuo. They collectively requested Liu Qi to send troops north to fight against the rebel.
Liu Qi ignored these bigots. Many of them voluntarily surrendered when Cao Cao took control of Jingzhou, and later advised Cao Cao to be promoted to King of Wei.
Although Liu Qi, Zhuge Liang and others were worried about the court, they were more concerned about the purpose of Cao Cao's move.
In the past two years, Cao Cao suffered repeated defeats. Although he recovered Guanzhong, it was not enough to boost morale, and his prestige was not as good as in previous years. It is said that he should not do such a thing that would be cursed by the world at this time.
There are essential differences between dukes, kings and marquises. This is a true country within a country, with almost the same system as the emperor. It can appoint officials and subjects within the territory and form its own force.
This means that the civil and military officials who were loyal to the Cao family were no longer Han officials, but Wei officials. Their subordinate troops all changed their surnames to Wei, and the imperial court became a real empty shell.
Everyone sat facing each other for a long time. Liu Qi broke the silence and asked, "Cao Cao is a great hero of the time. He did such a treasonous thing at the height of the storm. Did he know that he would not live long?"
Xu Shu nodded and said, "This move by Cao is indeed to prepare for his own death. The northern expedition to the Xianbei is just a bluff."
Pang Tong sneered and said, "Yuan Zhizhi is right. Cao thief has been seriously ill for a long time. If we don't make preparations early, once he unfortunately passes away, there will be chaos in the country."
Zhuge Liang retracted his stunned gaze, waved his feather fan, and sighed: "Cao Cao's rebellious heart is obvious. If this villain is not destroyed, the Han Dynasty will not be able to rise again."
There has been endless discussion in later generations about whether Cao Cao had the ambition to become emperor, but judging from his promotion to King of Wei, he was at least unwilling to give up power and still wanted to control the court.
If there was no fiefdom, once Cao Cao died, Cao Pi could only inherit the title of marquis at most, and all other official positions and military power would be returned to the court, just like the internal strife in the Western Liang army after Dong Zhuo's death.
But with a fiefdom and its own system, the foundation can be passed on as long as an heir is designated. Sun Quan later surrendered to Wei and was named King of Wu, taking this path.
However, the outcomes were very different as one sat in the central government and held power, while the other was a vassal king seeking asylum.
Liu Qi sighed, "The thief Cao has usurped power, and the whole world is shaken. The court must also be in chaos. I am worried that those loyal officials of the Han Dynasty will be harmed by him again."
In fact, when the news of Cao Cao's promotion came, the first person Liu Qi thought of was Xun Yu.
The man who committed suicide because of an empty lunch box must have felt so sad and desperate, which makes people in later generations sigh with regret.
Zhuge Liang sighed, "Cao Cao has moved his capital to Ye City. We are powerless and have the will to do so. What can we do?"
Liu Qi said, "If I try to rescue one person, do you three have any good ideas?"
"Who?" The three of them looked at Liu Qi at the same time. This action was completely unexpected to them.
Liu Qi said slowly: "Xun Yu, Xun Wenruo!"
The three people's faces changed drastically and they looked at Liu Qi in surprise. Wasn't this just a foolish dream
"Difficult!" Zhuge Liang was stunned for a moment, then he fanned himself with a feather fan and closed his eyes.
"Xun Yu will be killed?" Xu Shu took a breath and frowned, "Is this possible?"
"Impossible!" Pang Tong took a sip of wine. "Xun Yu is a loyal minister of Cao Cao, comparable to Zhang Liang and Xiao He. How can you talk about saving him?"
Liu Qi said: "If there is still one person among Cao Cao's confidants who is loyal to the court and the Han Dynasty, that person is Xun Wenruo."
Zhuge Liang sighed and said slowly, "I have heard of Lord Xun's name a long time ago. He is loyal to the Han Dynasty. Now that Cao is promoted, Xun Yu will surely advise him, and there will be a rift between the emperor and his subjects. Cao is suspicious by nature and would rather betray the world. If he becomes suspicious, I am afraid Lord Xun will not live long."
Liu Qi said: "Xun Yu had the talent to assist the king, but he died just like that. Isn't it a pity that our Han Dynasty lost a pillar?"
Zhuge Liang shook his head and smiled bitterly, "But I'm afraid that this man is of a straightforward nature and would die to show his determination. It would be useless to give him advice."
Liu Qi said, "Xun Yu has been planning for the Han Dynasty with all his heart. Now that he has seen Cao Cao's ambition, he will regret it. I will give him a chance to atone for his crime. Invite him to work together to support the court and revive the Han Dynasty to fulfill his ambition. Isn't that wonderful?"
Zhuge Liang sat up straight, thought for a moment, and shook his head, saying, "It's hard to persuade him with just a few words. If we send someone to persuade him, Cao must be watching from the dark. A person of low rank will find it hard to show sincerity, and a person of high rank may not come back."
"I want to go there in person." Liu Qi looked at Zhuge Liang, "How about this sincerity?"
"Absolutely not!"
"Absolutely not!"
"General, please respect yourself!"
The three of them stood up at the same time, surrounded Liu Qi and denied three times in a row.
"Please take a seat! I am just discussing this matter." Liu Qi did not expect them to react so strongly.
Zhuge Liang sighed, "General, your heart is with the Han Dynasty. We all know that you love talents, but if you abandon the safety of the Han Dynasty because of one person, I think it is not a wise move."
Xu Shu advised: "General, don't forget what happened to Sun Ce. Now that our foundation has been established and our great cause has not yet been accomplished, we must not take any risks."
Pang Tong also snorted: "Although Xun Yu is a man of great talent, he is insignificant compared to the great cause of reviving the Han Dynasty. In the past, he helped Cao Cao do many bad things. Kong Ming is ten times more talented than him. Why bother to seek the faraway one?"
Liu Qi said, "I know the talents of the three of you. It's just a pity that such loyal people were killed. If there is a glimmer of hope, we should do our best to save them. If we save Xun Gong from the quagmire, the confidence of the patriots who want to revive the Han Dynasty will be greatly increased, Cao Cao will be ruined, and the people's hearts will be weakened. Kong Ming can also lead the troops with peace of mind, without being constrained by the affairs of the rear. I will send troops from three directions to pacify the Central Plains as soon as possible, and rescue the king is just around the corner."
The three of them shook their heads in unison, and Liu Qi's confidence was also dampened. The difficulty of executing something that was rejected by the three major think tanks would be tantamount to seeking death.
Just as he was feeling regretful, Shi A sent a secret report that Cao Cao was sending troops north, but Xun Yu claimed to be ill and did not go with him. He submitted a letter of resignation and went home to recuperate, and had already left Yecheng.
Liu Qi suddenly felt hopeful and asked again, "If Cao Cao goes to Youzhou, if Xun Yu crosses the river to the south, will there be a chance to rescue him?"
Zhuge Liang thought for a moment and asked, "General, do you really want to rescue this man?"
Liu Qi nodded and said, "This matter is of great benefit to me both publicly and privately, and it is urgent and cannot be delayed."
Seeing that Zhuge Liang had actually thought of this, Xu Shu hurriedly advised: "Kong Ming, you have always been cautious in doing things. You should plan carefully before taking action. Don't take risks."
Pang Tong squinted at Zhuge Liang and said, "If something unexpected happens, can you afford the consequences?"
Liu Qi said: "Don't worry, I will never risk going deep into the enemy's territory. I will only go to support them to show my sincerity. The terrain of Funiushan is complex. If we use it properly, we can do a lot."
Zhuge Liang sat for a while, then stood up and walked to the table, took out three copper coins and threw them down, without moving for a long time.
Pang Tong said impatiently: "This is a national event, how can I use your magic? What will happen if it is good or bad?"
"It's hard to predict whether it will be good or bad!" Zhuge Liang turned around, his eyes gleaming, and said slowly: "But there is a glimmer of hope, maybe we can give it a try!"
"You're crazy!" Pang Tong stood up, his nose raised in anger, "Do you know the consequences?"
Xu Shu knew Zhuge Liang's character very well and would never speak without thinking. He asked, "What's the plan?"