Chapter 316 Taking the Blame
Facing Xi Zhicai who was determined to die, Xun Yu remained silent.
He didn't know how to face his best friend, nor did he know how to face Cao Cao, and even more so, he didn't know how to face those who were loyal to the Han Dynasty.
"The emperor is a shackle to my lord, and a shackle to you, Xun Wenruo. I must cut it off."
"Wenruo, the emperor is dead, and you have no choice now. No matter what, please help our lord!" Xi Zhicai said earnestly.
Xi Zhicai knew that he could not convince Xun Yu no matter what, but he had no other choice but to beg for his life.
Xun Yu didn't say much. He needed time to digest and think about all this. He extinguished the candle in front of him and walked out of the room.
As he stepped out of the room, Xun Yu paused and said, "I will handle the government affairs properly, but the throne will eventually belong to the Liu family."
When Xi Zhicai heard this, a smile flashed across his face: "Of course."
As long as Xun Yu is willing to give in, it will be fine.
He did not make a wrong bet. Xun Yu's recognition and loyalty to Liu Yu, the Han emperor, were not that deep.
In other words, Xun Yu was loyal to the Han Dynasty, not Liu Yu.
Because of Tian Ze's actions and Liu Yan, the authority of Emperor Liu Yu was actually not very high, and had not left a deep enough impression in Xun Yu's heart.
Cao Cao has not committed any act of usurpation. What he is doing now, to a certain extent, is entirely for self-preservation and consideration of the overall situation.
What Xi Zhicai was betting on was Xun Yu’s complex psychology.
If he could get past Xun Yu as he wished, there would be no hidden dangers in his plan.
Xi Zhicai, who was so happy, only felt a slight itch in his throat. He couldn't help coughing a few times, and a pool of blood suddenly appeared on his cuffs.
Xi Zhicai blocked it nonchalantly and walked out leisurely.
Now he has long become indifferent to life and death. As long as he can survive that battle, no matter what the cost, it will be worth it.
……
Youzhou was accused of murdering two emperors for no reason, and Tian Ze was speechless.
He never thought that his actions would be used on himself by others.
It's true that things change over time and no one can escape from fate.
"Wenhe, have you found out who did it?" Tian Ze asked.
Jia Xu shook his head slightly.
This incident happened too suddenly and he did not notice it in time. By the time he reacted, many traces had been erased by someone with ulterior motives.
He also left behind some true and false news, pointing the finger at various princes.
The person who was handling this was obviously a veteran, and he smelled a familiar scent from it.
"Your Majesty, even if we find out, it won't mean much, because we have no evidence and others have no direct motive. No matter what, we can't get rid of this blame." Guo Jia said.
This is just like when Liu Yan proclaimed himself emperor when Liu Xie died.
People with insight can detect the problem, but in the eyes of the world, everything that happened was too coincidental and too logical.
Liu Yan is obviously the mastermind behind this.
The same is true today.
Liu Yan and Liu Yu were killed. The one who had the most motive and was most likely to do this was Tian Ze. Because Tian Ze had just proclaimed himself emperor, the two were assassinated. Doesn't this prove that Tian Ze was destined to be emperor?
It can also largely break free from the constraints of Han orthodoxy.
Even if Tian Ze produced evidence that he did not do it, no one would believe it.
People only believe what they want to believe, even if it is obviously not the truth.
As long as the vast majority of people can be deceived, the frame-up will be successful.
"Alas, it's like hunting geese all day long, and only to have the geese peck your eyes. These princes from the Central Plains have become smart, with all kinds of strategies." Tian Ze sighed.
"However, Your Majesty, we can infer who is more likely to have done it. After all, there are only two beneficiaries and direct stakeholders, Liu Fan and Cao Cao." Xun You said.
Tian Ze heard this, nodded, and said without hesitation: "Then this must be Cao Mengde's calculation."
Although Liu Fan apparently benefited more, Tian Ze didn't know whether this person had such intentions and means.
On the contrary, Tian Ze knew that Cao Cao must have one.
It's not surprising that Boss Cao, who is thick-skinned and black-hearted, would do such a thing.
Moreover, they were able to do this so perfectly that no one could find any flaws. Most likely, only Cao Cao and Yuan Shao had this ability.
"Cao Mengde is really decisive in his actions." Guo Jia exclaimed in amazement.
"If he had been slower in taking action, the situation would have been out of his control. By then, it would have been too late even if he had taken action." Jia Xu had already seen through everything.
"But in this way, it can be regarded as helping us."
"The orthodox power of the Han Dynasty has now completely disappeared, and our goal has been achieved. It's just that we have to bear an extra blame." Dong Zhao said.
"But Cao Mengde's methods seem a little scary now!" Guo Jia said quietly.
"The deaths of Liu Biao, Liu Yan, and Liu Yu were all related to him."
"You know, they are not brave and aggressive people. They have lived in the deep palace for a long time and are protected by many guards. Under such circumstances, they were able to assassinate them one by one. This method is really not something that ordinary people can do."
"If it is used on Your Majesty or us..."
Tian Ze heard this and smiled faintly: "It doesn't matter. This method can deal with other princes, but it can't deal with me."
Are you kidding me? How can a cultivator like me be stabbed to death by a mortal?
Even if he stood defenseless in front of the assassin and bent his sword, he would not be able to hurt him at all.
"Cao Mengde has someone under his command who is so good at using spies to assassinate people. We have to be on guard against this matter." Jia Xu said in a deep voice.
He was a man who valued his life very much, but he never thought that there was such a "talent" under Cao Cao's command, and that he had no martial ethics at all, which was a huge threat to him.
It seems that the defense of the mansion needs to be strengthened in the future, and more safe houses should be set up.
"Cao Cao's move to kill Liu Yan was indeed a smart one. It not only diverted attention and reduced his suspicion, but also strengthened the power of Yizhou. While strengthening the alliance, it prevented Liu Bei from taking Yizhou and maintained the situation."
"Not necessarily. Although Liu Fan is more difficult to deal with than his father Liu Yan, he is hostile to us and somewhat immature in politics. He can be easily taken advantage of by other princes. It is not impossible that he will do something like inviting a wolf into the house in a hurry." Dong Zhao said.
It's not easy to fool such a young man.
After all, they had fooled this boy before in Chang'an and knew his temper.
However, shrewd politicians like Liu Bei and Cao Cao could definitely fool them and stab them in the back without making any noise.
It is even possible to "borrow the passage" through Yizhou.
(End of this chapter)
