Chapter 317: The wise ruler Liu Fan
When Liu Fan learned that Liu Yan had been assassinated, his face was full of disbelief.
You have to know that this was in Yizhou, and Liu Yan died not far from Chengdu.
It was just an autumn hunt and he was taken advantage of.
"Who did it?" Liu Fan asked with hatred in his eyes.
The hatred for killing his father is irreconcilable.
Although Liu Yan was a little cowardly and timid, he loved Liu Fan very much, and the love between father and son was genuine.
Liu Fan hated the assassin to the core.
"Based on the current information we have, the most likely person is Tian Ze, but..." Zhang Su said.
"It must be Tian Ze, and it can only be Tian Ze." Zhang Song interrupted without hesitation.
They are all smart people.
The murders of Liu Yan and Liu Yu seemed obvious, but they knew that the person who seemed most suspicious might not be the real murderer, otherwise his methods would not be so clumsy.
While the person behind the scenes was assassinating the two emperors, rumors had already spread throughout the world, and it was obvious that they were trying to frame Tian Ze.
As to whether this was Tian Ze's plan.
Zhang Song could only say that Tian Ze was not a fool. What was the point of hiding this matter from a few smart people? Rumors can melt gold. When everyone in the world thinks that you killed him, the matter will be settled.
They all had a vague idea of who the real murderer might be, but this matter must not be revealed.
The current world situation does not allow for any other variables. So no matter who the real murderer is, the "real murderer" can only be Tian Ze.
Upon hearing this, Liu Fan glared at Zhang Song with his tiger eyes, unable to conceal his murderous intent.
Facing such a brave Liu Fan, Zhang Song was not afraid but delighted. He knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. I have spoken wrongly. Please punish me."
Although Zhang Song is not good-looking, he has a great mind and has a clear understanding of the world situation.
In the past, Liu Yan entrusted him with important tasks, but Zhang Song was not happy at all, because in his eyes, Liu Yan was weak and would not be able to accomplish great things, which would be a waste of his talents.
After learning of Liu Yan's death, Zhang Song was sad, but at the same time, he couldn't suppress his excitement.
After Liu Yan died, the successor to the throne was undoubtedly Liu Fan, the crown prince.
Although Liu Fan was young, his courage and insight far surpassed Liu Yan. In Zhang Song's eyes, he was definitely a wise leader who could be assisted.
Apart from anything else, the attitudes of Liu Yan and Liu Fan regarding the alliance with the princes of the Central Plains can show the gap between the two sides.
Zhang Song would rather die for offering advice to a wise ruler than waste his life being used by a mediocre ruler.
Liu Fan did not disappoint Zhang Song's expectations.
The raging rage in his heart was quickly suppressed by him.
He has always respected Zhang Song, and reason tells him that Zhang Song is right in this matter.
He is not just a son who lost his father, but also the emperor who is about to inherit the throne.
He could still tell the difference between the revenge of one person and the affairs of a country.
With red eyes, Liu Fan gritted his teeth and said, "Tian Ze, the traitor, I will avenge the murder of my father!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Song and others all looked at Liu Fan with burning eyes.
They didn't make a mistake!
There is hope for the Han Dynasty!
"Your Majesty, the most urgent task now is to ascend the throne and become emperor as soon as possible to stabilize the people's hearts. At the same time, announce Tian Ze's crimes to the world and call on those who are loyal to Han to punish him together!" Zhang Su said in a deep voice.
At this moment, he rarely stood on the same side with Zhang Song again.
The reason why the two brothers are not on good terms is actually the family's choice.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Zhang Su represents the interests of the Yizhou family, while Zhang Song focuses on the world and considers Liu Fan's ambitions.
But now, whether for the Yizhou family or for the world, Liu Fan is their best choice.
Upon hearing this, Liu Fan nodded slightly.
He stood up and bowed solemnly to Zhang Song and other civil and military officials.
"My lords, the situation in the world is tense right now. The Tian bandits are powerful, and our Yizhou is in a precarious position."
"Although Fan is not very talented and well-educated, I hope to follow the example of Emperor Gaozu and devote all my energy to ensure the peace of the people of Yizhou and restore the Han Dynasty!"
"I hope you guys can help me!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Song and his companions immediately bowed and said, "We will do our utmost and fight till our death!"
……
When Cao Cao in Huainan learned of Liu Fan's reaction, he was completely relieved.
Even though this matter was done perfectly, once it was put into practice, the truth would eventually be revealed.
The princes of the world are not fools. With a little thought, they can realize who the beneficiary of this matter is, and it must be him, except for Tian Ze.
Compared to Tian Ze who took the blame, it is obvious that he, the second suspect, is the most likely mastermind behind the scenes.
But Liu Fan was able to pretend to be ignorant while knowing the truth, which made Cao Cao quite happy, and he realized that this was an ally he could rely on.
"My lord, it seems that Liu Fan is indeed a young hero. Although he is not as good as Sun Bofu, he is still much stronger than Liu Yan." Mao Jie said with a little joy.
Facing such a terrifying Tian Ze, it was a relief for them to have another reliable ally.
"I have known Liu Fan before. He is quite smart but has a strong temper. I have to put this matter on hold now only because of the overall situation. I am afraid he has already regarded me as his mortal enemy." Cao Cao sighed.
It was done, and he had no regrets.
I would rather let others down than be let down by others.
"If we defeat Tian Ze in the future, it wouldn't be a problem if he comes to seek revenge on us." Mao Jie said with a faint smile.
He never regarded Liu Fan as an enemy.
The advantages and disadvantages brought by the natural barriers of Yizhou are obvious.
With Liu Fan stationed there, they didn't have to worry that Tian Ze would easily take over Yizhou.
But at the same time, they were not worried that Liu Fan would be able to fight his way out of Yizhou, because the difficulty was not something a mere Liu Fan could accomplish.
"My lord, Liu Fan is not his father. Yizhou is easy to defend but difficult to attack. It has a thousand miles of fertile land suitable for farming. It is also rich in Shu brocade."
"Although Liu Yan had led his Dongzhou faction to suppress the Yizhou faction before, which caused trouble, his political skills were quite sophisticated, allowing the people to live and work in peace."
"Before Liu Yan became emperor, he was very wary of us and didn't care about the general situation of the world."
"However, now that Liu Fan has ascended the throne, this guy knows the overall situation and understands the big picture. We may be able to make friends with him, increase trade, and purchase food and fodder from Yizhou." Mao Jie said.
Although Tian Ze had some grain trade with them in order to avoid widespread famine, the amount was very limited.
While ensuring that the people under his rule did not starve to death, it could only support the needs of half of Cao Cao's army, which was not enough.
In order to ensure the combat effectiveness of his army, Cao Cao had been living beyond his means and exploiting the people under his rule. If it were not for the high pressure, the people would have run away long ago.
But even so, there was still a big gap in food, and the off-the-job training that Cao Cao wanted was simply impossible to achieve.
The only way to solve this problem is to seize food from these allies.
(End of this chapter)
