HLnovel Chapter 208 Chen Deng is won over by Yuan Shu? Cao Ang gets an official position!
Chapter 208 Chen Deng is won over by Yuan Shu? Cao Ang gets an official position!
Xuzhou
Pengcheng
Chen Gui sat leisurely by the pond, listening intently to the sounds coming from within.
Suddenly, Chen Deng hurried over and handed Chen Gui a letter.
"Plop" sound.
The fish that were about to bite the hook were frightened away by Chen Deng's commotion and fled in all directions.
Enraged, Chen Gui slapped Chen Deng across the face.
"Look what you've done, you little rascal!"
"All my fish have escaped!"
Chen Deng forced a smile and said to Chen Gui:
"Father, this is a letter sent by Yuan Shu. I dare not make a decision."
Chen Gui glared at him and scolded him:
"You call that being afraid to make a decision?"
"You're clearly worried that I still harbor opportunistic thoughts, so you've come here specifically to test me, aren't you?"
"Don't worry, you are Su Ziyi's sworn brother, and your future is destined to be bright."
"Just stick with Cao Cao's camp."
"As for me, I have long lost interest in speculation. I just want to fish and enjoy my old age."
After saying that, Chen Gui shook the pole, signaling Chen Deng to get lost and stop bothering him.
Chen Deng bowed and took his leave.
Subsequently, Chen Deng took the letter to Cheng Yu.
"Lord Cheng, this is a letter sent by Yuan Shu to me and my father. I am handing it over to you."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Yu smiled and said:
“I know that Yuanlong is extremely loyal to my Cao camp.”
"This letter can be read by Yuanlong and Cheng together."
Chen Deng smiled and nodded.
After Cao Cao conquered Xuzhou, he followed Su Yu's advice and changed the original single position of Xuzhou Biejia (assistant governor) to two.
Although Chen Deng and Cheng Yu were both the Prefectural Governor of Xuzhou.
But Cheng Yu's status speaks for itself: a veteran of Cao Cao's camp, highly respected and virtuous.
Chen Deng would consult with Cheng Yu on everything.
In Chen Deng's view, the letter sent by Yuan Shu was a complete trap!
My sworn brother is Su Ziyi. I have a bright future in Cao Cao's camp, so why would I abandon Cao Cao's camp and mess around with you?
Furthermore.
Chen Deng knew perfectly well what was going on.
Given the poor spies' skills, they certainly couldn't escape the detection of Cao Cao's intelligence corps.
If Chen Deng doesn't hand over this letter voluntarily, and Cheng Yu asks him for it, then he will be suspected of concealing it.
Therefore, Chen Deng took the initiative to approach Cheng Yu and confessed the matter first.
Looking at the letter before him, which showed no signs of being opened, Cheng Yu silently added another point to Chen Deng's score.
Xuzhou Prefectural Governor – this was only a temporary position for Chen Deng.
He will definitely be promoted again in the future.
However, upon opening the letter, Cheng Yu was so shocked that he nearly stumbled back several steps.
Yuan Shu has declared himself emperor!
In this letter he wrote to Chen Gui and his son, he used his connections with the elders of the Yuan family, hoping that Chen Gui and his son, along with the local gentry of Xuzhou, would support him.
In return, once the matter is accomplished, Chen Gui will be granted the position of one of the Three Dukes, and Chen Deng will be granted the position of one of the Nine Ministers.
“Yuanlong, Yuan Shu really thinks highly of you and your son.”
Cheng Yu jokingly clicked his tongue twice.
Chen Deng shook his head and said:
"Master Cheng, Yuan Shu's claim to the throne is a path to his death."
"Although my Chen family has some connections with the elders of the Yuan family, this is no longer a time of peace and tranquility."
"Yuan Shu is trying to drag my Chen family down with him as traitors! His despicable nature is utterly shameful!"
Cheng Yu smiled.
Since Chen Gui and his son Chen Deng were able to receive the letter.
That means that many talented people from aristocratic families in Cao Cao's camp would also receive similar offers of recruitment.
Yuan Shu's actions this time were nothing more than empty promises.
But the pie in the sky is like a castle in the air, with no possibility of being realized.
Given the shrewdness of aristocratic families, unless they've lost their minds, they would never blindly follow Yuan Shu in his reckless actions.
"Yuanlong, Yuan Shu may send troops to attack Guangling from the Xuyi line soon."
“In Guangling, no family has more say than your Chen family.”
"I believe that the defense over there should be entrusted to you."
Chen Deng immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute and said:
"I am grateful for your trust, Lord Cheng."
"If Chen Deng is alive, Guangling will surely be there; if Chen Deng dies, he will do everything in his power to delay Yuan's army!"
Cheng Yu patted Chen Deng on the shoulder, spat three times, and said earnestly:
"Come back alive, or Ziyi will come after this old man!"
"Yes!"
……
Back at the mansion
Chen Deng lit a night lamp and wrote a letter angrily denouncing Yuan Shu, intending to publish it in the Central Plains Daily.
The sharpness of his words was unprecedented.
They even dragged out the long-dead Yuan Wei, Yuan Feng, and some of the Yuan family's ancestors to whip their corpses!
Chen Deng understood that Yuan Shu's declaration of himself as emperor was suicidal!
From this day forward, the only legitimate branch of the Yuan family is Yuan Shao's.
But will Yuan Shao be affected by this?
In terms of strength, no.
As for reputation, that's another story.
After all, if you really count them, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu were both sons of Yuan Feng.
Yuan Shu's "mental insanity" meant that when powerful families looked at Yuan Shao, they would more or less recall Yuan Shu's outrageous attempt to become emperor.
……
Xuchang
Sikong Mansion
Hearty laughter echoed through the main hall.
"Hahahaha, hahahahahaha..."
Cao Cao clutched his stomach and lay on the ground, pounding his fist on the ground.
“Ang’er…Ang’er, come quickly…come quickly to help your father up.”
Cao Cao could no longer hold on, so he quickly asked Cao Ang, who had just walked in, for help.
"Father, what's wrong with you?"
Cao Ang was unaware of Yuan Shu's declaration of himself as emperor. He was somewhat puzzled by Cao Cao's unending laughter.
But being a dutiful son, he first helped Cao Cao up from the ground before reading the letter.
"What!?"
"Has Yuan Shu really declared himself emperor?"
"This, this, this..."
Cao Ang was also surprised.
In the past few days of classes, his master also talked to him about the possible tricks that Yuan Shu's forces might pull off next.
thus.
Cao Ang knew that his master must have played a role in pushing Yuan Shu to declare himself emperor.
But he never expected that Yuan Shu would be so eager to ascend the throne!
Why?
Where did he get the audacity to declare himself emperor?
"Ang'er, I can't talk to you any longer. I need to hurry to Ziyi's residence to discuss a plan with him."
"Oh no, it's about figuring out how to bury Yuan Shu in order to maximize the profits for my Cao camp!"
Cao Ang nodded.
This has been a long-standing tradition in Cao Cao's camp.
Whenever there was a major event, my father and my mentor would first discuss the general direction of the decision.
Only then will he convene a meeting of Cao Cao's high-ranking officials, both civil and military, to discuss and supplement the details.
As for the Grand Assembly...
That thing was just a formality, a way to fool Emperor Liu Xie and the Han court officials.
Oh, right, it's worth mentioning that Cao Ang now also holds an official position: General of Valiant Might.
There's a story behind this official position.
When Cao Cao raised an army to fight against Dong Zhuo, he appointed himself as General of Valiant Might in order to glorify himself.
Now, Cao Ang has become a genuine General of Valiant Might, which is also Liu Xie's way of currying favor with Cao Cao.
Sikong was already one of the Three Dukes.
There was no more title to bestow, and the next one would be Prime Minister, a position Cao Cao had already refused when he was transferred to Xuchang.
You can't very well become a "Duke" or "King" for Cao Cao, can you?
Therefore, Liu Xie could only make a show of it by granting Cao Ang an official position.
……