mesbooks Chapter 670 Chen Yu's Audience with Liu Bei
Chapter 670 Chen Yu's Audience with Liu Bei
Lin Yu?
Mi Zhu thought for a long time but still couldn't remember who Lin Yu was. After confirming that he didn't know this person, he waved his hand wearily and said, "Find an excuse to send him away. I don't want to see any guests today."
He is now a Duke of the State and Minister of Revenue, in charge of the nation's finances. Countless people come to visit him every day; it's impossible for him to know them all or meet them all.
Moreover, he had spent the whole day harvesting rice with Liu Bei, and was so tired that his back ached and he had no energy to socialize anymore, so he wanted to decline and have an early meal and rest.
Unexpectedly, the gatekeeper said, "I'm afraid that won't work. Lin Yu has brought Zhang Xiu's visiting card and says that he has important matters to report to you in person."
Mi Zhu sighed, "Since Zhang Xiu recommended him, we can't refuse. Let him wait in the hall, and I'll change my clothes and come over."
Zhang Xiu was Zhang Zhao's second son. He could ignore other people's invitations, but he couldn't ignore Zhang Zhao's face.
It’s a society based on personal connections!
Mi Zhu went back to his room to change his clothes and rushed to the hall. As soon as he entered, he saw a young man in his twenties waiting in the hall.
The young man also saw him, and quickly got up and ran forward, bowing and saying, "This humble subject, Lin Yu, pays his respects to the Duke of Yue."
Mi Zhu stared at the young man for a long time, and after confirming that he did not recognize him, he asked, "I am a little tired today, so let's get straight to the point. What do you want to see me about?"
Lin Yu didn't answer, but secretly glanced at the gatekeeper who had brought him in. Mi Zhu saw his little action and waved his hand, saying, "We're all on the same side, so feel free to speak."
Lin Yu then took out a letter from his bosom and presented it with both hands. Mi Zhu opened it and his expression changed drastically. He hurriedly ordered the gatekeeper, "Go and guard outside the gate. No one is allowed to come near."
After the gatekeeper bowed and took his leave, Mi Zhu stared at Lin Yu and asked, "Are you Chen Yu's nephew?"
The letter was written by Chen Pi himself. Mi Zhu and Chen Pi were old acquaintances, practically childhood friends who grew up together, and Mi Zhu was very familiar with Chen Pi's handwriting.
It's just that he's been away from home for too long. When he left Xuzhou, Chen Yu was still wearing open-crotch pants, so it's understandable that he didn't recognize his nephew.
Chen Yu bowed again and said, "Your nephew Chen Yu greets Uncle Mi. I have no choice but to come here. Now, Commander Luo is leading the detective team to do whatever they want in Xuzhou. The people of Xuzhou are suffering greatly and can no longer bear the harassment. Therefore, I have dared to come here to ask Your Majesty to lead the army north to rescue the people of Xuzhou. At that time, my Chen family is willing to be Your Majesty's vanguard and do our part to help Your Majesty recover Xuzhou."
Having spent many years in politics, Mi Zhu naturally understood his subtext: the damned Chen family was preparing to betray their master again, defecting from Wei to Han.
However, this is a good thing. After all, the Chen family is the most powerful clan in Xuzhou. If they can come to our aid, they will definitely be able to provide a lot of help to the court in recovering Xuzhou during the Northern Expedition. At the very least, they can help the court quickly stabilize Xuzhou and prevent the court from wasting its energy on internal strife in Xuzhou.
As for whether the Chen family would feign surrender to the Han or rebel again after surrendering, Mi Zhu was not too worried, because the current Liu Bei was not the same Liu Bei as before. Even if the Chen family dared to rebel again, Liu Bei could still deal with the Chen family even if he could not recover Xuzhou.
Thinking of this, Mi Zhu immediately said, "This matter is of great importance and I cannot make the decision. You will come with me to see His Majesty."
After saying that, he pulled Chen Yu away and said to the gatekeeper who came to greet him as he came out, "Go and invite the Prime Minister to the palace immediately to meet the Emperor. Tell him that there is an important matter to discuss, and it is extremely urgent."
He couldn't make the decision or provide a solution; he had to ask Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang to discuss and decide together.
Mi Zhu quickly returned to the palace by carriage. Upon entering the palace gate, he was surprised to find Liu Bei leisurely drinking tea on a small stool, while the three fools were tragically turning over the rice, turning over the side that was originally touching the ground to dry.
Mi Zhu first clasped his hands in greeting to Crown Prince Liu Shan, then ordered Chen Yu to stay put and quickly walked towards Liu Bei.
Chen Yu stared at the rice on the ground in astonishment, wondering if she had gone to the wrong place.
Isn't this still the imperial palace? Who would be so kind as to dry rice in the imperial palace?
At the same time, seeing Mi Zhu approach, Liu Bei asked in surprise, "Minister Mi, why are you back again? Who is that young man?"
Mi Zhu leaned close to his ear and whispered an explanation. Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's smile gradually froze. After a moment's thought, he quickly stood up and said, "Come with me to the study to talk."
Mi Zhu hurriedly called Chen Yu to follow, and the three idiots who were busy also got up to follow. Liu Bei originally wanted the three of them to continue working and not join in the fun, but after thinking about it, he gave up the idea.
Guan Xing was bound to be involved in such a big matter. As for Liu Shan and Zhang Bao, once Guan Xing knew about it, they would naturally know as well. It was impossible to expect Guan Xing to keep it a secret from them.
Besides, Liu Shan and Zhang Bao should also be involved in state affairs. Even if they can't offer advice, they can still listen, observe, and learn more!
The group quickly entered the study. Liu Bei ordered the three fools to close the door before staring at Chen Yu and asking, "Are you a nephew of the Chen family of Xuzhou?"
Chen Yu quickly bowed, introduced himself, and gave a detailed account of the current situation in Xuzhou, including the sales of Jiangnan goods in Xuzhou, the spread of novels and newspapers in Xuzhou, and the attitudes and countermeasures of Xuzhou Governor Lü Qian and Detective Team Commander Luo Tong in response to these situations. He told everything he could, leaving no detail unsaid.
After listening, Liu Bei paced back and forth in the room, lost in thought. Guan Xing, too, stared at Chen Yu's back and fell into deep thought.
The fact that the Chen family eagerly surrendered to Cao Wei even before the war between Han and Wei shows that the gentry of the Central Plains had no confidence in whether Cao Wei could withstand Liu Bei.
As for the "Temporary Tax Law" promulgated by Cao Wei, although it was somewhat ruthless, it was not enough to make the gentry betray them so quickly. It should be noted that the reason why the gentry became the gentry was that, in addition to controlling resources, they also had a strategic vision that ordinary people could hardly reach. They could not be short-sighted and only care about the present, let alone sacrifice long-term interests for short-term gains. If the "Temporary Tax Law" promulgated by Cao Wei could really withstand Liu Bei's Northern Expedition, the gentry of the Central Plains would definitely have endured it for several years.
But the question is, can it withstand it?
Therefore, Guan Xing strongly suspects that the Chen family's quick surrender to the Han was not because Cao Wei exploited the gentry too harshly, but because the gentry had lost confidence in Cao Wei.
In a battle between two armies, the key is the belief in victory. Only with this belief can one fight to the last drop of blood. Without it, even a slight setback can cause wavering, leading to escape or surrender, thus completely burying any potential victory.
The reason why so many traitors emerged during the War of Resistance Against Japan was because they lacked the belief in victory and surrendered and betrayed their country because they felt they could not win. However, if they had known that the War of Resistance Against Japan would eventually be won, I believe there would have been half as many traitors, and the war would not have been so difficult.
Therefore, confidence is very important.
However, the confidence of the Central Plains gentry in Cao Wei has now been shaken, which is an excellent opportunity for the Han Dynasty. If this opportunity is used well, more influential gentry families like the Chen family can be brought to the Han side, making the Northern Expedition much easier. In fact, Cao Wei might fall into chaos on its own before the Han Dynasty even takes action. At that time, the Han army can then launch a northern expedition and wipe out Cao Wei without any obstacles.
From this perspective, although the Chen family's act of surrendering to the Han Dynasty was despicable, it brought immeasurable benefits to the Han Dynasty.
After pondering for a long time, Liu Bei turned around and asked, "Anguo, what do you think?"
Guan Xing bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that Young Master Chen Yu has had a long journey and should rest and recuperate as soon as possible."
What follows is an internal meeting, and it's not convenient for Chen Yu, an outsider, to listen.
Liu Bei laughed and said, "Anguo is right. It was my oversight. Nephew Chen Yu, you should go and rest first. Adou Xingguo, take Young Master Chen Yu to the East Palace to rest for a while."