Chapter 406

"Otherwise, if we just flee in defeat, I won't be able to swallow this bitterness!"

His grudge with Cao Cao was long-standing.

It was mainly because Cao Cao had only taken Yanzhou and become its master after receiving their support back then.

But soon, as Cao Cao's power began to expand, he started to "slaughter the donkey after the millstone was used," targeting and suppressing the Yanzhou gentry.

He even killed the famous scholar Bian Rang.

Wasn't this a slap in the face to Chen Gong and the others?

Naturally, they were furious and launched a counterattack.

That was why he had led Lu Bu to take over Yanzhou.

It was just that Chen Gong had failed.

"Very well!"

Lu Bu nodded and said: "Since you've said so, Chen Gongtai! We must teach Cao Cao a good lesson, make him lose troops and generals, and vent your anger for you, sir!"

"Then I thank you, my lord!"

Chen Gong looked deeply at Lu Bu after hearing this, feeling very touched.

At the very least, Lu Bu was good to him and willing to help him vent his anger. Although he was a bit blunt and incompetent, he was still a good lord.

"Eh! Chen Gongtai, why be like this?"

Lu Bu smiled and waved his hand. "We are lord and subject; isn't this what should be done?"

"By the way! How did the alliance negotiations with Liu Bei go? Has everything been confirmed?"

"Is Liu Bei willing to send troops to help me?"

"At this time, do you think it's possible for Liu Bei to allow our army to enter the city to jointly resist Cao Cao's attack?"

"With Pengcheng falling so quickly, I estimate that Taishan Commandery has probably been captured as well!"

"We have no other choices!"

"If we don't unite with Liu Bei in Xiapi to resist Cao Cao, we might have to flee Xuzhou!"

Actually, it didn't matter to him whether Liu Bei agreed or not; at most, it was a pity that he couldn't have a good fight with Cao Cao to vent his anger and have some fun.

"Naturally, he agreed!"

Chen Gong nodded affirmatively. "Liu Bei still has a sense of the big picture! He understands that if we are defeated by Cao Cao first, leaving him alone, he will be unable to resist Cao Cao, so he agreed directly to send troops for support!"

"However, whether we can enter the city now is another matter!"

"This will have to be renegotiated."

"However, I anticipate that Liu Bei has no choice, and he will definitely agree in the end!"

"Otherwise, he will still only face defeat and death! I believe he will make the right choice!"

"There is no time to lose; I will go to Xiapi City to negotiate with Liu Bei now!"

As he spoke, Chen Gong prepared to set off immediately.

"Very well! Then I will trouble you, Chen Gongtai!"

Lu Bu naturally had no objections, but he still reminded him: "However, if Liu Bei's attitude is poor, or if he speaks harshly, or even has any unreasonable conditions, you don't need to agree to anything, Chen Gongtai. At worst, we will just withdraw from Xuzhou directly!"

"Anyway, to say nothing else, keeping everyone alive, and even giving everyone a bright future, is not a problem!"

Although he wanted to fight Cao Cao before leaving, he absolutely could not suffer any grievances because of it.

Liu Bei was not worthy of that.

"This..."

Chen Gong understood Lu Bu's future plans upon hearing this. Although he was a bit hesitant, he still nodded in agreement: "I understand, my lord! I will not make you lose face!"

However, if Lu Bu were to go and rely on Su Xuan, what would he do?

Should he go to Su Xuan's side too?

But Su Xuan's new policies placed great restrictions on the scholar-official clans; to say it was suppressing those who killed their masters would not be an exaggeration at all.

And Chen Gong was a firm believer in the scholar-official clans, and what he had always strived for was to strengthen the power of the scholar-official clans.

If he went to Su Xuan's side with Lu Bu, wouldn't that violate his original intentions and ideals?

Lu Bu's mind seemed exceptionally clear at this moment, and his eyes were particularly sharp; it seemed he suddenly saw through Chen Gong's thoughts.

Or perhaps, the time they had spent together over the past year or so had already made him understand Chen Gong very well.

Therefore, he immediately spoke up: "Chen Gongtai! Don't think so much!"

"I roughly understand what your ideals are about!"

"But to be honest, I don't really agree with them!"

"The disorderly expansion of the scholar-official clans is definitely not a good thing!"

"You are also a great wise man! You shouldn't be unable to see through this!"

"Su Boyuan's new policies are the best choice for the world, for the common people, and even for the scholar-official clans!"

"I only believe that Su Boyuan can make this world a better place!"

"Furthermore! Don't you hate Cao Cao? Don't you want to defeat him or even surpass him?"

"Only Su Boyuan can give you these things! I don't think even Lord Yuan Shao can do it!"

"Besides, only by living well can there be a future! Even if you don't consider yourself, you must consider your own family and children!"

"In my view, the person who will unify the world in the future will definitely be Su Boyuan; it cannot be anyone else!"

"Without you, your family will probably find it difficult to adapt to the new world!"

"You are a great wise man; you shouldn't be splitting hairs!"

So, Lu Bu sometimes feels that smart people are actually quite stupid sometimes.

Things that even he, a blockhead, can think through and see clearly, they might not necessarily be able to see.

So, whether one is a smart person or a foolish person, everyone has their own limitations.

Once a person falls into a circle they have defined for themselves, without someone to remind them, and without external interference, it is very difficult to break out of that circle.

Hearing Lu Bu's words, Chen Gong was stunned at first, and then felt a sense of shame and awakening.

Yes! When did he limit himself to the circle of the great scholar-official clan dream?

Is this really my dream? Is this what I want?

Is the dream of the great scholar-official clans really suitable for this world?

The wars and chaotic times of these years, in the final analysis, aren't they the evil consequences brought about by the disorderly expansion of the scholar-official clans?

As for the Emperor being foolish and incompetent?

Now it seems that Chen Gong feels it's not like that at all!

Was the Spirit Emperor really that foolish?

That depends on how you look at it!

In the early days, he was actually quite wise and martial, and he did do some things to centralize the Han court.

Whether it was the expeditions against the Xianbei and Xiongnu, or the establishment of the Hongmeng Academy, or the writing of the Xiping Stone Classics... weren't these all his efforts to resist?

It's just that, in the end, he was defeated by the great scholar-official clans led by the Lord Yuan family. Not only did he fail to reverse the decline of the Han, but he also allowed imperial power to fall further into the hands of others, and allowed the scholar-official clans led by the Lord Yuan family to expand further.

It even reached a point where it couldn't be checked or balanced.

The so-called eunuch dictatorship—now looking at it from another angle, wasn't this just a blade pushed out by the Spirit Emperor to check and balance the great scholar-official clans and the relatives of the Emperor?

At this time, Chen Gong also thought of the news he had heard in the past about the huge changes in Jingzhou.

Suddenly, he really wanted to see the situation in Jingzhou with his own eyes, and at the same time, verify the many thoughts in his heart at this moment.

As for the struggle with Cao Cao?

It seems there is no need to rush for this moment!

He isn't really going to die; he can completely wait until later!

There are plenty of opportunities!

The lord is right; if they both pledge their service to King Gan, Su Xuan, then Cao Cao will inevitably be defeated by them in the future.

Of course, this doesn't prevent them from causing trouble for Cao Cao now and venting their anger.

Thinking this through, Chen Gong felt relieved and smiled slightly at Lu Bu: "Thank you, my lord, for your guidance and reminder!"

"Chen Gong has learned a lesson!"

"Please rest assured, I will not be stubborn anymore. After this battle, I will accompany you to Jingzhou to see for myself, how about that?"

— Author's Notes —

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