Chapter 63: Cao Mengde, the Loyal Subject of the Great Han

Generations of high officials have established a great name, with the spirit of youth, one acts with abandon.

A household of bells and cauldrons, a clan of poetry, books, and official caps.

Yuan Benchu, in high spirits, spoke, "Four Generations and Three Excellencies, a name known throughout the world; now is the time for me, Yuan Benchu, to establish merit and build a career."

Yuan Benchu held a long sword, his spirit soaring.

The chaotic times were approaching; at this moment, Yuan Shao had not yet developed the ambition to replace the Liu family, but he naturally wanted to rise during these chaotic times to establish merit and build a career.

"Benchu, the heroes of this world are as numerous as carp crossing the river; do not underestimate the heroes of this world."

A clan elder of the Yuan Family warned Yuan Benchu.

Yuan Benchu laughed heartily and left, holding his long sword.

"My noble, famous lineage, the great reputation of my clan—how could those Disciple of humble origins compare? The heroes of this world are all but a rabble."

Four Generations and Three Excellencies, a noble, famous lineage; there is no telling how many court officials in this Great Han are students of the Yuan Family.

He, Yuan Shao, carries the most noble bloodline of the Yuan Family and was born noble.

What do those Disciples of humble origins amount to?

Those Disciples of humble origins are only fit to be the blades of his Yuan Family, to be the dogs of the Yuan Family.

This Zhang Jiao leads a group of mud-legged peasants and wants to overthrow the Great Han Dynasty?

It is truly somewhat naive.

Yuan Shao, who carries the bloodline of a famous family, has never once looked upon Zhang Jiao as a threat.

The Yellow Turban Army rebellion led by Zhang Jiao will ultimately end in failure.

However, Yuan Shao has seen that the Yellow Turban rebellion will deal a heavy blow to the rule of the Great Han court and weaken the power of the Great Han court.

These chaotic times are about to arrive.

With the arrival of chaotic times, it is the very opportunity for him, Yuan Benchu, to seize the moment, establish merit, and build a career.

Meanwhile, on the other side, a young man who was peeping at a widow next door bathing heard this news and was immediately filled with righteous indignation.

"The Yellow Turban rebels are truly audacious; there is still a loyal subject of the Great Han like me, Cao Mengde, in this world."

Cao Cao immediately gathered local braves to go and suppress the rebellion.

"I, Cao Mengde, will not allow anyone to destroy the foundation of my Great Han."

A capable minister in a time of order, a crafty hero in a time of chaos.

This man, who would later become the powerful lord of Cao Wei, the crafty hero who would hold the Son of Heaven to command the disobedient.

His greatest wish now is merely to emulate Ban Chao, pacify the Western Regions, and become a General Conquering the West of the Great Han.

Deep in his bones, he still retains loyalty to the Great Han.

Therefore, upon hearing that the Emperor had issued an order to protect the throne, he immediately organized local braves to make an effort to guard the Han Empire.

In the Peach Garden.

Liu Bei, Guan Yunzhang, and Zhang Fei also heard about this matter.

Only with virtue and benevolence can one win over people; winning people over with virtue.

The Yellow Turban rebellion broke out five years late, and the Peach Garden Oath of Brotherhood had already been completed long before.

Liu Bei was originally a member of the Han imperial clan.

But since the Han Gaozu Liu Bang, there is no telling how many members of the Liu family clan there are.

And the Grace-Extending Edict of Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, divided the Liu family imperial clan into smaller and smaller pieces.

There are many Liu family clansmen who, like Liu Bei, even though they carry the imperial bloodline in their bodies.

Live like ordinary commoners, or perhaps even worse than ordinary commoners.

Like the current Emperor Zhaolie of Han, Liu Bei, he is now nothing more than a weaver of mats and a seller of sandals.

Liu Bei has reached this age and still has achieved nothing, feeling very lost.

Hearing the edict of Liu Hong, he immediately prepared to go and protect the throne.

Zhang Fei, as a local wealthy landowner, provided the financial resources.

Liu Bei also gathered local braves, formed an army, and prepared to suppress the Yellow Turban rebellion.

And in the land of Jiangdong, Sun Jian, known as the Fierce Tiger, also set out with the Disciples of Jiangdong.

Chaotic times are coming; now is the time to establish merit and build a career.

A single sheet of paper with an edict from the Imperial Capital directly stirred up the situation of the world.

The heroes and outstanding figures of the Three Kingdoms of later generations began to take the stage.

To tell the story from two sides.

The Yellow Turban Army led by Zhang Jiao had already encountered Huangfu Song.

Huangfu Song bore the imperial mandate to block these Yellow Turban Army members outside the Imperial Capital.

He did not dare to be the slightest bit careless for even a moment.

Huangfu Song was, after all, a famous general of the time, so he directly deployed troops and generals, and only then did he manage to stop Zhang Jiao.

But Huangfu Song was not optimistic.

The strength of the Yellow Turban Army exceeded his expectations.

The Demon Daoist Zhang Jiao controlled powerful Daoist Arts, and the Yellow Turban Warriors he trained could be said to be impervious to blades and arrows.

Even the ordinary Yellow Turban Army was no worse than the elite forces of the Great Han, or perhaps even stronger.

War is a combination of hard power and soft power.

Military strategy and tactics can allow the weak to defeat the strong.

But the fact now is that the Yellow Turban Army seems to be the stronger side.

The elite army of the Great Han was actually no match for an army formed by a mob.

For a moment, Huangfu Song did not know what to say.

This old general's eyes were now filled with worry.

As a pillar of the state, he understood the current situation better than anyone else.

When Qin lost its deer, the world chased after it.

Since the Great Han was founded by the Gaozu Emperor Liu Bang, the Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu rebuilt the Great Han.

Now, the Han Empire has lasted for four hundred years.

Over these four hundred years, Han has become the name of a people, and the rule of the Han Empire is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

But these same four hundred years of rule have also left this empire full of stubborn ailments.

Huangfu Song looked at the Imperial Capital behind him; within the Imperial Capital, the powerful and noble were still living in a drunken stupor, and the emperor was drinking and making merry in the imperial palace.

This empire is now like an old man riddled with disease, like the setting sun, gasping for breath, and it is unknown how much longer it can hold on.

The Yellow Turban Army is powerful, but where did this Yellow Turban Army come from?

It came from the common people of the world, the farmers of the world, and the commoners of the world.

If the court of the Great Han could allow these people to survive, would these people rebel?

Ultimately, the fact that the Yellow Turban Army is powerful today was caused by the current emperor and the high officials of the court.

The dignified emperor actually recognizes a group of eunuchs as his parents.

He has trampled the dignity of the emperor under his feet.

The divine right of kings means the emperor's authority comes from sanctity, which is why the people of the world hold him in awe.

But by recognizing a pair of castrated dogs as parents, who would still think that you, the emperor, have authority?

Huangfu Song does not know why Liu Hong, as the emperor, would do such a thing.

But he is also clear about the harm of doing so.

The eunuchs in this imperial palace can be the emperor's running dogs and the emperor's claws and teeth, but they must never be the emperor's parents.

With the emperor's majesty swept into the dust, who would still obey the emperor's orders?

Huangfu Song took a deep breath, and a moment of confusion appeared in his eyes.

Even if the Yellow Turban Rebellion is quelled, is there still any salvation for the Han Empire?

The high and mighty high officials of the court, the emperor living in a drunken stupor.

They cannot see, they cannot see that the commoners of this world can no longer survive.

Is it Zhang Jiao who is rebelling?

It is the common people of the world who are rebelling.

If the court remains this corrupt, even if he suppresses the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the uprisings in this world will continue endlessly.

Today it is the Yellow Turbans, tomorrow it will be the Red Turbans.

This point, he, Huangfu Song, understands.

Why do the high officials in the court not understand, and why does the high and mighty emperor not understand?

No, perhaps it is not that they do not understand, but that they simply do not care.

What kind of momentum could a riot started by a bunch of peasants possibly have?

Even if the Yellow Turban Army invades Sili now, their defeat and destruction are only a matter of time.

What do they need to worry about?

How could the high and mighty nobles ever consider the thoughts of those commoners in the dust?

(End of this chapter)