Almost everyone present was there, and when they heard Yuan Xi and Liu He talking about Liu Xie's return to the east, they all pricked up their ears.
Liu He murmured in his heart, what should he say?
When it comes to the relationship between Liu He's father Liu Yu and the Yuan family, it's very complicated.
When Yuan Shao first formed the Guandong coalition, he initially fought under the banner of allegiance to Liu Yu.
At that time, Liu Yu was the chief of the Han Dynasty's clan, and later served as the governor of Youzhou. He had a very high prestige. However, Emperor Liu Xie, who was far away in Luoyang at that time, was young, and he ascended the throne because Dong Zhuo deposed Liu Bian. In fact, he was not very popular among the clan members.
Moreover, Dong Zhuo relied on Liu Xie to issue decrees to command the princes of the world. The aristocratic families headed by Yuan Shao were unwilling to sit and wait for death, so they wanted to support another elder of the Han Dynasty to fight against Dong Zhuo.
Yuan Shao chose Liu Yu, and even joined forces with many others to suggest that Liu Yu become emperor.
To be fair, this was imitating the deeds of Yi Yin and Huo Guang. Although it was the selfish motives of Yuan Shao and others, it could not be said to be completely wrong morally.
At that time, everyone was at loggerheads. If Dong Zhuo could come to power, why couldn't I?
But for some unknown reason, Liu Yu still refused. Although he still maintained an alliance with Yuan Shao and others, this incident undoubtedly brought him fatal disaster.
Liu He, who was serving as the Minister of the Court in Chang'an at that time, became Liu Xie's secret envoy. Carrying Liu Xie's secret decree, he rushed to Youzhou to mediate the fight between Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan. However, he was detained by Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao successively, and ultimately failed to arrive in time, and Liu Yu was killed by Gongsun Zan.
The relationship between Liu He and the Yuan family was so complicated, so Yuan Xi had no idea what Liu He was really thinking. He never asked Liu He about the content of Liu Xie's secret decree.
Some things are hidden under scars and appear to be completely healed, but if you tear them open with force, you will likely find that there is bloody rotten flesh and pus hidden underneath.
Seeing Liu He's hesitation, Yuan Xi changed his words and said, "I want to hear Brother Liu's thoughts on the emperor's return to the east."
"That will determine our next steps."
"Before that, I want everyone to listen to all the intelligence we have collected recently. After considering it, please express your thoughts and brainstorm."
He nodded to Guo Jia, who saw it, cleared his throat and said, "The emperor is currently in Anyi, the capital of Hedong, and is protected by the Baibo Army."
"The Baibo Army made great contributions in rescuing the emperor this time. Three of the four fake emperors made great contributions, and the remaining one, Zhang Yang, also has a close relationship with the Baibo Army."
"The Xiongnu Cavalry that came with the Baibo Army to rescue were defeated by the army of Li Jue and Guo Si, and their leader was killed in the battle, so they were not granted a title of nobility. The Bingzhou where they were located was nominally under the jurisdiction of the Baibo Army."
"Han Xian, who arrived earlier, is also a general of the Baibo Army. Together with Yang Feng, the former Baibo commander who has always followed the emperor, these four people have firmly controlled the emperor, just like what Li Jue and Guo Si did before."
After hearing this, everyone sighed. First it was Dong Zhuo, then Wang Yun, then Li Jue and Guo Si, and finally Yang Feng. Liu Xie was afraid that he would not be able to live in peace for a few days.
Guo Jia added: "According to reliable information, the emperor's situation is very bad."
"Because of the threats from Li Jue and Guo Si, Yang Feng was able to put in some superficial efforts before, but now that he has joined forces with the other three, he has become even more arrogant and domineering."
"He was not only disrespectful to the emperor, but also arbitrarily usurped power and appointed officials arbitrarily. He also killed ministers at will. If a minister disagreed with his request to promote his cronies, he would be whipped to death by his men."
"The soldiers under his command also make fun of the emperor's words and deeds at will. Their disrespect shows that the Han Dynasty has lost all its dignity."
Pei's note in the Biography of Dong Zhuo quoted the Book of Wei: "The emperor (Liu Xie) lived in a thorny hedge at that time, and the door was not locked. The emperor met with his ministers, and the soldiers hid on the hedge and watched, suppressing each other for fun. The generals monopolized power, and some of them beat the minister to death. The Sili Xiaowei went out and came in, and the militia resisted and threw him.
The generals sent maids to the provincial capital, or brought wine and food themselves, and drank with the emperor. The ministers did not communicate, and they shouted and cursed, and could not be stopped. They also competed to appoint the people in the camps as their subordinates, and asked for their courtesy and gifts. Doctors and runners were all made lieutenants. The censors did not provide seals, so they used a needle to draw on them to show that there were words, and sometimes they could find them from time to time.
After Guo Jia finished speaking, everyone fell silent, thinking that this was indeed too much. After all, the emperor represented all the people in the world, and he had to put on a show no matter what. However, the Baibo Army was so careless in their work that the emperor lost face, and everyone as ministers of the Han Dynasty also felt ashamed.
However, a few thoughtful people were thinking about something else.
How come Youzhou knows so much about what's happening around the emperor?
Guo Jia finally said, "When the emperor was in danger, he sent an edict to all the princes in the world for help. Duke Benchu of Jizhou has received it, but we haven't received it. I'm afraid he thinks that we are from the same branch of the Yuan family, so there is no need to send a separate edict."
"Jizhou also had a lot of debate on this matter. It is said that after Mr. Gong and (Ju Shou) learned about it, they sent three urgent letters in succession, advising Mr. Benchu to welcome the emperor."
"But many Jizhou advisers objected, so the matter was shelved."
At this time, Ju Su, who was present at the meeting, shouted angrily, "They are all short-sighted!"
This gathering was of great importance, so Yuan Xi specially invited him from Beixin City, because in Yuan Xi's mind, Ju Su played a vital role in this matter.
Because although Ju Su's idea was not suitable for Yuan Shao, it was very consistent with Yuan Xi's current thinking. The two had common goals and needs, so Ju Su could truly work for him.
Otherwise, with Jushou's qualifications and abilities, why would he be willing to work hard for me?
Ju Su had already explained his ideas to everyone earlier. Yuan Xi listened and looked at everyone's expressions, and had already guessed what everyone was thinking.
He said, "Mr. Gong and you, do you think that the emperor is in danger now? We all have the responsibility to rescue the emperor and support the Han Dynasty?"
Ju Su's face was filled with excitement. He straightened his body and shouted, "I think that as Han officials, you all receive salaries from the emperor and should be loyal to him!"
"What Yang Feng and Han Xian are doing right now is no different from what Li Jue and Guo Si did. They are using the emperor to control the other lords, but now they are disrespecting the emperor. They are truly ambitious!"
After he finished speaking, he looked around at everyone, especially at Zhao Yun, with an eager gaze.
During the days since he came to Jicheng, he had contact with Zhao Yun several times and believed that among Yuan Xi's subordinates, Zhao Yun was the most ambitious to support the Han Dynasty, so he thought Zhao Yun was most likely to support him.
Zhao Yun saw Yuan Xi nodding to him, so he said, "Yun is just a warrior, I don't understand the great principles."
"But now that the emperor is suffering, if he is used by people with evil intentions, the world will be in chaos and the people will suffer. If we can rescue the emperor, it will be good for the world."
Ju Su showed a happy expression, "Then..."
Zhao Yun said, "Sir, there is a saying that one should be loyal to the emperor when receiving his salary, but I don't quite understand it."
"When the emperor ascended the throne, he never paid salaries to Youzhou, but instead gave titles and generals to the Baibo bandits. So for us, how can we be said to be eating the emperor's salary?"
"Yun wants to know, if the emperor does not pay me a salary, should I be loyal to the emperor or to the envoy who pays me a salary?"
After hearing this, Ju Su was speechless for a moment. It was not that he had no way to answer this question, but that no matter how he answered it, there would be problems.
As Yuan Xi's current subordinate, he must face a problem: if a conflict occurs between the emperor and Yuan Xi, who should he obey?
This is why, although it seems very good to command the princes under the command of the emperor, everyone is actually hesitant.
You know, this time Zhang Yang went to welcome the emperor, but Lu Bu, who was also in Hanoi and was once close to Liu Xie, did not make any movement.
Liu He cleared his throat and said, "As a member of the royal family, I shouldn't say too much."
"But you saved my life, so I must remind you of something."
"If you want to welcome the emperor to your territory, unless you monopolize power like Dong Zhuo and Wang Yun, your government orders must obey Amaterasu's orders."
"The officials around the emperor now have their own thoughts, and there are many forces behind them. If you can't suppress them, they will be controlled by them."
"I was once familiar with the current emperor Liu Xie. He is smart and patient. If it weren't for the chaotic times, he would have become a wise ruler."
"But now the world is in chaos, and he is being dragged into it, having no choice but to do things against his will."
"The emperor asked me to mediate between my father and Gongsun Zan, but it failed in the end. This shows that the emperor can no longer control the situation in the world."
"If you want to welcome the emperor, the risk is huge and there may not be any reward. I hope you will be prepared."
Ju Su had not expected that Liu He, as a member of the royal family, would be so reserved about welcoming the emperor, and he could not help but lose his previous enthusiasm.
This is exactly the effect Yuan Xi wanted, and he had to pour cold water on Ju Su.
This is a double-edged sword. Youzhou is developing well now. If Liu Xie is rashly introduced, it will draw away many nobles who are loyal to the Han Dynasty. For Yuan Xi, this will create instability and cause trouble for himself.
How to please, where to please, what benefits you can gain, and what troubles will follow are all things that need to be carefully considered.
Both Zhao Yun and Liu He were inclined to please the emperor, but they did not talk about anything else but only about the benefits. Wasn't this a test for Yuan Xi?
Seeing that everyone was silent, Yuan Xi said, "Let me answer this question."
"The salary you eat is not given by me, but grown by the people of Youzhou from the land."
"Since we eat their food, we have the responsibility to defend the land and protect the people."
"It is true that the emperor has not actually done anything since he ascended the throne, but if this status quo does not change, the situation in the world will only get worse."
"What everyone is worried about is that welcoming the emperor will lead to war and disaster in Youzhou, causing us to be involved in the vortex of fighting for the emperor."
"Let me tell you what I think."
"Youzhou is located in a cold and harsh borderland, and is not suitable for welcoming the emperor."
After hearing this, Ju Su's face darkened a little.
Yuan Xi smiled slightly: "But I don't want someone like Dong Zhuo who has evil intentions to hold the emperor hostage and bring disaster to the world."
"So I want to try to please the emperor and place him in a relatively neutral area so that the forces can check and control each other."
"In this way, the emperor can maneuver and use the balance of power among the parties to at least achieve something."
Zhao Yun and Ju Shou's expressions changed after hearing this. They thought that Yuan Xibiao's idea was truly for the emperor's benefit.
Yuan Xi added: "Of course, this place cannot be too far from Youzhou. At least after we occupy the Black Mountain Passage in the next step, we can get there quickly."
"But my bottom line is that Cao Cao cannot be allowed to control the emperor alone."
"This is something I absolutely cannot accept, because the emperor could be used against us. How would we cope with it then?"
"It would be better to serve another emperor!"
After these words were spoken, everyone couldn't help but look at Liu He.