Chapter 288: Unruly Minister, Dong Cheng's Conspiracy However, Dong Cheng appears in the novel as a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty. In fact, this guy was not a good person either. He was the nephew of Empress Dowager Dong, the mother of Emperor Ling of Han, and also an old subordinate of Dong Zhuo. During the period of Li Jue and Guo Si, he was not qualified to be on the same level as the two of them. But later, as Emperor Xian returned to the east, he was rewarded for his protection and was promoted all the way. Dong Cheng benefited from this, so on his way back to the east, he betrothed his daughter to Liu Xie as a concubine. Later, he used political tactics to check and balance Han Xian and secretly ordered Cao Cao to come to the throne. According to his idea, after getting Cao Cao to come to the throne, Luoyang would be under his control and Cao Cao's power could be slowly deprived. Unexpectedly, this move backfired. As soon as Cao Cao entered Luoyang, he moved the capital to Xuchang according to the advice of Qin Zhen and others. Dong Cheng and others did hold high positions due to their merits, but in essence they were gradually sidelined.

Therefore, Dong Cheng always had resentment towards Cao Cao, but unfortunately he had no power to check and balance Cao. Seeing that Cao Cao controlled the court and could call the shots, Dong Cheng had no choice but to bury his rebellious thoughts in his heart. Unexpectedly, before he went to court that day, the Secretary of the Interior summoned him to the palace for an audience. When he met Liu Xie, after some greetings, Liu Xie smiled and said: "I came to the Queen last night and told her about the hardships of Bahe. Thinking of the great contributions of the King's uncle, I specially summoned him to comfort him." The hardship he mentioned about Ba He was when Liu Xie was trying to escape and cross the river to the north, but was caught up by Li Jue and Guo Si. So everyone advised Liu Xie to take a boat to Mengjin and avoid the pursuit. But when it was actually put into practice, they found that the bank of the Yellow River was more than ten feet above the water. The crowd used silk ropes to help Liu Xie onto the boat, but the remaining soldiers could only jump into the river. As the river was rushing, the soldiers rushed to board the boats. Dong Cheng and others used their spears to hit the soldiers to stop them. Countless fingers were cut off, and they could just pick them up with their hands. In the end, only Liu Xie and others remained, so Liu Xie was deeply impressed. When Dong Cheng heard this, he bowed his head in thanks and said he dared not. Then Liu Xie pointed to the belt on his robe and said with a smile: "I think your contribution in saving the emperor from the Western Capital has never been forgotten, so I have nothing to offer you." "You should wear my robe and tie my belt, and always be by my side." After saying this, he took off his robe and asked the eunuch to hand it to Dong Cheng. When Dong Cheng saw this, he wondered what Liu Xie's intention was today, as he suddenly called him into the palace and gave him gifts. Unexpectedly, as soon as he took the robe, Liu Xie stepped forward and whispered: "When you return home, you can take a closer look at it. Don't let me down." When Dong Cheng heard this, he suddenly understood, so he quickly put on his robe, bid farewell to Liu Xie, and returned to the previous dynasty. Unexpectedly, as soon as he returned to the point, he saw all the officials gathered together. Everyone looked at their robes and found them strange.

Dong Cheng saw this and knew he couldn't hide it, so he just laughed and said to everyone: "This is a gift from the emperor who invited me into the palace just now, to repay my past merits in protecting the emperor!" Then he took off his robe and showed it to everyone. Such behavior naturally attracted endless praise from everyone. But at this moment, a laugh was heard from afar: "General Dong has a refined taste. Even though it is a cold day, he does not need to wear clothes to invite you to watch." "It must be made by a skilled hand, with amazing needlework skills, so rare to see!" When this voice was heard, everyone was shocked and hurried forward to greet him. Dong Cheng, upon seeing this, also bowed hastily and explained to Cao Cao: "This was not made by me, but was given to me by the Emperor as a token of thanks for my service in protecting him in the past!" When Cao Cao heard this, his eyes turned bright and he thought to himself, he intimidated Liu Xie yesterday, and today Liu Xie gave him a robe, what does this mean? While thinking, he stroked his beard and smiled, pretending to be very interested: "Since it is a gift from your majesty, I shall also take a closer look!" As he said this, he took the jade belt and robe and examined it carefully. Seeing that there was nothing wrong with it inside and out, he smiled and said: "It is indeed a good thing. I love it very much. Can you lend it to me so I can take it home to see it?" Although this was said in a joking manner, Dong Cheng was immediately shocked when he heard it and laughed dryly: "I dare not give away what you have bestowed upon me, so I will make another offering for you." Seeing him like this, Cao Cao smiled even more. He put his hand on Dong Cheng's shoulder and said with a smile: "Is there any conspiracy behind this acceptance of the belt by the uncle of the emperor?" If there is one characteristic of Cao Cao, it is that it is difficult to deceive him. Basically, any lie will not escape Lao Cao's eyes. But Dong Cheng saw this and knew something was wrong, so he gritted his teeth and said: "What's Cheng'an's plan? Well, since Sikong loves it, I will give it to him as a gift!" Cao Cao saw his expression change, looked at him carefully for a while, then smiled again and said: "You have received this gift from me, why should I take it away from you? I am just playing with it, you can keep it for yourself!" After this beating, the time for the court meeting had arrived, so he returned the robe to Dong Cheng and led the ministers to the court meeting. As soon as he came to court, the first thing he proposed was to move the capital. As soon as this proposal came out, the whole court was in an uproar. Zheng Xuan was the first to stand up and question: "The matter of moving the capital is a matter of national importance. Xu County has been the capital for four years, and the court is at peace. Why do you want to move the capital?" "Also, Guanzhong has long been in ruins. Even though it has been restored, it is difficult to accommodate the emperor." "If we move the capital, the people will be uneasy. I hope you will think twice and not act recklessly!" To be honest, Zheng Xuan has been avoiding direct conflict with Cao Cao in the past few months. So the relationship between the two was pretty good, much better than that between Kong Rong. But now that Cao Cao suddenly moved the capital, Zheng Xuan could no longer sit still.

When Cao Cao saw this, he had a plan in mind and said to everyone: "The reason why I moved the capital is because Xu County is located in a plain and has no strategic location to defend." "Yuan Shao is now very powerful. When Yuan Shu was plotting rebellion, Yuan Shao was willing to help him." "Peter's four states will definitely invade from the south. I am planning to move the capital for your majesty's sake!" "If we don't move now, what will we do if the rebels come to the city in the future?" As soon as he finished speaking, another old official stood up and asked: "In the past, Wang Mang usurped the throne and burned down Chang'an, turning it into rubble." "Dong Zhuo moved the capital, and Li and Guo rebelled. The people of Chang'an were wiped out." "It is not appropriate to abandon the palace and live in a wasteland. Besides, Duke Cao is the guardian of the capital and is good at military affairs." "If we cannot defeat Yuan Shao, we can ask Liu Zhengdong for help. Why are you talking about moving the capital before the battle even begins?" "It is not the duty of a minister to persuade people to move the capital with these words!" The person who spoke was Si Tu Zhao Wen. After Yang Biao was overthrown by Cao Cao, Zhao Wen and Zheng Xuan became the leaders of the imperial party. He said this in a very righteous manner, which showed that he was somewhat annoyed by Cao Cao's attitude. But Lao Cao had already made up his mind, and said with a sneer: "Liu Xuande is a good minister who assists the country. We should seek his help!" "But the discussion of moving the capital cannot be delayed. This is a matter of state and cannot be stopped by you!" Having said this, he glanced at Liu Xie sharply and said: "I beg Your Majesty to issue an edict to move the capital. What do you think?" Being swept by him like this, Liu Xie was panicked. He looked left and right but no one helped him. He had no choice but to cover his face and said: "I am feeling quite unwell. How about we discuss this matter another day?" Cao Cao saw this and was about to say something, but Zheng Xuan shouted: "The emperor said that he would allow the discussion to take place later, and that the Minister of Works was not needed. Could it be that he wanted to do what the traitor Dong did?" Cao Cao was stunned by his shouting, staring at Zheng Xuan. Zheng Xuan also looked at him coldly, and the atmosphere was stagnant for a while. After a long while, Cao Cao suddenly grinned and said: "Zheng Sinong is wrong. How could Cao be the kind of person who would plot treason?" "Since Your Majesty has said that we can discuss it later, we will discuss it later." "But I hope Your Majesty will take care of your health and not overwork yourself!" "The matter of moving the capital is indeed related to the safety of the court. I hope Your Majesty will consider it!" After he finished speaking, he said no more. Upon hearing this, Liu Xie nodded in agreement and said he would adjourn the court and return to the palace. Cao Cao left the palace, got on the carriage, and walked into the mansion. He overturned the table and shouted angrily: "Mr. Zheng has insulted me time and again. Sooner or later, I will kill him!" But just as he turned over the desk, he saw a young man walk into the hall and said: "Who has made father so angry again?" When Cao Cao heard this, he looked carefully and saw that the man was seven feet tall and looked similar to him. It was his eldest son Cao Ang.

Because of Qin Zhen's existence, Cao Ang and others escaped the disaster. From then on, Cao Cao no longer took Cao Ang with him when he led troops, but only let him learn how to govern the country from Xun Yu. Seeing him coming, Lao Cao naturally relaxed his attitude and said in a muffled voice: "Who else could it be? It's just Master Zheng!" "Why are you here when you are not in Taichung to handle government affairs?" When Cao Ang heard this, he smiled bitterly and said: "Father, you don't know. Today is my day off." "I heard that my father was angry, so I came to visit him." Hearing that he was concerned about him, Cao Cao softened his attitude and said: "I was so anxious about my father's affairs that I forgot about this matter!" "Well, now that you are here, let me ask you, what have you learned from Xun Yu?" Cao Ang listened, stepped forward and replied respectfully: "Only by observing the civil affairs of different places can I understand the hardships faced by the common people." "As the Qin master said, the people suffer when their country prospers or dies." Having said this, he hesitated for a while and then said: "I heard that my father intends to move the capital." Bang! Before he could finish his words, Cao Cao slapped the table and shouted angrily: "Xun Yu is despicable. I have accepted you as my teacher to learn the ways of sages. How can I let you participate in state affairs?" "Did Xun Yu ask you to come and persuade them this time?" As he spoke, he stared at Cao Ang with his tiger eyes full of ill intentions. When Cao Ang heard this, he fell to his knees and said: "Please calm down, my lord. I didn't tell you this." "It's because I heard people discussing something outside today, but it has nothing to do with you, Lord!" "It's just that I'm worried that people's lives are so difficult, and moving the capital will be a waste of money and labor." "You, my boy, are also going to persuade me to take state affairs seriously? Back off!" Before Cao Cao could finish his words, he shouted angrily again, causing Cao Ang to lower his head. Before he could apologize, Cao Cao stood up with his hands behind his back and said indifferently: "It was my fault that I made you study under Qin Zixuan!" "I originally intended to let Xun Wenruo teach you how to govern a country; this person is also quite scheming." "They are not really famous teachers. You should not learn from them anymore!" "Just study the classics in the mansion. I will personally choose a good teacher for you in the future." "Don't say anything else, or your father will not forgive you!" After saying this, he walked angrily towards the inner courtyard, leaving Cao Ang kneeling alone. At the same time, Dong Cheng returned home and closed the door and refused to see any guests.

In order to prevent Cao Cao from visiting him, he only read during the day, and only took out his robe and jade belt to examine them carefully late at night. I looked at it again and again, but didn't see anything unusual. Seeing this, Dong Cheng couldn't help but think that Liu Xie asked him to go home and take a closer look, as there must be something different. But in the current situation, if it is too obvious, others will definitely notice the difference. Therefore, the meaning Liu Xie wanted to convey should be rather obscure. So he held the clothes carefully under the candlelight and looked at them again and again. Unexpectedly, after looking for a long time, he did not see anything unusual until the light went down and burned its back. Dong Cheng hurriedly wiped it and found what was inside. He quickly took a knife and opened it, and saw the secret decree written in blood by Liu Xie. Looking at the above words again, Dong Cheng did not feel sad as described in the novel. Instead, he was shocked. Because he didn't expect that the little emperor was young but so courageous. How dare they secretly ask him to gather righteous men to plot against Cao Cao! But now he has no soldiers, how can he plan against Cao? After thinking it over, he called his confidant Wu Shuo to discuss: "Now Cao Cao has relocated the capital due to political disorder, and the emperor intends to accuse us of conspiring with Cao Cao." "But I have no soldiers under my command, who can I use?" When Wu Shuo heard this, he also felt that this matter was serious, and hurriedly said: "Changshui Commander Zhong Ji came from Lord Dong, and he may be able to participate in the affairs." The Changshui Colonel is one of the eight colonels of the Northern Army and is currently in charge of a thousand imperial guardsmen in Xu County. Dong Cheng heard this and shook his head immediately, saying: "The Cao bandits have tens of thousands of soldiers, and more than a thousand soldiers and horses are of no use." Wu Shuo thought for a while and gave another suggestion: "Lieutenant General Wang Fu has troops under his command and should be able to help." "The royal robes are fine, but the troops are still insufficient!" Dong Cheng walked to the window with his hands behind his back and sighed: "If we can get some help from outside, we might be able to accomplish it!" Seeing him like this, Wu Shuo thought for a while and said: "I heard that Liu Zhengdong has deployed tens of thousands of troops in Runan." "Guan Yu, the leader of the army, once seized the imperial seal and returned. He was indeed a fierce general of the time." "Now that Cao Cao wants to move his capital, we might as well send someone to deliver the imperial edict to him." "Order them to advance, cooperate with the outside world, and then we can accomplish great things!" When Dong Cheng heard the name Guan Yu, he couldn't help but ponder for a moment. If possible, he really didn't want to get involved with these princes. After all, it was Cao who was in power because he messed up in the first place.

But looking at the surrounding situation now, it seems that Guan Yu is the only one who is closest. If all goes well, we can arrive here within ten days by leading our troops from Runan. After thinking about it for a while, he nodded and said; "Well, I'll do as you say, but this edict is private and cannot be shared with others!" "Send someone to inform Guan Yu immediately and let him act accordingly!" After hearing the order, Wu Shuo did not hesitate any longer and went back to the mansion to make arrangements. The next morning, he sent someone to Runan with a secret letter. (End of this chapter)