SFS Chapter 380 I hope you all will help me to restore the Great Wei Dynasty!
Chapter 380 I hope you all will help me to restore the Great Wei Dynasty!
You are the emperor, but you can't make any decisions.
I wouldn't even bother with the rewards you offer.
Although I am not the emperor, I am the one who calls the shots in this Great Wei.
I will reward whoever I say I will.
I will kill whoever I say I will kill.
Although it wasn't explicitly stated, not only Cao Mao, but also most people outside the canopy, could discern Sima Zhao's intentions from the inventory.
The reason Cao Mao is still emperor is simply because Sima Zhao feels that his prestige and reputation are not high enough, and that the time is not yet right.
Although the throne still rests on Cao Mao's head, everyone knows that the real emperor has long since changed hands.
"Zhongda, your offspring are truly arrogant."
Boss Cao gritted his teeth as he watched.
He thought he could remain calm, but seeing Sima Zhao humiliating Cao Mao like this, he couldn't help himself.
"You jest, Prime Minister. No matter how arrogant my offspring may be, they are still somewhat different from you. At least they will not kill the concubines or depose the empress before they ascend the throne."
Sima Yi smiled.
Although he knew that such a scene would reunite his three clans in the afterlife, he couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort watching it.
"you are wrong."
Cao Cao suppressed his anger and said coldly.
"Entering the court without bowing, being honored without mentioning one's name, wearing a sword and shoes in the palace, receiving the Nine Bestowments, and being enfeoffed as the King of Wei—my initial intention in accepting all these was precisely to demonstrate that I had no intention of usurping the throne!"
Perhaps no one wants to believe it, but at that time, he really only wanted to be the second Huo Guang, not the second Wang Mang!
"If I really wanted to usurp the throne, then I should be like Sima Zhao in the sky."
Sima Zhao then subtly pressured his ministers to issue an edict granting him additional titles, and then displayed his humility by firmly declining the honor.
His goal was to build his reputation.
The reason he refused the title of Duke of Jin, the Nine Bestowments, and the privilege of wearing a sword and shoes in the palace was solely for the sake of the throne!
Sometimes, the person who wants nothing is the most greedy.
"So Zhongda, you don't need to compare him to me. At least I am not a traitor, while he may not be."
Most people in later generations still agree with what Cao Cao said.
If he intended to usurp the Han throne and establish himself from the beginning, then bestowing the Nine Bestowments and the title of King of Wei would have been superfluous.
Not only will it not have any effect, but it will also bring more criticism to his path to the throne.
If we're talking about someone who's planning to be abdicated, Sima Zhao is the prime example.
He refused all imperial rewards and honors, and used various means to quickly build his prestige among the common people and various powerful families.
When the people's will is fulfilled, that will be the day to force Cao Mao to abdicate!
Feeling his power and imperial prestige waning, Cao Mao knew he couldn't continue like this.
If Sima Zhao continues to build up his reputation and prestige, it won't be long before the opportunity arrives and he will have no chance to retaliate.
So, on this night in the fifth year of Ganlu, he summoned all the people he trusted.
Li Zhao, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and Jiao Bo, the Palace Attendant, were his confidants.
Wang Shen, Wang Jing, and Wang Ye were the only people in the court he could truly trust.
At the same time, the text in the sky gradually solidified into an image.
Cao Mao's youthful appearance appeared in the sky.
Cao Cao was stunned when he saw that still somewhat immature face.
Whether it was his imagination or not, he seemed to see a hint of triumph on Cao Mao's face, in addition to anger and frustration.
Just like when I was young.
While he was still in a daze, Cao Mao spoke in the video.
“From Sima Yi to Sima Shi, and now to Sima Zhao, the Sima family’s three generations of scheming were all for the sake of the empire that my ancestors conquered.”
"Sima Zhao's intentions are obvious to everyone!"
"But I am unwilling to endure the humiliation of being deposed!"
"You are my confidants, and the only people I can trust left in the court."
"I will send troops to ambush Sima Zhao on his way to court. When he arrives, we will swarm him and kill this traitor!"
Cao Mao looked at everyone deeply, then slowly took two steps back and bowed deeply to the crowd.
"I hope you will all help me to restore the Great Wei dynasty!"
Li Zhao and Jiao Bo's eyes instantly turned red, almost brimming with tears.
They were Cao Mao's true loyalists. Seeing him like this, they were moved and also hated themselves for being powerless to share the emperor's burdens.
"I will serve Your Majesty to the death!"
The remaining three, however, had completely different expressions.
Some were initially surprised but then delighted, some were panicked, and some even had a glint in their eyes, already deciding how to betray the person.
Wang Shen and Wang Ye nodded to each other, but were secretly making their own plans.
Instead, Wang Jing quickly spoke up to dissuade him.
"Your Majesty, do you not think of Duke Zhao of Lu in the past? He became a laughing stock for all time because of his failure to attack the Ji clan. If Your Majesty loses, you will not only become a laughing stock, but you may even be killed in battle. This matter needs to be considered carefully!"
He was willing to be loyal to Cao Mao, but the difference in strength between the two sides was too great, and he did not want to watch Cao Mao die.
However, in the face of his persuasion, Cao Mao simply took out the imperial edict from his bosom, his face completely calm.
"I'd rather be a shattered jade than a whole tile!"
"My dear minister, please do not try to persuade me any further. My mind is made up. Besides, it might not be me who is broken!"
……
Upon seeing this, Cao Cao already had a guess in his mind.
Sima Yi's gaze gradually shifted from disdain to seriousness.
He also saw that this was Cao Mao's only chance to turn the tide.
If it is really as he guessed, then this is indeed the only opportunity that can be seized!
And this Cao Mao truly possessed the spirit of Cao Cao!
"Better to be a broken jade than a whole tile. Just by saying these words, I feel that, regardless of victory or defeat, as a puppet, he has already won!"
Liu Che immediately clapped and cheered.
"As a puppet, he's absolutely winning, isn't he?"
Liu Bang said irritably.
Not to mention as a puppet emperor, even as the last emperor and the one who brought down the Great Wei Dynasty, Cao Mao was far superior to Hu Hai!
"Don't forget, although Cao Mao was a puppet for most of his life, he was not a ruler who brought about the downfall of the country. On the contrary, he single-handedly delayed the fall of the Wei Dynasty by a generation. He did almost everything he could."
This is something that ordinary puppet emperors can't compare to.
If you let Emperor Xian of Han, Liu Xie, come here, he would be left far behind, not even able to see the taillights of the car.
"He has enough backbone, but isn't his plan a bit too crude?"
"It gives people the feeling of children playing house."
Some people didn't quite understand, so they casually made a comment.
“Rough?”
"Don't rush to conclusions."
"Only after you've read it will you know what he's going to do."
"Oh, wait, you're Zhao Heng? Then you should have read the history of the late Wei and early Jin dynasties."
"Even if I remember, you still won't understand, just like you still don't understand why Mount Tai became a disgrace after you performed the Fengshan ceremony."
"A person like you wouldn't understand what Cao Mao truly wanted to do."