Chapter 478 I Don’t Want to Play with You
In Yan'an, the convoy of carriages and horses returning to Guanzhong travels on the straight road on the mountain ridge.

Cai Zhaoji opened the car window and looked at the soldiers and civilians who were collecting firewood on the opposite hillside with a solemn expression.

There were also many slaves from the various Hu tribes among them, and as everywhere else, these slaves were responsible for the most tiring work.

Cai Zhaoji had no objection to this. As for slaves being worked to death or beaten to death, she had seen a lot of this in her early years and didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

After traveling another seven or eight miles, the team of carriages and horses rested at a military station.

A military station is a military camp built to accommodate eight hundred men and house a thousand horses.

The stables were simple, without any wooden sheds to shelter from the rain, just a circle surrounded by wooden stakes and fences; only the hay fields nearby that stored fodder would build rainproof wooden sheds to protect the concentrated feed.

As long as hay and fodder are bundled and stacked, it doesn't matter if they get wet by rain.

The carriage stopped at the military station. As soon as Cai Zhaoji got off, the female official with a sword in her arms came over with an embroidered silk parasol and stretched out her arms to shield her from the scorching midday sun.

Dong Si, who arrived earlier, also came forward and said, "Master Cai, Master Yuan Chang has purchased a wild goat and is preparing to cook it for a banquet. I have come to invite Master Cai to the banquet."

Cai Zhaoji looked up when she heard this. Even with an umbrella above her head, she still felt the scorching heat of the sun, and the ground beneath her feet was almost whitened by the sun.

As soon as the leather boots on my feet touched the ground, I soon felt waves of heat burning the soles of my feet. Looking around, I saw that some guards had taken off their leather armor and were lying in the shade to avoid the heat.

The heat in the early autumn afternoon is really fierce.

Cai Zhaoji saw that it was not suitable for the team to travel at noon, so she said to Dong Si: "I don't like mutton, you can eat as you like, I will just eat some cool fruit."

Dong Si nodded, looked around, and said, "I heard that Lord Yuan Chang seemed to want to discuss something."

"Let him talk."

Cai Zhaoji looked unhappy and immediately walked towards the stationmaster of the military station. The stationmaster also hurried to greet her and led Cai Zhaoji into the military station to the most spacious barracks to take a nap and escape the summer heat.

After watching Cai Zhaoji and others leave, Dong Si stood there and thought for a while, then turned around and went under the thatched shed.

Here Zhong Yao was kneeling at the top, waving a folding fan and smiling as he watched the people busy inside and outside the straw hut.

Next to him was Wang Can, who was still thin. He sat there, opening and closing the folding fan in his hand from time to time, playing with it.

Wang Can saw that Dong Si had returned empty-handed, and couldn't help but grin. He gently opened his folding fan and fanned himself again: "Lord Yuan Chang, what is the matter that deserves your solemnity?"

"Recently, there have been rumors in Guanzhong that Lingling Liu Ba, who was originally a Grand Marshal, was beaten by Grand Historian Wen Gong and fainted in court."

Zhong Yao smiled, stopped fanning himself, and slowly closed his folding fan: "As for the Grand Marshal's background, I think it should not be vague. Judging from the Grand Marshal's actions, the late emperor could have explained his background when he was conferred the title of Marquis. With the late emperor's investigation and evidence, there would be no omissions. It's just that the Grand Marshal was in high spirits and missed this opportunity. After the late emperor sacrificed his life for the country, changing his surname might cause slander and criticism from the world, so this matter has been delayed until now."

Zhong Yao's expression became serious as he spoke: "Liu Ba questioned this matter. Given the character of the Grand Marshal, how could he try to curry favor with him? Liu Ba not only cut off the Grand Marshal's path to return to the royal family, but also cut off the path of the royal family. This person is not stupid and incompetent, but he acted like this, so he must have other intentions."

Wang Can understood what Zhong Yao meant. When the late emperor was alive, the officials in Xudu were relatively well-established, the Central Plains was gradually recovering, and many things could be corroborated by witnesses.

So it was not normal for the Grand Marshal to give up his royal status and just let the rumors spread.

The world is in chaos, and the identity of a royal family member is almost equivalent to a certificate of emulating the second Guangwu, which will gain a lot of external support and reduce internal resistance.

Under the great rule of the Han Dynasty, being a member of the royal family was proof of one's virtue.

If you refused to accept it when the late emperor was alive, doesn't that mean you are completely guilty?
Although the imperial court was controlled by Cao Cao at that time, does it matter?

The only chance was when the late emperor was still alive. With the late emperor's recognition, who could question it?

Zhong Yao was well aware of how difficult it was to obtain official approval from the court at that time. This was a wonderful bait of hanging or grinding Guanzhong to death, so how could it be given out so easily?

So Black Bear didn't have this idea at that time, and if he wants to do it now, he has lost the best opportunity.

After the late emperor, no one can guarantee his status as a royal family member!

Wang Can didn't want to talk about this topic, but if he refused to talk about it, it would affect his image and status.

As a scholar leader, you must dare to discuss politics and affairs. If you don't even dare to express your opinions, who will believe you?
Wang Can thought for a moment and then agreed: "What Lord Yuan Chang said makes sense. Liu Ba should be a deadly spy in the southeast. Now he is using his eloquence to anger the Grand Marshal. This is what he is planning. The Grand Marshal is feared throughout the country and admired by all. If he loses the righteousness of the Han royal family, the Han officials of all sides will not easily obey him. From now on, there will be troubles in the world."

While sighing, Wang Can saw that the people around him were listening attentively, and hurriedly said: "I guess this is a conspiracy of the pseudo-dynasty in the southeast. Whether the Grand Marshal admits or refuses, they have subsequent plans. But I can be sure that the Grand Marshal is indeed of Han blood."

"Oh?"

Zhong Yao showed surprise and joy on his face, and immediately asked: "What is the evidence?"

"My brother is Liu Jingsheng's son-in-law. I once heard Liu Jingsheng and his son discuss matters and talk about the Grand Marshal. At that time, the Grand Marshal was a guest in Jingxiang and was friendly and close to Liu Fubo. According to Liu Fubo, the Grand Marshal knew the secrets of the royal family and was definitely not from a small clan or the last descendant."

Wang Can looked serious, put the folding fan in his hand on the table, and continued: "I also have doubts about this. Later, when the Grand Marshal fought with Cai Mao, the Grand Marshal stationed in Wanshan, near my hut. I was fortunate to be alone with the Grand Marshal, so we discussed the world. The Grand Marshal is unique and extraordinary, and is definitely not an ordinary person. To have such knowledge, he must be a descendant of nobles."

Zhong Yao smiled in relief after hearing this: "Yes, it is precisely because I saw that the Grand Marshal had the signs of restoring the Han Dynasty for the third time that I was so patient and helped him many times. If the Han Dynasty can be revived for the third time and live up to the hereditary honor, I can rest in peace."

Wang Can picked up his folding fan and gently spread it open before asking, "What do you think Liu Ba wants to do, Lord Yuan Chang?"

"Liu Ba follows the false emperor. I don't know what he wants to do. Anyway, we should do the opposite and we will not let him get what he wants."

Zhong Yao spoke in a light tone. He had just completed the briefing with Wang Can and they were both sure that the Grand Marshal had no solid evidence.

They tried to conceal their expressions, but Zhong Yao was frightened and Wang Can was disappointed.

Now there is only indirect evidence against Liu Qi, unless other people with greater experience and prestige come forward.

As for ordinary scholars, guards, servants and the like, they have no right to speak at this moment.

Even if you have the genealogy chart of the royal family of Chen, it still lacks some weight.

Even if there were documents written by Prince Chen during his lifetime, they could only prove that Prince Chen had a son who was left alone and entrusted to a reliable confidant, but they could not prove that the child raised and brought up by the confidant was the heir of Prince Chen.

So there is absolutely no solution.

The more you get hung up on this identity, the more you will continue to involve manpower, dragging more and more people into it, and tearing it into pieces.

What disappointed them most was the attitude of the Grand Marshal himself. When the late emperor was alive, he clearly had the opportunity to fight for it, but he just let it go.

This shows that the Grand Marshal does not care about his royal family identity, so even if he is really a descendant of the royal family, he himself does not care, then the authenticity of this identity is meaningless.

Wang Can pondered and looked up at the dark blue sky outside the shed, feeling that all this was ridiculous.

The royal family of Chen was exterminated so thoroughly that even if there were some people left, they could serve as evidence.

In fact, it doesn’t really matter whether there is evidence or not. The key point is that the Ruying scholar hurt the Grand Marshal too harshly.

The result is what it is now, which makes him feel very depressed.

Such a huge blood feud ruined everything in Da Sima's childhood... If you put yourself in his shoes, Da Sima's current behavior is already very kind.

Zhong Yao also had similar emotions. He could have slowly made use of his royal family status to do something about it, which would be good for both of us.

But the other party just can't let go of that hatred, and the most hateful thing is that I really can't beat him.

Even now, people in Guanzhong no longer have the courage to resist or confront.

If nothing unexpected happens, the Liu family of Changsha and the Liu family of Pei will be swept away in the future.

Even if the other party has solid evidence to prove the identity of the Grand Marshal... it would be a bit of a joke to talk about evidence in front of an elite army of more than 100,000.

It would be fine if he couldn't win, the only thing that made Zhong Yao unwilling was that the Grand Marshal didn't care about his royal family status at all.

This made him feel as if all his skills and energy accumulated over such a long time had been wasted.

Silently, Zhong Yao and Wang Can made eye contact and both felt each other's helplessness.

(End of this chapter)