Chương 286: Cao Cao Refuses, Wang Fen Commits Suicide

Chen Yi clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with hatred, and said, "My father died at the hands of eunuchs, a crime that gnashes the teeth of all scholars. Now His Majesty is incompetent and favors eunuchs... This is the time for us to set things right!"

Zhou Jing slammed his fist on the table and stood up, shouting, "Your Excellency has served in Ji Province for four years, pacifying displaced people and suppressing minor bandits, winning the hearts of the people.

If we use the pretext of the Yellow Turban remnants' uprising to request troops from the court, and then take advantage of His Majesty's northern tour to Hejian to eliminate the eunuchs, depose the incompetent emperor, and install a wise ruler, Ji Province can be at peace, and the world can be stabilized!"

Wang Fen's heart suddenly raced.

He had had such thoughts before, but he had always kept them to himself.

He had been living off the Han emperor's salary for decades, and seeing the Han dynasty crumbling before his eyes, how could he sit idly by?

The matter of deposing and installing emperors is extremely dangerous; one wrong step could lead to the execution of the entire family and utter disgrace.

"Who should be appointed instead?" Wang Fen asked in a deep voice.

Xu You stepped forward and lowered his voice, saying, "The Marquis of Hefei is a relative of His Majesty and has a long-standing reputation for virtue, far surpassing the current emperor who indulges in wine and women and favors eunuchs."

He paused, then added, "Or... the current Prince of Yan, Liu Ce. The Prince of Yan is His Majesty's younger brother, with numerous military achievements, and he dominates Youzhou. If we could gain his support..."

Wang Fen shook her head and said, "Prince Liu Ce of Yan is not suitable. Although he is a member of the imperial clan, his power is too great. If we make him emperor, we will be sidelined. Marquis Hefei is weak and needs our assistance, which is the best course of action."

Xu You nodded and said, "Your Excellency's insight is brilliant."

After much deliberation, the group devised a plan: Wang Fen would recruit soldiers under the pretext of suppressing a rebellion, and when Liu Hong made his northern tour to Hejian, they would ambush him, kill the eunuchs, depose Liu Hong, and install the Marquis of Hefei.

......

Three days later, Xu You arrived in Luoyang on horseback and went straight to Cao Cao's residence.

At that time, Cao Cao was engrossed in reading "The Art of War" when he saw Xu You arrive looking travel-worn. He knew then that something important must have happened.

"Mengde," Xu You dismissed his attendants and revealed Wang Fen's secret plot, "Now that the troops of Ji Province are ready, and Master Xiang's prophecy has come true, if we join forces, we can eliminate the eunuchs, depose the emperor, and restore the Han Dynasty. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Cao Cao put down his book, looked calmly at Xu You, and after a long while spoke: "Ziyuan, the matter of deposing and installing emperors is extremely inauspicious for the world. In the past, Yi Yin and Huo Guang deposed and installed emperors because their power was secure and the people supported them. Now, although Wang Fen occupies Ji Province, he has no military power as governor, and the troops he has recruited are nothing more than a rabble.

The Marquis of Hefei has neither virtue nor power, so how can he win over the world? Moreover, there is His Majesty's younger brother, Liu Ce, the Prince of Yan, in the north."

He paused, his tone growing increasingly grave, and said, "Though eunuchs are wicked, His Majesty is still alive, and the Imperial Guards are at our command. For you, with the strength of a single prefecture, to plot against the Emperor is tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock. If I participate, I will only be courting my own destruction. Ziyuan, listen to me! Quickly persuade Governor Wang to stop, or disaster will befall you!"

Xu You was surprised by Cao Cao's resolute refusal and hurriedly said, "Mengde, how do you know this great undertaking will fail? The people have suffered under the rule of officials for too long. If we rise up, we will surely receive a hundred responses!"

"A single call to arms?" Cao Cao sneered.

"Scholars each have their own agendas, and powerful figures each guard their own territories. Who would truly risk their lives for you? Wang Fen, as governor, is plotting to depose the emperor; the court will surely be suspicious. Once word gets out, he will die without a burial place!"

Seeing that Cao Cao had made up his mind, Xu You had no choice but to leave dejectedly.

He returned to Ji Province and told Wang Fen what Cao Cao had said.

Wang Fen's heart sank.

He knew Cao Cao's talent, and if he could get this man's help, great things could be accomplished.

pity......

Chen Yi gritted his teeth and said, "Cao Mengde is too cautious! The people have suffered under officialdom for too long. Our uprising is precisely in accordance with the will of Heaven!"

Zhou Jing slammed his hand on the table and said, "My lord, we can't hesitate any longer! His Majesty is about to make a northern tour to Hejian. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! As long as we recruit soldiers under the pretext of suppressing the rebellion, ambush them along the way, execute the eunuchs, and depose the emperor, we can succeed!"

Wang Fen paced around the room, her footsteps sounding particularly clear in the quiet night.

He knew how risky it was.

If they fail, their entire family will be executed.

The temptation to succeed is even greater: eliminate the eunuchs, depose the incompetent emperor, establish a wise ruler, and rebuild the Han Dynasty!

"What about Hou Hefei..." Wang Fen asked hesitantly.

"I've already sent someone to make contact," Xu You said in a low voice.

"Although the Marquis of Hefei didn't say it explicitly, he meant that... if things go well, he's willing to take on this important responsibility."

Wang Fen took a deep breath and finally made up her mind, saying, "Okay! Let's do it!"

He then wrote to the court, falsely claiming that the remnants of the Yellow Turban Army had launched a large-scale invasion of Jizhou counties and requested the court to allow him to recruit troops to quell the rebellion.

The memorial was sent out by fast horse.

However, what they did not know was that at almost the same time, He Jin and the Ten Attendants in Luoyang had already received an "anonymous" secret report: Wang Fen, the governor of Ji Province, was plotting to depose the emperor.

Liu Hong was playing with palace maids in the West Garden when he heard the news and was so shocked that he smashed the jade cup.

"Wang Fen... he dares!" Liu Hong said, his face ashen.

"I have treated him well, yet he dares to plot rebellion!"

Zhang Rang, standing to the side, said sinisterly, "Your Majesty, Wang Fen is a traitor whose crimes deserve no punishment! Issue an edict immediately ordering him to withdraw his troops and return to court. Anyone who dares to disobey the imperial decree will be punished for treason!"

He Jin, unusually agreeing with the eunuchs, said, "Your Majesty, Wang Fen, as a prefect, plotted to depose and install emperors. This trend must not be allowed to continue! He should be severely punished!"

Liu Hong immediately issued an edict ordering Wang Fen to immediately cease hostilities and quickly come to court to report on his duties.

The imperial edict arrived even faster than Wang Fen's memorial requesting troops, and was delivered to the governor's office of Jizhou three days later.

Wang Fen held the imperial edict, her hands trembling uncontrollably.

A ceasefire would mean the end of any resistance.

Entering the court would be like walking into a trap; what awaited him was the butcher's knife of the eunuchs.

Outside the mansion, the wind howled even stronger, and one could almost hear the hoofbeats of the Luoyang Imperial Guards galloping towards them.

Xu You, Chen Yi, Zhou Jing, and the others looked at each other, all showing fear, and urged Wang Fen to flee quickly.

Wang Fen shook her head, walked to the window, and looked at the snow falling all around her, her eyes filled with sorrow.

He recalled his four years in Jizhou, the people's expectations, Xiang Kai's prophecy, and the distant revival of the Han Dynasty.

"As a Han official, I failed to secure the state and instead plotted rebellion against my superiors, which is already disloyal. To flee after the failure is even more unjust."

He slowly turned around and drew the sword from his waist.

"I will take full responsibility for what happened today. You should all leave quickly and not get stuck in this quagmire."

Xu You and the others wanted to persuade her again, but they saw Wang Fen holding a sword to her neck, her eyes resolute.

"Ziyuan, tell Mengde that he is right..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sword sliced across his neck.

Blood splattered, staining the map on the table and the words "Hejian" red.

Xu You and the others were stunned on the spot, and then they were overwhelmed with grief.

But they knew that now was not the time for sorrow, as the imperial army could arrive at any moment.

The three bowed three times to Wang Fen's body and then hurriedly left.

The bronze lamp in the governor's mansion of Jizhou finally went out.

Xu You escaped, and Chen Yi and Zhou Jing disappeared without a trace.

The Marquis of Hefei was so frightened that he stayed indoors. Although Liu Hong did not investigate further, he became suspicious.

When the news reached Zhuo County, Liu Ce was playing with his son Liu Chen.

"My lord, an urgent report from Ji Province." Lu Bing handed over the secret letter.

After reading it, Liu Ce sighed and said, "Why bother... Knowing it's a dead end, why rush forward?"

Cai Yan took the child and asked softly, "Wang Fen... is she dead?"

"He committed suicide." Liu Ce handed the letter to Fang Xuanling and the others beside him.

"That old bastard, he was a loyal minister, but he was too naive."

After reading the letter, Fang Xuanling shook his head and said, "Wang Fen made two mistakes: first, he underestimated the court's vigilance; second, he overestimated his own ability to rally support. A prefect has no real power, and the soldiers he recruited are nothing but a rabble; how can they possibly contend with the imperial guards?"

Du Ruhui sneered, "What's more, he also wants to drag our lord down with him. The secret letter mentioned that they had considered supporting you, our lord."

Liu Ce raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh? Then I should thank them for thinking so highly of me."

Guo Jia said lazily, "With Wang Fen dead, Ji Province is temporarily stable. However, after this incident, the court will be even more suspicious of local governors."

Liu Ce suddenly laughed.

"The world is getting more and more lively."