At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty

Resigning from a job and living in seclusion should have been regarded as a way of "raising hope".

It is the same as when Yuan Shao lived in Luoyang for six years under the pretext of keeping filial piety for his parents.

However, Yuan Shao has deep expectations and plans for his future, and he does not lack talents who can advise him. His goal of seclusion is clear.

But Cao Cao didn't. His resignation was more like an escape after being disappointed with reality.

"Brother, if you want to resume your job, can't you just ask your father-in-law to help arrange it?"

Facing Guo Peng's question, Cao Cao shook his head with a wry smile.

"That's the case, but Zifeng, if I become an official again, will I be able to do better and more praiseworthy than before? If I make a little achievement and be dismissed from office, it's better not to do it from the beginning."

Guo Peng was silent for a while.

"Brother, with your father-in-law's relationship in the court, you will be able to return to the court sooner or later. After all, you are the eldest son. It is very necessary for you to be an official."

Cao Cao did not refute.

"I know, but when I came back from Jinan, I suddenly didn't know what my purpose of being an official was."

"Brother, Yuan Benchu ​​has already responded to the general's call and became a subordinate officer of the general. Since Yuan Benchu ​​has already left the official position, how can the elder brother take care of himself? Elder brother can't, and I can't either."

Cao Cao knew what Guo Peng meant.

Guo Peng was telling Cao Cao that he would eventually return to the central government to serve the thigh he had chosen.

And Guo Peng may also return to the central government to serve the thigh chosen by Guo Peng.

What are thighs?

Brother Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.

There is competition between the two brothers, and there is also a secret tacit understanding.

The rivalry between the two brothers is mainly based on Yuan Ji's death as the dividing line.

Before Yuan Ji's death, the two tried their best to support them, working hand in hand and fighting as supplementary, so even though Guo Peng chose Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao never did anything to Guo Peng.

After Yuan Ji's death, the choice of the next generation of the Yuan family was uncertain. Yuan Shao wanted to do it, and Yuan Shu also wanted to do it. The two people changed from a secret competition to an open conflict.

Guo Peng still didn't know whether Dong Zhuo's rebellion was a man-made script, but he always believed that Yuan's role in this turmoil must be a trader.

There is no other reason. Dong Zhuo is an old official of Yuan Kai.

The more he was an official, the more he understood the operation and political rules of the Central Government of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the more Guo Peng found Yuan's frightening.

So he sincerely admired Cao Cao for being able to defeat Yuan Shi.

The Yuan family in Runan is a miracle in the history of Chinese bureaucracy. It began when the ancestor Yuan An served as the Grand Sikong during Emperor Zhang of the Han Dynasty, and a total of seven people in the following four generations reached the high position of Sangong.

In other words, during the century-long period in the middle and late Eastern Han Dynasty, this family actually held the high position of the three princes continuously like hereditary.

The Sangong can open a mansion, and the Yuan family has mastered "Meng Shiyi", and has the right to hold the scriptures and teach disciples, so the Yuan family cultivates minions, weaves cronies, one disciple and another old official, and even the old disciples and old officials are all over the world.

The network of contacts and relationships run by four generations of the Yuan family has made it unparalleled in the political and cultural circles.

When it came to Yuan Shao's generation, he relied on his personal charm, courteous corporals, recruited guests widely, and carried forward this network, which made the Yuan family's reputation grow day by day.

According to historical records, when Yuan Shao's mother passed away, as many as [-] people came to attend the funeral!

After the Yellow Turban Rebellion, several members of the Yuan family entered the military circle. Yuan Shao was the second in command of the eight captains of Xiyuan, Yuan Shu was the general of Huben Zhonglang who controlled the Huben Army, and Yuan Kai was the rear general.

Taking advantage of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, they used the mediocre He Jin as a cover to act like a chicken laying an egg. On the surface, they regarded He Jin as the leader and claimed to be the Duke of Ming. In fact, they completely regarded He Jin as a banner to do things cheaply .

Yuan Shi, scary.

There has never been such a prosperous family in ancient times.

Under the political rules of the dual monarchy system in the Eastern Han Dynasty, a large number of officials took the Han Emperor as the first monarch and the Yuan family as the second monarch. The Yuan family actually had the power to control the Han government.

Guo Peng has thousands of elite soldiers in his hands, he is the head of a county, and the head of a state general. He has progressed from a student to the present, but within a few years, it can be said that he has made rapid progress and has a bright future.

But what about Yuan Shi?

Leveraging the foundation laid by their four generations, if they don't make a move, they will aim at the highest authority in the central government, intending to succeed in one battle, cut off the imperial power's wings, become the powerful minister who actually controls the world, and regard the emperor of Han as a plaything in his palm.

This is the gap in vision and goals brought about by different backgrounds, the gap in background, the gap in popularity, and the gap in desire.

Guo Peng's popularity is rootless duckweed, which is all blown out, while Yuan's popularity is solid, and it is all obtained in exchange for political interests.

With the power of one person and the power accumulated by four generations of senior officials, how can we counter the enemy head-on?

So Guo Peng knows to walk step by step, step by step with difficulty, and walk carefully.

Then he looked up and watched Yuan's stepping on the human ladder formed by the human resources accumulated by four generations to reach the peak directly, calling the wind and the rain on the top, shocking the wind and clouds, and aspiring to the highest power.

The advantage is huge, the advantage is so huge, so terrifying, when Guo Peng was still digging ice on the frozen river at the starting line, they were almost standing in front of the finish line.

While talking and laughing, talents, military resources, troops, territory, prestige, and righteousness are all there.

But ah.

Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao, they have everything since they were born, and they can get everything by stretching out their hands.

So they will never understand what Guo Peng has paid to be able to get to where he is today, to be able to dance with them shoulder to shoulder at the banquet.

And the part they will never understand is the reason why they will never be the final victor.

Therefore, Yuan Shao's strength is far superior to Cao Cao's, but he cannot defeat Cao Cao.

Therefore, Guo Peng feels that being able to become Yuan Shu's "close friend" and "being inseparable with him" is more valuable than becoming the governor of the state or even the shepherd of the state.

Yuan Shao is an enhanced and evolved version of Yuan Shu, and Yuan Shu is a degraded version of Yuan Shao.

Magnify Yuan Shao's shortcomings by two times, and then reduce his advantages by three times, and you will be Yuan Shu.

Wouldn't it be better to recognize a fool who dared to use the banner of "Zhong's Son of Heaven" as the boss when the people of the world were not fully ready to be replaced by the Han Dynasty? Wouldn't it be better than recognizing Yuan Shao as the boss?

So Guo Peng chose Yuan Shu willingly.

From that moment on, Guo Peng decided to do his best to push Yuan Shu to a higher place, bragging about him desperately, flattering him desperately, making him superior and letting him experience the supreme glory.

Yuan Shu, work harder, work harder, continue to lift your proud head, and never look down.

You are an aristocrat, born noble, your noble eyes should not look down, you just need to look up to the sky, you only need to aspire to be the supreme, and I will do everything else for you.

I will reach out, help you, and hold your chin for you, so that you will always be high and full of superiority.

then.

Watching yourself take the initiative to step into the abyss.

Is there anything more interesting than this?

Go at ease, Yuan Shu.

I will help you accomplish your goals, and I will help you get rid of Yuan Shao, who you dislike the most.

Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu were born in this generation of the Yuan family. It is really great, great.

Guo Peng sincerely thanked these sons and brothers who did not work hard and did not distinguish between five grains. It was precisely because of their excellent qualities that they gave a man of humble origin a chance to take advantage of.

Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, the two heirs of Yuan's assets.

With such a huge network of contacts and military, political and economic strength, the accumulation of four generations of people's brainstorming and collective efforts, the disciples and old officials are all over the world, and there are countless talents who are willing to take refuge in it.

How incompetent!Yuan Shao!

How incompetent!Yuan Shu!

The start was as fierce as a tiger, revealing his stuff at one stroke, full of king bombs, but he played the most tragic ending.

They are indeed the worst enemies, but they are also the best enemies to deal with.

At this moment, Guo Peng suddenly had an inexplicable premonition.

It is not difficult for him to sweep the world, but what is really difficult is after sweeping the world.

His greatest enemy is not a certain person, a certain warlord, or a certain force, but this era.

Guo Peng didn't know how such a premonition came about, but it happened inexplicably.

Chapter 158 Eight Great Earnings

Guo Peng didn't know where this feeling came from.

But he just had this feeling, this wonderful, dangerous feeling.

This terrible feeling of not knowing where it came from and where it is going.

Yuan's broom is sweeping the whole world, and he doesn't care what he, a tiny speck of dust, is thinking and doing.

Anyway, in peacetime, no matter how he accumulates, it is impossible to compare with the strength accumulated by the Yuan family's four generations and the previous generations.

Therefore, Yuan's eyes are always placed in the center, always staring at the supreme position.

Before the world was in chaos, who knew that the world would be in chaos?

At the beginning of the chaos in the world, who knew that the chaos in the world would last forever?

Their eyes are fixed on the center, their attention is on the center, and they all want to control the world by manipulating the center, and stand on the highest position in the simplest way.

These gentry families do not want the world to be in chaos, because the Eastern Han government is controlled by them and represents their interests.

They hope that this model will continue. They hope that the people of the world will recognize the Han government and the Han government controlled by them, and the emperor is just a symbolic existence.

So they didn't expect the real chaos in the world, including the Yuan family who regarded themselves as a trader, and they didn't expect Dong Zhuo to be so strong that he dared to kill Yuan Kai's family.

Scholars, powerful, distinguished, and high-ranking officials all want to run to the central government, and they all want to gain a firm foothold in the central government to safeguard their own interests and strive for more interests.

Who can know the right and wrong of Luoyang like Guo Peng, who needs to accumulate from a long time ago for emergencies?

Guo Peng has already walked ahead of many people, and his preparations have even surpassed many noble families who had no premonition about this through various means.

The ones in front of him are all objects that are difficult to shake in his life in a non-troubled world.

Although these people are difficult for him to shake for the time being, and few of those famous talents will choose to follow him to Shanggu, but this does not prevent him from laying the foundation, nor does it hinder him from trying hard.

He believes that his attempts will not always fail. Before the troubled times, there was no problem with failure. Even if there is only one success in a hundred attempts, it is still profitable.

And still make a lot of money.

So on the morning when he set off for Yangdi, when he saw Zaozhi packed some luggage and prepared a car waiting for him in front of his house, he knew he had made money again.

"Mr. Zao!"

Guo Peng stepped forward excitedly and grabbed Zaoyi's hand.

"Will Zao Jun go to Shanggu with me?"

"The Monarch of Mengfu will not give up, but he is only willing to go with him. He only wants to show what he has learned in his life and realize his lifelong ambition."

Zaozhi was firm all over his face.

"In this way, you are the one who serves the country and the people! You are worthy of Zao Jun!"

Guo Peng was overjoyed, took Zaoyi by the hand and took him to the mansion, and asked Guo Dan for this matter in person.

Guo Dan already knew it well, and expressed his apology to Zaozhi with a sigh.

"Zao Jun is willing to come to my prime minister's office, I am also happy, but the situation in Peiguo really can't help Zao Jun to develop his ambitions, Zao Jun is here, you must pay attention to your health, the bitter cold in the north is not like the Central Plains. "

"Thank you, Mr. Ming."

Zaoyi finally expressed his gratitude to Guo Dan, and then accepted Guo Peng's appointment as Tian Cao of Guo Peng's Shanggu County, specializing in farming and mulberry affairs.

Guo Peng asked Zaozhi again if he would like to stay with him in Luoyang for a while or go directly to Shanggu. If he would go directly, he would directly send his personal guards to protect Zaozhi all the way to Shanggu.

Zaozhi said that he followed Guo Peng for the sake of making achievements, not for enjoying the glory and wealth.

"Zaojun's ambition is so strong!"

Guo Peng praised Zaoyi, and then ordered Guo Lie to personally lead a guard team of 20 people to escort Zaoyi to Shanggu.

"This……"

Guo Lie was a little hesitant. He came here to protect Guo Peng. Now that Guo Peng asked them to deliver dates, what about Guo Peng's own safety?

"I'm in my hometown, are you worried that I have no one to protect me?"

Guo Peng smiled and asked Guo Lie to take the order and escort Zaoyi to Shanggu to take office. Zaoyi expressed his gratitude.