Chapter 12 4. Suffering short-term setbacks

It was his father Cao Song who held a completely negative attitude towards Cao Cao's killing of Jian Shu with a stick.For his son's so-called feat this time, Cao Song only wanted to give a two-word comment: childish. In Cao Song's view, even if he wanted to express his break with the eunuch camp, he definitely could not use such a simple and rude method.The powerful Jian Shuo lost face in front of a mere captain of four hundred stones, and he will definitely find a way to get it back. Thinking of these, Cao Song felt terrible.While using his adoptive father's relationship in the palace, he tried to communicate with Jian Shuo; at the same time, he thought hard to see if there was any way to get Cao Cao out.

Jian Shuo's side was still very calm, neither immediately launched revenge, nor wanted to resolve the grievances with the Cao family.This made Cao Song even more uncertain. Cao Cao still looked indifferent, and continued to be his chief of public security, and worked even harder, leading a group of subordinates to keep social order all day long, and manage the area under his jurisdiction in an orderly manner.Some criminals fled to the other three districts to hide.Over time, Cao Cao's reputation became even greater. Jian Shuo did not carry out the revenge plan, but Cao Cao felt a little disappointed.According to his calculations, Jian Shuo should be furious and immediately remove him from office and send him to Beisi Prison.

If that is the case, Cao Cao believes that the Tai students will be the first to rescue him, and they will collectively write a letter outside the North Palace to appeal for his grievances.There are also scholars and court officials, those who know him and those who don't know him, will flock to play him, treating him as a mighty, unyielding, upright hero. This was not Cao Cao's fantasy. At that time, there was a trend of straightness that was very popular.The so-called straightness means knowing that you are not an opponent, but you have to stand up and challenge the powerful one-on-one.Because they know that there is strong public support behind them. Although they will face the danger of persecution, they will also gain huge social prestige, and their popularity will skyrocket overnight.

There is an example that illustrates the fashion at that time.The protagonist is Li Xie, the son of the famous party leader Li Gu. After Li Gu was framed and murdered by Liang Ji, Li Xie fled everywhere.Later, Emperor Huan killed Liang Ji, and Li Gu became a hero in the long-term struggle against Liang's group. Emperor Huan inquired about Li Gu's descendants, and finally found Li Xie, and worshiped him as Yilang. This Xiao Li is as upright as his father, Lao Li. Although he is not a big official, he is jealous of evil, especially for eunuchs and their minions.Once, he met a man named Zhen Shao on the road. The family has kept filial piety for three years, but in this way, the chance of promotion will be missed.

Zhen Shao secretly buried his mother in the stable, and did not mourn until he got the letter of commission. His moral level was so poor.But he took refuge in the eunuch, and the officialdom went smoothly, and no one dared to mess with him. Xiao Li also knows this person, and has long disliked him, but this time he happens to meet, how can he let him go?He ordered his followers to overturn Zhen Shao's car, throw it into a ditch, and beat him up.Still angry after the beating, Xiao Li found a banner and wrote a few large characters: "Put you and sell your friends, corrupt officials bury your mother", and hung it on Zhen Shao's back, making this kid make a fool of himself in the streets.

After the incident, Li Xie had nothing to do, and instead became more famous. This is because although the eunuchs are powerful, their hearts are very empty, especially when it comes to public opinion and public opinion, they are even more frightened. Under the seemingly powerful appearance, they actually have a fragile heart. The reason why straight people are not afraid of the eunuch's revenge is because this matter has already been made a big deal by them.This is the whole point. It must make a big fuss and become the focus of public opinion. In this way, there is only one result: calm and calm.Those who suffered a loss did not dare to retaliate immediately, otherwise they would help the troublemaker.

So when Cao Cao beat Uncle Jian Shuo with a stick, he secretly told his subordinates to beat him to death, but if he survived the beating, he did not make a big fuss, weakened the influence of the incident, and was not good for him. Jian Shuo didn't move, maybe he wanted to get angry but couldn't find an outlet.Jian Shuo may comfort himself like this: You are crazy, let you be crazy, you boy, wait a bit, it is not too late for a gentleman to take revenge in ten years! Cao Cao couldn't wait that long, he hoped that there would be a storm in his heart, and he was in the center of the storm, and he wanted to use this storm to further increase his popularity.

But still nothing happened.In the fifth year of Xiping (176), he had served for two years, and according to the system, the relevant departments would conduct a debriefing assessment on him.The result came out, he was actually assessed as superior, which meant that he could be promoted to a higher level. Relevant orders were issued later, and he was appointed magistrate of Dunqiu County, and his rank was raised to six hundred stones. What is the background of this appointment?It all seems possible. But this is not the result Cao Cao hoped for.But there was no way, he had to leave Luoyang, bid farewell to his father, and go to Dunqiu to take office.

For the past two years of working experience in Luoyang, Cao Cao's self-evaluation is not bad, and he often recalls it later.Once when Sun Quan was conquered, Cao Cao left his son Cao Zhi to guard Ye County. Cao Zhi was just 23 years old, the same age as Cao Cao at that time.Cao Cao warned Cao Zhi: "I was also 23 years old when I was the commander of Dunqiu. Looking back on what I did in Luoyang, I have no regrets." He passed by Luoyang on his way back from the front line of Hanzhong, and he also specially informed the relevant parties to renovate the government office of Luoyang Beiwei.

Now, County Magistrate Cao is going to Dunqiu to take office. Dunqiu County is in Dongjun County of Yanzhou Governor's Department, very close to Puyang County, the seat of Dongjun Prefecture.Yuan Shao, who is about ten years older than Cao Cao, served as the county magistrate in Puyang a few years ago.Now Yuan Shao, because of his mother's death, is staying at his home in Runan County to observe filial piety.Dongjun is on the right wing of Luoyang, because it is also along the Yellow River, so its strategic position is very important. Since ancient times, many major battles have taken place here.Although Dunqiu County is not big, it is also an important county because it is close to the Yellow River and Puyang.

However, here is far away from the capital, far away from family and friends, the 23-year-old Cao Cao is alone, and his heart is full of loneliness and melancholy.A term of at least two or three years, he does not know how to spend this period of time. However, in just a few months, he didn't have to worry about it anymore, because even more unpleasant news came later: he was dismissed on the spot! It's not that Jian Shuo and others played tricks behind their backs, but that the Cao family was implicated by a marriage.As mentioned earlier, among Cao Cao's contemporaries, there was a cousin who married a man named Song Qi, and Song Qi's sister was the queen of Lingdi Liu Hong. After Lingdi Liu Hong became an adult, the first queen he established was Queen Song, which happened in the fourth year of Jianning (171).Empress Song is the head of the harem, but she is not favored by Emperor Ling. In the harem, a place full of bloody struggles, she is destined to be the target of attacks by others. The eunuch Wang Fu and others also didn't like Queen Song, so they, together with other concubines, falsely accused Queen Song of being involved in a conspiracy case.As a result, Empress Song died in the prison (violent room) in the palace, and the Song family was killed, including Song Qi, the younger brother of Empress Song and Cao Cao's cousin-in-law.Because of this marriage, Cao Cao was dismissed.It stands to reason that Cao Song, who served as the Minister of Agriculture, should also be dismissed, but there is no clear record in history books. In his twenties, at the time when he was in his prime, Cao Cao was a little bored when he encountered difficulties in his official career one after another. Because of killing Jian Shuo's uncle, Cao Cao and Jian Shuo forged a feud.Now another great eunuch, Wang Fu, is bound to become the opposite of the Cao family because of the relationship with Empress Song.It seems that Luoyang cannot go back for the time being. Therefore, Cao Cao made up his mind to go back to his hometown in Qiao County, where he would take a good rest, read a book, and think about the future.