Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Mars and Venus

Cao Cao went on to play and swore to Emperor Xian: "Defend the country with your life and repay the emperor's favor with your life. This is the ambition that I have always embraced. Today I was selected by His Majesty and summoned to the lower steps of the palace to worship and accept the great order. This is more in line with what I hoped. The 200,000 elite soldiers under the humble minister's banner are all loyal and good people who embody the will of the minister. I respectfully ask your majesty to be at ease and not to worry, the bright and bright world of peace for all generations can be expected."

Cao Cao withdrew in the voice of "long live, long live", and the imperial palace and garden became so bright for a long time. However, on the other hand, Li Jue and Guo Si, who are now clearly called the bandits, were greatly surprised and did not know how to advance or retreat. "What?! What's so great about Cao Cao?! And he came from a long distance, and the journey is too fast. He must be exhausted." The two agreed and were eager to fight.Only counselor Jia Xu came forward and did not agree to go to war, saying: "Cao Cao should not be underestimated. No matter what, he is a very distinctive hero in the contemporary era. What is different from before is that the few civilian and military generals who have recently gathered under his banner It's better to give up rebellion and obey, take off your helmet and surrender. If you fight head-on, I'm afraid even future generations will laugh at me for being too self-sufficient."

Loyalty is harsh. Li Jue and Guo Si said: "Are you persuading them to surrender?! Before the battle, they made unlucky words! They also said that we were overestimated. You are rude!" They pushed Jia Xu out of the village and were about to kill him.But Jia Xu's colleagues pitied him and tried their best to speak out to save his life.So the two said: "Let me save your life. If you speak rudely again in the future, I will never spare you!" That night, Jia Xu bit through the curtain and escaped, never to be seen again. The next morning, the thief army started to advance according to the second general's intention, to head-on Cao Cao's army.

Li Jue has two nephews, one is Li Xian and the other is Li Bie.The two often pride themselves on their iron fist.They went hand in hand and broke through Cao Cao's avant-garde first. "Xu Chu! Xu Chu!" Cao Cao pointed at the army in the middle and said, "Go! See, those two enemy generals?" "Obey!" Xu Chu was like an eagle leaving his master's fist, leaping on his horse and flying to meet the enemy.As soon as he got close to the target enemy general, he raised his sword and cut Li Xian off his horse with one blow.Li Bie was shocked and ran away.Seeing this, Xu Chu yelled: "Stop!" He clapped his horse and chased after him, grabbed Li Bie's head, snapped his neck, and then turned his horse back, calm and calm.

Xu Chu was resolute and calm, and dared not pursue even the enemy who was right in front of him.Xu Chu placed the two heads in front of Cao Cao, with an expression as if he had picked up a persimmon that fell on the ground in front of the yard, and said, "Is this it?" Cao Cao patted Xu Chu's back and praised: "Exactly! Exactly! You really deserve to be Fan Kuai in this world! It's like seeing Fan Kui's incarnation!" Xu Chu was originally from Tian Fu, and he had not been under Cao Cao's command for a long time, so he was very embarrassed, and said, "No, it's not that powerful."

Xu Shi thought his appearance was ridiculous, but Cao Cao laughed loudly despite the battle in progress, "Ahahaha...cute guy! Hahahaha..." Seeing this situation, all the generals were moved with emotion, secretly thinking that Cao Cao must pat themselves on the back in this life. The result of the battle, of course, was Cao Cao's victory. Li Jue and Guo Si's disciples were no match for Cao Cao after all. The whole army was in chaos and was beheaded again and again. Cao Cao's famous name immediately resounded everywhere. After he completed the crusade against the bandits, he hung the captured heads on the street to show the public, issued orders to appease the people, strictly enforced military discipline, and stationed outside the city.

"Nothing to do. If things go on like this, we will all become his stepping stones." Seeing Cao Cao's power growing day by day, Yang Feng expressed his grievances to Han Siam. "You think so too." Although Han Xian is working at the Forbidden Gate, he was originally a thief general, and he formed a party with Li Le, so he immediately revealed his true nature and expressed his jealousy towards Cao Cao in dirty words. "We have protected the emperor until today. We have been loyal and diligent, and we have made great contributions. If this continues, once Cao Cao's reputation rises, I really don't know what will happen. Cao Cao will definitely put the merits of his group of people first, and will not recognize our existence. .”

"Yeah, I won't admit it." Yang Feng whispered a few words into Han Siam's ear, and then looked at Han Siam carefully. "Oh... um... do it!" Han Siam's eyes lit up. For the next four or five days, the two have been secretly plotting.One night, they suddenly invited out all the guards at the palace gate and moved them outside. The court was shocked and searched everywhere, and finally found out the truth: Yang Feng and Han Xian claimed to chase the bandits who fled earlier, but they led their troops towards Daliang. "Ask Cao Cao before making a decision." Emperor Xian sent a courtier as an emissary to Cao Cao's Dazhai before the officials discussed.

The imperial envoy came to Cao Cao's camp with the imperial edict. When Cao Cao heard that he was an imperial envoy, he greeted him respectfully. After the ceremony, he was inexplicably moved when he saw him for the first time. "..." The elegance of character! Nobility of character! "This person..." Cao Cao looked at this person and suddenly forgot himself. Maybe it's because of the decline of the world, the morality of the world has been really low in recent years.Years of famine and decadent people's hearts are naturally reflected in people's faces.No matter which face he looked at, his eyes were bulging, his helixes were as thin as paper, his lips were purple, and his skin was dull.

Some are like jackals, others are like fish bones covered with human skin, and others are like crows.That is the face of the world today. "And this person..." Cao Cao was fascinated. The visitor had delicate eyebrows, red lips, and fair skin, not the kind of morbid beauty that does not see the sun.His appearance is elegant and elegant, but deep inside he hides something cold and exudes fragrance. "This is the so-called good character. After a long time, I finally saw a decent person." Cao Cao whispered in his heart, but felt that this person was very annoying. No, it's scary.

Because Cao Cao felt that the emissary's cold gaze had penetrated into the depths of his heart. Cao Cao felt that if this person could not be used for himself, even if he was not an enemy, he would become an obstacle to him. "Uh... why on earth were you selected as today's emissary to come here? Where were you born and where are you now?" Cao Cao asked nonchalantly after he sat down quickly. "Thank you for asking me, I am ashamed." Dong Zhao, the imperial emissary, replied briefly, "In the past thirty years, I have only received grace and salary, and I have not made a single inch of merit." "What is your official position now?" "Ren Zhengyilang." "Where is the family?" "I am the Tao Ren family of Jiyin Ding. My name is Dong Zhao, and my courtesy name is Gongren." "Oh, it's also from Shandong." "I used to work for Yuan Shao. I heard that the emperor was fortunate enough to come to Luoyang. Now I am serving in the court." "Ah, to get to the bottom of it, I'm not educated, please forgive me!" Cao Cao held a banquet, and called Xun Yu to attend the banquet to discuss the current situation. At this time, someone came to report that some troops claimed to be the imperial guards, and last night they began to go south from outside the city one after another to the local area. When Cao Cao heard the news, he wanted to send troops. He said, "Who randomly mobilized the guards at the forbidden gate? Quickly capture the commander alive!" Dong Zhao stopped him and said, "Yang Feng is dissatisfied. Han Xian is a bandit from Shuai Baibo. The two conspired and fled to Daliang. This is a blind act of jealousy of the general's prestige. What can it do?! It's not worth your trouble." "But Li Jue and Guo Si's disciples also fled to other places..." Cao Cao emphasized. Dong Zhao smiled slightly, and said: "It's nothing to worry about. It's just a matter of shaking the dead leaves that fell from the treetops. I thought they would gather them together and burn them with a torch of fire. But the general has other more important priorities. what." "Ah, I was about to ask you, begging for advice." "The general's great achievements are seen in the eyes of the emperor, and everyone knows it. However, the old shell of the temple remains the same, and the narrow-minded people of tradition, clan and bureaucracy are all looking at the general with strange eyes and hearts. In addition, Luoyang is not suitable. Reform political affairs. I secretly think that it is appropriate to move the emperor's mansion to Xuchang (now Xuchang, Henan), and resolutely implement vigorous reforms in all departments." Cao Cao has been listening, and then said goodbye, said: "Recently, I have been taught implicitly, please teach me in the future. Once Cao Cao achieves a great cause, he will be rewarded generously." That night, another guest came and said to Cao Cao and others: "Recently, Wang Liguan, the servant of Taishi, found that Taibai star crossed the Milky Way since last year, and comets are also moving towards Taibai star. The two stars will meet. Wang Li predicted This phenomenon only occurs once or twice in a thousand years. It is rumored that if the two stars of gold and fire meet, a new emperor will definitely appear. Thinking about it this way, isn’t the imperial vein of the Han Dynasty just about to die? Moreover, isn’t this astronomical phenomenon just because the new emperor was born after the Jin and Wei Dynasties? the signs of the earth?" Cao Cao listened to the visitor and remained silent. When the guest left, he took Xun Yu up to the balcony and said, "Xun Yu, even if the sky is like this, I don't understand astronomy. What did the guest say just now?" "Maybe it's the voice of heaven. The family of the Han family belongs to fire (Zhengshuo is the virtue of fire). The master is the life of the earth. Xuchang's position belongs to the earth. If Xuchang is the capital, the Cao family will prosper." "Oh, that's how it is!... Xun Yu, send an envoy to Wang Li's office quickly, and tell him to keep quiet about astronomy. Okay?" This is not superstitious. It is philosophy, the pursuit of the science of life.At least in that era, from intellectuals to ordinary people, they believed in astronomical calendar and the Five Elements of the Book of Changes. This is the noble doctrine of destiny.In their view of fate, there are not only the movement of stars, lunar eclipse, mutation of heaven and earth, but also hints from the Book of Changes.There is also a habit of giving one's own great attention to the intelligible voice of the seer. In the vast land of loess, whether it is the emperor of the Han Dynasty, or Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, Dong Zhuo, Lu Bu, Liu Xuande, or Sun Jian and other heroes, everyone knows the weakness and impermanence of "self".In the face of the great power of nature, even such heroes are well aware of the insignificance of human beings.This is what their ancestors have known for generations. For example.Flooding of the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers.Famine brought by locusts.Yellow dust storm blowing from Mongolia.Rain, snow, storms, and every other force of nature. They are all heroes, living in this kind of change, but they are helpless against these phenomena. Therefore, in addition to fear, on the loess land, they sometimes try their best to build, and sometimes spare no effort to destroy; ...It looks like the law of existence, but also looks like there is no order... It has been drawing a picture of the various states of the world in the long history of chaos, rise and fall.In the long experience, people naturally and deeply fear and believe that only "man is governed by fate". That's it. Destiny cannot be understood by human wisdom alone, but God knows it and nature can predict it. Astronomy and Yili are the highest knowledge to understand fate.No, it is the knowledge of all things in the world.For example, even politics, the art of war, and ethics are all based on the duality of yin and yang and the theories of astronomy and earth phenomena. Cao Cao respectfully played to the Son of Heaven: "Think deeply, the land of Luoyang has been turned into such ruins, and its revival is not easy. And from the perspective of future cultural prosperity, transportation is inconvenient, and the appearance of the land is not good. The same is true for the people's hearts. I don’t miss this piece of land anymore.” Cao Cao continued, “Compared with Xuchang, Henan, the land is rich, the products are rich, and the people’s customs are not rough. What’s more advantageous is that there are complete castles and palaces. Therefore, I hope to move the capital to Xuchang The guards of honor and imperial chariots for moving the capital have also been prepared." "..." Emperor Xian just nodded. The ministers were dumb, but no one raised any objections.Everyone was afraid of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao played cleverly. Once again decided to move the capital. The emperor was surrounded by guards and guards of honor, and set off from Luoyang to the hills tens of miles away. "Cao Cao, let's go!" "Where are you going to rob the emperor!?" At this time, a group of people rushed out of the desert, screaming and attacking. It turned out to be soldiers and horses of Yang Feng and Han Xian.Xu Huang, Yang Feng's subordinate, was also among them. Xu Huang held a big axe in his hand, and the horse flew all four hooves, rushed over, and shouted: "Powder general, you are useless! Let Cao Cao come and see..." "Oh. Xu Chu, Xu Chu! That bait is for you. Take his head!" Cao Cao ordered Xu Chu to fight for him.Xu Chu came out from Cao Cao's side and let the horse charge towards Xu Huang's horse like a vulture. Xu Huang is a peerless man. Xu Chu is also inappropriate, and is known as "Fan Kuai Today". "Meet your opponent! Come on!" Xu Chu challenged with a spear. Xu Huang brandished his big axe and said boldly, "The opponent is just as I wish! Don't just run away halfway through the fight!" The two heroes fought alone, fighting for more than fifty rounds.The horse's body was like water-soaked paper, dripping with sweat, but the two of them showed no signs of fatigue. "Who can win?" For a long time, both armies were watching the battle, and there was no sound.The exuberant vitality fights each other, just like a demon king and a beast king roaring at each other.Its magnificent "beauty" cannot be compared with the beauty of any animal in the world. Cao Cao was watching the battle from a distance, and suddenly remembered something, and ordered: "Drummer! Mingjin!" Then he hurriedly added, "Mingjin withdraws!" "Yes!" The drummer sounded the gong and issued an order: all soldiers withdraw! The whole army withdrew to the village, not knowing what had happened.Of course, Xu Chu also abandoned his opponents and withdrew to the village. Cao Cao gathered Xu Chu and his staff together, and said, "Xu Chu may not understand. The reason why he suddenly ordered Jin to withdraw his troops was because he couldn't bear to kill Xu Huang. When I saw Xu Huang today, he is really a rare warrior. He can become an outstanding general. Although he is an enemy, it is a pity. It's sad to let such a talented person die in a useless battle! I would like to invite him to come and be a guest in my tent. Who can persuade Xu Huang to surrender to me?" So a person came out and took the initiative to take up the task, saying: "I would like to go." This person is from the family of Shanyang, and his name is full of favors, and his name is Boning. "It's full of favors. Okay, I order you to go." Cao Cao agreed. Man Chong sneaked into the enemy's territory alone that night, and quietly visited Xu Huang's village. Moonlight poured from the trees.Under the moonlight, Xu Huang stretched out his tent and sat with his body unarmored. "Who came here to spy?!" "Ah... It's been a long time! Xu Huang, are you here all right?" "Oh, isn't this full of favors?! Why are you here?" "When I think of my old friend, I miss it even more..." "On the battlefield, the enemy and the enemy are clearly distinguished, so why talk about old friends..." "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhss. "What? Did Cao Cao send you here?" "In today's battle, Cao Cao sent Xu Chu, the most powerful general under his command, to fight against you. Seeing your bravery in battle, General Cao felt sorry for you, and suddenly asked Jin to withdraw his troops." "Oh...so that's the case." "Why would a warrior like you look up to such a dark and foolish person like Yang Feng as his lord? Life is less than a hundred years, but a bad reputation is hard to recover for a thousand years. Humanity is a good bird chooses a tree to live in." "No no. I also know that Yang Feng is incompetent, but what is the fate of master and slave?!" "Who says helpless?" Man Chong approached Xu Huang and whispered in his ear.Xu Huang sighed, shook his head and said, "I know General Cao is heroic. But I have worshiped Yang Feng as my lord, even if it's just for a day, I don't want to behead him before surrendering."