Chapter 42 Pick up the pieces

Cao Cao had been absent-mindedly busy in Hefei for several months, and it was winter again in a blink of an eye.He thought about it again and again, and returned to Qiao County for the winter with conflicting feelings.I didn't want to come because Cao Chong died here, and I had to face the place where my son died; I had to come because the soldiers were tired and it was difficult to trek to Hebei.Qiao County is Cao Cao's hometown, and it is also the hometown of a large number of trusted generals. It is a kind of comfort to spend the winter at home. After Cao Ren retreated to Xiangyang, the enemy stopped pursuing him, but this did not mean the end.The two families of Sun and Liu began to share the results. Under the mediation of Lu Su, Sun Quan actually married his younger sister in her early twenties to Liu Bei, who was nearly half a century old. Liu Bei stationed an army.Cao Cao's most hated "big-eared thief" became the biggest beneficiary of this war.After that, Sun Quan appointed Zhou Yu as the partial general and the prefect of Nanjun, and Cheng Pu as the prefect of Jiangxia. He completely ignored Cao Cao, the prime minister of the Han Dynasty.However, although Cheng Pu was the prefect of Jiangxia, he could only manage the Jiangnan part of Jiangxia County. Most of the land in Jiangbei was temporarily led by Liu Qi as the prefect of Jiangxia, and the administrative office was still in Xiling County.Of course, Cao Cao was not to be outdone, and established a government office in Shiyang, further north, and asked the imperial court to issue an edict to appoint Wenpin as the prefect of Jiangxia.Three sheriffs popped up from a mere county, and they all said they were orthodox.

Cao Cao could only turn a blind eye to the Jiangbei area of ​​Jingzhou, and he was even more powerless to touch the Jiangnan area.After Liu Bei retreated to the south, the first thing he did was to seize the four counties in the south of the Yangtze River.These four counties are weak and have lost their connection with the Central Plains, so they are all lambs waiting to be slaughtered.Han Xuan, the prefect of Changsha, and Jin Xuan, the prefect of Wuling, were both killed. Cao Cao wanted to reward them, but he killed them instead.Liu Du, the prefect of Lingling, and Zhao Fanben, the prefect of Guiyang, were under Liu Biao's command. These two people simply broke the cans and smashed the cans. Cao Cao was surrendered in the past, and Liu Bei was surrendered this time, and all four counties were lost.As for Liu Ba, who was ordered in danger, he couldn't control the situation at all, and was driven to flee here and there. Later, the news was cut off, and his life and death are unknown.

The only good news is that the rebellion of Yuan Shu's former army was quelled, and the battle was fairly well fought, especially the battle of Tianzhu Mountain.The terrain of Tianzhu Mountain is dangerous, it is more than 20 miles high, and there is only one winding and narrow mountain road. Zhang Liao personally led his troops to break through, fought bloody battles and finally captured the mountain. middle.Lei Xu, the Lujiang rebel, was left alone. He was beaten by Xia Houyuan and fled everywhere, and finally ran to join Liu Bei.In order to boost morale and inspire people, Cao Cao gave Zhang Liao a special award, doubled his fiefdom, and granted him the right to fake festivals.But what is there to be grateful for in such a counter-insurgency victory?It is difficult to get out of the shadow of failure, and the strength is damaged, let alone how long it will take to recover...

In the sleepless night, Cao Cao sat in the dormitory, still upset.Even as Zhang Fan said, rest with the people and soldiers, there are still some things that must be done. He not only needs to comfort the soldiers, but also needs to give an explanation to the court.At this moment, there is a big box in front of him, which is full of poems, letters, and seals - all of which were copied and confiscated from the mansion by killing Kong Rong.The censor Chi Ji complied with Cao Cao's order to impeach him and executed Kong Rong's violent corpse at the gate of Xudu, but was stolen by the imperial physician Ling Zhixi, and he didn't know where he hid it. Now it's time to settle the case.Now this case is not only a matter of personal grievances between Cao Cao and Kong Rong. At this juncture, Cao Cao urgently needs to use this matter to restore his reputation.

Dong Zhao stood aside with a face full of dust—he was staying at Xudu, and when he heard of the defeat of the king's division, he rushed to Xudu to wait. However, he was instructed to station troops in his hometown for the winter, and asked him to carry the documents left by Kong Rong, together with the prisoner's fat. Xi Jinping went to Qiao County together.Dong Zhao didn't have a firm footing when he arrived in Xudu, and he rushed to Qiao County all day and night. He didn't arrive until it was dark that day, and he didn't even drink his saliva before returning. Cao Cao looked at the box full of letters, curious and embarrassed, he really didn't know which volume to read from.Dong Zhao picked out one of the complicated notebooks and handed it over: "This is his dying poem, which was transcribed by the jailer."

"Is there such a leisurely feeling when you are dying?" Cao Cao couldn't understand it, so he read it. Cao Cao wanted to laugh after reading this poem, but he couldn’t—Kong Rong didn’t understand where his mistakes were until he died, and he just stayed at the level of "too many words make things fail" and "slandering evil harms justice". Cao's attempt to replace the Han did not mention a word. Is he too simple, or is he simply dismissive of Cao Cao?And he was so calm in the face of death, "Survival is a lot of worry, and a long sleep is all over." There is no sorrow or resentment, but generosity.

Cao Cao dropped the poem and rummaged in the box, and found that many were transcribed letters, addressed to Wang Xiu, Bing Yuan, and Zhang Hong. Stand side by side. Policy books have been issued repeatedly, and money has been paid diligently." "Yu Jia Naixun, Ying Nai Yide, used the imperial seal to the king's court, can he resign?" Come on!" For more than ten years, Kong Rong has been recruiting talents for the court, which is tantamount to helping Cao Cao.It should be admitted that Kong Rong's reputation in Qingliu is much higher than that of Cao Cao, and many people came to Xudu because of Kong Rong's face.Putting all your energy into the end but ending up with a broken family, is it any different from killing a donkey after killing a donkey?Cao Cao originally thought that the world would be settled, and Kong Rong was useless, but he did not expect to suffer such a tragic defeat.Kong Rong is dead, who can help him recruit celebrities in the future?Who dares to come?

Cao Cao couldn't help frowning, feeling more and more that the execution of Kong Rong was too hasty. Just as he didn't know what to do, he heard Cao Chun's report from outside: "My lord, the two gentlemen are begging to see you." After finishing speaking, before Cao Cao could speak, Pushing open the door to let them in——Cao Pi and Cao Zhi approached him with a food box each: "Father has worked so hard all night to take care of himself, let's bring in something." "Yeah." Cao Cao looked at them listlessly, "I can't eat it!" Cao Pi presented the food box with a smile on his face: "This Bao soup is made by the cook at the child's command. It's cold and late at night, so let's go to bed early after drinking."

What Cao Zhi held in his hands was different: "The jiaoer ears made by the boy and the servant boy around him are filled with mutton, which can best keep out the cold." Cao Cao looked at the two different meals, and then looked up at his two sons—the face was full of obedience, neither humble nor overbearing. Since Cao Chong died, he has been serving by his side every day, and he is always so attentive. Is it really just the nature of father and son? "Put it aside and use it when I want to eat... You guys go out." The two young masters both spoke tender words: "Father, take care of your health. My son sees his father getting thinner and thinner, and his heart is really..."

"I have something to do for my father, you guys go out quickly." Cao Cao raised his hand again. Cao Pi and Cao Zhi didn't dare to say more, Shi Li withdrew.Looking at the backs of the two sons, Cao Cao always felt that they were laughing. Although Cao Chong's death was due to fate, their chance also came. Isn't the death of their younger brother a good thing for them? In fact, it's not just Cao Cao, even Dong Zhao and Cao Chun are worried--Cao Chong is dead, it's their turn to come forward, one is the eldest son, the other is talented, and each has a group of trusted friends. Everyone has to consider their future and choose their own masters, and a battle for succession seems to have begun.

Cao Cao didn't dare to think too much at the moment, and he was not in the mood to think about it. He tried his best to dispel his worries and continued to rummage through the relics. He accidentally found a thin piece of silk between the volumes.Dong Zhao snatched the silk as soon as he saw it: "This thing has nothing to do with the prime minister." Dong Zhao, who has always been cautious, dared to snatch something from him. Cao Cao was even more surprised: "Have you seen it? What is it? Bring it..." Dong Zhaoqiang said with a smile: "It's just a poem, so you don't need to read it." "Bring it!" "The prime minister doesn't need to read it." "Bring it!" Seeing the fierce look in Cao Cao's eyes, Dong Zhao was still timid. He handed it back to him tremblingly, but murmured: "A few years ago, Kong Rong's concubine gave birth to a son. He died on the anniversary, Kong Rong didn't even see him face to face, the mourning poem he wrote for his son... don't read it." Cao Cao was already angry, but after listening to his explanation, he realized that it was a good intention. He said lightly: "Are you afraid that I will fall in love with poetry? I'm not that fragile..." After finishing speaking, he began to study. "A lonely soul wanders in poverty, wandering around in poverty, swaying and resting... I feel sad when I look up, and I don't feel tears staining my clothes..." Cao Cao read these two sentences silently, and unconsciously lost his mind, "Chong'er... my poor son ...Life has its own destiny, but I hate birthday wishes..." In an instant, Cao Cao was overwhelmed by this poem.At this moment, he is no longer the current prime minister, but an ordinary father in the world.Although he killed Kong Rong, Kong Rong was not defeated. The poem in front of him seemed to turn into a sharp knife, piercing into his weakness and ruthlessly piercing his heart.Cao Cao can trample on Kong Rong's life, but he can't destroy his rebellious spirit, let alone obliterate Kong Rong's peerless literary talent.It was Cao Cao himself who lost, and he was so defeated that he burst into tears.Thinking of this, I felt my clothes wet with tears. Dong Zhao and Cao Chun watched him cry for their son, not knowing how to resolve such family matters.Cao Cao wiped away his tears after weeping for a long time, threw the silk into the box, and fastened the lid of the box firmly, not to mention looking down, he didn't even dare to touch the box again: "Take Zhi Xi with you." come over." Not long after, Imperial Physician Ling Zhixi was pushed in by soldiers.Zhi Xibiao, whose character is Yuansheng, is nearly 60 years old. He became an official during the Zhongping period of Emperor Ling. Although the official position is not big, he is considered a veteran.At this moment, his hair was disheveled and he was wearing shackles. He had been untied from Xudu to Qiao County in this posture. He was already limping from exhaustion, but he was still in good spirits. He didn't execute the sentence, just waiting for Cao Cao to torture him himself. But Cao Cao's thoughts have changed: "Forgive him for his sins, let him loose!" Cao Chun himself untied the rope and shackles for Zhixi.This thing weighs more than ten kilograms, even if you don't need to be punished, it is enough to wear it, and there are bloodstains on the neck and shoulders.He regained his freedom but he didn't thank him, he fell to the ground and cried loudly: "Prime Minister! Kong Wenju was wronged! If you kill a scholar without guilt, the doctor can go; if you kill the people without guilt, the scholar can move. How can you not Can you put people to death because of words? Injustice... woo woo woo..." Cao Cao just nodded numbly: "If you rebel against an order, you will lose a hundred orders. If you do evil, you will end up with a hundred evils. Old man..." Kong Rong killed wrongly, Hua Tuo killed wrongly, and Xu You also killed wrongly. Can you count the mistakes you made?Cao Cao leaned over and touched Zhi Xi's bruised shoulder, "Yuan Sheng, you are a generous person, no wonder Kong Wenju regards you as a confidant. I have wronged you." Hearing this, Zhi Xi became even more saddened—when Kong Rong was wronged, how many court officials who claimed to be loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty kept silent?How brave a small official of six hundred shi dared to risk his life and steal his body. "Where did you hide Kong Wenju's body?" Lu Hong's gang of minions pressed him countless times, but Zhi Xi refused to speak. Now that Cao Cao asked him again, Zhi Xi became alert, stopped his grief suddenly, and shot out a hostile look: "You, you still want to ask me?" how?" "I'm going to rebury him." "Is this true?" Zhi Xi couldn't believe his words. Cao Cao didn't reply, just nodded with his eyes closed. Only then did Zhi Xi feel relieved: "His body is buried under the Dongtu Bridge outside Xudu City." Cao Cao couldn't help admiring - Zhi Yuansheng was hidden under Xu Du's eyes.The Dongtu Bridge is just outside the city gate, but the closer it is, the more no one wants to get it.No, Xudu is full of traffic, how can no one notice it?Maybe some people didn't report it after knowing it. Everyone knew that Kong Rong was wronged, and no one was with him... Thinking of this, Cao Cao shuddered, and immediately made up: "Yuan Sheng, Wen Ju's family is gone, I will leave the burial to you Do it. Give you a hundred hu of grain, and you go to recruit a civilian husband, and move his bones back to his original place for burial." Zhi Xi kowtowed heavily, and couldn't help crying again.The cry was miserable, and the more Cao Cao heard it, the more he felt uncomfortable. He felt in a trance that it was not only him crying alone, but the people he unjustly killed and countless ghosts who died on the battlefield were crying together. "Don't cry, there must be a surplus of the grain of hundreds of dendrobium, and you don't have to turn in the rest, just treat it as a gift from me. In the future, I will give you a promotion and commend your chivalry. Don't cry, don't cry... ..." At the end, Cao Cao's tone even carried a hint of begging. Dong Zhao gave Cao Chun a wink, and Cao Chun understood, and hurriedly helped Zhi Xi up, even coaxing and persuading him to send him out.Cao Cao breathed a sigh of relief, staggered to the side of the couch, and leaned wearily on the cushions.Seeing that Cao Cao seemed to be taking a rest, Dong Zhao should have bid farewell and went back, but there was still something he had not reported. He had a scroll in his sleeve, and he had planned to ask Cao Cao to read it, but now he was a little uncertain about the situation, what should he do? Shouldn't it be taken out? Just as he was hesitating, someone said outside: "Speak to the prime minister, the secret envoy of Liangzhou is asking to see you!" Cao Cao heard this, but didn't answer right away. He closed his eyes and paused for a moment before asking, "Which department's envoy? Public or private?" There are more than a dozen sectarian divisions in Liangzhou, and Han Sui and Ma Teng are the most powerful. Although they belonged to the imperial court in name, they still had great independence. In addition, the imperial court also sent the governor of Handan Shang and several county officials.Good and bad are mixed together, and it is not clear who sent it just to say that it is the secret envoy of Liangzhou. "It's Yang Qiu, the captain of cavalry under the jurisdiction of Anding County in Liangzhou." The voice of the officer was very hoarse. Yang Qiu is just one of a dozen small forces in Liangzhou, and his strength is very weak. Why did he send envoys so far to play a role?Cao Cao felt strange, but he was too lazy to move, so he lay there and said casually, "Call him in." The door of the room opened, and a young emissary in civilian clothes walked in tremblingly with his head down.It was only then that Cao Cao saw that it was Han Hao who played the game. Maybe his voice was hoarse, but he didn't hear it just now.As soon as the messenger entered the door, he knelt down on the ground: "Young one, see the prime minister..." With a northwest accent, he called him "little one", so he must have no serious status. "What's the matter, tell me!" Cao Cao was not polite to this kind of person, he lay down and didn't get up. "Report to the prime minister, Zhang Meng, the prefect of Wuwei, killed the governor of Handan Shang!" "What?" Cao Cao's sense of exhaustion disappeared immediately—Wuwei prefect Zhang Meng and Liangzhou governor Handan Shang were both officials appointed by the imperial court, and they took office almost at the same time. Why did their own people attack and kill their own people? The envoy said: "Zhang Meng and Handan merchants have been at odds since they took office, but for the sake of the court, they barely maintained it. The two of them attacked and killed them out of personal grievances, not against the prime minister." That's what I said, but killing an official is tantamount to rebellion. How can you kill the governor of a dignified state?Cao Cao repeatedly reminded himself not to get angry, but this matter was really abominable—Chibi was defeated, and Zhang Meng took this opportunity to vent his personal anger. This is not over yet, the messenger said again: "There is... and..." "Speak! Don't hesitate." "No. Han Sui heard that Zhang Meng had killed an official, and issued an appeal to summon more than ten troops from Liangzhou, intending to attack Wuwei, saying that he wanted to avenge the Handan merchants, and also said that he wanted to eliminate harm for the imperial court." It's a joke to eliminate harm for the court.Han Sui would not have such good intentions. He wanted to rob food and grass, grab land, and send troops without asking the court for instructions. He also used the banner of justice. Taking advantage of the fire to rob is really abominable. But why did Zhang Meng dare to kill officials?Why did Han Sui dare to raise troops without authorization?Cao Cao felt very ominous-his power was shaking and his prestige was declining.After the defeat in the front, the rear also began to be unstable, and those who were intimidated by his great strength and surrendered began not to buy it.The rebellion of Yuan Shu's old tribe was just the beginning, and a larger-scale turmoil was still to come, and the Xiliang tribes were also ready to move.But at this juncture, Cao Cao had nothing to do. The troops were killed or injured, and the reinforcements to Xiangyang had not been withdrawn, and even if they came back, they still didn't know what would happen.He couldn't manage the distant Liangzhou anymore, so he could only let it go. The envoy opened his mouth again: "In addition, Han Sui also issued a letter to my General Yang, should we send troops? If we send troops, we don't have the prime minister's instructions on this matter, so we dare not make arbitrarily assertive decisions. If we don't send troops, we... …again……" "What? You just say it's okay!" "I can't afford to offend Han Sui." The envoy smiled innocently, "In short, it's a dilemma. Please show me, Prime Minister." "Hey hey..." Cao Cao understood—this Yang Qiu is a duplicitous cunning man who neither offends Cao Cao nor Han Sui. , as if being forced to do nothing.Cao Cao sat up with a sinister smile: "You don't need to ask the old man, go back and ask your general to pat his conscience, you can figure it out yourself!" Don't look at the emissary's low status, but it is very difficult to deal with: "Forgive me to be blunt, I have a conscience, I'm afraid my head will be gone! You allow us to send troops, and my general will be an internal response for you. From now on, no matter what Han Sui has What kind of attempt, we secretly send you news, do you like it?" "Huh?" Cao Cao was taken aback, but this could be considered, "You raise your head and speak." The envoy raised his head slightly, Cao Cao looked at it and called out, "Feng Xiao! Is it Feng Xiao?" This person has willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, male and female features, especially a small mole under the left eye, a small mouth with a raised nose, and a small mustache. This appearance is very similar to Guo Jia.But Cao Cao found out that it wasn’t true after he called twice—people cannot be resurrected after death. If Guo Jia lived older than him and didn’t speak with a northwest accent, the most fundamental difference is that Guo Jia would never have the eyes of this person. , This kind of eyelids are raised and smiling eyes are only available to shallow servants.Cao Cao missed Guo Jia so much that he mistook him for a while. The man also realized that Cao Cao had made a mistake, so he quickly gave his surname: "The young one is called...Kong Gui." Although it wasn't Guo Jia, Cao Cao's attitude was much more relaxed before he knew it: "Your suggestion just now is also good. After all, Zhang Meng committed suicide by privately committing crimes first, and I don't bother to care about him. You can send troops or not." In fact, This is tacit consent. "Thank you, Prime Minister." Kong Gui was overjoyed, "If Prime Minister has no other orders, I will..." He was about to slip away after finishing his errands. "Wait a minute!" Cao Cao called to stop him, "From now on, I must inform this old man of major and minor events in Liangzhou." "Yes yes yes." Kong Gui bowed again and again. "And..." Cao Cao beckoned to his soldiers, "Give him the meal that Zihuan and the others brought to him, arrange for him to rest for one night, and bring him two pieces of gold and two bolts of silk before leaving." Dong Zhao was dumbfounded: He's just a villain, why did the prime minister reward him so much?But Dong Zhao couldn't even guess that it was precisely this villain who would enter the court and become a courtier that Cao Cao could not leave for a while in his later years... After sending Kong Gui away, Cao Cao couldn't fall asleep anymore, and had another headache, and when he closed his eyes, he saw Guo Jia and Cao Chong.Distraught, he got up and put on his clothes. Dong Zhao hurried over to help him fasten his belt: "Prime Minister, it's already night." "My head hurts a little. It might be better to wake up outside." Hua Tuo died. Although Li Dangzhi was good at decoctions, he couldn't understand needles and stones.Dong Zhao looked down at the scroll in his sleeve, hesitated to take it out, Cao Cao said again: "You all go back and rest, don't accompany me, we will talk about things tomorrow." Dong Zhao swallowed his words again, and said: "No." He retreated with all the soldiers. Cao Cao squeezed his brows hard, and then stepped out, seeing Han Hao still standing in the courtyard: "Yuan Si, do you have something to do?" Standing in the darkness, Han Hao murmured: "Shi Huan's old injury recurred and he suffered from a cold. He died half an hour ago..." There was no choking in his voice, only hoarseness. Han Xuan died, and his best friend Shi Huan was gone, which made him want to cry without tears. This time Cao Cao didn't respond, too many people died, and he couldn't bear to be sad; he just felt a severe headache, so he patted Han Hao on the shoulder twice, sighed and continued to walk out, the guards guarding the gate had to follow , was also waved back by him.Cao Cao wandered alone in the deserted courtyard. This is the old house of the Cao family. His grandfather Cao Teng, father Cao Song and several uncles all lived here. Cao Chong also died here.Now each house has become a temporary office location, and all the houses are dark in the dead of night.After more than a year of exhaustion, there was finally nothing to do. Everyone went back to the camp to sleep, leaving only this empty, desolate courtyard, as dark and bewildered as Cao Cao's heart.The bitter north wind blew by, and the window lattice was not closed tightly, and there was a whining sound, like a ghost crying... Turning around the second courtyard, a bright light suddenly came from the right hand side, and I looked up—it turned out that there was still a hut with people.Cao Cao walked over and gently opened the door, only to see that there were piles of brochures in a mess, a few cases against the wall, and a soap-clothed official lay asleep on it, holding a pen in his hand, The unfinished bamboo slips fell by the couch. Such a dedicated person should be greatly commended, Cao Cao quietly approached, leaned over to look at this person's face, and couldn't help being stunned—the assassination order Shi Gaorou. This person has always been the object of his anger and anger for no reason; but he neither hates nor complains, and is diligent and loyal to his duty.Cao Cao's face was hot, and he picked up an official document, which was densely packed with Gao Rou's instructions.Assassination Lingshi manages the judiciary, but it is different from the law and Cao, and is more inclined to monitor and expose.But the content of Gao Rou's long instructions was to appeal for a wronged person and try to save a life.Cao Cao knew in his heart that Gao Rou's efforts were in vain. The people behind these cases were Lu Hong and Zhao Da.He put down the case file, took off his fox fur, and gently put it on Gao Rou's body. "Hmm..." Gao Rou still woke up and blinked, "Prime Minister?" "Lie down and sleep." Cao Cao was full of smiles, and he was ashamed in his kindness. "This subordinate has something to say." Gao Rou knelt down abruptly, "There are too many unjust cases, please take the time to read these files. Poor, pitiful, wronged, and those who want to commit crimes by any means! Lu Hong, Zhao Da is killing people every day, all of them are unjust cases..." He stretched out his hand and pointed at the files in the room, and it seemed that none of them were unjust cases. How could Cao Cao not know?But Lu Hong and Zhao Da cleared the obstacles for him under his instruction. Anyone who is slightly dissatisfied with Cao Cao will be eliminated.Facing Gao Rou's request, Cao Cao had no words to answer, so he had to leave with a wry smile. When he walked to the door, he turned around and said, "I have wronged you for the past two years. I promoted you to be the subordinate of Cang Cao. Don't do this hard work." "But these unjust cases..." "You don't have to ask." Cao Cao left without looking back-although Kong Rong was buried after him, most unjust prisons cannot be rehabilitated.Once they are all found out, it is equivalent to the overall negation of the political situation since Jian'an, which means the denial of Cao Cao's monopoly.He can be responsible for a defeat, and he can vindicate someone, but he can never deny the rationality of his rule.Moreover, he is already the prime minister, and he is in danger of riding a tiger. He must not give anyone a chance to impeach him. Cao Cao circled around with a heavy heart, still unable to get rid of his depression, and his headache became more and more severe. After walking in a daze for a while, he walked past the door of the inner courtyard, and saw a dark figure again: "Yuan Si, you haven't... " "Prime Minister, it's me." It was Dong Zhao's voice. "Oh, it's Gongren...you can't sleep either?" "I have tossed and turned in my humble position without sleep, and I have something to report to you." "What's the matter?" Cao Cao just said casually, he didn't care to listen to anything at the moment. "Please allow me to go in and talk about it." Dong Zhao opened the door first, lifted the curtain, and let Cao Cao in. Then he took out the scroll from his sleeve, unfolded it carefully, and spread it on several tables. This is a design drawing of the city, which is very delicately drawn and marked in detail.The city is seven miles from east to west and five miles from north to south, with seven gates in total. The streets inside are wide and well-organized, and there are gardens and ponds in the northeast.In the north there is a mansion that occupies a vast area, and the paintings are even more careful. The courtyards are surrounded by halls, broken down into small pictures, and even the styles of the railings and bucket arches are designed. It is simply a palace.Although this is just a picture on paper, its magnificent style is already clearly visible. If it is true, how magnificent is it?Not to mention that small Xudu, it is not inferior to Chang'an and Luoyang in the past. "Yedu..." Cao Cao smiled wryly as he touched the picture, "What's the use?" This is exactly where Dong Zhao hesitated again and again.He stayed in Yecheng for more than a year, and gathered a large number of skilled craftsmen, five-element warlocks, and geomancy masters to design the new capital with brainstorming, measure the land, and draw calculations.It was originally hoped that Cao Cao would start work after he won the victory, and if he worked hard for a year, he would be able to move the capital with great fanfare and change the flag, and assist Cao Cao to change the dynasty.Who expected the front line to suffer such a miserable defeat?How can the capital of the new dynasty be repaired? Cao Cao stared at this blueprint, his vision gradually blurred, it seemed that the city and palaces were turning around in front of his eyes, Dong Zhao also had a double image when he looked up, his ears were buzzing, and his head was hurting badly, as if the energy channels in his whole body were retrograde , are pushing the head - this feeling is not unfamiliar, it is the most severe symptoms of head wind. What else can we do without the magic doctor?Cao Cao got up slowly, paced back and forth in pain, and suddenly saw a basin of water for cleaning hands on the cabinet in the corner, walked over unsteadily, and plunged his head into it.It was freezing cold in the severe winter, and the water in this basin was already cold, and Cao Cao shivered when his head got stuck in it, as if pierced by ten thousand steel needles. "Prime Minister! What's wrong?" Dong Zhao realized something was wrong. Cao Cao raised his wet head, trembling and gasping for air, but the chill actually temporarily dispelled the wind in his head.He fell down on the edge of the desk, closed his eyes, and let the cold water drip from his cheeks. It took him a long time before he opened his mouth: "Gongren..." "Yes." Dong Zhao was terrified by his appearance, "What are your orders? I'll call the medical officer..." "No." Cao Cao paused for a moment and suddenly opened his eyes, "The expansion of Ye City is proceeding as usual." "What?" Dong Zhao couldn't believe it. Cao Cao repeated again: "Yecheng still needs to be repaired, and you are responsible. The project can't be reduced at all, it can only be better than the picture!" Dong Zhao stood there for a long while, looking into his sharp eyes, and finally answered silently: "No..." The moment Cao Cao dipped his head into the cold water, he suddenly realized a truth - some things can only be dealt with head-on, there is no way to back down.Just like a headache that cannot be eradicated, I can only hold my breath and press my head into the ice water, enduring the cold to drive away the pain.Now that he is in the position of being neither a monarch nor a minister, there is no way out for riding a tiger, so he can only bite the bullet and go on.Whether it is the founding monarch or the traitor who steals the country, if he has come this far, can he escape right and wrong?Chibi was defeated, but it is not without opportunities, and it is possible to make a comeback by recharging your energy.In the past, Yuan Shao fell ill due to depression after defeat, and finally passed away.Cao Cao didn't want to follow in the footsteps of his defeated generals.He wants to start all over again, which is to fight against fate. Cao Cao made up his mind, since his face was already torn, so he just let it go.He has to stand strong, eat and drink, build cities, get promoted, and hold the court firmly.He opened the door and shouted into the dark night sky: "Big Ear Thief, Sun Quan, just wait and see! This old man will settle accounts with you! No one wants to knock me down! No one wants to!" Maybe it was exhausting to stay up all night, and after these yells, he held on to the door frame and couldn't breathe, his gray beard trembled in the wind——Cao Cao seemed to have overlooked one thing, he was already fifty-five years old, had worked hard for half a lifetime, was riddled with illnesses, and had no past Moreover, Chibi's defeat was a huge shock, not only did he have enemies in front of him, but there were also unpredictable hidden dangers behind him. Confucius once said: "Fifty knows the destiny." Will he have another chance...