pdf-ebookys Chapter 280 Cao Cao's Theory of Self-reliance
Chapter 280 Cao Cao's Theory of Self-reliance
Chapter 280 Cao Cao's Theory of Self-reliance
Almost everyone present was staring at Cao Cao and Guo Jia, thinking about their words in their hearts.
Since Cao Cao started his career, it can be said that his life was very bumpy. He was constantly criticized and did many bad things. He even led to siege by the Huns and put Liu Bian in danger.
All these performances can be said to be very unbearable. Few people in the government and the public are optimistic about him. It is only because his family is strong enough to protect him all the way.
But after the third year of Yonghan, Cao Cao demonstrated his amazing abilities. He first quelled the Qiao Mao rebellion in Yanzhou, and then single-handedly forced the surrender of nearly one million Yellow Turban troops in Qingzhou, shocking the world.
Then, he easily subdued the Black Mountain Army, completely eliminating this thorn in the side of the imperial court.
At this point, Cao Cao has already gained power. No matter how much the government and the public impeach and suppress him, it cannot change one fact - Cao Cao has powerful abilities!
But Cao Cao did not change. He acted arbitrarily and recklessly, using his troops wantonly and not taking the imperial court seriously at all.
However, since the beginning of the Yonghan Dynasty, Cao Cao had been a trusted and beloved general in the palace, protecting him all the way, leaving the government and the people helpless.
But now, His Majesty has become suspicious. Will Cao Cao’s explanations pass muster?
Liu Bian listened to Guo Jia's words without changing his expression. He said, "Cao Cao, Guo Jia said that you are a man who can accomplish great things. What are your great things?"
Cao Cao knocked his head to the ground, his face as hard as iron, his eyes as solemn as ice, and said in a deep voice: "I will follow Wei Qing's example, establish unprecedented merits, and become famous for all eternity!"
There was a pile of memorials on the small table in front of him, but he only picked out the key ones.
Sun Ce felt a chill all over his body, as if he felt Liu Bian's gaze.
However, Sun Ce's father, Sun Jian, was already the Marquis of Wucheng, but this decree was only sent to General Fenwu Gongsun Zan!
The messenger knelt on the ground, holding up a letter, and said, "The captain said that the Jiaozhi family was dissatisfied with the Jiaozhou governor's delay in accepting his appointment, and deliberately stopped the army from advancing."
Guo Jia's pupils suddenly shrank, he glanced at Cao Cao and shook his head slightly.
Liu Bian was very satisfied with Huangfu Jianchang and nodded, saying, "I understand. Tell him that his father is seriously ill and he should return to Luoyang as soon as possible."
Liu Bian smiled and said, "That makes sense."
Cao Cao stood still and said, "Yes. I swear to be like Wei Qing and leave my name for eternity."
What was Cao Cao thinking?
Liu Bian subconsciously touched the jade pendant around his waist, rubbed it gently, and pondered over it in his mind.
Liu Bian stared at Cao Cao. Cao Cao's frankness was somewhat beyond his expectations.
And he admitted it openly in front of His Majesty!
They couldn't help but look at Liu Bian, only to see that the emperor's profile was calm and without any expression.
However, Liu Bian needs him to remain true all the time!
"Why did you suddenly send troops to Qiao County?" Liu Bian asked in a dull tone.
But Cao Cao was different. He killed him with his own hands and threw the body into the wild.
"His Majesty."
What Cao Cao said should be true.
At this moment, Liu Bian suddenly turned around, looked at Zhao Yun, Zhou Yu and others, and said, "I remember that Cao Cao swore an oath by the Luo River just now?"
Liu Bian sat in the carriage, swaying back to Luoyang.
"I obey your order." Zhao Yun responded.
Cao Cao kowtowed again, his voice as sonorous as the clash of swords, unbreakable, and he said: "I swear by the water of the Luo River that I will not let your majesty down!"
As for the judgment of the Supreme Court, Wang Lang's "letter of admonition" to Yang Biao was rarely mentioned in the memorials submitted before his death, and even if it was mentioned, it was just mentioned briefly.
The guards around heard the news, drew their swords, and surrounded Cao Cao, Guo Jia, and Xu Zhu.
Can those people in the court still suppress Cao Cao?
In the silence, Liu Bian glanced at Cao Cao and said, "Do you want unparalleled merit?"
I just don’t know whether Cao Cao will really keep his promise.
Cao Cao knocked his head to the ground, his narrow eyes were calm, just slightly narrowed.
He was very calm and not worried about his own safety. He was still thinking about the situation in the south.
After Liu Bian's carriage had gone far away, Zhao Yun mounted his horse and looked down at the crowd. His eyes suddenly became as sharp as a spear and he said, "Return to the camp. If even a word of what happened today is spread, the whole clan will be exterminated!"
Cao Cao stepped back, took a few steps, jumped on his horse, and rode away at full speed.
He really wanted to persuade Liu Bian to kill Cao Cao now, otherwise he would be nurturing a tiger to cause trouble in the future!
The eyes of Zhao Yun, Zhang Xiu, Sun Ce, Zhou Yu and others kept moving around Liu Bian's profile.
This is not a fake warning, I really have this in mind!
Cao Cao was more sensitive than Guo Jia, and he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue. If he continued to speak as he said in the memorial, even if he didn't die today, he would never have any chance in the future!
Standing up and looking towards the south, he said, "Let's destroy Yuan Shu first, then go."
Cao Cao was so excited and nervous that he could not calm down. He could only respond, "I obey your order and I will take my leave!"
Liu Bian opened the letter in his hand. Huangfu Jian had written a lot in great detail.
He leaned against the wall, his expression obscure, and he muttered to himself: "Is it really the work of the Yingchuan Party? Such an ingenious design without any flaws, it's really amazing..."
Liu Bian waited for a while, then smiled and said to Zhou Yu, "Gongjin, what do you think?"
"If we don't win,"
Pan Yin quietly lowered his head and gave Dian Wei a look without any expression.
Zhao Yun was startled and said quickly, "Yes."
Not only were Lu Bu and Yuan Shu colluding with each other and preparing to attack Sun Jian from both sides and divide Guangling and Wujun equally, but there was also Gongsun Zan expanding his army, Yuan Shao recruiting talented people, and there were also the movements of the major families in Jiangdong.
Liu Bian read it carefully, pondered for a long time, and suddenly looked at Sun Ce and said, "Bofu, how do you think I should help Wucheng Hou?"
But this kind of matter is too sensitive and is usually handled privately and kept secret.
"Destroying Yuan" is undoubtedly an unprecedented achievement. Whoever can achieve it will be granted a title of nobility.
Zhou Yu was calmer than Sun Ce. He pretended to think for a while and said, "Your Majesty, if the imperial court can take Xuzhou, it will surround Dong Zhuo from all sides. It will only take Your Majesty a blink of an eye to destroy him."
I don’t know if it’s because of what happened with Cao Cao, but now Liu Bian feels that everyone is not trustworthy and he always has reasons to rebel.
The number of memorials impeaching Yang Biao seemed to have suddenly decreased by more than half, and the number of memorials recommending Xun Yu also dropped sharply.
Liu Bian's eyebrows twitched uncontrollably and he couldn't move them no matter how hard he tried.
"Yes." Cao Cao seemed not to notice and said without thinking.
Liu Bian looked at Cao Cao deeply, slowly sat up straight and put down the bowl in his hand.
Yang Biao retired and Xun Yu took over as prime minister. It was a change of personnel in the Secretariat and also a change of the imperial court, and it was bound to bring about major changes.
He didn't think so before, but after listening to Cao Cao say this in person, he began to understand why those people in the court and the country were afraid of Cao Cao.
Guo Jia's expression was stern, and he glanced at Cao Cao out of the corner of his eye.
At this time, a cavalryman came running, jumped to the ground, knelt on one knee and said: "The Imperial City has an urgent report. Lu Bu and Yuan Shu have formed an alliance and agreed to jointly send troops to Guangling and Wujun."
Cao Cao said without hesitation: "Your Majesty, we have 8,000 cavalry, 50,000 infantry, and 30,000 young and strong men."
Liu Bei alone is not enough to check and balance Cao Cao.
Taking a deep breath and shaking off the complicated emotions, Liu Bian, Pan Yin and Dian Wei said, "Go back to the capital, Zilong. You will take care of the Imperial Army camp."
What a bullshit!
Zhou Yu was also joking with Liu Bian.
Guo Jia's face turned slightly pale, he grabbed the grass on the ground with both hands, his eyes flashing anxiously as he thought of a strategy.
He never expected that at this moment, the Emperor in front of him would be so courageous!
He took a few steps forward, holding a spear, glaring at Cao Cao and the other two with murderous intent.
Pan Yin wanted to say something but stopped himself, and in the end he could only watch Cao Cao's back disappear from his sight.
However, Zhang Xiu, Sun Ce, Zhang Xiu and others, due to the sensitive and complex identities, could only "respectfully bid farewell to Your Majesty" and dared not say a single word more.
At the beginning, some people advised Huangfu Song to establish himself as emperor, but Huangfu Song refused silently, pretending that no one in the outside world knew about it.
"I accept the decree!"
He heard a hint of murderous intent in Liu Bian's calm tone.
Liu Bian reached out and picked up the bowl, and gently cut the sheep with a knife, and asked nonchalantly: "How did you do it?"
He took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty, I think it is up to me to destroy Dong. Cao Cao is unwilling to give up such an achievement to others!"
Liu Bian narrowed his eyes, smiled and lowered the curtains.
Pan Yin and others didn't dare to speak and made arrangements quickly.
The court knew clearly about the secret alliance between the Sun family and the Shi family. Sun Ce was very sensitive when he heard the word "Shi family", as if a sharp knife was on his neck.
Liu Bian narrowed his eyes slightly and stared at the back of Cao Cao's head.
Sun Ce's scalp was numb and he was terrified. He raised his hand and said, "Your Majesty, I think we should send troops from Langya County and attack Lü Bu together with Marquis Wucheng. We should first destroy Lü Bu and then destroy Yuan Shu."
It can be said that it is on par with the imperial court!
Liu Bian considered reducing Cao Cao's military strength, but soon felt that it was futile. It would be easy for a man like Cao Cao to increase the number of soldiers!
Liu Bian took a deep breath. This Cao Cao now made him a little hesitant.
Liu Bian also let out a sigh of relief. It was not easy for him to make this decision.
The Majesty before me really has great courage!
It seems as if everything is just a gust of wind. When the wind passes, everything is settled and there are no more waves.
He turned his head to look in the direction where Cao Cao left, and suddenly a strong murderous intent arose in his heart.
After Liu Bian finished arranging these, he slowly ate the roasted lamb, pondered carefully for a while, and said, "Cao Cao, how many soldiers do you have now?"
They are all capable people, and each one should not be underestimated!
Zhao Yun, Zhang Xiu, Sun Ce, Zhou Yu and others looked at Cao Cao with different expressions, most of them were frightened.
Luo River, this reminded Liu Bian of a great figure who was still in his teens, but who stirred up the Three Kingdoms in history and was in some ways even more ruthless than Cao Cao - Sima Yi.
These words seemed to be sincere, but Liu Bian did not comment and continued, "Has anyone advised you to be independent?"
He needed the court to concentrate its energy and power to promote the "New Deal", especially when it came to land. Apart from the "Yingchuan Party", there seemed to be no other force that could do it.
The imperial court was facing the problem of "replacement". Some capable and important officials during the Lingdi era had died or fallen ill, and a new generation was about to take power.
Cao Cao alone made Liu Bian a little irritated, and the civil servants in the capital should not be underestimated either.
One hundred thousand troops!
Everyone mounted their horses and followed Zhao Yun back to the imperial guards camp.
Cao Cao's narrowed eyes suddenly opened open, his face was as dark as iron, and his heart was boiling with excitement.
Pan Yin quickly said, "I will obey your order."
Liu Bian thought over and over again, but he calmed down, sat up straight, and said, "I believe in you. I will give you this opportunity! I will give you the power to do whatever you want. The Grand Marshal's Mansion will no longer control you and let you do whatever you want!"
Sun Ce was not yet the Little Overlord he would become, and he was in a panic, so he could not answer Liu Bian's questions for a while.
Cao Cao is the most trusted and beloved general of His Majesty. He has prevented countless disasters for him. In order to protect Cao Cao, His Majesty has offended countless court officials.
Cao Cao felt the coldness on his neck and said in a steady and powerful voice: "I will kill him with my own hands and leave his body in the wild for wild dogs to eat."
After reading all this, Liu Bian lifted the curtain, looked at Pan Yin and said, "Hasn't the person behind the Yang family's case been found out yet?"
Liu Bian glanced at Sun Ce and saw that he looked nervous. He asked, "Anything else?"
Xu Zhu had no weapon on him. The big man knelt on Cao Cao's right side, not daring to move.
Zhang Xiu, Zhou Yu, Sun Ce and others were startled and raised their hands and said, "I obey your orders!"
But even for such a person, there are people who advise him to be independent!
The 'Yingchuan Party', which already monopolized the imperial court, would soon become the 'right party' and control most of the power in the Han Dynasty!
Liu Bian's eyes moved slightly, and he thought secretly in his heart.
Sun Ce and Zhou Yu looked at each other quietly, thinking about this arrangement in their hearts.
Liu Bian glanced at Zhou Yu and said, "Or, what if Lu Bu was defeated and surrendered to Dong Zhuo?"
Cao Cao said 88,000, but when he really mobilized an army of 100,000, he could easily defeat them.
The messenger waited for a while and said, "The captain also said that Liu Biao, Shi Xie and others sent people to Yizhou. We are investigating what they talked about. The road to Shu is difficult to travel, so we may have to wait for ten days or half a month."
Looking at Zhao Yun, who was covered in silver armor and had a stern face, Liu Bian felt much better. He patted the dust off his butt and walked straight towards the carriage.
Having said that, he turned around and went to make arrangements.
Liu Bian said nothing more. He put his hands behind his back and looked towards the south.
"I hope they won't let me down..."
Liu Bian sneered and said, "Are you trying to threaten me?"
Liu Bian's eyes were smiling and full of anticipation.
Pan Yin, riding on his horse, quickly turned aside and said, "Yes. I mobilized the Imperial City and sent a message to Zuo Li, but I didn't find any clues."
The rise of the 'Yingchuan Party' was driven and created by Liu Bian.
Zhao Yun frowned subconsciously, feeling uneasy.
"Yes. I'll take my leave." The messenger responded, turned around, mounted his horse, and galloped away.
It stands to reason that when encountering such disloyal remarks, the person should be arrested and handed over to the court for trial.
It seems to be a manifestation of loyalty, but if it is not reported, it shows that they are guilty!
Liu Bian ate mutton, looked towards the south, and said, "Send an order. Zhang Liao is appointed as the governor of Hanzhong, Sima Fang is appointed as the governor of Qingzhou, Liu Bei is transferred to be the governor of Langya, and Xu Rong returns to the imperial army camp. Send an order to Gongsun Zan, order him to be the vanguard, and attack Yuan Shu in April."
Although Dian Wei looks silly, he is not stupid at all.
Thinking that the 'Yingchuan Party' was about to become the only dominant party, Liu Bian drew aside the curtains again and looked at the somewhat brighter sky.
The Chief Justice was Wang Lang, the Censorate was Liu Xie, and the Criminal Department was Sima Jun.
These three people are basically independent of the Shangshu Tai. Can they check and balance the "Yingchuan Party"?