"Girl? The gentleman is heroic and does not let her eyebrows, and she never thought that she would be so blessed in the matter of her heirs. ”

In the mansion of Liu Cong, the Marquis of Longkou Le'an, Mrs. Cai ridiculed Cai Ji's birth of a daughter in a gloating tone, which frightened her brother Cai Mao and hurriedly dissuaded, "Sister Hugh wants to talk nonsense, be careful that the wall has ears!" ”

"There are only two sisters and brothers in this house, what are you afraid of?" Mrs. Cai glanced at Cai Mao disappreciatively, and saw that the latter still looked worried, so she swallowed the teasing words that had just come to her mouth back into her stomach, and then changed the conversation with a weak heart, "Well, Sister will enter the palace tomorrow to congratulate you." ”

Cai Mao was afraid that Mrs. Cai would upset Cai Ji by mentioning topics such as adoption and adoption after entering the palace, so she hurriedly reminded her sister, "After Sister enters the palace, you should be cautious in your words and deeds, and you must not annoy your lord." ”

"Don't worry, Sister has her own measure in this matter." Mrs. Cai raised her eyebrows when she said this, and then analyzed herself, "The gentleman who gave birth to a daughter for the first time will inevitably lack qi and blood, be depressed, and urgently need someone to comfort and take care of her." Sister A's entry into the palace this time is to show the monarch that the second sister and brother Yu are loyal to the monarch's mother and daughter. ”

Cai Mao nodded in agreement when she heard what Mrs. Cai said, "What Sister said is very true. You can't write two Cai characters in one stroke, and if you are prosperous, you will be prosperous, and if you are declining, you will be declining. Not to mention that the Yu sisters and brothers have been deeply favored by the monarch since they moved north, and they should do their best to serve the monarch. ”

Compared with Cai Mao, who is bent on making contributions under Cai Ji, Mrs. Cai has a different mind. Because years of experience in serving Liu Biao told her that if a prince wants to keep a foundation, he must have a set of trustworthy cronies. Kinship clans, on the other hand, are relatively reliable. Therefore, the princes of each family will tend to promote their blood relatives, clansmen, and fellow villagers as confidants. In Mrs. Cai's opinion, it doesn't matter whether Cai Ji continues to have children in the future, or whether he has a step-adopted son. Only by reusing Cai's children can we ensure that Cai's country does not change color. So I listened to her take over the conversation slowly and logically, "If the king is prosperous, Cai's will be prosperous, and if the monarch is declining, Cai's will be declining, and this is not false." However, Yu and the others must let the king know that the children of the Cai family are the foundation of the Cai family. ”

Cai Mao is naturally more self-aware than Mrs. Cai, and the words "Cai's children are the foundation of Cai's country" will only laugh and be generous. So Cai Mao didn't wait for Mrs. Cai to finish speaking, and hurriedly waved her hand and said, "Sister, don't laugh." Jun Shanglu is assisted by celebrities such as Jia Xu, Guo Jia, Tian Feng, Cui Yan, etc., and Wu is escorted by heroes such as Tai Shici, Zhang He, Zhang Liao, and Gao Shun. How can the children of the Cai family be compared to such celebrities and heroes? ”

"What do you know! A person with a foreign surname is a person with a foreign surname after all! Mrs. Cai's apricot eyes widened and glanced at Cai Mao fiercely. Then he complained unwillingly, "It's not that you wait for the men to be angry, and even the rest of the women are showing their faces outside." Thou hast been angry with others for so long. To extinguish your own prestige, it is better to go back to the good students and urge all the sons and daughters to cultivate literature and martial arts, and to top the high school list in the future, so that Qi Guo's civil and military affairs will be impressed! ”

Don't look at Cai Mao's boldness and atmosphere when she is outside. But there is no way to take the second sister with a spicy temperament like him. However, Mrs. Cai took the initiative to enter the palace to curry favor with Cai Ji, which is also a good thing for Cai Mao after all. Therefore, at this moment, he faced Mrs. Cai's nagging and nagging. Cai Mao just nodded vigorously and said "喏".

In fact, with Cai Ji giving birth to her daughter, Mrs. Cai is far more than the only one whose mind has begun to live. In the past few days, there has been an endless stream of dignitaries, dignitaries, and wealthy businessmen who have come to congratulate Cai Ji. Even Xiao Jian, the secretary of the Ministry of Works, who had been staying in Langya and said that he was not sick, also set off for Longkou as soon as he learned that Cai Ji had given birth to a daughter.

In contrast, the movement on Cao Wei's side was significantly smaller. This is because Cao Pi is a member of the Cai family, and his and Cai Ji's heirs have to be surnamed Cai after all. Second, Cao Ang has had a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law, and a concubine one after another since he got married. Therefore, Cao Cao has long lost the freshness of the third generation. However, as Cai Ji's old rival, Cao Cao is still quite interested in Cai Ji's newborn daughter.

"Zhou Li? "Autumn Official" contains: 'The courtiers are in charge of the law of building a state and a foreign court. The doctor of the left nine thorns is in the position, and the group of soldiers is behind. The right nine thorns of the prince of the marquis of the male position. The officers followed. The face is three acacia, and the three male positions are Yan. The governor followed. 'I want to come to the Lord and want to have children. In front of Cao Cao, Situ Xunyu and others in the Wei Palace analyzed Cai Ji's future movements in response to the name Cai Ji chose for his daughter. It turns out that the locust tree was also a symbol of the position of the three princes in ancient times. In Xun Yu's opinion, Cai Ji named his daughter "Huai", mostly hoping that this daughter would be able to assist the master of Qi wholeheartedly when she grew up. Therefore, he judged that Cai Ji would continue to have children.

But Cai Ji is different from men after all, as a woman, she must personally bear the risk of childbirth. And her risk is an opportunity for other princes. So it's no wonder that the monarchs and ministers of Wei got together so seriously to analyze whether Cai Ji had children again. No, Yang Xiu, who was in charge of Langzhong at the time, objected, "Although Huai symbolizes the position of the three dukes and assistants. However, the blind Huai can also be interpreted as a person who comes here. The Lord of Qi named this woman Huai, and it is still unknown if he wants her to succeed to the throne. ”

"Cai Anzhen has always had the ambition of competing for the Central Plains, and in order to win the hearts of the people all over the world, how can he set up a heroine to succeed to the throne." This time, the speaker was Sima Lang, who was newly promoted to Ren Shaofu, and listened to his further analysis, "However, women's childbirth is dangerous after all, and it is inevitable that there will be accidents, and the civil and military forces of Qi may persuade the Lord of Qi to pass on his adopted son as an heir." ”

Yang Xiu listened to what Sima Lang said, pursed his lips and sneered, "There is still a dispute between the elders and the young of the wealthy families. Cai Anzhen recruited her adopted son as an heir as a monarch, isn't it like a rabbit walking on the street, attracting people to chase him away? ”

Yang Xiu's words can be regarded as saying that Cai Ji is willing to take risks and have children, and does not mention the hardships of his adopted son. Due to Cai Ji's early debut, he was still young and not suitable for his adopted son. When she became an adult, she became the king of a prince and a country, and the adoption of a son as an heir is no longer just a matter of one family, but a major event related to the rise and fall of the country.

It is necessary to know that in ancient times, there were very clear regulations on the establishment of heirs, that is, "the establishment of a descendant is not a virtuous one, and the establishment of a son is not a long one". In a large family, the son of the wife is called "sister-in-law", and his status is the most noble. The sons of other wives and concubines other than the main wife are called "concubines", and their status is secondary. Only sons-in-law are eligible to inherit property and hereditary titles. Even if the concubine is born earlier than the concubine, there is no right to encroach or snoop. Unless the concubine dies, it is the turn of the concubine to inherit. That's why it's called "expensive but not long". And if there are several sons-in-law, then the eldest of the sons-in-law will inherit the family's property and title. Even if the boss is an idiot. Priority inheritance rights as long as they live. This is "to be good not virtuous".

Of course, the rule is that the dead are alive. Any family with a bit of property status will often encounter the problem of the dispute between the elders and the young. If political legacies are involved, it will attract many interest groups to fuel the flames, and fight openly and covertly. Yuan Shao in Jizhou and Liu Biao in Jingzhou are all lessons from the past. Imagine that there will be a fight to the death between parents and children who are related by blood. The selection of adopted sons is wider, and the assessment criteria are less clear. Once Cai Ji's adopted son cannot convince the public, it is very likely that he will tear apart the civil and military team of Qi State.

So Yang Xiu's words just fell. Xun Yu nodded and agreed, "Dezu is reasonable, and the matter of establishing an heir is related to the safety of the society. If you are not careful, you will repeat the mistakes of Yuan and Liu. It is no wonder that the Lord of Qi did not hesitate to risk his life to give birth to his son-in-law. ”

Xun Yu's words were half analyzing the movements of Qi Ying, and half of them were deliberately saying it to Cao Cao. It turned out that Cao Cao had been reluctant to appoint his eldest son Cao Ang as his son in recent years, but he was very fond of the concubine Mrs. Huan. Although Cao Chong is only 10 years old now, he is a concubine. But according to Cao Cao's figure, there is no problem at all to live for another ten or twenty years. Imagine ten years from now. A 20-year-old favored concubine in his prime, a 37-year-old eldest son who holds military power but has never been established as a son. It's just like a copy of Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang's brothers. Rao is Xun Yu is dissatisfied with Cao Ang, and he will not sit idly by and watch the disaster of seizing the heir to be staged in the Wei State. Therefore, as long as there is an opportunity, Xun Yu will always knock on the side and persuade Cao Cao to establish an heir as soon as possible.

Of course, Cao Cao understood Xun Yu's thoughts, and he also knew what kind of risks would be brought about by violating the order of the elders and young. But back then, Cao Ang's move to let the Son of Heaven go south always choked on Cao Cao's heart like a thorn. In addition, Cao Cao boasted that he had a strong body and enough time to cultivate a suitable heir. So he wanted to examine his sons more often to see if he could choose an heir who matched his heart.

Thinking of this, Cao Cao deliberately interrupted Xun Yu's words with a dry cough, and then concluded to himself, "The monarchs are reasonable. Cai Anzhen's thin heirs made the foundation of the Qi State unstable. People's hearts fluctuate, but God has given me a good opportunity. But what a pity! Previously, the Jizhou Zhuqiang uprising was too hasty, and it failed to become a prairie fire before Cai Anzhen gave birth to a daughter. It's a pity, it's a pity! ”

Cao Cao said "pity" three times in a row, which shows how much he is worried about the destruction of the Jizhou smuggling network. However, Xun Yu expected this ending early on. In his opinion, Cai Ji has been in Jizhou for many years, and there are famous generals such as Tai Shici in the local area, even if Jizhou Haoqiang is forced to rebel because of the smuggling case, it is difficult to pose a substantial threat to Cai Ji's rule in Jizhou in a hurry. However, the Qi army's record of winning Gaojiabao overnight greatly exceeded Xun Yu's expectations, which made him more afraid of the Qi army.

However, before Yang Xiu and the others could explain Cao Cao's thoughts, they suddenly heard a report from an inner servant outside the hall, "Qi Yu Jun, the school affairs are asking to see." ”

The so-called "school work farming" of the inner servant is the Zhen cultivation that made waves in Jizhou before. In fact, Song Geng and Zhen Geng are just pseudonyms, and only the word "Geng" is the code name that is actually real. Although Cao Cao was annoyed that Zhen Gengban had messed up his errand, he was still quite interested in how the Qi army conquered Gaojiawu overnight. So without saying a word, he gladly agreed, "Xuan." ”

After a while, the chamberlain led Zhen Geng into the palace. Seeing Cao Cao sitting on the couch and a circle of important ministers sitting around him, Zhen Geng hurriedly knelt down and pleaded with him, "The criminal minister Geng has been entrusted by the king, please surrender to the king." ”

Cao Cao Tie looked Zhen Gengfang up and down with a blue face before he spoke, "It is reported that you were also present when the Qi army besieged the Gao family, how did Gao Jiawu fall overnight, and you came truthfully for Gu!" ”

"Whoa." Zhen Geng received the order respectfully, and then told the process of the Qi army's attack on Gaojiawu one by one.

When he learned that the combat strength of the Qi Guofu soldiers was worried, and in the end, he took Gaojiawu by throwing fire mines, Cao Cao, together with Yang Xiu and others, invariably breathed a sigh of relief. You must know that the Qi State has a total of 72 Zhichong Mansions in various states and counties, and even according to the most conservative estimates, there must be 50,000 new soldiers, if these soldiers can be trained into elite divisions that can conquer the dock wall overnight within half a year, then Cao Cao will really have trouble sleeping.

However, at this time, Xun Yu still pointed out to Cao Cao for a while, "Although the soldiers of Qi Mansion are weak, but with the help of firearms, Qi Di is afraid that he will not dare to make chaos again!" ”

Cao Cao and the others listened to Xun Yu's words, and their expressions became solemn again. They had been so enthusiastic about discussing whether Cai Ji would have children again, but they wanted to take advantage of the internal instability of Qi to incite local heroes to rise up, so as to facilitate the intervention of Wei State's troops. But if, as Xun Yu said, Qi Dihaoqiang did not dare to make any more changes because he was afraid of the sharpness of Qi's weapons, it would undoubtedly greatly reduce the calculations of the monarchs and ministers of Wei.

And just when Cao Cao was worried, he suddenly heard Zhen Geng say in a deep voice, "The king is a clear scholar, and those who can mess with the country are not only strong." ”

Cao Cao heard what Zhen Geng said, so he raised his head and asked, "How do you say this?" ”

However, Zhen Geng looked around at Xun Yu and the others and did not speak. Seeing this, Cao Cao waved his hand and said, "All the monarchs present are lonely henchmen. But it does not hurt to say. ”

Zhen Geng got Cao Cao's approval, the corners of his mouth raised a confident arc, and he reported, "Your Excellency, before the minister evacuated Gaojiawu, he once placed a brocade box in Gaona's room. The box contains evidence of the Qi general Zhang He's collaboration with the enemy. ”

As soon as Zhen Geng's words came out, a low boo suddenly sounded in the hall. Seeing Yang Xiu sneering coldly, he asked rhetorically, "Zhang He is a general of the Qi State, with tens of thousands of heavy troops in his hands, how can he collaborate with the enemy for small profits?" ”

Zhen Geng replied quietly, "In the past, Zhang He sat in Xuzhou, and all the military and political affairs were out of his mansion, as if he was a prince. Now the Lord of Qi issued the "Order on the Rectification of the Army", separating the military and government of Xuzhou, and ordering Zhang He not to interfere in the government affairs of Xuzhou. How can Zhang He not be resentful? ”

"How can Zhang Heyuan have incriminating evidence in Xuzhou in the hands of Jizhou Haoqiang Gaona?" Sima Lang then asked.

"Zhen Gengcheng bamboo is in the chest," Zhang He set up several salt farms in Xuzhou in order to raise military funds. It is not inevitable to teach the truth, and collude with Gao Na and others to sell illicit salt from Jizhou, is it not impossible? ”

Seeing that Zhen Geng had always answered the questions of Yang Xiu and Sima Lang, Cao Cao couldn't help but light up, turned his head to Xun Yu and asked, "What does Wen Ruo think?" ”

Faced with the trap set by Zhen Geng's whim, Xun Yu just replied expressionlessly, "If you can separate the monarchs and ministers of the Qi Kingdom." (To be continued.) )