The Han Dynasty "ruled the world with filial piety", and Liu Bei was known for his benevolence and righteousness. Cao Pi and Sima Lang talked about this, and no matter how good Zhuge Liang was, it was difficult to refute Cao Pi's request. In the end, the two sides gave in, Zhuge Liang allowed Cao Pi to send grain to Cao Cao in Dangyang City, and Cao Ren retreated the two outposts on the bank of Yunmengze for thirty miles to show the sincerity of the truce.

Three days later, Cao Pi and others came to the ferry with grain and grass as promised to cross the river. Liu Bei got Zhuge Liang's message and sent soldiers and horses to guard the ferry in advance to inspect Cao Jun's grain and grass one by one, so as to prevent Cao Jun from waiting for an opportunity to cross the river with weapons. And because Cao Cao was still under the siege of Liu Bei's department, Cao Pi and the others were no longer happy in their hearts, so they had to stand aside at this time, letting the other party turn over the grain and grass inside and out.

However, when he saw Liu Bei's sergeant groping back and forth on the grain and grass with a black dark stone, Cao Zhang, who had always had a big heart, couldn't help but ask Cao Pi curiously, "Second brother, what does Liu Jun mean by this?" ”

Cao Pi carefully observed Liu Beijun's actions, and judged in a deep voice, "It must be looking for iron with a magnet." ”

"Lu's Spring and Autumn Period" once said that mercy recruits iron, or it is also cited. But this thing? The young Cao Zhi hurriedly asked. Originally, the ancients regarded the magnet to attract iron as the attraction of a loving mother to her children, and believed that the stone was the mother of iron, but there are two kinds of stones: benevolent and unkind, and the loving stone can attract his children, but the unkind stone cannot be attracted. The "kindness" that Cao Zhi refers to is the "magnet".

"That's it." Cao Pi nodded and added, "In the past, the first emperor built a house, using a magnet as a door, and the courtier had a hidden armor and a blade. The magnet can't be overabsorbed. Qianghu thinks he is a god. ”

"True artifact also!" Cao Zhang stuck out his tongue in amazement, and then lowered his voice and asked Cao Pi, "Second brother." Is there a hidden blade in the grain? ”

Cao Pi raised his head and glanced at Zhuge Liang, who was standing with his hands in his hands not far away, and said loudly, "Those who are clear are self-purifying." ”

Zhuge Liang did not respond to Cao Pi, but he heard the conversation between the three brothers of the Cao family just now. Yesterday, Cao Pi's table in the tooth tent had already made Zhuge Liang look at him with admiration. Now seeing Cao Pi recognize the extremely rare magnet at a glance, the young Cao Zhi can blurt out the allusions about magnets in "Lü's Spring and Autumn". Zhuge Liang couldn't help but secretly sigh in his heart that the Cao family brothers were erudite and talented. However, Zhuge Liang did not think that Cao Cao could benefit from it. In his opinion, Cao Cao's eldest son Cao Ang is not as knowledgeable as Cao Pi and Cao Zhi, and he is afraid that he will not be Cao Zhang's enemy in the future. The old and the weak are under the strong. If the Cao brothers grow up as adults, the Cao family will definitely repeat the disaster of the Yuan brothers in the past. Even if Cao Cao took the Yuan family as a ring and kept the order of the elder and younger, Zhuge Liang boasted that he would be able to assist Liu Gong and his heirs to defeat the Cao family's father and son.

Cao Pi didn't know that Zhuge Liang, who seemed to be quiet, had already deduced in his heart how the Cao brothers were brothers. Unexpectedly, if Cai Ji had not been involved, he would have been recorded in history together with Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi as a representative of the brothers' wall. At this time, I saw that Liu Bei's department had already completed the inspection. The grain and grass had also been loaded onto the ship, and Cao Pi, who knew that parting was imminent, stepped forward and patted Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi on the shoulders and encouraged, "The second brother will go back as soon as he goes, and you will stay here for a good life." ”

"Whoa." Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi both surrendered their hands like little adults. Then Cao Zhi raised his head and asked Cao Pi, "When will the second brother and father return to the camp?" ”

Cao Pi made a categorical promise, "When the Marquis of Qi arrives, it will be the day when my father returns to the camp." ”

Cao Zhi opened his round eyes and asked again, "Will the second brother go to Qingzhou with Qi Hou then?" ”

However, Cao Pi has no clue about this problem. Because of his marriage contract with Cai Ji. It depends on the will of the Son of Heaven, on the ambition of the Father. It depends on Cai Ji's planning, but he Cao Pi alone can't call the shots. Thinking of this, Cao Pi touched Cao Zhi's head wordlessly, and then turned around and boarded the grain ship.

Not long after, ten small boats carrying Cao Pi and a large amount of grain and grass crossed Yunmengze and arrived at Liu Jun's camp on the opposite bank. Liu Ye and Yang Xiu, who learned that Cao Pi was about to transport grain to Dangyang, waited on the dock for a long time in the morning. Seeing Cao Pi coming ashore at this time, the two hurriedly stepped forward to greet each other and said, "I've seen the second son." ”

"It's hard work." Cao Pi returned the salute while hurriedly asking Liu Ye and Yang Xiu, "I don't know what the situation is in Dangyang City?" ”

Hearing Cao Pi ask about the situation in Dangyang City, Liu Ye exchanged glances with Yang Xiu, then lowered his voice and stepped forward, "Liu Bei's troops failed to attack the inner city, but the grain and grass in the city have run out. Now I am fortunate that the second son sends food, and the prime minister is worry-free! ”

In fact, Liu Ye didn't need to be so cautious at all, because the lack of food in the Dangyang garrison was already well known in Liu's business. As early as when the flood had not receded, there were bold Cao soldiers who climbed down from the head of the city and sat on a raft to touch shrimp and fish along the foot of the city. Although it was inevitable that they would be attacked by Liu Bei's troops during this period, the fishermen still repeatedly risked their lives, which shows that the food and grass in the city have long been insufficient. When the flood waters receded, Cao Jun had no fish to catch, so he could only stay in the muddy city all day long, feeding on grass roots and tree bark.

Today's decent houses in Dangyang City have long been demolished by Cao Jun to strengthen the city to resist Liu Beijun's attack. In the market, not only are piles of ordinary people huddled in the dilapidated and narrow grass huts, crying and crying. Even Cao Cao himself had to lie in a wet tent at this time, enduring the double torture of headache and rheumatism.

And just when Cao Cao was upset by the crying from outside the tent, he saw Xu Chu carrying a large stoneware bowl to Cao Cao's couch and said, "My lord, please eat." ”

Cao Cao stood up and glanced at the contents of the bowl, which was a bowl of brown rice, dregs, wild vegetable leaves, grass roots, and even tree bark. But it's such a bowl, and it looks like something that is not even as good as pig food, but it is currently the most rare "delicacy" in the city. Cao Cao is not Yuan Shu, not Yuan Shao, he will not cry and ask for honey to drink when the mountains and rivers are exhausted, and he will not dislike the chaff that is difficult to swallow. I saw him take the pottery bowl presented by Xu Chu, and directly grabbed it with his hands and ate it. The taste of this paste is the same as its appearance, slimy with a stinking and astringent grassy smell, but Cao Cao swallowed the whole bowl of paste as if it were a sweet eater.

Xu Chu saw Cao Cao's blink of an eye, so he ate half a bowl of mush, and couldn't help but be happy. In his opinion, if the lord can eat, it means that the lord is okay for the time being. However, just as Xu Chu wanted to ask Cao Cao if he wanted another bowl, he suddenly heard someone outside the tent cheering loudly. "Send food too! Send food too! ”

When Cao Cao heard this, he immediately frowned and ordered Xu Chu, "Go and see who is making noise and disturbing the morale of the army!" ”

Xu Chu rushed out of the camp with murderous anger after receiving the order. But after a short time, he led a small colonel again, and turned back with a smile, "Lord, good news, good news!" The second son sent food! ”

"That's true!" Cao Cao Huo jumped up from the sickbed.

Seeing this, the little colonel who was following behind Xu Chu hurriedly knelt down and said, "Back to Prime Minister, this matter is true. The second son, Liu Yilang, and Yang have already pledged grain into the city! ”

Hearing that Cao Pi, Liu Ye, Yang Xiu and others had all entered the city, Cao Cao's eyes couldn't help flashing a cold light. Obviously, Cao Pi's sudden appearance indicates that Cai Ji has intervened in the war in the south. I saw Cao Cao's solemn back hand going back and forth in the camp tent, and then swept the little colonel. "Don't lead the way yet!"

"Whoa!" Xiao Xiao shuddered and hurriedly led Cao Cao to the north gate.

At this time, Cao Pizheng, Liu Ye and Yang Xiu were at the gate of the city commanding Cao's soldiers to carry grain and grass, surrounded by a circle of cheering soldiers and people. To be honest, Cao Pi has never been noticed by so many people when he is so old, and the praise from all directions is like fine wine, which makes him immersed in fluttering pleasure for a long time.

However, this pleasure did not last long, and Cao Pi saw Xu Chu and others from a distance walking towards him with an old man who vaguely looked like his father. In Cao Pi's impression, his father has always been tall and mighty, and he needs to look up. But the old man walking opposite was gray-haired. Slim figure. So much so that he could see the old and majestic face clearly. Cao Pi dared to be sure that the old man walking opposite was his father.

Thinking of the hardships his father had suffered in the past few months, Cao Pi, who had a sour feeling in his heart, immediately knelt down in front of Cao Cao and kowtowed, "The child is late, and the father suffers!" ”

Cao Cao looked coldly at the second son kneeling in front of him, and then indifferently threw down a sentence, "You come with the solitary." ”

Hearing Cao Cao's unkind tone, Liu Ye and Yang Xiu each shivered. Cao Pi didn't think much about it, and wiped his tears directly. stood up and followed Cao Cao to the big tent of the Chinese army. As soon as Cao Pi stepped into the tent door with his front foot, he was beaten by Cao Cao with his back foot. "How did you come here! Why are you here? ”

Cao Pi didn't expect that his appearance would cause his father to be furious. Being scolded, he quickly stammered and defended himself, "Kid... The child is on the order of the Marquis of Qi, and the south... Go south to save... Rescue the father. ”

"On the orders of the Marquis of Qi? Hmph, Cai Anzhen wants to take advantage of the fire to rob! Cao Cao's eyes widened angrily and snorted coldly. In fact, Cao Cao had already judged that Cai Ji would stab him in the back when he was trapped in Jingzhou, but he didn't expect that the girl would dare to roll up her sleeves and go directly.

Seeing that his father questioned Cai Ji's rescue, Cao Pi couldn't help but open his mouth to argue for Cai Ji, "Definitely! The Marquis of Qi was ordered by the Son of Heaven to go south with Sun Ce to stop the Battle of Dangyang. ”

By the order of the Son of Heaven! Go south with Sun Ce! The sentences that burst out of Cao Pi's mouth burst out like a thunderbolt from the sky, and Cao Cao's head buzzed. At this moment, Cao Cao suddenly realized that the situation outside the city might be far worse than he had imagined. In an instant, this once dominant hero in the Central Plains fell to the couch as if he had been drained of strength, so frightened that Cao Pi and Xu Chu hurriedly stepped forward to help, pushing their backs and rubbing their chests.

After a long while, Cao Cao came to his senses, exhaled a breath of turbidity, pointed at Cao Pi and asked, "What happened?" Thou shalt tell me the lonely. ”

Under Cao Cao's questioning, Cao Pi lowered his head and talked about the major events that had occurred in the Central Plains in the past two or three months. At the beginning, when he heard that Cao Ang sent Wu Shuo to Donglai to ask Cai Ji for help, Cao Cao also blushed and scolded Cao Ang for "being a fool and luring a wolf into the house", and Wu Shuo "should be killed!" When Cao Pi talked about Cai Ji's proposal to "set the capital and return the emperor, return the princes, divide the princes, and use the feudal dynasty to screen the Han" and the reaction of the people of Xu Du to the proposal of the sixteen sons, Cao Cao seemed to have turned pale and fell into silence completely.

According to Cao Pi's words, Cao Ying's civil and military forces who supported the sale of the Son of Heaven in exchange for the division of the seal include Ding Chong, Xiahoudun, Cheng Yu, and Manzhong, and there are no less than dozens of people. In the face of these old guys who have followed him all the way from birth to death for more than ten years, Cao Cao really can't sacrifice the moral stick to accuse them of short-sightedness and selfishness. Because even Cao Cao himself couldn't help but chuckle in his heart when he heard that Xun Yu was unwilling to exchange the Son of Heaven for Dangyang to break the siege. People are not saints and sages, who can have no desires. Blame Cai Ji's demon girl for being too good at demagoguery!

How did Cao Cao know that even if Cai Ji did not enter, with the passage of time, the Cao family would make the final choice between self-preservation and loyalty in the near future. Although Cao Cao in history did not usurp the Han until his death, Cao Pi, as his successor, still ascended the altar in the year of Cao Cao's death, changed the country name to Wei, changed the Yuan Huang Chu, and respected Cao Cao as Emperor Wu, and the temple name Taizu. Because at that time, the Cao family's seizure of the Han world had become an arrow on the bow, and it had to be launched. Even Cao Pi is unwilling to take over the world, and the ministers who are waiting for the chicken dog to ascend to heaven will not agree.

However, for Cao Cao in the current plane, "Zhou Gong spit out, and the world returns to the heart" is still his lifelong goal. So at this moment, when he thought of Cai Ji's so-called sixteen-character initiative, Cao Cao only felt a feeling of tightness in his chest. Now from the Son of Heaven to the family clan, everyone is talking about "Budu Dingding, returning the government to the Son of Heaven, dividing the princes, and using the feudal dynasty to screen the Han", completely ignoring the imminent split of the Han family. On the other hand, he, Cao Mengde, is now burdened with the name of a thief, and can only sit in the small city of Jingnan and watch the Cai family chaos in the world! Is this world really as the demon Dao Zhang Jiao said, "the sky is dead"? If so, what is the point of fighting alone for more than ten years? Cannot! Lone must not sit back and watch the demon girl bury the Han River!

Cao Pi saw that Cao Cao was silent, his body trembled slightly, and he couldn't help but cautiously stepped forward and called, "Father." ”

Who would have thought that Cao Cao raised his head suddenly, and a pair of eyes as sharp as an eagle were facing Cao Pi's gaze. Cao Pi was in a trance and had the idea that his father was going to kill him, and he was so shocked that he involuntarily took a step back. However, Cao Cao quickly suppressed the killing intent surging in his chest, and instead waved his hand at Cao Pi calmly, "You go, remember to give a portion of grain and grass to the people in the city." ”

"Whoa." Cao Pi hurriedly surrendered his hand. When he withdrew from the camp, he found that the clothes on his back had already been completely soaked with sweat, and a gust of autumn wind blew through the whole person. However, compared to Cao Cao's murderous gaze just now, this coolness was nothing at all. Cao Pi believed that his father had no reason to kill him. Who was the man my father wanted to kill? Could it be Qi Hou?! (To be continued......)