"Yiyang Wei Yan ......"

In the tooth tent, Cao Ren muttered a name that was extremely unfamiliar to him with a pale face. But such a little-known figure can make nearly 3,000 Cao soldiers below Zhu Gai die on the banks of Zhangshui. What's more, Cao Ren also vaguely felt that the more than ten horsemen who escaped back were deliberately let go by the other party to demonstrate to him. However, regardless of whether the other party was intentional or unintentional, this disadvantage made Cao Ying's already low morale even worse.

And just when Cao Renwu was worrying about how to boost morale next, there was a sudden commotion outside the tent. Cao Ren, who was in an unhappy mood, immediately slapped the case and shouted angrily, "Who is making noise outside!" ”

Before the words fell, I saw a member of the small school hurriedly running into the tooth tent and reporting, "Yu Dashuai, Gongzi Zhang, Gongzi Zhi escorted him to help." ”

The loss of 3,000 elites in front of us should have been a happy thing to have a heavy army and horses to replenish it. However, Cao Ren, who heard the news, was shocked. It must be known that Cao Cao's fourth son Cao Zhi is only eleven years old, and his third son Cao Zhang has just turned fourteen. Two teenage boys escorted the baggage from Xiangyang all the way through the rebellious area to Nanjun, what if there was a mistake!

The more he thought about it, the more frightened Cao Ren hurriedly got up and walked quickly to the front of the gate, and sure enough, he saw that the two brothers Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi were leading a large group of soldiers and horses to stand in front of the camp. Although Cao Zhang is tall and looks like an adult at first glance, his childish face still betrays his age. As for Cao Zhi, who was wearing a crown of cupola and a pleated trouser suit, he was still an unopened boy from any point of view. However, don't look at Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi's young age, these little brothers have been in the army for more than a year. Cao Zhang is certainly talented. Brave and fierce, he dared to fight tigers to drive hungry wolves before he reached the weak crown, and was deeply loved by the sergeants in the army. Cao Zhi is even more talented. At the age of ten, he was able to recite the Book of Songs, the Analects and the pre-Qin and Han dictionaries, and the sons of the hundred schools of thought also dabbled extensively. And Cao Zhi is quick in thinking, sharp in conversation, and often responds to questions when he meets Cao Cao, blurting out a chapter. Once Cao Cao once questioned Cao Zhi in person, "Are you evil? It means, "You got someone to write it for you, right?" As a result, Cao Zhi knelt down and replied, "Words are true." Write a chapter, Gu Dang interview, who is Qianren? After this incident, Cao Zhi's reputation in Cao Ying was greatly enhanced. Many people compare him to Gan Luo, who worships the twelve ministers.

At this moment, seeing Cao Ren coming out of the camp, Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi immediately turned over and dismounted, and respectfully gave a military salute and said, "Cao Chang and Cao Zhi have seen General Zhengnan. ”

Cao Ren didn't care how good Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi were. directly reprimanded with a straight face. "If you don't stay in Xiangyang, what are you doing here?"

"We are ordered to escort the baggage to help!" In the face of Cao Ren's rebuke, Cao Zhang stepped forward unconvinced, pointed to the brigade behind him, and said complacently, "These two thousand soldiers and horses are recruited along the way. ”

"Two thousand volunteers?" Cao Ren raised his head and glanced past Cao Zhang, Cao Zhi's brothers, and glanced at the soldiers and horses behind them, but saw that there were more volunteers in different colors in the crowd than Cao Jun who were escorting heavy baggage. Surprised, Cao Ren couldn't help but ask, "Where did it come from?" ”

I heard Cao Zhizuo reply, "Uncle Huizi, this is the righteousness of the Green Forest Mountain." ”

Under Cao Zhi's recommendation, two burly men dressed as bandits hurriedly stepped forward and saluted Cao Ren respectfully, "Caomin Wang An, Caomin Beef Ginseng." Meet the General. ”

Cao Ren looked up and down at the so-called righteous courage in front of him, who did not look like a good class, and suddenly burst into a shout. "Are you really brave?"

The two of them were drunk by Cao Ren like this, and their legs suddenly weakened, and they both fell to the ground with a plop, and kowtowed again and again to beg for mercy, "The general spares his life!" The villain should not offend the heavenly soldiers! The villain is blind! Damn the villain! ”

Seeing this, Cao Ren turned his head and asked Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi, "Why is this?" ”

Cao Zhang glanced at the two people with disdain, and stepped forward to explain with a big grin, "These two people are entrenched in the mountains and forests, and they want to rob the baggage. The fourth brother made a bet with him, if the fourth brother can lead the two of them with a rope, then his part will be recruited by us, otherwise we will be burdened. ”

Cao Ren listened to what Cao Zhang said, looked at the two strong men lying on the ground, and then looked at the weak Cao Zhi on the side, and couldn't help but beat a drum in his heart. If it was Cao Zhang's defeat of these two bandits, Cao Ren still believed it a little. But it would be unbelievable to change to Cao Zhike. Thinking of this, Cao Ren asked Cao Zhi, "Is this true?" ”

Cao Zhi raised his hand and pointed to the soldiers and horses behind him and replied confidently, "If Uncle Zixiao doesn't believe it, you can ask the soldiers." ”

Seeing Cao Zhi's reaction like this, Cao Ren couldn't help but be amazed in his heart, thinking to himself Could it really be Zijian who subdued this gang of bandits? So he turned back to Wang An and Niu Ginseng and asked, "Wait for it!" If there is half a sentence, it will not be spared! ”

Wang An and Niu Ginseng had a stir, and hurriedly told the ins and outs of the matter like pouring beans into a bamboo tube. It turned out that when Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi were escorting the baggage through the Green Forest Mountain, they met Wang An and Niu Ginseng, a group of bandits. Seeing that there were only more than 1,000 Cao Jun escorting the baggage, and there were young children like Cao Zhi in the team, they became evil as soon as they became thieves. I thought that although the Cao army in front of me was not many in number, it was the elite guard of the Cao family, Wang An and Niu Ginseng not only did not succeed in the sneak attack, but were also chased and blocked in the col by the other party.

And just when a trapped beast was about to fight to the death with the pursuing Cao army, the little boy who was previously regarded as a fish belly by them suddenly stepped forward and said that he wanted to fight with them, simply put, it was a comparison of arm strength, and the losing side had to obey the dispatch of the winner. Seeing that a little doll wanted to compare their arm strength with themselves, Wang An and Niu Ginseng naturally agreed without hesitation, and at the same time, they generously said that Cao Zhi would choose the way to compare their arm strength.

However, what happened next was greatly beyond Wang An and Niu Ginseng's expectations. I saw that Cao Zhi first used a strong rope to wrap around the two smooth wooden sticks a few times, and then instructed Wang An and Niu Ginseng to each grab a wooden stick and pull it in the opposite direction, while he himself pulled the other end of the rope from a distance. After a qiē was ready, he heard Cao Zhi pull the rope violently with a loud shout, and Wang An and Niu Ginseng were unexpectedly pulled together by a huge force.

Seeing this situation, the surrounding bandits were all stunned, and Wang An and Niu Ginseng, who were witnesses, directly abandoned the wooden stick in their hands and fell directly to the ground. Cao Zhi naturally won the victory without any suspense and brought a group of bandits under his command. In addition, on the way afterward, Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi successively recruited some stragglers. This led to the increase in the number of volunteers in the ranks to more than 2,000.

Xu is whole thing sounded too bizarre, until Wang and Niu stammered the ins and outs, Cao Ren still had a skeptical expression on his face. See this. Wang An, who spoke quite neatly, hurriedly pointed his finger to the sky and swore repeatedly, "What the villain said is true, and he will never dare to deceive the general." ”

At the same time, the troops of Wang and Niu, together with Cao Bing, who escorted the baggage, also echoed it. "Indeed!" "The fourth prince has touched the two of them with his own strength." "The divine power of the fourth son."

Seeing that everyone was unanimous, Cao Ren also had to accept the reality, and turned to Cao Zhi in astonishment and asked, "Fourth son, do you really have divine power?" ”

Facing the curious gaze of the soldiers around him. Cao Zhi didn't sell Guan Zi, and directly surrendered his hand to Cao Ren and said frankly, "Uncle Huizi." It is not planted with divine power, but the power of pulleys. ”

"Pulley?" Cao Ren was confused.

"Exactly, this is the ink science passed on by Donglai." Cao Zhizhi was the first to tell the source of this plan. It is said that since Cai Ji published the textbooks of Jiangwutang into a book, many physical and chemical knowledge in later generations began to circulate in the name of Moxue. Cao Zhi is studious. In addition, Cao Pi has repeatedly mentioned various interesting physical and chemical phenomena in his letters. After going back and forth, the fourth son of the Cao family became interested in Moxue. To this end, Cao Zhi not only asked someone to purchase various books related to ink from Donglai, but also tried to do various physical and chemical experiments with his brothers at home. The mechanics he applied were not complicated, that is, two smooth wooden sticks were equivalent to a set of pulleys, and one of them was regarded as a fixed pulley and the other was a movable pulley. The use of pulleys is labor-saving, and Wang An and Niu Ginseng not only did not prepare at the beginning, but even had a contemptuous heart, which made Cao Zhi easily stage a good show in public.

Although Cao Ren did not know Moxue, he heard that this technique came from Donglai. Immediately, he showed a clear expression. After all, Donglai's tricks have long been famous all over the world. Imagine that since Donglai has a landslide and ground cracking technique that can collapse the city wall, it is not surprising that there is a pulley technique that can make children pull power soldiers. However, Cao Zhi was able to master such secret techniques at a young age and learn to apply them. Cao Ren couldn't help but praise from the bottom of his heart, "The fourth prince is really knowledgeable. ”

Seeing Cao Ren praising Cao Zhi in public, Cao Zhang couldn't help but ignite his heart of competition, and he also stepped forward and said eagerly, "I will do this too." I can pull four people at once! If Uncle Zixiao doesn't believe it, he can compete on the spot. ”

Although Cao Zhang's statement was full of childishness, it was very suitable for Cao Ren's spleen and stomach. I saw him twisting his beard and laughed, "The third prince has amazing arm strength and can fight fierce tigers, and the four soldiers are so good." ”

Cao Zhang was praised by Cao Ren like this, and he raised his head triumphantly. The soldiers of Cao Jun who were present swept away the dejected spirit of the previous defeat of Zhangshui, and shouted in unison under Cao Ren's beginning, "The fourth prince is erudite!" The third son is Wu Yong! ”

Cao Zhi's wisdom and Cao Zhang's martial courage certainly rekindled Cao Renbu's high fighting spirit. But for Cao Ang and others who stayed in Xudu, the current crisis cannot be reversed with a little tricks. In fact, at the same time that Cao Ren ordered his troops south, an extremely difficult choice was placed in front of Xu Dujun and his ministers, waiting for them to make a final decision.

"The eldest prince sent Wu Zilan to Cai Anzhen for help?"

In the study of Sima Mansion in Xudu, a goose fish lamp was burning vigorously, and the dancing flames reflected Sima Yi's contemplative face. And Sima Lang, who was sitting opposite him, couldn't hide the sadness between his brows at this time, and said with a sigh, "Yes." It is reported that Cai Anzhen proposed to set the capital of Bu Dingding, return the political son of heaven, divide the princes, and use the feudal Ping Han. ”

"Bu Du Dingding, return the government to the Son of Heaven, divide the princes, and use the feudal Ping Han." Sima Yi lowered his head and recalled Cai Ji's sixteen-character proposal, and a silent smile rose on the corner of his mouth. But this smile was fleeting, and then he quietly asked Sima Lang, "How did Xun Lingjun react?" ”

"Wen Ruozi is against it with all his might." When Sima Lang said this, he couldn't help but sigh and said, "In the past, the actions of the Son of Heaven made Cao Gong's astonishing achievements, but now the eldest prince wants to give up the Son of Heaven. No wonder Wen Ruo would be so out of shape. ”

Regarding Xun Yu's reaction and Sima Lang's statement, Sima Yi disagreed in his heart. In his opinion, with the current state of the Cao family, it is a pity to lose the Son of Heaven, but it is not necessarily a bad thing for the sky to fall. In particular, Cai Ji has now put forward the initiative of "dividing the princes and vassalizing the Han", as long as it is handled well, not only can Cao Cao be saved, but even the foundation of the Cao family can be guaranteed. Of course, if it is the ambition to unify the world and revive the Han family, then it is indeed suspected of giving up the Son of Heaven.

In short, whether to give up the Son of Heaven ultimately depends on the ambition of Cao Dagongzi, not the ambition of Xun Yu and others. At present, the person who is really facing the choice of life and death is definitely not Cao Ang, but the civil and military officials in Xu Capital City. Because whether to let go of the Son of Heaven is not only a matter of the rise and fall of the Cao family, but also a matter of standing in line. That is, which is more important, the Son of Heaven and the Cao family?

Even if Cao Ang listened to Xun Yu's Jian yì and clung to the Son of Heaven today, Cao Cao was rescued by Cao Ren and escaped from the predicament. According to Cao Cao's suspicious temperament, he will still liquidate those who value the Son of Heaven more than him Cao Mengde in the future. In the same way, if Cao Ang was a man who valued filial piety in his vision, then he would use various excuses to liquidate those who favored the Son of Heaven or the family, as his father Cao Cao did. After all, the contradictions between the Cao family and the Han family are irreconcilable. If after this change, the Cao family can retain the Son of Heaven, then the final result is either the Cao family usurping the Han dynasty and establishing itself, or the Han family liquidating the Cao family. In this never-ending battle, any family that is on the wrong side will fall into a situation from which it will never recover.

It can be seen that Cao Ang's choice is certainly related to Cao Cao's life and death, and Sima Lang's standing in line at this moment is even more related to the survival of Sima's family. Therefore, Rao is Sima Yi didn't want to wade into this troubled water, but at this moment, he had to pick up his spirit and probe Sima Lang to the bottom, "What are your brothers' plans?" ”

Sima Lang is also extremely contradictory at this time. On the one hand, he, like Xun Yu, was reluctant to give up the banner of the Son of Heaven, and on the other hand, he couldn't afford to charge Cao Cao with "seeing death and not saving him". So after bowing his head and struggling for a while, Sima Lang finally decided to ask the talented second brother in front of him for advice, "How does Zhongda think he should advise his brother?" ”

How to admonish this is a big problem in front of all Cao Ying's courtiers. However, at this time, Sima Yi did not have a long discussion with Sima Lang, but raised his head and gently spit out two words, "Don't admonish." (To be continued......)