Yecheng, the Imperial Palace.

Cao Pi opened his eyes a little tiredly, he now understands the unwillingness of his father when he died, obviously there are still many things he wants to do, but the passage of life can almost be clearly felt later, the feeling of helplessness and unwillingness is very strong, especially Cao Pi himself is still very young, he is only forty years old this year, it is the age when a man is most energetic, but he wants to say goodbye to this world forever, how can Cao Pi be willing?

His unwillingness may be stronger than Cao Cao, after all, Cao Cao has experienced everything in his life, and single-handedly laid the foundation of Cao Wei today, although he failed to complete the great cause of unification, but he can be regarded as dead without regrets.

But Cao Pi can't, although he sent troops to attack Wu twice, but because of Guan Yu's intervention, failed to make contributions, but wasted national strength, reigned for more than six years, Wei's national strength has indeed improved, but Cao Pi is very clear, this is not enough, Wu army has been supported by the Han army, these years to run Hefei, for land warfare more and more proficient, especially in terms of armor, now there is a counter-Cao Wei Xiang.

As for the Han Dynasty established by Liu Bei, even if Cao Wei did not admit it, the influence of the Han Dynasty has not been completely eliminated so far, as far as the current situation is concerned, in fact, the people's recognition of Liu Bei is not lower than that of Cao Wei, and in terms of destructiveness, Liu Bei's existential threat is far greater than that of Eastern Wu.

Cao Pi didn't think about joining Wu to fight the Han Dynasty, but what Eastern Wu had relied on over the years was the support given by the Han Dynasty, and he relied a lot on the Han Dynasty, although he did not refuse, but Sun Quan was obviously waiting for an opportunity, and before this opportunity appeared, Sun Quan would not rashly oppose Liu Bei.

The three-legged trend, although Cao Wei is the strongest now, but the Wu-Han alliance is not broken, and it is naturally impossible to break the current deadlock.

This is the truth that Cao Pi has realized over the years, Cao Wei is powerful, but he can't suppress the two families at the same time, now the country is undecided, but he is going to die, once he is dead, I am afraid that Liu Bei's Han Dynasty and Eastern Wu will immediately send troops to attack, Eastern Wu may not really fight, but Liu Bei will definitely attack.

If Liu Bei also died at this time, how good would it be?

Cao Pi resented the injustice of God, then Liu Bei, who was thirty years older than himself, was still alive and kicking now, why did he die young?

"Your Majesty~" The chamberlain trotted to the bed, knelt down in front of Cao Pi, bowed and said: "Cao Rui, the king of the plains, Chen Qun, the general of the Zhenjun, Cao Zhen, the general of the Chinese army, Cao Xiu, the general of the Zhengdong, and Sima Yi, the general of the Fujun, have been waiting outside the palace for His Majesty's summons. ”

Cao Pi raised his hand a little weakly, he didn't want to waste his strength to speak now.

The chamberlain understood, trotted out, and after a while, Cao Rui and the four ministers came in under the leadership of the chamberlain to Cao Pi collapsed.

"Son-in-law, see father!"

"Your Majesty!"

"Excuse me!" Cao Pi waved his hand and looked at Cao Rui, but saw that Cao Rui's eyes were lowered, although he was respectful, but his whole body was full of indifference that rejected people thousands of miles away.

Although Cao Rui is not very old, but he has experienced ups and downs, when he was young, because he was well-informed and knowledgeable, he never forgot it, and he was very pleased with Cao Cao, and even set up as the successor of the third generation of Cao Wei.

Later, Cao Pi ascended the throne, Zhen was named the queen, and Cao Pi was also in love, Cao Rui's childhood was undoubtedly happy, but the good times did not last long, the old and decrepit Zhen was gradually left out in the cold, and the early years were unclear with Cao Zhi, so that Cao Pi had a lot of mustard in his heart.

Cao Rui's original happy childhood life has also undergone earth-shaking changes all of a sudden, love the house and Wu, hate is actually about the same, after killing Zhen, how Cao Pi looks at this son is a bit like the fourth brother, and he is more and more displeased with Cao Rui, and then he was thrown directly to the plain, out of sight.

There was even a period of time when Cao Pi deliberately abolished the identity of Cao Rui's eldest son, and set up Cao Li, the son born to his favorite concubine Xu Ji, as his heir, but he was stopped by the Manchu ministers, Cao Rui did not make a mistake and could not be abolished! Cao Pi saw that the Manchu Dynasty was opposed by civil and military, so he could only put this thought to rest.

Now, eighteen-year-old Cao Rui has become a young man, but he does not have the sharpness and vigor that a teenager should have.

Thinking of the events of these years, I can't help but feel a little remorse in my heart.

"I will die soon...... I will die" suppressed the churning thoughts in his heart, Cao Pi sighed, and did not speak directly to his son, but looked at the four ministers.

"Why did Your Majesty say this!?" Chen Qun and the four of them hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Cao Pi.

"Hypocrisy!" Cao Pi glanced at them, scolded lightly, there was no emotion in it, and now he didn't want to deal with these useless politeness: "I said, just wait and listen!" ”

"Whoa!" The four of them hurriedly bowed.

Cao Pi took a deep breath: "The first emperor had a difficult business, when I ascended the throne, I originally thought that this so-called three-legged momentum would soon be pacified by my Great Wei, dominate the world, and establish the foundation of eternal life. ”

Chen Qun and the four of them hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, we will assist the prince and calm the world!" ”

"Pacify the world?" Cao Pi shook his head a little distractedly: "The Jiupin officials decreed that my Great Wei country is getting richer and stronger, but when the first emperor was dying, he said that work can also rejuvenate the country, Liu Bei used this to revive the Han Dynasty, you are all masters, you should understand this reason, the new Han Dynasty is constantly borrowing work and growing, and the princes can no longer regard it as a cheap industry with the old law!" ”

When Chen Qun and the others heard this, their hearts were complicated.

This is probably the advantage of troubled times, if in the prosperous times, workers want to develop and grow and obtain a higher social status, then the resistance in front of them will be so great that people will despair.

But now, in troubled times, although the world still controls a lot of resources, but it is divided into countries, and vigorously supports Cao Wei, which means that the power of the scholars on the side of the new Han will be weakened, and the new Han Dynasty is strong with workers, they are unwilling to admit it, but they can only accept the fact that the industry can be strong, even if they are unwilling, in order not to be pressed back by the Han Dynasty, they can only continue to strengthen themselves by improving the status of craftsmen, but in this way, they must cede their own interests, no one will want to do this, when Cao Cao was alive, he was able to exclude public opinion, vigorously advocated the development of industry and agriculture, but now that Cao Cao is gone, Cao Pi's politics is a compromise and exchange politics, although the country is rich and the people are strong, but at the expense of Cao Pi's right to speak.

At least, Cao Pi can't be as arbitrary as Cao Cao, as long as the ministers oppose it, Cao Pi doesn't dare to really go against the will of the people, but Cao Cao dares, even now, Cao Pi is about to die, but he just takes a tone of discussion, tells the facts and reasons, and makes them understand the importance of attaching importance to the development of craftsmen.

"Wait for you to understand!" Chen Qun and the others could only bow to Cao Pi.

"Yuan Zhong!" Cao Pi nodded, no longer speaking, he believed that both Chen Qun and Sima Yi were wise men in the world and would understand the truth, but looked at Cao Rui.

"Erchen is here!" Cao Rui silently stepped forward, neither his expression nor his tone fluctuated much, and he was as calm as a pool of stagnant water, which made people even more frightened.

"These four people are my loyal ministers of Great Wei! After I am gone, you will be in charge of state affairs, and you should rely on these four people, and there should be no doubt! Cao Pi looked at his son and pointed to the four people, this can be regarded as a trust, two generals of the Cao family, two important ministers of the court, in order to avoid Cao Rui being set up, Cao Pi also took a lot of painstaking work.

"Erchen understands!" Cao Rui nodded, and bowed to the four of them again: "Lonely and ignorant, if there is any mistake or omission in the future, the four Sea Kings will not hesitate to speak out!" ”

"The prince is serious, I will do my best!" The four of them didn't dare to accept the salute, so they hurriedly turned sideways and got out of the way, and bowed down at the same time.

"Alright." Cao Pi waved his hand a little weakly and said, "Yuan Zhong stays, and the princes should retreat first!" ”

"Oh, the ministers are leaving!" The four of them hurriedly bowed and said goodbye, maintained the posture of bowing, retreated silently, and did not get up until they retreated outside the hall, and dispersed after each bowing.

Silence returned to the palace, and the chamberlains retreated, leaving only the father and son relatively silent.

Cao Rui didn't speak, just waited quietly, he was used to loneliness, if it wasn't necessary, he could not say a word for three days.

Seeing Cao Rui like this, Cao Pi sighed: "Do you hate me?" ”

"Hate!" Cao Rui said blandly.

Cao Pi was choked by Cao Rui's honesty, he was about to die, thinking that his son would at least be pretty, but at this moment he realized that he was thinking too much.

"You say that your father will not die soon, and you don't care about your father's feelings?" Cao Pi asked.

"When my father killed his mother, did he ever think about the feelings of his mother and sons?" Cao Rui asked rhetorically.

"Monarchs and ministers, father and son, my son is so ......"

"So, Erchen hates Confucianism!" Cao Rui said in the end, with a touch of coldness in his eyes, that coldness, even if Cao Rui was in charge of the world's six slaughtered temperament, he couldn't help but shudder.

"You say so, aren't you afraid that I will ruin you!?" Cao Pi smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"The world is yours, who you want to pass it on, it is up to your father to decide, but if I can't succeed to the throne, Cao Wei will die!" Cao Rui said coldly, between his words, there was a kind of spirit to look down on life and death, and to do it if he was not satisfied.

"I wasn't worried before, but now, I'm a little worried." Cao Pi shook his head, among the sons, no one can compare with Cao Rui in terms of talent and courage.

"I am ashamed to treat your mother and son a lot, and I don't want to say much, I just hope that my son can treat those brothers well!" Cao Pi smiled bitterly.

"Father, rest assured, how my father treated those uncles back then, how my sons would treat my brothers!" Cao Rui said indifferently.

"You ......" Cao Pi only felt a block in his chest, and glared at Cao Rui angrily: "They are all your brothers!" ”

"Royal no affection, this is what you taught!" Cao Rui stood up silently and bowed to Cao Pi: "If there is nothing else, the son will retire!" ”

After speaking, he walked out of the palace without hesitation, Cao Pi looked at the back of Cao Rui leaving with some distraction, and suddenly had endless regret in his heart, he thought of Cao Zhi, thought of Cao Zhang and many other brothers, and finally, turned into a wry smile, and lay back on the bed silently, for a long time, he tried to raise his voice against the curtain above his head: "Come on, I want to draft an edict!" ”

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