Although the ox cart is slow, it has more endurance than a war horse for a long journey, and it can travel 150 miles a day.

From Runan City to Xuzhou Xiapi, it is only more than 500 miles, and there is no obstacle along the way, even if Zhuge Liang deliberately slows down the trip, in the evening of the fifth day, Xiapi City is already in sight.

Fortunately, I didn't meet anyone from the same door along the way.

Xiapi City, at this time is Cao Cao's stationing place, the army outside the city is dense, and the sentinels are released thirty or fifty miles away.

Zhuge Liang's ox cart could see Xiapicheng from afar, and was intercepted and interrogated by a team of Cao Jun sentinels.

"I am a student of Lumen, Nanyang Zhuge Liang."

"I heard that Cao Chengcheng is stationed in Xiapi, and I came to pay a visit!"

Zhuge Liang is still dressed in the same free and easy outfit, a moon-white gown, wide sleeves almost dragging on the instep, his left hand is slanted behind his back, his right hand is holding the feather fan in front of his abdomen, and he is wearing a student crown on his head.

As the saying goes, people rely on clothing.

Zhuge Liang was already very handsome, and he was a teenager at this time. As soon as this outfit appears, it can bluff people.

No, the team of Cao Jun sentry riders who stopped the ox cart was originally very loose; When Zhuge Liang stepped off the ox cart, these Cao Jun sentry riders instantly became a lot more rigorous, and even turned over and dismounted, bowing slightly.

Since welcoming the Son of Heaven, Cao Cao has made great efforts to rectify military discipline.

Yes, Cao Jun's military discipline at this time was still quite good.

Besides, when facing scholars, these rough men in the army already have a heartfelt respect.

The sentry at the head of the squad held his spear in both hands and replied, "Sir is here to meet Sikong, or we will escort you one or two." In this way, it will also be much more convenient for the gentleman's car to drive into the city. ”

Because Cao Cao was stationed in Xiapi, there were sentry horses all over the city within thirty or fifty miles, and the city gate was even more strictly checked.

At this time, it was getting late, and with these Cao military sentry horses leading the way, it could also reduce the inventory along the road.

"In this way, there will be all of you!"

Zhuge Liang held the feather fan and arched his hand, which can be regarded as thanking these Cao Jun sentry riders for their kindness.

Then, under their respectful gaze, Zhuge Liang returned to the ox cart.

……

In Xiapi City, in the county guard's mansion, Sikong Cao Cao was depressed at this time.

won the six counties of Xuzhou, although it is worth rejoicing.

But some of them, some things, are confusing to think about now.

It is said that on that day, Cao's army dug up Surabaya and flooded Xiapi City, forcing Lu Bu's subordinate Wei Xu and others to suddenly rebel and coerce Lu Bu to leave the city to surrender, and since then, the last bit of resistance in Xuzhou has also disappeared.

Originally, Cao Cao was preparing to recruit Lu Bu.

Cao Cao attaches more importance to talents.

Even if it was a prince, after the defeat, Cao Cao did not think of killing, but wanted to surrender him. Like the original Yanzhou assassin Liu Dai, Chen Liutaishou Zhang Miao, Jibei Prime Minister Bao Xin, etc., didn't they still serve under him Cao Cao at this time?

Compared with Zhang Miao and others, Cao Cao was more willing to recruit Lu Bu.

Just because of Lu Bu's bravery, he is almost invincible today. Even Liu Bei's seat, Guan, Zhang, and Zhao, who originally made Cao Cao envious and jealous, fought alone, and I was afraid that no one could shake Lu Bu's edge.

If you can recruit Lu Bu, see who dares to disobey him Cao Cao in the future!

If there is really something unconvinced, he Cao Cao can close the door and let Lu Bu go.

And what about Lu Bu?

After becoming a prisoner of the ranks, Lu Buben also intended to pray for him Cao Cao to surrender.

Cao Cao wanted to surrender, Lu Bu wanted to surrender, the two sides should have hit it off, Cao Cao has since received the number one fierce general today, and Lu Bu can also survive. Who would have thought that Liu Xuande, who was watching at the time, suddenly came up with a sentence: I implore Cao Sikong to accept Lu Bu as his righteous son and be his fourth father-in-law!

That's not a good word!

Although the name of Lu Bu's three family slaves was shouted by the reckless man Zhang Fei, who among the princes in the world doesn't know what Lu Bu's temperament is?

Ding Yuan, the first stepfather of Lu Bu; Dong Zhuo, who previously caused trouble in Beijing, was Lu Bu's second father-in-law. These two were all killed by Lu Bu himself!

Lu Bu's third father-in-law is Situ Wang Yun. Although he was not killed by Lu Bu himself, he was forced to jump off the imperial city in Chang'an by Li Dao and Guo Yan because of Lu Bu's death!

Judging from the endings of Lu Bu's three fathers-in-law, whoever is Lu Bu's father-in-law will not die well!

Cao Cao is a smart person, and he instantly understood the connotation of Liu Bei's words.

Although Lu Bu is fierce, he is a white-eyed wolf who can't be raised!

If he Cao Cao accepts Lu Bu, even if he is not Lu Bu's father-in-law, he must guard against Lu Bu's backlash at any time.

That being the case, what's the use of leaving Lu Bu behind?

So, on the White Gate Tower, Lu Bu was hanged to death.

After Lu Bu's death, Cao Cao quickly understood that he had fallen for the big-eared thief's plan to kill people with a knife!

Liu Bei may really want Lu Bu to die, but he is afraid that he still doesn't want to see Lu Bu used by him Cao Cao. Yes, Liu Bei just used one sentence to say that he Cao Cao had to kill Lu Bu.

was actually used by a sentence from a big-eared thief, Cao Cao's mood at that time can be imagined.

However, this afternoon, something that made Cao Cao even more congested happened again.

……

Since Xuzhou was pacified, Cao Cao planned to return to Xuchang at the end of the month.

But all kinds of things in Xuzhou, Cao Cao has to arrange them properly before he can return to Xuchang with confidence.

One of them is to appease the gentry in Xuzhou.

After all, when he fought Xuzhou for the first time, the Qingzhou soldiers under his Cao Cao were originally reorganized from the remnants of the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou, and they caused a lot of harm to the fathers and elders of Xuzhou.

Now, to govern Xuzhou, most of them have to rely on the local gentry in Xuzhou, and they can't be appeased.

The pacification work was originally going well.

It's just that when the gentry in Xuzhou were about to leave, they gave Cao Cao a "big gift".

They sent a letter to the people, asking to leave Liu Bei to continue to govern Xuzhou!

Cao Cao didn't expect that Liu Bei would be so popular in Xuzhou.

Originally, Cao Cao intended to leave Liu Bei to garrison Xuzhou in case of the newly rising Jiangdong overlord.

Now it seems that Liu Bei can't continue to stay in Xuzhou.

If Liu Bei is allowed to continue to garrison Xuzhou, won't Xuzhou, where Cao Cao just arrived, immediately become Liu Bei's?

You must know that next, he Cao Cao will concentrate his forces in the north, but there is no extra energy and troops to waste in Xuzhou!

Since Liu Bei could not be stationed in Xuzhou, he could only bring him back to Xuchang and raise him as an idler.

If so, wouldn't it be a waste of Liu Bei's talent? Isn't it a waste of the combat power of the three gold medal fighters Guan, Zhang, and Zhao?

This added another layer of depression to Cao Cao!

……

Here, Cao Cao had just come out of the depression of his only son in the small dark house, and invited Xun Yu and others to have dinner together, but a guard came to report: "Lord, there is a student outside the mansion who asks to see him." ”

Cao Cao, who was still a little depressed, waved his hand and said, "No!" ”

"Do you really think I'm Cao Cao, who can see me if you want to?!"

Fortunately, Xun Yu, Guo Jia, and Cheng Yu were all in the hall and persuaded: "Lord, it's better to see each other." ”

"Since that student came directly to ask for the lord, no matter what he asked, I am afraid that he is not a mediocre person."

For the opinions of these three strategists, Cao Cao would most likely adopt them at any time.

So, Cao Cao instructed the guards who were about to go out, "Bring him in!" ”

Shaoqing, a young man with a lupine scarf and a very sassy dress, walked into the hall under the guidance of the guards.

"Lumen student, Nanyang Zhuge Liang, meet Cao Gong!"

As soon as Bu stepped into the hall, Zhuge Liang saw Cao Cao who was preparing to dine.

This was the first time Zhuge Liang met Cao Cao.

The first image is that Cao Cao looks very frustrated.

Cao Cao's stature is short, and his facial features are not very good, so he doesn't look like a human king.

Of course, if compared with Pang Tong in his memory, Cao Cao looks quite good.

Although Cao Cao's appearance is not flattering, he has been in a high position for a long time, but he is majestic. Zhuge Liang had just opened up the sea of knowledge at this time, and he didn't know how to look at qi, so he couldn't see how much luck Cao Cao had gathered at this time.

However, Zhuge Liang bowed to Cao Cao as soon as possible.

……

"Nanyang Zhuge Liang?"

Cao Cao leaned on the couch chair, looked at the handsome and free Zhuge Liang, and then looked at Xun Yu and the others on the side, and asked a little puzzledly, saying that he had not heard of Zhuge Liang.

Cheng Yu and Guo Jia also looked carefully, and then they both shook their heads slightly, indicating that they had never heard of Zhuge Liang.

It was Xun Yu, who heard that it was Zhuge Liang in person, so he quickly got up and arched his hand: "But Mr. Shuijing's disciple, Zhuge Kongming?" ”

"Not bad!" Zhuge Liang smiled and arched his hand and replied to Xun Yu.

"Zhuge Liang is young, I don't want Senior Brother Wen Ruo to recognize the foolish brother!"

Xun Yu is a native of Yingchuan, and his family is one of the disciples of Confucius and a descendant of Xunzi.

When Xun Yu was a teenager, he studied at Yingchuan Academy.

Yingchuan Academy is similar to Lumen Academy, both of which are a certain sect of monks, established in the outer gate of the world, and its main purpose is to recruit students to study, and if they find well-qualified cultivation seedlings among students, they will be transported to the sect behind them to cultivate.

This is the first month to get near the water.

Regardless of the monk sect behind it, only in terms of this outer academy, Yingchuan Academy and Lumen Academy are brother academies. When the students in the two academies meet, they are mostly referred to as brothers.

Yes, Zhuge Liang called Xun Yu "senior brother", which is not wrong.

Xun Yu has graduated from Yingchuan Academy for many years, and has also assisted Cao Cao for several years; However, Zhuge Liang has only been in recent years, and under the momentum of his master, some thin names have spread in Jingxiang.

Don't want to, Xun Yu knows him Zhuge Liang?

It's just that Zhuge Liang doesn't understand that Xun Yu is not a monk!

Is it because Xun Yu himself does not have the qualifications to cultivate?

Or is he like Zhuge Liang, the "pawn" of a certain monk sect behind the academy?

From this point of view, in troubled times, perhaps behind every prince, there are hidden forces secretly supporting; Who is behind the scenes, but we have to peel off the cocoon.

……

……

PS: In the first year of Jian'an (196 AD), after Cao Cao welcomed the Son of Heaven, he moved the capital to Xuchang, and was named the captain of the school and the secretary of the book. It means that the affairs of the government are basically handed over to Cao Cao.

Sikong, one of the three dukes, originally evolved from the position of prime minister in the early Han Dynasty.

Yes, the soldiers under Cao Cao's command, low-level and unqualified, mostly called Cao Cao as commonplace.

And the senior generals, and those who followed Cao Cao in the early days, such as Xun Yu and others, still call Cao Cao the lord.

Cao Cao was really named prime minister in the sixteenth year of Jian'an.

During the Battle of Guandu, Chen Lin wrote "Asking for Thieves", there is a sentence "Sikong Cao Cao".

It can be seen that before the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao's highest official position was only one of the three dukes.