The news of Murong Ke's death spread to Guyuxi Mansion in just half a month, Huan Wen was overjoyed, everything was as Chen Cao expected, the prospects of the Northern Expedition were bright, Huan Wen immediately ordered people to summon Huan Huo of Jingxiang, Huan Xi of Jingkou, Chen Caozhi, Huan Shixiu, and Xi Chao of Jiankang to discuss the matter-

On October 25, Jingzhou Assassin Shi Huan sent his henchmen Zhu Xu and Jianwu General Xie Xuan to arrive at Gu Yu by boat to participate in this important Northern Expedition on his behalf.

In October, the winter sun was warm, Huan Wen set up a case under the Tang Tang tree in the inner courtyard of the General's Mansion, and discussed the Northern Expedition with Xi Chao, Zhu Xu, Huan Xi, Chen Caozhi and others, Huan Wen said: "Murong Ke is dying and strongly recommends his brother Murong Chui as the pseudo-Yan Da Sima, but the pseudo-Yan Empress Dowager can be enough Hun and Taifu Murong to comment and not allow, out of Murong Chui Town Luyang, Murong Chui is resentful, the pseudo-Yan national government is not harmonious, and the ministers are infighting, this God gives me a good opportunity for the Northern Expedition, the Central Plains, I will take it." ”

Huan Wen only has jealousy of Murong Ke, and does not pay enough attention to Murong Chui, now that Murong Ke is dead, Huan Wen is fearless, but Chen Caozhi knows that Murong Chui is powerful, and immediately said: "Ming Gong must not despise Murong Chui, this person joined the army at the age of thirteen, and has made many military exploits, his brother Murong Ke is deeply surprised, and sighs to himself, and tastes that Murong Chui is ten times more talented than him, Murong Chui is now in Luyang, and is choking the road of our army to the north, if you want to succeed in the Northern Expedition, you must first get rid of this person." ”

Huan Wen laughed and said: "Chen Peng has the wisdom of Zhuge Wuhou, but he also has the caution of Wuhou, Murong Chui, Zhuzier, my army is advancing by land and water, and we will take Lu Yang first and behead Murong Chui to deter Xianbei Qunhu!" ”

Chen Cao saw that Huan Wen despised Murong Trai so much, and was deeply worried, Huan Wen's defeat was of course because Murong Trai used soldiers like a god, and the other reason for the defeat was that Huan Wen was stubborn and self-serving, and he was invincible in his life, and he did not adopt Xi Chao's two contributions, if next year's Northern Expedition, Huan Wen's fate could not escape, and he still had to insist on going his own way and not listening to advice, then the possibility of failure of the Northern Expedition was still very large, and Murong Trai must get rid of it in advance, Chen Caozhi was self-aware, and the two battles were against each other, and he had no much certainty of winning in the face of Murong Ke. Chen Caozhi can't dare to say that he can defeat Murong Trai because he knows the cause of the defeat in the Battle of Fangtou, the war will not be repeated like the Battle of Fangtou so that Chen Caozhi can correct his mistakes, the army is impermanent, the water is impermanent, with Murong Trai's military strategy, he will design another exquisite battle, which is by no means something that Chen Caozhi can predict and control, so the best strategy is to get rid of Murong Trai before the Northern Expedition, however, the plan will be settled?

Chen Caozhi said earnestly: "Ming Gong listened to the next words, now the pseudo-Yan Quanchen is fighting, if Ming Gong leads the crowd to attack it, it will be unanimous with the outside world, Murong Trai invites Ying to fight, the military power will be gathered in the hands of Murong Chui, and it will become a strong enemy of Ming Gong, why not use a discordant plan again, so that Murong Chui and Yan Clan will completely turn against each other, so that the hearts of the Yan people and the army will be greatly defeated, and the Northern Expedition of the Ming Dynasty will not sweep away a strong enemy and increase the chance of victory?" ”

Xi Chao also said: "What Zizhong said is extremely true, if you can cause civil strife in Yan again by divisiveness, it will be better than 100,000 soldiers." ”

Huan Wen was quite trusting of Chen Caozhi's wisdom, and nodded: "Chen Peng, please speak." ”

Chen Caozhi said: "Murong Chui's wife Duan was framed and imprisoned to death by the Queen Mother Ke Zu Hun, and forced Murong Chui to marry Xiao Ke Zu Hun as his wife, Murong Chui hated it deeply, ignored Xiao Ke Zu Hun, and favored Duan's sister Xiao Duan Concubine, between Murong Chui and Empress Dowager Yan can be described as fire and water, what is needed now is a fire trigger, which can make the confrontation between the two intensify——"

Huan Wen nodded again and again and asked, "What should be used as a fire guide?" ”

Chen Caozhi said: "Duan Si, the cavalry governor of Xifu, is Murong Chui's wife and brother, and the Ming Duke can ask Duan Caidu to write a letter to Murong Chui, in which he persuaded Murong Chui to return to the Great Jin, otherwise he would suffer a catastrophe. ”

Huan Xi chuckled lightly and said: "Chen Sima has a lot of flaws in this plan, Murong Chuigui is the pseudo-king of Yan Wu, and he is sent to surrender by the Governor of the First District, who is willing to believe it?" Moreover, the person who surrendered to the letter would go to Murong Ping's palace in a daze, such a counter-plot is too clumsy! ”

Chen Caozhi was teased by Huan Xi in person, but he was not stunned and silent.

Zhu Xu and Xi Chao also smiled and said nothing, Huan Shixiu was quite dissatisfied with this brother, and said: "How can Chen Sima be such a scheming person, this plan seems clumsy but is actually wonderful, Chen Sima just said that the relationship between Murong Chui and Empress Dowager Yan and Murong Ping is like fire and water, all that is needed is a fire lead, this letter is a fire lead, but the Hun clan is disgusted with Murong Chui, and he is worried that there is no evidence of the crime of framing Murong Chui, Duan Qidu's letter is to his liking, as for the mistaken vote to Murong Comment, it is indeed unbelievable in the eyes of outsiders, But the Ke Zuhun clan is not careful, what she wants is to get rid of Murong Chui, and the clumsy thing about this plan is that Murong Chui knows that the Ke Zuhun clan and Murong Ping want to punish him with such a flawed letter, and they will understand that there is no way to appeal, this is a crime that wants to be added, so Murong Trai will rebel. ”

Huan Wen sighed slightly in his heart, everyone here is a person with superb intelligence, only his son is mediocre, he only looks at the surface of the problem, he can't go deeper, his opinions are really mediocre, and there is an obvious gap with others, which is really worrying-

Huan Wen said: "Shi Xiu's analysis is good, this is exactly the clever plan to win by clumsy. "That is, he ordered someone to pass on his thoughts—

Huan Xi once again lost face in front of his father, ashamed and annoyed, annoyed by Chen Caozhi, and even more annoyed by Huan Shixiu, his face was pale, and he hung his head silently.

Before Duan Si arrived, a servant woman hurried to the back garden, and the guards stopped her from entering, which was Huan Wen's strict order, discussing military affairs, and not letting idlers approach, the servant woman shouted: "County Prince, pour out the lady to lift a man, lift a man!" ”

When Huan Wen heard this, he was overjoyed, before he summoned Chen Caozhi and others, Li Jingshu, who had been pregnant for ten months, said that she had a stomachache, and she gave birth to a baby boy in less than an hour. And he hurried away with the servant.

As soon as Huan Wen left, Huan Xi also brushed his sleeves away, leaving Zhu Xu, Xi Chao and others to look at each other.

After Chen Caozhi went to Jingkou, his apartment at the foot of Phoenix Mountain was taken back by the military government for other purposes, and Wei Chang, the chief secretary of the General's Mansion, arranged for him to live in the guest room of the General's Mansion, Zhu Xu and Xi Chao were all there, Chen Caozhi said to Wei Chang that he lived with Gu Kaizhi, and Wei Chang was only by him-

Duan Si was in the Zicheng military camp, and he didn't come so soon for a while, so Chen Caozhi ordered the guards of the General's Mansion to look for him at Gu Shenjun's apartment if Duan Caidu came.

At three o'clock in the morning, Chen Caozhi took Huang Xiaotong and the other two servants to Gu Kaizhi's apartment at the foot of Phoenix Mountain, Gu Kaizhi was painting in the study, and listened to the doorman report that Chen Caozhi had arrived, as if he hadn't heard it, the doorman knew that once the foolish Langjun was fascinated by painting, it was thunder and couldn't move, and he didn't care about anything, the doorman knew that Chen Caozhi was a friend of the foolish Langjun, so he took it upon himself to invite Chen Caozhi to enter the hall and sit down, explaining the situation, Chen Caozhi smiled and said: "Wait for me to see him-" came to the study, saw Gu Kaizhi painting on the silk, and didn't notice that there was one more person in the study, Drew a few strokes, and put the pen in the bun, and looked at the sketch with his hand, suddenly his eyebrows were divided, his face showed a look of surprise, and he drew a pen to add color and then painted——

Chen Caozhi didn't dare to make a sound, stood aside and quietly watched Gu Kaizhi's painting, this silk painting is about half completed, with Chen Caozhi's knowledge, at a glance, he knew that this is Gu Kaizhi's masterpiece "Luo Shen Futu", Gu Kaizhi is painting the faceless man standing on the river bank should be Cao Zhi, and the fairy-like woman with towering buns, fluttering clothes, wanting to go and stay, and looking forward to the affection is not the goddess of Luoshui?

Gu Kaizhi's pen is fine and simple, the brush is colorful, the color is dignified, and the painting skills have been completed, Chen Caozhi sighed lightly: "Changkang is obsessed with painting, so he can become a generation of painting saints, such as me, running north and south, Rong Ma is handsome, it is rare to hold a brush once a year, if you want to chase Changkang, there is no reason in the world." ”

Chen Caozhi thought about how comfortable and happy he was to learn painting from Wei Xie in the Taolin Xiaozhu of Wujun and Gu Kai in the past, but now although he is gradually in a high position and the family is becoming more and more prosperous, there is another kind of melancholy, as if the old man is gone, the good news is gone, and he will never be found, how can he maintain purity and innocence like Changkang?

Chen Caozhi stood in a daze, but he didn't notice that Gu Kaizhi was looking at him in surprise, Gu Kaizhi just looked at him, but didn't make a sound, when Chen Caozhi came back to his senses and opened his mouth to speak, Gu Kaizhi shouted: "Don't move!" Frightened Chen Caozhi for a while, Gu Kaizhi stared at Chen Caozhi for a while, but he couldn't find the melancholy beauty he had just seen, and he didn't look up at the moment, concentrating on painting again-

At this time, the doorman came to report, Duan Qidu asked to see Chen Sima, Chen Caozhi withdrew from Gu Kaizhi's studio to see Duan Si, but saw that Ran Sheng also came together, and they were very happy to see each other, Chen Caozhi said to Duan Si and Ran Sheng about the plan to divide Murong Chui, Duan Si was overjoyed, he Xianbei Duan clan and hundreds of people and tens of thousands of subordinates were destroyed by the Murong clan, Duan Si hated Murong Chui to the bone, and although Murong Chui was his brother-in-law, but when Duan Si led the crowd to flee south, Murong Chui was loyal to Lord Yan, and he was chased all the way, where was there a little bit of in-law love!

Duan Si said: "I will go back to the barracks to write a letter, and after I write it, I will submit it to Huan Da Sima for approval, and I will select the messenger who is willing to die generously as soon as possible, and I will never disgrace my mission." ”

Duan Si was an anxious son, and even when he rushed back to the Zicheng military camp, Ran Sheng stayed to gossip with his brother and asked him about returning to his hometown to worship his ancestors, but he didn't realize that twilight struck-

Chen Caozhi saw that Gu Kaizhi hadn't come out yet, so he went to the studio to visit again, Gu Kaizhi was still concentrating on painting, Chen Caozhi moved closer to take a look, Cao Zhi, who had no face on the riverbank before, was now looking like him, his expression was stagnant, looking at Luo Shen on the Yanbo River, obsessively yearning-