When Xun Yu arrived at the government hall where Cao Ang was, Cao Pi was really in the hall, and was discussing something with Cao Ang and Sima Yi, seeing Xun Yu come in, the Cao brothers hurriedly stopped talking, Cao Pi saluted Xun Yu respectfully, and Cao Ang hurriedly ordered Sima Yi to arrange a seat for Xun Yu in person, and asked Xun Yu about his intentions, Xun Yu raised the official document in his hand, smiled and said: "A few people who have been caught in the city for making wine privately should be punished severely, and Chang'an Ling has found that these people are just first-time offenders, and private wine is also for sacrificial purposes, It's not for profiteering, asking for a commutation of their sentences, Yu can't make up his mind, so he comes to ask the lord to make it public, and he doesn't want to catch up with the second son who is also here. ”

After probably reading the official document brought by Xun Yu, the kind-hearted Cao Ang quickly said: "Since these people are not making wine for profit in the disaster year, but only to sacrifice their ancestors, then let's deal with it leniently, don't punish corporal punishment, and punish hard labor is enough." ”

"The Lord is really a man who loves the people, Yu understands." Xun Yu, who had long known that Cao Ang would definitely deal with him leniently, gave up his hand, and then asked casually: "Lord, the second son is here, could it be that Jiang Gan found new evidence in that incident?" ”

"Definitely." Cao Ang shook his head and said truthfully: "The second brother heard that Liu Bei's army will arrive in Chang'an in a few days, so he came to remind me to be careful against Liu Bei, and not to repeat the mistakes of Zhang Lu and Tao Qian and others, but I can't show too much hostility to Liu Bei, chill the hearts of allies, and mistake the major event of forming an alliance to resist Tao." ”

"Oh, the second son is here for this?" Xun Yu's face was surprised, and he turned to Cao Pi and asked, "Second Prince, then in your opinion, how should our army deal with Liu Bei's team?" ”

"Back to Uncle Xun, the little nephew thinks that he should be treated with courtesy. The outside is loose and the inside is tight, and Liu Xuande and his party are ceremoniously received, but they must not be allowed to enter the city garrison. Cao Pi said respectfully: "Now our army can no longer leave Liu Xuande's assistance, so we must give him enough courtesy, let him know our army's gratitude and respect for him, but for the sake of prudence, our army must not let his army enter the city, we must let his army be stationed outside the city, and send it to the front line of Tongguan as soon as possible, so as not to change." ”

"What the second son said is extremely true. Yu also thinks that it should be so. Xun Yu nodded. He asked curiously: "How does the second son plan to pay tribute to Liu Xuande?" ”

"The little nephew originally wanted to ask his brother to go out of the city for a hundred miles to meet Xuande Gong, but it was inevitably dangerous to do so, and my brother was busy with official business, so he couldn't leave the city for a long time." Cao Pi's tone of reply was more respectful. So the little nephew wanted to volunteer. Carry the belongings of the army. On behalf of the elder brother, he went out of the city for a hundred miles to meet the Duke of Xuande, and when the army of the Duke of Xuande arrived at the outskirts of Chang'an, the elder brother led the officials out of the city for ten miles to greet him. This can not only reflect our army's respect for Xuande Gong, but also allow my brother not to leave Chang'an when the enemy is present, killing two birds with one stone. ”

"Oh, what does the lord think?" Xun Yu quietly turned to Cao Ang and asked.

"Uncle, the little nephew has already agreed to ask the second brother to work hard." Cao Ang replied: "Although Liu Xuande did not believe in his words, and led the army eastward after holding his troops in Chencang for many days, our army had to rely on his military food assistance after all, so the little nephew felt that it was necessary to tolerate Liu Xuande for the time being, and other things would be discussed until Tao Ying was repelled." In this regard, I don't know what my uncle thinks? ”

Xun Yu thought very quickly, and replied after a little calculation: "Very good, Yu suggested that Sima Yi should also go with him, before the old lord ordered Sima Zhongda to assist the lord to negotiate and contact Liu Xuande, and he was familiar with Xuande Gong's team, so it was appropriate for him to assist the second son to meet Xuande Gong." ”

Hearing Xun Yu's words, Cao Ang didn't think much about it, and immediately nodded in agreement, while Sima Yi moved his eyes, glanced at Xun Yu and Cao Pi, and had some doubts in his heart, but Cao Pi, who was a thief, was heartbroken, and said secretly: "Why did Xun Yu recommend Sima Yi to go with me to meet Xuande Gong?" Is it intentional or unintentional? Could it be that Uncle Xun has already noticed something? No, it seems that I will have to be more careful in my actions in the future. ”

In view of the extremely fast speed of Uncle Liu's march this time, in order to prepare in advance, Cao Pi and Sima Yi led a team of Cao soldiers out of the city to the west on the same day, carrying a batch of precious gifts and pigs and sheep wine to meet Uncle Liu's reinforcements hundreds of miles away. ”

Saying that, Xun Yu also squeezed Sima Yi's hand hard, Sima Yi heard Xun Yu's voice, and nodded in understanding, but inevitably had doubts in his heart, and said secretly: "Always follow his left and right, and care about everything?" This is clearly asking me to spy on the second son, what happened? Ah, isn't it?! ”

Thinking of this, Sima Yi quietly showed a little smile, nodded and said, "Mr. Wenruo, please rest assured, Yi understands." ”

On the same day, there was also a news from Tongguan, saying that Zhong Xuan's team had withdrawn to Tongguan City under Zhang He's dispatch, and reported that Zhong Xuan's 4,000 defenders had withdrawn to Tongguan less than 800 people, and Zhang He was also pursued by Zhao Yun's team of the Xuzhou Army when he responded to Zhong Xuan, but fortunately, Zhang He's team found the Xuzhou Army's strange soldiers who tried to outflank the small road in time, and divided the troops to block the Xuzhou Army's sneak attack team at a dangerous place, and successfully retreated to Tongguan after losing more than 500 soldiers. Zhao Yun's team, which could not cut off the return route of Cao's army, only chased to the west of Huxian and temporarily stopped, and did not kill under Tongguan City, probably because they wanted to wait for the main force to arrive before joining forces to march west.

There was not much time left for Cao's army, and when the Xuzhou army arrived at Tongguan within a few days, Cao Ang had to quickly send someone to Cao Pi and Sima Yi to inform him of the matter, asking Cao Pi and Sima Yi to lead the emperor's army to Chang'an as soon as possible, so as to work together to resist Tao. But fortunately, the imperial uncle army came very quickly this time, and always maintained the speed of eighty miles a day, so in the afternoon of the next day, the ceremonial team led by Cao Pi and Sima Yi ushered in the imperial uncle army in the Huaili area west of Chang'an, and met with Liu Huangshu, who personally led the army to the rescue, in the evening of the same day.

met with Uncle Liu Huang in the sound of rituals and music, Cao Pi and Sima Yi naturally had to thank Uncle Liu Huang for their kindness on behalf of Cao Ang, and said some nonsense such as gratitude, and Uncle Liu Huang was also very ashamed to Cao Pi and others. He said that he should have arrived in Chang'an early, but because of the sudden outbreak of a flash flood and cut off the grain route, the army could not arrive on time, and repeatedly apologized to Cao's allies, and then introduced Pang Tong, Zhang Fei and Wang Ping to Cao Pi and Sima Yi, and then talked a lot of nonsense, and finally joined hands to enter the big tent built by Cao's army and held a grand banquet in the starving land of Guanzhong.

During the banquet, Cao Picai reported the military situation in Tongguan to Uncle Liu, and asked Uncle Liu to rush to Chang'an as soon as possible to join forces with Cao's army. Uncle Liu Huang also immediately ordered the whole army. Asking the officers and men of the whole army to speed up the march again the next day, and be sure to rush to the city of Chang'an, a hundred miles away, before sunset the next day, Cao Pi and Sima Yi were overjoyed and hurriedly thanked Uncle Liu Huang repeatedly. Broke up happily with Uncle Liu Huang and others.

The banquet dispersed at the second watch. But Cao Pi and Sima Yi's business has just begun. At half of the second watch, it was confirmed that Sima Yi, who was sleeping in the same account with him, was already asleep, and Cao Pi walked out of the sleeping tent with his hands and feet. and asked Uncle Liu Huang's Chinese army account to see him overnight. After being led into the sleeping tent by Uncle Liu's guards, Cao Pi was pleasantly surprised to find that Uncle Liu and Pang Tong were both in the tent. ”

"How many times did the second prince look at the lord and the envoy at the banquet today, and did he dare to sleep?" Pang Tong smiled and asked again, "What?" Second son, the eldest son's henchman Sima Yi, is here to spy on you? ”

"Probably, it's not sure yet." Cao Pi replied truthfully: "It was Xun Wenruo who suggested that his brother put Sima Yi in Pi's body, Pi has been worried about what Xun Wenruo has discovered, but he doesn't know that there is a flaw there, so he has to act carefully." ”

"Pi Gongzi is right to be cautious." Uncle Liu Huang nodded, and asked again: "Pi Gongzi, you volunteered to come to meet our army on behalf of Brother Ling, and you visited in the middle of the night, is there something urgent?" ”

"Don't hide it from Xuande Gong, Pi is here to seek a plan." Cao Pi also confessed, first introduced the general situation of the continuous conflict between Cao Ang and Cao Jun's ministers, and then said that Cao Ang personally led the troops to meet the Xuzhou Army and Cao Jun's old ministers The conflict intensified, and finally said to Uncle Liu Huang and Pang Tong: "Uncle Huang, Shi Yuangong, Pi knows that his brother wants to forget his father's hatred and lead the people to surrender Tao, and he also knows that the old ministers of our army are very dissatisfied with his brother's hidden intentions, and he has already given birth to the heart of abolishing the establishment, in order to keep the foundation left by his father from being destroyed in the hands of his brother, Pi is determined to secretly promote the abolition of the establishment, but I don't know how to start, Uncle Wanwang and Pang Junshi did not hesitate to give advice and help Pi a hand, and he would fulfill his long-cherished wish one day, and Pi would definitely be rewarded. ”

Hearing the news of the intensification of internal contradictions in Cao Jun, Uncle Liu Huang, who was incomparable in benevolence and righteousness, was inevitably secretly happy in his heart, but his face was silent, and he turned to Pang Tong and said: "Military advisor, I am waiting to come to the rescue of Cao Ang, I don't want Cao Ang's son to have the intention of descending Tao, the stakes are very high, Pi Gongzi is so sincere, he has repeatedly secretly helped our army, if the military advisor has a clever plan, he might as well offer it to Pi Gongzi." ”

Pang Tong blinked his mung bean eyes and calculated, and quickly said: "This matter is not difficult, but I don't know when Pi Gongzi wants to act?" Is it before the pottery is broken, or is it after the pottery is broken? ”

"Time is not with me, only before the pottery is broken." Cao Pi hurriedly replied: "Pi thought about it carefully, and felt that if he started after breaking the pottery, then the elder brother would have the merit of retiring the pottery, his prestige would rise greatly, and the contradictions between him and the old ministers of our army would also be alleviated, and the success might be too small." Only by acting before breaking the pottery can we be sure of success. ”

"Pi Gongzi is right." Uncle Liu Huang echoed: "Since Gongzi Ang secretly has the heart to descend the pottery, then the prince can only take the throne before breaking the pottery, otherwise, if Gongzi Ang suddenly orders the pottery, then the plan to join forces to resist the pottery is a big deal." And after the move, as long as Pi Gongzi can support the old man Cao Jun, then the generals Cao Ren, Zhang Liao and Zhang He, who are also Cao Jun's old men, will not have any problems in the future, and will only follow everyone to support Pi Gongzi to succeed to the throne. ”

"Okay, since Pi Gongzi has decided, and the lord also thinks it's best to do it as soon as possible, then let's do it in three days." Pang Tong smiled and said: "Our army will arrive in Chang'an tomorrow evening, and then rest outside Chang'an City for two days, by the way, make all preparations, and go east to Tongguan for reinforcements three days later, and start at the time of departure, and join hands with the old ministers of Cao Jun to help Pi Gongzi inherit the throne of Duke Mengde." ”

"Do it in three days? How? Cao Pi asked with great joy.

"Pi Gongzi, I heard that a few days ago, your army escorted Jiang Gan, the messenger of the pottery thief, back to Chang'an, but he was deceived by someone with a fake Cao Ang warrant, and his whereabouts are still unknown." Pang Tong didn't answer the rhetorical question, and said with a smile: "If Tong's expectations are not bad, that fake warrant that imitates vividness should be from the hand of Pi Gongzi, right?" ”

"It's ......." Cao Piyou looked a little embarrassed. After hesitating for a long time, he finally nodded and admitted that he had done it.

"Good." Pang Tong nodded with satisfaction, and said quickly: "Please pick up the pen immediately, write a book with the handwriting and tone of Ang Gongzi, write a letter to the general Cao Ren, cry to Cao Ren about Xun Yu and Cao Hong and others to take power and bully the master, and implore Cao Ren to uphold justice for him, and hint that there is an intention to kill Xun Yu and Cao Hong and others." ”

"Clever plan, why didn't I think of using the dictatorship of Xun Yu and Cao Hong and others?" Cao Pi was overjoyed. Hurry up and beg for a silk pen to make a book immediately. Then he asked worriedly: "Xuande Gong, Pang Junshi, how did this letter get to Xun Wenruo?" Pi doesn't seem to be suitable to come forward, huh? ”

"Don't worry, I won't work hard to deliver the letter." Pang Tong smiled and replied, "Pi Gongzi." Your third brother Cao Zhi. It seems that he is also very concerned about military and political affairs? ”

Cao Pi laughed loudly. Hurriedly asked about the other steps of the plan, but Pang Tong refused to answer, but urged Cao Pi to write the letter quickly. Cao Pi had to be at the mercy of others, and soon made a letter as required, and presented it to Uncle Liu Huang and Pang Tong, Pang Tong was very satisfied after reading it carefully, and said with a smile: "Pi Gongzi is really a good writer, and he is reasonable, reasonable, and well-founded, especially this sentence 'hating the sky and thunder does not kill the Yuhong thieves', which is just right and admirable." ”

After laughing, Pang Tong instructed again: "Come on, change a brush for Pi Gongzi, re-polish the ink, and ask Pi Gongzi to make another book." ”

"Why change brushes? Changing the ink? Cao Pi asked suspiciously.

"Of course, it is to prevent Xun Yu and others from seeing that the two books before and after are from the same brush and the same inkstone, don't underestimate these old foxes, any clues may make you lose your efforts." Pang Tong explained with a smile, and then said: "Pi Gongzi, I still use the handwriting of Ang Gongzi to write a letter to my lord, which is also crying and counting the crimes of Xun Yu, Cao Ang and others, and then begging my lord to help him when the army marches towards Tongguan, and take down Xun Yu and Cao Ang and others for questioning!" ”

"Ahh Cao Pi was taken aback, and hurriedly asked, "Then how did Xun Yu and the others know about this letter?" ”

"You don't have to worry about this, you have your own way." Pang Tong refused to answer, and said with a smile: "Pi Gongzi, don't be scared, please start writing." Remember, this letter must indicate the time, today is August 28, tomorrow to Chang'an, and then rest for two days, and write the first night of September! ”

almost forced Cao Pi to write these two letters, and Pang Tong cooperated with Uncle Liu Huang to say a lot of nice words to Cao Pi, almost patting his chest and promising to help Cao Pi to Cao Ang's position and replace him, and then sent Cao Pi back in confusion. It wasn't until after Cao Pi left that Uncle Liu, who was also in the clouds and mountains, asked Pang Tong: "Strategist, what are you going to do?" If he asked him to write these two letters, why didn't he tell him a specific plan of action? How does this make him cooperate with our army? ”

"Lord, there's no need to let him know." Pang Tong threw away the two letters in his hand, smiled and said: "With these two letters in hand, Pi Gongzi has no use value, Pi Gongzi is already twenty years old and adult, and he is quite scheming, why do you need to let him replace Cao Ang?" Wouldn't it be better to let your future son-in-law, fifteen-year-old Cao Zhi, replace Cao Ang? ”

Uncle Liu Huang smiled and said, "The military advisor really knows my heart. By the way, what should Sima Yi do? Cao Ang sent him to meet our army with Cao Pi, but it was a great opportunity to test and buy him, what does the military division plan to do? ”

"We'll talk about it tomorrow on the road." Pang Tong replied: "Whether Sima Yi is really surrendering to the lord or not, this has yet to be verified, so we can't take him lightly now, but it doesn't matter, whether Sima Yi is really surrendered or fraudulently surrendered, it is no longer important in the plan of the unification, and it will not affect the overall situation. ”

Uncle Liu Huang nodded, smiled and said: "The military advisor is really smart, when Sima Yi greeted our army today, although he was very respectful and affectionate to me, I could see that this child's eyes were calm and calm, and he was a little terrifying, among the people I saw, only Tao Ying was a traitor and him, so I couldn't judge what they thought, and the words were true or false. ”

………………

The night passed quickly, the sky finally brightened slightly, when the soldiers of the Huangshu army got up one after another and prepared to start again, just east of the four hundred and seventy Han miles, on the heavily guarded Tongguan city wall, suddenly sounded the earth-shattering gong alarm sound, the Xuzhou army came to the shouts one after another, the mountains echoed, the valley responded. Cao Ren, the general of the Cao army guarding the pass, who lived directly in the Guan Lou, also jumped up from the bed and quickly rushed out of the Guan Lou to look at the road to the east.

In the dawn, a Xuzhou cavalry with only more than ten people, appeared on the narrow road in the east of Tongguan, stood on horseback, looked at the Tongguan city tower two hundred steps away, the mountain wind blew their banners to hunt, the rising sun shone the golden sunlight on their armor and swords and guns, reflecting a dazzling light, the brilliance was as dazzling as the gods descended to earth.

"Enough!" Cao Ren yelled at the panicked defenders with a dark face, "It's just a pathfinder scout of the pottery thief, what's so scary?" Panic like this, like what? Stop beating the gong, don't shout, grow the enemy's morale, and destroy our prestige! ”

The panic was finally forcibly suppressed by Cao Ren, but every Cao army defender still had a look of melancholy on his face, because the Cao army soldiers knew very well that the decisive battle of Tongguan, which was crucial to the life and death of the Cao army's team, was about to begin, and the main force of Xuzhou, which was unparalleled in the world, was about to come, every Cao army soldier could die, and every Cao army soldier would struggle to survive in the sword and fire, and no one could know who would survive to the end.

The strategist of the Cao army, who assisted Cao Ren in guarding the pass, went up to the wall with dark circles under his eyes, walked to Cao Ren's side, and after looking at the more than ten Xuzhou army scouts outside the pass, Man Chong asked in a hoarse voice: "Do you want to report to the eldest prince immediately?" ”

"Don't worry, wait until you find out the situation of the enemy." Cao Ren shook his head, and said with a gloomy face: "Besides, what's the use of reporting the eldest prince?" Can he send us any more reinforcements? Maybe he will come to Tongguan in person to command the enemy again, and then it will be difficult to do. ”

Man Chong, who had already learned about the situation in Chang'an from the letters of Xun Yu and others, nodded, and did not want Cao Ang to come to Tongguan to cause trouble and help, so he said: "Send someone out of the customs to reconnoiter the enemy's situation first, and then send the news to Xun Wenruo, and ask Xun Wenruo to transfer it to the eldest prince, so that Mr. Wenruo and they can prepare first." ”

Cao Ren also nodded, and just when he wanted to order the dispatch of scouts to reconnoiter the enemy's situation, he suddenly remembered a major event, and hurriedly said to Manzhong: "Boning, the matter of sending scouts out of the customs to reconnoitre, you arrange, and I will hand it over to you for the time being, I have a big matter to do." ”

Saying that, Cao Ren hurriedly walked away, and hurriedly asked, "General Zixiao, why are you so anxious?" ”

"The old lord is when he is about to leave Tongguan." Cao Ren replied casually: "He once gave me a sealed wooden box, and ordered it to be opened when the pottery thieves were leaving, and then acted according to the orders in the wooden box. Now that the pottery thief's soldiers and horses have arrived, I need to open the wooden box. ”

"And this?" Full Pet was surprised, and at the same time, Full Pet was also full of doubts, and said to himself: "Isn't it right? The old lord went out of Tongguan to face the pottery thief, how could he leave the wooden box first and order Zixiao to open it when the pottery thief soldiers were in Tongguan? At that time, why didn't the lord think about it, even if he was unfavorable in the battle at Hangu Pass, he should return to Tongguan first? Yes! ”

Talking to himself, Man Zhong was suddenly startled, and said secretly: "Could it be that the old lord had already expected that he would die when he left the customs, and he would never have the opportunity to return to Tongguan, so he left his will in advance?!" (To be continued......)