Chen Liu, Xiangyi.

The spring is cold, and it is still in the middle of winter.

In particular, this spring has had a lot of rain, which makes the nights extremely cold.

It was still raining lightly outside.

Cao Cao sat in the middle of the room and read by the light, but his mind flew 108,000 miles away.

The situation is changing so fast that it is so dazzling that Cao Cao is also surprised, and even a little confused.

Hongnong Wang Liu Wei died?

According to the news from Luoyang, Liu Wei was killed by Dong Zhuo and Li Rulu, and the means were the same as when he killed Empress Dowager He. But if Dong Zhuolu killed King Hongnong, why set fire to Ah Ge? Killed secretly, and then found a reason, why did you set it on fire and make it known to everyone in the world? Dong Zhuo is not a stupid person, why did he do such a stupid thing?

There's obviously a big problem here.

These problems are logically not difficult to spot.

However, people seem to have ignored those problems intentionally or unintentionally, and then put the blame on Dong Zhuo's head.

Strange, really weird!

In addition, what made Cao Cao even more confused was that Qiao Mao's edict spread to the world to ask for Dong, which was too much of a coincidence.

King Hongnong died, and the edict appeared.

It feels as if the death of King Hongnong was prepared for this edict.

However, this problem was once again ignored by everyone, and the heroes of the world were filled with righteous indignation and responded one after another.

However, this reaction was also too swift, so swift that it did not fit their character at all.

Yuan Shao has a generous temperament, but in fact he is indecisive and very suspicious; Yuan Shu, narrow-minded, asked in advance if it was beneficial to himself, but this time he took the lead; Zhang Miao has a noble character, but he is slow to act; Han Fu is suspicious by nature and cautious.

These people, to put it bluntly, are not the kind of decisive people, but they are competing to come out one by one.

In other words, they may have been connected for a long time, which is why they were able to respond so unanimously and create a huge momentum.

So, here's the problem!

How should I behave?

Cao Cao knew that this would be an opportunity for him.

Previously, he failed to assassinate Dong Zhuo and gained a resounding reputation. If he strikes while the iron is hot this time, he will be able to gain more prestige. Lieutenant of the military academy and general of Fenwu? This sounds beautiful, but in fact, Cao Cao's status among the princes is not very high. The reason is simple, he has no territory, and he does not have the strength to support his fame.

General Fenwu, to put it bluntly, is just a false position.

If he can take this opportunity and have the strength worthy of his fame, then he Cao Cao can be regarded as truly having status.

But the question is...... Wife and children are still in Luoyang!

Cao Cao's last assassination failed, but Dong Zhuo did not pursue it in the end, and gave him the title of General Fenwu.

This time, if he raises troops to fight against Dong, what will be the fate of his wife and children? To be honest, he didn't have a bottom in his heart.

Tuk tuk!

There was a knock on the door.

Then, the door opened, and Wetz and a thin middle-aged man walked in.

The middle-aged man was not tall, about seven feet five inches, his body was very thin, his face was pale, and he had an unhealthy complexion. The eye sockets are deep, the cheeks are thin, the bridge of the nose is high, and there is a yin air when standing there.

When Cao Cao saw the two, he hurriedly got up to greet them.

"Zixu, Mr. Xizhi, is there something wrong so late?"

The middle-aged man's name is Xi Zhicai, and he is Chen Liuren's family.

This man came from a humble background and was quite resourceful. It's just that when he was young, he had a bad character because of stealing from the township, and he was not taken seriously.

Cao Cao got acquainted with this person by chance.

He found that this drama was talented and the concept was quite compatible, so he invited him to come by his side.

Weizi and Xi Zhicai sat down separately, but Weizi did not speak.

Xi Zhicai said: "Ming Gong, the current situation has developed to this day, and it is almost the same as you and I guessed at the beginning.

The troubled times are coming, and it is an opportunity for Ming Gong to show his ambitions. In the past two days, I saw that Ming Gong was thoughtful, but I don't know if I can make a decision? ”

Cao Cao smiled bitterly when he heard this, and let out a long sigh.

"I can't hide my intentions, sir.

However, I have two worries that I can't make a decision, and I ask my husband to watch it on demand.

One of them was to assassinate Dong Thief in Luoyang, and after failing, he left in a hurry, but his wife and children fell into the thief's cave. Dong Zhuo later showed generosity, so he did not pursue it. If I raise an army now, my wife and children will not be able to save them.

Second, although Cao has the name of General Fenwu, he is not a general.

Today, the princes of the 11th Road jointly asked for Dong, although Cao had the intention to kill the thief, but he suffered from the lack of soldiers and generals, how could he gain a foothold among the princes? The day before yesterday, my father passed a message that he could recruit soldiers and horses for me in Qian County, but in fact, it was just a drop in the bucket. ”

As soon as Cao Cao finished speaking, Wei Zi opened his mouth.

"Mengde, if you have the heart to kill the thief, Weizi is not talented, and I am willing to help.

My Wei family has a small property, so I can gather people and horses with Meng De to build weapons...... Therefore, Meng De does not need to worry about this worry of soldiers and horses. ”

"Huh?"

When Cao Cao heard this, he couldn't help but be overjoyed, stood up with a sigh, and looked at Wei Zi.

Xi Zhicai said: "Ming Gong has soldiers and horses, and he still needs to have an official identity.

General Fenwu was given by Dong Thief, and it was difficult to convince the public. I heard that this time to discuss Dong, Chen Liutai Shou and Zhang Mengzhuo have responded. Duke Ming and Zhang Mengzhuo knew each other, and Zhang Mengzhuo was also quite prestigious among the princes. However, Zhang Miao has a reputation, but he has no real talent and learning, and there are no available people under him. If Ming Gong is like-minded, he will definitely accept it and entrust it to be reused.

At that time, the Duke of Ming used the name of Zhang Mengzhuo to carry out a crusade.

Make friends with the princes externally and recruit troops internally, you can quickly increase your strength and achieve a career. ”

Cao Cao couldn't help but be silent when he heard this.

Zhang Mengzhuo is Chen Liutaishou Zhang Miao, and the word Meng Zhuo.

He is a native of Dongping Shouzhang, who was already famous for his chivalry when he was young, helping the poor, helping others, and even bankrupting his family.

The strong man is a hero, so he has great respect for him, and he is called the 'Eight Chefs' together with Du Shang, Wang Kao, Liu Ru, Qin Zhou and other seven people.

A cook can save people with money.

Its reputation may not be as loud as 'Bajun' and 'Bagu', but it is also respected by people all over the world.

Cao Cao and Zhang Miao do have a good relationship.

He also knew that if he went to defect, Zhang Miao would definitely treat the guests.

"But, my wife and children ......"

"Ming Gong, the country is in danger today, and we should sacrifice our lives to live up to the name of our husband.

Why does Ming Gong only think about the private feelings of his children, but he doesn't care about the safety of the people in the world? I believe that if the lady knew that the decision was made, she would not be blamed. ”

Xi Zhicai stood up and scolded sharply.

Cao Cao couldn't help but blush, and after a long time, he made up his mind.

In fact, he already had an idea in his heart, but he was never able to make a decision. Through the mouth of Xi Zhicai, he finally decided that he would make himself better.

"In this way, I will go to Meng Zhuo tomorrow to discuss."

Wei Zi and Xi Zhicai glanced at each other, and immediately smiled.

Just then, there was a sound of footsteps outside the house.

Immediately after that, he listened to the servant: "Master, there is a person named Xiahou Yuan outside, who said that he was a relative of Duke Cao and asked to see Duke Cao." ”

"Why is Miaocai here?"

When Cao Cao heard this, he couldn't help but be taken aback, and stood up.

However, he immediately smiled, looked at Wei Zi and Xi Zhicai and said, "I'm worried, there are no soldiers, and I don't want to come here." He is the queen of the servant Xiahou Ying, and he is my relative. His wife is my sister-in-law. The wonderful talent came just in time, God helped me! ”

As he spoke, he walked out of the room with Wei Zi and Xi Zhicai and went straight to the door.

Drizzle, glamour.

It also adds a bit of coldness to this spring night.

Outside the gate of the Wei Mansion, a man eight feet six inches tall, dressed in a robe, stood leading a horse.

He carried a bow and three quivers, and his posture was majestic.

When Cao Cao walked out, he immediately laughed when he saw this man.

"Miaocai, you're here."

This person's name is Xiahou Yuan, and he is also from Qian County.

In fact, Xiahou and the Cao family are both big clans in Qian County. Xiahou Yuan and Cao Cao are even closer. is not just a relative, Cao Cao was implicated in a case in his hometown in the early years, and Xiahou Yuan took it on his behalf without saying a word, and he was very righteous.

When he saw Cao Cao, he also smiled.

"Meng De, I also just went home, listening to Taiwei's words, I know that Meng De has done a big thing before.

The lieutenant feared that you would be in danger if you were out alone, so he ordered me to come and protect you. When I got the news, I hurried here...... Yuan Rang, Zixiao, and Zilian are also in their hometowns now, and they will come to help as soon as Meng De calls. ”

This is an era of clan prosperity!

The relationship between the Cao family and the Xiahou family is almost impossible to describe in words.

The two families have been interacting for generations and complementing each other. Xiahou is after Xiahou Ying in the Western Han Dynasty, and Cao is after Cao Shen in the Western Han Dynasty. For 400 years, they have helped each other and have long been like a family.

The Yuan Rang in Xiahou Yuan's mouth is named Xiahou Yuan, and he has the courage to be unstoppable.

As early as the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the two of them followed Cao Cao to fight on the battlefield. Later, Cao Cao was conquered by He Jin and was awarded the title of Captain of the Military Academy. Xiahou Yuan stayed in his hometown, making a living separately, and did not go to Luoyang with Cao Cao.

In their words: the time has not come.

and Zixiao, named Cao Ren; Zilian, named Cao Hong.

Both of them were Cao Cao's clans, and their relationship was even closer.

Hearing Xiahou Yuan say this, Cao Cao finally breathed a sigh of relief. Previously, Weiz was willing to spend all his wealth to recruit troops for him, but it was far from enough. To put it bluntly, there is a lack of people like Xiahou Yuan to follow, and it is difficult to achieve great things without soldiers.

"Miaocai, come with me quickly."

Cao Cao took Xiahou Yuan's hand and walked into the Wei Mansion.

In the study, Xiahou Yuan took off his coat and put the quiver and the long quiver aside.

"Mr. Xu He, a talented man, is persuading me to defect to Zhang Miao.

I was worried that my strength was insufficient, and I didn't want to be a good talent......"

Cao Cao told Xiahou Yuan about the current situation and his decision without concealment.

"I'll send someone back and ask Yuan to let them come.

Tomorrow, I will go to visit Meng Zhuo, there is a son here who allows them to recruit troops, but I need you to think more about me. ”

Xiahou Yuan nodded and said in a deep voice: "This matter is within the abyss. ”

When he said this, he suddenly paused, and then stared at Cao Cao and said, "Meng De left his hometown and went to Luoyang. Factor Yang accompanied, so I didn't follow. Why did you come this time, but you didn't see any trace of Ziyang? ”

When Cao Cao heard this, his face couldn't help but change.

He looked at Xiahou Yuan, sighed for a long time, and said bitterly: "Ziyang is still in Luoyang." ”