Chapter 151 The hero is late and Cao Cao invites him
Cao Ren was Cao Cao's younger brother and one of the first officials to follow Cao Cao.
Although Cao Cao has always advocated meritocracy, at least in terms of military power, Cao Cao still trusted his clan members the most.
Among the clan members surnamed Cao, Cao Ren, who had numerous military exploits and was closest to Cao Cao, was undoubtedly the most powerful general in Cao's army.
Cao Ren is currently the General of the Southern Expedition, and the General of the Four Expeditions and Four Towns. In the military structure of Cao Wei, under Cao Cao's deliberate promotion, he has surpassed the generals of the Four Directions in terms of status and military power.
Because of Cao Ren's position in the army, after Cao Cao fainted, Cao Ren took the opportunity and temporarily became the de facto commander of the 100,000 Wei army.
During the past few days when Cao Cao was unable to function normally, it was Cao Ren who secretly issued orders on Cao Cao's behalf and maintained all operations of the 100,000-strong Wei army.
Cao Ren has followed Cao Cao for more than thirty years, and the relationship between emperor and minister is profound. And because they are cousins, the relationship between Cao Ren and Cao Cao is so close that ordinary people cannot understand.
Cao Ren looked at Cao Cao, who was both his king and his brother, lying on the bed. His condition was getting worse day by day, and he felt extremely uncomfortable in his heart.
But just when Cao Ren finished wiping Cao Cao's face, the eyelids of Cao Cao, who was lying on the couch, moved. He let out a soft hum from his mouth, and then slowly woke up.
After Cao Cao woke up, the first thing he saw was Cao Ren's red eyes.
Cao Cao's awakening also caused Cao Ren, who was beside the couch, to immediately call the medical officer.
But his move was blocked by Cao Cao.
"Zixiao, give me some water."
When Cao Cao's hoarse voice reached Cao Ren's ears, a look of joy appeared on his face.
In the past few days, Cao Cao also woke up.
But every time he wakes up, he falls into coma quickly.
And like now, it is the first time in several days that I can clearly recognize myself and express a sentence in complete language.
Cao Cao's performance made Cao Ren think that Cao Cao was slowly getting better.
He hurriedly and excitedly stood up to pour water, but because he crouched beside the soft couch for too long, his legs and feet became numb and he almost fell down.
But in the end, he stabilized himself in time and quickly fetched a glass of water.
Cao Ren came to the couch, helped Cao Cao up slightly from the couch, and then carefully served Cao Cao to drink water.
After drinking the water, Cao Cao felt that the thirst in his throat was much better.
After that, Cao Cao regained some energy and couldn't help joking, "My dear brother who used to chase tigers and shoot leopards with Gu, and join forces with Gu to kill enemy generals, will one day have inconvenience in his legs and feet."
"Zixiao, you are old."
Facing his own relatives, Cao Cao has always had a warmth that is difficult for others to obtain.
What Cao Cao was joking about was that Cao Ren almost fell down just now.
Seeing that Cao Cao was full of energy to tease him as usual, Cao Ren felt even more joyful.
All this proves that Cao Cao's illness is gradually improving.
Cao Cao looked at the white hair between Cao Ren's temples and thought that he was older than Cao Ren. He couldn't help sighing: "My brother Ren is old, so I am old too."
Cao Ren's heart tightened when he heard Cao Cao's sad tone. He knew that people who are sick are most afraid of being unhappy, so he comforted Cao Cao and said:
"The king is a man destined by fate, how can he compare with me."
"If your Majesty does not abandon me, I would like to follow you and conquer the world for another ten years."
Hearing Cao Ren's relief, Cao Cao had a smile on his face. He pointed his finger at Cao Ren's forehead, just like when he taught Cao Ren a lesson when he was young.
"You have always been loyal and upright, how come you have learned to use kind words to make me happy today?"
Facing Cao Cao's lesson, Cao Ren had an embarrassed look on his face, just like when he was young.
It is hard to imagine that in the eyes of outsiders, Cao Ren, who was a general of heaven and man and had great prestige and was unsmiling, would still have this side.
Then Cao Cao asked Cao Rendao, "Where is Zhong Kang?"
When Cao Cao asked about Xu Chu, Cao Ren immediately replied: "I ordered Zhong Kang to guard the outer tent to prevent anyone from peeking into the king's tent."
When Cao Cao faced Cao Ren's arrangement, he nodded.
Xu Chu had extraordinary military power and was cautious by nature, so Cao Ren's arrangement was very appropriate.
After asking Xu Chu, Cao Cao asked: "After Gu Na day fainted, is everything in order for the army recently?"
In fact, just after Cao Cao woke up from his deep sleep, he was keenly aware that he was still in the king's tent in the Hanshui camp.
After he fainted, Cao Ren was the only one in the army who could take his place in commanding the army.
Now Cao Ren was able to serve him at his bedside. All these things are enough to show that there was no big danger to the 100,000 Wei troops during the past few days when he was in a daze.
Precisely because he judged this in his heart, when he woke up and saw Cao Ren's eyes were red, his first reaction was not to ask about the current situation of the army, but to calm Cao Ren's emotions with a joke.
After all, Cao Cao knew that his body would be unable to function in a short period of time. In the next period of time, Cao Ren would be needed to command his army.
And as long as Cao Ren's emotions are calmed, the 100,000 troops will naturally settle down.
Now that he asked Cao Ren about his recent arrangements for the army, he just wanted to find out and fill in the gaps for Cao Ren while he was still energetic.
After Cao Cao asked, Cao Ren knelt down in front of the couch and recounted the arrangements he had made in the past few days.
"That night the king fainted, so I ordered the tiger and leopard cavalry to block the high platform and not allow anyone to leave, and also strengthened the defenses along the Han River."
"Later, the admonishing doctor suggested to me that I just need to pay more attention to the ministers on the high platform, because they are the ones who have completely witnessed the whole process."
"As for the ministers under the high platform and on the steps, they are under the stage and because they are in the dark, they will not know the truth about the king's fainting."
"They all have low status and are low-ranking officials in the army."
"If they are all imprisoned and not allowed to leave, the sergeants of the Second Japanese Army will inevitably panic if they do not see these ministers."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Secondly, without them, I will not be able to command the entire army smoothly."
"Later, the admonishing officials advised me that the king's fainting may be concealed, but it is not easy to conceal his fall."
"In this case, I might as well take the initiative to release the rumor that the king was drunk and fell down. This can not only explain what happened that night, but also prevent more alarming rumors from spreading."
"Thus, with these two actions, our army has not experienced any major crisis in the past few days."
When Cao Ren finished speaking, Cao Cao, who was half lying on the couch, had a look of emotion on his face. He praised: "It is better to block than to block. It is empty and real. Liang Daozhen is a genius in this world."
The Liang Dao whom Cao Ren spoke of was Jia Kui.
Jia Kui's real name was Jia Qu, also named Liangdao, and he was from Xiangling, Hedong.
Jia Kui first served as a county official in Bingzhou, moved to Mianchi County, later became the prefect of Hongnong, and is now an admonishment official.
Since he joined Cao Cao, he has shown outstanding talents in both military and political aspects.
After listening to all of Cao Ren's reports, Cao Cao finally let go of the last worry in his heart.
Although he fell ill, he had Cao Ren for the overall situation and Jia Kui and other talented people for planning, so he had nothing to worry about.
These heroes are the key to Wei's success.
After knowing that the army had gradually stabilized, Cao Cao asked his second most concerned question.
"Has Liu Bei arrived?"
When Cao Cao asked about this, Cao Ren nodded heavily.
The banner of the King of Hanzhong has been hoisted in the Han camp on the other side, and someone has just come to report this matter to Cao Ren.
As Cao Ren nodded, Cao Cao felt mixed emotions in his heart.
Before Liu Bei arrived, he had been thinking about how he would deal with Liu Bei, his life-and-death enemy.
But by the time Liu Bei arrived, he had already fallen ill.
Thinking of his current illness and the difficulty of unifying himself in this life and fulfilling his long-cherished wish when he was young, Cao Cao couldn't help but cough violently.
Cao Cao's cough suddenly frightened Cao Ren, and he rushed to call the medical officer, but Cao Cao stopped him again.
Cao Cao took off the palm covering his mouth and nose, and saw that there was already a bit of blood in his palm.
This scene made Cao Ren even more anxious.
Cao Ren's panicked look fell in Cao Cao's eyes. He just smiled, and then calmly wiped the blood in his hand on the brocade handkerchief beside him.
Even though he has great ambitions and lofty ideals, even though he has shocking strategies, time is not forgiving and the hero is already in his twilight years. What can be done?
He waved Cao Ren forward and sat down on his couch. He had something to say to Cao Ren.
After Cao Ren came to the couch, Cao Cao said to Cao Ren in a helpless and sad tone:
"Zi Xiao, as a brother, I'm afraid it will be difficult to recover."
At this time, Cao Cao no longer called himself the king, but regarded himself as Cao Ren's elder brother.
As soon as Cao Cao said these words, Cao Ren's eyes were filled with fear. He shook his head desperately and said:
"No, no."
"Brother, let's go back to Yecheng."
"Go back to Yecheng, and my brother will find the best famous doctor in the world for you."
"After my brother recovers his health, he will go south in person."
"When the time comes, the younger brother will lead the elder brother's horse, hold the pedal, and be the pioneer for the older brother."
"Brother has experienced so many difficulties in his life, and he will definitely be fine this time."
There was already a hint of crying in his tone.
Cao Ren's words fell into Cao Cao's ears, and a smile couldn't help showing on his pale lips.
Maybe he is not like Liu Bei, a brother of the opposite sex who has righteousness and wealth, but he also has a clan brother who has true love for him.
How can he, who has killed countless people in his life, be a person who is afraid of death?
But before he died, he had to do something well.
Cao Cao looked at Cao Ren and said to him: "I know my body well."
"Everyone is destined to die, and death is not something to be afraid of."
"I just have two worries about my brother."
"The first worry is that we will not be able to bring these 100,000 troops back to the Central Plains safely."
"I took you thousands of miles to march south, so now I will naturally bring you back to the Central Plains safely."
"Liu Bei now cannot be underestimated."
"In one year, he won two major victories in Hanzhong and the Public Security Bureau. He has gained prestige and convinced the soldiers."
"Also, he has countless resourceful people under his command. Liang Dao's false and true strategies may be hidden from him for a while, but in the long run, there will inevitably be a risk of being discovered."
"Now it's time for our army to withdraw, but before we withdraw, I have to do one more thing for the future of Wei."
"While I still have some strength in my body in the past few days, please order Liang Dao to write a letter for me and send it to Liu Bei, saying that I want to meet him on the Han River."
"Only when I appear in front of the two armies can the morale of our army be stabilized and Liu Bei's suspicions can be eliminated."
After hearing what Cao Cao said, Cao Ren looked at Cao Cao with worried eyes, and asked with concern: "But my brother's body?"
Facing Cao Ren's concern, Cao Cao said, "It doesn't matter."
"Although my health is not as good as before, but it is just a simple meeting, there is still no problem."
Seeing what Cao Cao said, Cao Ren immediately nodded and accepted the order.
Then Cao Cao reached out and patted Cao Ren on the shoulder. His tone was no longer as calm as before, but became serious.
"Zixiao, if I am unable to return to Yecheng, you must remember what I said today."
"In today's world, the three families are divided into frontiers, which is no different from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period."
"Among the three families, my Cao family is the strongest, but after the battle with the Public Security Bureau, the Sun family in Jiangdong is already the weakest."
"Despite the defeat in Hanzhong, in terms of the wealth of the region, the number of troops, and the amount of talents, our Cao family is still the best in the world."
"It's just that the Central Plains' vitality has not been restored due to continuous battles, so our Cao family's national power cannot be fully exerted."
"Although Liu Bei occupies the two counties of Jingyi and the two prefectures of Jingyi, although they are vast, they are mostly barren land."
"Although the territory is vast, Liu Bei cannot do his best. Therefore, after Zihuan succeeds to the throne in the future, you must remind him not to use weapons easily."
"We must first focus on developing domestic affairs, recuperating and conserving national strength."
"In the future, as long as Zihuan dispatches good generals to secure the three important places of Guanlong, Nanyang, and Huainan, and instructs Liu Bei and Sun Quan not to seize any of these three places, then the general power of the world will still belong to the Cao family."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "The most prosperous and densely populated place in the world is in the north.
As long as Zihuan can safely develop his national strength for ten years, after ten years, if the south raises 100,000 troops, the north may raise 300,000 troops.
The national power of the north is enough to defeat any enemy head-on."
"And among the three important places, we must guard Guanlong."
"In the land of Guanlong, there are many good horses, and it is easy to produce cavalry."
"What Liu Bei and Sun Quan lack in battle strength is the cavalry."
"Without the cavalry, there are many plains in the north, and the soldiers of the south will not be able to gallop in the north."
"Not enough to cause trouble."
"Remember, remember!"
After Cao Cao finished speaking, he patted Cao Ren's shoulder heavily several times, and finally solemnly told him: "You must protect the foundation I have laid!"
Cao Cao's instructions were like his last words, and the tears in Cao Ren's eyes began to fall uncontrollably.
He came to the couch, kowtowed to Cao Cao on the couch, and solemnly promised: "I will remember it, I will remember it!"
Seeing that Cao Ren had written down his words with complete confidence, Cao Cao felt relaxed on his face.
No one can predict what will happen in the future. Today, he is just preparing for the future of Wei.
He waved his hand to Cao Ren on the couch and said: "Go, go."
Cao Ren accepted the order and was about to get up and leave.
But at this moment, Cao Cao suddenly said, "I ordered Liang Dao to state clearly in the letter that I also want to see Mi Yang."
Cao Ren was stunned when he heard this, but he quickly followed the order and left.
Although he didn't know why Cao Cao wanted to see Mi Yang, who had become famous recently, he would faithfully carry out Cao Cao's orders.
After Cao Ren left, Cao Cao sat on the couch and recalled the past, muttering to himself:
"The public has no way to cross the river, but the public actually crosses the river."
When he raised an army, it was for the purpose of reunifying the world. At first, many people used this poem to laugh at his overestimation of his capabilities.
Many years have passed, and the people who laughed at him have all turned into dust.
As he kept murmuring, Cao Cao's eyes gradually became firm.
Since this generation cannot be unified, let's pass on our ambitions to the next generation and let's see who will win among the last three.