In the cave, an old man and a young man were sitting by the campfire. When they heard Cao Cao's words coming from outside, they turned their heads and looked outside together.
This look was not serious. Cao Cao, who was standing outside the cave, was startled by the old man and the young man. He unconsciously took a step back and his heartbeat accelerated rapidly. The old man and the young man had extremely ugly faces.
Under the weak firelight above, he felt as if he had seen a ghost.
The old man was so thin that only his skin and bones were left, and his skin was a strange brown-red color reflected by the firelight. His curly beard, long eyebrows, and sky-high hair were even brighter and fiery red. Even his black eyes
Deep in his eyes, there is also a red flame burning blazingly, making people dare not look at him, making him exude a dangerous aura, making people unconsciously feel fearful and afraid to approach him.
The boy's face seemed to be distorted by a ghost, wrinkled. Although his facial features were not displaced, his appearance was very abstract, dark and thin, and his hair was messy. He looked to be only about ten years old.
The old man looked Cao Cao from head to toe and saw that Cao Cao was wearing armor, a helmet on his head, and a long sword hanging from his waist. His boots and trouser legs were covered with mud. He looked embarrassed, and he was still holding a hand.
A panting tall horse asked curiously: "Who are you?"
"I... I'm just a passerby. I passed by here and got lost. Now I'm tired, hungry and sleepy. I want to borrow my husband's place to rest for a while and fill my stomach. I'll give you money, ten times the price." Cao Cao listened to the old man.
What he said was human language, he calmed down his expression secretly, and then spoke slowly.
The old man turned his head and sat quietly by the campfire. He closed his eyes and rested his mind. He wriggled his lower lip and said slowly: "Come in, your Excellency, please do as you please."
The young man remained silent. After listening to the old man's words, he lowered his head, but his legs remained crossed, his upper body straight, and he slowly closed his eyes.
Cao Cao left Jueying outside the cave and walked toward the bonfire, walking cautiously for fear of disturbing the old and young. After sitting down, he stretched out his hand without hesitation and
He took out the fragrant chicken that had been roasted on the bonfire, opened his mouth and ate it without feeling hot. After devouring it, he ate the whole chicken.
He patted the oil stains on his fingers and asked greedily: "Is there any more?"
The old man opened his eyes at this time and saw Cao Cao eating the whole chicken. He shook his head and said, "This is the only one. If you want to eat it, there are bows and arrows over there. You can do it yourself."
Go hunting in the mountains."
Cao Cao knew that he was not out of danger, so he took out a piece of jade from his arms, handed it to the old man, and said: "This is a beautiful piece of jade. It is worth a lot of money. It is something close to me. If I take it to the market to exchange for money, I can exchange it for a lot."
It’s a lot of money. If I receive a meal from my father-in-law today, I will definitely thank you very much in the future.”
The old man closed his eyes without even looking at the jade pendant, and said slowly: "Money is an external possession, and it is of no use to the two of us. You are on the run. Perhaps this jade pendant will be of great help to you in the future."
Please help me. After you rest for a while, please leave this place and go southwest. There is a remote path there where you can avoid the pursuing soldiers."
After hearing this, Cao Cao was startled and thought to himself: "This old man has such good eyesight, he can actually see that I am avoiding the pursuing soldiers?"
"My father-in-law, it is difficult to repay the kindness of one meal. If I can become a successful person in the future, I will definitely thank you very much. However, I don't know my father-in-law's name yet, how can I find him in the future?" Cao Cao said, cupping his fists.
"We will meet by chance, it's just for a meal, don't take it to heart. If you go west, you will definitely be blocked at all levels. I heard that General Zhang Liao of the Yan Army is attacking Yingchuan, and General Xiahou Yuan of the Wei Army has occupied Xu County. You should leave Ying as soon as possible.
Sichuan, passing through Xuanyuan Pass and entering Luo, there may still be a glimmer of hope." The old man never looked at Cao Cao, only squirming his lips gently.
After hearing this, Cao Cao was even more surprised and thought to himself: "Who is this person? He actually knows my route clearly?"
At this time, the old man slowly opened his eyes, and a glimmer of light appeared in his deep eyes. It disappeared in an instant. Looking at the shock on Cao Cao's face, he said lightly: "Your Excellency, please leave here as soon as possible. It's too late.
I'm afraid there will be danger. Shiyuan..."
"Here." The ugly boy opened his eyes at this time and responded, looking at the old man with very expectant eyes.
"Give your Excellency the rations you are carrying. The road to Yingchuan is long, full of thorns, and full of difficulties. Your Excellency needs these rations more than we do." The old man said slowly.
The ugly young man nodded, took off a bag tied around his waist, stood up slowly, and handed the bag to Cao Cao.
Cao Cao stood there, not knowing whether to pick him up or not, but he couldn't figure out who the two people were, and it seemed that the two people didn't want to tell him. He was stunned for a moment, and then handed the jade pendant to the young man.
, said: "Thank you both for your kindness, I will give this jade pendant to you two. When Cao becomes famous one day, he will definitely send people around to look for you two as a token. If you two have any difficulties, you can also come
Look for me in Guanzhong, my name is Cao Cao."
After saying that, Cao Cao picked up the bag of rations and went out of the cave. When he reached the entrance of the cave, he turned around and bowed to the old man and the young man. Then he got on his horse and rode Jueying.
Disappeared into the night.
Cao Cao left, and the young man in the cave sat next to the old man and asked puzzledly: "Uncle, why do you still help Cao Cao when Cao Cao has become a lost dog?"
"Shi Yuan, you can't judge people by their appearance. The reason why Cao Cao was defeated was because he had not established a stable foothold in the Central Plains. His failure was mainly due to the issue of Qingzhou and Xuzhou. If it hadn't been for the incident of Qingzhou and Xuzhou,
Cao Cao may not end up in such an embarrassing situation. Cao Cao, a traitor in troubled times, I believe that he will definitely make a comeback in the future, and he will most likely become Gao Fei's strongest opponent." The old man said slowly.
"But Gao Fei is not bad. Why didn't uncle help Gao Fei get rid of Cao Cao and then join Gao Fei? I think that with Gao Fei's magnanimity, he will definitely think highly of his uncle, so my uncle will enjoy it for the rest of his life.
I'm so blessed." The young man sat around the old man and talked eloquently, and the words he spoke completely exceeded the limits of his age.
The old man shook his head and said: "No...you still haven't been able to see through it. A man who lives in troubled times should make contributions and achieve great achievements. Now the Yan army is full of talents and impressive momentum. In the battle of Guandu, they defeated the Qin army that had the upper hand.
,now defeated
Cao Cao, the Central Plains is about to change hands. However, victory is not a good thing, and often leads to people's pride. In addition, you are still young and unknown, and no one can see your unique talents.
.So what if I take you to Yan State?
There are many counselors and generals in the Yan State, so how can it be your turn to show your talents? This time, my uncle pointed out a clear path for Cao Cao. I guess this is what Cao Cao had in mind. As long as he can follow the path he wants,
In less than five years, it will definitely make a comeback.
However, Cao Cao has no talents with national weapons. Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xu Shu, Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, Liu Ye and others are not qualified for the big task. When you grow up to be an adult, Cao Cao should also
It's time to make a comeback, and what he lacks is a national weapon, and that national weapon is you, Pang Shiyuan. When you go to Cao Cao with the jade pendant, it will be the time for you to show your talent."
After listening to the old man's words, the young man understood very well that the old man was creating a platform for him to display his talents. He nodded silently and said to the old man: "Uncle, I have written it down. Let's go back to Xiangyang early tomorrow morning.
, I will visit Mr. Shui Jing and discuss with him the general trend of the world."
"Hahaha, Shiyuan, you have finally figured out that this is the path you should take. It seems that this trip to the Central Plains, I did not bring you in vain. You are just a young phoenix now. With time,
, will surely soar in the nine heavens and sing in the clouds. At that time, you will understand why your uncle helped Cao Cao today." The old man smiled happily.
At this time, a group of cavalry came outside the cave, and a general wearing armor and a helmet walked in. He glanced at the situation in the cave and saw that there was no one else in the cave except the old man and the young man.
There was no place to hide, so he shouted and asked: "Have you ever seen such a tall man wearing a suit of armor and riding a horse passing here?"
The old man nodded and said: "He saw it and robbed us of the roasted chicken. After eating, he also robbed us of our food rations and then rode away towards the southeast!"
The general wearing the helmet and armor was Wei Yan. He glanced at the young man suspiciously and saw that the young man was not tall but had an ugly face. He pulled the young man over and asked: "Child, let me ask you, what did he say?"
But the truth?"
"Of course what my uncle said is the truth."
"Then how can I be sure that you are telling the truth?" Wei Yan's eyes flashed with a faint light, and he was filled with murderous intent.
The young man said: "My uncle taught me that children should not tell lies. If they tell lies, their tongue will rot. I don't want my tongue to rot."
After hearing this, Wei Yan saw that the young man was indeed childlike, so he let go of his hand and asked: "Looking at the accent, you are not from here, are you? Where are you from, and what is your name?"
"My name is Pang Tong, from Xiangyang. This is my uncle. He was originally visiting relatives. Unexpectedly, there was a heavy rainstorm on the way back, so he had to stay in a cave temporarily." The young man replied.
Wei Yan saw that the young man was answering fluently and had an innocent look on his face. He turned around and walked away. He said to a cavalryman outside: "Have you brought rations? Throw a bag of rations to the old man and the young man!"
A soldier said "Promise" and hurriedly unpacked a bag of rations and threw them into the cave, while Wei Yan quickly disappeared.
Pang Tong picked up the bag of rations, looked at Wei Yan who was walking away, and turned to the old man and said: "Uncle, the Yan army is really benevolent and righteous! It's a pity that he will be my enemy in the future. I have written down the face of this general, and I will let him know in the future."
He's a horse."
"Repay the favor, very good... very good..." The old man only said this, then said nothing, and continued to close his eyes and meditate.
……………………
Cao Cao ran all the way, walking on small roads. When the sky was dim, he stopped to rest for a while. Sitting under the tree, he looked up at the sky. There was no one around him, and he didn't know what happened to the soldiers who followed him.
.
"I can't protect myself anymore, so how can I care about them? I hope they are all safe..."
After resting for a while, Cao Cao turned over and mounted the Jueying Horse again. Not to mention, if it weren't for the speed of the Jueying Horse, he would have been captured by the Yan army long ago.
As soon as he got on the horse, Cao Cao heard the sound of horse hooves from behind. He was startled and turned around hurriedly. He saw Xu Chu, Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Cao Xiu, Xu Shu, Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, Liu Ye, Man Chong, and ten people.
When they came on horseback, everyone was in a panic.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..." Xu Chu was the first to spot Cao Cao and shouted out in a hurry. The others also looked excited.
Cao Cao hurriedly turned his horse's head and galloped to meet them. When he saw these ten civil and military ministers, his eyes became wet.
When they saw each other, everyone dismounted one after another and paid homage to Cao Cao. They all looked sad and shouted loudly: "Your Majesty, I have found you. I am worried to death, for fear that your Majesty will do something about your horse..."
Cao Cao was also in tears, so how could he not shed tears at this scene? He helped everyone up one by one, and saw that Xu Chu had three wounds on his body, Xiahou Dun had two wounds on his body, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Cao Xiu,
Xu Shu was also all injured to varying degrees, while Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, Liu Ye, Man Chong, all had their clothes scratched and torn, and their clothes were not even enough to cover their bodies.
Seeing this situation, Cao Cao was filled with anger and regret, and said seriously: "I'm sorry for you..."
"Your Majesty, it is not advisable to stay here for a long time. The Yan army's pursuers are searching everywhere for traces of your Majesty. The top priority is to leave this place immediately. I heard that General Xiahou is in Xu County. We should rush there as soon as possible. As long as we have troops and horses, we can go again
Fight with the Yan army." Xu Shu wiped away his tears and consoled him.
Cao Cao glanced at the crowd and saw that Dong Zhao, Mao Jie, Lu Qian, Ren Jun and other ministers had not followed, so he asked: "Where are the others?"
Everyone sighed, and no one wanted to answer.
In the end, Xu Chu spoke up and said to Cao Cao: "Your Majesty, the other dozen or so adults were all captured by the Yan army. Their lives and deaths are unknown now..."
Cao Cao sighed heavily and said slowly: "Gao Fei has always loved talents, so he will not embarrass them. If they can surrender to Gao Fei, it may not be a good thing. I can't even protect myself, how can I protect them?"
?”
"Your Majesty, stop talking like that. It's important to get to Xu County quickly. There are still many soldiers in Yangdi City who can withstand Zhang Liao's attack. They are only looking forward to your arrival. As soon as your Majesty arrives, they can return to Yangdi City.
It's not too late to come up with another plan after Li Hou!" Xu Shu urged.
A glimmer of light appeared in Cao Cao's eyes, and he said calmly: "I have already thought of my way back. As long as you are willing to continue to follow me, you will definitely make a comeback in the future."
After hearing this, everyone unanimously expressed their willingness to continue to follow Cao Cao.
Cao Cao turned the horse's head and rode away with only ten ministers, heading towards Xu County where Xia Houyuan was...