Cao Cao was brought back to the cell by two jailers. When he heard the iron door being closed with a "bang" by the jailers who left, he raised his head on the back and saw Ma Su standing outside the door with his hands behind his back, looking at him with a smile.
"Why are you here?" Cao Cao said in surprise. He never expected that the first person to visit would be an eight-year-old child.
Ma Su looked at his desolate look and couldn't help but asked in an old-fashioned way: "Uncle Mengde, how did you get to this point..."
"Cough, cough, cough, cough..."
This sentence almost choked Cao Cao to death.
He coughed violently, pointed at the tip of Ma Su's nose, and said angrily: "Did Shuzi come to make fun of Mr. Cao today? As you wish, Mr. Cao is in jail today, making people look less like humans and ghosts less like ghosts!"
As Cao Cao spoke, he turned around angrily, looking at the wall of the cell, breathing heavily.
Ma Di asked the jailer to open the door, stepped into the prison, took out the jug and two wine glasses hidden behind his back, poured him a glass of wine himself, and said with a smile: "Uncle Meng De, come and have a drink to calm down.
Tell me how you were defeated by Ma Teng and Han Sui?"
Cao Cao sniffed his nose and smelled the smell of wine. He turned around and saw the wine glass handed over by Ma Su. Most of the anger in his heart immediately dissipated.
He took the wine glass, raised his neck and swallowed it. I don't know whether it was because of the strong alcohol or because he was filled with grievances and found an outlet to vent his anger. At the age of thirty-five, he cried like a child.
Ma Su, on the other hand, sat quietly aside, shaking his head gently and sighing.
After Cao Cao calmed down a bit, he continued to ask: "This time I am here in a private capacity, specifically to help you escape from death. Therefore, you must tell me the details of the Battle of Guanzhong before I can help you.
Find a reason to get away with it."
"etc!"
Cao Cao raised his hand to interrupt Ma Su's words, and asked with red eyes: "You just said that you came here in a private capacity this time. Cao dared to ask, what is your official status?"
"..."
Ma Su waved his hand, "That's not important. What's important is that I can save you!"
Cao Cao curled his lips and put down his wine glass, "Haha, why should I believe you? You are just an eight-year-old child."
"Eight years old? What happened to eight years old?" Ma Su stood up suddenly, pointed to the sky with one hand, and said arrogantly: "I will kill Dong Zhuo single-handedly!"
Looking at Ma Su standing tall, for a moment, Cao Cao felt that his momentum had been taken away by him. He opened his mouth, speechless, and at the same time, there was a trace of envy.
This is someone else's child, who is already famous all over the world at the age of eight.
"Where is Mr. Cai? Why didn't he come?" Cao Cao wisely chose to change the topic and began to believe that Ma Su could save his life.
Judging from the whole process of the latter being keenly aware of Dong Zhuo's fatal weakness, and then launching a thunderous strike with three thousand recruits to kill Dong Zhuo, this eight-year-old child has an extraordinary mind, determination, and force!
With such a person, it is difficult for people not to believe the lies he speaks.
Ma Su stopped his posture, waved his hand and said with a smile: "How could my father come to visit you? You are a war criminal of the imperial court, and he is your chief judge. If he comes, the rumors will not drown you."
After that, when Cao Cao remained silent, Ma Di continued the previous topic: "I guess you have already seen that to the general, you are just a chess piece that can be discarded at any time. But to the Dukes, you are just a chess piece that can be discarded at any time.
A loser who is not even as good as Zhao Kuo. If the Han Dynasty dies due to the defeat of Chang'an, you will be nailed to the pillar of shame in history. Presumably, you don't want to accept such an ending, right?"
Ma Di deliberately emphasized the words "chess piece", "Zhao Kuo" and "sinner". At the same time, he watched Cao Cao's facial expression closely, hoping to see anger and despair on the latter's face.
Sure enough, Cao Cao's face quickly turned red, and his chest began to rise and fall violently. His whole body was like a volcano about to erupt, full of danger.
"You, you are right...this is not the ending I, Cao Cao, want, no!"
Cao Cao bowed and saluted Ma Su, and looked over for help, with deep reluctance in his tone, "My nephew, please help me get out of trouble!"
Ma Di nodded, "The most important thing now is to figure out the ins and outs of the whole thing so that we can explain it to the court. You are the general who conquered the West personally promoted by Yuan Shao. If he really refuses to save you, your reputation will spread."
It doesn’t sound good, who will be willing to do their best for him in the future? So, there is no way out."
After hearing these words, Cao Cao quickly calmed down, took a deep breath, sat down on his knees, and began to tell the story of his entire experience from the time he led his army to Chang'an to his defeat at Tongguan.
While listening, Ma Su closed his eyes and silently restored the scene in his mind, and from time to time asked questions about his doubts.
The so-called expert will know whether there is one as soon as he takes action. Ma Di's inquiry directly shocked Cao Cao.
Even the most professional and capable commander in the world could not pay attention to every detail of the confrontation between the two armies like Ma Di. In fact, under Ma Di's inquiry, Cao Cao broke out in cold sweat, and belatedly discovered his marching arrangements.
There are so many flaws.
Because he is a soldier, he can deeply understand the meaning of the technical details that Ma Di asked about.
The entire statement process lasted for more than an hour. When Cao Cao said, "So I led more than two thousand soldiers to retreat to Tongguan," he finally exhaled and stopped talking.
"Do you have anything else to add?" Ma Su asked.
Cao Cao shook his head.
So Ma Su began to analyze for him how to avoid being sentenced to death and how to make a comeback.
The entire analysis process lasted as long as a stick of incense, and can be summed up in one sentence: use all your connections, even if you lose all your family property, even if you risk your family's life by issuing a military order, just for a chance to make a crime and meritorious service.
After listening to Ma Su's analysis with great anticipation, Cao Cao felt that things had indeed turned around. He was overjoyed, walked around the cell while rubbing his hands, and said to him: "If it is like You Chang said, it doesn't matter if I lose all my family property. If I
I am able to escape from prison, and I would like to give it to my eldest daughter Cao Yan."
Cao Yan...the future eldest princess of Qinghe...
Ma Su didn't refuse, and he couldn't refuse. This kind of family-style marriage was just like taking in a maid.
He straightened his clothes and said warmly: "If nothing happens, you will be released from prison in three days, return to the court, and continue to lead the troops to fight against the Xiliang army."
After saying this, Ma Su ordered the jailer outside to open the cell door, then turned to Cao Cao and gave Cao Cao a "don't worry about me doing my job" look, and then left with a square step.
After Ma Di left, Cao Cao swept away the decline of the past few days, and his whole body was full of joy. He even sang the poem he had written loudly in the cell.
The guards with a keen sense of smell saw Cao Cao's changes and immediately realized that the "Great Han General Conquering the West" might be about to turn around in his prison career, so they changed Cao Cao's dinner from Wowotou and thin soup to Dukang wine and
Meat dishes.
Cao Cao enjoyed these things with peace of mind, and then fell asleep contentedly on the straw mat in the cell.
The next three days were extremely long for Cao Cao, but extremely brisk for Ma Su.
He first came to the residence of the former Taiwei Cao Song, and after passing the news, he met the sixty-year-old man, who was Cao Cao's father. Then he told the latter straight to the point that if he wanted Cao Cao to live, he would give up everything he had.
The family property was sent to the house of Cai Yong, the censor Zhongcheng.
In the small courtyard next door.
Cai Yong was Cao Cao's chief judge, and Cao Song knew this. Not only that, after all, he had been a Taiwei, and he also had some relationship with Yuan Shao's uncle Yuan Wei. Before Ma Su came, he had already asked Yuan Wei for help.
, but Yuan Wei was vague and did not give any accurate information.
So at this moment, Cao Song was worried.
After hearing this, he was immediately overjoyed and asked all his cronies to take action and prepare to send money to Cai Mansion...the small courtyard next door.
Ma Di nodded with satisfaction and left, returned to the small courtyard next to Cai's Mansion, and ordered Zhu Heng and fifty of his trusted servants to take care of the reception.
This small courtyard was specially bought by Ma Su in order to train fifty of his close servants. It didn't cost much, just around 100,000 yuan.
The anti-justice father Cai Yong was a great writer and was not short of money.
Of course, a beating afterwards is unavoidable.
By the time it gets dark, the small courtyard next door is already filled with gold, silver, jewelry, silk and satin, and stacks of house and land deeds.
That night, Ma Di, under the protection of Zhu Heng, took money and visited the civil and military officials in the court one by one in the name of Cai Yong.
Cai Yong is worthy of being a great literary man with high morals and prestige, and his reputation is indeed much more powerful than that of the eunuch Cao Song.
With the help of Qian Qian and Cai Yong's wise name, within three days, most civil and military officials changed their words. A small number of those who did not change their words also stated that they did not object to Cao Cao being exempted from the death penalty.
Therefore, when Cai Yong presented at the third court meeting that "After review, Cao Cao is guilty of serious crimes and must be executed," all the civil and military officials who had been clamoring for Cao Cao to be executed in order to uphold the law of the country in the past few days suddenly suddenly
The wind direction has changed.
One said, "The enemy is outnumbered and we are outnumbered. It is not a crime of war." Another said, "Ding Yuan's eight tribes will rebel at the moment of battle, and it will be difficult for the gods to save them." Some even said, "Victory and defeat are common things for warlords. Cao Cao had the merit of quelling the Yellow Turbans.
Later, he had great achievements in killing eunuchs", so he proposed to "spare him from death and demote him to a commoner".
This proposal was instantly approved by most people.
General Yuan Shao kept an indifferent attitude and went along with the situation, exempting Cao Cao from the death penalty and asking him to go home and reflect.
So, after spending more than half a month in Tingwei Prison, Cao Cao finally didn't have to die.
On the third day, Cao Cao got up early in the morning and eagerly scratched the prison bars, waiting for the jailer to let him out.
He waited and waited, from morning to noon, from noon to evening, but no jailer came to let him out.
Seeing that the sky was getting darker, Cao Cao finally gave up. He went back to the straw bed and lay down on the straw bed in despair. He looked at the roof with distracted eyes, feeling that his life was gloomy.
At this time, he had no resentment in his heart, only hatred, hating Yuan Shao for turning his back and ruthlessly crossing the river and burning down the bridge.
Just as he was greeting Yuan Shao's eighteenth generation of ancestors a hundred times, two jailers opened the cell door and signaled that he could leave.
"The order to release is here!" Cao Cao jumped up from the straw bed, his heart instantly ignited with ecstasy.
The moment of freedom has finally arrived!
He was about to walk out impatiently when he suddenly stopped, looked at the two jailers, and asked seriously: "Why are you two so late?"
This is not without purpose. Court meetings are usually held in the morning. If a consensus is reached at the meeting to release him, the order will be sent to Tingwei Prison after the meeting, and it will not be later than noon at the latest.
But now it's dark!
"...Uh, I'm sorry, Mr. Cao, I lost my cell key and it took me a long time to find it." One of the guards lowered his head and said calmly.
Because Cao Cao was not reinstated by the official, he deliberately chose a more appropriate title to remind the former that I did neglect my duty and lost the key, but you are just a civilian now and you can't do anything to me.
How could Cao Cao not hear the hint from this jailer? His thick eyebrows twitched and he opened his mouth, but in the end he snorted coldly and walked away.
Even Cao Cao himself didn't realize it. When he left the prison, the seeds of hatred had quietly taken root and sprouted in his heart.
………
"Di Di, Di Di, you are really..."
Next door to Cai Mansion, in the small courtyard wing, Cai Yan looked at Ma Su who was concentrating on counting money, and for a moment he didn't know how to describe this younger brother.
Call him bad, he did save Cao Cao. Now as long as Zhonglang sends the news of Zhu Jun's defeat to the Xiliang army back to Kyoto, Cao Cao will have a chance to recover - this can be regarded as fulfilling his promise to Cao Cao
.
Call him not bad, Cao Cao's ancestors' savings of three generations, billions of dollars, all became his - he only spent less than a dime on lobbying officials.
Ma Su closed his eyes, stroking the yellow gold and silver jewelry with his hands, and his sigh echoed in the side room filled with money.
Make a lot of money!
Even after three lives, money and beautiful women can still easily shake his mind and make him addicted to it, unable to extricate himself.
Alas, I am just a common man.
He picked out a bunch of the most beautiful necklaces, a pair of bracelets, and a bunch of headdresses from the jewelry, opened his arms and put them on Cai Yan's neck, wrist, and head one by one, and then said with a smile: "Sister
, given to you."
Cai Yan walked down the steps lightly, listening to the jingling of gold and jade on his body, he said happily: "Brother Su, you are so kind..."
The siblings played next door until noon the next day, but they still hadn't had enough. Under Ma Di's encouragement, Cai Yan changed into various Hanfus made of fine Shu brocade, and walked around the room, looking beautiful.
It's called "catwalk".
It wasn't until his trusted servants came to announce that Cai Yong was coming that Ma Su came to his senses, stood up with a rush, and said in shock: "Sister, what should I do? Hide quickly!"
After saying that, he couldn't help but stuff Cai Yan under the bed.
Cai Yong, wearing the imperial uniform, walked into the house and looked for a place to stay among the gold and silver treasures in the house very slowly. There was too much money on the ground, and it was very difficult for him to take every step.
In his hand, he held a wooden root as thick as a rolling pin.
His face was gloomy, and there was no emotion or anger in his voice.
"Shuzi! Where did this money come from?"
"Yes, it was sent by Cao Song..." Ma Di said quickly, his eyes darting from side to side, and when he found that there was nowhere to escape, his heart suddenly turned upside down, and his buttocks rose.
"This money cannot be returned anyway. You can fight me if you want, foster father."
Hearing that the money was given by Cao Song, Cai Yong's face changed for a moment, and then returned to his gloomy look, but he did not beat Ma Su with a stick.
Although he was on good terms with Cao Cao, he disliked Cao Song who considered him his father, so since he had accepted the money, there was no reason to give it back.
Ma Su paused for a moment and saw that Cai Yong did not come to beat him. He asked doubtfully: "Father, I'll knock...I took so much money from the Cao family, why don't you beat me?"
Cai Yong shook his head, indicating that the money was nothing, and then looked around, searching the house.
Ma Su asked bravely: "Father, what are you looking for? Can I help you find it?"
"Youchang...have you seen your sister?"
Cai Yong searched around and found nothing wrong except under the bed, so he turned to stare at Ma Di and repeated the question: "Have you seen your sister?"
Ma Di immediately straightened his chest and said with a blank look on his face: "I didn't see it. I have been here since yesterday. Foster father, is sister missing..."
"No...no, just stay here. I have something to do as a father, so I'll leave first." Cai Yong waved his hand, walked out, and closed the door.
Listening to the footsteps outside gradually moving away until they disappeared, Cai Yan crawled out from under the bed with a gray face and complained: "Brother Su, why did you stuff my sister under the bed? You
What are you afraid of?"
Because the bed was on the left side of the door, Ma Su was standing facing the door, while Cai Yan had his back to the door.
He waved his hand, signaling Cai Yan to stop talking.
——Everything is too late.
At the door, Cai Yong came back again, holding a wooden stick and standing there quietly, looking over with burning eyes.
