Since April, the temperature in Lintao has risen sharply.
But Cao Ji was still wearing thick clothes, his face was pale and haggard, and his thin cheekbones were protruding, making him look like a skeleton. Cao Peng was also shocked when he saw Cao Ji. He knew that Cao Ji was sick, but he didn't
Thinking of being so seriously ill, Cao Peng couldn't imagine it. [bsp; The Cao Ji in his memory was a strong and strong man.
But now...
"Father!"
Cao Peng walked a few steps and came to the bedside.
Cao Ji was about to sit up when he saw Cao Peng coming. A smile appeared on his face, but it was a bit ugly.
"Afu, you're here."
There was an endless sense of exhaustion in his words.
Cao Peng couldn't help but feel sour when he heard this, and nodded vigorously.
He could more or less guess the reason why Cao Ji was like this. In fact, Cao Ji's condition was not very serious at first, but due to the war and the smoke everywhere, Cao Ji couldn't help but feel worried.
He is not a person who can govern a state.
When he first took up the post, he did it in a hurry. He thought that he would help his son defend the northwest that he had conquered single-handedly. In the beginning, it was indeed the case. Cao Peng left a strong team for Cao Ji, and Cao Ji didn't need to worry about it at all.
Although he would feel hard at times, Xu Shu and others could solve most of the problems. At the local level, Bu Zhi, Shi Tao, Pang Tong and others did not require him to worry too much.
However, as Cao Peng's confidants continued to be transferred away from Liangzhou, Cao Ji felt more and more pressure...
Especially when Bu Zhi left and Su took charge of Wu Wei.
Even if Su Ze had a relationship with Cao Peng, they were not very close. After all, Su Ze was not Cao Peng's confidant, so Cao Ji naturally wouldn't be too relieved. Zhao Qu was appointed the Protector of the Western Regions, and Deng Fan and Pan Zhang left Liang.
Zhou...a series of personnel changes made Cao Ji quite worried, but there was nothing he could do.
It was at this time that Ma Chao raised his troops and the Qiang and Di rebelled.
The psychological pressure Cao Ji endured was even more serious than his illness.
He had never fought in a war, let alone how to fight. If Shi Tao, Xu Shu, Meng Jian and Hao Zhao had not taken action to resist the enemy, Cao Ji would have been unable to support him. The situation in the northwest was getting worse day by day, which made Cao Ji worried, so he was physically
It also collapsed quickly.
Fortunately, everything is over!
Cao Peng came back, which also made Cao Ji feel relieved.
"My father just wants to take care of him with peace of mind. When he gets better, he will send his father back to the Central Plains.
My sister is about to give birth, and my mother is also looking forward to it at home.
Father, you must take care of yourself... Your Majesty has issued an edict to appoint your father as the chief agricultural officer, and he will take up the post in Xudu. Our house has also been expanded a lot, and the number of people has also increased a lot, all of which require my father to worry about.
Woolen cloth."
It's useless to talk to Cao Ji about how many stones of grain and how much the treasury will bring in!
He just thinks like a small farmer and likes to hear about topics like how much his family's property has increased, how much his house has expanded...
Sure enough, after Cao Peng finished speaking, Cao Ji became happy.
He lay down tiredly, took Cao Peng's hand, and said softly: "Now that Ah Fu is here, I can have a peaceful sleep."
"Well, the baby is right here."
Cao Ji slowly closed his eyes and soon fell asleep.
It can be seen that he has really not had a good night's sleep for a long time... Since Ma Chao raised his army, he has been under tremendous pressure, how can he sit back and relax? Now that his son is here, he has a backbone in his heart. Feeling Cao Peng's presence
Beside him, Cao Ji was particularly relaxed, and he slept soundly this time.
Cao Peng waited for Cao Ji to fall asleep and covered him with a quilt.
He walked out of the room, waved to the doctor, and asked in a low voice: "How is my father's physical condition?"
"Cao Liangzhou's health is not serious. The main reason is that he is so frightened that he can't sleep at night and doesn't think about food or food.
Worrying all day long makes my health worse and worse.
However, Cao Liangzhou's physical condition is good, and he can regain his strength as long as he has a good life."
Cao Peng, feeling relieved, let out a sigh of relief.
In this case, I am relieved...
He pondered for a moment and said in a low voice: "Then please trouble me, Mr. Lao, so that my father can be well and nursed back to health...I will tell the others that no one is allowed to disturb you. Before autumn, he must be well cared for and I will send my father back to the Central Plains. I will
No matter what method you use, you can make my father strong and healthy and return to his original appearance."
Sending Cao Ji back at this time is not the best choice.
Not to mention that the mountains are high and the roads are long and bumpy... With Cao Ji's current condition, I would be crazy if he was sent back to Xudu. So, after much thought, Cao Peng decided to let Cao Ji rest for a while.
The doctor hesitated for a moment and said, "General, it's not just a villain who refuses.
In fact, it is not difficult to raise General Cao Liangzhou, but the current environment in Lintao is really not suitable for raising General Cao Liangzhou. In my opinion, it is best for Cao Liangzhou to leave Lintao and change to a quiet environment, which is more conducive to physical recovery."
Think about it, yes!
Lintao is too close to the front line, and daily battle reports are constant.
In such an environment, it is indeed not easy for Cao Ji to take good care of his body.
Cao Peng thought for a while and said, "In this case, I will inform the governor of Longxi and ask him to make preparations and send my father there to rest.
Without further ado, I will arrange it as soon as possible.
You should also prepare yourself and go to Didao with my father."
"Here!"
The doctor wouldn't have any objections and went down to prepare immediately.
When Cao Peng returned to the side hall, before he could sit down and take a breath, he heard a report from Wang Shuang: "Hao Zhao, the captain of Qin Ting, is leaving Xu Shu in Liangzhou. Kan Ze, who is engaged in Liangzhou, and others are asking for an audience outside the house.
"
"please!"
Cao Peng took a deep breath and shouted in a deep voice.
After a while, Xu Shu, Hao Zhao and others came to the hall.
There are nearly a dozen people, all of whom are Cao Peng's cronies.
Seeing Xu Shu and others, Cao Peng couldn't help but smile. He raised his hand to signal everyone not to be polite and asked everyone to sit down.
"Should I come to apologize?"
"Yuan Zhi, what crime are you guilty of?"
"We are incompetent and tired of making you worry, which is why we are suffering from today's illness.
The concubine (Zhao) (Ze) has failed to take care of the master because he has failed to take good care of the master. Please punish the master."
More than ten people knelt in the hall at the same time, asking for forgiveness in unison.
I could only look at Deng Ai and others waiting on the side and felt envious.
This is how a man should be born!
Cao Peng laughed and stepped forward to help everyone up one by one.
To be honest, he was a little unhappy at first. You guys... I entrusted my father to you to take care of me, and you took care of me like this?
But after thinking about it again, Cao Peng felt relieved.
After all, Ma Chao is not someone who takes things for granted. It is no wonder that Xu Shu and others happened suddenly.
"Originally, Captain Wang also wanted to come over, but because he was unwell and unable to stay, he had to ask me to come and accuse him."
"The tiger head is also in Lintao?"
Cao Peng was shocked when he heard this.
He knew that Wang Mai was injured, but he didn't know that Wang Mai had arrived in Lintao.
This shows that Wang Mai's injury is probably not too serious. Otherwise, with Hu Tou's temperament, how could he easily leave Longqi City? In other words, is Zhao Yun guarding Longqi City now? Cao Peng couldn't help but feel a little confused.
With a bang, he quickly asked: "Tiger Head is also in Lintao? How is his injury? Is it serious?"
"Captain Wang returned to Lintao three days ago to recuperate from his injuries.
The injury has been brought under control, but the body is still a little weak... The fierce wind in the river is the worst for people's health. Captain Wang's condition is also caused by this. Fortunately, the boss has been able to call him back, and he is stabilized. "
Cao Peng frowned and nodded, indicating that he understood.
He waved and signaled Deng Ai to come over.
"Shizai, take out ten pieces of the old ginseng I brought from Xudu and send them to your Uncle Hutou immediately. You stay with him over there and tell your Uncle Hutou that I have finished my work here.
Go see him immediately."
Deng Ai and Wang Mai were no strangers, so they quickly agreed.
Cao Peng then asked everyone to sit down again. After a moment of silence, he suddenly smiled.
"Gentlemen, Cao is back again!"
The atmosphere in the hall was originally a bit depressing.
Regardless of whether it was Xu Shu or Hao Zhao, everyone felt a little heavy.
But as Cao Peng said these words, everyone couldn't help but laugh...
"Congratulations, young master, for returning to the northwest."
"This time, I have been appointed as Sili Xiaowei and Commander-in-Chief of the Northwest Military.
What we need to do is to annihilate Ma Chao, pacify Hehuang, and restore stability to the northwest. I cannot do this alone, and I need your help. I know what happened before, and I can’t blame you. However, I ask you, from now on
From the beginning, we must not lose another city or place, and quickly stabilize the situation."
"You will finally understand!"
Cao Peng said: "On the way, I have ordered people to go to Hexi and summoned Shi Yuan to come.
But before that, I have some personnel matters that need to be rearranged. Brother Derun, I met Zhou Jinghai in Guangling at the beginning of the year. He is now in charge of Tangling Island and leads the navy alone, which is quite hard... When I come back,
Zhou Jinghai asked me to send helpers. He asked your name, would you like to go?"
Kan Ze is now in his thirties, nearly forty years old.
Compared with the postman from Wu County back then, his whole person has also undergone tremendous changes.
He is cold and dignified, but still gentle and elegant.
After hearing this, Kan Ze was startled, then smiled and said: "This matter needs to be arranged by the young master, and Ze has no objection..."
But this old Zhou really refused to let me go.
When I left Haixi, he shouted that he would let me go back sooner or later...
Unexpectedly, he actually did it! It’s just that the young master wants me to go to Dongling Island, I’m afraid it’s not just as simple as assisting Lao Zhou.”
Kan Ze is indeed smart!
Cao Peng smiled and nodded, "I am dissatisfied with Brother Derun. Lao Zhou is now feeling even more pressure.
At the end of last year, Sun Quan transferred his important ministers Lu Su and Lu Zijing to Danyang and took up the post of governor of Danyang. Lu Su was a very capable man, and he was also accompanied by Lu Meng, Jiang Qin, Ding Feng and others. He was definitely not Zhou Dynasty.
The uncle can handle it alone. Although Chen Jiao is a talented person, it is a pity that he does not focus on military affairs. I have reported to the king to transfer Chen Jiao away from Guangling and arranged for Ling Ming to serve as the prefect of Guangling. But in comparison, there are still some shortcomings. Ling Ming is good at fighting.
, but there wasn’t much help for Uncle Zhou, so I thought of Brother Derun.”
Kanze thought for a while, "When will Young Master Xunze set off?"
"The sooner the better!"
"Naze is preparing immediately and will leave for Tangling Island in three days."
Kan Ze is a very straightforward person and agreed without saying a word.
Cao Peng smiled slightly and said no more.
He knew very well that Kan Ze's visit would definitely help Zhou Cang share the pressure. With Kan Ze here, plus the help of Pang De, Jiang Wan and others, as well as the support of Man Chong, Dongling Island can sit back and relax in a short time.
.
Closing his eyes, Cao Peng suddenly fell into silence again.
For some unknown reason, Xu Shu and others felt nervous. As Cao Peng grew older, his official position became higher and higher, and the invisible pressure on him became heavier and heavier. Xu Shu couldn't help but secretly sigh, this young man in front of him
, he is no longer comparable to the slightly young boy he was when he first arrived in Xudu.
Kill decisively and cruelly!
King Cao of Hell became angry, thousands of heads fell to the ground, and Bailu Bay became a river of blood...
The story of Cao Peng had spread to Liangzhou long ago, and Xu Shu and others were more familiar with it. In the past, although Cao Peng had prestige, he always made people feel kind. But Xu Du killed 2132 rebels, leaving him with a huge burden.
In addition to the infamy, he also gained a murderous aura. Now if anyone wants to challenge Cao Peng again, they have to think about the outcome... This Cao Peng is a master who kills without blinking an eye!
This result was beyond Cao Peng's expectation.
Although the killing brought him notoriety, it also seemed to have brought him huge benefits.
"Bo Dao, how is the situation at Zhuyu Mountain?"
Hao Zhao stood up quickly and respectfully replied: "The Shenlang Qiang and Baima Qiang initially attacked very fiercely, but after losing their troops and generals, they have temporarily ceased fighting."
"Very good!"
Cao Peng thought for a while, turned to Zhu Dao and said, "It's a hard trip, go to Baima Qiang and tell Teng Zijing.
Withdraw the troops and let bygones be bygones.
If you don’t accept them, after I enter Huangzhong, the Baima Qiang will be removed from the list and no one will be left alive.”
"ah?"
Zhu Dao was startled and looked at Cao Peng in astonishment.
He and Baima Qiang are not strangers. Hexi Chamber of Commerce traveled to Huangzhong before and had some contacts with Baima Qiang.
But this ultimatum is too blunt!
Teng Zijing is a hot-tempered person and can accept such words.
"Don't worry, that guy is a smart man and knows how to choose."
Since Cao Peng insisted, Zhu Dao naturally would not refuse, so he accepted the order.
"Dou Mao, why are you causing trouble?"
"This...is still unclear."
Xu Shu looked ashamed and said softly: "Dou Mao raised his troops very suddenly. But before that, he didn't show the slightest hint of rebellion, which caught the old man off guard. Please punish Xu Shu for this mistake."
"Hey, don't punish me easily."
Cao Peng waved his hand and wandered around the room.
"Ma Rufeng, who is he?"
"this……"
"Please tell me clearly about these two things.
Especially Ma Rufeng! When I came here, I carefully checked the file of this person, but found that there was no record. Ma Rufeng... humph, I think it is a fake name. I know Hutou's ability, he can make Hutou fall into the trap, this person
He is quite scheming. This person cannot be an unknown person. We have never heard of such a constant gang of horse thieves wreaking havoc in Hehuang. Even the old Qiang king didn't know about it. How did he suddenly show up?"
"Young Master means..."
"check!"
Cao Peng stopped and said in a deep voice: "This person must have an inseparable connection with the Ma family. I even suspect that Dou Mao's rebellion is closely related to this person. Find out the ins and outs of this Ma Rufeng...
Get rid of him as soon as possible. As for Dou Mao, he sent orders to Su Ze, the prefect of Wuwei, and Meng Jian, the prefect of Zhangye, and ordered them to gather troops and station troops in Zhangye County to be at my disposal at any time.
I am ordered again to protect Qiang Colonel Jia Xing and Gu Zang Commandery Military Colonel Dou Hu to go to Didao immediately to wait for orders. I have other important responsibilities."
"Here!"
"Order Shi Tao, the prefect of Hanyang, Yang Fu, the prefect of the North, Zheng Qiang Zhonglang General, and Wu Ting Colonel Xia Houlan to recruit troops and horses respectively, and to be ready for orders at any time. Then from the Hexi Army, elite soldiers from the four prefectures were transferred to Longqi City secretly
."
Du Shu stood aside and recorded it quickly.
After Cao Peng wrote these orders one by one, Cao Peng smashed the seal.
"Yuan Zhi, I will leave the battle of Zhu Yushan to you and Bo Dao.
I don’t care what means you use, but before autumn, I will tie them firmly to Mount Zhuyu and prevent them from moving forward even half a step."
"Humble duty, obey orders!"
Xu Shu and Hao Zhao took orders one after another.
At this moment, they no longer had all the worries they had before.
It seems that with the arrival of Cao Peng, all problems have been solved.
Cao Peng took a deep breath, and suddenly a smile appeared on his face, "Let's go, accompany me to visit Hutou's home."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Zhu Yushan and Cao Jun suddenly became extremely tough.
Hao Zhao ordered that no prisoners should be taken. Instead of his previous weak tactics, all the Qiang prisoners were beheaded at the foot of Zhuyu Mountain. This made the two Qiang people furious, and at the same time they felt a sense of inexplicable fear.
Cao Jun seems to be serious!
Compared with the previous style when Cao Ji was in charge of government affairs, he stayed on the sidelines in everything, now Cao's army is going on a killing spree.
"This is definitely not Cao Ji's style."
In the county government office of Long County, Ma Chao looked thoughtful.
Sitting below him was a young man, Hu Zun, who had saved Ma Chao from danger. Ma Dai was sitting above him, with a look of nervousness on his face as well.
"I'm afraid, the general of Liangzhou has been replaced."
Hu Zun said: "With such a tough style, I suspect that it is very likely that King Cao of Hell is here."
"Cao Peng?"
Ma Chao raised his head and looked at Hu Zun in shock.
Although Hu Zun is young, he is very stable and smart.
The most important thing is that he has read military books, so he has good strategies. He analyzes things clearly and shows unusual abilities. Ma Chao believes that Hu Zun will definitely become the mastermind given time.
Therefore, Ma Chao also deliberately cultivates Hu Zun on weekdays.
Hu Zun nodded and said softly: "In the past, when Cao Peng converted to Qiang and Di, everyone only noticed that he had leeway in doing things. But no one noticed how he dealt with the prisoners of Qiang soldiers in the battle against the Western Qiang.
Kill them all, leaving no one alive!
But because he was fair in dealing with things, no one noticed his toughness.
During the Wuzi Rebellion, this guy went on a killing spree. He personally supervised the execution of more than 2,000 people, which shows that he has a vicious heart...
And I think that under this situation, Cao Cao ignored the rebellion in the northwest and instead started the Bingzhou War. Why? I think it must be that he believed that the rebellion in the northwest was nothing to worry about.
Why did Cao Cao have such confidence?
There are only two reasons, either he is arrogant; or he has already sent the right people to take over Liangzhou.
And at this time, the most suitable person to take over Liangzhou is probably Cao Peng."
"Cao Youxue!"
Ma Chao couldn't help but grit his teeth and punched the case.
The long, hard mahogany case was smashed into pieces by him and scattered all over the floor.
Who does Ma Chao hate the most?
I'm afraid there is no other choice except Cao Peng.
Ma Dai hesitated for a moment and said softly: "Brother, Dou Mao has sent someone here again."
"What's the matter with him?"
"He's not asking for food, grass and baggage...but he has another request when he comes this time. I..."
Ma Dai's words were slightly hesitant and hesitant.
Ma Chao frowned and said in a deep voice: "What else does he want?"
"He... wants to take my little sister as his concubine."
"What?"
Ma Chao was furious, "Is Dou Mao seeking death?"
Ma Chao loved his sister Ma Yunlu very much. When Cao Peng killed the Ma clan members, only Ma Yunlu escaped. Ma Yunlu was wandering around and finally reached Wudu and found Ma Chao.
The haggard appearance at that time made the hard-hearted Ma Chao cry!
Now Dou Mao actually proposed to marry Ma Yunlu, and she was just a concubine. How could Ma Chao endure this?
In Ma Chao's heart, Ma Yunlu should marry a good man who loves her.
But Dou Mao is as lustful as his life.
At first, for the sake of his stepmother, he did not hesitate to kill the old King Di. After succeeding to the throne as Queen Di, he brought his stepmother into his account and even married off his brothers' wives. Although this was normal for the Qiang and Di, Ma Chao could not accept it.
That guy is a rotten person!
"This is absolutely impossible."
Ma Chao refused immediately without saying a word.
Ma Dai smiled bitterly and said: "But Dou Mao said that if the eldest brother does not agree, he and Po Qiang will withdraw their troops..."
"asshole!"
Ma Chao was so angry that his face turned red.
It is undeniable that Qiang Di is of extremely important significance to him now.
If Dou Mao does not withdraw his troops, he can contain most of the troops in Liangzhou. This will greatly reduce Ma Chao's worries and he can concentrate on attacking Guanzhong. But if Dou Mao withdraws his troops, Ma Chao will have to face the main force of Cao's army. In his heart
He knew very well that although he had used all the troops in Wudu this time, it was not easy to confront the main force of Cao's army. Dou Mao's threat made him angry, but also made him helpless.
"Zijing, what do you say?"
The ‘Zijing’ in Ma Chao’s mouth is not Lu Su and Lu Zijing.
The Zijing he was talking about was Hu Zun.
A bitter smile appeared on Hu Zun's face... This was Ma Chao's family matter. How could he, an outsider, get involved?
Ma Dai on the side also showed an unhappy look.
Brother, this is our family matter!
I know that you value this Hu Zun; I also know that he once saved your life! But you can't ask him about everything and listen to his ideas. This is a life-long matter for my little sister. How can you let an outsider
Pointing fingers? Could it be said that the many brothers in my family are no better than an outsider?
It is normal for Ma Dai to have complaints in his heart.
No matter how he puts it, he is also a core member of the Ma Jiajun and a member of the Ma clan, and is more loyal to Ma Chao.
But now?
Ma Chao listened to Hu Zunyan's advice and asked for advice on everything.
This has also caused Ma Dai's status to gradually decrease. Well, he is your savior, and he does have some skills, so I have no objection. But it would be a bit too much for you to let him interfere in your own family affairs now.
Ma Dai knew Ma Chao's temper very well, and he was angry in his heart, but he didn't dare to say it.
As for Hu Zun, he was forced to put himself on the shelf. In this case, it seemed that he could not remain silent...
After pondering for a moment, Hu Zun said softly: "How can the eldest lady, a beautiful girl from heaven, marry Dou Mao?"
"good!"
"But Dou Mao now has strong soldiers and horses, and is quite powerful. He is supported by the general.
If he withdraws his troops, the general's years of planning will be ruined... So, after thinking about it, why not pretend to agree. If Longxi is conquered, the eldest lady will be married. In this way, Dou Mao's attack will be more fierce.
, to contain more troops. As long as the general takes Guanzhong, how can he be afraid of Dou Mao?"
"Um……"
Ma Chao fell into deep thought.
After a while, he nodded slightly and said, "What Zijing said makes sense, just follow what Zijing said." (To be continued)