It's late at night, and the lights in the government office are brightly lit.
Zhuge Liang and Fazheng stayed up all night, and Huang Zhong, Yanyan, Zhao Yuyun and others were even more prepared and lingering in the hall.
"Report to the two military advisors, they have retreated!"
Guo Yi walked into the hall and reported to everyone as if he was relieved.
This also made everyone in the hall breathe a sigh of relief.
'They' are Cao Jun. However, they are not Cao Peng's men, but a group of surrendered generals from Xichuan, such as Zhang Ren Lengbao and others. At the same time, Zhang He's soldiers and horses appeared in Pixian and Pixian without anyone noticing.
Between Mianzhu, the path of Hao Zhao, the general stationed in Mianzhu, was cut off. If Hao Zhao sent troops, he would be blocked by Zhang He immediately. And this series of actions aroused everyone's nerves.
Zhuge Liang said: "This must be done against the young master."
"What should we do?"
Shamoko immediately became anxious, "I will mobilize my troops and horses, rush into Chengdu, and rescue the young master."
"Shasha, don't be reckless."
Fa Zheng quickly stopped him.
"If you move at this time, you will be convicted of the young master's crime, and the young master will definitely die."
"But……"
"Don't worry. The young master has long guessed that this day will come, so he has been prepared for it. This time the young master is in Chengdu, there is no danger, and there will be no serious problems. However, I am afraid that the young master will not be able to stay in Yizhou again."
Fazheng and Zhuge Liang's obstruction, as well as Huang Zhong and Yan Yan's persuasion, finally stabilized everyone's mood.
As Cao's army retreated, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhuge Liang seemed to be talking to himself: "Young master has saved the day, but within ten days, we will leave. Everyone, go and prepare. It won't be long before we leave..."
Yes, Cao Peng has left!
There is no need for people like Zhuge Liang to stay in Yizhou.
But no one knows what will happen next. Everyone's heart is heavy and there is a feeling of depression.
Is it really the case that all the cunning rabbits are gone and the running dogs are cooked?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The sun is shining brightly in March.
It's a good time for spring to bloom, and the mountain flowers are in full bloom.
The cool breeze blows gently on the body, which is extremely comfortable and always invigorating.
Cao Zhang had a gloomy face and looked very unhappy.
On the other hand, Cao Peng looked very relaxed, as if he was traveling around the mountains and rivers all the way, and he looked particularly carefree and at ease.
"The prince is still angry?"
Seeing that Cao Zhang was unhappy, Cao Peng smiled and said, "The spring scenery is beautiful, why are you so unhappy? This time we leave the country of Bashu Tianfu, and we don't know when we can come back next time. When we entered Sichuan, we couldn't appreciate the beautiful scenery. Now I appreciate it.
It's a good time. Look, the spring scenery in the mountains is so moving."
"Fourth brother, I really didn't do this."
"I know."
"Father, he..."
"Ziwen, be careful... You are now the prince and the heir to the Wei Dynasty. You must think twice before speaking. Your Majesty is doing this for your own good and it is reasonable. There is nothing to be angry about.
You and I have known each other for many years.
Starting from teachers and students, until now brothers and sisters.
I understand your thoughts very well, and I have also remembered this... It's just that this is a major national matter, so it is normal for Your Majesty to be cautious. If it were me, I might be the same. Don't blame Your Majesty again.
As the crown prince, you should pay more attention to state affairs.
Now that Xichuan has been secured, Jingxiang is gradually recovering its strength. After nearly five years, the navy must have the strength to fight a battle. I think it will only be a matter of time before we regain Jiangdong. When the time comes, your Majesty will definitely use the prince as the commander-in-chief to conquer Jiangdong.
Instead of being angry here, you might as well think about how to attack Jiangdong."
Are you going to conquer Jiangdong?
Cao Zhang suddenly became excited...
This guy really has a bellicose temperament. As soon as he heard about the war, his previous expression immediately disappeared.
Among the crowd, Huang Quan, Liu Ba and Zhengdu were observing silently.
The three of them looked at each other and smiled helplessly.
Cao Zhang's dependence on Cao Peng, and Cao Peng's understanding of Cao Zhang, were not clear to the three of them.
This Cao Peng, if his conduct is good, can be a pillar; if his conduct is bad, he will cause great harm.
But the relationship between the two is not something they can instigate.
Although Cao Peng doesn't have a single soldier in his hands now, it would be easy to take the lives of the three of them. In private, the three of them made a decision unanimously: they can be friends with Cao Peng and try not to provoke him... Yes
Cao Peng, you must be on guard, but you cannot let Cao Zhang know about it, otherwise it will definitely lead to death.
I hope that this "Great General" Cao can be like what he wrote in the inscription on the humble room and the theory of Ai Lian, a man who emerged from the mire but not stained, washed the water without being evil, and had high moral character. Otherwise, it would be too much trouble.
Terrible!
"Fourth brother, is there anything else we need to pay attention to when we return to Chang'an this time?"
Cao Peng was riding on his horse. When he heard Cao Zhang's question, he suddenly reined in his horse and pointed at the mountains ahead with his whip.
"I remember there was a pavilion on the mountain. I stood in the pavilion and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.
At this time, the peach blossoms are in full bloom, why don’t Ziwen climb the mountain with me and enjoy the scenery?”
It was noon and the sun was shining brightly.
Cao Peng suddenly changed his address to Cao Zhang, which made Cao Zhang startled for a moment, but he soon came to his senses and hurriedly sent people to camp at the foot of the mountain ahead.
"Gongheng, Zichu, Bonian, you three should also come together."
Huang Quan and the others were startled, then nodded and bowed to accept the order.
After settling in, everyone climbed up the unknown mountain along the mountain path. Sun Shao and Deng Ai were holding tea sets. After everyone walked into the small pavilion, they lived outside the pavilion and cooked tea.
.
The fragrance of tea fills the mountains, and together with the mountain breeze, it makes people feel relaxed and happy.
"Your Majesty has ascended the throne, and the post of Prime Minister has become vacant.
When Your Majesty is here, the monarch's power will surely flourish, but...since the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the power of the prime minister has always been a major hidden danger. Ziwen needs to pay more attention to this when he is in court in the future. I think that the power of the monarch is supreme, and the power of the prime minister cannot be too great.
.The current system in the dynasty is relatively chaotic. If you leave the Prime Minister's Mansion, it is unlikely that there will be turmoil in the future."
Cao Peng's words pointed directly at Cao Zhang's weakness.
Cao Cao was a man with an extremely strong personality. While he was alive, his power would be weak.
But Cao Cao has been in poor health, and it's hard to say how long he can last. Cao Zhang's temperament is also very strong, but a little weak. For example, when it comes to handling Wu Yi's affairs, he seems not very agile. When he was in power, he was fine...
…But if Cao Zhang dies, who can guarantee that the power of the prime minister will not become bigger again in the future?
The king's power is supreme, but it requires moderation.
Prime Ministership is always an auxiliary means...
Cao Peng's words directly refer to today's political system.
Huang Quan and others on the side listened and agreed quite a bit.
"Previously, Wen Ruo and the others came up with a ninth-grade official law, which is very good!
However, no matter how good the law is, it still needs the right people to implement it. Nowadays, the official system is chaotic and the powers are confused, which is not a good thing. During this time, I also discussed this matter with Xiaozhi Kongming in Pixian County... I came up with a plan
The official system needs to be further refined, so that the responsibilities and powers can be clear."
When Cao Zhang heard this, he immediately became interested.
"Fourth brother, I would like to hear the details."
Cao Peng smiled and waved to Deng Ai to fetch a booklet and handed it to Cao Zhang.
"Here are some of my ideas, Ziwen can take them back for reference.
If necessary, you can discuss with Gonghengzi and Chubonian. Gonghengzi and Chubonian are all outstanding people and highly resourceful people. Ziwen should consult these three people more often in the future, and he will definitely benefit a lot...
…”
Cao Peng said and suddenly sighed softly.
"As for me, I will have nothing to do with Ziwen after he returns to Chang'an."
"ah?"
Cao Peng patted his shoulder, stood up and walked out of the pavilion.
He took Sun Shao and Deng Ai away, but Cao Zhang and the others were left behind, looking at each other in silence...
The official system written by Cao Peng is a code based on the cabinet system of the Ming Dynasty in later generations. Is this system perfect? It is difficult to say clearly... As he said, even a perfect system must be implemented by suitable candidates.
Maybe in this world, there is no truly perfect system, only the right people.
Cao Peng could figure out that if he returned to Chang'an on this trip, he might not be able to leave again in a short period of time...
In other words, if Cao Zhang does not ascend the throne, it will be difficult for him to get ahead.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In April of the 17th year of Jian'an, Cao Peng arrived in Chang'an.
As he had guessed, after arriving in Chang'an, Cao Cao did not summon him, but asked him to wait for the summons in the beautifully built Xin Wuhou Mansion. In name, Cao Cao worshiped Cao Peng as a hussar general.
But in fact, he has been removed from military power and locked up in the Marquis Mansion like a soft detention.
Later, Cao Cao transferred the Wudang Feijun away and headed to Jingnan.
Shamoke was appointed as the captain of Changshui, and Wang Quping was appointed as the captain of the infantry and stayed in Chang'an.
Originally, Cao Cao also appointed Huang Zhongyan, Zhao Jinyun and others. However, the three declined and settled down in the Xinwuhou Mansion. Fazheng and Zhuge Liang also lived in the Xinwuhou Mansion and were imprisoned together.
And Guo Huai, for his contribution in conquering Xichuan, was worshiped as Colonel Shesheng.
In addition, there is Sun Shao, who pays homage to the young governor of Daxing Mansion in Jingnan...
Sun Shao was unwilling to take up the post, but Cao Peng dissuaded him and asked him to go to Wuling. Sun Shao had no choice but to agree.
Cao Peng, are you going to be in trouble?
There was a lot of discussion in Chang'an City.
Otherwise, with Cao Peng's meritorious service and Cao Cao's love for him, how could such a thing happen?
But it doesn’t look like bad luck…
If he was really questioned, he would definitely not do this.
Although Cao Peng was dismissed from his official position, his title was still there. In particular, his control of Hexi County and the governor of Bingzhou, Deng Ji, were not affected in any way. Even Cao Peng himself would often bring his white camel soldiers with him.
The flying camel soldiers went out of the city to practice... Cao Cao never expressed any expression about this.
In the autumn of the 17th year of Jian'an, Cao Zhang took the post of deputy prime minister, paid homage to the general, and was ordered to station in Jingnan. He drilled his troops and horses all day long to prepare for a decisive battle with Jiangdong. For a time, beacon smoke was everywhere, and everyone in the world was terrified.
Cao Cao is finally going to use troops against Jiangdong?
Up and down Jiangdong, people are in panic...
What caused Sun Quan the most headache was Sun Shao's sudden appearance.
Back then, Mrs. Da Qiao and her brother and sister Sun Shao suddenly disappeared, which made Sun Quan very nervous. However, later, there was no news about Mrs. Qiao's family, which made Sun Quan gradually feel relieved. But now, Sun Shao appears again.
Moreover, he appeared as the young governor of Jingnan, so how could Sun Quan not be nervous?
On the one hand, he was mobilizing troops and generals, but on the other hand, he was suspicious. Especially towards Zhou Yu, Sun Quan was even more cautious. After all, Zhou Yu had a close relationship with Sun Shao. He was Sun Shao's uncle and Sun Ce's brother-in-law. Sun Quan
He was already wary of Zhou Yu, but now that Sun Shao had appeared, he was even more wary of Zhou Yu.
At the end of the seventeenth year, Sun Quan suddenly dismissed Zhou Yu from his position as commander of the navy and appointed Ma Da to take charge of the navy.
As soon as this order came out, Jiangdong was in an uproar.
Many people hurriedly wrote to Sun Quan, asking him to think twice.
Zhou Yu has been running the navy for many years and has made outstanding achievements in battle. His deterrence against Cao Wei is extremely huge. Now that Sun Cao is about to start a war, if you withdraw Zhou Yu, wouldn't you be cutting off an arm? Although Ma Da is also capable, he is not as good as Zhou Yu after all.
Prestige. Lu Su hurried from Danyang to Jiankang to persuade Sun Quan not to destroy the Great Wall. Little did he know that this made Sun Quan's fear of Zhou Yu even deeper.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lujiang, Shu County.
This is Zhou Yu’s hometown!
It was thirty-nine, and the land in the north was frozen for thousands of miles.
The temperature in Shu County is very low, and the moisture in the air makes it even more bone-chilling.
In the bedroom of Zhou Mansion, there are several braziers.
The charcoal fire was blazing, dispelling the chill in the house.
Zhou Yu was lying on the couch, looking a little bad. Ever since he was dismissed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, he felt depressed and unhappy. Then he fell ill on the couch, and his condition never got better.
Mrs. Xiao Qiao brought the medicine and persuaded her, "Gong Jin, take the medicine."
Zhou Yu struggled to sit up, drank the black concoction, and then couldn't help muttering: "It's so bitter!"
Xiao Qiao sighed quietly and sat down aside.
"Madam, do you have something to say?"
Xiao Qiao pursed her lips, and after a while she whispered: "Gong Jin, are you to blame Bowen?"
Zhou Yu's expression changed slightly, but he did not answer.
After a long time, he said: "When Bo Fu passed away, I saw that Shao was young and was afraid that he would not be able to take on the important task, so after discussing with Zi Bu, I faked Bo Fu's order and made the lord succeed him. After all, at that time, the lord had already shown his talents.
, can be the master of the Ming Dynasty... If Shao succeeds to the throne at that time, I am afraid that Jiangdong will be in turmoil. "
"ah?"
Xiao Qiao heard this and exclaimed.
This was the first time she heard Zhou Yu talk about this, and she couldn't help but feel horrified.
"Madam, are you scared?"
"No, just some, some, some..."
Xiao Qiao really didn't know how to express his feelings at this moment.
Zhou Yu had a bitter look on his face and said softly: "I can't blame you for this! Facts have proved that my choice was right. The lord is far more suitable for this position than Xiao Shao. But I also know that he is quite fond of Xiao Shao.
Afraid...so I had to stay indifferent and didn't dare to be even remotely intimate with Xiao Shao.
Who would have expected that Xiao Shao would actually..."
"Gong Jin, I can't blame you!"
Seeing that Zhou Yu was in a low mood, Xiao Qiao hurriedly opened her mouth to persuade him.
Zhou Yu, laughed!
"Before, I was still happy, laughing at Cao Peng's outstanding achievements, but in the end he would inevitably end up with the fate of being eaten out by his lackeys. But I didn't expect that in the blink of an eye, it would be my turn. This may be the retribution for letting down Bo Fu, retribution.
!”
Mrs. Xiao Qiao, I don’t know how to comfort you.
At this moment, footsteps were heard outside the door.
Immediately afterwards, someone knocked on the door, and Mrs. Xiao Qiao was furious, "Who is it? Coming to disturb you?"
"Madam, it's me."
The person outside the door quickly asked: "Can the Governor have a rest?"
Zhou Yu was startled and hurriedly pushed himself to sit up.
"But Zhou Nan?"
"Exactly!"
"come in……"
Zhou Nan is Zhou Yu's general and an old retainer who has followed Zhou Yu for many years.
The door opened, and Zhou Nan walked into the house, knelt down on one knee and said: "Grand Governor, there is news from Jiankang... My lord dismissed the post of Governor of Kuaiji, He Qihe Gongmiao, and arrested him and imprisoned him to await disposal.
Two old generals, Cheng Pu and Huang Gai, tried their best to stop it, but they failed to get the consent of the lord.
The two old generals were so angry that they returned the seal to Fuchun."
Zhou Yu was startled when he heard this, and his expression suddenly changed.
"What did you say?"
"My lord put He Gongmiao in prison, Cheng Pu and Huang Gai, the two generals, hung up their seals and left."
Zhou Yu couldn't help but shout, "Lord, you are wrong!"
Feeling a stagnation of breath in his chest, Zhou Yu suddenly spurted out a mouthful of blood and fell down on the couch.