Farmer of Shu Han

"Where are you going?"

Cao Shuang asked with some confusion.

Sun and Liu did not answer, but looked at Lian Zhao:

"Shang Shulang, we remembered that there are still some things that have not been reported to His Majesty. The so-called one thing does not bother the two masters, please Shang Shulang to report to His Majesty again for us?"

Lian Zhao said hesitantly, "Well, His Majesty's edict, let me announce it..."

Unexpectedly, before Lian Zhao finished speaking, Liu Fang signaled:

"Shang Shulang, please, please go back to the palace and inform me?"

Lian Zhao apologized with a somewhat embarrassed smile and said:

"Liu Zhongshu, but His Majesty asked me to..."

"Hey, it's okay, we have something urgent to report to His Majesty, and there is no rush for the matter of Cao Changshi."

"That's right, after Shang Shulang has finished reporting for us, it won't be too late to find Cao Changshi, and I believe His Majesty will not blame him."

Sun Zi also said.

The two seem to be begging, but they are actually forcing.

But Lian Zhao seemed reluctant, but actually heaved a sigh of relief, turned around and walked towards the palace again.

Cao Rui, who was waiting for Cao Zhao to enter the palace, could not help but look at Lian Zhao inquiringly when he heard that Cao Shuang and others had left and returned.

Lian Zhao knew what he meant, and said in a somewhat muffled voice:

"Returning to Your Majesty, I just walked out of the palace and met the two Zhongshu. I wanted to avoid it quietly, but I was discovered by General Cao..."

He said it cleverly, not mentioning that he didn't avoid it in advance, so Cao Rui only said that Liu Fang and Sun Zi were deliberately guarding outside the palace.

When he heard Cao Shuang again, Cao Rui's eyes became gloomy:

"Did you tell them?"

Lian Zhao's lips moved a few times, his face full of shame: "I'm guilty, I'm sorry Your Majesty. The two secretaries pressed me repeatedly, and I..."

Cao Rui sighed: "Forget it, I'll embarrass you."

Hearing this sentence, Lian Zhao breathed a sigh of relief again, he knew that he had finally passed this test.

"The two Zhongshu and General Cao are still guarding the door, can your Majesty see you?"

Lian Zhao asked cautiously again.

"The two middle school secretaries have gone and returned. I think there must be something important. How can I not see you?"

Cao Rui closed his eyes, his tone was erratic, and he couldn't tell whether it was joy or sadness.

Hearing this, Lian Zhao turned around and went out to invite Liu, Sun and Cao into the room.

After the ceremony, Cao Rui asked:

"This time, gentlemen, is there another important matter?"

"Your Majesty," Liu Fang was the first to stand up, "I and the three of you wanted to say goodbye at the gate of the palace, but suddenly you heard the cry of wild geese. It turned out that there was a flock of wild geese flying by in the sky."

"The cry of the wild goose was made by the leading goose. Call other wild goose to follow closely behind. Don't fall behind."

Cao Rui just looked at them quietly, revealing something inexplicable.

In winter, you told me there are wild geese?

Could it be that at this time, you still want to give me auspicious signs?

However, the fact is that Cao Rui thought too much.

I saw that Sun Zi also stepped forward:

"Your Majesty, the birds know that they can't fly without their heads. Since Your Majesty has decided to appoint General Cao as the General, I ask Your Majesty to issue an edict as soon as possible and announce it to the world."

"In this way, the hearts of all the ministers can be settled as soon as possible, so that no one will have unreasonable ambitions."

Hearing this, Cao Rui suddenly opened his eyes wide.

Born should not have the ambition?

who? !

"Your Majesty, for such a major matter, you must not hesitate, let alone repeat it. For the sake of the country, I implore Your Majesty to issue an edict immediately."

"I implore Your Majesty to issue an edict immediately!"

The two of them, Sun and Liu, kowtowed together as they spoke.

Seeing this, Cao Shuang immediately followed him to the ground.

Cao Rui looked at the three people on the ground with complicated eyes.

He knew that Liu Fang and Sun Zi were expressing their stance in this battle of auxiliary ministers, and they were firmly on the side of Cao Shuang, not Cao Zhao.

If he forced Cao Zhao to be the general, without the cooperation of Sun and Liu in the future, how easy would it be for Cao Zhao to control the overall situation?

Thinking of Dawei's current situation of internal and external troubles, Cao Rui finally sighed:

"Forget it, go get the yellow paper."

Upon hearing this, Lian Zhao fetched yellow paper, pen and ink.

Cao Rui reluctantly wrote down the imperial edict, and when he was about to order it to be sealed, Sun Zi suddenly said:

"All foreign ministers know that His Majesty favors the King of Yan, Cao Changshi and others. I'm afraid that some people will misunderstand that His Majesty intends to let him assist the government. Your Majesty, this matter must be investigated!"

Cao Rui lowered his eyes, as if feeling drowsy, and asked feebly:

"Then according to Sun Zhongshu's opinion, what should I do?"

"According to my opinion, Your Majesty can order King Yan to return to the country and release Cao Zhao and others from their duties as regular servants. In this way, all ministers will understand Your Majesty's heart."

Cao Rui trembled slightly when he heard the words, and said vaguely:

"I'm so exhausted that it's hard to write, and I'll sleep for a while..."

After finishing speaking, he was about to abandon his pen, but Liu Fang stepped forward with quick eyes and quick hands, and held Cao Rui's hand tightly:

"Your Majesty, it's not too late!"

Cao Rui was shocked:

"What do you want to do?"

"The minister is drafting an imperial edict for His Majesty."

As Liu Fang said, he grabbed Cao Rui's hand, half forcing Cao Rui to write down the edict, and then let Lian Zhao help Cao Rui to lie down.

Cao Rui's face was already pale at this time, and he didn't know if it was because he really exhausted his strength, or because of other reasons.

He looked at Sun and Liu:

"Cao Changsi is a descendant of meritorious service, and he is also a clan relative. He should not be treated lightly, otherwise he will lose the heart of his subordinates."

Sun and Liu responded:

"Since Cao Changsi inherits the title of Marquis of Changping, he has food and a generous salary, so how can he say that he is thin?"

After receiving the promise that the two would not kill them all, Cao Rui felt relieved.

After affixing the emperor's seal, the matter was finally settled.

The next day, in the name of the emperor, Sun and Liu summoned all the ministers and read out the imperial edict to remove Cao Yu, Cao Zhao and others from all their positions in the court.

Cao Yu came to the country as a prince, and Cao Zhao returned as the Marquis of Changping.

At the same time, Cao Fang, king of Qi, was formally conferred the crown prince.

He also granted Cao Shuang the title of Great General, with a pseudo-Jie Yue, the commander-in-chief of all military forces at home and abroad, and recorded the affairs of the minister.

Then pass an edict to Sima Yi, the great Sima, to move into Taifu and assist the prince.

Although Cao Rui intended to belong to Cao Zhao, when he was seriously ill, he knew that he had no way to control the entire court situation.

Coupled with the need to stabilize people's hearts as soon as possible and reduce domestic disputes, he had to make concessions.

Between state and personal relationship, there may be emperors who choose the latter, but Cao Rui is not included.

At the last moment of his life, all he thought about was the overall situation of the country.

The real determination of the future power structure of the court not only shocked the court officials, but also had a huge impact on the harem.

Knowing that the emperor announced the establishment of the crown prince, Empress Mao immediately went to Cao Rui's ward to ask for a visit, but she was not allowed.

In desperation, she wanted to ask the people around Cao Rui about her condition.

Unexpectedly, when Cao Rui learned of this, he directly ordered the execution of more than a dozen court ladies and Xiao Huangmen who served him that day.

After that, he still didn't give up, and used Queen Mao's "misconduct" as an excuse to hang Queen Mao to death.

Cao Rui's move terrified the concubines in the harem.

The emperor even killed the queen if he said so, so who knows how many people His Majesty will let him go to the yellow soil in the future?

At this time, Cao Rui was in no mood to pay attention to the concerns of thousands of women in his harem (only Xuchang Palace).

After killing Queen Mao, he immediately had someone summon his concubine, the Yu family.

Concubine Yu Gui and Empress Mao are both from Hanoi.

But the origins of the two are very different.

Empress Mao was born in a humble family, and her father was nothing more than a lowly official.

However, Concubine Yu is the real daughter of the family, the concubine Cao Pi personally proposed for Cao Rui when he was named the King of Pingyuan.

When Cao Rui was established as the crown prince, the Yu family was also promoted to crown princess.

Unexpectedly, after Cao Rui came to the throne, he made his concubine Mao Shi the queen. As the main wife, Yu Shi was full of joy and waited for nothing.

Later, Wei State retreated successively in the western battlefield, forcing Cao Rui, who originally intended to weaken the aristocratic family, to actually rely more and more on the aristocratic family in the Central Plains.

Under such circumstances, the Yu clan, who was demoted to Yecheng by Cao Rui, was invited back to Luoyang. The worse Wei's defeat, the higher the Yu clan's status.

In the end, she was promoted to the position of noble concubine only under the queen.

"I know that I have neglected you these years, but you and I have been married anyway, and the late emperor asked me to marry you, I think you understand the reason for this."

Regarding the Yu family, Cao Rui knew something, and there was no way to hide it, so he could only say it clearly.

Yu Shi just looked at him expressionlessly.

"I also know that the Queen's position belongs to you. How about I give it back to you now?"

Yu Shi looked at the emperor who was originally aloof on the couch, but now he was not only tortured by illness, but also so humble.

She finally couldn't help sighing.

She has already seen through the emperor's ruthlessness.

But as the emperor said, she knew that she was actually a tool, a tool to connect the Cao Wei royal family with the Hanoi family.

No matter how resentful it is, so what?

I have persisted for so many years, but should I give up at this critical moment?

"What does His Majesty want me to do?"

"The crown prince is only eight years old. Although he is assisted by ministers outside the government, he is still a child and has no knowledge of the dangers in the world. I am worried, so I want to find a virtuous and virtuous person in the harem to raise him."

Virtuous and virtuous?

Although she was mentally prepared, Yu Shi still wanted to laugh.

For the sake of the Mao family, this person once demoted himself to Yecheng.

Now that the Mao family is old and decrepit, and has no help for the prince, he kills as soon as he says, so cold and heartless, what did he say to himself about the relationship between husband and wife?

What kindness and virtue?

Isn't it because of the power and resources represented behind him?

Yu Shi was too lazy to point out Cao Rui's hypocrisy:

"The virtuous and virtuous person His Majesty mentioned, could it be that you are talking about concubines?"

"Exactly."

"Your Majesty is too famous, I dare not be a concubine."

"In the harem, there is no one more suitable than you to raise the prince." Cao Rui looked at the Yu family firmly, "and this matter is also of great benefit to you."

In other words, it is also of great benefit to the Hanoi Yu family.

Yu lowered her eyes:

"Your Majesty's words have come to this point, if the concubine refuses to agree, won't she become a person who doesn't know what to do?"

Although he expected that the Yu family would most likely not refuse, Cao Rui breathed a sigh of relief when he heard her personally agree.

So he ordered the prince Cao Fang who had been waiting outside to come in and let him kowtow to the Yu family.

After Cao Fang finished kowtowing, she heard Cao Rui say to the prince again:

"I will designate Concubine Yu Gui as the empress. From now on, she will be your aunt, and you must obey your aunt's orders in everything from now on, and you must not violate it."

The eight-year-old prince was a little ignorant. He looked at Mrs. Yu and then at Cao Rui, not knowing how to speak.

"You still don't call me queen mother?"

Under Cao Rui's repeated urging, Cao Fang called out timidly: "Mother?"

Facing Cao Fang, Yu's expression finally softened, and she nodded in response.

Sun Zi couldn't help feeling a little rejoiced when he got the news that Mrs. Yu was made queen:

"Our Majesty, it's really not easy. If it weren't for the coincidence, our actions would not be so easy?"

Liu Fang nodded:

"Your Majesty's excuse to kill Empress Mao is actually to make Concubine Yu the queen. The Yu family and the Sima family in Hanoi may have their own ideas from now on."

"Those things don't have much to do with us. Besides, the overall situation between the court and China has been decided, so we can just watch the show."

"Too."

...

Guanzhong, Tongguan.

The dangerous pass used by Ma Chao to resist Cao Cao's army in the past has now become a ruin.

Sima Yi led the army out of Guanzhong before the river was completely frozen.

Before leaving, he ordered Tongguan to be completely destroyed, leaving only ruined walls and ruins to the big man.

After it snowed again, the big river finally formed a thick layer of extremely solid ice, and the cavalry could even run back and forth on the river.

After inspecting Hedong and arranging various matters, Governor Feng braved the severe cold and crossed the river from Fengling to Tongguan.

Looking at the dangerous pass that was deliberately destroyed, Governor Feng wrapped himself in a woolen coat, exhaled a breath of white air, and asked:

"When did the last batch of thieves leave?"

"Back to Junhou, six days ago."

The cowhide boots on Feng Inspector's feet kicked the burnt black soil, and looked around again.

Tongguan is not a pass city, but a general term for a military defense system built on a north-south loess plateau with a length of more than ten miles.

On the east side of the Loess Plateau, there is a forbidden ditch that also runs from north to south, extending from the Qinling Mountains to the edge of the big river.

The forbidden ditch is deep and wide, and the valley stands on a wall. Even in winter, the snow cannot completely cover the shrubs and vines at the bottom of the ditch.

From this, one can imagine how dense the vegetation at the bottom of the ditch is like weaving on weekdays.

If the enemy attacked from the east, they must first find a way to cross the forbidden ditch, and then climb up the nearly vertical valley wall.

Or in front of the loess plateau cliffs that are more than ten miles long, try to find a path to climb up.

When they finally reached the loess plateau, they had to face the heavily guarded barrier pass.

This is also the reason why Xian Yufu, who was guarding Hexi at that time, saw that Feng Cishi led the army southward and reached Fenglingdu, so he concluded that the main attack direction of the Han army was not Fenglingdu.

Because after the Han army crossed the river, facing Tongguan, a place that is difficult for apes to cross, at most it could cut off the connection between Tongguan and Luoyang.

In the case of defenders, it is impossible for the enemy to attack the loess plateau.

It's just that what Xian Yufu didn't expect was that Mr. Feng had too many cards in his hole, and he had a plan.

According to the terrain of Tongguan, its greatest function is to block the enemies coming from the east.

If the east of the river is not lost, Tongguan can also play a role in the face of the enemy in the west pass.

It's just that who would have thought that in this battle of Guanzhong, Hedong would fall before Guanzhong.

Sima Yi had to give up Tongguan after he failed in his desperate attempt to catch turtles.

Looking at the snow-covered loess plateau, which is as white as a white dragon lying north and south, Governor Feng asked again:

"What about the surrounding area, have you scouted the terrain carefully?"

The captain next to him looked embarrassed:

"Your Majesty, this place is more than ten kilometers long, the terrain is complex, and now it is covered by heavy snow, we have no time to grasp the specific situation. We can only roughly inspect the original Guancheng ruins in this area."

Governor Feng nodded:

"The terrain of Tongguan is dangerous, it is the gateway to Guanzhong, we must not take it lightly, find a way to check it out as soon as possible, so that we can rearrange our defenses."

"promise."

After explaining a few words briefly, Inspector Feng couldn't stop looking to the west, appearing a little absent-minded.

After an unknown amount of time, black spots suddenly appeared in the distance, very conspicuous on the white ground.

The black dot gradually became larger, and it turned out to be a group of cavalry.

Governor Feng took out his binoculars, and when he saw who was coming, a silly smile appeared on his face.

PS: Cough, she is indeed married to a tiger girl, born in the year of the tiger.

From now on, I will work hard to save money for milk powder...

I will definitely work harder.