Chapter 2439 Appropriate Strategy


    In the Festival Hall of the General''s Mansion, the candlelight swayed slightly, like ripples.


    ?In the courtyard in front of the festival hall, in an unknown corner, there were some chirping sounds of insects, rustling up and down in the night wind.


    ??The sunset has been setting for a while, but Cao Cao still had no intention of eating, and even the servants who came to inquire were chased away.


    ?The sky is gradually getting dark, and the stars are looming among the clouds.


    ?Cao Cao looked at the sky in the distance, frowning, not knowing what he was thinking about.


    Within the festival hall, whether it is the arrangement of tables, the tiger patterns on the screen, the vermilion pillars, or the dark blue utensils, everything seems to be trying hard to show the majesty of the general.


    Majesty?


    The majesty of a general?


    ??Cao Cao sneered, and his gentle laughter melted into the night wind before reaching the festival hall.


    ??The night wind blew Cao Cao''s gray hair on his temples under the crown of Jin Xian, and also gently touched the red and black court robe on Cao Cao''s body.


    Since Xun Yu and others left, Cao Cao has not gone out or changed his clothes.


    ? Such a complete set of formal clothes will not make people feel comfortable like a wide robe and large sleeves, but will be more restrictive. Although the Jin Xian Guan is calm and majestic, it can also be a bit tight on the scalp. Although the red and black court clothes are solemn and restrained, it can also make the shoulders tired. The wide colorful ribbons look mighty and can make the waist a little tight...


    So, is this the price that should be paid?


    The sound of soft footsteps was heard from the cloister, and a moment later, two smaller figures appeared in front of the festival hall door.


    "My father..." Cao Pi took Cao Zhi and bowed down in front of the festival hall, "My children pay homage to my father..."


    ?Cao Cao suddenly raised his head and realized that the sky had completely darkened and it was already nightfall.


    Come in. 』


    ??Cao Cao waved, and suddenly felt that the arm that had been supporting his body was sore and numb, and he couldn''t lift it up. He couldn''t help but feel a jump in his heart. He was... old...


    ??Cao Pi came in with Cao Zhi and gave Cao Cao a fainting ceremony.


    “Father, I heard that Father has not eaten yet,” Cao Zhi said seriously, “Father, please take care of yourself...”


    "Haha..." Cao Cao smiled and said, "I know, I will go eat soon..."


    ?Cao Cao felt a little more relaxed and ordered his attendants to add two candles to make the festival hall brighter.


    ?Candlelight also costs money. When he was young, he wore bright clothes and angry horses, lackeys and flying eagles, and played with expensive things. But when he got older, he would even have to save a candle. If Cao Pi and Cao Zhi hadn''t come here, Cao Cao would have felt that he only needed to light one. , which is enough.


    The money I spent when I was young was not earned by myself, so I didn’t feel bad about it. When I was young, I didn’t think too much because someone helped me think, so I didn’t feel tired. When I was young, I ran forward regardless of recklessness, because someone was protecting me, so I didn''t feel sad.


    And now...


    Cao Cao looked at Cao Pi and Cao Zhi, and suddenly thought of Cao Hong and his son Cao Zhen.


    To be honest, doesn’t Cao Cao know what Cao Hong and his son did?


    But what can be done?


    ?The Xiahou brothers only want to make achievements on the battlefield. Only Xiahou Dun can help to some extent, but Xiahou Dun can''t be allowed to sell goods and subsidize military expenses?


    ??If Cao Hong hadn''t shouldered this burden, there''s no way Cao Cao would have weighed the armor and weapons he was giving to his generals...


    I heard from Fei Qian that even the generals stationed outside the customs can receive armors and shirts according to time, one set in winter and one set in summer. If they are broken on the battlefield, they can be repaired for free!


    Money...


    When I was young, money was like a bastard. Now, money is like family members, brothers and clan members, political authority, soldiers'' pay, etc. It is the basis of these things...


    But I am very short of money.


    I also understand why I am short of money, but the problem is that every time I prepare to do something, I always encounter something else!


    It’s like the present moment!


    The darkness around the festival hall seemed to be boundless, and the candlelight beside Cao Cao could only block the area in front of him, but it was unable to illuminate the deeper places, making Cao Cao unable to distinguish clearly. Underneath the chaos of the night, is it a human being or a ghost?


    As I get older, my courage seems to be gradually declining. As the number of physical problems increases, especially my waist, which is not as good as before, I feel tired more and more easily, and I feel more and more overwhelmed.


    ?Back then, when Cao Cao faced Dong Zhuo and faced difficulties, the courage he showed, although it is not that the people of the world admired him, it at least influenced Xun Yu and Guo Jia, and now...


    Do you still have the courage to face the seemingly endless thorns?


    Xun Yu also had a hidden meaning in his previous discussion, which was that he hoped that Cao Cao could understand the key points of the moment. Just like when Cao Cao faced Dong Zhuo in Suanzao, the main threat was from Dong Zhuo''s side, and It''s not like Tao Qian, Liu Dai, or even Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu at that time. It was clear that as long as brothers joined forces, they could run rampant in the world, but they just didn''t do it and became short-sighted and only focused on the petty profits of the surrounding people. generation.


    This is what Xun Yu means.


    ?This may also be the idea of ??the Yingchuan gentry.


    Don’t mess with me, we are brothers, look, over there, in Guanzhong, is Cao Cao’s enemy!


    ?At the time of Suanzao, various princes had their own agendas. Tao Qian wanted to kill Zhang Chao, Liu Dai wanted to kill Qiao Mao, Yuan Shao wanted to plot against Han Fu, and Yuan Shu just stared at Yuan Shao...


    Is it true that all these people will end badly? These princes talked about the great interests of the country, but in fact they were only thinking about their own petty thoughts. What happened in the end?


    At that time, only Cao Cao took the stand of the Han Dynasty, pointing to the biggest contradiction of the Han Dynasty at that time, and suggested temporarily putting aside internal conflicts and working together to deal with foreign enemies. It was precisely in this way that Cao Cao showed outstanding talents that surpassed other princes at that time, which attracted Xun Yu and others to join him.


    But this time, Xun Yu may also want to express the same meaning. He still hopes that Cao Cao can understand, stand up, and point in the right direction, turning the originally internal contradiction to the outside, that is, in the direction of Yu Fei Qian. .


    Is this correct?


    ??Cao Cao turned to look at Cao Pi and Cao Zhi and asked, "Have you slacked off on your homework these days?" 』


    The child did not dare to relax. ” Cao Pi said.


    Me too! I worked hard! ”Cao Zhi replied with his little face raised.


    Cao Cao showed a smile, nodded and said, "Then I''m going to test you..."


    ??Cao Pi''s eyes twitched covertly, but his voice remained calm, "Father, please give me a question." 』


    Father, please give me a question! Cao Zhi smiled and added, "You can''t say anything that I haven''t memorized!" 』


    "Hahaha..." Cao Cao smiled and said to Cao Zhi, "What have you carried?" Is there an Analects of Confucius? What about the left pass? Also? Hmm...Do you know about the "Baigong Rebellion"? 』


    ??? Cao Pi''s pupils trembled... Bah, it''s just a slight contraction of his pupils. If his pupils really trembled at every turn, he might be a patient with epileptic cerebral palsy.


    Cao Zhi, who was on the sidelines, was obviously more relaxed. He thought of the relevant people first and asked, "Dong Bai wins?" 』


    ??Cao Cao nodded slightly, "But can you memorize it?" 』


    Without saying a word, Cao Zhi began to recite aloud: "Well... Prince Jian of Chu was slandered, so he fled to the Song Dynasty from his father in the city; he also caused the Hua clan''s rebellion to start in Zheng." Zheng people are very kind. He was also in Jin Dynasty and planned to attack Zheng with the Jin people in order to recover Yan. The people of Zheng returned to their original state. The people of Jin sent a spy to Zimu, and asked him to go and look forward to it. Zimu abused his private town, and the people of the town complained. The Zheng people came to the province and got the Jin spy Yan, so they killed Zimu. His son said Sheng, in Wu..."


    "good! ” Cao Cao nodded, interrupted Cao Zhi, and then pointed at Cao Pi, “Go on. 』


    "Well... this..." Cao Pi cleared his throat and delayed a little, "Well, his son said Sheng. In Wu, Zixi wanted to summon him. Ye Gong said: "I heard that Sheng also believes in it and is brave. It''s not good. I''m willing to sacrifice all my power to defend the vassal state. "Ye Gong said: "Zhou Ren is called faith, and being righteous is called bravery. I heard that he was victorious, but he wanted to die. Isn''t it selfish? It''s not faith; it''s not bravery. You will regret it!" He summoned him and sent him to Wu Jing as Duke Bai... "Yes," Cao Cao nodded and said, "Very good, all good. So...is this Bai Gongsheng good or bad? What did you do? 』


    "I know! ” Cao Zhi raised his head and said, “ Bai Gongsheng is a bad guy! He doesn''t remember gratitude! 』


    Cao Cao nodded, "Continue." 』


    Zheng Guo took his father in and treated his father very well, but his father instead plotted against Zheng Guo. This is unjust. ” Cao Zhi talked eloquently, “The same was true for him. The state of Chu called him back and entrusted him with important tasks. However, he insisted on attacking Zheng and eventually rebelled..."


    "Well..." Cao Cao nodded, then turned to look at Cao Pi, "What about you?" Do you think so too? 』


    Cao Pi couldn''t help but wanted to slap Cao Zhi. After telling him everything, he had anything else to say, but he couldn''t help but say it. After pondering for a moment, he said: "Although it seems like this on the surface, you still have to think about it carefully." The reasons behind it, for example, why did Prince Jian leave the State of Chu, and why did Prince Jian’s son go to the State of Wu? Why does Zheng Guo treat Prince Jian well, but Prince Jian still doesn''t care, etc..."


    "Haha, that''s interesting..." Cao Cao nodded, with a look of approval on his face, "If you can think of these, you have already advanced to a higher level. Come on, continue, keep talking..."


    Cao Pi was just talking. How could he straighten out the complex and perverted relationships between so many monarchs and ministers during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period? He also didn''t know the conflicts of interest between King Ping of Chu and Yin Zixi and others, let alone Ye Gong and Zhen Yingu''s behavioral logic was only superficially general, so when Cao Cao asked him to say something specific, he was inevitably a little stuck.


    "This... the crown prince was established because his father captured the daughter of Qin... so..." Cao Pi stuttered, unable to express his meaning, "Then Zheng Guo... Zheng Guo''s power declined, so he was good at establishing the crown prince... Then, well, this is what I thought of. …』


    ??Cao Cao lowered his eyes slightly, then smiled and said: "That''s not bad!" 』


    Cao Cao was silent for a while, then raised his head and looked into the distance, "King Chu Ping broke his promise to marry a Qin girl... After his death, he was humiliated by being whipped to a corpse, which he brought on himself... But because of this, Qin''s reinforcements came... a peck and a drink. , that''s it. If King Ping of Chu had known this, what would he have done? 』


    "Prince Jian lived in Zheng...Zheng Guo treated him well..." Cao Cao continued, "Zheng Guo is located between Jin and Chu. Jin came to surrender to Jin, and Chu came to ally with Chu... Therefore, what Prince Jian wanted was to attract Jin soldiers. Attacking Chu and plotting against Zheng are just incidental..."


    "As for Bai Gong''s victory..." Cao Cao said with some emotion, "If you say that you are brave, you can fight in battle, defeat Wu Yushen, and also chaos in Ying... If you say that he is trustworthy, guard the border, speak out his wishes, he will do what he says... Haha... so... , can it be said to be brave and trustworthy? 』


    ??Cao Cao sighed longly and didn''t speak for a while. After a while, he turned to look at Cao Pi and Cao Zhi and said, "Okay, go back and rest early." 』


    ??Cao Pi took a breath, nodded quickly, and led Cao Zhi to bow his head and salute, preparing to leave. Just when Cao Pi was about to leave the festival hall, he suddenly heard Cao Cao say again: "By the way, I heard that you have many unfulfilled intentions, Pi''er. You might as well take a closer look at this matter in the next two days and write a policy statement... 』


    ple 　　　　　　　…… 　　　　　　…… 　　　　……uluoyong... Takes the order...‖


    The footsteps of Cao Pi and Cao Zhi gradually receded in the corridor.


    ??Cao Cao was silent, and after a while he sighed softly again.


    Previously, Cao Cao used the "Baigong Rebellion" to evaluate Cao Pi and Cao Zhi because Cao Cao truly felt that the current situation was like history repeating itself.


    ??Were there many palace rebellions during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period?


    And in these times of rebellion, who benefits?


    ?It benefits no one.


    There is a saying that when gods fight, common people suffer, and eventually the gods themselves suffer as well. If you are even slightly dissatisfied, you will go to war as you please and kill with blood and flesh everywhere. Then what? The victor just put down the blood-stained sword, turned around and sat down on the throne, and soon the next avenger was welcomed.


    Who can represent justice?


    No one.


    Are only good people capable of benevolence, justice, propriety, wisdom, and trust?


    Ambitionists and conspirators can also have these characteristics.


    ?For example, Shi Qi would rather die than tell the whereabouts of his master''s body. Isn''t it considered honest and brave? But he was one of the culprits of the Bai Gong Rebellion.


    ?Similarly, Bai Gongsheng can be regarded as frank and sincere. He speaks outright about what he wants to do. Can''t it be said that his words and deeds are consistent?


    What exactly are these qualities that are often praised by people, such as loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, integrity, courage, etc.?


    Having these qualities is one thing, but doing something with them is another.


    Therefore, when standing on the outside, it is like watching the scenery. These battles for power and interests are like dramas, staged and ended. Pointing, criticizing, and arguing are actually insignificant.


    But if you are in the middle of the game...


    Just like the present moment.


    Xun Yu couldn''t let go of the children of the Yingchuan gentry, just like King Ping of Chu couldn''t let go of Qin''s daughter, just like Prince Jian couldn''t bear humiliation, just like Bai Gongsheng couldn''t forget revenge.


    Conversely, the same is true for Cao Cao.


    It was great when I was young, there were so few burdens on me then.


    ?As we get older, our burdens become heavier and our courage becomes less and less.


    No one will let go easily. It is easy to say it, but it is difficult to do it. If King Ping of Chu can measure up to Prince Jian, if Prince Jian can measure up to Zheng, and if Duke Bai Sheng can measure up to Yin Zixi, when the time comes, who will measure whom?


    ??It’s like…


    When Cao Cao was young, he watched Zuozhuan and saw the heroic characters in it. They loved and hated each other, and he wished he could replace them with his own body, roaming the battlefield and dominating the situation. After experiencing some setbacks, I read Zuo Zhuan again. I saw the intrigues and sinister plots in it, and suddenly realized it. I held the book and read it carefully, pondering it carefully, hoping to learn more about cunning and strategizing.


    Now, Cao Cao looked back and thought about Zuo Zhuan, and seemed to have a new understanding, but this understanding made him feel distressed, tired, and sad.


    by the great general...』


    ??A guard reported softly in the hall, "The military advisor has come to offer wine... I dare to ask the general..."


    Cao Cao came back to his senses and pondered for a moment, "Call!" 』


    A moment later, Guo Jia arrived under the festival hall and saw that Cao Cao was still wearing his daytime court clothes and had not changed into casual clothes. His heart sank.


    "Hahahaha..." Cao Cao laughed, walked up, took Guo Jia''s hand, and walked into the festival hall together. He asked Guo Jia to sit down, "If you are here to honor me, you should prepare some wine and food!" It’s just that it’s getting late now, so I’ll leave this inconvenience until the next day! Someone come! Let’s bring some hot drinks to ward off the cold with Fengxiao! 』


    ??Boss Cao smiled as if he had no worries at all, "I was reading some idle books in the hall. If I hadn''t come here as a courtesy, I wouldn''t have known it was already night!" 』


    ?Guo Jia lowered his head, cupped his hands and said, "I am so stupid that I cannot share my lord''s worries. I feel very guilty." I came up with a plan by chance, but I forgot that it was already late and asked for a meeting hastily, disturbing the master''s elegant mood. It''s really..."


    “Hahaha, what kind of elegance is this? It’s just leisure and entertainment...” Cao Cao waved his hand, “I don’t know how to be filial... Well, let’s drink this cup first, and it won’t be too late... Come on, please! 』


    Wait until the servants retreat.


    ?Cao Cao waited for a while, and then asked Guo Jia again as if he didn''t care.


    ??Guo Jia lowered his voice slightly and said, "My lord, I heard that...it was Lu Bu who took the lead in regaining the Western Regions, taking the lead and fighting in the Thirty-Six Kingdoms..."


    Cao Cao hummed and moved his eyebrows slightly.


    “I have also heard that the rebellion of the Western Qiang was caused by the combined forces of Zhang Liao, Zhang Wenyuan, and Taishi Ci and Taishi Ziyi…” Guo Jia continued, “I don’t know whether it’s true or not…”


    ??Cao Cao took a breath, looked at Guo Jia and said: "The meaning of filial piety is..."


    Guo Jia cupped his hands and said, "If you have merit, you should be rewarded... Of course the Hussar has merit, but if Lu Fengxian conquered thousands of miles and reopened the Western Regions, he should also be granted a title!" He can be given the title of General of Chariots and Cavalry, with the same rituals as the three divisions, upholds integrity, opens a government office to control the Western Regions...Zhang Wenyuan, Taishi Ziyi defines the Western Qiang as a meritorious service, and can be granted the title of General of Expeditions to the West, General of Pingxi, both of them are holiday festivals, and he chooses the place of Longyou. For Hou…』


    (End of this chapter)