Chapter 2688: Working together, being distracted and having ulterior motives


    As everyone circulated the pamphlet, although it was not heavy, one by one, it listed all the misdeeds of the Cao family in recent times, which made Cao Ding and several other elders confused. His face turned pale. Some of them were sweating on their foreheads because their immediate family members were involved, and they could not help but look panicked.


    ‘Is this complying with the Prime Minister’s order? Xiahou Dun sneered, "Just asking around like this, there are already so many things. If we investigate in detail... Haha, the Prime Minister probably never imagined that there are so many people doing such things under the banner of the Prime Minister, right?" 』


    After hearing Xiahou Dun''s words, Cao Ding trembled slightly.


    Cao Ding was silent for a moment and said in a deep voice: "I hope the general will learn from it... Such things are not our original intention. It''s just that the Cao family is a big family with many people, good and bad, and different thoughts. Even if I want to take care of it, I can''t." I can’t control it...』


    "oh? Is it impossible to control it? Still don’t want to care? Or even a private indulgence? ” If you don''t get punished for doing something wrong, how can you restrain your clan members? 』


    Cao Ding frowned, feeling a little embarrassed.


    ? Cao Ding is getting older. Not only is he lacking in energy, he also doesn’t have much drive. When Cao Cao recognized Cao Ding, he also felt that Cao Ding was safer than others and would not stir up trouble, but now Cao Ding''s character has exposed its weaknesses in this matter.


    Cao Ding could not control the situation.


    “Uncle,” Xiahou Dun slowed down his tone, “Nowadays, the court is in turmoil and disputes. If my uncle and other family elders cannot support the prime minister and stabilize the rear, how can the prime minister be able to face the powerful enemy with peace of mind? The Prime Minister''s instructions to you all, the Cao family''s family motto is not without purpose, nor is it said casually. I hope that my uncle and all the family elders will be careful in dealing with it. 』


    Seeing that Cao Ding seemed to want to say something, Xiahou Dun waved his hand and said, "In the Xiahou clan, someone will naturally restrain him personally." All matters concerning the Cao family are entrusted to my uncle and you all... No matter what happened before, the most important thing now is to deal with it first! The fields that have been seized will be returned to others, the houses that have been forcibly purchased must be paid back, and the children of the Cao family who have done something wrong must also be punished publicly! 』


    "In addition, immediately open a porridge shed outside Qiao County to provide free porridge to the poor... We must also build water conservancy projects and repair roads. Don''t be stingy about spending some money... The important thing is that these things must be done. Everyone knows it, and everyone wants to praise it..."


    Cao Ding took a breath, and then said: "Is this... going to..."


    Cao Ding''s expression was a little unnatural.


    ?Inviting to buy people''s hearts, if this matter is placed on the emperor, of course there is nothing wrong with it, but if it is placed on the powerful ministers, it is a bomb that may explode at any time.


    Of course Xiahou Dun understood what Cao Ding meant. He sighed, "Even if the prime minister doesn''t do this, will it be possible to achieve peace and harmony without anyone plotting against him?" 』


    “…” Cao Ding was startled for a moment, then nodded slowly, “I understand…”


    ??Cao Ding stood up, coughed, and said, "Everyone, since there is an order from the prime minister and the general is here, do you know what to do?" It was me who was not strict in supervising me before, and I am solely responsible for it! Now I reiterate the Prime Minister''s order to rectify the family tradition! If he offends again, he will be punished for not being taught anything! Go ahead and follow the instructions of the prime minister and the general and do your work first! 』


    ?Several elders representing each house stood up one after another, greeted Cao Ding and Xiahou Dun, and then walked out of the hall.


    Xiahou Dun and Cao Ding sent the elders to the door, then turned back and sat down again.


    Xiahou Dun and Cao Ding both knew that in the past they had only spoken on stage, but now what they wanted to say was information that could only be conveyed within a small area...


    The people were expelled from a distance. Xiahou Dun''s close guards controlled the surroundings of the hall, their eyes sharp and serious, as if they would kill even a fly that flew by.


    The topics discussed next in the hall are indeed extraordinary.


    "Uncle," Xiahou Dun said in a low voice, "the Prime Minister is in the prime of the Spring and Autumn Period. Naturally, the matter of the heir should be decided by the Prime Minister alone!" 』


    ??Cao Ding was stunned, "The general''s intention is..."


    Xiahou Dun nodded slightly.


    ?Cao Ding’s eyebrows jumped, “I see...”


    ??At first, Cao Ding didn''t quite understand why there were so many things happening all of a sudden. But now that Xiahou Dun has made up for the most important link, he suddenly figured it out.


    The Qiao Pei Group is as important to Cao Cao as the Jing Xiang Group is to Fei Qian. It is the most important pillar under Cao Cao. Therefore, there must be a unified opinion within the Qiao Pei Group. There is no doubt about this.


    However, under the influence of some people in Shandong, people within the Qiao Pei Group began to have different views on the issue of Cao Cao''s heir.


    After all, Cao Cao is not young anymore. Even though Xiahou Dun said that Cao Cao was still "in his prime in the Spring and Autumn Period", in fact, once a person passes forty, um, or thirty-five, his body functions begin to gradually decline, so it may happen at any time Problems will arise.


    ? Many later generations of corporate capitalists stuck on this line, which is not entirely unreasonable. After all, what the capitalists want is "labor force", not to open welfare homes.


    ??For others, this matter would be a lukewarm joke, a story, and a topic for after-dinner conversation. But now that it has come to Cao himself, it has become a big problem.


    ?? Cao Ang, who originally best met the standards of the Qiao Pei Group, died, and the vacant heir position became a blessing in the eyes of many people. When Cao Cao ascended the throne of Prime Minister, he took Xiahou Dun and other relatives and friends around him to rise to greatness and gain power. If Cao Cao couldn''t catch up with Cao Cao''s train, wouldn''t there be another "successor"?


    ?Whose car to get on and what posture to use to get on the car is a big question.


    People in Shandong prefer teeth with young teeth. This is the tradition of the Han Dynasty. You can generally understand it by looking at how old the successive Han emperors were. Even the current emperor Liu Xie was not elected because he was younger and easier to be elected?


    To a certain extent, Cao Cao''s many heirs naturally brought about this inevitable contradiction.


    Even if Cao Cao made it clear that he would make Cao Pi his heir, could this problem be avoided?


    Even if Cao Pi did the best, it was still unavoidable. Don’t forget how Cao Ang died?


    ?At present, Cao Cao did not specifically emphasize heirs, but took several children with him to teach him. This was probably because Cao Cao had learned the lessons of Cao Ang''s death. Of course, it could also be said that Cao Cao was too suspicious and thought that everyone wanted to harm him.


    Xiahou Dun said in a deep voice: "At this moment, the Cao family and the Xiahou family must not be in chaos internally!" Uncle, the responsibility between you and me is very heavy..."


    ?Cao Ding took a deep breath and nodded slowly.


    There are many things to say, and there is no need to explain them too clearly. After all, Cao Ding also spent time in the officialdom of the Han Dynasty, and he knew some things very well.


    ?After a while, Cao Ding looked at Xiahou Dun and said, "If...if there is someone in the clan...how should we deal with it?" 』


    Xiahou Dun was silent for a while, and then said: "If someone is seeking death, let him go!" But no matter what, there can be no chaos! 』


    ??The Cao family motto is like a warning. If you still don’t understand it, or you are pretending to be confused, then you will really take action next...


    After the matter was clearly explained, Xiahou Dun got up and left. He wanted to go to the Xiahou family.


    ??Cao Ding sent Xiahou Dun out of the Cao family compound, and then stood outside the courtyard gate, watching Xiahou Dun go away, and pondered for a long time. He believed that Xiahou Dun was really capable of taking action. After all, Xiahou Dun had already been cruel to his children before. This time, I wonder how many unlucky people there will be in the Xiahou clan?


    I''m afraid that either Xiahou Dun came here, or it was because of...


    Cao Ding sighed slightly.


    There are some **** among the Cao clan, and even more among the Xiahou clan.


    ?After a while, Cao Ding turned around and paused at the entrance of the courtyard. Then he did not go back, but turned to Cao''s Nanyuan.


    In Nanyuan, although Cao Ding sent someone to tell Cao Sheng and Xia Houhong not to bully others, if Cao Sheng and Xia Houhong were obedient children, nothing would happen to them!


    So when Cao Ding arrived at Nanyuan, Cao Sheng''s shouting voice was still heard inside...


    『You, a thing with no father and no mother to care for you, actually want to serve as an official on duty! ? Don’t you even look at your own identity? If you want to climb that high, aren''t you afraid of falling to death? !　　　　　『What is duty? Do you want me to teach you this? The Prime Minister has said that he must be "humbly yielding to friends and respectful", but has he ever let a guy like you fight for power? ah? ! 』


    “Besides, after your parents died, you didn’t even think about giving your parents a grand burial first and returning the fallen leaves to their roots. Instead, you just thought about climbing in the camp. Is there such a filial son as you? If your parents were still alive, wouldn''t they be mad at you to death? ! 』


    ??Cao Sheng and Xia Houhong spoke to each other very freely and loudly, so that they could be heard everywhere.


    As the more direct descendants of the Cao family and the Xiahou family, Cao Sheng and Xiahouhong are quite good in terms of their robes and jade ornaments. If they hadn''t uttered evil words and looked ferocious, He has a domineering attitude, but he still looks like a handsome young man.


    But the way the two of them were gesticulating and greeting each other''s parents now made it hard to feel good about them.


    Actually, Cao Sheng and Xia Houhong were really dissatisfied with Cao Ying, were they so resentful?


    It is not.


    Cao Sheng and Xia Houhong were actually dissatisfied with "poor relatives" like Cao Ying. These "poor relatives" came to eat and drink together, but the two of them didn''t have any objections. They just regarded it as feeding a few more dogs. Anyway, for people like Cao Sheng and Xia Houhong, their dogs eat better than ordinary people.


    ??But these "dog guys" actually want to stand up and compete with them for the few official positions, which must be intolerable!


    "Haha, if you really lack that little money and can''t survive anymore, you can be more pragmatic. Why bother to aim too high and make people unhappy?" Just come to me and tell me, if there is nothing else, I can still give you a little money to help you... No matter what, my village is still short of a steward. If you think it is suitable, just take up the post! Don''t say that I won''t take care of you! 』


    ??Although Xia Houhong seemed to have promised Cao a job, in fact, if Cao Ying really agreed, it would be equivalent to selling himself to Xia Houhong, and he would become Xia Houhong''s servant from a side branch of the Cao family.


    Although many people think that it is good to be a domestic servant of a wealthy family, they have not looked at the shops and shops in the streets and alleys. Those domestic servants of wealthy families are very impressive and have enough food and clothing to cover everything. Isn’t it right to use people’s money to work for them?


    ??In fact, the guy who instilled such a concept would say how many servants died in the wealthy family? Would you say that you are allowed to be beaten, scolded, bullied and trampled on? Would you say that not only one generation is a slave, but all generations of family members are slaves?


    No, just like some self-media in later generations, their mouths are crooked and their butts are crooked. They only advocate for domestic slaves of wealthy families, saying that domestic slaves also have a happy life. Otherwise, how can they deceive more people? What about people becoming slaves?


    So once Cao Ying feels that the small profit in front of him is good and gets greedy and takes it, his life will be over.


    ?When Cao Ding arrived outside the gate of Nanyuan, he heard these words from Cao Sheng and Xia Houhong...


    If it were before, although Cao Ding would feel that Cao Sheng and Xia Houhong were somewhat arrogant and domineering, he would not feel anything wrong because of this. After all, direct subordinates are direct subordinates, and side branches are side branches. Even if Cao Ding said that everyone should be treated equally, But actually...


    There is a big difference between direct branches and side branches.


    But now, Cao Ding has to take care of it.


    After entering the courtyard gate and seeing several parties involved, Cao Ding had a general idea.


    Nothing else, Cao Ying''s appearance is real...


    Excellent quality.


    The Cao Ying in front of me has delicate eyebrows, delicate facial features, and fair skin. If it weren''t for the Adam''s apple and the uneven body shape, people might have thought she was a woman. Her face was red and swollen, her hair and clothes were messy, and she had obviously been beaten.


    ?It is precisely because Cao Ying looks like this that Cao Sheng and Xia Houhong were targeted, and they joined forces to humiliate Cao Ying, hoping to make Cao Ying retreat. After all, in Shandong, there are not a few people who like male sex. Who would be attracted by Cao Ying''s "good looks"? Wouldn''t it be possible to climb on top of them then?


    Facing the humiliation of Cao Sheng and Xia Houhong, Cao Ying lowered his head slightly and bowed his body slightly. He seemed humble and looked like he was being overthrown, but he remained silent. But it also gives people a feeling of stubbornness and disdain.


    Cao Ding saw this and shook his head slightly.


    I have long heard that Cao Sheng and others are idiots who only have a pair of skins but don’t know how powerful they are. It is the same when I saw them today. There is also something to be learned about bullying anyone. Making things difficult for others for no reason will only make people look down upon. In addition, this Cao Ying does not look like a weak and timid person. He did not kill this person at once, which will inevitably leave some hidden dangers in the future...


    『What’s going on? 』


    Cao Ding came out and asked in a deep voice.


    When Cao Sheng and a group of others saw that Cao Ding was coming, they quickly bowed and saluted.


    "How dare I trouble you to ask about trivial matters, trivial matters..." Cao Sheng showed a bright smile and bowed his hands to Cao Ding.


    Xia Houhong on the side also bowed and saluted, and his gestures were standard and unambiguous at all, "It was just a verbal dispute, it''s all over now, it''s all over..."


    ??Cao Ding nodded slightly, then turned his eyes to the other person involved, "What about you?" you say. 』


    ?Cao Ying was silent for a long time before slowly nodding his head, "It''s really just a verbal dispute, nothing serious." 』


    ?? Cao Ding also nodded, and then said to a group of children of the Xiahou family of the Cao family: "The Prime Minister has an order. All the children of the Xiahou family of the Cao family must bear in mind the family motto, be careful in their words and deeds, and do not overstep!" Anyone who disobeys will be severely punished! You have to understand it carefully, think carefully, and don''t do it perfunctorily! But remember them all? ! 』


    Cao Sheng and others all said yes.


    ??Cao Ding waved to Cao Ying, "Follow me." 』


    Cao Ying was stunned for a moment, then followed immediately.


    After turning around the courtyard gate and walking through the corridor, Cao Ding remained silent all the way, and Cao Ying followed silently.


    After arriving at the hall, Cao Ding asked Cao Ying to wash up first, and then he sat in the hall and thought for a while. After Cao Ying sorted out his embarrassing state, Cao Ding said to Cao Ying: "I am going to send you to Ye." City, I wonder if you are willing? 』


    Cao Ying was silent for a long time, then nodded and said, "I am willing." 』


    "good! ” Cao Ding clapped his hands and said, “Then you go back and prepare yourself first. I will send someone to take you to Yecheng tomorrow!” 』


    Cao should resign.


    ??Cao Ding sat in the hall for a long time and sighed, "It would be great if everyone could be as sensible as this guy... This time, I can''t tell... some people can be saved, but others can''t be saved..."


    ??Cao Ying stayed in Qiao County. Cao Ding was able to protect him once, but failed to protect him twice. Cao Ying could endure it this time, but what about the next time? If he fights back, he will die even worse. If he doesn''t fight back, he will lose all his energy, so he might as well go to Yecheng.


    After all, Cao Pi and others are all in Yecheng, and Yecheng also has a school established in Chang''an, so it is not a big problem for Cao Ying to use the Cao family''s name to enter the school to study, but in the school Whether Zhong Neng can stand out and gain a higher stage depends on Cao Ying''s own abilities.


    ?At the same time, Cao Ying left, and Cao Sheng and Xia Houhong naturally lost one sign of attack...


    But the question is, can these domineering guys really understand that some things are not as beautiful as they imagine, and that they themselves are not as powerful as they imagine?


    ?Although Xiahou Dun said it seriously, Cao Ding was not sure yet.


    ??If it were strictly dealt with and followed the **** things those **** did, then wouldn''t there be many descendants of the Cao family and the Xiahou family who would have to be skinned even if they escaped the death penalty!


    ?? Cao Ding slightly hesitated. Although he felt that Xiahou Dun might be serious, but after all, there were so many people. As the saying goes, "the law does not punish everyone", could Xiahou Dun really be able to do it?


    Come here! ” Cao Ding called his servants, and he asked them to remind Cao Sheng. Although Cao Ding felt that Cao Sheng might not listen, he had fulfilled his responsibilities as an elder.


    Watching the servants leave, Cao Ding sighed deeply...


    (End of this chapter)