The north wind is howling, snowflakes are flying, the land of Jizhou is white, and there are no birds and beasts.
In the snow, the sound of horse hooves suddenly came. A group of cavalry braved the cold wind and headed south to Handan.
The defenders on the city were escaping from the severe cold. When they saw cavalry approaching, a man came out in the snow and shouted impatiently: "Where are the men and horses? They are not allowed to enter the city without the general's orders. Come back after the weather clears."
A general came forward on his horse and shouted: "How dare you! When the King of Wei arrives, why don't you open the city to welcome him?"
Cao Pi built the Wei Palace in Handan, and the guards were mostly close relatives of the Cao family. The soldier looked carefully and saw the tall figure of Xu Chu vaguely distinguishable in the snowflakes. He was shocked and was busy beating drums and gongs.
The defenders on the city were in an uproar. They had heard a month ago that Cao Cao had arrived in the pass and was building a palace day and night in the city. They thought it would snow heavily and it would take half a month to travel, but they didn't expect Cao Cao to rush back first.
Cao Pi heard the news and rushed out to greet him. Cao Cao had already arrived in front of the government office. He knelt on the ground regardless of the heavy snow. He had been frightened for several years and seemed to have found support. Unconsciously, he burst into tears and said in a trembling voice: "Father!"
Cao Cao was wearing a white mink fur from Liaodong, which set off his gray beard and hair, which looked more and more vicissitudes of life. He looked down at the thin body of Cao Pi, his eyes were deep, and he sighed softly: "Get up!"
Cao Pi stood up and saw that Cao Cao was covered with wind and frost, returning from outside the fortress, with a chilling air. He couldn't help but lower his head again, and his heart was in a state of confusion. Although he had thousands of words, he didn't know where to start.
Cao Zhang helped Cao Cao dismount, and everyone entered the government office. After hearing the news, civil and military officials rushed there. In a blink of an eye, the lobby and courtyard were full of people, and everyone looked up and down.
Three years have passed in the blink of an eye. The prime minister, who was mentally depressed when he went on the expedition, wonders what his situation is now.
They all believed that Cao Cao's northern expedition was because he knew his destiny was over, and did not want to bear the infamy of holding the emperor hostage. He wanted to seek fame from foreign tribes and leave fame for future generations. Who would have thought that he would return to the court with his troops.
Cao Cao took off his brocade robe, but still wore his armor. Except for the discoloration of his beard and hair, he was still in good spirits. His purple-red face seemed to have witnessed the hardships he endured while fighting outside the Great Wall.
Scanning the hall with deep eyes, all the officials were shocked. Cao Cao was even more majestic than before.
"I'll see you, Your Majesty!" Everyone knelt down in unison, and the crowd was filled with darkness.
"No courtesy!" Cao Cao raised his hands to signal everyone to stand up, and ordered Jiang Ji, Dong Zhao and other close ministers to stay, while the others went home and followed their orders.
Although it was snowing heavily, the government office suddenly became lively. From the officials in the government office to the Hakkas at the door, everyone looked at the spring breeze with joy.
With Cao Cao's triumphant return, not only did the whole Wei kingdom have a backbone, but in their eyes, the previous defeats were nothing to the prime minister who was invincible and invincible in every battle.
Since the uprising against Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao has suffered repeated defeats and battles. Although he has been in danger many times, he has been able to survive. Going one step further, this time he has come back from the dead and will surely create greater glory.
The maids served a banquet, and everyone was about to say congratulations when they saw Cao Cao pointing at Cao Pi and saying solemnly: "Zihuan, do you know your sin?"
Cao Pi was listening to Cao Zhang's story about the Northern Expedition. When he heard this, he was startled and asked in amazement, "What crime do I have?"
Jiang Ji hurriedly came to the rescue and said: "Your Majesty is protecting the rear and stabilizing people's hearts. Although he is responsible for the loss of territory, it is not his fault. I hope your Majesty will learn from it."
"Victory and defeat are common matters for military officers. I am not doing it for this reason!" Cao Cao shook his head slightly and said solemnly: "How dare you make the decision privately to represent me as king?"
Cao Pi clasped his fists and said, "My father, with his divine and mighty demeanor, not only protected the loyal king, but also defeated and punished the rebels. Such extraordinary achievements cannot be commended without being crowned king. It is the child who consulted with the civil and military officials to ask for credit. It is not a rash act." .”
"You dare to bully me?" Cao Cao was furious, pointing at everyone and scolding: "Do you want to sit on top of the fire?"
Jiang Ji said: "This is what the Prime Minister has been waiting for, and the civil and military officials of the whole court have sincerely recommended it. Your Majesty is pleased that the Prime Minister's contribution to expanding the border is comparable to that of Wei Huo, so he made an exception and granted him a title. Although the Crown Prince expressed his gratitude, you have no words to say. Now that the imperial edict has been issued, how can the ministers dare to resist it? Don’t comply?”
Only then did Cao Cao's expression soften a bit: "Since Your Majesty is so kind to you, I have no choice but to accept it. After the weather clears, I will personally kowtow to thank God for his kindness, and then make contributions to the country."
Everyone congratulated in unison, Cao Cao laughed, waved his hand and said: "Let the banquet begin!"
In the Battle of Saibei, Xianbei was defeated, the Su Shen clan was exterminated, and Gongsun Kang was so frightened that he took the initiative to send people to the court. More importantly, his headaches had not occurred again in the past year, and his body had returned to health, which rekindled his fighting spirit.
After drinking for three rounds, Cao Cao looked around and couldn't help but sigh in his heart, thinking that back then he had so many talented people, advisers like a rain, and generals like a cloud, but now more than half of his left and right arms were broken.
Xi Zhicai and Guo Jiatian are jealous of Yingcai, Cheng Yu is ruined for taking care of the overall situation, Xun Yu's whereabouts are unknown, Xun You avoids Jiaozhou, and Jia Xu quietly runs away again, who else can give advice?
Among the military generals, Xia Houyuan of the clan was imprisoned, and only Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, and Zang Ba were left with the surnames to hold important positions. The competition in the Central Plains was still not optimistic.
He stopped his glass and looked at the old man with a gray beard reflected in the drink. He couldn't help but feel sad and shed two lines of tears.
Cao Pi was shocked and said: "Why is my father so sad?"
Cao Cao put down his wine glass and cried loudly: "I think back when I rebelled against King Qin, Lu Bu, Yuan Shao, Liu Bei, etc. didn't have anything to worry about. Only Jiangnan didn't obey. I thought it would be settled in one battle, so I could share the wealth and honor with the other princes, and enjoy peace." . Who would have thought that he would be thwarted by Liu Qi's son, his dominance would be in vain, and all his shares would be lost. Isn't it disgusting to think about it?"
Cao Zhang clasped his fists and said, "Why should a hero be short of breath, father? The child only hates being young and cannot share the worries of his father. Now he can mount a horse to fight, but one day he will kill Liu Qi under the horse."
Cao Zhen said proudly: "What can Liu Qi do? It's just relying on Wolong and Fengxiao. The child has been taught by his father for three years and has already mastered the art of war. He must avenge his previous humiliation."
Xiahou Ba, Wen Qin, Dianman and other young disciples stood up one after another and made bold speeches to help Cao Cao make achievements.
Cao Cao glanced at his disciples, thinking that they were galloping around the north of the Great Wall, invincible, and that they were all leaders of the younger generation, and his confidence increased greatly.
Then he ordered someone to pour the wine again, raised his glass and said with a smile: "My son's words are magnificent. I am like a dead tree in spring, why should I be afraid of Liu Qi? Do it!"
It doesn’t matter if you lose Guanzhong, but what if you lose the Central Plains?
Just by picking one of the clan's disciples and young leaders present at random, it would be enough to fight Liu Qi, regain the lost territory, and become hegemonic again.
While pushing the cup and changing the cup, Cao Pi ordered someone to fetch the crown robe of the King of Wei, and asked Cao Cao to change on the spot, and he would be honored by the King of Wei on the same day.
"Oh my god, how can this happen?" Cao Cao was already a little drunk, looking at the twelve-colored red crown and black python robe. Although his hands were waving, his blurred eyes were shining.
Cao Pi signaled with his eyes that Cao Zhang and Cao Zhen stepped forward. The three of them worked together to grab Cao Cao's arm and changed his clothes and crown as everyone cheered.
"What kind of behavior do you have when you mislead me?" Cao Cao seemed to be too drunk and his steps were frivolous, allowing them to manipulate him.
After changing clothes, everyone rushed out. Luan Yi, the six-man driver, was already waiting. Cao Cao was helped into the car and complained to himself: "You have hurt me!"
