Cao Cao held the edict and walked on the official road in a daze. He didn't know how he walked out of Xianyang Garden. He even forgot the horse he rode in. He was walking in the muddy water with one foot deep and one foot shallow. His lost appearance attracted passers-by's sideways glances.
After he walked twenty miles back home, Cao Song heard that he was safe and sound, and went out to meet his son with joy. However, he saw that Cao Cao's lower shirt was sparsely stained with mud, he was absent-minded in greeting and speaking, and his eyes were sometimes wandering and sometimes empty. Cao Song knew that something was wrong. But his son had been very opinionated since he was a child, and Cao Cao didn't want to tell him, so he didn't ask. He only arranged for his maid to cook some hot soup for his son to bathe in, while he continued to think about where to move to Xuzhou.
After bathing and changing clothes, Cao Cao lay on the bed in a wide robe. He opened the edict again and squinted at the edict. He is virtuous and beautiful, but he failed to fulfill the late emperor's will and the country was overthrown. In order to achieve great success, he should be moved to Yong'an Palace."
After he finished reading it again, his panic subsided slightly, but his hesitation became even greater. He never expected that Dong Zhuo would leave the post-abolition matters to him. If it was just to depose the queen, then even though Dong Zhuo didn't say it clearly, Cao Cao clearly knew his intention, which was nothing more than a death penalty. As a minister, how can I kill the Queen Mother? Cao Cao pulled out the Chentang Sword and stared silently at the four words on the sword: "Even if he is far away, he will be killed".
No matter how hesitant, the sun still rises and the night passes like a snap of a finger. Cao Cao got up at nine o'clock the next day, still worried. He had breakfast and wandered around the house, thinking that since it was still dark, he might as well go out and relax for a few moments. Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened the door, he saw a four-horse carriage parked in front of the door. He met Li Ru's eyes. He was leaning on the shaft of the carriage, wearing a plain Confucian robe and a red headband. He waved to him and introduced himself with a smile. : "Captain Cao got up early. I have the order from Prince Hongnong to wait for Captain Cao here. Where is Captain Cao going now?"
When Cao Cao saw Li Ru, he felt stiff for a moment as if he was being watched by a poisonous snake, but he immediately smiled, cupped his hands to Li Ru and said: "I had something in my mind last night. I dreamed that the garden was full of osmanthus flowers, with phoenix patterns engraved on them, so I went to bed early in the morning." I went out to see each other, and now I see Li Jun, I know that this is a distinguished guest, a phoenix has settled down, how lucky Cao is!" At this point, he made an affectionate gesture, stepped forward, took Li Ru's left hand, and asked, "Li Ru Sir, it’s still early now, do you want to come in and meet me?”
Li Ru was surprised. He didn't expect Cao Cao to react like this. He greeted him in front of him, so he couldn't refuse, so he could only follow him into the mansion. Cao Cao seemed very generous and asked Li Ru to take a tour of his family's treasure house. The wealth of the Cao family is unparalleled in Luoyang. There are gold and silver treasures everywhere in the treasure house. In addition to the swords collected by Cao Cao, there are pearls like sand, clear amber, bright agate, emeralds like forests, sandalwood incense, and layers of flying brocade. . Li Ru usually followed Dong Zhuo on the border, and he had never seen such a scene before. He was dazzled by the dazzling array of things. He saw the golden belt of former general Dou Wu, and the "Hundred Officials Proverbs" written by former Taiwei Hu Guang. "Manuscript, he loved it very much, but he was extremely self-respecting and was embarrassed to ask for it. Cao Cao saw that his eyes were wandering between the two objects from time to time, and he understood in his heart, so he immediately took out the belt and the manuscript and gave it to Li Ru. Li Ru kept saying he was sorry, But once he took it in his hand, he never let go.
The relationship between the two greatly eased, and they chatted until about four o'clock in the morning. At this time, it was already dawn, it was clearing after the rain, and there was a hazy colorful streak in the sky. Li Ru just woke up from a dream and said to Cao Cao: " Brother Cao, it’s getting late, and we’d better not delay the important matter that Mr. Dong specially entrusted to us.”
Cao Cao also knew that he could not delay, so he was prepared in his heart. He nodded in response and told the Cangtou at home not to disclose his whereabouts today. He then got on the four-horse carriage and went to the Jiade Palace with Li Ru. After Cao Cao entered the palace, the palace road was silent. It was obvious that the surrounding areas of Jiade Palace were controlled by soldiers and no one could pass through. After passing through the long palace road, the blue tiles of the front hall were exposed in the Jiade Palace, and then there were the red doors, railings, and steps. Three men stood at the foot of the steps with about forty guards, obviously waiting for Cao Cao for a long time.
The two got out of the car, and Li Ru introduced Cao Cao one by one. These three people were all of great importance. They were all indispensable generals for Dong Zhuo to control the capital. Their status in the army was second only to Dong Zhuo's brother Dong Min. They were all newly promoted Zhonglang generals. , they are: Huben Zhonglang General Lu Bu, Dong Zhuo's adopted son, who led the Bingzhou Army under the former Ding Yuan, and was an important contributor to Dong Zhuo's successful rise to power; Dong Zhonglang General Dong Yue, a distant relative of Dong Zhuo, who took credit for the Battle of Meiyang He was very great, so he was reused; Beizhonglang general Hu Zhen was a hero Dong Zhuo met in Guzang, Wuwei County. He charged at the front in every battle and was a famous Liang people who could kill a hundred people.
All the warriors on duty in the palace were also called up by them, and a group of people surrounded Jiade Hall. There was no lock on the door of the palace, so Cao Cao walked at the front and led everyone to push the door open and go straight in. The Queen Mother was dressing up in the palace. When she saw them arriving, the wax in her hands fell to the ground in fright, and several white cats meowed and got under the soldiers.
Cao Cao saw that the Queen Mother was dressed in gorgeous palace attire and covered with golden and white pendants, which made people dazzled, like a fairy queen mother. He was in a trance and couldn't bear it. Li Ru pushed him secretly from behind. He stumbled forward. When he raised his head, he met the empress dowager's sad eyes of unwillingness and despair. But he finally took the edict away and read it word by word. The queen mother listened.
The Queen Mother's eyes dimmed, but she revealed a desolate face that she had never known before. She asked in a low voice if she could have some more time, and she would like to see the emperor again. Cao Cao smiled bitterly and said: "The Queen Mother is laughing, I don't even know what else to do." How many times can I see His Highness again!" After hearing this, she leaned forward in fear and asked, "Don't you let Mr. Dong even let the Emperor go?" She leaned down so fast that she became unstable and fell to the ground, her headdress jingling like a wind chime. ring.
Cao Cao helped her up and said comfortingly: "How dare Mr. Dong murder the prince? Please don't worry, Queen Mother, but we will move here for the time being." Queen Mother He held Cao Cao's hands tightly as if seeing a savior, her slender hands squeezed him painfully, Cao Cao smiled and helped her up, turned around and said coldly to everyone: "Send the Queen Mother to emigrate."
The Queen Mother was carried out by everyone, as if she were carrying a lifeless body. The crowd walked through Fudao, Zhuque Gate, Deyang Hall, and Dongping Gate for almost half an hour before they arrived at the River Garden of Yong'an Palace. , the weather was fine at this time, the river rippled gently in the palace, and the ripples in the water were sparkling. Most of the locust trees on both sides had withered, but only one locust tree still had green leaves. Everyone stopped here, and someone joked: All the remaining locust trees in the garden have bloomed. Only this locust tree has not bloomed yet, maybe it is not as expensive as the Han Dynasty?
When Cao Cao heard this, he said to the Queen Mother: "Your Highness will ascend to heaven here!" Although the Queen Mother had already had a premonition, her guard collapsed after hearing such obscene remarks, and her beauty also turned pale. Yu Chushang burst into tears like a young girl, and choked up as she cried: "You deceived your Majesty, you will not die well!" She cried, but she did not dare to run away among a group of warriors, she could only let her tears flow dry, the past was so beautiful Her singing voice became hoarse from crying, until she was speechless at the end.
Cao Cao didn't know how he felt. He took the Queen Mother down from the jade banquet, took the golden cup and poisonous wine, and handed it to the Queen Mother, hoping that the Queen Mother would drink it herself. However, the Queen Mother glanced at him, huddled under the locust tree, and tilted her head. Not a word was spoken. Cao Cao had no choice but to ask everyone behind him to leave the garden and wait. He returned to the Queen Mother alone and punched the Queen Mother in the soft abdomen. The Queen Mother screamed, and Cao Cao grabbed the Queen Mother's throat and poured poisonous wine into her red lips.
After two moments, he felt that the jade body in his arms had lost its body temperature, so he threw down the golden cup, washed his hands in the river garden, and then left the garden gate and said to everyone: "The Queen Mother knows that she has sinned deeply and has drunk poison." Commit suicide." Everyone rushed into the garden again, took out the coffin that had been prepared, and put the Queen Mother's body into it.
When they were about to leave, a Liangzhou native suddenly shouted: "Look, the locust tree is blooming, and it's actually purple!"
Everyone carrying the coffin unconsciously turned their heads to look. Sure enough, at noon, the branches of the only locust tree were actually covered with purple flowers! The golden sunshine enveloped the courtyard, and the delicate fragrance of Sophora japonica wafted along with the golden sunshine, refreshing the heart and mind for a while. The fragrance of Sophora japonica is astounding to the nostrils, and the sun shines on people, making the crowd feel as if their souls are ascending, as if they are escaping from the filthy world.
Where do all the dead go? Is it a star? Is it moonlight? Or the scorching sun? Cao Cao suddenly felt sad. He walked for a while, and Li Ru suddenly said to him: "Cao Jun, Mr. Dong still has something to do for me. If you have nothing to do, why don't you accompany me to finish it. How about we have a banquet in the evening?"
Cao Cao was indeed fine. After handing in the letter of surrender, he stopped thinking about anything and immediately accompanied Li Ru in a car and drove eastward for forty miles to the foot of Shouyang Mountain. They circled several times until they reached a quiet place. In a deserted corner, more than 20 soldiers could be seen pressing down on more than a dozen prisoners among the thorns.
Li Ru asked the warrior leader about the situation. After learning that all the prisoners had arrived, he took a sip of hot water and asked the warriors to behead the prisoners one by one.
The first person to be beheaded was an old woman. She was old and fat. The executioner's soldier couldn't find her neck, so he slashed her back with a knife. He didn't cut off the head, so he could only use a few more knives to remove the collarbone. They cut them off together, and the old lady's head fell to the ground. Cao Cao suddenly felt that it looked familiar. When the soldiers chopped off two more people, he remembered that the old woman was not the mother of the Queen Mother and the General? After the Luoyang coup, there was no one. Knowing the whereabouts of Lord Wuyang, he unexpectedly died here.
He also recognized He Jin and He Miao's children who were executed. He Jin's only son He Xian also recognized him. He knelt on the ground and wailed at him: "Meng De, save me!" Cao Cao turned around and pretended not to have heard.
When He Xian was killed, Cao Cao suddenly heard a familiar cry. He couldn't help but look back and saw a woman similar to the Queen Mother covering her face and crying in the corpse. Her belly was slightly bulging, obviously she had been pregnant for several months. , Cao Cao couldn't help but walked forward, took off the woman's hands, and looked into Yin's languid eyes. He was so intoxicated by it that he almost couldn't extricate himself.
He turned to Li Ru and said, "Brother Li, it would be a pity to kill this woman. Can you sell her to me as a slave?" Li Ru glanced at the woman, then remembered Cao Cao's gift, and smiled nonchalantly: "Don't blame Mengde. Brother loves you, this is really lovely, it’s just a trivial matter.” He immediately ordered the soldiers to catch a woman of the same age in the road, cut off her head and threw it together. The He family, which once dominated the country, is now considered a clan. Went out.
