In April of the eighth year of Jian'an, AD 203.
After a year of fighting, Cao Cao finally completely eliminated all Yuan's forces in Hebei.
With his troops divided, Cao's army achieved successive victories.
Jizhou, Youzhou, and Bingzhou were all captured by Cao's army.
After Gongsun Du, the governor of Liaodong, sent an envoy to express his submission to Cao Cao, the war in Hebei came to an end.
As for Sizhou, with Xu Huang's withdrawal, there is no longer any threat to the west of Luoyang.
As an envoy, Cao Hong was transferred to Hebei to guard.
In terms of civil servants, in order to completely curb the anti-Cao forces who were loyal to the Yuan family, Cao Cao deliberately left Guo Jia to stay in Yecheng to help Cao Hong further stabilize Hebei.
After leaving behind his most trusted adviser Guo Jia and his clan relative Cao Hong, Cao Cao set out to return to Xuchang with peace of mind.
Even though he left 100,000 troops in Hebei, Cao Cao still had more than 150,000 soldiers.
This includes the soldiers who surrendered from Yuan Shao's army, as well as the civil and military officials from Hebei's noble families who flocked to it.
Together with Cao Cao, these people went to Xuchang to visit Han Emperor Liu Xie.
In early May, Cao Cao's army arrived in the north of Xuchang City.
Forced by Cao Cao's current intimidation, Liu Xie had to personally go out of the city for twenty miles with all his civil and military officials to greet him.
In order to show the emperor's favor, he also affectionately pulled Cao Cao to ride on the emperor's carriage.
Everyone knew that Liu Xie was just showing off, so Cao Cao just declined.
After all, the ministers were riding in the same carriage as the emperor and were driving in the emperor's car. This would inevitably lead to criticism.
Who would have thought that Cao Cao was so unceremonious that he dragged Liu Xie up and climbed up.
In the process of pulling, Liu Xie was almost pulled down!
Seeing this scene, many ministers who cherished the Han Dynasty sighed.
Shangshu made Xun Yu's eyes even more complicated.
This was not over yet. After boarding the emperor's carriage, Cao Cao actually sat on the main seat and issued orders for Liu Xie.
Officials, civil and military officials and soldiers in the distance didn't know what was going on. They thought it was the emperor's order, and they all knelt down and shouted long live.
If this move had been carried out during the Han Ling Emperor's time, it would have been a major crime to annihilate the nine tribes!
But Cao Cao not only didn't take it seriously at all, but instead looked up to the sky and laughed, holding his beard proudly.
In every word and deed, Liu Xie was not taken seriously at all.
Liu Xie saw it in his eyes, cursed in his heart, and was angry in his clenched fists.
But only on his face, he had to wear a flattering smile.
People under the eaves have to bow their heads!
When Liu Xie heard the news that Cao Cao had killed Yuan Shao and pacified Hebei, he knew today's result.
This victory caused Cao Cao to lose his last trace of respect for the Han Dynasty and the Han Emperor.
At the same time, this ride in the emperor's car also made Cao Cao's mind active.
Silently all the way, we finally arrived at Xuchang City, which Liu Xie had been waiting for.
Normally, after the Emperor's chariot enters the city, Cao Cao must get off immediately.
After all, sharing a ride outside the city is already a great privilege!
Who would have thought that Cao Cao not only took advantage of the situation, but also directly ordered Liu Xie to drive the car to the door of the Prime Minister's Mansion!
Nearly a hundred officials had to take a detour from the west gate of Xuchang to the Prime Minister's Mansion.
After the car arrived at the gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion, Cao Cao reluctantly got out of the car.
Cao Cao's subsequent actions made Xun Yu even more furious.
In full view of everyone, Cao Cao turned around and walked into the Prime Minister's Mansion!
He didn’t salute Liu Xie to thank him, and he didn’t even look at Liu Xie!
As for these civil and military ministers, they were even more dismissive and did not even take Cao Cao's peripheral vision.
It wasn't until the sound of the door closing at the Prime Minister's Mansion was heard that everyone returned to reality from the shock.
Liu Xie looked at the door that kept the emperor out, and his heart suddenly became furious.
Whenever there was a slight possibility, he could not wait to fight to the death with Cao Cao immediately.
But the fear of Cao Cao in his heart finally defeated his anger, and Liu Xie's heated mind calmed down again.
After giving an extremely unwilling order, the chariot driver headed to the palace, and the ministers dispersed.
The decline of the imperial power is so depressing!
At the gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion, Xun Yu was the only one who refused to leave for a long time.
From his complicated eyes, you can see how painful he is in his heart.
It wasn't until his friends Chen Qun and Zhong Yao personally persuaded him that Xun Yu was willing to leave.
But the disappointment and anger in his eyes never dissipated.
In the Prime Minister's Mansion, not long after Xun Yu left, a figure appeared in front of Cao Cao.
It was Cao Pi, Cao Cao's eldest son.
"Father!"
"gone?"
Cao Cao sat in the main seat and read the military books without even raising his head.
"Yes, Xun Yu was persuaded to leave by Chen Qun and Zhong Yao."
In front of Cao Cao, Cao Pi was like a mouse in front of a cat, with fear rising to the sky.
Even if I can do nothing wrong, I can't seem to get any satisfaction.
In Cao Pi's heart, he seemed to be a mistake.
"Well, let's go down."
Cao Cao said something nonchalant, but still didn't look at Cao Pi.
I haven’t seen him for a year, but he is so cold to his biological son!
Cao Pi looked downcast, with no resentment in his eyes, only endless sadness.
The cause of all this is all Cao Pi's own fault.
Five years ago, Cao Pi, who was only eleven years old, followed his father Cao Cao to conquer Xuzhou.
The person in charge of leading Cao Pi at that time was Cao Pi's brother Cao Ang.
Yes, Cao Ang did not die in Wancheng.
Because Jia Xu surrendered to Liu Zhang very early, the original life of Zhang Ji, Zhang Xiu's uncle and nephew had a serious deviation from history.
Uncle Zhang Ji, who could no longer live in Guanzhong, led eight thousand cavalry to Hongnong and defected to his fellow countryman Duan Xuan.
Duan Xuan first belonged to Dong Zhuo's command and was assigned to farm in Huayin and Hongnong counties.
During the period when Dong Zhuo, Li Jue, and Guo Si were in chaos, Duan Xuan devoted himself to farming and accumulated a lot of grain and grass.
It is not difficult for Duan Xuan to support eight thousand troops and horses for Zhang Ji's uncle and nephew.
Coupled with the friendship between fellow villagers, Duan Xuan accepted it kindly.
But instead of being rewarded for his good intentions, he was also rewarded with a donkey's liver and lungs!
Zhang Ji's uncle and nephew had evil intentions towards Duan Xuan, and planned to kill Duan Xuan and seize Hongnong.
As a result, he did not act secretly and was discovered by Duan Yan in advance.
Duan Xuan is not just a farmer, he comes from a long-established family and has learned military skills since he was a child!
Zhang Ji, Zhang Xiu's uncle and nephew are at best a brave warrior, how can they be Duan Xuan's opponent?
As a result, before the rebellion started, they were captured and executed by Duan Xuan.
Zhang Ji did not die in Jingzhou, and Zhang Xiu no longer had the opportunity to harm Cao Cao.
Cao Cao's eldest son, Cao Ang, also escaped disaster.
It's a pity that God seems to be destined to take Cao Ang's life!
In the third year of Jian'an, in 198 AD, when Cao Cao's army personally conquered Lu Bu and prepared to completely capture Xuzhou, an accident happened.
Cao Ang was assigned to the position of supervising the transportation of grain and grass, and by the way, he gave Cao Pi a lot of experience.
But who would have thought that the food transport team would be attacked by Lu Bu's army!
History is always surprisingly similar!
Cao Ang, who was supposed to die protecting Cao Cao, once again died protecting his younger brother Cao Pi.
Cao Ang's death was a particularly heavy blow to Cao Cao, and his first wife, Mrs. Ding, broke with Cao Cao because of this.
Cao Pi himself fell into huge self-blame for this.
If it weren't for him, Cao Ang wouldn't have died at all!
