"Vomiting blood? Fainting?"
When the Literary Assistant Officer heard this, he immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
As an official sent by the imperial court to supervise the palace, the Literary Defense Assistant certainly knew what his position was.
It doesn't matter whether he is guarding, supervising, or even threatening. In the end, he is just a vicious dog of the imperial court.
After all, clansmen are clansmen, and the surname Cao is naturally more noble than his own surname.
His memorial had just been sent out, and something unexpected happened to King Chen on the back foot.
If you really want to say that this matter has nothing to do with you, who would believe it?
When the time comes to force this shitty prince to death, he will definitely blame it on himself.
It's just a matter of moving my head. I'm just afraid that my whole family will be severely punished.
Not to mention washing up, he didn't even dress neatly, so he hurriedly followed the servants to see King Chen.
"What's going on, Your Highness?"
As soon as the person entered the house, he hurriedly asked.
Instead of saying "How is His Highness?" he asked "What's going on?" to show that he had no knowledge of His Highness's vomiting of blood and coma.
It's just that he usually dominates and dominates, so everyone in Prince Chen's palace is afraid and disgusted with him.
Moreover, most of the people in the room just bowed their heads and felt sad. Who was in the mood to pay attention to him?
The Literary Defense Assistant pushed through the crowd gathered around Cao Zhi's couch and took a closer look, only to see Cao Zhi lying on the couch with his eyes closed and his face as golden as paper.
The most important thing is that the chest is still stained with red blood stains.
Princess Chen, who was closest to her, was standing on the bedside weeping.
When the Auxiliary Literary Defense Officer saw this situation, his heart beat like a drum and his hands and feet became cold.
For the first time, I bowed respectfully to Princess Chen:
"I dare to ask the princess, what happened to Prince Chen?"
Princess Chen is Cao Zhi's second wife.
His first wife originally came from the Cui family in Qinghe.
However, when Cao Pi and Cao Zhi were competing for the throne of the heir apparent, Cui was deemed by Cao Cao to be too gorgeous in her clothes and violated the frugal decree, so she was sentenced to death.
Later, Cao Cao killed Cui Yan, Cui's uncle and the representative of Cui's family in Qinghe.
This is actually a means for Cao Cao to suppress the Hebei family.
Compared with the Cui family of Qinghe, the current Princess Chen can be considered to have an ordinary background.
Normally, she would be a little frightened if the Literary Defense Assistant was so respectful to her.
But at this time, how could she be in the mood to pay attention to the Literary Defense Assistant?
I saw her shaking her head sadly:
"The medical staff is examining her, and I don't know what the situation is."
Hearing this, the Auxiliary Officer of Literary Defense had no choice but to suppress his anxious mood.
After finally waiting for the medical engineer to finish reading, the Literary Defense Assistant was the first to speak:
"How is King Chen?"
The medical worker's face looked a little ugly, and he lowered his voice and replied:
"Prince Chen's health was not in good condition to begin with. Now he drinks too much, causing qi and blood to become disordered, so he vomits blood and faints..."
The Literary Defense Auxiliary was moved and said hurriedly:
"Is there something wrong with the wine?"
He was so anxious to get rid of his responsibilities that these words came out of his mouth.
Naturally, the medical engineer couldn't guarantee it, so he just said hesitantly:
"This... villain has not yet seen that King Chen appears to be poisoned..."
But Cao San couldn't help but said:
"It's absolutely impossible. Feng Jun once said that in terms of literary talent in the world, only King Chen can catch his eye, and the rest are all mediocre."
"Taking the poem that Feng Jun gave to King Chen as a gift, how could he possibly do such a thing to King Chen?"
He brought the wine back, and if there was really something wrong with the wine, he would not be able to escape death.
What's more, the literary defense officer in front of me suspects that there is something wrong with the wine. What is the difference between that and suspecting that he is a traitor and poisoned King Chen?
This is a fatal matter.
So he couldn't care less about it.
Literary defense assistants still have to be shameless.
He had the idea of mounting the calligraphy, and naturally he had also read the poem.
Since Thief Feng could give King Chen such a poem that has been passed down for generations, if he insists that there is something wrong with the wine, then he is obviously treating the world as a fool.
After all, the literati of this era still talk about the style of ancient gentlemen.
So when Cao San said this, the Literary Defense Assistant looked a little embarrassed and stopped talking.
"Get out!"
A faint voice came from nowhere.
Princess Chen, who was focused on Cao Zhi, shouted in surprise and joy: "Your Highness!"
Everyone looked around quickly and saw that King Chen had woken up at some point.
"Your Highness, how are you..."
The Literary Defense Assistant wanted to get closer with a concerned look on his face.
Unexpectedly, Cao Zhi stared at him fiercely, his voice weak but filled with disgust:
"Get out!"
"Your Highness..."
"A shameless villain, is he worthy of talking about me and Mr. Feng? Get out of here! Don't taint my eyes!"
When did the Literary Defense Assistant receive such anger in Prince Chen's Mansion?
However, this was a sensitive period, and he did not dare to stimulate King Chen too much, so he had to force a smile and said:
"Your Highness is in a bad mood, so I won't bother you."
While turning around, he was secretly angry in his heart, waiting for Cao Zhi to get better and see how I can give His Majesty the secret report!
Unexpectedly, as soon as he walked to the door, he heard another exclamation from inside: "Your Highness!"
He quickly turned around and saw Cao Zhi straighten up and spit out a mouthful of blood!
This time he was scared to death!
For everyone in Prince Chen's Mansion, Cao Zhi's serious illness may be a sign that the sky is about to fall.
But for Cao Rui, it was just a quick glance at the content.
Because for Cao Rui, with the death of the Empress Dowager (ie Bian), the last threat from his close uncle also disappeared.
Not to mention the other Cao clan members.
Therefore, in the past two years, he has been much tolerant of the Cao clan members who were entrusted in various places.
Not only were the kings and princes of the Cao family allowed to send their legitimate sons to the capital, but even Cao Zhi was able to come to the capital to have an audience.
Because of Cao Zhi's repeated memorials before, Cao Rui's move not only showed his humility in accepting advice, but also showed that he valued the kinship of the Cao family.
This little bit of fame is nothing but a drop in the bucket for the fundamental shaken caused by consecutive defeats in recent years.
Compared to Cao Zhi's serious illness, Cao Rui was more concerned about the news about the Shu bandits brought back by the envoy.
In his opinion, the Shu people forcibly swallowed up Liangzhou with the land of a mere state, which was like a snake eating an elephant.
Even if there are people like Zhuge Liang who are good at governing the country, if they can live in peace for three years and rule for ten years, they are already blessed by heaven.
Of course, it would be better if the Shu people suffered from Liangzhou and wasted their national power like the Later Han Dynasty did.
Unexpectedly, Thief Feng was able to stay in Liangzhou for more than half a year...
More than half a year!
It only took more than half a year!
Thinking of this, Cao Rui couldn't help but smash the memorial in his hand to the ground, and said bitterly:
"Thief Feng! He is the most cunning person in Shu!"
At the same time, a sense of powerlessness arose in his heart:
"Why do the Shu people, with the power of a single state, have Zhuge before them and Feng Thief after them? However, given the size of China, every time there is a big event, I always have to worry about myself, and no one can worry for me?"
Just when he was upset, his favorite minister Lian Zhao came in holding a memorial and said softly:
"Your Majesty, there is an urgent report from Qingzhou."
When Cao Rui heard this, he felt even more impatient and said impatiently:
"read."
The content of the memorial was not good news. It said that Gongsun Yuan of Liaodong was secretly communicating with Wu Lu, and the state of Wu sent a large number of boats to Gongsun Yuan to deliver gifts.
When Cao Rui heard this, his face became even more gloomy. After a while, he asked:
"What do you think about this?"
Although Lian Zhao is considered a villain and can use small mistakes to frame others in front of Cao Rui, his talents are extraordinary.
He seemed to have been prepared for it. When he heard Cao Rui's question, he immediately said without thinking:
"Wu Lu, with his boat division as the leader, now wants to use the sea route to Liaodong to win over Gongsun Yuan; while Gongsun Yuan of Liaodong appears to be surrendering to the Wei Dynasty, but in fact he has two intentions. This move is probably seeking a way out."
"Furthermore, the Wu captives lack war horses, and Liaodong produces good horses. The intersection between Wu and Liao will probably be detrimental to the Wei Dynasty."
Cao Rui nodded, "What you said is very much in line with my wishes."
At this point, he let out a long sigh, "Whenever important events happen, all the princes in the court will either flatter you or dare not say anything for fear of making a mistake and endangering their position. Alas!"
"If there were more people like you, why would I use so much hard work?"
Speaking of "flatter you", Cao Rui thought of a person and asked:
"That Liu Ye, how is he doing now?"
Thinking of the past, whenever there was a major event, I would often discuss it with Liu Ye, and the other party would always be able to give me advice.
Cao Rui couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic.
Lian Zhao's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.
He has been with Cao Rui for a long time, and now he is deeply favored by Cao Rui. He knows the elegant meaning of words, so how can he not guess Cao Rui's thoughts.
Liu Ye was overthrown by himself and his minister, Chen Jiao, in the beginning. If His Majesty suddenly decided to use this person again, where would he be?
Immediately he replied:
"Back to Your Majesty, after Your Majesty saw through Liu Ye's good intentions, he went crazy and is now bedridden at home. I think he feels guilty and has no face to see Your Majesty."
"He's sick..." Cao Rui frowned and waved his hand, "Then let him serve as Dahonglu. After all, he is a veteran of three dynasties, so he can't be too harsh."
Da Honglu is in charge of the praise and guidance of the rituals of the imperial sacrifices.
Letting a veteran like Liu Ye serve as Dahonglu and rank as the ninth minister can be regarded as a means of allowing him to retire with peace of mind.
Lian Zhao lowered his head and said, "No."
Where Cao Rui couldn't see, a relaxed smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
Thinking about the fact that all the ministers in the court advised him to recuperate and not to use weapons rashly, Cao Rui gave up the idea of asking other ministers to come to discuss.
He thought deeply for a while and then said:
"In drafting the imperial edict, Gongsun Yuan of Liaodong had a double-minded intention, so he went to Wu Tong and ordered Wang Xiong, the governor of Youzhou, to lead the troops of Youzhou and attack them by land. Tian Yu, the prefect of Runan, would supervise the troops of Qingzhou to attack them by sea."
Sima Yi, the great Sima, is currently farming in Guanzhong. He has not been able to manage it for a few years, and he is afraid that he will not be able to go west.
Forced by the Shu invaders, the main strategic direction of the Wei Dynasty is now west rather than east.
Before Longyou and Liangzhou are solved, it will be difficult for the Wei Dynasty to mobilize a large army to attack Jiangnan like the late emperor did.
Neither Shu nor Wu can move, but the only one who can move seems to be Liaodong.
Otherwise, if Liaodong is connected with Sun Wu, the Wei Dynasty will be surrounded by enemies on all sides!
It is better to strike first to gain the upper hand, to control others without controlling them.
"promise."
Knowing that Cao Rui wanted to conquer the Liao Dynasty by land and sea, the ministers of the Wei Kingdom and the Manchu Dynasty strongly opposed it.
"Any country that is not a annexation country and does not invade the rebellious ministers should not attack them lightly. If you attack them and fail to control them, you will drive them into thieves. Therefore, it is said: 'Tiger and wolf are in the way, don't control the fox.' Get rid of the big harm first, and then take care of the small harm." .”
"In this land beyond the sea, there have been many appointments and pledges for many years. Every year, there is no shortage of appointments and filial piety. Those who make decisions are the first to do so."
The meaning is that Liaodong is still considered a minister of the Wei Dynasty and should not be attacked lightly. If it is a crusade but cannot be controlled, it will drive the ministers to become thieves.
At present, Shu and Wu are the current major enemies and must be dealt with with all their strength. As long as these two enemies can be eliminated, Liaodong will be at peace.
"If an envoy is defeated in one fell swoop, gaining the people will not be enough to benefit the country, and gaining the wealth will not be enough to make him rich; if he fails to do so, it will be a result of enmity and breach of trust."
Even if it can be conquered in one fell swoop, taking the people of Liaodong will not be enough to benefit the country, and taking the wealth of Liaodong will not be enough to enrich the country. But if it fails, it will lead to resentment against Liaodong.
Moreover, there was no open rebellion in Liaodong, but His Majesty openly attacked it, which would cause the world to worry about breaking the trust.
Cao Rui had long expected the reaction of the ministers, and he was not moved at all.
In the current situation where the foundation is unstable, it is necessary to divide the land of aristocratic families internally to win over the people and strengthen the country.
Either you can attack the outside world and show off your power and power to establish your authority.
The former is too difficult and takes too long. It is lucky to see results in ten years.
Even if Cao Rui could wait until then, how could Shuwu let him wait with peace of mind?
How could those aristocratic families be obedient and give up their land to the head of Guizhou?
Although the latter is more difficult, it is much easier than the former.
Shu Wu cannot be touched lightly. Is it possible that it is just a land in Liaodong and cannot be touched?
Besides, now that Liaodong is connected with Wu State, this is not considered a rebellion against the Wei Dynasty, so what is a rebellion?
It was precisely because of the successive defeats of the Wei Dynasty and the decline in prestige that it gave Liaodong the courage to take action.
If Liaodong is not punished, who will take Wei seriously in the future?
Cao Rui was impatient and fierce, and Wei accepted the abdication from the Han Emperor and considered himself the orthodoxy of the world. How could he be so low-key and weak as to be laughed at by the world?
Therefore, it is impossible to take the initiative to tolerate after being bullied by Wu like the Shu Kingdom did in previous years.
In August of the sixth year of Taihe (the tenth year of Jianxing), Cao Rui's edict reached the hands of Wang Xiong, the governor of Youzhou.
After Wang Xiong received the edict, he did not act immediately. Instead, he sent a post to invite someone to come.
"Your Majesty called me here, but something happened?"
The next day, a dusty man entered the governor's house and saluted Wang Xiong.
The visitor was none other than Han Long, who had left Liangzhou.
As soon as Wang Xiong saw Han Long, a smile appeared on his face:
"Qianyong, come on, come on, sit down!"
After personally helping Han Long to his seat and having someone bring him tea, Wang Xiong asked affectionately:
"I just heard that Qian Yong returned from outside the Great Wall two days ago. How about it? This trip went smoothly?"
Han Long nodded and replied:
"Thank you for your help. It's going well."
There were many generous people in Yanzhao. Before the Yellow Turban Rebellion, many famous people in Hebei had friends with knights, and even cultivated knights.
Although after the great chaos, rangers have become increasingly rare.
But this trend still exists.
As the governor of Youzhou, it is not surprising that Wang Xiong can be friends with Han Long.
"I know that Qianyong is familiar with the situation outside the Great Wall. I invite you here this time just to ask if the barbarians outside the Great Wall can still live in peace at this time?"
"Over the years, your Majesty has shown kindness and trust to the Hu people and implemented pacifying strategies. The Hu people have rarely entered the fortress to plunder, so why should they be restless?"
In order to avoid the trouble of Tanshihuai, Tian Yu, the former Wuwan captain in Youzhou, suppressed many Hu people outside the Great Wall.
Wang Xiong believed that Shu and Wu were the great enemy, and advocated appeasing the Hu people to prevent them from disturbing the border.
Whose idea is better? Han Long thinks that he is just a ranger and is not qualified to comment.
"It's just your envoy. This time I went out to the fortress and found that Hu Shou Ke was trying to devour the Xianbei tribes in the east."
"If it succeeds, then everything from Liaoshui in the east to Bingzhou in the west will be his."
"And Ke Bineng is the leader of a party. If he is allowed to grow stronger and his ambition grows, I'm afraid he will become disobedient!"
When Wang Xiong heard this, his eyelids twitched slightly:
"Kebi can have ambitions towards Xianbei, Liaodong?"
Wang Xiong nodded: "Yes, I heard that he is now arranging his troops and planning to march eastward in September."
Damn it!
Wang Xiong couldn't help but curse secretly.
He was at odds with Tian Yu and squeezed Tian Yu away on the pretext of disturbing the border. This did not mean that he was blindly tolerant of the Xianbei barbarians.
As the governor of Youzhou, he naturally cannot be a fool.
The Yi and Di people are afraid of power but not virtuous.
If Ren Kebi becomes stronger and really wants to attack Youzhou, he may be implicated if he proposes to appease the Hu people.
Thinking of this, Wang Xiong's face couldn't help but darken.
