"Young master, aren't you afraid of death?" Zhang Yan looked at Cao Ang, who was standing proudly in the hall, and asked, "Aren't you afraid that I will kill you to save Jian Yong's life in order to please Liu Bei?"
"General Zhang, I'm afraid it's too late for you to please Liu Bei." Cao Ang pointed to Jian Yong's body, "Jian Yong is Liu Bei's most trusted adviser and has followed Liu Bei for the longest time. I have forged this grudge on behalf of General Zhang. , I'm afraid it will be difficult to resolve. Moreover, Liu Bei has lived in Hebei for a long time. The general knows better than me what kind of person he is. As long as he takes a breath, the general knows in his heart what he will do next. Everyone is mortal, and the dead What difference does it make whether it is sooner or later? But my Cao family has swept across the world with bold killings, and the family tradition has been passed down from generation to generation. It cannot be destroyed in my hands. If the general makes up his mind, just kill me."
Zhang Yan was silent for a long time, then stood up and walked down the hall. She stretched out her hand like a knife and gave Cao Ang a false blow on his neck. She sighed: "The tiger father has no son. The young master has such determination and courage at such a young age." , I feel frightened and at a loss when facing the young master, how can I dare to be the enemy of Prime Minister Cao?"
In October of the third year of Jian'an, Zhang Yan presented his seal, ribbon and flag to Cao Cao in the camp of Cao's army under Ye City, expressing his surrender to the imperial court. At this alliance, Cao Cao handed Zhang Yan the seal of General Pingbei that had already been engraved. End in hand. At this time, fine snow was flying, and winter in Hebei came to this land early again.
The setting sun shone through the thin clouds on the horizon, and in the dry and cold winter air, the light seemed a little dim.
On the city wall of Ye City, Liu Bei leaned on the battlements and looked at Cao Jun's camp below the city. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei stood behind him holding their respective weapons.
Liu Bei shook his head, pressed his temples with his hands, and said: "I have to bear a lot of responsibility for what happened to Xianhe this time. This is probably what the so-called emergency medical treatment is."
"Brother knows that Cao Cao will send an envoy to see Zhang Yan?"
"We are besieged in Yecheng, and the reinforcements from Qingzhou have not arrived for a long time. It must be that Yuan Shao's old troops are undecided and determined to wait and see. Jian Yong has been with me the longest and is the most loyal to me, but he is a scholar, how can he command Do you have to move Qingzhou's thousands of troops? In this situation, he knew that he could only ask for help from Zhang Yan in Jinyang, but Cao Cao was not a fool. He knew that this was the only way we could go." Liu Bei clasped his hands behind his back, Gritting his teeth, "Cao Cao is so cunning, how could he give me such an opportunity."
"Mr. Xianhe is willing to die for my eldest brother, so I don't have to be too sad." Guan Yu explained.
"Now that even the last glimmer of hope has been cut off, is it possible that God is going to kill me as a big man?" Liu Bei seemed not to have heard Guan Yu's words. He looked up at the sky and murmured to himself.
At the foot of Yecheng City.
Cao Cao and Guo Jia stood side by side, looking at the towering walls of Ye City.
"When will my lord prepare to attack the city?"
"It's not yet time for the weather to be freezing cold." Cao Cao shook his head and said thoughtfully: "It's not yet time"
"Are you waiting for an opportunity?" Guo Jia smiled.
"I haven't summoned you for such a long time, but you still guessed my thoughts." Cao Cao put his hands behind his back, nodded and said, "It's just that this time I have to be able to see God's will."
"What does God mean?" Although Guo Jia asked, he didn't seem surprised to receive such an answer.
"I spent countless money and food, risked being attacked by Sun Ce, and personally led a large army to gather under the city of Yecheng, but I have been waiting hard for God's will. If those scholars in Xudu find out, I'm afraid they will be in trouble. Are you secretly laughing?"
"My lord is the king of tigers and wolves in troubled times. Do you believe in destiny?"
"Destiny?" Cao Cao laughed coldly, "Kyushu is vast, and it is a place where heroes roam freely. If you have the ambition to conquer the world, even the heaven and earth will be suspended upside down. How can it be controlled by destiny!"
"I said that my lord is not a fool who likes to daydream."
Cao Cao was silent for a while: "Although I don't believe in destiny or respect ghosts and gods, I still want to thank God for allowing Ang'er to return safely. Otherwise, I really don't know how to explain to his mother when I go back."
"The eldest son is honest and humble, but he has such a heroic demeanor when he persuaded Zhang Yan to surrender this time. I am also very respectful to him."
"Fengxiao, are you more respectful or surprised?" Cao Cao raised his eyebrows.
Guo Jia laughed: "I can't hide anything from my lord. To be honest, I am more surprised than admired."
"Yes." Cao Cao sighed, "I almost can't recognize Ang'er. Will everyone in this troubled world eventually fall into it?"
"My lord, I'm afraid that the fall is a bit exaggerated. I look down and see that the eldest son has grown up."
?"That's right, but I still hope he can keep an innocent heart." Cao Cao smiled bitterly, "His father has been regarded by the people of the world as a traitor who usurped the country and tried to steal the artifact. I don't want him to go down this path again. road.¡±
Cao Cao took a deep breath: "If the Fruit of Destiny belongs to me, I would like to be King Wen of Zhou."
"My lord, don't you believe in destiny?"
"Although I say I don't believe it, everyone in the world believes it." Cao Cao spread his hands, "If I didn't pretend to be destiny, wouldn't it be too uneasy?"
Guo Jia laughed, but saw Cao Cao looking into the distance again, lost in thought. A strand of gray hair was freed from the restraints of the hairband, floating in the chaotic wind. Only then did he realize that he was standing in front of him. The protagonist is also getting older slowly.
Cao Cao came back to his senses, saw Guo Jia looking at him blankly, and smiled softly: "Fengxiao, do you think I am old?"
Guo Jia was a little flustered by Cao Cao's thoughts, but he still nodded subconsciously.
"How can there be an immortal person?" Cao Cao's voice was faint, with a special kind of desolation and loneliness. "I always think of the days when I failed in my attempt to assassinate Dong Zhuo and fled back to Chenliu in a hurry. That was the most important time in my life. In the darkest time, I couldn¡¯t believe anyone, and I could only rely on myself for everything"
"But the lord got over it after all."
"Yes, things in the world are so magical. You can never know the outcome until the last moment." Cao Cao closed his eyes. "I have been thinking about what I was doing at that time to set up an uprising flag and make a false statement. Zhao, and even united with the eighteen princes to fight against Dong. Looking at today more than ten years later, I have been regarded as the second Dong Zhuo by the people in the world. At this time, is there a young man who is also hesitant and feels that The future is slim, but you are unwilling to be lonely and want to achieve an earth-shattering career?"
Guo Jia thought for a long time and said in a low voice: "My lord, may I ask this offensively, did you raise the army for your own ambitions?"
Cao Cao was silent for a long time: "Not at first, I just wanted to save the Han Dynasty. But when I took the position of prime minister and took charge of the power of life and death, I gradually lost my original intention. I only wanted to inherit my rights. People, don¡¯t be swallowed up by the evil thoughts in people¡¯s hearts.¡±
"I'm afraid Ang'er will lose his heart."
Cao Cao and Guo Jia never spoke again, just stood there quietly. The last setting sun cast Yecheng's huge shadow on them. Gradually, the surroundings became darker, and everything fell into darkness.