Cao Cao did not stay in Guilin County for long. After handling some political affairs, he appointed Wenpin as Marquis of Guilin and General Zhennan, and led 10,000 sergeants to guard Guilin County. Because of his meritorious service in killing Zhou Yu, Samoko was granted the title of Prefect of Wuling by Cao Cao and the Barbarian King of Wuman River. He was given a gold seal to guard Wuling. At the same time, Cao Cao also gave Shamoko the status of chief registrar of Jingzhou and gave him a mansion in Xiangyang to show his favor. "Brother Rui, we have all received rewards. Unfortunately, the second brother" On the way back to Xudu, Lu Rui and Cao Chong followed the group on their own horses. "Zihuan's affairs are a bit troublesome. After returning to Xudu, some situations may not be under the control of you, me, or even Father Zhong." Lu Rui shook his head, remembering the scene in Xiangyang City. A month ago in Xiangyang City, Cao Cao summoned Lu Rui and Cao Chong to discuss matters in the study of the Prefect's Mansion. "See Father Zhong (father)!" Lu Rui and Cao Chong came to the study and looked around. Only Cao Cao was sitting alone on the main seat, and Xu Chu was responsible for guarding outside. "Well, Bufan and Cang Shu are here, sit down, my father has something to discuss with you." "Yes!" Lu Rui and Cao Chong found their seats and sat down. "Bufan, what do you think of the things Zihuan handled in the water village?" Cao Cao did not look at Lu Rui, but stared at a bamboo slip in his hand. "Father Zhong, I think that although Pi's method is a bit cruel, it is the best way to deal with it in terms of results." Lu Rui cupped his hands and answered Cao Cao. Lu Rui¡¯s judgment was well-founded. Although Zhou Yu didn¡¯t know where he knew the secret of low-ignition-point metals, Zhou Yu¡¯s fire attack was still very successful. Zhou Yu seemed to also know that poisonous gas would be produced after burning metal. At that time, Cao Cao's water stronghold was already on fire. If you stayed in the water stronghold for a long time, even if you were not burned to death by the fire, the poisonous gas would kill you. Lu Rui went to examine the bodies afterwards and found that many soldiers died of suffocation. This suffocation is the power of poisonous gas. Although Lu Rui had the knowledge of the future and could understand Cao Pi, there was no official divorce in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Everyone attributed the cause of death to Cao Pi's refusal to save him. Even if Lu Rui knew the truth, there was no way to defend Cao Pi. "Well, not bad. Judging from the results, I also think Zihuan did a good job." Cao Cao put down the bamboo slips and gave Cao Pi a personality in his heart. Cao Pi's decision had two merits. First, he rescued all Cao Jun who could be rescued, including a large number of civil and military personnel who followed Cao Cao. Cao Cao's talents were basically not lost. Cao Pi has merit. Second, Cao Pi's decision also inadvertently helped Cao Cao solve the military power problem in Jingzhou. Originally, Cai Mao held the power of the navy, and the aristocratic families in Jingzhou also had a certain amount of military strength. However, a fire by Zhou Yu burned almost all the local soldiers in Jingzhou, making it easier for Cao Cao to control Jingzhou. ?? Cao, a wife, knows that political guarantee cannot be obtained by relying on wives alone. Only strength is the capital for politicians to speak. From this aspect. Cao Pi not only made great achievements, but also made great achievements. "Hey, it's a pity that Zihuan was too impulsive. He was reckless at a young age and spoke out of proportion. He cannot escape this responsibility" Cao Cao then said another sentence, which is the key to the Cao Pi incident. focus. Cao Pi's words were too poisonous. ¡°One word can make a thing happen, and one word can also ruin it. Although Cao Pi's military order allowed Cao Jun to escape danger, it also violated social morality. It is not allowed by morality to refuse to save wounded soldiers until they die, especially some soldiers who were slightly injured were not rescued, which became Cao Pi's weakness in handling this matter. "What does Father Zhong mean?" "Bufan, Cang Shu, this is a secret report from Xu Du. Many people in Xu Du are thinking of making a fuss about this matter." Cao Cao pointed. Pointing to the bamboo slips on the table, he pinched his temples. Lu Rui and Cao Chong looked at each other. Without reading the contents of the bamboo slips, they knew that Liu Xie and his gang wanted to take action. What happened to Cao Pi this time was too serious a violation of morality. Failure to deal with it will definitely lead to dissatisfaction. Handling things too lightly can also lead to criticism and dilemmas. "Father, what does Xu Du mean?" Cao Chong stood up and asked Cao Cao tentatively. "I'm afraid they want Zi Huan to die!" Cao Cao slammed his fist on the table. "Father Zhong, Zi Huan cannot die. Although Zi Huan is at fault, a wise man will not fail to see the intention of Zi Huan's plan. If Zi Huan dies because of this, I am afraid it will damage the face of the Cao family and the reputation of our army." Future." Lu Rui stood up and reminded Cao Cao that if Cao Pi's affairs were not handled well, it would be another hidden danger that could shake the foundation of Cao's army. Morality and law are always inseparable brothers. There was nothing illegal in Cao Pi's handling of the matter except for being ruthless. Cao Pi used his command power to issue an order, allowing some of Cao's troops to escape from the water stronghold and be rescued, and beheaded.There were some soldiers who did not obey military orders. From a legal perspective, Cao Pi was not wrong! If Cao Cao executes Cao Pi, then generals from all over the country will use morality to kidnap military law. In that case, how will Cao Cao lead his troops? The so-called ruthless military law would not be military law if there were moral factors. "As a father, I also know that Zi Huan cannot die, not for himself, but for the foundation of my Cao family. What do you think about this matter?" Cao Cao shook his head. Of course he knew that Cao Pi could not die, but he would return to Xudu soon. , if there is no good countermeasure, Cao Cao may not be able to cope with it. "Father, there is actually a plan to keep the second brother alive, but the child doesn't know what his father thinks about this matter" Cao Chong rolled his eyes, and now he understood what Cao Cao meant, which was to keep the second brother alive. People tried to save Cao Pi. "Cangshu, tell me, here are the three of us, father and son, there is nothing to avoid" "Father, don't forget that imperial power is placed above law and morality. As long as our Cao family takes over the Han Dynasty, The second brother's life has been saved. As long as his life is saved, there is still a chance for my father to compensate the second brother in the future." Cao Chong handed over his hand and reported back to Cao Cao. Replace Han with Cao? Cao Cao was stunned for a moment and touched his beard. This idea has flashed through my mind many times. As Cao Cao's strength grew, Dai Han's thoughts became more and more serious. Without absolute rights, he was helpless in doing anything. After Cao Cao succeeded the Han Dynasty, he could be a murderous founder of the country, while his son could be a wise ruler of the country. But a fire by Zhou Yu extinguished Cao Cao's wish. The defeat of Guilin County not only resulted in the loss of troops and horses, but also ended Cao's army's momentum and its momentum of swallowing up mountains and rivers. If Guilin is defeated, Cao Cao can use the momentum of victory to send troops to Yizhou to deal with Liu Zhang and Zhang Lu. After pacifying the south, Yuan Xi in the north will not be a problem. Now that Guilin County has failed, not only Liu Association is opposed, but there are also people within Cao Cao's army who are opposed to Cao Cao launching another large-scale war in a short period of time. Cao Cao wants to unify the country in his lifetime, and it is impossible to stand on his own behalf on behalf of the Han Dynasty. "Cang Shu, my father has thought about this matter for a long time, but at this time, Han Dynasty may cause dissatisfaction in the world. And my father wants to hand over the important responsibility of this matter to you." After hearing what Cao Chong said, Cao Cao did not agree. , but told his plan. After years of fighting, Cao Cao used the slogan of serving the emperor and not obeying the orders, so that many civil and military talents attached themselves to him, strengthened his strength, and became the number one prince in the world, but this has hidden dangers. Cao Cao's subordinates are generally divided into three types of people. One type of people came to see Cao Cao following the emperor's slogans, and Xun Yu is one of the representatives. There is a kind of people who came to see Cao Cao and only listen to Cao Cao's words. Cao's clan and poor generals are the basis of Cao Cao's rule. The last type is the centrists. They don't have many opinions on whether to serve the emperor or Cao Cao. As long as the world is peaceful, the aristocratic family is the representative of the centrists. If Cao Cao wants to completely control the court, he must deal with Feng Tianzi's subordinates, who are different from Liu Xie's subordinates. In terms of staff relations, they are Cao Cao's people, but in terms of loyalties, they are supporters of Liu Xie. This half-Cao and half-Liu relationship is difficult to handle. Cao Cao wants to use the kindness and power of the founding king to deal with these subordinates, and Cao Cao wants to leave the rights of the founding king to Cao Chong. "Father, even if my father does not replace Han with Cao, he can still be king. Since the founding of the Han Dynasty, there has been no king with a different surname for hundreds of years. As long as our Cao family is king, my second brother's life can be saved. As for what happens next, Father, please rest assured and leave it to your child." Cao Chong did not show any surprise at Cao Cao's choice of him as his successor, but he continued to make suggestions for Cao Cao. Cao Chong¡¯s meaning is very clear. After becoming king, the Cao family can use greater power to keep Cao Pi. As for the compensation for Cao Pi, it will be left to Cao Chong after he becomes emperor. "Okay, okay! Cang Shu's performance makes my father very satisfied. In this case, the future foundation of my Cao family will be handed over to Cang Shu." Cao Cao stroked his beard and smiled. Cao Chong's performance made Cao Cao very happy. He is neither impetuous nor arrogant, and he indeed has the appearance of a prince. Cao Cao¡¯s group traveled very quickly back to Xudu from Xiangyang, returning to Xudu in half a month. Yang Biao replaced Liu Xie and greeted Cao Cao's victorious return to Xudu outside the city. "Congratulations to Prime Minister Ping Nan. Sun Quan fled to Nanzhong. The day when our Han Dynasty will be unified is not far away." Yang Biao saw Cao Cao in military uniform and hurriedly came over to salute. "You're welcome, Sir. This is the prime minister's duty, to support the imperial court and revive the Han Dynasty." Cao Cao also bowed his hands in return and said a few words of courtesy. Lu Rui and Cao Chong also followed Cao Cao to meet the officials of the imperial court. "Mr. Cao?" Suddenly there was some commotion in the crowd. Many people discovered that Cao Pi was locked in a prison car and pressed into the city. When Yang Biao saw Cao Pi, he narrowed his eyes and continued chatting with Cao Cao without saying anything. Looking at Cao Pi, who was staring blankly in the prison car, Lu Rui shook his head. A bloody storm was coming again. PS: Thank you for your great support! ! !