Chapter 395 Cao Cao Breaks the Game
People may not be afraid of not having something, but they are definitely afraid of comparison.
If all the Qiao family members in Yanzhou were like Qiao Zhen, even if they were under Qiao Yan's command, they would only be assigned to work in a medical school. These Qiao family members, who could not see the far-reaching meaning behind it, might even rush to Yecheng to express their loyalty at this time to show that they would never be the same as Qiao Yan, the villain who usurped the Han Dynasty.
But when Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting's promotion was in front of them, they really couldn't convince themselves to turn a blind eye to it.
What does the Nine Ministers under the age of twenty mean?
Compared with Qiao Yan, who became the Grand Marshal at the age of 19, most of those who have achieved the positions of the Nine Ministers are not too young.
The only few who did not meet the age limit were either Yuan Ji, the eldest son of the Yuan family of Runan, or Liu Qi, a member of the Han royal family who wanted to win over Liu Biao, or Xianyu Fu, an old subordinate of Liu Yu who followed him to Chang'an.
However, Liu Qi's position as Grand Coachman did not bring him real power, and Xianyu Fu's Weiwei was divided up by Qiao Yan's direct subordinates, which diluted the team he could control. This made Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting, two girls who had both status and real power, appear even more special at this moment.
Not a military general, but a civil official!
There was originally little room for exceptional promotion of civil officials.
How could these guys who didn't even dare to make the slightest risky investment in Liang State have imagined that what Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting did for Qiao Yan was far more than just in the final battle of Xuzhou, and that they also made contributions in the confrontation between the North and the South in Xuzhou and the changes in Yangzhou.
They would not think that when the two sisters were stranded in the army, they were actually risking their lives to gain a future.
They just felt that—
If that year...
When Qiao Yan went to war in Yizhou, those who were in Chang'an City did not have such a relationship with her, nor did the descendants of the Qiao family of Liang State be expelled from Chang'an and Qiao Yan set up a separate family in Bingzhou. Are they the ones who can be among the Nine Ministers today?
Maybe he will not just stop at the position of Nine Ministers.
The rule of the Han Dynasty was that only members of the Liu family could be crowned kings. Qiao Yan founded Dayong but did not issue any decrees to crown her most important subordinates as kings. Does this mean that the treatment of being crowned kings will follow the previous dynasty and only be given to members of the royal family with the same surname?
When the royal family is isolated and weak, it is even more necessary to give such rewards in order to improve their status as soon as possible.
What they missed was probably the opportunity to establish a country as kings and princes.
There is even a possibility.
Qiao Yan ascended the throne without any children. If she had adopted a royal family member as her heir in order to avoid the risks of having a child, the future emperor or his direct relatives might have emerged among them.
Isn't this much better than the situation where only one of them is working in Yecheng, while the rest of them are living a mediocre life in Yanzhou?
This better possibility made the different expressions of everyone in the hall have something similar.
When they looked at the last few people, the resentment in their eyes was as if these people had taken all their wealth for themselves.
The youngest among them couldn't help himself immediately.
When he was in Chang'an, he was once compared by Qiao Yan as a typical example of ignorance and incompetence and was compared with "Yuan Feng". Even though he later learned that Yuan Feng was not someone who climbed up step by step from a poor family to become a close minister to the emperor, but was Tian Feng from Jizhou, he still dared not forget the feeling of humiliation that year.
He would never forget the beating with a cane given to him by the clan leader when he was thrown out of Guanzhong and finally returned to Liang State, which made him lose face within the clan.
It doesn't make sense to use him as a scapegoat for these people's loss of wealth!
"Don't forget what words the Emperor Da Yong of Chang'an used to describe us!" He suddenly spoke to break the silence, but perhaps he would either explode in silence or perish in silence. In his eyes at this moment, there was no respect for someone of the lowest generation in the family, but instead a broken jar attitude, "She said that we are borers born in peaches and plums. Borers!"
"If any of us had supported her in various ways when she was in Bingzhou, and had stayed behind for her when she went to Liangzhou, even if we were mediocre, we would have been considered as the first to follow the dragon. It is not just because I was arrogant and offended her that things have turned out like this today."
"It's easy for you to blame me, but why don't you take a look at this: if someone had ignored the fact that she had separated from her clan and established her own household in the past few years, and stood in front of her when she was targeted by that damn Wang Situ, and supported her when she implemented various policies, even if we were on different sides, we would not be completely disconnected. It's because we are all very scared!"
What are you afraid of?
He was afraid that Qiao Yan’s current wealth and status would be nothing but a passing cloud and would disappear at any time.
She was afraid that when they came close to her again, they would be treated like fallen leaves by the autumn wind. By then, not to mention getting any benefit, she might even lose her life.
What's more, they are afraid that even if they repair their relationship, they will only be the most insignificant existence in the Chang'an court. This is because everyone knows that Qiao Yan is practical and has an attitude of recruiting people based on their talents. When she was just a Grand Marshal, she would never use such means of abusing her power for personal gain to get benefits for them.
"Shut up!" The Qiao clan leader at the top shook his cane, interrupting the young man's voice on the spot, "You are really rebellious. You dare to talk to your elders in this way."
"What am I afraid to say? Anyway, there is no place for me in the extremely wealthy Chang'an, and I can't make a name for myself in Yecheng with my abilities," he sneered, "Everyone here has to take some responsibility for this, so why dare you put the blame on me alone?"
"If you are really capable, you can go to Chang'an now. If you can't persuade His Majesty, you can try to get close to the two officials of the Imperial Clan. If you spend the time saying that I am being presumptuous, half of the people on the Qiao-Han Road will be gone!"
The clan leader actually thought about going to Chang'an, but he was afraid that he would not be able to obtain the benefits he had in hand, but would be judged by Qiao Yan as a person who was eager for quick success and instant benefits. At that time, the relationship between them and the same surname would be completely severed. Hearing what his junior said, he was so angry that he simply swallowed the idea of a roundabout strategy.
If Qiao Yan knew that the Qiao family of Liang State could still engage in a dog-eat-dog drama at this time, he would probably have to refresh his perception of these people.
But in a sense, it was a good thing that these annoying people did not regard themselves as royal family members, but jumped directly in front of her, destroying her excitement about replacing the Han Dynasty and making a big move.
However, if we were to ask why the head of the Qiao family had such self-awareness, it was probably because she eliminated Wang Yun and others before she ascended the throne, and even Liu Yang was no exception.
Since Qiao Yan’s identity as a relative of the Han royal family would not be the reason for him to show mercy to others, what about them?
They were not even like Liu Yu and Liu Xie, members of the Han royal family, who had a history of offering the throne to Qiao Yan. How could they be sure that Qiao Yan would not kill them all in a rage just because they all had the surname Qiao?
They were not sure whether others were afraid of the harm of killing children of aristocratic families, but Qiao Yan had already carried out operations in Liangzhou, Yangzhou and Guanzhong, so how could he have such concerns!
In the nearly twelve years since Qiao Yan obtained the position of Marquis of Leping, they have made too many wrong choices!
Once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back. Instead of hoping that Yu Qiaoyan would suddenly change his mind, it would be better for them to stand on the side of the Yecheng court.
Before his idea had even begun to take shape, he had already received a special visitor.
The visitor was none other than the descendant of the Wang family of Shouzhang.
The other party was quite straightforward. After being welcomed into the study by the Qiao clan leader, the first thing he said was, "I came from Chenliu. Chen Gongtai met with Zhang Mengzhuo and told him that Cao Mengde was very likely to merge Yanzhou and Yuzhou under the rule of Dayong."
Just because the news of Qiao Yan's declaration of emperorship caused a farce in the clan, the Qiao clan leader's face suddenly changed.
But he considered his words and replied, "It is useless for you to tell me this. My Qiao family has lost a governor and a general, and was expelled by that person. How can we have the ability to interfere in the situation in the state? All matters are decided by the governor of Yanzhou."
"If this betrayal really allows the unification of the world to come sooner, it wouldn't be a bad thing for us, right?"
"Don't you think so?" The Wang family member looked at his face and saw that the Qiao family leader looked unhappy and embarrassed. Then he continued, "I came here today to tell you something that shouldn't be spread. Don't you understand my sincerity?"
"If you insist on my saying it, I'll give you a word."
"If Yanzhou and Yuzhou are really going to change hands in this way, the first credit must go to Cao Mengde. May I ask, sir, what is your relationship with Cao Aman?"
The Qiao clan leader choked.
Although he was not like Wang Shi of Shouzhang, because he directly mocked Chen Gong's action of raising food and grass for Cao Cao, and there was a disagreement between him and Cao Cao because of Wang Fen's death, but the letter sent to Yecheng that year still objectively existed. Who knows if Cao Cao would dig up the old account.
Of course, his relationship with Cao Cao was not very good.
"Second sentence, the Emperor of Chang'an has a clear distinction between love and hate. Will you be able to get good things in Chang'an, or will she find an opportunity to suppress you, so that no one in the clan will cause trouble for her?"
This question was equally sharp. If Qiao Yan really intended to reconcile with the clan, there was no need to cut off ties in such a drastic way back then.
It was so then, and it is so now.
With Qiao Lan, Qiao Ting and Qiao Zhen around, she is not alone. The presence or absence of the Qiao family of Yanzhou makes no difference to her.
Rather than having someone try to establish a relationship with you, it is better to nip it in the bud.
Whether they can reach Chang'an is likely to be an unknown.
"First, do you think that the people who will be suppressed by the Emperor of Chang'an are only your Qiao family? If that is the case, why would a man as far-sighted as Chen Gongtai make such a choice?"
Yes, why did Chen Gong do this?
If Cao Cao took the two states and joined Qiao Yan's army, and had an old acquaintance with Qiao Yan in the past, even if he could not be given the title of General of Chariots and Cavalry on top of his existing position as the Governor of Yanzhou like the current court in Yecheng, he would not be treated unfairly.
It would also be a good opportunity to set an example for Yecheng on the treatment Cao Cao received.
It's never too late to surrender to her, that's probably it.
Cao Cao was able to confer official titles and honors on Chen Gong while keeping his life. Chen Gong, as Cao Cao's adviser, had been helping him all the way, so the treatment he received would definitely not be bad.
But he chose to stab Cao Cao in the back at such a critical moment.
The Qiao clan leader judged others by himself and felt that this was not a decisive response made by Chen Gong because he regarded himself as a Han minister.
It was because he could not accept the Great Yong Dynasty brought by Qiao Yan.
"Chen Gongtai and Zhang Mengzhuo said that the upheavals in this world must be done in a more rule-abiding way. Please think about it carefully."
The Wang clan leader bowed to the Qiao clan leader as he spoke, "That's all I have to say. If you are willing to lend a helping hand, perhaps you can establish other merits. Besides, Cao Mengde has been the commander of Yanzhou and Yuzhou for several years, but he is not Qiao Yeshu. Is it true that he cannot be defeated?"
Before the elder, whose heart was already in turmoil, could respond, the Wang family member had already left, leaving only the Qiao family patriarch who was still there.
He understood what Chen Gong meant.
As Qiao Yan rose to power, she showed a cold attitude not only to the clans that were once closely related to her, but also to the noble families that should have been on the same front with her!
Cheng Yu was promoted to the rank of duke, while Zhao Yun and Qin Yu among the Nine Ministers were not from aristocratic families. The continuous popularization of knowledge and the promotion of public opinion were also invisibly eroding the prestige of the aristocratic families.
As she completely ascended to the throne of the emperor, she no longer needed to impose restrictions on the aristocratic families and give up various benefits as she did when she implemented the alcohol restriction order. Instead, with the armed forces concentrated in her hands, the people's hearts formed an unstoppable force, and she had the capital to further suppress them.
The idea of aristocratic families and the emperor ruling the world together had shown to her that it was impossible.
In this way, Yuan Shao's subordinates still have a chance to survive.
"Cao Cao... is he really unbeatable?"
No.
Cao Cao's power in Yanzhou was composed of parts.
Part of it is the power of his clan.
Compared to Qiao Yan, this part of the power is really strong.
During these years, up-and-coming talents represented by Cao Chun have gradually demonstrated their strong talent for leading troops, not to mention the older ones such as Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, and Cao Hong. Cao Cao's son Cao Ang is also not a mediocre person.
One part was the Yanzhou militia that he had accumulated through farming after he recruited Zao Zhi, Man Chong and others.
This group of people is not too small, but unfortunately, because the spring plowing season is approaching, most of them did not appear by his side.
The last part was the followers that Chen Gong had recruited for him.
From the moment Chen Gong decided to betray Cao Cao, this team would most likely no longer obey Cao Cao's orders.
That’s not all.
When Cao Cao took office as the governor of Yanzhou, Zhang Miao's support for him meant that Cao Cao rarely interfered in the affairs of Chenliu in the following years.
As a result, Zhang Miao, Zhang Chao, Zhang Chao's good friend Zang Hong, and Bian Rang, who were also in Chenliu, actually formed a particularly impressive team after enduring the pressure of natural disasters in the past few years.
At this time, Cao Cao was in Chenliu County!
If they placed their chips on the side that competes with Cao Cao at this time, and happened to make some invaluable contributions in this evenly matched confrontation, they would never be treated unfairly when Yanzhou was taken over by Yuan Shao.
Today, there is such a storm in Yanzhou caused by the noble families' resistance to Dayong. Tomorrow, there is no guarantee that the noble families in the nine provinces will join forces to set off a frenzy to restore the Han Dynasty. By then -
This is the opportunity for the Yecheng court to gather strength for a counterattack.
"Father, this is too risky!" After hearing the Qiao clan leader's plan, his son was shocked and quickly responded.
"What's wrong with taking risks?" He replied in a cold voice, "It was because of those cautious calculations that we ended up in this situation where we can't enjoy our wealth and honor today. If we just sit here and wait for the situation to change, will we really have to wait until Cao Cao hands Yanzhou over to Qiao Yan, and then become the target of both Cao Cao and Qiao Yan's reckoning?"
On the contrary, taking risks at this moment can really create a future.
Even if he couldn't, fighting together with these Yanzhou celebrities would also earn him some fame. Even if he had to leave Yanzhou in the future, it would not be a loss at all!
He didn't feel at all that he was hesitating when he should have made a decision, or making random plans when he shouldn't have. He just felt that the frustration he felt from being scolded by his juniors today was finally relieved at this moment!
Well, that's how it should be!
"Believe it or not, when they welcomed me to Yanzhou as the governor of Yanzhou, they said that I was the descendant of a nobleman and a man of heroic talent. Today, when they want to settle accounts with me, they will say that the old villain Cao Song paid money to buy the position of Taiwei in the past, but he didn't stay in office for many days. It is indeed the kind of money-grubbing behavior that only the adopted son of a eunuch can have. I, Cao Cao, am also a piece of shit, which is in stark contrast to the noble character of those scholars. They are enemies with me because they are filled with righteous indignation and can distinguish right from wrong."
Cao Cao shook the wine glass in his hand and looked at Cao Ang opposite him.
At this point he could not help but sneer, and then he heard Cao Ang reply: "Father, there is no need to be so self-deprecating."
But at this moment, Cao Ang wanted to say more than just this. What he wanted to say more was, father...why did you have to choose such an environment to say such words.
It was hard for Cao Ang not to look down at the ground at this moment, because there was a person lying on the ground.
It was none other than Chen Gong.
When Cao Ang received the message from Cao Cao asking him to come and deliver wine and set foot on the place, he saw Chen Gong knocked unconscious on the ground and his father was looking at him with an inexplicable look. At that moment, Cao Ang even suspected that he was hallucinating.
If it wasn't an illusion, how could I see Cao Cao knocking his most trusted strategist to the ground?
But the soldiers guarding a few steps away from the tent seemed to have no idea what was happening inside. When they saw that it was him who brought the wine, they thought that Cao Cao wanted to drink with Chen Gong and let him go.
But what Cao Ang didn't expect was that what he heard from Cao Cao was the news of Chen Gong's rebellion.
Even though Cao Ang had full confidence in his father's ability to deploy troops, he had to admit that if this battle took place in Chenliu, they would really have to face the situation described by Chen Gong - not a single soldier would be able to cross the Chenliu garrison's defense on the boundary between Yanzhou and Sili and successfully complete the plan to reach Luoyang.
It was because my father had never thought that Qiao Yan would ascend the throne before going on this expedition, and he also had too much trust in Zhang Miao, who was like a brother to him.
As a result, the number of Cao Cao's direct troops in Chenliu at this moment was far less than that Zhang Miao and others could dispatch.
This means that if Cao Cao makes any unusual move, or even dispatches troops to his other troops, he will be immediately besieged by Zhang Miao and others.
But even if the situation had reached such a critical point, the hardships Cao Cao had experienced over the years meant that he would not panic at all.
Facing Chen Gong's coercion, he didn't know if it was this momentary conflict that made him make the decision he had hesitated about before. He directly used his skills from his early years of personally participating in battles, picked up a heavy object at hand, and smashed it towards Chen Gong's head, and that was it...
This is what Cao Ang saw when he arrived.
Then Cao Cao talked about the past of the Cao family.
"I'm not belittling myself. I'm analyzing the root cause of the conflict," Cao Cao replied. "The efforts I've made in Yanzhou over the past few years have helped the local people remember who I am, but they probably aren't enough to stop those guys from bringing up old scores."
He paused, drank the wine in the glass in front of him, and then said: "But they are too arrogant!"
This famous scholar from Chenliu was so arrogant and conceited that he relied on his talent to no limit. The trouble he caused to Cao Cao over the years cannot even be summarized in a few words.
The Yanzhou aristocratic families represented by Shouzhang Wang were not only unworthy of being partners in the conspiracy, but also regarded Cao Cao as a scourge.
Now it’s Chen Gong again.
Chen Gongtai!
Cao Cao sighed in his heart, but what he said seemed to be a follow-up to the accusation of being too arrogant, and there was still a hint of lightness in his tone.
"Look, Chen Gongtai's arrogance has set a wrong example for us. If you want to scheme against someone, first you must keep it a secret and not let anyone find out. Second, if you want to show up in front of someone, you must agree on a signal of breaking a cup."
Otherwise it would just be like this now.
Because he took action later than Cao Cao, he had time to think about how to escape from Chenliu County.
However, it is far from enough to just inform Cao Ang of the news so that he can have an idea when mobilizing the defenders in the current camp.
It’s really not enough!
If it weren't for the huge gap in strength between the enemy and us in the territory of Chenliu County, Chen Gong would not have been so sure of subduing him.
Cao Cao's thoughts raced, and suddenly he had an idea. "Zi Xiu, do you have the courage to fight with me?"
Cao Ang replied: "Father was in such a mood that he first joked with me about whether it was necessary to break the cup as a signal. He taught me a lesson with his calmness in the face of difficulties, which is beyond the reach of ordinary people. Why shouldn't I dare to fight for my life with my father?"
The double betrayal of Zhang Miao and Chen Gong could not have left no ripples in Cao Cao's heart.
But his performance at this moment made people see only a vast ocean of blue waves, and it is still unclear what his hidden cards are.
The slight panic that Cao Ang felt in his heart was temporarily suppressed in the face of such performance.
"Well, you are worthy of being my son, Cao Cao!" Cao Cao stood up, patted Cao Ang on the shoulder, and whispered in his ear, "You don't have to worry about anything from now on. If Chen Gongtai is found here not drunk but knocked unconscious, you must immediately take him away and guard this camp for me. If anyone interferes with your actions, kill him immediately!"
"I want you to at least hold this camp for a day, and never let Zhang Mengzhuo's men break through. With Zilian's help, this shouldn't be difficult, right?"
Cao Ang estimated the distance between his own camp and Zhang Miao's troops in his mind and replied, "Not difficult!"
"Remember your promise. I will definitely bring troops from East County to help you within a few days."
After leaving those words, Cao Cao grabbed the wine jug on the table, took another sip, and walked out of the curtain without hesitation.
To be precise, before he appeared in front of everyone in the camp, he slapped himself on the face a few times and looked like he was drunk.
But Cao Ang, who witnessed Cao Cao's actions with his own eyes, knew very well that Cao Cao was more sober than ever at this time!
"All of you stop here!" Cao Cao stretched out his hand and pointed his finger at the surroundings, and said to the soldiers who were looking at him at the moment, "You! Go and take my horse! I must go find Zhang Mengzhuo to confront him here. What right does he have to sow discord between me and Gongtai?"
"What are you standing there for? Go!"
Because of Cao Cao's protection of the meeting place, no one present heard the previous conversation in the tent. They just thought that Chen Gong had accidentally let something slip and used Zhang Miao's excuse to deal with it.
Being drunk always makes people lose their minds easily, so Cao Cao immediately decided to go find Zhang Miao for a confrontation, which didn't seem to be an impossible situation.
"What should we do now?" One of Chen Gong's subordinates asked his colleague in a low voice.
Another person shook his head. "There doesn't seem to be anything to report, right? Just have a few people follow him. What's the difference between him going to Governor Zhang's territory and walking into a trap?"
If any dispute really broke out at this time, Cao Cao would probably never be able to come back.
It would be a good development if Zhang Miao came directly to take over this place at that time.
However, when Cao Cao arrived at Zhang Miao's tent, being drunk had become his best protection.
Without Zhang Miao's clear orders, no one could stop the Yanzhou governor, but allowed him to dismount and rush into Zhang Miao's tent.
Then he said, "You can doubt anyone but me!"
Before Cao Cao could finish his words, he grabbed Zhang Miao's hand and led him out.
Zhang Miao was not a resolute person to begin with. The moment he was dragged out of the tent by Cao Cao, he couldn't help but think of his friendship with Cao Cao in their early years.
This memory made him forget for a moment. Chen Gong had reminded him when he was looking for him that since the decision had been made, he would rather kill the wrong person than let him go, and not leave room for regret.
"Wait, Meng De, where are you taking me?"
Cao Cao's loud voice made people suspect that he was still drunk. "Let's go to Yecheng to see the emperor! My Cao family doesn't have much, but we have a lot of money. I will buy a public position and see who still doubts my loyalty to the Han Dynasty!"
"Go! Take your people and follow me!"
Buy public funds to prove your innocence?
Cao Cao's words really left Zhang Miao with a lot of questions.
Faced with such an absurd reason, how could Zhang Miao still remember——
To go from Chenliu to Jizhou, one must pass through Dongjun, which Cao Cao had managed for seven years!
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