I, Liu Bian, the hero

Chapter 37 Cao Cao
On the seventh day of May, more than ten days after You Zhonglang led Zhu Jun to Hanyang County, Cao Cao, the prefect of Dongjun, came to Luoyang in response to the edict, accompanied by several clan brothers of the same age, namely Xiahoudun, Xiahouyuan, Cao Ren, Cao Hong Several people.

Among them, Cao Ren and Cao Hong are brothers of the same clan of Cao Cao, while Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan can be called Cao Cao's cousins. Considering that the Cao family had a good relationship with the Xiahou family in their hometown of Peiguoqiao County, and there were many intermarriages, it is said that Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan are Cao Cao's cousin is not an exaggeration.

Among these close brothers, Xiahou Dun is the oldest, not much different from Cao Cao, and he followed Cao Cao the earliest. As early as a few years ago when Cao Cao conquered the Yellow Turban Bandits, Xiahou Dun had already served as a general by Cao Cao's side. The latter has powerful generals under his command.

Later, Cao Cao served as the prefect of Dongjun, and Xiahou Dun followed him as the captain of Dongjun.

As for Xia Houyuan, Cao Ren, Cao Hong and others, they went to Cao Cao later. Among them, Cao Hong was the youngest, still 17 years old.

Except for Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun who had been to Luoyang in the early years, Xiahouyuan, Cao Ren, and Cao Hong felt a little restrained when they saw the prosperous Luoyang for the first time.

Even Cao Ren couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "I didn't expect the capital to be so prosperous. It would be great if I could live here."

Cao Cao laughed and said, "Zixiao only sees the prosperity, but he doesn't know what's behind it."

Cao Ren, Xia Houyuan, and Cao Hong looked at each other, none of them knew what Cao Cao was mocking, but only Xiahou Dun knew it. After all, he had heard Cao Cao mention what happened when he was the northern captain of Luoyang.

"All right."

He clapped his hands and said, "Don't ask if you shouldn't ask, let's go see uncle first."

The uncle in his mouth refers to Cao Cao's father, Cao Song.

Speaking of Cao Song, Cao Hong couldn't help but asked Cao Cao again: "Clan brother, Shi Bo, did he really spend [-] million to buy the position of the third prince? Isn't that the highest official position?"

"It's just a fake job."

When Cao Cao thought of this, he became furious and replied angrily.

A while ago, he was serving as the prefect of Dongjun, and suddenly he received a letter from his father, Cao Song. Only then did he learn that his father spent [-] million to buy the post of Taiwei.

In the eyes of Cao Ren, Xia Houyuan, Cao Hong and other younger generations who had never been out of Qiao County before, the Taiwei was one of the three princes and the highest official position in the Han Dynasty.

But how could Cao Cao not know that the Sangong is just a false job with the blame?

Especially the Taiwei, as long as there is a rebellion in the world, the Taiwei will bear the brunt of the blame and be dismissed. Considering that the world has not been peaceful in the past few years since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, even if you want to buy the position of Sangong, you should buy Situ and Sikong. .

Cao Cao also couldn't figure out what his father Cao Song was thinking. He even said in the letter, "I am the fourth and third son of the Cao family, and I have been a father since I was a father." He didn't want to reply to the letter.

What's wrong with [-] million dollars?
In all fairness, Cao Cao also understood that his father bought the Taiwei to improve and enhance the reputation of his Cao family, so that when others mention him, the Cao family will think of Cao Song's adoptive father, Cao Cao's grandfather, and Cao Teng, who used to serve him often—although his Patriarch Cao Teng was a clean and upright eunuch, and was even named Marquis of Fei Ting by Emperor Huan, and his relationship with scholars was not bad. , even Cao Teng, Cao Song, and Cao Cao inevitably received some exclusion and contempt.

Those who secretly discriminated against Cao Song and Cao Cao, especially the children in their 30s and [-]s, how could they know the difference between Cao Teng and Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong and others?I only know that they are all eunuchs, and they are all Zhongchang servants, so I'm afraid they will be confused.

Although Cao Cao was indignant, he was powerless to change this situation. He could only cut off the connection with the eunuchs in the palace and try to get closer to the scholars.

In the past, he served as Luoyang North Captain, and killed the uncle of Xiaohuangmen Jian Shuo with a stick. This may not have shown his heart to the camp of the court sergeants, but unfortunately the effect was not very good. In the end, his father Cao Song spent money to bribe the ten permanent servants to settle the matter. In other words, apart from Ming Sheng secretly being transferred to Dunqiu Ling, the only gain is that he offended the little Huang family, Jian Shuo, and no one in the imperial court protected him.

Since then, Cao Cao has lost his enthusiasm for joining the scholar's camp, thinking what to do, at worst, he will return to Qiao County to live idle.

Until ten years ago, when He Jin was appointed as a foreign relative to pay homage to the general, the matter gradually turned for the better.

At first, He Jin was also excluded by the scholars of the court, but as He Jin showed his affection for the scholars, the scholars of the court gathered around He Jin one after another, wanting to use He Jin's power to fight against the eunuchs, among them was Cao Cao's close friend Yuan Shao, as well as He Yong, who was once optimistic about him and said that "the Han family is about to perish, and the world must be this person", was serving as Yuan Shao's staff at that time, and He Jin's staff at the same time.

Recommended by Yuan Shao, Cao Cao also became a member of General He Jin's camp, but his status has not been high, and he even suffered some discrimination because his ancestor Cao Teng was an eunuch. People around Cao Cao wondered whether Yuan Shao feared that Cao Cao would surpass him , so he spoke ill of Cao Cao in front of General He Jin, but was reprimanded by Cao Cao because there was no evidence.

All in all, the relationship between Cao Cao and the great general He Jin was based on the foundation of Yuan Shao and He Yu.

After a while, Cao Cao found his father Cao Song's mansion with a group of brothers.

Cao Song's mansion in Luoyang consisted of only him, his concubine and a group of servants. After Cao Cao entered the mansion and declared his identity, he immediately ordered the servants in the mansion to prepare food and wine for him and Xiahou Dun to satisfy their hunger.

Taiwei Cao Song did not return to the mansion until around sunset.

Seeing this, Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun got up and saluted one after another.

After saluting, Cao Cao took advantage of his drink and teased, "I heard that father is not doing well recently?"

"What?" Cao Song was a little puzzled.

Seeing this, Cao Cao said with a smile: "I heard about it when I entered the city. After my father spent [-] million yuan to buy the position of Taiwei, middle officials in the palace, such as Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong, also spent money to buy the post of Marquis. The court officials blamed their father for this."

Hearing this, Cao Song's expression darkened immediately.

Thinking about it carefully, he was really depressed. It was obviously a brilliant move, but unexpectedly it almost self-defeating.

Taking a look at his son who was deliberately making fun of him, Cao Song sneered and said, "So what if the scholars in the imperial court crowd out my father, I don't need them now!"

"what?"

Cao Cao was taken aback when he heard this, and after thinking for a moment, he asked in surprise, "Father has a relationship with He Miao? I heard that He Miao is not easy to get along with, and he has never had a good face towards people."

"Think again." Cao Song raised his eyebrows triumphantly: "Guess up!"

"Up?" Cao Cao's expression became more serious, frowning and guessing: "It can't be His Majesty, right?"

Cao Song rolled his eyes at his son, and said angrily, "Your Majesty naturally praised his father for being loyal to the monarchy and the country, and even gave him a calligraphy, but it was not His Majesty who said it for his father. Guess, aren't you clever since childhood?"

The cunning Cao Cao was really caught by the question. He frowned and said, "Not Your Majesty, but above Henan Yin He Miao, General He Jin? No... Empress He? Not right... Empress Dowager Dong?"

"You think your father's eyesight is dim, and you can't see that Mrs. He has overshadowed Mrs. Dong? How could I go to seek refuge with Queen Mother Dong?" Cao Song said angrily, "Go on... No, the one who is temporarily serving Queen Mother Dong under."

"Temporary?" Cao Cao frowned, he really couldn't guess, spread his hands and said: "My child admits defeat, father will just say it straight."

Seeing this, Cao Song proudly said, "Marquis Shi!"

"Who? Marquis Shi?" Cao Cao was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly came to his senses, and said with a strange expression, "The son of Empress He? That young little prince?"

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Cao Song was startled, stopped drinking quickly, looked around, and saw that there were no other people around except Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, and Cao Ren, so he lowered his voice and said, "You are not in Luoyang, so you don't know what happened recently, nor what happened there. A Shihou is smart, don't talk nonsense, you know!"

As he said, he sat down at the wine table and told Cao Cao everything since Liu Bian entered the palace. Cao Cao was quite surprised when he heard it, and asked in disbelief, "Father means, is that Shi Hou divorced?" Appointed ten permanent attendants, and subdued Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, and Guo Sheng for your own use?"

Cao Song nodded and said: "Although there is no clear evidence, the regular servants in the palace and the little Huangmen are silent about it, but think about it, Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, Sun Zhang and others were originally united and colluding with each other, why did they suddenly Turning against each other? Why did it happen after Shihou returned to the palace?"

Cao Cao thought for a moment, and felt that this matter was a bit strange.

He suddenly smiled and said: "It seems that he is a smart and cunning young master, which is a bit interesting....Did father make friends with that Shi Houpan?"

"Humph."

Cao Song snorted softly and said very proudly: "Shihou sent his servants to see my father, praised my father for being loyal to the monarch and the country, knew how to share the country's worries, and hinted that my father will walk with him more in the future. Isn't this to marry me? For foreign aid?"

Cao Cao laughed and said, "He has a great general and Henan Yin as foreign aid, so how can he need father, a titular captain, as foreign aid?"

Cao Song blew his beard and stared angrily.

He is angry, but he doesn't know what that Shihou is interested in him. After all, his Cao family is far inferior to the Yuan family of the fourth generation and three princes. Moreover, as the son in front of him said, that Shihou not only has Empress He, General He Jin, Henan Yin He Miao support, and now there are more Lu Zhi, Zhu Jun, Huang Fusong, Zhang Wen, which one of these people is not better than him?
"Could it be that Shihou took a fancy to my money?" Cao Song suddenly panicked, not because he was afraid that Shihou would be eyeing his money, but because after paying [-] million yuan, his savings over the years were gone. How much is left, he is afraid that Shi Hou will change his attitude after learning the truth.

"It seems that we have to find a way to raise some more money." He muttered to himself.

Looking at his father who was muttering something there, Cao Cao also became a little curious about the ten-year-old Shihou in the palace, stroked his beard and said suddenly: "Father, since Shihou took the initiative to solicit, you might as well take me there See you. My son also wants to see if that Shi Hou is really smart, or is there someone behind him to guide him."

"This……"

Cao Song hesitated and said, "This is to ask Marquis Shi for instructions first."

The next day, Cao Song took advantage of the opportunity of entering the palace to go to the Taiwei Office, and went to Jiafang Hall in person to ask to see Liu Bian.

When Liu Bian invited him into the hall with a pleasant face, and asked why, Cao Song said cautiously: "My son Mengde, who used to be the prefect of Dongjun, arrived in Luoyang yesterday because the imperial court recruited him to suppress thieves. I talked to him. The matter of Shihou, my son was greatly amazed, I hope I can ask Shihou to see him."

Has Cao Mengde arrived in Luoyang?
Hearing Cao Song's words, Liu Bian was pleasantly surprised, no less than Lu Zhi told him that Liu Bei and the other three had arrived in Luoyang.

Suppressing surprise, he said with a smile: "I have heard the name of Cao Mengde for a long time, but it's a pity that I don't have the chance to meet him."

Cao Song was overjoyed and busy with Liu Bian to make an appointment, and agreed to come to see him at Sishi.

Seeing Cao Song's happy appearance when he left in a hurry, Liu Bian was also excited.

After Liu Bei, he is finally about to meet another current hero.

(End of this chapter)