Yuan Shao, the father of Fanghua in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 808 People’s hearts are floating

After Cao Ying learned of Yuan Xi's movements, the counselors, under the auspices of Xun Yu, discussed strategies to deal with the fierce tiger's attack on Qingzhou.

As for such important events concerning the future of Cao's camp, Cao Cao should have been present in person, but Cao Cao was in a bad mood recently, and he often had headaches, so many things that he used to do personally were handed over to his subordinates.

Some officials privately discussed that Cao Cao had not fully recovered from the blow of the Battle of Nanyang. The main reason for this was Cao Ang's death.

Cao Ang's death had a great impact, not only on Cao Cao, but also on everyone in Cao's camp.

Normally, everyone is quite worried about Cao Cao's headache. If the disease occurs at a critical period, it may affect major decisions and even cause people's hearts to wander.

But if there is a steady and proper person like Cao Ang in charge of the overall situation, Cao Ying can maintain normal operations. Cao Ying officials generally believe that although Cao Ang is not as good as Cao Cao, he already has considerable prestige. , it is still possible for Cao Ying as a whole to exert 70% to 80% of its strength.

But Cao Ang's death made all this come to nothing. Privately, many officials were panicked and even lost confidence in Cao Ying. It is said that there are people who are not optimistic about Cao's prospects and secretly collude with other forces.

Cheng Yu, who was responsible for the spy, began to search for clues and made a list. However, when it was handed over to Cao Cao, Cao Cao just told Cheng Yu to keep quiet and suppressed the matter.

After Cheng Yu came back, he was confused, wondering when did Cao Cao become so soft-hearted?

Could it be that the torture of illness or the blow of Cao Ang's death caused Cao Cao's mentality to change?

Cheng Yu was also very sad about Cao Ang's death. After all, Cao Cao was not in good health and had extremely stubborn headaches. Yuan Shao, who was at the same time as him, also died. Who knows when Cao Cao, who was ten years younger than Yuan Shao, died. ?

If Cao Cao, like Yuan Shao, died during a critical battle, Cheng Yu could figure out what would happen to Cao's camp without using his brain. When he thought about it, he felt chills running down his spine.

Even people like Cheng Yu who were extremely loyal to Cao Cao were shaken, not to mention others. This was exactly the effect Yuan Xi wanted. After discussing with Guo Jia and others, he believed that it might take quite some time for Cao Cao to calm down. The hearts of the people in the camp fluctuate, and even if troops can be dispatched, the morale of the troops will be unstable, which will affect the combat effectiveness to a considerable extent.

That's why Yuan Xicai wanted to use troops at this time, and in a big way, leaving the difficult choice to Cao Cao. After all, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity would be difficult to encounter again in the future.

As for Cao Ang, he was injured and unconscious at the time. He was seriously injured and was captured by Yuan Xi's soldiers. After Yuan Xi learned about it, he thought about it again and again and finally decided to save Cao Ang's life.

He could have chopped off Cao Ang's head on the spot, but Yuan Xi always had a hunch that Cao Ang might be useful to him in the future, so Yuan Xi found someone to treat him and secretly send him to Youzhou.

Of course, Yuan Xi was not a kind person, and he did not plan to raise Cao Ang well in Jicheng, so as not to be noticed by others, so Cao Ang was escorted by a group of soldiers from Yuan Xi's army to Xu Wushan to reclaim wasteland.

The advantage of this is that compared to Jicheng, the barren mountains and mountains can block news better, and it is more difficult to escape.

And if he escapes, there must be someone who sympathizes with Cao Ang's identity. Most of Yuan Xi's soldiers came from places like Qingxu, which were massacred by Cao Cao. Cao Ang would only hide his identity to save his life. How could he dare to say that he was Cao Cao's son?

Along with Cao Ang, there was Jia Xu, whose nose and half of his teeth were broken by Zhuge Liang's serious punch.

In a sense, Jia Xu suffered this kind of injury at this age, which was more serious than Cao Ang. Not only did it become difficult for him to eat, but the broken nasal bones that were pulled out after being broken did not grow well, and the severe pain caused by the broken stubble was The pain tortured his nerves all the time, causing him to toss and turn all night long, moaning in a low voice.

Jia Xu even had an illusion that the wailing in his throat did not seem to be his own voice, but a mixture of the voices of many dead people. This tortured him like a reminder, making Jia Xu wonder if the ghosts of those who were killed by him were looking for him. Are you here to collect debts yourself?

What makes Jia Xu even more sad is the fierce tiger's attitude towards him.

As a counselor, I have a certain reputation, but why does the other party look at me with such disgust? Doesn't the other party know that I have the ability to help him win the world?

Thinking that Yuan Xi had kicked him into this barbaric and barren place, but he was so respectful to Zhuge Liang who knocked him over with a punch, and even worshiped him as a military advisor, Jia Xu became even more angry.

Why, with his brute force, could he hold himself hostage?

This kind of random approach without any strategy can be considered a counselor or a strategist?

Sooner or later, I'll trap you, this vicious tiger, to death!

Jia Xu is full of confidence. Conquering the world requires not only strength, but also ruthless strategy. Sooner or later, the fierce tiger will find that the impulsive and unruly young man is an embroidered pillow, and will come to ask him to come out!

He only needs to wait a year and a half, no, maybe a few months, before the fierce tiger realizes that Zhuge Liang is useless!

No, better hurry up, because this place is too tough!

Jia Xu was going crazy. They said that it was difficult to reclaim wasteland in Youzhou. He had seen it firsthand, especially the barren mountains and ridges where he didn't know where they were. It was simply too scary!

He didn't know where he was taken to in Youzhou, but the area around this place was deserted and full of swamps and dense forests, and he couldn't find a way to escape.

Even if someone really showed him the way, Jia Xu would not dare to run. Without food and water, he was afraid that he would become a corpse in the wild within two days.

But the environment here is appalling, not to mention poisonous snakes and beasts everywhere. Now in the summer, mosquitoes, rats and ants have begun to breed. There are leeches, scorpions and bedbugs everywhere. Jia Xu woke up one morning and lifted the quilt. He found that he was staring at two leeches that were thicker than his big toes on his stomach. He slapped them down with his palm, splattering Jia Xu with blood.

There were several epidemics during the period, and many people fell ill. Jia Xu was unlucky and got sick once. After being force-fed a belly of herbs, he walked around the gate of hell and came back, but he was left with There is a deep shadow, even in Liangzhou, life is never so sad!

Life was so difficult, not to mention food. Every day was coarse grains and vegetables, mixed with game that the soldiers brought back. The soldiers ate with gusto, but they were used to the upper-class scholar-bureaucrats who were not tired of the food. Jia Xu, who is not tired of fine food, found it difficult to swallow.

Especially those game meats that have a very strong smell of blood. Are they for human consumption? It simply tastes like a mixture of feces and soil!

Jia Xu covered his stomach with one hand and carried a recently dead rabbit in the other. He limped toward a thatched cottage in the distance. When the soldiers saw him along the way, they did not stop him, because these prisoners of labor education were among the prisoners. Contact between them is not prohibited, as long as they do not stray outside the confines of the camp.

What's more, it's not easy to escape from a swampy place like this.

Jia Xu knocked on the broken door made of several wooden boards, and a plain voice came from inside, "Please come in."

After hearing this, Jia Xu opened the door and went in. Inside, Cao Ang was sitting on a pile of straw reading a book. When he saw it was Jia Xu, he sat up and said, "It turns out to be Mr. Wen He. Why are you in the mood to come here today?"

The two had known each other for a long time when they were in Wancheng, but they didn't exchange a few words at that time. Now that they were sent to Youzhou together, they gradually became familiar with each other. Jia Xu raised the rabbit in his hand and said, "The soldiers brought it. I couldn't eat it, so I gave it to the young master."

When Cao Ang saw it, he laughed and said, "Is Mr. Wenhe too lazy to take action?"

He carried the bloodstained rabbit out of the house, washed the fur in the creek behind the house, then took out a sheathed knife from his boot, and with a few skillful cuts, peeled off the skin of the rabbit.

Cao Ang cut open the belly of the rabbit with another knife, took out the internal organs, and then cut off its limbs.

Jia Xu stood at the door, looking around for no one, and then said: "Looking at the young master's appearance, no one would guess that he is Cao Mengde's son."

Cao Ang didn't even raise his head, "What should my father's son look like?"

"Cold and ruthless, killing people without batting an eyelid, or will they kill you every time you go to the city?"

Jia Xu sighed, "Looking at your tone, it seems that you don't agree with many of Cao Gong's actions."

"I am just the opposite. I believe that only a figure like Duke Cao can truly bring peace to the world."

Cao Ang thought to himself that you feel sympathy for each other, maybe you are the same kind of person as your father, right?

No, it was not good for him to slander his father like this. Cao Ang couldn't help but look sad when he thought that he might never see Cao Cao again in this life.

No matter what my father did, he was still my father.

Jia Xu carefully observed Cao Ang's mood and said, "Master, you don't want to stay here for the rest of your life, do you?"

Cao Ang put away the knife, threw the rabbit carcass into the pot, washed the blood on his hands in the stream, then stood up with the pot and said, "At least now I think it's pretty good here."

"Sir, can't you stay any longer?"

Jia Xu's eyes flashed, "With such talent as a young master, it would be a pity to stay here for the rest of his life."

"Young Master will regret it sooner or later."

"Now that we know this, it's better to make plans now."

Hearing this, Cao Ang said: "According to what you see, sir, what are your plans?"

Jia Xu said with confidence: "This is not easy. As long as the young master writes to Xiu Hu and says he is willing to be used by him, with Xiu Hu's character, he will definitely use the young master."

"When the time comes, the young master will become the link between Xiu Hu and Cao Ying. The two parties will eventually turn their hostility into friendship, and maybe they will eventually rule the world together."

Cao Ang laughed and said, "Do you believe this, sir?"

"To be honest, sir, I am very satisfied with the current situation."

"The burden on my shoulders was too heavy and I was already too tired. And even without me, I believe that my father can find a suitable successor."

"And if the news that I am in the hands of a vicious tiger spreads, my father may be restrained. I don't want to change my current situation due to emotion and reason."

"The one who really wants to escape is the gentleman who can't stand the current situation, right?"

After hearing this, Jia Xu turned around and left angrily, "That's all, I'm just being sentimental. When the young master can figure it out, just come to me."

Cao Ang held the pot and said, "I'm ready to cook. Why don't you eat together, sir?"

Jia Xu waved his hand, "Forget it, if you can't get used to it, I'll use it for myself."

Cao Ang looked at Jia Xu's leaving figure and thought that the other person seemed indifferent to fame and wealth, but in fact he just wanted to live in seclusion in the city. He didn't want to endure hardship, but also wanted to enjoy food, wine, and live a prosperous life. How could such a good thing happen?

Now that the other party still wants to use me to achieve their goals, I have no reason for the other party to use him.

The current situation is the best for myself and my father, but I am really sorry for my mother and sister.

Thinking of this, a trace of guilt appeared on Cao Ang's face.

(End of this chapter)