Han family achievements

Chapter 541 Choice
Cao Cao's army has already adopted an offensive posture.

The army was lined up in neat rows, with flags fluttering, and a silent atmosphere of murderous intent permeated the air.

Cao Cao rode on a horse and stood at the front of the army. His eyes were as deep as the abyss, dark and cold as he stared at the Luoyang City not far away.

That Majesty is already dead. Even if he has a backup plan, he can't stop my 50,000-strong army!

Cao Cao was filled with anger and his expression gradually became firm.

The city of Luoyang was his nightmare, a huge shadow looming over his head and a sharp knife pressing on his heart!

Today, he, Cao Cao, wants to break all of this!
Cao Cao's face was as hard as iron, and he subconsciously reached for the wine jug at his waist.

Cao Hong, who was standing beside him, saw this and quickly reached out to hold it down, whispering, "Grand Sima, don't drink at this time."

Cao Cao stared at him intently, took off the wine jug, threw it directly to Cao Hong, and said calmly: "Once we enter Luoyang, I must drink to my heart's content!"

Cao Hong took the wine jug, looked at it deeply, and hung it on his horse without saying a word.

Cao Cao looked at Luoyang City and slowly drew his sword.

Ever since leaving Mengjin, he has been in a state of concentration in Luoyang City. No matter how scared he is, there is no way out now!
Just as Cao Cao was about to draw his sword and give the order, a scout came running over, knelt on one knee in front of Cao Cao, and said urgently: "Report to the Grand Marshal, the commander of the imperial guards has led 5,000 imperial guards out of Luoyang and is heading here."

Cao Cao stopped drawing his sword and stared at the messenger, saying, "You mean Dian Wei, five thousand men?"

Xiahou Yuan shouted even more anxiously: "Have you seen clearly? It's the imperial guards? It's Dian Wei, with 5,000 men?"

The scout shouted, "Yes. It is indeed Dian Wei. Five thousand men have investigated thoroughly. There is no way there will be any mistake."

Cao Cao kept drawing his sword and slowly raised his head.

Dian Wei brought all the imperial guards out of Luoyang and came to meet them?

What does it mean?
Dian Wei only had 5,000 men, and leaving Luoyang City would be tantamount to committing suicide!

Cao Cao was confused, and the generals who followed Cao Cao in his campaigns were also puzzled.

Xun Yu placed the Yulin Army, which had the largest number of troops in Luoyang City, to the west of the city, opened the four gates of Luoyang, and even ordered the last troop, the Imperial Guard, to leave the city.

An act of suicide!

Everyone can see it!

But would Xun Yu commit suicide?
will not!

Even if it is a deliberate attempt to confuse people, there is no way to end up in a dead end.

conspiracy!

These two words appeared in everyone's mind, and then they looked at each other, with confusion written on their faces.

Everyone was silent, without a sound.

When such a big event was about to happen, Xun Yu's display of power made everyone doubtful and they were unable to judge for a while and dared not act on their own.

The momentum that was about to soar into the sky was interrupted and turned into a strange tension and uneasiness.

Xiahou Yuan was right beside Cao Cao, watching him draw his sword and whispered, "Who cares if they are imperial guards or not? Just kill them all the way. It won't affect our plan!"

Cao Cao had a gloomy face and a gloomy heart, and drew his sword again.

"Report!"

A fast horse galloped from south to north, and the messenger landed in front of Cao Cao and said urgently: "Report to the general, the Jizhou rebels have occupied the salt field and asked for help from Minister Huangfu. Minister Huangfu has ordered Zhao Yun to lead 20,000 troops to support them."

The fast horse interrupted Cao Cao's action again. He held his sword and said expressionlessly: "How many people are there in Xiaopingjin?"

"Less than three thousand." said the messenger.

Xiahou Yuan immediately shouted, "Have you investigated it clearly?!"

The messenger raised his head and said, "My team has checked carefully and it is indeed correct."

Cao Cao's face puffed up, he waved his hand, and turned his gaze towards Luoyang City.

Dian Wei led the imperial guards out of the city, and the imperial guards in Xiaopingjin withdrew. Now, there was no force that could stop him from entering Luoyang.

It seemed as if God was helping him!
But everyone understands that one coincidence may be a coincidence, but if many coincidences appear one after another, it must not be a coincidence!
Le Jin could not help but said, "Grand Marshal, no matter what their plots are, we will use the safety of Luoyang City and the protection of the Crown Prince, Queen Mother, and Queen as an excuse to accuse Dian Wei of failing to provide adequate protection. Leave him and the imperial guards here, and then you can lead the army into the city. We have a reason and evidence, and we are not afraid of anyone's words!"

Cao Cao kept moving and asked, "Where is the prince now?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Hong said, "The prince is sleeping."

Cao Cao's expression slightly changed. He turned around and looked at Cao Hong expressionlessly, saying, "Did you see it with your own eyes?"

Cao Hong pointed and said, "Grand Marshal, please look."

Cao Cao followed his gaze and saw that Huang Zhong was a little isolated among the numerous cavalrymen. It was easy to see that Crown Prince Liu Shao was sitting on Huang Zhong's horse and sleeping with his arms around the horse.

Not long ago, he was desperate to return to Luoyang, but now he is sleeping peacefully at the foot of Luoyang city?

Cao Cao took a deep look, but did not see Xun You, so he asked, "Where is Xun Pushe?"

Cao Hong took a half step forward and whispered, "Xun Pushe sent some people out. They seem to be plotting something. I haven't found out yet."

Cao Cao was silent for a moment, then turned around again and looked towards the direction of Luoyang City.

It's only five miles, Dian Wei will arrive soon.

Le Jin, Xiahou Yuan and others were a little anxious. At this point, they could not retreat any longer!

Cao Ang may have seen his father's inner struggle, so he stepped forward and said, "Father, Commander Dian will be here soon. Why not see what he is going to do first?"

"Yes." Cao Cao responded immediately, keeping the sword in his hand half-drawn.

Xiahou Yuan, Le Jin and others looked at each other secretly, feeling even more nervous and uneasy.

At the same time, less than twenty miles behind Cao Cao's army, in a pavilion beside the official road.

Jia Xu was dressed in white, looking quietly towards Luoyang, or in the direction of Cao Cao's army.

A servant stood behind him, not daring to breathe.

Just recently, this 'Mr. in White' instructed him to deliver an open letter and asked him to read the contents of the letter.

The letter was addressed to Le Jin, and its general content was to ask Le Jin to "give way" to Cao Cao when he was hesitant - to lead his troops directly into Luoyang without Cao Cao's order!
This is disobedience!
Moreover, he disobeyed orders and marched into Luoyang!
The consequence of this is not only beheading, but the entire family will be implicated!

"There's something really wrong."

Jia Xu looked towards the direction of Luoyang City, his expression thoughtful and doubtful.

The various behaviors of Luoyang City were too abnormal, and had gone beyond the scope of deliberately setting up confusion, as if they were constantly urging Cao Cao to send troops to Luoyang.

But Luoyang City was already empty, and there were not enough troops around it. Once Cao Cao's troops entered Luoyang, it would be like a dragon climbing a mountain, and there would be no way to stop him.

"Xun Yu, what are you thinking about?"

Jia Xu muttered to himself softly, and at the same time, the thing he had been waiting for did not happen.

That is the Imperial City.

Logically speaking, even if Huangfu Jian was not in Luoyang, the Imperial City would not have been idle. However, Jia Xu had been secretly observing for such a long time and still did not find any action from the Imperial City. If Xun Yu was really afraid of Cao Cao, especially since Cao Cao had already sent troops to Luoyang, the Imperial City should have taken action against Cao Cao long ago.

The Imperial City seemed to have disappeared.

Up to now, nothing has happened to Cao Cao. Everything is peaceful and smooth.

This is unusual!

"What is Mr. Jia thinking about?"

Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind him.

Jia Xu was very familiar with this voice and turned around suddenly.

Turning around, I saw Huangfu Jianshou riding a black brown horse, walking towards me slowly with a group of guards.

Jia Xu, who usually kept a straight face, also changed color at this moment, and a chill surged from the bottom of his heart.

At this moment, he figured out a very crucial thing, which was also the origin of the confusion between him and Cao Cao!
That is, the emperor was assassinated, but why did everything seem to be in order? Even though there were rebellions raging everywhere and the Yulin Army in Luoyang City rebelled, and there seemed to be chaos and disintegration, the things happening inside and outside Luoyang City seemed to be arranged step by step in an orderly manner by a big hand.

There is a clearly visible order in the chaos!
"Your Majesty is not dead."

When Huangfu Jianshou arrived in front of the small pavilion and dismounted, Jia Xu sighed softly and spoke in a faint voice.

Huangfu Jianshou raised his hand calmly and said, "I just found out about it not long ago as well."

Jia Xu did not refute. He turned his head and looked as if he could see Cao Cao's army. He said, "Your Majesty, are you testing Cao Cao?"

Huangfu Jianshou walked into the pavilion, stood shoulder to shoulder with him and looked towards Luoyang, saying: "Your Majesty was indeed assassinated, but he did not die. The Grand Marshal was a loyal and wise minister of the Han Dynasty. He was loyal to Your Majesty, and was unparalleled in the court and the country. Your Majesty also favored the Grand Marshal very much, and had no suspicion of him. Everyone in the world knows this. I really don't know where to start with Mr. Jia's words."

As Huangfu Jianshou was speaking, the imperial guards had already surrounded the pavilion.

Jia Xu seemed unaware of this and sighed from the bottom of his heart: "Your Majesty really played a big game of chess."

Huangfu Jianshou stood beside him, just smiled slightly and said, "Sir, guess whether the Grand Marshal will enter Luoyang?"

Jia Xu thought through everything and naturally knew that his death was imminent. He sighed and said, "He will definitely enter, but he should choose a way to have the best of both worlds. In fact, Cao Cao is very afraid of death and is very suspicious, especially to those close to him."

Huangfu Jianshou looked surprised and said, "It has been rumored that the Grand Marshal is broad-minded, not fussy about small matters, and very friendly to others."

Jia Xu said with a dull expression, "Those who accomplish great things all have multiple faces. Even Your Majesty, on one hand, tirelessly promotes benevolence, but on the other hand, isn't he ruthless and murderous."

Huangfu Jianshou would not comment on Liu Bian, and asked, "What do you mean by 'the best of both worlds'?"

Jia Xu said: "I don't know either, but I will definitely make my moves with reason and will not give my life to the Yingchuan Party."

Huangfu Jianshou seemed to be thinking about something. He couldn't help but fold his hands and sighed softly with a slightly complicated expression.

From his perspective, Cao Cao was indeed an extraordinary general. If he was truly a loyal and upright minister, he would undoubtedly be a blessing from heaven for the Han Dynasty. May God bless the Han Dynasty.

However, if he really led his troops into Luoyang, death would be the only thing waiting for him.

It is such a pity that such a great Sima with great achievements came to an end like this.

Jia Xu glanced and saw that the guards brought by Huangfu Jianshou placed a pot of wine on the stone table and poured a cup.

Just one cup.

Jia Xu's expression became more and more wooden. No matter how calm he was, he was filled with resentment and unwillingness, and a trace of ferocity appeared on his face.

Huangfu Jianshou seemed unaware and said, "Sir, don't you want to say anything?"

Say some last words.

Jia Xu tried to open his eyes a little wider, looked towards Luoyang, and said softly: "My biggest mistake was to follow Dong Zhuo and underestimate His Majesty."

Huangfu Jianshou looked surprised and asked, "Cao Cao?"

I talked about Dong Zhuo and mentioned Your Majesty, but I missed Cao Cao.

Jia Xu's face turned pale, and he said, "Cao Cao is indeed a hero, but whether he can succeed depends on fate. After all, he is the descendant of a eunuch, and he is a loner and intolerant."

Huangfu Jianshou nodded suddenly, but did not comment.

Cao Cao was indeed a descendant of eunuchs. His grandfather was Cao Teng, the third-generation Grand Chamberlain, and his father Cao Song was Cao Teng's adopted son. He was truly a descendant of eunuchs.

As for being "a loner", it was actually Cao Cao's way of survival. Ever since he defeated the Yellow Turban Army, Cao Cao tried his best to be a "lone minister". For this purpose, he did not hesitate to make an enemy of the "Yingchuan Party", the largest force in the court, and put himself in danger.

"Please come in, sir." Huangfu Jianshou said.

Jia Xu knew what he was asking for, so he didn't look at the cup of poisoned wine. He said, "The last question. I have been hiding it very well. No one else knows except Cao Cao. Even your second son shouldn't have found me."

When Huangfu Jianshou heard him mention his second son, Huangfu Jianchang, he couldn't help but smile and said, "I'm just the Minister of War. I don't have the ability to find you. You guessed right, he found you."

Huangfu Jianshou is now very pleased with Huangfu Jianchang.

The former bad boy has finally walked on the right path. How can his 'second father' not be happy?

Jia Xu turned around, picked up the cup of poisoned wine, looked directly at Huangfu Jianshou, and said, "Please ask Minister Huangfu to solve my doubts."

Huangfu Jianshou hesitated for a moment and said, "Do you remember the old housekeeper of the Cao family?"

Jia Xu suddenly realized it, looked down at the full glass of wine which was obviously poisoned, and said, "Second Master is really good at tricks."

Huangfu Jianshou did not explain it clearly, but Jia Xu thought of many possibilities.

Cao Cao told the old housekeeper, or other members of the Cao clan in Mengjin Pass discovered him by chance. It is also possible that the second young master had buried other people around Cao Cao.

In short, he was discovered.

If he was discovered, it would be considered disobeying the emperor's order, and if he continued to rely on Cao Cao, it would be considered as plotting something evil.

There is only one outcome for this crime - death.

Jia Xu's eyes were all on the poisoned wine in his hand. In a short period of time, he thought about a lot of things, and the one he thought about the most was Cao Cao.

What will Cao Cao choose?
Although extremely curious, it has nothing to do with Jia Xu.

He picked up the wine glass, drank it all, then sat down and straightened his clothes.

Even if he dies, he wants to do it cleanly and refreshingly.

Soon, Jia Xu's whole body twitched and shook constantly, and he made a series of muffled groans, but soon there was no movement.

Huangfu Jianshou didn't look back at him, but just waved to the guards.

The imperial guards came in, dragged out the bodies of the guards that Cao Cao had assigned to Jia Xu, and threw them into a pit that had been dug long ago, outside the pavilion, beside the official road.

Huangfu Jianshou looked towards the direction of Luoyang City and whispered to himself, "The eight passes of the Imperial Army Camp have been cleared. Now, only Cao Cao is left."

The vigorous "rectification of officialdom" in the court involved the military and was also aimed at eliminating corruption and maintaining integrity.

The only ones who did not move were Cao Cao and the so-called "50,000 troops" he had gathered.

Cao Cao, it’s time to make a choice, right?

(End of this chapter)