Han family achievements

Chapter 564 Showing off one’s edge
Heaven Prison.

Cao Hong was wearing prison clothes, with dishevelled hair, untidy beard and an indifferent expression, sitting on a bed made of haystacks.

The jailer carried the food box, put it inside, and said impatiently, "Eat quickly, and go to sleep after you finish eating."

Cao Hong got out of bed, walked over, sat inside the cell door, opened the food box, and began to eat voraciously.

The jailer looked down at him and asked in confusion, "Logically speaking, you are the General of the Central Army and the Grand Marshal's man, so why doesn't anyone visit you?"

Cao Hong took a sip of wine and said without raising his head: "Don't worry, whether I live or die, you won't lose a penny of the ten thousand coins."

The jailer snorted and said, "I have spent thousands of dollars during this period of time. If you die, who can I ask for the money?"

Cao Hong's face flashed with anger, and he continued eating. He said vaguely: "I, Cao Hong, never make mistakes when I speak!"

The jailer stepped forward, kicked over the food box, and shouted angrily, "I want it now! If you don't give it to me, I will let you starve to death in the cell!"

Cao Hong was furious. He stood up suddenly, grabbed the jailer by the collar and punched him.

The jailer was prepared. He chopped with the knife in his hand and kicked at the same time.

Cao Hong was caught off guard. He was hit on the shoulder by a knife and kicked in the abdomen. He took several steps back and fell to the ground.

He looked at the bloody mess on his shoulder, glared at the jailer outside the cell door, and shouted angrily: "How dare you, a mere jailer, hurt me!?"

"Pooh!"

The jailer straightened his clothes and angrily yelled, "Who do you think you are? I'm telling you, ten thousand coins, not a penny less. If I don't get it today, I have ten thousand ways to make you wish you were dead!"

Cao Hong had a gloomy face. He pressed his shoulders and stood up. He was so angry that his eyes were about to pop out blood.

If this had happened in the past, such a jailer wouldn't even be qualified to appear in front of him!

He never thought that once he was in trouble, such a bastard could decide his life and death.

"saliva!"

The jailer spit again, thrust the knife back, and warned with a stern face: "To tell you the truth, I have a brother in the Criminal Department. If you dare not pay, I will make your family live in peace for the rest of their lives!"

"How dare you!" Cao Hong was furious. He rushed forward and growled with gritted teeth, "I told you that I will give you ten thousand coins, not a penny less. Don't mess around!"

This

The jailer suddenly drew out his knife again, put it on Cao Hong's neck, and said, "I thought you could be released and fed with good food and wine! But you are so different. No one has come to see you for so many days, and you haven't even been bribed with a penny! I think you are a short-lived ghost. I will go to your house tonight to prevent you from taking all the valuables and running away!"

Cao Hong grabbed his hand, his eyes ferocious, and said in a deep voice: "I said I would give it to you!"

The jailer no longer believed him, so he kicked him and said, "You're going to die!"

"Etc., etc!"

Cao Hong was anxious, and was really afraid that the jailer would bring people to "raid the house", but as soon as he stood up, his voice stopped abruptly.

The jailer thought he was scared, and spat again, cursing: "Useless dog, even the Grand Marshal didn't save you. I was so wishful thinking that I still hoped you could get out and make a future with you. Damn it, I'll let you know what kind of torture instruments are there in the Heavenly Prison..."

Before he finished speaking, his teeth chattered, the fierce look on his face turned stiff, and he tried to force a smile, but it came out so forcefully that his expression became extremely strange.

"What are the torture instruments in the Heavenly Prison?" Cao Cao, who was dressed in casual clothes and had a full beard, asked with cold eyes.

The jailer said with trembling lips: "Great Sima..."

Cao Cao said calmly, "Gongsun."

Gongsun Qian, the doctor of the Criminal Department behind him, said, "Come here, take him away!"

"Yes." The soldiers from the Ministry of Justice stepped forward and dragged the jailer out.

The jailer turned pale and said in a hurry: "Grand Marshal, Grand Marshal, I have treated Cao Hong well and spent thousands of dollars on him. Please spare my life, Grand Marshal..."

Gongsun Qian bowed and said, "Grand Marshal, everything has been arranged in the prison, so you don't have to worry about anyone disturbing you."

Cao Cao said nothing and walked towards Cao Hong.

Gongsun Qian said nothing more and quietly retreated.

Cao Hong saw Cao Cao coming and looked uneasy. He said anxiously, "Grand Marshal, you shouldn't have come. They will definitely catch you..."

"Not afraid."

Cao Cao smiled slightly, his face confident and calm. He looked at Cao Hong's appearance, especially the knife wound on his shoulder that was bleeding profusely, and said, "I'll take you out."

Cao Hong opened his eyes wide, and then said happily: "It's settled?"

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "I, Cao Cao, have been an official for more than 20 years, fighting in many battles. Now, can I not even protect you?"

Cao Hong heard what was going on, his eyes widened, his face horrified, he hurriedly grabbed the prison door and said, "No, no! Grand Marshal, listen to me, I am just a dead man, you must not offend the government and the public for me. I have already inquired before I went to prison, this time the emperor will not protect the Grand Marshal, if the emperor does not care, those people in the court and the public will not let you go!"

Cao Cao waited patiently for him to finish, and then said, "After you get out, stay in my house and take good care of your wounds. Don't go anywhere until your wounds are healed."

Cao Hong felt even more uneasy, and said impatiently: "No, Grand Marshal! This is a trap. They want to use me to harm you. You must not be fooled..."

Cao Cao didn't wait for him to finish, looked to a distance and said, "Open the door."

Gongsun Qian came forward in small steps, took out the key, opened the prison door, looked at Cao Hong inside, and whispered to Cao Cao: "Grand Marshal, is this really safe?"

Cao Cao said, "The position of governor of Dongjun is vacant. I have already informed Minister Wang."

Gongsun Qian was overjoyed and raised his hand and said, "Thank you, Sima!"

Cao Hong walked out of the prison, but his face was full of anxiety.

He was not just a military commander, he also controlled Cao Cao's military intelligence and knew much more than others. Cao Cao took him away from the prison so blatantly, which was simply a blow to the court and the face of the Yingchuan Party!
The government and the public originally wanted to use him to deal with Cao Cao, and Cao Cao fell into this trap. I'm afraid those people in the government and the public will be delighted while he is being trained.

Cao Cao did not explain anything, and strode out of the Heavenly Prison with Cao Hong.

Cao Hong knew that this was not the right time to talk, so he followed behind Cao Cao, thinking about what Cao Cao was going to do and how to get out of this situation. In a series of reforms after Liu Bian took the throne, the Tianlao had been separated from the various court agencies and was directly under the Shangshutai, and was not affiliated with the three judicial departments.

Cao Cao brought Cao Hong out of the prison in broad daylight, and it didn't take long for the news to spread to every corner of Luoyang City.

Xu You, who was worrying about Cao Cao so much that his hair was falling out, sat in his seat in a daze for a long time after hearing the news.

There were two assistant ministers standing in front of him. Seeing the expression of their Shangshu, they looked at each other and did not dare to say a word without permission.

Cao Cao is the Grand Marshal, the Grand Marshal with outstanding military achievements, the Grand Marshal with outstanding military achievements who is trusted by His Majesty the Emperor!

Even the 'Yingchuan Party' cannot openly target Da Sima!
Not to mention, their family’s Minister of Justice was isolated by the court.

It took Xu You a long while to come back to his senses. He stroked his beard with a strange look on his face and asked, "What do you think Cao Cao is going to do?"

The left assistant minister waited for a long time, and immediately responded: "Shangshu, no matter what the Grand Marshal wants to do, it is not the previous order from the Shangshutai to the Shangshu, so naturally it does not exist."

Xu You shook his head and said, "The Shangshutai's matter is not important. What I want to ask you is, what is Cao Cao planning?"

The Right Assistant Minister was a little confused and said, "Shangshu, whatever the Grand Marshal is planning is his business with the Shangshutai. Can't we just stay out of it?"

Xu You was very dissatisfied with the two's answers. He stroked his triangle beard and sneered, "You don't know Cao Cao. In the past, I traveled the world with him, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu and others. This man is the most cunning, sinister and cruel, bold and cautious. He must have prepared enough backup plans for this. If we are not careful, he may trap us."

The left and right assistant ministers were shocked. The left assistant minister said, "The minister is saying that the Grand Marshal is going to fight back?"

In the past many years, it was the government and the "Yingchuan Party" that attacked Cao Cao, and Cao Cao did not even have a defense, let alone a counterattack.

Xu You was unsure, but very uneasy, and asked, "When will His Majesty return to the capital?"

The Right Assistant Minister said: "The imperial carriage should still be in Yingchuan. Once it passes Huanyuan Pass, it will be there soon."

Xu You frowned and said to himself, "Two or three days at most. Is this a good idea, Cao Cao?"

The left and right assistant ministers no longer dared to respond. This level was no longer something they could handle. They couldn't figure out what the big shots were up to and couldn't even get back the conversation.

Xu You thought about it for a long time, but he was still uneasy. He said, "Find something to do and go out to hide."

The left assistant minister was startled and said, "Shangshu, I'm afraid it's too late now. The order from the Shangshutai has just been issued."

Xu You became even more uneasy after hearing this, and said, "Then wait and see what happens. You guys keep an eye on it. If anyone comes to ask, just say I'm suddenly ill and won't see anyone."

The left and right assistant ministers looked at each other, and all four of them had confusion in their eyes.

Is the matter really that serious? Is it so serious that their Shangshu has to claim to be sick? There have been so many major events before, but I have never seen their Shangshu act like this.

The offices of the three judicial departments were not together with those of the six ministries. After receiving the news, Wang Lang, the Minister of Personnel, did not go to the palace first, but went to the military department not far away.

"Huangfu Shangshu,"

After sitting down, Wang Lang looked gloomy and stared at Huangfu Jianshou and said, "I just want to ask you, are you in control of the military power now? Can Cao Cao mobilize the three camps outside the city? Also, is there any problem with the Yulin Army?"

Huangfu Jianshou naturally knew about it. He shook his head and said with a wry smile, "Minister Wang, don't ask me about this just because you have something to ask. How can I answer you all of a sudden?"

Wang Lang remained calm and said in a deeper voice, "I'm just asking you, can I do it or not?!"

Huangfu Jianshou didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said, "Minister Wang, I really can't answer you. I can only say that the Yulin Army is under the control of the Bingcao, and as for the three major camps, they are directly under the command of Your Majesty."

Wang Lang suddenly opened his eyes and asked, "Where is the military token!?"

Huangfu Jianshou looked thoughtful, and after a moment, he said: "This is not a secret. I have half of the East Camp in my hands, and half of the North Camp is in the hands of the Grand Marshal. The West Camp is in the hands of the Palace Master..."

Wang Lang didn't quite understand what he said, and was anxious to stand up, saying, "Are you saying that Cao Cao can already mobilize the troops in the Beidaying?"

Huangfu Jianshou was somewhat puzzled by Wang Lang's reaction and said, "It's only half. The other half is naturally in your Majesty's hands. Minister Wang, even if the Grand Marshal took Cao Hong out of the prison, he would not be so far from being a rebel."

Wang Lang came back to his senses, slowly sat back down, and gradually calmed down. He looked at Huangfu Jianshou and said, "Minister Huangfu, don't you understand? Cao Cao is no longer prepared to tolerate the 'Yingchuan Party'. If the two sides meet in battle, blood will definitely be shed in Luoyang. What will happen is hard for you and me to predict."

Huangfu Jianshou remained calm and composed, smiled and shook his head, saying: "Minister Wang, you have filtered it. The Grand Marshal is not someone who does not distinguish between the important and the unimportant, and the officials in the Secretariat have always understood the overall situation. Besides, there is also Your Majesty, Minister Wang, please do not rush to filter it."

Wang Lang let out a long breath pretending to be relaxed, and said, "I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, Huangfu. I was just scared by what happened before."

Huangfu Jianshou smiled and said, "I understand."

Wang Lang picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, and then asked: "Huangfu, what do you think the Grand Marshal is going to do? The Cao Hong case did not involve him at first, but his move is like adding fuel to the fire. Not only has he been dragged into it, but he has also aroused anger from the court and the public. Your Majesty cannot risk the world's disapproval and protect him... He is destroying himself by doing this..."

Huangfu Jianshou smiled and said, "Minister Wang, this is about the Grand Marshal, so you should think more about the good side."

"Right, right, right." Wang Lang seemed to suddenly remember something and said with a smile, "What Minister Huangfu said is right. I was too anxious and confused. I will go to the Shangshu Office now. No matter what, we must calm down the anger of both sides. We must not tear each other apart and do anything that will damage the reputation of the court."

Seeing him stand up, Huangfu Jianshou naturally wanted to see him off.

The two men exchanged a few polite words in front of the door, and Huangfu Jianshou watched Wang Lang's hurried back.

At this time, Cheng Yu appeared behind Huangfu Jianshou and said, "This Minister Wang is really a little anxious."

Huangfu Jianshou nodded and said, "It's not just him."

Wang Lang came in such a hurry, and after a few words, Huangfu Jianshou realized that Wang Lang was not concerned about whether Cao Cao had the military power, but more about wanting to find out the attitude of their "Emperor Party" from him and indirectly observe the palace.

When Cheng Yu saw Wang Lang disappear from the scene, he looked at Huangfu Jianshou and said, "Your Majesty and the Second Young Master have not yet arrived at Huanyuan Pass, and it is uncertain when they will arrive in Beijing. There are too many people like Minister Wang who are adding fuel to the fire, and the situation may be difficult to control."

Huangfu Jianshou was about to speak when he was suddenly startled. He turned to him and asked, "Your Majesty has an order?"

Cheng Yu reacted and bowed quickly, saying, "No, it's just my speculation."

Huangfu Jianshou thought for a moment and said, "No matter what, we have to do it. I will go to the Shangshutai in the palace later. You keep an eye on it. If there is any change, let me know as soon as possible."

"Yes." Cheng Yu responded and looked up in the direction of the palace.

He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he felt that above the Shangshu Terrace, a strong wind was rising, dark clouds were gathering, thunder was looming, and the air was filled with a sense of oppression that surged from the bottom of his heart.

(End of this chapter)