Choose Liu Bei at the start, I am the only one who knows the plot of the Three Kingdoms.

Chapter 404: Treating Dian Wei, Xu Chu, and Hua Tuo’s disciples!

If Cao Cao, who was far away in Xudu, knew about what Sun Jian did, he would probably be so angry that he would give Sun Jian a bowl of rice on the spot to let him taste what it tasted like.

Originally Cao Cao had absolute confidence. With the help of the monks, even if he could not defeat Liu Bei, he should not be too far behind, because the monks were mercenaries. Not only did they enjoy the bonuses from their own characteristics, they also had particularly high basic attributes, almost second only to third-rate generals.

By this calculation, each monk should be almost the same as Liu Bei's subordinates.

This is indeed the fact. Compared with the monks, the combat power of the ordinary soldiers under Gu Rubing is almost the same. Only the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun, the Qinglong Swordsmen, and the Bai Li Soldiers can crush the monks. However, the reality once again shattered Cao Cao's fantasy.

The warrior monks can indeed compete with Liu Bei's men, but not all of his men are warrior monks. There are only 120,000 warrior monks in total, and the rest are no match for Liu Bei's men.

If it weren't for the 220,000 troops Cao Cao borrowed from the Western Regions, he would have been defeated long ago. The reason why Cao Zhen, Cao Xiu and Xu Huang can still be in a stalemate with the subordinates commanded by Zhuge Liang and no one can win is largely because he has more troops.

But now, first Dian Wei was seriously injured, and the northern defense line of Nanyang County in Jingzhou was broken, then Xu Chu was seriously injured, and the southern defense line of Yuzhou was broken, and then Zhang Liao led 800 cavalry to break out of the siege alone, and the defense line at the junction of Xuzhou and Yangzhou was broken. So far, only Cao Zhen is left to resist stubbornly.

Cao Cao had also sent an order to Cao Zhen to withdraw his troops. There was no doubt that he had suffered the greatest losses in this war, but gained the smallest. Liu Zhang had not yet taken over half of Nanjun, which had been agreed upon, and the Jiangxia County that was to be divided had not yet been taken either. This made Cao Cao somewhat lost.

In addition, Dian Wei and Xu Chu were both seriously injured and dying. Cao Cao would never allow such a thing to happen again to other generals under his command, otherwise he would really be faced with a situation where no one was available.

The joy of Xu Chu and Xiahou Dun being promoted to famous generals was diluted by the news that Dian Wei and Xu Chu were seriously injured. However, the only thing that made Cao Cao feel gratified was that Xiahou Yuan was finally promoted to a famous general. Now Cao Cao had five famous generals under his command, and the number of famous generals was no less than that of Gu Rubing, or even more.

It's just that it's still a long way for Cao Cao's subordinates to be promoted to legendary generals. In this regard, Guan Yu crushes all the generals. In fact, if Lu Bu had come to rely on Gu Rubing and Gu Rubing had not refused, then the first legendary general should have been Lu Bu. You know, Lu Bu's starting level was a famous general. Under Gu Rubing, he would probably have been promoted to a legendary general long ago.

This is also the reason why Ding Yuan was the first one who was called a good hand of cards but played it badly by netizens. After all, he had such a peerless and powerful general, but in the end not only did he fail to achieve anything, he was even beheaded by this peerless and powerful general himself, and became his token of surrender to Dong Zhuo. It is no wonder that netizens scolded Ding Yuan for being incompetent and thought that he played a good hand of cards badly. After all, compared with Gu Rubing, this kind of start is simply heaven and hell.

Cao Cao had already suffered heavy losses, so he had no time to think about what to do with Sun Jian and the others after he withdrew his troops. Now Cao Cao's mind was full of how to preserve his own manpower and how to cure Dian Wei and Xu Chu.

Although Cao Cao now has five famous generals under his command, the only ones who can really fight with Zhang Fei and his men for several rounds are Dian Wei and Xu Chu. Both of them are real famous generals with strong military power, but they are slightly inferior in leading troops. It is precisely because of this that even though their bonuses in various aspects are not as good as those of Gu Rubing's men, they can still compete with a peerless general like Zhang Fei.

"Prime Minister, General Dian and General Xu's injuries are too serious. Please forgive me for my incompetence."

An old doctor called from the Imperial Hospital by Cao Cao knelt on the ground tremblingly and said in a trembling voice, "Everyone knows that Dian Wei and Xu Chu are both Cao Cao's favorite generals. If you are assigned to treat their injuries, if you succeed, you will be rewarded with gold, silver, jewelry, promotion and title. But if you fail, losing your head is the best. If not, your entire clan will be executed."

"Ah! Trash! A bunch of trash! Go find me someone else. If you can't cure them, you'll all die!"

Cao Cao sat on the edge of the bed and roared loudly, then looked coldly at the old doctor kneeling in front of him. He was the number one doctor in the Imperial Medical Bureau, and even Liu Xie would ask him to treat him when he had a headache or fever. This highly respected old doctor was now kneeling at Cao Cao's feet, trembling, waiting for Cao Cao's decision.

After a while, all the doctors in the Imperial Medical Bureau were called over. All the doctors gathered together, but facing the injuries of Dian Wei and Xu Chu, they had no way to treat them. They could only line up and kneel in front of Cao Cao.

"Prime Minister, please forgive me. The injuries of the two generals have spread all over their internal organs. Our internal organs are damaged. We are really helpless."

"You're trash, worse than trash. Why do you still stay in your Imperial Hospital? Take them away and kill them all!"

Cao Cao did not yell in anger anymore, but just waved at Xu Huang beside him, signaling Xu Huang to drag him down and behead him. At this critical moment, the number one physician of the Imperial Medical Bureau, the old physician who was already in his octogenarian, suddenly spoke.

"Prime Minister, I have thought of a way to save the two generals."

"Hmm? Tell me, what's the solution?"

Cao Cao stood up, walked quickly to the old doctor and helped him up. The old doctor seemed a little terrified when he saw Cao Cao's sudden 180-degree turn in attitude. He knew that Cao Cao changed his attitude towards him because he said he had a way to cure Dian Wei and the other two. If he failed to cure them, then his entire clan would be killed.

"When I was traveling in Pei State, I once studied medicine under a man named Hua Tuo. Although he was young, his medical skills were superb. Even if he was decades ago, my current medical skills cannot compare to his."

"I know, but Hua Tuo has already joined Liu Bei's army. Can you make him join my army just because of your master-disciple relationship?"

Cao Cao asked with some doubt. He was not worried whether Hua Tuo could cure the two people. After all, Hua Tuo's name as a miracle doctor had already spread throughout the world. What Cao Cao was worried about was whether this old doctor could rely on the meager relationship between master and apprentice to invite Hua Tuo. Even if he could not join his army, as long as he could come, it would be fine. Once he came, whether he could leave or not was not something he could decide.

After hearing what Cao Cao said, the old doctor quickly shook his head.

"Your Excellency has misunderstood. I am not talking about inviting the great doctor Hua Tuo, but one of Hua Tuo's disciples. He was the one who taught me many medical skills. I believe that after so many years, his medical skills should be even more advanced. It should be no problem for him to cure the two generals."

"Where is that person?"

"Right now, I am in a medicine shop in Xudu City."

"What's your name?"

"My last name is Wu and my first name is Pu."

"Okay, as long as he can cure Dian Wei and Zhong Kang, I will forgive you and spare your lives."

Cao Cao waved his sleeves, signaling the imperial doctors to leave, and spoke to Xu Huang beside him.

"Gong Ming, go and bring the Wu Pu he mentioned to the palace. There must be no mistake."

"I will obey your orders!"

Xu Huang immediately turned around and left without delaying for even a second. He picked up the old doctor and walked out of the house. They had already walked out of the house when they heard Cao Cao's voice from behind.

"Go back quickly!"

Hearing this, Xu Huang immediately quickened his pace, put the old doctor on the horse, then jumped on the horse, completely ignoring the guards at the palace gate, and rushed out of the palace gate.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Xu Huang returned with someone and the old doctor. Cao Cao was now waiting anxiously at the door of the house. When he saw Xu Huang come in, he hurried forward.

"Are you Wu Pu, the disciple of Hua Tuo?" "I dare not. I have only studied medicine with my teacher for a few years. I cannot be called a disciple."

The visitor was a middle-aged man with ordinary looks, the kind of ordinary person that could not be found in a crowd. He did not have any restrained temperament, and did not look like a miracle doctor at all. Looking at the way Cao Cao looked at him, Wu Pu was not at all nervous.

"I heard that the Prime Minister asked me to come to the palace to help treat two injured people. Can I see the injured first?"

Cao Cao then realized that his behavior was inappropriate and nodded immediately.

"Excuse me sir, this way please."

Cao Cao led Wu Pu into the house. After seeing the two people lying on the hospital beds, Wu Pu, whose expression had always been calm, showed a hint of surprise.

"How could he be injured so badly?"

As Wu Pu spoke, he walked forward and took Dian Wei's pulse. After a long time, Wu Pu put down Dian Wei's arm, turned around and walked to Xu Chu, and took Xu Chu's pulse again. After another period of time, Wu Pu stood up.

"Fortunately, there is still hope."

"Sir, do you really mean what you say?"

Cao Cao stood up excitedly, his words full of joy.

"Really? But to treat the internal injuries of the two people, we still need a main medicine."

"What's the main ingredient?"

"The Nine-Leaf Snow Lotus from Tianshan Mountain in the Western Regions. Eight leaves are also fine. Only two leaves are enough."

"Okay, no problem, I'll send someone to the Western Regions to get it now!"

Cao Cao agreed immediately. After all, he happened to have contacts with the Western Regions, so it would not be difficult for him to find a Tianshan Snow Lotus. Wu Pu shook his head.

"No, it's too late. I'm afraid they can't hold on for that long."

Wu Pu frowned, and at this moment, a weak voice sounded beside him.

"Heavenly Mountain Snow Lotus? Is it this kind?"

Xiahou Dun walked into the inner room and brought out a pot of something that looked like a lotus. It was completely snow-white and spotless.

"Let me see."

Wu Pu said this, walked up to Xiahou Dun and observed him carefully.

"Yes, it is this kind, and it is a mature nine-leaf snow lotus, the most effective kind."

Without the consent of the two, Wu Pu directly plucked two leaves from the snow lotus and put them into Dian Wei and Xu Chu's mouths respectively, and asked them to hold them. After doing this, Wu Pu turned around and drove Cao Cao, Xiahou Dun and others out of the house, leaving only the imperial doctors in the house.

Outside the house, Cao Cao looked at Xiahou Dun with some confusion and asked.

"Is this the particularly beautiful flower you told me about?"

This was a while ago. When Xiahou Dun came back from the Western Regions, he brought a lot of things to Cao Cao, but Cao Cao was too lazy to look at them. After all, with Xiahou Dun's aesthetic taste, he couldn't bring anything good. And with Cao Cao's needs, he had no other needs except a wife, so one of them gave and the other received without thinking. Tianshan Snow Lotus was one of them.

It was picked on Mount Nalantuo by the tomb-raider who was brought to the Western Regions by Xiahou Dun. As to whether it was wild or picked by the tomb-raider himself in the herb garden in the Western Regions, there is no way of knowing.

At that time, the tomb raider gave it to Xiahou Dun, but Xiahou Dun had never been interested in these things. After he came back, he gave it to Cao Cao, but Cao Cao was still not interested. So this priceless Nine-Leaf Tianshan Snow Lotus was placed in Cao Cao's room for several months, and Cao Cao didn't even notice that there was such a thing in his room.

"Well, I didn't know this thing was medicine. When the kid gave it to me, he said it was a good thing. I thought it was for nourishing the body."

After saying that, Xiahou Dun looked at Cao Cao with a guilty conscience. The meaning of his words just now was self-evident. He gave it to Cao Cao to replenish his body. Cao Cao was in very good health, except for one aspect that was relatively weak, which was his kidneys. Xiahou Dun gave him this, so the purpose was naturally very clear.

"Then why don't you let me see?"

Cao Cao was so angry that he laughed. Xiahou Dun also chuckled and said something that made Cao Cao's eyes turn black.

"If I had told you earlier, you might not have it now."

Ignoring Xiahou Dun, Cao Cao sat on the steps in front of the house and waited for four whole hours, from noon to night. The lights in the house had already been lit, and the food beside Cao Cao got hot and cold, and after repeating this for more than ten times, the door was finally opened.

Wu Pu walked out of the house, and his calm face finally revealed a second expression besides surprise, a hint of joy.

"Prime Minister, I have accomplished my mission. The internal injuries of the two generals are no longer serious, but they still need to be recuperated. They must not go to the battlefield again in the short term."

After hearing this, Cao Cao finally felt relieved. Dian Wei and Xu Chu were not only extremely powerful, but also loyal to him. If he lost these two powerful generals at the same time, Cao Cao's strength might decline a lot, especially since no one would be able to compete with Zhang Fei and the others.

As for Guan Yu? Cao Cao felt a little apprehensive when he thought of the man standing in the middle of the scene. He was sure that if Guan Yu wanted to kill him, not only Dian Wei, but also Xiahou Dun, all the other soldiers and generals would not be able to stop him.

Cao Cao soon figured out why he didn't take action. He probably wanted to repay Guan Yu for his previous kindness to him and cut off all ties with him. This time Guan Yu let him go, but the next time they met, Guan Yu probably wouldn't remember their old friendship and let him go.

Thinking of this, Cao Cao no longer had any desire to love talents. To love talents means to love talents on the premise that the other party does not pose a threat to oneself. If the other party can kill him at will, then what is the point of loving talents?

(End of this chapter)