The most poisonous person in the Three Kingdoms, Boss Cao advised me to calm down!

As soon as Cao Zhangfu got off his horse, he called out, "Third brother!"

"Why do you have to bother to welcome me back?"

Although they met again after a long separation, their vigilance against each other did not weaken in the slightest.

Cao Pi also went forward with a forced smile.

He took the hand of the hero in his prime and replied:
"You have brought a lot of honor to our family."

"Although I was unable to directly assist, it is only natural to celebrate in this way."

At this time, he deliberately avoided picking up people according to the order.

Then all the ministers came forward to pay their respects and congratulate him.

As the two brothers walked side by side into the city, they were warmly welcomed by the people along the way.

Although the atmosphere at the moment is harmonious, everyone has their own thoughts.

"Since Third Brother knows that I have won a great victory this time."

"Next, you should support me in eliminating Sun and Liu!"

Faced with such a provocative question.

Even though I know that the other person has always been flamboyant and arrogant.

Cao Pi remained calm and gave a meaningful answer.

"My fourth brother intends to go on an expedition to pacify Shu, but that doesn't matter to me."

"But be careful not to be arrogant in front of your father, so as not to anger him!"

After hearing this, Cao Zhang thought about it for a moment and then expressed his agreement.

He also mentioned what would happen if he didn't have the support of his eldest brother.

It may not even be his turn to achieve success this time.

This move seems submissive but actually contains hidden meanings.

As the conversation ended, the two came to the interior of the palace.

Meet the old father who has been waiting for a long time.

Although Cao Cao still looked tired at this time, he could not hide the relief on his face.

Seeing his son kneeling at his feet, he couldn't help but stepped forward to hold his cheek and sighed:
"I never thought that my Huang Xuer would be so successful today!"

Cao Zhang then began to describe in detail the many details and impacts of this battle.

And special emphasis is placed on the key role of a leader.

At the same time, he did not forget to remind everyone not to forget the efforts and contributions made by other soldiers.

Afterwards, Cao Zhang knelt down and humbly declined all credit.

I attribute all my victories to the power of heaven and the foundation laid by my father over decades.

There was deep respect in his words.

This scene shocked everyone, especially Cao Pi.

It turns out that this guy who usually looks so reckless is...

How could he possess such extraordinary political wisdom?
This immediately made Cao Pi realize it.

In Game of Thrones, the real antagonist.

It’s never the one that looks the most conspicuous on the surface!
Cao Cao's life's glory was all concentrated on the battlefield.

Hearing his son's words at this time, he was so excited that he couldn't control himself.

Eyes sparkling like stars:

"Since you were young, you have set your ambition to become a great general on the battlefield."

"Now you have not only fulfilled your wish."

"He also proved his talent with his extraordinary courage and strategy."

"Today, your father appoints you as the General of Cavalry."

"From now on, you will personally lead the troops that accompany you on this expedition."

"From now on, all battles in the Northern Frontier will be decided by you."

However, in this glorious moment.

Cao Pi's face next to him gradually turned pale.

The uneasiness in my heart is like the surging river, becoming more and more turbulent.

He never thought that his father would let his younger brother Cao Zhang take control of the military power.

This is a unique precedent among you brothers.

At this moment, the rank of General of Cavalry symbolizes strength and power.

It seemed to make Cao Zhang's figure more upright and firm.

But for me, it is like a sword hanging over my head.

It may fall at any time!

How should this situation be resolved?

This sudden sense of crisis made him tremble all over.

I was thinking about countermeasures in my mind, fearing that one wrong move would lead to total failure.

Subsequently, news came that Cao Zhang was officially appointed General of Cavalry.

It was like a gust of wind sweeping across the entire Yecheng.

Everyone in the government and the public, on the streets and alleys, was talking about the great victory of the Northern Expedition.

Amid the discussions among the people, undercurrents began to surge inside and outside the palace.

Early the next morning, when the first ray of sunlight just penetrated the mist and illuminated Yecheng.

An unnoticed piece of gossip spread quickly.

The King of Wei decided to hold a grand banquet to honor Yanling Marquis Cao Zhang and let him lead the army to the west to attack Liu Bei.

The news was like a stone dropped into a pond.

It caused quite a stir among the crowd.

Before night fell, thousands of houses in Yecheng were already lit up.

A long queue formed outside the palace.

They were all people invited to attend the celebration and ordinary people who were curious and watching.

At this moment, Cao Pi was pacing back and forth in his room, with a lot on his mind.

If my father really wants to entrust the Western Expedition to my third brother...

Wouldn't he be even more arrogant in the future?

And it was even more hopeless for him to inherit the great cause of Cao Wei.

Just as his thoughts were in a mess, there was a knock on the door.

The person who came was his trusted confidant Sima Yi.

The knock on the door broke the silence in the room and Cao Pi stopped.

There was a hint of helplessness in his voice: "Come in."

The door was pushed open and Sima Yi walked in respectfully.

He lowered his head, his eyes stayed on Cao Pi for a moment, then lowered his head again.

His face was full of solemnity: "Sir, the situation is not good."

Cao Pi waved his hand to signal him to come closer, and said with a hint of urgency:

"Why are you so panicked?"

Sima Yi sighed and said:
"Sir, have you heard that the King of Wei is going to hold a banquet to celebrate Cao Zhang's success?"

"And you plan to let him lead the army to the west to attack Liu Bei?"

Cao Pi's expression changed slightly, and his brows furrowed:
"I've heard some of the things that have happened, and it does worry me."

"Now that my father dotes on him, and if he accomplishes this great feat, how should I deal with it in the future?"

Sima Yi nodded and said in a deep voice:
"That's right. Although Marquis Yanling is brave, he lacks strategy after all."

"If we let him lead the army to the west this time, once he returns victorious, his prestige will be even greater."

"And the lord, as the eldest son of the King of Wei, has never been confirmed as the crown prince."

"This will be extremely detrimental to the Lord's stable succession to the cause."

Cao Pi became even more anxious after hearing this. He clenched his fists and said firmly:
"In this case, we need a countermeasure."

Sima Yi's eyes flashed with a gleam of light, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly:

"My Lord, in my humble opinion, we can start from two aspects."

"On the one hand, we can take this opportunity to weaken the military power of Marquis Yanling."

"On the other hand, we are looking for more support in the DPRK."

"To prevent him from secretly communicating with the enemy or having second thoughts during his western expedition."

"Well, be more specific." Cao Pi motioned Sima Yi to continue.

Sima Yi cleared his throat and said slowly:
"First, we can find a time to inform the King of Wei."

"It is emphasized that the northern border has just been stabilized. If the army is called upon to march west again."

"It might trigger a counterattack from the barbarians outside the Great Wall, and then the gains would outweigh the losses."

"Secondly, we can select a few trusted generals."

"Let them serve as Cao Zhang's deputy generals and monitor his whereabouts and intentions at all times."

After hearing this, Cao Pi pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement:

"That's a good plan. Go and do it immediately."

At this moment, a guard rushed in:

"Sir, the King of Wei has sent someone to summon you to the palace, and they have already arrived outside the palace gate."

Cao Pi nodded slightly, turned around, picked up a neat dress and put it on.

Before leaving the room, he whispered to Sima Yi:

"Be sure to carefully observe every movement at the banquet tonight, and report any unusual phenomena to me immediately!"

"Yes!" Sima Yi bowed and accepted the order, then watched Cao Pi walk out of the room.

In this tense situation, Cao Pi knew he needed to act cautiously.

Even though his heart was filled with anxiety and a sense of crisis.

But he also realized that this was a critical moment that would test his wisdom and decisiveness.

So, late one night shortly after Cao Zhang was appointed General of Cavalry.

Cao Pi came to his father Cao Cao's bedroom alone, hoping to get some hints.

Cao Cao looked at his son in front of him, his eyes showing a hint of relief but also sternness.

He said to Cao Pi: "Do you know why I chose Zhang'er to lead the army?"

"Father, I know that my second brother did achieve outstanding results in this battle, but I..."

Cao Pi expressed his concerns with some hesitation.

Cao Cao interrupted him and said slowly:

"Your worries are not without reason."

"But you have to remember that in this land, the most important thing is people's hearts, not authority."

"Only those who win the hearts of the people can last long." (End of this chapter)