Lu's relatives

Chapter 389 Yuan Shang got the secret, Cao Cao lost his talent

Yuan Shang naturally didn't know that Qin Xu had already set his family's plan.Since returning to the temporary residence at Qin Xu's banquet, the Yuan family's mistress, who had become more reticent because of being dependent on others, became more and more dull.This made the Liu family, who once dominated Jizhou, and no one dared to disobey him, not knowing whether to rejoice that his precious son finally stabilized, or to pity Yuan Shang, who was the most likely to inherit Yuan Shao's family business, in his current situation.

"Shanger, what's the matter with you? Could it be that Qin Zhongming is angry with you? Just bear with it, with your father's treasure hidden in Qingzhou as a gift, Qin Xu and Lu Bu must be at ease with my mother and son. As long as the two gentlemen succeed in their plan, my son will be able to survive." Naturally, Mrs. Liu knew about Tian Fengju's plan to make friends with Qingzhou.Thinking that Yuan Shang could not put face down, and had to hand over Yuan Shao's secret treasures to make people feel angry, he brought a cup of tea soup in front of Yuan Shang, and said in a warm voice.

"Mother, don't worry, I'm fine!" Yuan Shang breathed a sigh of relief, still lowered his head, and said, "This time, Qin Xu is quite sensible, and he didn't offend my son. Moreover, my father ordered someone to hide in Zishan Mountain The military resources and the horses that were scattered and raised in Qingzhou were originally intended to be used to attack Qingzhou. Now that Qingzhou has become a force, even if my father is still alive, it is inconvenient to compete with it. It is really useless for my son. It is better to send Giving it to them, it will be of great use to exchange favors. My son understands the principle of "willing to give up". "

"Since that's the case, why are you so frowning, Shang'er?" After hearing what Yuan Shang said, Mrs. Liu showed a bit of relief on her still beautiful face, but seeing Yuan Shang's still frowning expression, she couldn't help asking with concern .

"Cao Cao!" Yuan Shang took a deep look at his mother Liu Shi, gritted his teeth and said, "At Qin Xu's banquet today, I personally saw that Cao Cao presented a generous gift, which is almost unmatched by anyone. This is enough to show the friendship between Cao Cao and Qin Xu. Moreover, the two prefectures of Qingyan and Yanzhou are allies in the first place, so I am just worried..."

"Shang'er is worried that if Cao Cao wants to take advantage of your father's death and go to Hebei, Lu Qingzhou will ignore my son's secret appeal because of his affection and the focus of the strategy is on Jiangdong?" Hearing Yuan Shangyan and Cao Cao's matter A bit of shame and anger flashed in Liu's eyes, but it was quickly hidden well.Holding Yuan Shang's hand backhand, he said.

"Mother is right. The two gentlemen only said that we must make good friends with Qingzhou. Even if we try our best to help Lu Bu win Jizhou, we must not let Jizhou fall into the hands of others. Looking at the friendship between Cao Cao and Qingzhou, my son is really worried about Lu Bu. I wouldn’t offend Cao Cao just because of such little military resources and horses. If that’s the case, it’s a trivial matter for the son to humbly and humbly ask for help, but it’s really hard to watch his father’s foundation being ruined by Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi’s father-killing thieves. Don't hold back!" Yuan Shang frowned tightly, leaning on Liu Shi's side, as if he had gained great courage, and said bitterly.

"Shang'er! Don't say that about your two elder brothers! They...don't talk nonsense anyway!" Mrs. Liu didn't know what came to mind.When he heard Yuan Shang scolding Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi for killing his father, his face suddenly turned pale, and Yuan Shang's hand tightened a lot, and he ordered in a dignified voice.

"But..." Yuan Shang's expression changed slightly, and he was about to say something, but seeing Liu's unwavering expression, he had no choice but to swallow the words that came to his lips, nodded, agreed, and changed the subject Said: "But what should we do now? Everyone knows that Cao Cao wants to plan for Hebei, but now that Cao Cao can 'rest assured' that Lv Bu used Qin Xu's hand to form an alliance with the Zhen family, he has to guard against Lv Bu and Cao Cao already having an affair. A secret discussion was made. If this is the case, I am afraid that it may be just an extravagant hope for us to find a place to be buried."

"My son's thoughtfulness is enough to prove that your father was very discerning when he wholeheartedly wanted to make you the next head of the Yuan family." Hearing what Yuan Shang said, Liu's face showed a bit of relief. He patted the back of Yuan Shang's hand, and said with a smile: "Mother, I won't hide it from you. Before the two gentlemen made a sincere offer to make friends with Lu Bu. Do you know why there is a saying that Lu Bu would rather let Lu Bu win Jizhou? Can't you let your father's inheritance fall into the hands of others, especially Cao Cao?"

"Don't the two gentlemen mean to take the land of Jizhou and find a place of shelter for my mother and son?" Yuan Shang saw Liu's solemnity, and he was also hesitant to grant Tian Fengju the die-hard loyalty of his father. , will never be ungrateful like Xu You, Feng Ji, Shen Pei, and Qu Yi, but Yuan Shang can't understand whether it is a good-looking strategy or a self-deprecating strategy. The two had no choice but to ask for the safety of their mother and child with wealth, but at this moment, after hearing Liu's words, they seemed to have other feelings, so they couldn't help asking.

"Hmph! Jizhou is the base camp where your father first established his plans for Hebei, and Bingzhou is also the place where my Yuan family's soldiers came out. Your father was born with great talent and good at comforting people, and most of the rich families in these two places are The people who took shelter of my Yuan family back then. Even though your father left in a hurry, there are still many people who are loyal to my Yuan family. Xiansi and Xianyi will separate the two prefectures. , but if other people want to come out of thin air, hum! Just the state affairs of these two states are enough to make them burn out!" A sneer appeared on the corner of Liu's mouth, and a bit of ferocious color flashed on his seductive face, and he said softly.

"Ah?" Yuan Shang had never seen his mother's face like this before, and he was shocked immediately, but then he was taken aback by the meaning of Liu's words, and asked suspiciously: "Then this is a compromise. What's the point of handing over to Lu Bu?"

"I'm confused!" Mrs. Liu also felt that what she just said was indeed a bit too much.Yuan Shang is just a young man of fifteen or sixteen years old, even if he encountered a catastrophe, under the protection of himself and Yuan's old officials, he didn't suffer much, how could he understand the danger.It’s just that the words have come to this point, Liu simply broke the words and said: “Jizhou and Bingzhou are rich in things and people, and they are close to the great river. In terms of state governance, both are really fertile lands, which will inevitably attract the covetousness of the surrounding forces. Your father had already considered this matter before he was alive, and he used means to build the two states like iron barrels. It would be fine if the Yuan family died As long as there is only one person left, with the means left by your father, it will be enough to cause chaos in the two states without incident, and let those thieves who covet my son's foundation see what it means that the two states cannot be pacified without the Yuan family. "

"Then what does this have to do with Lu Bu winning Jizhou for nothing?" Yuan Shang asked in a daze.

"My son still doesn't understand? With your father's plan, if Cao Cao and the traitor Gongsun win Jizhou and Bingzhou, it will be a way to kill himself. In the same way, if Lu Bu wins Jizhou, it will be the same. However, The only difference between Lu Bu is that there is still Shang Er who can use it." Liu said with a sneer: "This time I have tried my best and exhausted all means to make Lu Bu lose his guard against Shang Er. After one or two years, just wait Jizhou is in chaos, thinking that Lu Bu has nothing to do, he will definitely want to use Shang'er's identity to determine Jizhou, and with the assistance of the two gentlemen and talents, it will be the time for my son to repeat the glory of the Yuan family!"

"Is this the mother's idea or the two gentlemen's idea?" After listening to Liu's words, Yuan Shang vaguely understood what his mother meant.The reason why Yuan Shao was able to stabilize Jizhou and plan to merge the prefecture in just half a year was that apart from his own reputation as the fourth generation and the third prince, he seemed to have used other disgraceful means to gain the support of the noble families of the two prefectures.Now these "handles" must have fallen into the hands of my mother, Tian Feng and Ju Shou.And the plan of these three people is to borrow the land of Hebei from Lu Bu now, and then imitate the method of supporting the bandits and self-respect, forcing Lu Bu to hand over the land of Hebei to the Yuan family.In this way, although the land of Hebei has changed hands in name, it is actually still under the influence of the Yuan family.If it was Yuan Shang before, he might think this was an excellent solution, but now, he doesn't know where the doubts arise from, and Yuan Shang always feels that this matter is a bit unreliable.

"Of course it's the plan of the two gentlemen!" Mrs. Liu cast a reproachful glance at her precious son, then she seemed to have remembered something, and said with a serious face: "The two gentlemen are both great talents in the world, with the ability to pass the heavens and the earth. And now that I think about it, if your father hadn't been deceived by Xu You, Feng Ji and others, but had listened to the harsh words of the two gentlemen, he would have unified Hebei and looked down on the Central Plains long ago. My son can imitate your father's kindness The ability to seek people's hearts, you must not learn the behavior of the suspicious and confidant counselor, but remember!"

"No! Mother, don't worry! My son understands! From now on, I will definitely regard the words of the two gentlemen as the golden rule! And no matter how much wronged I suffer in this Qingzhou, for the sake of my revival of the Yuan family, there will never be any more complaints!" Seeing Liu's solemnity, Yuan Shang quickly expressed his heart with a pious expression.Seeing Liu Shi nodded repeatedly.It's just that only Yuan Shang knows what Yuan Shang thinks in his heart.

But no matter what Yuan Shang thinks about it.I'm afraid it's the Yuan family's junior and Yuan Shao's young wife, Liu Shi, who would never have thought of it.This secret conversation between mother and child, unexpectedly at the same time, Jia Xu, who was "newly" joined Qin Xu, analyzed the meaning almost exactly in front of Qin Xu.The ability of poisonous ghosts and gods, even so!

On this side, Yuan Shang made big promises in front of his mother, Liu, while on the other side, Cao Cao, whose actions today are unpredictable, was also talking about this matter with his confidant counselors.

In Xuchang City, Xi Zhicai, Cao Cao's most trusted confidant, was already terminally ill, unable to see things, and couldn't get out of bed for a few days.Cao Cao knew that his confidant who accompanied him from the beginning of his life might not be long, so no matter how busy he was with political affairs, he would spare half an hour every day to visit this old friend.

However, when Cao Cao and Cao Ang came today, they saw that the former mastermind, who was always sick in the daytime, seemed to be well after seeing him. Not only did he drink a large bowl of thick corn soup in front of him, but also His face was rosy, and with the support of his family, he was able to walk a few steps on the ground, almost like an ordinary person.Seeing Cao Cao who is used to birth, old age, sickness and death, how can he not understand Xi Zhicai's current situation, and feel sad in his heart, today is probably the last time he will sit and talk with Xi Zhicai.

"My lord, I heard that Xun Gongda tried hard to persuade my lord to stop the anger of the thunder. Instead of embarrassing the eldest son of Zhen, he gave a great gift, not to mention sending the gift out of the country, and even sent a generous gift to Qin Zhongming in Qingzhou. My lord is now Xi is really happy for his lord if he can be so refraining from impetuosity and patience to achieve great things!" Xi Zhicai knows his own affairs, sees the grief in Cao Cao's eyes, and feels particularly energetic today, this peerless wise man , How can I not know that my time is approaching, and in my speech and behavior with Cao Cao, I have lost a few respects in the past, and there are more free and easy talks with old friends, and the solemnity of saying my final farewell.

"Sir..." Although Cao Cao treats people humorously and has an excellent relationship with his subordinates, he has never used such a respectful tone in front of his subordinates. Hearing Xi Zhicai's "comments", he is just like Cao Cao The human being also had reddish eyes, almost choked up and couldn't speak.But Cao Cao also understands what Xi Zhicai just said, this is the last plan for his great cause at the cost of his life.Cao Cao couldn't bear to ignore Xi Zhicai's good intentions, and useless words such as taking care of more rest came to his lips, but they were only condensed into these two words.

"My lord!" Xi Zhicai was able to be cited as a confidant by Cao Cao before Guo Jia in history, and no one could match Cao Cao's character control and inner speculation at that time.Seeing Cao Cao like this, Xi Zhicai just smiled lightly, and didn't waste too much time in the sadness of "parting".But as if he was afraid of running out of time, he said very quickly: "Although Qingzhou's situation is established now, it is not stable at all. Although it was named as a rescuer at the beginning, it is not easy in a short period of time! But in the long run Look, if there is no major change in the world, even if Lu Bu occupies the Qingzhou and Xuzhou states, peeps at Yangzhou, and has the Mi family and the Zhen family as his wings, but after all, his reputation is despicable and his foundation is unstable, and he relies on both of them. Merchants are all despised by the people of the world. My lord only needs to manage the state affairs of Yan, Yu, and Sili prefectures well, control the Yongliang part, and obey the emperor's order to disobey the ministers. The mere Lu Bu is really nothing to worry about, cough cough... ..."

"What the master said, every sentence must be regarded as the golden rule, and please take a break for a while, you and I will have a long time in the future, so don't rush for a while..." Originally, the voice of Zhicai was rare and clear when listening to opera, but Cao Cao still had some points in his heart It was a fluke, but suddenly he heard what Xi Zhicai said, so he coughed violently. Cao Cao was startled and said hastily.

"It's okay...cough!" Xi Zhicai stroked his chest, waved his hand and continued: "The strategic center of Lv Bu's army is in Jiangdong, but when there is chaos in Hebei, they will definitely take action. Can fight From the beginning, the troops were just resting, but they were scattered and difficult to gather for a while. As long as the lord comforted him well and showed more sincerity, it would be enough to treat his heart slowly, and being in a hurry would not be enough to pose a threat to the lord. However, Yuan Shao's third son, Yuan Xianfu, was said to be there Linzi, this is what Xi is worried about. Yuan Shao has been running Hebei for many years, and in a short period of time, the two states cannot be settled without the Yuan family. Although Yuan Shang was driven out of Hebei by his brother, after all, he is also Yuan Shao's parent and son, and has secretly controlled Hebei for many years. Yuan Shao's wife, the Liu family, is by my side, my lord should pay close attention to it, and you must not be careless."

"What the master said is what the master said. Ang'er, quickly help the master and go to the couch to rest for a while!" Seeing that Xi Zhicai's voice became weaker and weaker, it seemed almost exhausted.Cao Cao hurriedly told Cao Ang, his eldest son who had a mentor-student friendship with his comrades, to say.

"Let Xi XX finish!" Xi Zhicai smiled wryly, his voice seemed to be pleading, and regardless of Cao Cao's answer, he continued: "The Zhen family in Hebei is a big family in Hebei. The situation is declining, but the centipede will not fall. Although the lord has the help of the Hedong Wei family, and the Zhen family wants to seek asylum in Qingzhou, it can be a great cause. The lord must not be dissatisfied and despise him. Family, the most profit-seeking, although there is an alliance with Lu Bu, but it will not overthrow the heart. As long as it is done properly, it must be used by the lord. Compared... compared to the black mountain bandits that the lord secretly supported, yes, but Much more useful!"

"Sir, what did you say?" Xi Zhicai said something astonishing, and suddenly said the name of the Black Mountain Bandit. A cold light flashed in Cao Cao's eyes. He stretched out his arm to help Xi Zhicai, but subconsciously He froze for a while, although he hid it well very quickly, and his arm was supported on Xi Zhicai's arm as he wished, but it still made Xi Zhicai and other top counselors see some clues!
"Xi Zhicai is a dying person! My lord, I should just think that Xi was talking wildly before his death!" Xi Zhicai panted heavily, but still forced out a smile, and said.

"Sir, what you said is right, the black mountain bandits... It is true that when the Yellow Turban was wiped out in the past, in order to prevent Lu Zi from doing old things..., but don't worry, sir, how can I not know that such people need to be extremely cautious, otherwise there will be backlash What a disaster, as for the Zhen family..., um! In short, what you say, Mr. Cao, just keep it in your heart." Xi Zhicai's words made Cao Cao stunned.However, Cao Cao immediately said with an open and honest look.

"Thank you, my lord!" Xi Zhicai heard this, stared at Cao Cao for a while, and said with a hint of a half-smile on his lips, "It seems that Xi will never see the day when my lord will be successful! It's the biggest regret of my life!"

"Sir, don't say such words. Before Cao came here, he had invited a palace doctor with superb medical skills to come here. With his national skills, he must be able to get rid of his illness! Cao also urgently needs the help of Mr. Cao to establish that As for the great achievement of helping the Han Dynasty, if there is no such good teachers and helpful friends as Mr. Cao on the left side, it will be a great achievement, so what is the fun?" Cao Cao said very sincerely.

"With my lord's words, Xi will... then... rest assured! It's just..." Xi Zhicai's breathing became weaker and weaker, and he even struggled to speak.In the end, he was already very angry, but he looked at Cao Cao, and he didn't know if it was an illusion, but it was a little more praying.

"Don't worry, sir!" Even Cao Cao, who has always been extremely good at controlling his emotions, couldn't help turning his head away, his eyes were dark red and almost tear-stained, and he took a deep breath and said, "Mr. We are indeed friends, after Mr. leaves, I will take care of your wife and son!"

"Thank you so much, my lord, for your kindness, my lord...uh!" Xi Zhicai opened his eyes wide, as if he still had a lot to say to Cao Cao, but he couldn't say a word after holding back his strength.A generation of conspirators who established Cao Cao's foundation in Yanzhou in the early stage, and assisted Cao in controlling opera talents in the three prefectures of Yan, Yu, Sili, and Yongliang. After getting Cao Cao's promise to treat his family well, he passed away.

"Sir... let's go!" Cao Cao walked out of Xi Zhicai's room amidst the wailing of Xi Zhicai's family, stood at the door, closed his eyes tightly, raised his head, and kept his tears from streaming down. Taking a deep breath, he spoke to the air as if talking to himself.

　Thanks to the great book friend "kene1988"; the great beauty "potassium hydrosulfate"; and the book friend "Sick Jiaoyin" who has been supporting Weishang for 6 monthly tickets!Thank you Weishang!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)