Yecheng was regarded as the capital of Wei State after Cao Cao established it.

After making Yecheng the capital of the country, Cao Cao expanded Yecheng on the basis of the original old city.

After expansion, Yecheng is seven miles from east to west and five miles from north to south, with Zhangshui River in the north. In the northwest corner of the city, there are Bingjing Terrace, Tongque Terrace and Jinhu Terrace from north to south. It can be said that it is very majestic.

Ye City leans on Taihang to the west, faces the Yellow River to the south, and looks at the fertile plains of Hebei to the north. The terrain is very dangerous and can be defended or attacked, making it easier for Cao Cao to control the Hebei region.

The northern center of Yecheng is Gongcheng District, Yuanquan is to the west, and Qili is to the east.

There are Chunmen in the east of the city and Jinmingmen in the west of the city, dividing Yecheng into north and south parts with an east-west avenue.

At its peak, Yecheng had a population of nearly 400,000. This did not include the garrison, but it was the largest city in the north in the world.

In the north of the majestic Yecheng City, there is a splendid and majestic Palace of Wei.

In previous years, it was in this palace that the King of Wei, Cao Cao, controlled the world with his authority.

But unfortunately, with the passage of time, the days when King Wei used his whip were gone forever.

In the main hall of the Wei Palace, there is only an old man lying in critical condition.

Cao Cao is sixty-six years old this year. He is the oldest among the three major princes in the world.

The pale-faced Cao Cao was lying on the soft floor in the main hall. Under the bright hall, densely packed civil and military ministers of Wei were kneeling.

When Cao Cao withdrew his troops from the Han River while he was sick, in order not to affect the morale of the army and not to arouse Liu Bei's suspicions, when he led his troops back to Yecheng and passed through Qiaojun, he deliberately stayed at the Dayan Township in Qiaojun to reward old friends.

The land of Qiao Pei is Cao Cao's hometown, and most of his original team were also people from Qiao Pei.

Therefore, although the land of Qiao Pei is not too important in the world, it has a special meaning to the Cao Wei regime.

After feasting in the village of Qiao Pei, Cao Cao led his army back to Ye City without stopping.

As soon as he arrived in Yecheng, Cao Cao felt relieved and his health deteriorated.

Perhaps Cao Cao in this life held on for a while longer because of his concerns.

But no matter what, he will eventually leave this world that he is reluctant to leave.

Cao Cao, who was feeling sick and aching, glanced at Cao Pi, the Crown Prince of Wei, who was kneeling next to him at the head of the ministers. There was reluctance in his eyes.

His reluctance was not entirely due to his father-son affection for Cao Pi, but more out of concern for the future of Wei.

After he left, could Zihuan hold on to Wei?

Cao Pi is thirty-four years old this year, which should be the age when a man is most aggressive. During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Cao Cao was almost at this age when he led the troops to quell the rebellion.

But it may be that the battle with Cao Zhi for the right to inherit the throne exhausted Cao Pi's energy.

As a young and prosperous man in his thirties, he already had some gray hair growing between his temples.

Cao Cao looked at the prince in front of him, who was actually not very satisfied with him. His eyes recalled the figure of another young man.

The phrase "Father, please mount your horse" was like a single bone scraper. He didn't feel anything wrong before, but as he grew older, the bone scraper caused more pain to him.

Cao Cao knew that he could not get up, so he sighed sadly:

"I will not be able to afford it now. I have done my best and have never failed in my heart.

If the dead still have souls, if Zixiu asks, ‘Where is my mother?’, what will I say in reply?”

Cao Cao's words were full of sadness. He seemed to be talking to himself or to everyone.

And his words made Cao Pi's body in front of him bend down even lower.

He knew that he had never been the most satisfactory prince in his father's heart.

After sighing with emotion, Cao Cao turned to look at the ministers behind Cao Pi and ordered: "Everyone, please step back. I have nothing to say to the prince."

Although Cao Cao's tone at this time was very weak, due to the silence and special structure of the hall, his royal order was finally transmitted to every minister's ears very clearly.

Under Cao Cao's royal order, all the officials in the palace began to retreat outside the palace, and even Cao Cao's personal guard Xu Chu also withdrew from the palace.

Soon after, only Cao Cao and Cao Pi were left in the empty hall.

Cao Cao raised his weak hand and called out to Cao Pi to come forward.

After Cao Pi came close to him, Cao Cao looked at Cao Pi with expectant eyes and said: "Now that Liu Bei and Sun Quan have made an oath of alliance, how will you decide on this situation after you succeed to the throne?"

"If you want to conquer the empire and disobey orders, will you go first with Liu Bei? Or with Sun Quan?"

On the second day after Sun Quan and Deng Zhi swore an alliance, Wenpin, the prefect of Jiangxia who was close to Xiakou, learned the news.

After learning the news, he immediately ordered the messenger to hurry up and report the news to Cao Cao.

At that time, Cao Cao was on his way back to Yecheng. After receiving the news on the way, he immediately let out a sigh:

"The two thieves from the south want to set fire to the stove!"

Not long after Cao Cao arrived in Yecheng, Cao Cao received a letter from Sun Quan, which was full of insults.

Among the three major princes in the world, although Sun Quan is the youngest, in terms of harshness and harshness, he is the top of the three.

In history, he once scolded Mrs. Wang, who had been sleeping with him for decades, to death.

So when the insults written by Sun Quan himself reached Ye City, it immediately caused an uproar in Ye City.

All ministers were aggrieved and asked Cao Cao to send troops to attack Sun Quan.

Cao Pi was also very angry at that time. Whether it was for acting or showing his true feelings, he could not remain indifferent when his father was being insulted.

However, in the face of the excitement of the officials, Cao Cao suppressed the matter. He knew that now was definitely not the time to send troops.

He is a mature politician and will not be easily swayed by personal emotions.

Now Cao Cao asked Cao Pi what he should do when facing the Sun-Liu Alliance after his death, just to see what he really thought in his heart.

Although Cao Pi's position as crown prince was already stable, even if Cao Pi's answer dissatisfied him, he would not change the crown prince for the sake of the stability of the Wei state, but he could still give Cao Pi a few words before his death.

This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Cao Pi knelt in front of Cao Cao. He knew that Cao Cao suddenly asked him this question in order to test his strategic vision.

Similar exams have never stopped since Cao Cao took Hebei.

In the past time, Cao Cao's time-to-time exams exhausted Cao Pi's energy and sometimes made him feel bored. However, for the sake of his position as the prince, Cao Pi finally managed to survive until today.

What Cao Pi didn't expect was that at this moment, his beloved father was still thinking about teaching him. Doesn't it mean that his father still doesn't believe in his abilities?

Cao Pi felt sad and confused in his heart, but in order not to waste all his efforts at the last moment, Cao Pi remembered Jia Xu's teachings, and he respectfully replied to Cao Cao:

"Those who capture the territory should first gain military power, and those who build the foundation should advocate virtue. If in the future a son comes to lead the country, and he will be educated and virtuous and wait for it to change, then it will not be difficult to pacify it."

"Although Liu Bei and Sun Quan are poor countries in the south, they are still blocked by mountains and rivers. Liu Bei has great talents, Zhuge Liang is good at governing the country, and Sun Quan knows the truth and the truth. They hold strong positions in danger and sail around the rivers and lakes, making it difficult for them to make plans.

The way to use military force is to win first and then fight, measure the enemy and judge the generals, so there is no strategy left behind. If the troops are sent out hastily, even though the power of heaven comes to attack, there will be no complete momentum.

In the past, when Shun danced with Qianqi and had Miao clothes, my son thought that nowadays it is better to put civility first and then martial arts."

Cao Pi knelt on the ground, he was full of confidence when he said this answer.

Because this answer was taught to him by Jia Xu in advance, and with Jia Xu's wisdom, what he taught must be in line with Cao Cao's wishes.

Sure enough, after hearing Cao Pi's answer, Cao Cao did not show dissatisfaction on his face, but there was a trace of self-deprecation on his face.

He stretched out his hand to touch the head of his son in front of him, but his move to express his love before he died made Cao Pi's body tremble a little, as if he was afraid.

Seeing this scene, the self-mockery on Cao Cao's face, who was lying on the couch, became even stronger.

Could it be that the relationship between father and son has been washed away by the machinations of the past?

No one knows a son better than his father, not to mention that Cao Cao was the great leader of the world. He knew that what Cao Pi just said was not his idea.

Cao Cao also knew that the reason why Cao Pi relied on other people's opinions was because he was worried about causing his dissatisfaction and causing him to lose his position as crown prince.

But just now he just wanted to hear Cao Pi's true words. Unexpectedly, he, who had been an all-powerful man all his life, would not be able to realize even this simple wish at the last moment before his death.

But can you blame Cao Pi?

I still remember that when Cao Pi was a child, he respected him very much and told him everything he knew.

But since he won the battle of Guandu, when the issue of establishing a heir apparent was put on the table, he, who believed in power and domineering, encouraged the capable person to take the position.

This was originally a time of great strife.

Cang Shu at that time, and Zijian later, hoped that his sons would work hard and make progress, and finally win a qualified prince for him.

But in the end, the true love between father and son was completely worn away by his machinations and domineering tactics.

To this day, the father does not know the son, and the son does not know the father.

Cao Cao's face put away the last trace of tenderness. Even though his physical pain was getting stronger and stronger, his face had returned to the unpredictable look it had in the past.

Although what Cao Pi just answered was not his idea, as long as he can listen to the advice of wise ministers, then he can be regarded as a qualified successor.

Cao Cao gave Cao Pi one final instruction: "Use your clan members more important and guard against the aristocratic families."

After saying this, Cao Cao asked Cao Pi to summon the ministers outside the palace to come in.

At Cao Pi's call, the ministers outside the palace filed in one after another and knelt down in front of Cao Cao again.

Cao Cao's thoughts were already a little confused. He turned to look at the minister who had been kneeling under him and had fought with him for decades. There was stability in his eyes.

These people are the greatest wealth he left for Wei.

While he was still conscious, Cao Cao began to issue the last few royal orders in his life.
To be continued...