"Zhou Yu and Pang Tong are both talented people, but where are Gu's talented people? After decades of serving Xiao, Gu is actually a little tired."
Looking at Liu Jun digging a channel on the other side of the Huaihe River, Cao Cao completely gave up any hope of capturing Huainan.
Looking up at the cloudy sky, Cao Cao thought of Guo Jia again.
Ever since the princes challenged Dong, he had never felt so weak and exhausted as he did at this moment. Back then, he wiped out the heroes while talking and laughing, but now...
His jaw suddenly hurt. Cao Cao looked down and saw that he had pulled off a few gray beards with excessive force.
"Gu's beard has turned white. Liu Biao is dead. Now only Gu and Liu Bei are left among the princes. Liu Xi is a rising star, but Gu is passive everywhere. How long can Gu live? Can Gu still bring peace to the world?"
"Prime Minister?"
Sima Yi, who was behind Cao Cao, saw Cao Cao dazed on the shore, so he rode forward and called out softly.
Cao Cao turned around and glanced sideways at him, "Zhongda, I have something I need you to help me with."
Sima Yi sat on the horse and cupped his hands and said, "Please give me your orders, Prime Minister."
"Go to Xiangyang and see what price Liu Cong wants to get Zhang Liao and Li Dian back."
Seeing Sima Yi's hesitation, Cao Cao frowned and asked, "Isn't Zhongda willing to share the worries of being alone?"
Sima Yi quickly raised his hands and said, "I don't dare. I was just thinking about how to bargain with Liu Cong."
"Oh." Cao Cao frowned, "Then what do you want?"
"I have nothing else to ask for. It's just, just..."
"If Zhongda has something to say, you might as well say it directly."
Sima Yi cautiously asked, "Prime Minister, what if I go and Liu Cong detains me?"
Cao Cao turned to stare at Sima Yi without saying a word, while Sima Yi quickly lowered his head.
"drive."
Seeing Cao Cao riding away, Sima Yi quickly followed him.
Cao Cao said without looking back, "Man Chong also went to Xiangyang as an envoy. Has he been detained? Why is you, Sima Yi, so valued by Liu Cong? Let him have the idea of detaining you."
"Prime Minister, today is different from the past. I am worried that Liu Cong will use all possible means to weaken our strength. You know, when Liu Cong was conquering Jiangdong, he killed Jiangdong's envoy Zhang Zhao."
"Zhang Zhao is famous all over the world, and he was the mainstay of the Sun family in Jiangdong. He was killed, sir..."
"Herod!"
Cao Cao suddenly stopped his horse, "Zhang Zhao is famous all over the world? He designed to deceive Sun Shangxiang back, and set his mind on the family's young man. Let alone Liu Cong kill him, if he is alone, he will kill his entire family!"
"If you don't dare to go, I'll choose someone else!"
Seeing Cao Cao's displeased look and gnawing eyes, Sima Yi could only lower his head and say, "I will serve the Prime Minister to the death."
Sima Yi's worry was not unreasonable. In the past, Liu Cong would trade with Cao in exchange for Xu Huang if he needed it. But now, he really doesn't know what else Liu Cong wants.
Even if conditions are offered, Cao Cao may not accept them.
"Don't worry, Liu Cong will not leave you behind."
Riding his horse to leave again, Cao Cao left a very affirmative message to Sima Yi.
Sima Yi's family is also a long-established family. For this reason, Liu Cong will never keep him.
In history, Cao Cao, after seeing that he did not have the ability to rule the world, in 212, on the advice of Dong Zhao, wanted to become the Duke of Wei.
In this year, Xun Yu was transferred from the central government because he opposed Cao Cao's move to become Duke of Wei. He became seriously ill while working in the army in Qiao County and died of depression in Shouchun. (He committed suicide by poisoning after being convinced)
In May 213, Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty issued an edict, canonizing Cao Cao as Duke of Wei. In 214, Cao Cao moved the capital to Yecheng, and it was called Gonggongguo.
In 214, Xun You also died of illness in the army on the way to conquer Wu. This makes people suspicious. Xun Yu and his uncle Xun You both died of illness in the army.
Xun Yu opposed Cao Cao's move to the title of Duke of Wei. Although he still had his final hope for the Han Dynasty in his heart, he also had his own interests in mind.
Xun Yu, Xun You, Chen Qun, Sima Yi, Zhong Yao...
A large number of talents under Cao Cao were from Henan aristocratic families, and these people were most opposed to Cao Cao being called Wei Gong.
The administrative center of Wei is located in Yecheng, and Yecheng is in Hebei. If Cao Cao moved his political focus to Hebei, then how could the Henan family still play tricks on you? You have even shifted your political focus. This signal is obvious enough. This means that
Cao Cao wanted to get rid of the Henan family.
If Cao Cao were to be called Duke of Song or something like that, these people would never object, and would even persuade or accuse Xun Yu.
With Cao Cao's ability, he can still control these people, but within a few generations, the aristocratic family will once again control the government and temples.
It's just that Cao Cao's prestige is too high, and no one dares to directly express his opposition like Xun Yu.
Well, if I can't move you, I'll start with your son. The Henan aristocratic family supports Cao Pi's rise to power, and everyone except the Henan aristocratic family supports Cao Zhi, such as Yang Xiu, Ding Yi and others.
Unfortunately, it was Cao Pi who finally won the title of crown prince. After Cao Pi became emperor, he set his capital in Luoyang, Henan!
Not to mention this, under Chen Qun's suggestion, Cao Pi issued the Nine-Rank Zhongzheng System in Wei State, which completely satisfied the appetite of the Henan aristocratic families.
In the end, Cao Cao never handed over military power to aristocratic families throughout his life. After Cao Rui's death, military power was still controlled by Cao Shuang. Unfortunately, Cao Shuang was too useless.
Sima Yi launched the Gaopingling coup and seized military power. After that, Sima Yi's grandson Sima Yan usurped the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, establishing the Jin Dynasty.
The same was true for Sun Quan in history. In his later years, he almost bloodbathed the aristocratic families in Wu County to consolidate the status of his descendants.
Cao Cao didn't want to get rid of the aristocratic family because of Liu Cong's various new policies. From the beginning, Cao Cao saw the disadvantages of reusing the aristocratic family.
Therefore, after capturing Yecheng in 204, Cao Cao often lived in Yecheng.
Since he wanted to be granted the title of Duke of Wei in 212, Cao Mengde, who had dominated the world in the first half of his life, became extremely passive. Even Guan Yu beat him to the point where he wanted to move the capital. Just like that, even if you want to move the capital, the Henan family won't let you.
Woolen cloth.
No hero likes to be controlled by others. Sima Yi is still young and he cannot understand these principles. But Cao Cao knows that Liu Cong, as the leader, will definitely understand.
Wouldn't it be nice to let Sima Yi come back and watch these people support your two sons in fighting to consume their strength?
What Cao Cao didn't know was that Liu Cong not only understood these principles, but also knew what Sima Yi did in the end.
This is why Cao Cao feels tired, why he still feels that no one is available even though he has so many talents. At this moment, the Cao family is facing internal troubles as much as foreign troubles!
Now, every step of the Cao family will be like walking on thin ice. Cao Cao can no longer afford the loss of any talents other than those from the Henan family.
Zhang Liao and Li Dian, he had to pay a higher price and both had to get their people back.
In the 16th year of Jian'an, on the fifth day of the sixth lunar month, Cao Cao left an army of 150,000 in the Xiapi area of Pengcheng and led his troops to regroup.
On the way back, Cao Cao issued two orders in the name of the emperor.
Open the imperial examination! Practice navy and consolidate coastal defense!