Section 30: Trade-offs

In early May of the 14th year of Jian'an, Yecheng was in the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Cao Zhi held the brocade box and stood nervously in front of Cao Cao's huge office. When his eyes gradually adapted to the darkness in the house, he could see the furnishings inside clearly. He opened his mouth and wanted to sign up, but he didn't make any sound. He turned around and looked at Yang Xiu who was parked at the stairs for help. Yang Xiu smiled encouragement and raised his hand at him.

Cao Zhi nodded heavily, straightened his body, took a long breath and calmed down, and then said aloud: "Father, come and pay homage to my father."

"It's Zijian, come in quickly." Cao Cao's old and slightly joyful voice came from inside: "You came just right, I pushed me out for a walk, I was stuck in this room every day, and it was almost moldy."

Cao Zhi responded happily, and his nervousness disappeared. He immediately took off his shoes and ran in quickly. After a while, he pushed Cao Cao out of it, stopped under the eaves, exposing Cao Cao's body from below his face to the morning light of early summer. Cao Cao, who was about to raise his hand to block his eyes, saw that he stopped, and smiled strangely, "Why don't you leave?"

Cao Zhi smiled and bent down and said, "I heard from the doctor that when I first came out, I should stop under the eaves to avoid being exposed to the wind all at once. Father, don't be anxious. Wait for a while, and I will take you out for a walk. I wonder if my father is interested in going to the printing shop?"

Cao Cao laughed loudly, opened the brocade box that Cao Zhi brought him on his knees, took out the beautifully printed collection of poems for the Winter Solstice, and opened the pages. The first one was his short song. He smelled the faint fragrance of ink and suddenly remembered the cocktail party on the winter solstice last year. He was so energetic that he could drive his troops south to unify the south of the Yangtze River in his life. Unexpectedly, the situation changed drastically, the navy army was completely lost, and the infantry and cavalry were also greatly damaged. If Cao Chong had not fought desperately at the cost of 500 people, he would have been almost burned to death by Liu Bei in the Chongshan Mountains of Haoxue. He was heartbroken and his interest had just become a little dim.

"Oh--" Cao Cao was silent for a long time before sighing.

Seeing that he was in a bad mood, Cao Zhi quickly smiled and said, "Father, I'll push you out for a walk. These days, Yecheng has changed all the time. In a few days, the trees have turned green and the flowers have bloomed, and it's so lively."

Cao Cao nodded and pushed him forward. Yang Xiu followed behind him. Seeing this, Xu Chu scattered around with twenty tiger soldiers. For a moment, no one spoke, but the carriage squeaked slightly, like a small song that was singing softly. Although no one appreciated it, he still sang happily. As Cao Zhi listened, he suddenly laughed. He leaned down and said in Cao Cao's ear: "The car that Father Cang Shu specially sent is really convenient. I don't know what was used in this carriage, but the sound sounds very pleasant."

"It's so convenient!" Cao Cao cursed with a smile: "He really thought I couldn't get up and walk again?"

Cao Zhi smiled, turned his face to look at Yang Xiu who was walking with his head down, and smiled and said, "Father is so blamed for the misunderstanding. He wrote that Fan Ziling (Fan A) in Pengcheng is by his father's side. As long as his father rests well for a few months, he will definitely live fifty years. Really do what his father said in his poem "An old horse is in the stable, and his ambition is thousands of miles away. The martyr is in his old age and has ambition." He also said that Fan Ziling can play a kind of five animal drama, which can make people rejuvenate. I ask my father to practice more."

"Bad, if you don't die, you are a thief. If you live for another fifty years, will I become an old thief?" Cao Cao laughed.

The two of them said before they arrived at the flower garden. After Xu Chu checked the safety of the surrounding areas, he stood far away with people. Yang Xiu also stood at the gate of the courtyard, leaving Cao Cao and his son to chat with him while watching the newly blooming flowers in the garden. The smile on Cao Cao's face gradually faded. He looked at the flower, but it seemed that his mind was not on the flower. The smile on his face gradually faded: "Zijian, have you received Cang Shu's letter?"

"Well, I received it. He said that the Xiangyang Di Library had been built and the collection of poems for the Winter Solstice was printed. Isn't this book sent first? Let me take a look first." Cao Zhi smiled and said, "I obviously made this bookstore first, but I have been doing it for several months, and the printed book is not as beautiful as Cang Shu in Xiangyang. Why didn't I think I would add some pictures in it? Father, look at this picture and text, which is very beautiful."

Cao Cao opened the collection of poems in his hand and laughed: "He has many tricks and many ideas, but he looks good but is not practical. Just like Jiangxia's battle was beautiful, he trapped himself in the ground. The siege of Jiangling was not resolved, and Jiangxia was in a dead end again."

Cao Zhi smiled: "My father is right. Jiangxia's war was a bit in perfection. Cang Shu himself said that it is said that it is not difficult to carry the load, but he will bear the burden and crush his shoulders. Now he leads troops to fight, and he has a deeper understanding of his father's military use and feels deeply insufficient."

"Is that true?" Cao Cao laughed: "I thought he could fight after winning a few battles. This method of using military is unpredictable. The first thing is to understand is that he could use land after memorizing the military books. He only fought a few battles."

Cao Zhi agreed and said, "What my father said is, but compared to Kurasu, the child is far worse. I have to fight this battle, but I am afraid that it is not as exciting as Kurasu. Although Kurasu is not as good as his father now, he is hardworking and studious, and with his father being guided by me, I think my father will be proud of him in just ten or twenty years."

Cao Cao burst into laughter. He raised his hand and patted Cao Zhi's hand on the back of the chair and said, "Zijian, are you here to be a lobbyist for Cang Shu?"

Cao Zhi turned to one side, squatted in front of Cao Cao, gently straightened out his clothes, and then stood up and smiled, "Why do you need a lobbyist between father and son? I just have something to say. Among us brothers, Zihuan is steady and brave, but Cang Shu is both civil and military, and is free and easy by nature. He is the most like a father. The child thinks that in the future, Cang Shu must be Cang Shu."

Cao Cao looked at Cao Zhi with interest and asked with a smile: "Zijian, what do you want in the future?"

Cao Zhi's expression did not change, and his expression was very natural: "As for me, I have a little writing style at best, maybe I can inherit my father's literary talent. I rely on my father's kindness to be a free and easy Sima Xiangru who has no worries about food and drink."

Cao Cao looked at Cao Zhi and asked for a while: "You have never thought of leading troops to fight. If you have made some contributions, do some careers in the future, or become a prefect, you can enter the court in the future and be ranked as the third duke?"

"The child also thought about it, but later he thought that there were Zihuan and Cang Shu in governing the country, and Ziwen and Cang Shu in the war. I was too far behind them, but I had a little experience in literary affairs. It would be better to be a idle literati. If there is such a good thing, why bother to work hard?" Cao Zhi seemed a little dissatisfied, and even spread his hands, as if he was determined to be a literati.

"No prospect." Cao Cao laughed and scolded him: "Although your writing is talented, it is very immature. I think it is still far from it. But Cang Shu is very confident in you. He said that the world is one stone, and you have the only one dou. Look at how high his expectations for you are. It's simply nonsense."

Cao Zhi pondered for a moment and nodded seriously: "I also feel that Cang Shu's words are a bit out of tune. No matter how talented I am, I will not surpass my father. At most, I will just be equal." As he said that, the father and son looked at each other and laughed.

The two joked for a while, Cao Cao seemed to be in a much better mood. He pointed to the flowers that had just bloomed and spoke to Cao Zhi from the Book of Songs to Erya, from the Classic of Mountains and Seas to Huainanzi, and talked about it all over the world. After nearly an hour, he saw that the dew had dried up. The sun was getting stronger, Cao Zhi then pushed the cart and turned around. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Cao Pi standing respectfully at the door. When he saw them, he immediately walked over quickly, took the cart from Cao Zhi's hand and smiled: "I have been building it for a while. I delayed it a little, but I can't find you."

Cao Zhi didn't say anything, smiled and let him beside him. After saying a few gossips, he took Yang Xiu away. Cao Cao entered the house. The waiter was holding him on the couch and lay down. Then he looked at Cao Pi and said, "Zihuan. What's wrong with you here?"

Cao Pi smiled and said, "The child comes here, so he is naturally visiting his father. He has been busy these days and has never taken time out. I am really worried. But now looking at his father's appearance, Fan Ziling's medical skills are really wonderful. I think it will take not long before his father can recover. At that time, the child will not have to be so busy. These things are usually not difficult to do when his father does, as if they are very relaxed. But when it comes to my hands, it makes a mess."

Cao Cao smiled faintly: "You don't have to be humble. You have handled the government affairs these days very well. Although there are still some shortcomings, it is inevitable. Zihuan, you are twenty-two years old. As a father, you are already a Qiu Ling at the age of yours, and you should become an official."

Cao Pi was stunned. Before he came, he discussed with Sima Yi and others for a few days, but all the discussions were about the war in Jiangling. He never thought that Cao Cao would ask him this question. He didn't know how to answer for a while. His mind quickly turned around, and he smiled and said, "But it depends on his father's arrangement."

Cao Cao did not answer him immediately, and reached out to take the document from Cao Pi, touched the paper and smiled: "The rice paper sent by Cang Shu is really good. The paper is as white as cotton and feels very good."

Cao Pi's face froze and he immediately smiled, "My father said, "Now, Yecheng is buying such paper everywhere. It is said that the doors of the newly opened paper shops have been squeezed out. Yang Kongqu sent someone to watch them, so no more serious troubles have happened." He paused and said, "I heard that Your Majesty is also very satisfied with the paper sent by Cang Shu."

"Haha, Cang Shu will do these paths that are not elegant." Cao Chong smiled faintly, and without looking at the documents in his hand, he sat up and smiled at Cao Pi: "The Jiangling war is in a stalemate, do you have any good ways to solve the problem?"

Cao Pi was excited and raised his eyebrows inadvertently. He quickly stepped forward and inserted two pillows behind Cao Cao's back, and then said respectfully: "My son doesn't know much about military affairs. In the battle of Cangshu Xiling, he fought very well. Even Guan Yu, who is known as the enemy of ten thousand people, was beaten away. The tactics were used properly. But the overall situation was a little worse. He did not clear the siege of Jiangling first, but instead went to take Jiangxia, which was a bit risky. The Xiangyang navy was incomparable to Jiangdong, and he could not seize the entire territory of Jiangxia. Now even the north of Jiangxia is still

It is in danger. The news of the fast horse said that Sun Quan had agreed to marry Liu Bei and would send his sister to Changsha in the next few days. He also built a large-scale construction project in Jingkou, saying that he wanted to prepare a residence for his brother-in-law, and he actually wanted to put his house under house arrest while Liu Bei sent his wife back to the door. In this way, the four counties in Jiangnan were also Sun Quan, and our army was not strong enough. There were still two fronts to fight, so I was afraid it was not appropriate." He thought about it and said, "But Cang Shu was young, so it was normal that he didn't think about it. It was good to fight like this."

"How do you think we can solve the problem?" Cao Cao's smile became more and more kind.

"The child thought he should send troops to help. Runan had troops. Nanjun had troops, but Cangshu crossed the border and dispatched troops was not in accordance with the law. General Zhu Shu was good at fighting. The child suggested sending him to Runan and lead the troops from the two counties to support Jiangling. The siege of Jiangling would definitely be resolved. Then, then rush the army eastward, and Jiangxia could be as stable as Mount Tai." Cao Pi said slowly. He lowered his head and looked at Cao Cao's face secretly. Cao Cao's smile was very kind. He thought for a moment and nodded and said, "Although Zhu Shuo has fought many battles, there is no problem with courage, but his wisdom and strategy are lacking. If he could have a close-minded chief, he might be able to take on this important task."

"Literary Sima Zhongda, who is careful in thinking, can be the chief minister." Cao Pi suddenly said.

Cao Cao nodded slightly: "Sima Zhongda is a suitable candidate."

Cao Pi was overjoyed and waited for a while but didn't hear what Cao Cao said, and he couldn't help but feel confused. But he didn't dare to say anything else, so he had to go back to the government affairs with full of suspicion, and then slowly retreated. Seeing that Cao Cao withdrew, he kept burying his head and reading the official documents, but he had no intention of calling him. Cao Pi was puzzled and was a little scared. He stood outside the door for a while, and had to hurry back to his underworld and ask Sima Yi and others to come to analyze Cao Cao's meaning.

When Cao Cao saw Cao Pi left, his smile also stopped. He slapped the pen in his hand on the table in a deep voice, "Zhongkang, go and invite the two gentlemen Gongda and Ziyu." Not long after, Xun You and Hua Xin hurried in. Seeing that they were sitting down, Cao Cao pushed the battle report of Jiangling to them. After they hurriedly finished reading, he said, "I want to transfer Qing Xu Shui Army into the river, Zhang Wenyuan moved to Hefei, and let Chen Yuanlong be transferred to Guangling Prefecture. The Dongcheng County was abolished. Can the two gentlemen see?"

Xun You thought for a while and said, "The Prime Minister's arrangement is wonderful, but Runan and Nanjun should also make some adjustments."

Cao Cao frowned and thought for a moment, and then he felt relieved: "What should I do if I see it, sir?"

Xun You smiled and said, "Transfer Deng Junkuo (Deng Chang) to be the prefect of Runan, and Chen Shushi became the prefect of Nanyang. He then sent Henghai General Zhu Wenbo (Zhu Ling) to lead 5,000 elite troops south, and Li Wenda as the vanguard. In this way, Jiangxia's military strength can be dominated. With the help of the prince, Feng Chu and Pang Tong and others, he will definitely win a great victory and severely attack Liu Bei and Sun Quan's arrogance."

Cao Cao pondered for a moment, nodded and said, "Your Masahiro is very good."

Hua Xin said: "The young master is the cavalry commander to guard Xiangyang. His official position is too light and he is afraid it is not easy to do things. The prime minister should also consider it."

Cao Cao laughed, and he rolled his beard and said, "Please submit me, please issue an edict."

Under May, the western tomb of Jiangxia.

Cao Chong climbed up from the ground, took the emperor's edict with both hands, and invited the minister of the imperial edict to rest in the back hall. Then he turned his head and looked at Pang Tong with a smile. This time the emperor issued an edict to call him General Pingnan. Although he did not wipe out Cao Ren's general's expedition, he could be regarded as a legitimate title of leading troops to Pingjiangnan. Speaking of which, he may be the youngest general in the Han Dynasty, if it were not included in the little kids who were named marquis and generals because of his eunuch.

General Zhu Ling, the Henghai general, had already set out from Yecheng, and it would probably take more than ten days to arrive. Chen Dao became the prefect of Nanyang, and Deng Chang was from Nanyang. In theory, it was not appropriate to be the prefect of Nanyang. Cao Cao also changed the mistake of Cao Pi pretending to be deaf and fooling around. He was transferred to the prefect of Runan. Li Tong was appointed General Huwei and took his troops as the vanguard of Zhu Ling's tribe. At the same time, Qing Xu Shuijun rushed to the Yangtze River again. At the same time, he ordered Chen Deng to fly from Yecheng to Xiangyang, asking Chen Deng to immediately serve as the prefect of Guangling, calling Xiahou the chief of the Dongcheng County, and restored it to the county. Xiahou was called the commander of Dongcheng County, and the general Zhang Liao moved to Hefei.

In addition to praising Cao Chong in the edict, he also wrote him a private letter. In the letter, he expressed his satisfaction with Cao Chong's sending him a lot of rice paper, and at the same time he expressed his satisfaction with the newly printed collection of poems on the Winter Solstice. He said that Prime Minister Cao was Zhou Gong of the Han Dynasty, and his father and son were both pillars of the Han Dynasty and the mainstay of the Han Dynasty. He said a lot of praise, and finally made a small request, saying that the Crown Prince Liu Feng admired him very much and wanted to ask him to be the young tutor of the crown prince. If it was really inconvenient, he would be both a teacher and a friend.

Cao Chong was ridiculous and terrified. He was still a child and wanted to be the prince's young tutor. Is there any mistake? Of course, he was not so arrogant that he thought he had the qualifications or strength. He could only think that the emperor was playing tricks and winning over him. Therefore, he handed the letter to Pang Tong and Zhang Song for handling, letting them decide how to refuse politely and resolutely.

Long before the emperor's edict arrived, Cao Zhi sent a quick letter. In the letter, Cao Zhi told Cao Chong in detail what happened in Yecheng and reminded Cao Chong to pay attention to some details to avoid any phenomenon. This time, he recommended Deng Chang as the prefect of Nanyang and other illegal things. He also told Cao Chong that Shi Huan, the leader of the Central Leader, finally died of serious injuries a month ago. Now he is the leader of Xiahou Yuan's journey, and Cao Chun has also left. The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry is now under Cao Zhang's control. From all aspects, his father was not satisfied with what he did, and he was not too disgusted with him. He was very satisfied with Cao Chong's approach to report everything in detail during this period. He hoped that he could be more cautious and not leave a handle for those with ulterior motives.

Cao Zhi also mentioned Yang Xiu in the letter. He said that last time he listened to Cao Chong's suggestion, he wrote to recruit Yang Xiu, so the Yang family could avoid a head-on conflict with Cao Cao. After Yang Xiu learned the whole story, he was very grateful to Cao Chong. This time he helped a lot and analyzed the fundamental reason why Cao Cao had not made a decision for a long time. Then Cao Zhi came forward to explain Cao Cao's knot.

"This Yang Dezu is a talented person, not just a scholar." Cao Chong said with a smile of praise.

Pang Tong smiled and said, "The Yang family of the Hong family is also the three masters of the four generations. This political wisdom that can be compared to ordinary people. He can be in Yecheng and is a great help to the general. The general should make more friends. The Yang family is very famous among Confucian scholars, and the Yuan family is gone. The Yang family is the dominant academically, and even the Fu family cannot compare. If they can win the new policy of the Yang family supporting the general, they will have less trouble in the future."

Cao Chong had just become General Pingnan, but he was still a little uncomfortable with this title. He smiled and looked at Pang Tong: "Shi Yuan, isn't it a bit strange to call us General Zheng Shishi?" Pang Tong also had a formal official position this time, and General Pingnan Zheng Shishi, Zhang Song and Jiang Gan also became Cao Chong's regular subordinates. They were no longer private aides. The most important point is that they no longer rely on Cao Chong to support them. They all had a formal salary and became regular officials of the Han Dynasty.

Pang Tong laughed loudly, and he bowed, "I also think it's strange, but since the young master has become a general, this title must always be used to it." Cao Chong also pinched his nose and smiled. He spread out the map on the desk and clicked on the two cities of Jiangling and Xiling: "Pang Changshi. Then do you think we should first remove the siege of Jiangling and drive Zhou Yu back to Chaisang. Or should we defeat He Gongmiao first, take all the northern part of Jiangxia, and cut off Zhou Yu's retreat? He Gongmiao's army has been in Xunyang for a long time, and I have been hanging in my heart."

"Young Master, why worry? Although He Gongmiao brought 8,000 troops, don't worry, he will not do his best. Sun Quan will not fight in person, he will only act like a show, otherwise he would not stay in Xunyang for more than half a month." Pang Tong shook his hand disapprovingly: "Since the Prime Minister has made so many arrangements for the young master, it is reasonable not to take Zhou Yu. Of course, he must defeat He Gongmiao first and then surround Zhou Yu. Even if he cannot capture him alive, he will fall into trouble under Jiangling City and return from the four counties in Jiangnan in shame."

Cao Chong looked at the energetic Pang Tong and said with some concern: "Zhou Yu has an army of 20,000. We have no advantage in land, and the navy does not have the upper hand. It is not easy to swallow him. If Sun Quan leads a large army to attack, and with Liu Bei's troops, we will be slightly inferior in terms of military strength and military branches. It would be good if we can not lose. It is not easy to make Zhou Yu fall."

Pang Tong smiled and stretched out his hands, stretched out his left fingers, and stretched out his right three fingers and smiled: "This is also five fingers, but these five fingers are too far behind the five fingers of one hand. They can't hold a fist with force no matter what. Don't worry, in less than a month, they let them bite their dog's mouth. Now they are not afraid of him coming, but they are afraid that he won't come. If Sun Quan is scared and dare not come, then we will be in vain."

Cao Chong looked at Pang Tong, then Zhang Song and Jiang Gan. Seeing that they were eager to try, they knew that they had just been promoted and wanted to make great contributions. In addition, they felt that the transitional position of General Pingnan was not enough. If they wanted to make great contributions and upgrade to another level, they would naturally be better.

"Since that's the case, let us cooperate sincerely and create new glory." Cao Chong pondered for a moment and made up his mind. He said to Dian Man behind him: "Notify Prefect Wen, General Deng, Huang Hansheng and Xu Zhengli to come back for a meeting and discuss the following war."

Dian Man responded and immediately went out to arrange for someone to look for him. After half an hour, everyone except Deng Zhan arrived. Dian Man explained: "General Deng took the tiger soldiers and the newly selected people out for on-site drills, and he probably won't come back tomorrow."

Cao Chong then remembered that no wonder he hadn't seen Li Wei, a kid these days. He was his personal bodyguard and the small leader of the special tiger warrior. Deng Zhan was very satisfied with him and always took him out whenever he had training. This kid was fascinated by the special training projects discussed by Deng Zhan and others. When he heard that he had training, he forgot that he was a guard, and even ran away silently without saying hello.

"This man is going to train, so why don't hello when he leaves?" Cao Chong cursed with a smile.

Dian Man smiled and said, "Young Master, this time it's no wonder Yuan Ji. He said hello, but the young master hadn't woken up at that time. He thought he had disturbed you and threw his boots."
Chapter completed!