Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3378 It’s a pity it’s over

Fire can illuminate the night sky, but it cannot drive away the darkness in people's hearts. Moreover, if there is not even this little bit of fire, how many people can hold on to the flickering light in their hearts?

Just when Fei Qian broke into Cao's main camp in Anyi, in the Luliang Mountains, a group of people were heading towards Pingyang, Linfen, under the cover of night.

Everyone in this group looked dusty and exhausted.

  If you just look at the dust, maybe it doesn't mean much. After all, who doesn't have to struggle on the road of life?

As long as there is hope in your heart, there will be light in your eyes and your head will not bow.

But the problem is that almost all of these people have their heads down, and there is not much light in their eyes.

It is like young cattle and horses who always like to raise their heads, laugh loudly, and run away, shouting that there are places for horses in the world, but they don’t know that they have just changed bosses one after another. Most of the older cattle and horses have hunched backs and bent waists, and they no longer look up into the distance, because they all know that if they don’t work, they won’t even have salt and rice.

Cao Xiu, with a gloomy face, was among the group of people.

  Now, his face is pale and his eyes are dark. Not only has he lost the spirit of "I am the only one who can do it but you" that he had when he set out from Shandong, but he even looks a bit more decadent and dead, like a walking corpse!

Cao Xiu didn't dare and didn't want to recall what happened just an hour ago, but the blood on his body was still telling him, mocking him, making him think of it involuntarily...

Complex and chaotic emotions impacted Cao Xiu's brain nerves.

Everything seemed to be triggered by that letter, but it should not just be about that one letter.

……

……

Fei Qian, Fei Qian...

Cao Zhao, Cao Zhao!

Two different names, but now they are combined together.

This made Cao Xiu feel heartbroken.

Could it be that I was too busy with things outside the house and didn't teach Cao Zhao enough?

Could it be that when Cao Zhao said that he understood it, he was just fooling me?

  Could it be that the Cavalry had used some treacherous scheme again, or was Cao Zhao being coerced?

Cao Zhao actually wrote a letter to persuade him to surrender!

When Cao Xiu received the letter, he could not believe his eyes!

But the letter did have Cao Zhao's seal and handwriting...

At that time, Cao Xiu felt his head buzzing when he stared at the two words "Cao Zhao" in the signature.

He knew Cao Zhao's signing habit.

Cao Zhao likes to draw the stroke of "Zhao" very long. Because when he was young, Cao Zhao said it looked like his father's cape...

But now, the cloak on Cao Xiu's body was torn, rotten, dirty and smelly.

But if your body is dirty, it’s okay. But if your heart is dirty, that’s a big problem!

  Loyalty, filial piety and righteousness!

When Cao Zhao was young, Cao Xiu told him that to be a good person, one must first understand loyalty, filial piety and righteousness!

"What are loyalty, filial piety and righteousness?" The young Cao Zhao was confused with his eyes open.

"This..." Cao Xiu was also having a headache at the time and didn't know how to explain it to Cao Zhao.

After all, it is said that Cao Zhao is "loyal to the emperor and patriotic", but has Cao Zhao ever seen the "emperor"? Or does Cao Zhao know what the "country" is? It is already remarkable that little Cao Zhao knows what the "family" is.

"A country is an enlarged family..." Cao Xiu tried to explain to little Cao Zhao what the concept of a "country" is. "Many families together form a country."

"So there are many fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters in this country?" Cao Zhao asked.

Cao Xiu nodded, "That's right."

"So these people are my parents, brothers and sisters?" Little Cao Zhao asked again.

"No." Cao Xiu shook his head.

"Then...what if they all want to be my parents?" Cao Zhao suddenly discovered a brilliant point.

"This, probably not."

"What if it does?"

Cao Xiu suddenly realized that he couldn't explain it, so he threw his hands away and said, "You will understand this when you grow up..."

Little Cao Zhao seemed to understand but not quite.

  But now the old and tired Cao Xiu understood that the young Cao Zhao at that time had inadvertently revealed the truth about the Han country!

Everyone wants to be a father or a grandfather!

No one wants to be a son or a grandson!

Even if the officials of the Han Dynasty said that they were pleading for the people and speaking for the people, once they turned around and sat in the position, they became the parents of the people.

Can……

But this cannot be a reason for Cao Zhao to betray and surrender to the enemy!

Cao Xiu was puzzled and felt ashamed.

  The child does not teach, the father too!

Amidst the shame, a nameless fire of karma surged.

How could Cao Zhao do this?

Could it be that Cao Xiu set some example for him?

Cao Xiu's parents died, and Cao Xiu carried the coffin for thousands of miles, but he never thought about changing his surname or seeking honor! He was born with the surname Cao, and he was still surnamed Cao after his death! How much suffering he endured, he chewed it, swallowed it, how many tears he shed, he wiped it, and swallowed it!

Without parental discipline, children seem to have "full" freedom, but in reality they suffer "necessary" suffering!

Although Cao Xiu's "verbal teachings" may not be as profound and profound as those of the great scholars, but as for "teaching by example", Cao Xiu felt that he did not teach Cao Zhao any tricks, cowardice or laziness!

But why did Cao Zhao betray the Cao family and join the Huqi Army? !

  why?

Cao Xiu couldn't understand it at all.

Even after seeing Cao Zhao's "letter of persuasion to surrender", Cao Xiu still found it ridiculous. Is this the child he "taught by personal example"?

He doesn't believe it!

In other words, Cao Xiu couldn't believe it!

At that time, this was the only thought left in Cao Xiu's mind.

After the initial shame, anger and suspicion, Cao Xiu began to think that Cao Zhao might have written the letter under duress, and that there might be some key information hidden in the letter. So he suppressed his anger and read it again carefully and seriously.

But at this moment, Lu Zhao arrived.

……

……

The night is cold and the wind is chilly.

Cao Xiu was hit in the eyes by the wind and sand. He closed his eyes slightly, but the blood color that filled the air at that time could not be eliminated...

……

……

"Ahaha, I heard your son has sent a letter?" The voice arrived before Lu Zhao's men arrived.

Lu Zhao has been very depressed these past few days, and the more depressed he is, the more angry he becomes. The resentment that has been gradually accumulating in his heart has naturally become more and more intense.

Lu Zhao originally thought that after he defeated Wenxi, he could go back.

This was the annual task assigned to him by Dahan Cao Group Co., Ltd. Even if Lu Zhao’s completion of the task did not have a good input-output ratio, it was completed after all!

Wenxi has been conquered and is now under the control of Cao's army. This is definitely a fact, right?

As for the fact that Wenxi has become a ruin now, that is another matter.

Just like performance is performance and manpower is manpower, although there are some connections between the two, we cannot say that the two are completely equal!

But now Lu Zhao felt that his "performance" had met the standard, but Cao Xiu came over to ask about Wenxi's "human resources"!

  Does this make sense?

If both "performance" and "human resources" are required, then at the beginning either sufficient resources or ample support must be provided. As a result, you, Cao Xiu, come late and then say that Wenxi's "human resources" do not meet the standards?

But when the task was originally assigned, was it Wenxi's "performance" or Wenxi's "manpower" that was required? !

  Oh, you are saying you want them all now, so why didn’t you make it clear at the beginning?

Are you afraid that if you explain it clearly, no one will take on this task?

  The key point is that Lu Zhao thinks Cao Xiu is holding him hostage, threatening him, and wants him to be cannon fodder. Lu Zhao has no objection to letting others be cannon fodder, as long as he is not the one being used. But now those ordinary cannon fodders have either run away or died. Now it is Lu Zhao's turn to be cannon fodder. Can Lu Zhao be willing and willing?

Therefore, Lu Zhao kept muttering something sarcastic along the way, and the further north he went, the more dissatisfied he became. No supplies, no supplies, and still no supplies!

Isn't this Cao Xiu leading himself to a dead end?

Now I heard that Cao Xiu had received a letter from his child Cao Zhao, and the key was that it was obtained from the cavalry scouts!

  How can Lu Zhao not come? !

Even if it's not for any reason, I know there's nothing to say, but I still have to vent the resentment in my heart first!

So Lu Zhao laughed even more arrogantly, "General Cao! This... what is this, your son is really filial! Even though there are thousands of mountains and rivers between us, the love between father and son cannot be blocked! General Cao, why don't you quickly share your son's letter with all of us! Let's see if there is any good news!"

Cao Xiu's eyes turned cold, "What does this have to do with you? Go and deal with military affairs and reorganize the soldiers!"

"snort!"

Lu Zhao sat down without hesitation.

If it was before, Lu Zhao would probably still obey orders reluctantly because of Cao Xiu's status, but now...

"Military affairs are not urgent!" Lu Zhao said, "Even if we reorganize, how can we get food and grass from the sky? But General Cao..."

Lu Zhao stared at Cao Xiu, "Hahahaha, I heard that your son got this letter... from a scout of the Hussars? General, please explain why your son's letter was in the Hussars' place! !"

Among the words that Lu Zhao said, he emphasized certain words, and their meanings were naturally self-evident.

"…" Cao Xiu was silent for a moment, then said, "My son was defeated in the battle and was captured, so he wrote a last letter to me…"

"Hmm?" Lu Zhao narrowed his eyes, obviously unwilling to believe it. "If that's the case, General, you should take it out and let us all see it! This is also a great way to motivate the soldiers, isn't it? General, take it out!"

Of course Cao Xiu couldn't take it out.

"Ahahahaha!" Lu Zhao laughed. "I can't believe it. I can't believe it. Look at you, Cao Zilie, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, you also did such a thing! If you want to be rich and powerful, why do you need to use our blood and flesh to pave the way?!"

"What do you mean?" Cao Xiu said in a deep voice.

"That's what I mean!" Lu Zhao refused to give in. "If you want to surrender, don't drag us down as bargaining chips for your promotion and wealth! Tell me, how much reward can you get if you sell us out, and what position can you get?"

Cao Xiu was furious, "Nonsense!"

"Then show me the letter!" Lu Zhao refused to give in.

"..." Cao Xiu was suddenly speechless.

"Humph!" Lu Zhao sneered, "Look, look! I was right!"

Cao Xiu stood up and said, "I order you to immediately organize military affairs and inspect the sentries!"

"It has come to this, why are you still pretending?! What's the point of military duty, what's the point of being a sentry!" Lu Zhao also stood up and retorted, "You are lucky! Your last name is Cao! If your last name is not Cao, you are worse than me!"

"What did you say?" Cao Xiu shouted, "How dare you! Are you going to disobey military orders?"

"You want to sell us for your wealth and glory, why do you want us to obey military orders?!" Lu Zhao shouted, "If you want to surrender, go ahead! Let's go our separate ways! We can go back on our own! At worst, we can become bandits in the Luliang Taihang Mountains, which is better than being sold to the cavalry by you and living freely!"

"There is no one in Cao's army who is afraid of death!" Cao Xiu shouted in a deep voice. What he meant was that no one would surrender, whether he was still alive or his child, but in reality, as long as Cao Xiu could not produce the letter, no one would believe what he said.

"Hahaha! What's wrong with being afraid of death? Who doesn't want to live? It's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death! Just because your child can surrender to save his life, we have to fight to the death? Why? ! " Lu Zhao looked at Cao Xiu with disdain in his eyes, "You are not as good as me. At least I am innocent. Hahahaha, I won't be that person, and I have to pretend to be..."

"How dare you!" Cao Xiu drew out his sword, "Are you taking advantage of my weak sword?"

Lu Zhao was startled and took a step back, but he quickly reacted and became even more angry. He snatched the sword from the hand of a soldier beside him, drew it out, pointed at Cao Xiu and shouted: "This world was not named Cao in the past! It is not named Cao now! Whoever has the ability can sit on the throne, this is the way of heaven!"

"How dare you! Why don't you just give up now? I think you have been diligent over the years..."

Cao Xiu still wanted to ease the situation, or save it, but he actually forgot one thing, that is, he failed to contact Xiahou Dun in time...

All the preparations that should have been made in Luliang Mountain are gone!

  Without supplies, the soldiers will naturally become anxious, uneasy and frightened!

And Cao Zhao's letter only triggered these emotions in advance...

If Cao Xiu could find some supplies and publish the letter earlier, and describe the cavalry's evil plot in a very contemptuous manner, maybe he could get away with it.

That’s right, the prerequisite is to find supplies!

  You can’t even afford to eat, and yet you expect everyone under you to be obedient and law-abiding?

This is obviously impossible.

Seeing that Cao Xiu still wanted him to surrender and obey under such circumstances, Lu Zhao suddenly gathered all the resentment and anger that had accumulated over the past few days together, and his voice suddenly became shrill, "Mr. Cao! You left a way out for your own child, but forced us into a desperate situation!"

"presumptuous!"

Cao Xiu shouted.

The guards following Cao Xiu also saw that the situation was not good and surrounded them.

"I am presumptuous?!"

Lu Zhao laughed in anger, "I, Lu Zhao, have worked hard and tirelessly for you, Cao family, like a slave, and allowed you to drive me around! Now I just refuse to surrender to you, Cao Xiu, and I don't want to be a bargaining chip for you, Cao Xiu, to get promoted and make money! You, Cao Xiu, are saying that I am bold and presumptuous! Hahahaha! Is there such a reason in the world?! If you don't want to reason, then don't talk! My men! If you are willing to follow me and be free and easy, then follow me! The world is so big, there is always a place for you to stay, and you will no longer be bullied by this filthy bird!"

"Don't leave!" Cao Xiu shouted, "I am the leader of the army, all soldiers must obey my orders! Anyone who disrupts the army will be executed!"

Lu Zhao tore off his cape and threw it to the ground. "You soldiers, just disobey me! I'm leaving today, who dares to stop me? ! If you are brave enough, you can go with me and have fun together!"

……

……

Fires flickered and blood filled the air.

Cao Xiu looked at his hands.

There was still some blood on it.

Lu Zhao wanted to break up the partnership right then and there, but Cao Xiu naturally refused.

After a while, the verbal dispute escalated into a physical fight.

Lu Zhao is dead.

Cao Xiu killed him with his own hands.

If we don't kill them, the whole army will be in chaos.

But if they killed him, the whole army would be in chaos.

Although Lu Zhao was dead, everyone heard what he said.

  Those words, every word, were like sharp steel knives and swords, piercing Cao Xiu's heart and chopping Cao Xiu's forehead!

It’s not like Cao Xiu hasn’t encountered strong enemies before, nor has he not been in danger and failed on the battlefield, but his will has always been as strong as steel, and his loyalty to the Cao family has never wavered in the slightest!

But this time...

  Although there were many other factors, Cao Zhao's letter undoubtedly rubbed Cao Xiu's face on the ground! The righteousness he insisted on and expounded became a joke!

Although Cao Xiu temporarily suppressed the controversy by beheading Lu Zhao in the end, everything seemed to be sliding into the abyss amid the blood!

Some soldiers, unwilling to participate in the fight between Cao Xiu and Lu Zhao, sneaked away in the night...

Now, only Cao Xiu's troops and a small number of Cao's soldiers are left.

Cao Xiu changed his route. He no longer went to Taiyuan, but to Linfen and Pingyang.

Cao Zhao's letter asked him to surrender...

  No, he would never surrender!

If Cao Xiu also chose to surrender, then what had he done all the way here and why?

Why are they still working so hard for the overall situation?

It’s better to just lie down on the ground and enjoy life!

Cao Xiu could no longer make sense of everything. In his heart, all that was left was the most helpless exhaustion.

There was no food to be found in Luliang Mountain, and he ate almost everything he could find. In the end, Cao Xiu didn't even know whether he was a human or a ghost, but he still had a breath in his heart!

  But Cao Xiu knew one thing, his surname was Cao!

Not all people with the surname Cao are wimps!

  Even if his son surrendered, he would not surrender!

Linfen, Pingyang!

Since his son wanted to persuade him to surrender, he would use his life to teach his son a few final lessons...

  People need a little backbone and a little toughness!

Even if all the Caos retreated and surrendered, he still would not retreat!

He will go to Pingyang, but he will not surrender, but pretend to surrender!

  He will fight to the death in Pingyang!

He wanted to let everyone in the world see that the descendants of Cao still had courage and the spirit to never surrender even in death!