Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3819 Yehe
The Prime Minister's Mansion, once a symbol of the pinnacle of Cao family power, now resembles a lone boat tossed about in a storm.

Back then, it also symbolized the glory of the Yuan family.

Outside the high walls, the cavalry came and went constantly, either clearing out the disorderly and maintaining order in the northern city.

Within the high walls, there was a suffocating atmosphere of deathly silence and anxiety.

Cao Pi's face was flushed an unnatural red, his eyes were bloodshot, and his gaze burned with resentment, fear, and...

Crazy.

A near-mad desire for destruction born from being driven to the brink of despair.

Historically, Cao Pi is hailed as a "model" for usurpers in later generations, but when exactly did Cao Pi usurp the Han throne?
220 years.

I'm sorry, but this year was also the year Cao Cao died.

In other words, Cao Pi did not even wait for the mourning period to end before he began his usurpation of the Han throne, and he ascended the throne at the end of December of that year, not even waiting until the following year.

On the other hand, Cao Pi's "achievements" in literature.

That's hard to say, since there's no absolute first place in literature.

From another perspective, Cao Pi truly couldn't even be considered "unrivaled in martial prowess," and there's hardly any compelling evidence to support even a mention of him. Perhaps due to this deficiency, Cao Pi persecuted members of the imperial clan and sought revenge for personal grudges upon ascending the throne, which may have indirectly contributed to the disbandment of the Qingzhou army. As a result, when the Sima clan overturned the established order, none of the Cao clan members were able to resist.

Interestingly, Cao Pi was highly regarded during and before the Tang Dynasty, but his reputation shifted to more negative opinions after the Song Dynasty.

What happened during the Tang Dynasty in history?
Imperial examination.

So, in the Tang Dynasty and before, who controlled the voice of public opinion? Were those who gave Cao Pi high praise genuinely evaluating his literary talent, or were they simply advocating for him to support the merits of the Nine-Rank System?

None of these things will be explicitly stated in history, nor will a standard answer be given.

Just like now, Chen Qun can no longer find the standard answers to the 'exam paper' in front of him...

Why...why are there only these few fires?

Chen Qun couldn't understand.

His voice was hoarse, as if he had been trekking through the desert for far too long...

"According to the plan, the northern part of the city should be engulfed in flames by now... Why aren't those granaries on fire? And those military academy personnel left behind... could they all be...?"

Chen Qun dared not think any further.

My mind was in complete chaos.

A chill, a feeling of things being completely out of control, crept up my spine little by little.

His entire cognitive system, upon which he relied for decision-making, seemed to be cracking under the weight of the burden.

"Wait? How long?!" Cao Pi's voice was sharp and piercing, filled with anxiety and unease. "Are we waiting until those cavalry bandits have completely established themselves and put their swords to my throat?! Chen Changwen! What about your plan?! What about your flawless strategy?! Didn't you say you were fully prepared? Didn't you say everything was as expected? What about your expectations?!"

Cao Pi poured all his frustration and negative emotions about the current situation onto Chen Qun.

Putting aside the fact that I stole, haven't you ever stolen anything? Putting aside the facts, haven't you ever made any mistakes?
He needs to find someone to take responsibility for him, otherwise the overwhelming despair will devour him first.

Under Cao Pi's sharp rebuke, Chen Qun's cheek muscles twitched slightly, but he still tried his best to persuade him, "Your Highness, the fire is not progressing as expected; there must be something fishy going on! Perhaps there's a problem in the middle of the culvert, or perhaps... people's hearts have changed... hastily setting the fire might not be enough to achieve a complete success, and might even... backfire on us! I suggest we wait for more concrete information, or... or seek another plan..."

Chen Qun instinctively sensed some danger, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was...

Or perhaps, in Chen Qun's mind, this source of danger has already been designated as a "trustworthy" area.

"Another strategy?! What other strategy?!" Cao Pi interrupted Chen Qun sharply, pointing to the smoke and fire in the northern city, to the few remaining flames, his voice shrill, "Look! Look at the northern city! Those officials who failed to enter the Three Platforms! Their families! Those loyal and brave soldiers still resisting in the streets! They are not here with me in the Three Platforms, not because I have abandoned them, but because they have voluntarily chosen to stay! They are using their loyalty, using their potential fate, to build the last line of defense for me, for the Cao family! This is their sacrifice, their dedication for the greater good!"

"Their sacrifice cannot be in vain!" Cao Pi spoke with increasing fervor, seemingly moved by his own words. He turned to face his attendants and the soldiers and officers of Cao's army, as if conducting a solemn ceremony. "I bear their expectations, I carry their loyal souls! How can I sit idly by and watch this opportunity slip away, betraying their sacrifice?! No! I cannot! Their sacrifice must be worthwhile! They must live on in this raging fire alongside the intruding rebels! This is loyalty! This is integrity! This is the true display of the heroic spirit of the subjects of my great Han!"

"Light the fire!" Cao Pi waved his arm, his expression solemn.

"For the countless loyal souls who willingly sacrificed themselves for the North City! To live up to their expectations!"

Cao Pi's voice was hoarse and high-pitched, filled with an absurd sense of ritual: "I, Cao Pi, here, in the name of the son of the Chancellor of the Great Han, perform this sacrificial ceremony! Light the fire, light the fire—!"

"Your Highness! No! Wait..."

Chen Qun's final attempt to dissuade him was completely thwarted by Cao Pi's resounding order to light the fire.

The torch, spinning and swaying, drew a blinding arc before plunging into the ditch and into the deep darkness.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment.

A moment later, a surge of blue and yellow light appeared, illuminating the faces of the soldiers and military academy students around the entrance to the culvert.

But before a smile could even appear—

"boom!!!"

Instead of the barbecue in the north city that Cao Pi had envisioned, there was a ferocious roar that sounded like it came from the depths of the earth—deep, muffled, and incredibly violent!

A roar filled with destructive intent!
With a loud bang, the entire plaza surrounding the entrance to the culvert, along with the surrounding high walls, groaned.

The beams and pillars of the surrounding houses creaked and groaned, and dust fell in clumps!

Immediately afterwards, the ferocious fire dragon did not rush out from the originally planned area in the North City, but instead roared and spewed out directly from under the foundation of the Prime Minister's Mansion square, from the drainage outlets, ventilation openings, and even from the cracks in the stone slabs!

The pungent smell of kerosene and the thick smoke from the explosion instantly engulfed everything near the exit!
"Aaaaaah!"

"The ground has collapsed!!"

Run!

Near the entrance to the culvert, chaos erupted instantly as soldiers screamed and scattered in all directions.

Cao Pi, standing on the high platform, was also thrown back by the huge shockwave of the explosion, almost falling over. The fanaticism and solemnity on his face were instantly replaced by extreme horror and disbelief.

He stared blankly at the flames gushing from the plaza at the entrance of the culvert, his mind a complete blank.

"How could this be... how could this happen... fire... how could fire..." Cao Pi stammered, his previous fervor completely gone, leaving only bewilderment and fear in the face of the out-of-control power.

Chen Qun was also stunned into silence by the scene before him.

He stared at the out-of-control, even rebellious flames, his face drained of all color, leaving only ashen despair.

He understood, everything made sense.

He understood where his earlier sense of danger had come from.

But it was all too late.

His meticulously planned strategy of burning the city ultimately ignited not the enemy's grave, but their own final refuge—the grave dug by the old order they represented.

The flames roared up, seemingly emitting a sharp mocking sound, or perhaps they were the most realistic portrayal of the blind, cruel, and ultimately self-destructive madness displayed by this corrupt dynasty and its rulers at the end of their rope.

……

……

The sudden explosion and towering flames within the high walls of the Prime Minister's residence not only plunged Cao Cao's army in the inner city into chaos and panic, but also left the cavalry in the northern city in a state of brief astonishment and stagnation.

What's wrong with this?

The loud noise and flames came too suddenly, and it wasn't some pre-arranged signal, was it?

Pang Tong was stunned for a long time before he finally reacted.

Although he couldn't know exactly what happened inside the high walls of the Prime Minister's residence that led to the self-destruction, combining Zhou Zhang's previous information about the kerosene, as well as the shape of the explosion and the characteristic that the fire started from the core, he instantly deduced the general situation...

It was most likely that Cao Pi and others mishandled the oil, playing with fire and getting burned!

"Truly, Heaven is helping our lord!" Pang Tong immediately realized that this was the perfect opportunity to further expand their gains amidst the chaos!

He doesn't need to wait until he knows the specific details before studying what measures to take. He only needs to take advantage of the current situation, provide the most favorable explanation for his side in the shortest possible time, and seize the opportunity!
"Pass on the order!"

Pang Tong issued the order: "The Cao family's tyrannical actions are an outrage against both gods and men! This is a divine punishment, a calamity that burns their lair and punishes their sins! All troops, heed my command! Quickly avoid the main fire and advance along the weakest points of the flames towards the inner city of the Prime Minister's residence! All units must shout 'Cao family, divine retribution!' to demoralize their troops! The promise of 'those who surrender will be spared' will shatter their fighting spirit!"

The command was executed efficiently.

The various units of the Flying Cavalry, which were originally clearing the streets and consolidating their occupied areas, immediately changed direction. Like a well-trained pack of wolves, they bypassed the burning area and launched a surprise attack on the inner city of the Prime Minister's residence from the flank.

At the same time, shouts of "The Cao family is punished by heaven!" and "Heavenly fire burns their city!" rang out with the drums and horns of the attack, shaking the heavens and the earth. Like invisible arrows, they struck the hearts of every fearful Cao army defender, making their hands and feet go numb and unable to grip their weapons!
……

……

Inside the Prime Minister's residence.

The opulent decorations brought about a near-hellish disaster.

Even in later generations, the byproducts of excessive decoration often bring formaldehyde damage and fire hazards, let alone these decorations from the Han Dynasty.

The carved beams and painted rafters are all made of wood.

Curtains and silk fabrics are all flammable.

The entrance to the culvert was indeed a relatively open space, but the oil and flames gushing out from the gaps in the culvert did not necessarily originate from just one place.

The explosion ignited a massive fire that spread wildly between the wooden structures and curtains, billowing thick smoke and distorting the air with scorching heat. The Cao army soldiers, already demoralized by the fall of the city and their entrapment, were now terrified by the "heavenly fire" emanating from within and the deafening "divine punishment."

Chen Qun was doing his best to direct the operation, but the scorching air and choking dust made it difficult for his orders to be effectively communicated and executed.

Even if the communication and implementation were carried out according to the usual standards, it might not be effective in the current situation...

Chen Qun's trusted men scrambled in, their faces covered in soot and terror.

"My lord! Something terrible has happened! The west gate has been breached! Commander Xiahou has been killed in battle!"

"It's over! The east corridor... the entire east corridor is on fire, we can't get through!"

"The cavalry are circling around the back mountain! They're climbing the cliffs behind the mountain!"

"My lord! The cavalry is attacking from that direction!"

"They...they're all shouting...that it's divine retribution..."

One piece of bad news after another came crashing down.

Chen Qun listened expressionlessly, his eyes vacant as he stared at the flames that seemed to carry the weight of destruction, as if the rewards were of no concern to him whatsoever.

The great, the momentum, is gone.

At this moment, Chen Qun was acutely aware of these four words.

Like a final judgment, it resounded in his mind.

He clearly realized that it was not just this city of Ye, nor just the Cao family's foundation, but also the entire Han Dynasty that he knew, believed in, and defended—the old system built upon classics, history, philosophy, literature, power struggles, laws, and hierarchical order—that was collapsing and being destroyed before his eyes in an extremely tragic and ironic way!

Chen Qun staggered, instinctively heading towards his official residence.

He paid no attention to the sounds emanating from his surroundings...

Looking back on his experiences over the past month, he felt as if he had just had an absurd and terrifying nightmare.

The various tactics and schemes employed by the Flying Cavalry were completely beyond his comprehension of warfare.

The old war model...

Offense, defense.

City walls, siege ladders.

The soldiers died beneath the city walls.

Flags fluttered atop the city walls.

This is the kind of person Chen Qun is familiar with, approves of, and hopes for...

Wasn't Zhao Yun known as a general of the Northern Kingdom?
Wasn't Zhang Liao known for his extraordinary bravery?
Zhao Yun had been operating in Youzhou for so long and had been lingering in northern Jizhou for so long, so why didn't he bring a large army, civilians, and all the siege equipment?

If Zhao Yun had brought the people of Youzhou and siege equipment, then he would have arrived at Ye City at least two months later!
With two more months, Chen Qun can do more, do better, and prepare more...

No, perhaps this is all that can be done...

Zhang Liao!

Why didn't Zhang Liao bravely take the lead and be the first to scale the city wall?

Why can't we have a proper, decisive battle? Why can't we just send our soldiers to attack the city?

Why spend all your efforts on appeasing the people and eliminating the spies hiding in the southern city?

Why? !
Chen Qun couldn't understand it.

The purely military confrontation he had hoped for never materialized during the Battle of Yecheng.

The cavalry force demonstrated an overwhelming advantage in every aspect, including economics, organization, morale, and even technology.

Chen Qun's supposedly brilliant strategies appeared so pale and laughable in the face of the opponent's systematic "new model" of warfare technology, like wielding a club or axe against a ranged bow and arrow.

(Chi You nodded vigorously, then cursed loudly, "Those two bastards, Yan and Huang, have no martial virtue!")

Chen Qun had long been aware of the powerful vitality of the new system and understood the irredeemable decay of the old system.

But he was powerless to do anything...

The Cao family was plagued by internal strife, disunity, resource shortages, and command failures, ultimately leading to this disgraceful self-destruction.

He, Chen Qun, prided himself on his intelligence and resourcefulness, yet he couldn't even fully grasp the most basic properties of kerosene...

Foolish?
indeed.

But in Shandong and the Central Plains, which aristocratic son, high-ranking official, or nobleman would delve into "lowly professions" or value "skills"?
Aren't those just "ingenious tricks"?

Isn't the "classical texts and historical collections" the right path?

Is it possible to govern the world with just "half of the Analects"?
Only now does Chen Qun understand, only now does he regret, only now does he realize how painful it is to have bumped into a coffin...

He realized that he had completely failed.

It was not just a military defeat, but a complete collapse in terms of understanding and strategy.

He also clearly foresaw his own end.

Cao Pi needed a scapegoat to take the blame for all the crimes.

And Chen Qun, the chief strategist who offered the poisonous plan to burn the city but ultimately led to his own self-destruction, was undoubtedly the best candidate.

Even if Cao Pi didn't kill him, the General of the Cavalry would never tolerate such a remnant of the old regime who had repeatedly devised treacherous schemes and nearly caused the deaths of countless people.

Surrender? Beg for survival?
For him, that was a humiliation more unbearable than death.

He chose to die with the old system.

He couldn't integrate into that new, unfamiliar world, nor was he willing to eke out a living on the ruins of the old world.

He slowly stood up and walked somewhat unsteadily to the desk.

The writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table were still there, only covered with a thin layer of dust.

He carefully brushed away the dust and spread out a plain white silk cloth.

His hands trembled slightly, but his eyes were unusually calm, even carrying a sense of relief and indifference.

He picked up his brush, covered it, and dipped it in ink.

Begin writing.

It was no longer a memorial to the throne, no longer a policy essay, but a poem, his words of self-reproach.

With each stroke of the pen, every word seemed to weep blood.

Yet it also carries a twisted, stubbornness, a self-defense...

Alas, misfortune has befallen me, and my fate is fraught with peril! It is not a matter of lacking wisdom, but rather that Heaven has not been on my side!

"Wolves usurped the throne, ritual and music collapsed, evil arts ran rampant, and ancient paths vanished!"

I exhausted my loyalty and wisdom to try and save the collapsing edifice, but alas, a single pillar cannot hold it up; the raging tide has already turned!

"It is not a fault of war, but Heaven's will to destroy me! How can human power defy it?! Now that the great edifice has collapsed and its pillars have crumbled, how can I have the face to live on?"

"I will sacrifice myself for this nation, to join the sages in the underworld, and to confess my sins in the netherworld!"

Alas! How painful! Heaven has truly ordained this; what can be said of it?

After finishing writing, Chen Qun threw down his pen and burst into tears.

He patted his robes, trying to brush off the dust, but he failed. The dust and blood on his hands only made the robes dirtier with each flick...

Finally, Chen Qun could only manage to straighten his cap, then tugged at his collar and sleeves, as if he were going to attend an important court assembly.

Then, he slowly drew his sword.

The sword was icy cold, reflecting his pale face and the ever-brightening firelight outside the window, a sign of destruction.

Without hesitation, without lingering attachment.

He held the sword to his neck, and with his last bit of strength, he pulled hard!
Blood, like blooming red plum blossoms, instantly stained his official robes and splattered on his final poem...

It seems to be a final touch made for him.

In this real and cruel old man, he drew his own final chapter.

He fell, he fell into the ashes of the old world.

Perhaps he understood...

Perhaps, even in his dying moments, he never truly understood what he had lost to...