Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3914 The Entire Province Rebels, the Lonely Prince is Unvirtuous

After several days of defeat and misery, Cao Cao's army seemed to have a turning point.

Cao Ren has arrived.

Cao Ren arrived with reinforcements.

Inside Sishui Pass, when news spread that Cao Ren had led reinforcements from Shandong to the pass, the defending troops, shrouded in despair, seemed to finally see the warm sun in the winter and feel a rare warmth...

Confined within this increasingly cramped and isolated pass, facing the formidable and even intimidating cavalry army outside the pass day after day, and feeling their relentless and methodical advance and pressure, the ordinary soldiers of Cao Cao's army, regardless of whether they were veterans of countless battles, had their spirits stretched to the limit.

They desperately need a glimmer of hope from the outside world, even if that hope is as small as a tiny match in the dead of winter...

They desperately needed the comfort that the word "reinforcements" itself brought, even if it was just symbolic "reinforcements"...

At least it will make them feel that they have not been abandoned or forgotten by the entire Han Dynasty and the whole world.

News of the arrival of reinforcements spread like wildfire throughout the interior of the pass.

Many soldiers involuntarily crowded to the inside of the gate wall. Whether they were on the ramp leading to the city, blocking the narrow passageway, or standing on the not-so-wide street inside the gate, they all craned their necks and stood on tiptoe, looking towards the city gate leading into the gate.

looking forward to, looking forward to...

Then Cao Jun's ordinary soldiers and military officers began to stir, cheering and jumping for joy almost out of control!
It really is reinforcements!
On these tired and numb faces, a faint glimmer of light seemed to suddenly appear.

They saw the long line of people coming in!
They really are reinforcements!
Although……

The reinforcements' flags were not bright...

The marching column was also not orderly...

The armor and weapons on his body were also somewhat uneven...

But in the eyes of these people who have been steeped in despair for too long, any reinforcements, any troops from the Kanto region bearing the character "Cao," are enough to be regarded as a life-saving rain!
Joyful cheers and whispered discussions of relief spread through the crowd, temporarily dispelling the deathly silence that had shrouded the area for days.

It was like injecting a powerful stimulant into a body that had been ill for a long time.

It's hard to say how long they can keep jumping around, but at least for now they're still jumping around...

……

……

Cao Cao stood on a high place to welcome Cao Ren's arrival.

Although Cao Ren was delayed by several days compared to the plan, Cao Cao still tried his best to straighten his back, showing no sign of the anxiety, insomnia, or inner fear he had been experiencing these days.

The gold and silver armor that symbolized the prime minister's majesty shone brightly in the sunlight.

Cao Cao's face was beaming with excitement, and he even deliberately made the curve of his lips appear larger.

When Cao Ren and several key military officers stepped forward to pay their respects, Cao Cao quickly stepped forward, personally helping Cao Ren to his feet. Far from uttering a word of complaint about Cao Ren arriving too late or having too few reinforcements, Cao Cao repeatedly praised him, vigorously patting Cao Ren's dust-covered armor and saying loudly, "Zixiao, you've traveled a long way, you must be tired! You've arrived just in time!"

Cao Cao laughed heartily, then turned to the other military officers who had accompanied him, offering them words of comfort and saying things like "the soldiers are brave and loyal."

For a moment, everyone seemed to be immersed in a sea of ​​joy.

Cao Cao smiled, his eyes narrowed.

But deep in his eyes, when Cao Cao's gaze passed over Cao Ren and several military officers and landed on the "reinforcements" who had entered the training ground and were waiting for their assignments, his heart, which had been slightly expectant, felt as if it had fallen into an icy abyss!
A chill ran to the bone.

Most of these so-called "reinforcements" looked pale and squinty, their eyes darting around, revealing the weariness of a long journey and the bewilderment and fear of the unknown road ahead.

Their armor was incomplete; they didn't even have two-piece armor. Many people wore only old leather armor, or even just some iron plates or leather armor hanging from their chests and abdomens.

The weapons they wielded were also varied and diverse.

The ranks were sloppy, the posture was crooked, and they couldn't even follow orders properly, requiring constant reminders and corrections from the accompanying non-commissioned officers...

Although some veterans with slightly more composed demeanor and sharper eyes could be identified, their numbers were few.

Such a team might be able to barely fill the gaps in the city walls when defending the city, but expecting them to go out and fight against the elite cavalry, or to execute any complex tactics that require strict discipline and coordination, is nothing short of wishful thinking!

It could even become the Achilles' heel that leads to their own downfall...

However, Cao Cao's smile did not disappear; instead, it became even more amiable. He even nodded to the fearful new recruits, seemingly quite satisfied.

Cao Cao showed no doubt or dissatisfaction. He simply instructed his men in a clear and calm tone to properly arrange for the troops brought by Cao Ren to rest in the designated area, to immediately distribute hot food and water, and to check and replenish the necessary armor and equipment for these reinforcements.

Everything was arranged in an orderly manner.

Only after everyone had dispersed did Cao Cao lead Cao Ren back to his residence. After waving away all the bystanders, he finally removed the mask of 'gratification' and 'excitement' that he had been forcing for so long...

Cao Cao removed his crown, revealing his gray hair. Turning his head, he saw the sorrowful look in Cao Ren's eyes, forced a smile, and pointed to the crown, saying, "My hair is turning gray faster every day... wearing it hurts so much..."

In order to keep the heavy crown stable, they had to pull the little hair they had left tightly. The tighter they pulled, the more hair fell out and thinned...

Cao Ren felt as if he had been struck hard by a heavy hammer, and his eyes immediately turned red!
The Cao Cao before him was completely different from the Cao Chancellor he remembered—a man of great influence, domineering presence, and unbridled power!
Even setting aside the initial pacification of Jingzhou back then, even when Cao Cao led his army to aid Jingzhou last time, he never looked this dejected and aged!
That once dignified and resolute face was now bloodless, with sunken eyes and dark bluish-black shadows around it that even deliberate powdering could not completely conceal.

Cao Cao's cheekbones were particularly prominent due to his thin and sunken cheeks, which made his originally square jawline appear sharp and pointed.

What terrified Cao Ren the most were Cao Cao's eyes...

Those eyes, which were once sharp and seemed to pierce through people's hearts, are now not only filled with fatigue, but also somewhat cloudy, and covered with countless blood vessels...

It was as if all energy and hope had been exhausted, leaving only a pale, withered state.

In just a short period of time, Cao Cao seemed to have aged more than ten years!

Even the golden and silver armor that Cao Cao once wore, which symbolized supreme power and majesty, now appeared unusually empty and large, like a heavy and ill-fitting shell.

"Zixiao..."

Cao Cao's voice was hoarse and weak, completely lacking its usual strength and booming quality, "How...is the Central Plains?"

Cao Ren's throat bobbed violently as he forcibly suppressed the surging bitterness in his heart. He lowered his head, composed himself, and recounted what he had seen and heard along the way, beginning with the chaos and retreat of various forces after the defeat in Jingzhou, then the fear and hesitation of the counties along the route, the difficulty in recruiting soldiers, and finally Xun Yu's insistence on dividing his forces and leading a portion of the volunteers to Xuchang to resist Guan Yu's northern invasion...

Cao Ren spoke in great detail, without exaggeration or fabrication. However, when he mentioned Xun Yu's ultimate choice to go to Xu County, Cao Ren's tone still betrayed a barely suppressed resentment...

In Cao Ren's view, Xun Yu's actions were undoubtedly a form of "betrayal"!
Cao Cao listened quietly, his face expressionless, like a deep pool or an ancient well.

After Cao Ren finished speaking and stopped, Cao Cao spoke in a tone devoid of joy, sorrow, resentment, or anger, as if discussing a complete stranger, "Wenruo... has his reasons, and his will has always been... very firm... so there's no need to blame him..."

Cao Cao uttered only this ambiguous and somewhat vague statement, and then said no more about it.

It was as if Xun Yu's "departure" had already been within his complex expectations and calculations.

Or perhaps, in the face of such a deadly crisis, one's own fate and loyalty have become insignificant, not worth the effort to judge or lament.

After a brief pause, Cao Cao then recounted the current situation at Sishui Pass to Cao Ren.

Cao Cao made no attempt to hide anything, nor did he conceal the precarious situation he was in, teetering on the brink of disaster. The relentless pressure from the cavalry outside the pass, and the increasingly obvious preparations for a final assault…

The grain and supplies within the Great Wall are becoming increasingly scarce, and strict rationing has begun. The remaining stock is estimated to last only a little over a month...

The morale of the defending troops continued to decline under prolonged high pressure and scarcity. Although desertion was temporarily curbed by harsh military law, undercurrents were still surging...

The officials and nobles accompanying the emperor each harbored their own ulterior motives; some secretly conspired, some feigned illness to avoid the emperor, and most had already prepared petitions of apology in preparation for switching allegiances at any time…

Finally, he mentioned the Xiahou brothers' proactive attack after their crushing defeat the other day...

Cao Cao's tone remained calm, but Cao Ren could hear the deep helplessness buried beneath that calmness.

Every word Cao Cao spoke was like a huge boulder, weighing heavily on Cao Ren's heart, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

Even though Cao Ren had anticipated all sorts of dire situations and made some mental preparations before arriving at Sishui Pass, he still found it difficult to accept after hearing Cao Cao's account...

"In the current situation, we lack the will to defend to the death internally, and we have no elite troops to fight externally. Our supplies are running low, and reinforcements are imminent..." Cao Cao paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over Cao Ren, "truly a situation beset by internal and external troubles, like carrying a thousand pounds on a pile of eggs, a single pillar trying to support a collapsing building—it's difficult, it's perilous..."

Upon hearing this, Cao Ren felt sorrow, shame, and remorse.

What followed was uncontrollable anger!
Cao Ren slammed his fist on the wooden table in front of him with a loud thud. The table bounced a few times and groaned in pain.

"Hateful! Deserves to be killed! Absolutely deserves to be killed!"

Cao Ren, his hair bristling, roared like a wounded tiger, "Those Shandong gentry, those families of Yingchuan and Qiaopei, which one of them doesn't rely on our lord's power and virtue to share in the spoils and enjoy wealth and luxury? Their estates stretch for miles, their servants are numerous, and their private armies are countless! Now that the country is in trouble, and our lord is in danger, when we need your help, they all make excuses and feign compliance! They've sent nothing but this useless rabble to fill the ranks! And those parasites in the court, those high-ranking officials, only know how to protect their own lives. Have they ever sincerely considered the lord's great cause, the court, or the overall situation of the nation? They are all short-sighted, cowardly fools! They should all be killed! All of them should be killed!!"

Cao Ren continued to curse, his chest heaving violently.

Cao Cao simply sat there quietly, watching Cao Ren rage. He neither echoed Cao Ren's vehement accusations nor tried to stop the angry shouts that could spread and affect the morale of the army.

Cao Cao knew that Cao Ren was venting his emotions under immense pressure.

only……

If such angry cursing were effective, Cao Cao would have cursed everyone in the world long ago.

Can mere insults deter tens of thousands of fierce and ruthless troops from beyond the Great Wall?

Can you conjure up enough food and provisions to sustain an army from thin air?
Can it unite the hearts of those who have long been scattered and are each with their own thoughts?
Neither is possible.

Therefore, it seems that Cao Cao had already exhausted his desire to vent his anger and release his emotions.

After Cao Ren's breathing had calmed down and his angry curses subsided, leaving only heavy breathing, Cao Cao slowly said, "I used the pretext of peace talks to engage in several rounds of maneuvering with General Huo Qubing... a mix of truth and falsehood, reality and illusion... What Fei Ziyuan seeks is the greater good and a prestigious position..."

Cao Cao seemed to be stating an objective fact to Cao Ren, or perhaps he was wearily sorting out his chaotic thoughts, trying to find a way out of the chaos, even if that way was full of thorns and dangers, he had no choice but to continue walking.

Because whether you stop or turn back, it's all the same—death.

Cao Cao sighed, "However... now the troops outside the pass are preparing for war, and their siege weapons are increasing daily... the day of the final assault is probably... not far off."

Cao Cao was truly feeling mentally exhausted.

Even the gaps between my bones were filled with exhaustion.

He initially tried to stall, using the pretext of peace talks to buy time, but all his hopes were dashed...

The alliance of sour jujubes has now become a dream of sour jujubes.

Shandong's aid has now turned into Shandong's resentment.

Although Cao Cao did gain many benefits in the process of "holding the emperor hostage to command the princes" and also had conflicts with the powerful clans and gentry in Shandong and the Central Plains, at least at this moment, Cao Cao was standing in front of Shandong and the Central Plains, blocking the advance of the Flying Cavalry!

What is the attitude and reaction of this group of people in Shandong and Central China in the current situation?
Cao Cao was naturally unaware that these aristocratic gentry and local strongmen, who depended on the land and grew by sucking the blood of the people, were not only a problem in the Han Dynasty, but also extended to the Song Dynasty, then to the Ming Dynasty, and even to the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China.

Because they are intelligent, they know the source of their power, luxury, and superiority over the common people...

It is precisely because they understand this so well that they will never be of one mind with a centralized dynasty.

Absolutely not!

They may have different names because of different eras, but their essence is the same: they are parasitic cancerous variants grafted onto dynasties, devouring the blood that originally belonged to the whole of China, intercepting nutrients, and dominating the region.

They control the mouthpiece and numb the nerves, all for the sake of constantly growing stronger and stronger!

Until the parasitic dynasty declines and decays, instead of thinking about how to save it, they start thinking about finding the next host.

Even when some powerful emperors occasionally intervened, such as Zhu Yuanzhang, who severely cracked down on powerful clans during the Hongwu reign and attempted to bring the gentry under state control, the gentry class quickly regained their local influence after Zhu Yuanzhang's death through the imperial examination system, marriage alliances, and other means. They even developed new immunity after withstanding one blow.

From the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Northern Song Dynasty and the Southern Ming Dynasty, the "betrayal" of the gentry and landlord class was not a simple accident, but a result of institutional design and economic interests, and was an absolute inevitability.

Cao Cao, to some extent, was also an "idealist." Naturally, he couldn't see through everything like the keyboard warriors of later generations and understand the true nature of the gentry and local bullies of Shandong and Central Plains during the Han Dynasty.

The previous loss of Ye City and the fall of Ji Province, along with the news that his wife, children, and possessions had fallen into enemy hands, had already dealt a heavy blow to Cao Cao, causing him to falter and display poor strategy. Now, having learned of Cao Ren's situation and seen the "reinforcements" from Shandong and the Central Plains, Cao Cao was truly disheartened, feeling as if everything had become meaningless...

Never mind, I'm tired...

If none of these people in Shandong and Zhongyuan are going to put in any more effort, why should Lao Cao bother?

But Cao Cao still harbored a sliver of resentment!
Perhaps some were reluctant to give up the position of prime minister, or the riches and honors, but more than that, they were unwilling to associate with these cowards from Shandong and the Central Plains!

Otherwise, why would Cao Cao have hung up a five-colored rod in Luoyang back then?

If everyone just agrees, wouldn't it be simple?
It was precisely because he was unwilling to accept this situation and because he was unwilling to be like these people that Cao Cao angrily raised an army to pursue Dong Zhuo after the incident at Suanzao. Otherwise, wouldn't it have been even more fun and exciting if everyone had sung, danced, and drunk together at Suanzao?

Of course, Cao Cao wasn't always the same; he also experienced inner conflict, made choices, suffered pain, and made peace...

Now, the "reinforcements" brought by Cao Ren have tantamount to "destroying" some of Cao Cao's "hopes," revealing the bloody cruelty of the Shandong Central Plains gentry.

Anyway, it was Cao Cao who died, and members of the Cao and Xiahou clans...

In any case, the unlucky one is Emperor Liu Xie, or some other young emperor or even a very young emperor...

As long as they can live, as long as they can parasitize, even if they are temporarily cut off, as long as some roots can be left...

"Haha...hahaha..." Cao Cao suddenly laughed, slapping his thigh. "Fei Ziyuan's 'peace negotiation' strategy is brilliant, brilliant...it wins over a thousand armies without losing a single soldier!"

At this moment, Cao Cao truly appreciated the brilliance of Fei Qian's "peace talks" strategy!
The word "peace talks" sparked the Shandong gentry's boundless desire for compromise and reconciliation, and also extinguished Cao Cao's last hope of forming an alliance!
"How pathetic, how lamentable..." Cao Cao shook his head. "You cowards, you don't even know what Fei Ziyuan... desires for peace talks..."

Cao Cao understood, and he once thought that these guys in Shandong and the Central Plains understood as well. Now it seems that the only one who didn't understand was Cao Cao himself...

As the saying goes, those involved are often blinded by their own interests; this is certainly true.

Peace talks?

Cao Ren, standing to the side, became even more worried when he saw Cao Cao suddenly burst into laughter.

Suddenly, Cao Ren's eyes lit up!
"My lord!" Cao Ren's voice suddenly dropped to a very low hue, "Since that traitor Fei is feigning a desire for peace talks, and since the situation has deteriorated to this point... perhaps, perhaps we should really have a 'peace talk'!"