Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3915 Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you.
Cao Cao's gaze suddenly focused, like two cold stars, shifting from the direction of the charcoal brazier back to lock firmly on Cao Ren's face, signaling him to continue.

Cao Ren leaned forward, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, "This humble general has come here... to secretly load all the gunpowder from the Xuchang armory and along the way, mixing it with grain carts, and transporting it to the interior! If used in concentrated force, its power would be enough to crush metal and stone, collapse beams and pillars, and shatter halls!"

Cao Cao's eyes lit up for a moment, then he narrowed them again, stroking his beard and remaining silent.

Cao Ren gritted his teeth, like a ferocious beast ready to devour its prey, and said, enunciating each word clearly: "This General of the Cavalry, hasn't he been constantly proclaiming his desire for a meeting, to display his power? Then… so be it! Choose a seemingly secure location within the pass, carefully arrange everything, and invite him in for a detailed discussion! He'll be confident of victory and will naturally fall for the trap! At that time, gunpowder can be secretly buried underground beforehand, or hidden under load-bearing beams and pillars! As long as he steps inside…"

Cao Ren clenched his right fist tightly, his knuckles cracking slightly from the force. "As long as that traitor Fei is dead! The General Cavalry will be leaderless, like a dragon being beheaded; their army will surely fall into chaos!"

Cao Ren grew increasingly excited as he spoke, "Though their army is strong, their son is young and insufficient to command respect! Their generals, such as Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei, and Taishi Ci, are all heroes of their time; how can they be subservient to a mere child?! There will inevitably be power struggles and mutual suspicion! My lord, you can take advantage of their chaos to win them over, send eloquent and persuasive men out of the pass, promising them high-ranking positions, rich rewards, and even fiefdoms! If they can be persuaded to surrender, then do so; if not, find a way to incite them to distrust and attack each other! Once the cavalry army outside the pass is leaderless and internal strife tears them apart, their situation will naturally disintegrate! Perhaps we can even turn this seemingly hopeless situation around and reverse our fate, restoring order to the world!"

This plan is actually based on a series of extremely uncertain assumptions...

Does Fei Qian really want to negotiate?
Can it be successfully lured into the blast radius?

Can the buried explosives be reliably detonated at a critical moment?

Will the power of the explosion be enough to effectively kill Fei Qian, who is heavily protected?

At the same time, the most crucial issue is...

Cao Cao had already used this method.

The reason why they are so "persistent" in targeting Fei Qian personally is because this is almost the biggest "weak point" of Fei Qian's political group!
Insufficient offspring!

If Fei Qian can be eliminated, there is indeed a high probability that the situation described by Cao Ren will be achieved.

This seems to be the only hope in this desperate situation!
Beset by internal and external troubles, a single pillar cannot hold the line. All conventional methods have been exhausted; the only remaining option is to "capture the kingpin first!"
A brilliant plan that fundamentally collapses the enemy's command system, thereby giving the Cao family a chance to survive!
But the problem is...

Seeing that Cao Cao remained silent for a long time, Cao Ren assumed that Cao Cao was considering who should act as bait to lure Fei Qian, so he said, "My lord, there is no need to worry. I can be the bait to lure that traitor Fei here!"

"How could I not know of Zixiao's loyalty and courage?" Cao Cao shook his head, "However, if you leave... the chances of success will be slim, almost nonexistent..."

Cao Cao slightly raised his eyelids, his bloodshot eyes looking at Cao Ren. "Fei Ziyuan saw your arrival and knew you had brought troops to reinforce us. Since you already have troops to aid you, why surrender?"

"This..." Cao Ren was stunned for a moment.

"Hoo..." Cao Cao sighed with considerable emotion. "I have indeed used gunpowder many times... once in the Zhongtiao Mountains, once in the Song Mountains, and Zilian also buried gunpowder in Gong County before..."

Cao Cao shook his head. "What a pity..."

Cao Cao leaned on the table, stood up with some difficulty, put his hands behind his back, and slowly paced around.

If he could, Cao Cao would not have wanted to use such a "despicable" method.

Because this kind of "victory" is considered unjust.

The United States has always touted the rule of law in society, but in reality, the rule of law is always the bare minimum of morality, or even the bare minimum of morality at all—it's completely naked...

After all, the speed of legal patching has always been ridiculously slow, and in most cases, it takes bloodshed and bloodshed to patch up a hole in the law.

The Chinese people have always had higher aspirations!
To some extent, morality is the level of acceptance by ordinary people.

The decline of social morality means that the bottom line of ordinary people has been lowered, and things that were previously unacceptable are now appearing openly.

Interestingly, it's often not ordinary people who lower the moral standards.

Cao Cao's previous campaign into Guanzhong was aimed at defeating the Flying Cavalry in a direct confrontation. If Cao Cao had succeeded, the unification of the country would have belonged to the Cao family. The people of Ji Province, the people of Yu Province, and the powerful clans and gentry in other counties would all have recognized the Cao family's status, without any further effort required.

Unfortunately, Cao Cao failed.

Cao Cao spun around, his shadow cast long and swaying on the wall by the dim, flickering light, making him appear even thinner and more gaunt, as if he might fall apart at any moment.

After walking around for a while, Cao Cao stopped and said in a low voice, "I want to make someone like Fei Ziyuan completely lower his guard, even... to personally venture into dangerous places..."

Cao Cao's voice seemed to come from afar, carrying a chilling insight into human weakness: "We must make him believe without a doubt! Believe that our cause is lost, that the fate of the world is sealed! Even… make him believe that I, Cao Mengde, am utterly disheartened, my spirit broken, like an old dog with its spine removed! The Cao and Xiahou clans now only seek a sliver of hope to survive at the feet of the victor! Ha… only in this way is there a sliver of possibility…"

This conclusion, like a cold iron clamp, gripped Cao Ren's throat, causing him a suffocating pain.

What kind of "surrender" could possess such power to overturn the world and deceive a ruthless hero like Fei Qian?
That must be an irresistible and unbelievable "gift"!
A lure sufficient to dispel the last shred of doubt in the other party!

"Could it be..." Cao Ren swallowed hard, "...the emperor..."

Cao Cao frowned, remained silent for a long time, and finally shook his head. "Not advisable."

Although the "Emperor" card is already revealed, it is still an important card that Cao Cao holds in his hand. Playing it can certainly be considered a significant bait, but it is also possible that Fei Qian, this big fish, will swallow the bait and escape!

For example, Fei Qian could directly send the emperor to Chang'an, and then, in turn, order Cao Cao to "pay homage" to the emperor in the emperor's name. Would Cao Cao go or not?
The emperor is important, and it can indeed demonstrate a certain 'sincerity,' but it is too dangerous and too uncontrollable.

In the dead silence, countless possibilities swirled and tangled in Cao Cao's mind, until finally a figure slowly emerged...

Cao Cao stopped, his body pausing almost imperceptibly. In Cao Cao's eyes, there was struggle, pain, and helplessness, which ultimately dissipated into a bottomless darkness.

"Someone...go and summon..." Cao Cao ordered Dian Wei, who was guarding outside, "Summon Shuo'er."

Cao Shuo arrived quickly.

Cao Shuo was somewhat apprehensive. He dared not look Cao Cao in the eye. Upon entering the room, he immediately bowed and said, "Your son... Your son greets Father, and Uncle..."

Cao Cao looked at Cao Shuo, at this disappointing child.

Cao Shuo and Cao Ang were both born to Lady Liu.

Lady Liu died of illness after giving birth to Cao Shuo. Later, both Cao Ang and Cao Shuo were raised by Lady Ding.

After Cao Ang's death, Cao Cao projected some of his feelings for Cao Ang onto Cao Shuo, and therefore doted on him quite a bit...

"Shuo'er, come forward. Sit down."

Cao Cao waved his hand.

Cao Shuo sat down under the gazes of Cao Cao and Cao Ren, feeling extremely uneasy. He shifted restlessly a few times and stammered, "This...that...I don't know, Father, why did you summon me here?"

Cao Cao paused for a moment, then tried to describe the entire plan to Cao Shuo in a calm and even tone...

To send Cao Shuo as a "surrender envoy" was essentially to send him as a "hostage" to the General of the Cavalry's camp to express the Cao family's "surrender" to General Fei Qian, as the heir to the Cao and Xiahou families' great cause. The initial gifts sent, whether people or goods, were all meant to demonstrate "sincerity" and were not mixed with any dangerous items.

For a political group as large as the Cao family to truly surrender, it certainly wouldn't be a matter that could be settled in just a few words or a few days. There would have to be various negotiations, terms and conditions, and all sorts of follow-ups...

How to arrange things for the emperor, how to deal with the officials, the treatment of the Cao and Xiahou families, etc., all need to be discussed.

In this process, Cao Cao hoped that Cao Shuo could play the role of a hostage and gradually dispel Fei Qian's wariness. Ultimately, whether it was hiding gunpowder in the General Cavalry or luring the cautious and suspicious Fei Qian into the pass, as long as a major explosion was caused, severely injuring or killing Fei Qian, it would give the Cao family a final opportunity to counterattack!

Upon hearing Cao Cao's words, Cao Shuo turned pale, as if all the blood in his body had been drained in that instant!
"Father...Father!"

Cao Shuo collapsed to his knees with a thud, the dull thud of his knuckles hitting the ground audible. He felt as if struck by an invisible hammer, collapsing to his wits, his voice shrill with terror, "No...no! Absolutely not! That...that Fei traitor is a wolf in sheep's clothing, vicious and ruthless, cunning as a fox! If I...I go with my life, it's like a lamb entering a tiger's den! I will be subjected to all sorts of humiliation, perhaps...perhaps he'll...perhaps he'll behead me on the spot and display my head on the flagpole..."

Thinking of the terrifying aspects, Cao Shuo couldn't help but burst into tears. His originally handsome features were twisted together with fear, making him look even more wretched.

Why should he go?

Why?

He wasn't originally an heir, so why is he being asked to be a hostage now?
So, what about those molecules, electrons, and atoms? Why don't you go there?
"Father, Father!" Cao Shuo said hurriedly, "I am not an heir. Even if I go to General Huo's camp, he might not believe me!"

Cao Cao fell silent, his entire back seemed to sway slightly, and after a long while he closed his eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "Ye... Ye City has fallen... Pi'er... has fallen into the hands of the General of the Cavalry..."

"What?!" Cao Shuo was shocked and incredulous. He looked at Cao Cao, then quickly looked at Cao Ren, seemingly hoping to glean some insight from either Cao Cao or Cao Ren, or perhaps anticipating that Cao Ren or Cao Cao would say they were joking...

An awkward silence.

"This...this..." Cao Shuo crawled two steps on his knees, then banged his head on the ground, his forehead striking the earth with a dull thud. "Father! It's not that I'm unfilial and unwilling to share your burdens...it's just...it's just that this plan is too dangerous, a death sentence! Since I began my studies, though I haven't achieved anything significant, I've always thought of serving my country and bringing honor to my family...how can...how can I so carelessly throw my life away before the enemy chieftain? Furthermore...furthermore..."

Cao Shuo wasn't very clear about other things, but he knew that even if he successfully plotted against Fei Qian and managed to escape the trap without dying with Fei Qian, he himself, being in the enemy camp, would still have a high chance of being chopped into mincemeat by Fei Qian's guards in their rage!
Cao Shuo stammered incoherently, like a drowning man grasping at straws, trying to find excuses for his predicament. His voice was broken and intermittent with sobs. "I...I know I am clumsy with words, inept at eloquence. Facing someone like General Huo Qubing, I am filled with fear and trembling...I fear...I fear I will speak inappropriately, act rashly, and reveal my weakness, ruining Father's grand plan, jeopardizing...jeopardizing the very survival of our family! Father...please think it over! I beg you, Father, to think it over!"

He racked his brains, repeating various reasons and excuses over and over, but there was only one core reason...

He's afraid of dying!

I was so terrified my liver and gallbladder would rupture, and my bones would feel cold!
He could almost see himself being dragged out of the tent by the ferocious cavalrymen, pressed into the dust, and their gleaming blades raised high...

"You bastard!"

Before Cao Cao could speak, Cao Ren, who was standing to the side, could no longer contain himself. His hair stood on end, his eyes blazing with fury, and he roared at Cao Shuo, who lay trembling on the ground, "You brat! You are the son of our lord, a direct descendant of the Cao family! At this critical moment when the family is on the verge of collapse, and life and death hang in the balance, you should have stepped forward to share your father's burdens! Even if it meant facing mountains of knives and seas of fire, boiling oil and trees of swords, you should have gone without hesitation, even if it meant dying nine times over! Only then would you be worthy of being a descendant of the Cao family, worthy of our lord's daily care and earnest teachings! You…you are so cowardly, so afraid of death, so clinging to life, crying and whining, spouting nonsense—what kind of behavior is this! Where were you when our lord and we fought to the death to maintain the situation? Now that we need your service, you make excuses and show your ugly side—it truly infuriates me!"

Cao Shuo was startled by Cao Ren's thunderous roar, but after a moment, tears streamed down his face and snot flowed down his nose. He dared not say anything more, or perhaps he knew that his excuses were all wrong, so he just kept kowtowing.

A moment later, Cao Shuo's forehead was red, swollen, and bleeding, a mess of tears and mud. He mumbled incoherently, repeatedly repeating weak and feeble words like "I am incompetent," "I am useless," "I fear I will ruin Father's plans," and "I truly cannot bear to leave Father's side."

Cao Cao did not erupt in anger. He simply stood there, like a clay or wooden statue, watching his son trembling and weeping at his feet, his ugly behavior on full display.

Cao Cao was well aware of Cao Shuo's fears.
As the saying goes, a tiger father begets no dog son, but Cao Shuo in front of us is precisely that dog son.

In terms of battlefield bravery and charging into battle, no.

In terms of deep scheming and weighing pros and cons, no.

Even the desperate, ruthless glint that can erupt when cornered in a desperate situation is lacking...

His mediocrity, his cowardice, his political naiveté and near-incompetence in military affairs mean that his only value now is the blood flowing in his veins…

But he himself gave up even this little bit of value.

Cao Ren's anger stemmed from his unwavering loyalty to Cao Cao, his anxiety about the impending crisis, and a military general's simple yet profound understanding of the meaning of "sacrifice."

Cao Shuo's fear was based on the most primal survival instinct and his limited abilities. It was the most direct reaction of a young man who had never truly experienced the tempering of blood and fire when facing death.

Cao Cao slowly bent down, extending a withered hand, seemingly wanting to support Cao Shuo's shoulders, which were trembling violently with fear and almost curled up into a ball...

However, just as Cao Cao's fingertips were about to touch Cao Shuo's gorgeous but stained brocade robe, Cao Shuo recoiled as if burned by a red-hot iron, avoiding his father's touch.

Only that old, withered hand remained, hanging forlornly in mid-air...

Then, the hand that was suspended in mid-air trembled slightly and slowly fell down.

That's all...

Cao Cao's voice was hoarse, "You... step back..."

"Huh?" Cao Shuo immediately stopped crying, raised his head somewhat blankly, his face streaked with tears, his swollen forehead stained with dirt and blood, his eyes empty and confused as he stared at Cao Cao.

"roll!"

Cao Ren roared angrily from the side.

"Ah, ahhh..." Cao Shuo finally understood and scrambled away to make a quick getaway.

Cao Cao, as if utterly exhausted, sat down, turning his head away from Cao Shuo's figure. Instead, he fixed his gaze on a certain spot, and after a long while, gave a bitter laugh, 'What's the use of having so many children...?'

At this moment, Cao Cao truly felt an unparalleled sense of defeat rising from the depths of his heart.

Cao Cao initially did not intend to groom Cao Shuo as his successor, so he simply adopted a carefree approach to education.

After the fall of Ye City, Cao Cao had no choice but to select a new heir.

Cao Zhang was indeed brave, but that was the problem. So Cao Cao wanted to test Cao Shuo's abilities. After all, this plan was indeed dangerous, but if it succeeded and Cao Shuo survived, then Cao Shuo would undoubtedly succeed Cao Pi and become the rightful heir.

Unfortunately……

Cao Shuo's quality was indeed tested and confirmed.

Calling it a mere showpiece is an understatement...

Cao Ren knelt before Cao Cao, saying, "Brother! Let me go! Just tell them that we can't gather enough troops in Shandong and the Central Plains!"

Cao Ren gritted his teeth and said, "When the time comes... I will secretly carry a short blade, and as long as they get within three feet of me..."

Cao Cao sighed, remained silent for a long time, and then said something that shocked Cao Ren...