The Rebellious Officials and Traitors of the Late Han Dynasty

Chapter 482 Cao Cao Kills

At the Yu family mansion, Yu Fan got off the carriage and saw his eldest son Yu Hui waiting for him under the eaves. He could not hide his anxiety on his face and he sighed.

He has many children, nine sons now. The eldest son, Yu Hui, has a relatively stable personality, and Yu Fan could guess the reason why he made the other party so anxious.

"How's the situation at home?"

Yu Fan asked.

"Father, everything is fine at home, but it's become chaotic outside." Yu Hui said in a low voice.

"Alas, the situation is like this, there is nothing we can do." Yu Fan sighed. He was a civil official and the private soldiers in his family had long been given to Cao Cao. Faced with such a situation, he was completely helpless.

"Father, I'm afraid those people in the city already have other ideas." Yu Hui said in a low voice.

Of course Yu Fan knew about this. Now Cao Cao's territory was getting smaller and smaller, and the army was gathering outside the city. Cao Cao had almost no way out. Unless there was a border threat in the Central Plains and the Xianbei people went south to the Central Plains, they could force Qin Shou to withdraw his troops. Otherwise, it was only a matter of time before Cao Cao failed.

Although the aristocratic families in the city hated Qin Shou's policies, compared with staying alive, this loss was not something that could not be abandoned. As long as they were alive, everything was possible.

Can Yu Fan also surrender?

I heard that the fall of Kuaiji City had a lot to do with the Yu family. I am also a member of the Yu family.

But soon, he put this idea behind him. Who was he loyal to? It was Cao Cao, a ruthless guy. In Moling City, there were also aristocratic families who tried to collude with Qin Shou and offer Moling City, but in the end they all died in Cao Cao's hands.

Everyone knows what the current situation is like. Cao Cao knows it too. He may even start monitoring the noble families in the city.

What kind of prey is the most frightening? It is the injured prey. Cao Cao knew that he would definitely lose, and the more so at this time, he could not offend the opponent.

Once you offend someone, they will fight you to the death. Yu Fan didn't want to die before dawn.

"Don't contact those people, we should just do what we should do." Yu Fan quickly stopped them.

He didn't want to become the ghost of Cao Cao's men. If things went wrong, Cao Cao would have become a madman by then. Whoever offended him would suffer along with his family.

"Yes, I understand." Yu Hui said quickly.

"Let's wait a moment!" Yu Fan decided to be honest. Cao Cao was an unfathomable person, and no one knew what kind of trouble he would cause at this time.

"Sir, Mrs. Wu's house was confiscated."

But the next day, early in the morning, the housekeeper told him something.

The Wu family was just a small wealthy family that had been making a living by running the rice business. Unexpectedly, they would fall into Cao Cao's hands this time. The reason was exactly what he had expected.

He colluded with Qin Shou and plotted to seize Wu County.

Regardless of whether the other party was really related to Qin Shou, they were all targets of Cao Cao's robbery. In just two days, twenty wealthy and prominent families were confiscated by Cao Cao. The reasons given were all the same. These people colluded with Qin Shou and attempted to surrender the city. In the end, the whole family was executed.

When Yu Fan heard the housekeeper report that Wu's property had been confiscated, he was shocked and his face instantly became solemn. He sat in the study, tapping his fingers unconsciously on the table, his brows furrowed, and his mind was full of thoughts.

"Mrs. Wu...acted so quickly." Yu Fan whispered to himself, with a hint of helplessness and worry in his tone.

He knew that although the Wu family was only a small noble family, Cao Cao's move was clearly to make an example of them, warning the noble families in the city not to act rashly. Cao Cao's methods were always cruel, especially at this critical moment of life and death, any disturbance could trigger his thundering wrath.

"Father, Cao Cao is trying to completely eliminate dissidents." Yu Hui stood aside and said in a low voice with a hint of uneasiness in his tone.

Yu Fan nodded and said in a deep voice: "Cao Cao is trying to establish his authority and protect himself. He knows that once the noble families in the city unite, his situation will be even more dangerous. Therefore, he must take the initiative to cut off any possible threats."

"Then we..." Yu Hui hesitated, with a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

Yu Fan glanced at his son and said slowly, "We can't do anything or take any action. Cao Cao is like a wounded beast. Anyone who gets close to him may be torn to pieces by him. We can only wait and see and wait for the situation to change."

Yu Hui nodded. Although he still felt uneasy, he knew his father's decision was correct. At this moment, any rash action could lead to disaster.

"The more Cao Mengde does this, the more he loses the support of the people." Yu Fan had a complicated expression.

He has followed Cao Cao for some time and certainly does not want Cao Cao to perish, but now, he is no longer able to turn the tide.

"However, father, we can't just sit there and wait for death." Yu Hui said in a low voice, "Although Cao Cao is strong, his defeat is inevitable. Should we... make plans early?"

If a man does not work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth. Yu Hui still has a lot of time left in his life, so why would he accompany Cao Cao to his doom?

"Let's wait a little longer." Yu Fan finally sighed and said, "Although Cao Cao has already been defeated, he still has military power in his hands, and the situation in the city is not completely out of control. If we act rashly, we will only bring disaster upon ourselves."

Yu Hui nodded. Although he still felt unwilling, he knew that his father's decision was based on a calm assessment of the situation.

In the next few days, the atmosphere in the city became increasingly tense. Cao Cao's house-confiscation campaign continued, and more and more aristocratic families were implicated. News of entire families being executed kept coming in. The aristocratic families in the city were all worried, fearing that they would be the next one.

Although Yu Fan remained calm on the surface, he was under tremendous pressure in his heart. He knew that Cao Cao's crazy behavior had caused the noble families in the city to completely lose their trust in him, and they even began to collude secretly, preparing to strike back at the critical moment.

However, Yu Fan still chose to keep his troops in place. He knew that although Cao Cao was crazy, his methods were still cruel, and any rash action could bring disaster. He could only wait, wait for the right opportunity.

What made him even more uneasy was the cavalry outside the city. Although a large number of soldiers gathered every day, he did not see any action from Qin Shou. They were still besieging the city without any signs of attacking.

He also turned a blind eye to the situation in the city, as if waiting for Cao Cao to surrender.

Such strange relief made Yu and his son feel very frightened.

He is now worried that if things continue like this, all the noble families in the city will be killed by Cao Cao.

(End of this chapter)