The Rebellious Officials and Traitors of the Late Han Dynasty

Chapter 491 The End of Cao Cao
The generals looked at the hills in the distance with fiery looks on their faces.

The biggest enemy of the Cavalry Army was right there. As long as they rushed forward, they could capture the enemy alive and fulfill their wish of becoming a marquis. For a moment, all the generals looked at Qin Shou, waiting for his orders.

"Your Majesty, it will only take a cup of tea for me to take Cao Cao's head."

Zhang Liao was eager to try.

"Your Majesty, I only need a hundred men to conquer the hill."

Gan Ning was not willing to be outdone.

The rest of the generals also pleaded for orders, and now Cao Cao had no chance to resist.

Qin Shou remained silent, looking at the hill calmly, as if waiting for something.

On the hill, Cao Cao's armor was worn out, but his tired face appeared calm. Beside him were Xu Chu, Cao Zhang and more than a hundred personal guards.

"Father, I will definitely protect you and fight my way out." Cao Zhang said loudly.

"I, your father, know that Huang Xu'er is brave, but there is no need for it now." Cao Cao looked at the army at the foot of the mountain with a smile on his face.

"Father." Young Cao Zhang looked flustered.

"Zhongkang, please invite King Tang to come up for a chat."

Cao Cao said to Xu Chu on the side.

"Yes!" Xu Chu's expression tensed, but he still strode forward.

"Father, what if!"

"No, the King of Tang would never do such a thing." Before Cao Zhang could finish his words, he was stopped by Cao Cao.

Cao Cao looked at the sky in the distance and sighed leisurely.

At the foot of the hill, Dian Wei saw Xu Chu approaching, and a look of excitement appeared on his face. He wanted to rush up and fight with the opponent.

"Xu Chu from the Marquis of Wu pays respect to His Majesty."

Xu Chu's face and eyes were cold.

"Zhongkang, why did Mengde ask you to come here?" Qin Shou rode his horse forward, and suddenly had some guesses in his mind.

"My lord, please come up the mountain and have a chat."

Xu Chu responded.

"Your Majesty, you must not go up the mountain. Cao Cao is insidious and cunning. It may be dangerous if Your Majesty goes up the mountain." Gan Ning hurried forward to stop him.

Qin Shou smiled slightly, raised his hand to signal Gan Ning to leave, and looked at Xu Chu calmly. He knew that Cao Cao was at the end of his rope, and even if he was cheating, it would not cause any big waves. What's more, he, Qin Shou, was not someone who could be bullied.

"Since Meng De has invited me, how can I not go? Prepare the wine, Meng De and I want to have a drink. After so many years of fighting, I have never hosted a banquet for Meng De. Today is the day to fulfill this wish." Qin Shou said calmly, then dismounted, patted the horse's back, and signaled the generals not to follow him.

"Your Majesty!" Zhang Liao, Gan Ning and others shouted in unison, their faces full of worry.

Qin Shou waved his hand and said with a smile: "It's okay, you just wait here. If something unexpected happens, it won't be too late for you to come up the mountain and fight."

Although the generals were unwilling, seeing Qin Shou's firm attitude, they had no choice but to obey. Zhang Liao clenched his sword and whispered, "Your Majesty, be careful. If there is any unusual movement, I will lead the army to rush up the mountain without hesitation!" Qin Shou nodded, and then walked towards the hill side by side with Xu Chu. Although Xu Chu's face was cold, his steps were steady, and it was obvious that he had no hostility towards Qin Shou. The two of them were silent all the way until they reached the top of the mountain.

On the top of the mountain, Cao Cao was still sitting on a huge rock, with Cao Zhang and several guards standing beside him. Seeing Qin Shou coming, Cao Cao slowly stood up with a faint smile on his face.

"The King of Tang is indeed very courageous. He comes here alone. Aren't you afraid that I will set an ambush?" Cao Cao's voice was hoarse, but still carried a bit of majesty.

Qin Shou smiled slightly and said, "If Brother Meng De really wanted to set an ambush, why did he let Xu Chu come in person to invite him? Moreover, given your current situation, what's the point of setting an ambush? I am invincible in the world, and these people are no match for me. If you really kill me, your wife will die, and the families of these people will also die."

When Cao Cao heard this, his face tightened and he immediately smiled bitterly.

Qin Shou found a stone and sat down, saying with a smile: "Of course, I still believe in Brother Meng De's character and he will not take action at this time."

Cao Cao laughed loudly upon hearing this, but his laughter was somewhat desolate. He shook his head and sighed, "The King of Tang really has a keen insight into people's hearts. Yes, I, Cao Cao, am at the end of my rope today, and setting an ambush is nothing but a laughing stock."

Qin Shou looked at Cao Cao and couldn't help but feel a little emotional. Once upon a time, Cao controlled the world, with many brave generals and counselors under his command, but now he only has a hundred or so guards left, trapped on this hill.

"Brother Meng De, now that things have come to this, why don't you surrender to me? Although I, Qin Shou, am not talented, I am willing to treat you with courtesy and ensure that you will be rich and prosperous for the rest of your life." Qin Shou said in a deep voice.

Cao Cao heard this, and a complex expression flashed in his eyes. He was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head and said, "I appreciate the good intentions of the Tang King. But I, Cao Cao, have conquered the world and never bowed to anyone. Although I have been defeated today, I do not need others' sympathy."

Qin Shou frowned slightly and was about to persuade him again, but he saw Cao Cao suddenly raised his hand, signaling him not to say anything more.

"King Tang, I asked you to come up today not to beg for mercy, but to entrust you with a favor." Cao Cao looked at Qin Shou with deep eyes.

"What's the matter?" Qin Shou asked.

Cao Cao turned and looked at Cao Zhang, his eyes full of love. He gently patted Cao Zhang's shoulder and said, "This is my son Cao Zhang. Although he is young, he is very brave. Today I entrust him to you. I hope you can treat him well."

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhang burst into tears, knelt on the ground, and cried, "Father! I don't want to leave you! I want to live and die with you!"

Cao Cao shook his head and said softly, "Huang Xu'er, don't be willful. You are still young and have a long way to go. If you follow the King of Tang, you may be able to achieve something."

Qin Shou was moved when he saw this scene. He nodded and said solemnly, "Brother Meng De, don't worry. I will treat Cao Zhang well and treat him as my own son."

"Zhongkang is loyal, brave and good at fighting. I hope the king can trust him in the future." Cao Cao's eyes fell on Xu Chu and said, "Zhongkang, I am alive today because of your protection over the years. Although you and I are sworn brothers, we are also brothers in life and death."

"My lord." Xu Chu's eyes filled with tears.

Cao Cao smiled with relief when he heard this. He slowly raised his head, looked at the sky in the distance, and murmured, "The general trend of the world is that after a long period of division, there will be unification, and after a long period of unification, there will be division. I, Cao Cao, have fought all my life, but in the end I was unable to unify the world. What a pity."

Qin Shou also felt a little regretful.

At this time, Dian Wei was holding a tray with a wine jug and two wine glasses on it.

"Meng De, since we parted at the east gate of Luoyang, you and I have fought for more than ten years, but we have never had a drink together. I didn't expect that we could drink together today." Qin Shou laughed, he thought of the scene when he first met Cao Cao at the east gate of Luoyang.

"Yes, no one would have thought that the gatekeeper back then would become the master of the world." Cao Cao also sighed.

Qin Shou nodded, and the two of them commented on the sky again. When the sun set, Qin Shou finally came down the hill with a complicated expression.

Behind him, the cries of Cao Zhang, Xu Chu and others were heard.

The era of the great hero Cao Cao came to an end.

(End of this chapter)