With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

Chapter 99, Cao Hong is clumsy but not stupid.
"Has Cao Hong been coming here often lately?" Liu Xie asked casually.

Ma Kui nodded and said, "Yes, he has come for three days in a row, and each time he gets completely drunk. In the past, he would get drunk because he was happy, but now, the money shop incident has made him lose face, so he comes here to drown his sorrows in alcohol."

The money shop originally belonged to Cao Hong, but it was taken away by Cao Cao, which was a great blow to Cao Hong.

The more glorious they were before, the more unlucky they are now.

Whenever people mention money shops, they can't help but mention him.

"He's no good, he can't handle it. The money shop completely collapsed under his management."

Such discussions frequently reached Cao Hong's ears.

"Your Majesty, should we perhaps let Cao Hong know a little about the money exchange?" Ma Kui asked.

"Cao Hong is currently suffering a great blow. If he finds out that Cao Cao is targeting him, the two of them will probably turn against each other, right?"

Liu Xie shook his head. "No need. Cao Hong is a slow learner, but he's not stupid. Let him think it over on his own. It won't be long before he understands who benefits most from the collapse of the money shop. He should understand that who did it!"

Liu Xie turned around and looked at Zhao Yun and Ma Kui. “Don’t think that just because I’m familiar with Cao Hong, I can’t get close to him right now. They are brothers of the same clan. Don’t underestimate Cao Hong’s loyalty. I think that even if the money shop is ruined, Cao Hong will still be loyal to Cao Cao. If I try to sow discord between him, I might end up making things worse. Cao Hong will tell Cao Cao everything I told him without reservation.”

"If he remains loyal to Cao Cao after this blow and continues to focus on military affairs, then we'll be in trouble." Zhao Yun still hoped to weaken Cao Cao's power as quickly as possible.

Liu Xie laughed, "While Cao Hong remains loyal to Cao Cao, their relationship will not be as good as before. Besides..."

A sharp glint suddenly flashed in Liu Xie's eyes, "Cao Hong is loyal to Cao Cao, but Cao Cao will not be loyal to the bonds of kinship!"

"Cao Cao was suspicious by nature. When he noticed that Cao Hong was becoming increasingly decadent, even complaining, and gradually distancing himself from him, he would feel uneasy, become dissatisfied with Cao Hong, and regard Cao Hong as an obstacle!"

"Cao Cao was not loyal to anyone; he was only loyal to his own ambition of hegemony!"

From this point on, Cao Hong's importance in Cao Cao's heart was no longer so significant.

Liu Xie's prediction was correct. Although Cao Hong was slow-witted and dull, he was not stupid at all.

The recent incident at the money exchange completely bewildered him, leaving him no time to think about anything else. Instead, the busier he got, the more chaotic things became, eventually spiraling out of control and turning him into a pathetic clown.

The powerful families mocked him, the common people mocked him, and even the Cao family looked on with indifference.

After the money exchange incident ended, Cao Hong calmed down in the past few days, and the more he thought about it, the more suspicious and uneasy he felt.

First, Cao Cao hosted a family banquet and patiently persuaded him. Then, the money cart had an accident, and people rushed to get their money like madmen.

As Cao Hong drank, he kept thinking about this matter. He thought about this every day, and even when he was drunk, it was still on his mind.

This is too bizarre. A family banquet was held, money carts were robbed, and money shops were looted.

Everything revolves around one main entity: the money exchange!

Since the money cart was robbed, Cao Hong led his troops in pursuit several times, but found nothing, as if the thieves had never appeared at all.

However, after Cao Cao took over, the thieves were quickly captured.

Cao Hong gulped down another large bowl of wine, then swayed, and the bowl fell to the ground and shattered.

Everyone around him stared at him with wide eyes, but Cao Hong ignored them and staggered out of Tianxiang Pavilion. A gust of wind blew by, and his head felt refreshed.

"Could it really have been done by our lord?"

He was drunk for three days, and he had been thinking about it for three whole days.

When he thought about the trouble that had happened to the money shop, he went to ask Cao Cao for help, but Cao Cao scolded him instead, telling him not to close the shop and not to help him with a single penny.

It seems that Cao Cao was waiting for him to completely collapse before stepping in to salvage the situation.

Ignoring the strange looks from passersby, Cao Hong walked on until he reached the entrance of the money exchange.

The money exchange has been expanded again, doubling in size. It's decorated with lanterns and streamers, and attracts a large crowd. Every day, many people come here to deposit money, making it much more lively than before.

Cao Hong gazed at it for a long time, tears welling up in his eyes. He gritted his teeth and murmured, "Everything here used to be mine, mine!"

The more glorious they were before, the more unlucky they are now.

From the richest man in the Han Dynasty to the shame of Xuchang, it only took seven days!

Many of the customers who had deposited money recognized Cao Hong, but they only sneered and laughed coldly.

Once you lose face, it's hard to get it back!

Cao Hong gritted his teeth, finally lowered his head, and left dejectedly amidst the cold stares and criticisms of the crowd.

Sneers occasionally drifted from behind him. "Him? He ruined a perfectly good money exchange. He should just stick to leading troops in battle." "He's just a reckless brute. How could he possibly run a business?"

A few days later, Liu Xie felt that the time was about right and came to Tianxiang Pavilion again.

He instructed Ma Kui, "From now on, the story about the tomb raiding wasn't told by Cao Anmin, it was told by Cao Hong!"

When Zhao Yun saw Liu Xie say those words so casually, he thought about it carefully and couldn't help but secretly praise him.

Last time, Cheng Yu used human flesh to stave off hunger and was framed by Cao Hong. This time, Cao Cao secretly sent people to excavate the royal tombs and also wanted to pin the blame on Cao Hong. This time, Cao Cao was bound to be furious.

Although Liu Xie wouldn't tell Cao Hong the truth directly, he would be happy to help by giving him a little push.

Ma Kui understood immediately and lowered his voice, saying, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will handle this matter perfectly!"

When Cao Cao heard that the secret of the tomb raiding had been exposed, he was furious.

“Cao Hong, how could he say such a thing in public?”

Looking at Guo Jia and Man Chong, Cao Cao's face darkened, his eyes unusually cold, and a hint of murderous intent lurked in them.

Guo Jia sighed, “My lord, excavating the royal tombs is no small matter. Xuchang has just been stabilized, and it is the perfect time for you to win the hearts of the people. This matter will inevitably attract criticism, and if His Majesty finds out, I'm afraid he will also be dissatisfied with you.”

Cao Cao's eyes darted around a few times, and he asked in confusion, "Cao Hong, could it be that he... could it be that he already knows that I interfered in the matter of the money shop, and that's why he's resentful and said it while drunk?"

Guo Jia was also unsure. "Drunken words are just random ramblings when one is not in the right mind. It's hard to say whether he discovered that we tampered with the money shop. But given time, I think he will understand something."

"Furthermore, my lord, there is one more thing."

Man Chong also spoke up, "I have received many reports in the past few days and have sent people to investigate. Several of Cao Hong's relatives have disregarded the law, bullied men and women, and harmed the people. I arrested these people yesterday."

Cao Cao looked at Man Chong for a long time, then said with a hint of reproach, "Bo Ning, is this how you report to me? The man has already been arrested, and you're only now telling me?"

Man Chong replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "The law is merciless. If I don't arrest them first, I'm afraid things might change. If someone pleads for them, or if Your Excellency changes your mind and wants to let them go, then things will be difficult."

Looking at Man Chong, Cao Cao was both amused and exasperated. "Does Cao Hong know about this?"

Man Chong shook his head. "They were only captured last night, and General Cao Hong was drunk last night, so he probably doesn't know anything about it yet."

"So what do you plan to do with them?"

Without any hesitation, Man Chong immediately replied, "Kill them! They bully others, harass men and women, and have even caused deaths. Killing them is not enough to appease public anger. Only by severely punishing these people can we better rectify the atmosphere of officialdom and serve as a warning to others."

When Cao Hong's relatives committed crimes, caused trouble, and robbed tombs, all of these events occurred at the same time, Cao Cao became even more disappointed in Cao Hong.

Cao Cao grew increasingly angry and immediately ordered, "Go and fetch Cao Hong."

Cao Honggang had just returned home, and before he had fully sobered up, the families of the relatives who had been arrested came running to him, crying and pleading for mercy.

Cao Hong didn't take it seriously, waving his hand dismissively and saying, "Go back, everyone. I thought it was something serious. My lord is my kinsman, and I'll handle this. The man will be released soon."

When Cao Hong said this, everyone believed him.

No sooner had those family members left than Cao Cao's messenger arrived.

After letting out a drunken burp, Cao Hong swayed as he mounted his horse and arrived at the Sikong Mansion.

Seeing that Guo Jia and Man Chong were also there, Cao Hong greeted them and then said directly to Man Chong, "My lord, several of my relatives have been arrested by Man Chong. It's not a big deal, I can just reprimand them later. I hope you will forgive them for my sake."

Cao Hong tried his best not to think about the money shop anymore, because he valued their friendship of so many years and didn't want to turn against Cao Cao.

As for the tomb raiding, Cao Hong is still unaware of it. Besides, it wasn't him who said it, but Cao Anmin!
Normally, Cao Cao might have pleaded with Man Chong on Cao Hong's behalf, intending to downplay the matter. But now, he was furious.

Cao Cao stared directly at him and questioned, "Zilian, if you are dissatisfied with me, why don't you come to me in person to explain? Why do you have to spread rumors outside, ruin my reputation, and jeopardize my important plans?"

Cao Hong was taken aback, staring wide-eyed at Cao Cao. "My lord, what makes you say that? I haven't done anything!"

Cao Hong felt wronged. Not only had he done nothing to offend Cao Cao, but he also tried his best not to think about Cao Cao's attempts to punish him.

"Didn't do anything? But I heard that you were drunk at the restaurant last night and mentioned to someone that I had secretly ordered people to excavate the royal tomb."

The excavation of the royal tombs was known only to Cao Cao's most trusted inner circle; no one else could spread rumors about it.

Cao Hong exhaled a breath of alcohol, instantly sobering up considerably. He touched his forehead, shook his head, and said, "I didn't say that."

"Didn't you say it? Think carefully, did you say it or not?"

Cao Cao's expression grew increasingly grim; his pent-up dissatisfaction with Cao Hong was about to explode!
(End of this chapter)