Super Cultivation System of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 764 Cao Cao's Choice
"What? Why would he go to Yunhai County? No, no, these two must have made a mistake." Cao Cao looked incredulous.

"I thought so at first, but they said it with such confidence. In addition, Chen Qing had seen the emperor, who was still a general at the time, in Yunhai County. He had also seen his mount, Baiyu Qianlizhui. His eldest son, Chen Lie, was also appointed by the emperor as a county lieutenant. Chen Qing said that he saw the emperor riding a white horse on the road and passed by them. The emperor seemed to recognize him and stopped his horse, smiled at them, and then continued on his way. Therefore, he would never make a mistake."

Chen Gong spoke in a very decisive manner, and it was obvious that he believed this statement without a doubt.

Cao Cao also became serious now: "If that's the case, why would Liu He go to a remote border town like Yunhai County at such a critical moment? It's really puzzling..."

Chen Gong said, "This is not difficult to understand."

"Oh? Please enlighten me, sir."

"The emperor of today is a man of great talent and vision, diligent in his work and loving his people. At a time when millions of troops are rebelling, he will never travel thousands of miles to the border to do meaningless things."

Hearing him say that his army was composed of "rebels", Cao Cao showed displeasure, but just like Chen Gong's attitude when he called Liu He by his name, Cao Cao did not refute anything at this time.

Chen Gong continued, "The troops of Jiaozhou and Youzhou are unlikely to threaten Luoyang. The only ones that the emperor should be worried about are the more than 200,000 troops of Yizhou and the Qiang people, and the 250,000 troops that Ming has announced to be stationed here. And in terms of strength, I am not exaggerating, but the troops of Ming are probably more than twice as strong as those of Yizhou."

Cao Cao laughed loudly: "Haha, the one who knows me well is Gongtai. In the battle west of Luoyang City, I knew Liu He's ability to train soldiers, so I have worked hard in recent years to train soldiers and study battle formations. Compared with the past, my combat power is much higher than before. Otherwise, how dare I fight against the famous Gao Shun?"

"That's it." Chen Gong slapped his thigh.

"You and I can think of this, but can't the emperor think of it? The troops of Bingzhou and Jizhou are held back by Gongsun Fan, and General Zhang Yong of Liangzhou is held back by Yizhou. Gao Shun is no match for you. If you want to defeat you, only the emperor can lead the army in person. But the remaining troops stationed in Luoyang and Chang'an are less than 100,000, and they cannot be mobilized. If only a few tens of thousands of reinforcements are brought, the outcome is still unknown. Therefore, the emperor must ask for another reinforcement to come to help."

When Cao Cao heard this, he understood everything.

"Xianbei, Budugen!"

"That's right." Chen Gong responded.

"During the battle in Shuofang County, the emperor divided the Xianbei into four groups, each led by Kebineng, Kuitou, Qianman, and Budugen. Now Kuitou and Qianman have both died at the hands of Gongsun Fan. There are dozens of tribes under their rule, with millions of people and countless cattle, sheep, and horses, but there are no soldiers to protect them. Aren't they just a piece of fat meat? I predict that the emperor will use these two tribes as bargaining chips in exchange for Budugen to send troops south."

Cao Cao nodded and said in a deep voice: "It is indeed very likely that Budugen was appointed as the Great Khan of Xianbei by Liu He. Oh no, he will definitely obey Liu He's will. He is the strongest among the four Xianbei tribes and has no less than 50,000 cavalry. Once he goes south to help, he will be a great disaster. But..."

He changed the subject: "But it's probably not easy for the Xianbei cavalry to reach our Chenliu battlefield."

Chen Gong scolded, "How could Meng De be so smart all his life and so foolish at the same time? It is not easy to go from the northwest grasslands of Shuofang through many cities of the Han Dynasty and over the mountains to Chenliu. But it only takes a few days to get to Liangzhou. With Budugen's help in guarding Liangzhou, Zhang Yong can free up at least half of his troops to leave the battlefield in Xiliang."

Cao Cao quickly thought of a possibility and slowly stood up from his seat.

"The Liangzhou army rushed back to Luoyang, broke into Yingchuan, and attacked Yuzhou!"

"That's right." Chen Gong also stood up and stared at Cao Cao without blinking.

"Meng De, I am here to advise you as a good friend. You should withdraw your troops as soon as possible, submit a petition to apologize, and conquer Yizhou for the court to atone for your sins. The emperor is merciful. Only in this way can you survive. Otherwise, the emperor will lead the army in person, and with the help of Generals Gao Shun and Zhang Yong, how can you have any chance of winning? If things drag on for a long time, the situation in Youzhou will calm down a little, Guan Yu will lead the heavy cavalry south, and Liu Bei of Xuzhou will harass the rear. By then, I am afraid that all the members of your Cao family will die without a burial place. Meng De, please listen to my advice."

Chen Gong spoke these words very sincerely, with tears flickering in his eyes, which also moved Cao Cao a little.

"What Gongtai said is what I am worried about, and I even came all the way from Jinyang. I admire your deep friendship. But this matter is of great importance. I have a grudge against the emperor of Luoyang for killing my brother, and my father is so sad that he has fallen ill. Everyone in Yanzhou is regarded as a traitor. It may not be easy to resolve it so easily."

Chen Gong thought about it and fell into deep thought. After a long time, he spoke again.

"But the imperial court is powerful. Whether it's generals, soldiers, or the population of the cities under its jurisdiction, everything is superior to yours. Moreover, the emperor is wise and sage. It is not a good idea to be their enemy. If you surrender now, you may be punished by the emperor, but it is better than being defeated and killed, and your family and property are confiscated, right?"

Cao Cao paced back and forth, then suddenly stopped and clapped his hands.

"In this case, I am willing to submit a petition to plead guilty first and see what the emperor's attitude is. If the emperor can pardon the death penalty for the Cao family and the Xiahou family and grant us a golden medal of immunity from death, we are willing to hand over our military power and the cities of Yanzhou, Yuzhou, and Xuzhou to the court, and from now on, we will retire. As for the generals and officials under my command, if the court is willing to use them, I will never stop them. How do you think?"

Chen Gong immediately showed a happy expression: "If this can be done, it will be a blessing for the Cao family, the country, and the people. Chen Gong is willing to go to Chenliu City to meet the emperor in person. Even if I have to die to persuade him, I will definitely ask for a gold medal to save Meng De from death."

Cao Cao held his hands and said: "It is worthwhile for Cao to have made a close friend like Gongtai." The two close friends all cleared up the gloom in their hearts.

After a long time, Cao Cao's face suddenly darkened again. Chen Gong was surprised and asked, "What else is Meng De worried about? Are you worried that the emperor will not tolerate you?"

Cao Cao sighed and said, "The emperor of Luoyang is magnanimous and needs to use my surrender to set an example for the princes of the world. I think he will not only not hold me accountable, but may even transfer me to the capital to serve as a high official with generous salary and endless enjoyment."

Chen Gong was even more puzzled: "What are you worried about, sir?"

Cao Cao sat down slowly. "I am not worried about the emperor, but now our army has besieged Chenliu City. Before the emperor's pardon and the golden medal of immunity arrive, even if I want to withdraw, my generals will certainly not allow it. But if we continue the siege, I am afraid that General Gao Shun will take the initiative to attack, or raid the camp at night, isn't that bad?"

Chen Gong bowed his head and pondered for a moment, then said: "This matter is easy to handle. When I enter Chenliu City, I will meet General Gao and explain the whole story to him. I will ask him to wait for a few days. Both sides will stop fighting and wait for the emperor to come before making a decision."

"How can we do this?" Cao Cao refused immediately: "Now the two sides are still hostile to each other. Gongtai and Gao Shun are not familiar with each other. If you rush into the city rashly, Gao Shun will suspect you of being a spy in Cao's camp, which will kill you. This is absolutely not allowed."

Chen Gong said resolutely: "Meng De, there is no need to dissuade him. Gao Shun is famous throughout the world, and he is cautious and thoughtful. As long as I can persuade him with emotion and reason, he will certainly listen to me. Moreover, the emperor went to invite Bu Dugen, and I think he has already returned successfully. I heard that the Baiyu Qianlizhui horse is as its name suggests, and can travel a thousand miles a day, comparable to the Red Hare divine horse in the past. I think it will reach Chenliu in a few days. As long as the emperor arrives, everything will be done."

"This..." Cao Cao still felt a little reluctant.

Chen Gong saw this and his face immediately fell: "I am determined to leave this time. If Meng De tries to keep me, I will crash into the ground and die in front of you."

"No, no." Cao Cao quickly grabbed him.

"Alas, Gongtai's temperament has not changed at all. If that's the case, what else can I say? I just hope Gongtai can go and come back soon, and take good care of himself. If things can't be done, you can come back."

Chen Gong did not comment on this, but stretched out his hand: "Words are not enough. To accomplish this, I need Meng De to give me a token."

Cao Cao nodded, thought for a moment, then walked to the weapon rack and took down a sword.

"I spent a lot of money to make the two swords, Qingguang and Yitian. They have been with me in my battles for many years. They are my personal weapons. Now I will hand over the Qingguang sword to Gongtai. When Gao Shun sees it, he will understand Cao's sincerity."

Chen Gong took the Qinggang sword with some surprise and gently stroked the scabbard.

"Since Meng De can use the Qinggang Sword as a token of trust, General Gao Shun will certainly not doubt it."

He put the Qingguang sword on his waist, turned around and was about to leave.

"Gongtai..."

Cao Cao called out to him and looked at him with a moved expression.

"Are you leaving now, Gongtai? We have not seen each other for many years. Why don't you stay here for one night? It won't be too late to go into the city tomorrow."

Chen Gong looked at Cao Cao with reluctance, but said resolutely: "There is no time to lose. Now that the emperor's army is besieging the city, if I go too late, it may be bad if General Gao takes action tonight. But Meng De must agree to my request. Don't attack the city before the emperor gives a clear order."

Cao Cao responded decisively: "Don't worry, I will never break my promise. Besides, you are in the city. If I break my promise, wouldn't it put you in danger? You have such deep feelings for me. Even if I am killed by a sword, I will never dare to do such an unjust thing."

"In this case, I am relieved and will take my leave now."

Chen Gong bowed to Cao Cao again, then turned around and left resolutely.

Cao Cao chased Chen Gong all the way and followed him for a long way, until Chen Gong left the camp. Then Cao Cao stopped at the gate of the camp and let out a long sigh.

At this time, Guo Jia came over and asked: "My lord, can you really be so cruel?"

Cao Cao looked at him and said, "Among all the counselors, only Fengxiao can understand my intention. Hey... Gongtai, Gongtai..."

(End of this chapter)