A thousand-year-old family begins with one fighting against ten thousand.

As they left the Prime Minister's residence, Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu looked at Cheng Yu.

"Does the Prime Minister agree?"

"That's right. The list on that paper is full of people who control the guards of all the key and dangerous places in Luoyang and even the imperial palace. They are all Cao Pi's men."

"And to all of you, there are some spies that Cao Pi has placed in your households. Don't alert them yet."

"The Prime Minister instructed us to secretly control these people, and when Cao Pi's rebellion is closest to success, to strike hard and wake him from his dream."

"Is this the Wei family?"

"A single word can decide the fate of the world."

"The rise and fall of dynasties, the change of emperors, can all be decided with a single word."

All three fell silent. Fortunately, the Wei family had always been of reliable moral character; otherwise, they would have been the greatest source of turmoil in the world.

After assigning responsibilities to their respective people, Cheng Yu bid farewell to Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu and arrived at the residence of someone who had been neglected for a long time.

This person's name is Cao Zhang.

At the same time, he sent someone on horseback to Baijiayan in Yuntai Mountain to contact a long-lost member of the imperial clan—Cao Zhi.

To Cheng Yu's surprise, he received a visiting card, delivered to him through a secret channel.

The owner of this visiting card is—Sima Yi!

……

In the past few days, Cao Pi has successively "persuaded" Cao Xiu, Cao Zhen, Xiahou Shang, and Xiahou Ba, gaining the recognition of the Cao and Xiahou clans.

Just when Cao Pi thought the time was ripe, he summoned his old subordinates in the capital and, under the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials," brazenly stormed the palace.

He did not mobilize any of the troops under Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu.

The matter of rebellion was of great importance, so how could he not have a backup plan?

He also placed his trusted confidants at the entrance of the palace, so that as soon as his army arrived, they would open the city gates and welcome him into the palace.

"Where is the commander? Open the gate at once!"

Sitting on his horse, Cao Pi shouted towards the city gate.

But instead of his trusted confidant, he received a surprise prepared by Cheng Yu.

Suddenly, a large number of imperial guards appeared on the city wall of the palace, drawing their bows and aiming their arrows in his direction.

Behind him, a force emerged on each side, led by Cao Zhen, Cao Xiu, and Xiahou Ba respectively.

The commander of the Imperial Guards on the city wall also peeked out, revealing a familiar face.

His third brother, Cao Zhang.

What, what's going on?

Cao Pi was shocked. "How did I get here?"

"Am I not on the front lines?"

"Who put this sword in my hand?"

"And this horse, who pushed me onto it?"

"Third brother, what's going on? Wasn't I at the front lines? How did I end up here?"

"What exactly happened?"

"Stop pretending. Your plan has failed. Surrender now."

Cheng Yu appeared on the city wall with the young emperor, and the one personally guarding the young emperor was Xu Chu, whose hair and beard were gray.

But Cao Pi paid no attention to Cheng Yu; he stared intently at the figure behind Cheng Yu.

Sima Yi, Sima Zhongda, with the eagle's gaze and the wolf's eyes.

"What plan!"

"I don't know!"

"I was just staying at home when I met a merchant from a foreign land. The merchant waved a small round piece in front of my eyes, and I don't remember anything else after that."

"When I woke up, I was already here."

"Can anyone tell me what exactly happened in between?"

Once he came to his senses, Cao Pi continued to play dumb.

He was gambling that he was, after all, a descendant of Cao Cao, and that even if he were stripped of everything, he would not be executed.

As it turned out, this bloodline was indeed his shield. Even though all his elite warriors were stripped of their armor and taken away, he was not attacked with swords; he was simply stripped of all his armor and weapons.

His ancestral bloodline was his protective charm.

Cao Pi was brought before the emperor. Looking at the little brat in front of him, Cao Pi was filled with resentment. Why? Why could this brat become the emperor he had always dreamed of, and control the entire vast empire?

This position should belong to him!

"Aren't you going to keep pretending to be stupid?"

Cheng Yu said coldly.

"Do you think you'll let me go if I play dumb?"

Cao Pi squatted down and looked at the little boy in front of him at eye level.

"Won't."

"That settles it then. Ask me anything you want to ask, though I might not be able to answer."

Cao Pi just stared blankly at the little emperor, and no one knew what he was thinking.

"Shouldn't you be abroad? Why are you in Luoyang?"

"The one who went there was just a double. My good brother sent 2000 troops there, and many of them were my men."

"Once we're far away, we can kill all those who are loyal to him and then take control of these 2000 people."

"All the information Cao Chong received was given to him by me. He still thinks I'm under his control all along. In reality, he can only know what I tell him to know, and he can't know what I don't want him to know."

"He's not worthy to play dirty tricks on me!"

Cao Pi readily revealed all his methods, but by now they were all useless.

"How dare you insult the late Emperor!"

The surrounding officials coldly rebuked them, and one by one they jumped out to pledge their loyalty.

"Oh!"

Cao Pi scoffed dismissively, calling them a bunch of opportunists.

"Did you poison the late emperor?"

Cheng Yu then asked, staring intently into Cao Pi's eyes.

"no."

Cao Pi remained silent.

Cheng Yu didn't detect a trace of guilt in him. Could it be that he really didn't do it?

Could it really be those audacious youngsters?!

Why doesn't he believe it?!

To put it bluntly, do they even deserve it?

Even if such a family were not among the most prominent families in the entire country, could they really poison the emperor by finding a loophole that no one was paying attention to?

Even if it weren't for the lineage of Marquis Anshou, who treated the emperor's health every year, the imperial physicians still had to perform these treatments annually. Was there really no foul play involved?

Or is it that the person in front of me has gone so mad that he can kill his own brother without feeling the slightest bit of emotion?

"The former Crown Prince Cao Ang treated you very well back then. He took great care of you when you were young. Is his death related to you?"

"My lord Cheng, even framing someone requires evidence! You can't just throw this mud at me without any proof!"

"The late emperor and the former crown prince were both my beloved relatives, friends, and brothers. How could I possibly do something so morally reprehensible!"

"If I really did it, how could my father possibly forgive me!"

Cao Pi put on an innocent look, his hand inadvertently moving closer to the inside of his thigh.

Everyone else was drawn to the incident, and he pulled a short sword from his thigh and charged straight at the young emperor, Cao Ling.

Cheng Yu watched this scene coldly. How could he possibly put the emperor in danger so easily, given that he suspected a ruthless man of fratricide?