Three Kingdoms: Madam, I am a decent person

Chapter 729 Cao Cao's Panic: Seeking Advice from Jia Xu
Five days after Cao Cao received a secret letter that Zhang Sui was going to lead an army of 500,000 to attack.

Cao Cao, dressed in armor and accompanied by his personal guards including Xu Chu, watched as Lady Ding climbed onto the carriage.

Seeing that Ding didn't even turn her head back, Cao Cao hesitated for a long time, but still gritted his teeth and stepped forward, saying, "Old woman, are you really going to be so heartless as to leave me all alone?"

The Ding family was just about to lift the curtain.

Upon hearing Cao Cao's words, Lady Ding paused for a moment.

But in that instant, she slipped back into the carriage.

Cao Cao watched as the curtains of the carriage were drawn back, his eyes reddening, and he hesitated to speak.

After a long while, Ding's deep voice finally came from inside the carriage: "Let's go!"

The coachman glanced at Cao Cao.

Cao Cao closed his eyes.

He took several deep breaths before waving his hand.

The coachman then drove the carriage away quickly.

Cao Cao opened his eyes, watched the carriage quickly disappear from sight, tears welling up in his eyes, and sighed deeply, "Are they all leaving me?"

A warhorse galloped over and stopped beside Cao Cao.

Cao Cao hurriedly wiped away his tears and turned his head away.

Man Chong, mounted on his warhorse, said with a complicated expression, "My lord, in just five days, I intercepted letters from all the civil and military officials at Xuanquan Post Station, without missing a single one."

"Jia Xu is also inside."

Cao Cao's whole body shook violently.

Even Jia Xu, who was known for his pragmatism and timidity, actually wrote and sent the letter out.

However, Cao Cao immediately felt a glimmer of hope.

Perhaps not everyone's letters are written there.

Perhaps I'm overthinking it?

After all, I've always been suspicious.

Thinking of this, Cao Cao asked Man Chong, "Have you opened the letter yet?"

Man Chong nodded and said, "I opened three envelopes."

Cao Cao's eyes were full of tension as he asked, "Are they all addressed to Hebei?"

Man Chong opened his mouth, then forced a smile and said, "My lord, you can go and see for yourself."

Cao Cao's tense expression instantly turned into one of utter defeat.

Squatting on the ground, Cao Cao buried his face in the back of his knees and said in a hoarse voice, "I understand, Boning, you can go back now!"

"Do not spread the word about the letter."

Man Chong glanced at Cao Cao with some sympathy, responded, and then rode away.

Cao Cao remained squatting on the ground for a long time before standing up and taking Xu Chu back to Xudu City.

However, he did not go to the Sikong Mansion.

Instead, they went directly to Jia Xu's residence.

After dismounting from his warhorse, Cao Cao stood at the entrance of Jia Xu's residence, staring blankly at the two characters "Jia Mansion" on the plaque.

Not long after, Jia Xu was seen leading his entire family out of the house in a panic.

Jia Xu said with a forced smile, "My lord, I have been negligent and am guilty!"

Cao Cao handed the reins of his warhorse to Xu Chu and went inside alone.

Seeing this, Jia Xu gestured for his family to leave, and he personally led Cao Cao to the study.

Cao Cao sat at the north side of the octagonal table.

Jia Xu poured Cao Cao a cup of hot tea.

Cao Cao lowered his head and stroked the four corners of the octagonal table, sighing, "Even you, Wenhe, like the things my good son-in-law makes."

Jia Xu stood opposite Cao Cao, tucked his sleeves into his hands, and said, "General, you are very quick-witted, and I admire you greatly. It's not just here; every household in Xuchang has them."

Cao Cao then raised his head, looking at Jia Xu with a cold gaze, and said, "Do you know what I mean?"

Jia Xu forced a laugh, then lowered his head and remained silent.

Cao Cao snorted, picked up his teacup, took a sip of hot tea, and then said, "I know you wouldn't be that stupid."

"Everyone is writing letters, so you are too. You just want to show others that you are with them, so that they won't see you as an outsider and try to harm you."

Jia Xu remained silent.

Cao Cao continued, "However, you are all still in Xuchang, and you are still my subjects."

"Moreover, in addition to the 70,000 troops in Xudu, I also have tens of thousands of other troops."

"Don't push me too far."

"You've been in Xudu for a long time, so you should know my character, Cao Cao."

"If I, Cao Cao, don't even live a few years—" Cao Cao put down his teacup and said in a sinister tone, "I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me!"

Jia Xu then raised his head and glanced at Cao Cao.

Cao Cao scoffed, "Don't you believe me?"

Jia Xu moved his lips slightly, but still said, "I believe you."

Cao Cao said with satisfaction, "How should we handle the current situation? Please tell me."

Jia Xu sighed and said slowly, "Take out all the letters and let those people see them."

"But it wasn't opened."

"To make them mistakenly believe that the law does not punish the masses."

"It makes them feel lucky, but also makes them dare not cross the line again."

"Afterwards, Kong Rong and his entire family were executed."

"To kill the chicken as a warning to the monkey."

“Make up a crime at will.”

"Everyone here is a smart person, and they will all understand the true meaning behind Sikong's move."

“You don’t care about Kong Rong and Sikong, so if anyone else dares to act recklessly again, they will only face death.”

Cao Cao stood up, patted Jia Xu on the shoulder, and laughed, "There have always been rumors that you are a cunning strategist, and I didn't quite believe it before. But now it seems that you are capable of coming up with even the most vicious ideas to protect yourself."

After Cao Cao finished speaking, he left immediately.

Jia Xu stood rooted to the spot, watching Cao Cao's departing figure.

After a long while, he finally sat down, leaning on the four corners of the octagonal table, and onto a bench, muttering, "It's all for survival, Kong Wenju, don't blame me. If you have to blame someone, blame your arrogance and inability to control yourself."

Kong Rong is dead!

Including the three clans.

They were all beheaded overnight at the Xudu Market.

Hundreds of lives were lost, all of them beheaded.

Thick blood filled the air at the entrance of Xudu Market, and within a hundred paces, no one dared to step forward.

Of these hundreds of lives, the youngest was a two-year-old child.

Before the child was beheaded, he kept asking his mother, whose head had been severed, for milk.

The entire city of Xudu was in a state of panic.

The usually bustling streets are now eerily quiet.

The gates of the residences of both civil and military officials were all tightly shut.

For several days in a row, the emperor held morning court sessions, but not a single minister dared to utter a single word.

Five days later, Cao Cao appointed Man Chong, the magistrate of Xudu and commander of the Imperial Academy, to be stationed in Xudu. He reinstated the cruel punishments and assisted Chen Qun in managing all affairs in Xudu, granting him the authority to execute first and report later.

Cao Cao himself led an army of 70,000 northwards, heading straight for Suanzao.

at the same time.

Outside the south gate of Ye City.

Early in the morning.

Zhang Sui was reviewing his troops at the military camp.

After that, the 100,000-strong army marched south in a grand procession.

Zhang Sui stayed until the very end.

He held his eldest son, Zhang Yue, in his arms.

Standing beside him were civil and military officials such as Ju Shou and Xin Ping.

Yuan Mi, wearing a veil, stood to his side, smiling as she looked at his profile.

Zhang Sui kissed his eldest son Zhang Yue on the cheek before carrying him to Ju Shou and saying, "Lord Ju, I won't say anything more."

"Thank you for your trouble, sir."

"This child is also entrusted to you for instruction."

As he spoke, he handed his eldest son, Zhang Yue, to Ju Shou.

Ju Shou, trembling, took Zhang Yue from Zhang Sui's arms, his eyes glistening with tears, and said, "My lord, please go ahead."

Zhang Sui hummed in agreement, glanced at Yuan Mi one last time, smiled and pinched her cheek before mounting his horse.

Behind him, Shi A led one hundred Tiger Guards, and Zhao Qin led one hundred and fifty personal guards, following closely behind.

With his back to the civil and military officials, Zhang Sui waved his hand and then loudly announced, "I'm leaving!"

Hundreds of riders surrounded him, and he was swept away by the tide, disappearing into the afterglow of the rising sun.

(End of this chapter)