The elite did not migrate south

Chapter 7: The Hero of the Time
"Your anger is of no use."

Yang Gong laughed again.

"Do you know what kind of opponent you are facing?"

"When Sima Yi rebelled and killed the general, do you know where his followers came from?"

"They are all assassins secretly trained by Sima Shi. Until now, no one knows how he trained so many assassins around him, and how he made them hide."

"Master Sima is a ruthless man, able to judge people, patient and forbearing, and good at winning people over. He has the potential to be a hero, even greater than his father!"

In fact, there was no need for Yang Gong to say anything, Cao Mao certainly knew what kind of enemy he was facing.

Sima Shi was an excellent executor and a rational decision maker.

A leader who can sleep soundly on the eve of a coup.

Whether in domestic affairs, strategy, or political intrigue, he is almost always at the top.

Cao Mao even knew something that the Yang Gong in front of him did not know. When Sima Shi participated in the campaign to pacify Huainan, he was physically shocked by a young general who went in and out seven times.

After his eyeballs were exploded, he endured the severe pain without saying a word, bit the sheets to pieces, and did not let his subordinates know.

In this way, he stabilized the army, defeated the enemy, and finally died in pain.

Cao Mao really didn't want to fight with such an opponent.

I always feel that he is more terrifying than Sima Yi.

Sima Yi at least left a way out for others, but Sima Shi was the type who would wipe out the enemy completely. He was rational, cold-blooded, and ruthless in killing.

"Sima Shi has completely taken over the government. The current dethronement and enthronement are the best proof of this. His power is even greater than that of Wei Wu back then. No one can control him."

"If you had been born twenty years earlier, there might still be hope."

“But now.”

Yang Gong shook his head, pointed at the ruffians in the distance and said:
"These knights-errant aren't bad people by nature. You'd better find a reason to send them away, lest they be killed along with you!"

It was not until Liu Lu came with a wine jug that Yang Gong returned to his original depressed state, drinking wine with big gulps, his eyes blurred, and living a life of drunkenness and dreams.

Today, Cao Mansion was as quiet as the entire Yuan City. Even the usually lively knights were silent. What happened today was beyond their acceptance. They were just ordinary people without farmland in an ordinary county town. The major events in the temple were so far away that they could not understand.

The next day, Cao Mao got up early. When he walked out of the inner hall, his face looked a little haggard.

Since traveling through time, Cao Mao has not had a single day of good sleep.

He had thought about ways to break the impasse countless times, but it was simply too difficult and he saw no chance at all.

"County Lord!"

Liu Lu stood in front of Cao Mao, panting, still holding a wooden stick in his hand.

Without saying a word, Cao Mao took the stick from his hand and started swinging it.

The long stick in his hand was so powerful that it became increasingly fierce as he walked, making bursts of air-breaking sounds.

Liu Lu took a few steps back and stood with the other rangers, watching Cao play with the stick.

"Alas, one person is truly incomparable to another. The township lord learns everything so quickly."

Liu Lu's eyes were full of complexity.

He was the one who taught Cao Gong this stick technique. Who would have thought that Cao Gong is now better than his teacher.

The man with the tattoos on his face smiled and said, "What a great man the Township Lord is! He already has a good physique. In addition, he has been practicing diligently for the past year without missing a single day. He has been so dedicated to his training, so it is only natural that he has achieved such an achievement."

Cao Mao practiced everything: stick, sword, bow, and even horse riding.

Just as Yang Gong said, he was seriously lacking in security and had reached the point where he was desperate and would do anything to increase his strength, which of course included martial arts.

When the morning exercise ended, Cao Mao was soaked all over.

He panted, threw the stick aside, took the cloth handed to him by Liu Lu, and wiped his eyes.

This exercise was like a kind of catharsis. The haze in his eyes disappeared and he felt much more relaxed.

"Let's go! Let's go outside for a walk!"

Cao Mao waved his hand and led more than ten of his followers out of the door in a mighty manner.

Yuancheng was not a big county town, and there were not many pedestrians on the streets. Cao Mao did not take a carriage, but walked on the road, feeling the refreshing autumn breeze blowing towards him.

Cao Mao was very famous in the city.

Passersby he met all bowed to greet him, and Cao Mao smiled and waved as a return gesture.

Occasionally, he would meet a few children, who would laugh and cling to Cao Mao. Cao Mao would give them some food and let them play by themselves.

We walked all the way to the south of the city, and came across a restaurant with two floors and quite extraordinary decoration.

As soon as the doorman saw Cao Mao, he rushed into the house. Soon, a chubby man came out with a big smile on his face. This man was the owner of the restaurant.

"I didn't know the lord was coming, so I couldn't greet him. I hope you'll forgive me."

This person was extremely polite to Cao Mao, standing aside with his head bowed.

Cao Mao nodded and walked into the restaurant. There were many people sitting in the restaurant, shouting about something. When they saw Cao Mao come in, the restaurant became quiet in an instant.

Obviously, these people have heard some rumors.

The host welcomed Cao Mao and asked him to sit down in his old seat. Cao Mao didn't like single rooms. He liked the noisy atmosphere of the city.

"Give each of us a plate of Broken Gold Rice."

"okay!!"

The shop owner was very happy and quickly sent someone into the kitchen.

The shopkeeper was polite to Cao Mao not just because of his status.

Cao Mao helped this restaurant a lot and provided many recipes, including the Broken Gold Rice that we just ordered, which was also passed down by Cao Mao.

It’s actually just egg fried rice.

The princes of the Wei Dynasty had no food stored at home. In order to supplement their family expenses, Cao Mao successively found several local merchants and gained wealth by cooperating with them.

The laws of the Wei Dynasty stipulated that princes could not engage in business or own their own businesses.

Cao Mao took advantage of a loophole and collected gifts of gratitude by giving them guidance, which could be considered tuition or investment.

During this year, many big merchants emerged in Yuancheng, and Cao Mao was no longer short of money.

The restaurant was filled with old acquaintances, but no one dared to approach Cao Mao easily at this moment, as if an invisible barrier had appeared between Cao Mao and them again.

In this silence, someone finally mustered up the courage.

A familiar guest asked with a smile, "Lord Cao, I heard that the angels came to Yuancheng to invite you to Luoyang to become the emperor. Is this true?"

Liu Lu was the first to answer: "Of course it's true!"

Everyone who pricked up their ears to listen couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, and the look they gave Cao Mao became even more different.

Before the emperor was murdered in the street, at least at the grassroots level, the emperor was still very sacred and possessed a certain mystery, and was definitely not an ordinary person.

It can be said that the Sima family made outstanding achievements in breaking superstition.

Luoshui's fart proved that an oath made to the mountains and rivers could be broken without worrying about divine punishment, and the regicide in the street made the world understand that the emperor was also a mortal and could be killed by an ordinary spear.

They even made a fool the emperor, creating a new upper limit for Chinese emperors and achieving an unprecedented achievement!
The shopkeeper lowered his head and personally brought the food to Cao Mao.

"If you could become the emperor, it would be a blessing for all the people. You would surely be a wise ruler like Emperor Wen."

The shop owner boasted a few words.

Emperor Wen's reputation among the royal family and the people was very different.

His reputation among the people is better than that of Cao Cao and Cao Rui. He developed the military farming system, implemented the grain and silk exchange system, stabilized social order, and basically solved the inflation caused by the war.

At the same time, he carried out strategic defense in various places, restored civilian production, abolished many prohibitions, reduced tariffs, banned personal vendettas, widely discussed light punishments, allowed the people to rest and recuperate, and carried out thrifty funerals.

These policies appeased the people in the north, created a certain level of prosperity, and greatly increased the national strength of Wei.

However, Cao Mao grabbed the shopkeeper and pulled him to sit next to him.

"The thing I sent Liu Lu to tell you last night should have come to fruition, right?"

The shopkeeper wiped his forehead and said, "Yes, yes."

"Mr. Yang Zong was once the chief clerk of the great general Cao Shuang."

"After Cao Shuang's rebellion failed, the Duke of Anping pardoned him and appointed him as a minister."

"I heard that he had a private feud with the current general and had contradicted him many times. The general wanted to kill him, but the General of the Western Expedition pleaded for him, and he was demoted to a lower level."

Cao Mao narrowed his eyes, "Is that true?"

"It's true, you don't know how much money I spent to figure this out."

"Don't worry, I have many recipes, all from the palace, that will help you earn more in the future."

As Cao Mao said this, he let go of the shopkeeper's shoulders.

The shopkeeper was delighted and smiled widely, and hurriedly saluted Cao Mao again and again.

"Thank you, Lord Cao! Thank you, Lord Cao!"

(End of this chapter)