My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

Chapter 233: Internally, I was usurped by my wife and children; externally, I was brutally beaten by Liu Bei! I am willing to cede the land south of the Yellow River and govern it along the river!

Pengcheng.

Cao Cao, dragging his still-healing arrow wound, laboriously climbed to the top of the city wall.

The Wei soldiers on the city wall cheered with joy.

"So Lord Wei didn't die after all; we were just hearing rumors!"

"Isn't it rumored that Lord Wei died from an arrow wound? But he doesn't look injured at all now!"

"It's good that Lord Wei is alright. Those rumors must have been spread by spies from the Chu army..."

The Wei soldiers whispered amongst themselves, which boosted their morale considerably.

Walking among the soldiers, seeing their spirits lifted, Cao Cao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He pretended to be sick and didn't show up for half a month.

Later, the surprise attack on the Chu camp failed, and he was hit by an arrow. Fearing that it would shake the morale of the army, he stayed in bed for half a month to recover from his injury and dared not show himself.

As the ruler of a country, how could a month-long absence from public view not arouse suspicion and unease among the soldiers?

Therefore, Cao Cao had no choice but to appear on the city wall despite his still-unwell condition to reassure the people.

The man's mind was calmed, but with each step he took, he gritted his teeth in pain, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

"Father…"

Cao Chong stepped forward to help him up.

Cao Cao helped him away.

If he were helped by his son, wouldn't that give away his secret, allowing the soldiers to see that he was injured? Wouldn't that greatly diminish the effect of calming people's hearts?

To prioritize the overall situation, Cao Cao had no choice but to endure the pain and inspect the entire city wall.

It wasn't until he stepped onto the city wall that Cao Cao felt completely exhausted and collapsed.

Cao Chong, Xu Chu, and others rushed forward and helped Cao Cao to lie down.

"My father appeared on the city wall today, which dispelled the rumors in the army and boosted the morale of the soldiers."

"Moreover, the attacks by the Big Ears bandits have decreased significantly recently. They must know that Father is not seriously ill and can still take charge of the overall situation, so they dare not attack the city recklessly anymore."

"Your subject believes that Father can now focus on recovering from his injuries."

Cao Chong served tea and water while offering words of comfort.

"Cang Shu, you're too optimistic."

“Our army suffered a crushing defeat, losing over ten thousand elite cavalry. Instead of taking advantage of the situation to launch a fierce attack on Pengcheng, that big-eared traitor has instead laid down his arms. Don’t you find that suspicious?”

Cao Cao's face was clouded with gloom, and he turned around to ask a question.

Cao Chong's body trembled slightly, and after a moment's thought, he nodded and said:

"Father is right. With Xiao He's cunning and treacherous schemes, how could he let Liu Bei miss such a good opportunity and do nothing?"

"Given this, Liu Bei's decision to lay low at this time, could it be that Xiao He is brewing some kind of scheme?"

Cao Chong spoke to Cao Cao's heart.

Liu Bei seized the opportunity to launch a desperate attack, but he was not afraid.

The worst-case scenario is that Liu Bei does nothing.

Who knows what mischief Xiao He is plotting this time?
"Gongda, Wenhe, what do you two think?"

Cao Cao looked up at his two advisors.

Jia Xu's lips twitched slightly, as if he had something to say, but he swallowed it back before he could speak.

Xun You hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands and said:

"Lord Wei, I haven't noticed anything unusual about the Chu army, but I do feel something is amiss in Ye City."

Cao Cao became alert and gestured for Xun You to continue.

"According to the official who came to deliver the memorial from Yecheng, rumors have been circulating in Yecheng recently that Yang Xiu's crimes of treason and collusion with the enemy have been exposed, and he has now been imprisoned and confessed to his crimes of collusion with the enemy."

"There are also rumors that the Duke of Wei has died from his injuries, and that Prince Cangshu has succeeded him on the front lines."

"I suspect that this might be a deliberate attempt by certain individuals to spread rumors in Ye City in an attempt to sow discord among the people in our rear."

Xun You expressed his concerns.

His words were also cunning; he didn't directly name who was spreading the rumors, but instead used "a certain person with ulterior motives" as a euphemism.

The person with ulterior motives might be Liu Bei, his mortal enemy, who is using rumors to sow discord among your troops.

It is also possible that Cao Zhi, who was in Ye City, intentionally spread the word to create momentum for a certain purpose.

Cao Chong glanced at Xun You with gratitude.

This new head of the Xun family spoke for him, saying what was difficult to say, reminding Cao Cao to be wary of Cao Zhi taking a risk.

Lady Bian committed the crime of secretly communicating with Liu Bei, a capital offense. Consequently, her two sons, Cao Pi and Cao Zhi, were completely deprived of their chance to become heirs.

The position of the emperor has been decided; none other than Cao Chong will take it!

Xun You naturally no longer needed to conceal his stance, so he directly stepped forward to act as Cao Chong's mouthpiece to deal with Cao Zhi.

Cao Cao understood the underlying meaning in Xun You's words, but coldly snorted:

"Even that rebellious son of mine wouldn't dare to do that. It must be that the big-eared scoundrel spreading rumors in an attempt to sow discord in our rear."

"Chong'er, I hereby grant you the power to oversee the country. You shall immediately return to Ye City to take charge of the government on my behalf and to reassure the people."

A glint of light flashed in Cao Chong's eyes.

The power of regent!

This is a power that only the crown prince possesses.

Cao Cao's appointment was tantamount to announcing to the world that he had decided to make him the heir apparent of the Wei Kingdom.

This was also a warning to his two older brothers: the throne was already secured, and they should no longer harbor any illusions about becoming the heir apparent.

"Your subject obeys. Your subject will now set off for the capital."

Cao Chong suppressed his secret joy and immediately accepted the order.

Just as he was about to take his leave, Tiger Guard rushed in and reported that Ding Yi had come from Ye City, claiming that he had come to deliver the imperial edict on the orders of Duke Wei.

Cao Chong suddenly stopped.

Xun You, Yue Jin, and the others were all taken aback.

Cao Cao, who was lying prone, suddenly straightened his neck, glared at him, and demanded:

"What did you say, say it again?"

"Reporting to Lord Wei, Ding Yi claims to have come to Pengcheng on your orders to deliver an imperial edict and wishes to enter the city!"

Cao Cao was dumbfounded.

When did he issue an imperial edict to Ding Yi?
Besides, as the Duke of Wei, he was already in Pengcheng. If he wanted to issue an edict, he could have just done so directly. Why go through all that trouble and send it from Yecheng?
This is like taking off your pants to fart!

"Lord Wei, there might be trouble in Ye City!"

Xun You was the first to react and hurriedly reminded him.

Cao Cao felt a chill run down his spine, suddenly realizing that something serious might have happened in Ye City.

"Quickly help the orphan back to the prefectural government and summon Ding Yi to come and see him!"

Half an hour later.

Cao Cao was already sitting at an angle, with half of his buttocks on the upper seat.

A moment later, Ding Yi swaggered into the hall, holding up an imperial edict.

"The new emperor has ascended the throne, and an imperial edict is here. All generals, step forward to hear it—"

The words remained unspoken.

Ding Yi suddenly recognized Cao Cao, who was sitting high above him. He was horrified and turned pale. He was so frightened that he was as if he had seen a ghost. His legs went weak and he knelt on the ground.

"Lord Wei... Your subject... Your subject pays respects to Lord Wei~~"

Ding Yi lay on the ground, his voice trembling, his whole body shaking with excruciating pain.

Cao Cao's face turned ashen, and he shouted in a deep voice:

"I am still alive and well. When did a new ruler suddenly appear in Ye City? Explain yourself to me!" Ding Yi lay on the ground, trembling, stammering and not daring to make a sound.

Cao Cao gave Xu Chu a look.

Xu Chu then snatched the "imperial edict" from Ding Yi's hand and presented it to Cao Cao.

Cao Cao only glanced at it a few times before his eyes blazed with fury and his face contorted in anger.

That was the edict of succession issued by Cao Zhi, the "Duke of Wei".

His good son has announced that he will inherit the title of Duke of Wei in Ye City in accordance with his father's will!
This edict had three purposes: first, to announce the new emperor's accession to the throne; second, to promote and ennoble the frontline generals such as Xun You and Zhang He, ordering them to escort the coffin of the "deceased ruler" back to the capital; and third, to enfeoff Cao Chong as a county marquis, ordering him to return to Ye City ahead of others to receive his title.

"You unfilial son, how dare you! I am not yet dead, and you dare to plot rebellion and usurp the throne! You unfilial son—"

Cao Cao was furious. He tore the imperial edict in his hand to shreds and threw it at Ding Yi's face.

The ministers on either side exchanged glances, and they generally understood what was going on.

This was the young master Zijian, who, believing that Cao Cao had died from his injuries at the front, preemptively announced his succession, forcing the generals at the front to accept the established fact that he had become the Duke of Wei.

"Tell me, what exactly happened? Where did that rebellious son get the audacity to plot a rebellion and usurp the throne?"

Cao Cao realized that Cao Zhi wouldn't dare to do such a thing, and that there must be someone else behind the scenes pushing him forward.

Ding Yi had no choice but to confess, with trepidation, the whole story of how Empress Bian, in her capacity as Empress Dowager, summoned the officials stationed in Ye City, forged Cao Cao's will, and announced the establishment of Cao Zhi as the Duke of Wei.

In addition, he also instructed that Lady Bian had sent envoys to Nanyang, Runan, Guanzhong, and even various prefectures and counties of Wei to announce the fact that Cao Zhi had succeeded to the throne to generals such as Xiahou Dun and Cao Ren, as well as governors of various prefectures, and to order them to obey the new emperor's orders.

"You vile woman, I knew it was you who were ambitious and plotted behind the scenes to bewitch that rebellious son Cao Zhi!"

"You vile woman, you unfilial son! You already colluded with that treacherous traitor, and now you dare to plot rebellion and usurp the throne! I will tear you to pieces, tear you to pieces—"

Cao Cao was so angry that his face contorted, and he roared and cursed through gritted teeth.

"Lord Wei, please calm your anger. I was unaware that you were still alive. I was also deceived by your wife. I—"

Ding Yi turned pale with fright and hurriedly apologized, trying to absolve himself of responsibility.

How could Cao Cao let him off? He angrily cursed:
"Do you think I don't know? You've long been a henchman of that rebellious son, wishing I would die from my illness so you could gain credit for supporting him?"

"You treacherous and rebellious minister, how could I possibly forgive you!"

"Men, drag this thief away and execute him!"

The two guards rushed forward and dragged Ding Yi away.

Ding Yi was terrified and hurriedly cried and begged for mercy, but Cao Cao remained unmoved.

The wailing gradually faded away, and a moment later, a bloody head was brought back into the hall.

Seeing Ding Yi's severed head, all the officials fell silent, not daring to utter a sound.

“That vile woman and her rebellious son have committed such a crime of treason. Tell me, how should I deal with them?”

Cao Cao finally suppressed his anger and glanced at his ministers.

Xun You breathed a sigh of relief and quickly cupped his hands in greeting, saying:
"I believe that the reason why Lady and Prince Zijian dared to take such a risk must be because they learned that Yang Xiu's affair had been exposed and he had confessed, and they mistakenly believed that Duke Wei was really seriously injured and would die. That is why they took such a risk."

"The best course of action now is for Duke Wei to return to Ye City immediately, quell this rebellion, and demonstrate to the world that he is still alive. Only in this way can the people's hearts be stabilized as quickly as possible."

"Every day this matter is delayed, our Wei Kingdom will be in danger of falling into internal strife. If Liu Bei is on the outside and internal turmoil arises, our Great Wei will be in grave danger!"

Cao Cao's figure shuddered.

Xun You was by no means exaggerating or threatening.

Regardless of whether he was dead or alive, Cao Zhi had been captured by Liu Bei. How could he accept the people's approval of him if he succeeded to the throne with such a disgrace?
If you don't have enough prestige, who can guarantee that the generals who command troops in the field won't harbor ambitions to take your place?

What if those governors of various prefectures and high-ranking officials join the rebellion against Wei and openly establish their own independent regimes?
Wouldn't the Wei Kingdom fall into chaos overnight?

With the country in chaos, the morale of the soldiers on the front lines will inevitably collapse. If Liu Bei takes advantage of this situation to launch a major northern offensive, how can we resist him?

At that point, it wouldn't be as simple as just losing Xuzhou.

"Gongda is absolutely right. To quell the rebellion, we must first secure the home front. I must immediately lead my army north to Yecheng to suppress the rebellion!"

Cao Cao had made his decision.

The next question is who will be left to guard Pengcheng.

Pengcheng only had more than 50,000 troops. When Cao Cao went north to quell the rebellion, he would have to take at least 30,000 with him.

Of the troops left to defend Pengcheng, less than 20,000 remained.

Twenty thousand Wei troops resisted an attack by eighty thousand Chu troops; the disparity in strength was enormous.

This is a mission where you risk your life.

The generals present were all intimidated, and none of them dared to volunteer for battle.

"Lord Wei, I am willing to lead the army to defend Pengcheng to the death!"

One of the generals broke the silence and stepped forward to volunteer for the battle.

It was Li Dian.

After being captured in the Battle of Shouchun, this once-great general of Cao Wei lost all face and could no longer hold his head high in the Wei Kingdom.

Today, his volunteering is clearly a way of risking his life to wash away the shame of being captured with a great achievement.

Cao Cao naturally understood Li Dian's motives, and thus readily agreed:
"Very well, Mancheng, I hereby order you to lead 20,000 troops to defend Pengcheng!"

"The fate of Xuzhou rests in your hands!"

Li Dian bowed deeply, his expression resolute, and said:
"Please rest assured, Lord Wei, I have only one thing to say: the city stands as long as we live, the city falls as long as we die!"

Cao Cao nodded in satisfaction, then after a moment's thought, turned to Xun You and said:

"Gongda, the big-eared bandit has many strategists under his command, and Xiao He, that sorcerer, is even more cunning and treacherous, making him impossible to guard against."

"It might be difficult for Mancheng to hold out on his own. You should stay here and lend Mancheng a hand."

Xun You's heart skipped a beat.

Leaving him in Pengcheng was a way to trap him in the encirclement of the Chu army, leaving him in a dangerous and isolated situation.

Cao Cao was asking him to risk his life to defend the city with Li Dian!

"I...I obey your order."

Although Xun You was unwilling, he dared not disobey the order.

All arrangements have been made.

Cao Cao helped Cao Chong to his feet, his face burning with magnanimity:
"I will quell the rebellion in Yecheng within ten days, and lead my army back to Pengcheng within twenty days. You must hold Pengcheng for me for twenty days!"

"The fate of Xuzhou, and whether we can maintain our offensive and defensive posture, rests in your hands!"

With that, Cao Cao bowed to Li Dian and Xun You.

The two were flattered and hurriedly bowed in return, saying in unison:

"I am willing to fight to the death for Lord Wei, I am willing to fight to the death for my great Wei!"

Cao Cao was finally relieved, so he led 30,000 troops, dragging his still-healing wounds, and traveled day and night from Pengcheng northwards, heading straight for Yecheng.

...

Inside the central command tent of the Chu camp.

Ding Yi, the Yellow Gate Attendant of Wei, stood in the tent as an envoy and bowed respectfully to Liu Bei.

While Cao Zhi was sending Ding Yi to Pengcheng to deliver the imperial edict, he also sent his brother, Hong, to the Chu camp.

At this time, news of the dramatic changes in the State of Wei had not yet reached the camp.

Looking at the Wei envoy before him, Liu Bei was still wondering what Cao Cao's motives were in suddenly sending an envoy.

After bowing, Ding Yi took a deep breath and said loudly:

“I, Ding Yi, have come to pay my respects to the Duke of Chu on the orders of my lord, the Duke of Wei.”

"My late lord has passed away, and the new lord has ascended the throne in Ye City. With the well-being of the people in mind, he wishes to make peace with the Duke of Chu, and the two families shall cease hostilities hereafter."

“My lord has personally promised that if the Duke of Chu is willing to make peace, my lord will give all the states south of the Yellow River to the Duke of Chu.”

"From this day forward, our two nations will govern each other along the river, maintain friendly relations for generations to come, and never be enemies again!"

P.S.: I don't think I've ever asked for monthly votes before, but I'll ask you guys for them this time. Thank you, brothers.

(End of this chapter)