About Cao Cao's reincarnation as the emperor's uncle

Chapter 37 Who Will Awaken First from This Life's Great Dream?

From my previous life to my rebirth.

Liu Fang had never slept so soundly and peacefully as he had that night.

The aroma of alcohol spread through my throat, like a thin veil, gently separating me from the past bloodshed and turmoil.

His brow relaxed, a slight smile played on his lips, and he slowly drifted into a dream...

In front of the military headquarters in northern Luoyang, the snow was piled up, about a foot thick.

The moonlight, like water, spilled onto the five-colored sticks, giving them a cold, gleaming light.

The young Cao Cao stood holding a staff, his posture upright like a pine tree.

The longing in their eyes burned brighter than the streetlights.

This burning desire has never been extinguished; now it is raging in his heart, turning into a wildfire.

Feng Xu walked slowly with a hunched back, holding a secret letter steadily in his hands.

She nodded slightly to him, "Everything is as you planned, sir..."

Xu Feng and Xu Rong stood side by side.

Behind them stood disciplined Han soldiers, their armor like a forest, their spears pointing in the direction of the Xianbei royal court.

Xu Shao stroked his beard and smiled, as the bamboo slips containing the Yuedan Ping (a type of commentary on the monthly evaluation) fluttered in the wind.

The comment, "In times of peace, uphold the laws and regulations; in times of chaos, subdue the disobedient," seemed to transform into golden light, illuminating the streets and alleys of Luoyang.

Jian Shuo knelt on one knee, his triangular eyes filled with unwavering loyalty.

The talisman on his palm is engraved with the character "方" (fang), echoing the dragon-patterned jade pendant in his sleeve.

The dream shifted, and yellow sand filled the sky, with howling winds.

Huangfu Song, clad in black armor, pointed his long spear, and the Qiang people fled at the mere sight of him.

The wind turned the pages of Huangfu Gui's "Qianfu Lun" on his bedside, and the four characters "the people are the foundation of the country" floated in the fragrance of ink.

Qiao Xuan stood in front of him, his silver beard fluttering in the wind like an unyielding banner.

Behind him stood a court full of upright officials, their bamboo slips transformed into sharp blades, aimed directly at the sordid collusion in the world.

Yin Duan, Zhu Jun, and Zhang Ji rode side by side, the mournful sound of the Huqin (a type of reed pipe) echoing along the Huangshui River. They pointed to the snow-capped Qilian Mountains in the distance:
"Lord Yuanyi, do you find the snow-covered mountains, which resemble silver mountains, to your liking?"

The clearest image is deep within the North Palace, where Liu Hong is holding his hand.

Standing behind him were Liu Chong, Liu Kuan, Liu Shuo, Liu He, Liu Meng, and other relatives. The vermilion seal of the two characters "Liu Fang" on the imperial genealogy was as fresh as new.

The fragrance of osmanthus wafted outside the palace, and the peace rope sent by the Empress Dowager gleamed softly on the table.

He then donned the robes of the Nine Bestowments, entered the palace with a sword and shoes, and paid homage without naming names. The blue bricks beneath his feet reflected the figures of civil and military officials.

Xun Yu stood solemnly at the head of the group, holding a bamboo slip. Qiao Zhu laughed and joked under the corridor, holding the "Golden-Backed General." Liu Dai and Liu Yao stood by with their hands on their swords, their eyes piercing.

This time, he stood at the highest point of the land, no longer the Cao Mengde who was trapped by the name of "traitor to the Han" in his previous life.

There was no lament in the wind and snow, "If there were no me in the world, how many would claim to be emperor, how many would claim to be king?"

Instead, it was Liu Yuanyi who held the reins of power and looked down upon the land.

He heard his own voice mingling with the howling wind, shaking heaven and earth:
"But there is Liu Yuanyi, the only one in the world—"

"The world rejoices, and I rejoice too!"

When I awoke, the morning light was already streaming through the window.

Liu Fang stroked the half-jade pendant at his waist, his fingertips touching the warm, smooth texture, and in a daze, it seemed as if another person reached out from the depths of time to hold his hand.

The lamp on the desk was still burning, and the secret letter left by Feng Xu was pressed under the inkstone.

He got up and put on his clothes, and saw Xu Feng leaning against a pillar in the corridor, dozing off.

The icicles on the eaves suddenly broke and shattered on the ground with a clang.

Xu Feng immediately opened his eyes, his hand on the hilt of his sword. He relaxed when he saw that it was Liu Fang.

In the distance, the sounds of bells and drums echoed in Luoyang, and a new day slowly began.

……

Taking advantage of the morning light, Liu Fang sat at his desk and opened the sealed letter from Feng Xu.

Unfold the silk:

"The young men among the elite troops have been put into service."

This sentence made him pause, and his eyes suddenly lit up as he scanned the list.

"Yan Liang is a member of the Yan clan of Langya, and comes from a military family."

"Wen Chou, a member of the Wen family of Anping, came from a poor family."

"Gao Lan, a branch of the Gao family of Chenliu, came from a noble family." "Shi A, a disciple of Minister Wang Yue, came from a commoner background."

Liu Fang stared at these names and muttered to himself:

"The four pillar generals under Yuan Shao in my previous life? Apart from Zhang He, the other three are all here..."

Although Gao Lan surrendered to him along with Zhang He, he had very little interaction with Gao Lan.

Gao Lan was born into the Gao clan of Chenliu and was a cousin of Gao Gong, the governor of Shu Commandery.

Gao Gong married Yuan Shao's sister, and his son Gao Gan, as Yuan Shao's nephew, was highly regarded.

He not only helped Yuan Shao become the governor of Ji Province, but also took on the important responsibility of governor of Bing Province after pacifying Hebei.

The Gao family of Chenliu and the Yuan family of Runan were too closely intertwined, which is why Gao Lan was not given important positions.

And subsequent events proved this to be true...

In the tenth year of Jian'an, Gao Gan raised an army in rebellion. After being arrested, the Gao family of Chenliu could not escape being implicated.

Although these brave young men were carefully selected and trained from childhood, they should be loyal to the Han Dynasty.

Given this relationship, it's understandable that Gao Lan later defected to Yuan Shao.

Why did Yan Liang and Wen Chou later follow Yuan Shao?

Could it be because Liu Fang died in his previous life, and he lost heart and no longer attached himself to the Han Dynasty?
There was also Chunyu Qiong, who, as the adopted son of a high-ranking official, was highly valued and became one of the Eight Colonels of the Western Garden.

He should have been by the emperor's side, so why did he follow Yuan Shao?
If we say that Yuan Shao was used to split the Yuan clan in his previous life, it was because he was a man of Emperor Ling of Liu Hong.

Why did Yuan Shao later recommend Liu Yu as emperor?

Moreover, if he wanted to, he could have done so much earlier by "serving the emperor to command the disobedient."

Although he and Yuan Shao were childhood friends in their previous life, they eventually went their separate ways.

In addition, there was the evidence that Yuan Shao had given Cao Cao regarding the Yuan clan's alleged factionalism.

Everything indicated that Yuan Shao harbored a scheme he had never told him.

……

Upon seeing the name "Shi A", Liu Fang was speechless.

In his previous life, this person was a renowned swordsman who created his own swordsmanship style after drawing on the strengths of various schools.

He was proficient in the art of the five weapons, and it was rumored in the martial arts world that he could disarm a blade with his bare hands.

Back in the Xudu training grounds, Shi A not only forced the fierce general Hu Che'er to retreat with a single sword strike.

He even used sugarcane as a sword to defeat General Deng Zhan.

Suddenly, he recalled the scene in the third year of Jian'an when he saw Shi A teaching Cao Pi to practice swordsmanship on the city wall.

He was someone I knew...

Shi A's lineage led him to linger a moment longer on the characters "Wang Yue" with his fingertips.

Wang Yue was renowned throughout the world for his superb swordsmanship and was known as the "Number One Swordsman".

There are even rumors that Wang Yue once rode out of the pass alone, killed the Qiang chieftain, and escaped unscathed.

As for the "Pu She", it refers to the Zhonghuangmen Rongcong Pu She, who was Xu Feng's nominal direct superior.

Although Wang Yue was not a eunuch, he was chosen to train and lead the eunuchs and their retinues because of his superb martial arts skills.

After Liu Hong died in his previous life, he first taught Liu Xie swordsmanship and then served as the Tiger-General, responsible for Liu Xie's personal guards.

During the Rebellion of the Ten Attendants, Wang Yue escorted Liu Xie to safety in his carriage, killing countless pursuers along the way.

……

Liu Fang is truly surrounded by treasures.

Thinking of this, he smiled helplessly.

If he had been born as Liu Hong and sat on that dragon throne, he would surely have killed Liu Fang.

His men are all fierce and ruthless; why keep him around?
Just as he was pondering this, Xu Feng led Feng Xu and Xu Shao into the house.

After everyone greeted him, Liu Fang raised his hand to signal him to come closer.

Xu Shao's long beard trembled slightly as he stepped forward first:
"My lord, yesterday's psychological warfare tactics against Yuan Shao have been effective. What should we do next?"

Liu Fang nodded:

"After noon, I will go and meet with Yuan Benchu."

Having said that, he smiled and turned to Feng Xu, his gaze falling on the silk scroll in his hand with names written on it:

"Yuan Huo, bring these people over tonight so I can meet them..."

(End of this chapter)