NOVPUBMeanwhile, in Chenliu of Yanzhou.
"Lord Cao," Gong Ren pleaded, "Wen Li might have been at fault, but he is after all a noted scholar under heaven. Besides, he was considering the great cause of the Han Dynasty, and his intentions were ultimately good. I implore you, Lord Cao, to spare him this time!" Chen Gong rushed over as soon as he learned that Cao Cao intended to kill Bian Rang, hoping Cao Cao would abandon the thought.
"Gongtai, let us not discuss this matter any further. Bian Rang dared to collude with outer officials to seize Yanzhou from me—how can I not execute him!" Cao Cao glared at Chen Gong, saying with a gloomy face.
"Lord Cao, Wen Li was merely confused for a moment, and he did not intend to seize Yanzhou!" Chen Gong advised loudly, "He only wished to integrate the forces of several feudal lords to rescue the Emperor."
"Rescue the Emperor? Such matters are to be handled by us, governors and regional inspectors. Is that rescuing the Emperor? He was colluding with Yuan Shao!" Cao Cao said angrily. Perhaps feeling that he had been too harsh with Chen Gong, he sighed and tried to reassure him, "Currently, with the world in chaos, our strength is not dominant. We can truly protect the Emperor only by securing our own position first."
Chen Gong was stunned, feeling for the first time that Cao Cao had become a stranger. He bowed his head, silent, his mind seemingly preoccupied.
"Gongtai, was there any problem with the matter we discussed earlier?" Cao Cao seemed to no longer want to talk about Bian Rang and changed the subject.
"Lyu Bu’s valor is unmatched," Chen Gong said quietly.
"Indeed, Lyu Bu is incredibly brave, not something ordinary military generals can match. Fortunately, I have valiant generals like Elai at my command," Cao Cao said with no sign of disappointment, instead praising his own subordinates.
Chen Gong left Cao Cao’s presence soullessly. He could not understand why Cao Cao had become so petty. Where was the heroic and domineering Cao Mengde of the past?
Chen Gong couldn’t help but think of the straightforward Lyu Bu, recalling their encounter. A mixture of unclear and undetermined thoughts began to surface. [Lyu Fengxian, apart from being straightforward and a little silly, wasn’t like the rumors previously suggested.]
[What a pity that Lyu Fengxian’s hometown of Bingzhou was occupied by Yuan Benchu, leaving him displaced. Otherwise, that would have been a good refuge.] Chen Gong thought involuntarily.
Chen Gong did not understand why, ever since meeting Lyu Bu, he had developed an appreciation for him. Previously, he had been ready to kill Lyu Bu and then assist Cao Cao in taking over Lyu Bu’s forces. But after seeing Lyu Bu, Chen Gong silently abandoned his own plan, and instead shared drinks and conversations with Lyu Bu. Had it not been for this change of heart, Lyu Bu would be dead by Chen Gong’s hand by now.
[Alas, I felt an immediate connection and shared aspirations with Fengxian. What a pity, such a pity.] Chen Gong thought silently. Then, upon thinking about Cao Cao again, his indignation intensified even more.
[Cao Mengde, if you continue to do things that displease me, I will definitely show you no mercy!] The angrier Chen Gong got, the more dissatisfied he was with Cao Cao’s actions, particularly with the execution of Han Dynasty officials!
Chen Gong returned home and thought about the recently wandering Lyu Bu. Unsure of his own motives, he wrote a letter and had it sent to Lyu Bu, suggesting he stay in Henei for the time being.
[Am I really considering Cao Mengde’s interests?] Chen Gong was clearly confused; however, after some time, he became resolute once more. [Yes, I am considering Cao Mengde’s interests. With Lyu Bu’s forces in Henei, eyeing Bingzhou, Yuan Benchu will have to shift his focus from Youzhou to the Bingzhou border near Henei, to guard against Lyu Bu’s potential uprising. This will aid Cao Mengde’s grand ambitions.]
Chen Gong, while committing wrongdoing, consoled himself, but Cao Cao, having seen the plan of driving the tiger to devour the wolf that Chen Gong had submitted less than an hour later, approved it without a second thought. Moreover, he was completely assured that Chen Gong was merely acting out of momentary indignation and would not put personal matters above the public interest; he was still a reliable strategist under his command.
Looking at the order in his hand, Chen Gong seemed rather absent-minded. Was what he was doing correct? Standing near the granary in Chenliu, Chen Gong hesitated for a long time, and it was at that moment, upon seeing Bian Rang’s wife, disheveled and smeared with dirt, screaming as she was dragged away by Cao Cao’s soldiers, that a flicker of murderous intent passed through his eyes.
[I’m just preventing troubles before they arise, Cao Mengde, don’t disappoint me!] Chen Gong thought fiercely, handing over the order to the Household Registry Official, then directly ordered the dispersal of those soldiers and rescued Bian Rang’s wife.
"Go back and tell Lord Cao, that Chen Gong has rescued Bian Rang’s wife and children, his elderly mother. A wise ruler does not harm the relatives of others, nor sever others’ Line of worship," Chen Gong said as he left with Bian Rang’s family.
Soon, news of what had happened on the street reached Cao Cao, and Xun Yu was also beside him. After hearing about it, Xun Yu sighed, "My lord, what Gongtai says makes sense. A wise ruler should not harm the relatives of others, nor sever their line of worship. If my lord does so today, won’t the people of the world do the same in the future?"
Cao Cao sighed, "If that’s the case, then let it be. Tell Chen Gongtai I didn’t know anything about it, and don’t let these people appear before me again."
Xun Yu did not realize that his words, "A wise ruler should not harm the relatives of others, nor sever their line of worship. If my lord does so today, won’t the people of the world do the same in the future?" would soon leave him utterly unable to calm the furious Cao Mengde.
"My lord is benevolent and righteous," Xun Yu said with temperance. Regarding the matter of Bian Rang, he had a relaxed view—it could go either way, life or death. Compared to Yuan Shao’s inconsistent and erratic decisions, Xun Yu was more supportive of Cao Mengde assisting the Han Dynasty.
Chen Gong felt much better after receiving Cao Cao’s order. Although Bian Rang still could not escape death, at least his family had avoided a disaster. After all, Cao Cao was human, and it was normal for him to err sometimes, as long as he was willing to listen to advice, which is the hallmark of a wise ruler. Thinking of this, Chen Gong felt somewhat guilty about his earlier actions, which were borderline treasonous, but he didn’t go out of his way to deal with it, considering that he could restrain Yuan Shao and still had some doubts...
The blood Xi Zhicai coughed up this time and the last occurrence when he replicated Sima Yi’s talent were entirely different matters. If the last time he had injured his vital energy, this time he had injured his foundation, and in the moment when he spat blood, Xi Zhicai vaguely understood that his days were numbered, and even whether he could survive this ordeal was in question.
Collapsing onto his bed, Xi Zhicai did not pass out like the last time; instead, he forcibly kept himself conscious and moved the porcelain pillow off the bed with difficulty, creating a loud disturbance.
"Crack!" Hearing the loud noise from Xi Zhicai’s room, the guards rushed in immediately. Seeing Xi Zhicai’s pale face and his body emaciated as a dry twig, his Essence, Qi, and Spirit seemingly leaving him all at once, they were shocked, "Quick, summon the doctor!"
"Call... Wen... Li," Xi Zhicai managed to say with difficulty.
Upon receiving the news that Xi Zhicai had vomited blood once more, Chen Qun rushed to the back courtyard, "Zhicai!"
"Return to Chenliu... Take the letter... to... my... lord..." As soon as Xi Zhicai saw Chen Qun, his cloudy eyes flickered with light. He struggled to raise his hand towards a shelf of white papers and then, his vision darkening, the raised right hand fell onto the bed.
"Zhicai!" Chen Qun cried out in alarm, throwing himself towards Xi Zhicai.
"Get out of the way, if you throw yourself at him now, he’s definitely going to die!" An aged man with hair as white as a crane’s and a youthful face grabbed Chen Qun’s shoulder, flinging him aside as he did so. In the meantime, several needles were flung towards Xi Zhicai. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
