Chapter 21 Return

Cao Chong was not mentally prepared for Cao Pi's arrival. When he received Cao Pi with a smile outside Xu County, he still didn't understand what Lao Cao meant. His task was completed quite well. Why did he suddenly let Cao Pi pick fruits? Whether he could not understand or not, he absolutely implemented the orders to Lao Cao. While resisting the beating Cao Pi's face into a pig's head, he briefly introduced the situation in Xu County to Cao Pi, and then took his subordinates back to Yecheng. He did not complain at all and accompanied Sun Shangxiang, who had been regarded as a treasure, to continue farming at night, preparing to continue to work hard to cultivate the next generation.

Cao Pi arrived in Xu County and launched a drastic attack. Before he came, the emperor had issued an edict to abolish it, but the Fu family had not dealt with it. Cao Pi immediately wrote a letter to announce the ten crimes of the Fu family, demanding that the emperor immediately issue an edict to kill the Fu family, and the clan kill the Fu family. The emperor was used to dealing with Cao Chong, and suddenly felt that he had lost the dignity of the emperor and did not speak for the opportune. The two of them turned their faces in the hall. Cao Pi was furious in the hall, roaring in a voice, accusing the emperor of treating the Cao family and favoring the Fu family. The emperor was so angry that he shivered by his anger. He turned his sleeves away, and returned to the back hall and was furious, throwing the things on the desk everywhere, almost smashing the piano that Fu was left behind.

Cao Chong was not very concerned about this. He stayed very comfortable in Yecheng. He went to ask Lao Cao for peace every day and accompanied his wife to play mahjong with his mother and wife when he came back. Mrs. Huan now has a good son who is a general and a rich son. She is so angry that she has a bulging waist and her pockets are no longer the timid look she used to be. Every day, a wife and two prospective daughters-in-law accompany her to play mahjong, and her hands are twitching after winning money.

As for Sun Shangxiang, since she became pregnant, her daily morning exercises were naturally banned, and she was not allowed to ride a horse. She served her every day like an old lady. Mrs. Huan was worried that the twenty female guards and Sun Pin'er were inexperienced, so she specially found a few old mothers to serve her, and she had to give birth to her first grandson anyway. As for whether it was possible that she was a granddaughter, Mrs. Huan didn't consider it at all.

In addition to playing cards with her every day, Xiao Yuer and Dashuang Xiaoshuang served Cao Chong well and continued to work hard to get another child next year. Fortunately, Dashuang Xiaoshuang has not completed the formalities and are not old enough. Cao Chong only needs to plow a piece of land at night, otherwise he would be tiring enough.

After a few days of playing mahjong with his mother, Mrs. Huan annoyed him because although he had no chance to play, he sat there. Xiao Yuer, Da Shuang and Xiao Shuang were uneasy and did not look at the cards. He followed him. He sat behind Xiao Yuer, Da Shuang and Xiao Shuang and pouted. He sat behind Da Shuang and Xiao Yuer rolled his eyes. As for Xiao Shuang, although there was nothing on his face, when Cao Chong sat behind her, her IQ obviously dropped significantly. In this case, she needed to concentrate her energy to play mahjong at a high level. Naturally, she lacked the fun. Mrs. Huan won't be challenging to win money, so she was not happy, so she quickly drove him out of the chess and card room and asked him to accompany the little brothers who clamored to play with him every day.

Cao Chong did not object, and happily took his brothers to fish and catch shrimps. He also hung several swings in the woods next to Xuanwu Pool, having fun there every day, and the woods were quarrel like an amusement park.

On that day, Lao Cao finished his business, took off his glasses on his nose, rubbed his eyes, stretched his waist, slowly stood up and walked to the pavilion, holding the carved railing, listening to the noise coming from the woods in the distance, a smile appeared in the corner of his eyes, and said to Xun You beside him: "Gongda, my son seems to have no ambitions. He is all a general in Zhennan, and he doesn't want to go back to Jingzhou. He fights with these children every day. Are you angry with me?"

"Prime Minister, no one knows his son better than his father. The Prime Minister should be the one who understands the most." Xun You smiled slightly, and then said: "The general is generous, respects the prime minister, and is very friendly to his brothers. There will never be any statement that father and son will cure the anger."

Old Cao smiled, but didn't say anything for a long time. He narrowed his eyes and looked away. In the emerald green woods, there was a swing made of two huge tripods. A pink figure suddenly flashed and disappeared. The long skirt flew like a butterfly. Cao Cao asked strangely: "Why are there still women over there?"

Xu Chu, who had been standing not far away, replied: "Report to the Prime Minister, the ladies are all over there."

Lao Cao said oh, waved his hand and said, "Zhongkang, go and call Cang Shu for me."

Xu Qian turned around and arranged a tiger soldier. Not long after, Cao Chong took Qin Lang and Cao Ju to horseback, walked through the long willow embankment, rolled over and dismounted in front of the pavilion, threw the whip to the tiger soldier waiting on the side, strode up and saluted Cao Cao and Xun You, and smiled happily, "Father, have you any trouble for me?"

Cao Cao glanced at the shiny sweat beads on his forehead, and lowered his face and scolded: "I'm sweating all over my body, I don't know if I have a stroke in the lake. What should I do if I catch a cold?"

Cao Chong smiled. He raised his sleeves and wiped his forehead, walked to Cao Cao, helped him back to the pavilion to sit, and then said, "Father, I am eighteen years old and strong. I have learned Zuo Laodao's Seiwang and Master Hua's Five Animals Play. I have to practice martial arts every day to strengthen my body, so how can I catch a cold so easily?"

"You have to wash it if you are not afraid of catching a cold, you have to wash it. It looks like you are covered in sweat." Cao Cao covered his nose exaggeratedly, showing an unhappy look. Cao Chong raised his arms and smelled it, and also smiled bitterly: "The smell of sweat is great enough, why don't I go and wash it first."

"It's not too late to wash it later." Cao Cao waved his hand and reached for the teapot on the table. Cao Ji, who was standing next to him, immediately reached out and grabbed the teapot and poured a cup of tea. He held it in front of Cao Cao with both hands. Cao Cao glanced at him, said nothing more, and sipped the tea. Then he said comfortably: "Cang Shu, you have been away from Jingzhou for more than a year. Don't you want to go back?"

"I don't want to," Cao Chong said, taking the tea handed over by Cao Ju and drinking a big gulp.

"How do you say this?" Lao Cao was a little surprised.

Cao Chong smiled relaxed and plainly: "I want to go back because the climate there is closer to that of Qiao County, and I live more comfortably than here. I don't want to go back because my family is here. Sister Jie is about to get married again. Zihuan, Ziwen and others have all put down their military affairs and rushed back. Of course, I should stay here too, and I will talk about it when she gets married."

Cao Cao nodded: "Zihuan is in Xu County and has asked to kill the Fu family. The wedding is only in these two days. Once the matter is over, you should immediately rush back to Jingzhou. Zihuan is worried about Xu County and told me that he wants to stay in Xu County and that Guanzhong will not be able to go there for a while. Zhong Yuanchang has been with me for many years, and I am very relieved of him. I have put in a lot of efforts this time, and I cannot repay him. I have decided to send him to Guanzhong. Once the marriage is over, he will set off immediately."

Cao Cao said, smiling sarcastically: "The emperor thought that if he said a few beautiful words and summoned his son to the palace as a man, he would win over Zhong Yuanchang. He didn't know that when he was still in Xijing during the Xingping period, I knew Yuanchang. The trust in this was not something that could be changed by his little thing."

Cao Chong listened quietly, with a faint smile on his face and said nothing.

"Yuan Chang has a good impression of you." Cao Cao glanced at Cao Chong and continued, "Having him in Guanzhong will be good for you, but you must be careful when Zhou Gongjin in Jingzhou. This person is very intelligent, brave and fearless. If you use it well, it is a great hidden danger. If you use it well, it is also a great hidden danger."

"Thank you for your advice," Cao Chong saluted respectfully: "I will definitely keep it in mind."

"If you want to achieve great things, you can't do it with a good heart." Cao Cao said earnestly: "Many people don't know what's wrong. They always regard your tolerance as incompetence. When necessary, they should be a little bit killing."

"Here." Cao Chong nodded calmly. He knew that Lao Cao was not very satisfied with his approach in Xu County this time, and was beating him intentionally or unintentionally.

"Go, hurry up and spend time with your mother, there is still a chance to leave." Cao Cao stood up and turned around and said, "Xian'er heard that Xiangyang is very lively and wants to go to Xiangyang to see it. If it is convenient, take her there too."

Cao Chong was stunned and nodded immediately.

…………

In mid-May, Cao Chong set off from Yecheng and returned to Xiangyang with a thousand war horses that Cao Cao gave him. Xun Wenqian learned that Cao Chong had returned and brought people to the north bank of the Han River to greet him. As soon as he met, Cao Chong took her hand and said with a heartache: "I haven't had a good rest in Xiangyang this year. I think you are thinner than last year. Where is the father-in-law? How are you in good health?"

Xun Wenqian's nose was sore, and she almost cried out. Xun Yu was very dissatisfied with the fact that Cao Cao's family had killed the Fu family. Although he knew that this matter had nothing to do with Cao Chong, he just didn't want to come. Xun Wenqian had no choice but to force her father-in-law to pick up her son-in-law. However, she was afraid that Cao Chong would be angry and he would have had sex with her from now on. Now Sun Shangxiang is pregnant, Cai Ji pestered Cao Chong every day, but her wife hasn't seen Cao Chong for more than a year, and she will have a son out of the day? She felt a little upset. Unexpectedly, when Cao Chong met, she didn't look angry at all. Instead, she cared about the bodies of her father and daughter, which made her a little moved.

"Father... is in good health, but he is old and cannot walk far away, and he is more greedy for comfort, so... wait in the academy." Xun Wenqian said, secretly glanced at Cao Chong's face. Cao Chong smiled, and he held Xun Wenqian's hand and chuckled softly: "How dare I ask my father-in-law to greet him? After crossing the river, I will go to pay my respects to my father-in-law and chat with him. You go and see Shangxiang and the others, and Sister Xian is here. You go and settle down. I will meet the officials in Fancheng first."

"Yes!" Xun Wenqian dragged his heavy nasal voice and nodded. She let go of Cao Chong's hand and walked to Sun Shangxiang's car. Looking at Sun Shangxiang who was tightly protected by several old mothers, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and smiled: "Hu Niu, I've gained a lot of weight in the past few months."

Sun Shangxiang felt a little embarrassed and grinned for two days: "Sister was joking."

"Hehe, when I go to see Sister Xian, I will talk to you when I come back." Xun Wenqian laughed, pinched Sun Shangxiang's fat little hand, turned around and walked towards Cao Xian's car. Sun Shangxiang saw that she had walked away, so she let out a long sigh. She was not afraid of the world in Xiangyang, and even her sister-in-law, Mrs. Da Qiao could not control her, but Xun Wenqian used both soft and hard skills, and was both close to her like a sister and a bit as strict as a mother. She always made her feel a little afraid while being willing to get close to her. This time she was pregnant in front of Xun Wenqian, the real wife. While she was happy, she also felt a little uneasy, afraid of having sex with Xun Wenqian. Now seeing Xun Wenqian is nothing unusual, she finally felt relieved.

After Cao Chong returned to Xiangyang, he rushed to Xiangyang Academy to meet Xun Yu that night. Xun Yu's health was healed and no longer coughed, but he was still thin. There was always a trace of unexplainable sorrow between his eyebrows. Seeing Cao Chong coming to see him, he was a little moved, but the anger between his eyebrows remained unabashed.

"The general is back?" He looked at Cao Chong who was lying in front of him and gave him a great gift, and did not help him, but said coldly.

Seeing that his father looked wrong, Xun Wenqian was anxious and quickly called out: "Father--"

"What, am I wrong?" Xun Yu snorted unhappily when he saw his daughter feel sorry for Cao Chong.

Cao Chong raised his hand to stop Xun Wenqian, saluted respectfully, then stood up and replied as if nothing had happened: "Go back to my father-in-law, my son-in-law is back."

Xun Yu looked at Cao Chong quietly with a sad expression: "Is the queen deposed?"

"It's gone."

"The Fu family was killed?"

"Punished."

"No one left?"

"No one left."

"The princes born to Queen Fu, including the prince, are all dead?" Xun Yu's voice became louder and louder, and his face was scaryly blue.

"Everything is dead." Cao Chong was still very calm, so calm that he seemed to be talking about an ordinary little thing.

Xun Yu was so angry that he choked for a moment of silence that he didn't know what to say. His chest was undulating, and he looked at Cao Chong angrily with blood-stained eyes. After gasping for a long time, he said hatefully: "A general is a good method."

"The father-in-law was too rewarded, and this matter has nothing to do with the son-in-law. It is all Zihuan's contribution." Cao Chong said modestly.

"You--" Xun Yu's anger surged, his eyes turned black, his body shook, and he fell softly. Xun Wenqian was shocked, glared at Cao Chong fiercely, and rushed over to support Xun Yu, calling anxiously, Zhang Zhongjing responded and inserted the silver needle in his hand into Xun Yu's people.

"Are you going to be angry with your father?" Xun Wenqian looked at Cao Chong angrily, "No wonder you asked the master to come together. It turns out that you had a plan."

Cao Chong spread his hands innocently: "Madam, this is wrong. I just answered my father-in-law's question honestly. How could he be angry with him?"

"You--" Xun Wenqian recalled, as if Cao Chong really didn't say anything else, she just answered honestly one by one. She looked at Cao Chong's aggrieved eyes, stamped her feet in anger, and turned around and ignored him.

Xun Yu snorted twice in his throat and let out a long breath. He looked at the blue-black roof with a dull look on his face. He didn't say a word, and just stared at it in a daze. Xun Wenqian was anxious and sobbed and called. Xun Yu just ignored it, and his eyes seemed to have dissipated.

"Father...father..." Xun Wenqian shouted silently.

"Master?" Cao Chong looked at Zhang Zhongjing, asked softly, and gestured to Xun Yu with his eyes.

Zhang Zhongjing shook his head gently: "General, Lord Xun is in good health, but he is no longer interested in life, and he is just discouraged for a moment."

"Thank you, Master." Cao Chong nodded: "Please wait a moment for the master."

Zhang Zhongjing looked at Xun Yu again, sighed regretfully, put away the silver needle and walked out. Cao Chong walked to Xun Yu, leaned over to look at Xun Yu, looked directly at his two empty-looking eyes, and sighed.

Xun Wenqian was in a state of ruthlessness. Seeing that Cao Chong was not anxious at all, she sighed as if nothing had happened, and couldn't help but get furious. She raised her head suddenly and looked at her angrily: "Husband, my father is a little ungrateful, but no matter what, he is also his husband's elder. Does he have no compassion at all?"

Cao Chong looked at Xun Wenqian curiously and smiled heartlessly. Xun Wenqian was even more furious. He gritted his teeth and was about to say something again. Cao Chong raised a finger and put it on her cherry lips. Just as he was about to speak, Xun Wenqian opened his mouth in anger and bit his finger. Cao Chong felt pain and screamed "ao" but endured the pain without twitching his fingers. Xun Wenqian took a bite hard and let it go for a long time. Cao Chong then took his finger back and jumped his feet to eat and sucked the air conditioner.

Xun Wenqian regretted it, but couldn't hide her face. She glared at Cao Chong hatefully and said nothing. Cao Chong felt regretful. She was so naughty. She knew that she was in a bad mood and pretended to be cool. She was bitten now, and it hurt so much.

"I..." Xun Wenqian saw him jumping around and screamed in a little hesitation, reached out and pulled Cao Chong's hand and placed it beside her mouth. Cao Chong was shocked. He was about to break free, but he felt that his fingers were already in his mouth by Xun Wenqian. This time there was no pain. She gently licked it with her soft tongue twice before she let go.

"When will you bite people?" Cao Chong smiled bitterly, looked at the tooth marks on his fingers, and then looked at the blood on the corner of Xun Wenqian's mouth.

"Hmph!" Xun Wenqian turned around and looked at Xun Yu who was motionless. The warmth that had just risen disappeared immediately. She wiped her tears and stopped talking, sobbing. Cao Chong looked at her twitching shoulders, sighed, stepped forward and hugged her shoulders, patted her comfortably, and leaned close to her ear and said softly: "Get out of the way, let me say a few words to my father-in-law."

Xun Wenqian raised her tears and looked at him in confusion. After thinking for a while, she still moved away from her position. Cao Chong sat in front of Xun Yu, looked at his eyes looking straight at the roof, and coughed: "Father-in-law, do you still have confidence in the big man?"

Xun Yu's eyes flashed for a moment, but he still didn't say anything, but his eyes slowly condensed and he slowly turned to look at Cao Chong.

Cao Chong smiled: "The sage said that if you know it is impossible, you just want to be at peace. The son-in-law doesn't know whether his father-in-law's actions are asking for his own peace of mind or for the great Han Dynasty?"

"What's the difference?" Xun Yu looked at him in confusion and uttered a few words weakly.

"If my father-in-law asks for his own peace of mind, then whether it is life or death, it only brings pain to my mother-in-law and Wen Qian and others, but there is no difference between my father-in-law and my father-in-law. If it is for the country of the Han Dynasty, my father-in-law will give up on himself. Although he has blood and loyalty, he can also leave a name in history..." Cao Chong smiled softly. He looked at Xun Yu's disdainful contemptuous eyes, and then said lightly: "But it is useless."

"What do you mean? I still feel that my father is not angry enough?" Xun Wenqian pushed Cao Chong, and Cao Chong smiled but didn't say anything, and stared at Xun Yu's eyes. Xun Yu blinked his eyes, thought for a while, and then slowly turned his head to look at Cao Chong: "What do you... want to say?"

Cao Chong stood up and let out a heavy breath. The smile on his face slowly solidified into indifference: "My father-in-law, I don't know how much you know about Xu County, but I can tell you that the Fu family was not killed by me, and Fu Hou could have been immortal. All of this was done by Zihuan. And he was afraid that he would target all this. The first one was not the Fu family, but me."

"You?" Xun Yu and Xun Wenqian were both confused by him and asked at the same time.

"Yes, it's me." Cao Chong stood up, walked in the room for two steps, stood up suddenly, and went back to look at Xun Yu and his daughter, with fierce eyes: "I heard from Ziwen and Zijian that when everyone was discussing, many people did not agree with the clan's punishment of the Fu family, and at most they just killed Fu Dian. Mao Dongcao said that killing more people is afraid of hurting Yinde, and Yu Huniu's arms is not good, but he did not expect that it was this sentence that made Zihuan try his best to persuade his father to punish the Fu family, and not keep the chickens and dogs. I don't think I need to say more about the reason."

He paused, and then said, "You only know that I didn't save the Fu family, but have you ever thought about what the emperor was going to do? If I want to be a loyal minister, can I be a loyal minister? The world is not decided, so he just thinks about these forces to cultivate his own power and how to deal with me in the future. I don't understand. Can Sun Quan and Liu Bei be willing to be his loyal minister, which is more reliable than me?"

"Cut the bridge across the river, unload the mill and kill the donkey. The river has not passed, and the mill has not been unloaded, he thought to deal with me and my Cao family. You said..." Cao Chong raised his voice and shouted angrily: "How can I be a loyal minister with peace of mind?"

"How can such insights take on the important task of reviving the great man again?"

"With such an emperor, how can the great Han Dynasty's fire virtue last forever?"

“…”

Cao Chong said in the end, he was roaring wildly. He roared out the anger he suffered in Xu County and the depression he forcibly suppressed in his heart in Yecheng to prevent Lao Cao from becoming suspicious. He roared and his face turned red.

The father and daughter of the Xun family looked at each other, looking at the crazy Cao Chong, not knowing how to persuade him.

"With such an emperor, I can't be a loyal minister." Cao Chong lowered his head weakly and murmured to himself: "I can't send myself a hundred people from my Cao family to his knife for a false reputation and for the sake of his Liu family's country."

"If someone must die, killing is better than being killed." Cao Chong said softly and stepped out of the door.
Chapter completed!