Chapter 163: Shock in all directions, frightened and sick [Subscribe]

The ancestral home of the Cao family in Qiao County.

In a quiet room, Cao Cao was breathing with his eyes closed.

He used the cultural core and military talisman derived from his practice to flow and shine in his sea of ​​consciousness and dantian respectively.

These two cores extend out silky energy that is connected to the secret acupoints throughout the body. As Cao Cao breathes, it attracts the spiritual charm of heaven and earth and enters the body through the fontanelle on the top of the head.

His practice this time was different from before.

When he concentrated and looked inward, he could 'see' a huge column of lavender gas rising from his body.

That was the fortune that he had as the lord of Cao's camp, brought about by the growth of Cao's camp, which became visible!
All of Cao Cao's past practice and his accumulation of civil and military skills seemed to be absorbed by this destiny and gathered together.

He could also see, or rather sense, the magnificent reputation coming from countless civil and military officials, soldiers, and the people under Cao's rule, which together transformed into the source of luck.

As his luck became stronger, his strength also increased.

[You have four great generals under your command, and four strategists who are capable of assisting the king;
Your reputation is close to one million;

He governs tens of millions of people;

You are in charge of 219 cities and towns...】

Every time an entry appeared, Cao Cao felt his luck getting better and better.

When he breathed in and out, the luck behind him was like a tide, as if incubating some kind of transformation.

[You are respected by the people, you absorb the energy of mountains and rivers, respond to the heaven and earth, and complete the transformation of your destiny]

A very faint shadow slowly emerged from the manifested aura of Cao Cao, somewhat like a dragon or snake, vaguely.

The moment this phantom appeared, it began to absorb the Qi from all directions of heaven and earth and transformed rapidly.

But its manifestation time is very short and it disappears in a flash.

When Cao Cao finished his training, the strange phenomenon of good fortune also disappeared.

He opened his eyes from his meditation state, and a whole new world seemed to appear before him.

Just from the low mat in front of you, you can see many subtle colors that were previously imperceptible.

Not far away, the flowers blooming on the windowsill are fragrant and colorful to a degree that ordinary people can hardly imagine.

The sense of smell and vision become more sensitive as the practice deepens.

The presentation of that kind of color is like the whole world is flattering Cao Cao, showing its best side and becoming more real and vivid.

His connection with heaven and earth became closer.

When I stretched out my hand, I could actually feel the hidden undercurrent in the air with my fingers, as if a breeze was passing through my fingertips.

Cao Cao stood up from his cross-legged position, and a crisp sound came from his body. It seemed that his muscles and bones were nourished by the magic medicine and were also transforming and growing.

September.

The troops from various units of Cao's camp gathered in Qiao County.

Rows of cavalry, the clanking of armor.

The infantry held halberds and spears like a forest.

If we look at the map, tens of thousands of soldiers and horses gathered in Qiao County within half a month.

Among them was a team of crossbowmen, all armed with crossbows, numbering as many as 12,000.

These troops arrived in Qiao County, waiting for Cao Cao's inspection.

The Xun family of Yingchuan, the Chen family, the Ji family of Runan, the Li family and other aristocratic families of all sizes in Yuzhou were all invited to Qiao County to observe the power of Cao's army.

In the morning, on the top of the city wall, Cao Cao, wearing a scarlet cloak, glanced down and looked proud.

Outside the city, soldiers and horses had been lining up since early morning. There were as many as 50,000 of them, with flags waving.

In the front row were the cavalry and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry.

In the rear was a massive army of infantry, arrayed like a mountain!

After the advance troops have entered Yuzhou, these 50,000 people, as the second batch of reinforcements, will go to various parts of Yuzhou again.

Before that, all the soldiers came to Qiao County to show off their military power.

The purpose... is to scare the local nobles in Yuzhou.

Under the city wall, there were all the nobles who were invited to watch the ceremony.

Cao Cao raised his sword on the top of the city wall, and the soldiers were furious.

"I, Yanzhou, have 100,000 soldiers and amass troops in the world!"

Cao Cao stood proudly on the top of the city wall: "If the soldiers in my camp don't come out, who dares to claim to be the hero!"

The thousands of soldiers below shouted in unison: "If Cao's army doesn't come out, who will dare to claim the throne?"

"I wish to forge weapons for the world!"

"Forge weapons for the world!"

The shouts of the soldiers were like a tsunami, and the mountains and rivers were shaking!
The Yuan, Guo and other aristocratic families all felt sympathetic.

The heads of Yingchuan Xun family, Chen family and other families also had solemn expressions.

Although they were supporters of Cao's camp, they were also a family of aristocrats.

Cao Cao may have intended to intimidate them and stop them from being self-centered.

"Leave!"

boom--

With the sound of iron hooves, troops from various tribes were dispatched to various parts of Yuzhou.

In late September, a car drove into Yecheng, Jizhou.

Yuan Shao was waiting at the city gate with mixed feelings.

The car came to a complete stop.

Yuan Shao stepped forward and lifted the curtain.

Yuan Wei lay in the car with a pale face, seriously ill.

"Original!"

Yuan Wei said in a low and weak voice: "My Yuan family is only a few left, and now we can only rely on you."

"I have received news several times along the way that Cao's army has increased sharply and now number 200,000, all of them elite soldiers."

"I regret letting him leave Luoyang. I signed the appointment of Chenliu governor... I let him become more powerful!"

"He used a knife to kill someone, and lured Liu Jingsheng of Jingzhou to plot against me. In just a few months, he took control of Yuzhou..."

"Cao Mengde is a man with deep scheming, which I cannot match. Benchu, you should be extremely careful..." Before he finished speaking, blood flowed from the corner of Yuan Wei's mouth and he fainted.

Yuan Shao blinked.

On the contrary, he didn't care that much about Yanzhou's expansion.

Cao Cao was developing, but he was gaining prestige all over the world, and he was developing even faster. When he defeated Gongsun Zan and gained Youzhou, and even the surrounding counties and prefectures came to serve him, his troops and popularity increased rapidly, advancing by leaps and bounds.

He was originally weak, but was able to defeat Gongsun Zan.

Yuan Shao was also at a time of great ambition. He believed that his own strength was the best in the world and no one could stop him.

……

Xuzhou.

Tao Qian lowered his head and read the secret letter.

There are two letters in total.

One was sent by Yuan Shao, proposing an alliance.

There was another letter that made Tao Qian feel heavy-hearted.

He had a white towel wrapped around his head and had been coughing and wheezing for days, and he also fell ill.

Historical records say that Tao Qian died because he suffered successive defeats against Cao Cao and saw the decline of Xuzhou's power out of worry about Cao.

The secret letter he was reading was about Cao Cao's control over Yuzhou.

Before this, Yanzhou alone had 100,000 soldiers and armored personnel, suppressing Xuzhou everywhere.

Now Cao Cao has gained Yuzhou, a place rich in resources and full of talented people.

The number of soldiers and horses in Cao's camp probably reached 200,000.

"The information we have collected confirms that after Cao's army gathered in Qiao County, they dispersed to various places in Yuzhou.

And Yanzhou is still continuing to increase its troops."

There was a spy standing nearby. Tao Qian read the letter while listening to his report:
“It is estimated that Cao’s army may increase to 300,000.

They were fully prepared to control Yuzhou.

Judging from the speed at which the armored troops gathered in Qiao County, Yanzhou had been increasing its military preparations at least half a year ago."

Tao Qian asked: "The secret letter said that Cao's army has more than 150,000 troops under its direct command, of which 30,000 are cavalry. Where does Yanzhou get the financial resources to support so many cavalry?"

"I don't know, but there is a rumor that when Dong Zhuo was in power, all the wealth in the world was taken by Cao Cao."

"That was also his real purpose in going to Chang'an and killing Dong Zhuo himself."

Tao Qian put the letter aside and couldn't help coughing a few times.

At the end of September, Tao Qian fell ill because of his worry about Cao.

Xuzhou recruited famous doctors from all over to treat him.

In fact, Tao Qian had been frightened since the last time he was ambushed by Cao Cao and was almost captured alive. In addition, as he grew older, his health had been poor.

Jingzhou.

Liu Cong was released.

This time, Cao's army gathered troops in Qiao County, and he watched the whole process. He saw the power of Cao's army with his own eyes and was terrified.

The strength of Cao's army and the experience of going through life and death are like a seed that takes root in Liu Cong's heart and will continue to grow.

Along with Liu Cong, a secret letter from Cao Cao was also sent to Jingzhou, which was delivered to Cai Mao, who held power in Jingzhou.

Cai Mao was a member of a prominent family in Jingzhou during the late Han Dynasty and the son of Cai Feng.

His aunt was the wife of the then Grand Marshal Zhang Wen.

The eldest sister and the second sister married Huang Chengyan and Liu Biao respectively and became second wives.

He and Cao Cao had known each other since childhood and they had a good relationship.

While Cao Cao was expanding internally, he was also weighing his relations with surrounding states and counties.

Cai Mao was not only the first meritorious official who helped Liu Biao to pacify Jingzhou, but also the younger brother of his most trusted second wife, Mrs. Cai.

In Jingzhou, he was a favorite minister, a powerful official, and a relative of the emperor, and he had great power.

Cao Cao first took Yanzhou, then Yuzhou, and took two provinces in the heart of the country. Although the letter did not mention anything else, Cai Mao understood the meaning.

If Cao Cao wanted to use military force against other states and counties, he wanted Cai Mao to stabilize Liu Biao and not hinder him.

If Cao Cao and Jizhou Yuan Shao went to war first, Cai Mao would be responsible for keeping Jingzhou neutral and observing to avoid taking the opportunity to create chaos.

"Meng De doesn't hide his thoughts at all." Cai Mao thought with a wry smile.

Qiao County.

Civil and military officials gathered in Caoying.

Bian Mei was in charge of sending and receiving messages, and she and Bai Ke, who was also in charge of the Qingbi Li, also came to Qiao County.

Zhang Zhongjing was also invited to examine the health of the Cao family members.

Everyone gathered together to celebrate after taking over Yuzhou.

"The food invented by Zhongjing uses chopped meat and vegetables as fillings and wraps them with flour. He called it stuffed soup cake. Let's try it."

Cao Cao and others were discussing matters in the study.

Cheng Yu likes to cook delicious food. He cooks the food himself and serves it up.

It was only when Cao Cao saw dumplings that he remembered that the inventor of dumplings was Zhang Zhongjing.

In order to celebrate the capture of Yuzhou, at Dian Wei's strong suggestion, four donkeys were killed and a buffet was held.

Wenwu came over and ate donkey meat dumplings together.

Dian Wei could eat more than 400 dumplings in one meal.

At the end of September, in Yanzhou and Yuzhou, it is the end of the busy autumn harvest season.

Cao Cao took a group of people to the fields to check the seeds.

In the evening, he returned to Cao's house, washed up and relaxed.

After being busy for several days, he decided to go find Bian Mei and talk about their love.

But before that, Cao Cao went to the study and took out the bronze block obtained from Tomb No. 4.

Cao Cao took it in his hand and examined it.

This time, his own luck manifested itself, and the copper block actually also underwent some changes.

There was a very tiny spell pattern on the copper block, which seemed to be lit up, like starlight.

Cao Cao pondered for a moment, and tried to concentrate on pushing his own luck into the copper block.

Crack!

The faint halo on the surface of the copper block fell off and turned into a spell pattern, which suddenly fell on the low mat in front and actually knocked a small hole in the mat.

Cao Cao stared at the small hole and then looked at the copper block in his hand.

What on earth is this?
He sent another wisp of luck into the copper block.

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(End of this chapter)