Cao Cao returned to Xuchang from Huainan and recuperated for a few days. Then, news came that Xiahou Dun had flooded Shouchun, and his condition improved slightly.
Wang Lang, Dong Zhao, Hua Xin and others came to visit and asked the Prime Minister to take care of his health. Liu Qi and Sun Quan were watching him covetously, so there could not be any mistakes at this time.
Cao Cao hosted a banquet for everyone and said with emotion: "I am a foolish person. Since I started my uprising, I have vowed to conquer the four seas. I saw that the world was about to be settled, but I didn't expect Liu Qi to rise up in Jingzhou and his prestige was growing. Now he is colluding with Sun Quan, which is really a threat to me. Recently, I feel that my health is not good. I don't know when I can recover Jiangnan and share the wealth with you gentlemen."
Wang Lang said: "The Prime Minister has eliminated evil for the country and fought against Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shu, Lu Bu, Yuan Shao, etc. Although there have been some setbacks, they have all been defeated in the end. Liu Qi only won a few battles by luck, and Sun Quan can only defend Jiangdong. Sooner or later, he will be defeated by the Prime Minister."
Cao Cao stroked his beard and said, "Now that the three powers have formed a tripod, I am not worried about the instability in the south of the Yangtze River, but I am very worried about my health. I regret that my great cause has not been accomplished. I am afraid that there will be another chaos in the Central Plains and the Han Dynasty will be tortured again."
Hua Xin clasped his fists and said, "Now that the Prime Minister has withdrawn his troops, you can rest and recuperate. With the vastness of the Central Plains, you can gather more food and grass, train the troops, and wait for the battle between Sun and Liu to begin, and then you can conquer the south of the Yangtze River in one fell swoop."
Cao Cao sighed, "You all don't know that not only are Sun and Liu unwilling to submit, but even the Xianbei dare to invade. I am the prime minister, and although I hold the highest position among the ministers, I am not able to convince the people. What can I do?"
Dong Zhao stood up and said, "Since ancient times, no minister has achieved the same achievements as the Prime Minister. Even Duke Zhou and Lü Wang could not match him. He has endured wind and rain for more than 20 years, swept away the evil, and helped the people get rid of harm, so that the Han Dynasty can be restored. If he is ranked with other ministers, how can his prestige convince the people? I think he should be given the title of Duke of Wei and the nine gifts, so that he can promote his achievements and conquer the world!"
Cao Cao pulled his beard, squinted his eyes and looked around, and asked, "What do you think?"
Wang Lang stood up and said, "You are the Prime Minister, and you have supported the Han Dynasty. We can't even hope to be like you. Without the Nine Gifts, we can't subdue the likes of Liu Qi and Sun Quan. This is a blessing for the world and the Han Dynasty!"
Hua Xin also bowed and said: "We all rely on the Prime Minister's blessing to be able to serve the country. I recently heard that a unicorn appeared in the Ru River. The Prime Minister's promotion is not only what everyone wants, but also God's will!"
Cao Cao was overjoyed when he heard this. He ordered everyone to drink and choose a day to go to Yecheng. Dong Zhao wrote a letter and Hua Xin drafted the edict, and he was promoted to Duke of Wei in the Bronze Sparrow Tower.
When the carriages and horses arrived at Yecheng, the news had already spread everywhere. Xun Yu, the attendant, was shocked when he heard the news. He greeted Cao Cao respectfully outside the city and advised:
"The Prime Minister originally raised an army of righteousness to support the Han Dynasty. He should be loyal and modest. A gentleman loves others with virtue. If he rashly advances, I am afraid he will lose the expectations of the world. I hope you can revoke your decision."
Cao Cao's face changed drastically when he heard this. He had never expected Xun Yu to give him advice. He said in a cold voice: "If there is no me in the country, I don't know how many people will be emperors and how many will be kings. Do you think I am not as good as Duke Zhou?"
Xun Yu advised: "Duke Zhou is a descendant of the emperor and a member of the royal family. The prime minister is a minister of the Han Dynasty. Since Emperor Gaozu, only those with the surname Liu can be crowned king. I hope the prime minister will think twice."
Cao Cao's face turned pale with anger, and he shouted, "Xun Wenruo, how dare you slander a minister of the court?"
Dong Zhao said, "Prime Minister, calm down. Your Majesty has heard about this matter and is very pleased. All officials have agreed to this. How can you stop everyone's wishes because of one person?"
Cao Cao snorted coldly, waved his sleeves and got into the carriage. Dong Zhao, Hua Xin and others accompanied him to the palace, and presented a petition requesting that Cao be honored as Duke of Wei, granted the Nine Gifts, and discussed the matter of moving the capital to Luoyang next year.
On the Bronze Sparrow Tower, all officials were celebrating and generals were competing in martial arts to cheer each other on, but Xun Yu was the only one not present.
Cao Cao looked at the empty seat to his right, feeling quite disappointed, and asked, "Why didn't Wen Ruo come?"
Jiang Ji said: "Lord Xun advised the Prime Minister that day, and sighed by the roadside: 'I didn't expect to see this happen today!' Since then, he has claimed to be sick and stayed at home, and has not attended court."
Cao Cao put his wine glass on the table and said in a deep voice: "Xun Wenruo only helps the emperor. Although he is a talented person who can assist the king, if he cannot be used by me, what is the value of his wealth?"
Jiang Ji said: "The Prime Minister's recent military operations have been quite unsuccessful, and there have been many criticisms in the court. Why don't you take this opportunity to march north, defeat the Xianbei, and flatten the desert, completing the achievements of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing. When you return with a triumphant victory and reclaim Luoyang, the people will be delighted and no one in the world will dare to disobey you!"
Cao Cao stroked his beard and pondered for a long time, then nodded and said, "I want to take Jiangnan, but Sun and Liu can help each other. Now it is almost summer and the grass in the desert is growing. I can borrow Ke Bineng's head to establish my authority. However, I need a military advisor to accompany me, so I order Xun Yu to go with me."
"Yes, sir!" Jiang Ji understood and went to prepare immediately.
In the summer of June in the fourteenth year of Jian'an, Emperor Xian held an early court. Duke of Wei and Prime Minister Cao Cao came out and presented a "The Memorial to the Emperor on Leaving the Capital", in which he expressed his wish to revive the great spirit of Emperor Wu of Han, to attack the Xianbei, and to pacify the northern desert.
How could Emperor Xian dare not disobey? He appointed Cao Cao as Grand Marshal and Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Expedition, and all civil and military officials in the court were at his disposal. He mobilized the full strength of the Han Dynasty to fight against the rebellious Hu.
An imperial edict and a general's order were delivered to Xun Yu's residence. Xun Yu took them, but sighed in his study.
The one who was in charge of delivering the imperial edict was his cousin Xun Yue, who was now the Secretary General. Seeing this, he asked in confusion, "The Prime Minister's cousin is the Central Military Advisor and has gone on an expedition to Mobei. This is an unprecedented achievement, which shows that the Prime Minister values him very much and that we have made achievements together. Why is your cousin sighing?"
Xun Yu's eyes were filled with desolation and disappointment. He looked at the few withered flowers hanging on the branches outside the window and murmured, "The tree has borne fruit, and the withered flowers have fallen on their own."
Xun Yue was stunned and asked, "What do you mean, brother?"
"If I go north, I'm afraid I won't live long!" Xun Yu smiled bitterly and said, "I want to resign on the pretext of illness and return to Yingchuan to retire. Zhongyu will serve the emperor sooner or later, so please be careful."
Xun Yue was shocked, but he also knew that Cao Cao was moody and extremely suspicious, and that Xun Yu was the one who knew him best, so he said no more.
Cao Cao is reviewing the three armies in the Bronze Sparrow Tower and swearing to go to war. This time, the young generals are mainly training. Cao Zhang, Cao Zhen, Wen Qin, Guo Huai and others are all high-spirited and full of fighting spirit.
The vanguard army had already left the palace when the personal guards brought a letter. Cao Cao felt uneasy when he saw that it was written by Xun Yu himself.
After opening it and reading it, he felt relieved for some reason and sighed, "Since Wen Ruo is too ill to join the army, he should be allowed to go home and recuperate. He doesn't have to resign from his post. When he gets better, it won't be too late to serve the country again."
The troops set out and arrived at Yanjing. Suddenly, Emperor Xian sent people to deliver comfort supplies to boost the prestige of the Northern Army.
Cao Cao opened the food box and took two bites before he suddenly frowned and asked, "Han Lu, Wei Lu?"
So he put it aside and asked, "Whose idea was it that Your Majesty rewarded the three armies?"
The messenger replied: "General Yang."
Cao Cao's eyes were slightly stern, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Since it is a reward from His Majesty, Xun Wenruo is also on the list of people going to the war, how can he be left out?"
He then ordered Cao Chun to fetch a food box, but poured the food inside onto the ground, resealed it, and wrote in his own handwriting: A reward from the Emperor, shared with Duke Xun!
Cao Chun was stunned and took the empty food box: "What do you mean, Prime Minister?"
Cao Cao said calmly, "Order someone to deliver it as fast as possible, and make sure to hand it over to Xun Yu personally."
"Yes!" Although Cao Chun did not understand the meaning, he never hesitated to follow Cao Cao's orders.