The north wind was howling, snowflakes were fluttering, the land of Jizhou was covered in white for thousands of miles, and no birds or animals were seen.
Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves was heard in the flying snow. A team of cavalry braved the cold wind and headed south towards Handan.
The defenders on the city wall were hiding from the severe cold. When they saw the cavalry approaching, one of them came out in the snow and shouted impatiently, "Where are you from? You are not allowed to enter the city without the order of the general. Come back when the weather clears up."
A general rode forward and shouted, "How dare you! The King of Wei has arrived, why don't you open the city to welcome him?"
Cao Pi was building the Wei Palace in Handan, and most of the guards were Cao's confidants. The soldier looked carefully and vaguely made out the tall figure of Xu Chu in the snow. He was frightened and hurriedly beat the drum and gong.
The defenders on the city wall were in an uproar. They had heard that Cao Cao had arrived inside the city a month ago and that the palace was being built day and night in the city. They thought that because of the heavy snow, the journey would take another half month, but they did not expect Cao Cao to return first.
Upon hearing the news, Cao Pi hurried out to greet him. Cao Cao had already arrived in front of the government office. He knelt on the ground despite the heavy snow. After years of fear and worry, he seemed to have found support. Tears rolled down his cheeks and he said in a trembling voice, "Father!"
Cao Cao was wearing a white sable fur coat from Liaodong, which set off his gray hair and beard, making him look more vicissitudes of life. He looked down at the thin Cao Pi with a deep gaze and sighed softly, "Get up!"
Cao Pi stood up and saw Cao Cao, who was weather-beaten and had just returned from the frontier with a solemn and murderous look on his face. He could not help but lower his head again, his heart was in turmoil. Although he had a thousand things to say, he did not know where to start.
Cao Zhang helped Cao Cao dismount from his horse, and everyone entered the government office. Civil and military officials rushed to the office upon hearing the news. In a blink of an eye, the lobby and the courtyard were packed with people, all eagerly waiting to see what was happening.
Three years have passed in the blink of an eye. I wonder how the prime minister, who was in low spirits when he went to the expedition, is doing now.
Everyone believed that Cao Cao went on the northern expedition because he knew his fate was over and he did not want to bear the stigma of holding the emperor hostage. He wanted to defeat the alien race and leave a name for himself for future generations. But who would have thought that he would return to the capital.
Cao Cao took off his brocade robe, but still wore armor. Except for the change of color of his hair and beard, he looked vigorous. His purple-red face seemed to bear witness to the hardships he had endured in the battles outside the Great Wall.
His deep gaze swept across the hall, and all the officials were shocked. Cao Cao seemed even more majestic than before.
"Your Majesty, we are here to pay our respects!" Everyone knelt on the ground, forming a dark mass.
"No need to formality!" Cao Cao raised his hands, signaling everyone to stand up. He ordered Jiang Ji, Dong Zhao and other close ministers to stay, and the rest of the people went back home and followed the procedures.
Although it was snowing heavily, the government office suddenly became lively. From the officials to the retainers and servants, everyone was in high spirits and looked happy.
Cao Cao's triumphant return not only gave the Wei people a backbone, but also, in their view, the previous failures were nothing to the invincible prime minister.
Since he started the uprising to fight against Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao has fought again and again despite repeated defeats. Although he has been in danger many times, he has always managed to survive. Furthermore, this time he has come back from the dead, he will surely create greater glory.
The maids set up a banquet, and everyone was about to congratulate him when Cao Cao pointed at Cao Pi and said in a deep voice, "Zi Huan, do you admit your guilt?"
Cao Pi was listening to Cao Zhang's account of the Northern Expedition. He was startled when he heard this and asked in astonishment, "What crime have I committed?"
Jiang Ji hurriedly came to the rescue and said, "Your Highness, you have been responsible for protecting the rear and stabilizing the people's hearts. Although you have the responsibility for the loss of territory, it is not your fault. I hope the king will understand."
"Victory and defeat are common in the military, I am not doing this!" Cao Cao shook his head slightly and said in a deep voice: "How dare you make the decision on your own? I will be promoted to the rank of king."
Cao Pi clasped his fists and said, "Father, you have been so heroic that you have not only protected the king but also suppressed the rebels and killed the Hu people. Such extraordinary achievements are not worthy of being recognized without being crowned a king. I have discussed this with the civil and military officials and submitted a petition to request this achievement. I did not act rashly."
"How dare you, the rebellious man, deceive me?" Cao Cao was furious, pointing at the crowd and cursing, "Do you want to sit on the fire?"
Jiang Ji said, "This is the Prime Minister's choice, and the whole court sincerely recommends him. Your Majesty is pleased that the Prime Minister's contribution to the expansion of the border is comparable to that of Wei and Huo, and has made an exception to confer a title. Although the prince has submitted a letter of resignation, the king is not joking. Since the imperial decree has been issued, how dare we, the ministers, disobey it?"
Cao Cao's expression softened a bit. "Since it is Your Majesty's grace, I have no choice but to accept it. When the weather clears, I will thank Your Majesty in person and make further contributions to the country."
Everyone congratulated him in unison. Cao Cao laughed and waved his hand, saying, "Let's feast!"
In the battle in the northern border, he defeated the Xianbei, exterminated the Sushen clan, and frightened Gongsun Kang, who took the initiative to send envoys to the court. More importantly, his headache had not recurred in the past year, and his body recovered, which rekindled his fighting spirit.
After three rounds of drinking, Cao Cao looked around and couldn't help but sigh in his heart, thinking that he used to have so many talented people under his command, such as counselors like rain and generals like clouds, but now more than half of his left and right arms were broken.
Xi Zhicai and Guo Jia are jealous of talented people. Cheng Yu has lost his reputation for the sake of the overall situation. Xun Yu's whereabouts are unknown. Xun You has fled to Jiaozhou, and Jia Xu has quietly left. Who else can give advice
Among the generals, Xiahou Yuan, a member of the royal family, was imprisoned, and only Zhang Liao, Xu Huang and Zang Ba were left who could take on important tasks. The prospects for competing for the Central Plains were still not optimistic.
He stopped drinking and looked at the reflection of an old man with a grey beard in the wine. He couldn't help but feel sad and shed two lines of tears.
Cao Pi was shocked and asked, "Why are you so sad, father?"
Cao Cao put down his wine glass and cried, "When I first started my uprising, I fought against the rebels. Lü Bu, Yuan Shao, and Liu Bei were not a concern, but Jiangnan refused to submit. I thought I could win the war with one battle, and share wealth and prosperity with you all, and enjoy peace. Who would have thought that I would be defeated by Liu Qi, my ambitions were in vain, and I lost all my friends. Isn't it hateful?"
Cao Zhang clasped his fists and said, "Father, why should you be so weak? I only regret that I am too young to share your worries. Now that I can ride a horse and fight, I will kill Liu Qi one day."
Cao Zhen said proudly: "What can Liu Qi do? He is just relying on Crouching Dragon and Phoenix Youngster. I have been taught by my father for three years and have already mastered the tactics of war. I will definitely avenge my previous humiliation."
Xiahou Ba, Wen Qin, Dian Man and other young men stood up one after another and vowed to help Cao Cao achieve success.
Cao Cao glanced at his young men, thinking that they were galloping across the northern frontier and were invincible, and that they were all the best of the younger generation, and his confidence increased greatly.
He ordered his men to refill the wine, raised his cup and said with a smile: "My son, what you said is very powerful. I am like a dead tree that has come back to life. Why should I be afraid of Liu Qi? Cheers!"
Losing Guanzhong doesn’t matter, so what if we lose the Central Plains
Just relying on the young and outstanding clan members present, any one of them could be picked out to fight with Liu Qi, recover the lost territory, and achieve hegemony again.
While drinking and chatting, Cao Pi ordered someone to bring the crown and robe of King of Wei and asked Cao Cao to change clothes on the spot and receive the title of King of Wei that same day.
"Oh my! How can I do this?" Cao Cao was already a little drunk. He looked at the twelve-tasseled red crown and the black python robe. Although his hands were waving, his misty eyes were shining.
Cao Pi signaled with his eyes, and Cao Zhang and Cao Zhen stepped forward. The three of them grabbed Cao Cao's arm together, and changed their clothes and put on crowns amid the cheers of the crowd.
"My rebellious son has misled me. How can this be tolerated?" Cao Cao seemed to be drunk and his steps were unsteady. He let them do whatever they wanted.
After changing clothes, everyone crowded out. Six carriages with imperial robes and imperial ceremony were already ready. Cao Cao was helped into the carriage and complained to himself: "You guys have made me suffer!"