Chapter 90: Cao Cao Relocates the Capital, Liu and Gu Share the World (Seeking Monthly Votes)

——A great upheaval in Jingzhou!

These people were never a match for Liu Bei to begin with, let alone now that the hearts of the people have completely scattered.

Liu Bei’s offensive grew increasingly fierce.

It was under these circumstances that Zhou Yu also began his own plan.

Facing the sudden appearance of a third path.

The reactions of the Jingzhou noble clans were likewise extremely contradictory.

As far as they were concerned, in truth, no one was willing to leave the ancestral lands they had painstakingly managed.

But under the current situation, they had no choice but to make a decision.

Either they could only gamble that Cao Cao would be able to defeat Gu Chen, then strike directly into Jingzhou to help them clear away Liu Bei;

or they could only choose between Liu Bei and Sun Ce.

Naturally, there were those who would follow Zhou Yu.

But driven by wishful thinking, there were also those who would choose to remain in Jingzhou, gambling that Liu Bei would not take action against them, these noble clans.

For these noble families, this was destined to be an extremely difficult choice.

But regardless of what choice they made, under these conditions, the hearts of the people in Jingzhou, already in chaos, were completely scattered.

——Seventh year of Jian'an, May;

Liu Bei captured Jiangling.

He gained Nanjun once more.

The spearhead of his army pointed directly at Jiangxia Commandery.

The situation in the entire Jingzhou had become completely irreversible.

The hearts of the people in Jingzhou were in total disarray.

The current situation was forcing them to make a choice immediately.

Many people sent envoys to seek an audience with Liu Bei, to probe his intentions.

But without exception—

Liu Bei refused to see any of them.

In truth, if Liu Bei were replaced by Cao Cao, even if he had a heart set on killing these traitors, he would absolutely have met with these envoys.

He would have waited until he had completely taken the entire Jingzhou before settling accounts.

However, Liu Bei was, after all, still Liu Bei.

This attitude of his undoubtedly made the Jingzhou noble clans even more desperate.

Liu Bei had indeed changed.

Although "benevolence and righteousness" remained the principles he strictly adhered to.

Yet compared to the benevolence and righteousness in the original history, Liu Bei now possessed an additional aura of ruthlessness required of one who accomplishes great things.

Keeping these noble clans might perhaps make his strength greater.

But these noble clans could betray the Great Han, betray Liu Biao; how could they not betray him in the future?

More and more noble clans began to choose to leave with Sun Ce.

Most of them took the younger generation of their families and the majority of their foundations with them, while the older generation was willing to die in their homeland.

This might be something that has been ingrained in the bones of the descendants of Huaxia since ancient times.

Even if these people could not be considered loyal subjects.

They still had their own persistence.

——Seventh year of Jian'an, August;

Liu Bei captured Jiangxia, a major commandery of Jingzhou, once again, completely stabilizing the north of the entire Jingzhou.

His momentum was overwhelming!

Subsequently, he even directly split the forces of Guan, Zhang, and Zhao.

They headed straight for the three commanderies of Lingling, Changsha, and Wuling!

This was not Liu Bei being arrogant.

It was because the current situation in Jingzhou could no longer block Liu Bei's path.

At the same time, the war in Yingchuan had still not ceased.

Cao Cao had to drive Gu Chen back.

Xuchang was his capital, after all.

How could Cao Cao allow Xuchang to remain under the threat of Liu Bei?

During this period, he had already tried every possible method.

Dividing his forces to sow discord, and even having Lu Bu, who guarded Weijun, attack Bingzhou—it could be said he had used every method he could think of.

But without exception.

Although some strategies could have some effect, they could not change his current predicament at all.

It was not that Cao Cao had not thought about concentrating all his strength to attack Gu Chen head-on.

But the outcome was also difficult to change.

Gu Chen was like a numb machine, capable of arranging everything perfectly.

He blocked all of Cao Cao's offensives.

Although he had not advanced further during this time, the impact he caused on the hearts of people in all directions was still unimaginable.

And with the conclusion of the Jingzhou campaign.

No matter how unwilling Cao Cao was in his heart, he could not help but develop other thoughts.

——Relocate the capital!

"Tonight's password is 'chicken rib'..."

Inside the Cao camp.

The messenger was telling the captains of each camp the password set by Cao Cao.

Hearing these shouts one after another.

Standing outside the camp, the Registrar Yang Xiu could not help but have his expression change slightly, and he immediately said to the adjutant beside him: "Pack the luggage, prepare to retreat."

"Retreat?"

The adjutant was instantly a bit panicked: "But the Grand Tutor has never mentioned anything about retreating!"

"The so-called 'chicken rib' is something that has no taste to eat but is a pity to discard."

"The Grand Tutor set tonight's password as 'chicken rib'."

"Clearly... the Grand Tutor already has the intention to relocate the capital."

Yang Xiu said with a confident face.

Although the adjutant still found it hard to believe, seeing Yang Xiu so confident, he finally nodded slightly.

At this moment, inside the main tent.

Cao Cao was leaning on a couch, the veins on his forehead bulging, his expression somewhat pained, but his eyes were extremely helpless and complex.

His chronic headache had never healed.

If it were not for the fact that the current situation was too critical, he would likely have collapsed long ago.

Inside the tent, Cao Cao's confidants were all gathered here.

Their expressions were likewise very complex; they were worried about Cao Cao's health and also worried about the current situation.

Everyone remained silent, and the atmosphere in the tent was incomparably heavy.

It was not until a long time had passed like this.

That Cao Cao's weary voice slowly rang out.

"With Gu Ziyan here, my hope of clearing the world in this lifetime is gone."

Hearing these words, everyone silently lowered their heads.

Even if they were unwilling to accept it in their hearts, what more could they say given the current situation?

Now that half of Yingchuan had been occupied by Gu Chen, and the war in Jingzhou could not be stopped.

The original goal of this campaign had completely failed.

It was even worse than they had imagined.

What could they say?

"Father, I am willing to lead the army to charge Gu Chen's camp; I will surely take Gu Chen's head and return!"

But Cao Ang was still somewhat indignant.

As Cao Cao's eldest son, seeing his father, who was once high-spirited, become like this, anger surged in his heart.

Cao Cao just looked at him calmly, then waved his hand: "Enough, enough."

As he spoke, he looked at Guo Jia: "Fengxiao, I order you to return to Xuchang immediately."

"Relocate the Son of Heaven to Pengcheng."

"Zixiao... immediately lead men to set up defensive works along the Xuchang area."

"Prepare for the main army's retreat."

Cao Cao's tone was extremely calm, but the more he spoke, the more helpless his eyes became.

No matter how much physical pain he was in, it could not suppress the sorrow in his heart.

How could he not understand that once he retreated, he would likely never be able to vie for the world again in this lifetime!

Having campaigned for nearly twenty years.

He had walked from being a nobody to becoming one of the most powerful warlords in the world today.

He had thought he could sweep across the universe and rebuild the world.

Yet the ending was destined to conclude in regret.

Hearing these words, the atmosphere inside the tent grew increasingly heavy.

Guo Jia and Cao Ren both received the order, yet they remained unwilling to leave.

Everyone was incomparably silent.

Cao Cao naturally perceived the mood of those present; he pushed himself up abruptly, sat up suddenly at the edge of the couch, and swept his gaze over them. Immediately, a look of unbridled amusement bloomed on his face, and he said in a resonant voice:

"Gentlemen, why be so dejected?"

His smile was carefree, his expression composed, completely unaffected by his headache, and he spoke eloquently: "Although our army retreats today, this is forced by the current situation."

"With rebel armies rising everywhere and Xuchang also under threat, this place is definitely not a place to stay for long."

"That Gu Chen attempts to drag us down with such methods, but how could we let him have his way and remain here in the land of Yingchuan, locked in a stalemate with him?"

Having said this, Cao Cao paused slightly, then stood up and walked with long strides toward the outside of the camp.

The others hurriedly followed behind him.

Cao Cao raised his eyes, looking toward the bright moonlight and the sea of stars across the sky. His expression gradually grew complex, yet it revealed a sense of determination: "Even if we cannot pacify the world in this lifetime, what does it matter?"

"Having come this far, the world has already engraved our names, and future generations will also remember me, Cao Mengde, and all of you gentlemen."

"Moreover, we all have descendants."

"How could the prestige of that Gu family last forever?"

"When that time comes, even if we are not fated to see it, our descendants will surely be able to fulfill our grand aspirations for us!"

Cao Cao turned his head abruptly, his gaze like a torch, and looked at the people behind him once more, saying loudly: "Gentlemen, why must you grieve for this?"

His tone was extremely calm.

But the expressions of those looking at him remained extremely complex, and some even shed tears.

Cao Cao did not care at all; he laughed heartily twice, then waved his hand directly: "Gentlemen, rest well; we still have to withdraw our troops and travel in a few days."

The others hesitated for a moment before leaving one after another.

Cao Cao kept Cao Ang behind.

He took his hand again and returned to the tent, letting Cao Ang sit down beside him.

"Father..."

Cao Ang’s eyes were red; he felt both unbearable pain and anger.

"Zixiu." Cao Cao looked at him very calmly and said earnestly: "You are my eldest son; what plans do you have in your heart?"

Cao Ang had not expected Cao Cao to say such a thing at all.

He was suddenly stunned.

The next moment, he hurriedly stood up and knelt down toward Cao Cao: "Father... son..."

But before he could finish, Cao Cao interrupted him directly and scolded him with great seriousness: "Speak!"

Cao Ang was stunned again. Looking at Cao Cao’s earnest gaze, he hesitated for a moment, bowed to Cao Cao first, and then said with a solemn expression: "Father, rest assured, your son will certainly inherit your will."

"Let the Mandate of Heaven descend upon our Cao family!"

His tone was incomparably sonorous.

Hearing this, Cao Cao’s gaze softened slightly, though his tone remained very serious: "Remember well what your father has said to you today."

"If the prestige of the Julu Gu family is not damaged and Gu Ziyan is not dead."

"The Cao family... must never claim the title of king or hegemon."

In an instant, Cao Ang’s body could not help but tremble; he found it hard to believe that Cao Cao would actually say such a thing.

How much did this father of his actually care about Gu Chen?

Even when facing Yuan Shao, who was far stronger than him in the past, Cao Cao had never been like this!

He was silent for a moment before nodding slightly.

If Cao Cao knew what Cao Ang was thinking, he would certainly have scoffed at it.

How could Yuan Shao be compared to Gu Chen?

Cao Cao had been in contact with the descendants of the Gu family since he was young.

He knew deeply how Gu Chen performed during his childhood and youth among this generation of Gu descendants.

To have made such rapid progress in such a short time.

It even made him feel that Gu Chen was flawless.

Such a person was destined not to be an ordinary man.

Cao Cao had long ago classified Gu Chen as a person who possessed the Mandate of Heaven, just like the Emperor Guangwu, Liu Xiu, of the past.

Such a person must never be confronted head-on.

Otherwise, one would absolutely end up with a miserable fate.

Such a person can only be taken by Heaven!

No one had expected that Cao Cao would actually make such a choice.

When the news of Cao Cao moving the capital gradually spread, even though Cao Cao did not suffer heavy casualties in this battle.

The title of the strongest warlord in the world fell upon Gu Chen from this day on.

In an instant, Gu Chen’s prestige spread throughout the world!

It even had the feeling of Gu Xi from the past.

Gu Chen naturally would not let Cao Cao retreat easily; he led his army in pursuit one after another, beheading thousands of enemies.

Although he did not achieve a major victory.

For Gu Chen, it was already completely enough.

The land of Yingchuan was laid open, which had completely reversed the balance between him and Cao Cao.

—The roles of attacker and defender had changed!

However, Gu Chen was not in a hurry to attack Xuchang.

How could the three armies not need to rest and reorganize?

Most importantly, Gu Chen wanted to see what Liu Bei would do next.

The attitude toward the aristocratic clans was a standard that Gu Chen cared about deeply.

Now, Liu Bei’s momentum also resonated throughout the world.

The war in Jingzhou had completely ended.

First, Zhao Yun broke Lingling and beheaded the top general of Lingling, Xing Daorong.

Later, Zhang Fei led two thousand troops and broke Wudu Commandery.

Guan Yu also captured Changsha.

After the Jingzhou aristocratic clans had completely given up, their offensive was far smoother than imagined; in a short time, they had completely taken over the entire Jingzhou.

And the most critical point was—

Liu Bei’s reputation for benevolence and virtue was absolutely a lethal weapon for the people of Jingzhou.

The people did not cause too much panic.

The situation in the entire Jingzhou stabilized rapidly under these circumstances.

And subsequently, Liu Bei set his sights on those Jingzhou aristocratic clans.

He seemed to have already made a decision.

He did not even consult Zhuge Liang or Xu Shu before making the decision himself.

—That was to imitate the methods Gu Chen used in Bingzhou.

The strongest Jingzhou clans, such as the Cai family, were never to be forgiven and must be executed.

As for other, weaker powerful clans, they were to be convicted based on their crimes.

Those with heavy crimes were also executed;

Those with light crimes were punished by the seizure of their land.

All clan fortresses were burned down, and their weapons and private soldiers were confiscated.

This land was used to stabilize the displaced people, and those weapons were used to continue arming and strengthening his own power.

Gu Chen’s methods were absolutely the most suitable system for the current chaotic world.

Regarding this arrangement by Liu Bei.

Zhuge Liang, Xu Shu, and others had no objections.

Although some of them also came from aristocratic clans.

But there were also gaps between the clans.

Not everyone wanted the clans to have independent armed forces.

This system of Gu Chen did not ultimately exclude all the clans in the world.

Although for them.

This system would affect the strength of their families, but as long as the family’s status was elevated, that was enough!

Especially now that Gu Chen and Liu Bei held the advantage, no one would oppose it.

The world is bustling, all for the sake of profit.

Looking at the current situation.

The alliance between Liu Bei and Gu Chen allowed everyone to vaguely glimpse the future of a unified world.

Time passed in a rush.

Regarding Liu Bei’s arrangements in the Jingzhou region, although Gu Chen did not know if this was intentional, he was still very satisfied.

Although Gu Chen had never said so.

Gu Yi could still clearly feel it.

To Gu Chen, pacifying the world was only the first step of his ambition.

He intended to completely finish the great cause that Gu Xi had left uncompleted in years past.

What shocked Gu Yi was this.

All the descendants of the Gu clan seemed to have remembered this matter.

—Gu Ze had actually begun to utilize the "woodblock printing" technique left behind by his ancestor in the land of Julu, and had already started attempting to print the *Gu Studies* and the *Five Classics*.

Although it had only just begun, this was absolutely an epoch-making advancement.

It seemed that every descendant of the Gu clan was making efforts according to their own understanding of Gu Xi’s great cause.

Gu Yi did not know what this meant for the development of the entire future.

But it was very obvious.

Once this kind of behavior appeared ahead of time, it was destined to influence the development of the entire future.

And for Gu Yi, these were not the only good things.

—The seventh generation of the Gu clan’s descendants had been born one after another.

Whether it was Gu Ze, or Gu Wei, including other Gu clan descendants, they already had children one after another.

Perhaps it was truly because it had been too long since the Gu clan had produced naturally conceived talents.

These seventh-generation descendants actually had a faint feeling of a rebound from the bottom.

Everyone’s attributes were quite good.

Even the descendant with the lowest attributes was close to seventy points.

The best ones were even approaching ninety.

If the world could truly be pacified within Gu Chen’s generation, the seventh generation of the Gu clan would absolutely allow the Gu clan to reach a brand-new peak.

The only pity was that Gu Chen still had no offspring.

He had long since married.

Although Gu Chen himself had no thoughts in this regard, as the saying goes, an elder brother is like a father; Gu Wei would not agree to let Gu Chen keep fighting without having any offspring.

Actually, Gu Yi was truly very curious.

With Gu Chen’s current attributes, how much could his offspring inherit?

But the pity was that Gu Chen’s wife had never shown any signs of pregnancy.

This might be related to Gu Chen not putting his heart into it.

But who could force Gu Chen in such matters?

He only wanted to pacify the world now.

Just after Liu Bei had completely pacified the entire Jingzhou, he came to see Gu Chen once again.

He still did not bring many troops, only his trusted aides.

But the significance of this, compared to before, had a fundamental difference.

This time, Gu Chen took the initiative to propose holding a sacrifice and announcing the alliance of troops to the world.

He wanted to utilize the current momentum, which was at its peak.

To continue building momentum and cause trouble for Cao Cao.

Liu Bei naturally would not refuse.

Compared to the previous sacrifice, this one was much more formal and grand.

This time, Liu Bei even sacrificed to the successive emperors of the Great Han.

From the High Ancestor Liu Bang to Emperor Shun, Liu Bao.

Almost all the emperors of the Great Han were among them, only avoiding the "Emperor Jingping" and the "two emperors, Huan and Ling."

This political signal was truly a bit too obvious.

After all, these three emperors had one unified characteristic.

—Alienating the Gu clan.

Liu Bei now seemed as if he had changed into a different person.

He was very clear about what he wanted to do and how he should do it.

Even on the day of the sacrifice, he said a sentence in front of who knows how many people.

"If I can revive the Han house..."

"As long as the Gu clan does not fail the Great Han, unless the Great River dries up and Mount Taishan collapses... the Liu clan will never fail the Gu, the Liu and the Gu shall share the world!"

This sentence exploded in everyone’s ears like a thunderclap.

The Liu clan will never fail the Gu;

The Liu and the Gu shall share the world!

The influence these two sentences could bring was truly too great.

If Liu Bei could truly revive the Great Han like the Guangwu Emperor, then the words he spoke would be the ancestral teachings of the Great Han!

The Great Han governed the world through filial piety.

With these words placed here, if the emperors of later generations did not want to bear the infamy of being unfilial, who would dare to violate the ancestral teachings?

And the most critical point was—

This sentence was not a blank check spoken in private.

It was spoken in front of the officials of both sides, and in front of who knows how many commoners in the capital region!

Such words were destined to spread.

If Liu Bei did not acknowledge them, it would be destined to have a huge impact on his reputation!

Sounds of cheering rang out instantly.

As for the commoners, they would not think that much.

The Liu surname heavily employing the Gu clan.

In their eyes, it meant being able to lead a good life!

Everyone’s expressions changed.

Gu Wei, Xun Yu, Jia Xu, and a group of others all revealed looks of astonishment.

Conversely, Guan, Zhang, Zhao, Zhuge Liang, and others seemed to have known about this matter long ago and did not have any special expressions.

Gu Chen was also stunned.

He never expected that Liu Bei would actually say such words.

Facing the gusts of breeze.

He could not help but look at Liu Bei again, and for the first time, a strange feeling appeared in his eyes.

Gu Xiao and Guangwu;

Gu Kang, Gu Cheng, and the Ming Emperor;

Gu Xi and the He Emperor;

The stories of these generations of wise monarchs and virtuous ministers were not a secret in the world, and within the Gu clan, there were even detailed records.

Gu Chen and these Gu clan descendants did not know how many times they had read them.

The pity was that their generation had truly never experienced what a real wise monarch and virtuous minister were.

But at this very moment... Gu Chen seemed to understand a little.

What is a wise monarch and a virtuous minister?

It is nothing more than a monarch giving a minister absolute trust.

He remained silent for a long time, and for the first time, he bowed toward Liu Bei with cupped hands.

Gu Wei, Xun Yu, and others all saw this scene.

The hearts that had been hanging were finally set at ease a little.

Not having a suitable monarch was the biggest problem they faced today.

This was a fatal crisis.

Their generation might still be fine, but if things continued like this, one day there would be huge contradictions and rifts internally.

The news continued to spread.

When Cao Cao heard of this matter, his entire expression became increasingly complex.

Asking himself in his heart—

Could he do what Liu Bei did?

Saying such words in private might be fine, but in front of so many ministers and so many commoners, he absolutely could not say such words.

It was very difficult for him to fully trust someone of a different surname.

This was perhaps the biggest difference between Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

But to him, what was the point of thinking about this now?

He had to face the upcoming great battle.

Gu Chen’s move had a fatal impact on him.

The hearts of the people, already shaken, would only become more precarious under these circumstances.

Moreover, he had to guard against the attacks of Gu Chen and Liu Bei on Yanzhou, Yuzhou, and Yangzhou.

Would Liu Bei and Gu Chen cease their military campaign?

Obviously not.

This battle was destined to come.

Cao Cao quickly summoned his ministers to discuss stabilizing the hearts of the people and the defense of the various provinces.

——————

"In the summer, the sixth month of the ninth year of Jian'an, the Emperor pacified Jingzhou and met with Gu Chen again in Luoyang.

The Emperor first prepared the Grand Sacrifice, from the High Ancestor slaying the serpent at Pei, the Founding Ancestor restoring the throne at Kunyang, the reigns of the Illustrious and Bright Ancestors, down to the Emperors Xiao'an and Xiaoshun, all had their spirit tablets erected and were worshipped.

Only the Scenery Emperor and the two Emperors Huan and Ling were excluded, and he said to his attendants, 'These three favored slanderers and sycophants while distancing themselves from the virtuous; how could they be worthy of being enshrined in the High Temple?'"

The staff members were struck with awe upon hearing this.

On the first day of the seventh month of autumn, they held an alliance on the banks of the Luo River, built an altar three zhang high, and raised black and yellow banners.

The people of Luoyang, hearing that the royal army had arrived, came in their tens of thousands carrying their plows to watch; children and the elderly filled the roads, and there was not a single peasant left in the fields.

The Emperor ascended the altar, holding a jade tablet, his voice like a great bell: "If the Han is to have a day of restoration, it must be with red turbans to wipe the dust from the High Temple, and black armor to clear the filth from the palace gates!"

He split a tally to swear an oath: "If the Gu family upholds the crown of the Han house, even if the Great River runs dry or Mount Taishan collapses, our descendants shall never betray the Gu family.

From this day forward, the cauldrons of the Liu family shall be cast with the inscription of the Gu family."

The three armies all shouted "Long live," their voices shaking Yique.

On that day, the winds and clouds gathered, and a white rainbow pierced the altar; the elders wept and said, "The story of the Radiant Martial Emperor has appeared once again!"

—— "Book of the Blazing Han, Annals of Zhaowu"

(End of chapter)