Chapter 128: The Fall of Cao Wei

The city walls of Luoyang City appeared all the more weathered under the afterglow of the setting sun.

Zhuge Liang stood beneath the city, his gaze firm and profound, as if he could pierce through those thick city walls and look directly at everything inside.

He knew clearly that as long as this city was breached, the path to restoring the Han Dynasty would become much smoother.

He took a deep breath, gripped his feather fan tightly with both hands, and with a slight wave, ordered the entire army to attack.

Instantly, war drums thundered, the sound of horse hooves was deafening, and the soldiers of Shu Han surged toward Luoyang City like a tide.

Cao Rui, inside the city, was sitting on the dragon throne at this moment, his face pale and his expression haggard.

He gazed at the Shu Han army surging in like a tide outside the city, his heart filled with unwillingness and despair.

He did not understand why Cao Wei, which had clearly been the most powerful nation, had now fallen to such a state, being attacked right up to the walls of Luoyang City.

Large swathes of Cao Wei's territory had already been occupied by Shu Han; if Luoyang City were to fall as well, then the fate of a ruined nation and a destroyed home would be unavoidable.

Cao Rui's heart was filled with unwillingness; he was unwilling to be so physically frail at only thirty years old, and even more unwilling to see the empire of Cao Wei so easily snatched away by Shu Han.

He recalled the past year, during which Shu Han seemed to have undergone a heaven-turning and earth-shattering transformation overnight, while Cao Wei gradually headed toward decline.

If he were given time, if he were given ten years, he believed he could certainly turn the tide, destroy Shu Han, and unify the world.

However, reality was cruel.

He had no time, and he had no healthy body.

He raised his head to look outside the city, where it was already a sea of fire, and the sounds of killing shook the heavens.

He knew that everything was too late. The empire of Cao Wei was already in imminent peril.

Outside Luoyang City, the siege battle was already unfolding in full swing.

The soldiers of Shu Han, under the leadership of Zhuge Liang, fought bravely, their momentum like bamboo being split.

Meanwhile, the soldiers of Cao Wei resisted desperately, but it was already beyond saving.

In this soul-stirring siege battle, Cao Rui's heart was filled with remorse and unwillingness.

He knew he was already powerless to turn the tide and could only watch helplessly as the empire of Cao Wei burned to ashes in the flames of war.

His body was too weak, so weak that he could only watch quietly as all this happened.

But he was the Son of Heaven of Great Wei; even if he were to die, he would die for the state.

On the city walls of Luoyang City, Cao Rui's gaze gradually dimmed along with the afterglow of the setting sun.

He looked outside the city; the banners of Shu Han fluttered on the battlefield, and accompanied by the sound of war drums and killing, his heart trembled in waves.

He knew clearly that the defensive line of this city was in imminent peril, and the empire of Cao Wei was slipping away bit by bit in his hands.

And at this moment, Zhuge Liang was standing beneath the city, his gaze firm and profound, as if he had already seen the dawn of victory.

He knew that as long as this city was breached, the path to restoring the Han Dynasty would become even broader.

The Cao Wei soldiers inside the city were already exhausted, their morale low.

Many among them were veteran generals who had followed Cao Rui through battles in the north and south, but at this moment, they were powerless to turn the tide.

Cao Rui looked at them, his heart filled with guilt and helplessness.

It was he, Cao Rui, who had failed to protect the empire of the Cao family!

He was no great ruler of heroic talent; on the contrary, he was a monarch of a fallen nation.

On the battlefield outside the city, the soldiers of Shu Han fought bravely; many among them were warriors fighting to restore the Han Dynasty.

They did not fear sacrifice, only because they held a common belief in their hearts: restore the Han Dynasty, bring glory to their families.

A flash of resolution crossed Cao Rui's eyes.

He knew he could not just watch helplessly as the empire of Cao Wei was snatched away by Shu Han.

He stood up, took a deep breath, and prepared to go into battle himself to direct the fighting.

However, just at this moment, a general ran in hurriedly, gasping for breath as he reported: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The Shu Han army has breached the East Gate and is currently heading toward the imperial palace! Someone inside Luoyang City colluded with Shu Han and opened the city gates for the Shu Han army."

Upon hearing this, Cao Rui's heart sank.

It is over! It is truly over!

At this moment, he was already powerless to turn the tide.

He turned to look at the imperial palace behind him; that was the place where he had grown up since childhood, and it was also the symbol of his status as the Son of Heaven.

Yet at this moment, he could only watch helplessly as it was about to be occupied by the enemy.

His heart was filled with remorse and unwillingness, but reality could no longer be changed.

The empire of Cao Wei had thus headed toward decline in his hands.

How would he answer to Cao Pi and Cao Cao when he went below? He was a monarch of a fallen nation.

And on the battlefield outside the city, a smile of victory appeared on Zhuge Liang's face.

He knew that at this moment, he was one step closer to the goal of restoring the Han Dynasty.

He looked toward the direction of the imperial palace inside the city, his heart filled with emotion and anticipation, and stepped into Luoyang City.

At this final juncture, Cao Rui, this Son of Heaven of Great Wei, felt his inner anger become uncontrollable, like a violent storm. He gazed at the Shu Han army surging in like a tide beneath the city, his heart filled with endless sorrow and helplessness.

He understood Shu Han's determination to destroy Cao Wei; after all, they were enemies, opponents who could not coexist.

The struggle between them was destined to be a life-or-death contest. The victor would step over the corpses of the defeated to unify the world.

However, what made Cao Rui feel angry and sorrowful were those ministers who had once protected Cao Wei alongside him.

Some among them, under the powerful offensive of the Shu Han army, chose to betray, choosing to coordinate with Shu Han from within and without, preparing to welcome the Shu Han army into the city.

"Are there no loyal ministers left in Great Wei?"

Cao Rui asked himself in a low voice, his tone filled with despair.

He recalled that since ascending the throne, he had always strived to govern diligently, building up Cao Wei, wanting to make the nation powerful and unify the world.

However, he had not expected that at this final juncture, so many people from the noble families would choose to betray.

In Luoyang City, there were noble families who had long seen the strength of Shu Han; for the sake of their own interests, they did not hesitate to collude with Shu Han, preparing to betray Cao Wei. This

Some aristocratic families occupied important positions in the court of Cao Wei, and their betrayal undoubtedly dealt a fatal blow to Cao Wei.

Cao Rui began to reflect: whose world is the world of Great Wei, after all?

Is it the world of the aristocratic families?

Or is it the world of the Cao family?

He recalled the grand strategy of his grandfather Cao Cao, and the diligent governance of his father Cao Pi; they both worked hard to revitalize Cao Wei.

However, by his own generation, Cao Wei had fallen into such a predicament.

Yet, in order to win over these aristocratic families, his father had adopted the suggestion of Chen Qun and implemented the Nine-Rank Impartiality System.

The Nine-Rank Impartiality System indeed won the support and praise of the aristocratic families, but at the same time, the power of the aristocratic families expanded even further within Great Wei.

The Nine-Rank Impartiality System's selection of talent valued background and family status, causing the power of the aristocratic families to grow increasingly bloated within Cao Wei.

Now, these aristocratic families wish to betray Cao Wei and collude with Shu Han, undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire of Cao Wei's destruction.

Cao Rui's heart was filled with remorse and unwillingness.

He hated himself for not being able to see through all of this sooner, and for not being able to take measures to curb the expansion of the aristocratic families' power.

He hated even more those ministers and aristocratic families who betrayed Cao Wei; for their own interests, they did not hesitate to sell out the interests of the entire Great Wei.

Without a ruler, without a father!

Without a ruler, without a father indeed!

However, it is all too late now.

Cao Rui knew that he no longer had the ability to salvage all of this.

He could only watch helplessly as the empire of Cao Wei burned to ashes in the flames of war, and could only silently endure this unprecedented anger and sorrow.

These aristocratic families simply do not care who the emperor is.

Whether it is the Cao family or the Liu family, what does it have to do with them?

No matter whose world it is, they need their help to govern the world.

Cao Rui easily figured this point out, but how could he not be angry?

Great Wei treated the aristocratic families with the utmost courtesy as national scholars, but is this the reward the aristocratic families gave them?

When the Nine-Rank Impartiality System was implemented, no wonder those aristocratic families praised it as the most perfect system in the last few hundred years.

Heh!

As long as it is beneficial to them, isn't it the most perfect system?

Yet now, Cao Rui has no way to deal with it.

Great Wei has already fallen.

Luoyang City fell in the flames of war, and the Shu Han army of Zhuge Liang finally breached this ancient capital.

Inside the imperial palace, there was silence, with only the occasional sound of soldiers' footsteps breaking the deathly atmosphere.

Cao Rui, this Son of Heaven of Great Wei, who once ambitiously wanted to unify the world, could now only sit quietly on the dragon throne, waiting for the arrival of the Shu Han army.

His eyes were filled with unwillingness, despair, desolation, and anger.

Zhuge Liang walked into the imperial palace, his gaze sweeping over this one-time opponent.

He saw the determination and helplessness in Cao Rui's eyes, and also saw his dignity and pride as a monarch.

Zhuge Liang could not help but sigh in his heart; if given ten years, Cao Rui might truly have been able to change the landscape of the world.

However, history has no "ifs."

Cao Rui did not have ten years.

And he, Zhuge Liang, relied on the help of the Heavens Chat Group, so his victory could be said to be a bit lacking in martial virtue.

But since they were opponents, Zhuge Liang would not have mercy.

Zhuge Liang walked in front of Cao Rui, bowed deeply, and then said, "Liang has met the King of Wei. Surrender, King of Wei. Cao Wei has already fallen."

Zhuge Liang gave Cao Rui the last shred of decency as the Son of Heaven of Great Wei.

But Zhuge Liang would absolutely never acknowledge Cao Rui as any Son of Heaven.

He was merely a pretender; the orthodoxy of this world still resided with Han.

Cao Rui was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Zhuge Chengxiang, I know you are a talent of a generation. If I surrender, can you guarantee the safety of my family and my subjects?"

Zhuge Liang nodded: "Your Majesty, rest assured, those are not the subjects of your Cao Wei; from now on, they are the subjects of my Great Han."

Zhuge Liang's words almost caused Cao Rui to lose his breath immediately.

At this point, he could no longer be bothered to quibble over anything.

Cao Rui took a deep breath and then closed his eyes.

He said softly: "Good! Good! Good! Zhuge Liang, remember, the aristocratic families of this world cannot be trusted. You want to unify the world and end this chaotic era. I hope that in the next life, we can become friends and work together for the well-being of the common people of the world."

Having finished speaking, Cao Rui drew the sword at his waist; with a flash of light, it decisively sliced across his own neck.

A hero of a generation thus vanished in the torrent of history, leaving behind only a sigh and a pool of blood on the ground.

As the Son of Heaven of Cao Wei, he knew he could not surrender, because that would be a betrayal of his ancestors, and it was his final dignity and decency as the Son of Heaven of Great Wei.

He wanted to take this dignity to see his father and his grandfather, to tell them that he had tried his best and wanted to be their proudest son.

It is a pity that Great Wei perished in his hands; this is likely the fact he could least face.

Father, oh father, you never once opened your eyes to look at me.

For so many years, I have governed diligently just to tell you that I am your most outstanding son.

But now, Great Wei has fallen in my hands.

I fear that when I go down there, you will still laugh at me!

His heart was filled with guilt and self-reproach; he feared his father would laugh at him and blame him.

But all of this could no longer be undone; he could only leave this World with this regret and unwillingness.

Zhuge Liang looked silently at the corpse of Cao Rui, his heart filled with complex emotions.

He felt both regret for the fall of Cao Wei and relief at his own victory.

Destroying Cao Wei was only the first step in restoring the Great Han; the next goal was to destroy Eastern Wu and unify the world.

He gazed toward Jiangdong in the distance, his heart filled with anticipation and worry.

He did not know how the battlefield there was faring, nor did he know if the soldiers of Eastern Wu were also fighting bloodily for the future of their country just as they were.

The surrounding soldiers of Shu Han cheered and leaped for joy, the light of victory flashing in their eyes.

They had done it; they had successfully captured Luoyang and returned to the old capital. At this moment, they seemed to see the hope of a third revival of the Great Han, and the possibility of creating another glorious Great Han with their own hands.

Zhuge Liang was also infected by the emotions of the soldiers; he smiled as he watched them, his heart filled with confidence and determination.

Nothing could stop their pace of advancement.

They were merely the rats of Jiangdong.

The Jiangdong battlefield.

Sun Quan, though advanced in years, remained ambitious.

Especially in his later years, he became even more stubborn and concerned with his reputation.

When he learned that Liu Chan of Shu Han was leading the imperial expedition in person, he chose without hesitation to take command himself, a decision that left the entire court of civil and military officials shocked and worried.

Sun Quan's military record, especially in the Battle of Hefei, where he led an army of one hundred thousand but failed to defeat the few thousand troops of Zhang Liao, was mocked by later generations as "Sun Shiwang."

Yet precisely because of this, Sun Quan wanted all the more to lead the expedition in person to wash away his past humiliation.

He pondered to himself: "Though I could not deal with Cao Wei, nor could I deal with a fierce general like Zhang Liao, can I not deal with a mere wet-behind-the-ears A Dou?"

However, although Liu Chan was leading the imperial expedition, he knew well that he was no military talent, so he handed full command over to Jiang Wei.

This move made Sun Quan feel somewhat surprised, but he did not take it to heart.

He believed that Liu Chan was merely being arrogant by relying on the foundation left behind by Zhuge Liang, and that Jiang Wei was just an up-and-coming talent, not worth fearing.

Sun Quan did not realize that although Jiang Wei was young, he was both wise and brave, having deeply inherited the true teachings of Zhuge Liang.

On the battlefield, Jiang Wei devised strategies and commanded with composure, causing the Shu Han army to win victory after victory.

And although Liu Chan did not trust Jiang Wei, he trusted his Prime Minister and foster father Zhuge Liang; he knew well that Zhuge Liang would not misjudge a person, and therefore he felt at ease handing the command over to Jiang Wei.

(End of this chapter)