readytorunbook Chapter 516 Cao Cao's Death
Chapter 516 Cao Cao's Death
On the Wei army's side.
Cao Ren directed his army to retreat in an orderly and alternating manner. After retreating more than ten miles and confirming that the Shu army was not pursuing them, he bowed to Cao Cao and said, "Your Majesty, the Shu army is not pursuing us. We are safe."
After speaking, Cao Ren remained in a bowing and clasped-fist posture and waited for a long time without receiving a response from Cao Cao. Cao Ren's heart skipped a beat, and he slowly raised his head with an extremely stiff posture. He stared at Cao Cao for a moment before moving his arm and tremblingly put his finger under Cao Cao's nostril. After feeling it, his face changed drastically.
Cao Cao had already died.
Cao Ren looked up blankly at Xu Chu, who was standing behind Cao Cao. Xu Chu knew something was wrong when he saw Cao Ren's expression and was about to step forward when Cao Ren quickly reminded him, "Keep your voice down, don't let the soldiers notice anything unusual."
Xu Chu abruptly stopped in his tracks, his whole body trembling as he asked, "What should we do?"
Xu Chu's face showed obvious panic. He was a reckless man, not a politician who could keep his emotions in check. He had never used his brain while serving Cao Cao, and had only followed orders.
Cao Cao had always been Xu Chu's pillar of support. As long as Cao Cao was still breathing, Xu Chu would feel incredibly secure even if the sky were to fall. Now that Cao Cao had passed away, Xu Chu had lost his pillar of support and was in a panic.
To be honest, Cao Cao's death was a bigger blow to Xu Chu than the death of his father.
Cao Ren was also somewhat flustered, but he forced himself to remain calm and said, "The news of the King's death cannot be announced for the time being, otherwise Liu Bei will definitely lead his army to pursue us if he finds out. You don't want the King's body to fall into the hands of that big-eared thief, do you?"
Xu Chu trembled violently and quickly whispered, "I'll do whatever you say."
Cao Ren said, "You carry the King to the carriage to rest first, and tell everyone that the King has fallen asleep due to exhaustion. I will go to find Xu Huang and Zhang He to discuss evacuating across the Han River as soon as possible."
Xu Chu was completely at a loss and had no other choice but to comply.
After watching him return to the carriage, Cao Ren ordered his men to summon Cao Hong, Xu Huang, Zhang He, and others to his side to inform them of Cao Cao's death. He then quickly covered their slightly open mouths to prevent them from screaming.
The group was speechless, their eyes wide with shock. Cao Ren waited for them to calm down before saying, "The news of the King's death must be kept secret before we cross the Han River. Cao Zhen, you must immediately go to Fancheng to report the situation to the Crown Prince and ask him to return to Luoyang as soon as possible to take charge of the overall situation. The rest of you should go back to stabilize the army and ensure an orderly retreat."
The generals nodded and left, returning to their ranks and continuing their retreat as if nothing had happened. Only Cao Zhen broke away from the army and rode a fast horse to Fancheng to see Cao Pi.
Cao Ren returned to his chariot, standing on it as he surveyed the retreating army, his mind filled with unease.
After Cao Cao's death, the court would certainly experience unpredictable turmoil, and Cao Pi could not guarantee whether he could control the situation.
Fortunately, although the battle resulted in tens of thousands of casualties, it also killed an equal number of Shu troops, crippling the main force of the Shu army. With Liu Bei so badly injured, he would definitely need to recuperate and recover, and would likely be unable to march north for three to five years.
From this perspective, Cao Cao's strategic objective can be considered to have been achieved.
Strategically speaking, neither Liu Bei nor Cao Cao lost this battle. Liu Bei defeated the Wei army head-on, winning unprecedented prestige and gaining considerable face.
Cao Cao severely wounded Liu Bei, rendering him unable to march north for a short period. This gave Cao Pi valuable time to transfer power and stabilize the court. Cao Cao gained a lot of benefits, and since both sides got what they wanted, how could it be considered a loss?
Under the cover of cavalry, Cao Ren retreated in an orderly manner, and after a day and a night of marching, he successfully crossed the Yi River.
Cao Ren breathed a sigh of relief after crossing the Yi River; now that he was here, he no longer had to fear the pursuit of the Shu army.
When Cao Ren crossed the Yi River, Cao Zhen also crossed the Han River and met Cao Pi.
During the great war, Cao Pi was stationed in Fancheng to stabilize the rear while ensuring the supply of food and provisions to the front lines, thus taking charge of Cao Cao's logistics.
Cao Pi's position as heir apparent was determined three years ago, and he has been serving as the executive vice prime minister for three years, handling various government affairs with great skill.
That noon, after finishing his work, Cao Pi took Sima Yi to inspect the construction site in Fancheng. However, as soon as he stepped out of the command tent, he saw Cao Zhen stumbling and rushing towards him. The speed made Cao Pi realize that something was wrong. He decisively retreated to the command tent and ordered, "Zidan has arrived. No need to announce your arrival. Just come in."
Just as Cao Zhen returned to his tent and settled down, he rushed in, sweating profusely and panting, and said, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The King has passed away."
The word "薨" (hōng) was like a heavy hammer blow to Cao Pi's head, leaving him stunned and speechless.
Cao Cao was his father and his ruler. He both feared and respected Cao Cao, and also harbored a rebellious mentality of wanting to overthrow Cao Cao.
It's no exaggeration to say that Cao Cao was like a mountain pressing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe while also shielding him from the storms from all directions and giving him a strong sense of security.
Now that he has learned that Cao Cao is gone, the mountain that had been weighing on his head has disappeared. Cao Pi is devastated to find that instead of the excitement he had imagined, he is somewhat panicked and, like Xu Chu, doesn't know what to do for a moment.
Sima Yi remained calm and quickly asked in a low voice, "When did Your Majesty die? Before, during, or after the battle? How was the battle at the front? Did you win or lose?"
The timing of Cao Cao's death directly affected the outcome of the battle. If he had died before or during the battle, the impact on morale would have been devastating, and hundreds of thousands of Wei soldiers would likely have faced a one-sided massacre by the Shu army.
Cao Zhen gave a detailed account of the battle situation at the front. Upon hearing this, Sima Yi breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to Cao Pi, saying, "Your Highness, now is not the time to be sad. You should immediately return to Luoyang to take charge of the capital and prevent petty people from taking advantage of the situation."
Cao Pi tried to get up, leaning on the table, but his legs gave way halfway up and he collapsed. Before he could get up, he raised his hand to stop the two men from helping him and said, "No, I must go to receive my father's body and personally transport it back to Luoyang for burial."
What kind of behavior is it for a son to not escort his father's body after his father's death, but instead return to Beijing alone?
What will people say about him if this gets out?
Sima Yi advised, "Your Highness, I know you are very sad, but now is not the time to act rashly. Have you forgotten His Majesty's dying words? The greater good must come first."
Cao Zhen echoed, "That's what Zixiao Shu meant too. He wants to keep the news of the death a secret for the time being, so that you can return to the capital quickly to take charge of the overall situation."
Cao Pi closed his eyes, struggled for a moment, and nodded in agreement. After discussing matters at the front with the two men, he left Fancheng to Cao Zhen and left the camp with Sima Yi and more than a hundred personal guards to return to the capital.
On the way, Sima Yi said, "Your Highness, the King has passed away. There are some things that need to be considered, and some matters that need to be prepared in advance."
Cao Pi knew he was referring to the matter of becoming emperor. He was inexplicably excited but also somewhat worried. He said, "Father, although this battle achieved the goal of bleeding the traitor Da'er, it also brought Da'er's prestige to its peak. Now that Da'er has unified Jiangnan and is at the height of his power, if I really take that step, there will be no way back."
He wants to be the emperor. Who in the world doesn't want to be the emperor and experience the thrill of ruling the world?
But he was also afraid of the big-eared thief, a terrifying opponent that even his father couldn't suppress. What did he have that ability?
Although Big Ears was crippled by his father and temporarily unable to march north, what about in three to five years? Big Ears will definitely use all the power of Jiangnan to destroy him.
In other words, he will only be emperor for three to five years at most. This is not the throne, but a trial card for the supreme rulership. Once the trial is over, he will be gone.
Sima Yi said, "There is no way out now, Your Highness. Do you think you have any other options?"