[Three Kingdoms] Carnival

The low ones are valleys, and the high ones are cliffs.Those who are trapped in the valley fight hand-to-hand, and those who stand on the cliff watch it with cold eyes.

"Zhongda and Xu agreed that this grievance can only be resolved by the two of them alone." Jia Xu wrapped her robe that was blown by the wind tighter, and stood hunched over Sima Yi, together Looking down the valley.

The cliff is not high, and people standing on the cliff can even hear a little bit of the sound of fighting between the Xiliang army and Jiangdong soldiers in the valley, but it is only limited to hearing and seeing, and it is difficult to intervene in the slightest.

Sima Yi stared intently at the situation in the valley, or more precisely, at Cao Pi who was leading the battle.The young man's figure has fully grown, and he is riding a war horse to deftly walk among the enemy troops, walking away with his sword and beheading the enemy with ease.The hot and humid wind blew through the valley and brushed his long hair. Even though the blood splashed on his face, he continued to fight bloody as if he didn't know it.This heroic and resolute appearance, although still immature, is exactly the same as his father who led troops to fight everywhere in the early years.

How could such a person be hurt by Zhang Xiu.

"Of course Yi remembers the agreement. However, from Yi's point of view, Mr. Jia should be more worried." Sima Yi shifted his gaze to Zhang Xiu who was also fighting.There is a distance between him and Cao Pi, and no one can hinder the other for the time being, "As long as the second son is willing, it will not be difficult for Zhang Xiu to die here."

"This old man is already at this age, and I don't know when my life will be confessed. It doesn't help whether I worry about it or not. But..." Jia Xu put his hand to his mouth and coughed several times, and when he spoke again, his voice became hoarse and old , "He is also there. With him, General Zhang's life will not be lost."

Of course Sima Yi knew who Jia Xu was referring to.He looked at Zhou Yu who had been watching the battle outside the battlefield, and then looked further at Guo Jia who was being held hostage behind Zhou Yu.However, even though he was being held hostage, Guo Jia actually seemed to be more interested in watching than Zhou Yu when he rode leisurely on the horse with his arms folded.He knew Guo Jia's plan and Guo Jia's temperament even more. Hearing Jia Xu's words, he couldn't help but sneer: "Mr. Jia thinks that Zhang Xiu is more important than Cao Zihuan in his eyes?"

One is a general who can be replaced by others at any time, and the other is Cao Cao's eldest son and future heir. Which one is more important in Guo Jia's eyes is obvious.

"The old man only knows that in his eyes, a person who can't even handle private grievances well is not worthy of being the heir to the prime minister." Jia Xu said slowly, "It is difficult to support this responsibility, and it is also occupying the position of the eldest son. In the name of the prime minister, such a person will only become an obstacle for the son who can truly inherit the great career of the prime minister in the future." Speaking of this, Jia Xu chuckled, "Zhongda has been with him for so many years, according to Zhongda's opinion, Regarding the obstacles that affect the prime minister's career, with his temperament, what will he do?

The prime minister...and many sons. "

Sima Yi's breath stopped for a moment, and he suddenly understood the real intention of creating a fight in the valley.It seems to be to divert the attention of Jiangdong soldiers, so that Guo Jia has a chance to do something; in fact, this is also a test for Cao Pi and Zhang Xiu: if Cao Pi still can't let go of Cao Ang's death, or Zhang Xiuji hates being sent to the expedition As for Wuhuanshi's design, they will gladly use this opportunity to use the chaos of the battle to cause the death of the opponent, and then push everything to Jiangdong.

Originally Sima Yi thought that even if Cao Pi was still a child with a temper, Zhang Xiu must be put to death. Although the aftermath was troublesome, it was not a big deal.But Jia Xu's words really reminded him that once Cao Pi showed his intention to kill Zhang Xiu, it would directly mean that he would be out of the battle for establishing an heir in the future.But in terms of etiquette, Cao Pi is the eldest son after all, which will lead to some people supporting Cao Pi according to the etiquette, and some people supporting the other son according to Cao Cao's wishes.The quarrel between brothers caused Xiao Qiang to suffer, and Yuan Shao and Liu Biao were enough to serve as a lesson for the consequences.

Will Guo Jia allow such hidden dangers to exist?No way.

In major matters, Guo Jia has always been ruthless and terrifying, even if the price was designed by him to kill Cao Cao's son, he would not hesitate.

Cao Pi's position determines that he has no retreat other than becoming the most suitable heir with both ability and political integrity.

Sima Yi finally started to get really nervous.Before today, he had of course warned Cao Pi not to do anything to Zhang Xiu. If the situation allowed, it would be best to take advantage of the chaos of the war to save Zhang Xiu once, so as to resolve the previous conflict.But when Cao Pi listened to his words, he was always absent-minded.And based on his understanding of Cao Pi's character... he can't guarantee that Cao Pi will never attack Zhang Xiu again.

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became. Sima Yi turned around and wanted to leave, but because of his inner anxiety, he didn't notice the gravel under his feet, and his figure became unstable.Fortunately, Jia Xu supported him in time, so he didn't fall off the cliff.

And the body that Sima Yi touched, holding a bow and arrow, fell forward into the valley, causing the soldiers fighting in the valley to look up and look up the cliff. I don't know if this sight made them realize It turns out that these Jiangdong archers, who lined up on both sides of the cliff with the help of geographical location, have become the corpses of the enemy to confuse themselves a long time ago.

"Zhongda, don't forget that you and I are outsiders." Jia Xu firmly grasped Sima Yi's wrist, "If we want to solve this matter thoroughly, neither you nor I can interfere."

Sima Yi struggled hard, but couldn't get away.Jia Xu, who looks old and frail, has amazing strength.After a stalemate for a long time, Sima Yi had no choice but to give up, and turned his attention to the battle situation in the valley again.

Now, he can only hope that Cao Zihuan has really grown up and can distinguish between justice and personal grudges.

Cao Pi quickly gave Sima Yi the answer.

The corpse of the Jiangdong army that fell from the cliff happened to hit a cavalry who was fighting with Zhang Xiu. Zhang Xiu won without a fight, and immediately turned his horse's head to attack Zhou Yu, and the distance between him and Cao Pi was shortened. Not a lot.He yelled to Cao Pi, as if he was going to rescue Guo Jia first, and Cao Pi came to help guard the rear.This kind of arrangement is not a problem at all, but in this way, it means that the safety of Zhang Xiu's rear is all handed over to Cao Pi.

Even if Cao Pi had no enmity with Zhang Xiu, he was not strong enough in martial arts to defend against all the menacing Jiangdong Army, so he had to yell to gather his own troops.But within this time difference, many Jiangdong troops still chased after Zhang Xiu.

When his own troops gathered enough to deal with the Jiangdong army, Cao Pi immediately turned his horses and horses to rescue him, just in time to see when the Jiangdong cavalry's spears really pierced Zhang Xiu's back.

Cao Pi reined in the reins and put down the long sword in his hand.

When he saw Cao Pi reining in his horse, Sima Yi secretly thought it was bad.Although Sima Yi couldn't see Guo Jia's expression clearly from such a distance, he clearly felt that the leisurely look on Guo Jia's body was instantly wiped away when he saw this scene.Guo Jia's eyes, which he couldn't see clearly, must be full of solemnity and...disappointment.

His throat was suddenly choked by an indescribable feeling, whether it was worry or anxiety.

Fortunately, relying on years of experience in fighting on the battlefield, Zhang Xiu judged the wind behind him, and at the critical moment, he suddenly turned around and raised his gun to block the fatal blow. .

Just when everyone was focusing on Zhang Xiu and Cao Pi, few people noticed that Guo Jia, who had been held hostage obediently, had let go of his arms at some point, and a cold light shot out from his wide sleeves.

It's so close, it's inevitable.

When the soldiers realized something was wrong, the short arrow from the sleeve arrow had pierced Zhou Yu's unprotected side waist, and blood flowed out instantly, staining his clothes red.

At this time, Cao Pi, who had been waiting for a long time, suddenly whipped his horse and charged forward, taking advantage of Zhou Yu's pain, he raised his sword and attacked head-on.At the same time, Zhang Xiu broke in from the side, taking advantage of the advantage of the spear being better than the sword and the enemy's stupefaction, quickly repelled the soldiers around Guo Jia, pulled Guo Jia onto his horse, and then immediately turned around. horse head.

On the other side, seeing that his goal had been achieved, Cao Pi did not continue to entangle with Zhou Yu. He also rode his horse back and joined his soldiers.

All this took no more than ten seconds, but it turned the situation upside down.

The wounds caused by the short arrows shot by the sleeve arrows will not be very deep, and it is nothing to Zhou Yu who has suffered countless large and small injuries.He directly pulled out the arrow and ordered the army to attack.Unexpectedly, as soon as he raised his arm, the wound hurt even more, and his body fell to the side uncontrollably.

"Great Governor!"

"Gongjin, Jia would like to advise you, this is the end of today, don't get entangled with Jia. This place is not far from Jiangxia, you should go to the county office to treat the wound first. The wound caused by the arrow is not deep, but the arrow can hit it. It’s poisonous.” Guo Jia rode a new horse, and saw that Zhou Yu, who couldn’t even hold the horse steady, wanted to attack, so he persuaded him in a gentle voice, “Don’t worry, as long as the diagnosis and treatment are timely, the poison will not kill you. Jia said that Jia didn’t want you to die either.”

"Don't worry about me, the whole army continues..."

"Besides, you don't want Sun Bofu to give you another funeral in turn."

"What do you mean by that?!"

"It seems that Sun Quan really didn't tell you anything. That's right, if he told you everything before he got the military power, if you refuse to stand by him, he will be completely defeated." Guo Jia sighed softly. voice, talking to himself.He raised his eyes and looked at Zhou Yu, who had rarely lost his composure. The smile on his lips became softer, and his eyes could even be called friendly, as if Zhou Yu was his closest relative and trusted friend.

"Gongjin, Bofu is still alive, and will be waiting for you in Dantu. If you don't want to go back as soon as possible, please help Jia to send him a greeting."

Zhou Yu's eyes were full of struggle.Guo Jia's tone was so sincere that he had already convinced him of the authenticity of this matter with just this one sentence.In other words, he is too eager for this to be true, and would rather automatically ignore the possibility that it is a lie...

If what Guo Jia said was true, it would make sense for Zhongmou to let him return to the capital all of a sudden.

The pain from the wound became more and more severe, obviously beyond the range of pain that such a small wound should cause.Obviously, at least Guo Jia didn't lie to him in this matter, this short arrow is really poisonous.If he was not injured, he might still be able to fight Cao Jun, but Jiangdong Army is clearly at a disadvantage now, and if he continues to fight, there will be no results.

After weighing the pros and cons again and again, Zhou Yu ordered the entire army to retreat and leave the valley.From the beginning to the end, Cao Jun just stopped at the same place and watched Jiangdong Army leave, and did not take this opportunity to pursue.

"Is it okay to let them go like this?"

"Of course it doesn't matter. Do you think that Zhou Gongjin, who knows that Sun Ce is still alive, will wait for her injury to recover before returning to Dantu?" The smile in Guo Jia's voice is still the same, but gradually mixed with a bit of coldness, " Even if Zhou Gongjin was killed, it would be nothing more than an enmity with Jiang Dong, and the gain outweighs the gain. It would be better to leave them with a permanent governor who will never recover. Sometimes, it is more useful to let the other party live than to let the other party die."

Cao Pi pursed his lips, and replied: "Thank you for your teaching, sir, Pi understands."

"Do you really understand?!"

Cao Pi was taken aback by Guo Jia's sudden outburst of anger. He looked up at Guo Jia, and was instantly stunned by the cold look in Guo Jia's eyes.In his impression, Guo Jia always had a smile on his face, and was so easy-going that he would never get angry for anything. Such harsh words surprised him and made him uneasy.

Zhang Xiu flicked his whip silently.What Mr. Today asked him to do, he has completed meticulously.He also knew that Second Young Master Cao wanted to put him to death because of the eldest son's affairs, but in fact, it wasn't like he hadn't thought about simply paying for his life once and for all.But, every now and then, he thought of his husband again...

Cao Ying is so big, Mr. has made good friends, but he is the only one left.If he dies and leaves Mr. alone, what should he do?

Fortunately, this weird atmosphere didn't last long. Sima Yi and Jia Xu had already brought the soldiers on the cliff to the valley.After the two armies converged, Guo Jia looked coldly at Cao Pi, who had bowed his head and remained silent since just now, and then ordered loudly:

"Order the whole army to return to Xiangyang!"

However, when Guo Jia rushed back to Xiangyang with his army, he realized that Cao Cao had led the army to attack Nanjun.In the original Xiangyang camp, only a small number of garrisons were left, waiting for Guo Jia to lead the troops back, and then go south to join the army.

It takes time to count the soldiers, horses, food and grass, and arrange the cooking utensils and weapons. The army that rushed back day and night also needs to rest and reorganize. Therefore, Guo Jia ordered the whole army to rest for a day, and then marched south again the next day.As soon as he returned to the camp, Guo Jia was in a hurry to deal with the backlog of affairs these days, while Cao Pi was dragged into the tent by Sima Yi.

"Zihuan," Sima Yi took several deep breaths before he managed to suppress the hostility in his voice, "Why didn't you listen to what Yi said, and wanted to do something to Zhang Xiu?"

Cao Pi bit his lip, avoided Sima Yi's eyes, and replied, "Pi didn't intend to kill him either. He just didn't save him. Isn't that enough?"

"You know why Zhang Xiu must be spared!" Seeing Cao Pi's attitude, Sima Yi couldn't help raising his voice, "Zhang Xiu's life and death are nothing to worry about! The point is Jia Wen and that old fox! If you saved Cao Pi at that time Get rid of him, and the old enmity can be wiped out, and more importantly, Jia Wenhe will be used by you for this!" After finishing speaking, he felt that it was too harsh, paused, and lowered his voice, "In short, it's not too late now. Go and apologize to Zhang Xiu in person now. If you apologize in person as the prime minister's eldest son, Zhang Xiu should not be so ignorant of current affairs."

"Since you have said it all, Zhang Xiu accepted Pi's apology only because he knew the current affairs, so this is only to resolve the resentment on the surface. In essence, Pi and him are still enemies." Cao Pi said, "Besides, a Jia It's just Wenhe...there are so many heroes in the world, do you want to use this kind of ruthless poison?"

Sima Yi suddenly felt his head hurt even more.But no matter how painful he was, he couldn't ignore it.What Jia Xu said that day and Guo Jia's indifferent attitude towards Cao Pi these days are lingering in his mind. This is the first time in his life that he is so nervous about people other than himself, thinking about how to deal with it without thinking about food and drink. , even when the parties did not cooperate at all, he was still patient and continued to persuade Cao Pi: "I asked you to apologize. It is for Guo Jia to see, and for other generals and counselors to see. You should know How much influence will Guo Jia's opinions on the establishment of an heir have on your father? You can't let him think that at this age, you still don't know the difference between public and private, and put your personal grievances above the world's major events."

"..."

"Zihuan, listen to Yi, it's not..."

"Zhongda," Cao Pi suddenly interrupted Sima Yi.He raised his head to look at Sima Yi, and there was a trace of doubt in his black and white eyes, "You are so thoughtful about Pi because you are afraid that if Pi does not become his father's heir in the future, you will lose your deal, right? "

Sima Yi choked.According to his heart, he should have affirmed Cao Pi's words, or out of reality, denied Cao Pi's words to show his loyalty, but now, he can't do either of them.

All he thought about was actually how to help Cao Pi get through this crisis.

Seeing Sima Yi's reaction in full view, Cao Pi suddenly smiled.This is a joyful smile from the heart, with a bit of innocence that only teenagers can have, and it is very touching.He looked at Sima Yi who couldn't answer his question, and confirmed to Sima Yi in a soft voice: "So, Pi can understand Zhongda's current nervousness as something that has nothing to do with interests or transactions. It's all because Sima Zhongda is worried about Cao Zihuan. the rest of your life, right?"

After Cao Pi said this, the content of the words became more subtle.Sima Yi froze there, unable to speak for a long time, as if he had acquiesced.

"It is enough to confirm this." Cao Pi smiled easily, not at all nervous about those things that Sima Yi was worried about, "Don't worry Zhongda, Pi will not let you down, and in the future, Pi will not lose to anyone." people."

"...You deliberately didn't save Zhang Xiu, not because public affairs and private affairs are inseparable, but because you want to test Yi?"

"Ah, this..." A trace of embarrassment flashed across Cao Pi's face, he was worried that if he told the truth, Sima Yi would be angry because of his distrust, "Actually, Zhongda, Pi..."

"It's easy for Guo Jia to explain." Sima Yi didn't care about the details as Cao Pi thought, and his thinking was still on how to solve this crisis for Cao Pi. "Guo Jia has always been on guard against Yu Yi. As long as Zihuan you will That day's explanation of behavior became a test of Yi's loyalty, not a personal grudge, and Guo Jia should no longer look down on you because of it. No, Zihuan's intentional explanation is too false. It is best for Yi to guide this matter and let Guo Jia himself thought of this level..."

Before Cao Pi could interrupt Sima Yi's monologue, Sima Yi, who had already thought of a perfect countermeasure, walked away first.Seeing Sima Yi leaving in a hurry, Cao Pi suppressed the words in his throat again, and couldn't help chuckling again, feeling very happy in his heart.

Zhong Da himself hadn't realized it yet, but he had come here only for profit, but now he had already subconsciously forgotten the word profit.

In the past, he was very envious of his father, who was able to get a confidant like Guo Jijiu.And now, perhaps, he has also met such a person, the mountains and rivers, the ups and downs, the ups and downs, hand in hand, no fear.

"Second brother, what are you thinking about, so happy?" The curtain was lifted suddenly, Cao Zhi walked in, and happened to see the smile on Cao Pi's lips, and asked curiously.

"A few small things." Cao Pi said it in one sentence, restrained his smile a little, and asked Cao Zhi, "Why didn't Azhi go to attack Nanjun with his father?"

"Father has so many generals and counselors, and there is still the third brother, so there is no shortage of Zhi. It just so happened that someone was needed in Xiangyang to meet him, so Zhi stayed here, just waiting for the second brother to come back." Cao Zhi replied briskly, "Second brother doesn't know, Dezu also followed his father to attack Nanjun. It's very boring for Zhi to stay alone in the camp these few days. Fortunately, second brother will come back soon."

Cao Zhi was really bored, so he saved a lot of interesting topics.Moreover, he and Cao Pi have always had a close relationship, and they chatted casually for more than an hour.In the end, it was Cao Zhi who could see that Cao Pi looked exhausted just after returning, so he reluctantly got up to say goodbye, and told his elder brother to go to bed earlier.

Not long after Cao Zhi walked out of Cao Pi's tent, he met Guo Jia who was looking for him.

"Why doesn't the fourth son want to attack Nanjun with the lord?" After a few pleasantries, Guo Jia asked Cao Zhi.The reason why he used "unwilling" instead of "can't" is because he knew that Cao Cao should have planned to take Cao Zhi to attack Nanjun together to accumulate military merits for Cao Zhi.

Cao Zhi was silent for a while. In front of Guo Jia, he finally did not take the risk of lying: "...Zhi is not suitable, nor is he willing, and he does not want to be separated from his brother."

This is not suitable, unwilling, not only refers to attacking Nanjun with the army.With Cao Zhi's cleverness, it is easy to guess some of the intentions behind it.

"If the fourth son really doesn't want to, no one can force him." Guo Jia gently comforted him, "But if the son is willing, it's just a matter of human effort. The master only chooses talents and establishes an heir. After all, the sage comes first."

Cao Zhi remained silent for a long time, and when Guo Jia thought he would not respond, a sentence stuck in his throat: "... Guo Jijiu thinks, is this really the best?"

Guo Jia's eyes flickered slightly.When Cao Zhi asked this, it showed that Cao Zhi had already guessed all his meanings. This kind of intelligence is really rare in the world.

"Yes, in Ika's opinion, indeed, it's best."

"...Na Zhi, I will definitely live up to my father's expectations."