In order to prevent Zhao Shuang from being detained by the shady Sun Shiwan, He Yan even wrote a letter to Liu Ye, asking him to pay close attention and bring him back safely and intact.

Come to Xuchang.

The structure of the seven courtyards of Hewu is slowly being set up. Cao Cao also ended the Battle of Cangting and finally returned to Xuchang.

The first thing Cao Cao did when he returned to Xuchang from an expedition on weekdays was to go to the palace to return his orders to Liu Xie.

But this time, Cao Cao changed his past practice and locked himself directly in Sikong Mansion.

It's not that Cao Cao is distracted, but because he has more important things to do than those hypocritical political etiquette.

"Yulang, come here!"

That's right, the first person Cao Cao met when he came back this time was actually He Yan.

Even before Cao Cao entered Xuchang, his letter had already arrived at Hewu and called He Yan to Sikong Mansion.

Cao Cao had not yet taken off his armor. When He Yan stepped forward, Cao Cao grabbed He Yan's shoulders and stared at He Yan with complicated eyes.

"Liu Bei, is he really dead?"

"Really dead."

He Yan nodded.

"Haier personally buried him near Xinye. There will be no more accidents."

Cao Cao pursed his lips, not knowing how to respond to He Yan in front of him.

"I heard from Yuan Rang that you captured Liu Bei alive at that time. Why didn't you send him to Xuchang?"

"If the child sends Liu Bei to Xuchang, will his father kill Liu Bei?"

Cao Cao was stunned.

"My father must know better than me what kind of person Liu Bei is."

He Yan expressed his reasons without any concealment: "If Liu Bei is as determined as Liu Bei, if he is left in Xuchang, no one knows how much trouble he will cause."

"Among other things, if my father goes on an expedition to Hebei in the future and Liu Bei joins the emperor in Xuchang to control Yuzhou, it will be a disaster for my father! At the same time, if such a situation really happens, it will be unfair to the civil and military forces under my father's command."

"Letting Liu Bei die on the battlefield is actually the best destination for him... Of course, if the father is angry because the child makes his own decisions, the child is willing to be punished!"

He Yan is completely a piece of meat now.

Anyway, he had already killed the person, and it was impossible for Cao Cao to really kill himself and bury him with Liu Bei.

As for other punishments...it will pass if you endure it for a while!

But after hearing He Yan's statement, Cao Cao did not get angry. Instead, he lowered his eyes slightly, otherwise He Yan could see the various fluctuations in his eyes.

"Where are you talking about Yulang?"

Cao Cao was obviously laughing heartily, but He Yan could still tell at a glance that Cao Cao's smile was far-fetched.

"Liu Bei has repeatedly opposed his father and caused unrest in all directions. He is Cao Cao's enemy! How can there be any reason to punish one of his own just because he killed his enemy?"

Cao Cao concealed his emotions very quickly, so quickly that He Yan almost thought that Cao Cao really thought so.

but……

If Cao Cao really thought this way, why would the first thing he did when he returned to Xuchang be to see He Yan and ask He Yan about Liu Bei?

He Yan listened quietly to what Cao Cao said and did not interrupt rashly.

The relationship between Cao Cao and Liu Bei is far beyond what a junior like me can understand, so naturally there is no He Yan to comfort Cao Cao.

If there is anyone in the world who can really comfort Cao Cao's current mood, it is probably the second master Guan who is still in trouble.

"Yulang, you just said that the expedition to Hebei was a bit frivolous. Remember, don't be so eager for quick success!"

Cao Cao tried to change the topic elsewhere.

"Although my father has just captured Cangting, Yuan Shao's power in Hebei has not been damaged! And since the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Benchu's methods have become much more radical."

"As far as I know, he has liquidated many aristocratic families in Hebei within this year. Once he recovers, he will definitely become an even more terrifying enemy! Facing Benchu ​​in the next few years, I am afraid that as a father he will still be

We need to focus on defense!”

After hearing Cao Cao's blunt change of subject, He Yan did not expose Cao Cao, but walked down the steps given by Cao Cao.

"Father, there is no need to worry too much."

"Those aristocratic families in Hebei are not soft persimmons. Although they lost a lot of strength in the Battle of Guandu, and even Jushou and Tian Feng were captured by our army, Zhang Yan's forces entrenched in the Taihang Mountains are not

It's easy to deal with. If Yuan Shao doesn't completely surrender all this military power, he won't dare to go south."

Cao Cao nodded as if in agreement, and said with some relief: "Yu Lang is seeing things more and more comprehensively, and his analysis of Yuan Shao is not bad... But things in the world are unpredictable, so you must not just talk on paper, but discuss things on the ground."

"Kid, remember!"

It is true that things are unpredictable.

Who would have thought that the overlord Yuan Benzhu, who is now reborn from the ashes, would unexpectedly die of illness next year...

When Yuan Shao died, the situation in the north was basically settled.

Thinking of this, He Yan looked up with some distress and looked at the wrinkles on Cao Cao's face.

Yuan Shao's death was, like the death of Liu Bei, very good news for Cao Cao's forces.

But for Cao Cao, one by one his old friends passed away before him, leaving Cao Cao increasingly lonely on the road to completing his great cause.

At such a price, even Cao Cao, who is known as the "hero", will inevitably feel a chill in his heart, right?

"Father, General Guan is currently in the mansion you gave him as a gift. Do you want to go see him?"

Cloud length?

When he heard this name, one could clearly see Cao Cao's brows relaxing, and even the tense face facing He Yan showed some tender nostalgia.

"There's no rush. Just let Yunchang calm down for the next two days. After all, Liu Bei's death makes him feel more uncomfortable than anyone else."

He Yan originally thought that as soon as Cao Cao heard about Guan Yu, he would immediately go over and lick him, but unexpectedly, Cao Cao actually held back?

Not only that.

Even the crack in Cao Cao's mask that Guan Yu had just pried open was sewn back by Cao Cao at an extremely fast speed, making it impossible for anyone to notice the slightest difference.

"It's you, Yulang."

Cao Cao actually had the intention to joke with He Yan: "When Yun Chang and Zhang Fei saw you, didn't they tear you apart?"

He Yan immediately showed a pitiful expression: "I was indeed almost torn apart by them! If it weren't for Zhao Yun's incident, they would probably not want to see me until now!"

"Why are you involved with Zhao Yun again?"

When He Yan told Cao Cao about the blood transfusion, Cao Cao was also shocked.

"Xinxue's medical skills have actually reached this point? And you can actually force Liu Xie to issue an edict to give Xinxue a platform?"

The strong rise of Xinxue shocked even Cao Cao, and Cao Cao truly realized that Xinxue might not just be a political tool, but something with greater potential!

"It seems that I have been away from Xuchang for too long and don't know enough about the new learning."

Facing the rapid changes in the new school, Cao Cao felt a sense of crisis in his heart for no reason.

As a leader, you can not understand many things, but you must never let some things escape your control.

Fortunately, when Cao Cao encountered this situation, his first reaction was not to commit humane destruction, but to learn from it himself.

Perhaps it was Cao Cao's literati character that was at work, but for new learning, Cao Cao's attitude was undoubtedly an excellent thing.

After that, Cao Cao did not discuss political affairs or military affairs with He Yan anymore. Instead, he casually chatted about family issues and let He Yan leave.

"call--"

As soon as He Yan stepped forward, Cao Cao let out a sigh of relief.

A face that had never appeared before anyone slowly appeared on Cao Cao's face.

Sadness, emotion, decline, and a slight lack of strength.

"Xuande."

After muttering alone for a while, Cao Cao sneered again without knowing why.

"Ah!"

"No matter what, our journey is not over yet."

At this time, Cao Cao did not show hysterical vents, nor was he weak with tears. Instead, he was like a stone, staying in place forever.

The slightly dull look in his eyes was actually just because Cao Cao's mind was entirely focused on glancing at the past, slowly and for a long time.

"Xuande."

When Cao Cao came to his senses, he called Liu Bei's name again.

This sound sounded like nostalgia and relief... In any case, these two words were like clouds in the wind, drifting away little by little, leaving only Cao Cao's firm eyes.

"You, me, and Primordial, our journey is not over yet!"

————————
To be continued...