Silver Fox of the Three Kingdoms

In history, Cao Zhi finally granted the land of Chen as the King of Chen, and the position of the vassal was in the Kingdom of Chen.

However, the king of Chen was not long before his death, and Cao Zhi died in Dong'e, his original fiefdom, so he was buried in Dong'a Yushan in the end.

But now Cao Zhi's fiefdom is in the State of Zhao, not the King of Dong'a in history, but the King of Zhao, so now he is in Wei County.

The reason for such a change is that Cao Zhi petitioned on the table many times.

In history, Cao Pi suppressed Cao Zhi everywhere, and Cao Cao's other sons were all named kings. Cao Zhi has always been a Marquis of Anxiang, and was only named King of Juancheng two years later, which shows that Cao Pi was wary of him.

After Cao Pi's death, Cao Rui succeeded to the throne. Cao Zhi impassionedly wrote to Cao Rui, asking for political appointment. The heart of a fist can move a hard-hearted person, so that even the ruthless Cao Rui almost promoted him.

It's a pity that Cao Rui still held back in the end, and only gave Cao Zhi verbal praise, without any reuse, and even guarded him strictly, making his situation very embarrassing and delicate, and finally died of depression.

But now the Great Wei is no longer the Great Wei that sits on the whole of the north. Cao Zhi is naturally very excited as the frontline has been defeated repeatedly. After Cao Pi died last year, Cao Rui inherited the great rule and became the new emperor.

At that time, Cao Zhi, just like in history, thought that the new emperor would be able to recruit talents in an eclectic manner, and he would reuse him regardless of past suspicions. Therefore, since the beginning of this year, he has presented to Cao Rui many times, and put forward many suggestions on the situation in the south. Hope to be adopted and revived by Cao Rui.

As a result, Cao Rui became even more wary of him, and he didn't even want him to leave the area under his control to go to Henan to become a vassal. Stay by your side for King Zhao.

That's why Chen Qun came to him.

Because the rest of Cao Cao's heirs are all in other places, even many are currently in Henan, some fled to Hebei after the fall of Henan, some disappeared during the war, and some simply surrendered to the southern Han.

As for Cao Zhang?

He died of illness in the fourth year of Huangchu, almost six years after his death, the grass on his grave may be three feet high.

Therefore, Cao Zhi is the only person with high morals and high prestige in the clan.

However, now that Cao Rui is about to die of illness and is about to pass the throne to Zhao Wang Cao Zhi, Cao Zhi wants to scold his mother at this moment, and the look in Chen Qun's eyes is a bit wrong.

He didn't reuse him early and didn't reuse him later, but at this time, he not only reused him, but even passed on the throne to him.

What do you mean?
Wishing that the name of the king of subjugation could be placed on his own head?

Cao Zhi almost gritted his teeth and said to Cao Rui: "Your Majesty, the minister is so dull, how can he inherit the great order? Besides, Your Majesty still has children, so it must not be like this."

Cao Rui's pale face was bloodless, he looked up at Cao Zhi, and reluctantly said: "The country is ruined and withered, and only those with great talents can't live here. Mu is the only heir of mine."

"The minister is just an idler reading at home. How can He De take on the important task of saving Wei from the fire and water? What's more, His Majesty still has brothers. Didn't King Ding of Donghai return to Yecheng from Qingzhou some time ago?"

Cao Zhi firmly refused.

Just kidding, when the country was still stable, he was guarded like an enemy, but now he is only remembered when the country is about to perish. Isn't this looking for a blame man?
Cao Rui's voice was already very weak, and he said softly: "The emperor's uncle has always been very resourceful, and the hypocrites are rampant. Although it is the autumn of life and death, the Great Wei still has two to three million people. I believe that the emperor's uncle can turn the tide and save the great Wei. In the fire and water."

Cao Zhi shook his head, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, even if the Great Ancestor is revived in the Great Wei Dynasty, it may not be able to turn things around, let alone me? Besides, according to the law, ministers cannot succeed to the throne, so please invite your Majesty's heir to take the throne. "

Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, the law of inheritance has been that the father dies and the son replaces the son, not the brother and the brother, let alone Cao Zhi or Cao Rui's uncle.

Therefore, according to legal principles, Cao Zhi is the second generation of the Cao family, Cao Rui is the third generation, and after Cao Rui dies, the throne should be inherited by the fourth generation of the Cao family, that is, Cao Cao's great-grandchildren.

This is also the reason why the Cao family obviously still had many adult clans in history. Before Cao Rui became seriously ill, they were forced to choose the young Cao Fang as the heir.

However, Cao Rui became angry when he heard this sentence.

Jurisprudence?

At this time, you are talking about Fa principles with me?

If you really cared about legal principles, why did you compete for the crown prince with my father, the eldest son?

There was a killing intent in Cao Rui's eyes, but in a blink of an eye he thought that he was threatening at this moment, even if he forced Cao Zhi to take over, he might not be able to control him after he died.

After a little hesitation, he let go of his fierceness, and said in a mournful voice: "Uncle, you should know that Great Wei is in dire straits now. If a child is chosen to inherit, Great Wei may collapse in an instant."

"Well"

Cao Zhi's face pondered, but he was noncommittal in his heart. Cao Wei's collapse was none of his business?
Seeing that his face was expressionless, Cao Rui continued, "I know you have hatred in your heart, but now that the country is in danger, are you just watching the lands and mountains brought down by Taizu be destroyed?"

This is playing cards and tricks.

Chen Qun also persuaded: "King Zhao, now that the state affairs are corrupt and the south is aggressive, there must be a Ming Lord to inherit the great rule and save the country. Among the heirs of the Taizu, only King Zhao is a genius, and the rest of the heirs are not in Yecheng. What's more, Your Majesty the son of."

As he spoke, he glanced at the child pulled by Queen Mao.

Cao Rui had three sons and two daughters in his life, but all his heirs died young. The eldest son Qinghe King Cao Jiong died the year before last, Fanyang King Cao Muyao died in 229 AD, which is the next year, and the youngest son Anping Ai Wang Cao Yin was born in 231 AD. He died in 232 AD and is still not born yet.

The child that Empress Mao raised was Cao Rui’s second son, Fanyang King Cao Mu. Historically, he died next year. Even though he is not dead yet, he is only a three or four-year-old child, basically sitting on the position of emperor. , It is no different from burying the country.

Therefore, Cao Rui had no choice at all. Chen Qun chose Cao Zhi. Except that most of the other clans of the Cao family were not in Yecheng, the most important thing was that Cao Zhi was indeed talented, and he was now in his prime to secure the throne.

In the end.

The aristocratic families don't care who the emperor is, what they care about is whether their family interests can be preserved.And they have a natural conflict of interest and position with the southern big man, so they can only support the Cao family.

Now Cao Wei is in ruins and crumbling, but because the aristocratic family is afraid that the big men in the south will strip their population and land, they still support Cao Wei, just like the Jiangdong family supports Sun Quan. Now Cao Wei still has more than 20 horses.

If Cao Zhi can sit on the throne and rely on the remaining soldiers to fight some miraculous wars to gain a chance to breathe, then Cao Wei might not be able to survive, and the country can be preserved.

But if the Cao family became an emperor who was three or four years old, the big family members would know with their toes that Cao Wei was going to die, so it would be better to surrender as soon as possible now.

Perhaps now that he has taken refuge in the past, he can still use the selling of the Cao family and the surrender of the land of the vast majority of the population to get a half-job in exchange for someone from the family being an official in the southern Han Dynasty, which can guarantee the interests of the family to a certain extent.

After all, it is self-evident who can stabilize people's hearts between a talented and mature emperor and a three or four-year-old child emperor.

So in fact, with Cao Rui's intelligence, he was able to figure it out before he died. If he passed the throne to his son Cao Mu, Great Wei would definitely perish.

So it's better to give up the throne to Cao Zhi, in case he keeps Cao Wei Jiangshan?

But it's one thing for them to think so, it's another thing whether Cao Zhi is willing to take this position now.

Although Cao Rui knew that he was going to die and passed on the throne before he died, everyone knew that the next person to take over the throne would not receive the power to rule the world, but a hot potato.

Because now Cao Wei has reached the verge of subjugation, basically whoever takes this position is very likely to be the king of Cao Wei's subjugation.

So Cao Zhi didn't want to at all.

What's more, being suppressed by Cao Pi and Cao Rui's father and son these years is full of resentment. How could he still want to be their father and son's scapegoat?

So Cao Zhi shook his head when he heard Cao Rui and Chen Qun's persuasion: "Your Majesty, I am naturally willing to go through fire and water for the Great Wei, but your Majesty's heir is still here, passing the throne to the minister, the name is not right, how can the world accept it? Please tell your majesty that you are located in King Fanyang, with the help of the pillars of Changwen and other countries, you will be able to bless the great Wei to tide over the difficulties."

"Uncle, cough, cough, cough"

Cao Rui coughed violently, his eyes gradually lost sight, his voice was already very weak, and he said almost pleadingly: "Could it be that the emperor really wants to watch Dawei cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough I and the father are really sorry for you, but the great ancestor and Empress Dowager, Uncle Huang really doesn’t miss old love?”

At the end, blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

Everyone was shocked, knowing that Cao Rui had really reached his limit, Chen Qun hurriedly persuaded Cao Zhi: "King Zhao, please put the overall situation first."

"I"

Cao Zhi became extremely hesitant when he saw Cao Rui's pitiful appearance.

Ask yourself, have you ever longed for this position?
Naturally there is.

Otherwise, he would not have competed with Cao Pi for the crown prince.

However, being suppressed by Cao Pi and Cao Rui's father and son in recent years, and the resentment towards his father's later abandonment, he no longer feels much sense of belonging to Cao Wei.

In addition, Cao Rui has been perfunctory from the beginning of this year until now, and his generosity has been ignored. He didn't think of him until the country was on the verge of destruction, which also wiped away Cao Zhi's last bit of patriotism.

So in the face of this mess, Cao Zhi no longer wants to take over, but only hopes to face his own destiny calmly.

However, when Cao Rui begged him, Cao Zhi still softened his heart.

Although Cao Pi and his son are indeed not good things, after all, this is what his father brought down. Cao Zhi has been a powerful son all his life, and gradually lost his sense of belonging to Cao Wei, but for the Cao family itself, he is still extremely attached.

It's not just a matter of prosperity and wealth. If it's just greed for glory and wealth, Cao Zhi believes that even if he surrenders, he will definitely be well-clothed and well-fed.

The key is that even though Cao Cao is ruthless, he still values ​​family affection.

Cao Cao regretted Cao Ang's death due to his own fault, so he basically gave Cao Pi, Cao Zhi, Cao Zhang, Cao Chong and others this guilt for Cao Ang, and loved them quite a lot.

It can be said that he is not a good man, but he is a good father. Cao Pi and Cao Zhi's great achievements in literature cannot be separated from Cao Cao's personal teaching.

Now Cao Rui uses Cao Cao and Queen Mother Bian to play the family card, which really makes Cao Zhi a little embarrassed.

He could complain about his elder brother and nephew, but he couldn't ignore the Cao Wei Jiangshan created by his father.

Thinking of this, Cao Zhi could only sigh, "Oh, that's it. So be it."

"Please, Uncle Emperor."

Cao Rui's voice was already very low, his eyes were cloudy and finally lost his luster, and then he gradually lost his breath.

Almost at the moment of Cao Rui's death, Empress Mao burst into tears.

When Cao Rui's concubines outside heard the sound, they also rushed into the hall, and then the sound of crying and howling resounded throughout the palace hall.

Around Chen Qun, Wei Zhen, Wang Si, Liu Fang, Sun Zi and many other officials knelt down on the ground.

An attendant came forward to tidy up Cao Rui's body and began spreading flower petals.

The death of the emperor and other members of the royal family had a complete set of procedures that met the specifications, and the servants made arrangements in an orderly manner.

Only Cao Zhi still stood where he was, looking at the crying concubines and ministers around him and the eunuchs and maids who were coming and going.

Everything around him seemed to have nothing to do with him.

Cao Zhi didn't know whether his choice was correct, nor did he know what his future fate would be.

But at this moment, he only felt that life seemed absurd, and he was in a trance.

With a burden on my shoulders, but I don't know why, it's easier than ever.

Cao Zhi turned his head and walked out of the inner hall.

He didn't pay attention to the noisy and complicated people around him, he just wanted to be quiet at this time.

Chen Qun followed closely, approached him and said in a low voice, "King Zhao, oh no, Your Majesty, now all major affairs of the country are decided by His Majesty."

"Ah."

Cao Zhi sneered, raised his head to look at the sky, and said softly: "I took over this position, not for Cao Rui and my elder brother who hurt me."

Chen Qun smiled wryly: "After all, the Great Wei is the Great Wei left by the Taizu, so Your Majesty still is."

"Long text."

Cao Zhi looked at Chen Qun a little strangely and said: "Now that Yingchuan has fallen, the Chen clan has moved to Hebei, and your land and population in your hometown are gone, why are you still loyal to the Great Wei? "

Chen Qun took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice: "It is the duty of a minister to be loyal to his duty."

"I remember you used to work for Liu Bei."

Cao Zhi looked at him and said, "Now the foundation established by Liu Bei is about to annex the world. You don't feel well either."

After being punctured by Cao Zhi, Chen Qun felt relieved, and said with a smile: "If you surrender, you can save your life, but if your Majesty surrenders, the foundation left by Taizu will be completely gone."

"Hahahahaha."

Cao Zhi looked up to the sky and laughed, and swaggered towards the outside of the palace, leaving only one sentence: "Then try it, if you succeed, you will succeed, if you don't succeed, you will succeed. This Great Wei, life and death, have nothing to do with me."

In July of the first year of Wei Taihe, Wei Emperor Cao Rui passed away, and it was said that he was located in Cao Zhi. Cao Zhi, a few days later, did not wait for the old emperor to be buried, nor did he change the Yuan Dynasty. Because the Han army has passed through Fukouxing and is heading towards Shexian County.