No matter how Zhangyi is killed, it's a later story.
At this moment, Cao Rui, in a fit of rage, only wants to ask Zhang Yi face to face what he is thinking. Who gave him the audacity to come and attempt an assassination?
Cao Rui's chest rose and fell as he gasped for breath, walked three steps to the right, and came to stand before Zhang Yi, who was being held by three tiger soldiers.
"Zhang Yi, you're the Administrator of Guanghan, right?" Cao Rui asked with a furrowed brow and a low voice, crossing his arms: "How dare you attempt to assassinate the Emperor? Hm?"
Zhang Yi, with his face stepped on by the tiger guards, couldn't speak, only emitting a sound of "uuu."
"Let him say!" Cao Rui looked angrily at Zhang Yi and waved his hand to indicate that the tiger guards holding Zhang Yi's face should move aside.
Zhang Yi spat out a red substance that was unclear whether it was blood or saliva, and sneered twice, saying: "Cao's treachery! Do you know if there are still loyal subjects in the Great Han? Is the northern expedition and the restoration of the Han Dynasty mere talk? There are righteous scholars in Shu.”
Jiang Wei hurried to step forward to plug Zhang Yi's mouth, but was stopped by Cao Rui's outstretched hand. Raising his voice in anger, he said, "Let him speak! I want to see what he can say!"
Zhang Yi was obviously surprised, but he knew he was not far from death and would not miss this last chance to speak. He continued to curse: "Once the Chancellor leads the troops to defeat the treacherous Weibo, he will surely kill all of you nine families! Cao the traitor, be ready to face your death!"
"From start to finish, it's always these same words, cursing as 'Cao the traitor' and calling the enemy 'the rebellious Weibo.' " Cao Rui's face was as cold as ice, staring at Zhang Yi: "Zhang Yi, when you were in Zhuge Liang's army, you opposed me; fighting for one's own cause is not a problem."
"But I was ready to accept your surrender and continue to appoint you as a 2,000-stone official. Why did you still attempt to assassinate me? You remember the kindness of Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, but you forget the mercy I showed by not killing you?"
Zhang Yi sneered coldly: "The Great Han flourished for four hundred years, how can you, the traitorous Weibo, understand the virtue of Han loyalists? Even if I fail to kill you now, in history books, I will be remembered like Nü Jing and Fu Juezi!"
"Foolish!" Cao Rui sneered: "What Great Han of four hundred years are you talking about? Is it the Han of Emperor Huandi, Emperor Ling, King Liu Bàn of Hongnong, or Duke Liu Xie of Shanyang? Or are you referring to these little emperors like the Young Emperor and the Quality Emperor? What gratitude can they have for you?"
Cao Rui extended his left hand two fingers and said, "I will not tell you about the easier way of using gods or the law of rotation, nor will I speak about the major state affairs and people's support or opposition. I will only tell you two things."
Zhang Yi was about to shout at Cao Rui again, but was finally taken by Jiang Wei and had his mouth stuffed with cloth, preventing him from speaking.
"Firstly, I tell you, you will not be like Nie Zheng or Fu Jiezi."
Zhang Yi stared intently, listening to what Cao Rui said with a cold face, staring down at him: "The concept of 'giving up life for righteousness' means either that one is grateful and willing to sacrifice oneself for rewards or that one risks everything in a time of danger in order to reverse the situation."
"Wei and Shu are enemy states, but at this moment you are attacking my Longyou region. This is not a time of peril for the State of Shu. The graces of Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang, and others toward you were nothing more than opportunities to promote and elevate your status."
"You attempted to assassinate the Emperor, driven solely by a desire for death and a quest for a vain reputation. How can you compare yourself to Nie Zheng or Fu Jiezi?"
"I tell you, history books will not record a single word of yours. As for the Zhang family of Qianwei county, I will certainly exterminate your entire family in the future, to repay you for your today's actions!"
Zhang Yi struggled and writhed, emitting sounds of "uuu," but under the suppression of the tiger guards, it was all in vain.
"The second thing," said Cao Rui, his eyes now filled with a sense ofcontempt: "When Huan Fan captured you, you did not maintain your principles and endure the humiliation. When I wanted to pardon you, you disregarded my leniency and compassion for you."
"Moreover, how can I not believe that Liu Shunchan and Zhuge Liang would allow you to attempt to assassinate me?"
"If you go against your fate, then you have no virtue to add, and no achievements to establish. Such a person, I regard you as a madman."
The sense of despair in Zhang Yi's eyes grew increasingly intense, but at this moment, Cao Rui had looked away, no longer glancing in his direction.
For someone who wants to plot against themselves, Cao Rui not only needs to execute them but also needs to strike their hearts.
"Cuan Fan," Cao Rui took a deep breath and looked at the large guard commander whose face was bleeding profusely: "I consider it an unintentional mistake of yours, but you have brought this person to the Emperor's presence, nearly causing a perilous situation. It is also impossible for you to escape the responsibility of failing to notice. You must give me an explanation."
Cuan Fan was now tears streaming down his face, gasping as he said: "I am truly a sinner, please, Your Majesty, execute me to apologize to the world!"
Cao Rui said calmly: "The position of the Administrator of Anting County is vacant. You will report to the position tomorrow morning in Linting!"
"But before you leave, you need to personally carry out the execution and dispose of this scoundrel for the Emperor! Only this can satisfy the Emperor's resentment!"
The tiger guards on either side released Cuan Fan's hands, and he immediately knelt down: "I accept your command and thank you, Your Majesty! How does the Emperor wish to deal with this scoundrel?"
"Cancellor!" Cao Rui turned around, his eyes burning as he looked at Sima Yi: "What should be the penalty for someone who plots to overthrow the king and murder him?"
Sima Yi, with a solemn expression and a respectful bow, replied: "This crime deserves the punishment of capital punishment! It should be a decapitation!"
Cao Rui nodded without hesitation and said, "Lead him out and execute him immediately outside the door."
The two tiger guards dragged Zhang Yi out like two people dragging a dead pig. Zhang Yi was so frightened that he was paralyzed and unable to move.
The tiger guards waiting outside the doorway constructed a makeshift execution platform about one zhang away from the door. They also found a large axe from the imperial bodyguard and handed it to Cuan Fan.
The position of the middle guard general is a 2,000-stone official, and the position of the Administrator of Anting County is also a 2,000-stone official. However, one is by the emperor's side, holding the great power of personnel appointments and dismissals in the central army. The other is in the remote Anting County, right next to the Xiongnu people. How much future can there be for that?
Having experienced this setback, Cuan Fan's anger flared even higher. After taking the axe, he didn't hesitate and chopped down at Zhang Yi's waist, which was already placed on the execution platform and had his shirt removed, blocking his mouth.
He chops down for one, two... It took seventeen or eighteen strokes to complete the execution.
After Cuan Fan completed the execution, covered in blood, he walked into the hall by himself, bowed to the emperor, and then stood still in the middle of the hall.
The upper half of Zhang Yi's body was still sobbing and moaning outside.
Cao Rui sat quietly in the hall, his face ashen and expressionless. The others in the hall dared not speak.
After a long time, the sounds outside gradually faded away. The guards first dragged away the remains, then cleaned the steps with water, and brought soil to re-level the courtyard.
After a while, it seemed as if nothing had happened outside, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
At this moment, Cao Rui finally sighed deeply: "Zhang Yi tried to kill me. Then I will kill him, which is what he deserves."
"However, you say," Cao Rui snorted with a smile: "How could Liu Bei's group have nurtured such a person in just a few years?"
"Cancellor, Chancellor Zhongshu, when did Liu Bei enter Shu?"
Sima Yi and Chen Jiao were hesitant to speak, but Yang Fu energetically bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, Liu Bei conquered Chengdu in the 19th year of the Jian'an era. That has been thirteen years now."
Cao Rui said: "Thirteen years have passed and someone is willing to die for him. What will happen in twenty or thirty years? When I conquer Wu and Shu, it will be even more difficult."
It was Yang Fu who replied again: "Your Majesty, holding the imperial treasure and acting with the times, cannot be limited."
Cao Rui rose and waved his sleeve: "I am tired, ministers, go back to your own quarters. Boyu, come with me for a walk."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Jiang Wei followed the emperor out, as well.
Inside the hall, Sima Yi and Chen Jiao exchanged glances, and couldn't help but sigh.
As the New Year approaches and with such an incident occurring, the emperor's mood must already be extremely poor. But one wonders how the war in the south is going.
...
For the Shu troops, how to retreat well and beautifully has become the most important concern for the troops.
On the same day, the 26th, Zhao Yun, who received Zhuge Liang's order to withdraw, had already arranged for the soldiers to take turns resting during the day.
After nightfall, at the hour of the Child, Zhao Yun led his 10,000 foot soldiers secretly left camp and marched towards the city of Shouchun in the south.
On the morning of the 27th, Zhao Yun finally arrived at the outskirts of Shouchun City. By noon, when Cao Zhen arrived with his troops, Zhao Yun had already retreated along the road from Shouchun to Xixian County and had left quietly.
Cao Zhen had a total of 15,000 cavalry. He had previously split off Dian Man's 2,000 cavalry at Xinyang and left 500 cavalry at Xianqin. Last night, when Dian Man sent someone to look for him, Cao Zhen also dispatched Wen Qin's 3,000 cavalry to the west.
At this moment, Cao Zhen had less than 10,000 troops left by his side, and he had no extra thoughts to pursue Zhao Yun. Instead, he rushed to the outskirts of Shouchun City as quickly as possible.
Guo Hui personally guarded the city walls every day, organizing defense while watching for the return of the Weixia troops with the same anticipation of a jilted woman awaiting her lover's return.
The sound of horse hooves gradually approached from the west, and nearly ten thousand cavalrymen came from the west. For a moment, Guo Hui couldn't believe his eyes.
"Are those the troops of Weixia coming to our aid?" Guo Hui opened his eyes wide, pointing to the military array to the west and asking Lu Ban beside him.
Lu Pan also looked relieved, sitting down on the ground and laughing, "If it's not the cavalry of Weixia or the relief troops of Weixia, then what could it be? Besides the central army, where else in the world could there be cavalry like this?"
"Sure enough, it's the relief troops. You can see the flags!"
Cao Zhen led his cavalry slowly towards the city of Shouchun, when there was only one li left, Guo Hui rode alone from the West Gate, holding his seal as Governor, directly sought Cao Zhen in front of the troops.
Guo Hui had been defending the city for over twenty days, and the pressure and complexity of the affairs had made this usually scholarly general look notably more exhausted.
"I have met the General." Guo Hui sat on his horse and smiled at Cao Zhen, smiling until his eyes even teared up.
"Your efforts have not gone unnoticed, Bi Ji!" Cao Zhen dismounted first and Guo Hui also reacted quickly and dismounted to meet him. The two looked at each other for a long time, and Cao Zhen patted Guo Hui's arm and said, "I knew Bi Ji was here, and Shouchun would not be lost!"
"How is the situation within the city?"
Guo Hui answered, "The city of Shouchun is still in the hands of the Wei, and I have over a thousand troops who can fight."
"That's good, that's good." Cao Zhen felt a sense of relief in his heart and kept saying, "Bi Ji, let's go. We'll go into the city together!"
Guo Hui asked in reply, "General Cao, did you not inquire about the whereabouts of the Shu troops? This morning, a force of around ten thousand from the Shu army returned from the Longshan Pass and is heading towards Xixian."
"Yesterday, it seems that Zhuge Liang was carrying many civilians from the direction of Linwei and was heading back towards Xixian County." (This chapter concludes.)
