Guanqiu Jian's question left the other people gathered in the tent at a loss for words.
Xu Chu had just returned from outside the tent at this time and only heard the last sentence. He also sat at the table without saying a word.
Cao Zhen thought for a while and sighed, "Zhong Gong has a delicate heart!"
"Everyone," Cao Zhen turned his head and looked at everyone in the tent, "Although I am the governor of Guanxi, I am still the general and regent of Wei. I intend to order the entire army to stay stationed and return to Luoyang after His Majesty gets better. Do you have any objections?"
"And your majesty's condition must be kept strictly confidential! Except for those present today, it must not be disclosed to anyone else."
Cao Zhen stood up, put his hands on his waist and looked at everyone with a contemptuous attitude: "I am the general, this matter should be handled by me!"
Although your majesty is ill and cannot manage affairs, Cao Zhen has already taken up his new post and has no power to command the central army. He said this and was exceeding his authority to interfere in the affairs of the central army!
But no one in the tent spoke. After hearing what Cao Zhen said, they looked at each other, and then nodded in agreement, tacitly agreeing with Cao Zhen's decision.
When power is briefly out of control, it can only gather again along the place where it once appeared.
Guanqiu Jian coughed lightly and asked, "General, although I am of low rank and have little influence, I also know the principle of stabilizing the morale of the army. Your Majesty is ill, how should I and other ministers explain it?"
Xin Pi glanced at Guanqiu Jian and asked repeatedly: "Explain, what to explain, who do you want to explain to? Isn't it enough for us seven people to be here?"
Guanqiu Jian was speechless after being rebuked by Xin Pi: "Minister Xin, that's not what I meant. Aren't the Minister of Works and Governor Yang still in the army?"
"And I heard that we're going to review some strategies today. How can we not let them know?"
What Guanqiu Jian said certainly makes sense.
Cao Zhen is the assistant minister of the Western Pavilion, and Sima Yi is also the assistant minister of the Eastern Pavilion!
Your Majesty has always been conscious of balance in everything he does. Why is it that today, you don't want to let the officials outside the court know about it?
Besides, His Majesty is ill, and all the important generals present will listen to Cao Zhen. If Cao Zhen also...
Cao Zhen frowned: "What does Zhong Gong mean? Do you want to leak the emperor's illness again and let everyone in Chencang know about it?"
Guanqiu Jian bowed and said, "Don't blame me, General. I just felt that I shouldn't hide it from them. I didn't mean anything else."
Cao Zhen remained silent until the imperial physician Zhang Chun came in from outside the tent with the medicine prepared.
Cao Hong looked around for a few times, hesitated for a long time before saying: "After all, they are the official assistant minister and the former minister, both of whom are your majesty's confidants, so it's okay to let them know."
With Cao Hong's lead, Xu Chu nodded and said, "Let's include these two in the count. Don't count the others."
Liu Fang, who hadn't said a word, also spoke a few words at this time: "I second the motion."
On the contrary, Xiahou Xian remained silent. It was unknown whether he was afraid of the power of the people in front of him due to his low position, or he agreed in his heart, or he was really too timid to speak.
Cao Zhen had no choice but to relax a little: "You are right, if that's the case, then quickly send someone to call Sima Yi and Yang Fu!"
Liu Fang said: "Let me go!"
After saying that, Liu Fang stood up and left the tent without any hesitation.
Seeing Liu Fang leave, Guanqiu Jian also took the medicine and took a few sips of it while enduring the heat. Then, after half an incense stick of time, he finally woke up the emperor.
Cao Rui had a high fever and could only hear people talking in the tent, but he didn't have the strength to open his eyes or respond.
Now Cao Zhen helped the emperor up, Guanqiu Jian personally leaned close to his ear and whispered, then brought the cooled black bitter liquid to the emperor's mouth and fed it to him, and then he opened his eyes again.
After forcing himself to drink the medicine, Cao Rui forced himself to look at everyone in the tent.
"Your Majesty is awake!"
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"
"How do you feel, Your Majesty?"
Cao Rui did not answer, but endured the headache and fatigue, and read the names of the people in front of him in a low voice.
"Cao Zidan."
Cao Zhen bowed in front of the couch and said, "I am here!"
"Cao Zilian."
Cao Hong also came forward and said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, your servant Cao Hong is here. Your servant Cao Hong is here."
"Xin Zuozhi, Xu Zhongkang, Xiahou Kangren."
When Xin Pi, Xu Chu and Xiahou Xian were called by the emperor, they all responded in the same way as the previous two.
Finally, Cao Rui tried to look to the left, and a smile appeared on his face: "It's Zhong Gong, this medicine is really bitter."
Guanqiu Jian's eyes were filled with tears, and he was choking with sobs and unable to speak. He just sobbed in a low voice beside the emperor's bed.
This was a very complicated emotion, and Guanqiu Jian couldn't explain why he was crying.
Perhaps it was because His Majesty never fell ill, and he fell down so suddenly after the illness;
Perhaps out of loyalty to the emperor, it was difficult for him to accept anything that happened to His Majesty;
Or maybe they have long relied on Your Majesty and dare not imagine what will happen to their lives, families and careers after Your Majesty is gone.
In short, Guanqiu Jian cried so suddenly and so violently in front of the emperor on his sickbed with a sincere heart that everyone in the tent was shocked.
Everyone present here has served for three dynasties.
Having witnessed the death of Cao Cao, the death of Cao Pi, and the changes of dynasties, each and every one of these people had a thick layer of dark scab formed in their hearts due to their latent feelings towards the king and their lord.
Instead, Guanqiu Jian seemed a little out of place and out of place. Cao Rui looked at Guanqiu Jian with a little pity and said softly: "Don't cry, I'm still here. I'm hungry, make some porridge."
Guanqiu Jian wiped his tears, quickly poured the warm millet porridge from the pottery pot on the stove next to him into a bowl, and brought it in front of the emperor.
Cao Rui was extremely hungry. He swallowed in small sips at first, then forced himself to hold his breath, opened his mouth and drank.
Apart from this, Cao Rui did not say another word, and the other ministers did not make any noise to disturb him.
After drinking a bowl of warm millet porridge, Cao Rui looked at everyone again, then lay down and fell asleep.
While he was sleeping, Sima Yi and Yang Fu came in to pay their respects. Cao Rui seemed to have heard something, but he did not open his eyes and continued to sleep soundly.
In the evening, the fever subsided a little, but at midnight, it got worse again.
This went on for more than two days, until late at night on the fourth day when Cao Rui's fever finally subsided.
After the fever subsided, his body was still weak and he continued to lie in bed in the military camp outside Chencang City.
With the medical level and treatment methods of this era, it was considered lucky to survive a high fever for three or four days. Even so, Cao Rui lost almost all of his weight, and the edges and corners of his face became more distinct.
Only his eyes became brighter and brighter, as if they were refined by fire.
After a serious illness, Cao Rui needed to rest, but he still lay on his couch and ignored the affairs of state. Every day he just drowsily ate, lay down, and recovered his spirit and strength.
On the ninth day, Cao Rui finally had the energy to read some documents, and had the strength to meet with ministers and handle some state affairs.
For an emperor, sensitivity to power is like something that is ingrained in his bones.
The first thing Cao Rui did was to summon all the important officials who were accompanying him inside and outside the Chencang camp to the outside of the tent, without leaving any one behind.
Cao Zhen, Sima Yi, Xin Pi, Yang Fu, Xu Chu, Cao Hong, Qian Zhao, Zhu Gai, Xiahou Xian, Guanqiu Jian...
Then they were summoned one by one.
He first summoned Cao Zhen, asked him about what he had done during this period, and then nodded in affirmation.
Then came Sima Yi, Xin Pi and Yang Fu, one in and one out, without leaving any one behind.
When Guanqiu Jian was finally summoned, he first greeted the emperor, and then began to complain with a hint of grievance, one thing after another, and they all seemed to make sense.
Cao Zhen intended to isolate the inside and outside and focus on the power of the central army.
Xin Pi and Cao Zhen were almost in a clique and did not want other civil officials to know that the emperor was ill.
Cao Hong and Xu Chu were mediocre and inactive, Xiahou Xian had no opinion, Liu Fang was a man of the wind, Sima Yi was indifferent when he greeted the emperor when he was asleep, Yang Fu was so eager to perform that he even committed suicide in front of the tent to take away the disaster for the emperor...
Cao Rui had a serious look on his face, but after hearing what Guanqiu Jian said, he actually laughed out loud.
Guanqiu Jian was inexplicably surprised and stared at the emperor's smiling face, not knowing what was going on.
Cao Rui said softly: "I was ill for a while. I was so sick that I was unconscious for several days and could not manage my affairs. After lying down for so long, I figured out many things."
"Does Zhong Gong think that what they did was not right at all?"
Guanqiu Jian was stunned, thought for a few moments and then shook his head: "To be honest, it's not that everything is wrong, it's just, just..."
Cao Rui raised his eyes and looked at Guanqiu Jian: "Just what?"
Guanqiu Jian gritted his teeth and said, "I just think that they are in high positions and can do better!"
Cao Rui laughed and said, "How can there be such a thing as perfection? What I see is somewhat different from what Zhong Gong sees."
Guanqiu Jian bowed and said, "Forgive my dullness. I hope Your Majesty will give me some advice."
Cao Rui said calmly: "Well, I will analyze each one for you."
Guanqiu Jian nodded.
Cao Rui said, "The general told me the truth. It was my high fever and the words of the imperial physician that frightened him. He was already prepared to return to Luoyang and establish my youngest son as the throne if I don't live forever and stabilize the situation."
"The more he thinks about it, the greater the pressure on him. He can only do his best to stabilize the central army for me and control the generals in the central army so that they will not cause chaos."
"A few days ago, the general killed many soldiers who were clamoring to return. If this is not courage, then what is courage?"
Guanqiu Jian was surprised and asked, "How dare the general think like that? Isn't he being arbitrary?"
Cao Rui calmly shook his head and said, "It has been less than ten years since Emperor Wu passed away. During this ten years, Emperor Wu and the previous emperor passed away one after another, and I have fallen ill so seriously. How can I not allow people to make some preparations?"
"Besides," Cao Rui raised his eyes and looked at Guanqiu Jian, "The general is brave but lacks strategy. When faced with difficulties, he can face them head-on with his blood and energy, but he is still timid in his heart."
"He can only take care of the people he can control, and he instinctively excludes those he cannot control. It's not that he really wants to squeeze Sima Yi and Yang Fu."
"What about Minister Xin?" Guanqiu Jian asked again.
Cao Rui said calmly: "Minister Xin is stubborn and arbitrary. In other words, he is arbitrary and tyrannical. He does not trust others or his colleagues. This is similar to the general's outward behavior style. He only wants to control those he can control."
"What about the others?" Guanqiu Jian asked again.
Cao Rui said: "Perhaps each of them has a different way of dealing with it, but I believe in their loyalty to the Wei Dynasty."
"The general does not have such great authority that he can make the central army follow him. My generals and ministers are not so simple. I don't know how many escape routes they have left for each other."
Guanqiu Jian sighed, "Your Majesty, I really don't know what to say in response to what you said." (End of this chapter)
