There is endless darkness all around, with only a little light under your feet.

Cao Cao looked around confused, but he didn't know where the road was.

Cao Cao couldn't help but feel a little panic in his heart. Cao Cao started to walk forward. At first, he just walked in small steps. Then he didn't know why. Maybe he started running, or he was pushed by the shadows around him. Cao Cao started running non-stop.

And there was still darkness all around.

There is great fear in the darkness.

Is this a dream?

Cao Cao wanted to open his eyes and get rid of all this, but found that his hands and feet didn't obey him at all...

"The killing is coming!"

"Run quickly!"

"Madman! Butcher! Thief!"

"You will be quartered by five horses! You will die without a burial place!"

Noisy human voices sounded in a mixed and confusing manner. The figures around him were shaking, like waves, rushing towards Cao Cao one after another. He ran, some waves pushed him forward, and some waves stopped him.

There were even waves trying to annihilate him in the darkness...

don't look back

It seems that there is such a voice reminding Cao Cao.

Can't look behind...

Cao Cao warned himself like this in his heart.

However, amidst the chaos and noise, the voices behind him became louder and louder, and it even seemed like hot blood spattered out and sprayed on his back...

Cao Cao couldn't help it and began to slowly turn his head back.

Many heads suddenly flew out of the darkness, and the one at the front, with a face full of blood and misery, actually looked like the head of his son Cao Ang!

Cao Cao suddenly turned over and sat up, only to find that his hands had been pressed on his chest at some point. He was covered in cold sweat and was panting...

The light in the bedroom was still dim, and the scent of sandalwood still vaguely lingered in the incense burner next to the bed.

Sandalwood was supposed to calm the nerves, but unfortunately it still had no effect.

Cao Cao's consciousness was still immersed in a dream for a while, and the situation in the dream still made Cao Cao's heart beat so hard that he felt a little uncomfortable.

It was still dark, so Cao Cao took the big cloak hanging by the side and put it on his body. The soft sound made the maid serving outside wake up, and after asking for Cao Cao's instructions, someone came in to tidy up Cao Cao's bed, and some people went to make arrangements for him.

Hot water was given to Cao Cao to wash himself, and some people brought clothes and clothes to help Cao Cao wash himself.

Cao Cao has gradually returned to his usual composure.

In these years, he must be calm.

He must be decisive in all matters in the court, he must be dignified and dignified in all relations among the nobles, he must be decisive in arranging battlefields in the army, and even with ordinary people, he must be decisive.

He wanted to put on a friendly appearance, and he also had to show kindness to ordinary soldiers, but Cao Cao knew that all these appearances were not his true self.

And in those years, when he was young, in Taixue, when he was sailing on the Wei River, rippling in the wine and music, that was his true self, his open-minded and defenseless self.

Cao Cao rubbed his face with a hot towel, and the heat dissipated little by little. The remaining confusion and sadness in his eyes seemed to dissipate little by little with the heat...

"Madam..." Cao Cao said in a deep voice, "have you not gone out yet?"

The maid responded weakly and lowered her head, not daring to look at Cao Cao.

Although the war with Yuan Shao has come to an end for the time being, it does not mean that Cao Cao can sleep with his feet up. The breath of war still lingers in the sky, like the ice and snow on the top of the mountain that never melts. Although the four seasons

Changed, but still cold.

The battlefield is a life-and-death Shura field, and no one will have any compassion. Because those who have compassion have already died among the first batch...

When Cao Cao passed by the gate of the backyard, he paused for a moment, stared blankly at the closed gate for a moment, and then walked forward with his head raised.

At this moment, I still can't stop.

In other words, he can no longer stay...

"Just wait..." Cao Cao said in his heart, "Maybe... just wait... wait until we have been busy for a while..."

Outside the front hall, there were officials waiting with their heads bowed. After seeing Cao Cao's figure, they approached him in small steps and reported in a low voice: "Mr. Cao, the latest news from Jizhou..."

Cao Cao snatched it with his hand, looked at it, and walked away.

In the backyard, Mrs. Ding sat with her hair disheveled, facing the empty bed, and did not shed any tears, because her tears had already dried up while guarding Cao Ang's body.

Following Mrs. Ding's gaze, on the low table next to the bed was a tall vase, and inside the vase was a withered peach branch...

...Here is the curling dividing line...

Qingzhou.

The great victory that Yuan Tan was looking forward to, the victory that he longed for to join forces in Xu County, failed to appear. Not only that, but Yuan Tan only received the news after Yuan Shao had retreated...

These cold words made Yuan Tan's originally fiery heart gradually cool down.

Yuan Tan originally thought that as long as he worked hard and paid, everyone could see and recognize him, but now he suddenly realized that his efforts and contributions were worthless.

Yuan Tan has forgotten what it feels like to be surrounded by his father's knees, it seems... not at all?

At that time, my father was still in Luoyang, still in the Yuan family's mansion, and had not moved out. It seemed that he would leave early and come back late every day, and the time to see each other was very little. Even if he did meet, it would only be a few words.

, and after Yuan Xi is born, part of the time to talk to his father will be allocated to Yuan Xi...

Then there was Yuan Shang.

"How was your studies?"

"What's the improvement?"

It seems like there are two sentences repeated over and over forever, and then Yuan Tan speaks, Yuan Shao nods, and that's it.

that is it.

Yuan Tan once thought that things would get better when he grew up, that there would be some changes after arriving in Jizhou, and that after his father was busy for a while, he would have a chance...

However, Yuan Tan finally discovered that the eyes Yuan Shao was looking at were still cold and without the slightest warmth.

It's not even as good as looking at those so-called Jizhou celebrities or ordinary soldiers! At least at that time, Yuan Shao still had a smile on his face!

Even if it's a fake smile...

Just because we are family members, so we should bear this coldness, should always understand, shouldn't we not even deserve this fake smile?

Yuan Tan doesn't know.

As his father Yuan Shao grew older and his territory expanded, the struggle for power seemed like a dark tide, rolling under the shadows, spreading out with Jizhou as the center.

Ever since Yuan Tan had his younger brother, not only his father, but also other people have been saying that he should be like an older brother, be humble, tolerant, and polite...

Ever since, Yuan Tan gave up his position under his father's knees, gave up the time with his father, gave up a stable and comfortable life, and gave up the graceful and beautiful woman. He retreated step by step, step by step.

Let, now, I suddenly find that I have nowhere to go.

Yesterday afternoon, Yuan Tan met one of Tian Feng's guests. He told Yuan Tan that Tian Feng was dead and was killed on the order of Yuan Shao.

Tian Feng's guest, perhaps because of disappointment, perhaps because he had left Jizhou, or perhaps to fulfill Tian Feng's instructions, told Yuan Tan that Yuan Shao intended to pass power to Yuan Shang, and there was nothing wrong with him. If Yuan Tan

Tan doesn't want to accept such a result, so it's best to start preparing now...

"What are you preparing for?" Yuan Tan asked.

Tian Feng's guests smiled but did not answer.

Yuan Tan asked again: "Sir, would you like to stay here?"

Tian Feng's guest shook his head and finally drifted away.

Qingzhou is not a good place. Due to the climate in the Han Dynasty, typhoons hit here from time to time. Throughout the Han Dynasty, there were several records of encountering large waves. In addition, the hilly area occupies nearly half of the area, so it is naturally not as good as Qingzhou.

Jizhou is rich and prosperous, but if it were not for the production of salt, it would not be of much benefit.

But Jizhou is different. There are people, money, iron, copper, almost everything...

Are we really going to fight this time?

Yuan Tan couldn't help but feel a little panicked in his heart. Even the sword, which was usually very handy, now trembled slightly when he picked it up...

There are some blood stains on the sword. Yuan Tan has been carrying this sword with his soldiers over the years, annihilating bandits, rectifying bandits, pacifying local areas, and leading troops in battle. Because this sword is still the same one Yuan Tan used when he went to the battlefield.

When he was young, his father Yuan Shao personally gave it to him. On the handle of the knife, there was also Yuan's jade pendant as a decoration...

"Father...can you tell me what exactly you are thinking..."

Yuan Tan stared at the jade pendant.

He originally thought that when Yuan Shao handed him this sword, it represented a kind of authority, but now it seems that it is not, it is just a sword.

Just a knife...

...Here is the dividing line with a strand of stupid hair...

In the north of China, in the desert, the flames of war and beacon smoke also suddenly ignited.
To be continued...