After Cao Cao defeated Lu Bu, he had a deep heart of pity for Lu Bu's think tank Chen Gong. However, Chen Gong's heart was like water, and he only wanted to die. With a heavy heart, Cao Cao sincerely asked: "If you leave, who will you entrust the future of your flower-like wife?" After hearing this, Chen Gong only responded lightly, which made Cao Cao helplessly tearful and hazy, and sent him to the execution ground full of affection.
In 191 AD, Dong Zhuo's power was like the sky, rampant in the government and the opposition, and the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty could only wash their faces with tears, but they were helpless. In the midst of this wailing, Cao Cao laughed loudly, causing everyone to look angrily. Someone asked Cao Cao: As a minister of the Han Dynasty, when you saw Dong Zhuo in trouble and chaos in the court, not only did you not think about serving the country, but laughed? Cao Cao replied: You cry from night to dawn, and then from dawn to night, can you cry to death Dong Zhuo?
Cao Cao said, with determination in his eyes, and looked back at his former colleagues, and a wave of generosity swelled in his heart. He held the Qibao Sword in his hand and strode forward, going to assassinate Dong Zhuo. Everyone looked at his back, full of anticipation, hoping that he would triumph as soon as possible.
However, Cao Cao's assassination attempt ended in failure, just like Jing Ke. However, unlike Jing Ke, when Cao Cao was discovered by Dong Zhuo, he wittily knelt on the ground, held the Qibao Sword high in both hands, and said loudly: "I dedicate this sharp sword to Xiangguo." "His words were appropriate, showing his wit and courage.
After escaping his predicament, Cao Cao managed to escape from Dong Zhuo's clutches. However, Dong Zhuo always felt that something was wrong, so he recalled Cao Cao for questioning. Cao Cao, this scheming fellow, has long since disappeared without a trace. Dong Zhuo immediately ordered the painting of Cao Cao's portrait, which was wanted throughout the country. Although Cao Cao's assassination of Dong Zhuo was unsuccessful, in the hearts of the people, he became a hero with courage and insight.
On the long way to escape, Cao Cao was unfortunately arrested and fell into the hands of the Zhongmu County Commander. If this county commander sent Cao Cao to Dong Zhuo, he would definitely get a rich reward and a chance to be promoted. However, he did not choose to do so.
Because he has justice in his heart, he knows that Cao Cao is the teacher of justice, and Dong Zhuo is the source of evil. Therefore, he did not hand over Cao Cao to Dong Zhuo, and even did not hesitate to give up his position as a county commander. As night fell, he let Cao Cao go without hesitation and decided to flee with him. In his eyes, Cao Cao is a hero who fights for the common people in the world, and he has the same ambition. This county order is Chen Gong.
Cao Cao and Chen Gong traveled to Chenggao, where they were fortunate to be sheltered by Cao Cao's father's sworn brother Lu Bohao, and were able to enjoy a sumptuous meal and a moment of rest. Lu Boxuan stared at his beloved nephew Cao Cao, and said with joy: "There is still a pot of fine wine at home, wait for me to buy it, let us drink it together." ”
When Cao Cao and Chen Gong were resting for a while, the sound of sharpening knives came into their ears. Cao Cao immediately became alert and quietly approached the source of the sound. In a long part of the conversation, he only caught one sentence: "Tie it up first, then kill it!" which shocked him.
Cao Cao immediately deduced that this was Lu Bohao's family planning to tie him up first and then kill him. And Lu Boyao also left because of buying wine, obviously to report the news. So, Cao Cao did not hesitate to join forces with Chen Gong and brutally murdered eight members of Lu Bohao's family.
However, after killing people, while looking for food in the kitchen, they accidentally found a pig that had been tied up. It turned out that the sound of sharpening knives was not for them, but for the pig preparing for the sacrifice. All this misunderstanding made Cao Cao and Chen Gong stunned.
It turned out that the phrase "tie up first, then kill" actually referred to this pig, not Cao Cao. After Chen Gong suddenly realized, he cried bitterly: "We actually killed innocent people by mistake. However, the regret at the moment was to no avail, and the two hurriedly mounted their horses and fled the scene.
didn't go far before they met Lu Boyu, who had returned from buying wine. Seeing that they were about to escape, Lu Boyao hurriedly greeted him enthusiastically: "I bought the best wine, let's go and drink it!" Unexpectedly, Cao Cao took advantage of Lu Bohao's defenselessness and stabbed him to death with a sword. Chen Gong was stunned and asked Cao Cao: "We killed those eight people by mistake before, but why did you kill Lu Bohao?"
At this moment, Cao Cao's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he said the motto he believed in all his life: "Rather teach me to bear the world, stop teaching the world to bear me!"
After Chen Gong heard this, he sighed, and his heart was like a blind man's eyes suddenly opened, and he couldn't regret it. once mistakenly thought that Cao Cao was a great hero, but he knew that he was the devil who slaughtered countless people. When night fell, the two stayed at the inn, and Chen Gong wanted to assassinate Cao Cao, but he remembered that he had followed the court so far, and it was not benevolent to assassinate him. So, Chen Gong brushed his sleeves away and went elsewhere.
After Cao Cao, he summoned the princes of the Eighteen Roads to conquer Dong Zhuo, and he was righteous and strict, but Chen Gong knew it well: Cao Cao, you are all hypocrisy! After Chen Gong left Cao, he took refuge in the then fierce general Lu Bu.
In the midst of the war in 199 AD, Cao Cao gathered a large army with the intention of exterminating Lü Bu, who was stationed in Xiapi. At this time, Chen Gong, as Lu Bu's think tank, proposed two sets of tactics. One of them is: Lü Bu led an elite army and stationed outside the city of Xiapi, and if Cao Cao attacked Xiapi, he would attack Cao's army from behind.
If Cao Cao turned to attack Lü Bu outside the city, the defenders of Xiapi would inflict a heavy blow on him from behind. In this way, a flanking attack was formed, and Cao Cao came from afar, the supply of grain and grass was tight, and after a long time, the army would definitely retreat after running out of food. The second is: Lu Bu led the army to directly cut off Cao Cao's grain route, and as soon as the grain and grass were cut off, Cao's army would inevitably retreat quickly.
However, Lü Bu's wife was worried that once Xiapi was lost, the husband and wife would never be reunited, so she strongly opposed Lü Bu's departure from the city. Lu Bu listened to his wife's advice and chose to stay closed in Xiapi City. As a result, Cao Cao successfully captured Lü Bu.
If Lu Bu can take Chen Gong's suggestion and lead an elite army out of the city, then even if Xiapi City is lost, he will have a chance to escape, and he will not fall into a lonely city and be captured. When Cao Cao defeated Lü Bu and saw Chen Gong become his captive, thinking of his old friendship, he did not want to kill Chen Gong easily, but hoped that he would be able to serve him again.
However, Chen Gong knew Cao Cao's personality and resolutely begged for death. In the face of Cao Cao's retention, Chen Gong responded calmly: I heard that those who rule the world with filial piety do not harm people's relatives. The life and death of my mother and wife are in your hands. Cao Cao was moved by these words, and with tears in his eyes, he ordered Chen Gong's mother and wife to be sent to Xu Capital to be raised, and if anyone neglected, he would be beheaded immediately.
In the end, Cao Cao reluctantly sent Chen Gong to the execution ground. He told Chen Gong that as long as Chen Gong stopped asking for death, he would definitely not kill him. It's a pity that Chen Gong would rather die than serve Cao Cao.