Mang Qiu Jian's question left the other several people gathered in the tent unable to respond.
Xu Chu had just returned from outside the tent and had only heard the last sentence. He sat silently on the seat without uttering a word.
Cao Zhen pondered for a long time and sighed: "Zhongkong has a brilliant heart!"
"Ladies and gentlemen," Cao Zhen turned to look at the people in the tent, "Although I am the military governor of Guanxi, I am still the Grand General of the Great Wei and a senior minister assisting in governance. I intend to have the entire army stay put and return to Luoyang only after His Majesty recovers. Do any of you have any objections?"
"Moreover, the condition of the King must be kept strictly confidential! No one is allowed to leak it to others except for those present today."
Standing up with his hands crossed, Cao Zhen looked at the crowd with a disdainful expression: "I am the General of the Army. It is my responsibility to handle this matter!"
Although the emperor is unable to handle state affairs while he is ill, Cao Zhen has taken on a new post and has no command authority over the central army. To say such things is to exceed his authority and interfere with central army matters!
However, no one in the tent spoke. After hearing Cao Zhen's words, everyone looked at each other and nodded in agreement, tacitly accepting Cao Zhen's decision.
In the brief moment of power losing control, it can only gather again from where it once existed.
Mang Qiu Jian coughed lightly and asked, "General, though my position is low and my words have little weight, I also know the importance of stabilizing the morale of the army. With the emperor ill, how should we explain to other ministers?"
Xin Bi looked at Mang Qiu Jian and asked in a hurry: "What do you want to explain? To whom do you want to explain? With us seven here, is it not enough?"
Mang Qiu Jian was flustered by Xin Bi's retort: "Mr. Xin, I don't mean that. aren't the Marquis and Yang Governor still in the army?"
"Moreover, I heard that today is supposed to be about reviewing strategies? Why not let them know?"
Mang Qiu Jian's statement was indeed reasonable.
Cao Zhen is a Minister of the Western Ancestral Temple, and Sima Yi is also a Minister of the Eastern Ancestral Temple!
The emperor has always been careful in his decisions, and why should he not inform the officials of the outer court today?
Moreover, the emperor is ill. All the important generals present listen to Cao Zhen. If Cao Zhen also……
Cao Zhen frowning: "What does Zhongkong mean? Does he want to leak the emperor's illness again, causing everyone in Chen Cang to know?"
Mang Qiu Jian bowed one hand in salute: "General, I apologize if my words seemed rude. I just felt that it would not be appropriate to withhold the truth from them, that's all."
Cao Zhen remained silent. It was not until the imperial doctor Zhang Chun had prepared the medicine outside and entered the tent from the outer room, that he broke the silence.
Cao Hong glanced around several times, hesitated for a long time, and then said, "After all, they are genuine ministers and the former Prime Minister, both are the emperor's close confidants. There's no harm in letting them know."
With Cao Hong as the initiator, Xu Chu also nodded and said, "Include them two. And let's not include the others."
Liushan, who had said nothing, now spoke up with a few words: "I concur."
Xiahou Xian, who had not spoken a word, remained silent throughout. It was unclear whether it was because of his low rank and fear of the power of the people in front of him, or if he inwardly agreed, or if he was truly too timid to speak.
Cao Zhen, who was helpless, had to relax his tone: "You are right. In that case, quickly send someone to summon Sima Yi and Yang Fu!"
Liushan said, "I'll go!"
After saying that, Liu Fang stood up directly and left for the tent entrance without hesitation.
Seeing Liu Fang leave, Mang Qiu Jian also turned aside to accept the tea soup, swallowed a few sips while enduring its heat. After about half an incense stick of time, he finally woke up the emperor.
Under a high fever, Emperor Cao Rui could only hear the continuous chatter of people in the tent, but he had no strength to open his eyes or respond.
At this moment, Cao Zhen was helping the emperor sit up, Mang Qiu Jian personally leaned over to call the emperor's name and fed him a bit of cooled black bitter liquid, only then did the emperor open his eyes.
After forcing himself to drink the medicine, Emperor Cao Rui barely gathered his strength and looked at the people in the tent.
"The emperor has awakened!"
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"
"How do you feel, Your Majesty?"
Emperor Cao Wei did not reply, but instead, he endured the headache and fatigue, whispering the names of the few people in front of him.
"Cao Zidan."
Cao Zhen bowed at the foot of the bed: "I'm here!"
"Cao Zilian."
Cao Hong also came forward, speaking in a slightly trembling voice: "Your Majesty, I'm Cao Hong. I'm here."
"Xin Zushu, Xu Zhongkang, Xiahou Kangren."
Xin Bi, Xu Chu, and Xiahou Xian responded to the emperor's call, just as the two before them had.
Finally, Emperor Cao Wei tried to turn his face to the left and smiled faintly: "It's Zhongkong, the medicine is really bitter."
Mang Qiu Jian's eyes were already brimming with tears, he was choking and couldn't say a word, whispering continuously at the emperor's bedside.
This is a very complex emotional state, and Mang Qiu Jian himself couldn't say why he was crying.
Perhaps it's because the emperor never gets sick and suddenly falls ill after a minor illness;
Or it may be due to his loyalty to the emperor, unable to accept any mishap that might happen to him;
Or maybe it's because he had long relied on the emperor, and dared not imagine how his own life, family, and career would be without the emperor.
In short, Mang Qiu Jian cried so suddenly and forcefully in front of the emperor on the bed, causing everyone in the tent to be shocked.
All the people present were three-generation old ministers.
Having witnessed the deaths of Cao Cao, Cao Pi, and the change of dynasties, these people, one by one, had long since formed a thick layer of dark scab on their hearts regarding their emotions towards the ruler and their master.
On the contrary, Mang Qiu Jian seemed somewhat out of place and not in line with the situation.
Emperor Cao Wei looked at Mang Qiu Jian with a hint of compassion and softly said, "Don't cry, I'm still here. I'm hungry, bring some congee."
Mang Qiu Jian wiped away his tears, quickly poured the warm millet porridge from the pot next to him into a bowl and brought it to the emperor's front.
Emperor Cao Wei was so hungry that he first took small bites, and then, biting his teeth, opened his mouth to drink.
In addition, Emperor Cao Wei said not a word more, and the other ministers made no sound to disturb him.
After drinking the warm millet porridge, Emperor Cao Wei looked at the others again, then lay down to sleep.
After falling asleep, Sima Yi and Yang Fu entered again to pay their respects. Emperor Cao Wei seemed to have heard something, but didn't open his eyes. He continued to sleep deeply.
By evening, the high fever had slightly subsided. By midnight at the beginning of the second watch, the fever intensified again.
This continued for more than two days, until the fourth night in deep sleep, Emperor Cao Wei finally completely recovered from the fever.
After the fever subsided, his body was still weak, and he remained in bed, immobile, in the camp outside the city of Chen Cang.
In this era with its medical technology and diagnosis methods, surviving a high fever of three or four days was considered fortunate. Even so, Emperor Cao Wei was almost thinned out, and his face's contours became even more distinct.
The only thing different was his eyes, which shone brighter and brighter, as if forged by fire.
After a serious illness, one needs to rest. Emperor Cao Wei still lay on the bed and ignored state affairs, spending each day in a daze, eating, lying down, and recovering his spirit and strength.
On the ninth day, Emperor Cao Wei finally had the energy to read some documents and had the strength to meet with officials and handle state affairs.
For an emperor, sensitivity to power is as embedded in the marrow as it is for them.
The first thing Emperor Cao Wei did was to summon all the senior officials both inside and outside the camp of Chen Cang, leaving none behind.
Cao Zhen, Sima Yi, Xin Bi, Yang Fu, Xu Chu, Cao Hong, Qian Zhao, Zhu Ge, Xiahou Xian, Mang Qiu Jian……
Following that, one by one they were called in.
Firstly, he summoned Cao Zhen, clarified what he had been doing during this time, and nodded to affirm.
Then it was Sima Yi, Xin Bi, and Yang Fu, one by one, coming in and out, without any being left behind.
When he finally summoned Mang Qiu Jian, Mang Qiu Jian firstly greeted the emperor and then began to complain slightly in a resentful manner. He listed one after another, which sounded quite reasonable.
Cao Zhen intended to isolate the inside and outside, taking full authority over the central army.
Xin Bi was almost a faction with Cao Zhen, and didn't want other officials to know that the emperor was ill.
Cao Hong and Xu Chu's sloth and inactivity, Xiahou Xian's lack of initiative, Liu Fang's flipping sides, Sima Yi's indifferent demeanor when the emperor was asleep, his performance-obsessed desire, and even his self-mutilation in front of the tent to take away disasters for the emperor……
Emperor Cao Wei was initially very serious, but after listening to Mang Qiu Jian's words, he actually laughed out loud.
Mang Qiu Jian was perplexed, staring at the emperor's smiling face, not understanding why.
Emperor Cao Wei spoke softly: "I was ill for a while, sick to the point of being unconscious for several days and unable to handle state affairs. Lying here for so long, I've also come to understand many things."
"Zhonggong, are you thinking that they have done everything wrong?"
Mang Qiu Jian was stunned, thinking for a few moments before shaking his head: "I must speak the truth, it's not that they have done everything wrong, but……”
Emperor Cao Wei raised his eyes to look at Mang Qiu Jian: "What?"
Mang Qiu Jian bit his teeth: "I just feel that, being in high positions, they could do better!"
Emperor Cao Wei smiled and said, "There is no such thing as perfect. What I see is different from what Zhonggong sees."
Mang Qiu Jian bowed and said, "Forgive my stupidity, please show me your will, Your Majesty."
Emperor Cao Wei said in a calm tone, "Very well, I will analyze them one by one for you."
Mang Qiu Jian nodded.
Emperor Cao Wei said, "General Cao Zhen has confessed his bottom line, it was the high fever and the words of the physician that frightened him. He has already prepared himself for the possibility that if the emperor's life is in danger, he will stabilize the situation and establish his son as the new emperor in Luoyang."
"The more he thinks like this, the greater the pressure he feels, so he has to concentrate all his efforts on stabilizing the central army and controlling the officers there so that they do not cause chaos."
"A few days ago, General Cao was still cutting many noisy soldiers who had returned to the army. Is that not being brave in taking on responsibilities?"
Mang Qiu Jian was surprised and blurted out, "How dare General Cao think like that? Isn't this too arrogant?"
Emperor Cao Wei calmly shook his head and said, "From the time Emperor Wu passed away to now, it's not even ten years. Over these ten years, Emperor Wu and the former emperor have successively passed on, and you haven't allowed people to make preparations yet after I got such a serious illness?"
"Moreover," Emperor Cao Wei looked at Mang Qiu Jian and said, "General Cao is brave but lacks strategy. He faces problems with his blood and courage, but deep down, he is still afraid."
"He can only take care of those he can control. As for the others he can't handle, he instinctively pushes them aside. It's not that he truly resents Sima Yi and Yang Fu."
"And what about Minister Xin?" asked Mang Qiu Jian again.
Emperor Cao Wei said lightly: "Minister Xin is rigid and single-minded, in other words, he is autocratic. He doesn't trust others or his colleagues, but his behavior is similar to General Cao's, he just wants to control those he can control."
"And what about the others?" asked Mang Qiu Jian again.
Emperor Cao Wei said, "Perhaps each of them requires a different approach, but their loyalty to the Great Wei, I have faith in."
"General Cao doesn't have such great authority to make the central army follow him. My generals and officials are not that simple, they all have their own backup plans."
Mang Qiu Jian sighed: "Your Majesty said this, the subject really doesn't know what to say."(End of Chapter)
