Anti-War Game: Starting from Normandy Campaign-Chapter 727 - 352: [Cao Mao: Sima Zhao’s Ambition Is Known to All!]

When Cao Cao lifted his head, his expression was as usual.

After Lu Bu stepped inside, his attention was captivated by the Seven-Star Treasure Saber in Dong Zhuo's hand.

Cao Cao exchanged a few pleasantries and then excused himself from the two men.

Watching Cao Cao's hurried departure.

Lu Bu felt something was amiss, but engrossed in admiring the Seven-Star Treasure Saber, he didn't mind.

Meanwhile, Cao Cao had already left the Prime Minister's residence and was galloping on horseback towards the city outskirts.

As the perspective shifted upwards.

Viewers from Blue Star in the livestream watched Cao Cao galloping, rushing out of the city of Luoyang.

The Prime Minister's residence finally seemed to realize something was wrong.

As silhouettes began running out, soldiers from various parts of Luoyang soon received the news and rushed to encircle and pursue Cao Cao from all directions.

This scene.

Made the Blue Star viewers in the livestream hold their breath.

Because from a high-angle view, it was the soldiers inside the entire city of Luoyang who were hunting down Cao Cao. If he slowed down, his fate was inevitable if caught.

Luckily, in the end, he escaped without danger.

The Blue Star viewers in the livestream let out a sigh of relief.

But in the next second.

The scene changed.

Cao Cao was already shackled and pressed inside the county hall.

The Blue Star viewers in the livestream displayed bewildered expressions.

Damn.

Captured just like that?

He had just escaped from Luoyang a moment ago, what's going on?

How did the editing ignore the most critical part?

But one must admit.

This suddenly.

Actually piqued the curiosity of Blue Star viewers.

Wanting to know what happened after Cao Cao escaped, how did he get captured when the scene switched?

But if you want to watch the complete version, you have to finish this edited collection first.

As the Blue Star viewers were contemplating in the livestream.

The scene switched again.

Cao Cao escaped again?!

And beside him was another man, whom the Blue Star viewers recognized as the person from the previous scene when Cao Cao was on trial.

The scene transitioned to darkness.

The courtyard of Lu Boshe's residence.

The night was ink-black, harboring a sudden killing intent.

A misunderstanding, a complete annihilation.

Within a pool of blood, Cao Cao stood with a sword, coldly muttering:

"I'd rather betray the world than let the world betray me."

The scholar beside him remained silent for a long time, finally turning to leave, his silhouette disappearing into the vast night.

From then, the winds and clouds rose again.

Cao Cao returned to his homeland, called for unity to fight Dong, and subsequently gathered the remnants of the Yellow Turban Army, securing a force of 300,000 Qingzhou troops in Yanzhou, laying the groundwork for hegemony.

Until....

[Xuchang Palace]

Cao Cao, supported by his sword, strode confidently into the hall.

On the desk of the chief seat.

The Han Emperor saw Cao Cao enter, and the pen in his hand trembled above the edict, drops of ink falling.

Cao Cao ignored the Han Emperor's fear and instead walked directly forward.

A shadow cast over the imperial desk.

Looking at the unfinished edict, his voice cold:

"Your Majesty, is the edict to suppress the rebels still not finished?"

On the screen, the edict read:

"Order the governor of Yanzhou to quickly dispatch troops to suppress the rebellious Yuan...."

The scene changed.

[Battle of Guandu]

Cao Cao, wielding the Heaven-Swaying Sword, charges before the multitude, pointing directly at Yuan Shao's army banner, his voice thundering:

"I now act on the edict to quell you!!!"

Opposite, Yuan Shao sneered, also pointing his sword at Cao Cao's army:

"I act on the imperial edict to suppress traitors!!!"

The scene abruptly zoomed out.

Tens of thousands of troops clashed like two differently colored torrents colliding.

Boom——!!!

The next second.

The perspective rapidly zoomed out.

Various color-coded areas appeared, with the most prominent being those marked with Cao, Liu, and Sun.

The black territory marked with Cao continued pushing northward, constantly swallowing the territory marked with Yuan.

Different forces entangled, big fish eating small fish, and the various color-coded blocks on the map quickly diminished until a certain point, only three colored forces remained on the Huaxia Land.

Scenes flashed by rapidly.

The Blue Star viewers in the livestream saw under a bloodred setting sun, Cao Cao's iron cavalry breaking through the city of Ye, and the banner with Yuan's character collapsing with a thunderous roar.

They saw amid the roaring Yangtze River waves, thousands of warships turning into a fiery dragon, Cao Cao's eyes almost popping as he was pulled away to escape by his subordinates.

They saw among the army, Xiahou Yuan's golden helmet rolling to the ground, Liu Bei's army banners scattering Cao's banners, with Cao Cao losing the chance to unify the world in utter despair.

In the final scene.

Cao Cao was half-reclining on the bed, his claw-like hand knocking over a medicine bowl, with Sima Yi kneeling respectfully below.

Then a new scene lit up.

The new King of Wei, Cao Pi, wore a dark crown with hanging tassels, ascending step by step on the cracked jade stairs of the Han court.

On the sacrificial terrace, the bronze cauldron emitted rolling wolf smoke to the heavens.

The Han Emperor trembled, bowing down, and amid the ministers' praises, Cao Pi turned around, receiving their homage.

The scene turned.

The expedition to Wu!

The Wei state army divided into three routes to invade Wu, yet, like Cao Cao before, they were once again stopped by the natural barrier of the Yangtze River.

Even the dragon boat on which Cao Pi was aboard caught fire, and Cao Pi looked unwillingly towards the opposite bank.

Just like Cao Cao during the Battle of Red Cliffs years ago.

Viewing troops at Guangling....

Entrusting matters on his deathbed....

Compared to Cao Cao.

Cao Pi's experience was brief, being emperor only to pass away within six short years.

At the moment of his death.

Cao Pi half-reclined on the dragon bed, his pale fingers gripping Cao Rui's wrist tightly, looking towards the distant hall, where Sima Yi's bowed figure knelt on the ground, rasping hoarsely to Cao Rui:

"Guard against.... the Sima clan...."

Speaking thus, the hand holding Cao Rui trembled violently.

The scene paused on Cao Rui's somewhat gloomy face.

When it lit up again.

The Shu state with Zhuge Liang set out on the Northern Expedition once more.

Cao Rui personally led the army, commanding from the post, with his subordinates Sima Yi and Zhang He intercepting the Shu army from multiple angles.

...

...

...

Scenes flowed by.

But.

Soon, the background music turned grief-stricken once more.

The hearts of the Blue Star viewers in the livestream skipped a beat.

No way?

Just as this thought flashed through their minds.

The scene shifts and lights up.

What comes into view is Cao Rui, clad in plain white, severely ill, sitting on a couch, looking at Sima Yi prostrate before him, with murderous intention swirling in his eyes, unknown to the kneeling Sima Yi.

Yet perhaps he can feel it, so he dares not make a move.

In the livestream, the Blue Star viewers are the ones who can most directly see the murderous intent in Cao Rui's eyes.

Only silence prevails for a long time.

Cao Rui seems undecided, ultimately gives up, merely sighs, staring at Sima Yi, and rasps in a ghastly voice:

"You're so old… how can you live so long…"

The kneeling Sima Yi lowers his head further.

The Blue Star viewers in the livestream, seeing this familiar scene, can't help but cringe.

This is ridiculous.

Indeed.

He lives too long.

This guy outlived Cao Cao, outlived Cao Pi, and now he's about to outlive Cao Rui.

One person has endured through three generations.

The scene lights up once again.

It seems Cao Rui died too hastily.

In the new scene, a mere 7-year-old child, draped in an ill-fitting, oversized dragon robe, is assisted by Sima Yi with lowered head to ascend the dragon throne.

Sima Yi's shadow looms over the throne.

After Cao Fang's ascension.

The court of the Wei Kingdom became a battleground of two opposing sides.

The entrusted minister Cao Shuang and Sima Yi constantly clashed, but due to familial relations, Sima Yi was always at a disadvantage, and was even ousted from the court.

This Sima Yi, who worried the previous two emperors of Cao Wei.

Unexpectedly ends up in such a fate, something no one anticipated.

Yet....

The matter won't end so simply.

When the elderly Sima Yi, with his white hair, walking unsteadily, suddenly initiates a coup, slaughtering the Cao Shuang clan and seizing power.

The Blue Star viewers in the livestream all gasp.

This is absurd?

In such a feeble state, needing support to walk, yet launching a coup, it's too ruthless.

In the scene.

Looking at Sima Yi's old, shaky manner.

The Blue Star viewers in the livestream suspect he might collapse in the next second.

But....

This Sima Yi turns out to be more tenacious than they imagined.

Not only did he seize power after eradicating the Cao Shuang clan.

Sima Yi further capitalized on the rebellion of Wang Ling.

Executing the King of Chu Cao Biao, nearly purging the royal family forces of Cao Wei.

When there was no longer any resistance.

Sima Yi abruptly disappeared, and the person beside Cao Fang in the scene turned into Sima Shi.

However, Sima Shi wouldn't act like Sima Yi.

In the scene, Sima Shi treated Cao Fang solely as a puppet.

Before long.

Sima Shi in the scene changed into Sima Zhao.

And Sima Zhao's actions became even more arrogant and domineering, even that countenance made viewers in the livestream feel somewhat familiar.

In the scene.

Sima Zhao walks into the palace with his sword, unabashedly, heading straight to sit beside Cao Mao on the dragon throne.

This scene.

The Blue Star viewers in the livestream feel a bit disoriented.

It seems to echo the days of Cao Cao.

The same entry with a sword, the same audacity, the same coercion upon the emperor to write something.

As though a cycle.

Cao Mao's timidity also vaguely mirrors that of the Han Emperor Xian.

However, unlike the Han Emperor Xian.

Cao Mao, though young, wasn't as easy to control as Cao Fang.

At only 14, he sought to seize power upon Sima Shi's illness, but the court of Cao Wei had been hollowed out by the Sima family for years, with most being their partisans, causing Cao Mao's plans to fail.

At 15, he began cultivating his confidants, plotting against Sima Zhao.

But Sima Zhao also kept a close watch on him, making Cao Mao unable to succeed.

Until at 19, Cao Mao, finally unable to endure, summoned his cultivated confidants to decide to assassinate Sima Zhao.

In the scene.

Cao Mao, clad in a dragon robe, is furious:

"I am the Emperor of Wei."

"He dares to order me around as if commanding a servant."

"How can I bear such humiliation?!"

"I have made my decision, you all support me, let's go and punish the traitor!"

Speaking.

Cao Mao grabbed the armor held by a palace maid, upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the one worn by Great Ancestor Cao Cao during his conquests.

At this moment.

Several ministers below all prostrated on the ground:

"Your Majesty! It is inadvisable!"

"Now is not the time…."

However.

No matter how the ministers tried to dissuade, Cao Mao was already determined.

The scene shifts.

Cao Mao, wearing Great Ancestor Cao Cao's armor, stands single-handedly with a sword in a war chariot, behind him, nearly a hundred guards' spear tips tremble in the morning mist.

The next moment.

The whip suddenly cracks in the palace.

The booming war chariot startled the guarding guards, among them were many faced with trepidation, Sima Zhao's confidants, wanting to approach and block, but intimidated by the chariot's might.

They all hastily opened a path.

Actually allowing Cao Mao to drive the chariot, wielding his long sword, out of the palace, onto the streets.

This scene.

Drew astonished murmurs from the citizens on the streets.

Yet Cao Mao didn't hesitate, driving the chariot leading the guards, charging towards Sima Zhao's residence.

Suddenly.

A general on horseback emerges at the end of the long street, wielding a spear, charging directly at Cao Mao.

Cao Mao turns out fearless, driving the chariot forward.

But amidst the momentary crossing of figures, Cao Mao's chest is pierced by the spear, excruciating pain instantly sweeps through, Cao Mao bites his teeth tightly, blood flows from his mouth:

"Dog thief, how dare you murder the sovereign!"

Gazing down at his chest, Cao Mao knew he would not survive.

While a sufficient number of citizens had already surrounded, Cao Mao grasped the spear piercing his chest, swung his sword with effort but missed as the general dodged.

Cao Mao spat blood, hoarsely his voice rang out:

"The ambitions of Sima Zhao…. are known to all….. hahahahaha!!!"

"Si…. ma…. Zhao…. I…."

Thud.

Cao Mao's body fell to the ground.

Silent again.

The Blue Star viewers in the livestream were silent.

Their minds somewhat blank.

Originally thought to be another Han Emperor Xian.

Yet.

Cao Mao, in the most gallant way, gave Sima Zhao a ruthless blow.

How deep must the hatred be…..

To pay the price of his own life to arrange this situation.