"Big brother, your humble brother also heard that Cao Mu, that girl, has been running to Lu Yu's mansion every three days recently."
After all, she was his niece, and he couldn't bring himself to say anything too harsh.
Cao De did his best to phrase his words delicately.
"Ah… ah…" Cao Cao was slightly taken aback. What did he mean? He didn't quite understand…
"Why is Mu'er running to Lu Yu's place?" Cao Cao retorted.
"This…" Cao De steeled himself and finally spoke, "Sister-in-law asked Mu'er to apprentice herself to Cai Yan, saying she was going there to learn literature and etiquette. But in reality… everyone in Chenliu Commandery knows that sister-in-law intends for Mu'er to grow close to Lu Yu, fostering a childhood sweetheart, innocent affection. She wants Young Master Lu Yu to be big brother's son-in-law!"
What? Cao Cao felt like his ears were playing tricks on him?
He pinched his ear hard. It hurt…
At this moment, Cao Cao finally understood… Damn it, my son is going to be my son-in-law? What in the world is this?
Cao Cao, whose mood had been as clear as a cloudless sky moments ago, suddenly turned ashen. His entire face was etched with astonishment!
If anyone else had said this, he would never have believed them. He might have even had them dragged out and given fifty military strokes and whipped.
But this came from his own brother, Cao De, who had just returned from Chenliu Commandery. The truth of this matter… was undeniable!
"Ai ya."
Cao Cao flicked his hand heavily.
…Ding Hui, oh Ding Hui… this woman of yours… isn't this just making a chaotic match, forcing a marriage?
Cao Cao muttered to himself. My son marrying my daughter… I… I…
For a moment, Cao Cao didn't know what to call Lu Yu. Yu'er? Esteemed son-in-law… Esteemed son-in-law of your great-uncle!
Suddenly… he felt like unleashing a torrent of curses at Ding Hui.
But Madam Ding had always been overbearing, and Madam Ding's maternal aunt was Cao Cao's own mother. Moreover, when the Cao clan was implicated in the Song Empress case, the Ding family had spent a considerable amount of money to smooth things over. If he were to curse Ding Hui, Cao Cao felt it would be a disservice to his mother.
"Ai ya, foolish, utterly foolish!"
Without any regard for Cao De still being in the tent, Cao Cao shouted, "Guards! Guards…"
The armored guards by the door, hearing the call, thought it was an urgent matter and rushed over. They saw Cao Cao's face flushed as if engorged with blood, his ears reddening, his eyes wide as if facing a monster.
"Lord Cao?"
Two trusted armored guards bowed their hands…
Cao Cao's mind was racing. His reaction was incredibly swift. Almost instantly, he ran through all the people related to this matter, or rather, those who could resolve it, in his mind.
Hoo…
After a long exhale.
Cao Cao immediately gave orders, "You two, immediately send a message via urgent dispatch, eight hundred li, to Yanzhou. Go see Yuan Rang and deliver my words exactly as I say them… Tell him that his son, Xiahou Mao, is of marriageable age, and I, Cao Cao, intend to betroth Mu'er to 'Zi Lin'. In this way, the Cao clan and the Xiahou clan can be even more closely related! Have him prepare matchmakers and betrothal gifts. The wedding will be next month!"
Xiahou Mao, courtesy name Zi Lin, was the eldest son of Xiahou Dun. He was handsome and quite skilled in martial arts, and was a nephew Cao Cao particularly favored.
Clearly… given the current circumstances, it was unavoidable to push Xiahou Mao forward.
Among the Xiahou clansmen, only Xiahou Mao was close in age to Cao Mu. Even if it meant acting as a shield for "Yu'er," he had to be the one.
Speaking of which, Cao Cao, driven into a corner, could only make a grand chess move. To prevent Madam Ding from making such a foolish match, to prevent his son from becoming his son-in-law, he had to employ a diversionary tactic!
However… this sudden order left the two trusted guards a bit bewildered.
One of them bowed and said, "Lord Cao, the generals defending Yanzhou, Lu Gongcao, Xun Sima, General Cao Chun, General Cao Xiu, and Sima Cheng Yu, have all made outstanding contributions. It seems only General Xiahou has no merits. Instead, he lost the city of Puyang. At this time… if such a marriage announcement is made, might it… cause people to gossip?"
Cao Cao was a lord who could take advice.
Therefore, he told his trusted guards that if he did anything wrong, they could tell him privately, and he would not blame them.
It was for this reason that the guards felt this matter was debatable and spoke their minds.
Based on past experience, regardless of whether Cao Cao ultimately adopted their advice, he would ponder it and re-evaluate the pros and cons… However, this time was somewhat different.
"My mind is made up. You two depart immediately… Do not engage in idle speculation." Cao Cao raised his tone, his voice quite firm, not open to negotiation.
Although the guards still hesitated, seeing Cao Cao's uncharacteristic resolve, they turned to carry out this unbelievable task.
"Wait…" Cao Cao called out to stop them. He considered that if the guards had such doubts, others would have them even more so, and even Xiahou Dun might not dare to accept this "order."
Instantly, Cao Cao's tone softened considerably.
"If anyone else asks you about this matter, tell them that Cao Cao said Yuan Rang is my cousin. Having lost the city, he is already disheartened. This is the perfect opportunity to help him regain his spirit."
Cao Cao paused at this point, then continued,
"If Yuan Rang asks you, just say that victory and defeat are common in warfare, and there is no need to dwell on the Battle of Puyang. Have him focus on preparing for his son's wedding. In addition to this, convey my military order to allocate an additional three thousand troops to Yuan Rang, and promote him one rank."
Er… this…
Although Cao Cao added some seemingly "reasonable" explanations, the two guards became even more bewildered.
It seemed something was not quite right…
General Xiahou was on a path where the more he lost battles, the higher his official position became.
Despite not understanding the reason,
"Yes…" The two guards still responded and immediately went to carry out the task.
Cao De, on the side, swallowed a mouthful of saliva. These guards didn't understand big brother's good intentions, but he did. To marry off his eldest daughter, Cao Mu, was truly a painstaking effort.
Just then…
"Reporting to Lord Cao…" another guard arrived at the entrance of the tent and called out through the door, "Lord Cao, an urgent dispatch from Yanzhou, personally written by Jun Xun Ling…"
Upon hearing Xun Yu's letter, Cao Cao's spirits immediately lifted to their highest level.
His letter had arrived. This likely concerned the current difficult situation in Xuzhou. Xun Yu and Yu'er must have discussed something…
Cao Cao was about to order the generals and strategists to convene in the central tent for a council… but just as he was about to speak, he saw Cao De.
Ai ya, I was so flustered by the previous matter that I almost forgot that Brother De was still by my side.
How could Cao De not see his big brother's intentions…
He quietly said, "Big brother, you go attend to military matters. This matter here has been resolved. Your humble brother will return to Yanzhou's Taishan Commandery to report to Father. If Father knows that Yinlin is his grandson, and has repeatedly made great contributions here with big brother, who knows how pleased he will be!"
Having said this, Cao De prepared to leave first…
"Brother De." Cao Cao quickly called out to him. "Wait a moment, I'll send someone to escort you along the way…"
Actually, Cao Cao wanted to say something else. "Cough, cough…" he cleared his throat and walked to Cao De's side, lowering his voice, "It's fine to tell Father about Yu'er's identity, but… please, please do not tell Father about my wife's intention to betroth Mu'er to Yu'er!"
"Father's health is not good, and he cannot afford to get angry and fall ill over this again."
Although that was what he said, in reality, Cao Cao felt this matter was simply outrageous. Besides being outrageous, it was also a bit embarrassing. He couldn't possibly pass this embarrassment onto his own father!
"Your humble brother understands." Cao De bowed and took his leave, quickly heading towards the main camp gate with the escort of several guards.
Cough, cough…
Cao Cao cleared his throat, acting as if nothing had happened.
"Where are the messengers and the letter from Yanzhou?" Cao Cao asked…
"Both are in the central military tent, awaiting Lord Cao," the guards replied truthfully.
"Good…" Cao Cao nodded, then ordered, "Immediately go to the camps and summon Zixiao, Zilian, and Miaocai to the central military tent for deliberation. Also… invite Xi Zhicai and Xun Gongda, and tell them that Wenruo has finally sent a letter!"
"Yes…" The guards knew the matter was of great importance and did not dare to delay, quickly complying.
Cao Cao then let out a long sigh…
Adjusting his mood, it was now time to deal with matters of overall strategy.
After resolving the trivialities of romance and determining the method and means for Yu'er to become the crown prince, all that remained was to face the challenge of Xiapi city. Cao Cao had returned to his decisive and heroic demeanor.
And with Xun Yu's letter arriving, it was time to make the final decision on whether to fight or hold Xiapi city…
"Let's go…"
Cao Cao strode towards the central military tent. He wanted to see Xun Yu's letter first and see if there were any unique insights within!
…
The Cao Camp's main tent.
After inquiring from the messenger about the situation in Yanzhou, Cao Cao signaled the messenger to rest.
At this moment, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xiahou Yuan, Xi Zhicai, and Xun You had not yet arrived… Cao Cao had already impatiently opened the bamboo slips and quickly scanned the text.
And the more he scanned, the more…
"Hahaha…"
"Hahahahaha…"
…Cao Cao actually burst into laughter. The reason was that his eyes were completely captivated by the content of the letter… The letter contained strategies proposed by Lu Yu, summarized and recorded by Xun Yu.
But the words carried a hint of playfulness…
For example, the phrase "Xuzhou is chaotic, Liu Bei cannot control it," and the phrase, "Liu Bei cannot control it, but Lord Cao can!"
Combined with the entire article, it was interesting, interesting! Cao Cao felt it had a certain flavor.
With a smile, Cao Cao continued to read… and this was the core content of the letter.
After just a few lines, he instantly became serious. He raised the bamboo slip high.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and his bloodshot pupils glanced over the text, revealing eight deeply meaningful words – "Xuzhou Autonomy, Mutual Restraint!"
Hiss… Was this intended to answer how to govern Xuzhou?
Speaking of which, this was one of the two major challenges Cao Cao was currently facing…
Cao Cao remembered that he had not mentioned this in the letter he sent earlier. This problem had only recently been discovered. He hadn't expected Yu'er to have already come up with a solution!
As for this solution…
Xuzhou Autonomy? Autonomy?
Cao Cao fell into thought. The Han Dynasty promoted a system of parallel commanderies and states. Both prefectures and commanderies, as well as subordinate states, were subject to the imperial court, or rather, to certain feudal lords.
Autonomy, governing oneself? This term, this strategy, Cao Cao had never heard of it before; it was truly unheard of and unseen.
He continued to read…
Xuzhou governed by Xuzhou people, Xuzhou people restrain Xuzhou people!
Cao Cao's eyes suddenly opened, and his interest was piqued. He was a clever man, and the level of these two sentences alone was very high, articulating the problem and the solution very well.
The problem in Xuzhou lay in the entrenched local clans and the complex factions, in the distribution of power. If more power was given to his own people, the native people of Xuzhou would be dissatisfied, thus sowing seeds of future trouble!
But if more was given to the native Xuzhou people, then Xuzhou seemed… to slip out of Cao Cao's control.
However… this "Xuzhou Autonomy" proposed by Yu'er?
From a literal interpretation, it was not complicated. It meant Cao Cao returning all military and political power to the people of Xuzhou…
In this way, the problem of power distribution would be easily solved, but…
If all power was delegated, would Xuzhou still belong to Cao Cao? Wasn't this too bold?
With such doubts, Cao Cao continued to read…
As he read, two words caught his eye – "Restraint!"
Xun Yu summarized Lu Yu's insights very accurately – Xuzhou, three forces, mutually restraining each other, a three-way balance, complementing each other!
Hiss…
Cao Cao, being so intelligent, immediately sensed something from this.
"The Danyang Faction, the Scholar Faction, the Commoner Faction? Yu'er wants these three forces to mutually restrain each other, to form a three-way balance?"
This viewpoint was novel and made Cao Cao's eyes light up.
He wished he could read the entire letter at once, but… the bamboo slips were very long, and he couldn't see the end at a glance. Cao Cao patiently read, word by word.
The subsequent extensive content all summarized Xun Yu's views on "Xuzhou Autonomy" and "Mutual Restraint." The more Cao Cao read, the more enlightened he felt… and the more he applauded.
"Marvelous, marvelous!"
In this single reply letter, Lu Yu's ideas were certainly extremely novel, but Xun Yu's summarization and compilation demonstrated his writing skills even more. In his excitement, Cao Cao clenched his fists and slammed them heavily onto the desk with a "bang."
He understood, completely understood. Previously… when he, Xi Zhicai, and Xun You discussed the governance of Xuzhou, they always focused on the distribution of power in Xuzhou.
But none of these hit the mark.
And in Lu Yu's words and Xun Yu's summary, "autonomy" and "restraint," these four words and two points alone completely resolved the situation in Xuzhou.
Military power, political power…呵呵, he, Cao Cao, didn't need to fight for these "superficial" things at all.
As long as these three entrenched forces in Xuzhou could not swallow each other, and mutually restrained each other, then… he, Cao Cao, would be the uncrowned king of Xuzhou, the hidden master of the four commanderies of Xuzhou!
"Hahaha… That's right, that's it… Hahahaha!"
Cao Cao's demonic laughter once again echoed throughout the camp.
The Scholar Faction, the Commoner Faction, the Danyang Faction; these three forces were openly fighting, and their backers, or rather, the hidden hands behind them, were all him, Cao Cao. In this way… they would have to curry favor with Cao Cao, they would have to show their worth, and who would dare to stab him in the back?
It was like the saying, when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits, or when dogs bite each other, they get fur in their mouths!
"Hahahaha…"
Thinking of this, Cao Cao laughed again. He thought this method was superb. Xuzhou governed by Xuzhou people, Xuzhou people restraining Xuzhou people. This method was feasible, this method would work!
Perhaps because this demonic laughter was too loud and shook the tiles, echoing throughout the entire camp, when Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xiahou Yuan, Xi Zhicai, and Xun You arrived at the tent, they all looked at Cao Cao with extremely surprised expressions…
They couldn't understand what happy event it could be.
That could make Cao Cao, whose expression had been overcast for the past few days, suddenly have a face as clear as the sun breaking through the clouds, a sky as bright as day, and could even laugh with a demonic voice.
Instantly, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xiahou Yuan, Xi Zhicai, and Xun You all wanted to ask in unison—
—"Lord Cao, why do you laugh?"
……
……