Qiao County Barracks, Chenliu Commandery, Yan Prefecture.
In the early morning, Cao Ren strode into the camp.
This was the legion that had followed Cao Cao the longest, directly led by Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan.
These soldiers... had followed Cao Cao since the campaign against Dong Zhuo. Most of them were from Cao Cao's hometown, Qiao County in Pei State, making them Cao Cao's most trusted troops!
This time, Cao Cao wanted to personally cultivate some young men with innate talent to enrich Cao Ying's future strategists.
Cao Ren did not dare to be careless and began his selection from this most trusted legion.
The deputy generals of the army had received the news early and formed their battle formations, awaiting Cao Ren's arrival.
"Your subordinate salutes General Cao."
"We are brothers, no need for formalities." Cao Ren waved his hand. "I am acting on my elder brother's orders to find trustworthy young men with keen intellect in the camp. I hope you will lend your full support!"
"Not at all..." The deputy generals appeared courteous. The two Xiahou generals had stressed that the cultivation of strategic talents was crucial for Cao Ying's future, and they must cooperate with General Cao Ren!
"General Cao, tea and water have been prepared in the main tent! Please, first..."
Tea had only recently become popular in the Han Dynasty, and only those of noble status could afford to taste it.
"I'd rather see the young men in the camp first!" Cao Ren waved his hand, smiling.
While governing Yan Prefecture, his elder brother Cao Cao was stretched too thin.
The craving for talented strategists was so desperate that Cao Ren dared not delay for a moment!
"Understood..." the deputy general replied. "As you instructed, I have summoned all literate youths from our Qiao Pei barracks to the training ground. General Cao, please come this way!"
"Thank you for your trouble!"
Guided by the deputy generals, Cao Ren inspected every literate youth from Qiao Pei.
Indeed, these fellow townsmen had somewhat disappointed him.
Come to think of it, this disappointment was understandable. After all, in times of chaos, those who could read and write were rare, and they were mostly scions of noble families. How could they be found among the lowest of the low in the army?
The Qiao Pei youths selected by the deputy generals could barely recognize a few characters and at most could write their own names!
This was far from the talented individuals with keen intellect and spirit that his elder brother Cao Cao wished to cultivate.
"Alas..."
He raised his head and surveyed everyone before him.
Most were thin and pale, while a few were middle-aged men in their forties with graying temples, who had attended private tuition for half a year and recognized a few dozen characters!
However... these were completely unsuitable as reserves for strategic talent, nor could they be Elder Brother Cao Cao's disciples.
Cao Ren shook his head helplessly, muttering to himself, "It seems my elder brother's wishful thinking will be in vain this time."
Wait!
Suddenly, Cao Ren's gaze fell upon a spot near the kitchens. At the entrance of the kitchen sat a young man of fourteen or fifteen years.
This was not the main point. The main point was his not-so-sturdy build, his average height, and his exceptionally refined appearance... he held a bamboo scroll in his hands, and beside him were stacked bamboo scrolls and books in quantities that could be described as "as tall as a person."
Could this be a case of "looking for something everywhere and finding it without effort"?
Like a long-awaited rain after a drought, Cao Ren's eyes locked onto him!
But...
Upon closer observation...
Cao Ren noticed that the young man read the bamboo scrolls with extreme speed, changing a scroll almost every quarter of an hour.
He muttered something to himself from time to time and occasionally paused for a moment of reflection.
It was important to remember that bamboo scrolls in the Han Dynasty were heavy and contained a great deal of information!
How could one finish reading, let alone comprehend, a scroll in less than a quarter of an hour?
Cao Ren, who had initially been excited at finding a suitable candidate, suddenly grew solemn again!
Was this not nonsensical?
With such rapid reading of bamboo scrolls and books, what could he possibly remember?
Or rather, was this young man truly reading, or was he just fooling around?
Among the countless sturdy armored soldiers in the Qiao Pei barracks, this refined and slender young man seemed... to have a low presence.
However... since Cao Ren noticed him, all his attention was almost entirely focused on him.
His handsome face was exceptionally striking;
Holding the bamboo scroll, his slender frame was particularly captivating...
Most importantly, he looked nothing like a soldier should!
Even a cook would not be so thin and frail!
If he went into battle, wouldn't he just be sending himself to his death?
"Gentlemen," Cao Ren's expression turned grim. "Is this young man also one of our soldiers? How can such a weakling charge into battle? Isn't he just courting death?"
"Was it your decision to enlist him? Or the decision of the two Xiahou generals?"
His tone was very low, and a cold glint was visible in his restrained eyes.
Cao's army recruited soldiers in Qiao Pei with exceptional strictness...
They selected soldiers with sturdy builds, capable of charging into battle. What use was it to select cannon fodder?
"General Cao..." the deputy general's brow furrowed, and he quickly explained, "This young man is not one of our armored soldiers, but the younger brother brought by Cai Yan, daughter of the Left General of the Guards, Cai Yong!"
"The brother and sister, having nowhere else to turn, came to seek refuge with Duke Cao. Duke Cao, having a past connection with Old Cai, took in this pair of siblings... to ensure their safety, they were temporarily settled in the Qiao Pei barracks!"
Hmm?
The daughter of the Left General of the Guards, Cai Yong? Cai Yan, Cai Zhaoji? And she has a younger brother?
Cao Ren raised an eyebrow. As Cao Cao's closest cousin, how could he not know of Cai Yong's relationship with his elder brother?
However, he had only heard that Cai Yong had two daughters, never that he had a son!
Who is this young man?
Cao Ren asked in return, "Is he truly Miss Cai Yan Cai Zhaoji's younger brother?"
"Absolutely true."
Upon hearing this, Cao Ren's eyes narrowed, and his expression turned solemn.
After all, the reputations of Cai Yong and Cai Zhaoji were significant, which made Cao Ren feel a degree of curiosity and anticipation towards the young man before him.
"Miss Cai Yan's brother, how interesting..."
Cao Ren repeated, then waved his hand. "I will go and take a look."
Saying this, he strode quickly towards the kitchens.
The other deputy generals hurried to follow...
Because Cao Ren deliberately lowered the sound of his footsteps, every deputy general also lightened their steps.
Even when they reached the young man's back, he remained completely unaware, still scanning the bamboo scrolls and books before him at a glance!
A quarter of an hour, a quarter of an hour...
Cao Ren quietly observed for a full quarter of an hour.
He was astonished to discover that the books the young man was reading were military treatises...
It was well known that military treatises were consistently profound and difficult to understand, requiring considerable experience to repeatedly ponder.
In the past, his elder brother Cao Cao spent three years in seclusion to complete his annotations of "The Art of War."
Yet this young man, reading at a glance, only paused for one or two breaths at key points in the military texts, as if in slight contemplation.
This utterly bewildered Cao Ren!
Such earnest perusal did not suggest an inability to comprehend.
"Young sir, what is your name? And what book are you reading?" Cao Ren could not help but ask.
This question finally pulled the young man, immersed in the sea of books, back to reality.
He looked up and saw a group of people, his eyes blinked, and then he closed the bamboo scroll.
"General, the scroll I am reading is 'The Art of War'!"
His words were resonant and neither humble nor arrogant, showing no trace of nervousness.
His demeanor exhibited a maturity that far exceeded his age.
Hiss...
The Art of War?
Cao Ren was taken aback. It was no exaggeration to say that he had read "The Art of War."
Of course, that was not the main point. The main point was... without Elder Brother Cao Cao's annotations, he, Cao Ren, would have been completely lost and unable to understand it!
Yet... the scroll the young man was reading was the original text, with its obscure and difficult characters, and not a single annotation.
The key was that he was reading with great relish, completely immersed in it... showing no sign of finding it like reading a heavenly script!
Good heavens, this was the work of Sun Wu, the great military strategist of the Spring and Autumn period, hailed as a classic of military thought. And a young man, without guidance or teaching, was savoring and reading it with such enjoyment?
If he could truly understand it, then he would indeed be an exceptionally intelligent talent!
"General, my name is Lu Yu, and I am fifteen this year!"
At this moment, the young man's voice rang out again.
...
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