Outside the study courtyard of the Chancellor's residence in Xuchang City.
"The Chancellor has ordered that no one is to enter."
Two Hu Ben armored guards blocked Cao Pi's path.
"My mother ordered me to bring porridge for Father! Since I woke up this morning, Father hasn't eaten."
The "Ama" Cao Pi referred to was not his biological mother, Lady Bian, but Cao Cao's principal wife, Lady Ding Hui.
In ancient times, even if a child was born to a concubine, the person they called "Ama" was still the formal wife. However, for the sake of familial harmony, the principal wife would often allow such children to be raised by a concubine.
Otherwise, it could lead to accusations of "jealousy."
For a principal wife to be jealous of a concubine was, at least during the Han Dynasty, a shameful matter!
"So it is Lady Ding's order. Second Master, please proceed."
The Hu Ben guards moved aside...
It was clear that Lady Ding held a high position in Cao Cao's heart. Cao Cao had also issued an order that anyone from Lady Ding's household could enter at any time without prior announcement.
Cao Pi nodded slightly, then carried the food into the courtyard of the study.
The servants who had been cleaning the courtyard outside had dispersed. This courtyard was bright, clean, and spotless...
"Tap, tap."
Cao Pi walked with extremely light steps, afraid of disturbing his father, but as he neared the study, he could already hear his father's and elder brother's voices.
"Yuan Shao favoring the young over the elder is a path to disaster. Yuan Shao also leaving military power to his eldest son is planting the seeds for future trouble in the north. Therefore, I believe that within three years, your father's armies will march across the northern territories, and after dominating Ji, Xu, Yan, and Yu, will also incorporate Qing, You, Ji, and Bing, becoming the overlord that rules the world!"
Cao Ang's answer to Cao Cao's question was a perfect one.
Of course, Lu Yu had lectured on this topic in the Imperial Academy, and Guo Jia had also discussed it... Cao Ang was naturally well-informed.
However...
Cao Cao's next words were rather stern and filled with deep meaning.
"Zi You, let me ask you again, what if Father, following Yuan Benchu's example, forbids you, the 'legitimate eldest son,' from vying for the position of heir? What would you do?"
Ah...
This...
Cao Ang subconsciously felt he had misheard, but Cao Cao's stern, cold eyes told him his father was serious, exceptionally serious.
This time... he was shocked, utterly shocked.
After all, Grand Director Lu had always told him that he was the only one who could inherit his father's ambitions. Cao Ang had always held himself to this standard, improving himself, doing his best not to fall short of his father's reputation and to repay Grand Director Lu's cultivation.
But...
But his father's words this time left him stunned for a moment. Was he mistaken? Could it be... that Grand Director Lu was mistaken?
"Your son... your son..."
Cao Ang paused, then with a "plop," he knelt down. "Whatever Father says, your son will do. If Father believes your son is not qualified, your son will never bear any resentment, nor will he engage in fratricide. Your son will... will assist Brother Chong well!"
Cao Ang had always been filial and had a good relationship with Cao Chong.
In his opinion, if his father's favored son was Cao Chong, he... he would definitely support him wholeheartedly, with no reservations.
Of course...
What Cao Ang did not know was that in Cao Cao's heart, Cao Ang was to assist Elder Brother Cao Yu, not the younger brother Cao Chong!
Cao Cao stepped forward and helped the kneeling Cao Ang up.
"From childhood, you have been too filial. This is a virtue, but it is also a flaw for one who would become a hegemon. They say a kind heart cannot command armies, sentimentality cannot establish affairs, goodness cannot hold office, and benevolence cannot govern!"
Speaking of this...
Cao Cao clenched his fist and struck Cao Ang's chest. "You are a talent who can rival Lord Xun in the future, but you are not a ruler who can expand territory! This world is an era of great contention. The heir that Father will eventually choose must inherit my ambitions and unify the world!"
"From a father's perspective, I do not wish for you to be embroiled in the dispute for the heirship. Your father hopes that you can gallop freely in your own domain! Gallop with resplendent brilliance!"
"Gulp..."
Cao Ang was speechless. He understood his father's words, and he understood his own nature even better...
A kind heart cannot command armies, sentimentality cannot establish affairs, goodness cannot govern – he understood all these!
"Father, please rest assured, your son... will absolutely not have any improper thoughts! Regarding what comes next, your son knows what to do!"
Cao Ang cupped his hands in salute...
In his view, since his father favored Brother Chong, his position as the "legitimate eldest son" was somewhat awkward. He wanted to show the Cao camp that he was not a "legitimate son." To do this... it was only necessary to...
"Father, your son intends to pay respects to my deceased mother tomorrow. May I know..." Cao Ang began.
"Deceased mother" was a sensitive term, extremely sensitive...
Normally, according to the consensus of the Cao and Xiahou clans,
Cao Ang's mother could only be one person, and that was his adoptive mother, Lady Ding.
Cao Ang's birth mother, Lady Liu, had been Lady Ding's maid. It was on the night of Cao Cao's wedding that he returned to the wrong bed after waking up during the night, and thus Cao Ang was born!
In ancient times, the rooms of personal maids were connected to those of the male and female masters, allowing the maids to serve at any time.
Of course, how unreliable Cao Cao was in his youth was common knowledge. A "chaos-stirring demon," a "reckless youth"... it wasn't strange for him to commit the act of getting into the wrong bed on his wedding night.
Of course... Cao Ang's birth was an accident.
However... because Lady Liu was Lady Ding's maid, Cao Ang had been raised by Lady Ding since childhood and even recognized her as his mother. Furthermore... after Lady Liu's death, Lady Ding treated Cao Ang as her own.
Over ten years had passed, and almost everyone had forgotten who Cao Ang's birth mother was! The subconscious impression was that he was Cao Cao's legitimate son... the absolute successor!
But... what Cao Ang proposed, this memorial to his deceased mother, was undoubtedly a reminder to everyone.
His birth mother was Lady Liu, the forgotten Lady Liu. Among the princes, there was no "legitimate son." The principle of establishing the legitimate if there is one, therefore, did not apply to the Cao camp!
Of course, there was also the principle of establishing the eldest if there is no legitimate. This was not something Cao Ang could control. Of course... Cao Cao was happy to see this principle of establishing the eldest if there is no legitimate.
Hoo...
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao let out a sigh.
Then, he said earnestly,
"Lady Liu was fortunate to have a son like you. It is enough for her to rest in peace in the netherworld."
"Tomorrow, you must not only properly pay respects to your birth mother but also do so with great fanfare, letting your mother know that the son she bore has brought her honor now."
At this moment...
Cao Cao recalled Lady Liu, the woman who had accidentally become his wife.
However...
There was a hidden secret in between. Lady Liu had met Cao Cao before she became Lady Ding's maid.
It was the year Cao Cao graduated from the Imperial Academy. The ancients said, "Travel ten thousand miles, read ten thousand scrolls." The ancients believed that men should travel outdoors before and after coming of age.
Firstly, to train their courage. Secondly, to cultivate independent living skills. Thirdly, to gain knowledge of customs and traditions in different regions.
Fourthly, to visit private schools and pay respects to distinguished scholars in various places, so as to engage in skill exchanges with different scholars and experts, enriching their personal life experiences.
Fifthly, to gain fame. By making a name for themselves in several private schools and the residences of officials, they would gradually become known. Sixthly, to make new acquaintances and build networks. Seventhly... and most importantly, to find "renowned agents." If, during their travels, they encountered well-known speakers or Confucian scholars who appreciated them and praised them, it would be easy to stand out among scholars.
That year, Cao Cao bid farewell to the eldest son of Lord Qiao Xuan and embarked on his grand tour.
Cao Cao's route was simple: first head to Henan, then west to Hangu, then travel through Hebei, and finally return east to Luoyang.
In Cao Cao's imagination, he would travel alone... west of Luoyang. After traveling two to three hundred li, he would reach Hangu Pass, which Confucius had once traveled through. This was a strategically important location for all dynasties, protecting the safety of the Central Plains and the imperial capital.
There was also Hongnong Commandery, from which generations of literati had emerged... the scenery was exceptionally beautiful and majestic, with dense primeval forests and ancient trees everywhere, offering a breathtaking view of the landscape and the magnificent scenery.
Then, heading north, on the return journey, he would pass by Shouyang Mountain, where the ancient hermits Boyi and Shuqi had once lived in seclusion and yielded the throne.
Along the way... spring had just arrived, and the scenery and spring colors were all around.
These were all Cao Cao's daydreams...
However...
After leaving Luoyang, Cao Cao discovered that things were completely different!
There were poor people everywhere, refugees everywhere. The poor stretched out their hands desperately to beg from him. Cao Cao took out his bag of fried noodles from his horse and handed them to the dozens of emaciated hands reaching out.
Although these poor people desperately wanted food, they dared not approach. They asked Cao Cao to place it on the ground. Cao Cao was puzzled... an old man said with great effort, "We carry the plague, good young man, hurry and leave!"
It turned out...
That year, the spring of 173 AD, a great plague had occurred around Luoyang, and the victims were mostly the poor who could not afford treatment.
The chain reaction was that the population trading market was depressed. Firstly, people feared contagion. Secondly, under the plague, even official families had to reduce unnecessary expenses and save money to support clan relatives and friends.
White bones lie exposed in the fields, and for a thousand li, no rooster crows...
When Cao Cao later recited this line of poetry, in his mind... he must have thought of that spring of 173 AD, and that special coming-of-age ceremony he experienced just before reaching his majority.
Plague!
Even though the situation was so critical, the common people still had conscience and harbored goodwill towards him, Cao Cao.
That was the first time Cao Cao looked back at Luoyang, at the tall city walls. He wondered what the rulers within Luoyang City were doing. Scheming, backstabbing, vying for benefits, turning a blind eye to the suffering of the common people.
The people had no food, no clothing, no shelter, yet they were content and happy. Where in this world could one find such good citizens!
They were being consumed by hunger and disease, yet they were powerless.
At that moment, Cao Cao's emotions surged. He looked back at Luoyang again. The Emperor was so close, yet he did not inquire about the hardships of the people. Lao Tzu said, "Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs. The sage is not benevolent; he treats all people as straw dogs." Lao Tzu also said, "Heaven and Earth regard the people as paramount, the state second, and the ruler as least important!"
Unfortunately...
The sages were no more, and these great principles had been cast aside by the scholars of today, as if they were discarded garbage and dross.
The grand tour journey continued.
Afterward, Cao Cao left Luoyang and headed for Mianchi. At this moment... the planned warm spring had not arrived.
Instead, the spring was chilly and biting. The willow trees stood bare and gray, as if their life had been stripped away by the severe cold.
Cao Cao went to visit the private school of Liang Heng, who had been expelled from the capital due to the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
Cao Cao remembered that when he bid farewell to Liang Heng, Liang Heng took his hand and spoke earnestly.
—"Meng De, at home you are praised a thousand times, but outside, every matter is difficult. It is very good that you have come on a grand tour to see the state of the world. I hope you will reflect the people's sentiments in your travel report upon your return, so that the Son of Heaven may awaken!"
Cao Cao nodded... his mood became even heavier.
He felt the burden on his shoulders increase.
Not long after leaving, he encountered common people selling their children in the streets, their cries of desperation filling the air. A girl of fourteen or fifteen was bent over a recently deceased elderly woman, crying sadly.
This woman, named "Chun," was surnamed Liu, and she was the later birth mother of Cao Ang, Lady Liu. With tear-filled eyes, she knelt before Cao Cao, begging him to buy her and bury her grandmother.
Seeing her pitiable state, Cao Cao carried her grandmother on his horse to the wilderness and buried her. As Cao Cao bid farewell, the frail girl knelt and pleaded desperately. If he did not take her with him, she could not survive and could only take her own life to reunite with her family sooner.
Cao Cao, seeing that she seemed educated and knew how to behave, could not bear it and took her along.
Of course...
This was in the literal "later" days!
When Cao Cao returned home, Cao Song was furious. The wedding date with the Ding family had already been set, yet Cao Cao, out of nowhere, had brought back a skinny, unappealing, and unwomanly "harbinger of misfortune" from his grand tour!
Cao Song was about to scold him.
Where could he not buy a maid? One hundred coins could buy three, with a choice of face and figure!
He had to travel such a long distance to pick up such an "ugly" woman. Cao Song felt Cao Cao was simply "colorblind"!
Fortunately, the elders of the Ding family were also present, and it was not appropriate to make Cao Cao look too bad. Therefore, they took the woman back to the Ding family and made her Lady Ding Hui's maid, which also served as a favor to Cao Cao.
This was also one of the reasons why Cao Cao always treated the Ding family with utmost courtesy and respect henceforth!
Cao Cao's mother was from the Ding family. Cao Cao's principal wife was also from the Ding family. Even the concubine he picked up was made possible by the Ding family's approval!
The subsequent story was the much-talked-about event: Cao Cao married the right wife but got into the wrong bed...
By chance, Cao Ang was born...
And by chance, Cao Shuo and Cao Mu were also born.
In short, it was all by chance... This also led to a frosty relationship between Cao Cao and Ding Hui.
The turning point came when Cao Ang was six years old.
Lady Liu died in childbirth, leaving behind her eldest son Cao Ang, eldest daughter Cao Mu, and the newborn infant Cao Shuo.
Cao Cao rushed back from a thousand miles away and saw Liu Chun lying quietly in the coffin.
Due to the height of summer, to prevent the corpse from decaying, a lot of lime and coarse salt were placed in the coffin. The coffin was temporarily placed in Tianning Temple outside the south gate of Luoyang, waiting for Cao Cao's return to handle the arrangements.
This time, Cao Cao did not cry. He merely looked at Cao Ang and sighed.
The fate of his eldest son, Cao Ang, was so similar to his own childhood. Cao Cao's mother also died in childbirth, but even the fetus in her womb died.
Recalling this...
Cao Cao could not help but reach out and gently stroke Cao Ang's cheek.
His eyes were subtly filling with tears.
"Father, you don't need to do this, your son..." Cao Ang started to speak, but Cao Cao gestured with his hand, signaling him not to speak.
Cao Cao's thoughts were still immersed in decades past. He remembered... when Lady Liu was alive, Lady Ding was her enemy. But after Lady Liu's death, all grievances and injustices vanished.
Lady Ding calmly told Cao Cao that when Liu Chun was in difficult labor, she insisted on preserving the child, saying that she wanted the child to repay the Cao family in her stead!
Recalling this, the nearly fifty-year-old Cao Cao could not help but embrace Cao Ang tightly, tears streaming down his face.
He had not managed to save his second son, Cao Shuo, either!
At that time, Cao Cao, heartbroken by his loss, became disheartened and lived in seclusion.
He told his father Cao Song that Lady Liu had never visited her hometown Qiao Pei since marrying into the Cao family. Cao Cao had told her how colorful life was in Qiao Pei, and Liu Chun had expressed a desire to see it.
Cao Cao had been an official away from home for years, trying to change the state of the world with his meager efforts, yet he had not been able to achieve his ambitions or ideals.
At that moment, all he wanted was to take Liu Chun back to Qiao County so she could rest in peace in the clan cemetery as a member of the Cao family.
However...
Cao Song did not agree. The Cao and Xiahou clans did not agree either. Letting a concubine enter the clan cemetery was not worth it, nor was it proper protocol!
At that time, Cao Cao was powerless to object...
But now.
"Slap..."
Cao Cao gently patted Cao Ang's back.
"Ang'er, I plan to move your birth mother's grave to our clan cemetery in Qiao Pei. You handle this matter!"
"From now on, your birth mother will also be able to receive the sacrifices from our clan!"
This was killing two birds with one stone!
Plop...
As Cao Cao spoke these words, Cao Ang instinctively shed a tear.
Over the years, many uncles had told him, instilling in him the idea that he should forget his birth mother, that this was for his own good and also honored Lady Liu's painstaking efforts.
But... how could the ever-filial Cao Ang bear to let the last trace of his birth mother in the world vanish?
His heart was in such torment!
He had never had any illusions about the position of heir; it was others who fantasized and planned for him...
He purely, simply wanted to fulfill his filial duty!
This was Cao Ang, the filial, kind Cao Ang!
Today... he had finally achieved it.
"Father, your son thanks Father... for Mother!"
Hoo...
Cao Cao let out a long sigh. "Go, go..."
He instructed Cao Ang, "Leave tomorrow. I will have Zi Xiao accompany you. Get this matter done before the weddings of Juan'er and Zi Yu. Father awaits your return!"
"Yes... Yes!"
Cao Ang promised and walked out of the courtyard.
Watching Cao Ang's retreating back, Cao Cao murmured softly, "Zi You, your disposition is very much like your mother's, equally filial and equally kind!"
Speaking of this...
Cao Cao paused, and immediately his eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the map on the desk. This time, he did not trace a specific spot with his finger, but rather... he traced over every spot.
"Zi You, Zi You, it is best that you understand Father!"
After saying this...
Cao Cao spoke no further, only reflecting in his heart.
"Unifying the world and conquering this land is easy, but changing the ills of the Great Han is extremely difficult! It may require two generations to achieve!"
"The heir has too many things to do, and it is too perilous... ten times more difficult than conquering the land!"
At this moment, Cao Cao thought of "abolishing the head tax" that Yu'er had mentioned;
Of "攤丁入畝" (Tāndīngrùmǔ - a tax reform);
Of reclaiming land from powerful clans for state ownership;
Of ensuring that those who till the land have land to till, and that every person in the world can have a meal and a piece of clothing!
All of this...
Was it not the very aspirations and dreams Cao Cao had during his grand tour in the past?
He could never forget that pitiful famine victim, never forget that sentence.
—"We carry the plague, good young man, hurry and leave!"
Hoo...
Cao Cao let out another long sigh.
He was not a person who was easily sentimental, but... at this moment, a resounding voice echoed in his mind.
—"Reform"!
—Fundamental and thorough reform!
This was difficult... it not only required courage and boldness but also immense wisdom.
More difficult than unifying the world. Only Yu'er could possibly achieve these things.
Only his eldest son, the future heir.
"Liu Chun, please watch! The era you wished to see will one day dawn, it will be realized!"
"Perhaps, it will be realized through the combined efforts of Yu'er and Ang'er!"
Vision!
Cao Cao's vision...
Suddenly opened up!
...
...
ps
Recommending a book, "Reincarnation of a Hundred Lives, I Reform the Dynasty."
Damn it.
It's written by Milk Candy, that unreliable fellow... His grandpa!
Look for the premiere on Qidian Chinese Network.