The wooden floor creaked with every step as everyone anxiously gathered around Cao Cao.
Mysteriously…
Hearing Cao Cao's weak tone, a sense of finality, as if discussing his last wishes, filled everyone's minds.
Xun Yu, walking at the rear, deliberately pulled Xun You closer.
He asked in an extremely low and faint voice.
"Gongda, you once mentioned that Commander Cao had a son in his early years, didn't you?"
This voice was as thin as a whisper, audible only to Xun You.
This…
Xun You paused, then immediately replied, "When I was drinking with Miaocai, Miaocai was drunk and mentioned it… That was twenty years ago. Commander Cao was serving as the Magistrate of Dunqiu. In Dunqiu County, Puyang, he had a son with a woman. However… due to various rebellions later on, this woman and the child likely perished in the chaos."
Xun You's reply was also extremely low and faint, a sound that only Xun Yu could hear.
However, he was curious, why was his uncle bringing this "irrelevant" matter up at such a time?
"You didn't hear it just now, Commander Cao mentioned 'Yu'er', it was Yu'er… not Lu Yu!" Xun Yu added.
This single, meaningful "Yu'er" made Xun You's eyes widen abruptly…
His eyes seemed about to burst out.
"Yu'er?" Xun You repeated incredulously, his gaze instinctively drawn to Cao Cao, then to Lu Yu!
He and Xun Yu were both exceptionally intelligent.
Coupled with Xun Yu's sufficient groundwork, this "Yu'er," "Yu'er," Lu Yu… could it be… the male child Commander Cao had with that woman twenty years ago?
Lu Yu? Cao Yu?
Wait…
"This…"
With a soft sigh, Xun You's eyes narrowed. He immediately realized… if… if this were true, then Commander Cao's current "last wishes" would have a bit of a… a "succession" flavor to them.
In an instant, Xun You thought of more, and a flicker of insight appeared in Xun Yu's eyes.
However…
There was a serious problem, Xun You realized. He and Xun Yu exchanged glances…
And Xun Yu softly murmured, "An illegitimate son cannot be recognized by propriety. This is… a bit too hasty!"
As these words left his mouth…
A sigh of relief, Xun You exhaled deeply. Yes, it was too hasty! But… given Commander Cao's current weakened state, could he… could he survive this bout of head wind?
These were all unknowns! Commander Cao's foresight was… not without reason!
"Uncle… then…"
This time, before Xun You could speak, Xun Yu raised an index finger… shaking his head, signaling his nephew not to say more.
The situation had developed to this point… they could only wait and see.
…
"Are… are all the people here?"
Cao Cao covered his head with one hand, forcing his eyes open, and surveyed the people before him.
—Xun Yu, Xun You, Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, Cao Hong… Yu'er!
It could be said that all his clan brothers, close friends, and family in Xuchang were present. Especially Yu'er, whose appearance brought Cao Cao even more comfort.
Although…
This was not the best time for father and son to reunite.
But… he had no other choice!
"My head wind is acting up, and this headache is ten, even a hundred times more severe than before. I fear my end is near. I have something buried in my heart for a long time that I must express!"
Rarely, Cao Cao endured the intense headache and spoke without a single stammer. His gaze was deeply fixed on Lu Yu, and he even… made an effort to prop himself up to caress Lu Yu's cheek.
This demeanor, in the eyes of Xun Yu and Xun You, was natural… a final farewell between father and son?
But in the eyes of Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, and Cao Hong, it held a sense of entrusting his legacy!
Indeed…
Cao Ang was the eldest son of the elder brother, and Cao Ang was Lu Yu's student. The elder brother entrusting Cao Ang to Lu Yu… was understandable.
Similarly, Lu Yu… was worthy of this "entrustment"!
"Lu Yu, I… I have never wronged anyone in my life, but I am solely guilty towards… towards you (and your mother)!"
Cao Cao, speaking with his last breath, almost used his final strength to utter the last word, "mother," so low and faint… hardly anyone heard it.
Even so…
As these words escaped his lips…
Lu Yu felt as if he could barely hold on. Who could have imagined… the great warlord Cao Cao was so tormented by this head wind?
Lying there, barely conscious!
Guilt…
Old Cao had no guilt towards him! Frankly speaking, Old Cao had treated him well… especially considering how suspicious Old Cao was, he had talked to Lu Yu several times, letting him act freely, giving him immense power, and never doubting him. This alone was precious!
At times, Lu Yu thought that if his own father had even "one-tenth" of Old Cao's "concern" and "care" for him, Lu Yu would have been content, and he wouldn't have harbored such deep resentment.
"Gulp…"
Thinking this, Lu Yu swallowed. He muttered to himself… Old Cao couldn't die!
Whether out of sentiment, for the care Old Cao had shown him and his sister over the years, or… given the urgent and critical situation now, Old Cao absolutely could not die!
If Old Cao were to have an accident, it wouldn't matter if Cao Ang took the throne, but what was the current situation? Yuan Shao was about to march south…
The morale of hundreds of thousands of troops on the Guandu battlefield rested solely on Old Cao. If he fell, the entire situation would collapse!
With this thought…
Lu Yu hesitated no longer…
He didn't care about Cao Cao's "nagging" anymore. He stood up abruptly and said, "Commander Cao, don't speak for now. This will save you some strength. Your head wind… I can treat it!"
Hoo…
Even though it was just a few words, Lu Yu spoke with full vigor, causing an uproar in the entire bedroom.
Everyone turned to look at Lu Yu, their eyes shining.
"Senior Brother…" Zhang Zhongjing, at the very end of the crowd, was the first to react. He opened his mouth and asked, "Senior Brother can tell? What is the reason for Commander Cao's head wind?"
His question echoed the thoughts of everyone present.
"Cough cough…" Lu Yu coughed lightly.
He only knew that Cao Cao had a "tragic" childhood, and his father had injured his head. Of course, these… could not be spoken of!
He couldn't possibly say, "Old Cao, Old Cao, your head wind is caused by your father, Cao Song. If you have the ability… bite him!"
Cough cough…
"Actually, Commander Cao's head wind originates from a condition called – Qi Deviation!"
Lu Yu recalled that in his previous life… many keyboard historians on the internet had discussed Cao Cao's head ailment, and even… many doctors had offered opinions on how to treat it.
Of course, with some advanced medical equipment, they had no such facilities here…
However… there was one "old Chinese medicine doctor's" opinion that Lu Yu found extremely reliable.
"Cough cough…"
With this thought, Lu Yu coughed again, then prepared to… elaborate at length.
"In normal people, qi flows downwards. The so-called pure qi rises, and turbid qi sinks. But… Commander Cao is an extraordinary person. His qi is anomalous; it flows upwards. Pure qi sinks, and turbid qi rises!"
Zhang Zhongjing listened with great interest…
But the warriors couldn't understand…
"Second brother? Can… can you explain it more simply? We… don't understand!" Xiahou Dun scratched his head and asked urgently.
Uh…
Lu Yu felt a bit embarrassed. He had wanted to show off, but the prerequisite for showing off… was to consider Xiahou Dun's intelligence.
How could they understand what pure qi was? What turbid qi was? It needed to be explained in a more accessible way.
"Well…"
Lu Yu smacked his lips and continued, "The saying 'pure qi rises, turbid qi sinks' means, simply put, as long as a person can pass gas, they generally won't get any major illnesses!"
"Turbid qi, that is, gas… as long as it can be expelled from the body, and the body feels clear, then… naturally, one will be free from illness!"
"In other words, if… it goes the other way, against the flow… like Commander Cao, his qi rises, turbid qi rises, uh… simply put, it's when gas always rushes to the head and cannot be expelled. Chest tightness, shortness of breath, palpitations, and headaches are common. In addition to this, 'wind phlegm' will condense in the head, causing excruciating pain when it strikes."
At this point, Lu Yu paused.
"In the 'Huangdi Neijing,' this condition is called Qi Deviation! Commander Cao suffers precisely from this Qi Deviation. The fart that should have been expelled is all accumulating in his head, and it's become too severe to reverse…"
Uh…
This…
As Lu Yu spoke, everyone suddenly felt a strange smell near their noses…
But, without a doubt… although Lu Yu's words involved farts and foul odors, the logic was sound! Even Zhang Zhongjing and the other observing physicians exchanged whispers.
It seemed… they were very convinced by Lu Yu's proposal of "Qi Deviation."
Of course, they were convinced. With the reputation of a "Medical Immortal," even if Lu Yu said Cao Cao had a terminal gynecological disease, no one would doubt him!
Let alone Xiahou Dun, Cao Hong, Cao Ren, and others…
Others might not know, but as his kinsmen, they knew very well that their elder brother, Cao Cao… had one characteristic: he never passed gas!
In other words… all his gas was accumulating in his head.
Uh…
At this moment, everyone's gaze towards Lu Yu completely changed. Truly worthy of being the Medical Immortal of the age, the leader of the medical community, how impressive!
"Second brother? Stop playing coy…" Xiahou Dun's tone was even more urgent. "Elder brother is in so much pain… how should this illness be treated?"
"That's easy…" Lu Yu took out a proclamation from his懷 and handed it to Xun Yu. "This proclamation is from Jizhou. I ask Magistrate Xun to read it aloud, word for word!"
Actually, Lu Yu had prepared two plans…
Ancient texts had recorded an instance of Cao Cao's excruciating headache during the Battle of Guandu.
At that time… it was by chance that Chen Lin's "Proclamation Against the Rebels" had made Cao Cao break out in a cold sweat.
This was a form of expelling the "fart" accumulated in Old Cao's head… no, to be precise, the toxic gas accumulated in Old Cao's head, through sweat, thus curing the illness.
Of course…
The second plan was proposed by the "old Chinese medicine doctor" online: prepare a basin of hot water and soak Cao Cao's head in it. The water temperature could also help open the pores to some extent, expelling turbid qi and relieving pain.
However, of course.
These were all palliative treatments for "wind phlegm," not radical cures…
Moreover, soaking the head in water would increase the chances of Old Cao's migraine attacks.
For a complete cure… a craniotomy would definitely be necessary.
However, even if Hua Tuo proposed a cleaver to open the skull, in reality… considering the ancient sanitary conditions, it was difficult to create a sterile environment. Old Cao's… chances of recovery still remained theoretical.
Who cares…
At this critical juncture, let's first relieve Old Cao's headache!
Lu Yu handed the "Proclamation Against Rebels" to Xun Yu, and repeatedly instructed, "No matter what the text says, you must read it out word for word!"
This…
Everyone was a bit confused! They didn't know what Lu Yu was up to.
Cao Cao was even more confused, not only confused but also dazed, feeling as if countless ants were gnawing at his head, causing unbearable pain!
Just then…
Xun Yu did not dare to hesitate. He unfolded the proclamation, and without time to scan it, he began to read…
His clear voice followed.
—"Extraordinary people bring about extraordinary deeds, and extraordinary deeds lead to extraordinary achievements!"
With just these first two sentences…
Cao Cao's eyes suddenly opened. As a great literary scholar, a representative figure of "Jian'an" literature, he was extremely sensitive to every word.
This first sentence alone stunned Cao Cao. It had been many years… since he had heard such a spirited piece of writing.
The high quality of the writing and the precise wording instantly… captured Cao Cao's attention.
But…
After the first paragraph, the style shifted.
—"The Commander Cao Cao's grandfather, the eunuch Teng, along with Zuo Ju and Xu Huang, became monstrosities, greedily and ruthlessly, harming civilization and oppressing the people."
At this point, Xun Yu paused…
He was a bit confused. He realized that this proclamation was insulting Cao Cao's ancestors for three generations.
Of course, this was not the main point. The main point was… why was Lu Yu asking him to read this?
This was not about saving Commander Cao, this was clearly about… about enraging Cao Cao to death!
He raised his eyes and met Lu Yu's gaze.
Seeing Lu Yu's determined eyes, and even a nod from him… with a profound meaning, Xun Yu muttered to himself, Commander Cao, Commander Cao, it's your son who asked me to read it!
He could only brace himself and continue reading:
—"His father, Song, begged to be adopted, thus gaining wealth and position, bringing gold and jade, transferring influence to powerful families, stealing imperial authority, and overturning important artifacts."
—"Cao, a son of a eunuch and a lowly creature…"
Xun Yu's voice continued.
And the entire bedroom, everyone was stunned! They were all bewildered! Almost everyone gasped in disbelief…
What did this proclamation mean?
It first stated that Cao Cao's grandfather, Cao Teng, was a eunuch, a member of the eunuch faction, no different from the Ten Attendants like Zhang Rang, all of whom were characters who brought disaster to the nation and suffering to the people.
It also said that Cao Cao's father, Cao Song, was originally named Xiahou, and was adopted by Cao Teng, making him a person of unknown origin!
Then it said that Cao Cao… dug up people's ancestral graves everywhere, plundered gold and jewelry, and even called Cao Cao a "treacherous ally" and "usurper of imperial authority," etc… essentially cursing Cao Cao to the highest degree!
Especially the words "son of a eunuch and a lowly creature," which deeply exposed Cao Cao's background, virtually presenting Cao Cao's ugly past and despicable countenance to everyone in vivid detail with this article.
"Stop reading…"
Two voices exclaimed…
It was the impatient Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong. They slammed the table in anger. To listen to these hundreds of words was already enough restraint, and now they were stamping their feet in anger, wishing… they could roll up their sleeves and beat the person who wrote this proclamation.
Of course, they were even more surprised that Lu Yu had produced this proclamation.
Now… with elder brother in this state, shouldn't he be shielded from such vulgar things?
With this thought, Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong's faces turned as dark as water!
Xun Yu and Xun You's expressions were also not good.
Even Xun Yu, who held the proclamation, didn't want to read it anymore, but upon reflection, he felt a lingering fear…
This proclamation was so powerful. If it spread throughout the nine provinces, Cao Cao's reputation would be completely ruined. Every word was like a knife, and just a few thousand characters made Cao Cao the target of everyone's criticism!
"Stop reading… stop reading!"
Xiahou Dun spoke again…
Xun Yu also dared not read any further. Seeing this, it seemed Xiahou Dun was about to strike.
Seeing this posture, Lu Yu pondered, he didn't want Xun Yu to be beaten… just as he was about to advise Xiahou Dun, his sworn elder brother – "Let's be civilized and polite, don't resort to violence, okay?"
Who would have thought…
Just then, at this moment, while everyone in the bedroom was looking at Xun Yu, looking at the proclamation.
—"Read on, Magistrate Xun, continue reading!"
Surprisingly, no one noticed that Cao Cao had changed from a reclining position to a sitting one. Cold sweat poured down his forehead, large drops of sweat falling like rain. His back clothes and the bedding were all soaked.
Drip…
Drip!
Drip, drip, drip!
It was clear that the proclamation had stunned him, but similarly, the cold sweat Cao Cao broke out… allowed the turbid qi accumulated in his forehead to be released, and he felt much relieved!
Even the pain in his forehead was rapidly disappearing, dissipating!
This time…
Xun Yu was stunned, Xun You was stunned, Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, Cao Hong… and even Zhang Zhongjing were stunned. They all gasped in disbelief. Did Cao Cao… get better? Was his headache gone?
These people stood frozen…
Only Lu Yu reminded, "Magistrate Xun, read on, continue reading…"
Xun Yu then reacted.
"Cough cough…"
With a light cough, the words on the proclamation continued to be recited.
—"Cao also falsely proclaimed authority and issued orders to mobilize troops. He feared that the remote prefectures and counties would obey his orders and grant his requests, but with strong enemies and a weak ruler, they would rebel against the masses and be ridiculed by the world. Therefore, the wise would not accept it."
—"Whoever captures Cao's head shall be granted a marquisate of five thousand households and rewarded with fifty million coins. Those of his subordinates, lieutenants, generals, and officials who surrender shall not be questioned. Proclaim widely the benevolence and trustworthiness, distribute official seals and rewards, announce to the world, and let all know that the sacred dynasty faces a crisis of coercion, as stipulated by law!"
Because Cao Cao's headache was gone…
Xun Yu's recitation became even more vigorous, with a sense of unrestrained passion and cadence!
However, he was still astonished. What exactly happened? What was the reason?
And as these words were heard to the very end…
"Hahaha…" Cao Cao burst into laughter. "Good writing, good writing! I never thought Yuan Shao had someone under him who could write such a grand and magnificent article! Haha, good… good!"
As he spoke, Cao Cao suddenly stood up. He walked to Xun Yu's side, took the proclamation from him, and read it over twice.
As he read, he paced back and forth…
His movements were flamboyant, and he frequently nodded his head. He seemed to be savoring it, as if the article was not scolding him, Cao Cao, or his ancestors for three generations, but his Uncle Wang who lived next door!
Of course…
Cao Cao's demeanor genuinely shocked everyone!
It was as if they had been struck by lightning!
Cao Cao's head was no longer in pain?
Cao Cao could get out of bed?
This…
This…
Just then, Lu Yu spoke, "Is Commander Cao's head still hurting?"
This question made Cao Cao realize that his head actually didn't hurt at all.
Yes… it was clearly like ants gnawing at him just moments ago, causing unbearable pain, but now, not only was his head not hurting, his eyes weren't blurry, he had energy to walk, and he could climb five floors in one breath!
"Haha…"
Cao Cao laughed heartily. His eyes were fixed on Lu Yu.
"Situ Lu, this proclamation is well written, and you had Magistrate Xun read it even better… Haha… Hahahaha…"
Shaking off his earlier gloom, Cao Cao laughed heartily, his laughter incredibly jovial.
As for Lu Yu…
He asked a question in return.
—"Then… Lu Yu dares to ask."
—"When Commander Cao was in pain just now, you mentioned the sentence, 'I have never wronged anyone in my life, but I am solely guilty towards Lu Yu.' What did you mean by that?"
Ah…
Cao Cao remembered that sentence. But… the problem was, the situation was different now!
So…
What did Cao Cao mean by never wronging anyone in his life, but being solely guilty towards Lu Yu?
…
…