For a full hour.
Cao Cao meticulously recounted Lu Yu's life story.
This included her mother, Lu Wenran.
From the "origin" in Dunqiu County, to the "demise" of the Cao family after being implicated in Empress Song's case, and then, upon hearing of the rebellion in Dunqiu, Cao Cao's arrival to find a land of corpses and smoke, how his heart was completely "sealed"...
(See extra chapters three for details!)
And also...
The efforts Cao Cao had made over the years to inquire about the whereabouts of this mother and son!
For many nights, he couldn't sleep... even falling into endless nightmares.
He had wronged this mother and son...
It had taken him ten years to heal, but... it was Lu Yu's appearance that once again shattered his defenses and rekindled the stirring in his heart!
"Zi Yu, your surname is not Lu, your surname is Cao, your mother is Lu Wenran, and your father is me... Your name is Cao Yu... You are the eldest son of my Great Wei!"
Cao Cao had held these words back for many years.
As he uttered them now, he felt as if he had been completely relieved and set free.
Whether Yu'er blamed him or not, whether Yu'er recognized him as his father or not, all his sins were his to bear, but... what could not be changed was that Lu Yu was the eldest son of Great Wei, the one most qualified to be the heir, and even the crown prince!
This...
The assembled officials erupted in a clamor.
Even from the beginning, when Cao Cao started telling his story, many had realized that this was likely a "very important" story, and everyone had prepared themselves somewhat.
But after the story was finished, all the officials felt that they had been too naive.
This wasn't just a "crucial" story; it was a story that shook, shocked, and deafened them like "five bolts of lightning"!
Heavens above!
The commander of the Longxiao Battalion, the Grand Censor, the Superintendent of Works, the leader of the medical profession, the Marquis of Nanxiang—Lu Yu!
He... he wasn't Lu Yu after all, he was Cao Yu...
Cao Cao's "Cao"; the "Yu" of the Great Wei's eldest son!
He was Cao Cao's son!
Oh my god...
Everyone stood frozen in shock, their bodies and expressions as if petrified. @Essence\/Book Pavilion*First update~~
"Good heavens..." Xiahou Dun clenched his fist. "My virtuous brother has become my nephew... This generation gap is a complete mess!"
Cao Hong also scratched his head. "I was wondering how Lu Zi Yu could be so intelligent. It turns out he's one of our Cao family's own. No wonder, no wonder!"
As for...
Those who had known the truth all along, such as Jia Xu, Xun Yu, Xun You, and Chen Gong, they frowned... and instinctively shifted their attention to Lu Yu.
More than this "sensational" news, they were more concerned about Lu Yu... no, Cao Yu's attitude at this moment.
His attitude would be able to influence the direction of the entire Great Wei, and even the entire world.
On the other hand, Lu Yu...
At this moment, his face was filled with astonishment. He rarely showed such a "dumbfounded" expression.
Cao Cao's story had not only shocked everyone in the palace but had also astonished him...
"My mother's name is Lu Wenran!"
"My father... is... is King Wei Cao Cao?"
Lu Yu murmured...
At first, when he heard Cao Cao's story, he thought it was just a "story." But when he heard about Dunqiu, heard about "dry wood and fire," heard about the "auspicious" jade pendant... heard about the birthmark of "a dragon spear" on the inner thigh...
Lu Yu was completely dumbfounded!
So, the "scumbag" father who had abandoned his wife and child, whom he had been searching for all these years, was... was Cao Cao!
This position of heir...
The princes had been fighting over it!
He, Lu Yu, had become the eldest son of Great Wei, the successor Cao Cao had chosen long ago.
At this moment, Lu Yu's mind was buzzing... He felt greatly startled, immensely startled.
He even raised his eyes to meet Cao Cao's gaze and could clearly see the regret and apology in Cao Cao's eyes...
King Wei Cao Cao rarely showed such an expression!
All of this... was because of him, Lu Yu, and his mother!
(This chapter is not finished!)
Chapter 683 Lu Yu, Cao Yu, Wei Heir Settled!
Just then.
Cao Cao's voice sounded again. "Yu'er, do you forgive me? And can you forgive me on behalf of your mother?"
Forgive?
Lu Yu bit his lip tightly. He felt that the choice he was facing now was ten times, a hundred times more difficult than any before!
Admittedly, Cao Cao had countless reasons, but they couldn't erase the fact that he had "abandoned his wife and child" and was a "scumbag."
But...
After all, he was his biological father; blood is thicker than water. Moreover, Old Cao had treated Lu Yu quite well over the years, which was a partial compensation for the sins he had committed back then!
A prodigal son returning is more precious than gold...
Lu Yu could forgive Cao Cao for his mistakes!
Immediately, Lu Yu slowly spoke, "I don't know if my mother will forgive you... but since I am the son of the King of Wei, and blood is thicker than water, in this world, only a father scolds his son. How can a son dare to blame his father?"
His tone was not heavy, but it reached Cao Cao's ears with utmost clarity...
He felt as if his sins had been cleansed by clear spring water, completely released.
"Good, good, good..."
Three "good"s in a row.
"Hahahaha..."
Cao Cao laughed heartily. "My eldest son is back, the eldest son of Great Wei is back!"
As this cry echoed out...
Jia Xu was the first to cup his hands in salute, "Congratulations to King Wei! Congratulations to the Great Wei's eldest son!"
Xun Can and Xun You also cupped their hands, "Congratulations to King Wei, congratulations to the Great Wei's eldest son!"
For a moment, all the civil and military officials in the hall congratulated them in unison.
"Congratulations to King Wei and the eldest son on their father-son reunion!"
"Haha... haha!"
On the other hand, Cao Cao laughed freely. This time, his laughter was more unrestrained and unbridled than ever before, as if a knot in his heart had been untied, bringing relief.
"Yu'er, come here!"
Cao Cao beckoned Lu Yu...
Lu Yu quickly walked forward a few steps but did not ascend the steps.
Cao Cao beckoned again, "Come up, come to your father's side!"
Lu Yu bit his lip slightly, ascended the steps, and walked to Cao Cao's side. Cao Cao then grabbed Lu Yu's hand... and led him to the throne of the King of Wei. "Look, this is the throne of the ruler of Great Wei. The future heir of Great Wei, the one who will sit on this throne in the future, Yu'er... I want you to make this decision! No matter what choice you make, your father will support you!"
This was the bet made earlier...
Before the westward campaign, Cao Cao and Lu Yu had made a bet.
If Lu Yu won, once the heir was decided, he, Lu Yu, would retreat to the mountains and forests, live in seclusion, and no longer concern himself with worldly disputes.
But Cao Cao had added a condition...
After hearing a story from him, Lu Yu would decide the heir...
Now, the story had been heard, and a new name had naturally been added to the list of candidates—Cao Yu!
Speaking of which...
Cao Cao gave Xu Chu a look, and immediately, two Hu Ben soldiers presented the "Edict for Establishing the Crown Prince of Great Wei" before the royal desk. Cao Cao personally handed the brush to Lu Yu.
"Yu'er, with the witnessed presence of the lords in the Wei King's hall today... you will fill in the blank for the Crown Prince's name! You will decide the future ruler of Great Wei!"
As Cao Cao said...
If he filled in "Cao Yu's" name, then the Great Wei heir would be decided.
If he filled in another prince's name, then the eldest son of Great Wei would retire to the mountains and forests and live in seclusion.
On the other hand, Lu Yu... at this moment, his feelings were extremely complex. (This chapter is not finished!)
Chapter 683 Lu Yu, Cao Yu, Wei Heir Settled!
He had believed in "wise preservation" and avoiding the tragedy of "when the birds are gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbits are dead, the hounds are cooked"...
He didn't want to be "Wen Zhong," he wanted to be "Fan Xin"!
He firmly believed that with the unification of the world, Cao Cao's trust in him would not last...
Suspicion would inevitably return!
Therefore... he wanted to choose the benevolent and kind "Cao Ang" as the crown prince. At least... before Cao Ang ascended the throne, he, Lu Yu, had to retreat to the mountains and forests to avoid Cao Cao's suspicion.
But... now...
The change in identity made him unable to adapt immediately.
He, Cao Yu, also... (This chapter is not finished!)
Chapter 683 Lu Yu, Cao Yu, Wei Heir Settled!
Was qualified to be the Crown Prince of Great Wei!
As for Cao Cao's suspicion... it was naturally unfounded.
Old Cao would be suspicious of everyone, but never of him!
"Father... Father King!" Lu Yu's address to Cao Cao was still somewhat stiff. He bit his lip and said, "Can this name... can you let your son think about it for a moment!"
Lu Yu wanted some quiet... In a short span of an hour, he had learned too much. His decades of experience seemed to flash by in Cao Cao's story.
Lu Yu wanted some quiet, to ponder carefully. Who would have thought... at this very moment.
"Cao Chong respectfully requests his elder brother to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
A childish voice echoed from the gate of the Wei King's palace...
It was Cao Chong...
A single stone stirred up a thousand waves. As Cao Chong's voice fell, Cao Ang and Cao Zhi spoke simultaneously.
"Cao Ang respectfully requests his elder brother to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
"Cao Zhi respectfully requests his elder brother to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
Along with Cao Ang and Cao Zhi's voices came continuous "clattering" sounds...
Almost all the officials and nobles knelt down.
"Xun Yu respectfully requests the eldest son of Great Wei to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
"Xun You respectfully requests the eldest son of Great Wei to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
"Jia Xu respectfully requests the eldest son of Great Wei to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
"Cheng Yu respectfully requests the eldest son of Great Wei to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
One voice after another continued to sound.
Following this were the cupped hands of a group of powerful warriors.
"Cao Chun respectfully requests the eldest son of Great Wei to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
"Cao Ren respectfully requests the eldest son of Great Wei to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
"Xiahou Dun respectfully requests the eldest son of Great Wei to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
"Xiahou Yuan respectfully requests the eldest son of Great Wei to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
Voices rose and fell in succession... After each voice, there was a new one... as if endless.
And after the powerful warriors had expressed their stance.
Next...
Voices like resonant bells sounded one after another.
————"Jiuyuan Lu Fengxian only pledges loyalty to the eldest son of Great Wei, respectfully requesting the eldest son of Great Wei to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
————"Chen Gong requests the Marquis of Nanxiang to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
————"Xiliang Ma Chao respectfully requests the eldest son to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
————"Jiangdong Zhou Yu respectfully requests the eldest son to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
————"Wujun Lu Xun respectfully requests the eldest son to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
————"Liaodong Gongsun Zan respectfully requests the eldest son to succeed to the position of heir of Great Wei!"
————"Hebei Qu Yi respectfully requests the eldest son to succeed to the position of heir of Great Wei!"
————"Jingzhou Cai Mao respectfully requests the eldest son to succeed to the position of heir of Great Wei!"
Lu Bu, Chen Gong, Ma Chao, Zhou Yu, Lu Xun... In the past, they belonged to different factions.
But at this moment...
Because of Lu Yu, they all appeared in this Wei King's palace, and they all shared a common goal and vision.
As Lu Bu said, they were loyal to Lu Yu... the eldest son of Great Wei. If the Crown Prince of Great Wei was not Lu Yu, then their faith would collapse in an instant!
The voices rose and fell...
As the voices in the Wei King's palace subsided.
Suddenly...
A thunderous sound echoed from outside the palace, as if the soldiers outside the Wei King's palace were shouting in unison.
————"Hu Bao Qi respectfully requests the eldest son to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
————"Hu Ben Army respectfully requests the eldest son to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
————"Longxiao Camp respectfully requests the eldest son to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
————"Shen She Camp, respectfully requests the eldest son to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
————"Xian Zhen Camp, respectfully requests the eldest son to succeed to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei!"
Countless identical voices...
Each voice was louder and more unified than the last, until finally, it was like a roaring tidal wave, and all these voices converged into four words, resounding throughout the palace.
————The will of the people!
Cao Yu succeeding to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei, Cao Yu becoming the ruler of Great Wei after Cao Cao—the will of the people!
This...
Lu Yu's eyes were inexplicably tinged with red.
With every voice, he could discern where it came from, who shouted it!
Behind these voices were years of fighting side-by-side, sharing honor and disgrace...
They were the generals, the strategists, who had forged an extraordinary connection with Lu Yu, how many stories were contained within this?
"Hahaha... Yu'er, the will of the people!"
Cao Cao laughed heartily... His eyes narrowed into slits, staring intently at the brush in Lu Yu's hand!
Lu Yu's gaze flickered. Even after those voices "respectfully requesting him to succeed to the position of Crown Prince" had fallen, he still pondered for a long time.
It wasn't that he dared not accept, but that he felt... it was unreal!
All of this felt like a dream!
He... he had suddenly become the eldest son of Great Wei!
Suddenly... he was about to become the Crown Prince of Great Wei;
Suddenly... he would become the future ruler of this Great Wei, this world.
This feeling was marvelous...
It was as if before, you were working for someone else. Even if you did an excellent job, you knew clearly in your heart... this foundation was ultimately someone else's.
But... now, this foundation built through hard work had become his, Lu Yu's own!
This...
This feeling could be summed up in three words—unreal!
"Zi Yu, what are you still hesitating for!"
Xiahou Dun was impatient and urged, "If you don't become the Crown Prince, then who can? If you write down another prince's name, wouldn't that be putting that prince on the spot?"
Indeed...
In this situation, under this "will of the people"... besides Lu Yu? Who else would dare to be the Crown Prince?
If another prince inherited the throne, it might even lead to a mutiny!
"Heh..."
Finally, after a full half hour of contemplation.
Lu Yu made his final decision...
With a stroke of his brush, on the imperial edict establishing the Crown Prince, he wrote the words "Cao Yu" in the blank space...
Cao Cao immediately read aloud:
————"After careful consideration, I have chosen the eldest son, Cao Yu, as the candidate for Crown Prince!"
Upon reading "Cao Yu's" name, Cao Cao looked at him again...
His eyes were filled with deep affection and satisfaction.
All of this...
This Wei Wu's enterprise, from its maiden voyage to its current dominance over half the empire.
It was all for... for his son, for Cao Yu!
The dust settled...
All of this... all of it had settled!
A sense of relief washed over Cao Cao. He could finally face his past mistakes with a clear conscience and face the deceased mother of Cao Yu.
"I have decided to posthumously confer upon Cao Yu's birth mother, Lu Wenran, the title of 'Ren Xiao Yi' Royal Consort of Great Wei! Temples will be established in Jiangdong's Wujun and Yanzhou's Puyang Commandery, to be honored by all the people! Her memorial tablet will be moved into the Cao family ancestral shrine! She will forever be honored by the descendants of the Cao and Xiahou families!"
On this side...
Everything was settled.
On the other side, in the Han court...
Emperor Liu Xie stood by the window, listening to the eunuch report on the events happening in the Wei King's palace.
When he heard that "Lu Yu" was "Cao Yu," his heart trembled.
When he heard that Cao Yu had succeeded to the position of Crown Prince of Great Wei, his heart surged like waves.
"Lu Yu, Cao Yu..." he murmured repeatedly... Finally, he ordered, "Please summon Empress Fu!"
"Empress Fu is already waiting outside the hall!" the eunuch replied quickly.
"Let her in!" Liu Xie turned around...
Not long after, Empress Fu Shou slowly entered. _o_m
It was Liu Xie who spoke first, "Empress, you are here regarding the matter of Lu Yu, Cao Yu, aren't you?"
Fu Shou quickly asked, "Cao Yu has succeeded to the position of Crown Prince of Wei, Your Majesty, what do you intend to do?"
"I..." Liu Xie's gaze was resolute. "When I heard this news, I made a decision..."
Speaking of which, Liu Xie walked to the imperial desk and held the imperial edict in his hands...
————"While I am still Emperor, I can give the Crown Prince of Great Wei a generous gift!"
For the fastest updates on "Three Kingdoms: From Hidden Dragon to Great Wei Overlord," please enter -m..Com- in your browser to view.
Chapter 683 Lu Yu, Cao Yu, Wei Heir Settled!