Three Kingdoms: Prince of the Great Wei, Prime Minister Cao

Chapter 25: Elder Brother Cao Pi, Yet My Beloved Relative, My Dearest Sibling Cao Ju!

A night of silence… The autumn wind mingled with his dreams. The next day at dawn, Cao Ju slowly woke from his slumber and opened his eyes. He gazed at the silk-thin mattress that had been turned into a raised, small hill-like structure.

Before he could sigh about the fact that eighteen years had flown by, his expression had already displayed an unusual hint.

“Who would have thought! On my first night in Hefei, I would have such a ludicrous dream filled with spring-like fervor.”

Thoughts during the day. Dreams during the night.

“Could it be because I saw Cao Pi yesterday?”

Thinking about the absurd events in his dream with the exceptionally beautiful woman like a goddess, Cao Ju shook his head repeatedly. He, Cao Zimou, aspired to become the successor of Wei’s military might in this transmigrated existence.

How could he degrade himself to the level of Li Er from the Great Tang, who killed his brother and married his sister-in-law?

Admittedly, emulating Li Er was quite thrilling!

However, Cao Ju dared to swear to the heavens. Third Brother Cao Pi was his beloved relative, his dearest sibling!

A noble and virtuous person like him could never do such sordid deeds. After reflecting on the dream from the middle of the night, Cao Ju changed into fresh clothes, got out of bed, and tidied himself up. As he finished his ablutions, the sounds of activity from outside reached his ears before he could think about what to have for breakfast. Dian Man’s voice had already resonated.

“Master, just now, a message came from Prime Minister.”

“After you woke up, he ordered you to immediately proceed to the county magistrate’s main hall.”

“The county magistrate’s main hall?”

Cao Ju muttered, “Could something have happened on the front lines?”

Cao Ju hastened his morning routine by speaking a few sentences to himself. After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Cao Ju, freshly groomed, was led by the county magistrate’s attendants, accompanied by Dian Man and Deng Ai, to the main hall of the county magistrate’s residence.

Before even entering the hall, Cao Ju saw the backs of numerous generals standing inside. Without needing to guess much, he already understood that his father, Cao Cao, had gathered everyone here today for a military council.

Understanding this, he turned to his two companions and instructed, “Dian Man, Deng Ai!”

“You two wait here, I’ll go in first.”

It wasn’t that Cao Ju didn’t want Dian Man and Deng Ai to accompany him inside. It was simply that these two were his attendants and had no qualifications to attend the military council. Strictly speaking, if it weren’t for Cao Cao’s special instructions, he might not have been eligible to enter even with his status as a member of the Cao household.

The title of “young master” might be esteemed in the eyes of others, but no matter how esteemed it was, there were rules to follow regarding matters of the state and military affairs. At the very least, one needed to hold a military position to attend a military council.

Unfortunately, Cao Ju fell far short of his brothers, Cao Pi and Cao Zhang, in this regard. This was because, compared to the nominal status of a “young master,” Cao Pi held the title of “Colonel of the Central Military Staff,” and Cao Zhang was a “Deputy General.”

With military positions, even if assigned to external duties, they were the type who could lead troops independently. On the other hand, Cao Ju didn’t even qualify. Although it might sound absurd, that was the reality. Entering the main hall, Cao Ju took a slight glance around. He noticed that everyone was present except for his father, Cao Cao. For instance:

His elder brothers, Cao Pi and Cao Zhang.

Generals clad in armor: Zhang Liao, Yu Jin, Li Dian, Yue Jin.

Those with a maternal or paternal relationship, like Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong. And even Cao Ju’s peer in terms of age and position, Cao Zhen, who was Cao Cao’s adopted son and commanded the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry.

Among them, what captured Cao Ju’s attention the most was a figure belonging to the literary strategist group, standing behind Cheng Yu and Xun You. This figure, known in later ages as “Old Cunning of the Late Han,” held his focus.

Sima Yi, Sima Zhongda.

Although it had been more than a year since he came to this time, he had encountered Sima Yi several times. Yet every time he saw Sima Yi, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of murderous intent. Even more so when he first took over the body of the deceased Cao Ju and arrived in this era. The first time he encountered Sima Yi, he entertained the idea of eliminating Sima Yi at any cost.

But in the end, Cao Ju forcibly restrained himself. After all, integrating the memories of the original Cao Ju post-time travel, he had to base his actions on reality. And reality was fundamentally not as absurd as those brainless novels written by some authors in the future. Those novels started with slaughtering the Sima clan, where the protagonist instantly became all-powerful, punching Emperor Han, kicking Sun Quan, and calling him “daddy.”

Cao Ju was confident. If he truly went and senselessly annihilated the Sima family without a reason. His father, Cao Cao, would definitely not hesitate to execute him for the sake of righteousness and use his head as a warning to the world. It could not be like those brainless novels where the protagonist slaughtered the Sima family, and nothing happened afterward.

Inside the county magistrate’s main hall. The moment Cao Ju entered, everyone’s gaze fell upon him.

Looking at Cao Ju, everyone’s reactions were nearly identical. Among them was Xun You, who smiled at Cao Ju, nodding slightly in acknowledgment. Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong also made similar gestures. As uncles, they couldn’t be cold or distant to their nephews.

On the other hand, Cheng Yu and Sima Yi cast a quick glance at Cao Ju before shifting their gazes away without much pause.

As for Cao Pi, his heart sank, a sense of foreboding washing over him. Of course, the person in the hall whose facial expressions changed most frequently at this moment wasn’t Cao Zhang’s cold snort upon Cao Ju’s arrival or the salutes from Yu Jin, Li Dian, and Yue Jin.

It was Zhang Liao, Zhang Wen Yuan, who had been stationed in Huainan since the Battle of Chibi and rarely returned home. He had to rely on letters to communicate with his family.

Looking at Cao Ju entering the county magistrate’s main hall, Zhang Liao’s heart was filled with mixed feelings. Because while stationed away, Zhang Liao had learned through the exchange of letters with his wife. In front of him stood this young master who had previously appeared rather ordinary. In the past year, he had not only formed an incredibly close relationship with Zhang Liao’s son, Zhang Hu, but it had gone so far that their camaraderie was practically inseparable.

But that wasn’t the main issue. What troubled Zhang Liao was. This young master occasionally took his son and visited the residence of Lu Bu’s widow, his former master, now and then. And it seemed, in some subtle way, that he held an affectionate admiration for Lu Bu’s daughter, Miss Lingqi.