You intend to kill Xuande?

“Big brother, what on earth are you doing?”
Cao Xin asked helplessly.
Cao Cao took a deep breath, trying to suppress the anger churning inside him. He breathed in and out three more times, then lit his pipe and took a slow draw. As he watched the curling white smoke drift upward, his expression gradually softened.
“Old Sixth, sit down first. Let’s talk this over calmly.”
Cao Cao beckoned for Cao Xin to take a seat across from him.
Cao Xin glanced at him. “Big brother, are you sure you won’t start yelling at me again?”
Cao Cao covered his forehead. If I ever try to talk to him again, I’m a fool.
Knock, knock, knock~
Someone rapped at the door.
“Who is it?!”
Cao Cao asked irritably.
“Your father!”
Old Master Cao shouted from outside, “Cao Ah Man, you’d best mind your manners when speaking with Ziyu. No shouting, this is the Cao family’s home, not your chancellor’s residence, and certainly not a place for you to put on airs and show off your authority.”
“That’s right, big brother. Ziyu rarely comes by, and he’ll be heading south again in a few days. There’s no need for all this yelling,” Second Brother Cao Bin advised.
“Big brother, we’re family. If there’s a problem, let’s discuss it calmly. Shouting solves nothing.”
“Big brother, don’t bring your work frustrations home. It disturbs the peace of the household. If you do, father won’t stand for it.”
“Big brother, Ziyu is a fierce general. If he’s not yelling at you, it’s out of courtesy. You should show some restraint.”
“Father, mother says dinner is ready.”
Third, fourth, and fifth brothers, along with several children, all chimed in noisily from the doorway.
Cao Cao’s head buzzed, his irritation mounting. Why is everyone in the family taking Cao Ziyu’s side? Are you all one family and I an outsider?
And do you really think my shouting is so hurtful? That’s because you’ve never heard what Cao Ziyu says—his words wound a thousand times deeper than any shout, enough to make a man cough blood.
“Cao Ah Man, did you hear me?”
Old Master Cao bellowed.
Cao Cao drew a long breath, forcing himself to answer calmly, “Father, I heard you. I was just telling Ziyu not to get too arrogant, to follow the example of the great generals of old so that he may be remembered in history. Father, I only want what’s best for Ziyu.”
He shot a sideways glance at Cao Xin, sneering.
Cao Xin burst out laughing, got up to open the door, exchanged a few words with Old Master Cao and the brothers, and saw everyone off before shutting the door and sitting back down across from Cao Cao.
“What did you say to father?”
Cao Cao asked, his face dark. He never managed to send that lot away with a few words, but somehow this rascal could—it rankled him.
“Nothing much,” Cao Xin chuckled. “It’s cold outside, so I asked the brothers to help father back. No need for him to catch a chill. The two of us can chat in here. Father trusts me, so off they went.”
Cao Cao drew a deep breath. This scoundrel worries about father catching cold and sends him in, while I, his own son, don’t even open the door. If word gets out, what will people think?
Being a son alongside this rascal is too much pressure.
Cao Cao shook his head. “Ziyu, after the New Year, you’ll go to Huainan. Yuanrang says Yang Hong is secretly colluding with Yuan Shu and plans to hand over the Huainan commandery. When you get there, investigate thoroughly. If Yang Hong is indeed guilty, deal with him first and report after.”
“That’s not difficult, big brother. But you still haven’t answered my question.”
“What question?”
Cao Cao frowned.
“Big brother, you haven’t told me whether you trust me. That’s important.”
Cao Xin said seriously.

Cao Cao inhaled and exhaled, struggling to keep his temper. “I trust you!”
“Big brother, you don’t sound sincere at all. That was too perfunctory.”
“... I trust you!”
“No, no, you’re not even smiling. What I want to hear is that heartfelt voice, the voice of your soul: ‘I trust you.’”
Cao Xin gestured.
Cao Cao’s mustache quivered at the corners of his mouth. He drew another breath, forced his lips upward into a stiff smile. “Ziyu, I trust you.”
“Big brother, this—”
“Enough!”
Cao Cao exploded, jabbing a finger at Cao Xin’s nose. “Cao Ziyu, I’ve tolerated you long enough. If you weren’t my brother, I’d have had you chopped to pieces. You’d better quiet down.”
Cao Xin rubbed his nose and grinned. “Don’t get mad, big brother. I never said that wasn’t good enough. I believe now that you trust me.”
“Hmph!”
Cao Cao was not appeased.
“Big brother, since you trust me, why won’t you let me be the vanguard against Lü Bu?”
“You’re the General Who Pacifies the South. If there’s trouble in the south, who else would I send? Listen here, Cao Ziyu, if Huainan loses a single city, I’ll strip you of your command!”
Cao Cao replied testily.
“No problem, big brother. It’s just that I’m worried about you. Lü Bu in Xuzhou is not like Yuan Shu in Huainan. Lü Bu has the Red Hare, he’s lightning fast, and his archery is superb. If... anything untoward happens, I’m far away in Huainan—there won’t be time to come to your rescue.”
Cao Xin said earnestly.
“Nonsense! Lü Bu has but twenty thousand men. Together with Liu Xuande, I’ll make short work of him. Stop borrowing trouble.”
Cao Cao snorted.
This time he had to defeat Lü Bu, no matter what.
Not for Xuzhou, not for the world—just to prove to Yuan Shao, to Liu Bei, to everyone—that even without Cao Ziyu, he, Cao Mengde, could still win battles, could still defeat the mightiest warrior under heaven, and let all know he was the greatest commander of all.
“Big brother, I hope you’re right. By the way, there’s something else—what do you think of Liu Xuande?”
Cao Xin fixed his gaze on Cao Cao.
Cao Cao paused in stroking his beard and glanced at him. “Why do you ask about Xuande?”
“I often hear Xun You, Guo Jia, and Zhong Yao all praise Liu Bei as a hero who will never long remain beneath another. If you ever intend to be emperor, you should get rid of Liu Xuande early, lest he become a future threat.”
“You want to kill Xuande?”
Cao Cao shot to his feet, eyes wide.
“Why do you want to kill Liu Xuande? Oh, I remember now—recently, Liu Xuande’s third brother, Zhang Fei, smashed up your wine house and beat your men. You’re unhappy and want to borrow someone else’s knife to do your killing?”
“Big brother, I’m not—”
“Don’t deny it. That’s exactly it, Cao Ziyu! Zhang Fei only smashed a few worthless cups and windows, and now you want to kill all three brothers? How can you be so petty, so violent? Always wanting to kill! Those are three lives!”
Cao Cao slapped the table and berated him.
Cao Xin looked at him, speechless.
At that moment, he was certain: Old Cao was actually Liu Bei’s planted spy in the Cao camp. By extension, he and the Langya Army must also be part of Lord Liu’s righteous forces.
With this realization, Cao Xin felt much lighter. After all, in the Three Kingdoms, Lord Liu represents justice, so joining his cause would win him many admirers.
“Prime Minister, I’m base, petty, and cruel. I’ll never mention killing Liu Xuande again.”
Cao Xin admitted his fault.
Cao Cao waved him off, exhausted. “Go, just go!”

Cao Cao was truly spent. After talking with Cao Xin for so long, not only did his head ache, but his heart hurt, his body ached, and his limbs felt weak—worse than after a siege. If this went on, he wasn’t sure his health could take it.
“Ahem, big brother, one more small matter.”
Cao Xin stood and said.
“Speak!”
“Well, big brother, you know your little brother is a slave to beauty. After you defeat Lü Bu, you must leave Diao Chan for me.”
“Get out!”
Cao Cao roared.
“Alright, alright!”
Cao Xin nimbly closed the door behind him and left.
Cao Cao slumped in his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling, memories drifting back to an afternoon three years ago.
That day, the sun was bright, the air pleasant, and a gentle breeze stirred.
He stood atop the walls of Yanzhou, watching as Old Master Cao and the Cao family approached the city gates under the protection of a troop of elite soldiers.
At the head of the group was a young, handsome, tall, and strong general, his smile gentle and refined, an easy man to like.
His name was Cao Xin, a notorious bandit roaming between Qing and Xu provinces, and a general every warlord wished to recruit.
Cao Cao had desired to recruit him, desperately so.
But at the time, he held only three cities, with few troops, a far cry from the power of Yuan Shao, Tao Qian, or Yuan Shu.
Faced with such a talent, he was too embarrassed to recruit him outright, so he casually asked if he’d like to join him in conquering the land.
To his surprise, Cao Xin agreed on the spot and led the Langya Army to help him defeat Lü Bu and retake Yanzhou.
Cao Cao had been so moved he nearly wept, believing Cao Xin was a great general sent by Heaven itself to assist him, that Heaven favored him.
But later—
He gradually realized it was nothing like that. Cao Ziyu was rude and unreasonable, arrogant and domineering, lecherous and shameless, extravagant and lazy... Not a single virtue of a proper man did he possess.
Could a man who excelled at nothing but war truly be called a great general?
He was nothing short of a scoundrel.
Cao Cao shook his head in despair.
“Father! Father! Dinner’s ready!”
Cao Pi called from outside.
“Coming!”
Cao Cao stood and staggered toward the door.
“Father, are you drunk?”
Cao Pi blinked his dark, lively eyes.
“No, Pi’er, tell me—who’s better, your father or your sixth uncle?”
“..................Father is better!”
Ah—
——