Chapter Seven: The Bookworm's Ambition

  "Huh?" Cao Cao did not expect Cao Zhi to dare to defy him again. The atmosphere around them suddenly became tense, and Xiahou Yuan and Guo Jia, who were familiar with his temperament, knew that although Cao Zhi was his son, speaking defiantly would only lead to trouble, so they all shot warning glances at Cao Zhi, signaling him not to say another word.

  Cao Zhi pretended not to see, but his big black eyes were still staring straight at Cao Cao. On the other side, Cao Cao let out a light "hmm" from his nostrils and coldly said: "According to military regulations, anyone who approaches the camp without reason within 100 steps will be killed without pardon! You, this rebellious son, dare to bring people close to my army's camp, and also dare to labor the army at will without your father's orders, what crime should you be punished for?"

  Cao Cao's words shocked Xiahou Yuan the most, not Cao Zhi. It was he who had allowed the soldiers to go and get food without asking Cao Cao. He hastily bowed his head and said: "It is a crime for me not to ask the general, it has nothing to do with the fourth lord, please punish me."

  Cao Cao glanced at Xiahou Yuan and said coldly, "Without rules, there is no square or circle. You are not a novice in leading troops either, so I don't need to say more. Just go and receive the twenty military rods yourself."

  Xiahou Yuan did not dare to argue, and softly replied: "Yes!"

  But at this moment, Cao Zhi suddenly spoke up: "Father, neither I nor Miao Cai have committed any crime!"

  "Hmph!" Cao Zhi had openly defied him three times, and even if Cao Cao was tolerant to the extreme, his dignity had been completely swept away. In a fit of rage, his left hand unconsciously pressed on the hilt of his sword, his eyes fixed intently on Cao Zhi, waiting for him to say one more wrong word before he would draw his sword.

  Xiahou Yuan and Guo Jia were shocked, wanting to come forward to persuade him, but Cao Zhi's intention to kill Cao Cao was undaunted, and instead puffed out his chest and said: "Father, I think that with reason, one can travel the world, without reason, it is difficult to take a single step. Is father really such an unreasonable person?"

  Cao Zhi retorted with a question, and Cao Cao, no matter how angry he was in his heart, had to hold back his anger and said coldly: "You little boy, I'll see what reason you have today."

  Cao Zhi smiled confidently and said in his unique childish voice, "Father, look! I led the people to labor for the army, all within a hundred steps outside the military camp, without crossing the line. This alone is enough to prove my innocence. Secondly, Father is the commander-in-chief of the army, but now the soldiers do not respect military orders and recklessly rush out of the camp. Father cannot shirk his responsibility. Thirdly, Miao Cai Shu was just following Father's orders, sending someone to pass on the order to Yuan Rang Shu, who had just returned. Other generals can only manage their own army, not command the entire army. In this situation, if there are soldiers who violate military discipline, it is Father who should be punished, not Miao Cai Shu!"

  "Cao Cao listened and pointed at Cao Zhi, about to scold him. However, Cao Zhi's words were all reasonable, and even Cao Cao couldn't find anything to say."

  Xiahou Yuan saw the father and son arguing, knowing that if one of them angered Cao Cao, trouble would be big. He hastily advised: "General, these Qingzhou soldiers are newly surrendered and have not yet been trained to obey orders. This is the fault of the lower generals. Please punish them."

  However, Cao Cao completely ignored Xiahou Yuan's words. With his left hand pressing down on the hilt of his sword and his thumb pushing forward, the sword was unsheathed, revealing a cold glint. The next moment, the sharp blade slashed towards Cao Zhi's head!

  "Spare your life, Big Brother!"

  "My lord..."

  Cao Cao drew his sword, and Xiahou Yuan and Guo Jia both cried out in unison. However, Cao Cao was also well-versed in martial arts, and suddenly attacking his own beloved son caught even Xiahou Yuan off guard, who only managed to shout "Spare him!" before it was too late. As for Guo Jia, his reaction was half a beat slower.

  Cao Zhi faced the flashing sword light of Huo Huo and could no longer remain calm, shocked to the point where he hastily closed his eyes!

  "Hmm...".

  Fortunately, the sword light passed by, cutting off only a few strands of hair.

  Seeing no bloodshed on the scene, Xiahou Yuan and Guo Jia both let out a sigh of relief, and their previously tense hearts also relaxed. However, Cao Cao still had a fierce aura as he held his sword horizontally at Cao Zhi's neck, shouting: "You rebellious son only know how to speak reason, but have you ever thought that in this world, those who speak reason are less than one in a hundred? If you encounter someone who doesn't speak reason with you, by now you would have lost your head!"

  As for the long sword placed at his neck, Cao Zhi showed no fear, instead he raised his head to meet Cao Cao's gaze and smiled: "I believe, Father is one of the few reasonable men in the world."

  "Hmm." Upon hearing Cao Zhi's words, Cao Cao merely let out a cold hum and sheathed his long sword. He then turned around silently and left without saying another word.

  Looking at Cao Cao's back, Guo Jia whispered to Xiahou Yuan: "General Miao Cai, you stay here with the fourth lord, I'll go take a look."

  Xiahou Yuan, although a fierce general on the battlefield, still did not dare to provoke Cao Cao when he was in high spirits. Now that Guo Jia is going with him, he naturally agreed and nodded his head, letting Guo Jia go quickly. At the same time, he also pulled Cao Zhi back and whispered: "Zhi, why do you speak to your elder brother like this? You should know that what he dislikes most is someone opposing him to his face."

  Cao Zhi winked at Xiahou Yuan and said, "Uncle Miao, can't you see that Father is not really angry?" After saying this, Cao Zhi did not say anything more and changed the subject: "Alright Uncle Miao, let's hurry up and get the labor work done." Having said that, he broke free from Xiahou Yuan's grasp and rejoined the ranks of the laborers.

  Looking at Cao Zhi's short figure, Xiahou Yuan couldn't help but shake his head and smile: "This kid..."

  ……

  Guo Jia was after all a scholar, and his speed couldn't compare to Cao Cao's. When he arrived at the main tent, he heard Cao Cao's loud laughter echoing from inside, "Hahahaha..."

  Guo Jia hastened his pace and walked up to ask Dian Wei, who was guarding the large tent: "Dian Wei, what's wrong with our lord?"

  Dian Wei's ugly face managed to squeeze out a smile, saying: "Sir will know when he goes in." Although Dian Wei's smile was quite unsightly, Guo Jia, who was skilled at reading people, could see through it.

  Guo Jia nodded, lifted the curtain and walked in. As soon as he entered, he heard Cao Cao laughing loudly and excitedly saying: "Haha! Good! You are indeed my son, Cao Mengde! With reason, you can travel all over the world; without reason, it's hard to take a single step! Well said, too good!"

  Upon hearing Cao Cao's words of praise, Guo Jia finally felt relieved and smiled, saying: "So the lord appreciates the Fourth Gentleman after all; I was worried for nothing."

  Cao Cao turned around and looked at Guo Jia, saying: "Feng Xiao's words are wrong. I was indeed angry just now, but this kid really made sense, and I couldn't argue with him."

  Looking at Cao Cao, Guo Jia's eyes flashed with approval and nodded: "In the past, Emperor Wu issued a decree to punish himself. Now that the lord is willing to admit that the fourth son's words are reasonable, his tolerance can be compared to Emperor Wu. Why worry about not achieving great things?"

  "Haha, filial piety is indeed a virtue, but how can Cao be compared to Emperor Wu?" Although Cao Cao shook his head, he had a pleased expression on his face when saying this. However, soon after, he stroked his chin and furrowed his brow, saying: "This inferior talent has a clever mind and a bold character, it's just a pity that he has too much of a bookworm air about him." At this point, Cao Cao couldn't help but let out a sigh.

  Guo Jia smiled faintly: "The scholarly air is a bit heavy, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. Especially since the Fourth Master is still young, having a strong sense of justice and being able to distinguish right from wrong will help him get to the bottom of things he doesn't understand. Why should you sigh, my lord?"

  Cao Cao shook his head and said: "Scholars are too self-opinionated, prone to being stubborn, and not flexible enough in their dealings with others. This is not a good thing."

  Guo Jia smiled with his hands behind his back: "Master, you are overthinking this. The fact that the bookworm is so serious proves that the Fourth Young Master is a straightforward person who does things in a direct and simple manner. Do you really think that the Fourth Young Master should be cunning and sophisticated at such a young age?"

  Hearing Guo Jia's words, Cao Cao stroked his beard and said: "What Fengxiao said is reasonable. Zhi'er is still young, and being straightforward is not a bad thing. However, as he grows older, it will be necessary to teach him the ways of adapting to situations."

  Guo Jia waved his hand and laughed: "The lord is underestimating the fourth son, this move to comfort the troops, isn't it also a way of being round and smooth in dealing with the world?"

  "Is flattering the military a way of being smooth in the world? Filial piety, are you saying..."

  Cao Cao's face showed some understanding, and Guo Jia nodded: "Just now, I heard that the magistrate of Guangwei County, Zhou Ruo, wanted to set up a banquet for the fourth master. But now the fourth master is advising the people to use their prepared food to entertain the army. In this way, the people of Guangwei have obviously stopped pursuing the lord's previous intention to slaughter the city, and between the lord's great army, they have also turned hostility into friendship. I think that the fourth master is not unfamiliar with the ways of the world, but wants to remind the lord at all times not to make mistakes, and it is out of a heart of filial piety."

  Cao Cao stroked his beard and pointed at Guo Jia, chuckling: "Fengxiao, you're actually speaking up for your little son."

  Guo Jia shrugged indifferently and said, "My lord, what I said is also a fact." The two of them burst out laughing after they finished speaking.