Chapter 9: Trivial Matters in Luoyang (1)

  In 188 AD, two major events shook the capital city of Luoyang. One was that Lü Rui, the adopted son of Cao Cao, received a noble title from Emperor Ling of Han and became the Marquis of Qi. This was the highest noble title ever given to a non-member of the imperial family since the founding of the Han Dynasty, causing a huge stir among both the bureaucratic and aristocratic groups.

  Compared to Lü Rui's official seal, another matter shook the Han Dynasty: Cao Song's son Cao had in his hands a rejuvenating elixir that could revive people from near death and extend their lifespan. As soon as this news came out, almost all of the eunuchs in the Han court wanted to storm into Cao Song's residence, and even Cao Song's origins became a topic of conversation among the nobles and commoners of the Han Dynasty. It was said that Cao Teng had obtained the elixir and given birth to Cao Song, and now Cao had it in his hands, passed down from his grandfather Cao Teng.

  Cao Song almost fainted when he heard the rumor. He was originally a member of the Xiahou family who had been adopted into the Cao family, and his roots were still with the Xiahou family. This was something that he had always reminded others not to forget. However, once the rumors about Cao Song's origins began circulating, many people in the Cao family started discussing it, even sending someone from the Xiahou family to ask questions. As a result, Cao Song became extremely anxious and wanted to resign his position and leave Luoyang, which was full of gossip and scandal.

  Cao Cao had been annoyed in the mansion for days, and he didn't know what to do with this divine elixir. Cao Song thought it was a sign from him to Lü Bu, so he pushed everything onto him and let him handle it. Later, the divine elixir in Cao Cao's hands became even more legendary, and rumors spread that it could cure infertility and ensure the birth of male children. This rumor caused trouble for Cao Cao, as many wealthy families wanted sons. They all came to find Cao Cao, who received the news and pretended to be ill, closing his doors and refusing to see any guests.

  Cao had also asked Lü Rui how to obtain the elixir and what was meant by "the pleasures of the inner chamber" and Emperor Ling's preferences. Lü Rui only told Cao that he obtained the elixir from Hua Tuo, but refused to reveal who told him about the other two things, saying that he had promised not to betray the person's trust. This was a matter of integrity, which Cao had taught him. Cao could do nothing but secretly investigate. After all, he couldn't bring himself to harm his beloved adopted son.

  On this day, Emperor Ling of Han suddenly issued an edict, ordering Cao to bring Lü Bu into the palace, where Lü would be formally enfeoffed as a marquis and Cao would be officially appointed to office. Cao was also perplexed by the emperor's edict. Granting Lü Bu a marquis title had been decided long ago, so it wasn't surprising, but being summoned to the palace himself to receive an official appointment left Cao bewildered - what did the Emperor have in mind? However, since the Emperor had summoned him, Cao couldn't pretend to be ill and had no choice but to bring Lü Bu to court.

  Emperor Ling of Han issued two edicts in the court. The first edict was to appoint Lü Bu as Marquis of Qi, enjoying a fief of 1,000 households, with his territory located in Fan County. This Fan County was later an important strategic location during the Battle of Puyang between Cao Cao and Lü Bu, where Cao Cao managed to retake Puyang after losing it by controlling the throat of Puyang here.

  The second edict caused Cao's heart to fluctuate, and Emperor Ling of Han set up the eight Western Garden Imperial Corps, with eight people being:

  Upper Military Academy Lieutenant - Little Yellow Gate · Jian Zhuo

  Central Military Colonel - Hu Ben Zhong Lang Jiang · Yuan Shao

  Lower Army Colonel - Garrison Cavalry Colonel - Bao Hong

  Dianjunxiao Wei - Yilang Cao

  Assistant Army Left Colonel - Zhao Rong

  Assistant Colonel of the Right Army - Feng Fang

  Zuo Xiaowei - Jianyi Daifu · Xia Mou

  Right Commandant - Chunyu Qiong

  Eight people were appointed by the eunuch, Zhang Rang. The eight military commanders were mainly in charge of commanding the 150,000-strong imperial guards in Luoyang. As soon as this edict was issued, He Jin's face changed slightly, and the eight appointees all began to murmur among themselves. Everyone knew that Emperor Ling had issued this edict to divide He Jin's military power and let the eunuchs control the imperial guards' military power, opposing He Jin who controlled the military power of the entire country. Yuan Shao and other officials close to He Jin were all displeased in their hearts, regardless of how their positions changed, they were still under General He Jin. As for Cao Cao, his identity was awkward. His grandfather, Cao Teng, was a eunuch, and many people considered him part of the eunuchs' group. However, Cao Teng had done favors for many high-ranking officials in the bureaucratic group, and some people also considered him part of the bureaucratic group. Such an identity made it difficult for Cao Cao to take sides, leaning towards either side would be inappropriate, being a neutral faction was the most suitable, but could he protect himself by being a neutral faction in such a court politics? It's really difficult!

  After Emperor Ling of Han issued the two edicts, he retired from court and returned. Lü Bu was taken away by eunuchs to make clothes for the Marquis, issue the imperial seal, and handle some trivial matters that could not be completed in the court. Cao Cao waited for Lü Bu outside the council hall in an empty space, and they returned to the mansion together after Lü Bu finished his work.

  At this time, the people who were going down also left one after another. The first to come was General He Jin, wearing armor. Cao saw him and cupped his hands in respect, saying: "General."

  He Jin glanced at Cao Cao, smiled and said: "Congratulations, Meng De! Originally, I wanted to recommend you to the Emperor, but unexpectedly, you are so talented that you have gained the Emperor's recognition so quickly. Don't forget your old friend."

  Cao listened and hastily cupped his hands in respect, saying: "General, you're being polite. Doesn't the military power of the empire still lie in your grasp?"

  He Jin heard this and laughed loudly as he left: Cao Mengde still knows what's important!

  After He Jin left, it was Cao Cao's group of good friends who came to congratulate him. Cao Cao also welcomed them with a smile and returned the courtesy to everyone.

  Suddenly, an official said: "Meng De, who are you waiting for here?"

  An official said: "Still waiting for the young master of their family, Qi Guo Hou Lü Rui, Lord Lü, Meng De, you really have a good skill."

  Cao was once again perplexed, what's with these two speaking in such a mysterious and ambiguous tone? What does it have to do with him? Just as Cao was wondering, Xu You came up and greeted him with a flattering smile, saying: "Meng De?"

  Cao Cao took one look at Xu You and was startled. At this moment, Xu You looked like a brothel madam, fawningly gazing at Cao Cao. Cao Cao asked: "What brings you here, Ziyuan?"

  Xu You smiled and said: "Meng De, you are too unkind. With such a good thing, you should present it to the Emperor, not leave it for us friends. Rui'er's tribute was deeply liked by the Emperor, and Rui'er was promoted to Marquis of Qi. Meng De, you also gained a lot, getting the official position of Dianjunxiao Wei. You've made enough profit, so give me some of the divine elixir too. Zi Yuan's family still has no descendants."

  Cao listened and finally understood, another big black pot. Ben Chu and others thought that Cao used Lü Bu to present elixirs to Emperor Xian of Han, and then gained the emperor's appreciation, so he was appointed as the official of the military school lieutenant. This military school lieutenant is the lieutenant of the forbidden army, who manages the laws of the forbidden army, different from Wang Yue, who manages the lieutenant of the imperial court. Cao listened, furious in his heart, I am Cao Mengde, a real man and a hero, how can I get an official position with such a lowly means? Military school lieutenant? My official position is not obtained by luck, but by my own strength!

  Cao Cao glanced at Xu You, then said: "Zi Yuan, that elixir was found by Rui'er and is now in Rui'er's hands. I, Cao Mengde, don't have it. If you want to ask, go ask Rui'er!"

  Xu You was also furious, Cao Mengde, you are too shameless, using your adopted son three times, a three-year-old child. I, Xu Ziyuan, am greedy for wealth, but I wouldn't use a child. You, Cao, used your adopted son and still acted so arrogantly. I, Xu Ziyuan, begged you, but you didn't agree.

  Xu You glanced at Cao, flicked his sleeve, snorted, and left. The rest of the colleagues who wanted to ask for Dan medicine saw Xu You being rebuffed, also felt embarrassed to ask Cao, and left with a disdainful look in their eyes.

  Yuan Shao saw everyone leaving, stepped forward, patted Cao and said: "Meng De, you are more and more deceitful, even using a three-year-old child, cheating us of so much money at the Baixiang Tower, and now you're trying to win the Emperor's favor with elixirs. Meng De, don't be too shameless." After finishing speaking, Yuan Shao left without looking back.

  After everyone left, Cao was alone in the palace, feeling depressed and frustrated. He thought to himself: "I've been framed again! I must find out who told Rui about the pleasure of the bridal chamber and kill him! And what about the Baixiang Tower? Ah yes, there's also the matter of my private funds being spent by that deadbeat Cao Zhong. That little scoundrel has wasted so much of my money, I'll take it out on him first!"

  Cao did not think that for Lü Bu, he would again bear the blame of history. Chen Shou's "Records of the Three Kingdoms. Book of Wei. Emperor Wu of Jin" says: The emperor was a heroic talent, but his private virtues were lacking. In the past, when he took office in Luoyang, he borrowed the title of Duke Wenxuan to approach Emperor Ling of Han, and cleverly obtained an official position. He no longer had the integrity and uprightness of his early years in Luoyang.

  Cao arrived underground, that tone, heavens! I am Emperor Wu of Wei! The empire conquered by force, the official position of Great Han needs to be cleverly taken? It was obtained by my own strength! Alas, poor Cao has carried another big black pot again!

  Soon, Lü Bu was led out by the palace guards. Cao took Lü Bu and headed straight back to the residence of the Grand Marshal. Cao didn't want to stay outside for a moment longer. As soon as he stepped outside, he would be surrounded. Although Luoyang is vast, only the residence of the Grand Marshal could provide Cao with a moment's peace!

  After Cao Song resigned, he was busy preparing to return to Qiao County. Because Cao Song had a large family and business in Luoyang, there were still many properties to deal with, so after resigning, he continued to stay in Luoyang, planning to use one month's time to handle his own affairs. Lü Rui also used this period of time to intensify his study of swordsmanship, hoping to completely master Wang Yue's ultimate skills!

  Lü Rui had been enfeoffed as a marquis for seven days, and many officials and nobles who came to offer congratulations had already paid their respects at the Cao manor. On this day, Lü Rui got up relatively early, practiced swordplay with Wang Yue, then bathed and returned to his own quarters.

  Lü Rui had just taken a sip of tea in his room when Cao Zhong came to ask for an audience with him. Lü Rui was taken aback, wondering what this young man wanted to see him for. Without thinking much about it, he called for the servant to bring Cao Zhong in. As the steward of the Cao household, he still held a certain position in the Cao family.

  Cao Zhong immediately upon seeing Lü Rui, obsequiously bowed down and said: "Congratulations to the young master for being enfeoffed as Marquis of Qi, from now on you will enjoy boundless wealth and glory."

  Lü Rui looked at Cao Zhong, who was a servant raised by the Cao family since childhood. Because of his cleverness, he was favored by Cao Song and became the steward of one of Cao's households at a young age, which was not easy to achieve and made him a talented individual. Lü Rui smiled and asked: "Cao Zhong, how did you end up here?"

  Cao Zhong smiled and said, "Lord Hou, I came this time to congratulate the young master, and also to give you a gift." After finishing speaking, he revealed a sly smile.

  Lü Rui looked at Cao Zhong's appearance and felt like vomiting. He thought of a phrase from later generations: "Ten years of hard study with no one to ask, one day becoming prominent and the world knows." Although there was no imperial examination system yet, it perfectly described Lü Rui's current situation. Lü Rui glanced at Cao Zhong, took a bite of his snack, and said, "Gifts? What gifts, Cao Zhong? What gifts? Quickly bring them out for me to see."

  Cao Zhong smiled to himself, still just a kid, then said: "Come on in."

  A four or five-year-old little girl walked in, saw Lü Rui and knelt down: "The young lady Guo pays respects to the young master." As soon as Guo raised her head, Lü Rui was stunned. The little beauty had a melon-shaped face, willow-leaf eyebrows, pointed ears, cherry lips, slender fingers, and elegant manners. Although she was only four or five years old, it could be seen that she was a beautiful girl.

  Lü Rui looked at Cao Zhong, and Cao Zhong smiled and said: "Young master, this is a maidservant that I bought in Luoyang City. As the young master has just been promoted to Marquis, you must need a servant girl to attend to your needs. So, I..." At this point, Cao Zhong looked at Lü Rui with a flattering expression, waiting for his response.

  Lü Rui finally understood that Cao Zhong was trying to bribe him, and had brought this little servant girl to serve him. He thought to himself, "This kid is quite clever." Lü Rui looked at Guo Shi and said, "What a beautiful little sister! She must be worth a lot of money." Although Lü Rui was young, he knew about the business of buying and selling servants, which was a common practice among wealthy families in the Han Dynasty. He took it for granted that servant girls were expensive, especially those who were young and good-looking like this one.

  Cao Zhong smiled and said: "Master Hou is joking, it's an honor for me to do things for Master Hou, this little money is just a trivial matter, I hope Master Hou will accept it with a smile."

  Lü Rui nodded, anyway, she was also short of a maid in her own room, and it was convenient that Cao Zhong sent one over, which saved her the trouble. In the future, when she left the Cao residence, she would also need a maid. Lü Rui was born with a lazy temperament, having someone to help her dress and bathe was quite comfortable, especially if it was a beauty. Thinking of this, Lü Rui said: "Are you giving her to me? Since that's the case, I'll keep her then. Cao Zhong, you can go now." As for gifts sent by people from the Cao residence, Lü Rui never refused them.

  Cao Zhong nodded and said: "Yes, Lord Hou." However, Cao Zhong did not leave.

  Lv Rui looked at Cao Zhong with a puzzled expression and said: "Cao Zhong, why haven't you left yet? I still need to rest."

  Cao Zhong smiled and said: "Master Hou, a few days ago I went out to purchase goods, only returned to the mansion yesterday, and heard that Master had looked for me before, and was extremely angry. This humble one thought it must have done something wrong, offending Master's displeasure. If Master punishes this humble one, I hope young master can speak on my behalf."

  Lu Rui suddenly realized that Cao Zhong was afraid of being punished by Cao, so he sent a servant girl to please him. It seems that Cao has been carrying a big black pot and is very depressed, wanting to find someone to vent his emotions on. All this originated from the gathering at the Baixiang Building, where Cao Zhong lavishly spent a lot of money, which Cao now wants to settle accounts with Cao Zhong for.

  Thinking of this, Lü Rui suddenly came up with a plan. Hehe, Cao Zhong, you yourself sent it to the door, don't blame Ben Hou Ye. Lü Rui glanced at Cao Zhong and then jumped down, pinched Guo Shi's small face and said: "Okay, seeing that you brought this beautiful younger sister, if Father-in-law spanks your butt, I'll say not to spank, is it okay?"

  Cao Zhongyi heard this and was secretly delighted, thinking he had succeeded. He bowed his hands and said: "Thank you, Lord Hou, I bid farewell." After that, he retreated and went out.

  After Cao Zhong went out, Lü Rui looked at Guo Shi and asked: "What's your name? Where are you from?"

  Madam Guo walked up to Lü Rui, bowed and said: "Your Lordship, my surname is Guo, my name is Zhao, I am from Nangong. After arriving at the mansion, Cao Guan gave me the name Ling'er. Generally, when entering a large household as a maid, one cannot have their own name, only the name given by the master's family."

  Lü Rui said: "Alright, from now on I'll call you Ling'er. By the way, in the Cao residence, just call me 'Young Master' or 'Lü Young Master', don't call me 'Houye' anymore." Lü Rui is still living in the Cao household and hasn't left the family register yet. Calling him "Houye" all the time doesn't sound good, after all, Cao Song is just a marquis, and Cao Cao doesn't have any noble title yet. Always calling him that isn't giving face to Cao Cao, is it? As an adopted son, your title is even higher than his, what face does Cao Mengde still have?

  Ling'er was also a clever person and said: "I understand, young master."

  Lü Rui nodded, then walked to Ling'er's front, looked left and right, turned a few circles, and hummed, indeed a beauty, suitable for both near and far. Especially this pink little face, Lü Rui wanted to pinch it as soon as he saw it.

  Lü Rui pinched with her small hand, and Ling'er's face turned even redder. Then, Ling'er seemed to be shy again, avoiding Lü Rui's small hand. Lü Rui thought to herself, "Hehe, little sister is still shy, how fun!" Then she asked, "Ling'er, why won't you let me pinch?" After saying that, she puffed out her chest and pretended to be angry.

  Seeing Lü Rui's eyes widening in surprise, Ling'er trembled slightly and said weakly: "Young master, there is a distinction between superior and inferior. I am a lower-ranking person, it's not good for others to see."

  Lü Rui was surprised, "You know about social hierarchy? This little girl actually knows about social hierarchy? It seems she's not from a poor family after all." Lü Rui asked: "Ling'er, you still know about social hierarchy, what kind of family were you born into?"

  Ling'er looked at Lü Rui and said, "Young master, I was originally the daughter of the governor of Nanyang, born into an official family from a young age. It's just that later on, due to the Yellow Turban Rebellion, I ended up drifting here."

  Lü Rui was surprised, the governor of Nanyang, a high-ranking official, didn't expect that even an official's family would end up in Luoyang like this. It seems that the Yellow Turban Rebellion had a significant impact on the Han Dynasty. When I read history books before, it just seemed like a phrase, but now seeing this situation, even the daughter of a governor is like this, what about poor families?

  Just as Lü Rui and Ling'er were chatting, a servant entered Lü Rui's room and said: "Young Master?"

  Lü Rui glared at him, "What's wrong with you? I'm talking to the maid. What are you doing here?" he said displeased.

  The servant took a glance and was startled. Lü Rui was now the favored one in the Cao Manor, a marquis, provoking him could cost his life. The servant hastily said: "Young master, this is what Steward Cao asked me to hand over to you, it's Ling'er's contract of sale." After finishing speaking, he presented the contract and retreated.

  Lv Rui listened, this Cao Zhong is indeed clever. He didn't give himself a sales contract at first, but now he does. He's good at using people's psychology. Remind yourself not to forget to speak for him in front of Cao. Lv Rui smiled and thought that he really treated me like a three-year-old! Using the coquettish heart of a child who yearns for something they love!

  Lü Rui picked up the contract of sale, on which were written Ling'er's birth date, ancestral home, name, and courtesy name.

  Lü Rui took a look, Guo Zhao, alias Nvwang, was a native of South County, the second daughter of the governor of South County. Guo Nvwang? Cao Pi's empress? Lü Rui hurriedly asked: "Ling'er, do you have another name?"

  Ling'er nodded and said: "Reporting to the young master, yes. When I was born, my father said that I am a queen among women, so he named me Wang Nü, Guo Wang Nü."

  Lü Rui was taken aback and exclaimed: "Haha! I've actually given birth to a big Wei Zifu!"