Chapter 2: Cao Manor's Lü Rui

  After arriving in Dongjun, Cao immediately claimed illness and submitted a memorial to the imperial court, retiring to his home in Qiao County, Cao Fu. Lü Yi also spent three years at Cao Fu, where he was considered an elder brother. Cao Ang was several years older than Lü Yi, Cao Pi was one year younger, and Cao Zhen had just been born. Although Lü Yi was young, he was very cunning, and many people in the mansion had been tricked by him. However, due to Cao's favoritism towards his wives, no one dared to do anything to Lü Yi. Cao's favoritism towards his adopted sons was well-known in history, even a useless person like He Yan, as Cao's nephew, dared to dress more extravagantly than the crown prince, which made Cao Pi resentful. As Cao's first adopted son of this generation, Lü Yi naturally received boundless favor and affection.

  Lü Rui was wearing a long gown, holding a small bamboo whip, and playing listlessly in the mansion. Cao Cao had gone out to discuss matters, while Cao Pi followed him around like a shadow all day, asking him to play with sand or take the family guards to the riverbank to catch fish, bullying some of the wealthy merchants' sons nearby. Lü Rui also felt bored after playing for a long time, so he shook off Cao Pi and went to the backyard to play alone. It turned out that ancient aristocratic young masters were this boring.

  Just as Lü Rui was playing in the courtyard, Cao Chun suddenly arrived. Lü Rui looked up and was overjoyed, then ran over to him with a skip, saying: "Zihe Shufu, how did you come? What brings you here? Where has Zhongfu gone?"

  Although Cao took Lü Rui as his adopted son, Lü Rui did not call Cao father, but instead called him Zhong Fu. Cao once asked: "Why doesn't Rui Er want to call me father?" Lü Rui only replied: "I am the legitimate blood son of the Lü family." Cao listened and was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing and said: "Rui Er's filial piety is indeed not easy. Since that's the case, from now on, you can call me Zhong Fu." In ancient times, the order of siblings was: Bo, Zhong, Ji, Shu. Cao was younger than Lü Bo by a few years, so he let Lü Rui call him Zhong Fu.

  Cao Chun patted Lü Rui's little head and said, "So it was you, Rui'er. Your uncle is preparing to return, I was sent by him to invite you. He is going to Luoyang, General-in-Chief He Jin has invited him to take office in the imperial court, and I came to discuss the trip to Luoyang with your brother." Lü Rui listened and had an idea, a trip to Luoyang? Luoyang? The ancient capital of the Han Dynasty. As a transmigrator, he had always admired the prosperity of the Han Dynasty. Thinking of this, Lü Rui showed a sly smile, determined to make Cao take him to Luoyang.

  Thinking of this, Lü Rui bit his finger and said: "Zihe Shu, I also want to listen to your conversation, take me with you." After finishing speaking, he grabbed Cao Chun's collar and refused to let go. Cao Chun looked at Lü Rui and knew that this little boy was in a high position in the family, not only Cao Cao but also Cao Song doted on him, if he were to offend him, it wouldn't be a good thing. Thinking of this, Cao Chun picked up Lü Rui and said: "Alright, Zihe Shu will take you with us." After finishing speaking, he carried Lü Rui into the study room.

  Cao soon returned to the government, saw Cao Chun had been waiting, very satisfied, and also saw Lü Rui, immediately called Lü Rui over, then touched Lü Rui's head, made a funny face at Lü Rui. Cao's ugly appearance made Lü Rui dare not flatter him, but still smiled hehe. Cao Chun on the side saw, fortunately brought this little devil king, otherwise Lü Rui would have reported, his own butt?

  Cao Cao and Lü Bu played for a while, then changed his face, seriously saying: "Zihe, I want you to train the clan members, how is the progress?" It turned out that after being assassinated by an unknown black-clad man, Cao Cao had seen the ferocity of the assassin and decided to train a personal guard to prevent similar situations from happening in the future. This matter was handed over to Cao Chun to handle.

  Cao Chun looked at Cao and cupped his hands, saying: "Elder brother, please be at ease. I have already selected three hundred people from within the clan, training them every day, and forging a set of armor, equipping the imperial guards. Now they have made some small achievements, but to train them into elite soldiers, it's likely that more time is needed."

  Cao looked at Cao Chun, nodded and said: "Zihe, I will be going to Luoyang soon. The Grand General has invited me to his mansion. The safety of my family and clan is now in your hands. You must protect them well."

  Cao Chun knelt down on one knee, clasped his fists and said: "Please rest assured, brother, I will definitely protect the safety of everyone in the family, waiting for your return."

  Lü Rui pulled at Cao's sleeve and said: "Uncle, uncle, I want to go to Luoyang too. I want to have some fun in Luoyang. Take me with you, take me with you."

  Looking at the lovely Lü Rui, Cao Cao scratched his little hand and said: "Rui'er, the road to Luoyang is long and distant, are you afraid of hardship? If not, I'll take you there." Cao Cao felt that this trip to Luoyang was not particularly dangerous, taking Lü Rui along would be a good experience for him, as long as he wasn't afraid of the long journey.

  Lü Rui looked at Cao and said, "Uncle, I'm not afraid of the distance. I want to go to Luoyang and have some fun there." After finishing speaking, he shook Cao's hand. Cao had no choice but to smile and agree to take Lü Rui to Luoyang.

  Lü Rui obtained Cao's consent, and with a flourish, he went to Luoyang, determined to make thorough preparations. Cao saw Lü Rui's delighted expression and couldn't help but smile, stroking his beard.

  Just then, the steward of Cao's mansion suddenly came to report that Xu You was seeking an audience. Cao heard this and thought, "Why has Xu You come?" This old friend had not visited him for a long time. Cao immediately ordered the steward to bring Xu You in.

  Soon, the housekeeper brought Xu You to the study room. Cao Chun bowed and retreated. Xu You saw Cao Cao and cupped his hands in respect, saying: "Meng De, it's been a long time! I didn't know Rui Er was here too. It's been a while since we last met. Uncle Xu has prepared some gifts for you, which have already been sent to your room. You can take a look later?" Lü Rui is now the darling of the Cao Mansion. Everyone who comes to visit Cao Cao knows to first get on good terms with Lü Rui, because Lü Rui is Cao Cao's most beloved adopted son. Those who know Cao Cao are aware that to win over Cao Meng De, one must first win over Lü Rui!

  Lü Bu shot a glance at Xu You, this man had the appearance of a thief, with a smile that seemed like a sword, indeed it was said that "birds of a feather flock together", Cao Cao and Xu You were truly a pair. Although these two men did not have impressive appearances, they were indeed famous figures of the late Eastern Han dynasty. Lü Bu patted his own mouth and let out a sigh saying: "In that case, thank you Uncle Xu."

  Xu You was taken aback, this kid is so rude, how did Cao Mengde educate him? He even brought gifts for himself, but only said a faint "thank you"? Mengde is too much, spoiling his son to such an extent. Could it be that this Lü Rui is the illegitimate child of Mengde and some woman? No way, Lü Rui's appearance is extraordinary, just like Mengde, two peas in a pod.

  At this time, Cao did not know that Xu You was guessing his relationship with Lü Rui in his heart. Seeing the displeased expression on Xu You's face, he knew that Lü Rui's words had made Xu You unhappy. Then Cao coughed a few times and said: "Rui'er, since Uncle Xu brought gifts for you, you should also return the gift. Say, what do you want to give to Uncle Xu?"

  Lv Rui looked at Cao, then looked at Xu You, and Xu You finally showed a smile. Meng De still knew the etiquette, not bad, he could still bring something back. Lv Rui thought for a moment, then scratched his head and said: "Oh, Zhongfu, I've got it! Yesterday, my mother-in-law gave me a small belly warmer, today I'll give it to Uncle Xu as a gift, hoping that Uncle Xu will give birth to a little brother for Rui'er."

  Cao Cao burst out laughing, spitting out the tea he had drunk halfway. He couldn't believe that Lü Bu was actually teasing Xu You like this. Cao Cao, Xu You, and Yuan Shao were all close friends in their youth, often getting into mischief together, such as sneaking peeks at other people's wives or stealing brides from under each other's noses. However, it was strange that after the three of them got married, Yuan Shao had four sons, Cao Cao had several sons too, but Xu You didn't have a single son. Whenever they met up, this topic would often come up in conversation, and Cao Cao and Yuan Shao would laugh at Xu You, saying he must have done something wrong to not have any children yet. Now Lü Bu was actually using this to tease Xu You.

  Xu You was also furious at this time, scolding in his heart: "Cao Mengde, Cao Mengde, I have done something wrong and have no descendants. Others may not know, but do I not know? It's all because of you and Benchu going to steal happiness. I'm watching the wind, damn it, why is heaven punishing me Xu You? Now I've even taken in a foster son for Mengde, this is really unfair." Xu You smiled and said: "Thank you, Rui'er. Your uncle will borrow your auspicious words and do his best to give you a little brother."

  Cao and Lü Rui were both taken aback, Cao thought to himself that it seemed that Zi Yuan had something important to ask of him, otherwise he wouldn't have allowed Rui to be so rude. Lü Rui was thinking that Xu You, Xu Zi Yuan, was indeed not a simple person, with such deep cunning and strategy, it seemed that the reputation of being the number one strategist in Hebei was not undeserved. According to the historical records of the Three Kingdoms, Xu You was a capable person, not just in the Battle of Guandu, Cao's pacification of Hebei, Xu You's contributions were undeniable.

  Cao Cao glanced at Xu You, cupped his hands and said: "Zi Yuan, Rui'er doesn't understand things, don't take offense, by the way Zi Yuan, you came today, I wonder what's the matter? Isn't it just to come to my mansion to offer gifts?"

  Xu You looked at Lü Rui, Cao waved his hand and said: "Zi Yuan, don't mind, Rui is just a child, what's the matter, you can speak directly, do we still need to be like this?" As for Xu You, Cao was also dissatisfied. He and Xu You had known each other for many years, but Xu You spoke to him in such a roundabout way, making Cao feel unfulfilled - was this still a friendship of wine and meat?

  Xu You bowed and said: "Meng De, I discussed with Ji Zhou governor Wang Fen, nowadays the emperor is tyrannical, people are miserable, great chaos will arise. After the Yellow Turbans, the Han dynasty's prestige has been lost. If we establish a new ruler, it must be from among us, the dragon's ministers. What do you think, Meng De?" Lü Bu listened and realized what this was about - Xu You wanted to make Cao Pi the emperor, and had come to discuss it with Cao Cao. Thinking of this, Lü Bu looked at Cao Cao, it seemed that Cao Cao would disappoint Xu You this time.

  Cao looked at Xu You with a complex expression, while Xu You was looking at Cao with a eager face, hoping to get a affirmative answer from him. Cao raised his head, glanced at Xu You and said: "Zi Yuan, my Cao family has been favored by the emperor for generations, the great Han dynasty's Yellow Turban Rebellion has been basically pacified, in the future under your majesty's rule, the great Han will surely revive its prestige."

  Xu You was taken aback, not expecting Cao to respond in such a way. It seemed that this trip had been for nothing. Xu You and Cao had been old friends for many years, but from the look in Cao's eyes, Xu You saw an unprecedented determination. Cao would not join him in supporting the Prince of Hefei. Thinking this, Xu You bowed his head and said, "Since it's like that, people have different ambitions. Meng De, I bid you farewell!" After finishing speaking, he turned around and left the study, leaving Cao's residence without looking back.

  Lü Bu saw Xu You's performance and had a new understanding of Xu You in his heart. It seems that Xu You is very familiar with Cao Cao. From Cao Cao's answer and expression, it can be inferred that Cao Cao has made up his mind. He himself is by Cao Cao's side every day, but he cannot understand Cao Cao's inner thoughts. Unexpectedly, Xu You was able to see through them. It seems that Xu You's death may not be just due to arrogance. Who would want someone to see through their own thoughts?

  Cao saw Xu You leave without saying anything, and instead smiled at Lü Rui: "Rui'er, let's pack up our luggage, we're going to Luoyang." Lü Rui clapped his hands and said: "Alright, Uncle Zhong, let's go pack up!" After finishing speaking, he left the study with Cao to pack up their luggage. Three days later, Cao set off for Luoyang with Lü Rui.