Chapter 15: Be Concerned with the Worries of the World before Others Are (Part 2)

  Double Ninth Festival evening, I chanced upon a white chrysanthemum. This is actually a poem by Bai Juyi of the Tang Dynasty, but under unexpected circumstances, it has become Cao Xin's original work. If this were to happen in the distant future, this copyright issue would be punishable by law. What if I were to run into Fang Chuanzi again? Wouldn't I still have to die a terrible death for the sake of saving face?

  Fortunately, this was in ancient times when copyright awareness was not strong and no one knew who Bai Juyi was. Otherwise, Cao Xin would have had a thousand mouths to argue with, let alone drink water without choking to death.

  After taking their seats, Cai Yong was sitting in the main seat, while Cao Xin and Zhou Yu were sitting on the side seats, kneeling on the ground.

  Compared with Cao Xin's embarrassed expression, Cai Yong, although older, still looked spirited and energetic, clearly in a great mood.

  "Ting'er, you go down first, I'll have a word with Lord Cao Xin for a moment." He beckoned to the little girl by his side, indicating that she should leave.

  The other party, that little girl from before, also didn't dare to disobey at this moment. She stomped her foot and glared fiercely at Cao Xin before storming off in a huff.

  Cai Yong couldn't help but laugh and say: "My young daughter Cai Ting doesn't know her manners, I'm afraid she's made a fool of herself in front of you, sir."

  It turns out that this little girl is called Cai Ting... I have never heard of it before. In local dialect, even the Buddha has local bandits under his command, and this sentence really makes some sense.

  Thus thinking, Cao Xin immediately reacted and made a respectful bow to the other party, humbly saying: "Please, Mr. Cai, do not call me 'sir'! Just call me by my name, I dare not be called 'sir' in front of you."

  Who dares to claim themselves as a literary giant in front of Mo Yan? I'm just an official in charge of farming.

  Of course, the agricultural school lieutenant is not small either. Managing the farmland of a state and county, the farmland is grain and grass, it can be seen that the responsibility is heavy. However, this position after all does not have real power, and in front of him is the majestic Eastern Han Zhonglang General, with a higher rank than Cao Cao. How dare he be presumptuous?

  However, Cai Yong burst out laughing at this moment, nodded to the former, stroked his beard and laughed: "Well, after all, you are an official appointed by the imperial court. In this case, it's also my guest. It's not quite proper to call your name directly. I'll still call your courtesy name, Anmin..."

  Cao Xin heard this and was overjoyed, as using a courtesy name was a sign of respect for someone in ancient times.

  "I obey your orders!"

  Cao Xing respectfully and properly, Cai Yong on the main seat also brightened his eyes, and said in a serious tone: "I heard that the other day, Ren City was taken down by Cao Ang's army without bloodshed. It is said that it was An Minyou's plan to sow discord."

  "How did you know, sir?"

  At this, Haha smiled and Cai Yong said with great praise: "General Fengxiao has long been acquainted with my little daughter. It was General Fengxiao who told me about you, and from his words, it seems that he also praises you highly."

  Filial piety, Guo Jia?

  Wait... Is Guo Jia good friends with Cai Ting?

  Can two people with vastly different personalities become good friends? The Three Kingdoms version of Tang Monk and bandit buddy story. Good, good, cage, chirp.

  At this time, he didn't notice the latter's next sentence, but was guessing about the relationship between the two. After a moment of wild thinking, he asked doubtfully: "Does Military Advisor know your daughter Cai Ting?"

  However, as soon as he said this, Cai Yong was taken aback for a moment, and then seemed to think of something funny, and immediately laughed loudly: "No, no, no, I'm talking about my eldest daughter Cai Yan, not my younger daughter Cai Ting, haha!"

  I'm saying... this is unscientific.

  Huh? Wait a minute.

  "Is it Cai Wenji, the wife of Dong Si, that you are referring to?"

  As soon as this was said, the former suddenly felt inexplicable and stopped smiling instantly. Looking at the former, he asked strangely: "What is Cai Wenji?"

  But it was a heavy hammer blow, Cao Xin didn't know that Cai Yan at this moment wasn't Cai Wenji, Cai Yan should be called Cai Zhaoji in history, and later changed her name to Cai Wenji because she offended the taboo of Jin Emperor Sima Zhao.

  At this moment, Cao Xin suddenly woke up and knew that he had misspoken. He hurriedly laughed and looked around, vaguely saying: "I... I was talking about Lord Cai, Lord Cai... You must have misheard me... Haha, haha, hahaha."

  At this time, Cai Yan also smiled and Cai Yong couldn't help but say with a sigh of relief: "My little daughter Cai Yan may know a bit about music and literature, but the word 'great' is something she dare not assume."

  His face suddenly sweated like rain, Cao Xin listened to the end and was still congratulating himself, but he also had some doubts in his heart. He bowed again and asked: "Sir, what did you call me for?"

  Cai Yong waved his hand, indicating that the other party didn't need to be too polite. Only then did he speak seriously: "From the Yellow Turban Rebellion until now, the Great Han's territory has been in constant turmoil. I've heard that General Jingzhong of the Fierce and Brave Army has nothing but praise for you when it comes to pacifying the people. This time, I came specifically to ask you, do you have any thoughts on how to bring peace to this world?"

  Cao Xin suddenly understood, the other party's feelings were just like Wang Yun's, once they got someone to talk to, they would spit out their bitter water, saying things like "I'm worried about the great Han dynasty" and whatnot, to express their patriotic sentiments...

  As for the Han Dynasty, Cao Xin had no good feelings, just like what he once said in front of his father and grandfather, the great Han spirit has been exhausted. But now Cao Xin's identity is different, he is now under Cao Cao, as a minister, every moment thinking about the lord, everything he thought and said before becomes complicated.

  At this moment, Cai Yong asked about the overall situation of the world, and the implicit meaning was to ask if Cao Cao could be relied upon.

  What is it based on? Guo Jia must have already given Cai Yan a reply, and this time when asked about Cao Xin, the latter was even more affirmative. Cai Yan was probing whether Cao Cao really had the intention of supporting Han.

  That's right, Cao Xin guessed it. If Cai Yong knew that Cao Cao really had the heart to support Han, then Cai Yong would unhesitatingly surrender to Cao Cao. Once Cai Yong surrendered to Cao, more than half of the hearts of scholars in the world would be attached to Cao Cao, which would be a great help for future plans to dominate the world.

  After a moment of silence, Cao Xin saw that the other party was also smiling at himself, and he was determined in his heart. He said seriously: "My master Cao Cao has always had a heroic ambition. When he was the North City Magistrate of Luoyang, he was not afraid of powerful forces. Now that the great house is about to collapse, as a citizen of the world, one must set an example for oneself and make contributions to the imperial court. This is what is meant by 'the rise and fall of the world, every ordinary person has a responsibility'."

  "Will heaven's fate rise or fall... does a single man have responsibility?" Cai Yong muttered to himself, pondering the previous words, but suddenly his eyes lit up and he looked at the other person saying: "This phrase, I've never heard it before, An Min is truly astonishing with his words. Are you saying that this world cannot do without Lord Cao?"

  At this very moment, just as Cai Yong's words had fallen.

  In the room behind him, a beautiful woman was quietly observing the other person through the door.

  And this woman, compared with Cai Ting before, in terms of beauty and figure, is not inferior.

  To know Cai Ting's appearance and figure can be said to be stunning, but the woman in front of her is more elegant and refined, less worldly. Just like a fairy descending to earth, so beautiful that if there were men around at this moment, they would definitely be deeply captivated by the woman's temperament and appearance, and faint on the spot.

  At this moment, the latter was standing carefully in front of a small door, as if quietly sizing up Cao Xin in the hall.

  At the same time, he did not notice the unusual gaze on the other side, but looked at Cai Yong and said seriously: "Although I am not talented, I often think of the heart of ancient sages, not rejoicing in material things, nor sorrowing for myself. As a minister, one should worry about the world's troubles before worrying about one's own, and enjoy the world's joys after enjoying one's own, then the Han Dynasty will have hope, and the world will have hope."

  As soon as this was said, there was a sudden "crack" sound from outside the hall and the room door.

  But it was unknown when a porcelain vase beside the door suddenly fell to the ground and shattered into pieces...

  A faint tinkling sound, and then quietly emerged

  "The people are worried before worrying about the world, and happy after the world is happy."

  *

  PS: Updated once today, begging for a recommendation vote, thank you all.