Chapter 1: The Little Cao Family

  AD 194

  Emperor Xian of Han's first year of Xīng Píng, summer.

  When the great Han Dynasty was in a state of endless turmoil, on a small path leading to Xuchang, a horse-drawn carriage was traveling with flying yellow dust, as if the low hum of the wheels was also protesting the solemnity of the world, extremely heavy.

  "Father, why didn't you let your brother bring more soldiers to protect us on this trip to Xu Chang? Why did you have to rush ahead by yourself? If we were to encounter bandits or robbers, wouldn't it be very dangerous?" At that moment, a middle-aged man in the carriage spoke respectfully to an elderly man beside him.

  At this time, there were only three people in the car. In addition to the middle-aged man who was speaking, there was an elderly man with a dignified demeanor and a young man of about eighteen years old.

  At this time, the old man's originally narrowed eyes slightly relaxed, looked at the somewhat elegant middle-aged man beside him, and smiled lightly: "Zhong Cao, this trip is to let Xiner exercise in your brother's army, and we will return to our hometown of Huaxian, Taishan to settle down. Why bother with such a big fanfare? Hehe, your brother has just pacified Yanzhou, the people are not yet stable after the war, if this time is also so grandiose, won't it invite some criticism?"

  "What your father said is right, it's just that you didn't think it through." Upon hearing the old man say this, the middle-aged man immediately became solemn and seriously said to the young man kneeling beside him: "Xin'er, you must also remember your grandfather's words. This time when you go to your uncle's army, you absolutely cannot act rashly and must study diligently."

  "Oh... okay." Upon hearing this, the young man only responded with a faint murmur, not paying attention to it, and continued to gaze at the scenery outside the carriage, seemingly lost in thought.

  This young man is also the protagonist of this book, Cao Xin, Cao Anmin. The nephew of Wei Wu Emperor Cao Cao, the son of Cao De, and the grandson of Cao Xun.

  At this moment he is already eighteen years old, but has been living in this era for nearly ten years.

  Why say so? Of course, it's not necessary for me to tell you guys.

  Cao Anmin was originally Cao Xin, the administrator of XX City's Historical and Cultural Museum. However, he died in a theft incident involving cultural relics. After his death, he found himself attached to an 8-year-old child and inexplicably became Cao Cao's nephew, who was also Cao Anmin, the one who had died with Cao Ang and Ding Wei during the Battle of Wan City.

  Xin is the name of Cao Anmin, and Anmin is his courtesy name. Of course, during the Eastern Han period, one would only have a courtesy name at the age of 20, but his father Cao De gave him a courtesy name early on so that he could gain experience in Cao Cao's army earlier, and it was called Anmin.

  At this moment, he is to go to Xuchang with his grandfather and father to meet his uncle, the famous villain in history, Cao Cao.

  Looking at the winding yellow smoke drifting on the road, Cao Xin's gaze was looking at a distant mound, his empty eyes seemed to be lost in thought about his future, his thoughts suddenly burst forth like a spring, disturbing his mind, even his father's words were hastily replied.

  The middle-aged man from before was Father Cao De. Seeing that his son's heart wasn't in it, he shook his head and said: "This child is always restless, if he were to commit some military offense in the army camp, I don't know what would be done with him. It's better for him to return home with me and read some poetry and articles to calm his mind."

  "Hahaha" Suddenly a loud laugh, just as Cao De's voice fell, Cao Shuang beside him burst out laughing: "Zhong Cao, Zhong Cao, no wonder Meng De often says you're a bookworm. Haha! In today's chaotic world, although Dong Zhuo is dead, Li Jue and Guo Si are still causing trouble in the capital. A man should join the army to serve the court. Although Xianping has nothing to do with him usually, he was also trained in martial arts since childhood. This time, if you don't go to your brother's place to become a general, would you rather be like you and go to the county to be a teacher? Hehehe!"

  "Alas, Father's words are also true." As he spoke, Cao De couldn't help but sigh and say: "If it weren't for Dong Zhuo's chaos in the imperial court back then, causing all of you literati colleagues to lose your heads, how would I have ended up in this situation? That Dong Zhuo is a scourge on the nation..." By the end, Cao De was furious and shouted out loud, as if he wanted to bite Dong Zhuo to death.

  Suddenly hearing his father's loud roar, Cao Anmin also couldn't help but frown, although Cao De wasn't his biological father, after all, he had been with him for nearly 10 years. For the most learned person in the Cao family, Cao Anmin still felt some sympathy.

  "The world is in great chaos, it's not just Dong Zhuo's calamity."

  Suddenly a sentence came out of Cao Xing's mouth, but at the moment it was spoken, even he himself was shocked. It was originally just words in his heart, but they were said.

  "Preposterous! How dare you utter such treasonous words!"

  As expected, with the next loud shout, the originally elegant Cao De was now like a general full of resentment, his face bright red as he glared at Cao Anmin. Although the car continued to move, the atmosphere inside had suddenly changed.

  Cao Anmin let out a low sigh, regretting his loose tongue. However, when he looked at his grandfather Cao Sheng, who was sitting in the corner of the car and smiling at him, the anger from his father seemed to pale in comparison, so Cao Anmin also mustered up some courage.

  With a slight bow to the two, Cao Anmin said faintly: "From the time of our ancestors' uprising in Mount Liupan, beheading the White Snake, and establishing the Han dynasty, until today, the Han dynasty has lasted for nearly 400 years. Among them, there have been no lack of turmoil caused by the likes of Wang Mang and Liang Ji, who disrupted the imperial court's order. Although the foundation of the Han imperial court is deep and solid, it cannot withstand the grasp of one eunuch after another."

  While speaking, he ignored his father's angry gaze and continued calmly: "During the time of Emperor Ling of Han, the Ten Eunuchs controlled the government until the Yellow Turban Rebellion. The imperial court was filled with powerful eunuchs, aristocratic families, and influential clans. These eunuchs, like the Ten Eunuchs, flattered and fawned upon the emperor and empress, exploiting the common people to the point where all officials in the capital considered it an honor to cater to them. Local officials were like petty henchmen, failing to carry out imperial decrees and bring peace to the people's hearts... Isn't this the root of the Han dynasty's chaos?"

  "You..."

  "Furthermore, those outsiders who rely on their powerful connections." Seeing his father about to retort, Cao Xin immediately continued: "Those so-called imperial nobles, thinking they are close relatives of the emperor, take control of the military and monopolize power. Take He Jin and He Miao for example. They were originally just butchers and dog sellers, but because Empress He was favored, they became high-ranking generals, overseeing all the troops in the country. Haha, even if He Jin had some ability, this person didn't think about repaying the emperor's kindness, instead forming cliques and pursuing personal interests, monopolizing power and disregarding the law. Isn't this also a reason for the corruption of the Han court?"

  “...” At this point, even Cao De was momentarily speechless. His originally red face had calmed down a lot, and instead, he stared at the young man in front of him with an incredulous gaze, as if he didn't dare to believe that such words came out of his own son's mouth.

  "Go on." At this moment, Cao Xiong, who was far away, also changed from a smile to a thoughtful expression, nodding occasionally.

  "Alright." Seeing that the two were silent, Cao Xin made another bow and said loudly: "Finally, let's talk about the aristocratic families. What are aristocratic families? They are the family status and the threshold of reading, and what the previous emperor most hoped for and feared was also this aristocratic family."

  "How can you say such a thing?"

  "The imperial court promulgated the Chá Jǔ system, with the intention of widely selecting talented individuals, greatly prospering the world, and allowing capable scholars from all regions to meet their patrons and be employed by the court. But now? Ha! These aristocratic families have turned the Chá Jǔ system into a tool for their own power, disregarding talented individuals across the land and only promoting those who are loyal to their own clans. They recommend mediocre talents as Filial and Incorrupt, turning them into followers loyal only to themselves. If one is loyal to the aristocratic family, they will be granted official positions; if not, even with great talent, it's as if heaven has no gate. Hmph! These aristocratic families only know how to expand their own power and prestige, without considering serving the country or its people. How can such a world not be in chaos?"

  "As for Dong Zhuo, he was also recommended by Yuan Shao to General He Jin, and only then did Dong Zhuo enter the capital to wreak havoc... Haha, father, grandfather, think about it, Yuan Shao is a noble family, He Jin is an imperial relative with power and influence. Isn't this just the noble families recommending Dong Zhuo to kill the eunuch Cao Jie? After the eunuchs killed He Jin, the Yuan Shao clan exterminated the eunuchs, and in the end, Dong Zhuo benefited from the situation... Haha, how ridiculous... how laughable."

  He burst out laughing and with just three sentences, Cao Xin exposed the long-standing flaws of the imperial court. At this moment, he was no longer the bewildered young man from before, but rather an unbridled and unpredictable hero in a chaotic world.

  However, halfway through the laughter, Cao Xin suddenly realized something and looked at his father and grandfather staring at him with their mouths agape. Cao Xin couldn't help but scold himself for being too talkative, and then awkwardly sat back down, not saying another word.

  In an instant, the carriage fell into a strange and eerie silence, as if every breath could be heard clearly. Even Cao Song, a veteran official of several decades, couldn't help but look stunned.

  After a moment, Cao Song broke the silence. However, at this moment, he was still staring at Cao Xin, his originally disapproved grandson, with an expression of surprise.

  "An Min, I didn't expect that you, a young and inexperienced child, could see through the root of the current imperial court in an instant. I truly must look up to you now." He couldn't help but reveal a hint of delight.

  His father, Cao De, nodded repeatedly beside him: "Xin'er, since you can say such words, it's enough to see your ambition. Although you've been idle and lazy every day, I never thought you still care about the world, as a father, I'm very relieved."

  As soon as he spoke, Cao Xin suddenly had a feeling of being unable to cry or laugh. Originally, it was just a casual remark about a movie review he had read before, but unexpectedly, it shocked these two literary figures like this. However, although he thought so, Cao Xin still respectfully said "yes" with a nod.

  "But remember, when you go to your uncle's army, you can't say these things again. It's okay that you said them to us today, but if you're careless with your words in the army, even if you were my own son, you'd be hard-pressed to escape military law..."

  Seeing his father say this, Cao Xin knew that his father was worried about him. Although he understood all these reasons, seeing his father's concerned look, he still agreed.

  "Yes. The child should remember it well."

  "Ah, that's good." With a satisfied nod, Father Cao De turned to his father and said: "Father, it seems that An Min has grown up this time. I can also rest assured to accompany you back to Tai Shan Hua County to teach. Let's not delay in Xuchang anymore."

  "Alright, I'll stay for three days then. Bring more gold, silk, and grain. On the way back to Huaxian County, we will pass through Xuzhou Prefecture. I've heard that Tao Gongzu is a benevolent lord, so it's only right that we form an alliance with him this time."

  "My father is right."

  At this time, Cao Ping, who was sitting on one side, heard the conversation between the two and was shocked again.

  Wait... AD 194? Xuzhou?

  Tao Qian's forces killed Zhang Kan and Cao Xing and Cao De!