Chapter 2: The Banquet and Mourning

  Cao Xin's past life was a lazy person, although he worked in the museum, but usually only read some miscellaneous books about historical anecdotes, casually passing the days, making some salary as an otaku.

  This is also why Cao Xin has been drifting for nearly 10 years, never planning for his own future. If it were another protagonist, wouldn't they have started making plans for the fate of the world from the age of 7 or 8?

  But for Cao Xin, crossing into this official family, apart from eating, drinking, and sleeping, doing something else would be a waste of his identity. That's why his father and grandfather were so surprised when Cao Xin said those words before.

  However, Cao Xin was not a person who was completely useless. At least in his previous life, he was an enthusiast of cold weapons and had even won the championship of a certain city's martial arts competition when he was young. Therefore, after crossing over, Cao Xin's foundation was exceptionally solid, and any weapon in his hands could be wielded with divine skill, resulting in the family ministers who accompanied him to practice martial arts hiding from him every day, fearing that they would be pierced by a few more wounds.

  Although he had crossed into this world in 184 AD, at the time of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, it was now 194 years later. In these years, Cao Xin had mostly been climbing walls and playing with dogs like many noble sons, but now Cao Xin could no longer do so.

  *

  The sunset stretched out with fine yellow sand, covering the red giant waves of dusk. The clouds at the edge of the sky became increasingly dull, as if it would be night in just a moment.

  The horse carriage was already approaching the gate of Xuchang under the driver's driving.

  Looking far away, the city gate was already near at hand. But compared to his father and grandfather's excitement, Cao Xin couldn't help but feel unhappy.

  "Father, after traveling overnight, we finally arrived at Xuchang City."

  Cao Song nodded slightly, and a hint of a smile appeared on his aged and weathered face. Perhaps Grandfather also wanted to see his eldest son Cao Cao as soon as possible.

  Unlike the other two, Cao Xin's face was gloomy all the way, and the faster the carriage ran, the more uneasy he felt in his heart. It really seemed like he was rushing to be reincarnated.

  "Father, look! The elder brothers have already gone out of the city to welcome them."

  Suddenly a sentence burst out of Cao De's mouth, and as soon as the voice stopped, a thick and joyful voice rang out from afar.

  "Father, Zhong Cao, Ah Tan Gong Hou has been waiting for a long time! Hahaha!"

  The figure in the carriage shook slightly, and Cao Xin, who had been feeling depressed, suddenly heard this sound and, along with Cao Song, leaned out of the carriage to look outside.

  Indeed, hundreds of armored soldiers stood majestically at the city gate. A majestic and awe-inspiring middle-aged man was running towards the carriage surrounded by a group of civil and military officials, laughing loudly as he ran.

  For a moment, the onlookers were stunned, no one could have imagined that the dignified master of Chu State would run towards an ordinary little horse carriage without regard for his image, and a group of civil and military officials also closely followed, not daring to fall behind.

  That's Cao Cao...

  Although Cao Xin had seen Cao Cao a few times when he first crossed into this world, at that time the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out and Cao Cao was serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo. As a result, his father Cao De had some conflicts with Cao Cao at that time. Although Cao Cao later assassinated Dong Zhuo and made amends with Cao De, he then joined the coalition of eighteen lords against Dong Zhuo. Therefore, in these ten years, this was still Cao Xin's first direct encounter with his uncle, the future Emperor Wu of Wei, Cao Cao.

  "Ah, Ah Man! My son Ah Man, I've been worried sick about you, haha!" Cao Song's cloudy old eyes were already welling up with tears as he looked at Cao Cao, who was now just a few feet away. Without even putting on his shoes, Cao Song rushed out of the carriage and stumbled towards Cao Cao.

  "Father, Ah Man is here, haha!" With a sudden movement, he supported the old man and looked at Cao Song. He burst out laughing, but then saw that the latter was not even wearing shoes. His originally narrowed eyes flashed with a hint of unbearable emotion, and his tone was filled with emotion as he said: "Father, it's been years since we last met, are you well?"

  "Alright, alright... Hehehe... Back then when you failed to assassinate Dong, I sold our family's property to support you and help you establish a great career. Now that you're in control of all the counties in Yan Province..." As he spoke, Cao Song gazed at the group of civil and military officials behind Cao Cao with tears in his eyes, saying: "And having such talented civil and military officials to assist him, as a father I am truly comforted, truly comforted."

  Cao Xin was now standing beside the carriage with Cao De, quietly watching as Cao Shuang and his father reminisced. Only now did he have the opportunity to take a closer look at them up close.

  Although Cao Cao is now very close, it seems that there is a certain aura on Cao Cao's body. Even in the scene of family reunion, Cao Xin can still feel a sense of suffocation, a king's suffocation.

  Although Cao Cao has not yet achieved his ambition at this moment, that kind of unfathomable feeling seems to be born with him, making Cao Xin feel an inexplicable sense of oppression and fear.

  "Zhang Cuo, long time no see, are you well?" Cao Cao shifted his gaze to Cao De and Cao Xin at this moment. Although he was speaking to Cao De, his eyes suddenly stopped on Cao Xin's body.

  "It's all right, it's all right, haha."

  "Who is this?"

  Cao De was taken aback, and upon hearing Cao Cao's words pointing to his back, he burst out laughing and said: "Brother, you've forgotten. This is my son Cao Xin, the eight-year-old child from back then, now a majestic seven-foot-tall young man! Haha haha!"

  "Oh?" He stroked his black beard, and Cao Cao's eyes suddenly lit up, carefully sizing up Cao Xin.

  "Great, great, great! Ten years haven't changed you, you're still as handsome as ever, and you have a bit of your younger brother's demeanor!"

  "Thank you, Uncle, for your praise. I am ashamed and dare not accept it. I am but a mediocre person, and if I can obtain even half of your intelligence, it would be a blessing from heaven."

  Cao Xin's words suddenly made the officials behind him nod in agreement one after another, and Cao Cao burst out laughing.

  At this time, a scholar beside Cao Cao suddenly walked over and smiled: "Your Excellency, the wine and water are all ready, it's already late in the sky, why not invite the old lady to the inner mansion for a chat."

  "Right, right, right! What Wen Ru said is absolutely true. Father, Zhong Cao, Kuai and I will return to the city immediately. I'll host a welcoming feast for you all."

  "That's great."

  Cao Cao supported Cao Shuang as he entered the city in a horse-drawn carriage, while the middle-aged scholar who had been there earlier suddenly saw that Cao Xin's face was inexplicably solemn. He was taken aback for a moment, then let out a strange "hmm" and quietly withdrew.

  The horse carriage slowly entered the city of Xuchang, seemingly not long after a great war, with bloodstains still remaining on the city gate and several places on the city wall showing signs of recent repairs. Cao Xin took all this in, his heart growing increasingly uneasy, thinking to himself that he absolutely could not let his father and grandfather pass through Xuzhou...

  *

  It was night, in Xuchang City's prefectural government office.

  The grand banquet hall was now filled with people, except for Cao Cao sitting in the main seat, Old Master Cao Song was also seated beside Cao Cao. The officials lined up from top to bottom in the hall were all meritorious ministers, among whom there were civil and military officials who had participated in the eighteen routes of the vassals with Cao Cao, and of course, there were also local gentry families from Yan Province.

  Cao De sat at the head of the left row, while Cao Xin knelt beside him, his head bowed in silence, somewhat out of place amidst the lively banquet.

  "Haha, gentlemen, this time we have taken down Yan Province, your merits are not to be forgotten......" Cao Cao sat high in the main seat and first rewarded those who had made achievements in this attack on the city. Then he said: "Now my father Cao Song, my younger brother Cao De, and my nephew Cao Xin have come from afar to Xu Chang. We should entertain them for a few days. The old man will soon pass through Xuzhou on his way back to Huaxian, Mount Tai. I am deeply moved by the persuasion that cannot be moved, and also feel reluctant to part with him. But today we must not get drunk and return. Come! Let's toast the old man a cup, haha!"

  As soon as the words were spoken, all the officials and military officers present raised their cups to toast: "Wishing Old Master a long life and good health, forever safe and sound."

  "Excellent, excellent." The latter raised his cup at the same time.

  At this time, on the left side of the seat, Cao De was holding a cup with the civil and military officials, while saying something to Cao Xin.

  "What's wrong? What's wrong?! How are you? Why so silent, come on and raise your glass with everyone?"

  At this moment, Cao Xin seemed to have not heard his father's words, and his mind was filled with thoughts, so he didn't even know to raise his cup.

  However, what happened next was beyond Cao De's expectations as a father.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, please." Just as the civil and military officials were congratulating Cao Song on his birthday, when the wine was about to enter their stomachs, a sudden cry of grief pierced through the joyful laughter in the grand hall.

  "Old Master is gone... Old Master is gone! This time, going to Xuzhou will surely be a one-way trip...... Alas, what sorrow!"

  But the source of this rumor was surprisingly Cao Xin and Cao Anmin.