Three Kingdoms: Prince of the Great Wei, Prime Minister Cao

Chapter 38: Cao Cao Uses Tigers and Wolves as a Theme, Testing His Three Sons!

Observing the intense scene of a fierce tiger battling a pack of wolves, Cao Ju finally sighed in relief. It was just a massive insect and over twenty wild wolves!

At first glance, it seemed intimidating, but in terms of real threat, it might not be as significant as it looked. After all, beasts were just beasts. And here, they had a massive army of two hundred thousand soldiers. The commotion among the troops earlier was simply because the soldiers hadn’t reacted in time, momentarily intimidated by these rarely-seen wild creatures.

It was similar to visiting a zoo. Even though one knew there were fences for protection and the tigers and lions could not get out, when they pounced towards the edge of the fence, people instinctively stepped back due to the sudden scare, wanting to increase the distance. Realizing this, Cao Ju felt immediately relieved. For one simple reason. Because he not only kept a distance from the fierce tiger and the pack of wolves, with many Cao soldiers in between…In front of him, there was even a mighty warrior capable of hunting tigers alone.

The same elite general under Cao Cao. Even the late Dian Man, his father Dian Wei, could chase after a tiger with its tail between its legs. Cao Ju couldn’t help but find it unbelievable. Could Xu Chu, who had the strength to pull a cow by its tail and walk it backward, really not be able to defeat a mere giant insect?

As he observed Xu Chu’s eager expression, Cao Ju could tell that if it weren’t for protecting his father Cao Cao’s safety, Xu Chu might have already taken a big knife and charged out to battle the fierce tiger and the pack of wolves. At this moment, a stern voice came from inside the carriage where Cao Cao was located behind Cao Ju.

“Why is everyone panicking?”

“They’re just a group of wild beasts!”

“Xu Chu! Convey my orders, send some men out to kill those beasts, and bring back their meat to supplement the soldiers’ meals.”

Hearing the voice, Cao Ju turned to look back and saw his father, Cao Cao, calmly lifting the curtain on one side of the carriage, gazing at the distant location of the fierce tiger and wolves, his expression as composed as ever. This level of composure left Cao Ju speechless. Indeed, he couldn’t help but admire his father, Cao Cao, the cunning and resilient hero who had weathered the storms of a chaotic era. Compared to his father, his performance just now…

Well, it excelled in pure filial piety!!!

After all, he was the first to arrive by his father’s side, fearlessly protecting him, even before his elder brothers, Cao Pi and Cao Zhang, could react. On the side, upon hearing his lord Cao Cao’s order to “send people out” to kill the tiger, Xu Chu showed a hint of regret in his eyes. This sentence essentially decreed that he had no chance with the tiger. Even though Xu Chu possessed the strength to take on a tiger, his duty bound him.

“Understood!”

“Lord, please wait for a moment. Xu Chu will go and give the orders.”

Before long, under Cao Ju’s watchful eyes, several Cao generals led over a hundred cavalry soldiers to break away from the main formation and boldly charged toward the pack of wolves and the fierce tiger. The sudden appearance of these Cao soldiers and officers startled the tigers and wolves amid a fierce battle. Instinctively, they abandoned their fight and fled into the distance.

Faced with this situation, the Cao soldiers and officers who had been ordered into action had no intention of letting go. After all, Lord Cao Cao had instructed them to use the meat of these wild beasts to supplement the soldiers’ meals. Therefore, they vigorously pursued the fleeing animals, quickly disappearing from the view of the onlookers.

Cao Ju, who had watched the entire scene, couldn’t help but feel deeply impressed.

Under my father’s command, there are truly many talents and formidable warriors!

At least, he didn’t recognize a familiar face from the group that went out to hunt and kill the fierce tiger and wolves just now. This meant that, even without the involvement of individuals like Zhang Liao, Yu Jin, and Cao Zhen, numerous fierce individuals in the army could take on and defeat such formidable creatures.

Cao Ju decided to meet these warriors when they returned from their hunt. Perhaps unexpectedly, among those individuals were two or three who would become well-known figures during the Three Kingdoms era. If he were to establish connections with them now, it would be akin to being an early investor in an angel round of funding. When they gained prominence in the future and contended for the position of heir against Cao Pi, Cao Zhang, and Cao Zhi, they would likely favor him if they were to take sides.

Within the carriage dedicated to handling official matters during the march, reserved for Cao Cao alone, Cao Cao withdrew his gaze from the distance and looked at his three sons, who had approached when they heard the commotion. When he noticed that all three of his sons held sharp swords, their backs to him and the blades facing outward, a hint of satisfaction flickered in his heart. Regardless of whether Cao Pi, Cao Zhang, and Cao Ju were deliberately putting on a show for him…

At the very least, they were displaying filial piety. Cao Cao wasn’t afraid that his three sons were feigning filial piety; he feared that they wouldn’t even pretend to be obedient and dutiful, only looking out for themselves in critical moments.

With this in mind, Cao Cao’s heart stirred.

“Zihuan, Ziwen, Zimu, the three of you, come up to the carriage and talk with me.”

After speaking, Cao Cao let down the curtain in his hand. Hearing their father, Cao Cao’s call, Cao Ju glanced in surprise at the carriage where Cao Cao was located.

At this moment, why was their father asking them to come up?

With suspicion in his eyes, Cao Ju looked towards his elder brothers, Cao Pi and Cao Zhang, and noticed that their expressions were similarly perplexed. They were all wondering why their father was calling them to the carriage. After a dozen breaths, Cao Ju, Cao Pi, and Cao Zhang entered the carriage and took their seats. This carriage, created by combining six horse-drawn carriages, was spacious enough to accommodate the three brothers, Cao Cao and his entourage.

Inside the carriage, Cao Cao scrutinized his three sons but remained silent. Just as Cao Ju and his brothers found it increasingly difficult to endure the unintentional display of their father’s authority, Cao Cao spoke.

“My sons, I have a question for you. I ask that you answer honestly without hiding anything.”

With these words, Cao Cao revealed the conviction that had arisen in his heart earlier.

“If today, I and you three brothers were traveling together in the wilderness and encountered a fierce tiger and a hungry wolf, but instead of fighting each other as you witnessed earlier, they both targeted our father and sons simultaneously, intending to hunt us down for food.”

“At that moment,” Cao Cao glanced meaningfully at his three sons, “we would have no weapons in our hands, and there would be no one like Xu Chu and the Tiger Guards by our side. The four of us would only have one bow and two arrows.”

“To kill the hungry wolf, it would require just one arrow. But to kill the hungry tiger…”

Cao Cao paused, his gaze still locked on his sons.

“It would require two arrows to kill.”

“At this moment, what would you three do?”

Having spoken, Cao Cao placed his hand on his knee and closed his eyes as if dozing off, waiting quietly for his three sons to respond. He wanted to see how his sons would react in the face of life and death.

Inside the carriage, silence reigned after Cao Cao posed the question. Could anyone truly answer such a question?

Cao Ju turned his gaze to his elder brothers, Cao Pi and Cao Zhang, to gauge their reactions.

Cao Zhang appeared lost in deep thought, at least. But when Cao Ju looked at his elder brother Cao Pi…

To his astonishment, he realized that Cao Pi was discreetly glancing at him. As their eyes met, they both registered each other’s surprise. In the next moment, both wore expressions of disdain, immediately turning their heads to the other side.

“Damn it!”

“This Cao Pi, he’s definitely up to no good!”

“If this situation were to happen for real…That big brother of mine is absolutely scheming how to use the threat of the tiger and wolf to get rid of me, eliminating this major threat.” Cao Ju thought to himself.

At the same time, Cao Pi’s heart was equally unsettled.

“The way Little Eighth looks at me doesn’t seem friendly!”