Three Kingdoms: Fusion of Entries, Change of Destiny

Chapter 188 Madam, you don't want your nephew to lose his official position, do you?
Outside the main camp,

The generals watched helplessly as Cao Cao led one of them by the hand and walked towards the central command tent. They all looked at each other in bewilderment, speechless.

Everyone was eager to make a name for themselves in the conquest of Wancheng, but the war ended before the army even made a move.

This feeling is like throwing a punch with all your might but ending up hitting cotton; it's a frustrating feeling that makes you want to vomit blood.
But Zhang Xiu has already surrendered, and he came here in complete sincerity, bound himself. We can't just send him back and force him to fight again.

Zhang Xiu, Jia Xu, Cao Cao, Xun You, Cheng Yu, and others chatted in the tent for an afternoon.

After that, Zhang Xiu led Cao Cao into Wancheng.

Cao Yan, Zhao Yun, and Dian Wei all served as personal guards and followed Xu Chu into Wancheng.

Cao Cao understood that Cao Yan was wary of Zhang Xiu, so Cao Cao went along with Cao Yan.

With the protection of his four elite guards, Cao Cao, to show his sincerity and trust, specially brought his son and nephew along, and did not even ask for a change of guard in Wancheng.

Zhang Xiu was indeed moved by Cao Cao's magnanimity and trust.

Upon returning to the city, he immediately ordered a banquet to be prepared and even offered his own residence for Cao Cao to stay temporarily.

After entering the city, Zhang Xiu respectfully said to Cao Cao, "I have prepared a banquet in my residence to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey, Minister. I hope you will do me the honor."

Cao Cao nodded and replied, "That's excellent. I am indeed quite hungry."

Cao Cao, accompanied only by Cao Yan, Zhao Yun, and Dian Wei, who were disguised as his personal guards, went to Zhang Xiu's residence to attend a banquet.

During the banquet, all officials of Wancheng, both high and low, were present. Everyone toasted and drank, and the atmosphere was lively and cheerful.

After a hearty meal and drinks, Cao Cao, who was quite drunk, was helped by his personal guards to the mansion that Zhang Xiu had vacated.

Cao Ang was not at ease with the servants arranged by Zhang Xiu, so he drove them all away, leaving only himself, Cao Xiu, and Cao Anmin to serve Cao Cao.

But these three grown men have never done any work of serving others before.

Now that Cao Cao was drunk and unconscious, they could only fumble around and try to do something in a chaotic manner.

Cao Anmin thought to himself that this couldn't go on, so he said to Cao Ang and Cao Xiu, "Why don't we find maids to serve our uncle? We really can't do this kind of work!"

While pinching his nose and wiping the filth off Cao Cao's chest, Cao Ang asked, "Where are you going to look?"

Cao Anmin's eyes darted around, and he replied, "Why don't we just ask the neighbors next door to borrow two maids?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Ang thought it was feasible, so he said to Cao Anmin, "Alright, Anmin, go and borrow a few maids from the neighbor to serve my father. Wenlie and I will stay here and watch over him. Remember, you must be respectful and observe proper etiquette."

"Okay!" Cao Anmin replied and ran out quickly.

Next door was actually Zhang Xiu's aunt's residence.

When Cao Anmin ordered his guards to knock on the door, they saw Zou Shi's beautiful face and broad-mindedness in the courtyard from afar, and he was immediately filled with "wicked thoughts".

Cao Cao's nephew was well aware of some of his hobbies.

So, at this moment, Cao Anmin was no longer thinking about finding maids to serve Cao Cao... He snatched Zou Shi away!
Inside the prefectural governor's mansion, Zhang Xiu was still praising Cao Cao's magnanimity and broad-mindedness to Jia Xu when a guard suddenly appeared at the door, shouting urgently, "General, something terrible has happened!"

Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu exchanged a glance, then walked to the door and asked, "What happened?"

A sense of unease crept into Zhang Xiu's heart as he secretly wondered, "Could it be that Cao Cao has gone back on his word and intends to wipe us out completely?"

The guard said, "General, someone just saw Cao's soldiers break into the lady's residence and forcibly take her to Cao Situ's residence!"

Zhang Xiu was taken aback at first, then his face gradually turned red until his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. He roared, "You old scoundrel Cao! I sincerely surrendered to you, yet you humiliate me like this!"

After his initial surprise, Jia Xu quickly asked, "Did you see clearly that she is the general's aunt?"

The guards replied, "Given Madam Zou's appearance, we would never be mistaken!"

Jia Xu was speechless for a moment.

He couldn't believe that the dignified Minister of Works of the Han Dynasty would do such a despicable and vile thing.

Besides, there are all kinds of women out there, why did he specifically target Mrs. Zou?

Jia Xu sighed and asked, "Alas... what does the general intend to do?"

Zhang Xiu did not answer directly, but turned around and went into the inner room to take out his spear.

Seeing this, Jia Xu understood that Zhang Xiu would never swallow this insult.

"In that case, General, you should quickly gather the city's elite troops and surround and kill Cao Cao as soon as possible."

With Cao Cao dead, his army will be leaderless and inevitably fall into brief chaos. This brief chaos will be our only chance to defeat Cao Cao!

At this point, Jia Xu suddenly said with relief, "Fortunately, Cao Cao's younger brother, Cao Yan, did not come with the army; otherwise, if he had stayed behind to guard the main force, our army would have had no chance at all..."

Speaking of Cao Yan, Zhang Xiu couldn't help but tremble.

The battle outside Anyi City left him with a deep psychological scar.

"Yes, thank goodness Cao Yan isn't here..." Zhang Xiu sighed, then immediately said to his guards, "Quickly gather the soldiers and follow me to surround and kill Cao Cao!"

"Yes, sir!" The guard acknowledged the order and strode out.

Zhang Xiu, carrying a long spear, also walked out of the prefectural governor's mansion.

As Jia Xu watched Zhang Xiu's departing figure, he couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, "With Cao Cao dead, Xuchang will surely descend into chaos."

Although Cao Zi'an has a formidable reputation, he is too young and cannot command the respect of the masses. If I were to send a letter to Yuan Shao now, inviting him to march south and besiege Cao Yan, Cao's army would surely collapse!

Jia Xu was about to pick up his pen to write a letter, but he stopped as if by some strange twist of fate.

He rubbed his throbbing right eyelid, pondered for a long time, and then put down his pen: "Don't rush to write the letter, let's see how things go first..."

Zhang Xiu, accompanied by his personal guards, stormed towards the residence he had ceded to Cao Cao for temporary lodging.

Along the way, more and more soldiers gathered behind Zhang Xiu. By the time he arrived at Cao Cao’s temporary residence, nearly a thousand people had gathered behind him!
Seeing that Zhang Xiu and his men had ill intentions, the Cao army guards stationed outside the mansion immediately shouted nervously, "This is the residence of Minister Cao! What are you trying to do?!"

One of Zhang Xiu's personal guards stepped forward and shouted, "What are you doing? Let Cao Cao come out and talk to us first!"

"How dare you! How dare you address Situ by his name?!"

"Hmph! If you won't come out, then we'll charge in!"

"Fight in!"

"Charge in!!!"

Everyone shouted in unison.

Meanwhile, Cao Anmin forcibly broke into a private residence and abducted Zou Shi and her personal maid to his mansion.

Cao Ang and Cao Xiu were completely dumbfounded when they saw Zou Shi, who had been kidnapped and was now looking furious.

Cao Ang was the first to come to his senses and asked Cao Anmin, "Anmin, what happened?"

Cao Anmin chuckled, revealing a knowing look that all men understand, and said, "I know Uncle gets cold at night, so I was just thinking of finding someone to warm his bed."

"absurd!"

"Godfather's warm bed!"

Cao Ang's face darkened, and Cao Xiu also looked displeased.

Cao Ang, whose values ​​had been thoroughly rectified by Cao Yan, immediately rebuked him: "Anmin! How can a true man act in such a despicable manner?"

"I..." Cao Xiu looked aggrieved and muttered softly, "I just wanted my uncle to sleep more comfortably..."

"Zixiu, calm down. Let Anmin send the person back as soon as possible," Cao Xiu said, pulling the furious Cao Ang aside.

Just then, a guard rushed in to report: "Young Master, something terrible has happened! There are Xiliang soldiers outside shouting that they want to break in!"

Cao Ang and Cao Xiu exchanged a glance, thinking to themselves, "Something's happened!"

"I'll go take a look!" Cao Xiu hurriedly left with his personal guards.

Upon hearing this, Cao Anmin's face turned deathly pale, and he stammered, "I...I've caused trouble..."

"Who exactly did you kidnap?" Cao Ang pressed.

At this moment, a mature and beautiful woman who had been hiding in a corner, huddled together with two maids and trembling, spoke up: "Reporting to the general, I am the widow of General Zhang Ji, the General Who Guards the East, and the aunt of General Jianzhong and Marquis Xuanwei, Zhang Xiu."

Upon hearing this, Cao Ang's pupils constricted sharply, while Cao Anmin wished he could bury his head in the ground.

Just as Cao Ang was about to speak, Cao Yan suddenly walked in.

"uncle!!!"

"Uncle!!!" As soon as they saw Cao Yan appear, Cao Ang and Cao Anmin immediately calmed down.

In the hearts of Cao Ang and the other younger generation, no matter how difficult the situation, as long as Cao Yan was there, it could definitely be resolved.

In their hearts, especially Cao Ang's, Cao Yan was almost like a god.

After Cao Yan entered, he immediately said to Cao Ang and Cao Xiu, "I have prepared warhorses. You two should quickly escort our elder brother out of the city."

"And what about you?" Cao Ang asked.

"I will cover your retreat, go quickly!"

After Cao Ang and the others carried away Cao Cao, who was sleeping like a dead pig, Cao Yan then looked at Zou Shi in the corner.

Zou had been secretly observing Cao Yan, and found that Cao Yan had bright, clear eyes, a handsome face, and a refined and elegant demeanor that also exuded a heroic spirit, making him a top-notch man.

A strange thought couldn't help but surface in her mind: "If I were to serve him, it wouldn't be so bad..."

At this moment, Cao Yan suddenly asked, "Madam, you don't want your nephew to lose his official position, do you?"

"This concubine...this concubine is at the general's disposal..." Zou replied timidly and sweetly.

“That’s good,” Cao Yan nodded and said, “Then I’ll trouble you and your maid to stay in the cellar until dawn before you go out.”

After saying this, Cao Yan made a gesture of invitation, urging Zou Shi to set off immediately.

Cao Yan's plan was to use the time difference of tonight to complete the task of replacing Dian Wei's entry.

When dawn breaks, Zou will emerge from the cellar and be found by the Xiliang army. They will then understand that Cao Cao did not defile his aunt, and Zhang Xiu will naturally cease hostilities.

As for why Cao Cao was sleeping so soundly, it was because Cao Yan had secretly slipped a drug into Cao Cao's wine cup during the banquet...

(End of this chapter)