Three Kingdoms Lords: Starting by walking into the mouth of a giant python

Chapter 99 The Queen Who Turns Stones into Sheep Removes Her Hair

Chapter 100 The Queen Who Turns Stones into Sheep Removes Her Hair

The Cao family residence in Qiao County, Pei State.

Sixteen-year-old Xiahou Yuan was practicing swordsmanship, while twenty-three-year-old Cao Cao was reading a book under the eaves.

A faint knocking sound came from the front yard, and soon a servant came to report that "Lord Jianqiang has come to visit."

Cao Cao was delighted, put down his book, and got up to greet him.

The visitor was his close friend, Marquis Song Qi, the elder brother of Empress Song in Luoyang Palace and the brother-in-law of the current emperor.

The three met and exchanged pleasantries.

Xiahou Yuan continued practicing his swordplay, while Cao Cao pulled Song Qi to sit down and invited him to taste the new tea that Xiahou Yuan had purchased from Yiren.

Song Qi smiled wryly: "Mengde, I don't have your kind of refined taste."

Cao Cao drank a cup of tea and said with a smile, "Brother, you are a man of high status and busy with many things. You cannot compare yourself to me, a man with nothing to do."

In April, the emperor dismissed Cao Song, Cao Cao's father, from his position as Grand Minister of Agriculture. Cao Cao also resigned from his post as Magistrate of Dunqiu and returned to his hometown to live in seclusion.

"A person is noble?" Song Qi sighed. "The so-called nobility or lowliness depends solely on the emperor's whim. If the emperor is pleased, one is noble; if he is not, one is as worthless as a worn-out shoe."

Cao Cao paused, his teacup still: "Has something happened in the palace?"

According to the "Records of Strange People," in the first year of the Guanghe era, which is this year, the eunuch Wang Fuhui presented slanderous words to the emperor, defaming Empress Song. As a result, Empress Song was deposed, and Song Qi's entire family was executed.

"There are some rumors circulating in the palace, but fortunately, the Emperor also reads 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' and has many criticisms of the eunuchs, so he hasn't paid any attention to them." At this point, Song Qi sighed, "However, the Empress's favor is waning, and her future is uncertain."

Cao Cao offered a few words of comfort, and Song Qi asked, "Mengde, what should I learn?"

Cao Cao's expression froze. "Your sister is vying for favor in the inner palace. What do I have to teach her?"

Xiahou Yuan, who was moving about in the courtyard, put away his ring-pommel sword and handed over a treasure with a grin.

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"Donkey foal Mei"

[Rank] Not classified.

[Attribute] When worn by a woman, her charm increases by 20.

[Description] When a donkey foal is first born, before it hits the ground, it has a fleshy substance in its mouth, called "Mei" (媚). Women who wear it are said to possess charm. —From *Chibei Outan* (池北偶谈)

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Xiahou Yuan said that this was a gift from a strange person he knew. "Brother, if you want to use it, just take it."

Song Qi smiled bitterly and said, "There are more than a dozen of these in Luoyang City. Consort He lost the Emperor's favor because of her infamy of 'poisoning Consort Wang.' She even spent a lot of money to buy a [Yellow Grade Donkey King Charm], which is said to add fifty charm points, but the Emperor has not changed his mind."

Xiahou Yuan smiled sheepishly and tried to take back the [Donkey Colt Charm], but Cao Cao sent him off to practice his sword skills.

Cao Cao put away his [donkey charm] and asked Song Qi curiously, "The Empress and the Noble Consorts have both lost favor. Which beauties or palace women in the Inner Palace have gained the Emperor's favor?"

Song Qi said, "I heard from a minor eunuch that the emperor values a female warrior highly."

"A female warrior?" Cao Cao asked, puzzled.

Song Qi nodded: "Do you know about Princess Wannian's establishment of a girls' school?"

Cao Cao said he knew.

Song Qi continued, "There is a girl in that [girls' school] who calls herself Wang Rong. Many people say that she is the 'Beauty Wang, Empress Linghuai' in the 'Records of Strange People'."

"However, this woman's personality differed from that described in historical records. She was fiery and unruly. She once roared in the market of Luoyang, her voice like that of a lion or tiger, echoing for miles around. Countless people fainted from exhaustion. People called her the 'Lion Roar of Yan and Zhao'."

"Song Dian, the commander of the Hook and Shield Guard, and He Jin, the Tiger-like General, once said a few words of gossip about her. She broke into their mansion, broke their arms and legs, and stole many treasures and props."

These words left Xiahou Yuan speechless.

Cao Cao was also taken aback: "Everyone says that the little princess of ten thousand years 'want to learn from Fu Hao,' and... she really has found a Fu Hao."

Song Qi continued, "For some reason, the emperor valued this woman highly. Song Dian, He Jin, and many other high-ranking officials submitted memorials to her, but the emperor suppressed them without mentioning them."

"There's one more thing," Song Qi said. "Yuan Gonglu once stirred up trouble at the girls' school, saying that among those students was his 'historically recorded beautiful wife.' As a result, he was beaten up by that Wang family girl and left in a sorry state."

"A beautiful wife recorded in history?" Xiahou Yuan asked curiously, so he simply put down his knife, sat down at the table, and listened to Song Qi's story.

"The youngest daughter of Feng Fang, a court official, is Yuan Gonglu's 'Empress' in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms." After explaining, Song Qi looked at Cao Cao and said hesitantly, "Mengde, there are some rumors in Luoyang City that are related to you. Let me tell you about them."

Cao Cao didn't take it seriously: "Are you implying that I usurped the Han throne and established myself as emperor, using the emperor to command the other lords?"

Song Qi shook his head: "There are two women among the students of the [Girls' School], one is Bian from Baiting in Qi County, and the other is Huan from Pengcheng State. People say that they are the two ladies, Bian and Huan, who are mentioned in historical records."

Cao Cao was taken aback, unsure of what to say.

Xiahou Yuan asked, "Qi Commandery? Pengcheng? How did you find these two prefectures, Qingzhou and Xuzhou?"

Song Qi replied, "It is said that Wang Rong specifically named them and found them one by one."

Upon hearing this, several thoughts suddenly flashed through Cao Cao's mind—

The emperor favored Wang Rong...

Wang Rong is searching for someone...

Could it be that the emperor is using Wang Rong's name to search for "Lady"?

Should I attend a girls' school?

Or perhaps they should enter the Luoyang Palace?

The more Cao Cao thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt. Just as he was about to speak, there was another knock on the front door.

Shortly after, a servant came to report—

An angel arrived to recruit the Cao family's daughter into the girls' school.

…………

In [Fanghu], both [Snake Princess] and [Queen Mao] have started [Bottleneck Test].

[Snake Princess] Red Fish easily passed the [Strength 75 Bottleneck Test] because she had consumed [Cold Peach].

Ya Ya and [Queen Mao] took a little longer, after all, they were trying to break through to the [Earth Grade].

It took about half an hour for the snake and the hairy creature to return. Each of them had gained a new [characteristic], greatly increasing their strength.

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[Name] Jiang Yaya

……

[Level] Strength 80, Intelligence 32

[Characteristics] Culinary Delight, Stone Sword, Metamorphosis, Petrification, Turning Stone into Sheep

[Skills] Sword (Mastery), Shield (Minor Mastery)

……

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"Turning Stones into Sheep"

[Attribute] Under its command, it turns to stone into geese and sheep.

[Description] Cheng Junping was a native of Changsha County. At the age of fifteen, his elder brother made him herd geese and sheep. Suddenly, they encountered an immortal who was about to enter Donghua Mountain. His brother later searched the mountain and found Junping, asking where the geese and sheep he had been herding were. Junping pointed to a white stone and said, "This is it." He then urged the stone to follow his brother. Ten days later, the stone returned to the foot of the mountain and turned back into stone. —From *Shaoshishanfang Bicong*

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"Queen's hair"

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[Level] Strength 80, Intelligence 43, Command 11, Politics 11

[Characteristics] Furry Armor, Furry Falcon

……

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[Characteristics - Feathered Falcon]: When a bird of prey is about to strike, it will spread its wings. When the queen is angry, it will shed feathers as sharp as awls.

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One is "Chishi Chengyang" (meaning "turning stones into sheep"), and the other is "Maozhi" (meaning "hairy hawk").

Li Yu looked at Ya Ya, who lashed out with her snake tail and struck a small stone.

Meow~~

A little lamb got up and hopped around.

Hmm, so...so cute.

[Snake Princess] Ya Ya flicked her tail again, and a boulder transformed into a ram with horns like sharp knives.

Li Yu nodded; that made sense. Then, he looked at [Queen Mao].

[Queen Mao] looked up at the sky and ignored it.

[Mao Zhi] can't just show off like that. After all, her "hair removal as sharp as a cone" means she's completely removed.

Finally, it was Li Yu's turn. Next, he had two tests: one for [Strength 70 bottleneck] and one for [Intelligence 60 bottleneck].

Military skills first, then literary skills.

"[System]: The player has initiated the [Strength 70 Bottleneck Test]. Due to the player's special status, the [Bottleneck Test] examiner can only be selected from the indigenous population."

Please select...

Several messages appeared before my eyes—

"[Force] 74, Male, 36 years old."

"[Force] 79, Female, 41 years old."

"..."

Do not select, refresh.

"[Force] 73, Male, 29 years old."

"..."

Do not select, refresh.

After much trouble, Li Yu finally saw an interesting "examiner"—

"[Force] 79, Male, 15 years old."

Choose him!