My Three Kingdoms is not right

The gatekeepers of the Sikong mansion greeted Liu Xun with unusually ingratiating smiles:

"Your Highness has arrived! The head of the family is in the study; I will go and inform him immediately!"

"Thank you for your trouble." Liu Xun walked in familiarly, without even stopping.

Sun Quan could only follow behind, looking at Liu Xun's matter-of-fact demeanor, feeling both surprised and suspicious.

The mansion's corridors were winding and meandering, but Liu Xun's steps never faltered; he walked swiftly through the twists and turns.

Sun Quan clenched his fist tighter and tighter.

Is Your Highness planning to force your way in?

What if he loses his temper and clashes with Cao Cao face to face...?

The more she thought about it, the more nervous she became, and her palms became sweaty.

Liu Xun, who was ahead, was completely unaware of her presence, walking as lightly as if he were strolling in his own backyard. Occasionally, he would turn around and smile at her, saying, "Keep up close, don't get lost."

Sun Quan: "..."

After passing through two courtyard gates, a bright and open space suddenly appeared before me.

An elegant study came into view, with a young girl in a crimson brocade robe standing in front of the door, accompanied by several people dressed as scholars.

Cao Cao.

Sun Quan's heart leaped into his throat.

She saw Cao Cao's gaze sweep over her, barely pausing before fixed on Liu Xun, a smile spreading across his phoenix eyes.

"It's a rare treat, Your Highness. What brings you here today?"

Liu Xun smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "There's something I need to trouble you with, sir."

Cao Cao invited them inside to sit down, and only then did he turn his gaze to Sun Quan behind Liu Xun.

"This is?"

Liu Xun stepped aside and introduced, "Sun Quan. She is the younger sister of Sun Ce, the Prefect of Kuaiji, and has come to the capital as an envoy to pay homage to the Emperor."

Sun Quan bowed respectfully and said, "Sun Quan greets the Minister of Works."

"No need for formalities." Cao Cao raised his hand in a gesture of support and nodded slightly.

Sun Quan felt that Cao Cao's gaze was very authoritative, and the kind of subtle scrutiny that was unique to those in a superior position made her feel immense pressure.

She was pondering how to bring up the secret letter when Liu Xun spoke first:

"Did Xu Gong, the Prefect of Wu Commandery, send a secret letter to the Minister of Works' office?"

Sun Quan was sweating profusely.

This prince is really straightforward... is he just going to ask so directly?

Cao Cao looked at a scholar beside him: "Zhongde, is there one?"

Cheng Yu nodded, "There is indeed one. It was delivered this morning, but we haven't had time to present it to Sikong yet."

"Bring it here," Cao Cao said.

Cheng Yu responded and left. A moment later, he returned with a silk scroll, which he presented to Cao Cao with both hands.

Sun Quan's heart sank as he watched Cao Cao reach out to take the silk scroll.

They had originally hoped to find a way to stop it before Cao Cao saw it, but the princess's actions resulted in the secret letter reaching the emperor's ears.

But Liu Xun said with a relaxed expression, "It's nothing more than saying that Sun Ce is plotting something treacherous and is using his military power for personal gain, right?"

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Cheng Yu nodded: "Indeed."

Sun Quan closed his eyes.

It’s over.

As she was racking her brains trying to figure out how to respond, Liu Xun took over the conversation.

"Actually, there's not much to see." The boy's voice was unhurried, with a lazy certainty. "Xu Gong and Sun Ce have a personal grudge, so what he said is mostly just hearsay and revenge."

Cao Cao held the secret letter in his hand, paused slightly, and then smiled and said, "Your Highness is right."

After saying that, he casually placed the silk scroll on the table.

Sun Quan blinked.

Is this over?

Not watching anymore?

Cheng Yu frowned, as if he wanted to say something, but was tugged at by a girl who was leaning on a low table drinking.

Sun Quan felt that his brain was not working properly.

It seems His Highness did indeed help.

But the way they're doing things seems so strange...

Then she heard Liu Xun say:

"Could you please give me that letter, Sikong?"

"So that the young girl beside me won't be worried and will be anxious the whole way, and won't even want to eat."

Sun Quan: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Asking for a letter in front of someone?

Has Your Highness gone mad?

However, she then began to doubt whether she was the one who had gone mad.

Because Cao Cao smiled, picked up the silk scroll, and handed it to Liu Xun.

"How could I refuse Your Highness's request?"

Liu Xun then handed it to Sun Quan.

Here, it's yours.

Sun Quan took the secret letter with both hands and rubbed his eyes.

This was the secret letter she had painstakingly tried and failed to intercept despite numerous setbacks.

It was light and airy, yet it made her fingers tremble slightly.

"Sun Ce is brave and valiant, similar to Xiang Yu. The court should show him favor and summon him to the capital; he should not be allowed to reside in a remote region, lest he become a future threat..."

Looking at the densely packed writing on it, Sun Quan gasped.

If the imperial court really does as Xu Gong said and summons the eldest sister to take up a post in Xudu, then the three counties of Jiangdong that the Sun family has finally managed to conquer will probably change immediately.

She tucked the silk scroll into her bosom, took a deep breath, and tried to appear calm.

After a long while, she finally came to her senses.

Looking up, he realized that Cao Cao and Liu Xun, who were in the main seats, were chatting idly.

A high-ranking official and the emperor's younger brother seem to be talking about... straw sandals?

"Has Your Highness recently visited the Left General's residence again?"

"Hmm, the straw sandals I weave are now just as good as Xuande's."

"Oh? Then could I have a pair made for you another day?"

"Is Mengde going to wear straw sandals to court?"

……

Sun Quan finally realized that his previous worries were completely unnecessary.

What "political maneuvering," what "dangerous court politics"...

It seemed to be no big deal in front of this prince.

-----------------

Cheng Yu stood under the corridor, watching Liu Xun lead Sun Quan away into the distance, before turning back to his study.

His gaze unconsciously fell on Guo Jia, who was leaning against the low table drinking. He leaned closer and whispered, "Why did you stop me just now, Fengxiao?"

But then they saw the military advisor holding a wine cup, his gaze fixed on the spot where Liu Xun had disappeared at the courtyard gate.

A faint smile lingered at the corners of her lips.

Cheng Yu frowned and reached out to push her shoulder.

"Filial piety?"

Guo Jia snapped out of his reverie, blinked his misty eyes, and said with undisguised admiration, "Your Highness is becoming more and more beautiful."

Cheng Yu said helplessly, "Drink less, or the lord might hear you."

Guo Jia laughed and said, "Everyone has a love for beauty. I simply appreciate the beauty of the world and enjoy it while drinking. It's no different from appreciating flowers or the moon. My lord is not so petty."

Cheng Yu shook his head: "Sun Ce's ambition and self-importance are obvious. What Xu Gong said in his secret letter is not unfounded."

"I was just about to advise our lord to use this opportunity to reprimand Sun Ce, why did you stop me?"

"Yi Jing won't last much longer." Guo Jia placed the wine cup on the table, his usually hazy eyes unusually clear at this moment. "Our decisive battle with Yuan Shao is not far off."

Cheng Yu nodded: "I know that."

"Although Yuan Shu was defeated by Lü Bu and her strength has been greatly reduced, a centipede dies but does not fall dead. If she causes trouble in Huainan while we are on our northern expedition, attacking us from both sides, we will be in grave danger." Guo Jia raised a finger and pointed it in the air:

"Therefore, we must now make Sun Ce send troops against Yuan Shu, so that Yuan Shu will have no time to look north."

"No matter how ambitious or problematic Sun Ce is, now is not the time to worry about that. We should wait until we defeat Yuan Shao before considering anything else."