Three Kingdoms: A wise grandson, Cao Wei can last for three generations!

The streets of Xudu were more bustling than he had imagined. Shops lined both sides of the street, and pedestrians thronged the area. There were people selling shaved ice by the roadside, one coin a bowl, and a long queue had formed.

An old man sat in the sun by the wall, holding a bowl of tea in his hand, looking very content.

"Brother, look," Ma Yunlu pointed to a shop on the street, "that's Cao Rui's ice cream parlor. They sell shaved ice in the summer and hot pot in the winter. They even share half of their profits with me."

Ma Chao glanced at the shop, then at the smiling people on the street, and remained silent for a long time.

"What kind of person is he?" he suddenly asked.

Ma Yunlu was taken aback: "Who?"

"Cao Cao".

Ma Yunlu thought for a moment and said, "Father said he was a treacherous villain. But the people of Xudu said he was a living bodhisattva."

Ma Chao didn't ask any more questions.

Ma Teng lived in a large mansion in the north of the city. Cao Cao had arranged for him to enter and leave three times a day, with a large retinue of servants. When he heard that Ma Chao had arrived, the old man stood at the door, leaning on his cane, tears streaming down his face.

"Chao'er!"

Ma Chao knelt before him, his head hitting the ground, and didn't get up for a long time.

"Father, your son is unfilial."

Ma Teng helped him up, looked him up and down several times, and cried, "You've lost weight, you've lost weight. You must have suffered in Hanzhong!"

Ma Chao shook his head, speechless.

Ma Dai, standing nearby, also had tears in his eyes. His two younger brothers, Ma Xiu and Ma Tie, circled around Ma Chao several times, laughing and crying at the same time.

Ma Yunlu stood to the side, watching her family finally reunite, tears streaming down her face.

Cao Rui stood at the doorway, not going in. He watched this scene unfold, then quietly slipped out.

On their way home, Xu Hu followed behind and couldn't help but ask, "Young Master, why don't you go inside?"

"What would I do if they were having a family reunion?" Cao Rui kicked at a pebble on the road. "Besides, I'm hungry. I'll go home and have hot pot."

Xu Hu laughed: "Young master, you have quite the nerve."

Cao Rui chuckled but didn't say anything.

That evening, Cao Rui set up a hot pot at his residence. Ma Chao sat at the table, staring blankly at the bubbling broth in the pot.

"What is this?"

"Hot pot." Cao Rui picked up a slice of mutton, dipped it in the pot, swished it around, dipped it in the sauce, and handed it to him in his bowl. "Try it."

Ma Chao took a bite with some skepticism, chewed it a couple of times, and then his eyes lit up.

"this--"

"Isn't it delicious?" Cao Rui smiled smugly. "I invented it."

Ma Chao looked at the mutton in the bowl, then at Cao Rui, and suddenly smiled.

"You little rascal, besides being good at talking, you can also eat a lot."

Cao Rui chuckled: "General Ma, you flatter me."

Ma Yunlu glared at him from the side: "Call me brother."

Cao Rui was taken aback for a moment, his face turning slightly red: "Brother."

Ma Chao looked at him, his lips twitching slightly.

"You should still call me General Ma."

Cao Rui: "..."

Ma Yunlu covered her mouth and laughed.

That night, Ma Chao ate three bowls of mutton, two plates of cabbage, a plate of tofu, and drank a pot of wine. He leaned back in his chair, patted his belly, and showed a rare expression of satisfaction.

"This stuff is much better than what I ate in Xiliang."

Taking the opportunity, Cao Rui asked, "Brother—no, General Ma, what do you think of Xuchang?"

Ma Chao paused for a moment, looking at the moon outside the window.

"It's better than I expected."

"and you--"

"Don't push your luck," Ma Chao interrupted him. "I told you, I'm just here to take a look. We'll talk after I've seen it all."

Cao Rui nodded and did not ask any further questions.

The next day, Cao Cao held a banquet at the Prime Minister's residence to welcome Ma Chao.

The officials had all arrived, the dishes were served, and several rounds of wine had been drunk. Cao Cao raised his wine cup and looked at Ma Chao.

"General Ma, this cup of wine is for you."

Ma Chao picked up his wine cup, looked at Cao Cao, and his gaze was complicated.

"Lord Wei, Ma Chao has a question."

"explain."

"Lord Wei fought me in Weinan back then. I killed many of your men, and you killed many of mine. Now I've come to Xuchang, are you not afraid of me—"

"What am I afraid of?" Cao Cao put down his wine cup. "Afraid you'll kill me?"

Ma Chao remained silent.

Cao Cao laughed, a loud laugh that startled everyone in the room.

"If you wanted to kill me, you would have done it when you entered the city yesterday. Why wait until today?"

Ma Chao remained silent. Cao Cao stood up, walked over to him, and patted him on the shoulder: "General Ma, you are a true man. In my life, the men I respect most are true men. I know all about your work in protecting the borders and people of Xiliang, fighting the Xiongnu, and quelling the Qiang rebellion."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "The battle we fought was between opposing sides. I don't blame you, and you shouldn't blame me. Now that you're here, you're on our side."

Ma Chao looked at him, his lips moved, but he didn't say anything.

Cao Cao walked back, picked up his wine cup, and said, "Come, drink this cup to the brim!"

The ministers responded in unison, raised their cups, and drank together.

Ma Chao also picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.

That night, Ma Chao drank a lot of wine. He leaned back in his chair, looking at the assembled civil and military officials, at the scene of clinking glasses and revelry, and suddenly thought of Xiliang.

I remembered that spirited young man riding a white horse.

I recalled that evening in Weinan when I fought Xu Chu for three hundred rounds.

I recalled the image of my father's back as he left Xiliang.

I remembered my sister's always smiling face.

He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

"Lord Wei," he opened his eyes and looked at Cao Cao, "I have a request."

"explain."

"My brothers followed me from Xiliang to Hanzhong, and then from Hanzhong to Xuchang. They all have families to support. I would like to ask Lord Wei to give them a way to survive."

Cao Cao nodded: "Don't worry about that. Your soldiers will be incorporated into the Wei army and treated the same as my soldiers. Those who want to stay in Xuchang will be given land and housing. Those who want to return to Xiliang will be given travel expenses and resettlement allowances."

Ma Chao stood up, walked to Cao Cao, and knelt on one knee.

"Lord Wei, Ma Chao is willing to surrender."

The room was completely silent.

Cao Cao looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then reached out to help him up.

"Get up. I told you, you don't need to kneel."

He patted Ma Chao on the shoulder, his voice a little hoarse: "Do a good job. Your father is in Xudu, your sister is in Xudu. This is your home."

Ma Chao stood up, his eyes reddening. But he didn't let the tears fall.

He is the mighty Ma Chao. A man of Xiliang, do not weep.

Cao Rui stood in the corner, watching this scene, and suddenly felt a lump in his throat.

He turned his head and saw Ma Yunlu standing under the eaves, the moonlight shining on her, her tear tracks glistening.

He walked over, took a piece of candy from his sleeve, and put it in her hand.

"Don't cry. Your brother has figured it out; you should be happy."

Ma Yunlu took the candy, popped it into her mouth, and mumbled, "That's all you know how to do."

Ma Yunlu, with a candy in her mouth, looked at him and suddenly reached out to rub his head.

"Cao Rui, thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?"

"Thank you for bringing my brother to Xudu. Thank you for giving him a way out. Thank you—"

She paused, then lowered her voice: "Thank you for keeping my brother alive."

Cao Rui was taken aback for a moment, then smiled.

"Yunlu, your brother is a tough guy. He won't die."

Ma Yunlu looked at him, her eyes shining like stars in the moonlight.

"The same to you."

Cao Rui blushed.

In the distance, Xu Hu squatted in the corner, gnawing on a leg of lamb. Watching this scene, he thought to himself, "Young Master, when will your blushing problem ever get better?"