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

In the days that followed, Cao Rui returned to his usual routine.

In the evening, Cao Rui practiced martial arts with Ma Yunlu in the courtyard for half an hour. After three years of practice, Cao Rui had mastered Xiang Yu's skills. The reason he continued to practice was simply to spend time with Ma Yunlu.

Bixie squatted under the eaves, watching the two practice martial arts without blinking. Xu Hu stood beside him and whispered, "Did you see clearly? Who did the young master learn his halberd technique from?"

Bixie shook his head.

"I didn't learn it from anyone, I created it myself. Don't try to learn his style, that's talent, you can't learn it. If you want to learn, start with horse stance."

Bixie nodded, and without a word, walked into the courtyard and assumed a horse stance. Xu Hu glanced at his posture, his eyes lighting up: "You've got some skills! Who taught you?"

"Nobody taught me. I learned it by squatting and begging for food."

Xu Hu paused for a moment, then patted his shoulder: "Alright, then you'll squat for half an hour every day from now on. I'll start teaching you boxing techniques when your legs stop shaking."

Bixie squatted in the courtyard, motionless. Snowflakes fell on his head and shoulders, but he didn't even flinch, like a stone statue.

After finishing his martial arts practice, Cao Rui went to Jia Xu's residence for a lesson. Jia Xu didn't teach strategy or military tactics that day; instead, he told a story.

"Back when I was in Liangzhou, I met a man." Jia Xu sat on the veranda, holding a wine pot in his hands, squinting his eyes. "That man was a Qiang, named Cheliji, the leader of a small tribe."

He only had a few hundred men under his command and his territory spanned only a few dozen miles, but he was able to survive among the large tribes of Liangzhou not because of his fighting prowess, but because of his patience.

Cao Rui sat opposite him, listening intently. Bixie squatted by the door, also listening.

"Once, a large tribe came to steal his cattle and sheep. Not only did he not fight back, he also gave them several horses."

His men were puzzled and asked him why. He said, "He took from me because he was hungry. I gave it to him because I wasn't hungry. Once he's full, we can sit down and talk."

Jia Xu took a swig of wine and continued, "Later, the leader of that large tribe was killed, the tribe scattered, and Cheliji took the opportunity to gather those scattered soldiers and greatly increased his strength. Later, the whole of Liangzhou knew his name—not because he was good at fighting, but because he was good at enduring."

Cao Rui nodded thoughtfully: "Sir, are you telling me this story to teach me that some things are not obtained through struggle, but through waiting?"

Jia Xu glanced at him, a slight smile playing on his lips: "You certainly know how to summarize."

He took another swig of wine, his voice lowering: "Your grandfather was a man who spent his whole life fighting. Fighting for territory, for talent, for the world. But his greatest achievement wasn't something he fought for, it was something he waited for."

"When?"

"Welcome the Emperor."

Jia Xu put down his wine pot, his gaze distant: "Back then, he was in Xuchang, and Yuan Shao was in Yecheng. Both of them were eyeing the fallen emperor in Luoyang."

Yuan Shao wanted to contend for it, but feared that it would become a burden. Your grandfather didn't contend; he merely sent someone to Luoyang to take a look and deliver some grain and clothing to the emperor. Later, the emperor himself fled, reaching the gates of Xuchang.

He paused, then looked at Cao Rui: "Your grandfather didn't fight for it, but he waited for it."

As Cao Rui walked along the road after leaving Jia Xu's residence, the story was still on his mind.

"To ward off evil spirits."

"exist."

"What do you think of Cherridge?"

Bixie thought for a moment and said, "Clever."

"Where is the intelligence?"

"He knows when to bow his head and when to raise it."

Cao Rui stopped and glanced back at him. Bixie stood three steps away, hands hanging down, head bowed, back ramrod straight.

"It's a shame you're so smart and don't know how to read." Cao Rui turned around and continued walking. "Starting today, come with me to Mr. Pang's place this afternoon to learn to read."

Bixie paused for a moment, then nodded, but still didn't say anything.

Days passed by like this. Every morning, Cao Rui would go to Jia Xu's place to listen to his lessons, in the afternoon he would go to Pang Tong's place to study, and in the evening he would practice martial arts with Ma Yunlu.

Bixie followed behind, listening to lectures, reading books, and practicing horse stance, without uttering a sound, like a shadow.

When Jia Xu discussed strategies, he listened at the door. When Pang Tong lectured, he squatted under the eaves learning to read. When Ma Yunlu practiced swordsmanship, he practiced horse stance in the courtyard.

Back in his room at night, he would write those five characters dozens of times, writing until midnight, until his fingers developed calluses, until his handwriting changed from crooked to neat and tidy.

Chunlan felt sorry for him, so she lit a lamp for him and brought him a bowl of hot soup.

"Stop writing, write again tomorrow."

Bixie shook his head and continued writing. Chunlan sighed, put the soup on the table, and left.

The next morning, when Cao Rui got up, he saw Bixie already practicing horse stance in the courtyard. Snowflakes fell on his head and shoulders, but he didn't even flinch, like a stone statue.

"What time did you finish writing last night?"

"have no idea."

"How many hours did you sleep?"

"have no idea."

Cao Rui looked at him and suddenly asked, "Bixie, why are you working so hard?"

Bixie paused for a moment, then said, "Young master gave me food, clothes, and shelter. I have nothing to repay you with, so I can only learn from you."

"I told you, no repayment is needed."

"If the young master doesn't need it, I can't live without it."

Cao Rui looked at him for a while, then reached out and patted him on the head: "Alright, then study hard. But there's one rule—don't work yourself to death. If you die from exhaustion, where am I supposed to find another one?"

Bixie's lips curled up again, and this time he couldn't hide it and Cao Rui saw it.

You smiled.

"no."

You clearly smiled.

"no."

Cao Rui glared at him, then turned and left. Pi Xie stood there, watching his retreating figure, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The heartwarming teahouse remains incredibly popular. Manager Zhen happily counts his money behind the counter every day, while the staff are constantly on the go. A notice posted at the entrance reads: "One hundred bowls of hot soup are served free of charge daily, while supplies last."

Every day before dawn, a long queue would form at the door. There were poor people dressed in coarse cloth and short clothes, beggars in tattered clothes, and a few minor officials in tattered official robes—whose salaries had been owed for half a year—also came to mooch a bowl of hot soup.

Manager Zhen never asked about anyone's identity and welcomed everyone. After giving away a hundred bowls, if there were still people coming, he would pay out of his own pocket to give them a few more bowls.

"Shopkeeper, aren't you making a profit on this business?" a shop assistant asked.

Manager Zhen smiled and shook his head: "We won't lose money. As the young master said, the Warm Heart Tea House isn't a business to make money, but a business to accumulate good karma."

When these words reached Cao Cao's ears, he remained silent for a long while. Then he said to Xu Chu beside him, "My grandson is better than me."

Xu Chu asked innocently, "What makes you so strong?"

"His strength lies in knowing when to make money and when to do good deeds."

Xu Chu didn't understand, but he was still happy for Cao Cao.