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

In the winter of the nineteenth year of Jian'an, the first snow fell in Xudu.

Cao Rui, wrapped in a mink coat, sat in a corner of the cozy tea room, with a bowl of hot tea in front of him.

He is ten years old this year, and has grown taller. The baby fat on his face has completely disappeared, and his features now vaguely resemble those of Cao Cao in his youth.

Ma Yunlu sat opposite him, holding a bowl of hot soup in her hand, sipping it slowly.

"Cao Rui, why have you been going to the teahouse so often lately?"

"It depends on the person."

"Who are you looking at?"

Cao Rui pointed to a few old men at the next table: "Look at them. Look at that one in gray clothes, he fled from Guanzhong. He almost froze to death last winter and drank more than a hundred bowls of my hot soup. This spring, he cleared a few acres of wasteland outside the city, planted wheat, harvested the grain in the fall, and now he comes here to drink tea every day."

He then pointed to another man: "The one in the blue shirt is an old resident of the city. His son is serving in the army under his grandfather. He was wounded in battle at Ruxukou last year and spent half a year recuperating. Now that he's healed, he's gone back to the army. He comes here every day for tea, waiting for news from his son."

Ma Yunlu looked at the old men, then at Cao Rui: "You even know this?"

"When you open a shop, you have to know who your customers are, where they come from, and what they want to do." Cao Rui picked up his teacup and took a sip. "That's called customer profiling."

"What portrait?"

"It's about... seeing through people."

Ma Yunlu shook her head: "You've been corrupted by your master."

Cao Rui chuckled: "My master said this is called applying what you've learned."

As the two were talking, a man entered the tea room. He was in his thirties, with a thin face and deep eyes. He wore a simple blue robe and exuded an air of unfathomable mystery.

Cao Rui paused for a moment, holding the teacup in his hand.

Sima Yi.

How did he end up here?

After entering, Sima Yi glanced around and his gaze landed on Cao Rui. He nodded slightly as a greeting, then sat down in a corner and ordered a bowl of hot tea.

Cao Rui looked at him, his mind racing. Sima Yi never went to crowded places, much less to a small street-side shop like this. His visit today was definitely not just for tea.

"To ward off evil spirits."

Bixie stood up from the corner, walked to Cao Rui's side, and bent down.

"Go, keep an eye on him. Observe who he talks to and which direction he goes when he leaves."

Bixie nodded, turned and left. He walked silently, like a shadow.

Looking at Bixie's retreating figure, Ma Yunlu whispered, "Your little follower is becoming more and more like an assassin."

"What assassin? That's my personal bodyguard."

"A bodyguard? He's only ten years old."

"So what if I'm ten? When I was ten, I had already been to Jiangdong and Hanzhong."

Ma Yunlu choked, grunted, and lowered her head to drink the soup.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Sima Yi got up and left. He walked very slowly, and when he passed by Cao Rui, he suddenly stopped and glanced at him.

"Young Master Cao, the tea in this teahouse is quite good."

Cao Rui raised his head and met his gaze: "I'm glad Mr. Sima likes it."

Sima Yi smiled faintly, a smile that vanished in an instant.

"I'll invite you for tea another day, young master."

He left. Cao Rui watched his figure disappear through the doorway, his brows furrowing.

Bixie slipped in from outside the door and whispered in Cao Rui's ear, "He sat in the tea room for half an incense stick's time, doing nothing but drinking tea. When he left, he went north of the city."

"North of the city? Who lives over there?"

"I'm not entirely sure. But there's a cluster of houses in the north of the city, mostly inhabited by... people from the Sima family."

Cao Rui's heart sank. The Sima family's residence in Xudu was indeed located in the north of the city.

He put down his teacup, stood up, and said, "Let's go back."

That evening, Cao Rui went to see Jia Xu.

Jia Xu was drinking in the corridor, a chessboard in front of him, playing alone. Seeing Cao Rui enter, he didn't even look up: "You've arrived?"

"Sir, Sima Yi visited my tea room today."

"Fine, go ahead. You won't let us into your teahouse?"

"No." Cao Rui sat down opposite him and recounted the events of the day. "Sir, do you think he came specifically for me, or was it just a coincidence?"

Jia Xu placed a piece and said slowly, "Sima Yi is not one to do things by chance."

Cao Rui's heart tightened.

"Then he—"

"He came to see you." Jia Xu looked up at him, "to see what you look like, what you say, and what you do. He's very good at judging people. The fact that he's looking at you means he's starting to care about you."

"You care about me? Why?"

Jia Xu looked at him with a half-smile: "What do you think?"

Cao Rui remained silent.

Jia Xu placed another piece: "You're ten years old this year, not a child anymore. Your grandfather is sixty, your father is twenty-eight. Sima Yi is thirty-five, in the prime of his life. He's watching you, and he's waiting for you."

"Waiting for me for what?"

"Wait until you grow up, then we'll see if you're worthy of his loyalty. Or—whether you're worthy of his wariness."

Cao Rui was stunned.

Jia Xu picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and lowered his voice: "In this game of chess, your grandfather was playing, and your father was playing too. But the one who truly decides the outcome is you. Sima Yi saw that, so he's watching you."

"Sir, what should I do?"

Jia Xu looked at him, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his cloudy old eyes: "Just do what you're supposed to do. Don't let him know you care about him. The more you care, the happier he'll be. The less you care, the less he'll understand you."

Cao Rui nodded.

As Cao Rui walked out of Jia Xu's residence, his mind was still preoccupied with Jia Xu's words. Bixie followed behind, no more, no less, three steps behind.

"To ward off evil spirits."

"exist."

What do you think of Sima Yi as a person?

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

"Even more terrifying than Mr. Jia?"

Bixie paused for a moment, then said, "They're different. Mr. Jia's terrifying nature is visible. Sima Yi's terrifying nature is invisible."

Cao Rui stopped and glanced back at him. In the moonlight, Bixie's face was still as wooden as ever, but his eyes were surprisingly bright.

Cao Rui smiled, a very soft smile. He turned around and continued walking.

"Let's go home. We have things to do tomorrow."

"What is it?"

"Going to Beiying to see my brother-in-law."

Bixie's lips curled up again.

The next day, Cao Rui went to the northern camp.

Ma Chao was training his troops on the drill ground, clad in silver armor, wielding a long spear, looking imposing. His three thousand Xiliang soldiers, after more than a year of training, had been transformed, each one full of vigor and spirit.

"General Ma!" Cao Rui shouted from the edge of the training ground.

Ma Chao turned around and saw him. He put away his spear, walked over, and looked him up and down: "You've grown taller again."

"Hmm, the clothes I made last year are too short again."

Ma Chao snorted, "Why are you growing so fast? In such a hurry to marry my sister?"

Cao Rui was speechless. Ma Chao, seeing his discomfiture, burst into laughter.

"Alright, I'm not teasing you anymore. What do you want?"

Cao Rui put away his smile and said seriously, "General Ma, there is something I would like to ask you."

"explain."

What do you think of Sima Yi as a person?

Ma Chao paused for a moment, then frowned: "Why did you suddenly ask him?"

"Just asking."

Ma Chao paused for a moment, then said, "I can't figure that person out. He's come to inspect the Northern Camp several times, and each time he's been very polite and his words are always impeccable. But my men say that the way he looks at people makes them uncomfortable."

"How exactly do you feel uncomfortable?"

"It's like being stared at by a snake."

Cao Rui's heart sank. Ma Chao was a military general, and his intuition was sharper than most. If he said he felt unwell, then there was definitely something wrong.

"Thank you, General Ma."

Ma Chao waved his hand: "What are you thanking me for? If you think there's something wrong with him, tell your grandfather sooner rather than later. Don't wait until something bad happens before you regret it."

Cao Rui nodded, turned, and left. As he walked out of the training ground, he glanced back. Ma Chao had already returned to the center of the training ground and continued training his troops. His spear flashed powerfully.