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

The hot pot banquet had only been over for a few days when people started to make a big fuss.

It wasn't Cao Cao who bombed it, it was Sun Quan who bombed it.

"That Liu Bei borrowed Jingzhou from me and never returned it. Now that he has Yizhou, he's acting like a big shot!"

Sun Quan smashed three teacups in the council hall in Jianye and cursed loudly, foaming at the mouth.

Lu Su stood to the side, looking helplessly at the broken porcelain shards on the ground, thinking to himself, "My lord, how many times have you broken a cup like this? We're almost out of teacups in the storeroom."

After Zhou Yu died, Lu Su took over the position of Commander-in-Chief, but his life was more frustrating than anyone else's. He was caught between Sun Quan and Liu Bei, unable to do either, and suffering from both sides.

Sun Quan wanted Jingzhou, but Liu Bei refused; Sun Quan wanted to attack Liu Bei, but Liu Bei couldn't dissuade him.

"My lord, why don't we send Zhuge Jin again?" Lu Su asked cautiously.

"How many times has Zhuge Jin gone? Did he manage to reclaim even an inch of land on any of those trips?" Sun Quan glared at him. "That Liu Bei, all he does is cry! He cries when Zhuge Jin goes; he cries when Zhuge Liang goes. After crying, he says he 'couldn't bear to take it'—if he couldn't bear to take it, why doesn't he return it then!"

Lu Su sighed: "My lord, Liu Bei has now gained control of Yizhou, and his army is strong and well-equipped. If we fight head-on, we may not be able to win."

"So, we'll just leave it at that?"

"No, forget it." Lu Su thought for a moment, then lowered his voice, "Does my lord know of the 'Xiang River'?"

Sun Quan was taken aback: "Xiang River? What happened?"

Lu Su gestured on the map: "The seven commanderies of Jingzhou should be divided along the Xiang River. The area east of the Xiang River belongs to our lord, and the area west of the Xiang River belongs to Liu Bei. In this way, Changsha and Guiyang will both belong to our lord."

Sun Quan stared at the map for a long time, then suddenly laughed: "Zijing, you're asking Liu Bei to sacrifice his own flesh. Do you think he'll agree?"

"If they don't agree, then we'll fight." Lu Su was unusually assertive. "My lord, our soldiers are not to be trifled with. Lü Meng has been training his navy at Lukou for several years; it's time to put them to the test."

Sun Quan pondered for a moment, then nodded.

"Alright. Let's talk first. If we can't reach an agreement, we'll fight."

When the news reached Xuchang, Cao Cao was drinking the bitter medicine prescribed by Zhang Zhongjing. He put down the bowl, wiped his mouth, and looked at the scout who had come to deliver the message, his face expressionless.

"Will Sun Quan and Liu Bei divide Jingzhou equally?"

"Yes. The Xiang River will be the boundary; the area east of the Xiang River belongs to Sun Quan, and the area west belongs to Liu Bei."

Cao Cao was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "Alright, the two sides have divided the spoils, now it's time for them to attack us."

Xun Yu stood to the side, his expression calm: "Prime Minister, the division of Jingzhou by Sun Quan and Liu Bei appears to be a reconciliation on the surface, but in reality, it's just suppressing the underlying conflicts. These suppressed conflicts will inevitably resurface sooner or later."

"Does Your Excellency mean—wait?"

"Wait," Xun Yu nodded. "Wait until they start making trouble again. The problem of Jingzhou can't be solved by simply dividing the Xiang River. Liu Bei occupies the west, and Sun Quan occupies the east."

But Liu Bei needs to go through Jingzhou to launch his northern expedition; Sun Quan also needs to go through Jingzhou to advance westward. Sooner or later, the two sides will have to fight.

Cao Rui squatted in the corner, munching on a pear, listening to Xun Yu's analysis, secretly admiring him. "You truly are a wise ruler; you see further than anyone else."

"Grandfather, I have an idea."

Cao Cao turned to look at him: "Speak."

"My grandson thinks we don't need to do anything right now. Let them divide it, let them talk, let them happily sign the treaty. After they've signed it, then we—"

He paused for a moment, then chuckled.

"Send some more gifts to Sun Quan."

Cao Cao was taken aback: "Gifts? What kind of gifts?"

"Send him some local specialties from Xuchang. Shaved ice, hot pot base, honeycomb briquettes—let him know that life in Xuchang is more comfortable than in Jiangdong. He'll feel resentful and naturally start causing trouble for Liu Bei."

Cao Cao stared at him for a long time, then suddenly laughed: "You little rascal, you're so cunning."

Cao Rui chuckled: "I learned it from my teacher."

Jia Xu stood to the side, holding a wine cup, his eyes narrowed, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, without saying a word.

In July of the 20th year of Jian'an (219 AD), Sun Quan and Liu Bei reached an agreement in Changsha to divide Jingzhou equally, with the Xiang River as the boundary.

When the news reached Xuchang, Cao Cao was playing chess with Cao Pi in the Prime Minister's residence. After hearing the scout's report, the chess piece in his hand hovered in mid-air for a long while before finally falling.

"You broke up?"

"They were divided. Sun Quan got the three commanderies of Changsha, Guiyang, and Jiangxia, while Liu Bei got the three commanderies of Nan, Lingling, and Wuling."

Cao Cao nodded, his face expressionless.

Cao Pi, observing his father's expression, cautiously asked, "Father, should we take advantage of their rest and division of the spoils and launch a surprise attack?"

"Who are you going to hit?"

"Attack...Liu Bei?"

Cao Cao glanced at him: "Liu Bei has Zhuge Liang stationed in Jingzhou, and Guan Yu guarding the city. Can you defeat him?"

Cao Pi was speechless.

"Grandfather, it's not wise to attack anyone right now. Sun and Liu have just divided Jingzhou, and they're at their most vigilant. If we make a move, they'll immediately join forces. It would be better to wait until they're off guard, and then—"

"Anything else?"

"Send some more gifts to Sun Quan."

Cao Cao laughed heartily, his mustache bristling with laughter: "You're sending gifts again? What did you give as a gift last time?"

Cao Rui thought for a moment and honestly replied, "I only gave away something in vain."

Everyone in the room burst into laughter. Cao Pi laughed the loudest, almost falling off his chair.

In August of the 20th year of Jian'an, a minor incident occurred in Xuchang City—Cao Zhi's Xiaobai, that furry yellow dog, got into trouble again.

It bit one of Sima Yi's pet cats.

Sima Yi had raised that cat for three years, cherishing it dearly. When Xiao Bai bit it, a large section of the cat's tail was shaved off, and it howled in pain.

Upon learning this, Cao Zhi quickly took Xiaobai to Sima Yi's residence to apologize. Sima Yi stood at the door, looking at the bald-tailed cat, his face expressionless, but the light in his eyes was as cold as the winter wind.

"Young Master Zijian, it's alright. It's just a cat."

Cao Zhi was extremely embarrassed and repeatedly apologized, even sending two bolts of silk over through his steward. Sima Yi refused to accept them, saying, "You're too kind, sir."

When the news reached Cao Pi's ears, he was overjoyed. He went to Cao Zhi's residence, squatted down, and patted Xiao Bai's head: "Good dog! I'll give you an extra chicken leg later!"

Cao Zhi: "...Second Brother, are you here to see us make a fool of ourselves?"

"No," Cao Pi said seriously, "I'm here to offer my condolences. And by the way, how badly bald is Sima Yi's cat?"

Cao Zhi was so angry that he slammed the door shut.

Upon hearing this, Cao Rui laughed so hard he rolled around in the courtyard. Ma Yunlu, sitting on the porch, watched his pathetic display and couldn't help but shake her head: "Is it really that serious? It's just a dog biting a cat!"

"You don't understand." Cao Rui wiped away the tears of laughter. "Sima Yi is like a cat. He usually looks gentle and docile, but his claws are sharp. Xiao Bai bit his cat, and he said it was nothing, but who knows how much he resents him in his heart."

"Holding a grudge against a dog?"

"He holds a grudge against my fourth uncle."

Ma Yunlu was taken aback for a moment, then understood: "You mean, Sima Yi will remember this and seek revenge later?"

Cao Rui nodded: "That's right. This kind of person won't act on the spot. He'll wait until you forget about it, and then suddenly bite you."

Ma Yunlu looked at him, a complex expression in her eyes: "Why do you think so badly of everyone?"

"It's not that I think badly, it's that Mr. Jia taught me well." Cao Rui stood up, patted the dirt off his clothes, and said, "Mr. Jia said that there is no good or bad without a reason in this world."

Sima Yi was polite and courteous to everyone, but only he knew what he was truly thinking.

"However—" Cao Rui suddenly laughed, "Xiao Bai took a good bite. At least it lets me know that Sima Yi can't tolerate everything. He can feel pain and get angry too. People with emotions are easier to deal with."

"You're still going to deal with him?"

"No. I need to be wary of him."