Chapter Four: The Lord's Illegitimate Son Is Quite Something!

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Yuzhou, Xuchang.

Inside his study, Cao Cao’s cheeks were flushed a deep red as he drank alone, cup after cup, ignoring the steward’s persistent persuasion outside the door. Yet the wine failed to numb his mind—instead, it made his thoughts even sharper. Because of a woman, he had lost both his mighty general Dian Wei and his beloved son Cao Ang. The bitterness gnawed at him: what a disastrous loss for such a fleeting pleasure. And to make matters worse, he hadn’t even brought back the infamous Lady Zou!

Hatred and regret twisted within him. His wife, unable to bear the scandal, had broken with him, and in a fit of rage, he’d sent her back to her family. But what could he do? He had so few pleasures in life.

Now, his wife was gone, his cherished son was dead, and he’d lost a great general—a bloody loss indeed!

At this moment, Xun Yu’s voice rang out: “My lord, splendid news, splendid news!”

“Wenruo, what cause is there for celebration?” Cao Cao arched an eyebrow, his mind clouded with worry, but Xun Yu’s announcement stirred his curiosity.

“My lord, Lü Bu has been persuaded by the Chen family to break off the marriage alliance with Yuan Shu. He has even detained Yuan Shu’s envoy and sent him to us, requesting that he be executed in the marketplace as a public example!” Xun Yu’s face was alight with joy.

After the defeat at Zhang Xiu’s hands, Cao Cao had been deeply troubled. Now, with Yuan Shu proclaiming himself emperor and forging an alliance with Lü Bu, his worries had multiplied. But this news changed everything.

At Xun Yu’s words, Cao Cao’s gloom vanished. He slapped the table and laughed aloud: “Lü Bu and Yuan Shu—those two fools! They never fail to amuse me. Heaven truly favors me today!”

With his spirits restored, Cao Cao’s heroic bearing returned. If those two pigs had remained united, he would have faced a real challenge, but now they were at each other’s throats—how could he not be delighted?

“Dian Wei—” Cao Cao called out, then sighed before continuing, “Summon Cao Ren. Fetch my Blue Dragon Sword. Behead Yuan Shu’s envoy in the marketplace to awe the realm and quash all thoughts of rebellion within the seas.”

“Furthermore, recommend Lü Bu as Grand General of the Left and Governor of Xuzhou. Send a private letter to the Chen family to seek their friendship.” Cao Cao made his decisions swiftly and without hesitation.

“My lord,” Xun Yu added with a sly smile, “since Yuan Shu and Lü Bu have fallen out, why not also remove Liu Yao from his post as Inspector of Yangzhou and appoint Lü Bu as its governor? Would that not be even better?”

“Haha, Xun Wenruo, you are ever astute!” Cao Cao laughed heartily. “Very well, I agree. But I wonder, between Lü Bu and Yuan Shu, who will prove the stronger? I actually hope Yuan Shu prevails.”

“My lord,” Xun Yu replied, “though Lü Bu was born of humble origins, he is a valiant warrior, and his infantry and cavalry are all elite. Yuan Shu, in contrast, is talentless and unworthy, his troops are undisciplined—mere dried bones in a grave.”

“So you think Lü Bu will win?” Cao Cao raised an eyebrow.

“My lord need only await the outcome!”

———

The next morning.

In a palace within the Imperial City of the Zhong clan.

Yuan Shu stood alone within the hall, his brow furrowed in gloom. A whole day had passed, yet his mind was still haunted by Chu Feng’s words from the previous day.

Was he truly so worthless?

Did he really have less than two years to live?

The thought that his own son, only recently recovered from madness, now wanted to rebel left him despondent. Was he really so incompetent? For a time, he was at a loss.

Outside the palace, a newly castrated eunuch made a report.

Then Yang Hong entered, bowing low. “Your servant greets Your Majesty.”

“Yang Hong, have you completed the investigation I ordered?” Yuan Shu asked, waving his sleeve.

“It is done. There are no enemy spies in the Chu family estate,” Yang Hong replied.

“You’re certain?”

“I have been thorough—there can be no mistake.”

Yuan Shu narrowed his small eyes. This was strange indeed. Chu Feng had been mad for twenty years, yet upon recovery, he displayed remarkable intelligence. Most importantly, the things he said...

“Yang Hong, have you ever heard of someone who suffers from madness for twenty years, then suddenly recovers and becomes brilliant, knowledgeable of all things past and present? What could cause such a thing?”

“Recovery from madness, and then omniscience?” Yang Hong murmured, narrowing his eyes. This must be connected to the Chu family estate. But he wasn’t sure of the man’s relationship to Yuan Shu. He thought for a moment.

“Your Majesty, I dare not speak recklessly.”

“Just say it!” Yuan Shu snapped.

Yang Hong lowered his head, realizing this person was important.

“Your Majesty, I believe there are two possibilities. First, the person was always talented, but feigned madness to protect himself in troubled times. Second, it is like Zhuang Zhou’s butterfly dream—no one recovers from madness and suddenly knows all things past and present. The only explanation is that he was often visited in dreams by immortals granting him wisdom.”

Seeing Yuan Shu’s face change, Yang Hong hurried to add, “Your Majesty, this is merely my humble opinion!”

“He was pretending?” Yuan Shu narrowed his eyes.

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He recalled Chu Feng’s words and realized it seemed plausible. The butterfly dream, after all, was far-fetched. That rascal had even deceived his own father.

Yet, remembering the two decades of absence, Yuan Shu felt a pang of guilt. Perhaps what Chu Feng said before was just venting, meant to provoke him.

He laughed—Yuan Shu laughed aloud.

That was more like it; he himself was so wise and heroic—how could he possibly end up isolated, betrayed, and coughing blood to death? It was all the tricks of that scoundrel.

“Yang Hong, come—I’ll take you to meet this interesting fellow,” Yuan Shu declared.

“An interesting fellow?” Yang Hong bowed his head. He guessed this must be the man who had recovered from madness. But given his master’s pleasure-seeking nature and fondness for women, what could he want from such a man?

“Oh, by the way, have Lei Bo find two hundred strong men to accompany us. Remember, this is not an imperial order, but a command from your master.”

“Why does Your Majesty need strong men?” Yang Hong asked, puzzled.

“You’ll see soon enough.” Yuan Shu chuckled. Since Chu Feng wanted to rebel, as his father, he couldn’t show up empty-handed.

……

At the Chu estate, in the courtyard.

Several blacksmiths hammered away relentlessly, but their faces were tinged with bitterness. Their master had requested a special plow with a beveled, flared blade—an almost impossible task. Forging it was easy enough, but their two attempts at plowing had resulted in the blade snapping after only a few steps.

Chu Feng drew a sharp breath.

“Master, this iron just won’t do—it’s too brittle. We need to go into the city and use the best iron from the major foundries,” one blacksmith said, wiping sweat from his brow.

Chu Feng nodded. Though the steel-making process had been invented, it was far from widespread—a real headache.

“Master, the head of the family is here!” Li Bo hurried over and whispered in his ear.

Chu Feng’s eyes lit up. His cheap old man was here again—probably eager to achieve something great after hearing his words. At this thought, he quickly ordered, “Alright, everyone, return to your work!”

“Li Bo, come, let’s go welcome my father.”

Li Bo hesitated, mumbling, “Master, should we take some medicine first?”

……

Meanwhile,

Yuan Shu instructed Yang Hong and Lei Bo, “No matter what you hear, do not be startled, and just refer to me as ‘Master’.”

“Rest assured, Your Majesty,” Yang Hong replied with a smile, stroking his beard. “Though I can’t claim to have seen it all, I have read widely and can handle whatever comes.”

“Your Majesty, even the horrors of battle do not move me—how could such a small matter cause me alarm?” Lei Bo declared resolutely.

“Very well. Also, do not reveal your names, lest he grow suspicious. Enough—let’s go!”

Soon, at the gate.

As Yuan Shu arrived, he heard Chu Feng call out, “Father, you finally came!”

“Cough, cough,” Yuan Shu answered, clearing his throat.

Behind him, Yang Hong and Lei Bo were stunned. Their smiles froze as they exchanged looks, each seeing the astonishment in the other’s eyes.

Their silent conversation was clear:

Yang Hong, did that man just call the lord… father?

Gulp. It sounded like… he did! And the lord answered him?

Good heavens.

Their faces changed color rapidly.

Calm down—they were men of the world, professionals. They couldn’t lose their composure now. They quickly schooled their expressions and stood behind Yuan Shu.

“Father, and these two are…?”

“No matter, they’re our people,” Yuan Shu waved a hand. “I’ve also brought two hundred family retainers—all strong men.”

“Father, you’re the best. With us two, we’re bound to accomplish great things!” Chu Feng quickly hushed himself, pulling the three inside and whispering, “It’s not safe to talk out here. If Yuan Shu, that old fool, finds out we want to rebel, he’ll kill us for sure.”

Yuan Shu’s mouth twitched.

Yang Hong: “???”

Lei Bo: “???”

These two thought they had seen it all and were well-trained, but upon hearing this, they were utterly dumbfounded. Did that man just say what they thought he did?

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Rebellion?

Rebelling against Yuan Shu?

And saying it right in front of Yuan Shu himself?

Good heavens, this son of the lord was something else!

They were completely thrown off balance.

Chu Feng glanced at the two, frowned, and whispered to his father, “Your men aren’t too steady, are they? Don’t let them leak anything!”

Yuan Shu: “…”

Yang Hong and Lei Bo’s mouths twitched uncontrollably.

“Don’t worry, my son—these two are absolutely reliable,” Yuan Shu hastened to explain, knowing that without some reassurance, his foolish son might cause real trouble.

Chu Feng curled his lip and shook his head. “Father, you know faces but not hearts. You need to be more careful. Yuan Shu, that useless wretch, is doomed—he’s not only stupid, he can’t even use people properly.”

Filial son, could you please not call me ‘that old fool’ and ‘useless wretch’ every other sentence? Give me some dignity.

“You mean Sun Ce?” Yuan Shu asked.

“Not just Sun Ce. I told you before, everyone will betray him. Take that Chief Clerk, Yang Hong—after Yuan Shu dies, he won’t remain loyal, but will counsel everyone to submit to the rebel Sun Ce instead,” Chu Feng said with a sigh.

Thud—

Yang Hong’s knees buckled and he collapsed. It was only early spring, but cold sweat poured down his face, and he trembled uncontrollably.

What kind of disaster was this?

Chu Feng looked puzzled. “Uncle, what’s wrong?”

At this, Yuan Shu glared, and Yang Hong, shivering, struggled to force a smile uglier than a cry. “It’s nothing, just a nightmare last night—gave me a fright. Please forgive the embarrassment, young master.” He wiped his brow, offering a flimsy excuse.

Beside him, Lei Bo nearly lost it. The old fellow was probably scared out of his wits. Who could say what he was really thinking? Such ominous predictions—no one could tell if they might come true.

But Yuan Shu and Sun Ce were mortal enemies.

That old fool really dared—no way would he be so foolish himself.

Despite his amusement, Lei Bo reached out to help.

“Father, to be honest, that Chief Clerk of Yuan Shu’s is not the worst—at most, he secretly communicates with Sun Ce. But men like Liu Xun, Chen Lan, and Lei Bo… well, it’s hard to describe,” Chu Feng smacked his lips in exasperation.

Thud—

Lei Bo, reaching to help Yang Hong, staggered and collapsed alongside him.

It was over. He was finished too.

“Uncle, what’s wrong with you now?”

“It’s nothing, he’s too heavy—I can’t lift him,” Lei Bo swallowed and forced out an excuse.

Yuan Shu glared at Lei Bo, then asked, “But aren’t these men Yuan Shu’s most trusted generals? What happened to them?”

“They all rebelled, set up their own factions. Especially Lei Bo and Chen Lan—when Yuan Shu was down and out seeking refuge, those two turned him away at the mountain gates,” Chu Feng said, curling his lip.

Cold sweat rolled down Lei Bo’s cheeks, his heart pounding wildly, his throat dry. He felt utterly doomed—how could he possibly clear his name now? And this was the young master!

Yuan Shu’s breath grew heavy.

“Of course, you can’t really blame them. It’s mostly Yuan Shu’s incompetence and lack of virtue. Frankly, he deserved his fate, ending up abandoned by all,” Chu Feng sighed.

Yuan Shu: “…………”

A thousand curses ran through Yuan Shu’s mind.

“Alright, father, let’s stay calm. The more foolish Yuan Shu is, the higher our chances of a successful rebellion, right?

I’ve got it all planned. Once we replace Yuan Shu, we’ll forge alliances and pull off something big,” Chu Feng said confidently.

“Heh… heh heh!” Yuan Shu forced a bitter laugh.

“Come, let me show you something—this is the key to our victory.” Chu Feng led the way ahead.

Yuan Shu turned and shot a glare at the two, as if to say, “We’ll settle this later.”

The two exchanged helpless glances, on the verge of tears.

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