Cao Cao smiled confidently and said, "As you can see, Sun Quan and Liu Bei are like mantises trying to stop a chariot compared to me."
I asked cautiously, "Didn't you ever think about the possibility of losing?"
Cao Cao waved his hand dismissively: "How could that be?"
I scratched my head and said, "There's a poem about this battle, let me recite it for you: 'The great river flows eastward, its waves sweeping away countless heroes of the past. West of the old fortress…'"
As Cao Cao listened, he shook his head and said, "Hmm, this is the first time I've heard of this format. It's very well done."
When I recited "Zhou Yu's Red Cliff in the Three Kingdoms", Cao Cao's expression changed. After I finished saying "The masts and oars will fly away and vanish into thin air", Cao Cao was already a little uncomfortable, but he quickly recovered and laughed: "I always thought you were a military general, I didn't expect you to know how to compose poems?"
I replied modestly, "I know a little."
Cao Cao said, "Does the poem ultimately mean that I was defeated by Zhou Yu?"
I said, "This poem was written by a later person, and its full name is 'Remembering the Past at Red Cliff'."
Cao Cao disagreed, saying, "The words are beautiful, but they are probably just a fabrication by that Zhuge Liang, a mere villager, who claims it was written by a later generation in order to undermine the morale of our army."
I said earnestly, "Prime Minister, gambling never ends well... well, victory and defeat are common in war, and being overconfident is not a good thing. Even Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, who was the bravest of all time, could not escape his defeat at Gaixia..."
Black Tiger turned around and glanced at me.
Cao Cao said, "That depends on the specific circumstances. I am carrying the Emperor's authority, commanding the Jingzhou navy, and with the west wind blowing in the wind, I have all the advantages of timing, location, and popular support. How could I possibly lose to a bunch of barbaric border soldiers?"
Seeing that he seemed disdainful of arguing with me, I said no more. People from the Three Kingdoms period were all sharp-tongued; let Cao Cao educate his father with Marxism-Leninism.
Before long, we arrived in Northern Wei. At the exit checkpoint, Cao Cao was almost turned away because he didn't have a visa and was suspected of having immigration intentions. Fortunately, there was an officer there who had followed Hua Mulan in fighting against the Xiongnu and knew me, so I was able to get through.
Marshal He was also at Mulan's house, and the two were talking in the courtyard. After we said goodbye to Black Tiger, I led Cao Cao inside, and Mulan laughed, "Oh, it's true what they say, speak of the devil and he appears!"
Cao Cao asked, puzzled, "Why are you talking about me?"
I laughed and said, "You've already been named the fastest runner in the world."
Cao Cao looked around cautiously and asked me, "Chong'er, he..."
Mulan waved her hand: "Here I am!"
We turned around together and saw Cao Xiaoxiang riding a small red horse beside a strong young man, counting their hunted game. He glanced casually into the yard and suddenly froze. Cao Cao was also speechless. The father and son faced each other silently, frozen in place as if they had been struck by lightning.
Marshal He gave Cao Cao a gentle nudge on the shoulder and said, "Brother Mengde, go and see if it's your son."
The next moment, Cao Cao ran forward quickly and called out, "Chong'er!" Cao Xiaoxiang also jumped off his horse, waving his little hands and said, "Father."
Cao Cao squatted down, and the two embraced. Little Elephant Cao sobbed uncontrollably, while Cao Cao wept uncontrollably, looking like an old countryman who had just received a cartload of potatoes from the city management...
In this scene, everyone present felt a mixture of sadness and relief. Mulan and Marshal He both stepped aside. Mulan's younger brother glanced at the father and son embracing and weeping, then said with his hands behind his back, "I'll go sharpen the knife."
I quickly explained to Cao Cao, "Don't worry, he's sharpening his knife to slaughter a pig." We can't let the tragedy of Lü Boshe's family being massacred repeat itself; the Hua family is quite innocent too. But shouldn't Hua Muli's knife be replaced? Or is this young man's craftsmanship too advanced? Why is he always sharpening it?
Old Cao and Little Cao hugged each other and couldn't care less about anything else, just kept sobbing. In the end, I had to separate them, take one in each hand, and say, "Stop crying, father and son, find a place to have a good talk—Old Cao, I know you're suspicious, take a good look and see if this is really your son."
Cao Cao wiped away his tears and said, "No need to look, it's my son!" As he spoke, he couldn't help but compare the height of Cao Xiaoxiang's head with his own and asked in surprise, "Chong'er, you seem to have grown quite a bit taller than before."
Cao Xiaoxiang choked up and said, "Father, I'm already 13 years old..."
I pulled the two of them into a side room and gave Cao Xiaoxiang a final instruction: "Son, don't forget to tell us about the Battle of Red Cliffs."
Cao Xiaoxiang replied sensibly, "I understand, Dad."
When Cao Cao heard us address each other like that, he turned around and gave me a surprised look. Just as I was closing the door for them, I heard Cao Cao's voice: "Why did you call him 'father'?"
Cao Xiaoxiang's voice: "Xiaoqiang's dad loves me too..."
Overwhelmed with emotion, I squatted down in the yard, lit a cigarette, and watched Hua Muli sharpen his knife. As he sharpened it, Hua Muli smiled at me and said, "Brother Qiang, right? My sister always talks about you guys."
I smiled at him, took out my cigarette case and gestured to him, but Hua Muli shook his head: "No."
Hua Mulan kicked me from behind and said, "Don't teach my brother to be bad."
I deliberately teased Mulan and said to Hua Muli, "In a while, I'll take you traveling around. What's the point of staying here? The lights go out at 8 pm. I'll take you to the Tang Dynasty and the grasslands to pick up girls. With your looks and your looks, and with me being a vice marshal, what girl can't you get?"
Hua Mulan stomped her feet in anger, while Hua Muli grinned foolishly. Just then, an elderly couple came out from the main house. The old lady had a full head of white hair and looked very kind, while the old man looked like a former soldier, still very upright despite his age. The old lady smiled and said to me, "Xiaoqiang, you know a lot of people. If you know anyone suitable, introduce him to my Mulan."
Hua Mulan blushed and said, "Here we go again. I'll handle this myself."
The old man glared and said, "What kind of 27-year-old girl stays at home?"
Mulan plugged her ears and ran away in a huff.
I laughed and said, "Grandpa and Grandma, don't worry, there are plenty of unmarried 27-year-old girls where we live."
Grandpa Hua sighed, "I said those things about her, but I felt guilty. If it weren't for me..."
I quickly waved my hand: "We can't say that among family members. Besides, my sister Mulan is now very successful. Apart from Wu Zetian, no woman can compare to her."
Grandpa Hua said, "What good is that? A woman's proper job is to be a good wife and mother."
Oh dear, our heroine has an old-fashioned husband at home. I smiled ingratiatingly and said, "I'll definitely take it to heart. What kind of son-in-law do you two want?"
The old man looked at the old woman and muttered to himself, "What kind of person do you think we should find?"
The old lady said, "Anyway, we can't hire soldiers anymore, otherwise who will take care of the family in the future?"
The old man nodded and said, "Then let's find a schoolteacher—Xiao Qiang, do you know any schoolteacher?"
I said smugly, "I am the one in charge of managing the school teachers."