Three Kingdoms: Prince of the Great Wei, Prime Minister Cao

Chapter 39: Three Questions, Three Answers – The Art of Balancing as Emperors!

After a long dozing with closed eyes, Cao Cao opened his eyes and looked at his three sons in the carriage.

“Have you thought it through?”

“Faced with the situation where there are only two arrows in hand to confront the tiger and the wolf, as I mentioned earlier, what would you three brothers do?”

After asking, Cao Cao’s gaze turned to Cao Pi, the eldest among them, intending to go in the order of seniority and call upon Cao Pi to answer the question first. However, before Cao Cao could speak, Cao Zhang had impatiently stepped forward.

“Father, what’s so difficult about this!”

“It’s just a tiger and a wolf, isn’t it? Not worthy of fear. No need for you all to take action. With my abilities, I can resolve them.”

Facing Cao Zhang’s interruption, Cao Cao’s face didn’t reveal any displeasure because he knew his son had always been this way in character.

“Let’s hear it from Zhiwen…”

“Explain to your father and your two brothers how you plan to deal with the fierce tiger and hungry wolf using only two arrows?”

As Cao Cao said this, Cao Ju and Cao Pi also looked at Cao Zhang involuntarily. They also wanted to see how Cao Zhang would respond. Whether the method he used would be the same as the solution they had in mind. If it were indeed the same, they could make temporary changes so that their father, Cao Cao, wouldn’t think they were copying on the spot. Amidst the anticipation of the three individuals, Cao Zhang straightened his posture and confidently said, “Simple!”

“I will first use one arrow to shoot the hungry wolf that can be killed with just one arrow, and then…”

“Shoot the remaining arrow at the starving tiger, directly dealing it a heavy blow.”

Cao Zhang’s response was courageous and reckless, fitting his character. However, upon hearing this, Cao Cao frowned, clearly dissatisfied with his answer.

“Zhiwen, did you not understand your father’s intention?”

“I mentioned earlier that we only have two arrows. One arrow can indeed kill the wolf, but the hungry tiger requires two arrows to be killed.”

“Your single arrow wounded it severely just now, but it’s still alive.”

“Under the condition of a ferocious beast being critically injured, it will only become more dangerous than before it was injured. Do you understand this?” Upon Cao Cao’s reminder, Cao Zhang nodded in acknowledgment.

In the next instant, Cao Zhang’s spirit became even more exuberant as he said, “Father, so what?”

“Even a dying fierce tiger is fearsome. Shouldn’t the iron fist of your child be formidable!”

As he spoke, Cao Zhang rolled up his sleeves, revealing his biceps, which were as hard as iron knots, in front of Cao Cao, Cao Pi, and Cao Ju, his expression full of pride.

“Father, it’s not that your child is arrogant!”

“Against an intact tiger, your child dares to engage it barehanded.”

“Moreover, it already took an arrow from me!”

“In this situation, I’m fully confident in my ability to beat it to death.”

With these words from Cao Zhang, Cao Cao was left momentarily speechless. He had been taken aback by the fact that this fourth son of the Cao family, praised as “Yellow Beard,” possessed the strength to accomplish such a feat as tearing apart a tiger and wolf with his hands.

It wasn’t just Cao Cao. After hearing Cao Zhang’s explanation, Cao Ju and Cao Pi were also rendered speechless for a while.

Cao Ju even thought of a saying from later generations:

“The most elite assassins and killers don’t proceed with cautious restraint, avoiding any contact like a drifting leaf.

Nor is it about the so-called instant throat strikes.

After killing, they remain hidden in obscurity, away from name and reputation.”

The real assassins and killers are the ones who, upon receiving a commission, carry a nuclear bomb and obliterate the city where the target is located, and then. Incidentally, take care of the target. Though Cao Zhang’s response just now might seem impulsive and reckless, it was akin to the tactics of a nuclear bomb assassin, both breaking out of the conventional mold.

These kinds of people. Positively put, they’re called fearless. Negatively put, they’re damn cannon fodder on the battlefield.

After a long silence, Cao Cao chuckled dryly, “Hehe!”

“Zhiwen, renowned as a hero among the troops, your father can’t compare.”

Though it was praise, anyone could detect the touch of exasperation in Cao Cao’s tone. Only Cao Zhang interpreted it as his father complimenting him. He proudly glanced at Cao Pi and Cao Ju. This method was not something his two weaker brothers could achieve. If they were to imitate…Sooner or later, they would become the excrement dragged out by tigers and wolves.

“And Zihuan, how would you respond?”

Perhaps still smarting from Cao Zhang’s answer, Cao Cao added a playful remark directed at Cao Pi.

“Zihuan, you wouldn’t say that you also want to follow your fourth brother and barehandedly kill a tiger, would you?”

Cao Pi shook his head gently in the face of Cao Cao’s teasing.

“Father! Pi would never do such a thing.”

“Facing the tiger and wolf, I would directly use two arrows to kill the most threatening hungry tiger, and then, I would move forward to engage the remaining hungry wolf.”

“I don’t know if I’m a match for the hungry wolf, but…”

Cao Pi gave his father, Cao Cao, a stubborn look and then glanced at Cao Ju and Cao Zhang.

“But, at least I can struggle with it for a long time.”

“To lead you and my two brothers to safety, buying some time.”

“As long as you and my two brothers are safe…Even if I were to die in the wolf’s jaws, it would be worthwhile.”

After Cao Pi finished speaking, Cao Zhang muttered under his breath.

“Big brother, you talk so nicely. Who needs you to save the day!”

“Just a mere wolf, I can kill it just the same.”

Upon hearing this from Cao Zhang, Cao Cao’s expression changed.

“Zhiwen, shut up!”

“Is that something you can say?”

“Is he not doing that precisely for your sake and mine?”

Cao Cao scolded Cao Zhang, who immediately fell silent.

As for Cao Ju…He admired Cao Pi with a glance and silently cursed him for being hypocritical. In Cao Pi’s words, despite a hint of overestimating himself, his willingness to sacrifice his life for the greater good took both brotherly love and filial piety into consideration. It might just be the intent behind Cao Cao’s proposition of the tiger and wolf scenario.

Sure enough!

His elder brother truly inherited the cunning, hypocrisy, and strategic thinking of their father Cao Cao. Compared to Cao Pi’s response, Cao Zhang was utterly defeated, and no trace of his argument was left. After scolding Cao Zhang, Cao Cao stroked his chin beard lightly and turned his gaze to Cao Ju, who had yet to answer.

“Zhimu, what about you?”

Feeling the scrutiny from Cao Cao, Cao Zhang, and Cao Pi…

Cao Ju grinned, “Father, I would shoot an arrow at the ferocious tiger first!”

“Then…”

“Whichever one between the tiger and the wolf disobeys…”

“The last arrow will be shot at them!”

As these words were spoken, Cao Cao, stroking his chin beard, suddenly halted and roughly plucked out a handful of beard. Even if Cao Cao were to be killed, he wouldn’t have expected it. His son, Cao Ju, would give such an unexpected answer.

As your father, I initially intended to test your filial piety, but I don’t expect you, this unruly child, to deduce the methods of imperial strategy through this scenario.

Right in front of the beasts, by god, you’ve started employing methods of balance and control.