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

Chapter 43: Cao Cao: Xu Chu, Deliver This Tiger Whip Soup to Lao Ba!

Cao Cao promptly fulfilled his earlier promise after rewarding soldiers like Wen Ji, who hunted tigers and killed wolves. He had the soldiers send the bodies of the dead tigers and wolves to the cooking camp behind the army. There, the camp’s chefs skinned and prepared the meat, creating a meaty soup offered as a tribute to the soldiers’ inner organs. As a result, by the time the army stopped marching at dusk and set up a temporary camp, the air was already filled with the scent of minced meat even before the meals were ready.

The soldiers of Cao’s army were eager and impatient for this meal. When the meat soup was fully prepared, and it was time to eat…

Soldiers, one after another, eagerly slurped up their meaty soups. Even though, due to being shared among a two-hundred-thousand-strong army, there was barely any trace of oil on the surface of the soup in each bowl, the soldiers still relished it. They felt that even the delicacies of dragon liver and phoenix gall couldn’t compare to the soup they held, especially considering it was made from the flesh of tigers and wolves.

Because…They simply didn’t care about the taste of the soup they were drinking.

What they cared about was that the soup in their hands was made from the flesh of tigers and wolves. For ordinary people, who could ever have a chance to taste such a soup?n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Perhaps they wouldn’t get to taste a sip in their entire lives. Different from the soldiers’ bowls that only had bits of minced meat and little oil…

Cao Cao, being the commander, had in his bowl the most essential and nutritious part of a tiger, and it was also the part that the army’s cooks had carefully prepared—a delicacy called the “Beast King’s Vigor Soup.”

Inside the carriage, Xu Chu was reporting to Cao Cao, “My Lord!”

“The army’s cooks have already processed the tiger skin and a few relatively intact wolf pelts.

Take a look…”

“Late autumn has arrived, and the weather is getting colder.”

“Moreover, this Jianghuai region is damp. Would you like me to lay the tiger skin in your carriage to keep you warm?”

Facing Xu Chu’s caring inquiry, Cao Cao, who was inside the carriage, showed no response. Even the steamy tiger whip soup before him didn’t draw his attention.

The reason being…

At this moment, Cao Cao was still immersed in the daytime dialogue and exchanges he had with his three sons. In his mind, Cao Cao kept replaying the performances of his three sons.

“Ziwen’s character is straightforward and reckless. Although his answer was outrageous, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.”

“As for Zi Huan…His response, while not lacking in filial piety, shows that this child tends to overthink things.”

“The sincerity of his filial affection is somewhat hard to determine, as he likely guessed the intention behind my question and deliberately tailored his answer to it.”

“As for Zi Mu, his answers were repeatedly surprising.”

“Though my expression showed dissatisfaction, I was quite pleased with his responses.”

“If Xiaohu were still alive…”

“He would certainly appreciate a son who doesn’t conform, who likes to take an unconventional approach.”

“However…Regarding conduct and dealing with the world, balancing the norm and the extraordinary.”

“Too much deviation from the norm could easily lead down a divergent path. His disposition…”

“Needs some polishing!”

After analyzing the characters of his three sons, Cao Cao finally looked up at Xu Chu, who was reporting the situation inside the carriage.

“Today, Zi Huan, Zi Wen, and Zi Mu each answered a question for me. As their father, I should reward them accordingly.”

“How about this…”

“Xu Chu, deliver the processed tiger skin to Zi Mu. Divide the intact wolf skins into two portions and give one to Zi Huan and one to Zi Wen.”

Regarding distribution, Cao Cao intended to reward his three brothers according to his satisfaction level with them. The best tiger skin would naturally be a reward for his surprised and delighted youngest son. Upon hearing this, Xu Chu was about to turn and leave.

“Wait!”

Just as Xu Chu was about to lift the curtain of the carriage, dismount the chariot, and follow Cao Cao’s instructions to deliver the tiger skin and wolf skins to the three young masters…

A voice from behind abruptly stopped Xu Chu in his tracks. He slowly turned around and looked at Cao Cao.

“My Lord, is there something else you want to command?”

Faced with Xu Chu’s question, Cao Cao suddenly burst into laughter.

“Xu Chu, I’ve changed my mind!”

“Deliver the tiger skin to Zi Huan!”

“And all the remaining wolf skins…”

“Give them all to Zi Wen!”

The revised reward scheme that Cao Cao presented left Xu Chu utterly astonished. He had rewarded everything to his two sons, Cao Pi, and Cao Zhang…

What about Cao Ju?

Though Xu Chu was puzzled, he wisely refrained from asking.

Don’t ask what shouldn’t be asked.

This was one of the reasons he had been able to serve as Cao Cao’s guard and earn his trust.

“Alright, you can go now!”

Upon hearing Cao Cao’s words, Xu Chu was genuinely shocked for a moment.

Did Cao Ju receive absolutely no reward?

Silently turning around, Xu Chu didn’t linger any further. However, just as Xu Chu turned around…

Cao Cao’s gaze inadvertently landed on the steaming hot soup before him, and as he looked at the columnar object floating in the soup, he couldn’t help but burst into a slightly mischievous laugh.

“Xu Chu, wait a moment!”

“Deliver this bowl of tiger whip soup to Zi Mu. This way, he won’t secretly criticize me for being biased as a father.”

Cao Cao really wanted to see it. What would their reactions be when his three sons received the rewards he sent?

And how Cao Ju would react!

Half an hour later, Cao Ju was dining with Yu Jin, Deng Ai, and Dianman in the Imperial Guards’ camp as they exchanged meaningful looks. He was sipping on a soup with tiger whip in it, his face displaying a mix of annoyance and discomfort at the soup his father had sent.

What’s the meaning behind this, Father?

Am I really that weak?

Especially when Cao Ju learned from the person who delivered the soup that his older brother Cao Pi received tiger skin while Cao Zhang got wolf skin. He became increasingly speechless!

Was Father Cao Cao messing with his emotions?

Or is this another assessment by Father Cao Cao of the three brothers?

It couldn’t be…

Unreasonably, a thought suddenly struck Cao Ju’s mind, causing his heart to skip a beat. Father Cao Cao’s top three hobbies—praising Guan Yu, pursuing married women, scaring Cao Pi—gradually shifted to praising Guan Yu, pursuing married women…

Scaring himself?