Chapter 10: Cao Cao's Illegitimate Son
Cao Cao was able to tolerate Guan Yu cutting down six generals while passing five checkpoints, and he refrained from shooting Zhao Yun at Changban Slope. Ultimately, this was all because of one reason: Cao Cao cherished talent above all else.
Yet, it was never a particular person he loved, only their talent.
When Guo Jia remarked that the man Xu Chu had brought might be even more formidable than Guan Yu, Cao Cao’s heart could not help but be stirred.
He thought, “Fortune truly favors me, Cao Mengde! Lately, I have gained one great general after another.”
“Let’s go!” Cao Cao slapped his thigh in excitement and said, “Let’s see this man.”
He called out, and then, accompanied by Guo Jia and Xu Chu, made his way to the medical pavilion.
...
Medical Pavilion.
“Prime Minister!”
“Greetings, Prime Minister!”
Seeing Cao Cao arriving in person, the physicians hurried to pay their respects.
Cao Cao waved his hand to dismiss the formalities. “No need for ceremony. How is the patient?”
At that moment, Su Ming’s wounds had been thoroughly cleaned. He lay naked, face down on the bed.
Spear wounds, blade wounds, arrow wounds...
Upon careful count, there were dozens of injuries all over his body.
Just the fatal penetrating wounds numbered more than ten.
“Prime Minister, wounded so gravely, yet still able to defeat General Xu Chu.”
“He must possess the valor of Lu Bu!” Guo Jia whispered in Cao Cao’s ear.
Yet, Cao Cao seemed not to hear Guo Jia. Instead, his eyes were fixed intently on Su Ming’s backside.
When Guo Jia finished speaking, he noticed Cao Cao was distracted, so he followed the Prime Minister’s gaze and discovered that Cao Cao was, in fact, staring at Su Ming’s rear.
He was astonished.
Wasn’t the Prime Minister fond of other men’s wives? Since when did he prefer handsome young men?
At that moment, Cao Cao seemed to recover himself and asked Guo Jia, “Fengxiao, do you notice anything unusual about his backside compared to ordinary men?”
Guo Jia: “?????”
The question bewildered Guo Jia.
He thought, aren’t all backsides more or less the same? What could be so different?
Perhaps some are paler, some darker, some rougher, some smoother...
Nevertheless, since Cao Cao had asked, Guo Jia felt obliged to examine carefully.
So, Guo Jia, too, fixed his gaze on Su Ming’s rear.
A closer look revealed the peculiarity: on Su Ming’s left buttock, there were seven moles arranged in a unique pattern, resembling the Big Dipper.
“The Big Dipper?” Guo Jia ventured.
Cao Cao nodded, his eyes still locked on Su Ming, and solemnly declared, “He is my son.”
Guo Jia: “?????”
Guo Jia thought, Prime Minister, your mind truly leaps about. We were just discussing backsides, now you’re talking about sons?
After a moment’s consideration, Guo Jia inwardly gave Cao Cao a thumbs up.
It seemed the Prime Minister intended to adopt this man as a foster son.
A warrior no less than Lu Bu—if the Prime Minister adopted him, it would certainly be advantageous.
“Prime Minister, do you wish to make him your foster son?” Guo Jia probed.
But Cao Cao shook his head, seriousness etched on his face. “No, I mean he is my true son.”
“If I’m not mistaken, his surname should be Su, and he comes from the Southlands.”
Upon hearing this, Guo Jia signaled Xu Chu to inquire further.
Xu Chu approached Sun Shangxiang, muttered a few words, then returned to report: “That’s right. His surname is Su, and he’s from the Southlands.”
At this, a fierce curiosity ignited in Guo Jia’s eyes.
“When I was young, I was sent by the Emperor to the Southlands to sell positions. At that time, I stayed at a friend’s residence.”
“My friend was often away on business, and it was his good sister-in-law who received me.”
“One thing led to another...” At this point, Cao Cao left the rest unsaid—it needed no elaboration.
All his subordinates knew well enough about Cao Cao’s character.
Originally, Guo Jia had doubted Cao Cao’s claim that Su Ming was his illegitimate son. But once the tale involved wives and sisters-in-law, its credibility soared.
“Whatever it takes—”
“Save him!” Cao Cao gave the doctors an uncompromising order.
...
Prime Minister’s Residence.
Study.
“Xu Chu, how did he receive such injuries?” Cao Cao asked.
Xu Chu replied without hesitation, “I asked, and the young lady said they encountered river bandits.”
No sooner had Xu Chu spoken than Cao Cao slapped him upside the head, cursing, “Are you an idiot? She said they met river bandits, and you believed it?”
“What river bandits could injure him so badly?”
Xu Chu reconsidered and realized the point.
Su Ming was so formidable that, even mortally wounded, Xu Chu himself was no match for him.
Had he been at full strength, he would have been a match for ten thousand!
No matter how fearsome, river bandits could not possibly inflict such harm.
“That girl actually deceived me—how unreasonable,” Xu Chu muttered.
Seeing Xu Chu’s embarrassed expression, Guo Jia stepped in to help. “I believe it wasn’t river bandits, but the Southland navy.”
“Just now, I closely examined his wounds. The arrow wounds appear to be from bows used by the Southland navy.”
Cao Cao knew that Xu Chu, a rough fellow, could not be relied upon, so he ordered Guo Jia, “Fengxiao, investigate who wounded my son like this.”
“If my son dies, I, Cao Mengde, will lead troops to destroy the Southlands.”
Cao Cao loved mighty warriors most of all. Now that this mighty warrior was his own illegitimate son, he loved him even more!
Especially when he thought that Su Ming, gravely wounded, could still defeat Xu Chu, Cao Cao felt an urge to shout to the heavens, “If one must have a son, let him be like my Su Ming!”
Then again, he thought, “Su Ming” is not a proper name.
Once my son awakens, he must acknowledge his true heritage, changing his surname from Su to Cao.
From now on, my son shall be called Cao Ming.
Of course, this was only Cao Cao’s wishful thinking.
Acknowledge his lineage?
Su Ming’s consent was necessary!
Within the memories of the original host, his mother’s suffering was tragic.
His father indulged himself and then vanished, resulting in his mother being cast out of the family. Bearing a tarnished reputation, her family refused to take her in.
In the end, mother and son lived outside the city in a dilapidated temple, surviving only through her endless labor washing clothes for others and the charity of the temple keeper.
In those memories, he harbored only hatred for that worthless father.
Though Su Ming now was a traveler from another world, he had inherited all the original host’s memories.
And he felt a strong resonance with everything in those memories.
Therefore, for Cao Cao to claim a son as brave as Lu Bu so easily—things would not be so simple.