With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

Chapter 69, Guo Jia Takes the Powder

Cao Ying kindly said, "Young master, would you like me to persuade your father to find another swordsmanship teacher for Cao Pi?"

Liu Xie shook his head. "No need."

"But this isn't fair!" Cao Ying stamped her foot anxiously, feeling sorry for Liu Xie.

Liu Xie smiled and asked, "How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen." Princess Qinghe deliberately stood up straight and puffed out her chest, as if afraid that Liu Xie would think she was too young.

Cao Ang was twenty years old, and she was sixteen.

Liu Xie recalled the information about Princess Qinghe in his mind; she should be the kind of person who was very assertive and shrewish.

After marrying Xiahou Dun's son, Xiahou Mao, Princess Qinghe discovered that Xiahou Mao had an improper lifestyle and frequently engaged in extramarital affairs. Princess Qinghe even conspired with several of her brothers-in-law to complain to Cao Rui, wishing she could kill her husband.

That's definitely the style of a tomboy.

She actually took the initiative to send him information, which surprised Liu Xie greatly, as if he had discovered a new continent.

Cao Cao had been placing trusted confidants around Liu Xie to monitor his every move. Suddenly one day, Cao Ying gave him information about the Cao family, a feeling that Liu Xie found extremely rare.

In one word, cool!

"Let's take a walk." There were many young people on both sides of the bridge. Liu Xie and Cao Ying were about the same age, so they couldn't help but stroll around.

"Mmm," Cao Ying responded softly, and the two then strolled leisurely along the riverbank.

Zhao Yun shook his head and consciously kept a distance, following far behind.

Guo Jia is a regular at brothels and often comes to Liuhe Bridge. He was a little late today because he had a lot of things to do.

Lu Bu sent an envoy, and he chatted with Cao Cao for a while. When they arrived at Liuhe Bridge, Guo Jia stretched his arms and looked at the graceful figures of beautiful women all around him. Guo Jia was immediately delighted and took a deep breath. The air was filled with the intoxicating fragrance of women.

"Hmm? Isn't that His Majesty? He arrived earlier than me today. And who is that woman next to him?"

Soon, Guo Jia spotted Liu Xie and saw a woman in white walking beside him. Even though it was just a glimpse of her back, Guo Jia guessed that she must be a woman of exceptional beauty.

"I must say, His Majesty's taste and ability to attract women are quite impressive, on par with mine."

Guo Jia muttered to himself as he pulled out a small green bottle from his waist, poured out some powdery substance, then took out a wine flask, gulped down a large mouthful of wine, and swallowed the powder.

He was handsome and dashing, attracting the attention of passing women from time to time. Soon everyone noticed that he had closed his eyes comfortably, looking completely absorbed, and his body seemed to be trembling slightly.

After a while, Guo Jia comfortably opened his eyes, loosened his clothes, and ran out beside him.

Liu Xie quickly noticed Guo Jia and shook his head helplessly; this wasn't the first time.

He is taking the powder, Five-Stone Powder!

People who have just taken the powder will feel hot all over and need to move around to dissipate the heat.

Five-stone powder was very popular during the late Han and Wei-Jin periods, and was even regarded as a refined pursuit by noblemen and young masters.

After Guo Jia had run around for a while, Liu Xie led Cao Ying over.

Guo Jia leaned against a rock, his face flushed and beads of sweat on his forehead, his eyes half-closed in a look of pure enjoyment.

"Fengxiao, Fengxiao!"

Liu Xie approached and called out twice.

Guo Jia recognized Liu Xie's voice and reluctantly opened his eyes.

"Is it fun?" Liu Xie asked with a smile.

"What does '爽' mean?" Guo Jia rolled his eyes and asked. "It means very comfortable and enjoyable," Liu Xie smiled and closed his eyes, mimicking Guo Jia's expression.

His shoulders even started to shake rhythmically, which made Cao Ying giggle.

Guo Jia nodded in delight, "Awesome!"

Guo Jia recognized Cao Ying and hurriedly bowed, "Greetings, Princess."

Cao Ying smiled and said, "Chancellor Guo, you don't need to be so polite with me. You are a strategist that my father relies on very much."

Liu Xie corrected him, saying, "Not only that, Fengxiao can be said to be Cao Cao's confidant."

Guo Jia smiled and said, "Young master, you flatter me too much. I have only been serving Cao Cao for a short time and do not deserve such praise."

Outside, Guo Jia also addressed Liu Xie as "Young Master," knowing that Liu Xie preferred to be more casual.

Liu Xie said, "There is no necessary relationship between being close friends and how long you have known each other. Just like Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi, they became close friends after just one song played on the zither."

Guo Jia smiled, feeling a little proud to be able to be Cao Cao's confidant.

Unlike Xun Yu, Guo Jia, though both from Yingchuan, came from a poor family and belonged to a branch of the Guo clan. By his generation, the family had declined.

Guo Jia appears to be carefree and doesn't like to compete for fame and fortune, but he still hopes to be recognized and achieve something great.

Before long, Guo Jia lay down on the rock again, closed his eyes to rest, and waited for the effects of the medicine to completely wear off.

Cao Ying opened her eyes wide and looked on curiously. Guo Jia was usually so carefree and mysterious, but today she suddenly saw another side of him.

Anyone who sees him in his current state would not consider him Cao Cao's most trusted strategist.

Liu Xie wasn't in a hurry. After waiting for a while, he suddenly started a countdown: "Five...four...three...two...one, all done!"

Sure enough, Guo Jia leaped up, his eyes gleaming, and his whole being suddenly became radiant, as if he had been recharged.

"Young master, what do you think of that woman?" Guo Jia quickly spotted his prey. Under a willow tree in the distance, a man and a woman stood. The woman was tall and slender, dressed in a red dress, fair-skinned and aloof. She barely glanced at the man beside her.

Liu Xie smiled and analyzed, "Fengxiao, this woman is clearly from a wealthy family. She's arrogant and beautiful. Trying to please her won't work. What do you plan to do?"

Guo Jia laughed and said, "I'm not marrying you to be my wife forever. You know me. I have my own clever plan."

With that, Guo Jia straightened his robes and walked straight toward the woman in the red dress.

"Huh? What is he going to do?" Cao Ying's eyes widened in surprise.

“Princess, it seems you don’t understand him well enough. The Guo Jia you met in the manor was a man of profound wisdom and infallible strategies, but the Guo Jia we see now is a womanizer who enjoys picking up women.”

Liu Xie smiled and said, "Just watch, that woman won't get away."

"Could he be abusing his power for personal gain and forcibly taking women?" Cao Ying asked curiously.

"That would be too vulgar. Guo Jia never abuses his power for personal gain. To use power to pursue women would be a disgrace to him!"

"Let's just wait and see what happens!"

Guo Jia walked straight over, where the man was saying flattering things, trying to win the favor of the woman in the red dress.

Guo Jia approached and, bypassing the woman, said to the man, "Young master, it's clear you like her very much. May I ask, are you willing to do anything for her?"

The man was taken aback for a moment, then said somewhat angrily, "Who are you? What's it to you?"

Guo Jia looked directly at him and continued, "Never mind who I am. Since you like this young lady, today I will verify it on her behalf. Don't change the subject, just answer directly, is it possible or not?"

(End of this chapter)