The Three Kingdoms: Home Travel

"Why does Your Majesty treat me like this?" Cao Cao asked angrily. Liu Xie was indeed startled, staring blankly at Cao Cao, speechless.

Liu Xie coughed lightly and gave an awkward smile. He said softly, "Why do you say such things, Minister Cao? Could it be that I am young and ignorant of worldly matters, and have inadvertently offended you?"

"Why would Your Majesty utter such a jest?" Cao Cao waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "At this moment, it is only Your Majesty and I here, and our words should not be heard by others. If Your Majesty has any grievances against me, you may speak freely!"

"My dear Cao, please don't be agitated!" Liu Xie shook his head, stood up, walked to Cao Cao, and hesitated before saying, "I remember you only just returned to Xuchang today. Why are you so agitated? Are you perhaps upset that I didn't come out of the city gate to greet you?"

"Your Majesty!" Cao Cao exclaimed, his face contorted with rage. Pointing towards the governor's residence, he said, "Why feign ignorance, Your Majesty? Both Your Majesty and I, your humble servant Xinfeng, understand this matter perfectly well. Why speak so much? Does Your Majesty truly believe I am foolish?"

"But," Liu Xie's smile vanished, replaced by a cold expression. He glanced at Cao Cao and said indifferently, "Minister Cao, this is a grave offense of insubordination!"

"What a grave offense of disrespect!" Cao Cao took a deep breath, clasped his hands in a resounding fist salute, and said, "Your Majesty, I have a question. Please enlighten me!"

Seeing that Cao Cao had calmed down, Liu Xie said calmly, "My dear minister, please lead the troops!"

Cao Cao stretched out his right hand, pointed to the sky, and said in a deep voice, "Heaven and earth bear witness, Your Majesty, have I wronged you in any way? Why does Your Majesty condone the actions of the Imperial Clan Court Official... and Liu Ai?!"

Liu Xie gave Cao Cao a deep look, then suddenly said softly, "My dear minister, what is my status?"

"Hmm?" Cao Cao paused, looking at Liu Xie with a puzzled expression.

"Heh!" Liu Xie sneered, stomped a few steps in the room, and suddenly turned to face Cao Cao. He roared, "I am the Emperor of the Great Han! You are my subject, yet you dare to utter the words 'mistreatment'? Who is the sovereign, and who is I?"

"You," Cao Cao's chest heaved. He nodded repeatedly and said, "Good, good! To think that I, Cao Mengde, have been so devoted to the Han Dynasty, yet I have been treated this way! Good! Very good! Your Majesty, do not forget that when all the other warlords stopped at Luoyang, only I led troops to attack Chang'an. Although we were ultimately defeated and lost many generals, I can say to Heaven that I, Cao Mengde, have not failed the Han Dynasty. It was simply that the times were not on my side! Later, Your Majesty was controlled by the two traitors Guo and Li and trapped in Chang'an. Upon hearing the summons, I immediately led troops to rescue you from this dire situation. Your Majesty, have I ever failed you?"

Liu Xie gazed deeply at the agitated Cao Cao, remaining silent.

Cao Cao took a deep breath, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Liu Xie, and said, "Although I was young and foolish, I still understand the way of loyalty to the emperor and love for the country. I am very confused as to why Your Majesty has repeatedly made things difficult for us. Shouyi, Jiang Situ, and I have all saved Your Majesty from danger several times. Even if we have not made great contributions, we have still worked hard. Your Majesty now does not remember our past friendship and has taken advantage of our absence to send Yuan Gonglu of Nanyang to launch a light attack on Xuchang. Such actions have chilled my heart!"

Could it be that the couplet was truly wrong? Liu Xie looked at the extremely excited Cao Cao, feeling deeply moved, but at the same time, he was also filled with anger. Even if Cao Mengde had some merit, did that give him the right to shout and yell like this? Hmph! He puts on a nice front, saying he saved us from dire straits, but what he really thinks is probably no different from those two traitors, Guo and Li.

Seeing that Liu Xie remained silent for a long time, Cao Cao realized that his words had been too harsh. He took a step back, bowed deeply, and said, "Forgive my rudeness, but I am truly filled with unbearable anger and have no way to ask Your Majesty for an explanation!"

Unable to contain his anger, and with nowhere to vent it, Cao Cao demanded an explanation. His words only fueled Liu Xie's already raging fury. Standing by the table, Liu Xie slammed his fist on it and cried, "Cao Mengde, you dare to disrespect me! You want an explanation? Tell me then, what kind of explanation do you want me to give you?"

Cao Cao was stunned for a moment, his hands clasped in front of him as if lost in thought.

Liu Xie stepped forward, furious, and said, "Cao Mengde, you say you care about the Han Dynasty, then let me ask you, since I arrived in Xuchang, have you ever shown me any respect? The Han court is a mere formality! The Han officials are all meddlesome! Have any of the memorials reached my hands? I tell you, no! All matters, large and small, are handled in the governor's residence in Xuchang. Let me ask you, what use is such a court?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao was heartbroken. He never imagined that after doing so much for the Han Dynasty, he would end up in such a state.

"Your Majesty... has betrayed me!" Cao Cao said sadly, letting out a long sigh.

Liu Xie's face flushed red. He roared, "Cao Mengde, do you dare swear to Heaven that you led your troops into Chang'an solely to rescue me, and not because you valued the title of Emperor?"

Cao Cao glanced at Liu Xie indifferently, then turned to leave. Just as Liu Xie was inwardly sneering, Cao Cao suddenly stopped and declared resolutely, "I, Cao Mengde, swear to Heaven that I have never harbored the slightest rebellious intention. If I have uttered even a single falsehood, may Heaven and Earth not forgive me!" Having said this, Cao Cao turned and looked at Liu Xie, his eyes filled with unspeakable disappointment.

Cao Cao eventually left, heartbroken and disillusioned. Liu Xie, on the other hand, was filled with suspicion and uncertainty.

"Could it be that I have truly pressured him too much and wronged him?" Liu Xie frowned, pondering for a long time. Suddenly, he realized something and thought to himself, "Could this person truly be a pillar of the state? But why is he so autocratic, putting me in such an awkward position? Hmm. Today I must have deeply hurt him. Perhaps I should reward him tomorrow. If he truly cares for the Han Dynasty and has no disloyal intentions whatsoever, then I can confidently employ him... Hmm. That's settled!"

Unfortunately, fate is unpredictable and cruel... This contrasts sharply with the tense standoff within the imperial palace. Meanwhile, the Jiang family mansion enjoys a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.

Jiang Zhe led Zhao Yun and Li Tong to his residence and said to Zhao Yun with a smile, "Zilong, please!"

Zhao Yun stared in shock at the plaque above the mansion. He then looked at Jiang Zhe and exclaimed in disbelief, "Sir, you are one of the Three Dukes of this era?"

"Hmph!" Li Tong looked at Zhao Qi's demeanor as he took over the position. He smugly snorted.

"Hehe!" Jiang Zhe smiled slightly, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said with a smile, "I'm ashamed to say, I'm just a figurehead!"

"What are you saying, sir!" Zhao Yun quickly returned the greeting. Although he knew Jiang Zhe's status from Cao Cao's attitude towards Jiang Zhe, he never expected that the approachable Jiang Zhe was one of the Three Dukes of the court. What a prestigious title!

This man truly lives up to his reputation for virtue and talent! Zhao Yun thought to himself in admiration.

"Please!" Jiang Zhe ushered Zhao Yun into the courtyard. Zhao Yun looked around curiously at the vast courtyard, then suddenly pointed to a spot and asked, "Sir, why is that place..."

Jiang Zhe looked up and saw that it was the bamboo forest that had been burned down by fire due to the rebellion in Xuchang. He shook his head and said with great regret, "It must have been caused by a flood. It was originally a bamboo forest. What a pity!"

"Oh!" Zhao Yun suddenly realized, looking around. He saw that the courtyard did not have those precious flowers and trees, but it was decorated very elegantly. He nodded to himself.

Old Wang swayed over and bowed to Jiang Zhe, calling out, "Master!"

Jiang Zhe nodded, pointed at Zhao Yun, and said to Old Wang, "Old Wang, please find a room for this general. He has no residence in Xuchang and will be staying at our residence for some time."

"Yes, sir!" Old Wang nodded with a smile. He stretched out his arm and said to Zhao Yun, "General, please!"

"You flatter me, sir!" Zhao Yun clasped his hands in a respectful bow, then looked at Jiang Zhe and said, "Thank you for your consideration, sir!"

"What are you saying, Zilong!" Jiang Zhe smiled, then suddenly asked Old Wang, "Are my two beloved wives at home?"

Unexpectedly, Old Wang smiled mysteriously and said, "Reporting to Your Excellency, both ladies are in the manor..."

"Excellent, excellent!" Jiang Zhe felt a pang of longing for Xiu'er and Cai Yan after not seeing them for many days. He waved to Zhao Yun and said, "Zilong, please come with me. Don't mind my humble abode. Wenda, it's getting late. Why don't you stay here for the night and return to the camp tomorrow?"

"No, no!" Zhao Yun followed Old Wang away, while Li Tong hesitated and said, "I appreciate your kindness, sir, but as you said before, the Tiger and Leopard Battalion is not like other armies. Now that I have returned to Xuchang, if I am not present for roll call tomorrow..."

"Oh!" Jiang Zhe suddenly understood, cupped his hands to Li Tong and said, "In that case, I won't keep Wenda any longer. Also, Wenda, please convey to the remaining soldiers that I thank them for their protection along the way!"

Seeing Jiang Zhe's words, Li Tong was secretly delighted. He clasped his hands in a fist and said, "No, no, then this humble general will take his leave!"

"No need to see me out!" Jiang Zhe smiled as he watched Li Tong walk out of the mansion, then his expression changed and he dashed off to Xiu'er's room.

Looking around and seeing that no one was in the inner courtyard, Jiang Zhe went to Xiuer's room. He opened the door with a creak, only to be surprised to see Xiuer lying on her side on the couch.

With a chuckle, Jiang Zhe tiptoed past.

Suddenly, she heard Xiu'er's languid voice from the couch, "Didn't I say I was going to take a nap?"

"Ouch!" Jiang Zhe suddenly leaned on Xiu'er, causing her to gasp in surprise.

"While I'm away, Xiu'er seems to have become much lazier!"

"Husband?" Xiu'er was startled. She almost attacked, but upon seeing Jiang Zhe, she covered her mouth and exclaimed in surprise, "Husband!"

"Hehe!" Jiang Zhe hugged Xiu'er tightly, his hands becoming restless, and he whispered in her ear, "When your husband is away, have you ever thought of recommending someone for me?"

"No! I don't want to!" Xiu'er, breathless from Jiang Zhe's teasing, said shyly and happily, "My husband bullies me as soon as he comes back..." "How can this be called bullying!" Jiang Zhe chuckled, his hand restlessly stroking Xiu'er's smooth belly, and suddenly asked in surprise, "Xiu'er, it seems you've gained some weight in the past few months."

Upon hearing this, Xiu'er blushed deeply, struggled to get up from Jiang Zhe's embrace, bit her lip, and said mysteriously, "Husband, after dinner, I have something to tell you." "Can't you say it now?" Jiang Zhe asked in confusion.

Xiu'er looked at Jiang Zhe with a coquettish smile. "My lord, please allow me to inform you after the meal!"

"Alright, alright!" Jiang Zhe smiled slightly, then pulled Xiu'er into his arms again, affectionately stroking her hair.

Nestled in Jiang Zhe's arms, Xiu'er contentedly felt her husband's love and suddenly said, "When did my husband return? I've been waiting so long!"

Jiang Zhe pinched Xiu'er's small nose and said with a smile, "I rushed here in a real hurry. You're the first person I came to see, aren't you satisfied?"

"That is to say, my heart," Xiu'er chuckled. She was very satisfied. She nudged Jiang Zhe and said, "Since that's the case, my husband hasn't met Sister Zhaoji yet. Go quickly, Sister Zhaoji misses you very much! Go quickly, let me get up and make some of your favorite dishes."

"You can wear it and leave, I won't bother you!"

"No, no!" Xiu'er, dressed only in a silk robe, forcefully pushed Jiang Zhe out the door and then closed it. She stared at her lower abdomen, biting her lip and smiling foolishly.

Jiang Zhe, standing outside the door, was utterly helpless. He had no idea what was wrong with Xiu'er today, so he could only shake his head and sway as he walked towards Cai Yan's room.

Jiang Zhe walked to Cai Yan's door and pushed it. Seeing that the door was closed, he was puzzled and reached out to knock.

"Who is it?" Cai Yan's uniquely calm voice came from inside the house.

"Me!" Jiang Zhe replied.

"Husband?" Cai Yan exclaimed in surprise from inside, followed by a sudden thud.

Jiang Zhe was startled and wondered what had happened to Cai Yan. He quickly knocked on the door and shouted, "Zhao Ji, what's wrong?"

"Open the door!"

"It's alright, it's alright, my husband, don't worry!" Cai Yan said from inside, and after waiting for a long time, she came over and opened the door.

Jiang Zhe walked away, asking疑惑地, "Zhao Ji, what are you doing?"

"Industry"

Xiao Chayan blushed slightly and said weakly, "I didn't do anything, I just practiced calligraphy like an immortal."

Jiang Zhe looked at Cai Yan's shifty eyes with amusement, glanced around the room, and suddenly noticed what looked like a basket lying on the floor. He walked over curiously.

"Husband, no!" Cai Yan blushed and clung tightly to Jiang Zhe, refusing to let him go.

Looking at Cai Yan's flushed cheeks, Jiang Zhe suddenly felt a mischievous urge. He pretended to be angry and sat down on the stool in the center of the room, saying in a deep voice, "Is Zhao Ji hiding something from her father?"

"No!" Cai Yan's shiny hair didn't dare to look Jiang Zhe in the eye.

Amused by Cai Yan's expression, Jiang Zhe pulled her into his arms and pointed to a basket under the bed, saying in a deep voice, "What's that?"

"Um..." Cai Yan pressed herself tightly against Jiang Zhe's chest, hesitating to say it.

The more Cai Yan acted this way, the more curious Jiang Zhe became. He gently patted Cai Yan's shapely buttocks, shook his head, and said, "You still want to keep this a secret from your husband? Go and show it to me!"

Cai Yan glanced furtively at Jiang Zhe's expression. Afraid of angering her husband, she bit her lip and said softly, "Then my husband mustn't laugh at me..."

"Huh?" Jiang Zhe was taken aback, then nodded and said, "No, no, how could I laugh at my wife!"

Hearing Jiang Zhe's words, Cai Yan felt a surge of sweetness in her heart. She rose and walked to the bed, taking out the basket from underneath, and said hesitantly, "My husband must keep his word and not laugh at me!"

Jiang Zhe chuckled and took the basket from Cai Yan. He saw that the basket contained embroidery needles and threads, as well as an unfinished embroidery piece.

Embroidery is the process of stitching patterns onto fabric. Jiang Zhe looked at the embroidered design for a long time, but still couldn't understand what it was.

"My husband," Cai Yan said softly from the side, "you've got him upside down..."

"Cough...!" Jiang Zhe awkwardly rolled his eyes, staring intently for a long time, his expression somewhat... "Husband..." Cai Yan, standing beside him, looked quite aggrieved, staring straight at Jiang Zhe's expression.

After observing for a while, Jiang Zhe secretly glanced at Cai Yan's expression, which had shifted from sunny to cloudy, and quickly said loudly, "Hmm, I haven't had a chance to look closely before. Not bad, not bad at all. I didn't expect Zhao Ji to be so proficient in this art. Very good..."

Cai Yan looked at Jiang Lan strangely and asked with great suspicion, "Is it really okay? Does my husband know what is embroidered on it?"

How would I know?! Jiang Zhe was caught in a bind, and glanced at the embroidery a few more times. Pointing to the greenish-blue part, he said, "This...this is grass?"

"That's Lake Zhi..."

"Ah? Uh, my mistake!" Jiang Zhe smiled awkwardly, noticing Cai Yan's mood turning from gloomy to slightly drizzly, and quickly pointed to another spot above, saying, "Hey, Zhao Ji's two ducks are embroidered quite similarly!"

Unexpectedly, Cai Yan pouted and said softly, "That...that's Yuanyang...Husband, you've bullied me..."

"Don't, don't cry, don't cry!" Jiang Zhe smiled wryly as he hugged Cai Yan tightly, inwardly blaming himself for being so stupid. A pair of lovebirds! This is definitely a pair of lovebirds! How foolish!

Helpless, Jiang Zhe could only hold Cai Yan in his arms and coax her until she smiled and hugged him with peace of mind.

"My lord, am I very stupid?" Cai Yan said softly in Jiang Zhe's arms. "Sister Xiu'er has been teaching me for a long time, but I still can't learn it."

"Silly girl!" Jiang Zhe affectionately pinched Cai Yan's cheek, making Cai Yan blush and shyly bury herself in Jiang Zhe's arms.

"Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Zhaoji, although you are not good at embroidery, you are good at music. I love listening to the tunes you play!"

"Really?" Cai Yan's eyes lit up, and she wrapped her arms around Jiang Zhe's neck, saying, "Then I'll play for my husband every day from now on, okay?"

"Alright!" Jiang Zhe chuckled, secretly thinking to himself, he has two wives at home, one skilled in martial arts and dance, and the other skilled in music. When will they be able to join forces? Hmm... Speaking of which, Xiu'er's body is always hot, while Zhao Ji's is a little cold. If only... *cough cough*

"Husband?" Cai Yan looked at Jiang Zhe with a puzzled expression, her eyes filled with confusion.

"Nothing, nothing!" Jiang Zhe suppressed his desire and was about to speak when a servant announced from outside the door.

"Master, Lord Cao has arrived and is currently in the main hall..."

"Hmm?" Jiang Zhe glanced at Cai Yan with a puzzled look, then called out intently towards the door, "Lord Cao? Is that Mengde?"

"Uh, exactly!"

"Go and entertain them first, I'll be there in a moment!" Jiang Zhe stood up, his face full of doubt, and muttered, "Why would Mengde come at this time? Strange!"

Cai Yan straightened her clothes, which Jiang Zhe had disheveled, and said softly, "Husband, you should go and see!"

"Hmm!" Jiang Zhe nodded, chuckling as he pinched Cai Yan's cheek. "Your sister Xiu'er said she's going to cook a few dishes herself. Go help her first, and I'll be right there!"

"Mmm!" Cai Yan nodded shyly.

After bidding farewell to Cai Yan, Jiang Zhe arrived at the main hall of the mansion, where he saw Cao Cao sitting alone with a somber face. He was utterly alone, without a single companion. Even Dian Wei was not by his side.

"Mengde, you're so unfair!" Jiang Zhe stepped forward and said with a bitter expression, "I wanted to spend today with my two beloved wives..." Cao Cao slowly raised his head and said in a deep voice, "Shouyi, I am very distressed. Would you like to get drunk with me?"

"Hmm?" Jiang Zhe was taken aback, then slowly nodded at Cao Cao.

Two chapters today! I went to my uncle's house for dinner. I can't make up for it with a chapter now, I'll start making it up tomorrow. Hey everyone, there's interest on the chapters I owe, right?

.