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

Chapter 42: Wen Yang’s Grandfather, the Tiger-Slaying General of the Late Han – Wen Ji!

With a glimmer of expectation to witness the emergence of the strongest warrior of the late Three Kingdoms era, Wen Yang, Cao Ju turned his gaze towards the addressed “General Wen.”

What met Cao Ju’s eyes was indeed a tall and powerful middle-aged general. In terms of age, this figure was nowhere close to the youthful hero image he had imagined. Judging by the weathered appearance on his face, he could easily be compared to the middle-aged Sima Yi of today.

Could someone like this endure until later and, dissatisfied with the deposition of Wei’s Emperor Cao Fang by General Guanqiu Jian, rise in a persistent campaign for the emperor?

If he could survive until then, even venerable generals like Liao Hua and Huang Zhong might have to step aside. Looking at the middle-aged general, Cao Ju had already ruled out the possibility of him being Wen Yang. At the same time, he silently combed through the blended memories of his previous self, trying to find information about this person.

After a long while of rummaging through memories, he reluctantly discovered that his previous self, Cao Ju, apart from knowing some of Cao Cao’s famous generals, was not well-versed in most military commanders.

Especially in the past few years, the sudden death of his elder brother, Cao Chong, had left him deeply traumatized. It frightened him and made him disinterested in matters unrelated to his immediate concerns. Before he took over the body through his transmigration, he only considered guarding his older brother Cao Chong’s spirit and living a peaceful life.

At this moment, Dian Man, who was helping Cao Ju down from the carriage, noticed the perplexity in his young master’s eyes. He leaned over and whispered a reminder in Cao Ju’s ear.

“Young Master, this person is named Wen Ji.”

“He hails from Qiao County, your father’s hometown.”

“While he is currently just a cavalry commander in the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, he is highly regarded by the Prime Minister.”

Upon hearing Dian Man’s explanation, Cao Ju instantly understood the identity of this tiger-slaying general. As he looked at Wen Ji, his face fell into contemplation. Now, he could be certain.

Although the present Wen Ji was not the Wen Yang he sought, he was undoubtedly related to Wen Yang.

Why?

Because, as far as he knew, in history, Wen Qin and Wen Yang, father and son, who had responded to Guanqiu Jian’s uprising and opposed Sima Zhao, were also from Qiao County. Both hail from Qiao County, and both have the surname Wen. If that was a coincidence…

It would indeed be an extraordinarily coincidental occurrence.

“Ziqian, does General Wen Ji have a son named Wen Qin or any other relatives?” Cao Ju persisted, still unwilling to give up.

“Uh!” Upon hearing Cao Ju’s question, Dian Man looked at him in surprise, showing a trace of astonishment on his face.

Just moments ago, his young master clearly didn’t recognize Wen Ji, and now he had casually mentioned that Wen Ji had a son named Wen Qin.

Cao Ju inquired, “Ziqian, how old is General Wen Ji’s son Wen Qin? Is he married?”

“Master, it seems that Wen Qin is only about eleven or twelve years old and is not married,” Dian Man replied in a hushed tone.

Upon hearing Dian Man’s answer, Cao Ju couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. So, Wen Yang hadn’t even been born yet. He was still in the early stages of development. Cao Ju would have to wait to meet Wen Yang. Fortunately, the disappointment was fleeting. Cao Ju realized he had already encountered Wen Yang’s grandfather and had information about his father.

Could he meet Wen Yang in the future?

His outlook shifted. Cao Ju looked at Wen Ji’s robust physique and marveled at the genetics at play. It was no wonder Wen Yang would become a formidable general on the battlefield; it seemed to be in his genes. If his grandfather was so robust, how much more so was his grandson?

Meanwhile, Cao Cao, who had disembarked from the carriage ahead of his three sons, was now looking at Wen Ji, who had emerged from the ranks of soldiers and declared, “I am here.”

At this moment, Cao Cao’s eyes were filled with admiration. Following his words, he, in front of everyone, circled Wen Ji, assessing whether he had any injuries. After this inspection, when Cao Cao saw that Wen Ji had no injuries, he burst into hearty laughter.

“Hahaha!”

“In my early days, when I first encountered Dian Wei, the tiger he was chasing had no way to escape and was forced to leap across a mountain stream to flee.”

Behind Cao Cao, Cao Ju couldn’t help but smile when he heard his father mention Dian Wei’s old tiger-chasing story. He remembered that in the online novels of the future, whenever Dian Wei appeared, he was either in the process of chasing a tiger or on his way to chase one. He couldn’t help but think, “Poor Dian Wei!” The tiger he chased was even more unfortunate!

Cao Cao’s voice continued, “Today, upon our first meeting, Ding Zhi’s courage and martial prowess are no less than Dian Wei’s.”

“Under my command, we have gained another ‘Tiger-Hunting General.'”

“Someone, fetch my brocade robe and give it to Ding Zhi.”

“When a fierce tiger blocks his path, Ding Zhi can still kill it for me.”

“As our great army marches south, we have Ding Zhi and a thousand other valiant generals. Sun Quan is underestimating himself if he thinks he can oppose us. Isn’t he seeking his demise?”

Cao Cao was boosting the morale of his troops. Seizing the moment while the attendants were fetching the brocade robe, he took the opportunity to criticize Sun Quan, provoking enthusiastic cheers from his soldiers. Soon enough, an attendant brought the mentioned brocade robe. Cao Cao personally draped it over Wen Ji’s shoulders, leaving Wen Ji deeply moved. But that wasn’t all. Cao Cao also remembered the soldiers who had hunted down the wolves.

With a grand gesture, he declared, “Although you may not have hunted tigers, you have indeed slain wolves.”

“Each of you shall be rewarded a hundred gold coins.”

Hearing Cao Cao’s words, the soldiers who had followed Wen Ji and taken down the pack of wolves cheered and expressed gratitude to their lord. On the sidelines, Cao Ju observed how his father, Cao Cao, managed to inspire the soldiers’ hearts with just a few words. He felt both admiration and a sense of inadequacy. Compared to the present Cao Cao and his skillful leadership, Cao Ju felt somewhat immature. He lacked as many subordinates to hone his abilities with.

He realized that he was still in the process of building his career, unlike his accomplished father. If this were in the future, he might be competing in a local community writing contest. He would write essays like “My Prime Minister Father,” “My Emperor Father, the Great Wei Warrior,” or “When the Emperor Meets My Father, Maybe He’ll Bow His Head,” and then…

Based on his abilities, he would come home with a first-place prize at best.