Chương 4: Drinking with Cao Cao

"System: View this person's attribute panel" [Ding, generating] Name: Cao Cao, courtesy name Mengde Gender: Male Age: 28 [Strength]: 77 (Third-rate) [Commander]: 95 (First-class) [Politics]: 95 (Top-tier) Intelligence: 90 (Top-tier) 【Charm】: 92 [Appearance]: 74cm [Hobby]: Married women (a legacy of Cao Cao) Special skills: [The Legacy of Cao Cao]: Unique aesthetic sense, fond of married women.

[Ruthless Hero]: A capable minister in times of peace, and a ruthless hero in times of chaos. Possesses exceptional insight into the situation and the ability to act decisively, enabling them to seize the core contradictions amidst turmoil.

[Only Talented People]: This greatly enhances the attractiveness and inclusiveness of talented people from all over the world, and can overlook some moral flaws.

"Tsk tsk tsk, as expected of Boss Cao, these numbers are fucking insane."

After the crowd dispersed somewhat, Liu Ce stepped forward and bowed to the man.

"Brother, I was deeply impressed by your insightful remarks. My name is Liu Ce, courtesy name Bolue. May I ask your esteemed name?"

The man turned his head and saw Liu Ce, who was eight feet tall and had an exceptionally handsome appearance. He cupped his hands in return and greeted him.

"My name is Cao Cao, courtesy name Mengde. Brother Liu, you are too kind. I was just expressing some thoughts casually and do not deserve such praise."

At this time, Cao Cao was just a military officer in northern Luoyang. Although he had ambitions, he had not yet fully shown his talent.

"So it's Brother Mengde!" Liu Ce feigned surprise.

"I've long admired your name! Brother Mengde is known for your strict enforcement of the law and your fearlessness in the face of powerful figures. You are quite famous in Luoyang."

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao's eyes flashed with surprise. Although he, a mere Northern Commandant, was infamous for beating Jian Shuo's uncle to death, he was mostly known for his negative reputation. He never expected this stranger to say such a thing.

"Brother Bolue, you flatter me. The court is corrupt and eunuchs are in power. We have the desire to serve our country, but we are powerless to do anything about it."

Liu Ce smiled slightly and said in a low voice, "Brother Mengde, you are mistaken. Times create heroes, and now is the perfect opportunity for ambitious people like us to make our mark."

"Don't you think so? If Brother Mengde doesn't mind, why don't we find a place for the two of us to have a good drink?"

Cao Cao glanced at Liu Ce, and seeing his extraordinary demeanor and insightful words, nodded in approval.

"Alright! Then please come over, Brother Bolue. There's a tavern not far ahead. Let's have a drink and talk."

Inside the tavern.

Liu Ce and Cao Cao sat facing each other. With a thought, Liu Ce took out several bottles of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) from under the table using his system space and placed them on the table.

Cao Cao discovered that the wine bottle was made of crystal-clear glass with intricate patterns, and its craftsmanship was far more exquisite than that of the wine used in the imperial palace.

There was a piece of paper stuck to the bottle, and he could make out the three characters "Erguotou".

Liu Ce opened the bottle, and a rich and strong aroma of wine wafted out, so overpowering that Cao Cao couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"This wine is really delicious!"

Liu Ce smiled, filled Cao Cao's cup, and raised his cup in greeting.

"Brother Mengde, please, take a small sip; the wine is a bit strong."

These words sounded somewhat like a provocation to Cao Cao.

"What kind of strong liquor haven't I drunk? Come on, bottoms up!"

Cao Cao raised his cup in response and drank it all in one gulp. The pungent wine made him cough violently at first, then he frowned, and after a while, a look of amazement flashed in his eyes.

"What kind of wine is this? It's spicy at first, but leaves a lingering, delightful aftertaste!"

"Haha, this is Erguotou, how does it feel?" Liu Ce laughed.

"Fine wine, fine wine, absolutely wonderful!" Cao Cao laughed loudly.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food, Cao Cao put down his wine cup, his face showing signs of drunkenness.

"We study the classics to hone our skills in governing the country, but what's the result? If we want to submit a memorial impeaching a eunuch, we have to bribe the palace guards first."

They wanted to send troops to quell local bandits, but a eunuch withdrew the grain supplies with a single word—is this serving the country? This is being a puppet for the eunuchs!

Liu Ce stroked his chin, teasing him on purpose:

"So, according to you, all we two 'have patriotic hearts' to do now is drink and curse in the streets?"

Cao Cao was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and playfully punched him: "You're so straightforward! But... it's better to find someone who dares to speak the truth to criticize with than to deal with those pedantic scholars who only know how to nod and bow."

He then added, "My dad advised me the other day to 'mind my own business,' but you know—with all this strength, we can't really spend every day eating, drinking, and cursing in taverns, can we?"

Liu Ce picked up the wine glass and handed it over: "Even when you're cursing, you have to find someone who's on your side."

Come on, let's drink this first—who knows, maybe one day we'll actually be able to get rid of those 'blood-sucking lice,' and then we can drink even better wine!

After several rounds of drinking, one cup after another, we finally finished our drinks.

Cao Cao, his clothes open, his face as red as a ripe persimmon, his eyes glazed over, was filling his cup with wine.

"Brother Mengde," Liu Ce reached out and pressed down on his wrist. His voice was somewhat drowned out by the surrounding noise, so he had to raise his voice a little.

"I'm happy today, and I've had my fill of wine. Drinking any more would be excessive."

Cao Cao abruptly shook off his hand, speaking haltingly, yet still carrying the heroic spirit of a tyrant.

"Enjoyed? I haven't... I haven't enjoyed myself yet! Look at me, I can still drink! I'm not drunk!"

As he spoke, he picked up his wine glass and was about to pour it into his mouth when Liu Ce hurriedly reached out to stop him, spilling a lot of the wine on his clothes.

"Brother Mengde! This tavern is not like a military camp; it's crowded and noisy. You are of noble status; if you get drunk here, it will be embarrassing if word gets out. Take my advice and don't drink."

"Decent?" He chuckled, his voice hoarse.

"Does Cao Mengde need to care about that damned sense of dignity now?"

He picked up the wine jug, ready to drink straight from the bottle, shouting, "Drink! Keep drinking! Let's drink until we're completely drunk!"

Liu Ce, speechless and scratching his head, had no choice but to snatch the wine bottle away again. Cao Cao, losing his support, slumped onto the table, still muttering incoherently.

"Not drunk... more... bring me some more wine..."

The surrounding noise seemed to quiet down considerably at once, and several curious glances were cast over.

"Well, that's good now."

Liu Ce gave a wry smile, shook his head, took out a few coins from his pocket and placed them on the table. Then he helped the completely drunk Cao Cao up and slowly walked out of the tavern, handing them over to the people in Cao's residence.

Liu Ce disappeared into the night.

noon the next day.

After finishing lunch, Liu Ce changed into a clean set of clothes.

He already had a new plan in mind—that afternoon, he was going to visit Cai Yong, the renowned Confucian scholar of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

(We won't go into the details of Cai Yong's exile here; historically, Cai Yong didn't return to Luoyang until 189 AD.) After some preparation.

Liu Ce arrived at the Cai residence, knocked on the door, and presented his visiting card. Soon after, he was led by the Cai family to an elegant study.

Inside the study, an elderly man of about fifty years old sat by the window, holding an ancient book in his hand, reading silently.

Although he was old, he still looked energetic, with bright and piercing eyes, exuding the elegance and tranquility of a learned scholar.