Upon hearing his father's words, Cao Cao's eyelids twitched.

Even if she wanted to get close to the eldest prince, she should do it herself, right?

What if my father really gives birth to a sister, and then what if she really marries the eldest prince? What would I become then?

The once harmonious relationship between ruler and subject has suddenly been degraded by a generation? How can he hold his head high in front of Liu Bei and Sun Jian now?

If they meet again in the future, and Liu Bei and the others call him "nephew," should he accept or not?

Thinking of this, Cao Cao shuddered, and the look in his eyes as he looked at his father became increasingly strange.

"Huh? Ah Man, what kind of look is that?"

Seeing Cao Cao looking at him strangely, Cao Song couldn't help but ask.

"Father, you may wish to be close to His Majesty, but have you considered my situation...?"

Then, Cao Cao truthfully told Cao Song his thoughts.

Hearing this, Cao Song glared and said, "Pah! If it weren't for you being such a good-for-nothing, refusing to get married and have children and missing this great opportunity, why would your father have to work so hard?"

"I'm an old man now, do you think it's easy for me?"

"You..."

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao was speechless. He realized that he seemed to be falling behind his father's way of thinking.

Cao Song said earnestly, "Aman, you don't know, nowadays it's not just your father, but also those old guys in the court, who don't know how many people are eyeing the eldest prince."

Leaving aside others, even that old bastard Yuan Zhouyang, who is a few years older than me, recently had his wife become pregnant.

Our Cao family must never fall behind others.

The Yuan family has achieved the status of four generations of high-ranking officials; our Cao family will surely achieve the same in the future.

"Whether now or in the future, I will definitely settle things with him!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao finally understood.

So, his father was working so hard not only to get closer to the emperor, but also mainly because of the struggle against the Yuan family.

Now, Chen Fan is old and will not be the chief minister for many more years. After he retires, the three most likely candidates to succeed him are Cao Song, Yuan Feng, and Xun Shuang.

Although Xun Shuang was capable, his contributions were still far behind those of Cao Song and Yuan Feng.

Therefore, the only one who could compete with Cao Song for the position of Grand Secretary was Yuan Feng.

Thinking about this, Cao Cao couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

He never imagined that the power struggles in the imperial court would extend to his unborn child.

Seeing Cao Cao's bewildered expression, Cao Song immediately said in a deep voice, "Aman, you must remember, where there are people, there will be struggles. Our Cao family can live peacefully with others, but we can never be on the same side as them."

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao suddenly realized that in the imperial court, no matter how wise the emperor or how enlightened the government, struggle was always inevitable.

Furthermore, those in positions of authority also desire to see competition among their subordinates, as this is the only way to maintain balance.

As long as it's not a fight based on personal feelings, it's harmless.

Then, Cao Cao bowed to Cao Song with a sincere expression.

"Father's thoughts are profound; I have learned a great deal!"

Seeing this, Cao Song stroked his beard with satisfaction: "It's good that you understand. I'm an old man, but you still have a long road ahead of you. How far you go depends entirely on how you manage it."

"My child, I will heed your teachings!"

Cao Cao nodded solemnly in agreement.

Just then, Madam Cao walked in with several portraits in hand, her face beaming with joy.

"Aman, come and see, which family's daughter suits your taste the best!"

As she spoke, Lady Cao handed several portraits to Cao Cao.

Upon receiving the portraits, Cao Cao was immediately captivated. The woman in the first portrait had willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and an oval face; she was dignified and beautiful.

"Amanna, this is the daughter of the Ding family. She is sixteen years old, not only beautiful but also strong-willed. She is a rare woman!"

Seeing Cao Cao staring blankly at the portrait, Lady Cao introduced him to the girl.

"Hmm, not bad!!"

Cao Cao nodded, then placed the portrait below and began to look at the second one.

Although he liked the first one very much, there were several portraits, and he had to choose one carefully.

The woman in the second portrait was also exceptionally beautiful, especially her long, narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes that seemed to be smiling yet not smiling, exuding a myriad of charms.

Madam Cao stepped forward and said, "This is the daughter of the Bian family. She is also sixteen years old. She has a gentle and proper personality and is a rare and virtuous wife!"

"Hmm, not bad!!"

Cao Cao nodded and then looked at the third portrait.

Madam Cao: "This is the Liu family's daughter..."

In this way, every time Cao Cao looked at a painting, his mother would give him a detailed explanation.

After reading them, Lady Cao looked at Cao Cao with eager eyes and asked, "Aman, what do you think? Which one have you taken a fancy to?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao was also at a loss for what to do.

There are five portraits in total, each depicting a woman who is exceptionally beautiful and has her own unique charm; he likes them all very much.

After hesitating for a moment, Cao Cao raised his head, looked at his mother, and said earnestly:

"Mother, I want all these women...!"

Upon hearing Cao Cao's words, Cao Song, who was drinking tea nearby, couldn't help but spit out his tea with a "pfft!"

Lady Cao was so shocked by Cao Cao's bold words that she was speechless and stared blankly at her son.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!