Chapter 114 Mrs. Huan
No matter how long or how far I fled, I finally returned to this place.
Xuchang seems to have a predestined connection with me.
After Cao Cao returned from the palace, the Prime Minister's residence held another family banquet.
Madam Ding insisted on pulling me to the table, while Baozi was being cared for by Xiangwu in the room.
My famous quote about the "three thousand rivers of weakness" becomes a laughing stock when I'm faced with a table full of beauties. If Liu Bei were here, he would probably laugh at me too.
Cao Cao sat at the head of the table, and I quietly followed Lady Ding into the hall. I found the least conspicuous spot at the end of the hall, intending to sit down and have a good meal, treating it as a free meal.
"Madam," Cao Cao, who was at the head of the table, spoke.
I stared intently at the nearest piece of grilled meat, drool dripping down my face, oblivious to everyone else. Anyway, he has so many wives, each one a wife; he can command a huge following. It's none of my business, none of my business…
"Madam..." Cao Cao spoke again, drawing out his voice slightly.
Taking advantage of this moment, I used my nimble fingers to reach the juicy roasted meat without anyone noticing. I pulled my hand back, gently opened my mouth, and took a bite. Ah, so delicious... the aroma lingered in my mouth. The chefs at this Prime Minister's residence are truly amazing. Hmm... but still a bit inferior to my Chunfeng Deyilou restaurant.
Phew, Rouge must miss me terribly, and the girls in the building too... I wonder if anyone has been bullying them while I was away... And that big liar Zhou Gongjin... If I catch him... Hmph.
Suddenly, a hand gently touched my back. I was happily eating with my mouth full of grease when I froze. I slowly looked up and saw that everyone at the table was staring at me.
"Madam, what are you thinking about?" A leisurely voice rang out, and the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
I turned around and saw that the important person who had just been sitting in the first seat was now standing behind me, smiling at me.
I opened my mouth, then froze, speechless.
He gently wiped the grease from my lips with a handkerchief, then narrowed his long, fox-like eyes. "Is Madam thinking of sneaking out of the manor to play again?"
I blinked nervously and remained silent.
The jealous gazes of the beauties fell upon me, and I suddenly felt like I was sitting on pins and needles. I looked up, avoiding their eyes, and glared fiercely at Cao.
Cao Cao was slightly taken aback, then smiled faintly, bent down and whispered in my ear, "What is it now?"
I pursed my lips; this small gesture warmed my heart a little.
"Father, what is this woman?" A richly dressed young man, who appeared to be one of Cao Cao's "sons," finally spoke up in dissatisfaction.
What is that? I raised my eyebrows, about to slam my fist on the table.
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao raised an eyebrow slightly, looked at the young man, and gently stroked the specially made bracelet on my left wrist. "She is not a thing, she is my Lady Huan, remember that?"
Not a thing? He actually called me a thing!
His narrow eyes held an imposing presence even without anger. Pulled back by a beautiful woman beside him, the young man reluctantly sat down, no longer daring to act rashly.
Mrs. Huan?
I was slightly startled, Madam Huan...
With this official status, I am no longer an outsider.
I am one of his many wives and concubines...
one……
Looking at Cao Cao from the side, I suddenly couldn't quite figure out what he was thinking.
I don't know if it's because of Aman, but subconsciously I always feel a strange sense of familiarity with him.
He pulled me to sit next to him, and Cao Cao sat down, still drinking from the wine pot filled with water.
I looked up slightly and met a pair of clear, icy eyes. The young man in the blue robe was Cao Pi.
With so many eyes staring at me, even the most exquisite delicacies lose their flavor.
After enduring it for a while, I finally found an excuse and slipped away.
Stepping out of the hall and hearing the soft whispers inside, I let out a long sigh of relief. I knew I was destined to never be able to handle such situations. In those kinds of settings, I'd rather squat on the ground and drink wild vegetable porridge...
"Before the auspicious clouds rose, the cloud dragon hid itself as a fish; the divine phoenix lost its mate and returned to dwell among sparrows..."
Inside the hall, Cao Zhi's clear voice reciting poetry could be heard, followed by Cao Cao's clapping and laughter.
After turning through several carved corridors, the sound faded away. I headed west to find Zhao'er, who was assigned to live in the west wing of the Prime Minister's residence, which was far from my Tongmeng Pavilion.
It seems that Madam Ding intentionally arranged things this way to avoid us meeting too often and damaging the reputation of the Prime Minister's residence.
As soon as I got outside the courtyard, I heard shouts coming from inside.
I curiously leaned over and peeked out.
Despite the freezing weather, Zhao'er was practicing his boxing routine in only a thin shirt, and the shouts came from his mouth.
The afterglow of the setting sun fell on his white shirt, giving it a faint glow. His fair skin was flushed, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
With her hands behind her back, she walked up to him with a smile, and Zhao'er immediately struck him with a palm strike. Seeing that it was me, she quickly withdrew her palm strike. "Sister?"
I smiled and reached out to pinch his arm. "Not bad, you've gotten strong."
Zhao'er was stunned for a moment, and her already flushed cheeks turned even redder, as if they were about to bleed.
I raised my sleeve to wipe the thin layer of sweat from his forehead and discovered that he was actually a bit taller than me.
I pulled him down to sit, and from my wide sleeve I took out a handkerchief containing a few side dishes. To Zhao'er's surprise, I also took out a small bottle of wine.
"Hehe, isn't that amazing?" I sat cross-legged in front of Zhao'er's room with a smile, then took out two wine cups from my bosom, placed them on the steps, and poured wine into them.
I've finally discovered the only advantage of these cumbersome clothes: they make it easier for me to steal and hide my stolen goods...hehe, like right now.
The wine was the finest, and the dishes were Zhao'er's favorites; I had casually taken them from the banquet.
As I drank, I suddenly thought of Doraemon Kongming, who could always pull out something unexpected from his magical sleeve.
Zhao'er also tried a sip of wine, choked and coughed, which made me burst out laughing.
"Sister, will you live here forever from now on?" Zhao'er asked abruptly.
I was stunned for a moment, then remembered what Cao Cao had just said: he called me Lady Huan...
Historically, Cao Cao did indeed have a concubine named Lady Huan, who was also Cao Chong's mother. However, history does not record her life and death in detail... She only existed as one of Cao Cao's concubines, leaving behind the name "Lady Huan," without even her real name...
If I were Mrs. Huan, then... what would I do?
"Sister?" Zhao'er called softly with some concern, "What's wrong?"
I quickly snapped out of my reverie, and shook my head with a smile, "I really miss the Spring Breeze Pavilion..."
Zhao'er smiled and said, "Yes, I want to too." After a pause, she added, "Wherever you want to be, I will accompany you. Even if you stay in this Prime Minister's residence, I will still stay with you."
I smiled and gently patted his head. This child always has a way of making people feel sorry for him.
"I will practice my skills diligently and protect my sister and Baozi well," Zhao'er said with a smile, not forgetting Baozi.
I laughed.
Under the crimson sunset, Zhao'er and I sat on the steps, enjoying our meal immensely.
Life in the Prime Minister's mansion is indeed not suitable for me. I know what I want. I don't want to spend my whole life trapped in a big house with a group of women, waiting for the same man.
Or perhaps in this chaotic world, such a life would be very comfortable, but I... would suffocate.
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