Three Kingdoms: Mistakenly Becoming Liu Bei's Adoptive Father at the Start

With Hangu Pass breached, the gateway to Guanzhong was wide open.

Xiahou Dun stood atop the gate tower, his body covered in blood, and looked down at the surrendered soldiers kneeling below the gate, letting out a long breath.

Xiahou Yuan has already organized his soldiers to extinguish the remaining fires and take stock of the spoils.

At daybreak, Cao Cao and his entourage entered the pass.

Liu Liang followed Cao Cao and stepped into the legendary pass, which was said to be "a pass that one man can hold off ten thousand".

The streets inside the pass were crisscrossed and the warehouses were connected, making it even more vast than he had imagined.

Xun Yu had been standing at the entrance of the storeroom for a long time, holding a thick volume in his hands. When he saw Cao Cao coming, he went forward to greet him.

"My lord, the inventory has been completed."

Cao Cao took the book and turned the pages one by one. When he turned to the third page, he paused for a moment.

Liu Liang glanced at the numbers on the register.

Millet: 47,300 shi. Wheat: 22,600 shi. Beans: 15,800 shi. Hay: 93,000 bundles. Cured meat and preserved meats: 3,600 jin. Salt: 200 shi.

The remaining items include weapons, armor, chariots, supplies, copper and iron materials, cloth, medicine, wine...

Xun Yu said, "This amount of grain is enough to supply our army of 20,000 men for more than half a year. Weapons and armor can be used to equip another 5,000 men."

Xi Zhicai laughed from the side, "Zhao Cen guarded the pass for us for half a year without wasting a single grain of food. He's a really good person."

Cao Cao smiled faintly and said, "Mr. Zishan, half of these provisions belong to you."

Liu Liang said, "Lord Cao is too kind. I only drew a few diagrams. The siege was General Xiahou's achievement, and the plan was Mr. Zhicai's strategy. Lord Cao should keep these provisions to support his troops. When we capture Chang'an, just give me an extra room to live in."

Cao Cao smiled, then suddenly changed the subject, saying, "Is one room enough? Doesn't the woman beside Mr. Zishan need another room?"

Liu Liang's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't show it on his face.

Cao Cao looked at him with a smile, a smile that remained as enigmatic as ever.

"I heard that you found a woman in the ruins of Luoyang, and she's quite beautiful. I've been busy these past few days and haven't had a chance to ask. What's her background?"

Several thoughts raced through Liu Liang's mind.

How did Cao Cao know this?

Since they specifically asked, they must already know Tang Ji's identity.

Otherwise, a commoner woman wouldn't be worth Cao Cao's special inquiry.

When they found Tang Ji that day, besides themselves and Zhao Yun, there were also dozens of personal guards.

Were any of these people Cao Cao's spies?

Who is it? I don't know.

It might not have been an informant; it might have simply been leaked during casual conversation among the soldiers.

Tang Ji's beauty was undeniable, no matter how tattered her clothes were. It was perfectly normal for people to see her, for people to gossip about her, and for the news to reach Cao Cao's ears.

Liu Liang did not intend to investigate further.

So what if it's found out?

Kill him? Or get another one?

This world is impossible to investigate thoroughly.

In chaotic times, everyone leaves themselves a way out, and who doesn't have a few pairs of eyes watching them?

Liu Liang suppressed his displeasure and said frankly, "Lord Cao is very well-informed. The woman claimed to be a concubine of the young emperor, named Tang Ji. I met her at Zhenguan in the south of the city and dared not treat her lightly, so I have taken her with me for the time being."

"The young emperor's concubine..." Cao Cao nodded, pondering these four words, then suddenly chuckled, "The young emperor has passed away, and the concubine has been left to wander. Your kindness in taking her in is indeed a good deed. However..."

Cao Cao stroked his beard, his squinty eyes sweeping over Liu Liang's face: "Sir, you're thirty this year, aren't you?"

Liu Liang said, "That's too much."

Cao Cao scoffed, "Being over thirty and still unmarried is a real problem here. I haven't met Consort Tang, but I've heard she's exceptionally beautiful and talented. Her family background is also excellent—granddaughter of Grand Minister of Works Tang Zhen and daughter of Governor of Kuaiji Tang Mao. Such a family is a good match for you, sir. If you're willing, I'd be happy to be your matchmaker. Although Consort Tang was a concubine of the late emperor, she wasn't formally conferred a title or even slept with him; she's essentially a virgin before marriage. I'll handle this, and I guarantee you'll marry her in style."

Liu Liang was taken aback.

He didn't expect Cao Cao to say that.

Given Cao Cao's character, it would be good enough if he didn't snatch other men's wives, let alone actively act as a matchmaker?

Without much thought, Liu Liang said, "I appreciate Lord Cao's kindness. However..."

"But what?" Cao Cao pressed.

Liu Liang said, "Tang Ji was the late emperor's concubine. Although she was not officially conferred a title, her status is there. If I were to marry her, people would say that I took advantage of the chaos to seize the late emperor's widow. I am not afraid of being infamous, but it would not look good on Cao Cao either."

Cao Cao scoffed, "Sir, you are overthinking it. We haven't been formally appointed, nor have we consummated our marriage. How can you claim the title of the late emperor's widow?"

Liu Liang had considered this matter before; after all, every night he was alone in bed, and every grown man has some lustful thoughts.

However, Tang Ji's status is different, and if he were to marry her, it would inevitably attract criticism.

But her face was so beautiful that Liu Liang couldn't help but start daydreaming again: "If I marry Tang Ji, what should Liu Bei call her? Should he call her 'Mother'? Hehe, this identity as Liu Bei's adoptive father is sometimes quite useful, and sometimes quite awkward."

Cao Cao said, "Very well, I'll tell you the truth. I've heard people describe Tang Ji, and she is indeed quite beautiful. If I said I hadn't had any designs on her, I would be lying. But even if I, Cao Mengde, am greedy, I know what I can and cannot have. The late emperor's concubine, even if it's just a title, if I were to take advantage of her, how would I face the people of the world? How would I face those old ministers who are waiting for me to welcome back the emperor?"

Liu Liang chuckled inwardly, thinking, "What are you pretending for, you traitor Cao? Do you think I don't know that married women are your favorites?"

He remained outwardly calm and asked, "Then why did Lord Cao ask me to take on this hot potato?"

Cao Cao paused, coughed twice, and said, "Our statuses are different. This woman cannot be allowed to wander outside. If she falls into the hands of others and is used against her by claiming to be the late emperor's concubine, what will happen? Rather than letting her drift outside, it's better to keep her by your side. You are Liu Bei's adoptive father and a member of the Han imperial family; your status speaks for itself. It's not a disgrace for her to be with you. It's better to keep the good stuff within the family..."

Liu Liang said, "Lord Cao's thinking is thorough; I've been too narrow-minded."

Cao Cao said, "It's not that you're thinking too narrowly, it's just that the world is too narrow. Everyone has to be wary of others. You're wary of me, I'm wary of you, and in all this wariness, it's hard to even hear a single truth. As for Tang Ji, you decide for yourself. Whether you marry her or not, when you marry her, and how you marry her, it's all up to you. I'll keep my matchmaker's gift; you can marry her whenever you've thought it through."

Liu Liang thought to himself, "This Cao Cao is so arrogant. How dare he talk like Tang Ji is yours? Whether I, Liu Liang, marry her or not is none of your business, Cao Cao."

But Liu Liang was clearly not one to act impulsively, and calmly smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Lord Cao."

Just then, Xiahou Dun came down from the gate tower, covered in blood, but with a smile on his face: "My lord, that Zhao Cen really knows how to manage money; he even has over three thousand catties of cured meat stored in the storeroom. Could we...?"

Cao Cao waved his hand: "Have the kitchen stew it, give the whole army a special meal."

Xiahou Dun grinned, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and left.

As the sun rose higher, the flags of Cao Cao's army were changed at Hangu Pass.

Inside and outside the pass, soldiers busily moved about, counting, moving, registering, and reorganizing surrendered soldiers, all in an orderly manner.

Liu Liang stood by the gate wall, gazing at the winding mountain road to the west.

Hangu Pass has been breached; next is Tong Pass.