At Tongque Tower 2

That Cao Pi bastard is vicious.

Even though Cao Cao had completely destroyed Cao Zhi’s succession rights by adopting him into a dead brother’s lineage, he still deliberately called him out to rebuke him.

Even to me, an outsider, it makes me frown, so how must the old followers of Cao Zhi who maintained their positions due to Cao Cao’s will feel? I can see some whose expressions can’t be controlled despite Cao Pi’s presence.

However, in the end it was Cao Pi who became king, and Cao Zhi was the loser in the succession competition. Cao Zhi, seated in a corner of the banquet, rose at Cao Pi’s call and politely answered:

“…Indeed, it is as the King of Wei says.”

“Yes. Of course it would be. How could such an adopted son compare to legitimate sons like us?”

Seemingly satisfied with the answer for a moment, Cao Pi suddenly completely changed his expression, putting on a blank face, and said:

“Ah, no. Come to think of it, Zijian, you are now the son of the Marquis of Haiyang, so you would be my cousin. Hahaha!”

Cao Pi’s expressions changed dramatically as if he were the Joker.

This level of sarcasm takes dedication.

After jointly insulting He Yan, who was both Cao Cao’s son-in-law and practically an adopted son, he then taunts Cao Zhi by saying, “Now you’re not my younger brother but my cousin?”…

Moreover, preparing the clothes I’m wearing only took a day. Judging by Cao Pi’s surprised look, he clearly didn’t know I would come in this outfit.

So the process of starting with comparing my and He Yan’s attire and then taunting Cao Zhi was all improvised on the spot.

Cao Pi’s cunning was truly extraordinary in this aspect. Perhaps even surpassing Zhuge Liang.

At Cao Pi’s remarks bordering on trash talk, Cao Zhi’s fists trembled faintly. It might not be visible from Cao Pi’s angle, but those around would see it. It shows how great the sense of humiliation Cao Zhi feels must be.

In contrast, He Yan, who was insulted along with him, was surprisingly composed. Considering he must have been tormented by Cao Pi since childhood, perhaps this level is nothing.

Cao Pi’s remarks didn’t stop there.

“Zijian has as great an aesthetic sense as his outstanding literary talent, so wouldn’t it be a shame to end without hearing his appreciation when all eyes are gathered like this! How was it, could you describe it in a poem?”

“How could I disobey a royal command?”

This was a development I wanted to avoid. But Cao Pi’s eyes were too crazed to step in and say it’s not worth doing.

While I decided to take a step back for now, Cao Zhi had already stepped out to the center of the banquet hall.

The dancers stopped dancing and retreated, and the musicians also stopped playing, all alert to hear what kind of poem Cao Zhi would recite.

And as Cao Zhi’s foot fell, his mouth opened.

§

To be honest, Cao Zhi did not believe the rumors about Zhang Ran’s beauty at all.

No, this might be a bit inaccurate. Rather than “not believing”, the word “indifferent” better represented his state of mind.

From the start, Cao Zhi had no mental capacity to care about Zhang Ran. The succession issue was one thing, but his heart was already full of one woman.

The future Empress Wenzhao, Zhen Fu.

Cao Zhi was secretly in love with this woman who was his elder brother Cao Pi’s principal wife and his sister-in-law.

For him, with his high learning and virtue, it was an adultery he could never accept, and more broadly, the crime of harboring delusional thoughts towards a nation’s empress.

Therefore, he had deliberately turned a blind eye to those romantic feelings. Because it was a feeling he should not harbor. Since losing his eligibility for succession, his enjoyment of refined pursuits while meeting and interacting with various notable figures was to forget this.

He thought he had forgotten, but it seems lingering attachments still remained in a corner of his heart. When the order came down from Cao Pi to attend the banquet for the condolence delegation commemorating the late king’s death, his heart had raced at the thought he might be able to see his sister-in-law.

Although Cao Zhi claimed not to care much, Zhang Ran had been such a hot topic in Chang’an that even he was well aware of her existence.

However, unlike the common people who gossiped about her beauty, the literati and officials talked about the victories she led for Shu-Han, so Cao Zhi couldn’t help but have a strong image of Zhang Ran as a general.

A female general who followed her father from age 9, roaming battlefields, then displayed martial prowess that all acknowledged in Shu’s entry, in Hanzhong, in Jingzhou.

How could such a person be beautiful? A beauty of the Xiongnu-Xianbei steppes fighting against men – that was truly something only ignorant commoners in the marketplace would think.

Anyone with even a little knowledge of military affairs would know that with such a body, just keeping up with marches would be challenging enough.

But when he directly witnessed Zhang Ran at the banquet welcoming the delegation, Cao Zhi had to admit his own short-sightedness.

As if rebuking how foolish his hasty prejudgment had been, the female general Zhang Ran was simply beautiful.

Living as Cao Cao’s son, revered as the greatest literary talent in the world, Cao Zhi had seen all sorts of beauties growing up. But there was no beauty he dared compare to his sister-in-law.

Until this very moment.

“Called to the capital, I ascended Tongque Tower for the banquet and saw a beauty in black and red men’s clothes.”

“Then the king summoned me and asked, ‘How was her appearance? I wish to hear.'”

“I answered him: Her figure, like a soaring luan bird playing high in the sky, her splendor like pine trees in spring.”

“Faint as if light clouds veiling the moon, vivid as unwavering tree flowers in the wind.”

“A long slender neck with snow-white skin exposed, no fragrant oils applied, no powder used.”

“Cloud-like hair tied up in one, long eyebrows gently curved. Red lips shining outward, white clean teeth gleaming within.”

“Captivating form beautiful yet not vulgar, wearing strange clothes rarely seen in the world, yet her figure like a painting.”

Cao Zhi’s recitation flowed without hesitation, spreading clearly and profoundly, seeping into the hearts of those occupying the banquet hall.

Beyond simply the rhythm of the poem and the resonance of the words, Cao Zhi’s voice had a deep lingering feeling that reached to the depths of people’s hearts.

In the silence, Cao Zhi, instead of his initially subdued appearance, proudly straightened his shoulders and calmly said:

“Shall I continue?”

Cao Zhi’s confidence that he could go on endlessly even after composing a poem on the spot was indeed worthy of his reputation as the greatest literary talent of the age.

An overwhelming talent that even Cao Pi, who took pride in his own literary skills, had to acknowledge. Cao Zhi, who later generations dared to evaluate as being born with 8 out of 10 parts of the world’s talent.

Even Cao Cao, who had drawn his sword for succession, couldn’t bring himself to kill Cao Zhi out of regret for that literary talent, but does he know that this time, that very literary talent is threatening his life?

It was an object of both admiration and jealousy, so for Cao Pi who loved literature, Cao Zhi’s talent was something he had to cherish while also stimulating his own sense of inferiority – an object of love and hate.

Until now, thanks to Cao Cao’s measures, the feelings of love had been greater as he suppressed his inferiority complex, but at this moment the balance tipped.

Cao Pi, with a face frozen colder than ever before, took in Cao Zhi with eyes like inorganic glass beads. That gaze was by no means one looking at a brother.

But unlike those eyes filled with resentment, Cao Pi’s voice that flowed out was calm:

“No, that’s enough. Excellent. Had you thought of this beforehand?”

“How could that be?”

“You came up with this on the spot here?”

“That is correct. How could I utter lies at any time?”

“Then you’re saying the content of your poem was all sincere?”

Cao Zhi instinctively sensed that this question was a trap and that he shouldn’t answer affirmatively. But it was too late. If he said it wasn’t true here, he would be accused of harboring delusional thoughts towards the monarch.

A dilemma. Backed into a corner.

From the moment he called Cao Zhi to the banquet, Cao Pi must have been planning all of this. To trample him so he could never rise again, and perhaps to not allow even a shred of possibility.

Even though he had fallen to a position where he could no longer even compete, Cao Pi’s wariness and resentment towards his old rival had not subsided.

“What’s the matter? I can’t hear your voice. Have you suddenly become mute?”

Cao Pi’s urging was like peeling off the fingers of someone hanging from a cliff one by one.

Cao Zhi hung his head in despair.

“It was sincere…”

As soon as Cao Zhi affirmed, Cao Pi, who had been waiting for this, glanced at the third person he had deliberately called to this banquet.

His wife Zhen Fu, sitting right next to him.

“Then let me ask. Zixuan called Zhang Ran the most beautiful in the world, but do you think so too? Between the queen and Zhang Ran, which one is more beautiful? Tell me.”