[Three Kingdoms] Burning incense and sacrificial wine

"A big box contains big things, and a small box contains small things. The position of a person cannot exceed his talent and virtue. 'A gentleman should act according to his position and do not want to be outside of it[1]' (Translation: A gentleman should keep his own place and do what he should do things, don’t give birth to unreasonable thoughts), otherwise it’s like this overturned box, which can’t hold the contents inside, but it will only increase people’s ridicule.”

Such words came from a three-year-old child, no matter how prudent the confidant who reported to Cao Cao was, he couldn't help but look at Cao Chong in amazement at this moment.

Cao Chong didn't realize how shocking his point of view was for his age. After he finished talking about the inspiration he got from "toys" like a little adult, he was no different from any child who was eager for praise. My father raised his lips and asked:

"Father, is Chong right?"

Even though he had already experienced too many surprises brought by this clever son, Cao Cao still did not hesitate to exult and praise, and touched Cao Chong's bald forehead with only a bunch of pigtails:

"Quoting scriptures and allusions, there is substance in the words, and it is worthy of praise."

Cao Cao waved his eyes and ears back, curled up his two fingers, and tapped three times on the small box:

"Can Chong'er guess what's in this box?"

Cao Chong was about to shake the box, but was stopped by Cao Cao.

"How can a box that has been shot down be shaken?"

Cao Chong asked: "Who else stipulated that the box that was shot down cannot be shaken?"

"Maybe there was no such express prohibition before, but since Chong'er wants to play with his father, he must follow this requirement."

Cao Chong put the box on the case, took three copper coins, and put the six lines in the same shape.

"how?"

The old god Cao Chong said: "This hexagram is dangerous, and the box must contain something that Chong doesn't love. My father is benevolent and righteous, so Shu'er will leave now."

After speaking, he pulled up his short legs and ran.

Cao Cao grabbed Cao Chong and held it up to him: "You haven't learned the art of divination and calculation, how do you know the luck?"

"It's just that I finished playing in my free time, but my father didn't let me shake the box. After thinking about it, my father did this not because he was afraid of guessing the contents of the box through tricks, but because he was afraid that the things in the box would be damaged. .”

Cao Chong twisted his chubby body, unable to break free from Cao Cao's shackles, and burst into tears immediately.

"Today's medicine jar has not been delivered yet, the contents of this box are probably not medicine bowls?"

Cao Cao laughed out loud, showing no compassion: "Now that you know it, let's drink it while it's hot."

Cao Chong cried even louder in an instant: "Wow - don't drink the medicine, don't drink it!"

When it was busy, there was a clear sound of "噗嗤" from outside the threshold, which made the two people in the room slow down and looked outside the door.

A person was standing at the door with a wine jug, looking tired, as if he was about to wake up.The warm sun in early summer shone on his profile, blurring the smile on his lips a bit.

Cao Cao, who was enjoying the family happiness, finally regained some seriousness, and put his son Cao Chong down.

"You're here, Fengxiao."

Cao Chong also put on a serious face and bowed with his hands tied: "Guo Jijiu."

After saluting, he was about to take the opportunity to go for a walk, but found that his father's hand was pinching the fabric of his back, Cao Chong suddenly turned bitter.

Guo Jia made a brief salute to Cao Cao, took his seat with a drink in his hand, and said, "What are you playing with my lord?"

"Hey, I'm not playing. This kid is sick and doesn't drink his medicine obediently. Don't I try to trick him into drinking it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Cao Cao automatically shielded himself when he received his son's accusation. He grabbed his son three times and poured the medicine into it. That's the easiest way."

Cao Chong angrily hugged the empty bowl and sat in the corner. Cao Cao only glanced at it, then looked away, wiped the concoction from his fingertips with fine kudzu, and invited Guo Jia to sit down.

"This evasion medicine looks like a snake and scorpion, but it is somewhat similar to you."

"Jia got a good wine today, so I specially invited my lord to taste it together, but I didn't know that my lord would tease me as soon as I met him, so I'm not afraid that Jia's footsteps will go backwards, and he will run away with the wine."

There are very few advisers who dare to joke with Cao Cao, and Guo Jia is one of them.In addition, Guo Jia has a certain amount of advance and retreat, and every time he jokes, he is both friendly and well-measured. He never crosses the line.

"It's not mine?" Cao Cao laughed, and called the maid to fetch the wine, "Come on, I'll shut up quickly. You see, I'm so smart, why don't you bring your precious wine?"

Guo Jia took the wine vessel from the maid and poured Cao Cao a glass himself.

"Let's taste, my lord."

Cao Cao took a few sips, and aftertaste: "It is indeed different from the other wines, a little more elegant."

"It's all thanks to Zi Cong's whimsical idea. He heard that I was tired of drinking the wine at home, so he proposed to use pear blossoms as a brew, and asked the house attendant to mix fine wine. I saw that the taste of this wine was a bit novel, so I specially mentioned a cup. , Borrowing flowers to offer Buddha."

Cao Cao laughed dumbly: "You asked me to drink here, and you still don't forget to ask for credit for your Zi Cong?"

Hearing the word "Your Zi Cong", Guo Jia leisurely poured the wine with a trembling hand, almost pouring it out of the glass.

He caught the wine scorpion in time and caught all the spilled wine without leaving a drop.

Cao Cao never noticed the changes here, so he still preached,

"It's a coincidence that I just got a piece of news here, which happens to be related to you."

So he told Guo Jia about Cui Song's quarrel with Guo Han and Yang Guan,

"Zi Cong has always been detached from everything, and is not moved by foreign affairs. He has never thought that he is also a loving person."

Seemingly thinking of how he and his friends were going against each other, Cao Cao sighed, drank another glass of wine, and brought the earthen wine jug, which was only half a pot left, in front of him:

"Since this wine is used to 'offer Buddha', you should not drink it."

This action interrupted Guo Jia's sudden good mood because of the news he just received: "My lord, drinking alone is not fun."

"Feng Xiao, Feng Xiao, since you know the taste of this wine is good, why don't you bring some more when you use it to honor the lonely? 'Drinking alone is not happy', do you enjoy drinking alone?"

Guo Jia expressed helplessness: "My lord, I don't know anything. Zi Cong once said that 'drinking too much hurts your health', and he didn't want to give it away. Jia also needs a cup of this wine. How can he be willing?"

"Look, look, this is the purpose of your visit today, right? Yigu sees that it is a lie to invite Gu to drink together. Let Gu taste this fine wine and find Zi Cong for you to beg for the truth."

"Everything can't be hidden from the master's eyes."

"Forget it." Cao Cao didn't ask whether Guo Jia's words were true or a joke, and sent someone to Cui Song to spread the word.

Not long after, the confidant came back with an ear report.

After Cao Cao listened to the report of his cronies, he played with the wine glass for a while, and gently put it on the table.

"You just said... Cui Bucheng went out of the city with that crazy student Mi Heng?"

Guo Jia beside him was slowly tasting the wine in the glass. Hearing this, the hand holding the glass paused.

"It's true." The confidant affirmed without hesitation, "According to the city guard report, the two of them left the west gate with three or four attendants and headed towards the suburbs."

Cao Cao's voice couldn't discern emotion: "What are they doing out of the city at this time?"

The confidant bowed his head.

He was only responsible for reporting, and Cao Cao's inquiry, whether intentional or unintentional, was beyond his ability to answer.

Guo Jia only paused for a breath at the beginning, and then continued to drink slowly as if nothing had happened.

Seeing that he was calm and relaxed, Cao Cao nodded with his fingers:

"Feng Xiao, do you know why the two of them left the city?"

The author has something to say: [1] The twelve characters come from "The Doctrine of the Mean" in the Book of Rites.