Chapter 2: The Chaotic Pairing of Lovers

Diao Chan numbly said: "It is up to you, my lord, to decide."

Cao Cao lowered his head in contemplation, yet had not spoken. Xun Yu concurred, saying: "The words of Fengxiao are indeed very reasonable; I share the same view. I implore you, my lord, to think it over carefully"

Cao Cao laughed heartily and said, "Alright, it's settled then. You two may leave for now; I will arrange your matters shortly. I will personally officiate your wedding on an auspicious day." After saying this, he laughed loudly, disregarding the crowd present, and left on his own.

Cao Cao waved his right hand and said, "Understood, you may leave now." The young soldier took a few steps back, just about to turn and leave, when he suddenly heard Cao Cao call out, "Wait! Come back!"

Cao Cao asked again: "Have you started a family?"

Princess Diao Chan smiled charmingly, as if reminiscing about that moment, and said: "At that time, your mouth was agape, constantly claiming it was the ancestors' divine intervention that bestowed upon him such a tremendous fortune"

Twenty-eight years old

Cao Cao stared blankly at Diao Chan, his mind in a state of confusion. After a while, he regained his composure, steadied his thoughts, and smiled slightly, saying: "As the saying goes, 'When there is no master of an object, people will inevitably compete for it.' It is somewhat inappropriate to heed the words of Feng Xiao. If Diao Chan is returned to the fields, they will still compete for her. I do not wish for those present to lose their harmony over a woman. How about this?" He pointed to Jia Fu and continued, "Diao Chan, this is my personal guard, Jia Fu. He is now twenty-eight years old and has yet to marry, which is truly pitiful. I intend to betroth you to him; may I ask if you are willing?"

Cao Cao asked, "Jia Fu, are you willing?"

Cao Cao smiled faintly and said, "Go bring Diao Chan to me here"

Guo Jia said: "Diao Chan was originally the adopted daughter of Wang Yun, given to Dong Zhuo, who then met his demise, and followed Lü Bu, who was subsequently executed. She is indeed an ill-fated person. All present are loyal and virtuous individuals; how could one marry an ill-fated person? It would be better to release her back to the fields, selecting a quiet place for her to reside in seclusion." He believed that Cao Cao was a rare wise ruler throughout history and did not want him to be distracted by beauty, neglecting state affairs and disregarding the great cause of unifying the realm. Thus, he devised this "removing the firewood from under the pot" strategy, to keep Diao Chan at a distance, allowing Cao Cao to be free from worry when she is out of sight.

In the class, one person stepped forward and knelt on the ground, saying: "I, a humble servant, have not yet taken a wife. I beseech you, esteemed sir, to grant me Diao Chan as my wife."

Cao Cao asked again: "How old are you?"

Everyone present was dumbfounded, their mouths agape, expressions filled with astonishment, feeling as though they had witnessed the most incredible and yet the most ridiculous event in the world, yet they could not bring themselves to laugh. Had there been glasses at that moment, one would surely have found shattered lenses scattered all over the ground

The situation was as follows: In the twelfth month of the third year of Jian'an, Cao Cao captured Xuzhou and took Lü Bu alive. On the White Gate Tower, due to a single remark from Liu Bei, Cao Cao issued an order, and the executioners brought Lü Bu out. With a swift stroke, they severed his head and presented it under the tent. Once the BOSS fell, it was time to distribute the loot. One can imagine that items like the Fangtianhua halberd and the red-eyed divine steed would not be auctioned off to the highest bidder; they would certainly all belong to Cao Cao. Of course, the most critical issue among them was the whereabouts of Diao Chan. Once the BOSS fell, it was time to distribute the loot. One can imagine that items like the Fangtianhua halberd and the red-eyed divine steed would not be auctioned off to the highest bidder; they would certainly all belong to Cao Cao. Of course, the most critical issue among them was the whereabouts of Diao Chan.

Jia Renlu thought to himself: "Damn it, what an idiot! This isn't a pie falling from the sky; it's a bomb! This guy, once he's done having fun, will just leave me to clean up the mess. Cao Cao's intentions are quite clear; he fears people will say he attacked Xuzhou for Diao Chan, which would tarnish his reputation. So he had me marry her first, and after a while, people will gradually forget about this matter, and then he can turn against me. By then, even if Guo Jia says Diao Chan is inauspicious, he can just counter with 'The Master does not speak of strange forces and chaotic spirits' to force Diao Chan upon me. In any case, I'm the one who will definitely be in trouble. I'm not Lü Bu, who has the strength to fight back. How can I contend with the likes of Cao Cao, who in the game has all attributes above 90 except for martial power, and in reality, commands great power, almost unifying the world? I might as well escape."

The pawn replied: "Jia Fu."

In a single leap, Jia Fu transformed from an ordinary soldier of Cao into a personal guard of Cao Cao, and he married the most beautiful woman in the world, Diao Chan, who was overjoyed, unable to contain her happiness, her mouth agape, speechless, continuously nodding her head in agreement to show her willingness

Before long, Diao Chan arrived gracefully under the leadership of Jia Fu. She gazed at the lustful looks directed at her and thought to herself: "In the past, Dong Zhuo and Feng Xian looked at me with the same lecherous eyes, as if they wished to strip me bare and toy with me. Now both of them are dead, yet these men regard me with the same gaze. It seems my fate is already sealed; I just do not know which one among them it will be."

Guo Jia solemnly said: "Absolutely not! My lord, you have come here with the emperor's clear decree, to uphold great righteousness, eliminate treachery, and punish the guilty. If you were to take down Xuzhou and accept a woman, rumors would spread that your visit is not for the people but for Diao Chan. This would tarnish your reputation, so I urge you to think carefully!"

Cao Cao, seeing that both of his most trusted advisors spoke in such a manner, had no choice but to agree, saying: "Since Wen Ruo has also said this, then..." Just as he was about to continue, a minor soldier came to report: "I respectfully inform the lord, that the family of Lü Bu has already been settled in another room, awaiting the lord's orders."

Jia Renlu, while listening to Diao Chan, laughed heartily, but once she finished speaking, he found himself unable to laugh anymore. He then asked, "So, what does our dear comrade Jia Fu think about this matter?"

Jia Fudao: "Not yet."

Diao Chan's cheeks flushed, she turned her head aside, not daring to look at him, and shyly said: "After returning to Xu Du, you will be so excited that from morning till night you will be with me..."

As he stood up, he intended to escape. After taking a few steps, he turned back to glance at Diao Chan and, seeing her pitiful appearance, felt a pang of compassion. He thought to himself: "Since we are married, she is my woman now. Damn it! How can a man not protect his own woman? What kind of man is that? To run away is worse than finding a place to die! Didn't the TV drama 'Liang Jian' say that when a third-rate swordsman encounters a peerless swordsman, knowing he cannot win, he will still draw his sword? A real man should protect his woman. To run away is worse than finding a place to die! Didn't the TV drama 'Liang Jian' say that when a third-rate swordsman encounters a peerless swordsman, knowing he cannot win, he will still draw his sword? Didn't that 'Li Yunlong' go against orders and lead his troops to attack Ping'an County because his wife was taken? What is needed is this kind of spirit. Now that I have been forced to this extent, I must draw my sword."

The civil and military officials below were certainly not enthusiastic; one by one, they emerged, some directly pointing out his faults, while others actively requested to speak. In an instant, there was a lively exchange of sharp words and retorts.

Cao Cao, with a heart full of desire to take Diao Chan into his harem, looked at the eager expressions of the civil and military officials below. He cleared his throat and said: "Lu Bu is dead; how should we deal with his family? I wonder what insights you all might have on this matter"

The young soldier hurried back to his original place and knelt down again. Cao Cao asked, "What is your name?"

Cao Cao did not originally intend to bring up the matter of taking Diao Chan as a concubine in front of Liu Bei. However, none of his subordinates seemed to grasp his intention and bring it up for him, which left him quite annoyed. Noticing that only a few, such as Guo Jia, Xun Yu, and Xun You, had not spoken, he turned to Guo Jia and said: "Feng Xiao, although I have many wives and concubines, none are as stunning as Diao Chan. I wish to take her as a concubine; what do you think?" The other officials then realized that Cao Cao was also tempted, and they all fell silent.

Jia Renlu said: "How was I viewing it at that time?"

Thinking of this, he turned back and sat down on the bed again. He thought it best to clarify everything first and to come up with a strategy. Thus, he asked, "You just said I fainted; how did I faint?" He was very curious about how that guy had met his end, which had brought him such misfortune.

Diao Chan shook her head and said, "What are you saying? I don't understand."

Her alluring demeanor, which was both inviting and coy, stirred a considerable reaction in Jia Renlu, to the point where he nearly had a nosebleed. Upon hearing her words, he quickly interjected, "Enough! I understand now." He thought to himself, "If I listen any longer, it will turn into an inappropriate story. He must be exhilarated, having just acquired Diao Chan, and has begun to act recklessly. I estimate that Diao Chan's eighteen leg techniques are quite formidable; after a prolonged struggle, he couldn't withstand a single move, his eyes bulging, and he ended up dead. Meanwhile, I was enjoying myself with the magical beasts and ended up in this cursed place, landing in this huge mess."

Cao Cao listened to him speak with great sincerity and dared not entertain such thoughts any longer. He said, "What you say, Feng Xiao, is indeed very reasonable. How about bestowing her upon one of my subordinates?" Upon hearing Cao Cao say this, the ministers all raised their heads high, eagerly awaiting Cao Cao to name someone.

Cao Cao took one look and recognized that the person was Wei Xu. He felt displeased and chose to ignore him, instead asking the others, "What do you all think?"