Three Kingdoms: The Peerless Strategist of Wei

Chapter 2 Father-in-law

"Young master, please slow down."

"Wait for me, servant!"

Diao Chan quickly lifted her skirt and, panting, ran after him.

Xu County, North Street.

Three men were strolling leisurely, enjoying the local scenery on both sides of the street.

"Yingchuan truly lives up to its reputation as a fertile land renowned throughout the world, and a place where many famous scholars have emerged. Even though Xu County has been repeatedly ravaged by the Yellow Turban Rebellion and the flames of war, it still manages to maintain such a lively and prosperous scene."

A middle-aged man with his hands behind his back looked at the bustling street in front of him and couldn't help but click his tongue in admiration.

He was over seven feet tall, with narrow eyes that were sharp as an eagle's. His long beard flowed down his chin, and he possessed the refined demeanor of a scholar, yet also carried the domineering aura of someone in a high position who commanded respect without anger.

Behind him were two attendants, one a scholar and the other a warrior. The scholar was thin with deep, sharp eyes, while the warrior was as burly as an iron tower, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted. It was clear at a glance that neither of them were ordinary people.

The three of them walked to the gate of an imposing mansion. Above the vermilion gate, on a black plaque with gold lettering, were two powerful and neat characters that read "Yang Mansion".

"This mansion was secretly purchased by me from that merchant surnamed Yang a few days ago. It is in a secluded location with a spacious courtyard, which is perfect as a place for you to stay when you travel incognito in the future."

"Please come in, my lord."

With a gentle smile on his face, Xi Zhicai reached out and gently pushed open the heavy mansion gate.

Cao Cao nodded slightly, then strode into the mansion with his head held high and chest out.

Xi Zhicai quickly followed him inside.

Dian Wei turned around and scanned the surrounding streets and alleys warily. After confirming that there were no suspicious people, he stepped inside and casually closed the gate behind him.

"The Emperor's decree summoning our lord to the capital is a golden opportunity that we could only dream of."

"If my lord can seize this opportunity to welcome the Emperor back to Xu County, he can then use the Emperor to command the disobedient, and his grand ambitions will be achieved in no time!"

As Xi Zhicai walked, he spoke in a low voice, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.

Cao Cao raised his hand and slowly stroked his long beard, a thoughtful smile on his face, but he did not speak.

The three walked through the front yard, which was filled with flowers and trees, and were about to step into the main hall.

"Squeak!"

Suddenly, the gate behind them was gently pushed open from the outside.

A handsome young man, dressed in a blue robe and exuding an air of nobility, stepped calmly into the courtyard.

Dian Wei's eyes narrowed suddenly, and his broad, tiger-like hands instantly gripped the hilt of the ring-pommel sword at his waist. His arm muscles tensed, and he was about to draw his sword.

Cao Cao raised his hand and gently pressed down on Dian Wei, who was about to make a move.

He discreetly observed the young man before him, a sense of curiosity rising within him as he wondered what this young man, who had so abruptly barged in, intended to do.

Gu Cheng was also sizing up the three people in front of him.

This is indeed the Yang residence. Judging from the age and demeanor of these three people, the one standing in the middle must be the owner of this mansion, who is also his future father-in-law.

Gu Cheng immediately cupped his hands in greeting and said loudly, "Your son-in-law Gu Cheng greets your father-in-law."

"father in law?"

Cao Cao froze on the spot, his smile instantly freezing.

Xi Zhicai and Dian Wei looked at each other, and then exchanged a glance.

Good heavens! Our lord only went on a private visit, and suddenly he has an extra son-in-law.

Where did this hothead come from, daring to randomly claim a father-in-law here!

Cao Cao couldn't help but frown, looking the young man up and down with suspicion in his eyes.

"It was too presumptuous of me. Your daughter and I are not yet married, so I should address you as Uncle."

With a hint of apology on his face, Gu Cheng noticed the other person's bewildered expression and immediately took out a scroll wrapped in brocade from his bosom, presenting it respectfully with both hands.

"This is the marriage contract that Uncle and my late father made back then. Please take a look."

Cao Cao hesitated for a moment, but finally reached out and took it.

After carefully examining the elegant handwriting and the seals of both parties on the silk scroll, he suddenly realized what was going on.

It turned out that the young man had mistaken him for the merchant surnamed Yang and had come to propose marriage.

"This young man is handsome and has an outstanding appearance and demeanor. His every move exudes the air of a noble family."

"It's a pity that I've never heard of a young talent like Gu Cheng in Xu County. He has neither a reputation nor outstanding talent. How could he be worthy of my daughter, Cao Cao's daughter?"

Cao Cao felt a pang of regret and immediately returned the marriage contract to Gu Cheng.

"Young Master Gu, you admit your mistake—"

Before he could even utter the word "wrong," his brows suddenly furrowed, his expression changed drastically, and he reached out and tightly covered his forehead.

"My lord! Are you perhaps suffering from your old ailment again?"

Xi Zhicai's expression changed abruptly, and he quickly stepped forward to support the swaying body.

"Quickly, help me sit down!"

Cao Cao gritted his teeth and endured the excruciating pain, but in the blink of an eye, his forehead was covered with a layer of cold sweat.

Xi Zhicai and Dian Wei panicked and hurriedly helped Cao Cao into the main hall, where they seated him in the main seat.

Gu Cheng followed him inside, his face full of concern as he asked, "Uncle, are you feeling unwell?"

"It's nothing serious, it's an old problem that I've had for years. It will get better after a short rest."

Cao Cao waved his hand while panting heavily.

He hadn't even finished speaking.

A sudden, excruciating pain struck him, and his head felt as if it were being pierced by countless red-hot steel needles.

"what!"

Cao Cao let out a piercing cry of pain and immediately collapsed onto the table.

Xi Zhicai and Dian Wei were completely flustered and stood helplessly to the side.

Our lord has always suffered from a chronic headache, which would often flare up during his campaigns in the past.

But no one expected that the headache would strike at this time, and with such ferocity that it seemed he was about to collapse.

"Uncle, you've had this migraine problem for quite a while now, haven't you?"

Gu Cheng immediately recognized Cao Cao's illness.

Migraine?

Cao Cao struggled to lift his head and look at him, veins bulging on his forehead, and said with difficulty, "You... you actually know medicine?"

"I only know a little bit about it."

"Please extend your hand, Uncle, so that I may examine your lineage."

Gu Cheng sat down next to Cao Cao and rolled up his sleeves.

Cao Cao's eyes flickered with a look of surprise.

He had been plagued by this stubborn headache for more than ten years. In order to cure the disease, he consulted countless famous doctors all over the country, but in the end, they were all helpless and had no way to cure it.

The "son-in-law" in front of me who has mistakenly identified his father-in-law may know some medical skills, but he is only in his early twenties. Could his medical skills be better than those world-renowned doctors?

Cao Cao immediately felt a sense of doubt.

Just at this time.

Another wave of excruciating pain suddenly struck, making my head feel like it was about to explode.

Cao Cao could no longer care about anything else and could only hurriedly extend his hand, clinging to a sliver of hope, wanting to give it a try.

Gu Cheng immediately closed his eyes slightly, calmed himself down, and gently placed three fingers on his wrist to take his pulse.

A long time passed.

Gu Cheng loosened his fingers from his wrist, his expression revealing his full understanding of the illness.

"What exactly is wrong with my illness?"

Despite the excruciating pain, Cao Cao asked, his eyes filled with a mixture of disbelief and doubt.

"The head is the meeting place of all yang meridians, where the qi and blood of the five internal organs and six bowels converge and ascend. If one's emotions are imbalanced or one is overworked, it can lead to disordered qi and blood, and blockage of the collaterals. Naturally, the meridians will become obstructed, and where there is obstruction, there is pain. This is the root cause of migraines!"

Gu Cheng explained the pathological root of the illness clearly and calmly, word by word.

Cao Cao's eyes involuntarily narrowed suddenly.

"His words are exactly the same as what those famous doctors said before. It seems this young man is truly skilled in medicine?"

"Could it be that Heaven is protecting me, Cao Mengde?"

Cao Cao was both surprised and delighted, and immediately asked, "Since Young Master Gu knows the root cause of my illness, do you have a way to cure it?"

"There is no way to completely cure this stubborn migraine. The key is to calm your mind and avoid excessive mental exertion in daily life, and avoid extreme joy or anger."

Gu Cheng tilted his head slightly, shook it gently, and then said slowly, "However, I carry a secret-recipe pill with me that can stop your terrible headache in an instant."

He reached into his robes and silently retrieved a lustrous, vermilion capsule from his personal system storage space.

"What kind of medicine is this?"

Cao Cao stared intently at the bright red capsule, his face filled with confusion and bewilderment.

Over the years, he had suffered from headaches and had tried no less than a hundred kinds of medicines, pills, and powders, but he had never seen such a smooth, round medicine, shaped like a sparrow's egg, before.

Ibuprofen.

Gu Cheng spoke calmly and slowly, uttering those three words.

"Ibuprofen?"

Cao Cao, along with Xi Zhicai and Dian Wei beside him, repeated the story almost in unison.

Strange drug names never heard of before, and peculiar forms never seen before.

The three of them exchanged glances instinctively, their eyes filled with deep, unyielding doubt.

Cao Cao subconsciously reached out and gently pinched the capsule with his fingertips.

"My lord!"

Xi Zhicai quickly gave a low shout, while simultaneously sending a warning look.

Dian Wei, who was standing nearby, also moved instantly, pressing down on Cao Cao's wrist with his large, fan-like hand.

Cao Cao is now the Governor of Yan Province, a position of great prestige, while Gu Cheng is a young man who suddenly appears at his door with an unknown background. It is impossible to judge whether he harbors any ill intentions.

As Cao Cao's most trusted confidants, how could they stand by and watch their lord so rashly swallow this unfamiliar drug of unknown origin?

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao hesitated for a moment, a hint of wariness flashing across his eyes.

Just then, a violent headache suddenly struck, as if his head was being repeatedly struck by a heavy hammer and was about to explode. Cao Cao's vision went black for a moment, and he almost fainted from the pain.

He was so tormented by the excruciating pain that he decided to take the plunge and swallow the capsule whole.

Xi Zhicai's heart jumped into his throat, and he subconsciously held his breath.

Dian Wei secretly gripped the hilt of his ring-pommel sword at his waist, his copper bell-like eyes fixed on Gu Cheng. If Cao Cao showed the slightest sign of abnormality, he would immediately pounce and take Gu Cheng's life.

Gu Cheng remained calm and composed, as if everything around him was irrelevant.

Much later.

After about half a cup of tea's time, Cao Cao exhaled a long breath, and his originally pale face instantly showed an expression of unbelievable surprise.

The excruciating pain that had just been felt vanished completely without a trace.

"Nephew, this ibuprofen you have is truly a miracle drug!"

"I never imagined that you, at such a young age, would possess such extraordinary medical skills. May I ask which renowned physician you have studied under?"

Cao Cao's eyes were filled with undisguised surprise and admiration, and he asked with barely suppressed excitement.

Gu Cheng naturally couldn't tell him that he possessed a cheat system for transmigrators, and that among the rewards he received for completing missions over the years were many complete medical classics passed down from later generations.

Today, he has long since integrated the diagnostic methods of traditional Chinese medicine (inspection, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation) with the principles of Western medicine.

As for this ibuprofen capsule that can quickly relieve pain, it was naturally one of the system's earlier mission rewards.

"I have not studied under any medical school. I just like to browse through the various medical books in my collection when I have nothing to do."

Gu Cheng casually fabricated an explanation.

"He's self-taught?"

Cao Cao's eyes widened instantly, and he secretly gasped.

Xi Zhicai and Dian Wei, who were standing to the side, also showed expressions of shock.

To possess such extraordinary medical skills simply by studying medical books in one's spare time is an astonishing talent!

"A prodigy!"

The same thought almost simultaneously arose in the minds of Cao Cao and the other two.

"Judging from your appearance, Uncle, are you perhaps planning to move out of this house?"

Gu Cheng suddenly changed the subject and asked.

Cao Cao quickly gathered his scattered thoughts and asked with a hint of surprise, "How did you figure that out, my dear nephew?"

"When I entered just now, there wasn't even a single guard outside the door, and I didn't see a single servant cleaning the house. Even the table was covered with a thick layer of dust, so it must have been neglected for many days."

"That's why I have this speculation."

As Gu Cheng spoke, he gently brushed the dust off the table with his fingertips.

"Hmm, this child is not only highly skilled in medicine, but also has such a meticulous and thoughtful mind."

Cao Cao nodded in approval in his heart.

After clearing his throat with a few dry coughs, Cao Cao pretended to sigh and said, "The Yingchuan area has been plagued by war for years, making business extremely difficult. That's why I'm thinking of selling this house and moving my whole family to Jingzhou to avoid disaster."

With the world in disarray and war raging everywhere, Jingzhou, under the rule of Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou, is recognized as one of the few peaceful places in the world. That's why Cao Cao casually made up this excuse.

Gu Cheng smiled slightly and said, "Uncle, there's no need for that. From now on, Xu County will no longer be plagued by war. If you sell this house now at a low price, the property value here will skyrocket tenfold in the future. Wouldn't you regret it then?"

"A tenfold increase? I doubt it."

Cao Cao chuckled upon hearing this, shook his head, and asked, "What makes you so certain, my nephew?"