Chapter Six: Seven Steps to Poetry

  "My name is on the list of strong men, but I am not selfish. I would sacrifice my life for the country's crisis, and view death as a return home! So, Tao Ying is not afraid to die!"

  When Cao Cao heard the famous phrase that Tao Qian had plagiarized, he was taken aback for a moment. He couldn't help but turn his head to look at the officials of the Cao army on the left, and saw that the scholars who were carefully selected from all over the world were all surprised, whispering and repeating in low voices. Even Guo Jia and Xun Yu, who were proud of their high status, were also surprised and praised, nodding slightly, apparently appreciating Tao Qian's "literary talent".

  "Please, Lord Cao, investigate clearly." Taking advantage of the fact that Cao was still hesitant to take action, Tao quickly spoke out: "The remnants of the Yellow Turbans, Zhang and Yan, have been harming your family, Lord Cao. You have raised an army to avenge them, but the people of Xu Zhou are in danger. Liu Bei has written to you, advising reconciliation. The soldiers and civilians of Xu Zhou fear your heavenly authority and do not dare to act as envoys. Although I, Tao, am afraid of death, I am the second son of the governor of Xu Zhou. For many years, my clothing and food have all come from the people of Xu Zhou, but I have not repaid them in the slightest. At this critical moment of life and death, if I do not stand up for them, who will?"

  Cao Cao gazed at Tao Ying again, and this made Tao Ying have a plan. With great determination in his heart, he was no longer afraid. He quickly displayed the acting skills he had honed in the system, calmly looking back at Cao Cao with an exceptionally clear gaze, as if he had long since put life and death out of his mind.

  After a long time, Cao Cao finally spoke up, holding his sword and coldly laughing: "I didn't expect that the selfish and despicable old man Tao Qian could actually have a son like you! However, your family has a vendetta with me for killing my father. No matter how much you boast, this time you won't be able to escape alive!"

  "Since ancient times, who has not died? Leave behind a red heart to shine on the green." Tao Ying's shameless face again plagiarized and respectfully said: "Tao Ying is timid, when entering the camp, he did not dare to actively report his name. Now that Tao Ying's identity has been recognized by Your Excellency, whether to kill or behead, it is up to Your Excellency to decide. Tao Ying will die without regret, only asking Your Excellency for two things."

  "Your father killed mine, a blood feud that cannot be shared under the same sky, and you still have the face to ask me for two favors?" Cao Cao coldly laughed out loud. However, Cao Cao indeed admired Tao Ying's literary talent, so he said again: "Alright, considering you still have some talent, speak up and let me hear."

  "Thank you, sir." Tao Ying hastily expressed his gratitude. After slightly adjusting his thoughts, he bowed to Cao Taigong and said: "Sir, Tao Ying deserves to die ten thousand times over and does not dare ask for your mercy. I only beg of you that after conquering Xuzhou, please treat the people within the city walls with kindness and do not vent your anger on others because of the crimes of my family. Spare the lives of the people in Xuzhou, and the Tao family will be grateful even in death."

  "No!" Cao Cao flatly refused, saying proudly: "I have already sworn an oath before my father's spirit to exterminate all the people of the five counties of Xuzhou, to comfort my father's spirit in heaven. Your plea, I cannot grant!"

  "My lord!!" Tao Ying cried out in a mournful voice, with tears already welling up in his eyes.

  "I've said it before, no! My mind has never changed!" Cao Cao resolutely waved his hand to refuse, and then shouted: "Say your second request, after you finish speaking, I will cut off your head to avenge my father's death!"

  Tao's expression was dull and his facial muscles twitched, revealing a vividly painful and disappointed look. His acting was so realistic that even Cao Da couldn't help but think to himself: "This child is thinking of the people, speaking from the heart, it's really rare."

  After a moment, Tao Yingcai's lips trembled again and he spoke in a hoarse voice: "Your Excellency, as a son, I was unable to serve my father filially while he was alive, which is an unforgivable sin. Therefore, I have no other requests except that you bring me to the foot of Xuzhou City, allow me to kowtow and apologize to my father, and then execute me."

  "Are you going to be executed under the city wall of Xuchang?" Cao laughed and said, "You are hoping for Xuchang to send troops to rescue you, aren't you?"

  "If you are worried that Tao Ying will take the opportunity to escape, Tao Ying also dare not ask for it." Tao Ying finally shed tears and choked up saying: "Please allow Tao Ying to bid farewell to his father from afar and die facing Xuzhou city, that's all."

  Cao Cao laughed again, actually Cao Cao was not afraid of Tao Ying escaping when he was taken to the foot of Xuchang City, because if Tao Ying wanted to escape, he would have to rely on the troops in Xuchang City to come out and respond. Whether it was Liu Bei's army or Tao Qian's army, once they left the solid city protection, abandoned the geographical advantage and went out to fight in the wild, Cao Cao could laugh with his mouth crooked.

  After a moment's thought, Cao Cao smiled and said: "Alright, I can grant your request, but I also have a condition. If you can do it, I will take you to the foot of Xucheng City and allow you to pay homage to Tao Qian before dying. If not, I will cut off your four limbs, dig out your heart and liver, and make a live sacrifice to my father!"

  "Please make it clear." Tao Ying answered with a bow, but his heart was burning like fire - how come that message hadn't been delivered to Cao Cao yet? Had he remembered wrongly?!

  "Listen carefully then." Cao said, pointing his treasured sword at Tao Ying's nose: "I've heard you speak fluently and surely master poetry. Now I'll give you a chance. If you can recite a poem in seven steps, I'll grant your request. If not..."

  Cao Cao paused, then suddenly raised his voice and shouted: "Tian Wei, Cao Hong, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, listen to the order! If Tao Qian's little son can't make a poem after seven steps, immediately cut off his four limbs!"

  "Yes!" The four Cao army generals responded in unison, drew their swords and surrounded Tao Ying, their eyes gleaming with ferocity, their momentum even more turbulent.

  "The lord has moved his loving heart again." Guo Jia and Xun Yu secretly smiled together, and Guo Jia thought to himself: "However, this Tao Ying is indeed talented in literature. He is willing to sacrifice his life for the country, and views death as a return home. Since ancient times, who has not died? Leave behind a red heart that shines brightly, what good literary talent, what heroic spirit! It's a pity, it's a pity he is Tao Qian's son, otherwise, he would be worth deeply associating with."

  "Seven steps to poetry? How clever!" Tao Yingxian was taken aback, then muttered to himself, "No wonder they're father and son, they're both of the same kind. Luckily, I used to recite Tang poems and Song lyrics to practice my public speaking, including many of your poems, Cao old thief! I'll just pick a few out and use them to stall for time. Dammit, why hasn't that message been delivered to Cao's camp yet?!"

  "Can or cannot?" Seeing Tao Ying didn't speak, Cao Lao Da asked again.

  "Return to Duke Ming, Tao Ying will do his best." Tao Ying bowed again and took a step forward, then recited: "The white sun sets behind the mountain, The Yellow River flows into the sea, To exhaust the view of a thousand miles, One must climb another floor."

  "So soon?!" Cao Da was shocked, then quickly came to his senses and shouted: "Wait a minute, this poem must have been written by you before, it doesn't count! I must give you a topic, and you write a new poem!"

  "Please give me the topic." Tao Ying replied, trying to sound calm, but his heart was racing with anxiety, wondering if he could recall those poems and match Cao's topic.

  "Your poem just mentioned the sea. Xuzhou's five counties are also adjacent to the East China Sea, so let's take the sea as the theme." Cao said with a drink.

  "Sea? Sea!" Tao Ying's forehead was once again covered in cold sweat, so tense that he could hardly think of a single poem related to the sea. On the other side, Old Cao shouted loudly, forcing Tao Ying to take steps and compose a poem. Tao Ying had no choice but to lift his legs and take steps, one footstep at a time, pacing back and forth in the tent. When he reached the fifth step, a poem related to the sea finally floated into his mind. Tao Ying didn't even have time to recall who wrote this poem before finishing the seven steps and reciting:

  "East of the stele, overlooking the vast ocean."

  The water is calm and peaceful, the mountains and islands stand tall.

  Trees grow in clusters and grasses are luxuriant.

  The autumn wind is bleak and stern, the huge waves surge up.

  The sun and moon move as if they come out of it;

  The Milky Way is shining brightly, as if it has come out of its hiding place.

  "What happiness! Let us sing with joyful abandon."

  Cao Cao's mouth was agape, Xun Yu's eyes were wide with wonder, and Guo Jia was so shocked that he forgot to cough, jumping up from his seat, applauding and exclaiming: "Brilliant! Good poem! Good lyrics!"

  "Thank you, Mr. Xie." Tao Ying nodded to Guo Jia in gratitude and secretly let out a sigh of relief, thinking to himself: "Damn it, who actually wrote this poem? I've completely forgotten!"

  "The sun and moon are like coming out of it; the stars are shining, as if they were coming out of their homes." Cao Lao Da silently recited a phrase from Tao Ying's poem, with an inexplicable sense of intimacy, as if every word and sentence had hit his heart, extremely familiar and intimate.

  "What a pity that this son is the son of Tao Qian!" Cao also sighed secretly, and shouted: "Seven steps to make a poem, I think it's still slow! Can you respond with a poem?"

  "Do your best, and let the public decide." Tao Ying once again gritted his teeth and agreed, but in his heart he was so tense that he almost collapsed - why hadn't that message been delivered to Cao's camp yet?!

  Cao Taigong waved his hand to the four generals surrounding Tao Ying, and Dian Wei and Cao Hong immediately understood, drew their swords together and pointed at Tao Ying, ready to cut off his limbs at any moment. Cao Taigong shouted again: "Write with the current world as the theme!"

  "What times are these? The Three Kingdoms in chaos!" Tao Ying also involuntarily muttered:

  "In Kanto, there is a righteous gentleman who raises an army to punish the wicked."

  At first, I met you in Mengjin, but my heart was in Xianyang.

  The military strength is uneven, hesitating and flying in a scattered formation.

  Self-interest causes strife; descendants will turn against each other.

  Armor breeds lice, and the surname Wan is associated with death.

  Bleached bones lie in the open fields, for a thousand miles there is no crowing of cocks.

  "The people's suffering is as deep as the sea, and thinking of it cuts one's heart in two."

  With a loud thud, Cao's precious sword fell to the ground. His eagle eyes were filled with shock and amazement. The civil and military officials on both sides were also stunned, their mouths agape in unbelief. They couldn't believe that there was such a great talent in the world who could create such a masterpiece in the blink of an eye, and even managed to flatter Cao's achievement of rallying the eighteen vassals to overthrow Dong. In shock, the entire Cao army camp fell silent for a moment, almost forgetting that Tao was actually Cao's arch-nemesis who had killed his father.

  "Damn it, fortunately I remembered this poem." Tao Ying wiped a cold sweat again, "But who wrote this poem? Liu Mengde or Sun Mengde? I'm so nervous that I couldn't think of it at all?"

  "Report!"

  Suddenly, a urgent voice broke the atmosphere in the big tent. A Cao army messenger rushed into the tent, knelt down on one knee to Lord Cao, and said with his fists clenched: "Reporting to Your Excellency, Mr. Xun Yu and Mr. Cheng Yu have sent messengers from Dong'a, saying that there is a matter of extreme urgency involving 100,000 people that they wish to present to you in person!"

  "What urgent news?!" Cao's heart skipped a beat, knowing that if it weren't for some earth-shattering event, Xun Yu and Cheng Yu wouldn't have sent such an envoy at this critical moment when he was about to capture Xuzhou. Immediately, Cao ordered: "Summon! Take Tao Ying to the rear tent and guard him closely!"

  "Hello!"

  Everyone in the account responded neatly, each following orders and taking action. Tao Ying bowed his head to thank Cao Da, then followed Cao's army out of the tent. However, as he walked out of the tent, a sly smile that couldn't be hidden floated onto the corner of Vice Director Tao's mouth. A phrase also flashed through Tao Ying's mind - Lü Bu raided Yan Province, occupied Puyang, and Cao Da was forced to abandon Xuzhou, which was about to fall into his hands. He temporarily made peace with Tao Qian and Liu Bei and led his army back to fight against Lü Bu!

  After the sly smile, Tao Ying's heart gradually rose to his throat. If his identity hadn't been exposed, he could have said that he was basically safe now. But since his identity had already been exposed, whether he could make it back alive to Xuzhou City depended on Cao's mood - or rather, whether Cao really loved talent as much as life itself?

  "How was my identity exposed?" To overcome the tension and fear in his heart, Tao had to shift his attention to another important issue. "In the past, I rarely showed up and kept a low profile, so it's unlikely that Cao's spies recognized me. When I entered the camp, I didn't encounter any Cao soldiers who knew me face-to-face either. Judging from the voice, there was no troop dispatched from Xuchang to rescue me, nor did my identity get indirectly exposed. At first, Cao didn't immediately send someone to capture me either. So how exactly did Cao find out about my true identity?"