The courtyard had everything—hills, streams, bamboo groves. It was a truly beautiful place, shaped by nature itself.
But just as she was looking for the garden's owner, intending to buy it, she discovered that the owner was someone she knew.
Cao Zhi, Cao Zijian.
His face alight with excitement, he bowed deeply to Verdant Green Maiden.
"Cao Zhi pays his respects to the Goddess Empress!"
Verdant Green Maiden couldn't help muttering, "What kind of day is this? I keep running into old acquaintances everywhere."
"I never thought I'd meet you here. It seems the collapse of Cao Wei hasn't affected you much."
In the pavilion, Verdant Green Maiden leaned against the railing and looked at Cao Zhi.
The battle at Hong Gou had been a major affair. And before she went to Hong Gou, she had met Cao Zhi, so he must have known that the so-called True Dragon who helped the Han Army win that day was her.
But Cao Zhi didn't seem to mind. He only sighed when he heard her.
"It's not that it had no effect on me."
"Why didn't you go north?" Verdant Green Maiden asked. "It would've been hard, but you'd have been high-ranking there!"
After the defeat at Hong Gou, Sima Yi had gathered the remnants of Cao Wei's army and escorted the Imperial Clan and a group of officials north. They passed through You Zhou, occupied the Han Four Commanderies, and kept the State Altars of Cao Wei alive. After Cao Pi died, Cao Rui abandoned his imperial title and called himself King of Wei instead of emperor.
Cao Zhi had never been able to compete for the throne, so he would only have been an idle member of the Imperial Clan.
"Prime Minister Zhuge has treated me well."
Cao Zhi was