The Turbid Stream Follows the Chest
【Emperor Xian = Mina / En Route to Luoyang】
Even the notorious White Wave Bandits, it turned out, were far softer than my mother back home.
Less than a week after I followed Yang Biao's advice and went on a hunger strike, Yang Feng and Han Xian threw up their hands and agreed to march toward Luoyang. Had that been my mother, there would have been no negotiation—only a vicious slap across the back that sent me flying.
Of course, my promise to shower them with even higher court titles once we arrived had probably greased the wheels quite a bit as well. Yet reaching Luoyang was never my ultimate goal. The real prize was meeting Cao Cao there.
And since I had already twisted the timeline ahead by three months anyway, I decided I might as well arrange an early rendezvous with Cao Cao. So, holding my nose, I cranked up Mina Wiki once more and dug through the archives until the perfect candidate popped up.
"Beneath the Administrator of Henei, there should be an official named Dong Zhao," I instructed. "Deliver my secret imperial decree to him."
Though currently serving under Zhang Yang, this was the very turning point where Dong Zhao hitched his wagon to Cao Cao's rising star, eventually clawing his way up to Minister of Education—one of the Three Excellencies of the Cao Wei Dynasty. In original history, he had played an instrumental role in helping Cao Cao secure Emperor Xian. If I provided him with my explicit backing, he would find a way to summon Cao Cao in record time.
With that, Dong Zhao would manage the direct hotline to Cao Cao and persuade Zhang Yang, while I focused on winning over Yang Feng from the White Wave Bandits. Serving under Yang Feng was Xu Huang, another future Wei powerhouse who defected to Cao Cao later on, so persuading him shouldn't be too difficult.
As for the senior court officials, my reliable stalwart Yang Biao would keep them in line. I couldn't quite fathom why, but gauging court sentiment revealed a surprisingly large faction pushing to seek shelter under Yuan Shao. Grand Commandant Yang would have to suffer a bit caught between them and me, but with his political stature and gravitas, he could easily hold the line.
...I really need to treat Grand Commandant Yang well once this is all over.
That left only my dear father-in-law. Sigh... How on earth was I supposed to convince that man?
"What would you suggest we do?" I asked.
"If it concerns the Imperial In-law, Your Majesty, I believe inquiring with Noble Consort Dong would be the swiftest course," Yang Biao replied.
Having hit the help button with Yang Biao, it turned out he had no clear solution either. Following his advice, I submitted a one-on-one inquiry to Noble Consort Dong.
"If it is my father," she answered without an ounce of hesitation, "simply offering him a generous heap of wealth will suffice."
Her chest, displayed proudly as she spoke with supreme confidence, looked remarkably voluptuous—taking after her father, no doubt.
【Cao Hong = Zilian / Liang County】
Cao Hong, dispatched as the vanguard to escort the Emperor on Cao Cao's orders, was currently stuck in Liang County, unable to advance or retreat thanks to the joint blockade of Dong Cheng and Yuan Shu.
"Colonel Soaring Hawk, are we just going to sit here and watch again today?" an officer asked.
"How many?" Cao Hong grunted.
"Pardon?"
"The casualties, I mean. How many?"
"Quite a few, sir."
"I asked how many."
"Uh, well..."
"Three hundred and twenty!" Cao Hong barked. "Three hundred and twenty seasoned private retainers were broken smashing against those ramparts last time!"
Though he had attacked fiercely at first in obedience to Cao Cao's command, the resistance had proved far more ferocious than anticipated. With casualties mounting, he was now simply letting the days slip by in an idle stalemate. Having recognized his rival and undergone an extreme awakening, Dong Cheng was no longer the pushover of yesterday.
At this rate, we ought to pull back, Cao Hong thought glumly. To his eyes, this entire expedition to receive the Emperor was already dead in the water. Agh, it’s killing me! Do you have any idea how much coin we’re burning just setting up barracks and feeding all these mouths?
Yet his elder cousin and lord, Cao Cao, had still not issued an order to withdraw.
What in the world is he plotting? Even though they were cousins by blood, there were far too many times when the man's mind was an impenetrable mystery.
Several days later...
"Colonel! A messenger has arrived from Yan Province!"
"Hand it over, quickly."
The correspondence from Cao Cao that Cao Hong had been waiting for so desperately had finally arrived.
Finally, we can withdraw!
Brimming with high hopes, he unrolled the bamboo slips in a flurry—only to find instructions entirely contrary to his expectations.
Lavish Dong Cheng and Zhang Yang with heavy bribes to open the road.
Ah, and while you are at it, prepare some gifts to send to Yang Feng as well.
I thought we were going to save money, but now we have to spend double!
Yet to Cao Hong, Cao Cao's orders were absolute. This was, after all, Cao Zilian—the very man who went around boldly declaring that the world could manage without himself, but it could never do without the hero Cao Cao.
One could never dare blaspheme one's heaven-like elder cousin. Unable to vent his frustration at the real culprit, Cao Hong directed all his bitter resentment toward Xun Yu, the advisor who had relentlessly insisted on taking custody of the Son of Heaven and caused this entire mess.
"Wenruo! Controlling the Son of Heaven—does that make us any damn money?!"
【Cao Cao = Mengde / On the Road to Luoyang】
"His Majesty has already arrived in Luoyang?"
"I am told the imperial carriage reached the capital several days ago."
Marching toward Luoyang with a force of one thousand troops, Cao Cao was currently in remarkably high spirits. And how could he not be? The Son of Heaven had singled him out by name and summoned him to Luoyang. For someone with Cao Cao's insatiable craving for recognition, there could hardly be a prouder moment.
"Gongren, your contribution to this endeavor is immense."
What was more, the remarkably capable-looking Dong Zhao was accompanying him, having been pried away from Zhang Yang under the pretext of imperial service. Cao Cao fully intended to make the strategist his own during this campaign.
"In truth, I did very little," Dong Zhao replied modestly.
Whether heedless of Cao Cao's intentions or keenly aware of them, the purple-haired advisor feigned humility. He wore his customary sly smile, but with his eyes perpetually narrowed to thin slits, discerning his true thoughts was impossible. Had Mina seen him in person, she likely would have groaned, 'Ugh, an unreadable squinty-eyed character...' and hesitated to use him; Cao Cao, however, seemed to find even that quality quite appealing.
"Haha, you are far too modest."
"This humble Dong would certainly love to curry favor with Your Lordship, yet as a subject, I could never dare usurp credit that belongs solely to His Majesty."
"The Son of Heaven... did?"
"Indeed. Somehow knowing I was serving under Governor Zhang of Henei, His Majesty dispatched a secret letter directly to me."
Dong Zhao then laid out everything Emperor Xian had instructed him to do.
"He laid out in meticulous detail precisely how I ought to assist Inspector Cao of Yan Province. First—"
Listening to his explanation, Cao Cao's expression grew increasingly dubious, until finally a scoff slipped past his lips.
"Heh! It seems His Majesty still retains a few capable minds around him."
It was a remark bordering on sheer insolence, yet Dong Zhao's smiling countenance never wavered.
"Let us see... Could it be Grand Commandant Yang? Or perhaps Jia Wenhe... Ah, right, they say he departed already. In that case, Gongren, could it be you yourself? Hahaha!"
"Haha, I imagine it must be hard to believe. I felt the exact same way when I first received the imperial decree. However, if Your Lordship harbors grand ambitions, please do not dismiss what I have said."
You must not underestimate His Majesty—it was too disloyal a sentiment to voice aloud, but Cao Cao possessed more than enough wit to read between the lines.
"Heh. Very well."
Not that he took the warning to heart. From Cao Cao's perspective, it was simply implausible that a fifteen-year-old boy, denied even a proper imperial education, could have orchestrated all this. It was far more rational to assume Dong Zhao still harbored lingering loyalty to the throne and was merely exaggerating the Emperor's prowess.
Winning this one over will take some time.
And so, Cao Cao remained doomed to misunderstand Dong Zhao for quite a while.
【Emperor Xian = Mina / Luoyang】
"The Emperor arrives!"
"This humble subject, Cao Cao, Governor of Yan Province, pays homage to His Imperial Majesty."
Roughly six months had passed since my transmigration into Emperor Xian, and at last, I was meeting Cao Cao. The very first top-tier figure I had ever encountered since dropping into this world. In gaming terms, this wasn't just an SSR—this was an absolute UR-tier legend.
Even for someone with zero interest in the Three Kingdoms, it was impossible not to feel a surge of genuine excitement. On top of that, an itch had been nagging at the back of my mind like a fresh mosquito bite: Is this world truly the exact same universe from the advertisement I saw right before falling asleep?
Not that confirming it now would change anything, but getting an answer would certainly bring some peace of mind. And the most foolproof way to verify it right here, right now, was to compare what I saw with the image of Cao Cao that was burned so vividly into my memory.
For those two reasons, I resolved to take a good, hard look at Cao Cao's face.
"Cao Cao may raise her head."
At my command, Cao Cao lifted her chin with steady confidence. And the first thing that barged into my field of vision was...
A chest boasting a violently overwhelming presence that was an undeniable E-cup minimum.
Good grief, what boundless greed...
Even to another woman, her bust possessed an amplitude and abundance that stirred reluctant envy. Since arriving here, I had heard people gossiping that having large breasts signified a person full of greed. At first, I thought, What kind of dogshit logic is that? But staring at Cao Cao's chest, the explanation made instant and crystal-clear sense.
Whoa, snap out of it. This isn't the time.
Having stared dazed at Cao Cao—or rather, her chest—I barely managed to drag my senses back together. The important part wasn't her bust, but her face.
Pushing aside my philosophical musings on breasts and avarice, I raised my gaze slightly to Cao Cao's face, and instantly had my answer.
It's her.
Breathing and living right before my eyes was the exact character from the advertisement I had seen in my past life.
Wait... why is she staring at me so intensely?
It was bordering on frightening. Her gaze looked hungry enough to devour me whole.
"Ahem..."
Sensing the bizarre tension, someone nearby cleared their throat in warning. Only then did Cao Cao seem to snap out of her trance. Hurriedly lowering her head once more, she opened her mouth:
"On a clear and radiant day such as this, to behold the august countenance of the Son of Heaven, master of all under Heaven, is the supreme glory of our humble clan, and..."
Wait, what? Now she was rambling incoherent flattery.
Is this person really Cao Cao? No, she was unmistakably Cao Cao, but... please don't tell me she's another defective dud.
This is Dong Zhao.