To Luoyang: The Tree That Gives Freely
It was already past eight the next morning before the walls of Luoyang came into view. Thanks to No Sik’s renown, our party was waved straight through the gates without having to wait in line—a rare luxury.
The gate commandant recognized her at once. Beyond the gate the main avenue stretched away, lined with three-story towers that made the streets of Gi County or Jinjeong County look like village lanes. The crush of people was almost unbelievable.
“Whoa…”
It felt strange for a modern man to be so stunned, yet after weeks spent in quiet country towns the sheer splendor left my mouth hanging open. My avatar, nestled in No Sik’s arms, wore the exact same expression of wonder.
“Brat. This is the capital of the Han—Luoyang’s market street. So you’re heading to the residence of Imperial Censor Wang Yun?”
“Yes, Aunt. I’m going to hand over the house deed to Cousin Wang Yun and ask him to recommend me for the magistracy of Deng County near Xiangyang. We won’t stay long. Meet us at the Yiga Merchant branch on the western market street, not this gate.”
“Hmph. Fair enough. The magistracy of Xiangyang itself would be a hard prize to snatch.”
Xiangyang belonged to Nan Commandery and answered to Jiangling, yet it was already a vast county—large enough that it could have stood as a commandery of its own. Competition for the post was fierce.
“Here. If you’re going down to Xiangyang, I’ll bring you one promising young talent and an old friend of mine.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
No Sik handed my avatar to Jia Xu the moment we left the market street and vanished into the throng. The sheer density of people and the vibrant energy of the place set it worlds apart from any provincial town.
“Incredible. And you once advised burning a city like this, Jia Xu?”
“I only recommended relocating the capital. Burning it… that was someone else’s scheme.”
She bristled, denying it outright. Jia Xu’s plots were direct, but her survival-first nature usually kept her from crossing certain lines. Would the other warlords have so readily accepted a strategist who torched Luoyang? I nodded at her claim that another plotter had been involved.
“Yeah. There was someone else. Dong Zhuo’s son-in-law, I think. I remember the surname was Li…”
“Hmm… Li. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Jia Xu slipped a slim volume from her sleeve, jotted a note with a fine brush, then rolled the book shut again. Notebooks and pens were far too conspicuous; we never used them outdoors.
The crowd murmured and surged around us.
“How many people live here?”
“About a hundred thousand inside the walls, another two hundred thousand in the surrounding districts—three hundred thousand in all. Young Master, imagine moving that many souls. Half of them must have died on the forced march to Chang’an.”
We talked as we walked. Gradually the streets grew quieter; scholars in formal robes and officers in martial dress became far more common. Grand gates lined both sides of the road. This was clearly one of Luoyang’s wealthy quarters.
Massive gates. Beyond them, long rows of tiled roofs stretched into the distance. Wang Yeon pointed down the broad avenue of the rich district.
“Ah! Husband, do you see that girl far ahead in the blue light armor?”
“I do.”
“That’s Cao A-man. She’s grown so much. I can still see the child she used to be.”
Cao Cao, now fifteen. One year short of the age when I could check her unique trait—frustrating. Several children clustered around her, boys and girls mixed.
My 6.0 vision locked onto Cao Cao’s face. Wang Yeon and I both drew sharp breaths; only Jia Xu looked irritated that she couldn’t make out the details.
The little group brushed past us.
“Zilian, big sister will buy you candy today, so stay close.”
“Okay, big sister.”
A boy of about ten—Zilian—trotted after Cao Cao. Two girls roughly twelve and ten walked beside him. Cao Cao was clearly the leader of the pack.
“Don and Yeon… why don’t you just live at our house instead of going all the way back to Yan Province?”
“Should we, big sister?”
Hahu Don and Hahu Yeon. Two future famous generals, both girls, slipped past right under our noses. They were adorable in their own right. But the face I had just scanned—Cao Cao’s—was a genuine shock. Playful yet brilliant eyes, clean and striking features… she was already an extraordinary beauty.
Insane. She’s right at the age when looks bloom…
She scanned our party in return; her gaze lingered on me for a heartbeat before she moved on.
Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei, Zhang Sheng-level looks. She could rival Xiang Yu. In the modern world she’d be a top-tier star.
“Cao A-man has grown so pretty, Husband.”
“She has. Almost Zhang Sheng-level beauty.”
Jia Xu clicked her tongue in admiration as well.
“So that’s what Cao Cao looks like. The cunning hero said to combine the talents of Han Xin and Liu Bang…”
“Yeah. The one I have to watch most carefully. At first I even thought about living quietly under her for a while after a few moderate exploits. Of course I’d kill Sima Yi first.”
“Hohoho. Why kill her? Just bind her with an Absolute Obedience Contract the way you did me. Or kidnap her.”
“Kidnap? Not interested. And something about Sima Yi feels off—I get the sense she’ll be born male. Or maybe intersex. I got a similar feeling from the name Liu Bei. I haven’t confirmed it yet, but thinking of Liu Bang… Liu Bei might be intersex too.”
A woman with a cock did nothing for me. An Absolute Obedience Contract would still work, but I wouldn’t touch her…
Yet just the contract alone might be fine?
My thoughts swung back and forth. If Cao Cao was this beautiful, even an intersex Liu Bei would probably be stunning. My wariness toward Liu Bei had already softened a great deal.
Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei were still in Gi County for now, but we would settle in Xiangyang soon. At least until the Yellow Turban Rebellion, I was unlikely to cross paths with Liu Bei. And since I had already claimed No Sik, Liu Bei would never enjoy her patronage either. During the chaos of the Yellow Turbans she might vanish, or she might seize some other chance—but her path would certainly be rockier.
We walked deeper into the wealthy quarter until Wang Yeon stopped before a comparatively modest manor tucked into a corner. She glanced at us once, then knocked on the great gate.
A servant opened it, recognized her, and brightened at once.
“Miss Wang Yeon! It’s been so long.”
“It has, Dol-seok. Is my cousin home?”
“Yes. He heard that Lord Wang Ye would arrive today or tomorrow, so he requested leave and is staying in.”
“Cousin Wang Ye is coming?”
Wang Yeon asked in surprise. Dol-seok shook his head. One day later and the simple visit would have become complicated; Jia Xu and I exchanged amused looks.
“Hurry and take us to my cousin.”
“At once.”
Dol-seok set a brisk pace. We left our horses with another servant and followed him across the courtyard into the main residence. He knocked on the study door. A thin, sly voice answered from within.
“Who is it?”
“Dol-seok, my lord. Miss Wang Yeon has arrived with Young Master Ian.”
“What? Show them in.”
The door opened and we stepped into what was clearly his private study. Bookcases lined every wall, packed with bamboo slips and bound volumes. Wang Yun, now thirty-five, already wore the face of a middle-aged man, sparse white whiskers scattered across his chin.
“Ah… Yeon. How many years has it been? Last time was at Lord Lee Ho’s funeral…”
“Yes, Cousin. It’s good to see you. This is my son, An.”
“Greetings, Uncle.”
“Good boy. You take after your grandfather.”
Jia Xu and I clasped our hands and bowed as well. For an instant a strange light flickered in Wang Yun’s eyes, then vanished.
Lust.
Crazy old bastard. Should I just rip his cock off…
There were rumors that Diao Chan had once been Wang Yun’s concubine; they were starting to feel more plausible. The way he looked at women was pure hunger. Even while speaking with Wang Yeon his gaze kept sliding over my body—Xiang Yu’s body—and irritation rose hot in my chest.
“I received the carrier pigeon. Deng County? You’ve taken a fancy to Wang Ye’s post?”
“Yes, Cousin. When have I ever asked you for a favor before? I…”
Wang Yeon drew the house deed from her sleeve and handed it over. Wang Yun examined it, then threw back his head and laughed with open delight. The lust in his eyes dimmed; the house must have been something he truly coveted.
“And within a week the manor will be empty. The servants and maids will stay. Is that acceptable?”
“Haha. Of course I’m grateful. Receiving my old family home free of charge as payment for a recommendation is far too generous. Do you have any other requests?”
Wang Yun still possessed a shred of conscience; even as he pocketed the deed he glanced at Wang Yeon for her reaction. He put on a kindly smile, the expression of a man doing a favor, and looked at her steadily.
“I’d like to adopt a child—a pretty little girl, if you have one. And today I formally engaged Lord No Sik as my son’s tutor, so I want to hold a celebration. You’ve just selected the fourth-generation Diao Chan, haven’t you? Lend me the third-generation Diao Chan and the courtesans of the Diao Chan Pavilion. Full service, including the bed.”
I had shown such open interest in the pavilion’s girls that Wang Yeon seemed determined to drop me into a single day of pure debauchery.
“Hahaha! As it happens, we chose the fourth generation just last week. I was still deciding who should receive the third-generation virgins… take them. But is Lord No Sik a lover of women? I’ve never heard such a thing.”
Wang Yun’s face was puzzled, but not yet suspicious.
“No. My bodyguard Huang Lian is intersex. I want to reward her.”
His gaze settled on me, now tinged with irritation. The old man hadn’t been lusting after the women—he had been lusting after me alone. The moment he heard “intersex,” the desire evaporated. His eyes returned to normal. I wasn’t the only one who noticed; Jia Xu discreetly elbowed me and hid a smile behind her fan.
Definitely…
“Hmm… Huang Lian, was it? You look like a fine warrior. I’ll give you the third-generation Diao Chan. Asking for Diao Chan tells me you prefer a slender build. A few years later and she might not have matched your taste… heh heh heh.”
“Yes.”
Wang Yun nodded.
“Why, Cousin? You’re giving up the slender type?”
Why abandon something so good?
“Ugh. When I try to present the girls here in Luoyang, everyone wants the plump, soft ones. So the fourth-generation pavilion girls have all been fattened up. From the fifth generation onward we’ll need new courtesans again, so we’ll cultivate the slender look once more.”
“Hohoho. The tastes of the Central Plains…”
“Exactly what I said. Tch. How…”
“And for the child—there’s a newborn who arrived last week. Take her. A physiognomist claimed she has the destiny of a nation-toppling beauty, but… you and Aunt have given me something far greater, so one infant and the third-generation Diao Chan are nothing.”
Diao Chan! A nation-toppling beauty!
I was beginning to trust physiognomy a little. In this world the Heavenly Secrets were real, and face-reading often proved accurate. If a famous physiognomist called her a nation-toppling beauty, she would truly become one.
“Hohoho, thank you. Then I can trust the Deng County magistracy is mine?”
“You can. The woman Seop Yeong’s status is solid. When you leave, take the military officer who came up from Deng County as well. He’ll be under you anyway. He looks like an outstanding warrior—treat him with respect. You know my judgment of people is never wrong.”
“Of course. Your eye for talent is reliable, Cousin.”
Wang Yun offered the advice, then called toward the door.
“Is anyone there?”
“Yes, my lord. Mei Hong is here.”
A middle-aged maid entered and bowed.
“Fetch the young officer named Hwang Chung, and tell Cho Ryeon to come to this room. Have the third-generation courtesans go straight to the Yiga Merchant branch and prepare the banquet. Bring the infant Choa who arrived last week as well.”
The maid repeated the long list of instructions once, then bowed and withdrew.
Hwang Chung?
Hwang Chung? Insane… was Hwang Chung from Nanyang Commandery rather than Changsha? Why is she in Deng County?
“Hwang Chung? Is she that exceptional?”
Wang Yeon was surprised too, but Wang Yun was still speaking with the maid. She quickly composed her face and asked him.
“She is. That fool Wang Ye won’t last long—he failed to recognize a warrior of that caliber and treated her like a mere courier. Tch.”
“True. Cousin Wang Ye has plenty of greed but little ability.”
The two of them cheerfully tore into their distant relative while Jia Xu, my avatar, and I simply stood and watched.
Before long the door opened and a beautiful woman stepped inside.
Guo Ju Bing’s Bow Lv.6
The unique trait floated above the beauty’s head.
It’s really Hwang Chung?
“You summoned me, Imperial Censor. Hwang Chung, Cavalry Officer of Deng County, reporting.”
Cavalry Officer was barely above common soldier—modern equivalent of a non-commissioned officer or senior enlisted rank. Effectively the lowest military post in a county, lower even than a bowman. Jia Xu and Wang Yeon both turned to me with startled faces.
“Introduce yourself. Lord Munhwa here has been designated County Deputy of Deng County, and these are close friends of Lord Seop Yeong, who has been designated magistrate.”
“Yes. Greetings. I am Cavalry Officer Hwang Chung.”
A precise, respectful bow. Height around five-foot-nine. A compact, well-trained body. Classic Central Plains features, yet she was an extraordinary beauty. Tightly pressed lips spoke of a firm temperament; her head was small, her eyes slightly upturned, yet the clear light in those pupils pleased me greatly.
Knock knock.
“Enter.”
Another woman came in carrying an infant. That must be Cho Ryeon, and the child in her arms Choa—the true Diao Chan.
Crazy. Why are there so many beauties?
Cho Ryeon had a faintly mixed-blood look similar to Jia Xu’s. The baby she held… even as a newborn she already surpassed Zhou Yu’s beauty. She had more hair than most infants, and those features…
So this really is that Diao Chan.
“Good. Cho Ryeon, go stand beside Warrior Huang Lian. That will be your husband.”
“Yes…? Yes.”
Cho Ryeon’s face flushed as she approached me. Wang Yeon took the baby from her arms. Cho Ryeon immediately knelt and bowed on the spot.
“Former Diao Chan Cho Ryeon greets you. I am already twenty—somewhat old—but I beg you to accept this humble concubine.”
A faint desperation showed on her face. She clearly saw me as her escape from being sold off to some middle-aged lecher, and she clung to the chance.
“Very well. I am called Huang Lian.”
Perhaps the mission could be finished with Cho Ryeon alone. Once I bound her as a slave, the mission would clear. Hwang Chung and No Sik still remained, but I intended to finish the mission first, return to the modern world, and come back in ten days.
I missed them so badly. Hye-yun’s face kept overlapping Cho Ryeon’s.
One worry: Cho Ryeon was also of slave origin.
“Keh keh. So, Yeon, when will you leave? Luoyang is growing dangerous—best to depart soon.”
“Then tomorrow, if possible. But is it all right to take Hwang Chung?”
“It is. I’ll tell Wang Ye she escorted the new Deng County magistrate. Don’t worry—take her.”
The image of a tree that gives freely rose in my mind. The moment he learned I was intersex, his lust had died; the awkwardness vanished, and even that sly voice now sounded kindly. Hwang Chung, Diao Chan, Cho Ryeon… Wang Yun. Our first meeting had been uncomfortable, yet I had the feeling he would keep pouring out gifts in the future.
So long as he never set his sights on my women, I vowed I would spare his life at least once. With that resolve we set out for the Luoyang branch of the Yiga Merchant guild.