Bargaining for the Patriarch
Ten days after Jeong Lip was appointed magistrate of Hyeon County, I set off for Xuzhou to escort Elder Jo Sung and his household back home.
"Are you nervous?"
The one who asked if I was tense was Yi Jeon, who was just eleven years old. For reference, I had been fifteen when I first mobilized to meet Jojo. That made Yi Jeon four years ahead of me in leaving his mark on history.
"Yeah. No matter how you look at it, it's a death trap, isn't it?"
Even if his brilliance was overshadowed by greed, the man we were dealing with was Tao Qian, one of the true warlords. His influence didn't stop at Xuzhou—it extended across Yanzhou, Yuzhou, and even Yang Province. In other words, he wielded more power than the lands Jojo governed.
"There's a saying that even in war, envoys aren't killed. And with no clouds of war yet between our two forces, you don't need to worry too much."
"Now I see why your uncle asked to include you in the delegation."
Yi Jeon's uncle, Yi Geon, had been with Jojo since his days as the commandant of the Eastern Army. It had been hard to refuse the request to add Yi Jeon to the envoy party. I'd felt uneasy about the favor at the time, but seeing how sharply he cut to the chase, it had been the right call.
"I hope it ends with words."
"And we've prepared contingencies just in case. Even if it goes south, we'll be fine."
If negotiations failed, the escort would whisk away the people and minimal valuables as a fallback. To fool Tao Qian, we'd even brought decoys posing as members of the Jo and Jang clans. Still, it was a choice no one wanted—leaving behind assets and risking the return journey. With success odds at fifty-fifty, all we could do was pray the coin landed heads up.
Before paying respects to Inspector Tao Qian of Xuzhou, I first sought out Jo Gong, the law clerk. He had been my ally in securing twenty thousand seok of grain from Tao Qian under the pretext of the anti-Dong Zhuo coalition. I'd slipped him a thousand seok from that haul as a "service fee," of course.
"What brings the Yanzhou relief officer to this humble abode? Surely another generous request like last time?"
Jo Gong, waiting in a rundown teahouse, asked bluntly. I started the conversation with the same servile smile as before.
"What I have to say is for your ears alone, Law Clerk. Why would I waste your time on trifles? This time, the Yanzhou Inspector wishes to bring Elder Jo Sung, the former Grand Commandant, to Yanzhou."
Jo Gong scowled at my words. Mentioning hostages was rude anywhere, anytime. Fortunately, he remembered the fat cut he'd gotten last time and heard me out.
"You're not expecting to pull that off with empty words, are you? There needs to be both justification and profit."
"Yanzhou and Xuzhou may fight as allies bound together, but not out of personal grudges. If we show we won't seek each other's destruction, it guarantees safety even if things go wrong."
I wove in the justification Guo Jia had suggested. What came next was too profitable to refuse.
"And since the Elder has lived safely in Xuzhou all this time, as a token of gratitude, we'll offer one tenth of his assets to the Inspector."
Jo Gong's eyes wavered sharply. Jo Sung's wealth ranked among the top ten in the realm. One tenth was more than enough profit.
"One tenth feels a bit light. What about two?"
"If we can bring escorts from Yanzhou, up to one and a half tenths is possible."
"The number of escorts can't be too high."
"Would three hundred be appropriate?"
I'd prepared two hundred, but asked for three hundred on purpose. In negotiations, you always start high.
"If you confirm one and a half tenths..."
"...Understood. We'll make it one and a half tenths."
Even then, Jo Gong was eyeing more. One and a half was borderline; I'd have to talk Elder Jo Sung into it. Once I committed to one and a half, Jo Gong finally smiled and approved the escorts.
"And if you oversee the transfer of assets to the Inspector, it'll put my mind at ease. With dozens of carts of goods, no one would notice a few going missing."
"That's work for the Xuzhou relief officer or the separate carriage officer."
After showing him how to skim a share, Jo Gong pulled down his rising smirk and feigned propriety. But his eyes screamed he was already planning a big haul.
"I can't trust anyone else. Only with your esteemed reputation will the Inspector feel secure."
With more gilding and insistence, Jo Gong reluctantly agreed. Now it was time to leverage his help to persuade Tao Qian.
A few days later, I paid respects to Tao Qian. Yi Jeon was with me. When I said I was from the Prime Minister's office, they let us in without fuss.
"The Yanzhou Prime Minister's relief officer pays respects to the Xuzhou Inspector, Your Excellency."
Thanks to Jo Gong's prior groundwork, Tao Qian didn't look displeased. His edge had dulled with age, but his accumulated dignity remained.
"Relief officer at such a young age—impressive. The commandant post must not have satisfied you before."
Tao Qian laced his compliment with a barb. I deftly picked out the bone and tossed it back.
"I went to Yanzhou not because the post lacked appeal, but because I lacked confidence to squeeze into Your Excellency's domain in Xuzhou. With talents shining like the Milky Way, please overlook it."
"That flatters me. So, you wish to take the former Grand Commandant to Yanzhou?"
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Tao Qian clicked his tongue.
"It's a loss for Xuzhou, but Jojo's filial piety is so profound I can't stand in the way."
"We are grateful for Your Excellency's generosity."
Tao Qian feigned regret, but greed flickered in his eyes. I seized the moment with my prepared offer.
"If Your Excellency's wise decision is proclaimed to the realm, it will elevate your honor."
I wanted the agreement out of backrooms. What good is a pact without proof against betrayal? By invoking reputation, I nudged him toward a public gentleman's agreement.
"Gongsun Zan of You Province won't like the White Horse General being upstaged."
Tao Qian pondered deeply. My offer gave not just wealth, but justification—perfect. But his inner greed, craving all the assets, needed time on the scale.
"A word, Your Excellency."
As Tao Qian's deliberation dragged, Jo Gong whispered. He needed Tao Qian to accept for his own cut.
"I accept the proposal. But what of the escort troops?"
"If possible, I'd like to bring guards from Yanzhou. No more than three hundred, and they won't cause any trouble in Xuzhou."
"Bringing outside forces into Xuzhou."
I hadn't mentioned real compensation yet, so his reluctance was natural.
"If you permit it, the Elder will offer one and a half tenths of his assets to Your Excellency."
Refusing now meant losing a fortune's worth. Even if enemy troops—the Langya forces from Xuzhou's outskirts—intruded, it was manageable.
"And there's compensation from Yanzhou as well."
To smother his concerns with greed, I played another card. At my signal, Yi Jeon brought a gold-inlaid wooden box.
"And this is a personal courtesy from the Yanzhou Inspector."
Inside was carved white jade. A five-inch piece masterfully shaped into interlocking orbs, with dragons and phoenixes intricately engraved on the surfaces. It was breathtaking enough to stop breathers in their tracks.
"Shall we proclaim it today?"
Tao Qian accepted immediately after fondling the jade. Even I, familiar with modern wonders, was stunned. He couldn't refuse such a treasure.
"Phew~."
Tension released, I exhaled deeply leaving the office. Tao Qian could have taken offense, denied it, or had me bound.
"Officer, why say the white jade was from the Yanzhou Inspector, not the Elder's asset?"
Yi Jeon confirmed we were alone and asked quietly. The jade gifted to Tao Qian had been Jo Sung's treasure, not Jojo's. Claiming it as Jojo's courtesy instead of Jo Sung's property naturally piqued his curiosity.
Yeah. This kid will be a pillar of the faction someday.
Mentally frayed, I almost brushed it off, then stopped. Better to satisfy his curiosity since he'd rise high.
"One: Calling it an asset might stoke the Inspector's greed to harm the Elder and swallow everything. Even if not, he'd demand more.
I folded a second finger and continued. "Two: This is a negotiation between the Yanzhou and Xuzhou Inspectors, not the Elder. A little deception is essential for leverage."
Yi Jeon's curiosity sated, his eyes sparkled as he nodded.
"Then let me ask: Do you think the Inspector will honor the agreement?"
"He'll proclaim it publicly, so outwardly, yes."
Yi Jeon reached the same conclusion. I probed further.
"Why?"
"One: He couldn't fully hide his greed for wealth. Two: He wants honor too. So he'll likely disguise bandits to ambush the escort."
Perfect answer. I ruffled his hair.
"Let's go. We need to send word to Yanzhou."
The generals and troops were stationed at Taishan; a letter would bring them to Langya in five days.
Two days after confirming Tao Qian's proclamation and dispatching the letter to Taishan, Yi Jeon and I returned to my clan home.
"Relief officer, my foot—you're nothing but a thief!"
"Aigoo, Elder. We had no choice."
When I told Elder Jo Sung we had to give one and a half tenths to Tao Qian, he smacked my cheek. Jo Deok, Jojo's brother, intervened, and since the Elder knew it was necessary, the scolding ended quickly.
"Let's go inside first."
As the Elder tsked and entered, I picked up my son and followed. My son, pitying my slap, had red-rimmed eyes.
"Don't do it again."
"This was lucky to end here. Aah, enough—let go. (I know, I know, let go.)"
Seo Yeon stretched my cheeks since I hadn't promised. Only when I agreed did she release them.
What can you do? Both the Elder and I needed the performance.
This show of anger and punishment would minimize backlash later. Intent aside, I'd "embezzled" an extra half tenth. Honestly, the Elder's palm barely hurt.
"You've been through so much."
My wife caressed my dark circles, asking. She hadn't voiced worry, but with eyes and ears, she knew. My three years rolling in battlefields, buried in paperwork.
"I'm alive now. Limbs intact. Wife and children safe, clan secure. What's a little fatigue?"
Resting in her arms with son in mine, this was the future I'd wanted. Early nervous breakdown and new scars were the only flaws.
"What about what you said before parting? Has the situation improved?"
"I don't know. I thought not, but maybe it's truly exhaust human effort and await heaven's mandate."
I hadn't expected Dong Zhuo after crushing the Ten Attendants. But cleanly averting the Yeo Baek-sa incident left the "right" path unclear.
"Rest for now."
My wife sealed my lips with hers, granting peace. The short nap, less than half a shichen, was my first deep sleep in ages.