The Ten Attendants' Rebellion (3)
Around the time Zhang Yang made his way to Ding Yuan to place himself under the man's wing, Han Yeong — having received He Jin's letter — arrived at Luoyang at the head of his army.
"What a damn mess."
My brow furrowed almost automatically as I took in the chaos of Luoyang's streets.
After receiving He Jin's letter, I had left troops behind out of concern for the foreign tribes and Dong Zhuo's remnants and made all haste, but the uprising had apparently already erupted.
...The Emperor dying early was one thing, but the Ten Attendants' Rebellion has broken out far too soon as well.
It was still a month before the year 189, the sixth year of Zhongping. Considering that in the original history the Ten Attendants' Rebellion had broken out in September of 189, both the Emperor's death and this coup were far too early.
"Eeek!! Please, spare me!!"
"Hold still!! Hand over everything you've got!!"
"Even better if it's a woman! Gyahaha—!!"
Right before my eyes, a crowd of men was exploiting the chaos, running wild and stripping the citizens of their belongings. While the government troops were focused on suppressing the uprising at the palace, these vultures were pressing blades against defenseless commoners to line their own pockets. Left alone, the damage would only spread.
"Ma Chao. Pang De. Subdue those men. I don't care what you break."
"Got it."
"Yes, my lord."
CRACK!!
"AAAAAAGH!!"
Ma Chao and Pang De led their troops and made short work of the plunderers. Somewhere, something snapped, and agonized screams rang out through the street.
The citizens whose lives had been spared bowed to us again and again, offering their thanks.
...Now what?
With the rebellion erupting earlier than expected, my plans had been knocked askew, and I had entered Luoyang without securing the Red Hare. Even back when we drove Dong Zhuo's army out of Fufeng — as one would expect of the finest sweat-blood horse among all the famed steeds of the Three Kingdoms — the beast kept slipping free no matter how precisely I predicted its escape routes and laid my ambushes.
If it comes to a clash with Ding Yuan, I have a feeling I'll be needing that Red Hare...
Not, of course, that it would ever come to that if Ding Yuan were the loyal servant of the Han I hoped he was.
I had left the recovery of Chang'an to Fa Zheng and the containment of Dong Zhuo to Uncle Ma Teng, and hurried to Luoyang with only our own core troops. With Fa Yan, who had ties to the court ministers, having joined us, the army we brought numbered roughly thirty thousand. I hadn't been able to bring everyone — troops had to be left behind against any upheaval among the foreign tribes, who remained restless despite our policy of conciliation, and in Chang'an, which was not yet fully secured. As in the original history, I had slowed our march and combed our surroundings carefully for the Emperor's person, but he was nowhere to be found.
Is history drifting off course again?
"My lord."
When Yan Xing pointed, a body of troops emerged from that direction and barred our path.
"Who the hell are they? Soldiers of the Ten Attendants?!"
Every one of the soldiers carried better arms than our own men, their uniforms were immaculate, and they were dressed rather luxuriously. In their hands they held torches, as if intending to set something ablaze.
The man leading them had deep blond hair and sharply chiseled features — handsome enough that even I, another man, could tell — but the venomously twisted expression he wore toward total strangers marked him as having a truly foul temper. Scowling with his whole face, he jabbed a finger at us.
"...The hell? Who's that bastard?"
Ma Chao, returning from subduing the thugs, voiced her displeasure at the man pointing at us out of nowhere.
"I asked who you are!! I am the General of the Household Rapid as Tigers of the Han dynasty. Answer my question at once!!"
Between his office and his arrogant manner, I had a fair guess as to this man's identity, but for now I offered a cupped-fist salute.
"I am Han Yeong, General Who Pacifies the West. We have come in response to the summons of Grand General He Jin."
"...What? Country bumpkins from Liang Province? Hmph! The likes of you would be no help whatsoever, so get lost already. You're making the capital stink of horse dung."
At the crude slur on our homeland and standing, the officers and men behind him snickered and jeered at us. Naturally, our soldiers, insulted to their faces, wore black expressions, and I, too, found myself thoroughly displeased.
So it really is that guy I thought it was...
Yet the man paid our reaction not the slightest heed, spewing one insolent remark after another as if determined to provoke us.
"You came running to carve out a place for yourselves in the capital, did you...? We have no need for help from the likes of you!! Now get lost!!"
"Why, you little—"
Ma Chao, her fury plain to see, hefted her spear and started toward the man spewing abuse.
"That's enough, Yuan Shu."
A beauty with hair of deep navy like the night sky and crimson eyes appeared leading a column of troops, cutting short the man's insolence.
Yuan Shu's brow knitted at the sight of her.
"...You, the daughter of a eunuch's house!! How dare you presume to lecture me?!"
"...The Grand General is dead. This is hardly the time to be idling about here, is it?"
Despite the arrogant man's demeanor and insolent tongue, the woman spoke with calm intelligence, laying out the situation coolly.
...As I thought — He Jin is already dead.
From their exchange, I could piece together roughly what had happened.
"Tch. Someone as noble as I has no business dealing with frontier trash. All of you, we move."
"But that bastard—!!"
I clapped a hand over Ma Chao's mouth before the foul words could burst out. Luoyang was in chaos enough as it was, and a military clash would gain us nothing.
And besides, touching that bastard would be nothing but a hassle.
A bastard who struts around on the strength of a family that produced Three Excellencies for four generations running.
The fool who will one day declare himself emperor, get branded a traitor by every lord around him, and be brought down for it. There's no sense wasting strength on a bastard who's going to self-destruct anyway.
"Back to the palace!! I must accomplish a feat greater than that icy woman's—!!"
With that, Yuan Shu led his troops off toward the imperial palace.
"Seriously, how does a bastard like that even exist?!"
"Arrogant, and narrow-minded to a fault."
The moment Yuan Shu was gone, Ma Chao and Pang De unleashed a torrent of curses and vitriol, and even Yan Xing's gaze after him was anything but kind. His eyes promised that one word from me and he'd cut the man down on the spot.
But while the man's character was utter garbage, his family's name still bought him the support of the powerful clans and renowned scholars around him. Until he walked into ruin of his own accord, the risk of touching him was too great.
"We leave that one alone for now. Let's see to the people first."
With He Jin dead, the Ten Attendants had surely already snatched up the Emperor and fled. Even a pursuit at full speed would be too late to catch them now — better to soothe the people's hearts.
At my order, Ma Chao and Pang De each led their troops onward, finishing the subjugation of the rabble running amok through Luoyang while shielding the citizens. As for me, it was about time to prepare for an audience at the court...
"..."
But even after Yuan Shu's departure, the navy-haired woman kept sending glances my way — distractingly often.
"...Is there something you wished to say to me?"
Yuan Shu had plainly called the woman a child of a eunuch's house. Add to that how familiar the two of them had seemed with each other, and I had a fair idea of who she was.
The woman who had kept such a cool face while dealing with the Yuan clan's thug broke into a bright smile.
"Ah, my apologies. I was simply interested in you, personally."
Interested?
What on earth had I done to catch the eye of that famous talent-hunter?
"Ah — forgive my late introduction. I am Cao Cao; my courtesy name is Mengde."
One of the two great protagonists of the Three Kingdoms alongside Liu Bei, as anyone would concede — and a member of the Drunkards' Club.
In this era she would be serving as Colonel of the Vanguard among the Eight Colonels of the Western Garden. As one of He Jin's closest confidants, I'd expected to cross paths with her eventually — I just never imagined she would take an interest in me.
"...I am Han Yeong, General Who Pacifies the West. My courtesy name is Baeryeom. But why, may I ask, do you take an interest in me?"
"To me, Dong Zhuo was one of the warlords who demanded real vigilance. Yet you drove him into Anding Commandery and have risen anew as the master of Yong Province. Surely it is only natural to be curious about the warlord who managed such a thing?"
Cao Cao studied me with eyes brimming with curiosity.
Ah. Fair enough.
Even in the original history, when He Jin spoke of summoning Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao had voiced grave misgivings — going so far as to call it inviting a tiger in to drive out the foxes. And I had crushed that very Dong Zhuo and become a warlord spanning Liang and Yong Provinces. Of course she'd be interested...
It made sense, too, coming from the woman who in the Three Kingdoms had tried so hard to win over Liu Bei and Guan Yu. Though honestly, even if she looked me over, I wasn't anything all that remarkable, was I?
Truthfully, I was curious how she'd rate me, so I asked point-blank, no games.
"And your impression?"
"...You're interesting."
Interesting? Is there something funny about my face?
Watching me stand there dumbfounded, unable to parse the meaning behind her evasive answer, Cao Cao's lips curved in a faint smile.
"Well then, I have pressing business of my own, so I shall withdraw. Until next time, General Who Pacifies the West."
With that, Cao Cao led her soldiers back toward the palace.
Am I supposed to be pleased about this? Or not?
As a longtime fan of the Three Kingdoms, some part of me felt an odd swell of pride at drawing the interest of Cao Cao, one of its very protagonists — but when I thought of the deeds she would go on to commit, a quiet unease gnawed at me all the same.
"What is with that woman...?"
Ma Chao frowned at the sight of Cao Cao's retreating figure, perhaps instinctively sensing that the woman was poison for her particular temperament.
"...For now, let's finish clearing the streets, then head to the palace for an audience with His Majesty."
We set about restoring order around us, to settle the hearts of the people.