A Farewell Feast and the Promise to Mengde
I was making my own preparations for the chaotic era I believed would almost inevitably descend in the future, all while congratulating the newly promoted Colonel. The thing I focused on most wasn't raising troops or anything so obvious. It was gathering talent.
If I started mustering soldiers just because I knew a turbulent age was coming, the Han Dynasty's centralized power structure—where all authority flowed from the emperor—would brand even someone from a family of the Four Generations of Three Dukes as a traitor. No matter how prestigious the Yuan name was, it still shrank before the imperial house. Well, maybe once the country had been flipped upside down and the court's authority had dimmed to the glow of a firefly, things would be different... but for now, the smartest move was recruiting people whose future greatness was practically guaranteed. In this era, keeping retainers was standard practice for any decent noble house. If a young, powerful scion like me wanted to meet people and make friends, who would dare complain? Especially when that scion belonged to the Yuan family, the very pinnacle of prestigious clans.
That's why, even if I couldn't openly recruit soldiers yet, I was aggressively pulling in talented people. Despite China's vast territory and its hopelessly chaotic public security, I'd managed to land some pretty decent recruits. Ma Teng, Pang De, Yan Xing, and Gao Shun were perfect examples. Sure, luck had played a part, but still. Of course, there were plenty of failures too.
"...So you're telling me you ran into a leopard on the way and barely escaped with your life?"
"I-I'm sorry! But when my life was hanging by a thread and a wild beast appeared right in front of me, I just couldn't go any further...!"
"It's fine, it's fine. The fact that you managed to run away at all is impressive. How could I blame you for running into a leopard face-to-face? Go collect your compensation and get some rest."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Traveling long distances across ancient China to find people wasn't easy. The roads were poorly maintained, security was nonexistent, and the land itself was a mess. To make things worse, this version of China was slightly different from the one I remembered—terrain, environment, all of it. And it wasn't just regular wild animals. This world had monstrous creatures straight out of fantasy, beasts with absurd strength that defied the natural order. Just look at my three human weapons—Richard, Xiang Yu, and Choe Jun-gyeong. They already transcended normal humanity.
So even when things didn't work out, I didn't get too upset. Besides, I'd already gathered enough reliable talent that I didn't need to sweat the small stuff. Every single general serving under me was a monster who could chew through ordinary soldiers like snacks. At the top of that list were my three aces: Richard, Xiang Yu, and Choe Jun-gyeong.
The only real weakness was that I was short on brains. Still, with my family name, I figured I could find good advisors whenever I wanted, so I didn't worry about it too much. With a lineup of warriors like mine, it didn't feel like I'd lose unless the situation was exceptionally bad. Most brilliant strategists came from powerful clans anyway, and the Yuans sat at the very top of that food chain. If I activated the noble network at the right time, something useful would surely come of it.
With all that in mind, I focused on the immediate task at hand: throwing a farewell banquet for Yuan Shao and Cao Cao before my sister left. The date had already been set, and I'd prepared everything well in advance, so there were no issues. The schedule was perfectly arranged.
That evening, a splendid feast decorated my entire residence. Quite a few guests arrived. My retainers showed up, along with Cao Cao's friends. At the head table sat Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and myself. Since I'd organized the event and didn't want to make it overly extravagant, it also served to clearly honor the guests of the occasion.
Exotic delicacies and fine wines flowed without end. In the middle of it all, Cao Cao and I laughed heartily while enjoying ourselves. Yuan Shao sat with a gentle smile, quietly savoring the atmosphere.
"My dear sister, you're the star of this banquet yet you're being far too quiet! Come, allow this little brother to pour you a drink!"
"Hehe... Thank you, Gonglu."
When I thought about it, to Yuan Shao, I was nothing less than the savior of her entire life. Born as a daughter of a lowly concubine—lower even than a legitimate son of a concubine—she had inherited half the blood of a prestigious family yet received none of the respect. But I didn't care about any of that. I had pushed my way in, the legitimate heir of another branch of the great Yuan clan, and treated her as true family. Even her own father had refused to acknowledge her, but I alone had recognized her from the very beginning and treated her as genuine Yuan blood, as my own sister.
Thanks to me, Yuan Shao now lived a life far beyond what any child of a concubine could dream of. She received treatment and respect she could never have imagined before.
All of this abundance in my life is because of you, Shu.
Yuan Shao smiled as she downed the cup I had poured for her in one go. The smile on her lips deepened. The poisonous ambition she had once harbored to overcome her status as a concubine's daughter was nowhere to be seen here. But something even deeper and more intense burned in its place...
I've incurred a debt to you that I could never repay even if I gave my entire life. So I will devote my whole existence to repaying what I owe you. Even if the world calls you a traitor, I will stand by your side and tell you that you are right. I want to become that kind of woman for you.
All of it was directed solely toward me. What she carried in her heart now was pure affection and devotion toward me... and that might prove even more persistent than the venom she was supposed to have possessed.
Of course, Yuan Shao always faced the world with a soft smile and perfect composure, so unless someone was watching her with extreme attention, they would never notice a thing.
"Hmm... Benchu, this girl...?"
Cao Cao, who sat at the head table with the Yuan siblings thanks to my consideration and was thoroughly enjoying the banquet, seemed to pick up on something.
Maybe I imagined it...
This wasn't the keen insight of the all-talented Cao Cao, who would one day rise to become King of Wei. No, this came from the instincts of Cao Aman—the woman born with an intensely perverted preference for married men. Or rather, since she was a woman here, a married-man killer.
It might sound a bit pathetic, but what could I do? That was just who Cao Cao was. Back when she was even younger, she had seduced a married man, lured him to a deserted mountain, and buried him up to his neck. Her family's bloodline was simply strange. Her father, Cao Song, had liked unusually large women. He took one as a concubine, and when he died in Xu Province, he tried to flee with her. Because of her size they were caught and killed together. He must have loved her a lot. Even Cao Cao's son Cao Pi supposedly preferred older women. This hereditary kink really didn't need to be passed down...
"Hey, Mengde! When I get promoted later, you better throw me a party this awesome too, got it?"
"Pwahaha! Don't worry, Aman! Who else but me would celebrate your promotion this enthusiastically? Hahahaha!"
Anyway, the drinking party was incredibly warm and harmonious. Whatever the future held, the three of us were closer than anyone else right now. Our hearts matched perfectly too. Of course, I'd only invited Cao Cao's friends, my own acquaintances, and people who were somewhat close to Yuan Shao precisely to keep the atmosphere pleasant and prevent anyone from ruining it.
Still, since I was the one footing the bill for this feast, not many people had the guts to cause trouble. Only high officials, the Ten Attendants, the Grand General, or the Emperor himself would dare—and there weren't many of those here.
"Everyone else is desperate to come to the capital, but someone like me is actually more envious of a position like my sister's. Trying to serve in Luoyang just feels suffocating."
"Hehe, given your free-spirited personality, I suppose that makes sense."
"Heh, then to return to the capital, you'll need at least a general's position, right Gonglu? You always said military posts suit you better."
"Ugh, paperwork, those political battles that only the clever civil officials enjoy... No way. I could never handle a civil post. But to get a general's rank, I'll need to build up quite a few military achievements out in the provinces, huh? Hahaha!"
"If I'm going to help keep our Gonglu from suffering injustice in the capital, I need to get promoted quickly and match your level. But with your ability, piling up military merits should be easy, right? Your reputation as Colonel of the Army is already impressive!"
"Catching some small fry doesn't mean much. It's all empty fame... Still, if you're willing to help protect me, I'd really appreciate it!"
"To not fall behind my proud younger brother, I too must work harder. As his older sister, I should at least be able to support him."
"If my sister does that for me, I'll feel completely reassured!"
The banquet was enjoyable, but since Yuan Shao would soon be leaving, we didn't drag it out too late. I wrapped things up cleanly. After all, it wasn't like we would never see each other again.
"Next time... we'll meet in Luoyang, I suppose? Anyway, let's share another drink when we meet again, sister?"
"Hehe, sounds good. When that time comes... it might be nice to drink just the two of us, cozy and intimate."
"Haha! That sounds great too!"
The next day, after seeing Yuan Shao off, I returned to focusing on my duties as Colonel of the Army. My generals were all competent, so there wasn't much for me to do directly. But the time was approaching when I would need to think seriously about my next official position.
That's why I thought nothing major would happen for a while...
...But of course, something happened.
"Uh... so what exactly did Mengde do?"
It seemed the time had already come to fulfill the promise I'd made to Cao Cao during that drinking party not long ago.