Important Tales Are Always Born in Taverns
The scent of alcohol hit me like a wave as Xi Zhicai slapped my shoulder again and again.
“So during the day you run a merchant guild, and at night you haunt the pleasure houses? Hahaha! They even call you ‘Chief Merchant’ by day and ‘Chief Host’ by night. What a versatile heroine you are! I’m genuinely impressed!”
Even people who claim to know the Romance of the Three Kingdoms well usually have no idea who Xi Zhicai was.
That was understandable. The official histories only recorded three brief lines about him: “Recommended by Xun Yu,” “Talented, but died young,” and “Cao Cao later lamented the loss of Xi Zhicai’s talent and favored Guo Jia as his successor.” That was all.
Still, if Xun Yu had recommended him, Cao Cao had acknowledged him, and even after his death Cao Cao regretted losing him, he must have possessed considerable ability.
Even if it was a little rude, I decided it was worth speaking with him once.
“Master Xi, since I am currently responsible for guarding my uncle, perhaps we can speak properly another time when you are free.”
“Ehh~ Why go through all that trouble? We can just talk right here.”
“Pardon?”
“Your name was Wen Lie, wasn’t it? Your comrade who came to Yan Province with you is here too.”
At that moment, Xu Shu stepped out from behind us.
“Ah, Brother Yuan Zhi?”
“I wondered who it was. So it’s Wen Lie?”
Xu Shu had emerged in a daze, but the moment he saw me he rushed over. He reeked of alcohol and women’s perfume, and his hands were trembling noticeably.
The same hero who had cut down the Yangtze River pirates without batting an eye and rampaged through an army of Tao Qian’s soldiers ten times larger than his own—was actually shaking?
“It’s truly fortunate that you came.”
Xu Shu whispered so only I could hear.
“What’s the matter?”
“They asked me to seek instruction, then immediately dragged me into a room full of wine and courtesans and told me to enjoy myself. I really don’t like places like this.”
Ah… so Xu Shu was that kind of person.
There were characters like that. Men of incredible ability who remained composed in every situation, yet became completely helpless the moment a woman appeared.
“Wen Lie, I think I may have come to Yan Province by mistake.”
“What are you saying…”
“Thanks to you I’ve met many learned and upright scholars from Yingchuan, that much is true. But the literati here are far too decadent.”
At that moment, Xi Zhicai suddenly spoke to the courtesans.
“Girls, go prepare another jar of wine. I must pay my respects to our lord for a moment.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“You two, follow me.”
“Master Xi, I am on duty guarding my lord, so I cannot drink.”
“Ah, then I’ll drink alone. Just come along. We can sit in a room near where our lord is, can’t we?”
Xi Zhicai, apparently accustomed to such situations, staggered drunkenly yet still led us into the inner courtyard where Cao Cao had gone.
A short while later he came back out and pointed toward a separate building.
“Our lord has granted us some time. Come in.”
I glanced at Xi Zhicai, then entered the side building together with Xu Shu. Since I couldn’t drink, tea would have to do.
“My lord, I will prepare the tea,” Huayan whispered softly from behind me. I nodded, letting her handle it, and followed Xi Zhicai inside.
In a small room near the one where Cao Cao was staying, Xi Zhicai had a drinking table set up and was frolicking with a courtesan on his lap.
“My lord, this is embarrassing…”
“Hahaha, it’s fine. Those two aren’t interested in women, so I didn’t invite any for them. I might as well enjoy myself alone.”
Xu Shu looked utterly disgusted and refused to sit with the courtesan. I simply drank my tea. Meanwhile, Xi Zhicai had already called over another girl, sat her on his knee, and was freely groping her.
Right in front of us, his hand slipped inside the half-undressed courtesan’s clothes and kneaded her breast. When she shivered, his hand slowly traveled lower, stroking her belly before wrapping his arm around her waist entirely.
“Master Xi, you didn’t call us in here just to show us this, did you?”
“Can I leave now?”
Xu Shu, clearly irritated, looked ready to storm out.
“Oho, such fiery tempers. Fine, I’ll get straight to the point.”
Xi Zhicai chewed noisily on the honey pastry the courtesan had fed him by hand and finally began speaking in earnest—spitting crumbs everywhere as he did so.
“First question. Who is the true master of this land of Yan Province where you now stand?”
“Is that not my uncle, Lord Mengde?”
“Correct. But who decided that?”
“Was it not by imperial decree from His Majesty the Emperor?”
When Xu Shu answered, Xi Zhicai clicked his tongue and wagged his finger. I understood the answer and spoke up.
“After the previous Inspector Liu Dai died, the powerful clans of Yan Province elected my uncle—who had returned after the anti-Dong Zhuo coalition—as their leader, correct?”
“Oho, you really know your stuff. As expected of someone from the same clan.”
“But why are you asking this?”
“Now we come to the important part. The Yan Province clans may have chosen our lord, but honestly, there weren’t any renowned talents here. At best, you had the old man Bian Yang or Chen Gong.”
Familiar names. Bian Yang was a Yan Province native and a respected elder whom the local scholars followed. Chen Gong was also from Yan Province, a famous strategist.
Later in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he would raise troops alongside Lu Bu.
“That’s why scholars from Yingchuan in Yu Province—including myself—came to Yan Province. So right now, this place is a three-way alliance between our lord’s relatives, the original Yan Province clans, and us Yingchuan newcomers. You’re part of that too, of course.”
“M-me?”
“You said you were from Yingchuan too, didn’t you, Xu Wen Lie?”
“That’s true, but I’m only a guest…”
Even though he was heavily drunk, Xi Zhicai explained the current situation of Cao Cao’s forces with astonishing clarity.
“So the factions within Yan Province are the Yu Province and Yingchuan scholars our lord brought, the local Yan Province clans, and our lord’s blood relatives—the Cao and Xiahou clans. That is our army. Now, the next question. Who is the ally that helps us the most?”
“Would that not be Yuan Shao in Ji Province?”
“Oho! Talking to you two is actually worth it! Hahaha!”
Xi Zhicai laughed loudly and slapped the courtesan’s rear. She immediately refilled his empty cup, and he drained it in one gulp.
“Your name was Xu Shu, right? Are you in the mood to listen now?”
“Yes. If it’s a discussion like this, I’ll listen as much as you like.”
Xu Shu still disapproved of Xi Zhicai’s behavior with the courtesan, but he showed intense interest once the conversation turned to the state of the world and the situation in Yan Province.
“Yuan Shao in Ji Province, our lord in Yan Province, and Liu Biao down in Jing Province. A vertical alliance stretching from top to bottom!”
Yuan Shao—Cao Cao—Liu Biao.
Among the thirteen provinces of the Han, the lords of Ji, Yan, and Jing Provinces had joined hands vertically.
“However, the world is not only divided vertically. It is also divided horizontally. To the west you have the Black Mountain bandit chief Zhang Yan. To his east, Gongsun Zan of You Province. And further down, the man we must crush—Tao Qian of Xu Province.”
If we formed a vertical line, our enemies had formed a horizontal one.
“Do you know who stands behind them?”
“Hmm, I truly have no idea. Wen Lie, do you know?”
“Roughly, yes.”
The most powerful force at present was Yuan Shao, who controlled Ji Province. Next were the remnants of Dong Zhuo’s faction—Li Jue and Guo Si—who had united in Yong Province.
“It would be the person who hates Yuan Shao the most. And someone whose name is as well-known as Yuan Shao’s.”
“Correct. It’s Yuan Shu. Along with the remnants of the warlords from Yang Province under his command.”
Horizontally: Zhang Yan—Gongsun Zan—Tao Qian—Yuan Shu.
Versus
Vertically: Yuan Shao—Cao Cao—Liu Biao.
That was the current structure.
“If it’s Yuan Shu, I heard he is Yuan Shao’s younger brother?”
At Xu Shu’s question, Xi Zhicai once again clicked his tongue and wagged his finger.
“They are only considered brothers on the family register.”
“Then they are not?”
“Just because they share the same father doesn’t mean they share the same blood, does it? What matters is whose womb that father borrowed to plant his seed.”
“What…?”
When Xu Shu’s face showed he still didn’t understand, I quietly explained it to him.
“Yuan Shu is the son of the principal wife, while Yuan Shao is the son of a concubine.”
“Ah, so they are half-brothers?”
“They may be half-brothers in name, but there are even rumors that he is the child of a lowly slave. To each other, they must be thorns in the eye.”
“Good heavens. How could such people have become the leader and deputy leader of the anti-Dong Zhuo coalition? At the time I also wanted to volunteer to catch the traitor…”
“Originally, when there is a common enemy, no matter how bad their relationship is, people will join hands for the time being.”
Clang!
“!?”
Xi Zhicai suddenly struck the table with his chopsticks and pointed them at me.
“‘Wu and Yue in the same boat’—exactly that!”
“Indeed.”
“Of course, our lord truly rose up with righteous indignation to capture the traitor Dong Zhuo. He led ten thousand troops in pursuit all the way to the end, only withdrawing when he had no choice.”
“That’s right. My uncle chased Dong Zhuo’s army all the way to Chang’an by himself.”
“That is why I serve our lord. Hahaha!”
At that moment the courtesan poured the last of the wine from the pot and whispered softly.
“My lord, the wine is finished. I will go fetch more.”
“You adorable thing. Go ahead.”
As the courtesan rose quietly and bowed, Xi Zhicai still managed to grope and slap her plump rear several times on her way out.
Xi Zhicai may have a brilliant mind, but his conduct is rather…
Still, unlike before, Xu Shu’s eyes were now sparkling. He clasped his hands together toward Xi Zhicai.
“Master Xi, I have learned a great deal today. Thank you for teaching me about the state of the world.”
“Hahaha, if you want to hear more from me, you’ll have to visit the drinking table often, Yuan Zhi.”
“That’s a bit… If it must be, then at least somewhere without courtesans.”
“What a waste not to understand such pleasures. If that’s how you feel, go learn from Xun Wenruo (Xun Yu).”
“From Lord Xun… Yes, I should visit him often as well.”
Xi Zhicai stroked his plump belly with a satisfied expression as he waited for more wine.
Then the door opened. But instead of the courtesan, the person who entered was…
“Did everyone enjoy themselves?”
“Ah, Uncle!”
“Oh? My lord?”
It was not the courtesan. It was Cao Cao.
The moment he saw Cao Cao, the slouching Xi Zhicai immediately straightened up and bowed low. Xu Shu and I also offered our greetings.
“Zhicai, I hear you’ve been drinking bowl after bowl again today?”
“Even so, I have told these two friends many useful things in this place.”
“Is that so? What did you speak of?”
“We heard about our allies and our enemies.”
“Hmmm~”
At my answer, Cao Cao stroked his beard and nodded.
“Then continue the discussion.”
Having said only that, Cao Cao immediately left. Soon after, laughter and the sound of splendid music flowed from the inner courtyard. That night Cao Cao drank himself into a stupor and embraced several women. The entire room was thick with the scent of perfume as I supported him on the way home.
When we finally arrived home at dawn and I helped Cao Cao inside, the children were all asleep. Only Lady Ding waited alone.
“Hic— Wife, why are you still awake waiting?”
“How could I enter the bedchamber when my husband has not yet returned?”
“You should have just rested~ I came back late today~”
“…”
Scary. Truly terrifying.
Even while barely supported by me, Cao Cao kept giggling in front of his wife. The more he did so, the deeper Lady Ding’s frown became and the narrower her eyes grew.
“A-Aunt. I will escort Uncle to the inner chamber.”
“No need. I will take him.”
With heavy sighs, Lady Ding grabbed Cao Cao’s arm and simply dragged him away. In this household, Lady Ding was by far the most frightening.
Once Cao Cao had been taken into the bedchamber, I washed up roughly and finally ended my day’s duties.
It was clear that something was about to happen—whether it was the matter between Lady Ding and Cao Cao inside the household, or the conflict between Cao Cao of Yan Province and Tao Qian of Xu Province outside.