The Cleanup Is My Responsibility
Cao Cao welcomed Lady Du late that night, along with a lavish spread of wine and food.
Lady Du was truly a bewitching woman who could melt any man’s heart.
She had begun as a trembling captive, terrified of her fate, but the moment she sensed Cao Cao’s interest she turned her fear into seduction without hesitation.
“Chancellor, I have a request. Please take both me and my son under your protection.”
“Haha, we’ve only just met. Must you plead so earnestly?”
“My husband was from the Zhen clan in Bing Province, yet years ago he abandoned us to start a new family with the sister of the late Prince of Zhen, a member of the imperial house. With no other way to feed my child, I became little more than a companion to Lady Yan, Lu Bu’s wife.”
“My, what a cruel fate you’ve endured.”
I stood outside the room and had to stifle a laugh.
This was prime-tier human drama, the kind that stabbed straight into the soft spot in Cao Cao’s heart labeled “savior complex.” We had taken Xiapi only yesterday, yet I was already witnessing every kind of spectacle.
“I wish to serve a hero like you, Chancellor. When you return to the capital, please do not forget this humble woman.”
“Hahaha, you really have no shame at all, do you?”
The longer I listened to Cao Cao’s “rescue the widowed mother” saga, the harder it became to keep a straight face.
That was when his voice called out.
“Zayul, are you out there?”
“Yes, Uncle.”
“There’s no need to stand guard in the corridor. Come inside and rest.”
“I’m fine where I am.”
As I answered, footsteps approached from down the hallway.
“You should obey the lord’s wishes.”
“Ah, Master Gongda.”
It was Xun You.
“While the lord rests here, Zhongde and I will remain inside the government offices of Xiapi. You should retire as well.”
“But…”
“Haven’t you done enough today? You charged in with a spear and personally captured an enemy general. We’ll be buried in Xuzhou paperwork all night, so go rest. That is an order.”
When Xun You put it that way, I had no choice. I offered a quick salute toward the room where Cao Cao was enjoying his feast with Lady Du, then left the administrative compound.
“Oh, right.”
Something occurred to me, so I stopped a servant carrying wine and dishes.
“Bring me one bottle of warm wine and a meat dish suitable for a drinking snack.”
“At once, my lord.”
When the servant returned with the items, I took them and headed for the underground prison beneath Xiapi.
This was where the captives were held, and in one isolated cell sat Gao Shun.
“General Gao, are the accommodations to your liking?”
Since I had time to spare, I would do exactly what I had asked Cao Cao for permission to do: persuade Gao Shun to surrender.
The jailers rushed over and bowed deeply.
“How is he?”
“He hasn’t spoken a word, nor has he touched any of the food we’ve sent in.”
“I see. Then step aside for a while. I’ll speak with him myself. Go warm yourselves by a fire.”
“But, Colonel…”
“It’s fine. Rest. That’s an order.”
Once the jailers left, I sat comfortably on a straw mat and slid the meat dish through the bars.
“There’s a grand feast underway in Xiapi right now. The people here seem surprisingly cheerful despite everything.”
…
“It’s only been a single day since the city changed hands, yet they’re treating outsiders like us so well. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
…
“You may not speak, but I know you can hear me. Lu Bu governed Xuzhou poorly from the very beginning. The resentment of the people pierced the heavens. No matter how loyal you were, that loyalty was aimed at the wrong place from the start.”
…
As expected, Gao Shun remained unmoved.
Time to turn up the heat.
“While we took Xiapi, we discovered Lu Bu’s private rear garden.”
…
“It was filled with astonishingly beautiful women.”
…
“I’ve walked many battlefields and seen many tyrants, but never one like him. To steal the wives and daughters of local noble clans from their husbands and keep them as concubines in his private harem? Not even an emperor would dare such a thing.”
…
“Only the ancient King Zhou of Shang or the mad Emperor Ying Huhai of Qin would commit such atrocities. If they had been divorcees or widows, perhaps I could understand, but these were stolen wives.”
…
Still nothing. Even painting Lu Bu as “the realm’s greatest woman-stealing degenerate who built himself a harem” failed to stir him. Gao Shun kept his eyes closed as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
Then I decided to push a little further.
“Do you know what’s truly strange? Neither Lu Bu’s principal wife nor his legitimate daughter are inside Xiapi.”
…!
For the briefest instant, Gao Shun’s body twitched.
I now knew for certain that persuading him was not impossible.
“Everyone in the city says Lu Bu’s daughter possessed hair as lustrous as black silk and eyes like crimson jewels set in snow-white skin. Of course, I’ve seen that face twice myself, so I understand why the rumors spread.”
…
“Soon there will be a thorough reorganization of both Xiapi and the rest of Xuzhou. After that, I will personally lead troops to find Lu Bu’s widow and daughter. You can imagine what might happen to them while you sit here.”
I slid the remaining bottle of wine through the bars, stood up, and turned to leave.
As I climbed the stairs, I heard the sound of Gao Shun gulping the wine down in heavy swallows behind me.
The man who had been as immovable as a boulder had finally shown a crack the moment the topic turned to the family of the lord he had sworn loyalty to.
Cao Cao had given me a month. That would be more than enough.
After several days of reorganization, Cao Cao prepared to return to the capital.
Naturally, several suspicious carriages carrying women could be seen in his departing procession.
“The winter wind is still bitterly cold. The journey back to Xuchang will be freezing.”
Cao Cao pulled his cloak tighter and spoke to me.
“Zayul, I will leave Yuanrang and Gongda here in Xiapi. You will serve as Assistant Administrator and secure every city across Xuzhou.”
“Understood, Uncle.”
“There is no need to worry about Taishan. They have already signaled their intent to surrender, so they will soon bring their troops to us on their own.”
If we absorbed Zhang Ba’s faction in Taishan as well, no one in Xuzhou would dare oppose Cao Cao any longer.
Thus Cao Cao led Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Liu Bei’s sworn brothers, and the various generals back to Xuchang in high spirits. I remained behind in Xuzhou to see them off.
“Well then, I suppose I’ll start by taking charge of supplies in Xiapi.”
Xiahou Dun lounged in the government office, speaking to Xun You and me in his usual booming voice.
“Master Xun, my head doesn’t work well with numbers or memorizing bamboo slips. Just handle it yourself.”
“Do not worry, Assistant Administrator. Leave the reorganization of Xuzhou entirely to me.”
Xun You laughed heartily, clearly aware from the beginning that this was the role he had stayed behind to fulfill. He immediately began preparations to win over the Xuzhou gentry and maintain control over the common people.
“Zayul, as for you…”
Xiahou Dun rummaged inside his armor, pulled out a seal, and tossed it to me.
“Catch.”
“Isn’t this your seal as Assistant Administrator?”
“You’re already acting in that capacity anyway. Take the seal and go stamp documents across Xuzhou.”
By handing me the Assistant Administrator’s inspection authority, Xiahou Dun had effectively made me his deputy, tasking me with inspecting Xiapi, Xiaopei, Pengcheng, Xuzhou city, and Huiyin.
“The Xuzhou locals will try to ply you with wine, women, and treasures. Accept them in moderation while I’m not looking.”
“Haha… I don’t have that strong a desire for material things.”
“Accept enough to share with those around you. That’s how you earn their trust.”
Since Xiahou Dun put it that way, I gratefully accepted the seal and set out.
Leaving Xiapi, I first headed for Xuzhou city, the provincial capital.
“Aigoo, if it isn’t the Assistant Administrator himself!”
“We have already gathered and organized every document concerning Xuzhou since Chancellor Cao’s conquest.”
Chen Gui and his son Chen Deng, the most influential gentry of Xuzhou, had contributed the most in this campaign.
“My uncle and Lord Xiahou have instructed me to overlook all but the most egregious corruption.”
“Oh my, is that so? The Chancellor’s mercy truly leaves us unable to repay him even with our bones.”
“I will be the one to decide exactly where that line of ‘egregious’ falls.”
Since I now carried Xiahou Dun’s seal, every document I stamped would carry the full weight of that authority.
I reviewed the records one by one, not only checking the ledgers but also observing the actual atmosphere within Xuzhou.
As the former commercial heart of the Han Empire, the region remained bustling even after the recent war. Merchants came and went in great numbers, and the markets were thriving.
After Lu Bu’s defeat, Chen Deng had personally enforced strict martial law to prevent unrest among the populace, maintaining iron discipline.
“Even the commoners are wearing thick winter clothes.”
“To rule a province, one must first earn the trust of those who live in it. Isn’t that right?”
Listening to Chen Deng’s words as he followed me around, I acknowledged that the man was both an outstanding strategist and an excellent administrator.
“I should speak to the Chancellor and recommend you for an important post.”
“I am grateful for the kind words, but I wish to lay my bones in my native Xuzhou.”
Just like Chen Gong of Yan Province, Chen Deng considered Xuzhou his home and wished to remain here among his fellow gentry, contributing what he could.
In any case, Xuzhou city was impeccably maintained. The books were clean, grain and weapons were stockpiled in perfect order. Simply reporting these facts to Xuchang would earn Cao Cao’s lavish praise.
The only minor issue was the suspiciously large mansion belonging to the Chen father and son, along with the rather excessive number of beautiful young women among their clan. But as Xiahou Dun had said, such “moderate pocket-lining” was to be overlooked.
“After Xuzhou city, I will head to Huiyin in the Huai River region.”
“That area should already be largely settled. By the way, Colonel, have you heard the recent rumor?”
“Hm?”
Chen Deng glanced around before whispering quietly.
“A strange story has been circulating in southern Xuzhou. They say a ferocious white tiger is on the prowl.”
“A ferocious white tiger?”
Even in the south, Xuzhou’s winter remained harsh.
Deep in an icy, deserted mountain, a young girl dug a hole with her frail body. She laid a corpse inside, then covered it with frozen soil using her bare hands to create a grave.
The luxurious silk clothes that once would have cost a fortune in the marketplace were now torn by the winter wind. Her baby-soft white skin was covered in countless wounds, and the blood of the pursuers she had killed had turned her hands pitch black.
“Mother… I’m sorry. This was the only place I could bury you.”
The grave on the wild mountain was her mother’s.
Having lost her father Lu Bu at Xiapi and then her mother during their flight, only one thing remained to the girl.
A single sword her father had given her as a child.
Lu Bu’s daughter, Lu Ming, gripped the blade with her ragged hands.
Her skin was as pale as winter snow, stained with the dried blood of her enemies. The beautiful hair once called “black silk” had lost all color the moment she witnessed her father’s death, turning pure silver from the shock.
“Then…”
Lu Ming rose, sword in hand, and gazed toward Xuzhou city.
She no longer had anything left to lose.
