It's Been So Long Since I've Been to the Capital!
It had been quite some time since I last set foot in Hudu. The inspection of Xiaopei Castle wrapped up with surprising simplicity. I had issued only one order: leave behind three-tenths of the grain, weapons, and other supplies in Xiaopei, and transport everything else back to Hudu. We would squeeze out the very last drop from Xuzhou and add it all to Cao Cao’s military stores.
After that, we stopped by Chohyeon on the way. It became the point where the Yanzhou forces returned to Yanzhou and the Hudu forces returned to Hudu. Of course, I met my mother there and paid my respects. Somehow, I ended up greeting my third wife as well. Everyone offered their congratulations, and the atmosphere was warm and harmonious. But only one person’s expression was truly spectacular.
When Yuan Jing spat out the word “woman,” Lu Ming’s eyes flew wide open at the term.
“How old are you?”
“I’ve passed twenty! I’m twenty!”
“I’m twenty-one. So I… am the older sister…”
“!?!?!?”
For a moment Yuan Jing flinched, then instantly wilted under the pressure. Meanwhile, Lu Ming narrowed her red eyes beneath her silver hair and looked ready to devour her. By the way, it seemed Lu Bu had fathered his child quite early. He died at forty, yet his daughter was already… Hmm~ Born in the third year of Xiping (174), I would turn twenty-five next year. Looking at my wives and concubines, Cai Yan was twenty-two, Lu Ming twenty-one, and Yuan Jing twenty. They really had lined up almost year after year.
For reference, the current ages of the warlords were roughly: Cao Cao at forty-three, Yuan Shu the same age at forty-three, Lu Bu at forty, Liu Bei at thirty-eight, and Yuan Shao in Hebei approaching fifty. In any case, that was the rough age distribution, and from now on Cao Cao and his enemies would be locked in a brutal struggle for the next twenty years.
“Mm, it’s fine. We have So-hui.”
“Still…”
“From now on, everyone get along. No more bickering.”
I pulled both Yuan Jing and Lu Ming into my arms and gently stroked them until they calmed down. Once properly disciplined, they both became docile. Though they still glared at each other with displeased faces, Cai Yan would mediate well. As the primary wife and a virtuous mother, she had promised to handle such matters perfectly.
“So, you took in Lu Bu’s daughter?”
“Yes, Uncle. Additionally, I ordered the soldiers to recover the remains of Lu Bu’s principal wife, who was said to have died, and bury her together with Lu Bu on the snowy mountain where he was laid to rest.”
“Heh heh heh, well done. Very well done indeed.”
The moment I arrived, the matter of my wives and concubines meeting one another was left to Cai Yan to handle inside the house. I was immediately summoned to Cao Cao’s separate residence for a meeting. I heard that Guo Jia had quit and left, so the ones present were Cao Cao, Xun Yu, Xun You, and Cheng Yu. I was called to the general’s seat, called to the family gathering, and called to the strategist’s seat. Thanks to that, even while in Hudu I would have to remain on constant standby so I could rush over whenever Cao Cao summoned me.
“Indeed, everyone worked hard during this conquest of Xuzhou. Gongda, Ziye, Zhongde—all of you.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
“Uncle, I don’t see Zisu anywhere.”
“That boy has gone to Henei. We’re building forward bases there. I’ll be sending Xiahou Yuan and Gao Shun—who you persuaded to surrender—there as well.”
If Henei was the foremost frontline, then I understood. Advancing straight up from Henei would lead to Jizhou’s Yecheng. It meant they were preparing for a decisive battle against Yuan Shao. Moreover, the fact that he continued to entrust his eldest son with the task of building defensive lines suggested there was no need to worry about Cao Ang.
“My lord, now that Xuzhou has been brought under control, it is time to move in earnest to pacify the Central Plains,” Xun Yu declared in a voice filled with determination. Something big was coming.
“My lord, once you have completely secured the lands of Guanzhong and Henei, you should use Xuzhou, Yuzhou, and Yanzhou as the center, establish the Yellow River as the boundary, and plan for great undertakings.”
Xun Yu was being unusually proactive. Did he truly understand what his words would mean in the future?
“Pacifying the Central Plains and Guanzhong…”
“My lord, Xuzhou and Henei have already fallen, and the remnants following Lu Bu have been completely annihilated. On top of that, Chang’an—where the ringleaders of the old traitors once gathered—has also been occupied. The Central Plains are now effectively yours.”
Following Xun Yu, Cheng Yu strongly urged the same. Xun You, after pondering for a moment, spoke up.
“According to intelligence, Yuan Shu has not yet died. He and his remaining family and forces have taken refuge with Liu Xun, the governor of Lujiang, and are barely clinging to life south of Shuchun. They too must be completely pacified, and the border between Jingzhou and Yangzhou must be firmly secured.”
I wondered if Yuan Jing would be happy to hear her parents were still alive. Still, it seemed the south remained unsettled.
“My lord, it is time to make a decision.”
“Hmmm.”
Cao Cao fell into thought. He gazed at the map of the Central Plains, took a sip of tea from the cup on the table, and spoke.
Then, does this mean the Mandate of Heaven now comes to me as well?
“…My lord?”
At that moment, Xun Yu’s expression became truly remarkable. Was that shock? Surprise? Or perhaps a subtle misalignment between their intentions? The ambition Cao Cao had lightly revealed to Guo Jia and me under the name of the Mandate of Heaven. But for Xun Yu, it was unclear how far he was truly willing to follow that grand cause. And judging by the current atmosphere, could his true heart be revealed here and now?
“Wenruo, you told me to seize Guanzhong and the Central Plains. Then tell me—will I walk the path of the King of Guanzhong, Emperor Guangwu, or the Hegemon-King of Western Chu?”
Depending on how one interpreted it, those words could easily earn him the label of “that treacherous scoundrel” within the Han court. Yet Xun Yu’s eyes widened in surprise before he calmly pointed at the map of the Central Plains and Guanzhong.
“My lord, what I spoke of was not political intent, but purely the military importance of Guanzhong and the Central Plains.”
“!”
“My suggestion was to establish a firm center in Guanzhong and the Central Plains, strengthen the forward positions of Henei and Chang’an, and create a defensive line capable of holding even if our power becomes precarious. This is purely military strategy.”
Xun Yu drew a clear line, stating outright that this was not the political path of the King of Guanzhong or Emperor Guangwu, but merely an explanation of strategic strongpoints from the perspective of military science. Cheng Yu and Xun You said nothing further regarding “political” or “military” matters and simply observed their lord, Cao Cao.
“I see. So it is military science.”
Cao Cao nodded at those words, then prepared according to that “military” framework.
“I intend to train the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry in Chohyeon, train the Qingzhou soldiers in Yanzhou, and then establish a new training center for a special army in Henei. A force specialized in defense and guerrilla warfare—one that will focus on holding positions.”
Cao Cao’s words were correct. Both the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and the Qingzhou soldiers possessed powerful offensive capabilities, but training a unit specialized purely in defense was extremely difficult. Such troops needed to be skilled with long-range weapons like bows and strong crossbows, and they had to be adept at using terrain advantages against enemies scaling walls or launching invasions.
“My lord, to prepare such a force, we must first double the cultivated land around Hudu and increase production from the fertile lands of Xuzhou.”
“We’ll have to manage it better than that fool Lu Bu did. Besides, since the Zhen clan father and son have promised to voluntarily contribute and send supplies to the court, we should observe how that goes.”
The Xuzhou noble clans had willingly submitted to Cao Cao and promised to pay even more wealth and taxes than during Lu Bu’s time. It seemed the financial issue would be resolved.
“In any case, once the court’s rewards for the Xuzhou campaign are concluded, we must move. Everyone, bear with the hardship a little longer.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Ziye, you stay behind. Let’s have a drink together.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
I had found it strange that he hadn’t asked me any questions today. As expected, he had kept me behind. Since this was his home, it simply became a cozy drinking session between uncle and nephew. After Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, and Xun You left, a wine table was brought into the villa.
“You suffered a lot in the cold of Xuzhou.”
“Thank you, Uncle.”
Unlike Xuzhou, the Yuzhou region where Hudu was located was relatively less cold. Moreover, the pavilion in Cao Cao’s villa had walls made of silk curtains to block drafts, and servants brought braziers that filled the air with gentle warmth. With the table set and steaming meat dishes and hot wine brought out, both body and heart grew warm.
“Ziye, since you accomplished much this time, you will receive generous rewards.”
“I did not act with rewards in mind.”
“Then did you think of a reward involving women?”
Cao Cao suddenly picked up his chopsticks and burst into laughter.
“As you commanded, Uncle, I captured Lu Bu’s family members, and it turned out this way.”
“Yes, I suppose I did say something like that.”
Cao Cao downed the hot wine, then chewed on a piece of meat. Strangely, he spoke not a single word about politics or military affairs. It was truly just a warm, intimate drinking session between close family.
“Ziye, you took in two concubines in a row. Did your primary wife say nothing?”
“Fortunately, my wife knows nothing of jealousy. I think I finally understand why you so strongly urged me to take them as wives, Uncle.”
“That really is a good thing—a primary wife who does not get jealous. With just that, a man has already succeeded in half of his life.”
If a certain someone heard that…
“This time, when I said I would take in Lady Du of Xuzhou and her son, the primary wife caused another uproar. Even though the ‘remarriage of widows’ has been acknowledged by the Emperor himself as a virtue for those who serve the state.”
Lady Du’s husband, Chen Yi-lu, was still alive, and it had only been a few months since he had taken in Lady Yun—the former daughter-in-law of the late Grand General He Jin—and her son He An.
Suddenly Cao Cao looked at me and chuckled again.
“Why do you say that, Uncle?”
“Cai So-hui, who is sister to my daughter-in-law, was one of the two surviving daughters of the fallen Yanju Cai clan after Master Cai Bo-gae passed away. Then your second concubine was the sole surviving daughter after that scoundrel Yuan Shu fell. And then you took in the daughter of Lu Bu after his entire family was wiped out. Did you not?”
It had somehow turned out that way.
“How strange. Whenever a famous family falls into ruin, you take in their last remaining daughter? Have you developed some heroic mindset that compels you to rescue women who have been cast out after their houses collapse?”
Cao Cao spoke playfully, so I simply answered.
“They were simply all peerless beauties. I took them in because they were beautiful.”
“Heh heh heh, that is true. But isn’t it rather amusing that you only take in women with such backgrounds? It’s fine—tell this father of yours.”
Why are you so eager to know this…
“Who knows? If something like this happens again in the future, perhaps they will come looking for you first.”
Cao Cao had once said that since I had won eight wars, it would be fine even if I took eight concubines. It seemed he was persistently trying to learn about “my preference.” So I had no choice but to answer.
“In truth, there is no great reason, but there is one good thing about being with my current wives and concubines.”
“Oh? What is it? I am quite curious.”
“As you said, Uncle, I somehow ended up taking in pitiful women who had lost their families. But one thing is certain.”
“What is it?”
I emptied my cup in one go and spoke the ‘truth.’
“They are peerless beauties from renowned families, but because they have no in-laws, I don’t have to suffer from their nagging, and there are no fathers- or mothers-in-law to scold me. That is comfortable.”
“!!!”
What? I had simply spoken my mind, but Cao Cao’s eyes suddenly widened as he stared at me. It was the look of someone who had received a massive shock and realized something for the very first time.
“…Oh!”
Then his eyes slowly narrowed. Suddenly, he gazed far into his own rear garden where his wives and concubines resided.
Uncle, why do you keep looking at the garden where your own wives and concubines live while saying such things? You are Cao Cao, not Yi Bang-won, are you not?