After Securing the Rear, Marching Toward the Occupied Lands!
Liu Bei confidently declared that he would take command of the first army. “This one once held the post of Inspector of Xuzhou, if only for a short time. I shall lead the Pengcheng forces myself.”
“The Left General intends to take the field in person?”
“From the look of things, the Gate Colonel cannot join us. No matter how you see it, with a wife already in the picture, her father… it would be difficult, would it not?”
Liu Bei had spoken those words deliberately in my direction. He was telling me that he would handle the killing of Yuan Shu himself, so I should simply leave it to him. And from this, I understood clearly. Liu Bei had his own scheme in mind. As the “nominal supreme commander,” he would be allowed to choose his own deputies, and of course he would appoint Guan Yu and Zhang Fei as his left and right arms.
Still, this much had been predictable. If anything, it gave Cao Cao the perfect excuse to acknowledge Liu Bei as a true enemy and drive him out of Xuzhou once and for all. The only part that worried me was the thought of Uncle Yunchang and Uncle Yide moving as a single unit… No, in truth Liu Bei had accumulated both grudges and favors along the way, so perhaps it wasn’t entirely bad. Still…
“Although the Left General commands this punitive expedition, I have been appointed as strategic advisor. Therefore, the first army will consist of the Left General, Zhonglangjiang Guan, and Zhonglangjiang Zhang, accompanied by Yilang Cao Zixiao and Commandant Zhou Wenbo.”
One of the Cao clan had already been assigned to keep watch over Liu Bei. That role fell to Cao Ren. It was insurance against the possibility that Liu Bei might simply take the army and never return.
“The second army will be led by Pyeonjanggun and Jianyi Dafu Cao Zilian, with myself and Deputy General Yang Dezhao serving under him. Should reinforcements from Dongjun Taishou Xiahou Miaocai arrive from Yanzhou, they will be integrated primarily into the second army.”
With the assignments settled, all that remained was final troop maintenance before the campaign and waiting for the supply convoy to assemble at Qiao County.
We stayed in Qiao County for several days in preparation for the expedition. I spent time with my mother after a long separation and waited for the period when personal funds would be converted into military rations for escort. It was then that I noticed a certain girl.
“Hmm?”
She was neatly dressed. Though still young, she would grow into a considerable beauty in a few years. She looked like the daughter of some noble house, yet she carried a sickle and bore a bundle of firewood on her back.
“Who is she, carrying firewood at that age?”
At that moment Zhang Fei approached the girl. So she was Zhang Fei’s daughter? No, she looked nothing like the daughter I had seen before, and this girl appeared older.
“Ah, Lord Yide.”
“Didn’t I tell you not to do this sort of thing?”
“I’m not the type to sit still. Hehehe—”
A beautiful young girl on friendly terms with Zhang Fei? Just who was she…
“A-Seol is at it again.”
“Ah, Uncle Zihua!”
It was Cao Shun, the Governor of Qiao County. He was currently training Cao Cao’s most elite troops here and would provide additional supplies. Cao Shun sat down beside me and, watching the girl chatter with Zhang Fei, offered an explanation.
“Ziye, you don’t know her? She’s one of our own. Brother Miaocai’s niece.”
“You mean one of Uncle Xiahou’s nieces?”
So this was the Xiahou girl, Xiahou Xue. He had called her “A-Seol,” so her name must be Xue.
“But why is Uncle Miaocai’s niece gathering firewood at her age instead of living like a proper young lady?”
“Brother Miaocai’s wife is under investigation in Dongjun. Things were chaotic, so he sent his niece to me for safekeeping. But the girl actually enjoys going out to collect firewood or pull weeds. I told her to leave such chores to the servants, yet she insists on bringing the firewood for her own room’s brazier herself.”
That certainly sounded like a Xiahou. So while she was out cutting wood at a young age, Zhang Fei…
“Shall I tell you what’s even more shocking? Brother Mengde recently suggested that since Zhang Fei is widowed, he should take this child as his second wife. Trying to welcome that little bandit into our family as a relative.”
…Ah. So in that situation, he had proposed a political marriage between Zhang Fei and this young niece. No wonder Zhang Fei had been unusually attentive to the girl. Age difference aside, Cao Cao had truly gone to every length to recruit the three sworn brothers.
“It’s not just her. There’s also Uncle Sukman’s (Cao De’s) daughter. In any case, I’m busy enough managing all these young nieces and clan relatives.”
Zhang Fei, Xiahou Xue, and perhaps soon to be devoured… Was this the army’s “devouring”? Or the political marriage’s? And here was a simple-hearted young lady from a gentry family who actually enjoyed cutting her own firewood.
“Uncle Zihua.”
“Hm?”
“Where is Anmin right now?”
“Ah, the boy is currently supervising repairs for the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry equipment.”
“May I assign him a task?”
“!?”
A few days later, through Cao Anmin, I gathered every member of our clan in Qiao County except the generals. Naturally, my mother was among them.
“Hu, what is all this about? Why summon me, your cousins, and the family elders all at once?”
“Indeed, Ziye. What is the reason?”
More than a hundred members of the Cao clan. Among them I spotted Xiahou Xue and Cao De’s daughter, Cao Mi.
“Then… from this moment on, the entire family must relocate to Dongyeon in Yanzhou.”
Yanzhou’s Dongyeon. It was the new city I had constructed there during the evacuation of civilians to prevent what could have become the Xuzhou Massacre. Located further back than Qiao County, it served as one of the Cao army’s key defensive strongholds.
“What are you saying? Why must we go to Dongyeon?”
“Hu, please explain it to them.”
“A major war will break out soon. This campaign is both the suppression of a traitor and the pursuit of Yuan Shu, who seeks to flee into Qingzhou. Qiao County may become embroiled in the conflict, so I ask you to take shelter for a short time. Once the war ends, you may all return.”
“So we must evacuate for the time being?”
“Yes, that is correct. From now on, Cao Anmin here will escort the entire family safely to Dongyeon Castle with a thousand soldiers and a considerable amount of resources. Consider it a few months of rest at the family villa.”
“If it is to avoid the fires of war for a while, then so be it.”
After I explained the situation and emphasized that sparks from the coming war could easily reach this place, I asked them to take temporary refuge in a safer rear area. The family elders talked among themselves, accepted the necessity, and began packing their belongings to depart for Dongyeon.
No one could object to such a reasonable request. Even Cao Shun looked relieved, muttering that he already had too many family members to look after and this was for the best. I had already told Anmin that I would personally cover the cost of their lodging and relocation in Dongyeon Castle, so the receipt would eventually find its way to our household accounts.
In this way, every member of the Cao and Xiahou clans in Qiao County—except for Cao Shun and Cao De, who remained imprisoned—was sent to Dongyeon. In particular, I spotted Xiahou Xue among them and called her over.
“Xue.”
“Young master, you are…?”
“You may not know me, but I am like an older brother to you. My name is Cao Ziye.”
“Ah, are you the Brother Ziye who lives in the capital? Uncle Miaocai has told me so much about you.”
“Hahaha, yes. Last time I saw you, rather than enjoying cutting wood…”
I handed her a small gift.
“Here. These are seeds for saplings that can be grown in the courtyard, and seeds for vegetables. Instead of venturing outside and risking danger to gather firewood, try tending a vegetable garden.”
“Ah… thank you. I will raise them with care.”
“Good, good.”
In this manner I deliberately sent Xiahou Xue away, beyond the reach of “someone’s grasp.” In fact, I sent the entire family—including my mother—away.
Cao Anmin, if you handle this evacuation well, I am willing to forgive you for the incident at Wancheng.
Amid the large-scale movement of the Cao and Xiahou clans, Zhang Fei cast a sidelong glance at Xiahou Xue. His expression showed clear displeasure at the news that she was heading to Dongyeon.
“Uncle Yide, do you have any words regarding our family’s evacuation?”
“What could I possibly say? Seeing the entire clan sent away only makes me realize that you truly intend to fight with everything you have.”
Even as he spoke, Zhang Fei kept looking in the direction Xiahou Xue had gone, a hint of regret in his eyes.
Uncle Yide, have you taken a liking to that child? Then after the war ends, come openly to the capital with your sworn brothers. I will gladly attend the wedding and offer my congratulations.
After making these “small adjustments,” the military rations hurriedly prepared in Yanzhou soon arrived at Qiao County. The first and second armies immediately split and set out.
“I wish you all good fortune! This time we must uproot the remnants of the traitor’s Zhong Dynasty and set the mind of His Majesty the Emperor in the capital at ease!”
Liu Bei offered a final wish for everyone’s success and departed first for Pengcheng.
Our second army, twenty thousand strong under the command of Pyeonjanggun and Jianyi Dafu Cao Hong, marched south.
Come to think of it, I had fought alongside Xiahou Dun at Boma Castle and Xiaopei, with Cao Ren at Runan, and with Xiahou Yuan at Wancheng, yet I had never taken the field with Cao Hong alone. Even if he was not an S-rank warrior, Uncle Cao Hong was still a man who could wield a blade with skill. At the very least, he was someone who fought exceptionally well in any given situation. I could trust him.
“Ziye, you’re from Jiangnan, aren’t you? Or should I say Jiangdong?”
“Haha, either name works the same.”
In truth, the territory of Eastern Wu was called both “Jiangnan” and “Jiangdong,” and the terms were essentially interchangeable. The “Jiang” referred to the Yangtze River; south of it was Jiangnan, and east of it was Jiangdong.
“My hometown is Wu Commandery in Yangzhou, in the Jiangnan region. But I don’t have many fond memories of the place.”
When I first arrived there, I had crossed the threshold of death several times, lost my father in this life, and fought desperately to survive among the bandits under Yan Baihu. Had I not learned the secret of my bloodline back then, I would probably have wandered the land as a wandering knight like Xu Shu, eventually settling down to find a lord worth serving.
“Jiangnan beauties have been renowned since ancient times. To the great clans of the Central Plains, acquiring one is considered quite the achievement. If a man possesses even a little power, he tries to take a woman from Jiangnan as his wife.”
“Uncle, I only took my third wife recently.”
“Brother Mengde told me he’s looking forward to seeing when Ziye’s concubines will reach double digits. For the record, I bet it would happen within three years. Hahaha—”
Why were we talking about women right before a war? Especially after I had gone through the trouble of an emergency evacuation just to keep the Xiahou clan from becoming entangled with the Xiahou clan.
“Shouldn’t we discuss women at least after we repel the enemy? Lujiang Castle may not be large, but its forces are substantial. I’m not sure twenty thousand men will be enough.”
“You think we won’t have to fight?”
“How else do we occupy a castle without fighting?”
“Didn’t I tell you? I know the Lord of Lujiang, Liu Xun, quite well. My plan is to show him our strength once and offer him terms. If we can secure the castle through surrender without battle, what greater achievement could there be?”
I certainly hoped it would go that way. Yet from the situation, it was clear we were not the only ones eyeing Lujiang Castle. At least two, perhaps more, factions were involved. This battle might very well turn into a three-way or even four-way struggle, and the thought filled my mind with complications.