Between Weakness and Complacency
I summoned a renowned craftsman from within the capital of Hudu and had him repair the broken section of the Imperial Jade Seal with molten gold.
The fractured corner of the ancient seal has been meticulously mended with pure gold, restoring its form though not its flawless legend.
“Wow, what a disaster. Anyone can see this is an incredible treasure, yet it’s cracked. Even if you patch it up, I doubt it’ll ever be recognized for its true value again.”
“Bonghyo, this is hardly the time for jokes.”
Somehow Guo Jia had found his way here and was now relentlessly needling me. His head was surely packed with brilliant schemes, but he was deliberately acting like this.
“It really is strange, though. I’ve studied quite a bit of history myself, and I recall that before Wang Mang usurped the Han, Empress Xiaoyuan hurled the Imperial Jade Seal and shattered it, didn’t she?”
“And then Emperor Guangwu of Han recovered the broken seal from Wang Mang’s grasp and had it repaired with gold. Isn’t that the story you’re referring to?”
“Exactly~ But look at this thing. It’s supposed to be the Imperial Jade Seal, so why isn’t there any trace of gold on the repaired part? Is it a fake?”
The moment I heard those words, my gaze fell on the Imperial Jade Seal that Cao Cao had smashed in a fit of rage and which was now being mended with gold. Countless thoughts swirled through my mind.
But it couldn’t be the real one. This was the very seal Liu Bei had personally brought to present. If it truly were the legendary one, Liu Bei would have been hunted across the entire Central Plains and executed in a far more miserable manner than Dong Zhuo or Yuan Shu.
Or perhaps the seal that Sun Jian had found in Luoyang was simply one of the many imperial seals of the Han royal house—not the exact one from the Guangwu legend. There were plenty of plausible explanations.
“The timing is just too perfect, isn’t it? How could everything line up so flawlessly?”
“Master Bonghyo.”
“Ah, it’s fine. Even if that craftsman repairs it, he won’t cause any trouble. He belongs to the Wei Trading Company, after all—he’s both a jewelry appraiser and a metalwork repair specialist. His affiliation is solid.”
Still, the way Guo Jia kept talking made me feel like something was about to explode.
“And of all times! This is exactly when the Chancellor is conducting a massive corruption investigation, interrogating fifty noble families. And of all times! We’ve successfully occupied the Shuchun region, only for that bastard Sun Ce to absorb Liu Xun’s forces and then bolt with everything he could carry. And of all times! The Left General has taken ten thousand troops to suppress some unidentified rebels. And then, the moment all of that concludes—boom—Gongsun Zan’s head arrives with perfect timing!”
“Master Bonghyo, what exactly are you trying to say?”
“Isn’t it fascinating? If it weren’t for the delivery of Gongsun Zan’s head, we could have brushed all of this aside. Or at the very least, if that head had arrived a month earlier, there would have been some plausibility. But now everything has gone completely awry.”
“!”
I mulled over his words. The timing truly was both dogshit and eerily impeccable.
One: Right when Cao Cao was shaking up the powerful clans, filling them with resentment and terror.
Two: Precisely when Sun Ce had secured the troops and supplies he needed to regain his footing south of the Yangtze and was sharpening his blades.
Three: On top of that, remnants of Lu Bu’s forces suddenly appeared in Xuzhou, and the fact that they were using weapons from the Hebei arsenal.
Four: The moment that news spread, Gongsun Zan’s head arrived, allowing Yuan Shao to openly declare to the entire Central Plains, “All of Hebei belongs to me.”
If, as Guo Jia said, “Gongsun Zan’s family head had arrived just one month earlier,” then Cao Cao’s purge of the clans could have been interpreted as a warning: Don’t even think about switching sides—look how Yuan Shao is threatening us.
The matter of Lu Bu’s remnants using Hebei weapons could have been explained away as spoils flooding the market after the conquest of Gongsun Zan; people would simply assume they belonged to Yuan Shao’s defeated forces and sweep them up. As for Sun Ce south of the Yangtze, negotiations could have been held using the tax revenue from Yangzhou.
But because every single piece of timing had slipped, the current situation had become this:
“My uncle was already becoming an object of fear. And now, a perfect opposing force has sprouted in Hebei.”
“Not just one. Two, if you count ‘that bastard from Yangzhou.’”
“Huu~”
“Well, don’t worry too much. It looks like even they will need several years to stabilize the south of the Yangtze.”
As we spoke, at some point the missing piece of the Imperial Jade Seal was flawlessly repaired with gold. It was then placed inside an exquisitely carved box and carried with great care back to Cao Cao’s residence.
Of course, Guo Jia followed along the entire way.
“These days, the price of alcohol has dropped so much that I can’t even drink on credit anymore. My mind has never been clearer.”
“Why not take this chance to quit altogether?”
“Ugh~ I can cut back a little, but why would I give up something this good? The moment the Chancellor calls me, I’ll settle my tab and feast like a king.”
Even as he said that, Guo Jia continued analyzing the current situation with me.
“In the end, the Left General has gained a foothold with ten thousand troops. If we’re not careful, the rear that Young Master Zisu barely stabilized might turn into Xuzhou instead of Yangzhou. At this point, I can’t even guess what Brother Munyak will say.”
“Isn’t that something we should discuss together when we get there?”
“I smashed a wine cup and stormed out in front of the Chancellor. I’m not sure he’ll welcome me back. He might just slap me across the face and throw me out.”
That wouldn’t happen. After all, I had brought the repaired Imperial Jade Seal, and Guo Jia had come with me—naturally, Cao Cao summoned us straight to the main hall.
“My lord, I arrived in Hudu today and was truly shocked by the news. How could such a thing have happened?”
Xun You, who had returned from a long journey, along with Cheng Yu, myself, and Guo Jia, had gathered in one place. The moment Guo Jia entered, everyone’s eyes turned to him, but Xun Yu gently mediated.
“Since these events have occurred in succession, let us make this a meeting to discuss the road ahead.”
The instant Xun Yu finished speaking, Guo Jia opened his mouth.
“Chancellor, I happened to hear about the Imperial Jade Seal. It seems the ‘Legend of Emperor Guangwu’ was true after all. One corner of the seal snapped clean off and was repaired with gold, correct?”
I presented the repaired seal to Cao Cao. He examined it carefully and nodded.
“Cao Ang will arrive from Henei at dawn tomorrow. We must move in accordance with that.”
If even Cao Ang arrived, the Cao clan would truly hold Hudu in an iron grip.
“We shall don our court robes, return the Imperial Jade Seal to His Majesty the Emperor, and use this opportunity to clearly demonstrate where the authority of the Son of Heaven truly lies.”
“My lord, a hundred times correct. However, in this atmosphere, it is unlikely that anyone in Yuan Shao’s faction will fail to notice. The appearance of Hebei weapons among the rebels in Xuzhou is something we must consider very deeply.”
Xun You, who had only just heard the full story, expressed his concern about the relationship between Xuzhou and Hebei, as well as the increasingly volatile mood across the Central Plains. It was true that we had beaten the powerful clans of the Central Plains with a club. Trying to soothe them now with, “We recovered the Imperial Jade Seal, and we were simply wary of Yuan Shao—please understand,” would be pointless. Trust had already been shattered.
“My head is truly pounding. Lately, even mild excitement feels like it might kill me with a headache.”
Given Cao Cao’s lifestyle of heavy drinking, promiscuous nights, a temper no one could restrain once ignited, and constant overwork, high blood pressure was more than plausible.
“I cannot fathom how the situation has aligned so perfectly. It is almost as if someone deliberately orchestrated it.”
At Cheng Yu’s words, Xun Yu, who had been listening quietly, spoke.
“It was indeed orchestrated.”
“!”
Everyone’s eyes snapped to Xun Yu. He explained calmly.
“The heads Yuan Shao sent this time have all undergone a ‘special preservation treatment’ to prevent decay. This is a long-term storage technique used in the border regions when presenting the heads of rebels or foreign enemies to the court so they do not rot.”
“Munyak, are you saying Yuan Shao knew from the beginning?”
Xun Yu nodded at Cao Cao’s question.
“He must have known the situation in Hudu and deliberately timed the delivery to match it perfectly. His clear intention was to drive a wedge between the Chancellor and the noble clans of the Central Plains.”
After hearing Xun Yu’s explanation, it became clear that Yuan Shao’s camp had acted intentionally. We had to accept that quite a few clans might now be willing to defect to Yuan Shao’s side.
“My lord, in the end this is my failure. I was too complacent and failed to realize that information from the front lines at Yingjing Tower in Hebei had been completely cut off.”
“Munyak, this is not something that can be blamed on a single person. Moreover, if even you were unaware, it means Yuan Shao exerted iron-tight control over the entire Youzhou region before making his move.”
Since things had reached this point, there was only one path left.
“Uncle, once Zisu arrives, how about the three generations of the Cao clan present the Imperial Jade Seal to His Majesty the Emperor, while simultaneously announcing that the court remains strong by holding a truly magnificent celebration for His Majesty’s twentieth birthday after the New Year?”
“Hmm?”
“Since it has come to this, we must firmly reestablish the authority of the court and declare in the name of the imperial house that all these measures were unavoidable decisions made for the sake of the nation. This will minimize the number of clans that might defect, and it will also make it easier to root out those within the Central Plains who are secretly communicating with Hebei.”
In the end, since we already held the Emperor in our hands, the only option was to proceed with straightforward, upright methods.
“Young Master Zayeol’s words seem correct. No matter how many times we beat the clans or try to soothe them again, if we present the Imperial Jade Seal squarely before His Majesty the Emperor—and if we even perform the Fengshan ceremony on top of that—then no matter what Hebei says, our faction will remain unshakable.”
When Guo Jia elaborated on my suggestion, Cao Cao nodded and actually clapped for me.
“Yes, that is indeed the best course.”
After all the retainers had left, I was about to return to my own quarters when Cao Cao called out to me.
“Zayeol.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
“There is one thing I haven’t mentioned yet. Recently, His Majesty the Emperor attempted to personally arrange the placement of his maternal relatives and close associates in preparation for taking direct command of the army. I stopped him.”
So that was what Xun Yu and Cheng Yu had been referring to. The Emperor had tried to massively appoint military officials loyal to him, centering on General of Chariots and Cavalry Dong Cheng, thereby securing both the inner court and real military authority. Where that blade might ultimately point was anyone’s guess.
“What do you think?”
“Hmm…”
“Haha, speak freely. Is the current Emperor not the very man you rescued from Chang’an?”
…he said, but from Cao Cao’s perspective, he had likely drawn the line the moment he noticed the Emperor secretly trying to build his own personal guard and subtly checking the Cao clan.
What should I say in this situation? When in doubt, quote the ancient sages.
“Uncle, Mencius once said that ‘between husband and wife there should be distinction,’ that ‘between father and son there should be affection,’ and that ‘between ruler and minister there should be righteousness.’”
Was the bond of righteousness between Cao Cao and the Emperor still firm? Only the two of them could know the answer.
“Ha, hahaha! Yes, the righteousness between ruler and minister. I see.”
Cao Cao nodded and waved his hand, dismissing me. The moment I stepped outside, a great laugh erupted from within the residence, loud enough to shake the entire house.