The Teacup on the Blade
The three generations—Cao Cao, Cao Ang, and I—presented the recovered Imperial Jade Seal to the Emperor. It was exactly as history recorded: one corner chipped away and perfectly repaired with gold.
"Your Majesty, we have recovered the Imperial Jade Seal, the symbol of the Han imperial lineage, and now present it to you."
“Thank you. You are truly loyal subjects of the realm.”
“We are overwhelmed by Your Majesty’s grace.”
After offering the seal, the atmosphere at court grew genuinely warm for the first time in a long while. If only it could stay this way. As for Liu Bei and Yuan Shao, we could simply press them steadily and capture them all.
“Your Majesty, now that the Han imperial house has reclaimed the seal and restored its authority, would it not be fitting to prepare offerings, burn them, and perform a sacrifice to Heaven?”
“You speak of a hunt and the Fengshan ceremony?”
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”
“We… shall do so.”
“Your Majesty’s grace is boundless.”
No one opposed the idea. After the audience, Cao Cao called both me and Cao Ang aside.
“The Emperor’s upcoming hunt will require a great many offerings, so each of you should prepare fine bows.”
“Uncle, how many arrows should we—”
“Hahaha, just prepare a suitable amount. What, are you planning to hunt a tiger?”
A hunt, then. Just a literal hunt. I had flinched at the word “offerings,” but it really was just a hunt for the Fengshan ceremony. Originally, the Fengshan rite was a sacrifice offered by the Emperor to Heaven—a religious ceremony befitting the Son of Heaven. The proper offerings were carefully selected oxen or sheep, which were slaughtered, burned, and presented to the heavens. Some emperors, however, offered beasts they had hunted themselves. Preparing for that would make things rather noisy for a while. Still, since the Emperor himself would lead the hunt, it was a national event that had to be arranged without the slightest flaw.
“Zisu, I hear your name often in Henei these days?”
“As you commanded, I reinforced the fortifications. The newly appointed ZhonglangjiangGao Shun has exceptional skill in training soldiers, so I entrusted him with full authority.”
“Is that so? You think it better not to handle it yourself?”
“He demonstrated far superior ability, so I simply supported him from behind without interfering.”
Cao Ang’s own martial talent wasn’t bad at all, yet he chose to step back and support someone better. Cao Cao nodded at those words and patted his eldest son’s shoulder.
“Good. And how are things between you and your wife lately?”
“There is something I must report regarding that. My mother and my wife are both at home right now, and I have summoned the physicians.”
“Hmm?”
Cao Cao’s eyes suddenly widened. This guy… surely not?
“Congratulations, my lord! The young mistress is indeed with child.”
“Is that true? She is really pregnant?”
Lady Ding rose at once and approached her daughter-in-law—Cai Rim, my sister-in-law—grasping her hands tightly.
“You have done well. Truly, you have done so well.”
“I am ashamed, Mother.”
“Heh, hehehehe… hehehe! She is carrying a child? A child?”
“Husband, you have become a grandfather.”
“Indeed. At forty-five, I have become a grandfather. Hehehehe!”
“You have also given Lord Taifu a great-grandchild.”
Cao Cao laughed brightly for the first time in a long while. Cao Ang looked immensely proud, Cai Rim blushed with embarrassment, and my wife Cai Yan, upon hearing the news, came over and embraced her younger sister. The two daughters of Master Cai Yong, who had been held in Chang’an, had come to Xuchang, become daughters-in-law of the Cao clan, and were now far happier than before.
“Well then, next it will be Ziye’s turn, won’t it?”
“The boy already has so many concubines. It’s about time. I suppose I’ve sent him off to the frontiers too often, so he hasn’t been home much.”
“When the time comes, I too will have children soon enough.”
“Hahaha, yes, yes!”
Cao Cao declared that such a day called for a banquet and immediately summoned the chief stewards. Lady Ding, though still young, had suddenly become a grandmother, yet she was overjoyed at the news of her eldest son’s household. In that warm and harmonious atmosphere, I stepped outside for a moment.
Even without today’s news, people around me had begun to mention children lately. Starting tonight, I would have to work like an ox. Since the subject had come up, I thought I might visit each of my wives, but when I reached the garden I saw Lu Ming walking about with a sword at her waist.
“Wife!”
“!”
As soon as I called, Lu Ming came running.
“Why are you carrying a sword around the garden at this hour?”
“Husband, something feels off. What I sensed last time wasn’t a coincidence.”
“Hmm?”
Lu Ming narrowed her eyes as she stared beyond the garden wall.
“It’s certain. Someone has been watching this house from beyond that wall the entire time.”
“What?”
“That’s why I asked you to get me a sword. I felt uneasy from the moment I arrived here.”
Since Lu Ming had sharp instincts, I also turned to look beyond the wall.
“There’s no killing intent. It feels like simple surveillance. Once one notices a presence, another takes over.”
“Professionals, then.”
“They only observe and leave, so it felt awkward to mention before. It was irritating, though.”
From her words, it was clear someone was keeping a close eye on the Cao clan. I would have to report this, but the current mood made it difficult to bring up immediately. I would inform the Wei Trading Company to gather intelligence and also tell Cao Ang, since he managed the household servants along with his other duties.
As Lu Ming hugged me and we headed back to the main hall, Cao Cao emerged and spoke to an official from the Chancellor’s office.
“Among the items that recently entered the Chancellor’s office, there are fine silks and jade ornaments, yes? Select only the highest quality and bring them.”
“My lord, those have already been placed in the imperial treasury?”
“Why so rigid? I wish to make something nice for my new grandchild. No arguments—just go and fetch them.”
“Ah, understood.”
Cao Cao had taken silks and ornaments worthy of the imperial family to use for his first grandchild’s baby items. His mood must have been sky-high… Hmm.
Some time later, the Emperor himself mounted a horse, took up a bow, and set out on the hunt. The civil and military officials of Xuchang came out as well, turning the occasion into a refreshing outing. Since it was a hunt, I too had prepared a fine bow like Cao Ang.
Of course, even on the hunting grounds, official matters briefly arose.
“Is that true? Your concubine said that?”
“Not just anyone—Lu Bu’s daughter. It feels suspicious, so I’m telling you.”
“Hmmm. We should strengthen the defenses within the Sihayuan and instruct the servants to report any suspicious individuals immediately. Just who is watching our household…”
Since I had already informed Cao Ang, I would have to tell Xiahou Dun the same when he arrived. After that conversation, everyone focused on the hunt.
Soldiers acting as beaters noisily combed through the mountains, flushing out countless beasts.
“Zisu, Ziye! Show us what you can do.”
Cao Cao personally handed us arrows and told us to try our skill. When Cao Ang looked a bit embarrassed, I patted his shoulder.
“Go on. You’re about to become a father—you should look impressive in front of everyone.”
“Ah… yes.”
Encouraged, Cao Ang lifted his bow and searched for a target. He rode forward, found suitable prey, and released the arrow.
Swoosh—
The arrow flew swiftly and pierced the neck of a roaming roe deer. With a single shot, he had splendidly taken down one roe deer. The beaters waved their flags to signal the hit and dragged the animal over.
“A hit! Taken down with a single arrow!”
Seeing the roe deer twitching as it bled, Cao Cao smiled with satisfaction.
“Heh heh heh, so the boy wasn’t just playing around in Henei after all?”
“It was lucky.”
“The Crown Prince’s archery is truly impressive. He is indeed a worthy eldest son with great martial talent.”
From Dong Cheng, General of Chariots and Cavalry, to the other ministers, everyone praised Cao Ang’s skill, and the mood remained excellent.
“Ziye, you’re next.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
I scanned the area. Rabbits and deer were racing across the ground, and among the birds perched in the trees, I spotted a pheasant. That one.
I immediately galloped forward, took position, and drew my bow toward the target in the tree. Usually, rabbits were the most common game, tigers the most impressive, but pheasants or geese were always safe choices. Besides, I already had the title of someone who had shot down birds.
My arrow struck the male pheasant cleanly, then quickly felled the fluttering female as well. The beaters ran over at once.
“Ziye has caught a pair of pheasants! Pheasant meat makes excellent drinking snacks!”
“Congratulations.”
“It was just luck.”
As we congratulated one another on our catches, it was now time for the Emperor to hunt himself. As the Son of Heaven, his horse, the armor that doubled as safety gear, and even his bow were all of the highest quality.
“Ziye, Zisu. Guard His Majesty.”
Together with Cao Cao, Cao Ang and I matched pace to escort the Emperor. Dong Cheng, General of Chariots and Cavalry and the Emperor’s father-in-law, hurriedly mounted and followed.
While the Emperor searched for game, Cao Cao rode beside him, taking charge of his protection. Up to that point, everything was fine.
“Oh?!”
“Your Majesty, look! A massive stag!”
Before the imperial party appeared an enormous stag with huge antlers. The Emperor raised his bow to take it down and was drawing the string when—
Could something that size really be brought down with one arrow?
The stag, seeing the Emperor, lowered its antlers and charged straight at him.
“Ah, ahhh?!”
“Your Majesty, aim for the forehead!”
At Cao Cao’s advice, the Emperor tried to aim with trembling hands, but the stag was closing in. In that instant, Cao Cao snatched the Emperor’s bow, drew the already nocked arrow, and released it.
Swoooosh—
Crack!
The stag that had been rushing toward the Emperor at terrifying speed staggered after an arrow struck it precisely between the eyes, then collapsed.
“A hit!”
Cao Cao looked at the stag he had felled with pride and praised himself.
“Chancellor Cao! What have you just done?!”
When Dong Cheng, who had been following behind, shouted, Cao Cao calmly handed the bow back to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, that was extremely dangerous. Even though stags only eat grass, they are not gentle creatures.”
“U-um…”
Cao Cao had seized the bow the Emperor was aiming, shot the arrow, and then politely returned it. Still mounted, he addressed the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, is that not a truly magnificent stag? Would it not be fitting to prepare it well and offer it to Heaven?”
“Chancellor Cao, you just took His Majesty’s bow and—”
“Took it? His Majesty shot this himself.”
Cao Cao shrugged. The moment Dong Cheng raised a finger to speak again, I saw it clearly—the Emperor quickly lifted his hand to stop him, shaking his head with a pitiful expression.
“Hahaha, this is why hunting is so wonderful. When we all gather like this to enjoy the fresh air, how pleasant it is without political strife?”
Cao Cao laughed loudly, patted Dong Cheng on the shoulder, then called to Cao Ang and me as we turned back.