Time to Strengthen the Inner Quarters
With Dong Guiren’s death in childbirth—mother and child perishing together—Dong Cheng’s entire faction vanished from Hudu. To Emperor Xian, who had suddenly lost both wife and unborn heir, Cao Cao’s eldest daughter Cao Jie entered the palace. Of course, the Emperor still had Fu Guiren, daughter of Fu Wan, as a leading candidate for the next empress. Yet even she and her family lived in constant terror before the Cao clan, never knowing when they too might be wiped out.
And in the midst of all that, our own household, ironically, grew larger.
“Hmm… hm.”
A middle-aged female physician who attended the women of highborn families took the pulses of Cai Yan and the other wives in turn. Even Lady Zheng, who normally remained secluded in the main residence, Lady Bian, and Lady Xu—wife of Xiahou Dun—came in person to examine them.
“Zayul, you’re finally going to be a father. I’ve waited so long for this news.”
Lady Zheng offered her heartfelt congratulations, then spoke of the physician. “We should have called Physician Hua from Qiaoxian, but given his circumstances he sent a disciple instead.”
“I had hoped to meet Physician Hua at least once.”
Since the famous Hua Tuo was unavailable, I decided to place my hopes in his student. Lady Bian, meanwhile, had prepared every item a pregnant woman might need and presented them to me as gifts one by one.
Watching Cai Yan being examined, Lady Xu whispered softly.
“Zayul, I fear I have overworked your wife all this time.”
“Aunt, what are you saying?”
“Your eldest uncle saw how well she taught Wen, Chang, and Shi their poetry and classics, and asked her to instruct Chong and Wu as well. I worry we placed too heavy a burden on her.”
So that was it. She never complained, yet she had quietly taken on every unnecessary task in the household. Xiahou Dun and Lady Xu had mentioned something of the sort before; it seemed she had continued the lessons every time I was away on campaign.
“If she is with child this time, I will handle all the support myself. I’ll send servants from our house to attend her, and I will personally help with her prenatal care.”
“Thank you, Aunt.”
A short while later it was Yuan Jing’s turn, then Xiao Qiao’s. Yet among them were two women whose hopes had not been fulfilled.
“…Why? Why again?”
Lu Ming’s face was deathly pale. The realization that she had failed once more had sunk her spirit. I patted her shoulder and comforted her, but the disillusionment in her eyes was genuine.
“Why on earth…”
“You two ladies, would you step inside the room for a moment?”
The physician beckoned Lu Ming and Da Qiao into the inner chamber. She closed the door, spoke with them at length, then emerged quietly.
“You are the father, yes? First, allow me to offer my sincere congratulations. Three of your wives have definitely conceived.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“As for these two wives… this lady here has a slight… problem.”
She indicated Lu Ming. Whatever had been said inside had left the silver-haired warrior flushed with emotion.
“This silver hair of yours—it was once dark like everyone else’s, was it not?”
“…It was.”
“It appears you suffered a severe mental trauma in the past. After that shock, the yin energy within your body vanished. No matter how much yang energy is supplied, your body itself refuses to accept it.”
So even after we had fed her well and cared for her, the damage went far deeper than mere white hair. Her body itself had been broken.
“Then… in the future as well…?”
“Not at all. Though faint, the yin energy is beginning to return, and her body is growing stronger. It will be more than twice as difficult for her than for others, but she will not be completely unable to conceive.”
At those words Lu Ming let out a quiet breath of relief. Lady Zheng, seeing this, gently took the younger woman’s hand. Though they had kept an awkward distance because Lu Ming was the daughter of Cao Cao’s enemy, in this moment the two women shared a profound empathy.
“I understand that pain better than anyone. All too well.”
“…”
“I will obtain the finest tonics for you. If you wish, I will call the physician often for treatment. You are family now, are you not?”
“Thank… you.”
It was the first time Lu Ming had spoken formally to any member of the household. Knowing she was not completely infertile—only that it would be difficult—I resolved to try even harder for her sake.
“And as for this lady…”
“W-why not me?”
“It is a truly curious matter. You possess the exact opposite constitution of your sister who conceived. Your fertile days simply never aligned. It was simply misfortune.”
“Hiiing~”
Da Qiao looked utterly dejected to learn it had all come down to unlucky timing.
“In any case, you will soon be father to four children. Please take great care with the health of the expectant mothers.”
“Wait—four?”
Cai Yan, Yuan Jing, and Xiao Qiao had conceived, so why four? The physician smiled.
“This Lady Qiao carries twin yin.”
“What?!”
“Oh my!”
“Twins…”
Truly, joy after hardship. At the news that she was carrying twins, Xiao Qiao gasped and stroked her belly in wonder while Da Qiao’s eyes widened like a cat’s and she seized her sister’s arm.
“So that’s it—you stole them from me, you bewitching little sister!”
“A-ahaha…”
And so our family grew from six members to ten.
“I had prepared a fine poem. Something in the style of ‘Five women left the house, yet ten returned—what mysterious affair occurred…’ to set a clever rhyme.”
Five women departed the house,
Yet ten returned—
What mysterious affair has occurred here…?
These days Cao Cao’s face was bright as a spring day. He walked beside me through the market streets of Hudu, speaking in a playful tone. It was quite rare for the two of us to stroll together like this.
“Hehehe, in any case, congratulations on becoming a father. Be sure to have many more.”
“Thank you, Uncle.”
“I already have more than twenty children of my own, yet the birth of a new one is always a joyous occasion. And now I’ve taken on dozens of daughters besides. What a thing.”
Come to think of it, even before Dong Guiren’s fatal labor Cao Cao had gathered many newborn children. It seemed he was asking what should be done with them, so I offered a suggestion.
“Uncle, I intend to write to my mother in Dongye and tell her she has become a grandmother. The family members who fled there will soon return to Qiaoxian as well.”
“Hmm, yes.”
“Mother says she feels lonely living by herself. I have already sent many servants and clan members to keep her company. Perhaps it would be good to send all the adopted daughters from the villa there to be raised by her.”
Cao Cao nodded at the proposal.
“You mean to entrust the children I took in to the family back home so they may be raised well? A fine idea. Raising grandchildren in my later years sounds rather enjoyable.”
No matter how I considered it, there seemed to have been another purpose behind gathering those infants besides simply raising them. Yet after Dong Guiren’s death he treated the matter as meaningless and prepared to send them elsewhere. Well, once those children grew up in the Cao clan village, he could marry them off as his adopted daughters to promising local nobles or talents. It was an investment in the future.
“Let us do that. I shall have a large villa built in Qiaoxian. I will send the construction funds in your name, Zayul.”
“Thank you, Uncle.”
‘Brother Gong, have you heard? That Cao Cao scoundrel didn’t stop at fifty men—he stirred up fifty entire families. He’s showing the world what happens to those who refuse to follow him.’
‘It must be to secure his rear before fighting the grand general in Hebei. With the Cao clan holding the Emperor, who could possibly challenge their legitimacy?’
‘That grandson of a eunuch clearly means to swallow the world. I cannot allow it. I will go. I will go spit in the bastard’s face.’
‘No, Mi Heng! What do you think you can accomplish by going there?’
‘In any case, I hired a troupe of clowns to mock the conduct of the Cao and Xiahou clans, and I’m the one who scattered all their dirty money across Hudu. Yet they feel no shame for their own family’s flaws and now eye other families while dancing even more wildly with their blades. I shall curse Cao Cao with a bellyful of insults and tell him to cut off my head.’
‘If you go, you will die a miserable death.’
‘Brother Gong, remember this well. I will not die as a loyal subject of the Han imperial house. I will die after mocking that Cao Cao and offending his heart. When I am gone, it will be your turn. A storm of blood will blow through the sword dance. With so many positions now vacant in Hudu, enter the city boldly and penetrate its very core.’
Kong Rong, the scholar from Qingzhou, opened his eyes as the memory of his departed friend Mi Heng faded.
“Indeed, I cannot stand by and watch the Cao and Xiahou clans swallow the realm the way Wang Mang or Dong Zhuo once did.”
More than anything else, his sole mission was to bring ruin to the Cao clan. With that conviction, Kong Rong set out.
‘Brother Gong, remember this well. If you display your family pedigree and scholarship before Cao Cao, he will surely try to make you his man. At that time, tell him you wish to become the tutor to his children. He will certainly agree.’
‘Which son should I ask for?’
‘No need for just any. Among the legitimate wife’s sons by different mothers, choose one who has abandoned any insolent ambition to rival the eldest son. That would be ideal.’
‘You want me to sow division over the Cao clan’s succession?’
‘That is the best way to collapse that Cao Cao bastard’s family from within.’
“That friend of mine, Zhengping, showed all his spirit before he died and even handed me a plan to destroy the Cao clan. It would be rude not to use it.”
And so the Qingzhou Confucian scholar Kong Rong entered Hudu. News that the descendant of a famous scholar and celebrated gentleman had arrived spread quickly. Every civil and military official sought him out, and word soon reached Cao Cao’s ears. Kong Rong was able to take office in the court with surprising ease. Of course, the man who had helped him—Cao Cao—had no inkling of his dark intentions. He was far too preoccupied with preparations to attack Liu Bei, who was once again gathering troops in Xuzhou.