Final Preparations Before the Northern Campaign
Hua Tuo’s medical skill was truly extraordinary. He mixed some powder into a medicinal decoction he called mabis an, told me to drink it down, and that would be the end of it. The moment I swallowed, a heavy drowsiness washed over me and I fell asleep. When I woke, the surgery on my arm was already finished—and my hand moved without issue. If Hua Tuo had been the one treating my shoulder, I suppose we would have had to play a game of Go or Gomoku while he worked. Instead, one draught of anesthetic and I simply woke up to find everything done. So that was how the legendary Guan Yu endured his famous operation without anesthesia. Truly, the man who would one day rule all under heaven could not be ordinary.
On top of that, Hua Tuo fitted me with a shoulder brace that looked like something straight out of a modern hospital, so I now walked around the camp looking every bit the recovering patient.
“Zayul!”
It was Cao Ang. Even after the battle, he had been tormented by guilt, convinced that I had been gravely wounded because of him.
“Are you… all right?”
“This isn’t the first time, you know. Guandu was far worse.”
“I’m sorry. My incompetence dragged you into mortal danger.”
“Don’t worry about it. Thanks to you, I met Master Hua Tuo and received treatment from the Divine Physician himself. Look at me—I’m perfectly fine now.”
No matter how you looked at it, Cao Ang was the most humane and emotionally open member of the Cao clan.
“Besides, my opponent was Uncle Yunchang. We might as well call it a natural disaster.”
“Hearing you say that leaves me with nothing to say.”
“Come now—everyone’s alive, so that’s enough.”
While making his rounds through the camp, Hua Tuo treated the other wounded as well.
“For a laceration like this, simply apply soaked seaweed.”
“Seaweed? Isn’t that just ordinary sea grass?”
“It works far better than any famous bandage. From ancient times, coastal people have known that dressing a wound with clean, water-soaked seaweed speeds recovery. Of course, you must discard it after a single use and replace it often—otherwise the wound will fester.”
So instead of the latest medical foam dressings, he was using plain dried seaweed rehydrated and applied directly. At the very least, Hua Tuo was a physician one could trust. He understood the importance of hygiene even in this era and used practical experience to devise simple treatments from readily available materials.
I was still watching Hua Tuo work when a summons arrived from Cao Cao. Xun You came to fetch me, and together we returned to the main camp.
“Ah, you’re here. How is your body?”
“Much improved. The pain is gone, so I can even play Go one-handed.”
“Hahaha, that’s a relief. Hua Tuo really is a remarkable physician. I’ll have to seek him out again someday.”
“Father, why did you call for me?”
“I’ll speak with both you and Zisu in a moment.”
Xun You explained the reason.
“The Chancellor’s advisor Guo Fengxiao, who has been gathering intelligence in Yingchuan, is on his way here. A great many significant events have occurred across the land, and he has been compiling them all.”
Of course. It had been strange that Guo Jia stayed quiet for so long—he must have been preparing something after all.
***
That evening, heavy rain fell across Runan. Soldiers hurried to dig drainage ditches while gathering armor and weapons left out to dry.
“Ugh, what a downpour.”
Guo Jia arrived wearing a straw raincoat, brushing water from his shoulders as he took a seat. His beard had grown noticeably rougher since I last saw him, and now in his thirties he looked visibly older.
“Whew. I’m back, my lord.”
“Welcome, Fengxiao. Did you rest well in your hometown?”
“Come now, my lord knows better than anyone that it wasn’t a vacation.”
Few men dared speak so casually with Cao Cao, yet Guo Jia could.
With the other generals resting in their respective camps, Cao Ang, Guo Jia, Xun You, and I gathered to talk.
“Well then, where shall we begin?”
“Shall we start with the biggest matter and save the smaller ones for later? Or save the explosive news for the end…?”
“Just say what you want to say first.”
“Sun Ce of Jiangdong will soon be dead.”
“What?!”
Whoa. He had dropped a massive bombshell right from the start. I had a rough idea of the situation, but the others clearly did not. Cao Cao, who had been lifting his teacup with leisurely grace, nearly dropped it, his eyes bulging. Cao Ang was speechless, while Xun You’s fingers moved rapidly as if calculating, his head nodding slowly.
“Explain in more detail.”
“After Sun Ce was defeated by Zayul here, and while my lord was occupied in the north, he tried to seize territory north of the Yangtze and was soundly beaten by Guan Yu.”
“I heard that story. But surely that alone wasn’t enough to… Did he cough up blood from sheer rage?”
“No, it’s far more serious. After that, the powerful clans of Jiangdong grew extremely dissatisfied over the conscription of private troops. Sun Ce tried to suppress them by force and staged quite the sword dance.”
Ah. I could see exactly how that had played out. Sun Ce’s temper had always been legendary even by Three Kingdoms standards. After pacifying Jiangdong, he had aimed even higher, only to be thwarted twice—once when my uncle Cao Hong and I went to Lujiang, and again by Guan Yu during his thousand-li ride. That had created fractures in his command. Zhou Yu would have tried to mend them, but with Sun Ce’s personality, Zhou Yu was likely still stationed as commander in Jingzhou, leaving Lu Su to mediate alone. Clearly, it had not gone well.
“While Sun Ce was busy with his sword dance, he executed the renowned scholar Gao Dai of Wu Commandery. Unable to tolerate the violence any longer, the powerful clansman Xu Gong attempted to flee Jiangdong and surrender to Jingzhou, but he was caught. His entire family was slaughtered.”
“That brat was far too hasty with his purges. Such things must be done only after first winning over public opinion and demonstrating undeniable strength—then silencing the opposition.”
Cao Cao, a veteran of purges himself, clicked his tongue at Sun Ce’s brutal methods.
“In the end, the clans rebelled. Sun Ce personally led troops to hunt them down one by one. However, some managed to escape—retainers, sons, and the like. After Sun Ce laid waste to Wu Commandery, they ambushed him while he was visiting his father Sun Jian’s tomb.”
How fitting that he met an end similar to Yuan Shu’s. Still, dying after the Battle of Guandu rather than during it meant his lifespan had been extended somewhat.
“So he’s dead?”
“They say it’s a matter of today or tomorrow. Master Hua Tuo performed emergency treatment, but Sun Ce is riddled with poisoned arrows and his body is turning black and blue. He won’t last long. They’re in an uproar trying to summon Hua Tuo again.”
“Wait—Hua Tuo is right here with us, isn’t he?”
“My lord, Hua Tuo already announced he would depart at dawn tomorrow. He is almost certainly heading for Jiangdong.”
Cao Cao’s eyes narrowed as he considered Hua Tuo’s situation within the camp.
Well, well. Should I try to stop this?
“Uncle, surely you aren’t thinking of killing Master Hua Tuo? He is the one who saved my life.”
“Hmm… But Zayul, he intends to heal a future enemy.”
“Even if it were Bian Que or the Divine Farmer Shennong himself, Sun Ce would still die from those wounds. I am certain of it.”
“Oh?”
Cao Ang and Xun You both turned to look at me. Guo Jia simply folded his arms and nodded, as if to say I should speak freely.
“Explain your reasoning.”
“Uncle, Master Hua Tuo once told me, ‘No matter how wicked a man may be, if he entrusts his life to my hands, a physician must treat him—even if it takes years.’ Sun Ce was already gravely wounded when Hua Tuo came north of the Yangtze. By the time he answers the summons and returns south, it will be far too late to help.”
“Then why is Hua Tuo still going south?”
“Because before he is a physician, he is a man of Confucian virtue. He values promises, trust, and honor between people.”
“Hah…”
Even if the patient could not be saved, if they called for him, he would go. Cao Cao crossed his arms, tilted his head, then nodded.
“He did save Zayul’s life. We’ll let this pass. Who knows? Our family may need to rely on him again someday.”
Yes, we would—at least once more, when it came time to save one of his precious sons, even if it wasn’t a literal skull surgery.
“Fengxiao, that seems to be the biggest issue. Is there anything else?”
“Liu Bei has likely reached the Yangtze by now. He will probably seek shelter with Liu Biao, the Inspector of Jingzhou.”
“So Xuande will once again secure a foothold for his comeback. After Xuzhou and Beiyangzhou, now Jingzhou?”
Cao Cao looked as though he wanted to strike immediately, but the limits of offensive reach made that impossible.
“There may be a way…”
At my muttered words, Cao Cao turned to me at once.
“What is it? Speak.”
“I cannot say for certain yet. Once we return to Xudu, I would like to discuss it with Advisor Guo, Master Gongda, and the others to assess its feasibility before explaining.”
“Oh?”
“Uncle, we have now firmly pacified the lands north of the Yangtze. Isn’t it time to turn our attention back to the northern front?”
“Hmm!”
I had an idea, but it was too vague to voice immediately. It involved buying off the influential clans of Jingzhou. Liu Biao had ruled Jingzhou for many years, effectively acting as a petty king within his own domain. Yet this same Liu Biao had welcomed Liu Bei—his fellow clansman and a loyalist to the Han imperial house—and even provided him with a base for recovery. Liu Biao did not have many years left. Before long, the succession issue would erupt into chaos, and the powerful clans of Jingzhou would tear into one another. That would be the perfect moment to buy the support of the Cai clan (Liu Biao’s wife’s family), the Kui clan (the original dominant clan), the Huang clan (who would one day gain an extraordinarily powerful son-in-law), and the lesser houses. While Cao Cao pacified the north, we could send a single envoy to confirm that we would not interfere in Jingzhou. The region would naturally tilt toward us. And if Liu Bei appeared in the eyes of those clans as someone meddling in the succession, his fate would be sealed without us lifting a finger.
One thing was certain: I was determined to prevent any history in which Liu Bei entered Sichuan. I had no desire to earn another black star, nor did I intend to drag this chaotic age all the way into the late third century. Wars should end while one is still young—there is far more to enjoy that way.
“Hmmm. Zisu, go fetch Li Tong.”
“Yes, Father.”
A short while later, Li Tong, the Administrator of Runan, arrived. Cao Cao issued his orders.
“This is a place that has already seen one rebellion. We cannot leave it be.”
“Chancellor, then…?”
“Gather all the residents of Runan and relocate them to Shuchun and Yanzhou. Those who resist may be killed. Tell them to pack their belongings and depart immediately. I will inform Inspector of Yangzhou Liu Fu and Administrator of Dong Commandery Liu Yan as well.”
A sudden forced relocation? In this weather?
“My lord, forgive me for speaking out of turn, but the autumn harvest has only just ended and the rainy season is upon us. Winter will follow soon. If the people are forced to move so abruptly without time to settle their affairs, many will die.”
“So you want to wait until after winter, when the weather improves and before planting season? That will only create more trouble later.”
“Then perhaps at least wait until the rains have stopped?”
“Ten days after the rain ceases. Anything they cannot prepare by then, they leave behind.”
The forced relocation would be on a massive scale. The resentment in Runan would be enormous. Since Cao Cao had made his decision, even Xun You’s objections would not stop it. After Xuzhou and Shuchun, another great forced migration—this truly was the state of things. Yet the order had been given, and Li Tong, having already suffered a defeat at the hands of Liu Bei’s forces in Runan, had no choice but to comply.
When the meeting ended and everyone began to move, I called Li Tong aside.
“Administrator Li.”
“What is it?”
“Send someone to Shuchun immediately, even through the rain. There you will find a merchant leader named Zhang Zaiyi—also known as Master Zaiyi. Explain the situation and bring him here.”
“A merchant? Why?”
“If this mass relocation proceeds, the people here won’t have time to organize their belongings. At the very least, they should be able to sell what they can and take some money with them. The merchant convoy that buys those goods will, of course, present them to my uncle as tribute. If my uncle allows the merchants to handle the liquidation of the people’s assets, he may be willing to overlook certain matters.”
“Hmm… Understood.”
It was a pitiful situation, but the order had been given. Later, I would have to write to the local officials in Shuchun and Yanzhou asking them to provide farming tools and cloth as relief.
***
The next dawn, Hua Tuo finished my final treatment and prepared to depart.
“An urgent patient has arisen, so I must return to Jiangdong.”
“I am deeply grateful for the treatment you gave me. I pray that your miraculous medical arts continue to shine in the future.”
When I offered a respectful bow, Hua Tuo laughed heartily.
“You already know exactly whom I am going to treat, do you not?”
“Even knowing that, who would stop a physician from going to his patient? You may go as you see fit.”
“I have already heard everything. I will never forget that you once saved this old man’s life. Therefore… if I ever visit Xudu, I will come pay my respects.”
Thus I saw Hua Tuo off. The cleanup was more or less complete. Time to return to Xudu.