A Suddenly Bustling Household
The house was suddenly alive with noise and movement. After accepting Xun You’s invitation and sharing many long conversations, I returned home.
“Welcome back, husband.”
“Mm.”
It was a magnificent sight. Cai Yan, Yuan Jing, Lu Ming, Daqiao, Xiaoqiao, and Fu En had all gathered in the main hall with the children in their arms, waiting to greet me. I stepped into the inner quarters, took the little ones into my own arms, and drew my wives together for a talk.
“So… if we were to host a banquet here at the house, would it be too much trouble for all of you?”
“Are you inviting the court’s high ministers, or members of the clan? Either is perfectly fine. At this stage I can move about freely.”
Cai Yan nodded at once, saying she was ready whenever. The others followed suit—except for Lu Ming and Daqiao, whose bellies were now heavily swollen. Those two merely offered faint, wry smiles.
“Wives, the truth is that today’s invitation was because Xun You has taken a fourth wife and wished to introduce her.”
“Oh my.”
“She looks quite sturdy, but she certainly does justice to her face.”
Lu Ming gave a mysterious little smile and nodded. The other wives giggled among themselves as they discussed Xun You.
“Still, introducing his concubine was only the excuse. The real purpose was to talk about a rather large upcoming state matter. That’s how these things go—banquets turn into policy discussions, and my name came up in the middle of it.”
“So you mean to invite those involved in state affairs here under the pretext of a banquet to celebrate taking a new wife?” Cai Yan asked with a soft laugh. Among the others, Fu En blushed and offered a crescent-eyed smile.
Of course it could be Fu En. The title “daughter of Duke Fu Wan” carried weight; even as a secondary wife, her presence would naturally announce the value of the name. Still, I needed their understanding in advance.
“Depending on the situation this could be extremely rude, and it might cause gossip about my wives’ faces appearing in public. That is why I am asking. At the very least the primary wife will not show herself, but the others… Ah, yes. Daqiao and Lu Ming will not appear either.”
“I am fine with it,” Fu En declared, placing a hand over her chest. The sight of her overwhelming breasts supported by such a small hand was breathtaking.
“I do not yet know whom I will invite, but remember this, all of you. Every one of you is the daughter of a renowned family. The moment I call you forward, your clans will be introduced as well.”
Cai Yan, as primary wife, could not appear for reasons of propriety. If Yuan Jing stepped forward it would invoke the Yuan clan of the three dukes; if Xiaoqiao, a powerful local family; if Fu En, the household of Duke Fu at the center of the court.
“I will instruct the servants and the Shuchun housekeeper to prepare the banquet tables at any time.”
“Please do.”
When I turned my head, Fu En was still standing with both hands over her chest, wearing that same crescent-eyed smile.
Tweet-tweet—tweet—
By now the morning chirping after a fierce night was all too familiar. I kicked off the blanket and rose, body drenched in sweat and the thick scent of women clinging to my skin. A quick wash was in order.
“Mmm…”
Beyond the blanket lay the half-body-turned-bosom of this voluptuous woman. I gave her breasts one last thorough kneading before leaving the room with a refreshed heart.
That day at the Sikong Office, the meeting was filled with lively discussion.
“So Yang Zhoubu is heading to Jingzhou to negotiate with Liu Biao?”
“Sikong, though I am still young, if you entrust me with this mission I will devote my whole heart to ensuring Jingzhou does not dare look this way.”
Cao Cao scratched his head with the brush, nodded, and wrote out the appointment on a bamboo slip.
“If Munyak, Gongda, and Bonghyo all recommend the same man, it must be correct. Very well! I appoint Yang Zhoubu as envoy to Jingzhou.”
“Thank you, Sikong.”
“What else? Oh… this?”
Cao Cao’s eyes flashed at what was clearly tremendous news.
“Listen, everyone. The wounded tiger of Jiangdong has finally died.”
Sighs broke out all around the room.
“So that bastard Sun Ce really died after being ambushed while suppressing a rebellion in his own lands? This is truly fortunate.”
As Cao Hong said, the sighs quickly turned to relief. Everyone rejoiced that the rear would now be stable.
Yes, so that was how he went. If we had met again after my awakening we might have had one more magnificent bout, but in the end his cruel nature brought about his own death. He had only himself to blame.
“This calls for three days and nights of celebration and it still wouldn’t be enough! That young brat was gathering forces north of the Yangtze, always threatening to stab us in the back. It weighed on my mind. Hahaha!”
Cao Cao laughed heartily for the first time in a while, recalling the despicable acts Sun Ce had committed while alive.
“He said he would not advance north of the Yangtze, so grant him the treatment due a duke and send one of my daughters to make the Sun and Cao families in-laws—that proposal of his also comes to mind. The boy was more ferocious and cunning than his father; I had been watching him warily for some time.”
“With this, the Jiangdong problem can finally be set aside.”
“A messenger from Jiangdong is expected soon because of it. We will send someone smooth with words to propose a non-aggression treaty, since we have no intention of invading. What do you all think?”
Everyone clearly shared the same opinion, so I stepped forward as their representative.
“Uncle, Jiangdong has just lost its head. If the successor is not Sun Ce’s young son but his brother, the situation will be chaotic. If we invade now it may only unite the Jiangdong clans against an outside enemy.”
“Hmm, that would be even more troublesome?”
“Our top priority remains the conquest of Hebei, does it not? We are already relocating the people of the Runan region and preparing large-scale tuntian fields. To carry that out smoothly, I believe we should accept Jingzhou and Jiangdong’s submission when they offer it.”
“Do you all agree?”
Once Xun Yu smiled and nodded, there was no need for further discussion.
“Good. We will do so. As for the supply of personnel arriving in Yanzhou and the administration of the tuntian fields, Ziyang, Yuanzhi.”
“Yes, Sikong.”
“I must ask you two to bear the burden.”
Liu Ye and Xu Shu had been given responsibility for the tuntian preparations ahead of the Hebei campaign. Though they still fell short of the two Xuns and Guo Jia, they were steadily reinforcing the middle ranks of the staff. Soon enough they too would rise. Cao Cao never hesitated to promote talent rapidly when he saw it.
“Yuanzhi, I am counting on you for this as well. When you return, we will truly become one family. You understand?”
“Yes, Sikong!”
One family? Ah, that matter.
When I left the Sikong Office, Cao Ang approached me.
“Ziye, do you know what you said to Colonel Xu earlier?”
“Which part? About becoming one family?”
“Y-yes. I only recently heard. It seems the Sikong’s niece is to marry the colonel.”
“How romantic. Back in Xuzhou, when we went to rescue Grandfather with me, Colonel Xu saved a girl from that household who nearly slipped away.”
“Ah… I see!”
“That girl grew up and fell for only one man—Brother Yuanzhi.”
“So that was what happened that day!”
It was something I both knew and did not know. The day I first met Xu Shu, traveled with him to Xuzhou, gathered the wandering knights, repelled Zhang Kai’s gang that was targeting the Cao Song family, and escaped—during all that, Xu Shu had saved the young daughter of Cao De who had been left behind. Six years later the two of them had become husband and wife.
With this, Xu Shu had become Cao De’s son-in-law, Cao Anmin’s brother-in-law, and Cao Cao’s nephew-in-law. After Xun Yu, Xun You, Cheng Yu, and Guo Jia, Xu Shu too would now be heavily employed as one of Cao Cao’s core strategists.
“Anyway, a great war seems to be coming. We must prepare well.”
“About what I mentioned last time—I dug into my own wealth a little to provide support.”
“You didn’t have to… Mm, I feel ashamed.”
“Not at all. This is only a small repayment for the grace you showed when you saved me.”
War requires money. But I needed far more. I had conducted far too many reckless special operations, and countless soldiers had died because of them. After every battle I always gave separate condolence payments to the families of the fallen and rewards more than twice those of other armies to the survivors.
Thanks to that, within the army I was called both “the mad general who charges through the lines of fire for military merit” and “a special-forces commander worth staking one’s life on if you are a true man.” The evaluations were evenly split.
Of course the veterans who had survived multiple battles under me had already acquired enormous fields and livestock that officers from other armies could not even dream of. Having sacrificed themselves once and now living comfortably, they were willing to overlook my reputation.
In the recent Runan campaign, Cao Ang had allocated part of his own fortune to reward my soldiers in my stead. Cao Cao occasionally summoned me to scold me—“Every time I send you out, the battlefield ends up in deficit”—but the merits always offset the losses.
When I returned home, unexpected guests were waiting. Not one guest—guests, plural.
“Husband, many people inside are looking for you.”
“Really?”
“I came for a drink and because I missed the sister-in-law’s cooking from Luoyang, but it turns out a truly great man was already here?”
“Bonghyo hyung!”
Guo Jia waved at me from inside the house. The person who had arrived before him was none other than the Divine Physician, Hua Tuo.
“Husband, right now Doctor Hua is taking the pulses of Lady Lu and Lady Qiao in the room.”
Indeed, voices drifted out from inside.
“Hmm, this is truly a difficult pregnancy. However, even though her yin energy is weak, the mother possesses a remarkably strong spirit. If she supplements her nutrition properly, she will give birth safely.”
“Ah, really? The baby can be born safely.”
Lu Ming breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Hua Tuo’s diagnosis.
“This wife’s child is also growing well. I will give you a book on strengthening the body—study it carefully.”
“What is this? Five Animal Frolics?”
The book Daqiao received was indeed the Five Animal Frolics. Hua Tuo had classified the movements of animals according to the five elements and adapted them for the human body—an ancient form of gymnastics. It was not enough to simply eat well; the body also needed to be strong. The book would help all the wives, Cai Yan included, train properly.
“I have already examined the other wives and children. They are all healthy.”
“That is a relief. Did Doctor Hua come to give our entire household a health examination?”
When Hua Tuo finished and stepped out, he saw me and offered a polite greeting.
“It is good to see the Zhonglangjiang again.”
“Welcome to our home, Doctor Hua.”
Hua Tuo had not come alone today. He had brought a woman who appeared to be his assistant. She was in her early to mid-twenties, plain without makeup, yet her features suggested she would be quite beautiful if adorned. She kept her head bowed, carrying Hua Tuo’s medical instruments.
“Hmm, knowing a famous doctor really is useful. Since Ziye’s family members are all healthy, I feel completely at ease.”
“The household has many healthy people, but there is one who is not.”
“Hmm?”
Hua Tuo immediately fixed his gaze on Guo Jia, staring intently at his eyes and face before seizing his wrist, rolling up the sleeve, and taking his pulse.
“Wh-what? I have never visited a doctor in my life!”
“That is exactly why you never realized your body had deteriorated to this extent. This person truly…”
Hua Tuo performing a health check on Guo Jia? I could not miss this.
“Wives, I must go to the upper room. Bonghyo hyung, since you are already here, let us have a proper examination.”
“Uh… hmm? Ah…”
We moved to the upper room and examined Guo Jia thoroughly.
“Right now you are young and can still get by, but once the qi weakens in a body like this, it will never rise again. It will simply break. Your constitution is metal. Once metal breaks, it cannot be mended; it collapses.”
“Come now, even if you say that I refuse to take bitter medicine or anything of the sort.”
“You will not last five years.”
“!?”
The ever-leisurely expression on Guo Jia’s face changed in an instant. The direct mention of his lifespan—five years if he continued like this—seemed to strike him deeply. His face gradually twisted.
“Hmm… that is not something I can simply ignore. A doctor is not a Taoist immortal. How can you declare a man’s lifespan so definitively?”
“Even if you manage now, in five years you will no longer be able to accept your current way of life. A single cold wind or hot wind, if it strikes at the wrong moment, could shatter even your robust body.”
Yes. If only Guo Jia would not die young. Doctor Hua Tuo, scold him more so he will take care of his health.
“So what must I do?”
“First, let us examine you more closely. You will also need acupuncture.”
Hua Tuo immediately applied several needles to Guo Jia right there in our house, then lit moxa on his stomach, turning the room into a temporary clinic. The plain-looking woman behind him silently assisted.
“For one hundred days you must not eat red meat, reduce your alcohol, and cleanse your body once in the morning and once before sleep with a decoction of licorice root.”
Hua Tuo treated Guo Jia with utmost sincerity. Though Guo Jia initially claimed he did not believe any of it, he endured the treatment in silence. After the acupuncture and moxibustion, he rose and straightened his clothes.
“If I have reason to visit the capital again, I will gladly receive your treatment.”
“Mm… I will trust you this once. If believing lengthens my life, there is nothing I will not try.”
“That is exactly right.”
I bowed to Hua Tuo.
“Doctor Hua, I am truly grateful. I will cover all of Bonghyo hyung’s treatment costs.”
“There is no need. I also receive a salary from the Sikong Office, so I have more than enough money.”
“Hehe, rather than money, could this old doctor ask one favor?”
“What is it?”
Guo Jia tilted his head. Hua Tuo asked quietly.
“How is your family situation?”
“Suddenly? Well… I have one son. My wife is older, so lately our relationship has grown distant.”
Guo Jia had taken an older daughter of a powerful clan as his wife in his youth. Because of the age gap, after their first child their marriage had become little more than two people living under the same roof. He had frequented the gisaeng houses ever since.
“Could you take this child in, my lord?”
“Hmm?”
Hua Tuo suddenly presented the woman who had been serving as his assistant and asked Guo Jia to accept her.
“This young lady is originally from Yangzhou, the daughter of a powerful clan. After the general who ruled Jiangdong died young, she was driven out as his concubine. I pitied her, taught her a little medical knowledge, and employed her as my assistant. But she is still young. I wish to see her remarried.”
Hearing this, I asked on a hunch.
“Perhaps a lady with the surname Liu?”
“That… is correct.”
“And her father’s courtesy name was Zitai?”
“…How do you know that?”
Liu Xun’s daughter. When I captured Lujiang, the Jiangdong army had instigated an attack on Shangliao. After we took Lujiang, Sun Ce vented his anger by slaughtering Liu Xun’s entire family and taking his daughter as a concubine. That woman was her. And that scoundrel Sun Ce had died within a year.
Truly a woman of tragic fate…
“Since childhood she had a wound on her leg which I healed. She showed great interest in medicine, so I taught her. Rather than wandering the country with an old doctor, she needs stability.”
“From the story, she sounds like Sun Ce’s former wife… You are asking me to take a widow as a concubine?”
“Would that be unacceptable?”
Guo Jia looked at Hua Tuo’s female disciple—Liu Xun’s daughter—for a long moment, then nodded.
“It seems improper… yet since it is a widow remarrying, and looking at her face, I feel a case could be made… If you treat me so that my lifespan increases by about twenty years, I will gladly take her in.”
Hua Tuo smiled gently. Liu Xun’s daughter also studied Guo Jia carefully. Though she turned her head and covered her face, a faint blush rose to her cheeks, suggesting she was not entirely unwilling.
Somehow Guo Jia’s lifespan had been extended by nearly twenty years, and, quite unintentionally, it seemed I would have to sponsor his new marriage as well.