Things That Must Be Done
I woke up in a very special way.
Huayan helped me up and guided me to the bathroom.
The merchant group had already prepared everything. Steam rose gently from the wooden tub filled with hot water, carrying the pleasant scent of medicinal herbs.
“Mmm, that feels good.”
The moment I submerged my body in the tub, blood rushed through me from the very start of the morning. Huayan scrubbed my back and loosened my hair, washing it with care.
While she cleaned me, I listened to the information she shared.
“Recently in Yan Province, Young Master Anmin has been distinguishing himself as the protector of Yan Province’s governor.”
“I’ve heard about Cao Anmin. We’re not particularly close, though.”
“There are also rumors that he will be appointed as the person in charge of Dongyan Fortress, which is being built with refugees from Xu Province.”
It seemed he was rising steadily in Jinliu.
“Anything else?”
“Are you not curious about Lord Xu Gong, who came with you, my lord?”
“Ah, Brother Yuanzhi. How has he been doing?”
He had been my first comrade and traveled with me, yet after that he had remained unusually quiet. It was true that after living as a wandering swordsman, he had been taken in by Cao Cao, but he had yet to make a name for himself on the path of scholarship.
“He was originally a guest of Lord Wenruo, but recently he moved to Lord Gongda’s residence. During the day they share scholarly discussions, and at night they practice swordsmanship together, I’m told.”
“Hmm, Xun You and Xu Shu… I suppose they might get along surprisingly well.”
Since arriving here, I had learned that Xun You was quite the man’s man. In the past, he had plotted to assassinate Dong Zhuo before Lu Bu and was captured, held captive in Chang’an. After Dong Zhuo’s death, he lived as a wandering hero until Cao Cao took him in. Unlike the other strategists, he had the drive to personally visit the front lines.
Given Xun You’s personality, he would probably get along well with Xu Shu.
“If I return to Jinliu, I’ll have to get along with that brother from now on. After all, I was the one who personally introduced him to my uncle.”
Besides, since Xu Shu had helped save Cao Cao’s father, Cao Cao would likely want to keep him close as a trusted aide.
“What else?”
“A great deal of money is circulating in the Huainan region these days. At the center of it is a wealthy merchant named Zhang Jian.”
“Zhang Jian?”
“His courtesy name is Ziyì, so he is called Master Ziyì. He is a merchant who stands in opposition to Lady Wei, the head of the group.”
I had heard the name Zhang Jian before, but since he was a merchant, it seemed we would only cross paths occasionally.
“—That is why Lady Wei is increasing logistics volume in the Huainan and Jingzhou regions to gather more information.”
“And everything obtained that way is reported to my uncle?”
“That is correct.”
Even while speaking, Huayan continued to wash my body.
With the Wei Merchant Group loyally supporting Cao Cao through continuous funding and intelligence, it felt like something big would happen soon. After all, merchant organizations, whether in the East or West, always provided massive backing to conquerors in exchange for privileges.
“Any other developments in Yan Province?”
“Recently, merchants from Hebei have been moving in and out of the Puyang area in Yan Province, which has Lady Wei quite concerned.”
“Hebei… That means Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan are still fighting, right?”
“Yes. Because of that, Hebei merchants are buying up large quantities of salt and iron in Yan Province.”
With the war intensifying on their side, it made sense.
“Especially after General Gongsun Zan attacked and killed Inspector Liu Yu of You Province, the conflict has grown even fiercer. The regions of You Province, Qing Province, and Ji Province have become complete chaos.”
So Gongsun Zan had finally killed Liu Yu. He already had many enemies because of his violent temper. If he had killed Liu Yu—an imperial clansman and renowned scholar who was Inspector of You Province—then it was truly over for him.
Just as in the original history, Gongsun Zan would meet a miserable end, and Hebei would ultimately fall into Yuan Shao’s hands.
It was good to know these things in advance. But even knowing them, there was nothing I could do about it right now.
It felt like I was playing as a Cao clan general character in a predetermined historical game set in this chaotic era…
“My lord?”
“Ah! Right. I was thinking for a moment.”
In any case, Huayan had given me a great deal of information. I needed to read the overall situation and figure out what I should do moving forward.
What I had to do immediately was either join the army when Cao Cao launched his second invasion of Xu Province after my training, or prevent the rebellion of Lu Bu and Chen Gong beforehand.
Even after finishing my bath, those thoughts refused to leave my mind.
“My lord, I will now dry your body and help you dress.”
I entrusted every part of myself to Huayan. Once I was dressed in fresh clothes, I prepared to head to the Xu Province government office for work.
“I wish you eternal good fortune. I look forward to seeing you again.”
“Yes. Stay healthy even after I return to Yan Province.”
I bid farewell to Huayan and the people of the Wei Merchant Group before setting out.
After that, I saw off Cao Song as he returned from staying in Qiao County following the Cao clan’s family banquet. Then I immersed myself in training once more.
The weather in Qiao County grew even colder in January. It seemed this extreme training would continue until spring arrived.
“Alright, good work today everyone. It’s cold, so let’s go inside and have a bowl of meat soup with some wine!”
I led the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry officers and concluded the day’s training. Cao Ang also dropped formalities and moved with us.
“Your mounted archery today was truly impressive.”
“Now you understand why mounted archers are such an important branch.”
Both Cao Ang and I had stood out in horsemanship and archery training. Cao Chun, commander of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, had praised us endlessly and continued to send reports to Cao Cao.
“I really want to show today’s target to Father and Mother. Even though I shot it myself, I hit the mark perfectly.”
Cao Ang looked satisfied as he carefully collected the target he had shot while riding. Even in this era, such things existed—soldiers proudly showing off targets that demonstrated perfect accuracy.
“If you show that to Uncle Zihua, he’ll send it straight to Jinliu.”
“Should I really ask him to?”
It seemed he genuinely wanted to boast and be recognized for it. Well, since Cao Cao was never stingy with praise, he would surely find his son admirable.
As we were heading back, a military officer suddenly came running in a hurry.
“Lord Wenlie.”
“What is it?”
“A messenger has arrived from Dong Commandery. Please come quickly.”
“Only me?”
“Yes. It is a letter from the Inspector of Yan Province addressed to Lord Wenlie.”
“Hmm—”
“Go ahead. It seems Father is looking for you.”
Cao Ang gave me a push on the back, and I followed the officer into Cao Chun’s office.
“Uncle, it is Wenlie.”
“Ah, yes. The officer was looking for you.”
The person who had come from Yan Province was a very familiar face.
“Lord Wenlie, it has been a long time.”
“Ah, Li Zheng!”
Li Zheng—son of Li Jian and my former cousin. It had been a long time since I last saw him after the Xu Province campaign.
“My lord, I came here urgently on our lord’s orders.”
“I see. What is it?”
“Our lord’s message is this: Return to the government office in Jinliu City within thirty days!”
Ah, this familiar taste again…
Before spring arrived, Cao Cao was calling me back to Jinliu.
“Did he say only me?”
“That is correct.”
“Hah, so Brother Mengde thinks his son Zixu still needs more training.”
Cao Chun had secretly hoped that his nephew Cao Ang would be sent along as well, but since the order was only for me, he looked somewhat disappointed.
“Return to Jinliu within thirty days… Does that mean I should finish all my work here and come at a leisurely pace?”
“He may have said that, but even if you walk as slowly as possible from here to Jinliu, it would only take three days. It would be best to go quickly.”
Cao Chun stood up and patted my shoulder.
“Wenlie, I have trained many cavalrymen over the years, but you and Zixu were truly special. You will surely become a renowned cavalry commander for our family.”
“Thank you, Uncle Zihua.”
Along with my master back in Wu Commandery, Cao Chun had become one of my greatest teachers. Thanks to him, I had accumulated tremendous experience with cavalry, enough to show off in front of Cao Cao.
“First, I should go home, pack my things, and say goodbye to Mother.”
It would have been nice if she could go to Yan Province with me, but Mother had stubbornly refused, saying several times that she would live and die on her native soil. Well, she was getting along well with the Cao clan relatives here, so there was no real problem…
On my way, I decided to take Cao Ang’s target as well and show it to Cao Cao. That way, Cao Cao would probably call Cao Ang to Jinliu before long.
Meanwhile, in Jinliu City of Yan Province, Cao Cao was holding a meeting with his strategists.
“My lord, it is certain. Chen Gong has already harbored thoughts of treason.”
“Zhicai, are you saying that again?”
Xi Zhicai had stepped forward aggressively, urging Cao Cao to purge Chen Gong because he had turned disloyal.
“Master Xi. Lord Chen Gong was the one who recommended our lord as Inspector of Yan Province. If we carelessly suspect and purge such a person, what will happen?”
Xun Yu explained gently with a benevolent smile, and Cao Cao nodded in agreement.
“Mm, that is true. In fact, didn’t Chen Gong persuade the powerful clans of Yan Province to elect me as Inspector? But since this is only a temporary post, purging Chen Gong would be rather awkward.”
“My lord, but Chen Gong is no longer the Chen Gong of old. Ever since the elder Bian Yang of the Yan Province clans died, he has rarely come to Jinliu City. There are also reports that he frequently holds suspicious conversations with other clan leaders, are there not?”
“No. I know Chen Gong well. He is exactly the Chen Gong I knew in the past.”
At that point, Xun You also stepped forward.
“Chen Gong is one thing, but there is also the matter of Zhang Miao, the Administrator of Puyang.”
“That is correct. This time, Yuan Gong of Hebei sent three thousand taels of gold, and he subtly included instructions regarding how to handle Zhang Miao, did he not?”
Cheng Yu chimed in as well. The moment Cao Cao heard those words, he frowned.
“So Brother Benchu thinks of me as a hired blade. Well, after the Xu Province campaign he did send me to train troops, so I suppose I should put them to good use.”
When Yuan Shao of Hebei heard that Cao Cao’s family had been attacked and a massive amount of wealth stolen, he readily sent part of his own assets to Cao Cao.
Of course, the true conditions attached were inferences regarding the ‘mastermind behind the attack on the Cao family’s wealth,’ ‘military funds to fight the anti-Yuan Shao faction,’ and ‘how to handle Zhang Miao.’
“My lord, Zhang Miao is someone who originally opposed Yuan Shao, fled, and sought refuge with you. If that man has colluded with Chen Gong and harbors other intentions, should we not handle him exactly as Lord Yuan instructed in his letter?”
“Indeed. After Bian Yang’s death, the Yan Province clans in Puyang are once again trying to raise their voices against you by creating someone who will speak for them.”
At the words of Xun You and Cheng Yu, Cao Cao thought for a moment before muttering in a low voice.
“I trust and heavily employ Chen Gong, so I do not believe he would think of treason. But Zhang Miao is different. He is not someone I have heavily employed, and the fact that he is gathering the Yan Province clans separately is suspicious.”
Cao Cao had already come to see Zhang Miao—rather than Chen Gong—as the mastermind behind the ‘rebellious forces in Yan Province.’ Moreover, since Yuan Shao had made the request, it was the perfect opportunity to once again show the Yan Province clans exactly who held the center of power here. Before drawing his blade, he needed someone to deliver this final ultimatum.
“I need to send a capable fellow to Puyang to investigate thoroughly. Ah, and while he’s at it, he should also properly admonish Chen Gong.”
In the end, to suppress the growing discontent of the Yan Province clans even after Bian Yang’s death, the next target for purging had already been decided.