The Heart of Puyang
Puyang was a straight shot north from Chenliu.
It was roughly two days’ ride along a road that stretched in a perfect line. Along the way we stopped at an inn, where I sat down with Xu Shu to talk.
“I heard quite a few things before heading to Puyang.”
“If you’ve already heard Master Gongda’s explanation, then you must understand the situation with Yuan Zhi-xiong as well.”
“Mm. More or less.”
Thanks to that, the conversation flowed easily.
“So the reason we were told to investigate Puyang is because signs of rebellion can be felt here. Correct?”
“Exactly.”
Even though we were inside a private room at the inn, Xu Shu kept turning his head, checking whether anyone might be listening. After confirming several times that the hallway was empty, he spoke again.
“What does Yuan Zhi-xiong think?”
“Master Gongda said that all the unusual energy stirring in Puyang right now stems entirely from Prefect Zhang Miao.”
“I see.”
Of course I already knew the truth. That was precisely why I wanted to hear what Cao Cao’s advisors at this moment in time actually thought.
“I’ve heard that this man Zhang Miao was originally a close friend of Yuan Shao, the Governor of Ji Province in Hebei, and also had a friendly relationship with my lord. But after clashing with Yuan Shao, he left Hebei and sought shelter with my uncle.”
“My uncle, who was recommended by the great clans of Yan Province, appointed Zhang Miao as Prefect of Puyang. After all, Zhang Miao himself is from Yan Province.”
“Yes, I heard that too. And after the death of Bian Rang, those among the Yan Province gentry who hold grudges against my uncle have gathered around Zhang Miao.”
It seemed he had a decent grasp of the overall situation.
“That’s why Master Gongda told us to keep a close eye on Zhang Miao. And if he truly is preparing a rebellion…”
“A great war will break out across Yan Province.”
“What a man without a shred of honor. My uncle took in someone with nowhere else to go and even seated him as prefect of his own homeland, yet he dreams of rebellion? He has neither righteousness nor cooperation!”
One could see it that way. Or perhaps, after the suspicious death of Bian Rang, the discontent among the Yan Province gentry had grown so severe that they had no choice but to rally behind him. Either way, Zhang Miao was the perfect figure to serve as a focal point for those who shared the common ground of “being from Yan Province.”
“However, our orders are simply to observe. Therefore, if Zhang Miao treats us with utmost hospitality, we are to accept it all and respond in kind.”
“Mm. There was one other person who said something similar.”
“Who might that be?”
“Master Xi Zhicai.”
“!”
This was the same man who had previously spoken of the “vertical alliance” between Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, and Liu Yu versus the “horizontal alliance” of Yuan Shu, Gongsun Zan, Tao Qian, and Zhang Yan.
Of course, I had told Xun You that “he only knows half the story,” which had resulted in Xi Zhicai being evaluated as one step beneath Xun You as a strategist.
“Master Zhicai said that Zhang Miao isn’t even capable of such a thing, and that the person we should truly suspect is Chen Gong.”
“Is that so?”
“Yet both Master Gongda and Master Wenruo told us not to suspect Chen Gong, but to suspect Zhang Miao instead.”
Hmm. This time it seemed Xi Zhicai was right and both Xun Yu and Xun You were wrong. If a rebellion truly broke out in Yan Province, its mastermind would be Chen Gong, not Zhang Miao.
Zhang Miao had been elevated to prefect simply because he was from Yan Province, but his position was precarious. Having been marked by Yuan Shao in Hebei, he was little more than a figurehead whose foundation could collapse at any moment.
Chen Gong, on the other hand, was a native of Yan Province. He had united the local gentry, recommended Cao Cao as Governor of Yan Province, and now stood as the new focal point of the Yan Province gentry alliance—one who could speak boldly even to Cao Cao himself.
In truth, most of the strategists and military advisors who appeared in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms of this era were like that. Some were loyal generals who swore fealty to a warlord truly aiming for greatness, while others acted as representatives of the powerful local clans, conveying their interests and holding shares in the enterprise.
In modern terms, the lord was the chairman, his retainers were the founding executive members, and the rest were directors who had joined with their own stakes.
“In any case, I intend to go to Puyang, carry out my orders, and report exactly what I see and hear.”
“I will do the same.”
“We should arrive tomorrow without issue.”
Since the topic had come up here, all that remained was to confirm it once we reached Puyang.
Puyang was an incredibly splendid city.
Chenliu had been bustling with people, but this place surpassed it. Most of the traffic consisted of ox-drawn carts hauling enormous quantities of goods.
“Wait, are those horns from water buffalo of the southern regions? There were that many of them?”
“They say composite bows made from them can produce exceptional archers.”
“Don’t tell me all of that is salt? What an astonishing amount.”
Having visited quite a few cities by now, I had never seen one so prosperous. Puyang truly displayed the pinnacle of commerce—even the merchants strolling through the streets wore fine silk robes.
“If I just stood here all day staring at the market, I’d lose track of time completely.”
“And it is precisely because of places like this that my uncle continues to secure military funds.”
While admiring the vibrant scenery of Puyang with Xu Shu, we made our way to the prefectural office to meet Prefect Zhang Miao.
“Aiya, who do we have here? If it isn’t A-Man’s nephew coming all the way to visit!”
The portly Prefect Zhang Miao, sporting a lush beard, came running out in his socks and pulled me into a bear hug. Then he laughed heartily and greeted Xu Shu as well.
“How wonderful to see again the heroes who saved A-Man’s father and younger brothers! Come, come inside!”
“We are grateful for your warm welcome, Lord Prefect.”
“Hahaha, what Lord Prefect? Just call me Uncle.”
Well, he was older than Cao Cao and of the same generation as Yuan Shao, so I suppose he wanted me to call him “great-uncle.”
“Gongda, come see who has arrived.”
“Oh? You are…?”
“Master Gongda. It has been a long time.”
As Zhang Miao showed us around the office and introduced various people, he brought us to Chen Gong’s workspace so we could meet him.
“You’ve become even more manly since I last saw you. A fine, upstanding man indeed.”
“Thank you for the praise.”
Chen Gong also received me with great warmth. At this rate, it seemed everyone in Puyang was treating me with exceptional hospitality. The atmosphere was pleasant.
How nice it would be if this mood continued, allowing both Puyang and Chenliu to grow closer with Cao Cao at the center.
After greeting everyone, Zhang Miao turned back to me.
“So, what brings you here so suddenly without any prior word?”
“Mengde Uncle told me to visit Puyang. He said I should greet Uncle Zhang, pay my respects to Master Gongda, greet the local gentry, and then rest well before returning.”
“Oh? So he wants you to make an impression on the Puyang gentry.”
Zhang Miao immediately understood and snapped his fingers, calling for his subordinates.
“We must prepare a grand banquet tonight to welcome our esteemed guest. Invite the gentry as well.”
“Understood.”
It looked like our very first night in Puyang would be a lavish feast. When evening came, although it was Zhang Miao’s invitation, Chen Gong did not appear.
“Master Gongda isn’t coming?”
“He seems to have caught a slight cold. But you’ll be staying here a day or two, won’t you? We can hold another banquet next time, so don’t worry.”
He hadn’t looked particularly ill. It seemed he had deliberately excused himself.
Still, since Zhang Miao was hosting the feast, I found myself participating in an extravagant gathering inside one of Puyang’s largest mansions.
Numerous gentry from Puyang were present. Every table groaned under such lavish food and drink that the legs seemed ready to snap. Courtesans attended to each guest, while dancers performed in the center accompanied by music.
“My lord, allow me to serve you.”
“Ah, um… You don’t have to do that. I have hands of my own.”
Xu Shu was still terribly awkward whenever a woman sat beside him to attend to his needs. If this hadn’t been an official mission, he probably would have bolted immediately, declaring, “I cannot endure this.”
When Xu Shu looked at me with an awkward expression, I simply nodded, asking him to endure it a little longer. At that moment, Zhang Miao called out to me.
“Wenlie, allow me to introduce them one by one. This is Lord Gao. The Gao clan has produced many renowned scholars in both Hebei and Yan Province.”
The Gao family—Gao Yu, Gao Gan, Gao Rou, and others—who would become deeply entangled with both Cao Cao’s and Yuan Shao’s armies, originated from Yan Province.
“This is Lord Wu. By the way, his elder brother once served as a commander under the Grand General and was quite the warrior.”
“I am Cao Xiu.”
“Ho, what a large frame and dignified face. You are surely destined to become a general.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“Next we have Lord Wang. They say half the rice produced throughout Yan Province is cultivated on his land.”
“You’re Cao Xiu, yes? When you return to Chenliu, put in a good word for me. Hehe~”
Even without memorizing every name, it was clear they were the eldest sons of the great clans—Lord Gao, Lord Wu, Lord Wang, Lord Lu, and so on.
They repeatedly offered me cups of wine, asking me to look after them, and I accepted and drank as they gave. As Cao Cao had instructed, since they were treating me with utmost respect, I would simply carry out my mission of enjoying it to the fullest.
The drinking party continued without pause. As the night wore on with every sign of lasting until dawn, more and more faces began to flush red.
I kept my mind sharp, sustaining myself with the snacks fed to me by the courtesans sitting at my side.
Then one of the somewhat intoxicated gentry members spoke up.
“You’re the nephew that the Governor cherishes most, correct? I truly have a request to make.”
“Pardon?”
A sudden petition in a situation like this?
“Ah, Lord Lu. On such a fine day, what are you…”
“Prefect Zhang, I simply must say this.”
At that moment, a courtesan moved to refill my cup. I immediately raised my hand to stop her.
Now was the time to listen.
“Yan Province, as you know, sits upon vast plains and has long been the center of trade and logistics between Hebei, Luoyang, and Xuzhou. It has always been a hub for both merchants and agriculture.”
If Xuzhou, which bordered the sea, had grown through the distribution of salt and seafood, then this place served as a logistical center, situated at the midpoint between Hebei, Luoyang, and Xuzhou.
“Our family has also grown by managing numerous trading companies for generations. However, lately the Governor only keeps that ‘female merchant leader’ by his side, and she is taking away far too much of our livelihood.”
“You there! Are you drunk? How dare you speak of the Governor in such a manner?”
Zhang Miao, with his large frame, hurried over in a fluster to stop Lord Lu. But the man had already opened the floodgates.
“We own hundreds, thousands of mu of land. We rent it out to tenants and produce crops, yet everything is requisitioned as military rations. And if we try to do any business at all, those people from Chenliu keep an iron grip on everything!”
“Those Yingchuan bastards. They treat us like walking treasure chests!”
This was them using the excuse of intoxication to voice their long-held grievances against Cao Cao. Zhang Miao kept trying to intervene with an awkward expression, but once they had begun to run wild, there was no stopping them.
“Everyone, I understand your dissatisfaction, but you must not speak like this. Don’t you know? The ‘Wei Trading Company’ that the Governor of Yan Province favors most is also from the Chenliu gentry of Yan Province.”
Zhang Miao’s desperate attempt to smooth things over. Indeed, the person who had first supported Cao Cao and provided the greatest help when he was recommended as Governor of Yan Province was Wei Zi.
Although he was now deceased, his younger sister Wei Hong and his young son Wei Zhen remained.
But the very Lord Lu who had been shouting suddenly cried out.
“We all respected the late Lord Wei Zijing! But that sister of his—we do not!”
“Y-you—!”
Oh dear!
That was truly crossing the line. They could accept Wei Zi, but not Wei Hong? Why?
Was it because Wei Zi was a man while Wei Hong was a female merchant leader? Or because Wei Zi had been a scholar recommended through the filial and incorrupt system, whereas Wei Hong ran high-class courtesan houses and employed beautiful women as part of her schemes? Or perhaps because, although they were all part of the Yan Province merchant alliance, they resented being forced to unite under Wei Hong at Cao Cao’s command?
“The late Lord Bian Rang was also concerned about this. If things continue, we too might end up like ‘Lady Ye’… Ugh!”
“S-servants! Lord Lu seems to be drunk and speaking nonsense! Bring his retainers immediately and escort him home!”
Zhang Miao’s massive body trembled as his face turned deathly pale. He clamped his hand over Lord Lu’s mouth and tried to drag him away.
But I had already heard everything.
The story of how the entire Ye clan had been slaughtered by Cao Cao was already infamous. And Ye Ba, too, had been a prestigious gentry leader and head of a trading company. When Cao Cao later raised his army, the person he sought in place of the dead Ye Ba was none other than Wei Zi of the Wei Trading Company.
Having heard this, one thing was now certain.
This was not merely a conflict between the Yan Province faction and the Yingchuan faction, nor was it simple discontent among the local gentry. It was a deeply rooted, inherent discord between the powerful clans that had formed the moment they had jointly recommended Cao Cao as Governor of Yan Province—a tangled knot that would be extremely difficult to unravel.
…Mengde Uncle. Did you anticipate all of this and send me here to confirm it?