Ultimatum to Puyang
Cao Xiu left, guided by the servants of the Jiao household.
Some time later, shadows moved through the late night.
“You’re certain?”
“My lord, Young Master Cao departed some time ago.”
A group hurried toward the inn where Cao Xiu was staying.
“The man who showed the Wei Merchant Group’s silver token and bought swords from Xiliang—he came here from the start to spy on the large quantity of weapons in Puyang.”
“As you ordered, my lord, I reported immediately when I saw him trying to purchase a large number of fine blades. He tried to disguise it by buying women’s ornaments as well, hehe—”
The man following him was the merchant Yang Jia, who had tried to sell “special goods” to Cao Xiu and Xu Shu during the day. Yang Jia’s master headed straight for Cao Xiu’s room.
“My lord, what brings you here?”
“Step aside.”
The maids tidying the room looked bewildered, but after dismissing them all, he tried to enter the empty room.
Just then—
“Who are you, barging into someone else’s quarters without permission?”
“Huh?”
Someone blocked his path. Emerging from the darkness with a lantern was a tall scholar.
“Ah, Master Gongdai!”
“I wondered who it was. So it is Zhang Zhongzhuo, the younger brother of the Governor of Puyang.”
Zhang Chao, courtesy name Zhongzhuo, was Zhang Miao’s younger brother and held the post of managing the market for the powerful local clans within Puyang.
“The man staying in that room left earlier. Why are you trying to enter? Does the governor’s brother intend to search a guest’s room?”
“Ah, of course not. My elder brother told me to treat him well, so I thought I would clean the room. Ahahaha—”
“Do you have so little to do in Puyang? You came in person instead of sending servants?”
Chen Gong pressed him as though the excuse were absurd. Zhang Chao forced an awkward laugh, then suddenly grabbed Chen Gong’s sleeve and dragged him out into the rear garden.
“Master Gongdai, do you understand how serious this is?”
“What are you talking about? Did you sell something to Young Master Cao and Scholar Xu that should never have been sold on the open market?”
“I’m ashamed to admit it, but yes. It seems some of what we prepared has been exposed. I was going to search the room to see if he had sent a report.”
Chen Gong’s expression twisted at once.
“So you opened the secret armory for a little profit after all!”
“It was also bait. If we hid everything completely, they might have searched elsewhere…”
“If you truly sold it thinking it was bait, that is the worst of all possible moves.”
In the end, it was only a matter of time before Cao Cao learned that large quantities of military weapons were hidden in Puyang. Yet Chen Gong had still tried every measure for the sake of Puyang’s powerful clans until the very last moment.
“Even if it becomes known, we can still explain ourselves to the Governor of Yan Province. So stop thinking like a petty thief and searching other people’s rooms.”
“Master Gongdai, but—”
“I will not say it twice.”
Thanks to Chen Gong blocking the way with fierce eyes, Zhang Chao had no choice but to withdraw. After Zhang Chao’s group left, Chen Gong gazed at the moon and muttered bitterly under his breath.
“When superiors and subordinates suspect one another, division follows… Whose fault is this?”
Was it the fault of Cao Cao, the Governor of Yan Province they had elevated, for distrusting the local clans? Or was it the fault of the Yan Province clans below him for distrusting Cao Cao in return?
What was certain was that Chen Gong had been the first to realize the trust between both sides was already breaking.
“Aigoo, at this rate my body will waste away.”
“Come now, how can a young hero say such a thing?”
“That’s right. Heroes are lustful by nature—who would refuse ten beauties?”
The local clans had summoned even more dazzling beauties than the previous night and seated them all around me.
In particular, the host of today’s banquet, Lord Jiao, was a wealthy man whose merchant operations were considerable, though not on the scale of the Wang, Lu, or Wu clans. As a member of Jiao Mao’s former household—the former Inspector of Yu Province—he also had connections in official circles.
“My lord, your collar looks heavy.”
“Hm?”
One of the courtesans suddenly slipped her hand inside my robe and began to feel my body.
“Aah, you don’t need to knead it like that. If it looks heavy, I can just take it off.”
“Hoho, give it here. This humble one will fold it properly for you.”
Two courtesans clung to me and finally stripped off my silk robe, carefully laying it across my knees. Immediately afterward, another courtesan pressed against me and ran her hands over my body.
“Your body is truly magnificent. So this is what a hero’s physique looks like?”
“Hahaha, don’t overdo it. There are other guests here as well.”
“But aren’t you the star of this gathering, and the most handsome man present?”
Of course the courtesans had come to seduce me, so they showered me with flattery while the other clan heads chimed in. I didn’t dislike it. It seemed I would spend another intense night tonight.
Even just the way these women kept touching me everywhere…
“Open the door! Are you in there?”
“Hm?”
Xu Shu’s voice—urgent, calling for me.
I dismissed the courtesans and rose from my seat.
“My robe.”
“H-here it is.”
The courtesans quickly helped me back into the neatly folded robe they had placed on my knees.
“Good heavens, what could make that scholar sound so urgent?”
“Never mind that—just let him in. Bring Scholar Xu inside!”
At Lord Jiao’s command the door opened and Xu Shu rushed in. He frowned when he saw the courtesans attending me, but spoke even more urgently.
“Wenlie! We must leave for Chenliu at once.”
“What? Suddenly?”
What? We were supposed to leave in two days. If we went now, everyone would grow suspicious.
“Urgent news from Chenliu. My mother has fallen gravely ill and is asking for me.”
“What?”
“Oh no!”
At Xu Shu’s urgent tone, not only I but all the clan heads who had been drinking rose to their feet.
“This is terrible. If it concerns your mother, you must go at once.”
“That’s right! I’ll open my stables—choose any horse you like and be on your way.”
The clan heads urged Xu Shu to leave quickly. Flustered, Xu Shu asked them,
“Where is Governor Zhang? I must speak with him before I go.”
“Come with me.”
Even half-drunk, I hurried after Xu Shu. Watching him move so urgently, I realized this really was news from Chenliu. For Xu Shu, who had grown up under his widowed mother and was extremely sensitive about family matters, this was critical.
“It seems we must part like this. I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right. Take good care of your mother’s health. And this…”
“Hm?”
I unfastened my metal belt.
“What are you doing?”
“Hm, it was safe here. Give this to the Governor of Yan Province.”
“!?”
“I actually wrote an interim report earlier.”
I had prepared the interim report before coming to the banquet. While organizing things, I had thought… really, it probably wouldn’t happen, but if someone sneaked in while I was away and searched the room, they might find it and try to detain me in Puyang, burying me in wine and women.
So I had deliberately folded it and tucked it inside the belt. Earlier, when the courtesans kept trying to strip me and feel around my body, it had seemed suspicious.
The way their hands moved felt like they were searching for something hidden on me. Hmm…
“This must be fate. Please take it, Yuanzhi.”
“Understood. I’ll deliver it.”
“I pray your mother recovers quickly.”
“Thank you.”
Xu Shu left that very night after receiving Zhang Miao’s permission, carrying the interim report I had given him.
“The wine’s worn off completely.”
Tonight, it seemed I would have to return after drinking only moderately.
After that, I avoided the lavish banquets. Of course I still attended lighter gatherings, but while doing so I followed Zhang Miao, observed the surroundings, confirmed the presence of bandit groups, and learned every detail of Puyang’s logistics.
“Governor, I’ve been thinking while staying here.”
“What is it?”
“The powerful clans of Puyang spend lavishly and treat their guests with great hospitality.”
“I’m glad you think so. I hope the Governor of Yan Province recognizes our sincerity.”
Zhang Miao continued to treat me with his usual good-natured demeanor. Now all that remained was to wait for Cao Cao’s reply.
And it came immediately.
“Governor!”
“Hm?”
A messenger rushed in and reported.
“Governor, someone has arrived from Yan Province. They say it is a letter personally sent by the Governor of Yan Province.”
“Oh, is that so?”
I followed Zhang Miao straight to the government office. Since Cao Cao now knew everything, the result would soon be clear.
When the letter was read, all of Puyang’s powerful clans were gathered in one place, along with Chen Gong.
“Read it.”
“This is…”
“It’s all right. Read it.”
At Zhang Miao’s command, the official who received the letter began to read slowly.
In the name of the Governor of Yan Province, it is hereby decreed: Previously, when attacking Xu Province, I led twenty thousand elite troops but was forced to postpone due to interference from Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shu and insufficient preparations for a prolonged campaign.
Therefore, this time we shall treat the conquest of Xu Province as a long-term operation and combine the supplies of Chenliu and Puyang, the two centers of Yan Province.
Until Xu Province is occupied, all powerful merchant clans operating in Puyang shall gather in Chenliu, merge their merchant groups, and take charge of rear-line logistics centered around them.
Furthermore, for this expedition against Xu Province, Puyang must prepare a large quantity of weapons and conscript troops to ready ten thousand soldiers. Governor Zhang Miao shall be appointed commander, and Chen Gong shall be granted the rank of Military Affairs Attendant to oversee Puyang’s military authority and assist him.
The powerful clans began to murmur in discontent. They had treated me lavishly, asking for favors, yet Cao Cao’s reply was uncompromising.
“What is this?”
“This is…”
‘What does this mean?’
‘He says “until Xu Province is occupied,” but isn’t he really telling us to pool all our assets and hand them over as military funds?’
‘Does the Governor of Yan Province intend to strip Puyang bare?’
The murmurs of the clan heads’ discontent grew louder. Zhang Miao wore a troubled expression. Chen Gong’s face showed—
“…”
Exactly what I expected. He wore a bitter smile, as if to say, “I knew it would come to this.”
At this, the already distorted faces of the clan heads changed once more. This truly put the powerful clans of Puyang in a desperate position.
While mobilizing the wealth of Puyang’s clans to conscript and arm troops, the person in charge would be one of those very same “Yan Province natives” they had always complained were being favored. The post of Military Affairs Attendant was itself the position responsible for managing a local governor’s soldiers—second only to the Governor of Yan Province in military authority.
In other words, Cao Cao was forcing Puyang’s powerful clans to choose between their wealth and military power.
Perhaps… this could be resolved without Lu Bu even appearing, without his name ever being mentioned while I stayed here?
That is, if Chen Gong fully accepted all of this.