Strange Rumors After the Victory
The war had ended.
The rebellion in Yan Province was suppressed with startling speed. Cao Cao now held every powerful clan in the province firmly under his heel, and no one could dispute that he had become the undisputed master of Yan Province.
Afterward, Cao Ang and I returned with the heads of the Zhang Miao and Zhang Chao brothers. Cao Cao was overjoyed and bestowed upon us a generous reward.
Three hundred taels of gold.
It was an enormous sum, yet I had no real use for it. Food, clothing, and shelter were all provided at Cao Cao’s residence, and there was nothing in particular I wanted to collect. In the end, the only thing to do with such wealth was to spend it lavishly—throwing banquets and treating everyone generously.
“My, my… how could I possibly accept such a gift from you?”
“How could anyone claim the generals were the only ones who distinguished themselves in this campaign? The strategists working behind the lines played a vital role as well. Please accept this small token of my appreciation.”
I had come straight to Xun Yu’s residence, where the air was thick with the sweet scent of incense the moment I stepped inside. To Xun Yu himself, I presented rare aromatic herbs and an exquisite incense burner I had purchased through Wei Hong’s merchant network.
Xun Yu’s face lit up with genuine delight. He set down the brush he had been using and rose to welcome me warmly.
“As expected of our lord’s own flesh and blood. The feats you accomplished this time surpassed those of any general.”
“You flatter me.”
Xun Yu always addressed others with the utmost courtesy and respect. He was a refined, handsome man whose gentle smile perfectly matched his polite nature. In fact, people in Yan Province often said that while opinions might differ on others, no one ever spoke ill of Xun Yu.
“Not at all. Your martial prowess will soon spread beyond Yan Province and across the land. After all, you nearly took the head of the mighty Lu Bu himself, did you not?”
“…Excuse me?”
What was he talking about? Who nearly killed whom?
When I pressed him for an explanation, Xun Yu smiled and continued.
“The story has already spread throughout Puyang. They say Lu Bu charged at our lord, but you drew your sword to protect him. You nearly severed Lu Bu’s neck, but in the end only managed to cut off his topknot by a hair’s breadth.”
“W-wait, what?”
This was wildly different from what had actually happened.
Xiahou Dun and Xu Shu had stepped forward to engage the monster, and I had only thrust my blade into an opening. Even then Lu Bu had dodged, and instead of his head or neck, my sword had only sliced through his topknot.
Flustered, I quickly corrected him.
“The truth is rather… different. It is true that I cut his topknot, but only because I was fighting alongside General Xiahou and Master Xu Yuanzhi. We barely managed to hold him off together.”
And if that giant warrior—Dian Wei, I had since learned his name—had not been there at the end, Lu Bu would have gone completely berserk and likely killed one of us.
“Haha, so Lord Cao Xiu possesses both outstanding martial talent and strategic insight, yet remains so humble?”
“What are you talking about? I barely survived Lu Bu’s attack! If Uncle Xiahou hadn’t been there, I would have died for certain.”
“To credit your superiors with such a magnificent achievement is truly admirable.”
No matter what I said, Xun Yu refused to listen. In his mind, I had already become some colossal hero who had nearly slain the monster known as Lu Bu.
“Lord Wen Lie, the important part is this.”
“What part?”
“Regardless of the exact details, what people are repeating in the streets is that Lu Bu fled Yan Province after you cut off his topknot with your sword.”
“!”
No matter how you looked at it… if a rumor like that spread… Wait.
Only a handful of us knew the truth: myself, Xiahou Dun, and Xu Shu, who had been present at the scene. But Cao Cao had witnessed everything too. Could my uncle have…?
“…Did you deliberately spread this rumor? To turn Lu Bu’s fearsome reputation into something almost comical within Yan Province?”
Instead of answering, Xun Yu simply offered a faint, knowing smile.
“Lord Wen Lie, our lord considers it the greatest honor of his life to command the finest talents under heaven. If one of those talents happens to be his own nephew, he would naturally be even more pleased to see the family’s prestige rise.”
“I understand what you’re saying, but…”
“Well then, I believe I have said all I need to. It seems today will not be the only visit you make. You must have prepared modest gifts for the others as well, yes?”
As expected of Xun Yu. He had already guessed that I planned to use Cao Cao’s reward to distribute presents everywhere and was gently urging me to go greet the others.
“Lord Xun, I will visit you again soon.”
“Of course. Since I have received such a precious gift, I will prepare a proper return gift before long.”
Xun Yu accompanied me all the way outside and bowed respectfully in farewell. By the time I left his residence, my clothes and hair carried a faint, lingering fragrance of incense.
“Shall we head to the younger Lord Xun’s house next?”
“Hahaha! So the rumor spreading through Yan Province—that tale of you cutting off Lu Bu’s topknot—is making you uncomfortable?”
“If an undeserved reputation spreads too far, I fear I’ll end up looking like a boastful fraud.”
“What does that matter? If another battlefield awaits us, you simply need to achieve feats worthy of that reputation. Then the fame will become genuine, won’t it?”
Unlike his cousin, Xun You greeted me with his usual bold enthusiasm. The moment I arrived, he had an extravagant feast prepared—so lavish the table legs looked ready to snap—and welcomed me warmly.
The gift I brought for him was the finest brocade from the Shu region. I told him to have new formal robes made for both himself and the concubine he would soon welcome from Wei Hong’s courtesan house.
“To be honest, when I first heard the rumor back in Chenliu, I doubted my own ears. I know better than most just how much of a bloodthirsty boar Lu Bu truly is.”
“Haha… yes, I’m sure you do.”
“Not only our lord, but I too once tried to assassinate Dong Zhuo with a blade in Chang’an. When I think of Lu Bu back then… ugh! I’d rather not even imagine it.”
People usually only remembered that Cao Cao had attempted to assassinate Dong Zhuo by sneaking into his bedchamber with a knife. Few knew that Xun You had also joined hands with righteous swordsmen to plot the tyrant’s death, only to be captured. It was a famous anecdote that he had been imprisoned in Chang’an’s underground dungeon and was on the verge of execution when Dong Zhuo was finally slain, earning him a pardon.
“I’ve been exchanging letters with Yuanzhi while he recovers in Puyang. To think you actually thrust your sword at that monster Lu Bu in the middle of battle—your courage is truly remarkable.”
“In the end, we still lost.”
“Didn’t I just tell you? All you need to do is take the heads of more renowned generals in the battles to come. Just like how you claimed the heads of the Zhang Miao and Zhang Chao brothers.”
“Will that really be enough?”
“Of course! I can already imagine the story spreading through the marketplaces: the nephew of Yan Province’s governor possesses such skill that he could slice off even Lu Bu’s topknot. He pursued and executed the traitors Zhang Miao and Zhang Chao, and every time he takes the field, he claims the head of an enemy commander. A truly valiant warrior.”
Xun You emptied his wine cup in one gulp, wiped the droplets from his beard, and flicked his fingers as he spoke.
“Zhang Miao and Zhang Chao were once counted among the greatest heroes of the north—men even Yuan Shao and our lord acknowledged. And you took their heads.”
“I don’t know when the next campaign will be, but… I understand. I will do my best to live up to that expectation.”
Now it was clear.
Within Cao Cao’s army, someone had deliberately spread the rumor to diminish Lu Bu’s fearsome image and emphasize the completeness of our victory. Those who knew the truth would probably laugh and ask, “You nearly killed Lu Bu?” But for the sake of army morale and winning the support of the local population, the story had to be told. What else could I do?
“I’ve become the protagonist of a misunderstanding story without even trying.”
“Wen Lie, what is a ‘misunderstanding story’?”
“It’s just an expression. When someone does something without any particular meaning, but those around them exaggerate it and praise them, forcing a reputation to appear out of nowhere. A kind of ‘misunderstanding.’”
“Hmm. Is it some kind of tactic? Misunderstanding Technique… I see.”
Oh no. I had accidentally muttered a modern term again. Xun You was already taking it seriously, treating it like some new military strategy.
After enjoying another generous reception at Xun You’s home and delivering the gift, I prepared to head to the next destination.
“Next time, bring Yuanzhi once he’s fully recovered and we’ll drink together again. Go safely.”
“Yes, Lord Xun.”
After bidding farewell to both the elder and younger Lord Xun, my next stop was the residence of Xi Zhicai, whose health had deteriorated significantly of late.
Even in his weakened state, Xi Zhicai received me while surrounded by numerous beautiful women attending to his every need.
“You came at just the right time. I’ve heard of your military exploits. As expected, you continue to exceed expectations.”
“How is your health these days?”
“Cough, cough! I feel like I’m dying. I can’t even drink wine, only these bitter medicines day after day.”
“Then I’m afraid the gift I brought is more of that bitter medicine. Still, I also brought some sugarcane candy from the south to help with the taste.”
After presenting the gifts to Xi Zhicai, I settled in to hear what wisdom he had to offer.
“Since I’m not your first stop, I assume you’re making the rounds according to rank. In that case, I’ll speak plainly.”
Given how frail Xi Zhicai looked, I wasn’t sure how many more conversations like this we would have. I had brought him the finest tonics, but whether he would follow history’s path and how many more years he had left was impossible to know.
“After driving off Lu Bu, our lord will temporarily set aside the conquest of Xu Province.”
“Why is that?”
“He believes stabilizing Yan Province is more important right now. Therefore, instead of looking east toward Xu Province, we must turn our eyes in the opposite direction. To the west.”
“West from Yan Province would be Luoyang, but that city has been in ruins for a long time.”
“And what lies west of Luoyang?”
“The Western Capital. Chang’an, of course. But right now it’s…”
Chang’an?
Xi Zhicai nodded as if I had answered correctly. At that moment, a commotion erupted outside.
“My lord, are you there?”
“What is it? Can’t you see I have a guest? Cough, cough!”
“The Governor has summoned you to the administrative office immediately.”
“!?”
“He also said that if Lord Wen Lie is with you, you should bring him along.”
What was this about? A sudden summons at this hour?
When I looked at Xi Zhicai, he gave a small smile and nodded.
“It seems our lord has already anticipated this move. Truly a remarkable man…”
“Since we’ve been called to the office, shall we go?”
Cao Cao was calling his strategists together late in the evening.
And I had now been granted the right to participate not only in military councils but in these strategy meetings as well.
I wondered what words would be spoken on this late night.