How Far Is Chang'an From Here?
I rose early that morning. After washing my face and eating breakfast, I prepared for the journey ahead.
“Oh ho ho ho, Wenlie.”
“Ah, Grand-Uncle.”
Cao Song, the elder of our household, had taken to simply wandering the gardens these days. Thanks to me, he had escaped the grim fate that awaited him in the original timeline and now lived a life of comfort and ease as Cao Cao’s father.
“I heard from Aman that you’re heading out to tour the Guanzhong region?”
“Yes, I volunteered in order to broaden my horizons.”
“Oh ho ho ho, indeed, indeed~ The Guanzhong area has always been home to many renowned scholars. In particular, the calligraphy of Master Cai Bojie is so precious that one could not buy it even for a thousand gold pieces.”
It seemed he did not know that my true purpose was to go to Chang’an as a spy and assess the situation there. Since I had simply said I was touring the region, Cao Song accepted it without question.
“Let me see… I believe I left it in my room. Child.”
“Yes, Grand Tutor.”
“Go to my room and find the volume about Chang’an. Bring it here if you see it.”
Cao Song ordered one of his favored concubines to fetch something. A short while later she returned with an old book. He licked his finger, flipped through the pages, and nodded.
“Yes, this is the one. Here, take it with you.”
“Grand-Uncle, what is this?”
“It contains information on the famous figures of the Guanzhong region. In the old days, those who appreciated refined pleasures would compile such records about notable gentlemen.”
In other words, it was like a directory of the notable personages in the Guanzhong area. If I could use this to locate and recruit some of them, it would mean gathering an incredible pool of talent.
I accepted the book from Cao Song with gratitude.
“That aside, once you leave, your sister-in-law will start pestering me again about grandchildren.”
“Ahaha… Are you speaking of Zixiu’s marriage?”
“I too wish to see my great-grandchildren soon, but our eldest grandson treats women like stones. Tsk tsk.”
I decided to hear the rest of the Cao family’s internal affairs when I returned. After offering my respects, I left the house.
After that, I received a great deal of information about the Chang’an region from Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, Xi Zhicai, Xun You, and the others. From portable maps I could carry in my robes to details about local specialties and the routes merchants used, I absorbed every scrap of useful intelligence.
Finally, I went to Cao Cao and reported before departure.
“Uncle, I will take my leave now.”
“Good. Still, sending you alone makes me uneasy. I should assign you a companion, shouldn’t I?”
“Anyone will do.”
“Really? Then take this fellow with you.”
At that moment the door opened and a giant of a man entered.
“Whoa—”
It was a face I had seen once before. Up close, the man was even more astonishingly tall, with shoulders twice as broad as mine and a body packed with muscle. He bowed deeply toward Cao Cao.
“Xiahou Dun really is blessed with good fortune. The deputy commander Han Hao you mentioned last time was quite capable, yet now you’ve brought in another hero like this. Hahaha!”
The giant formally introduced himself to me.
“I am called Dian Wei.”
“I am Cao Xiu, courtesy name Wenlie.”
“My… um, my courtesy name is ‘Elai.’”
“Pardon? What did you say?”
At that, Cao Cao clutched his belly and burst into roaring laughter.
“Uha! Uhahaha! Oh my, you fool. Since when did you decide your courtesy name was Elai?”
“Well… isn’t a courtesy name something bestowed by one’s superior? My lord, didn’t you call me ‘Elai’?”
“Kuk, kuhahaha! My friend, Elai is… No, never mind. If it pleases you, use it. Your courtesy name is Elai… Uhahaha!”
“Is… is that wrong?”
Dian Wei’s personality was certainly intense. With that appearance and his honest, straightforward nature, combined with monstrous strength, the pure innocence with which he had taken Cao Cao’s nickname and made it his courtesy name without understanding its meaning was almost charming.
After laughing until his stomach hurt, Cao Cao wiped away tears and spoke.
“Wenlie, I’ve thought it over. Even though you are going as a spy, this is still a mission that puts your life at risk. I will assign Elai… Dian Wei to accompany you.”
I had felt reassured traveling with Xu Shu, the master of the quick-draw sword, but now I would have Dian Wei, a warrior who surpassed even him, as my bodyguard.
“Dian Wei, look after my nephew well and bring him back safely.”
“My lord, your servant Dian Wei shall protect Young Master Cao with my life!”
“Excellent. Most reliable. When you return, I will employ you with great importance.”
Having Dian Wei accompany me on the road to Chang’an was the most reassuring thing imaginable.
And so I left Chenliu and set out for Chang’an. Along the way, I traveled together with the merchant caravan of the Wei Merchant Group, which stopped at various commanderies and counties.
“Young Master, I am Jeong Yun, vice-leader in charge of this caravan.”
Jeong Yun led several wagons loaded with goods, moving alongside the merchants. He was one of the many vice-leaders serving under the head, Wei Hong. Their task was to escort us to Chang’an while buying and selling along the route, passing us whatever we needed.
“Please take this. It is a merchant identification plaque that allows travel between the Sili region and Guanzhong. You can use it during inspections.”
“I see.”
I rode my horse, guarding the caravan as we traveled. For several days we crossed plains, climbed mountains, and forded rivers. The scenes that greeted us were wretched.
These had once been prosperous towns and fortresses under the Han Empire’s protection, yet everywhere we went there were only the bare “remains” of human habitation. The smaller fortresses were ruled by county magistrates who acted like petty warlords. We had to verify our identities one by one and slip them appropriate bribes.
After passing through Luoyang once and crossing the Central Plains toward Guanzhong, we stopped to rest on a mountain ridge.
“Whew… truly…”
“Young Master, does the long journey weary you?”
While I was resting, Dian Wei suddenly approached and sat down heavily. Rather than complaining himself, he asked if I was uncomfortable. Late at night, the merchants of the caravan, exhausted from the long trek, were roasting meat and drinking a little wine around their campfires.
“Lord Dian, why don’t you go have some meat and a cup of wine?”
“This person does not drink before a mission.”
Watching Dian Wei, the very embodiment of the word “integrity,” I could not help but feel reassured. It was simply absurd that such an unparalleled warrior had met his end in the original timeline due to Cao Cao’s reckless actions.
“Lord Dian, do you have any discomforts?”
“If I have any, it is only that I was told not to use my iron halberds and to carry this ill-fitting greatsword instead. No matter what blade I use, I end up breaking them all, so weapons never last long with me.”
Dian Wei was carrying a sword instead of his signature pair of iron halberds. Even so, it was no ordinary blade. It was a massive greatsword large enough to sever the neck of an ox or horse in a single stroke.
“I still don’t understand why I was told not to use my main weapon.”
“Because we are traveling disguised as guards for a merchant caravan.”
“Is that reason enough?”
“Of course. Since you have walked the path of a wandering hero, you should know. By law, the only weapon a commoner may carry for self-defense is a sword.”
“Hmmm. Now that you mention it, whenever I carried the iron halberds I bought from the smithy, the government troops would constantly stop me and cause trouble…”
It seemed that, unaware of the law, he had openly carried his iron halberds and ended up fighting government soldiers multiple times. Of course, given Dian Wei’s martial prowess, those soldiers would have been crushed the moment they confronted him.
“Anyway, once we pass Tong Pass we will soon reach Chang’an. We can speak more then. For now, let’s rest a little…”
“Shh.”
“Hm?”
Suddenly Dian Wei stared into the empty air, gripped his sword, and stood up.
“…Come out.”
Dian Wei spoke in a low voice toward the forest in the dead of night. I tried to see what he was looking at, but he took a deep breath and bellowed.
“Who goes there! I said come out right now!!!”
Good heavens, I nearly went deaf. Dian Wei’s roar was so loud it seemed to shake the entire mountain. It was like the roar of a tiger. The people in the caravan came running in alarm.
“Wh-what is it?”
“Look over there!”
From the direction Dian Wei pointed, figures wearing heavy armor and masks began to emerge one by one. Every single one of them had murderous intent burning in their eyes, and their blades gleamed beneath the moonlight.
“Hey, looks like a bunch of merchants.”
“Oi. If you want to pass through here, hand over everything you’ve got.”
There were not just a few. They had completely surrounded the area. There had to be at least a hundred of them.
“Y-Young Master! And Lord Dian the Strongman. They’re bandits.”
“Hah… they’ve come in force.”
I drew my sword and rose to my feet. No matter where one went, it seemed these bandit scum were inevitable.
“Did you not hear me? Put down all your baggage right now.”
“How dare you threaten us!!”
Once again Dian Wei’s thunderous roar rang out, causing the bandits to flinch. But they soon raised their weapons and advanced.
“You look like you’ve got some size, but do you really think you can take on all of us?”
“You bastards! You’re courting death!”
Dian Wei drew the greatsword that was nearly as tall as his upper body and beckoned them to come at him. And so, in the middle of the night, we suddenly found ourselves fighting a horde of bandits.
I too drew my sword and began by cutting down the neck of the first bandit who charged at me.