We Cannot Linger Here Any Longer
"Uncle."
"Well, if it isn't Ziye!"
Cao Cao had just finished his audience with the Emperor when he spotted me and came running over at once, seizing my hand in his.
He had called me Ziye rather than Wenye.
"Heh heh, I granted you special leave, yet here you are out and about. What brings you?"
"I rested enough, and I wanted to see how things stood outside."
"I see. And how is Sohee?"
"There is no finer example of a virtuous wife and wise mother."
"Hahaha! I always thought the two of you would suit each other, but it seems your marital bliss runs even deeper than I imagined."
Cao Cao laughed heartily and clapped me on the back before we began walking together.
"I spoke to your grandfather about you. He was quite pleased."
"Ah, I also heard that Grand-uncle has been appointed Grand Tutor. What wonderful news, is it not?"
"You rascal. Even while tucked away inside, you still manage to catch every rumor from the outside world?"
Cao Cao led me to the site of a demolition project in an area that had been left in ruins for years. Soldiers and civilians alike wielded tools, clearing charred timber and leveling the ground to prepare for new construction.
"That bastard Dong Zhuo burned everything to the ground. These ruins are the worst I've ever seen. Even if we begin restoration in earnest, it will take decades."
Luoyang had been so badly neglected that turning it back into a grand capital worthy of its former glory would demand enormous sums of money and time.
"Don't you think it is unwise to keep His Majesty here for long?"
"I've given the matter a great deal of thought. Yet no suitable solution comes to mind."
Huh?
I had assumed that once we escorted the Emperor as far as Luoyang, Cao Cao would seize control of the court and everything would proceed according to the original history. Instead, he seemed to be hesitating over the matter of relocating the capital.
"Ziye, the fact that you brought His Majesty, the imperial family, the loyal officials of Chang'an, and the powerful clans here is an immense achievement. His Majesty has already spoken of enfeoffing you as Commandant of Cavalry."
"To receive an official post directly from His Majesty is a great honor."
"But... no matter how well we prepared, we lack the immediate means to do anything substantial. The Son of Heaven of our great nation is barely managing to eat thanks to the support of our Cao clan."
Ah, so that was it.
Even while following the flow of history, the astronomical cost of moving the capital had created an unexpected snag.
In the original timeline, Cao Cao would have needed to plunder Xu Province amid countless wars, conquer the regions around Yan Province, and pour in every coin of military funding that Yuan Shao provided. We had no such luxury now.
"Whether they are called Minister of Works, Grand Commandant, or some general or other, these officials arrived with nothing but empty pockets and two measly carriages between them. What can they possibly accomplish?"
Hearing him speak this way, I wondered if I had brought too many idle officials and powerful clans with me. In truth, even my grandfather Cao Song's appointment as Grand Tutor was less a reward for genuine merit than a transactional arrangement because the Cao family now protected the Emperor.
A high minister of the Three Offices such as Grand Tutor, Grand Preceptor, or Grand Commandant would normally receive a stipend and fief yielding ten thousand bushels of grain. Did the current Emperor even possess the resources to provide that?
He could scarcely afford the salaries of the palace maids and eunuchs who attended him, let alone grant a ten-thousand-bushel fief to a senior minister.
"Is the situation truly that dire?"
"Hahaha! I only speak in jest. Jest!"
The way he said it suggested Cao Cao was deliberately downplaying the matter. Unlike the original history, he now possessed a powerful shield in the form of my grandfather Cao Song, an active senior statesman. Cao Cao's own position was therefore far stronger.
The post he had received was the governorship of Yan Province. What had begun as a temporary appointment had now been formally confirmed by imperial decree.
"Ziye, you have given me many remarkable pieces of advice over the years. Do you have any thoughts on our current predicament?"
"In the end, everything comes down to money. What if we use His Majesty's authority to impose a special tax on the provincial governors across the land?"
The justification would be sound, and if the order came from Cao Song, my grandfather and a member of the Three Offices, collection would proceed far more smoothly.
Yet Cao Cao clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"Xun Yu and Cheng Yu have already raised the same suggestion, but it will be difficult."
"Difficult? Even if Grand Tutor Cao himself issues the command?"
"If those warlords possessed any true loyalty, would they have ignored the Emperor's plea for aid while he was trapped in Chang'an? They only bothered to send the bare minimum, enough to deal with the likes of the White Wave Bandits or the Black Mountain Bandits."
He was right. Had they genuinely sworn loyalty to the Emperor, they would have risen up as one. Instead, each warlord ruled his territory like a king of a small realm. No matter what the young Emperor said, they would offer nothing beyond a token tax.
The root cause was that the Emperor's authority had been forcibly imposed by the Liang Province warlords under Dong Zhuo, Li Jue, and Guo Si. Without the imperial seal or the inner treasury, he was nothing more than a puppet lacking legitimacy. Loyalty and great causes were important, but as I had said many times, the Han imperial house had no money.
"My lord! My lord!"
A group of officers came running toward us in obvious panic. Upon closer inspection, I recognized Yue Jin.
"Yue Jin, what has you running in such haste?"
"My lord! This is terrible. The enemy is advancing on us once more."
"The enemy? The White Wave Bandits again?"
"Yes. After withdrawing once, they are now marching toward Luoyang."
"How large is their force?"
"Roughly ten thousand."
Cao Cao's expression hardened at once. He gripped his sword.
"Those bandit scum, pardoned by the state's mercy, dare to return to their thieving ways! Assemble the troops and bring me my horse!"
In his fury, Cao Cao intended to take the field himself.
"Ziye, will you join me?"
"Of course, Uncle."
"You are a newlywed and must take care of yourself. Stay close to me."
Even now he was looking out for me because I was a new bridegroom, but that was unnecessary. Once battle began, I planned to lead from the very front.
Twenty thousand soldiers soon gathered at the northern gate and completed their battle preparations. The officials and powerful clans who had barely escaped Chang'an and reached Luoyang under the Cao family's protection turned pale with terror at the news of another White Wave Bandits assault.
"My son, Aman. It seems the White Wave Bandits are targeting Luoyang."
"Do not worry, Father. I will go and relieve His Majesty's concerns. And Zisu..."
"Yes, Governor of Yan Province!"
Cao Ang had already donned his armor and came forward to salute.
"You hold the post of Assistant to the Grand Tutor. Remain here with your grandfather, the Grand Tutor, and guard His Majesty well."
"Understood."
With Cao Song as Grand Tutor and his grandson Cao Ang serving as the Grand Tutor's assistant, the defenses inside Luoyang would be secure. Cao Cao personally took command of the vanguard and marched out of the city.
The Cao army that now protected the Emperor within Luoyang was an elite force that no one could easily oppose.
When we spotted the White Wave Bandits rushing toward us from afar, I confidently took up my spear.
"Ziye!"
"Yes, Uncle."
"Did I not tell you? For today's battle, you are to remain at my side."
"But..."
"This time we will watch the new talents fight."
At Cao Cao's signal, war drums thundered and the vanguard began to move.
Yue Jin was the first to advance. He had started as an ordinary soldier in Cao Cao's army, later served as my adjutant, and had since been promoted to command his own unit.
"All troops, charge!"
Yue Jin roared a fierce battle cry and met the White Wave Bandits head-on. Despite his short stature, he swung a massive iron staff larger than himself and fearlessly clashed with the enemy.
"That fellow may be small in height, but his courage surpasses that of any general. He is a talent we must cherish."
"I know Commandant Yue's strength well."
It had been a long time since I observed a battlefield from a distance like this. Another young cavalry commander soon moved up behind Yue Jin.
"Uncle, who is that general?"
"Man Chong. I recently appointed him as an advisor in Yan Province. A brilliant fellow who carries out any task I give him perfectly."
Man Chong had now entered the fray, battling the White Wave Bandits. A man who would later distinguish himself in both civil and military affairs and serve three generations of the Cao-Wei dynasty was making his name in this very battle.
Yue Jin's and Man Chong's forces bravely drove back the White Wave Bandits. Though the enemy had charged with high momentum, they gradually faltered and began looking for a route to retreat.
"It seems they are about to break."
Cao Cao watched the battlefield with a satisfied expression from a distance. Even without his personal intervention, the vanguard alone had been enough to rout the bandits.
In the end, the White Wave Bandits turned and fled in panic. When Cao Cao saw the enemy withdrawing, he slapped his knee in delight.
"Yue Jin and Man Chong have performed splendidly. Tonight I shall sleep with my legs stretched out comfortably."
"Uncle, should we not pursue the fleeing enemy?"
"Are you that restless? You now have a wife to protect, yet your blood is still so hot?"
"We must chase down the fleeing foe and uproot them completely."
"Tsk. Very well. I will give you two thousand cavalry. Pursue the enemy alongside Man Chong."
"Yes, Uncle."
I raised my spear and detached two thousand riders from the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry under Cao Cao's command to chase the retreating White Wave Bandits. The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry already knew me well, so commanding them was remarkably easy.
"Advisor, the enemy continues fleeing northward from Luoyang."
"If they keep heading north they'll only reach the Yellow River! It looks as though they mean to cross it and escape into Bing Province, but we won't let them!"
Bing Province was where the White Wave Valley that had given birth to these bandits was located. With the bandits abandoning their attempt to capture the Emperor and trying to flee, I raced after their commander.
When I linked up with Man Chong to continue pursuing the remaining enemy forces, a report arrived.
"Advisor Cao! The enemy is boarding boats they prepared on the Yellow River and escaping!"
"They prepared a river crossing in advance of their attack? I will make sure these bastards can never return."
"Advisor, there is a group blocking our path to the riverside. Their leader is a man named Xu Gongming."
"Now that is a welcome name!"
At last, I would be able to meet Xu Huang.
Man Chong, who had been riding beside me, suddenly flinched and called out.
"Advisor Cao."
"Advisor Man, what is it?"
"Xu Gongming was once a close friend of mine. I do not know how he became entangled with the White Wave Bandits, but if I can persuade him to surrender, he would be of great service to our lord."
"Hmm."
I had originally planned to persuade him myself, but Man Chong now stepped forward and offered to convince Xu Huang to defect. Although this was our first meeting, if I allowed him to earn this merit, he would remain indebted to me.
"Are you confident?"
"I will try to persuade him to surrender."
"Good. Then we shall wait here. Go ahead, Advisor Man."
Man Chong saluted me and rode north toward Xu Huang. After waiting for some time, I finally saw Man Chong's banner in the distance.
Not only Man Chong, but Xu Huang and the surrendered White Wave Bandits were approaching with him. I waved my hand in greeting.
In this way, Xu Huang led his men in surrender. He offered all his horses, provisions, and soldiers to Cao Cao and entered his service.
Even though Luoyang lay in ruins, we continued to steadily acquire talented men, horses, and troops. Each day brought new gains.