The New Military System
The day after the pacification of Runan, while everything was still peaceful, Cao Cao suddenly took me to the military camp and showed me the troops.
A hundred Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, four hundred infantry. Five hundred men in total.
“These are your direct subordinates.”
“Direct subordinates…!”
“Cao Chun has been endlessly producing elite cavalry in Qiao County. We also have the elite infantry that were raised from the remnants of the Yellow Turbans in Qing Province. It’s about time I handed some over to you.”
“Uncle.”
“Xiahou Dun commands ten thousand, Cao Hong five thousand, Xiahou Yuan and Cao Ren three thousand each, Cao Chun one thousand, and even Cao Ang has been given five hundred.”
The various generals of the Cao and Xiahou clans had each received private troops from Cao Cao. And now I, too, would be able to command my own personal forces.
“Raise them well.”
“Thank you, Uncle.”
I finally understood what he meant when he said I would soon spend more time in the barracks than at the imperial court.
“As for your deputy generals…”
“Minister of Works!”
A general came running from afar in a hurry. He was short but solidly built. A familiar face.
“You came right away? These two—Li Dian, who will arrive from Yan Province, and this fellow—will be your deputy generals.”
“Minister of Works, Commandant Yue Jin has arrived.”
“Welcome.”
Yue Jin and Li Dian were assigned as my adjutants. Now that I had subordinates and my own dedicated troops, I would have to work even harder.
And the first thing I needed to do for that was…
“Attention!”
The five hundred soldiers I would lead from now on stood before me. With Li Dian having arrived from Yan Province, Yue Jin and Li Dian stood at my left and right as deputy generals.
“I am Commandant of Cavalry Cao Xiu, the one who will lead you from now on. Starting today, there is one thing our unit must strictly observe that sets us apart from the other armies.”
I decided to implement the system I had been thinking about whenever I visited the barracks. After walking through the tents with the troops, I confirmed with my own eyes just how filthy the place was before speaking.
“I will give you exactly two quarters of an hour. Each of you will clean your own tents and remove all the trash in the surrounding area.”
“!?!?”
“The cleanest unit will receive ten taels of gold as a reward. The dirtiest unit will receive ten strokes of the rod.”
The soldiers looked utterly bewildered at my command. Well, it was only natural. The very first inspection, and I was suddenly ordering them to clean.
“Begin now. Move!”
At my order, the hundred Tiger and Leopard Cavalry troopers who had fought alongside me across the battlefield moved first. I slowly sat down, waited out the two quarters, and spoke to my two deputy generals.
“Yue Jin. Li Dian.”
“Yes, Commandant.”
“It has been a long time. From now on, we will move together.”
“It is an honor to serve under the Commandant once again.”
“From now on, our unit will conduct regular inspections of the cleanliness inside the tents before morning roll call and before bedtime. I will call this the Sanitary Inspection.”
The Sanitary Inspection—a system I was introducing for the first time in this era. When the promised time arrived and two quarters had passed, I immediately inspected the camp. I singled out those who had done the sloppiest job and immediately had them tied to the punishment frame and beaten.
Thwack— Thwaaack—
“Aigoo!!!”
Thwack—
As soon as the group punishment began, soldiers from other units came running to watch.
“Well done. As promised, I will reward the best unit.”
“Thank you, Commandant!”
I awarded ten taels of gold to the squad leader of the cleanest unit, making the contrast with those being publicly beaten all the more stark.
Once all five tents and their surroundings had been thoroughly cleaned, I issued the next order.
“I will give you another two quarters. Immediately wash your entire bodies, trim your fingernails, toenails, and hair, then receive an inspection from the deputy generals. Once again, ten strokes of the rod and ten taels of gold will be prepared as punishment and reward.”
To the unit that had been punished, I added,
“You will be given four quarters. So scrub yourselves until you shine.”
“Y-yes! Commandant!”
This was how the Sanitary Inspection expanded from camp hygiene to personal hygiene.
“Interesting. Just what are you doing?”
“Uncle Zixiao.”
Cao Ren had come in person to observe the current situation.
“As the saying goes, disease and injury always begin in filth. While leading troops, I have seen countless times how failing to wash properly, touching pus, blood, and rotten soil spreads sickness.”
“So you’re going to dress the soldiers up like blushing brides on their wedding night?”
“This will have a clear effect. If you do not believe me, compare the rate of soldiers lost to illness and injury over the next month before and after implementing the Sanitary Inspection.”
Cao Ren nodded with interest.
“Amusing. For now, I will observe. I will organize five hundred of my own men separately. Unlike your soldiers, they will not be subjected to such troublesome cleaning or bathing. They will continue as before.”
“Understood, Uncle Zixiao.”
“If it proves effective, I will introduce it to my entire army!”
And so the promised month passed.
“Reporting. Here is the one-month training report for Lieutenant General’s five hundred men and Commandant’s five hundred men.”
Cao Ren gestured impatiently for his adjutant to continue.
“Both units of five hundred underwent identical training over the same period. In the Lieutenant General’s unit, twenty men dropped out due to dysentery and other illnesses, and five were injured.”
“That much is to be expected. Still, it’s fewer than before.”
That’s not the point.
Five percent of an entire unit rendered combat-ineffective due to non-combat losses. Even in ancient times when conscription was easy, that number was enormous.
“On the other hand, in the Commandant’s unit, there were ten injured… and only one man dropped out due to illness.”
“Continue.”
“Just one! And even that one secretly stole food from the mess hall, overate, and collapsed from indigestion. He is currently being treated in the camp and will receive the rod as punishment afterward.”
“Hoh…?”
Even Cao Ren looked incredulous as he listened to the report.
“Simply cleaning the sleeping tents and washing hands and feet produced that much of an effect?”
“Additionally, we caught every rat in the area and burned them all.”
When I spoke with confidence, Cao Ren thought for a moment before issuing an order to his adjutant.
“I command! From this moment on, half of my troops—fifteen hundred men—will undergo the exact same Sanitary Inspection as Commandant Cao Ziyeol. In one month, compare them with the remaining fifteen hundred. If there is a clear difference in illness-related losses, I will implement it across the entire army.”
“Yes, Lieutenant General!”
Cao Ren decided to run one more experiment before introducing the system army-wide. In the future, non-combat losses in Cao Cao’s army would be dramatically reduced. What kind of butterfly effect this would create remained to be seen.
While I was training the soldiers in the barracks for some time, a grand banquet hosted by Cao Cao was held for the first time in a while.
He had rented out Wei Hong’s entire courtesan house. All the Cao clan members and generals under his command had gathered.
“Come, fill the cups. No one is allowed to leave any behind!”
At Cao Cao’s command, everyone filled their cups in the room where only blood relatives were gathered, excluding my father Cao Song. A courtesan sat beside each person. The one beside me today was Huayan.
Centered around Cao Cao in the seat of honor were Xiahou Dun, Cao Ang, myself, Cao Hong, and Cao Ren.
“Hmm… Sanitary Inspection, you say…”
“It is still in the testing phase, but it seems Ziyeol has found an excellent way to prevent non-combat losses, Brother.”
After listening to Cao Ren’s report, Cao Cao nodded and drained his cup in one gulp.
“If it’s good, we must implement it across the entire army, Zixiao. Take the lead in conducting a proper test and submit a full report.”
“Yes, Brother.”
Wei Hong, who sat beside Cao Cao, refilled his cup. Although Cao Cao had slept with countless women in this courtesan house, it was almost always Wei Hong who personally attended to his wine. In that sense, she could be considered one of his many concubines… yet strangely, he never brought her into his household. The fact that he only asked her for information and political matters made her seem more like an office wife.
“Wei Hong.”
“Yes, Minister of Works.”
“Prepare something entertaining for us.”
“Shall I arrange the kind of performance Lord Zilian usually enjoys?”
“Ehem! Ahem!”
At the words “what Lord Zilian enjoys,” Cao Hong began coughing violently, his face turning red with embarrassment.
“Go ahead. Zilian, Zixiao—I’ve already heard all about the fun you two have been having.”
“Aman, even so… to do such things in front of Zisu and Ziyeol…”
Xiahou Dun tried to protest that this was going too far, but Cao Cao pointed at Cao Ang and me with a mischievous grin.
“These two are already married men. They are adults now.”
“Aman, that’s not what I meant.”
“Enough. Wei Hong, bring some pretty girls and set up a proper show.”
“Yes, Minister of Works.”
In the end, Wei Hong brought out courtesans carrying drums at Cao Cao’s command. As the musicians began to play, the women climbed onto the drums and started dancing.
So I have to watch this again.
Well… thin, see-through skirts and bare legs dancing. I suppose I should get used to it by now.
In time with the music, one of the courtesans lifted her leg, slowly removed a single white sock, and revealed her pale foot. Even the sight of a single bare foot had Cao Hong and Cao Ren clapping enthusiastically.
Even though Cao Ren was one of the greatest generals under heaven, this kind of thing still completely broke his composure every single time.
“Father, how can you allow such indecent entertainment…”
“Just enjoy it. If any of them catch your eye, tell Wei Hong and take one with you.”
“How can you say such things… Your son already has a wife.”
“I am not the kind of man who scolds his son for taking concubines. If a man sees a woman he likes, he should embrace her whenever he wishes.”
…You really are teaching your children all the wrong lessons, Uncle Mengde.
Cao Cao lay half-reclined across Wei Hong’s lap, watching the barefoot drum performance with a relaxed expression. Wei Hong served him diligently, pouring wine directly to his lips and peeling snacks with her own hands to feed him.
As the performance grew more heated, even Xiahou Dun began to sway his shoulders. Laughter filled the room nonstop—except for Cao Ang, whose face had turned bright red and who sat alone looking extremely uncomfortable.
“The young master always remains so composed while watching these performances.”
When Huayan whispered and refilled my cup, I drained it in one go and answered indifferently. After all, it was just dancing. I could simply enjoy it with my eyes.
While I was drinking, I overheard Wei Hong whispering quietly to Cao Cao.
“My lord, may I report the information you asked me to gather about Xu Province?”
“Mm. Speak.”
Cao Cao, still comfortably reclining on Wei Hong’s lap, listened to the report on Xu Province.
“Governor of Xu Province Tao Qian is on his deathbed. Liu Bei Xuande is in Xiapi, and Tao Qian’s eldest son, Tao Shang, has summoned Lu Bu Fengxian and stationed him in Xiao Pei.”
Liu Bei?
“Hm. If it’s my sworn brother Xuande whom I met before, Lu Bu is nothing to him. Under Xuande is the peerless warrior Guan Yunchang, whose martial prowess is equal to Lu Bu’s… No, it may even surpass him.”
When Cao Cao mentioned Liu Bei and Guan Yu, I paid far more attention than I had to the barefoot drum performance.
“That does not appear to be the case.”
“Hmm?”
“According to our informants, the powerful clans of Xu Province actually support Tao Shang, Tao Qian’s eldest son, more than Liu Bei. The common people simply support Liu Bei, which is why he remains in place.”
“Xuande is being pushed back? The people of Xu Province must have lost their minds.”
“Considering Lu Bu’s control backed by the powerful clans and Liu Bei’s control backed by the common people, Lu Bu currently holds the advantage in Xu Province.”
“Hoh. Should I have your merchant group send money to bribe the Xu Province clans to Liu Bei’s side?”
What are you saying? Why would you help Liu Bei grow stronger?
I was about to speak when Cao Cao continued first.
“Xuande is like a brother to me. If that friend seizes Xu Province and captures Lu Bu, I can naturally bring Xu Province into my fold later.”
“And if Lu Bu defeats Liu Bei?”
“If that friend comes seeking me, I will take him in. From what I hear, the matter will be settled before the end of this year. I should prepare a residence for him in Xuchang.”
Then… does that mean I might actually meet Liu Bei this year?
Cao Cao, still lying there with a relaxed expression, suddenly raised his hand.
“The music isn’t very good. Play something faster and more exciting.”
After receiving the report about Xu Province in the middle of the drinking party, Cao Cao returned to his usual indulgence in wine and women as if nothing had happened. But I had definitely heard it.
Liu Bei and Guan Yu.