Only I Create the Peace of Wancheng
The vanguard of Cao Cao’s army, one thousand strong, entered Wancheng.
Governor Zhang Xiu had been waiting at the government office. He came out trembling violently and bowed before me with the utmost respect.
“I-I offer you my greetings. I am Zhang Xiu, the former governor who once controlled this city of Wancheng.”
“…”
I looked at Zhang Xiu for a moment, then dismounted from my horse.
The overweight commander I had seen in the first battle, clutching his baton of command and fidgeting with anxiety the entire time, was indeed Zhang Xiu.
“I am Cao Ziyeol, nephew of Minister of Works Cao. I have come to confirm your surrender.”
“I-is that so? The people of this city, along with all the civil and military officials, hereby submit to Minister Cao.”
“Hmm. In that case, shall we begin by visiting the place where your family resides?”
“My family… why…?”
“It is simply to secure their safety and ensure they are treated with care.”
I had Zhang Xiu lead the way.
When the topic of his family arose, his massive frame began to shake. I spoke to ease his tension.
“I shared something of a connection with your late uncle, General Zhang Ji. When I infiltrated Chang’an to rescue the Emperor, I remember how bravely he fought against the White Wave Bandits at Hongnong.”
“Is… is that so? You were on that battlefield…”
“He was an unfortunate man. To think he would join forces with bandits like Li Jue and Guo Si. Still, you need not worry. The Minister has declared that he will not hold the family responsible.”
At my words, Zhang Xiu, who had been rigid with terror, let out a small sigh of relief.
In a side building next to the governor’s office, I was able to meet Zhang Xiu’s wife and children.
There was a young son and daughter. The boy was Zhang Tian, who would later perish in the turmoil of the Wei wind.
“Wife, children, come out quickly and greet this gentleman.”
Zhang Xiu’s wife and children emerged, frightened, and offered their greetings. I smiled, reached into my robes, and took out some silver pieces, which I handed to his wife.
“Your children look bright. Buy them something nice.”
“Thank you.”
After seeing Zhang Xiu’s family, I moved on to the true heart of the matter.
“I heard there is a shrine dedicated to General Zhang Ji’s memorial tablet. Could you guide me there as well?”
“Ah, that is…”
“Why do you hesitate?”
Because your aunt is there? Don’t worry. There won’t be any ‘incident.’
Zhang Xiu exhaled a long breath, then looked at me with resolve.
His face was far more serious than it had been before as he made his request.
“Lord Ziyeol, I will speak frankly. There is indeed a shrine for my late uncle, General Zhang Ji, but my aunt resides there. It has not even been a full year since she began mourning, so I beg that nothing be done to disturb her.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“I am also aware that the Minister is fond of women. However, my aunt is still tending to my uncle’s memorial tablet and observing her period of remembrance. Is it not the duty of our clan to observe at least one year of mourning?”
Cao Cao’s reputation for womanizing was so notorious that even his nephew would beg him to spare a widow who had only recently lost her husband and was still in mourning. He even suggested that if Cao Cao truly desired her, he should at least wait until the year of mourning was complete, in accordance with clan propriety.
Note that this “one year of mourning” was not the Confucian three-year mourning period, but rather the customary year observed by a woman after divorce or widowhood to ensure she was not carrying her previous husband’s child.
“The kind of thing you are worried about, Governor Zhang, is something I will personally prevent. You need not concern yourself.”
“Y-you will truly do so?”
This man was so terrified he kept stuttering.
“At the very least, I have come in my uncle’s stead to treat those who have offered their surrender with proper respect.”
Only then did Zhang Xiu seem to relax. He guided me to the deepest part of the residence, a rear garden.
And the moment the door opened…
“Whoa…”
“My goodness, Su. Who is that young man?”
There stood a woman who appeared far younger than Zhang Xiu. Even by my standards, she was a true beauty—a golden miss with an elegant air. She wore white mourning clothes inside the shrine built in the garden, yet the impressive swell of her chest was unmistakable beneath the fabric.
The way she gracefully peeled and ate grapes made her seem irresistible to anyone who looked upon her.
“I offer my greetings. I am Cao Ziyeol, who has come from Xuchang leading the imperial army.”
“Oh my?”
At the mention of the imperial court, she quietly rose and called her maids to exchange proper greetings.
“To think such a fine young man is an officer sent by the court. I have been terribly rude.”
“Please speak comfortably. We are here to accept Wancheng’s surrender and rebuild this place with the court’s strength.”
“I am but a humble woman, and my husband unfortunately chose the wrong path. There is no need for such polite speech.”
Lady Qiu was indeed graceful and exceptionally beautiful, but this was precisely where the problem would begin.
I reached into my robes and first took out the incense sticks that Xun Yu had once given me. They carried a connection to the Jian clan of Zhongshan and proved remarkably useful in situations like this.
When I placed the incense before the tablet and pressed my palms together in respect, even Zhang Xiu—who had feared Cao Cao’s army—and Lady Qiu quietly approached and bowed their heads before General Zhang Ji’s memorial tablet alongside me.
“You are truly a gracious man.”
“My lady, from now on you must listen carefully to everything I say.”
“Yes. What is it?”
I told Lady Qiu everything I had prepared for the coming days.
After staying for two days, I sent word to Cao Cao’s main army that Zhang Xiu had completely surrendered and they could enter Wancheng.
“Zhang Xiu of Wancheng offers surrender to the Minister’s army, which has come from the imperial court.”
“We accept his surrender.”
Cao Cao received Zhang Xiu’s surrender with a solemn expression.
Beside him stood his eldest son Cao Ang, the bodyguards Dian Wei and Xu Chu, my welcome face Uncle Xiahou Yuan, and beside him, a grinning fellow.
It was Cao Anmin, the friend known by the courtesy name Anmin.
It had been a while since I last saw him. He seemed to have trained hard; he had grown noticeably taller.
“I have not come to punish you. Since the governor of Wancheng has willingly knelt before the court, I shall treat you accordingly.”
“Thank you, Minister.”
“Enough of such formalities. Take this fellow with you.”
At Cao Cao’s signal, Cao Ang immediately released the detained Jia Xu.
Whatever had happened during the two days of detention, Jia Xu’s face—which already bore the marks of age—had turned deathly pale. He shook his head as though his teeth were chattering.
“Please, come inside. A banquet has been prepared for the Minister.”
“Mm.”
At the mention of a banquet, everyone followed Zhang Xiu toward the side building of the government office.
It was after we had removed our armor and changed into the ceremonial robes offered by Wancheng that it happened.
“Uncle, Wancheng seems quite prosperous. It appears to have everything one could want.”
“Does it now?”
“In a city like this, there are bound to be many beauties. As far as I know, they say Wancheng possesses one of the greatest beauties under heaven.”
Whoa, Anmin, stop right there!
“Uncle.”
“Oh, what is it, Ziyeol?”
Cao Cao, having finished changing, took my hand as he looked at me.
“You handled the people of Wancheng quite skillfully. Well? What do you think?”
“It seems Zhang Xiu has been intimidated by Uncle’s reputation. However, since he offered his surrender willingly, we should show appropriate generosity in return.”
“If you say so, then it must be trustworthy. Good. Tonight we shall drink with great joy.”
As Cao Cao laughed loudly and was being guided away, Cao Anmin approached me.
“Brother Ziyeol.”
“Yes?”
“I have heard many stories about you in Yan Province. I wish to become a warrior like you, Brother, and build my own reputation at Uncle’s side.”
His enthusiasm was certainly overflowing, but that comment about the peerless beauty earlier was a bit much. Still, I couldn’t openly rebuke him, so I simply patted his shoulder encouragingly as we entered the banquet hall.
A truly lavish banquet unfolded.
“Everyone, let us drink!”
Cao Cao had even loosened his belt and was thoroughly enjoying himself. Outside, Dian Wei and Xu Chu stood guard with wide, alert eyes. I too drank a cup while watching over everything until the end.
If I kept a close eye on Cao Cao and ensured things proceeded smoothly, all would be well.
Thus, I spoke to him.
“Uncle, now that we have received the governor’s seal of Wancheng, would it not be best to return to Xuchang tomorrow and report to His Majesty—”
“Ziyeol, did I not tell you? Such official talk can wait until after the drinking is done.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Come, fill my cup to the brim. The musicians play well, do they not? Play louder!”
Cao Cao grew even more excited, demanding louder music and enjoying the dancers’ performances.
At that moment, Cao Anmin stealthily approached. Cao Cao stroked his head and said,
“Anmin, this was your first campaign, yet you failed to claim any heads. It must be disappointing.”
“There will be more opportunities. Next time, I wish to achieve a feat that will leave you in awe, Uncle.”
“Hahaha! There is no such thing as too much ambition for military merit!”
As he spoke, Cao Anmin glanced at me with a sly smile.
Was this what I thought it was?
Within the Cao clan, those who had earned military honors— Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xiahou Dun, and Xiahou Yuan—were all of the same generation. In the generation below, only Cao Ang and I stood out.
It seemed Cao Anmin coveted that position as well. That was why he clung to Cao Cao even more eagerly.
Yes, that kind of ambition belongs to me through military merit. So stop doing unnecessary things…
“Uncle, in such a fine drinking gathering, would we not need a beautiful woman worthy of hosting a hero of the realm?”
“Hmm, this reminds me of the nights in Xuchang.”
“I have heard there is an absolute beauty in Wancheng. One connected to Governor Zhang Xiu, in fact.”
“Oh ho! There is such an absolute beauty here? And near Zhang Xiu, you say?”
“The beauty is a noble lady of the Qiu clan. She is none other than the wife of the late General Zhang Ji.”
Ah, that pimp Cao Anmin, that bastard…
I had tried to gloss over it somehow, but that fool Cao Anmin had ruined everything.
If it weren’t for Cao Cao, I would have dragged him outside, slapped him across the face a few times, and thrown him to Dian Wei and Xu Chu to beat with clubs.
Cao Anmin helped the staggering Cao Cao to his feet.
The bastard hadn’t earned any military merit this time, so his eyes had gone wild with the desire to win Cao Cao’s favor and secure a position for himself.
“Zhang Xiu! Zhang Xiu!”
“Yes, Minister.”
“I hear there is an absolute beauty in this household. Is it true?”
At last, what I had feared had come. Zhang Xiu prostrated himself.
It might have looked servile, but he begged before Cao Cao to protect his family.
“Minister, she is my aunt. The mourning period for my uncle has not yet ended. I beg you to show understanding.”
“Hmm… the wife of the late Zhang Ji… Well, since they call her an absolute beauty, I merely wish to see her face. Only her face.”
“Minister.”
“I’m telling the truth! My nephew said there is a peerless beauty inside, so I will simply take a look. While I’m at it, I can also pay respects to Zhang Ji’s memorial tablet… Hic!”
The officers Cao Anmin had called grabbed Zhang Xiu and forcibly lifted him up.
“Governor Zhang, guide us to the rear garden at once.”
In the end, I had to step forward.
“Uncle, if that is the case, allow me to guide you instead. I have already visited the place.”
“Oh~? So you have seen the former wife of Zhang Ji?”
“…”
“Why didn’t you tell me, you rascal? Is she truly a peerless beauty as Anmin said?”
“…She does not seem suited to you, Uncle.”
“Whether she suits me or not, I shall judge for myself after seeing her.”
In the end, Cao Cao staggered all the way to the rear garden of Zhang Xiu’s residence.
Seeing Zhang Xiu’s face turn ashen, I grabbed his shoulder and shook my head.
I had promised to stop any such incident if it occurred. I had also made the necessary ‘preparations.’
Zhang Xiu nodded with pitiful eyes. Instead of Cao Anmin, I supported Cao Cao and guided him to the garden.
And then the forbidden door opened.
Creeeeeeeak—
“Ah!?”
“Who are you? This is the shrine where the previous master’s memorial tablet is kept.”
Inside were several women in mourning clothes, including Lady Qiu.
“Mmm…”
Cao Cao, drunk and with bleary eyes, entered the shrine where incense burned. He shook his head a few times, then walked toward Zhang Ji’s memorial tablet.
“It really is… the shrine for the late Zhang Ji’s tablet. And…”
Finally, Cao Cao looked at Lady Qiu and ordered her to raise her head.
In that nerve-wracking moment, Lady Qiu lifted her face. Cao Cao stared at her intently.
Thud—
“!?!?”
He plopped straight down onto the floor and met her eyes directly.
Her appearance was certainly beautiful, but… I had secretly sent ‘merchants’ who were spies for Wei Hong inside Wancheng ahead of time to perform a little ‘construction work.’
“Hmmmm~ Hmmmmmm~?”
No matter how hard one tried to look haggard, the more makeup she removed, the fairer and more elegant her skin became. We had deliberately exposed it to sunlight and applied oil as if tanning, darkening her complexion on purpose.
For Cao Cao, who loved ‘baby-like white skin,’ this alone was already a failure.
“Hmmmmmm~”
“Why… do you act this way?”
On top of that, we had applied dark eyeshadow around her eyes and exaggerated her eyelashes to the point of being overwhelming, creating what could only be called ‘gyopo-style makeup.’ It was completely different from the beauty standards cherished by Han scholars—pale skin, thin eyebrows, and reddish eyelids.
“…Hm!”
“What do you think, Uncle?”
That pimp Cao Anmin spoke up again without reading the room, but Cao Cao immediately stood after looking at her.
“She is not ugly, but to call her a peerless beauty… mmm~”
Yes! It worked!
After seeing Lady Qiu’s bizarre makeup, Cao Cao drew a clear line—‘not my taste’—and stood up.
He then looked one by one at the white-clad maids attending Lady Qiu.
Suddenly, he grabbed the wrist of the maid sitting beside Lady Qiu.
“Eek?!”
“Yes, you! You have a face that pleases me. You resemble one of my concubines back in Xuchang!”
Instead of Lady Qiu, Cao Cao chose the maid who resembled Lady Huan.
He lifted her in a princess carry and leisurely walked out.
“My lord, that girl is the maid who tends the shrine!”
Lady Qiu spoke up, but Cao Cao even began humming as he replied to her.
“Mm, then the rest of you guard the shrine well. This girl shall accompany me for some song and dance for a while.”
Thus, Cao Cao took one of the maids and left.
The moment the door closed, Lady Qiu let out a bitter smile and broke into a cold sweat. One drop of sweat caused the thick makeup to smudge, revealing her original snow-white skin beneath.
“On behalf of the Cao clan’s rudeness toward the Zhang family, I, Cao Ziyeol, offer my deepest apologies. He is not usually like this…”
“No, there is no need.”
Lady Qiu shook her head as she looked at the spot where the maid had been taken.
“In any case, all the girls here have come of age and I was planning to arrange marriages for them soon. Since they have caught the Minister’s eye, one of them may become his concubine. For that child, it may actually be a better fate.”
Lady Qiu then quietly rose, took my hand, and bowed her head.
“We cannot know what the distant future holds, but at least I have been able to complete the one-year mourning for my late husband. I am grateful.”
“There is no need for thanks… I shall accept them once the Minister safely returns to Xuchang.”
“The doors here will be locked anyway, so we shall be safe for the next two days. Now, young lord, you should rest as well.”
After receiving her bow, I was finally able to leave Zhang Ji’s shrine.
Thud—
“Hoooooo—”
The moment the shrine doors were locked so no one could enter again, as Lady Qiu had said, a sigh escaped me of its own accord.
“What is your name?”
“I have no name. I was born in the fourth month, so I have simply been called Siyu.”
“Hmm, that won’t do. Shall I give my lovely one a pretty name?”
Meanwhile, Cao Cao was completely drunk and unaware of anything. He giggled foolishly with the maid he was carrying—the one who had served Lady Qiu.
Still… the major disaster had been averted.