The Thirteenth Honey Trap Drill

Meanwhile, on the other side of the glass—

Deep in the palace at Xuchang, there was a darkened room. It had been laid out like a little theater of some thirty seats, long benches rising in stepped tiers, all of them facing a wall hung with two enormous curtains arranged side by side for all the world like a pair of movie screens. Beside the curtains stood a dais rather like a host's podium, and a man was standing upon it.

Xun Yu, styled Wenruo. First-class strategist of Cao Cao's army. His features were neat, his topknot arranged with meticulous care. He was not in formal court dress, but a long robe of blue, cinched neatly at the waist with a sash.

"Xun Yu, the generals are running late."

The man who addressed him was Cheng Yu, styled Zhongde, another first-class strategist. Unlike the relatively youthful Xun Yu, his hair was streaked with gray and his face mapped with wrinkles.

"So they are. This is training, after all... It'll be a problem if the timing slips..."

Xun Yu answered in a clear voice, then flicked a glance at yet another first-class strategist seated ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠beside Cheng Yu.

Xun You, styled Gongda. He was Xun Yu's nephew, though a tangle of generational counting meant he was actually the older of the two. His looks fell somewhere in the middle — neither as youthful as Xun Yu nor as weathered as Cheng Yu. Silently, he pressed the index and middle fingers of his right hand to his temple.

He closed his eyes a moment, then opened them.

"They appear to be nearly here."

As if those words had been a cue, the generals filed into the room.

Xu Chu, styled Zhongkang — a general plucked from a fight with bandits who had overrun a village, now captain of Cao Cao's personal guard. Yue Jin, styled Wenqian — risen from the common soldiery, promoted because the way he trained had caught every eye, a living legend of the infantry. Yu Jin, styled Wenze — a field commander who had held a general's post for years, the backbone of the army and its chief disciplinarian.

Li Dian, styled Mancheng — an elite general versed in both letters and arms, a walking idea factory who was forever turning out ingenious inventions. Man Chong, styled Boning — a general famed for his exacting methods, whose other role in Cao Cao's army was that of torture technician...

Every one of them an A-class general of Cao Cao's army, men whose names were known to all. They had shed their armor and changed into comfortable clothes.

"Hey, Lord Xun Yu — we haven't missed anything, have we?"

Xu Chu, whose bulk was the size of a mountain, strode forward to offer greetings. He was a colossus, easily twice the size of any ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠other man in the room, his face so buried in beard that a stranger would have taken him for a bandit on the spot.

"Welcome, all of you. Nothing has begun yet. I see you were late because each of you insisted on bringing a bottle."

Xun Yu's mouth twisted into a wry smile as he took in the little wine flasks the generals had each brought along.

"This is still training! I don't mind you drinking, but don't you forget the purpose!"

Cheng Yu scolded them in his stiff, exacting way, and the generals, looking somewhat sheepish, scattered themselves across the empty seats however they pleased.

"If it hasn't started yet, we might as well have a round first."

The cups made a full circuit of the room. Every face was a little flushed. A peculiar anticipation had them all faintly, unmistakably excited.

Xun Yu understood ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the mood well enough. Even Cheng Yu, strict as he was about training, had no intention of confiscating the generals' flasks. Today was a day for men who risked their lives on the battlefield to enjoy a certain kind of recreation...

"Gongda, where are the two ladies now?"

Xun You pressed his fingers to his temple once more, then opened his eyes.

"They've just entered the changing room."

Xun Yu nodded.

"Well then, gentlemen."

Xun Yu's voice carried across the darkened theater.

"The thirteenth session of Special Mental Training against Honey Traps will now commence."

The generals swallowed and turned to face the front. Xu Chu was already topping up his empty cup.

"Today's training subjects are... as previously announced, the two wives of our recently surrendered archenemy — Liu Bei Xuande!"

"Whooooaaa...!"

"If Guan Yu had holed up inside Xiapi Castle it would have been a real headache, but Zhang Liao handled it well."

Yu Jin was already turning over the siege of Xiapi in his mind.

"Those Liu Bei people all have this weird stiff-necked streak, you know. I was really worried the wives would just up and die following their husband."

Xu Chu chimed in with a vigorous nod.

"For all that, they surrendered with a ridiculous amount of ease. We went to Guan Yu and said we'd kill the wives, went to the wives and said we'd kill Guan Yu, and both sides just folded. Frankly, aren't they both idiots?"

Li Dian had always had a cynical streak.

Xun You moved to settle the generals down.

"Now, now. You gentlemen smashed Liu Bei's army to pieces in the field, so Guan Yu and the two ladies had no choice but to surrender. In any case, securing all three people Lord Cao Cao wanted is a great success. And thanks to that, we can put them to use in this special training as well."

"All thanks to the splendid operations of our officers!"

Man Chong raised his cup, and everyone roared "Cheers!" and drained theirs.

"Oh, for heaven's sake. Please don't use us as an excuse — if you want to drink, drink to your hearts' content."

The strategists clicked their tongues.

The taciturn Yue Jin sat at perfect attention and said nothing at all, not even touching his cup. Then, abruptly, he raised a hand.

"Yes, General Yue Jin. Go ahead."

Yue Jin pointed silently toward a back corner of the room. The generals' heads turned to follow, and every face darkened.

A woman with tanned skin and exotic blonde hair sat with her legs crossed. The only reason she hadn't been noticed at once was that the room was so dark.

Jia Xu, styled Wenhe.

Former strategist of Zhang Xiu's army, now surrendered to Cao Cao. The dark strategist who had driven Cao Cao to the brink of death not once but twice — and Jia Xu was a woman.

"Lord Xun Yu, what's that one doing here?"

Xu Chu made no effort to hide his displeasure.

"I look at that mug and I think of Lord Dian Wei, rest his soul, and it kills the taste of the wine."

"General Xu Chu, Jia Xu is now a strategist of our army as well, and—"

Jia Xu cut Xun Yu off with a sneer.

"What, thinking about dead men kill your thirst?"

Every general in the room except Yue Jin came up out of his seat.

"The hell did you just say?"

Yu Jin started toward Jia Xu. But a far larger shadow fell across her first — Xu Chu's.

"Jia Xu... want me to fuck you through every year you've been alive...?"

"Go ahead and try, you pig bastard."

The next instant, Jia Xu was dangling in midair, hauled up by the collar in Xu Chu's fist.

"General Yu Jin! Stop him!"

Xun Yu's voice cracked with urgency. Jia Xu, however, had no intention of putting her tongue away.

"If you're going to do it, do it properly. Try not to die like Dian Wei while you're at it."

Xu Chu's boulder of a fist came hurtling toward her. In Jia Xu's crimson eyes there was not the faintest flicker.

The fist stopped a hair's breadth from Jia Xu's face. Xu Chu's enormous knuckles blotted out her small features entirely.

Xun Yu wiped a cold sweat from his brow. General Xiahou Dun... thank the heavens...

The one-eyed general, Xiahou Dun, styled Yuanrang, had arrived in the nick of time and pulled them back from the brink.

"Everyone sit down! This is what Mengde decided! Jia Xu — that one is on our side now!"

There was not a general in Cao Cao's army who would refuse an order from Xiahou Dun, the general who commanded generals. They all sat back down.

"Hey — Xu Chu, put her down already!"

Xu Chu simply dropped Jia Xu from midair, and she hit the floor in a heap. Even after he had returned to his seat, Xu Chu went on muttering under his breath.

Once he had confirmed that order was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠restored, Xiahou Dun offered a greeting to the strategists and took the seat at dead center. Then he peered around.

"Hasn't started yet, by the look of it! Where did Cao Ren and Cao Chun get to?"

"Ah... they volunteered for patrol duty and went out, it seems. Most likely... they heard that General Cao Hong would be attending the training in person today, and wished to avoid that."

Xiahou Dun looked faintly alarmed at Xun You's answer.

"W-wait a minute! Cao Hong's coming in person? Then is Miaocai here too?"

Xun You looked steadily at Xun Yu. Xun Yu sighed.

"General Xiahou Yuan will also be participating in the training."

Xiahou Dun shot up out of his seat.

"Urgh! I'm going on patrol too!"

Li Dian and Yu Jin caught hold of him, snickering.

"Let go! Let go of me! You're telling me to look at my little sister's naked body?!"

"That's why you should have gotten the intelligence in advance — what's the use of running now?"

"You've got training to take, General~"

Xiahou Dun kept thrashing even as they held him.

"Get off me, you meatheads! You're just trying to tease me about whether I get hard looking at my sister again!"

"...General Xu Chu, if you would restrain General Xiahou Dun. We need to begin."

At Xun Yu's word, Xu Chu flattened Xiahou Dun beneath his enormous bulk. Pancaked against the floor, Xiahou Dun howled.

"Aaaaagh~ making me do THIS as training, Cao Cao Mengde you son of a biiiitch!!!"

"Brother, Lady Zou is entering the bathhouse with the two ladies."

Xun You's voice was urgent. Xun Yu could wait no longer.

"Then let us begin! Cheng Yu, if you would draw them back!"

Cheng Yu worked the pulley mechanism connected to the curtains. The drape covering the right-hand screen at the front of the room drew aside, and the darkened chamber flooded with light...

The light of the open-air grand bath of the Xuchang palace came pouring straight into the room.

Yes. This chamber was a dark room whose central wall had been converted into a vast pane of glass, affording a view into every corner of the Xuchang grand bath...

From this side the baths lay perfectly visible. From the bath side, the reflected sunlight rendered it nothing more than a glittering wall. A fantastical viewing gallery — the finest seats under heaven, reserved exclusively for the inner circle of Cao Cao's army, from which one might at any hour enjoy the sight of the palace women at their bath.

And today's protagonists... are these people...

Sensing the howling generals fall silent in an instant, Xun Yu fixed his gaze on the three women stepping into the bath.