For you who recognized me
Dong Zhuo set her teacup down with an even face.
She looked at the second principal wife seated across from her.
Looking at Ji Ling, she smiled deeply and asked.
"So, is married life manageable? Second Wife."
"Hmm... well, it's good, but... it's not as easy as I thought. Especially the night duties..."
Ji Ling lifted her own teacup, her expression distinctly uneasiness.
Since it was the very start of her honeymoon, she had been intensively besieged for the past four days, and even now recalling the nights so far sent shivers through her body.
At least yesterday she'd been able to rest when Dong Zhuo "returned," but Ji Ling herself knew very well that this respite wouldn't last long.
"Don't worry. I was the same at first. Once you adjust, it'll get a little easier... probably."
"... Considering that, you don't look so good. Are you sure you're all right?"
"This much counts as fine. Last night alone, I only passed out five times before I endured."
Dong Zhuo was smiling, yet it was blatantly obvious she wasn't smiling at all.
Watching this, Ji Ling could only break out in a cold sweat.
"Five times after you'd rested for four days... hmm... Even so, Zhuo, enduring this alone for over half a year is worthy of respect. How on earth did you manage it?"
By the final day, Ji Ling had cast aside all pride and everything else, practically begging as she'd been nailed down.
Thanks to that, she now had at least some grasp of the hardships Dong Zhuo must have gone through.
Still, now that it was two-on-one, it ought to be a little more manageable... right?
Honestly, considering that monstrous stamina, both of them privately thought that two people would still be overwhelming.
"Hehe. But... it's still good, isn't it? It's hard and painful, but the pleasure more than makes up for it."
"Gulp. Gulp... ahem... well... that's true, but."
At Dong Zhuo's words, Ji Ling drained her teacup as if she were drinking liquor.
It was a display that seemed to toss aside the dignity of a principal wife, but Dong Zhuo didn't particularly mind.
She had known Ji Ling for quite a long time, if not as long as Yuan Shu. She knew perfectly well that if Ji Ling ever acted demurely like a proper principal wife, she would instead have to worry that the woman had eaten something wrong.
And so, after that small chat between principal wives, Dong Zhuo's expression turned much more serious.
"Then, let's get down to business. Second Wife, what do you think a principal wife's duty is?"
"A principal wife's duty? Like I said, isn't it handling the night duties well?"
"Hehe. Yes, that is the most important task. Especially with a lord like our husband, whose appetites are so vigorous."
"Well... I've also heard we're supposed to manage the household affairs... honestly, I'm not sure about that one. Oh, and come to think of it, I heard preparing our husband's meals is also our responsibility."
"Yes. A principal wife is, literally, the mistress of the house. We must manage the internal support of this Yuan Clan residence. The household goods, the meals for the servants, and even raising the children later on. Of course, we'll leave the practical work to the servants, but the final checks must be done by us."
"Whoa... hearing it like that, there's really a lot to do. I still have my general's duties too."
"Indeed. And because of that, I truthfully have little leisure myself. My work as General of Agile Cavalry is no light matter. At times like these, I am rather glad you entered the household as a wife."
Dong Zhuo was quietly pleased to have gained a partner to share the workload.
Listening to her, Ji Ling wore a somewhat troubled expression.
"Hmm... could I handle it roughly like managing a military unit? Anything more complicated than that would be too much for me."
"That much will be more than enough. I'll handle most of the matters anyway, so I'll only ask you to serve in a supporting role. You're accustomed to that sort of thing, aren't you? Since you worked as our husband's aide for so long."
"Oh... that much shouldn't be a big problem. Then I'll be in your care from now on, Zhuo."
"Hehe. Yes. I look forward to it. In more ways than one."
Ji Ling spoke with an energetic air.
Toward her, Dong Zhuo quietly raised her teacup, a refined smile on her face.
All the while thinking, with little real expectation, that the next time the two of them ganged up on him together, they might just stand a fighting chance.
*
Several days flew by in a whirlwind of marriage and such.
Now that it was over.
I began to turn my gaze back toward the map of the realm.
"Hmm..."
Though a path had been opened through Cao Cao's exploits, the situation remained unfavorable for us.
To the north, of course, lay the territory held by Zhang Rang's faction,
and to the south, the coalition of the Liu Clan vassal kings was likewise an opponent we could never take lightly.
Although our overall military strength was a step above theirs when considering the bountiful economic power of the Central Plains, if we were attacked from both north and south simultaneously, there was a high probability we'd be crushed instead.
And a situation similar to ours now had existed in the Original Timeline.
'Looking at it now, this feels exactly like Cao Cao's situation, just on hard mode.'
Aside from Aman, who shot right back to Xu Province the moment the wedding ended, this was exactly the situation the Original Timeline's homewrecker killer Cao Cao had been in.
Right after seizing Xu Province, Cao Cao had been surrounded by Yuan Shao above, Sun Jian below, and Liu Biao's faction on the flank.
Because of this, Cao Cao had no choice but to divide her forces to prevent a backstab during the great Battle of Guandu she fought against Yuan Shao.
At least Liu Biao in Jing Province, despite her massive forces, had always shown an indecisiveness that made her hesitate to reach for other regions,
and while Sun Ce of Jiangdong had truly nearly teamed up with Yuan Shao to sandwich Cao Cao and wipe her out, he'd just so happened to get the assassination crit from the retainers of a subordinate she herself had purged on suspicion of betrayal.
After that, Sun Quan, who became the head of the Jiangdong faction, was so busy stabilizing the internal situation after the leadership change that she switched course and made peace with Cao Cao.
From Cao Cao's perspective, she could at least count herself fortunate that no one was openly drawing a knife and lunging at her back...
Even so, since she could never drop her guard against them, she had always been forced to station troops in Jing Province and Yang Province (Jiangdong).
As a result, in the historical records, Cao Cao had to fight an overwhelmingly disadvantageous battle of at least 100,000+ vs. 40,000-50,000.
In the Romance, with much exaggeration added, it became 700,000 versus 70,000.
Cao Cao had barely managed to clutch victory thanks to her outstanding military talent, various strokes of luck like the defection of the strategist Xu You, and ultimately, decisively, Yuan Shao's death midway through, which sparked an internal feud among her children.
But one misstep, truly... especially without those staggering lotteries of Sun Ce's assassination and Yuan Shao's sudden death at the very end, the protagonist of the middle and late Three Kingdoms Era would have nearly been Yuan Shao instead of Cao Cao.
And of course, unlike that Original Timeline, I knew perfectly well now.
I knew that hoping for that kind of dumb luck was absolutely impossible for me.
If I had that kind of thing, I'd never have ended up in this goddamn mess of a situation—the Imperial Seal would've landed in my hands straight away!
No, before that, that wretch Zhang Rang wouldn't still be alive, clinging on so disgustingly!
Well, anyway... frustrating as it was, the important thing was how to break out of this situation right now.
And regarding this, I turned to my sole strategist, obtained with such great difficulty.
I asked Chen Gong for her opinion.
"It is certainly true that right now, we cannot move our main forces recklessly. Therefore, we must first create a situation where we can move."
"A situation where we can move... do you have a method?"
"Master Sun says that the art of war is ultimately the art of deceiving the enemy. If we can deceive their eyes, it shouldn't be too difficult."
"Oh..."
Chen Gong's ensuing plan.
As I listened, along with the thought that clever people really are built differently, a feeling arose that a clear path was opening through my once-stifling road ahead.
"Good. Then let's proceed with this matter under your direction. I will spare no support that you need."
"Thank you, my lord. I, Chen Gong, will absolutely see this matter through to success!"
Chen Gong bowed her head deeply and answered with force.
Seeing the clear ambition brimming from her, a calm smile touched my lips.
'She must've been pretty disappointed that I only gave her internal administration work. True enough, in the Romance, Chen Gong's specialty was always military affairs.'
Thinking that I should entrust her with these sorts of tasks properly going forward,
I patted Chen Gong's shoulder as she looked my way with a deep smile.
I figured her expression, which seemed oddly tinged with a blush, was definitely just excitement from the chance to earn merit.
*
Chen Gong withdrew after receiving her orders from Yuan Shu.
The moment she stepped out of her lord's office, she clenched both fists tightly out of sight.
'At last... the opportunity has come... A perfect chance to catch my lord's eye...'
Until now, Chen Gong had faithfully carried out the administrative tasks Yuan Shu ordered.
Yet even as she processed the work assigned to her, Chen Gong had been constantly waiting.
In times of peace, managing internal affairs was the most important rule, but in chaotic times like these, the most critical field was undeniably war.
Having cultivated her knowledge of military strategy and tactics precisely for this, Chen Gong had ardently hoped that one day Yuan Shu would entrust her with military-related duties.
And at last, the chance had arrived.
Though Yuan Shu's words had framed it as seeking her help because he could find no answer, Chen Gong knew that was a lie.
This man was an undefeated renowned commander, the General-in-Chief who had won countless battles.
Surely a plan of his own already existed in his head... perhaps one even greater than the stratagem Chen Gong herself had thought up.
Entrusting the matter to her despite that was undoubtedly a demonstration of his trust.
No... perhaps he had read her heart, which had long yearned for war-related work, and had given her this answer.
'I knew he was a good person... but to think he'd pay this much attention to someone like me...'
From their very first meeting, he'd been the one to recognize her talent,
and he was the lord who had ceaselessly given her chances to display her abilities.
And so, Chen Gong resolved to ensure that this task succeeded perfectly.
To repay that kindness.
To achieve the great enterprise together with him.
And,
for the unspoken hope... she held within her heart.