Killing the Beast (1)
Late at night, Cao Cao received a summons from someone. She changed into a maid's outfit that made it hard for anyone to recognize her as Cao Cao, and followed a eunuch without bringing anyone else.
"This way."
Following the eunuch's guidance, Cao Cao entered a place that resembled a shabby warehouse. The eunuch pressed hard on one side of a drawer inside, and with a click, the drawer slid open to the side.
Rumble.
As the drawer moved, a space opened up inside. Cao Cao stepped into it as if it were familiar territory, and the eunuch closed the drawer behind her.
Creeeak. It was pitch-black darkness without a single light, but Cao Cao walked through it confidently, as if she knew the path perfectly. Of course she did—this was the very passage she had built herself.
"...Aman?"
A small voice came from beyond the wall. It was so delicate and high-pitched that it was impossible to tell if it belonged to a man or a woman, sounding almost like a child's. Cao Cao smiled faintly and tapped on the wall.
"Aman has arrived."
"Come in."
Cao Cao slipped her hand into a hole in the wall and pushed it aside. Opening a sliding door rare in the Central Plains, she found a woman with long hair draped down her back waiting to greet her.
"Long live, long live, long long live."
The moment Cao Cao saw her, she bowed deeply in greeting. "S-stop that. You already did it in the throne room earlier."
"Earlier, I greeted you as Cao Cao. Now, I'm greeting you as Your Majesty's secret friend, Aman, aren't I?"
"Just once, just once."
Cao Cao addressed the woman as "Your Majesty." Who could ever imagine it?
This frail, sickly woman who looked like a delicate doll was none other than Liu Xie—the one who had been King of Chenliu and might become the last emperor of Han.
"First, let me congratulate you once more on your victory."
"It was a victory we were bound to claim. Now, Yuan Shu will never threaten Heodo again."
"But... wasn't it a bit much to annihilate them completely?"
"Yes."
The emperor let out a deep sigh of regret.
"It's my failing. This was the first time I'd ever led an army myself, so I couldn't calculate the supply needs properly."
"No, it wasn't. How could we control the heavens throwing a tantrum? We nearly had people saying the rebels had heaven on their side."
Many scholars offered various excuses for the supply shortage. But the ultimate reason was the torrential rains that had poured down on the Shouchun area like monsoon downpours.
Countless supplies had been soaked and ruined. They hadn't told the soldiers to avoid morale issues.
"Fortunately, thanks to the tuntian system, Heodo is enjoying a bumper crop this year. We'll stockpile enough so Your Majesty's army never starves again."
"Yes, starvation is something no one can endure."
The emperor closed her eyes gently.
"Back when I was hiding in Luoyang. During the time I fled from Li Jue and Guo Si. A man from Jingzhou approached me while I was traveling incognito and gave me a lunchbox from his shoulder basket."
"You suffered greatly. Truly. I once fled after trying to assassinate Dong Zhuo, ended up begging my way to Chenliu."
"Begging?"
"Yes, begging. Really... heh heh heh."
Begging? The Son of Heaven couldn't bring himself to voice the rumors he'd heard.
"Only those who starve know that pain. You truly suffered."
"...Yes. That's when I understood why the people rise in rebellion, why their hearts turn from this nation. Seeing them cut flesh from their own bodies to feed their children..."
Tears welled up in the emperor's eyes.
"I have great expectations of you. But time is short. While I can still reign as emperor in truth, you must secure a firm position."
"...I understand completely."
A true emperor. Emperor Liu Xie had ascended the throne as a "man."
"My brother was murdered by Dong Zhuo. To hide that he'd killed the emperor, Dong Zhuo put me forward as my brother's replacement. If my true identity is revealed..."
"They'll say the imperial line is broken, and start hunting for another 'man' to be emperor."
"Yes. Another Liu will be elevated. Especially Yuan Shao... he tried to make Liu Yu emperor."
Liu Xie ground her teeth.
"...I've confirmed what you asked me to check. That 'Big Ears.'"
"The big-eared one. What of him?"
"He is indeed imperial kin. What do you think of him? Is he worthy of my recognition as kin?"
For the emperor to acknowledge him as kin meant having a legitimate bloodline ready in case of crisis—like her gender being exposed—someone fit to ascend as emperor.
"Liu Bei is a strange man."
Cao Cao spoke her true thoughts before the Son of Heaven.
"He says he wants to see the people of the realm smiling, yet he spills blood everywhere he goes. He accepts personal sacrifice with eerie ease. I don't know if he's trying to emulate the benevolent Liu Yu, but I saw the ambition within him."
Cao Cao shook her head.
"I admit he's a good man. But a purely good man would suit a peaceful era after chaos ends, not these turbulent times."
"Hmm..."
The emperor mulled over the name Liu Bei repeatedly.
"Still, he seems better than the other Lius..."
"That I concede."
Liu Biao, Liu Zhang, Liu Yao.
"Don't you have one under you?"
"He bears imperial blood, but rejects it himself. How can we entrust a great cause to someone who denies his own mandate? He has talent but refuses to use it. And his portrait looks odd."
"...Sigh."
The emperor's sigh deepened. "Why do you fear Liu Bei so much?"
"I don't fear Liu Bei."
Cao Cao shook her head firmly. "What terrifies me is whoever might use Liu Bei when all situations worsen."
"Who?"
"Yuan Shao."
Cao Cao continued, her face paling. "If Yuan Shao elevates Liu Bei in place of Liu Yu, Han will split along the Yellow River. North of the river becomes North Han, and Heodo south of it becomes South Han."
"Yuan Shao. I see. I understand your concerns. But Liu Bei's reputation..."
The emperor trailed off. She hadn't met Liu Bei in person yet.
"I'd like to meet Liu Hyun-deok alone someday. As a man, of course."
"That opportunity will come soon. Take a look."
Cao Cao handed the emperor a thin sheet of paper. She scanned it and frowned.
"Xuzhou again?"
"Yes. Now that we've driven Yuan Shu to Yeonam, it's the perfect chance to kill Lü Bu."
"Lü Bu..."
A man who knew the emperor's weakness—especially now.
Lü Bu knew the emperor was a woman.
"But isn't Liu Bei on Lü Bu's side?"
"Just as he came alone to aid the throne against Yuan Shu, he claims to fight for Han. We'll arrange for Liu Bei to side with us, so Your Majesty need only wait."
Wait quietly. Not ideal words from a minister, but Liu Xie had no choice.
"This is Cao Cao's ambition at play—it must have nothing to do with Your Majesty's will."
"...If it goes wrong, Lü Bu could expose me?"
"Yes. A secret known to scarcely twenty in the realm. Even I only learned it after serving you. If Lü Bu reveals it now, those traitorous Zhong rebels gain legitimacy. After we've just crushed them."
"Hmm..."
Liu Xie—the woman who had become Liu Xie—nodded gravely.
"Do as you see fit. In this den of wolves, you're the only one I can trust, being a woman like me."
"Heh heh, don't trust me too much. Who knows if I'll become a female Dong Zhuo?"
"At least you won't end up as some Dong Zhuo's wife, bearing his child."
The emperor spoke plainly to Cao Cao.
"At least you're trying to make your Cao clan part of the imperial house, not marrying me to become emperor like the others."
"Heh heh, I'll keep that in mind."
Cao Cao bowed before the emperor.
"I'll find a man worthy of Your Majesty and make him an adopted son of our Cao house. Yes—how about naming him 'Concubine'?"
"......So my husband would be Cao Bi?"
The emperor gave a wry smile and looked up at the ceiling.
"Change his surname to Liu, and he'd be Liu Bi."
".......I'll look for a different Liu."
Cao Cao pressed on with a stiff face.
"With all the seeds Zhongshan Jingwang sowed across the land, there must be one fit to adopt into our Cao house."
"It's still raining, Master."
"Yeah."
I felt awkwardly embarrassed by the relentless downpour. "Xinyahyeon, about what happened that day..."
"Oh? What happened?"
"Thanks, that's helpful."
Sima Yi stretched casually as if nothing had occurred.
"Master, brush my hair."
"Sure."
Her pose reminded me of a cat stretching indoors after being cooped up, and I couldn't help but chuckle. Right now, Sima Yi was lying with her head on my thigh.
No particular reason. If anything, we'd planned to work the fields today, but the heavy rain kept us inside, leading to this lazy afternoon for both of us.
"Master! Let's go again!"
Suddenly, the cat's expression changed. At the door stood a fledgling phoenix, arms full of something, puffing out her cheeks in frustration at interrupting the cat's rest.
"This time, I'll be Liu Biao's army! You be Yuan Shu's, Master!"
"Too bothersome. How many replays is this? It's not Go. People died."
"But this battle is worth reviewing over and over!"
"Enough. It'll just be recorded in history as an ordinary fight anyway."
Overwhelming numbers and tactics routing bandit-like foes. That's how the histories would sum it up. Yuan Shu sent troops to plunder northern Jingzhou but was routed. End of story.
"If you want to review it that badly, ask the one who commanded in person."
"W-well..."
Pang Tong scratched her cheek, pointing at Sima Yi lying quietly beside me.
"Beat Zhuge Liang first if you want to spar with me. That's the order..."
"And did you beat Zhuge Liang?"
"...Master, honestly, I think if Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi fought, Sima Yi would lose? But telling me to beat Zhuge Liang is—"
"Did Zhuge Liang say that?"
Sima Yi glared at Pang Tong, eyes gleaming.
"Your thought, or hers?"
"Hmph."
Pang Tong tilted her head up, covering one eye with her left hand.
"By the eyes of this Phoenix Chick..."
"Bring it. You climb because I let you."
Sima Yi tapped the space in front of her while still lounging on my thigh.
"Even if I commanded Yuan Shu's army, you wouldn't win, Pang Tong."
"Might as well say you'll play Go with your feet."
"Was I that harsh?"
"Yeah."