What I Rightfully Deserve to Claim (1)
Having swiftly quelled Jian Shi's rebellion, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao ordered their aides to wrap up the aftermath before heading to the Grand General's mansion to report their victory to He Jin. The generals in the Grand General's mansion turned their gazes toward them. Having heard from their subordinates that the Jian Shi uprising had been fully suppressed, they looked upon the heroic women entering with proud strides—some with awe, others with jealousy.
"Though you erred in letting Jian Shi slip away, sweeping him up in the Inner Garden alongside the Western Garden troops means your merits far outweigh that mistake. Well done."
He Jin pointed out their failure to capture Jian Shi at his residence but still praised Cao Cao and Yuan Shao's achievements. Though he harbored ill feelings toward Cao Cao as the granddaughter of an eunuch family, their feat of crushing the Western Garden forces and capturing Jian Shi deserved commendation.
"However, in the midst of His Majesty's current illness, setting fire to the palace is hardly auspicious and warrants rebuke."
Yuan Shu, standing to He Jin's left with hands clasped in salute, spoke up. They had doused the palace in oil and set it ablaze—without even seeking approval from the Grand General's office, no less. Though he had known Cao Cao since childhood, Yuan Shu had long belittled her for her eunuch lineage. Now, with all the Grand General's officers assembled, he seized the chance to highlight the palace arson.
It grated on him that these women, who had racked up such massive feats, were receiving praise.
"Tiger Tally Commandant's words carry weight, but in the heat of crisis, obtaining prior approval would have been difficult. Though the method was inauspicious as he says, we must greatly commend how swiftly the rebellion was crushed. Isn't that right, Gonglu?"
"I-if that aligns with the Grand General's intent... then so it is. My thinking was shortsighted."
The generals in the Grand General's mansion were stunned by He Jin's response. They had expected him to side with Tiger Tally Commandant Yuan Shu and rebuke the Front Army Instructor Cao Cao, whom he had long scorned.
"In His Majesty's stead, bedridden as he is, I shall personally lead the interrogation! Jian Shi the arch-traitor, and all his cohorts—I will root them out and punish them for their treason!"
Before all the high-ranking generals under the Grand General's command, He Jin boldly declared he would personally oversee the interrogation to expose Jian Shi and his faction's crimes unequivocally. His aim was to use Jian Shi to crush the Ten Attendants' influence entrenched in the imperial house and palace. He had no intention of purging them entirely, but he meant to strip their power so they could never challenge his authority again—to place them firmly beneath his heel. Having been dismissed as a mere upstart until now, he sought to show those eunuchs who had looked down on him what retribution looked like.
After quelling Jian Shi's rebellion, Grand General He Jin disbanded the Western Garden Eight Captains, the Emperor's direct guard unit that had served as the eunuch faction's military backbone. By dismantling it, he seized control of the Imperial Guard. He then delegated part of the Imperial Guard's command to Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, who had earned great merit in suppressing the revolt—appointing Cao Cao as Elite Cavalry Captain and Yuan Shao as Capital District Commandant, thereby granting them full authority.
"Aide, are your wounds all right?"
"Just minor."
Despite the brutal melee that had drenched him in blood, Lee Seong-hwi showed no sign of distress, prompting Cao Cao's concerned words at his superhuman display. She had heard the reports from her officers: Lee Seong-hwi had slain over thirty Western Garden soldiers single-handedly and dragged Jian Shi out by the hair after the man hurled himself into the flames. He was none other than the one who had earned the greatest merit in quelling Jian Shi's rebellion.
"Mengde, now I get why you were so obsessed with him. I've seen plenty of warriors, but this guy's on another level!"
Xiahou Dun shouted excitedly. The Pei Guo heroine seemed to fully accept Lee Seong-hwi as a comrade-in-arms, slinging an arm over his shoulder to flaunt their bond. She was clearly deeply impressed by his fighting. Her cheeks flushed as she lavishly praised his prowess, eyes gleaming at the memory of him drenched head to toe in blood, tearing through the enemy.
"Tch! Enough idle chatter, Yuanyang."
Cao Cao frowned, prodding Xiahou Dun's side with the hilt of her sword as the woman clung too close to Lee Seong-hwi for comfort. Like a cat arching its back with claws out, she made her displeasure obvious, and Xiahou Dun backed off with a feigned pout.
"Well... I admit he fights well."
Cao Hong, who had been watching quietly, nodded with a prim expression. She didn't particularly want to concede it, but having witnessed Lee Seong-hwi's bloodbath against hordes of foes with her own eyes, she had no choice. True to form as her sister's chosen aide, his valor and courage exceeded imagination. Just recalling his ferocity made her heart pound.
"Congratulations on your appointment as Cavalry Adjutant."
Still wearing that prim look, Cao Hong nonetheless sincerely congratulated Lee Seong-hwi on his promotion for his decisive role in quelling the rebellion. The Cavalry Adjutant commanded the Emperor's escort cavalry, overseeing security for the palace and inner quarters—a post with the same 2,000-shi stipend as Gate Captain but a massive promotion given its proximity to the Emperor. Cao Cao herself had once held it during the campaign against the Yellow Turbans alongside Huangfu Song.
"My congratulations to Lady Jiam and Lady Yuanyang on your Captain appointments as well."
Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong had also been promoted to Captaincy for their merits in the suppression. After disbanding the Western Garden Eight Captains, He Jin had transferred a portion of the palace-guarding Imperial Guard to Cao Cao's command per his orders. The two would now lead these newly integrated troops.
"What Lady Yuanyang? Just call me Yuanyang. No need for formalities between comrades."
Xiahou Dun shrugged, flaunting her closeness to Lee Seong-hwi. She figured once he wed Mengde, they'd be family anyway—might as well start acting like it now.
"Keep calling me Lady Jiam."
"Hmph," Cao Hong huffed, turning her head.
"Always so prickly."
"I'm not!"
Cao Hong scowled and shot back at Xiahou Dun's jab. Watching them, Cao Cao eyed Xiahou Dun warily for her excessive familiarity with Lee Seong-hwi while trusting Cao Hong, who seemed wary of him.
"He Jin disbanded the Western Garden Eight Captains and placed Benchu and me at the heart of the Imperial Guard to seize full control of the palace and inner quarters. Before enthroning the Crown Prince as the new Emperor, he plans to use the Guard to purge dissenters."
Cao Cao explained He Jin's intentions. To ensure his nephew ascended safely, the Grand General had begun serious groundwork. Once he gripped the palace with the Imperial Guard and the ailing Emperor breathed his last, he would hold the enthronement ceremony—heralding the fall of the Ten Attendants' era and the dawn of the Grand General's in Luoyang for all to see.
"So we're just hunting dogs in the end."
Xiahou Dun shrugged uncomfortably at Cao Cao's explanation. It was natural for Grand General troops to follow orders, but being used as pawns in power struggles clearly irked her.
"Yet thanks to it, we've stepped from the shadows onto center stage. That's highly positive—we can do far more now than before."
"So what now, sister?"
"For now, we'll wait in silence until the Crown Prince takes the throne. Once He Jin's nephew sits as the Son of Heaven, the Ten Attendants will face upheaval. Like after Jian Shi's revolt, we'll gauge their strengths against the Grand General's faction and seize the advantageous position."
In response to Cao Hong, Cao Cao stated she would fully consolidate her Imperial Guard troops while keeping a sharp eye not only on Luoyang's power struggles but also the unrest brewing in the provinces, biding her time.
"Elite Cavalry Captain, the Capital District Commandant has arrived."
An officer guarding the door announced Yuan Shao's approach. Cao Cao, mid-discussion of future plans, paused with a puzzled look at the news before nodding and rising.
"I'll go meet Benchu. Everyone, return to your posts."
"Yes."
At Cao Cao's dismissal, Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong withdrew. As Lee Seong-hwi moved to do the same, Cao Cao called him back.
"Aide."
"Yes, Lady Mengde."
Lee Seong-hwi responded to her call, and Cao Cao opened her mouth with a soft smile that dimpled her cheek adorably.
"Thank you for standing by my side."
It wasn't for any particular reason. She had simply felt a sudden urge to express her gratitude.
"The honor is mine, serving you, Lady Mengde."
Lee Seong-hwi, briefly flustered by her abrupt words, quickly returned the courtesy with a salute.
Yuan Shao was a woman of immense ambition, harboring grand aspirations no ordinary soul would dare dream. She sought to embrace the greatest prize with both arms. But to achieve it, she needed capable talents to serve as her limbs. Thus, she had recruited former Western Garden officers like Right Captain Xun You and Left Captain Ju Jun, allied with clear-stream scholars like Xun Yu and Feng Ji, and thoroughly prepared by drawing promising young stars from the Grand General's officers into her fold.
Lee Seong-hwi... was it? Mengde's aide, who shone brilliantly against the Western Garden fiends like a yaksha.
For Yuan Shao, who spared no means to poach the able, Lee Seong-hwi's exploits struck like lightning. To think such a peerless general lurked in Luoyang, unnoticed until now. Humbly acknowledging her oversight, she took a keen interest in him. He had displayed near-invincible martial prowess against the Western Garden troops and absolute loyalty by dragging Jian Shi from the flames bare-handed to fulfill Mengde's command.
A loyal, valiant soul who would gladly be my right arm—surely pivotal to realizing my ambitions. To me, he is a talent I must claim.
Regrettably, Lee Seong-hwi belonged to Cao Cao. Her cunning, multifaceted friend had snatched him away. But Yuan Shao felt no worry. Cao Cao was her longtime companion, now a fellow navigating the chaos. And deep down, Yuan Shao viewed her as a subordinate beneath her own station. With the right words, Mengde would surely yield him.
"Mengde."
"You come without notice."
To inquire about this Lee Seong-hwi—and confirm if she might yield him—Yuan Shao had come seeking Cao Cao's consent.