Chapter 107: Cao Cao Makes Grand Promises

In the second year of Jian’an, June of 197 AD, in Xu Chang.

This entire year had been a streak of misfortune for Cao Cao. Or rather, any year before the Battle of Guandu was a challenging year for him.

When he first entered Yan Province, he struggled to defeat the Yellow Turbans in Qing Province. Then he campaigned east and west, defeating Yuan Shu and Tao Qian, and waging war in Runan against Lü Bu.

Just as things seemed to stabilize, he was forced into brutal conflict with Yuan Shu again.

In those few short years, Cao Cao was either fighting or on the road to battle. Every war was fraught with peril; at his lowest point, he nearly had to send his family to Ye City as hostages.

Fortunately, he survived it all.

But the southern campaign against Zhang Xiu early this year inflicted his heaviest losses yet.

Historically, he lost only Dian Wei, Cao Ang, Cao Anmin, and about two thousand men. This time, Cao Ren and Yue Jin were added to the list, along with nearly ten thousand elite troops.

His strength was nearly reduced by a quarter, forcing Cao Cao to abandon the arrogance he had displayed when receiving Emperor Xian and adopt a more low-key demeanor.

In May, having learned his lesson, Cao Cao decided not to antagonize Liu Biao any further. Thus, in the name of Emperor Xian, he bestowed upon Liu Biao the title of General Who Conquers the South as a gesture of goodwill and refrained from sending Cao Hong to continue the southern campaign against Zhang Xiu.

Both sides were now at peace. Cao Hong was stationed at Ye County, Liu Biao placed Gan Ning at Biyang, while Zhang Xiu, more timid, remained in Rang County with only a small garrison in Wan City.

After being granted the title of General Who Conquers the South by Emperor Xian, Liu Biao ceased hostilities and even sent the envoy Han Song again to Xu Chang to pay homage to the emperor.

This was largely because Liu Biao’s position as Inspector of Jing Province had originally been given by Dong Zhuo, and his later titles—General Who Pacifies the South, Governor of Jing Province, and Marquis of Wucheng—were conferred by Li Jue. While all were in the name of Emperor Xian, legally they were somewhat tenuous.

Now that Emperor Xian had personally conferred the title, it was a formal and legitimate recognition, much to Liu Biao’s delight.

Cao Cao, on the other hand, dared not underestimate Liu Biao. Historically, he had personally campaigned several times against Nanyang, devastating Liu Biao’s forces. He never regarded Liu Biao highly nor granted him promotions.

But now, with his strength greatly diminished, he had to carefully consider whom to provoke and whom to avoid.

Under normal circumstances, Yuan Shu fell into the category of those not to be provoked.

This year, Yuan Shu had just declared himself emperor, his power at its peak with over a hundred thousand troops. Cao Cao, having suffered heavy losses, commanded barely forty thousand soldiers. Facing Yuan Shu head-on offered little hope of victory. More critically, he had to worry about Lü Bu’s stance.

If Lü Bu allied with Yuan Shu, the threat to Cao Cao would be immense.

This weighed heavily on his mind.

At the residence of the Minister of Works in Xu Chang, since returning from Nanyang in March, the once bustling household had grown noticeably quiet within just three months.

Cao Cao sat alone beneath the wooden corridor by the pond in the rear courtyard, cross-legged and lost in thought as he gazed at the fish swimming in the water.

It was midsummer; the sun blazed fiercely, the water sparkled and shimmered, warming his body pleasantly.

The servants and maidens tiptoed around, careful not to disturb him.

Since the Nanyang campaign, Cao Ang had died in battle. Cao Cao’s principal wife, Lady Ding, was furious and severed ties with him, taking some servants back to her hometown.

Without the principal lady of the house, only a few concubines remained, leaving the inner chambers feeling empty and lacking vitality.

Lady Bian would be established as the principal wife two years later, after Cao Cao tried and failed to reconcile with Lady Ding and eventually divorced her.

Thus, currently, the Cao family’s inner residence had no true mistress.

In times past, when Cao Cao was troubled, Lady Ding would offer him counsel, but now no one dared to intervene.

Lady Bian, aware of Cao Cao’s gloomy mood these days and worried about the heat causing him to suffer heatstroke, prepared a refreshing plum soup to quench his thirst.

“Husband.”

She brought the sour plum soup and walked slowly to the corridor, waving her hand to dismiss the servants who had been standing until their legs ached.

Then she knelt beside Cao Cao, placed the tray down, and handed him the drink.

“Thank you, my lady.”

Cao Cao replied, taking the plum soup from her hand and feigning ease, “Where are the boys?”

Lady Bian said, “It’s too hot. After noon, they all feel drowsy and have already gone to sleep.”

“Is Cangshu asleep as well?”

Cao Cao asked.

Cangshu was Cao Chong’s childhood name. This year, Cao Chong was nearly two years old.

Normally, children spoke by one and a half years old and recognized characters by three.

But Cao Chong was a prodigy; historical records noted that by five years old, his intelligence was nearly that of an adult. He spoke at nine months and recognized characters by one and a half years, earning Cao Cao’s great affection.

He once remarked that although Shen’s child was gifted, none compared to his own Cangshu—even if it sounded like boasting, it attested to Cao Chong’s brilliance.

“Cangshu is asleep too,” Lady Bian smiled. “Before sleeping, he said he would recite a passage to Ye Ye when he woke.”

“Oh?”

Cao Cao looked surprised. “He already knows how to recite?”

“Not quite. He has memorized the first chapter of the ‘Cangjie Chapter’—one hundred and twenty characters. But what child hasn’t memorized that many characters before two? In another two years, Cangshu will surely be quite accomplished in writing.”

Lady Bian chose flattering words to please Cao Cao, knowing he loved to hear such things.

Cao Cao stroked his beard and laughed heartily, “Ha ha ha! To have a son who can recite the first chapter of the ‘Cangjie Chapter’ is excellent. With such a prodigy, how could the Cao family not flourish?”

Cheered by Lady Bian’s praise of Cao Chong, Cao Cao’s gloom over Yuan Shu’s occupation of Chen and Liang and the threat to Yingchuan lightened considerably.

They chatted about other matters when a servant entered and said, “Minister of Works, Lü Bu has sent the envoy Chen Deng to Xu Chang. He is waiting outside the gate.”

“Oh?”

Cao Cao pondered, “Let him wait in the front hall. Send for the strategist and military advisor. When he arrives, summon Chen Deng to the central hall.”

“Yes.”

The servant went to arrange it.

Lady Bian said, “My lord has important matters to attend to. I will return to the inner chambers.”

“Mm.”

Cao Cao nodded and stood, heading toward the front hall.

After the campaign in Nanyang, many events had unfolded in the Eastern regions.

For example, last year, Gongsun Zan suffered a crushing defeat by Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao then sent troops to besiege Gongsun Zan at Yi Jing.

Now the situation in Hebei was clear: Gongsun Zan was at his last gasp, and Yuan Shao’s dominance over the north was inevitable.

In May, Yuan Shu advanced north, occupying Chen and Liang. To prevent an alliance between Lü Bu and Yuan Shu, Cao Cao hurriedly sent envoys to Lü Bu, promising to promote him to Left General.

Unexpectedly, Lü Bu had initially intended to ally with Yuan Shu and had even agreed to marry his daughter to Yuan Shu’s son.

However, Chen Gui and Chen Deng, father and son, intervened, successfully persuading Lü Bu to reject Yuan Shu’s proposal—indirectly aiding Cao Cao.

Now Lü Bu had sent Chen Deng as envoy to Xu Chang, presumably regarding this matter.

Guo Jia’s rise to prominence in such a critical moment followed Cao Cao’s defeat at Zhang Xiu’s hands, when he fled shamefacedly back to Yingchuan.

Yuan Shao immediately sent an arrogant letter, humiliating Cao Cao, which enraged him greatly.

But fearing Yuan Shao’s growing strength and his imminent conquest of the north, Cao Cao dared not respond.

Only Guo Jia’s “Ten Victories, Ten Defeats” strategy restored Cao Cao’s confidence. Since then, Guo Jia was established as strategist and military advisor, entering the inner circle of counsel.

At that time, Cao Cao’s five great strategists had not yet fully formed.

Xun Yu was cooperating but was now in charge of the Secretariat; Jia Xu was still in Nanyang with Zhang Xiu; Xun You served as Governor of Runan, stabilizing the region; Cheng Yu was Governor of Jiyin, stationed in Yan Province.

Thus, Guo Jia was the only one by Cao Cao’s side, and when matters arose, Cao Cao indeed needed his analysis.

Soon, Cao Cao reached the central hall. Chen Deng waited in the front hall while servants went to fetch Guo Jia.

About fifteen minutes later, Guo Jia hurried in, seeing Cao Cao at the main seat examining documents, and respectfully greeted him, “My lord.”

“Mm.”

Cao Cao put down the papers and said, “Fengxiao, please sit.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

Guo Jia sat to Cao Cao’s right.

Once seated, Cao Cao said, “Lü Bu has sent the envoy Chen Deng. What is your opinion, Fengxiao?”

Guo Jia smiled, “I am already aware. Early this year, Yuan Shu sent envoys to court Lü Bu, seeking to marry his son to Lü Bu’s daughter. The Pei prime minister Han Yu and his son successfully dissuaded Lü Bu, thwarting Yuan Shu’s scheme. This shows their loyalty to the court. With Chen Deng here, you may test him and possibly gain an internal ally.”

In the late Han and Three Kingdoms period, no one understood human nature better than Guo Jia.

In May, the envoy sent to Lü Bu by Cao Cao happened to witness Chen Gui and Chen Deng thwart Yuan Shu’s attempt at alliance, leading Lü Bu to arrest Yuan Shu’s envoy Han Yin and send him to Cao Cao.

Everyone knew this, but Guo Jia discerned that Chen Gui and Chen Deng were not truly acting for Lü Bu’s benefit and advised Cao Cao to win them over as insiders.

Cao Cao nodded, “I think so too. If the Chen family truly supports the court, it would be most beneficial.”

As they spoke, a servant brought Chen Deng from the front hall.

Chen Deng was eight feet tall, handsome, and carried a heroic bearing. He entered calmly and greeted Cao Cao with a bow, “Deng pays respects to Lord Cao.”

“Mm.”

Cao Cao said, “Please sit, esteemed envoy. Lü Bu has sent you here. What is your purpose?”

At the beginning of the year, Emperor Xian had granted Cao Cao the title Marquis of Wuping.

In the Zhou dynasty, noble ranks were Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron; only those ranked Marquis or above could address themselves as “I” in the singular form.

By the Qin and Han periods, the system expanded to twenty levels, abolishing the lower four ranks and leaving the Marquis as the primary noble rank.

Among marquises, there were three tiers: Du Ting Hou, Ting Hou, Du Xiang Hou, and Xiang Hou, with County Marquis being the highest, ruling a county as their fief and entitled to refer to themselves in the royal manner.

Cao Cao’s title of Marquis of Wuping and Liu Biao’s Marquis of Wucheng were both at the County Marquis level, so Cao Cao used “I” in official speech.

“Thank you, Lord Cao.”

Chen Deng sat, “Earlier this year, Yuan Shu declared himself emperor in Huainan and secretly sought to ally with Lü Bu. Are you aware of this?”

Cao Cao noticed Chen Deng said “secretly sought Lü Bu,” not “secretly sought my lord,” which reassured him. He nodded, “Naturally. Thanks to Han Yu and Yuanlong, if not for them, the court might be in peril.”

His tone grew warmer, laying the groundwork for winning Chen Deng’s loyalty.

Chen Deng replied solemnly, “My father and I advised Lü Bu for the sake of the realm, without desire for merit. I have come merely to inform Lord Cao that Yuan Shu is a wild wolf in Huainan, difficult to tolerate. You should first befriend Lü Bu, drive Yuan Shu out of Yuzhou, and thus protect Xu Du’s safety.”

Cao Cao said, “I am aware. Yuan Shu has marched into the Chen and Liang territories, intending to attack Yingchuan. How could I allow it? Yet, Huainan controls Jiangdong, Runan follows him, with many troops and generals. I desire to strike, but lack the strength.”

Chen Deng promptly said, “I will strive to persuade Lü Bu to ally with you. Lü Bu has already angered Yuan Shu by killing his envoy and will surely mobilize against him. You can then watch from the sidelines.”

“Good.”

Cao Cao nodded approvingly, “What is Yuanlong’s assessment of Lü Bu?”

Chen Deng replied, “Lü Bu is brave but without strategy, fickle and unreliable, not a loyal minister to the realm. After coming to Xuzhou, he attacked Liu Huangshu at Xiaopei and forcibly conscripted my father, causing alienation in Xuzhou. After you defeat Yuan Shu, you should deal with him promptly.”

Cao Cao sighed, “Indeed, Lü Bu is capricious. Even if we grant him high rank and wealth today, he will surely rebel in the future. Only you, my lord, can discern his true nature.”

Chen Deng immediately stood and bowed, “Deng is willing to serve as an insider for Lord Cao.”

Cao Cao rejoiced, “With Yuanlong’s help, the court can soon reclaim northern Huai. I intend to petition the emperor to appoint you Governor of Guangling to entrust you with eastern affairs. How do you respond?”

“Deng will not disgrace this trust.”

Chen Deng accepted eagerly. He too despised Lü Bu and naturally sought the day the court would retake Xuzhou.

Cao Cao was delighted to have won Chen Deng over, rewarding his father Chen Gui, and discussing how to temporarily ally with Lü Bu to attack Yuan Shu.

The main purpose of Lü Bu sending Chen Deng was to request formal investiture as Governor of Xuzhou.

Previously, when Liu Bei came to assist Tao Qian, Emperor Xian was still in Chang’an. Tao Qian had petitioned to appoint Liu Bei as Inspector of Yuzhou, and before his death, handed Xuzhou to Liu Bei. Yet at that time, Liu Bei was only acting as Governor of Xuzhou without formal court sanction, so local officials did not recognize his authority.

After Emperor Xian was brought to Xu Chang last year, Liu Bei was formally appointed General Who Stabilizes the East and Marquis of Yicheng. But he was not officially recognized as Governor of Xuzhou, so his position remained tenuous.

After Lü Bu seized Xuzhou, he petitioned for the title. At that time, Emperor Xian was still en route to Luoyang and had not granted Lü Bu the governorship, only the lower rank of General Who Pacifies the East.

In the late Han, there were four types of generals: Four Expeditions, Four Garrisons, Four Pacifications, and so on. General Who Pacifies the East ranked below General Who Stabilizes the East, which displeased Lü Bu.

After driving Liu Bei out again this year, Lü Bu persistently sought formal recognition as Governor of Xuzhou.

Cao Cao fully understood Lü Bu’s intentions.

Without the official title, Lü Bu could not govern Xuzhou properly; officials like Zang Ba and Xiao Jian ignored him, preventing him from consolidating power.

If granted the title, Lü Bu would have legitimate authority to appoint county magistrates and regional officials, controlling personnel, finances, and administration. He could unify the five commanderies under Xuzhou, making him formidable.

Therefore, after consulting with Chen Deng, Cao Cao resolved not to grant Lü Bu the governorship.

Yet he had to appease him.

After much deliberation, Cao Cao offered Lü Bu the promised rank of Left General and wrote a personal letter, the “Handwritten Letter to Lü Bu.”

Unlike history, where Cao Cao merely spoke of the court’s difficulties and personally forged the gold seal and purple ribbon for Lü Bu’s rank, this letter praised Lü Bu’s “loyalty and righteousness,” offered further incentives, granted him the right to open a personal office, and promised that after Yuan Shu’s defeat, he would be appointed Governor of Xuzhou, securing his authority.

This was a clear sign of concession.

The root cause was the devastating loss in Nanyang, forcing Cao Cao to tread carefully and adopt a humble tone, making it hard for Lü Bu to cause trouble.

Chen Deng took the letter along with Lü Bu’s gold seal and purple ribbon and set out to report back to Lü Bu in Xuzhou.

Cao Cao personally escorted him beyond the city gates, shaking his hand in farewell.

Thus, the alliance between Lü Bu and Yuan Shu was thoroughly broken, allowing Cao Cao to focus on driving Yuan Shu’s forces out of Yuzhou by attacking Chen and Liang.

“Brother Shen!”

“Mm!”

Shen Changqing walked the street, greeting acquaintances with nods or brief salutations.

But no matter who, every face bore no excess expression, as if indifferent to everything.

Shen Changqing was used to this.

This was the Demon Suppression Department, an institution dedicated to maintaining stability in the Great Qin realm, chiefly responsible for slaying demons and monsters, alongside other duties.

In truth, everyone here bore blood on their hands.

One accustomed to life and death grows indifferent to many things.

When Shen Changqing first arrived in this world, he felt uneasy, but over time, he adapted.

The Demon Suppression Department was vast.

Those who remained were either formidable warriors or had the potential to become so.

Shen Changqing was of the latter.

The department was divided into two roles: Guardian Envoys and Demon Exterminators.

Everyone started as a lowly Demon Exterminator and could gradually rise to Guardian Envoy.

Shen Changqing’s previous life was that of a trainee Demon Exterminator, the lowest rank among exorcists.

With memories from his former self, he was very familiar with this environment.

After a short while, Shen Changqing stopped before a pavilion.

Unlike the rest of the grim, blood-soaked department, this pavilion stood serene and distinct, like a crane among chickens.

The pavilion’s doors were open, with occasional comings and goings.

Shen Changqing hesitated briefly, then stepped inside.

Upon entering, the atmosphere changed completely.

A faint scent of ink mingled with a subtle metallic tang of blood greeted him, causing a slight frown that quickly relaxed.

The bloodstains on everyone here were nearly impossible to wash away.