Chapter 112: Atop White Gate Tower

It has been eight months since Shen Chen opened his village school in Suitang last June, and now it is February of the third year of Jian'an. Through his mutual learning with Zhuge Liang, Shen Chen’s thoughts and scholarship have undergone a profound transformation.

In the past, he would have fixated on Cao Cao’s cruelty and inhumanity, attempting to attack his character by driving a wedge between Cao Cao and Emperor Liu Xie. However, such arguments rarely convinced anyone. To the vast majority of the literati, the Emperor represented the ultimate legitimacy; no matter what reasons one might offer, opposing Cao Cao’s army was synonymous with opposing the imperial court, and that was considered an act of rebellion. This was an undeniable fact.

Just as there were those like Ju Shou who were loyal to Yuan Shao, there were naturally those like Xun Yu who were loyal to the Han Dynasty. Having nurtured scholars for four hundred years, the Han had no shortage of loyalists. Before Cao Cao humiliated Yang Biao, dismissed Zhao Wen, and slaughtered imperial loyalists like Kong Rong and Zhao Yan, the number of loyalists in Xuchang was as vast as a school of fish in a river; they were simply purged by Cao Cao over time. Even so, when Cao Cao later ascended to the rank of King of Wei and revealed his usurping ambitions, figures like Geng Ji, Ji Ben, Wei Huang, and Jin Yi still stood up, attempting to seize military power to support Liu Xie and save the Han.

Every person in this world has their own position. Those who defected to Cao Cao were mostly from prestigious, powerful families; they never cared whether the Emperor’s surname was Liu, only about the interests of their clans. Much like the countless aristocratic families who urged Cao Pi to usurp the throne later on, for them, changing emperors was merely changing masters. As long as their families continued to flourish, guaranteed by the Nine-Rank System, they were satisfied.

Some believed that in times of chaos, one should choose a wise lord to serve. Did the many men under Yuan Shao not know his ambitions? Yet, even with the Emperor’s legitimacy on his side, Cao Cao could not change the stance of loyalists like Ju Shou and Shen Pei. Others viewed the Emperor, Liu Xie, as the source of legal authority, and thus considered Cao Cao—who had not yet openly displayed signs of usurpation—to be a loyal minister restoring the Han. This was the view held by countless scholars in Jingzhou, whether they were from noble families, impoverished Confucian scholars, or government officials.

Later generations understand that Cao Cao and Sima Yi were of the same nature—one the Martial Emperor of Wei, the other the Proclaimed Emperor of Wei. But people of that time did not see it. To put it bluntly, before the incident of the Edict in the Robe, it would have been difficult for Shen Chen to persuade even those like Xun Yu, who cared only for the Emperor and the Han state, let alone the scions of noble families who prioritized their own clan interests.

But now, Shen Chen’s thoughts have been elevated. He truly understands the meaning of "unity of knowledge and action" and has proposed a path to save the world; the depth of his thinking is no longer what it once was. While he might not convince the powerful noble families, his words were like pearls of wisdom to the ordinary, impoverished Confucian scholars, leaving them deeply moved. The scholar class in Jingzhou happened to be composed mostly of these grassroots, humble scholars. The noble families were the minority; the commoners were the majority. They lacked clan support, power, or social standing, and only became scholars through chance encounters or by finding a teacher to gain some knowledge. Though they were literate and from relatively stable households, their room for advancement was limited. Without the need to consider clan interests in exchange for titles granted by Cao Cao in the name of the Emperor, their way of thinking was naturally different.

Therefore, many were deeply moved by Shen Chen’s words, and their attitude toward him changed dramatically. Even the scions of noble families, who could not agree with him due to their own family allegiances, felt that his words were philosophical and thought-provoking. There are always a few idealists who betray their own class. Figures like Pang Tong and Xiang Lang, despite coming from Jingzhou’s top noble families, did not betray Liu Cong to secure clan interests like Kuai Yue or Cai Mao; instead, they followed Liu Bei, making the restoration of the Han their own duty.

Soon, Shen Chen’s words spread throughout the Jingzhou scholarly circle. With no one to lead a campaign of disparagement, many began to look at him with new eyes. His profound thoughts earned him great admiration. For a time, the reputation Shen Chen once held in Jingzhou—which was not entirely favorable—slowly shifted. Many felt that even if their stances differed, Shen Chen was undoubtedly a gentleman. From that point on, Shen Chen’s name rose from the countryside to spread across all of Jingzhou, and he was hailed as a man of renown.

Following this, Sima Hui settled in the countryside northeast of Xiangyang, near Yuliangzhou. He and Pang Degong were old acquaintances, and they spent their days in discussion, their friendship deepening. Zhuge Liang, Shen Chen, Xu Shu, and Pang Tong also frequently discussed philosophy with Sima Hui and Pang Degong. They found Shen Chen’s concept of "unity of knowledge and action" to be like the path of a sage, and they praised his talent and ideas highly, sparing no effort to promote his reputation. By the time the summer harvest ended in June, Shen Chen’s academy was almost overflowing.

However, just as Shen Chen’s fame grew and his reputation improved, the tides of the world shifted once more. The imperial court appointed Liu Biao as General of the Household for Pacifying the South, holding the imperial scepter and overseeing the affairs of the four provinces of Yi, Jiao, Jing, and Yang. That May, Nanyang saw a bumper harvest, and Liu Biao gained nearly ten million bushels of new grain, suddenly filling his granaries. Having enjoyed the strength he would have possessed two years later after pacifying Zhang Xian, Liu Biao’s ambition swelled once more. Upon learning that the court intended to grant him greater nominal power in exchange for several million bushels of grain, Liu Biao consulted with his strategist Kuai Liang and agreed without hesitation.

Consequently, five million bushels of grain were shipped to Xuchang, instantly replenishing Cao Cao’s near-empty treasury. With the addition of new grain from Yingchuan and Yanzhou, Cao Cao could finally afford to send troops to war while still providing for the Emperor, no longer worrying about supplies.

In June, after holding out for four months, Cao Cao sent Xiahou Dun to rescue Liu Bei. Unexpectedly, Gao Shun and Zhang Liao proved formidable. After a stalemate of over a month, they launched a surprise attack that repelled Xiahou Dun, forcing Cao Cao to prepare to lead the campaign himself. By autumn, in September, Xiaopei fell.

Shen Chen had once advised Liu Bei in a letter to settle his family away from the front lines while on campaign. Liu Bei followed this advice and stationed his wife and children in Xiayi. His family was not captured, but his army was completely lost, and he fled to the state of Liang with Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Taishi Ci, Mi Zhu, Jian Yong, and Sun Qian.

As it happened, Cao Cao was also preparing to march east against Lu Bu. With the grain secured, he bolstered his army to about seventy or eighty thousand, leading thirty thousand elite troops toward Xuzhou. He left other forces to guard various regions, ordering Xiahou Yuan and Cheng Yu to lead over twenty thousand men in Yanzhou and Sili to guard against Yuan Shao, and commanding Cao Hong, Xun You, and Li Tong to lead ten thousand men to guard against Liu Biao and Zhang Xiu. He himself set out toward Xuzhou, accompanied by Xiahou Dun, Yu Jin, Xu Chu, and Xu Huang.

Although Cao Cao had lost his fierce general Dian Wei at the Battle of Wancheng the previous year, shortly after his return, he encountered Xu Chu, who had brought several thousand men to join him. Cao Cao had always been fond of those who brought their own troops, such as Li Dian’s uncle Li Gan, the dual-spear wielder Li Tong, and later Zhang Xiu—not to mention that Xu Chu was a fellow countryman. Upon learning of his immense bravery, he soon had Xu Chu take Dian Wei’s place as the commander of his personal guard.

When Cao Cao reached Liang, he met with Liu Bei. At that moment, the poor Imperial Uncle was like a child who had been beaten outside and had returned to report to his parent, who then brought weapons to avenge him. While the truth was that Cao Cao had to eliminate Lu Bu to prevent being caught in a pincer attack during a future showdown with Yuan Shao, the scene was quite evocative, showing that the Imperial Uncle had known no peace since arriving in Xuzhou. He had been running east and west, displaced and living a miserable life, a stark contrast to Shen Chen, who lived in peace and prosperity in Jingzhou.

After joining forces with Liu Bei, Cao Cao continued his advance, reaching the walls of Xiapi by the end of September, and wrote to Lu Bu demanding his surrender. At that point, Lu Bu still had a chance; had he surrendered, Cao Cao might not have killed him. But Chen Gong, having already had major conflicts with Cao Cao and having betrayed him, knew clearly that while Cao Cao might spare Lu Bu, he would never spare him. Thus, he urged Lu Bu to hold firm and advised him to split his forces to create a pincer formation against the Cao army. Unfortunately, Lu Bu did not listen, though he also chose not to surrender.

Cao Cao continued the siege of Xiapi. With ample supplies, he kept the city surrounded for nearly three months. Though the grain was plentiful, the soldiers were exhausted and wanted to give up. Guo Jia urged him to continue, proposing the strategy of flooding Xiapi. Cao Cao followed this plan and resumed the assault. Meanwhile, within the walls of Xiapi, Lu Bu’s army was losing heart; Hou Cheng, punished for violating Lu Bu’s ban on alcohol, grew resentful and began to plot a surrender.

On the day of Guiyou in the twelfth month of the third year of Jian’an—February 7, 199 AD—the weather was clear. Due to the Little Ice Age, the sun hung high, but the biting north wind still made one feel a slight chill. Lu Bu, having recently abstained from alcohol and women, had regained some of his spirit and patrolled the gates daily. Today, standing upon the White Gate Tower, he saw from afar that the Cao camp remained silent, its banners snapping in the wind, and he sighed, "Today is another ordinary day."

"Indeed," his attendants replied. "It is so quiet. The Cao army has not attacked for a long time; surely they will retreat soon due to lack of supplies."

"Yes, tell the soldiers to hold on a little longer. We will soon drive them back," Lu Bu said, his spirit lifting as he spoke to encourage them.

Before the words had faded, the sound of war drums began to rumble like a heart stopping. The Cao camp suddenly opened, and ranks of formidable soldiers slowly marched out.

"Brother Shen!"
"Hmm!"

Shen Changqing walked along the road, nodding in greeting to those he met. Yet, no matter who they were, there was no excess expression on their faces, as if they were indifferent to everything. Shen Changqing was long accustomed to this. This was the Demon Suppression Division, an institution tasked with maintaining the stability of the Great Qin Empire, primarily through the slaughter of demons and monsters. It could be said that everyone in the division had blood on their hands. When one becomes accustomed to life and death, one becomes indifferent to many things.

When he first arrived in this world, Shen Changqing had struggled to adapt, but over time, he grew used to it. The Demon Suppression Division was vast, and those who remained were powerful experts or possessed the potential to become one. Shen Changqing belonged to the latter. The division was divided into two roles: the Guardian and the Demon Slayer. Everyone entered as the lowest-ranking Demon Slayer, then advanced step by step toward becoming a Guardian. Shen Changqing’s predecessor had been a trainee Demon Slayer, the lowest rank of all. Possessing his predecessor’s memories, he was very familiar with the environment.

Before long, Shen Changqing stopped in front of a pavilion. Unlike the rest of the Demon Suppression Division, which was filled with a murderous aura, this pavilion stood out, a sanctuary of tranquility amidst the blood-stained surroundings. The doors were open, and people occasionally walked in and out. Shen Changqing hesitated for only a moment before stepping inside.

Upon entering, the atmosphere changed instantly. The scent of ink mixed with a faint trace of blood hit him. He frowned instinctively, but quickly smoothed his expression. The smell of blood on everyone in the Demon Suppression Division was nearly impossible to wash away.