Chapter 6: Chen Qun? My Nephew?!

"Ah Bai, come on! Work harder! Your husband’s happiness for the rest of his life depends entirely on you!"

"Husband..." Dong Bai was on the verge of tears. "Husband, please go find Sister Chan'er or Princess Wannian. I truly cannot go on."

"No!! They don't have what you have!"

The slender willow sways in the driving rain,
A bold figure stands firm against the mountain wind.
Where the water runs dry, a waterfall takes flight,
The scenery rivals the beauty of the Yellow Mountains.
If only one could find such a secluded place,
With a flickering lamp and an ancient temple door ajar.

Nine days, eighty-one hours.

Chen Cong gathered his remaining strength to continue, but upon turning over, he found his beauty had already fallen into a deep sleep. He remained stunned for a moment before steadying his aching waist and making his way out of the bedroom.

Outside, the sunlight was perfect, yet he felt as if he had returned from another world. So it was true... excessive indulgence in the boudoir really does make one’s legs go weak. A beauty’s embrace is indeed a hero’s grave.

The windows of the two pavilions in the back courtyard opened in unison, revealing two pairs of beautiful but resentful eyes. Not daring to linger, Chen Cong quickly grabbed his waist and slipped out of the back quarters.

...

Exiting the Shangdong Gate, he arrived in front of the Hero Pavilion. The large stone tablet that once read "Opening doors to welcome guests and gather heroes from all directions" was gone, replaced by a boulder inscribed with the words: "Mountains and rocks remain unchanged, witnessing the depth of brotherhood."

Er...

Chen Cong rubbed his nose in embarrassment, then touched his empty waist. The brotherhood was undoubtedly deep, but he had given the sword that served as its witness to Dong Zhuo as a betrothal gift.

Shi A had arrived six days ago. Chen Cong had been busy with official matters and had only just found the time, only to be waylaid by his domestic affairs.

"Sigh... since I'm already here..."

Inside the Hero Pavilion, the atmosphere was far livelier than in the past.

"General."
"Big Master of the Pavilion."
"Invincible General."

As Chen Cong walked by, the surrounding knights-errant greeted him with their most sincere smiles, all rising with enthusiastic hospitality. As Chen Cong’s fame spread, the status of these knights had risen accordingly. After all, not only was he the sworn brother of the knight-errant Shi A, but after that arm-wrestling match to recruit his followers, he was considered, in a sense, a member of the knight-errant circle.

Furthermore, in the past, when the knights helped the Hero Pavilion, it was purely out of "righteousness" and respect for the pavilion’s "status in the martial world." Now, it was different. Many tasks were done in passing, and they were truly paid for them—earning enough to live comfortably, let alone just getting by.

Chen Cong smiled and responded to them, making his way up to the third floor. Shi A was practicing, his sword movements creating a blur, while Wang Yue sat to the side, offering guidance from time to time. To Chen Cong’s surprise, Yuan Zhong, the Chancellor of Pei, was sitting in the corner reading and drinking tea, looking as if he had seen through the vanity of the world.

Seeing Chen Cong reach the floor, Shi A’s face lit up. He performed a graceful flourish with his blade, sheathed it, and hurried over. He bowed low, hands clasped, at a ninety-degree angle: "Big Brother!"

Chen Cong reached out to lift him up: "Second Brother, it has been a long time."

"Big Brother, please wait a moment."

Shi A hurried back, brought out a wooden box, lifted the lid to reveal an archaic long sword, and presented it to Chen Cong with both hands. "The master craftsman Ou Yezi once forged three legendary swords: Longyuan, Tai'e, and Gongbu. I intended to find Longyuan for you, but despite spending a fortune to search the Yue lands, it was nowhere to be found. I had to settle for the next best thing and found Gongbu to present to you. I hope you will not despise it."

Chen Cong was stunned. He took the Gongbu, stunned, and drew it from its sheath to examine it. It was five inches wide and six feet long. The patterns on the blade flowed like water, never-ending, and it felt like pearls under the touch. He gave it a casual swing, slicing through a wooden rafter by the window; it was as resilient as Tai'e, though its edge was slightly less keen.

"Second brother, the Tai'e..."

Shi A waved his hand with a hearty laugh. "Big Brother, say no more. That it could witness your deep affection for your wife is Tai'e’s fortune, and mine as well."

Chen Cong hung the sword at his waist and patted Shi A heavily on the shoulder. "The responsibilities in Luoyang are heavy. You have worked hard, Second Brother."

"Don't worry, Big Brother. I understand."

It had been a long time since the brothers had met, and Chen Cong made an exception to drink two cups. When he left the Hero Pavilion, he felt a bit dizzy. Declining Shi A’s offer to escort him, he bypassed his own manor and wandered, swaying, toward the General of the West’s residence.

The moon hung full in the branches.

The study was still lit. Xu Chu, guarding the door, seemed to be sleeping; hearing footsteps, he merely squinted an eye open before remaining still.

"Zining?" Cao Cao set down his bamboo slips, stood up, and draped a cloak over Chen Cong’s shoulders. Smelling the wine on him, he poured a bowl of hot water and asked with concern, "Why are you not resting at this late hour?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Oh? After a few days of slacking off, are you not used to it?" Cao Cao laughed, picking up the slips again, his hand moving busily.

Chen Cong shook his head, a flash of confusion in his eyes. Shi A had arrived in Luoyang. Once the integration of the brothels and the Hero Pavilion was complete, it meant the prototype of an intelligence agency would be finished. The letter home had reached Chang'an nine days ago; news should be coming from that side soon. Whether it succeeded or failed, there would be a result.

Once all this was done, Cao Cao would inevitably mobilize his troops.

Chen Cong’s confusion stemmed from this. According to the correct historical path, after the defeat at Xingyang, this should be the time for recruiting troops in Yangzhou, then moving to Dongjun to serve as Governor and wait for the situation to change. Later, after Liu Dai was killed by the Yellow Turbans, Chen Gong would lobby various parties as a representative of the Yan Province gentry, pushing Cao Cao to become the Governor of Yan Province—only then would Cao Cao truly enter the game.

But now, the flapping of the little butterfly’s wings had left the so-called historical trajectory unrecognizable. Cao Cao was already the General of the West; he only needed to eliminate Wang Kuang to swallow the Sili region and become one of the most powerful warlords in the world. The progress was far faster than before.

But by the same token, the crises lurking in the shadows were incomparable. Setting aside the temporary peace with Dong Zhuo in the west, swallowing Sili was essentially a falling out with Yuan Shao in the north. Now that Cao Cao and Chen Gong had fallen out early, and without anyone to mediate, planning for the eastern Yan Province would not be easy. If Chen Gong were to obstruct him, it would become quite troublesome.

Yu Province was even worse, with three parties coveting it: Sun Jian, the Tiger of the Yangtze; Zhou Ang, a puppet of Yuan Shao; and Yuan Shu. Among them, Pei and Yingchuan were under Cao Cao’s direct or indirect control. Liu Biao in Jing Province was like a watchdog, though his true intentions were hard to judge, so he could be set aside for now.

Furthermore, Bing Province in the north was leaderless. If Yuan Shao in Ji Province were too distracted to act, and the Hu people took advantage to ride south, charging straight into the three river lands, would he not need to divide his troops to garrison them?

Even if Chen Cong didn't understand politics, he could see that Cao Cao’s current situation was a case of taking steps too large and overextending himself. Once war broke out, he would be surrounded by enemies. With barely twenty thousand troops, could he really hold his ground?

Cao Cao waited for a while without hearing a sound from Chen Cong, thinking he had fallen asleep. Just as he was about to tell Xu Chu to bring a blanket, he looked up and saw his son-in-law staring blankly at the map on the wall.

He was startled for a moment, then laughed: "Zining, what is troubling you?"

"Surrounded by enemies, how can I not be troubled?"

"Zining, you should not be," Cao Cao said, pointing to the map. "If I were to appoint you as Governor of Bing Province, would this situation still be so dangerous?"

"Governor of Bing Province?" Chen Cong’s eyes widened. "Father-in-law, isn't that taking it too lightly? I only have three hundred cavalrymen; how am I to govern an entire province?"

Cao Cao replied as if it were obvious, "Don't you still have the thousand Flying Bears?"

"Bing Province has nine commanderies and ninety-eight counties. Dividing the thousand Flying Bears would only give each county ten men. How can one govern with that?"

"Zining, have you forgotten? You are a descendant of the Marquis of Quni. You only need to show sufficient military force, and the noble families of Bing Province will naturally cooperate to guard the land. Rest assured, I have already recruited Chen Qun of Yingchuan to be the Deputy Governor of Bing Province. By the family hierarchy, he is your nephew, and he will surely assist you wholeheartedly."

"Chen Qun?" Chen Cong pointed at his own nose, astonished. "My... nephew?"