Chapter 28: Cao Cao Plots to Take Shangdang

“All right, Wenruo, Zhicai, let us go to the main hall. We may as well discuss how to seize Shangdang.”

Xun Yu wore a troubled expression. If Chen Cong truly was an unstable factor, then securing Shangdang had become the foremost priority.

He turned to Cao Cao and bowed.

“Your command.”

The three went together to the main hall, where the drums were beaten to summon the military commanders once more.

Before long, civil and military officials alike had gathered.

Cao Cao sat upright in the seat of honor, with Xu Chu and Dian Wei standing behind him.

Below the dais, the strategists stood in a line on the right: Xun Yu, Xun You, Xi Zhicai, and Mi Heng.

The military commanders stood to the left, ranked according to military merit and noble title: Xiahou Dun, Cao Hong, Yue Jin, Huang Zhong, and Cao Ren, with Chu Qing stationed at the very end.

There was no need to say much about the strategists. Poor Cao Ren, despite his distinguished position within the clan, ranked only behind Chen Cong and Xiahou Dun in their private circle. Yet whenever formal matters were discussed, he could secure no better than the final position.

It could not be helped.

The first three had once been among the Thirteen Guardians; by rank, all were Marquis within the Pass. Huang Zhong had earned great merit by leading a surprise attack on Heyang. As for Cao Ren, in the end, all he had received was the title of “Golden Elixir.”

Of course, that was not even the worst of it.

If Xu Chu, Dian Wei, and Chu Qing were all included in the rankings, Cao Ren would still have occupied the bottom position.

Xu Chu was likewise a Marquis within the Pass. Dian Wei had once served as Huang Zhong’s deputy in the attack on Heyang. As for Chu Qing, there was even less to say: during the hundred-rider assault on the Xiongnu royal court, he had held the highest military office among the Flying Bear Corps. He was also the Mounted Garrison Colonel personally promoted by Chen Cong...

It was truly miserable.

The good news was that, after one night, Cao Ren could finally enter and leave the General’s Residence normally again...

“Let us discuss the matter. Zining proposes taking Shangdang and opening a route between the two regions.”

The moment Cao Cao finished speaking, Cao Ren immediately stepped forward.

“I request the post of vanguard commander. Should I fail, you may have my head!”

Cao Ren was genuinely desperate.

He urgently needed military achievements to raise his standing. Otherwise, when he returned home for the New Year, would his own clansmen and relatives not laugh him out of the ancestral hall?

Moreover, Cao Ren knew perfectly well that unless he secured the vanguard post, he would have no chance of being appointed commander-in-chief of the army.

Cao Cao raised a hand and waved him back, then turned his gaze toward the strategists.

Shangdang would be easy to take, but taking it without cause would be unjust. They had not even reached the stage of selecting a vanguard commander.

Xun You was the first to step forward.

“We gathered under the banner of righteousness to oppose Dong Zhuo. Zhang Yang of Shangdang is a regional lord in his own right. To seize his territory without cause would be unjust. I hope Your Lordship will consider this carefully.”

Cao Cao regarded Xun You intently.

Unlike his younger uncle, Xun Yu, this usually taciturn Xun Gongda had always addressed him as “Your Lordship.”

The two forms of address appeared similar, but were in truth entirely different.

“Illustrious Lord” expressed expectation and subtly conveyed the demands a minister might place upon his ruler. Those who used the title generally came from great clans, powerful families, or people who held themselves in exceptionally high esteem.

“Your Lordship,” by contrast, signified pure allegiance. Those from humble families, and most military men, would address their ruler in this manner as a declaration of loyalty.

Xun You came from the Xun clan of Yingchuan. By rights, addressing Cao Cao as “Illustrious Lord” would have been the natural choice.

Yet Cao Cao could always vaguely sense the wisdom concealed behind his silence.

As Xun Yu’s nephew, Xun You could not possibly have been unaware of the truth behind the victory report. Yet among all the strategists, he alone had not come to offer counsel against it.

Now, as they discussed taking Shangdang, any clear-eyed man could see that the move would strengthen Luoyang’s control over Bingzhou. And yet Xun You was the first to speak in opposition.

Cao Cao naturally understood that this was not the best moment to seize Shangdang. One careless step, and Zhang Yang might be driven completely into Yuan Shao’s camp.

But how could Xun You tolerate leaving such an isolated territory in Chen Cong’s hands?

Before Cao Cao could think further, Xun Yu stepped forward.

“Gongda’s words are somewhat one-sided. As the General Who Campaigns West, the Illustrious Lord bears the duty of expelling the northern barbarians, protecting the borders, and safeguarding the people. Three Hu tribes and one Qiang tribe are wreaking havoc across Bingzhou. Under the pretext of defending the frontier, the Illustrious Lord may summon Zhang Yang to serve as Governor of Henei.

“Henei lies close to Luoyang and is the heartland of our army. If Zhang Yang obeys, he will inevitably turn toward us. If he refuses, we may attack him on the charge of dereliction of duty.”

Cao Cao asked again, “What shall we do if he turns to Yuan Shao?”

Xi Zhicai stepped forward.

“Yuan Benchu’s scheme to seize Jizhou from Han Fu is at a critical stage. Even if he divides his forces, he can spare no more than ten thousand men. With Your Lordship’s army and Chen Cong’s forces in Bingzhou encircling Shangdang from two directions, the commandery will pose no serious threat.”

Cao Cao slowly tapped his fingers against the desk.

In his heart, he did not wish to offend Yuan Shao too early, even though he had already secretly settled upon a strategy of joining forces with Yuan Shu to resist him in the north.

Sili bordered Jizhou directly, whereas Yuan Shu, entrenched in the lands of Yu and Huai, could at most hide behind the lines and wave a banner.

If the pain fell upon Cao Cao, would Yuan Shu truly exert himself on his behalf?

When the time came, that fellow would likely be eager for Yuan Shao to destroy Cao Cao, then use his alliance with Chen Cong to recover the price he had paid when bargaining for the Imperial Jade Seal.

And yet—

The stability of Bingzhou was of immense importance.

Mutual exchange was only one consideration. Once Chen Cong established himself firmly in Bingzhou, he would be able to threaten Jizhou directly from the flank.

At that point, it would be Yuan Shao who found himself constrained by fear of striking the wrong target.

There was only one question: would Yuan Shao seize Jizhou first, or would Chen Cong stabilize Bingzhou first?

After all, Yuan Shao intended to win Jizhou through diplomacy, while Chen Cong would have to rely on military force to suppress his opponents...

After much hesitation, Cao Cao finally decided to trust his son-in-law.

There was no other reason.

He had broken through the Xiongnu royal court with merely a hundred riders!

“Very well. We shall follow Wenruo’s proposal. Send a proclamation to Zhang Yang. Let the three armies await orders. If he refuses, we shall launch the northern campaign against Shangdang today.”

“Understood!”

...

...

Elsewhere.

Chen Cong traveled with frequent stops and finally arrived in Jinyang on the twenty-fourth.

The imposing city had changed completely since his departure.

Outside the walls, numerous great cauldrons had been set up to distribute porridge.

Stacks of grain sacks rose like hills, while retainers armed and dressed in the varied styles of the great clans maintained order and loudly proclaimed the benevolence of their respective masters.

It was not only refugees who were stopped. Peddlers and travelers passing by were also intercepted whenever they approached the city gates. Clan retainers would hurry forward, distributing wooden slips and inviting them to partake of porridge.

Many refugees would drink porridge from several households, then lean against the city wall to bask in the sun with their bellies full—only to be accosted again and invited to eat more.

The bizarre sight left Chen Cong utterly dumbfounded.

He had known that the great clans were wealthy, but considering Bingzhou’s bitter climate, he had assumed that the local aristocratic families were merely somewhat affluent.

It turned out that only Bingzhou itself was poor. Its great clans had nothing to do with poverty whatsoever.

A glimpse through a narrow opening was enough to reveal the whole leopard.

Chen Cong finally understood the true reason his father-in-law feared Yuan Shao like a tiger.

In this age, securing the support of the great clans was equivalent to having money whenever money was needed, grain whenever grain was needed, men whenever men were needed, and talent whenever talent was needed.

And these were merely the aristocratic families of Bingzhou. In the eyes of the Yuan clan, such people were nothing more than slightly larger ants, and they were ordinarily treated with indifference...

“Governor, welcome home in triumph!”

Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted.

The people immediately scattered to either side of the road, clearing a passage, then dropped to their knees as one.

Their cries rose in disorder.

Some shouted, “The Governor is benevolent!”

Others called, “We welcome the Governor home in triumph!”

Most outrageous of all, many were shouting, “Long live the Governor!”

They might not have been literate, nor understood any profound principles.

But they knew that the Governor had imposed no taxes and driven away no refugees.

They also knew that, after the Governor had “sought worthy men through benevolence” and “broken Meiji with a hundred riders,” those lofty masters of the great clans had changed their faces.

It did not matter whose porridge they ate.

The truly benevolent person was the one who allowed them to eat.