Chapter 116: There Is Someone in the Cao Family

It was the second year of the Chuping era, late spring, when Cao Cao led his troops to Baima County, situated along the banks of the Yellow River in Dong Commandery. The county featured a port known as Baima Port. As the first county the Black Mountain bandits had reached during their southward rampage through Dong Commandery, it had been left in a state of utter desolation.

However, since Cao Cao had marched from Xiangyi to suppress the bandits, the Black Mountain rebels had fled eastward. By the time Cao Cao arrived in Dong Commandery, the main body of the bandit forces had long since vanished. With the threat gone, the surviving local gentry had begun to organize the remaining populace to rebuild their homes, and the town was already showing signs of recovery.

The man leading this effort was Liu Yan, the former County Assistant of Baima and a wealthy local landowner. His own family had suffered heavy losses during the bandit raids, so when Cao Cao arrived with his formidable army, Liu Yan pragmatically acknowledged Cao Cao’s authority over the commandery and pledged his allegiance.

In truth, this was the reception Cao Cao had encountered throughout his march. Everyone knew that it was he who had cleared the region of bandits; without him, there was no telling how much longer Dong Commandery would have suffered. The Black Mountain bandits had not fled north but had turned toward the eastern part of Yan Province, hoping to cross Mount Tai and join the remnants of the Yellow Turban rebels who were faring well in Qing Province.

Thus, no one knew when those bandits might return. The only force capable of standing against them was Cao Cao’s elite troops. Zhang Miao of Chenliu and Bao Xin of Jibei were only interested in self-preservation, whereas wherever Cao Cao’s troops passed, the bandits were either defeated or fled at the mere rumor of his approach. Seeking shelter under such a strong leader was a wise move.

At that moment, Cao Cao was in the Liu residence in Baima, conferring with Liu Yan. Pleased by Liu’s submission, Cao Cao offered kind words of comfort and delegated the task of appointing local officials to him, even promoting Liu Yan from County Assistant to Magistrate of Baima, giving him full control over the area.

Liu Yan was overjoyed. His family was already the preeminent clan in the recovering Baima, and with this official appointment, they would undoubtedly become the undisputed power in the county. Although the town had been ravaged, the people were returning, and before long, the population would surely reach tens of thousands. To be the head of the leading family among tens of thousands was no small matter.

Liu Yan thanked Cao Cao profusely, swearing that he would collect and submit taxes on time. Cao Cao smiled at the promise and said, "Magistrate Liu, you must restore Baima to its former prosperity. Most importantly, see to it that the people have enough to eat."

Liu Yan agreed repeatedly, "The Prefect’s instructions are well-taken; I shall do my utmost."

Cao Cao nodded and said, "Excellent! While the day is still young, I shall inspect the surrounding villages to see the conditions of the people before deciding on the tax rates."

Liu Yan saw Cao Cao off at the gate. Just as Cao Cao was about to mount his horse, he heard a commotion from a street corner. Curious, he looked over to see a grand residence crowded with carriages. Laborers were busily hauling out chests, furniture, and valuables—it was clearly a relocation.

Cao Cao turned to Liu Yan and asked, "Magistrate Liu, Baima is already recovering its production; why are people moving away?"

Liu Yan felt deeply embarrassed. He had just boasted to Cao Cao about restoring the town's prosperity, and now, right under his nose, a major family was packing up. He recognized the family as the Yao clan, a wealthy and influential group whose strength and reputation rivaled his own. They were a low-profile family that shunned officialdom, which was why Liu Yan had been the one to meet Cao Cao.

If it had been any other family, Liu Yan would have sent men to stop them, but he dared not cross the Yaos. "Please wait a moment, Prefect," he said helplessly, "I shall send someone to inquire."

A short while later, the attendant returned and reported, "Returning to the Prefect and Magistrate, the Yao family is indeed moving away. They are relocating to Juan County."

Cao Cao’s heart stirred, and he was quite surprised. 'Juan County? Isn't that where Zilian [Cao Hong] is? It has been less than three months since I left Dongwuyang; the walls of Juan County cannot possibly be finished yet. Why would such a wealthy family endure the hardship of moving to a place with no defenses?'

Liu Yan was equally bewildered. "Has the old man of the Yao family lost his mind? Why move to such a barren place?"

The attendant replied, "I heard from the Yao family’s servants that a formidable general has arrived in Juan County. He wiped out the bandits at Lishan and Leize. Now, not only are the bandits gone, but even the starving refugees give the area a wide berth. Moreover, that general has restored the shrines of Emperor Yao, Emperor Shun, Sun Bin, and Ji An, and has begun repairing the tombs of these four ancestors. Old Man Yao claims his family are descendants of Emperor Shun, and since the ancestral shrines have been re-established, he would go even through a sea of blades to pay his respects and guard the site."

Liu Yan cursed, "Bah! If they were so filial, why didn't they go years ago? Now that the bandits are dead, they suddenly remember their duty? How shameless!"

Cao Cao, however, laughed heartily. "Magistrate, why be angry? Is Juan not also in our commandery? If they wish to move, let them." He seemed quite pleased, and with a wave of his hand, he rode off with Dian Wei and his guards.

Seeing Cao Cao’s good humor, Liu Yan had a sudden realization. Once Cao Cao was out of earshot, he asked his attendant, "What is the surname of this new general in Juan?"

The attendant replied, "It seems to be Cao."

Liu Yan gasped in realization, "So that is it..."

Outside the county, Cao Cao was still laughing, much to the confusion of Dian Wei, Liao Hua, and Cao Chun. Finally, Cao Chun could not help but ask, "Big Brother, what brings you such joy?"

Cao Cao laughed, "Our Cao clan has talent! How can I not be happy? To think he would use such a psychological strategy—it is brilliant! Simply brilliant!"

Dian Wei, Liao Hua, and Cao Chun exchanged puzzled glances, even more confused than before.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, Juan County remained dilapidated but had grown significantly livelier. Many simple houses had been built in the ruins, and nearby, large-scale construction was underway, signaling that wealthy families were building their estates.

Cao Hong finally understood that the two-meter-high wall he had ordered was a "sheep-and-horse wall," designed to allow defenders to sally out and fight while providing cover from arrows. The city gates were only five meters wide—hardly enough for a mass sortie. If the enemy used catapults or heavy crossbows, the defenders would be slaughtered before they even cleared the gate.

Outside these walls were rows of dome-shaped tents, housing over ten thousand people. These were not Cao Hong’s soldiers, but refugees who had returned to pay homage to their ancestors. They came from all over Dong Commandery and even other parts of Yan Province. The furthest had come from Nanyang in Jing Province—territory belonging to Yuan Shu—a clan of six hundred claiming to be descendants of Sun Bin, bringing all their wealth with them.

Cao Hong knew that people of this era valued their ancestral roots, but he had never imagined the scale of it. Perhaps it was a deep-seated desire in the nation’s blood to return to one's origins, much like the overseas patriots of his past life.

Cao Hong did not tax these people. Instead, he let them choose land in Lishan and Leize to cultivate. The rule was simple: the larger the family, the better the land they could claim—one acre per person. If they helped repair the city walls, they gained five additional acres for every ten feet of wall completed.

As a result, large clans gained the most. The Nanyang Sun family, for instance, immediately claimed six hundred acres. Compared to their former vast estates, this was peanuts, so they were far from satisfied and kept sending men to work on the walls in hopes of earning more land. Small families, meanwhile, attached themselves to the larger ones, farming for them in exchange for protection and a share of the harvest, which was a lifeline during these chaotic times.

Without mobilizing a single soldier or sending a supervisor, Cao Hong watched the walls rise section by section. The ancestors Yao and Shun were the progenitors of Chinese civilization, and countless families claimed descent from them. Since the ancestral shrines were now established, the elders were desperate to "return to their roots." The Chinese emphasis on filial piety made it impossible for the younger generation to refuse. Thus, more people came, and they came as whole clans.

With the land at Lishan and Leize fully claimed, Cao Hong began allocating other plots within Juan County. This required meticulous record-keeping of land boundaries, new arrivals, and the various surnames now present in the county—all in accordance with Han law.

Cao Hong was overwhelmed. Aside from Shi A and Pan Zhang, he had almost no one who could read or write. Shi A was busy patrolling with the recruitment battalion, and Pan Zhang was tasked with maintaining order in the city. Cao Hong was left to handle the household registers and land records himself.

To solve this, he started "hiring" the newcomers by appointing them to official positions. He handed out titles like Cao of Merit, County Lieutenant, Assistant, Registrar, and various minor clerkships. He even appointed local officials like village heads and neighborhood elders.

With a flurry of appointments, he finally had enough literate men to help. He covered their salaries using military rations and the spoils Shi A had seized from the bandits. Juan County began to show signs of genuine prosperity.

Every day, watching the population grow, Cao Hong felt a deep sense of relief. He was lucky that Juan had figures like Yao, Shun, Sun Bin, and Ji An to anchor the people; otherwise, the task of building those walls would have been impossible.

That evening, as Cao Hong was practicing his blade-work, Pan Zhang ran up, breathless. "Young Master... the Prefect's eldest son has arrived."

Cao Hong was stunned. Cao Ang was here? What for? "Where is he?"

"Right here!" Cao Ang stepped out from behind a tent, bowing. "Uncle, my father has written to me, instructing me to follow you and learn from your teachings!"

Learn from my teachings? Is he better off with me than with Xun Yu? Cao Hong was once again utterly bewildered.