Chapter Forty-Two: Seeking Fame Alone

Pan Zhang knelt on the ground, trembling with excitement. Cao Hong felt the unusual gaze and meaningful smiles from Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun directed at him. Inwardly, he was helpless—heaven knows he genuinely only wanted to cultivate a general capable of commanding troops, managing supplies, and setting up camps, so he wouldn’t have to handle everything personally. He had no intention of winning hearts. But judging from their demeanor, even if he explained himself, neither Cao Cao nor Xiahou Dun would believe him.

Cao Cao smiled and said, “Wen Gui, rise! Dian Wei, escort Wen Gui to the study—the ‘Brief Explanation of Sun Tzu’ is on the desk.”

Dian Wei responded with a booming voice, “Yes!”

Once Dian Wei and Pan Zhang had departed, Cao Cao continued, “Of the thirteen allied routes, eight have already arrived. Aside from our five thousand men, most are just big-headed soldiers drawing empty pay. During the banquet, among the generals who raised forces, only Bao Yun Jie, the Chancellor of Ji Bei, showed some talent. Yet, after the feast, he confided to me that of the ten thousand troops from Ji Bei, three thousand are empty names—drawing pay but not present. The local gentry in Ji Bei refuse to fund the county troops’ equipment and, under the pretext of rampant banditry, keep their own private armies. In truth, they hoard troops to bolster their power, refuse to pay taxes, seize land and goods, forcibly buy and sell, annex self-farmed fields, and expand their estates. Thus, Yun Jie maintains the other seven thousand soldiers through these empty payrolls. It seems, then, there’s not a single route among these eight armies that’s truly elite. This battle—fear we’ve already lost before it’s fought.”

Since the late Han, chaos had prevailed. Local powerful families seized the opportunity to rise, either attaching themselves to those in power or raising private armies to dominate their territories, acting as they pleased, refusing taxes, and extorting passing merchants for “toll fees.” These forces were self-sufficient and well-armed. Most were tightly knit, with families supporting each other, so they would never respect an outsider appointed as governor or chancellor. They not only refused taxes, but also allowed their subordinates to run rampant, causing havoc. Local officials usually had no choice but to placate and cooperate, unable to confront them directly.

Take, for example, Cao Ren’s situation in Pei. Both Ji Bei and Pei were fiefs of a certain prince, and local taxes supported him. To prevent the princes from amassing power, the Han court forbade them from residing in their fiefs. Instead, a chancellor equal in rank to the governor was appointed to collect taxes. With the mountains high and the emperor far away, and constant unrest and banditry, Cao Ren simply let the Pei chancellor “retire to his hometown,” leaving all affairs of Pei in his hands.

Compared to that, Bao Xin—the Chancellor of Ji Bei whom Cao Cao mentioned—was already doing well, for he had secured a foothold in Ji Bei without being ousted by the local gentry. That’s why, in these times, local officials often appointed scions of powerful families or local gentry as aides. Noble families had strength and could intimidate local tyrants, while local gentry like Zhang Miao were already native powerhouses, making management much easier.

Of course, there were exceptions. For instance, Sun Jian wasn’t a native of the Shacheng region of Jingzhou, yet he commanded three counties with the local gentry obedient and docile—not daring to utter a word. That was thanks to his tactics, boldness, and formidable strength.

For someone like Bao Xin, lacking boldness, skill, strength, and connections, to maintain seven thousand troops and a chancellor’s title was already impressive. One could hardly expect his troops to be truly battle-hardened.

Cao Cao’s point was clear—the campaign against Dong Zhuo was nothing but thunder with little rain; he had no hope of victory, even with the reliable forces of Sun Jian, Yuan Shu, and Yuan Shao.

Xiahou Dun listened with some confusion. “If defeat is certain, Mengde, why waste time with these people? Why not turn back to Pei, send Zilian to Yangzhou to seek out Inspector Chen Wen and his uncle Jingjie Gong, respond to each other, and seize the surrounding counties of Pei? Then submit a memorial to the court for governorship. Given the court’s loose control, it’s a certainty. Once granted, we defend our territory and build up our strength.”

Cao Hong almost wanted to bang the desk in praise—this was exactly his plan. On his journey from Qichun to Pei, he’d paid tolls several times, proof these local tyrants were nothing formidable. With five thousand elite Cao troops, they could crush them easily.

Seize the land, recruit soldiers, stockpile grain, then Cao Hong would seek his uncle, Cao Ding, the Prefect of Wu, and his father-in-law Sheng Xian, a famed scholar of Yangzhou, to persuade Inspector Chen Wen to accept the Cao army and claim all of Yangzhou. Yangzhou was the foundation of Sun Wu—the six counties of Jiangdong. If the Cao family took Yangzhou, they could encircle Pei and Yangzhou, trapping Yuan Shu, Tao Qian, and the currently unclaimed Jingzhou. Wouldn’t that be far better than futile efforts here?

Cao Hong was about to share his grand strategy with Cao Cao, urging him to retreat and find another path, when Cao Cao looked his way and smiled, “Zilian, are you about to urge your brother to lead troops to Yangzhou, using Uncle Jingjie’s Wu Prefecture as a base, and having your Taishan master Sheng Xiaozhang lobby the Yangzhou gentry to accept our Cao family? With Inspector Chen Wen, who is friendly with Uncle, assisting, we could claim all of Yangzhou, submit to the court, and become Governor?”

Cao Cao’s words triggered a flash of memory in Cao Hong—he realized the body’s original owner had once advised Cao Cao similarly. At that time, Cao Cao only smiled and said Yangzhou was unsuitable as a foothold, but gave no reason.

Recalling this, Cao Hong nodded, “That’s true, but elder brother refused, saying Yangzhou is not a place to stand.”

Xiahou Dun was baffled. “Mengde, why? With an Inspector, a Prefect, and renowned scholars on our side, it’s a unique advantage. What’s wrong with Zilian’s plan to enter Yangzhou?”

Cao Cao smiled gently, speaking slowly, “Yangzhou has more than just the Sheng family as powerful gentry. Its mountain tribes are fierce and bold, killings and plunder frequent. Which family’s private army doesn’t live by the sword? These troops are battle-hardened, no less than the Xiliang army. The gentry control these troops—would they hand over Yangzhou’s interests to us? Offer them up willingly? I fear that even if they accept us, we would end up under their control. The current state, where every general is a Cao or Xiahou, would not persist.”

Cao Hong was struck by this, recalling that among the founders of Sun Wu in Yangzhou, there were hardly any surnamed Sun—those named Zhou or Lu were far more famous. He couldn’t help but admire Cao Cao’s political insight. Set aside the limitations of this era—Cao Cao’s vision far exceeded ordinary men.

Now, even Sun Wu’s founder Sun Jian had no connection to Yangzhou, and yet Cao Cao already foresaw the pitfalls of settling in Yangzhou. If that wasn’t a politician’s intuition, what was?

Thus, Cao Hong sincerely said, “Elder brother’s foresight is admirable; I am convinced. But if this battle is doomed to defeat, what does elder brother seek?”

Xiahou Dun also looked at Cao Cao, his eyes full of questions.

Cao Cao smiled calmly, “What I seek is but a single word: reputation. Whether it’s fighting Dong Zhuo or developing our own power, it’s not about how much money or grain we have, nor how many soldiers. It’s about how many generals can command troops for us, how many administrators can issue decrees and encourage agriculture, how many strategists can devise plans. Can a few surnamed Cao or Xiahou alone vanquish Dong Zhuo, eliminate all the bandits, and make the unruly gentry abide by the law? What I want are the talents of the realm—but where do talents come from?”

He glanced at Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong, smiling as he asked, “Yuan Rang, Zilian, where do talents come from?”

Cao Hong blurted out, “They come drawn by reputation!” Cao Cao’s meaning was clear—if he didn’t understand, he’d be unworthy of the title of world’s foremost mercenary. Thus, the saying came naturally.

Cao Cao laughed heartily, “Indeed! Drawn by reputation! Zilian, you must have read many books these years; your phrasing is excellent!”

Cao Hong gave an awkward laugh, unsure how to respond.

Xiahou Dun nodded, “Mengde sees clearly. In that case, let us challenge Dong Zhuo. The men are camped outside the county; as commanders, it is best we live among them. Mengde, we take our leave.”

With that, he rose to depart, and Cao Hong followed suit.

Cao Cao rose to see them off, instructing the guards at the gate to bring their horses. He also said to Cao Hong, “Wen Gui, your brother will teach him well.”

Cao Hong thanked him again, then left the residence with Xiahou Dun and a guard, heading out of the city toward the camp.