Chapter 46: The Choice of Wan City (5/5)

Wei Yan fell silent.

He lowered his head and continued to focus on roasting the meat, no longer entangling with Cao Peng.

The wild boar meat was grilled to a golden crisp, fat dripping onto the campfire with crackling sounds. The air above the creek was filled with a rich aroma.

“Let’s fill our stomachs first.”

Wei Yan cut off a piece of roast meat and handed it to Cao Peng.

Having gone nearly a day without food, Cao Peng was indeed quite hungry. He no longer held back, reached out to take the meat, and devoured it ravenously.

“It’ll soon be dark. It’s not safe for you to leave now.” Watching Cao Peng eat, Wei Yan finally allowed a faint smile to cross his face. Yet the smile vanished quickly. He kept his head down, chewing two bites of meat without tasting it, then said softly, “Tomorrow, at daybreak, I’ll walk with you for a while. From here to Laohekou is about half a day’s journey. Once you reach Laohekou, you can take a boat, or head directly south. Follow the main road, don’t take any side paths—by the morning after tomorrow, you’ll reach Jiyang.”

When it came to knowledge of Nanyang Commandery, Wei Yan truly was familiar with every nook and cranny.

Cao Peng thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

Wei Yan was not wrong. Though Wancheng was still calm for the moment, it was far from safe. Cao Peng wasn’t sure whether Cao Cao had already reached Wancheng, nor did he know if the infamous incident with Zhang Xiu’s aunt had occurred. But regardless, Wei Yan’s willingness to accompany him was already more than enough.

Yet… In his previous life, Wei Yan had thrown his lot in with Liu Bei. Though he never commanded an army independently, he was certainly a notable figure in the Shu-Han regime. Now, however, he had chosen Cao Cao. With just a flap of Cao Peng’s butterfly wings, he had shifted a top general from Shu-Han’s camp to Cao Cao’s ranks. The consequences seemed enormous… Cao Peng began to wonder: what would Wei Yan’s future look like? Perhaps he would outperform his original self; perhaps he would fade into obscurity.

After all, Cao Cao’s circumstances were entirely different from Liu Bei’s.

When Wei Yan defected to Liu Bei, Liu Bei’s power was not yet formidable, so Wei Yan quickly gained favor; but now, under Cao Cao, the army was strong, with countless fierce warriors and strategists. Of Cao Cao’s five great advisers, only Jia Xu had yet to join him. If Wei Yan joined Cao’s army, he would face even greater and tougher competition. The struggle within Cao’s camp was fierce indeed.

But this was Wei Yan’s choice…

Cao Peng couldn’t say whether Wei Yan was right or wrong to do so.

In any case, from now on, Wei Yan would walk a path entirely different from before, and the cause of this change was none other than Cao Peng.

Without Cao Peng, Wei Yan might have continued as a soldier’s champion.

At some point in the future, perhaps he would catch Wen Pin’s eye, become a commander of a thousand, a tooth-general; then Liu Bei would appear, Liu Biao would fall ill, and Wei Yan would choose to follow Liu Bei, earning countless military honors… But now, everything was different!

That night, Cao Peng lay beneath a tree.

The night wind was chilly; he curled himself into a ball.

Wei Yan still sat where he was, hugging his knees, lost in thought.

This place was called King’s Ridge.

It was said that Jia Fu, one of the twenty-eight founding heroes of Liu Xiu’s Eastern Han, Marquis of Champions, Commander of the Gold, and renowned as Liu Xiu’s foremost general, once gathered followers here to rebel against the Xin Dynasty. After pledging allegiance to Liu Xiu, he always charged at the forefront of battle, fierce and invincible. Later, after suffering repeated injuries, his health weakened in old age. He often dreamed of those days at King’s Ridge, gathering with his brothers. He requested Liu Xiu to name the place after their oath, and so King’s Ridge it became.

About twenty miles from where Cao Peng and Wei Yan rested, remnants of the old King’s Fortress could still be found…

“Fu!”

“Hm?”

“If I join Lord Cao, will I be able to avenge my grievances?”

Cao Peng was silent for a long time, then replied softly, “If you wish to ride into Jing and Xiang, perhaps it could be done. But if you want immediate revenge, I fear it will be difficult.”

“Why?”

“Governor Liu, after all, is kin to the Han dynasty. Lord Cao, though he has welcomed the Emperor and claims the name of righteousness, precisely because of this, he faces countless jealous rivals. Right now, Lord Cao is surrounded by the watchful eyes of Yuan Shu, Lü Bu, and Yuan Shao. Li Jue and Guo Si in the west are not yet subdued. If he moves against Governor Liu now, all forces will unite against him. So, brother Wei, if revenge is your aim, with the north unsettled, it is impossible.”

Wei Yan suddenly turned to stare at Cao Peng, his face showing astonishment.

—

Had such words come from a renowned scholar—say, Pang Degong, Sima Hui, or even Wen Pin—Wei Yan would not have been surprised. But that they came from a youth’s lips was indeed remarkable.

Suddenly, he laughed!

Cao Peng sat up, “Why are you laughing?”

“The night you arrived at Yiyang garrison, Deng Jie once spoke to me of you.

He said, Fu, you neither master the ‘Poems’ nor the ‘Analects’, and your martial skills are merely average. But when it comes to the ‘big picture’, among your peers, none can compare. At first, I doubted it, but now, I believe him. This sense of the big picture must be a gift from Heaven—you are indeed extraordinary.”

Cao Peng heard this, but instead of joy, a trace of sorrow appeared on his face.

He thought of Deng Ji, he thought of Wang Mai…

What use is a grand vision? Even if he could grasp the fate of the world, foresee centuries ahead, what would that change?

Right now, he couldn’t protect his own family, couldn’t fulfill even a small promise.

A sense of the big picture… Bah!

At this thought, Cao Peng covered his face with his hands and was silent for a long time.

Wei Yan sensed he had said something wrong, so he fell silent, staring into the fire.

The campfire crackled in the night wind.

The distant stream murmured, joining with the fire’s sound to play a lonely song…

—

Wancheng, the command headquarters.

A middle-aged man clenched his teeth and grabbed an inkstone, smashing it hard onto the table.

The tremendous force passed through the inkstone, splintering the sturdy pearwood desk. The inkstone itself shattered into fragments.

“Cao the traitor has gone too far!”

The middle-aged man let out a beast-like roar, his fists clenched, struggling to suppress his rage.

Three young men sat in the room, their faces grim, eyes burning with anger.

“Father, if we endure such humiliation from Cao the traitor, won’t the world mock us for seeking wealth and glory through women?”

“Indeed, Cao deserves death. Let’s fight him!”

The speaker was a youth with bronze skin and heroic features.

“Zhang Xin, hold your tongue.”

The middle-aged man closed his eyes, struggling to calm his fury, and rebuked sternly.

He was a man of impressive bearing, commanding presence. Over six feet tall, neither stout nor thin, every gesture radiated boldness and strength. Though his appearance was refined, it only added to his masculine charm.

He was the master of Wancheng, General of Steadfast Loyalty, Zhang Xiu, styled Bairuan.

Zhang Xiu rose in Xiliang, orphaned young, raised by his uncle Zhang Ji, trained in martial arts, and later served under Xiliang’s governor Dong Zhuo. Xiliang, where Qiang and Han lived together, was fierce and wild. Growing up in such an environment, Zhang Xiu became skilled in spear and horsemanship, ambidextrous in archery, earning Dong Zhuo’s favor. When Dong Zhuo moved to Luoyang, Zhang Xiu and his uncle Zhang Ji settled in Guanzhong.

After Dong Zhuo relocated the capital to Chang’an, Zhang Ji and Zhang Xiu stationed at Hangu Pass…

When Grand Tutor Wang Yun schemed to divide Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu, Lü Bu killed Dong Zhuo, and Wang Yun massacred the Xiliang army. Fearing implication, Zhang Ji led his troops, along with Zhang Xiu, to Luoyang. When Li Jue and Guo Si retook Chang’an, their strategist Jia Xu, disillusioned with their actions, left for Duan Wei. Soon after, Jia Xu left Duan Wei and found Zhang Ji and Zhang Xiu, remaining with them thereafter. As the Xiliang army’s strategist, Jia Xu’s reputation was not as famous as Li Ru’s, but his methods commanded great respect.

Jia Xu foresaw that chaos would soon engulf the central plains.

Luoyang was a crossroads, with barriers but not a place for rest or recovery.

Seizing the opportunity amidst the central plains’ turmoil, he advised Zhang Ji and his nephew to leave Luoyang and seek a foothold in Nanyang.

Zhang Ji and Zhang Xiu agreed…

Thus, the Xiliang army entered Nanyang, Zhang Ji conquered Wancheng, but was killed by a stray arrow outside Rangcheng. Zhang Xiu assumed command.

Zhang Ji had a son, but he died young in battle, leaving a grandson—the bronze-faced youth, Zhang Xin.

Zhang Xiu himself had two sons: the eldest, Zhang Quan, and the younger, Zhang Su. Along with Zhang Xin, they were known as the Three Tigers of the Zhang Clan, all skilled in martial arts and valor in battle.

When Cao Cao marched into Nanyang, Jia Xu advised Zhang Xiu not to oppose him. So, they sent envoys to surrender. Cao Cao, eager to resolve matters without bloodshed, accepted the surrender. He ordered his kinsman Cao Hong to guard Bowang, Generals Yu Jin and Xiahou Dun to station at the east bank of the Yu River, and brought his eldest son Cao Ang, second son Cao Pi, nephew Cao Anmin, and trusted general Dian Wei across the river to accept the surrender at Wancheng. Neither side wanted war, so the surrender proceeded smoothly.

However, after surrendering, Zhang Xiu had to hand over Wancheng to Cao’s army.

This wasn’t something that could be done overnight, so Cao Cao temporarily camped outside Wancheng, awaiting the handover.

It is said that after peace and comfort, one seeks pleasure.

With no battle to fight and his licentious nature, Cao Cao, idle in his camp, sent for women to relieve his boredom.

His nephew Anmin brought him a beautiful woman. Cao Cao was instantly taken with her and kept her in his camp, indulging day and night. Unexpectedly, this woman was Zhang Ji’s widow—Zhang Xiu’s aunt. Winning was one thing; seeking women was nothing unusual. But to so brazenly bring Zhang Xiu’s aunt into his camp for pleasure—how could Zhang Xiu keep his dignity?

Thus, Zhang Xiu summoned his three sons and nephews to discuss the matter.

The Three Tigers of the Zhang Clan were all fierce and aggressive men—how could they tolerate such a thing?

Especially Zhang Xin… Zhang Ji’s widow, Lady Zou, was not his biological grandmother, but by name she was. If news spread that Cao Cao had taken his grandmother outside Wancheng, how could Zhang Xin face anyone again? So his reaction was the strongest.

Yet Zhang Xiu hesitated.

After all, Cao Cao commanded the Emperor’s authority; having just surrendered to him, to turn against him immediately would make him seem fickle and untrustworthy.

Such a reputation was unbearable.

Lü Bu was the cautionary example—renowned as the Ferocious Tiger, yet spoken of with disdain by all.

“Father, say something. Are we to swallow this insult and let Cao the traitor do as he pleases in our Wancheng? You always taught us that a true man should stand tall. We rose from humble beginnings, but we are not to be slaughtered like fish. Even if we turn against him, we may not lose.”

Better to die standing than live kneeling!

Zhang Xiu wavered, uncertain of what to do.

“Uncle, if you cannot decide, why not consult the strategist?” Zhang Xin stepped forward with a suggestion.

Zhang Xiu paused, then suddenly saw the solution.

Yes, such matters should be discussed with the strategist. Surely he would have a good plan to resolve this trouble.

Immediately, Zhang Xiu was about to summon Jia Xu.

Before he could give the order, a voice came from outside: “General, the strategist is here!”