Seizing the Initiative

Cao Hong was very satisfied with the expressions of shock on the faces of the Wu family father and son; this was precisely the effect he desired. He continued, "My position as the General Who Spreads Martial Might and Central General of the Household is merely to station troops here, not to concurrently hold the post of Administrator. I am simply here to oversee Jiyin Commandery and ensure no one is abusing their power for personal gain. Furthermore, Jiyin Commandery boasts an abundance of talents, so there is no need for an outsider to manage it. Once you assume the post of Administrator, Boyu, you must fill the vacant official posts in the various counties of Jiyin Commandery, and then work together with the commandery officials, of one heart from top to bottom, to govern this region well."

Hearing this, Wu Meng took a deep breath, raised his hands in a bow, and said, "Thank you for your trust, General. I will certainly give it my all."

Cao Hong smiled and said, "Good! Splendid." Only now did he feel a semblance of regaining the initiative. Ever since he entered Dingtao—first with the general's manor, then the whole family coming out to welcome him, followed by this ledger of taxes—every single step had been orchestrated under Wu Zhi's arrangements, making him feel as though he were being led around by the nose.

Precisely for this reason, Cao Hong played an unexpected hand by conferring upon his father, Wu Meng, the title of Administrator of Jiyin. In truth, he knew Wu Zhi's goal was merely to have his father, Wu Meng, secure the position of County Magistrate of Dingtao, so as to rightfully control a county and cement the Wu family's status within it as solid as a rock. As for the post of Administrator of Jiyin, Wu Zhi would never have dared to dream of it, for he knew what kind of material his father was made of and that he was truly unequal to the heavy responsibilities of an Administrator. Serving as a County Magistrate, with Cao Hong supporting him from the side, would naturally be effortless, but an Administrator had to deal with officials and local gentry across all eleven counties of Jiyin Commandery. Although Wu Zhi was clever and astute, he was, after all, only a fifteen-year-old youth and lacked such self-confidence.

Now, Cao Hong first appointed his elder son as the County Magistrate of Dingtao, and then appointed his father as the Administrator of Jiyin. This clearly placed the Wu family over a roaring fire. Because of this, the Wu family, lacking the strength to intimidate the entire commandery, had no choice but to lean on Cao Hong. It could be said that Cao Hong's actions had bound them to the same boat.

"Wanting to be an official while wanting to make a fortune, yet unwilling to bear any responsibility—do you really think I'll let you off so cheaply?" Cao Hong sneered inwardly, and then said to Wu Meng, "Boyu! My nephew Xiuxiu is staying by my side to learn the arts under the orders of his father, Lord Cao." With that, he pointed at Cao Ang.

Wu Meng immediately said, "Lord Cao's eldest son is clever and articulate, and the General is erudite and talented. The two of you naturally complement each other perfectly."

Cao Hong smiled and said, "I am hardly a man of vast learning; I only know how to lead troops into battle, and at most have read a few books on military strategy. So teaching him military affairs is fine, but teaching him scholarly matters is difficult. I can only let him learn on his own and achieve success through self-study. However, a young man reading books always needs a companion. I see that your youngest son is articulate and quite charming. How about having him study and learn characters together with my nephew? After I go to Chengshi State, my nephew will remain in Dingtao, firstly to look after my General's Manor, and secondly to study and practice literature with your young son. I wonder what Boyu thinks of this arrangement?"

Wu Meng was stunned upon hearing this, completely failing to grasp Cao Hong's true intentions. Wu Zhi, however, had some inkling of what was afoot and hurriedly exchanged glances with his father. Seeing this, Wu Meng immediately said, "That would be my unworthy son's good fortune."

Cao Hong said, "Good! Good! Boyu, I agreed to be the honored guest at your younger son's capping ceremony, so let me set the date for this ceremony. Nowadays, a capping ceremony does not require any rigidly fixed date. Seeing how intelligent your youngest son is, why not hold the capping ceremony tomorrow?"

Wu Meng naturally agreed. Cao Hong then urged everyone to drink, whereupon musicians and dancing girls sent by the Wu estate entered the banquet hall and began to dance to entertain the guests. After two hours of merrymaking, the banquet dispersed in high spirits. Wu Meng took his sons and took his leave, while Cao Hong led Cao Ang into the study.

Inside the study of the General's Manor, Cao Ang said with dissatisfaction, "Uncle, how could you actually refuse to take your nephew to Chengshi State?"

Cao Hong smiled and said, "Right now, everyone in Jiyin Commandery fears the momentum of our army. Going there would at most mean helping these local gentry and squires kill a few mountain bandits—what is there to be excited about? Leaving you here serves a much more important purpose."

Cao Ang asked, "What purpose?"

Cao Hong countered with a question, "What was your uncle doing in Wu Commandery?"

"Doing business," Cao Ang replied.

"Precisely! That is precisely why I want Zhixiu to stay here and look after my business ventures," Cao Hong smiled.

Cao Ang instantly became interested. Ever since he was a child, he had followed Cao Cao in studying literature and martial arts, but he had yet to touch upon the world of commerce. Youth are curious about everything, so he asked, "I wonder what kind of business Uncle intends to run?"

Cao Hong smiled and said, "I will tell you when my workers arrive here."

Cao Ang nodded, but then suddenly asked, "Since I am looking after the business, there should naturally be wages. How much wage does Uncle plan to give me?"

Cao Hong laughed heartily and said, "Naturally, it will be based on how much work you put in." With that, he left the study.

At the same time, in the study of the Wu estate, Wu Meng and his youngest son Wu Zhi were also discussing something.

"My child, General Cao wants me to be the Administrator of Jiyin—isn't this forcing someone to do the impossible? Right now, the entire Yan Province dares not resist Lord Cao, and when Lord Cao's subordinates arrive in Jiyin, those local gentry can only submit. The primary task after becoming Administrator will be to appoint officials at all levels. Without even thinking, one knows the gentry will inevitably hope their own scions can enter the officialdom. When the time comes for everyone to come to me seeking favors, how am I supposed to conduct myself? If I handle it poorly, I'll be showing favoritism, and the one who earns a bad reputation won't be anyone else—it will be your father!" Wu Meng said anxiously.

Wu Zhi replied, "Father, we cannot refuse General Cao's words. Moreover, by doing this, General Cao intends to elevate us into the preeminent clan of Jiyin Commandery, and he will inevitably support us. Although some local gentry might harbor complaints about Father's future actions, compared to the growth and prosperity of our family, these idle gossips are utterly inconsequential. Besides, back when we were bullied by the Li family, our in-laws and cousin relatives in the commandery turned a blind eye; of what use are such relatives?"

Hearing this, Wu Meng nodded, considering it agreement with his son's words, and then continued, "But how should we arrange the matter of filling the vacant official posts?"

Wu Zhi smiled and said, "In our dynasty, the buying and selling of official posts is a prevailing custom. We shall naturally follow this established practice. Whoever pays the most gets the higher post, and when the time comes, we simply turn all the proceeds over to General Cao. Isn't that it?"

Wu Meng said, "But if we do this, the government offices will inevitably be filled with mediocre talents. How can we manage Jiyin Commandery?"

Wu Zhi smiled and said, "Father worries too much. What General Cao cares about is whether the tax revenue is plentiful, not whether Jiyin Commandery is well-managed. Even if a squire preys upon the commoners and bullies men and women, as long as he hands over abundant taxes and no one rebels, he is still a good man. When the time comes, we will simply make this clear to those who purchase their offices."

Wu Meng's face relaxed into a smile, and he said, "That is true as well. With tax revenue, we can raise troops. As long as we do not embezzle the money from selling official posts, I suppose the General will not blame us."

Wu Zhi smiled faintly and said, "Father should still have people prepare for the capping ceremony. Although tomorrow is somewhat hasty, it will be enough to let everyone in Dingtao County know that the one performing the capping ceremony for your child is none other than General Cao, the Central General of the Household Who Spreads Martial Might. By then, our Wu family's prestige in Dingtao will rise to an even higher level."

Wu Meng smiled and said, "Indeed." With that, he left the study to make preparations for the capping ceremony.