One Hundred and Fifty-Eight: A Pearl Left in the Sea, the Low-Key Mavericks

Old Man Chen had lived for the better part of his life, so he naturally understood the implication behind Cao Hong’s words. He immediately said, "This humble old man has a son-in-law named Li Jin, styled Qixian, twenty-three years of age this year. He possesses boundless strength and superb martial arts, and is thoroughly well-versed in both ancient and modern classics. Five years ago, he married into our Chen family as a matrilocal husband. At that time, our Chen family was merely a mid-tier prominent clan in Chengshi. Shortly after he joined our household, my youngest daughter was publicly harassed on the street by members of a powerful local clan. That very night, using a single-edged ring-pommeled saber, he single-handedly slaughtered all six major clans of the state and freed the tenant farmers working their fortified manors and estates. The vast majority of these tenant farmers, deeply moved by his benevolence and grace, chose to pledge allegiance to our Chen family, which is how our Chen family was able to rise and become the premier clan in Chengshi."

Ever since entering Chengshi, Cao Hong had heard nothing of this incident, nor had he ever laid eyes on Old Man Chen’s son-in-law. Upon arrival, he had simply noticed the absence of mountain bandits nearby and observed that the common folk were living quite comfortably. Surprised indeed, he had initially assumed the local customs were honest and wholesome, and that the powerful clans possessed a certain degree of conscience, which was why he had paid it no mind. Now, upon hearing Old Man Chen’s account, he realized that Chengshi apparently harbored a truly extraordinary figure.

The name Li Jin sounded somewhat familiar, yet his impression of it was vague. Had he encountered the name before, or had he not? Had he seen it, or had he not? While pondering, Cao Hong asked, "Why was your son-in-law nowhere to be seen when we first entered Chengshi?"

Old Man Chen repeatedly cupped his hands in a deferential salute of apology, saying, "Forgive me, General. It is not that this old man wished to conceal it; rather, before you arrived in Chengshi, my worthy son-in-law mentioned that he needed to travel south to forge a sharp weapon. Before leaving, he remarked that Lord Cao had now entered Yanzhou and that Jiyin Commandery would sooner or later fall into Lord Cao's grasp. Moreover, he noted that Lord Cao is unlike other rapacious wolves, and instructed me to wait in peace here in Chengshi to welcome Lord Cao's army. Having said that, he departed immediately and only returned three days ago. He was simply not present in the estate beforehand, which is why I could not inform the General."

*This fellow actually has some brains? Seems quite smart. Why on earth can't I remember where I've seen that name before!* Cao Hong racked his brain, then asked aloud, "Slaughtering six major clans in a single night—how is it that there wasn't even a whisper of rumor about such a major event among the common folks?"

Old Man Chen smiled bitterly and replied, "That happened five years ago, and furthermore, our Chen family holds considerable influence in Chengshi, so no one dared to bring it up."

"So that's how it is," Cao Hong muttered. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck his mind, and he finally remembered where he had seen the name. It was in a passage of the *Records of the Three Kingdoms* concerning the fierce battles between Lü Bu and Cao Cao in Yanzhou. It was recorded thus: *'Grand Ancestor led his troops back and fought against Bu at Puyang. Grand Ancestor's army suffered a disadvantage and remained deadlocked for over a hundred days. At that time, there was a drought, locust plagues, and a shortage of grain, causing the people to resort to cannibalism. When Bu arrived at Chengshi, he was defeated by the local county resident Li Jin, and subsequently withdrew to camp east in Shanyang.'*

That meant Lü Bu and Cao Cao had clashed at Puyang, resulting in Cao Cao suffering a slight defeat. However, caught in the midst of a severe drought and a locust plague that triggered a famine, Lü Bu led his troops to Chengshi, only to be routed by the local resident of Chengshi County, Li Jin, and driven in disarray to Shanyang!

*Good heavens! He even managed to bring down Lü Bu!* Cao Hong’s interest was instantly piqued. He turned to Old Man Chen and asked, "Where is your son-in-law from? He is surely not a native of Jiyin, is he?"

Old Man Chen replied, "My son-in-law is a native of Bijing County in Rinan Commandery, Jiaozhou. During the reign of Emperor Ling, he was recommended as a *Maocai* (A scholar of exceptional talent) by the Jiaozhou Inspectorate and was on his way to Luoyang to report for duty. Never did he imagine that before he even reached Luoyang, the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, followed closely by the strife between the eunuchs and the external relatives. The imperial court plunged into complete chaos, and his reputation as a *Maocai* naturally went unrecognized by anyone. Wandering until he arrived at this place, I saw that he possessed both outstanding appearance and extraordinary capabilities, and thus I took him in as a matrilocal son-in-law."

Cao Hong immediately understood Li Jin's past experiences upon hearing this. Five years ago would be the year 187 AD. At that time, the Yellow Turban Rebellion had been suppressed for two years, but remnants were still scattered everywhere, while He Jin was locked in a fierce struggle against the Ten Attendants. The imperial court was in a state of semi-paralysis. Jiaozhou corresponded to present-day Guangdong and Guangxi. In those days, traveling from the Two Guang regions all the way to Luoyang near the Yellow River would unquestionably take a year or half a year. This was because, not to mention entering the Two Guang regions, even heading slightly further north toward Guizhou and Hunan meant encountering endless rolling mountains and precipitous ridges, and advancing further into the Two Guang regions led to all manner of wild, rugged mountains and primeval forests infested with venomous snakes, fierce beasts, miasmas, and swamps.

It was likely that Li Jin had spent seven or eight months merely traveling out of Jiaozhou. Only after emerging did he discover that the Central Plains had already plunged into the flames of war. After all, Jiaozhou and Luoyang were separated by thousands of *li*, with no connecting waterways, resulting in severe information isolation. News from Luoyang probably took a full year to reach Jiaozhou, which meant Li Jin was completely ignorant of the situation in the Central Plains. When he finally emerged, he discovered that his tragic status as a *Maocai* was utterly useless—no one would pay him any heed, let alone grant him an official post.

Perhaps because Jiaozhou was exceedingly poor, mountainous, and isolated, he decided to remain in the relatively developed Central Plains, which led to him becoming a son-in-law of the Chen family.

The only people authorized to recommend a *Maocai* were the Three Ducal Ministers, the Nine Ministers, the Inspector (Cishi), or the Regional Governor (Zhoumu), and only one person could be recommended per year. Winning the favor of the Jiaozhou Inspector or Governor was sufficient proof that Li Jin possessed genuine and substantial learning. It was likely that the Inspector or Governor deemed Li Jin exceptionally talented and wished for him to present his documents in Luoyang to make a name for himself and secure a better starting point, never anticipating that the Central Plains had already descended into an abyss of suffering.

*Such a talent truly cannot be let go!* This was Cao Hong's most immediate reaction, so he said, "Old Man Chen, why don't you invite your son-in-law here so that I may meet him?"

Old Man Chen cupped his hands and said, "Understood! If the General will wait a moment, this old man shall send a servant to summon him."

Cao Hong said, "There is no need, I will send my own men to call upon him!" With that, he instructed the guards stationed at the door to go and invite Li Jin to come forward.

Before long, Li Jin arrived at the Cao estate. He stepped up to Old Man Chen's side, cupped his hands, and said, "This humble commoner Li Jin pays his respects to the General."

This man was roughly of the same age as Cao Hong, standing approximately 190 centimeters tall with a perfectly proportioned and well-balanced physique. His palms were translucent and crystal-clear, devoid of even the slightest trace of calluses. His complexion was fair, completely lacking the deep tan characteristic of those raised in the sweltering climate of Jiaozhou. The piercing light in his eyes was restrained inward, and his cultivation realm was unfathomably deep—even a notch superior to the likes of Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan, and somewhat more formidable than Cao Hong himself at present.

This was virtually the second martial arts expert Cao Hong had laid eyes upon since arriving in this world, second only to Xu Deng. As the man stood there, his bearing was as steady as a deep abyss and as unyielding as a towering mountain—truly possessing the grand demeanor of a master martial artist. Yet, his expression was extraordinarily courteous and humble.

Such a low-profile powerhouse! Truly a rare sight indeed! Cao Hong thought to himself, then asked aloud, "I heard Old Man Chen say that Qixian is a native of Jiaozhou? I wonder who else remains in your household?"

To attain an official post, one had to be a dutiful son—such was the rule of the Han Dynasty, which was why Cao Hong posed this question right at the outset.

Li Jin replied, "My parents passed away early in life. When I was young, I worked as a page boy for a wealthy family in Jiaozhou."

Cao Hong asked, "Then your *zi* (courtesy name) must have been given to you by that wealthy family?"

Li Jin replied, "Not at all, it was chosen by this humble commoner myself! The reason our Jiaozhou was able to participate in the imperial court's tribute scholars [Editor's Note: referring to the selection systems of recommending *Maocai* and *Xiaolian*] is entirely thanks to the former Jiaozhou Inspector Li Jin, whose style name was Zixian. During the reign of Emperor Ling, he repeatedly submitted memorials to the imperial court, petitioning His Majesty to grant scholars from the Jiaozhi region the right to receive official posts and stipends, just like the scholars of the Central Plains. Therefore, after this humble commoner obtained the recommendation as a *Maocai*, I immediately changed my name to Li Jin, with the courtesy name Qixian—'Qi' meaning to enlighten and inspire. Had it not been for Lord Li's benevolent act, there would be no *Maocai* named Li Jin."

"So that's how it is! Qixian is indeed a man who remembers the source when drinking water," Cao Hong praised.

Excels in martial arts, well-read in the classics, and possessed of lofty moral character—how could such a man be let go!

With these thoughts in mind, Cao Hong immediately set in motion his tactics for recruiting talent.